Quote of the day

February 7, 2017 by Fify

Well it wasn’t really a quote of someone, it’s just a scentence I read from a book that got me thinking. Leaders have followers whereas managers have subordinates. Leaders motivate people to want to do, while managers get people to do. How true! And now I know why I was so struggling and bored on an assistant manager position.

After become a mum, I open look at things from the view of handling a baby. And surprisingly they kind of similar. Baby needs a good routine to thrive, people need a good routine to be in control of the day. Baby need to be guided to get interested in new things, new food and etc; people also need to be inspired, amazed, interested to follow from a blog to a dream. You can’t really force anyone to willingly follow you, but to attract. For the past year that I was struggling how to get staff to be focus, to do this and that, I could realize earlier that they needs to find interest in it, value, fun and believe in it. At this very moment I still have no clue what exactly I should do but I will be myself , stay focused and connected, maybe somehow they will follow up just like occasionally I see the random notification saying that someone is following my long time negelected blog.

Good nite~

Happy birthday to mum

June 14, 2016 by Fify

June is the birthday month for the family apart from me and Scarlett. Mum’s, dad’s,sis in law’s, hubby’s and in-law’s. It was a such busy day today; got baby check, my postnatal 6 weeks check up, and physio review all done in one day. I was pretty tired as I missed my morning sleep after a night shift feeding the baby, therefore just very quickly made a orange chiffon cake with chocolate ganache to celebrate mum’s birthday. And after we light the candle, sing the song, cut the cake, suddenly realize that I didn’t even take a proper photo. Oh well, after become a mother, I never seems to be organised enough. And really wish that I can be sort of mutant; I wish I could move things with my thoughts when I’m stuck in the chair feeding the baby and needed a towel to wipe the milk leaking down her chin; wish to be able to have a flash speed to change nappy, wash things, tidy things,pumping milk and etc in a lightening speed; wish to be able to read baby’s mind so don’t always wonder whether she cries for hunger, dirty napoy or whatever seems to bother her and it would be even better if I can control it so she always stay in a good mood. It would be so good that I almost laughed out imagining it while hubby is looking at me with these wired expression. Oh well, back to reality, all the normal human mum are such heroes that they managed to bring up a child while to fulfil a lot of roles in life. And they all well deserved to have everyone’s hat off. Thanks to my mum as well for bring me up and still helping me so I can learn to become one myself. Happy birthday mum~ I love you💕

Married ^^

July 16, 2014 by Fify

Haven’t updated for a while. Been very busy with study, work and planning my wedding. Can’t believe it all happened, but it did. We were so lucky that everything turned out pretty good, and the weather was super nice! I’m also very proud of ourselves that we made our own wedding macaron tower. It was a long and tiring process: matching the color, fit in the tray and etc, but it was so pretty and everyone loved it. I can’t take all the credit for it because without my husband I couldn’t do it, in fact, I think he did more than me 😉 thank you so much darling~
The wedding was small but sweet with a lot of personal touch. Big thank you to all my friends helped me on that day. Love you very much.
Oh I did make a very small cake just for symbolic purposes, and it was wrapped in foil in the freezer now. I will taste it with my husband one year later. Haha

One of my colleague’s also married not long after my wedding. And I made her one similar to mine because she really loved it. It was a bit smaller~ but very cute. And of course we did it together, as a first challenge being a married couple. 😀

Cafe Raw & hazelnut coffee cake

January 19, 2014 by Fify

Darling and I went to hope island this Saturday to check out the Hyatt chapel. It is really a nice one but we couldn’t take any photo because a couple was getting married there. As we have to go to friend’s new house in the afternoon, we decide to have a quick bite before we go back. At first darling said that he felt like Japanese as there are limited things I can eat a I’m still at recovering stage from my shingle. But the only sushi place at hope island doesn’t look as appealing, so we end up sitting in the cafe across the street named Raw. It looks quite trendy and I liked it that they have fresh flower on every table. I ordered the chicken pasta and darling ordered wagyu beef burge. For some reason, he fell in love with the wagyu beef burger ever since he had it at Bills in Sydney. Surprisingly, they made really nice burger. According to him, it tasted even better than Bills. I had a very small chippy, and it is really yummy with the special white sauce. I, myself enjoy the chicken pasta very much as well. The presentation is really appealing, and it looks rich but taste very lite and yummy. In fact, when the food was brought to us, darling feel a bit upset because as always, mine looks bigger and yummier than his. Hehehe~ I think for some they might think it is not as creamy, but for me it is just right amount of cheese and creaminess that it incorporates very well and all the taste balanced perfectly. Highly recommended~

After lunch we hurried home to pick up the cake I made for the visit. As friend says her mum likes coffee flavor and we are going to have some afternoon tea, I made the hazelnut coffee chiffon cake. It has very nice coffee aroma and nutty taste, meanwhile a very airy and light texture. Talking about this cake, I used chiffon cake pan at the beginning. Darling insist to help me tapping the pan to release the bubble, but end up leaking the batter at the bottom. I have to quickly change it into a smaller round cake pan, which turned out better because I can then decorated a little with the whipped cream and roasted hazelnut. It’s quite easy recipe that I think very good to go with either tea or coffee for a nice afternoon.

Ingrediens:
(A)
50g corn oil
40g espresso coffee + 10g milk (I made espresso using my DeLonghi moka, you can use espresso machine, capsule or even instant coffee depends how strong you want the coffee flavor)
3 egg yolks
50g plain flour
15g hazelnut meal
5g corn flour

(B)
3 egg whites
50g caster sugar ( as usual, I use less, 45g)
1/4tsp cream of tartar

Mix oil coffee and milk in micro oven for 10sec （about 40C）, pour into flour mixture and mix with hand whisk well. Whisk in egg yolks to become a smooth mixture. (Do not overmix)

Beat egg whites with medium speed until you can see big bubbles, add in cream of tartar. Continue to beat until the bubbles become fine soft peak, gradually add in caster sugar and continue to beat until stiff peak. Change the mixer speed to lowest and continue to beat for 10 sec (this is to minimize the air bubbles in the cake)

Gently fold 1／3 of beaten egg white into egg yolk batter, use cut and fold method until well blended.Then pour the batter back to the rest of the egg white and fold until mixture is well blended.

Bake in pre-heated oven on lower rack，150c for 35mins. Remove from oven, invert cake onto table until completely cooled.

Enjoy~

Chicken and mushroom burger

January 13, 2014 by Fify

Since my darling did a very good job taking care of me last week, I decide to make something he will enjoy as a thank you treat. Initially I made pork burger which is a bit different flavor and ingredient than this one. But according to him that he was too excited to eat it as if looked really yummy to take a photo. We end up arguing and blaming each other why we didn’t take a photo… Anyway, so take two, I made this one as I have only the chicken mince left and he seems really enjoy burger. Oh well, technically speaking it’s rissoles in Australia. I am very glad that he said this one is even better. And this time he remembered to pick his phone first rather than the fork. 🙂

Someone still wants it as a burger~~~

350g chicken mince
1/2 onion ( roughly 60g) finely chopped
2 fresh shiitake (香菇) I used dried one soaked in water, and it works out fine
30g dried bread crumb
3/4 dashi stock powder ( I used chicken stock powder)
1 1/2 tbsp mirin
1 egg
1/3-1/2 tsp salt depends on personal preference
1/3 tsp fresh ground pepper
Oil for frying

Sauce
1 1/2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp sake ( I used normal cooking wine)
2 tbsp water
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp corn starch

1. Heat the pan medium low heat, put 1 tbsp oil into the frying pan. Stir fry the onion in medium low heat until soft and golden. Add diced shiitake into the pan and keep stir fry till soften. Pour the onion and mushroom to a bowl and put into fridge to allow cool faster.
2. Mix together egg, dashi powder, bread crumb, salt. And then pour into the mince follow by the mirin, pepper.
3. Add the the onion and mushroom and mix well.
4. Refrigerate for 30 min if you have time, it will make the flavor develop better.
5. Shape the patty using hands to the desired size and place onto the tray lined with baking paper. Refrigerate for at least 30 min. This one is a must have step, because it will help the patty hold together better.
6. Heat a non-sticky pan medium heat. Fry the patty 3-4 min each side or until browned and cooked through. Cover the pan with lid and let it set for 3-4 min and then transfer the patties to plates.

Sauce
1. Mix all the ingredients except for corn starch and pour into a pan. Hear up to boil on medium heat and reduced to half.
2. Mix corn starch with 1 tbsp water and pour into the pan. Keep stir until it is a little thickened and saucy.

Place the patty and drop the sauce over. Decorate with mayonnaise and seaweed or make a burger like my darling did.
Enjoy~

Blueberry yogurt muffin

January 12, 2014 by Fify

After I came back from the Sydney trip, I felt a bit back pain. At beginning I thought it was just a muscle pain but it turns out to be shingle. When the blister starts to develop, it became very painful, and I can do nothing but lie on the air bed in the air con room. And only on my left half body…… I got very frustrated because there is really limited thing you can do while lying on half of the body.
As I got a bit better, darling took me out for some fresh air and nice breakfast at VALE cafe. The place is very vintage feeling, and they have a fine food store next door selling lots nice cheese and cute bottles be tea pots and cups. We ordered the deluxe breakfast and Hamilton bagel.
The food is nice, but of cause can’t compare with bills, and a little overpriced in my opinion.

Since darling takes really good care of me and is really sweet trying to cheer me up. I decide to make something nice and healthy for him for breakfast: blueberry yogurt muffin.

It’s really moist and healthier as it use yogurt and vegetable oil instead of butter. Feel free to try it~
150g plain flour
20g quick oats
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
110g caster sugar ( i used 95g)
2 eggs
110g of yogurt
60ml vegetable oil
120g of frozen blueberry ( I used 100g)

Preheat oven 200C
Sifted the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl, stir in sugar, salt and oats
Mix the egg, yogurt and oil in another bowl, then pour the mixture to the flour bowl followed by the berry.
Mix all the ingredient together. ( do not over mix )
Spoon the batter into lined muffin tray
Bake for 20-25 min
Leave it in the tray for 5 min and the take it out to allow cool or serve warm.
Enjoy~

Sydney Trip-Day 4

January 3, 2014 by Fify

The last day in Sydney was a very lazy and spontaneous day as we were planning to go Hunter Valley but then realise that it would be a bit rushed, so we slept in, had late check out and decide to check out a famous breakfast place that I read about in other people’s blog: “Bills”.
Bills is located just outside of Sydney CBD in Surrey Hills area. As it doesn’t seems to be very far, we decide to walk there enjoy the street view of Sydney suburb and building up out appetite. However, we didn’t realise that Surrey Hills really means it’s on the hills. It was a good exercise climbing up the hills after hills before we finally arrived, and there were already a long queue there. Since we already made the effort to come all the way, we put our name down on the waiting list. It doesn’t look very big but it does give you a very comfortable, relax feeling. And I think it should be very good because the crowd and the food looking from outside the window almost promise it.

After 30 min wait, we finally got our seat. I ordered their signature Aussie big breakfast and darling had the wagyu beef burger. The scrambled egg is very silky and smooth, and the mushroom is so juicy and fresh that I just can’t have it enough. Darling’s burger is also very yummy that he said he would highly recommend that one for sure. There also quite a lot offers on the menu that I would like to try, but then again, table is kind small, and so does my stomach. We would have to leave it for the next time.

p.s. They don’t accept booking if it’s under 6 person, and it is definitely gonna be a queue there. But it definitely worth waiting for.

After the breakfast, we wondered to The Star Casino in Sydney. It has a very nice view of the harbour. Although we didn’t go to any restaurants there, I am sure it would be enjoyable to have some tea or a meal in restaurant where has the full glass view of the harbour. After a quick play and shopping, we visited the Zumbo there. It was very bright and eye catching. They made it like a sushi train, with all different desserts on it looping around. And the presentation looks really pretty.

We tried the creme brûlée with blueberry ice cream. The texture is very smooth and it sets perfectly. Although it’s a bit too sweet for me, it’s a good creme brûlée for sure. We also bought some macaron for takeaway, but I have to say, they are creative in flavours, but it’s really too sweet and it’s not as soft and cloudy as the laduree one.
As we can’t decide where to go for dinner, somehow, we showed up in front of Din Tai Fung again. Haha~~ well it was a very good choice though. Super happy about that.
As we thought we were flying back to Brisbane, our flight got cancelled due to weather, that’s a not very pleasant surprise. We have to quickly rebooke the ticket and booking the hotel for extra night. However, from the good side, it gives us the opportunity to try out a very cool cafe in the airport. The coffee shop is very eye catching and so does their coffee and breakfast. Their ham and cheese turkish bread is very yummy and unique with a touch of spicy chilly jam in it. And of course, it is environment friendly just as their shop looks like.

Our Sydney trip is short but very good. Too good to end in 4 days so we have to spend another day there. Unexpected, but nice surprises. Sometimes, life throw unexpected things on you, as you go along with it, it might give you pleasant surprises, and you can always try to make the most of it. 🙂

Sydney trip-Day 3

January 1, 2014 by Fify

Darling said he wanted to take me somewhere that he missed for a long time for breakfast. I would expect it was some nice cafe, but surprisingly, it’s a Chinese seafood restaurant offers Yumcha in the morning. Zilver is located inside the capital city second floor. As we walked in, it styles very similar to modern Chinese restaurant. For a second, I thought that I was in Shanghai. There are a lot of celebrity and famous people photo on the wall when they visited Zilver. Almost all the TVB and Taiwan idols were all here.

I have to say, it is really THE best Yumcha I ever had, it looks good, smells good and taste even better. I am so enjoying the food so I didn’t take much photo at all, but lucky that at least got one at the beginning.

After that, we went to the paddy’s market as it was just near by. It makes me even more confused where I am, because it feels just like those market places in Shanghai (Yu Yuan). There are heaps of stuff there, and next to it a very big vege and fruit market full of fresh fruits and vegetables.

As we walked back towards CBD, we got attracted into the QVB. Among Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, I like Sydney’s one the best. Especially the Christmas decoration made it looks stunning and elegant.

As we walked quite a bit today, we went back hotel early to have a rest. We meant to meet up with our friends who happens to be in Sydney as well, but somehow we miscommunicated as we were waiting for them, but they were on the way to Canberra. Anyway, we found a place right next to the hotel called Makoto “诚” which got quite good review on Urbanspoon, and a lot of people already waiting to be seated there. We are lucky to get a table pretty quick and as we checked in on Facebook, so many people said that it was a good choice. The food there was really nice, although it was quite small and squashy. That’s why I didn’t even take any photo because I am too busy trying to find a space for the dishes. Hehe, but definitely recommend this one for Japanese cuisine.
Talking about lucky, I wanted to have a walk to the Darling Harbour to see the night view after dinner. We soon find that there were a lot of people gathering there, and sitting along the harbour. Darling quickly searched the internet to find out that there gonna be a firework at the harbour and it gonna be last one before the new years even one. What a surprise, and we are just in time to find a good spot to see it before the crowd gets bigger. It was small one, nothing like that NYE one, but it was nice and even more blessing to share with the loved one in this nice surprising way.

The firework last 6 minutes, and the crowd soon dismissed after the firework finish. We also walk back toward the hotel. There was a chocolate shop right next to our hotel as well, as we passed there, darling wanted to have a cup of coffee and have a look. As we ordering our drink, the cakes and desserts looks so appealing that we end up ordering another big piece of chocolate mud cake. Lucky that we did, because this is THE best chocolate mud cake I ever had, and I am not a Chocolate mud cake person. The coco flavour is really rich and the cake taste just right amount of sweetness. As we wanted it warmed up a little, the chocolate ganache is soft, silky and smooth.

It is perfect to finish a day with such a good dessert and coffee. Sydney trip day 3, full of surprises and feel extremely lucky. 🙂

Sydney Christmas trip-day 2

December 29, 2013 by Fify

The day after Boxing Day seems to be a lot quieter as the locals go back to work leaving the tourist wondering around. We went up early heading to one of the iconic Sydney fish market. It is a bit chill and windy in the morning, but the long walk warmed me up and certainly built up the appetite. You can smell the sea-fishy long way away, long before you can see the sign. Even it’s quite early, already quite a crowd gathered there. And fisherman were already having a break on the dock after their busy morning.
The food court smell wonderfully with all the freshly cooked the fish, lemon, sashimi, lobster and oyster.

As always, my eye appetite is way bigger than my stomach. And even though I was very attempt to take away some sashimi back to hotel, I know that it would ruined them as I’m going to spend a rest of the day in the sun enjoying the darling harbor.

We spent two hours on the cruise going around the harbors which is absolutely nice. Someone was too man to put on the sunscreen, so now he is “slow roasting” “maturing”.
Ps. We went on the afternoon coffee cruise from captain cook. It’s a nice cruise, and the crew are very funny and friendly. But the afternoon is a bit too sweet and sugary. So I think next time I probably would drink tea only.
After we got off the cruise, we went for a walk to the rocks, where there is a lot of arty shop and restaurant there. Even the DFS in the vintage building gives a feeling of the history.

As we walk back, dinner time has arrived. Tonight’s menu: Din Tai Fun’s Dumpling “小笼包” , who would think we can have this is Sydney! For a second I was confused whether I’m back in Shanghai. Yummmmmmm

Ps2, it is so yummy that we actually went back for dinner again the last day. Heehee
The second day just past in a lot walk, food and of course sunburn for darling.

	Christmas High Tea \|… on Cranberry and Almond bisc…
	Christmas High Tea \|… on Mini Ham Frittatas
	sophia wu on Birthday strawberry cake
	Charisma on Macaron project
	Macaron project \| Le… on Macaron

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