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An End to the Silence

2009-10-13T19:14:00.006-05:00

ACK!! So embarrassed, so very embarrassed to have abandoned this blog since early March. Life has been a virtual speed race since then and I've yet to be able to get off this ride.

We're now comfortably back home in KL. Settled in with my folks. Things are going great! Jon has an awesome job as Commercial Manager with Albert Wines and Liquor. I've been very lucky to establish Babysweet Cakes strongly back here and have made more progress in four months here than I had in the past two years in the US. Elyse is adjusting very well and flourishing under the constant spoiling by her grandparents and aunties.

My beautiful family!

My other family. This is a very rare photo.

It was definitely the right decision to move home. Things have never been better for us. I don't negate the 10 years I've been away. In those many years, I've learnt to be a better person, gained more experience to easily guide me through my reassimilation in Malaysia. I've always believed that things do happen for a reason, however one has to make the tough decisions that come along the way. And if it looks right, feels right, smells right (LOL!) and sounds right, then it very likely will be...right.

I'm home, where I belong. To brand new adventures....

Post Valentine jackpot (Thankful List Day 45)

2009-03-03T13:24:00.003-06:00

Pardon the late, late posting. I've not been able to catch up with the blogging because of multiple factors pretty much all colliding into each other.

To follow up a pretty laid-back V-day, I usually pay a yearly pilgrimage to various stores to take advantage of a post V-day discount. Most items are marked down at least 50%. I had a couple of things in mind that I needed to get and headed to the mall.

Very successful trip, indeed. Procured what I intended to get at the said 50% off. *laughing with glee*

That was followed by a grocery store visit, and since I was near the Super Target up north, I headed there instead of the usual Kroger. Boy, was that a fun trip! I found some Ghirardelli dark chocolates marked down 75% and loaded up on a few packages. See, after having navigated through a few years worth of post-holiday shopping, I know Target's price markdown processes like the back of my hand.

On the day of said holiday, sometimes they mark down the products to 20% off just for competitiveness. The very next day, it's immediately marked down 30-50% off. And if you wait just a tad bit longer, they continue marking down the products 50 - 75% off. Unfortunate side of waiting is that sometimes what you wanted will usually be gone. So, I got lucky this time!!

The chocolates are sitting in my pantry closet waiting for a long-distance flight back to KL.

RECIPE: Crab Spring Rolls

2009-02-26T23:36:00.003-06:00

I adapted this recipe from an epicurean hero of mine, Gordon Ramsay. It is fantastic, paired with an extra dry champagne or sparkling wine, or a German estate Riesling.

Ingredients

8 large spring roll wrappers (about 10 inch/25 cm sq)
1 large egg white, for sealing the edges
peanut/canola oil, for deep-frying
sweet chili sauce, for dipping

Filling:
9oz (250gm) crabmeat, picked over
2 green onions, finely sliced
small handful of cilantro (coriander) leaves, chopped
one red chili, seeds and ribs removed and chopped finely
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 1/2 tbsp mayonnaise
sea salt and black pepper, for seasoning
juice from 1 medium lime, to taste

Method

Toss all ingredients for the filling into a bowl and mix together gently until well-combined. Add more or less lime juice according to your taste. I like it a little tangier to counter the heaviness of the oil.
Divide the filling into 8 equal portions in the bowl.
Lay a spring roll wrapper on a cutting board with the corner facing you. (Keep the rest covered with a slightly damp dish towel to prevent from drying out.)
Spoon the crabmeat filling onto the bottom half of the wrapper, then brush the edges of the surrounding pastry with egg white.
Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, brushing the sides witih egg white, and then fold them in and over the filling, like an envelope. (refer to picture)
Roll up into a log, making sure the edge is rolled under to seal it properly. Repeat with the rest of the wrappers and filling.
Heat the oil for deep-frying (at least 2 1/2 inch/6 cm depth) in a suitable pan to 350F (180C).
Deep-fry the rolls in batches for about 40-50 seconds until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
Cut the spring rolls in half diagonally, and serve warm with a bowl of sweet chili sauce on the side for dipping.

My Hungry Valentine (Thankful List Day 44)

2009-02-19T21:15:00.005-06:00

It was a typical Valentine's day for Jon and me, almost completely non-romantic, if I had to put it in those words.

He had to work from a full day, 9 a.m. through 9 p.m. I was stuck with yard sale prep duty, did a grab-and-dash at Ikea and met up with a dear friend for a quick lunch. Then it was straight to Lisa's place and did some loading and unloading boxes of things to sell at the garage sale AND helped cook some lunch.

After a couple of hours, I rushed home (mind you it's an hour's drive one way) to meet up with a lady who was coming to buy my sofa. Then a quick trip to the supermarket and then home again, home again, jiggety jig, to prepare some dinner for us. Of course, being V-day, I tried to put some kind of effort into the meal considering we don't celebrate it in any other fashion.

I already had a recipe in mind to attempt. I adapted Gordon Ramsay's Crab Spring Rolls recipe and added a few twist. The original recipe would have been fantastic, but being very familiar with the ingredients, I knew that it would be better suited to our palates if the flavours were a tad bit bolder. So I upped the ooomph-factor with a little extra lime juice, added a red jalapeno for heat, and lime zest for a little more zing to counter the heaviness from frying the rolls.
(Recipe to follow in next posting)

Suffice to say, dinner was incredibly enjoyable. Jon brought home a bottle of Aubry Brut Rosé Champagne which paired perfectly with the crab spring rolls. After downing dinner and a glass of champagne, I was already half-asleep. At the end of the long, long day, I was and still am, always VERY thankful that I have someone I can celebrate even a low-key Valentine's day with.

Hand Me Downs (Thankful List Day 43)

2009-02-15T21:43:00.002-06:00

Today, I pulled out a few more new outfits for Elyse from the nice collection we have in the closet. A collection I have no doubt cost a very nice chunk of change since they are hand-me-downs from a few little girls. Some of them are designer, some never been worn before, and most are still very fresh-looking.

Once in a while, I make it a point to get a few new pieces for her just to mix things up a little. Usually, something nice that's on sale. The amount I spend would hardly put a dent into the tubs and tubs of clothing that we inherited. I am so, so very thankful for those contributions. Elyse look like a million bucks without me having to shell out more than a few dollars.

Follow up to 'A Nice Surprise TLD 31' (Thankful List Day 42)

2009-02-15T21:33:00.003-06:00

I realized on this day that the IRS can be very accurate when they want to. I've been filing our taxes online for the past three years, and it's been super easy! And every year I request for the return amount to be directly deposited into my bank account just to speed up the process.

This year was the same. A few days after filing, I was able to check the status of my return on the IRS website, and they had given me a window of time when I would be expected to receive the money. A little after a week, I checked on the status again and this time was given the specific date. Lo, and behold, I checked my bank balance on that day and sure enough, there it was sitting pretty.

All I can say is...wow! My day is looking pretty good.

Winging it (Thankful List Day 41)

2009-02-15T21:20:00.003-06:00

OMG, OMG, OMG...I am so behind on the posting. Been very busy lately with many things, especially with the selling of our things on craiglist, planning yard sales, unpacking and organizing of things, making endless lists of things that we need for the move home...and trying my best to get winezen.com up and running. Major emphasis on the word 'TRY'.

I'm completely feeling my way around on this one. Didn't study this in school, nor took any courses on building websites. Thankfully, there are many web hosting services available nowadays with a myriad of templates and website building tools on hand. Absolutely fabulous for people like me!!

Needless to say, it's still taking me a while to get things going. But at least, things are moving in the right direction.

A Good Read (Thankful List Day 40)

2009-02-11T13:16:00.006-06:00

I've always been an avid reader. As a young child, I loved my fairy tales and Enid Blyton - the fantasy and feeling that anything is possible. I've more than once looked at a chair and hoped it would lift off the ground by some magical power.

In my very early teens, I got into adult fiction - Sheldon, Cook, Archer, Clancy, just to name a few. I suppose those were books that were lying around the house. I'd spend hours just laying down on my bed, or curled up in a chair, just reading. Ended up needing glasses by the time I was 9.

Nowadays, I prefer non-fiction works, or lighter fare. Over the past few years, I've completely enjoyed the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling. I believe they are some of the best books ever written, incredibly imaginative and clever in its conception of a completely unique world, even though it's based on popular folk lore and mythology with a dose of history.

Over the recent weeks, I've breezed through a few selective novels by Jennifer Weiner - Good In Bed, Certain Girls and Little Earthquakes. They're easy reads. I finished them in a few hours. But she writes in an engaging manner, with quite a good sense of humour, mostly Jewish, which possibly makes it even funnier. I think I may take on In Her Shoes next, even though I'd already seen the movie. I liked the movie version, and I suspect I may like the book better.

Nothing like a good read to take you away from your present, even if it's for a brief moment.

RECIPE: ABC Soup (Thankful List Day 38)

2009-02-10T13:40:00.005-06:00

There are days when I just draw a blank when it comes to planning dinner. After rummaging through my refrigerator and pantry, I decided to rely on a tried and true recipe - ABC soup. Most of you who are Malaysian Chinese will probably know what I'm talking about. It's a fantastic soup, very flavourful and healthy. Nothing like soup to chase the winter blues away.

This recipe makes a large pot, enough to serve six to eight people. I like to make a lot so that I have leftovers for the next day. I just have it with rice, and soy sauce as a dip.

Ingredients:
2 lbs meaty pork bones (substitute with chicken if you wish)
2 large potatoes, cut into 2-inch cubes
4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch length pieces
1 large onion, cut into cubes
3 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, simple quartered
1 tbsp whole white peppercorns (add more if you like it spicier)
1 tbsp salt
approximately 4 litres of water

Method:

Bring water to a boil in a large heavy stockpot. Add in pork bones.
Cook bones in gentle boiling water for about 30 minutes, and then using a skimmer, remove all scum and excess oil.
Add all veggies to the mix, along with the peppercorns and salt.
Simmer for another hour, until meat falls off the bones.
Serve hot with steamed rice.

Playing favourites (Thankful List Day 37)

2009-02-10T13:04:00.004-06:00

I am running behind on the blogging!!! Gahhh....
Things just got a little carried away and next thing I knew, I'm three days behind. Ughh!!
Keeping up with this resolution can be really difficult somedays.

I was sitting in the car one day, parked in front of Target because Miss Elyse decided that she'd take a nap in the car five minutes after I left home. Fortunately, I had a book with me to read - 'Good In Bed' by Jennifer Weiner. Yeah, I'm a whole decade behind on this one, but I managed to catch up quickly and finished the sequel too. In one part of the book, the main character is asked what her absolute favourite food is. That got me thinking....really...hard.

What an absolutely loaded question! I suppose some people can name very specific favourite foods but to narrow it down to one is probably very difficult. My personal favourites would be um,..er...eh..ooh, how do I decide? See, see??!? It's not easy to choose between roti canai, curry noodles, tom yam goong, brothy Taiwanese or Mandarin noodles with 'char choy' (spicy szechuan pickled mustard root), ever-favourite nasi lemak, bak kut teh, 'pan mee', 'char kway teow'....I could go on and on...and that's just Malaysian favourites.

Okay, one thing that I'm VERY sure of is that my absolute favourite food is definitely Malaysian. In fact, I'd say my top thirty favourite foods would be Malaysian or Asian to say the least. I do have other favourites from other cuisines, which I will get into in another post.

I'd love to hear from the rest of you about your own favourite foods. Perhaps we share a few in common.

Furry People (Thankful List Day 37)

2009-02-08T22:02:00.004-06:00

It's a typical Sunday night. I'm sitting on my bed, movie on tv and laptop on my uh,..lap. Sprinkles is curled up right next to me, fast asleep. She's so precious when she's asleep. Then again, she's usually very sweet, but very precocious and naughty.

Chino is all curled up in his own bed, probably dreaming of birds, kitty treats and running free.
He's also incredibly sweet and gentle with us, lightly touching us with his paw and meowing softly as if to say "hi, I love you." or maybe he's trying to say "lemme outta here, you punk!". If only I understood cat-speak.

Tigger used to be a loud and obnoxious fixture in this household, THE baby of the household even after Elyse had arrived, up until six months ago. We had to send him off to live with Lisa after a number of 'accidents' with Elyse. Those two were like oil and water, ...or more appropriately, flame and gasoline..LOL!! Now, he's an even louder and more obnoxious presence in Lisa's home.

It's amazing to see what different personalities they have. Chino is the oldest of the three, and was always looking after the others until they grew wayyyy bigger than him. I'd always find him grooming the other two cats like a protective older brother. Sprinkles is THE alpha cat, even though she's female, she never hesitates to let you know who's boss. However, she's incredibly gentle with Elyse. She sometimes sleeps under Elyse's crib, and will be right there with her when she wakes up. And, gosh...I cannot imagine another animal putting up with Elyse's 'gentle pats', i.e. really hard smacks, on either head, back or side. Or tail-pulling for that matter.

At this point in time, I am going through a series of emotions about moving home, and having to leave the cats here with new owners. I know they would be better off staying here. I refuse to put them through a very traumatic move just so they can end up in a completely different environment which may do them more harm than good. I know I will miss them terribly, especially since they were my babies before Elyse came along. But I suppose, here is where we come to the fork in the road, and we'll have to go down one lane and they will have...oh, new territory to haunt. At the end of the day, I know they will be happy.

He's baaaack! (Thankful List Day 36)

2009-02-05T22:41:00.002-06:00

Jon is home! He's been away for 3 days for the Court of Master Sommelier seminar and exams in New Orleans. It's been a tough 3 days because Elyse got sick just before he left and has had a nasty cold. To make matters even more interesting, today she decided to spew a bucketful of puke all over herself and the car seat. In the process of trying to change her out of her vomit-soaked clothing, I managed to make things worse and transfered a bunch on to myself *eek*

Miraculously, I survived the day, even though Elyse sprung another surprise on me later in the evening. Thankfully, it happened in the bathtub and there was no clothing involved.

After all is said and done, I'm very glad to have my husband home. Things just aren't the same without him.

Space, lots and lots of space. (Thankful List Day 35)

2009-02-05T22:29:00.002-06:00

It was the second day Jon's been in New Orleans. I wanted to keep myself busy, so along with Lisa's invitation to drive up for dinner, I decided to quickly pack up as much stuff that I want to sell as possible, and drive it up to her place. I managed to throw out a few more boxes of things, stuff I had NO idea why I still had. Also, succeeded in packing up the Highlander so efficiently that I had to take a photo because I was so proud of myself! *giggle*

What I'm most thankful for is that Lisa has a humongous garage that is already packed with her things, and also a bunch from a friend who is out of the country. Now, she has the load that I brought up yesterday...and scarily, there's a lot more where those came from.

*Takes a deep breath*

Piles and piles of it (Thankful List Day 34)

2009-02-04T10:49:00.003-06:00

Piles and piles of laundry, that is.

Somehow it seems like we have more laundry than the average family, but I could be mistaken. I have my set days for certain loads of laundry - Monday is towel day, Tuesday is whites, Wednesday is darks and colours, Thursday is Elyse's clothing, etc.

Most tenants in apartment buildings resort to using the laundry rooms available. I, uh, would have BIG problems washing my clothes in the same machine which has just washed somebody else's undies. Thankfully, I don't have to. I have my own trusty washer and dryer which I bought from a friend a few years ago. She got married and moved in with her husband, so she didn't need hers anymore. Furthermore, she let me have them both at a very decent price.

Very, very thankful for that. Now, onwards with the next load.

My new toy (Thankful List Day 33)

2009-02-03T13:35:00.004-06:00

YES!!! IT HAS ARRIVED!!!

Sorry for the sudden outburst. I am still very excited about my new toy that arrived yesterday - a new HP with 16-inch screen, AMD Turion Dual-Core, 3GB DDR2, 320GB HDD, integrated webcam, Lightscribe...I could go on and on. Best part is that I got it from Costco during a promotional blitz for only $549.99!

It is very sleek and gorgeous. I am loving this laptop! So, now all I have to do is to get on with the website. Hmmm....wish me luck!

And on the seventh day... (Thankful List Day 32)

2009-02-02T22:34:00.002-06:00

I used to not like Sundays because it led straight to Mondays. I've felt this way since I was a child dreading school, all the way through adulthood, dreading the start of the work week. Yeah, I know that's quite sad, but that is the sort of person I am. It's hard for me to enjoy and be in the moment, because I tend to focus negatively on the inevitable fact that good times tend to end.

Nowadays, I love Sundays. Because Jon doesn't have to work that day. When he was at Central Market, he'd have to work occasional Sundays just because they are a grocery store and are open seven days a week. However, being at a liquor store now, it is mandatory that they close on Sunday due to state laws.

We can enjoy a leisurely breakfast, have dim sum, go to the mall or park and just hang out on our own timetable. I suppose I'm slowly learning to live in the present and little by little, gradually giving up the illusion of control.

A nice surprise (Thankful List Day 31)

2009-01-31T21:11:00.002-06:00

Did my duty and filed our taxes today. I am very happy that we'll be receiving a good refund, which will be enough for us to pay for our air tickets, and perhaps part of the shipping home. I was expecting some money, but was surprised by the end total.

Thank you, Uncle Sam!!

Bailed out again (Thankful List Day 30)

2009-01-31T12:54:00.003-06:00

Without getting into too much detail, I'm SO pleased and relieved that Jon doesn't have to drive all the way to New Orleans next Tuesday and back again Thursday. Due to some failed financial juggling, I had been struggling to figure out how to get him there safely and back for his Court of Master Sommelier seminar. I was venting to my parents about it and they offered to help us out. I am SO, SO, SO thankful!! We love you, mum and pa!

After some desperate last-minute scrounging online, I managed to find him a good package deal on Expedia. So I am very pleased to announce that Jon will be flying there by AA, and will be staying over at the very hotel that the seminar will be held. He won't even have to drive anywhere.

Now, I wish I could go too *sigh*.

Bordeaux in Texas (Thankful List Day 29)

2009-01-30T13:12:00.008-06:00

Considering that the French have a fragile relationship with the US, I was surprised that the Union des Grands Crus of Bordeaux decided to include Dallas in their four-city tour/meet-and-greet, 2006 vintage tasting. It was their last stop, after San Francisco, New York and Chicago - three of the largest wine-consuming cities in the States.

It was indeed a grand event, held at the Dallas Frontiers of Flight Museum, no less. It felt very surreal for me, probably because of the venue, and the fact that I'd not been to a proper wine tasting for a while, let alone one of this stature.

By the time I got there, Jon was already thick in the midst of sniffing, swishing and spitting...wine, that is. One has to spit if tasting professionally. Otherwise, you'd be drunk as a skunk after your tenth glass. I roamed around, feeling a little intimidated by the crowd, and not really knowing where to start. After warming up with some assortment of cheese and crackers, I decided to dive straight into my favourite châteaus beginning with Château Angelus from the Saint Emilion region, and then moved forth onto the other superb wines - Troplong Mondot, Pape Clément, d'Angludet, (and managed to squeeze the last few drops from Lynch-Bages), just to name a few.

What was really exciting was that this was no ordinary wine tasting - we got to meet with the actual winemakers or château owners or family members. Ah, to feel the excitement and soul exuding from both the wine, and the stories that were shared; the passion in the winemaker's voice as he enthusiastically recites anecdotes about that particular year's harvest. Now, that was worth braving rush hour traffic for.

Jon and I had a marvelous time and in truth, this may be the last great wine tasting we'll both get to enjoy for a while. And so, I thank the Bordeaux Union for this excellent opportunity.

À votre santé!

Hitting the bottle (Thankful List Day 28)

2009-01-29T11:02:00.003-06:00

I know this is a strange thing to be thankful for, but I am very thankful for alcohol. Yes, its mind-numbing abilities definitely need to be praised, but I'm referring to the fact that Jon still has a job because of it. According to the most recent inventory report, wine and liquor sales are up!!!

Times are tough and getting much tougher by the minute. Jobs are being cut left, right and centre. Companies declaring bankruptcy, asking for government handouts.....Everyone's asking for help. Funny thing is that a lot of people think help comes in bottles. I've found myself pouring a glass of wine or gin and juice. In fact, our makeshift bar is looking mighty empty. Hmm...

People tend to drink during hard times AND good times. Well, let them keep on drinking then so we can pay our bills and rent.

Bottom's up, everybody!

(Disclaimer: These thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone. I will not entertain any comments about the evils of alcohol. )

There is a Spoon (Thankful List Day 27)

2009-01-28T13:10:00.003-06:00

One of the little things I'm very thankful for is that my kid is quite independent when it comes to food. She started holding her own milk bottle and sippy cups when she was barely six months old, started feeding herself finger foods at seven months. By nine months, she was eating tiny morsels of meat, tofu, veggies and fruit. I could supervise her meals whilst washing up in the kitchen without having to sit with her at all times.

Now, at 21 months, she's very adept at feeding herself with a spoon from a bowl, with a little help from her little fingers. Once in a while, she'll need me to break something up into smaller pieces, but usually she prefers to bite.

Downside? Elyse gets very adamant when she wants a "kuhkuh" ( cookie).

Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

What's left? (Thankful List Day 26)

2009-01-27T15:04:00.002-06:00

Today had to be the dreariest first day of CNY ever. It was cold, drizzly and we had to abandon our plans to go see the lion dance parade @ the Asian Art Center in downtown Dallas. To make matters worse, I had horrid tummy cramps caused by excess mucus. I shall not get into details.

So, the plans were all turned topsy-turvy which made me a very disagreeable person. Only consolation of the day? Leftovers from the night before - very yummy steamboat soup with the extra fish and meat balls, mushrooms, tofu and noodles. Upset tummy or not, I was determined to enjoy every morsel.

There was enough soup leftover for dinner too, and by then it tasted absolutely heavenly.

Awful day outside, but we had sunshine in our tummies. Ahhhh.....

Welcoming the Ox (Thankful List Day 25)

2009-01-26T09:24:00.003-06:00

Ah, that time of year is upon us again. And this time we welcome the Ox, second brother on the Chinese zodiac. So, we say goodbye to the year of the Rat. It's been a mediocre year. I guess it could have been worse, so I have to give my thanks for that.

Yesterday we had out yearly CNY eve dinner with Lisa, along with some friends. It was a wonderful get-together. The food was fantastic - we had steamboat (hotpot or shabu-shabu to some of you) with loads of fish balls, meatballs, sliced pork, tofu, mushrooms, veggies and noodles. *whew*. It was accompanied by a slew of free-flowing liquor and wine, and yummy desserts of tiramisu (brought by some friends) and pineapple tarts! *double yum*

These are days that hold a special place in my heart - the times when we get together with close friends and loved ones to celebrate holidays and festivals with bountiful feasts and libations. Here's to great memories, and fantastic new ones to come!

Gong Xi Fa Cai to all of you! May the year of the Ox bless you with prosperity, good health, good luck and plenty of joy and laughter.

Preparing for the Ox (Thankful List Day 24)

2009-01-26T09:05:00.003-06:00

Oops! Missed two days of posting. All due to the requisite cleaning and preparations to be done before CNY. It would have been easy had I started a week ago, but of course, I had to procrastinate and well... painfully crammed it all into two days.

Aside from the mandatory dusting, vacuuming and mopping, I also decided it would be a good idea to make some dried prawn sambal. And then went crazy with making mini rolls with said dried prawn sambal. All was well, except that it took me two hours to make the sambal, and another three to make one container's worth of prawn rolls. By the time I was done, I was reaaaaady to meet the Zzzz's.

Nevertheless, the delicious prawn rolls were really worth the effort. And I guess I'm thankful for having had the luxury of eating them years ago in my childhood. Had I not, I don't believe I would have decided to learn how to make them.

Ahh...they are calling me now. Ciao!

(Recipe to follow soon)

Pineapples, tart pastry and sugar. Oh my! (Thankful List Day 23)

2009-01-24T09:58:00.004-06:00

What can I say? I'm a real sucker for pineapple tarts. Always have been, since I was a kid. Not having access to them has made me venture out and make my own. I believe my first attempt was about 7 years ago (?)

I copied the recipe off Kuali.com and made mediocre tasting tarts. However, with a little experimenting here and there, I've managed to get my pineapple jam recipe down pat. Recent trials and tweaks with a pastry recipe yielded very good results. So I am happy to report that I have the perfect recipe now. Woohoo!!

It tickles me a lot to know that my recent photos of the tarts on FB created quite a funny commentary stream. I am so thankful for the many friends I can share these awesome tarts with, even if it's only 'virtual' :)

(Recipe will be posted at later date)

Hong Kong in Texas (Thankful List Day 22)

2009-01-23T10:59:00.006-06:00

Entrance to the new Hong Kong shopping center

This lion statue is made of solid marble!

Yesterday was the first time I felt even an inkling of a celebratory mood. As usual, Chinese New Year is a non-event here in Texas. At the Hong Kong market, they had put up some fairly nice decorations, lanterns and such. Of course, they had the mandatory CNY music playing in the background, loads of CNY candy and other goodies displayed out front.

Further into the store, they had a mountain of mandarin oranges and pomeloes for sale. Shelves were empty of certain cookies and drinks. Yes! It sure looks like CNY now :)

It is because of asian markets like this which has kept me sane throughout the years I've been here. I am able to get most ingredients that I need to replicate our favourite dishes from home, which as you know....I'm most thankful for.

All booked up. (Thankful List Day 21)

2009-01-22T10:10:00.000-06:00

I had no idea we had so many books until I went through our storage facility last weekend to inventory what we had. Yesterday, Jon and I went through all the boxes with books and paper materials and had a great time chucking them into 'keep', 'sell' and well...trash.

Well, I guess I had a great time - spring cleaning is so therapeutic for me. Was just telling Lisa that I can breathe better now after that ordeal. Jon, however, had a slightly more difficult time. He was crouched on the floor, amidst the boxes and piles of books, and was slowly reading through some of them. He had bit of an anguished look on his face which made me feel terrible.

I knew it was time for some of these books to go, and Jon understands. He's always been quite a pack rat. I've realized over the years that few things hold sentimental value for me. It might sound sad to some of you, but fact is new things don't stay new, and to be able to see them for functional material goods and nothing more, frees me from the bondage that is so paralyzing for some.

Of course, good news for people like me is that an awesome place known as Half-Price book. It's a store that buys and sells used books, DVDs and other media. So, yours truly dumped all the boxes in the back of my trusty Highlander and drove off eagerly to the closest HPB store. Got me a fair amount for the whole enchilada *woohoo*.

Now, let's see what else I can dig up to sell....

Beginning of a New Era.(Thankful List Day 20)

2009-01-21T11:10:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was an amazing day, one that will be remembered for a while. I followed President Obama's inauguration ceremony online via CNN.com's live streaming video. It's blows my mind to see how technology has evolved since the past year. Today, you can catch all news as it is happening, live over the internet.

As I was saying, I caught the inauguration live, and simultaneously enjoyed a great commentary session with a couple of friends. The ceremony moved us all in a very special way that has not happened since I can actively remember. Surprising, especially given the fact that these were friends from Malaysia and Singapore respectively. The hope and positive change that Obama inspires is far-reaching, further beyond the borders of this country and it's continent. I am very excited for my American friends, and take comfort in knowing that things will slowly, but surely improve for this country, and hereafter, for the rest of the world which mirrors this nation fervently.

His message resonates with me on a rather personal level - about overcoming adversity by thinking, and choosing our actions positively, and that ANYTHING is possible if we put our minds to it. It's nothing new. Yet, at this point in time, his confidence and belief in the missive multiplies its power a thousand fold.

A big change is about to happen in my life. A change that has me frightened, thrilled, anxious, excited, and empowered all at the same time. And I shall confront this change and embrace it wholeheartedly, with gladness, enthusiasm and fervour.

Thank you, President Obama.

Children are our Future (Thankful List Day 19)

2009-01-20T09:22:00.000-06:00

In many ways, I am very grateful that Elyse was born in the US. No doubt, it's been a struggle for Jon and me, but being able to guarantee a good future for her is everything to us. I'm not saying that had she been born in Malaysia she would have been left for wanting, but the door to opportunity lies open a little wider for her now.

I want her to know where her parents come from and how that contributes a little to who she is, and that it only makes sense for her to spend some time back home with our family. And when she decides she's ready to come back here, it'll be the start to another great adventure.

Source of wedded inspiration (Thankful List Day 18)

2009-01-19T11:03:00.000-06:00

My parents have been married 34 years today. And two years later, they had me. It sure seems like a long time ago. 34 years of marriage nowadays is almost an eternity, and very, very rare. It takes two very special people to make a relationship work, along with a whole lot of love, infinite patience, tested and strong tolerance, a fair amount of forgiving and forgetting and a sprinkling of good luck. (Last item not guaranteed)

Having been with my husband for 15 years, three of them married, I have had my fair share of ups and downs, and it is from my parents' marriage that I seek inspiration from. Therefore, I am thankful that they met, wed and had me so I could have my chance at having what they have.

Happy 34th Anniversary, mum and pa!!

RECIPE: Fragrant Spiced Fried Chicken

2009-01-19T09:41:00.001-06:00

Continuing from my last post, here is the recipe for my favourite fried chicken.

INGREDIENTS:

A
1 kg/2 lbs of chicken pieces (drumsticks and wings work best)
4 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
4 cloves of garlic, minced very finely into paste (use 2 tsp garlic powder as shortcut)
1 1/2 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp sugar
Optional: 2 tsp ground cayenne for heat
Curry leaves, picked off stems and washed (available at Indian grocery stores)
Pandan leaves, washed and cut into 2-inch pieces (a.k.a. screwpine leaves, available at Asian markets in the frozen veggie section)

B
1 cup of rice flour
Oil for frying (about 2 inches in a pot or wok)

METHOD:

Clean and pat dry chicken. Place in large bowl.
Add all seasoning ingredients into bowl with chicken.
Mix very well. Cover bowl with lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours.
Bring chicken to room temperature for about an hour.
Heat oil in wok or shallow pot at medium-high.
Toss chicken pieces in rice flour and coat lightly.
Add coated chicken pieces to oil and fry until dark, golden brown, flipping chicken over halfway through (About 6 minutes for wings, 10 minutes for drumsticks)
Serve warm, with sriracha or other chilli sauce.

Chef's note: I like it extra crispy, so I leave the chicken in the oil for a little longer. You could also fish them out and oven broil them the rest of the way.

Spice of life (Thankful List Day 17)

2009-01-18T00:12:00.000-06:00

The epicurean world would be a boring place without spices. These little buds, seeds and barks that impart an infinity of possibilities to our dinner table. What would curry be without cumin, coriander, turmeric and fennel? A grilled steak would fall flat without a healthy sprinkling of black pepper. Cinnamon rolls without cinnamon? I don't even want to imagine that *shudder*.

I'm barely scratching the surface here without my positively pathetic examples. Different spices and combination of spices have made themselves into every nook and cranny of this planet, thanks to the historical Spice Route, which emerged during the expansion of the Greco/Roman/Ottoman/Tomdickandharry's empires. At that time, merchants were carting cratefuls of these precious nuggets from the East back to the West, via India and the Middle East.

Okay, enough with the historical escapade. Personally, I'd have to shoot myself if I had to face bland food day in, day out. So in honour of today's little spicy lesson, I am going to share a series of recipes that depend completely on chosen spices to enhance the dishes. Perhaps it might inspire one to experiment a little with your own favourite foods.

A soft touch (Thankful List Day 16)

2009-01-17T09:58:00.000-06:00

Short post. Feeling very tired. Was up all night in intimate relations with my toilet. Still can't figure out what caused it. Elyse and Jon ate the same stuff. Jon's convinced it's my excess nasal drainage. Possibly. I'm just very thankful for soft, premium bathroom tissue (toilet paper, to my fellow Malaysians). OH, and indoor plumbing! Very thankful....very thankful, indeed.

Circling the Target (Thankful List Day 15)

2009-01-16T11:09:00.000-06:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE Target? Target, the wonderful, brilliant discount superstore that has a very special place in my heart. Ahh....it's a great place to be, even if just browsing. Some days, we hang out at the toy department and let Elyse roam around playing with some toys. We don't usually end up buying anything, but we have tons of fun with her!

Best part of Target is the fantastic discounts they have on clearance items. Most items go on clearance due to season changes and to make space for new stock. This is where I come in - I hound the aisles looking for amazing deals and usually find some cool stuff - soft new crib sheets for Elyse at 50% off, clothes for Elyse at 50 - 75% off, toys, books, DVDs. Even some food stuff once in a while like coffee, cereal, cookies, etc.

With the small budget I have, this is the way to go for our family. I will miss this place a whole lot when we leave for home.

Did I mention I LOVE Target??!?

RECIPE: Delicious and nutritious Chicken and Veggie Nuggets

2009-01-15T14:06:00.000-06:00

I make these chicken nuggets for my daughter. She's entering into full-time toddlerhood and has welcomed a really erratic eating habit into our lives. These nuggets ensure that she gets her veggies along with the protein that she loves.

Ingredients:
2 raw chicken breasts
1/2 cup broccoli (you can use the stems too in this case, along with the florets)
1 medium carrot
1/2 medium onion (use less if your kid doesn't particularly like strong flavours)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
Panko breadcrumbs.
Canola or light olive oil, for frying or spraying.

Method:

Using a food processor, or by hand if you're brave, chop up the veggies till fine. Set aside in a bowl.
Cut up chicken breast into 3 cm (1 inch) cubes, and throw into food processor or whatever meat chopper you have, and process until very fine.
Add in the veggies, salt and pepper. Pulse to combine thoroughly.
Pour ground chicken mixture into a bowl.
In a separate, clean plate, pour about a cup of breadcrumbs.
Using a spoon, scoop out roughly a nugget size of chicken, toss into the breadcrumbs and coat well.
Fry in oil, or spray with some oil and bake in oven.

Chef's Note: These nuggets are also good without breadcrumbs, and can be made into chicken burgers.

RECIPE: Spicy Crab Recipe

2009-01-15T13:58:00.000-06:00

Here is one of the many Malaysian dishes that I learned to replicate since nothing like this is available anywhere in Texas. It's spectacular with Alaskan Dungeness crab which has lots of succulent meat. It would be just as delicious with any other kind of crab, prawns (shrimp), clams or other seafood.

Ingredients: (A)
Grind until very fine into a paste (rempah) these 5 ingredients:

12 shallots/ 2 medium red onions, peeled
8 cloves garlic, peeled
6-8 dried chillies (the ones here in US are small, so double the no.)
8-10 fresh red chillies/red jalapenos
2 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled

(B)
1/2 cup of dried prawns, soaked in water and chopped roughly
2 big bunches of curry leaves (I get mine from Indian grocery stores)
3 tbsp oil
3- 4 lbs of crabs, preferably steamed and cut up into pieces.
(this is so the rempah doesn't burn while your crab slowly cooks)
salt to taste
sugar to taste

Method:
1. Saute rempah/ground paste in oil on medium heat for about 10 minutes, until very fragrant
2. Add curry leaves and dried prawns. Stir well for about 5 minutes.
3. Add salt and sugar to taste. I usually go for about 1 tbsp salt and 1 tbsp sugar.
4. Turn up the heat to medium-high, and throw in the crabs. Stir to coat every piece and mix well.
Keep on cooking crabs for about 10 minutes, all the while stirring every minute or so. Add a lid to your pot/wok if possible to facilitate faster cooking. Don't let the rempah burn!
5. Taste the rempah. Add more salt or sugar if needed.

Life in snapshots (Thankful List Day 14)

2009-01-15T13:24:00.000-06:00

I am an avid, amateur photographer. I've been blessed with a simple, cute little Casio EXILIM EX-600 which my father gave to me in December 2007. Thanks to him and this fantastic camera, I've been able to document all of our ongoings, especially of Elyse and some of my cooking, and other great subjects.

What did we use to do without digital cameras?? Actually, I remember...we would be broke after paying for all the film and for processed photographs. Of course, I've strayed and lusted after some DSLRs out there. Perhaps there will be one in my not so distant future. Just don't tell that to my little Casio.

For me or for baby? (Thankful List Day 13)

2009-01-13T21:46:00.000-06:00

I am very thankful for the plethora of baby products available here in the US. Even more thankful that most of them are very within reach, say...at the neighbourhood Target store. We finally were able to get a new toy for Elyse. One I've been eyeing for a while. It's very cute, looks and sounds very educational and should keep the tiny one busy for hours on end. Great for mommy *evil chuckle*

Other thing we got was a child safety harness. I have been debating whether to get one for the past year. Initially, my thought was that Elyse needs to learn her boundaries without me tying her up. However, recent events have changed my mind. She is still too young to understand the dangers that are at every corner, and I have to do whatever it takes to keep her safe. There will be places where she can run around free with close supervision from me - at the playground, or in the garden behind our apartment. But not at the library, or the mall. Very, very terrifying.

Tomorrow we take the doggie harness for a spin since it's library day(it has a cute doggie soft toy attached to it, not a harness for a doggie), and we'll see how it goes.

My chariot of fire (Thankful List Day 12)

2009-01-13T12:21:00.000-06:00

It's almost been a year that I've had my Highlander. We bought the car when everything seemed to be going right, or so we thought. The bad news came about a month after that and put us in a huge quandary. Somehow we managed to hang on to it even though times were rough.

It is the only real luxury I have in my life. I don't have any fancy clothes or electronics, but when I'm cruising around in my dependable SUV, I feel like everything is alright, and I have no worries. It's all good when I'm zooming around town.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to give up my little chariot. It's been a financial burden for too long and sadly, it's my fault for not wanting to let go. It was very nice while it lasted, and I'm glad that I got to have it for a while.

Farewell, my Highlander! I hope your next owner treats you better than we did.

Wind Beneath My Wings....not joking (Thankful List Day 11)

2009-01-12T10:27:00.000-06:00

If life is a stage show, and I am the star, then my parents have always been the people behind the scenes. At every turn of my life, they've always been there for me. They are always very supportive and encouraging, even if they don't believe in our causes, at first.

The past few years have been turbulent, and being far away from home and family has made it a lot harder to bear. But my parents have always been there, offering suggestions (sometimes good, sometimes not so good) and solutions. Most times, I'm just embarrassed to have to ask them for help again and again, but they've never complained, not even once. Always ready with a word of encouragement, or a care package or an injection of funds.

I'm afraid I'm going to have to depend on them a lot more in the next coming months. What with our preparations for the move home, followed by us moving in with them. It's going to be interesting, and it'll be mostly great, I'm sure.

I'm looking forward to seeing them so very much. I love you, mum and pa! Thank you for everything.

Apples of our eyes (Thankful List Day 10)

2009-01-10T23:25:00.000-06:00

It will take many blog posts to write about how thankful I am for my beautiful daughter, Elyse. This post shall be one of many. She's been an incredible blessing to our lives. And everyday, I find more reasons to love her even more.

We were at a gathering at our friends' home to visit and welcome their new beautiful baby girl, who is all pink, healthy and lovely. Soon after our arrival, I saw her at play with two other toddlers and it was such fun to see their direct and non-direct interaction between each other. Most of the time, they stared at one another or fought over toys. Even so, it tickled me to watch how cute they looked just being around each other, and I am just so grateful for these sweet, healthy, bundles of joy.

Earlier today, I was watching a short video a friend had sent me. The video was dedicated to the memory of a little three-year old girl who was abused and murdered by her mother's boyfriend-later husband over a period of nine months. Her mother had allowed it to happen. Stories like these shake me to the core, and make me wonder what kind of parent would allow anything remotely bad happen to their own flesh and blood?? What kind of a monster would you have to be to hurt a child, again and again, and then to take her life?

As these emotions flooded my heart and mind, I knew that there is very little I wouldn't do to protect Elyse from the evils of the world. I guess that's what happens when you love someone more than life itself.

Online garage sale (Thankful List Day 9)

2009-01-10T01:01:00.000-06:00

In the past two years, we've had lots of reasons to be very grateful for Craigslist.com. It is a free online classifieds website where people go to post all sorts of things and services for sale. I've sold many things through my listings on craigslist, including my old car, some clothes, old electronics, some costume jewellery, furniture, wine glasses and ...oh SHOES! Not to mention, we scored a second-hand, fantastic, huge two-door refrigerator for nothing more than 4 bottles of champagne. Some people are still up for bartering. Imagine that!!!

I live in an apartment and am not able to have frequent garage or yard sales. So, it's been lots of fun to be able to slowly get rid of stuff in preparation for our move home. Looks like I'll have to keep on going with my inventory in storage. *sigh* I think I'll wait till after Chinese New Year.....

P.S. Sorry for the short post. Forgot to blog earlier, and am now too sleepy.

Being Whole (Thankful List Day 8)

2009-01-08T23:29:00.000-06:00

When I first arrived in the States, I had a really hard time adjusting to the food. Didn't take me long to pack on the pounds - I gained 25 lbs just in my first year here. I cooked as often as it was possible. Sometimes it was not possible with assignments and papers to grade. So, it was off to the nearest Denny's or IHOP (International House of Pancakes, for the benefit of my non-American readers)

At the conventional supermarket, it is difficult to make healthy choices, just because the unhealthy ones are so abundant and easily within reach. I'm very thankful for my first visit to Whole Foods in Arlington. At that time I lived in Southwest Fort Worth, which was a good half hour away. They were bi-weekly trips with some other friends of mine. They were Italian and sought out the good bread and cheeses not available at the neighbourhood Albertson's or Wal-mart.

Now that I live much closer to said Whole Foods, I make it a point to shop there at least once a week. Mostly to purchase organic milk, fruit and other all-natural groceries for Elyse. They have the lowest price in town for organic goods, and thanks to their in-house brand, 365, I was able to make all of Elyse's baby food by myself. Her vibrant health and brightness is all the proof that I need that I made the right choice.

Even on a very tight budget, I am committed to purchasing some items from there because of the unbeatable quality. I guess once you taste food for what it really is, you can't go back to the cheap and over-processed versions.

Source of knowledge and entertainment. (Thankful List Day 7)

2009-01-08T00:19:00.000-06:00

Growing up in Malaysia, I was never impressed with the state of our libraries. The so-called public libraries were an embarrassment, school libraries were practically non-existent.

So, imagine our surprise when Jon and I first stepped into one of many Fort Worth library branches. They had pretty much every book you were looking for, and if they didn't, you could most certainly request for it from one of their many branches, or from a neighbouring city. Multitudes of DVDs were available for a week at a time, ranging from early Hollywood films, to movies released just a couple of months before. And if they didn't have it in their system, you could jolly well request that they purchase it. Imagine that!!

We still catch the occasional movie on the big screen when the rare blue moon appears. But mostly, we've been very fortunate to expand on our seen movie list without forking out a single penny, thanks to the tax payers of Fort Worth. Which....includes me and Jon.

Rats! >_<

Family away from home (Thankful List Day 6)

2009-01-06T23:55:00.000-06:00

Most people I know take their families for granted. It's much more apparent when their families are right around the corner, or just down the street. I haven't been home for 10 years. It's an awfully long time, considering I've always been close to my family. Yes, yes... I know absence makes the heart grow fonder. But there's also the flip side to that sometimes - out of sight, out of mind. Sorry, I digress.

Strange thing is that, the longer I have been away from home, the tighter I cling on to values and traditions that I grew up being quite blasé about. So, it's a really good thing I have someone who shares those values with me - my dearest cousin, Lisa.

She's the only real family I have on this side of the planet, and so thankful I am that she's only less than an hour away by car! Even more thankful that she's the sweetest, most generous, welcoming, and kind person you'll ever meet. Furthermore, she's a real hoot, and extremely fun person to be around. We've spent many a time laughing and reminiscing about old and new times. Through many of those conversations, I've discovered that she's probably the only person who truly understands what I went through growing up in my family.

The past few years would have been much, much harder to bear without her never-ending support and help. There isn't much I've accomplished since moving to Texas, but I am very glad that I was able to develop a closer relationship with her, and realize that she's more than just a cousin to me - she's a great friend and pretty much a sister to me.

Grasping at non-existent straws (Thankful List Day 5)

2009-01-05T23:16:00.000-06:00

Today has been a very tough day to be thankful about much. Jon and I had a huge bomb set upon us by.... well, I shall not go into details lest I be accused of making the earth spin in the wrong direction.

But I made a resolution to be thankful for at least one thing every day, and I shall stick to my promise. Well...I am thankful for silly comedy movies, "Good Luck, Chuck" with Dane Cook, and "Harold and Kumar: Escape from Guantanamo Bay". First one, very funny, but only if you have a pretty open mind and sick sense of humour. Second movie..not as funny as the first one.

Nonetheless, we had our share of mind-numbing chuckles today, without having to resort to alcohol. Oh, and thankfully, also had some leftovers from yesterday. (refer to previous post)

Closest thing to home (Thankful List Day 4)

2009-01-05T00:17:00.000-06:00

Most Malaysians would agree with me that nothing else is worth missing more than Malaysian food. Especially those of us who are, or have spent time abroad. Through the 11 years I've spent away from home, I have come to rely on this one tether to home. Well, besides my family and few well-chosen friends, that is.

Most unfortunately, the two locations that served up Malaysian food have come and gone faster than you can say "Teh Tarik". Having had to rely on my own culinary skills to cook up some of my, and Jon's favourite dishes, makes me miss home even more. Some dishes are easier to replicate than others. Some are just impossible. That's because it's not just about the food, it's about the entire experience - physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual.

Okay, so getting to my point here....the closest thing we have to home is King's Chinese BBQ, located in Arlington, Texas, or as we like to call it "Little Saigon". Owned and operated by Hong Kong immigrants, they've kept the food genuine and real, reasonably priced and as un-Americanized as possible. We frequent this haunt for our favourite comfort foods, a couple of which I shall featured here - roast duck; and salt and pepper tofu (best tofu dish ever!). It is probably the one place that allows us to keep our sanity, what's left of it, anyway.

The Magic of the Internet (Thankful List Day 3)

2009-01-03T23:40:00.000-06:00

I haven't had cable tv access in over a year and a half. Do I miss it? Sometimes. Nowadays, not so much. Thanks to the internet, we've been able to view our favourite tv shows, minus the commercials *evil chuckle*

'TV' dinners are now in front of the computer and the experience is heightened by my fantastic 22" LCD monitor *evil chuckle, again*

Till tomorrow....

Sister, sister (Thankful List Day 2)

2009-01-03T19:55:00.000-06:00

The times that I’ve been able to stay afloat these past few years is all thanks to my dearest sister. She’s literally my ‘lifesaver’, emotionally, financially and spiritually. We’re as close as siblings can ever get, even though we’re separated by vast oceans and land.

She’s always been there for me through really, icky thick and bright, bubbly thin. Always generous with taking care of us. “Why?”, I asked her one recent day. She replied, “Because you used to spoil me silly when we were younger.”

Truth be told, I don’t remember much ‘spoiling’. I have always enjoyed her company (okay, since I was maybe 14 years old), even hung out with her friends, chaperoned and drove them places like the mall, movie theatre, mamak, etc. Of course, we’ve had our differences too. I’m impatient, demanding and bossy, and love things done my way. She’s very laid back and does things whenever she sees fit. Although, I’ve noticed that she’s gotten more impatient recently. Must be an age thing.

Half of all Elyse’s toys come from her, as well as my new wardrobe these past 2 months. She’s been our personal bank for past three years because we’ve been struggling to make ends meet. Believe me, I’m embarrassed as hell to have to ask her for help, but unfortunately the situation desperately called for it.

She’s always encouraged me to look upwards and forwards, to believe and hope that things will change for the better. Even more so when she suffered a very tragic, heartbreaking loss of her own almost one year ago. It was a very sobering time for the whole family.

I am amazed at how she’s persevered through an entire year of one horrid event after another, ultimately emerging stronger, wiser and more beautiful, inside and out.

I couldn’t ask for a better person to share a bloodline with :)

New Year Resolution (?) (Thankful List Day 1)

2009-01-01T22:17:00.001-06:00

I’ve decided that I’ve allowed myself to wallow far too long in the pit of mud that was 2008. Biggest part of my problem(s) is and was that I couldn’t escape from focusing on the negative in every situation that came my way. It is the foulest, most God-awful feeling that I would not wish on my worst enemy. Well, ironically, I think my worst enemy + critic is myself. Yikes!

Therefore, I have decreed that I shall from today, the first of January, will make myself be thankful for one, if not, a few things that have come across my plate that day. Will I have the resolve to stick to this resolution? *Groan* I don’t know...but damned if I don’t try my very best.

Today, I am very thankful for two friends who have been absolute support for Jon, myself and Elyse. They have done things for us that I would not even expect family to. They have openly accepted us as part of their family, even offered us to move in with them to help us save some much-needed mullah.

Excuse me now whilst I go dry my eyes. I hope you find something to be thankful for today too.

Stop and smell the roses

2008-10-08T13:03:00.000-05:00

I've been doing a fair share of food blogs exploration lately, and I have to say I'm embarrassed how my blog turned out. It started out with some amount of food postings, then things went, well, a little south. Past few posts were just downright depressing. My apologies...

I think I ought to let this blog live up to its name a little. Hence, let me share my little raspberry-orange cakelets. I used a cute rose cakelet pan, which I received as a wedding gift. I believe it was a limited-edition item from William-Sonoma. The cakelets themselves are just a plain cupcake recipe, which I added some thawed frozen raspberries and a tiny amount of orange oil and zest.

Light, fluffy, sweet and tart at the same time. How wonderful if life could be that way all the time?

Seen the darkness

2008-05-29T14:45:00.000-05:00

I'm sure those of you whom have read the previous post must think me in serious mental jeopardy. Ah, maybe so... But I drafted that post a couple of weeks ago when my mind was extremely cloudy, could not finish it, but couldn't delete it either. So i just briefly capped it off and posted it today.

I lose control of my thoughts sometimes. Okay, a lot of times. I am not proud of it. Better-to-doers would say "Mind over matter, my dear girl." Yeah, yeah... Fat lot easier said, than done. Sometimes it just feels good to wallow in the pit of self-pity for a while. Lying in the muck, slinging it around, hoping it hits some innocent bystanders. Misery loves company, I'm afraid.

*Sigh* My poor husband!

Precariously perched.....

2008-05-19T13:00:00.000-05:00

There are days when I just want to run head-long into a hard concrete wall, with hope that the impact would knock me awake or kill me. One way or another, perhaps the madness would end. A horrible thought? Well, perhaps. But I will bet you that there's not a single person who's lived that has never had these contemplations even once.

So, is it just human weakness? Plain ol' day to day depression? Or is there a sinister underlying current that runs deep? Why do we pick at our old wounds and scabs, and thrive on the pain that they inflict again and again? Why do we drive down the same old malignant road, time after time? I think that it boils down to the sadist AND masochist within us. You know, the one half that scoffs at other's misfortunes, and then the other half that goes "I HATE everything about me!"

Take a wild guess which side of the fence I'm on today.

No need for a special day.

2008-05-12T14:26:00.000-05:00

Blessed.

Very blessed.

That's how I feel every night when I go to bed. Okay, so it's harder to focus in on that sometimes. Some days the feeling is a little stronger than on others. Sometimes, I need a swift kick in the rear to remember. On some other days, I have to fight tooth and nail, and maybe bleed a little before reluctantly surrendering to the fact that no matter how crappy my day has been, no matter how many unfortunate events rain themselves on me, I have, in truth, many things to be incredibly thankful for:

My beautiful, funny, smart, and goofy baby girl.

My incredibly loving and supportive husband, who is my pillar of strength and challenges me to face the cruel world with my chin up and a smile.

My wonderful parents who have always been around for me.

My brilliant, crazy little sister who inspires me endlessly.

My handful of few, but fiercely supportive group of true friends; some of whom my sanity and well-being dearly depend on.

Today I am able to write this, probably because I'm on the upswing of the roller-coaster that I'm perpetually riding on, so that on inevitable low, low days I will be able to come back and read upon this and remember.

Cute cookie

2008-04-28T22:23:00.000-05:00

Okay, my sister has completely indulged one of my childhood (never really outgrew it) loves! She got Elyse and I a couple of packages of Miffy cookies, all the way from Tokyo!

Ultimate cuteness! Funny thing is that they really tasted great! Buttery, slightly sweet, with a slight crunch and then completely melting in the mouth. Yummmm....

All kinds of adorable Miffy pictures.

Miffy and bear!

Funny giraffes!

The First Year.

2008-04-27T23:45:00.000-05:00

Yikes! Just realized after a long absence from my blog that it has been...*GULP*, almost 6 months since my last post!!! (*Feeling really, really guilty). Same old excuses, busy with baby whom I am so proud to announce, is well on her way to toddlerhood!

Bunnee-girl celebrated her first birthday two weeks ago. It was a small celebration with a few close friends. I made her a Miffy cake, and Lisa made lots of delicious food. The cake was lemon butter, with a raspberry-lemon buttercream. It was almost completely organic, with the exception of the fondant (which was storebought) and the Miffy icing decoration (couldn't find organic meringue powder, but used organic confectioner's sugar though.)

Elyse had absolutely no idea what was going on that day. All she knew was that we were spending the weekend at Lisa's place, which she loves, and there were lots of visitors! Not sure if she was actually happy about that..hehe. She enjoyed her balloons, especially a cute Nemo one we got for her (which is still happily bobbing up and down in my living room even now.)

She did enjoy digging into her mini-cake, which I made alongside the Miffy cake. It was so satisfying, watching her smoosh her little fingers into that cake and completely tearing it apart! She ended up eating more than half of that cake, by the way, and had a complete sugar crash towards the end of the party.

I think I was so busy preparing for her party, obsessing about Miffy details (I couldn't find Miffy partyware, so ended up printing and sticking my own stickers on the pink and orange party pieces), that I really didn't have time to think about the fact that she's been in this world for more than one whole year. It finally started to hit me about a week later when, during lunch, she shook her head violently when I put more food on her highchair tray, and proceeded to throw each leftover piece on the floor, one by one. Then she reached out both arms to me and said "Ma-ma....uuugggghhh". I guessed she was done, and I was right.

What a personality she has developed! She's turned out to be a adorable, loving, relatively easy-going (when she gets enough sleep) little one, who LOVES to dance, bouncing up and down on any bouncy surface (including her mommy and daddy's tummies), eats anything, but especially loves tofu, noodles, oranges and cookies.

I am already seeing hints of toddler behaviour peeking out, small tantrums, irrepressible curiousity, and a whopping vocabulary of baby babble. How exciting! How terrifying for my husband and I! But, we take it all in shaky stride because this has to be the most exhilarating, fingernail-biting adventure we've ever been on in our entire lives! Well, so far anyway....

What is happiness?

2008-01-16T17:45:00.000-06:00

Happiness is...pure and innocent;
It is worldly and wise;
It is in giving, and in receiving;
It is in loving, and in being loved;
It can be tangible, yet untouchable;
It can appear as being or as energy;
It is subtle, yet so powerful;
It is abundant, yet hard to find;
It says a million words, yet can be painfully silent;
It is always welcome, although the invitations get lost;
Dark is a world without it;
Yet, a world without dark will never see the light.

Fast friends!

2007-11-16T00:36:00.001-06:00

Ah! The love that my little sugar bear has for this kitty, is only overshadowed by the love this little kitty has for my little girl. Sprinkles is the first one by her side when Elyse cries, jumping up on the glider and peering into the crib to see if she's alright. She meows heartwrenchingly, when Elyse is howling away from not wanting to sleep. Sprinkles lets the little one grab fistfuls of fur and yet only lets out a quiet little meow, never angry nor spiteful. She is there by her bathtub, every evening whilst Elyse is enjoying her splash time. Elyse will smile when Sprinkles comes up to her and licks smeared food off her face.

I can't imagine now one without the other. What a friendship!

Is freedom, really freedom?

2007-11-14T12:35:00.000-06:00

Ah finally! The time has come for me to return to the workforce. Okay, maybe it was time a few months ago, but I wasn't ready. Because my baby girl was still too dependent on me. Because I didn't know whom I could trust to watch her. Because I would miss her each minute I am away from her. Because.... I just wasn't ready.

A new opportunity arose just last week after I made my decision to go back to work part-time. All of a sudden, there was a position of permanence - well, to a degree of anyway - available to me at a fabulously chic location in Dallas. Hmmm, my horoscope did say that I would have new opportunities this month. So came with that new information, a huge struggle over which babysitter to use, and how we were going to justify spending that much money on just part-time daycare. (Headache, headache, HEADACHE!!!)

Anyway, it was decided to make my paycheck worth the time I am away, we decided to not use a babysitter, and I would work on hubby's days off. Ah, easy decision!

But WAIT! Was it really??? All this time, I always looked forward to his days off that we could spend together, running errands, shopping for groceries, doing nothing... Now, the reality of this new situation sank in quickly. We wouldn't have any days off together for a very long time. Was this worth the small amount of extra money we would have ??!? *Sigh* I guess a little give on the financial side, isn't exactly a fair trade off for spending less time with each other. But this tiny little step towards financial improvement could mean everything to us. It would be a tiny step towards leaving this ghetto of a place we call home now. It would mean moving to a much better community, to a better school district for Elyse. I know it seems too early to plan ahead that far, but having learnt from friends in similar situations, it is imperative to not lag behind when it comes to children's education. It could also mean us being able to afford our own home. *DREAM*

I guess having been at home by myself with the baby for so long, I've been locked in my comfort zone for too long. But I find myself getting used to the idea a little bit more everyday. Maybe after this week, it will almost be like I never had a worry about this at all. Maybe then, I could finally enjoy my 10 hours of 'freedom' (now, i use that term very loosely). And maybe then, it won't seem like I'm always caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Be still my heart......

2007-08-29T15:02:00.000-05:00

Ahhh...finally some time to work on my blog. The little turkey butt, ahem, excuse me, my baby girl has taken to being awake a lot during the day and demands my attention almost every minute. I really shouldn't complain because she does sleep very well through the night which has let Jonathan and I regain our sanity a little.

She's really grown into her own person, her little feisty personality just charging it's way through in every thing she does. Recently, she's found her voice.. and it's a loud one. She squeals and screeches so much that it makes my own throat sore. But it just makes my heart so full and proud when i see that sweet smile and hear that cute little chuckle when she sees her father's or my face. Mornings have become my favourite time of the day because Elyse can't stop telling us (and her favourite toys) in her own little baby squeals how much she's missed us whilst she was asleep.

And just so the rest of the world can share in my delight, I've added a link to a cute video I took just this past weekend. If you're feeling down, just spare a minute to watch this and I guarantee it'll cheer you up good. http://picasaweb.google.com/pleasancechong/ElyseVideos/photo?authkey=2e7c1L_4X8E#5103448215856536866

Oh, got to run now. Excuse me whilst I respond to the little miss.

Where is Home?

2007-07-23T14:01:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday, my heart came to a complete stop for a few seconds. I was nursing Elyse at a friend's home whilst Jon was helping said friends move their stuff upstairs. What happened next, happened in complete slow motion - you know, when you're witnessing an event, and things are already in motion and it's completely too late to stop it. Started with a loud crack, yelling and then a big piece of grey falling through the ceiling from the attic above, and then followed by lots of fluff and then ...CRASH!!!!

I woke up from my slo-mo daze when I realized it was my husband lying there on the ground, groaning. With baby still latched on to me, I sprinted over to him completely frantic and to be honest, I don't quite remember what I said or did. All I recall was someone gently telling me to hand the baby over and then I was on the ground next to Jon, sobbing away. I cried even harder when he started laughing and cracking jokes because I was convinced he had suffered a concussion. I couldn't stop shaking for a the longest time whilst we were making sure he wasn't impaled on anything or was sporting any new attachments to his body. The owner of the home had called 911 and soon enough the entire army of emergency vehicles were there to assess the situation. They convinced Jon to let them take him to the hospital, and I got to ride along in the ambulance. I'd never been in one, and would have been very happy to make it through my entire life without being in one.

The ER visit was a quick one, to our surprise. We were there for a total of less than 4 hours. The staff were attentive and we were very relieved that Jon had only suffered one broken bone on his foot, along with some bruises and a pretty scraped up left arm. These injuries could have been so much worse, considering that there were loose power tools lying around and a huge power saw that Jon had just moved moments before the floor gave way from under him.

All I could think of during those hours were if anything happened to him, I would be all alone with the baby. Everything that's happened this past year, being pregnant, having the baby without my family around, my mom getting ill, and then this accident, have strengthened my resolve to go home for good. Things haven't worked out for us over the time period we've been here. And the biggest sacrifice is being so far away from our families and friends back home. Don't get me wrong, I love my friends who are here, but Jon and I have always felt like outsiders, even though our friends have welcomed us with open arms. It isn't the same to not have your family close by. The reality of being half a world away from my family hits me harder everyday that passes.

However, will we be sacrificing opportunities that are available here for the comforts of home? I guess the answer will come to us soon, I hope.

There are no words.....

2007-06-27T12:32:00.000-05:00

It has been more than two months since my last post. My baby girl is already 11 weeks old. Time really has just flown by at breakneck speed. I have watched my baby just blossom right before my very eyes into a very special individual although she doesn't quite grasp the concept yet. I wake up to her smiling face and little coos every morning and my heart just swells with so much love for this little angel. There have been very challenging moments, days when she would go without a single nap during the day and then pull some award-winning cranky tantrums during bedtime - nothing different from any other baby, I guess.

And there was also the week from hell, just last week when all three of us got colds. It was baby's first cold and it tore at my heart to hear how congested she was. (Be very, very grateful you know how to blow your nose - One of the small things that really do count.) Jon had it really bad and I had to let him rest since he couldn't take any days off. So, yours truly had to bear the brunt of it whilst taking care of the both of them. Towards the end of the week, I hit the wall and had a meltdown. Long story short, I ended up punching the closet door and tore open the skin on my knuckles. Let's just say I was wide awake after that, albeit still a complete mess. The next day was almost like a new day for me. I hadn't realized what a toll it was taking on me. I thought I could handle it well, but the stress of dealing with being sick, taking care of Jon and the baby, postpartum blues, being very broke and homesick was just building up and completely washed over me.

I am aware now of the huge changes in my life. It makes all the difference to be in the moment and acknowledge that things will never be the same again - It will always be better.

Meet my precious bundle of joy.

2007-04-28T17:03:00.000-05:00

Sound the trumpets! Finally, after 38 weeks.....and the last three weeks being the longest, Elyse Hui-En is here. She arrived shortly after midnight, 12.44 am to be exact on the morning of April 17, 2007. Weighing in at 6 lbs even and 47 cm long, she is all well and healthy and everything a parent could ask for. Isn't she just beautiful???

Jon and I are just absolutely in love with this little wonder that does nothing but sleep, consume endless amounts of milk, (my poor mammaries) and producing endless amounts of poopy diapers, but also most capable of making the most hilarious faces we've seen in recent history.

My labor and delivery was long and had it's fair share of complications. In fact, I had to make a lot of changes to my birth plan but in the end, they were done for my baby's well being and safety in mind. The fact that she is here all safe and sound is all that matters.

So, after many sleep-deprived days and nights, I post this blog with an affirmation - it really all is worth it!

Bye bye laptop

2007-03-22T12:21:00.000-05:00

Many apologies! It has been a while since I've posted a blog. Main reason for the absence is that my trusty ol' laptop has died and gone to computer heaven. *Sob, sob! You never know how dependent you are on something until it is gone forever. You know, in hindsight, there were a few signs of its impending demise. It wouldn't start up properly a few times, but of course I completely ignored that....total denial! I thought that it could survive anything. It had gone many places with me, travelled to different cities and states, many a meeting and trade show. I used it for everything. EVERYTHING!!! *Sigh....you must think I am a complete lunatic by now.

Take my advice. Treat your computer well. Oh, and back up all your important documents. You have no idea how big a role they play in your life until it's too late.

Can you say ADORABLE??!??

2007-02-13T12:00:00.000-06:00

I am ecstatic! I got to see my sweet little baby girl's face for the first time this past Saturday. Thank to modern technology, this was no ordinary ultrasound procedure. With this machine, they could show us 3D pictures and 4D video movements (photographs at one second intervals) of our little precious one.

Jon and I were emotional beyond words - she is just so beautiful, more than I ever imagined! Now, we REALLY cannot wait to meet her in about two months or so.

Comfort food

2007-02-06T17:17:00.000-06:00

There is nothing that will lift the spirits on a cold winter's day like a warm, comforting dish.

We had a stretch of really cold days and I had been craving soupy dishes pretty much every one of those days. Well, I finally decided that we needed to have Bak Kut Teh and I made it last Saturday when Jon didn't have to work.

Of course, I didn't make it from scratch. With all the good ready-packed spices in the market, it's not necessary to go to all the trouble to make it myself. However, I usually add my own special touches - lots of garlic, variety of mushrooms including shiitakes, straw and golden enoki mushrooms , napa cabbage and a shot of Shaoxing wine. Served with lots and lots of chopped raw garlic and cili padi in a mix of soy sauce and fish sauce, yow char kuai and warm rice, it hits all the spots.

I made so much, we had leftovers for the next 3 days. It was a very happy weekend.

Purrfect contentment.

2007-01-25T14:16:00.000-06:00

I cannot begin to comment on how contented my sweet little kitties are. They have quite an easy life, surrounded by pure blissful ignorance. Being around them make it a little easier to take a breather when things are not exactly going well. Perhaps we could learn a thing or two from them eh?

Picking oneself up and dusting off.

2007-01-25T11:47:00.000-06:00

My conversations with my closest friends and my family tend to be retrospective nowadays. Sometimes, there is more regret in my voice than I would like there to be. It would be easy to just say to myself, "Just let it go and move on...." But I feel that the lessons get lost if there isn't enough contemplation on my part. I guess I'm just walking the line between wanting to look forward and move on, and hanging on to what might have been.

Any rational person would tell you that it is unhealthy to hold on to experiences past, but then again, most people do so because those parts of their lives were all they knew at that time. Sometimes, the circumstances affect us so strongly because they were new high points, never before experienced and had heavy emotional investment on our parts. As Amy mentioned in our chat the other day, these experiences strip you of everything, and it feels like having to start from scratch all over again. No doubt, it is a painful process, and sometimes it feels better just to be in denial and cling on to that false sense of security from our warped memories.

My father always reminds me that life is full of challenges, and that we always need to be positive and look forward. My mother tries to convey the same message, but knowing that she's had a battle-weary life, it always comes across with a hint of bitterness. I try to learn from their experiences and try not to make the same mistakes. Then again, mistakes of a different kind don't make the pill any easier to swallow. So, in my poor mind, I juggle my own dreams, goals and regrets, along with those of my family and some friends. However, I have also learnt to understand, (but not necessarily accept) that sometimes things just happen and are completely beyond my control. Now, that's a jagged little pill for ya.

Cabin fever

2007-01-23T13:11:00.000-06:00

What does one do when the weather is most unfriendly and causes one to be stuck at home? Why, cook up a storm, of course! (Hehe. Pardon the pun). We had a week of constant icy rain and snow, which really made up for a most foul environment outside. It was very cold, wet and you were likely to slip at least once on invisible ice just to make it to the parking lot.

Jon had to stay home on Wednesday because all the roads were iced up and it was too big a risk to head to work. We decided to make Hainanese Chicken Rice, which we were craving BIG time. In fact, I'll admit, I've been craving it pretty much throughout my pregnancy, and was only able to partially satisfy the gnawing pangs with really mediocre chicken rice at a Singaporean hole-in-the-wall eating spot in Plano.

Jon felt the same way and we just decided to go shopping a couple of days before (Thank goodness for early bad weather warnings!) for all the ingredients - whole chicken, chilli peppers for the sauce and a few other necessities to make the entire meal. Well, I couldn't find red cayenne peppers, which are the red chillies normally used in Malaysian cooking. (FYI, I have made another resolution to grow my own cayennes since it is close to impossible to find them here. Wish me luck!) So, I replaced them with a combination of red jalapenos, red cili padi, and a couple of habaneros, along with garlic, ginger and lime juice. WOOOO!!! Let's just say a couple of bites into the chicken with the sauce, and we weren't feeling the cold anymore. Anyway, I digress.......

Well, it took us a total of two and a half hours to cook the entire meal - chicken, rice and soup. Of course, I had to face another dilemma along the way - to follow the recipe to the T, I had to reserve some chicken fat to be included in the rice and the chilli sauce. *Groan! It was making me gag just to clean the chicken. To process the fat would just push me over the edge. BUT, I was intent on having a proper chicken rice meal and decided to suck it up and deal with it. It wasn't as bad as I had imagined. Jon was having a good laugh at my expense.

All in all, I have to say, the effort was definitely worth it. We had enough to last us four meals. Very good, considering it cost us probably about $15 for the entire thing.

So, anytime you anticipate being cooped up at home with nowhere to go, I suggest stocking up on some ingredients and going to town with some recipes. Happy cooking and good eats!

'Tis the time of the year again.

2006-12-30T16:01:00.000-06:00

One more year has come and gone. This year has by far been the most eventful and punishing in recent years of my life. However, I've also been blessed in many wonderful ways too. It's remembering to balance both that has been my ultimate quest these days.

You know, a few weeks ago I was still angry about failing the business we started a year ago - a project we had all believed to have been the salvation for our families. More thought went into it and I realized that we did everything we could that we knew how to. It's been a painful and expensive lesson, but a good lesson at that. I have similar feelings towards the loss of our first baby, but have been healed with my second pregnancy - a baby girl, we found out on my birthday. Jon and I believe that it was her all along back in March and that she had decided to wait for a healthier body. Losing her the first time was an excruciating experience, and I would never want to go through it again. But it makes you see things in a completely different perspective and makes you thankful for everything that you do have.

Everything has been so unsettling this year and my faith in myself has been badly shaken. I found myself doubting every decision I made or was about to, and punished myself severely when they turned out to not be the right ones. Our relationships with some friends were called into question over personal issues. The sense of loss from everything surrounding us was just overwhelming.

I am however, very thankful for finding strength in my relationship with my husband and my family, and also some friends to overcome this period in time. It was through these uncertain times that I know who I can count on for unconditional love and support. The list isn't very long, but I am deeply grateful for having these people in my life. Not at the very least is my love for my unborn daughter, whom I cannot wait to meet. She has inspired me to persist on and strive to give her the best that I can. I cannot ask for better motivation.

So, to all out there who wish for a better year ahead, I am with you and bid you a safe, healthy journey into 2007.

The elusive meaning of Christmas

2006-12-27T13:36:00.000-06:00

Having spent another holiday season in the most capitalist and materialistic country in the world, and this time observing it from inside one of the most high-end and luxurious shopping establishments in the world - Neiman Marcus, I have to say that I am most perplexed and disturbed. I have seen the most shocking behaviour, temper tantrums and hissy fits thrown by grown adults, mind you. Fits that would have put a two-year old toddler to shame. All because they came too late to buy the latest, most-coveted whatever that the world of fashion and beauty has to offer. This one customer practically burst into tears when she found out that the giftset package of her favourite fragrance was sold out a whole week before she came into the store, which was two days before Christmas, by the way. Mind you, she had been reminded repeatedly by her personal shopper that it was an exclusive product with limited availability for the past two months.

Correct me if I'm wrong, I've been told that Christmas is first and foremost a religious holiday - celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, although historically on this date, it is the Roman pagan celebration of Saturnalia. And to continue my thoughts, I am led to believe that this is when Christian followers reflect again on the nature of their faith. (I am trying to word this carefully, mind you). Then, how is it that it became all about being obliged to fork out hard-earned money to buy thingamajics for others that will either get regifted or returned? Not to mention the ridiculously unusable things that you will receive (battery-powered self-spinning marshmallow roaster, anyone?)

Sigh, anyway, having experienced quite a few Christmases with gift exchanges gone wrong, I can expertly say that it doesn't matter how well you think you know someone, you can still go wrong with gifts for that person. So, sometimes it's best and for everyone's good that we create user-friendly and well-thought out wish lists of things we desire for others to refer to. Or better still, do like what we did this year - forgo gift giving altogether! Oh what a freaking relief!!! I didn't have to burn brain cells thinking of what to get that would fit into our rapidly shrinking budget. We had initially brought up this plan to our friends prior to Thanksgiving with sad faces, but the plan was warmly received. Everyone has financial setbacks this year - saving for new kids, saving to get married, trying to save up for own place, sending another kid to college - fantastically real reasons to not have to do obligated shopping.

Was there a hint of disappointment in the air when Christmas came and went without any hint of grandeur? Yes, I will admit it felt a little empty, like something was missing. This has by far been the quietest Christmas I've ever experienced - no gifts, no decorations, no elaborate meals with friends. All we did was watch TV whilst we packed up boxes to move. Finally gave in to going to the movie theater when evening came and all anticipation for some small surprise fell flat. Had a good time watching "Night at the Museum". It was most appropriate and we left the theater feeling like we had a small but well-deserved, little Christmas treat.

Counting my blessings.

2006-11-28T21:53:00.000-06:00

Despite having lived in the US for almost seven years, the concept of Thanksgiving Day is still very foreign to me. It's not that the notion of being thankful is that hard to grasp. It's just puzzling to me that the tradition of this holiday is all about about consuming food until act of passing out.

Situated in the middle of all this hoo-hah is the fleshy giant of a noisy bird - the turkey. It's really difficult for me to wrap my brain around how this could be the favourite food of many Americans. Many don't even care for it much. They just spend hours preparing and cooking it just because it's tradition. I've had it roasted, smoked and deep-fried. Sometimes I even add ground turkey as a replacement for ground chicken in my recipes. No 'gobble-gobble' epiphany yet. I still prefer to use chicken - smaller, easier to handle, less tough and juicier. Sorry, I digress.

So, every year at Thanksgiving, we've decided to focus on different main dishes, creating as big a variety as possible. We've had cornish game hens, pork tenderloin, this year it was roasted leg of lamb. I came up with a recipe based on traditional seasoning for lamb - the usual garlic, rosemary and lemon juice- added cumin, for extra smokiness, an onion for fragrance and ground everything up in the food processor with olive oil. Throw in 24 hours of marinating and this baby tasted as good as it looked. Feast your eyes, my honorable readers and fellow bloggers!

Of course, my darling husband forgot to take pictures of the accompanying sides - roasted red, yellow and orange peppers, mashed celery root and potatoes, delicious gravy made from the lam drippings and the tangiest mint sauce all the way from England! GAWD.....it was a fantastic meal, if I may say so myself.

Okay, okay, I don't get to cook much anymore. No, not because I'm lazy or because I'm pregnant. It's the huge cut in my gourmet budget that I've had to make this year since quitting my job and running the business into the ground. *Sigh!* BUT, this Thanksgiving meal marked a small return to my favourite past time. And since it is the day to give thanks, I wish to express my thanks and gratitude for all of you in my life.

Till my next epicurean adventure, I bid you all good food, plenty of love and life to the fullest.

Brioche in the oven, dumpling in the steamer.....

2006-10-12T13:31:00.000-05:00

Don't expect anything about cooking or food in this post. In fact, the last few months was completely lacking of cooking in any way. Why? Oh, because there wasn't much I could stomach before it was quickly on its way out of me (the same way it went in) due to wonderful pregnancy hormones. I have never been as homesick as I am now - mostly for the food. When I wasn't busy hugging the side of the toilet, I was craving, CRAVING Malaysian food. My comfort food. My poor husband was doing everything he could to get me nourishment that would stave off my nausea, driving around to get me soupy noodles, which was all I ate for almost a month. Could not stand the thought, let alone the sight or smell of burgers, pasta, pizza.....everything that surrounded me in abundance. *Shudder! Gag!*

The queasiness has since almost come to a halt. Still happens sometimes after a particularly greasy or non-compliant meal. However, one thing happened that put it all in perspective. I had an ultrasound procedure done about two weeks ago. We saw our little baby, healthy and bouncing off my uterine walls like an astronaut in zero gravity. The very sight of my child moving around with heart apounding and all limbs intact was enough to quell every ounce of yucky nausea. Everytime I am about to complain about a faulty appetite, I stop myself and think of how the very thing that's making me sick, is the very thing that is keeping my baby happy.

Need a mother ask for anything more?

Peace, Propaganda & The Promised Land

2006-08-17T01:13:00.000-05:00

I was sent the link to this video by a friend. I'm sorry, it has nothing to do with food. However I felt that it is imperative that we spread the TRUTH about what is really going on in the Middle East, even if it has to begin at my blog. Please do me a HUGE favour and spend some time watching this . And please pass the message on to your friends.
P.

Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land provides a striking comparison of U.S. and international media coverage of the crisis in the Middle East, zeroing in on how structural distortions in U.S. coverage have reinforced false perceptions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This pivotal documentary exposes how the foreign policy interests of American political elites--oil, and a need to have a secure military base in the region, among others--work in combination with Israeli public relations strategies to exercise a powerful influence over how news from the region is reported.
Through the voices of scholars, media critics, peace activists, religious figures, and Middle East experts, Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land carefully analyzes and explains how--through the use of language, framing and context--the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza remains hidden in the news media, and Israeli colonization of the occupied terrorities appears to be a defensive move rather than an offensive one. The documentary also explores the ways that U.S. journalists, for reasons ranging from intimidation to a lack of thorough investigation, have become complicit in carrying out Israel's PR campaign. At its core, the documentary raises questions about the ethics and role of journalism, and the relationship between media and politics.

Welcome to the surface of the sun! - Part Two

2006-08-13T22:56:00.000-05:00

Okay, the heat's not letting up. I just saw the forecast that it's going to be 105 Fahrenheit this whole next week. *@&%@#*^!!! Looks like we're eating out of the pantry this week. I am NOT trekking out there and risk becoming Instant Carnation Raisin. It's a replay of the same two weeks this time last year. The week my family was here for my wedding, it was hot. And then someone cranked up the thermostat - the week after was excruciating!!!

*Grumble, grumble....* Ok, where did I stop the last time? Let's see if the bloody picture will load this time.......TA-DAA!!! Success! Gah, noodles....ack, this is pure torture!

Ahem, right....continuing on with Vegas. When we weren't working (we really didn't work that much), we spent many a day and evening out walking along the Strip to different places of interest. We spent some time at the Secret Garden & Dolphin habitat at the Mirage. Saw Siegfried & Roy's (go ahead and giggle) old white tigers and lions.....and bears. Oh my!!! (ok, no bears)
The dophins were cool.....literally. I would be too if I had my own pool to frolic around in. They swam around to the viewing window and teased us endlessly with their splashing and silly cackling. I would have paid big money to dive in the pool with them, except I don't have money - big or small. Haha.

Now, one place I definitely recommend for any tourists to Vegas would be the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace. This place is gorgeous and HUGE! 175,000-square-foot, three-level shopping centre, with ancient Roman architecture flooding the walls and floors, from frescos to gigantic sculptures. Everything here is designer - Versace, Harry Winston, Kate Spade, Gucci, Hugo Boss, etc. Coolest thing? Spiral escalators! I've never set my eyes on one before, so that was quite an experience. (Added picture for your viewing pleasure. You're welcome!)

A really great, family friendly place would be the Mandalay Bay Hotel. It's nicely laid out with some of the best restaurants in Vegas. Case in point - the Burger Bar. Fantastic food, burgers were top-notch, non-greasy but still flavourful. Jon ordered the Colorado lamb burger which was astonishingly good. I had a grilled shrimp on mesclun salad with Japanese dressing and sundried tomatoes. (was craving some greens that day). Turned out to be a great choice. It had layers of flavour from the crisp greens, to the succulent shrimp and the tangy umami of the dressing.

After that delectable meal, we adjourned to the Shark Reef which is within hotel limits. Tip - if you go after 7pm, the tickets are $5 off for adults. It was an impressive effort to showcase strangely creepy oceanic creatures along with sinister-looking pirahnas from the Amazon basin. Couldn't help thinking what it would be like if I put my finger in the water. Chills!

This is probably more information about my trip to Vegas than you'd care for, I should think. There's more to come actually, but I think I'm all worded out for now. Peace!

Welcome to the surface of the sun! - Part One

2006-07-30T15:58:00.000-05:00

It is hot. It's been unusually hot everyday for the past month and it is increasingly hotter day by day, if that's even possible. This will be my seventh summer in Texas. I should have gotten used to it by now, you say. Well, no......for me, that would be close to impossible. This heat surrounds and envelopes you with its sultry arms, and then surges forth from inside you, not unlike after having had a large, spicy meal. So, one way or another, you're being roasted on the outside, and stewed on the inside.

I have a hate-hate relationship with the sun. I hate the heat, first and foremost. And I hate the way my skin just toasts up a few shades darker just by me emerging briefly into the rays, say whilst running from my apartment to my car, and from said car to end destination. So having said that, what the heck made me decide to sit by the pool at 4pm in Las Vegas with the temperature being 112 Fahrenheit (45 Celcius for everyone else's reference) for an hour???

Vacation madness. That's what it was. Then again, it was a working vacation. We were there for a trade show. Took advantage of the locale and had some fun when we weren't working. We almost didn't make it there.....money issues. Had the priviledge of staying at the Venetian, one of the nicest and newest hotels on the Vegas Strip. Very beautiful, totally puts you in a completely different place altogether......I think they were aiming for hmmm....oh, Venice? : P

The sky you see in the picture? It's not real. It's perpetually daylight in there, with variations for dawn and dusk. Messes you up when you come in from the dark of night. That's how they keep you awake. They mess with your internal clock so you'll walk in from outside and it's bright as day, you're thinking "Oh, it's too early for bed." Completely oblivious to the fact that you've actually been up for 48 hours straight, you head straight for the casino and then....BAM! there goes all the money that you're worth. Slick, very slick.

Since this blog is primarily about food, I couldn't leave this post without something about it. We had some really nice food when during our stay there. Most of it was just ridiculously expensive. One thing that really stood out to Jon and myself was the Noodle house, in the Venetian itself. Some of the best noodles I've had in years! It's very reminiscent of the Taiwanese noodles I used to love back home in Malaysia. These were definitely mind-blowing. Would go back all the way to Vegas just to have the noodles. Pure, succulent wheat noodles cooked to al dente perfection, bathed in spicy Szechuan beef broth, with the most tender cuts of meat with the most amazing flavour. (Trying to load picture, alas....not successful.)

Am so hungry now thinking of noodles. *Sob, sob!!!*

Anyhoo, it's time for me to head back to the blazing reality. Join me again for Part Two. Coming soon to a PC near you.

New crazy member of the family

2006-06-19T19:35:00.000-05:00

No, it's not what you're thinking. Jon and I got a new kitten. We named her Sprinkles because of her unusual colouring. She's a little off, I have to say. Doesn't know the meaning of fear. She spends her days and nights terrorizing the other two cats, Chino and Tigger. But she's still a little baby and loves to be cuddled.

Now, I have to apologize for the tone of the previous posting, but I had to get it out of my system. I was blog-constipated for almost three months before then, not being able to find the right words to put down. Jon and I are a work in progress and we've moved on, but we never forget.

Why the new kitten, you ask? Well, it was partly self-indulgent, to fill a really huge void, but it was just a meeting of two forces and perhaps, love at first sight for the three of us. We knew she was coming home with us the moment we held her. The fact that she gets along famously with the other two proves that it was the right decision. Anyway, she's growing too quickly. So, Jon and I make up for it by smothering her when she wants us to. Silly kitty!

Shhh.....our angel is sleeping.

2006-05-11T15:00:00.000-05:00

Non-eventful is hardly the appropriate word to use to describe things that have happened over these past three months. The roller-coaster ride persists, looping dangerously high and low and sometimes coming skin-close to crashing into the abyss of nothingness. And then, as hope seems wispier than fog, sunlight shines through and everything seems a little clearer, the ground unyielding below my feet. And I feel in that moment, I will know my heart again. But you never forget those eternal seconds that seem to envelope you completely in blackness.

I have never truly known what it feels like to be really empty on the inside. As much as I have experienced emotional pain physically, this Pain obliterates all others. It stabs and snags at every nerve and fiber of my being, making me want to tear my heart out, and at other times, leaves me ice-cold numb. Walking the line has been anything but easy.

I know our sleeping angel. She visits me in my dreams. Jon and I talk to her, wondering if she hears us. We tell her to be good, to be patient; we will see her again soon - whole, healthy and perfect.

I thank the heavens for Jon. He is my sunlight and my unyielding ground. He walks with me through the nothingness and holds my hand through the journey. I know he knows the Pain, for it lives inside him too. But this Pain, which takes so much from the core of us, this Pain rearranges the little shards of our stolen essence together again, more exquisite than ever. Like a beautiful glass mosaic, purposefully broken and then ingeniously made whole again, one tiny piece at a time.

Happy Doggy Year!

2006-02-17T00:35:00.000-06:00

It is time for another celebration. The year of the Fire Dog began on January 29, 2006. For the benefit of those who may not be familiar with Chinese traditions, Chinese new year is celebrated usually in January or February of every year depending on the Lunar calendar. The festivities last for fifteen days, beginning on a new moon and ending on a full moon.

During these fifteen days, it is customary to visit family and friends, and likewise, host family and friends with hoards of epicurean goodies. Being so far from home, it is difficult to get into the spirit of the festivital. In fact, over here in Fort Worth, there is barely a whisper of Lunar merriment. Usually, I try to make up for homesickness by cooking up a storm, and baking cookies two weeks before. Unfortunately, this year I did not have the time to bake, but still managed to have our friends over for our annual CNY get together.

The menu was as such: Yue Sang, the traditional CNY salad of mixed finely shredded vegetables and pickles, Fried fragrant chicken (chicken rice style), Shiitake mushrooms with baby bok choy, Fried stuffed beancurd rolls, Beef hot pot, with coconut cookies and Malaysian coffee as dessert. Jon cooked and chopped up the chicken, with some of my help. It went through tedious cooking processes, but was ultimately worth it!

All in all, it was delicious! And the company, even better. This is the time of year that I get the most homesick, and it is always fun to spend time with my surrogate family.

'Til next time.....Ciao bella! Back to the Winter Olympics.

Holidays, holidays and more holidays!

2006-01-31T15:30:00.000-06:00

Wow! I've been bad. I haven't posted anything since the beginning of December.
Well, time has been passing annoyingly fast. It's been a month since I quit my job to take care of my new business. Christmas and New Year's day has come and gone and we're on the third day of the Chinese New Year. Check out the cake I made for Mary Lou and Brad's Holiday Pudge Party!

Since the new year, all has been well to an extent. I've been very preoccupied with getting the business up and running. Unfortunately, it's not been moving very quickly at all. But, hope is in sight! We have decided to take it to the limit by participating in three trade shows this year. The biggest one will be in March in L.A.

Working from home has been good for me. It's nice to be near everything I feel comfortable with. On the other hand, it's been a brain drain, which leaves me with not much energy to cook much anymore. Having said that, I had been craving Yong Tau Foo, a stuffed vegetable and tofu dish, that I decided to make it myself. It's basically an assortment of vegetables: eggplant/brinjal, bitter gourd, red chillies or jalapenos, tofu puffs and beancurd skins stuffed with a mixture of ground pork and fish with green onions.
I fried them in oil and then made a garlic-oyster sauce gravy to go on the top. We had it with some flat rice noodles, which we dressed with hoisin-soy sauce and sesame seeds. (chee cheong fun!) It was absolutely yummy.

Having said that, I am preparing for a few days of cooking for this coming Saturday's Chinese New Year feast. I'll save the details for the next blog. Expect some good stuff!!!

Birthdays Galore

2005-12-12T22:50:00.000-06:00

November is the beginning of the year's birthday run. More than half of my family and friends celebrate their birthdays in November and December. That includes me and Jonathan.

We had a great get-together at our dinky apartment on Saturday, November 12, 2005 to celebrate Jon's and ....surprise! ....Phil's birthday. I had planned an all-out menu of mostly Malaysian food like curry puffs, beef rendang and fried fragrant chicken. Check out the Blackforest Cake I made for my husband!

Then, four weeks later, it's my turn to be surprised with a birthday party. It was at Tiffany and Stephen's place and they had gotten take out from Asia Bowl, a Pan-Asian Restaurant with some Malaysian dishes. Mee Goreng, Pad Thai and Spicy Chicken Wings.....Yummy!!!

It was really great to spend my birthday with my closest friends. Not to mention that amazing Banana Pecan Cake that Ammar made for me. Super Yummy!!!

Company is everything, don't you think?

Let me introduce myself.....

2005-12-08T20:54:00.000-06:00

Hello all!
Welcome to Planet Foodie. My name is Pleasance and I will be your Foodie Queen. On Planet Foodie I will discuss thoughts on all things food, wine, family, friends, loves, hates, things that make me go hmmmm.....and things that make me go ICK!

A little about myself....I am a wine wholesaler by day and food advocate by night. I'm married to the best husband on earth, Jonathan, who's my best friend too. I couldn't ask for a better person to rule Planet Foodie with. I have the most wonderful parents and a truly amazing sister whom I'm terribly proud of. I have a small circle of friends who are truly more like family. They are a true blessing in my life especially since I'm incredibly close to my family, my friends make the pain of being so far away from family a little more bearable.

My job is truly an experience. Most days, it's more like a roller-coaster ride. Those of you who know me, know how much I loathe those. I seek comfort in coming home every evening and preparing dinner for myself and my husband. I live for the weekends when I can throw myself into my culinary experiments and cook for my fabulous friends.

So, I will keep you all posted...literally....on events in my life. Prepare yourselves though, ....things have been volatilely up and down in my life lately and I'm famous for my brand of honesty. There may be an off-comment or two and probably some emotional outbursts.

I look forward to and welcome all comments and responses.

Till next time,

Foodie Queen.