Life begins at fifty

This past year and current year, I have been thinking about life after 50, it was easy to think positively about it especially with the internet Google search on reaching 50 years old milestone. Here are some positive ones that have helped to be brave, cheerful about turning 50 last year.

Until now you may have measured life’s worth with bank accounts and salaries, but now you will realise that nothing is more important than family.

I feel vintage, not old.

What it really means in mathematics about turning 50.

I feel so youthful to step into the youth of old age.

I could still remember how I celebrated my 21st birthday in University campus with an English student born same year, month and day as me, I think he is called Mark but we have lost touch since then.

This sums up how I feel after reaching 50 and living it out.

Turning fifty is when you will realize, that life is not a race, it is a wonderful prize. You will start slowing down and begin to cherish, even the quirky moments that once seemed garish. Such is life after fifty – beautiful, captivating and utterly heavenly. Happy birthday.

 

Happy 51st Birthday to myself for the coming birthday in November, still some time to go.

The Tiramisu Recipe

Tiramisu 

Tiramisu is from Italian and some will say it means "pick me up", "cheer me up" or "lift me up". It is a popular coffee-flavoured Italian custard dessert. It is made of ladyfingers dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese, flavoured with cocoa. The recipe has been adapted into many varieties of cakes and other desserts.

Another story is that it was only created in the 1960's as Recipes Books before that time does not have this mentioned. The first man who made it, a confectioner Roberto Linguanotto, he owned a restuarnat "Le Beccherie" in Treviso where he had his god-daughter, Francesca Valori, working as an apprentice with him. In honour of her culinary skills he named the today world-famous dessert after her maiden name, Francesca Valori-Tiramisu. So contrary to the idea that Tiramisu means "pull me up", it was the maiden name of a lady. the today world-famous dessert after her maiden name, Francesca Valori-Tiramisu. So contrary to the idea that Tiramisu means "pull me up", it was the maiden name of a lady. 

Ingredients 

30 pieces of Ladyfingers

3 tsp heaped Nescafé coffee

125 ml hot water

125 ml cold water

3 Tbsp Khalaur Coffee Liquor or Tia MARIA

100 gm Cooking Chocolate

100 ml Whipping Cream 

500 gm Mascarpone Cheese

2 Tbsp Castor Sugar (30 gm)

60 ml Rum

300 ml Whipping Cream 

2 Tbsp Castor Sugar (30 gm)

Ingredients and Assembly Instructions:
30 pieces of Ladyfingers

3 tsp heaped Nescafé coffee

125 ml hot water

125 ml cold water

3 Tbsp Khalaur Coffee Liquor or Tia MARIA

*Chill in fridge beforehand (overnight)

100 gm Cooking Chocolate

100 ml Whipping Cream 

* Melt in double boil, put over fire if become stiff.  

500 gm Mascarpone Cheese

2 Tbsp Castor Sugar (30 gm)

60 ml Rum

* Whisk by hand lightly

300 ml Whipping Cream 

2 Tbsp Castor Sugar (30 gm)

* Whisk by electric mixer until stiff

Mix both cream mixture together and keep chilled.

Note :-

1) Sugar supposed to be 100 gm, now reduced to 60 gm. Each Tbsp is 15 gm of sugar.

Assembly instructions:-

1) Quick dip biscuit fingers into coffee liquor, line up as first layer.

2) Spread melted chocolate over biscuit fingers.

3) Spread layer of Mascaporane Cream mixture.

4) Repeat for second and third layer as above.
5) Put in fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Step 1 : Prepare the Coffee Liquor

Step 2 : Melt Cooking Chocolate with Cream

Step 3 : Whip the Cream

Step 4 : Whisk lightly Macarpore Cheese, Rum, Castor Sugar

Step 5 : Dip Ladyfingers with coffee and line them up

Step 6 : Lay them Layer by layer (3 layers)

Nearest Birthday Ladies!

Good Fellowship over Tiramisu

Tiramisu for Ladies

The taste is wonderful!

Amelia is back and she taught us how to make this Tiramisu Cake / Dessert. It is a non-bake recipe and simply assembly method to put all things together. 

Notes :-

Photo Credit of the Tiramisu Steps : Aisha Tan
Welfie Photos Credit : Annie Lau

Zucchini Slices

Zucchini Slices

I heard so much about eating Zucchini for health but this is the first recipe that I realised Zucchini holds up really well inside the Egg Custard or Quiche Filling and it taste really good.

This recipe is a keeper. I put some in the fridge and after 3 days, they still taste good and the combination of Zuchinni and flour gives it some volume and taste great. It is a look-good, taste-good recipe.

This recipe is adjusted from the following posted in Taste.Com.Au
http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/zucchini-slice/eb7eed59-5f53-4f6f-bfb5-9b7e3f81a702

Ingredients :- 

5 Eggs Large
150g (1 cup) self-raising flour, sifted
375g Zucchini grated and squeeze out water
1 large onion, finely chopped
100g rindless bacon, chopped
1/2 -1 Cup grated Tasty cheddar cheese
60ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon chicken/ mushroom granules powder
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of pepper
*Optional to add 60ml whipping cream or fresh milk to make the mixture harder.

Note:-
Tasty Cheese taste cheesy and can reduce amount to 1 Cup.
Possible to replace Zuchinni with Pumpkin.

Method :-

Step 1
Preheat oven to 170C.
Step 2
Beat the eggs in a large bowl until combined. Add the flour and beat until smooth, then add zucchini, onion, bacon, cheese and oil and stir to combine.
Step 3
Grease and line a 30 x 20cm lamington pan. Pour into the prepared pan and bake in oven for 30 minutes or until cooked through.              

Verdict :- I shared this first bake with my Connect Group Members and they like it. I would add pinch of salt to make it tastier.

Butter Cake

During my childhood, Butter Cakes were our Birthday Cakes that my mum baked personally for us and brought to share in our Kindergarten class for me and my siblings. Back in those days, celebrating birthdays in class would be the Butter Cake, fried noodles and some goodies pack mum packed for our friends.

I am not a great fan of Butter Cakes, the fact that it is full of fat and oil is visible on the cake makes me feel really guilty to eat them. I love something light, as I could eat more slices without feeling full.

But it is always good to have a recipe for Butter Cake. This recipe is modified by Amelia.

Butter Cake

250 gm Butter
100 gm Castor Sugar
210 gm Cake Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Soda Bicarbonate (neutralise the flour)
4  Eggs Large (4 Eggs + 1 Yolk Original recipe)
1 tsp Vanilla (optional)
3-4 Tbsp Milk
Pinch of Salt

1. Whisk Egg White till stiff.
2. Separate Eggs yolks and white.
3. Use a mixer to blend Sugar, Butter till pale in colour.
4. Add in egg yolks, lastly flour by batches
5. Add Egg White into Batter and gently mix well.

8 inch tin Bake 160 C 45-50 mins

Note :-

- My oven is a bit too hot and the cake was a bit too brown and dry. I should reduce temperature to 150 C. 

- Perhaps, I do not need to use Soda Bicarbonate, there was a tint of alkaline taste in this cake. 

Mandy Harvey - Deaf but keep singing

Mandy Harvey sang TRY at the America's Got Talent Auditions.

Mandy Harvey sang SMILE.

It is Well.

Over The Rainbow