Make recently

CRISPY BACON PRAWN ROLL

I make this crispy bacon prawn roll with the recipe from here.

I didn't use baby french bean thou as i have some aparagus in the fridge, so i decided to use aparagus instead. Ohterwise, i'm afraid my aparagus may go to waste.

As usual, for a quick meal, i top it off with some angel hair sphagetti again. Yummy!

I make a quick cake using optimal flour. As this is the 1st time i'm trying, the quantity seems too little for a 18cm cake tin. Next round, i shall test out with an increase quantity to check the result. Although the cake seems too thin, i still want to try out my skill in slicing the cake, putting fillings into it and decorating the cake to make it like a birthday cake.

Viola! my decorated cake.



The inside

Not very well done, but at least i get it started. Next time, i shall try my hand on more other topping and slicing the cake to more layer.

Steam tiapoca cake - hubby's favourite.

CROCHET TOTE REVISITED

One fellow blogger Agy is interested in my crochet tote and asking if i have a pattern for it. I'm so sorry to disappoint her as i'm no expert in crocheting. Usually my crochet are done by looking at real sample itself. For this tote, there's no sample, i just make use of my balance yarn from many years back when i was crocheting tissue box cover for my classmate's parents and aunties. Wow, that's really a long time ago huh? Anyway, i do this tote bag base on my own preference and crochet the pattern as i go along. Haha...... genius huh? Actually not, i'm quite lousy, but i really loves to share. Now, i tried as best as i could by sketching the pattern out and i hope it's easy to understand.

Things needed:

Yarn based on rough estimation
1 ball of 80gm 4 ply single color yarn (mine is peach)
1/4 ball 80gm 4 ply with fossils yarn dual color (mine is grey with silver)
1 4mm crochet hood
4 pieces of white large 4 holes button
Matching color Thread for sewing button
Needle for sewing button

This is the base pattern

This is the base photo.

Base:

1) 1 row - Start with 6 chain stitch, join with a slip stitch to form a loop

2) 2nd row - Make 3 chain stitch (count as 1 double stitch), make 11 double stitch, each inserting to the centre of loop above, slip stitch to join

3) 3rd row - Make 3 chain stitch (count as 1 double stitch) and 1 double stitch in the same hole, in each double stitch hole above, make 2 double stitch, repeat to complete whole row, slip stitch to join

4) 4th row - repeat row 3 pattern

5) 5th row - Make 3 chain stitch (count as 1 double stitch), in the next double stitch hole, make 1 double stitch, repeat to complete the row, slip stitch to join

6) 6th row - Make 3 chain stitch (count as 1 double stitch), in the same hole, make a double stitch, in the next double stitch hole, make 2 double stitch, repeat to complete the row, slip stitch to join

7) 7th row - Make 3 chain stitch (count as 1 double stitch), in the next double stitch hole, make 1 double stitch, repeat to complete the row, slip stitch to join

8) 8th row - Make 3 chain stitch (count as 1 double stitch), in the same hole, make a double stitch, in the next double stitch hole, make 2 double stitch, repeat to complete the row, slip stitch to join.

The base is completed.

This is the side bottom pattern




This is the side bottom photo

9) 9th row, 10th row, 11th row - make 3 chain stitch at beginning, considered as 1 double stitch, then in each double stitch hole, make 1 double stitch

10) 12th row - change color (this part i'm not good in it. i only try to join the 2 different color yarn together as close the edge as possible so that when i make the next row, it would be the other color) - make 3 chain stitch at beginning, count as 1 double stitch, then in each double stitch hole, make 1 double stitch

11) 13th row - change back to base color again, do the same as above

12) 14th and 15th row - change to the other color again, do the same

13) 16th, 17th and 18th row - change to base color, repeat above

The side bottom is completed

This is the side middle pattern

This is the side middle photo

14) 19th row - Make 3 chain stitch, count as 1 double stitch, make another chain, skip 1 double stitch space, make a double stitch, repeat to complete the row, slip stitch to join

15) 20th row - repeat above

This is the side upper pattern

This is the side upper photo

16) 21st row - Make 3 chain stitch (count as 1 double stitch), in the same hole, make 3 double stitch, skip 1 double stitch and it would bring you to the space where the chain stitch from 20th row is, make 4 double stitch, repeat to complete the row, slip stitch to join

17) 22nd row - Make 3 chain stitch (count as 1 double stitch), in the same hole, make 3 double stitch, skip 4 double stitch, make 4 double stitch, repeat to complete the row, slip stitch to join

18) 23rd to 26th row - repeat as above

This is the top pattern

This is the top photo

19) 27th row - make 1 chain stitch (count as 1 single stitch), in every double stitch hole, make 1 single stitch, repeat to complete the row, slip stitch to join

20) 28th row to 31th row - repeat as above

21) 32nd row - change color - repeat above

22) 33rd row - same color as 32nd row - repeat the pattern, at the end of the 33rd row, loop backwards to prevent stitch from dropping

The crochet bag without the handle is completed

This is the handle pattern

This is the handle photo

1) Make 7 chain stitch, then 3 chain stitch, in the space of the 7th chain, make 1 double stitch, then in each chain, make 1 double stitch to complete the row

2) Turn around, make 3 chain stitch, then in the next double stitch, make 1 double stitch, repeat to complete the row

Depending on how long you want your handle to be, keep repeating above till you get your desired length for the handle, at the end, loop backwards to prevent the stitch from giving way.

I have make 2 different color for the 2 handle to add some fun to the tote bag.

Assemble the handle onto the crochet tote, put a button on it, sew the button on together with the handle.

The completed crochet tote with handle.

There's really no fixed rule to my crochet tote. So by all means, base on your own imagination and size of the bag you want, you may just add or reduce stitches to suit your own requirement. Just bare in mind, add stitches by adding additional stitch in 1 hole, reduce stitch by skipping hole and joining in the next stitch hole. The bag will turn out whatever way you desired as long as you base on the basic steps.

Ha.... never realise that this is an extremely long post, i hope anyone reading it would not find it tiring and boring. And since i already spend a substantial amount of time doing my this lousy sketch pattern, i might as well share it on cut out + keep too.

Popcorn anyone?

Whenever i passed by this movie theatre that sells freshly popped corn, i would always be attracted by the aroma of the pop corn there. Of course, whenever i do watch a movie, i would always buy a box to ease my craving before the movie starts. I don't want to keep my hands busy while watching the show neither do i want to miss the minor details, lolz. Most important of all, it would be such a nuisance to other movie goer too. Well, this habit don't come by cheap, for a small box like this, it would cost me seven sin dollars. Luckily, i'm not really a movie goer, but i am really a popcorn lover, haha....

Yesterday, i was able to experiment with my non-stick wok. I knew of this shopping mall that sells kitchen ware in their basement - there's always this promoter trying to sell his non-stick wok at hundreds of dollars. One of the demonstration that he always does is to make popcorn. According to him, he claimed that not ordinary wok can do this. Well, i was tempted to buy but on the other hand, it would really be crazy to buy a hundreds of dollars wok just to do pop corn since my family is rather small and i always make do with a smaller skillet wok which is less troublesome to wash too. Well, i do own a larger wok which i only use occassionally or for steaming large cake. Now, i'm going to do my experiment with it since this is also a non-stick wok that comes with a air-tight lid except it's so much cheaper than the one being promoted.

Well, my experiment was a success - viola! my very own CARAMEL POPCORN any time i crave for it.

Pan Grilled Rosemary Chicken Chop

My simple arrangement of pan grilled rosemary chicken chop.

This chicken chop is actually seasoned with salt, black pepper and rosemary. Subsequently you just need to pan grill it in a non-stick pan without any additional oil as the chicken skin would produce enough oil for the whole process of grilling. Top it off with a gravy make from a mixture of light soya sauce, honey, lemon juice and water. I blanched some aparagus and cooked some angel hair spaghetti to go along with it. With this, it's a complete meal again. Actually life can be very simple if you don't asked for too much.

My crafts are being featured

Delighted again! Haha......... surprised to see my craft work being feature in cut out + keep. Not just one, but two - my completely reversible tote bag and carry all apron.

Cut out + keep is a website which gathers all craftsters and showcase all sort of craft work. Many with instructions and how to. I think this is a good site to share my occassional crafts work and to pick up some if not many tips for crafting, not to mention it showcase some good recipe too. Definitely a site worth visiting.

Another tote bag

I make another tote bag again. And yes, this is completely hand sewn again as mentioned in my earlier post - i don't have a working sewing machine at home.

This is actually recycle from the jeans leg. And yes, it's the same pair of jeans that i use to make my "carry all apron".

I managed to find this piece of nice print cloth among my old sewing which i used to do many years ago. Some how, my recent browsing on the internet have re-ignite my passions for doing craft work and sewing again.

Isn't this cute?


A closer look

Lay flat on the floor.

A closer look at my yo-yo embellishment on the tote.

Oh! did i mentioned that this tote is completely reversible. The reason why i'm doing a completely reversible one is because since i don't have a sewing machine, anything visible by hand sewing may not be as neat and i also need to keep away the frillings from the jeans.

So i have one tote but two style of carrying it.

This is the other reverse version of my same tote.

I'm actually quite please with my completed tote - something new from something old - isn't it that i'm doing my part for being eco-friendly? Two different design too, hurray!!!

My simplicity lunch

Mmm......... i think some people is going to call me crazy. What so fantastic about this? Well, nothing actually - it's just one of my family favourite dish - sesame oil chicken.

I have decided to write down this recipe in my recipe cabinet. Who knows, my descedant may just want it somedays.