Steamboat For Dinner

EVENING TIME WITH THE BOYS.... AAron brought back his friends for steamboat dinner.... all young growing handsome boys..... I was quite worried that food is not enough... how much do they eat? I don't know how to estimate and AA told me, dont worry, if food is not enough, they can always go out for supper... after all, IPOH is famous for food.. yeah.. I agree....

the YHB
(the young handsome boys)

these were what I prepared...

most important in steamboat is the soup....

part of the dishes...

enjoying the fellowship with one another..

one for the album...
I don't know when I will prepare like this again....

Give Thanks No Matter What....

Had another hectic day.... happy, worrying....and exhausted now...
.
Feeling happy because Andy finally finished his O levels and AAron is back for his 2 months semester holiday .... hope my girl will not complain of boredom anymore ....

Worrying because my buddy, Lynn is admitted to hospital again because of morning sickness. She is 7 weeks pregnant and feeling giddy 24/7. She is on CRIB now, she cannot eat or drink and any slightest movement, she will vomit. She is counting the days when she will reach her 3rd month so that she can be eating normally again... right now, we pray that she will overcome this giddiness ... we miss her bubbly laughter, it is not the same without her.

Exhausted now... with mixed emotions....happy and worrying for different persons, different reasons.... that reminds me... in all circumstances, good or bad, give thanks to our God.. for no matter what happens, He will lead us through, never forsake nor leaving us....

New Food In Town

LAST NIGHT the 4 ladies took dinner at Coco's Cafe in Ipoh Garden near to Tesco...it was our first time there. There was only one table being occupied eventhough it was already 8pm. It didn't give us a nice impression of the food but the ambience was beautiful. The deco is special and reddish all round.... but the food...I will give a rating of 4/10.

Since we were hungry and was drizzling outside, we didn't want to change venue and just ordered from their "tattered" menu... sorry to say that.. but it was indeed not a presentable type of menu...

we were hungry so we ordered nasi lemak...
(for dinner? we must be kidding, right?)

this is crispy noodles... not so nice actually...

claypot rice... not so nice too.... but since we were hungry..
well... anything also can...

loe shu fun in small wok....ok la...

a bowl of ABC soup for each of us...

followed by a scoop of ice icream... funny dinner, right?

this is the cafe... when we left, the place was quite full..

well, as for me, I don't think I will go there again unless...I am really hungry and there is no other place... but most of all, we 4 ladies had a wonderful time... how wonderful? That is for everyone to guess.....

Chicken Noodles In Ipoh Garden East

IPOH is famous for the steamed chicken koay teow noodles but not all the stalls. This shop in IPOH Garden East is not as nice compared to the Lou Wong in town... we went to this shop nearby cos it was raining and we didn't want to go so far to have our dinner....

the koay teow soup noodles

my friend took hers in black soup

IPOH taugeh (bean sprouts)

steamed chicken

this is called "hoi jit" (sea fungus, I think)

different types of fish balls...

this is the shop... not many people
perhaps it was raining then
or is it expensive?
the above cost RM38.00 plus drinks....(3 of us)

Delicious Christmas Cookies Recipes

Christmas is around the corner, its exactly a month away. My siblings and I are planning to have a buffet party and we are inviting our close relatives and friends for this occasion. As usual, my eldest brother will be in charge of the night's program, spreading the love of God among our guests. There will be music of songs and worship filling the air by our younger generations. For the ladies, we will be in charge of food as usual, from the main cost to desserts and of course, our special cookies too.

Well, this year will be a bit special because I will be doing my own cookies. Actually my girl has been pestering me to bake the cookies ourselves rather than purchasing them, of course, she is right, home baking is always the best. Everything is almost ready, I have even found the right Christmas cookie recipes in this website. There are so many recipes to choose from, they are so traditional like especially the German lebkuchen, commonly known as gingerbread. I am sure kids will love to have those for Christmas.

Just by looking at the Christmas cookies can bring about the season feeling of sharing and caring among one another. And the best way to start giving is our home baked special cookies.

A Word Of Thanks....

I want to thank all of you ... thanks for your wishes.... thanks for coming by to support my blog..
Hope all of us will continue to enjoy what we do each day, blogging without fear or favour...

May God bless all of you too...

P/s: I am going out shortly to celebrate my friend's birthday .... my best buddy, my ex classmate of the 70s.... we know each other since we were 13..... Will post up the pictures when I come back....yea....

MY SPECIAL B DAY

TODAY IS THE DAY I AM ONE YEAR "YOUNGER"..... and let me recount how my kids make my birthday a special day ...

It began on Sunday - At 6.3opm I was waiting for my 2 kids to get ready for dinner..... I was as usual mingling around the computer when I heard a familiar voice calling "Mi" (mummy)..... It was the voice of my eldest son. IT WAS REALLY A BIG SURPRISE FOR ME! For all I know, he won't be coming back till next week cos he is now in the midst of his final exams. But then he said he didn't want to miss my birthday, so he borrowed his friend's car to come home and celebrate my birthday as one family and they had planned this surprise days earlier....

I am really overwhelmed.... thank you, AA, Andy and my girlie for your thoughts and making my life meaningful.... Thank God for 3 of you... my love ones....

my son's gift... a delicious cake by Secret Recipe

AA, Fernie, Mi & Andy

a big giant card bought by Fernie

and

decorated with Andy's idea and efforts
(sorry, mummy dint know you are creative)

My dearest dears, I want to say

I am very happy.....
I am happy I am getting a year older
I am happy to be your mother
I am happy that God has chosen you.....
TO BE MY FAMILY, ALL OF YOU!

A Dream Home With Balls Homes

Looking for a dream home built with fine exquisite high quality that comes with great luxury options and custom features? Well, if the answer is "yes" to the above, then you can find a wide selection of Balls homes to choose from and all these can be found in Louisville Real Estate. They are here to help buyers choose their selection of model homes, the dream home one desire to have. Just visit their Model Home Village in Chilesburg (Lexington) where there are more than 2 dozen model homes and six floorplans to choose from. Other procedures like mortgaging and purchasing, Louisville Real Estate will take care of them, avoiding all hassles or hidden costs. They make purchasing process so easy, it is like a one-stop shopping station where everything is done for by them.

This is what I like. Everything is being done for, we just have to choose and sign our papers. Everything is being made easy with Louisville Real Estate. With immediate effect, they are now offering some attractive incentive to buyers to move into their new home and making their dreams come true.

MY MOTHER's PORTRAIT

INTRODUCING MY MOTHER.... makeover by one of the beauty consultants during her Big Day... It was a memorable day for her, being fussed over by the beautician, doing her make up and making her wear all the furry type of sweaters and pullovers....and of course, finally, the "modelling" by an experienced photographer.

At first she felt rather awkward in front of the photographer, asking her to pose like this, like that..... then the photographer said, "auntie, just imagine u strike a lottery"..... after that, her smiles all came naturally....

Well, Mother, as long as you are happy, it is all that matters...

(p/s: for my sister, Michelle, are u amazed with mother's looks?)

The Finals Are Over..

WATCHED THE FINALS just now. Our ladies double become the bridesmaid again but then they have tried their best to outplay their opponents... The China doubles are just too good... anyway, it was an exciting game. As for Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei, there is no fight... One cannot deny Lin Dan is one class above all the other single players, he is terribly swift in his moves .. Lin Dan is unbeatable...

My Morning Diary

I JUST WOKE UP... it is 9.30am now... the sky is clear and the sun is shining brightly, just like song Beautiful Sunday. I stretched my body, the bones creaked, oh my.... sounds sort of rusty....
A short prayer was said to God, thanking Him again for another wonderful day, though bones creak, they are still intact and I am well and kicking, right?

Many of us take for granted that it is just another day but for the old and sick, another new day is very precious to them. Time matters .....

I am going to the General Hospital again around noon, not just to visit my auntie but also my best colleague/buddy, Lynn..... She sms-ed me to say she is admitted because of her morning sickness that caused the dehydration. Her first pregnancy is really in a turmoil, she couldn't even get up to work. I hope it will just last for a few days and she will be back to her normal self again.... we miss her ....

Operation Mojo by The Naked Brothers

When I asked my teenage son whether he has heard of the Naked Brothers Band, he gave me a surprised look, replying, "Why not? It is shown on TV every Tuesday night" It is one of his favourite shows and he will not miss a single show. Well, as for me, I seldom have time to watch movie shows on TV but hearing the name Naked Brothers, I am curious to know more about them.

After logging into their website, I have to smile. The Naked Brothers are actually Nat and Alex Wolff, both teenagers who are equally talented in their singing and acting. In fact their premiere show, Operation Mojo will be aired on November 22 2008, you can even live chat with them too.

Just now I tuned into their website to listen to their songs. The Wolff Brothers are really talented, they can even compose their own songs. My son loves listening to their song titled "I don't want to go to school." Well, no wonder the young people love watching their shows, Nat and Alex have the good looks and the cool music in the movie will surely win the hearts of many, regardless old or young.

Well, for more the Wolff Brothers, do tune into their video clip here. I am sure you will find them interesting too.

Saturday Night Fever Now...

Time flies again.... Briefly, my happenings for today... note: estimated time only

9am - went to office to buck up my work which was backlogged.
2pm - I left office, went shopping with my sisters and Fernie.
3.30pm - Fernie complained of pain with her braces. Immediately I took her to the dentist, very crowded... waited very long....so sien
5pm - reached home, sister in law called up, said auntie admitted to hospital, so have to go....
6.30pm - reached home again and get ready for dinner outside with my kids.
8pm - we went to church.
10pm till now, I am still sitting here, talking to myself on the blog.....
Is 24 hours enough? I wish I can stay up longer without having to sleep yet... *yawnn...*

Badminton Finals Tomorrow!

Sigh... so sad..... our doubles men players, KKK and TBK lost to the Korean pair in the Badminton China Open Super Series just minutes ago. Anyway, I think the pair has done their part going to the semi finals, the Koreans pair are good, in their top form. Another disappointing pair is Tony Gunawan and Candra Wijaya.. I was hoping for them to win too but too bad, they lost in their rubber set to the Danish pair.... Maybe I am the jinx... I shouldn't follow up with the games just now... (lol)

Tomorrow is the final, so for Malaysia, the only players left are Lee Chong Wei and the ladies double, Eei Hui and Pei Tty who have improve tremendously recently. All the best to them!!

My Cafetaria

THIS IS THE PLACE where the staff take the meals. It is called canteen or cafetaria (hahaaa... as if no one knows)... I seldom take my meals here unless there is really no choice.... No choice means at times no transport to go out or too lazy to or its raining cats and dogs...

my so called cafetaria...

a piece of papaya to start with....

followed by a plate of fried rice kampung style...

and a plate of malay kueh... called cucuk bawang
(deep fried flour with onions)
taken with sweet sour sauce....
hey, I am not the only one eating all these...
we share... sharing makes food tastier... right?

Tag of Love

I want to thank Ms Ray and Shela for this tag called The Pink Sisterhood, in conjunction with the Breast Cancer Month....I am sure many of us here have received this sweet award and let us spread the word around to our fellow bloggers. It is indeed alarming that the fact of a ration 1:10 ladies have breast cancer. Let's also keep them in our prayers .... that God will grant them healing touch, comfort and strength at this point of time.... Thank you.

Thank you, Cathy

Though I blog a lot each day, there are many gadgets in the computer that I don't really know how to use.... such as... ... a simple thing like resizing my picture to 125 x 125 pixels. As we all know, Entrecard requires us to have that size to upload our picture and I, being me, have tried numerous times to do it but still to no avail... *shy to say also*

Finally I got it done today.... not by my own effort but by my kind blogger friend here, Cathy Hawkins. She is very creative in her template designs and she is so friendly and helpful.... You can see for yourself when you go to her blog.

As for me, my entrecard has my picture on it now.... Cathy, one more favor, can u help me to change my picture whenever I feel like it??? (give me an inch, i ask for a foot :)

My Busy Day Out...

WENT TO TAPAH AND TELUK INTAN districts to do some checking of accounts... there will be a Quality Day next month and a prize will be given to the district which is most efficient in their accounts procedures. So this week will be a very busy time for some of us, we have to rush from one district to another to give marks and ... guess what?? Eventually, my own work will be affected, my daily work will be piling up.....sigh...... hope no one gonna check me instead!!

this department was good...
all the files were ready for checking by the time we reached there

lunch was also provided... Malay style....
(hey, that's not bribery, ok!)

this soup was nice, a lot of vegetables in it...

but then another dish came out.. it was almost the same as the soup dish..
i wonder who did the ordering... anyway, we didnt complain ...haha..

lemon chicken... good...ok... one piece was good enough for me..

I love this sweeet sour fish among all....
but it was finished off very fast...

another angle of the fish...
though it was near to me, I only manage to take one small portion..

Tagged Again..

Arnie sent me this tag.... 8 random facts... I think I am going to wreck my own reputation... ok , i try to be as honest as I can without spoiling my blog... haha...

1. I love eating .... as proven by my blog... frens say I live to eat ...that is a blessing
2. Though I love eating, I cannot eat in quantities, I share out the food with my frens...
3. In return, they always scold me cos they are getting bigger in size instead of me...
4. But I don't mind paying my half share though I eat less than they do..
5. In fact I love to pay, that shows I am still having enough to do so...
6. Frankly, I am not generous.... nor am I stingy....
7. But I can be generous to those who in need and nasty to some who take advantage of it
8. Sort of like Incredible Hulk, "you dont like me when I am angry"... but I dont turn green in colour.

Ok, all for the love of eating that sparkles off these random facts... (hai kam seen)

Our Careless Tuesday...

THIS MORNING I WENT FOR AN EXAM.. yes, exam... not the doctor's type of check up.. but real test papers... once passed with a grade 4, I can get a good increment, a good jump to another rank.. BUT... but.. sad to say, I always get grade 3 ... booo... I have been sitting for the same exam paper with my colleague for a number of times already but still the 4 is evading us... We gave up, we agree not to study this time, just go and choose our answers, we are real fed up of the strict marking....

So this morning we went without even touching the book..... (hope my kids won't read this)....

Upon reaching the hall, my colleague realised that she brought in the wrong enrolment letter... oh gosh...it was already 9.05am and exam started at 9.30... too late to go back to office... quickly, we went to the nearest office nearby to ask permission to use the internet, to print out the right enrolment letter... it was like rush hour...rushing for time...

Thank God, she managed to get it done and quickly, we sauntered to the hall at 9.20am... That was not all... when the invigilator checked my letter, another problem arised. I was at the wrong hall.... oh no...... my letter shows that I should be taking my exam in Kuala Lumpur, 200 km away from here..... (sei moe?) careless me... I never checked my letter cos all the while I took for granted it was at the same place, same time each year....

Anyway, the invigilator was helpful, she said she will send down my paper separately.... phew.. I hope they do... well, thinking back, they do or not, it doesn't matter, I guess I have to sit for it again..... It would be a miracle if I get a 4 flat...

if only I do my best,
God will do the rest...
but I didn't do my best
so.. again I will do the test :))

The Art Of Moving

When I shifted house few years ago, there were so much things to pack and to unload from the lorries, it was indeed a very tedious job and I dread shifting to another new house again. Though my belongings, furnitures and household stuff are not priceless, nevertheless, I make sure that the movers do not mishandle my possessions. That sets me wondering, how about those who own and keep priceless arts and valuable antiques, portraits, expensive paintings, sculptures or even big giant chandeliers, how do they move their priceless possessions? I am sure they will have to hire experts, specially trained and professional in their Art Moving services.

From what I read in this website, Mind's eye is artfully trained to handle the precious fine art, offering all their expertise that includes temperature controlled systems for necessary items. And for those clients whose house or sites are still under renovation, they will provide short-term storage in heightened security while in transit or delivery. Their clients can be rest assured that everything will go well with Mind's Eye, they are here to offer the best experience, their talent and the expertise in doing their artful job in Art Moving.

Another Dream So Real...

Last night I had a happy dream... I remember feeling very happy and laughing gleefully .... not even Pierce Bronson, Brad Pitt or even Tom Cruise cruising down the stream with me could make me feel as happy..... (bluffer)

Either I was money crazy or crazing for paid posts... either way.. listen to this... Sponsored Reviews gave me 10 posts one shot to do.... and paying handsomely for each .. 10USD Each!! man, I was feeling on top of the world.. I was so excited and feeling so exhilarated..... and couldn't wait to write....

It seemed so real then.... but......

when I checked my email this morning, the feeling was like a balloon went "POP! Gone Down the Weasel".....

I had a dream,

some posts to do,
to help me through
too bad it is not true...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAMA

TODAY IS MY MAMA'S BIRTHDAY.... we took her out for a simple dinner in Kok Thai Restaurant, inviting Ah Yee and Yee Cheong too (mama's sister and brother in law).... Coincidently, Ah Yee's birthday is 2 weeks later than hers...so....

HERE THEY ARE... the main actresses for the night....

do they look alike? Mama of course is in red, as usual....

now..supporting actress and actor joined in as well...

another 2 new ones here...

not forgetting these as well...
ok
now for the dishes....simple dishes..

vegetarian dish consisting of whatever...

sweet sour thai spicy fish

the restaurant's special tau foo.. so they say...

my uncle's favourite dish... mui choy kau yuk...

(all the fats that make it tasty)

the kids' favourite dish, a must...
sweet sour pork

stir fry short french beans...

assam curry prawns, squids and ladies fingers....
and
finally

steamed kampong chicken with ginger....

another one for the album..
the birthday song sung in the air....

and the cutting of the mini-sized cake

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MAMA AND AH YEE....
May God Bless You Always....