My 2012 Review

31 December 2012: A Time to Look Back
December 31st, 2012.
Sydney.
On my comfy bed.
Fingers dancing on Mac's keyboard.
Writing a blog post.
Waiting for the date in the calendar to change.
To a new year: 2013.

JANUARY 2012
My first Australia trip. Meeting my soon-to-be husband.

FEBERUARY 2012
Start of the Nielsen DA Young Talent project. More going home late. But becoming closer to one of my colleague who happens to have the (almost) same character in the past! We're so klop together in many things, somehow.

MARCH 2012
Gold Award for participation in the Young Talent project. (Actually I kinda forgot which month this happens) :D.

APRIL 2012
Engaged to my now-husband. Six years my senior. A senior whom I never met in high school or university, padahal we attend the same high school and uni.

MAY 2012
My first naik gaji :D, alhamdulillah. Why oh why does it have to happen when I'm about to resign :(.

JUNE 2012
New (cool) boss who brought me to the right path (translate: ke jalan yang benar), haha. So sad that I have to resign at the end of this month :(.

JULY 2012
Married. Officially off from the market.

AUGUST 2012
Struggling with Partner Migration Visa application to Australia. And finally reunited again with my beloved husband in Sydney. Got a sewing machine for my birthday, which I have never utilize to earn money until now.

SEPTEMBER 2012
The most boring episode of my life: being a housewife and jobless (and activity-less, and social life-less). Finally I have my own kitchen and was starting to learn-and-love cooking and baking.

OCTOBER 2012
Started working at Blogger (a job that I made myself). As an author of a photography blog, a cooking & food blog, and an interesting personal blog. Also as an amateur illustrator and photographer for my blogs. Can't believe I'm really doing something that I never have the time to even start! I guess, I do need a time off to be able to do the things I like. And I finally found a real friend in Sydney!

NOVEMBER 2012
Spending 3 weeks holiday in Jakarta while applying for another visitor visa to Australia. Gosh, I'm starting to get tired of this visa stuff.

DECEMBER 2012
Learning how to deal living with the in-laws. And marriage has never been this wonderful! We're working things out much much better than before :). I love you, husband.

ULTIMATE ACHIEVEMENT IN 2012:
Got married one year after my graduation. Allah left me amazed with His greatness. He gave me someone that I wanted without me ever specifically having to say it in my du'a. Nggak sia-sia istikharah berkali-kali sampai sempat hampir putus asa karena kebingunganku membaca "tanda". He made it very clear to me. Very very clear. So, then I believe that he was whom God chose for me. Sometimes when things go wrong between us, I know that God is never wrong :).

*reposted from my old blog

My Traditional Wedding

As much as I would love to have a modern-muslim wedding, I also wanted a traditional one. Not only the decoration that is fully traditional (by mom's request) which we called gebyok, me and the moms wanted to me to wear the Solo traditional headpiece (kembang goyang) as well.

Marriage is only once in a lifetime (aamiin) and when else would you wear this extravagant inherited culture if not in your marriage - at least that was what I had in mind. So, at the end, I opted for a traditional Solo wedding. I opted for the Solo instead of Jogja because the headpiece fits the shape of my face better. But the Solo headpiece is actually more complicated than the Jogja headpiece if you're wearing hijab, because there's the sasak part that you can't simply shape & cover neatly. Thanks to my genius make up artist, tante Neni Nazeh, she was able to do the Solo headpiece really well and everyone said that my make up looked really good. Even I can't stop smiling looking at myself!




Makeup artist: tante Neni Nazeh from Rumah Kebaya
Photography: Viure Photography
Decoration: K-Jogja
Souvenir: Fine Souvenir
Invitation: pasar Tebet

My First Photo Competition

Last month, husband and I went to Canberra to see the Floriade and visit some of his friends. Floriade is Australian spring festival that is held in Canberra every year. As you know, spring festival is identical with flower festival. In Floriade you will find beds of tulips and poppies and many other exhibitions. The Commonwealth Park (where the Floriade is held), is not that big compared with Showa Kinen park in Japan. Me and Honey finished seeing every corner, eating churros, and taking pictures in only 2 hours. That's quite fast compared to my 4-hour trip in Showa Kinen, hehe.

Anyway, in Floriade, there is also photo exhibition which exhibits pictures from the previous Floriade photo competitions. The pictures were large-printed and placed randomly around the park. I don't know why suddenly I wanted to enter the competition. So, we went around the park and see the winning pictures, try to find out the key to winning. Actually, there is nothing really special about those pictures (except a few). So, I thought I'd give a shot.

I had to find a "different" idea. I avoided taking pictures of the flower only and macro shots (I didn't have the lens anyway, haha). Then, I came up with the idea of making heart-shape with our hands and have the flower bed as the blurry background. It took me many attempts (and a couple of different flower beds to see how the background turned out) to get the perfect heart-shape and photo angle. Honey was whining a couple of times too because he couldn't hold his hands up too long. Seriously, with only two of us and two usable hands, this is called "niat banget!". It was a pain for me as well because I had to hold my left hands up and hold the camera (and snap the shutter button) with my right hand.

In the competition, each person can submit up to two entries. I had a couple of other shots but I somehow feel this one is going to make it. Besides, I was too confused which other photo to submit, so at the end I only submitted one.

A few days ago my photography friend (who taught me a lot about photography when I was in Japan), mas Reza, posted on my Facebook wall the link of the Floriade photo competition announcement. He found the link when he was browsing and saw my name on one of the photo. I even already forgot about it, actually, because there wasn't any notification. Alhamdulillah the picture made it as the finalist. I didn't get the major prize, but I'm happy enough as the finalist since this is my first time to enter a photo competition. Lastly, my husband says, "see, you can even win the competition by using your lame lens-kit ;)"~ he's finding excuse for me to keep taking pictures regardless how crappy the lens-kit is (before I am united again with my prime).

And here's the winning picture (cropped)!
http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2012/10/22/3615995.htm



Other shots from the Floriade:
http://augystagram.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/floriade-2012-be-spring-inspired.html
http://augystagram.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/lalala.html

*reposted from my old blog

Fussili Creamy Sauce

Di kulkas ada 2 macam bahan yang harus berusaha saya habiskan sebelum tanggal kadaluarsa yang semakin mendekat: cooking cream dan butter. Karena setelah berdiet ikan dan sayur cukup lama (padahal baru seminggu-an lebih), saya mulai bosan dan akhirnya membayangkan makanan berkrim, berkeju, bermentega, dan berpasta. So, I thought I'll just go for a simple modified fettucine alfredo.

BAHAN (2 SERVINGS):

• 40 gr butter (mentega)
• 200 ml cooking cream
• 4 lembar daging asap
• 1/4 bulat bawang bombay
• 75 gr keju
• Merica secukupnya
• Garam secukupnya
• 200 gr fussili

CARA MEMBUAT:

1. Rebus fussili hingga al dente.
2. Panaskan mentega hingga leleh. Tumis bawang bombay hingga harum. Masukkan daging asap yang telah dipotong panjang-panjang, merica, dan garam. Masak hingga daging matang.
3. Masukkan cooking cream, aduk. Kemudian masukkan keju dan aduk hingga keju leleh di atas api kecil.
4. Masukkan fussili yang telah direbus ke dalam saus krim dan aduk-aduk hingga merata.

CATATAN:

1. Fussili bisa diganti dengan pasta jenis apapun. Aslinya, resep ini menggunakan fettucini, tapi saya malas menggunakan pasta yang pake diulir-ulir dulu sebelum makan, repot... haha.
2. Sebetulnya resep diatas sepenuhnya ngarang takarannya. Kecuali perbandingan keju dan cooking cream yang memang 75 gr dan 200 ml, berdasarkan resep yang dulu pernah saya contek di toko buku tapi sekarang sudah lupa takaran resep aslinya. Jadi, silakan dimodifikasi juga takarannya sesuai selera.
3. Daging asapnya kalau kurang bisa ditambahkan. Bisa juga ditambahkan jamur (kynya yang ini enak), tapi saya males beli jamur kancingnya, hehe.
4. Kalau nggak ada cooking cream, bisa diganti dengan heavy cream atau somewhat whipping cream. Tapi kalau nggak bisa juga, bisa diganti dengan susu cair yang ditambahkan dengan tepung untuk mengentalkan (tapi saya nggak tahu takarannya).
5. Penyajiannya bisa juga dengan saus krim disiram di atas fussili. Tapi saya lebih suka pasta dan saus dicampur ketika masih di atas kompor. Terakhir, supaya lebih gurih bisa juga ditambahkan taburan keju parmesan. Sayang sekali waktu saya ke supermarket kemarin nggak menemukan keju parmesan, hiks

Cinnamon rolls

Tadinya sudah berniat bikin postingan tentang wisuda, apa daya... saya lagi M~ males. Yasu, but it's always fun making post on cooking, haha! This morning I tried out a cinnamon rolls recipe for the second time. The first time, it was a total mess up because I used the wrong kind of flour. Harusnya pakai Cakra Kembar (khusus roti) tapi saya malah pakai Kunci Biru (untuk gorengan). Bukannya jadi roti, malah jadi "batu" - keras.

Bahan-bahannya sebetulnya udah disiapin dari agak lama, tapi baru terkumpul niatnya 100% untuk baking hari ini... mumpung libur dan saya gak mau menghabiskan waktu lebih lama di tempat tidur. Resep cinnamon rolls diambil dari cooking website AllRecipes.com (one of my favorite). Dan karena takut kalau gagal nggak sanggup menghabiskan, akhirnya resep yang aslinya dibuat untuk 12 serving saya kurangi menjadi setengahnya. Tentunya waktu mencampur dan menguleni adonan banyak improvisasi antara takaran larutan air-susu-butter, telur, dan tepung.

BAHAN (12 SERVINGS):

• Adonan:
• 120 ml susu cair
• 120 ml air
• 30 gr margarin (butter)
• 5 gr garam
• 375 gr tepung Cakra Kembar
• 9 gr ragi (= 1 sachet Fermipan)
• 50 gr gula pasir
• 1 telur

• Taburan cinnamon (kayu manis):
• 45 gr mentega (butter)
• 2 gr kayu manis bubuk
• 65 gr gula pasir

• Icing sugar:
• 120 gr gula halus
• 20 gr mentega (butter) dilelehkan
• 20 ml susu cair

CARA MEMBUAT:

1. Membuat adonan: Panaskan susu, air, dan mentega dengan api kecil hingga hangat. Kemudian, campurkan larutan tersebut dengan garam, tepung, ragi, gula, dan telur. Uleni hingga kalis.
2. Pipihkan adonan menjagi persegi panjang dengan tebal kira-kira 1 cm. Oleskan permukaan adonan dengan mentega. Campur kayu manis dengan gula, kemudian bubuhkan di atas adonan yang telah dioles mentega. Bisa ditambahkan kismis dan kacang bila suka.
3. Gulung adonan, kemudian potong dengan tebal kira-kira 2 cm. Masukkan ke dalam loyang yang telah diolesi mentega. Tutup dengan lap basah dan biarkan mengembang selama 30 menit.
4. Masukkan loyang ke dalam oven dengan temperatur 190 derajat C selama 20 - 25 menit.
5. Membuat icing sugar: Campurkan semua bahan. Kemudian oleskan di permukaan cinnamon rolls yang sudah matang.

Kenyataannya... karena kalau resep dikurangi setengahnya, maka otomatis perhitungan resep akan menjadi setengahnya. Begitu juga takaran telurnya, yang tadinya 1 menjadi setengah telur. Karena bingung dengan "setengah telur", akhirnya saya menggunakan telur dengan ukuran paling kecil yang ada di rumah. Lalu, sepertinya takaran susu dan air untuk adonan saya juga agak kebanyakan. Akhirnya saya harus menambah takaran tepungnya lagi supaya adonannya bisa kalis. Untuk taburan kayu manisnya, tadi saya nambahin gulanya lagi, hehe... supaya lebih mantap rasanya. Lalu, untukicing sugar-nya, harusnya warnanya putih, tapi mungkin karen saya pakai gula pasir kuning yang dihaluskan maka warnanya tetap kuning dan kurang menarik, hoho. This dish is best served when hot (soalnya kata adek, "ini cinnamon rolls-nya mulai melempem"... hehe :D). And this is how the thing looked like...

Memang agak keliatan gosong, hehe, but it's totally fine. It's only burnt sugar.

Cinnamon roll with yellow icing sugar. Yum!



Smart Grocery Shopping

For the last two weekends I have been going here and there for grocery shopping. Definitely tiring. Also, for the last month I have been searching how to smart shop for new housewife like me :P. But unfortunately, to be able to do all of these, I have been sacrificing our monthly expenses. I haven't been able to control our monthly expenses because of our short drives for specials to the nearest Coles & Woolworths (increase in fuel) and I'm still researching the appropriate expenses for our little family of two. I'm no Economic School graduate, but I have been raised in a family where we are taught to be smart in managing our money. So, based on my "research" for the past month, I'll share with you some of my smart way to shop!

ALWAYS COMPARE PRICES
Not many people like to do this, but for the sake of saving I would really recommend this. If you were about to buy something that is only available at major supermarket (Coles or Woolworths), I recommend you to compare their prices from their "buy online" feature in their websites (you cannot do this through app in smartphones). If you're buying fresh produce, I suggest you might want to try the Sydney Market every Saturday (not the Sunday one!).

ALWAYS CHECK FOR WEEKLY SPECIALS
Stores like Coles and Woolworths have Weekly Special catalogs uploaded on their website every week. Be sure to check on their Weekly Specials, especially Woolworths' half price specials, because sometimes even the cheap Sydney Market's price couldn't beat it! I always look out for Woolworths Weekly Specials (especially their half price specials). Usually, when Woolies has half price specials on non-food stuff, I tend to stock up, buying more than 4 bottles at a time. In the last month, alhamdulillah, I was able to find half price on our daily stuff that we couldn't find in Sydney market such as Palmolive hand wash, Palmolive body wash, Morning Fresh dish liquid, and Dove shampoo. For Palmolive shampoo/conditioner, Dove body spray & body wash, Radox brand, if you couldn't find a half price special in Woolies & you're already out of stock at home, you can get it at a cheaper price at Sydney Market. For food stuff, you might want to check the expiry date first. Once, I saw a half price special of Dorito's snack. But when I check in the store, the Dorito's is about to expire within 2-3 months.

ON BUYING FRESH PRODUCE
For fresh produce, wherever possible, visit your local farmer's market. If you're close to the Sydney Markets at Flemington, I would definitely suggest you to shop there because it's definitely fresh and cheap as well! Buying fresh produce at Woolies or Coles is alright, only if you are going to consume it immediately (or need it immediately). Sometimes I do top-up shopping for veggies and fruits in Guildford or Asian market in Auburn too.

Fresh produce often get price reduction. I think it's alright to buy the reduced product, as long as you cook or consume it right away. It's a good way to save too! :) Also, plan your meal before going shopping. It helps you to estimate how much veggies you would need for a week (don't stock veggies for more than a week, just not fresh anymore).

TRADING DOWN
Last weekend, I went browsing in Aldi store, trying to get the whole picture of the products it offers. Aldi sells cheap cheap basic products for kitchen and bathroom. I thought, "I wouldn't really care whether is a branded thing or not, because once it's mixed and cooked with other stuff, it will taste the same anyway." So, for salt, brown sugar, sugar, cream, cheese, pasta, nuts, canned fruit, and some other stuff, I will trade down to Aldi stuff.

For snack, you might want to try it first, because usually "you get what you pay for". I have compared the mint slice between Arnott's ($3.5) and Aldi brand ($1.59), they taste the same! The difference is that the Aldi brand is a bit hard to bite, but it's alright I think.

For hand wash, body wash, shampoo, and dish liquid, we will still stick to the branded stuff because it smells a lot better, more convincing, works better. Plus, you can get it for half price at Woolies - just watch out for those specials.

For milk, I'm sticking to Dairy Farmer's (even though it's $1 more expensive) because it contains more calcium by 40mg per serving and tastes much much better. Aldi also stocks A2 milk which is more premium than their private label milk.

So, yeah, I hope this helps a bit for the new housewives!

*reposted from my old blog