Oryza Sativa

Oryza sativa is the scientific name for glutinous rice aka pulut, a kind of sticky rice very popular in Thai cuisine. During our short CNY break recently, I saw the different versions of pulut eaten in many ways. But I only opted for the Pulut with Fried Chicken. My family enjoyed this meal, especially when the chicken is still warm. The pulut is eaten as if we eat the usual rice, but this pulut is eaten with fried shallots and fried chicken with a taste of Thai chili sauce. The more fried shallots you have, the better the taste.

Another version of how the pulut is eaten is with mango. Because Thais grow mangoes abundantly, you can see mangoes being sold everywhere in Hatyai or Songkhla. I didn't try this as I wasn't sure my liking for this.

Hubby says he grew up eating pulut durian. But my version of pulut durian is pulut eaten with durian cooked in coconut milk and palm sugar. He further adds that he would squash the durian, coconut milk and pulut in his hand before eating them. His description and the thought of uncooked coconut milk didn't entice me into trying.

*Photo credits to google.com.

A new milestone in the year of the Dragon

If I could turn back the clock, I want the clock to revert to 2011. I don't have enough time. The CNY holidays are in a few hours away. We have to pack to "balik kampung"...and I am pretty sure we'll get stuck in the jam on the highway!

The most dreadful feeling I have right now is the tonnes of workload I am leaving behind. I am stuck between work and leisure....and some insecurity about the way I feel.

But the thought of getting some blissful rest with my family awakens every senses in my body.
And the thought of the good food that I'll indulge in....hmmmm.

I am hoping for some rays in my life and wishing that all the energy I have lost will be regained by next week...

May the year of the dragon gives me more confidence, success and strengths to fulfill my aspirations.

'Tis the season for Garage Sale

.

My Saturday mornings in Hamilton were usually filled up with bargain hunting at Garage Sales. We would study the Friday newspaper, and made a cut-out of the places we could hunt for bargains. Our mornings would start as early as 7am. The earlier you get there, the better choices you get. When others we still in deep slumber (because it's a weekend), I would rise earlier and get prepared for this. Small change is a MUST, because you buy goods as cheap as 20cents.

Address sign to the garage sale

When I first went to a garage sale, I didnt know what to look for. A friend, Mursyidi once said, "Kak...get this rubbish basket. It's 20cent." I thought to myself why buy one here? Why couldnt I buy a new one? "Kak, this is in great condition. Take it!" And I bought it. And I bought more, and more, and more....


Traders selling at garage sales are not up in making profits. They were trying to get rid of the unused items. I think, we should practise this. If you dont want to use an item, and it has been collecting dust, why not hand it over to others? Sell it, yes...but be reasonable at putting a price for it.

of items to choose from

friendly traders

shop for goodies

I have very detailed eyes for "good" stuffs, and I would never return home empty handed. There would be books for the kids, household items and even new items at very "UNBELIEVABLE" prices. I bought a NEW bedsheet from NZ at only $1 and a 21inch TV for also a dollar.

I let go of my stuffs throught TM

Before I left New Zealand, I did not let go of my stuffs through a garage. I was lucky as there were 2 newcomers in Hamilton, so I sold to them and other items were sold through Trade Me, a website similar to Lelong where online buyers would bid on your items.

Well, enough said...I miss my Saturday mornings going around Hamilton areas treasure hunting.

Cooking made easy with BACCARAT

I first purchased my Baccarat Diamond stockpot in 2009 after a recommendation from a good friend, Ayu.


At first I was collecting the Baccarat Classic range and used 2 pots from the 10 pots I bought.
It was made of aluminium and heats up real fast. But I found it hard to maintain especially the cleaning part. Plus the handle breaks quite easily, leaving my pots handleless... (wrong word choice) Now, I still have unopened boxes of the Classic Range.

Baccarat Atlas. The Diamond looks
exactly like this but a little wider, not deeper

My first instances with Baccarat Diamond was the stockpot which I made my Nasi Arab in. After using it, I fell in love with this range at once. It worked like a dream...My KFC chicken (my recipe) turned out yummy when deep fried in my Diamond. The chicken was tender in the inside and crunchy on the outside. Cooking chores became very smooth with Diamond. (Hey Baccarat, I think I should get some kind of commission for promoting your goods!)


Check out what a friend commented about the Diamond!!!!

• 
  

  Nur Hafidzah Abdul Hamid

  K Norhanim AbdulSamat, cannot write on your wall lah?? ' diamond' tu memang da bomb lahhh, accidently left kid's bolognese sauce for 2+ hrs on med heat, bila teringat, panic den, kid's lunch tomorrow, satu keja nak ken masak sekali lagi, dah nak pukul 10 mlm nii, tak hangus OK, x kacau lgsg obviously

  · · Sunday at 4:25pm ·
  

  • • 
      

      Norhanim AbdulSamat ye la...i deactivate my wall....mula2 ingat diamond hang kena BOMB!!!!!
      
      you see ladies & gentlemen...why i opt for diamond & chuck my vision...under my sink
      

      Sunday at 10:42pm ·
    • 
      

      Nur Hafidzah Abdul Hamid hahahha, baccarat ler..tapi serious, mmg kalau periuk lain mmg dah hangus + kering kontang dah!
      

      19 hours ago ·
    • 
      

      Rose Maria Mansor hai, ni yg makin bertambah2 keinginanku!!! ;) ngeh ngeh ngeh... Khairul Anuar Shafie, did u read what Fid wrote? x hangus occay! kalo mzip, dah habis rentung kena buang dgn periuk2 skali. :p
      

      19 hours ago · · 1
    • 
      

      Nur Hafidzah Abdul Hamid rose - mmg, dulu mula2 bila k Ayu Omar and k nim , dok sing its praises, I thought I would never buy, sebab rasa mahal, then beli satu waktu clearance sale,mmg memudahkan kerja, what I like waktu tu was, x payah kacau selalu, so bila masak, boleh menyambil buat macam2 kerja, x risau sgt dia hangus ke hapa, but x sangka la sampai tinggal 2 jam lebih pun x hangus jugak! tu mmg terer lahhh tapi kalau api kuat sgt, hangus jugak laaa
      

      19 hours ago · · 1
    • 
      

      Ayu Omar ramai kawan2 kakyu kat sini gigit bibir je tgk diamond yang berkualiti dan cantik tu.. ada yg nk beli kat kakyu pun ada... hehe
      

      11 hours ago · · 1
    • 
      

      Nur Hafidzah Abdul Hamid K yu, tu la, for me cantik tu dah jatuh number 2, sekarang dah replaced all my daily pots dgn baccarat
      

      5 hours ago · · 1

The best of all, cleaning was easy pezzy. Over the last 2 years I have collected many Baccarat Diamond saucepans, stockpots and fry pans. These are not just collections. I use them daily and I love every minute using my Baccarat.

This cap is not from my Baccarat collection. Too lazy to snap each picture. They are all stocked up in my kitchen

The hard-anodised features make them more durable than other range of pots and pans. I was told that it's even harder than stainless steel. Well, I will never trade my Diamond with anything else. This is my precious treasure I took home from the land of the long white clouds.

The Baccarat Roaster- bought but havent got a chance to use it yet.

Longchamp dreams await

There are so many fakes replicas handbags in the market today, especially the Longchamp Le pliage fakes which are sold almost everywhere. But the ME in ME hate wearing fakes. If I just can't afford something, I wouldn't buy it. I wouldn't opt for fakes.

FOR EASY STORAGE

When I was at Changi Airport last year, I went into the Longchamp store and was stunned at the price of a Longcamp Le pliage tote. This tote is lightweight nylon with a leather snap flap and with leather shoulder straps. Even better is the fact that you can roll this bag up for storage. I want to have at least one from this range, I have to wait till we decide to go for a holiday over the other continent. I was lucky. A friend was on holiday in France recently, and I cheekily asked if she could buy me a tote, or two... :D.

These are not mine. But I have asked this wonderful friend to get me a long and short handle range.

The long handle Le Pliage

How to authenticate LONGCHAMP bags

• Serial no. (AA, AE or AB) at white tag inside and yellow & white s/n at plastic cover bag are the same.
• AA – Made in France
• AE – Made in China
• AB – Made in Tunisia
• Zips are made by YKK. Can be silver plate, gold plate or blue (depend on which model)
• Longchamp Pliages have round logo zipper pulls, which can be gold or pewter depending on what shape the bag is. The real one is extremely detailed, and on the fake the bodies of the jockey and the horse blend together.
• Zip shown “45” for size S and M, shown 5NO for size L and XL
• The material is thicker & smoother than fake onesThe fabric on fakes is too shiny and texture is much smoother compared with real. If a bag looks too shiny , you may want to double-check it's other features.
• Inside, the plastic coating that lines the bag feels like plastic but not rubbery. For pastel bags (light blue, pink, so on), lining should be WHITE, not same color as outside. The tan fake above is lined in tan, when it should be white. Dark colors are lined with black or brown.
• Flap and strap are made from genuine leather and the leather is smooth, not rough & hairy
• Fake bag leather looks hairy and the edges jagged. Real one is also raw but is smooth and clean. On the snap itself, the fake has the words "guang tong" and real says, "ORIGINAL."

(Adapted from malaysiashoppingqueen.com & ebay.com.)

The short handle range. Nice fuschia....

I just can't wait to put my hands on 2 Longchamp Le Pliage tote bags which were flown all the way from Paris.

The Shield

I have been using this for more than 10 years. After I had Ain my youngest child, I was on IUD for 3 years and later I opted for the Provera, a hormonal injection which I have to take after every 3 months. I had no problems using this except that I haven't had my period for years and years. If anyone out there is looking for a contraceptive method, I would suggest this...

Tentang Dhia...of love, power & betrayal

I should have written a review of Tentang Dhia right after the last episode was aired on tv, but I was then too preoccupied with other commitments.The last 3 episodes of Tentang Dhia were mind boggling. We (me, hubby & the kids who had been following the series from day one) were glued from 7pm to 8pm and rushed to do our Magrib during the advert breaks...(hehehe).

The saga ended really well but it was rather unexpected that both protagonists had their peaceful deaths. But hubby and I were not happy that bitchy Ku Salmi did not suffer as a punishment for all her evil deeds. Bravo to Liza Abdullah, her acting was real. We were also glued to the saga because of the "Melly" factor. Like Liza, Izreen made a good impression of a kampung bitch. Kudos to you both.

Overall, Tentang Dhia deserves compliments from us...9 out of 10 for a wonderful 1 hour tv gluing session...(I wish to comment more....but time is too short...I still have incomplete 'business' to do today)

January Blues

It's the first week of January 2012 and I'm already getting the blues. Too many deadlines to meet before I welcome February in my life. I have my phd thesis to submit by the end of January and papers to write.

One thing for sure, I have just completed writing a proposal to MOHE requesting for grants for my next research project.

I have to start writing an abstract for a drama conference to be held in Ireland July this year. This the BEST conference that I have attended so far, and I don't wish to miss this meet with other drama practitioners throughout the world.

I have another paper to write for another conference in Phuket this year. I wish I can get both done by mid afternoon today. (It's 12 am now...) I have titles ringing in my head for both papers...I hope I can get a good night sleep tonight....(I normally have difficulty sleeping if I have "unfinished business" playing in my head.

And finally, more corrections to come before I finally complete my 10 chapters PhD thesis...I wish I have the strength to finish what I have started....

:D

Adios, Amigos....!!!