Some of memories.....

Some Urban sketchings ......

When visited my hometown we likes to go to the restaurant call Hoka2 Bento or HokBen. It is a Japanese restaurant. Not fancy one but my son loves the food there. A coffee shop name JCO. while we hanged out drinking coffee and donuts we watched life music as well.

The weather was chilly outside, it is a spring time. We cleaned up our yards, burn some dry leaves. At the end we made smores.

Painting days

It has been a while..... yes I miss blogging tho. Here I am sharing my passion of children illustration. My boy is 10 now, he isn't much of so call 'little children stuff' anymore. But just by looking at him it gives me some inspirational to draw things whimsical or woodland creature. 

Banana Chocolate chips muffins

When it comes to cooking muffins, for some reason I always bake bananas chocolate chips muffins. As the matter of fact I posted about this muffin earlier. If any of you would like to have the recipe check on my previous post HERE. 

Sketchbook

Oh I feel so bad about neglecting this blog. Though I would love to write every couple of weeks. Just to write about my journey with illustration, a wife and mom. But I must admit that I am not that good in writing as English is my second language.  But really I want to try more writing, even if sometimes I wonder who will read about my blog LOL

Anyway, I have had a wonderful life and year. It doesn't mean my life is always wonderful as few things I have been experiencing some ups and downs in my life as well. But I will count everything as a blessing to teach me to tough.

This year I got a new sketchbook, I have been focusing doing more and more illustration digitally rather than on paper. The bad thing about it is I hardly let my creativity run free. I often get stuck doing things perfectly which in fact there is no prefect. So with my sketchbook it will allow me to just sketching and run loose with idea without worry to be prefect, or worry what color I will be using etc. Just drawing and coloring until I see the outcome. I dedicate this sketchbook to my husband and son who are in the first place supporting what I am doing.

Here are some of my sketching with mix media, water colors, markers and color pencils.

Kaastengels cookies {Batang keju}

Christmas is around the corner. For my darling son he can't wait for this coming christmas. Keeps looking around the house to get the clue where mommy and daddy hide his presents. But for me  I don't want the Christmas season to end. It is just too fast. What I love about Christmas is I do enjoy sketching, painting and designing while doing those kind of stuff the Christmas music is in the background. I never get tired listening Christmas songs. I will miss those moment surely.

I bake Kaastengels cookies for Christmas. It is made of lots of cheese. In my country this cookies is a must to bake during the holiday. Very tasty and crunchy. 

 Kaastengels Recipe:

Ingredients:
125 gram margarine
125 gram butter
2 yolks
salt
350 gram flour
200 gram cheese (finely grated)
50 gram grated cheese for top garnish

 Directions:

Mix butter, margarine, salt and yolks together. Until everything blend well add flour and grated cheese gradually. Mix them well. I like to use speed no 2 on kitchen aid mixer.

Roll the dough and cut. The size of the stick is variety. I like to make them not to thick or long.

Glaze them with yolks and sprinkle the cheese on the top.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

Pineapple cookies {Nastar}

Where I come from, Indonesia. pineapple cookies aka nastar are our family favorite cookies for Christmas. As my parents mostly had an open house for christmas, we used to make lots of these cookies. Now I live far away from them, and I try as much as I could to keep the tradition going. I got this recipe from my friend Eliza. You can check her blog HERE. 

These cookies are easy to make but are really time consuming. 

Ingredient: 

700 gr all purpose flower

4 tablespoons dry milk powder

250 gr margarine

250 gr butter

100 gr confectioners sugar

3 egg yolks + 1 whole egg

Glaze:

egg yolk

Mix together flour and milk powder.

Mix margarine, butter and confectioners sugar. Add eggs. Gradually beat the flour mixture until well combine. 

I like to refrigerate at least 2 hours before used. 

Roll dough into 1 inch ball, flatten, fill it pineapple jam and enclose it back into a ball. Place in greased baking sheets. Brush the cookies with glaze. 

Baking at 350F for 30 minutes.

Pineapple jam:

2 pineapples, grated finely

300 gr granulated sugar

cinnamon powder

Cook the pineapples with sugar and cinnamon until has no more liquid and is quite sticky. Refrigerate it for couples hours before used. 

Saturday dreaming....

I never been to Paris yet, hopefully someday.... One of the movie I love is "Sabrina' where some of the scenes take place in Paris. I see the beauty, calm, dream..... someday I wish I could sit in one of the outdoor cafe's and do some sketching. Just so peaceful and calm.

So this saturday my mind bring me to the place that I haven't been there.... yes someday, in Paris ....