As with all holidays where my mom invites a bunch of people over, I love to take the opportunity to test out new baking recipes. She always criticizes me for baking and eating (a majority) of it by myself since my family usually isn't interested in sweets.
Even though I have been more into baking cakes rather than cupcakes as of late, I knew that the cakes for this occasion would be taken care of since the 4th of July also happens to be my brother's birthday. When paired with the fact that my mom invited a friend over who works at a bakery and always brings 1 or 2 cakes over as gifts...there would be just too many cakes to spare if I also added to the list.
I chose to break out my little mini cupcakes maker since the stove area would be crowded all day for the dinner preparations. We got this cupcake maker many years ago and it hasn't been used a lot at all. While it does "bake" the mini cakes very quickly, I found that the coloring of the cupcakes tend to lean towards the duller side. For those that like a consistent color all around unlined cupcakes, this machine might not be a top pick for you. The sides usually brown up by the time the cupcakes are fully cooked through. I can't say the exact time it took for the machine to finish "baking" a round of cupcakes though. Just watch the lights on the machine and have a toothpick ready to test.
Like most other baking trials I have attempted, I found the recipes for the cupcakes on Pinterest.
For the red velvet cupcakes & cream cheese frosting I used Sally's Baking Addiction's recipe.
For the blue velvet cupcakes I used the same recipe for the batter but switched out the red food coloring for Wilton's Royal Blue and a little bit of Wilton's Violet.
I stuck to the exact measurements as the recipe stated...for the most part. The 3 deviations I made were:
- using 2 extra large eggs instead of 2 large eggs
- using slightly less than the 1 cup of sugar
- probably incorporated way less than 2 tablespoons of red food coloring
- I used the handle of a spoon to scoop some food coloring until I thought the batter looked about red/blue enough
We got a nice surprised while I was making the second batch of batter. Once I cracked opened the egg and began to separate the yolk from the whites, I noticed how the yolk seemed like it was ready to spill out at any moment. After a closer look I realized it was because there was not 1 but 2 yolks sitting in the shell. This was the first time I've seen anything like it in person. I have heard about it while searching the internet before but this was a nice surprise. I even showed my grandma and she got pretty excited to witness this too. But one of my aunts said she's seen plenty in China before. (Way to burst my excited bubble.)
The mini cupcakes came out alright even with those few changes. My family isn't into things that are too sweet and using a little less sugar seemed to fit their tastebuds well. The final colors of the cupcakes could have been a bit more vibrant but then again who wants to have tablespoons worth of food coloring in their goodies anyways? I think these were good enough...don't you think?
While I made 2 batches of cupcake batter, I only ended up making one batch of cream cheese frosting. There was more than enough to go on all the little cakes since I piped the frosting very sparingly. The icing was supposed to resemble a big star but I thought my icing was a little too runny...so a blob like icing ring had to do. I was pretty surprised to see that the icing ended up holding it's shape well throughout the day & night.
Since everyone in my family has been very into fruits and berries lately, I decided to decorate the mini cupcakes with blueberries and cut up strawberries. Don't plan to top the cupcakes with the fruits before the day of serving, the juices will most definitely run all over the frosting. Otherwise if you have sprinkles or other decorations handy it would look just as nice.
After a long day of preparing, enjoying good food and company, and celebrating a loved one's birthday, nothing quite beats seeing fireworks out in my backyard. This year's mini show seemed much more extravagant. It also felt like it was a lot closer to my house than before. Maybe some people in my neighborhood put on their own show this year? Regardless, I am glad to be able to see it without having to fight the crowd near the Brooklyn Bridge.
Did you have a nice 4th of July (if you celebrated at all)?
What to do on a rainy day?
We were forewarned of Korea's summer monsoon season but of course as travelers we hoped it wouldn't rain on us at all. When we woke up to see rain outside our window, we had to do some last minute researching for indoor activities. Luckily Bestie C had the COEX Aquarium on her to-do list and off to Gangnam we went.
The surroundings felt surprisingly familiar once we got out of the subway closest to the aquarium. Tall buildings, chain cafes and shops, and tons of people in business suits bustling to and from their offices. It almost seemed like we were back home in New York City. Guess most financial/business areas have a similar feel.
COEX Aquarium is actually inside of COEX Mall, which (I think) is a big building that houses a variety of stores, restaurants, and event spaces. To say the least, the place is huge! Since it was only our second day in Korea, our goal was only to visit and not to buy. We spent a good chunk of our day slowly enjoying the aquarium. If you're still tired from traveling and need something to do at your own pace, museums and aquariums are a great option! Tickets were ₩22,000 when we went.
Bossam & Rice Set Meal @ Banhaneun Bossam&Bapsang - 반하는 보쌈& 밥상
I'm going to consider this dinner the first sit-down meal we had in Korea. Can't go wrong with a restaurant in a fancy mall right? This place had the longest lines out of all the eateries we saw. It must be good! ₩9,000 got us meat, rice, lots of side dishes, and even soup. I don't remember this meal being bad or anything but it wasn't one of the most memorable meals I had while in Korea.
Something I've never seen before. But it is definitely an interesting concept.
I wonder how many people find this handy?
This series is so long overdue. But better late than never!...?
Get ready for the upcoming travel log/photo dump.
The statement of updating monthly or quarterly on my PMAD progress fell by the wayside. Rather than me being too busy to blog or anything like that, it was in reality because I didn't really wear makeup as much as I thought I would. Nonetheless! Progress has still been made (barely, but there).
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L to R: Hada Labo BB Moist Emulsion SPF50+ PA+++ in Natural Ochre, Nanoce BB Moist Cream in No.2, Canmake Cover & Stretch Concealer UV in Shade 2, Benefit Highbeam
It is hard to tell if any progress has been made with these guys. Why opaque packaging? Why!
Out of these 4 bases, I reached for the nanoce BB Cream most often (most likely because I can actually feel it getting lighter and lighter). Even though I could use the extra coverage on spots and dark circles, I still don't reach for concealers in general. When I do use it, I tend to mix a little of the Canmake Cover & Stretch Concealer in with the BB Cream.
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Only one item in this group looks like I made any progress with at first glance. But truly any progress made with powders is an accomplishment, don't you think?
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mark Powder Buff Natural Skin Foundation in Powder Buff
Ahh~ The satisfaction of seeing so much pan! Such a tease though, it will probably take another long while before this mark Powder Foundation will be all gone. I like the extra coverage this foundation gives but it's a little too powdery for me.
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Etude House Lovely Cookie Blusher in 5 Lovely Pink
Etude House Model Face Color in 2 Model Shade
Nowhere near seeing the bottom of the pan but the edges are visible! It helps that these two products require more swirling to get product onto brushes. This works well for me since I prefer to work in light layers and build up.
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MAC Cream Colour Base in Virgin Isle
Ermm, so I don't think I will be making a dent in this any time soon. This MAC Cream Colour blush didn't get any love until recently and I was immediately reminded how well it worked. I only need to lightly dab a brush to get a ton of color for both cheeks, otherwise my cheeks will end up looking very clown-like.
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Maquillage Face Creator
Do you see it? The dips? I tend to grab this Maquillage palette when I want to highlight on a day-to-day basis. But it was also a great all-in-one option when I did some traveling back in April. Definitely saved me the headache of overpacking beauty-wise.
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Esprique Precious eye palette
Even though this palette was very readily available for me to use every morning, I still didn't reach for it often. My subconscious must not be accustomed to the idea of wearing eyeshadows daily yet. Mental note: make an effort for the next half year please!
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L to R: Cinique Chubby Stick in Woppin Watermelon, Lioele Donut Glo-Stick in Milky Pink, Living Nature Lipstick in Sandstone
As with the eyeshadow palette, these lippies were underloved too. Of all the items, the trio here looks practically untouched! Must try harder to make dents here.
I might make another update before the end of the year if I make bigger progress.
But anyways!! Any exciting pan sightings for you?
