by VioletLeBeaux | Jul 27, 2009 | Baking, Cooking-Tutorials, Hime Gyaru, Tutorial
I hope you’re all ready for a no fuss mochi recipe!
Ok first off let me say that there are a bajillion photos ahead so if you’re on dial up this may not be the post for you… Now without further ado let me present….
Cooking with Violet and Susie!
Today on the Cooking with Violet and Susie show we will be preparing Mochi which will then be made into Strawberry Daifuku (also known as the yummiest thing on earth). 
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Here is what you will need: -1 microwave safe bowl -1/2 cup of white sugar -1 cup Mochiko (glutinous rice flour) plus extra for dusting (please note that one cup=250ml) -2/3 cup of water -1 punnet of strawberries (or your filling of choice) -1 chopping board -1 very sharp knife -1 spoon -Optional: anko to cover the strawberries in. Not used in this recipe but a delicious variation.
Please make sure to buy GLUTINOUS rice flour, it is not the same thing as rice flour. Don’t even bother to try to substitute plain rice flour or you’ll end up with a disgusting floury mess. Also useful to have is a gullible friend who you can trick into doing most of the work. I call mine Susie. 
Another key ingredient is a boyfriend with a camera so you don’t get flour all over your nice camera. Silly photos optional. 
First get all of your ingredients together and wash the strawberries. 
Get your friend to take care of the boring task of cutting the tops off the strawberries. 
If you have small strawberries you should use one per Daifuku, if your strawberries are larger cut them in half. This recipe will make around 10-14 Daifuku. 
Measure out 1 cup of mochiko (glutinous rice flour) and dump it in the microwave safe bowl. 
Also add 1/2 a cup of sugar to the bowl. 
While you do something more fun (like getting 2/3rds of a cup of water) make your human slave… I mean good friend… mix the flour and sugar together very well. 
Now add a little bit of water and mix it around with a spoon. Don’t add all the water yet. 
It should look like this: 
I’m sure your arm will be tired from all that manual labour so get your friend to add the rest of the water and mix it up into a runny kind of paste. Kind of the consistancy of honey. /> 
If she doesn’t do it fast enough make sure to beat her into submission with whatever kitchen appliance is handy… 
When there are no lumps pop the mixture into the microwave for 2 minutes. Times will vary d
epending on your microwave, mine is 1200watts. 
You should also leave it to cool for a minute or so or else you might burn yourself. This is a good time for your boyfriend to think of more artistic or flattering ways to photograph you. 
Dancing is also a good way to pass the time.
When you finally get back to your dough you may be slightly confused because it looks so gross and weird. Don’t panic. 
Spread some mochiko on the cutting board. 
Now mix up the dough with your spoon into a giant sticky ball. I can’t think of any way to describe it other than big sticky mess. Be very careful because it will be hot, the mochi retains heat very well. 
Roll the dough out onto the cutting board. 
Use the spoon to roll it around until the whole thing is coated in flour. The flour will help it be cool enough to touch, don’t be fooled though the inside is still hot and will burn you. 
Cut a corner of the mochi (dough) off, it should be just enough to cover your strawberry. 
Pull it out so it’s kind of a flat triangle. 
Take a strawberry and stick it in the middle, the following few pictures show me covering it and making it into a ball. 
![]()
style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 311px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_axNtgCrpfKM/Sm1qoeY0F5I/AAAAAAAABIQ/9pc1WMBsWUg/s400/DSC_0132_090723_232.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363059974852581266″ border=”0″ />Pinch the mochi closed and roll it in the flour so it’s not sticky. 
Taadaa strawberry daifuku! Make sure not to let Susie have any yet, she has to make her own! 
This section is titled “HOW NOT TO MAKE DAIFUKU”… or what James and Susie did. DON’T- Get the knife stuck in the mochi… 
DON’T- Get your fingers stuck to the mochi… 
OCCASSIONALLY- Laugh at your friend for getting her fingers stuck to the mochi… 
Especially as she desperately wipes her hands on the cutting board to try and get it off… 
DON’T- Try to colour the mochi with food dye after it’s been cooked in the microwave, this should only be done while it’s still a liquid! 
ESPECIALLY don’t just pour food dye over the top of it… this is asking for trouble.
DO- enjoy having to clean up the food colouring you spilled everywhere. 
Totally worth it right? 
Now you should make many more! Use up the rest of the mochi! 
Taadaa! 
Again, take as much time to cam whore as possible, cooking is an achievement and d eserves to be recorded! 
Also make sure to send any beggers away empty handed. I mean you did all the work right? Why should they get any? 
See we’re still friends, promise! 
Not eat your delicious creation! Enjoy how warm the sugary outside is against the tart cold strawberry. Have a good Iron Chef style judging moment, you could even write a haiku if the mood takes you. 
Just try not to choke… 
I hope you enjoyed our tutorial! It was all very tongue in cheek in case my sarcasm didn’t quite translate over the internet… You should all make you own, I want to see your results! Hope you enjoyed the mochi recipe!
by VioletLeBeaux | Jul 24, 2009 | Art
Morning! Well it’s actually afternoon but morning sounds so much more cheerful even if it’s incorrect 😉
I didn’t have time to get an ACEO Friday post ready as Susie came over again yesterday and we spent the whole day baking and doing deco. It was an awesome day and we even took photos for the tutorial I’m making on how to make Mochi… mmm mochi.
Anyway I thought you all might be more interested in some of my cuter artwork. I drew this last time we were up at Mooloolaba when it was my birthday. As you can see it’s a typical Lolita birthday 😉
Enjoy!
by VioletLeBeaux | Jul 22, 2009 | Baking, Life
I love baking with friends.
A while ago we were fortunate enough to stumble on a massive sale at Kmart… They had kitchen sets with like 100 pieces including pots and pans for $200… Awesome! Yay for having a matching kitchen set now 😀
So to celebrate James and I invited our lovely friend Susie over to have some fun and do some baking! She had just bought some adorable dinosaur cookie cutters so we decided to make yummy dinosaur cookies.
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We mixed up all the ingrediants, how cute is Susie btw?
Half way through we got distracted because there was a little mouse outside digging in the garden!! So cute! The photo is blurry because I took it through the door, I didn’t want to go outside with it hahaha.
I imagine James is thinking “Make my cookies girls!” Hahahaha! Nice try James, no cookies for you!
Dinosaur cookies! 
Stamping was fun, unfortunately we picked a recipe which really wasn’t designed to make cookies.
Of course while we were having fun talking about Decoden and trying to learn Japanese, James decided to play with the cookie cutters… dinosaur threesome= Slightly adult. ^_^
While I was icing the cookies Susie played my “Japanese Coach” game on my DS. She decided right then that she was going to get one XD
Yummy cookies! 
The icing made them look kind of gross!
Tadaa! 
Smile! They were delicious… well maybe not delicious but they sure were chocolatey…
The end! What’s your favorite recipe?
by VioletLeBeaux | Jul 20, 2009 | Hime Gyaru, Inspiration, Outfit Of The Day
Ok so you all kind of saw this outfit last week but oh well, I thought I’d post these anyway!
James bought himself some new lights for his photography and wanted to test them out, who better to pose 😉
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Oh also sorry for missing ACEO Friday, it will be back next week 🙂
Obviously this was before I dyed my hair again , I have a backlog of photos to post from then!
Outfit consists of white stockings, modified white heels, BtSSB Sleeping Alice jsk, Thrift store Cardigan, AP bow, red Target jacket, Pearl choker and a bunch of other jewelery. There are flowers in my hair too. I just love my flowers. I’ve actually just recieved a shipment from Yuki so I’m going to be doing a couple of tutorials and things with them, look forward to it!
And I wanted to make you all jealous with my awesome pork curry for dinner the other night. I looove pork curry.
Now something which is sure to make all of you into Decoden smile… DECO GUNDAM! You read right, it’s actually a Gundam figure that someone has deco’d. How awesome is this?
I’m not sure where these pictures are from originally so credit to whoever owns them.
I love the little star coming from it’s gun!
If I were going to pilot a Gundam I hope they would have the curtacy to decorate it like this!
Now I have a question to ask you guys… is there anything specific that you would like to see on my blog? Is there a particular design of nail art you want a tutorial on? Hair style? Want to see a shop reviewed? Want to know more about me personally? Have a question you’re dying to ask? Desperate to know what shade of lipstick I wear?
Well now is your chance to ask! Just leave me a comment and I’ll add it to my “To Do” list. Or maybe just more outfit posts 😉
<3
by VioletLeBeaux | Jul 15, 2009 | About Me, Decoden, Hime Gyaru, Inspiration, Life, Nails
Well I’ve had quite a few questions about what inspires me to do the things I do and clothes I wear. I’ve been asked what blogs I read too so I thought I’d use today’s post to give a bit of a shout out to people I admire and my favorite things! This is going to be a pretty long post because I have a lot of wonderful people to talk about, at the end there are random facts about me you didn’t know so keep reading!
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I’m also going to be adding to this over time too.(All photos other than the one above credited to their original owners and found via google images ^_^ Also these are all my opinions, I’m not being paid to endorse anything hahaha!)
Styles that Inspire me:
Hime Gyaru Hime style is what I’m most inspired by at the moment. The philosophy is basically to live like a princess! Big hair, big accessories and big nails, I love it all. Many people refer to this style as “Lolita’s older sister” because many Lolitas graduate to this style. It’s slightly more grown up but not much! I think it’s less restrictive though, I can wear beautiful high heels 😀
Lolita One of my first fashion loves was Lolita and no matter what I do I’ll never shake it completely! While I still love the over the top-ness that is Sweet Style, after almost 5 years or so I’m moving towards Classic styles. Still love my pettis though 😀
1950-60’s and RockabillyI love the music and the dresses. I may not have ben alive when it happened but I sure love that style! I know it’s oversimplifying it but I wish girls still got all dolled up for a night at the Malt Shop ^_^ So classy and classicly beautiful. This cut of dress is flattering on almost anyone.
Shops that I Love: Angelic Pretty- The ultimate Lolita store, enough said. I still love their accessories and a lot of the dresses.
http://www.angelicpretty.com/en/ http://www.angelicpretty.com/ 
Jesus Diamante- Jesus Diamante is to Hime Gyaru what AP is to Lolita. I looove so many of their accessories and dresses. I would kill for some of their shoes… so expensive though ;_;
http://www.jesusdiamante.com/
OC Nails- Kathleen over at OC nails is a champion! They sell fantastic Konad supplies and they regularly offer free shipping for orders over $20… even international shipping! I’ve placed orders and the communication is fantastic and the shipping was very promt. Proper review next time I order 🙂 Anyway if you need any Konad nail art supplies check them out!
http://www.ocnailart.com/ 
NailsEtoile.com– This nail shop is run by Mitsue in Adelaide. She seriosly has some of the prettiest and most creative designs I’ve ever seen! She’s super nice too 😀 Currently her shop is under construction but you can still see all her tutorials here:http://www.create-magical-nails.com/ Full Moon Deco- Yuki runs this shop out of Australia, she sells lots of fake nails but also she sells a lot of imported
http://fullmoon07xxx.ocnk.net/ Blogs that I Loooove:
In no particular order…
Create Magical Nails This is Mitsue’s blog, she writes the best nail art tutorials. She’s also my Princess Sister from another city ^_^ You might have already clicked the link to her shop in the section above, if not check this out because she makes the best acrylic nails I’ve ever seen! http://miniblog.create-magical-nails.com/mini_nail_blog/ Getcha Nails Did Brooke is the champi on of nail polish. If you are into nails and haven’t been to her blog get there quickly! http://getchanailsdid.blogspot.com/ Jimmy America My wonderful boyfriend James’ blog. I sure do love him. He writes about random things and cameras. http://jimmyamerica.blogspot.com/ Sigmate’s Studio Sigmate writes about comic books and comic book artists. He features a different artist and interviews them every week! http://sigmatestudio.com/ Princessly Living A very well written blog about Lolita fashion. There are great articles and Lady Kristen writes with inteligence and knowledge that can only come with being in the subcultre for a long time. http://princess-living.blogspot.com/ Not sure the title… An adorable blog of a Japanese Lolita girl. I haven’t gotten a chance to read much of it yet but the pictures are enough to keep me coming back! http://utsugixtarte.blog74.fc2.com/ Hey Lola One word: hilarious. http://www.loveheylola.com/ Vestque’s Creations Vestque makes some really fantastic artwork, she’s also a really nice person! My favorite works of hers are the cute anime versions of real people she does, check a couple of posts back to see the ones she did of me, too cute! http://vestque.wordpress.com/ One Thousand Frills An intelectual take on Lolita. Several really well writen essays and thoughts on Lolita fashion. Cassandra is also a really great comic book artist. http://onethousandfrills.blogspot.com/ Super Kawaii Mama A melbourne fashion icon… but mostly just a really nice lady! Candice gives style tips for retro themed looks and regularly blogs about her awesome outfits. http://www.superkawaiimama.com.au/ Blue Crane Design My work blog… of course I read it, I write it! Writings about graphic design and all kinds of other junk 😉 http://bluecranedesign.blogspot.com/ Himehood Has quite a few tutorials on how to make hime style things at home. http://himehood.blogspot.com/ Konaddict A relatively new blog which features some of the prettiest Konad designs I’ve ever seen. Tutorials for all of them too! http://konaddict.blogspot.com/ Xiaxue Ok a lot of people hate her but I think she’s pretty damn funny! Outrageous but hilarious. http://xiaxue.blogspot.com/ Koakumachou Adorable little Siru’s blog. She’s a beautiful girl who’s interested in Gyaru fashion and does a fantastic job at it! Lots of cute photos. http://koakumachou.blogspot.com/ Never Too Much Glitter Written by a girl living in Japan with a love for glitter and rhinestones, this blog has super cute nail art. Almost a new nail art pic every day. If you love bling, you’ll love this! http://nevertoomuchglitter.wordpress.com/ Hearty and Hearty Japanese hime blog, makes her own increadible hime deco items. Lots of pink and frills, written by one of the cutest princesses I’ve ever seen 🙂 http://hearty2.blogspot.com Madam Salami Hand made and recycled goods by Madam Salami. Full of cute one of a kind clothing and cute anecdotes. http://handmadebymadamsalami.blogspot.com/ Clockwork Dahlia Lots of nail polish reviews and swatches as well as some other interesting and random things. http://clockworkdahlia.blogspot.com/ Cranky Twin Mom LOVE this blog! Heather has her own etsy shop which I’ve reviewed here before. She talks about her new products and being a mother of twins, very funny! http://crankytwinmom.blogspot.com/ Cherry Pop Lots of Japanese magazine scans and gyaru pictures. Also sometimes includes videos and pictures of fashion shows. http://cherrypop.over-blog.com/ Groups and websites: Ricoche Ricoche is a forum/gallery/meeting place/everything for all types of Gyaru. There aren’t many Hime style girls here but keep an eye out and you’ll spot them ^_^ Has a massive amount of information and photos. http://www.ricoche.net/ Poupee Girl Fantastic time wasting site! Upload your wardrobe and comment, then dress up your virtual doll. So much fun! http://pupe.ameba.jp/ People/celebrities/models I admire: Keiko Mizoe Keiko is the ultimate Hime Gyaru. She is the top shop assistant at Jesus Diamante and models for the magazine Ageha. I’m jealous! Ah can you imagine an unlimited JD wardrobe at your disposal? *sigh* one day. So I admire her because she works hard at what she does, she has style and she does it very well! 
James McDuff Yep James gets another mention because he’s awesome. I really do admire him, he’s so good to me. He has a great outlook on life and is always positive when I tend to be negative. He’s put up with a lot and we’re still together and going strong! Also I just enjoy posting unflattering photos of him 😀 This was when he was cleaning the bathroom and I ran in and surprised him! 
To be honest as much as I’m inspired by the looks of some famous people, the people who inspire me most of all are you guys! I love reading your blogs and especially your comments, you all make my day and make me want to keep posting often! Some random things you didn’t know about me: -I looove candy and sweet things but my favorite food is pasta -I don’t like ice cream or people who smoke -I had blue hair for around 6 months -I am fanatical about saving money for a rainy day -I have lived in 23 houses… so far -I cut my finger today while making lunch 🙁 -I have been ill for the last 2 years with a disease no one can figure out, I have seizures and that sucks. -I love playing video games! Especially Super Smash Bros, I am champion at it! For the future: -I’m going to grow my hair out or maybe I’ll get some proper extensions. -I’m going to buckle down and learn more Japanese, at the moment I think I could chat to a kindergardener ^_^ Kanji here I come! -Saving money for a trip to Japan and a house deposit -WORK WORK WORK! Hard work sees results so I am going to work my butt off 😀
Please make sure to buy GLUTINOUS rice flour, it is not the same thing as rice flour. Don’t even bother to try to substitute plain rice flour or you’ll end up with a disgusting floury mess. Also useful to have is a gullible friend who you can trick into doing most of the work. I call mine Susie. 
Another key ingredient is a boyfriend with a camera so you don’t get flour all over your nice camera. Silly photos optional. 
First get all of your ingredients together and wash the strawberries. 
Get your friend to take care of the boring task of cutting the tops off the strawberries. 
If you have small strawberries you should use one per Daifuku, if your strawberries are larger cut them in half. This recipe will make around 10-14 Daifuku. 
Measure out 1 cup of mochiko (glutinous rice flour) and dump it in the microwave safe bowl. 
Also add 1/2 a cup of sugar to the bowl. 
While you do something more fun (like getting 2/3rds of a cup of water) make your human slave… I mean good friend… mix the flour and sugar together very well. 
Now add a little bit of water and mix it around with a spoon. Don’t add all the water yet. 
It should look like this: 
I’m sure your arm will be tired from all that manual labour so get your friend to add the rest of the water and mix it up into a runny kind of paste. Kind of the consistancy of honey. /> 
If she doesn’t do it fast enough make sure to beat her into submission with whatever kitchen appliance is handy… 
When there are no lumps pop the mixture into the microwave for 2 minutes. Times will vary d
You should also leave it to cool for a minute or so or else you might burn yourself. This is a good time for your boyfriend to think of more artistic or flattering ways to photograph you. 
Dancing is also a good way to pass the time.
Spread some mochiko on the cutting board. 
Now mix up the dough with your spoon into a giant sticky ball. I can’t think of any way to describe it other than big sticky mess. Be very careful because it will be hot, the mochi retains heat very well. 
Roll the dough out onto the cutting board. 
Use the spoon to roll it around until the whole thing is coated in flour. The flour will help it be cool enough to touch, don’t be fooled though the inside is still hot and will burn you. 
Cut a corner of the mochi (dough) off, it should be just enough to cover your strawberry. 
Pull it out so it’s kind of a flat triangle. 
Take a strawberry and stick it in the middle, the following few pictures show me covering it and making it into a ball. 
Taadaa strawberry daifuku! Make sure not to let Susie have any yet, she has to make her own! 
This section is titled “HOW NOT TO MAKE DAIFUKU”… or what James and Susie did. DON’T- Get the knife stuck in the mochi… 
DON’T- Get your fingers stuck to the mochi… 
OCCASSIONALLY- Laugh at your friend for getting her fingers stuck to the mochi… 
Especially as she desperately wipes her hands on the cutting board to try and get it off… 
DON’T- Try to colour the mochi with food dye after it’s been cooked in the microwave, this should only be done while it’s still a liquid! 
ESPECIALLY don’t just pour food dye over the top of it… this is asking for trouble.
DO- enjoy having to clean up the food colouring you spilled everywhere. 
Totally worth it right? 
Now you should make many more! Use up the rest of the mochi! 
Taadaa! 
Again, take as much time to cam whore as possible, cooking is an achievement and d eserves to be recorded! 
Also make sure to send any beggers away empty handed. I mean you did all the work right? Why should they get any? 
See we’re still friends, promise! 
Not eat your delicious creation! Enjoy how warm the sugary outside is against the tart cold strawberry. Have a good Iron Chef style judging moment, you could even write a haiku if the mood takes you. 
Just try not to choke… 
I hope you enjoyed our tutorial! It was all very tongue in cheek in case my sarcasm didn’t quite translate over the internet… You should all make you own, I want to see your results! Hope you enjoyed the mochi recipe! 
