Oliver @ 11 weeks
so I turned 30 yesterday. it went by pretty much just like any other day.
I guess when you hit a certain stage in life, birthdays are pretty much just another day. Unless of course you decide to make it a special day to go out and blow any budget you previously have set for yourself. hahah. Last year, I had a pretty awesome one, with celebrations stretching over 6 days. Pretty mad, but it became the last crazy birthday celebration that I would come to have.
This year, it got better. With the addition of Oliver, and with the status upgrade to ‘Mummy’. I don’t need to have a special day to make it my birthday. With smiles I get from Oliver every morning, it is pretty much my birthday everyday. I know I know..it is cheesey.
Donald had taken half a day off yesterday to give me a break in the arvo. I had thought that we could go out for a bit in the afternoon, but bad weather did not permit. There was a mad thunderstorm with heavy rain yesterday, and we ended up spending the day having pasta with creme fraiche (my first time using & tasting it!) for lunch, followed by watching Real Steel again on the free movie channel before going out for a seafood dinner with my parents.
Speaking of creme fraiche, it is awesome. haha. I sound like I just discovered baked bread. Doh. Anyways, I had always wondered what it was, and what it would taste like. To me, it basically tastes like a really creamy sour cream, but less tart. I could envision using that as a substitute for sour cream to eat with hot potato wedges *droool*. I so need to get some wedges soon.
Spent last Saturday afternoon baking in an attempt to use up the egg whites in the fridge. I ended up making some lemon meringue tarts, and a mango cream meringue roulade. I thought I might use up the egg whites for the lemon meringue tarts..but noooo. I had totally forgotten that egg whites will fluff up to the high heavens and I’d end up with mad quantities that I would not know what I could do with. Yikes.
I was also trying out these frozen tart shells that I had purchased from Phoon Huat. It did not indicate what kind of tart pastry it was and I had also naturally assumed that they were shortcrust tart shells. *sigh* Kua kua..turned out they were puff pastry. Not happy. =( And they didn’t work out so well as they became soggy at the bottom. Not impressed with it. The lemon curd and meringue came out nicely though. Tried out piping the meringue on the tarts..haha it was fun..but really messy. First attempt no less!
lemon meringue tarts
Tried out a meringue roulade recipe for the first time and I was wondering what I should do for a filling. I made a mango cream for it, and then realized that I had totally forgotten that I had intended to make a blueberry filling for it *cue can of blueberry filling sitting in the pantry cabinet* Doh. Ah wells, never mind. I’m sure there will be more eggwhites to come in the near future. I’ve got a new ice cream recipe waiting for me to try, courtesy from Elaine who had forwarded it on to me.
So far, the KitchenAid is a dream to use. Never had such mad stiff meringues. I think I will be baking this weekend as well..a belated birthday cake perhaps, just so I get to use it again, and any excuse for a dessert. =D Hope the dentist won’t have much to say when I see him this Saturday!