Homemade Chocolatechip cookies!!!

My niece has learnt and made some homemade cookies from her school last week. She has brought them back for my family to try them. Frankly speaking, when she brought back the plastic containers filled with the cookies, I could smell good.

Thus, my mother and I tried the homemade cookies. To our surprised, those cookies were tasted good. They were tasted with butter and then filled with the chocolate chips. The cookies were crispy enough too. I told my niece that the cookies are delicious as those were not to sweet, just OK. She was happy for it.

I told my niece that maybe we could make the cookies together during her next school holidays since she is good at it.Well, I wish I could have the cookies made by my niece again as it is show a kind of support to her to fulfill her dream. She wants to become a pattissere.

Lastly, I want to wish my niece to continue her dream as not to give up!!! Go Go Go!!! :)

Chinese New Year is Coming!!!

"Dong Dong Chan! Dong Dong Chan! Gong Xi Gong Xi Ni Ya Gong Xi Ni!!!"

 

When we hear the lyrics above of the Chinese New Year song and also see the mandarin oranges either in mini sizes and/or in boxes selling at the supermarkets and/or roadside, we know that the Chinese New Year is coming soon!

 

Yes, the Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year is coming in less than a month. It is fall on the 10/2/2013. This year, it is the year of Snake. All the Chinese are busy cleaning the houses and do the preparations to celebrate the Chinese New Year lately. New clothes, new electrical appliances, cookies, etc.. Overall, busy for the shopping spree.

 

The kids will be the happiest during the Chinese New Year, as they could have receive Ang Pows from the elders, wearing new clothes, eat and drink as much as they like. Some adults also will put on weight during the CNY due to they stay at home to rest and eat and drink much more than their usual days! Haha! For me, I will not put on weight as I did not eat much. :P

 

Some people are going to holidays during the CNY due to this is the only time they can have long holidays and spend time with their family. In a few years back, I was went to overseas for travelling with my mother during the CNY. But I would not do so for this time as I would take some rest.

 

Anyway, I would like to wish you all to have a Happy & Prosperous Chinese New Year.

GCB & GBB??!

Wow! The GCB of McD is back! Hooray! It is my favourite! J

I called for the delivery for 2 sets of GCB last night for my niece and myself. Wow, it really tasted delicious, juicy meat! Yummy, yummy!!! Then my niece had threw out a question as she said why did not available for GBB, i.e. Grilled Beef Burger as my niece likes beef too. Thus, we started to think of the GBB, would it be as delicious as the GCB if there really was GBB?! Haha! We have a wish, that McD would available for the GBB in future!!! :P

So, what do you think of the GBB? Have you tasted the GBB before? If yes, where did you have your GBB? You may drop me a line for your reply!

My Cute Bento

I have taken a cute lunch bento on Monday. The food was lemonade chicken, sardines potatoes patties, white rice and the fruit was honeydew. I ordered it from a home bakery after I read its ‘advertisement’ on the newspaper in last week.

The bento was delivered to my house as there was a transport charges for the delivery. The reason for me to make the order was due to I saw the bento pictures on the newspaper were very cute and it attracted me very much. Thus I gave it a try for the cute bento.

When I received my cute bento on that day, I was quite happy as I think it really was very cute. The rice was made into the face of a dog and it makes it look cute for the bento, and moreover, it looked delicious too. So, the food was tasted well and when I showed it to my niece after she came back for school, she was saying that the bento was cute too.

Well, let me show you my cute bento now. I also enclosed other cute bento pictures for reference.

My bento -- lemonade chicken
Do you think the rice looks cute?! :P

So, if you are interested to try the cute bento, you may find the information on the Facebook. Kindly search for the Melody’s Home Bakery and you would be able to see the menu, pictures of all the cute bento, and the guidelines for food order. FYI, the delivery is only within the Klang Valley areas. I hope you will enjoy the cute bento as much as I do! J

Going Vegetarian to Fight Heart Disease

A new US study suggests that vegetarians may be at significantly lower risk of developing a condition associated with heart disease, diabetes and stroke than people who eat meat.

Researchers found that vegetarians experience a 36% lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome, a precursor to heart disease, diabetes and stroke than non-vegetarians.

To measure metabolic syndrome, researchers tested for 5 risk factors : high blood pressure, high HDL cholesterol, high glucose levels, elevated triglycerides and unhealthy waist circumference.

"I wasn't sure if there would be a significant difference between vegetarians and non-vegetarians, and I was surprised by just how much the numbers of contrast," said lead researcher Nico S. Rizzo, PhD of Loma Linda University in the US.

Another study supporting trending towards a plant-based diet, from the German Cancer Research Centre in 2008, found that vegetarians reduced their risks of an early death by 50% for men and 30% for women.

A study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry earlier this year also found that meat eaters had significantly higher cardiovascular risk factors than vegetarians, although it also revealed that a vegan diet, which eliminates all animal products, may increase people's risk of blood clots and the hardening of arteries.

Vegetarians exclude meant, poultry, and fish from their diet but tend to eat eggs and dairy products.

Vegans, on the other hand, abstain from eggs and dairy products, as well as meant, poultry and fish.

Researchers in the vegan study noted that strict vegan diets tend to lack key nutrients like iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids, which can lower the risk of heart-related diseases.

Vegetarians and vegans can ensure the health benefits of their diets by filling their plates with good sources of mega-3 fatty acids, such as walnuts, flaxseeds, and for vegetarians, omega-3 enriched eggs.

(Source adapted from The Sun newspaper dated 22/4/2011)

Hainanese Chicken Rice!

Hello! Do you like to eat Hainanese Chicken rice?! I do. I bet most of the Chinese like to eat chicken rice. Well, I bumped into a magazine few days ago and found that there is a recipe for the Hainanese Chicken Rice and I would like to share with you.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Ingredients :

Chicken

1 young chicken (about 1kg)

2 tsp salt

2 slices fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic

1 litre water

3 tsp sesame oil

Rice

250g Thai Fragrant Rice (rinsed, drained)

30g garlic (pounded)

2 slices fresh ginger

2 tsp salt

Chili Sauce

50g fresh chilies

30g garlic

30g fresh ginger

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp hot oil

Method :

1. To prepare the chicken, rinse the chicken and clean and pat dry. Rub all over with salt. Stuff fresh ginger and garlic in stomach.
2. Place the chicken and water in pot. Bring to boil over medium heat. Turn off heat then cover pot with lid. Steep chicken in covered pot for 30 minutes.
3. Remove cooked chicken from pot and rub all over with 1 tbsp sesame oil. Allow to cool then cut into pieces. Reserve chicken stock from pot.
4. For the rice, heat 1 tbsp oil in wok until hot. Brown pounded garlic and ginger till fragrant. Add Thai Fragrant Rice and stir-fry for 1 minute. Transfer to pot. Add salt and 600ml chicken stock. Cook till rice is fluffy.
5. As for the chili sauce, blend chilies, garlic and ginger together. Dish out and add salt and sugar. Drizzle with hot oil.
6. Bring remaining chicken stock to boil. Season with salt to taste.
7. Serve the chicken with hot rice and soup.

Tada..... This is how to cook the Hainanese Chicken Rice! :) Since it is the weekend, you may try to cook it at home with the recipe.

Well, enjoy your cooking and have a lovely weekend to you all! :)

(Recipe adapted from the Jusco Pearl Magazine)

GCB is Back!!!

GCB is back!!! Oops, what I mean is Grilled Chicken Burger of McDonald's is back. I like this burger very much as it is very juicy and the chicken meat is very soft. It tastes yummy! I first started to eat GCB in last year and since then I like it very much. But it has stopped after selling for sometime.

Since GCB is back now, I could eat it again. In fact, I taken it in last Sunday. Boy, I like it! I think it is always delicious!!! I like the chicken meat very very much! I guess I will order GCB when I visit McD for the coming time.

For those who are yet to try GCB, I am highly recommending it for you. Hope you will enjoy it as much as I do!!! :)

OMG, Rubbish Pork aka The Black-Hearted Pork!!!

There is some reporting for the news of black-hearted pork or “rubbish pork” on the newspaper lately.  I could not believe that it is happening in my country as I always thought that the black-hearted items could only be found in the overseas country.

When I read the news on the newspaper that those black-hearted pork or “rubbish pork” are used to make the dim sum siu mai, meat balls or the sausages, I feel like throwing up. This is due to I like to eat the meat balls and siu mai during my dim sum meal. After I read the reporting news, I think I would have to stop eating that food for the time being. You can say that maybe I am too concern on the issue, but I would not like to risk my life for eating those food.

I am also feeling bad for those people whom use the rubbish pork to make into sausages, meat balls and dim sum and sell to the people. Don’t they think about the life of people? I think those people are very selfish and “black-hearted” as they just see the DOLLAR SIGNS $$$ in their eyes instead of any consciences?! What if he/she or his/her own family have taken that food which made by the “rubbish pork” and affect their health, what would they think?! Well, if that was the case, I think it is a “pay-back” for them.

Well, I really wish that all these rubbish-pork or black-hearted pork would be solved ASAP as I want to enjoy my dim sum or meat balls as I used to be!

Shabu-Shabu

My aunt and cousin sister came to visit my mother and I this afternoon. It has been for about 2 months that I have never meet them. By 12.45pm, they reached our house. My aunt has bought us some pastries. She always buys my favourite pastry for me whenever she comes to visit us. I am glad for it.

Anyway, then we went out for our lunch. We took shapu shapu at a restaurant that is nearby my house. The restaurant has the offer for the package for 2-4 pax, or 5 pax or 10 pax, and a la carte. There were 4 of us, and we found that the package for 2-4 pax is not good as the food is not our favour, thus we took a la carte. With a la carte, we could order our choice. There are many types of choices, ie. vegetables, meat balls, fish balls, sotong balls, fish paste, beef, fried fu zhok, etc.. I like the sauces of the restaurant, there are various types of sources and we can select our own choice of sauce(s).

We have ordered some vegetables, fish paste and balls, beef and many others which I couldn't name the food. :p Anyway, we enjoyed our meal very much there. After our meal, all of us were very full, so, we then headed to the IOI Mall for 'exercise', which means we went there for shopping. Haha! Guess it is the favourite exercise for all the ladies.

After we have done with the shopping, we went home respectively. I hope I'll meet my aunt again soon. Maybe I'll go to pay her a visit next time!

This is how I spent my weekend. So, it's Monday for tomorrow, I'm wishing all of you have a good week ahead and make sure you don't get Monday Blues! :P

Yummy GCB!!! :)

I was taken the GCB (Grilled Chicken Burger) set meal from the McD this afternoon. Well, this set meal was launched yesterday. Before that, I have tasted the GCB back in year 2006 when I travelled in Shanghai, China. When I was first tasted the GCB in Shanghai, I already like it very much as I think it was tasted yummy and the meat was juicy and soft.

So, I recall my experienced in this afternoon when I given my first bite to my GCB. Gosh, it was so yummy and tasted good! The meat was greasy! I could not resist it. :) I think it was tasted the same when i taken it in Shanghai. But I have been waited for a long time to recall my taste. Anyway, wish that this GCB set meal would be available for long and would become the favourite for everyone. Well, at least, it is my favourite now!

So, for those who had yet to try the GCB, please go and try for it. See if you and I are having the same thought for the GCB!!! Enjoy the BURGER!!!

Kiwi

Hi! I am with dull brown-green skin and has bright green or golden flesh with rows of tiny, black edible seeds. I have fibrous. Can you guess what am I??

My name is Kiwifruit aka. kiwi. I can grow in most temperature climates with adequate summer heat. I am containing multi vitamins, eg. rich source of Vitamin C, has Vitamin A and E. There is a study from the University of Oslo shows that I am serve as a natural blood thinner. It shows that consuming 2 to 3 Kiwi daily for 28 days significantly will thin the blood, reduce the risk of clots, and lowers fat in the blood that can cause blockages.

In addition, my skin is edible and has high amounts of dietary fibre. Many of the vitamins are stored immediataly under my skin, leaving the skin intact will increase the Vitamin C greatly consumed by eating a single piece of kiwi when compared to eat me peeled.

As I am good for the health, I don't mind to be 'eaten' by you everyday as I can help you to have strong and good health. Thus, please do not forget to bring me home while you do your shopping in the market.