Updates from My Birthday.

Part two, of my Birthday experience...

From the Airport in Penang, i got myself into a Airport Limo that cost (RM38).
It was a 30min trip to YMCA, WOW, the driver has some funny ideas about Indian & Chinese... and his sharing this with me... ( I'm part of both!!! ) haha.

I got to the class, and SLP was Awesome!!!
here is why,
- Parents was kind to share details on how we can make the programme better.
- the Students keep participating, with super high-level energy (Even after a long day at School)
- The fact that the class has 10yrs old - 17yrs people, they still mix around.
- Some traveled from Kedah all the way to class.

After class, they gave me a surprise.. what was it, A CAKE!!!!!
OMG! Thanks too Maryam and her Family, they bake a cake in their own bakery just for me...
Super BIG, and that was good, coz we share with all the parents and the class.

Thanks everyone.



After that, i have the chance to lepak with my good friends, Chetty and Side Burn..
it was fun fill time. =)

Dim Sum in the morning

This shop very CUTE, Baby's all around. (lucky they did not sell baby's)


Finally, I found the Nutmeg Oil for dad and mom.

This is the plan I'm going home with. (FIREFLY)

"First Comes Love, Then Comes Obesity?"

I lovingly borrowed the title of this blog entry from today's American Dietetic Association Daily News. I couldn't have come up with anything more clever myself...wise people those ADA'ers.

It is wedding season, and yay for marriage!! I am a May 2009 bride and so now... I'm a married old hag myself. Turns out, my life may be over...or at least ending sooner than anticipated now that I'm in a romantic partnership for life.

Published in April 2009 by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (ew..) was a study performed on adult obesity in relationships [1]. What the study results revealed is that individuals in relationships with overweight individuals are more likely to become overweight themselves. BMI, thus, is correlated between spouses [2]. Worse yet, one's chances of becoming obese double after just a few short years of matrimony [1]. And if you think you're in the clear for living (in sin - kidding) with your boyfriend/girlfriend, you're wrong. The study showed that those living with their significant others are also at risk for packing on "some excess lbs" [1].

While a woman's risk of weight gain is incremental after year one, men's weight gain spikes only between years one and two of cohabiting [1]. Gee, that sounds fair.

The study looked at dating, cohabiting, and married adult couples. Concordance of outcomes observed included obesity, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, screen time by romantic partnerships, and duration of time living with romantic partner. Negative obesity-related behaviors were most predominant in married couples while dating couples not cohabiting were less likely than cohabiting and married couples to become obese [2].

But...I guess I can see where the mistakes begin: wedding night. Forgive the RD...it was a rough job being the bride. You know what they say, be sure to eat. ....Check!

[1] Rochman, Bonnie. First Comes Love, Then Comes Obesity? Time. 2009.
[2] Gordon-Larson, Penny. Entry into Romantic Partnership Associated with Obesity. Obesity. Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. April 9, 2009.

Walima Cooking Club June Challenge: Fish Stew from Bahrain

This is my savory recipe for the second Walima cooking challenge for the month of June. The ingredients and directions below are as given by Summer. I kept the fish as a whole fillet, and I used Tilapia fish. The jalapenos that I used were ones that I had hand picked them fresh earlier this year and put them in a jar full of olive oil and preserved them, very powerful! I also left the sauce on the side and poured it over the fish before serving. The taste of this dish reminded me of a similar fish with sauce that I had in one of my favorite Indian restaurants, I guess the use of turmeric and spices is what made it so similar, as well as the flavor of the Basmati rice.

Ingredients:
1 tsp of turmeric
2 tbsp of vegetable oil
1 kg of fish fillet cubed
2 jalapeno peppers seeds removed and finely chopped
1 tbsp of freshly chopped fresh ginger
4 cloves of garlic chopped
Some fresh ginger chopped
2 med size chopped onions
2 med chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp of mustard
2 ½ cups of water
2 cubes of chicken broth , unless you have homemade chicken stock
Replace the water with stock
2 tbsp of freshly chopped cilantro

Preparation:
Mix the turmeric with veggie oil, and marinate the fish in it for couple of minutes.
Then lay the fish on a baking tray and bake in a preheated 400F oven for 18 minutes to turn golden brown.
In a food processor, add the garlic, onion, jalapeno peppers tomatoes ginger and mustard, and whip until it turns to paste.
I did not puree my sauce, I felt that it would taste better chunky.
Heat a non stick pan and cook the paste on medium heat, without oil, till it start to turn golden,(takes around 5 min) add the water and dissolved chicken bouillon or the chicken stock, whatever you have on hand, and cook for 7-8 minutes more to become a thick sauce, pour over the fish in the oven and continue cooking for 10 more minutes.
Serve over Basmati rice and sprinkle fresh cilantro on top.

Thanks Summer!!!!! That was very delicious!

RECIPE FOR MALPUA - TEEJ RECIPES

Ingredients

Milk : 1 litre

Suji : 1 cup

Maida : 2 ½ cup

Ghee : for roasting

Water : 1 cup

Grated Jaggery : 2 cups

Curd : 1 tbsp

Lime : 1

Salt and soda : a pinch

Method of Preparation

1. Boil the milk for 15-20 minutes till it reaches half the total quantity.

2. Mix maida and suji with milk, curd, jaggery and a pinch of salt in a big pan.

3. Beat the mixture for 5-7 minutres so that the mixture becomes light.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a pan.

5. Pour the mixture over it.

6. Cover the mixture and keep it in a warm place for 6-7 hours.

7. Now the mixture would have become fluffy. Stir it well and add a little water or milk if it becomes thick.

8. Add a pinch of soda and lime juice to it. Blend well.

9. Heat ghee in a round vessel and put 1 tablespoon of the ready batter into the smoky ghee.

10. Fry it to golden brown.

11. Take it out in a wired mesh to drain excess ghee.

12. Similarly, fry all malpuas.

RECEIPE OF DAL BAATI - TEEJ RECIPES

Ingredients

Urad dal soaked in water with sodium bicarbonate : ¾ cups

Soaked rajma beans : 2 cups

Ginger-garlic paste : 1 tbsp

Chopped onions : 3-4

Chopped tomatoes : 2-3

Garam masala powder : 2 ½ tsp

Red chilli powder : 2 tsp

Chopped green chillies : 2-3

Coriander leaves : 10-12

Ghee : 4 tbsp

Cream : 2 ½ tbsp

Oil : ½ cup

Salt : according to taste

For dumplings

Ghee : 1 cup

Wheat flour : 5 cups

Curd : 2 ½ tbsp

Salt : according to taste

Method of preparation

1. Pressure cook rajma and urad dal.

2. Heat oil in a round vessel. Fry onions till it turns brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry.

3. Add rajma beans with all the masalas in the fried paste. Add some salt to it and blend it well. 4. Make a thick paste and pour over ghee and cream.

5. Prepare a dough with flour, ghee, curd, salt and little water.

6. Make out small soft balls from it and keep for one hour.

7. After that roast these balls till puffed. It should be golden outside and spongy inside.

8. Dip hot dumplings in dal and garnish the dal with coriander leaves and chillies. Serve hot.

Recipe for Ghevar - Teej recipes

Ghevar is the delightful delicacy linked with the monsoon festival of Teej. It is a round cake made made from plain ghee and flour.

Ingredients

Plain Flour : 3 cups

Solidified ghee : 1 cup

Water : ½ cup

Milk : ½ cup

Ice cubes : 3-4 pcs

Yellow food color : ¼ tsp

Ghee : 1 cup (for deep frying)

Kewra essence : 5-6 drops

Syrup

Sugar : 1 ½ cups

Water : 1 cup

Topping

Cardomum powder : 1 tsp

Chopped almonds : 1 tbsp

Pistachios : 1 tbsp

Milk with saffron : 1 tbsp

Method of Preparation

1. Add sugar to the boiled water to prepare a sugar syrup of 1 thread consistency.

2. Take solidified ghee in a large bowl and rub it with ice cubes till it turns white.

3. Add milk, flour and 1 cup water. Mix together to make a smooth batter.

4. Dissolve some color in the water with kewra essence and to the batter. Add more water if required.

5. Batter should be very smooth and thin.

6. Take an aluminum cylinder or a long cylindrical container with height 12 inches and diameter 5-6 inches.

7. Fill half the container with ghee and heat.

8. When ghee is hot, take 50ml glass full of batter and pur it slowly in the centre of the ghee.

9. Allow foam to settle. Similarly, pour one more glassful in hole formed in the centre.

10. When foam settles again, loosen ghevar with an iron skewer inserted in the hole.

11. Place ghevar on the wire mesh to drain excessive oil.

12. Pour hot sugar syrup in the flat bottomed container to fit in ghevar.

13. Put ghevar in it and drain excessive syrup.

14. Cool it for a while, cover with silver foil.

15. Splash a few drops of saffromn milk and sprinkle some pistachios and almonds with cardomum powder.

16. Ghevar is ready to serve.

sorry. and i've lost everything.

hari ni. bgn awal. hurm, terpakse. ade presentation final project audio, editing.
trailer n montage da settle. khamis plak VIVA & final presentation SCP.
the whole day dkt college from 9am - 5pm. it's tiring... lunch d red island cafe with dila.
and something bad happened. bad, worse & worst. terrible. nightmare. what else?
i've lost a friend. not really A FRIEND but, 4 friends. not just friends. love.
i've lost their trust on me and most of all i'm losing those i love again n again...

well. it happened a lot of time and i guess i should've put all the blame on me.
yar, since it happened over and over again, mmg da terang la sume slh sy kan..?

dear friends, love, life. what else?
2 guys and 2 girls. sorry. sorry sorry sorry. told ya. million time. i'm not good.
not a good girl. not a good friend. not a good.... not good in anything at all.

my one and only syg [girl] - ms scorpio
miss almost perfect - FS
mr nice guy / ms bbylove bf - MHF
last but not least, my only syg [boy], TTM, mr notty - syg

at 1st. sy mengaku mmg sy marah, serabot, penink dgn semua yg jd nih.
da la sy dlm class. tgh presentation. mcm2 plak jd. tp sy bkn mrh dgn kalian sgt...
sy mrh sbb bende yg x sepatutnya jd, jd. bnde yg x de kaitan, terus berkait.
jujurnya sy ckp, mmg sy tgh x ok. sekarang sgt x ok. tp biar sy handle sendiri blh?
uh. nak ckp camne pon tataw da. ok, sy tgh x ok & sy buat semua cam biase. kan?
yer. sy dgn TTM pon x berape nak stabil, n mmg sy baru dlm usaha nak OK kan semua.
then mcm2 jd. sy pun reti serabot. fhm x? sy taw semua org pun de mslh masing2.
erm. entahlah. tataw camne nak ckp dgn kalian...n tataw nak rase ape da pon.
yg pasti. tak marah. serabot, ya. rasa x berguna, ya. rasa sy menyusahkan, ya.


MHF minx no syg. sy kasi no, tp MHF x bgtaw sy utk ape. just ckp urgent.
syg msg sy & ckp MHF call 20x, and FS ade masalah. sy pelik... utk ape? mslh ape?
sy x sure ttg semua tu & musykil, sy msg Ms Scorpio & tnye anything x kena?
Ms Scorpio ckp semua ok, tp sy taw die pon tgh x ok sbb x bape sehat. hurmm...
then syg bgtaw sy semuanya maklumat yg dia dpt dr MHF, FS. sy tnya Ms Scorpio.
die tataw pape, n akhirnya merujuk pd FS. FS plak ckp die ok and actually...
semua kekusutan tu bermule d situ. kalo sy explain d sini pon, x de sape fhm.
sbb sy jd org tgh d antare 4 org yg terlibat secara tak sengaja nih...


1 - Ms Scorpio
sorry sy kaco awk pagi2 + kusutkan lg diri awk yg x bape sehat. sorry if buat awk penink.
tp sy x puas hati & just nak kepastian. tp, sy harapkan awk biar perkara tu antara kte je.
tp lain plak jdnye... hurm. salah fhm terus menerus & bila da ptg tuh, sy mmg da leteyh.
hp sy dua-dua x de bttry. laptop pon da x de bttry. presentation x abis2 lg. sy penat...
jd sy tolak HP ke tepi. malas da nak layan. sbb mase tuh, sy da hilang semuanya.
semua msg sy x reply dah. sbb x de bttry + sedang buat2 ok. then awk msg...
sy x sampai hati nak biar. sy balas n ckp, "x ok. tp buat2 ok. no worries". mcm tu la kot.
tp awk sebut plak ttg FS trase dgn sy sbb sy x reply msg die. Ya Allah tlg la. bkn saje2.
hp x de bttry. sy dlm class. sy pun tak boleh nak positive setiap mase. sy tgh serabot.
jd sy tolak ke tepi dlu. last2 FS trase ape sume plak... jd sy reply. sy reply jgk msg FS ptg td.

and sorry if awk ingt sy marah awk. sy x marah. sy taw awk tgh x ok.
dr msg awk pon taw awk tgh x ok. just awk da babitkan FS jgk. sy taw.
awk pon nak kepastian. tp. saat sy tgh nak lupekan semua tu sekejap,
awk terus sampaikan pesan FS. sy jd. cam...serabut blk.
i just need some time 2 get over it 4 a while. and x niat pon buat FS trase.
then, sy reply msg semua org akhirnya time tu jgk dgn hp yg akan OFF anytime.
bkn salah awk. sy taw awk just sampaikan ape yg FS rase and so on.
jd. maaflah semua ni salah sy. cuma...sy percayakan awk sgt3. sbb tu sy tanya.


2 - dear FS
aku tataw pe mslh ko. ko x bgtaw aku straight. so, aku tnye Ms Scorpio just utk pastikan.
and aku mmg taley la nak mrh ko lelame. aku pon mmg x marah ko. jd...jgn trase.
aku btol2 x de bttry da time tu + aku da sgt xok dgn syg time tuh.
aku pon tataw nak ckp camne da. otak aku da sebu dgn class 1 hari, dgn syg.
dgn salah fhm ni semua. entahlah. ko pun taw aku tgh ade class. kan?
ko jgn la riso if ko x de buat slh pape dgn aku. tahlah. x de ape da pon. semua slh fhm.
n aku rase dgn sume ni jd, ko pun da x caye aku. sorry libatkan ms scorpio.
aku just nak kepastian and aku just kurang gemar ble syg terlibat.
sbb aku n die pon x bape ok, aku pon da bnyk sshkan die. tibe camni plak. tu je.
sorry. semua salah aku. ko tayah risaw k? take care. aku xmarah. aku xbenci.
btw. aku nak ko taw. MHF syg gileee dkt ko. semua org buat slh. ko pk la k?


3 - MHF
knowing some1 like u, is great. FS untung pnyai kamu. tataw la if FS x seda?
da la MHF. org x marah. x benci FS pon. x pernah...sbb die kwn org. hurm...
sorry if sshkan lg kamu yg tgh bnyk masalah jgk. sorry dgn slh fhm ni.
and org just x ske ble babitkan syg jgk. and jd slh fhm semua lg. and in the n.
org gadow dgn syg... gadow utk tah kali ke berape. sorry again. and i guess.
org pon da x dipercayai agaknye kan? sorry. org xmarah. org ok. jgn riso.
take a good care of FS. good luck with her. jage diri jgk.


4 - syg.
syg... sy syg awk sgt3~!!! erm. sy tataw nape awk leh terlibat. n sy x ske itu~!
sy dgn awk baru nak ok kan? tp bnyk la plak halnya n td kte gadow lg... huu. sorry syg.
tp. btol sy sdeyh. sy taw sy sshkan awk. slaloo. tp sy x ske dgn ape awk ckp tuh.
sy taw awk gurau. tp wrong timing kot. entah. sorry. sy serabot. sy geram. sy...tah.
sy kene jage kepercayaan FS dkt sy. kepercayaan MHF dkt sy. kepercayaan Ms scorpio jgk.
then td salah fhm tu makin berkecamuk n kte gadow, n sy pujuk tp...sy taw.
awk da mls nak layan. syg. sy sdeyh. sdeyh sgt n serabot sgt ble syg msg camtuh...
serius. btol2 menusuk ke jantung, hati, sy. sampai sy bace je. mmg kosong sy rase.

syg ckp...
"mlas ah msg awk..k2. g bwat keje2 awk lg bgus.."

"msg awk xgmbirakn sy lgsg.. dah lah"

huu. sy mmg x pernah gembirakan syg ek? hurm... sorry. sy tataw. utk kali ke bape.
sy ckp sorry tuh. and tah kali ke bape awk malas nak layan sy da. sy tataw.
dan ble awk ckp camtu td la. sy terus malas da nak ckp bebnyk dgn FS, MHF, ms scorpio.
sy bgtaw mereka, abaikan semuanye. sy dgn awk da gadow da pon. sy ckp...
"i've lost everything"

i've lost everything. y?

ms scorpio. semua ni mesti serabotkan awk lg. maaf.
it's ok. awk...pergilah. sy bkn kwn yg baek. tah kali ke berapa sy ckp tuh.

FS. sure ko da x caye kat aku da kan? sorry. sudahlah.
lupakan aku. aku da sshkan ko je...

MHF. sorry too. mmg salah org. i know, u too. x kan caye org da.
it's ok. take care. be happy.

syg...hari makin hari. sy makin hilang awk.
tp hari ni...1st time syg ckp camtuh. maaf...utk kali ke bape tah.
sy x berniat dgn sume ni. sy x berniat buat awk sdeyh.
sorry. sy tataw nak ckp camne. just. sy syg awk sgt3~~~


and. mereka ber4 ni mmg semua bererti bagi sy...
tp hari ni yg pasti. sy da hilang mereka.
yg plg besar, sy da hilang kepercayaan mereka.
sy x slhkan sesiapa. salah sy. maaf, buat julung kalinya.

at d n of d day, setelah tamat semua class...sy gi JJ sorang.
erm. akhirnya, sy buat manicure + pedicure. setelah sekian lame.
then sy ddk d taman itu sorang diri tah utk bape lame...
mama. thanks ambik. jgn tngglkan qila.
i've lost everything.

Bagels!

Bagels have been on my "To Bake" list for some time now. Ever since I realized this was something you COULD do at home, it's been hanging out in the back of my mind as something to try. But I kept putting it off. There are a lot of steps involved in bagel-making, which made it somewhat intimidating. Not to mention the fact that you really need two days from start to finish. Time is always an issue with me an bread-baking, so I was always thinking "maybe next weekend..."

Enter Father's day weekend. My dad is a diabetic with a pretty terrible sweet tooth. He's constantly trying to sneak sugar and other things he can’t eat when no one's paying attention. White bread products are an issue. He refuses to eat whole wheat bread and loves cinnamon raisin bagels even though the store-bought variety is chock-full of sugar.

Anyway, I figured that I'd be in Ancaster for two days with no real plans. Why not make my own bagels with (some) whole wheat flour and less sugar so that my dad could enjoy them without guilt?

I started these on Saturday evening and finished them Sunday morning. I followed mostly the Smitten Kitchen version of Peter Reinhart's bagel recipe.

Let me just say, I was SO excited about finally making my own bagel during the entire process. So excited in fact, that I may have deliriously made some adjustments to the recipe that probably weren’t a great idea. Like substittuing the malt syrup with molasses. The recipe specified malt power OR syrup OR brown sugar. I didn’t have the first two, but I had just bought some molasses and I figured...brown sugar is sugar WITH molasses...why not? This didn’t turn out terribly but the molasses definitely added their own flavour that wasn’t exactly bagel-y. And deciding that lining my pans with flour instead of cornmeal was okay (I only did this for the proofing and refrigeration, on Sunday morning I realized that my parents DID have cornmeal and used that for the baking step). The flour stuck to the dough and made white clumps form on some of the bagels during the boiling step. But anyway, overall the bagels did turn out quite well. They were a bit flatter than I would have liked, and I probably won’t use molasses next time. But the flavour was still quite nice and the bagels were so nicely chewy and soft. Plus, the cinnamon raisin ones tasted great. And I finally made BAGELS!


Bagels!

Sponge
1 ½ tsp active dry yeast
4 cups bread flour
2 ½ cups room temperature water

Dough
½ tsp active dry yeast
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 ¾ cups bread flour
2 ¾ tsp salt
2 tsp malt powder OR 1 tbsp dark or light malt syrup, honey, or brown sugar (I used molasses...)

I split the dough in half and added also:
1 cup california raisins
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp brown sugar
a bit more molasses for that "swirl" look
Cornmeal or semolina for dusting

1. Make the sponge: combine yeast and water, stir until the yeast is dissolved. Add the flour and whisk until you have a thick pancake-batter like consistency. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until it has at least doubled in size and is bubbly.

2. Stir in the remaining yeast, then 3 cups of the remaining flour. Stir until the ingredients form a ball. I will say that if you’re doing this by hand (as I was) this is pretty hard. You’re going to have to put some muscle into it to really get a ball going. I gave up pretty quickly and just started mixing witih my hands until I pretty much had a ball.

3. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and knead for at least 10 minutes (I ended up kneading for about 15). Knead in the remaining ¾ cup of flour to stiffen as you go. The dough should be smooth and not too tacky by the time you’re done, and feel fairly stiff. A few minutes into the kneading I also split my dough and added the ingredients for cinnamon raison bagels to half of the dough.

4. Divide the dough into 4 ½ ounce pieces, or smaller if desired (I did 3 ounces)

5. Cover the dough balls with a damp cloth and let rest about 20 minutes

6. Lightly grease a few cookie sheets with oil, and sprinkle with cornmeal (this is where i made that flour error: do not repeat my mistake)

7. Shape bagels: Just take the balls, poke a hole through with your thumb and widen gently untli they look like bagels. I didn’t measure mine so I’m not exactly sure how large they were.

8. Place bagels on the cookie sheets, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20-30 minutes at room temperature

9. At this point, you’re supposed to do the “float test” to make sure that they float. Take a bagel and drop into warm/room temperature water and see if it floats within 10 seconds. Though I’ve read at a few places that they didn’t do this (or let the dough rest at all before refrigerating) and the bagels floated fine, so I’m not sure just HOW necessary this step is.

10. Refrigerate bagels for 12-24 hours

11. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. You’re going to want to use your widest pot for this so that you can fit in as many bagels as possible at a time. I ended up using a deep wok because it was wider than any pot that my mom had, and it seemed easier than using a deep pot. I had no issues.

12. Add 1 tsbp of baking powder to boiling water

13. Boil bagels for 1-2 minutes per side, in batches. I think I ended up boiling for about a minute and a half per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and place back on baking sheets lined with cornmeal. If you’re adding any more toppings at this point, do it immediately after removing from the water so that the toppings stick.

14. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees farenheit for 5 minutes, rotate 180 degrees and continue baking for another 5 minutes. I think I baked for about another 5 minutes because they weren’t so dark by the end of this.

15. Let cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

Suckerrrrrrr

If your healthy habits aren't habitual, train and trick yourself into making healthier food choices. Here's my top 10 recommendations:

10. If you're going to a restaurant which lists the nutrition facts online (consult websites such as thedailyplate.com or fitday.com) or in print, pick what you'll order before you walk in the doors. Don't even look at the menu. Stick with the plan! P.S. I love the thedailyplate.com -- check it out!

9. Pack your lunch! And when you pack it, make sure there's at least one truly satisfying item so that you look forward to your lunch and aren't (as) tempted to head out with your co-workers to the nearest burger joint.

8. ...when you pack your lunch, cut up and/or peel your fruit and vegetables ahead of time. That apple will be brown tomorrow, so you'd better not waste it.

7. If you go to a buffet, picnic, or place of infinite choices, survey your options before making your selection. Further, try not to let foods touch one another so you'll pack less on a plate. If you must go back for second helpings, limit yourself to 1 item. Two items, tops.

6. In scenarios such as the above, use the "plate method" of serving yourself. Aim for 1/2 fruits/vegetables, 1/4 protein, and 1/4 carbohydrates. This will keep your calories down and ensure you're eating a balanced meal.

5. At parties or restaurants (think chips and salsa on the table or the bread basket), sit AWAY from the appetizers and snack foods. They're nothing but trouble!

4. If you have a craving (gyros come to mind for me), take a friend you can share with (as in half-and-half, not the infamous "80-20" plan) . Scratch the itch, but don't draw blood...if you know what I'm sayin'.

3. Add fruit and vegetables to some of your favorite foods -- zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions go great on a quesadilla (made with low-fat cheese and high-fiber wheat tortillas) while berries and bananas go great in your morning cereal or oatmeal.

2. Keep a piece of fruit in your car or office at all times. When the healthy stuff is easily accessible, you're more likely to eat it. Further, if you're finding it difficult to eat all your F&V's, commit to having 2 snacks a day and making at least one a fruit or veggie. Another great idea is having a cut-up veggie tray with hummus or low-fat dip in your fridge at all times. If hunger is striking the second you walk in from work, the veggies can stave off hunger long enough to get dinner on the table without racking up the calories.

1. Bite it, write it. Keeping a food journal is the tried and true best method of keeping your intake in check. Keep a small journal or notebook with you and commit to writing down everything you eat. When you're accountable for writing it, you typically always think twice before eating it.

What's in a name?

Prepare to be confused.

Confusion isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I remember vividly the first time I watched a David Lynch movie. Trying to unravel that particular puzzle noir was a complicated but ultimately rewarding experience.

But food and drink labelling is a different beast entirely.

Much hoo-hah has been made of the provenance of so-called British pork pies, with the Conservative party dedicating an entire viral campaign around the misleading labelling (pork from the continent assembled into pie form on these fair shores) of this particular snack.

These little culinary wolves in sheep’s clothing seem to be in other places too, hiding out waiting to pounce on the unwitting consumer at less than a moment’s notice. Even in wine bottles.

It was in such a state of blissful ignorance that we bought three bottles of Three Mills – one red, one white, one rose – from the supermarket.

At two quid a bottle it seemed silly not to take the chance. Having spent three years at university imbibing wine of dubious origin and questionable quality, it seemed logical to think that the contents would at least be drinkable. And if not then there was always the option of cooking with it.

What really swung it for us, though, was the proud wording on the label: British Wine. Six pounds to help the fledging wine industry of Great Britain? Well worth the money.

How wrong we were. On all counts.

The wine itself was undrinkable. Cloying. Sweet and with all the depth of a dried up puddle. It sat limply in the glass and at a mere 8% alcohol wasn’t even worth drinking with the sole purpose of getting merry.

To cook with it would be a crime against food. I shuddered at the prospect of ruining a glorious free range chicken or beef short rib by sluicing it with this vile concoction. It went some way to proving the maxim that one shouldn’t cook with wine one isn’t prepared to drink. In fact, it went all the way, proving beyond all reasonable doubt that if you wouldn’t put it in a glass, don’t put it in the pot.

But at least it was British. Right? Wrong. It transpired that we had been the victim of a cruel marketing sleight of hand.

British wine is a very different beast to English wine which is made with grapes actually grown in this country by people who actually know what they are doing and who actually take pride in what they do.

We had been fooled into buying three bottles made with imported grape juice somehow turned into something that resembled wine in the same way Frankenstein’s Monster resembled a fully functioning human being.

It had been made with the sort of contempt that a nefarious character from Grimms’ Fairy Tales might show an innocent stepchild standing in the way of a vast inheritance.

To call Three Mills ‘wine’ is questionable, at best. To call it ‘British’ is downright duplicitous. Even at two pounds a bottle we were left feeling conned, and without wine. Not a combination leading to satisfactory happiness.

For more on this visit english-wine.com And don't forget to follow me on Twitter. But only if you want to.

Food for Sex

Last night I co-hosted a friend's bachelorette party (bride on the right there). I was the first of my friends to get married, so this was all new to me. My co-hostess did some local research and we decided to book a "For Ladies Only" (AKA "FLO") party. You know...lingerie, toys, lubes...the works. After seeing and reading some of the representative's profiles online, I got scared. "WHAT did we do? WHO is this stranger coming to give us a sex toy presentation?" My last thought, "NO ONE is going to buy anything!" Luckily, it was a busy week and I didn't give much thought to the event.

We got this rep. Clearly, we landed ourselves a good one.

To my very pleasant surprise, we had a BLAST! Mixing a bride, friends, booze, and justified sex talk is just bound to be inappropriately fabulous, and doubly memorable. And it surely was. Our FLO rep ended up being a saint...and nearly 7 hours later, she was finally heading out with her suitcases of "product". That last thought about people not buying stuff...couldn't have been more wrong! Apparently her estimated 45-minute "presentation" (ours lasting 2 1/2 hours) and 1-hour order-taking (ours lasting over 4 hours), was a bit underestimated. Like I said, inappropriately fabulous...and doubly memorable.

So here I am sipping my cappuccino this morning recalling the happenings of last evening thinking, "Is there something edible besides champagne and strawberries that can 'turn people on'?" (FYI: there were lots of strawberry and dessert-flavored edibles in the FLO rep's stash).

Dear friend Google and I discovered some stuff that I found undoubtedly worth sharing with blog nation!

We've all heard that sex is great exercise, and I think most would agree. (Virgins and prudes, hit the treadmill...sorry!) Moreover, keeping a healthy diet heightens a positive attitude towards sharing your body and new experiences with your partner, says Lou Paget, author of "The Great Lover Playbook". Surely that's a great reason to tweak your diet, right? Better news yet, Paget claims that attitudes towards sexual experiences improve immediately when the diet is improved [1]. No waiting games or scale torture to endure in order to be sexually rewarded. Double bonus.

Lynn Edlen-Nezin, clinical health psychologist, states, "What's good for your heart is good for the genitals." In her book entitled, "Great Food, Great Sex: The Three Food Factors for Sexual Fitness", she explains that eating right and keeping a healthy heart enhances sensations in the genitals, creating more pleasureable sexual experiences. Elden-Nezin, along with the International Journal of Cardiovasulcar Interventions, supports argenine supplementation* to aid in both male and female sexual arrousal. Nitric oxide (NO) being the culprit in the reaction. NO has been studied in regards to improved blood flow in coronary arteries [1].

All supplements aside, Elden-Nezin suggests the inclusion of "Staminators" in the diet for prolonged sexual arrousal. Such foods (high in arginine) include: almonds, walnuts, halibut, cod, and salmon [1]. Preparing the right meal for your sweetie could have dual arrousal factors: being catered to and naturally "drugged" for top performane! Suckers, they'll never know...

Until my goodies arrive next week from the FLO rep, I'll be cooking heavily with fish and nuts!

*I have not personally, to date, read any credible research on argenine and CVD and/or sexual stimulation. I am not recommending argine supplementation for said purposes or verifying this information.
[1] Frankel, Valerie. Spice Up Your Love Life with the Great Sex Diet. MSNBC. March 3, 2008.

The watermelon, "u muluni" and "gelo di mellone".

The dialect term “muluni”, or "Mellone" which in Italian is said anguria, is the watermelon.
In Sicily, simply turn to the countryside and see the great production, to understand the great love that is devoted to this fruit.

In Palermo you can enjoy the watermelon in one of the many kiosks in the city (and even near the sea), to the Foro Italico, the Cala, Corso Alberto Amedeo, etc,

where you can eat a huge slice of this fruit and truly in this case its exquisiteness is ensured.

"U muluni" can not miss during the feast of Santa Rosalia, where the people eat watermelon and “babbaluci” (snails seasoned with garlic and parsley.

By the watermelon is produced a delicious cake, “gelo di mellone”, which probably is originated from the "arberesch", coming from Albania and which has Arabic influences (the ingredients are, as well to the watermelon , cinnamon and jasmine).

Recipe:

Ingredients: 1 liter of water melon juice, 80gr starch, 200gr sugar, 1 sachet of vanilla, 1 stick of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of holes jasmine, chocolate drops, pistachios.

Processing: Remove the peel and the blacks seeds and put in the blender the watermelon. Put in infusion the jasmine flowers in a little hot water. Put in a pot on the juice of watermelon, add the starch and dissolve it in cold. Add sugar, cinnamon and vanilla, turn on the cooker and mix, bring to boil, when it thickens turn off the fire and add the water of the jasmine. Pour into cups, to cool and then put in the fridge. Serve decorating the cups with cinnamon, chocolate drops, crushed pistachio and a jasmine flower.

lost with no direction

pity me. crazy me.

sy sedang menaip, sambil pakai tudung hitam.

sambil tisu membuang / mengelap ape yg patot.

yer. da siap dgn handbag, tudung, flip flop sume.

just. tataw nak g mane. wuuu~~~ T_T



kak sally da pelik tgk sy. siap2 tp tataw nak gi mane. yer mmg.

die da kuar. call nora. nora ckp sy gile. owh yer. sedang~

call taxi. tnggu luar umah 15 min. tibe x de taxi plak. hurm.

call abah. nangis. tibe~ sbb kembara x de. rase ssh gle nak g mane2.

mama baru otw blk dr melaka. tgh check out hotel.



nak bwk merc. abah x kasi. mama kasi. haih~ penink. ok. home alone.

zaid msg. ajak kuar tp malangnya rabu depan. x blh. bz dgn presentation.

mcm nak g mid. klcc. masjid jamek. JJ je pon ade. tah. tgkla camne.

cam nak mkn cake secret recipe. lame x mkn. yup. sgt lame.

entah. tgklah. ok... tgk pk lg. nak kuar ke x? nak ke x nak. tataw.



nak mkn. tp mcm x nak mkn. hurm. if dpt kuar akhirnya. nak starbuck.

nak secret recipe. nak choreo 1. tu je. trans4mers? tnggu nora. even hadi nak belanje.

owh hadi. ske panggil aku kucing kan. grrrrrr~ ckp aku manje. mcm kucing. jaat~!

ok. da merepek. hurm...buat ape? tgk tv? blh gak. CSI supreme sunday.

lame x tgk. asyik ter-miss je. owh exam. around the corner. haih~



call abah td. die otw gi main golf. mama pun suara penat. sian mama. erm.

ptg ni nak jogging. kot. da 3 hari x jogging sbb leteyh sgt dkt kolej.

ok. mmg obvious eh sy tgh x ok? entah. rase cam ok. tp org kate x ok.

da merapek. makan kerepek sedap jgk. tp. x de kerepek. nak~! yg ade black pepper.

kepek? name bdk laki dlm team futsal semlm yg ramai sgt org ske. tgk biase je.



wuuuu~~~ sherry. happy birthday. aku wish tepat kul 12am semlm.

tp aku org ke3 da ek? ok la tu. ske no 3. no 14 & 3. jd la 143. tibe~

ok. totally crap. take care ppl.

have a nice weekend.

Pot Luck

Northwest did not have a cafeteria worth boasting about. Dimly lit, a raggedy assortment of tables, a salad bar that held little in the way of actual vegetables, and a food display of today's menu items left me desperate for my own home cooked food. Whenever I joined my coworkers for lunch in the cafeteria, I brought my tupperware filled with goodies and refused to share. Then one day my coworker Caitlin had a brilliant idea - we should have a pot luck.

Everyone loves a pot luck (at least if you have friends who can cook and or can bring the alcohol and tubs of Haagen-Dazs). In your typical foodie pot luck, you might see a tomato, basil and buffalo mozzarella salad, scalloped potatoes with blue cheese, or peach cobbler. The host will pull a hot roasted chicken out of the oven, or make a big vat of spaghetti bolognese. Three new year's eves in a row, my friends and I had themed pot lucks. The first year we had to make a "new" dish - something we had never made before, which resulted in homemade crackers with mushroom pesto, stuffed pork tenderloin, and a chocolate bombe cake. The second year, everyone had to bring a dish containing apples, and the third year our secret ingredient was nutmeg. The themes, the rules, and the competitive spirit (my dish has to be the best) of pot lucks are why I love them.

But a pot luck for the common, every day affair of lunch in the cafeteria was novel. I never thought of filling my tupperware with food to share. Because we were the only ones around that really cooked, or maybe because we were slightly selfish, the pot lucks were dubbed "Two Person Potlucks" and we kept them completely exclusive. Other coworkers would sit down with us at lunch and stare as we dolloped homemade salad dressing over abundant produce, or sliced slabs of lasagna in half. When you cook for yourself, you don't take as much care, but when you cook for another person, even if they're eating out of your tupperware, the effort you put into the food skyrockets. Suddenly I took more time to determine if the food I was bringing would be good, healthy, and interesting. That ruled out bologna sandwiches completely. Instead, I found healthy salads, hearty risottos, and one happy occasion for which I wrote a song, egg rolls.

Two Person Potlucks are only one of the things I miss about working in a place where I have real friends, people who support me and who listen no matter how many times I complain about my job. People who give advice when I don't know what to do, who believe I deserve better, and who will devour the food I bring them in plastic containers.

Here's a favorite from a Two Person Potluck. It's a perfect dish to take for lunch. Some advice on quinoa - washing it will drive you crazy because it sticks to everything. It's like styrofoam peanuts. You may want to skip that step.

Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa (Gourmet)
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons grated lime zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 (14- to 15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk together lime zest and juice, butter, oil, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.

Wash quinoa in 3 changes of cold water in a bowl, draining in a sieve each time.

Cook quinoa in a medium pot of boiling salted water (1 tablespoon salt for 2 quarts water), uncovered, until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Drain in sieve, then set sieve in same pot with 1 inch of simmering water (water should not touch bottom of sieve). Cover quinoa with a folded kitchen towel, then cover sieve with a lid (don't worry if lid doesn't fit tightly) and steam over medium heat until tender, fluffy, and dry, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat and remove lid. Let stand, still covered with towel, 5 minutes.

Add quinoa to dressing and toss until dressing is absorbed, then stir in remaining ingredients and salt and pepper to taste.

A Visit to Iran, a Taste of Persia

My heart is breaking for the people of Iran. A year ago in April 2008, I was part of a delegation of citizen diplomats to Iran sponsored by the Fellowship of Reconciliation, a Quaker group that has sent citizen diplomats to troubled places in the world for years. We spent time in Tehran, Shiraz and Persepolis, Isfahan, and Qom. Our “official” agenda of meeting various dignitaries was thwarted at nearly every step. But our “unofficial” agenda which was to meet people where ever we could, mostly on the street, and show up as supporters of peace and reconciliation, was fully realized. The Iranians we met were hospitable, informed, curious, and welcoming, and able to separate the policies of our then-Bush government from the folks like us, working for understanding between our countries.

















The food situation for citizen diplomats in Iran was pretty repetitive. Kebabs and more kebabs. Some better than others. I have been cooking Persian food since the late 60s when I found In My Persian Kitchen and fell in love with combinations of sweet and savory. I was so excited to taste the real thing. What we ate was mostly tourist food which is, by definition, pretty dull. But the exceptions were truly wonderful.

We had a fabulous lunch in Tehran at the Waterfall Restaurant: olives with mint, boiled fava beans with salt, Tomatoes and Eggs, Eggplant with Mint Paste, a large meatball, lamb chops on a spear, various kebabs of lamb, ground beef and chicken, broiled tomatoes, rice with saffron rice on top, and wonderful fresh bread.








And a great lunch in Isfahan at the Bastani Traditional Restaurant: trout, various meat stews featuring quinces, plums, green beans, yellow split peas, okra, eggplants and tomatoes, or herbs along with rice and bread. Fesenjan, the most famous Persian combination of chicken and pomegranate juice, showed up regularly.

To introduce you to Persian food, I’m going to start with a Persian Meat Loaf I’ve been making for years, paired with two dishes which are decidedly not Persian but go with it nicely in terms of flavors and colors: Roasted Potatoes and a Cherry Tomato Mozzarella Salad. You can also try it with recipes from previous blogs: Cucumbers and Yogurt (Morocco), Braised Carrots (South Africa) or Yellow Rice (South Africa). More than anything I want to nourish your understanding of Iran and its rich culture and cuisine by offering you a taste of it. It is amazing food. More next week, including Fesenjan.

May I have that to go?

No, not my food. My soft drink. "May I please take my soft drink to go?" ::blink:: Congratulations, on a new means of complete and utter gluttony, Oklahoma.

Oklahomans know how to do one thing right: eat and drink. I've never heard of beverage "to-go" cups before moving here...and it pains me to great lengths that my husband is a to-go cup convert. Sigh.

Mark and I were out to lunch yesterday at a local Mexican restaurant and at the end of our meal... asked the waiter for a "to-go" cup for his (diet) Coke. "Sure, no problem!" said the waiter, as he ran off for the Styrofoam cup, plastic lid, and new straw to-go (at no cost to the customer). I was in shock. That's my husband that just asked that? Disbelief! Disappointment, even. Sure, I understand the convenience factor, but I see a few issues with the whole ordeal.

Firstly, cost (and waste). It's more common than not that restaurant servers here will ask the customer, "Would you like a to-go cup?". As an establishment in search of a profit, this is a huge financial mistake. Whatever, their loss, right? Second, I'd imagine that here in Oklahoma, most restaurant patrons are taking one of two beverages to-go: Coke or sweet tea. Roll your eyes at that stereotypical comment all you want, but I can nearly guarantee that as a fact. Thus, patrons are taking home or for the road, an additional 150-350 calories...after consuming a meal and however many other servings of liquid cavities while dining-in. Clearly unnecessary, to say the least. Lastly, this whole to-go cup offer is not only at the local Mexican restaurant, but at the chains like Chili's and Olive Garden. Chain restaurants condone this? It seems so...tacky to me! I surely wouldn't go into a 4-star restaurant and ask for my water to-go, know what I mean? Again, I'm at a loss as to the logic here, Chili's. Get it together, I thought you were classier than that!

When my groom asked for that cup, I about crawled under the table in embarrassment...after shooting him a quick death stare. Oklahomans ought to learn: there's a reason they're the 5th fattest state in the US. Liquid calories to-go have no place in the diet...especially during a sedentary drive to their next destination. And this could be yet another reason Oklahoma is ranked #50 in terms of fruit and vegetable consumption, as well. You know what they say...high-fructose corn syrup is nearly crack.

Man, there's work to be done in the OK! Sign me up for the challenge!

Disclaimer: While other regions may be guilty, I can only judge based on what I know of Oklahoma.

Menu 5: Partially Persian

Persian Meat Loaf
I take my own photos, usually immediately before we sit down to eat. They are not styled. This photo, in particular, doesn’t do justice to how delicious this meat loaf actually is. But it is the truth. What you see on this blog is very close to what you will get when you fix a dish.

















1½ pounds ground lamb or beef or combination of the two
Note: It would also be possible to use ground turkey.
1 medium onion, grated in the food processor
¼ cup finely chopped green onions
¼ cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
¼ cup finely chopped celery leaves
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
¼ cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 slice white bread, milk or water
chopped parsley and sumac to garnish, optional

1. Soak the bread in water or milk while you do the next steps.
2. Use the food processor to grate the onion and then to chop the herbs. No need to wash out in between the two.
3. Put the meat in a large bowl. Add all the ingredients except the bread. Squeeze the bread dry in your hands and tear into pieces. Add to the meat mixture.
4. Mix the ingredients with your hands until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
5. Place in a loaf pan, or form into a round on a low-sided pan and bake for 1 hour in a 350ºF oven. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and sumac before serving.
Some people I know and love eat this with ketchup or barbeque sauce. Others enjoy it with yogurt.

4 servings
Adapted from Maideh Mazda’s In a Persian Kitchen

Roasted Potatoes

















2 pounds small thin-skinned potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil or smoked olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt

1. Cut your potatoes into bite-sized pieces. You might cut them in half or in quarters.
2. Place on a low-sided baking sheet or gratin dish in one layer. Drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes and sprinkle with salt. Mix together with your hands or a large spoon.
3. Turn on the oven to 400ºF and put the potatoes in the oven. No preheating is necessary.
4. Roast until the potatoes are golden brown, 30-45 minutes depending on their size and how cold they are. Stir or shake them once or twice while baking.
5. Serve at once.

If you are making these with the meat loaf, put them in the oven at 350ºF along with the meat loaf and cook until done. They will take a little longer because of the lower temperature. If they finish before the meat loaf, remove them from the oven. Reheat before serving.
Variations: Add 1 or 2 heads of garlic, broken into cloves, unpeeled, to the potatoes after about 15-20 minutes of baking. Or stir in some chopped rosemary at about the same time. Devise your own variations.

4 servings
My own devising, but not original to me

Cherry Tomato, Mozzarella and Corn Salad with Basil
You can vary the amounts of these ingredients according to your taste and what you have on hand.
















24 (8 ounces) bocconcini (small fresh mozzarella balls), drained
2 tablespoons O Meyer Lemon Oil
OR
2 tablespoons olive oil and zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt
Crushed red pepper flakes or smoky hot paprika
Freshly ground pepper
A small amount of fresh lemon juice, optional
1 (10-ounce) basket small cherry tomatoes, preferably in a mixture of colors
1 cup sweet corn kernels, cut and scraped from 1-2 medium ears
About 12 large fresh basil leaves

1. In a large bowl, toss the bocconcini with the oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon red pepper or smoky hot paprika (or to your taste if you like it spicy). Cover and marinate overnight. If you are pressed for time, as I often am, skip the overnight part and proceed with the recipe.
2. Bring the bocconcini to room temperature. Cut the tomatoes in half if they are too large. Gently stir in the tomatoes and corn and adjust the seasoning, adding the lemon juice if you want. The salad can be prepared to this point up to 1 hour ahead.
3. Stack the basil leaves, roll them, cut them into thin strips and scatter the chiffonade over the salad just before serving.

6 servings
Adapted from Carrie Brown’s The Jimtown Store Cookbook

Mmm Barbeque

My dad hates going out to restaurants. He just doesn't understand why someone would WANT to spend two hours in a restaurant and hates that the food doesn't come out faster. He also just prefers home-cooked (ideally Korean) meals and doesn't see why we would ever eat out when the food is better, and cheaper at home. Of course my mom is the complete opposite and really enjoys going out to eat so we do usually end up at restaurants for special occasions, but on Father's day of course dad gets what he wants.

This year we had his favourite shish kebabs as part of a barbeque feast. (I'm not exaggerating here. We had WAY too much food for four people) These kebabs are sweet, tangy and the roasted vegetables are a perfect compliment to the beef. I also tried out a new recipe for grilled shrimp from Bon Appetit that was really yummy as well. Easy and delicious, and very little waiting involved!

Beef Shish Kebabs

1-2lbs beef tenderloin or striploin
2 white onions, cut into eighths (cut in half and quarter each half)
a few stalks of green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
a couple of red, yellow or orange peppers cut into 1-inch pieces
1 zucchini, cut into small chunks
cherry tomatoes
kebab skewers (you might want to soak these beforehand - I never have but this always seems to be the instruction in kebab recipes so I'm not sure...)

Marinade
*please keep in mind that these measurements are estimates - I always just adjust this to taste as I go, and my dad prefers these on the sweet side so you may want to cut down the honey or brown sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup white wine vinegar
1/8 cup honey
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

1. Place beef in a shallow-ish tupperware container. Ideally you want the beef in one layer so that it can soak up the marinade, but you can use a smaller, deeper one and just rotate the meat once in awhile.
2. Whisk together marinade ingredients and adjust to taste. Pour over beef and refrigerate for a few hours (you can do this overnight if you want as well).
3. Cut up beef into 1-inch cubes (you could also do this pre-marinade if you'd like)
4. Skewer beef and vegetables onto kebab skewers, alternating between onions, beef, peppers, zucchini. Leave about an inch open at the top for the cherry tomatoes (you'll add these later)
5. Grill for about 5-10 minutes, then flip and add a cherry tomato to the end of each skewer
6. Grill for an additional 5-10 minutes, to preferred doneness (I would generally cook these for about 5 minutes a side but my dad likes his meat well done)


Grilled Shrimp with Molasses-Guava Glaze (adapted from Bon Appetit)
*I actually did adjust the glaze quite a bit. I only had dark molasses on hand, so I had to adjust the jam:molasses ratio to make it work

4 tbsp cooking molasses
5 tbsp guava or apricot jam (I used guava-peach-mango jam because we already had some)
1 1/2 tbsp butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
finely grated peel of 2 limes
juice of 1 lime
32 uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined
salt and pepper
Kebab skewers (same note about soaking as above)

1. Combine molasses, jam and butter in microwave-safe container. Microwave in 30 second increments until butter is melted and ingredients are well combined. Add lime peel and lime juice. (you can do this in advance in refrigerate until ready to use)
2. Season shrimp with salt and pepper and thread 4 shrimp on each skewer.
3. Brush shrimp skewers with glaze on both sides.
4. Barbeque on medium-high heat for about 2 minutes per side. (The recipe says to continue glazing and drizzle with some reserved glaze at the end but I found this unecessary so skipped these steps)

should get some sleep

it's about what u do.
not what u say.

semalam... tdow awal. x mampu lg tahan mate lelame. wish kwn2 bday pon,
wish awal b4 12am cuz i'm just soo sleepy. wahaha. then hp TERoff. both maxis.
sbb x de battery. 2day, bgn awal, pas subuh terus mandi... siap2, jln kaki ke kolej.
owh...kolej kosong. yg ade pasar pagi. sy borak dgn mr shah. bout future undertaking.
then. bout 0735am, the futsal crew arrived & bergerak la kami ke ampang sport planet.
well. menjaga food & beverage pnye part, under nora, x la bnyk keje sgt. just. ngantok.
sumpahhh ngantok gle. hp? still off-on. x sempat nak charge + too bz. [as if...]
owhhh. ingt nak cuci mate. mesti ramai team kacak2 kan td? tp... rabun. grrr~~~

owh nora. 1st of all. sorry if x membantu sgt. sbb kdng awk kene suruh, baru sy buat.
sbb kdng sy tataw nak buat ape... sorry if x cukup bagus ek? erm. panas amat.
rase nak blk2 je umah tdow if ade transport. unfortunately, no. owh yer... sy join.
sbb no 1 sy - nak tlg nora. die da bnykkk sgt tlg sy. no 2 - kolej of course. support~! huu.
blk rumah dlm kul 7 ptg td sampai. eh awk. thanks utk colourful cupcakes tuh. hurm...
ske. excited. sbb 1st time dpt cupcakes as a present... thanks again. love it.

babe. did u called me last nite? sorry. i'm so damn sleepy + blur + empty.
mmg x seda la hp ke mane. hurmmm... TTM call pon nasib baik i TERangkt around 1am.
itupon die call no celcom. imagine how unconcious i'm, since time die call, i angkt.
and then i ckp... n then i tgk phone blk. nak taw sape yg call. then i ckp blk. mengong~
yg i seda. die ckp... "da la awk ni. ingt majuk. leteyh sgt la tu. da2 g tdow"
and all i said just... "ok. k... mmmmmm... yerrrr". itu tandenye, tdow mati. hukkk.


owh yer. sy taw sy mmg banyak sakit lately... tp. tu bukan sy nak.
sy x mintak sape2 simpati pon. xyah ssh2 dtg jmpe ke ape pon.
sy xnak sshkan sesape... n x perlu tanya khabar sy...if just na ckp...
"mcm2 la awk/ko/u nie.." trust me - sy x mintak nak sakit pon.
and sy x bgtaw sepenuhnya pon sy pnye sakit camne...biar sy je yg taw.
so. xyahlah camtu. hati sy ni kecik je... sbb da penah jd cepis2. so.
biarlah slow2 die cantum blk. k? thanks.

sy rase hidup da nak jumpe noktah.

goodbye. ngantok. leteyh.

goodnite. sweet dream~