Traditional Salted Fish Pickle

300g salted fish, cut into thin strips
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
2 tbsp golden raisins
Enough oil for deep-frying 

Spice paste (A)
8 shallots
20g fried chillies, soaked and seeded
10g ginger
2 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tsp fennel powder
1 stalk lemon grass


Seasoning (B)
100ml water
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp soft brown sugar or to taste


Rinse salted fish then pat dry with kitchen paper towels.  Fry in hot oil until golden and crispy.  Remove and set aside.


Blend spice paste (A) in a food processor into a fine paste.  Heat 4-5 tablespoons oil in a wok and fry spice paste until fragrant and oil rises.


Add water and remaining seasoning ingredients.  Stir and bring to a simmering boil until gravy is reduced.  Dish out and add the prefried salted fish.  Sprinkle in toasted sesame seeds and raisins to mix.


Leave to cool then store in a clean sterilised jar.

Salmah's Eldest son's wedding

 (me with Norizan, standing behind us: fr left Zakaria, James Foo Cheek Par, Abang Johari Saat, Mohd Idris Sattar, Molane Mortojo and Akbal Ahmad)

(BFF me, Salmah Awang and Norizan Zakaria)

 (the Dais for the bride and groom)

(the traditional 'wedding cake' made from yellow glutinous rice)

Yesterday, just after fajr prayers, my husband drove me to Johor Baharu.  We left the house at 5.30am and stopped at Bangi to have our prayers.  We got into the PLUS highway at around 6.30am.  We reached Johor Baharu at 8.45am.

Norizan fetched me at around 10.30am and took me to her parent's house at Melodys Garden.  My husband checked into Central Hotel while waiting for me to return from Singapore.

I met Izan's mother, a sweet lady....she will also follow us to the wedding.  Izan's brother in law, with his wife drove us to Singapore.  There was a long queue to the immigration check point at Woodlands.  Took us one hour to get clearance and enter Singapore.  What a shame!!

Anyway, we reached Salmah's wedding reception about 10 mins later.  The event was held at the community hall at Avenue 4, Choa  Chu Kang.  Salmah was so surprised to see me.  She thought I was unable to attend.  Threre were the guys....my ex Monkshillian classmates....I was so happy to meet them.  

There was abang Joe (Salmah's cousin).  The last time I met him was in 1978, when I was in Singapore attending Abang Cits wedding.  Abang Joe is still a biker.  Now he rides a Harley....wowww.....I noticed the tee shirt he was wearing at Salmah's son's wedding...a Harley Davidson tee shirt.  Abang Joe said he will drop by at my farm if he and his big bikers come again to Malaysia. Abang Joe has 5 children and 3 grandchildren....and he rides a Harley....Wowww and wow wow.....

Izan and I left around 3pm.  When we reached Johor Baharu, I got down at Central Hotel and bid goodbye to Izan and her family.  When I reached room 2009...hubby opened the door, and was surprised to see me 'home' so early..... 

We left for home after Asar prayers.....but before that, we had mee rebus, sup kambing, tahu bakar at a food stall along the alley in Johor Baharu.   Oh yaa! teh tarik also....

We finally reached home, safe and sound, at 9.30pm....  I thanked my husband very much for driving me to Johor Baharu and allowing me to attend the wedding....Yang...you are the BEST!! I love you very strong.....

(Kamaruzaman bin Budin)

My cross stitch pictures

 (My 3rd cross-stitch picture, it now hangs in my hubby's office right behind his desk)

 (my second attempt of the Holy Mosque cross-stitch, still uncompleted)

 (this is my latest project....yet to be completed....wonder when???)

 (This was my 1st cross-stitch picture, the Holy Mosque in Mecca)

 (My 2nd cross-stitch picture, took me 7 months to finish)

(My 4th cross-stitch picture, a kampung house, took me only two months to finish)

Well, I started an interest in cross-stitch in 1998.  Wow.....almost 13 years ago, and a picture of the Holy Mosque in Mecca was my first project.  I completed it towards end of 1999.  Well, it took me almost a year to complete it because I only do cross-stitch while watching TV after dinner.  Usually I will spend about two to three hours doing cross-stitch.  It would also depend on my moods.....

It also took a lot longer to finish a picture because, sometime I got lazy and not in the mood to do cross-stitch.  So, usually after a lonnnnnggg break, it becomes utterly difficult to start again....but then, when I did start cross-stitching again, I got all geared up to complete the picture.... Yet, when I got 'high' doing it, there was no more thread to continue.... so, have to wait for a few more finished coloured thread  before I could go to the handicraft shop to buy the much needed thread.

The DMC thread which I am using is so expensive nowadays.... When I first started, it cost only 30 sen each.  Now it costs RM1.40.  So, if my hubby wants to buy my cross-stitch (he bought my first cross-stitch for RM3.500) he will have to pay triple the amount of my first cross-stitch picture, heheheehee.... Well, I will only sell my cross-stitch pictures  to my hubby, because, then my cross-stitch will not leave the family home.......Well, actually, I wish to complete at least 7 pictures before I die, so that each of my children will have a picture to hang at their respective homes.

I hope I could complete the above last two pictures before year ends, and begin another cross-stitch picture of a bowl of fresh fruits to hang in my kitchen.early next year, InshaAllah.

Plantar Fasciitis....r u gone 4 good???

 (this is the Tai Chi Kung Fu San (fan))

This morning, I decided to go to the football stadium at Kajang town which is about five minutes drive from home.   When I reached the stadium, there were joggers on the track, and children with their parents at the huge playground at one corner of the stadium.  There were also a group practicing tai chi near the car park area.  On the football field were two groups of boys playing football at each goal post. 

I made my way behind the goal post and found a spot where I could do my tai chi.   Of course lah, I make sure that I was wayyyyyy behind the goal post...I do not want to get hit by a stray ball.....Luckily they were not having a match...otherwise I would be their spectator instead......

Anyway, I started by doing the warm up, tai chi style.  There are eleven styles and I completed it within 20 mins.   Then I did the Tai Chi Chung 37 steps.  This I must do within 10 mins.  No more no less.  If more than 10 mins, that would mean I was too slow.....If less than 10 mins...than I was too fast......Difficult eh?? Well, practice makes perfect.... After practicing tai chi for 12 years....no problem for me to do it in 10 mins flat!!  Another thing though.... when I completed the 10 mins, my position must not go beyond the yin yang circle..... tough eh?? Well....like I said...Practice makes Perfect.....

After that, I took out my Tai Chi Kung Fu san (fan), flick it open a few times...enjoying its 'open and shut' sound...mind you, its loud enough to gather attention!!  Well, when I did that, I could 'feel' other eyes watching me.......(of course lah...I dare not look around....I have to focus....and remember the song when I do the Tai Chi Kung Fu San.  TCKFS took 3 mins 43 seconds only.....

Then, after doing Tai Chi Kung Fu San, I proceeded to the track and  walked briskly for two rounds....then I started to jog...slowly of course....I still fear of injuring my heel again..... After one round of jogging, I walked briskly again for another round....and jog again the next round, a little faster this time and for the final round, I walked briskly again.   Then I cooled down by walking slowly back and forth behind the goal post...By this time there was no one playing football..... I took 20 mins doing the jogging and brisk walking....

I finally left the stadium at 9.00am.  But I did not go straight home... I went to the Pasar Tani (farmers market) to buy crabs and prawns.....fresh ones of course.  Oh yaaaa.....there was no class today at UIA Gombak....my lecturer took leave.  So, next week, there will be an extra half hour for class.......

Well, Alhamdullilah, I felt no pain whatsoever on my left heel...but when I wanted to climb the stairs to my bathroom for shower.....I felt pain on my left ankle....Now whaaaaaat?????  Datuk Dr Mahmood Merican.....here I come.....

Egg Sambal

When my husband and our daughter, Sofiyah returned from my cousin's son's wedding last Saturday, they brought home ten pieces of 'bunga telor', a door gift for all wedding guests at a Malay wedding. Well, usually, only a piece of bunga telor is given to each guest, but since, the wedding which my husband attended was a close relative wedding, extra bunga telor were given.  I did not follow them because I was unwell.  

Anyway, since the bunga telor is actually hard boiled egg, put into a container or attached to a stalk of artificial flower, I decided to cook a dish, a very easy one, which my family truly enjoyed.... 

Ingredients
Hard boiled eggs (minimum 5)
Dried chillies (about 15 pcs, cut and soak in hot water.  Better soak it, otherwise, when you fry the chillies the aroma will make you sneeze....)
5 pcs garlic
2 large onions
tomato ketchup (about 4 tablespoon)
salt to taste
oil for frying

1)   Blend the dried chillies with garlic
2)   Slice the onions 
3)   Deshelled the hard boiled eggs and fry in hot oil, drain
4)    Use the same oil to fry large onions, then add blended chillies
5)   Add tomato ketchup, salt and a little water
6)   Finally add in the eggs.  Fry altogether under small flame
7)   Eat with rice or bread.

Well, bulls eye fried egg can also be use....Same method, different shape altogether...hard boiled, egg round...bulls eye...egg flat.....

Hammock-a-calling...

One of my workers put up this hammock at one corner of my farm.  I sure could not resist having my nap here.....

OR... I could just lie down on the wooden platform....and when the wind blows....ahhhhh....what bliss....

My farm in Pedas, Negeri Sembilan

 (view of my farm from the entrance)

 (view from the sheep/goat barn)

 (interior of the new sheep/goat barn)

 (we are going to build a tree house here)

 

 (the walkway around the new barn)

 (note the trough for food)

 (another view of the interior)

 (who's that?? My hubby walking towards the entrance)

 (introducing....owner of Syarikat Perniagaan Haji Budin.....my darling hubby)

 (behind every successful man....there's ME!...Hehehhee.....)

 (the entrance)

 (view from the outside)

 (exterior view)

 (the completed barn, Alhamdullilah)

 (Note the retaining wall)

 (the cattle queing to leave the barn)

 (the BBQ area)

 (the area where our customers have their tea/coffee and kuihs...)

 (our workers' quarters)

 (our lorry waiting to load the cattle for delivery)

 (the entrance to our farm)

 (cattle loaded and ready to go....)

 (ooopss!! Not yet...driver went to the loo)

 (okay....time to go....)

 (view of my kampung house from the entrance)

(we intend to renovate the rear portion of my kampung house and once completed, will rent out to those who would like to feel living in a kampung atmosphere, InshaAllah. Opposite my kampung house is our livestock farm)

New Semester, New Course at UIA Gombak

(my new bag....2 in 1, can sling and backpack tooo....)

This morning I left the house at 7.30am for my first day at UIA Gombak.  I am pursuing a course on Tilawah and Tafsir Al Quran.  This course will end in January 2012, and the next semester will be in March 2012.

Driving along MRR2 was a breeze....I reached UIA at 8.00am.  Managed to locate the Engineering Faculty where my classes will be held, but took  a while to find my classroom.  When I still could not locate the classroom, I called the Ustaz and he directed me to it and if I still unable to locate it to wait for the other students......

Finally found the classroom at 9.00am sharp.  There were already a few students in the classroom.  So I left my bag at my desk and went to the loo (nature's call)... and bump into my exclassmate from UIA Nilai. She too was joining this class.  

There were about 15 of us in this class.  Half were new ones, including me.  So....we, the new students will have to start from Juzuk 2 of surah Al Baqarah, same level as the 'old' students.  They have already completed Juzuk 1 of suah Al Baqarah.  Anyway, our Ustaz, his name is Abdullah Bukhari, is very young and handsome....At first I thought he was an expatriate from middle east....but then when he spoke Bahasa in a very familiar dialect...I realised that he is a Kelantanese.....mu orei kelate ustaz??? Hehehe...


Anyway, when class ended at around 11.00am, I met Herlin (an Indonesian student, girlfriend of my friend's son, also from Indonesia and who once rented my Maytower studio) for lunch.  I fetched her at the girls' hostel within the campus.  We had lunch at one of the cafeteria.  

Then, while driving back to the hostel, I saw my exclassmate walking to her car...I honked and yelled at her..."Ooiiiiiiii!!!!!...", she sportingly waved back.... Herlin had a good laugh!! She said, "wahhhh, aunty ni macam student jugak yaa....."  Hahahaha.......

Well, will be returning to UIA next week, till then...... adios UIA!!