A Field of Wildflowers...: February 2009

February 28, 2009

Piggy pau

Bought this for my niece when we went to a local dim sum restaurant. We were afraid she'd have sentiments for it and refuse to eat it...but she surprised us when she asked my aunt to tear it into 4 and share with everyone :P

February 25, 2009

Valentines 09

In our effort to save up for Singapore, QJ and I decided to celebrate Valentines at home with home-cooked food. There the 'no car' factor too but we didn't really feel like going out and getting ripped off with over-priced food...if we were loaded and in KL, I wouldn't mind Chilis or TGIF or sumthing but at the moment we just couldn't afford sumthing so luxurious....so...budget budget!

However....thing's weren't as pleasant as we planned it to be. We planned to just spend the whole day 'lepak' at home, watching movies and laze around and eat good food....but the virus from my PC had jumped to QJ's and he spent more than half the day fixing the problem on his PC. Felt awful to have infected his PC >.< ....but thankfully he got it done by dinner time so it was all well at the end of the day :3

I couldn't really decide what to make at first...I had a rough idea but when I try to decide....I wanted to do everything that came to my mind :P

So in the end, I settled with 3 dish: Ravioli in spaghetti sauce, stuffed baked mushrooms, and chicken pie.

It was a weekend so as usual, neither of us are awake until at least 11am...so I made sandwiches for both of us: ham, cheese and hard boiled egg in mayo topped with black olives... mmmmm it was good. XD Black olives always makes me think of Subway...aaa sedapnyer~

I started making the spaghetti sauce after breakfast...since it would take longest to cook and can be reheated when about to eat. After that, I started making the filling for ravioli: blended pre-grilled marinated chicken, fried bacon, onion, boiled baby spinach and cheese. After that I went on to do the pasta dough for it. Couldn't the previous recipe I used for ravioli dough. The last one's easiest to make as it was easily rollable into thin sheets. Best if I had a pasta/noodle maker but I don't so I'll have to rely on my small rolling pin. 'Assembled' the ravioli and froze them for later use.

Next, I started preparing ingredients for the chicken pie. My crust isn't one of those pastry flaky crust (I find it a lil bit more difficult to make. Its purchasable, but why waste money? :P). QJ loves this pie. I've made this so many times, its getting so easy to make now. If you ask him whether he'd want a birthday cake or a pie, I'm very sure he'd prefer the latter. U can put candles on it for the effect but he doesn't mind not having a cake at all if he gets a pie...haha!

Pre-baked the bottom crust of the cake (and almost ruined the whole thing cuz I forgot to poke holes at the bottom crust and it kinda 'mengembang' from the tin, causing the sides to 'run' and shrink away from their original position.)

Next, I prepared the stuffed mushroom in a different cooking tin, and put them into bake for about 20 mins while I assembled the pie to be baked later. Meanwhile, I took out the frozen ravioli to be boiled. Also, fried some baby spinach to go with the whole meal (which according to QJ, was a bit out of place...but I loved it :P)

Finished cooking the ravioli, topped with hot pasta sauce, and took the baked stuffed mushroom out...put everything onto the plate...and voila~ Dinner is served.

Put the pie to bake while we had dinner but we definately wun be having that until....the next day...too stuffed :9

QJ took the pie to his tournament in KL the next day and couldn't help showing off to other ppl there.... /giggle....makes me happy knowing X3

So yeah...that's Valentines, homemade style~

February 24, 2009

Who's this?

I was sifting thru my pics on Picasa today...when I came across this pic.

Guess who's this? (kekekke)

I could barely recognize you XD. You definately look better now. (but then again my Alpha hairstyle was quite...ugh too :P )

February 21, 2009

Penang Hill (Part 2)

After laksa, we headed back to the lower station. After some enquiries, sis managed to get the offcers there to let us up earlier since the train wasn't full. Saved an hour+ there :D

The journey up was...not exactly very comfortable. It was quite crowded but that can't be helped I guess.

The view up there...was really nice. Kinda makes me relax. The cooling air makes me wanna stay there forever....mmmm free aircon!

Komtar!

Printed this pic out and put in on top of my shelf :P

The color on this flower is so intense...suka!

Sis on the decoration tram

After sunset...sis ajak us to go dinner at this fancy place, David Brown's. She's heard reviews that the place is really nice and pleasant....good food too. :D....not to mention expensive >.<

The inside looked really cozy...but the outdoor felt much nicer :D

Took this pic while waiting for our food. I'd love to come up here again during daytime. Would definately be more beautiful X3

View of Penang from where we had dinner

Our dinner that night. We only ordered 3 dishes and shared among ourselves so that we'd still have stomach space to go supper later (go till Penang must not miss out on the hawker food XD). The portion's quite large for single platter...the chips were especially good :P ..they stayed crispy even after we finished the main course. So yeah..this is what you missed out, bro :P

After dinner, we strolled a bit more then head down. Supper was at Macalister Road...so many choices we went @.@ . After that we head back to bro's, packed, and head back. Fifi was all too happy to see us, especially when she haven't had her meal for 1 1/2 days >.< .....

Penang Hill (Part 1)

On the 3rd day of CNY, my family decided to go on a family day trip. Afterall, we haven't been able to do this kinda thing in a while...and our previous attempt had only lasted about 10 mins at the foot of Gunung Jerai...and our souvenir was only a few batang roadside jagung :P

Initially, we wanted to go Pulau Jerejak in Penang...but the management there decided it was a smart thing to package the boat across to the island together with some set meal at some 'bleh' restaurant there...for RM50 per person just to get across (its only like 100-200 meters away from Queensbay side of the shore!)....we figured it wasn't really worth it...so we decided to go Penang Hill instead.

My last time there was when I was really young....I remember my grandma (dad's side) was still around then...that would mean its at least 15 years ago...My first aunt had a friend who owns/takes care of (i cant remem which >.<) this bungalow there...so we got to stay there for free for a few days.

I remember it was an awesome trip. That place had a wonderful view, cool air, and best of all, a lot of my relatives made the effort to come so it was really merry :D. I remember mahjong, and we kids who dunno how to play would stack them up to resemble Komtar (highest building in Penang)...and I remember there was this fireplace that was empty so I would crawl into the marbled floor and sit there. I think there was a photograph of that. Need to balik korek :P .....

So wind forward 10+ years...and I'm quite excited to get to go up there again. I barely remember anything else during my last trip :P

We went during the 3rd day of CNY. Bro couldn't follow cuz he had to go to the in-laws (kekekeke) that day. CNY season in Penang, you would have to expect terrible crowd in that area (Kek Lok Si and Penang Hill)...but we didn't expect to only be able to buy a 6.45pm cable train up there when we arrived around 2pm. So we bought those tickets anyway.....and my fantastic sisters decided it would be a good idea to walk to Kek Lok Si and jalan jalan first....thank goodness I was wearing sport shoes (aunt found out her shoe berlubang at the end of the trip :P )...the weather wasn't so kind tho. Bloody hot and there was barely any shade.....=.= ...meh. Well...we got there anyway...so yeah.

Mum and the others decided to go check out the souvenir shop (for the air con too..haha) while me, sis and dad waited outside and camwhored a while ...keke....I really like this pic :D

Sesat...I know...haha..

After that...they decided that there wasn't anything much that would interest them so we just left.... Too bad I didn't bring tripod else I'd love to stay and take pics later at night...but that would mean jam all the way there from where we park, or walk all the way there...again....ugh...um..nvm....

So we left Kek Lok Si in search of this goodie laksa spot beside the market. I brought QJ and the guys here last time during our Langkawi-Penang trip, so I could still remember how to get there.

The place was awfully packed! People were waiting just to get a seat...so we asked if we could sit on the opposite side of the road (there was a small food court there) and they said it was okay, thankfully. Else I think can just give up on it la...even that, we had to wait quite a while to get our order but I think it was worth it...altho I remember it being nicer the last time I was there...meh.

(to be continued...because there's just too many pics)

Fifi @ CNY

A series of Fifi-ness throughout CNY! Bursting with energy and enthusiasm :D ...and Cuteness too!

Me playing with Fifi...ready to pouce!

Fifi kena kapit!

Getting out of kapit-ness! XD

"Grrrrrrrrrr!"

Fifi's version of 'tag'

February 19, 2009

CNY Day 1 & 2

Yes I finally got my PC back...

Yes I know CNY is almost a month past (so what?)...

Yes I finally have some times to edit this photos and post them....and I dun feel like talking much so there.....14 pics in 1 post. I have officially made my blog dialup-unfriendly.