Seasons of love

Hello.....all my friends, my family members... Say goodbye to year 2011 and welcome year 2012. Let this coming year be better than all the others.

 

Twinkle twinkle little star, How I wander what you are,
Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky,
Star light, Star bright, The first star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might,  Have the wish I wish tonight.

Look not mournfully into the past
It comes not back again
Wisely improve the present
It is thine
Go faith to meet the shadowy future
without fear and with a manly heart
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Season of Love

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Moments so dear
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure - Measure A Year?

In Daylights - In Sunsets, In Midnights - In Cups Of Coffee
In Inches - In Miles, In Laughter - In Strife

In - Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure, A Year In The Life?
How About Love? How About Love? How About Love?
Measure In Love

Seasons of Love. Seasons of Love.

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Journeys To Plan
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure, The Life Of A Woman Or A Man

In Truth That She Learned
Or In Times That He Cried
In Bridges He Burned
Or The Way That She Died

It's Time Now - To Sing Out
Though The Story Never Ends
Let's Celebrate
Remember A Year In The Life Of Friends

Remember the Love, Remember the Love, Remember the Love
Measure In Love

Oh! you got to, you got to remember the love,
You know that love is a gift from up above
Share love, give love, spread love
Measure, measure your life in love.

Seasons Of Love, Seasons Of Love
Measure your life, measure your life in love 

Song lyrics from : http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/r/rent/seasons_of_love.html

Sharing & Caring

Three keys to more abundant living
1) Caring about others
2) Daring for others
3) Sharing with others - quote by William A. Ward


We should be willing to share and give something all year round especially to those who are in need. We can share what we do have and be rich in good deeds. I'd always encourage my children to share some of their blessing to people who have less. Even giving a little is already a lot of help. A small token of appreciation and a smile can give them hope and show them that we care.
One need not ask for rewards in helping others, somehow or rather it would come back to us in many ways.
Speaking from my own experiences, I've been blessed with many return rewards to me.

A heart of generosity
With joy will overflow
If giving is done graciously
And never just for show - Hess

My bundle of joy sharing their food.


Victorian Sandwich Cake
Recipe source from here

Let's have a nice cup of hazelnut coffee and Victorian Sandwich Cake. Elisabeth, have you try the hazelnut coffee?

Ingredients
175gm butter
175gm caster sugar
175gm self raising flour
3 eggs
30mls milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
some lemon zest

This popular type of cake is made with a creamed mixture based on equal amounts of flour, sugar and fat. The fat enables it to keep moist longer than the fatless or 'true' sponge.

Serves 8
1. Prepare two 18cm (7 inch) sandwich tins.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until very pale in colour, light in texture and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding 1 tablespoon of the flour with each one.
4. Gently fold in the remaining flour alternate with milk using a metal spoon. Add vanilla extract and lemon zest.
5. Transfer to prepared tins and smooth the tops with a knife.
6. Bake at 180 0C / 350 0F / Gas 4 for 25-30 minutes or until well-risen, golden brown and firm.
7. Leave in the tins for 2-3 minutes. Turn out on to a wire cooling rack. Leave until cold.
8. When cold sandwich together with jam. Dust the cake with icing sugar.

VARIATION:
Jam and Cream Sandwich

Follow the recipe and method for Victoria Sandwich. When the cakes are cold, sandwich together with 3 tablespoons of jam and 4 tablespoons of double cream, whipped until thick. Dust with icing sugar.

 Happy New Year to all my friends, my best friend, family members, may all of you have a blessed New Year and the best of everything that all of you so well deserve. Cheers!

Lots of beary love......

Merry Christmas to all my friends and family members. Thank you for all your kind supports, your lovely comments and kind words in my little blog. Really appreciate each and everyone.
May the good times and treasures of the present become the golden memories of tomorrow. Wish you all lots of love, joy and happiness. Take the joy of Christmas with you everyday.

I would rather have one little rose
From the garden of a friend
Than to have the choicest flowers
When my stay on earth must end.

I would rather have a pleasant word
In kindness said to me
Then flattery when my heart is still,
And life has ceased to be.

I would rather have a loving smile
From friends I know are true
Then tears shed' round my casket
When to this world I bid adieu.

Bring me all your flowers today,
Whether pink, or white, or red,
I'd rather have one blossom now
Than a truck load when I'm dead. - unknown author

Do you owe someone a word of thanks or appreciation? Don't put it off. Say it today.


My doves Christmas reunion.

Baby 1: Dad excuse me, I want to sit next to mum.

Mum: Ok, let's do some neck exercise, to the right.....

Then to the left......
Dad is looking at sexy girl passing by, didn't pay attention...

Taking a short break fooling around after exercise, LOL

Baby 2: Mum, I want piggyback.....

Baby1: Mum, I need a hair cut before Christmas.

My doves family portrait. LOL

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Happy holiday.

My lovey dovey babies 2

Was busy the whole week so no baking, so just share some of my lovey dovey babies again.
It was raining heavily but they still come back for dinner.

Whiskey:  sweetheart, what you looking at?
Champagne: Oh..something interesting on the other side......

Caught my doves in the act ....doing hanky panky .... kissy kissy, LOL

Mushy mushy act........ so romantic.

The loving couple Whiskey & Champagne

You make me live
Whatever this world can give to me
It's you, you're all I see
You make me live now, darling
You make me live

You're the best friend that I ever had
I've been with you such a long time
You're my sunshine and I want you to know
That my feelings are true
I really love you
You're my best friend




Have a nice weekend. Cheers!

My lovey dovey babies......

My permanent resident........they came to me 2 years ago during Chinese New Year. 
Yes, not one but two of them.....


The air condition compressor unit is now their territory.  I don't caged them but they come back 3 times a day when I'm at work and  up to  5 times a day during weekend  when I'm home.
I feed them breakfast, lunch, dinner or as and when they request by cooing non stop in my kitchen window. 

Meet my darling Mr. Coo Whiskey & Sweetheart Ms Champagne.

My lovely dove, she is Champagne.( 30th Nov. 2011 )

Hi madam, thanks for the lunch.....  Hubby at work, not coming back  for lunch today.

 Oh..... yum yum.....I'm starving..... it's so delicious.

Oh gosh.... I finish my lunch within 3 mins, hopefully I'll not get indigestion problem. Seriously....I need to head off to the gym this evening.

After lunch activity..... sunbathing to burnt off some calories.

Evening around 6pm
Yours truly: come on baby...... pose, pose...  don't disgrace me. I'm clicking now, ready? Say cheeessse.......

Champagne: Darling, you're early today? I miss you during your absent.
Whiskey: Hi sweetheart, how was your day?  I miss you too.

Let's enjoy our awesome dinner....  

Champagne: Darling, you finish the rest. I'd enough and I'm seriously over weight.
Whiskey: Ok sweetheart, I'm ever ready to finish this scrumptious meal.

Mr Whiskey is doing his poo poo business and looks like Champagne is  holding her breath. hahaha.......

Whiskey: Excuse me, sweetheart..... I need to poo poo... ...I think I ate too much just now.
Champagne: Darling, you go ahead. I'm not looking. Are you ok?

Champagne: Darling, where are we going tonight?
Whiskey: Sweetheart, let's go catch a movie.....supper and then back to our nest ......aheeemm...*wink* *wink*

This is where they sleep at night on my pomegranate tree.  Tuesday Mr. Whiskey on night shift so Champagne is sleeping alone.  Wednesday 7am, she is waiting for Whiskey  to come back for breakfast.

Champagne: Darling... I miss you. What time will you be back.

Champagne is having dinner alone.

I saw something interesting on the other side... urgh... What's that???

Enjoy and have a nice day. Cheers!

Rose, Rose, I Love You......

Rose Pudding

Rose pudding mold

Rose pudding in dessert cup

Ingredients

1 packet agar agar powder
8 oz castor sugar
3 pandan leaves
950 mls water
1 cup coconut milk
75gm sago ( wash, soak 20 min & drain )
1 egg white ( beat until stiff )
red & green colouring for rose and leaves

1. Mix agar agar power with 1000mls water and mix well.

2. Add sugar and bring to boil until sugar dissolve.
3. Remove half cup of agar agar solution, divide into 2 parts. Add 1 part red and the other part green.
4. Pour the red agar agar solution to the rose portion and green agar agar solution to the leaves portion. Leave aside to set.
5. Add sago to the balance of the agar agar solution and cook until sago transparent.
6. Reduce to low heat, add the coconut milk and mix well. Stir in the stiff egg white and use a whisk to beat well. ( Do not boil )
7. Use a small ladle scoop the agar agar solution to the set roses & leaves slowly.
8. Leave aside and chill well in the fridge.
9.Remove from mold and serve chill.

Fruits Pastry

This recipe is share by VI in Ik forum. The texture of the cake is soft and fluffy.

Ingredients

113 gm butter
1 cup castor sugar
50 gm sour cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
pinch of salt
1 tsp orange zest
3 large eggs
210 gm plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
500 gm fresh fruits ( strawberries/ blueberries/ grapes )

1. Cut fruits into pieces but not too small, put in strainer and sprinkle 2 tbsp sugar and put aside.
2. Pre heat oven to 180 deg c
3. Sift flour with baking powder.
4. Cream butter and sugar, sour cream together until light and creamy.
5. Add egg one at a time and beat well but do not over beat.
6. Add vanilla, flour and zest, salt mix well until combined.
7. Line cake pan base with grease proof paper, brush the side of pan with butter. Pour batter in 8" cake and smooth the top. Arrange cut fruits on top.
8. Bake at 50 to 60 mins or until cook. Remove from cake pan to cool.
9. Serve with a cup of tea/coffee. Enjoy.

Dry Curry Chickpeas

Ingredients

300gm chickpeas
2 tbsp curry powder
1 cup curry leaves
5 dried chillies
1 onion - diced
1 tbsp mustard seed
salt to taste
A little oil

1. Wash and soak the chickpeas for 1 to 2 hours
2. Boil the chickpeas with water for 5 minutes then transfer to slow cooker
add 1 to 2 tsp of salt. Cook for 5 to 6 hours or until soft. Then drain off the water.
3. Season the chickpeas with curry powder.
3. Soak the dried chillies in hot water for 20 minutes, remove seed and cut
into smaller pieces.
4. Heat up the saucepan, add oil. Fry the onion, dried chillies until fragrant.
Then add the curry leaves, mustard seed and fry till fragrant. Add in the
chickpeas and stir fry for a few minutes, add salt to taste.
5. Serve hot or chill.

Recipe source from Quay Po Cooks with some changes.
Thanks to Quay Po for sharing this delicious snack.

Homemade Roti Pratha

Roti prata dough, coat with oil or butter and keep in fridge over night.

opps..... fail. Too many holes here and there while stretching the dough.

Fold the dough and roll into spiral, keep aside for 10 mins.

Flat it

press slowly and spread it out

pan fry in non stick pan

Ready to serve with dhal curry.
Recipe source from here

ROTI CANAI
500 g flour
300 ml water
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons condensed milk
1 tablespoon shortening ( I use butter)
Extra butter or margarine for coating

1. Prepare the ingredients.
2. Dissolve salt in water.
3. Put all the ingredients in the mixing bowl, pour in the salt water bit by bit...
4. Knead the dough till soft and smooth dough is formed.
5. Make into 11 small balls.
6. Coat with margarine and keep for at least 2 hours. The longer the better. I kept it overnight in the fridge.
7. Pour some oil and margarine in a bowl.
8. Grease the table with a bit of oil and flatten one small dough. Spread a bit of oil on the flatten dough. Pull & stretch the dough slowly until it's transparent ( Since I can't do the flipping thingy like the mamak shop.
10. Pull the sides of the dough to get a thinner sheet. Sprinkle with a bit of # 7.
11. Bring the sides to the center.
12. ...to form a long dough.
13. Hold upwards and swirl it.
14. Leave it for half an hour.
15. Flatten it.
16. And keep it in a container, each piece must be layered with a small piece of plastic. Or otherwise, fry on a hot pan with a bit of oil.

Dhall Curry

(A) 
100gm Dhall
1.5 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp tumeric powder

1. Wash & soak the dhall for 1 hour.
2. Boil (A) ingredients with approximate 3 bowls of water.
3. Cook the dhall until very soft, add more water if necessary.

(B)
1 potatoes 
1/2 carrot
1 tomato
1 big onion
2 red chillies
2 bird eye chillies
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 small piece ginger
1 small piece assam jawa
8 oz thick coconut milk
1/2 tsp mustard seed
2 tsp sugar
Salt to taste

1. Potatoes, carrot,tomato, big onion - cut cubes
2. Red chillies - slice thinly about 1 in length
3. Bird eye chilli & ginger - slice thinly
4. After dhall is soften add in potatoes, carrot, both type of chillies
ginger, mustard seed, assam jawa.
5. Cook until all the ingredients is slightly soften, add in 
tomato and onion. Continue to cook until all the ingredients are soft.
6.Add Salt & sugar to taste, follow by thick coconut milk and when boil
remove from heat
7. Serve hot with roti paratha or bread