Old Cucumber Soup

Old Cucumber Soup

This soup is one of our favourite soups.

I boiled this soup for our today dinner.  

We came back yesterday late night from our Beijing holiday.

Beijing soups are very bland which we do not like except for my daughter.

This soup is good for our body since the weather is so hot.

This is one of the foods that MAS Business Class served.

Smoked Duck Breast With Raisin Mango Relish And Fresh Lettuce.

Normally I hate airline food but this one is good.

We were on Business Class and they served us non stop

with foods and beverages until we did not realize that we have 

already sat 6 hours for our trip.  

I drank three glasses of Champagne and nearly got drunk. 

:)

Heard that this road and buildings are re-constructed for the 

Olympics 2008.

Zhengyangmen Gate. (Forgotten, I hope it is correct)

Inside Forbidden City.

Taken from Summer Palace.

Hutongs of Beijing. 

(Oldest area in Beijing)

Great Wall of China.

Temple of Heaven.

My daughter commented that we don't smile much.

How to have good wide smile when the sun is so hot, humid

and shining at our eyes?  Anyway, it is a good and relaxing

trip for our family.  We had good food, great service, 

happy shopping, non stop walking and climbing, good laugh and 

lastly great relaxing from our flight, hotel and tour.

Watch out for my other blog where all the pictures will be.

  Coming Soon!

460g Pork Ribs (wash and drain).

800g Chicken Carcass (wash and drain).

700g Old Cucumber (Low Wong Kuah).

Note : It is alright if the weight of your ingredients does not tally 

exactly with mine.

Before cutting, wash and drain the old cucumber.

Cut into half and with a spoon, scoop out the seeds.

Peel slight the skin.  Do not peel all because once your

soup is boiled, your old cucumber won't be intact.

Get ready your pots with boiling water.

Left pot is to boil my soup.  Water depends on your pot.

Right pot is to par boil the meats.

If you are lazy to do this way, you can straight away

dump all the meats with the old cucumber into the

pot and start boiling the stoup.  I prefer par boil the meat 

because I wanted to scoop away those scum floating 

on top of the water.

Once your pork ribs par boiled, transfer the port ribs

to another pot.

See those scum floating (that is what I was highlighting).

Once your chicken carcass par boiled, transfer to another pot.

Par boiled Pork Ribs and  Chicken Carcasses in another pot.

Put in the Old Cucumber and start boiling for 1 hour with

high fire and then lower down to medium fire and boil another

one hour.

Look like this.

Nourishing Soup.

All of us finished this soup without any drop left cause

we missed our Malaysian home cooked soup. 

Almond Cupcake

Almond Cupcake

This is the best cupcake ever.  Even though you said you are on a diet,

you won't stop after the first bite or until your stomach is satisfied.

Last week, I came back from my trip to Bandung, Indonesia with 

my wonderful colleagues (from left to right), 

Irene Lee, Elly Chong, Me and Stephanie Chua.

The picture above taken at Kawah Putih, it is not an ocean, it is an inactive

volcano.  The water is so beautiful but you cannot swim in it because it

is full of sulphur.  The scenery is very beautiful.

This is another inactive volcano that we went to, called

Gunung Tangkuban Parahu.  We walked 300 meters from

the top.  I can't believe that we all did it.  By the time

we reached here, we are breathless, especially me! Hahaha but

it is worth it.   I enjoyed my travelling with them, shhhh.....

don't tell my husband (sure he will jealous).

Ok, enough of my story telling, back to my recipe.

100g of Almond.  (You can put more)

Diced it.

Toast it for cooked. 

I toasted it for 15 minutes at 180 Degree Celsius.

On and off, you have to stir it.  Once done, leave it at one side to cool it.

170g Butter (room temperature).

100g Caster Sugar.

3 Eggs (room temperature).

170g Self Raising Flour.

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Essence.

For the method, please click here for it.

Once done, look like this.

Get ready your muffin baking tray lined with paper cups.

Scoop the batter by using ice cream scoop which is way easier.

Bake at 180 Degree Celsius.  (Make sure your oven is pre-heated

before you start baking your cupcakes)  for 30 minutes or 

until done.

Look delicious?  Of course, hahaha, my face so thick skinned!

Let it cool for 10 minutes and then take it out and place

in a serving plate to cool it down further.

This wonderful cupcakes are for my birthday which is today.

Ummmh, I am older by another year and wishing myself

 good health, longevity, great with happiness and joy,

and prosperity. :)

Stir Fried Four Angled Beans With Lotus Root

Stir Fried Four Angled Beans With Lotus Root

My family loves this dish.  It is very easy to cook.

You will love this dish if you like to eat crunchy food.

250g Four Angled Beans (wash, drain and slice)

300g Lotus Root (wash, drain, peel the skin and slice)

Some chopped Garlic.

100g Dried Shrimps (soak with water for 5 minutes, wash drain and chop)

3 Dried Chilies (soak with water for 5 minutes and halves)

Heat up the wok with some cooking oil.

Saute the garlic and then the dried shrimps until cook.

Make sure your garlic is not burnt.

Pour in the Dried Chilies and stir fry until the chilies turn into

lighter in colour.

Then pour in the Lotus Root and stir fry further.

Lastly, pour in the Four Angled Beans and stir fry further.

If you noticed your vegetables are a bit dry, pour in 1/2 cup of water

or lesser.  Season with salt (remember not to put so much

 because your Dried Shrimps is salty).

Yummy :) Yummy

Last few days ago, while having dinner with my two kids,

my daughter asked me how does I feel when all my kids have all

grown up?  She asked me this question because in the afternoon, 

my husband sms to us saying that he has bought one 2nd hand

car (MyV) for my daughter to ease her movement when she is 

attending college in a few months time to start her Bachelor of Laws.

I don't feel lonely because both of my kids (son age 21 years old

and daughter age 19 years old) still stick to me like glue :) because

till now, both of them still like to go out shopping with my husband and I, 

still like to watch movie with me and my mother (we have been doing it

since they are young), still go out for supper in the middle of the night

during weekend or holiday, still have breakfast, lunch and dinner together 

as family during all weekends and holidays and etc etc.

BUT I know sooner or later they wouldn't stick to me like glue

when they have love in their life or family.  I am not scare or unhappy 

to think about it because it is still a long way ahead.  

We'll just be happy as a FAMILY.

Scramble Egg And Tomato With Tortilla Wrap

Scramble Egg And Tomato With Tortilla Wrap

This is one of my daughter's favourite healthy food.

This girl of mine can have it for her breakfast, lunch and dinner.

She won't get bored with it.  I kind of also like it even though

it is for our 3 meals in a day.  How I wish!  My husband and son 

sure will complain if I ever do it.  Once in a while, 

we need to take something light which is good for our body.

Some cooked Scramble Eggs with Tomato.

(Please click here for the Scramble Eggs with Tomato recipe).

Few pieces of Tortilla.

Scramble Eggs with Tomato.

Heat up the non stick pan (without any cooking oil, please).

Place one piece of the tortilla and once you noticed that

there is bubble coming out, turn quickly to the other side.

Take it out once both side has been heated up.

Place one piece of the Tortilla on top of a flat plate.

Scoop out some the Scramble Eggs with Tomato and

place it nearly to the edge of the Tortilla (like the picture above).

From the edge, roll it (like the picture above).

Roll until to the end (like the picture above).

Eat it whole piece or cut into half (it is just matter of preference).

Some prefer to squeeze some tomato ketchup, chilli sauce,

mayonnaise, thousand island or......the choice is yours.

Isn't it is tempting to cook immediately for your family, friends 

or yourself?

:)

My dear daughter wrapped it in a rectangular shape rather than rolling it.

I would like to share this story which I found it very amusing.

My friend told me that some people do not have manners.

When people offer us food, we will eat it politely and sensibly

(Am I right?).  But to others, they wouldn't care.  Even though

they have just finished their portion, they will still eat another 

person's portion even though the host has told them that there will be 

people coming to eat.  The host even said "Ooh....you have finished it!  

Now, my other friends don't have any food to eat!  

All they did was grin at the host.  Why are there such people?