Art Work

 

As a parent , we were so thrill to received a mail week ago from my daughter art teacher, said that one of her art work has been chosen to represent her school at the North Art Exhibition 2014 !! This is 2 years in row she is doing great at Art Class at her school. Yes, I am so proud of my little one , who doesn't ?   Last night we attended the exhibition - it was nice night , so many art work delivered from kids from age 6 to high school ages from around the region, I saw so many talented kids - they are really talented kids, so many pretty artwork. I couldn't take many picture since the place is too crowded ..

And since she did fabulous job, I think she deserved a good treat. I took her to yoghurt place that she loves most, Froyo .. !! yuumm

 

Proudly Parents..

 

Hello.. Happy Friday for you all , it's absolutely lovely weather here until Saturday. I've been work out at the gym since morning , kicked my lazy a** and get more active today.. Hurt little bit after long pause, but I feel much better.

It's pretty busy week for me, but the best I can tell is I'm a proudly mom. My 6yo is doing a very great job at school.

First she has been chosen to participate in FLEX Enrichment for second time in 2 years in row because of her assessment scores at class. In FLEX Enrichment class, she will have the opportunity to engage in higher level thinking activities. For sure, she must to sign a behavior contract during the program :) but so far she is enjoy the new activity beside gymnastic and swimming lesson.

The second lovely thing was, she did a fabulous job on her Fauvism Landscape painting, and she has been chosen to represent her school at the North Regional Art Exhibition. The artists came from student at Elementary, Middle and High School at North Regional Area.

We attended the art exhibition on last Wednesday, it was packed .. full with parents, kids, teacher and staff from many school. I can tell all of them were proud with their kids art and craft objects. And me and my husband  were so surprise with her art paint too - so lovely. :) *I'm proud of you dear*

Well, may be I brag too much .. but who doesn't feel proud if your kiddos doing right thing in their age ? I'm sure you do.

Oh, she has been talked to her grandma and grandpa over the phone . Her 'bahasa' is getting better everyday. Can't wait to see them soon, I'm sure grandma and pa must be miss her so much, so she is.. Grand ma asked when she will come to Indonesia again, she answered : 'sabar ya,uti' (be patient, grandma )  LOL

Does life really begin at 40 ?

Another year in my life. Do I getting old ? May be YES, May be NOT! The fact is I more enjoy my life. The sweetest things in life grow sweeter as the years roll on

Hmmm.. lets forget about getting old, more white hair coming, more wrinkle at my face. Life begins at forty, and I'm just living all over again.

Happy Birthday to me, and every December friends. And NO DIET for birthday girl :D

Chocolate-Pomegranate Torte

Source : Fine Cooking Magazine

For the Cake:
2 oz. (4 Tbs.) softened unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces; more for the pan
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate (70% or 72% cacao)
3 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. table salt
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
2-1/4 oz. (1/2 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour

For the Pomegranate Jelly:
1 medium Pink Lady or Braeburn apple
1-1/2 cups pure unsweetened pomegranate juice
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. granulated sugar
12 fresh or frozen cranberries

For the Glaze:
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate (70% or 72% cacao), chopped medium fine
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
1 Tbs. honey or light corn syrup Pinch table salt

Fresh pomegranate seeds, for garnish (optional)


Make the Cake:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the sides of a 9x2-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment.

Finely grate 2 oz. of the chocolate and set aside. Coarsely chop the remaining chocolate and combine with the butter and 3 Tbs. water in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl in a skillet of barely simmering water and stir frequently until the mixture is melted and smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with 1/2 cup of the sugar and the salt until thick and lightened in color.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar at medium-high speed to soft peaks, about 2 minutes. With the motor running, gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating to stiff peaks, 1 to 2 minutes more.

Whisk the warm chocolate and the flour into the yolk mixture. With a rubber spatula, fold one-quarter of the whites into the chocolate batter. Scrape the remaining whites into the chocolate mixture and sprinkle the grated chocolate on top. Fold together. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out smudged with a few moist crumbs, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto another rack. Remove the pan and parchment and invert the cake onto the first rack (it's normal for the cake to have a crusty exterior that may crack with handling). Let cool completely.


Make the Pomegranate Jelly:

Grate enough of the apple (including the peel) to yield 3/4 cup. In a medium saucepan, bring the grated apple, pomegranate juice, sugar, and cranberries to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer, covered, until the apple is softened and the mixture has thickened a little, about 10 minutes. Uncover and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally at first and then constantly towards the end, until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes.

With a rubber spatula, press the pulp through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl until you can't get any more juice out of the pulp. Scrape all of the juice clinging to the bottom of the strainer into the bowl and discard the pulp in the strainer.

Brush away any loose crumbs and easily detachable crusty pieces from the sides and top of the cake. Transfer the cake to a cardboard circle or tart pan bottom.

Stir the jelly to blend it, scrape it onto the cake, and spread it evenly over the top. Let the jelly cool until it's set, about 1 hour. At this point, the cake may be covered with an inverted cake pan, wrapped in plastic (the pan keeps the plastic from touching the cake), and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.


Make the Glaze:

Put the chocolate, butter, honey, and salt in a heatproof bowl set in a skillet of barely simmering water. Stir gently until the chocolate melts and the mixture is perfectly smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in 2 Tbs. cool water. Let cool to room temperature without stirring. If not using right away, cover and store at room temperature. Set the cake on a rack set over a baking sheet. With an offset spatula, spread 1/3 cup of the glaze around the sides of the cake and on top of the gel (be careful not to disturb the gel) to smooth the surfaces and glue on any crumbs. Re-warm the remaining glaze gently to 90°F in a skillet of barely simmering water—the glaze should have the consistency of thick, pourable cream.

Scrape all of the glaze onto the top of the cake. Spread the glaze over the top and all around the sides. For the shiniest glaze, work quickly and use as few strokes as possible. Scoop up any excess glaze from the baking sheet and use it to cover bare spots.

Garnish with pomegranate seeds (if using) and let the cake rest on the rack for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cake plate and let sit at room temperature until set, 15 to 30 minutes, or up to several hours before serving

*updating*

some people think this picture is good ^__^ so, they decided to give me award .. I'm so thankful and honor with the award. Thank you judges, thank you friends.

What a surpraise ..

Surprise is a good word ! And I always love surprise. Like surprise I’ve got through my e-mail this morning said that I won DMBLGIT award November 2009 edition. Yeaaaay… this is cool ! Well, since I started blogging a year ago, I never think that I will win any kind of event including DMBLGIT . For me, baking , taking picture are part of my ‘crazy’ hobby right now and when some people think my picture is nice looking pic, that is bonus for me. :D

This time I would like to say thank you to the judges : Bron, Sabra, Julia, Mowie and Claude-Olivier and the host, Sandra. You guys did such a great job

And another person I like to say thank you is : Kris, hey ya! Do you think we need to send ‘macaroon’ for every event ? LOL. Kris was right, I always teased him for every award he get,, and the funny thing was we’ve been thinking the same idea, I though he will win the competition and he though the same about me too. And today I can say : “both has same ‘crazy’ mind “ . We won award together , Is that what they call : that’s what friends are for ?

Is this an early birthday present for me ? May be LOL. *story is to be continue :D

Edibility Winner

Judge comments: nice composition and light. Bright, fun

Find your happiness

One of my beloved friend, asked me one simply question : "Fitri, are you happy (with the decision you've made in your life) ?"

Yeaaah, that was a simply question, but for some case, the answer not as simply as like you though, anyway it doesn't matter what my answer was. But, what I want to tell you that sometime we always compare our self with others, don't you agree ?? Comparing *in positive ways* is good, but not always good. As like some people say,

The grass may be greener on the other side of the fence but you still have to mow it

Happy , Happiness.. what is the world mean ? I don't know ! My point of happy or happiness may be different with yours, and you will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.

Happiness is something everyone wants to achieve. While on the surface people may seem to be looking for money, recognition, or other things, what they actually seek is happiness. Unfortunately, many people never reach the level of happiness they desire.

Gosh, what I'm talking about ? I don't know I must be totally insane ^_^.. anyway, what I want to say that :

YES, I'm happy with decision that I made in my life *with every consequence off course*

YES, I'm happy if you not sad anymore *as you said, there is so many fish on the ocean* wink..wink.. *hey Kris, I'm happy meet friend like you - and thank you for the award :-)

YES, I'm happy to meet you again !! *hey yaaaa... nice talk to you, my best friend ever*.

YES, I'm happy after talked to my mom & dad this morning * I miss them so bad, hopefully we will see you again very soon*

YES, I'm happy can make you happy with this bread LOL.. really this is the request from my old friend that I found through Facebook again, and she asked me if I remember the bread that her (and me) ate every afternoon from the guy who sell door to door long time ago.. hahahah... milk bread with cheese filling *and she remind me,at that time the cheese just so little , probably more flour than cheese.

Hey, Henny .. hopefully this recipes can helping bringing back your memory, *well.. at least I try to use my imagination to make as close as your taste or may be better, hahahah

Roti Keju Susu - Cheese Milk Bread

500 grams bread flour , sifted

1 pack of active yeast (+/- 7 grams)

1/4 cup warm water

1 tsp sugar

100 cc tepid water

2 eggs, room temperature

25 grams full cream milk powder

50 gr caster sugar

1 tsp salt

75 grams butter, room temperature

2 tbsp condense milk

1-2 Egg yolk for brushing

Melted Butter for brushing

Cheese-Milk Filling :

150 grams un-salted butter

50 grams powder sugar

100 grams, full cream milk powder

50 gram English Cheddar cheese (or use regular Cheddar cheese)

Mix all the filling ingredient with fork.

Directions :

Sprinkle the yeast onto 1/4 cup water add 1 tsp sugar, stir and set aside for 10 minutes until foamy

In a mixer with dough hooks, mix flour, yeast sugar, milk powder, yeast mixture, condense milk. Add little by little the water, than add butter and salt. Mix well, then knead it for a second time until dough become elastic. Put in a big clean bowl, cover with plastic. Set aside for 1 hour or until raise well.

Punched the dough and knead again lightly, then divide them into small size *it's up to you :) * and than roll into ball, fill them with the filling mixture. Let stand for another 45 minute, than brush with egg yolk, sprinkle with muesli or sesame seed, bake into the oven 350 F for 20 minute or until golden brown, depend on your bread size.

Right the way, brush them with melted butter. Enjoy!

Note : always test your yeast before baking, so you will never waste your time

Award from Kris - Bake In Paris, Thank You :-)

Roller Coaster ..

I feel my life is mostly like a roller coaster, especially last week .. in a middle of week I felt so mad, upset, when I found that someone out there stealing my food picture for their cook book and not only me, but others beloved friends become a victim too. This is absolutely wrong, how come you take benefit from our works ? How people are take a short cut to become a famous person ?

For me, no room for stealer, no room for cheater.. That is hurting me, It doesn't matter my picture look ugly, or best .. stealing is not right.. we need to STOP people like them. Yes, I will take some action , but I can't work alone.. I need work together with others , and I still thinking the best action that we can do to STOP them.

That was one bad news I've got for last week, another one (if you consider) got ticket for speeding and must to spend $100,- as a bad news too LOL . GOSH .. !! what a mess, Well, I hope no more bad news . ^_^

Anyway, as like I said, life is like a roller coaster - there's always 2 different part in life, bad-good, black-white, happy-sad , and you see.. life need balancing :-) . And after sad news, let me tell you about the good news, this week, my beloved daughter, Annisa turn 3 years old. We just came back from hospital for regular check up this afternoon.. and doctor said everything just perfect .. what else every parents expect others than knowing that kids always stay healthy.

We celebrated her's birthdays last sunday, we invited several friends for barbecue :-) and even I tried hard to make her's birthday cake look good, honest to GOD, that was the first time for me to make figurine fondant, she gave me an idea what should I do for her's happy cake *as like she said* , I need 2 days ahead to executed her's idea.. and the result ? not bad at all for beginner like me LOL. She was happy with the cake and presents off course :-)

Upss.. before I forget there is another good news I got today from Bee & Jai, that I won 3rd place for category SPECTRA that is so awesome. Thank you to the judges and voters for all your kindness.

After all, the good news about my daugther's healthy reports , and about my winning can healing my pain little bit.

Chili Soup

Whuaaah.. winter time almost come, it's mean .. I must to take care of my skin very carefully, hik .. since I came from tropical country .. I am not really enjoy winter time like the first time I came to country with 4 seasons. Winter means is get a dry skin, bleeding nose every morning .. and bundle up.. !!

Well.. it's ok with snow, it's ok with cold but not too much.. ^_^ but the good thing about winter time, it's all about making warm soup for dinner, and no one complaint about that.

My husband love soup especially chili soup, he can eat 2 big bowl of soup for dinner hihihi.. and this time I would like to share my recipes for you all , enjoy.. !!

Chili Soup

500 gram extra lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 cans (15 oz each) chili beans
500 gram fresh tomatoes, chopped or 1 can tomatoes, un-drained
100 gram frozen corn
1 paprika, seedless, diced
1 can (8 oz ) tomato sauce
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 ½ cups water

Brown beef with onion in large sauce pan, drain. Add all remaining ingredients, stir, bring to boil. Simmer on medium-low heat for 5 minute, stirring occasionally.

Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese and bread.

And this time would like to say thank you to Sefa- from DAPUR NEGERI DONGENG - who gave me award *GOSH .. !! almost forget about that* hihihi.. thank you dear,

Chocolate Brioche

All sudden I in the good mood to make a bread, yaaa .. bread .. !! especially sweet bread - mostly people call 'sweet bun'. I've been tried several recipes , from a simply recipes, medium , until machine bread. But none of them come good .. aarrg.. !!

Do you think I'm tired to try ? he..he..he , not at all ..

Yesterday, I made a chocolate-brioche , it came good . My husband like it. But I still want try another recipes, so please if somebody has a great..great sweet bun recipes, share with me .. I would like to try and prove it that I can make too ^_^

Talk about 'SHARE' , I remember that one of my blogger friend, Lubna from Kitchen Flavours who share her's nice stuff to me ! yes, she gave me so many awards this week. OMG .. !! I'm so honoured, thank you dear Lubna - I'm so proud to put all your awards here, at my home "RUMAH MANIS"

And now let me share my chocolate brioche recipes to all my friends *well, I wish all of you can come and enjoyed a cup of tea and snack and chit chat at my backyard porch* :-)

Chocolate Brioche

Source : Hubert Keller-William Sonoma

For the sponge:
2 tsp. active dry yeast
3 Tbs. lukewarm water
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour

For the dough:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
3 Tbs. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/3 cup warm milk
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten with 1 tsp. water

Directions:
To make the sponge, in a bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water.

Stir in the flour, cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place until foamy, about 10 minutes.

To make the dough, in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the 1 3⁄4 cups flour, the sugar and salt and whisk by hand until well blended, about 1 minute.

Transfer the bowl to the mixer and attach the dough hook. With the mixer on low speed, add the egg and milk. Increase the speed to medium and knead for 5 minutes.

Add the butter and knead for 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and add the sponge.

Continue kneading on medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, 7 to 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed.

Cover the bowl with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Preheat an oven to 400ºF.

Punch down the dough, transfer to a lightly floured surface

Form the dough into 18 balls, put chocolate inside of dough and place in the prepared wells .

Let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

Brush the tops of the brioches with the egg yolk mixture.

Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

Brush brioche with melted butter . Let cool completely before serving.

Note :

Here.. let me show you one of my brioche mold that I have . But don't worry even you don't have a specific mold, you still can make a nice shape brioche as you wish, use cupcake mold that will work too.