Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Friday, October 20, 2006
A Pat On The Back
Dev and I have always had friends over for dinners, but today was a little special. It wasn't just any ordinary dinner. It was just special, and I am proud to say I did well with the food preparation (with Dev's help in the kitchen, of course!) Again, it had slipped my mind to take snap shots of my dishes.
I prepared "pork adobo", a famous Filipino dish, which is pork belly and rib cubes seasoned in sweet and soy sauce, with a little bit of ketchup added to the sauce. It was my first attempt, and I am proud to say it was a success! I had also prepared nyonya acar (pineapple, cucumber, carrot and long bean cuts mixed with blended chili and peanuts), omelette with cut long beans and tofu with minced pork. When your guests (and husband) take a second helping, it is the best compliment without having to hear it. Honestly, I surprised myself with the ability to cook and my new found interest - cooking. From being a woman who had never liked cooking to being able to prepare a sumptious meal, Mom, you will be proud of me ;)
Let me give myself a pat on the back!
I prepared "pork adobo", a famous Filipino dish, which is pork belly and rib cubes seasoned in sweet and soy sauce, with a little bit of ketchup added to the sauce. It was my first attempt, and I am proud to say it was a success! I had also prepared nyonya acar (pineapple, cucumber, carrot and long bean cuts mixed with blended chili and peanuts), omelette with cut long beans and tofu with minced pork. When your guests (and husband) take a second helping, it is the best compliment without having to hear it. Honestly, I surprised myself with the ability to cook and my new found interest - cooking. From being a woman who had never liked cooking to being able to prepare a sumptious meal, Mom, you will be proud of me ;)
Let me give myself a pat on the back!
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Ten-Minute Tofu Recipe
Surprisingly, I have picked up an interest in cooking, thanks to a recipe book given by my Malaysian friend. I can now proudly say I can cook! I have made nyonya acar (pineapple, carrot & cucumber pickle with chopped peanuts and chili), chicken rice (the whole works, from preparing the rice to the soup, ginger chili sauce and roast chicken) and my ten-minute tofu. With all the excitement, I had forgotten to take snaps of my dishes. But I got a shot of my tofu dish just for you.
Ingredients
1 pack soft Japanese tofu
1 tbsp oil
4 thin slices ginger
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
100 g lean minced chicken or beef (I used minced pork)
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp cornflour, mixed with 3 tbsp water (I didn't use cornflour)
Garnish:
Sprinkling of finely shredded cucumber, carrot, spring onion and chilli
Method
1. Slice tofu into 2 cm slices and lay on a serving plate (it is not necessary to cook).
2. Heat oil and fry ginger slices for a minute or two until fragrant. Add garlic and fry until golden brown before stirring in the minced meat. Season with the light and dark soy sauces, sugar and pepper. Lastly swirl in the cornflour mixture and stir until mixture thickens - about 2 minutes (optional). Take pan off the heat and pour mixture over the tofu slices.
3. Sprinkle on the shredded vegetables and serve immediately with rice or noodles.
Recipe taken from http://kuali.com
Ingredients
1 pack soft Japanese tofu
1 tbsp oil
4 thin slices ginger
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
100 g lean minced chicken or beef (I used minced pork)
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp cornflour, mixed with 3 tbsp water (I didn't use cornflour)
Garnish:
Sprinkling of finely shredded cucumber, carrot, spring onion and chilli
Method
1. Slice tofu into 2 cm slices and lay on a serving plate (it is not necessary to cook).
2. Heat oil and fry ginger slices for a minute or two until fragrant. Add garlic and fry until golden brown before stirring in the minced meat. Season with the light and dark soy sauces, sugar and pepper. Lastly swirl in the cornflour mixture and stir until mixture thickens - about 2 minutes (optional). Take pan off the heat and pour mixture over the tofu slices.
3. Sprinkle on the shredded vegetables and serve immediately with rice or noodles.
Recipe taken from http://kuali.com
Flying the chopper
Ian finally took his model helicopter out to the open land, but the chopper just refused to lift off the ground.
Dev & Ian
Getting the engine started
The chopper
Dev & Kurt patiently waited for some take off action ...
... but this was as high as it got off the ground
The show's over!
Dev & Ian
Getting the engine started
The chopper
Dev & Kurt patiently waited for some take off action ...
... but this was as high as it got off the ground
The show's over!
The Burj-Al Arab
Last month when our Australian friend Paul was here for a week, we made a trip to Dubai, and we got as close as we could to the world-famous seven-star hotel.
Located at the entrance of the Burj is the Wild Wadi Theme Park.
Located at the entrance of the Burj is the Wild Wadi Theme Park.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Friday the 13th
It is 11:38PM Malaysian time and 7:38PM local time in Abu Dhabi. Dev has left for a night flight to Dammam, back at midnight. I am online and writing this blog while listening to Toni Braxton singing "You Make Me High". Dev and I are counting the days to returning to Malaysia next month for 2 weeks. The timing couldn't have been better-by then, I would be 12 weeks into the pregnancy-safe to fly.
I am doing great so far, with no vomiting or any sign of morning sickness. My first craving attack was last week. I wanted idli (a sourish thosai-like texture but are made in small thick pieces, an Indian delicacy) and fish curry! Dev, the kind hubby that I have, drove me the next day to Anjappar, an Indian shop, that sells idli. It was lunch time, and Anjappar only serves idli for breakfast and dinner. There's always "home delivery". The next morning, we ordered 10 pieces with lovely fish curry. After having idli for two days, I was satisfied :) Since then, the baby hasn't craved anything else. But the Mommy-to-be has made a list of things she wants to eat when she is home in Malaysia!
My face has grown a little rounder around the cheeks and chin. I am carefully taking care of myself with a cup of Anmum milk each morning, lots of fruits and vegies. Dev has been the sweetest thing, helping out with the household chores, washing, laundry, and taking great care of me :)
Arabic classes have been keeping me occupied three times a week in the morning, and in between there are revisions that we have to do at home. We have spelling and dictation in Arabic! I must say it has been fun with the five of us-Judy from Toronto, Minh from Vietnam, Jeanine and Andrea from Switzerland and myself. The instructor (can't pronounce her name) is from Syria, and she comes to Judy's apartment to conduct the sessions. Judy is 6 floors below me. Ma-hah-ba means hello, and shukran means thank you, and habibi means friend. At the moment, we are learning to write all 28 alphabets in Arabic (jawi writing). We have gone from alif to baa, taa, thaa and uu (pronounced oooo). We are taught to write each alphabet independently as an alphabet, at the beginning of each word, in the middle and at the end. The alphabet changes shape as we use them in various ways in spelling. Imagine, 24 more alphabets to go!
Have a wonderful weekend, wherever you are, whichever country you are in :))
I am doing great so far, with no vomiting or any sign of morning sickness. My first craving attack was last week. I wanted idli (a sourish thosai-like texture but are made in small thick pieces, an Indian delicacy) and fish curry! Dev, the kind hubby that I have, drove me the next day to Anjappar, an Indian shop, that sells idli. It was lunch time, and Anjappar only serves idli for breakfast and dinner. There's always "home delivery". The next morning, we ordered 10 pieces with lovely fish curry. After having idli for two days, I was satisfied :) Since then, the baby hasn't craved anything else. But the Mommy-to-be has made a list of things she wants to eat when she is home in Malaysia!
My face has grown a little rounder around the cheeks and chin. I am carefully taking care of myself with a cup of Anmum milk each morning, lots of fruits and vegies. Dev has been the sweetest thing, helping out with the household chores, washing, laundry, and taking great care of me :)
Arabic classes have been keeping me occupied three times a week in the morning, and in between there are revisions that we have to do at home. We have spelling and dictation in Arabic! I must say it has been fun with the five of us-Judy from Toronto, Minh from Vietnam, Jeanine and Andrea from Switzerland and myself. The instructor (can't pronounce her name) is from Syria, and she comes to Judy's apartment to conduct the sessions. Judy is 6 floors below me. Ma-hah-ba means hello, and shukran means thank you, and habibi means friend. At the moment, we are learning to write all 28 alphabets in Arabic (jawi writing). We have gone from alif to baa, taa, thaa and uu (pronounced oooo). We are taught to write each alphabet independently as an alphabet, at the beginning of each word, in the middle and at the end. The alphabet changes shape as we use them in various ways in spelling. Imagine, 24 more alphabets to go!
Have a wonderful weekend, wherever you are, whichever country you are in :))
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
A little baby ...
A little bundle of joy will be coming our way next year. I am 2 months pregnant, and our baby is expected to arrive on 26 May 2007. Both Mom- and Dad-to-be are thrilled and nervous at the same time ;)
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Yvonne & Denis' Wedding Reception
My wonderful cousin Yvonne and Denis Mitchel tied the knot on 2 September 2006. The beautiful couple are all smiles in this picture with my Mom, brother Justin, niece Jocelyn and of course, the charming couple, that's Dev and me! Hehe!
My sister Jasmina and her angels Charlene and Delphine
Cute little Jocelyn
My sister Jasmina and her angels Charlene and Delphine
Cute little Jocelyn
Sunday, October 08, 2006
A visit to Taiping
During our last visit home to Malaysia in August, Dev and I, together with our parents and Dev's sister, managed to slot in time for a day-trip upnorth to Taiping, Perak. The town is situated on a coastal plain just west of the Bintang Range. Alor Setar, Kedah, lies to the north-west and Ipoh to the south-east. The area developed quickly in the 19th century when tin was discovered. The mines attracted large numbers of settlers, particularly Chinese.
Pardon the wrong date setting seen on the photos
A breath-taking view of Taiping Lake Gardens
Taiping Museum
After a hard day's work
Port Weld Museum
Taiping New Club
War Memorial
Maxwell Hill
The most enjoyable part of the entire trip was the ride up and down the narrow road of Maxwell Hill with 180-degree angles in an old yet sturdy Land Rover Defender.
Pardon the wrong date setting seen on the photos
A breath-taking view of Taiping Lake Gardens
Taiping Museum
After a hard day's work
Port Weld Museum
Taiping New Club
War Memorial
Maxwell Hill
The most enjoyable part of the entire trip was the ride up and down the narrow road of Maxwell Hill with 180-degree angles in an old yet sturdy Land Rover Defender.
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