Slow day is the best.

Alright, today's a day off, and I'm loving it. I made green tea jelly, topped with red bean paste *leftover from green tea swiss roll and red bean rice balls*. Turns out nice and wiggly and bouncy, a tad bitter tho *read tips below*. I'm feeling nice today so I'm sharing the recipe :D

green tea jelly with red bean paste

from Okashi by Keiko Ishida

Ingridients:
15g Kuzu powder*
200g Room temperature water
100g Hot water
8g Green tea powder
200g Soy bean milk
4g Agar-agar powder
90g Agave syrup**

Red bean paste****:
100g Red beans (azuki), washed and drained
50g Beet sugar***
A pinch salt

1. Combine kuzu powder and 2 tbsp water in a small bowl and mix well. In a separate bowl, gradually add hot water to green tea powder white stirring until completely dissolver.
2. Combine soy bean milk, remaining room temperature water, agar-agar powder and kuzu mixture in a small saucepan and bring to a complete boil while stirring continuously. Add agave syrup and green tea mixture and mix well. Remove from heat and strain.
3. Pour mixture into jelly moulds and chill in the refrigerator until jelly has set.
4. Make red bean paste. Boil red beans in a pot of water, then drain and transfer to a saucepan.
5. Pour enough water to cover beans. Simmer over low heat for about 1 hour, skimming off scum that rises to the surface. When beans are soft, remove from heat and drain.
6. Return beans to saucepan and add beet sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes. Add salt and mix well. Remove from heat and spread paste on a tray to cool.
7. If you're having hard time unmoulding the jelly, place some hot water in a bowl. Put jelly mould into hot water, then remove immediately and unmould jelly onto a serving plate. I used a silicone 12-cup muffin mould and unmoulding the jelly was easy-peasy. Serve, with red bean paste on the side.

Notes
* I had no luck finding kuzu powder, so I used cornstarch instead. I believe kuzu powder is superior for this recipe but I also heard that it's more pricey, and hard to find here. Some sites said you can substitute it with arrow root or potato starch.
** Agave syrup is thinner and sweeter than honey. I used honey, which makes my jelly a tad too bitter. You can try adding sugar.
*** I used castor sugar instead. Worked fine.
**** Red bean paste takes long to make, but it's a must in this recipe. The bitterness and smoothness of the green tea jelly and the sweetness, nuttiness and creaminess of red bean paste complements each other! You can make red bean paste ahead of time. Store it in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the fridge or up to 2 months in the freezer
Another important note; don't use only a chunk of red bean paste like shown in my photos. Use a spoonful, or two spoonful. You want more, trust me.

Now, what are you waiting for? Dig right in!
Oh I forgot, you're still preparing your red bean paste and waiting for the jelly to set! Muahahaha omnomnomnom

Happy birthday to the Queen! Yep, the Australians are celebrating the Queen's birthday, and even tho I don't, I'm happy that today is a public holiday.

So you might notice that I've revamped my blog! I loved the previous template, but I wanted a more personalized one, so here we are! I spent the whole afternoon doodling and resizing pics o.O

Other than sitting in front of my laptop, I managed to make some red bean rice balls...I'm sure most of you won't have any idea, so here's a photo:

They look and taste like mochi! Why only 5, you ask? Because it's hard to mold this thing! The dough sticks to my finger and quite hard to wash off, so I gave up at 5.

I got the recipe from Okashi, my favorite baking book to date :)

I have a lot of red bean paste leftover from another recipe, I don't know what to do with it! I will make a batch of green tea jelly *which calls for red bean paste for a side* but I doubt it will need that much red bean paste. Humm.

Aah but I'll have to wait until Wednesday until I can bake or cook something else. Holiday's over! :(

Anyway, Nadia asked me to draw a character for my church's news, so I came up with this. She's to be called Joy. My church is Place of Joy (POJ) and the newsletter's called Joy Cast. Joyjoyjoy. People, meet Joy! xD Funny cos I have a niece named Joy :p

It was a really quick drawing, and I haven't managed to color her. The news is BW so this will do for now hey.

Always Enough - Casting Crowns

Always Enough

Casting Crowns

In  a dry and weary land
LORD You are the rain
In a sea of shattered ones
Your love comes rushing in
You hold the world within Your hands
And see each tear that falls
Through every fire and every storm
You're Always Enough
Always Enough

Your love is peace to the broken
Faith for the widow
Hope for the orphan
Strength for the weak

Your love is the anthem of nations

Rings out through the ages
And You're Always Enough for me

In the watches of the night
LORD You are my song
Hope is in the morning light
Your love shines like the dawn

You keep my heart in perfect peace
My life is in Your hands
When confusion hides my way
You're Always Enough
Always Enough

Your love is peace to the broken
Faith for the widow
Hope for the orphan
Strength for the weak

Your love is the anthem of nations
Rings out through the ages
And You're Always Enough for me

I rejoice for my for my Saviour reigns 

I rejoice for He lives in me
God on high, He has set me free and
Worthy is the LORD

Loving this song!

hello, June!

Oh wow it's June! It's halfway through 2010, how fast is that!
I have no time for long paragraphs since it's 10.55 PM here in Melbourne and it means skype-time is nearing, so here are some of my favorite happenings in May :)

1. Melbourne Zombie Shuffle
Photographer haven!

2. Rosemary's Bday
It was at Sante in Crown Casino. Dressing up once in a while is fun :p Not a really flattering photo, but it's the only one where I can see my outfit head to toe :p

3. Red Velvet Cupcakes
It was a big hit in my office's Master Baker competition :p It scores me first place and a heart-shaped fondue set! I made chocolate-coated cake balls from the leftovers but I finished them too quickly for any pics to be taken :p

4. Combined oikos!
My cell group (called 'Oikos' in my church) split to two groups since we had too many members, but we had a combined one because Tiff, our previous leader came for a visit x) we had a huge 34 people cell group!

5. Universal Pizza
This was taken this afternoon @Universal. I always love the chicken schnitzel and parma there :3 Tiff is leaving tomr so we're hanging out today.

a designer's eyes. a melancholic's eyes.

I love spot the differences. 

When I was still studying in Sydney, I used to go to Capitol Square on a weekly (or every other day?) basis to play spot the difference game there. And I think, I was pretty good.

I recently discovered that I have been picking up flaws in every designed thing - billboard, menus, posters, magazines - I saw. Could it be caused by 3,5 years of studying design? I remember having one-on-one consultations, and my tutor always, always picked something that's not working from my design. And that, has changed the way my eyes see forever. For example. I was going to Woolworths the other day, and I walked past Sumo Salad. At first glance, its big menu looked great. I loved the photo where there were two plates of salad on a wooden surface. I loved wooden surfaces, and that photo caught my attention. BUT, then I saw how the two sides of the plates are OVERLAPPING each other! That's so fake. Can't happen in real life.

See what I mean? I think I became more critical about everything I see!

Plus, I'm a phlegmatic melancholic person (click if you have no idea what I'm talking about). My melancholic side makes me a perfectionist, hence the reason why I am very critical is explained :)

Ok that's just me, trying to know myself better.

Now for the happenings:

I miss taking photos. Outside. Haven't been spending time for photo-hunting recently. Blame work and cold weather. And I've been maintaining my flickr more than usual.

This gotta be my fave shot of the week. What a cute little booties! :D

somewhere in between

Hey blogworld, haven't been writing here for ages huh! :D

Lotsa happenings that I haven't written here yet...some are too good to be missed, so here I am, in front of my laptop when I'm supposed to be doing something else! *sigh*

First, as uni is officially over, I am officially on my own! That means I'll have to support myself...find a full time job...like asap. Money is running low!

Second, being in a LDR relationship SUCKS. It's boring like nothing else! The story was; bf had to go back to his kampung as his dad won't let him stay here in the kangaroo-land. So, fingers crossed, we look forward for his coming back to Melbie when money piles up high enough to climb up and slide down on.

Third, is global warming real? *being smacked on the face by treehuggers* It was raining ICE CUBES in Melbourne last weekend! It was a crazy hailstorm, and the city was flooding! Gosh! Who knew that Melbourne was worse than Jakarta? Haha the rain was only 2 hours and the flood was knee-high! Geez.

Fourth, I'm cooking more these weeks. Saving money and being healthier. I just hate how long it takes to prepare food :( *sob* O well, burn the calories before it even goes in! Ha - I wish.

Next *lost count*, my sista is coming here with her fam! Oh wow, this gonna be the first time any family member come n visit me! And this is like, what, my fourth year in Australia =.= Oh and I'm going to Gold Coast next week! Sad tho, I won't have a chance to visit wet n wild xD it's my fav park there!

So that's what you should know! Oh and on a random note, when you come down to Chinatown, watch out for hairs. Not that I found any on my food yet, but last time I ate in my fave restaurant, I saw the longest armpit hair. Ever. Hands down. It looks like it can strangle a cat or suffocate you to death. Thank God I'm not having nightmares, lol. Resto-name not mentioned since I love this restaurant. Good food, friendly waiters, reasonably priced. Unlike that bastardos in Pacific BBQ. I hate that restaurant with all my heart.

out of my amazement

First of all, dreadful internet connection!!

Argh I should've bought the unlimited one if that's really faster. I'm using IM2 now and there's been lotsa down time! Not fun.

Anyway, remember I mentioned about renewing my IDs? Well apparently the extra Rp 10K my Dad gave didn't pay off, I haven't received my new national id yet. Oh well, there's always Monday for these kinda things.

But! It still amazes me how easy it was to renew everything here. Or even MAKE anything here. I remember the time when I came to the police station for the first time to get a driving license. I was told that all I needed to to was to come and take photo, so imagine me freaking out when one of the police asked me to come in a room with a overhead projector and some guys and maybe few girls sitting around holding pens. OMG I have to take a test? I tot that time. To my relief, the police handed me a test paper that had already filled in with correct answers. Well maybe someone crossed one or two wrong ones, but still. Don't you just love how corrupt our country is? Sarcasm alert. Next, photo, finger print, and I got my brand new-shiny driving license. Tah Daah!!

Renewing was almost the same, except that I didn't have to sit and 'take the test'. I came, a guy told me to wait in a room, someone called my name to take a pic. Inside, a tense looking police asked me my name. All I cared about was how thick his eyebrows were.

Bapak beralis tebel (BBT): "Jalan Sunan Kudus 46/60 itu yang mana?"

Well, I didn't know why my Dad started to write our address this way. Number 46 is actually his shop, on the other block of the street. Number 60, is my house. I mean, how far is it from 46 to 60! People must've wondered.

Me: "Oh, ehh...Yang di pojok jalan...sunan kudus sama emm apa ya? Yang di pojok itu lho pak.." omg udah lupa nama jalan di kudus!

BBT: "..."

Uh-oh, not convincing enough.

Me: "Emm, yang ada Suzuki Motor?" dagdigdug

BBT: "Ooh..." *sotoy*

Ah biar deh, me not gonna see you again, bapak...Take care and live your life to the fullest! It doesn't matter where Jl Sunan Kudus 46/60 is!

Anyway. I got my new driving license and took off immediately! Outside, my Dad gave some amount of money to the guy who helped me. Bukan sogokan, cuma uang makan kok. Bukan uang rokok, ntar dituduh bunuh anak orang.

Till later, people!