The Blues

Sometimes I feel like superwoman, being able to juggle work and being a wife, daughter and me; all at the same time.
Other times, I do not even know where or how to start or stop. Today I am just drowning in the blues.

...... :(((((((((((((((((

TO ALL FAMILY AND FRIENDS WE WISH YOU A VERY MERRY XMAS !

Fabian & Li Quen

Food Processor!

Eating and cooking at home (even with take-away dinners), sometimes leaves left-overs or scraps. So, what to do with them? Throw them in the bin? No... I got myself a fantastic food processor that can take in and reprocess any... and I do mean ANY kind of left-over food. It is called the CLeo-K9 model. I got it from a friend of mine who had a few of them and thought I could use one. I could give it anything from chicken bones to fruit mush, with the exception of fish bones because those may cause havoc in its internals.

The unit is self-powered, and it stores itself away quite cleverly. Cleaning is an occasional job, but a quick scrub with soap and water is adequate.

It comes in any color or shade, and in all shapes and sizes. Mine is in black and beige, with a nice furry feel (Hehe...). But I am happy with my current model and hope it will last me many many more years! One useful tip though for owners-to-be of this fantastic food processor, shower it with affection and it will love you forever! Cleo (woof!)

It Could Happen, So Please Do Self-Examination

About three years ago, I had a scare at the clinic. It was a routine update of my compulsory medical checkup for work. The doctor suddenly remarked that I had slight lump in the breast upon doing a physical examination for me, and sent me straight to the specialist hospital for a scan. Geez I was sweating in my shoes for the whole day ! I thought, WHY ME???????????????????? THESE THINGS DO NOT HAPPEN TO ME!!
It turned out that everything was normal and there was not cause for concern. And I was just totally relieved.
Last night, I suddenly felt something was amiss - a strange lump. And headed straight to the clinic first thing today. Doc did another physical check and assured me there wasn't any cause for concern, but advised me to continue with the self-examination. Any odd changes detected, and I am to head straight to her again.
So ladies, always be on the safe side. Self examinations are important.

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year..

Mom and dad arrived last Thursday in Miri to spend the end of the year with us. Next week, on Christmas eve, my brother and sis-in-law will be arriving from Singapore, and that would mean my whole family will be together again. Having everyone together, makes it a most wonderful occasion. :)
We have already planned for home cooked meals and fun activities. I am totally looking forward to it!

Dinner A Week Ago: Easiest Roast Chicken Ever!

After too much time spent in front of the AsianFoodChannel watching chefs effortlessly create roasts for Christmas luncheons, I decided to give one recipe a try - Jamie Oliver's Roast Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon. My experiences with roasts have been less than perfect... usually they didn't brown nicely enough. But this time, I thought, I should give it another go. I shocked both myself and hubby with the final result - fantabulous!! And the best thing about it was - it was so darn easy to make!!

P/S. Since it was only the two of us, I used two chicken thighs instead of roasting a whole chicken. Worked well too!Jamie Oliver's Roast Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon Ingredients
1 whole free range chicken (abt 1-1.5kg)
1 lemon
5-10 cloves of garlic
A bunch of fresh rosemary or thyme
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
1-2 kg peeled potatoes, cut into golf-ball sizes
Other vegetables - carrots, onions etc.

Method
Rub chicken inside out with salt and pepper. Season for at least half a day, if possible.
Preheat oven to 190 deg C
Bring a pot of salt water to boil. Boil potatoes with the whole lemon and garlic cloves for 12 mins. Drain and leave to steam for 1 min.
Remove lemon and garlic. Prick the lemon with a fork all over.
While the potatoes are still hot, toss them around in the pot until the surface gets chaffed. This will make them crispy when roasted.
Rub the chicken all over with olive oil. Push the lemon, garlic and herbs into the cavity of the chicken.
Roast the chicken for 45mins.
Remove the chicken after 45mins. Toss the vegetables in the fat that has collected in the baking tray. This will be used as the oil to roast the veges and give them a crisp skin later.
Put the chicken back onto the tray and arrange the vege all around the chicken. Roast for a further 45 mins.
When cooked, remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 1-2 minutes before serving.

Bored

For the first time this year, I am bored at work. Yes... B O R E D ! Meaning I do not have tasks whipping me from behind and deadlines that are due 2 weeks ago and over-flowing in-trays! Wowee!
This cannot be right. There must be something odd. This is unheard of !

Dinner Tonight - Sauteed Mushrooms and Stir Fry Fish

So what does one do when there's nothing else in the fridge but a pack of mushrooms and frozen fish meat in the freezer? Chop up some garlic and toss them in the pan with seasoning, of course!

Sauteed Mushrooms
- Stir fry fresh mushrooms with garlic and seasoning

Stir Fry Fish
- Cut fish meat into bite-sized pieces, season with black pepper, a dash of chinese cooking wine, soya sauce and fish sauce. Add a tsp or two of corn flour.
- Fry garlic and pieces sliced ginger till fragrant. Add in fish meat and fry for a few minutes till partially cooked on medium heat. Add a small amount of water to make a sauce. Bring to boil.
- Finally, toss in some chopped chives or spring onion, stir through to heat and serve.

So... what is the deal with me blogging about my dinner? Well, the real reason is, I am just noting down somewhere recipes that I might recycle later on. I am much too lazy to actually write them down in a book!

More Orchids!

My (Odd but..) Lovely Christmas Present

Christmas came early for me this year. While shopping for our couch (yes, it took us two years to finally buy a couch for the living room...), I was suddenly engrossed in a lazy chair that was hidden in a dusty corner of the shop. This was a shop that makes and sells furniture from rattan. Hubby saw the glitter in my eyes, and told Jennifer the shop owner, to include that in our purchase as well. He said "Merry Christmas my dear. Here's something for your endless lazy afternoon readings and hopefully somewhere to cradle our child in next time".

*Grins*

CLEAN! CLEAN! CLEAN!!!

I don't know what got into me. I think it must be a swarm of cleaning bug that got to me sometime this weekend.
I have been steadily cleaning up and tidying everything that needs cleaning and tidying. It is as though a wire snapped inside my head, telling me "THIS IS IT! You have to do this NOW!"
Yes, all those months of travelling and then being depressed and work had made me put aside those little things that needed to be done, but just never got done. The junk that was supposed to be thrown out, but never did and I kept cleaning the junk because it's there. But really, it is supposed to be thrown out! But no time! Later, I said. Later. Until today, that is.

i threw out all the rotten shoes, sent newspaper and plastic bottles to the recycling bins
That suitcase that lay unpacked for weeks, I unpacked, laundered and kept
The sheets in the guest room that had not been washed, I washed and are now hanging out to dry
The unused electrical appliances that are supposed to be kept, I kept.
Stacks of unopened bills and useless flyers - now filed or thrown out
Cushion covers for the throw pillows - when was the last time we washed them? - Cleaned now
The soles of the in-house slippers - must have collected so much dust over the months. Cleaned now
Small annoying stains around the rims of the stove that I said I would clean later (for the past year probably) - now cleaned!
The guest pillows that need airing and some sun - all outside now
Food stocked in the refrigerator that were untouched - I have been cooking and eating in for the past week
Crumbs underneath the toaster - cleaned
Water stains on the stainless steel sinks - cleaned
Dead leaves and goodness-knows-what behind the flower pots - swept and thrown out
Old pipes for the aquarium filter - thrown out and changed to new ones
Tiny weeds between the pavement, and little corners in the garden - painstakingly removed. Weeds be gone now!
Emptied my handbag, thrown out useless receipts and dockets

Ah... everything is sparkling now! I wonder if this phase will last. Hmm...

Hari Raya Aidiladha (Hari Raya Haji)

Today, the Muslim community celebrates Hari Raya Aidiladha. It is a smaller celebration compared to Aidilfitri, but I am sure, not less important.
For all my Muslim readers, Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha.

As for me, I am off to more cleaning and then spending the breezy afternoon curled up on the sofa watching the movie SEPI.

Back Together... SOON!

Hubby is again offshore, but this is his last trip out. He's due back this coming Thursday and I am looking forward to it :). We can have a more normal day-to-day life at last. I am so tired of being alone at home.

The Many Uninteresting Ways to Fill a Three-Day Weekend

It is yet another long weekend this weekend-this time it is Hari Raya Haji. I can see my Muslim neighbour's house across the road all lighted up tonight, blinking lights reflecting on my dog's nose :P
Surprisingly I have had hardly any rest nor moments of boredom this time. There are chores to be done, groceries to be bought, weeds to be pulled.... the possibilities are endless ! Mundane... but endless.

Hmmm... I am now reflecting on Whimsical's entry in her blog last week. I, too, am slowly evolving into an Ah-Soh...

Happy Belated Anniversary

Amidst the recent chaos of work and family emergency, was our little private anniversary celebration on Nov 17th. Hubby and I had a day out in Penang and a cosy dinner at Gurney Plaza.
The best thing about it? He got me a wonderful little present !!! Guess what??!!!!! The Cartier necklace that I was drooling over. :)))

Dinner Tonight - Roast Pork w/ Chives

I had a bunch of chives left over from dinner yesterday, so lunchtime today I dropped by the neighbourhood chicken rice shop to get some roast pork (Sio bak). Fry that with some garlic and toss in the chives...voila! Dinner in a jiffy. Yummy too.... not on top of the list for healthy but hey... for all the wholegrain bread and bunches of vege I take, a serving of roasted meat can't be too bad.

The Things That Matter

Almost everyone in the family returned home to Penang for Grandma's funeral and prayers. It was the rare occasion when everyone was in one place - having meals together, going places together - just being together. Now that the children are working elsewhere, we rarely ever meet. Aunties and uncles spend more time with their own expanding family. Mom and dad with us.
I missed those times of being together as one big family. It was almost festive-like last week. Even though the main reason was for a funeral, it was the one thing that brought us all back together. In a way, Grandma had always been the one reason everyone got together. We spoke of all the old days, living in the big kampung house in Alor Setar, of Chinese New Year eves together (we rarely do that nowadays with the family scattered all over the place), 'pai thnee kong' (prayer at midnight on the 8th day of the lunar New Year by Hokkien folks) nights when the kids got to stay up late, yummy dishes Grandma used to cook, the graffitti us kids drew on the walls of the old house and the never ending line of dogs we used to have... those are precious memories.
The kids are all grown up now and earning good lives away from home. But it is not the ability to jetset or buy that latest ridiculous gadget or that new dress that is in season that will give us eternal joy.
The things that really matter are usually free but priceless - and my family is on top of that list.

Dinner Tonight - Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

Thinking of Grandma....

...and home alone again... sigh...

In Loving Memory of Our Beloved Grandmother

My beloved grandmother (mommy's mother) passed away last Friday. It is such a devastating loss to all of us. Ah Mah had been the centre of all our lives for as long as I could remember. We are still grieving the loss, but hold the memory of her dearly within our hearts. I always consider myself the most fortunate of all grand-daughters to be able to have grown up in the shelter of her abundant love and affection. She was the most generous and kind person, and touched the lives of many many people beyond our own family members.
I will always miss my Ah Mah, and pray that she is now happier and even more blessed.

It's So Hard Sometimes

It feels as if these few months, fate is trying to test me. First, I had to go through my miscarriage and try to be strong while hubby couldn't come back in time, and now I am feeling so so so crappy, being sick and coughing my guts out - home alone again. It's not that hubby doesn't keep me company, but I just had to fall sick when he already made plans to return home. On top of that, I am really worried about my dear grandma who is now in the ICU in a critical condition, and the earliest I can return home to be with her is on Friday. I am stuck in a situation at work where it is just impossible for me to leave before Friday unless something really really really bad happens. Bad things are just falling on me at all the wrong moments.

Oh gosh... I wish I am not in this place all by myself most of the time. I wish I am closer to my family. I wish I can get away from the demands of this uninspiring job. I wish all these bad days will just go away :((((

TGIF!

Oh mah goodness! This has been a hectic week at work.. soooooooooooo glad it is finally over and I get to have a nice quiet weekend doing pointless window shopping, eat, sleep and more sleep... he he...
To kick it off, dinner out tonight. Yippee....

Dinner Tonight - Steamed Fish w/ Nyonya Sauce

With hubby back at home, dinners at home are now longer and less lonely :P. While for two weeks, whenever I ate at home, those were quickie dinners and quieter too. But for the next 3 weeks we can have dinner as a family - just the 2 of us. Tonight, I decided to steam the 'ikan merah' that I bought last week from the market. On work days, nothing beats pre-packed sauces; and tonight I feel like some spicy sour nyonya curry sauce. You can get those from any supermarket and grocery shops, my favorite brands are Uncle Sun's and Good Mum. For that little extra touch of home, I simmered the sauce for a little while with onion wedges, one diced tomato and a stick of lemon grass. Plus, a side vege dish sauteed with garlic and 'ikan bilis' (anchovies). Eating at home sure saves you some money...RM3 for the sauce, RM4 for the fish, RM2 for the vegetables...not even ten bucks!

My Favorite Wedding Moments

Looking back to a year ago and listening to our wedding song (Two Words by Lea Salonga), the memories came flooding back. Our wedding was held over two days in November last year. One day for the bridal pick up and Chinese tea ceremony, and the dinner over the next evening. Most of the two days went by in a blur, but there are moments that are etched in my memory and they will be there, always

I remember waking up feeling calm and excited all at the same time. And filled to the brim with happiness!

I could hardly sleep the night before, staring at my wedding gown and shoes all ready at the foot of my bed. Then in the morning when sunshine filtered through the window, illuminating the lace, I thought "Gosh! I am getting married today!"

Then, my aunty came through the door, carrying the most beautiful bouquet. She promised me they would be special for me, and they were....every single petal was perfect!

The fresh orchids for my hair! Aunty and I went to get those from the market a day earlier and they bloomed fresh and lovely. Makeup artist Mandy did a great job.

I always liked this picture, of my daddy so tenderly putting up the final touches to my door.

Sharing a moment with my dearest friends

My wonderful family - Daddy, Mommy & Big Brother

My friends had wanted to make the guys eat a whole bag of bananas....

...and ended up eating the bananas themselves! Gee, they gotta really work on their negotiation skills...

Hubby coming in to pick up his bride...

:)

I remember vividly the moment I saw the ballroom for the first time before the banquet. I remember being choked with emotions, and thinking how absolutely beautiful it was! The colors, the flowers... it was amazing. I remember at that exact moment, I thought to myself.. our wedding is going to be perfect!

Our emcees for the night - Angeline and Beng Hooi. Their opening words touched us deeply - thank you, you two!

"It is an honor to have good friends. But when good friends fall in love and decide to spend the rest of their lives together, we feel very priviledged to be apart of that story"

We were grateful for friends who travelled from afar just to share this special day with us

Need I say more? :) My wonderful hubby

My mommy's smile... :)

My daddy's smile... :)

Friends who have been with me since primary school, we share everything..bad times, and good times like this

And at the end of the day, it was the company of family members and good friends that made all the difference

Of course, my most favorite wedding moment....getting married to the most wonderful, kind, understanding, funny and loving person - my husband

.

Coming Up: Our Wedding Anniversary!

Our first wedding anniversary is coming up in 2 weeks! Wow... I can hardly believe it is now nearly a year since we tied the knot. And the best thing is, we will be in Penang on that day. What a pleasant coincidence ! Back to where we started....

Girl's Best Friend

Of course, apart from diamonds, anything pretty and blinky may do too. Or even bags. But let's get back to the main topic here...

When I was in KL this week, Wid and I went engagement ring shopping on behalf of a guy friend of ours who is currently stuck offshore and could not do it on his own. Anyway, with a certain given budget and specifics for the ring (that lucky lucky girl!!), Wid and I found ourselves in Tiffany and Co. and Cartier. While we couldn't deny that Tiffany and Co. had the kind of ring with the BLING factor that he's looking for (slightly over budget but what the heck....), we weren't exactly impressed with their manners and customer service. We were out of there within 20 minutes.

Then we dropped by Cartier just to have a look at their range and found ourselves stuck there for nearly an hour. For starters, the sales person was extremely nice and helpful, and most of all made us feel very comfortable being there (I mean, hey... it is not as if Cartier is our everyday shopping destination!). She gave us options, showed us different ideas for proposal to bring back to our friend and started a friendly chit chat with us. So if you are indeed considering dropping by Cartier KLCC, do look for Maybel.

And then, it caught my eye! It was a necklace with a pendant of two inter-twined rings in 18-carat rose gold. Simple, ridiculously priced... but oh so LOVELY! Sigh.....

I couldn't find an exact picture of it, but it looks somewhat like the 2008 Charity bracelet here, but instead of the red silk loop, the two rings are connected to a gold chain. And both rings are in gold. There are those in white gold too, but I do like the one in yellow or rose gold better. :)

P/S: We decided the engagement ring from Tiffany and Co. would give him that BLING factor that he wanted for the fiancee-to-be (again, luckyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy girll!!!). Cartier KL does not stock engagement rings. One has to order it off a catalogue from Singapore, or drop by Cartier Singapore.

Dinner Tonight - Instant Penang Prawn Mee

By the time I was done feeding the dogs, watering the garden (it didn't rain all 4 days when I was away) and showering, it was close to 7.30pm. My first thought of dinner was pizza delivery, but only to be disappointed when Pizza Hut said they do not deliver to my area. Hmmph!

Already clad in my 'been-through-100-cycles-in-the-machine' pyjamas, I wasn't in a mood to go change into 'fit-for-public-appearance' clothes. So that leaves what's left in the kitchen larder, which turned out to be instant noodles of some sort. I decided to cook myself instant Penang Prawn Mee from a packet. Relatively good on its own, but better if one makes a little extra effort. For tonight, a fistful of spring onions would do.

To add the extra ummph! to this instant noodles:

Boil some prawns with water. Drain cooked prawns and maintain the prawn stock.

Prepare a stock with pork/chicken ribs and the prawn stock. Better still if you have leftover bak-kut-teh soup.

With stock: Use the stock in place of water to cook the soup (add the seasonings from the instant noodles in the stock)

With bak-kut-teh: Use half portion of bak-kut-teh soup with another half portion of prawn stock. Boil together with the seasoning from the instant noodles.

Serve with cooked kangkung, shelled boiled prawns, sliced meat (pork/chicken) and fried onions. If you get the seasoning right, it tastes almost like the penang prawn noodles (hokkien mee) you get in Penang.

Back Home!

I spoke too soon in the last entry. Now, as I lie in bed typing this, I AM feeling tired. I have spent almost the whole of today travelling back from KL. Even though it is just a 2 hours and 15 minutes' flight from KL to Miri, my trip started at 11.30am today to KL Sentral, then 28 minutes to KLIA, after which I spent some time waiting for my flight at 2pm. Then, it got delayed to 2.40pm, I was in the air for 90 minutes to Kuching, in transit for 40 minutes, delayed again and finally landed in Miri at 5.40pm. Disembarking, walking out the gate, taxi ride home blah blah blah.... finally closed the door at home behind me at 6.35pm !! And that, in Miri was almost dark.

I cannot believe I have been doing this almost weekly for 5 years...

In Transit

I am blogging this from the Golden Lounge in KLIA while waiting for my 2pm flight back to Miri. I am excited to be going back to the comfort of my own home, but at the same time had reluctantly said my goodbyes to my friends. We had a nice chatty breakfast of pan mee (the best Szen swears!) at Chow Kit before dropping me off at KL Sentral.

I am surprisingly feeling very fresh and well rested for this trip. Probably the reason is because I spent Friday night bumming at Szen's house instead of running after the 8.40pm flight from KL to Miri - that is almost always delayed and causing me unnecessary mental anguish (from being upset about arriving past midnight at home).

I've had little bits of exciting treats in KL this week. Going to check out the food selection now, blog later.

P/S. Hubby will be back in 2 days! 48 hours! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee !

And They Never Judge....

Playing with the dogs today, I realized just how unconditional their love and affection for us is. They wag their tails without fail, greet me with the widest grin (well, it looks like a grin) and when they look at me with those big brown eyes, it just makes my heart melt. Dogs....they are indeed your best friends when all else fail.

Durian Season is Here!....at the Office ! HA!

I just had to sneak a quick one in here while I am lunching at my desk in the office. While walking to my car to pick up some things earlier, I saw a pick-up truck parked in our office lots and a whole lot of people crowding around the back. Someone was selling durians at the office carpark! OMG! I suspect that someone is an office staff with an orchard or something...

I thought it was hilarious...! This multinational company... and someone selling fruit in its carpark. Priceless !

Well, I could not snap a pic... for obvious reasons..... Ha ha ha!

KL City Here I Come...AGAIN

I have been Missing-in-Action from KL since the last Raya long weekend, after which I was on my long medical leave. That makes it err... almost one month! Well, that just means I have to make my way to KL again this week to check up on the consultants. But I'll stay over the weekend this time with girlfriend Szen and go do some girlie things perhaps. Besides, hubby is still away. Perhaps I might even check out the sales as described by Elaine in her recent post. A little window shopping is always good for the soul.

Hotel this week: Traders Kuala Lumpur
Breakfast: Great selection of food. I love the generous size of the mugs for my morning tea, and the widest selection of juices ever!
Room service: So-so only lah...
Sleep points: Top of my list! Most comfy smooth cotton sheets.
Location: Walking distance from KLCC, buggy service available

Dinner Tonight - Tofu w/ Minced Meat Sauce

Dinner at home again tonight. This time it is tofu with a sauce of minced meat, mushrooms, carrots, onion and garlic. Oh, and topped with home grown spring onions. Yummmmm!


Minced Meat Sauce:
Minced meat (chicken, pork or beef)
Dried shitake mushrooms - soaked
Carrots - diced
Onion and garlic - minced

- Fry onion and garlic until brown, add minced meat and stir fry till half liquid evaporates. Add a dash of fish sauce, oyster sauce, chinese cooking wine, pepper and a pinch of brown sugar. Thicken the sauce with corn starch and pour hot mixture over steamed tofu. Garnish with freshly chopped spring onions.

Travels in Europe

I am reading this book again because it made me laugh out loud when I read it 2 years ago. It might even help me with the current planning of our Europe trip next year.

Weird

I just woke up from a weirder than weird dream of being in a spa run by old fairy beings...

....

I Am An Offshore Wife

It is a lazy Sunday afternoon. While the sky is still overcast, there is some warmth from the sun that is penetrating through the clouds just enough to give a slight glare outside. But looking upwards, the threat of rain is still there.
I am slightly glad the weekend is almost over. Work starts tomorrow and that means from 7am till 5pm, my To-Do list is a no-brainer. And when I knock off from work, there is dinner to cook, the dogs to feed, dishes to wash and it will be time for telly and bed in a blink. Splendid.
Ah the long weekend. Most (if not all) people love it. But for me, it gets too draggy. More so, following events from a few weeks back. I suppose this is the life of an 'offshore wife'. Living in a small city so far away from family and hubby has to be away offshore on a regular basis. I don't even get to ring him because he works night shifts and on a rig, one does not really have the time to hang on the phone with wifey anyway. Sigh... I cannot wait for this year to be over, after which he will be back with a desk job.

*Offshore wife - spouse of a person who works offshore in the oil&gas business.

Monsoon

The Northeast monsoon season for East Malaysia is finally here. I hardly saw a speck of sunbeam all through today. It was all gray and cold and damp. Right now, I am sitting by my windows on the Easterly side of our home; it is raining hard and the breeze is blowing right in. I wonder if the dogs are dry and warm. Marley is probably crouched somewhere letting the rain beat her face - she's a strange one.

Quiet night again, dinner alone. I wonder if it is raining hard (or harder) offshore where hubby is. Monsoon out in the open seas on a oil rig can't be all that fun. Specially if one is not firmly stuck to the seabed. I know, I was on a work barge before and it totally sux! Good thing I don't get sea sick.

I think I will go sit in bed and watch telly now.

Blehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....

I

AM

SO

B O R E D .....

PRAGUE/VIENNA versus PARIS

Hmm the more I read about my options on the web, the farther I am getting away from Paris. Do I REEEEALLYY have to see the Louvre ?

New Addition

This is the new family member in my mini orchid shed. Please be good and try to survive and bloom like your siblings ok?

What a Beautiful Morning

Woke up today to the sound of raindrops on the roof. The sky is still dull and gray but I am loving it! It is one of those mornings when there is just enough sunlight to light up the day, but not piercing the eyes and there is a cool breeze blowing. I love watching the trees move in the breeze and listen to the leaves rustling.
What a beautiful morning today, and I am enjoying it with a cup of hot tea and buttered toast for breakfast.

Paris or Prague ?

Hubby and I are planning for a holiday next year - Paris or Prague. He will be in the Netherlands for a course for work, afterwhich I plan to join him there and begin our mini Europe holiday. I am so excited!

But hmmm... Paris or Prague ... ? Anyone ?

Dinner Tonight - Ladies Fingers and Pak Cheng Soup

It hasn't stop raining since early afternoon, so I decided to stay home and cook myself dinner instead of going out. Besides, my pot of 'pak cheng' soup had been brewing in the slow cooker since last night.I seem to recall reading somewhere and also heard from a friend that this soup of mixed chinese herbs (Dang Gui included) is good for strengthening the body after illness, particularly for women after losing iron in blood from menstruation or childbirth (or miscarriages for this case). So dinner tonight was 'pak cheng' soup with chicken, ladies finger stir-fried with garlic and dried shrimp and rice.Bon Apetit to me!