Lemon Tart with White Chocolate Cream and Strawberries

Life has not changed much lately. The only one thing that seems to change with me, is my weight. Yup, I gained weight without noticing it until when I stepped on a scale two weeks ago, it has been a nightmare ever since. I am considerably petite and it has always been hard to find any clothing my size. Lately, I feel like my pants become tighter around the waist (I have to unbutton some of my pants when sitting down) and my upper arm looks as big as a baseball bat in pictures. It is time to finally put a regularity into my diet.

Sicile

Hello. Despite my goal to update this blog more frequently, I just cant seem to do that. Like this week for example, I am buried in my kitchen space every single night of the week after work, and sometimes in the morning before work too. It has been hectic with cakes for my nieces, nephews, and many more. You will see what I am up to when the post is up. Everytime I got myself into one of these kinds of week, I always tell myself "no more. I need a break", but it doesn't seem to be working.

Chocolate Vanilla Coffee Entremet

Fall is here, I don't know where Summer goes. It seems just like yesterday when the warm weather is here. The temperature is now noticeably different here. It is getting dark sooner too. My portable heater is still on everyday and a wool jacket to keep me warm under the unbelievable cold AC in my office. It's been busy too, super busy. Somehow I find myself baking cake after cake every week too, from my nieces' and nephews' birthdays, all other family birthday, coworkers, celebrations here and there, bets, competition, farewell, you name it. Busy is good though., keeps myself occupied, though I am also longing for a long break just baking for myself :).

Assortment of Cheesecakes and White Chocolate Cheesecake

I've been on a cheesecake craze lately. I am again, on a mission to fatten up the man (after a failed attempt 1.5 years ago) and cheesecake is one of his favorite dessert, and the most calorie-dense too! Despite his picky-ness towards  food, when it comes to cheesecake, he is pretty flexible. Bread and cheese, are the top two food in his list, which is a bit odd considering his slim figure. He would eat 4 slices of cheesecake any day with no problem while still having cheese pizza or cheese quesadilla for his meal.

Molten Chocolate Cake with Pierre Herme's Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

We are finally having some really hot weather here for the past week or so, and I am just talking about upper 80s. Sometimes it would reach 90s but probably only a few times. I've been waiting for this all along, this is when I start craving Jamba Juice, Ice Creams, and many more for sadly, this has been the coldest time for me this Summer. While it is soaring 88F outside, it is 60F inside the office! The AC in my hallway has been broken for a week now and the AC has been blasting like crazy. My hands and feet are cold and I am wearing a thick jacket just like in Winter. My neighbor is starting to get sick from the AC blowing straight on her head. My other neighbor showed up with 3 layers of sweater today, it is crazy. We've complained to the facility group but nothing has been done so far. I am planning to bring my portable heater tomorrow. I feel colder now than I am in Winter time.

Crémeux

It has been busy lately, not so much about work, but life in general. Work has been great, my boss has been really generous to me in many ways (he is the best boss ever!), no more long hours and weekend work. M is back in the States, it has been a month now, the longest period he's been here this year and hopefully will stay that way and we've been spending lots of time together. It is difficult to find a free weekend, they are pretty much booked for either wedding, graduation, art festival, more wedding, birthdays, gathering with friends, coworkers, many things. It is a good thing that we can celebrate many events in life. Weather has been perfect in many ways and when we have a weekend to spare, we've been doing long walks in the beautiful Standford campus every weekend, playing Wii games. Baking has been fun too (except that I wish I have more time for this) and many cakes have been made in the busy kitchen, and many more. I can't complain much.

Pierre Herme's Cheesecake

I cannot tell you how many cheesecakes and it's variation I have been baking during my baking life. I don't think I have one go-to recipe for cheesecake as all of them seem to be really good (it's hard to go wrong with cheesecake). If I have to pick one, it will probably the mascarpone cheesecake, but it is also neck to neck with Alain Ducasse's cheesecake. Needless to say, I am still very open in trying out great-looking cheesecake recipe when I see one, especially one that's from Pierre Herme's book, Pierre Herme Pastries.