Garlic Baked Chicken

A simple recipe even guys will have no problem with! (all husbands reading this should surprise their wives with this fool proof recipe!)

Blend lots of garlic and onions together. Marinate the chicken with it, plus some salt and pepper overnight. I always think that rubbing the marinade into the chickies will make them seep in better. not sure how true that is!

Pop chickies into a preheated oven (180 degrees) for ~ 40-50 mins or until skin turns a crispy, golden brown. Keep spreading butter over the chicken throughout the baking time. and dont drool! the smell of butter is again ooo ahhhh :)

Make gravy with the leftover garlic and onions from the marinade. Just stir fry them with olive oil and add some cornstarch with water to thicken it. Salt and pepper to taste. My gravy came out slightly too salty but goes okay with rice :)

Add note: Girl Who Loves to Cook just did a roast too. Got lots of great tips from her site and its true! We should rub the marinade under chickie's skin and into the flesh for yummier taste. Also, i should wrap it in foil the next time and only remove foil when its almost done just to brown the skin.

Ultimate Butter Cake!

I have finally decided not to procrastinate anymore. And start putting my new oven to good use (meaning to bake goodies for my hubby who has been hinting no end.) Hmm... I have this bad of rushing into things and when i set my mind on something, i'd go the whole mile. This always makes me spend more than I should.

So even before i knew how to bake, i bought an oven, and all those baking necessities and tools - baking paper, whisk, greasing brush, measuring cup, weighing scale, measuring spoons ... and the list goes on! Thank goodness my parents gave me their baking trays and cake mixer or I would have spent another few rm$$$s. Starting on a new hobby sure is expensive.

Those things sat around neatly (and quietly) in my cupboard for ermm.... 3 months? he he

Anyway! TODAY i have broken my sluggishness and in just a wink, decided to BAKE A CAKE. Not just any cake mind you. Its the ULTIMATE BUTTER CAKE. Well, at least it says so on the site.

I'm more interested to tell you how my first attempt went. I measured everything to the dot, got all the utensils ready, fired up the oven.... was halfway creaming the butter and sugar when i realised.. gee, my cake mixer bowl is starting to look alarrming small.... the butter and sugar were starting to become real fluffy... and i havent even added the flour! ok.... I don't think the bowl is gonna be able to hold the whole recipe.

HEEELLPPPPP!!! this always happens to me. (tell u another day wat happened to the pasta i cooked for 15 ppl)

I quickly decided to separate everything into half - wasnt very accurate now coz i was panicking and all sorts of things were going through my mind. Wat if the oven overheats? should i turn it off? but i shouldnt mess with the temperature - its suppose to remain constant right? And i kept switching the mixer on and off, coz I couldnt decide WHEN to separate the mixture, before or after i add the eggs?

Boy, I did the best i could with half (or less) of a mind thinking straight. So in went the cakes and crossed went the fingers. This better be good. i have 2 blocks of SCS butter in there.

According to the recipe, the cakes were supposed to be done by 45-55mins. Mine didnt.

And it didnt until 30 mins later.

By this time, i pretty much accepted the fact that something musta gone pretty wrong. Nevertheless, the cake smelled really delicious! all that butter wafting out mmm hmmm. at least I can savour the smell.

Sliced the cake, took a bite and VOILA! it was delicious!! Rich, moist, buttery!

Hooray!

Feast your eyes on the pics.

Pan-fried salmon

doesnt that just make your mouth water?

that was my first attempt at cooking salmon. I saw them going cheap at my local grocer's and couldnt resist as they looked really pink and fresh. Checked with my good fren wl on how to cook it as I know she loves salmon. Easy! I didnt even need to marinate it. Just sprinkle lots of pepper, heat up some butter and pan fry it. Was a bit difficult to gadge when to flip it over coz the steak was quite thick in the middle.

Anyway, it turned out delish. the skin and outer layer was nice and crispy, and juicy on the inside.

I blanched some french beans, added olive oil and salt, tossed them together. Had some pumpkin so i cooked that too.

Have you ever wondered

Where do little birds go to rest in peace? I mean, cats like to make road kill of themselves. Honestly i think sometimes they just want to get banged over. The other day hubby and i were driving adn this cat was contemplating whether or not to cross and just as we were nearing it, YES! it decided that was the best time to cross! good grief.


too bad we didnt bang/drive over it. shoot.


anyway, back to my question.... where do lil birds to to die peacefully?






you dont see them as road kill..., you dont see them lying anywhere in fields or side alleys...

Yep. that's my balcony there. I found this little guy as I was watering my plants. I quite nearly freaked out coz of the odour (wasnt that bad) but it gave me quite a scare to find something dead in my balcony. Thank god it wasnt a rat!
Anyway, upon further inspection, i think it died of old age. See the position of its body? Its like it was just hopping around admiring my blooming plants then decided this would be a perfect place to spend the last few minutes of his life on earth.

Then he just plopped over and went to sleep.

I like to think my balcony was like a safe haven for the lil creature.

Hubby said my balcony's like a grave yard.

Extra Public Holiday!

PUTRAJAYA: May 2 has been declared an additional public holiday because both Wesak Day and Worker’s Day fell on May 1 this year.
Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohamed Sidek Hassan said in a statement that the declaration for an additional holiday was based on the Holidays Act and Holidays Ordinance for Peninsular Malaysia, Federal Territory of Labuan, Sabah and Sarawak.

Yippeee!

Men - Happier Creatures vs Women

In the midst of morning rush, in a company where 95% of its employees are middle aged women (u know wat i'm gg at right?) and colleagues who seem to have suddenly lost their ability to think straight when their boss (also my boss)is on mc (again), my hubby sent a delightful article to me....

Ahem ;)
Men are just happier people. What do you expect from such simple creatures? Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another snack. You can be President. You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park. Car mechanics tell you the truth. The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another petrol station toilet because this one is just too dirty. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt. Same work, more pay. Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress costs £1500. A Tux rental is only £100. People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them. The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet. You have one mood all the time. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend. Your underwear is £7.00 for a three-pack. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes. Everything on your face stays its original colour. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face and neck. You can play with toys all your life. Your belly usually hides your big hips. You need only one wallet and one pair of shoes. You want only one colour for all seasons. You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look! You can "do" your nails with a penknife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a moustache. You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes. You don't freak out when you go to a party and see another man wearing the same shirt, instead you become buddies.

No WONDER men are happier...

Being a parent

has got to be the most demanding, selfless job out there. We're talking 24/7 here, not 8 hours, 5-days walk in the park. Its a LIFE LONG COMMITMENT. First you gotta deal with them as babies - sleepless nights, wiping off their poo, bathing, feeding... Then you gotta deal with them as kids - more yelling, tantrums, daredevil antics which grips your heart in fear and puts u on your toes all the time. Then you gotta deal with them as teenagers - curfews, spending off your hard earned money just to find their way to fit in the' crowd'. And then all of a sudden, they're all grown up and are leaving the nest. Sigh. (or is it FINALLY!?) hee hee

What a journey.

One of my siblings is not your normal "teenage kid with issues". I'd say he's just different. So the way he responds or rather reacts to things is a little more extreme than your regular kid. My parents have been struggling for many years now - bouts of tantrums bourne out of frustration and constant feelings of inadequacy, put together with my parents' limited patience after all these years - is just about to tip the boiling pot now.

To my parents, I know things havent gotten easier. I'm sorry I'm not home much and even when i am, there's isnt much time. You're doing your best and I think you just need to be assured that God has a plan for him and its not just a hopeless trial. We know this is one of your toughest 'cross' (as dad always puts it *smile*) BUT you have raised us all 3 to be good kids with wholesome principles. We know right from wrong. Being different is not wrong, it just makes things confusing, difficult to handle and understand.

Take heart coz God is with us in our family and he will bring peace and comfort during your toughest moments.

Appraisal

I did a funny or rather uncommon thing last week. I asked my subordinates to appraise me, their boss. haha..

WELL, i just got their replies, all typed out and sealed in envelopes to conceal their identity (yea got em fooled! i know them well enough to know their writing styles).

Anyway, the whole idea of this exercise was to get some insight into how they find or feel about the way i've established their responsibilities, our team's work flow in management of current products and development of new products.

As expected, some were frank and gave constructive comments, whereas some didnt really put in quite the effort i hoped for. I was a bit disappointed there nevertheless, they all did agree on one thing - that I am efficient and decisive. (phew - bosses need affirmation too). One did comment that I am a perfectionist and it does drive her off the wall at times.

that's a problem that's been nagging at me lately. I have a terrible desire to get things done down to every single detail. I can't stand messy reports (even though data is most of the times accurate), i can't stand copies written without proper formats and I can't stand overlooks of procedures or incomplete filing and i can't stand delays!!! I guess the big part of it is due to my company's working culture. Make one mistake, miss out 1 procedure or a written email (proof that will need to be dug out one day) and someone out there, one day will pounce on you! Trust me, there are many nasty people out there.

Being a perfectionist is pure agony...

I drive myself nuts
I drive people nuts

SIGH
Anyone out there like me?

Pangkor Laut II

Here are more pics from our trip.

I like this close up pix a lot and think i'll blow and frame it up in our hall. Its actually the outer side wall of the jacuzzi in the pool area. The rocks used are in different shades but still maintain a very natural look. The effect of water cascading and bouncing off the rocks give an energetic feel to the entire pix. If you ever go to Pangkor Laut, see if you can spot where this pix is taken. *wink* There are lots of beautiful pixs to take if you are on the lookout.


View from our balcony

As you enter...

The bathtub to relax in

the sea villas... (with the crooked foundation ..)

Pangkor Laut

I just came back from a perfectly GORGEOUS holiday... Pangkor Laut certainly delivered what I hoped and expected.

Resort was beautiful, food was excellent and even though it was a school holiday, it was wonderfully peaceful. Guess coz this is more of a "honeymoon" destination. :)

We got up really early one morning - 6am (on a holiday!) just to catch the sunrise. Totally worth it!

Breathtaking sunrise

Sundown....

I love the architecture and landscaping of the resort too..

AND the food here is to die for!!! Total package was rm2.5K (4D/3N) inclusive of all meals. Brekkie was buffet style, lunch and dinner were ala carte but you could order anything so we both went for the full course - appetizers, mains and dessert. Our lunches (published price on the menu) and dinners averaged rm350/meal and one of the dinners cost up to rm 500! Wow, thank God we came via package so we both felt it was even more worth it! haha! 3 dinners and 3 lunches would have easily cost us rm1.8K! heh. SO to show you how good the food was, feast your eyes...

1st lunch @ Royal Bay Beach Club:

Caeser's salad for me. delicious! Fresh, crunchy lettuce with shreds of parmesan, croutons, sundried tomatoes, topped with fried garlic (rm45)

Nicoise salad for hubby - beef chunks at the side, tuna marinated with vinegar, cucumber, tomatoes and fresh lettuce. Hubby said it looked better than it tasted but i'm a sucker for presentation. hehe. (rm45)

Pizza for me: Galileo its called, dunno why but it sure was yummers. Its the thin crust, AUTHENTIC kind which i like vs Pizza Hut's 1inch thick bread (that's how they make you feel full while stinging on the toppings). galileo's topped with minced beef, generous amount of cheese and sundried tomatoes. mm hmmm. (rm42)

Hubby's Prime Beef Burger. Hubby's said the beef was juicy and delish, onion rings at the side were good too but the pickles were odd.. didnt touch it much. (rm50 - er i think. can't really remember)

We had ice cream and it was really good - if you ever go to Pangkor Laut you must finish every meal with their ice cream. The ppl don't really know the brand but they did say its imported from Switzerland. 2 scoops would cost you rm19.

NEXT.

1st Dinner @ Uncle Lim's.

Complimentary soup of the day. Crabmeat with eggs - absolutely delicious

Steamed seabass with ginger and soy sauce. I liked it but hubby said the fish was a bit dry.


House specialty: Deep fried soft shell crabs. Wasnt crispy enough but ok-la. not much of a fan but hubb's wanted something 'fried'.

Spicy scallops with asparagus.

We had veg too - just siew pak choy which came in a really big plate..

Needless to say, our gluttony won over reason...

Total bill came up to a cool rm500+

(opens eyes big big)