Weekend Menu #31: Corny and peanut-y soup

(This is post-dated entry)

By now you would know that I enjoy cooking and consuming soups.  Nothing too herbal because I cannot stand the smell of some herbs and spices.  And also I seldom add pepper to my soups because I never like peppery soups.  Or you can say my throat is highly sensitive to pepper. 

Most of the soups I cook are simple and easy to take.  I love soup because they are healthier too.

And I also share with you my other liking today.  I love sweet corn and peanuts too.  Love the sweetness of both. 

I love my sweet corns to be steamed and then add butter on the corn before digging my teeth on them!!  And other way of enjoying my corns is cook them in soup.

Simple to cook and taste sweet and great too.

Sweet corns with chicken soup

Ingredients:

Chicken part (I used thigh and chicken wings); 2 - 3 fresh sweet corns (chopped into smaller pieces), Red dates, white pepper

Method:

1.  After thaw the chicken meat, throw into the slow cooker together with the sweet corns and red dates. 

2. Let it cook for another 2 hours.  Before serving, add few dashes of Sarawak white pepper. 

As for peanuts, I love to cook them together with pork ribs.  They taste heavenly.  And hubby enjoyed this soup a bit peppery so for his sake I added some pepper into the soup.

Pork ribs and peanuts soup

Ingredients: Pork ribs (cut into smaller pieces; thaw); Peanuts (soak and rinse); salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Soak and rinse the peanuts few times until the water turned clearer

2. Pour the thawed pork ribs and peanuts into slow cooker.  Let it cooks for 2 hours

3.  Add salt and Sarawak white pepper to taste.



What is best for them?

As parents, we always want the best for our children.  But what is the best for them?

Some parents I know will send their children to every tuitions and classes they can think of, i.e. art, music, calligraphy, Maths.  And some will send them to brain development class, brain stimulation class and many more.  Sometimes I feel those parents are suffocating their own children with so many tuitions and classes. 

Why wasting time and money on something that is not interested your children?  Why not discover their inner interest and talent first then decide on what suit them?  Shouldn't we ask our children what they really want first instead of spending few hundreds on all those classes?

So what is best for our children, you may ask?  I think the answer would be our role as parents to discover the talents and interests of our children and develop them through coaching, tuition and other methods.  Not forcing them on something they don't like and eventually hate it when they grow up.

Customs for House Moving

We got the auspicious date and time for house moving.  And like anything else, the Chinese has few customs to follow prior and during the actual day of moving. 

Actually my hubby does not believe in such customs and he was commenting "too troublesome, etc" but when my parents are involved, he got no choice but to follow.  Lol!   My parents were helping us in getting the good date and advising us on the "to-do" and "not-to-do". 

The translation for my easy reference as follow:

1. All the front door and bedroom doors need to be wide opened except the kitchen door leading to the back yard.

2. All windows must be closed

3. All lights must be switched on for 24 hours.

4. Start spreading the combination of salt and rice from the kitchen all the way to the front and upstair rooms.  The utensil where you put the salt and rice should be kept and never use them.

5. In the paper, it mentioned the kerosene stove.  Lit the stove from the front and bring into the kitchen.  So if we cannot find any kerosene stove, we may opt for the next alternative.  And I heard from my mum not all petrol stations are selling kerosene now.  Why???  (2nd option: Bring and install the gas cyclinder.  Boil water in kettle.  Used the boiled water to make 6 cups of tea)

6. Hang the red cloth on top of the main door.  Never nail the middle part.  Only nail on both sides.  After 4 months, you can bring down and keep the red cloth.

7. Place 8 oranges in the living room and kitchen (on the table).  After one week, if the oranges are still in good condition, you can eat them.  Otherwise discard.

8.  Sweep the salt and rice from the kitchen all the way to the front door.  All the windows can be opened now.

Remark: New furniture and stuff can be moved in prior to the actual date.  Do not open or use them till the actual moving date.

Where romance continues

I know, few weeks back I was posting about my 7 years anniversary.  In 2004 we signed our names on that piece of marriage certificate as our official wedding date.  But it was not a year later, we had our wedding reception and honeymoon.

We hold our reception in the grand ballroom in Crowne Plaza Riverside.  Hubby was slimmer that time where as I was slightly "chubbier" than now, how my hubby described me.  

2 days after our wedding reception, we were off to our honeymoon getaway, i.e. Redang.  It is a beautiful island  in Terengganu where hubby called it "The Island of Love".  Indeed to its name, Redang Island is a true romantic getaway.  I would love to go back there and reminiscing those magical and romantic moments. 

I was suggesting to hubby the other days on going back to Redang as there were many places we did not venture when we were there 7 years ago, like the glowing sand which I heard where certain part of the beach that its sand glowing during the full moon.  And this round, we can go for the island hopping which we missed out.

We spent 3 days 2 nights in Redang Island.  Most of the day we were on the sand or snorkelling in the sea.  It was my first snorkelling experience in the sea.  What a great experience.  Wonder when I would be able to do scuba diving??  *wink* The sea marine and corals are very beautiful.

We did have a look at the famous Redang Mo Mo Cha Inn which was built during the filming of the Mo Mo Cha  (Summer Holiday) starring Richie Ren and Sammi Cheng.  I think the Inn is still there.  They have a cafe and souvenir shop in the inn.

One day we will come back here, and this round, with my 2 kids, the products of our romance.  *wink*

Going to Car Boot Sales

It is a great Sunday today, because the weather is cooling and we had few session of rains this afternoon.  So a relief after few weeks of warm and hazy weather.

This morning we went to C121 Stutong for a late breakfast around 10am.  I like the place because of its decoration and food variaties.

It has a nice centre piece of decoration in the middle of the cafe.  I think it has something to do with Feng Shui.

I ordered mee suah from this Foochow stall

My RM5.00 mee suah.  Very nice taste.

The cheng soup with those liver, blood clot etc.  I have been forced to taste few of the blood clots

After breakfast we went to the nearby car boot sales.  This is the first time I been to a boot sales.  Interesting to walk around looking through the second-hand items.  The old magazines are sold RM0.50 each and a stall was selling RM1.00 each.  I managed to buy 5 old books at RM1.00 each from a boot.

A Marimo stall.  Interesting species.  Planned to get some for my new home in few months time

The big Marimo balls after a year of rearing

Old toys, where hubby enquired on the Avator robots which cost RM55 each

Nice hand woven baskets

I bought this dress for RM40.00 only! 

Dinner at Topspot

Today is the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival.  And not to be missed is the eating zhang tradition. 

We had an earlier celebration last night at Topspot Food Centre.  We went to Restaurant 25 and order our favourite seafood dishes.

Bamboo clam in curry

Fish Maw soup

Oyster pancake

Sabah vegetable

The dish of the night: Steamed lobsters

The dinner cost around RM80+.   

After dinner, we saw an ice cream store.  SCOOP gelato ice cream.  My favourite.  They do not have much varieties there, but we ordered one Mocha chocolate cone and one big scoop of Chocolate Chip Mint.

My Chocolate Mint ice cream.  Cost RM8.00

Frame it!

As a Father's Day gift, my girl brought back a self-made photo frame last weekend.  She requested for a photo and since daddy seldom take solo picture, I passed her our photo instead. 

Yeap, our studio photo taken 8 years ago.  I was doing some cleaning and packing in the room last week and found this loose photograph.  And since I have not yet pack it, I let my girl used the photo for time being so she will feel that her art work is been appreciated.  I think it is a nice masterpiece.  Those are real buttons, rubber band , paper clips and macaroni bits.  *wink*

Give up

Found this interesting list on Facebook, thought it is worth sharing with you.  With the complications we have every day, it would be good to give up on certain things when you sometimes feel you are getting nowhere.  Let have a read and understand on this list and hope it will make your life more meaningful and enjoyable!

1. GIVE UP YOUR NEED TO ALWAYS BE RIGHT

 There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the ‘urgent’ need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question: “Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?”Wayne Dyer. What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big?

2. GIVE UP YOUR NEED FOR CONTROL

Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you – situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel.

“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.” Lao Tzu

3. GIVE UP ON BLAME

 Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.

4. GIVE UP YOUR SELF-DEFEATING SELF-TALK

 Oh my. How many people are hurting themselves because of their negative, polluted and repetitive self-defeating mindset? Don’t believe everything that your mind is telling you – especially if it’s negative and self-defeating. You are better than that.

“The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.” Eckhart Tolle

5. GIVE UP YOUR LIMITING BELIEFS

about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. From now on, you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly!

“A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind” Elly Roselle

6. GIVE UP COMPLAINING

 Give up your constant need to complain about those many, many, maaany things – people, situations, events that make you unhappy, sad and depressed. Nobody can make you unhappy, no situation can make you sad or miserable unless you allow it to. It’s not the situation that triggers those feelings in you, but how you choose to look at it. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.

7. GIVE UP THE LUXURY OF CRITICISM

Give up your need to criticize things, events or people that are different than you. We are all different, yet we are all the same. We all want to be happy, we all want to love and be loved and we all want to be understood. We all want something, and something is wished by us all.

8. GIVE UP YOUR NEED TO IMPRESS OTHERS

Stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not just to make others like you. It doesn’t work this way. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take off all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.

9. GIVE UP YOUR RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

 Change is good. Change will help you move from A to B. Change will help you make improvements in your life and also the lives of those around you. Follow your bliss, embrace change – don’t resist it.
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls” Joseph Campbell

10. GIVE UP LABELS

 Stop labeling those things, people or events that you don’t understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open. “The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.” Wayne Dyer

11. GIVE UP ON YOUR FEARS

Fear is just an illusion, it doesn’t exist – you created it. It’s all in your mind. Correct the inside and the outside will fall into place.
“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

12. GIVE UP YOUR EXCUSES

Send them packing and tell them they’re fired. You no longer need them. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all kind of excuses – excuses that 99.9% of the time are not even real.

13. GIVE UP THE PAST

I know, I know. It’s hard. Especially when the past looks so much better than the present and the future looks so frightening, but you have to take into consideration the fact that the present moment is all you have and all you will ever have. The past you are now longing for – the past that you are now dreaming about – was ignored by you when it was present. Stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life. After all life is a journey not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.

14. GIVE UP ATTACHMENT

This is a concept that, for most of us is so hard to grasp and I have to tell you that it was for me too, (it still is) but it’s not something impossible. You get better and better at with time and practice. The moment you detach yourself from all things, (and that doesn’t mean you give up your love for them – because love and attachment have nothing to do with one another,  attachment comes from a place of fear, while love… well, real love is pure, kind, and self less, where there is love there can’t be fear, and because of that, attachment and love cannot coexist) you become so peaceful, so tolerant, so kind, and so serene. You will get to a place where you will be able to understand all things without even trying. A state beyond words.

15. GIVE UP LIVING YOUR LIFE TO OTHER PEOPLE’S EXPECTATIONS

Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling. They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that they lose control over their lives. They forget what makes them happy, what they want, what they need….and eventually they forget about themselves.  You have one life – this one right now – you must live it, own it, and especially don’t let other people’s opinions distract you from your path.

Kinda hot around my body

It has been a chaos over the weekend.  My pc cables had been pulling a prank on me; broken down after an electricty blackout last Friday evening.  After waiting for an hour, we gave up and closed shop early around 7.30pm that day.

The next day, I opened the shop early than expected, but discovered the pc cannot be turned on.  So, it was a no-system day for 2 days in the shop.  And we have a stock of 70+ boxes came in on Saturday afternoon, which gave us more headache and heartburn!  It was not helping at all with the current weather and my air con have not been functioning well. 

Luckily my pc was back to normal yesterday afternoon after the technician came in to check on the problem.  And contractor came in this morning to service my air-con.  

Hopefully it will cool me down.  Because I am kinda of feeling hot.  Or probably because of the folic acid and iron tablets I took.  I don't know. 

My brain has not been working very well lately too.  Very lazy to write long post.  Kind of jam sitting in front of pc, looking at it, thinking how to compose my post.

My girl has been nagging us to bring her to swimming pool.  I think she can feel the heat around her too.  The haze is coming back too!  So I do hope this warm weather would not persist but heard over the radio, this is going to continue til September.  Oh boy!  I would prefer to stay in air-con room than going out and dipping in the pool under warm sun although the cool water sound very tempting to me.

Ok, enough ranting from me.  Or I would not know where this is heading.  Better stop before I go blank again!

Weekend Menu #30: Bread and Sambal

My simple morning breakfast. Luncheon meat and egg sandwiches.  Hubby and kids' favourite breakfast. 

On a hot day, you would lose your appetite sometimes.  And on such day, I would love to have simple meal, like rice with sambal.  Just sambal, nothing else.  Yummy! 

And I like my mum's sambal, because she added some pork lard into it.  Can have many bowls of rice to go with the sambal.

Fresher and greener

Almost every Sunday, we would resort to driving to the country side.  It may be a 30 minutes drive, an hour or so, but it is worth everything.

We deemed it as a short getaway from the buzzing city life.  We are blessed that we still have nice beaches, protected parks and forestry in Sarawak, which is within driving range.  Sometimes we drive to Damai and Santubong, sometimes to Muara Tebas and Bako.  Like last Sunday we drove to Matang.  Few years have passed by since I been to Matang.  The last time was we went for a swim in the Kubah Family Park.  Where I were small, dad loves to bring us to Matang because it is nearer than going to Santubong.  We will play water in the Red Bridge.  Last time the entrance was free, but now I understand there is fee to go into the Red Bridge river.  Matang also change a lot.  More and bigger road. 

I love countryside.  The air is fresher and scenery is greener.  Leave the problems in the city and just enjoy the view.  Can relax my lung and same time exercise my eyes after all those long days sitting in front of pc.  Lol!  The kids get to enjoy the view too.    And my girl acts as our guide, telling us where are we from the google map.  Yeap, she can read the map.  *wink*

Bye bye food catering

After more than a year, I cancel my food catering to my shop. 

Reason 1 is that it is not so economical.  After calculating the cost of taking catered food and buying ourselves, it is cheaper to tapau or cook ourselves in the shop.  The catering costs me RM280.00 per month for 2 person for a dinner.  And they did not send during Public Holidays and Sundays (which is the normal practice) but it is not economical for my case as my shop opens 7 days a week.  We need to eat during Public Holidays and Sundays.  So after much reasoning, it is still cheaper to buy and/or cook ourselves. 

I do not have much space to cook in the shop, so usually I would just cook using slow cooker.  And slow cooker has limitation.  I thought of getting a multi-cooker but worry about the smoke and complaints since the shop is in a shopping  centre.  But over here we have more choice now since few food centres around.

Reason 2 is that the food catering serves bad food.  For the first few months when we tried it, the dishes were nice.  But slowly, the food sucks.  Sometimes no meat at all.  Do you consider eggs and Chinese sausages "meat"?  And even my staff also complained the food is tasteless and sometimes they did not eat the dishes at all.  Such a waste.  I did not eat dinner at shop too as I mostly go to my parents' house.

So today would be the last day of my food catering.  And tomorrow we would be on our own in getting our own dinner. 

Life Partner of mine

Today marking our 8 years of marriage. We gone through the 7 year-itch and entered our 8th year as husband and wife. It is a bittersweet journey of life for both of us, but we are blessed with 2 wonderful children. What ever happen(ed) along the journey, we make and kiss. We are meant to walk this path together.

A couple weeks ago I was looking through the wedding albums. Wow! We did look different. I was younger while hubby was much slimmer that time. We have aged, but I can say we age gracefully (perasan! So thick face me!). Not only us, even our parents were younger that time. I shown the albums to my kids and even my girl commenting my mum look different. Why not? She seldom wear makeup and on my big day, she put on makeup. *wink

Happy anniversary!

Visit from Singapore

My dearest uncle, aunt and cousins came yesterday afternoon.  It is a special visit from them as the whole family came here since many years back.  My uncle and aunt come here pretty often, about thrice a year.  

This round my girl cousin is pregnant with first baby and she is bringing her hubby for a visit whereas the boy cousin is coming with his girlfriend.  Cousin is pregnant with a boy and will be due early September. The last time I seen my male cousin was back in 2002 during our grandfather's demise.  He has grown a lot and I hardly recognised him. 

So yesterday evening, I brought them for a walk in Waterfront Kuching, Main Bazaar and stretch of the Padungan road.  They do not mind the walk, but just complained of the warm weather.  Lol!  Thought Singapore is hot, but here is hotter according to them. 

Cousins and cousins-in-law posing in front of DUN

In the evening after closed shop, we took them to Alfresco Wine & Dine, Hock Lee Centre for a drink and chat.  The night before hubby and I have few rounds with some male friends and we left a bottle of Glenmonrangie there.  So last night hubby opened up the bottle and we shared a big platter of seafood combo.

This morning I gave my cousins a wake up call around 830am and by 10am I went to pick them for a brunch of Sarawak laksa and kolo mee in Kenyalang Park.  Well, cannot go back without tasting the local food, right??   

The Laksa in Noodle Expert cafe is fantastic.  RM4.00 per bowl and special is RM5.00

No more late nights for me.  My 2 kids are coming back from holiday tonight.  I will be spending times with them and have early sleep tonight.  *wink*

The result

I took my blood test report this morning from the clinic.  Even before I collected it, we already knew of my problem.  The doctor took the courtesy to call my hubby last week of my report. 

Confirmed of my low hemoglobin count, so probably that the cause of my dizziness. 

So doctor prescribed a month supply of Iron and Folic Acid tablets to me.  To take the supplements for 3 months then conduct another round of blood (or body) test to see whether there is some improvement.  This is hubby's panel doctor, so everything is FOC.  *wink*

So for now, I have to be "kwai kwai" (obediently) taking those supplements.  Even before doctor recommended me to take livers, I already told him that it is a "No - No" in my diet.  I can accept green vegetables, but not chicken liver.  *wink*

Go glitter

I was doing some cleaning to my beauty compartment few days ago.   Threw away many stuff, like compact sponges, brushes, cosmetic kits and nail colours.  Mostly have expired or not usable.  Some more I seldom put on make up, so no hard feeling in throwing those stuff away.

A look into my nail colours that I have left after all those clearing.

Only left few of the nail colours

Silver base with glittering coat

After many months of resting my nails, they have grown longer and stronger.  So, I am itching to polish them again.....*wink* 

Beware of the scale

You know what?  I gain some weights lately.  Not only think, but feel it too.  And can see that my bulge on the abdomen.  S**t!  Must be all those late suppers and worry-free atmosphere that give me all those gains. 

I have few late nights but they did not passed 12 midnight.  Because I am not a night owl anymore, so by 12 midnight I must sleep otherwise when the clock is up, I would not be able sleep well.

I do not need to go up the scale to know I have gain weight or not.  Because I noticed that I cannot fit well into my favourite jeans.  And I can feel how tight it is when I button it up.  So you see, I know that I have add some fat to my tummy.  Sigh!

Well, I can conclude when this holiday ends this weekend, not only my kids will gain weight, I would too!  Lol!

Weekend Menu #29: Potatoes & Eggs Salad

Jen Jen makes the best potatoes and eggs salad I ever tasted.  Creamy and delicious.  Since she moved to WM, we seldom meet and we do not have such privileges to taste her salad anymore.  *wink*  I think she is very busy and has her hands full with her lovely baby girl now too to go into the kitchen.

Anyway, I had a craving for salad few nights ago, so I thought why not I make my own salad.  So, I bought some lettuces and potatoes in the nearby supermarket and made it at home after closed shop.  Never knew a simple Potatoes & Eggs salad also take about an hour to prepare.  Or probably it is me that need an hour to prepare. Lol! So by the time I was done,  hubby was home in time around 1030pm. We had our supper of salad and steak in front of tv.

My simple Potatoes & Eggs Salad

Sliced lettuces and diced red onion

Cubed potatoes and hard-boiled eggs

Mixed everything slowly, add a bit of salt and some salad dressing (or mayo of your own choice)

Our supper!



Happy Weekend, everyone!