Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Remedy For Cough

This is something new to me but has not tried it yet since , alhamdulillah, none of my family member is having it for now. We've been taking vitamin C to avoid catching cold. Maybe it would be useful to readers who stopped by here.

This method had been tested by many people. One of the best methods to stop cough.

Cut off the top part of the orange, put some salt into the orange, and put back the top part. Steam it 10 minutes and eat all the fresh including the juice at the bottom of the bowl. Taste not very nice but cures your prolonged cough in days.

Cut off a little shelf of top
Add ¦ teaspoon of salt


Place in a bowl and steam it 20 minute


 
Anybody who has tried this and found it effective do share it with me.



























Monday, November 29, 2010

Hectic Weekend!

Yesterday was quite hectic, couldn't find time to squeeze an entry in my blog. Had quite a few guests in the house, mom & father-in-law, my sis, my two nephews and a few more coming over.

My husband suddenly has this craving for  `pulut nyior ' to go with `ikan goreng' so as always his wish is my command. Anyway, i have  my mom-in law  to give me a hand coz  this is more of a Trengganu dish. Wash the glutinous rice and cook like you're cooking  rice (1:1) but lesser water. Do not open the cover eventho u see steam coming out. After a while downsize  the fire of your stove. I need to try using  rice cooker next time around and share my findings with my mom-in law. All the while she's been cooking `pulut' over fire. You can steam it but this way is faster. I shaped the cooked glutinous rice into balls and rolled em over the shredded coconut (white only) mixed with a lil' bit of salt. As for the fish i smeared it with turmeric+salt+blended onion and a lil' bit of dried chilly (blended). Walla...


Ikan goreng

Pulut nyior
 Cara Berlauk

On top of that i had to deliver `kueh cara berlauk' ordered by my sister's friend who was having `makan-makan' at her house after  the Asar prayer. I was juggling with time and after the guest started leaving around 9 pm we  had to sent our daughter back to Cyberjaya. I managed to doze off all the way and back. Do hope everybody who dropped by had a good stay as the saying says `gendang gendut tali kecapi, kenyang perut suka hati'.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Recipe `Ayam Palembang'

So bz that i couldn't find time the time to sit and jot my thoughts. But i hv a recipe to share 2day. It's `ayam masak palembang' I'm not quite sure if its really from Palembang, my late mom used to cook this. i don't hv the formal recipe , so i hope u readers knows how to manipulate..

Bahan-bahan

ayam (1 ekor) - potong sederhana (gaul dengan garam+kunyit)
bawang putih (2) +  bawang kecil (3) - dimayang bunga lawang ( 2 kuntum) +  bunga cengkih  (2 biji) +  buah pelaga (2 biji)
daun kari - 1 tangkai
serai (1 ) - ketuk

cili kering (20 tangkai)+  bawang besar (1 biji yg besar) + lengkuas (1 inci) -kisar
asam jawa, sos tiram, kicap, gula, kerisek

Cara
  1. Goreng ayam yang telah digaul dengan garam kunyit
  2. Tumis bawang putih sehingga kuning
  3. Masukkan bawang kecil+daun kari+bunga lawang+bunga cengkih+buah pelaga (tumis sekejap sampai bawang kecil layu sedikit)
  4. Masukkan bahan kisar dan goreng sehingga garing
  5. Masukkan serai yang telah diketuk
  6. Masukkan air asam jawa dan biar garing 
  7. Masukkan 1 sudu sos tiram, gula 1 sudu kecil, kerisek 1 sudu besar dan gula (ikut rasa)
  8. Masukkan ayam yang telah digoreng
  9. Masukkan kicap 1 sudu besar dan gaul rata
  10. Tutup api
All the technique above is by visual observation which i stored in my right brain and scribble it on paper. I tried it a few times and is eatable!! Don't mind my penjodoh bilangan i've forgotten the usage on some of the object.

Item 1

Item 2.3. 4,5,6,7

Item 8 & 9
  This dish is a hit with my family and my guests enjoy it too. Just another recipe to add to your favourites.

Enjoy!

Friday, November 26, 2010

Getting Younger?

Water

As u grow `younger' (positive thinking) and wiser,  health would be your main concern. When you're in your twenties what u consume does not effect u  coz your antibody is high, lots of energy and stamina. You need not take any vitamins or extra supplement or exercising since that twentyish body has no problem whatsoever. Then as u're in your thirtyish and married u feels a lil' pressure but not so much as it is still negligible. Then come the  "four zero" where there's a saying `Life begins at forty' especially for men!. Yeh ur right, this is the age the brain goes a lil' haywire. The `desire' succumbs the `require'.  Plan your life wisely.

Actually, i just wanted to share  this water therapy  e-mail that my hubby  received. We actually read about this last year but totally ignore it.  Just a month ago we decided to put it into practice.  My husband has no problem in drinking 4 glass of plain water in the morning but i have coz i like my water hot and sweet especially `teh tarik'. I started  with 3 gulp, then 6 followed by 9. After that i managed to drink 1 glass then two. Now i'm trying for three glasses. One thing for sure i hardly hear my hubby snoring and complaint of migraine. I feel great too. By the way it doesn't cost much so why not try while you're young.



WATER THERAPY


DRINK WATER ON EMPTY STOMACH

 It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven  its value. We publish below a description of use of water for our readers. For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a 100% cure for the following diseases:
Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat, epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB, meningitis, kidney and urine diseases, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhea, piles, diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, womb, cancer and menstrual disorders, ear nose and throat diseases.

METHOD OF TREATMENT


1. As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink  4   x 160ml glasses of water (Total of 600ml, approx of ONE and HALF small bottle of mineral 
water)
 
2. Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minute


3. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal.


4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours


5. Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink 4 glasses of water at the beginning may commence        by taking little water and gradually increase it to 4 
glasses per day 
   .
6. The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life.

The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure/control/reduce main diseases:

1.     High Blood Pressure (30 days)
2.     Gastric (10 days)
3.     Diabetes (30 days)
4.     Constipation (10 days)
5.     Cancer (180 days)
6.     TB (90 days)
7.     Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment only for 3 days in the 1st week, and from 2nd  week onwards – daily.
        

This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times.

 

The #4 is very true!!We're targetting  not to fall prey for all of the above.  Bye-bye for now.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

A Determined Young Man!!

Yesterday, I finished almost half a day in a small bakery kitchen of a young man i called `Along'. My daughter and him are friends during their schooling days. Since he had  delivered the order of the day he was quite free to entertain us. He rent the back portion of a shop and single handed did all his baking there. He just opened the kitchen a few month back and has two ovens, a big mixer, a freezer (its a special freezer) and quite a number of cooking n baking utensils.  He has once worked in a 5 star hotel here in KL, then whisked himself off to Dubai for two years, come back to Malaysia and enrolled himself in one of the culinary college and earned himself a diploma in pastry and baking. He wants to be not only experience but an educated chef. Good for him!!

one of the oven
the mixer
Beater, whisk, dough hook
freezer





dough with red bean filling
homemade buns ready to eat

His focus is on homemade buns i.e sausage  roll, red bean filling, kaya filling,coconut filling and a few more other buns. If he gets orders for cakes then it is a bonus. Then i bombarded him with questions on bread making.  i  took a lesson  in bread making a few years back from one of the bakery shop here in Shah Alam and found flaws that need to be improved. Whom better person to ask than him.  He showed me the dough he'd already prepared the night before in the freezer. I didn't  know u can do that. He said he usually prepare the dough beforehand so that the next day he can concentrate on baking and packing. He gave me a few tips on how to check the texture of the dough and when it is ready for baking. I am lucky coz i got to watch him  prepare chocolate ganache (rich, dark chocolate topping).

Next year, he'll be off to Switzerland to work and and also to pursue  his `Degree in Pastry and Baking' for 6 years. I wish him all the best and success in all his undertaking, insyaallah.  He may be skinny young man but his heart is big full of determination and the word `give up' is not in his vocabulary.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

What a Mess!!

Sometime u look at your messy house and you don't have a clue where to start. Here are some tips to get u thru' spring cleaning. I find the hanger system helpful coz  i can monitor which clothes that have not been worn for sometime.  I also tend to store unnecessary things which  take up spaces and overflow out of the cabinet. I just could not make myself part with these `things' thinking i would use it someday, which i don't know when and in the long run causes clutter. Clean and tidy house comforts u and gives u a peace of mind.


Conquering Clutter









Tip 1: Tackle one room at a time.
Don't distress over your mess—learn to conquer your clutter one room at a time.

Tip 2: Follow the "in-out rule."
Every time you buy a new piece of clothing, you should get rid of an old piece.

Tip 3: Build intimacy.
"When you are intimate, when your relationship is powering along, that will feed the rest of the house,"
  Remember that improvements in one room can spread to the rest of the house.

Tip 4: Make cleanup fun.
 Makes cleaning fun by turning it into a game. Designated a place for everything. There are bins for toys, cubbies for art supplies, and shelves for books and games. Put everything back where it belongs

Tip 5: Create a vision.
Rely on split-second decision making to identify the items that stay and the items that go

Tip 6: Teach your kids how to sort.

Tip 7: Use a hanger system to determine which clothes you wear most.
Take all of your clothes and hang them in the closet [facing one] way. And then every time you wear an article of clothing, put it back in [the opposite way]."
After six months, go through everything that's still hanging in its original position. "Ask yourself, 'Do I ever wear that?' Go through and anything that you haven't worn in 12 months, no longer fits, out of fashion, that you don't love, use as an opportunity to get rid of it,"

Tip 8: Ask yourself if you really need something. If you hesitate, you don't.

Tip 9: Establish a "magic triangle" in your kitchen.
There are two strategies for keeping your kitchen lean and clean. The first is to establish a "magic triangle" in your kitchen between the stove, your refrigerator and your sink. "Anything you use most often, keep it in the triangle. Anything you use less often, outside the triangle. It will save you a ton of time."

Tip 10: Identify useful utensils with the cardboard box test.
If you want to see what utensils you're really using, do the cardboard box test. "Take all the utensils out of your drawers, put them in a cardboard box.  For the next month, whenever you use one of these utensils, put it back in the drawer. If after four weeks it's still in the box, you don't need it.

Happy decluttering!!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Parenting tips!

I remembered in one of Oprah's show she invited a lady who expertly  discipline uncontrollable children. I love  the way she handled these  kids and the tips that she gave to this poor mother who was so overwhelming tired with exhaustion. So, i surf oprah's website for quite sometime since i have forgotten her name and don't know what  key word to search for. Fortunately, i found em. I hope this article would be useful to my children when they have their own and would like to share with others who drop by to this blog.


The Naughty Stool 







Jo Frost, ABC's Supernanny and author of Supernanny: How to Get the Best from Your Children, says children need to learn there are consequences for their bad behavior. And parents need to remain calm, take control and be firm when they discipline their children.

Instead of sending children to an area filled with toys for their "time outs," Jo says introduce your children to the "naughty stool"—a mat, chair or rug will do, too!

Step One: Give a Warning
When you see inappropriate behavior, give your children a warning in a low, authoritative voice. Tell them to stop the behavior that's not acceptable or else they will have to go to their "naughty stools."

Step Two: Send Them to Their "Naughty Stools"
If they don't listen to your warning, place them on their "naughty stools."

Step Three: Explain Why
Once they are on their "naughty stools," come down to their level, establish eye contact and say to them in an authoritative tone, "I asked you to do something and you didn't listen to me. I want you to stay here until I come and get you."

Step Four: Start the Clock
Leave your children on their "naughty stools" for one minute for every year they are old. (A three-year old would stay on her "naughty stool" for three minutes.)

Step Five: Ignore Attempts for Attention
If your child screams or cries, don't give in! Don't look at your child—that only rewards their negative behavior. If your child comes off his "naughty stool," calmly, and firmly, put him back on it.

Final Step: Your Child Apologizes
When your child's time is up, explain again why he had to stay on his "naughty stool" and ask for an apology. Only when you get the apology may he leave the "naughty stool."
 
Playtime Sharing

Mine! Mine! Me first! What's a parent to do when a child just won't play fair? Jo Frost, author of Supernanny: How to Get the Best from Your Children, says that all children are capable of playtime sharing—mom and dad just have to lay down the law.

Step One: Let's Play the Sharing Game!
Introduce an activity that requires taking turns. For example, if playing "store," explain that everyone will get a chance to be the cashier, shopper, bagger, etc.

Step Two: Teach Your Child to Play Nicely.
Don't allow an aggressive child to control who gets what toy, or bully her way into playing whatever role she wants. Giving in to a child's demands in order to preserve the peace will only teach that bad behavior is tolerable. No matter how difficult, Jo says, consistency is absolutely necessary. "Be decisive and follow through."

Step Three: Stay Calm
If this is the first time you've tried this technique with an aggressive child, a tantrum is probably fast approaching. Stay calm and remember that you are in control—not the child. Deal immediately with unacceptable behavior such as kicking and shouting with a firm warning: "This behavior is no good." If the tantrum continues, it's time to discipline Supernanny-style

Rules for Bedtime

"Sleeping with your children or sitting with them 'til they fall asleep is a big no-no," says Jo Frost, ABC's Supernanny and author of Supernanny: How to Get the Best from Your Children.

"Children need to learn to fall asleep by themselves," she continues. "What starts out as a little bit of extra comfort soon turns into a big issue about control. And trust me, your children will put off going to bed just to have you by their side." Try her sleep separation technique so everyone can get a good night's sleep.

Step One: Time for Bed
Take your child to their bedroom. Read a bedtime story, give them "kisses and cuddles" and tuck them in.

Step Two: Tough Love
Sit down on the floor or in a chair parallel to your child's bed so he or she can see the side of your face. As hard as it may be, bow your head and ignore their efforts to talk to you. It is important not to engage your child with eye contact.

Step Three: Stay In Bed
If your child climbs out of bed, return them to bed with no eye contact.

Step Four: Distance Yourself
Each night, move further and further away from the crib or bed. This pattern gives your child a sense of security in their bedroom. Supernanny Jo Frost says children stay up at night to get the attention from their parents that they missed out on during the day. "The key message here is," says Jo, "if you spend time with your child during the day you're not neglecting him by putting this routine in place during the night."


I hope this article gives u some ideas on how to handle your children. Being a mother is not easy - been there, done that and still doing. Signing off now!!



Monday, November 22, 2010

Catch Of the Day!


Last night i had a surprise of my life, i saw a mouse in my kitchen! i am `musophobic' (i google it out - it comes  from Latin mus for "mouse"-) i.e fear of mouse. I was stunned for a while coz it was `walking' slowly,  usually it just `zapped by' sort of like a glimpse. I shouted out for my hubby but he was past asleep, lucky me my youngest son came to the rescue.He was  playing Counter Strike on the PC(school holiday is the only time he is allowed to play CS). He went to the laundry room and took the mouse trap and as bait we use the powerful `ikan billis'. We bought the mouse trap a few months back coz we had an encounter with one terrorizing mouse which moved like a lightning but alas it still falls prey to the mouse trap. BTW, before storing the mouse trap u need to pour  boiling water over it to wash away whatever smell it left so that we can reuse it whenever the need arises and sure enough last night was the night!

This morning when i got up, i checked the mouse trap from afar. I notice the trap door dropped but i don't see any movement. I went upstairs, woke my husband up and then my son who confirmed we had a catch of the day!  My husband as usual will not in any way kill the poor thing, put it behind the bonnet of his car and took it joyriding. U won't believe the journey the mouse had becoz today we had to send  our daughter to Cyberjaya since she had sprained her ankle playing badminton but need to go to work for some  unfinish business. It was very difficult to find the new location without affecting other human being. We headed home and even stopped for breakfast with`it 'still behind the bonnet. Finally, we end up letting it go at the same spot that we freed our first victim which was the thick bushes somewhere in the `ladang kelapa sawit'. My husband said `it just vanished into thin air' when he opened the cage door.

Till this day i  don 't know  how the mouse got into our vicinity, i've lived here for 3 years mouse free but then  when  my new neigbour first moved in i saw them  catching a few. Could they accidently brought em along??or perhaps the initial mouse found its way home??Just wondering...

 Do hope it would be be the last encounter of the mouse kind!!

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Strawberry cupcakes

Yesterday i tried doing this strawberry cupcakes and this is how mine turns up. U can check out the video making of this cupcakes from oprah's site. Candace Nelson, founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes even teaches how to put the frosting.
i used piping bag and sprinkle hundred n thousands











Sprinkles Cupcakes' Strawberry Frosting



Sprinkles Cupcakes' Strawberry Cupcakes

Make your own Sprinkles cupcakes from scratch! Then, frost them with Sprinkles' Strawberry Frosting .

Servings: Makes 1 dozen
Ingredients

·         2/3 cup fresh or frozen whole strawberries (thawed if frozen)
·         1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , sifted
·         1 tsp. baking powder
·         1/4 tsp. coarse salt
·         1/4 cup whole milk , room temperature
·         1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
·         1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter , room temperature
·         1 cup sugar - castor sugar
·         1 large egg , room temperature
·         2 large egg whites , room temperature

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (190°C) Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.

Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree. Add a few more strawberries if necessary, or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla and strawberry puree; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.

With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.












·         Pinch coarse salt
Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined. Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. Do not overmix, or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.

signing off,  happy trying!!

Friday, November 19, 2010

First Visit

 Do you remember your first visit to new eating places? I do...

My first visit to KFC was in 1981. I was pursuing my study in Shah Alam after finishing form 5. So, a friend of mine who is 'orang kl' took me and 3 other friends to the newest concept of eating place in Malaysia i.e fast food. In our hometown, this place has not yet existed . We let our KL friend ordered coz it was an alien situation to us. Gosh how to eat using fork and knife..But lucky us this friend knowing our awkwardness took a bite of the chicken using `hand'. It was of course finger lickin good!

Another occasion i went out with my boyfriend (whom i married after we graduated) took me to a new pizza joint in Bukit Bintang. Wonder if `Shakeys Pizza'  is still there? It's been a long time since we last visited  the plaza. We went in and confidently  my hubby ordered two large pizza. The waiter was taken aback then asked us 'are u sure'? He even pointed us to the plate size hanging on the wall. We end up 'tapauing' 1 large pizza plus a few slices more.

Now, first visit do not intimidate us, bring it on!

Recently my husband took the kids and me to this place in `The Curve'.If u're a chocolate lover u'll like this place. My hubby, every time he found a new place to eat he will definitely take us there.  The kids now have more exposure compare to us when they are at our age.

the place that we hang out for dessert

u dip the fruits in the warm shiny chocolate

my two sons

my 1st daughter n youngest son

my 2nd daughter and her cousin

me n hubby

  Before i pen off.. i love visiting new places

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Hari Raya Aidil Adha

Usually, when comes  "Hari Raya" my late mother would always cook 'rendang'  no matter in which state we lived in.  My late father was  a policeman so we moved a lot.. For `rendang ayam' she would use 'cili kering' and for `rendang daging' it would be the `cili api' . She was by the way  'orang negeri' who are famous for the dish 'masak lemak cili api'. Now  i inherit her traditional ways  and style  which is `rendang' during `hari raya' The only changes  now is the instant `ketupat' replacing `ketupat anyam'. Gone is the days the art  of' 'anyaman ketupat'.   It was ages and ages ago since i last `anyam ketupat',  the last was during my teenage years.

In Trengganu,  my mom-in-law, would prepare chicken cut in small pieces, marinade with her secret ingredients and then fry them. We ate with `'ketupat pulut' which is fried for a few minutes. Whereas my sis-in-law did `nasi kuning' to go with `gulai ikan'. My husband's aunt  always serve  `nasi dagang' without fail whenever we visit her during 'raya' 

In Malacca, my sisters neighbour would cook up her famous  `sambal tumis ikan tenggiri or ikan parang' and `urap kelapa' to go with 'ketupat nasi'.

That's what i love about Malaysia, different varieties of food and colours.

Before  i signed  off,  this is what i have cooked for `hari raya aidil adha'


Rendang Ayam
Rendang Daging
                       


Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Games! anyone

We need quality times to bond with our  family and what better tools to use than  games. Those days i use to play the evergreen 'Monopoly' with my brothers n sister but now there are so many games to choose from. My family, we opt for these games.



Cluedo is a popular murder/mystery board game. Players take on the role of suspects and attempt to solve a murder.







Taboo is a word guessing party game. The object of the game is for a player to have his/her partner(s) guess the word on his/her card without using the word itself or five additional words listed on the card.










Hedbanz  is guessing what the card on your head is.








Players take turns laying down twenty-one pieces of different shapes on a grid, attempting to block their opponents and make more room for themselves.

 





Pictionary is a guessing word game. The game is played with teams with players trying to identify specific words from their teammates' drawings.





Saboteur is a mining-themed card game.  The objective of this game is to  establish  a path from the start card to the gold card.
Monopoly: The Card Game is a shortened version of its board-game predecessor, Monopoly. The idea of the game is to draw and trade cards and organize them into "color-groups" and any number of bonus cards

These games are guaranteed full of fun, hilarious n beware of some emotions. Always keep in mind this is just a game.

Before signing off "Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha"





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