Wednesday, February 29, 2012

So Nice


Someone to hold me tight

That would be very nice
Someone to love me right
That would be very nice




Someone to understand
Each little dream in me
Someone to take my hand
And be a team with me




So nice, life would be so nice
If one day I'd find
Someone who would take my hand
And samba through life with me




Someone to cling to me
Stay with me right or wrong
Someone to sing to me
Some little samba song




Someone to take my heart
And give his heart to me
Someone who's ready to
Give love a start with me




Oh yes, that would be so nice,
Shouldn't we, you and me?

I could see it would be nice



Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Cooking ~ Pineapple Prawn Curry

Nyonya dishes are known for its bursting flavour, rich and most of all, appetising! And this is definitely one of it.

I had the choice of grabbing the ready-made spice from the supermarket shelf.  But I wanted to challenge myself and made the paste from scratch.


Ingredients A (To blend into paste)
1.  6 pips of garlic
2.  10 shallots
3.  3 cm length of fresh tumeric
4.  2 cm length of galangal  (blue ginger in English according to wikipedia)
5.  5 red chillies
6.  6 dried red chillies
7.  3 stalks of lemon grass (use only the white pale portion)
8.  4 candlenuts 
9.  3 tbsp belacan (shrimp paste)
*Blend with some water or 1 tsp of oil 



Ingredients B
1.  1/2 cup of water (adjust to preferred consistency)


2.  1/4 cup of coconut milk
3.  1/4 cup of evaporated milk
(alternatively, just use 1/2 cup of coconut milk if desired)

Ingredients C
1.  10-12 prawns (cleaned, deveined with only the head and tails intact)
2.  Approximately half of a ripe pineapple, cubed.  I used Sarawak pineapple as it is very aromatic and heavenly sweet!

Seasonings
1.  2 tbsp fish sauce or 1/2 tsp salt
2.  Sugar-  if the pineapples are not sweet enough.  

Method:
1.  Heat oil and stirfry Ingredients A till fragrant.  This should take approximately 5-8 minutes
2.  Add in pineapple cubes and water.  Simmer for about 5-8 minutes or until the pineapple sweetness flavours the gravy.  If gravy is too thick, add more water.
3.  Add seasonings and stir.  Adjust to taste.
4.  Add in coconut milk and make sure fire is low.  
5.  Lastly, add in prawns and simmer till prawns are cooked (not overcooked) - This should take merely 5 mins.






Result

Me ~  I think I pass!  Only thing, perhaps I should blend the spices a little longer to achieve smoother paste. But I am confi dent to make this dish for my guests and family in future.

DH ~ "Did you cook more rice today? Got extra gravy? Can we have this tomorrow?"  
<>


Saturday, February 25, 2012

I Wish You Love ~ Que Reste T il Nos Amours

Jazzy & bossa nova-ish songs never fail to melt yet warm my heart. 
 This is one of my favourite song arranged in this genre. 
Stacey Kent's French version though, makes me want to learn French!

Have a beautiful weekend and I wish you love.....


"I wish you bluebirds in the spring
To give your heart a song to sing
And then a kiss
But more than this
I wish you love

And in July a lemonade
To cool you in some leafy glade
I wish you health
And more than wealth
I wish you love

My breaking heart and I agree
That you and I could never be
So with my best, my very best
I set you free

I wish you shelter from the storm
A cozy fire to keep you warm
But most of all
When snowflakes fall
I wish you love

I wish you shelter from the storm
A cozy fire to keep you warm
But most of all
When snowflakes fall
I wish you love"



Friday, February 24, 2012

Hotel Amenities - What Do You Do With Them

Am I the only one who collects and keeps hotel amenities to use at home?

What do you with them, if you are a 'collector' like me?

Shampoos, conditioners, shower gels, lotions etc
Toothbrush, toothpaste, shoe shine, razors, sewing kits, shower caps etc



Shower Gels & Shampoos
I use them to clean the floor in the washroom when I run out of floor cleaners. Makes my washroom smells great.

Toothbrush and Toothpaste
I keep this to clean the fridge and washing basins. They come in handy too when I have overnight visitors who did not bring their own supplies.

Lotions
I keep those that comes in tubes (those of good quality, that don't leak and don't smell lousy) in my travelling bags.

Conditioners
This one.. I really don't know what to with them.  Maybe I should just discard them.  What do you do with them?

Razors & Shaving cream
These are for my hubby's toiletries bag.

Sewing Kit & Shower Caps
They are my favourite. Travelling's best friends!

Slippers
Rarely use this but I keep them anyway.  Had the chance to use one pair during our recent hospital stay.  



Isabelle checking out Mummy's collection



Thursday, February 23, 2012

Encountering Roseola

Yaay!  We are home from our 3N/4D hospital stay.  It is so good to be home!

Isabelle's high fever subsided to 37.3 degrees on day 1 (after a dose of suppository) she was admitted to hospital and it lingered around that temperature till day 2.  Temperature stayed below 37 degrees and didn't return.  On the evening of day 2, we noticed some red flat spots appearing on her stomach, neck and chin. 


When her doctor checked, it was roseola. 

Here is what roseola is all about:

Symptoms:
  • 
    Roseola - red spots
    Picture sourced from google search
    Starts with fever (2-5 days)
  • Swollen lymph nodes (gland) on the neck or commonly known as throat infection
  • Rashes emerges when the fever breaks which is why doctors are only able to diagnosed roseola after your child's fever subsided 
  • Rashes usually starts from the trunk, spreads to face, arms and legs.
  • Rashes lasts from few hours up to few days depending on individual


To read more about roseola, go here.

Isabelle's rashes is starting to dissappear slowly but surely.  We are just so thankful that she is well again and is back to her active, happy and jolly self!

Apart from this, I am also very grateful my parents were around during this period of time and made sure our home was in order during my absence.  Not forgetting, DH for coming to the hospital to give me a few hours break every evening so that I can go home to get some proper rest.  Particularly yesterday when a severe headache attacked me.  It was so bad that it made me vomitted few times in the afternoon. Would not have done it without you! Thank you!

Some pictures of our activities during our stay at the hospital.

This is what we did when we are not sleeping, eating, struggling feeding medicine, enjoying the company of our visitors or going for a stroll outside the room. 
Thoughtful and cute gift from my niece Jeanette
Isabelle loves the biscuit.  Am going to need to replenish this for her soon.



Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.        
~ Philippians 4:6

Monday, February 20, 2012

Fever and Hospital-Stay

Isabelle had fever last Saturday.  We leisurely thought that it would just be one of the usual 1-2 day of fever episodes.

Unfortunately, fever chose to extend its visit.  Sponging, cool facecloth, a dip in the tub, brufen, iced lollies... all done.  Yet no sign of subsiding.

Today marks the 3rd day and as planned, to the hospital we went.  

Temperature shot up to 39.5 degrees.  Last 2 days it stayed between 37.9 - 38.5 degrees.  

Figh fever and rather bad throat infection.  Doctor gave her suppository right away and told me she is going to need antibiotic but thank God it is not croup, again.  He asked me if she is okay and easy with syrups, I said big time NO!  And this time, she would need 3 doses a day plus her brufen.  That would simply add up to 7 times a day!  It is really a struggle to feed her medicine.  

So doctor said it is better to admit her to hospital for faster recovery in her situation as injection would work faster.  And also a blood test is needed.

So off we go.  Checked in.  Settled down.

The nurses knocked on the door to remind me that she need to have the IV set on her wrist.  Nightmare.  I was afraid she would wail and cry.  

To my astonishment, she did so well!  Not a drop of tear and not even a tiny scream!  

I am so proud of you Isabelle!

I pray that you will recover soon my precious.  May God's healing hands be upon you and you will be healthy and happy again.


Sunday, February 19, 2012

How To ~ Remove Burnt Smell In The House

Two days ago, we came home late at night to a smokey house.  Someone left the fire on the stove cook away.  

The first thing we did was open up all the windows and balcony door, fan switched on to full speed.  I quickly plug in the air purifier and pour in about quarter bottle of my eucalyptus essential oil, with hope that it will camouflage the smokiness.  But its power didn't last very long.  

Images sourced from google search
...LEMON...
Then I remember I have some lemons in the fridge.  Put a pot of water to boil and add in juice from 2 lemons.  Bring it to simmer.  Remove from stove and put it in the living room to cool.  It was past midnight then.  So we left it overnight on the dining table and we call it a day.

...COFFEE...
Morning came.  The smoke smell greeted us but it was much more subtler than the night before.  I decided to boil a big pot of coffee.  Killing 2 birds with one stone.  I have my morning coffee (a big pot that is) and also the aroma of the fragrant coffee filled the house, at the same time eliminating the smoke smell although not completely but almost 90%.

I can't really tell if it was the lemon or the coffee that works but I believe they both work at the same time, removing burnt smell in the house.

What is more important, the damage was not too bad and it really could have been worse.  Lesson learnt.  


Thursday, February 16, 2012

Leakage... Bocor...




Isabelle has been without diapers and survived accident-less days for many months now, except  with her poo-poo (still in diapers except for a few times I got lucky and she did it in the toilet).  

Yesterday evening, she wet her pants.  I was disappointed with her at first.  Then I remembered I should not  because it was my fault for forgetting to ask her if she wants to go to the toilet.  But then again, she didn't remind me or ask to be brought to the toilet.  

I gave her the benefit of doubt.  Maybe she got too carried away playing and all that she forgot the signals.  

Is this normal? What went wrong?


Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Valentine's Day ... 2 Is Better Than One




Happy Valentine's Day to everyone out there!  

May you have a beautiful, warm and fun-filled special day with your loved ones.

To my dear husband, thank you for loving me for who I am and for always embracing my flaws (and admiring and acknowledging my strengths), unconditionally.  Thank you for always being there for me. I thank God that He sent you to me because I can not imagine my life without you. 

I dedicate this day to you and our love and may God grant us many more Valentine's Day ahead.

Happy Valentine's Day my love!


Love is Awesome“Love suffers long, and is kind; love does not envy; love does not promote itself, is not puffed up, does not behave badly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails”  ~1Corinthians 13:4-8


Thursday, February 9, 2012

Eat Out ~ Air Itam Laksa

Was craving for some authentic laksa so we made a day trip to Penang.  
Dad wanted to try the famous Air Itam laksa.  
As bonus, we had muarchee and original nutmeg drink!


Laksa at Air Itam
(Jalan Pasar, near market)
- Noodles was springy and not too translucent.  Very solid.
- Laksa soup taste delicious with just enough fish flakes/meat
- Not too spicy.
- Topped with lots and lots of heh koh (prawn paste)
- Very old school ambience :  Right by the road side.


Investigating and toying around with muarchee
- Muarchee was very yummy too!
- Every piece of the muarchee was luxuriously coated with peanuts.  So different from the ones we tried at Gurney Drive.
-  So good we pack another box to take away.


Friday, February 3, 2012

Green Moments


Taiping Lake Gardens

Add caption


My little baby look so grown up and independent



Father-daughter talk?

I will follow you....

Mother's Love
Taken outside the Boat Station, Lake Gardens

Hello kitty!

Our Dragon Year

Time flies, infact, it flies too fast!  In just a glimpse, the new year is almost over.

So what if we put on a few kilos munching away the yummy cookies (EXCUSES!) and spending extra money giving away angpows. 

What is more important is we all had a wonderful time reuniting with family and loved ones.


Isabelle with Stephanie (relative from Sydney)

Benjamin, Sydney

The dragon at Pavillion KL

Relatives and nieces on 1st day of CNY

Megan (my good old friend Sarah's daughter)
Isabelle trying to be a grown up girl, putting her hands on Megan's shoulder



Our classmates yearly reunion potluck lunch
This year, I made Kong Pou Chicken Cubes (orange box)


CNY usually falls on one of the hottest month of the year.
So to keep cool, waterplay for Isabelle!

That's about it to recap what we did during the recent CNY.

I'd like to wish you and your lovely family and loved ones, a terrific weekend ahead!!