Productive Weekend

This weekend finally got to try the Rendang mix I brought back from my trip to Singapore last August.  This was my first attempt and being a newby, I plunged right ahead and this was the result.

The result was slight on the dry side.  It went well with rice.  Will probably allow more time to slow cook and leave some gravy for the rice.  My son, loved it and will try again soon.  

Step one,  I fried the beef with some sunflower oil, then I added the Rendang mix.  

Step two, after stirring and getting the beef well mixed, I added 400gms of water.  Perhaps next time I will either add milk or cocomut milk.

Step three, slow cook for 45 minutes.

Cooked 10 more minutes before serving.

Thanks for checking out this blog... will be back soon.

Happy New Year!

Here´s wishing all my dear friends a Happy and Prosperous New Year.  We are preparing for another big celebration... this time it will happen on the 10th of February and we will be welcoming the Year of the Snake.  Wish the dragon could linger a little longer.

Most Asians are shopping and getting the house spring cleaned for the New Year.  Baking, toasting, barbequing, the sweet meat, cakes, rolls , you name it all will be ready for the big day.  On the eve, families will gather around for a big reunion dinner.  The festive mood goes on for more than three days.  People visit and exchange red packets with money inside...they exchange oranges as a symbol of "kam" Cantonese for gold.

Chinese New Year is a joyous time for young and old alike.  The young ones get the money packets while the old ones count the number of grandchildren she has to prepare for.  Gandparents dot on their little ones and grown up ones as well.  Most prominent questions will be "are you attached?", or are you looking,etc.

Hope the new year will be another productive year and bring abundant blessings upon your household.  May the good spirits watch over your house and loved ones protecting them from harm and giving them the strengthen to bear the challenges of the new year.  God bless and have a great year.

GONGSIFA CAI

Do you kowtow to your boss all the time ?

Was  kinda down this weekend.  Cleaned the office, kitchen area, bathroom and eating area at work.  Boss wasn´t happy, said that I had missed the table.  I retorted back and said that he was always criticizing my work.  He went on the defensive and said things like he paid me so much and wants perfect work.  Well, in actual fact, I am not paid much and I do all the dirty work while his sister sits on her big behind and socializes with friends while at work.etc.etc.

Am getting over it now... felt better this morning.  Sorry, can´t post any nice things this day.   But nevertheless have a nice week.  God bless.

Back from Singapore

 On the weekend of National Day, my brother-in-law drove us over the causeway for some really delicious Korean Bar-B-Que.  There are appetizers from the popular kimchee to other vege delights.  The meal was finished off with fruit or ginger tea.

Our morning walk with former colleagues of Temasek Polytechnic.  I was the only one unprepared for the walk.  So next year, I will have sneakers for the morning adventure.

 The walk started from Great World and we followed the Singapore River to its mouth at the Fullerton Hotel and we had to make a quick U turn because one of our colleagues had an important meeting that morning.

 My first big meal with mom and my siblings.  Dinner in open air in one of the many neighborhood eating places.  Economical and delicious, that feed nearly ten people and did not burn a big hole in my sisters´pockets.

Breakfast of mee rebus at Toast Box.  Barley cooling drink for breakfast.

Eating dinner at the Food Republic at 313 Somerset.  Perhaps one of the most central getaway where they serve delicious local fare and great atmosphere to catch up with old friends.

A visit to Singapore must have chilli crab.  Spent en evening with dear friends at Sentosa Seafood Republic.  Great company and great food, was pleased.

Singapore also boast a mix of great Japanese restaurants, Spanish, Italian, Korean, Chinese restaurants.  I skipped the dim sum from DinTai something because I was never lack of good dim sum in Singapore... still great dim sum you still have to head for Hong Kong!!!

Heading to Singapore for Vacation

Dear Friends and family,

I leave tonight at midnight to catch a bus to Madrid and from there a plane to Dubai.
I will be visiting my mom and Singapore family for the month of August.  This trip, I am unfortunately going alone.  Wish I could take my family with me, but we had a great time last year.  We went as a family.  Our two older kids had a great time because it was their first time back to Singapore after being away for twelve years!!!
This trip is both recreation and adventure.  I will be scouting for new and exciting dishes and learning to cook them myself.
Have a great vacation everyone see you soon in my blog!

Where did my weekend go?

As they say, "Time flies when you are having fun!"  And especially during the weekend.  We are already summer heat of 37 degrees... had to drink lots of water and lemonade to cool down.
On Saturday, helped clean the stake center and found a lot of discrepancies.  Things were not properly organized so we made do with whatever we could find.  Finished cleaning in one hour.  Jonas and Henry came and helped as well.
Sunday night, fixed glutinous rice with dried shrimp and pork.  What was missing was shitake mushrooms. (Will include foto in my next cooking attempt)
A wise advice is not to eat it before sleeping, it takes a long time to digest.  Glutinous rice is good for breakfast or lunch.  The rice harvesters in Thailand would pack glutinous rice in the mornings and stay at the rice paddies and not return home until sundown.  Or there is a vendor on his little motorbike selling glutinous rice steamed in bamboo.  So when you buy them at the paddy fields he will split them open and you can eat it with some packed condiments or fried fish, etc.  They spend the whole day at the paddy fields and no time to go home for lunch!
A word of thanks to my friends who have seen my blog.  Please leave a comment next time adios for now.

Fabulous Weekend

 Saturday morning, woke up to a beautiful sunrise.  This is the view from our bedroom window!  The view is overlooking an artificial park with lots of rose bushes and  coniferous trees.

 I woke up early,so  I had some time to spare. I fixed french toast for the family.  Since there were so much bread accumulated during the week, I decided to put the bread and some eggs to good use.  I used farm fresh eggs given to us by Ana´s uncle who likes to buy ecofresh eggs.  With three eggs, some milk and a pinch of salt, the mixture was ready for some bread dunking.  I had the frying pan warmed up with a few drops of vegetable oil and within a few minutes, I had a batch of french toast for breakfast.  We used imitation maple syrup for the topping.  Those of you who are lucky, there is nothing like Aunt Jemima´s syrup.  I went to work this morning with a smile on my face and greeting the morning with a yelp of joy!

Sunday dinner was a simple affair with Broccoli and chicken.  Since we had some left over bamboo shoots from the other dinner, I threw everything into the mix.  But first, I marinated the chicken with oyster sauce, ginger, garlic, wine and some sesame oil.  Next I heat the wok and add two tablespoons of peanut cooking oil.  The best cooking oil in the world.  For the sauce, I added a cube of Avecrem and a teaspoon of cornstarch.