Tay

Hey guys?

2011-08-18T16:27:19Z

Hey everyone, long time no see! I'm really bad at updating journals nowadays aren't I?

Anyway, I have a huge favor to ask of all of you! Can I get you guys to go to this page and vote for me? I really need money for textbooks and supplies at school, especially since my financial aid is pretty shot because my mom made too much money last year.

Please help!!

kogarasumaru @ 2010-09-13T14:12:00

2010-09-13T21:21:21Z

HI. I'm back. Sorry for poofing guys. BTW. Just to note, I don't have Photoshop anymore I'm operating on PSP. O_O Which is pretty different, I forgot how much. Still fun, though I do have a lot more work this semester than last semester so while I'll still try to keep up with scribbld again, it'll be slow. X__x

So yeah. :D

Also I'm gonna make banana milk sometime today.

Sorry for a short post, I'm in class right now learning about perpetual energy sources.

kogarasumaru @ 2010-07-10T12:52:00

2010-07-10T19:51:19Z

First thing first!

...I wanna apologize to all the icon contests and stuff. ;; I might not be able to enter for a couple of weeks until I find my photoshop disc. D: 'Cause'cause. My computer had to system restore after it got a virus that BLOCKED my antivirus program from starting up. /)_(\

(Honestly, I don't even know how I got it. It happened while I wasn't even IN the room, I came back and all of a sudden my computer was like EPIC FAIL UP IN HERE.)

Anyway, so I'm still gonna run all_icontest but I don't think I'll be able to enter anything for a bit. D: Sorry.

...But yeah that's pretty much the it for news about me. Summers are boring as hell and I want school to start again and I also want to get a job again but NONE of those seem to be working out right now. =_=;

In other news, my grandpa has taken to yelling at me for being short. I can't reach the top of the closet, of course I have to throw the apron up there. Don't yell at me for folding everyone's fucking laundry because I'm too short to get it up there normally. Do it your fucking self next time.

Simple Syrup
Okay, this first recipe is really really damned easy and also really useful. It won't go bad unless you leave it out for some kind of creature to get, too. You use this on cakes-- any kind of cakes, including cake mixes if that's what you want-- to make sure that the cake stays moist as can be as well as enhance the flavor of whatever cake it is.

Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Procedure
For this recipe, you put both the sugar and the water into a pot and put the heat on high. Watch it carefully and when it just starts boiling, take it off of the heat. If you leave it to boil you'll end up with something more than syrup. The color should be slightly yellowed, but mostly transparent. Allow it to cool before you put it on cakes. Also, if you don't want to make more or less, you can add as much as you want as long as the amounts of sugar and water are equivalent to each other in the mixture.

Caramel
Caramel's really simple to make, but it requires a lot of attention. This is for the hard caramel for candies and for crumbling, by the way, not caramel sauce.

Ingredients
Sugar
Butter

Procedure
You will need a frying pan for this recipe. The measurements depend on the size of the frying pan. I also suggest having already prepared what it is you're going to use the caramel with beforehand, as it is very important to mold the caramel while hot.

Now then, first start by pouring sugar into the frying pan to cover its flat surface. You should not be able to see the frying pan through the sugar. Turn the heat as high as it will go and watch it. The sugar will brown and begin to boil. As soon as it begins boiling, add butter. If it's a small frying pan with a 6-inch surface, about 1-2TBSP will do. If it's a large 12-inch, I suggest perhaps 1/4 of a cup. This will give the caramel a rich taste and make it much more malleable. After you put the butter in, do not mix it, but shake the pan back and forth over the fire. Be careful not to splash the caramel though, as sugar burns are extremely painful. Sugar has to be almost 400F to boil, so that will give you an idea of how hot the mixture is going to be. Carefully watch the color of the caramel until it is a medium golden color. Remember: The lighter the color it is, the sweeter the caramel will be. The darker the color, the more bitter it will be. So unless you really like bitter caramel, I suggest going for a light-medium.

When you've reached your desired color, turn off the heat and immediately pour the caramel onto the pastry you are planning on covering it with or, if you are going to mold it, a heavily greased surface to wait for it to cool to touchable levels. There will be a point during which it will be much like candy caramel, malleable, and that is the point at which you need to mold it. It will still be fairly warm at this point, but it won't burn you.

Be safe and have fun! :)

Allergies, Memes, and Cheesecake.

2010-06-11T21:19:59Z

OKAY CVS totally loves me. They gave me a coupon for allergy medicine and it's working really well so I'm pretty good on that front. :3 Other than that, watching Star Wars, drawing silly things, and wanting to go out but I don't have bus money right now so I have to wait until I have some to go somewhere. Job search is starting up again on Monday since I can breathe outside now. (I took a break for a week due to epic sneezing at least twice a minute. :|) Hopefully I'll seriously be able to find one. 'Cause I'm getting kind of pissed off that there are like NO JOBS FOR PEOPLE HERE. Uhg.

Anyway, I also stole a meme from blackroseryoko@dA today...

What do you have:
[x] Mother
[ ] Father
[ ] Step-Father
[ ] Step-Mother
[ ] Step Sister
[ ] Step Brother
[ ] Brother
[ ] Brother In Law
[ ] Sister
[ ] Sister In Law
[ ] Half sister
[x] Half brother

sub total: 2

[ ] Nephew
[ ] Niece
[ ] Boyfriend/Girlfriend
[x] Mobile phone
[ ] Own bathroom
[x] Own room
[ ] Have/had a swimming pool
[ ] Have/had a hot tub
[ ] Guest room
[x] Living Room ( it IS my bedroom)
[x] Own computer
[x] Own TV
[ ] Flat TV
[ ] There is some big carpet at your house

Sub total: 7

[ ] Full size/Queen bed
[x] More than 8 pairs of shoes
[x] MP3 Player/iPod (it doesn't WORK though. it was a bootleg that my mom got me and just refuses to work :\)
[x] PS2/3
[x] Ninxendo DS or PSP
[x] Gameboy/Advance (it's my brother's but I'm the only one who uses it xD;)
[ ] Gamecube
[ ] Xbox/Xbox 360
[ ] Wii
[x] Your Own Laptop

sub total : 13

[ ] Basketball net/hoop
[ ] Air hockey table
[ ] Pool table
[ ] Ping pong table
[ ] Football table
[ ] sport gear

sub total: 13

[ ] Night stand
[x] Stereo in bedroom
[ ] surround system
[x] DVD player in bedroom/portable

sub total: 15

[ ] Go shopping at least once a week (guess window shopping doesn't count?)
[ ] Expensive cologne/perfume
[x] AIM/MSN
[ ] camera on phone

sub total: 16

[ ] Go Cart/car/quad
[ ] Guitar/drums/bass
[x] Piano/Keyboard
[ ] Any other instrument
[x] Been on a cruise (I hated it. XD;)
[x] Traveled out of the country (Just to Mexico though...)
[ ] Had a personal trainer
[ ] Expensive jewelry
[x] Met a Celeb

sub total: 20

[x] Straightener/curling iron
[ ] Have been to a batting cage
[ ] Have $100 on you right now in your pocket/wallet
[x] Credit card or ATM card or debit card or bank card
[x] Have a TV in your room (didn't it already ask this?)
[ ] Mirror in your room
[x] Window in your room
[ ] Been to Paris
[ ] Been to Rome
[ ] Been to Australia
[ ] Been to Switzerland
[ ] Been to Dubai
[ ] Been to Germany
[ ] been to a place written in 7 wonders

sub total: 24

[x] Parents have a car
[ ] Have owned or own a Jet ski/boat
[x] Had/have Camped
[x] Been to 3+ states/countries/provinces (I live in California, I've been to Arizona and Nevada... and Mexico is another country.)
[x] 80+ buddies on facebook/myspace (I don't know 90% of them though. XD;)

sub total: 28

[x] Home cooked meal almost everyday (because I cook it XD)
[ ] Been in a limo
[ ] Been in a helicopter
[x] Own a camera
[ ] Have been to Disneyland/World more than 2 times (exactly two times, one of which I don't really remember)

Total: 30

Post as:
1-25 = Ghetto! (and tag 5 people)
26-40 = Average Teen! (and tag 10 people)
41-50 = Spoiled Teen! (and tag 15 people)
51+ = Upper Class Snob! (and tag 20 people)

YAY I'M NOT GHETTO! 8D 'Cept I don't feel like tagging anyone, so do it if you WANT to.

And of course...

New York Cheesecake
Ingredients
1lb, 8oz cream cheese (at room temperature)
6 1/2oz sugar
2 1/4oz sour cream
3/4 cup heavy cream
TT Vanilla Extract
3-4 eggs (4 if small, 3 if large)
1/2 tspn orange zest
1/2 tspn lemon zest
Your choices of graham cracker crumbs or oreo cookie crumbs
Melted butter
2 9" cake pans
1 large baking tray w/ lips (or 2 if small baking trays)

Procedure
First of all, cream the cream cheese with the sugar. Add the sour cream, then the heavy cream, then scrape the bowl. Add the vanilla extract, then the eggs, and scrape the bowl again. Add the orange zest then lemon zest, then scrape the bowl and mix more. In a separate box, mix the melted butter and either the graham crackers or oreo cookies together and coat the bottom of two 9" cake pans with it. Then, pour the cheesecake mix over the butter-crumb mix. Bake in a bain-marie* at 325F for 45mins-1hour, or until golden on top.

*Bain-marie: A double-boiler. To do this in the oven, you will need a baking tray with lips (like this). Place both cake pans in the large tray, equally spaced (if it's a small tray, put them in separate trays). Place the tray in the center of the middle rack of the oven (or centered on separate racks in the oven if using two trays) and get a cup or pitcher of water. Fill the trays about halfway with water, careful not to get water in the cake pans. This is a bain-marie. When taking it out of the oven if you're using two small trays, always make sure to take the bottom tray out first so you don't spill water on it.

OH and if you're in all_icontest ENTER please. Just. Asking nicely. :3

kogarasumaru @ 2010-06-05T16:22:00

2010-06-06T01:32:33Z

Uwaaah. I think I may be either catching a cold or... just have shitty allergies. >__< I blame summer. Stupid summer. I want it to be winter again. >\

...Yeah I don't really have much to post today. XD; HERE have a delicious recipe:

Chocolate-Nectarine Smoothie
After catching up on a few episodes of Yumeiro Patissiere (right after the Cake Grand Prix episode with the Fruits Paradise girls, specifically) I had the supreme need to make SOMETHING. My grandma would've gotten upset if I made another cake b/c she keeps eating it (lawl not my fault) so I decided to try something a little healthier and a little more in-season! It actually brought a smile to my lips (and my grandma's) after I finished it, so I thought I'd share it with you guys. It's very simple and doesn't require many expensive ingredients, plus it takes about 2 minutes to make. It's an interesting, delicious, and refreshing taste and I did have other people try it before deciding to share it! It's perfect for the summer too, and nectarines are in season so they should be pretty cheap now! Ah, a warning though, all of the measurements below except for the number of nectarines are estimates. Unless it's baking I usually judge it based on weight/how much it looks like (depending on what it is).

Ingredients
3 Nectarines
2 TBSP sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
2 cups ice
1/4 cup non-fat milk
Lemon-lime soda*

Procedure
Slice the nectarines into 8 pieces each and put them in the blender. Make sure to remove the pits and toss them in the trash. Pour the milk over the nectarines. Fill the blender with Lemon-lime soda of your choice up to the top of the nectarines. Add the ice. I listed "2 cups" but it should be roughly the same height as the height of the nectarine-sprite-milk layer. For me that's roughly two cups. Pour sugar and cocoa powder on top, then make sure the top of the blender is fastened (sugar is messy-- if it's open and you accidentally get it all over the place, you're going to be cleaning up for DAYS). Turn the blender on high and leave it for about 30 seconds, then run a spoon through it. If there are still chunks of ice, put the top back on and pulse the blender until the ice is gone, occasionally shaking it to make sure the ice gets forced to the blade. (...You might not have to do this part with more expensive blenders. Mine was $10 at Target, so it's not the best piece of machinery.) Pour into cups and serve!

...Oh and if anyone wants to enter this theme for all_icontest go do it please. /)_(\ Only like two people entered so far so... please~?

kogarasumaru @ 2010-06-04T00:43:00

2010-06-04T08:23:22Z

Okay so. Appropriate icon is appropriate. I can't search for a job every hour that I'm awake (though I've been making sure to dedicate at least a few hours to it every day that I don't have something specifically planned). Which means that summer is INCREDIBLY FREAKING BORING WITHOUT SCHOOL. So then I saw powerpuff and her epic adventures in the land of watching anime/other things to watch and decided to be a copycat and ask the same thing. I only want COMPLETED series though, as if it's a current series and not on my "watching" list, I'm probably watched an episode of it and decided I didn't want to watch more.

This will probably help with my interests--> http://myanimelist.net/animelist/wishmatrix

As for liveaction fiction, my favorite shows are Doctor Who, Buffy, Heroes, Scrubs, House (only the like... first 3 seasons or so though), Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Otomen, Gokusen, Akihabara@DEEP, Queer as Folk, uh... I'm sure there's more I'm blanking on right now.

Also, I will watch things that suck to the point that they're funny (Uraboku as an example-- you'll notice that it's rated at 3 and it's still on my "watching" list. XD)

Uhhh~ Don't suggest any movies. I have issues with getting ahold of movies because I don't like watching movies on my laptop. Like, at all. Idfk why. It's the same with manga, I like reading it in a book a million times better than reading it online. IMO. ANYWAY. Yeah! Gimme your best shot! :D And you can re-suggest things on my "plan to watch" list if you really wanna reinforce that I really should get to watching something.

Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients
Dark Chocolate- 11oz
Heavy Cream- 3.5oz
Butter (soft, unsalted)- 3.5oz
Liquor (for flavor)- 1oz

Procedure
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. In a separate pot, bring the heavy cream to a boil. The second it start boiling, pour it over the chocolate. Gently mix the butter into the chocolate-cream mixture. Mix the alcohol into the chocolate-cream-butter mixture. Let the "ganache" cool completely to room temperature, then scoop into a pastry bag or small ice cream scoop to make small balls of the ganache and freeze completely. Roll the frozen truffles in melted chocolate. Before the chocolate sets, dip the truffles in Cocoa Powder, Powdered Sugar, or Toasted Almonds. Let chocolate set, and enjoy!

Fun Fact
The origin of the term "ganache" is actually based on a man's name, according to legend. While melting chocolate, a French man named Ganache accidentally spilled heavy cream into it. His boss screamed "Ganache!" at him, and after some effort to adjust the taste, chocolate ganache was invented. Or so said my chocolate teacher.

kogarasumaru @ 2010-05-27T15:03:00

2010-05-27T22:04:30Z

Spent most of the week trying to look for jobs. =.= Stupidstupidstupidhardstuff. AND I HAVEN'T GOTTEN MY STUPID SERVSAFE PAPERS YET SO I CAN'T PUT THAT I'M CERTIFIED ON MY APPS B/C I CAN'T PROVE IT YET! Uhg. Seriously, it's starting to piss me off. I should've gotten them in the mail already.

Whatever. :| Besides that uh... I managed to figure out how to make an icing that tastes EXACTLY like nutter butters. (That stuff isn't normal peanut butter, so it took some adjusting.) Tasted pretty good though.

Then... I'm gonna go visit Arron on Saturday and Amy on Sunday. Then back to looking for work and I'm going to try to get to go over to Grandma Dianne's house eventually.

Oh btw! I'm too lazy to transcribe all of the recipes from chocolate class all at once, so I've decided I'll just include some kind of recipe at the bottom of each of my posts from now on! :D

Chocolate Mousse Spongecake Recipe (with detailed, easy instructions)

STEP ONE: Chocolate Sponge Cake

INGREDIENTS
8oz cake flour
14oz granulated sugar
2oz cocoa powder
1pinch salt
1/3oz baking powder
1pinch baking soda
4oz Unsalted Butter (@room temp)
1pinch cinnamon
1 1/2 cup milk
6oz whole eggs

PROCEDURE
Preheat your oven to 300F (for convection ovens). Put the cake flour, sugar, cocoa powder,

salt, baking powder, baking soda, butter, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Slowly add the milk

as you begin to cream all of these ingredients together for approximately 10 minutes. (It is

recommended that you use a mechanical mixer instead of a handheld one.) Add the eggs one at

a time and emulsify for about 5-10 minutes. Take a round cake pan and place wax paper at the

bottom (fit it)-- do not grease the sides. This will prevent the cake from getting a "hump." Pour

the batter into the pan and place the pan in the center of the oven. The cake os ready when the

sides come away from the pan and, when checked with a small knife, the blade comes out

warm and clean. After removing from the oven, allow it to cool to room temperature, then

place it in the freezer to temporarily stiffen the cake to make cutting easier.

-----------

STEP TWO: Simple Syrup

INGREDIENTS
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

PROCEDURE
Heat water and sugar on stove top. As soon as the water and sugar begin to boil, turn the heat

off. You do not want the water to evaporate (otherwise you'll end up with caramel). Cool.

------------

STEP THREE: Slice and level cake.

When your cake is cooled sufficiently, remove it from the freezer and evenly divide the cake

into three layers using a serrated knife on its side, rotating the cake while cutting around the

edge in order to make certain that the layers are each even. You MUST hold the knife steady

so that it is parallel with your working surface (table, counter, etc.) Shave any "hump" on the

cake that may have formed off. Set the three layers of the cake aside for now. (Do not stack

them, they need to defrost evenly.)\

-------------

STEP FOUR: No-Egg Dark Chocolate Mousse

INGREDIENTS
5oz dark chocolate
3oz sugar
2cups heavy cream

PROCEDURE
In a double boiler, melt the dark chocolate. While you do this, put the sugar and heavy cream

into a separate mixing bowl and emulsify. The whisk will be able to stand up in the bowl when

the sugar/cream mix is ready. Gently, but quickly, fold the warm chocolate into the cream/sugar

mixture until well-combined. Make sure that you fold the chocolate in as quickly as possible or

it will create small "chips" in your mousse. While this will still taste good, it will not give you the

soft and fluffy texture that you are aiming for. Set aside.

-------------

STEP FIVE: Stacking and Frosting the Cake

After your simple syrup and cake are both cooled to room temperature and your mousse is

ready, it is time to stack the cake. Chances are that at least one of the levels of the sliced cake

are uneven, so take the thickest level to use as the base. Place it on a fit cake board. Now,

take a pastry brush and begin to cover the top of that layer (not the sides, just the top) with the

simple syrup. Do not drown the cake, you only want a coat enough to increase the moisture in

the cake and give it a hint of flavor. Once the top is coated, place a little less than 1/3 of the

chocolate mousse in the center of the cake and spread it evenly over the layer. It is alright if it

goes a little bit over, but you want about 1 centimeter's thick worth of mousse.

Once the mousse is even, place the second layer (this may be either of the cake layers, the base

is the only one you need to be picky about) on top of the mousse and adjust it so that it is lined

up with the first layer and level. Repeat the same syrup-coat and mousse process on this layer,

then add the top layer.

At this point, you will have all three layers and filling together on the cake and it will be time to

'frost' it. You will be doing the frosting with the mousse as well for this recipe. The easiest way

to frost this cake with the mousse is to physically pick it up with one hand and spread the

mousse around with an icing knife in your other hand (for the sides). The top may be done

before or after this, then rotate it to smooth the mousse alongside the cake and create an even

surface.

--------------

STEP SIX: Chocolate Shavings

INGREDIENT
Large, flat block of chocolate
Non-serrated Knife with a length similar to the width to the aforementioned block of chocolate
Parchment paper larger than the block of chocolate (needs at least 2 inches extra on each side)

PROCEDURE
Place the block of chocolate in the center of the parchment paper at the edge of the table or

counter. Move your hip to connect with the edge of the table at one end, then center the

chocolate in alignment with your hip. Pull the parchment paper up against your hip and follow

with the chocolate. Make sure that the parchment is between your clothing and the chocolate

so that you do not cross-contaminate the food or get your clothes dirty. Place the knife at

approximately a 60 degree angle at the side of the chocolate opposite your body and hold it at

that angle while scraping the top of the chocolate bar toward your body with the edge of the

knife.

*Different parts of the knife will give you different types of shavings. Using the edge of the knife

will give you a fine and somewhat jagged shaving. Using the middle of the knife will give you

long, curled shavings that look similar to cinnamon sticks. Using the base of the knife near the

handle will give you a shorter version of the base shavings. It's up to you what kind to use or to

use a mix.

After your shavings are created, sprinkle them onto the sides and top of the cake in a random

fashion. The more you use, the fuller your cake will look, but if you use too many it will look

crowded so watch carefully as you place the shavings.

--------------

STEP SEVEN: Setting and Cutting the Cake

After your cake is put together, it is recommended that you allow the cake to sit for a few

hours. This will allow the flavors to really blend into a whole flavor and make it possible to

properly cut the cake without it falling apart. (Cutting it immediately after making it will result in

messy cutting.)

Once your cake is ready to be eaten, place a large knife (your choice in type of knife) into a

pot of extremely hot water (the water should be steaming) and retrieve a clean kitchen towel.

Allow the knife to sit in the water for a few moments, then remove it and wipe it with the towel

and immediately cut through the cake. After each slice into the cake, the knife should be

redipped and wiped again in order to prevent the mousse from making a mess on the next slice

and making your cake look fantastic even after it's sliced! You're done and can now enjoy your

delicious cake!

Chocolate mmm~

2010-05-21T00:01:25Z

Welcome to the Chocolate Party!

Haha jk... kinda. Rather, welcome to my Intro to Chocolate class final. I've got pics of all but one person's final (his was in a plastic bag, wtf).

WELL THEN. Let's get started with mine, since this is my journal so I want to go first~

It's flourless chocolate cake with dark chocolate ganache, chipped chocolate, and cherries on top. I got most of my points for appearance, 'cause the taste was only so-so (it was edible and he didn't make faces at it, at least). He said it was "interesting" tasting. Whatever the hell that means. o_o He didn't say it was bad though, so I'm not complaining.

Before the final actually started and I was taking a picture of some of my friends' "behind the veil" cakes. Let's lift the veil now, shall we?

First of all, these were from some guy from the Wednesday class who missed his and came to ours. These are truffles and supposedly they were acceptable, however they are not the same size and he lost points for that. They were also bitter, but other than that pretty good.

The truffles that blew everyone else's truffles away. They were to die for, really. The croquant (the blocky looking things around the edge) was okay, but you could taste the flour and that really took away from it. These were Annette's.

Shipley's truffles. I didn't actually get to try these, but Chef said that they were delicious. They were gone by the time I got over to them though.

Chocolate souffle. Not... exactly fantastic. There's a reason Chef told us not to do souffles for the final. They sink very quickly and don't usually survive the car/bus trip to school. They had also, apparently, been out for a while so Chef was worried about tasting them. I didn't taste them either, so I can't tell you if they were good tasting despite their appearance.

Strawberry-Chocolate Mousse Parfaits. This was actually pretty good, excepting that the girl who did these froze them overnight so her homemade whipped cream wouldn't deflate. They were very good though, despite the strange texture in the mousse created from the defrosting process.

A very nice-looking mousse bowl. The design was very cute and the mousse was tasty. Unfortunately, there were small bits of chocolate chips in it that did get her marked down.

Nice Strawberry-Chocolate Mousse. I wanted to try some but the guy who made them disappeared after getting graded. :\

I don't even know. This guy was kind of insulting when he showed up with just that little bit and Chef didn't even bother tasting them because they looked bad and it was like... nothing. I think he said it was a nut cluster, but I'm not sure.

These... were supposed to be cookies. They were kind of epic fail and even Amanda knew that. XD; She didn't exactly pass, but apparently she was moving and had like nothing to make them with? That's what she said anyway.

Chocolate brownies! I got to take one home because the girl who did them packaged them neatly individually. They're very cute and look delicious. I'm waiting until I'm less chocolated-out to taste it, but Chef said he would recommend them.

Chocolate-chip Creme Brulee. It was... alright. It was very egg-y tasting and while I'm aware that creme brulee is made with 12 minimum eggs (20 minimum if you do the overnight method), usually it blends well with the rest of the flavors. The egg was very prominent in this, so I didn't particularly like it.

I did like this creme brulee better though. Not 100% sure what this girl's name is, but her creme brulee was really delicious. The raspberries looked cute on top of it as well. I was sad I got such a poor picture of it. :'(

Chiffon Cheesecake iced with ganache and covered with oreo cookies. I wanted to try it but everyone said it was very rich and rich cheesecake, while delicious, has a tendency to make me sick so I passed.

I believe this was Sylvester's. Chocolate Mousse Spongecake with almond-pecan spattered on the sides and shaved chocolate on top. 'Twas very yummy.

The other flourless chocolate cake in the class! His turned out more correctly than mine did, excepting the ganache. No one is quite sure why his ganache got bumpy after a while...

I believe this was Gerry's. It's a mousse cake, though I believe the actual cake is yellow cake (with chocolate mousse filling/icing) along with almond slivers and chocolate shavings.

Chocolate mousse cake. Many suspected it of being store bought, but apparently it wasn't and she just has mad chocolate piping and icing skills.

Red Velvet cake with cream cheese icing. Chef Pierre said she couldn't use artificial coloring, so she used beet juice to color the inside. o_o Kinda strange, but if it works it works.

Chocolate spongecake with buttercream icing and raspberries. Chef Pierre tasted the cake but he wouldn't touch the icing because she used the Crisco recipe.

And... I think that's everyone! It was a fun day. :D I enjoyed.

kogarasumaru @ 2010-05-20T00:53:00

2010-05-20T08:13:30Z

Okay so! Here's update one of finals week!

Yellow cake on the inside, buttercream frosting and fondant on the outside. :O Everything 'cept the little monster-monkey things is edible. Oh and the surfboards are hand-painted. They're not THAT great but I like them. XD I painted them using food color paste. My shells are totally screwy, but my teacher didn't seem to notice because she was busy talking about how awesome my cake was. :D Had the 2nd best one in the class, I'm so proud~

Aaaand I decided what to do for my chocolate final. I'm doing flourless chocolate cake with ganache and maraschino cherries on the top. :3 I'd take a picture right now, but they're cooling in the refridgerator and they must not be disturbed for a few hours. I'll take pics later though. X3

Btw I'm gonna do the official reminder tomorrow but we don't have any entries for all_icontest so it'd be cool if y'all could put some entries in~ Random annoying plug~ :3

<3 That's been my day today~

kogarasumaru @ 2010-05-17T03:19:00

2010-05-17T10:20:27Z

You guys probably want a legit update huh? :P I promise I'm not dead. Just hasn't been too much to update on lately really. Doing finals right now, so summer break is pretty soon! Then a Taco Bell job fair on Thursday. :| No really, I don't care anymore, I just want a job SOMEWHERE. Taco Bell is fine!

Started my cake for my cake decor final tonight. Waiting for it to cool overnight, then I'm going to use some simple syrup to moisten it before a basic coat of icing, then some choppy blue fun to make it look like water. I'll make sure to take a pic! :3

Still haven't decided what to do for Chocolate class. I've got until Wednesday though. I'm planning on doing something very simple, but effective. Or rather ,difficult skill-wise but with cheap ingredients. -poor!- Ah well. Whatchu guys think? Truffles? Chocolate creme brulee? Chocolate eclairs? Or perhaps :o chocolate eclairs with chocolate mousse instead of chocolate pastry cream? Something else? I'm not doing chocolate cake b/c I've already got two cakes I'm doing this week. JUST to note.

mirror stamps

2010-05-16T08:50:19Z

MMKAY so I do these anime/manga mirror things. Mostly just one community, but I want a place to put my stamps, so HERE THEY ARE.

For community: AniManga Mirror at LiveJournal.

Theme: No theme. Original character stamp based on who ya look like.

Theme: School Uniforms

Theme: FMA Characters

Theme: Pokemon Trainer Type
NOT YET STAMPED. Just posted my app and am waiting for it to be accepted by a moderator. :o

kogarasumaru @ 2010-04-30T00:10:00

2010-04-30T07:13:03Z

Learned to make chocolate spongecake today in chocolate class. Or, should've. I kinda... didn't pay too much attention. It was mostly just measuring/mixing ingredients anyway. >>; Nothing special. I was talking to Annette and this other girl who wanted advice for her banana creme cake's top. (I suggested chocolate-dipped banana spears fanned out over the top in a decorative fashion, then told her how to hand-make fondant so she could use it to make a brown border so she got a whole brown-yellow-beige color scheme going on her cake.)

SPEAKING OF HAND-MADE FONDANT. IT IS FAIRLY EVIL TO HAND-MAKE. It's cheaper but holy goddamn sticky and time-consuming.

In other news, gonna go see a musical of Beauty & the Beast tomorrow after Anime Club with RD. Why? Because he wanted to go. I'm not particularly concerned with a high school performance of a musical, but it's something to do. Though... strange bit, my brother Jacob randomly decided to buy a ticket for himself too, what.

And last but not least, stole this from astro:

1. Give me a nickname and explain why you picked it.
2. Am I loveable?
3. What makes you feel this way?
4. When and how did we first meet?
5. What was your first impression?
6. Do you still think that way about me now?
7. What do you think my weakness is?
8. What do you think my strength is?
9. What makes me happy?
10. What makes me sad?
11. What reminds you of me?
12. If you could give me anything what would it be?
13. How well do you know me?
14. When's the last time you saw me?
15. Ever wanted to tell me something but couldn't?
16. Do you think I could kill someone?
17. Describe me in one word.
18. Do you think our friendship is getting stronger/weaker/or staying the same?
19. Do you feel that you could talk to me about anything and I would listen?
20. Are you going to put this on your journal and see what I say about you?

kogarasumaru @ 2010-04-25T13:17:00

2010-04-25T20:15:52Z

My icons used to be better.

I don't know what it is I'm afraid of now, but it's going to stop.

Now.

Tehee.

2010-04-24T03:47:27Z

So I got elected the next anime club president today.

Then I got cupcakes.

Today was a good day. :D

Stole this from kiokushitaka :D;

2010-04-22T09:02:13Z

You can learn a lot about someone from the music they listen to. Here's the game: hit shuffle on your music player, and write down the first 25 songs that come up. No cheating or skipping songs.

1. The GooGoo Dolls - Feel the Silence
2. Yuki Kajiura - Will
3. Hirano Yoshihisa - Trifling Stuff
4. TAICHI MASTER - juvenile misdemeanor
5. Lewis Black - Tax Rebates and Common Sense
6. The Black Mages - MATOYA'S CAVE
7. Malice Mizer - S-Conscious
8. Stephen Lynch - Down to the Old Pub Instead
9. Red Hot Chili Peppers - So Much I
10. Mysto & Pizzi - Somebody's Watching Me
11. Violent Femmes - Blister in the Sun
12. ALI PROJECT - Gekkouya
13. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Tell Me Baby
14. Billy Idol - Mony Mony (LIVE!)
15. The Posies - Compliment?
16. Depeche Mode - All I Ever Wanted
17. Tsuda Kenjirou (Inui Sadaharu) - Pi
18. Yoko Kanno - Arcadia
19. Sakimoto Hitoshi - Deai
20. Elton John - Are You Ready for Love
21. Star Trek Rhapsody
22. Martin Leung - Medley: Tetris (Live)
23. Darren Hayes - Strange Relationship
24. Louis Leerink - The Place I'll Return to Someday
25. Iceman - Nartic Boy

:D?

kogarasumaru @ 2010-04-19T22:33:00

2010-04-20T05:47:25Z

OKAY so I don't know if I've been tagged by anyone anywhere but I don't think I have and I'm doing this anyway because I'm bored and waiting for one or two more people to vote on all_icontest or else there's going to be an uber-tie for third. SO here's a nice little meme that I found on the journal of some fanfic author I'm stalking~ :D

♪ If you've been tagged, you must write your answers in your own LJ and replace any question that you dislike with a new question.
♫ Tag eight people. Don't refuse to do that. Don't tag who tagged you.

#01 What song are you currently listening to?
"Misgiving" by Yuki Kajiura

#02 What books are you currently reading?
The Chocolate Bible by Christian Teubner, They Call Me Naughty Lola: Personal Ads from the LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS, edit by and with an Introduction by David Rose.

#03 What was the last movie you saw?
The last one I watched was probably Shrek 3 since it was on TV the other day. The last movie in theaters I saw was Alice in Wonderland.

#04 Describe your reaction when you see a book/movie you really like.
General happiness all around. Depending on the ending, of course. If it's a sad book I might wibble... idk, depends on what it is!

#05 Cats, dogs or pineapples?
Kittehs.

#06 What's your current fandom/obsession/addiction?
FFVII, Natsume Yuujinchou, and uh... pretty jewelry? >>; OH. And Poupee Girl. That thing is mucho addicting.

#07 What's your current OTP?
Zack/Cloud. Not a damned question in my mind about that.

#08 What side of the bed do you sleep on?
The side up against the wall. I like to snuggle against it.

#09 What was the last thing you bought?
Milk to make corn bread.

#10 Would you rather date a good singer, or a good cook?
Good cook. We'd have something in common then. Being a good singer doesn't really appeal to me in a relationship manner. I'd rather date someone who sucks at singing as bad as I do so we can go laugh at each other during karaoke~

#11 Something that made you laugh today?
My brother just now noticing that the plug in the kitchen has a motion sensor to turn on the light so you can see where you're plugging in in the dark. That's been in the kitchen since before we moved here. XD

#12 What do you do to change your mood?
Watch an anime / listen to music that has the kind of mood I want to be in.

#13 What was the last meal you ate?
Fettuccini Alfredo with Chicken.

#14 Can you suggest a flash game to play online?
Poupee Girl? :D

#15 Any plans for today?
Uhm. I had some, but since it's like 10:45 at night all that's left now is to chill out and watch anime/fill out memes/stuff like that.

#16 Find the closest book currently sitting near you and flip to page 54. What is the first sentence of the second paragraph?
Strictly speaking, 54 is a blank page in this book so I'm moving to page 55. "Huge frontal lobes and hyperactive Broca's area, in cute casing, seeks non-mutant XY genotype (forties, fifties) with intact cortico-limbic system and own teeth."

#17 What's something you'd like to say to someone right now?
I don't WANT to. :|

#18 What are you looking forward to?
Finally getting to decorate the cake I made this week! I love making round cakes, so I'm excited about this one. I'll def' take pics!

#19 What is playing out of your speakers, right now?
Isn't this the same as the first question? Are you like, stalking me meme? Well, now the song that's playing is "Fragile Girl" by Yuu Kobayashi. JUST so you know. Don't ask again though, or I might get a little feisty.

And uh... I tag everyone on my friends list! THAT'S RIGHT, ALL OF YOU.

CHAT ROULETTE LOL

2010-04-14T08:40:59Z

Played Chat Roulette Scavenge Hunt with RD tonight. Twas quite lolarious.

SO HERE'S THE POINTS:

Guy jacking off = 10 points
Girl jacking off = 20 points
Cumshot = guy/girl points + 10!
Just boobs = 10
Fat guy w/ tiny peen but not fat enough to be hilarious = -5
Moobs = 50
Butt = 5
Moan (audio only) = 5
Hard-on in pants = 5
Actual sex = 100 (+20 for strange position)
Butt sex = 110
Man with a handlebar mustache jacking off = Auto-win
Dildo Sword Fight = Auto-win
Other strange occurance = Points at debate

I won on auto-win twice, otherwise RD probably would've won 'cause he kept getting moobs. This game is hilarious, and I highly recommend it for anyone who isn't afraid to see disturbing as hell stuff via Chat Roulette. XDD 200 points was a win, btw, and a general game is about 3 rounds. Best 2/3 wins.

kogarasumaru @ 2010-04-04T18:03:00

2010-04-05T01:23:45Z

kogarasumaru @ 2010-03-31T23:29:00

2010-04-01T07:10:35Z

Had some posting fail apparently. Seriously, wtf. I thought I'd posted the results for all_icontest on Monday like I was supposed to. I wrote the post and everything but when I went back to the "update" screen after astro asked me about it, it just asked if I wanted to restore it from a draft. =__=; Freaking wtf. Yarrrrg.

Some weird shit happened this week. ALL of my classes got canceled somehow. I mean, at least I was warned about Intro to Chocolate, but goddamn. XD I've got an extra week of Spring Break, basically.Which I'd be cool with, except that I paid money for these classes, I'd rather like to attend them.

Oh well.

I'm kinda boring this week. XD; Sorry.

kogarasumaru @ 2010-03-26T03:18:00

2010-03-26T10:26:54Z

So I have decided never to eat brownies again. Not because I learned wtf they're made of in chocolate class(sugar. corn syrup. more sugar. butter. buttloads of eggs. etc) but because they make me sick as hell. Ended up getting sick and falling asleep in the computer lab befor I could walk home from school today.

Stupid evil brownies.

Anyway, besides that, have a meme: Hair color
[x] Brown - $100
[x] Blonde - $50
[ ] Black - $15
[ ] Bald - $5
[ ] Other - $75

Total: $150

Eye Color

[ ] Brown - $50
[ ] Green - $75
[ ] Blue - $150
[x] Hazel - $100
[ ] Other - $15

Total: $15

Height

[ ] Over 7′ - $200
[ ] 6′8″ to 7′ - $175
[ ] 6′0″ to 6′7″ - $150
[x] 5′5″ to 5′11″ - $75
[x] 5′4″ to 5′10″ - $85
[ ] Under 5′4 - $0

Total: $160

Age

[ ] 50 to 56 - $175
[ ] 46 to 50 - $150
[ ] 41 to 45 - $125
[ ] 31 to 40 - $100
[ ] 26 to 30 - $75
[ ] 21 to 25 - $50
[x] 19 to 20 - $25
[ ] 0 to 18 - $100

Total: $25

Birth Order

[ ] Twins or more than twins - $750
[x] First born - $320
[ ] Only Child - $250
[ ] Second born - $150
[ ] Middle child - $100
[ ] Last Born - $100
[ ] Third born - $550
[ ] Fourth born - $300
[ ] Fifth born - $400
[ ] Sixth born -$215

Total: $320

Drink?

[ ] I did like once - $400
[ ] Only Holidays - $250
[ ] Sometimes - $215
[ ] YES - $200
[ ] Only weekends - $300
[ ] Every other day - $50
[ ] Once a day - $15
[ ] I live from the bottle - Bankrupt
[x] No - $600

Total: $600

Vision?

[ ] Perfect vision - $400
[x] Need or have glasses/contacts but don’t wear them - $200
[ ] No correction - $100
[ ] Glasses - $50
[ ] Contacts - $25
[ ] Surgical correction - $100

Total: $200

Shoe Size

[ ] 13+ - $300
[ ] 12 and a half to 13 - $250
[x] 11 to 12 - $400
[ ] 7 to 10 - $50
[ ] Under 7- $450

Total: $400

Favorite Colors (Multiple)

[ ] Green - $750
[ ] Red - $600
[x] Black - $100
[ ] Yellow -$475
[ ] Brown - $300
[x] Purple - $225
[x] White - $400
[ ] Aqua - $350
[ ] Orange - $300
[ ] Blue - $300
[ ] Pink - $100
[x] Other - $500

Total: $1000

Did you use a calculator to add it all up?

[ ] Yes - $0
[x] Nope - Add $1000
[ ] Some - $750

Final Total: $4095

Pfffft WELL THAT ISN'T VERY MUCH NOW IS IT. This is a silly thing.

kogarasumaru @ 2010-03-22T13:33:00

2010-03-22T20:35:38Z

So the past couple of weeks I've been really stressed out b/c of my money situation to the point that I went to the ATM today and started crying.

But it was good crying.

See, on the OLE for school it says how much financial aid you receive once it goes through. I owe my mom like nearly $700 for school supplies and bills and such. The OLE said I only had $560, so it's little wonder that I was stressed.

Today I checked my balance on my Higher One account (into which my financial aid is initially deposited) and I had $2675. HOLY. SHIT. I started crying just from how much stress that relieved.

So I'm feeling particularly fantastic today and it's going to take some serious epic fail to ruin my mood~~

AHAHAHAHAHAHA~ 8D

Icon post. 'Cause. Yeah. Icons. They're fun.

2010-03-16T03:47:14Z

All of the icons I've been entering into icon contests for the past 3 weeks, plus a couple extras that I just made or icons I made for themes but decided not to enter for whatever reason.

Total: 49
-.hack//Legend of the Twilight (1)
-Afroken (1)-base
-Air Gear (1)
-Akihabara@DEEP (drama) (1)
-Axis Powers Hetalia (1)-base
-Bus Gamer (1)
-Chobits (6)
-Chocolate Underground (1)
-Clover (1)
-Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (1)
-Doctor Who (2)
-Earl and Fairy (1)
-Final Fantasy VII Compilation (3)
-Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo (2)
-He Is My Master (1)
-House, MD (1)
-Kaidan Restaurant (1)
-Kimi ni Todoke (1)
-Kuroshitsuji (2)
-Loveless (1)
-Maria+Holic (1)
-Natsume Yuujinchou (9) -last 4 are bases
-Otomen (drama) (2)
-Pandora Hearts (2)
-Paradise Kiss (1)
-Prince of Tennis (2)
-Romeo X Juliet (2)
-Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (8) -first 5 are bases
-Tokyo Babylon (1)
-Yami no Matsuei (1)
-Yumeiro Patissiere (1)
-Misc. (1)

.hack//Legend of the Twilight

Afroken

Air Gear

Akihabara@DEEP (drama)

Axis Powers Hetalia

Bus Gamer

Chobits

Chocolate Underground

Clover

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

Doctor Who

Earl and Fairy

Final Fantasy VII Compilation

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo

He is My Master

House, MD

Kaidan Restaurant

Kimi ni Todoke

Kuroshitsuji

Loveless

Maria+Holic

Natsume Yuujinchou

Otomen (drama)

Pandora Hearts

Paradise Kiss

Prince of Tennis

Romeo X Juliet

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei

Tokyo Babylon

Yami no Matsuei

Yumeiro Patissiere

Misc.

---

Btw anyone can use them just uh... make sure you credit moi pleaaase.

kogarasumaru @ 2010-03-09T12:54:00

2010-03-09T20:54:51Z

So I've been sick. Mostly cleared up, but my ears seem to be getting worse. It's really weirding me out and if it isn't cleared up by Friday, I'm going to ask if I can go see a doctor.

In other news, I'm gonna go see Alice in Wonderland with my Grandma Dianne tomorrow. :D I'm looking forward to it. And yes, I would prefer to go with my grandma 'cause she's pretty damned cool about movies and not as annoying as some friends or my brother who talk through the whole damned thing. Seriously, if you're at a movie theater, shut the fuck up and watch the goddamned movie. And if we're in the movie theater, then NO I haven't seen it before and I can't TELL you what's going on if I don't know yet either, Jacob. Stupid brother.

In other words, my grandma is actually preferable company and not just because she pays for everything. (That's just a bonus.)

...Mmkay off to go clean the bathroom, then run to school... and decide if I wanna go to class or not today. I mean, I want to, but my ears are so fucked up right now I can barely hear half the shit. And it literally feels like they're plugged or like there are hands over my ears, so I know it's not something that can't be fixed.

kogarasumaru @ 2010-03-04T14:54:00

2010-03-04T22:54:21Z

Ack, I got sick so that's where I've been the past few days. x__x;

Day 1: Severe ear pain and headaches. I seriously thought my ears were going to explode.

Day 2: Coughing, mucus in throat (but not in nose?), sore throat, fever, and some vomiting. Ears ringing. Not fun.

Day 3 (today): Ears ringing, some mucus and a sore throat. Much better, but still wasn't allowed to go to class b/c of the rules against being in the kitchen if you're sick. Which makes me sad, as I REALLY wanted to go too. ;; Chocolate classssss. -grabby hands-

Anyway, other than that my grandpa's being an asshole again. He just ranted to my grandmother about me being irresponsible because I didn't tie up the dog when the lawnmower guys got here. (Usually, my grandmother does it willingly, has never asked for help, and to top it all off-- I didn't know the lawnmower guys were here until they'd already started mowing, AFTER Toby had been tied up by someone else.) What gets me is that I'm the only one he complained about. Like I don't have two brothers who were here too, and not sick as hell. God he's such an asshole. And I can say that because he does pick on people, particularly me because I'm the only one who doesn't get into trouble or arguments with any of the adults in my family and he thinks I'm being lazy because I don't have another job. (I've been trying. I lost my job at the convenience store in December b/c it shut down, and I've been trying ever since. I must've applied to over 100 fucking places and it's really damned hard to get a job when you only have experience in one place and your schedule is limited because you have classes at college.)

So yeah. That's how it's been.

Obligatory plug: all_icontest. Join it. NAO.

kogarasumaru @ 2010-03-01T14:01:00

2010-03-01T22:17:02Z

MMKAY SO TODAY. I didn't go to sewing again. Uhg. I really should, but it's not as fun as I thought it'd be. It'd be one thing if it was a class that actually needed 3 hours worth of classtime for. But half of our tasks are like sew in a straight line, then do the same thing on stitch number 2. It's so easy to the point that I don't feel like I'm actually learning anything.

...Also I'm supposed to have elastic today so I couldn't go anyway b/c I didn't have the money to purchase elastic for pants.

I have a feeling I'm going to end up dropping that class since it has nothing to do with my major anyway. -_-; I mean, the teacher's really great, it's just that the course for "beginning" sewing is basically "how-to-use the machine." Which I can figure out on my own by pressing buttons. But you can't get to the second level without the first level, and I was hoping that it'd be useful enough that I'd be able to learn something useful by the end of the class. I really don't think that's going to happen based on the syllabus, so after I get my glasses I'm probably /so/ going to drop that class. Concentrating on my culinary things is more important anyway.

In other news, my mom wanted me to apply to McDonald's today (and she woke me up to tell me to go RIGHT THAT SECOND). I did, along with my brother (she wants us to work at the same place so she doesn't have to drive more than one place), and I'm honestly hoping I don't get a job there. I want a new job, don't get me wrong. I just do not want it at McDonald's. I'm way too much of a neatfreak for that and being in a ServSafe-approved Food Sanitation and Hotel/Restaurant Management class, I have a feeling that McDonald's would drive me up the fucking wall, especially since I've seen the way that McDonald's managers treat their employees, so I have a feeling I'd end up getting fired for cleaning shit just so that the place could adhere to food sanitation standards set out by the National Restaurant Association, instead of doing some inane task that they assign me to that doesn't really need to be done. :|

Yeah, there's a reason I don't eat at fast food restaurants except for the McDonald's on Bellflower (you can see that it's clean there, they recently remodeled, and it's a generally pleasant place with friendly people (except this one old bitch lady who obviously hates the world for some reason. But she's only there on Wednesdays.) The McDonald's that's hiring is the one on Woodruff... which I don't like, and never have liked, but that's mostly because of the creepy-ass statue out front of some fat midget with a pedobear grin, holding out a kids meal. Creeped me out when I was young, still does today. That's why I never go to the McDonald's on Woodruff (but it looks a lot more dreary than the one I do go to and no one seems to be happy)... luckily, I don't think I'll be able to get the job there anyway b/c the hours they're hiring for don't exactly fit my schedule. I think this is the only time I'll say "luckily" when I'm not getting a job.

Whatever though. Mmkay and I'll pimp it out again: all_icontest!! Join it! It gives free reign to icon artists over their subjects while providing a varying array of themes that aren't just limited to song and word themes! Kay that's all I've got today, as I feel like I'm braindead or got hit by a truck in my sleep.