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...