Busy Wednesday

I having my 2nd interview - competency test on thursday. I was a bit stressed up a night before, usually I go shopping to let go the stress but as it was cold and dark outside and I haven't get paid yet, to ease my tension I done baking.

Sardine Currypuff


As I still have left over sardine filling, I made the currypuff. I just made simple pastry using 4 tbsp veg fat (shortening), 800g flour, 2tbsp sugar, 1tbs salt and 2 cups of cold water. Mixed all and made a dough. I managed to made 66 currypuff from it. This weekend we going to Azrin's house in Canterbury, I going to bring some for her.

Honey Cornflakes


My husband help me putting the cornflakes into the paper cases. We used big paper cases less work for us and big portion to eat. Lovely.

Jam Muffins


I baked this muffins to bring it to work for my colleagues.

Jam Muffin

2 cups flour }
4 tsp baking powder } sift together
1 tsp cinnamon powder }
1 cup milk
1/2 cup veg oil
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
Jam

1. Preheat oven to 200c (gas mark 6). Beat together milk, oil, sugar and egg.
2. Stir in flour mixture and mix together until just blended.
3. Line a muffin tray with paper, fill each cases 1 spoonful muffin mixture then spoon in 1 tsp jam then top up with muffin mixture and fill just below the top
4. Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes.

(note: this is my basic muffin recipe at any time you can omit or replace the jam, put coco powder and chocolate chip you can call it Chocolate Chip Muffin. Put fresh blueberry become Blueberry Muffin and as for me I put whatever in season or whatever I have. It only take less than 40 minutes to make.)

Bentalls, Kingston-upon-Thames

My sister said my blog is boring coz she don't like to see what cooking but what shopping? So this post is for her. Yus, this is what I bought.
On Sunday Aimi, My husband and I waked up early to reach Kingston as early as we can therefore we have no trouble choosing the parking space (after 11am hoping to find parking here very hard). We reached around 10.15am and had our coffee while waiting for the shop to open at 11am. First shop to go Bentalls Clearance.

Collecting paper napkin is another hobbies of mine. Once it half price I will buy quite a few. The blue napkin will be use for our Xmas's dinner.

Towels - Bedeck, Christy and Sanderson, its fluffy and soft. After 70% off I paid around £6.45 to £7.95 per piece.


I'm crazy about Sheridan. When ever I see it on sale more than 50% off, I'll buy at least a set of duvet cover and pillow cases. The Sheridan cover I used for 7 years still OK and the colour still good after hard wearing. I trust and love Sheridan to bit. I can afford to buy this sets as it on sale for more than 70% off.




The shop close at 5pm and that the time we leave Kingston. We paid £10 for parking (it was lot of money). Aimi love Kingston (she had 4 big shopping bags), when I told her we only went to 3 main places i.e. Bentalls, TKMax and John Lewis and there still more shops around that we didn't go, it upset her.

Not Long to Christmas

Another 30 days till christmas. This year Zaman family will joining us for our christmas dinner. What on menu? Well I like to have Jamie Oliver's dinner but in his dvd he shown how to roast turkey. I don't like turkey. Maybe I should get Nigella book. Might do Her christmas dinner. Well, my husband already have menu in his mind roast lamb, roast potatoes and parsnips, steam broccoli and mash veg. What for dessert? I still haven't decided yet - fruits pie or cake??? One thing good is I already done my X'mas shopping. Almost all the present already wrapped. I have one big bag to take to Majeed family on Eid this 8th Dec. Both of us has been invited to their house to celebrate Eid Mubarak.

Christmas 2007





Christmas 2006











Christmas 2005

Just A Talk

On Thursday I posted a blog titled Secret Garden and posted photos taken during picnic at my garden. I invited my friends and families for BBQ during spring/summer therefore lots of their photos were posted. This was first time their photos were shown in my blog. It took me an hour to composed and I was proud about it. As my blog is a public blog, everybody can come and visit on line and post comments. All the written comments posted was beyond my control. Unfortunately, one comment was put under this title by my close friend from JB. Her intention was only a cheeky and general comment and not to hurt or pointing to other people but this comment was taken very hard by my friends and it hurt their feeling. I like to issue my deeply apology and my close friend apology to party affected. I was asked to removed this post which I have done and in future I will restrain myself not to post anything involving them. I was also felt hurt by the sms which I received blaming me and asked me to value our friendship because of the comment made by a friend. I was sad but between two friends I will always choose my close friend.

It snowing

They said there will be snowing on Sunday but in Longford we had snow but it was very early in morning by 9.30am not much left as it was raining. If it was snowing during the day I might missed it as I went shopping at Kingston-upon-Thames whole day. Well it was snowing heavily on 6/4/08 (snow in spring?). I took this photos from the window of my flat. It was beautiful. My wish is we have white christmas this year.

Apple Pie

Aimi's Lesson number 3, Dessert. APPLE PIE with whip cream. We have all the ingredients i.e. apples, sugar, Cinnamon stick, puff pastry but unfortunatly no cream. Aimi have to go to the shop down the road in extrem cold weather and then she had to manually whip the cream.





Apple Pie
Step by step apple pie
1. 4 apples, peeled cored and cut into wedges
2. Put the apples in large based pan with 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon stick or 1tsp cinnamon powder, 1tsp lemon juice and 2tbsp water and 2tsp corn flour. Cover and simmer for 8 minutes or until just tender.
3. Unroll pastry sheet onto baking tray, trimming away the excess pastry and spoon in the apple filling. Cut the remaining pastry into strips. Interweave the pastry strip in a lattice patten over the top of the pie.
4. Baked in preheat oven 220c for 30 minutes.
5. Served warm with whip cream.

Bibury, Cotswold, England

Bibury is typical Cotswold village. It was lovely, peace and picturesque village. I love the houses which was built using limestone. Spring is good time to visit this village as the colourful blooms and flowers were at their best.



Arlington Row Cottages, were built in the 17th century for weavers whose looms were set up in the attics.

Levi, Finland

Levi ski trip 21/1/07 to 28/1/07. This was one year project. I was invited to joint a ski trip holiday on feb 2006 by my supervisor at work and we have 11 months to raised money toward this trip. Levi is near Lapland, father christmas home for your information. We flew from London Gatwick airport and arrived at Katila after 3 hours flight. Before landing the captain announced that the temp outside was -34c.

First night, before dinner we were asked to go to ski shop to get our ski lift pass, hire and fitting our ski boots and ski. Ski boot is the worst ever boot that I wear. Its was hard and you'll have poblem with latch (lucky I have husband who can do it for me) if you are first time skier (actually this was not my first time I did learned to ski in New Zealand 20 years ago) not to forget walking in it.


This photo taken outside the lodge, The snow was very thick you can lay on it and make an angel.Our accomandation was big and cosy no problem for 24 of us. There was also sauna to use. Breakfast and dinner were provided but not lunch. For 7 days my husband and I became vegaterian while the rest of them enjoying their meat, by fifth day we are craving for meat but we can't as there don't cater halal meat.


Look, how beautiful our lodge, from outside it doesn't seem big but inside there were 3 level. The top level 6 bedrooms plus 2 bathroom, middle - 4 bedrooms with ensuit, kitchen and lounge and bottom level - 2 bedrooms, laundry, sauna and small sitting area and plenty of place to move around and socialising.







In November 06, I had accident at work, I injured my left knee therefore I missed lot of my ski lessons, to fill time while my husband had his lesson, I decided to use slider, the fun of free fall made me miss my childhood, the only downturn was you have to climb back the slope for your next turn. Morning and noon the slope were busy with lot of people skiing and snow boarding. By 3 pm the sun already set therefore less people, as few of our friend want to use this time to brush up their skill, we decided to tag along, I managed to come down the slope without falling, always remember to bend you knee while skiing


There were spa, gym and swimming pool at nearby hotel. 3 euro perhour to use the indoor heated pool and jaccuzi. If I not skiing, I will be in pool swimming.


On wednesday, we were informed the day will be a bit warmer, we looked forward to do our walk around town, as you can see it was warm -19c compare to -28c day before. The view around was superb, trees and houses were white with snow. The snow was so thick and it reach your knee, you can't use your everyday shoes to walk or else you end up on you back because the road/track was slippery. We were told to bring walking shoes which is snow friendly.


One of activity that everybody want to do was night motorski ride through frozen lake and stop over for hot drink and return back journey in pitch black. We need to dress warmly, on top of our ski suit we were supply with overall to proctect us against the cool. You can see me dressup in gear. My husband supposed to ride and me as pillion but unfortunatly while cleaning his glasses, he broke the middle steel holding the glasses and it can't be fix by tape. Lucky Nigel and John willing swap place, they become the main rider and we become the pillion. We ride in pitch black, the guide were the motorski light in front of us, the wind were freezing cold and you kept bum up and down as the road/track were not level. It was great experience and I not going to repeat it again.

Next day we went to Katila ( 1 hour journey by taxi from Levi)- where you can find big shop and airport. The reason were we have to get the glasses fixed or else my husband can't see or do anything. We need it urgently because the next day we going to Ice Hotel, Sweden. We have to wait 2 hour for the glasses to be put in new frame, lucky there were an optician shop in Katila. While waiting we go around the town and I become my husband eyes.


To fill up the evening, we played cluedo. Somebody being murdered, so who were the murderer?, Nigel was dressup as a woman, what an act. We have fun on that night.



Top of slope. We took pegola to reach the top. It was fun to see people ski/snowboarding through the steep hill but for us as beginner, there were no hope.