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!!

Friendship and Forgiveness

Some people like to cook or paint as a hobby.  Some maybe gardening, reading, shopping.  Unfortunately, some enjoys being the 'destroyer' (quoting from Max On Life, page 53 - Hurt)

I never thought that being a stay at home mom, all cooped at home, will still land me in the world of 'politics'.  Recently discovered someone I treated as a real friend, has actually been making not-so-nice comments about me to some other friends.  I should have sensed her agenda when she started to feed me terrible thoughts about them.  

She has seems to be isolating everyone from each other so that she remain as the only best friend to each of us by making up stories and twisting them up.  It is understandable wanting to please everyone and to be liked.  But achieving that by doing all these, is not right. 

As much as it astonishes me, it disappoints me on how an grown up would come up with such a plot.  Although it hurts (it REALLY hurts) so much to know this, I have decided to put an end to this ugly discovery by forgiving her.  Quoting Max (from Max On Life), "As long as you hate your enemy, a jail door is closed and a prisoner is taken.  But when you try to understand and release your foe from your hatred, then the prisoner is released and that prisoner is you"  

No, I don't hate her but my sympathy goes to her for trapping herself in such a way of life.  It sounds tiring.  And yes, I will still have her as my friend but keeping a distant away.  And even it is going to be  difficult, I don't want us to be enemies either (no time for this and would be too childish).  Call me silly, call me thick-skinned, call me whatever but at this moment, it feels right to do so.  I may not be the saint-est person, not the kindest, not the friendliest human alive but I am honest and true to all my friends and I know I did no sin. I hope she will come to her senses one day.

Wishing you and loved ones a wonderful long weekend ahead and do cherish the real friends around you.  They are truly gem!

A Date with Jenny and Handsome Ben

Finally my sifu Jenny and her prince Benjamin made it to my new home. This is 3rd we met after knowing each other from our blogs. As Spicy Baby will be due to arrive soon, I thought it would be nice to have them over before they get busy with the new addition to the family. Jenny is the one who inspired and encouraged me to start blogging. I owe my new found hobby to her ! Cheers!

I was afraid Ben would be shy and needed some time get warmed up to me and Isabelle. So when they arrived, we took a stroll to the pool first and then adjourned back to our home. It was a relief he was very much himself not long after that. He got busy checking out the toys and he even gave me his toy gun! Mommy Jenny said the toy is his precious treasure but he was willing to pass it to me. I must go buy number, maybe can strike lottery! :)

Because I woke up too late this morning, I didn't have time to make anything for my guests today. Thank God I have some of my muffin-ish pancake from yesterday and I warmed it up for Ben and Isabelle's late morning tea.

Ben giving a toy (block or something) to Isabelle. Good boy Ben!

Ben with his precious toy gun. Isabelle shielding away with a racket.

Mommy Jenny, don't worry and don't even feel bad about Ben being territorial. It is normal for kids to behave this way. Isabelle is not traumatised at all. She has totally forgotten about the episode. She keeps saying "Ben, piano" though. :)

Dancing to the Bible Action Songs.

Both going round and round and round. Sorry for the blurry picture.

They moved so fast and my simple camera just could not keep up with their speed.

To sum it all up, although they fought a little over the toys but they sure had loads of fun. Hope for more playdates again in the future. Ben is such a handsome boy! I can't get enough of that pair of mesmerising eyes !!

Meeting Germaine & Jenelle

Mommy Germaine and her girl Jenelle, came for a visit this morning. This is our first time meeting each other in real and we had a lovely time.

Jenelle is such a gentle and lovely little darling! Isabelle is just the opposite. Aggressive, loud and scary even. So sorry Jenelle that Isabelle scared you away. =)

Mommy Germaine does not look a bit like a mother of 2!! Tall, slender, calm and sweet looking. And we have a friend in common too it seems. Is the world getting smaller and cosier or what? :)

Here's a picture of our girls posing for our cameras. Aren't they adorable?

Made pancake batter after my morning coffee. But I was too lazy to stand in front of the stove and patiently fry those little pancakes. So I just pop them into the oven and baked them. And here's my baked pancakes with kaya surprise!

Cheers to a new friendship made today!

Reflection of a Friendship

*cute picture sourced from google search

I just expressed to a new yet very good friend that I am so blessed to know her. Time is not the most accurate way to measure the depth of a friendship. It is the trust, respect, chemistry and honesty.

What does friendship really means? How do you define true friends?

Friendship & friends....

• Someone who dares to tell you that dress make you look like a hippo or bamboo stick, and you will not feel offended.
• Someone who don't agree (blindly) to everything that you said or do just to please you
• Someone who have the guts to critic your cooking so that you can improve
• Someone who calls you for no reason
• Someone who calls you when they need help
• Someone who may not call you often but you know you are near to each other's hearts and thoughts
• Someone who encourages you in times of need
• Someone who is not stingy in praising you (at the right time, for the right things)
• Someone who will be angry (out of worry and concern) not getting your returned call
• Someone who don't judge you by how much you have in your savings account
• Someone who don't mind giving more than receiving
• Someone who does not care about your background or history and still love you the same
• Someone who self invites themselves to any party you organizes
• Someone who you know will be there for you in any circumstances (if not, they will surely get back to you soonest they can)
• Someone who you won't feel bored even if you see her/him every day up to 3 times a day
• When you don't need to pretend or be someone you are not
• You can be yourself (or be at your worst) and you know you won't be judged
• Not having to hold back your feelings and be true to each other
• You can tell her/him that you are blessed to know them and not feel embarrassed of wearing your heart on your sleeves

If you have a friend who fits into half if not all of the categories above, do let them know. You have nothing to loose but make a true friend smile and know your friendship is worth it all!

*picture sourced from google search

Pineapple Fried Rice & Pancake for Sweet Lisa

My very dear friend Lisa came over for a visit yesterday. We had a good time catching up and also it was just lovely to have someone special to share lunch with :)

Here's the recipe for pineapple fried rice & pancake.

Pineapple Fried Rice

Ingredients:

1. Cooked rice (3 bowls)

2. 2 eggs

3. Chopped garlic

4. Diced shelled prawns

5. Shredded crabmeat *optional

6. Green peas

7. Diced fresh pineapples (if this is not available, canned pineapples would do the trick too)

8. Raisins

9. Cashew nuts

For seasonings:

1. 1/4 tsp salt

2. Pepper

3. 1/2 tsp oyster sauce

Method:

1. Pre-fried 1 egg and put aside.

2. Saute garlic in oil till soft.

3. Add in prawns and crabmeat and saute till they are half way cooked (prawns will turn light pink and less translucent).

4. Add in seasonings and quickly add in rice. Combine well.

5. Make a well in the middle and add in the egg. Let it set a little and mix well with the rice to make sure they are coated with the egg.

6. Add in the pre-fried egg, peas, pineapple and cashew nut. Combine well. Done.

Result

As I am always stingy with using cooking oil, this fried rice is not as oily as it should be. But according to Lisa & Isabelle, it is YUMMY!

Pancake

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups plain flour (I used wheat flour from my Dad's company)

2. 2 cups water

3. 1/4 cup milk

4. 1 egg

5. Pinch of salt

6. 1/2 cup brown sugar

7. Few drops of vanilla essence

8. Bananas *optional (skipped bananas for this recipe because I ran out of bananas!)

Method:

1. Mix well the dry ingredients (flour, salt and brown sugar)

2. Add in water. Mix well.

3. Add in milk.

4. Add in vanilla.

5. Pan fry them till they turn golden brown in a non-stick pan with butter or oil.

Result

Not overly sweet and perfect to go with a cuppa tea.

Friendship... Frozen & Broken

With every Christmas that passes by, I am reminded of a friendship turned sour and the loss of a really good friend, a brother in Christ.

It has been 5 years since we last spoke to each other, since Christmas 2005. The feeling is bitter as we see each other quite often but not seeing eye to eye. Whenever our eyes meet, we just look away. And till today, I still feel horrible that our friendship came to an end. I am still holding on to some thin hopes that one day, our friendship will be restored. I hope that one day I will have the courage to tell him we should just forget about the past and give our friendship a chance. Yes, forgiving is not forgetting. I (together with some other friends) have forgiven him long time ago but for him, I would like to believe that he has too but again, for some reasons, it feels impossible for us to return to how we used to be because he was somehow influenced by a certain person (someone important to him) not to. We have tried all ways to make the friendship work but all our effort fell on deaf ears and hit a blinded heart.

I miss our friendship. I miss our fellowship. And most of all, I regret the loss of a friend and not knowing when will we find our way back to the friendship we once had. I hope he feels the same way I do even though if we will never ever be friends again. I pray that God will open his eyes and heart to see the truth.