My lastest recipe testing

It has been a long time since i last put up a tested recipe in my bon appetite blog for sharing. Heehee....... i didn't attempted anything new except those in DJ Violet's 厨房笔记。Today, i suddenly feel the urge to do so. Tata..... here come my RAISINS SCONES RECIPE. It's already put up in my other recipe cabinet blog.


Overall, i put together a few recipe i found in the internet and come out with my own version. This scones is very tasty - whether eat alone, with jam, butter or honey. Basically the scone itself is not sweet at all, it tasted some what like bread yet crispy like muffin. Mmm....... how to describe lei, er...... i ate 3 pieces at one go - with jam, with butter and with honey. LOLz, luckily there's very little oil and no sugar in the recipe, otherwise, can you imagine how much weight i'm going to gain from there.

I also attempted different shots of the end products. So kiasu, right? Well, what to do, i'm still using my old camera, plus my lousy skills, here come the end results.

Plain on it's own


With apricot jam, and with butter

With blueberry jam

All in - jam, butter and honey

And oh yes, this sort of rekindle my secondary school days whereby i always go to a fast food restaurant together with childhood friend STgt.

We never fail to order this scones, back then we don't even know it's call scones but we always ate it with fried chicken - umph.........yummy!

Happiness=less desire

Read this sentence some where:

"THE RICHEST PERSON IS NOT ONE WHO HAVE THE MOST THINGS BUT ONE WHO NEEDS THE LEAST THINGS"

Mmm...... how true this is. Whenever i see a toddler playing or how a parent pacify a 7 to 8 months old baby with foods, (just a few pieces of honey star could make them shake their legs and hands, and grin from ear to ear), I always wonder how could they be so easily satisfied. Well, i guess it just reflect the above:

When you required less things, you would feel happier
When you have less desired, you would feel happier too.

As one grows older, you want more and you feel less happiness when your desired is not attained. No wonder, babies are always the happiest.

Random Update

Taken at Changi Airport terminal 3 - kids are not related to me. Haha.... hope i would not be call a paparazi should these kids becomes a star one day.

Taken in Thomson Plaza. Have been following my colleague there to run some errants for the past few days. This tree is very tall - about 3 storey high. Couldn't snap a full length one initially as i want to get a good picture of the decorations on the tree. So i snap the upper portion then the lower portion. Wonder which is taller, the one inside takashimaya or this one. Mmmm...... did not go Orchard to roam lately except passing by a couple of times - so still knew that this year the theme is candies and lollipop, so sweet.........

Now this is a full length snap shot.

Taken in HDB block of flats - at telok blangah drive. Nowsaday you could hardly see this type of elaborated decoration in housing estate except for shopping mall near housing estate. Wonder who bare the cost of these lightings. Mmm..... pass on to the residents??

Met up with childhood friend S recently. These was specially make for her and her family - cranberry cupcakes with colorful chocolate rice as decoration on top. Didn't give her all thou, as i also make my signature chocolate chips cookies for her too. Beside also give little gift for her and her daughter.

These cupcakes is moist and tasty.

Make this today.

Gingerbread Man

My terrible piping skills. Look how yucky these gingermen look after my horrible piping.

The only one which i think is still acceptable because, some how or the other, the eyes looks like heart shape - heehee........ not my intended creation thou, haha........

累

Believe it or not, there are times when you feel not only so physically tired but also mentally tired. This is the time whereby you don't even wish to do anything or even talk to anyone. So how do youu get by these days? Well, for my case, i look out for inspirational stories to read and encourage myself thru' them, i look at other people who are less fortunate than myself and remind myself that i'm not the worst yet. Afterall, life still have to go on no matter how tired you are both physically and mentally. I tell myself there are others who need me.

生活还是一样要过，不管有多累，因为幸运没跟我做朋友。

It's beginning to look like Christmas.......

Seeing a lot of friends making Christmas goodies, i'm beginning to feel the Christmas spirits rounding in me. As i have no confidence in making Christmas log cake, neither do i know how to make ginger bread man or ginger bread house, but the itch to make something to complement the Christmas spirits is "killing" me (heehee.....), as such i attempted this brownies which was taught in 厨房笔记. All i need to do is complete it with some Christmas decorations, viola! Here comes my Christmas Brownies:

Taken with my handphone

(Not very sharp thou)

The rest are taken with my lousy digital camera.

i'm dreaming of a white christmas
just like the ones i used to know.
where the treetops glisten,
and children listen
to hear sleigh bells in the snow.
i'm dreaming of a white christmas
with every christmas card i write.
may your days be merry and bright.
and may all your christmases be white.
i'm dreaming of a white christmas
just like the ones i used to know.
where the treetops glisten,
and children listen
to hear sleigh bells in the snow.
i'm dreaming of a white christmas
with every christmas card i write.
may your days be merry and bright.
and may all your christmases be white.

It's beginning to look like Christmas..........

Png Kueh

It had been a long time since i last post my cooking. Since i wake up early today, i was planning to do something 1st before i head off to Suntec City book fair. Since i saw so many of my bakery friends making this PNG KUEH, i decided to give it a try.

See how i transform the above glutinuous rice to this PNG KUEH below:

A close upAlthough the PNG KUEH is soft and tasty enough to be eaten on its own, my family still likes to refry it again till crispy and add sweet sauce and chilli before eating.

Making this kueh can be quite tedious especially when kneading the dough. I had actually converted my kitchen into a war zone after effect. Haha.... wanted to snap a picture of it, however, my hand is full with flour from the dough, therefore abandon the idea. Anyway, friends may think i'm crazy to take a picture of such unsightly kitchen, heehee........Ok, back to the kueh again. Like what i said, it's quite tedious. It's not the making of the kueh, but the cleaning up after it is such a chore. Actually making this kueh can be quite fun. Molding it is so enjoying. It's especially enjoying when i see my family wallop all the kueh in 1 evening. ;) *wink wink*

Indulgence

2 weeks back while window shopping, there's this beauty facial road show going on. Some how or the other, being persuaded to test out the product on the spot. Quite satisfied with the beautician service. After that, was being persuaded to buy this voucher for a full facial trial in the beauty saloon. Normally, i'm not easily persuaded into buying this type of things, well, probably because i don't really earn enough for me to indulge in this type of luxury. However, i was really happy with the beautician and i thought, it really have been a long time since i last give myself this type of treat, and it's really worth it as it is very much more cheaper than any other well know salon's offer, so why not give myself a "spring cleaning". haha......

Before setting off, there's this wet blanket that really puts me off. 1st warn me against signing any package deal, next warn me that the locker provided for me could be break open, so on and so for....... Hello, as if i'm spending your money. Hello, i didn't ok. What i'm spending is my own money and not forgetting i'm also financing your expenses too, from house, car to food. Which single cent isn't coming from my pocket? What right have you got to stop me from spoiling myself once in a while. Do you mean that i must thrift so as to support your gambling habit? Get off my back and stop bugging me, i hate it.

Well, i didn't want to tell you off right in your face anymore. Not after what happened a few weeks back when i told you off. Not that i'm afraid. Just that i'm controlling .........

I still didn't sign any thing afterall. Sigh.........

Make recently

彩虹世界

彩虹世界=STEAM KUEH LAPIS

May all the things happening around me

be smooth like this lapis - full with vibrant colour.

Every things be smooth sailing and beautiful like rainbow

心情很黑的日子

从昨天到现在，心情一直不好，因为心很痛。

本来就是一个容易哭的人。看到别人伤心，我会哭。看到天灾人祸，我会哭。看到感动的故事情节，不管是电视也好，真实的也好，故事书也罢，我也会哭。为什么会这样？我不知道。。。。

我不敢说我做每一件事都做得很好，但是我能肯定的是，我都用心去做。但今天我不禁要问：“老天爷可不可以对我公平一点？对我身边的每一个人，每一件事宽容一点？”

Random

Went to bugis a few days back. saw this basker - whole body applied gold powder and standing under the hot sun like a statue. Occassionally there may be some donor, quite poor thing. Snap these photograph as form of support. Well, these types of baskers seems quite common here nowsaday so there's no 新鲜感。I guessed, inorder to get more donations, basker must come up with something more fresh and new.

Bought these split beans quite sometime ago but waited till now then i make these - Tau Sar Piah and Tau Suan.

To make tau suan is quite simple but to make tau sar piah - yoohoo! no joke, takes me from 7 am to 2.30 pm (just in time for my meditation class) to complete the whole process - from soaking the split beans, steaming it, mashing it, cutting the shallots, frying the shallots, dished out, fry the mashed split beans, weighing the fried split beans and roll it to balls of equal size, preparing the skin (oil skin and water skin), wrapping with the pre-rolled split beans fillings, brushing with egg yolk, sprinkling with sesame (pre-roasted too) then to the oven. Wow, long process but i loves these tau sar piah - simply delicious. Well, it's a good time spent rather then glueing myself to the computer or TV screen. Heeheehee...........

Tau suan before sprinkling the yew jia kueh and

after sprinkling the yew jia kueh.

Lucky i didn't make the yew jia kueh myself. Hahaha.... Tau Sar Piah

The split beans after frying and rolled into balls

Tau sar piah before bake and fresh from the oven

A close up - not so clear thou, because of my lousy camera.

I did it again

Yes, i did this steam cake again. Why? This time i'm bringing it to share with my meditation classmates. Last weeks topic is "Sharing is Great" and i really want to share.

i have always loves to share, be it food or knowledge. I loves my meditation class - it's so peaceful when all meditate at the same time. Well, i wouldn't say that i have accomplished true meditation effects but surely i gained something from all the topics that the Sifu shared with us.

Can you imagine - water have ears and eyes too.

When pure natural water is being exposed to good wordings by sticking paper with wordings and exposing water to hear good words, it actually helps the water to form nice crystals when put under the microscope. When expose to bad words, ugly crystals may form. Since our body is make up of 75% of water, it's goods to expose it to good words so that we will have nice crystals forming in the body thus achieving good health.

Well, i didn't say all this because my meditation Sifu said so. Well there's actually a real research done by Dr Emoto. Here's the website that you may go to read up further on what i said above.

http://www.life-enthusiast.com/twilight/research_emoto.htm

Somehow or the other, i just loves this cake - not only for the taste but also for the time that i missed during that period of time.

婚姻幸福之路

Got this passage via email - quite meanful, therefore sharing and recording here:

給所有未婚，將要結婚，和已婚的朋友!!

我的母親是個非常好的人，自小，我就看到她努力地維持一個家。她總是在清晨五時起床，煮一鍋熱騰騰的稀飯給父親吃，因为父親胃不好，早餐只能吃稀飯。然後，還要煮一鍋乾飯給孩子吃，因为孩子正在發育，需要吃乾饭，上學一天才不會餓。

每個星期，母親會把榻榻米搬出去曬，曬出暖暖的太陽香。每天下午，母親總是彎著腰，刷著鍋子，我們家的鍋子每一個都可以當鏡子用，完全沒有一點污垢。 晚上，她努力蹲在地上擦地板，一寸一寸仔細地擦拭，家裡的地板比別人家的床頭還乾淨，打著赤脚也找不到一絲灰塵。

我母親是個認真辛勞的好女人。然而，在我父親的眼中，她卻不是一個好伴侶。我成長過程中，父親不只一次地表示他在婚姻中的孤單，不被瞭解。

我的父親是個負責的男人。他不抽煙、不喝酒，工作認真，每天準時上下班，暑假還安排功課表，安排孩子們的作息，他是個盡責的父親，督促孩子在功課上有没有问题。他喜歡下棋、寫書法，沉浸在古書的世界。

我的父親是個好男人，在孩子們眼中，他就像天一樣大，保護我們、教育我 們。只是，在我母親的眼中，他也不是一個好伴侶，我成長的過程中，我經常看到母親在院子的角落中，暗暗無聲地掉淚。

父親用語言，母親用行動，表達了他們在婚姻中所面對的痛苦。成長的過程中，我看到、也聽到父親與母親在婚姻中的無奈，也看到、感受到他們是如此好的男人與女人，他們值得一椿好婚姻。可惜的是，父親在世的歲月中，他們彼此的婚姻生活都在挫折中度過，

而我，也一直在困惑中成長，我問自己：「兩個好人为什麼沒有好的婚姻？」

自以为是的付出我長大後，進入婚姻，漸漸了解這個問題的答案。

在婚姻的初期，我就像母親一樣，努力持家，努力地刷鍋子、擦地板，認真地为自己的婚姻而努力。奇怪的是，我不快樂；看看我的先生，似乎他也不快樂。

我心中想，大概是地板不夠乾淨，飯菜燒得不夠好，於是，我更努力擦地板，用心做飯。似乎，我們兩個人還是不快樂。

直到有一天，当我正在擦地板時，先生說：「老婆，來陪我聽一下音樂 。」 我不悅地說：「沒看到還有一大半的地方沒有擦！」這句話一說出口，我呆住了，好熟悉的一句話，在我父親母親的婚姻中，母親也經常這樣對父親說。

我正在重演父母親的婚姻，也重複他們在婚姻中的不快樂。有一些領悟出現在我的心中。[你要的是？] 我停下手邊的工作， 看著先生，想到我父親 .....他一直在婚姻中得不到他要的陪伴，母親刷鍋子的時間都比陪他的時間長。不斷地做家事，是母親維持婚姻的方法，她給父親一個乾淨的家，卻從未陪伴他，她忙著做家事，她用她的方法在愛父親，這個方法是 「做 家事」 。而我，我也用我的方法在愛著我的先生。我的方法也是母親的方法，我的婚姻好像也在走向同一個故事。兩個好人卻沒有好婚姻。

我的領悟使我做了不一樣的選擇。我停下手邊的工作，坐到先生的身邊，陪他聽音樂， 遠遠地看著地上擦地板的抹布，像是看著母親的命運。 我問先生：「你需要什麼？」[我需要妳陪我聽聽音樂，家裡髒一點沒關係呀，以後幫妳請個傭人，妳就可以陪我了！]

先生說。[我以为你需要家裡乾淨，有人煮飯給你吃，有人为你洗衣服 .....]我一口氣說了一串應該是他需要的事。[那些都是次要的呀!]先生說。「我最希望妳陪陪我。」原來我作了許多白工，這個結果實在令我大吃一驚。我們繼續分享彼此的需要，~發現他也做了不少白工，

我們都用自己的方式在愛對方，而不是對方需要的方式。

幸福的路

自此以後，我列了一張先生的需要表，把它放在書桌前，他也列了一張我的需求表，放在他的書桌前。洋洋灑灑十幾項的需求，像是有空陪對方聽音樂、有機會抱抱對方、每天早上 kiss 拜拜。有些項目比較容易做到，有些項目比較難，像是「聽我說話，不要給建議。」 這是先生的需要。如果我給他建議，他說他會覺得自己像笨蛋。我想，這真是男人的面子問題。我也學著不給建議，除非他問我，否則我就只是傾聽，順服到底，連走錯路時也一樣。這對我實在是一條不容易學習的路，不過，比擦地板要輕鬆多了，

而我們在需要 的滿足中，婚姻也愈來愈有活力。在我累的時候，我就選擇一些容易的項目做，像是「放一首放鬆音樂」，自己有力氣的時候就規劃「一次外地旅遊」這樣的事情。有趣的是，「到植物園散步」是我們的共同項目、共同需求，每次婚姻有爭吵，去到植物園，總能安慰彼此的心靈。其實，這也可想而知，原本我們就是因为對植物園的喜愛而相知相惜，一起走入婚姻，回到園子就會回到多年前彼此相愛的心情。

問對方：「你要什麼？」這句話開启了婚姻另一個幸福之路。兩個好人終於走上幸福之路。現在，我也知道父母親的婚姻为何無法幸福，他用自己的方法愛對方，而不是用「對方」的方式愛另一半。自己累得半死，對方還感受不到，最後面對婚姻的期待，也就灰心而死了。

既然上帝創造婚姻，我想，每個人都值得擁有一個好婚姻，只要方法用對，做「對方要的」而非自己「想給的」。好婚姻，絕對是可預期的。

一段適合自己的愛情 真的得來不易。如果不好好把握 不就太對不起自己了嗎??!!

Early Moon Cakes Festival

It's been quite some time since i last update my blog. Well, have been busy with work. Ok, ok, i confessed, not really busy with work la but lazy. The fact that no one is interested in my life, puts me on hold with updating. Er......... but i said before, who cares whether anyone bothers or not. *wink wink* Haha..... ok, ok, the real confession - actually i was busy playing online silly games and i was really lazy with baking any new stuff, so there's really nothing for me to update.

Well, now here comes the opportunity. All thanks to KD and his mum for giving me a reason to update this post.

It'll be another 2 over weeks before mooncake festival but it's so kind of KD to bypass my office to pass me these delicious mooncakes that KD's mum make. #yum yum# I have these also last year but as it was so delicious that before i could get a good photography done, it's all in hubby tummy. Heehee....... this year, no matter what, i also must grab every possible angle of these delicious moon cakes.


Looks very good and delicious right? The color is so even too. As good as those selling outside, infact better and more tasty too.

Different angles taken.

A close up of the cutted mooncake.

Well, i really enjoyed my early mooncake festival. ^-.-^

Purpose of blog

Beginning to ponder over the purpose of blogging. When i 1st started to create a blog, it's to vent my frustrations over some matters. It's all just my personal thoughts. However, some how when there is some viewers, the blog doesn't seems to be personal anymore. It looks more like whatever your thoughts are, you are subjected to criticism - be it 善意or恶意. Really admired those people who blog as a living. They are the so call celebrative bloggers. Haha :( Sigh.... i think i would never be able to achieve such bravery to subject myself to such criticism (perhaps hurts). Guess i really minds what others thinks about me although i always tell myself "WHO CARES". Even when i see my love one's being threaten or humilated, i'll feel hurts too. But really, i blog just to register my thoughts at that very moments.


Read this:
**************************************************
Subject: You see------&-----I see

You think it is a frog and I think it is a horse!

Turn the picture around




Moral : WE HAVE TO RESPECT EACH OTHER'S OPINION; you can see it clearly in the above Picture. We just need to wait and listen actively to others' point of view.

***************************************************
So why am i subjecting myself to such hurts? I really wonder too..........

This really best proved that "IGNORANCE IS BLISS". By not knowing it, i'll not subject myself to more heartache................ i tell myself, don't read anymore already..........will this works????

PS: my therapathic bake : MUNCHY OATMEAL RAISINS COOKIES - recipe available in my bon appetite blog.

Random

Attended a Malay wedding this afternoon. The bride is my colleague's niece. Haha....... everyone asking what has his niece's wedding got to do with his colleagues. Well, i can only say since i'm being invited and since i have the time, no harm in attending even though it's really costly to give a big ang pow for 2 plate of nasi bryani. Actually, my thoughts is that Malay loves crowd（爱热闹）, that why they would invite anybody whom they are associate with。

As i really don't know the bride/bridegroom or their parents at all, i feel shy to wipe out my camera to take photos. As such, i only snap 1 photo and that's the stage layout before the bride arrived.

My saturday noon's snack - bake potato chips skewer chicken.

For recipe - refer to my bon appetite blog.