I'm a bit lost!

Hello!

I haven't been visiting others' blogs for quite some time now, and I apologize for that.

Truth to be told, I'm a bit lost with the new blogger-thingy. I mean, I find it hard to find all the other blogs that I've been following. So, eventually, I gave up using my laptop for blogging.

I've downloaded the blogger application, so I was able to write more often these days since I'm with my phone 24/7. However, even with that application, it is still hard to go around reading blogs. It took so much time just finding my way around, and I still need to study.

Anyway, I'll pay a visit once I'm done and over with the exam.

Peace. Out.

Dumped

Hi!

I wonder...

Have you ever been dumped? I did. Once, when I was younger. I hope he regret it tremendously if he ever see me now again. Haha!

He didn't actually said that he was dumping me. He was too much of a coward then. I was a naive girl, but not to the extent that I can't read his intentions.

Anyway, I don't know why am I bringing it up again now. Maybe because I saw this show where they've tried to guess how many was each of them ever being dumped.

How about you?

P/s: a photo of my puppies for your viewing pleasure.

Red velvet

Hi!

Anh came over to my house during the holiday for a baking session. Though it was our first time baking a red velvet, it actually came out pretty nicely.

The moist, and rich cake.

The pink batter!

In case you are wondering, here is the recipe for the cake. I took it from 'Joy of Baking' (Google it!). They have really great recipes of other cakes, and stuffs too.

Ingredients:

Red Velvet Cake:

2 1/2 cups (250 grams) sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons (15 grams) regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated whitesugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk

2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) tub of Mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (115 grams) confectioners' (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted

1 1/2 (360 ml) cups cold heavy whipping cream (double cream) (35-40% butterfat)

How to:

Red Velvet Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter two - 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter.

Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the refrigerator for at least an hour (or overnight). (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to spread. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

Assemble: With a serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half, horizontally. You will now have four cake layers. Place one of the cake layers, top of the cake facing down, onto your serving platter. Spread the cake layer with a layer of frosting.  Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost and stack the cake layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Can garnish the cake with sweetened or unsweetened coconut.

Serves 10 - 12 people.

Online Safety Test

Hello!

We had to answer an online safety test by the end of this week for us to be familiarized with our level 3 lab skills next year. I did my test today, and I had so much fun answering the questions. Especially because of the choice of answers given.

You rock!

Let's drink all the sulphuric acid!

Nick is our Head of School. What fun!

I'm going to pretend..... :)

I'm broke

Hello!

So, as the title goes, I'm broke. Seriously.

The story was like this;

I've bought to and fro flight tickets from London to Sabah via an agent for Royal Brunei Air just before our spring break, and I thought that all things were settled.

During the holiday, I've spent quite some money carelessly (and I totally regretted it). When I've realized that I have yet to receive the e-ticket for my flights, I emailed the agent, followed by a call.

Apparently, the bank has denied my payment, for no reason. That's one thing. The problem is, I wasn't notified of this matter. If it happens that I didn't realized about the e-ticket until the very last day, it would have cost me a fortune to go back for summer.

In the end, I've bought new flight tickets directly with Qatar Airways this time for roughly £600. Well, at least, I am able to go back earlier this time.

All is well.

It looks a little too empty, yeah?

Will I be able to live off these?

Revision. Distraction.

Hello!

Final is coming in a month time, and I've been trying to study. A lot.

So, I've made this timetable as my so-called-guideline;

There are two pages of them! Different timetable for every week.

However, it's hard to follow a timetable, when I'm always distracted. I'll be hungry, sleepy, bored, and sometimes, I caught myself staring at the garden.

My workplace.

Can you spot my guitar on the right hand side? Well, I'll be tempted to strum it at times....

That white robe, with colorful polka dots, is my dressing gown. Which, I wear every day, and at almost every second. We've turned down the central heating, so it's pretty cold these days. I know that it's spring, but still.....

I've tried standing up for quite some time to reduce my sleepiness, but, to no avail. Maybe, I was born to be a sleepyhead? At times, I'll play this game with my friend;

Then, I'll have this dream about me becoming the next picaso prodigy. So, I'll waste quite some time in discovering my new found talent;

Oh well... Not too talented, I see.

Take care then! I'll talk to you all again later. :)

Will you take her back?

Hey there!

I believe in dating with commitment, and not just for the sake of dating. So, when commitment is involved, I can't tolerate with people 'doing stuffs' behind their partner's back. Well, you know... that and such...

Anyway, I've asked a friend of mine (male) on his opinion regarding a 'storyline' I gave him...

" You are in a long distance relationship with a girl, but the girl shared a bedroom (if you know what I mean) with another guy occasionally (almost every day). Somehow, you've found out about that matter, and obviously you didn't like it. So, you've made her promise to stop doing it. She promised, but the 'room sharing' never actually stopped. She just managed to hide it further from you. Then, after a couple of years, you caught her again, red-handed. Will you forgive her then?"

My friend told me that he will take her back, since he love her so much. I've asked the same thing with a couple more friends (male), and their answers were pretty much the same.

I don't get it. What do you say?

Dumb, Smart People

Hello there!

A friend of mine came and stayed with me for a week during the holiday, and she told me that science students are normally people with the lowest average value of common sense. So, I told her that I don't think it is so, since I believe that as a science student myself, I've got loads of that (I think).

She left after a week, and I was left alone, thinking about her words.... and it started to make sense now. How?

Well, here are some examples:

(Putting aside your laziness....)

1) If you saw that the kitchen counter (and/or the sink) was (were) filled with YOUR unwashed dishes, it's just common sense to wash them, isn't it?

2) If you saw that the dustbin was filled to the brim, it's just common sense to change the plastic bag, isn't it?

3) If you mess a common space, it's just common sense to clean up your own mess, isn't it?

4) If the toilet roll was used up to the brown part of it, it's just common sense to throw that brown thingy, and replace it with a new one, isn't it?

5) If the drainer was overloaded with plates, bowls, and stuffs, it's just common sense to keep them in the cupboard, isn't it?

6) ...and many others...

However, these are just not happening. I mean, how can you not think of doing all that, especially when post-its were posted every where visible, and reminders were given orally, and constantly? This can only mean that these smart people are just too dumb to have common sense. Well, being smart or dumb are actually not the point here. I just wanted to rant on things, and saying that these people do not have common sense doesn't sound harsh enough. Why not just call them, the "Dumb, Smart People".

Okay. Peace (Y).