下厨乐

好久没和妈妈一起下厨了。还记得小时候，妈妈在煮菜时我只能充当她的助手。就是帮忙切菜或清洗的工作。因为是左撇子的关系，常常被她说成‘左手左脚’（在粤语意思为反应不灵活，笨拙）。虽然很少有机会站在炉前，但是却没有阻挡我喜欢当小助手的心。现在虽然不能算很会煮（煮是一门很大的学问，还有待学习），但是要准备一顿菜肴倒不是问题。:P 总算可以好好煮一些菜肴孝敬妈妈了以补偿我不在您身边的日子。

乳酪焙蛋

小小的蛋在填饱我们的胃之余，也照顾到我们的健康。蛋可说是和我们的生活息息相关。每天我都得为该准备什么菜肴而伤脑筋。不过这也是烹饪最享受的地方。因为有人对吃的要求而使你绞尽脑汁去创新。吃本来就是一种享受。鸡蛋几乎成了每天的桌上主角。鸡蛋的做法不外乎用来炒，煮，煎，蒸，炖或配搭其他菜。煮蛋可说是其中一种蛮健康的烹调方法。今天我要准备的是一道乳酪焙蛋。

材料：鸡蛋4个（eggs），肉干或培根（bacon），牛油（butter），蛋黄酱（mayonnaise），乳酪丝（shredded cheese）
调味料：盐（salt），胡椒粉（pepper）
做法：
1. 鸡蛋煮熟后泡冷水剥壳，对半切开，并挖出蛋黄；肉干切小块，（我就地取材所以用肉干，你也可用培根并炒香）。
2. 蛋黄放入大碗里搅烂，然后加入适量的牛油，蛋黄酱，盐，胡椒粉搅拌均匀。
3. 将蛋黄合物填入蛋白中，撒入适量的肉干丝和乳酪丝。
4. 烤箱预热至175度，放入成品烤约5分钟，不须太旧，待乳酪溶化，即可取出。

Method:
1. Boil eggs and cool in cold water before shelling. Cut into halves and dig out the egg yolks. Cut bacon into small pieces and fry till fragrant.
2. Place egg yolks into a big bowl and mash well. Add in butter, mayonnaise, salt and pepper and mix well.
3. Fill the egg white with egg yolk mixture and scatter with some bacon and shredded cheese.
4. Preheat oven to 175 degree Celsius. Place the stuffed eggs in and bake for about 5 minutes. Once the cheese is melted, remove and serve.

Bread pudding - first attempt

What do you normally do with your almost expired bread when you are fed up with sandwiches? Do you go and feed the fish or throw them away? It is too wasteful to throw them away so I decided to make bread pudding with them instead. I came across few bread pudding recipes from Internet before I really start to make it. I found an easy and simple recipe so I decided to give it a try.

The fun of cooking is you are always the boss, you don't need to follow what exactly the recipes saying but just make sure don't screw up. That's why people says cooking is a kind of art and you have to be very creative to be a cook.

Ingredient

6 slices of bread or more or you can use french bread. If you are using slices of bread, cut them into squares.

3 tbsp of unsalted or salted butter. Salted butter taste better.

200 ml milk (you may need more milk to completely soak the bread)

2 eggs

a handful of raisins

2-3 tablespoon of sugar (white or brown, depending on taste preference)

1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon (optional if you don't like the taste)

mozzarella cheese - optional. It is to cover the top if you prefer cheesy like pizza.

Method

1) Heat the milk over medium heat saucepan. Combine butter and milk, stirring until butter is melted. Cool to lukewarm.

2) Combine sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla essence. Beat with the mixer (it will save you a lot of effort if you have an electric mixer) and slowly add in milk mixture.

3) Place bread in a lightly greased 1 1/2 quart casserole. You may spread some butter on the bread.

4) Sprinkle with raisins or any dried fruits. Pour the batter on top of bread.

5) Lastly sprinkle some mozzarella and granulated sugar on top. The granulated sugar will give it a nice sheen after baking. (Optional)

6) Bake at 200 degrees C for about 45-50 minutes or until set. Serve warm.

The warm pudding will taste even nicer if you serve it with some ice-cream or bread pudding sauce. Isn't it easy? Basically only 3 steps - Soak the bread, bake it and serve. :-)

Yes, I do

Today we begin the rest of our life
Together forever as husband and wife.
It is never being too old to hold hands.

It is at no time taking the other for granted;
the courtship should not end with the honeymoon,
it should continue through all the years.

It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude
of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.

It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating
gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not expecting the husband to wear a halo or the wife to have wings of an angel.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.

It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humor.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.

It is finding room for the things of the spirit.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.
It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.

I was suppose to post this up last months, but I was busy with the wedding preparation.
Sorry for the late announcement about my wedding which held last month. Shock and surprise are the feedback from my friends when they knew I have got married. The marriage is simple but ended with holy and the wedding dinner only held in my hometown - Miri, Sarawak.

旧的不去，新的不来

今天一早发现自己鞋架上的几双跑步鞋不翼而飞，心想有没有搞错，竟然连偷四双，而且他还真会选，偷了我的三双运动鞋和一双闲鞋。有俩双还蛮新的，不过有俩双的鞋底已经接近磨平，只是我觉的它还可以穿，所以迟迟都不舍得丢掉。人是有感情的，它可是陪我参加过无数的路跑，走过无数的路，尤其它陪我见证过不少的地方和事物。不过，我会记得你曾经陪伴过我的日子，不会因为你不在了而把你忘掉。庆辛的他没把我的爬山鞋和羽球鞋给偷去。真是不辛中的大辛。也好，旧的不去，新的不来，是时候买一双新鞋给自己作为圣诞礼物了。再见了nike pegasus, adidas & new balance.希望新的主人会好好爱惜你。

Jogging

Sorry for not updating my blog this few months. I was like disappear from the running community. I didn't take part any race nor even run on my own. My legs are as heavy as stone when I just walk uphill. Very depressing. Life is like a mess now. Where is my determination...

Bali trip Part II

Marvellous! Kintamani - in the centre of Bali. It is the highlight of the trip. The scenic view of a fresh mountain air and the active Batur volcano.

Have a coffee break. I still prefer Malaysia coffee than Bali coffee in term of the delicious aroma from the cooked coffee. Guess what is the cinnamon for? It is used for stirring the drink and the spoon is to hold lump sugar. :P

Let me stop by Pura Tirta Empul for a bath. This temple is one of the six most important temples in Bali. The name 'Tirta Empul' signifies a crystal clear stream which is used as the holy water for various religious ceremony. The water believed to be the source of life and prosperity. Inside the inner sanctum, there are a number of bathing pools for the Hindus.


The exquisite twin shrines and split gate, very common in most temples or places in Bali.

A huge open air complex in the courtyard where you could take a seat and do nothing.

The beautiful rice terrace unfolding from the foot of mountain until the coastal side.

Alas Kedaton, a famous monkey forest in Bali located in Tabanan Regency, west part of Bali . It is about 1 hour drives from Denpasar town and it is situated in the middle of rice field. This forest is dwelt by the group of monkeys, bats and other wild animals.
The monkeys in Alas Kedaton are very tame and free gallivanting in the temple yard, playing around and scrambling of food.

The colony of bats can be seen on the day and they usually hang on the top of trees. Most of the bats here own the big wing and mostly eat any kind fruit.

Bali eye

Nusa Dua vs Kuta Beach
I decided to get around Bali with a motorcycle for the last day in Bali.
First stop, Nusa Dua. It is an elite resort area with international five star hotels and resorts existing on the coastal side in south part of Bali.

Nusa Dua Entrance Monument


Nusa Dua is designed to make guests feel comfortable in every way possible. As well as fantastic resort facilities, every effort has been made to eliminate factors that may hinder a guest's enjoyment. All main access routes to the Nusa Dua complex have a ‘gate’, which staffed by security staff, stopping vehicles to check on people coming and going. As a private complex, locals are not allowed to sell trinkets, set up a handicrafts store on the side walk or drag a bakso cart around. This area is more quiet than Kuta beach.

Well, a lot of squirrels which live happily here. They are so relax and do not afraid of people.

Oh yeah, a low cost and open air massage.




The gate to water blow.

Special menu for lunch Hot plate suckling pig + 3 satay with rice and soup costs me Rp. 30,000.

How can I forgot the Balinese massage and spa.


Stop by Kuta beach in the evening - Kuta is the most famous tourist places in Bali. The spectacular of white sandy beach, surfing paradise, several hotels from luxury to budget hotels are available, hilarious nightlife, plenty of restaurants with international cuisine, bars, pub, Water Boom Park and shopping center. This is the ideal place to mingle with locals as well as visitors abroad.

What are they eating? Bakso. A delightful meatball and noodle soup, served up fresh for Rp 5,000 only.
Hair styling.

Despite of countless Hindu temples in Bali, I can still see Chinese temple and church.

End my day with a sumptuous western dinner.