Grapes Marbled Pound Cake for 2

Are you timid?

I often brag about my bravery. At the age of 6, I held a big white snake around my shoulders. At the age of 8, I was in a cage with a mother tiger and its cubs.

I often brag about these conquests. However, the fact that I was crying whilst barely touching the snake and the fact that it took 3 zookeepers to calm me down was hardly discussed.

Yes, unfortunately, I am timid. The first time I discovered that cockroaches can fly, after a second of cursing, I dropped down to the floor and played dead. Realising they also have the ability to sense fear from their prey, I flapped my hands in an attempt to camouflage, ran under a table and held my breath.

Guest Post: Chic & Gorgeous Treats

Disclaimer: All Pictures and recipes in this post are by Joanna from Chic Gorgeous.

Jo from Chic & Gorgeous Treats is here for our very first guest post! 

One of the first blogs I followed when I started blogging was Chic & Gorgeous Treats. After I found her Amanda's Pink Rainbow Cake, it was a one-sided admiration. And her recent Earl Grey ice Cream post changed this admiration to jealousy. Thus, the post was dedicated to me (coughs*).

Through our exchange of emails where I feel like the pauper and she's the queen, we realized our equal love for baking. We talked about food for hours and after several rounds of begging, I was promised 100 Jo-baked-cookies each month for immunity fees. Please do visit her site for some awesomeness!

Hi there fellow Pencil & Skirt peeps! Gosh, I am lost for words at the moment..LOL. That's usually not the case as Jes and my other friends can assure you that I am a chatty person in life. Right now, I suddenly feel like a sense of pressure on my shoulders. That's maybe because I am trying to win some hearts here too.. [I'm only joking!] I think it's best I share with you how I feel, since it's only appropriate, you know just like the Oscars? To be honest, I am thrilled and feel really honoured that Jes asked me to guest blog for her. Plus I am No# 1..yeayy!!! Not to mention she "loves" my treats over at my blog [You do right Jes?..coughs]. So that says a lot and sure got to mean something right? I have to say after getting to know her, I felt like I found another fellow new buddy. We both are so deeply passionate about baking that it isn't funny one bit. Who knows? We might collaborate and work on bigger projects one day. To kick start the guest posting on her blog, I have decided to make a simple decadent light and healthy treat. Perfect to kick off those hot sunny days and quench the thirst. Hope that you will enjoy it as I much I did preparing these Raspberry Lemonade Yogurt pops for you. If only I could hand out to you all for samplling.. I would ;). ENJOY and do pop over to Chic & Gorgeous Treats to give me a holler. Cheers~

Me: How did you realize your love for baking?

Jo: This is a good question. When I was back in high-school, we had Home Economics as one of our subjects. We had to cook and of course baking was involved. I can still remember that very day. We attempted to bake Chocolate Cake. Guess what, my baking failed. The cake came out hard as rock. 

(nods) I feel you, sista'. My first cake was used as punishment "if you lose the game, you have to eat".

I will let you in on a secret. "We actually used instant cake mix". Now, not sure where it went wrong, but I swore then that I will never bake again. 

Kind of like the time I swore "I will never eat m&ms again". 

So how'd you start baking again.

It started maybe around 4 years ago, when I used to throw my friends parties and had cookout sessions. 

I always love to end the meal with something sweet and delectable. That's when I started to get my hands dirty and give it another shot in baking. Of course there were flops, but somehow I persevered and continue to experiment. The more I practice, the better I became in a way.

(relieved) I'd thought God was unfair and made you a genius.

So here I am, obsessed with making sweet treats, and continue to strive to do better. 

What's your goal?

My aim is to become a pro in cake decorating and continue to make really good old classic cakes. Hopefully that dream will come true.
Talking about Classics, what's your most unbelievable fetish when it comes to baking?

I am not sure if I have a fetish in baking. Does making anything pink counts? Or any sweet pastel colour counts? I suppose in terms of fetish in baking, I really love the colour PINK, shabby chic, and glamorous designs. To be honest, I am pretty anal (laughs at word "anal"), I like to have everything I make in perfection.. So I tend to dream of designs, which I never seem to follow anyways as it tends to be dependent on how I feel that day.(laughs)

Ah yes, the good old mister-mood. 

What would you hate to happen whilst baking?

The thing I fear most, is when the cake falls apart while transferring from the cooling rack to a cake base. 

(shudders) We all hate that..

Maybe I am not gentle enough.. or maybe because the cake was too moist.. Also the humidity that constantly ruins the frosting. It just makes it harder to pipe designs on our cake. Which means I will have to constantly work with the air-condition on in order to bring down the level of humidity.

Precisely! Thank you, Asia!
Okay, lastly, how do you deal with harsh criticisms, if you have any.

I think everyone will have their own opinions. So the best is just learn to let go and take it with a pinch of salt. I am no saint and it isn't always easy to just laugh it off. But it's part of our life growth. However, I stay by this motto as much I can "If you have nothing nice to say, best to hold in peace"

That's what a saint will say, Jo. For me, its "Let me at em, just let me at em!"

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lying awake, tossing and turning, I realised. I missed baking. With my most trusted apparatus I was born holding, my wooden spoon, I decided it was time for a cookie recipe to succeed.

My long-awaited desire to try recipes by Russell from Chasing Delicious was well rewarded. Thus, announcing my victory against the cookie army. 

Yes!! I won you little pieces of cunning devils.