Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie

I'm so tempted to finish up the oat at home, and what better way to do it then to bake it! Of course I know oat is not exactly everyone's favourite. But I don't think I can finish the oat I have at home and the only way I know how not to force myself to finish it is to bake it.

So, one fine Thursday when the Hubby went for his weekly futsal, I baked it. After 1.5 hours in the kitchen, here they are - Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie - Fresh from oven

The verdict? Hubby said it's not for him because it tasted TOO healthy *frown*. Geez must everything be sweet and oily and buttery to taste nice? Whatever happened to eating healthily?

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie

I know Hubby will not eat this. As it is he doesn't like cookies, now I'm serving him with healthy cookies. I think he'll just puke at the thought of it LOL!

The only person that I know will definitely help me finish it is my MAMA! Tee hee! She loves my baking and had always ask me to bake for her. I've always put that off because I want her to cut down on sugar and anything fat because of her health. Not that it is in a bad condition, but she's not getting any younger. That's why I always give lots of excuses when she asks for cookies from me. I even told my sister not to buy chocolates and ice creams back home to not tempt her. But once a while, we can spoil her.

Mama has specially requested me to bake one type of cookie for her - Pineapple Tart! LOL mum has always always always love this cookie. She loves pineapple, and every CNY, she has lots of this cookie at home, other than cashew nut. I told her I'll try, but we'll see LOL! I'm so busy with all the dinners and celebrations, I don't even have time for myself.

We'll have to see if I get to bake the cookies for her. She will be overdosing on cholesterol and fats and sweets during CNY. Maybe after CNY. After all the detox, I'll just reward her with a jar. Hmm not a bad idea after all. At least, I get to give her something she wants, just a lil delay tho.

Next stage in life

Now that the wedding is done and honeymoon is over, it is finally time for the next stage in our lives - BABY! Yes, it is finally the time to start our own family.

Being a responsible *ahem ahem* individual and future parent, we need to do everything in our power and knowledge to prepare our lives with a new edition in our family. One of the steps we have taken was to go for our full body checkup.

I know most couples go for their premarital checkups before wedding, but for us, we did all our wedding and honeymoon before our checkups. Why? I still remember this convo I had with hubby back in Jul/Aug before our wedding.

Wife: Eh we haven't do our body checkups lar.

Hubby: So?

Wife: So?! What do you mean so? We have to do the checkups not only for our health condition but also for our blood and genes compatibility for our future baby.

Hubby: Why must we do it before our wedding? We can do it after. So what if we do it now? What if we find out that we have some sickness or our blood is incompatible? Are you going to cancel the wedding? Or go ahead?

Wife: That's just an excuse to avoid the checkups

Hubby: I'm not avoiding, just postponing because we don't have the time to do it not. Say we do it now, get the test result in 2 weeks. If all goes well, great! If *touch wood* not? Then what will happen? Break up? Cancel the wedding? Let me ask you. If the test result shows I have sickness or our blood is incompatible and shows that we can't have baby *touch wood*, then will you leave me?

Wife: No! Of course not!

Hubby: Same goes with me. Since we know whatever the result will be, the wedding goes on. Don't worry. No matter what, I'm marrying you. You can't run away from being my wife!!


So finally, we did our physical checkups on Monday. The appointment was at 9am but we arrived at Gleneagles at about 8.30am. After discussion with the nurses and consultation officers, we have decided to go with the BASIC TEST. The tests took about 4 hours to complete. Click here to view the full list provided by Gleneagles.

Gleneagles provided us with a complimentary gift voucher at Dome after our tests completion.

Dome gift voucher

Hubby was super hungry since he was fasting since the previous night. Immediately we went to Dome to redeem our voucher. For complimentary voucher, the choices given were quite decent. Here are our choices:

Hot Cappuccino

Iced Lemon Tea

Spicy Chicken Mushroom Pasta

Beef Bolognese Pasta

This is additional since Hubby was starving:

Wild Mushroom Soup

After our tests, I went back to office and hubby back home. That is how he was able to prepared dinner on Monday.

We will be taking our test result on the 28th Jan 2011. Finger doubled and tripled crossed, we will pass all the tests with flying colors!

Dinner prepared by the Hubby

Yesterday was a Monday, but I get to enjoy a home cooked dinner made by Hubby LOL! Now, Hubby is not the type that likes to cook, but why is he cooking on a Monday?

*Tee hee* Due to time constraint and laziness (main reason), the reason will be in the next post.

For now, let's check out the picture of a simple dinner that Hubby has provided.

Black Sauce Prawn

Minced Pork

Sauteed Pork Ball

Although they are all simple dishes and no extra effort for deco or presentation, the food was extremely yummy! They were all so delicious. Why did all these came about? Next post! For now, THANKS Hubby!

One homely steamboat day

Just yesterday right before dinner time, I asked the Hubby what he wants to have for dinner, and almost instantly, he shouted he wants steamboat! Hmm him and his steamboat.

But right after he said that, he said he wants to have the steamboat tomorrow, which is today, a Sunday. Reason is because we will be doing our body check up tomorrow (yikes!) at Gleneagles Hospital. We have to fast 10 hours before our appointment at 9am. That means we have to stop eating from about 9pm onwards. So, by having steamboat, we can prolong our dinner time and hopefully fill our stomachs for a longer time period.

So fine. I agreed with steamboat. Then, the Hubby said the most bizarre thing - "Let's cook our own steamboat at home!". I was obviously caught off guard, and he said "we can go to Tesco and prepare the items tomorrow afternoon". I was just excited to be able to utilize my kitchenware, so I agreed gleefully.

Pumped with maximum excitement, we dis our grocery shopping in Tesco this afternoon and bought a few steamboat items. After an hour cleaning and slicing and cutting, the ingredients are all prepped.

Raw ingredients ready for steamboat activity

Pork strip

"Choy Sum"

Udon noodles

Fried "foo chuk"

And this is our steamboat! It feels so good to have our own steamboat at home. We get to eat what we want and eat at our own leisure.

Homemade steamboat

This is one of our best dinners at home. So much fun and so "domestic". We enjoyed ourselves so much.

Oh cupcakes!

This is my first cupcake baking experience. LOL I know! After baking for so many years, this is actually the first time I have my hands on baking this. Maybe previously cupcakes were not that much of a hit, and that's why I have not thought of baking it. Even after moving into this new place of ours, I've always put off baking cupcakes because hubby has never been a fan of cupcake. Even cupcakes that I brought from Cupcake Chic or any cupcakes from a bakery, he will never take a bite!

But I can't fight the urge anymore! Everytime I see these pretty little cupcakes, I get excited to bake it cos I wanna decorate it with the topping. So, during my Xmas break, I grabbed the chance and bake my first cupcake.

Being a newbie, I've decided to bake the very basic Vanilla Cupcake, and the topping is just the another basic, which is the butter icing. And after being in the kitchen for 2 hours, here they are!

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Vanilla Cupcake with Butter Icing

Just for fun, I'm gonna post a picture of my "nude" cupcakes LOL! These are the cupcakes baked fresh from the oven without any topping or decoration. Look at how plain and boring they look! But after the topping, it gives it a whole new different look. So much prettier!

"Naked" cupcakes fresh from oven

I had so much fun baking this, but I don't think I'll be baking cupcakes anytime soon. Hubby only took one and that was after I forced him to try it. I guess cupcakes really are not his thing.

Now, I'm so excited to bake another round of cookies.

Hmm it's a date then! With Mr. Oven and Ms. Kitchen tomorrow!

Wedding Tea Ceremony - Part 2

Now is the 2nd part of my Wedding Tea Ceremony that was held on 18th September 2010. Continuing from PART 1, this Part 2 takes off at the groom's place and then to our new home in Cheras.

These pictures were already uploaded on my FB, but here are some of it.

The roast pig gets to go in first

Us finally arriving at the groom's

Started off with some prayers

"Huat ah!!!"

My in-laws

The "serious" group picture

The "crazy" group picture

All of the heng dais in the numbered t-shirt posing in sequence

The ji muis with the shirt ordered and printed especially for them

Tossing bouquet time

The lucky girl (or in this case, the lucky boy)

Us back our own home

"New" hubby removing my veil

"New" wife taking off the hubby's coat

Dai kam che reciting all the good words for marriages for closing ceremony

Us looking at our new partner for life

Muaks!

~ The End ~

For more pictures, pls click on this LINK

Finally, the pictures for the wedding tea ceremony is done. Next is the 2 album remaining from the wedding reception on 25th September 2010. I actually wanna get that done ASAP so that I can start posting my honeymoon pictures!

Bleh I really need to speed up. I will! Since the busy period is over and all celebrations are over.

Oh wait! CNY is approaching. I need to go shopping, take mum for shopping, have meals with dad, bake CNY cookies etc. LOL!

1.1.11

Out with the old, in with the NEW!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

It is the year 2011 - A beginning of a new decade.

Thought of writing my NY resolution, but by 31st Dec 2011, I'll realise I will only be able to achieve at best, half of it... So I'm not gonna make myself depress during year end LOL!

But there are things that happened this year that I truly treasure and appreciate, which are:

I am finally a married woman, legally and customarily (no brainer for this). Coming to terms that I am not not living my life only responsible to myself and family, but now, to another person - my hubby. Making decisions require consultation and discussion, saying things after thinking carefully has become the core essence to a survival of a relationship and many others. I reckon I have gone through much about marriage and our lives in the past few posts. Sometimes, when you are arguing, you really can't control the rush of emotion and unkind words just splutter out. The result? Hurt and misery. With us growing old together and starting a family together, we must work harder to make this work, for the better.

Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years. ~ Simone Signoret

My relationship with my dad has generally improved. Although we have our arguments during the wedding preparation, but in the end, it all turned out well. Sometimes, I really dislike (can't use the work "hate") him especially when he is being extra ridiculous. But after all the anger and calming down, I have to accept that fact that he is my father and I have to respect him. I can't let my stubbornness to go overboard and ignore the fact that I do actually love and respect him (even after everything he has done to the family). The time when he was hospitalised, it was a very emotional period for me. Right after my tea ceremony, my dad was admitted to the hospital for an operation. When I visited him the next day, I was holding back my tears even before I could step into the room. At that very moment, I know that I really cannot have my dad leave me. I would be so devastated! At that second, I have decided to be a grown up and stop being mad at my dad for the littlest issue and try to see a bigger picture - which is spending as much time with him as possible, and to fulfill my responsibility as a daughter. After all, he did raised me up and gave me the best.

A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty. ~ Author Unknown

Mum has been so supportive throughout. Relationship with mum has never been good since I was born because mum tends to be biased towards the brother and sister (and still is, but no grudges). Even when I was jobless and was just starting my new job 5 years ago, all mum ever did was make my life more miserable. Already I was struggling with new job, no car, new relationship with the then-bf, mum made it worse for me, which then led me to me moving out and took the plunge to stay with the then-bf. Looking back, this incident did bring positive outcome. At least, we get to salvage our mother-daughter relationship, and my relationship with my then-bf has improved tremendously. Now, mum has been so understanding and best of all, she hardly nags me anymore (yay!).

A daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart. ~ Author Unknown

My brother and I are in talking terms. With the wedding happening, slowly, my brother and I started talking. It was not easy as my brother was being such a total pain in the ass initially. He and his super chauvinist and stubborn character would not let it easy for us. Thus, it took too much time and unnecessary time wasted to accommodate to his pride. But, with dad hospitalised, it sped up our recovery process and it has definitely gotten so much better. I remember how close we were last time when he used to tell me everything and listen to whatever advises that I offer him. I don't think we can go back to that since we are now 10 years older and definitely have our own thoughts and minds, but I would wish that he will be half as close to me as before.

A sibling may be the keeper of one's identity, the only person with the keys to one's unfettered, more fundamental self. ~ Marian Sandmaier

The sister has grown up. I was worried about my youngest sister who doesn't seem to have any path or dream in her life. All she does is get drunk everyday and not stay in a study or job long enough. As she grows older, thankfully, she has gotten so much better and beginning to prove herself. At the very least, she is in a job now for about 6 months and is responsible person. Heck, she became my maid of honor and perform the role outstandingly! She didn't complain one bit and was very helpful during the wedding. Yeah I would have been more grateful if she could lend a helping hand during the preparation, but we were not living together, and she has her life. As she grows older, I do hope life will be easier on her and she could actually live her life more responsibly.

Our siblings. They resemble us just enough to make all their differences confusing, and no matter what we choose to make of this, we are cast in relation to them our whole lives long. ~ Susan Scarf Merrell

Relationship with the in-laws is decent. You know those horror stories with in-laws?? So happy to say that none of that has happened to me (and hopefully will never happen!)! Mum-in-law has been understanding and she is helping me with our laundry until now, and dad-in-law has never complain about anything to me. And the sister-in-laws has never given me any trouble or have I heard any unpleasant comments from them.

Children will not remember you for the material things you provided, but for the feeling that you cherished them. ~ Richard Evans

I have a group of the bestest best friends. My gf from Canada and Perth flew all the way to KL to attend my wedding. Even their other halves flew to KL to attend my wedding. I was terribly moved to tears! And the gfs in KL were there supporting me and lend me a crying shoulder when the world was weighing too heavily at times. They are the bestest friends I've ever had, and I'm so grateful to have them in my life.

No matter who broke your heart or how long it takes to heal, you'll never get through it without your friends. - Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City

Career has definitely taken a positive turn. With the promotion and the $$, I am crossing my fingers that it will be better in 2011. Well, at least I'm happy there.

Looking back, it is safe to say that without a doubt, 2010 has turned out to be a fantastic year! Of course, you can't expect only the best? Without the bad, you will never learn to appreciate the good in life.

Have a great 2011 to my family and my friends. May the best of whatever you wish for will come true, and above all, I wish you all health, happiness and love.