BBQ

Had a BBQ last Saturday at house. MasterChef requested for one originally for her two overseas visitors, her students from college. Later I thought perhaps I'll just invite a few more friends, the more the merrier right. But, since the house is not that huge, can't accommodate that many people, so there were only a few guests of honour.

MasterChef and BIL prepared the savoury items, got them marinated days before and I took care of the dessert items - made party choc cupcakes and some tarts. Tried to combine the Pana Cotta with tart, it was quite a flop, it's not staying in the menu, but the Pana Cotta on its own was good, only need minor adjustment to the recipe and it will be a keeper. Story of the making of dessert in another entry.

Got satay from Hj Samuri, the famous Kajang Satay, which later formed the easiest item to BBQ (just need to reheat on the stove). I had my cousin bro came to help me set up the BBQ stove and had the fire up and ready.

After a whole day of preparation, we've managed to put together a BBQ menu like this:

xxx

Starters

Potato Salad

On The Grill

Prawns Skewer

Sotong Skewer

Chicken Skewer

Lamb Chop with homemade mint sauce

Vegetable Skewer with cumin and chilli flakes

Kajang Satay with peanut sauce

Chicken Balls

Frankfurters

Side Dishes

French Fries

Chicken Nuggets

Desserts

Chocolate Cupcakes

Pana Cotta

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Tarts

Fruits - Mango, Langsat and Rambutan

Lychee Cocktail

xxx

MasterChef went out to fetch her students later the evening while we stay behind to prepare, and snack on whatever cooked item we laid our hands on... the fries was a heat as our temporary measure to hunger, it went particularly well with mayonnaise (with chilli powder).

By the time Little Bro and Hobbes arrived I was already quite full... so I've diverted my attention and energy to whisking them towards the BBQ stoves and making sure they piled up their plates. Even the boys didn't seem to do that well, can't even manage to fill in desserts. So take away it was... together with some little gifts from London.

The only one who had managed to eat the cake was little Daniel.

Before the BBQ ended, sleepiness suddenly caught up with me, without sounding too rude, I was suggesting for my guests to retire early (10pm already?) to get some good rest :p.

Got comments that the mint sauce was really good and compliment the lamb chop really well, well done MasterChef! The sotong was also a heat, that was my favorite too besides the vege skewers. It was fun gathering around preparing your own food "professionally" under the cozy (though boiling hot) atmosphere.

smile... SMILE!!!

Me: "If you wait up all night, you will have a very natural out-of-bed-look tomorrow"

Him: "Hahaha... of course I won't wait. Will just wake up early tomorrow morning to call..."

Me: "Oh ok... then go to bed... which means I can also go to sleep now..."

Him: "Ya go to bed, it's late. Sorry to keep you awake... nite"

Having such IM conversation at midnight with a guy sounded so romantic, but just that it was not, simply because the him was not honey (which reminded me then to text honey to check if he was getting better with his injuries), but my boss... humphhhh... I know - even if your boss is a workaholic, it doesn't mean that you have to be one right? That's what I thought. Not.

Yesterday was not a busy day at work, so at about 6.15pm, I was all packed up ready to leave for gym. Early in the morning, I told Carebear I must try to do both combat and pump since I did really bad last week in terms of my workout especially for cardio. Towards noon I heard that "Rain Gal" (I don't know if this nickname has been accepted, only that "Korean Gal" suggested this. Together, the Rain Gal and Korean Gal will form Kimchi Gals... hmmm) is fasting today and won't be at gym. Thinking that it will be boring doing combat alone, I thought of only doing stepper before pump.

So, as I said, I was all packed up (laptop left behind, locked in the drawer - it will be late when I get home so I don't need my laptop, besides, it's troublesome because I had to bring the laptop with me into the gym since it's dangerous and risky to leave the laptop in the car) and ready to leave, passed by my boss' office (That's the only way out to the entrance!) and I happily bade him farewell when I strode out of the office. Nearly out of the office. I had to do a back-track when I heard him calling... after about 10 minutes discussing the changes for the training manual I'm preparing, I suggested why not I ditch combat class and stay back so as to make sure he had all the required files with details of all the changes... but upon hearing my intention of joining combat, he sent me away telling me that he can call me later tonight. (But... but it's going to be 11pm by the time I reached home) He said he doesn't mind speaking with me at midnight... really. So I went back to collect my laptop and later entered the gym clumsily with my huge gym bag, my handbag, and the laptop bag under my arms while trying to handle the box of chocolate cake with utmost care (I hope they didn't overturn or smashed up with each other/ the box).

Soon as I arrived at gym, I was already distracted by my boss... not physically of course, but I was mentally preparing the information I would need to pass to my boss later when I get home. As a result, I got Carebear indicating for me to smoothen my forehead and reverse the curve of my mouth (to upward). I was quite dazed and puzzled, didn't quite understand why she was prompting me to do so, was I looking too painfully tortured? I thought that's a good expression to project in class haha...

Later in the locker room after pump, when Carebear and I exchanged items, she said "smile, SMILE!" (while passing me my ramekins) and you know what? I was confused because why on earth do I need to be smiling at my ramekins... only seconds later that I realized that she must have meant to tell me to relax and cheer up! I must be in such deep thoughts throughout the class that my eye brows were locked and lips were thin. No wonder lah! Ok, me so blur and far away when I am distracted. Luckily was not in free-style step, I could have just fallen off the board all together.

Earlier on in combat (yes I did combat at the end since my boss sort of released me for combat), I was immensely surprised by the change in the phenomenal Monday combat. The class was quite packed with amateurs (at least it seems like so at where I stood), not to mention the class being umm... extremely quiet - this can be reasoned either me not attending this Monday class for so long and has been mistaken about the change, or simply because Rain Gal was not there.

You know... it's difficult doing combat in silence. In fact, it's difficult doing any class in silence perhaps except for balance or yoga which require total serenity. But this is combat. Supposed to be somewhat furious? Ok... some classes are just quiet, of course we can except that... humphhh...

After a few tracks... I'm sure sooner or later someone will start spare a few kias. But. Don't have.

Muay Thai... for sure it will be noisy by now. Umm... not quite... I thought perhaps I'll just contribute to a few discreet ones? Not that I don't do "screaming" or "shouting" in class, I do that a lot, but the class last night made me think twice because it made me wonder if there were some mutual agreement among all not to make noise? Perhaps there were only some particular moments when you do the kias? Cannot simply shout whenever you like? Got some protocols or something being announced with regards to "the rule of kia-ing in the Monday Combat", perhaps? (Hey, I was absent from that class for two weeks, so who knows right? Do I want to upset anyone?)

Last track... Uwaaa... It was just unbearable...

I didn't care if someone was going to give me a saman for breaking the rules, I just had to content myself with a few stress-releasing-loud-kias before the track ended. There!!!

Later on I did some carefree-whenever-however I want screams in pump - that was, when I wasn't distracted by my mental preparation for my "midnight intimate chat" with boss.

Waaaa.... so tired and I can just feel a tinge of muscle ache now.

Marble Cake Cupcakes

Last week was bad for me in terms of workout - only did 2 pump classes the whole week with no cardio workout. Even so, those 2 pump classes consist one which I've forced myself to wake up 5.30 in the morning to attend a 7am class at LM. Was on leave last Monday and Tuesday, and since I foresee having to sacrifies gym for BBQ preparation later the week, I opt to attend the 7am body pump last Tuesday. Also, since it's FI's class, I can also bring him the long promised marble cake, in the form of cupcake. I actually enjoyed making the swirls for the marble effect.



Finished with butter icing - brandy, chocolate and coffe flavours. (I realized I don't have very good snaps of the end product humphhh...)

Chocolate Cupcakes

Had a BBQ party at home last night, as a welcome back party for my sis and BIL, and since we had overseas guests. Made chocolate cupcakes as my party cupcakes among other desserts.

The usual old fashion chocolate cake recipe but with dark chocolate cream for these cupcakes, instead of milk chocolate cream which I will use for the cake.

Only perhaps 2 persons managed to eat the cupcakes after the feast, kept some for my boss and Carebear (if she is not on diet, haven't got the chance to ask yet!)

The rest of the cupcakes went home with the guests as their desserts once they manage to digest the main courses.

Durian Tart - First Attempt

Tried making durian tart as part of the durian desserts request. Made this last weekend, but only had time to upload this entry now. I still have loads to blog, don't have enough time!

My SB told me that the durian cake was nice, even his friend said so :), well done for first attempt according to him. However, he said not enough durian. So for the durian tart, I've increased the amount of durian for the cream.

The tart shells are pretty easy to make, TLA love the tart shell even by itself.

One big mistake when making the durian cream was that the durian puree was not fine enough, hence I couldn't managed to pipe the cream through my nozzle. At the end, in order to be able to pipe through my star shape nozzle (the shape of the durian cream piped from the smooth tip nozzle looked erm... like something gross...). So, I tried to blend the cream again, but that made the cream lost consistency, hence couldn't form a nice defined shape.

SB couldn't come over to pick up the tart on time, and I guess I didn't keep the tart at a cold enough place (office fridge was too full!) Hence, he didn't get to eat them afterall, turned bad :(... So promised to make it again. An improved version hopefully.

It's A Rainy Day

Second day at work after my so called long leave. Not too bad in terms of work load today, I think I would be able to make it to the gym (it's pump day, can't miss class!!)

It has been raining since lunch time and in order to get to lunch, we actually drove to One Utama (can't walk to lunch around office area so we drove from basement carpark to basement carpark). Went to Oriental Cravings at 1U and boss drove and boss treated me. Goshh... what a dream job eh? The restaurant was simply crowded, guess loads of people was doing what we did to avoid the rain. (or 1U is simply crowded even during weekdays?) We couldn't get a big enough table to accommodate 5 of us (that's also the reason why my boss had to drive instead of getting the driver to chauffeur us to lunch) so the waiter had to move one of the patrons to the next table so we can have his table merged with ours. Amidst that table arranging, one of my very happy colleague came to whisper into my ear telling me this guy (who was forced to change table) was actually one of the judges who appeared in the TV reality show "who wants to be a model" (or something like that). True enough, and well, this famous guy later became 90% of the chat topic between my boss and I.

My boss who seldom watch TV (does it look like he has time?) had, of course, zero knowledge about this guy, so I gave him a debriefing of his background (well, OF COURSE I know nots about this guy too, haha that the point...) and of course I made up the background. Anyways, the topic of interest was if he is happy. I think so but my boss said a model, or someone involve in modelling business doesn't necessary have to be happy. Agreed. Still I think he is.

Told my boss after some constructive debating, while I happily dug into my food (braised pork in dark soya sauce with rice - fattening, full of carbo which clashed with the protein, but never mind, I'm going to gym later) and him bitterly waited for his claypot lo shu fun, that perhaps we should just do a little test, no point arguing.

That guy was leaving, and before it was too late, I gave him a prolonged glance, he caught my glance and quickly looked away (it's nothing to do with me being unattractive, I assure you haha); When that guy was walking away, I told my boss to look and see if the way he walked was quite happy-ish or not. My boss observed him for a while and turned to me with an amazed expression....

"Soooo? " I asked.

"He saw me looking at him and he gave me a prolonged stare!" exclaimed my boss.

Seeeee!! Told you so!

"Maybe he was looking at me because he thought 'who's this guy with also an out-of-bed hair do'?" continued my boss after I gave him a smug look claiming my victory in my theory.

We......ell. My boss came in today with a very out-of-bed messed up hair-do. He said it was an accident when I told him he looked cool in this hair-do. So, he was looking kind of cute today.

"No.......oo, I don't think so!" I assured my boss. "I don't think the reaction would be quite the same if, say, it were to be xxx (my other happy colleague) who stared at him..."

Mwah hahaha... so mean of me, but my boss was quite amused with my answer. So, there you go.

Welcome Back!

I've been very busy during the pass weekend... did 3 different types of baking, which I've assigned one of the baking - the caramel cupcake - to my little apprentice cousin aka Maddy. She did well, I've even left the icing of the cupcakes for her. Details of the baking will be in separate entries later, I haven't uploaded the pictures yet. I was going through my Picasa uploads and found some pictures taken by The Little Apprentice (TLA), among them...

Me baking

One of my overflowing baking "storage"

That was on Saturday night. I brought TLA to Tony's body jam class at SPK during the day and she loved the class a lot. The class was not so crowded and darling did some old time favorites, some requiring loads of space in order for us to perform the "drama". The lady president of the TFC (Tony fan club) was there and TLA was really delighted to have a role model (the president) to copy the steps and thus allowing her to breeze through the class.

TLA was also being assigned to get ready a welcome back "banner" and a welcome back card for MasterChef and BIL, who were arriving on Sunday.

The making

The welcome back card

The house is now more "crowded" with two more tenants, not to mention TLA staying over the school holidays. Then again, more "customers" for my baking, which also means less allocation for distribution.

Was on leave Monday and Tuesday, and my first day back at work was till almost 9pm. Honey dropped by my office yesterday evening to pick up his durian tart, but there was a little drama about the tart hiazzz.... anyways, got to get back to work first. Story telling later tonight if I can stay awake when I get home.