Birthday Post Part 2

I've waited all afternoon so I can go home and have cake.

Guess they're all excited too. My dog stood on her hind legs and barked while my family sang the Birthday Song., so funny.

Photobombed by my cat

xx

LadyG

Birthday Post Part 1

Earlier this month is my birthday, the 1st of December. I didn't manage to post pictures that day as my laptop is still virus-ridden, didn't want it to spread to my camera. So here's a much belated post about it, I'll be splitting this into two post, the morning part and night part.

My birthday egg for breakfast

What is that blue spot on the egg?

 I love eggs of all types, scrambled, hard boiled, omelet, fried, poached... I could eat hard boiled egg just like that or with a little salt or soy sauce.

Secret Recipe

 Went to Secret Recipe, Suria Sabah for lunch.

Bought my cake from Secret Recipe too (Chocolate Indulgence)

Pan fried dory with lobster sauce

 I waited so long for this dish to arrive, when it finally did, I no longer have the appetite. After snapping this picture, I've sent this back to be tapaued (takeaway)

My tapau (takeaway)

A birthday slice. 

Homemade Cranberry Jam

This is my first attempt at making jam of any kind. I bought a bag of cranberries 2 weeks ago and they are positively unfit to eat- sour, bitter and unripe. I don't want to waste them, so off I went to see a good friend of mine- Mr Google. He introduced me to recipes of cranberry sauces, cranberry jelly and cranberry jam, after weighing my options, and also weighing the contents I have in my refrigerator, I've settled for the simplest of cranberry jam from Food in Jars. All I need is cranberries, apple cider vinegar, sugar and lemon (I don't have lemons but I have some limes, turns out I don't need them after all)

I didn't follow the recipe exactly since I didn't have a whole pound of cranberries, just a bag. I experimented with half a bag of berries, guestimate the cider and sugar (half a cup cider and half a cup of sugar), some water and put it on the stove to cook on low heat. They made a nice popping sound when they burst, other than stirring occasionally, I just let the whole mixture cook till thick and the liquid almost evaporated. It shouldn't take more than 10-15 minutes. My family members all turned up their noses at the sharp apple cider scent, I have asked my dad to taste some but he refused, he said he prefer to eat his 'Longan berry'. Unsupportive at all.

I poured it into a mug and let it cool in the fridge, the next day we made some toast, spread it with butter and my homemade cranberry jam. It was rather nice actually, and it taste like jam! Woots! My dad still refuse to try it though. The verdict, all is good except for the too sharp cider scent, maybe I would use less of it next time, or dilute it with more water. Perhaps I could replace it with other milder vinegar ( don't take my word for it, I'm still experimenting) If you want the exact recipe, go to Food in Jars for it. The link is embedded, just click.

Brightly colored cranberries

Before boiling

Toast with butter and jam

Its yummy!

Nature's Gate

Bought these new Shampoo and Conditioner while shopping for groceries last week Sometimes we would feel like treating ourselves with something different than what we usually use. These bottles look so pretty and they smell pretty lovely, a very light scent that is not to overpowering. I liked flowers, but I have a whole different level of fascination with herbs.

The shampoo contains Lemongrass, Clary sage and other stuff like Rosemary, while the Conditioner had Mandarin Orange and Patchouli. And it says Organic Herbal Blend, doesn't that sound much better than a whole lot of chemicals ( Although I won't kid myself that these does not contain chemicals)

I used to like buying Himalaya Dandruff Shampoo with Tea Tree Oil and Rosemary, which smell light and refreshing, but they don't make it with the same formula anymore, the new version of their shampoos are thick creamy stuff with overpowering scent, sorry I pass.

Herbal Essences also used to make pretty herbal blend shampoos, remember the clear bottles with herbs and flowers printed on the front? How lovely is that? Too bad they went to change the formula into the thick creamy type... why not come up with a new line of shampoo but still produce the same good old formula for people who actually like it the way it is?

I have only used the shampoo twice and the conditioner just once, so no comment on that at the moment, maybe after I used them a bit more first. Quite pricier than the normal drug store type shampoo at RM28.90, but not as pricy than some other shampoo which I also use sometimes. I do use any ordinary cheap family size shampoo for daily hair wash, but once in a while I would buy nice shampoo when I want to pamper myself :)

Nature's Gate

Lemongrass and Clary Sage Shampoo

Mandarin Orange and Patchouli Conditioner

Nommy and Me

Sin Fatt Hing again

Went to Sin Fatt Hing for breakfast again, as usual, I would order Tuaran Mee but instead of the Char Siew and Chun Guen, I opt for fish slices this time. The fish slices are deep fried, it's passable but nothing much to rave about. I still prefer Tuaran Mee with Char Siew and Chun Guen because Tuaran Mee without Char Siew is like Dim Sum without pork, no joke. We wouldn't dare miss the Soto, it was nice with a squeeze of lime, refreshing without being to oily and the beef is melt-in-your-mouth-tender.

Fish Slice Tuaran Mee

Studying

Final Exams are next week, I'm going to be studying hard for it till the big day arrives. Had a busy day at work today, but its good as time flies when you have no time to idle, before you knew it, its time to go home :D

E-commerce, Marketing Management, Global Marketing

 I'm having E-Commerce, Marketing Management and Global Marketing this semester. It doesn't seem to be too hard, I hope I'll do well in it. I chose marketing as my specialization cause I despise finance and is no good in IT. I quite like browsing through my text books, there are many success stories, business strategies, colorful pictures and advertisements. I'm very interested in Entrepreneurship, E-business, Marketing and Research and Development. It would be great if I can get involved in these fields.

Organizer, booklets, pencil case

Before exams, I will make booklets like the above, one booklet per subject. Usually they are 5-6 pages of A4 paper folded in half and stapled together. And then, I would list down the topics that I need to focus on or topics I think will come up and make simple notes inside. Its one of the best ways that work for me, as I can remember better if I copy the information down, sometimes in colorful pens to make it more interesting.  It is said that colors can help trigger memory too. Besides, I can bring these little booklets with me so I can flip through it whenever I have some spare time. And I won't have to lug around huge text books.

Making notes

Summarizing notes, simplifying the words or doing brain maps can help memorizing notes better. These are just some of the ways I study, maybe it might help those who are still studying as well if they are interested to adapt this method.

Kin Hwa Inanam

Went to Kin Hwa, Inanam for breakfast a few days ago, it is said that they have good roast ducks here, but we didn't try it this time. We ordered the wet fried noodles: Pork ribs and bitter gourd, and seafood wet fried noodles. I wanted to order Ban Mien, but its not available on Sundays. We also ordered a platter of Sao Nyuk (roasted pork) to share. I find the noodles so-so, maybe it's intended to be crispy but I think they are a bit raw, nothing special to rave about. The roasted pork is rather good, will try the roast duck next time, I we have the chance to come again.

Pork ribs and bitter gourd fried noodles

Seafood fried noodles

Roasted pork

Christmas Decorations at 1 Borneo

Some pictures of the Christmas Decorations at 1 Borneo I have taken a few weeks back. This year's theme is under water creatures, you can see dolphins and jelly fishes, pirate ships... I've edited them to give a dreamy feel to it. I wished I could have taken some without so much people in the background.

Jelly Fishes

Chirstmas Tree

Lanterns

Dolphins

Merry Christmas

Ho Ho Ho. Today is Christmas day, how did yours go? As planned, we slept in, open our presents and went out for Dim Sum breakfasts at D'Junction Royal China. Then we went home and napped and woke up for dinner at Miso Japanese Restaurant at Karamunsing Capital. Nothing much I'm afraid, we're not the type who loves to partaaaay, more of a bunch of home bodies.

An update on last nights Lamb Leg

 It was yummy, rather dry on its own, but taste nice with the gravy that comes with the lamb. The cranberry juice and soda water was rather nice too, I'm sipping some right this moment.

Roast lamb with hints of rosemary herbs, smells absolutely lovely. We still have some leftovers in the fridge, maybe we'll heat it up for a snack.

Monica McCarty The Chief

Stayed in bed this morning reading this book, I got it from the Popular Book Sale last month. I rarely buy Scottish Highlander books, this is my first. Of course I have read some before borrowed from the local Sabah State Library while I'm still studying in college, I enjoyed Elizabeth Thornton's Highland Fire, Lord Iain Randall is my first Romance Hero crush *blushes*.

The Chief is base around a highland chief- Tor who bears a huge responsibility of his people's safety while enemies attacks, while he runs around protecting his people, his wife Christina felt somewhat neglected and she would do anything to bring her husband's attention around. Quite an interesting read.

Mimi

 Look who came to join me in bed? Mimi and her son Tommy, Tommy is a major Mama's boy, he would follow his mom around the house, and he still wants to feed on Mama's milk although the two of them are almost the same size ( I suspect Mimi's teats no longer produce milk, but yet Tommy would still sniff around for some)

Tommy

This years Christmas Present

 A wallet from Mum and a new phone from Daddy. My old wallet is battered and peeling, its a complete state of disgrace, now I have a new one and its glittery pink with the lovely gold heart. I always put off buying things that are necessity for myself, most of my money went to books. This phone will be replacing my old Sony Ericson W200i that my dad bought me when I first step into college, it was still functioning well and I don't exactly need a new phone, but who's complaining?

I bought mask sheets from Skin Food for my mum and a new polo shirt for my dad, I really don't know what else to get them as they never want anything particularly except last year where I bought a new wallet, watch and belt for my dad as his are old or broken, my moms gift last year was also something from Skin Food.

Pink Giossardi Wallet

 It's the last one on display, comes in black as well.

Fried Carrot Cake

 We went to Royal China for Breakfast, I've been craving fried carrot cake recently, too bad this is way too spicy for my taste, but it successfully stopped my cravings.

Dim Sum

 Not sure if I've take a picture of this previously, here's another one just in case. Not very nice taste wise, maybe its because of the strong parsley taste. Go right ahead if you like parsley. For the rest of the dim sum you can read HERE.

Later at night, we went to have dinner at Miso Japanese Restaurant Many repeated dishes, but we've also tried something new this time:

Forgotten its proper name

 I especially like the seaweed thing, they taste so sweet and refreshing. There are baby octopus and jelly fish too.

Spinach fried with butter sauce

Have to eat some greens to balance out a mostly seafood and meat meal. Taste like usual fried spinach but you could also taste a faint hint of butter.

Salt grilled Shake

 Suddenly crave salt grilled salmon, this is nicely done.

Teppanyaki Squid

 Not too springy, there are chewiness but not too chewy like you're chewing on bubble gum. Well seasoned.

Teppanyaki Beef Skewers

 Nicely flavored, soft chewy beef slices wrapped around a cube of spring onion. Grilled to perfection, yums.

Gindara Shioyaki

 Never could forget the salt grill cod fish, its a must order for us in any Japanese Restaurant.

Vegetable Tempura

 A mix of mushrooms, veggies and sweet potatoes deep fried in Tempura batter. Nice and crunchy. Dessert is honey dew cubes in coconut milk, a lovely light and sweet concoction to finish a meal.

We loved dining at Miso although the pricing is a tad more expensive elsewhere, but their service is quick and efficient and their ingredients very fresh, they have some of the rare stuff that wasn't found in other restaurants in KK. I cannot give them enough free advertisement in this blog and will continue to do so. Do apply for their membership, the discounts are absolutely worthwhile especially when you dine there during birthday and anniversary.

Well, this basically concludes our Christmas Day this year, after this I'm probably going back to read more books. Merry Christmas again to all my readers, God bless you all.