All Things Womanly

Custom made Ava Felt Brooch

2012-01-27T08:32:00.000+08:00

Specially custom made the Ava Brooch for a forever young at heart lady. She asked for it and so I made it.

Flower pattern by: SnazzieDrawers

LOVE my Edamame

2012-01-27T08:25:00.000+08:00

Hey everyone

Besides eating exotic fruits as my past-time snacks (NOTE: I do indulge in potato chips and chocolate bar and ice-cream once in a while.), I have found another healthy snack at my nearest supermarket. Its the Edamame bean, or better known as the immature soybeans in the pod. It is commonly found in Japanese restaurants. Edamame is rich in protein, carbohydrates, dietary fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.

To prepare the Edamame is fairly simple. All you need is hot boiling water and pour it over the Edamame and let it cooked between 3 to 4 minutes. Remember to add salt if the bean is not sprinkled with salt yet. Drain the water and it is ready to eat. Sound simple and quick, doesn't it? I recommend that you eat it while its hot. The salt truly enhances the taste of the bean. Once it turns cold, the taste is pretty much tasteless. Like me, even my daughter loves Edamame. Now, I just need to persuade darling hubby to join us for an Edamame party. Well, it is nice to eat and share food with happy people. : ) Happy Snacking!!

XOXO

Wahida

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Audrey Flower Baby Headband

2011-12-09T12:40:00.001+08:00

Hello everyone

I just made these Audrey Flower Baby Headband for two lucky girls. Won't reveal who just yet. Keeping it a secret. Hope they look babybeautiful with the headband on. : )

Credit: Flower pattern is from SnazzieDrawers

K, bye!

XOXO

Wahida

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Chicken in Fermented Soy Bean / Ayam masak Taucho

2011-12-08T10:38:00.001+08:00

hey everyone

in this entry, i'm going to make it short and sweet. let's just say that i'm in my lazy mode right now. just counting on the days when I will be jetting off to denpasar, bali indonesia with my beautiful family for a well deserved holiday. we have worked hard for the whole year. its time to take a break.

based from the title of this post, i made this dish last week. i know, i know. i should have shared it earlier. thousand apologies. but its better late than never. i got the recipe from one of my cookbooks, The Best of Chef Wan. i made several changes to suit hubby's taste bud. the recipe is down below.

Chicken in Fermented Soy Bean / Ayam masak Taucho

recipe:

200-300g of fillet chicken breast, cut into medium size chucks

1-2 teaspoon of cornflour

1 teaspoon of light soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 shallots, slice

3 cloves of garlic, slice

2-3 tablespoon basic sambal

3 tablespoon of fermented soy bean / taucho, lightly mashed with a spoon

1 small packed of ready to eat cashew nuts

a handful of sweet beans, cut into halves

3 baby corns, cut into quarters

water, depend whether you want to make the dish dry or with some sauce

1 tablespoon of soy bean oil

salt and sugar to taste

step:

marinade the chicken with cornflour, light soy sauce and sugar. leave it in the chiller of about an hour.
in a pre-heated pan, add oil and fry the shallots and garlic til soft.
add the sambal and stir.
take the chicken out from the chiller and add to the pan. stir well.
add the fermented soy bean and water. stir and bring it to a simmer.
let the chicken cook for about 10 mins before adding the sweet bean and baby corn. wait for another 5 minutes to let the vegetables cook.
add the cashew nuts and season the dish according to your taste.
best served with a bowl of white fluffy rice. yummy!

Let me know if you manage to try out the recipe.

Bye!

XOXO

Wahida

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Jipaban DVD Haul

2011-11-30T08:10:00.001+08:00

Good morning everyone

I am so excited to share with you that I had just received a parcel from Jipaban yesterday. Okay, the story goes like this. Last Friday was Black Friday and Jipaban was having a 10% sale. So I went to their DVD collections and found something that I have been looking for. Yup, its the Harry Potter The Complete Collection (Limited Numbered Edition DVD Box Set). It was only S$116.91! A total of 16 DVDs and a photo album included. It sold out so fast that when my colleague wanted to buy it on the very next day, the box set was no longer available. The box set was selling like hot cakes. I feel so lucky. My patience really paid off. Hehehe. Now I just need to gather my family to watch all the movies together. A family slumber party perhaps? Hehehe. Not forgetting for my little angel, I also bought her 3 cartoons DVDs for her to enjoy watching with her cousins. Mama loves you, baby! Muah!

Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Cartoon DVDs for my girl and Harry Potter DVDs for me.
Spent a total of S$151.74.

16 DVDs including 4 bonus DVDs.

Harry Potter Photo Album.

K Bye!

XOXO

Wahida

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Felt Flower Headbands

2011-11-29T11:00:00.001+08:00

Good morning everyone

It has been weeks since I last wrote in. Blogging is not easy as it seems. It takes a lot of time and ideas to keep it going. Despite the daily mundane busy-ness in life, I have been quietly resorting to making handy crafts and reading to relieve the stress. This time I have made 3 more felt flower headbands. Two will be for sale and one is for me to keep. If you are interested to own the headband or you are curious to know more about the headband, feel free to leave me your comment. Please take note that I only made one piece for each design. There is no other exact piece.

The usual price of these headband is S$20. Like in my previous post 'Rose Headband', I am giving 25% discount to my customers, hence they are selling at S$15 now. I cannot guarantee that this offer will be permanent, so take advantage of them now. So hurry!

Red and green felt petals with Green Swarovski crystal beads.

Dark brown and turquoise felt petals with Green Swarovski crystal beads. Perfect for a little girl.

Due to poor lighting, the turquoise felt petals appears blue in colour. Apologies if this picture appears misleading.

Turquoise rose headband. Not for sale.

Credit: Flower design is adapted from Snazzie Drawers.

XOXO

Wahida

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Hand and face cream haul

2011-11-29T09:58:00.001+08:00

Hey everyone

About three weeks ago, I ran out of my usual orange tube Cetaphil moisturizing cream that I went back to the Pink Beauty store to buy more. Unfortunately, the one that I was looking for ran out. Hence, I had to look around for more options since my hands were in need for some serious moisturizing. Of course, we as women always got lost when we were surrounded by beauty products that we intended to look at everything and wanted to buy everything. However since I was trying to keep my budget low, I bought 3 different types of cream for my hands and face.

Pond's cold cream

Ok, the first cream that I bought was the Pond's Cold Cream. I am sure that some of you might or might not have already heard or use the cold cream. It is a white colour cream that claims to deep cleans our facial skin and removes all make-up. I was a bit skeptical when I read some of the comments and articles about this cream from the internet. How can a cream removes make-up or even the stubborn waterproof mascara? In order to put the claim onto a test, I had to buy one of course. Well it did removed the waterproof mascara. All I did was to scoop some of the cream and put them onto my eyelids and began to gently spread the cream all over my eyes. I then gently massage my eyes with the cream and surprisingly, it didn't even sting my eyes at all. Even though I am not an avid make-up user, I still use this cream for at least once a week to deep clean my skin for that extra clean feeling. But beware ladies, this cream does leave some oily residue on the skin after cleansing. The oily residue is the essential oils and emollients that keep the skin smooth and to prevent the tight or dry feeling. To remove the oily residue, I simply wash my wash with my own facial wash for that extra freshness and cleanness.

My verdict?
This cream will certainly stay with me for a while and yes, I would buy it again.

QV cream. Night cream for my hands when I go to sleep.

The next cream that I bought was the QV Cream. I bought this cream to replace my cheap night hand cream, which doesn't quite work on my hands. So now before bed time, I will slather some of the QV cream onto my hands before covering them with my cotton gloves. The rich white cream works wonder for my extremely dry hands. It contains one of our natural skin oil components called squalene. It has an almost neutral pH of 6 and it is fragrance free. It is suitable for sensitive skin like mine and I simply love how my hands feel every morning I wake up. It is super soft and supple.

My verdict?

I do quite like it and I definitely would buy it again even though it is slightly expensive (slightly more than S$20/tub). But the big tube would definitely last you for a long time.

Day cream for my hands after each daily washing.

The last cream that I bought was the regular Cetaphil Moiturizing Cream. This cream is used as my day hand cream. Like QV Cream, this cream is also frangrance free and suitable for dry and sensitive skin. One thing I don't quite like about this cream is that I find it greasy. But at least it is not as greasy as my previous orange tube Cetaphil moisturizing cream.

My verdict?

I will buy it again only if I have no other options.

Bye!

XOXO

Wahida

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My secret to soft moisturised hands

2011-11-04T10:33:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone

Wearing cotton gloves during my nighttime sleep has been a regular regime for me since in my early 20s. The secret to mega moisturise your hands overnight is to slather lots of your favourite hand moisturiser or thick, creamy body butter before covering your hands with cotton gloves. For a maximum result, try exfoliating your hands and rinsing with warm water before putting on your moisturiser/butter and gloves. Your body heat that is trapped within your gloves will help your moisturiser/butter to condition and soften your hands. After long hours of sleep throughout the night, you will wake up and discover a soft and moisturised pair of hands.

My suggestion to you is to carry out this regime daily as our hands are regularly exposed to washing and nature which strip off the moisture from our hands. You can also do the same trick for your feet. Try applying your body butter onto your feet and immediately wear your socks before bedtime. I would recommend that you wear ankle socks made from cotton so that your feet won't perspire during sleep. Enjoy and Happy Trying!

So what's your secret to soft moisturised hand and feet?

I got my Moisturising Cotton Gloves from the Body Shop. Each pair cost $15.90.
It's the most comfortable pair I ever have.

Bye!

XOXO

Wahida

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Skin and Evening Primrose Oil

2011-11-04T09:31:00.001+08:00

Hey everyone

Our hands reflect our age and at the current moment, my hands doesn't. Have you ever experience rough flaky skin on your hands? I started experiencing mine when I started cooking and washing in my house. Of course being a mother and wife, these are some inevitable duties that we women can't escape from. From being soft, fair and tight skin, my hands gradually turned red, dry, flaky, inflame and scaly. Worst part of all, my hands would itch almost 90% of the time. Lets just say, I hate looking at my hands. The most hideous part is that the skin on my fingers has turned loose and sagging like a 70 year old granny. I pretty much ashamed of showing people my hands. I become conscious whenever I need to shake people's hand. Would they notice how hard my hands are and what do they think of my hands? There were painful times when tiny and white bumps would develop onto my fingers and palms. Each time I would use a needle or nail clipper to prick those tiny bumps and squeezed the fluid out to relieve the pain. Sounds disgusting doesn't it? But how? I need to relieve my hands from the excruciating pain.

Even using the most expensive hand cream and rubber gloves doesn't seem to improve the whole situation. The problems keep coming back and each time it will take a worst turn. Wanting to ending all this desperately, I started asking around and doing some research on Evening Primrose Oil (EPO). I remember an ex-colleague who once experience skin problems on her hand consumed EPO to help relieve her problems.

My daily supplement of Evening Primrose Oil.

I started consuming EPO based from the recommendation given by my colleague and the research I had made over the internet. From what I have learned, EPO contains omega-6 fatty acid which is one of the good essential fatty acids (EFAs). As many of us may not know, EFAs can only be obtained through food such as green vegetables and seafood since our body is unable to manufacture these EFAs. EFO is widely known to be one of the best natural beauty product which promotes and maintains healthy skin. Not only it is riched in anti aging properties, it also helps to reduce the sign of wrinkles and fine lines. The rough skin on my hands started to decrease and the red inflammation starts to reduce. I would say that the best benefit of EPO is the relief from itching. I remember one particular morning when my hands were so itchy that I kept scratching. Unfortunately the more I scratch, the more itch I felt and it kept spreading. My friend recommended me to rub my hands with fine wet salt to relieve the itch on my hands. It's the worst and painful experience that I had to bear. My hands felt pain after the rub but it certainly stopped the itch.

Even though my hand's skin did not return to its original, it certainly has made some improvement. But whether my skin would improve further, only time will tell when I religiously take the EPO on daily basis.

Bye!

XOXO
Wahida

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Mihun Goreng Putih

2011-11-03T10:29:00.002+08:00

Good morning everyone

Happy Thursday! One more day to our long weekend break. Hari Raya Haji is just around the corner. Actually, it is this Sunday as a matter of fact. I will be heading down to my parent-in-law place's this weekend. Looking forward to family gathering and stuffing my face with umie's food. Yummy! Anyway, this entry will be on food. Last night's dinner was a simple Mihun Goreng Puteh aka Fried White Bee Hoon. It is one of my all-time favourite dish. I had attempted to cook this Mihun Goreng several times before based from different recipes in the internet but they didn't turned out what I expected.

Two weekends ago, I bought a cookbook by Sheila Rusly. The cookbook contains 20 recipes of noodles and pasta. One of them contains my favourite Mihun Goreng recipe and so I thought why not try to cook the noodle and see how it turns out. Alhamdulilah, the Mihun Goreng turned out what I had been hoping for. I even got two thumbs up from darling hubby, mother-in-law and my baby girl. Success!!

Freshly made from the wok: Mihun Goreng Putih or Fried White Bee Hoon

Recipe: Mihun Goreng Putih (Fried White Bee Hoon)

Source: 20 recipe Mi dan Mihun dari Sheila Rusly

Recipe:

1/3 packet of mihun or rice vermicelli - blanch in hot water for 5 minutes and drain

2 shallots

3 garlic

1 ikan bilis cube

2 squid - cut into ring shape ( I substitute with beefballs. )

7 medium sized prawn

2-3 stalk of chye sim ( Since I didn't have chye sim, I substitute with xiao bai cai. )

A handful of beansprout

White pepper powder

Salt to taste

Oil

Method:

Finely pound the shallots and garlic using pestle and mortar. You can use food blender or fine grater if you don't have pestle and mortar in the kitchen.
Heat up the work on medium heat. Add 3 tablespoon of oil. Fry the shallots and garlic till they turn soft.
Add in the ikan bilis cube, prawn and squid. Stir till they are 3/4 cooked.
Add in salt and white pepper powder.
Add mihun and chye sim. Mix them well until they are evenly distributed. Tips: Use two wooden spatulas for easy mixing and even distribution of ingredients.
Add beansprout and stir again. Done!
Best serve with pickled green chili.

Below are two pictures of Sheila Rusly cookbook.

20 Recipe Mi dan Mihun by Sheila Rusly: For RM$8.50, I consider it to be an affordable book. Rasa tak menyesal bila beli.

A meticulous book that shows you each step with pictures and instructions.

One of the things that I like about this book is that the ingredients used for all the recipes are easy to find and simple. No complicated ingredients which is good for my budget.

K, bye!

XOXO

Wahida

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The Best Of Chef Wan

2011-11-02T09:01:00.002+08:00

Hey everyone

I finally received The Best of Chef Wan cookbook from Book Depository. I had been waiting for its arrival when I pre-ordered the book in August. So I am pretty much excited about the book. Being a household name in Asia particularly in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, Chef Wan has always been one of my favourite celebrity chefs since I was a teen. I love watching him on various cooking and travelling shows on TV. His wit, humour and honesty always make me glued when watching his shows.

Anyway in this book, Chef Wan shares 138 recipes, which also features some of his favourite Malaysian recipes. The recipes are categorised in 6 categories - Meat, Poultry, Fish & Seafood, Salad & Vegetables, Rice & Noodles and Soups. Each recipe is accompanied by a beautiful picture of the dish. Bear in mind that the book is in English and not in Malay Language. I guess this book is made for a wider population. The recipes are written in a simple format which is great for cooking dummy like me. Hope I can do some justice to my money and this book in my kitchen. Oh my...that Nonya Laksa picture dish below is making me hungry!

XOXO

Wahida

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Catching up with an old friend

2011-10-18T10:06:00.003+08:00

Hey everyone

How have you been? Today is one of those days that I have not been feeling too well. Been battling with cough and runny nose since last week. Been to the doctor's clinic yesterday to get some medication but I dare not take the cough syrup today because I might turn drowsy while doing work.

Anyway, I had fun catching up with my twin last Saturday. We chit chat and exchanged belated birthday gifts at Starbucks. I made a pink rose hairband and a beaded necklace made from mookaite and citrine crystals specially for her. We then walked around the city as my little one was getting restless. Even though I was not feeling well that day, I didn't want to disappoint my twin by cancelling the appointment with her. It had been months since we last saw each other. I can't wait to attend her wedding ceremony next year. Glad to know that she is finally settling down with a great guy. Once she settles down, it would even be harder for us to meet. We would be more focus on our family, work and children.

Don't you wish that you are still in school and just hang out with your close friends? I really miss those times and when I did finally get to meet up with my friends, we would start to relive those teenage or young adult times with all sort of daily happenings and gossips. Those are precious times that we would never forget because friends come and go but its those precious few who will stay by your side and not let you go.

My little one enjoying her cake pop from Starbucks.

Thank you Aunt Ling for the cake pop. Yummy!!

P.S.: Thanks Ling for spending the short hours with us. How I wish we could spend the whole day together but nonetheless, I am happy to see you. Thank you for helping me out with my active little one. Hope you will have yours soon. Muah and Hugs!

XOXO

Wahida

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Rose Headband

2011-10-14T15:18:00.004+08:00

Hey everyone

This is the second headband that I had just handmade. The red rose is made from acrylic felt and is hand-sewn by me. The metal headband is wrapped in green ribbon. If you are interested to own the headband or you are curious to know more about the headband, feel free to leave me your comment. Please take note that I only made one piece. There is no other exact piece.

The usual price of this headband is S$20. However for this opening sale, I am giving 25% discount to my customers, hence it is selling at S$15 now. I cannot guarantee that this offer will be permanent, so take advantage of them now. So hurry!

Credit: Flower design is adapted from Snazzie Drawers.

XOXO
Wahida

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A roller coaster week of flu

2011-10-13T09:33:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone

Hope all of you are doing great. It had been quite sometime since I updated my blog. I really miss coming in here. I had been busy looking after my daughter who had been sick since last Wednesday. She had been experiencing flu for over one week. The most worrying part was that her fever kept fluctuating over a period of seven days. I made a firm decision to take her to the children's hospital to end all these stress and misery that my family and daughter had to go through. Since the usual medication that the doctor gave her earlier did not help to stabilize her body temperature and flu, some thing must be wrong with her. The hospital's nurse took her blood for a blood test. The pediatrician analysed the result and diagnosed that she could be infected with a virus that is lurking around the child care centers at the moment and one of her white blood cells was at an unusually high rate. The pediatrician prescribed her with an antibiotic and Alhamdulillah, her body respond to it and her body temperature is back to normal.

XOXO
Wahida

All Things Womanly Blogshop

2011-10-04T10:56:00.000+08:00

Good morning everyone

Great news! I have set up another blog called the All Things Womanly Blogshop (click to find out more). I will be using this blog as a platform to sell handmade items made by me. As some of you might not have known, I love making handy crafts. My latest project will be more on accessories. I have just sold my first piece and hope to keep the ball rolling. So stay tune for more and please give me your support. Thank you so much, peeps. Muah!

My first piece for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Credit: Flower design is adapted from Snazzie Drawers.

XOXO

Wahida

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A simple breakfast fits for his Queen.

2011-10-03T10:33:00.004+08:00

Good morning everyone

Hope you have a good start for your Monday morning. Another fresh week. 5 more days to another weekend. I had a great time on Sunday. Hubby made my favourite scrambled eggs for breakfast. Thank you darling hubby!! I LOVE the eggs. We then head down to the east side to have lunch. Had a yummylicious one with my brother and his family at BaliThai. Hubby gave us a treat since it was my birthday lunch. Glad to see my nephews who I missed so much. After lunch, we made our way to our respective home. Our tummies were full and our eyes were ready to shut. Hence, the 3 of us cuddled together on our super sized king bed to end my birthday celebration. Sweet!

Photos of hubby cooking breakfast for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Firstly, we crack and open the eggs.

Next, stir the eggs gently. Dun forget to add plentyful of Love powder to make it more tasteful.

And now, we are ready to eat.

P.S.: Not forgetting, a Special thanks to bro and wifey for the birthday present below! Thank you guys!

A gift from bro and my sis-in-law.

XOXO

Wahida

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Design Bead and Wire Jewellery by Renata Graham

2011-09-27T08:51:00.001+08:00

Hey everyone

Phew, finally I got to finish reading the book that I bought on bead and wire jewellery. I had this book pre-ordered from Book Depository last month. This book is more for the beginners who wants to have a rundown of what the basic of bead and wire jewellery is all about. This book is divided into 4 chapters and they are

Design essentials: This chapter shares on the details of design processing that includes colour theory, finding inspiration, bead texture and considerations when designing your own bead and wire jewellery.
Simply beads: This chapter touches on the different types of bead and explains their properties.
Other materials: This chapter introduces the use of using correct findings, wire, spacers and etc for that professional finish that you want to create.
Techniques and essential projects: This chapter includes 21 projects for you to follow and learn the techniques. Each project has picture instruction for you to follow and what are the items needed to create each jewellery pieces. The project range from a simple stringing to a more challenging techniques such as multiple stringing and wire shaping.

On the overall, I find this book useful. I certainly did not learn most of the theory stated in the book when I attended the basic jewellery course in the local jewellery school. This book is easy to read as the book is written in point forms and short paragraphs. I love how they include beautiful picture to explain their theory. This book is definitely worth my money and a must have for every beginners.

XOXO

Wahida

A quick purchase during lunch.

2011-09-23T14:27:00.001+08:00

Vivelle's Virgin Coconut Oil Body Lotion and Kordel's Evening Primrose Oil Capsule

Hey everyone

Did a quick dash at the pharmacy during lunch break. Hands were itching to purchase something for myself. So I randomly bought the Virgin Coconut Oil Body Lotion to try. Each was S$2 per bottle. My colleague and I shared 1 packet of Kordel's Evening Primrose Oil Capsule. The packet had two big boxes. So one person for one box. I had been asking around about the benefits of Evening Primrose. Been hearing very good reviews especially for the skin. Will try it out soon and hope I could recover the original condition of my hands. Take care.

XOXO
Wahida

Board Books for my Toddler

2011-09-23T12:26:00.005+08:00

Hey everyone

I had bought more books from Book Depository again. Since my little one loves the board books that I bought for her previously, I went to the website again to add more collection to her mini library. This time round my order went with a glitch. I got the books a little late than expected. One book arrived on time while the other two books never appeared at all in my mailbox. Hence, I had to send an email to the company about the two books. They were kind enough to send replacements since I had paid for the books. It was very kind of them. However, the downside was that they had no tracking system to track down the whereabouts of the original two books. I guess this is the downside of ordering online from overseas. In total I spent US$20.66 and I love how the books turn out. Hope my little one likes them.

So has any of you order books from Book Depository before?

Photos for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Her bedtime story.

More picture and number books.

XOXO

Wahida

My Obsession with Cactus

2011-09-22T12:25:00.005+08:00

Hey everyone

My obsession with cactus is not over yet. I am always on a lookout for new exotic looking cactus to replace those that had died in my own hands. Yup, I can be called the cactus killer. I don't understand why some cactus grows well with me but some just died a couple months later. I guess if they are meant for you, they will stay with you. Anyway, one thing that I like about cactus is that they are easy to maintain. Low maintenance, in fact. Not very fussy. Just need to be watered once a week and let them have a few hours of sunlight. Too much sunlight would cause them to sunburn. If the weather is rainy, forget about watering them. As long as their soil is still wet, save your water during the dryer season. Give them fertilizer once a month. Well, they do need to eat like we do. Play plentiful of music and show your love for them. InsyaAllah, they will love you back by growing well. Sounds easy? Now go and get one from IKEA or pasar malam or your nearby market. Who knows you might have that green thumb in you?

Here are some photos of my cactus for your viewing pleasure. Hope you like them.

These are my small cactus. The two cactus at both ends have been with me for a long time. They don't seem to be growing and don't seem to show any signs of dying. Wonder what are they thinking.

My favourite cactus. Both are same species. Love how plenty of leaves are growing from their stem. They may look like ordinary plants but they do have tiny thorns.

P.S. to cactus lovers: If any of you know what are the names of these cactus, please drop me a comment ya. Take care.

XOXO

Wahida

Benefits of Interior Plants

2011-09-22T12:00:00.004+08:00

Hello everyone

I started to decorate my adobe with plants ever since late last year. I don't know why but to feel that absence of any greenery in a room makes it empty and uncomfortable. Frankly speaking, I am no green thumb to start with. I have never care any plants when I was a lot younger. I started to pick up this little hobby from an ex-colleague of mine. She adores plant very much that she decorated her workroom with lots of plants and cactus by her window. I envy people with green thumb. They not only able to give emotional care to their plants but also to make them grow healthy. I asked my ex-colleague if I could have some parts of her plant so that I can try to plant them in soil. She was happy to share her hobby with me and I must say I did well under her guidance.

My mum-in-law once said that if we care for these living plants, they would pray for our good well-being. I don't understand why but the thought and looking at the plants grow big makes me feel happy. I must say that I always have to look at my plant everyday. I notice that they grow better whenever I play music for them to hear. Based from my internet research, the benefits of having house plants are endless. These living plants are

able to boost our positive emotions and minimise any negative feelings.
able to minimise our stress level.
able to absorb carbon dioxide and give out more oxygen to improve our concentration and efficiency.
able to recuperate our mental well-being.
able to draw people into a room.
able to improve the air quality of the room as indoor environment is 5 to 10 times more polluted than outdoor.

Below are some pictures of my favourite plants. Hope you enjoy them!

This is my hydrangea plant. I am still waiting for it to grow its flower again. And I am STILL waiting.

If you are wondering why is it growing sideways? Its because it is trying to reach for the sunlight outside my window.

Love the green colour of the leaves. It has that calming green effect.

Don't ask me what plant is this. I have no idea but I love how it keeps
growing new leaves. The leaves are so big. Love It!

I love the pink shades on the leaves.

So do you have any plants at home or at work? If not, why not adopt a small one for a start? Take care.

XOXO

Wahida

Turning the leftovers into something new!

2011-09-21T12:17:00.001+08:00

Assalamualaikum everyone

Finally its the mid-week. Two more days before the weekend comes. I am still in the progress of planning for our family's end of year vacation. We have booked our air tickets and accommodation. The only thing left is to book our tour itinerary and guide in Bali. We are still finalising which are the places we would want to go. I will do a post on the trip once the vacation is over.

Anyway my yesterday's menu dinner was pretty simple. I had some leftover egg sambal and fried chicken drumlets in the fridge. As you know by now, I prefer to create leftover food into something new. I try not to waste food when possible. With food inflation is on the rise, lets try to be frugal and save whatever we can. This time I turned the leftovers into Daging dan Ayam Masak Kicap, which means in English "Meat and Chicken in Sweet Soy Sauce". I added meat to create more quantity since there were only 5 pieces of chicken drumlets. To create a more balance meal, I had also added a simple vegetable dish into the menu. Enjoy!

Daging dan Ayam Masak Kicap

Recipe:

lean meat (cut into thin slices)

leftover fried chicken drumlets

leftover egg sambal

2 dessertspoon of sweet soy sauce

1 dessertspoon of dark soy sauce

1 dessertspoon of tamarind juice

1 teaspoon of meat curry powder

1 red shallots (sliced)

1 garlic (sliced)

1/2 cinnamon stick

2 cloves

1/4 star anise

canola oil

1/2 to 1 small cup of water

salt and sugar to taste

Method:

In a non-stick pan, heat up the oil on a medium heat. Fry the cinnamon stick, cloves and star anise until fragrant. Throw in the shallot and garlic and fry until soft.
Add the egg sambal and stir. Follow by meat curry powder, sweet soy sauce, dark soy sauce and tamarind juice. Stir well.
Pour in the water and bring it to a boil.
When boiling, add lean meat and wait until it is cooked.
Once cooked, add the fried chicken drumlets and stir until it is evenly distributed. Make sure that all the meat and drumlets are coated with the sauce.
Add salt and sugar to your own preference.
Best serve with plain white rice or French baguette.

Party of 3 in Abalone Sauce

Recipe:

sweet beans (trim the ends and cut them into halves)

baby corn (cut into slices and diagonally)

chinese spinach (cut into 2 inches)

1 red shallot (sliced)

1 clove of garlic (sliced)

canola oil

1 dessertspoon of abalone sauce

salt to taste

Method:

Heat up the oil in low heat. Fry the shallot and garlic for 20 seconds.
Add in the vegetables and stir.
Throw in the abalone sauce and sprinkle the salt to taste.
Continue to stir until all the vegetables are cooked. Ideally, I prefer not to overcook the sweet beans and baby corn as I like the crunchy taste.

XOXO

Wahida

Tonik Cap Gajah for my daily energy booster

2011-09-20T11:02:00.003+08:00

Herbal Tonik Cap Gajah

Assalamualaikum everyone

Today, let me introduce you to an energy booster tonic that I have been taking in the recent months. In Malay, it is called Herbal Tonik Cap Gajah. Translation in English is Elephant Brand Herbal Tonic. It sounds weird, doesn't it? Well anyway, few months back I had been complaining to hubby of feeling frequent fatigue at home and at work. I suddenly remembered this particular tonic when I was in my confinement period last year. I didn't know the existence of this tonic until my mother-in-law brought it over to my home for me to drink. After going through loss of blood during childbirth, she told me to drink the tonic as it helped to improve and regulate my blood circulation. Not only that, the herbal tonic helped to expel wind from my body and prevent fatigue. If you ask what does it taste like? Well, it tastes very much like a dilute cough syrup. Yucks! I am a big ANTI of cough syrup but what can I do since I need the extra energy booster.

This tonic is widely known in Malaysia. We can never find this tonic at our local community stores since not many of our local people are aware of this traditional herbal drink. So whenever hubby and I cross the causeway to JB, we would stock up our monthly supply. Each bottle would cost RM$12 and we would normally buy at least 4 bottles to last for a month. With the conversion currency rate at our advantage, we are able to enjoy more saving in our bank.

So what's your daily energy booster?

XOXO

Wahida

My New Clocks

2011-09-19T11:44:00.010+08:00

My living room main clock.

Hey everyone

Both hubby and I have been trying to incorporate the country-style look for our living room since we move into our new home. Of course, I would prefer the more simple country look minus the over the top flowery design. Hubby and I recently purchased these two clocks at a local shop that was having a close-down sale.

We got the big round clock at a 20% off to replace an old antique clock that hubby purchased at the Army Market. I was so happy when hubby decided to give his antique clock away after months of persuasion. I had been bugging hubby to buy a new clock and to either store or give his antique clock away. Its not that I don't love his antique clock. But I am the type of person who can get easily iritated by the loud ding-dong noise. And yet, the worst part was the antique clock needed to be wind everyday to tell the time. Sound like a hassle right? So practically, my living room has a clock that doesn't tell the time until we bought the two country-style clocks. I absolutely so love them! Don't you?

My hallway clock. This clock has a two-face, which means that I can look at the time from my bedroom and living room.

P.S: The lucky person who has hubby's antique clock is my brother. My brother had been offering to buy over the clock for months but hubby just wouldn't budged. Not until last month, hubby gave in and gave his clock away to my bro for free. My brother was taken by surprised of course. Hubby is such a giver. : )

XOXO
Wahida

20 mins Fried Mee Goreng

2011-09-19T11:03:00.004+08:00

Assalamualaikum everyone

Thinking on what's for dinner is a chore to me. Its so troublesome. I always want to try listing out a weekly dinner list so that I don't always have to think hard at work on what's for dinner. Unfortunately, I never even near that list due to my lazy syndrome. Since I am not in the mood to cook two to three dishes, I set to just cooking a one-dish meal. While poking around in my fridge at 5pm, I saw some leftover yellow noodle and beef rendang. Hence, I decided to whip up Fried Mee Goreng in 20 minutes.

Fried Mee Goreng aka Fried Yellow Noodle

Recipe:

500g of yellow egg noodle (I prefer to soak the noodle in cold water to get rid of the excess oil and yellow colouring)
Leftover beef rendang (I washed the beef to get rid of the rendang gravy)
3 dessertspoons of basic sambal
2 dessertspoons of oyster sauce
4 dessertspoons of tomato ketchup
1 dessertspoon of sweet soy sauce
3 stalks of chye sim (cut in 2 inches)
1/2 packet of taugeh or beansprouts
Salt to taste
Canola oil

Method:

In a non-stick pan and on a medium heat, fry the basic sambal with a little bit of oil.
Add in the oyster sauce, sweet soy sauce and tomato ketchup to the pan. Stir for a minute.
Season the mixture with salt and taste.
Then add the beef rendang, yellow noodle and chye sim. Mixed well till the noodle and chye sim are cooked.
Turn off the heat and add in the taugeh. Stir till evenly distributed.

XOXO
Wahida

Facial Sheet Mask

2011-09-13T15:48:00.005+08:00

Hey everyone

I'm sure most of us have used facial mask at least once in our lifetime. It maybe your own DIY face mask or even the commercial made face mask. In my early 20s, the first face mask that I used was the L'Oreal White Perfect Deep Whitening Mask. The mask came in a form of a lotion which had micro-beads that exfoliated the skin. What I truly love about the product was that it not only hydrated my skin, it also even out my skin tone. My skin felt soft and supple. When the lotion mask was discontinued, L'Oreal came up with the same Whitening Mask in a form of a sheet. I was a little disappointed when they made the change. I tried their sheet version but unfortunately, my face started to have breakouts that I had to immediately stop using.

Currently at home, I have two brands of face mask, i.e. My Beauty Diary and Kitoko Kalani. I got the Beauty Diary from a cute colleague who bought them from Taiwan for S$11 per box, which is much cheaper than the local shops and pharmacies. I bought the Kitoko Kalani from the Venus shop that was selling 8 sheet masks for $30 plus, I think. So far I had used 4 sheet masks from Kitoko Kalani and am happy with the outcome. They do brighten up my skin and even out my skin tone. I hope to try My Beauty Diary soon when I am done with the rest of the Kitoko Kalani sheet masks. But whatever the case is, I would still prefer not to rely on the sheet masks for my skin. I do find them irritating at times when the sheet could not stick at the corner of my nose area. I always have to smooth the mask out to ensure contact between the mask and skin. I would rather have some kind of a cream, paste or lotion that I can slap on and at every corner of my skin. But of course that would require me to take another journey to hunt down the perfect beauty product.

So what affordable face mask do you use in your beauty regime?

My Beauty Diary Face Mask from Taiwan

Kitoko Kalani Face Mask from Japan

XOXO

Wahida

Sharing An Ice Cream Mooncake

2011-09-13T12:25:00.002+08:00

Hey everyone

Last week was the Mid-Autumn Festival or also known as the Mooncake Festival. The Chinese community at my residential area celebrated this festival with many bright lighted lanterns, games, songs and of course eating their popular pastry which is their mooncakes. In conjunction of the festival, many food outlets sold many different types of mooncake.

The mooncake that I had been craving to try was the Ice Cream Mooncake which could be found at one of the local halal restaurants, i.e. Swensens. I had been wanting to try the mooncake but what stop me was the price tag on the mooncake. The restaurant was selling a box of 4 mooncakes with choice of 6 flavours at S$26.90. Sound expensive? Yes, to me. So before deciding whether to buy the mooncake, I asked a colleague of mine if she have tasted the Ice Cream Mooncake before. She said that she had and it was good. Hence without anymore doubt, I bought a box of the ice cream mooncake last Friday. 3 Sticky Chewy Chocolate flavour and 1 Durian flavour. Additional bonus, I got 15% discount when I used my bank card. Happy? Oh, yes. Ecstatic to be more specific.

Swensen's Sticky Chewy Chocolate Ice Cream Mooncake. As you can see, hubby tried to cut the ice cream with the spoon unsuccessfully for the first time.

So yesterday, hubby brought out one of the chocolate flavour mooncake from the fridge to share with me. We were curious at first. Hubby tried to cut the mooncake but it was too hard. He even suggested to microwave the mooncake to make it soft. I was like "WHAT?". Hehehe. Anyway, the mooncake was easy to eat after a while in the room temperature. Verdict? Hubby loves the taste. Including me. Not too sweet which is just right.

XOXO
Wahida

Gold Handcuff Clutch by Louis Vuitton

2011-09-13T08:30:00.002+08:00

Hey everyone

Check out the picture below. It is a Louis Vuitton Gold Handcuff Clutch bag. Angelina Jolie was seen carrying this clutch at a premier show. I am no hardcore of designers' things. But I love how the purse look. Gold has always been my favourite colour. The handcuff makes the purse looks rugged but yet stylishly sweet and demure. Absolutely LOVE it. Sigh. How I wish I can have one.

Gold Handcuff Clutch by Louis Vuitton
Photo: MSN

XOXO

Wahida

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah - Snippet

2011-09-12T20:25:00.003+08:00

Assalamualaikum everyone

This is a continuation of my previous post. Right after our Redang trip, darling hubby and I decided to take our young one for a vacation. We went to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah on the very next day after we touched down from the Redang Island. We only had 5 hours of sleep before checking in at the airport. No doubt, we still felt tired from our previous journey but we also wanted to spent quality time with our little one. This was a 4-day trip. We didn't really explored the city much. We spent a lot of time catching up on our sleep, lazing at the hotel pool, shopping at the nearby shopping malls, visiting the famous Filipino market and exploring the local tribal village. I have attached some photos below for your viewing. Hope you like them. Enjoy!!

A hearthy breakfast at B.K. before taking our early morning flight.

At our hotel room.

Our little one's 'playground' that she loved to turn everything upside down from day one.Hehehe.

My little bumble bee getting ready for her swim.

Who is going to watch the local tribal show? "I AM, mama."

Crossing the river to start our journey to see how the local tribes live.

Making of rice wine.

Frying their local favourite snack.

Their famous local snack. Yummy and sweet.

The Bajau's house.

One of their pretty ladies dancing with rhythmic music and bamboo poles.

Next its the tribemen showing their traditional dance skills.

Harbour view from our hotel room.

Sunset.

While the baby was sleeping, hubby and I had a romantic room service dinner.
A little costly but the food tasted good.

At the hotel lobby, waiting for our airport transfer.

XOXO

Wahida

Redang Island, Terengganu Malaysia - Snippet

2011-09-07T10:53:00.004+08:00

Love the blue water. Unfortunately, the corals are dying when we
went snorkeling. I was quite disappointed and upset about it.

Assalamualaikum everyone

I hope all of you are doing good. I apologise for not updating this blog for almost a week. My family and I had been busy visiting family and friends' cribs over the weekend and I just ended a two-days course yesterday. Anyway, I would like to share some photos, which I was compiling on Hubby's laptop, with you.

We took these photos while we were on a holiday at Redang Island. After months of persuasion, Hubby finally succumbed to my suggestion of celebrating our belated wedding anniversary there. The idea of travelling on the road for more than 10 hours was not pleasant for Hubby. Hence, I had to think of ways to get him agree to my suggestion and make the journey ride as comfortable as possible for him. Alhamdulillah, Hubby enjoyed his time at the resort. I hope this trip won't be the last for us. I do want to share the same experience with my children and other family members in the future. InsyaAllah Redang Island, we will meet again. Amin.

Our Premium Sea View Room

Our balcony overlooking the sea

Break of dawn

Sun rise

Breathtaking view

The moon above the main building and is opposite facing the sun.

It's finally up.

Having breakfast while enjoying the sun, sand and sea.

Early dinner for the early birds.

XOXO

Wahida

Citrine and Amethyst Crystals

2011-09-01T22:32:00.005+08:00

Amethyst crystal (left) and Citrine crystal (right)

Hubby and I bought the above crystals from the Crystal World shop in JB, Malaysia. Since it was the big Malaysia Mega Sale period, the shop offered a 50% discount on both crystals. In total, we spent around S$300 plus after the discount. Hubby likes the colour of the citrine crystal as it reminds him of the topaz ring that his dad gave him. We also pick the amethyst crystals for our daughter. Some Chinese believe that by putting the amethyst crystals on the study table, it could help the child to increase their concentration and focus in their studies. Well, we would soon find out about that.

While wondering around the shop, I saw a string of round shaped rhodochrosites on display. It was on a 40% discount. After less, it cost RM$600. I was tempted to buy the gemstone for myself since it suits my birth date chart. But the thought of spending S$300 plus on the crystals above stopped me. So I had to let the idea go and perhaps buy them when I have more money in my pocket.

XOXO

Wahida

White Display Cabinet

2011-09-01T16:38:00.002+08:00

White Display Cabinet

Alhamdulilah (Praises to Allah), we finally bought this country style white display cabinet from JB after so many months of searching and saving money. Hubby proudly displays his fishing reels and I get to display my hand-made beaded necklaces. YaY!

XOXO
Wahida

Bead Jewelry - Necklaces - Part 2

2011-09-01T16:29:00.004+08:00

Fluorimoon

Green Forest

Tribal Green

Bee Hive

XOXO
Wahida

Bead Jewelry - Necklaces - Part 1

2011-09-01T10:57:00.008+08:00

Torquemada Pink

Hey everyone

Jewelry making has been a relatively new hobby for me since last year. Wanting to pick up something new after I graduated from my part-time degree program, I enrolled myself to a local school that taught their students on how to make their own jewellery. I took the basic course which was the Foundation Thread and Wire Certificate Modules. The course covers stringing, knotting, wire work and weaving. I enjoy stringing and knotting the most as the techniques are more easy to pick up. I find that jewellery making is very therapeutic. It eases my mind from the stress around me and helps me to be more focus on my work. I love figuring out whether this stone matches this design or that colour goes with this colour. Its all about mixing and matching.

I am constantly on the look out for new inspirations for my new designs. The internet, particularly YouTube, has abandoned of info and videos to follow. I just pre-order a book on bead jewellery from Book Depository. I am so excited for its arrival. I will show you the book once it is delivered, okay?

Below are some of the work that I did a couple months ago. I have yet to show them to anyone. Hence, I am unveiling them for the first time. They are pretty simple but I love how they look, considering that I am still a newbie. Of course, my ultimate wish is to sell my pieces so that I can take up more classes to upgrade myself. Anyway, I hope you enjoy looking at my pieces. Feel free to leave any suggestion or comments that I can take note of. Take care.

Midnight Gold

Tribal Moonlight

Deep Blue Sea

Sunny Moon

Icy Blue

XOXO

Wahida

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2011 - First day snippet

2011-09-01T09:49:00.002+08:00

Greetings to all from The Yuza's Family.

Greetings everyone

Once again a Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all Muslims around the world. Eid Mubarak to all of you. Hope you have a great celebration with all the yummy food and good companies. To all the non-Muslims, hope you enjoy the holiday as well. During this one month long festivity, there would be some visiting to do to family and friends' home. Hope I have the energy to do so over the next following weekends.

Here are some pictures that both my hubby and me took during the first day of Raya. Hope you like them!

Hubby enjoying his lunch.

My little one's cousin. Looked like a doll,isn't she?

My little one munching on her Strawberry Biscuit.

After lunch, here comes the snacks.

Me and hubby. This year's colour theme: Light Yellow. Hubby loves
the colour so much. Thanks to me who choose the colour of course. hehehe.

3 grannies sharing a good laugh with a cheeky granddaughter.

One for the album.

XOXO

Wahida

Hersey Koko Krunch

2011-08-29T09:05:00.001+08:00

Hey everyone

Hope you had a great weekend last week. I sure did. Right after I cleaned my adobe, I went to my brother's place to spent the night there. On the following day, my family and I met darling hubby at the NATAS Fair to book our accommodation for our upcoming Bali trip at the end of the year. Super excited for that. We need loads of planning to do in the next few months ahead. This would be a 2nd trip for my hubby and me. We went there during our honeymoon. This time round my brother's family, my mum-in-law and my little one would be joining us. We would be staying at a villa. Have any of you been to Bali? It is a paradise for many surfers and shoppers. I want to go back to see Tanah Lot again. Hoping to catch the sunset this time round. Not forgetting, the DreamLand beach. Saw from the internet that the beach is crystal blue. OMG, I must start writing down all the list of interesting places to visit.

Before I end this post, I would like to share with you another recipe that I did last Saturday. It's a very simple one and I am very sure kids would love the chocolaty taste. I did this recipe long time ago before I got married. My skills have not improved based from the picture below. Hope I can practice more and become a great cook. My all-time resolution. Hope you guys enjoy reading this post. Take care.

Lastly for all the Muslims around the world, have a blast Hari Raya and hope you enjoy this one month long celebration with family and friends. SELAMAT HARI RAYA and MAAF ZAHIR BATIN. Stay safe and Let's ENJOY!

Hersey Koko Krunch

Recipe:

1 bar of Hersey Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate

1/2 a box of medium size Koko Krunch (You can use other cereals like Milo Crunch as substitute.)

50g butter

Rainbow sugar sprinkler (You may substitute this with chopped almonds.)

Paper cups

Methods:

1. Melt the Hersey Baking Chocolate and butter in a double-boiler.

2. Once melted, take it off from the heat. Add Koko Krunch and mix well. Make sure that all the Koko Krunch is coated with the melted chocolate.

3. Scoop one teaspoon of the mixture into each paper cup.

4. Sprinkle the rainbow sugar on top of the Koko Krunch.

5. Chill in the chiller before serving.

XOXO

Wahida

Lemak Ayam Cili Api (i.e. Chicken w Coconut Cream and Bird-eye Chili) and Stir-fried Mixed Vegetables w Oyster Sauce

2011-08-26T10:45:00.002+08:00

Good morning everyone,

Finally it’s Friday. What a way to start by stepping out to start my day with a heavy downpour. The weather is rather cooling right now which is good as for the past few days, the land had been on the sunny side. Yesterday, I whipped up two dishes for our break fast. I made Lemak Ayam Cili Api (i.e. Chicken w Coconut Cream and Bird-eye Chili) and Stir-fried Mixed Vegetables w Oyster Sauce (as suggested by one of my readers). They are two simple recipes to follow. It took me about an hour or so (plus the cleaning up of course). Hope you enjoy reading the rest of the entry. Oh yah before I forget, have a SWEET weekend ahead everyone. Muah!

Lemak Ayam Cili Api

Recipe:

500g of chicken drumlets

1 teaspoon of turmeric powder

1– 2 dessertspoons of rice flour

2 medium size red onions* - (* blend these ingredients in food blender together with a little bit of water)

5 cloves of garlic*

½ inch of ginger*

2 – 3 bird-eye chili* (If you prefer more spicy, add more according to your taste.)

2 – 3 teaspoons of meat curry powder

1 pandan leave

2 medium size lime leaves

100 ml of coconut cream

Water

Oil

Salt and sugar to taste

Method:

1. Combine the chicken drumlets with turmeric powder, rice flour and salt. Mix them well. Fry the drumlets

using the shallow frying method. (Note: Do not fry the drumlets till crispy. We want the drumlets to be a

little juicy.)

2. Once fried, drain the oil well and put them aside.

3. In a cooking pot, add some oil and fry the blended ingredients till fragrant.

4. Dilute the coconut cream with some water and pour it in. Stir. Add more water according to your

preference if you want the gravy to be dilute or slightly thick. (I prefer the latter.)

5. Add a little bit of water to the curry powder to form a paste. Pour the paste in and stir again. Throw in the

pandan leave and lime leaves.

6. Bring the gravy to a boil on a low heat.

7. Add salt and sugar to taste.

8. Carefully drop one drumlet at a time. Stir and let it sit in to absorb the gravy.

9. Serve hot with plain rice.

Mixed Vegetables w Oyster Sauce (For this dish, I got Two Thumbs Up from hubby. So happy!)

Recipe:

Xiao bai chai

Baby corn

Broccoli

Carrot

Oyster mushroom

Red onion

Garlic

Vegetarian oyster sauce

Light soy sauce

Cornstarch water – add water to cornstarch powder

Water

Oil

Salt to taste (optional)

Method:

1. Cut the vegetables and mushroom according to your preference.

2. On a low heat, heat up the oil and fry the red onion and garlic for a few seconds. Add the vegetables and mushroom and stir.

3. Add both oyster and light soy sauce to the vegetables. Mix them well.

4. Pour in some water to create some gravy. Bring it to a simmer till the vegetables are cooked.

5. Once cooked, add the cornstarch water and stir till the gravy is thickened.

6. Add salt if needed.

Kampung and City Fried Rice

2011-08-25T12:26:00.003+08:00

Good afternoon everyone

How are you today? Hope the past weekdays came along well for you. I am supper excited that the weekend is coming. I have tons of things to do. Will need to do final cleaning in the house before Raya comes next Tuesday and perhaps bake more kuih (cookies) to serve to guests who will be coming over to celebrate the festive season.

Anyway last evening, I cooked a simple fried rice to break our fast. There were some leftover plain white rice and sambal paru (cow’s lung) in the chiller, so I thought might as well I used them to clear my fridge. This recipe belonged to my mum-in-law but I made some changes to suit my taste. I called it Kampung City Fried Rice. It’s a fusion of both village and city style. The recipe is down below. Enjoy!!!

Kampung City Fried Rice

Recipe:

2-3 bowls of cold plain white rice

Leftover sambal paru

2-3 dessertspoons of basic sambal

2-3 dessertspoons of sweet soy sauce

½ of a carrot

2-3 pieces of long beans (Since I couldn’t find long beans in at the supermarket, I replaced it with kang

kong.)

2 eggs

Small anchovies

Salt

Oil

Method:

1. Beat the eggs and fry them into scramble eggs. Make sure that they are broken into small pieces. Once cooked, remove them from the wok.

2. Add some oil to fry the anchovies. Fry them till they are crispy. Once cooked, remove them from the wok.

3. Heat the wok on a medium fire and fry the basic sambal and sambal paru.

4. Pour in the sweet soy sauce and stir. Add salt to taste.

5. Add the carrot and long bean. Fry till they are half cooked before adding the rice. Keep stirring until all

grains of rice are coated with the sambal.

6. Add the scramble eggs and mix.

7. Turn of the fire and sprinkle the anchovies on top of the fried rice.

8. Best eaten while it’s hot and with cold baby cucumber for the extra crunch. Yum.

Basic Sambal

2011-08-24T09:09:00.001+08:00

A Basic Chilli Sambal

This is a picture of the basic sambal that my mother-in-law had made for me. She makes them every other week. Being a mother to an active toddler, the sambal saves me time from all the cutting, blending and frying. Malays can never do without sambal. My hubby loves his sambal especially his Sambal Telur. I use this sambal to cook dishes like Assam Fish, Ikan/Ayam Masak Kicap, Sambal Telur, Sambal Udang, Mee/Laksa Goreng. It is one versatile paste that can be used in many dishes. What’s more, the sambal can last a long time in the freezer. But for me, I prefer to keep it in the chiller so that it is within my reach when I need to whip out a meal anytime for the family.

XOXO
Wahida

Ground Nut and Lotus Root Soup, Chicken Soup w Stir-fried Baby Spinach

2011-08-23T15:10:00.002+08:00

Good afternoon everyone!

How are you doing today? Hope you are over the Monday blues like me. Since it is already the 2nd day of the week, the rest of the weekdays will be soon over. Alhamdulillah, today marks the 23rd day of Ramadhan. Thank you Allah for bringing us this far. One more week to go before the Muslims around the world celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Okay based from the title above, you can bet that I am sharing what I cooked for last night to break fast. I decided to cook the soups since its been a long time since we ate them during this fasting month. Hope you enjoy it and take care.

A simple Ground Nut and Lotus Root Soup.

Recipe:
Ground nut
Lotus root
Chicken cube or stock
Water
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Put all of the ingredients together and bring it to a boil.
2. Boil for roughly an hour under a slow fire till both ground nut and lotus root are cooked.
3. Add salt to taste.

Chicken Soup with Soto Spices

Recipe:

600g of chicken drumlets

1/2 a carrot - cut into chunks

2 dessertspoons of Soto Spices powder

1 medium size of red onion - sliced

3 cloves of garlic - sliced

1 small cinnamon stick

3 cloves

1/2 of star anise

Water

1 pandan leaf

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Put all of the ingredients into the water and bring it to a boil.

2. Once boiling, bring it to a simmer for 15 - 20 minutes.

3. Add salt to taste. Serves hot with rice and sambal belacan. Yummy.

Stir-fried Baby Spinach.

XOXO

Wahida

Cornflakes Biscuit

2011-08-22T21:52:00.006+08:00

Good night everyone,

After the late night baking last Friday, I continued my baking on the following Saturday night. This time I got my hubby to help me bake the biscuits. Not wanting to sleep at 2.30am like the previous night, I rope my hubby in to arrange the paper cups in baking tins, rolling the dough in cornflakes and arrange the dough in paper cups for baking. Again, I have attached some pictures below if anyone of you would like to try out the recipe. These biscuits are absolutely 'a must bake' for Hari Raya and its our family favourite. So enjoy!

Source: Home Sweet Home (http://ummizaihadi-homesweethome.blogspot.com/)

Recipe: (1 batch makes 70-80 pcs of biscuit)

113.5g of butter

200g of fine sugar
1 egg
165g of raisins (I use sultanas instead of raisins.)
125g self-raising flour - sift
2-3 cups of cornflakes (crush it coursely)
1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1teaspoon of vanilla essence (I added these extra ingrediates.)

Method:
1. Whisk butter and sugar till smooth and creamy.

Whisk butter and sugar using creaming method.

2. Add egg and vanilla essence. Whisk again.

Add egg and vanilla essence. If mixture turns cuddle, add 1-2 dessertspoons of
flour to correct it.

3. Add raisins and mix.

Add sultanas.

4. Add flour but 2-3 tablespoons at a time. Mix well.

Add flour but 2-3 tablespoons at a time when mixing.

5. You should get a sticky dough when all the flour is added.

A slightly sticky dough.

6. Using a teaspoon, scoop about 1/2 teaspoon of dough and drop it in the cornflakes. Ensure that the dough is fully covered with cornflakes and roll it into a ball shape. Place it in the papercup. Do not fill the papercup up to its brim as the dough will rise and expand during baking process.

Ready for baking.

7. Bake the biscuits at 180 degree celsius for 12-15 minutes or till it is golden brown. (Since I am using a mircrowave oven, I bake the biscuits at 180 degree celsius for 20 minutes and at 160 degree celsius for another 10 minutes.)

8. Once baked, cool them on a cooling rack and store in an air-tight container.

Baked at last. Smells delicous. Yummy.

p.s.: Special thank you to hubby for his help. Enjoy the biscuit, sayang. Muah!

XOXO

Wahida

Koko Krunch Biscuits

2011-08-20T02:16:00.004+08:00

Hey everyone,

Thank God, friday had just over and here come's the weekend. Time check. Its 1.17am in the morning. I just finished my first Hari Raya biscuits. Had been working on my baking since 8.10pm and I just baked the last batch of biscuits. My first biscuit was the Koko Krunch Biscuits. I decided to make these biscuits as I had an unopened Koko Krunch box sitting in my pantry. Being clueless of not knowing any biscuit recipes that used Koko Krunch, I turned to the internet and searched for the recipe. Found one on the myresipe website and decided to make it.

Source: Kak Fida (kak_fida@myresipe.com)

Recipe: (One batch makes 70-80 biscuits)

150g butter

2 small egg yolk

1 egg white

175g icing sugar - sift

250g flour - sift

3 dessertspoons coco powder - sift

koko krunch

Extra ingrediates that I add: 1/4 teaspoon salt and1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method:

1. Whisk butter, icing sugar, egg yolk, egg white, salt and vanilla essence till smooth.

Butter, sugar, egg yolk and white, salt and vanilla essence that had
been whisked.

2. Add in flour and koko powder. Mix with a plastic spatula. Once they are throughly mixed, store the dough inside the chiller for 20 minutes. Make sure to cover the dough with plastic cling before chill.

3. After 20 minutes, take the dough out and start rolling the dough into small round balls (slightly like a size of a marble) with your hands.

Biscuit dough.

4. Place the round dough into small paper cups and insert a piece of koko krunch on top of each dough as decoration. Bake for 20 minutes at 160 degree celsius. (Since I have no conventional oven, I baked my biscuit longer that what was suggested in this recipe. I baked at 180 degree celcius for 22 minutes and 160 degree celcuis for 10 minutes in my microwave oven.)

Before baking.

5. Once bake, cool them on a cooling rack before storing in an airtight container.

Fresh from the microwave oven.

Verdict: Its crunchy and taste chocolaty. But it is not too sweet for my liking. A mental note, need to add more sugar next time.

Happy baking, everyone! : )

XOXO
Wahida

Picture books for my little one

2011-08-20T00:27:00.003+08:00

New picture books for my baby daughter.

With the recent currency exchange rate, I made another purchase from the Book Depository website. The three picture books cost me about S$23. Hope my little girl enjoys reading, singing and learning parts of her body. :)

XOXO
Wahida

Sambal Prawns and Stir-fried Xiao Bai Chai

2011-08-20T00:01:00.004+08:00

Alhamdulillah. Today marks the 19th day of Ramadhan. Soon we would be celebrating the joyous Hari Raya Puasa. I can’t wait for it to come with all the good food and spending time with close families and friends. Both hubby and I had started spring cleaning our adobe during the National Day holiday but there are lots more for us to do. Below are two pictures of the food that I cooked for breaking fast. Enjoy the rest of the post and take care.

Sambal Prawn. YUM YUM.

Recipe:

1kg of medium size prawns

4-5 dessertspoons of basic sambal (ready-made by my mom-in-law)

2-3 tablespoons of tomato ketchup

1/2 a small cup of tamarind juice

1/2 of turmeric leaf (slice it thinly)

1-2 dessertspoon of sugar

1/2 medium cup of water (depend on individual taste. I prefer not to add a lot as the prawns would give out water while cooking.)

Salt to taste

Canola oil (I do not use any oil as the sambal is oily enough)

Method:

1. On a low heat, fry the basic sambal for 5 minutes. Add the tomato ketchup and stir.

2. Next, add the tamarind juice, water and sugar. Stir well.

3. Pour in the prawns and sprinkle the turmeric leaf on top. Stir again.

4. Close the pan and let it simmer till the prawns turn orange. Roughly about 10-15 minutes.

5. Add salt and taste.

6. Serve hot with plain rice and vegetable. Yummy.

Stri-fried Xiao Bai Chai

XOXO
Wahida

An abandoned kitty

2011-08-19T23:17:00.004+08:00

An abandoned kitten

This kitten was found at my workplace about a week ago. Apparently, its mother has abandoned it since she was nowhere to be found. The little kitty has sought refuge underneath the cabinet and surviving on its own. My partner temporarily takes care of it by feeding it daily. May God bless her for her kind soul. I wouldn’t know what to do without her since I have no clue on how to take care of an animal. The kitten is rather temperamental. One moment it is aggressive and defensive, while the next moment it would softly meow and sit in front of my partner. But nonetheless, it is still fearful of the presence of any human being other than my partner. Yesterday, it started to be more adventurous by exploring the room and sitting at the main exit. My partner and I try to figure out why the kitten is sitting by the door. Could it be that it is still waiting for its mother to take it back? Or perhaps it is accessing the outdoor activity before making its way out? Whatever it is, we hope that it would be ready to leave on its own when time comes.

An update: On the 29th August 2011, we were told that the kitten had passed away over the weekend. May GOD rest his soul and place him at a good place. You will be greatly miss by us, Grumpy.

XOXO

Wahida

Cetaphil Face and Body Cleanser, and Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser

2011-08-12T08:07:00.004+08:00

Hey everyone.

A few months back, I have been using products from Cetaphil on daily basis. Upon hearing and watching reviews from the Beauty Gurus in YouTube, I had to try them myself and see what's the big fuss is about.I was contemplating whether to buy them when I looked at the price tag at first. So I bought the smallest bottle that I could find before committing myself to a bigger one.

When I first used the Face and Body Cleanser, I noticed that it was non-soapy and fragrance free. Since it is non-soapy, I had a difficult time wondering if I had covered my whole body with the cleanser. I kept loading my palm with the cleanser to ensure 100% coverage. But what I loved about this cleanser was how gentle it was on my skin. And most importantly, it didn't gave me a dry feel on my skin after washing the cleanser with water. This means that the cleanser does not strip our natural skin oil protection and disturb the skin pH balance.

Pricey but its worth every penny.

And now, I am already working my way on my third bottle. I bought this bottle from a market in Toa Payoh. It costs me S$28 for a 1L bottle. Much cheaper than the ones from the local pharmacies. I am also currently using the Oily Skin Cleanser. I first saw this cleanser when I was at the polyclinic. Thought I would give it a try since I am satisfied with the body cleanser. Since my face can be moderately oily and shiny, I have been using it on a daily basis. Unlike the body cleanser, the oily skin cleanser is slightly soapy. It does not give a dry-tight feeling on my facial skin which is excellent and at the end of each day, my face doesn't get too oily.

So TWO THUMBS up for Cetaphil.

XOXO

Wahida

Proactive Refining Mask

2011-08-12T08:05:00.001+08:00

Assalamualaikum, everyone.

Back in 2008 and 2009, I was going through a very stressful period that my face started to have acne. It was madly popping and partying like nobody business. You name it. Its everywhere! My confidence went downhill and I had tried every affordable products and home-made recipes to overcome my acne. When I knew I had to take a drastic measure, I decided to use the Proactive 3-step system. This system included Proactive Refining Mask as a giveaway, which I love. The system cost slightly less than S$100 and it supposed to last for two months. But I tried to stretched my coins by using the cleanser, toner and lotion sparingly. I started see a noticeable difference on my face a few months after using the system. My acne started to clear up and I was beginning to feel please as the system had truly delivered what it had promised. My every penny worth! Thank God for it!

Now I had stop using the 3-step system since my acne problem had long gone. But the only product that I still use and worship is the Refining Mask for that occasional one or two pimples popping. The texture of the mask is in a creamy paste which is non-smooth. It is yellowish in colour and has a slight sulphur odour. Sulphur is widely use for treating acne as it helps to kill bacteria. It not only helps to dry but also, reduces the size and redness of the acne. Depending on the severity of the acne, it will usually clear the small acne within 2-3 days. One small tube can last you a very long time which is money-worthy. However, prolong usage can cause your skin to over dry. It can also be quite tedious to clean in the morning since the paste drys up and sticks to your skin during the night.

My secret weapon to fight acne.

Even without acne, the Refining Mask also works wonder when I have the occasional oily and shiny skin. And when that happens, I would apply a thin layer of the mask on my whole face and leave it on overnight. Yup, the mask also has that sebum absorption power that will leave your face less oily for a few weeks.

Now that's my secret weapon. What's yours? ; )

p.s.: this mask may not be suitable for everyone. make sure you test the mask before actually using it cos sulphur can allergic reaction. take care.

XOXO

Wahida

Golden Sea Cucumber Soap

2011-08-12T08:01:00.001+08:00

They look so CUTE.

Nicely wrapped with batik cloth.

Many of you might not have guess what are these if you just look at the pictures. May I introduce you to my sea cucumber soaps that I got from my recent holiday in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. They look so adorable, don't they? And the smell is so nice, I tell you. They look so pretty that I have no heart to open and use them. What attracted me to them is the packaging. I have never seen soaps so beautifully wrapped like these. I just got to have them as my souvenir even though for three pieces of soap, I found them a bit overpriced. 3 soaps cost me RM$36. And in case you are wondering why there are only two soaps in the pictures. Well, I gave away one of the soap to my colleague. Even she too has no heart to use the soap like me. Hehehehe

I have no idea what are the benefits of using sea cucumber soap but one thing for sure, I know that sea cucumber oil is good for healing skin wound. So perhaps the soap would be good for my skin? One way for me to find out is to finally use it. Hmmmm....

XOXO
Wahida

Peppermint Cooling Pumice Foot Scrub

2011-08-10T11:34:00.002+08:00

People are constantly conscious of what others might think of them. No doubt, physical appearance and making a first impression are the first two factors in attracting people around us. Therefore people are more likely to pay more attention to details to their face and body. I would say almost 99% of us continuously pay hefty price tags on different cosmetic products to suit our face and body. It's no wonder the cosmetic industry is making big bucks.

But I would say that there is one particular part of our body that most of us tend to ignore the most which is our feet. Our feet are the least attention grabber from people. Most of the time they stay covered with our socks and shoes. It took me a very long time to give notice on my feet until I got heavily pregnant. My feet were badly swollen from water retention and I had a hard time getting down to my feet. Whenever I put my feet up, I felt bad for my feet. The skin looked dull and dark with dead skin. It got pretty ugly and felt rough to touch. How the heck could I let this happen!! So once my confinement was over, I got down to business. I searched the whole house for the sample of Peppermint Cooling Pumice Foot Scrub that I got from the Body Shop. Hoping for a miracle to happen, I started to exfoliate my whole feet with the gel-based scrub. And voila, my skin on my feet looked brighter, smoother and softer. The cooling sensation from the peppermint was rejuvenating. The refreshing smell from the peppermint reminds me of a spa. I immediately fell so in <3 with the foot scrub that I had to get a bigger tub and it has since become a permanent resident in my bathroom. Now my feet is ready to do the walking anytime, baby.

The gel-based scrub is made from volcanic rock.

XOXO
Wahida

Wedding Anniversary

2011-08-08T11:37:00.003+08:00

My wedding anniversary surprise from Hubby.

This picture was taken a few months back. Its a bouquet of roses from hubby to mark our wedding anniversary. Love the roses so much and so I thought I could preserve them by drying. Unfortunately during the course of drying, fungi grew on the flowers and I had to trashed it. What a heartache. I don't know if the drying process was right. What I did was turning the whole bouquet upside down and hang it by the window. Thought by doing so, I got to preserve the flowers for a long time but I was dead wrong. Argh, so wasted.

p.s.: if anyone out there knows how to preserve a bouquet of flowers, please leave me a comment. thank you : )

XOXO

Wahida

Eating our greens

2011-08-05T21:42:00.002+08:00

My husband and I loves our vegetables. Without vegetables, our meals would be incomplete. It is absolute a must for me to include them in our daily meals. However, our preferences for the kind of vegetables and how they are cooked are way different. My hubby loves his green vegetables like broccoli, spinach, xioa bai chai, kang kong and white mustard. Whereas for me, I love all sorts of vegetable.

Vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals that our body needs. Not only they provides dietary fiber to prevent constipation but also, many antioxidants to fight against diseases and to boost our immune system. For those who wants to lose or maintain their weight should try eating vegetables since they are low in fats and calories. The best way of eating vegetables is raw as they retain all the nutrients that they have. Malays are known for eating some of their greens raw for generations. The commonly eaten greens include pegaga leaves (centella asiatica), cucumber, petai (parkia speciosa), cekur leaves (temu leaves), jering (archidendron pauciflorum), long beans and cabbage. Some believe that eating these vegetables for a long-term could help to maintain their youth and health. These vegetables and herbs are best accompanied with sambal belacan as an appetizer. Now, that sounds yummie.

Well of course, not many people can accept eating their greens raw with sambal belacan and that includes my hubby. So sometimes, I have to cook two different vegetables to suit our different tastes. So what's your eating habits with the greens?

Stir-fried Kang Kong for Hubby.

Long bean in Assam Rebus for Me to help
increase my appetite especially during the hot weather
and fasting month.

XOXO

Wahida

Harry Potter and He's just not that into you

2011-08-05T10:34:00.006+08:00

Last week, I had two parcels delivered separately to my home. After waiting and waiting for almost two long weeks, they had finally arrived at my doorstep. Yes my lovelies, it is the complete Harry Potter Collection by J.K. Rowling and He's just not that into you by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo.

I am sure many of us grew up following Harry Potter movies and books within this decade. Truthfully, I have become a Harry Potter fan since the beginning. The only two books that I had read previously were the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. For obvious reasons, when each book was first sold, I find them costly. I waited. And waited until the whole collection is out, only then I decided to buy these books. I went to Book Depository website and order the collection online and the best part was it provided free shipment. Yes, people. Free Shipment = More Savings. Without any doubt, I immediately fill up the order form to get my hands on the books. Now that the books are in my hands, I need to find time to read them again and again. I don't know why but Harry Potter books are one of those books that keeps me glued to them. I can just keep reading them on and on without any care on what's going on around me. I have to give two thumbs up for J.K. Rowling. She is such a genius lady. Her imagination and creativity are just out of this world. And now, I am saving all her books for my daughter. I am going to turn her into a Harry Potter fan like me. Who knows she might just be the next J.K. Rowling when she grows up. Hehehe. Only a mother's wish : )

A parcel that had waited for my arrival at home.

Surprise surprise!!!

Breathe deeply, Wahida before you scream.

Love at first sight. : )

He's just not that into you is a book for all the single ladies who wish to know what are the types of behaviour that men display when they are not that into you. I owned this book years back but unfortunately, I lost it. Wanting to own the same book again, I went to Book Depository to find it. Thank God, they still sell it. Some of you must be wondering why do I want this book when I am already married. Well, I am saving this book for my daughter and my single friends who loves to waste their time on men who are not committed to them. This book is a life saver for all women. You don't believe me? Well, you just have to read it yourself. : )

Come to Mama.

Now I got you. Hehehe

XOXO
Wahida

My wedding bouquet

2011-08-05T09:22:00.005+08:00

My wedding bouquet.

This was my wedding bouquet. I love how it looks but I have no idea what the flowers are called. Would any of you help me to identify the flowers? Thank you!!!! Muah...

UPDATE: One of my colleagues actually went to the internet just to find the name of my wedding bouquet flowers. They are called Calla Lily and Hydrangea. Well now we know what they are. Thank you, Elsie for your cuteness gesture. I like!!!

XOXO
Wahida

Assam Fish and Fried Broccoli

2011-08-05T09:15:00.005+08:00

Assalamualaikum, my lovelies. Alhamdulilah, today marks the fifth day of our fasting month. A few days ago, I had cooked Assam Fish, or better known as Assam Pedas in Malay, as well as Fried Broccoli for my hubby and me to break our fast. Both are hubby's favourite dishes. The Assam Fish recipe is handed down by my mother-in-law. For a novice like me, I cheated a bit as I do not have a lot of time to peel onions, garlic, ginger and cut dried chillies. I used a basic sambal chilli, prepared by my mother-in-law (May Allah bless this lady's soul.) in advance, to cook the main dish. The recipe is listed below. Enjoy!!!

Assam Fish

Recipe:
4 to 5 pieces of mackerel
Basic sambal chilli (depending on whether how thick or thin the gravy you want it to be. I normally use 4 to 5 tablespoons to make the gravy think since hubby prefers a thicker gravy.)
1 teaspoon of Fenugreek seeds
2 dessertspoon of meat curry powder
1 dessertspoon of turmeric powder (for colour)
A handful of kesum leaves (aka laksa leaves)
4 pieces of lime leaves
Some turmeric leaves (I cut in small pieces.)
Tamarind water (depending on how thick or thin the gravy to be)
Salt to taste
Oil

Method:
1. Fry the fenugreek seeds with a little bit of oil. Add the sambal chilli and stir.
2. Add the curry powder and tumeric powder. Stir again.
3. Add salt to taste. Pour in the tamarind water before adding in the mackerel.
4. Sprinkle the kesum leaves, lime leaves and turmeric leaves.
5. Let the dish simmer for 15-20 minutes til the fish is cooked.

Fried Broccoli

XOXO
Wahida

Biore UV Perfect Face Milk SPF 50+

2011-08-04T15:12:00.004+08:00

Hello, my lovelies. How is the weather at your place? The weather here have been very hot lately. Looks like our lovely Miss Sun doesn't want to leave us yet. Hope you are drinking plenty of water and have taken extra precaution for your skin.

As for me, ever since the start of my early 20s, I have religiously include sunscreen as part of my beauty regime. I clearly remember looking at a photo of a tennis player who didn't use sunscreen when she was young. What really shock me is that she ended looking in her 60s rather in her 40s.

Not wanting to look too old for my age, I began to do some online research on the benefits of sunscreen. Apparently, too much exposure in our lovely Sun can cause damage to our skin. Sunscreen is one the most important defense against wrinkles and pigmentation. It not only inhibits new wrinkles from developing but it also helps existing wrinkles from becoming more wrinkly. Throughout the decade that I have been using sunscreen, I have tried a few brands of sunscreen. Not wanting to explode my pocket with a hefty price tag, I prefer to buy those from the local pharmacies like Guardian and Watsons. You might be asking what is my my current obsession in sunscreen right now. Drum roll, please!!!

Biore UV Perfect Face Milk SPF 50+

Yup, it's Biore UV Perfect Face Milk SPF 50+. I had been carrying this sunscreen around in my bag for months as a spare since I was using brand A. Not being too happy with the amount of oil that my face produced , I finally ditched brand A and started to use Biore UV Perfect Face Milk. Right from day one, I found a noticeable change on my skin. I felt that my face was not as oily and sticky as it used to be. It made me wonder until I found out that the sunscreen actually helps to absorb excess sebum. Hence, my face would look matt for hours. The milky liquid texture glides smoothly on my skin which is perfect since I always apply my day moisturizer beforehand. Another plus point that I like is its small 30ml packaging size which makes it ideal for travelling. Now, this is what I call a PERFECT sunscreen. I'm so glad to make the change.

Another extra step that I take to slow down my aging process is to carry a portable umbrella wherever I go. I prefer those that has UV protection. Not only it blocks that harmful UV rays, it also helps me to cool down. Oh yes one more thing to take note of, my lovelies. Don't assume that there is no UV rays if there is no sun and the sky is slightly cloudy. The UV rays could still penetrate through the clouds and reach your skin. I know I must sound crazy but I do walk around with my umbrella even when the day is slightly cloudy. And yes, I still do get a weird look from my darling hubby during those days. But a girl got to do, what a girl got to do.

What extra steps do you take to keep away from the sun? Please share them with me because knowledge is power. Power for our beauty that is. : )

XOXO
Wahida

Wedding Reminiscence

2011-08-03T08:12:00.005+08:00

A lily. Takes me back to my wedding. The fragrance was captivating.

There were lilies at my workplace. Its fragrance took me back when my husband and I had our wedding reception. Our wedding venue was decorated with lilies. Absolutely loved it!!! My colleague told me that lilies are popular wedding flowers. It means that the couple will go through thick and thin when they face obstacles. Now it is one of my favourite flowers in my list.

XOXO
Wahida

1st day in Playgroup

2011-08-02T09:22:00.004+08:00

"Hey mama, look. I am going to my Playgroup."

1st August 2011 was my daughter's 1st day in her Playgroup. It was a nerve-wrecking transition for me as a mother. But alhamdulilah, her day went fine. Judging from the red paint on her uniform when I fetched her, she had a water-colouring activity earlier in school.

I pretty much guess that she was tired from the moment we reached home. She was extra cranky and clingy to me. Usually at her infant care, she would take two short naps almost everyday. However, yesterday was slightly different. Students in playgroup are only given one nap time. After giving her a shower and putting on her pajamas, I gave her milk and laid down next to her. Like her, I was also worn-out and was hit with the pang of hunger. Few more minutes before I could break my fast. Yup, it was the 1st day of Ramadhan, the holy fasting month of the year. Alhamdulilah, we got to meet and greet it once again.

By 8.15pm, I surrendered myself on the couch hoping to rest and to have an early night. But I found my daughter crawling next to me as she followed suit and laid next to me. That really put a smile on my face. A mother daughter moment. Once we settled ourselves down, we slowly drifted into our sleep while enjoying the company of two.

Mama love you, my darling.

XOXO

Fried Spicy Laksa and Fried Cow's Lung

2011-07-24T00:51:00.013+08:00

Prior to my married life, my daily meals were all taken care of by my mom. Whatever she cooked, I would eat with no complains. She maybe no hotel chef but it was the love and sweat that she put in that made it a good and heartwarming meal. Taking for granted that she would cook for me everyday, I regretted that I never took the effort to learn cooking from her. I do miss her cooking when she is not around.

Now that I am a wife to a man who enjoys homecooked food and a mother to a soon-to-be toddler, taking care of their daily meals is one of the heavy responsibilities that I have to shoulder on. Not forgetting of adding a full-time working mother to my resume, I constantly have to come up with a fast way to prepare a meal within an hour.

Just a few days ago, I was contemplating whether to cook a one-dish meal or a main dish with side-dishes. Then I remembered that I had some leftover Sambal Cockles in the fridge. So why not I used that to cook my Fried Spicy Laksa. Not only it saved me time but also, I need not throw the leftover.

A simple Fried Spicy Laksa by a novice cook

Recipe:
Leftover sambal cockles (kerang)
500g laksa noodle
3 stalks of xiao bai cai
1/2 cup of bean sprout
10 pieces of medium-sized prawns
5 fishballs cut in halves
Tomato ketchup
Oyster sauce
Sweet soy sauce
Fish sauce (optional)

Method:
1. Add sambal cockles into a pre-heated wok and stir.
2. Add tomato ketchup, oyster sauce and sweet soy sauce. Stir well.
3. Add prawns and fishballs. Cook until they are half-cooked before adding the laksa noodle and xiao bai
cai.
4. Add a little bit of water for easy stirring and to aid the noodle to cook better. I did not add salt as the
sambal cockles, ketchup and sauces already had salt in them. You can add fish sauce to taste if needed.

An unusual combo for my Fried Spicy Laksa: Fried Cow's Lung (sounds revolting but yummy!)
These were pre-prepared way advance before frying them.

There you go, my lovelies. Hope you find this post useful. So don't throw away that leftover sambal because it may come useful for your next meal. If you know of any short-cut meals, please leave me your comment. I would love to read them.

Til next time. Have a good Sunday ahead. :)

XOXO
Wahida

For A Start

2011-07-21T12:18:00.002+08:00

Welcome everyone! At long last, I am typing my first ever entry. It has been months since I have been playing with the idea to start blogging again. Being a young mother and wife has certainly took up most of my time. However, this blog will be more focus about myself. Random things that evolve around me. Interesting things that inspire me. So I do hope I can share my experiences and interest of a woman with you. Likewise, I do hope you would share your views and experiences with me so that we can learn more from one another.

Hope you enjoy reading the short intro. Til next time,my lovelies. Take care.

XOXO
Wahida