Health Week at the office - Week of 28 March 2011

Lots of 'Health' Events were organized during this week at the office. We had blood donation day, a number of health talks were also organized, then there were 2 days of Reflexalogy and Message, available for all employees at minimal fees, really minimal.  On the first day, we had a 'Healthy' Food (Desserts & Snacks) Competition..... so of course I join in la... with my carrot cake. Slight changes to the recepi so that its 'healthier'. Added wholemeal flour, less egg, less sugar.... but keeping the great taste of course, and Apple/Pear crumble as a second entry. We can entry a maximum of 2 entries. Below are the results....

Champion,
Wasn't me! Its Avacado & Salmon Salad

2nd Place,
Still not me! This time its, Chips with mango salsa dip. Those in the 2 spoons are curried kacang kuda, her second entry.

3rd Place,
finally..... yes, my entry - Healthy Carrot Cake!

My present/hamper, lots of healthy food in it !

The rest of the entries,
Below is my 2nd entry, the apple/pear crumble with honey and yogurt.

wholemeal buns / breads

cranberries Salad with healthy dressing

healthy potato salad

olive lemon cake

lingzhi muffins

All very healthy and all were delicious ! Really.  It was a real fun and filling event, all of us enjoyed it so much ! hahaha.

coming soon....

this post is more as a reminder to myself.

1. to post on our 'Health Week' at the office, end of March. thought I'd posted this, but nope, I have not. So, next post will be a Healthy foods competition on snacks and desserts we had at the office during that week....

2. to post on my experience attending a refresher class (for myself) on perfecting my solah.... you know, you may think you know everything and you're doing it right, but you'll be surprise.....

A birthday, a cake and cupcakes

11th April 2011, last Monday, was my colleague and old friend's birthday.  We've been together since the early years of working... lama tuh! 

But we both still under 30s by the way...  betul !

Red Velvet birthday cake Plus RV cupcakes with carnation inspired toppings (cream cheese frosting).

and on Friday last week (8/4/2011), did this for another colleague.  Weekend family consumption...  vanilla butter and chocolate flavoured butter cupcakes.  Cream cheese and chocolate ganache toppings.



Seeking knowledge

I don't usually go for agama classes or talks whether at the mosque, madrasah or even in the office. Its not a habit of mine, because somehow I don't find them interesting. So far, the ustaz or ustazah have not managed to keep my interest going.... Entah lah.

But, then I did managed to spend a total of 4 semesters at UIA to learn from the very basic, reading/reciting the Al-Quran. It was important to me to learn to correctly read the Quran. Then, I continued a weekly class of tajweed at the office, then they started to introduce Arabic also at the office.  Its been a year but I really don't see any progress in my Arabic basically because there's no requirement to converse in Arabic here. So macamana nak maju kan? Well I'm keeping at it anyway.  Hopefully, evenly if I can't converse, if I can make out a little of what I'm reading (the Quran) that's very good already.

Then early this year, I was introduced to the Al-Kauthar Institute. The Institute aims of developing a world class Islamic learning institute, providing professional, refreshing courses which will touch the hearts and revive the souls. I really enjoyed their theoretical and practical approaches to Islamic knowledge. So far, from my point of view, the Al-Kauthar Institute have managed to deliver exciting weekend short courses which enlightens our mind and ease the path to agama knowledge. Their academic and scientific approach is really my cup of tea.

I first attended their Out of Sight course in Feb 2011. Class was at UM (wahhh.. rasa macam siswi UM la for that 2 days, keluar masuk kampus, hehehe). This course was on the Belief in Angels, Jinns and Ain. I learned so much especially on Jinns and Ain. Ain was something new to me. Of course its been around forever, more known as hasad dengki!  The presenter, Ustaz Yahya Ibrahim delivered a lively class and shared so much with us. I paid Rm250 for this 2 day class and it was money and time well spent. No regrets.



The cute and jovial, Ustaz Yahya Ibrahim. Born in Canada, of Egypton parents if I'm not mistaken, began memorising the Qur’an at the age of 16 and finished 20 months later, receiving an ijazah (certification). He began lecturing at the main mosques in Toronto at the age of 17. Now lives in Australia.

Last week, I joined another class. this time its the Chronicles of the Shariah. The 2 day class covers the evolution of the fiqah, from the days of the Prophets, his Companions, the successors, and so on, right up the formation of the 4 Imams and their Mahzhabs.  Every condensed, so much to learn so little time! The first day especially was a little heavy. It was on the whole historical facts, the chains of events that eventually leads to the formation of the 4 Mahzhabs that we know today. 

The lecture was presented by the very knowledgeable Shaik Isam Rajab. He can't help it but was a little tad to technical especially on the first day. On the second day was much more interesting because now we were into the history of the 4 Imams and the formation of the 4 Mahzhabs. So enlightening...

Shaykh Dr. Isam Rajab, a classically trained scholar. Shaikh Isam was born in Kuwait and graduated with a BA in Shari'ah from the Islamic University of Madinah. He holds a Masters and Ph.D in Islamic Studies. He has over 10 years of experience as an Imam in the US and Kuwait. Specialized and licensed in the Inheritance system of Islam, . He has 2 Ijazas in memorizing the Quran and is the author of a book about the Qira'at of the Qur'an.

Cupcakes presentations to express your feelings?

It's wonderful to be able to let your creativity flow and see the wonderful results that comes out from that instances. It is usually a result of an influx of ideas that comes to your mind after going thru images after images that's available in the internet. You would start with an idea but will usually ends with another. And the result, is normally not what you had in your mind in the very beginning. Well, at least, that's the way it usually is with me....

Here's some of my collection of cupcakes for birthdays or hantaran. Not that many yet.. but its a good start. I'm hoping for more, of course....

This was the latest of the Birthday Cupcake wishes set that I've done so far.

Did this for a colleague's girls' day out!

Another Birthday wish, done for my department's unit meeting.

These are my own officemates... :D

Kinda colourful don't you think? My male colleagues complained that it was too floral. Should take this comments into consideration next time I do one, where are guys involved...

A Bertunang wish for hantaran gift, for a colleague of my hubby.

More Birthday wishes,

Above, made for my friend (for her colleague's birthday) is one of my personal favourite. And it was a last minute request... Pressure always seems to give good results!

Below, I did an impromtu set for our 25th wedding anniversary.

Just a little family do, using cupcake casings that I bought from Ikea.

Hmmm, not too happy with the casing actually!

Another family do. Did this last year. my first attempt actually.

Did it for after iftar coffee, so happens it was also hubby's birthday!

The writing for the name is a little fancy right? Sampai some people tak perasan pun yang I actually wrote hubby's name in the cuppies set!

So, another lesson learnt, stay away from too fancy writings.

Somehow, all above are carrot cupcakes!

Everything Red Velvet

Red Velvet is the In thing nowadays. Flavour of the season, so to speak.  Everyone everywhere seems to be making and ordering Red Velvet cake. So one day I went to my cake sifu and learn a couple of 'high-end' cakes, namely Red Velvet Cake and Devil's Food Cake. Almost immediately I get my first RV cake order, then another and another.  Hey, I'm happy with the way things are turning out okay.....

The cakes we did that day....

 

Left is a slice of Red Velvet cake and right, Devil's Food slice

Now, more of my RV cupcakes and cakes...

My first order.... a birthday cake, a Red Velvet of course, for a colleague and friend. The pitted sweet cherries were lovely and goes well with the cake.

Its a Tall cake ! Four layers....

More of my RV cupcakes and cakes...

Made this RV cake for a good friend of mine. A housewarming gift. Fresh blueberries lined up at the back, sweet black grapes in the middle... yummy!

I also made cupcakes from the same RV mixture, with the initial plan of bringing it along with me for the same housewarming but they tasted so good that my kids insisted that I left these at home... hahahahhahaha!  So played around with some designs.... 

Below are RV cupcakes for another colleague and friend, Ros, who is also a regular customer of mine. Thank you so much for support Ros. Made these for her big family to enjoy.

These below, I made for Anura who love RV cakes very much. Anura ordered these for her department's Kick-Off meeting.  It looked so lovely when the caterer placed it so nicely in the centre of the buffet table!

My latest RV cake. Made for a friend who'd just resigned. So very sad to lose a wonderful colleague and friend. Hope she continues to order from me!  hehehe.  The decor on the cake were longans. Another tall 4-layer cake! 

Happy dance, celebrating the Red Velvets....