Adios 2008 and Welcome 2009....

Never been one who made new year resolutions. Seldom reflecting what happened to me at the year end or at any specific time, I do that when i feel like reflecting anytime during the year. I just finished watching Bobby an old Hindi movie which i saw first time when i was 8 or 9 years old. It was during the birthday celebration of Sultan of Kelantan where the movie was shown almost a month long on the white cloth screen in the middle of a football field near my house in Kota Bharu. I made chocolate ganache and choc paste for tomorrow cupcakes order. The 2 younger kids were already in a slumber land, so was the hubby. I can hear footsteps of my eldest in the kitchen maybe having a drink. It is almost 3 am on 1st Jan 2009. No celebration or firework in Seremban in respect for the demise of the last Yam Tuan . However I would like to wish A Happy New Year to all of you who read this blog of mine. Hope and pray that 2009 will be better for all of us.....
The rascals at home.....



I was at awe with what i saw before the sunset on the way to Lumut last weekend. Subhanallah......

Pretty in pink and tagged

A fellow makcik blogger requested a set of cupcakes to be sent to her mum last Friday. I baked orange butter cupcakes and top the cakes with choc ganache and one cut off fondant flower each. The hubby drove the car as i looked for the road name from the address given in via the sms. The taman is quite near to my taman and in no time we found the house. Then my husband and the boys went for the Friday prayers while i sat in the car reading the newspaper . After the prayer, we were off to Lumut for the weekend. Now the world seems very small. Kay ordered via phone, give the details via sms, paid me online via M2U and next day i delivered the cakes to her mum.....so easy peasy and the transaction was completed.While cutting of the pink fondant flowers, my mind drifted to 1986 when i went to see Pretty in Pink with my housemate in Houston, Texas. And i was humming to one of the song which i like from the movie....anyone saw this movie and know the song??



And Wanshana tagged me after posting her takes on the makcik bloggers meeting ....and here we go....

1. People always have the impression that i was sombong, garang and quite when they first met me. But as many had discovered i was a total opposite but part garang tuh only when the situation warrants it he he.
2. Hubby and i started as a good friends. Only realised that we were meant for each other after a month long separation during one of the winter holidays....
3. He influenced my taste of musics....i listen to rock songs even now he he.....
4. I used to not like cooking or baking before....
5. Many people have mistaken me to a Chinese and according to my late dad, not an ounce of Chinese blood in me.....I do wish i had learned Mandarin though.
6. I do not eat what i bake. But i do taste to ensure its good.
7. If there was no internet, i think i might joint the work force again.
8. Never followed local reality programs, but i am a sucker for American Idol and Amazing Race. Love Ida Nerina in the Asia version of Amazing Race though i was never a fan of hers before.
9. I love all the CSI series and love Horatio Caine the most. The character amused me he he...especially at the starting of the show.
10. I would love to visit Kota Bharu soon as i went to primary school from standard 1 to 4 there dinosaur time ago. Really wonder how it is now.
11. I love playing sports especially table tennis and tennis, quite good at it at one time but now i got no sparring partner in Seremban....and i had doubled my size since i quit working.....
12. I love watching sports too...and many guys were quite taken when i talked about sports those days...now just share with hubby jer la he he
13. Very minimalist when come to house deco, but still will admire others lah....
14. I don't enjoy shopping so much. Will do only if i had to....
15. I am scared of crowd.
16. Lastly, i dont eat durian....

If any of you guy goes zzzzzz while reading this, i am not offended ha ha ha....i am not the most interesting person...

Makcik bloggers meeting...

I know its rather late but its better late than never ya......and apology for keeping quite after the meeting. Monday morning my boys and i left for PD as my sisters had made a booking for our year end gathering. And too bad the place where we stayed do not has the internet facility...so backward kan?...i was very anxious as i couldn't blogs hopping to read about everybody's take on that wonderful meeting. Today i reached home and thought of doing mine after dinner, but i was told that i had a kenduri to attend to.
Mostly who was at the Makcik Bloggers meeting on Sunday had put up what had happened during that few hours of laughter, shrieks, and everything else . As such, I don't have much to add about the meeting itself.

I would like to say thank you so much to Mrs. Nordin for making this meeting happened and for the pretty mug.
I was glad i had Ms. Hart to cover my nervousness when we made the entrance but fortunately we were the first 2 to arrive there ha ha ha.....
I sat beside kak Ezza whom i admire for her full of zest takes on whatever topic she writes in her blog.
Mdm. Tai Tai, the shawl that you gave is just so lovely.
Thanks for the efforts and the time on the lovely bag Ummi365.
The muffins were just lovely Principal.
Busybody, Bella, Kay, Tireless mum, Wanshana, Superwoman, and Ibu, thanks for the most wonderful time.
Ms. Hart (thanks for keeping me company) was sitting in the passenger seat in my small black old car all the way to R n R Seremban, and there i had a pleasure meeting her big Mr. Sor and small Mr. Sor....
When i reached the house, the boys big and small, grilled me of what happened and who give what and etc etc.....even before going to sleep i was still telling the hubby about the meeting. Really hope to see all of you again soon......i only have a few pictures of the meeting as i was so engrossed listening and talking to all of you...
Ummi, TM, Mrs.N, Principal(cant see the face) and K. Ezza
Busybody, Mdm Tai Tai, Ummi and Kak Ezza's fingers?
Superwoman, Ms hart
Wanshana, superwoman
Kay, Ibu and Bella

Blue on blue engagement gifts......

Blue, blue my world is blue, blue is my world if i am without u ...ha ha ha....i did not, sing i croaked he he hoping for a rain soon as its very hot for the pass few days.....These blue hantaran were send to KL together with a few boxes of fruit tartlets, a few jar of cookies and the cheese cupcakes. I passed by my apartment in Setapak and felt so nostalgic about the place where i started a phase of my life as a wife and a mother . So much changes within the last 2 years i got lost looking for the house. My 2nd boy was with me and requested that i drive by his old school in Danau Kota. He was so excited showing me where he used to wait for the school bus and eating his favorite roti chanai ha ha ha....as though i dont know that...then i just 'lepak' in Pandan at my sister's house as she was on long leave.

From Moscow with love to a birthday girl in Port Dickson......

I received an email from a young lady early last month asking if i could deliver a set of cupcakes to PD. I told her I could but i would charge the delivery service to cover at least for the toll. She said that would be fine but really funny that she was so concern if i was too busy to cater for others and send the cupcakes for her . So sweet of her i thought....i told her i was usually quite tight starting Thursday evening if i had orders for the weekend and to go to PD on Thursday morning should b ok. Then she mailed details of her request and i was surprised that she is actually our medical student in Moscow, checked out her blog, at first i thought she was using one pretty Chinese actress's picture for her profile. Surprisingly, the picture was her and she is so pretty and sweet. She was very quick in paying me via Maybank2U, i just could not wait for today to make the delivery. The cupcakes were for a 15th birthday of her friend's sister, so sweet kan?

So this morning, I had a really pleasant drive to PD alone where most of the time i was the only one on the highway ha ha ha.....Only nearing the army Muzium, i saw a convoy of army trucks and armor cars on the road. I gave the lady of the house a call just to ensure someone was home to receive the cupcakes. I arrived in front of her house gate half an hour later, delivered the cuppies and drove back to Seremban smiling away....Shes a pleasant lady with a nice house, i delivered birthday cupcakes and the sun was shining so bright......hmmmmm

The cupcakes in a box ready to be delivered......
The box of cupcakes resting nicely in the car on the way to PD.


We were in PD last weekend and during dinner on Saturday, eating alfresco but very bad service though.....i saw the roundest full moon ever in the sky. And Monday morning while thinking what to cook for dinner , i remembered the full moon. Old folks say that the best time to get crabs was during the full moon, the flesh would be full, so I bought the crabs and cooked lemak chili padi with pineapple....and the boys in the house big and small enjoyed the crabs finger licking good he he....ms hart cooked a similar dish but she used shrimp instead.....well, are we buddies or what ha ha ha.....

A weekend in PD..........

Hubby's office organized a treasure hunt do for the staff on Saturday. The hunt started in KL and ended up in PD. Since the boys had being staying home from the start of the school holidays, hubby suggested that we lepak in PD. He booked the resort where the hunt prize ceremony would be held. So, after delivering the engagement cake in the morning, i came home and got the boys to look for their swimming suits and packed all in one of the big laundry basket . The boys had lunch at my MIL 's place as she had cooked a lot on that day and we left for PD just after 1.00 pm.
I had never driven to PD on my own before, the driving was done quite slow. Just being lost going to my kampung the day before, i didnt want to get lost again in town where i was not familiar with. The boys were their usual chatty selves, but they helped me with the sign board to the resorts. The moment we exited to Lukut, the youngest boy excitedly showing me the huge billboard of the resort....7km away, not that far i told my self. The moment we entered the parking bays of the resorts, i almost made a u-turn when i saw so many people going into receptions and the noises....i always have this phobia in a crowd. Still, i braved the crowd, registered in and we went up to the apartment. The building and the furnitures were run down....the bed in the master bedroom were 'slanted in', the soap holder in the bathroom kept dropping for it case, no remote control for the tv and so many other......worst was the service so lousy, couldnt get extra towel and the resorts even ran out of towels at the pool, so how???....my kids said to black listed this particular place he he.....
There were too many people in the small town of PD during the weekend....however, we found one little gem in the chaotic of PD town on Saturday night. We had lunch there and the food was just yummy...i forgot to take the picture of my tuna sandwiches....so if anyone going to PD try to look for this joint....its a family run little eatery.


The yummeh pepperoni pizza

Chicken chop Enjoying the pizza....

My first fondant and a sad and hectic Friday....

Friday, yesterday morning started well enough. Plan of the day was to bake a normal size cake and decorate it with fondant/sugar paste for an engagement gift for today delivery. So far, i tried to stay away from handling fondant on a big cake as i was not confident if i could come out with a decent looking fondant decorated cake. But, since i started baking and selling my bakes, i felt i should made an effort to do it though i was okay if i had to fondant on cupcakes. Hence , i decided to take the challenge yesterday. However, we planned for all we could but God granted. After having breakfast with my boys, i fussed in the kitchen to bake the cake.
I cut the grease paper for the mould, find the recipe and was just about to measure the ingredients, an sms came in. My heart almost dropped as the sms was from my sister in KL telling me that an aunt just passed away. She was my late father's sister in law. I felt for my cousins. Then the phone calls came in. How i was going to KL, if i would bring the boys along etc...etc. My sister in Kuala Pilah came to the house to go to KL with me.
We left for KL just about noon, met my other sisters an hour later and drove up to my kampung just behind Batu Caves. But on the MRR2 i made a wrong exit i ended up driving to Bentong and climbing the road to Genting looking for a U-turn to go back to Batu Caves....urrgggg what a stupid thing to do. I reached the ''last resting place" when the Imam was reading the talqin. I could not enter the place as i was in that time of the month.
I only arrived home at 8 in the evening. Dear hubby took care of the children's dinner by getting the KFC in town. I showered and whipped up the cake batter, put it in the oven and i took it out from the oven at just after 12 midnight. Turn it on the cooling rack and cover the cake, i went to sleep at almost 1.00 am. For a first timer, I am ok with the outcome but i know i have to practice more especially to cover the plate...haissshh...orang problem nak cover the cake i pulak problem to cover the plate he he.....due to the time constraint and first time in handling fondant, i had to be satisfied with the outcome. The 'rombongan' had to be in Johol , N9 at noon. Delivered the cake at 9.00 just now. To yang berkenaan, Selamat Bertunang semoga sampai ke jinjang pelamin. Congratulation....

To some baking enthusiasts, Wilton products are the must have and i am no exception. I have been eyeing the cake stand for so long and finally i got it last Monday. I fell in love with the measuring cups when i saw them on the table of Amore-eBake Bakery owner and i had to have them ha ha ha.....very bad ..very bad...I got many of my Wilton products from her at the same price Wilton KL is selling provided i paid in advance if the product is not in her shop. I save my petrol and toll fees this way rather than i went to KL to get these. So, people like me in Seremban is kinda lucky that we didnt have to drive to KL to get Wilton's product...

Reminiscing and Selamat Hari Raya Korban...

Tomorrow all Muslim in the world will celebrate Aidiladha. Here in my home, we mostly would cook rendang, buy a few lemang and i baked 1 or 2 cakes. My butter cake is already on the table, and will bake chocolate cake for the kids in the morning. I always remember my late mum when i fussed in the kitchen during the Raya times coz i would get her longest nag. I was 'heavy' to do any kitchen thingy when i was young. And now, after getting interested in baking and selling my baked goods, i was always wondering what would she say if she saw me spending so much time in my kitchen nowadays he he....and she would be very shock to see me doing things for wedding hantaran ha ha ha....
Most of the times, i was asked to make the wedding gifts i wouldnt know how the gifts be presented. But a few times, when i did the gifts for relatives or close friends i managed to get the pictures of the gifts on the 'hantaran tray'(not quite sure whats call). I have a few pictures of that below.




The green fondant hats were send to Puchong, white and red roses were for a few doors away neighbor and the fruit tarts were for former staff's sister wedding in Putrajaya

Tupperware party cupcakes......

The request came in last week for me to deliver on Friday(tomorrow). But the request was brought forward to yesterday. I enjoyed doing the swirls and i think the colors were just nice. I did not know what was the occasion for these cuppies until i delivered them next door. The neighbor was hosting a tea party to sell the tupperware....hmmmm i was invited and i quite fancied the tupperware goodies. They have many beautiful colors nowadays. Didn't buy any though he he....

Fruit tarts to Putrajaya....

While yakking through YM with my former staff a few months ago, she told me that the sister was getting married soon. At the same time i showed her a few of the pictures of my baking at the display image. She invited me to the wedding and she wanted me to bring fruit tarts as part of the hantaran and banana choc chips muffins just for makan-makan. As usual i was in a hurry, i forgot to snap the muffins picture. Was on the highway to Putrajaya just after 10.30 and managed to reach the house an hour later. Too bad i didnt get to see that staff of mine but i met a few other former staff there. My husband, the second boy and I were some of their early birds guests, we had a feast from the buffet spread and a whole stretch of table were ours . The food was very good, a few good wedding food i had lately. Gotta leave for home early as my other half had not packed for his a week away trip later in the evening....I also baked chocolate moist cake for a birthday and send it to Sikamat before i left for Putrajaya.

Fish Head Curry and Papadom for dinner.....

The weather seemed very erratic lately. It will be as hot as summer in the desert early of the day and half hour later it would be pouring cats and dogs. It is usually very warm before the rain and i would be soaking with sweat just washing a few dishes in the kitchen. On Friday, out of the blue i felt like eating fish head curry. When i was young (in secondary school), my dad used to bring all of us to eat fish head curry at the Stadium Merdeka. That time it was the best fish head curry in Kuala Lumpur. When i started working, we started going to the one near Taman Wahyu along Jalan Kuching but i cant seem to remember the name of the shop. Unfortunately i have not discovered nice fish head curry selling anywhere in Seremban so i had to cook it myself. We had that for dinner one of the evening last week.

Agar-agar magic (magic jelly)??......

"Aunty Zai (tua nyer aku), nama saya L**n kawan K**b* yang ada order muffins, auntie ada buat agar2 rainbow tak?" sms i received yesterday morning. Huhh.....i replied her with a no but i asked her to send a picture of the agar2 as i was very curious about it. Never heard and never saw it before. Quickly i called owner of Amore-eBake asking her about her agar-agar magic class . I wonder if its the same and she said yes. Asked her too if she was free to give me a one to one lesson of her agar2 magic. She was kind enough to spare her time for me this morning. However, to my surprise she managed to gather a few more students for this class . I enjoyed this agar2 session and i chose orange for my base. We learn to make orchid, sun flower and i cant remember the other one, the red one on my agar2. Didnt get to use sun flower as i was using orange for the base. Next time .......






Thanks L**n for telling me about the existence of this agar2 .......i will get in touch with you soon.