Croque Madame : my perfect simple breakfast

After read Mun's Croque Madame few weeks ago, I were so tempted to give this French classic a try. I searched through the internet and read few recipes on this gourmet. Some called for Dijon mustard, fried egg etc but I wanted a simple yet tasty recipe.

So, that was how my simple breakfast was created. I tested what I have gathered a bit here and there from internet. It may not be how the original croque intended to be but I believe everything can be adapted and adjusted according to personal taste. My croque recipe is really easy, trust me. That is why I called it perfect simple breakfast. 

Ingredients:
2 slices of hams
1 slice of cheddar (or better, go for grated type)
2 chunky slice of white bread (can sub with wholemeal bread)
2 tbsp butter
1 egg

Methods:
1. Break egg into simmering water in a pot.  Cook for 1 minute then remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes to poach.

2. Heat up a pan in medium. Place ham and cheese between bread slices and press to seal.  Spread half butter on outside of each bread slices.

3. Fry in the pan, pressing down the bread for 1 - 2 minutes on each side till golden brown. Keep warm in oven, if necessary,

4. Use a slotted spoon to remove the poached egg from water. Rest egg on kitchen towel for few seconds to absorb the excess water. Top croquet with egg. Season the egg with some salt and black pepper. Serve warm!

I know, cannot see my hams in the bread slices! Lol.

Now you can see them!

Hope you like my very own version of Croque Madame.  I just need to master the egg poaching method more to create that runny yolk. Then, it would be my perfect simple breakfast. *wink*

In our sanctuary

Some days it starts as early as 630am. I have to be contemplating to get up, prepare breakfast or have a quick shower and nag my kids to hurry up and go out for breakfast. Some days, I have to be grateful when they allow you to lie down in bed and have a few minutes of peace.

Most of the days, I prefer to stay at home than going out. Sure, I love to wander and enjoy what the city has to offer but home is where the heart is.

I have my 3 kids to keep me busy about. I can run around with messy hair in my pyjamas without been judged. 

Really not easy trying to manage the house with the kids up and about. So I finally decided that the only time to do cleaning and chores would be at night after all the kids have fallen asleep.

That is also the time when I do my laundry, washing and some reading. A little me-time where I can have tv all to myself and put on mask on my face.

Once a while, I do meet up with friends for yum cha or my family for breakfast and dinner. But most of the times, I just snuggle with my kids, play fools and have some fun around the house. Schools are going to start in few weeks time. So now it is time to rest and relax before things get heated up! ^^

Wefie with the boys

Btw, Christmas is just a week away. And see what I bought for myself?

I know, it has been a long time since I painted my nails. Well, I think it is not too much to put on some colour for the coming holiday, right?? Add some glitter to my life (I mean, my nails! *wink wink*)

Miscellaneous Picture #31: books

A room without books is like a body without a soul. - Marcus Tullius Cicero

Books. They are my companions when I am alone, bored or thirst for more knowledges or imagination. What would I do without them?

More glittering

After I made the Christmas tree for them, my kids requested me to allow them to make their own. I thought, why not? Let them have some fun and it is school holiday after all. 

I decided to let them have a little fun with glitters. Not just the normal colour painting. 

What we need.....blue coloured papers, cut-out tree from cardboard (I used milk powder box), glue, toothpicks, cotton balls and of course the glitters.

I have 2 kinds of glitters.

So, let the art class begins!!

If you do not want to get the table all dust with glitters, better place a paper or newspaper on the top of it.

Align the cardboard on the coloured paper. Leave few inches at the bottom. Apply glue on the middle of the tree. Start dashing some gold glitter dusts.

Leave it to dry for few minutes before remove the cardboard from the colour paper.

Then apply some glue on the bottom of the tree. Place the cotton balls one by one.

Same goes with the other glitter. Jan is happily arrange her bear-shaped glitters using toothpick.

She used the facial cotton for her creation. And she even apply some cotton on the tree for the snowy effect.

I did not helped them at all. Just guided Jay and helped him apply the glue and the other work were done by him. Jan just see and follow along. 

Glad they enjoyed themselves with this little fun.

That little tree in the room

The kids requested me to decorate their bedroom wall with cartoon stickers so I let them do it themselves.

I kept few stickers in boxes but the other day when cleaning out the boxes, found that mostly have torn or unusable. Ended up only managed to salvage 3 stickers.

And since Christmas is less than 2 weeks away, this morning I made a simple painting for the wall. Please don't laugh at my awful painting as art used to be my least favourite subject in school!!

A simple Christmas tree using water colour. Free style sketch with lines and dots.

Next I used a red cloth tape to frame the painting to the wall.  So there is my Christmas tree painting for my kids.

My girl helped me to give it more "blink blink" by adding letters to the tree.

 Our Christmas tree painting on the wall.

Never stop there

My Saturday started pretty early. Not that I wish for few more hours of sleeping but Jay woke me up slightly before 6am on Saturday. He wet his pants and came into the room to tell me. 

Yes, once in a blue moon, he still wets his pants and bed. Well, what surprised me that morning was his bed and quilts were all dry. My logical theory would be that he must have pee out a bit and stopped in time. So just his pants.

Ok, not that he woke me up but the other kids were up as well. Tried to get them to sleep slightly longer but everyone could not sleep except Jamie who dozed off around 7am to have another 30 minutes nap. 

Since Jan and Jay were having their swimming class that morning, we went out for breakfast around 8am. Just somewhere nearby. I do not usually drive so far out for breakfast.

So we went to this coffee shop in MJC. It is called Big One Food Court. It is opposite Ice Buddy Cafe, a new cafe that opened recently.

I noticed a laksa stall which I have never tried before. So I ordered its normal bowl which costs RM5.50. 

And here was my normal bowl of Sarawak Laksa. Looked good with the presentation. I wonder what would be the special bowl of RM6.50 looks like if the normal bowl is like this? Bigger bowl or more ingredients or a special ingredient?

Taste-wise, it was nice. Still, cannot beat the RM5.00 laksa from Sin Chong Choon cafe. It was lack of those laksa paste flavour and thickness. Maybe they used different laksa paste. Nevertheless I enjoyed the laksa here. Different variation, I guess.

So, our morning went by pretty fast with me bringing the kids to their swimming class. For lunch, we ate at Sugatbun. Then went home to rest. Fast forward to around 4pm, I woke up with Jamie begging for milk. Omg, how clumsy were I. Spilled some milk powder on the floor and some on the table. 

Sob sob sob. Milk formula is very expensive and there is a price hike in all milk formulas. Guess no need to cry anymore over the spilled milk.

In the evening we had dinner with my parents and went to one of the malls in the city to see their Christmas decoration. The kids were never tired of seeing the decoration. I think it is one thing that they are so look forward to at the end of the year. Shopping mall hopping to check on their decoration. Even Jamie was excited, babbling and pointing here and there.

An avid young window shopper

The lovely backdrop on stage in Plaza Merdeka

Everything looks pretty minimal this year in Plaza Merdeka

Shopping and driving with them

After our breakfast, we went to this neighbourhood mall which is just a stone throw away. I need to get some ingredients and presents for the coming Christmas. 

I love to shop in Cold Storage as I could basically get everything there. Better quality products.

After we were done with our shopping, I drove my kids for a ride around the Stampin area since everyone was still restless and reluctant to go home yet.

I didn't know why, but that day I just feel like driving to my old college. It has been ages since I left my alma mater and never step into the campus. Those were in the late 90s. I did my LCCI double diplomas there, then continue with my degree pursue in marketing management. That time my option was 2 + 1. So first 2 years I studied there before continue my final year in Nilai College.

The once well-known college in Sarawak now looks so deserted. I understand that the property was bought over by another local college.

At least I shown my alma mater to my children as Jan has asked me before on my college. Now they know where I studied before.