Sunday, May 26, 2013

Green Tea Matcha Wafer Biscuits

I got some really nice treats from my friend Tiffany. As these matcha wafer biscuits are so delicious in my opinion, they are worth mentioning in my blog post. :)

I'm a big fan of almost anything matcha, as long as red beans are not in the picture. Just never liked that combination somehow, as it is usually ultra sweet. But I see many snacks or dessert with that combination, which is disappointing for a pure matcha fan like myself.

Love the packaging, the mint green itself is such a soothing color.


The wafer biscuits are individually wrapped.


I cannot describe how delicious the wafer sticks are, they just taste different. Very fragrant, yet light.

The green tea is strong, and yet not so sweet. One of the best snacks I had in a while....:)


Friday, May 24, 2013

Biscuit Clay Review

Today, I am pleased to try my hands playing with this biscuit clay and do a short review of it.
 
Pardon me for this photograph, I broke a little of the corner of the clay before I realized that I need a full product shot of it before I try using it. Therefore you see a little dent in the corner of this photo.



The first thing I noticed was its awesome natural colour and texture. It has tiny specks of some different colored grains, mostly black and lighter brown. It is precisely this that gives this clay its most natural look of a biscuit or cookie would look.

I know that the Decollage has another biscuit clay in their product line, but I find that color a little too "dark", maybe a little too "ochre" for my liking. Therefore this one appeals to me more for its natural coloring.

As for texture, this one feels just like what other lightweight clay would feel. Airy, light and soft. Easy to sculpt and mold.



This clay is perfect to make biscuits, cookies, waffles, cheese cake base, ice cream cones, tarts ...I can go on and on, but you get the idea. There are endless things you can experiment making with this clay.

I made a miniature ice cream cone with this, but need to get some nice sunshine going on here before I can take a photograph with it :)

Of course, the biggest plus point is that since the color is already mixed well naturally, you don't have to add any additional color into it.

Storage Tips:
The clay comes in a sealed package and the clay itself is wrapped in a plastic sheet. However it is not the best ideal way to store this clay. You may experience that the corners of the clay is a little hard, but this can be solved by breaking away a little chunk of it, and using water to wet it. Once it is soft enough for molding, you can use it.

I suggest that you transfer this clay into a clear wrap. Make sure it's tight enough, and put it into a ziplock bag. Then find a air tight container to store it. I know this sounds a bit more work, but again, there is always pros and cons to almost everything, no?

Hope you enjoy my review :)

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Good bye dear friend...

I just found out that one of my overseas friend has passed away...and actually he left 2 years ago. How did I not know about it? Well, obviously I don't know his parents personally although we always chatted about our families. In the past few years, we would chat when we were on facebook at the same time, which is rather difficult as my friend is in New Zealand which is one of the most difficult time zones to coordinate a chat with. We never talked as regularly as we used to like 5-6 years ago but whenever we did finally had the chance to catch up, we were like two old friends catching up from where we left. It was never awkward. Not everyone's facebook feed shows up on mine, and just a few months ago, I thought about him. I wondered what he was doing as it has been a long time since we last chat.

I'm obviously saddened by the news, because I didn't expect to know it through facebook.

It was his birthday today, if he was still around...he would have been 40 years ago.

His birthday reminder pops up, and I sent a Happy Birthday greetings to him. Out of curiosity, I clicked on his profile. Some folks said "I miss you." Something is amiss. I scrolled down further and read his brother's message and found out he left us in 2011. My last chat with him was just 2 months before he left....and it was still in my facebook chat. Everything came back fresh in my mind and I felt very sad.

The last time we chatted, Glen was his usual self. Always positive, cheerful and optimistic. He was one of the earliest person who knew about my passion and dreams and encouraged me to go for it. I will always remember this, that he was there when I was at the down periods in my life, giving me lots of support. He was a great friend and listener. I'm sad that I don't have the chance to say good bye to him, but his spirit will live in my heart. It was an honor and privilege to have him as my friend.

He would want me to do more of what I love everyday, without a moment of regret. He would want me to live a colouful and meaningful life. The last time we chatted, he was very happy and proud of my accomplishments, even though they were nothing grandiose.

Thank you for being such an amazing sweet friend, Glen. I will certainly miss you. I will cherish all our conversations, secrets and dreams we shared. But I will not forget your spirit, and strive to lead a meaningful life.