Chocolate Cake

I've mentioned here that I really missed baking and eating chocolate cake.

We arrived home (ipoh) late on Saturday. Went to TESCO to buy the week groceries. As soon as I arrived home, yup....baking time.
Made this...

At first I planned to visit a blogger friend's house that afternoon and bring her this cake, but time was not in our side... We didn't go anywhere..., since it's already late...

So, mr AB brought the cake to his office to share with his officemate on Monday.

You can click here to see... (this one from Darthvadai blog)...

You can find the recipe in my previous post...


The way we have this at home- put a slice of the cake on a plate. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, pour melted chocolate over and add some toasted almonds... sinful...

The boy who spoils the Raya photo

He loves it when people snap his pictures, but he wouldn't cooperate if ask to pose nicely.

So, our family raya pictures are spoilt by him...

Pictures below are cropped from our family Raya pictures...






This is a very beautiful picture of Laiqa, only to be spoilt by Umar. (picture taken during my BIL wedding last August)
We can't even take a decent picture of him alone...

Her First Hair Cut

Just got back after spending a week and half in the metropolitan city of KL.

Phew...the serenity in Ipoh is just marvellous...immediately you can feel the relax, 'sit-back and enjoy' life here. Differ from the rat race in KL. Be it a 'dead' city as most people call it...i still love it here. But, have to face the reality...not much opportunity here, career wise. :)

Anyway, on Sunday, we went to TESCO, which is only 5minutes away from home to buy the week supply of groceries.

Stopped by a hair saloon for Laiqa's fisrt hair cut. Her hair is already waist length.

I've never cut her hair before, only during her 'bercukur' which was when she was 7 days old, we shaved her, then that's it.

She was in her best behaviour. Sat still throughout the process.

Laiqa with her new hair cut....

Cereal Butter Prawn

I always think about updating my blog every day. And usually I have no idea what to blog about.
No that is not quite true. The truth is, I always have tons of ideas. So many until I can't pick which I will write about first. And thus, end up, blogging about nothing.

Anyway whenever I'm confuse, food always comes to mind.

My kids love this dish, especially the cereals part.


15 large prawns, clean, deveined and fry about 1 minute

3 tbsp butter
1 onion, sliced thinly
3 garlic, chopped
curry leaves
a few bird's eyes chillies (u can chopped this, but, I didn't since i'm serving to kids too)
1 egg yolk, beat
1 cup nestum cereal (adjust the amount as you wished)
salt to taste

-melt butter in a frying pan.
-saute onion, garlic.
-add curry leaves and chillies
-after a few minutes, pour in egg yolks while you stir none stop (this to make sure the egg yolk fried into tiny pieces)
-add nestum, keep stirring for a few minutes
-add prawns, salt and pepper.

My hands are itchy...to bake...

I am in KL right now...
So, the place here have no oven. Only microwave. I felt so handicapped. I've been heresince last Wednesday. I am supposed to go back to Ipoh last Sunday, but my 'ever dearest AB' canceled at the last minute.
And now after a week of no cooking and baking...I have this urge to bake. To bake a delicious, moist chocolate cake to be precised. Not too sweet not too bitter, just the right amount of sugar and cocoa...and some acidity, that would make the perfect chocolate cake. Yummy...can't wait to be back home.. May be I'll make some topping too...whipping cream would be good...but chocolate fudge would be better...

Eid Mubarak - 1 Syawal 1428

Raya was marvellous...as usual... No 'happenings', no saucy gossips....just the usual...

We celebrated first 'raya' in Perak...my 'kampung'...this year. Last Syawal, we've spent a week in Kelantan. Not because my 'ever dearest' AB have loong holiday...It was because my MIL passed away a few days before 'Raya' and we were there for the funeral and for 7 days of 'tahlil'.

This year we celebrated in Lenggong. Yup...Lenggong is a very small town (a 'cowboy' town to be exact) in Perak.

This year first Syawal...all my brothers were there. This was the first time all of us were there since...10-20 years. Before this there must be one of us who celebrated first raya at their in-law's. We did take family pictures (which were taken using my eldest bro (Long's) very 'canggih', brand new SLR camera- he is very into photography). He haven't email me those pics. I might post them here once I get them from him. (p/s- kakak, pls remind abah to email me those photos).

Some were taken using my Ngah's O2 (who are in US since 2nd raya and I doubt he will ever email me those photos). A few using my Chik's digicam.

And not forgetting, a few numbers of pictures taken by my Mr. AB using his new 'raya' toy- which he had wanted to buy for quite sometimes, only to be delayed by his lovely wife (that would be ME), because I still doesn't think that he need that PDA phone. Anyway I'm glad he bought them...because I am sooo...happy seing him being so 'jakun' and everything with that 'toy'. He even slept with it the first week he bought that PDA. ehhheheh (actually, he already owned a PDA, which had been broken by his most beloved wife (which is ME)- I sat on it, and broke the screen). Thanks darling for not being angry with me...

And may be I would download the photos from his PDA later, since he's busy watching football at the moment.

We had plenty of food. One of my SIL brought lots of home-cooked food which she had prepared from KL, including her delicious 'chicken sambal', ketupat, chicken rendang, etc. The other SIL prepared 'kuah kacang'. Another SIL cooked 'nasi hujan panas' with 'ayam masak merah'. And my mum prepared 'lemang' and rendang.

We spent the day eating, eating, eating and eating. Oh yes...we also visited our uncles and aunties houses.


The night- I went to a small gathering of my ex-schoolmates, which was held in Tasek Raban Resort. I brought some cupcakes. My hubby tagged along (actually, I forced him to tag along...hehhe). I left Umar with 'atuk'. Not many turn up. Anyway it was great.

I went back around 11pm, only to see Umar waiting at the door, hands on his hips. As I stepped out of the car, he started with his 'motherly' speech...'why you go out until late at night? You should come back earlier. bla bla bla....' (and now, he had taken over the job as a mom...). Talking about freedom....my free days had long gone.... I can't even go out late at night...if it's not the hubby...then it's the son who started nagging at me......

To those who attended the gathering (I know some of you have been the silent reader of my blog)...it was really nice meeting you guys...

Asmeda, Lynda and Nozie...time really flies...x sempat habiskan gosip2 terkini...we shud meet up again...

To the seniors...which I only knew from the 'cyber' world all this time, (and thru phone calls and sms)...all of you have been great sport... and very friendly....thanks...

AND TO ALL OF YOU......have a great raya... don't stuff yourself tooo much with all the lemang, rendang, etc..... If you do...don't complain if your pants size increase a few inches...it's your own fault...:):):) (and don't blame your 'baju', - the 'kain' did not shrink...okay!!!)

Raya preparations...

Many people may have started their hols... Many are busy with their raya preparations.

Today, I'm cleaning the house, dusting, sweeping, mopping and all the 'cleaning' things that I don't really like.
Thank God, my house don't have that many furniture, if not, those furnitures will make dusting, sweeping, etc, more, more difficult.
Mr 'AB' the 'ever dearest won't be home until late today. We will only be heading back to my 'kampung' (which only an hour drive from here) tomorrow- late afternoon, because I need to bake some cakes to bring back. I always prefer to do the baking in my own kitchen. Mainly because I have larger oven. My mum's oven is the round oven, that you can't control the temperature, etc. And in my in-law's, they don't have an oven at all.
Moreover, if I bake those cakes in my 'kampung', they will be lots of 'fan' keen on watching my everysteps.
Hmm...what cakes should I bake?? How many? Have to decide later.
May be some cupcakes will do.

As for now, have to tidy up the kitchen, and to some packing.

HEALTH :QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION

I always promote health.. Yea..what else someone from a medical field to do, other than promoting health (and baking :D).
Every year resolutions is always...have a healthier year.

Anyway, i found this from The Vadai Has Landed, and found it very funny...
Funny, hillarious in a sarcastic way...which I like....hahahhaha...
So, I 'cilok' this and paste it here.


HEALTH :QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION

Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?

A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a MIXED GRILL can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.


Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?

A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?

A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! ... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

A : Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?

A: Are you crazy? HELLO. Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?

A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?

A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!


P/s- after reading this-
to my dearest AB- you still have to take your supplements, daily. and you still need to invest on that jogging shoes.
And you still haven't bought me the exercise dvd that i've been requesting for nearly 2 years. (I need to get my abs back)

EAT A BALANCE DIET
+
REGULAR EXERCISE
+
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
+
POSITIVE THINKING
=
HEALTHY LIFE

Arrgghhhhh......

Fashion disaster.....
hmmm..not really...
Raya dress disaster actually...

I am the state of nearly-panicking...not yet panic...
Reason...- Laiqa didn't have any 'baju kurung' for this raya...
and mine is a disaster...
I went to the tailor yesterday...after receiving the text message from her, that our dresses are ready.
I sent a 'sari'(which is given to me by Mr AB's friend- which he bought in Chennai) to the tailor to 'transform' it from a sari into a loose 'kebaya' for me and a 'baju kurung' for Laiqa. As you all aware...'sari' is very long (around 5.5metre), which I estimated should be enough for the both of us.
And the finished product.....
A loose 'kebaya' for me, with a slit skirt!!! How am I gonna wear that???
And a sleeveless dress with organza skirt (which is very much similar with the one she wore to my BIL's wedding last August)! Reason she made this dress for Laiqa is that, after finished sewing my 'baju', the sari left is just aroung 0.25m... so, only enough for the body part of the dress.
She should have inform me earlier...

This really pissed me off. It's already a few days from the 'eve', and how can I alter my skirt (how to 'unslit' the 'slit') and what am I gonna do about Laiqa's 'baju kurung'??

I tried looking for ready-made 'baju kurung' for her. Went to Tesco ( since they sent flyers- that stated they are selling baju raya for kids 2years old and above). But, in the store itself, they have only for adult. I tried going to 'Greentown Mall' which is famous with ready-made baju kurung, but the traffic to get there started from the hospital (if you aren't familiar with Ipoh, It's about 1-2 kilometres from the mall itself).

I'm thinking of sewing one myself...only to be discouraged by Mr hubby.
"You still have some cookies to bake to bring back to the 'kampungs' and both side (my own family in Perak and my hubby's) requesting cupcakes for this raya. Yes...yes... lets get some cloth for you to sew....", That's what he said...rather sarcastically.

My plan- I will wear the orange dress that I wore for my BIL's wedding. And keep searching for Laiqa's.


Anyway, how about your 'baju raya'? :)

Buah Melaka

This is by far, the simplest 'kuih' to be made.
So, since it's too simple, I have trouble writing the recipe up.
I don't have the correct @ clear cut amount/weight of the ingredients.

Prepare the filling beforehand. The recipe here.
I just throw the glutinous rice flour in and mix it with enough water (plain water, mix with 1/2 tbsp of salt and s few drops of green food coloring*).
Mix it so that it will make a dough that doesn't stick to the hands.
Divide dough into slightly-smaller-than-lime-size balls.
Put about half teaspoon of filling in the middle, and roll into balls.
After finished with all the dough, boil water in a pot.
When the water is boiling, drop the balls into it.
It will cookedd when it float. Scoop the balls out with a perforatedd ladle, and tossed into a mix of grated coconut and a pinch of salt.

Child kidnap Trick

I got this from Pat,please read!




Thu Sep 27, 2007 5:25 pm (PST)
Subject: Child Kidnap Trick in Carrefour, JB

Even if you do not have little kids, pass this one on to everyone you can think of. You never know who you might save by sending this e-mail!
Please, take the time and forward this to any friend who has children & grandchildren! Thanks!

Wanted to share something that happened today while shopping at Carrefour. A mother was leaning over looking for meat and turned around to find her 4 years old daughter was missing. I was standing there right beside her, and she was calling her daughter with no luck.

I asked a man who worked at Carrefour to announce it over the loud-speaker. He did, and left me, he immediately walked right past me when I asked and went to a pole where there was a phone. He made an announcement for all the doors and gates to be locked, a code something.


So they locked all the doors at once.

This took all of 3 minutes after I asked the guy to do this. They found the little girl 5 minutes later in a bathroom stall drugged. Her head was half shaved, and she was dressed in her underwear with a bag of clothes, a razor, and wig sitting on the floor beside her, to make her look different. Whoever this person was, took the little girl, brought her into the bathroom, shaved half her head, and undressed her in a matter of less than 10 minutes. This makes me shake to no end.

Please keep a close eye on your kids when in big places where it's easy for you to get separated like Shopping Malls. It only took a few minutes to do all of that. Another 5 minutes and she would have been out the door. I am still in shock that some sick person could do this, let alone in a matter of minutes. The days are over when our little ones could run rampant all over the place and nothing worse would happen then them annoying people.

The little girl is fine. Thank God for fast workers who didn't take any chances.



BE SURE TO FORWARD THIS TO EVERYONE, SO THEY REMEMBER JUST HOW SICK PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE!

Heavy Rain....

We were heading back to Ipoh the other day when it started to rain cats and dogs.
If you are a frequent driver, and have happened to drive in heavy rain, you will notice that many Malaysian drivers, switch on their vehicles' hazard lights during this heavy rain.

Well in Malaysia, you don't need to stop behind a car with hazard lights on, nor you need to offer any help, as they are not in any kind of emergency, and their vehicles are not hazardous to other motorists.
In Malaysia, vehicles with hazard light on, meaning, that the condition of the road is...well, dangerous than usual. This is not the new traffic law- but rather this kind of habit had been adapted by seeing people doing it, and you tend to follow, with lack of knowledge and reasons.

Is this the failure of our country's system or is it just the mere ignorance shown by the people?

So guys, please remember this.

Use hazard lights only when needed.

I adapt this paragraph from here.

Many drivers use hazard lights wrongly, switching them on to show other drivers that road conditions are hazardous. Most do this because the drivers ahead are doing it. This is a mistake, because hazard lights can be very distracting and cause glare that limits your vision and confuses drivers ahead and behind you. Only use hazard lights to warn other drivers that your vehicle is, or is about to become, a road hazard – engine is overheating, brakes are faulty, or your wipers are defective – and that you are slowing down to stop. You should also use it when you are in an emergency – feeling sick or rushing someone to a hospital – or when the car ahead of you has an accident and you want to warn other cars behind you. Otherwise, don’t add to the confusion.

Anak Tupai???

Ado sekor anok tupa
Atah jula mokte
Kudung ekor perut lapar
Jale cari make

(There’s a squirrel pup
on ‘rambutan’s’ tree
It felt hungry
Went to find some food)

I’ve been listening to this ‘dikir barat’ song again and again every single day…
Gotten tired of it….
But it’s fun to listen since it was sung by my two kids and the daddy..
Most of you might not be familiar with the song…
It’s a song sung during ‘dikir barat’ performance. ‘Dikir barat’ is a traditional performance (@ is it a folk song???), that is well-known in Kelantan( a state in East Coast Malaysia).
My ‘ever dearest’ had started singing this song( just the first few lines) to Umar since he’s a baby. And then to Laiqa.
I’ve been ignoring them all this while.
But lately, since those two kids caught up with the songs, they started singing it every single day.
Laiqa even has her own version of the song…which is very funny, especially since she associate the squirrel to herself.
A few weeks back when we were in a hotel in Lumut, both of them and the daddy were taking a dip in the hotel’s pool, when a squirrel ran past them and up the nearby tree, stayed there a few moments and ran off. Laiqa got even more excited with squirrel and start to make up stories using squirrel as the main character.

Ada tupai tu kan, mama
Tupai tu lari kan mama
Dia pegi atas pokok kan mama
Etc, etc…

I just go along with the flow… I’m sure the ‘thing’ about squirrel will brush off after awhile.
For the time being…just sit back and pretend to enjoy…. (with ears focusing to listen to the TV and ignoring the surrounding :P) and don’t forget to smile… ☺☺☺

Iklan jap....

Due to ‘overwhelming’ response to my entry on the ‘raya cookies’, I have agreed to take in orders for those cookies. Just as a favor for those who haven’t bought any raya cookies and it’s kinda late to make any orders from other ‘cookie-maker’.
But I have to limit the orders.

Cookies that are available:
1. Biskut Sarang Semut

2. Plain Butter Cookies
3. Pineapple Tarts
4. Cornflakes Crunchies


5. Happy Choconut Cookies
- Ground hazelnut mixed with coconut and high-quality imported cocoa powder, sprinkled with chocolate rice


6. My Heart Cookies
- strawberry flavoured with almonds nibs(chopped almonds), topped with red fondant heart


7. Butter Cookies
- a miniature of ‘daisy cookies’ that I made previously
- sugar cookies with royal icing frosting


8. Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Chocolate chips with chopped walnut


• All cookies are packed in a plastic containers.
• Using only high-quality real butter and higi-quality ingredients
• Orders can be made by emailing me at itsmeokay@gmail.com
• Leave your type of cookies, amount, contact details ie. Name, address, contact no.
• Mode of payment – bank-in Maybank account (I’ll give you the details after I’ve confirmed order)



p/s- to those who have ordereds...thanks-work in progress...:):P