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.

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....

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.

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.

Cupcakes~

 My friend's daughter loves making cakes, and cookies so I decided to try this out when she came over for a visit. I've always wanted to make this panda cupcakes, and it's surprisingly easy to make, even a 6 year old can make one.

 Firstly I baked some cupcakes, using the Mike Harris chocolate cake recipe. Then I used buttercream icing and just decorate it with chocolate chip.

I saw this piggy style cupcake and decided to try it out as well. Cute isn't it?

Here's some cupcakes for my friend's son Avi, Happy Birthday. He asked for Star Wars but  I was too busy that weekend, so I got lazy. Just made my own print out stencil and sprinkled icing sugar

Egg Rolls

Noah really likes spring rolls, but the spring roll wrappers was all sold out so I tried egg rolls instead. It's actually so easy to make these, and it's amazing how great it was. I was going to keep some for my neighbour to taste but it was gone so quickly, there was none left to share.

1.Firstly, I used 1 lbs ground pork and 10-20 chopped shrimps.

Cooked them together in a pan on medium until it's cooked.

 Add some soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper to taste.

2.Prepare the vegetables, sliced the chinese cabbge thinly, carrots and washed the bean sprout. Blanch them in boiling water for about 1-2 minutes. I cooked the shiitake mushrooms, and sliced them thin, then combine everything together in a big bowl (as in the picture above)

Try to drain the water out. Leave it to cool before wrapping them.

There are different methods to wrap but I found this easier. Just put the filling in the middle and then fold like wrapping a present. I put them on a cookie sheet, and freeze some in the freezer, it keeps very well. 

Fry it in a pan on high heat until golden brown. The filling is cooked, so I won't have to worry about it not being cooked. Never use olive oil, a lot of people do not know that olive oil become toxic when it's on high heat. Just use vegetable oill, or canola.

The egg roll is now ready, serve it with plum sauce or your favourite sauce... Homemade egg rolls are so much better than any other ones that I've had before. It's fresh and tasty, and you can adjust the taste to your own preference. My next project will be spring rolls, because Noah really loves them. It's similar, just a different type of wrapper. 

My Pups love puppies~

 Kiana and Noah love doggies so much, one of Kiana's first words is doggy.

 Noah copying the little doggy

Playing with the puppy

Noah's serious look.

My kids just love pets, they are so happy whenever there's any doggies, or kitties around. Well, it's easier just to visit a friend who has pets, rather than having one, for now anyway. I think we might get one, when they bug us too much for one next time.