Saturday, October 24, 2009

Another day in Paradise.....Park anyway.

Another sunrise photo

We went to Paradise Park for a walk in the tropical forest...I so wanted to capture the feel of the place, but I think that is beyond my capabilities. There would have to be a way to post the smell and feel of the air and the sounds of the birds and the squish of the mud under our feet to really capture it, but here are a few pictures to at least give a glimpse.

These flowers smell amazingly wonderful...to us they are the essence of Hawaii...but we have no idea what kind of flowers they are. Anybody know?

Loved the huge trees!!! They were absolutely amazing!





These flowers were scattered all around the jungle floor. It took me quite a while to figure out where they were coming from....I finally saw a couple of them showing themselves from the very top of a very tall tree. I'm not sure if you can tell but these fell in the perfect spot right at the edge of a hole in the base of a tree with water filling the hole.

See the criss-cross pattern?
These looked like huge ferns growing over the little creek.

Manoa Falls



It was a great walk! we loved every minute of it! And it was totally worth the mosquito bites and mud slinging we got while walking.

Tera

#1 Chili

People get very competitive about their culinary delights. Above all, I would consider chili a dish open to much debate. In the past, my chili has been very heavy on the beans and tomatoes and lighter on the meat (generally, I used 93% lean ground beef). Recently, however, I have had a change of heart and admitted chili recipe defeat.



During this (pathetic) college football season, our friends treated us to their version of chili, and man...it is GOOD! I would consider this chili VERY hearty and "manly", in the stereotypical sense of the term: meaty. The meat, however, is very lean and not red meat, but rather, 98% lean ground turkey and lean boneless, skinless chicken breasts.


In hopes of having a decent Illini game to watch this weekend (so far, status quo), I made the chili last night. While it's rather laborious, it is totally worth it! I am yet to calculate the nutrition information, but it is extremely low in fat and high in protein. I do have a feeling that it's somewhat high in sodium, however. 


So, here's how it goes...


"Josh and Tiffany's Chili"


Main Batch
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground turkey, lean
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, chunked
14 ounces low-sodium beef broth
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 large green pepper, diced
1/2 large sweet onion, diced


Batch One
1 Tbsp onion powder
2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 jalapeno, diced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 can kidney beans, drained


Batch Two
5 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp brown sugar


Batch Three
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin


In a large heavy bottom pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the meat, pepper, and onion and cook until meat is browned. Drain off drippings. Add the rest of the main batch and simmer for 1 hour. Add all of the ingredients from Batch One, stir and simmer for 35 minutes. Add Batch Two to the pot and cook for an additional 20 minutes, stirring often. Add Batch Three and cook for 10 more minutes before serving.

Diabetic diet yesterday went like this...


Breakfast:
1 cup mini shredded wheat (3 carbs)
1 cup skim milk (1 carb)
stevia (0 carbs)
     Total: 4 carbs


Lunch:
2 cups homemade chicken noodle soup (1 carb)
6 wheat crackers (1 carb)
1/2 pomegranate (1 carb)
1 small banana (1 carb)
     Total: 4 carbs


Dinner:
1 serving Frito Twists (1 carb)
1 1/2 cups Josh and Tiffany's Chili (1 carb)
2/3 cup Greek yogurt (1 carb)
     Total: 3 carbs


Snack:
1 small apple (1 carb)
1 Tbsp peanut butter (0 carbs)




Question: How would you describe your favorite chili dish? Beany? Meaty? Salty? Spicy? Loaded with vegetables? Beefy? Vegetarian?



Off for a bowl...have a great Saturday!!

littlest things, are good enough.


it was 19th oct 2009, i arrived setiawngsa safely at almost 11pm from sarawak.
i took my bath, charged my hp(s), and watched TV.
and then suddenly, my hp rang, and PAP - black out.
ta daaa. kak sally + kema + ayie were singing 'happy birthday' and...
here's my 20th bday cake - mr cheeze choc. i love it bby!
awww. terharuuu. last dpt bday cake time f5, from my D12 =]


kma. 'dak tomey' tu awk la. bkn kte woo.



from mama - a set of white gold bracelet + necklace + ring

sampai2 je srwk, trus rush gi open day abah. and then...
blk mandi, solat, trus mama rushing ajak keluar.
rupanya mama belikan bday present trus. uhuuu~
mma pernah ckp nak belikan rantai, skali mama kasi bnyk kowt.
rase bersalah plak. hurmmm... tp skeee sgt mama. thanks.
aqilah appreciate teramat sgt. and ma, u shouldn't pay wish cash.
ape pun thanks maa. mmg aqilah pakai utk mama je =]



from abah - cream / gold '?' handbag. happy 'guess'ing =P

abah bought me this handbag the next day in srwk. it was on18th oct.
he was so sleepy by that time, that he slept in the car right after he gave this.
ahah... mama and i, were cont buying all the stuff at the mall. and. taw x?
1 fact - body shop dkt srwk / sabah is wayyyy cheaper than dkt semenanjung.
so. mmg borong jgklah ape yg perlu. uhuu~ abahhh. thanksss!!!
i just love it soooo much. ta raaa. sayang sampai x berani pakai '-__-



from teh - cik sotonggg comelll!!! XDD

sy ade bnykkk sgt teddy bear. bnyk sgt3. tp x dela sgt. dlm 25++ kot. x ingt.
then yg mmg sy nakkk sgt sbb x de lg - sotong + patrick + kura2 + ladybird.
then dpt sotong comel ni mcm, waaaaaa. sukeeeenye!!! hee. ni pon.
smbil type tgh peluk die. die pon tgh tgk gmbr die sdiri ade dlm blog ni. haha.
awww teh. thank u so muchhh. skeeee. kawaiii~



from mama ngah - '2 letters' purple handbag =P

gleee syg handbag ni n skee tataw nak ckp. haha. gi mane2 pon cam nak bwk je. wahaha.
tp, tkot kang slalu bwk putus ke ape koyak ke ssh jgk. adehhh. erm3...
mama ngah. skee la. mmg skee sgt. trimeee kasihhh. jgn kate aqilah.
kema. kak sally. teh. mama. semuaaa ske tgk handbag ni taw. t hee. thanksss!!!



bday cards - kma + kak sally + ayie + abah + mama.

left ; kma + kak sally + mama + ayie. ahah... thanks bbies.
middle ; from abah. comeelll gleee elephant tu abah! XD
right ; mama. u're always b the most precious person in the world =]

kad mama + abah tuh, siap ade lagu2 lg. haha.
btw. sy kan sentimental skittt. maka. mmg CARDS adalah bnda plg sy skeee
kalau dpt time bday. rase cam, idk. special + precious. thanksss again!



from - sofia + pooja + jesse

seriously cam x sangka korang kasi hadiah taw? waaaa. terharu amat sgt. so sweet.
hee. and thanks guys sbb masakkan bubur kacang hijau tu n ajak dinner.
i had a great time with u guys last thursday. bnyk gelak. lupa jap sume keletihan.
n thanks 4 all the cute lil stuff. owhh... trust me. that i'm so bz, that,
sy x sempat2 pon re-pack hadiah tuh lg. yer,still terbungkus camtu lg. uhuu~
thanks again sweetiesss. really3 appreciated ur kindness. =]



from adilah masham - stripey bag

it was 20th oct, and i've got a replacement class [directing] from 12pm - 6pm.
then i had meeting til 8pm. she gave it to me bout a few mins after i walked into the class.
and kebetulan je baju hari tu cam matching je dgn handbag tuh. t hee.
purple + white + blue + green. i like. thanks masham!!!



from - die x kasi bgtaw die sape. wahaha.

isi dalam die sgtlaaaa best. best best best.
ske ske ske. exclusive. impressive. and, 1 in a million. haha.
btw. million thank uuu. u know i love it so much =]







TU JE hadiah. hee. tamat kesah hadiah.
nak cite ttg semalam. yer. semalam.
jumaat malam sabtu!






since i was really, really, really exhausted with all the class, assignment, meeting, final project and so on, i've been waiting for the whole week utk... utk weekend ini! uhuu. sbb nak berehat sgt3, kalau blh xnak kuar rumah langsung. yer larh, mane taknye, hari2 duduk dkt kolej dr pagi sampai mlm. aiyooo... serious ckp bnyk leteyh ok. tp. mmg x dpt jgkla nak rehat sepenunya since sdare mara dtg, mestilah spend time masa dgn die org jgk kan. hee... but, last night, habis meeting and sampai rumah dlm almost 8pm. balik je, terusss mandi. and, taraaa.


MASA UTK SEGARKANNN DIRI


watson's body scrub + st.ives apricot scrub + lifebuoy shower gel + bodyshop seaweed deep cleansing facial wash + elken elysyle shampoo & conditioner [iqah pnye product!!! XD]

tp utk semalam! yess! sy mulakan dgn...
scrub badan sepenuh hati. haha... sental3. pastuh, tambah shampoo.
bilas scrub, then baru bilas shampoo. then conditioner... pastuh. scrub muka!
sambil tu bilas plak conditoner... gosok gigi! pastu baru bilas scrub muka.
lalalala. dah segar dahhh ble kuar dr toilet.



johnson's baby lotion + johnson's baby powder + bodyshop seaweed clarifying toner + bodyshop seaweed night moist + bodyshop seaweed ionic clay mask + nivea deodorant double effect

pastuuu. sy pakaii yg 1st skali deodarant dlu. then lotion from neck to toe, bedak dkt tmpt2 yg cepat dpt ruam ble peluh cam leher, then sental muka pakai mask dluuu... jd cam 'the mask' dah. hahahah. dah lepas 15-20 min pakai mask, bilas and pakai toner + nighr moist. haaa...
da rase bertambah3 segar. whuuuuuuuuuu~



biore pore pack + Lila Vital Cosway eye mask

utk menghilangkannn blackhead + eyebag, makanya merajinkan diri memakai dua bnda nih. 1 dkt hidung, 1 bawah mata. dgn harapan magic akan terjd. tp... kalau jarang2 rajin camni x de guna jgk woo. huuu... best pakai eye mask tuh. sejukkk je. pore pack tuh, sakit woo ble nak tarik. wahahah. seksa jiwa raga. tp syokkk ble tgk blackhead yg berjaya dikeluarkan. *wink wink*


maka...
berjayalah sy MEMUASKAN diri sendiri!
dgn MEMANJAKAN diri sendiri! ahah...


ptg td pon baru tman kema gi saloon. die nak buat rambut die fashion ape tah.
skrng die tgh gi ade party majalah EH! - 10th anniversary.
maka. td. sy pun, cuci la rambut je sbb last week baru treatment.




whoaaa. cuz i worth it ;P




Braised Scottish Venison with Red Wine and Red Pepper Reduction

Venison is a meat which is used in a lot of traditional Scottish recipes. Although this method of cooking venison could hardly be classed as a traditional Scottish recipe - with the inclusion of red wine and red pepper - this method of cooking quality Scottish venison makes for a hearty, warming and delicious meal.

Ingredients (Serves One)

6oz Scottish venison (diced)
1 red bell pepper (deseeded and cut in to 1/2" strips)
1 small onion (finely sliced)
2 cloves of garlic (crushed or very finely chopped)
1/2 pint red wine
1/2 pint fresh beef stock
2 tbsp plain or all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sunflower oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2oz basmati rice
1 tsp freshly chopped parsley and small sprig of same for garnish

Method

Put the sunflower oil in to a large pot and bring it up to a medium to high heat. Put the flour in to a bowl and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the venison pieces and stir them around well in the seasoned flour. Shake the excess flour off each piece of venison and add them to the hot oil. Stir them around in the oil with a wooden spoon for a couple of minutes until they have completely browned and sealed. Add the onion, red pepper and garlic and stir in this way for another minute or so before adding the red wine and fresh beef stock. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer as gently as possible for at least two hours, until the venison is tender, stirring occasionally and well. Note that it is possible that a little more stock or wine will be required towards the end of the cooking time.

Around fifteen minutes before the venison is due to be ready, wash the rice thoroughly in running cold water through a sieve and add it to a pan of boiling, salted water. Cook for twelve minutes before draining well. Line a small ramekin with clingfilm that the film overhangs by at least an inch and pack the rice tightly inside, filled level with the top of the ramekin. Place the serving plate on top of the ramekin and carefully turn them over that the plate is now on the bottom. Gently hold the edges of the clingfilm and lift the ramekin away before carefully peeling the clingfilm away to leave the rice ready to serve as shown in the photograph.

Spoon the braised venison and red wine and red pepper reduction around the rice and garnish with the freshly chopped parsley.

Food Tip of the Day - Saturday, October 24th, 2009: How to Make Wine at Home

Wine is of course a very common ingredient in many cooking recipes, as well as being a common accompaniment to many meals. The only problem is that the cost of wine can very often be prohibitive and add substantially to the overall cost of preparing the meal.

Why not, therefore, consider making your own wine at home? The savings which can be achieved in the long term can be beyond significant and the freedom to choose one's own ingredients is all but limitless. The e-book package linked to below comes with all the information you need to begin making wine at home and is fully downloadable to your PC. Check it out today - and start saving money tomorrow!

Click Here! for full details of this magnificent offer and impress your friends and family with your soon to be acquired new talents.

those who STILL care




i've been missing my-freeeeee-time so much. awwww. tiring life~
things i missed the most - bloggie, lappy, lola, mr sony cybershot. yesss.
i just don't have any time to cry 4 all the broken hearted thingy...
u might b seeing me cry because of tonnes of assignment + meeting + final project.
a few drops of tears, of course but, it's not a waterfall full of tears bby =P
and yet, it's not because of love, friends, or fmly. i dont have time 2 think bout that.
i mean, obviously i've no time to think bout all the saddest thing on earth ...

ok. it was my 20th birthday on 2oth oct 2009. and, i was about to write
"those who STILL remember" but then i changed it to STILL care.
cuz i know, there's some of them, who didn't even remember it. it just.
they saw it on my fb. and that's it... i've got a lotttt of bday wishes. =]



comment @ FB
sarah zaihan . pdo . lemi . kak sufi . cera . zairis . eeda . effa . nora . hawa . emma . acap . suha . zikri . shasha . anna . adzimah . zul . sofia . hafish . nabil . shafinaz . arinie . mardhiah . faris . akid . iqah . fuad . shera . aus . haikal . maria . mizan . leon . syeeda . farouq . yanie . atika . salmiza .
kak jannah . arashi . kak ngah . izzah . sid . adam . fatin aqilah . nabilah . yana . sarah salehah . azira . khairy . emmy . syue . jal . fazrina . ili nadiah . adrina . fatyn . kurt . aziemah . dayaa . wan tomot . asnyra . afix . meyraa . rizal . syed shazrin . annuar . eyqa . shakirah . amier . bee . nadiah .

tag / msg @ FB
babe . aus . kak hana . keyna . eypa

ym
the one & only - shahli aiman

SMS @ maxis
b4 12am - shaufi . ayie . mak sue la
12am onwards - anna . waed . afiq . sherry . syahmi . anis . salghee . akid . ainaa amira . atin . ainaa K . afeeqa . aishah . kambink . adilah . abah . zaid + kakak ipar [wanie] . kak lyne . miraghee . nabil . nasz . mizan . leon . ayong . kak aizam . ilyana . bha . pooja

SMS @ old maxis / celcom
enuni . naiya . hilmi . hadi

received call
nora . ainaa . babe . sherry . afiq . teh . abah . naiya .

chatbox @ bloggie
keyna + teha

special blog post 4 my birthday
babe . nora . athirah . teha .

in person - dearie collegemate . cousins . mama .



whoaaaa. ramaiii jgk kan. t hee. alhamdulilah.
doa, wish(s) + harapan?
jd manusia berguna dunia akhirat.
berjaya + bahagia dunia + akhirat. amin.



THANKS for ALL the wishes...