Bread Baking

Today, Honey and I baked bread. It's supposed to be Sweet Bun Dough bread.

And it was a disaster, why? because I used a Brood Mix (Bread Mix) instead of plain bread flour. I happily took 500 gm of flour and followed the recipe (from KC) and added all the necessary ingredients and left it to proof, to rise.

I then read the package thinking that perhaps I could do something else while waiting for the dough to rise. Gosh!!!! What an idiot I was! It's premixed flour, just add water and let it rise. Could have kicked myself there and then.

So what I did was just added water only to the 500 gm of remaining flour and kneaded it and let it rise.

Result is the bread, the loaf turned out good, however it could have used some more baking time. The other batch, the smaller rolls turned out heavy and ????? I don't know what words to describe that. It smelled too strongly of yeast too. That's because I added extra ingredients remember.

Now, I am not giving up on bread baking just yet. I will want to try one more time before I throw in the towel, but this time I must use the right flour.

Flowers - 28th February 2008

It's the 28th, therefore flowers from Hubby. They're Azaleas and one of my favourites. Thanks Love!
Picture was taken much much later.

Dinner Tonite - Sukadelappen

For dinner, I made Sukadelappen, it's a dutch dish. It's beef pieces marinated in pepper and salt, fried on both sides for 5 minutes in just butter. Then, add water and let it simmer for 3 hours on a slow fire. I further added gebakken uitjes (fried shalots) at the end of it's cooking.

This photo is taken soon after I started frying it, no water yet. Forgot to take the finished product, sorry. It turned out delicious.

Serve the meat with a little bit of it's own sauce with mashed potatoes and a boiled vegetable. Honey gave me an A. It's such a simple dish anyone can get an A for this.

2 Difficult Days

It's Thursday morning now as I write. Am having a cuppa of coffee and thinking to myself how glad I am that this day is going to be just alright.

Last nite before I fell asleep, I sighed alot, kept thinking how I survived my last two days. They were really 2 difficult days for me. I was irritated, agitated, cranky, bitchy, restless, depressed, out of focus etc etc ...... and with 2 boils on my left upper leg.

I kept praying and praying, yet I was just feeling terribly down. I snapped at hubby a couple of times, but luckily I told him before hand what I was feeling. So when I did snap at him, not that I want to, he did understand why I did what I did.

I was just fed up! Starting from Tuesday, everything i tried to do came out wrong, even the meal I prepared for Tuesday's dinner came out all wrong. I made sardine with lots of onions and stuff, normally this was a dish that came out absolutely delicious, but on this day, it just failed. I made other mistakes too, but I shan't want to recall those. I even snapped at my favourite pet, the one that I love so much. Simply put I had a bad 2 days and I am so glad that that's to be over.

Let's analyze the situation. Why do I think I was going thru what I went thru. Menopause symptoms or Premenopause symptoms. Or the two boils that I had on my upper right leg. I am diabetic and wounds and boils don't heal fast. I was also experiencing cramps on my left leg. What I did was take in half an antibiotic pill for the last two days, hubby helped to express one boil out and I was feeling a bit relieved from the pressure of that one boil. The leg cramp is also gone. Thank God! I also upped my diabetic medication to help keep my sugar levels down.

This day, thursday, though it's morning and more hours to go before I call it a day, I am determined to break myself free of that pity party state that I was. I have already prayed that God blesses me with a good day. I am determined to make this day enjoyable for myself, for my hubby and for my pets.

Last nite I took out my sewing machine and put it on the table and I am determined to sew a bedding for my kids. I do need to mend some clothes, where the stitches came apart.

I am going to make gehakt ballen (minced beef balls) for dinner. For the rest of the day I will be doing the usual, kitchen work, tidy up the house, prepare clothes for wash tonite, I may want to iron some clothes, this day I do need to mop the house. Go out twice with my kids. I do want to visit my neighbour, haven't done that this week. I do need to knit, try to finish my leg warmer.

God Almighty I commit my day and my life into your hands and I ask that you be my constant guide this day. Thank you for hearing me oh God. I need you!

Trial Sock

I got my motivation from Inori when she made that little sock. I had previously contemplated on knitting one but always always afraid. I really didn't dare. Everyone around me said that sock knitting was difficult. I was thinking if Jo can do it, I can do it too, maybe.

I had wanted to overcome my fear and I did, only by seeing someone else do it first. So, here is my trial sock. I got the pattern from the internet for basic sock. I didn't care about the size and it turned out to be a child's. Anyway, I decided to go on just to learn about the gusset etc etc.

Scarves that didn't make it to the end

About 8 yrs ago or so, I knitted a shawl for hubby (shawl in dutch is the same as scarf in english). It had so much of mistakes and I didn't really bother to ask anyone because the language was a problem. So, I basically gave up. Now my interests seemed to be awakened and after visiting a knitting blog by a fellow countryman living in Aus, I decided to give a try.
So this yellow piece that should have been a long scarf came into being. I stopped because I made quite many mistakes and didn't know how to correct them. I knew I had to learn the basics of correcting my mistakes either thru someone or thru internet.



My second piece, a mohair scarf that's supposed to be long but I thrashed it because I was just bored doing the same old stitches. In my mind I wanted to make lacy scarf, so someday I shall frog this and knit it again with a lacy pattern.

Can you Guess

My boy finally sleeping without covers, meaning it wasn't that cold this day.



Never thought my boy would turn so white so soon, he's only 4 plus.



Can you guess what part this is?

Containers in Carpark

Wanted to show you that our carpark is still packed with those containers for the renovation of our blog uhmm I mean block.

Lazy style Vadai

I made Vadai today. Turned out not as what I expected but close to. I knew I forgot one ingredient but I couldn't put my finger on it, well, it's cummin. I could have easily done a quick search on internet and that would have provided me with the answers or make a quick call to my friend Nan, but like I said it's *Lazy style Vadai* hehehhehe

Anyway, what I did was grind the urud dhall first whilst it was still dry and then added the water and all the other ingredients, onion, chilli, salt, curry leaves and left it to proof for hours, then fried it.

Overall, taste was so so.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to our family, friends both old and new,
May all of us be blessed each day of our lives with a lot of love, peace, joy and happiness.

Know that we love you all, each one of you very dearly,

DH & me & the kids

So Busy

What I am busy with you ask. Gardening, mainly clearing the weeds, tilling the soil, just preparing the soil for the sowing.

Everyday, rather most days that I wake up, have my coffee, eat breakfast while surfing for the latest updates in the blogs that I read. Bring my kids out and back. Quickly do the kitchen work, make the bed, tidy up the house a bit, then by 1.30pm I am ready to leave the house.

I cycle to the garden, have a smoke, enjoy the surrounding. Then change into my working clothes and get myself busy.

Last Monday, Tuesday I was there. I didn't have to cook so I stayed there till about 5pm on monday and on tuesday till 6pm, just enjoying myself in the garden, getting my hands dirty.

Today, it's kind of cloudy and slightly colder, I don't know if I am still going to the garden, I still have tons of work to do there. I do need to cook first before I go, the beef is out, I need to decide if I want to make Rendang or dalcha. I still have some time to think about it.

Anyway, back to my busyness, I come home from the garden, to be greeted by Junior, DH is napping. I change my clothes and then have a cup of coffee and rest. DH will awaken and we prepare our dinner, leftovers, eat our dinners and I am watching my favourite shows on TV till 8.30pm.

I then shower and internet a bit, go back to the couch and sit with DH and knit away on my leg warmer.

DH will normally go to bed earlier than me, he has to work the next day. I will do a last search on internet on some craft blogs, then turn myself in for the night.

So, that's what I have been doing this last two days.

This evening, we're going to Rozenburg and I guess maybe I might not go to the garden. I will see how things are going.

I am Blessed!

I have been blessed with many wonderments in my life.
Firstly and foremost, I have a wonderful most awesome Mighty God that I love so very much. He cares for me like no other can. He loves me like no other can. He forgives me like no other can. He lifts me up when I am down, He wipes my tears away and gives me sound advise. He whispers into my ears, in that small little voice, oh with such love and gentleness, guiding me into my daily life. He richly blesses me with everything that I need in this life of mine. He corrects and chastises me when I go wrong and gently brings me back to the path that leads to Him. He is my ever present friend and Lord.

Secondly, I have been blessed with a wonderful husband who grows better and better with each new day. He is calm and humble and kind. He is not much of a talker but he does speak out when the need be. He loves me ohhh so much, most of all I feel like he adores me. He cares for me in such tender ways. He is faithful and I know that there will never be another other than me. He is so loving to our kids, he is a good provider and I can depend on him for anything that I may need.

Thirdly, I have been blessed with a wonderful family, my brothers, my sisters, my nieces and nephews, grand nephew and grand niece.

Fourthly, I have been blessed with good friends, friends who are now 28 years with me, too many to count actually. Friends like Cin, SE, Lil, Su, Gra, Ta,Ed. These are people I can totally depend on, totally trust on, that despite the miles apart that they will always be an ever ready friend who will do anything for me. They are people whom I have shared a great part of my life with and will always appreciate them for the rest of my life.

Newer friends such as Ol, TC, Am, Li, I know them about 20 yrs now. Still friends that love me and will always have time for me when I am there.

Since i moved here, real friends that i have met and grown to love and cherish, Til, Son, Roz, Co and hubby, Jan and hubby, SIL, Ing and hubby, Mild and hubby, Akb, Noi and hubby, Nan and hubby. These are real friends that I meet quite often, be it having a cuppa, go shopping with, be it in the garden, sewing friend, knitting friend, neighbour, hubby's colleague, they are real friends who I feel love me, accept me for who I am. I have only had pleasure in meeting and talking with all of these friends. They have proved time and time again that they can be depended on. They have never once judged me nor condemned me and I feel so welcome each time I am with them.

I have been blessed with 2 wonderful pets, one I adore, the other I have to tolerate, still I love them both and they are an absolute joy to me.

The Lord has blessed me abundantly and I thank Him everyday!

Pineapple Tarts

I had a day earlier made the pineapple jam. I used canned pineapple pieces, just blended them, cooked over the fire, added a little bit of sugar, cinnamon, cloves and yellow food colouring.

Today, I made the dough, pressed out the forms, added the jam and baked it. I used only 550 gms of flour and I have so much of jam left over and I have to bake another batch of tarts soon, probably this weekend.

One of my Best Friend

Today, I called my best friend Su and chatted a whole hour with her. She is one of the few best friends I have. One whom I trust with my life. She is faithful and loyal. Straightforward and doesn't beat around the bush. She is not a hypocrite and doesn't lie, she doesn't put up a front with me. She will always take that extra mile to either help me out or listen to me, she has always been there for me when I needed her. She has accepted me exactly as I am with all my faults and imperfections and all and has never once judged me nor condemned me.

We have shared many good moments with each other, sometimes laughing our guts out. When there were times when I was lost and needed that shoulder to cry on, I could depend on her to be there for me.

I love my best friend and I know she loves me too.

Here's wishing you, us, many many happy moments to come. Though we are apart and far away, know that I love you very much.

Here's a poem I found on the net at
http://www.friendship.com.au/poetry/best/best8.html#have
and I dedicate it to you my best friend

I HAVE A FRIEND
� Ashley

I have a friend
Who is perfect for me
She listens to all my problems
No matter how dumb they may be

She likes herself for who she is
And never tries to change
She tells me to be myself
And that I should never change

She was shy on the phone
But she would still call
And we would talk for hours
About nothing at all

We would talk about love and life
And discuss what we wanted to be
She knew just how I felt
And how happy I could be

She listens to me patiently
But never judges what I do or say
She helped with all my problems
And never went away

I never once felt judged by her
How much that meant to me
That I could tell her all my dreams
And she would listen to me

My friend never goes and tells
What is dear to me
She keeps it all bottled up inside
And doesn't spread it like a bee

I am thankful for that friend of mine
Our friendship will never end
And she will always be there
For she is my best friend

Dinner Tonite = Chicken in white sauce

Made a simple dish of Chicken in white sauce. Supposed to use coconut milk, but I just used koffie milk. Turned out delicious.