Monday, September 30, 2013

Step by Step How to Make Springrolls

 My kids love spring rolls, well who doesn't? It costs so much to buy spring rolls every time, so I normally make a lot and freezes them. They freeze well, and you can take one out whenever and deep fry them.
It's good with plum sauce, sweet spicy sauce, or even ketchup.

 These are my basic ingredients. Shrimps, carrots and jicama. I chopped the shrimps, and fry them on the pan. Peel the carrots and jicama, and put it in the food processor to shred it, as in picture below, and then cook the carrots and jicama together. I add some water, soy sauce, oyster sauce and salt and pepper to taste.

 This is how much you get after you shred the vegetables. I cook the veges until they are soft, and then drain the water out. 

 This is how I wrapped my egg rolls. Put some water at the edges to seal them, and press on it gently to make sure it's sealed. Try not to leave air in the eggrolls. I put the shrimps on top of the filling, so each pieces will have equal amount of shrimp, and the shrimp will not be overcooked when it's cooked separately. It actually brings more of the shrimp flavour this way.

 My little helper, I don't know if I can do it without her help. Very helpful, in everything. For spring rolls, I wrapped them like an envelope.

 I usually freezes a few trays of egg rolls and spring rolls for later use.

 Deep fry the spring rolls and egg rolls when the oil is really hot, otherwise it will be oily. 

Spring rolls are all ready to be served. My kids can easily finish this up. 

Friday, September 27, 2013

For my Wilton Course 3 Final Project


Today, I attended the last class for course 3. This is what I made. My best friend's birthday this weekend but I can't give it to her, I wish I can. I hope she is having a great time there with her hubby. I will have to make her another cake some other time.

I used the flowers I had from my class. I made different colours on the mums....getting lighter on the outside petals. I was really fun to make flowers, but I think they should have some designs for boys too. Flowers are more for girls, weddings, anniversaries... but what about boys? They should include it in the lessons.

I am really glad that I went back and now I got to make this beautiful glad. I am really happy I did. Now I know how to make a fondant covered cake, and the proper way to make it. I'm looking forward for the next class, the people in my class are very friendly, I am so looking forward to it.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Zebra Theme Cupcakes


 My neighbour's grand daughter requested zebra cake for her birthday last month and this is what I made for her birthday last month. I googled for zebra cake and I found this recipe from AZ Cookbook website. It has good instructions on how to bake the cake, and the result was great. The cake was perfect, and wasn't too sweet. It's almost like marble cake, I just didn't know simple method like this can make a cake so special.

 Before, and after my tiny cupcakes went into the oven. I decided to make tiny cupcakes instead because usually kids just want the icing part. Why waste the cake right?

 This is how the inside of the cake look like. Amazingly, it looks like zebra stripes! 

 My fondant getting dried. Her colour theme was black, white and pink... so I made this flowers for the decoration on the cupcakes, simple and plain.

 My hardworker helping to make the flowers.
Oh no, he got caught on the camera... and got caught eating them too... no wonder my flowers are missing....

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

My Wilton Cake Decorating Course 3 Experience

 Yes, I am back at my cake decorating classes. I decided that I need to finish my courses, I felt like I am half way in between. Noah is back to school, and I made up my mind that I will have to do it, otherwise it will never be completed, and I am glad I did. For the first class, we made loop for the bows, and bases for the flowers. It came in handy because I managed to make a cake for my friend's son last minute. Another friend promised to make the cake but she got sick, last minute, and so I had 2.5 hours to make this cake for him. Well he had no choice but to take this decoration piece, as I was given last minute notice, to make a cake from scratch.

 I made another cake, for my neighbour a couple days later. I wanted to practice my bow. I think I am doing better, don't you think? I just need more practices. You'll never believe how easy this is, and the result is amazing.

I made calla lily, roses and carnations for my class #2. It was my good friend, Jessica and my neighbour's daughter's birthday, so I get to use these flowers. My friend love chocolate, and cake, so I thought she might like this, but it wasn't that good a cake, I didn't have time to do it better. Will have to do better next time! (next year?)

For the 3rd lesson, we learned how to make daisies and mums. I got to use it for the street party at my place last weekend. The kids love cupcakes, as usual...and the favourite part is of course the icing, and fondant. I am glad that I got to apply all my new skills so quickly. It does come in handy. My final cake class for course 3 will be in a couple days, and this time, there's nobody's birthday coming up. I guess I will have to give it away to some lucky fella.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

My best friend was asking me for recipes, she just got a new oven. I was looking for the recipe in my blog I couldn't find it, I thought I did posted it. Well, here is the simplest, healthiest, yet tastiest muffin's recipe. I make this for hubby and Noah every other week. It freezes so well, you just need to put it in the microwave before eating them. And the best thing is, you do not need a mixer to blend everything, I just use a fork to mash the bananas and a large spoon to fold the flour after.


Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Good healthy heart recipe


½ cup
Becel margarine 
1 tsp.
Vanilla
¾ cup
White sugar
2
Eggs
1 cup
Flour
1 cup
Bran
2 or 3
Ripe bananas mashed (I use 3)
1 cup
Chocolate chips
1 tsp.
Baking soda
½ tsp.
Cinnamon


Cream together the first 3 ingredients.  Add eggs, then blend in the next 5 ingredients.  Bake at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes.  Makes 12 large muffins (or 24 small muffins for kids, bake for 15-20 mins).  Freezes well.

Optional ingredients- walnut pieces.