Passion. Humor. Style.

Baking Experience Part II: Oreo Truffles! (+Vlog)

12.18
By Unknown
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In my spare time -which is 24 hours full of spare time- i do a lot of productive thing such as baking. Thanks to the short video tutorial on Instagram, Facebook, you tube, etc. To make it looks so easy, now everyone think they can be a master chef within 3 minutes. That everyone including me! I want to be honest here, I ~~CAN NOT~~ DON'T COOK. I mean, i don't get used to do the cooking part in my house, so my cooking skills are between the level of making an omelette and instant noodles in the mid-night. Let alone the fried rice, spending time in the kitchen is just not my thing. BUT, I am a person who has a strong determination. It was happened when i saw short video tutorial 'Vanilla Eclairs Recipe'. Eclairs! My favorite patisserie in the world! You can read how i made Eclairs here.

Okay, as you can read about my baking experience part 1, i didn't make Eclairs like it supposed to be. I didn't use the whip cream and the chocolate for the chocolate glaze. So, with the rest of the ingredients i thought i want to make "no bake" pastry recipe. I'm so done with the baking thingy, i didn't say that I gave up, but i wont make any baking recipe before i have a new oven. Which is due the circumstance probably when i get married, its lucky for me if my future husband provides a complete-brand-new-kitchen set to encourage me practicing my cooking skills- ~~as if I'm a jobless housewife~~ -although, i will be extra busy working as an editor in the national magazine, hehe..

instagram.com/mariadelviera

Well, you can find so many of "no bake" recipe on you tube but most of all has cream cheese as the ingredient. I came up with the idea to change the cream cheese with the whip cream. Because the whip cream tastes so goooood, its HAAN Wippy Cream, fyi HAAN's products are expertise in ice cream powder. No wonder, my 6th years old sister said the whip cream tasted like an ice cream. I kept the whip cream in the freezer anyway.

So, i decided to make Oreo Truffles , once again it looks so simple ( because basically i only searching for the simple recipe! lol..) For instance, all you have to do are crushed the oreo, mix it with cream, shape it, dipped it into molten chocolate and then freeze it! Because its just a piece of cake, i initiative to make a vlog tutorial how to make Oreo Truffles. Haha! See that? Suddenly i felt like i could be a master chef gurus. Thanks to internet!

Oreo Truffles

*Note that I did this all by myself because my sister refused to help me recorded the tutorial.

(In case the video can't load click this link)

In the end. once again i didn't make like it supposed to be. Because of TOO MUCH whip cream, so the mixture got soggy and it cant be shape. I even recorded that moment when I tried to shape the soggy mixture with my bare hand, ew! On the first picture, you can see that I can shape the truffles, because I freeze it for 24 hours and it turns out quite stiff. And then I quickly took a picture of it before it melt away! (An instagramable photo is important, you know) hahaha..

I also tried to dipped some of it into molten chocolate but because the soggy texture it makes the chocolate melt together with the mixture.

Anyway its alright, because my sisters loved the oreo ice cream! ♥

baking

Baking Experience Part I: Eclairs!

08.16
By Unknown
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Okay, so this is my new post since my post 2 months ago. GOSH! How unproductive am I? I feel sorry because I was busy finishing my thesis for my bachelor degree in Communication Science. But now i'm free like a bird. So, because this is my new post since my (unofficially) graduation, i'm feeling like i want to post something random without any hesitation.

source: weheartit (follow me: mdelviera)

BUT, I am a person who has a strong determination. It was happened when i saw short video tutorial 'Vanilla Eclairs Recipe'. Eclairs! My favorite patisserie in the world. I never thought it was so simple to made. So i tried to made it step by step, and unfortunately I made a mistake in every steps!

First, when i tried to made the vanilla pastry cream, well, i didn't realize till my boyfriend tasted it multiple times and said it gradually became bitter! Then i double checked the recipe and realize that i took 2 TABLE SPOON of vanilla extract instead of 2 TEA SPOON. Life lesson 1#: Too much is good for nothing.

Life lesson 1#: Too much of anything is good for nothing.

Second, when i tried to made the choux pastry, Its written : "Prepare the choux pastry. Sift the flour. In a saucepan bring the milk, water, sugar, salt and butter to a boil." What i read : "Prepare the choux pastry, Sift the flour in a saucepan bring the milk, water, sugar, salt and butter to a boil." Nah, can you spot the difference? THE PULL-STOP! For God sake, one pull-stop can ruin everything! So, as you can guess, I mixed all the ingredients in a saucepan. I've double checked it before i turned on the stove, then i realize that the flour was not supposed to mixed together. So i asked my boyfriend, what should i do? He said go on, it doesn't really matter. And then the next thing that happened was I BURNT THE MIXTURE! Unfortunately, we didn't know that boiling a cup of flour with a little amount of liquid could fried the flour till it burnt! But of course, I tried it all over again. Life lesson 2#: If you know what you did wrong, stop there or things could be worse.

Life lesson 2#

Third, when i tried to made the chocolate glaze. I asked my mom for help to bought the whipping cream, she bought me a box of whipping powder. So, i need to make the powder into cream. Its so simple, you only need to blend the whipping powder with 400cc of ice water and then mixer it for about 15 minutes. Voila! it turn out to be a whip cream. But then i forgot, in this recipe you need heating 155ml of whipping cream till it boiled, not the whip cream for beverage topping!

source: weheartit (follow me: mdelviera)

So, yeah in the end the reality beats my expectation. Not to mention that the Choux didn't fully expand when i baked it, even though I baked it for 2 more hours long, still it didn't get fluffy instead the bottom of the choux was burnt. I bet it was because my old oven, so it heats unevenly. But i won't say its a failure because the eclairs still eatable and it tasted fine enough. Well. at least i tried, and you can always learn from your mistakes to make the better Eclairs! Haha..

Ps: i didn't capture my eclairs, because very bad it shapes like penis. very inappropriate tough! lol..

edgy

5 Signs If You has a Hipster Syndrome!

07.28
By Unknown
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“Hipsters are a subculture of men and women typically in their 20’s and 30’s that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and indie-rock, creativity, intelligence and witty banter.” – Urban dictionary

Pernah nggak kamu merasa asing di masyarakat? Alasannya bisa jadi karena selera berpakaian, selera musik, atau pandangan hidup yang berbeda dari kebanyakan orang. Yang lebih ekstrem lagi adalah kamu merasa aneh bila berpenampilan seperti orang pada umumnya. Kalau kamu termasuk dalam kategori tersebut maka bisa dikatakan kamu terkena hipster syndrome.

Istilah Hipster muncul pertama kali di Amerika Serikat tahun 1940-an. Terdapat pandangan kalau hipster ialah masyarakat yang mengisolasi diri dari kehidupan sosial pada umumnya. Ini karena mereka nggak percaya dengan pandangan tradisional mengenai pekerjaan, kehidupan berkeluarga dan kehidupan sosial yang dilakukan oleh sebagian besar masyarakat. Para hipster di zaman itu lebih mengacu pada suatu perkumpulan anak muda yang memiliki jiwa bebas dan anti kemapanan. Pada intinya hipster lahir sebagai bentuk perlawanan (counter-culture) terhadap budaya mainstream.

Biar lebih jelasnya, berikut ini ciri-ciri yang ada pada diri seorang hipster. Are you one of them? Lets check it out!

Trend Setter

Di zaman post modern ini, istilah hipster lebih mengacu pada cara berbusana seseorang. Dalam kaca mata orang awam, sosok hipster adalah mereka yang terlihat aneh karena gayanya yang nyentrik tapi trendy. Seperti menggulung jeans, kaos kaki bermotif, dan tote bag ciri khasnya. Kalau udah jadi trend, they will leave it! Selanjutnya, ia akan mencoba gaya berpakaian baru agar tampil beda. Let me give you a hint, kalau sekarang banyak yang berpikir rambut ombre atau little pony hair itu keren, ini semua berkat para hipster yang menjadikannya acceptable. Padahal, sebelum menjadi trend kayak sekarang ini, nggak sedikit yang mencibir kalau hal tersebut 'aneh'. But hey! Justru keanehan itulah yang menjadikan mereka berbeda dari kebanyakan orang.

Berjiwa Bebas

Seorang hipster punya sifat alami untuk melawan aturan yang ada di masyarakat. Ia merasa nggak memerlukan aturan dalam hidupnya. Misalnya, bila mainstream people berpikir seorang wanita harus menggunakan lipstick berwarna feminin agar terlihat cantik, sebaliknya seorang hipster justru akan keluar dari aturan ‘cantik’ tersebut dan mencoba lipstick berwarna lain diluar zona feminin. Seperti warna neon, ombre atau vampy. They will do whatever they want to do without any objection.

Anti-Mainstream

Hal ini yang paling jelas. Hipster selalu berseberangan dengan mainstream people. Ia paling nggak suka menggunakan sesuatu yang pasaran. Inilah yang memberikan kesan eksklusif dalam diri seorang hipster. Dari segi hobi, Ia lebih suka mengoleksi barang antik (vintage) daripada membeli barang terbaru. They are so into a sub-culture! Not to mention that, Hipster akan meninggalkan gaya tersebut kalau telah banyak orang yang mengikuti alias jadi mainstream. Because they need those exclusivity!

Mendewakan Seni

Hipster punya tingkat apresiasi seni yang tinggi. Ia lebih suka berkunjung ke pameran seni dari pada ke mall, bukan sekedar foto-foto tapi memang sebagai penikmat seni. Dari sisi musikalitas, hipster lebih suka nonton konser band indie dari pada konser katy perry. Makanya si hipster ini bisa dibilang gayanya artsy banget. Salah satu contohnya bisa dicek dari postingan instagram. Kalau kamu lebih suka bikin feed menarik yang konsisten seperti minimal, low saturnation, etc (~~ketimbang upload foto selfie yang angle & gaya nya sama semua~~), so you've got the syndrome!

Don’t call me Hipster!

Kenyataanya para hipster nggak suka disebut hipster dan nggak pernah menyebut diri mereka hipster. Because they just trying to be themselves. Sebagai manusia yang berjiwa bebas label hipster dianggap membatasi ruang berekspresi diri mereka. Secara keseluruhan yang menjadikan mereka berbeda adalah orisinalitas dalam menggambarkan identitas diri, serta keberanian untuk tampil berbeda diluar aturan mainstream. So in the end, there is no hipster, just a free-soul folks!

Jackie Burkhart

NYLON Indonesia Private Icon April

05.22
By Unknown
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fashion

TLC (NYLON Indonesia Private Icon March)

05.17
By Unknown
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The Legendary Crazy Sexy Cool Trio

Tidak ada satupun yang dapat menggantikan kesuksesan Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Lisa “Left Eye” dan Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas as 90s the most influential R&B girl group in America’s music history. Oleh: Maria M. Del Viera

Pada tahun 1990, kota Atlanta, Georgia, AS menjadi saksi bisu lahirnya sebuah group trio cewek beraliran R&B yang akan selalu dikenang as the music icon of 90s. Waterfalls, Creep, No Scrubs menjadi diamond age bagi girl group peraih empat Grammy ini. Lagu-lagu TLC selalu mengandung pesan sosial yang hampir tidak kita jumpai pada kebanyakan musisi sekarang. Para musikus memuji mereka sebagai perpaduan sempurna dari music R&B, Funk dan Hip-Hop. But this is TLC- the pop art influenced –we’re talking about, bukan hanya sukses mengeluarkan tiga platinum album sepanjang karier mereka, what’s always been perfect about TLC is their style, they always know how to combine tomboy with sex appeal better than anyone.

Pada masa debut di tahun 1992, TLC menarik perhatian publik with their hyper colorful style. Dalam video single pertama Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg mereka tampil dengan baggy clothes yang dilukis menggunakan Afrocentric graffiti animation style. This was the time, TLC mencatatkan baggy clothes sebagai 90s must have item. And not to mention, that condoms could be counted as TLC’s biggest accessory. Di masa ini, Left Eye the most flamboyant member, selalu menggunakan topi vinyl raksasa dan eyepatch dari kondom sebagai signature namanya. And yes, T-Boz lebih mirip seorang cowok dengan model potongan rambut boyish dan gayanya yang super cool.

The little sisters became all grown up women, dalam album kedua yang paling terkenal, CrazySexyCool yang menjadi titik balik bagi karier mereka. TLC tampil lebih powerful and seamless dalam setiap outfits yang mereka gunakan. This time you can see the craziest sexiest coolest TLC in cropped tops. Pemilihan warna metallic dalam promosi album kedua ini membuat penampilan TLC terkesan bold. Chilli menonjolkan sisi feminin yang sexy in a good way. Sedangkan T-Boz terlihat fierce dengan asymmetrical swooping bob yang kemudian menjadi model rambut andalannya. Setelah era eyepatch, Left Eye kembali membuat statement look dengan menggambar garis hitam dibawah mata kirinya, we always love her quirky freedom attitude.

Kunci penampilan TLC sebagai sebuah vocal group terlihat dari koordinasi pakaian yang mereka kenakan. Walaupun karakter masing-masing member berbeda, TLC selalu bisa menampilan kesatuan fashion yang harmoni. Begitupun dalam hal makeup, Chilli has her own part in TLC. Dengan wajahnya yang cantik, Chilli menjadi penyeimbang dalam setiap penampilan TLC as a woman vocal group. That’s why, Makeup look Chilli yang paling simple diantara mereka bertiga. Dalam setiap penampilannya, kita tahu kalau Left Eye tidak bisa lepas dari eyeliner. Sedangkan T-Boz is always a cool tomboy yang paling sering mengubah gaya rambut. Dari awal masa debut TLC sebagai sosok perempuan funky hingga tampil sebagai fun fearless female, we can’t say no to TLC’s mind blowing fashion.

TLC terpilih sebagai private icon pada bulan ini, because TLC more sound like the girls next door, rather than the fantasy objects like the other female group did. TLC was empowering every woman to have high self-esteem and self-determination. Tapi bukan hanya itu, as a good news TLC sedang mengerjakan album ke- 5 mereka yang rencananya akan rilis di tahun ini. Album ini sekaligus akan menjadi final album TLC after Left Eye obviously no longer with us. TLC bekerjasama dengan produser seperti Rock City, Dallas Austin dan bintang pop Lady Gaga. Couldn’t be more exited, we really need some good TLC music again!

Make up products:

1. MAC Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation

2. MAC Pro Longwear Powder

3. Marc Jacobs Twinkle Pop Stick Eyeshadow

4. Sephora Collection MicroSmooth Baked Eyeshadow

5. Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner

6. Naked Urban Decay Flushed

7. Clinique Surge Butter Shine Lipstick

8. NARS Lip Gloss