Not At All Inspired
Mastering The Art of Being
Feeling stress lately.
I feel as time goes by, I become more vulnerable to the effects of emotional and physical stress.
So as not to let the stress build up, I am taking a short break, in between work and other commitments.
Am practising deep breathing method. A long, slow breath energizes the body and mind, improves focus, and help eliminate toxins.
It cools my nasal passages, clear my mind, leaving me feeling positively ... Zen.
A Lazy Afternoon By The Lake
I sit by the lake on this wondrous day,
The wind softly whispers through the trees,
I feel a peaceful feeling overtaking me.
This reminds me of a poem written by an Irishman, William Butler Yates, entitled, "The Lake Isle of Innisfree". For those of you who have kids taking PMR would definitely have come across this poem in their English syllabus.
I will arise and go now,
And go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there,
Of clay and wattles made,
Nine bean rows will I have there,
A hive for the honey bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
And I shall have some peace there,
For peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning,
To where the cricket sings.
There midnight's all a glimmer,
And noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.
I will arise and go now,
For always night and day,
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore,
While I stand on the roadway,
Or on the pavement gray,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.
A lazy afternoon, lunching at Secret of Louisiana, an interesting restaurant at Plaza Kelana Jaya's waterfront. The restaurant claims to serve the best Cajun style seafood and steak in town.
The menu
My Sausage Buns
The sausage twist could do with some rosemary sprinkle or cheese. Was I too generous with the egg wash glazing? Come to the texture, they weren't as soft as those on the shelves of Bread Story or Bread Talk. Considering the fact that I was not in possession of a bread kneading machine and did not add in any bread improver or softener, I was happy with the result.
I find breadmaking quite therapeutic considering the time required for repeated proofing and resting of the dough. I thoroughly enjoyed this session.
Take A Breath
Time really flies. I am not entirely sure how that happened. It seems like only a minute ago I went to China in May to 'offload' mom at my brother's place. And at the blink of the eye, mom was already back for over a month after a three month stay in Panyu.
Step outside.
Look around.
Do whatever it takes to be fully in the moment.
It really is a beautiful world out there.
Am I Happy?
.
Happiness is believed to be one of the most important criteria for good health. However, how to be happy?
Obviously, we gain happiness when we are satisfied. Sometimes a simple satisfaction is good enough to make a lady smile.
It seems women are easily satisfied. I suppose that is the reason why women generally live longer than men.
Normally she will be happy when:
1) Her loved one says "I love you".
2) Her loved one gives her presents.
3) She goes shopping.
4) Her juniors hug or kiss her.
5) She has savings in the bank.
6) Someone says “You are so young and beautiful”.
7) Someone says ” You have a good husband or boyfriend”.
8) She adds new decorative items into her house.
9) Someone says ” You kid(s) is lovely or intelligent”.
10) She sees flowers.
Needless to say, I, as a woman will be much happier if I get a chance to be put up in six star Presidential Suite, chauffeured driven in luxurious car, wear designer clothes, carry a Hermes Birkin, slip on a Jimmy Choo and live in a bungalow with beautiful garden and big swimming pool.
Of course, I can live without all these luxuries. But, who doesn’t like to be pampered like a princess?
Electrical Power Cables vs. Fettucini
Carbonara, an awesome, traditional Italian sauce that majority of you will not say 'No' to it, right? This is a simple dish to make but tremendously sinful, considering the amount of cream added.
Well, the more sinful it is, the more I love it.
Only If ...
有意
【烈火雄心3】電視劇插曲
主唱:鄭嘉穎、胡杏兒
作曲:周永恆
填詞:陳詩慧
編曲:Johnny Yim
監製:鄧智偉
歌詞
男:尚未學會怎麼開口示愛 並沒自信恍惚早知大概
女:等 無論被誰愛 面對你感覺 我也知道你是我心愛
*男:樹下是我翻開手中日記 落葉密佈草地心想著你
女:等 從來沒離棄 就當我希冀 也許總有暗號要推理
合:我們原來心裡也在意 既無台詞只怪我大意
男:若然是愛我可以
女:盡情地表示
合:沒情話再試一次 就吐盡我 自己心事
合:既然從來主角也熱熾 既然從來心裡也在意
男:若期待與我相處
女:盡情地表示
合:若然是對我關注 如你在意 是否真事
Snowflake
Snowflake.
The Taiwanese Dessert Secrets.
Ever been? It's located opposite Asia Cafe in SS15 Subang Jaya.
Ice Monster @ Sunway Pyramid, Mill Wheel Pao Bing @ Metro Prima Kepong, Charmy Snow Ice @ 100 Yen Shops and Snowflake. Which is better? I guess it's what you prefer of the texture and flavour.
This Snowflake dessert house 雪花栈 is owned by a Taiwanese couple, specializes in natural and authentic Taiwanese desserts.
The deco is humbly simple with giant colourful illustrative boards. The self-service counter is right at the end of the shop. There are 3 types of different series to choose from, grass jelly, soya and shaved ice. You can pick your favourite base and then choose your toppings which vary from red beans, grass jelly, peanuts, taro balls, sweet potatoes balls, pearl sago, etc, etc.
The serving is really huge and is definitely worth the money. All desserts cost less than RM5 except the bestseller which costs RM5.50
Even the guys gave the thumbs up.
Boots Botanics - The Power of Plants
I have scraped the last bit of my Victoria Secret's Rose Body Cream out of the tub. But then, I am well equipped!! During my last trip to Bangkok, I was overjoyed to find that my fav chemist Boots has dozens of outlets spread across Bangkok and have thus went wild and almost 'sapu' whatever were on the store shelves. Last year, when I was in Hong Kong, I was so disappointed to find that Boots has since moved out of Hong Kong and eventually have to resort to Sasa and Bourjour.
The Boots Botanics products are generally awesome. I just love them to pieces. I hope the Bangkok stores keep stocking them, so I don't have to fly to UK with an extra suitcase once a year just to bring back a luggage load of creams/lotions. (not exaggerating.)
The Nourishing Body Butter contains honey and Grapeseed Oil. It is a rich emollient that moisturizes and softens. This cream works wonders on dry skin and has a pleasant "earthy" aroma to it. The honey helps bind moisture in the skin whereas the Grapeseed Oil is hydrating and rich in linoleic acid, which helps reinforce the skin's barrier to stop skin drying out.
The skin is the biggest organ on our body and using only organic/botanical cosmetics could be just another step towards living greener and healthier. Its important to take into consideration what we put in our bodies and on the outside as well. The powers of plants are evident when you try this line. You can't beat the prices and I can guarantee you will never go back to anything else once you try them.
Angels From Maidenhead, UK
Present to you, my two pretty nieces from UK. Since the start of the months long summer holidays, they have been jetsetting around Asia and are now stopping over in KL.
Angel #1 - Michelle
Dokbokgi?? Never mind, this is fried Korean rice cake with spicy bean sauce. It was sweet, spicy and savoury. To be brutally frank, neither Yasmine nor I like it.
Resuming My Kitchen Duties
The past two weeks, I got bogged down in work by the thousand pages of surveying data, joint measurement records, final valuation etc. in relation to the laying of pavement works for a main road. My colleague and I were actually racing against time to examine, compute, compare and analyse all the available data, that means having to sacrify our sleeping hours for the sake of the eventual findings. Hence, I have been neglecting my kids' well being. I had no choice but to resort to unhealthy fast food or instant noodles.
Eggplant is not easy to cook, as it soaks up all the oil. There is actually a way to overcome this. To soften the eggplant, just sprinkle it with some olive oil and sea salt and bake in the oven for say 10 minutes. Leave it to cool before stir frying it with the spicy sauce.
Fried Bittergourd With Eggs
I love bittergourd but my kids don't. I still cook it hoping that they can gradually accept it. Bittergourd is supposed to be effective in lowering blood sugar levels. I usually cook this veg by frying with thin slices of beef fillet, or with a spicy soya bean paste. Since the dozen of eggs is still sitting miserably in my fridge for more than a week now, I thought I better make use of them.
When I chanced upon Suzie Wong's cooking show, I learnt that there is a way to choose a less bitter fruit. (For those who are unfamiliar with Suzie Wong, she is the host for a Hong Kong TVB cooking show called 'So Far 蘇 Good', which is broadcasted on Astro CH311 every Sunday 7.30pm) The trick is to choose one which is pale and has bigger and more uniform bumps.
The Best Antiques Are Old Friends
The Magic of Chong Qing Hot Pot
Wafer thin bamboo shoots
Childish Behaviour and Nutty
I felt totally disgusted.
Imagine when it is straight out of the oven and it is still warm. Sink your teeth in the lava-like filling... ooooh
Ultimate Bliss!