Today's Lunch

Idli with sambal tempeh - my two most favorite dishes.

Refreshing Green Juice

This time, the green juice tasted much better - with cucumber, celery, and green apples in it - so refreshing and has a mood-boosting effect early in the morning.

An Evening Drive to Bukit Permai

The view of KL city from Bukit Permai lookout point

It was a lovely evening today - it just rained heavily and the cool breeze was luring us to go out. We spontaneously decided to go for a drive to Bukit Permai lookout point to admire the city's skyline. There's something very romantic in sitting in the dark with your loved one with absolute silence around you while marveling at man-made wonders. The best part of the evening was the sight of a fire-fly flying over us at the lookout point - absolutely miraculous. I wish for many evenings like this :)

Sambal Tempeh

 

Today's lunch: Sambal tempeh with rice and stir-fried cauliflower in oyster sauce. I love the hot sambal and tempeh and the combination of both is explosive! Herewith is the recipe for sambal tempeh.

Ingredients:

Dried chilies (the amount depends on how hot your want it) (soak it in hot water)

Red chilies (the amount depends on how hot your want it)

1 red onion

2 big onions

Dried anchovies (soak it in hot water to remove all the impurities)

3 cloves garlic

3 tomatoes (diced)

2 tomatoes (blended)

Tamarind juice

Diced tempeh

Sugar to taste

Salt to taste

Steps:

1. Blend the dry and red chilies, dried anchovies, 2 tomatoes, and 1 big onion into a paste. Add some oil to the mixture while blending.

2. Slice the remaining big onion and red onion and garlic.

3. Heat some oil in a wok. When the oil is moderately hot, saute onions and garlic until golden brown. Then, add the chili paste and saute until it is fragrant. This should take about 15 minutes (until the oil and chili separates and is cooked thoroughly - it is ready when oil from paste floats to the top). Use only low heat and stir constantly.

4. Add the tamarind juice, sugar and salt to taste.

5. Add the diced tomatoes and tempeh.

6. Cook for another 5-10 minutes while stirring occasionally. Before serving, remove the excess oil.

7. Serve with rice, idli or bread.

Multi-Fruit Smoothie

Today morning's smoothie: 2 kiwis, 1 mango, watermelon, and 1 dragonfruit. Refreshingly delicious!

Mashed Potatoes with Tomatoes and Basil

It was raining here in the evening - and the first thing that came to my mind was a warm bowl of mashed potato - my perfect comfort food. To add some nutritional values to the meal, I added some tomatoes and basil leaves. 

Herewith is the recipe:

- Baby potatoes

- Garlic

- Diced tomatoes

- Chopped basil leaves (from our mini-garden)

- Some butter

- Cheddar cheese

- Mayonnaise

- Salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil potatoes and garlic.

2. Drain and peel the skins of the potatoes and the garlic.

3. Mash the potatoes and garlic.

4. Add some butter, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

5. Finally, add in the chopped tomatoes and basil leaves.

6. Serve warm.

The Princess and the Frog

We watched this movie with my sisters and cousin, Natasha in Melaka. Maybe since we were freezing in the cinema theatre, we didn't really enjoy the movie. Or maybe, I am comparing it with the movie UP - which is of course unbeatable.

However, there are some important lessons to be learned from this movie. The essence of the story highlights the importance of having dreams and believe with all your heart that the dream that you are so passionate about will come true, one day. Accompanied with a great degree of faith and perseverance - dreams do come true. 

Delcom PD Breakaway ~11-13th December 2009~

Last weekend was Alfred's company's annual trip to Port Dickson. Since Alfred is the vice-president of the Delcom Sports and Recreation Club, we decided to go for the trip to give support. After watching a movie at MBO Melaka, we drove to PD and reached Thistle Resort around 11 p.m..on Friday. We checked in and had a good night sleep.

The room comes with a lovely view of the beach and the swimming pool. I love the interior of the room as well. The place has been recently renovated and refurbished.

We had a lovely breakfast while mingling with his colleagues and their families. After that, there were some activities organized in the afternoon at the Eagle Ranch - paintball, abseiling and archery.

Saturday night was the much anticipated annual dinner with the theme Twilight Masquerade.

The theme for the annual dinner

 

Us in mask

 

The dining hall

The emcee, Alvin, organized some fun stuffs which enticed everyone to participate. He managed to get everyone on the stage to have fun - I must say it was such a fun night filled with laughter and fun! Alfred was one of them who got picked by his boss to the stage, haha. And they were asked to go to another room to get changed. And when they made their special entrance to the stage, this is what they looked like:

 

 

 

Alfred with his goggles, wig, and his furry wraps - haha, he looked so funny, I couldn't stop laughing.

 

Another team dressed funnily

 

 

 

 

Shrek, George Bush and Saddam Hussein and the Emcee

 

The last bit of the fun-filled night

Fresh Fruit Juice

Freshly squeezed carrots, red apples, green apples, yellow pears and oranges - sweet and refreshing - a perfect way to start the day.

A lost

Today morning we received the dreaded phone call from my father-in-law - the news of Alfred's grandma's passing. Although we were pretty much prepared for this news (she was unconscious since last Thursday), it was still hard to accept. She lived to a ripe-old-age of 90 - and she has been blessed to see her grandchildren and great grandchildren growing up.

I still remember the first time I met her - she was so elated of hearing that Alfred and I are getting married. We've always made it a point to visit her as frequently as we could since she lived alone (it was her choice to live alone in her old-wooden-home-sweet-home. She has always said that we should take care of our wife/husband and children). I've never met an old lady as strong-willed as her. Even during her daughter's funeral earlier this year, she was calm and collected - and she was the one who consoled us saying there's no point of crying and feeling remorseful - saying that her daughter's time has come and she had to go - as simple as that - she understood and accepted the fate. One of her favorite quotes is "You shouldn't worry and you should be strong and be willing to face anything". Her advices are still ringing loud and clear on my mind.

She has never cared much about herself - and never felt sorry for herself. She is an extremely independent woman - she is so adamant of doing everything herself despite having trouble to walk. As her legs gave way over time, she insists on walking to the bathroom without assistance (she dislikes it when anyone holds her - and she will slowly walk from her room to the bathroom by holding the walls for support). She fell many times, but to her that's nothing. She has gone through many hardships in her life - and yet she stood mightily against all the challenges life threw to her.

It was a great honor for me to have known her - a great inspiration to everyone whose life she has touched. After her passing, I can hear everyone talking about her greatest qualities - high-degree of discipline and the strongest will-power. She has indeed lived a good life and set many good examples - one which everyone around her will cherish and remember for the rest of our lives. We love you, Grandma. Rest in Peace.

Freshly Squeezed Green Juice

Today's morning juicing: Freshly squeezed green juice comprising of: cucumber, brocolli, spinach, organic Chinese cabbage, kacang botol (winged bean) and kailan (Chinese kale). To be honest, unlike most of the other fruit and carrot juices I have made, this one was pretty hard to ingest. The first time I sipped it, it tasted like a glass of freshly-mown grass juice - YUCKS. I had to hold my breath and force myself to gulp the juice down. Alfred almost gagged after having the first sip. I think it takes some time to get use to the taste. But the immense health benefits of alkaline green juice far outweights the taste.

Mango-Soursop-Pear Smoothie

Today's breakfast booster is Mango-Soursop-Pear smoothie. It's packed with nutrition and fibre and fills the stomach for the morning.

Sambar (Indian Dhal Curry)

Today's lunch is sambar (Indian dhal curry). It's a perfect vegetarian dish since you can add any vegetables you want - and my favorite is of course the potatoes! Herewith is the recipe:

Step A. Ingredients:

1 cup red dhal (lentils) (these are small lentils which take quicker to cook)

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Step A:

1. Wash and clean the dhal.

2. In a heavy cooking pot, boil 2 cups of water and add the dhal, turmeric powder and 1 tsp of oil.

3. Boil until the dhal is soft and then mash it coarsely.

4. If needed, add more water as it is boiling but do not let it get too watery.

Step B Ingredients:

5 small dry red chilies

8 curry leaves

5 shallots

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

Step B:
1. Heat a frying pan under medium flame and add 1 tsp of oil.

2. Once the oil is hot, add the dry chilies, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and curry leaves and sautee for 2 minutes.

3. Add the shallots and brown lightly.

Step C Ingredients:

3 tomatoes

2 round brinjals

4 drumsticks

5 baby potatoes (boil separately)

3 cloves of garlic

1/4 tsp asafoetida (is an antiflatulent agent - normally used with dhal dishes)

2 tbsp sambar powder (you can get it from Indian grocery shops) 

Step C:

1. Add the sauteed ingredients from step B to the cooked dhal.
2. Stir well and add the asafoetida and the sambar powder.
3. Add the brinjals and drumsticks to the mixture and let it cook. Add some water if the mixture is too thick.
4. Season with salt.
5. Once the brinjals and drumsticks are cooked, add in the tomatoes, cooked baby potatoes and garlic.
6. Let the mixture boil over medium heat.
7. Remove from heat and serve with rice or thosai.

Cucumber-Mixed Fruits Juice

A refreshing start of a brand new day: Cucumber with mixed fruits juice.

• 2 cucumbers
• 2 yellow pears
• Pineapple slices
• 1 orange
  

Sunday Walk around Lake Gardens

Yesterday, after our breakfast at the Decanter, we decided to go for a walk around Lake Gardens. It was a beautiful Sunday morning. It's lovely to be flanked by towering trees and breathing in refreshing morning breeze. We walked around the national mosque and the butterfly and bird parks. Experiencing all these places in KL by foot is a different feeling altogether. We admired some of the gigantic ancient trees along the way - and I remarked on how sad it is when these age-old trees are chopped down - we may not live to see the next one. We admired and cherished each tree as we walked by.

Near the national mosque, we saw a lady selling her beautiful paintings and we bought one for our home. That Sunday morning is by far one of the best mornings :)

 

 

PIKOM PC Fair - KLCC

My favorite and handy gadget for 2009 - GPS! Last Saturday, we went to the PIKOM PC Fair at the KL Convention Centre. One of the items that we intended to buy is the GPS. I need a GPS badly to navigate myself around KL without getting lost. More often that not - with my terrible sense of direction - I find myself going round and round around roundabouts deciding on which exit to take. And with a GPS, I am more confident to get around anywhere I wish to go. We bought the GARMIN model nuvi 205 - it's compact and sleek-looking with some basic features - price: RM 499. I told Alfred that it's the best ever gift for me (nowadays, I find myself favoring practical gifts). We also bought an external hard disk drive (Seagate brand) and a box of DVD-R.

Besides skimpily dressed salesgirls, one of the 'attractions' during the PC fair is the 'statue' man.

 

 

Soursop-Orange Juice

Freshly squeezed soursop and orange juice - it's silky smooth and creamy - delicious!

Lunch Menu - Sardine with Tempeh

My favorite soy-based food is tempeh (or tempe in Indonesian). Tempeh is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form - an excellent source of protein for vegetarians and it's packed with flavor! Although it excudes a-not-so-pleasant-smell, once you cook it the smell goes off. The tempeh dishes sold outside are usually deed-fried in order to eliminate the fermented soy odour. For yesterday's lunch I made sardine with tempeh with lots of tomatoes and onions. I included ginger to eliminate the fermented soy-bean smell and it was delicious! - accompanied with brown rice and blanched baby asparagus - a delightful lunch.

Just Thai - Thai Noodle House @ One Utama

We loved the interior decorations and the ambiance in this Thai restaurant - it's very cosy and classic with some potraits of Thai people on the walls. We ordered the set meal for 2 person consisting of the following menu:

• Royal money bags served with plum sauce; Rating: 4/5
• Spicy glass noodle salad with seafood; Rating: 5/5
• Tom yam seafood soup; Rating: 4/5
• Stir fried fish fillet with garlic; Rating: 4/5
• Stir fried mixed vegetables with oyster sauce; Rating: 3/5
• Water chestnut with coconut milk; Rating: 5/5

 And this set menu costs only RM 49 - enough portion for 3 people actually - it was too much food for us both. I'd definitely go back there for their glass noodle salad - it's power-pack!

2012

My review of the 2012 movie which we watched last night:

• Lots of effects which was cool coz' it looks so real;
• Lots of drama; some of which I think is overdone and unneccesary;
• No matter how much science and technology we have mastered, mother nature is more powerful than us. An important lesson to learn is that our superior force is none other than our mother earth - which is the highest form of intelligence - every element in it is so carefully planned to sustain all the living beings. So cherish and respect the earth we are staying in.
• According to the movie, Africa will be the only continent remaining after all the catastrophe. So, there will be no longer any divisions of countries - the 1 continent standing symbolizes unity among humanity which is so lacking now. 
• The lack of the spirit of brotherhood among humanity at the present era is also highlighted in this movie. Even in the midst of chaos during the end-of-the-world, human being is seen to be using money as a ticket to enter the ship. In the name of preserving the species of mankind, at the end of the day, only the chosen ones are allowed to board ships that ferry them to safety - and only the rich can afford them. Government, corruption and the value of human life are highlighted in this movie.
• After watching this movie, I reflected on what would we do if we really are facing the end days. The moral of the story is to savor every precious moments we have. More often than not we are so caught up in the rat-race that we forget to pause to admire the clouds on the sky,  or to feel the gentle breeze; and to admire the nature surrounding us.