Snapshot

One for the shelf.

We were pleasantly surprised to find out that Master Prince received a trophy for getting second in his class (I think) for an English quiz. Really didn’t see this coming and also didn’t know he sat for such a paper last week. Shows how much he really tells us about what is going in school huh. Each time we ask we get a very non-committal and brief ‘Fine’ or ‘Good’ or ‘Ok’. Dig deeper and the answer is merely repeated or we get a blank stare!! Perhaps he thinks he will get into trouble or more nagging if he reveals too much??? Lolz

Since he missed school on Monday he didn’t get to go up on stage during assembly (wow, that would have been a real treat huh) to receive the trophy in front of the whole school. Grandpa informed me later that a lot of his classmates were very excited and happy for him, congratulating him - his girl partner even giving him a hug for doing so unexpectedly well. Hm….probably an indication how much mischief he actually gets up to in class, ya *can’t help sounding a little suspicious!!*

Anyway, CONGRATULATIONS we are all proud and happy for you. We hope you are too of your own achievement and realize (even a little will do) that if you just focus and put in some heart and effort, you will be pleasantly surprise with what you can do.

Tried drumming whenever I can that whatever toys, clothes, books etc he currently has, wears or thinks he owns actually all belongs to Papa, Mummy, Kongkong or Amah as primary care giver; in school or sports or other activities the effort and the end result produced is his own. He can then truly declare that he OWNS them or they BELONG to him – good or bad. Am trying to encourage him to give his BEST and do a good job in everything that he undertakes. It is a slow process as he hasn’t received the ‘enlightenment’ yet.

Kids thesedays are too ‘soft’ or pampered, getting things too easily and just not valuing things given to them. Ha ha....I suppose the adults should show some restraint too ya!! It may seem to be tough going but earning the ‘hard’ way is not only memorable but sweetest in terms of satisfaction (when you know you have tried and done your best); not only that I think it builds character too. Ok I digressed….congrats again honey boy.

Bad fever

Not too sure how to write this post as I have differing diagnosis. Whatever it is, we are glad MP is much better now and his appetite back to normal.

Now that MP's fever has subsided, we were informed (on the 4th day) that he had a mild brush with swine flu. 'Mild' because he was treated early and the 'flu' had not entered his blood stream yet.

DH took the 1st night grave shift, making sure he doesn't over heat and wiping the sweat before I took over early in the morning. Its always worst at night isn't it? That's the thing with Chinese medicine, more effort is usually required not to mention can get very exasperating and stressful coaxing him to drink the bitter smelly black medicine!!! More than a few incidents we had to persuade him from gagging. Its all in the mind really though I must admit it does taste FOUL!!

At one point DH came to me (when I was deep in ZZ-land) telling me that perhaps MP should be admitted to hospital. Think I mumbled something like “No need, just make sure his head is kept cool!”, bad sleeping mum huh? *pink in the cheeks* >n< DH revealed later that he was slightly spooked because at one point MP’s hands were trembling and he was acting a little delirious (not normal fever behaviour).

It started with a sore throat, high fever and now, a mild dry cough. Chinese medicine usually takes a little longer.

Very relieved that the fever dissipated within 2 days.

Coincidentally I also took MP on the 1st day to see a paediatrician as I was a little concern that he may have HFMD since he had a little sore near his mouth. Thankfully it was just false alarm. Was told that if it was HFMD, he would also have lots of spots on his hands/feet and mouth - sounds painful, huh? We were sent away with normal fever and cough medicine which I didn't use since I had planned to take him to see our family chinese sinseh.

MP is fine now - smirking with glee, knowing that he can skip school again today. One more day of rest. Let's hope nothing else crops up as his tests starts tomorrow. Rather demanding parents aren't we? Can't be helped, blame it on bad timing!!

Some personal views

Topic…..the universal technical subjects of Science and Maths currently taught in English to be reverted to BM.

A lot has been said, argued, debated, polled, petitioned recently and yet the people who we have elected, supposedly to serve, hear and understand the voters (aka the mass public) are NOT HEARING! Acting (with heavily coated false sympathy) yes but really hearing and doing something about, I can only wonder. *eyes rolled*

Since their own children themselves are NOT ATTENDING normal public schools, I can only wonder whether they really care at all? Do they really understand the consequences of their actions?

Why LOWER the urban education standard just to fit the rural areas? Logically, it should be the opposite!!! Instead we seem to be going 'backwards'. More should be done for the rural education and alleviate their standards. Wouldn’t this be more cost effective and better for the country’s economy in the long run?

Needless to say I am disappointed at the mandate decision despite strong protest from the majority of the public. Apparent freedom of speech but only defening silence is heard!! We are on 'mute' I suppose?

After more than 50 years, one would have thought that they would have got it right by now. Instead after every few years the entire system is overhauled and rebooted from scratch. I would have thought we’d be going somewhere, building from the existing blocks, learning from errors, but it looks like we are forced to accept a longer and drifting route to a place called ‘NO-WHERE’. Building and fostering a 'lost generation' are we??

The international private schools will probably benefit MOST from this.

The children of middle to lower class earners will probably stand to LOSE the most.

Our future education system looks as clear and bright as our current gloomy hazy sky. I fear for our children’s generation and future.

Pierced by selfish power-obsessed short-sighted political gains. Humanity at its rawest!

While the masses, left to suffer and co-exist with the fallen crumbs.

Coke eruption (Experiment #1)

Master Prince got pretty excited when I told him that we'd be doing some science experiments together.

Remember watching this on MythBusters a while back.

All you need is coke and some mentos sweets.

Suppose to get plain mentos but after walking to 3 shops we finally gave up and bought 'iced flavoured' ones only to discover the 4th shop had what I wanted, sigh!

We got one normal coke and diet coke to see whether the jet eruption would be different. Of course, it would be better planned if you got them the same sized bottles!!

The trick is to ensure that you drop at least 5 sweets into the coke all at once and then move out of the way - least you don't mind getting a little wet and sticky. DH was afraid of getting drenched so he only managed to drop one mentos and see how tall it shot up! I would have stuffed the drops myself if I were not taking the pictures :)

Master Prince had a go with the smaller coke bottle - had some reaction but not as tall with the larger coke bottle. A very simple and quick experiment - think it took longer gathering the materials together but FUN all the same!

You can read more here - the MythBusters "concluded that the caffeine, potassium benzoate, aspartame, and CO2 gas contained in the Diet Coke and the gelatin and gum arabic ingredients of the Mentos all contribute to the jet effect".


Hm.....considering a contest on who can make the tallest coke jet, anyone game?

Fruity brew

All for health purposes of course.

Homemade fruit enzymes are still very popular these days. I can understand why, the many beneficial qualities offered (health wise) is very attractive. Not only that it is simple and fun to make.

So what shall it be?
Apple & lemon
Orange, pineapple & lemon
Dragon fruit, grapes & strawberries
Dragon fruit & lemon
Grape & lemon
Mango, apple & lemon
Other fruits to consider include banana, kiwi, star fruit, papaya, peaches, plums, etc.

Other variations include aloe vera, red dates, wolf berries, dried longan, garlic, ginger, etc. Seems the limitation is as wide as our minds are closed (er, did you get that?)!! ha ha ha

Unless you have a fixed combination, best probably decided with a trip to the supermarket and be dictated by what’s on OFFER!!! I'll elaborate more later.

Making it is simple as long as you remember a few rules.

1. 3 parts fruits and 1 part sugar (brown slab sugar, honey, normal brown sugar or even gula Melaka is fine).
2. Wash container, utensils and fruits. Wipe and air dry them well.
3. Entire preparation process is done without any additional water since everything else is clean. This is to prevent/limit possible contamination, ie mouldiness!
4. In a clean jar, fill 1/3 sliced fruits of your choice, then add a few slabs of sugar.
5. Keep alternating fruits and sugar until jar is about 70% full.
6. End final layer with sugar.
7. Close jar, using some cling wrap at the mouth of the jar if desired.
8. Store in dark cool place giving the bottle a shake every 3 days for 3 weeks. Open the bottle to let out some gas once every 2-3 days. Note some bubbles will be evident in the early days. If the entire process is done right, the mixture will not get mouldy (hence, probably not 'safe' to consume??).
9. When ready (after 3 weeks or 21 days), sieve and bottle them. Keep in cool area or in the refrigerator to stop/retart it from turning into alcohol.
10. WAIT, don’t throw out the fruit remnants – be eco-friendly and either: a) use as compost/fertiliser for your plants or b) even exfoliate the body.
    Personally, I would go for (a) but your choice if you wanna go with (b).

Exact recipe??
Well it really depends at the end of the day what expectations you have in consuming the fruit enzyme. Just remember the above rules and the 3 parts to 1 part combination.

How to consume?
1-2 tbsp a day mixed with some tepid water.

The benefits?
Depending on the combination of fruits used – apparently the benefits are aplenty!!

Here are some that I came across in my reading:
Digestive aid, cleanse our body digestive system, stimulate blood cells production, rejuvenate the skin, reduce fat and many more.

Sounds like a real miracle cure-all doesn't it????

The brew....

Since dragon fruits were also on sale at the supermarket - got them for a dollar each, why not start with them. Btw, I’m not a fan of dragon fruit (find them somehow lacking in taste) so perhaps they might fare better as a slightly alcoholic enzyme drink, you think?

Dragon fruit, lemon and aloe vera.


Test Bottle #1 - The lemon smell is very refreshing.

The next day, star fruits were on sale - rm1.20 for 3 in a pack and couldn't resist. And so I bottled my 2nd. At this stage my family are a little concerned that I might have gone enzyme crazy - why so many bottles and even without any certainty that they will turn out properly!!

Star fruit, orange, aloe vera and wolf berries.


Bottle #2 - Was a little surprised that the star fruit smell was much stronger than the orange!

Since I had a few pineapples around which I got from a friend’s farm recently, decided to concoct a 'tropical' brew - if only I could add in some kahlua or coconut milk, I'm sure that would make a very 'refreshing' Malibu drink indeed!!

Tropical mix - Pineapple, papaya and lemon.

Test Bottle #3.

If you are wondering why there is an aloe vera stem in every brew, the reason is that I have a big pot of it and have always wanted to do something with it since it purportedly has many beneficial qualities.

Jotting down some observations on the experimental brews.

After one day, some bubbles are visible.

After 2 days, noticed that as the fruits have reduced a little, with more room at the top.

See how much the fruits have reduced by so I suppose its ok to pack the fruits full to the top (well at least in my case). Just make sure you open the cap to let out any gas after the 1st day.

The 'precious' fruit enzyme being cultivated! Note that if you are successful, there will be lots of bubbles like a fizzy can drink. *claps hands - a little excited with my dragon fruit and lemon brew*

Err, a little gross but just to share that the presence of mould may appear. If so, discard and press on ahead with fingers-crossed that it will come together at the end.

Actually, not too sure how this one will turn out at the end. Marked 'possibly contaminated'!! Ha ha

Anyway, happy experimenting and brewing. I still got at least 2 more weeks before I can taste anything. Apparently it is suppose to taste slightly alcoholic, hopefully not too fermented or yeasty! Will report back which it is. Finger crossed no one gets food poisoning ;p

Bento #244

Finally got a chance to use this cute new bento box.

Been toying with a sushi bread since last week and finally got my act and ingredients together. Certainly not difficult, don't know why it took me so long to put it together!!

Place 3 pieces of pan fried bread together and cut them into smaller bite size. Place a piece of shape cut-out ham on top of the bread and finish it by wrapping a piece of seaweed/nori. Of course you can do this with rice and make them into onigris but MP prefers bread.

In this bento - some sushi bread with ham, some cucumber and bananas.

Kenwood electricals

Offer ends 31 August 2009.

All about OATS

This is dedicated to all those who (once like me) thought oats looked and tasted worse than saw dust and would be the last food EVER you would think of if, even if it was your last meal on earth.

In taking up my dad’s challenge to have oats once a day for a month, I’m surprised to discover that oats is not that bad afterall. Seriously and not say this just to convince myself!!

Oats and water is a little too plain and 'raw' (in terms of taste) for me.

Much prefer the slightly creamier version oats + water + milk. Milk is good because it has calcium. But if you are FAT conscious, you can opt for low fat or skinny. Doesn’t taste as good as full cream but still good enough. Besides, it’s a matter of getting used to it.

Other flavour variations include – adding a bit of milo, cocoa powder or horlicks, condense milk, treacle, golden syrup, honey, jam, etc.

For a more textured version, add some toasted muesli, nuts or fruits (dried or fresh).



For the SUPER-geng healthy version, try adding some wheatgerm, phyllal husk, lecithin or grounded flax seed. If you are new to oats, I wouldn’t recommend this as your first bite. Instead, try the flavoured ones which would definitely be more palatable and gentle to the taste buds.

Oats by nature, is plain tasting so not only can you have a sweet healthy platform, you can also give it a savoury twist – pinch of salt or soya sauce, egg white, marmite/brovil, chicken floss, sliced fish/meat, preserved vegetables, etc.

To the purist or conscientious, adulterating oats with other ‘junk’ could be viewed as sacrilege if not, just missing the point!! But to a foodie who lives to eat, its one huge step towards healthier living and allowing oats to be accepted in one’s daily food group – all it takes is one unforgettable bad experience to end up being crossed out of the food list! Ha ha ha

Here are some suggestions for oats choices, not only showing how versatile healthy oats can be but also fun and tasty too. Erm, included a few die-hard ones (well, M thought some were just too challenging for her)!! Whatever it takes, I say - Lolz.

For the 'sweet-tooth'

Multi-coloured sprinkles, a sure way to persuade any child to eat without any complaints.

As you guessed, this is Master Prince's favourite way. Mix it all up and you'll end up with lovely bowl of rainbow oats! How cool is that?

Dried fruits – eg. raisins/cranberries



Crunchy muesli fruit & nut mix. Love this combination too as it adds a lovely crunchy texture to the mixture.

A spoonful of honey, treacle, golden syrup

Jam

Yes, even if you are a died hard peanut butter fan, you can still have your daily bowl of oats!

Others include i) Fresh fruits – strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, banana

ii)Chocolate – milo, cocoa, nutella, melted dark chocolate

For those who prefer savoury

Seaweed. I like this mix very much.

Chicken floss. This is good too :)

Sambal Habee (aka dried spicy shrimp)

Brovil/marmite

Oats & ……???? I’m sure you get the point and probably able to concoct something tasty at your end, if not albeit weird but still yummy!

At the end of the day, whatever that tickles your fancy, the most important part (for me anyway) is to avoid LUMPY OATS. Yep, lumpy is DEFINITELY BAD – its like sleeping on an un-fluffed pillow, slightly bearable but very uncomfortable! Key for smooth silky oats is to keep stirring until you get a nice consistent mixture as you add the liquid (water/milk) and also as soon as it comes out of the MW. For best results, cook it over the stove slowly.

Hope this provides some inspiration to a healthier diet and brighter start to your day! :)

Eurodeli

Blogged about this place before here.

Anyway, just wanted to share that this place has recently been renovated.

Looks much nicer doesn’t it, now occupying two shop lots. Business must be good!

They added a nice bar area, adding more wines to its range and also serving beers from taps.

No change in the price of food, which is a big plus point. The only noticeable difference is the price of the drinks.

We had our usual.

Sausages.


Pork corden blue for MP.

For locations - refer below.

Chilly Pan Mee

Chilly Pan Mee
How spicy can you be?
One bite, tummies burning, lips swollen, tongues wagging
Glands perspiring, nose running
Aiyoh, your vengence so scornful!

Not really sure which attracted me most, the chilli or the pan mee part. By the way, for the better part of my younger years, its has always been ‘Meen Hoon Kueh’. Ever since I started work, it has evolved to ‘Pan Mee’ since people seem to give me a frowning stare when I call it otherwise.

A very simple noodle dish and just so homey.

Anchovies are fried before adding water then boiled to make the clear soup stock. The noodles are usually hand torn from a simple dough mixture of plain flour, water and a little salt. The traditional basic noodles are usually served with some blanched vegetables, mince meat, marinated Chinese mushrooms, fried anchovies and some shallots. But of course you can vary the condiments to suit your preference or enhance the flavour by adding a little ginger wine or just load it with lots of chilli.

Which is what I came here to do – daring to push my senses (what’s left anyway) to its maximum for a spicy ordeal, talk about a food sadist huh? For best results, go for the ‘dry version’.

The experience re-enacted….

The food served.

Check the egg yolk is runny. Otherwise, reject it for being overcooked (well I would anyway).

Then add a few spoonfuls of this, more if you think I am a wuss and pale in comparison to REAL spicy chilli warriors!

Start mixing it all up – key is to achieve a consistent ‘red’ mixture, generously and evenly coating each noodle strand! Lolz

Yummy huh? Start savouring.

Woah…quickly taking a few big and long gulps of the cool longan herbal drink for some relief.

Need a few emergency tissues? They are all conveniently located on the walls!!!

Jokes aside.

Do be weary of the chilli. Unless you want to give your senses an unforgettable jolt. Best to add the chilli gradually. Afterall you do want to enjoy the noodle dish right and not end up suffering or do you?!! :) *well, you’ve been warned*

For the faint-hearted, do not be discouraged. They also serve the original clear soupy version and also dumplings for those who need more to fill up!

Locations:

They have a few branches - KL, Kepong Kota Damansara, PJ and USJ.

Search finally over

If you recall, I’ve tagged this particular ‘Abang John’ ramli burger at Damansara Utama.

Passed the designated location (Bee Fatt restaurant facing Uptown itself) as provided by burbabe more than 3 times and each time left disappointed wondering whether I got the details correct.

Finally, since DH had some late night banking to do, I asked DH to detour to check out whether the stall was open. YES IT WAS and not only that, we got a park right in front too (which is rare for Uptown on a Friday night!!). So if you want a taste, come by after 9.30pm otherwise, leave wondering and empty as I did! Ha ha ha

Abang 'butterflies' his meat patties into two so that it cooks faster.

While waiting patiently for my ramli, some observations of Abang John:
1. He is very meticulous.
2. He knows a lot of people or rather a lot of people know him as he is constantly greeting people as they pass by.
3. A real expert in cooking the egg. First he will make a small crack on the egg and then allowing the egg to dribble out as he draws a circle in a smooth continuous manner on the hot fryer like a pancake. Then he will place a meat patty on top and quickly proceed to fold each side very carefully and neatly.

Neat isn't it?

Stretch and yawn, the ‘curious cat’ is certainly well fed and satisfied. Till next year perhaps or longer, until the ramli yearn awakens again.


Which is better??? Perhaps I am just overwhelmed by the slop that I can’t really tell which taste better – er, all seems same to me. Just that some has more green vegetables than others. For Abang John’s, was pleasantly surprised to find a slice of tomato hidden at the bottom of my burger.

IMHO, generally the ramli burger taste is just too overwhelmed by the copious amount of sauce (combination of chilli, tomato and mayonnaise) that it’s difficult to really enjoy the real taste of the burger!! Similarly with the additional ‘secret’ seasonings added by the cook onto the meat while cooking. But if looks counts for how it tastes, then I suppose Abang John's burger is definitely ‘tasty'!!!

Quicky - homemade thin crust pizza

All done in less than 1 hour including baking and washing up!!!

A real gem of a recipe and definitely a keeper especially if I suddenly have a pizza craving. By the way, the dough can prepared ahead and kept in the fridge upto 48 hours. Alternatively you can freeze it for later use.

Ingredients for the pizza crust

3/4 cup lukewarm water
1/2 tsp yeast
2 cups bread flour, shifted
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 210 degrees.


2. Mix all ingredients and knead (about 10 min) until you get a silky smooth and elastic dough.


3. Divide into 2 and immediately roll out.


4. While resting the dough, prepare your toppings which should take you about the 30 min mark.


5. For remaining time, wash up and wait for pizza to finish baking. Bake pizza at 190 degrees for 15 min or until cheese is all melty and golden brown.
   

Very thin and crunchy crust. Really like where they ‘burst’.

This is the first pizza I've baked that actually puff up like a bad acne while baking - wished it was uniform all around though. Could it be the uneven oven temperature??

Psst. If you prefer a more bready type of pizza or have a few teeth gaps or loose teeth (which is what MP is going through right now), you might find this a little too crunchy.

Updated - the above dough was refrigerated for a day and then allowed to rest for at least an hour baking before baking. Notice how much more softer the bread structure is.

So the verdict is if you prefer thin crunchy pizza, bake straight away. But if you prefer a slightly softer and more bite to your pizza base, let it proof/rest for a while (at least an hour).