A Merdeka Raya Celebration

Pak Herman and Kak Siti hosted a dual celebration at their home in Nivå. It was to commemorate the 52nd anniversary of Malaysia's Independence and to celebrate the Eid ul-Fitr.

An Afternoon with Fauzi, Sue and Ninie

I've not eaten a laksa that I don't like...... And, to add to the list is the Laksa Terengganu, made by the ever so cheerful Sue. Today, we decided to spent the afternoon at Fauzi's residence in the beautiful, quiet Hellerup residential area. There was no shortage of laughter and entertainment provided by the gracious hosts and those who came. We came away with our bellies and heart full..... Thanks Fauzi, Sue and Ninie for a wonderful afternoon.

Lunch at Sherry and Sufiya's

Above photos courtesy of Royana

Chocolate Brownies

Chocolate Brownies A recipe from Hershey's 8 oz butter, melted 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs 1/2 cup flour 1/3 cup cocoa 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt Heat oven to 180 C. Grease 9-inch square baking pan. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Lime Cheesecake

Lime Cheesecake

Sponge fingers, enough to fill the bottom of the pie pan
1/2 cup espresso

2 x 200g philly cream cheese
1 cup sugar
juice of 1 lime
zest of 1 lime
1 egg

1/2 liter double cream
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract


Dip each sponge fingers into espresso for only 5 seconds. Letting the sponge soak too long will cause them to fall apart. Place the soaked ladyfinger on the bottom of a baking dish, breaking them in half if necessary in order to fit the bottom.

Place the cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, egg, lime zest and juice. Mix together thoroughly.
Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the sponge fingers and bake in a 170C oven for about 40 minutes. Leave it to cool.

Whisk the double cream, sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form.
Spread over the cheesecake and top it with some grated lime zest.

Chill overnight in the refrigerator.

Eid Celebration hosted by Nazri, Adila, Aiman and Alyssa

It was a beautiful Indian Summer day ......... After some uncertainty, it was finally announced on Friday evening that the first day of Eid will be celebrated on Sunday. As for the three of us, there was a lot to reflect upon and to be thankful for. We are thankful that our families back in Malaysia are well and in good health and that we have adjusted very well in this new place and having met so many good friends, both here and in Holland and everywhere else around the world. Nazri, Adila, Tok Mon and the kids had their home open for the day. It was a beautiful day and the celebration was such a joyous occasion. Adila outdid herself yet again, if that's ever possible, with the table almost to the brim with delicious traditional fares such as briyani, korma, satay, soto, homemade bahulu, spicy kerepek ubi...the list's endless.....

Eid Greetings

Waterlilies by Muna Mahdzar-Fadaaq, Oct., 2008 Wassenaar

Family Day

It was a full day....... We were at Tivoli for the best part of the day and the evening as part of the Family Day's event for the Company. The weather was on our side as it was a sunny with blue sky and a clear albeit a slightly chilly night.

Minced Chicken Roulade

Minced Chicken Roulade 500g minced chicken 1 tsp thyme salt and pepper for the filling; 1/2 cup each chopped red and yellow pepper 1 cup sliced chestnut mushroom 1 onion . chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup chicken broth salt and pepper, to taste a little vegetable oil 1 cup shredded Jarlsberg cheese

Russian Tea Cakes

Russian Tea Cakes Recipe from Betty Crocker's Kitchen 8 oz butter, softened 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups flour 3/4 cup finely processed nuts 1/4 teaspoon salt Powdered sugar Heat oven to 190C. Mix butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla in large bowl. Stir in flour, nuts and salt until dough holds together. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool slightly on wire rack. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar; cool on wire rack. Roll in powdered sugar again.

Baked Lemon Chicken

Baked Lemon Chicken Recipe adapted from Gordon Ramsay's Sticky Lemon Chcken Oil, to drizzle 10 chicken drumsticks salt and black pepper For the glaze: 1 lemon, sliced Juice of 1 1/2 lemons 6 tablespoons honey 3 tablespoons fish sauce 4 teaspoons light soy sauce 1/4 cuo cilantro, chopped 4 teaspoons sesame oil Season the drumsticks with salt and pepper. Prepare the glaze. Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl until evenly combined. Pour the glaze over the drumstick to coat. Leave to marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Heat the oven to 180C. Lightly oil a casserole. Arrange the drumsticks in the dish in a single layer. Drizzle over a little oil and the marinade and bake in the hot oven for 40 minutes, turning several times, until the chicken is tender and nicely glazed. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving.

Quiet Evening with Good Friends

We spent the evening with Ainan and his lovely wife, Sherry and their adorable little princess, Sufiya. Their home is only about 8 minutes walk away from where we lived and it is strategically located between the bagel shop (serving the most fantastic muffins) and a fabulous, but yet to be explored, ice-cream parlour ...... be still my growing girth.....

We were also joined by another Malaysian family; Peter and Mona and their gorgeous daughter Cassandra.

Spicy Beef Soft Tacos with Avocado Salsa

Email | Share | | Bookmark Email | Share | | Bookmark Spicy Beef Soft Tacos with Avocado Salsa 350g minced beef 2 medium-size onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 10 pcs sun-dried tomatoes, reconstituted in 1 cup of boiling water 1 tsp curry powder salt and a little sugar Shredded cheese (I'm using a combination of Jarlsberg and Parmigiana) Tortillas In a blender, processed the softened sun-dried tomatoes until it turned to a pulp. Brown ground beef and onion in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook over low heat 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave it to cool. Portion the meat mixture into tortillas. Sprinkle the cheese mixture on top and place them in a grill until the cheese melted and turned slighty brown. Serve with a Avocado salsa and salad. Quote: Got this article from a dear friend..... In April, Maya Angelou was interviewed by Oprah on her 70+ birthday.. Oprah asked her what she thought of growing older. And, there on television, she said it was 'exciting...' Regarding body changes, she said there were many, occurring every day.....like her breasts. They seem to be in a race to see which will reach her waist, first. The audience laughed so hard they cried. She is such a simple and honest woman, with so much wisdom in her words! Maya Angelou said this: 'I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.' 'I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.' 'I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.' 'I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life..' 'I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.' 'I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back.....' 'I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.' 'I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one..' 'I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.' 'I've learned that I still have a lot to learn..' 'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'

Beautiful Homes

An artist's home......