Back to Routine

Back from the trip, back with muffins & coffee in the morning to start the day. The baking pan was bought in Hong Kong. I thought of giving it a try.

A Little Note From Tioman Trip

This baby turtle was one of those that were released to the ocean as part of the conservation program by students who were in Tioman on their study trip. Engaging in many exciting activities including kayaking and trekking, these students stayed in Tioman for six days.

Waroeng Betawi

An Indonesian food stall was set up at school last night, selling quite an extensive selection of local food, including nasi kuning (yellow rice) and bakso (meatballs soup served with noodles). The stall was named "Waroeng Betawi", loosely translated as old Jakarta foodstall. Business looked great, the money was for charity though!

Soup of the Night

Very inviting soup (to some people), home-made pork balls with bamboo shoots, a modification of what my grandma used to make.

A Little Lunch Adventure

I am always interested in trying something new, going to places I have never been and trying out food at the restaurants that I have never gone to.

I had lunch at this place before, Corduroy & Finch, with a friend, Pat. It was a while back so this was not exactly my first time there. This restaurant is just around the corner, it only takes a couple of minutes to get there. There were some other restaurants in that block too, which include Shanghai Kitchen and an Italian restaurant, a cafe, etc. Didn't pay much attention, so I couldn't really tell exactly what's in there. It was after 1:30 PM, only three tables on the first floor were occupied. We had antipasti first and my main entree was the catch of the day, charcoal grilled sea bream on mashed potatoes. It was just good, just a little bit too much my my stomach. Shouldn't have the appetiser....????



And the sea bream is here:

Dinner Time - Green Curry Chicken

And now, for dinner - we have Thai green curry chicken. Spicy and delicious and it's just perfect for very hungry and tired teenagers, who have been out from 7:15 in the morning. That's almost 12 hours ago..... Anything at all should taste good, as long they are edible.

Freshly Baked Apricot & Cheese Muffins

I have been given some hints that someone in the house was longing for this apricot muffins. Knowing that half of the family members is not into this, I decided to please them with cheese...glorious cheese.



The apricot ones have moderate enough fillings. There was temptation to add more, but I do not want the jam to overflow the muffins. No flooding necessary.

From The Kitchen

I must admit, that the main reason that I fried prawn crackers yesterday was because I was craving to take picture of them. I had the concept in my head and I wouldn't be able to sleep until I execute it. I was quite pleased with the result.



I made my first attempt to cook Chinese style beef brisket, the key ingredients, I think, were anise seeds and sichuan peppercorn. Interestingly, I never prepared any dish with those two prior to this. The result was not too bad, but I know how to improve the taste next time, if I get the chance to make them again.

California Part 3

We love San Francisco. It's always a great place to visit, so much to see, so much to do, so much to shop for as well, just carry along your cash & plastic cards.

Golden Gate is a must.




Palace of The Fine Arts is a beautiful place to see too.




Pier 39 - Fisherman Wharf -not to be missed.

California Part 2

This is long overdue. California in July is all about hot sun, beautiful blue sky and traffic jam around LA. Palm trees here and there, find them outside Universal Studios.





San Diego was lovely, too bad we only stayed there for two nights and didn't manage to explore much of the city. The children certainly appreciated Sea World, after finding the crowds at Disneyland and its sister park were overwhelming. They had a blast, a different kind blast than the happiest place on earth Disneyland.





We also had a lovely dinner at the fish market nearby.