Introducing the new Nokia N8

Should this be my new love?? Can't wait to check out....!

Struggle of a single human being

29 and single ain't easy! Pressure is high until I feel I want to explode! I am blessed with good life, good career and great friends and family. But of course, more is expected of you by this age ie. having a family of your own.. Everywhere I go.. "so now that you are already at this stage of life and career, and when are you moving to the next step.. ie. wife and mother?" All I can do.. smile and say... next year! (Have been saying next year for the past few years though!) Hahaha.. what other answers can I give? 

Just please understand, I am not against it.. THE THING IS.. it's complicated. Ain't gonna elaborate here but please just wait.. If there is news, will tell the world about it... Meanwhile chill and leave me alone?! 

p/s: more bonus questions will be expected once one is married ie... when are u going to have a baby? when are you having a second/third/forth etc baby? when is your kid getting married? You see.. we are surrounded by too many concerned and caring people who want us to be happy and they've forgotten that by asking these questions, they add more ache and pain then help...

Not Meant To Be?

Hmm.. blessing in disguise.. So we say.. and we guess what is the blessing.. Yes, I am still talking about my missing/stolen iPhone. I am over it but.. still can't stop talking about it..

Without a doubt, I need to buy a new phone. But what I am thinking about is now.. which one? Buy another iPhone or buy a different phone... a smartphone I guess so that I can still continue my contract with Maxis...

That brings me to think why did I want an iPhone so badly.. Is it for the style? Is it because it's the trends? I was stupid enough to think that I need it because I am a Mac user and that's the only phone that can synchronize well with my macbook.. THE THING IS... I am so wrong! I just realized there are a lot of phones these days that can synchronize well with macbook.. without additional cost using iSync (a software that has been readily available in my macbook)

So, I was looking at other phones now.. and I am eyeing on Nokia N8.. I think it is worth buying... so battle between iPhone and N8.. who will win my heart???

Not a very "happy" birthday..

Thanks a lot for all the birthday wishes.. good wishes of course.. for my happiness, blessed life, wishes to come true etc...

But! It was the most depressing birthday.. as you would know by now, I lost my love of my life.. on the very same week. So, I was mourning the whole week..

The morning of my birthday, I felt empty, sad, and lost. At work I was very irritable and felt like screaming and shouting at all the house officers and.. patients too. Fortunately, I could still control myself not to do it to patients.. but to some of the house officers.. sorry, man! If you guys dun buck up by next week... disciplinary actions will be taken. And I am serious!

So the whole Friday was totally a gloomy day.. I let it get into me.. I got too carried away.. Then I realised, why am I letting this get into me so deeply. Yes, I love it so much.. It's something that I have always wanted. I enjoyed and no regrets on the effort I made to get it. But sometimes, God is just testing you on how one would handle a loss.. Luckily this is an object.. What it is someone I love....? Hopefully that will not happen in the near future.. Amin.

The thing is.. life is never perfect.. There will always be challenges and obstacles to face. I think I have been lucky and blessed enough on how I have been tested....

"God does not impose on any soul a responsibility beyond its ability. Every soul receives whatever it gains and is liable for whatever it does. Lord, do not hold us responsible for our forgetfulness and mistakes. Lord, do not lay upon us that burden You laid on those who lived before us. Lord, do not lay on us what we cannot afford. Ignore and forgive our sins. Have mercy on us. You are our Lord. Help us against the unbelievers." (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 286)

To all my family and friends.. thanks so much for the support and empathy. You all know me so well on how "it" meant to me...

So, it's time to cheer up and be a bit more careful next time.

Frustrated like #!*#!*^?!!!!!!

I am very sad today.. and frustrated... I have lost something that I really like and love.. especially the way I have lost it.. I lost my iPhone!!!!

I have "worked" very hard for it.. but I spent so little time with it.. about 3 weeks. Moments I have spent with it was so great and I don't think anything else can replace it.. and I am still in denial....... (hoping for someone to return it back to me.. )

Oh, dear iPhone.. please come back to me..
Oh, dear people who have "accidentally" taken it.. please return it back to me..
Oh, dear Maxis.. please be kind to me, let me buy the phone at cheaper price and do not have to wait for the queue.
Oh, dear Mr IO (Investigating Officer).. please locate my phone..
Last but not least.. Oh, dear Allah.. give me strength to accept this..

(Okay.. I am being too dramatic.. can't help it..)

How bad this may look.. I am sure there is blessing indisguise.. Thank you Allah..

For healthy living..

Thanks, Supernova! She introduced me to this kewl website.. So many tips on health and weight management. The best part.. the recipes.. the meal planner. So, dieting is not about not eating.. but it is about eating right:

• portion control
• choosing the right ingredients
• eat regularly - 3 main meals and 2 snacks

So I recommend you to drop by this site and register.. You don't have to crack your head choosing menu etc. They provide the meal plan for the week and recipes too!

Visit.. Everyday Health at http://www.everydayhealth.com

Can't wait to try the recipes..!

Good morning.. Time for healthy cooking!

This new addiction can be fatal.. yes, baking and cooking can be fatal! Especially to others as I like to see other people to eat. At the moment, the whole family.. brother, sister, SIL, BIL and even my mom are trying to adapt "healthy lifestyle". Running obesity clinic gives me more motivation to comply to it. So, everytime I say I want to bake something.. my SIL will say, "Oh, no! We will fat!"

My SIL and I were successful in turning down (oh, acutally we couldn't resist taking 1 spoon) chocolate lava from Chef & Brew. It's our favourite desert and so yummy.. we decided to just see the kids enjoying it until I had to stop feeding my niece... Afraid of taking the spoon and feed myself than her!

So, don't worry SIL.. I baked something healthy today.. Pumpkin Muffin. I took this recipe from Kitchen Stewardship. The motto of this website is good and logical - Balancing God's Gift.. Some people would say.. "We live only once.. why think so much of the calorie, fat etc.. Not good to waste.. Now that we are healthy we should enjoy the food.. Nikmat yang Allah berikan etc... When we are sick, we will not be able to enjoy it" BUT STOP! THE THING IS.. Food is not the only nikmat/goodness that Allah gives us. How about health and strength? So, be careful when you want to use religion to defend your action. Look at it this way.. WE EAT TO LIVE AND NOT LIVE TO EAT. Practise how out Prophet ate. Remember to enjoy all the nikmat given to us.. food, sleep, health, strength, wealth, love... lists will just go to infernity..

Coming back to the recipe.. very simple!

Ingredients:

Mix together and allow to rest (soak) overnight at room temperature:

• 1 2/3 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1 c. pureed pumpkin
• 3/4 c. water + 2 Tbs buttermilk or plain yogurt
• 1/2 c. melted butter

Do make sure your butter is cooled a bit before mixing in, and pour while mixing so the colder ingredients don’t harden up the butter.

When ready to bake, add:

• 1 cup sugar or natural granular alternative
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Method: Pour into muffin cups and bake 45 minutes at 325 degrees F.  They’ll be a bit more moist than you’re used to with the “toothpick test”.  Do not overbake!  Allow to rest 5 minutes in the tins, then tip out to cool on racks.

Have a good time enjoying it!

So kiasu..

Moment I have been waiting arrived on 24th September 2010! iPhone4 collection day! (I actually typed this post the next day I got it.. but had problems with my internet connection at home) By now, some of my friends would be bored to hear about my iPhone4 drama.. hehe

I was on leave on 24th September for other reason but I squeeze some time.. Ok that's an understatement... I squeezed a lot of time to collect the iPhone..

I do not why I felt that I needed iPhone asap which led me to spending a lot time, money n effort to literally wait for the iPhone in the Gardens!

I waited 8 hours from time I got my number to pick up the gadget and spent RM 20 over for parking!(that's bcos the parking was so full that I decided to park at the valet parking... Hehe).

I didn't go home as fear tht I'll lose the parking space. So that was the longest outing in midvalley/gardens.

So, what did I do? Plenty of things!

The moment I got my no.. 3884.. So from the start they already told us "At least 3 hours waiting time before you will be served.." So I thought, maybe not too bad.. It was 3 pm and I estimated that I want to go back there by 6 pm..

I headed back to megamall.. trying to figure how should I spend that 3 hours.. Movie.. no interesting movies and I might miss praying time etc.. Not in the mood for shopping, especially when you are about to burst your pocket to buy iPhone4. Found a hair salon.. never ever been to one like this before... So there you go, I spent almost 2 hours doing beautification stuff.. haha.

It was still early when I was done with it.. Strolling around aimlessly.. didn't want to hang out in coffee shop.. Will indulge myself in rich deserts and coffee.. double guilt (buy iPhone and eating sinfully). Paris Miki had a sale and I thought it's time to change my glasses.. last time I changed was 3 years back maybe? It has always been difficult to get a small frame to suit my face... SO I just grabbed it!

I reached the collecting area at around 6.30pm. To my disappointment.. the no. was 3200plus.. that meant.. had another 600+ people to be called by me.. and the number didn't move that fast either! But somehow I didn't want to give up.. So I went in and out that place several times.. went for dinner, buy books, drinks, read books etc.. and finally I went in again at around 9.30pm.. this time the no. was moving pretty fast.. less than 100 more to go.. Thank you Supernova who kept me company (via SMS) through out the process.. I almost wanted to leave at 10.30pm if I didn't get to be called by then. By 10.30pm.. Less than 20 people to go and I came this far.. leaving at this last minute.. didn't sound right.. and I finally I got called at 10.50pm!

Feeling was great! SATISFACTION was unbelievable! I finally left Midvalley around 11.15pm.. Luckily shops like Pizza Hut was still open.. so wasn't that scary when I walked towards the my parking..

Supernova told me that "This is the craziest thing that you done... this year.. or maybe your whole life!" Yes.. I was possessed by Apple and THE THING IS.. Yeah, I do agree.. maybe this is the craziest thing I have done in my life.. Waiting for a phone for 8 hours... And I have no regrets! Really worth it.. It's not just a phone.. It's my Iphone4!

Kekanda Adinda (Monoloque vs. Atilia)

Isn't this song cute? And so realistic..

Red velvet cake..

I first tasted red velvet cake in a friends' house.. Fatie, bought in Bangsar Village.. Like the taste but too filling.. second time was my aunt's house.. It was a red velvet cupcake.. too filling but it has this strong bitter taste. Maybe she used beet root? Because of the uniqueness of this cake - a chocolate cake in red colour and combined with cheese topping, made me excited to do one.. A friend of mine tried in a fancy restaurant recently and thought there was nothing special about the cake and it tasted just like the usual cake made by local folks.. I don't know? I was googling for the recipe found and finally decided to try this one out.. from Joy of Baking.. Did some alteration - as indicated in the highlighted font.. The taste is simple yet elegant.. simple because the cake is light and elegant with the rich whipped cream and cream cheese topping.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups (250 grams) sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons (15 grams) regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder (I used Van Houten Cocoa powder)

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature (I used salted butter, so I omitted the salt)

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated whitesugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I used Star Brand Vanilla Essence)

1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk (I made this on my own as recommended by this website - add 1 cup of fresh milk - I used skim milk and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice/white vinegar, let it stand for 5-10 minutes before using)

2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

Methods:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter two - 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.

3. In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

4. In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

5. In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. 

6. Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

7. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the refrigerator for at least an hour (or overnight). (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

16 ounce cream cheese, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (115 grams) confectioners' (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted

1 1/2 (360 ml) cups heavy whipping cream

Methods:

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to spread. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

Assemble: With a serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half, horizontally. You will now have four cake layers. Place one of the cake layers, top of the cake facing down, onto your serving platter. Spread the cake layer with a layer of frosting.  Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost and stack the cake layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Can garnish the cake with sweetened or unsweetened coconut.

Read more at: http://www.joyofbaking.com/RedVelvetCake.html

So, HAPPY TRYING!!

This is how it looked it right from the oven.. texture is very moist and fluffy...

 After the cake is covered by the cream cheese topping..

 This is how it looked like.. I did 3 layers instead of 4 layers..

Sarah enjoyed eating this cake.. Thanks!

p/s: all photos were taken with my iPhone.. oh, I miss it..

New addiction...

It all started 2 weeks ago when I had group of my friends came over to my house.. haven't baked for awhile.. So I decided that I want to bake something.. easiest recipe is of course Carrot and Walnut Cake. The best recipe I tried is from a friend of mine (her mom's recipe) - Wan Noraini. So, I had to browse the "inbox" of my Facebook and finally found it.. It was sent to me on January, 8th 2008 and now only I am trying it out!

Not to say I am good cook.. but the recipe is very delicious.. I know a lot of you all want to try it out.. so here it is.. Happy trying..

Carrot Cake (exact recipe - no editing)

Cooking time: 1hr-1hr 15 min

Ingredients:
200 g/7 oz flour
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp of salt
400 g/14 oz soft brown sugar
350ml/12 fl oz vegetable oil
4 large eggs,beaten
400 g/14 oz grated carrots
275g/10 oz chopped walnuts (dibakar terlebih dahulu)
Butter for greasing

Methods:
1. beat the sugar and the oil for a few minutes..(no need to kembang..coz it wont pun..)
2. add in the eggs one by one..beat until kembang.
3. sieve the flour, cinnamon, soda bicarbonate together and add it into the mixture.
4. no need to kacau lama once u have added the flour..just kacau to let it sebati jer..then add in the grated carrots and the walnuts.
5.oops..remember to add in a bit of salt.
6.bake for 1-11/2hr at 180 C.

Topping(penyedap kek): 

120g butter
250g cream cheese
120g icing sugar

Methods:

1. beat the icing sugar with the butter until kembang, then add the cream cheese.

Never knew baking is addictive... so last week I tried out red velvet cake.. wait for the next post for the recipe! What should I bake this week? hmm....

The carrot cake before covered by the cream cheese frosting

Beating the cream cheese, sugar and butter.. 

Very homemade looking isn't it?