Reading time becomes more enjoyable, :)
26 November 2007
Ahnaf dan Buku (3)
Reading time becomes more enjoyable, :)
25 November 2007
Brownies for Birthday
The thing that I missed was taking its picture. I just wanted to take the picture and posted in here. But after the cake ready, ada aja that made me keep taking photo of it behind. Indeed there was no blowing candle ceremony or something like that. We didn't dress up or decorate the room. I sliced the cake soon and gave it to my hubby, instead. It's enough for this busy time.
The cake had gone very quick. It's deadly yummy... I wanna make it again because it's very easy to make. Just have to be patient waiting the cake cool.
I got the recipe from friend, but I modified it a little bit. Here is the recipe.
For brownies:
First.
Grease 22cm round pan.
Preheat oven to 180C
Second.
Combine in a bowl:
2 1/4 cups self raising flour
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup chocolate powder
Third.
Melt 1 cup butter (half melt, not too oily)
Melt 200 grs dark cooking chocolate (once it's melted, remove from heat and soon add the butter to this melted choco and stir finely)
Add stir 3 eggs stir until the eggs mix together with the chocolate, then
Add 1 cup milk
Fourth.
Mix "Third" and "Second", stir quickly. Don't stir too much though.
Ready to oven for 30 mins until the surface looks dry or wooden stick comes up dry when inserted.
For filling:
Mix
1 cup (300 ml) of double thick cream (I spare 3 tbs for the ganache)
5 tbs caster sugar
For ganache:
Melt 150 grs (or more) dark cooking chocolate
Still on the heat, Add 3 tbs double thick cream and 3 tbs milk
Stir gently until a bit thicken.
For finishing:
Wait until the cake cool, totally cool. Because if not cool or still warm, it will melt the filling cream. I need about 3 hours to cool the cake.
Cut it horizontally, use sharp/wide knife.
Spread the filling between the layers.
Spread the ganache on the outside.
Cool.
The funny thing was hehehe... every time my hubby eat the cake, he said "happy birthday..." hehehe... following what I was saying when I plated the cake for him at the first. What a memorable day.
23 November 2007
Sleeping in Pram
Found him sleeping seriously (not deeply) hehe... in his pram when we're going for walk made me stopped and took a shot. Sitting in pram and be pushed around can make him sleeping quickly. If he awakes, usually he enjoys viewing around. Very fortunate, he seldom cries in his pram. If he does, usually I stop and talk with him. If this doesn't comfort him, I prefer put him in my cuddle. I don't like he cries. Because, I love him very much. This love can't spoil him, I believe. As he's just an innocent creature.
Kuliah Jarak jauh
A comment for Mas Andi
Membaca testimoni dari mahasiswa beliau, terkesan bahwa para mahasiswa tersebut senang dengan kuliahnya. Saya pun kalau waktu itu berada di kelas menyimak kuliah beliau yang disampaikan melalui IM lengkap dengan presentasi gambar/animasi materi dan penjelasan langsung (baca: suara asli) pasti (sekali lagi: pasti) akan tertegun, baru mendengar kabarnya saja saya langsung membatin “wew… fantastic”. Namun belum tentu ilmu saya nambah dengan kuliah seperti ini, ga tau ya kalo yang lain...
Pengakuan-pengakuan yang disampaikan di blog beliau sepertinya lebih cenderung pujian kepada bapak dosen yang pintar menggunakan teknologi dan peduli, kalau saya tidak salah mengintepretasikan testimoninya dan tertegun saya ini loh… bukan pengakuan bahwa tujuan kuliah tercapai yaitu pembelajaran. Seseorang dikatakan belajar jika dia dapat mentransferkan apa yang dipelajari, baik dalam level mampu mengulang kembali maupun mampu mengaplikasikan ke tingkatan yang lebih lanjut. Jika memang cara ini baik, seharusnya mahasiswa tersebut menuliskan testimoni berupa capaian dia atas materi yang telah dipelajari.
Jangan-jangan… ^_^ para mahasiswa sibuk menonton tampilan dan mendengarkan suara sehingga lupa bahwa yang ditonton dan didengarkan adalah pelajaran (FYI, sudah ada penjelasan dari cognitive load theorist mengenai hal ini). Seperti halnya menonton film, setelah keluar dari bioskop
Lebih lanjut, cara ini menurut saya tidak bisa dipakai oleh sembarang orang dan tidak laik diterapkan secara terus menerus. Untuk seorang Mas Andi, dengan sedikit pembenahan* pada materi dan fasilitas, menurut saya, ini adalah ide bagus yang membuka ruang bagi dosen yang bertugas di luar negeri, juga tentunya memberikan teladan dan motivasi kepada mahasiswa. Namun, bagi dosen yang sebenarnya bisa satu ruang dengan mahasiswa, saya kira secara pedagogi akan lebih banyak capaiannya dengan menempatkan diri di antara mereka untuk memberikan instruksi pembelajaran dari pada kuliah jarak jauh dengan metode IM atau lainnya. Sekali dua kali untuk suatu alasan yang jelas sih oke oke saja, toh mahasiswa adalah pembelajar dewasa.
Oh ya, kuliahnya Mas Andi ini pake diskusi atau enggak ya? Saya ingat pernah baca jurnal penelitian yang membedakan face-to-face dan online discussion (yang ngarang siapa ya... please check b-y-s, yang aku ingat ini di jurnal learning and instruction, 2007). Secara academic performance hasilnya masih mix, artinya tidak ada yang satu dominan atas yang lain. Tapi secara short-term impression, subyek lebih cenderung dengan online discussion.
Memang sih ada efek sosial yang muncul dalam co-learners interaction (oh ya jadi ngeh, diskusi penelitian ini adalah antar-siswa, bukan antar instruktur (dosen) dan siswa, kasusnya bearti beda ya… hehehe… sorry-sorry… iya beda, karena prior knowledge sesama siswa (co-learners) diasumsikan sebanding, sedangkan dalam diskusi antara dosen – siswa, dosen bisa menjadi scaffolding, jadi udah beda ceritanya….
Wah jadi ngelantur, oke… kembali ke… hmm… oh ya, efek sosial dalam berdiskusi a.l. free riding, sucker effect, egocentrism, dll. Kalo secara online (dlm penelitian tsb medianya tertulis, hampir sama dengan chatting di IM), ada dorongan untuk terlibat dalam diskusi karena semua omongan terekam – tertulis, jadi ketahuan jelas kalo ada yang ga fair, sedemikian sehingga anggota diskusi akan saling menahan diri untuk mengembangkan sikap kooperatif dalam beediskusi. Sedangkan kalo face-to-face, susah mengontrolnya… kalo disupervisi langsung misalnya melalui kamera/asisten mungkin akan muncul masalah lain. Apalagi kalo ada anggota kelompok yang pacaran… hehe… ceritanya jadi lain.
Udah ah… emang saya ini siapa kok berani-beraninya ngasih komentar begini ke orang pinter kayak Mas Andi, ngapunten nggih kalo ada yang kurang berkenan, kalo ada yang kurang mutu, mohon pencerahan... Regardless my comment, salut tenan untuk Mas Andi atas semuanya.
*) perlu penelitian nih supaya teruji!
22 November 2007
VerveEarth.com
Anyway, good luck for Clayton, the CEO of VerveEarth.
20 November 2007
Ahnaf and Irish Lady
She is absolutely beautiful. She told me that she moved in Australia seven years ago. Her parents and extended family are in Ireland. She has two brothers in England and a sister in America. Her parents do not have any grandchild yet. With her tears, she told me many personal things that I won't write here and all just end up with sharing email address. She loves babies but Ahnaf is just different, she said ^_^ As far as I know, people here in Sydney are always fascinated with babies. Whenever I go, they see my baby cheerfully. This is another story, though.
Surprisingly, Ahnaf screamed loudly. He might think who they are around me and what they are talking of me about, since the pharmacy ladies also came down to us. It was a good chance for her since then I took Ahnaf out from his pram. She asked permition to hold Ahnaf and I gave him. "But don't take him away", I said to her with a big smile. She smiled back, "of course... God bless you, you must be so happy..." she continued.
Lucky Ahnaf.
19 November 2007
Muffin
Saya baru tahu setelah tinggal di Sydney beberapa saat kalau jajanan yang namanya maf-fin ini sangat populer dan mudah dibuat. Saya sering mendapatinya di acara morning tea di kampus, di kantin, supermarket dan di rumah teman. Iya, temen saya (baca: bule) suka banget buat maf-fin untuk menjamu tamu. Umumnya dimakan sebagai snack bersanding dengan secangkir kopi hangat. Bagi saya sih lebih enak disambung dengan minum jus buah atau air es, secara roti ini bikin haus :)Memang roti jenis ini sangat mudah dibuat. Sore tadi setelah menidurkan Ahnaf, saya membuatnya hanya dalam waktu 30 menit (10" persiapan, 15" masak, 5" nyuci alat-alat). Hasilnya sangat memuaskan. Mohon maaf kalo fotonya ga begitu jelas, kamera saya sepertinya memang minta di-ap-gred.
Get ready:
Oven 180C
Muffin baking pan (6 or 12 holes doesn't matter)
Patty case (if required, e.g your pan is sticky)
First, COMBINE:
1,5cups self raising flour (plain flour + 3ts baking powder)
0,5cup caster sugar
Second, MIX:
1 egg, beat with fork
3 tbs melted and cold butter/margarine
Third, for flavouring (optional):
5 tbs dried fruits or
5 tbs choc chips
- Mix the first and the second finely with spatula.
- Add the third, stir.
- Put in the muffin pan. Learn your pan whether you need patty cases or to spread with butter.
- Bake in oven 180C for 15 minutes. Done.
This is a basic recipe, thanks for Mary. It makes 24 small/12 big muffins.
Seandainya saja Ahnaf sudah besar, pasti dia akan senang makan roti ini. *membayangkan*
Recipe of Bothok
Preparation/Cooking time: about 1,5 hours
First:
10 garlic
10 shallot/1 big onion
10 chili (as hot as you like!)
10 candle nut & 2 tbs coriander, (it's a good idea to heat them in microwave for 20sec or fry with a little amount of oil until smell good or just brown)
1 tomato
1 tbs terasi
note: no salt if the silver fish is salted
Second:
200 ml coconut milk
200 g grated coconut meat
200 g silver fish
200 g belinjo leaves, slice
100 g petai, slice (I like it in small peaces) (optional)
100 g tempe, slice (I like it thin) (optional)
Third:
1 tomato, slice vertically, make about 12
galanga, slice
bay leaves
banana leaves
al-foil
Fourth:
steamer
pan+olive/any oil for frying
Direction:
- Blend the first ingredient. You can leave the chili in slices though.
- Heat pan with small amount of oil in medium level to fry the blended ingredient, until smell nice.
- Add coconut milk, simmer 2 minutes.
- Add all the second ingredient, stir finely. Make sure it is not watery. I call this pre-bothok ^^
- Remove from heat.
- Get ready the steamer while you're wrapping!
- On a piece of banana leaves, put 5 tbs pre-bothok, top with 1 bay leave, 1 slice galanga, 2 slices tomato then roll and fold the sides to secure. To strengthen it, wrap again with al-foil. Make about 10.
- Steam for 30 minutes.
- Serve with warm medium long grain/jasmine rice.