Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
My Experiments In Feb :)

:::In the name of ALLAH, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful:::
~PATIENCE IS VITAL~
Here are some photos of my experiments in the month of February~

BUTTER MOON CAKE :)
CLICK HERE FOR THE ORIGINAL PAGE OF THE RECIPE :)
Cooking Time: 40
25cm (9-10 in) cake tin (ideally spring form)
225g (approx 2 and 1/4 cups) plain flour, sieved
250g (approx 2 and 1/2 cups) caster sugar
250g (approx 2 and 1/2 cups) unsalted butter
6 large egg yolks
A glaze of a teaspoon of egg yolk from your 6, and a tablespoon of water (or milk)
Preheat oven to 190C (375f).
If you have a mixer, add the sieved flour, sugar, butter and eggs and mix until combined.
If you have no mixer, you get to be messy! Make a mound of the sieved flour on a worktop, make a well in it and add the sugar, butter and eggs. Knead to mix.
Scoop this dough into the tin and smooth the top with a floured hand. Expect the dough to be very sticky. Brush the gateau with the glaze and mark a lattice design on top.
Bake for 15 mins, then turn the oven down to 180C (350f) and give it another 25 minutes or so until it's golden on top and firm to the touch. Let cool completely before unmoulding / turning out.

PRAWN & VEGETABLE SPING ROLLS

LEMONGRASS SPICED CHICKEN
I would have to try cooking the Lemongrass spiced chicken again to make it nicer. And I'll surely share the recipe of the nicer version here. The one I made last weekend was a bit too dry. I would love it to have more gravy and hotter. And I am sure that it'll be just like the curries, better on the second and third day than most meals are on the first.
Monday, February 27, 2012
VICTORIA CAKE FOR BREAKFAST :)

:::In the name of ALLAH, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful:::
~PATIENCE IS VITAL~

I had 2 slices of oh-so-yummy Victoria Cake for my breakfast today with a nice spread of strawberry jam. CAKE FOR BREAKFAST IS A SLIPPERY SLOPE ;) BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS!
But I guess it is a key to life that NOTHING IS FORBIDDEN.

That was the cake when it was just out of the oven. Warm and nice ;)
Saturday, February 25, 2012
EMBRACING THE MYSTERIOUS :)

:::In the name of ALLAH, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful:::
~PATIENCE IS VITAL~
I am supposed to be in class this morning but it has to be cancelled. There aren't enough people in the class. Arrgh! So, I am going to do something else today. I am going to cook something Asian :) I'll share with you the recipe when it's done, alright?
To all of you out there, enjoy your weekends :)
WHEN YOU FEEL LIFE IS TOO SMALL & PREDICTABLE, REMEMBER THAT LIFE IS FULL OF MYSTERY.*BIG HUGS TO ALL*
Friday, February 24, 2012
HELP OUT!

:::In the name of ALLAH, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful:::
~PATIENCE IS VITAL~
There are so many people who need help out there. There are so many hungry children. Take some action to remedy the wrongs. Any action no matter how small it is can contribute to positive change. Let's do it together, mates! Let's help them and help lift ourselves from our sense of hopelessness.
STAY POSITIVE!
Monday, February 20, 2012
GET STARTED, ADEN!

:::In the name of ALLAH, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful:::
~PATIENCE IS VITAL~
I have been feeling rather lazy lately. Actually I am starting to feel so tired. I have done most of my parts but somehow the little ones are unmanageable. I have entrusted the traslations to Razi and he has to start doing it consistently to help me achieve my target and goal. My editor fell ill and had to undergo an operation. What I have to do now is to pray may she'll be well soon to continue with the task in hand. My designer needs me to push him and continuously remind him of the work.
There are so many small, achievable tasks. In reality, it is not only about me being able to break it down into smaller tasks in order to accomplish them one at a time but also for the people whom I have entrusted the small tasks in to do their jobs, too.
I just wish they know how much I want this to be a success. This is my legacy, my aim, my goal, my mission, my dream. But it surely needs support from everyone around.
It is really testing me. I truly hate it when I have to continue checking on others. I hate it so much.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
FACE YOUR FEAR!

:::In the name of ALLAH, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful:::
~PATIENCE IS VITAL~
It is already the middle of February. One of my soulmates is getting ready for his choice of university's new intake. That's good for him.
Aden, YOU MUST ALSO FACE YOUR FEARS. BE BRAVE! TAKE THE CHALLENGE.
If a fear is so big that it paralyzes you, scale down the amount of the risk. Take on smaller challenges and work your way up. Take that baby steps. GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE or you will never be successful if you decide to stay in your comfort zone forever.
Anthony Robbins says, "IF YOU CAN'T, YOU MUST, AND IF YOU MUST, YOU CAN."
So dearest Aden, move through your fears. YOU CAN!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
PLAN YOUR DAY WELL :)

:::In the name of ALLAH, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful:::
~PATIENCE IS VITAL~
Dearest Aden,
Plan your day well. Plan your to-do list the night before so that you can start your day running. You must know exactly what you are going to do and in what order. FOCUS! Don't let anyone stop you from accomplishing your goals. Remember that!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
NEVER QUIT!

:::In the name of ALLAH, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful:::
~PATIENCE IS VITAL~
Dearest Aden,
NEVER QUIT!
Everyone who has ever made it to the top has had to endure rejections.
The record for the most astounding number of rejections would probably be John Creasey's. A popular British mystery writer, Creasey collected 743 rejection slips before he sold his first book! Impervious to rejection, over the next 40 years he went on to publish 562 full-length books under 28 different psedonyms!
IF JOHN CREASEY CAN HANDLE 743 REJECTIONS ON HIS WAY TO SUCCESS, SO CAN YOU.
[adapted from THE FUNDAMENTAL OF SUCCESS]
CLICK HERE TO BE DIRECTED TO WIKEPEDIA.
Pseudonyms The author of more than 600 novels, John Creasey published them using 28 different pseudonyms, including:
Gordon Ashe
Henry St. John Cooper
Credo
Norman Deane
Robert Caine Frazer
Patrick Gill
Michael Halliday
Charles Hogarth
Brian Hope
Colin Hughes
Kyle Hunt
Abel Mann
Peter Manton
J.J. Marric
James Marsden
Richard Martin
Rodney Mattheson
Anthony Morton
Henry St. John
Martin Richard
Jeremy York
Westerns under the names of Ken Ranger, Tex Riley, William K. Reilly, and Jimmy Wilde. Romantic novels under the names of Margaret Cooke, M.E. Cooke, and Elise Fecamps
CharactersHe created several characters which are now famous, such as The Toff, Commander George Gideon of Scotland Yard, Inspector Roger West, The Baron, and Doctor Stanislaus Alexander Palfrey. The most popular of these was Gideon of Scotland Yard, who was the basis for the television series Gideon's Way and for the John Ford movie Gideon of Scotland Yard (1958), also known by its British title Gideon's Day. The Baron character was made into a 1960s TV series starring Steve Forrest as The Baron.
Life and careerJohn Creasey was born in Southfields, Surrey, to a working-class family. He was the seventh of nine children of Ruth and Joseph Creasey, a poor coach maker. Creasey was educated at Fulhan Elementary School and Sloane School, both in London. From 1923 to 1935 he worked various clerical, factory, and sales jobs while trying to establish himself as a writer. After a number of rejections, Creasey's first book was published in 1930. His first crime novel, Seven Times Seven, was published in January, 1932 by Melrose. It was a story about a gang of criminals. In 1935 he became a full-time writer. In 1937 alone, twenty-nine of his books were published. A phenomenally fast writer, he once suggested that he could be shut up in a glass-box and write there a whole book.
The Gideon's Way television series was produced from 1964 to 1966 in the UK, based on the Commander George Gideon character. From 1965 to 1966 a television version of Creasey's The Baron character was produced, starring Steve Forrest as The Baron. Between 1967 and 1971 the BBC produced a radio version of Creasey's Roger West stories with actor Patrick Allen in the title role as Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Roger "Handsome" West, with Allen's real-life wife Sarah Lawson playing the role of West's wife Janet.
In 1938, he created the character The Toff with the first novel Introducing the Toff. The Toff series would continue for 59 novels from 1938 to 1978. The Toff was The Honourable Richard Rollison, who was born a "toff", a courtesy title given to the eldest sons of Viscounts and Barons. He is an aristocrat and an amateur sleuth and detective.
During World War II, he created the character of Dr. Stanislaus Alexander Palfrey, a British secret service agent, who forms Z5, a secret underground group that owes its allegiance to the Allies. The first novel of the Dr. Palfrey 34-book series was Traitor's Doom, published in 1942 by John Long Ltd., while the last was The Whirlwind in 1979.
In 1962, Creasey won an Edgar Award for Best Novel, from the Mystery Writers of America (MWA), for Gideon's Fire, written under the pseudonym J. J. Marric. In 1969 he received the MWA's greatest honor, the Grand Master Award.
Several movies have been made based on John Creasey novels: Salute the Toff (1952, also known as Brighthaven Express in the USA), Hammer the Toff (1952), John Ford's Gideon's Day (1958, also known as Gideon of Scotland Yard in the USA), released by Columbia Pictures, and Cat and Mouse (1958, also known as The Desperate Men in the USA), written as Michael Halliday.
He died at Salisbury, Wiltshire in 1973.
In 2007, his family transferred all of Creasey's copyrights and other legal rights to Owatonna Media. Owatonna Media on-sold these copyrights to Coolabi Plc in 2009, but retained a master licence in radio and audio rights. These rights are commercially licensed in the UK and abroad.
John's son Richard is a distinguished television producer, having served both in the private sector and at the BBC, and as the British producer of Patrick Watson's worldwide Canadian television documentary series The Struggle for Democracy
Monday, February 13, 2012
LEMON TARTLETS

:::In the name of ALLAH, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful:::
~PATIENCE IS VITAL~
Here's LEMON TARTLETS duly baked and tested by Razi. It taste YUMMY! If Razi can do it, YOU CAN DO IT, TOO!

You can bake these for VALENTINES' DAY :) Try it out, okay? YOU MOST CERTAINLY CAN! Have faith in yourself, Mates!
There are two elements to make up a tart or tarlet. Firstly, it is the crust, and then it's the filling. When making a sweet pastry, we normally make a 'sugarcrust' base, as opposed to a 'shortcrust' base, when making a savoury pastry such as a quiche.
So, here are the recipes:-
Sugarcrust Pastry
1 nos. Egg (Medium)
50g Caster Sugar
125g Butter
200g Soft flour
1g or pinch Salt
Lemon Filling
4 nos. Lemons
8 nos. Eggs (Medium)
300g Caster Sugar
250g Double cream
Method:-
1. In a bowl, add flour, salt & sugar.
2. Crumble butter in flour by hand.
3. Add beaten egg and mix until dough forms. Rest in chiller for about 30 mins.
4. Prepare the filling by beating the eggs with wooden spoon. Do not use a whisk as we do not want to incorporate air and have bubbles form.
5. Extract juice of 3 lemons and grate the zest of 4 lemons.
6. Add sugar, cream, lemon juice and zest one after another and mix well.
7. Pre-heat the oven at 170C (340F). Take out the chilled pastry and roll out to line a tart tin or flan ring. You may also use small tart tins/bases and make as many tartlets as possible.
8. Lightly poke the base of the pastry with a fork or skewer to make some holes and blind bake for 10 mins.
9. Take out the half-baked crusts, pour filling. Increase oven temperature to 180C (355F) and bake for a further 20 mins.
Notes/Tips:-
1. While crumbling the butter in the flour, use the tips of your fingers to avoid handling the butter to much. We do not want the dough to turn oily, as the heat from our hands start to melt the butter. If you have hot hands, use gloves or dip your hands in cold water and dry off before handling the butter.
2. To line the tart tin, place a rolled out dough over the tin and press down at the edge of the base using the tip of your fingers or knuckles. It is also better to lighly grease the tins beforehand for easy removal, unless your tart tin has a removable base.
3. Blind or par-baking is to half-bake the crust before putting the filling. Poking holes will prevent the base of the tart from rising/bubbling during the baking process. Instead of poking holes, you may line the top of the tart base with parchment/silicone/baking paper and put some green/red beans on it to weigh it down.
Happy Trying and Happy Valentine's Day!!!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
2nd Hand Novel :)

:::In the name of ALLAH, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful:::
~PATIENCE IS VITAL~

That's the book I am reading now :)
I bought it at the 2nd hand bookshop at Flinders. Right opposite the Flinders Train Station.
What are you guys reading now? How many books have you read so far? ENJOY YOUR LIFE, MATES :) *HUGS TO ALL*
Monday, February 6, 2012
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Baking Again:)

:::In the name of ALLAH, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful:::
~PATIENCE IS VITAL~
It is Sunday :) I am going to bake NOEL NUT BALLS today. I'll share with you the recipe when it's ready, okay? To all of you out there, do something good and useful, share your time with your soul. Make yourself HAPPY :) *HUGS*
Saturday, February 4, 2012
SUCCESS LEAVES CLUES :)

:::In the name of ALLAH, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful:::
~PATIENCE IS VITAL~
I spoke to Aunty and Uncle last week and asked them on how to operate a successful business. It is good to know that almost everything we want to do in the world today has been done by someone else. And when someone else has done it, there'll surely be clues. All we need to do is ASK. Do not feel afraid to ask. Ask people who are successful for advice or informations that will eventually help us in accomplishing our goals. CONNECT THE DOTS :) Then, you'll know the best way to proceed.
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, ADEN!
Friday, February 3, 2012
DO YOU KNOW?

:::In the name of ALLAH, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful:::
~PATIENCE IS VITAL~
CHILDREN BORN IN MAY ARE ON AVERAGE, 200 GRAMS HEAVIER AT BIRTH THAN CHILDREN BORN IN ANY OTHER MONTH.
Do you know that?
Right now, I am learning how to undertake having to be around negative people. There are so many people with negative energies around me, the dream stealers and the kind of people who kept on telling me that I CAN'T DO THIS...I CAN'T DO THAT.... Yup that kind of people. How irritating, right? To have them around is just so burdensome.
So, now I am reading about how I can change my feelings about negative feedbacks and informations and make it so valuable to be improvement opportunities. I know it is not going to be easy but I will try. I will learn to improve myself everyday and also to improve what I am doing. It is still in the early 2012. LITTLE MIRACLES CAN HAPPEN :) No one can say 'NO'. So, let's be POSITIVE, MATES!