tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70436870127697572372024-03-14T04:29:34.126-07:00La Bonne Vie!I subscribe to the adage that life is beautiful. Even when the going gets tough, I try to be upbeat and see the lighter side of things. This usually works, especially because I know that I never walk alone. My Lord walks with me! This blog is about events and people that colour my life, observations and opinions of life around me, a celebration of life...hence the name "La Bonne Vie" (which means The Good Life in French).IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.comBlogger346125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-83637042269922025432022-12-31T05:36:00.000-08:002022-12-31T05:36:52.877-08:00Latest Addition To The Family<p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> As the year draws to a close, I am reminded that I have been terribly remiss where this blog is concerned. In fact, this would only be my third update in this year. Typical year-end musings or ruminations would be on accomplishments, profound life lessons, tribulations, resolutions for the coming year and even regrets. But the thing that came to my mind was something that only entered my life two weeks ago but has sparked such joy in my kitchen and dining table.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> It's my 26cm Le Creuset Buffet Casserole in Sugar Pink. Together with 18cm Round French Oven, 20cm Round French Oven and 25cm Oval French Oven, we happily welcomed the BC to the family. And in these two weeks, she has been working hard and has delighted hubby and I with four lovely dishes.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYVkOnhrQ_oT4XC5hcNkIULZ24lztVZh1R7cGRX07Znpj6sPWbLlMks3sRSuN8BDQVx1iq7juihKL5VSeEsA-KiBkaNnPwh9PeNZIcwd2CWPYwXW9DxEurwFAuKIdT-y5C4ODSiV-D-Qmtd8y71EfF6XzG1gXJFqgtt_8ObUZNjZN9KxwLiFj4O9pw/s4032/Family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYVkOnhrQ_oT4XC5hcNkIULZ24lztVZh1R7cGRX07Znpj6sPWbLlMks3sRSuN8BDQVx1iq7juihKL5VSeEsA-KiBkaNnPwh9PeNZIcwd2CWPYwXW9DxEurwFAuKIdT-y5C4ODSiV-D-Qmtd8y71EfF6XzG1gXJFqgtt_8ObUZNjZN9KxwLiFj4O9pw/s4032/Family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1SOfc5PHq6ESyXL7KIVAkKCZKBHFT70yvZCFnaM-t8VUI3Vcx9aay2U_024Wiiil5m2Fb-Gm3Ww7nO44dQZIP-OeYZRqzETjjZE8QkniA5sF2_2M9hBN5hVvPKetWIYGj_7Ka51FbvkPNuxfwjIplqBpDPHEuY-8FcW7vSwUNucTEx4_X0-mVU1dJ/s3554/BC1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2574" data-original-width="3554" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1SOfc5PHq6ESyXL7KIVAkKCZKBHFT70yvZCFnaM-t8VUI3Vcx9aay2U_024Wiiil5m2Fb-Gm3Ww7nO44dQZIP-OeYZRqzETjjZE8QkniA5sF2_2M9hBN5hVvPKetWIYGj_7Ka51FbvkPNuxfwjIplqBpDPHEuY-8FcW7vSwUNucTEx4_X0-mVU1dJ/s320/BC1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYVkOnhrQ_oT4XC5hcNkIULZ24lztVZh1R7cGRX07Znpj6sPWbLlMks3sRSuN8BDQVx1iq7juihKL5VSeEsA-KiBkaNnPwh9PeNZIcwd2CWPYwXW9DxEurwFAuKIdT-y5C4ODSiV-D-Qmtd8y71EfF6XzG1gXJFqgtt_8ObUZNjZN9KxwLiFj4O9pw/s320/Family.jpg" width="320" /></span></div><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> Her first dish was a simple and healthy yet delicious Waterless Steamed Pomfret. Hubby's comment as he descended the stairs was "What's that lovely smell?" </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWplMZPtOIjH4TYAzCwE1ILDdiyFKPbhiZMA0SoAVrvIYswjs9P7UnkpoKyzboh5VRRQg2_q0QOX2wNC1jyRH3-SDgbWsldEocKMV-BIpMYbsSi1yuvFLgecWYcbyrQkEfwGc_Qlmw61z-MV9fm6AqCqYGFLBOh1H6IMmR8brq_G6-S54Pg0dYyO7/s4032/Pomfret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWplMZPtOIjH4TYAzCwE1ILDdiyFKPbhiZMA0SoAVrvIYswjs9P7UnkpoKyzboh5VRRQg2_q0QOX2wNC1jyRH3-SDgbWsldEocKMV-BIpMYbsSi1yuvFLgecWYcbyrQkEfwGc_Qlmw61z-MV9fm6AqCqYGFLBOh1H6IMmR8brq_G6-S54Pg0dYyO7/s320/Pomfret.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> A Buffet Casserole is also known as a Shallow Casserole or a Braiser. So my new sexy baby decided to flaunt her braising capabilities next. Voila! Hubby's favourite Hakka Braised Pork Belly with Black Fungus was incredibly scrumptious. And the best part of it all : less washing up as the cookware is also the serving platter. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQ8g-s3gd7RtvPBY88b_bNGc3nY02OC-_gUC7c1ZxllOK2hQfLjlLhonWs1mQDWQyCeNRBPJwHT9K-o-MnRNOekhvQNRKaTDYOY_Nb_MzkdgQpBFs0YsjkTY5xwSJac0fTqNfIJSl7m7ap0gKj5_57_WDue9hmcECMUO3B91PxVpHUERqbCdWNW5t/s3613/Hakka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3613" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQ8g-s3gd7RtvPBY88b_bNGc3nY02OC-_gUC7c1ZxllOK2hQfLjlLhonWs1mQDWQyCeNRBPJwHT9K-o-MnRNOekhvQNRKaTDYOY_Nb_MzkdgQpBFs0YsjkTY5xwSJac0fTqNfIJSl7m7ap0gKj5_57_WDue9hmcECMUO3B91PxVpHUERqbCdWNW5t/s320/Hakka.jpg" width="268" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> Eager to impress us again, she went on to prove that a very tasty dish can be produced with minimal preparation and a mere 5-minute cooking on the stove. Again using the waterless method, the Steamed Garlic Prawns Vermicelli was truly a joy to behold and to devour. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwoHnDKnKaYbTQSjLGLmSWuHcygqidKlAS-kUSZEIgD-JKZ-t6V7lHSLlvgN5SwabsKvELaFFBs0xz19XqrmzY8hUjs0rx6NLJ2DZIPlZGuxckCByqlkcfNWawfdBLBJ__pV6LBMcLJ8kbzlv5bjxg46GxA2LgCfrUZ3Sw0-IZir3BsZbuNGNXTzH/s1024/Prawns.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="740" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwoHnDKnKaYbTQSjLGLmSWuHcygqidKlAS-kUSZEIgD-JKZ-t6V7lHSLlvgN5SwabsKvELaFFBs0xz19XqrmzY8hUjs0rx6NLJ2DZIPlZGuxckCByqlkcfNWawfdBLBJ__pV6LBMcLJ8kbzlv5bjxg46GxA2LgCfrUZ3Sw0-IZir3BsZbuNGNXTzH/s320/Prawns.JPG" width="231" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> And for tonight's New Year's Eve dinner, she begged to be allowed to come out to party again. She was revelling as she presented her friends (the prawns, the clams, the squid and the salmon cubes) in the Dry-steamed Seafood Tomato Soup, which was thoroughly enjoyed by hubby and I. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpyuc7J8wAmJCL-vkVdKJWjficffkQI822gSmFAjNlpwCg3MLHYchLQyXOV_8CDimqHrfr0VqkZE_vU07A8MDiZSq_Ox_Fp8h5U1StA86jrf5mN7bX6k8F3jMwmmFFNuCKOgg65c0eD4gReYtPIyTP5Kvokl5yMcVWu8u_2Hwn6cygCD4B5TLD9-XM/s1024/Seafood.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpyuc7J8wAmJCL-vkVdKJWjficffkQI822gSmFAjNlpwCg3MLHYchLQyXOV_8CDimqHrfr0VqkZE_vU07A8MDiZSq_Ox_Fp8h5U1StA86jrf5mN7bX6k8F3jMwmmFFNuCKOgg65c0eD4gReYtPIyTP5Kvokl5yMcVWu8u_2Hwn6cygCD4B5TLD9-XM/s320/Seafood.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> Thank you, my beloved 26cm Le Creuset Buffet Casserole in Sugar Pink, for working so hard for us. We are looking forward to more sumptuous dishes from you in 2023. See you next year!</span></p>IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-14219334476804746962022-06-09T19:21:00.005-07:002022-06-09T19:29:23.735-07:00Third Time Lucky at Great Wall<p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> After raves from my good friend, Angeline, who's a coffee connoisseur, I was eager to try the brew at Bercham Great Wall Kopitiam. She had earlier shown me the way there as it's not the easiest place to locate, being tucked away in a hidden area at the foothills.<br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBUTDgnG8M_iqjQvp7gFQI7A9ou2qVo_tZlsTKH72wakue_wE2XciI1hMbi6tNu1SYUkAeYhOWJ4JbwQCxyogEppcK8d2qCVHpC257S1GotbyUuTNCSugY4ANDfLhk0f4xVf_1wYv0jEeuN8uJxWU9giA7bJDXGHfh56tRetXAHYsBJ5X2nMJhLOmI/s200/IMG-0536.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBUTDgnG8M_iqjQvp7gFQI7A9ou2qVo_tZlsTKH72wakue_wE2XciI1hMbi6tNu1SYUkAeYhOWJ4JbwQCxyogEppcK8d2qCVHpC257S1GotbyUuTNCSugY4ANDfLhk0f4xVf_1wYv0jEeuN8uJxWU9giA7bJDXGHfh56tRetXAHYsBJ5X2nMJhLOmI/s1600/IMG-0536.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the unassuming coffee shop which serves excellent coffee at really low prices!</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2kgiKK5_tXG0TAZhC6UdNIO8IoUJ0kQ1OwacJG7GOWFffEpA1tskFBI52WJ7OsL3k95KyZ5IfhyTaBPRvWjcALTZQB6AFoGSRaB8FdwEeOnGDhFAkJDfwVKOYSXyFdlb2hR7Wgtn_npcSBSGRcTYCVzZAiW9-mvzCkF4u0W6XUgmVnYD4-PqA7WkW/s4032/IMG-0534.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2kgiKK5_tXG0TAZhC6UdNIO8IoUJ0kQ1OwacJG7GOWFffEpA1tskFBI52WJ7OsL3k95KyZ5IfhyTaBPRvWjcALTZQB6AFoGSRaB8FdwEeOnGDhFAkJDfwVKOYSXyFdlb2hR7Wgtn_npcSBSGRcTYCVzZAiW9-mvzCkF4u0W6XUgmVnYD4-PqA7WkW/s320/IMG-0534.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A menu like this will make a coffee aficionado very happy.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> My excitement to taste the coffee there was fraught with disappointment on two consecutive days as the coffee shop was closed. The third time is the charm as I found it open and bustling with business when I went there again after my car service.</span></p><p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> Despite the crowd, I managed to secure myself a table after queueing to place my order. It was a 20-minute wait for my coffee but I used the time to send text messages to hubby, survey the available food stalls, savour the aroma of coffee wafting in the air and to people-watch.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwr_8UP7hUnTE0embVrkx5MDVzyxVeSAWOalMfW83LXe7F6d7op1byvPN8JbgrrLb0i0koe_cVspvfEg7T9SBAS8NTF5TZeapTW3ZoeTnYL4598ajuT1azUKN_pa049268jLpQ3p-dioUrX0SkGZUp9XgQZ_H6PvVWGAGy-awC8oVWTzFUkP-TDteT/s4032/IMG-0537.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwr_8UP7hUnTE0embVrkx5MDVzyxVeSAWOalMfW83LXe7F6d7op1byvPN8JbgrrLb0i0koe_cVspvfEg7T9SBAS8NTF5TZeapTW3ZoeTnYL4598ajuT1azUKN_pa049268jLpQ3p-dioUrX0SkGZUp9XgQZ_H6PvVWGAGy-awC8oVWTzFUkP-TDteT/s320/IMG-0537.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at the queue to place orders!</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"> My cup of Dark Roast El Salvador (RM4.50) has arrived! </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #783f04; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqc8m0bkUYm1aaVblgs7xjphg1kI8yT0AOdzJrkUbMxlADH819FHs7Uzuts5yloLDd8jy28-ZAiea5StMSM-nF1N7fEeDbXOAj8k64cLAQcmx0p1tZT1FstS8kqFUGy2uuxmFZ64AJqojox3X8f8hxS2PvBBwj6MjxJKHY9EagBlus6cVSFO3Oapd/s3840/036CD97B-4568-45D0-9E3E-85BEF5AAC76B.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqc8m0bkUYm1aaVblgs7xjphg1kI8yT0AOdzJrkUbMxlADH819FHs7Uzuts5yloLDd8jy28-ZAiea5StMSM-nF1N7fEeDbXOAj8k64cLAQcmx0p1tZT1FstS8kqFUGy2uuxmFZ64AJqojox3X8f8hxS2PvBBwj6MjxJKHY9EagBlus6cVSFO3Oapd/s320/036CD97B-4568-45D0-9E3E-85BEF5AAC76B.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #660000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Mmm...it's a well-balanced brew with medium body, the right amount of acidity and a honey-like sweetness.</span><p></p><p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BZdaQSWCSKAkimJNFjzxzu9t79X0oNqYOraekz_XeCDOnXFodrzvb9OypMR7EZlxE-2u-A61LByOeD9Vgerl7yQM2e5khwZ0rG1LZ2ZMDhekOBXpLI4B-zdRfODXpA9e5k7UIWqTBX3FsxJ1mHZh_wmBdfLCUOhTPRAlk5_cwARJGvbaAKPISkYi/s4032/IMG-0542.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BZdaQSWCSKAkimJNFjzxzu9t79X0oNqYOraekz_XeCDOnXFodrzvb9OypMR7EZlxE-2u-A61LByOeD9Vgerl7yQM2e5khwZ0rG1LZ2ZMDhekOBXpLI4B-zdRfODXpA9e5k7UIWqTBX3FsxJ1mHZh_wmBdfLCUOhTPRAlk5_cwARJGvbaAKPISkYi/s320/IMG-0542.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dunking my soda cracker into my coffee (hmm...I wonder if a 油炸鬼 can work too?)</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> Noting that there were some regular customers who even brought their own tumblers to have their coffee taken away, it gave impetus to future visits to try Great Wall's other blends without having to jostle for a table. Now, should I go for the Macchiato Lover or should I try their Gula Melaka Latte next time round?</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tffH-hnSyH-Ba8wL6h-Wxz7RijG_oJlxyqtW0N1mOX6tqx7R_dtOD9GEz706QTpMfPWxxYizx2ekItesG2YyIdB0r0eTWIk5eqcR_1vTHtPqpjEKUCmGDBb71ZlQbJW2NFV7fdUD5oDt3omxz4YIb_cyverC8oszAF11bkEDZBHTVueid4zVaw3N/s1080/8c83ab92-c1bd-4186-af16-b72c00bdeb01.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="608" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tffH-hnSyH-Ba8wL6h-Wxz7RijG_oJlxyqtW0N1mOX6tqx7R_dtOD9GEz706QTpMfPWxxYizx2ekItesG2YyIdB0r0eTWIk5eqcR_1vTHtPqpjEKUCmGDBb71ZlQbJW2NFV7fdUD5oDt3omxz4YIb_cyverC8oszAF11bkEDZBHTVueid4zVaw3N/s320/8c83ab92-c1bd-4186-af16-b72c00bdeb01.JPG" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having been tempted by me, my other good friend, Lee, drives out to get himself a cuppa just before the coffee shop closes for the day!</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-90859584690468273932022-05-13T01:07:00.001-07:002022-05-13T01:13:22.190-07:00Of Samurai, Shogun and Sumo<p> <span style="color: #990000; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"> Although I've never been a fan of fast food, I do occasionally indulge in Burger King's onion rings as well as McDonalds' GCB. But when the Samurai charge into town, they send my heart aflutter. To be precise, it's McDonalds' seasonal Samurai Burger that gets me excited.</span></p><p><span style="color: #990000; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"> Laid on a bed of crunchy lettuce, smothered with Teriyaki sauce and mayonnaise and sandwiched between lightly toasted sesame buns, the juicy quarter pounder beef patty (<i>or chicken patty</i>) makes me drool. Whenever McDonalds delights us with this periodical offer, I never give it a miss, with the exception of 2021. Last year, the Samurai Burger made its appearance in May, at the time when the Covid-19 lockdown was reintroduced. My fear of the virus superseded my love for the burger, so I chose to play it safe at home.</span></p><p><span style="color: #990000; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"> This year, I am determined to indulge with a vengeance. Two Fridays ago, I ordered a Double Samurai Beef Burger. At the same time, I converted my dad to a Samurai fan too. And today, I was won over by the mightier Shogun Burger. It's an egg-stra flavourful cousin of the Samurai Burger as there is an additional fried egg wedged in together with the beef patty, lettuce, Teriyaki sauce and mayonnaise. And as I was placing my order at the drive-through, the Sumo Burger seemed to wink at me from the menu board. "<i>Me for the next round!</i>" the double beef patties and two fried eggs appeared to be telling me. </span></p><p><span style="color: #990000; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"> I am not sure if I will indeed take on the Japanese heavyweight wrestler (Sumo). But I am now officially in love with the Japanese military ruler (Shogun). Its minion, the Japanese warrior (Samurai) can still make me weak at the knees. </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLWoiGL_oODv9SzoNa1fJFA0I1Nc05NfnUU5r_NXE1VyIKwBb-HNDfBPMqWOI-crAz28Sogb6Pn7KCDnG3tm3aTtQi6n73PvFg3DsrnI3U642Huh_fOoT01YkjyFPCfregSy-tYSboLAb9RSmLMk5rVn97JPaKEs1wj2_cSy5YyUw6qvIRdCrzh0p/s1080/47105189_10217587013537331_7228341070524841984_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLWoiGL_oODv9SzoNa1fJFA0I1Nc05NfnUU5r_NXE1VyIKwBb-HNDfBPMqWOI-crAz28Sogb6Pn7KCDnG3tm3aTtQi6n73PvFg3DsrnI3U642Huh_fOoT01YkjyFPCfregSy-tYSboLAb9RSmLMk5rVn97JPaKEs1wj2_cSy5YyUw6qvIRdCrzh0p/s320/47105189_10217587013537331_7228341070524841984_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thinking of Shogun and Samurai, mighty Kanazawa Castle comes to mind.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #990000; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #990000; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"> How I wish these tantalising teriyaki burgers can be absorbed into the regular McDonalds' menu! The Samurai Pork Burger (<i>bet that's even more yummylicious!</i>) is available all year round in Thailand. Or perhaps McDonalds Malaysia can ape its Southern neighbour and treat us to the Ninja Burger, which features a chicken patty coated with crunchy cornflakes, drenched in the Japanese Nanban sauce and housed in lightly toasted charcoal sesame buns. Mmm...<i>oishii</i>!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxaRtMTTRfmcgB4VEiczS549Fr0ZfG8f6exlWD5CihgQS7lOnRbJTcLl49erGTkCspj7sMbIfLijznu0I8ruUyjR1-aUwCYnqzjgBnfj8GDmpMUQ8jYbbd-ZolPi9UkFwZgwyro0iSuSqOS4_5AZ2JjUhZcN0A9u8Smgnd7yQSJkwob8lDpAy4sIuc/s4032/IMG-0379.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxaRtMTTRfmcgB4VEiczS549Fr0ZfG8f6exlWD5CihgQS7lOnRbJTcLl49erGTkCspj7sMbIfLijznu0I8ruUyjR1-aUwCYnqzjgBnfj8GDmpMUQ8jYbbd-ZolPi9UkFwZgwyro0iSuSqOS4_5AZ2JjUhZcN0A9u8Smgnd7yQSJkwob8lDpAy4sIuc/s320/IMG-0379.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My incredibly tasty lunch today</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitCStGBKiZ6SXJXyvitAYIKe5qQzhyETkSdSLZI_aURKVo5YUNDMzviUVhJYmWxbHkLektOt9UVG8kQ-Yy2EVlrdHWstoHjTCWa1ulmfQV2xkvi4h39H4ugCbCu-sXsBJizYHZsGLfiTnJfA4zTOxSSwCVeD5JwmA3wintL6I4JF_uVEigW-ybWT-V/s300/images.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitCStGBKiZ6SXJXyvitAYIKe5qQzhyETkSdSLZI_aURKVo5YUNDMzviUVhJYmWxbHkLektOt9UVG8kQ-Yy2EVlrdHWstoHjTCWa1ulmfQV2xkvi4h39H4ugCbCu-sXsBJizYHZsGLfiTnJfA4zTOxSSwCVeD5JwmA3wintL6I4JF_uVEigW-ybWT-V/s1600/images.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Samurai welcomes Shogun and Sumo to join the conquest of Irene</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><span style="color: #990000; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"></span></div><span style="color: #990000; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><p></p>IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-35524647571119824062021-07-15T06:53:00.001-07:002021-07-15T06:53:26.301-07:00MCO 4.0 - Day 45<p> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">15 July 2021 Day 45 of Movement Control Order 4.0</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">13,215 new Covid-19 cases in Malaysia today</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Dinner : Roasted Balinese Coconut Turmeric Lemongrass Chicken, Steamed Brinjals with Fried Shallots</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3zIYDzUlocfgk6JPCU6KG2gcdzcsSojhfFSeOykPKyj11E4LMNHgRKv6aCYzK88zQPa6M7smtcEuxvBa4lyxCTBGVk9PdB-ZxJUbDt1F_2Fy-Y4rEegzsqRRYSqcahwLHYcmwpyJUuI/s1080/SteamedBrinjals.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3zIYDzUlocfgk6JPCU6KG2gcdzcsSojhfFSeOykPKyj11E4LMNHgRKv6aCYzK88zQPa6M7smtcEuxvBa4lyxCTBGVk9PdB-ZxJUbDt1F_2Fy-Y4rEegzsqRRYSqcahwLHYcmwpyJUuI/s1080/SteamedBrinjals.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv5aaMwVBWDiIu-vhwgxTVEVs7tds4-WTI9Zltrg5N1wpQiNHRltdzwMUHmtek9htreHBKTSjcRtddQ9o-eDxjoh-koxPfElyOPY02qTYyOWuk6_h4-l3Fx6xB9m9nn7agwTyzazyk8ko/s1080/RoastBalineseCoconutTurmericChicken.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv5aaMwVBWDiIu-vhwgxTVEVs7tds4-WTI9Zltrg5N1wpQiNHRltdzwMUHmtek9htreHBKTSjcRtddQ9o-eDxjoh-koxPfElyOPY02qTYyOWuk6_h4-l3Fx6xB9m9nn7agwTyzazyk8ko/s320/RoastBalineseCoconutTurmericChicken.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3zIYDzUlocfgk6JPCU6KG2gcdzcsSojhfFSeOykPKyj11E4LMNHgRKv6aCYzK88zQPa6M7smtcEuxvBa4lyxCTBGVk9PdB-ZxJUbDt1F_2Fy-Y4rEegzsqRRYSqcahwLHYcmwpyJUuI/s320/SteamedBrinjals.jpeg" width="320" /></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><p></p>IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-65686332056471511832021-07-14T06:23:00.001-07:002021-07-14T06:24:02.263-07:00MCO 4.0 - Day 44<p> <span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">14 July 2021 Day 44 of Movement Control Order 4.0</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> As the black font shows, Malaysia's Covid-19 cases have clinched another record. Unfortunately, this new record of 11,618 cases is nothing to brag about. On the contrary, it is extremely alarming, especially since the World Health Organisation has warned of impending "devastating outbreaks" caused by the Delta variant, which is sweeping across the globe at a "scorching pace".</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> Black seemed to be the colour of the day. We had Black Pepper Pork Slices for dinner, complemented by the good old ABC Soup.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUZZREsFltEdkJupwacJ6kz3HDhZKNqULol_-Md_XjKOgQgH9mNhfln7Fe_6kKfapfg4GGtgOCo2-OP-THWB2QtK5pfrUquNp8cOLvzlLGbMV7SA-buignV1w2Yql_SSu-KlQMkxnPoI/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-14+at+8.24.50+PM.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUZZREsFltEdkJupwacJ6kz3HDhZKNqULol_-Md_XjKOgQgH9mNhfln7Fe_6kKfapfg4GGtgOCo2-OP-THWB2QtK5pfrUquNp8cOLvzlLGbMV7SA-buignV1w2Yql_SSu-KlQMkxnPoI/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-14+at+8.24.50+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had not planned to cook this dish when I went to the market last Saturday, so I didn't have the foresight to buy green capsicum to be cooked with these Black Pepper Pork Slices.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgJRVP4t7Gj80VCi2zm0QphjeFPbpBxSMTDXg-NGFcXlYdMLahKMzFVqOX7K7LvqWt_w0VdChKtc-klaC6tlWUOWZKejebRVYgXv85m2D_-lveNDnq7dhc6YgTiLB397WpBIZYEfgCGY/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-14+at+8.24.51+PM.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgJRVP4t7Gj80VCi2zm0QphjeFPbpBxSMTDXg-NGFcXlYdMLahKMzFVqOX7K7LvqWt_w0VdChKtc-klaC6tlWUOWZKejebRVYgXv85m2D_-lveNDnq7dhc6YgTiLB397WpBIZYEfgCGY/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-14+at+8.24.51+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ABC Soup - easy to make, yet it's nutritious</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZl4Ce4K_Q6SE9oGpEK5mmBWOfZwGbS_3ch632F9aQgySzXgX3Ks9MXgB23IED1ug_6NFMD4fSp0XqBer__KtaGwOpthKV8tJd5THPcSZww4iUqGbkUDx6mLjfbJ8iqSPX980bkSzBFa8/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-14+at+8.24.52+PM.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZl4Ce4K_Q6SE9oGpEK5mmBWOfZwGbS_3ch632F9aQgySzXgX3Ks9MXgB23IED1ug_6NFMD4fSp0XqBer__KtaGwOpthKV8tJd5THPcSZww4iUqGbkUDx6mLjfbJ8iqSPX980bkSzBFa8/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-14+at+8.24.52+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corn, taken out from the soup, for nibbling</td></tr></tbody></table><br />IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-88143538962739674422021-07-13T06:59:00.002-07:002021-07-13T06:59:26.265-07:00MCO 4.0 - Day 43<p> <span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">13 July 2021 Day 43 of Movement Control Order 4.0</span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"> When hubby came home during lunch time, he happily informed me that his presentation went well and we would be celebrating with a Japanese dinner from Uncle Autumn later. However, taking one look at today's whopping high 11,079 new Covid-19 cases and the torrential rain that was lashing down in the evening, we changed our minds. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"> Fortunately, I had a portion of chicken that had been defrosted earlier. So I could jump into action and in my haste, I didn't don the plastic gloves. Hence, my hands, fingers and nails are now all brightly painted in yellow! Yes, I handled turmeric as I cooked Braised Turmeric Chicken for dinner and an easy-peasy Salted Vegetables Soup.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojiqyQc_riPoUGPIi27TmcbWq91MldRtL4KpNJ8UPFPYjQZPVLyAuuLtH3AD7uAL3efULR5BmcsuEoh7AzZQKoX9eCh1sf8ak17VErCTidwFbjnmlyOMwST6Vw5c7DinW44LZCGiwT6E/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-13+at+9.31.02+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojiqyQc_riPoUGPIi27TmcbWq91MldRtL4KpNJ8UPFPYjQZPVLyAuuLtH3AD7uAL3efULR5BmcsuEoh7AzZQKoX9eCh1sf8ak17VErCTidwFbjnmlyOMwST6Vw5c7DinW44LZCGiwT6E/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-13+at+9.31.02+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLR_PXz52PaL6Sq8gjJrD-hFVCMnlRAUdCJUwZ23FvTGDTWVqdCQ_AzOdx8zUhlV0fr4VhRPt61oJ7XQT2FFiEJ3DggP_vM6AcGgJVS-C_q5wJTItQ_Q8W36wTpvwFiJaGMnAwYPtNh4/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-13+at+9.30.59+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="810" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLR_PXz52PaL6Sq8gjJrD-hFVCMnlRAUdCJUwZ23FvTGDTWVqdCQ_AzOdx8zUhlV0fr4VhRPt61oJ7XQT2FFiEJ3DggP_vM6AcGgJVS-C_q5wJTItQ_Q8W36wTpvwFiJaGMnAwYPtNh4/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-13+at+9.30.59+PM.jpeg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"> As I cooked, I took a look at the evening sky. By then, it was only a drizzle, and everything looked so peaceful after the storm. And I wondered about the "storm" that our country is going through now. Our Director General of Health has acknowledged that Malaysia is now in "very critical condition". Will life ever be normal again?</span></p>IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-18295812475684191772021-07-12T06:30:00.000-07:002021-07-12T06:30:12.762-07:00MCO 4.0 - Day 42<p> <span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: times; font-size: large;">12 July 2021 Day 42 of Movement Control Order 4.0</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Despite living in football-crazy England for two years, I've never been big on the game. I do understand the game and have followed some of the matches; how could I not when I lived with a Manchester United enthusiast for a year? He tried to turn me into a fan too and used to sing "Glory glory Man United" to annoy me. And when I travelled to Liverpool to visit a friend, he shook his head in disgust and asked why I would want to visit "that horrible city". That's Alec, my host dad, who loved to bug me to agree that he's a "handsome English gentleman"!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwtjMJQcYhWH4ehpWi48HIaCqEyATGu_c6mxqsIFNqJJh9smd_DVFqp_Y3xSyFv9EG9ibZLy4ncCyH5SZvVbJpw1U_OqUXpFyVJr1MVExhhHsU9lHPLO31ZjBO9ZN8Fg77NptgkN-v4M/s604/alec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="604" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwtjMJQcYhWH4ehpWi48HIaCqEyATGu_c6mxqsIFNqJJh9smd_DVFqp_Y3xSyFv9EG9ibZLy4ncCyH5SZvVbJpw1U_OqUXpFyVJr1MVExhhHsU9lHPLO31ZjBO9ZN8Fg77NptgkN-v4M/s320/alec.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my English family...see that "handsome English gentleman"!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: times; font-size: large;"> I can feel his heartache, which I'm sure he's moaning over now, after England's heart-rending loss to Italy at yesterday's European Championship Finals. Winning 3-2 on penalties, Italy claimed the Euro 2020 crown at Wembley Stadium...England's home ground! Arghh!</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: times; font-size: large;"> So tonight, Alec, I cooked an Italian dinner. No, I was not being disloyal to England. I remember your exceptionally delicious spaghetti bolognese and how you taught me to literally lick my plate clean! We used to drive Pat crazy with our barbaric acts. 10,673 km may separate us now but I share your heartbreak, Alec.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5qlXfmQMaSdZBmF9f6fxLDbFGeZ5aP-JHiDCJg4Yp2-ve4N5WXAi_YRIOcFpkDWRAvGCMP8vqRj382mJhjncAlPZ78qKVmo7dn0DdOzkUoorSHEnMS27nMLpyPHnlnirgkBb-o4WI4A/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-12+at+8.37.32+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="714" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5qlXfmQMaSdZBmF9f6fxLDbFGeZ5aP-JHiDCJg4Yp2-ve4N5WXAi_YRIOcFpkDWRAvGCMP8vqRj382mJhjncAlPZ78qKVmo7dn0DdOzkUoorSHEnMS27nMLpyPHnlnirgkBb-o4WI4A/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-12+at+8.37.32+PM.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a fusion meal, to be exact : Meatballs Marinara Spaghettini with Sweet Corn Egg Drop Soup</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zAerhdfK0GGcSUKgP5LsX7ENZc3U-JJ3ezdbc-qWXmf7RmOh0lbfnzvMNBzIDihl72F3GnmexPnDAqOtg5gDepVLouHkruJm2MyJuJk10SFYF2oj6llUXujf4PHC6ZMlWZnaiobY-64/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-12+at+8.37.41+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zAerhdfK0GGcSUKgP5LsX7ENZc3U-JJ3ezdbc-qWXmf7RmOh0lbfnzvMNBzIDihl72F3GnmexPnDAqOtg5gDepVLouHkruJm2MyJuJk10SFYF2oj6llUXujf4PHC6ZMlWZnaiobY-64/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-12+at+8.37.41+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meatballs Marinara without too much herbs (just the way we like it)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifkNM0xc-VL7bHvDP0IHZtIhKodZmoKQ6eaPmBKor6tfPH1CC2ccQgUB4-zI_TqGmRUhA0kgOhywIbgLvltVz_cLxQ-ZP1y_xvtEdctjFUyMN4lF3hRRkZZJAj_9cDsu6szxl_YWVGanw/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-12+at+8.37.42+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifkNM0xc-VL7bHvDP0IHZtIhKodZmoKQ6eaPmBKor6tfPH1CC2ccQgUB4-zI_TqGmRUhA0kgOhywIbgLvltVz_cLxQ-ZP1y_xvtEdctjFUyMN4lF3hRRkZZJAj_9cDsu6szxl_YWVGanw/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-12+at+8.37.42+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hubby enjoyed his Meatballs Marinara Spaghettini</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Oh, I dearly miss my host family in England, Alec, Pat and Grandma Ball! And Tynan the dog, who's returned to doggie heaven. When this Covid-19 pandemic ends, I would love to return to England and pay you a long overdue visit.</span></p>IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-822540399291051972021-07-11T06:35:00.000-07:002021-07-11T06:35:14.244-07:00MCO 4.0 - Day 41<p> <span style="color: #741b47; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">11 July 2021 Day 41 of Movement Control Order 4.0</span></p><p><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> Seeing his wifey quite tied up with lesson preparation yesterday, Derrick offered to take charge of the cooking today. The smart man dropped by at Ipoh Garden South after getting our brunch and packed home roast chicken and <i>char siew</i> so that he would only have to fry the asparagus later at night! 😆</span></p><p><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> As he had bought half a roast chicken, it really was a huge portion for the two of us. So I told him the <i>char siew</i> can be kept for another meal, or perhaps for my brunch tomorrow. His Stir-fried Asparagus with Prawns was delicious, as usual.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWbSg1Xq3bI-W5ImrlAiARtlDQTCgoOhPfetL2fCYO196P15lhoc1hmmGMSHGWH4Xiy-4WSpHmBUlQYkiv44HLpIKel9-v9IgFIh4rTvXm6M8Fao62Sht29a0dSYwfX8zn1gKOWYbtkQ/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-11+at+9.21.27+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="890" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWbSg1Xq3bI-W5ImrlAiARtlDQTCgoOhPfetL2fCYO196P15lhoc1hmmGMSHGWH4Xiy-4WSpHmBUlQYkiv44HLpIKel9-v9IgFIh4rTvXm6M8Fao62Sht29a0dSYwfX8zn1gKOWYbtkQ/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-11+at+9.21.27+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOw_QJCdB_bd9ORshg7p_6U5J4EkyemUViPC_Z5x1H-VjUmj5F_3I0Zv-neAuoqQQQ4YUJ0gLwikTuxcnZhasQflWp78bFrAvkaY9Yld4JFT19aoYJd3r9Sk-Z0UfZMssSLyfg_IbbZck/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-11+at+9.21.26+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOw_QJCdB_bd9ORshg7p_6U5J4EkyemUViPC_Z5x1H-VjUmj5F_3I0Zv-neAuoqQQQ4YUJ0gLwikTuxcnZhasQflWp78bFrAvkaY9Yld4JFT19aoYJd3r9Sk-Z0UfZMssSLyfg_IbbZck/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-11+at+9.21.26+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></span><p></p>IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-77547244571132985152021-07-10T07:00:00.003-07:002021-07-10T07:00:59.676-07:00MCO 4.0 - Day 40<p> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">10 July 2021 Day 40 of Movement Control Order 4.0</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> Another black font post. Another record high of 9353 new Covid-19 cases today. And more worrying is Perak now has the 2nd highest infectivity rate in the country (1.17), after Putrajaya's 1.19! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> There was a downpour in the evening, which would have been really enjoyable weather for doing yoga or exercising on the cross trainer. Unfortunately, I was too bogged down by lesson preparation, followed by cooking, so I had to forego exercising.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> It did cross my mind not to cook but to order dinner from somewhere. But I'm glad I didn't do that in the end, as a homecooked dinner is always enjoyed by hubby. We had Braised Pork Belly in Soya Sauce (or what hubby calls <i>Tau Yew Bak</i>) and Stir-fried Leek with Prawns.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-fBZ-IXJ5-0JfUC1gLDHvKay94XB48uZpJBwxf5anIEWoK-VK4n-6mIJHQvK4yI-IoxqoMtVYAZVc7lt6DCiP7Eykt1f-VURLMs9Mi2-37jl6XngCFNmtA3ATGfhjErcVgmJTNjrEwk/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-10+at+8.59.27+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-fBZ-IXJ5-0JfUC1gLDHvKay94XB48uZpJBwxf5anIEWoK-VK4n-6mIJHQvK4yI-IoxqoMtVYAZVc7lt6DCiP7Eykt1f-VURLMs9Mi2-37jl6XngCFNmtA3ATGfhjErcVgmJTNjrEwk/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-10+at+8.59.27+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXgJlPNKKV4SLlSF7fe9YL-00xi8z640Vmzv9bVJk9ifDZOgUDS-EBLoqFvH1lUaAJbn8etof6glgppHlkbp34pzNMQQeDtVZmK1mPQ0GJ1x3GSfbnFuwuOd59NgByLRbyvMmdXf6ZlM/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-10+at+8.59.18+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXgJlPNKKV4SLlSF7fe9YL-00xi8z640Vmzv9bVJk9ifDZOgUDS-EBLoqFvH1lUaAJbn8etof6glgppHlkbp34pzNMQQeDtVZmK1mPQ0GJ1x3GSfbnFuwuOd59NgByLRbyvMmdXf6ZlM/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-10+at+8.59.18+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-43193846476811948292021-07-09T06:51:00.000-07:002021-07-09T06:51:56.626-07:00MCO 4.0 - Day 39<p> <span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">9 July 2021 Day 39 of Movement Control Order 4.0</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"> Alarming. Bleak. Crestfallen. Distressing. Enraged. Foreboding. Grim. Hopeless. Infuriated. Jittery. Kicked in the gut. Lethargic. Miserable. Numbed. Ominous. Perturbed. Quite at wit's end. Resigned. Shook up. Threatened. Unnerved. Vexed</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;">Wretched. Xtremely low-spirited. Yearning for freedom. Zonked.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"> Seeing escalating Covid-19 figures despite the frontliners' unyielding sacrifices and our own conscious efforts to toe the line really makes me think there is no light at the end of the tunnel. All those feelings above do describe how I feel. At times, it's terrifying. At other times, I feel too tired to worry. Sometimes it angers me to see the struggle for power at times like these. And there are occasions when I just shut off any news on politics.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"> Today's record high figure of new 9180 Covid-19 cases is indeed disheartening. How much longer can we hold on to the thread?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"> Despite today being a Friday, which means the weekend's here to take a breather, I did not have a song in my heart as I cooked. Fortunately, it was an easy-peasy meal to cook and turned out to be tasty. I often cook this for my brunch on weekdays while working from home as it's super quick to whip up. When I shared the picture of my brunch with hubby last week, he asked me to cook it for him. And so we had it for dinner today.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0yoq-A4_8QPlD02a0Z34CFmGVfVvajIfnYOU2A_covIv0_XuSKVb2-txeMZF2pyDUHQ-WcIQVNjULyFUsEAPZGCtyuSZQUtcYkzckGIaLVg0wNzdDptq16SW6-UdQQkzRiy25sJ2qfA4/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-09+at+8.00.00+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="832" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0yoq-A4_8QPlD02a0Z34CFmGVfVvajIfnYOU2A_covIv0_XuSKVb2-txeMZF2pyDUHQ-WcIQVNjULyFUsEAPZGCtyuSZQUtcYkzckGIaLVg0wNzdDptq16SW6-UdQQkzRiy25sJ2qfA4/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-09+at+8.00.00+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minced Pork and Shredded Mushrooms <i>La Mian</i> with Fishballs Soup</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5v8FTKAT7geN1-ZaB7IGe9aA7bL9ZPpSnc9X0cgdJpdxFDJh3ko_pZ1_g7KuY3d7E0oNAbJAqY7Wc3K6KVMtQdcZ_qDRTsWVM5j-Vt9bw2pz5TxI6mVq7JciDSkb4W235Um1zkRBTYk/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-09+at+8.00.02+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="826" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5v8FTKAT7geN1-ZaB7IGe9aA7bL9ZPpSnc9X0cgdJpdxFDJh3ko_pZ1_g7KuY3d7E0oNAbJAqY7Wc3K6KVMtQdcZ_qDRTsWVM5j-Vt9bw2pz5TxI6mVq7JciDSkb4W235Um1zkRBTYk/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-09+at+8.00.02+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hubby's huge portion</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p>IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-81963859184252416952021-07-08T06:33:00.000-07:002021-07-08T06:33:29.153-07:00MCO 4.0 - Day 38<p> <span style="color: #20124d; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">8 July 2021 Day 38 of Movement Control Order 4.0</span></p><p><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"> This was almost another black font post. Malaysia's Covid-19 figures skyrocketed to 8,868 cases today, making it the 2nd highest in the country's history, just 152 cases less than 29 May's 9020 cases. And today we had 135 fatalities, the highest single day death toll ever! </span></p><p><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"> Amidst the gloom, we managed to enjoy a rather tasty dinner. Of course when one of Marion Grasby's recipes is put to use, the dish is a sure winner! Her Thai Three-flavoured Fish (<i>I used trout today</i>) tantalises the tastebuds with the three flavours : sweet, sour and spicy. After the trout pieces were lightly coated with flour and fried, it was time to make the alluring sauce. Garlic and red chillies that had earlier been pounded in the mortar were fried, tamarind juice was added, brown sugar was generously scooped in and some fish sauce was swirled in. When the sauce had thickened considerably, the trout pieces were returned to the <i>wok</i> and given a good toss so that the sauce would cling lovingly to the fish. Finally, some spring onion were sprinkled onto the dish.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsoRAu25vEqWxTTS6z3rjSXiVMZZrq0U-axn5jItJU0aqX8JbUPDS5Os_zdFNqJ4QS967AaYzyh_gtYQWCj1w4n9bLiDbWvTOjDtdHwFuRNJF_-wbxwSOye7WDcIZ0KXDwAxjwFpJ0DQk/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-08+at+9.13.25+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsoRAu25vEqWxTTS6z3rjSXiVMZZrq0U-axn5jItJU0aqX8JbUPDS5Os_zdFNqJ4QS967AaYzyh_gtYQWCj1w4n9bLiDbWvTOjDtdHwFuRNJF_-wbxwSOye7WDcIZ0KXDwAxjwFpJ0DQk/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-08+at+9.13.25+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thai Three-flavoured Trout</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOw2_Z8hoEhZMy83T-WgaYsaIff3joW9veTIbSjsW4Uer9B9bfLgaMbvZ7bY0CSTAeNbqq92z7jlsWFHXIrIkEjrqhgoHRgZuPM90Y1-2VPlUv-KL44aRphsgqn0bDagUhBW7P_3KFto/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-08+at+9.13.24+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOw2_Z8hoEhZMy83T-WgaYsaIff3joW9veTIbSjsW4Uer9B9bfLgaMbvZ7bY0CSTAeNbqq92z7jlsWFHXIrIkEjrqhgoHRgZuPM90Y1-2VPlUv-KL44aRphsgqn0bDagUhBW7P_3KFto/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-08+at+9.13.24+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delightful Prawn <i>Wantons</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJY0IRCCCyMC5yejO2I0_qkkPu3GZnpozAhS93DKVm5VlrCGyJHQDlHXJ3xNNlKmYmjOY0Wfa5VAgV-HK1snh5nxaY0Bpg5I0hu9Wjg-XI4a43gfvf3hvtcEVBWwvwaphABfEM32jMxQ/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-08+at+9.13.24+PM+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJY0IRCCCyMC5yejO2I0_qkkPu3GZnpozAhS93DKVm5VlrCGyJHQDlHXJ3xNNlKmYmjOY0Wfa5VAgV-HK1snh5nxaY0Bpg5I0hu9Wjg-XI4a43gfvf3hvtcEVBWwvwaphABfEM32jMxQ/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-08+at+9.13.24+PM+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lotus Root, Pork Ribs and Peanuts Soup</td></tr></tbody></table><br />IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-90430133628902224982021-07-07T06:02:00.001-07:002021-07-07T06:02:46.928-07:00MCO 4.0 - Day 37<p> <span style="color: #800180; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">7 July 2021 Day 37 of Movement Control Order 4.0</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: #800180; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">A weeknight dinner, regardless of whether you are working from home or otherwise, should be fuss-free and super quick to whip up. Tonight's dinner, which</span><span style="color: #800180; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: #800180; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">required less than 50 minutes</span><span style="color: #800180; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: #800180; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">to cook</span><span style="color: #800180; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"> (from preparation to serving), was a typical weeknight dinner.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOpYNgoIxkmJD01IYHvcTeF0nTwLZYkYLgRU1fSSwS3mNEsX38zWZBTs-W1HbG_H7AQFXyDc3mDhWw5WfZXRvu1CEpfaXwrT9EQ15JLz81RqknzI4ujnVd2Z4zgoKoPkCT8mkddkokL0/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-07+at+8.52.03+PM+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="810" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOpYNgoIxkmJD01IYHvcTeF0nTwLZYkYLgRU1fSSwS3mNEsX38zWZBTs-W1HbG_H7AQFXyDc3mDhWw5WfZXRvu1CEpfaXwrT9EQ15JLz81RqknzI4ujnVd2Z4zgoKoPkCT8mkddkokL0/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-07+at+8.52.03+PM+%25281%2529.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stir-fried Roast Pork ( 爆烧肉 )</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9lukWnU5iXIuqQiRSpXQaktsyxnW3oNlYOuGweB5R9CDt7_UsED_nEq7ZQQT9o8rEfVmIsbIsFWJFevVwRk2VlSvkWT8BHxebJb1l0G3QGjaoJ6ryBQB5Ml6c1cY0JARRDPZ4pwP1JM/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-07+at+8.52.03+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="810" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9lukWnU5iXIuqQiRSpXQaktsyxnW3oNlYOuGweB5R9CDt7_UsED_nEq7ZQQT9o8rEfVmIsbIsFWJFevVwRk2VlSvkWT8BHxebJb1l0G3QGjaoJ6ryBQB5Ml6c1cY0JARRDPZ4pwP1JM/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-07+at+8.52.03+PM.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stir-fried <i>Nai Pak</i> with beaten egg and lots of ginger strips </td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p><span style="color: #800180; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"> At the end of the meal, I asked hubby, "Did you enjoy that?"</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"> And his answer : "Mmm...yes, very much. Simple. Nice."</span></p>IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-59176409037551860382021-07-06T06:25:00.000-07:002021-07-06T06:25:47.914-07:00MCO 4.0 - Day 36<p> <span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">6 July 2021 Day 36 of Movement Control Order 4.0</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> Every evening, when I prepare dinner in the wet kitchen, I would hear my neighbour and her daughter having conversations with their pet rabbits. If it had not been for this Maintain-Your-Distance period of social distancing, I would have popped over to meet the bunnies.</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> But the humans and rabbits tete-a-tetes either tickle me or put some spark into the mundane food preparation. I was smiling away today as I sliced the angled luffa when I heard Mrs. Lee reprimanding one rabbit, "See? I told you not to hop too high. Now you've hurt your floppy ear."</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> It's small things like these that I look forward to. Another thing that I've grown to enjoy during this lockdown is to have a more leisurely breakfast at home. Sometimes it's just a cup of coffee with a <i>pau</i>, but I would have it in front of my Smart TV, which would be playing morning jazz music from YouTube.</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> I didn't have to linger on in the wet kitchen for long today so I missed some of the humans-rabbits interaction. The Stir-fried Angled Luffa with Prawns was a breeze to cook. And the other dish was merely popped into the oven, which did the labouring for me. How easy that was! And what an aromatic smell my Honey Soy Garlic Roast Chicken emitted!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLIQP2cEj_QLYTFIZ_sKP7m1jhDQQrmvU1BYxeRX7B-MCNynrlL88TN401F5k85O4DfH8yykULZS8KTnBxIqhKV_A6d0uVD-SPX-8IKsx7RYwY5pG3-tV3xJao4sNQLiltFMrtHpcvIY/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-06+at+9.19.09+PM+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="810" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLIQP2cEj_QLYTFIZ_sKP7m1jhDQQrmvU1BYxeRX7B-MCNynrlL88TN401F5k85O4DfH8yykULZS8KTnBxIqhKV_A6d0uVD-SPX-8IKsx7RYwY5pG3-tV3xJao4sNQLiltFMrtHpcvIY/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-06+at+9.19.09+PM+%25281%2529.jpeg" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> Hmm...I know bunnies are vegetarians (strict herbivores), but I wonder if they salivated over the smell?</span></p>IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-83855762655840775922021-07-05T05:46:00.003-07:002021-07-05T05:46:58.447-07:00MCO 4.0 - Day 35<p> <span style="color: #783f04; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">5 July 2021 Day 35 of Movement Control Order 4.0</span></p><p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> As I had a number of errands to run in the afternoon after my virtual lessons, I decided to give myself a break by packing dinner home. Upon a friend's recommendation, I headed to Canning Garden <i>Bak Kut Teh</i> for a soup portion as well as a dried portion, plus a set of cruellers. All in, it came to RM29. </span></p><p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> I asked hubby if he would like a plate of vegetables to go with it or some steamed <i>ikan parang</i> fishballs. He chose the latter, which made the job even easier for me. 😆<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJn6TLtfvO7XrEO4G4MDPBtzUJNXEE2dsNIVh12PjJqnNeQC2HEcV8myw61HlouIW2pC_QmpLGip6h-XkY86HhXP0Sl6GhP2Nyv-EX90q0-rxfw8NIoillhMeXD55qJSKv8tSMl6YzL0o/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-05+at+8.23.38+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJn6TLtfvO7XrEO4G4MDPBtzUJNXEE2dsNIVh12PjJqnNeQC2HEcV8myw61HlouIW2pC_QmpLGip6h-XkY86HhXP0Sl6GhP2Nyv-EX90q0-rxfw8NIoillhMeXD55qJSKv8tSMl6YzL0o/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-05+at+8.23.38+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first time trying this Dry <i>Bak Kut Teh</i>, packed with the flavours of dried shrimps, dried cuttlefish and dried chillies.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmit1keswjZf-jCRDFFZ6_jOlSqL0L_OoOMq2NK4H6BAldRFSM4xQm3o0-SUEbhY7EJlTe2XvITg7xzcPsjMjyj1GAFVATkMRXsrsSJn5HBOyobOD1cdEbDSXPzot27DsMa_XJiIeNO-E/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-05+at+8.23.39+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmit1keswjZf-jCRDFFZ6_jOlSqL0L_OoOMq2NK4H6BAldRFSM4xQm3o0-SUEbhY7EJlTe2XvITg7xzcPsjMjyj1GAFVATkMRXsrsSJn5HBOyobOD1cdEbDSXPzot27DsMa_XJiIeNO-E/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-05+at+8.23.39+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Although this was meant to be a portion for 1, the <i>Bak Kut Teh </i>soup was a huge portion. Some will be used for my brunch tomorrow.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrKOp70BVNrjtv8Ln2gCeTQhLfVZ3z3N2LZzz5cBmmsQdJ1YKR7AD0r-F36R8CC79XLERCZV972AQ66CgfubEXcwMae8u4GMpKZGwxyqwTJsoiL-GxLnpn_tVZib0KGrmNbgS91USmBc/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-05+at+8.23.38+PM+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrKOp70BVNrjtv8Ln2gCeTQhLfVZ3z3N2LZzz5cBmmsQdJ1YKR7AD0r-F36R8CC79XLERCZV972AQ66CgfubEXcwMae8u4GMpKZGwxyqwTJsoiL-GxLnpn_tVZib0KGrmNbgS91USmBc/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-05+at+8.23.38+PM+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crunchy cruellers for dipping into the soup</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRNNNdms3zasIlfKpn0cRb1deYLEzCd_SbP5fxZY_vieUdWDm0awmc59E_dpbuj6c5-6ZIgSAxxpvOB000e1oJoXNjIL8f9OLzWCGtK565fOgC9SAzb8-lC_jUgjMrDFs8X2Ml7m7ID0/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-05+at+8.23.37+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRNNNdms3zasIlfKpn0cRb1deYLEzCd_SbP5fxZY_vieUdWDm0awmc59E_dpbuj6c5-6ZIgSAxxpvOB000e1oJoXNjIL8f9OLzWCGtK565fOgC9SAzb8-lC_jUgjMrDFs8X2Ml7m7ID0/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-05+at+8.23.37+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simple Steamed Fishballs</td></tr></tbody></table><br />IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-17319836130599142272021-07-04T06:24:00.000-07:002021-07-04T06:24:00.623-07:00MCO 4.0 - Day 34<p> <span style="color: #45818e; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">4 July 2021 Day 34 of Movement Control Order 4.0</span></p><p><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> Just when Perak is slated to move into Phase 2 tomorrow, there has been an increase in Covid-19 cases in Perak today! Keeping fingers crossed!</span></p><p><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> Hubby requested for his favourite <i>Tofu</i> Prawn Soup, which I had not cooked for ages since I can no longer take <i>tofu</i>. Taking pity on the poor man, I nodded my head when he picked up the slab of <i>tofu</i> at Ah Khay's stall this morning. I later explained to him that since I can't share the soup with him, I'll use half of the <i>tofu</i> to make the soup and the other half would be used for another dish, solely for him too. As I would then have to cook something separately for myself, he quickly suggested buying <i>Char Siew</i> for me so that I'd have one less dish to cook.</span></p><p><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> So for tonight's dinner, we had <i>Char Siew</i> from Restoran 1212, <i>Tofu Prawn </i>Soup, <i>Mapo Tofu</i> and French Beans Omelette.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzeAznDln5u8DOV9bK3XWvFgSDbVdOCZs219U6HWQX4criBlP3cRQO7jRDHA0WEHwOzVkfnQoqGkRVu8L64tAlJ64PdGruCJuVmvtrAGnYvQyUDwY6Q8Rl5dpn820kocdP5tNilQOi_M/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-04+at+8.48.43+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzeAznDln5u8DOV9bK3XWvFgSDbVdOCZs219U6HWQX4criBlP3cRQO7jRDHA0WEHwOzVkfnQoqGkRVu8L64tAlJ64PdGruCJuVmvtrAGnYvQyUDwY6Q8Rl5dpn820kocdP5tNilQOi_M/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-04+at+8.48.43+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQ6SMggw-LlZtv4gbf_M7KKDWwIkO7wSUTks1K189omh80SS26-diiZfkEWmRgS15n3pwxZkHcEq-q1VsqeSi_G7dlRkc01E7hZJC5BQcH7b7SVtaTKkKp-QswSXdj-1y7Pd_uWfldC8/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-04+at+8.48.52+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQ6SMggw-LlZtv4gbf_M7KKDWwIkO7wSUTks1K189omh80SS26-diiZfkEWmRgS15n3pwxZkHcEq-q1VsqeSi_G7dlRkc01E7hZJC5BQcH7b7SVtaTKkKp-QswSXdj-1y7Pd_uWfldC8/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-04+at+8.48.52+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkahulJvq7-rWimQeH23QhJ2xM1y-lAq2v49aSqujoWHkt2vDK8DZ3aKqtO7wEQu5A_263uri4ZN3sHDdMp2yHDcQNR0_8tlaDXKL1JilmSaioyfQSrkM1kPGJDsCF4QLsUhMEPl7UmA/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-04+at+8.48.52+PM+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkahulJvq7-rWimQeH23QhJ2xM1y-lAq2v49aSqujoWHkt2vDK8DZ3aKqtO7wEQu5A_263uri4ZN3sHDdMp2yHDcQNR0_8tlaDXKL1JilmSaioyfQSrkM1kPGJDsCF4QLsUhMEPl7UmA/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-04+at+8.48.52+PM+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlDQhl1z53iVBIv9gmgJJH3ssK7ma3ZBlhGRFMr5KX5aENP_U5rq1wcgtjggfPc8aySbEmrLG7oZhTHzCsDpwGYywgpnEuVN2omvr4Vn_LVOJxqQJk87gwmXhohRxiH9Njo7YoPeRSKA/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-04+at+8.48.50+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlDQhl1z53iVBIv9gmgJJH3ssK7ma3ZBlhGRFMr5KX5aENP_U5rq1wcgtjggfPc8aySbEmrLG7oZhTHzCsDpwGYywgpnEuVN2omvr4Vn_LVOJxqQJk87gwmXhohRxiH9Njo7YoPeRSKA/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-04+at+8.48.50+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-18323399326527912372021-07-03T06:14:00.001-07:002021-07-03T06:14:23.635-07:00MCO 4.0 - Day 33<p> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">3 July 2021 Day 33 of Movement Control Order 4.0</span></p><p><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"> While Selangor falls under a 2-week Enhanced Movement Control Order starting from today, Perakians were shown a glimmer of hope. From 5 July, together with Perlis, Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu, we will move on to Phase 2 of the National Recovery Plan, which sees the opening of more economic sectors. However, dine-ins for two per table will still not be allowed.</span></p><p><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"> Whilst rain was pelting down in the evening, we had a Zumba session at home, followed by tandem cooking again. Chef Derrick deftly cooked his <i>Sambal</i> Asparagus and Prawns, I was in charge of the proteins.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3kZVY3GTik8mTGTx7qpK1947SbgyJgGy0XBZIgmBw84oQPwe3OJtlF1KEcJfhJIJgzR6Xdf74vHf3aRMdlYzTJt5TfIc3GprZ70wYQEVE9Oekc_3aWh4t9YClr3DhxzSSxmwKbasa5o/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-03+at+8.49.50+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="706" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3kZVY3GTik8mTGTx7qpK1947SbgyJgGy0XBZIgmBw84oQPwe3OJtlF1KEcJfhJIJgzR6Xdf74vHf3aRMdlYzTJt5TfIc3GprZ70wYQEVE9Oekc_3aWh4t9YClr3DhxzSSxmwKbasa5o/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-03+at+8.49.50+PM.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sambal </i>Asparagus with Prawns, Fried Eggs and <i>Pongteh</i> Chicken for dinner on a cool evening</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p>IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-79166606470734789792021-07-02T06:57:00.002-07:002021-07-02T06:57:37.024-07:00MCO 4.0 - Day 32<p> <span style="color: #38761d; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">2 July 2021 Day 32 of Movement Control Order 4.0</span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> Besides Marion's Kitchen, I am regularly checking out Spice N' Pans as I love Roland Lim's recipes. They are super easy to follow and his dishes are "so flavourful" (<i>that's Roland's signature line, but it really rings true</i>). </span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> Tonight's Golden Fragrant Chicken or <i>Kam Heong </i>Chicken was incredibly delicious. Following Roland's advice, I marinated my diced chicken with oyster sauce, soya sauce, sugar, curry powder, cornflour and a beaten egg. The chicken was later fried till golden brown and set aside. To prepare the sauce, aromatics like dried shrimps, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, curry leaves and dried chillies were fried. The water that was earlier used to soak the dried shrimps was then poured in, before adding oyster sauce and sugar. After the sauce had reduced a little, the chicken pieces were returned to the <i>wok</i> and given a good toss so that all the chicken were coated with the fragrant sauce. There you have it : Golden Fragrant Chicken!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfVfch3bvrHokye1pA_e4XHQoJPVzIByoAHt9BD7B6O1NFz_YV13NAbyqC9c-T46s_bpqXfiIDWdBdZJ-OD0CBCeJRMOJ9xTNt5GkluRNm4XGGU-zD8nnJvePR7bOcEazvayspfaRNRM/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-02+at+9.18.46+PM+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfVfch3bvrHokye1pA_e4XHQoJPVzIByoAHt9BD7B6O1NFz_YV13NAbyqC9c-T46s_bpqXfiIDWdBdZJ-OD0CBCeJRMOJ9xTNt5GkluRNm4XGGU-zD8nnJvePR7bOcEazvayspfaRNRM/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-02+at+9.18.46+PM+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden Fragrant Chicken (recipe from Spice N' Pans)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxjPaIeKM_i8NXyfDv1B7GAmrUF92mWsh3zruV_ocnaVayQ-JTw9bpTnR0p42x0JRh2hFSaWq7VmcAZo2XFf_T3vZ8IA4DZhsTVeXx2XTT5li1oG9cGLFJeBvkNM0tNXHpIfTEVjfeCo/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-02+at+9.18.46+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxjPaIeKM_i8NXyfDv1B7GAmrUF92mWsh3zruV_ocnaVayQ-JTw9bpTnR0p42x0JRh2hFSaWq7VmcAZo2XFf_T3vZ8IA4DZhsTVeXx2XTT5li1oG9cGLFJeBvkNM0tNXHpIfTEVjfeCo/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-02+at+9.18.46+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stir-fried Lady's Fingers</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> When hubby emerged from his shower, his first comment was, "Wah! Something smells good!" He enjoyed the dish very much too and finished every teeny weeny bit of morsel on the plate (<i>I'd earlier fished out all the dried chillies</i>). </span></p>IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-8205958103555772942021-07-01T05:39:00.000-07:002021-07-01T05:39:31.901-07:00MCO 4.0 - Day 31<p> <span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1 July 2021 Day 31 of Movement Control Order 4.0</span></p><p><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> After a fairly packed teaching schedule and a staff meeting in the afternoon, followed by some work preparation, I was, honestly, too knackered to cook. I sent a message to hubby, telling him that I would go out later to pack something home for dinner. The sweet man said he would go directly from work to get our dinner.</span></p><p><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> He initially thought of going to Uncle Autumn for Japanese food. Then he remembered that he had a Shopee voucher to utilise. So we ended up with Domino's Pizza...yum! The last time we had pizza was in New Zealand, way back in December 2019!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjioYq1c8yQtE-FTi6hBJHQ258DTDMutPoOlce8XZhwmD8aTQAor8LXkKxvBJcPq6QLT-H5njiNUnDvB58leUUBTJ1PISIyuwD605iIFa8uE5RsU4kQceHT6_CnMgf7HMNkZFA1HF850/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-01+at+7.15.42+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjioYq1c8yQtE-FTi6hBJHQ258DTDMutPoOlce8XZhwmD8aTQAor8LXkKxvBJcPq6QLT-H5njiNUnDvB58leUUBTJ1PISIyuwD605iIFa8uE5RsU4kQceHT6_CnMgf7HMNkZFA1HF850/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-01+at+7.15.42+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hubby ordered this 12" Prawn Sensation Pizza with additional toppings of shredded chicken, ground beef, beef sausage and <i>ikan bilis</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-3a0IKnPRHtxqsabcaRprourUYtaE2BKXRWEExV6Om10TtUFxOATRhW_rMdi25HYUgmAKJ2lnGeJk4cfFTeMZON_btmTZhET_BVm9niYkyF9hIZc892nfRBmB9S7AFCi5Sm-b8AWFA0/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-01+at+7.15.38+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="810" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-3a0IKnPRHtxqsabcaRprourUYtaE2BKXRWEExV6Om10TtUFxOATRhW_rMdi25HYUgmAKJ2lnGeJk4cfFTeMZON_btmTZhET_BVm9niYkyF9hIZc892nfRBmB9S7AFCi5Sm-b8AWFA0/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-01+at+7.15.38+PM.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feast for two (and more)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p>IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-29765199840648292902021-06-30T06:05:00.002-07:002021-06-30T06:05:53.002-07:00MCO 4.0 - Day 30<p><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: times;">30 June 2021 Day 30 of Movement Control Order 4.0</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: times; font-size: large;"> I was having a lesson on hip hop and other music genres with my Form 4 class this morning. I decided to surprise them by playing a snatch of a hip hop song, careful to choose one without all the foul language. One girl's reaction was "What's that awful music?", to which several boys responded, "Hey! That was nice!" I cheekily asked if I should play another hip hop song and the girl was quick to answer, "Please don't! I'm so traumatised by it!"</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Later, I played a bit of Chopin's Nocturne op. 9 No. 2. The "traumatised" girl liked it, said it was soothing. But a boy gave it the thumbs down. It all goes to show how one man's meat is another man's poison.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: times; font-size: large;"> But the best comment I got out of this episode was from another boy, "Teacher, when you played the music, my dog cocked her head." After the lesson, I sent a private message to this boy asking him to apologise to his dog on my behalf for disturbing her. His answer : "Nah, she enjoyed it very much, teacher." 😍</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Knowing I made a dog's day brought a warm fuzzy feeling to me and m</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">y good mood lasted throughout the day. I couldn't wait for hubby to come home to share this story with him.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"> In a buoyant mood, I cooked dinner. Tonight's fare consisted of Meatballs in BBQ Sauce and Steamed Brinjals with Fried Shallots. </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluN14i57Zt9TaWcM4XESdTYB-vwAzujMn4fImcl8PT9o4n5Kw8yfLlC_TzKEJqc30fAYd7psQFQU4_Toq4svbcc2rGuFBnp-UbRwXQLzaQOEeoIHHX2lVGKQy-eQ74PjOX45S9gCeFn8/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-06-30+at+7.52.23+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluN14i57Zt9TaWcM4XESdTYB-vwAzujMn4fImcl8PT9o4n5Kw8yfLlC_TzKEJqc30fAYd7psQFQU4_Toq4svbcc2rGuFBnp-UbRwXQLzaQOEeoIHHX2lVGKQy-eQ74PjOX45S9gCeFn8/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-06-30+at+7.52.23+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-yxwTiGuPPgrshLZfOMmylZygvRoujag4fTWTGLeX1Ae8YH8dRy6BsKV4hAtAhoaBYakrjU70PPa-m73g5098yjbBjLia6PGM_KeXoq5ufZvLxhQb9hFmRQ8jVmCkWkQblUhnctrczQ/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-06-30+at+7.52.24+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-yxwTiGuPPgrshLZfOMmylZygvRoujag4fTWTGLeX1Ae8YH8dRy6BsKV4hAtAhoaBYakrjU70PPa-m73g5098yjbBjLia6PGM_KeXoq5ufZvLxhQb9hFmRQ8jVmCkWkQblUhnctrczQ/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-06-30+at+7.52.24+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-84267197388379666942021-06-29T06:47:00.001-07:002021-06-29T06:47:45.946-07:00MCO 4.0 - Day 29<p> <span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">29 June 2021 Day 29 of Movement Control Order 4.0</span></p><p><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"> One of the things that I sorely missed during MCO 1.0 was the use of my Noxxa breadmaker cum oven. It had decided to go on strike and as all non-essential economic sectors were closed, I was unable to send it for repair. There were well-meaning suggestions to just get myself a new one, but I was loath to do that as I really love my trusty appliance and I was hoping that some tinkering or changing of spare parts would do the trick. Fortunately, my faith in it was not misplaced. It's now serving me well again.</span></p><p><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"> Even prior to this Covid-19 era, Ms Noxxa had always been glad to welcome Count and Countess Chicken Thighs, after their McCormick Steak Spice rub. This evening, the friends met up again. Resplendent after luxuriating in their marinade, Count and Countess Chicken Thighs had a 40-minute 200 degrees Celsius sauna session with Ms Noxxa. After that, they emerged aromatic and crispy.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9DtwY9XJZUvVLboVoloQJK-phzE8Ts5U1BSksVzXkcqBiLneVEzq-ebi8Z41ZxtTvufp9vdtKKidtLYLirkpOX9S0acYI-79qvBWoz6v2D41lX46XaD7Q_vGAgz9aZMUuGdmIgFoayI/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-06-29+at+9.23.12+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9DtwY9XJZUvVLboVoloQJK-phzE8Ts5U1BSksVzXkcqBiLneVEzq-ebi8Z41ZxtTvufp9vdtKKidtLYLirkpOX9S0acYI-79qvBWoz6v2D41lX46XaD7Q_vGAgz9aZMUuGdmIgFoayI/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-06-29+at+9.23.12+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oven-baked Crispy Chicken Drumsticks (recipe from Elinluv's Tidbits Corner)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bbzXERx7GT6R2nA_W7lIzVru_i2mY1XfsCvaeo5-6v7z8TF-k1dSV0dE4A-NBUPX5YImU8XRH0-LB7AR1cGloQCg4I6X67OL24iD8dmG61heutkvQiZE-B3OAkfjvZboekckrVtdsDc/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-06-29+at+9.23.13+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bbzXERx7GT6R2nA_W7lIzVru_i2mY1XfsCvaeo5-6v7z8TF-k1dSV0dE4A-NBUPX5YImU8XRH0-LB7AR1cGloQCg4I6X67OL24iD8dmG61heutkvQiZE-B3OAkfjvZboekckrVtdsDc/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-06-29+at+9.23.13+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Radish Chicken Soup</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"> </span></p>IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-59121247590595977852021-06-28T06:16:00.000-07:002021-06-28T06:16:31.581-07:00 MCO 4.0 - Day 28<p> <span style="color: #783f04; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">28 June 2021 Day 28 of Movement Control Order 4.0</span></p><p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> Marion calls this dish "a holiday on a plate" as it always reminds her of beach holidays, sand in her feet, a Pina Colada in her hand and a big giant Pineapple Fried Rice. She served hers in a lovely pineapple bowl but I was too lazy to buy a whole pineapple and go through the rigmarole of digging out the flesh. Still, it was tasty, and hubby proclaimed so, upon putting the first scoop into his mouth.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8nx0edcSe-e2gcxSF5aGxuTZo85V7YlaWQmGEnxWBezoJ_4Pal6x3YoP12b5zlLellczgI5xL2CiV2VEwHSikVluV4ouXEozWd6Sj-cBmjMXEn_vK9JdhhDrxSmD3YKkEkboXj9lFayA/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-06-28+at+9.00.15+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8nx0edcSe-e2gcxSF5aGxuTZo85V7YlaWQmGEnxWBezoJ_4Pal6x3YoP12b5zlLellczgI5xL2CiV2VEwHSikVluV4ouXEozWd6Sj-cBmjMXEn_vK9JdhhDrxSmD3YKkEkboXj9lFayA/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-06-28+at+9.00.15+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A taste of Thailand</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJMjbgmA1YYyNOGGngBOc0WwA7_DWcaxRhIwvyWcg_lc7LLmqZoPezWyId3AiBcqBTAl8m1zxysvNRqNdrvHEIRSTpZN6gEIihSJljO1Vk5PwzwQykej5fSuc-7D5ejiwUq3i476gFZM/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-06-28+at+9.00.14+PM+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="810" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJMjbgmA1YYyNOGGngBOc0WwA7_DWcaxRhIwvyWcg_lc7LLmqZoPezWyId3AiBcqBTAl8m1zxysvNRqNdrvHEIRSTpZN6gEIihSJljO1Vk5PwzwQykej5fSuc-7D5ejiwUq3i476gFZM/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-06-28+at+9.00.14+PM+%25281%2529.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pineapple Fried Rice for two</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> Now perhaps tonight I'll dream of being caressed by the gentle sea breeze as I watch the golden sunset from a shaded spot on the soft, warm sand, with an iced cold Pina Colada in my hand.</span></p>IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-40340284223685475992021-06-27T06:46:00.000-07:002021-06-27T06:46:07.567-07:00MCO 4.0 - Day 27<p> <span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: times; font-size: large;">27 June 2021 Day 27 of Movement Control Order 4.0</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Apparently, the current lockdown is not even to be called as MCO. The correct name to use is Phase 1 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP). <i>Pening betul</i>! For the purpose of my own blog as a documentation of this unprecedented <i>cordon sanitaire</i> of modern times, I persist in referring to it as MCO 4.0.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: times; font-size: large;"> As travels are still light years away, in the cocoon of our house, this evening we pretended to be in Malacca for some Nyonya food. We had Grouper Fillets in Nyonya Sauce. The Nyonya sauce came in a bottle (Gimson's the brand) but I adjusted the taste by adding <i>bunga kantan</i>, mint leaves and potent chilli flakes.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyuLKrt7IxKd5-8RO9h9j6-jG6qLD_BW0nbUkMO9vInayDPhCECvwFJGqmvh1YIYIuJ-Nh8PzC9kczj4AzxBcUB7pacK7MCo2Pj1PDbIKiaU6C2peq9MNmD1Wvd5Vvi2cKmwjPjbDq_fU/s1080/GrouperFilletsInNyonyaSauce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyuLKrt7IxKd5-8RO9h9j6-jG6qLD_BW0nbUkMO9vInayDPhCECvwFJGqmvh1YIYIuJ-Nh8PzC9kczj4AzxBcUB7pacK7MCo2Pj1PDbIKiaU6C2peq9MNmD1Wvd5Vvi2cKmwjPjbDq_fU/s320/GrouperFilletsInNyonyaSauce.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grouper Fillets In Nyonya Sauce</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbc2iD044Tkx90RvQYahG7PSsvHcvCwF43PhtfYrB7hTNtxgSnECRL8obEhWp35WoZU5tz8pRi3bsp_987e5vM8QMyQwzsswbTa6-AVny7OY-5LAqi5WgdKafmW3nm01T14ZNTgfPxQM/s1080/NaiPak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbc2iD044Tkx90RvQYahG7PSsvHcvCwF43PhtfYrB7hTNtxgSnECRL8obEhWp35WoZU5tz8pRi3bsp_987e5vM8QMyQwzsswbTa6-AVny7OY-5LAqi5WgdKafmW3nm01T14ZNTgfPxQM/s320/NaiPak.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stir-fried Hong Kong <i>Nai Pak</i> with Ginger Strips and Eggy Gravy</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Another simple dinner, it was, but hubby was pleased with it. He should be! The original plan was for him to cook dinner today while I see to the ironing. However, he was keen to go for an evening walk after pumping some iron in the house. So I decided to take charge of the cooking and leave the wrinkled clothes for attention on another day. To be fair, hubby did help a little in the kitchen upon returning from his walk.</span></p>IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-26392296320235523802021-06-26T07:34:00.001-07:002021-06-26T07:38:55.466-07:00MCO 4.0 - Day 26<p><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">26 June 2021 Day 26 of Movement Control Order 4.0</span></p><p> <span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFEa6DEzdO-O6EkE_ZBkNT9R0Nu_IMVEllZne8j3pSl8nJ1V1i5dIfgCGWkqJTp_qspZhD3z_PHci1x5eyeeG0uE2RLxOA0c-pKiwvQPS-wq3kJMLIQKyNq2a-v7urjFVnbS_Za7VDFU/s2048/IMG-7828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFEa6DEzdO-O6EkE_ZBkNT9R0Nu_IMVEllZne8j3pSl8nJ1V1i5dIfgCGWkqJTp_qspZhD3z_PHci1x5eyeeG0uE2RLxOA0c-pKiwvQPS-wq3kJMLIQKyNq2a-v7urjFVnbS_Za7VDFU/s320/IMG-7828.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"> It was unplanned but we ended up having a mushroom extravaganza. One dish was Steamed Stuffed Shiitake Mushrooms with Scallops Sauce and the other dish was Stir-fried French Beans with Fresh Brown Mushrooms.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT1EXhFSZdpZc-5MqrwgbujEpxSY8eZsSRkbYHlLVVnXXMBJpXcNEH533lmVnJiJmg5SIEkNwVa6PpSCTWvXdhBTEg_wgYUCjQqkR6ivc2FvXlGfPTKrLQvc-8qMX0b8iwM83yOTBAWho/s2048/IMG-7829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT1EXhFSZdpZc-5MqrwgbujEpxSY8eZsSRkbYHlLVVnXXMBJpXcNEH533lmVnJiJmg5SIEkNwVa6PpSCTWvXdhBTEg_wgYUCjQqkR6ivc2FvXlGfPTKrLQvc-8qMX0b8iwM83yOTBAWho/s320/IMG-7829.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></span><p></p><p></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"> I rarely use dried scallops in my cooking as I had learnt from the early days of our marriage that hubby's not partial to it. So I use it sparingly. But today he surprised me as he seemed to love the sweet scallops sauce. And as he was doing the washing up, he commented, "That was fine dining. The dried scallops cost RM20 for 100g." Hahahah...I can see that Shopee is a handy teacher!</span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"> After tonight's dinner, we had dessert of Mung Bean Soup, lovingly boiled by Clare and thoughtfully delivered by her husband, Lee. Such sweet friends I have!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7rosnl8MiK_oxZ6nt_2VhrpFDjiHOsncSoxaV19bBkP9YiCbxheJapcJ9iL8yCoWQb_AhYJPFwph0Z2uqObSmTnKBlOcWBypWpllxv4e5emgdTaHHGMutpqP9DJwVnzUmGdAb7eMiqpI/s2048/IMG-7837.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7rosnl8MiK_oxZ6nt_2VhrpFDjiHOsncSoxaV19bBkP9YiCbxheJapcJ9iL8yCoWQb_AhYJPFwph0Z2uqObSmTnKBlOcWBypWpllxv4e5emgdTaHHGMutpqP9DJwVnzUmGdAb7eMiqpI/s320/IMG-7837.JPG" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-20931158693109801492021-06-25T06:06:00.004-07:002021-06-25T06:06:53.302-07:00MCO 4.0 - Day 25<p> <span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">25 June 2021 Day 23 of Movement Control Order 4.0</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> One of the joys of shopping excursions to Kuala Lumpur and Penang is being able to try different eateries. But one obligatory meal would be at Din Tai Fung, a highly-popular Taiwanese restaurant that has branches all over the world. Never wavering, hubby and I would order their pork <i>xiao long bao</i> and their pork chop <i>la mian</i> soup. </span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> Dearly missing Din Tai Fung and knowing that we will not be travelling to KL, Penang or anywhere else in the near future, I took up the gauntlet and brought a piece of Din Tai Fung to Ipoh. I replicated their pork chop <i>la mian</i> soup this evening, much to hubby's delight.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGaufBKFjo2xNkAqjqG54Cl7MqA_IZd8u_q3zwWzBf-zEPyrwmzQLW5k2oYoEK1G-XQoP4FWP2Rl2AVuGNNC6x-XxJyuddKcqOAmrCUyhdDU-N46r-fLWxBUTXTNFIPBSU34PUB5B5tUg/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-06-25+at+8.34.25+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGaufBKFjo2xNkAqjqG54Cl7MqA_IZd8u_q3zwWzBf-zEPyrwmzQLW5k2oYoEK1G-XQoP4FWP2Rl2AVuGNNC6x-XxJyuddKcqOAmrCUyhdDU-N46r-fLWxBUTXTNFIPBSU34PUB5B5tUg/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-06-25+at+8.34.25+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My copycat version of Din Tai Fung's Pork Chop <i>La Mian </i>Soup</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> After being rendered some karate chops with the back of a cleaver to tenderise them, the pork loin chops were marinated for about 3 hours with sea salt, sugar, black pepper, five spice powder, ginger powder, soya sauce, <i>Shaoxing</i> wine, cornflour and baking soda. Just before frying them, I also lightly coated them with more cornflour.</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> As for the soup, I made a pork bone broth with the pork bones and some aromatics. The latter included smashed garlic, ginger slices, white ends of spring onion and carrot.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOLqmEAMcM_O9up2I5WWV9yRcqYJqa9W-3Y3R9O1mwbMCvHaONHKmo3ofPLCIFmnTu3Zz744UA_JbzWP8lMX9cfB9EmHL8GxvUF2tDG8w1Me-NWRbUFg-PjL5_1EgocWy_N01fU1JEBM/s2048/IMG-7801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOLqmEAMcM_O9up2I5WWV9yRcqYJqa9W-3Y3R9O1mwbMCvHaONHKmo3ofPLCIFmnTu3Zz744UA_JbzWP8lMX9cfB9EmHL8GxvUF2tDG8w1Me-NWRbUFg-PjL5_1EgocWy_N01fU1JEBM/s320/IMG-7801.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My lil sweetheart working hard</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkLRKZwRPQOGMZ_0sB80D2cCOvbZyVUAknxZKUhvUchyphenhyphenudcbDOsnUMwe-ejoxC_bZEnAsYurofx6tFeUgVlgrnszvgRQgAVoC1c9XI-SIoQEC-bhjk3VNbD-22SY2NMvQxjqQSi0Q89U/s2048/IMG-7802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkLRKZwRPQOGMZ_0sB80D2cCOvbZyVUAknxZKUhvUchyphenhyphenudcbDOsnUMwe-ejoxC_bZEnAsYurofx6tFeUgVlgrnszvgRQgAVoC1c9XI-SIoQEC-bhjk3VNbD-22SY2NMvQxjqQSi0Q89U/s320/IMG-7802.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A peek at the magic boiling away</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZy4oPSByjCt4rx1-jf3pEh8seb2_OgEavCPBtoguyHfkaVg9co9BIrm54AV9mAyIBHG7oPOQHMjN4r2xMDWSPmz4BoPTzB_LEKMu5KVlSrXM3FEyTWq0lvsqb4J9Rf0sx-OnT0zsiPoA/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-06-25+at+8.34.20+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="776" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZy4oPSByjCt4rx1-jf3pEh8seb2_OgEavCPBtoguyHfkaVg9co9BIrm54AV9mAyIBHG7oPOQHMjN4r2xMDWSPmz4BoPTzB_LEKMu5KVlSrXM3FEyTWq0lvsqb4J9Rf0sx-OnT0zsiPoA/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-06-25+at+8.34.20+PM.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poised for plating</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv40gcWBdstUYTcntAqgtSIPE4I5m-aeT3n3vN-o43v09IyICcUxgWflFtBkJlFqEynRS2rvVzblgHlu5CEI7EwPC3763OdQnd4GWG6cLCMNu-xnxnEac8VUSLfRIMNSei-ya_GGNroAc/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-06-25+at+8.34.24+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="852" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv40gcWBdstUYTcntAqgtSIPE4I5m-aeT3n3vN-o43v09IyICcUxgWflFtBkJlFqEynRS2rvVzblgHlu5CEI7EwPC3763OdQnd4GWG6cLCMNu-xnxnEac8VUSLfRIMNSei-ya_GGNroAc/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-06-25+at+8.34.24+PM.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flavourful pork chop on their beds of <i>la mian</i><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span> </span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">This evening's Pork Chop <i>La Mian</i> Soup was exquisite, a perfect end to the work week, and gave me the fleeting illusion that I was on a weekend shopping trip in KL. Hmmm... Now should I next try to copy their <i>xiao long bao</i>? That's a tall order!</span></span></p><br />IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043687012769757237.post-3917200407079306952021-06-24T06:17:00.000-07:002021-06-24T06:17:10.075-07:00MCO 4.0 - Day 24<p> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: times; font-size: large;">24 June 2021 Day 24 of Movement Control Order 4.0</span></p><p><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: times; font-size: large;"> When I spotted some medium-sized prawns at the seafood shop yesterday, I immediately knew what to cook with them...something easy-peasy yet tasty, and very much enjoyed by hubby. It's from Marion's Kitchen, but to be precise, it's cooked by Mama Noi, her irrepressible mum. </span></p><p><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: times; font-size: large;"> I love to watch both Marion and Mama Noi in action; Mama Noi really makes me laugh. Before cooking tonight's dish, I re-watched the video of Mama Noi cooking it, and of course one video led to another, and more. There was one that I really burst out laughing, all stress momentarily dissipated.</span></p><p><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: times; font-size: large;"> So what's tonight's dish? It's Mama Noi's Thai Sweet and Sour Prawns! And it was paired with Stir-fried Lady's Fingers with XO Sauce.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSTLc_MDbMDs11VLIjvgWeVRDgkTTLvy61sNV7Gpm-KB5bdy35Tr_NQaT5ErPfoBmCzol0xTSy2d5Ri3njuquZ_pC5uli8scOPuf93v3KVGMUQjO_y5ZJbD5-BydjVNB2kSTowtpkDXOM/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-06-24+at+8.43.00+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSTLc_MDbMDs11VLIjvgWeVRDgkTTLvy61sNV7Gpm-KB5bdy35Tr_NQaT5ErPfoBmCzol0xTSy2d5Ri3njuquZ_pC5uli8scOPuf93v3KVGMUQjO_y5ZJbD5-BydjVNB2kSTowtpkDXOM/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-06-24+at+8.43.00+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXLugswj8DJ5u-FudZDXXqrY5DBlkhDhNtERh6IU-fCy_ZZ05ak_o5ktYUR2fAKl8gV0pfBUAH59gl3tvH20tOfjlF0da55pqZF0WVhWk3145pqZqIXkmnqPPcU8UgFhlYR6cf2BlCyk/s1080/WhatsApp+Image+2021-06-24+at+8.43.01+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXLugswj8DJ5u-FudZDXXqrY5DBlkhDhNtERh6IU-fCy_ZZ05ak_o5ktYUR2fAKl8gV0pfBUAH59gl3tvH20tOfjlF0da55pqZF0WVhWk3145pqZqIXkmnqPPcU8UgFhlYR6cf2BlCyk/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-06-24+at+8.43.01+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></span><p></p>IreneChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904214896970854857noreply@blogger.com0