My Jotter

Taking Action

2012-01-26T07:15:00.006+08:00

The life you live, is the life you choose.

Your happiness... your success.... and fulfillment are in your very own hands. You have the right to do whatever you want with it. Nobody can deny you this, except you.

What you tell yourself to do and the choices you make... shape your life and destiny.

No matter what the situation, you always have a choice. If you suddenly decide that whatever you have been doing isn't "right" for you, it is best to change your mind before you live to regret your decision because you will have to live with it… ultimately. It could be that so many things had changed since you first made a certain ‘commitment’ in life. Circumstances change constantly.

Decisions made yesterday might seem "right" at that time but it might not be the decisions that we want to live with today. It is good to give yourself permission to re-consider. If you decide to change your mind, it is okay!.

If you are happy with your decision, then go with it… but be fully aware. There might be a price to pay, but in the long run, it is better to change your mind sooner than later.

The right mind-set can have many consequences in the results of your efforts.

To be… or not to be…? It's for you to decide.

Checklist

2012-01-24T06:45:00.007+08:00

Yang Sudah :-

1. Tarikh dah ditetapkan.

2. Dewan dah dapat.

3. Baju akad nikah dan juga baju-baju beberapa ahli keluarga dah siap.

4. Dah pilih caterer.

5. Deposit untuk hiasan, pelamin, meja pengantin etc dah bayar.

6. Hadiah-hadiah hantaran dan jewelleries dah beli.

7. Gubahan untuk hantaran dah tempah.

8. Dah test solekan untuk pengantin dan tempah juru make-up nya.

9. Dah bersetuju dengan door gift.

Yang Belum:-

1. Jurukamera belum tempah.

2. Kad Jemputan belum siap.

3. Caterer dah ada, tapi menu belum pilih.

4. Door gift belum beli.

emmmm.... ada apa-apa lagi yang I missed tak??

Finding A Solution

2012-01-23T08:53:00.001+08:00

Alternatives

2012-01-12T07:49:00.006+08:00

Firdaus, my dear son...

We don’t always get what we want. When things don’t quite work out as expected, it's OK to be sad... but don't dwell too long on your sadness and let it knock you off your path. Take a BIG DEEP BREATH and know that everything will happen in perfect time, insyaAllah.

There's no use letting the things you can't control dictate your level of happiness. How you choose to see and accept the recent situation will greatly affect your emotions, thoughts and actions from this point forward.

Your mindset will determine different outcomes in your life. So instead of fighting against a situation which you have no control over, let it go. Change your mindset and map out new visions ... new alternatives ... into your life. Choose to see your new changes as a blessing in disguise.

Remember Sayang, this is only a minor detour; not a denial. The best is yet to come... yakinlah !

Naluri Dan Gerak Hati

2012-01-10T22:33:00.004+08:00

Well - the first week of 2012 has been "interesting"!

A LOT of momentum so far!

Aaaaaaaand, in the middle of all that - I managed to get a few things done.

1.1.12 ~ Sessi berkenal-kenalan dengan keluarga Tina di Bandar Perda sekaligus merisik.

7.1.12 ~ Day trip to KL untuk berkenal-kenalan dengan Tina's Dad and family di Selayang. Selepas menjamu selera dan berbincang, cincin pertunangan pun disarungkan and we were on our way back to Penang again. Letih… tapi sangat happy !! Alhamdulillah.

… and the countdown begins !!

Farid, my dear son…

I'm happy with your decision and I'm proud of you.

Decisions require instinct and intuition. A person's world is only as big as their heart.

Be noble minded! It is our own heart, and NOT other people's opinions of us, which forms our true honour.

There is no instinct like the instinct of the heart. Listening to your heart is not simple. Finding out who you are is not simple. It takes a lot of hard work and courage to know what you want. Always have a strong mind and a soft heart, my luv.

If you begin the day with love in your heart, peace in your nerves, and truth in your mind, you will not only benefit it yourself but you will also bring benefits to your family, friends, and to all those whose destiny crosses your path.

Whatever task that you undertake, do it with all your heart and soul. Always be courteous, never be discouraged.

Last but not least, pesanan Mama, do not look for approval... except in the consciousness of doing your best.

I love you.

Facebook

2012-01-03T07:38:00.013+08:00

6 am, 3 January 2012 -

I woke up in the morning, did my prayers and checked my Facebook like it’s the morning paper.

hmmmmmmm.... I see...
Bye Bye Facebook.
I am deactivating my account.
I really don't need this.
~ dolly

WORDS

There are words in life to inspire us,
Words that bring comfort and care;
But sometimes we speak harsh words
Inflicting pain on another.

Words that are chosen wisely
Which we speak in a gentle tone,
Are those that come from our heart
And with them true kindness is shown.

The tongue is a helpful tool
So light...
Yet we sometimes fail to hold it.
Instead of using it as a magic wand
To tap a bit of encouragement upon ones heart..
Or a smile upon ones face,
We use it as a dangerous weapon
A sword to cut people down
Leaving hearts broken.

Instead of using it
To place blessings upon ones life,
We use it to curse others
Not realizing we are really cursing ourselves.

We must learn to hold this dangerous weapon
Learn to watch the words..
Before we kill others as well as ourselves!

Each of your words is like a feather in the wind. Once spoken, no amount of effort, regardless how heartfelt or sincere, can ever return them to your mouth. So choose your words well, and guard them most of all in the presence of those you love.

Encouraging words can lift someone up and help them make it through the day. Destructive words are weapons that causes deep wounds.

Something said by a stranger won't have nearly the effect as the same things said by someone you know, someone you trust, someone you love - like your parents, your spouse, your children, a best friend, an employer/employee etc.. Because the words come from someone you respect, you take them to heart. Though they are only words but because they were said by someone you know, it causes you the most pain.

Insensitive comments... ;

Thoughts that should have remained thoughts... ;

Feelings which had no business being expressed... ;

Opinions carelessly tossed like a grenade into a crowd... ;

Thank you all concerned. I hope that was worth it!

face your problems ;
don't facebook your problems!

Breaking News

2011-12-30T07:26:00.006+08:00

With 2012 right round the corner, Farid my eldest son, pleasantly surprised me with his decision to get married. Nak awal tahun pulak tu !!

I was dazed with conflicting ideas regarding his wedding preparations. Mana tidaknya... my Mum with her flamboyant ideas of 'this and that' (in full agreement with my Dad!) ; Faiz pulak nak buat yang simple (which I know would sync with my in-laws) ; Yasmin ada idea-ideanya yang tersendiri for a "Wow" wedding ; Kaled, my anak angkat and wedding planner, with his plans ; Ani, my sister hinting about a trip to Bandung to shop for stuff .... tinggal Firdaus jer yang belum join in to present his ideas!

Ini belum lagi mengambil kira plans pihak 'sebelah sana' - which we have yet to meet for the first time! Baru dok pilih tarikh yang convenient to visit Kartina's Dad in KL and her family in Butterworth.

It's amazing - sehari dua yang lepas, myself and anak-anak sibuk bincang about having a "House Warming" khenduri sempena berpindah ke rumah baru. Now, topik house warming pun dah pegi ntah ke mana dah ! Tenggelam terus!

My 2012 year is definitely starting with full swing in anticipation of the upcoming wedding.

Semoga Allah memberi kesihatan serta kekuatan untuk kami mengendalikan majlis perkahwinan ini sebaik mungkin, insyaAllah.

My Birthday Present

2011-12-16T13:32:00.003+08:00

I went to sleep last night with a smile on my face.... and was already awake by 5am this morning... fresh, alert and happy... fondly remembering the ‘surprise gift’ with gladness.

Braun Buffel Shoulder Bag in Lush Green

Life is full of special days -- one right after the other... holidays, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays etc. Along the way, we collect fond memories of the past and remembering the ‘not-so-good’ ones as well.

To Farid, Kartina, Faris, Yasmin and Firdaus who took the time to select, as well as burnt-out their pockets..... Thank You from the bottom of my heart for remembering my birthday and getting me this special gift.

Change Of Address

2011-12-06T13:36:00.004+08:00

Adventures, especially into new territory, are scary!

I am feeling nervous about moving to my new house....

This is like a new life-changing event :-
New surroundings...
new neighbors...
plenty of adjustments to be made beyond my comfort zone...
away from what has been familiar and comfortable.

My closest buddies have been slowly injecting new ideas and I must say, my mind feels fresh from the new way I look at things! We need new opportunities to feed the creativity of our souls and we need new adventures for our personal growth. Thanks to them, I have discovered new parts of myself. How great is that?? ( I like !! ).

My three children have totally moved all their belongings to their respective rooms, unpacked and have been staying there for the past few nights. My sister came back over the weekend and have stayed there too. Tinggal myself and Faiz jer yang masih belum berkemas sebab we've been too busy managing and getting other parts of the house ready.

Yasmin asked me, "Mama, when are you going to move all your clothes here?" to which I replied "Ha? what baju? no worries! ... just a phonecall and my bajussssss will be sent over from the boutique at Queensbay to fill up my new wardrobe!" She freaked out!!! muahahahaha... eh! tak! taaak!... Mama melawak jer!

(eemmm... kalau betul betul, tak boleh ke? ok! ok!.. sabaq sat!)

Next...

... am looking forward to do some baking... u know... stuff like pizza, pies, scones, lasagne... for my Dry Kitchen freezer storage. Lapar nanti, just pop it few minutes into the oven and ...

Buat sementara ni, kitorang belum pick a suitable date to have a House Warming Kenduri. No rush actually...

This Sunday (11th), there'll be a "Getting To Know Your Neighbours Get-together Dinner". Looking forward to meet our new neighbours and hope all goes well.

???

2011-11-27T19:43:00.004+08:00

I lost my cool today

... and it was terrible!

1433 Hijrah

2011-11-26T06:42:00.009+08:00

Salam Maal Hijrah 1433 (Islamic Calendar).

Today, I think about the year that has ended, what my goals were and how far I've come.... my focus on family, friends and the things that are most meaningful to me. Our schedule and rituals are what makes our dreams come to life.

In a summary, one word comes to mind ... Gratitude. Apa itu gratitude? Maksudnya – Appreciative of benefits received. Bersyukur la, kan.

I am grateful for EVERYTHING that has happened in my life. Some might think that is kind of crazy. Everything??? Are you sure???

Yes, why not? Cuba pikir... Isn't there benefits from every situation or circumstance yang telah berlaku? Isn't there a lesson to learn? In every bad situation, we learn something and make new choices. Unhealthy situations teach us how to have more self-love (especially if they hurt).

Human beings learn through pain. So instead of playing the victim or blaming... I am grateful for the challenges. Every challenge, hard time or disaster revealed the extreme value of seeing things or people as what or who they truly are.

Therefore, I am grateful for ALL the events of my life ;
I see the blessings beyond the disaster ;
my progress makes me feel happy ; and
the best part about being happy ...
is sharing that happiness with loved ones and amazing friends.

Kartina's Birthday Celebration

2011-11-10T21:32:00.030+08:00

Nabila, Kartina, Yasmin & Ani at Hard Rock Hotel, Penang

Apa yang seronok bila stay at hotels?

?

?

ROOM SERVICE !!

Kalau tak order heavy meals pun, sekurang-kurangnya mesti nak order milkshake ka... chocolate mousse ka...

..... kan??

Presents belum beli lagi ni.. nak beli apa, eh?

off to Gurney Plaza.. shopping with the birthday girl

Haaaaa...!! Girls, ladies, women ... pasti suka yang ini....

Make-up makeover at Bobbi Brown. Jom!!?

girlfriend sapa tuuu..?

Habis dah? Jom..

Eh? Belum??

checking out Shu Uemura pulak dah...

... hope you like the gifts, dear ...

psssttt... psssttt... mama not fair!

eh? why not fair pulak?

oohh! ... ok... ok... ni haaa...

... my favourite guys pulak
(asyik letak gambar the girls jer, kan?..hehehe)

Birthday dinner at Seoul Garden

The whole of the next day was spent at the beach and Hard Rock Hotel swimming pool.

getting ready nak naik jetski

Spending time with those we love is a very special gift, what more on a Birthday.

The family spent two days of doing fun with Kartina and she was definitely thrilled! Hope this Birthday was a memorable one.

Life's Blessings

2011-11-07T07:09:00.014+08:00

Lots of fun activities recently, Alhamdulillah. Enjoy the photos ...

I have been craving for this apple pie with vanilla ice-cream ...

... eversince I tasted it at Delicious, MidValley.

So... Noraini, Kathy, Yusma and I went to Delicious, Straits Quay, Penang to enjoy a second round of this simply marvellous dessert while also trying out the chicken and steak (I've forgotten their fancy names) on the menu.

chicken

beef steak

Left: Noraini, Yusmayati & Kathy

Lama juga tak dating-dating with my cousin Kak Ju and her grand-daughter Mila sejak Mila hurt her ankle in a bicycle mishap about a month or two ago.

Now, Alhamdulillah, dah sembuh.. and it's time to meet up again.

Kak Ju & family - From left: Kak Ju, her husband Mohd Noor, her son Arif (black tshirt), her nephew Fauzy (blue tshirt), another nephew Syamil (white tshirt), Mila (her grand-daughter), Yasmin and Nabila

With SPM examinations just round the corner, sekolah Nabila telah mengadakan Majlis Solat Hajat for parents, students and teachers recently.

study.. study.. study..

My sister Ani, came back a day before Hari Raya Aidil Adha. Seperti biasanya.. lepas fetching her from the airport, mesti nak pergi makan-makan. Kebetulan, my friend Yusmayati called right at the time we were deciding where to go for lunch. So, we went to Johnny's for steamboat lunch.

oh ya...

sibuk ke.. membuat persiapan dan merayakan Aidil Adha kelmarin tu?

Myself? oohh... myself pun sibuk juga malam sebelum raya tu ...

sibuk...

... gi tengok wayang 10pm show! Shark Night 3D... hahaha...

Sitting from left: my Mum, my Dad, my youngest son Firdaus, my eldest son Farid and his girlfriend Kartina ; my niece Nabila and my sister Ani (front row),
Standing behind them: Yasmin and her boyfriend Faris,
.. and Kaled (not in photo).

Family means too much ...
Friends are too valuable...
And life is too short!
So, enjoy every minute now.
Don't wait for something outside of yourself
to make you happy in the future.
Time spent NOW is precious.
The best of all gifts
is the presence of a happy family
all wrapped up with one another....

2011-11-03T06:24:00.005+08:00

Yesterday, my slimming consultant datang ke rumah to take my measurements. 'Cuak' jugak... sebab haven't exactly been behaving myself ...but then again, since when pulak have I been behaving myself when it comes to food!!??

eh!!?? tapiiii.... turun laa!! sikiiiiiiiiiiit !

University Interview and TSA Test

2011-11-02T10:59:00.010+08:00

Friday, 28th October 2011
12.10pm - Firdaus attended a university interview at Taylor's College, Subang Jaya.

Saturday, 29th October 2011
12pm - Firdaus sat for the Thinking Skill Assessment (TSA) written test at Sunway College, Subang Jaya.

uihh... anak yang nak interview and exam, mama yang kecut! Faiz relax jaa... siap boleh lena lagi kat dalam kereta at parking lot. So... mama curi-curi pegi mengendap anak mama ni kat mana?

sedang pikir apa tu, adik?

Clearly know where you wish to go...
and you'll naturally make the effort...
that gets you there, insyaAllah.

BBQ

2011-10-24T07:03:00.031+08:00

Fun & memorable - two words describing our recent gathering.

Firdaus, Kaled and Ani came back for the weekend in conjunction with Yasmin's 22nd BBQ birthday celebrations. I obliged Min's request who insisted to have a small private party to be with only those closest to her heart.

Her boyfriend, Faris, graduated last week. Congrats Faris! This calls for a double celebration! I ordered Baskin Robbin's ice-cream cake for both to share.

BBQ started early... selepas asar. Alhamdulillah, though weather was not sunny... it was not raining either.. so, it was rather cooling. Perfect !!

I recently bought Amway's portable grill and this was the first time we're trying it. Kali ni kita ada portable grill, portable oven and the usual charcoal grill. Haa... siapa nak yang macamana... help yourselves !

lamb and salmon

Left: Hairi, 'orang kuat' yang wajib hadir for all our BBQs;
Background: one itik angsa stretching her neck to be included in the photo;
Centre: Ani grilling the marinated salmons... nyuummy! ;
Right: "Hello Tina (girlfriend), ada kat mana? Awat tak mai lagi?", Farid.

Kartina

this group 'charcoal grilling' the marinated chicken, sausages and potatoes

Kaled

my parents

Left: Kartina, Kaled, Farid, Faris (standing behind), Hairi

Faris, Yasmin & Nabila

Yasmin & Firdaus

My sister yang sudah kekenyangan; Tina... menung apa tu, dear?

happy faces

Happy Birthday

2011-10-19T11:13:00.008+08:00

She's 22 today.

Siapa?

... my day brightener and my heart warmer,

... the treasure and cause of sleeplessness to her daddy,

... the victim of her elder brother's teasings,

... the fierce protector of her younger brother,

... the darling of her Maksu,

... last, but not least, the sweetheart of her boyfriend.

Eh!.. sorry! sorry! silap photo. Takkan ni umur 22 pulak kot, kan?

hehehe... cakk!!

HAPPY 22nd BIRTHDAY, YASMIN my luv...

Ba & Mama's one and only daughter,
most precious of our treasures,
the dearest possession of our home,
and the object of our most watchful love.

(photo credit to Yasmin Faiz)

Sophie Izzana Saiful Fitri

2011-10-17T06:14:00.016+08:00

Alhamdulillah, dah 2 tahun pun si Sophie ni...

Happy Birthday, my luv.

Sophie with her Mama, Nur Izzati Hafiz

Tok Chaq Faiz sedang ajar Sophie cuit icing and jilat jari... isy! isy!

Tok Chaq Faiz & Tok Chaq Dolly excited jadi grandparents jugak

Mee Rebus (top), Nasi Beriyani Ayam (bottom)

Myself, tanpa rasa bersalahnya, makan two bowls of Mee Rebus and one plate of Nasi Briyani... haa! ambik terpelanting diet-diet semua!

my parents helping themselves to the food (bottom right photo)

Mak Tok Ina Hafiz with Sophie

top right: Faezah (kakak Faiz) & her husband Badri;
bottom left: Yuhaniz (cousin);
bottom right: my two nieces - Nur Izzati, Aina Qistina & my mother-in-law

top left: si handsome Aidiel Atif, my nephew's son and his Mama, Shela (bottom left photo) ;
Yasmin and Nabila taking turns to carry baby Samir, Sophie's little brother

top left: Faris, Yasmin's boyfriend;
bottom left: Farid Rizal, my son

Yasmin & Nabila yang sangat happy berposing

Healthy Activities?

2011-10-16T09:32:00.009+08:00

What activities do you do when spending time with the people you love?

Main games?
Tengok wayang? (one of my favourites)
Bersukan?
Cuci Rumah? (not a bad idea.. *evil grin*)
Berkebun? (hahahaha... gelak besaq ni!)

My favourite of all the above ....

... aktiviti "Makan" !!

Lepak-lepak at Dome's with loved ones....

From left: Kaled, Nabila, Faris & Yasmin

Nabila's Fish & Chips

Left: Chicken Gourmet Pie, Seafood Pie and Minestrone Soup

Food is an integral part of our lives. We need it to survive, correct or not? (correct..!)

Therefore.... we should look for someone to eat and drink with, before looking for something to eat and drink.... because it's the simple pleasures of food plus conversation... that makes life so great, correct or not? (correct lagi!)

Cuma one drawback, however, is that weight gain loomed as a threat!

My nutritionist pun sampai dah pening kepala dengan I. Macam-macam slimming menu yang dia dah bagi ... tapi tak dapat nak strictly follow laaa.. Sebab apa? sebab menu dia tu boring!! haish!!!

So last sekali, she advised me on a daily basis to try and include the seven foods to boost my body’s fat-burning potential: oats, eggs, skimmed milk, apples, red meat, cinnamon and almonds. There is also her formula of dividing my plate in three sections: half filled with fruits and vegetables, one quarter with whole grains and the last quarter with the lean meat or protein. (apa-apa jer lah!)

And whenever I have the time in between, I go for my slimming treatments to 'burn' whatever 'lemak tepu' I can get rid off!.

If not for all of the above steps taken, with all my food consumptions... tak tau la nak jadi besar mana. Takat sekarang ni pun dah 'bulat' manje manje gitu.. hahaha..

No regrets!

Because for me ...

“There is no love sincerer than the love of food!.”

p/s: Sedang bersiap-siap nak attend birthday party tengahari ni at my sis-in-law Ina Hafiz's house. Dengar kata, she's making Nasi Briyani Ayam and Mee Rebus. yahoooo!!!.. makan lagi !!!

Captured Moments

2011-10-15T09:38:00.015+08:00

Semenjak berkepit dengan gadget baru dia, these are a few of Yasmin's 'work' ...

Nak comment... kena tanya kepada yang pakar. Kalau tanya dekat Mama, of coz la I find the images cantik-cantik belaka! Nama pun Mamaaaa..., kan?

Among the first photos taken using her camera was this beautiful photo of Yasmin's childhood best friend who is also her cousin, Sarah Hazwani, at her recent USM Graduation.

Congrats my dear Sarah. Aunty Dolly tumpang seronok dan turut berbangga dengan pencapaian Sarah dan mendoakan kejayaan yang berterusan serta berkekalan, insyaAllah. Amin.

Our relatives are the family that we are born with...
but our friends...
are the family...
we choose.

~~~~~

True Friends

There are many people
that we meet in our lives
but only a very few
will make a lasting impression
on our minds and hearts
It is these people
that we will think of often
and who will always
remain important to us
as true friends

~ Susan Polis Schutz

This two, shared many smiles and many tears but I tell you, nothing beats their laughter !! Walaupun you tak tau/tak dengar apa punca, apa cerita the two have been cerita-ing and gossiping.. when they both suddenly break into laughter... oh my! it's really a fun sight to see! One would be laughing hysterically (tak padan dengan kecik molek dia!) and the other would be laughing just as whole-heartedly with tears streaming down her eyes ... followed by asthma!

Itulah antara treasured moments I fondly remember and still continue to have the privilege of sharing with them.

Gold..
a very valuable item..
as valuable as a friendship.

Friendship..
is like a gold chain..

each link ..
is a memory ..
from the past ..
to the present.

Never let the chain break.

or else..
the friendship ..
will be gone ..
forever.

Ladies Getaway To KL

2011-10-10T10:36:00.024+08:00

The last trip was to Singapore.

It was time for a getaway again... but ... where to?

Bandung was on top of the list during the few discussions that we had but had to choose another location because to go to Bandung, Noraini had to apply for visa and we didn't want to go through the fuss. And so, KL it is !

Noraini, Kathy and I took the 9am NICE Express Bus to KL. Yati was not able to join us for the trip this time because of her son's PMR exams on those dates.

6 - 8 October, 2011
3days 2nights
Boulevard Hotel, Midvalley.

Studio Suite

After checking-in... jom makan!!

at Tempanyaki

wah! bergayanya dia masak

yeay! this is my chicken tempanyaki set

oit!! started without me aaa.. ?

After lunch, we wandered about and we came upon an ice-cream parlor...

time for dessert

My sister, Ani, joined us after finishing her work. Continued with more shopping and ended with dinner at Madame Kwan's. Kathy's son, Alif, came a while later to pick up some things from Kathy and joined us for dinner. After dinner, Ani left for the airport to fetch Yasmin, who also decided to come spend some quality time with her Maksu in KL.

2nd day - Yasmin joined us for breakfast and later, the four of us took a taxi to IKEA. We each bought a little bit of something that we could manage to hand-carry.

For lunch, we proceeded to Tony Roma's at the Curve.

Though the ribs look harmlessly small, they're actually quite a mouthful! We ate till we're about to drop ! Thumbs up to both Kathy and Yasmin who managed to 'clear the plate'.. hahaha..

Alif arrived as we left Tony Roma's. Laaa... kesian dia... I'm sure dia belum makan (me.. the concerned Mum always ... when it comes to food!).

Oh! Look!! There's Chocolate Lounge! Let's pop over for desserts and "what-have-you's" there (the image of my weighing scale was making frightening appearances in my mind.... eeyahhh!!! karate kasi pecah sama dia!!).

eemm... yummylicious

Ms Coco

We did not venture much into the shops at the Curve because dragging the IKEA bags and shopping at the same time proved to be quite a hassle. That's why we ended up from one food outlet to the other where we sat, relaxed, enjoyed the food and chat.

We got back to Boulevard Hotel just in time to beat the evening rush-hour traffic. After resting for a while, we went out again. This time to Garden's.

Later, Ani and Yasmin left for dinner and karaoke activities while the three of us decided to dine at Delicious. With all the food we had consumed throughout the day, we were feeling considerably full. So, dinner was a light one with just soup and cakes.

carrot cake

Wild Mushroom Soup (didn't finish my soup, too peppery! bleaakkhh !)

Nabila Zaid

2011-09-30T18:47:00.005+08:00

Happy Sweet 17th Birthday to my niece

NABILA ZAID

Always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do.
Don't bother just to be better than your friends.
Try to be better than yourself.
Never mind what others do; do better than yourself.
Beat your own record from day to day, and you are on your way to success.

Nikon D7000

2011-09-24T07:48:00.002+08:00

...click... click... click... click...

Anybody can shoot a snapshot. But is it a good photograph?

Kenapa tiba-tiba cakap pasal photograph ni?

Sebab...

... Yasmin has got herself a ...

... Nikon D7000 (16.2 megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR), sempena joining Photography for her final year semester. Excitednya dia !!! Tak sabar-sabar nak start lessons next week! Equally excited is her younger brother, Firdaus, who is back for the weekend. (Mama pun excited jugak, pepagi hari dah google cari tutorials for beginners and sibuk membaca !)

We look at things everyday tapi apa yang kita nampak tak seperti apa yang dilihat oleh the ‘eye’ behind a camera in producing an image. Nampak macam senang jer snapshooting away tapi sebenarnya a huge amount of work goes into deciding what composition gets included or excluded in the photo to be taken... the lightings... the positions... colors.... time of day and dozens of other artistic elements to acquire the perfect photograph. Itu sebab Photography is not only an art, but also a skill.

Itu belum lagi cerita nak pegi cari lokasi-lokasi yang menarik for the shoots, dan kemudian hauling a load of equipment dan sebagainya. (tapi tak per... not so soon for my Yasmin!)

I hope ‘Uncle Wan’ (En. Ridzuan Ismail) will be a big inspirational mentor to her while she slowly finds and create a talent in Photography.

Semoga dengan menyertai Photography, she will have a new set of photography friends at her level to chat, learn and grow in sharing knowledge together, insyaAllah, sebab peers can come in handy when you need someone for a quick advice or information.

Perhaps later, kalau rajin, boleh create a blog to share knowledge and post photographs. (Kalau rajin laaa... )

Tooth Extraction

2011-09-22T15:40:00.009+08:00

Monday, took Farid to the dentist. Dah seminggu lebih complaining sakit gigi geraham. Upon checking, Doktor kata perlu di cabut. Aduihh.. kecut perut aku! Itu baru dengar cakap dari Doktor. Tapi bila tengok Doktor 'in action' mencabut gigi tu ...

.. uuihh! sungguh menggerunkan! ..

Danial & Nathrah

2011-09-20T08:13:00.007+08:00

Merisik sudah bertunang pun sudah,
Nikah dilafaz sunnah diwarisi,
Termeterai sudah janji bermadah,
Majlis pernikahan kini dirai.

Tarikh:
Ahad, 18 September 2011

Bertempat di:
Dewan Kondo Mutiara, Bandar Perda

Majlis Perkahwinan:

Khaliq Danial Bin Mohd Noor
&
Nathrah Binti Bakar

bagai pinang dibelah dua

ketibaan pengantin

persandingan

"When two people become one flesh by way of marriage, it is not only their hearts that are united, but their minds and souls as well."
-Julie Donner Andersen

Career

2011-09-17T08:02:00.003+08:00

New semester, final year has begun for my daughter, Yasmin.

Begitu juga for my youngest child, Firdaus.. who started his 2nd year A-levels.

Belajarlah rajin-rajin anak-anakku. You have both come a long way up to this stage, berusahalah dengan bersungguh-sungguh to complete your studies demi mencapai cita-cita.

Lepas ni, for my girl, nak membina career pula. While for Firdaus, you have another major step to go.

So...

What's the best career for you, girl?

Jawapannya: The best career is one with meaning.

To be truly happy in your career, you need to find the right kind of work for YOU.

Not something you think you SHOULD do
or
something somebody else WANTS you to do.

Some women like to lead...
others prefer to follow.
Some are independent..
and others prefer to be part of a team.
There is no right or wrong.

Ask yourself..

"What feels right for me?"
"How can I use my unique and natural talents?"
"How can I bring out the best in myself and provide it to others as a service?"

Kekadang when people (especially those whom we regard as valuable or important)... ask us what our ambition is?... what we intend to do later in life? ... and kemudian 'pooh-pooh' us upon hearing our answer, that is the quickest way to kill a dream! Mulalah muka ter-berubah (terkebil like a deer tiba-tiba kena suluh dengan headlights kereta..), cakap pun dah nak ter-babble and blurt garblish nonsense, kan?

haha..
chill..!!

Stop the struggle and allow the truth of who you are to rule your life! It may be difficult to allow yourself to be the real YOU for many reasons. We may feel insecure about the validity of our choice. We may be wary of what "Others" will think.

Haishh...! Jangan macam tu, my love. Dare to take the steps toward finding your own true path by answering the questions above. You'll discover what comes naturally and what activities make you the happiest.

Best of all, you'll feel genuine satisfaction and pride when you spend your days doing something you value.

The next time someone asks you "lepas ni nak buat apa?"... have a strong confident answer for them, and answer with pride "I am going to be a Spa Director, insyaAllah" (contoh la kaaann...)

Turun , tapi naik ?

2011-09-15T10:24:00.003+08:00

Nak kata frust, nanti kata tak bersyukur pula.

Nak kata happy, tapi rasa tak puas hati pun ada.

Ni tengah dok analyse carta...

jenuh mikir ...

What am I doing wrong?

but at the same time, there is evidence that it's actually working.

my recent measurements

Semua turun.. which is good, except for Skeletal Muscles which should increase (mine went down!) and Body Fats which should decrease (mine went up!!) haishhh...!

So, kalau my Weight, BMI, Skeletal Muscles, Visceral Fat, Basal Metabolic Rate has gone down sementara my Body Fats pulak going up.. macamana tu? How do I 'go in' and 'attack' si Body Fats ni? tengok tu.. si Visceral Fat dah turun, yang engkau (Body Fats) tak mau turun tu pasaipa?

...hmmm...

Hobi Baru

2011-09-12T07:47:00.008+08:00

"Curiosity killed the cat" is a proverb used to warn of the dangers of unnecessary investigation or experimentation. (Wikipedia)

.... so ....

janganlah nak adventure sangat!

Orang dah siapkan untuk dia elok-elok...

...daaak!! nak pi cari adventure jugak!!??

Yang engkau pi lompat keluar tu buat haper??

haaa! kan dah mati!!??

tinggallah yang selebihnya ...

nowadays, kat sinilah Faiz and I sering melepak ...

appreciating his fish pond ...

ni pun satu keja jugak... sepuluh kali dah dok betulkan position lampu-lampu dalam air tu! kejap hala ke sini... kejap hala ke sana ... hmmm ...

New Pets In The House

2011-09-11T16:35:00.009+08:00

Meet Yasmin's new sugar-gliders...

Freddy & Freda

eemm... ni Freddy kot? sorry grandma confuse which is which laa..

Yang ni pulak ...

Faiz's new hobi

hmm... ikannya dah masuk rumah baru. Orang-orangnya bila laaa nak boleh masuk niiii... ?

Trip To Universal Studios, Singapore - Part 2

2011-09-08T22:24:00.079+08:00

2nd September 2011 - Woke up to perform Subuh prayers with high spirits and excitement in anticipation of today's itinerary - to Universal Studios, Singapore. wuhuuuu...!!!

Surprised to see Firdaus huddled at the corner of his bed looking sickly.

"Eh?? what happened, Adik?"

"Diarrhoea... the whole night.... and now rasa nak muntah..."

"Laa! Makan apa, eh? Everyone else ok jer. emmm... must have been the Nasi Goreng Daging Merah you took last night." (my excitement and high spirits immediately vanished into thin air!).

Ransacked the mini fridge looking for 100Plus ...

... none.

Aduihh..!

Went down to the lobby, asked where's the nearest clinic. Thank goodness, considerably near ... but opens at 9am. "Ok, where's the nearest 7-11 ?". "Just around the corner."

to 7-11 beli pill
Chi Kit Tek On

9am, our transport came. First stop ...

While waiting for us, Ani and Yasmin got down to filling up the Immigration Cards.

Ok... ubat dah ambil ... the Doctor made him take 2 tablets at the clinic and to follow up with other tablets, if condition persists.

"Ya Allah, sembuhkanlah anak aku. Amin". ok, jom...

drop / pick-up area at the basement under the park

asal posing ja, mesti nak tunjuk 'peace', kan?

Alhamdulillah, Firdaus is looking more or less his playful self now

Tak caya?

Tengok ni...

ceria, kan? hehehe..

Dengan rasminya, Mama's worries flew off !

Ok, ambik tiket masing-masing ...

"Nak pi yang mana dulu, eh?"

For a person who loves the excitement of roller coaster rides and couldn't wait to madly dive in for his first ride in the park, it wasn't surprising when Firdaus answered: "ANCIENT EGYPT - REVENGE OF THE MUMMY !!"

On the way to 'Ancient Egypt', we stopped to see an indoor Steven Spielberg's special effects short movie at "Lights, Camera, Action".

We were made to stand in a boathouse by the harbour and experience a Category 5 major hurricane in New York. Interesting!

ok... sambung perjalanan ...

... sampai dah!

'dug.. dag.. dug.. dag' ... hati kecut tapi posing bukan main lagi!

Come on! You can do this, Dolly!

Revenge Of The Mummy, my first ever roller coaster ride in 48yrs of life! This indoor roller coaster started-off slow before suddenly reversing and then exhilarating and plunging us into pitch black total darkness. I could feel the rush of adrenalin as I opened my eyes wide, partly in shock, trying to catch a glimpse of even the slightest of light. I could hear myself screaming my lungs out, clinging on tightly to the safety lap bar for dear life throughout the wild ride!! What have I got myself into!!??

"aaaa.. aahhhHHHH.... AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH..!!!!

aik? apasal grandpa's and grandma's in the two front rows (except for that young fella) nampak relax jer macam not affected langsung, eh? (reminds me of one of Mr Bean's episodes on TV).

"Amacam, Mama? OK dak?", Farid asked. He's the one yang bersungguh-sungguh sangat nak Mama dia naik roller coasters.

"Eh! Mama okeyyyyhh... (cewah!!??). eemm... kat mana toilet?"

Ani waiting for me in front of the restroom. "Sorry eh, cheq lambat skit. Ni nak sudah dah".

Next, we proceeded to the outdoor roller coasters, Battlestar Galactica, where they have two high speed roller coasters HUMAN (red) and CYLON (blue), moving parallel side by side twisting, turning & narrowly avoiding collision with each other!

Naik HUMAN dulu, ok?

Jom!!

'peace'
who am I kidding? trauma tadi pun tak habis lagi!
risau aku!!

OMG!! aahhHHH.. aahhhHHHH.... WHOAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH..!!!!

There was no harness on the upper body part, just a lap bar, and I felt as though I was going to be flung out from my seat! It was scary!!

Down from HUMAN, diorang kata, "Jom sambung naik CYLON pulak!".

"You guys go ahead... bak sini tiket Mama, I'M DONE !!" (nasib baik cheq tak mati atas roller coaster tu tadi! ... eeeiii...)

water! nak minum! nak minum! my throat dry from all the screaming just now!

after CYLON. I noticed Firdaus was a bit pale and was not as 'cheerful' anymore.

"Are you ok, Adik?"

"Pening skit. Nak muntah ... panas ..."

It was midday and was getting considerably hot. With Firdaus starting to feel unwell, we quickly went into one of the air-conditioned souvenir shops to cool down ... browse ... and do some shopping.

After getting some souvenirs and T-shirts, we moved on to "The Lost World" which is divided into two themed areas: Jurassic Park and WaterWorld. It was most unfortunate that Jurassic Park was closed for technical maintenance as we were actually looking forward to this thrilling outdoor river rafts ride (eemm... does this mean we have to come back again for another visit? hehehe...)

Ani: "Lapaq laaa...".

beli nachos...

... drinks and a fancy 'water bottled' fan to keep cool

Next, we proceeded to ...

The live water show at "Waterworld" was about to start as we hurried into the sheltered enclosed area. The stunts, thrills from real explosions of fire and spills of water made the show a sensational one.

Next area was Far, Far Away where we watched the Shrek 4D adventure. There was a long wait in the introductory hall which was quite boring because the hall was packed with sweaty people and smelly clothes which made the place stuffy! eeuuww! I was so relieved when we were finally ushered into the cool comfortable theatre. As I sat, something fell off my seat. Hey! I found an iPhone!! The show started. It was an entertaining 4D adventure with gentle breeze of water and rocking chairs making the story somewhat 'real' as it progresses. Fun!

After the show, we stopped at Madagascar's Casa Del Wild for lunch where we had chicken rice and spaghetti. Meanwhile, Firdaus made calls with the iPhone we found to try to locate the owner. Within half an hour, a young Chinese lady walked into the cafe and was straining her neck as though searching for 'someone'. On instinct, I waved my hand and she came to our table and was so grateful and glad to claim back her iPhone, snapping a photo of Firdaus before leaving.

Perut dah kenyang, sambung perjalanan...

Next, we tried Madagascar's "A Crate Adventure", an indoor river boat ride adventure.

Thank goodness we bought 'Express Passes' together with our tickets online, so we breezed through entrances to all rides and shows. The waiting queues were 45mins to 1hour each!

It was a very very slow and boring ride. As the boat glided gently down the river, I kept expecting something to shock / scare or get us wet but was disappointed with the tame river ride all the way ...

After the ride was over, the penguins and other animal 'friends' entertained us with a dance show.

Last stop, Hollywood. It was here that Firdaus's diarrhoea and nausea started again and he declared that he could no longer bear to go on and badly wanted to get back to the hotel to rest. So, kat sinilah sessi menghabiskan Sing Dollars yang masih ada dengan membeli segala macam souvenirs and Tshirts.

OK.. selesai dah? Jom balik ...

Called our transport and within minutes we were on our way back to Johor Bahru. Made a quick stop at Hard Rock Cafe Singapore to buy some Tshirts. Perjalanan selesa without any traffic jam on the Causeway, arriving at the hotel within 30 mins.

"OK, Ah Wei.. Come fetch us at 8pm for dinner, ya".

8pm - We were entertained again by Mr Teng, Faiz's friend, to the famous Indah Selalu Nasi Lemak and seafood dinner at Kampung Senibong, Permas Jaya.

The restaurant was constructed by the waterfront overlooking Singapore. It has a relaxing ambience with sea breeze and straits view that makes dining a pleasant experience.

3 September 2011 - Time to head home. Our transport came to pick us up at 7am and by 7.30am, we were at Senai International Airport.. getting ready to board two 8.40am flights; ours to Penang and my sister's to Kuala Lumpur.

Alhamdulillah, no flight delays and by 9.30am, we arrived safely in Penang where Pak Kozeni and Faris were ready to pick us up.

Summary:

The Universal Studios in Singapore was nice-and-easy and smaller compared to the one we went to in Gold Coast, Australia a few years back.

Looking at the holiday photos made me feel all sentimental. I am so blessed to have all of you in my life. The laughter and screams would be lasting memories cherished and would forever bring fond smiles whenever I think of them.

Trip to Universal Studios, Singapore - Part 1

2011-09-07T16:39:00.025+08:00

Dah ke?

Daaaahh..!!

Bags packed - Checked

Flight tickets - Checked

Passports - Checked

Singapore Dollars - Checked

Universal Studio entrance tickets - Checked

OK, JOM !!

happy faces at Penang International Airport

We took AirAsia flight to Johor Bahru.

yeay! we're on the way!

arrival at Senai International Airport

When we arrived, an MPV was already waiting for us (arrangements made by Faiz's business friend Mr Teng). The journey to Mutiara Hotel took about half an hour.

checking-in at Mutiara Johor Bahru

After checking-in (Yasmin, Ani and I in a room while Faiz, Farid and Firdaus in the next connecting room), freshen up and solat, we got ready to go out for dinner.

hey!! Min!! bangun!! nak pi makan dah!!

laaa..! ni lagi sorang!.. Fariiiid!! let's go!

waiting for our transport

... somebody is looking happy ... while me frowning at those who can't seem to separate themselves from their handphones... hmmm...psstt.. psstt.. Farid! tengok la sini, mama nak tangkap gambaq..

ni sorang lagi! dok senyum apa sorang-sorang tu kat phone?Adik!! tengok sini, nak tangkap gambaq.

eh! dah hilang senyum pulak!?

... hmmm ... dan sorang lagi ...

We had dinner at Singgah Selalu Seafood Restaurant. Menu - Steamed Lime Siakap Thai Style, Shark's Fin Soup, Kangkong Belacan, Sup Tulang Kambing, Telur Dadar, Kerabu Mangga... semua sedap-sedap belaka.

2nd from right: Mr Teng

dah kenyang... jom balik... tido... tak sabar tunggu esok!

Hari Raya Aidil Fitri 2011

2011-09-06T09:15:00.025+08:00

Aktiviti malam raya ...

Ani and Yasmin preparing bundles of sayur kangkung for tomorrow's Mee Udang. cakk! Min!! camera-shy pulak dok menyorok belakang sayur tu!!

Photos on 1st day of Hari Raya 30 August 2011

family di pagi raya

Left: Farid, Yasmin & Firdaus... Jewels of My Life

centre: my sister, Ani

Sementara guests belum tiba, kita makan dulu...

Farid helping himself to the Mee Udang

Among the early guests to arrive were...

my younger brother-in-law Hafiz, his wife Ina and youngest daughter Nur Izzani

...and their twin sons Hazman Hafiz (left) and Hazwan Hafiz

my nephew, Atif ...

... his wife, Shela ...

... and their son, Aidil

Right: Dayana , my niece

As promised in previous entry...

my special guests for the day ...

Farid's girlfriend, Kartina ...

... and Yasmin's boyfriend, Faris

2nd Day of Raya - Perhimpunan keluarga anak menantu cucu cicit Tok Hashim (my mother-in-law's father) di Alor Star, Kedah. The photo taken here is my husband's family. Unfortunately, my father-in-law was not well and did not attend this event. Otherwise, the photo would have been perfect.

BBQ on 2nd Raya night

from left: Farid's friends Kaled and Hairi - 'orang kuat BBQ event' setiap tahun.

Another important BBQ event member, Shafiq, came a while later. Hey! Lupa snap photo dia, ke? haish...!

yang atas buai tu Kaled's Mum, Kak Maria and Kartina on the left. Hairi BBQ-ing dengan penuh bergaya

Faiz and my mum sedang menunggu dengan sabarnya

my sister, Ani

from left: Zel, Firdaus Najib, Ramdzi Malek, Farid, Hazwan Hafiz, Julia, Faris

ok... kasi chance... last photo... Farid & Kartina

2011-09-01T08:42:00.013+08:00

"Letih... tapi sangat happy". This summarizes recent end of Ramadhan and Hari Raya Aidil Fitri celebrations.

Eh? Apa yang you all dok kerumun tu? (Farid, my eldest, in blue 'Bagan 8' tshirt)

Laaa... Belum azan lagi oi !! Sabaaaaq Firdaus !! (2nd from left, my youngest son)

This photo was taken on the 2nd last day of Ramadhan. Semua berkumpul ramai-ramai at my father-in-law's place in Telok Air Tawar, Kepala Batas untuk berbuka puasa.

Kitorang 'mak-mak' ni masing-masing buat Pot Luck bawa ke rumah father-in-law. Apa-apa jer lauk yang ada kat atas meja tu?

A-A3 - Laksa Terengganu prepared by my sister, Ani ; B - Ikan Tiga Rasa by my youngest sister-in-law Zaidah ; C - Paprik by my sister-in-law Sakina ; D - Dalca Tulang by my maid, Ari ; E - Acar Limau yang I beli kat Pasar Ramadhan to go with the Dalca Tulang ; F & G - Ketupat with Serunding Daging by my mother-in-law ; H - Dimsum by my niece Hamizah ; J - Bihun Singapura by my eldest sis-in-law Faezah ; K - Bread Pudding by my sister-in-law Sakina ; L - Sambal ; M - Nasi

Haaa... pilih apa nak makan ! Tak sempat nak hidang pakai Pyrex Corningware segala... periuk pun dah naik duduk atas meja ! Itu myself punya kerja la tu ! Terkebil-kebil mother-in-law tengok I dengan selamba serve dengan periuk-periuk tu sekali.. hehe.. Relax Mak! Ni lebih authentic! cewah!!

First day of Raya (Tuesday 30th Aug 2011) my sister Ani prepared Mee Udang, hidangan WAJIB yang ditunggu pada Raya setiap tahun by family members and relatives. The morning was very quiet tapi towards lunch, the crowd started to flow in. Maka riuhlah se-isi rumah!

Oh ya..! Remember the mysterious special guest yang my eldest son, Farid, bercadang nak bawa ke rumah tu? Well... to my delight, I not only have one but TWO special guests for Raya.

Siapakah ituuuu?

Farid's girlfriend, Kartina and Yasmin's boyfriend, Faris. Hehehe... Alhamdulillah.

Unfortunately, they came at a time when the house was full with guests and I was too busy to have a chance to sit and chat, apa lagi nak ambik photo. But never mind, we would definitely spend time catching up getting to know each other later-later nanti, insyaAllah.

This is a group photo of my nieces and nephews yang bikin havoc kat rumah I hari tu.

Faris & Yasmin

Unfortunately I don't have potrait photo of Farid and Kartina... takper... nanti-nanti jer la yer... Tapi kalau nak tengok gak, she in the group photo above (centre sebelah Yasmin, in red).

Sambil itu, saja nak tempek gambar gazebo at DResidence (my soon-to-be home) yang dah siap dihias lampu.

Hmmm... curtains will only be ready in 3weeks. Sofa belum pegi tengok pun lagi. Itu belum termasuk other 'knick-knacks' .. cadar lah, towels lah, bathroom accessories and ntah apa-apa lagi yang belum boleh nak pikir sekarang ni.

Kenapa belum boleh nak pikir?

Sebaaaaab....

....

....

kitorang nak pegi holiday!! Yesss!! Today !! Flight 3.30pm to Johor Baru.

Esok pagi ... Universal Studios, Singapore ... here we come !!

Photos credited to Faris & Dayana

2011-08-22T18:24:00.003+08:00

Today June gave birth to two kittens.
Unfortunately, they were stillborn.

Happy Birthday Firdaus

2011-08-14T11:41:00.005+08:00

Every year, on your birthday,
I think about how glad I am
that you were born,
how thankful I am
to have you in my life.
Every year is another year
filled with the special joys you bring
just by being yourself.
Every year, when you open your birthday gifts,
realize what a gift you are
to everyone who knows you,
especially to Mama.
Happy 19th Birthday Firdaus, my dear son.

2011-08-12T10:57:00.002+08:00

Misteri

2011-08-11T06:36:00.004+08:00

Sejak akhir-akhir ni...
every time he sees me... he'll smile...
every time he sits beside me... he'll smile...

Finally, I asked "Apa yang Farid dok senyum sorang-sorang ni?".

... maka, bertambah-tambah lebarlah senyumannya !...

"haish! ceita la kat Mama".

"Tak dak apa, Ma".

"Ooo.. takpa.. nak rahsia dari Mama. Nanti Mama pun rahsia dengan Farid," myself buat-buat merajuk.

Semalam...

"Mama, hari Raya pertama kita ada kat rumah, kan?" he asked.

"Ada. Kan Maksu nak buat Mee Udang.. Tok Ngah semua nak mai..".

"Farid nak bawak kawan mai rumah".

"Haaa.. bawak ja lah. Member-member MYVIans tu ka? Berapa ramai?"

"Bukan MYVIans. Kali ni Farid nak bawak sorang jaa"... senyum lagi... penuh makna.

"siapa, eh?"

2011-08-09T17:31:00.004+08:00

Tak semena-mena Farid casually came up with a suggestion to go for a short Hari Raya holiday trip to Universal Studios, Singapore. "Raya ni ja yang semua dapat bercuti serentak. Jom la Mama. OK??. This time, Mama & Ba pun mesti join naik rides sama-sama... barulah fun," tambahnya lagi sambil tersenyum lebar.

oh! I can't even remember when was the last time I went up those rides. Naik "River Rapids" kat Sunway Lagoon tu.. ada la. Itu pun dah cukup 'fun' enough for me.

So, yesterday I went online and bought our flight tickets as well as the Universal Studios Theme Park tickets. Mind you, not just any ticket .... Farid nak yang 'Express Pass' nun! "So that kita boleh naik semua-semua rides without wasting time to queue", he added convincingly.

Beranikah aku??

2011-08-07T09:56:00.005+08:00

Bila dah selesa dengan routines yang dibuat berhari-hari, bertahun-tahun... I paling benci betul when I'm being caught unaware and unprepared about something!

All started at the beginning of the month, u know, the happiest day of every month when we get our 'allowances'. Well... between Faiz and I, me being the one well versed about internet usage (of coz la kaaan), I would be the one doing all the banking transactions online. Tak kisahlah bayar bills ke, transfer allowances kepada anak-anak ke.. and so on.

So, early on the beautiful Monday morning, bangun pagi (belum mandi pun lagi ni!) check tengok duit dah masuk account ke belum. Hah! Cantek!! Dah masuk! So, I pun mulalah nak begin transfer ke account-account yang sepatutnya.

Dah key-in butir-butir transfer, a question popped up ..

"Where was your father born?".

Eh? ni apasal pulak tanya .. selalu tu request TAC number jer.. bank ni upgrading security systems kot? Hmm... ok, whateverlah! I pun taipkan jawapannya.

"Wrong answer"... came the reply.

Eh? Awat wrong pulak?

"What is your mother's maiden name?".. came another question.

Nak nama mak pulak? hmmm... ok, whateverlah! I pun taipkan jawapannya.

And the next minute...

"YOU HAVE BEEN LOCKED OUT. YOU MAY CONTACT OUR BANK GROUP. REJECT CODE" ...

"Weyh!!! What happened?!!" (me franctically clicking BACK, click REFRESH, re-do Login and ntah apa-apa punya clicking lagi dah!)..

...semua jawapan yang sama...

"YOU HAVE BEEN LOCKED OUT. YOU MAY CONTACT OUR BANK GROUP. REJECT CODE" ...

... ni nak angin pagi-pagi hari nih!! ...

Lama jugak dok termenung depan monitor tu... tiba-tiba ...

alamak!!

yang pegi taruk info pasal my parents tu buat haper??? ni kan account Faiz !!!! tentulah kena taruk info pasal parents dia!!! aiseymannnnn!!!

... kan dah padan muka! Barulah nak buat muka sekupang pegi mengadap tuanpunya account to tell him to go unblock the account at the bank. haish!!..

Moral of Story:
Lain kali, bangun pagi, pi gosok gigi... pi mandi dulu.
Baru otak pun segaq dan cergas! Apa daa!!

2011-08-05T08:35:00.009+08:00

D'Residence renovation updates:-

OUTDOORS

Kebelakangan ni, bz supervising the finishing touches of the Gazebo outside the Dining Area.

The Gazebo is 95% ready except for the flooring.

By end of this week, boleh pegi 'shopping' beli anak-anak ikan for the fish pond which is surrounding the entire Gazebo. Nak kena pegi Plants Nursery jugak untuk cari 'water plants' yang sesuai untuk decorate water fountains.

After the management did some tree/bush clearings, view of the Penang Bridge is more prominent. I like !

Sambil bz dengan hal rumah, bz jugak melayan relatives from Saudi, Majidi & Mariam sekeluarga yang datang ber-holiday ke Malaysia. Semalam buat jamuan berbuka puasa to honour them. Penuhlah seisi rumah dengan keluarga from Faiz's side ramai-ramai menjamu selera.

Food we catered from Shahbi. Menu was Briyani Kambing, Dalca Sayur, Ayam Basamah, Ikan Goreng, Acar. Cakes were from Secret Recipe. Kita kat rumah cuma sediakan buah betik dan Air Buah Tembikai buat berbuka puasa.

Wah! Kecoh jugak bila 25-30 orang makan serentak macam tu. I panicked when we ran out of Watermelon Juice. Hah! Sudah! Maka berpeluh-peluhlah si hostess dok mem-blender jus tembikai tambahan di dapur. Aduh!! Hilang glamour aku! (tak sempat cari tissue dah, tudung pun boleh dibuat lap peluh!).

I thank my blessings for the fast and efficient help from my darling Yasmin, Nabila and Ari, who were bz replenishing food, serving cakes and clearing plates and glasses. Kalau sorang-sorang nak buat, mau berterabur tulang-tulang cheq !

By 10.30pm, guests were ready to go home. We ordered extra portions of food so that all the guests could take home food for sahur. The food packing were done by Yasmin and Ari. Finally... had a chance to sit down and chat with the guests for a change.

Lepas tu, as requested, we all went for a quick drive to my new house. They'll be going back to KL on Monday and subsequently fly back to Jeddah on Saturday, insyaAllah.

From left : Mawaddah, Mariam, Masarrah, Yasmin

Last row from left: Mu'azzin, Yasmin
Centre row from left: Mohammed, Majid, Moayyed
Front row from left: Mawaddah, Masarrah

2011-07-26T08:35:00.006+08:00

In this great big world that we inhabit, we sometimes think/feel we can control lots of things, or people or circumstances... but the truth is... we don't... and we simply can't.

Paling paling best pun, you can only have INFLUENCE over things, people and circumstances, but you don't have CONTROL over them.

The only ONE thing we really have control over is our attitude. It determines the choices we make, the actions we take and eventually... the results we live in.

So, why not instead of punishing yourself over something that you have no control over, sebaiknya calmly just accept the things you can't control instead?

When we are calm, it would be much easier to try to influence others around us (especially loved ones) with WORDS, ACTIONS AND INSPIRATIONS to change for the better.

Tapi... after all has been said and done, kalau tak berkesan jugak ... hmmm...
"Que Sera Sera, what will be.. will be..."

2011-07-23T10:18:00.005+08:00

Majlis Perkahwinan my cousin Malek's son ..

ABDUL HAFIZ BIN ABDUL MALEK

dengan

NOOR SAIDATUL AKMAR BINTI HAMDAN

Majlis Pertunangan my cousin Roshida's daughter

NUR ADLINA JAMALUDIN

2011-07-11T16:46:00.004+08:00

Thanks to my dear friend, Kathy, for allocating time to have breakfast with me this morning and then spontaneously proceeded to accompany me for my "brisk walking weight loss exercise" doing a 'little' shopping at Queensbay (there were some considerable 'losses' alright) .

We had a light lunch afterwards at DOME's.

...ooppssiee... I forgot to snap a photo of my Strawberry Milkshake (ha? apadia? Milkshake is a No! No!?)

Well... I had fun. What a beautiful Monday.

Self Motivation

2011-07-10T06:43:00.008+08:00

I came across this article while googling about 'weight loss' this morning. Though, it is totally not about diets/exercises and stuff, it is somewhat related to 'weight loss' in another way. I read it over and over and really put some thought into it. Read on... who knows ... you might want to go on this 'weight loss' programme too.

All of us are born with baggage. We’re born with certain talents, particular family dynamics, unique personalities, specific socio-economic statuses and most definitely, some shortcomings.

We’re born into lives that expect things of us, into lives that place obstacles in our way. And while all of these circumstances help to shape our fate, fate is not destiny. We are equipped with the tools necessary to determine our own futures.

Too many of us, though, get caught up in this 'baggage'. We use it as an excuse because it’s “who we are” or it’s "just the way it is". Well, at some point that baggage becomes your burden to bear – no longer because it was placed on you, but rather because you’ve failed to remove it! You have the power to decide whether to keep on lugging it around, or, to put it down and walk away.

Remove it.
Put it down and walk away.
You can be whoever you want to be.
It’s all about choice.

For each of us, our obstacles are different. But, defining your baggage means, you can put it down. You can put it down ... and walk away. You can run away. And you never have to look back. You have the power to distance yourself from your circumstances, to determine your own destiny and to be whoever you want to be.

The first step in getting there, though, is in figuring out the contents of your baggage. Knowing what you’re carrying around, allows you to release it.

So, what’s the baggage you’re holding on to?

And, starting today, can you take the steps necessary to start to un-tie it from your back, put it down and walk away? It may just be the best (and certainly most effective!) weight-loss plan you’ve ever embarked on!

Author: Alexis Wolfer

Dolly: I’ve learned so much of the who, what, when, where, why, how... and I'm glad to have started my journey to put down dead weight in my life. I need to lose 10 physical lbs ... and 100 emotional lbs! Am continuing my "weight loss" journey ...

TODAY's AFFIRMATIONS:
I take responsability for my life.
I am worthy of being happy, now.
I let go of the need to be approved of by others. I approve of myself.

In loving memory

2011-07-08T06:50:00.007+08:00

Exactly a month ....

ISSABELLE LUVIEA

... passed away.

The sudden death shattered Nabila's world. Both Nabila and Issabelle left for KL yesterday to visit her beloved Mummy, Elaine. It's the first time for Issabelle to meet up with family and cousins on Nabila's maternal side... and this has to happen. It doesn't make sense, Issabelle was active and healthy when she left home (Penang). The train trip must have been too stressful for her, I guess. We are now suddenly forced to face the loss of a loved one instantaneously and without warning. First Joey, and now Issabelle. The shock and despair left a feeling of deep sadness.

In trying to make sense of, and understand, this sudden loss, it is human nature to want to ask the question "WHY?". No one completely understands the mystery of death. Even if the question was answered, would the pain be eased and our loneliness be less terrible?

hmmmm...

2011-07-04T14:22:00.008+08:00

Today, I'm declaring WAR !!

I'm going into battle ...

against ...

my FATS !!

Dengan rasminya, hari ni my TRA (The Right Approach) DIET project telah dilancarkan.

My friend delivered the products to me this morning, briefed me about product intake and food consumptions, had my measurements and weight taken.

Wah... segala-gala-galanya melebihi peratusan yang dibenarkan! (I'm in DEEEEEP trouble!)

Walaupun she said I could start tomorrow, I decided not to waste any time and started right away!

using your hand/fist/palm to estimate the amount of food allowed

Visceral Fat Rating

Visceral fat surrounds the internal organs of your body. The Visceral Fat Healthy Range shows if the amount of visceral fat you have is healthy. Rating 1-12 indicates you have a healthy level of visceral fat. Rating 13-59 indicates you have an excess level of visceral fat.

Basal Metabolic Rate:

Indicates the number of calories your body burns when at rest. BMR tend to decrease as we get older. Prevent this through a regular routine of cardiovascular exercise and increased activity. Having a higher (or increased) basal metabolism will increase the number of calories used and help to decrease the amount of body fat.

Metabolic Age:

If your Basal Metabolic age is higher than your actual age (in my case - I'm 48 and my metabolic age reading showed 64!!?? I feel old already!! ), it is an indication that you need to improve your metabolic rate. Increased exercise will build healthy muscle tissue together with feeding the muscles with the right amount of protein so that your muscles act as fat furnaces. And NOT skipping meals, which has the effect of slowing your metabolism down! All these actions will improve your metabolic age.

Dolly: "What should be UP and what should be DOWN?"

Answer: "To lose weight and change your shape, the body fat %, visceral fat, metabolic age and weight should go DOWN; while the BMR, body water % (Female: 45-60%; Male:50-65%) and muscle mass should go UP !"

USUAL TIPS:

Drink lots of water and do simple exercises.

A modest exercise program equivalent to a brisk 30-minute walk can help get rid of accumulated visceral fat, while even more exercises can actually reverse the amount of visceral fat. So...

"Jom...?

sapa nak temankan saya pegi brisk-walking?"

"Tak der?... hmmm... Tak per la, nanti tunggu my girls balik from internship. Boleh jadikan girl's activity. Sementara tu .... "

Coping with losing Joey Love

2011-06-30T21:27:00.004+08:00

Pets are a very important part of the family. When they pass away, it's as though a part of the family has died too, not just an animal.

Yasmin is heartbroken, and I don't know what to do. Though Joey was with her for only 3 weeks, she has grown very attached to him. He was the bright spot in her life. She gave him so much love, kindness and attention... fussing about him all the time.

I know how much he meant to her. We are all going to miss him dearly...

The one best place to bury a pet ...
... is in the heart of its master.

2011-06-29T15:41:00.002+08:00

"Hic!"

"Hic!"

"Hic!"

I've just hiccuped for what seems like ("Hic!") the tenth time since this morning!

Tak mau hilang... ("Hic!") comes and goes ... then ("Hic!") come again... and goes... ("Hic!")

Orang cakap some of the ways to get rid of hiccups:-

1. try ("Hic!") holding your breath and count to 10
2. drink water from the "wrong" side ("Hic!") of the cup
3. put sugar under the tongue ("Hic!")

well ...

1. I ("Hic!") held my breath till I nearly suffocated ("Hic!") myself!
2. I drank lots ("Hic!") of water till I felt like a walking ("Hic!") 'water tank'!
3. I makan macam-macam sweets ("Hic!") till it destroyed my taste buds of ("Hic!") anything else!

still ...

"Hic!"

"Hic!"

"Hic!"

Maybe should try the last ("Hic!") suggested treatment —

Having ("Hic!") someone jump out and scare me out of my wits ("Hic!") when I'm not expecting it!! Boo!!

opocot !!!

....

....

....

EH!??
while typing this entry
my hiccups went away!

2011-06-28T16:47:00.007+08:00

It's been almost a year since I last updated about Weight Loss ( or should I label it as Weight Gain!!?? ).

The treatment was fine. Gradually losing weight and everything...

Then ...

my family and I went to Europe for the holidays ...

Wah! holiday means... total relaxing .. enjoying .. no restrictions !
hehehe...

Outcome?

Weight Gained !!

Lepas tu, lazy nak pegi Slimming centre... postponing from one appointment to the other. Lastly, busy pulak dengan house renovations and stuff.

To date ...

naik 4kg uuuuuuuu!!!

huarggghhhh !!! help!!

Hari ni, bought protein shake meal replacement. Aduiihh... gotta do something with the extra weight, gotta start somewhere !

Hopefully by starting now, combined with 'coming soon' Ramadhan fasting would be able to help shed off some kgs (for me to look good for Raya and fully enjoy the Raya feast!!).

Apa la nak jadi... nak kurus... tapi nak jugak makan...

My poor body is confused ... isy! isy ! isy!

"Dolly...! I'm home !", ... as Faiz breezed in through the front door. "I beli your favourite...".

"Yeay! Apa tuuu?"

Hor Lor

...oooppsie... !!

(my protein shake is STARING at me !)

errrmmm... (dengan tanpa rasa bersalahnya) ... simpan u dulu la, eh? Rezeki jangan di tolak !

Apology Accepted

2011-06-23T15:26:00.006+08:00

passed days...
hurt with the way things were stated against me...
now comes the apology

YES, you have your reasons
I’m sorry too for what-so-ever things I must have done,
justified enough in your eyes
for you to bring upon such anger.

The thing is ...
Both were hurt ...
and things won’t be forgotten quite as it is.

Sometimes people do say useless words against me
but they don’t hurt me,
for I know myself better than they do.

But when the words come from people close at heart,
it kills me to my being.

I got hurt...
I wrote it down...
and silenced it with my prayers
that’s my way of healing things.

Patching things up won’t be easy.
It's hard to mend things that have offended the heart.

Though I have accepted your apology...
The hurt remains...
I am sorry for feeling this way,
It’s just me...

2011-06-22T16:18:00.004+08:00

The warmth of a friend's presence brings joy to our hearts...
sunlight to our souls...
and pleasure to all of life.

... And this morning, I had the pleasure - times three!!

***Kathy, Noraini and Dilla***

Pagi-pagi... had our usual breakfast. Oh! Enna, Rina and Kila were already at the Bukit Jambul Astaka when I arrived.

10.30am, my three friends and I left for 'Little India'. Kita ada 'projek' nak dibuat kat situ. Tak lama pun... kejap jer dah selesai.

Still early...

emmm...

"Let's go to Gurney".
"Ok, all of us only need to be back home by 1pm anyway."
"Jom !"

On the way, singgah pick-up a couple of skincare items at Blaze.

Then, we're off to ....

... for Scones, Earl Grey Tea and Chai Latte.

Sweetest sense of happiness
comes from simply
being together

I had fun, food and funny moments today.

Selamat Pengantin Baru

2011-06-19T08:25:00.006+08:00

NAWWAR SYAZNI & ROSLI

Menurut Abu Hurairah r.a. apabila mendoakan seseorang yang baru berkahwin, Rasulullah s.a.w. akan berkata:-

Semoga Allah memberkati kamu dan melimpahkan berkat kepada kamu dan menghimpunkan kedua kamu di dalam kebaikkan

Rujukan:
http://hadith.al-islam.com, Sunan Tirmizi #1011, menurut Imam Tirmizi hadith ini bertaraf Hassan Sahih.

Appreciation

2011-06-17T07:58:00.009+08:00

it's not my birthday ... yet

but..

i've got a lovely gift

handmade specially for me...

my very own initial embossed coins purse

Thanks, Kathy. Bukan sebarang thanks tau. Terima kasih daun keladi...

Later, Noraini and I were treated to perfect cups of brewed coffee at Kathy's place. Compliments to Encik Ridzuan's (wow!) Red Hot CBTL Coffee Maker.

milk frother

I particularly loved the sprinkling of cocoa on the frothed milk. The taste and aroma was heavenly ... yuummmm ...

2011-06-07T08:03:00.005+08:00

Meet ...

JOEY

... and ... ISABELLE

Yasmin's (Joey) and Nabila's (Isabelle) Sugar Glider pets... small, cute and relatively easy to care for.

2011-06-04T07:34:00.005+08:00

Yeay! .. My sister is coming back for a week's holiday. Yasmin is also home for the weekend. Am really looking forward to spending quality time with both of them. Have lots of catching up and 'exchanging notes' to do between the three of us !

2011-06-02T12:22:00.005+08:00

Yasmin's course training updates:
23 May 2011 ~ Started work at an Events Management Company.

Eight days later ...

... semput ! ...

2011-05-24T15:35:00.007+08:00

Sunday 22 May, 2011 - A day filled with mixed extreme highs and lows..

Yasmin finally started her 2 months course-related job training at an events management company in Alor Star. This is a chance for her to think about future career paths and try out some options first hand, as well as gain insight into the organisation. Hopefully she will gain valuable experience and develop an awareness of professional codes of behaviour in the world of work.

Afternoon... I was taken aback at the contents of a text message I received. The phonecall, which came a few minutes later, was equally depressing.

The drive up to Alor Star was a silent one ... deep in thoughts ...

2011-05-21T11:10:00.022+08:00

Hi !!

... i have been busy ...

... i have also been lazy ...

It's been a while since my last update about the house renovations.

Ground Floor:-

Guest Room, Living Area TV panelling, Dining Area built-in showcase and Dry Kitchen cabinets are waiting for their finishing touches.

Guest Room

Living Area

Dining Area

Dry Kitchen

First Floor:-

Family TV Room cum Library with Computer Area

Master Bedroom

Study Room Computer Table

CCTV Cabinet

2nd Floor :-
Farid's Room

Sofa & Table beside his bed

Wardrobe (Room colour theme - Orange & White)

TV cabinet

Yasmin's Room

Split-levelled platform was created for her bedroom

Bedhead

Wardrobe

OUTSIDE:-

Decided to have a small Balinese Gazebo just outside our Dining Area. Seen here work being done to create two decorative walls behind the Gazebo.

... Ah! almost ready! ...

A small Balinese door at the side for easy access to Clubhouse across the road.

2011-05-08T07:24:00.009+08:00

Wah! Dah lama tak berblog!

A lot happened during the past 2-3 weeks...

antaranya...

~ chauffered my parents and my mother-in-law for physio treatments on alternate days three times a week

~ visited showrooms and home exhibitions to check out stuff for the new house,

~ my sister came back last weekend and together with Yasmin and Nabila (... and Faiz), we went searching for wedding caterers, got quotations and confirmed some bridal stuff

~ my brother came home for few days

~ Yasmin and Julia busy with end of semester exams

~ went to Alor Star twice to look for a place to rent and finally made accommodation arrangements for Yasmin & Julia - both will be starting their two months practical end of May

~ my niece, Nabila, who is attending school at Sekolah Menengah Teknik, decided to temporarily move in and stay with me till her SPM exams

~ entertained a close friend and his family who came to visit

~ got news from my sister Liza - her eldest son Fakhri was accepted into UITM Perlis for Diploma Analysis Investment. Lepas ni, travel to Perlis pulak?

In between all those 'happenings', whatever little time I managed to go online was spent on googling the newfound kitchen gadget that caught my interest .. THERMOMIX.

Arranged for a demo at my house on Thursday. Kila and daughter Wani, Kathy, Noraini and one of her twin daughters attended the demo too. After demo, made the purchase, and the next day .....

Orange Poppy Seed Cake

2011-04-24T19:53:00.005+08:00

Ingredients:

50g poppy seed
60ml milk
185g unsalted butter
225g castor sugar (I reduced to 200g)
1 tbsp finely grated orange zest (omitted)
3 grade A eggs
175g self-raising flour, sifted
50g plain flour, sifted
50g ground almond
100ml orange juice (I used Sunquick)

1. Butter a kugelhoft tin (the cake cooks more thoroughly) but you can use any baking tin and preheat the oven to 180C. (I reduced to 170C using Healsio Steam Oven to bake).

2. Combine poppy seeds and milk. Leave to stand for 20 minutes.

3. Cream butter, sugar and zest(if using) till light and fluffy.

4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined.

5. Stir in sifted flours, ground almond, orange juice and milk with the poppy seeds. Mix well. (I combined almond to flour; orange juice to poppy seed/milk. Then I stirred dry and wet ingredients alternately, starting with flour, then liquid and finished with flour.)

6. Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes or till a skewer comes out clean. (I baked at 45 minutes using Healsio Steam Oven.)

Results:

The cake 'fluffed' up nicely to about 6cm ! Although I had reduced the sugar from 225g to 200g, I still find it too sweet for my liking. I'll reduce it to 175g next time.

I don't know if I should reduce the baking time to 40 minutes (Healsio Steam Oven), the sides are a bit too 'brown' for me (though Faiz says the cake is perfect as it is).
Oh, well ....

2011-04-21T16:18:00.007+08:00

Mills, Grinds, Pulverises & Grates
- All Grains eg. wheat, barley, buckwheat, oats, rice
- Coffee Beans
- Chocolate
- Parmesan & other hard cheeses
- Sugar into icing sugar
- All Seeds eg. linseed, sesame, poppy, sunflower
- All Nuts eg. almond, walnuts, hazelnuts
- All Spices eg. peppercorns, cinnamon, lemon zest, nutmeg, vanilla
- (make Garam Masala)
- Breadcrumbs

Kneads
- All Breads, Pizza, Foccacia and Brioche
- Pasta Dough
- Pastries including Choux

Minces
- All meat including chicken & fish

Chops
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Onion, Garlic, Ginger & Chillies
- Herbs

Prepares
- Drinks eg. juices, lemonades, cocktails & milkshakes
- Pâtés, Dips, Pesto & Tapenades
- Salads Dressings including Mayonnaise
- Ice creams, Sorbets & Desserts
- Cakes & Pavlovas
- Jams, Marmalade, Preserves & Spreads (eg. peanut butter, hazelnut)
- Cappuccino, Caffè Latte & Ice Coffee
- Yoghurt

Cooks
- Soups
- Sauces & Pastes eg. tomato, seafood, hollandaise, curry
- Curries, Stews & Casseroles
- Pasta
- Risotto
- Custard
- Baby food

Whips
- Egg whites
- Cake frosting & fillings
- Cream
- Butter

Crushes
- Ice

Steams
- Fish & other seafood
- Vegetables
- Meat & chicken
- Dumplings & buns

All that in one appliance that will even wash itself!

I've got my eyes on her ....

Technical Specifications
Motor
- Maintenance-free, Vorwerk reluctance motor, 500W rated power
- Speed continuously adjustable from 100 to 10,200 rpm (Gentle stir 40rpm)
- Special speed setting (alternating mode) for making dough
- Special safety feature: electronic motor protection to prevent overload

Heating system
- 1,000W power consumption
- Protected against overheating

Integrated scales
- Measuring range from 5 to 100g in 5g increments; 100 to 2000g in 10g increments (to max 2kg)

Housing
- High-grade plastic material, food compatible

Mixing bowl
- Stainless steel with heating system and temperature sensor integrated
- Maximum capacity 2 litres

Connected load
- Only for 230V alternating voltage
- Maximum power consumption 1,500W
- 1m retractable cable

Dimensions & Weight (excluding VAROMA - a steaming attachment)
- Height 30cm
- Width 28.5cm
- Depth 28.5cm
- Weight 6.3kg

Sample of Malaysian recipes using TM31.

There was a time when no-one would have expected computers to be a part of everyday life and something which we now depend on.

Thermomix TM31 would be my ‘new computer’!

2011-04-18T18:14:00.011+08:00

18 April 2011

Happy 76th Birthday, Mum

Took my parents to TGIFriday, Queensbay for lunch. Invited my good friend, Yusmayati to join us. Oh! She's brought a gift for my Mum... how sweet!

Mum having a Chicken and Prawns Combo

Dad with his usual Steak

Yus and I had Grilled Salmon

Waiters singing birthday song to a tearful "Birthday Girl"

Vanilla icecream topped with whipped cream

Mum enjoying her "Tower of Icecream". Couldn't finish it even with the four of us sharing.

Blueberry Cheese Tart

2011-04-17T13:04:00.006+08:00

Yasmin's project :

Ingredients For Pastry:

1 egg
100g butter (she used Anchor butter)
75g icing sugar
200g plain flour

1. Using wooden/rubber spatula, mix butter and icing sugar well.
2. Add egg and continue to mix.
3. Add in flour and knead.
4. Scoop 1 tbsp of dough and roll it in your hands.
Then press dough into tart mould.
5. Using fork, prick a few holes at base of dough.
6. Bake for 15 minutes at 160C.

Ingredients for Cream Cheese:

250g Philadelphia Cream Cheese
60g icing sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp lemon extract

1. Beat all ingredients until smooth flat.
2. Add in lemon extract.
3. Take out 1 tbsp of cream cheese filling and add blueberry or any colour paste that you like ( X - this will be used to draw patterns on the cream cheese later).
4. Spoon a little blueberry filling and pipe cream cheese filling to cover each tart.
5. Draw patterns on your tart using (X). (My mum, Faiz, Yasmin and I had a fun family bonding time 'designing' the tarts).
6. Bake again for a further 5-10 minutes.

Special note:

The pleasant and helpful gentleman at Bonjour Trading, Pulau Tikus where both Yasmin and I bought our ingredients, recommended a small container of 'jelly' to brush on top of the tart. He said this would give it a 'fresh shiny look' and prevent the tart from being 'dry' when we keep it in the fridge.

We were supposed to keep it in the fridge for about 2hours before serving. "Taste better that way", he said.

But ....

as always ...

we never got round to that final step!!

Coz once it's out of the oven...

2011-04-15T06:48:00.004+08:00

Baru bulan April, tapi tailors dah tak mau terima tempahan? Raya nuuuuuun hujung bulan August. Adoih!

Nasib baiklah Yati's tailor sanggup terima the three pieces of material I bought at Jakel Alamoda, Sg Petani tempoh hari. Itupun, merungut tak habis!

Semoga my baju kurungs turn out nicely. Amin.

2011-04-13T07:33:00.006+08:00

Lunch with parents at Eden, Hutton Lane yesterday. Dad enjoying his Yokohama Sizzling Steak and Mum having Grilled Fish Set Lunch.

Berseleranya diorang makan, especially my Dad.

burrpp! Alhamdulillah..!

Me? I had lamb laaa, of coz. Roast Lamb.

Balik dari lunch, he was walking with a slight limp.

"Kenapa pulak tu?".

"Kaki lenguh, lutut sakit".

Called my friend. Katanya there's a place in Permatang Damar Laut for urut treatment. Took the number from her and called for appointment. Oh good! he's free now!

"Bapak, jom nak pi urut.. kot-kot boleh lega".

We went out again after Zohor prayers. Appointment at 3pm. Finished at 4.30pm. Dah macam ikan bakar jer dok menunggu sorang-sorang sitting at the car porch.

"How was it?"

"Uih, baguih la. Lega sangat. Tadi dah rasa macam nak demam".

"Oo.. ok... (in my heart, "Alhamdulillah...")".

Pagi ni, taking Mum to Hospital Lam Wah Ee for her medical check-up appointment at 10am. It's gonna be another long day, better go charge my iPhone. Sekurang-kurangnya can entertain myself with the games.

2011-04-12T11:28:00.011+08:00

Sekarang ni... cuaca semakin panas terik, kan? Uishh! Pedih kulit when exposed to the sun, terutamanya between 11 - 3pm. That prompted me to goggle about sunblock :-

What is the best sunblock brand?
Cream or lotion?
SPF berapa?
Sesuai untuk kulit yang macamana?
... haish! ...

Last week, I bought satu jenama (tak berani nak sebutkan di sini, kang tak pasal-pasal kena saman pulak!). SPF 30, for normal to oily skin. Didn't work for me. Muka nampak putih semacam jer! OK, dah letak sebelah dah!

Yesterday, I bought ...

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock for Face and Body

... from Watsons.

Pagi ni, I tried it on. Wah! Finally dapat yang sesuai with the specification I was looking for!

- SPF 50+ (haaa... ambik engkau!)
- Broad spectrum protection against skin-aging UVA dan burning UVB rays.
- Ultra light, clean feel, non-shiny finish.
- Leaves skin soft and smooth, muka tak nampak "putih".
- Waterproof, sweatproof, resists rub-off.
- Non-comedogenic (won't clog pores)
- Oil free

Tak semestinya beli produk mahal tu yang terbaik dan yang sesuai untuk kita. From my own experience, banyak dah produk berjenama yang I have given away atau tinggalkan begitu saja disebabkan 'ketidaksesuaian' (muka jadi gelap lah, tumbuh jerawat lah, berminyak lah.. etc etc).

Yang dok kempen pasal sunblock ni bukannya apa... I always believe in "Prevention is better than cure". So, to all kakak2.. adik2.. students (boys & girls).. makcik & pakcik, rajin-rajinlah pakai sunblock to prevent pigmentation and sunburn. Mustahak tu!

There's another product I want to share here. Haa... yang ni, tak wajib beli! Sesaja nak bercerita jer..

Last week masa beli sunblock 'beep' tu, I also bought "IN2IT Twister Lip Gloss". How I love using this product! It's so convenient and most importantly, very compatible with my dry lips. Betapa susahnya nak dapatkan lipstick yang sesuai for myself. Like I said just now, jenama mahal tak semestinya boleh 'ngam' dengan kita. Alang-alang dah dapat yang sesuai, I'm gonna go get more of it in different shades.

Now it's time to do some ...

spring cleaning !!

2011-04-09T07:17:00.014+08:00

Meet my new family member ..

SAMIR FITRI BIN SAIFUL FITRI born 3 April 2011, at 10.40am weight 3.3kg

Samir, anak kedua kepada pasangan Nur Izzati Hafiz (my niece) & Saiful Fitri.

with Sophie Izzana Bt Saiful Fitri and Julia

eeemmm.. bila laaa nak dapat cucu sendiri ni?

proud Tok Chak Dolly

psstt... psstt... Min, pikir apa tu?

ada gaya tu, my luv

Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa

2011-04-07T09:02:00.013+08:00

Dibintangi oleh Stephen Rahman Hughes sebagai Merong Mahawangsa, seorang nakhoda dan pahlawan yang dikatakan berasal dari keturunan Iskandar Zulkarnain. 70% of the dialog is in English dan selebihnya dalam bahasa Melayu klasik.

Alkisahnya, seorang anak raja dari Rom nak datang berkahwin dengan puteri dari negara China dijanjikan di suatu tempat bernama Langkasuka. Kapal-kapal si anak raja tu, teruk terkena ribut taufan sewaktu belayar.. hinggakan semua kapal karam dan tinggallah kapal si anak raja tu (of coz la, kan?).

So, depa pun singgah ke Goa, India to repair kapal and nak sewa kapal2 lain serta kelasi untuk teruskan pelayaran. Tapi pasal no money, no deal lah.

Haaa... masa ni la diorang dikenalkan dengan 'si dia' ni.

So, si hensem ni pun terimalah tugas untuk escort and protect putera raja untuk pastikan selamat sampai bertemu si puteri.

Lepas tu ...

eh! pi la tengok sendiri!

Takkan nak tulis karangan pulak kot?

Wah! macho aih!!

isy! isy! isy!

alamak! nyanyi pun boleh ke, u? waduh!

Sungguh berbakat ... eh! bukan.. chop! chop!

Sungguh handsome dan berbakat!

If you love someone... tell them, spend time with them.

2011-04-04T15:18:00.014+08:00

Have been putting off going to the movies with my girls because of the chronic cough I was having. Yesterday, confident that the cough was somewhat 'controllable', we decided to go watch Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa.

My brother, who is back from Pahang for a few days, heard us discussing our plans during lunch and invited himself to join us which also prompted my parents to tag along!

peace!

Sitting in the cinema, waiting for the movie to be screened, a question suddenly crossed my mind, "When was the last time I went to the movies with my brother, eh??".

+
-
x
/

... ceita "Star Wars", tahun 1977 lebih kurang macam tu lah!
Uish! Laaama tu!!
If only my sister was here too,
it would have made this 'reunion' complete!

My siblings

To the outside world, we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time.

-Clara Ortega

I perhatikan, begitu jugak hakikatnya with my three children. Dulu, masa ketiga-tiga ada kat rumah, asyik nak gaduh ja. Sorang macam ni, sorang macam tu... haish! But now, bila masing-masing dah besar... away doing their own stuff, they constantly keep updates about each other thru me.

"Mama, adik apa habaq? How's his studies?"
"Mama, how's abang's project? Ok ka? Dok tension lagi ka?"
"Mama, sapa ada kat rumah? Abang and kakak dok buat apa?"
"Mama, minggu ni adik tak balik ka?"
"Mama, I miss adik. Bila kita nak pi tengok dia?"
"Mama nak mai KL, bawak abang and kakak dak?"

... etc etc ...

No 1: Haih! Mai sini dok diam diam!
No 2: Isy! Tension la abang dok kongkong cheq!
No 3: 'The Adventurer' - Wanna go there, wanna try this, wanna do that..

The kids may not realize that they care, but if you separate them, they realize, "Hey, I miss my sibling." - Carl Douglas

As their mother, I want each of them to know that I couldn't possibly have a "Favorite child".

I love them all
- not equally -
but
Fully and Uniquely
coz that's who they are
- Special and Unique -
in their own ways.

Brothers and sisters can be best friends, making family life more enjoyable and fulfilling for all members. It may not be easy and they will likely still argue on occasions, but it is possible for them to have some fun along the way.

Someday in the near future, even with having their own families, I hope my children will still maintain the love and care that they have for each other. Mungkin occasionally plan their holidays together or even snuggle up (like me yesterday) have fun go watch movies together! (Don't forget to bring Mama along, eh?!)

Dalca Tulang Rusuk and Chocolate Cake

2011-04-03T23:30:00.012+08:00

"Mamaaaa..., mama dah lama tak masak sejak Kak Ari keja kat rumah kita," komen si Farid with a cheeky smile on his face.

"Emmm... Farid nak makan apa?"

"Apa pun boleh, tapi Mama yang masak, ok?"

"OK laaaahh..."

Dalca Daging Tulang Rusuk

Peeped into the fridge. "EEmmm... bahan-bahan ada. Kalau buat chocolate cake, ok gak ni", I thought to myself. So dengan segala semangat rajinnya, I pun buat la chocolate cake.

eeiikk!! awat cake tak menjadik ni??!! (Buang.. buang..!).

Memang mencabar kesabaranlah!

I decided to bake another one. And ...

Faiz sorang jer dah 'hilangkan' 1/4 dari cake ni

Baked the cake using Healsio Steam Oven this time.

Ingredients:
170 gm butter
390 gm castor sugar
3 eggs

Mixed:
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp chocolate emulco or chocolate paste
340 gm water (340 ml)

Sift together:
225 gm plain flour
65 gm cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp soda bicarbonate
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Nescafe

Cara:
1. Using Healsio Steam Oven.

2. Prepare and grease 10 inci round or 9 inci square cake tin.

2. Cream butter and sugar.

3. Add eggs, one by one.

4. Fold in 1/3 of sifted flour, alternate with 1/2 of liquid till you finish with flour.

5. Pour into cake tin. I started baking using Convection Setting, with Preheat at 150C for 40 mins.

At the end of baking time, when checked, the toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake was still slightly 'wet'.

So, I continued baking, this time changing to Supersteam Setting, Without Preheat at 140C for 10 mins. The reason I used Supersteam was because the top of the cake was already very brown, I didn't want it to be burnt, crispy and dry whilst the centre was not fully cooked.

Results:

Cake was cooked perfectly, the top soft and spongy to the touch.
Texture of cake - Moist.

Bandung Vacation 25 - 27 March 2011

2011-03-28T11:35:00.011+08:00

I can't stop coughing!!!
Adoooiihhh..!! dah 3 minggu sakit!!
Tension!!
Stress!!
Moody!!

24 March 2011 - Yasmin and I left for KL on the 8.20pm Firefly flight.

25 March 2011 - My sister Ani, her friend Azura, Yasmin and I took the 9.30am Airasia flight.
BANDUNG ... here we come!
The journey took 2 hours.

Hati dan semangat berkobar-kobar nak ber-holiday, tapi badan kurang sihat. Started off the week having sore throat and then, stuck with an irritative cough till I was almost asthmatic. To have a conversation was pure torture! Tu yang tak tahan! Most of the journey, I was 'silent'.. which was awkward, in a way. Luckily, my iPhone did a good job entertaining Yasmin with the games installed in it.

Arrived Bandung, we checked into Majesty Hotel and immediately made transport arrangements for our 2days shopping spree.

Our first and only shopping destination for the day - PASAR BARU. We were caught up in a very bad traffic jam... the stress made me cough even more!!

At Pasar Baru, cuma sempat beli lace materials jer before the shoplots began to close for the day (6pm). Aiseyman... telekung belum beli ni?? Nampaknya esok pagi have to come back again.

Back at the hotel, the three girls arranged to have a Javanese Full Body Massage. Amboih! bukan main lagi bebudak bertiga ni!

Me?? I prefer to .....

26 March 2011 - 9am, dah siap bertolak ke Pasar Baru.

My latest collections - Telekung bersulam dengan batik sutera.

Haaaa...!!! Tengok telekung yang warna-warni ni.. cantik, kan? Bought all colours, except for the white one!!

Happy dengan telekung-telekung saya!

OK, I'm Done!

Now ... Marathon to the many, many Factory Outlets - for the 3 girls to do their shopping. (Eh! Dalam pada tu, sempat jugak beli 2 blouses and 2 pairs of jeans for myself.. hehehe.. )

27 March 2011 - After breakfast, bersiap tunggu transport untuk ke airport. Flight back to KL at 12 noon.

From KL, Yasmin and I waited for our connecting flight back to Penang scheduled at 5pm. While waiting, we had this ....

.... at CHOCOLATE's.

Egg Tarts

2011-03-21T21:42:00.005+08:00

This recipe makes 8 small tarts.

Ingredients -
A:
70g butter
25g icing sugar
1 egg yolk –slightly beaten
14g evaporated milk
110g flour - sifted

B:
150g hot water
2 eggs
40g evaporated milk
50g sugar

1. Heat butter until melt and add icing sugar, stir till sugar dissolve.
2. Add beaten egg yolk to batter. Stir to combine.
3. Add 14g evaporated milk. Combine evenly.
4. Add flour into the liquid batter. Mix to form a dough.
5. Kneed dough for a more crunchy pastry.
6. Put dough aside in the fridge for 30 minutes.
7. Grease the pastry tin. Squeeze a thin layer of dough into the tin mould. Poke holes with a fork to make pastry crunchy.

Filing:
1. Mix 40g evaporated milk with 2 eggs.
2. Pour sugar into hot water and stir. Then add milk/egg mixture.
3. Drain the liquid to get rid of egg lumps and get smooth filling.
4. Fill up egg liquid 80% into prepared pastry.

ran out of pastry for two last tarts (seen bottom centre of tray)

5. Preheat oven at 220C. Bake for 15 minutes.

NOTE:
Using my Healsio Steam Oven, I baked at 200C for 15 minutes (Convection, with preheat) and it turned out like the photo below. Wonder if I should try baking it at 180C instead next time, to avoid the pastry from being too brown? But the pastry is nice and crunchy though.

Remarks:
1. Taste - OK.
2. Next time maybe should make pastry slightly thicker, then the crunchy crust would be able to balance up with the egg filling.

2011-03-15T07:17:00.007+08:00

Monday's baking project - Chocolate Chip Muffin

I bought pre-mixed chocolate chip muffin flour quite sometime ago and only got around to baking it recently.

Eh! Apasal muffins tu senget to one side, ah?

The instruction given was to bake at 180degrees for 20 minutes. I experimented baking the muffins using my Healsio Steam Oven (SuperSteam Convection, preheat). Stood in front of the oven the whole time, watching the baking process very closely.

Was very happy to see the muffins rising and expanding steadily like mushrooms. And then, DISASTER STRUCK!! The batter overflowed and slided out of the cups like a volcano spilling out it's lava. eeiikk!!!

Results :

Muffin texture was fluffy and moist, which was nice .. but the top was a bit 'crusty' and had slight bitter taste. Next time kena lower the oven temperature kot??

2011-03-14T11:32:00.005+08:00

psstt ... pssttt ...

meet my new toy ...

Princess Egg Boiler & Mini Steamer

Comelnya dia.... I like!

Pagi ni breakfast ala-ala omputih ... Toasted Roti Benggali (Bread) disapu dengan butter and jem, pastu pecahkan one half-boiled egg letak atas roti, sprinkled with black pepper and sedikit kicap masin. Wah!

Tak payah nak keluarkan periuk .. nak masak air .. pastu tunggu eggs to be half-boiled berapa minit... and then cuci periuk .. etc..

Dengan boiler ni, air yang digunakan pun 'se-ciput' jer. Nampak tak measuring cup kat sebelah boiler tu? tapi, water measurement tu untuk 4 eggs. Masa I measured for 1 egg, I was thinking to myself, "Biar betul air banyak ni?".

Tu sebab bila air kering in just a few short minutes dan indicator berbunyi menandakan telur dah siap, I was amazed. At the same time, roti dalam toaster pun dah nicely toasted. Serentak, cepat dan convenient without messing up the kitchen!! Penting tu!!

The boiler comes with a Steamer Rack, sesuai untuk steam small amounts of vegetable and 1-2 sausages. Sarapan yang lengkap!. Again, not messing up the kitchen!! Penting tu!!

2011-03-13T22:26:00.006+08:00

Firdaus is back, balik cuti seminggu starting 12 - 20th March. Faiz and I ambik kesempatan bawa dia pegi shopping cari tilam for his new room. Biar diorang pilih mengikut selera masing-masing. Bilik pun dah hampir nak siap tu ...

2011-03-07T07:24:00.009+08:00

The beginning of a CRAPPY DAY, yesterday....

Went to check on kitchen cabinet installations at my new house.

Plates rack were way too high up till I had to tip toe to use it ??
(engkau pikir ni rumah Mat Salleh ke aper?).

Squeezed right underneath it, was the glass rack??

The glass rack is supposed to have a gap of more or less 10-12inches below the plates rack with the water drip tray right underneath it and not this way!!

I was like... ? ? ? ? ?!!!!!

Coffee cups can la squeeze thru ( though it's not supposed to be doing that!! ) ... but how about the coffee mugs and glasses? Lay them horizontally to dry, ka?? When I pointed out the mistake done, the carpenter said:

"Lu pakai itu glass minum size kicik punya, cukup la.. atau U letak lain tempat kasi keling (kering)".

Immediately called the ID to come meet us at the house to rectify the matter before I kill somebody.

..... NIGHT !

Still crappy mood.

Slept early.

"Wake up!" ... "Wake up!" ... "

"Everybody home already aaa??,"

I was jolted up

from my deep peaceful sleep,

dazed....

and blinking hard

looking at the clock on my wall

to check out the time.

It's past midnight.

How was I to know...

if everyone is back?

Aren't there other better ways

to find out the answer

to that crappy question?

Thank you

to all the crap-tastic persons

today

who successfully created

my crappy day

and crappy night.

As always...

"I'll keep the crap to myself"

not the first time

taking this crap

anyway

... life goes on ...

Feel better, Dolly?

Crap-lah!!

2011-03-05T12:50:00.000+08:00

Cream Puff

2011-03-04T13:48:00.009+08:00

My latest trial ...

Cream Puff

Ingredients:

Milk 200 g (7 oz.)
Butter 80 g (2.8 oz.)
Flour 140 g (4.9 oz.) - sifted
Eggs 200 g (7 oz.) 4-5 eggs
Sugar 2 teaspoons
Salt ½ teaspoon

First, eggs (at room temperature) mix well.

Next, cut butter into small pieces. Put it into a pot together with milk, sugar and salt. Bring mixture to a boil. The liquid must be boiling rapidly so that the fat is dispersed in the liquid and not just floating on top.

When the milk starts to boil and the butter is fully melted, add the sieved flour and stir rapidly to form a dough ball and easily pull away from the sides of the pan.

Watch the VIDEO to see how to do it the right way.

Put the hot dough into a bowl and add the eggs a little at a time. Keep beating until the liquid of the egg is completely soaked up by the dough before adding more eggs.

The paste is ready when you have a smooth batter.

Tip:
If the batter is clumpy then you may have ignored one of these points:
* Add all the flour at once.
* Eggs must be at room temperature.
* Add egg little by little and stir until the liquidity of the egg is absorbed before adding more.

Fill the paste into an pastry bag and pipe out round mounds of dough of about 4 cm in diameter onto the baking paper. If you have no pastry bag, you can drop the dough from a spoon, instead.

Spray the puff shells with water right before baking.

Preheat oven to 200 °C (390 °F). Bake for 30 minutes.
When the puff shells turn brown, lower the heat to 170 °C (340 °F) and continue baking for another 20 minutes.

NEVER open the oven during baking.

For the Cream:
Milk 500 g (17.5 oz.)
Butter 30 g (1 oz.)
Sugar 100 g (3.5 oz.)
Egg yolk 100 g (3.5 oz.)
Flour 40 g (1.4 oz.)
Vanilla essence

Mix egg yolk and 3/4 of the sugar in a pan until perfectly smooth. Add the flour and mix again.

1/4 of the remaining sugar add with butter and milk. Bring it to a boil. Pour half of the hot milk into the bowl with the egg/sugar. Stir and then return the mixture back into the pot. Keep heating and stirring until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from heat. You’re finished when you spot big bubbles of air in the custard cream. Finally, add vanilla essence.

Pour the hot pastry cream onto a baking pan or another shallow pan, so it cools down quickly. Before using the pastry cream as filling, whip until it is smooth again. It’s thick and shiny…and really delicious.

Cut the top 1/3 of puff shell and fill it with pastry cream.

On top of that, add some whipped heavy cream.

Put the top of the puff shell back and powder with icing sugar (tak buat, sebab takder icing sugar).

And then…

p/s:
Comments from Julia - Mama, puff shell ni keras skit la.

Mama: Ok, noted.

(Eh! tapi kan, bila dah letak cream inside, after awhile, shell tu dah tak keras lagi dah. Camner, eh?)

EXTRA NOTES:

The second time I tried this recipe, I baked using Healsio Steam Oven (Convection, with preheat). Lowered temperature to 180°C, baked for 30 minutes. When the puff shells turn brown, lowered the heat to 150 °C and continue baking for another 20 minutes.

Wet & Dry Kitchens

2011-03-04T13:45:00.001+08:00

The Wet Kitchen is beginning to take shape ...

..... and so is the Dry Kitchen .....

Bird Tweets

2011-03-01T14:34:00.001+08:00

Scones

2011-02-22T16:50:00.007+08:00

Mum: Hari ni nak try resipi apa?

Me: Hmmm... ingat nak try buat cream puffs (recently tasted cream puffs from Ritz Bakery and since then I haven't been able to get it out of my mind! Sedap!)

Mum: oo...uummm... tau dak buat Scones? Kalau buat scones, ok gak..
(Mum senyum penuh makna).

**************

SCONES? Macamana nak buat something yang sebelum ni I tak pernah minat nak try makan pun, eh? I pun tak tau kenapa I tak minat sangat dekat si-Scones ni.. agaknya pasal rupanya yang nampak ... eermm... how to say, aa? ... tak cantik, kot ??

So to decide which recipe to do, kita consider fakta-fakta penting dahulu!

No. 1 - Kalau buat cream puffs, for sure I'm gonna stuff myself with it coz it's my favourite dessert. Tambahan pulak, sendiri yang buat! (cewah!! menjadi tak menjadi, belum tentu lagi tu!).

No. 2 - Kalau buat Scones, I tak makan pun tak per. Orang lain yang habiskan. At least, I got to try something new.

OK!

It's SCONES then ...

..... served with butter and small bottles of different flavoured jams.

RECIPE:
2 cups (260 grams) self raising flour
1/4 cup (50 grams) castor sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
75 grams cold salted (tersilap beli) butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk

METHOD:

Preheat oven 200C with baking tray inside for 15 mins.

Sift together flour and baking powder. I omitted 1/4 teaspoon salt coz I dah tersilap beli butter. (ahaks! belum apa-apa, dah silap dulu).

Add chopped chilled butter. Mix lightly with fingers until mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Add sugar and sultanas.

Beat one egg lightly into milk. Add vanilla essence.

Make a well in the dry mix. Add the liquid, combine it quickly with a fork, then add the other half. Leave few spoons of liquid to brush on dough later.

Dough seemed pretty wet at first. Scatter some flour onto work surface, tip the dough out, rub a little flour on hands and fold the dough over 2-3 times only. Pat into a round shape of about 4cm deep.

Tips: smooth-edged cutters supposed to cut more cleanly and give a better rise.

Dip cutter into some flour and cut out dough. Brush the tops with the milk liquid, and carefully place onto the hot baking tray lined with baking paper. (I dipped the top, instead of brushing the liquid. Haha.. betapa beraninya saya!)

Bake for 10-12mins until risen and golden on the top.

Note: I watched more than 10 different YouTube videos to learn how to make Scones. From there, I collected their recipes and read remarks/comments from people who have tried those recipes. The above is a guesswork combination I bravely put together untuk dapatkan Scones yang "flaky" and "crunchy" on the outside but slightly soft on the inside (that's the description given by my Mum about how a Scone should be).

Kuuuusss semangat!.. Nasib baik nampaknya macam orait jer Scones ciptaanku. Tapi, the taste?

... ntah la ... jap panggil Mak...

*************

Me: Ok, Mum. Mai makan, scones dan siap.

Mum: Eh! Mana cream dia? Masa Mak makan hari tu, they served scones dengan butter, jam and cream. Ni butter and jam saja ka?

... pulak dah! ...

Updates

2011-02-19T08:12:00.026+08:00

Kebelakangan ini lambat meng-update blog. Actually, everyday pun ada activities and stories to talk about, tapi, to write .. I need peace of mind. Ini... elok login masuk blog ... ada jer interruptions. Fed-up nak mengarang bila semak perut macam tu. Bila stories/ideas/cerita's dah di postpone sehari dua, last sekali, no need to bother-lah !

In this entry, kita tengok photos jer...

Bermula dengan "Ketuk Ketuk" ....

Wet Kitchen dah siap

Dry Kitchen dah siap

Dining Area dah siap

Living Area dah siap

Sharp Healsio Supersteam Oven With Microwave

2011-02-16T14:29:00.003+08:00

IT'S HERE !!

For the past two weeks, I have been googling about her...

Sharp's Healsio Superheated Steam Oven With Microwave

Satisfied with informations gathered, I confidently decided to go for this one Oven in replacement of three units - the oven, the microwave and the steamer - which I had intended to purchase previously. So much space saved, and cheaper too (than getting 3 different units). Eh! dapat hadiah Rice Cooker la pulak! Thank you, thank you...

New kitchen ...
New oven ...
New technology ...
and new ways of safe, healthy and environmentally-friendly cooking.

(No, I'm not being paid by AMWAY to endorse this product, ok!).

You can read about the oven HERE;
or browse the recipes in the cookbook HERE.

2011-02-13T23:11:00.006+08:00

Firdaus going back to Seremban today.

Hari ni tak naik bas dah.

Awal-awal lagi Mama dah belikan Airasia's 3pm flight ticket.

Pagi yang sibuk cooking his favourite Ayam Masak Kicap

and Ikan Sweet Sour

for lunch,

followed by baking a chocolate cake right after.

The cake was a bit 'dry' at the sides but otherwise OK.

No problem...

I just chopped the sides off...

leaving a beautiful square chocolate cake!

Happily packed a few pieces for him to take back with him buat bekalan.

5.13pm, he arrived at his college and sent me this SMS:

"Dah sampai kolej. Thanks for the weekend. :-) "

Being verbal
in his appreciation
just makes my day!!

I miss him already...

Simple

thoughtfullness..
but

BIG impact

... my Firdaus ...

****

2011-02-12T22:53:00.010+08:00

On the spur of the moment, Firdaus tiba-tiba buat keputusan nak balik Penang kelmarin. He took the 3.30pm bus from Seremban. Tunggu punya tunggu...

...tengahmalam baru sampai rumah! 9 jam travelling tu! Kalau naik flight, perjalanan 9 jam tu boleh sampai ke Airport Jeddah dah! Kesiannya dia... nampak letih sangat! layuuu jer ... eemm.. reminds me of sayur bayam masak air gitu!

eh! merepek
apa pulak ni!

ok! back to activity of the day!

Today, I masak Dalca Daging Tulang Rusuk, Sayur Kobis Goreng, Sambal Belacan and his favourite Ayam Goreng Bumbu. Sukanya tengok dia berselera makan.. setimbun uuu..!

After lunch, sibuk berkesah nak buat kek. I saw this recipe from Puan Ummi's Blogspot -

LIME N BUTTERMILK CAKE

Bahan:-
250 gm mentega - suhu bilik
2 biji limau nipis - parut dan ambil kulit dan jus dalam 3 sudu besar
1 cawan (225 gm) gula kastor
3 biji telor - asingkan putih dan kuning
2 cawan (220 gm) tepung naik sendiri - ayak
210 ml buttermilk

Lime Icing:-
1 cawan (110 gm) gula icing - ayak
1 sudu teh susu segar
1 - 1 1/2 sudu besar jus limau nipis

Cara Membuat:-
Panaskan oven pada suhu 170C. Griskan tin kek bulat saiz 8" (20 cm base) dan taburkan sedikit tepung supaya kek tidak melekat. Letakkan atas baking tray, ketepikan. (*ummi guna loyang bulat 6" diameter, 3"tinggi punya..)

Pukul mentega, 1 sudu besar kulit limau dan gula dalam mixing bowl dengan kelajuan tinggi hingga gebu dan kembang. Masukkan kuning telor satu persatu sambil dipukul hingga sebati. Setelah itu masukkan separuh sukatan tepung dalam adunan dan kacau rata. Masukkan separuh buttermilk dalam adunan dan 1 sudu besar jus limau. Kacau sebati. Ulangi lagi dengan memasukkan kesemua tepung, buttermilk dan 1 sudu besar jus limau ke dalam adunan. Kacau hingga adunan sebati.

Sementara itu pukul telor putih hingga gebu dan bertanduk. Masukkan ke dalam adunan dan kaup balikkan supaya sebati.

Tuangkan ke dalam tin kek dan hentakkan sedikit sebelum dibakar selama 50 - 60 minit/hingga masak. Setelah masak, biarkan dalam oven selama 5 minit sebelum dikeluarkan dan letak atas wire rack biar sejuk.

Untuk Lime Icing:-
Satukan kesemua bahan supaya menjadi icing yang pekat. Jangan tuangkan kesemua jus limau, agak2 supaya tidak jadi cair.. Sapukan atas kek sebelum dihidang.

..eh! tu bukan kek I !! yang tu Puan Ummi buat punya !!

ni haa...

.. my results ..

ha? apa dia?
layu macam
bayam masak
air jugak?
oh! mengapakah!

... Langit tak selalu cerah ...

2011-02-08T07:11:00.005+08:00

Mum: What are you doing today? Busy ka?

Me: Tak busy, why?

Mum: (grinning) Jom bawak Mak pi shopping??

Me: .... errmm ....

An hour later ....

CGL '80

2011-02-07T07:03:00.007+08:00

Chinese New Year holidays and weekend were busy with entertaining friends, attending wedding and hanging out with Yasmin in the kitchen while she experimented on her baking projects. Kakak yang penyayang ni, ever so obliging to her younger brother Firdaus's request, baked him Chocolate Cake sampai dua hari berturut-turut!

When he flew back to KL petang kelmarin, Firdaus took this cute Sheppard Pie that she had baked for him buat bekalan.

Forever is a very long time.
Friends...
Our souls very closely connected
We know that the connection is above time and space
We know that wherever we are in our lives
We will always remain friends
Even if we do not see each other for years
We are able to pick up right where we left off
This is what people mean
when they say ...
FRIENDS FOREVER

Unplanned Reunion
Convent Green Lane Class of '80
Venue: Winter Warmers, Queensbay Mall, Penang

Standing from left: Nazlee, Yusmayati, Laura, Phaik Gin
Sitting from left: Siew Sam, Lai Yang, Guat Loon, Corinne, Bibi, Mrs Baum (Corinne's sporting Mum)

Sitting from left: Zulina, Siew Sam, Bibi
Standing behind: Yusmayati

Rich Moist Chocolate Cake

2011-02-04T22:08:00.007+08:00

... Yasmin's baking project semalam ...

Rich Moist Chocolate Cake
By Amy Beh

Ingredients:
175g butter
350g soft brown sugar
3 eggs

(A):
1 tsp instant coffee powder + 1 tsp hot water, mixed to dissolve the coffee granules
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp chocolate emulco

(B):
220g plain flour
30g cocoa powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1½ tsp baking powder
200ml water

Method:

Preheat oven to 170°C degrees C. Grease and line a 22-23cm round cake pan with greaseproof paper. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Stir in combined essences (A) until well mixed. Fold in sifted ingredients (B), alternating it with water. Turn mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until cake is cooked through when tested with a skewer.

Note:
The first time I tried baking this cake using the normal Zanussi oven. The second time I tried the same recipe using my new Sharp Healsio Steam Oven (SUPERSTEAM, WITH PREHEAT). The texture of the cake was definitely 'fluffier' but I had to add extra 10 minutes baking time because the centre was still a bit 'wet'. So, I covered the cake tin with aluminium foil (to prevent the top of the cake from being burnt) and continued baking till the cake was cooked through.

jemput makan

2011-02-01T08:17:00.006+08:00

Nik, Azni and Daniel were in Penang for the weekend.

Haa.. tengok ni, handsome dak anak kiter, Nik Daniel?

Faiz & Daniel at the beach in front of D'Residence

Daniel, Papa Nik and Mama Azni at N-Park swimming pool

Mohd Fazlin & Nadzrah

2011-02-01T07:59:00.005+08:00

29 January 2011, Faiz and I attended wedding dinner reception of Mohd Fazlin & Nadzrah (Sobri's daughter) at :

From left: Ariffin & wife, Faiz, Nazri

2011-01-28T15:19:00.005+08:00

Wishing a happy birthday to the one
who adds sunlight to my day
the one who gives me happiness
more than I can say

Happy birthday to a son
Who couldn't be loved more.
You are loved for :-
The little boy you were
The special man you are now
And the precious son you will always be.

FARID RIZAL

Birthday dinner at Victoria Station:

Shark's Fin with Crabmeat

Rib Eye Steak for Farid and Faiz

Yasmin and I had Salmon & Lamb Combo

Julia's Salmon & Steak Combo