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12 mins left before the timer ends, I finally got this avvie :D I was so thrilled, since I started out really late and there were times I thought I'm not gonna make it. However, I didn't give up and that's the main point ;)

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12 mins left before the timer ends, I finally got this avvie :D I was so thrilled, since I started out really late and there were times I thought I'm not gonna make it. However, I didn't give up and that's the main point ;)

so here're some pictures :D the results aren't that nice, but still edible ;)
 
 
 

I LOVE baking!!! it is sooo much fun and the outcome is always delicious!!!
I make an amazing strawberry cake ... i will have to post a picture sometime :)
It is usually gone within a few hours when there are people are around :)
 
 
Those muffins look good, i just do not like lemon, but frosting would most likely make it taste better!!! :)

I was wondering about your leavening since they looked a little small (but still very tasty). Some other factors that can contribute to them not rising:
 
Leaving out salt (salt acts as a catalyst for the rising process, so you only need a little bit, but you do need some -- I've used recipes that removed it because the person was on a low-sodium diet, but usually there's so little in baked goods, and it's really necessary -- if you're following a recipe, it's not obvious that they left out this key ingredient) Letting the batter sit too long before baking (either because you didn't get them in the oven fast enough, and/or because you put them in a non-preheated oven -- you don't need to be Lightning McQueen, but once the leavening gets wet, they should get in the oven fairly quickly -- this can also happen if your oven temperature is off -- mine is, so I often bake in my toaster oven instead) Messing with it too much when it's in the oven (opening the door, shaking the pan, etc. -- anything that cools them or lets the bubbles escape while the batter's still wet) Humidity (this can mess up your ingredients when they're in storage -- it also keeps things like whipped cream and meringues from setting, though the effect on baked goods is less; still, I thought I'd throw it out there, though there's not much you can do about it besides making sure things are stored in airtight containers and trying to use them up fairly quickly.) Of course, it's probably just that your baking soda is a little old, as you said, but I thought I'd point out some potential other issues that can cause the same effect, since you said this was your first time baking. I hope that doesn't offend you, but I enjoy learning about all the things that can help make my baked goods come out better. (Another important one is overmixing -- this can make the baked goods tough and chewy -- something you want to happen for things like pasta or bread, but not so much for cakes or pancakes or biscuits -- unless you do, then mix away! I'm not a fan of chewy, so when I learned this one, I enjoyed my banana bread so much more -- my mom likes things chewy, so she always had me mix for at least 50 strokes.)
 
P.S. Your pictures really are very nice. They make me want to try the cakes, for sure. If they were half as delicious as they look, I'm sure they were amazing -- a stellar first attempt at baking.

so here're some pictures :D the results aren't that nice, but still edible ;)
 
 
 

Hmmm, I was wondering how come I don't smell any aroma yet.
Those cupcakes look yummy, all golden like :D
& much, much better than my first baking attempt- my cake just collapsed xDD

I shouldn't have looked at this while I was hungry lol. Very pretty pictures though!

That's what I do. I have to call it a glaze, though. I lived with a baker that insisted it wasn't icing. I also do it in a bundt pan, because I think they're fancy.
 
After reading your blog, I think it might be that it is missing milk. I usually put buttermilk in mine.
 
I love lemon pound cake. It's one of my favorite things to bake, because it is easy to swap in grapefruit, oranges, or yogurt and add berries, nuts, or chocolate. I have been trying to bake more. It always feels like too much work before I actually start, but I feel so accomplished afterward.

Lovely! Your beautiful photography makes those muffins look delicious. ^_^

Instead of frosting, you could try icing (which I prefer with pound cake): it's just lemon juice and powdered (confectioner's) sugar whisked together and drizzled over the top. It should be clear and pour a little faster than syrup, and turn white and harden not long after you pour it.
 
I don't think I use nearly as much sugar as Martha Stewart does, but here's a more formal recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/313152/lemon-glaze
 
I like that it's quick and scalable, so you can do it for a whole cake or a single cupcake.

They look lovely! Making icing isn't that hard, you just need butter, milk, vanilla and powdered sugar.

They look very cute! :D You could try putting some frosting next time, like a cupcake you know? :)

They look pretty good to me :) What flavor are they? Lemon? Or plain? Or something else?

It looks very nice... but you forgot to say what they are :P

so here're some pictures :D the results aren't that nice, but still edible ;)
 
 
 

Something Has Happened! You are now eligible to use 'Grundo - Snowthrow!' as an avatar on the NeoBoards!

 
 
This one was a pain at first but then I learned how to play well at it ;)

You may find this link helpful ;)
http://www.neopets.com/~tanye#chainlender
It basically is a lending group that together, they lend pets to others who need the avatar.
OR
http://www.neopets.com/neoboards/boardlist.phtml?board=21
you can create a board on the avatar chat (link above) stating that you lend avatar pet and there're maybe someone who needs the avatar will contact you.

As a child, it seemed that adults always knew what they were doing. I just always assumed ( and I'm assuming most kids are like this ) that adults had everything figured out. Now that I'm a little older, I've come to the conclusion that most people still don't know what they're doing, or what they want to do with their life. It might seem to you that your friends already know what they're going to do, but there's a good chance that they're actually still quite unsure themselves.
Me, personally, I've decided to go into zoology and so to most people it seems that I know what I want to do, but the reason I picked zoology is because all I know is that I want to work with animals. I'm still not sure about what exactly I want to do with animals and zoology will leave me with a lot of options by the time I graduate.
 
That being said, most people change careers I believe twice or thrice in their life so even when you do decide on something in the future, don't be afraid to change your mind again. What matters is that you find something you enjoy. And something you enjoy now isn't necessarily something you'll enjoy in 20 years. You're still young so you still have plenty of time to figure all this out, so I wouldn't get depressed over it. It's good to consider your options, but not to the point where it makes you feel upset.
 
As for the whole "not having talent', like duma said, sometimes you just need to put a lot of work into something before you're good at it. I don't consider myself to have any talents either, but for the last 3 years I've done a lot of research about something I'm passionate about, and I've had a chance to apply what I researched, and even though I still mess up, this is something I will never give up on. Even though people are telling me I'll never be one of the bests at it, perhaps one day I'll be able to prove them wrong because this is something I've decided I wanted, something I've decided I will put a lot of work into, because I feel like it's worth my time. I think once you find something like that, you'll feel a little better.
 
Either way, you're still young, I've only found my passion when I was 20 and only due to a certain event that happened in my life. This event might of never happened and I would still be searching for something to do with my life, so I'm sure you'll find something eventually.

Same here. I switched classes every two year in high school (Picked something at age 12, switched at age 14 and 16) and never had anything that I was -really- good at either, I was just an average student with everything. First I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher, then I switched again because I love nature so much so studied environmental care in College only to find out how much I loved chemistry and working in a lab. I'm pretty sure I won't do this for the rest of my life, no matter how much I still love it. There is always adult school to study for something new again and do something different. Or even combine things that you like. In my case I could try to give training at laboratories or teach lab/chemistry at schools if I follow a teaching class.
There are so many things and if you love a lot of things (points to "Interest" on the left ;)) you shouldn't worry and just try them! There isn't a bad turn, everything you learned, even if you changed later, is knowledge you have that form you and help you. Knowledge is never in vain.
The worst that might happen is that you need to do a job a bit longer if it doesn't pay you enough to get an extra class for something new. But I'm sure that there are ways around that too ;)
 
Never worry, it will all work out! *hug*

Aw, honey, 16 is an awfully young age to decide what you want to do for life. Believe me, even though your friends may seem talented, that doesn't mean they'll do said stuff for the rest of their lives.
 
Take me, for example. After 5 years in History College, I'm quitting. Even though I always loved History, only in University did I realize it was not really for me. I'm 23 and I'm starting a new course (Psychology) this year. It's never too late ;)

I'm so pathetic. I don't know what to do with my future. My friends all seem like they have plans. Any advice?

Turmaculus
The king of all petpets is sleeping... can your petpet wake him up??


You have awoken the great Turmaculus...
AHHHHHH!!!! Turmaculus ate your petpet! BURP
Something Has Happened! You are now eligible to use 'Turmaculus' as an avatar on the NeoBoards!

 

NEW BATTLEDOME CHALLENGER!!!
Turmaculus will be waiting for you in theBATTLEDOME!!!
Hide your petpets!!!!!
 
 
 
 
What a day :D It's my #325.
Doing it on and off for about 1 year!!! and I finally got it.
Although I'm a bit sad for my petpet, 'coz it was attached to my pet just a few days after my pet was created.

Something Has Happened! You are now eligible to use 'Destruct-O-Match II' as an avatar on the NeoBoards!  
Never going to play that color block thingys game :evil_notsmiling:

Turmaculus
The king of all petpets is sleeping... can your petpet wake him up??


You have awoken the great Turmaculus...
AHHHHHH!!!! Turmaculus ate your petpet! BURP
Something Has Happened! You are now eligible to use 'Turmaculus' as an avatar on the NeoBoards!

 

NEW BATTLEDOME CHALLENGER!!!
Turmaculus will be waiting for you in theBATTLEDOME!!!
Hide your petpets!!!!!
 
 
 
 
What a day :D It's my #325.
Doing it on and off for about 1 year!!! and I finally got it.
Although I'm a bit sad for my petpet, 'coz it was attached to my pet just a few days after my pet was created.