Wake Up and Smell the Cake

Omg omg omg I am so so excited!! You must be thinking I'm crazy to go crazy over a measuring cup, but it's no ordinary measuring cup okay! It's the kind that can measure all sorts of dry ingredients in pounds. My mum has it, but it's super duper ancient I thought they wouldn't sell these anymore. Until!!! I was browsing Bake King's website - how I came here, I'll explain in a bit - and I FOUND IT !!! Here it is, the Tala Cook's Measure! Very retro looking (totally love!) and freakin' made in England can! I am so gonna buy it!! I hope the shop has it if not I'll have to order online . I browsed the website and found lots of other things I am so tempted to buy! Heehee. Lucky thing I have loads of cabinet space that can store my baking utensils :) So back to the point where I was directed to Bake King. Yesterday at Husband's grandma's house, she made for us marble cake which I totally love! So moist and soft and airy! So I asked f

Hello!! I'm on Medical Leave :D Husband's at work, and Junior's at my mum's house. I'm free to do just about everything! Heh. Morning I sent off Junior, and stuck around for a bit before going to my all time fave Chong Pang to get some stuff and most importantly, threading. I've been putting it off for the longest time! With that done, and toiletries bought, I spent $50. How did I spend that much on so few items! And I've yet to buy rice, kicap and eggs! Anyway. So I went home, fried my french beans to go with my daging masak kicap for lunch, and then washed and hung clothes to dry, and then baked a chocolate cake (recipe later), and vacuumed the house and now I'm taking a break before I start ironing. Did all that when I'm supposed to be resting and slacking around haha. Husband's gonna scold me for not resting hehe! Daging masak kicap was done yesterday, I prepared everything and cooked the meat and off to zzzland I went, while Husband

Once again I did not step out of the house to get groceries. Yes, I'm such a procrastinator, I've been wanting to do it for a week now but everytime I just postpone. Monday's dinner was a result of the procrastination. You see, I've ran out of onions. And I only have a whole chicken in the fridge. So what did I do? Find a recipe where cooking doesn't involve any onions hahaha. Couldn't think of any cos onion is such an essential ingredient. So I thought of cooking with the next most essential ingredient - garlic! And I found this garlic chicken recipe ! I had a tahu kering set and that would be made into a simple soup dish, of which I added too much garlic. Hurhur. Note to self: never EVER use more than three cloves in a soup. It'll just be bitter. Anyway. I tried the chicken recipe and Other Half loves it! Although he only ate one piece -_-" I wasn't confident of the taste, didn't know if he liked it and I know he won't like the

Today I is a bit eager to cook, lunch was pizza and dinner was chicken curry with soy sauce vege stir fry, and I decided to make chocolate lava cake for dessert after clearing up dinner. And with all that work, I now have enormous elephant-like legs. Hahahaha. Chocolate Lava Cake 170g butter 170g chocolate (I used Van Houten baking chocolate) 4 eggs 5 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp flour pinch of vanilla powder pinch of bicarbonate soda Melt the butter and chocolate together using double boil. Mix flour, sugar, vanilla powder and bicarbonate soda together. Add an egg each time and beat till consistent before adding another egg. Add the butter-chocolate mix. Fill the muffin pan till 3/4 full, bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 6 minutes. The first batch I baked at 230 degrees Celsius, for 8 minutes and they turned out to be cake-like, no lava centre! See? No oozy sink-in centre. Bummer. But with each trial and error comes a brilliant find. For I have found! A brownie recipe! HAHA.

Baby's still not out yet! I have a feeling Junior's gonna be overdue. Hahahaha. The Husband really can't wait for baby to be out. It's like so near but so far. Check up went well, Junior is of healthy weight -- or maybe TOO healthy since he's on the heavier side! Haha! And my health is all well and fine, so there's no need to induce. We did a major clean up of the house last Saturday, even cleaned the ceiling fan! One of our frames was broken in the process, when it's not even hung up on the wall yet! So wasted. We bought a pair of bamboo floor lamps and the pair of Moroccan-ish lanterns that we wanted so much, but when we brought them home, honestly we didn't know what to do with them. Haha! We literally sat at the sofa and stared at them for quite some time. Maybe our TV wall is just too big and whatever we do is kinda weird. I am very much in a holiday mood already. I am BORED here. I wanna bake. Can I go home and bake? I wanna make butter cake an

This must be the healthiest lunch I've ever made! Vege soup never tasted so good!! Sometimes sambal and curry and all that heavy gravy stuff can get boring.

Please please let me get well soon. It was only a few weeks ago I was plagued by cough, and now I'm having slight fever and a bit of flu. I have to be in tip top shape! Gonna use a lot of energy soon! Was very reluctant to come to work today, felt like sleeping and sleeping and the weather's perfect for that too. But then I thought of outstanding laundry and cooking and I thought, ah well I'll just leave those and go to work hahaha. Or maybe I shall go back in the afternoon. Yesterday I felt these weird constipation-contraction-like compresses coupled with backaches for about one and a half hours. I'm seriously not sure what it was, could be false alarm cos I walked a lot right before getting those, and when we got home I felt much better. Have to start monitoring such pains. Baby don't come out so soon! I have yet to stock up my fridge, and iron as many clothes as I can, and go Ikea! :)

So I ended up not baking anything over the weekend. Was planning to do cheesecake and/or German cookies but none done. I was so certain I bought potato starch already but I couldn't find it anywhere! I also have a tub of sour cream to use before it hits expiry date i.e. in two days' time! Luckily I found some banana sour cream cake recipes that looks easy and have great reviews. Hope to try it out today! I have been feeling lazy and sleepy a lot lately, especially during the weekend. Shopping trips have to be cut short cos I feel my legs are too tired, tummy too heavy. Eyelids become easily heavy too, haha. And besides, I can't buy clothes yet! Not even shoes! Emergency grab bag already packed, and we've pretty much cleared Junior's room, washed his clothes and put up his wall sticker, all set for his arrival! My mum says he has too many clothes. Haha. But thinking that Junior will need to change clothes a few times a day, and I bought sizes of up to 9 months,

In a couple of weeks or so, I'll be having a baby. I can't imagine it happening! I can't imagine myself going through labour! But holding our little bundle of joy in my arms would erase the pain I suppose. Speaking of which! Junior is kicking me non-stop. Hahahha. I can't believe it! A baby! Our baby. Our very huge responsibility. Have been looking around for educational books. And my my these books especially those in series aren't cheap! I tried looking for second hands, but there's not much of a market for them. We'll have to get creative and find ways to stimulate Junior's brain! I do hope we'll be able to educate him well, and bring him up in the best possible manner. Maybe I should get my craft materials out again and make some DIY cards and toys! Makes it more worthwhile and get myself involved in the whole process. I have some ideas already in mind, I hope I'll find the time to make them for Junior! :) Oh and I would love to do so

French toast for Other Half's breakfast this morning! He requested for it yesterday. I was feeling sleepy and tired, was supposed to wake up half an hour earlier to make them, but I woke up at the usual time I do without alarm. Thank goodness I didn't take long. Haha! Decided to add a bit of milk, added about 1 tsp evaporated milk (because I have half a tinful not used yet) and a pinch of salt to one beaten egg. I have a tendency of cooking extra and I end up eating the leftovers, so this time round I limited myself to one egg. And it's perfect too! Just enough to coat three pieces of bread. I think they tasted awesome! One of my better tries of french toast :) I should make breakfast more often haha.

Been feeling oh so lazy to wake up these past few mornings, unlike the little one in me who cannot stop squirming and swimming and kicking! Our adorable little angel :) Only a few weeks left now! Yesterday I got the chance to go to NTUC Finest. Other Half didn't allow me to go in initially, cos I'll always end up buying a lot of things even though there's no urgent need for them. Hehe. Finally got my muffin tray, but thinking back now I should have bought another one so I can bake two trays at a time. Hope to make egg tarts this weekend! :) And of course, I stocked up on cheesecake ingredients! I found mascarpone too, thought of getting it but it's quite expensive for a small tub. Well at least now I know where to get some if I wanna make tiramisu. Hope to get home early today, have a simple dinner at home (thawed chicken but have no idea what to cook), cos there's housework piling up after days of going home late these past few days. Tiring. I am so sleepy. I wi

Made pengat pisang today! Was all prepared, with sago no less! And of course, leftover bananas. My first time attempting this, as usual when my mother does it, I wouldn't pay attention to the method or recipe haha. Anyway when I asked my mum, there wasn't a clear recipe either, all is by estimation. So here's my version! Makes 1 potful. Ingredients 4-6 ripe bananas 150ml coconut milk 2 cups water 1 pandan leaf 1 1/2 inches' block of gula melaka Sugar to taste, if necessary Heat water with coconut milk until well mixed. Tie the pandan leaf into a knot and put in the pot. Chop the gula melaka into smaller pieces so that it'll dissolve easily in the mix. Dissolve the gula melaka. Slice the bananas (not too thin or else they'll break) and put them into the mixture. Add already boiled and washed sago in! That's it! :) Chopped gula melaka! Not that easy to chop :s   End product! Couldn't be bothered to take a proper photo cos I was more w

Life has been good, and very much in love with The Husband :) Am always thankful to be married to him, to have someone as amazing as him to spend my life with. He's more than I could ever ask for, sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve him. Anyhoo!! Was on half day yesterday, was awaiting shelves and drawers for the baby room, and I did loads of things! When I go on leave, it's superwoman time! Especially when The Husband isn't around to tell me to not exert myself too much hurhur. I do admit, it's tiring, but kinda fun too! And anyway I didn't have internet nor cable TV to entertain myself haha. Managed to cook a proper meal (by this I mean there's vege) and made begedil too, mopped the kitchen and did laundry including bedsheets (ironed, no less)! Haha! The bright sun was too tempting! Tiring but satisfying. Wanted to transfer some of baby stuff into his room, but I'll leave that to today or tomorrow probably. Baby's arrival in a few weeks'

Have quite a few things I am feeling ambitious about making this week, that is if I've gone marketing. This is what happens when you start making your weekly grocery list! Haha! Sambal godok Kicap cili to go with fried tempeh and tahu Ayam lemak mangga Agar-agar jagung (found some tips here !) Banana hot pockets cos I have leftover bananas. I think I can do this today since the bananas are reeeaaalllly ripe already One whole jugful of fresh lime juice! Couldn't get enough of it especially in this hot weather! And I came across this recipe at the same page I found agar-agar recipe, Chinese Custart Egg Tarts . Looks easypeasy! But this weekend I'll be quite busy. I hope to find time! :)

Tuesday This morning while I was praying, a cockroach came beside me. Bloody hell! Another one in our room! It's not like I have food lying around! Even in the kitchen I make sure I don't have food lying around for cockroaches and ants to feast on. Yet they are still around! Do they eat wood or something? So irritating to see cockroach shit here and there. Tsk. And I wanted my kitchen to be cockroach-free :( I suspect they either come flying into the house, or from the rubbish chute, or from the drain. Bleah. Makes me miss London cos there seems to be very little cockroaches there, though there was a small mouse in our studio instead. Haha. Wednesday Time flies! It's exactly three months to D-Day! Am so super duper excited to meet you! Wonder how you'll look like :) The journey thus far has been very good and easy on us both. And I am very thankful for that. I pray that the rest of our journey will be smooth-sailing insyaAllah! Thinking about what's to come is

I am very happy today I don't know why! I wanna start this marketing pay per use scheme with my mum. Suggested by my sister. Haha. Since we're only cooking for two, with some days I don't even know if I'm cooking or not cos Other Half knocks off late from work, raw food goes to waste. Like the other time I bought too much tahu, tempe, fish and some other stuff which don't have long or freezable shelf life. It's a pity to throw them away, but they can't be rotting (literally, hurhurhur) in the fridge for so long. For things that can only be bought at wet markets, I've asked my mum's help to get them for me and I'll collect them after work. Today I've requested for ikan bawal and/or ikan cermin. And my mum went to buy both. I know she will cook the rest, so might as well just tompang and take some. She buys onions and potatoes at 5kg packs too, maybe I can do that with those. Speaking of which! I've run out of onions! My mum's

Some belated food fotos. Lasagna dinner last Monday I think? Haha. Had more time to cook than usual but Other Half wanted lasagna. Nothing great about it except that it's the prettiest lasagna we've made! And a point to note, include chili sauce in the tomato paste! Hehe. Too much tomato and cheese is kinda jelak. Used pizza cheese mix for this, and leftover mozarella + cheddar mix. The three layer lasagna And this is the oats prawns. Deep frying prawns is totally NOT recommended. Oil splatter EVERYWHERE !!! I had to mop the floor after that! It's more violent than frying fish omg!! Didn't even have time to put the lid to prevent all that splatter! Recipe was okay, except that I should have not been clever-clever and added sugar. Fried oats is already sweet by itself. Made the condensed milk cake without a weighing machine! Used some conversion table from the internet, and guestimates using my measuring cup and spoons. Tasted so very rich! Could reduce the conde

Teeheehee I have some free time tomorrow in between our little course in the morning and Other Half's class at night and I'm too excited thinking what I should do! I have lots of things I want to do, but postponed again and again! Like... popiah begedil German biscuits condensed milk cake Okay that should keep me VERY busy. And Other Half would be worried if I did all that cos he doesn't want me to be so tired. Hahaha. Maybe I'll strike off begedil since it's more tedious than popiah. And I'm going to start reading aloud today! :) Maybe I shall start with this book ! I love their collection of atlases. Makes history easy to understand especially for a pictorial person like me. Never been fond of studying history hahahaha. Busy weekend ahead!

No western menu yesterday! Changed to chicken curry instead hahaha. And stir fried some french beans for myself haha. A proper meal! :) Chicken Curry 5 pieces of chicken 1 big onion + 5 garlic, blended 4 (I think?) tbsp Malabar Masala curry powder (I refuse to use any other especially Baba's) 3 medium tomatoes 1 tbsp chilli kisar 1 medium sized onion, sliced usual spices (cinnamon stick, star anise, clove) 3 potatoes (optional) 1 tsp salt My sweet Other Half helped cook :) We searched high and low (NTUC doesn't carry many curry brands) for this Malabar Masala curry powder. Finally got it at where else but Mustafa, my all time fave grocery store! HAHA. Should've bought a bigger packet hehe. I don't like Baba's cos it's not spicy enough. And sadly Baba's is e v e r y w h e r e. Oats prawns postponed to today! :)

My back's aching, I can't find a comfortable sitting position, I can't sit for long, and I'm tired. And it's only midweek!! o_O And not like it'll be a peaceful relaxing weekend either. Sigh. Don't feel like cooking much tonight, and there's laundry and ironing to do. So western menu it is! HAHA. Crispy Oat Prawns with beef burger and a side of fries and I should go get some greens as well. To buy: curry leaves, burger bun, salad.