Hi Daisy!

I have been busy crafting with my new toy lately (thank you hardy!) and have forgotten all about blogging! the possibilities are now endles! i'm loving it. as soon as aidan is asleep, i quickly sit on my wooden chair in my craftroom and craft away! this was my first card i made after receiving my new toy.

I love flowers - let it be real, plastic or paper. i love pastel, i love daisys. i think they are fresh, i think they are sweet. i tend to create soemthing that i like receiving. and this, i wouldnt mind receiving in my mail!

I'm trying to work out on how to sell my cards as they are getting more and more now. i will have to have another space where i can display most of them. still considering to sell a kit so that you can make your own. still considering whether i should sell cut out motives and letters. i'm passionate about my craft. and i hope to share the joy and love i've put in with each and every card and such that i make.

Well, anyway, here's a "HI" to all you readers of my blog.

Beef with Lemongrass

When you have a 16 month old clingging on to your leg, when you're tight on time, when you're in a hurry but need to have something solid, or perhaps when you're lazy... this dish will fit you just fine!

I have been working extremely hard in making my crafty things. i havent had much time to blog nor reply to those who have commented (but i will try my outmost best, i just recently did!). and it doesnt help when hardy gave me a new toy to play (or should i say craft) with. but anyway, here's a simple dish that will work just fine with chicken, and it'll save you time coz you simply chuck everything in.


Simplicity sometimes works perfectly!




LEMONGRASS BEEF

beef rump steak - sliced thinly
2 lemongrass stalks - chopped
spring onions - sliced
salt
pepercorns - crushed
groundnut oil
2 cloves of garlic - chopped
2 fresh red chillies - seeded and chopped
1tsp light brown sugar
2tbsp thai fish sauce


Method:

1. cut meat and put them into a bowl together with lemongrass, spring onions, salt and black peppercorns. leave to marinade for at least 15 mins.

2.preheat your wok, add the beef mixture and stir fry for about 5 mins until beef changes colour to brown.

3. Add garlic and red chillies and stir fry for another 5 mins over a medium heat until beef is cooked and tender.

4. Add sugar and fish sauce.

5. Garnish with coriander leaves if you wish

In a World of my Own

Eversince i was small i've always loved papers, ribbons and such. i used to make cards for my family, and friends when i was in school. i took art for my SRP and SPM. i choose to set up my own tiny little business back in Malaysia, rather than persuing Law, and the love for crafty bits still continues, even more so now.

I cant describe to you how thereputic crafting is to me. my hands itch for those scissors. i'm always on the look out for papers, pens and punchers. i struggled to 'find myself' after giving birth to Aidan. refuse to simply a wife and a stay at home mum. i just had to do something.

The thing with me is, i'd rather be at home, than be out (especially in winter), i'd rather do my crafts than gossiping with friends. i'd give tv a miss while i string some beads or cut out some papers. but i was in need of a space of my own to do my own things and to store my bits and pieces. the house we are in right now had to go through some major renovation before we came in. we moved in with only the basic things. even the floors of our living and dining room were still concrete at that time.

Now, after a year, the house is ready, well, bijna (almost) the things left are just little little things like the edges of the floors and to fix our ceiling lights. and after we moved Aidan to the room next door, we have this little room all to ourselves.

What Hardy and i did for our 2nd wedding anniversary was to give each other a space. a space where we can work, a space where we can sit and do our things. this was what he gave me. my own little craft world (i gave him an office space behind me).

I've always had this picture in my mind on how i want my craft room to be. with rails for ribbons, with fabric covered boards to hang and paste. he did everything for me. he also wrote a beautiful piece for me as our anniversary card. i wept on every single line he wrote. i pasted it on the wall of the room. and the tiny little red shoe was Aidan's. i have it on my board to remind me this was once his room. we love our room, not only that we have our spaces attached to the master bedroom, now we have a tv in the room too! (but i'd prefer to have the radio on with my dutch channel radio 2 while crafting!)

This was the best present anyone could ever dreamed of. i'm now making more stuff cause i now have the space. i'm trying to come up with a range of things, cards and such to sell on the internet. no need to wait till april cause my birthday presnt came early this year! Hardy bought me a crafting machine and it arrived yesterday! i wish we have 30 hours a day, as the hours that i spent in this room feels extremely short! and i wish i have anoter set of hands too! he he!

Whenever i'm crafting, i'm simply in a world of my own. i love every minuite of it.

Anyway, that's my own little world.. do you have a little world of your own too?

Oil &Vinegar's Tuscany Blend Potatoes

Aidan LOVES aardapples (potatoes). i try to 'spice up', jazz up his potatoes once in a while so he wont get bored of his food. i normally add dried herbs when i grill his potatoes (together with olive oil) but eversince he turned 1, i dare to give him a taste of 'real' food. and now that he's turning 16 months, he's been eating the food that we eat (with no salt, sometimes, just a tad bit of salt). so far so good.



I LOVE Oil & Vinegar. they have very good range of oils, dippers, pestos... i cant get enough of them. one product that we always have in our kitchen is their dipper. its basically a combination of herbs and some with spices, ready for you to add to your oil for dressings, or just add mayonaise for that super delicious dip! i think they come in 4 different tastes. i used Tuscany Blend for Aidan.

If you pass by the shop, do go in and check out their products. you'll love their range. you'll love it all! i can guarantee you their dipper's worth every cent!

(p.s: rita if you're reading this, i think they're opening one in seattle!!)

AIDAN'S OIL & VINEGAR TUSCANY BLEND FRIES

Cut the potatoes into long strips and wash throughly.

Pour over some olive oil, and add 1tbsp of the dipper. mix them well.

Put them in the oven and grill at 200c till golden brown.

But if you prefer them to be in a slightly unhealthy way, you can fry them.

Banana-Stuffed Crepes

I had guests staying over last couple of weeks, all are not into heavy breakfast (i.e malaysian breakfast). served them full english breakfast the previous day and so i thought i'd make them some crepes the following morning.

These are really easy to make. really helps when you have good fresh eggs and fresh milk. it'll make a whole lot difference, i tell ya.

While we were in Paris last couple of years ago (Aidan was 5 months in my tummy), we enjoyed our crepes with all sorts of filling. and almost every corner we turn, we'd see a booth or a stall selling crepes. the thing is with them, is to make them as thinly as possible and to eat them when they're hot. for us, the best filling is definitely the sinful nutella! heel lekker! OoooLaaaLaaa!

BANANA-STUFFED CREPES

225g Plain Flour

2 tbsp soft light brown sugar

2 Eggs

450ml milk

Grarted rind and juice of 1/2 lemon

Butter

Bananas

Golden Syrup


Method:

1. Combine the flour and sugar and beat in the eggs and half the milk. beat together until smooth and gradually add remaining milk to make smooth batter.
2. Stir in lemon rind.
3. Melt a little bitter in frying pan and pour a ladel full of batter. tilt the pan or swirl it around (whatever you call the technique), to make the batter evenly on the pan. let it cook for a min or two. flip it over the other side and let it cook.
4. To make the filling, slice the bananas and toss them in the lemon juice.
5. Pour the syrup over them and toss.
6. Stuff the bananas in the crepe, then fold it into half, or quarter.
7. Serve warm.

3 Beauties

I'm always on the look out for boxes, i just cant get enough of them. and somehow i always find good bargains when we're in the UK. there's just plenty to spoil myself silly! i found these 3 at a shop in Coventry. as soon as i spotted them, in my heart, i knew i just had to have them! but my head was telling me that i've spent too much already, i've exceeded my shopping quota. eventhough they were a bargain! and then i've started asking myself, whether i really NEED them. so i just stood there, infront of the shelves, with 2 voices in my head - get them, or give them a miss (who knows, there'll be more elsewhere when i can afford them).

After a good 15 mins staring at them, i then came to my senses. i decided to bid them farewell and leave the 3 beauties behind. little that i know my brother in law Redza was staring at me and the boxes, and as soon as i walked away, he then took them off the shelves, with the intention of getting them for me. before he even reached half way, my mum saw the boxes and took them from him and went and paid. got back to my my sister Fifi's house, mum handed me those boxes - "something for adek", she said.

If only i can give them more than what they've given me. if only they know how much they're appreciated and loved, if only i can make all their wish(s) come true... i know they are just boxes, but its something that i really love, and somehow they just know the things that will make me smile through the whole month! thankful, grateful, as always.

So, there it is, my 3 beauties, on my new craft table my dear husband Hardy made me on our 2nd anniversary. such beautiful colours, such simple boxes, such thoughtful people, such a joy to be having them on my new desk!!!!

Gelukkig Nieuw Jaar!

I have been ignoring my blog, my crafts and my cookings lately. there's a good reason. to those who havent read it yet, well, you can read it here.

We're still fighting the winter bug, i'm slightly more fortunate than Hardy and Aidan. i'm now suffering from just a tad big of sore throat. but taking care of them is my top and upmost priority. after we got back from the UK last Thursday, i was too busy cleaning and unpacking, had to settle everyone down and played host to our friends, thus leaving me with no time to blog. (although at times my hands itch to type away, but when i saw the bed being all tempting with those fluffy pillows and thick warm duvets, i had to give the laptop a miss..)

Anyway, i promise i'll reply to your comments soon. there's just simply too much to write and share! will get this blog moving!

Here's to all of you, wishing you a good, happy, healthy new year 2008! hope you like what Aidan and I drew on new year's day!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008!