Fun with Photoshop

I wanted to add some colors to my blog to welcome spring, so I started looking through some of the photos that I took and did a little bit of editing with Photoshop.

However, the final result doesn't really reminds me of spring so I decided not to use this as a picture for my blog header.

I shall keep this for fall instead :)

What a "Surprise"

I had been thinking hard about what's the best birthday present for Mas...

A watch? No

A purse? Noo

A handbag? Nooo

I wanted to get something that is more...special. Since I had lots of free time, I went online to search for gift ideas but nothing really stood out.

Two days ago, I suddenly had a craving for cheesecake and at that moment, I decided to make tiramisu because both of us enjoy this dessert a lot. Since Mas would be going to Mackinac Island during this weekend, it would be the prefect time for me to make the tiramisu at home and give her a surprise when she comes back.

I googled the recipe and finally decided on one that seemed pretty easy and good. I don't have a lot of experience in baking and since tiramisu doesn't require any baking, I thought it was a safe choice.

The next day, I went off to Krogers to get the ingredients. I found everything except for the most important Mascarpone Cheese. At first, I thought of substituting it with cream cheese (as some of the websites suggested) but didn't wanna spoil the taste. Again, I googled and discovered that I could get the cheese from Whole Foods Market. Without any delay, I went there and found what I was looking for.

Finally, everything was ready and I was excited to make my first tiramisu.

Can't wait to transform all these into a heavenly dessert

The ladyfingers were carefully arranged at the bottom of the pan

Another view of the bottom layer

It was only when I tried to pour a layer of the cheese mixture on top of the ladyfingers that I realized that something was wrong with the mixture. The mixture was too watery!!! One of the ladyfingers was even floating on the mixture (They were supposed to stay at the bottom). I tried to fix the mixture by adding more cheese but it was still too...liquid. I was busy fixing it I didn't take a picture of the mixture. At the end, I decided to just finish up with the layering and hopefully, after refrigerating it, the mixture would harden...

=(

Unfortunately, after 2 hours of refrigerating, the mixture was still watery...and you can see 2nd layer of floating ladyfingers from the picture above.

Honestly, I didn't expect this to turn out to be such a disaster. I am really disappointed. I guess now I need to think of a Plan B for Mas and also I need to decide on what to do with this "tiramisu". Should I stick it into the freezer and try to turn it into ice cream instead?

"For today, good bye. For tomorrow, good luck. Forever, Go Blue!"

President Mary Sue Coleman ended her commencement speech with these words of encouragement.

Time flies. It seems like only yesterday when I came to the states. I can't believe that I've graduated from the University of Michigan. People always ask if I am excited that I'm finally done with school? I try to search for the right word to describe my feelings- excited, sad, relieved- but I can find no single word that best describes how I feel. It's a mixture of everything.

I have been editing this post for a few times but I still can't put things together...probably because I haven't been blogging or writing for a while and I have too much to say that I find it hard to hold and write everything coherently. I guess I'll leave the rest for another post then...hopefully.

As for now, I shall just stick to our commencement on 5/2/2009.

My dream to have our commencement at the Big House came true :)

taking pictures while we were waiting for the ceremony to start

Great speech from our student speaker, George
( http://www.ns.umich.edu/podcast/video.php?id=832 )

Dad and I

Hat throw!!!

Why were both of us looking at different directions?

Graduates and their parents

Thanks, YC!

I look taller in the previous photo as compared to this one (taken in Spring 2008). Did I grow taller in a year =P

I'll miss you guys!

I want Joo's flower with the little Snoopy!

trying to get a pic with the "M"....

Min (on the right) refused to join us :(

I almost forgot that Thai was graduating with us too

another pic with the M

Actuarial Spring Commencement

Say Cheese!!!

And lastly, congrats to the Class of 2009!

Yummy Breakfast- for the banana lovers

This time it's real and edible :)

Looking for a change to your breakfast? I would like to share some of the recipes that I've tried out. There are pretty awesome because they are simple and at same time, YUMMY!!!

Here are two great ones from the Naked Chef:

Banana Tarte Tatin (click here for the recipe)

Stuffed French Toast (click here for the recipe)

And lastly, this is one that I found on a random website:

Chocolate Banana Crepe (I can't remember where did I get the recipe from but here is the closest recipe that I can get)

You probably realize that there are bananas in all three of the recipes. I think bananas are good ingredients for breakfast because they are not too sweet and they add a special taste to the food. You should definitely try making one of these and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Yummy Breakfast

haha...it's not edible...even if it is, it is too cute to be eaten :)

I'm talking about this new set of key chains from Kidrobot that come in blind boxes. I know it's ridiculous for a person of my age to be crazy over toy but I really love the key chain from the moment I saw it (although I was initially looking for a plush key chain and this one is vinyl)...I gotta have it!!!

And so, I got myself a blind box...

can't wait to see what's inside

Apparently, the foil is to stop people from scanning the box with x-ray machine...I can't believe that people actually do that

My yummy breakfast is a sad banana...aww...

I wonder if they can be good friends (it seems like they have different personalities)

picture from kidrobot.com

My most wanted--Milk!!! (see how cute they are looking eye to eye)...Don't get me wrong, I like the banana too

Should I get another blind box??? Maybe I can get the milk this time...

Caught a cold

I was coughing last night and am down with a cold since this morning. With the cough, sore throat, and fatigue from the cold, I really don't feel like doing anything...not to mention that I am shivering now...so today I am very unproductive, I have been lying on my bed for almost the whole day, all wrapped up in my comforter.

When I get sick, I really wish that someone can cook for me (really miss my dad and mom). I remember long time ago, I tried to persuade a friend to cook but I got a picture of the food I wanted instead...which until now is still good enough to make me smile :)

Thanks.

Welcoming the Ox

Happy Chinese New Year!

Since I am doing reduced course load this term, other than cleaning up the house (da shao chu), I had some extra time for cooking and experimenting. Here are some stuff that I did before CNY.

paper cutting

I fried the keropok that He Wei gave

and again, my pineapple tart didn't turn out to be what I expected :(

a pamelo from asian market

my first time pealing the pamelo

This year, we decided to have a Chinese New Year Eve dinner.

group pic

I decided to make 3 dishes:

Yee Sang (ignore the keropok at the back)

Roasted pork

Red wain chicken

and SY was very happy because she finally got her 10 course dinner.

from the front and turning clockwise--roasted pork, spring rolls, red wain chicken, vegetables, prawn and omelet wrap and lastly yee sang at the middle (photo taken by Xeon)

a closer look at the spring roll that SY made

Other dishes that were not in the photo: steamed yam with pork (kau yoke), pig's stomach soup, hot and sour fish, red bean soup and bubur cha cha.

We got a chance to catch up with each other while savoring the delicious food. It has been a while since all of us get together and chat. The food was awesome. my favorite was the fish...gotta ask for the recipe.

Next, it was mahjong time!

The year of the Ox definitely came with some good news and according to the horoscope sent by SY, people who were born in the year of the Tiger will have "tao hua yun" this year too...haha :P