The "thing"

I'm at work. I'm fasting. But I cannot get this "thing" off my mind. I should have had the "thing" for Iftar yesterday. But I had McD instead. I'm looking forward to Iftar today with the "thing". The "thing" on warm rice is my fave dish in the entire world. Owhhh "thing", wait for me to come home, ok?







This is the "thing" i.e. Sardine masak lemak cili api. Salivating already! Sabar-sabar *grins*. Another 8 hours to go, lol!

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Foodie Thursday

I had a lot to eat yesterday *evil grin*. 

Exhibit 1

Kak Ani bought this from San Terri Cottage at BSV. Do you want to know what's inside?

Tadaa! The top one is called Black Magic and the below one is called Chantily. Both were just yummeh!! My personal favourite has to be Black Magic. The dark chocolate cake with all its yummy gooeyness, it just melts in your mouth! Chantily was light and fluffy, not to sweet, just perfect. Because I love chocolates and I'm being bias here, Black Magic was just, well..magical and oh-so-delicious! In essence, it's better than Chantily.

Exhibit 2

Who would have thought that KFC now sells egg tarts?

I didn't. And I could not believe my eyes when I saw this:

The inside? Mind the chicken ;p

Portuguese egg tarts! The taste? Again, not too sweet. These desserts seems to be hitting the right button! It's quite tasty and I am quite surprised, I tell you! Will definitely purchase them in the future.

Exhibit 3

Hubby and I had din-din at this place called Lerk Thai in Jusco, Setiawangsa.  We had this:

The drinks were made from Serai and Pandan! Mine was Pandan and it was very refreshing! Hubby had Serai and it tasted a bit funky but sweet. The drinks was nice and it definitely cleansed our palette.

This is Ayam Pandan. There are 2 pieces and the whole plate costs RM10 so technically it's RM5 each. I was happy with it because the chicken was boneless and it was very tasty. RM10 well spent if you ask me, lol!

I had Pad Thai. Pad Thai has always been a favourite of mine. But this one just massacred all the other Pad Thais. It was sooooooooooooooooo sweet. Like yucks! I didn't finish it. It was so hard to eat. I like mine hot, sour and spicy. But this was just wrong, wrong, wrong. The chef must hang himself this instantly! Such an embarrassment and disappointment to have cooked this appalling dish. Shame on you!

Hubby had Belachan Fried Rice (?!). So not adventurous, lol! He said it tasted bad but I had some of it and I liked it. But again, maybe I'm being bias because I love belachan, so I have different set of views altogether. To me, belachan is like the best invention ever created!

And we had this for dessert, lol! 

OK, am going bananas now. Too much eating yesterday.

Please show me this post, if and when I whined about not losing any weight.

Many thanks *winks*

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've started making these cookies for the past 3 years for raya. The thing about me is I love to bake but I'm not the biggest fan of my own baking products. I'd usually bake and serve others. I remembered baking these for the first time and I gave it to mummy for raya. Little did I know that that was the first and also the last time I baked raya cookies for mummy. So these babies holds a special place in my heart and I vow to bake them every year for raya. Plus, it's hubby's fave kuih raya :)

Ingredients:

200g butter

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups milk chocolate chips

How to make:

1. Preheat oven to 175 C. Grease cookie sheets or use baking paper.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate soda and salt, gradually stir into the creamed mixture. 

3. Finally fold in the milk chocolate chips. I use this:

4. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets or baking paper.

5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until light brown. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dah abes dah pon..it only lasted 3 days!

Pavlova

magnifique

tetiba lapar plaks!

I've made this several times. Usually as a buah tangan when I visit someone. People would be intrigued by it when I tell them what it's called. "Kuih ape nih?", "Pavlova?", "Ape??". Let's not get into details lah. Need I say that it's useless to explain to them on why it has such a name because I'd usually end up with "Makan jelah", lol!

I made this for Hida's potluck raya makan-makan. Actually, Khalid had requested for this. He has never tasted meringue and I get annoyed with him when he constantly uses the word "meringue" everytime he tries to describe a certain food. Annoyed only because I know for a fact that he does not know what it is but yet he boldly uses the word on every possible opportunity *sigh*.

Owhhh, this is also hubby's fave dessert :) Don't you just love a man who loves your cooking unconditionally? ;p

Ingredients:

4 egg whites

1 cup caster sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp cornflour

a pinch of salt

How to make:

1. In a small electric mixer bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.

2. Add sugar, lemon juice, sifted cornflour and salt and beat until stiff and glossy (at least 10 minutes).

3. Cover a baking tray with baking paper.

4. Pile meringue onto paper into a large circle, leaving the centre slightly hollowed,

5. Bake in at 130C for 1 1/2 hours or until crisp on the outside.

6. Turn oven off and leave pavlova to cool in oven with door ajar.

7. Decorate with whipped cream and strawberries. I usually slice my strawberries in thin pieces and drenched them in lemon juice and add a sprinkle of caster sugar. 

The verdict? Ask the people who came to Hida's raya makan-makan *evil laugh*.

Of pineapples and tarts

It's here!

I cannot imagine my raya without it! To me, besides the ketupat and rendang, my raya has always been defined by it.

Now that I'm old enough to buy it myself, I have them not only on raya but on other occasions as well. I remembered eating it everyday while I was pregnant and I remembered ordering it immediately after coming back from the long maternity leave *giggles*.  

After searching high and low for the most delicious and mouthwatering ones, the finest of them all are actually sold here at my office building. This one Kak Lela who is a receptionist at a clinic in my office building makes them. I had to order 2-3 months in advance for them babies!

Fresh from the clinic?!
 

cantik kan dia susun?

view from the top

3 is missing!?! *rubs tummy*

It's RM23 each per container and it's worth every single cent!! If you want them next year, just give me a buzz and I'll order them for you :)

Banana Custard

I love, love, love this dessert! And I only had the balls to do it this Ramadhan, after careful research, lol!

Every time i go back to daddy's kampung, my aunts would make this for my sister and I. I'm sure it has a proper name of some sort. But my version is called Banana Custard!

What you need:

A bunch of ripe bananas (any type would do but pisang emas would be better :p)

4 cups of milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

8-10 tbs of sugar

1 cinnamon stick

4 tbs custard powder

Oil for frying

How to make:

1. Cut the bananas in two and cut it again in halves.

2. Fry the bananas in oil. Preferably 5-7 mins on each side.

3. After 5-7 mins, flip it over and it should turn out like this.

4. Place all the fried bananas to cool in a shallow container.

5. For the custard, warm the milk on medium heat. Chuck in the cinnamon stick into the warm milk. Add sugar and vanilla essence gradually making sure not to bring the milk to a boil. Add the custard powder and whisk constantly.

6. Once the custard has come to a thick consistency. Remove it from the heat and leave it to cool.

7. Once cool (not completely), pour the custard onto the cooled fried bananas.

8. Again, leave the Banana Custard to cool and whack it in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

9. Banana Custard is best served and eaten cold! Yummy!!

the end product!!

Give it a try!!

Brownies, anyone?

I make brownies on every occasions! It's simple and yummy too :)

Hubby loves it! I even have a regular customer (thanks Ums!).

I want to share with you my recipe!! (i take pride in telling people my brownies does not come out from a box!).

What you need:

125g butter

200g caster sugar

60g plain flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

40g cocoa powder

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

How to make:

1. Make sure you preheat the oven at 175 C.

2. Grease a square (i've never seen brownies baked in a round or heart shaped baking tins, lol!) baking tin. I normally grease my baking tin with peanut oil because it gives that much needed nutty-ness to the brownies :p

2. Melt the butter in a pan. Add sugar immediately to the melted butter stirring occasionally.

3. Add the eggs (beaten) and vanilla essence, again, stirring occasionally.

4. Incorporate the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder together in the butter-sugar-eggs-vanilla mixture. Stir well.

5. Pour batter into the greased baking tin and whack it in the oven for a good 30-40 mins.

6. Once done, leave it to cool and dust icing sugar on top of it.

Cut them in squares after dusting! It should turn out like this:

brownies, anyone?

Inginkan perut yang kempis?? *lol*

My favorite secretary, Cik Ani, gave me a list of ingredients to help me with my struggling bulging tummy. (okay, this tummy is bulging because i have not lost all my baby fat as yet..and maybe because, just maybe, i was not diligent in wearing the bengkung!) I have tried it for 2 weeks and i must say that it does make a difference!! Even Cik Ani noticed that my tummy has gone from bulging to not-maybe-flat but acceptably-reasonably-OKAY for someone who just had a baby 6 months ago (excuses, mexcuses).

You need the following:

100g halia

100g lengkuas

50g kunyit hidup

2 lobak merah

1 liter air masak

secubit garam

2 biji limau nipis

Cara-cara penyediaannya adalah seperti berikut *grins*:

Blend the halia, lengkuas, lobak merah and kunyit hidup with the air masak. Once finely blended (my blender has gone all orangey-yellow, thanks to the kunyit hidup!), strained the blended stuff in a strainer. Add a pinch of salt and the juice from the 2 limau nipis. And drink!! Twice a day!! You can keep the balance in the freezer.

The verdict: 

The taste is OK i supposed. Macam jamu but i think the carrots makes the concoction a tad bit more refreshing compared to jamu.

Try it!!You should notice the difference within 2 days if you drink it religiously, that is! 

Selamat mencuba :)