Marble or Not?

Been taking to baking lately and my latest experiment, which I whipped up yesterday evening, was the perennial classic, marble cake. It was also an excuse to get rid of the SCS salted butter which was meant for fruitcake except stuff happened last December.

Only one problem, I couldn't get it swirly like what you see normally. Maybe it's due to the fact that I didn't use a bundt pan? I used mom's trusty old square tins, the ones she used to bake kek lapis with. Haven't been able to get myself to buy the silicon bundt pans from Pantry Magic. Still a lil hesitant to try baking using silicon ware. It was a tri-colored swirl or should I say mine turned out to be patches. I assure you there is no compromise on the taste though! Made it a combo of plain, Valhrona cocoa and lavender colored batter. The small cheapo mixer is serving its purpose; didn't break down though Muffy pulled it down some time back. But I still want a KITCHEN AID! Think that's every cook's dream mixer! Drak says I can get only if baking doesn't prove to be another halfway hobby!

Time to go try the overnight taste test. If the cake is still yummy then I succeeded! Shall try sausage rolls next but I'll cheat and use frozen puff pastry!

All By Myself

For the first time since Dad passed away, I have spent a complete entire weekend on my own. Drako's on a diving trip; I didn't feel up to looking for company. Though I must admit company seems harder to find nowadays. Maybe I am just becoming more of a recluse in my old age. Have tons of marking to catch up on but I haven't got round to it. I do miss dad and have been dreaming a lot of him, even mom. At times, I can almost hear that familiar cough and I tell myself it's all in my head

I have decisions to make on my future and have yet to set a firm decision. Tell myself and everyone around me that I'll actively send resumes but I haven't. In a way, I guess I feel an obligation to the 33 kids in my various English groups to stick around and see them through till October. Such mental anguish.

So what did I do? Other than ruin my new FURLA bag...should have known better than buy such a light taupe coloured bag. Well, I reluctantly left BED CENTRAL and checked out the Fash Bash at NAFA. It was just way too crowded for such a small room. Still good ideas abound which I may try if I decide to go into the one venture I have been thinking about. Then I walked to Sin Lit on Seah Street to see if they had the cupcake case I wanted. Followed to my favourite little oasis in that part of town - Ah Teng's Bakery at the Raffles. I didn't look at my watch so I didn't realise that lunch was over. However, I must have looked so pathetic that the Chef relented and made me a yummy roast chicken on ciabatta sandwich. I love Ah Teng's, it's full of old world charm and always peaceful no matter how quiet it gets.

I went to Raffles City and made an unscheduled stop into the Adidas Original Store. Saw this glamourous couple; apparently some Pan-Asian type, Malaysian starlet. Well, they did make a nice couple. Then it was off to Erskine Road for a jaunt! Didn't make it to Maxwell Market but had my favourite brew at Front Row. Took a bus ride to Buona Vista on 145 and did some reflecting. My heart stirred when we hit Vivocity and Harbourfront. That was dad's favourite haunt and part of me kept wishing I'd be there meeting him. There are still places I try to avoid because it's too painful to recall the times dad and I hung out there. As Craig David sung once. 'You don't miss your water till the well runs dry'. I guess I realise even more now how we should never take the folks around us for granted, ever.But we all do so I shall aspire this year to live and love more.

Back on Line

If you've been wondering why I have been awfully quiet lately, fret no more! I am back! The OS on my trusty laptop died sometime during the March term break and I just got it back. That was procrastination on my part. Sad story is I have lost all my data that used to be in this laptop. Moral of story? BACK UP BACK UP! I have bought an additional 2GB thumb drive. Will look into other possible solutions so that I will not lose anything valuable ever in future. Ignorance and forgetfulness is bliss... so what I won;t miss what I forgot I ever had in the laptop.

It's so wonderful to have my LENNY back... I have not used my Dell desktop for so long that it felt strange to use it. Plus the PC table I have is so high that sitting on the stool gives me a backache! Besides, the Dell is constantly being hogged by someone... no names mentioned to protect the guilty!

All this makes me realise how dependent we have all become on our gadgets!