life love and me

4pm Chicken Rice

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Wed, 30 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

It was 4pm ....the dreaded hour of my day.

I was staring at my wide opened refrigerator wondering what to cook for dinner. I defrosted two chicken drumsticks and I had absolutely no idea what to do with it. I cooked chicken porridge the last two days. Don't think I could get away with another day of chicken porridge. Yikes!!

I dashed to my notebook and googled for easy chicken recipes. I landed on Extra Virgin Chef's blog with this title;

Hainanese Chicken Rice, in 5 Terrifyingly Easy Steps. No fuss. No kidding.

I checked to see whether I had the ingredients; salt, garlic and shallots. I was like, that's it ? Oh, she added ginger too but I omitted it to avoid spoiling the girls' dinner. As I read through her recipe I could not help chuckling to myself. Super easy to prepare and all the cooking done in the rice pot. Minimal washing. YAY!!

Was the chicken rice good? Oh, yes ..... it was! The man thought that it tasted extremely good even though it was a simpler version (and healthier too!) of the hainanese chicken rice. Simplicity at its best, according to him. My younger girl complained that I cooked too little. She made me promise to cook again, soon, with three drumsticks and more rice!

Once again, I copied her recipe here for my own reference. I strongly encourage you to visit her blog as she has pictures of all the cooking steps involved. While you are there, take some time to read through her recipes. She has a huge collection. I have bookmarked some of the easier ones to try out.

Super Simple Chicken Rice

(Recipe from Extra Virgin Chef)

3 Free-range Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks
2 Cups Jasmine Rice with 2 Cups Water
1/2 tsp Salt to rub on meat
1-2 tsp each of Minced Shallot, Garlic and Ginger
2 Tbsp Oil
A Pinch of Turmeric Powder for colour (optional)

Instructions

1. Prick chicken with a fork and rub salt all over. Set aside for half an hour.

2. Wash and soak rice for 15 minutes.

3. Heat up empty cooker, pour oil in and saute minced shallot, garlic and ginger till fragrant.

4. Add rice and water. If you're using turmeric powder, mix it into the water.

5. Place chicken on top of uncooked rice in a single layer. Cover lid.

6. Don't open the lid so heat and moisture will not escape. Wait another 10 minutes after rice is cooked.

7. Remove chicken and fluff up rice gently so as not to break each grain.

Kung Po Chicken, the easy way

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Mon, 28 May 2012 12:15:00 +0000

Kung Po Chicken is my family's favorite dish to have with a bowl of piping hot rice.

They claimed that the best Kung Po Chicken are at the "tai-chow" stalls. Tai-Chow refers to street side restaurants preparing Chinese dishes mainly to go with rice. Such stalls are found in Chinatown and the older parts of Kuala Lumpur. I am not a fan of theirs because their dishes are normally very greasy, cooked with lard and pretty unhealthy. The few times we went there I was practically sulking because of the heat (no air-conditioning) and the not very clean environment. The man, a big lover of tai-chow stalls, complained that he is missing out the best of chinese cooking .... because of me. He has no choice but to beg his work colleagues whenever he has the urge for such meals. Going to that part of town during lunch hour where the traffic is horrendous makes such visits rare for him as well. Poor guy! I feel sorry for the man. I do. He loves rich and flavorful food but I have yet to acquire it after trying for many years.

When Ashley shared her recipe on Kung Po Chicken last year, I made it to surprise my family. It was healthier than the tai-chow version and super simple to cook.

I loved Ashley's Kung Po Chicken. It was delicious without a greasy after-taste. I expected to finish the dish over a few days by myself. It was nowhere near the super unhealthy (my opinion) tai-chow version that my family love. Surprise, surprise ..... the girls and the man (still shocked!) loved it. I guess their taste-buds must have changed after years of eating my lousy cooking (it's a fact!) and my insistence of less oil, less salt and less chili whenever we eat out.

I have copied Ashley's recipe here for my own reference. I strongly encourage you to hop over to her blog. She provided a detailed step-by-step together with pictures of the entire cooking process.

Ashley's Kung Po Chicken

(Recipe from Lilblueboo)

2 chicken breasts
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp red chili flakes
4 green onions
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar or Splenda
1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanut

[Optional:- 1 tsp red chili oil, 1 small pinch 5 spice Chinese powder and 1 small zucchini sliced and quartered]

Instructions

1. Cut the chicken breasts into small pieces and coat with cornstarch. Add the vegetable oil, sesame oil and chicken to a wok and cook the chicken just until it’s cooked through. Remove the chicken and set aside.

2. Cut the bottom of the green onions off and into small 1/2″ pieces. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the wok and move around the bottom of the pan until heated and the add the green onions. (Note: if you like your kung pao chicken with zucchini you can add it at this step, before adding the green onions, just make sure to cook it thoroughly before adding chicken in the next step)

3. Mix the rice vinegar, soy sauce and sugar (or Splenda) together and add to the wok. Stir until heated.

4. Add a small pinch of 5 spice Chinese powder, and a tsp of red chili oil, if using.

5. Add the chicken to the wok and mix into the sauce and onions, then add the peanuts.

6. Turn the heat to high and mix together until the kung pao chicken is hot and the sauce thickens.

Frozen Bananas

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:15:00 +0000

The weather has been scorching hot lately.

It was no different today ... terribly hot that makes me lethargic, ~~lazy~~ tired and sleepy.

After sending the man his lunch at work, I spent the rest of the afternoon hibernating at home. The air conditioner was turned on at full blast to keep us sane.

Housework was calling my name but I ignored it. I tended to more interesting stuff.

I sat for hours editing the photographs that I took in Beijing. We were there in March visiting my sister and her family. It was winter then. Looking at the pictures made me forget the heat temporarily.

Photo Credit: My brother-in-law

I love this picture ALOT. I can't take any credit for it, unfortunately.

It was taken by my brother-in-law. Never knew that engineers have such a good eye for photos.

The pictures brought back many wonderful memories of our trip. I hope to blog about it soon.

While I was working on the computer the girls were busy in the kitchen.

They were making their favorite afternoon snack the 5 minute frozen bananas ice-cream.

Put three frozen bananas (for three servings) into the blender/food processor and blitz for 2 minutes. Scoop into bowls and enjoy!

It was a simple and healthy treat .... cold, creamy and yummy.

It kept us happy on a hot Tuesday afternoon.

Happy Call Pan

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Dear Happy Call Pan aka HCP,

I've been meaning to sit down and write this thank you note to you for a while now.

Thank you for making my time standing over the stove shorter,

Thank you for all the sweetest compliments on my cooking (never happened before!),

Thank you for making me enjoy cooking a teeny weeny bit more,

Thank you making my home not smell like my dinner,

Thank you for making my family happy.

We are still shocked that fried chicken can taste this good without using any oil for frying. Frying chicken without any oil? The man laughed when I told him but he ate back his words after the first bite. Crispy on the outside, juicy and tender inside ..... it woWed him!

Before we had you, I have never fried or grilled chicken at home. I simply cannot handle the few hours that my home smelled like chicken. And I hated the cleaning up. How do you prevent a chicken smelling home? And oil from splattering all over the place? I am still figuring it all out.

Anyway the man and the girls convey their heartfelt thanks!

Once again we almost never fried our fishes before we had you. They were steamed. That's it. The three times we pan fried them were when the man kicked a big fuss over how he was tired of his fishes steamed. He pan fried it himself, enjoyed it like mad and endured a grumpy wife from all the cleaning up. He never attempted another frying session since then.

Thanks to you he can have his fried fish anytime he likes now. Fried fish and porridge was his most asked for meal during his tonsillectomy recovery. It was his comfort food. It made him happy. And I was glad. Thank you, once again.

Our younger gal wants me to thank you too. This will be our final thank you, I promise. You are getting tired of us thanking you. I know. She wanted to thank you for making her feel like a mini domestic goddess. She made a tasty stack of french toast (the only recipe she tried so far) with minimal supervision. She was thrilled. Just two flips, every 3 minutes, she was able to make her daddy, mommy and sister happy on a Saturday morning.

We love you HCP. Thank you for being a part of our family.

Happy Mother's Day

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers in the world. Here's hoping that my mom, my sister, all the mommy bloggers, and all the mothers in the world will have the best of life in terms of health and happiness.

Recovering from Tonsillectomy - Our Experience

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:25:00 +0000

We were warned that recovery from tonsillectomy would be challenging. And it would be worse for adults.

I researched like that there was no tomorrow. I needed to be prepared. That's how I function. I am not one to play by ear.

Today is Day 23 of their surgeries. "They are recovering very well ......couldn't be any better" in Dr R's words after the first week. I was thrilled.

Honestly all the researching prepared me but I was still taken by surprise by the amount of pain they had to deal with. The man with his high pain threshold was moaning and groaning like a big baby. It was so not like him. He kept telling me. "Thank goodness it was not you. You would have fainted."

The first week was a nightmare. Traumatic for them. And Me. Looking at the people you love suffer and you can do nothing about it is the worst ever feeling. I hated it.

I thought it would be a good idea for me to share our experience. It might help someone who is preparing for tonsillectomy. However please do check with your doctor after reading our tips/suggestions. What worked for us might not work for you.

FOOD

1. Drink lots of cold water

Drinking water is extremely painful but it is required to prevent dehydration. Proper hydration decreases the pain in the throat, keeps the scabs in the throat moistened and expedite healing.

What we did;

I made them drink cold mineral water the minute we got home. Cold water is recommended because it helps with the pain and prevents swelling. Dr R advised to take tiny sips from a narrow straw initially, to prevent bleeding.
How much to drink? Lots of it, as much as you can. I filled their water tumblers and made sure they finished it every hour (refer picture above). There were lots of tears from our gal but this terrible mommy sat and made sure she finished her allocation.

I set my phone alarm and woke them up every hour at night to take some sips of water for the first five days. This was after the man described his dry throat when waking "like having a bunch of glass in your throat".

An indication of how much they drank. This 19liters (5 Gallons) bottle lasted 1.5 days. Our norm is 3 days.

2. Avoid dairy products

The American Academy of Otolaryngology advises to avoid dairy products (milk and ice cream inclusive) for the first 24 hours. General anesthesia can cause nausea which will only be made worse with dairy.

Dr R advised to stay away from diary products for at least 48 hours as it increases mucous production in the nose and throat, and triggers vomiting.

What we did;

I was determined that they avoided dairy products as long as possible. I am a paranoid, I know. Both of them had iced oat milk and iced chocolate for the first four days. I started making them smoothies from Day 5 onwards. Yogurt, milk and ice-cream only appeared in the second week.

3. Incorporate nutrition in their diet

During the first ten days after surgery eating is close to impossible. The missing nutrition from solid food have to be incorporated into their liquid/soft diet. Proper nutrition is important as it helps in the healing process. It is required for overall health too.

What we did;

I gave them organic vegan meal replacements (think barley, millet, mixed grains, nutritional yeast, soy protein and almond milk) from Day 3 onwards. Don't think they would ever drink it on normal days. But there were no complains at all. It was soft and easy to consume, and it fixed their hunger pangs. I gave them Ensure shakes as treats when they were "good".

4. Offer their favorite food

Eating solid/rough food is difficult after surgery. It should not be rushed but should be encouraged as the solid/rough food cleans the wound and speeds-up recovery.

What we did;

I noticed that our gal seemed to feel much better by Day 4. I asked whether she was keen to try eating beard papa (her favorite) and she happily agreed. She told me that it was a little painful when swallowing but it was worth the effort! The next day (Day 6) she had fried chicken wings (another favorite). The man thought I was super-sneaky.

Eating solids happened much later for him. He attempted in the second week. And that was 30 minutes after having his painkillers each time. It took him a while (think it was Day 15) before he was willing to try eating without painkillers. I could see tears forming. It was awful. He is not one to complain about pain so I cannot imagine how bad it was. Till today he is still on overcooked pasta, noodles and porridge. He has not taken any rice, meat or poultry yet.
Tonsillectomy recovery for adults is no laughing matter. It is tough. Believe me. Our gal had it much easier. She was back to her normal happy self and eating like she used to by Day 10.

PAIN MANAGEMENT

1. Take the painkillers a little earlier than prescribed

Painkillers are critical during your recovery. Make sure they are taken in a timely manner. Do not skip any doses.
What we did;

Their prescription was to have painkillers every four hours. I gave them every three and a half hours. It was more effective in controlling their pain. I checked with the doctor and he okayed it.

2. Eat after taking painkillers

It's a good idea to time your eating or drinking 30 minutes after taking your painkillers, during the initial few days after the surgery. It makes swallowing more bearable and prevents vomiting.

3. Divert their attention to "forget" the pain

Thanks to the iPad they managed to forgot their pain and discomfort. Thanks to the iPad their down-time was much more bearable. Thank you, Steve Jobs. Thank you, Apple.
I strongly recommend to load the iPad with the latest games and eBooks. It worked for us. It kept them happy many hours in a day.

Other than that, I prepared some simple crafts for our gal. She painted rings for all of us and her friends.

The man caught up with all the DVDs that he always wanted to watch but never found the time. Netflix's instant-watch was a life saver as well.

ENVIRONMENT

1. Maintain a cool environment

Both of them claimed that the stinging feeling at their throats were reduced in a cool room. So we left the air conditioner running all day and night in the house. It was costly but I was willing to do whatever to make their recovery more pleasant.

2. Use a humidifier

Turn the humidifier on at full bast. Best advice that I have gotten from a friend. The humidifier kept their throats moistened as it increased the humidity in the air.

SLEEPING POSITION

1. Sleep in an upright position
We were advised to sleep in an upright position. Sleeping on the bed is not advisable as it adds pressure on the throat and encourages swelling.
The man slept on the recliner for 3 weeks before moving back to the bedroom. Our gal slept on a stack of pillows on the couch for a week. Both loved their sleeping arrangements. They managed to sleep at least 5 hours every night. And there were no swelling and ear ache.

If you have read this far, most likely you or your loved ones will be going for tonsillectomy soon. Good luck. Here's hoping for a successful surgery and a speedy recovery.

Tonsillectomy

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

16.4.2012

We woke up at 6am, got ready and drove to the hospital.

The man and our younger girl were scheduled for tonsillectomy. She was scared beyond scared but managed to put up a brave front nevertheless. So proud of her. Never thought that she had that in her.

The man looked calm but I knew he was scared as well. It was his maiden trip to the Operation Theatre (OT). He had no idea what to expect. It made him jittery and restless. His other concern was his diet after surgery. Food is a BIG deal to him. He lives to eat. Liquid and soft diet? He just cannot imagine not having proper food. I was secretly thrilled. No cooking for at least 10 days. WOOHOO!!!

Many of the man's friends asked him, "Is it necessary to do it at this age?". If he had his way he would rather not do it. His tonsils have tormented since childhood with frequent infection and constant discomfort. He wanted to have them removed in his teens. He was tired of constantly being out of action. His parents were against it .....not sure why.

Things got worse the last few years. He has tonsillitis five to six times every year. It affected his work and his business associates were not too happy about it.

His enlarged tonsils and constant tonsillitis lead to other complications. Obstructive sleep apnea was one of the more serious one. If untreated it will lead to heart arrhythmia, heart failure, hypertension and stroke.

Surgery was no longer a choice but required. On top of tonsillectomy, he needed to remove his nasal polyps and have his soft palette lifted. Poor guy!

Our younger girl had enlarged tonsils since young. We were convinced that they were hereditary. She used to have throat infection together with extremely high fever every three to four weeks. Her medical card was kept at a special tray at the pediatrician's place for easy retrieval. Dr V was my BFF then. His number was on my speed-dial. Yes ..... it was that bad. Her condition improved when she turned seven. Her bouts of tonsillitis gradually reduced to only three to four times a year. And last year it only happened twice. Tonsillectomy was not necessary anymore. However, the ENT specialist (Dr R) strongly recommended to have them removed to avoid complications when she is older. Looking at her daddy's sufferings, we took the doctor's advice.

When she was wheeled into the OT fear started to kick-in. I started imagining all the possible complications and injuries from unforeseen causes. The next 38 minutes felt like eternity. I sat in a corner, stared into space, worried endlessly and stormed heaven with my prayers.

When Dr R informed me that her surgery was a success and she should be awake in 2 hours time. I sighed with relief.

Immediately after that, it was the man's turn. I started worrying and praying all over again. I was a wreck. The nurses were worried about me. I looked very pale. The matron on duty made me a hot drink to calm my nerves. The man was in the OT for close to two hours. I spent the entire 1 hour and 52 minutes nervously pacing up and down the corridor outside the OT.

When the nurses wheeled him out of the OT, I was shocked. He looked very much in pain and was as white as paper. I was totally unprepared for his post-op. Miraculously I did not cry. I kept my cool. I was in control, even. It was like I knew I had to stay strong and be in-charged of the situation. Despite Dr R's assurance that his surgeries went better than expected, I could not stop worrying.

Thankfully both of them were feeling much better in the evening. With the IVs removed and their vitals checked out, they were cleared to go home.

16.4.2012.

Don't think I will ever forget this day. It was the day that two people that I love a lot in this world had surgeries done. It was a day filled with lots of worrying and crying. It was a day that my poor heart beat irregularly many times. It was a day that I am thankful that we had insurance coverage (both their surgeries came up to MYR20k or USD6.5k)

I was totally exhausted at bed time but I could not have asked for a better ending to my very long, eventful and stressful day.

15 Minute Creamy (& Yummy) Avocado Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I am still thanking my lucky stars for finding Angela of Oh She Glows. I stumbled on her blog during my search for vegan recipes. My carnivore hubs decided to go on a semi plant based diet. I was thrilled. But the girls were worried especially Arianna. She groaned and reminded us of the tasted like plastic millet dumpling from an organic place in town.

Angela has an amazing collection of vegan recipes. They are very simple recipes, even by my standards. I have tried a couple of them and ALL of them tasted just like normal food, actually better, to be fair. They were good stuff. I was totally blown away. I never imagined that vegan meals can taste this good as the few that I had in the past either tasted weird (like rotten tofu), like plastic or were tasteless. I had no luck with vegan cafes/restaurants. Even the man and the girls agreed that Angela's recipes were good. Arianna was relieved. Thanks, Angela!

Her Creamy Avocado Pasta was the first few recipes that I tried. Quick and simple recipes always attract my attention. And if it is nutritious and healthy, then it will be a must cook it immediately for me. 15 minutes to prepare a nutritious meal with close to no cooking What not to like? Just two steps; 1) boil the pasta, 2) blitz the rest of the ingredients. And viola, you will have a delicious plate of pasta waiting for you.

15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta
(Recipe from Oh She Glows)

1 medium sized ripe Avocado, pitted
1/2 lemon, juiced + lemon zest to garnish
2-3 garlic cloves, to taste
1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
~1/4 cup Fresh Basil, (probably optional)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 servings/6 oz of your choice of pasta
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions
1. Bring several cups of water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add in your pasta, reduce heat to medium, and cook until Al Dente, about 8-10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the sauce by placing the garlic cloves, lemon juice, and olive oil into a food processor. Process until smooth. Now add in the pitted avocado, basil, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy.
3. When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse in a strainer and place pasta into a large bowl. Pour on sauce and toss until fully combined. Garnish with lemon zest and black pepper. Serve immediately.

Note;
- Makes 2 servings.
- This dish does not reheat well due to the avocado in the sauce. Please serve immediately.

Detox Salad

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 01:00:00 +0000

I found another cut everything up and mix them together type of recipe online. The best part was it tasted awesome, it is a detox salad, the man loved it (though he was skeptical initially), the girls loved it whole-heartedly ...... and there is no cooking involved just blitzing in a food processor.

And the best-est part of it all is; broccoli and cauliflower are detoxifying because they provide support for our immune, inflammatory, hormonal, detoxification and antioxidant system. [Source from HERE]

We had a bowl of the salad and a cup of our favorite tea each for our Sunday brunch. We felt so re-energized after eating the salad - the good kind of full of energy feeling. We loved it!

I was shocked when my younger girl (who doesn't fancy salad) and my carnivore hubs requested for the salad two days later.

Detox Salad (vegan, gluten-free, oil-free and soy-free)
(Recipe from Oh She Glows)

2 heads broccoli (1 bunch), stems removed
1 head cauliflower, stems removed
2.5 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup currants
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup raisins
4-6 tbsp fresh lemon juice, to taste
kosher salt, pepper (I used 1/2 tsp salt and lots of pepper)
kelp granules or Herbamare (optional), to taste
Pure maple syrup, to drizzle on before serving

Instructions
1. In a food processor blitz the broccoli (no stems) until fine. Add into large bowl.
2. Process the cauliflower (no stems) until fine and add into bowl. Do the same with the carrots.
3. Stir in the sunflower seeds, currants, raisins, and parsley. Add lemon juice and seasonings to taste.
4. Drizzle with maple syrup to taste.

The China Study

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Two weeks ago, the man came back from work, sat me down and said, "I want to try to eat less meat .... can we go vegan on weekdays?". I was thrilled (been trying to get him to eat less meat for a while) but shocked at the time. "Are you sick?", "Did you fail your medical check-up?" He smiled and said, "No, I am just tired of feeling bloated and sluggish all the time. I want to try to eat better."

He told me that he was inspired by The China Study that I got for him for Valentines this year. My carnivore hubs wants to go on a plant based diet because of a book? He "listened" to a book instead of my many years of concerned-nagging? I was scratching my head in confusion and disbelief. Men .... they can be difficult to understand at times.

I started researching online for interesting yet quick and simple vegan recipes. I did not mind the extra work as I disliked handling red meat and poultry. I whispered a silent thank you to the writers of the book. I am determined to whip up killer vegan meals to keep him and the girls interested so that I do not need to ~~touch~~ handle red meat and poultry anymore.

I made Pineapple Apple Salsa for dinner recently. This is the first time I made salsa at home. Never imagined that it is this simple to prepare. Super easy, actually. Chop up all the ingredients and mix everything together, that's all it requires. I found the recipe from Angie's Recipes, first time visiting her blog and was totally wowed by her food photography.

We loved the salsa a lot, very flavorful and refreshing. It is perfect as an appetizer or as a side dish for many meat-less dinners.

Pineapple Apple Salsa

300 g Fresh pineapple, chopped
2 Apples, diced
1-2 Tomatoes, diced
1 Small purple onion, finely chopped
1/2 Yellow onion, finely chopped
1/4 Red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 handful Rocket leaves, chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
2 tbsp Fresh lime juice
1 tsp Honey
1/2 tsp Chilli flakes

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavours to blend together.

I doubled the portion. The man and I had it for lunch the next day with couscous. The salsa was even more flavorful the next day and paired well with the couscous ..... one of those rare occasions we liked the same food.

Easter This Year Was Different

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:20:00 +0000

Can I be a Christian and yet not feel God's presence? Yes? No? Maybe?

I was baptized at birth, brought up in a Catholic family, attended an all girls Catholic school but never felt the presence of God. Is that possible? I kept asking myself over and over again as I was growing up. I used to be so envious of my friends and their special encounters with God. I yearn to hear God's voice, speak in tongues and experience a life changing encounter with him. I used to be depressed whenever I attended retreats during my teenage years. ALL my friends spoke in tongue. I tried and tried but never once felt the holy spirit's presence. There were a couple of times that I even faked being slain so that I would not be the odd one out. :(

I often asked, "Why not me, Lord?" I thought God was punishing me because I never paid attention during Sunday Service. As a kid I remember waking up bright and early every Sunday morning for service. I went reluctantly with my eyes half opened without understanding its significance. It was breakfast at my favorite noodles place after service that motivated me each time. I was shallow. I know.

Despite not feeling God's presence, I continued going about life as a faithful Catholic girl. Full credit to my mom as she ensured that I do not stray from my faith. Things changed when I left home for college. I stopped going to church .... for years (except during holiday visits back home). I never saw the need to as I started to doubt God's presence in church. I reasoned, "If God has forsaken me (cos I never felt his presence), why should I make the effort to visit him every Sunday morning?"

Looking back I realized that God had ALWAYS been at my side protecting me, keeping me safe and helping me to make sound decisions. He has never forsaken me. Without him I would never had survived my childhood and difficult teenage years. But ...... I am not sure why I never felt his presence then. Maybe God works with people differently?

When I left the country to further my studies, I met a lovely couple. They invited me to their church, a Methodist church. I went and was happy that I did. Even though I never felt God presence's there too, I experienced a newfound inner peace with myself. It was a good feeling and I loved it. I continued going to church and officially became a Christian. The lovely couple became my god parents. They showered me with unconditional love and concern. I will forever be grateful to them. It just clicked recently, that God was using them to show me that he loves me unconditionally and had never forsake me. [God-pa and God-ma; I can never thank you guys enough for everything. Do visit again, soon!]

After settling down and having kids I stopped going to church again. But I continued reading my bible daily and "talked" to God like a friend all the time. I was in a religion is a private relationship with God and I do not want to do it in public mode. Maybe it was my own justification for not going to church. Even during Easter and Christmas I never went to church. I was more into the commercial aspect of the festivities. My focus was on gift exchanges and get togethers.

Things changed this year. Out of the blue I had a strong desire to look for a church to send my girls for Bible Study. I was surprised because I have never exposed them to the religion. Why? I thought it was better to do it when they are older. I met a very friendly lady who helped me settle the girls in. First my god-parents, now her. God has his ways to lead me back to church. :) I am so happy to see my girls enjoying their bible study sessions and Girls Brigade at church each week.

And ......... I celebrated Easter in the true sense this year. We ate hot cross buns on Good Friday and spoke about how Jesus died on the cross to save us. Then we went to church to celebrate Christ's resurrection. Arianna was so excited about distributing easter eggs to the elderly at church. No words can describe how happy I am about the developments in our spiritual life. God is Great and I am happy to be his Child!

I would like to dedicate this song to my God-parents. It is their all time favorite. "Happy Easter, God-pa and God-ma. Thank you for loving and supporting me all these years. I miss the two of you SO MUCH!!!!!"

Coming Out of the Dark

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:22:00 +0000

There has been so many changes for us this year that it is almost unbelievable. We knew the changes were required but they were so out of the box that it scare the shit out of us. I am someone ever ready for a challenge so I simply plunged headlong and stayed focussed. My more conservative other half had many sleepless nights and was totally stressed out. After 3 months of groping in the dark, I am happy to share that we have finally settled in our new and happier routine. The girls loved it too. I hope to blog about it, one day, once I figured out where and how to start. ;)

I baked a cake today. Actually two, one for tea and another for breakfast tomorrow. It has been ages since I warmed up my oven. It felt good and the home smelled heavenly.

I have not been able to make time for myself lately. I went through three months without visiting my friends' blogs, updating my own blog and playing with Photoshop. AND I have 800+ photographs not downloaded from my camera. Unimaginable! I did all of the above today. It was rejuvenating. I felt like a human again.

Here are my bakes;

I was clearing my google reader (which took hours due to my long absence from the virtual world) in the morning and this recipe from one of my favorite bloggers caught my attention. We loved it. It was moist and good. The addition of cranberries and apples to the good ole banana bread was refreshing!

Banana, Apple and Cranberry Bread

[recipe from My Kitchen Snippets]

Ingredients

1 ½ cups flour [i used one cup of cake flour and half cup of pastry whole wheat flour]
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup sugar [i used slightly less than half cup of sugar]
2 eggs
½ cup + 2 tbsp vegetable oil [i used olive oil]
4 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup dried cranberries
1 apple – grated [i cut one large washington apple into small cubes]
3 large bananas – mashed [i used 2 large mondel bananas]

1. Line and greased a loaf pan. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degree F. [i used 2 small loaf pans]

2. In a mixing bowl, combined flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Mix well and set it aside.

3. In another mixing bowl, combined eggs, milk, oil, vanilla, grated apple and mashed bananas. Mix it well with a big spoon. Add in the dry ingredients into the eggs mixture. Mix until combined

4. Lastly add in dried cranberries. Mix well and pour it into the baking pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown. [i baked for 35mins only -180C for 20mins and the final 15mins at 175C]

She has Cancer but "Chooses Joy"

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:45:00 +0000

When I found out that my friend Ashley (the same Ashley I wrote about earlier) has cancer, I teared-up. I blamed God. Why is it happening to one of the nicest people that I know? I just cannot understand why ...... and it was so difficult to accept. That was October, last year. Instead of pitying herself and blaming God, this amazing lady decides to "Choose Joy" with life's worst curve ball thrown at her. Her positivity is beyond inspiring ......... at times unbelievable. Don't believe me? Read her Cancer Chronicles where she shares her journey in detail.

Source

When she began to lose her hair due to chemotherapy she shaved her head. Watching her "Rite of Passage" video was so heart wrenching for me. I cried buckets so be warned.

Her courage to fight cancer so joyfully and sharing her journey with the world so intimately is so inspiring. Please help pray for Ashley and her family.

Selena Gomez + My Favorite Salad

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Happy New Year two weeks late my dear readers. Hope you guys had a fun time crossing over to 2012. Mine was a quiet one at home with my favorite salad and watching ALL four seasons of Wizards of Waverley Place with the girls. It was a "fun-filled" Selena Gomez holiday weekend. We even managed to watch Wizards of Waverley Place: The Movie and Monte Carlo twice. They "made" me a Gomez fan. How cool, huh? My kids were thrilled and thought that I was the coolest mom around!

One of my new year resolutions was to blog more often and here I am doing my first post of the year on the 16th. I.am.so.lame. I love blogging but most of the time I tend to lose myself in my daily mom and wife duties. The kids and the man have taken over my life. It is sad, but it is true. I realized that having very little or close to no time for myself is not healthy. I am determined to change that ...... SOON!

I was going through my photographs and realized that I have never blogged about this salad. It is one of my favorites. My kids and the man love it too. I often serve it for dinner and there has never been any complaints! I found the recipe here.

Sunshine Salad

(A)
2 heads of broccoli -- wash to clean and drain well; remove the hard stem; reserve and cut the florets into smaller pieces
1 head of cauliflower -- wash to clean and drain well; remove the hard stem; reserve and cut the florets into smaller pieces
2/3 cup red onion -- wash to clean and chop finely
1/2 cup raisins [i omitted this because the man hates raisins]

(B)
454 g (1 lb.) bacon -- right before serving, pan-fry in some oil till browned and crisped up, then crumble into real small bits [i used store bought baked bacon chips]
3/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds [i used toasted almonds]
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

(C)
237 ml (1 cup) mayonnaise [i used 2/3 cup of yogurt + 2 tbsp of fat-free mayo]
115 g (1/2 cup) granulated/caster sugar [i used 2 tbsp of agave nectar]
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
[i added 2 tbsp of lemon juice]

Method

Toss (A) together to combine
Blend (C) together and stir into (A); toss them altogether till everything is well-distributed throughout the mix. Transfer the salad into a container, cover and refrigerate for a few hours to let the flavors marry before serving
Right before serving, evenly scatter (B) on top of the chilled salad and toss them altogether to combine. Serve immediately

Joyous Christmas & Happy Holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 09:45:00 +0000

So True

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Junior MasterChef

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 09:00:00 +0000

In case you wondered what happened to me, well, my mommy duties took over (again) and I was not in the best of health too. All is good now and normalcy has been restored. I am glad and am so happy to be back.

A couple of months back, my girls wanted me to teach them to cook. I stared at them and let out a nervous giggle. I was worried. I was not looking forward to passing my not so fantastic cooking skills to them. I am the type of cook who needs actual measurements even for the seasoning (i.e. the amount of salt and pepper required for a dish). I have no flair in cooking. The man would have been a better choice but he was pretty tied up at work then, so I mustered all my courage and took up the challenge. The cooking session turned out to be a wonderful bonding session with the girls and the end result was not too bad either. Most important no major kitchen disasters!

I showed the girls my "recipes to try out soon" file. They unanimously "fell in love" with this picture and was intrigued by the recipe. The noodles were to be baked instead of fried. I was more than thrilled as I am a klutz when it comes to frying noodles!

Source

We read Daphne's recipe together and shared the preparation work among us. Both the girls had so much fun washing and cutting the vegetables. Arianna was so proud that she could handle a knife. It was a major milestone for her.

Zucchini and Corn Noodle Slice (Serves 3-4)

80 grams of rice noodles soaked in hot water, drained and snipped into shorter lengths
1 capsicum diced
1 zucchini grated
1 can of corn drained
few stalks of spring onions chopped
1 carrot grated
1 cup of self raising flour
1/2 cup of low fat cheddar cheese
4 eggs
3/4 cup soy or normal milk
2-3 tablespoon of oyster sauce
1/2 tsp of chili powder
salt and pepper

Preheat Oven to 200 C. Line slice pan with baking paper with sides hanging.

Squeeze all liquid out of the zucchini. Mix with carrots, corn spring onions and capsicum. Toss in flour, cheese. Lightly whisky eggs with milk, oyster sauce. Pour liquid into the vegetable mix. Season, including chili powder. Add the noodle mixture. Pour into slice tray and bake for around 25-30 minutes. Serve with side salad.

This is what the three of us produced, not as pretty as Daphne's but it was super yummy delicious. Even the man (a self confessed carnivore) loved it. We had the noodles plus some iceberg lettuce for dinner. It was lovely. The girls and I were so proud of ourselves. Arianna was so proud of her kitchen adventure that it was part of her show and tell at school. Her teacher was so taken by description of the noodles that she rang me for the recipe. She baked it for dinner that very night and her family loved it. Daphne, thank you for sharing the recipe!

We had it again mid-week, served with some meat and snow peas. I was so happy that I had doubled the recipe.

Packing Lunch Boxes

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 05:30:00 +0000

One of my biggest dislike about "back to school" (it was this week for us) is packing lunch boxes. It it such a nightmare! I attribute it to the many years of doing it and the fact that I had to drag myself out of bed 30 minutes earlier every morning. Yucks! Actually it was not always the case. I loved it when I started doing it about four years ago. That was when I fell in love with the art of bento-ing and the girls happily ate my cute creations in cute Sanrio characters lunch boxes.

Reading this post by Ashley over at Babble reminded me of the good old days, about me preparing all the props the night before for assembling the next morning. I don't mind all the time involved because it was FUN! Most of my friends thought I was mad. I refused to cook dinner but I spent hours making sandwiches, boiled eggs, vegetables and fruits, look pretty.

Image from HERE

I bento-ed for over a year inspired by these talented ladies (her, her and her). It was sheer good fun. I loved every minute of it. One day .... my elder girl came back from school and said, Mommy, my friends made fun of my lunch box. I was so embarrassed. Can I have a "normal" lunchbox please? I was so not expecting it and was devastated. My younger one veto-ed the normal lunchbox. She apparently disliked the responsibility of keeping the cute sauce containers and decorative forks from her lunch box. So that ended my bento journey.

I started getting bored preparing "normal food" and was not the least inspired in this mundane school-day chore. This is how they looked on most days! :(

On mornings that I managed to justify my laziness, I gave the girls lunch money and did not even bother. Bad mommy, I know..... :(

When I was surfing mindlessly last weekend. I stumbled onto this blog and saw this.

Image from HERE

It was a big A-HA moment for me.

I loved Angie's prepare for the week idea. And her 5 simple steps for packing lunch boxes were brilliant! This is my favorite. Squirting a little dressing into the container before adding the fresh veggies - no more complains of having veggies sans dip.

Image from HERE

I put her tips into practice immediately. It took about an hour preparing everything for the week and 10mins every morning to assemble three homemade healthy lunch boxes. I could not be any happier. Thanks, Angie!

Angie's Echoes of Laughter has many other practical organization tips. If you have some time do pay her a visit, actually you should go now ........ stay for a while! It's worth every minute of your time, I promise.

Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 22:00:00 +0000

We were in Singapore two weeks ago visiting my mom and sister. The trip was supposed to coincide with my lil niece and nephew's birthday but the adults got the dates wrong (despite all the planning) and we ended up being in Singapore a week before their birthday. But all was good. We had a fantastic time and a lot more family time with the birthday party out of the way, most definitely a blessing in disguise.

The man and I put up at The Scarlet while the girls stayed at my sister's place. With a teenager, a tween, a pair of growing twins and the adults in the house, this arrangement was unavoidable. When we checked-into the hotel, I couldn't help smiling to myself. My sister (she suggested the hotel) sure knows me very well, even the type of hotel that I like. Thanks, Anna! I have this thing for refurbished buildings especially those with interesting history ......and The Scarlet was just that, an Art Deco building in 1924 with its architectural detailing retained. Its interior is equally captivating too. I like their bold use of colors in a mis-matchy manner that was different and daring but not over the top. I enjoyed every minute of my stay there that I totally forgotten to snap any pictures! Fortunately the hotel's website has shots of my favorite corners.

Images from HERE

When my sister dropped us off at the hotel one night, she said, "You NEED to check out the roof top bar!". She was absolutely right. The bar is a must-go, very relaxing set-up with an awesome view. We were put on a table next to this awesome spiral staircase. Loved the 70s feel about it.

The four cousins got along pretty well . Despite their six years age gap, Arianna thoroughly enjoyed herself "running around" with the twins and playing with their toys. *shakes head*. Here are some shots taken by Erica with her old trusty point and shoot camera.

I was thrilled to capture their little moment together - my favorite shot of the trip. When I asked them to look at my camera, their expression was priceless!

My mom and sister took the girls to iFly Singapore and they had a blast. According to the girls, it was the best part of the trip! Thanks, Mommy and Anna!

Well, Arianna was worried and scared initially but managed to recover in time to enjoy herself. She told all her friends in school and everyone else that was willing to listen, about "the best experience of her life"! Erica on the other hand was more natural at it. She was effortlessly enjoying herself.

The man and I had some time alone while my mom and sister had the girls. We went for lunch at Ginza Bairin, the place that serves the best Tonkatsu in this whole wide world ..... according to him. Okay, I am exaggerating but I have never seen him this excited before. When he was told of the place by a Japanese friend, he was skeptical as the place does not have the facade or pricing to justify its quality. But looks are deceiving, heh! Even a little eatery at the food court of a shopping mall whips up a more than decent meal.

After lunch we hit the malls, looking for Erica's belated birthday present. We didn't find anything that I like for her. I gave up and decided to ask her what she wanted. Mommy I would love to have your one year-old Macbook Pro!

That night we went to Marina Sands Bay, the current talk of town. The hotel, shopping belt and its eateries were impressive. The place is big, world class, impressive, well planned ....... oops I ran out of superlatives:( Most important for me, it has enough coffee outlets for wives waiting for their husbands spending money at the casino.

After a quick walk-around at the casino that lasted about 10mins, I was bored. I left while the man stayed and entertained himself. I found myself a nice big cushy couch and read this book that I downloaded earlier on my iPad.

Just before we left Singapore the whole gang (mom, sis, us and all the kiddos) went for the Ramen Challenge at Iluma Bugis. It's about six of the best Ramen Chefs from different parts of Japan, viewing for the Ultimate Ramen Champion, based on votes from patrons. I have never seen/ordered so much Ramen in a meal before, but all the sharing and giggling made it fun!

I thought we would not go near a bowl of Ramen for a long, long time ....... considering the amount that we had during the challenge. But the man had the urge for Hokkaido Ramen (after we got back to KL) so it was Santouka (Tokyo Street at Pavillion) to the rescue.

I just realized as I am writing this post that this is my first trip to Singapore where shopping was not my priority. I spent most of my time with family and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Actually I was totally rejuvenated after the trip. Thanks Mommy and Anna for your company!

Dear Dominic & Felicia

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:55:00 +0000

"HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY!!!" We are shouting our lungs out all the way from Kuala Lumpur. Can you hear us? We wished we were there to celebrate your birthday!

Here is our birthday wish for the two of you;

"May God keep you safe, bless you richly with the best of life and grant all your birthday wishes!"

Thank you for entertaining us when we were in Singapore last week. We had so much fun!

Sending over a birthday cake and song ........... especially for the two of you.

Hugs & Kisses,

Uncle David, Auntie Celine, Erica and Arianna

Image source

The Last Two Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Sometimes I have days that I find it difficult to be my usual super productive self. I am just not motivated to get my day going. I would drag my feet and complete my day's responsibilities in slow motion. By mid-day all my energy will be zapped-up by all the slowness and my self-induced unhappiness. After that I would end up spending the rest of the day on the couch glued to Star World.

And sometimes such days last for weeks. Like the last two weeks.

In the past I would get very upset with myself after such days. I simply hate inefficiencies. But after years of being a stay-at-home mommy I learn to chill out and not be so hard on myself. My super considerate hubby has been telling me over the years; "Stay-at-home mommies need day-offs too!"

We attended Erica's school concert last weekend. It was her first time participating in a concert. We were so excited for her.

She was a member of the choir, singing Soprano. Erica enjoys singing a lot but simply do not have the confidence to do it in public.... until now. We have been encouraging her for years to overcome her fears. It was pretty emotional for me watching her sing that night. I was so happy seeing her enjoying herself so much, so happy that I opened the floodgates ... but it was happy tears!

Arianna's dream came true when she was accepted into her school's cheerleading team. This is her during her Sport's Day performance yesterday.

Herb and Nut Cheese Roll

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 13:30:00 +0000

The man and Erica loves to eat cheese. All types except blue cheese. Their favorite is to have it with crackers and red apples. It's their must have every weekend with a glass of white wine (for him) and Gatorade (for her). Recently Arianna joined their little gathering. She forced herself to enjoy eating cheese so that she would not be left out. We told her that she could just sit and chat but she insisted on "participating". Kids can be so funny at times.

I keep forgetting to snap a picture of their cheese eating sessions. There is something magical about fathers and their daughters sharing a moment together! *Note to self - must do it this weekend*

When Daphne blogged about her Herb and Nut Cheese Roll, I knew that it would be perfect for their father-daughter weekend session. It was a winner! They loved it to the bits ..... literary.

I copied Daphne's recipe below for my own convenience. If you have not been to Daphne's blog, you are missing out big time. She has an amazing collection of both Asian and Western recipes. Her recipes are reliable and fail-proof that even noobs like me could handle. Go on, hop over now.

Herb and Nut Cheese Roll
- 250 grams Camembert cheese
- 150 grams of cream cheese
- a small bunch of chives chopped
- 1/4 cup of pistachios shelled and chopped

Whisk both cheese together till well mixed. Place the mixture onto baking paper. Roll it up and twist both ends. Fridge it for at least 1 hour.

Unroll, roll cheese on to chives and pistachios. This time round, wrap mixture with glad wrap. Again, roll it and twist both ends. Fridge it for another 1 hr at least. Serve with crackers.

Please Imagine

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 15:15:00 +0000

that it is end May .......again. Why? I need to tell my story while I was missing from the virtual world. Even though I miss my virtual friends a lot (sorry for not visiting your blogs for close to a month), I had a blast spending time with my family and the many non-virtual world related activities that we did.

The girls spent the last two weeks of May completing their projects and studying very hard for their mid-year exams. It was a war zone on the home front then.

May 27th - It was the last day of exams and the start of their two weeks mid-year break. The girls were overjoyed!

I love to see her in this dress so I forced a shot out of her ... thus the not too happy face, hehe!

We started our mornings during the break hiking and cycling. It was great fun.

The most asked-for treat by the girls when we hit the malls.

I gave them cooking lessons. They loved it and I enjoyed myself too. Pardon my lousy shot - the lighting in my kitchen is terrible.

When the girls got tired of my company, I bonded with my iPad. If you are on Trade Nations too, please add me; ooiceline. I am a very active player and I do not reject trades.

These two ladies are the latest additions to my growing dolly family.

Fast forward to today. We had Korean barbecue for dinner at the man's favorite restaurant.

It's back to normal blogging (and visiting blogs) from tomorrow. Good night, my virtual friends!

Minced Pork with Pickled Radish Omelette

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 11:15:00 +0000

Each time I see or eat an omelette done the Chinese way I will always think about my Ah Mah (Grandma in Chinese). She was a sweet and easy-going lady who loved me dearly. She was the flicker of happiness from my pretty unhappy childhood. I grew up in a single-parent family (my parents separated when I was very young) in a very small town filled with nosey parkers. I was often made fun of in school and labeled as the girl without a father. I was seven then, confused and miserable all the time. Somehow no one seemed to notice my unhappiness except my Ah Mah. She would take me in and look after me with such tender loving care that made me forget all my unhappiness. She made the best omelette ...... in many variation. Looking back I am convinced that she was God sent.

Opps..... I digressed. Back to my omelette.

When Daphne blogged about her Vietnamese Style Pickled Radish Pork Omelette I was intrigued. I have taken minced pork omelette and pickled radish omelette (both my family's favourite) but I have never had a combination of them both. It was really good - flavorful and refreshing, the perfect companion with a bowl of steam rice or porridge/congee. Thank you, Daphne! :)

Daphne's Minced Pork with Pickled Radish Omelette

- 100 grams of pork mince
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp of soy
- 1/2 tsp of garlic

- 4 eggs
- 20 grams of sweet pickled radish
- a splash of soy milk/milk
- 2 tsp of fish sauce
- 1/2 tsp of sugar
- 1 small chili padi chopped [i omitted this]

Marinate mince first. Heat pan with 1 tsp of oil. Saute pickled radish and chili padi. Fry pork mince till nearly done. Mean time, whisk eggs with milk, fish sauce and sugar. Pour egg mixture to pan and cook til set. Serve with veges and rice.

Daphne

noreply@blogger.com (celine) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 06:02:00 +0000

Daphne's More Than Words is part of the handful of blogs that I have read faithfully over the years. I read, liked and remembered every single post that Daphne has written since 2004. Even though I am older than her by at least a decade I could relate to her writing. By reading her posts, I remembered my student days in Australia and miss the two awesome guys that I had as flat-mates. I wish I had a journal on that.

I remember reading the run-ups to her wedding and being very happy and excited for her and Mr A. I read and re-read her account of the three wedding receptions that she had ...... in Perth (she lives there), Singapore (her hometown) and KL (Mr A's hometown). It was so romantic. This is my favorite shot of them from their wedding.

Not to be forgotten is her cool Grandma who makes regular guest appearances on her blog. Each time this lady makes an appearance, I would miss my "Ah Mah" (Grandma in Chinese dialect) a lot. I wished I made more effort to spend more time with my Ah Mah when she was alive.

Oh, Daphne is a great cook too. I used to only "drool over" the meals/dishes that she blogged but never had the courage to attempt any of them. It was only lately when my cooking skills improved slightly that I started trying out some of her recipes. I am glad I did. They were good! This is my family's current favorite. I will blog about it another day, hopefully tomorrow.

It was Daphne who inspired me to start a blog and document my life so that cherished memories would never be forgotten. And I can never thank her enough for that. I need to work harder at blogging regularly, I know. Somehow the girls kind of dictate my life and on most evenings I am just too tired to blog.

To Daphne & Mr A ....May God bless the both of you richly with the best of life!