PIE: Cornish Pie

INGREDIENTS (made for 7 people)

(for pastry, search PASTRY for Cornish Pie in this blog.) 

Chicken (Take the flesh. About half of King ice-cream container. Boil the chicken. Once it is cooked,
               take it out to shred the flesh. The boiled water, do not throw that away. Use it to make
               chicken soup.)

Olive oil (for saute)
2 Purple Onions
1 Yellow Onion (Diced both onions)
Garlic (About two cloves will be enough. Pound them.)
Curry powder (You need about 1/2 of cereal bowl. Add in about 1 1/2 teaspoon of blended chilli. )
Sweet potatoes (Preferably the orange one. You need about slightly more than a half arm length.)
Water (to turn the curry powder into paste)
Oyster sauce (about one tablespoon)
Pepper
Soya Sauce (not to much. Just nice for the colour. No need to add salt as soya sauce is salty enough.)

Two hard boiled eggs (cut this into quarters. Put in one for each pie)

1.  Heat up the oil. Then put in the onions and garlic.
2. Put in the curry. Stir it well. Make sure that it is cooked.
3. Add in sweet potatoes and chicken.
4. Let it simmer for a while before putting in the oyster sauce, pepper and soya sauce. 
5. With the filling is cooked, leave it to cool for a while.
6. Take a fistful of dough and roll it.
7. Place about two tablespoon of filling in the middle of the rolled out dough. Place either one or two
     cut eggs. Then close up the pie.

Look at the picture as in how to close the dough.

8. Put the pie into the oven which of course should be pre-heated at 190. Let the pie bake for 20 - 22 minutes.
9. Glaze the pie with the beaten egg yolk.

MY THOUGHTS

I really enjoyed making the pie. It was not difficult but rather relaxing. It should be served with a bowl of soup and salad.

The pie should be eaten while it is hot.

Mee Siam Berkuah (Bee Hoon with Sauce)

POINT TO PONDER

I made a mistake yesterday. I was angry with someone but then my remark which I upload in one of the social network might have hurt others. However, I consider myself lucky as another friend messaged me with an advice. Reading her message, I quickly posted an apology. After that, I just hid my so-called offensive message.

Thinking back, I should not let others ruin my happiness. If people overacting according to my view, I should simply ignore. Can I actually do this? After much practicing, I suppose I can. It would surely take time before I can get the hold of things.

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups of chilli boh
oil
Toufu (cut it into small pieces. Then, deep fry them. The colour should be light brown.)
1 packet of Bee Hoon (You need to soak it in hot water for a few minutes. It will soften but do not let
                                      it be to soft. It should be less then 5 minutes.)
2 1/2 cups of peeled prawns (can replace this with beef as well. You need to boil it first for at least 1
                                            hour. It need to be tender. In fact, you can use the broth to cook as well.
                                            The meat should be cut into small pieces.)
2 cereal bowls of Beansprouts (peel off the ends)
1/2 cup of soya sauce
1/2 cup of oil

1. Heat up the wok.
2. Pour in the oil.
3. Put in the chilli. Fry it until it curdles. You might want to use the broth to keep on frying the chilli
    boh.
4. Put in the prawn or beef.
5. Then, put in the bee hoon, beansprouts, soya sauce and toufu.
6. Mix them well by fanning them (You need to use two ladles in order to do this)

(Sauce)
1 cup of teochu (make sure it is the fine one. If not, you need to pound it.)
3 cloves of fat garlic (slice it thinly)
2 1/2 bowls of water
1 teaspoon of sugar
2 tablespoons of oil

1. Heat up the pot.
2. Put in the garlic. It should become yellowish or until you can smell it.
3. Pour in the teochu.
4. Pour in the water and add in the sugar.
5. Let it boil.

MY THOUGHTS

My eldest son loves it. However, according to my nephew, it is rather too spicy for him.

Vegetable: Pokaras

POINT TO PONDER

A teenager was reported to be taken by spirits while wondering in an abundant villa. Then, a day after, he was said to have accidentally overslept at a friend's house.

I notice that parents nowadays are too understanding until they let their children go wherever and whenever they please. It is no longer like my younger days where parents often controlled the children whereabouts. Some people believe that it is good to give freedom to the children. Only a handful do not share the same view.

A few weeks ago, a teenager was reported to steal two cars. I cannot remember the whole story though. The first car he took was with passengers including a baby. He crashed that car in which the baby is now in coma while the other passengers are injured.

This incident surely proves that too much freedom is not good for children. They just simply do not know their boundaries - what is right and what is wrong. It is the parents vital role to show or guide the children as in how to behave in the society. I know that it is not an easy task as parents too are busy working so as to provide the children with comfortable living. That is why, at times or rather most of the time, we need the community to help us as the community could be the parents' eyes and ears whenever they are not at home. (At the same time, can we really trust the community?)

Children should not be let lose like the cows. It is not necessary for the children to be let lose in the field to graze the grass. If they have to graze the grass, then the parents should monitor or at least set the time when they can go to the field to graze the grass. There should be curfew time in which by ten at night, they should already be in their respective barns. By doing this, parents are teaching time management. Time management is vitally important once the children have grown into adults. Fail to understand the concept, they might not be able to succeed in life.

Personally I believe that it is the parents' responsibility to mould the children to become good citizens. How busy we are, we as parents should make time to have, at least, dinner with them. Family quality time helps with not only one's confident and self-esteem but also understanding of the norm which is culturally accepted and definitely not against the religion .

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup of chick-pea flour
1/4 cup of raising flour
1 teaspoon of garam masala
1/2 teaspoon of chilli powder
a pinch of salt
water (just enough to make a thick batter)
cauliflower (cut it into bite size)
Oil (a lot as you need to deep fry) 

1. Pour in the chick-pea flour, raising flour, garam masala, chilli powder and salt into a bowl.
2. Add in water to make a thick batter. Pour in a little at a time.
3. Put in the cauliflower, Mix in well
4. Deep fry it.

POINT TO PONDER

 It tastes a little bit like seaweed. I like it. My parents seem to enjoy it. I serve it as a side dish to fried noodles.

Beef: Daging Masak Kicap with Curry

POINT TO PONDER

Lately, I have been very lazy. I do not wish to do anything except lying in bed and watch television. I know it is not good but I keep on doing it.

If I listen to myself talking, I would be very embarassed to admit that I will never achieve whatever I have declared to do. The spirit of hardworking seems to have evaporated. I do not seem to have the drive to do anything except laying in bed and watch television. Books do not interest me anymore.

I have been thinking of doing my PhD at the end of 2014. I have this dream of coaching my three sons - making sure their results for 2014 are good enough for boarding schools. Then, with God's will, my husband will try to get them a place. Having the boys in the boarding school and my girls in the universities, I could definitely concentrate on my studies.

That is a wonderful dream, one would say but can it be materialised as the lazy part of me seems to overpowering my goal, my dream. What am I to do? No one could tell me what to do unless I really push myself to do it.

Dear God, please give the Will to study, the Will to help my sons to excel, the Will to make sure my life...every single one of my children succeed in their lives.

INGREDIENTS

1 kg of beef (cut into bite size)
1 teaspoon of tomato paste
3 tablespoon of curry powder
1 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 cup of soya sauce
2 teaspoons of tamarind.
2 carrots
1 large onion (sliced it thinly)
2 cloves of garlic (sliced it thinly)
1 thumb-sized of ginger (pound it)
2 cups of water
1 teaspoon of vinegar
3 tablespoons of oil

1.Mix the beef with tomato paste,  tamarind juice and pepper. Leave it for 30 minutes.
2. Heat the pot and then pour the oil into the pot.
3. Put in onion and garlic. When you can actually smell the garlic, ....
4. Add in the beef.
5. Pour in the water. Leave it until the beef is tender.
6. Then add in the carrot and vinegar.

MY THOUGHTS

This dish is better eaten with salted fish and hot rice. The gravy should be quite thick. Only then, it will taste good.

Chicken Vindaloo

POINT TO PONDER

In his A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE, Tun talks about a particular person who he seemed to admire at first. In fact, he even thought that the person could be the country's effective leader in the future. Due to this, he tend to brush away any negative thoughts or even negative things that people say about this person until the day when he had to study the evidences himself.

I bet Tun was disheartened with the things that he found out. When I first became a head of a particular department, I too experienced the same thing. There was this person who I thought could go very far and, perhaps, one day took over my position. I did my very best to mould this person but the person, one the other hand had her own agenda.

Behind my back, she wanted to start a coup d'état. Cunningly, she made a great effort to influence a few of my staff against me. It was a non-stop movement. During that time, I felt as if someone had put a plastic bag over my head. I could not breathe and, at times, I felt that I would not be able to survive.

Did I feel like giving up? Many times for sure. However, a word of advice, if you are not doing anything wrong and you are always doing things with good intention, you should hang in there. Perseverance is the word. God will definitely help.

She, on the other hand, has long moved away from the state and, the last time I heard, she is having problem with her second husband. God has His own way of teaching his servants. Like a friend of mine used to say, when something bad happen, you should not take action straight away. At times, we need to let it takes place in its own course.

INGREDIENTS

 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds
1 large onion (slice not so thinly)
1 teaspoon of cummin (blend or pound it)
A thumb-sized of ginger (pound it) 
1 cup of chilli boh
1/2 chicken (cut into medium size)
2 tablespoon of vinegar (use the vegetable type)
2 sprigs of curry leaves
1.5 cup of water
1 teaspoon of sugar and salt
5 tablespoon of oil

1. Heat the pot. Then pour in the oil.
2. Put in the mustard seeds. They will crackle.
3. Add in the chilli boh, ginger and cummin. Stir until the mixture starts to curdle.
4. Put in the chicken and onion. 
5. Pour in the water.
6. Add in the sugar and salt
7. Throw in the curry leaves.
8. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes for the chicken to cook.

MY THOUGHTS

I personally love this dish. It is nice to eat with hot rice. You can have it together with Fried Mixed Vegetables.

Cake: Banana

POINT TO PONDER

It makes you proud if your children turn out to be good or even better than yourself. My expectations are of course rather high. I want my children to be not only intelligent but also morally good, well-liked, always remember God and a few other good stuff. (Definitely it is not easy being my children.)

As we were walking at a shopping mall, my second daughter said to me if you had not taught me to throw rubbish properly, life would be easier. In her hand, she was holding crumpled plastic and there was no rubbish bin in sight.

INGREDIENTS

240 gram of Ordinary Flour
90 gram of Butter
90 gram of castor sugar
1 cup of mashed banana
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of soda bicarbonate
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of orange juice
2 tablespoons of milk

1. Using the mixer, mix the sugar and butter until the mixture is really light. ( To test, scoop the mixture. When scooping, if it feels light that means the mixture is ready. The other one is its colour. It should be almost white.)
2. Then add in the eggs. One at a time. (You should break the eggs into a cup first to make sure that the eggs are ok to use.)
3. Sieve in a little bit of the flour.
4. Switch off the mixer. Use just steel spoon.
5. Add in the banana. Scoop it into the mixture or make the number eight. (This way you can make sure that the cake will turn out nice.)
6. Sieve in the flour, baking powder and soda bicarbonate. (Same style of doing it. Scoop or make the number eight.)
7. Pour in the orange juice and milk. Mix it well. (Same style.)
8. Pour the mixture into a container 8 inch x 8 inch which has been coated with margarine or butter.
9. Put the container into the oven which has been preheated at 180 for about 20 to 30 minutes.

MY THOUGHTS

My children love the cake especially when it is hot.

I coated my cake with chocolate and sprinkled some sweets on top.

Sardine with Chilli

POINT TO PONDER

It is our culture that we should shake people's hands when we meet. It is not expected, though, people of different gender to do it to one another.

Recently, people have gone a little bit Arabic. They would put their chicks next to one another - left and right sides - while one hand is holding the other person's hand and the other on the person's arm or back. (It all depends on how close you are.) This is usually practised by the women. Men rarely do this.

Is this an important thing to do? It is more of being polite. Apart from that, you will be seen as a cultured person...the old folks will classify this as good manners.

Children should be reminded to do this. We want people to like our children. If people like our children, they will not hesitate to help our children.

INGREDIENTS

1 tin of sardine
1/2 large onion (slice it thinly)
1 red chilli (slice it thinly)
1 teaspoon of soya sauce
2 teaspoons of tomato sauce
1 teaspoon of lime juice
oil

1. Heat up the pot
2. Pour in the oil. Not too much.
3. Put in the sliced onion and chilli. Fry until they are limb.
4. Pour in the sardine. Leave it for two minutes.
5. Add in the soya sauce, lime juice and tomato sauce.

MY THOUGHTS

While I was cooking it, I did not think that it would turn out to be good. However, eating it with hot boiled rice, I found it really nice.

We had the dish with Rasam.

Chicken Stew

POINT TO PONDER

Everyone wants to be rich, or should I say that everyone wants to be seen as rich. Who would admit that they do not have money? My neighbour? House number less than 20. This family is a different story. The husband and wife are more of parasite. They love to live off other people's effort. I believe they should live in the jungle as they do not know how to consider other people's feelings.

When they first moved in, they seemed to be nice. We often talked and exchanged information but then when the husband opened a workshop with the aid of ALONG, they started to change. (Perhaps due to the pressure of life or perhaps they became a bit smug - thinking that they were already rich.)

Then, the whole family disappeared. The house was left empty for months. Every now and then, someone would come and stay in the house. Then, all of a sudden, the house was totally empty again. It was at that time when my maid told me about people coming over asking about them. At times, one or two would wait outside for their return. It frightened the wits of my maid. That was when we were told that ALONG was chasing after them. (I do not really understand how ALONG works. Are they the same as bank? But many people say that their rulings are worst than the bank system.)

Just like the way she disappeared with her family, she turned up again all of a sudden. Initially, it was just her and her friends. Praying by burning papers in front of the house - huge pile of papers being burnt. (It pissed me off as the burnt papers filled up my porch and, if we are unlucky, they would land on wet surface thus we had to wash the whole porch as there were black patches every where.)

One night, she came to my house explaining her situation. (Somehow or other she seemed to know that everyone knew her situation.) And she also announced that she had divorced the husband. She claimed that she did not want the husband to even see the children. She believed that ALONG did not know how they look like.

The biggest mistake that people make when they are in a big shit was to lie. It was not even two months when the neighbourhood realized that she was telling fibs. The great liar was pregnant and her tummy was really showing. She could even tell my other neighbour's maid that she wished that she would give birth to a girl. After a while, we saw the husband coming and going from the house.

Now, why do I call her parasite? The whole neighbourhood had to contribute RM400 so as to turn our area into a gated area. Our area used to be infested with all sorts of crime. She refused. When the committee approached her, she shouted at the top of her lung that she did not have the money. No money my head....some of my friends would say.

I remembered when my father was admitted in a private hospital and the bill had come up to RM 15 000. Both my sister and brother were not around and so the clerk had to approach me - me who really do not have much money to spare. I suppose just by looking at my face, the clerk could tell my financial situation. She told me of another person's situation and then asked me whether I could pay. With a pathetic look (I guess), I said we would find it difficult. So she suggested that we paid in installment. (What a relief!) After all the haggling made by me, my siblings paid the bill in cash. Ah! Rich people.

The moral of the story is that one does not have to shout and scream. One can always discuss if one finds oneself in a fixed financial situation. There is always a way out.

INGREDIENTS
A cereal bowl of chicken (bite-sized) - marinate it with the corn flour and pepper.
1 teaspoon of corn flour
1 carrot (cut it into small logs)
1 celery ( cut it about 5mm)
1 tin of button mushroom (cut them into four)
1 large onion (cut it into cubes)
butter (about four tablespoons)
pepper
salt
3 litre water
spring onion

1. Heat up the pot.
2. Put in the butter. Once melted, fry the chicken. When the chicken is slightly brown on both sides, take them out.
3. Put in the onions. Fry them until limb.
4. Add in the chicken, carrot, celery and mushroom.
5. Pour in the water.
6. Add in salt and pepper. If you want a thicker soup, you may want to add another teaspoon of cornflour.
7. Before serving, sprinkle some cut spring onions.

MY THOUGHTS

I have made this before but it tasted much better than yesterday. Anyway, I prefer this dish to be creamier. To get this taste, you need to use a little bit more butter but not too much or else it will become too oily.

Soup: Sup Tulang Merah

POINT TO PONDER

Do people change their ideology, principle in life? Based on my observation, some people do change. However, there are a few who hold strongly to whatever they believe in. Me? I would say that I am the swaying kind - especially facing with those sweet talkers or enthusiasts who are able to express themselves eloquently, convincingly. It will be only after a while I will realize my mistake - realize what it should be truthfully. (Anyway, it is not easy to determine what is right and what is wrong. It is a real scary world to live in.)

Some people are so desperate. They change their ideology so that they will get what they want. The question is, by getting what you want, will you be happy for the rest of your life? Perhaps, you will but the after-life will be questionable.

I still remember when I was studying in Plymouth. The scholarship that I received was not enough. Life, basically, was expensive. If I was not careful, I would not have anything to eat before the end of the month. A friend of mine who loved to buy clothes and went to 'places' would usually eat fried batter towards the end of the month as she did have not enough money for rice or other food stuff.

Living with a tight financial situation was not grand at all. So, at one point, I decided to find a part-time job illegally. (We were not supposed to work - full or part time. That was the condition when we signed the agreement.) The first part time job was with an Indian Restaurant. I was a waitress. To be honest, I found it very humiliating. I felt like a whore - parading in front of the customers with my 'kebaya'. I was asked to put on our traditional female clothing which is usually tight fitting. It was a good thing that the job did not last. Maybe, it was God way of protecting me.

My second and last part-time job was with a Chinese Restaurant. Initially, I applied as a waitress but a waitress in a Chinese Restaurant should not cover their hair - no head gear. So, the owner asked me to take it off. As I wanted the job so much, I told the interviewer that I would take off my headgear or we call it 'tudung'.

Fortunately, when I was in my room, I came to my senses. I did not feel that it was the right thing to do. The more I thought about it, the more vulgar it became. How dare was the guy to ask me to take off my 'tudung'? The humiliation became an anger. I went back to the place and told him that I had a change mind but, to my surprise, he offered me another position. I was given the responsibility of preparing the dessert in the kitchen. Excellent!

We, human, are lucky creatures as we are made with wonderful brain. We should use it  to think things carefully. By standing firm to our ideology or even principle in life, we will gain respect. When people say things to you, think carefully. Is it right or wrong? We should always use our listening skills carefully. Some people are very good with words but people with bad intentions will tend to use words that reflect their characteristics. So, we should always LISTEN with our brain being fully function.

INGREDIENTS

STAGE ONE

1 kg mutton (cut into bite sized)
2 lemon grass (bruised)
a thumb-sized ginger (my thumb is rather small so it has to be double my size. Bruised)
2 cloves of garlic (bruised)

1. Take a 5-litre pot. Fill half of it with water.
2. Put in everything into the pot.
3. Let it boil for 30 minutes.
4. Then, scoop out the mutton and throw away the water.

STAGE TWO

1. 1/2 teaspoon of pelaga and cengkih.
2. 1 inch of cinnamon
3. 1 teaspoon of bunga lawang.
4. 1 1/2 ladle of chilli boh
5. 2 ladles of tomato sauce
6. 1 1/2 teaspoon of tomato paste
7. 3 tomatoes (slice like an orange)
8. 2 carrots (cut like small logs)
9. 2 potatoes (cut into six or four - depending on the size)
10. 1 celery (slice not so thinly)
11. oil
12. salt and white pepper / black pepper
13. fried shallots and daun sup (for garnishing)
14. 2 1/2 litre of water

1. Heat up the pot.
2. Put in the oil. Then, put in pelaga, cengkih, cinnamon and bunga lawang. Fry them for a few seconds.
3. Put in the chilli boh. Once it starts to curdle, add in the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Let them simmer for a while.
4. Pour in the water.
5. Add in the mutton. Let it boil for about 2-3 hours.
6. Towards the last 30 minutes, add in the tomatoes, carrots, potatoes and celery.
7. Add in the salt and pepper.

EAT WITH BREAD.

MY THOUGHTS

As the whole family does not have rice for dinner, this is an ideal meal - especially for me as it is tomato sour and spicy.

Dalca: Vegetarian

POINT TO PONDER

Sometimes, the so-called adults behave like children. We are immature and do not consider other people's feelings. We shout and scream when other people do not give us what we want. Yet, we want people to see us, the adults, as the wise ones, the mature ones.

                  This reminds me of ...an incident when I was young. My mother invited her siblings' families over for dinner. I was so excited. I wanted to make the dinner a memorable one. So, I started to rearrange my room for a game. There were a few stations and each station had a clue and something to do.

                   We had fun playing and eating. When the time came for my cousins to leave, one of them took my clue. I went after him and shouted for him to return in which, being a child, he refused. The clue was just a piece of paper and I could easily make another one but, again being a child, I shouted for the return of my clue. My aunties and my mummy helped to get the clue back. Once they found out that it was just a piece of paper, they were rather displeased. No one understood, at that time, that the piece of paper meant something to me. Being a child, I was pretty possessive with the things that I own.

                   I believe that is why the Muslims in Malaysia are pretty upset with the Christians who insist on using the term that is so dear to them. They have been using it since it first began. The term appears in Quran many times. The Quran is written in Arabic and that is actually the first language of Islam. As for the Bible, I wonder, does it have the term in its original version? The original version of the Bible, I believe, is in Latin? Does it have it?

                   Why do we wish to torment others if the other party really is sensitive over it? If we do not like to be hurt, we should not hurt others too. However, most of us, I find, are rather selfish. "What about me?" they would usually say.

                   There was this person who hurt me badly. When I confronted that person, she could not understand why I was upset. The only that she was thinking of was herself. "What about me?" she said. The best thing of all, I did not do anything to her. When I asked her, she said it was merely my aura. She did not even have the courage to get to know me and yet she could judge me.

 Tst!  tst! tst!

INGREDIENTS

One cup of dhal
2 Carrots (slice them)
one Brinjal (cut it bite size)
2 potatoes (cut into six or four - depending on the size of the potatoes)
3 green Chillies

Pound the following:
1 inch of ginger
2 garlics
1 onion

curry leaves
bunga cengkih, bunga lawang and cinnamon
1 teaspoon of mustard seeds

oil
sugar and salt

1. Boil the dhal until it is really soft. It takes about 30 minutes or so.
2. Then, add in the carrots, brinjal, green chillies and potatoes.
3. In a hot pan, pour in the oil.
4. Add in the biji sawi.
5. After the biji sawi starts popping, add in bunga cengkih, bunga lawang and cinnamon.
6.  Then put in the pounded ingredients into the pan.
7. Finally, the curry leaves.
8. Leave it for about 1 minute. Then, pour it into the dhal mixture.
9. Add in sugar and salt.

MY THOUGHTS

I got this recipe from the internet. It is really nice. I had it with Nasi Briani but you could also eat it with chapatti.

Vegetable: Sayur Keladi Rebus

POINT TO PONDER

My husband had a dizzy spell when he was at the gym two days ago. Initially, he announced that he would be going to the gym with our three sons but then, just before he left, he insisted that I came along. ((I refused at first as I wanted very much to read the article that I have printed.)

          The layout of the gym is pretty impressive. They have a few LCDs that play nice movies. So, when you are on the thread-mill, you really enjoy the walk or the run that you are having. The LCDs are also placed in front of the 'bicycles,.

           I was embarrassed at first as the place was filled with young ones. I, with my humongous body, did not really fit the picture. Once my husband had set me up on a thread-mill, everything else seemed to out of my mind. Twenty minutes on the thread-mill, I moved to the 'bicycle' section but my right knee did not allow me to do it for long. Feeling tired, I stationed myself on one of the provided soft bench and started to read the novel that I conveniently tucked in my rucksack.

          It was just a matter of a few pages of reading, my husband place himself next to me. He softly told me that he was not feeling well - a bit dizzy. His body was perspiring profusely. Not knowing what to do, I just looked at him with my novel still in my hands. He took off his glasses and handed it over to me. Right after that, he slowly collapsed.

        I still could not believe such thing could happen to me. It appeared like unreal but my instinct made me pull him to my lap. His body just went limp. Luckily, there were a few youngsters who saw came to our rescue. One person in particular took exercise-cushions and placed my husband's feet on them - to make them higher, according to him. Then, he brought us a bottle of mineral water and asked me to make my husband drink. Twenty minutes later, my husband came around.

         The next day, I did my own research in the net. In actual fact, my husband was experiencing dehydration. Based on my reading, after a few minutes of exercise, one is bound to perspire and thus, one has to drink so as to replace the water that has been released by the body. This part, I did not know. When we went to the gym on that day, we did not bring anything to drink. My husband went on all sorts of exercise equipment without stopping to drink - and that is the biggest mistake.

INGREDIENT

2 Yam complete with its sprouts. (clean them properly. Cut the sprouts about the length of your
                                                       finger. Then, boil them. This is to get rid of the itchy texture.)

2 1/2 fresh chilli
3/4 anchovies
1 onion
(pound on the chilli, anchovies and onion)
10 cups of tamarind juice (you need at least 1/2 cup of tamarind juice.
10 Basil (Daun Selasih)

1. Pour in the tamarind juice into the cooking pot.
2. Add in the pounded ingredients and the sayur keladi.
3. Let it boil. Once boil, turn down the burner.
4. Add in the Basil. It is now ready to be eaten.

MY THOUGHTS

You must be extra careful when you are cooking Sayur Keladi. If you do not boil it first, you will feel itcy in your mouth.

Burung Puyuh: Fried

Fish Cencaru Sumbat

POINT TO PONDER

I went to a local supermarket the other day. I don't usually make the habit of buying things from local supermarket as I don't quite like the way they present the products. However, on that unforgettable day, I stopped at this particular supermarket as I wanted to buy drinks for my students of 18.

        The supermarket is not big at all. It is only three shop lots being turned into a supermarket. Still, the first few minutes, I went bonkers looking for the thing that I wanted especially as I was not used to the layout.

         When I finally found it, I scanned for the price. The drinks were arranged on the shelves. All three tiers were filled with different types of drink. Initially, I wanted to buy Drinho but, then when I saw the price, I decided to change to Milo. There was only one price label displayed. The price was typed in a huge number. The next big sized thing on the label was the name of the supermarket. As that was the only available label, I thought that all the drinks were at the same price - and that somewhat encouraged me to take Milo.

            But, when I went to the counter, they charged me more than I expected. Should I just pay, I thought to myself. Why must I? So I asked. The lady said that, the price that I quoted was meant for Drinho only and not for Milo. Again I asked, how could that be as the label did not indicate that. I called her to the shelf. She pointed out the small printing. True enough the word Drinho was there...but then again where was the label for Milo? Of course, typical cashier lady, she mocked me.

             One thing about this small supermarket, they love to trap their customers. So, be warned everyone of their traps. (Ever since Tanda Putra, I started to view people differently.)

INGREDIENT

6 medium-sized cencaru (Some local call them as 'Ikan Jaket' due to the thickness of their scale.
                                         Clean the fish and slit the upper part so that you can put in the sambal.)
2 cups of chilli
1 thumb-sized belacan
1 teaspoon of coriander
1 teaspoon of jintan manis
1 thumb-sized of galangal (grind coriander, jintan manis and galangal.)
2 lemon grass (pound them)
1 thumb-sized ginger (pound it)
2 1/2 thumb-sized tamarind pulp (you are to extract the juice using plain water.)
1/2 cup of plain water
salt
sugar
oil

1. Heat the wok.
2. Pour in the oil and, once it is hot, pour in the chilli and belacan. The belacan should be sprinkled.
    Let it fry until the chilli curdles.
3. Add in the coriander, jintan manis, galangal, ginger and lemon grass.
4. Leave it for five minutes and then pour in the tamarind juice.
5. Add in sugar and salt. Let it simmer for a while. Turn off the bunner when the sauce appears paste
    like.
6. Spoon the paste into each fish. Then wrap up the fish using aluminium foil. Grill the fish.
7. Leave for 15 to 20 minutes.

MY THOUGHTS

The fish can be eaten with boiled rice. It is best served with sayur berair as the fish is rather dry.

Fried Kway Teow

POINT TO PONDER

On my table, there is a photo of all my children. They have all grown up. My girls are at the tertiary level. My twins are in the secondary school while the youngest is in standard five. But I still put their baby picture on my table.

            Personally, I did not feel that I was a good mother when they were young. I was very strict, got to admit that. Things must be done accordingly and I would go berserk if it went otherwise. (but that does not mean I love them less.) My voice...even thunderstorm cannot beat my ability to increase the volume. I remembered my neighbour's mocking me when I came over one day. (The mother was of course embarrassed. Still, I bet the mother did the same thing behind my back.)

           My first ten years of marriage was not an easy one. Not easy because of my expectation in life. I wanted to give my children a lot of things and, to be able to do that, I had to take a lot of part-time job. My priority was, of course, my full-time job but still I would give my whole body and soul for all my jobs - may it be part-time or full-time. Thus, time was rather limited. There was at one time, apart from my full-time job, I had three different part-time jobs.

           When I say 'time was limited', it was really limited. The first eight years, I was without a maid. I would send my children over to a neighbour's house. So, you could just imagine how busy I was once at home. I had to cook, clean the house, wash the clothes, fold the clothes etc etc etc. The house chores did not seize - even weekends. (My husband did give me a helping hand. He too was as busy as I was.)

           To make the matter worse, all my jobs required me to teach. Teaching means that you need to have lesson plans, prepare teaching materials, set test questions and marking assessment as well as exercises. (Looking back, I don't understand why I put myself in such a stressful life as life is short.)

          It is true that money was not a problem for me then. I could buy expensive clothes for my children and we could even go for holidays. The only thing that I could not buy was quality time spent with my children.

          Now, I only have one part-time job. Sometime, other places would call me but, if my children need me, I have no choice but to turn down the offer. Only now I realize that being with my children and husband is very important. I rarely spend long hours in the office even. Instead, I would plan my work so that I would not become so stressful. (Beside the fact that I have a maid to help me with the housework.)

          My maid will be leaving us next year. How will I cope after that?

INGREDIENT

1kg Kway Teow (soak in hot water for a few minutes)
4 medium-sized cuttlefish (cut them to bite-sized)
2 cups of prawn (peel off the outer layer leaving the tail)
1 fish cake (slice it not so thinly.)
3 cups of chicken (just the flesh)
6 cups of beansprouts (peel off the so-called tail. If you have a lot of beansprouts, it will taste better.)
3 toufu (cut them into small cubes and fry them.)
spring onion (for garnishing)
salt
1 cup of chilli
2 cloves of garlic (pound them)
white peper
soya sauce
oil

1. Heat the wok.
2. Pour the oil. The amount should not exceed the amount of the chilli.
3. Add in the chilli and garlic. Fry until the chilli curdles.
4. Add in the chicken. Let it cook a bit before putting in the prawn and fish cake. Lastly, put in the cuttlefish.
5. Add in the Kway Teow, beansprouts, fried toufu,  white pepper and soya sauce. (Make sure that it is not too black. So do not put a lot the first time. Add more if you need the colour. You have to JUST get rid of the red colour. That should mean you have enough of soya sauce.) Mix them well. The burner should be on low.
6. garnish with spring onion and omelette.

MY THOUGHTS

I love to have the Fried Kway Teow with pickled green chilli. It just tastes great.

Fried Kway Teow is my second son's favourite.

FISH LEMON BAKED

POINT TO PONDER

Yesterday, I received a whatsapp from a former student. I am not sure whether the term suits him as he is actually postponing his studies due to his condition. He met with an accident last year and thus he becomes an invalid. The family seems to believe that he will go back to normal. (I suppose any parents would have the same thoughts.)

          In his whatsapp, he told me about the insurance money. He wanted me to advice him. Unfortunately, my knowledge on that matter is pretty slim. So, I asked him to contact two other personnel as they would be able to explain to him better.

          Before we ended our conversation, he apologized for disturbing me. (He is a very polite person.) Of course, I told him that he was not disturbing me at all. It was a pleasure helping him (in any way I can). Personally, I believe in the Malay proverb that goes like below:

                       "Segan bertanya, sesat jalan"

Basically, it means that if we do not know something, we should ask. If we do not ask, we will never know.

         Recently, my eldest daughter received a letter saying that she was to study at a place which I vowed not to send my children. To make the matter worse, the course given to her did not sound good at all. From the day we received the letter, both of us just could not sleep. Not knowing what else to do, we prayed to God - seeking for his guidance.

         It was two weeks before Eid that I felt the urge to make a few phone calls. The first call I made was to the godforsaken place. I did not know who to call so I browsed its website and found a name that I believed would treat me nicely. (Thank God, the person did  treat me nicely.) I  talked to the person and seeked her advice. Unfortunately, she was not of the field that I was referring to. So, she gave me another number to call and I did. I tried a few times but there was no answer. Nonetheless, while walking towards my class, he returned my call. (How nice!)

          From the man, I found out that the course definitely did not suit my daughter and he advised me to go private. He said that sometime we need to pay a little bit for us to get what we want. However, money seems to be a real problem for me.

          So, after the phone call, I became more upset. Then, I called one good friend of mine - seeking her advice. She scolded me instead for not allowing my daughter to have a lot of options earlier. Feeling really sad, I told her that I did not have the motherhood manual. Thus, mistakes were bound to be with me. I suppose after that she pitied me. She advised me to meet some people. "Do not just call. Go and meet them. Let them see your daughter."

        That exactly what we did. It was surely embarrassing because we appeared to be like beggars. I called the HEAD and requested for an appointment. She replied almost immediately and invited us over. Both my husband and my daughter went up to talk to her. She told my daughter precisely what to do - in which they forgot to give me the detail.

        It was the week that students started to register that I received a call from my good friend. She urged me to appeal and talk to the HEAD again. Our plan to go for the March intake was not a good idea, she said. So, I quickly drafted the letter and emailed it to the HEAD. The faculty approved our appeal but the STUDENTS DEPARTMENT did not. My daughter called and pleaded her case. They looked into it again and, in a matter of hours, my daughter was asked to register.

        The moral of the story is that NEVER EVER feel shy to ask. Some people without doubt are like lioness but what could be the worst thing they could do to us? They would shout or scold us but we will still be alive. The shouting and scolding are nothing. Perhaps, they just do not know how to say things nicely. So, we should pity them instead.

        Most important of all, we should PRAY TO GOD. Only God can really help us. I believe it was God wonderful work that make those people wanting to help me and my daughter. God is great.

INGREDIENT

2 Whitting fish / Senangin (clean the fish with tamarind juice. Then coat it with salt. Not too much though)
1 yellow capsicum
1 red capsicum
1 onion
2 stalked of celery
2 thumb-sized ginger
(slice them not so thinly)
2 cloves of garlic (slice it thinly)
8 Small chilli (just crushed them)
coriander leaves (for garnishing)

1. You need a baking dish. Arrange the vegetables first.
2. Place the fish.
3. Cover the dish with aluminium foil.
4. Put it in the over. If you are using the kind of oven I have, it would be (a) traditional baking (b)200.
5. Leave it for 35 minutes.
6. Eat it while it is hot.
7. You can serve it with white rice or bread with butter.

MY THOUGHTS

My husband does not quite like it as it is not that spicy. He loves everything to be chilli hot. The hotter the better but if the temperature is hot, he will complain.

My sons do not seem to mine. I suppose as long as I do not serve rice, they are alright. Nowadays, we hardly have boiled rice for dinner. So far, we feel lighter even though we still look chubby.

PRAWN WITH BROCCOLI

POINT TO PONDER

People usually say that when you die, you die alone. (Unless there is a massacre, you will definitely die with a few other people.) So, we should not feel sad if there is no one for you that can be considered as a good friend.

        However, the sadness is still felt when during lunch time, for example, no one would go up to you and ask you out. (I am referring to the situation at the office. If it is at home, we would usually cook on our own or call for food to be sent over.) It hurts to know that you do not exist in anyone's mind. You feel as if a knife has just been pierced into your heart.

        Now the question is, it is necessary for us to lament over it. If people do not like us, there is no way we could force them to like us. We could, on the other hand, do something to win their hearts - if we really want to. Then again, we need to really think about our action. Will it be worth it? Or will we still be at the losing end? There are, of course, a few questions need to be answered.

        There is nothing wrong eating alone. There is absolutely nothing wrong. We will not appear stupid. We will still look good. In fact, we will have our own time in which we can use it to think about LIFE. The time can be used to relax our minds - keeping us calm and contented.


        But then, there are the other people who are looking at us - thinking that we are the anti-social kind or the ones that are despised by others. The look that people gave or even the remarks given make us cringe or feel embarrassed. NOBODY WANTS YOU!!!!!

         Should that really bother us? It will but learn to ignore it. We need to remember this...not everyone will be running to help us when we are really in need of help. Not everyone will cry their heart out if anything bad has be fallen upon us. Not everyone will mop if we die. So the moral of the story is, we should learn to enjoy doing things alone. It does not matter as God will always be with. (That is why it is vitally important to believe in God.)

          We should also remember ONE more thing. There are always some people who like, love us and they are none other than our own families - our parents, our siblings, our husbands, our wives and our children. We need to take good care of these people's feelings. We should treasure them and never ever take them for granted.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups of prawns (peel off the skin, leaving the tail)
1 medium-sized broccoli (cut it into bite-sized)
2 cloves of garlic (slice thinly)
2 teaspoons of chilli boh
1 cup of tomato sauce
a handful of basil / daun selasih (cut it finely)
salt
4 tablespoons of olive oil

1. Once the pan has been heated up, pour in the olive oil.
2. Add in the garlic and chilli boh. Fry them a bit until you get the fragrant.
3. Add in the prawns and a little bit of salt. Once the prawns turn pink, place them onto a plate.
4. Add a little bit more olive oil. Once it is heated, pour in the broccoli and the tomato sauce. Cover the pan and wait for the broccoli to cook. (It does not take long. It is only just about three minutes.)
5. Pour in the cooked prawns and mix them well.
6. Serve them on a dish and garnish with basil.

MY THOUGHTS

I left the broccoli a bit too long as I was busy preparing for another dish and because of that, it looked really bad.

My sons love this dish and so do my hubby and I. I got the recipe from a book on diabetic.

LAKSA JOHOR

POINT TO PONDER

Being a mother is not an easy thing. If possible, you would like to give the best to the children. THE BEST!!! But sometimes, due to money, due to lack of connection, due to not having so much power in this world....there is nothing much you could do except pray to God.

I confided in a friend about my decision. She retorted by saying why I did not do this and that....If only there was a manual for mothers in which I could follow step by step, everything would be very easy. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a manual but there is instinct.

At times, your mother's instinct tells you something is not right. Then, you should investigate or do something about it. You should never push it aside.The instinct is God's way of telling you to take action and make sure things will turn alright.

Still, dear mothers, the way you investigate or the action you take should be based on 'research'. You should ask around. You should seek other people's opinions - people with knowledge. People who a lot of other people would consider wise.

Alas! Being a good mother is not easy but at least we can be sure that our children, our families are okey, safe, happy.

INGREDIENTS

One Herring (Ikan Parang) - about half a metre long
1 kg of fresh prawn
1/2kg of dried prawn
Boil the above in a big pot. The broth is needed to make the LAKSA gravy. Once they are cooked, you are to do the following:
- the Herring, you are to separate the flesh from the bones.
- the fresh prawn, peel off the outer part of the fresh prawn.
- blend the fish flesh, fresh and dried prawn.
- blend the prawn peels and then squeeze out the juice. You may want to use the sieve to do this.

One big packet of special LAKSA JOHOR spice

Itemsto be blend:
A palm-sized Galangal  
A palm-sized Ginger
Two big onions
5 cloves of garlic
Five lemon grass

4 cups of Kerisik (Roasted grated-coconut)
5 cups of thick cream coconut
10 tamarind peels (asam keping)
3 tablespoons of salt
1/4 belacan (shrimp paste)
2 cups of chilli boh
4 cups of cooking oil

Spaghetti (fettucini is the best.) 

for garnishing
Cucumber (there is a special Johorean way of cutting it.)
Onion (slice it thinly)
Chepo
beansprout (peel off the 'root')
Daun Selasih (need to slice them)
Daun Ketumbar (need to slice them)
Calamansi  (Limau Kasturi - slice each one into half)
Sambal belacan (this is made out of belacan and chilli)
1. Heat up the pot. The pot must be big. It should be able to contain 10 litres of water.
2. Then, pour in the cooking oil.
3. When the cooking oil has heated up, pour in the spice which has been made into a paste together with the blended items, chilli boh and belacan. Stir it well.
4. When you see oil surfacing, add in the fish-prawn broth.
5. Then add in the kerisik, cream coconut, blended herring and prawn, salt and assam keping.
6. Leave the mixture for at least one hour. Stir it once in a while.

MY THOUGHTS

Apparently, there are many ways of garnishing LAKSA JOHOR. However, as expected, I love my family way. I seem to believe that some people have got it wrong.

Some people I notice, even Chef Wan, use long beans in their garnishing in which they slice them not so thinly. LAKSA TERENGGANU uses long beans. Long beans, to me personally, spoil the taste of the gravy. It does not compliment.

There are also a few who serve bunga kantan with their LAKSA JOHOR. Bunga Kantan, to me, is meant for LAKSA PENANG.

At the end of the day, people eat what they like. Why should we argue as long as they are happy and do not disturb our lives?

Mee Siam Singapore

POINT TO PONDER

After sahur, I went to sleep. It was then that I had this weird dream. I dreamt that I was getting married for the second time. In my dream, my current hubby and I were supposedly to be divorced.

My second hubby was a tall, rich guy with quite fairer skin. During the ceremony, I appeared to be confused - thinking about my current hubby, his whereabouts and why did we end up divorce. Pretty sad actually eventhough the second person appeared to be a loving and caring person.

I hope that it will never come true. I am happy the way I am now. We may not be rich but we do get by. That is enough.

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2  cups of chilli boh (dried chilli, onions, garlic and tumeric)
1 cup of dried shrimp
2 tablespoons of shrimp paste ( this is otak udang)
A thumbsized of belacan
2 1/2 scoop of sugar
a pinch of salt


1. Heat the wok and then pour 1/2 cup of oil.
2. Fry the chilli boh, together with the belacan. Once the chilli starts to curdle, then...
3. Add in the shrimp paste.
4. Add in the sugar and salt.
5. Let it boil a bit and then switches off the stove.
6. Put in a few scoops of the mixture into a different bowl. This could be the additional sauce.

1 onion - sliced
4 tablespoons of tauchu
1 litre of tamarind juice
1/2 bowl of prawns
1 scoop of sugar
100ml coconut milk

1. Heat the pot and then pour 1/2 cup of oil.
2. Fry the sliced onion.
3. Once the onion is soften, add in the tauchu. Leave it for 3 minutes.
4. Pour in the tamarind juice.
5. Add in the prawns, coconut milk, the earlier cooked chilli and  sugar.
6. Leave it to boil for a few minutes.

**Serve the gravy together with the following:
Boiled Beehoon
Fried tauhu - in small cubes
Soaked beansprouts - use hot water.
Sliced red chilli

MY THOUGHTS
My hubby does not quite like it. He prefers Mee Siam Berkuah. However, my second son seems to enjoy it.

Well, I cannot definitely make everyone happy.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

THE INGREDIENTS

227 gram of soft cream cheese
8 tablespoons of soft unsalted butter
454 gram castor sugar
2 tablespoons of milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

1. Using electric mixer, mix the cream cheese and butter. Make sure it is light and fluffy.
2. Add in the sugar, milk and vanilla extract.
3. Keep it in a container and place it in the fridge. When you wish to use it, take it out.

MY THOUGHTS

I thought it would be very sweet. However, having it together with the Carrot Muffin, It taste just nice.

My hubby loves it. However, since we have to control his sugar level, He is only allowed one a day.

MUFFIN: Carrot Muffin

Muffins with the Cream Cheese Frosting

POINT TO PONDER

We don't appreciate things that are right in front of us until we have lost it. 

I honestly miss the time when the kids were small.

THE INGREDIENTS
 Preheat the oven at 180 for fifteen minutes.
First Bowl
4 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon of salt

Second Bowl
   4 large eggs (leave them out for a couple of minutes before you start baking)
   2 cups of sugar
   2/3 cup brown sugar
          Using an electric mixer, mix the above until you feel as if the sugar has dissolved.
  1 cup of vegetable oil ( I used 'Minyak Kelapa Sawit')
  1/2 cup of milk
           Add the above and go on mixing until light and thick.

    3 cups of grated carrot (You need about 4 quite big and long carrot.)
    1 cup of dark raisins
    1 cup of chopped walnuts (Please do take note as it says 'chopped'.)
    2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. (I used Vanilla flavour)

1. Once the mixture in the second bowl is ready, add in the mixture of the first bowl. You may still use the electric mixture but it has to be low speed as the flour might go flying off.
2. Then, add in the carrot, raisins, walnuts and vanilla.

3. Place paper cups into tray with muffin moulds. Using tablespoon and teaspoon, spoon the mixture into the paper cups. (My tray has 13 moulds each. I have two trays. It took me two and a half put-in.

4. For each put-in, it takes about 20 minutes.

Refer to 'CREAM CHEESE FROSTING' for the frosting. The two seems to go well together.

MY THOUGHTS

I got the recipe from HELLO, CUPCAKE!  written by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. I love the taste of this muffin and do my kids and hubby - except one as she is away for the moment. (Miss her actually. )

PIE : Fisherman's Pie

POINT TO PONDER

The best time of a mother is when the children are small - between the age of one and five. You do not have to worry about test, homework or even exams.

Play with them. Enjoy their existance. Talk to them and observe them. If you have camcorder, record every play that they are in. When you go for holiday, record that as well. Record birthdays, first step, holidays and a few more as, once every one has grown, it is nice to watch the recordings over and over.

Photographs are also important.Print as many as possible. Keep them nicely as they are valuable pictures.

When my kids were small, I was too busy looking for money. I did spend as much time as possible with them but, thinking back, not as much as I should. I was lucky that I started off as a school teacher. At that time, teachers went back at 1pm and weekends were our time with the family. The best time of all was the school holidays in which I could be at home with my children.

What should you really do with your small children?
- take them to the park. Let them go on the swing and slide.
- read to them with nice intonation.
- sing with them. It would be good if you could dance with them too.
- tell them stories. I used to have this slides which we played in a dark room. My girls adored them.
- bake with them.
- allow them to learn how to ride bicycles.

THE INGREDIENTS

Milk (less than a half of the small Vision pot)
2 yellow Onion (dice it.)
Daun Kesum (cut them)
1 red chilli (slice it thinly) 
3 thinly sliced Salmon
1 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1 thumb-sized ginger (Pound it)
1 ladle of flour
Salt
1 1/2 cup of Frozen vegetables
Cheddar Cheese (You may use the individually packed cheese. You will need about six)
6 potatoes (Boil and mash them)
3 tablespoons of butter

1. Boil the milk. Add in the salmon, ginger and onion.
2. Once cooked, take out the salmon so as to pull out the bones. Then, using fork, flake it.
3. Put in the butter onto a pan. Add in the flour. Stir it well. Then, pour in half of the milk.
4. Add in the fish, chilli, frozen vegetable, kesum, salt.
5. Now, the potatoes. Pour the rest of the milk to it and add in the cheese. Mix them well.
6. Pour in the fish into your Pyrex container. Make sure it is nicely spread.
7. Then, scoop in the potatoes and level the surface using a fork.
8. Put it into the oven at 200. Make sure you preheat the oven first. Leave it for 30 minutes.

This should be eaten hot.

MY THOUGHTS

As the pie is not a true Malaysian taste, you should serve it together with Tomyam soup.

How do I rate it? Okaylah. Got the recipe from Women's Weekly.

AGAR-AGAR OREO

The Milo-Oreo Agar-Agar.

 POINT TO PONDER

Taken from DON'T BE SAD

           'The past is lost forever, and that which is hoped for is from the unseen, 
             So all that you have is the present hour.'

If one keeps on lamenting or even thinking about the things that happened in the past, it is really a waste of time. Time should be used wisely as to turn back the clock is  something which is impossible to do. 

I often get offended or humiliated with others' doings. Typically, I keep on thinking about the incidents. It will go on for days sometimes. 

I should be telling myself - Don't bother myself. If it is not something that can be put right, leave it and move on.

THE INGREDIENTS

Agar-agar strips (one small packet will do. Soak them first.)
Water (Just enough to 'drown' the agar-agar.)
6 tablespoons of sugar
A pinch of salt (this is just me.)
1 tin of evaporated milk
3 or 4 cups of milo
1 packet of Oreo.

1. Boil the agar-agar. Once it is ready, check the liquidity. it should be a bit sticky.
2. Add in the evaporated milk, salt and sugar.  Stir well.
3. Divide the agar-agar into two containers: the first one, add in the milo.
4. Pour in half of the Milo mixture into the mould. (Preferably a square container.)Let it cool a bit.
5. Then, pour in the second mixture.
6. Break each Oreo into half and arrange them nicely into the mould.
7. When the second layer is slightly hardened, pour in the second half of the Milo mixture.

Your Agar-Agar is ready.

MY THOUGHTS

 It is interesting making this. I broke many rules. For instance, everybody knows that you should not put in hot stuff into the fridge. I broke that rule as I was in a hurry to harden the agar-agar.

My agar-agar was boiled in a Vision pot. So the mixture took a long time to harden and I also left them on the hot stove.

PASTRY for Cornish Pie

POINT TO PONDER

I am not sure what to call this person but this person is the utmost disgusting human being ever and this person has the thickest skin ever. Mistakes made, even though under her supervision, are never hers. Instead her subordinates will always be blamed left and right. However, if a project turns out to be a great success, it is always due to her clever judgement. 

This lady is really selfish but I really do not understand how she could turn out to be like this as she has many children. How does she fend her children? If she always wants to be in the limelight at work, is she like that at home? No wonder the child that I have met appeared to be bitter. 

Ya Allah, I beg you God, show me the way to bring up my child properly so that they will grow up not only become successful in the field that they have chosen but they are also respected and admired by many.


INGREDIENTS

(for 7 people)

2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup and half of 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1/2 cup and half of 1/4 cup of water
2 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs yolk (for glazing)

1.Sieve the flour. 
2. Make a hole at the centre and add in the vegetable oil. 
3. Using your fingers, mix the two ingredients. 
4. Add in the rest and mix them nicely. 
5.Cover the bowl of your dough with a wet towel. 

MY THOUGHTS


I got the recipe from MyWiseWife.com. It is the best pastry recipe ever. You follow to the detail as the pastry will turn out great. Thank you the owner of MyWiseWife.Com

LEGOLAND - The First Time

MY THbuOUGHTS

We went to Legoland today - March 2013 - but it was not the whole family. It was just three boys, my hubby and myself.  It was the school holiday.I felt guilty for working so decided to take them to Legoland on Saturday.

We arrived really early : it opened at 10am and we were already there. The first ride we went for was the one in the Kingdom of Adventure. Then, we moved  towards Lego Technic. We had our lunch at Lego City. For five persons, it cost us RM130 - expensive.

Next time, I must remember to bring the following:
- fruits
- mineral water
- cereal snack
- ponco (buy from outside. It is cheaper.)
- put all the above in a knapsack which I will not put in the locker.

The next time, I need to register my youngest for the workshop. It will be good for him.

The ticket, I bought them online. You will get discount if you buy them 7 days in advance.

SCONES: Raisin

POINT TO PONDER

The system that I am in is rather funny.

At one time, you may be appointed as a head and given a lot of responsibilities including managing a group of people, ensuring the proper treatment of assets which could be worth millions and planning for the development of a department. Then, after shouldering such responsibilities for a couple of years, you decide to apply for promotion - especially as you  realise that you have successfully helped the organization to meet its set KPI.

They promote you but with TWO consequences: first, you might be given a bigger role but need to be located and second, you join the group of people you managed earlier.

Some people would want to play a bigger role but, being located somewhere else, is no one's cup of tea. This would be mean that they either have to move the whole family with them or they live far away from the family or their families will be split into two. Is this good? There is the money aspect and there is also other relationship aspect.

The second consequence would be ideal for some as they will be located at the same place and thus, not much expenses will be effected. However, should they be given special rooms which complete with special facilities?

Recognition and rewarding system is much to be desired. Then again, the interpretation of having served the organisation beautifully differs. At the end of the day, a number of once motivated, ambitious staff become frustrated and demotivated. They tend to lay low and just do the basic.

INGREDIENTS

Before you start baking, heat up the oven to 180 for 20 minutes at least.
Then prepare the baking tray - it is the one with a few cup holes.

2 cups of self-raising flour (must sieve first before putting it into the bowl)
1/3 cup of castor sugar
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of butter (if you use Anchor butter, it is half)
     Mixed them well. You need to use both your hand. It is good if it is just the tip of your fingers.
1 beaten egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
   Add the above into the mixture
Fresh Milk - do not put too much. Bit at time, until you form the dough. If say you accidentally put in too much, add a little bit of flour. You need to experiment on this one.

1 cup of raisins

 Form a small ball which should fit each cup hole of your baking tray. Do not fill up the cup hole. It should be about half.

Place the trays in the oven, should not be too close to the top of the oven. Leave it for 20minutes.

If you have two trays, make sure half of the time, swap the trays. In other words, the tray on level two goes to level three while level three goes to level two.

MY THOUGHTS

The scones are not hard - rather soft and slightly sweet. (I believe due to the raisins.) It is very easy to make. It does not take too much of your time. It takes a short time to cook and cool down.

Pavlova

POINT TO PONDER

I learn something new in February 2013.
The incident was...I was pretty unhappy with the way people select those lucky ones to acquire knowledge at a place in southern Johor. I voiced out but I failed to elaborate. MUST ELABORATE. MUST MAKE IT CLEAR TO EVERYONE.....the main reason is people do not care so much to find out what you are trying to say. What people usually do is make judgement and then is usually followed by condemning you left and right. If they get the chance to humiliate you, they do it and, at the same time, gloat about their so-called success but does not really sound a success. To me, it is more of bull-shitting.

During the same occasion, someone has the cheek to ask for people who have received APC twice to put up their hands. This person fails to realise that only gloaters would put up their hands. A number of people like to stay low.....low-profile is a humble way to live.

I used to be a gloater but I have learnt my lesson. Believing in low-profile way of living, I am more at peace.

INGREDIENTS

4 eggs - take the white egg only. Using the mixer, beat the egg until it is stiff. Put the mixer to its full power.
1 cup of castor sugar. Add in the sugar into the mixture bit by bit as you beat the mixture.
1 tablespoon of corn flour. Sieve the flour and add it into the mixture. Scoop it in or make the number 8 as you mix the flour into the mixture.
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence. The same style as the flour, mix it in.
Scoop the mixture into cupcake containers. Only half full. It would be great if you use the big size rather than the small one.
Pre-heat the oven at 180. You need the top and bottom heat. When you put in your mixture, turn down the temperature to 130 and leave it for about one hour or until they turn light brown.
Leave them cool.

Green apple - peel off the skin. Cut it into small cubes.
Kiwi - peel off the skin. Slice it thinly and small.
1 big box of whipping cream. For the first serving, I only prepared  for 7 Pavlova. So, for the whipping cream, I used only slightly more than a quarter. Beat the whipping cream using the mixer until it is stiff. Then, spread it generously onto each Pavlova. Arrange the cut fruit nicely on top.

THEY ARE READY TO EAT but do remember to peel of the paper.

MY THOUGHTS

My husband's sugar level is something that I often worry. He fainted, one day, in the bathroom. It was in the middle of the night when he got up wanting to blep blep blep. He felt a bit dizzy and ignored it. While he was sitting on the toilet bowl, he just went out and fell. There was a big lump on the head.

My husband has taught me a lot of things. One of it is to be a thoughtful person. I was not. He shows me things that I have never understood. He often makes my worries go away. What will I do without him?

He often says that he is my punching bag. It is true...to some extend. at times, I let my frustration and anger out on him. I know. It is not good. I suppose I am lucky. Whatever I do to him, he is still there...supporting me.

Ya Allah, please allow my husband to out-live me as I cannot survive without him.

Fish: Steam

POINT TO PONDER 


Last year, my husband told me about his sugar level and he was asked to take the medicine. I did not take it seriously until he fainted in the toilet and I was in deep sleep. When I got up, he was in daze - as if he lost his memory. In a sleep-like mode, he described his experience in the toilet. At first, I thought he was pulling my leg but after a while the truth hit me and I became scared. 

         Took him to the bank's panel clinic and the doctor warned me of his condition. Only then I realised my role - I needed to take care of him. 

         It is not easy. I have to look after not only his diet but also I need to check his sugar level every now and then. 

THE RECIPE

Need a special oblong dish for this so that you do not have to cut the fish into two. Bought one in IKEA. 

One medium-sized Siakap (Clean the fish well. It is not necessary to have it cut in the butterfly manner.)  

One mountful tablespoon of corn flour to marinate the fish
Five tablespoon of Nam Pla or fish sauce to marinate the fish
Leave the fish for about 10 minutes. 
Prepare the steam set. Make sure you put enough water into the bottom pot. 
Place the marinated fish into the special bowl. 
Cut the following thinly and then sprinkle them over the fish
Two sticks of lemon grass
One medium-sized ginger bud (also known as bunga kantan.) 
Five stalks of coriander leaves
One/two spring onions
Ten lime leaves
Five chilli padi
Sprinkle as well 
 One cube of Anchovy granules 
Squeeze out the juice of a lime  
A few more dashes of nam pla
Place the fish dish onto the steamer. Leave it for at least 30 minutes. 
Eat it while it is hot.  

MY THOUGHT 

If you steam the dish, after 30 minutes you will find gravy (not very thick) in the dish. However, if you wish to put the dish in an oven, the temperature should be 180 and leave it for at least 20 minutes. You should also add some water onto the dish as the heat in the oven will suck up the juice. 
 

JUSCO MARINATED CHICKEN

POINT TO PONDER

Found something useful when I was reading DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE. Dr Mahathir said:

...man proposes, God disposes. You make your plans and try your best. If you encounter problem you have to be flexible, analytical, and ready to try something else.

I suppose, we should not be so traditionalist or perhaps orthodox towards things that we are used to. We need to change. Change is inevitable and we cannot avoid it.

INGREDIENTS

My husband requested meals that have nothing to do with rice. It is the weekend after all. So, I scooted off to Jusco and bought a few things.

At Jusco, they have chicken marinated in Texas sauce, I think. I bought a few. At home, I arranged them nicely on the tray and placed them in the oven.

Temperature 200
Duration       45 minutes (for every 20 minutes, turn the chicken to the other side.)

MY OPINION

My husband loves it. You could have this with Roast Potatoes, Salad and soup.

ROAST POTATOES

POINT TO PONDER

Read  A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE the other day and found a very useful information. Dr Mahathir said,

...there is never a moment in a person's life when he is liked by everyone. If there is, you are probably a nonentity, a person of little consequence or character. At the height of your popularity, there will always be some who wishes you dead.

Thus, if people are nasty to you, you can be assured that they feel threaten by your presence. The power that you possess (you might not realise this) is envied. You should not succumb nor should you feel sad over the things that they do to you. Instead, you should stand strong. Definitely, you will feel sad and at times really really down as people can be very nasty when they want to. However, God is great. God will always help you. Trust God and you will be okay.

INGREDIENTS

I wanted to have baby potatoes but they were not on sale. So, I used USA potatoes.

5 large potatoes (peel off the skin and cut slightly bigger than mouth sized)
Rosemary herb (fresh one is better. Cut to small pieces but remember to throw away the stalk. One teaspoon is enough. Sprinkle onto the potatoes)
Oregano (sprinkle over the potatoes. One teaspoon is enough.)
Salt (sprinkle half a teaspoon)
One bulb of garlic (Just peel off the skin and add into the mixture)
Olive Oil (2 tablespoons would do it)

Mix everything well. Then place it in the oven.
Temperature 200 for 45minutes.

Eat them when they are hot.

MY OPINION

I love the dish. The best thing about it, you prepare and then leave it in the oven. You do not have to keep on tossing or turning.

Together with this dish, you could have roast chicken and salad. You could also have some kind of soup.