My Lucky Star

 

Laura Huang:

People generally underestimate two things: 

    How hard it is to get your foot in the door as an outsider. 

    How wide doors are open once you’re on the inside. 

It took me three failed attempts before I successfully changed employers. I don't know how my number compares to others but it takes me roughly one year to recover for every failed job application. When you give it all, you could lose it all. 

But you know what? I realize that I can be resilient and I only need one Yes. So instead of the number of failure, I look at success. You always learn something from the process. That's what I discover. So rest assured that your effort is never in vain.

And since I made my first successful move, the place continues to impress me with its people and quality of work. This is the first time I have honestly say that I feel being trusted with what I can do and with my potential, sometimes more than I trust myself. I am truly grateful given the opportunities and also pleased about making myself change. For M, even our circles rarely overlap, I am eternally grateful for your faith in me.  

Laura Huang:

Acknowledge that it takes time to get good at anything. Enjoy the process of getting better and better each day, and then you can start to enjoy the result without getting hammered down where it's crowded.

Take comfort in knowing that your basic goods and your perspective matter. You can create an edge.

Stepping out of comfort zone

I did something that I would have never done before. I asked for an opportunity to apply to a position which is currently open to the public. I don't know whether I would get it. I know there are qualified people out there. I just wanted to give it a shot at a once-in-a-life opportunity when everything feels right to me.

This is something I've been secretly working. I even talked to a few people to gather opinions. I would have never done that before. I hope to retire in 10 years and some think it's early. It's borderline but it's now or never for me if I want to give a shot to anything. So, what else can I lose?

The person I officially talked to today is easy to talk to and friendly at least on the surface. You never know what/how this person will say behind my back. I gave a decent pitch, not much I would regret. 

The more grey hair I get, the more comfortable I feel about myself and doing things to avoid regrets. This is one of them. 

So this deserves a post, to commemorate a milestone that I, a life long I-get-what-I'm-given, finally dared to ask for what I really want. 

Remember, you just need one Yes, so never mind the Nos. 

I make - Raspberry Almond Bars

Very easy to whip up and tastes wonderful with tea. The thick cake batter bakes into cookie style, with tender centre. A great recipe for many adaptations.

Gluten-Free Raspberry Almond Bars (adapted from Baking Bites)

1 cup all purpose gluten-free flour (I used 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup ground almonds (I used 1/2 cup)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup fresh raspberries
1/4 cup almond flakes
1 tbsp demerara sugar

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line an 20x20cm baking pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, almond meal, baking powder and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Fold in raspberries. Dough should have a cookie dough-like consistency.

Spread dough into prepared pan using a spatula to push it into the corners. Sprinkle almond flakes top of the dough, followed by demerara sugar.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until top is lightly browned and the center springs back when lightly pressed. Cool completely before slicing.

Thought of the day

 

Saturday, March 30, 2024

"I don't look to jump over seven-foot bars. I look for one-foot bars that I can step over."
--Warren Buffett

Thursday, April 4, 2024

"Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself."
--Coco Chanel

Thursday, April 11, 2024

"What we do is more important than what we say or what we say we believe."
--bell hooks

I make - Fruit Scones

This is my scone recipe going forward after my coeliac disease under control (knock-on wood) and eliminating oats (sadly) from my life. As I tend to have scones for breakfast, the default flavoring is orange zest. Citrus fruit always brightens up my day.

Gluten-Free Fruit Scones

- 310 g gluten-free self-raising flour*
- 50 ground almond
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1-2 tbsp sugar
- zest from 1 orange
- 1 tsp baking powder (if using plain flour 1.5 tbsp baking powder + 1/2 tsp baking soda)
- 90 g cold butter, cubed (25% of flour/almond)
- 100g dried fruits
- 1 cup of crème fraiche or cream** thinned with milk/yogurt (it should pour like double cream)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 beaten egg, saved 2tbsp aside for glazing
- 2-3 tbsps milk to adjust the dough

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Line a baking pan with baking paper and set aside.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, ground almond, xanthan gum, salt, sugar, orange zest and baking powder. Stir a few times to mix thoroughly the dry ingredients.

Put the butter cubes on top of the flour mixture and use a pastry cutter (or two knives or fingers) to work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Mix in the dried fruits and stir a few times. 

Make a well in the centre and add the cream mixture, vanilla plus remaining beaten egg.

Use a rubber spatula to mix the wet ingredients into the dry, until everything clumps together. Keeping turning the mixture downside up as you mix. If there is dry flour at the bottom of the bowl, add 1 tbsp milk each time as you turn and mix the dough. The dough should be on the damp side, not crumbly nor dry to touch.

Dust gluten free flour on a clean work surface. Tip the dough out onto the floured surface, sprinkle a little more flour on the top and tap the dough out so that you can fold in halves or 3 thirds. I like to refrigerate the dough at this stage (at least for 1 hour, overnight fine) before I continue. If you are in rush, you can continue the rest of the steps below.

Gently roll out the dough to a depth of about 3 cm.

Use a round/fluted cookie cutter (I use 5cm) to cut rounds from the dough and carefully transfer to the lined baking pan. Gather any remaining dough and repeat the rolling and cutting process until all the dough is used up. I usually get 8 proper ones plus 1-2 taste (smaller) sizes.

Brush the scone top with the saved beaten egg. Bake in the oven for 15 to 18 minutes, turn the baking pan halfway, until well-risen and golden.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

The scones are the best on the day of baking. Otherwise, reheat in the microwave for 20 seconds before eating.

*For chocolate scones, replace 40 g flour with cocoa powder. Up the sugar to 60 g to offset the cocoa bitterness. 

**The richer the dairy, the lighter taste the scones (not in terms of calories unfortunately). Dairy mixture with yogurt gives a slight spongy texture compared to creme fraiche thinned with milk.

Focus and Confidence

Here is the description of a tarot card I picked:

In addition to maintaining passionate and interested in your goals, you also have to work hard to keep going. You must believe that you can overcome all challenges. Please keep your emotion under control.

You know, I've been pursuing a professional project since January. The journey has been bumpy and I've been telling myself that confidence does not mean competence. Just because you feel confident, it doesn't mean you have grown equally in ability. I came across this revelation while watching one of many self-growth and self-help videos this year. I thought to myself , yeah, maybe that's my problem all along. I have become tired and irritable by facing one after another unsatisfactory pursuit. I was about to give up and I saw my tarot card reading.

Morgan Housel has said that if you continue to be good for a long time, you will succeed in the end. I think I am pretty good with what I am doing and I've been doing it for 20+ years. I am in a place with people who appreciate what I am doing. Not everyone is as lucky as me. I just need to keep at it. Focus on what works and confident that it will bring reward in the end.

Best realization this year so far.

I make - Dutch Honey Cake (Gingerbread Cake)

A very well balanced spiced cake. The cake is gently spiced and with just a right amount of sweetness. Lovely cake to have as snacks.

Dutch Honey Cake (Honigkoek)

Adapted from this recipe

260 g gluten-free flour (I used ASDA)
a pinch of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum  
4 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon mixed spice

45 g butter
100 g honey
100 g molasses/treacle
120ml milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
60ml tea/coffee/water
55g Demerara sugar

Set the oven to 160°C. Lightly butter a 20 x 20cm light colored cake tin and line it with baking paper.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and all spice powders.

Melt the butter, honey, molasses, milk, tea and sugar in a saucepan. Let it cool for a few minutes and add the eggs to the warm pan. Whisk well, stir into the bowl with the dry mixture and mix with an electric mixer until well combined. The dough is quite liquidy. Pour the dough into the lined cake tin and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test. Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes before you take it out of the pan.

Keep the cake wrapped in paper and cling film to keep it moist for 2-3 days.