chronicles of young

Check out my new corner. I guess the things amount to a hundred, at least.                                            Pans, cookie cutters and all the stuff I love to use                             Since I got the 'Gorgeous Cakes' kit for my 15th birthday, I have filled it with more books. Wanna see?                                                          ...

This Christmas, I felt I had everything I ever wanted. No kidding. If there was a single word I had to chose as favorite, it would be the word 'together'. (nah, love is too cliche) Okay, this post is actually to share my successful shortbread, after my failure last time. I just didn't know what to say after the meaningful Christmas that wouldn't seem too shallow. Put some sanding sugar into a piping bag and sprinkled the sugar into the crevices. Easy peasy! "Christmas isn't Christmas till it happens in your heart" Belated Merry Christmas! Shortbread A mash from Sue Lawrence's Book of Baking and The Best of Betterbaking.com by Marcy Goldman 225g slightly salted butter, softened 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 scant cups AP flour 1 scant cup cornflour, farola or rice flour Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Lightly butter a baking sheet. Beat butter and sugar together until pale; this would take at least 5 minutes. Sift in the flours and process v...

Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. Heck, I'd never even have known its glorious existence if news of it going to be demolished hasn't reached the newspaper. As it turned out, it was an old old place indeed. The colonial style. The four pillars of economy at that time. I just love the building, grand old dame eh? The murals. The chairs that are surely older than me. Are these going to be gone? I really love this place!! (oh, I said it already) Sign this petition ? Hope you saw this coming... :) Pretty please? * To garner your utmost sympathy, I just recovered from fever and am now having acute nasopharyngitis (translate: the painest sore throat ever), and I need my voice to wish people Merry Christmas at the block party tomorrow. P.S. Also, last Christmas I had fever too. Here's the link again! http://www.petitiononline.com/TjPager/petition.html

No words today, 'cept for these of course. To show off my improved (are you giving incredulous looks?) photography. I think. Must be the new camera, love it. Love to Pioneer Woman too, for teaching me what the heck is an aperture.

1. Sort out the gargantuan amount of books, notes and worksheets. I feel like an environmental catastrophe. 2. Feel wretched and useless and bitter at the lack of jobs, while others have found theirs. Bitter, bitter me. 3. Can't even bake. Too ashamed to get money to buy the ingredients. Save me, employers! 4. Just been informed on facebook that no one is hiring anymore, they all want long-term workers. WHYYY?! 5. But still, there is actually cause for celebration. I got a follower! Totally unexpected. Thank you for your kind act, Kagi ! This blog is totally unfit for following.                                                                  ...

I do weird things in the bathroom. Like taking a blob of shampoo suds (is that what you call it?) and smearing it on my lips. And then imagining that this is what clouds feel like. And imagining how one day I might really be able to create something edible with this. Soap suds taste horrible by the way. THIS. No kidding, this has the texture of clouds, or at least in my imagination. If not for those fluffy things on top, I would have passed posting it, because the cupcakes need more chocolaty oomph. clouds and choc cupcakes   Makes 24 cupcakes plus 4 mini ones (picture below) I only made 12 with clouds because I wasn't sure how things would turn out. 3/4 cup (175g) unsalted butter, diced 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 large eggs, separated 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk 2 heaped tablespoons cocoa powder, mixed with 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water then cooled 1 cup cake flour 2 teaspoons baking powder For the meringue: 2...

The theme was Masquerade. Ahem. So yours truly decided to let her face be painted. (Leave-on mask! No fretting!) By the way, look at her! Personally I think she should win the 'Prom queen' title, she really fits the masquerade theme, don't you think? JUNGLE GAGA And me. Looking weird. By the way, I'm the girl. -.- I didn't really snap alot. (refer to title) Oops, chronic eye closing when taking pictures. And flabby arms that lack exercise. Like I said. Weird. HAHA. Love this one. They both like to hurl insults at each other.  JOKER Gaga! Oh well. Saved ya some scrolling. Or did I?

I know. Its been an uber long time since I last baked. Hang in there, CoY! Heheh, I think CoY looks and sounds cool. Except, mebbe her creator isn't really the cool kid in school. A LIST FOR KANGLI TO DO 1. Post pictures of graduation night. The theme is masquerade. Can't wait. -- 22 Nov 2. Complete my personal chocolate cupcake challenge. Since I can't enter the  Chocolate Adventure Contest.  (US citizens only) Azuki bean is the adventure ingredient I'm dealing with. 3. Bake a Christmas cake, hopefully. Gonna need some bakemate here. 4. Perhaps do some teaching at the student care where I spent 6 years. You know, I wanted to be a teacher. Until I saw how demanding (and therefore noble) the job is 5. Write thank you notes to all the friends that mattered. The thought of not being in the same class again... To anyone (is there anyone?) reading this, thanks for dropping by! This space is in severe need of watering, therefore the land's a bit parc...

No pictures today... Just felt like making a post to hopefully lift someone's spirits up. Today I felt immense hope. The road is long, the road is hard, but I know I will never walk alone. Ever. In my heart, I feel a soothing peace. I know I will be battered, but never shattered, challenged, but never struck down. I know this because I know that God will never give me something that I cannot overcome. With Him I can be safely assured of this. I know I may not be good at expressing what I truly feel inside, nor am I the best person to ask questions about Christ. Still, if you want to find out more, go here ! P.S. I should totally be mugging for my 'O' levels.. its Math today. Have hope in you always!! :) lovelovelove,  Kang Li

I'm putting up photos taken by a cameraphone. Is this food-photography heresy? To make matters worse, I'm not taking them with the latest cutting-edge phone. (Please tell me its still iPhone 4) And to make this even more unforgivable,my first-ever introduction of this all-time comfort food was taken unceremoniously, on top of a pile of books. And now I don't know how to end this post. (I don't even have a recipe for this! It's not even baked!) Whoops. Care to share your comfort food? Afterword: This post is purely out of boredom. For cooler stuff, go here .

Here's an apology before I go on.. The photos this time round aren't good. (Not that I am a good food photographer to start with) I was too excited when I saw those gnarled tubers when my parents came back from the market. I HAD BEEN WAITING TO MAKE THESE! That's the perk about growing up in Singapore. You grow up with kueh  and a dizzy assortment of food from all ethnic groups. And I am just so in love with kueh. Like I said, photography's not good here. I was simply too amazed at the taste. :) It has little ingredients, but I strongly suggest you make it with someone. Preferably, someone you love. Like your dad. From Malaysian Cakes and Desserts, with slight changes Baked Tapioca Cake       Serves 6-8 1kg (2lb) tapioca roots 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 plus 1/3 cups coconut cream mixed with 1/2 plus 1/3 cups water 1 egg, beaten pinch of salt First rinse the roots to remove any sand and grit. Cut them roughly into 2 1/2 inch ...

In the same way I was so enamoured by scones after reading Enid Blyton (the kids in her books always had scones with jam), I was smitten with shortbread after coming across the many raves in recipe books about them. So off I went, armed with a self-written recipe and much bravado. (Considering how this was my first time making it.. I based my ingredients-ratio on Marks and Spencer's shortbread) Yeah, severe overcrowding The taste was fine. The buttery smell that wafted out of the oven was simply amazing. BUT... I just held it for 10 seconds And it was so soft, Mebbe I put too much rice flour/corn flour I might consider following the tried-and-tested, realiable recipes in the books.                                                ...