Ramadhan 2013 : Entry #2

Yep. I've been really bad at updating my blog. Actually, since it's been 'visited' and practically stalked, I have lost the 'heart' to write but I still feel the need to leave something here occasionally :)  Now that I have restricted views to this site, hopefully I will start getting into the mood again!

And so, I am sharing our Iftar menu here from day 3 & 4 :D

 

 

Hubby had to work outstation on day 3, so it was just me and Aina in front of the TV! Yes, I know it is an AWFUL habit but since it's just two of us, the dining table (seats 8) seemed really huge!! I LOVE to make refreshing i.e. 'cooling' drinks for Iftar, and the Barley & Gingko Nut drink was so yummy served lukewarm :D

 

 

BARLEY & GINGKO NUT DRINK

 

you  need:

a small handful of barley

1/2 (small) packet of fresh gingko nuts (you may used dried but have to soak them first)

honey rock sugar, to taste

pandan leaves, knotted

1.5 liters water

 

method:

combine all EXCEPT the sugar in a pot and bring up to a boil. lower  heat, add sugar, and simmer another 20 minutes or so until the barley has softened.  

 

Note: you may also add red dates if you like :)

 

 

On Day 4, we had Iftar at my sister-in-law's house and our contribution was spicy sweet & sour crabs. Hubby had ordered the crabs specially for this, and he managed to get around 5kgs.

 

 

SPICY SWEET & SOUR CRABS

 

you need:

 

1 - 1.5kg crabs

3 large garlic cloves    - pounded to a paste

1-inch piece of ginger - pounded to a paste

2 Tbs ground chilli paste

1 Tbs oyster sauce

2 Tbs sweet chilli sauce

2 Tbs tomato sauce

1/4 cup water (or more, if you want the sauce not too thick)

 

method:

 

crabs must be cleaned and steamed. set aside.

heat oil and fry ginger, garlic & chilli paste until fragrant. add in the sauces with the water and bring up to a boil. add int he crabs, mix well to coat, and simmer another 3 - 5 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with torn fresh coriander leaves and roughly chopped spring onions.

 

 

And so here are two recipes which I am more than happy to share with my readers/visitors.  Hope you all have a blessed Ramadhan ahead!

 

 

 

 

 

xoxo



 

Pulau Ketam Weekend

OH.MY. GOD!

Just found this entry which I had failed to 'post' and while this trip was ages ago, I just HAVE to share this so please bear in mind that this was about 2 years ago!! :p

 

 

 

It was a beautiful Sunday morning, and we'd planned to go shopping for shoes (LOONNNGGG story there, so let's leave it at that!) but when we stopped for petrol, hubby decided to change plans and go to Pulau Ketam instead. He's been wanting to take us there for ages, and finally the time seemed right :-)

We arrived at the jetty around 11.15am, and immediately boarded the ferry. Aina was of course excited! She'd been on a boat once, a lake cruise, but she was too young to remember, so this was a new experience for her. She behaved; sat through out the journey, pointing out to boats and birds when she looked out the window. The journey took approximately 40mins.

It's only RM7.00 per adult, and you actually had a choice to go on the closed, air-conditioned boat or the open air one. We chose the air-conditioned one as the weather was just too hot!!

We walked from the jetty (there aren't any taxis, but you can rent bikes if you want to) to the 'town centre', heading for the only seafood restaurant that was 'safe' for us to eat. This restaurant was pointed out by the local police to Mr. Hubby on one of his many fishing and crab-hunting trips.

On the way to the restaurant, we stopped for these :-D

Yup! Deep fried ice cream :-)

It's actually (theoretically, since I've NEVER attempted it) easy to make ~

DEEP FRIED ICE CREAM1. make sure ALL equipment including tray, is ice-cold. line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. use an ice cream scoop to scoop enough number of ice cream servings. place on tray and immediately put back into the freezer.
3. roll out bread to flatten slightly, then cut out rounds using a simple rounded cutter; make sure you have enough pieces i.e. 2 pieces per ice cream serving.
4. have a bowl of water ready (used to seal the edges) and take out the ice cream from the freezer.
5. working VERY fast, place the ice cream in between 2 pieces of bread, seal the edges as tight as you can using the water as glue, then freeze the whole lot again.
6. heat oil (enough to completely drop the ice cream in) and make sure the oil is VERY hot. take the 'breaded' ice cream and drop into the hot oil SLOWLY, then fry till the bread has turned a light golden brown, drain and serve immediately.

Simple, right? But, I've never tried it because the weather is too hot and I'm afraid I'll end up with a pile of ice cream 'soup' :-s

Aina enjoyed her treat, but she mostly just licked the ice cream centre as she would a 'normal' ice cream, ehehhehheee :-D :-D :-D

When we reached the restaurant, we immediately ordered our favourite dishes....

Fried Baby Kailan in Oyster Sauce, Salted Egg Yolk Crab, Fried Rice with Seafood, Fishball Soup and Steamed Fish :-)

Aina was busy yelling at the cat to "Wake up!!!" and the cat finally did and winked at Aina before falling back to sleep ~ LOL

Aina wanted this fan-thingy and so I got it for her to keep her quiet and to 'bribe' her to eat lunch! At least it was something to occupy her during our wait at the jetty :-D

Aina was really cool walking on the sides of the boat :-)

And 10 mins into the journey back, Aina fell unconscious :-D :-D :-D

Cheers!

Ramadhan 2013 : Entry #1

And so I am forced to move back to this previous dwelling since some people find it 'amusing' to stalk and follow me for no apparent reason!

And since when I started this blog it was to be mainly about food, it is most appropriate I guess that I restart this site with a food entry :D

Now, it has to be said that I LOVE Thai Red Rubies, and I try to make it every Ramadhan. Here's the recipe, to share. I know I've posted this before but it helps saves browsing time :)

THAI RED RUBIES

You need:
1 pkt water chestnuts (available from the supermarket), peeled and diceda few drops red or pink coloring
tapioca flour (enough to coat chestnuts)

simple sugar syrup, cooked with a bit of rose water or pandan leaves

thick coconut milk, heated slightly with a tiny pinch of salt
Method:
 1. add food colouring to the diced chestnuts and place in a plastic bag. shake to coat the colour evenly. add in the flour and shake top coat some more. toss through a sieve to get rid of excess flour.

2. bring a pot of water to a boil. place a large bowl filled with iced water near you. once the water is boiling, add in the coated chestnuts and when cooked the 'rubies' will float. scoop out immediately with a slotted spoon and put into the iced water.

to serve, place the rubies with sugar syrup in a bowl and pour the thick coconut cream over. you may add a few slices of jackfruit or even mangoes as garnish and added flavour, as you prefer.

 



Today, the third day of Ramadhan, Iftar will be a simple affair. Will try to post pics later tonite.

Take care, all! :)






AM

Mencandat 2011

Before I start rambling, photo credit goes to my nephew, Fahmi (in black) for the pics, since I stayed on land at sis-in-law's house :-)

Okay.

This trip took almost a year of planning. Reason? To get all the busy people in the family together for a fun-filled trip :-)

In the end, one still got called off at the last minute for a meeting in KL, and so was replaced by his son, a novice at candat. A total of seven guys were on one boat, ready to tackle the challenge of mencandat, a challenge that only those who've gone will be able to relate to (I've NEVER been, ahahahhahaaa....) And so, here are the six guys (one had to be behind the camera :p), our 'sotong heroes' :-D :-D :-D





These guys are 1. my hubby 2. my bro-in-law and 3. my nephews and four out of the seven made the same trip last year, and plan another one next year. Yep, it's become an annual event for them :-) Hubby's been bugging me to join, but with Aina still so young, I am hesitant as the weather can be pretty unpredictable, and I do not want to risk Aina getting sick just for a bit of fun... We'll see when Aina is slightly older.

It seems hubby was the 'sotong sifu' this time around, having caught almost 60% of the total catch (which supposedly was almost 30kg). At least this was the info related to us on land who weren't there, hehehehee...

This was just hubby's lot!! And the size of the squids were very long i.e. quite large. After dividing the total loot into the respective portions, we still had a bit to shar with our immediate neighbours. Hubby had gone on a trip once and the total catch was close to 70kg, and once he came back with a whole Coleman tub full of squid!! So, in comparison, this trip was just decent and some contribute the recent tsunami in Japan affecting the movement of the squid.

For next year (yes, the ball's already started rolling on THAT trip), we'll see if choosing certain dates will have an effect on the outcome :-)

Cheers!

Another "First" for Aina....

Yup! Took her to the dentist!!

Actually, it was me who had a chipped tooth and broken filling, so I decided to include her in as well, just as a sort of practice session for her to get used to the place.


But, as you can see, it wasn't really a sucess!! ~ LOL

She was fine for about 1 minute, but suddenly just jumped up and climbed over the top of the dentist chair and into Mama's arms!! It was hillarious!!! This was the only pic that Babah could get from Aina's first 'dental appointment' .

Anyway, doctor said her teeth looked fine and healthy, nothing to be concerned about at the moment...

After the (failed) appointment, we took her to Summit since she was asking to go "jalan-jalan". We just walked around a bit (LG floor only) and then had lunch, then headed home. She fell asleep on the way home... :-)



And so ends another "first" for Aina.... ehehhehehee





Cheers!

Ushering in Aina's THIRD year....

A very simple affair for family and immediate neighbours, Aina's third year was ushered in while she was not feeling very well.


She actually woke up that morning with a fever, so I fed her her meds and she was so co-operative since she knew we were having a party for her that afternoon.


I couldn't decide what type of cake to get her, and finally decided on a 1.5kg chocolate sponge with buttercream and jelly icing with her favourite character on it i.e. Strawberry Shortcake. Thanks to Yatt Hellikonia for making the wonderfully delicious and yummy cake, and thanks to Aunty Cik (i.e. my sis) for sponsoring the cake :-D



On top of the usual fare of fried noodles, curry chicken with roti jala, kuah durian with lempeng (courtesy of Kakak Raihan) and the like, I also made chocolate sauce to go with the mini marshmallows and ciggie biscuits :-D



And here is the birthday gurl :-D :-D :-D

She couldn't wait to blow out the candles since Babah had filled up her mini swimming pool, and she was itching to jump in :-p

All in all, it was a great party for Aina with all her family and friends, and she got to do (almost) everything she wanted without getting into too much trouble. It was a shame that soon after everyone left, her nose started to bleed and her fever came back (even tho I made sure to give her her meds when it was time), so she couldn't attend her friend, Qistina's birthday party that night.

Aina did go over to Qistina's the next day to give her present :-)

She'll oficially turn 3 on Thursday, and I hope by then she will be free from her fever and then we can take her out for a treat, just us (plus kakak raihan if she's around.... ehehehhehe).

Cheers!

My Labour Day Program

Yup! Attended The Concert :-D

I think hubby is still trying to understand the woman he married.... LOL LOL LOL

Needless to say, I enjoyed myself tremendously and at the end, I was as hoarse as Awie, Mus and Mel... :-p



Cheers!

p.s. oh yeah... will be having a small family gathering next week for Aina's birthday. No grand do... she's still young. Hope all will go well :-)