Happy New Year 2011

Dua hari belakangan ini timeline twitter saya dibanjiri oleh tweet tentang resolusi teman-teman di 2011 maupun kenangan tentang best moment di tahun 2010. Terbukti, tweet-tweet ini memang sedang menjadi favorit dan mampu menduduki trending topic dunia.
Saya sendiri tidak terlalu larut dalam euphoria resolusi dan best moment di twitter ini. Bukan karena gerakan anti maupun tidak punya resolusi maupun best moment sepanjang tahun lalu. Entah mengapa saya tidak ingin mendengungkannya saja di garis waktu twitter saya. Saya lebih suka menulisnya di sini dan di kepala saya. Tempat lain tentu saja dialog intrapersonal saya tentang resolusi, harapan, rencana, dan eksekusinya.
Ketika pertanyaannya adalah "apa resolusi saya?", banyak hal yang saya inginkan. Banyak hal baru yang ingin saya coba di tahun depan. Tahun baru dengan euphorianya membawa semangat baru yang terkandang terasa sangat temporer, maka salah satu resolusi saya adalah selalu bersyukur pada Tuhan tentang apa yang Dia berikan dan membawa semangat tahun baru ini setiap harinya. Membuatnya setiap harinya terasa istimewa.
Resolusi lainnya? Tentu saja ada. Seperti yang lainnya saya juga punya banyak keinginan di tahun depan yang saya usahakan untuk terwujud. Tapi lebih dari semua itu, saya ingin semua yang saya miliki selama ini tetap terjaga menjadi milik saya. Menyongsong hal-hal baru untuk melengkapi semua yang sudah saya miliki dan menyambut hadiah-hadiah Tuhan setiap harinya sepanjang tahun depan.
Selamat tahun baru semua, semoga tahun 2011 menjadi tahun yang menyenangkan untuk kita semua! :)

#dearmom

#dearmom, thank you for the whole love and life you have been giving to me. thank you for always being there whenever I need. thank you for everything that I just couldn't name it. thank you for all the good and bad times you will stay next to me. and I realize that my thank you just will never enough to repaid your love. I love you :')

#dearmom, thank you for the good times we spent and will spend. thank you for gave birth, raising, and teaching a great man like him. thank you for being my inspiration. do you know that I adore you so much? :')

#dearGod, what if I asked you only a favor please? Just let me be like the moms I have in the future. :)

Our 30th Months Anniversary Cupcakes

December 20th 2010 is the day of me and Dhidha's 30th months anniversary. I used to think about something new to celebrate our anniversary. So, I decided to bake our anniversary cupcakes while learning this new thing which is I concerned so much. And here they are.I am so new in baking cookies and cakes. I remember the first time I baked cupcakes it was soooo embarrassing. It was too bad and I started to think that I am not so good playing with oven. Maybe I just don't get the chemistry with "this thing". :p
So, I started to think what about "unbaked in oven" cupcakes. I started to ask some seniors of baking, "Is there any other ways besides bake cupcakes in oven to be able to decorate it?" and both replied no. I was frustrated and had no idea about my plan. Then I started to search some information about steam-cake and wish it would be able to be base of the cupcakes. And Thank God, I got it! :D
The base cake was steam-brownies. It just becomes cupcakes because I was put it in the cup, not merely because of the ingredients measurements. Here I share the recipe that already get my modification:
Ingredients:
6 eggs
150gr sugar
1/2 tsp emulsifier
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla powder
125gr wheat flour
45gr chocolate powder
100gr margarine, melt it.
100 gr milk cooking chocolate , melt it.
50 gr condensed milk

How to Bake?
1. Mix and sieve wheat flour and chocolate powder.
2. Mix margarine, melt chocolate, and condensed milk, stir them.
3. Heat the steamer.
4. Mix sugar, emulsifier, and eggs.
5. Put the mix of wheat flour and chocolate, stir them.
6. Put the mix of margarine, melt chocolate, and condensed milk, stir them all.

Pour the dough to the paper cup in almost full. Steam for about 10 minutes in medium heat.
Cupcakes ready to be frosted and served.

P.S. "Happy Our The Most Unique Anniversary Ever, Baby D! I Love You!"

midnight rain

Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot. Who calls you back when you hang up on him. Who will lay under the stars and listen to your heartbeat, or will stay awake just to watch you sleep.
Wait for the man who kisses you on the forehead. Who wants to show you off the world when you are in sweats. Who holds your hand in front of his friends, Who thinks you're just as pretty without make-up on. The one who is constantly reminding how much he cares and how lucky he is to have you.
The one who turns to his friends and says, "That's her."

You're Nobody Until Somebody Loves You

Now you may be king, you may be posses the world and it's gold
Gold will never buy happiness in your growing old
You're nobody until somebody loves you
So, find yourself somebody to love

-Frank Sinatra-

Cupcakes: History and Everything You Should Know About It

History

The term "cupcake" is first mentioned in 1828 on Eliza Leslie's Receipts cookbook in "Seventy-five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats". But before that in 1796 the notation of "a cake to be baked in small cups" was written by Amelia Simms in "American Cookery".
Cupcake is a revolutionary in cook and baking. Breaking with tradition of weighing ingredients at this time they ingredients began to be measured in cups. Besides that, the small size of the cupcake could save tremendous time in the kitchen. Cups were convenient because hearth ovens took a long time to bake large cakes. Faster time that is saved on baking cupcake helps bakers to be able to do other things.
In 1900's cupcakes became popular kids treats partly due to their ease in baking. Cupcakes were no more popular during that time period than they are today. What is different today is that cupcakes have gone crazy. In the early 21st century, a trend for cupcake shops was reported especially in United States. Adults associate cupcakes with memories from their childhood, and kids also love to consume cupcakes. Traditionally they have been made for children in basic flavors, but today cupcakes are more playful, hip, and glamorous in many flavors.
Variants

• A "cake in mug" is a variant that gained popularity. The technique uses a mug as its cooking vessel and can be done in a microwave oven with a very simple recipe.
• A "butterfly cake" is a variant of cupcake which is also called "fairy cake". The flavor is just the same as the other cupcake recipe. The difference was only about the topping that is decorated with butter, plastic icing, or gumpaste.
• A "cake ball" is an individual portion of cake, round like chocolate truffle. The technique is more frosting than baking.

Pans and Liners
Cupcake baking pans are available in three sizes; small (mini), medium (regular), and large. Originally, cupcakes were baked in heavy pottery cups. Some bakers still use individual small coffee mugs or large tea cups. Today, specialized pans are made for baking cupcakes. These ovenproof pans are mostly made from metal and generally have six or twelve "cups". They may also made from stoneware, silicone rubber, or other material. A standard cup is 3 inches (76mm) in diameter and holds about 10 gr.
Cupcake also can be baked in paper liners. These are typically round sheets of thin paper pressed into a round fluted cup shape. I prefer paper liners most of the time because the cupcakes are easier to get out of the pan, easier to handle, and they stay fresh longer. Paper liners are available in a wide range of sizes, colors, and patterns. In addition to paper, cupcake liners may be made from very thin aluminum foil.
If we want to make a topping on the cupcake, we have to grease the cups with butter, margarine, shortening, cooking oil spray, or baking oil spray. After that we can put a topping to the top of cupcake.
The amount of batter we put in the cup determines the shape of the cupcake. Cups filled two-thirds full bake into the traditional cupcake shape. If you fill the pan half full, it will rise to the edge or slightly below the edge and you will have a small, straight-top cupcake. If you fill the cup three-quarters full the cupcake will rise above the edge of the liner and expand outward.
Storing Cupcake
Store cupcakes in a plastic airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for several days. The only cupcakes that need to eat within a day of preparing are ones that use uncooked eggs in the frosting.
Cupcakes with fondant (plastic icing) decoration could not be saved in the refrigerator. To store cupcake, we only need to put it on the cool place. A room with air conditioner (AC) inside could be the best place to store.
Cupcakes with butter decoration (like butterfly cake) could be saved in the refrigerator but don't put plastic airtight on it because it will damage the decoration you made.
Transporting Cupcake
When transporting cupcakes to a location for an event or giving it as a gift use plastic packaging designed especially for cupcakes. These containers are available at cake supply stores or online suppliers. Another good way to transport cupcakes is to place them back into a clean cupcake pan once they are frosted and decorated.

Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupcake
http://crazyaboutcupcakes.com/learning.htm

Kitchen, A Brand New Category

Hai, I'm gonna adding a new category on my post. Its "kitchen"!
Why kitchen? Yes, it is such a very different category from what I usually posted.
I usually posted articles about my life, quotes, advertising, branding, and marketing communication. I know it seems little bit weird to share my kitchen's story. But honestly, I can't help my self for sharing the story, the recipes, and experiences that maybe could inspiring. Inspiring is a goodness, and we shouldn't stop our self to share the goodness, right?
Well, I'm not yet a professional chef who is able to bake and cook a lot of delicious foods. I'm just a newbie in this way! Even so, I already ask my man to build me a beautiful kitchen for our future :p
Well, I hope my post could help you even a little. Lets go to our kitchen, hold the pans, grab the ingredients, cook it and voilaaaa!
Enjoy! :D

Three to Four Years Is Not a Long Time, Is It? (Part 1)

Last night I met Carin, my cousin and she told me something surprised. She's about leaving this country in a while. Yes, she'll have her college at Germany, majoring business studies. Means what? She will live there for a long time. About 3 or 4 years, not only for a day, a week, a month, or year.
She told me the plan of her study in the middle of this year. When I asked her when she'll leave, she simply answered that she didn't know yet. She guessed it would about in the middle of next year or later. Personally, I am ready for the day she would leave. What makes me surprise only about the time she'll leave. I never imagine she'll leave here too soon.
Talking about her always special. She is the cousin who I grow old with. We were live only next door, we went to the same school (since kindergarten to junior high), we played together, we hang out together, we really had a lot of good times together. I still remember when I was a 4th grade of elementary and she was only a 1st grade, she waited for me to back home together. When actually, her class already over at 10 A.M. and my class would be over at 02.00 P.M. I remember I was so sad when she cut my paper puppet when she was kids. I remember we played the dolls together every noon. I remember we were soaring to each other when we take a bath since our house was only next door. I remember went to school every morning with her. I remember we often celebrate her birthday together in KFC. I also remember when she was too kids she gave me a cute black dress as the present of my 6th years old birthday.

(From the right side: me, Carin, Ovie, Nita)

When we grow teens (I only 4 years older than her), we spent a lot of fun but silly times. I often hang out with her. Sometimes, we just ride the bike and going nowhere, no destination. But we still had the great times. We ever almost blunder against a sauce-seller on the street, we ever fallen down from her bike because we were avoiding chicken on the yard, she always mad at me when I saw cute guys and she didn't (because she drove the bike, then she needs to concentrate on the road more than on the guys around hehe).
When we grow older (she still in teens anyway), we exchange some recipes. The funniest thing was since we were kids we often spend times cooking some foods together, and yes it never works. It only works when we cook it by our self, not cook it together.
And what would makes me miss her very much, I will never see her every weekend as we usually do. She always come to my house almost every Saturday to pick me up. We always pray together every Saturday in our other cousin's house and Carin always picks me up. Besides her, there are our two cousins, Nita and Ovie who are the great sister of us. We often spend the time together, hanging out, and make fun to each other. Without Carin, I just know that those moments wouldn't be the same. There will never be the youngest sister who always makes us laugh, there will never be the funniest sister, the silly and genius at the same time.
Since I grow old with her and we never be apart for a -very- long time, I'm sure I will miss her very much.

Well, my little sister is a big girl now.
She is growing older. I love the sisterhood we have.
I know I will miss her, but I know she should catch up her dreams, and this is her way.
Sometimes I wonder about her, living alone in a far away country.
Would there will be a sister who take care of her when she get cold, cough, fever, or need something?
I really wish she would be fine along the years.

Have a good time there, dear sister.

Be a good girl and brilliant student. I know you can do it and I can't wait to see you home soon.

Have a good time there, dear sister.

Be a good girl and brilliant student.

Keep your health well, only consume healthy foods .
I know you can do it and I can't wait to see you home soon.
You know, I will miss you very much!

Twenty Years From Now...

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things u didn’t do than by the things u did do” ~ Mark Twain

What happened with me if I never live this way? What would I regret if I never do something else than doing everything I do just like today? Whom I will be?
I get a lot of chances in my life, and I left them some. I find opportunities has been coming to me, and I throw it away. What would life will be if I ever take it all? What would life will be if I never throw it all?
There might be a lot of regrets. Life might be different if I take the opportunities. Life might be different if I ever go to the places offered to me. But, when I take those chances there must be something else I would regret. Yes, I would regret my life I have without you. And it does hurts, I know. It does not worth about the chances I take and the lost I'll get.
Maybe, when I take it all, I would just lost you. Maybe, when I get it all, I wouldn't have you.
If somebody ever asked me what I did, even laughing at me because all of the chances I throw, I only let them do. Because they just don't know, what I have now in my hand would be something that brings to my everlasting happiness. Something I am sure of. Something beyond compare. Something precious above it all.
Twenty years from now, I might regret all the chances I left. But twenty years from now, all of those regret would never win compares to the happiness I get with you.
The world in my hand, what does it means without you be mine?
You, yes you.

For you, I am so thankful because you are mine.