Baking Love

One thing I miss the most about home is my kitchen. Fine, it isn't exactly mine (i.e. family kitchen) but I certainly like to call it mine when I'm busy flurrying about doing my stuff :) I'm not complaining about the kitchen here in Oz though, but I'm sure a baker / cook would agree with me that you're not really "in the zone" as you should be when you're in an unfamiliar environment. 

Baking has to be my favourite pastime of all time. I would choose baking over cooking any day. There's a certain satisfaction in seeing and hearing people say they enjoy what you've baked. It's also extremely satisfying once you see your concoction looking good in the oven. Oh and have I mentioned the heavenly smell of your kitchen once you're done? Vanilla essence all over the place. Ahh :)

So... a few months ago I took the opportunity to bake once I was back at home. Eid was also approaching, and given that this would be the first in two years since I've celebrated it at home, I was excited to bake my favourite treats for the family! I should also mention that my parents bought an electric mixer for me as a surprise. It was definitely genuine, but I'd like to think that it was done to get me cracking in the kitchen ;)

Kueh Makmur

The first recipe on my to-do list was Kueh Makmur. This is basically a biscuit with peanut filling on the inside. I found the recipe off Pinterest, and it wouldn't have been possible to complete it within the three hours I took without the help of my cousins. I love this kueh because of the saltiness that comes with it due to the peanut. If done well, the biscuit comes out soft and crunchy and melts instantly once you put it in your mouth. Glad to say that the recipe I followed was amazing because my kueh turned out perfect. Not too sure how much I ended up eating at the end :P

Kek Surabaya

This cake is my all time favourite! I like a lot of cakes, but this one tops it all. I used my grandmother's secret recipe for this one and I'd like to think that it turned out just the way I hoped it would :) I still need to work on my presentation, but I realised that it turned out as such because I cut the cake up before storing it in the fridge for a few hours. It's layered with strawberry jam, but you may choose to layer it with any jam you fancy! The recipe is really versatile in that sense. I'm hoping to try using green tea / earl grey / chocolate in future!! Can't wait to experiment with those :) 

Pineapple Tarts a.k.a Kueh Tart

Finally, the kueh that highlights / welcomes Eid: The classic Pineapple Tart. As biased as this may sound, but I assure you that there is no other Pineapple Tart out there that I have come across that beats those baked by my grandmother. Her tarts are perfection. The pineapple filling is just the right amount of sweet, and complements very well with the biscuit that's just the right amount of salty. The biscuit isn't very thick, and goes very well with the amount of filling placed inside. This treat by far is the hardest to do. It's not something that can be done within one day! The pineapple filling can take up to three hours to make. Again, this would have been impossible to accomplish within the three hours that I took without the help of my dad who patiently placed the filling inside the biscuit for me. 

Ahh I'm salivating just by looking at these pictures :( Most of the treats baked for Eid originate from the Straits / Indonesia (please correct me if I'm wrong), hence the names. These treats are loved across cultures as well and are often seen in Chinese homes during Chinese New Year Celebrations. 

Can't wait to be back in my kitchen!! 

xx.

Untitled

Untitled (for now)

Strangers-

Is it possible to read another’s mind?

Eye contact. I’ve heard it’s important

to look into the eyes of another when conversing.

Respect, engagement.

But the eyes are also the doors to your emotions.

Raw feeling, lust, passion.

They say intuition is a gift from God.

It can do you good

but also bad.

If my intuition has always proven to be true,

is what I see in your eyes what I see in mine too?

Nur Aisyah S. (27/8/14)

xx.

Breakfast for champions!

As a teenager, I was very much privileged to have my parents provide breakfast for me each morning for school.  I may not have consciously realised it, but breakfast really did help me to concentrate in school. I simply cannot stress how important breakfast is to start off the day. 

However, it wasn't until I started living alone that I realised that apart from having something to eat in the morning, what you ate was important as well. It's important that you have something that's filling enough to satisfy your stomach, but vital that it contains nutrients to supplement you for the rest of the day. I've learnt that if you pack your breakfast with the proper ingredients, it's enough to sustain you till dinner :) 

So I thought I'd share with you one of my favourite breakfast to-gos. It's extremely easy and doesn't take more than five minutes to do. Here's what you'll need:

1. Muesli 
2. Yogurt of your choice (I don't fancy Greek yogurt, so I used blackberry flavoured ones)
3. Bananas
4. Strawberries
5. Blueberries
6. Chia Seeds

I start out by pouring in muesli before layering it with yogurt. I've used these fruits, but feel free to add in what you fancy! :) I'm also obsessed with chia seeds, they just about go with anything! You may add nuts and other seeds as well.

Once that's all done, viola! You have breakfast thats enough to last you till lunch at least.

I love this because it's so easy to do. It also helps to decorate it nicely, it makes the meal taste 10x better! Is it just me, or does anyone else look forward to what they're about to eat for breakfast the night before? I actually go to great efforts to plan my morning meal as early as 3pm the day before. 

Yum! Looking forward to experimenting with more recipes. I just love walking through the aisles in the supermarket and picking out anything that would look aesthetically pleasing in my meals. 

Till next time, xx.

The comfort of solitude

Solitude is something I treasure very much. I enjoy the time I spend alone by myself, because it is during these times really that I get the opportunity to reflect through the day and gather my thoughts into a coherent string of words. You don't get the chance to just sit down and think through the day when you're in the company of others. On the other hand, spending too much time alone can also drive you mad when you end up overthinking. I guess there's always a limit to how much time you should confine yourself to solitude. 

As much as I enjoy spending time alone, I don't necessarily like to feel alone. Being alone in my room is alright as long as I know that there's someone out there who cares about me and knows that I'm still very much alive. However, I think this idea of feeling alone transcends just having someone there for you. 

Very often, I fail to muster up enough courage to step out of my house alone to do groceries or shop. The only time I ever leave the house alone is when I have to go to school. Whilst the idea of being alone is alright for me, hardly do I ever like to roam around feeling like there's no one there for (or with) me. Which is actually really ridiculous considering how I know there are loads, they're just scattered all over the place. 

Two years ago I challenged myself and experienced dining at a restaurant alone for the first time. Strangely, it was therapeutic and I found myself feeling very much relaxed and proud of myself. It was mind over matter. If I never bothered with people who ate alone in restaurants, why should anyone else bother with me if they saw me do that? Since then, I've never eaten alone at a restaurant before but I have sat alone in cafes reading my books :) But you're never really alone when your company is a good book. 

End point is: I want to challenge myself once again and push myself to my limits. I won't stop myself from going out when I want to. This time round I hope to fully learn to embrace the beauty of solitude and be courageous enough to take baby steps. 

If you've never done this before then come join me! You'll be amazed at how much you'll actually enjoy yourself from the experience :) 

Till then, xx.

Dailylook | Wishlist

I'm a huge fan of Jenn Im a.k.a. clothesencounters on YouTube. If you don't already know who she is, you should check her out. Her style is very much similar to my inner fashionista. When it comes to fashion, I don't think I'm as daring to go all out and experiment with the things I wear. You see, in my head I see myself wearing the coolest outfits. In reality though, my insecurities crop up and I end up feeling sheepish to try out what I originally had in mind. Either that or my poor wallet doesn't have enough inside it to fund me.

Jenn's lookbook videos are among my most anticipated videos each month. I learnt about dailylook.com through her videos. She's quite the ambassador for dailylook, and recently has styled a few looks for the website as well. Do I need to state just how much I LOVE the styles she came up with?? Here are some of my favourites:

There are tons of things I see on dailylook that I'd like to purchase as well, but the prices are slightly too high for me :( I personally wouldn't spend more than $50 on a top if the material isn't worth what you're paying for. An example would be chiffon and some cotton pieces. 

Apart from that though, another reason why I won't ever be seen in outfits like these is because I don't wear things that bare my arms or my legs. I've never used shorts out in public before (with the exception of high school and junior college - we had to use shorts for PE). 

I've been wanting to give my wardrobe a makeover. Ive been obsessed with white tops was of late, and my bag at ASOS is filled to the brim with white tops. I don't actually pay for the things in my bag, I simply keep what I like in there just in case prices drop in future. 

Ah well, hopefully someday I'll be able to purchase as many clothes as I want once I earn my keep. Till then, xx.

Sunday Brunches

Each time someone asks me what I love about Melbourne, it's impossible that the word "brunch" doesn't turn up. In fact, I'd like to think that Melburnians know how to appreciate a good hearty brunch! There are tons of brunch spots located around Melbourne, and I only wish I had the ability to drive myself around to visit the brunch spots located further out from the city. That, and maybe a never ending supply of money to finance my expenditure on all the delicious food!!

I love the weekends, but I especially love them during the transition from winter to spring :) The weather is just about to reach a lovely temperature with just the right amount of sun and wind, and the sight of families walking around the city just brings a lot of warmth in my heart :)

It's not very often I get to roam around the city in such beautiful weather. I wish I had more opportunities to do so, but work beckons each time mother nature decides to shower us with love.

Fortunately for me, today was an exception. I headed out with a few girlfriends to a brunch spot called 'The Kettle Black'. If there's one brunch spot I've always wanted to try, it'd be 'Top Paddock'. I've so often seen friends share pictures of their ricotta pancakes and it's made me crave for them so so much. The Kettle Black is the sister store of Top Paddock, and the menu is rather similar although my friends praised it for a better ambience.

We arrived the store at 2pm, and had to wait in line for about twenty to thirty minutes for our turn. It's not uncommon to be in the waiting line when it comes to brunches in Melbourne. Rather, our waiting time isn't considered very long as compared to other brunch spots I've been to before. It tends to get really crowded between 12pm to 2pm, as most people are out at that time for lunch. Also, most cafes close at about 3pm. 

Mocha that I ordered - as usual. 

I headed there with a strong determination to purchase and try my long awaited ricotta pancakes. Alas, upon my arrival I realised that there were simply too many mouth-watering options to choose from!! I simply couldn't decide. 

King Island Crayfish in an Ash Roll with native coastal spinach, lime and yuzu mayonnaise

I ended up purchasing the King Island Crayfish because I heard that it was a popular dish. This is the first time I've had crayfish in a burger form, and I have to say it was delicious. The crayfish was really tender and complimented well with the spinach and the sour taste from the yuzu mayo. I certainly don't regret purchasing this, my tummy was very well satisfied after this meal :) 

Here were the meals my friends ordered:

Hotcakes with house-made ricotta, blueberries, pure maple, double berries and seed

Chili scrambled eggs with air-dried flinders island wallaby, feta and leaves

Robbins Island Wagyu Skirt Steak with house-made mustard, seasonal fruit relish and leaves on the kettle black bun

I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone who passes by Melbourne. The ambience was lovely and it was such a cozy little house that was decorated really nicely :) 

I apologise if the pictures aren't very great / lack of pictures, I'm still pretty new to blogging and it took a lot of effort to remember to have these photos taken! 

I've also just ordered for a replacement battery charger for my camera, so hooray for that!! Better quality photos in future hopefully :) There are so many things I'm dying to share and upload but I can't seem to achieve the same effect I'm after with the iPhone camera. So excited to have my camera ready to snap away! Hee :)

Till next time, xx.

Excited :)

Today's post strays from what I had originally intended for this blog. But I suppose it doesn't hurt to do these once in a while. 

I don't think I've felt this happy and excited about things in a while. Today I attended a 2-hour lecture that I thoroughly enjoyed and was attentive throughout for, purchased a very yummy mocha from a cafe in Uni, went to the market and bought fresh fruit and veggies, attended my first official university Toastmasters' event, cooked a delicious dinner and Skyped my family :)

The Toastmasters' event was exciting and I can't wait for more of such events. I've been trying to get as involved in Uni as I was in school back at home, but I haven't been able to find a group where I feel as though I'm "in my element". Today, I found that group.

You just know when something is right. For starters, I left the house excited to attend my first session. I usually tend to get nervous for events like these because I wouldn't know anyone and I'd get nervous over meeting new people. But then again, Toastmasters' is basically meant to help with your public speaking and instil a sense of confidence in you, which could have been a reason why I was so calm. Everyone was so friendly and I am definitely attending the next few sessions! Excited and nervous to see what lies ahead for me in that path and I'm definitely looking forward to it :) Hee

I've also just recently purchased "Mrs Dalloway" by Virginia Woolf. I've taken an interest in Ms Woolf since I found out that she suffered from depression. Will be sure to give you a review once I'm done with it :)

That's it for now chummies, off to catch some Zzz's now. Till then, xx :)

Morning perk-me-up juice

I've been wanting to have a go at "juicing" for the longest time now. I'm so inspired by photos I see on Instagram by healthy nutters and have been dying to jump on the bandwagon. So I thought I'd invest in an electric blender this time to try it out!!

I've tried a few mixes so far, but I thought I'd just share my personal favourite. It's a combination of cucumber + lemon juice + coconut water + mint leaves + spinach + ice cubes. I am in love with this. I think you'll enjoy this too if you're a fan of anything minty. It woke me up immediately and I found myself to be filled with a burst of energy :) 

I'm thinking of other recipes to try out. Any ideas? :)

If you're not a fan of anything green I promise you it's a lot tastier than it looks!!! :)

Till next time, xx.

Happy Graduation Bernice! :)

Today marked a special day in the calendar for a very special friend of mine. It's strange sometimes how life throws you people at the most appropriate time. I met Bernice a year ago through my friends. Back then, we were nothing but mere acquaintances and never did I expect our friendship to go any further than that. Eventually, she ended up moving in with my friends and we were neighbours for four whole months. The rest is pretty much history :)

Last semester proved to be a most trying and difficult period for me mentally. I don't think I've ever experienced such a period of lifelessness, disappointment and despair. As it turned out, Ber had her fair share of the feeling before. There is nothing greater than knowing that you're not alone in tough times, but it's a million times greater to know that the same person overcame all the odds and succeeded in the end. She is my inspiration, role model and friend. I simply cannot express how thankful I am for all that you've done for me Ber. From your kind encouraging words to your faith in me, I can only thank you for your generosity and love. 

Congratulations on graduating from university today Ber, you deserve it ♡

I'm obsessed

... with lipstick.

As a child I've always toyed around with my mother's lipstick collection. It was such a joy back then to be my mum's little stylist, I remember choosing the lipstick colour each morning as my mother was preparing herself for work. My mother had her fair share of colours, her collection wasn't huge but it was enough.

I've always wanted a huge lipstick collection. Maybe one that's similar to Zoella's. Perhaps I shall one day have enough in my collection to open a store *inserts delirious eyes*

Anyway, my current favourite lipstick brand at the moment has to be Revlon. I suppose it's considered a drugstore product (correct me if I'm wrong) but for the price I'm paying for these, I'd hardly consider them drugstore.

Here are some of my favourites from my collection:

This has to be my FAVOURITE thus far. I don't know if you've noticed how used the tip is. I am in love with this colour. I have pretty tanned/brown skin, so the orange gives me a nice healthy finish. I love this series in particular because I don't find it very dry on my lips. I've always had very dry lips up till today, but the lacquer balm is moisturising enough for me. 

This was the first matte lipstick I added to my collection. I decided to be adventurous when I purchased this because it's a dark red - a colour I was not bold enough to wear before. I used this during Eid celebrations this year back at home, and received compliments for the colour :) I've been using this quite often recently, the colour is perfect for winter. 

This next one is a very light red, and I find myself having to apply several layers due to the shine effect it has on my lips which makes it almost invisible. Butttt I LOVE this. I find that it adds a subtle pop of colour and gives me a healthier glow. I use this on days I'm not feeling too adventurous.

This next one looks pink, but it actually comes out as red! This is similar to the first photo I shared, except that it's a matte balm instead. I haven't been using this as much because I haven't been able to match it with my winter outfits. Hoping to using more frequently once spring comes!

This final one was the first purplish lipstick I added to my collection. I never thought I'd end up with a purplish lipstick but this colour was too pretty to resist. It's perfect for winter, and the fact that it's shine rather than matte, once applied it sits lightly on your lips and the colour isn't too overbearing. Glad I made the bold decision to purchase this!

So that's about it for my top 5 from my collection. And no, I don't only own Revlon in case you were wondering :P I don't own any of the higher end lipstick products... YET. Since I'm still rather new to this whole idea of applying lipstick, I thought I'd invest in a few cheaper yet good quality ones to practice with before I invest in more expensive ones. Although at the current moment I don't have a thing against Revlon. It also helps that their ambassador is Emma Stone (the only reason I tried it in the first place). 

Ah right, that's about it from me for today's post then! Till the next one

xx.

Hola, Aloha, Konnichiwa!

It looks like I've finally come around to starting my blog. After spending what feels like ages dreaming about creating my own blog, i'm glad i've finally come around to doing it!! 

I've been wanting to start a blog like this for a very long time. It's not that i've never had a go at blogging before, but my previous blogs were usually kept private. The very idea of having my life put public and on a site accessible by anyone is daunting and it never fails to frighten me that any photo I put up from hereon can be used by anyone who comes across this page. But I know that should I not challenge myself and at least attempt to try out blogging, I will look back in the future full of regrets. 

So why now? I turned 21 this year, and we know turning 21 is a pretty big deal :) You're officially an adult, yet you're still blessed with youth and vigour that should be used wisely and to its full potential while you're living it. I'd like to look back thinking that I've done certain things in my 20s that I can smile upon and be proud of. Although blogging may sound like a stupid thing to be proud of but I see it as stepping out of my comfort zone. 

I'm most probably going to be blogging about things I'm passionate and interested in. These include things like baking, crafts, makeup, fashion and pretty much anything that's pink and pretty! I'm no expert in these things, but hopefully I'm knowledgeable enough to share my thoughts on them in this little space :) 

I'm excited to start blogging over the next few days! I'm quite excited to see how I'll fare with this. As it is, I've just realised I forgot to bring my camera charger over to where I am currently... The woes of being a muddlehead :P

I'll see you soon! 

xx