{custom cake}

 

As the temperature is still 'crazy' hot and humid is not easy to bake and décor the cake ; but I can't say NO when someone asked for home-made cake. Tough this cake is so appropriate for hot summer day :) 

this is 8inch - 2 layer lemon cake with fresh fruits topping with lite lemon vanilla icing covered with almond slices.

I only take an order for St.Louis - area only (e-mail me for your custom cake like this) ; the fruits topping is depend on fruit season.

Splash Smoothie

 

How about this ... 90+ F for almost 10days now, so humid, yucky weather ... What I want is just a cup of smoothie, or more ..

Today, I tricked my hubby a little bit ; since he hate avocado , make me wonder if I put a little bit of this, a little bit of that .. Will he notice ? Let's try ..

Splash Smoothie
Ingredients :
1 cup of mango - fresh or frozen
1 cup of cantaloupe
1 medium avocado
1 cup of fresh orange juice
ice

Method :
place all the fruits ingredient in the blender. Start on a low setting while you add ice. Switch to higher setting for about a minute. Pour into a tall glass.

Update : my husband love it ... !! - high five for me- :)

Go berry-cado !

 

Still try to take advantage of summer season .. buy fresh fruits from street vendor with the cheapest price compare with supermarket price. awesome..!!

So going green this morning, why not !

Go Berry-Cado Smoothie
Ingredients :
2 medium cucumber, peeled if you want
2 green granny smith apple, cored
2 medium avocado
5 strawberry
1 tbsp. honey
1-2 cups of water
1 tbsp. flax seed

Directions :
Mix all the ingredients on blender add ice if you like.
Enjoy. (for 2-3 medium cups)

Brown Velvet Vigor Shake

Have you ever considering to eat Raw Food ? The foods are consumed in their purest, most simple form - un cooked ; unprocessed ? Or become vegetarian ? I never consider my self as a vegetarian ; don't get wrong I'm not eat big chunk of steak for so long ; I prefer to eat fish , tofu .  Well - I try my best to eat a healthy food whenever I can !  This post is not talk about a healthy raw food, how good balance diet is..  NO, you yourself know what best for your body.  I just want to change my eating habit a little bit.

 

This happened when I saw friend of mine, a very talented young lady, Dita - she is posting about a healthy smoothie recipes, heey .. it's look good, think the taste must be good too.  Do I interest to try ? well, I tag the recipes already but not try  yet, until I went to local library and by accident find 'Raw Energy Book by Stephanie Tourles' . I read the book from 1st page until finish while waiting my daughter practice at the gym.  It was interesting book, and next morning , I filled my shopping basket with some of fresh fruits, fresh vegetables. 

 

I try one of Stephanie's recipe, to my surprise the taste is so good - I drink a big cup for my breakfast - and I didn't feel craving for sweet at all.  Well, this is not diet recipe but I consider as detox drink , I still eat 'normal' lunch, and drink another cup for dinner , wow I feel good ...

 

So daily I combine recipe from Stephanie Tourles and Dita (check her recipe HERE) , they recipes satisfy my hunger in a good way :)

 

Brown Velvet Vigor Shake

Recipe : Raw Energy Book

 

Ingredients :

2 cups purified water

8 pitted prunes (if hard, soak for 1hour before bleeding) ~~ medjol dates is work too

2 medium banana, cut into chunks

1/4 cup raw oatmeal flakes ~~ I substitute with 1 tbsp. flaxseed meal

2 tbsp. raw tahini (sesame seed paste) ~~ I skip this

1 tbsp. raw honey or agave nectar (optional)

pinch of sea salt (optional)

 

Directions :

Put the water, prunes , banana, oats, tahini, and honey and salt if desired in a blender, and blend on medium until smooth and thick.

 

Pour into glasses

 

A good source of : age-defying, anti oxidants, and B vitamins plus potassium, natural sugar, protein, fiber

 

 

for the love of ruffle (skirt) :)

 

Today is the first day of school for my little one as 2nd grade student. I don't know who is more exciting when the school start begin ? her who will meet her new teacher ; the best teacher for year 2012 !! or me, who will stay home alone for awhile ? :)
This morning, she is so proud wearing a new skirt that I finished to make last night - a very simple ruffle skirt . The fabric is her choice - ice cream fabric from Jo-Ann Fabric Store !! - tough the fabric is yummy fabric for summer .. oh, no.. just realize that summer almost over :( 

 

While she is still at school - I grab my other fabric, sew.. sew .. sew ... 2 hours for another skirt ;not bad after all I think .. :) and still more skirt to come ..

I already sewing some of dressed for her, I just in love with gingham fabric lately - I using the pattern from Simplicity 3510 - the pattern it self no longer in market, but try your luck searching on ebay like I did - little bit pricey but always worth it when you see the result.

 

 

 

 

 

Keep our tradition

 

Baking a (very) rich Indonesia layer cake is always on my list especially for big celebration such Eid Celebration. One a reason is too keep our tradition going in our international household :) .

You will never see me bake this rich cake in regular day, too much work for sure and I don't feel like to keep the weigh-scale needle going to the right side either. This little cake is contain 30 yolks... *grin* so, please if you are on diet, stay away from this cake even just for a slice :D

And in this moment I 'd like to say : wishing you happy Eid Mubarak - TAKABA LALAHU MINA WA MINKUM

Lapis Legit
by Yasa Boga Book

300g butter,
200g margarine,
3 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk,
1 Tbsp mixed spice,
100g plain flour,
350g caster sugar,
30 egg yolks,
½ tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 300 F

Beat the butter and margarine until fluffy and pale. Add in the sweetened condensed milk. Beat until well mixed. Set aside.

Beat the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla until thick and pale. Whisk in the butter mixture one spoon at a time, mix well. Fold in the sifted flour and spices, mix well.

Prepare a square cake tin 22x22cm, line with greased and floured baking paper.

First layer: Spoon the batter into the tin, 3 Tbs at a time, level the surface. Bake first layer.

Next layers: Spoon in 3 Tbs batter on to the first layer, level. Bake under the grill for about 3 minutes or until the surface is golden brown. Remove and repeat the process until all batter is used.

Last layer: adjust the oven back to 350F. Spoon the last mixture, level and bake until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool on the wire rack.

Sliced to serve - this cake even better after 1-2days baking.

Ketan Serundeng Ikan / Glutinous Rice Cake with Shreded Fish Topping

I've been contacted by Lubna Karim - from Yummy Food ; to participate into her event "Joy from fasting to feasting" about a week ago. But with all 'the chaos' around me ; I hardly to manage my time until today . 

I love her idea to share our tradition to other fellow blogger during Ramadan - wish I have more time to take more decent picture than the one I sent to her.

Take a peek at her blog and her event HERE - and you will find so many interesting recipes from all around the world and common serve during Ramadan.

I share 'Ketan Serundeng Ikan'  recipe and will be posted at her blog on August, 7. This recipe is always bring my childhood memory back - the time that I love to sit together with my family for iftar (fasting break time).  After all, what better than soul food for yourself, huh ? :)

 

 

Ketan Serundeng Ikan // Glutinous Rice Cake with Shredded Fish Topping

 

Ingredients :

 

500gr glutinous rice , rinsed well, soaked into the warm water for 1 hours, drained

 

250ml lite coconut milk

2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp salt

 

Ingredients for fish topping :

300gr red snapper fillet or tuna or tilapia ; steam for about 10 minutes ; shredded when is cold enough to handle

2 Bay Leaves

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 tsp sugar

2 Lime Leaves

 

The Spices, grind very well all the ingredients bellow with mortar or food processor :

3 medium garlic

2 red bird pepper / 2 tbsp sambel oelek

1/2 tsp coriander powder

5 shallot

Directions :

1. Steam the glutinous rice for about 10 minutes

2. Meanwhile In medium pot, boiled coconut oil, turmeric powder, salt - stir very well. Than, add into the rice, mix together, add lime juice. Steam it again until cooked through about 15 more minutes.

3. Fish Topping : in medium wok, saute the spices , bay leaves, lime leaves with vegetable oil until translucent, than add shredded fish , stir ; add sugar and salt. Cooked until the mixture become dry.

4. Serve the cake rice with fish topping. Enjoy.



The Common Cookies

 

Ask Indonesian people, what a popular cookies for Eid Celebration ? no doubt, they will say "Nastar" and "Katetong" - a very simple cookies yet delicious.  You are not celebrate Eid, if you don't have nastar - well, I think that is a real MANTRA !!  As like other who celebrate Eid in Indonesia - far away from home, I want do the same , bake a humble nastar and katetong. eew, why I just bake once a year since hubby and daughter loves this ?

The other hand, I just realize that another cookies named : katetong - has a different named around the country. Some called cat tounge (which make sense to me, katetong - sound like cat tounge) or Lingue di gato are so named because their shape resembles a cat’s tongue.  They also look a lot like a ladyfinger.  Katetong have a wonderful buttery flavor and can be served plain or frosted with a glaze of bittersweet chocolate.  You can also sandwich two cookies together with the chocolate glaze or with a little jam or Nutella. 

I got this recipe from my beloved friend, Ika Ray - so talented lady, who loves to bake and cook  . I need to re-post the recipe since I told my daughter, someday she need to bake her own :)

 

 

Nastar / Pineapple Tarts Recipe

Recipe : Ika Ray Kitchen

Pineapple Jam Filling
Ingredients:
4 large pineapples
300 g sugar
1 clove
1 inch cinnamon stick

Method:
1. Slice and grate pineapples till fine. You can use a food processor do grate it.
2. In medium pot ( i used spaghetti pot - so the pot deep enough to simmer the jam and not much of mess around the kitchen after work) put the grated pineapple, cinnamon stick, clove, let it simmer until the juice has dry up. Than add sugar .
3. Stir till the pineapple has thickened and dry.

Note : You can make the filling in advance and refrigerate it.

Pastry
Ingredients:
350 g margarine
350 gr butter
150 g caster sugar
4 egg yolks
900 g all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla essence

Egg Brush
2 egg yolk plus 1Tbsp water

Method:
1.Preheat oven at 150° C.
2.Cream margarine, butter and sugar till white.
3.Add in egg yolks and beat at low speed for 1 minute.
4.Fold in flour gradually.
5.Take about 2 tsp pastry dough, roll, press with your finger put a filling, roll it again.
6.Brush with egg brush. Add clove for decoration (optional)
7.Bake in a preheat oven at 350F for 20-25 minutes or when tarts is light golden brown in color

 

Katetong / Cat Tounge Cookies

Recipe : Ika Ray

Ingredients:
white eggs from 3 eggs (approx.90 - 100 ml)
450 gr margarine
150 gr butter
350 gr powder sugar
75 gr shreded cheddar cheese
600 gr all purpose flour (shive)
1/2 tsp vanilla

Direction :
Beat margarine, butter, sugar until smooth and fluffy.
Add white eggs, little by little, beat again until smooth and well blended. Gradually add flour .
With spatulla add cheddar cheese, mix well.
Place the dough inside a piping bag (i used plain tip). Then squeezed
out the dough into a greased kattetong mould. or just I just placed the dough on a cookie tin which was lined with a piece of parchment paper - pipe about 4 - 5 cm long
Bake in a preheat oven at 350F for 15-20 minute until done