Trev's Bread Pudding

My sister Fifi's good friend Trevor is a good cook. and not to mention a really cool bloke as well! he loves to cook! he shared his bread pudding recipe with us last year, i dont really like bread pudding but i LOVE this one!

Served with mum's delicious custard and i guarantee it'll be a sure hit! i'm still looking for the custard recipe, will update them in here once i get them downstairs, in my kitchen.

How was your weekend? what did you cook lately?


Trevor's Bread & Butter Pudding

16 medium sized bread
8 egg yolks

6oz castor sugar

300ml fresh milk

300ml double cream

1oz sultana

1 oz raisins

Unsalted butter for spread

Vanilla pod (if you dont have them you can use vanilla essence)

Method:

1. whisk egg yolks and sugar

2. simmer cream, milk, vanilla pod in a pot on low heat

3. once simmering pour egg yolk and sugar

4. keep mixing until it disolves and thickens

5. spread unsalted butter on bread and layer them in a oven proof container, cover bottom of the container and when you reach 3/4 layers add sultana and raisins

6. pour in the custard mix over bread and leave it to soak for 20 mins

7. chuck it in the oven for 15-20 mins on 180-200c

Thanks a lot Trev!!!

Cutie Pie

Goed morgen!! i dont have much time to write, just wanted to share this one card i made. so flowery, so girlish!


Hardy's coming back from Barcelona and Brussels today! and boy, i cant tell you how much i miss him. he's been away since tuesday. oh, i went to the dentist yesterday! one of my tooth chipped. luckily it was one of those non visible ones when i smile.. i'm hate going to the dentist! its nothing personal, i'm just scared of the drilling, spraying and those bright lights!

Yesterday, i went to a new one. recommended by my dear neighbour. everyone was so so nice, from the receptionists, the the assistant and the dentist was such a cutie! he was SO young! he explained every step and made me really comfortable... i used to dread going to the dentist, but not anymore! (by they way, i had to do a root canal)

Anyway, that's it, i have to go and take my shower and send my cutie pie to playschool! you guys have a great weekend! hopefully none of you have to go to the dentist! ;) (but if you do, i'd surely recommend mine if you this part of the world!) :)

Till my next post!

{Love at First Sight}

I am extremely lucky to have a very supportive husband. he never questions on how much i spent on my crafty bits. and everytime when i tell him there's something new in the market, or some of the stuff i fell in love with at the shops, he'd always ask me to go and get it. me on the other hand, would think ten times before actually heading towards the cashier! it's funny that he's only like that when it comes to my stuff. but he's quite the opposite when it comes to his!


And no matter how messy my craft table is.. he never complains!

There was this one time when he insisted i should go to a craft fair, an hours drive from our home. i'm glad he did! i found this one booth selling all these wooden ornamets and deocrations. some were very very fine and it was just impossible not to get some. one of them was this big butterfly - it was love at first sight... (actually it was love at first sight with Hardy and the butterfly! hehe).

I love butterflies! i love craft fairs, i love Hardy!! hehe...

"Green" Fingers

My weekend's been awesome! well.. apart from Holland lost to Russia last couple of nights, it was pretty much awesome! the weather's been excellent and i hope it stays! i'm loving my garden each day now that it looks like one (well, almost!). i've been spending almost every morning outside, just clearing it up so that we can plant more blooms. we bought a garden table and a 2 benches last week, and now thinking of putting some slabs and hopefully a parasol! we waited for 2 summers to get the garden into shape. this year, hopefully, it'll be ready.


I'm always inspired by flowers. and this card basically sums it all up. but i have to say, i'm not good in planting them or keeping them alive! so i reckon i'd stick to paper flowers for now... anyway, i love to see the greens and all the wonderful colours we have now that it's summer. and for this particular card, i just love the colour combination, it's just me!


How was your weekend? have any new plants in your garden lately? i shall try my best to reply all individual comments and emails by the end of the week, now that i have a few helping hands ;)

Thanks for visiting and all the comments, till my next post...

Happy Birthday Hardy

(post sharing with aidantje.blogspot.com)

It's Hardy's birthday today and i was up on my feet the whole day yesterday! i didnt even sit down till it was dinner time!

I was cracking my head on what to give him for his birthday for the past couple of weeks. he could do with a golf set but it requires him to try them out, some gadgets? he knows best (i dont even know there's an mp4!!), i even went on the net to look for some ideas, one was tempting, an acre of the moon for GBP20! it is so difficult to get guys a present! they are either way too expensive or just irrelevant! no, he doesnt need another watch, no he doesnt need another perfume, and so i decided not to give him something material (since i'm not a material girl! hehe, neither is he!). so i pledge to him, that i'll be a better wife, an improved better half, will take good care of him and today, his wishes are my command!

I've just spoke to my mum in law on the phone just now and thanked her for giving birth to my wonderful husband 34 years ago. we share some wonderful news, nice heartwarming stories, lots of laughters and shared some of our experiences. i miss mama...

It was all worth it. the look on his face and the thankfulness in him.. every tired bone and muscles are all now gone.

Anyway, i'm not gonna write any lovey dovey stuff for Hardy in here, i shall leave it between the 2 of us! so here's to you H, wishing you lots and lots of happiness, and hellava happy birthday! hope you like the cheesecake Aidan and i made! we love you more and more each day!

Mr & Mrs Wharfer

I've made some wonderful friends here in the blog world. one of them is known as the wharfer. she's extremely sweet in every possible way, and i love her writings and she takes brilliant photos! i've sent her a card to celebrate spring some time ago, and then she and her husband celebrated their 7th wedding anniversary, i just had to make a card for them!

I wanted to make a cat card since mrs. wharfer (am i allowed to call you by name in here?! i wasnt sure! hehe) loves cats, but i didnt have any materials to work on and so i opted for a simpler one.

She's been trully something, even without her knowing it. the way she compliments makes me smile throughout the day. now with a baby on its way, more cards coming on the way to canary wharf!

Here's wishing you both, all the love and happiness in the world.. may you always be in love!

D-Day For Dads

Hardy woke up with a couple of presents and a colourful card full with scribbles from Aidan on Father's Day. Aidan and i enjoyed ourselves making a whole "mess" out of one of the presents and the card! i doubt Hardy will wear the tie on his meetings, but i hope he's proud of Aidan's work of art!

As for the other card, the one with slightly less colours and slightly less scribbles, and slightly more well laid, was made for my Dad.

Everyone thinks highly of their dads. i'm no different. i'm fortunate enough to still have my dad around. i think the world of him, and no card can express how much i love him.

Since we're going to see him soon, i've put the card upstairs in his room, on his bedside table. (which reminds me, i still havent wiped the tables!). i'm really excited to see him again, and how i've missed all his glorious cookings (especially arisa!!). i'm just counting the days!! yeayyy!!

To all dads, and soon to be daddys, hope this is not too late, but here's wishing all the wonderful, coolest, wicked stuff in the world to you guys! enjoy fatherhood!

Scrabble Dad

Oh my god! it's gonna be Father's Day this Sunday and i still dont have a clue what to give and plan for Hardy. I have been busy like a bee lately! i need to calm myself down today and list down what i have to do! i dont think i'm THAT organized, i jump from doing one thing to another. i have Ninie's orders to finish up (that's a very interesting project, i should share with you once it's finalized). I'm helping my A.Rubi, sharing my ideas and planning for Raya (very very exciting, i get all clappy and cherry when we talk and discuss!), i have the house chores to finish up and of course Aidan & Hardy to care for. i wish i have more than 24 hours a day! time flies So fast now that it's summer! and Big Brother's not helping! argh!

I did this card a couple of weeks back, with a scrabble theme in mind. my dad doesnt scrabble, how about yours?

I'm really cracking my head now.. what should i do for Hardy this Father's Day!??!?! after what he did for me, and got me last mother's day, i dont think i can top that off!

Anyway, i really really really should run now. the weather's wet and gloomy here, we're stuck indoors! Aidan and i kept looking outside, out of our dining glass door... hoping we could go out. i was looking at my plants in the garden (i'm beginning to like gardening now), and Aidan kept looking at his sand pit and his new wheelbarrow.... hope it gets better tomorrow!

My Sister Fifi's Delicious Prawns with Crunchy Coconut

My sister cooks this mean dish whenever we're in Warwick. i absolutely adore prawns and i simply love this dish! its the combination of crunchy, sweet and hot! crunchy from the coconut, sweet from the prawns and hot from those tiny little super hot chillis (we call them cili padi).



Hardy got us some prawns at the market last Saturday and i quickly called up my sister to ask how she did it. it turned out good, but not as good as hers! her wok must be slightly older than mine! hehe... or maybe she's simply a better cook than me!? (thats debatable!)

We bought half a kilo of prawns and by the end of it all, we were stuffed! we seldom buy prawns (i'd say once in every 2-3 months!) ... so i suppose it's alright to spoil ourselves with some cholesterol once in a while!

My Sister Fifi's Delicious Prawns with Crunchy Coconut and Curry Leaves (i dont know what else to name it!)

Ingredients:

1 packet of Desicated Coconut

half a kilo of fresh prawns

3 Cloves of Garlic

Half a handful of Curry Leaves (i put a handful, i simply love them)

5-6 Tiny Super Hot Chillis (cili padi)

Sweet Soy Sauce (i used our favourite Kicap Kipas, the best!)

Method:

1. Heat the wok and pour the desicated coconut in. stir and stir and stir till it gets golden (careful not to burn them!). Once done, transfer them into a bowl.

2. Fry the prawns for about 3-4 mins. Once they turn sassy pink, transfer them into a bowl/plate and leave a tad bit of oil in the wok.

3. Fry the garlic, chillis and curry leaves till the smell gets to you, then add in the coconut and prawns. mix them well and add about 1-2 tbps of soy sauce. mix them well for another min or two.

SEDAP GILA FI! thank you!!!

-Rustic Brown-

This was the other card that i did for my friend Nina. this is to her dad, for Father's Day. it was actually a toss between this one, and another one i made, but having met Nina's dad a few times, i think this one suits him better!


He is a very warm, very kind man and a loving dad. Nina takes after him for sure! (kambang c-Nina!)


Anyway, i'm off to enjoy the sun with Aidan. i've been doing a lot of gardening lately (i'm so proud of myself for getting my hands dirty!) but er....... does pulling the grass considered as gardening? hehe...

Enjoy the sun guys, wherever you are!

{Sailor Theme}

I've made quite a few friends back in uni. my bestest buddy back then and till now is a girl from Brunei. i can still remember the day we met outside the laundry room at Morell Hall, Oxford. she was so sweet and still is till today! we have had some really good times together (with the rest, especially with Lily (indonesian) and a few others). we then became housemates during our 2nd year, with another fellow friend Ashraf.

During our 3rd year, the Malaysian financial crisis hit us. it hit almost all Malaysians. some are more fortunate than us but it hit me and the other fellow malaysian students really bad. MARA didnt send anymore money to their scholars, JPA had to pull back a few students... it was a terrible time for most malaysians students. some had to take up a couple of odd jobs, just to survive. i worked at GAP (the most fun place to work!)

I was so lucky to have my housemates around at that time. Nina and Lily were so ever willing to help me and Ashraf with whatever financial situations we were in. they were amazingly generous with a capital G! and i'm so grateful to them till today. we still do keep in touch till today (thanks to Friendster and now Facebook).



So when Nina asked me to make a couple of cards for her husband and her dad for Father's Day, i felt yeay! now i can give a little something back! she's been hasseling me for my account number so that she could pay, but i kept saying "shhhhhhhhh" or i just change the topic!

I am till today, blessed with beautiful, wonderful friends. Ashraf's now married and living in Manchester, Lily's married and blessed with 2 cute kids, now living in Australia, Nina has 3 kids now, and recently moved to London and settling in very nicely. and lastly, here i am, living far from Malaysia. all the 4 of us are enjoying our lives, and all living out of our home countries! (can you believe it guys!)

Will post another one i made for Nina in my next post. Glad the package arrived safely, pleased that you liked them Nin!

All my love,

Sweet Treat

We just got back from Beautiful Barcelona! and what a time we had! i totally loved it and would absolutely LOVE to go back again! i feel like sharing it with you right now, here but i should blog and share photos at my other blog. will keep this one strictly for my arty crafty bits and my cookings.

Its surely good to be back in my craftroom again! did some good cleaning, and now preparing my table for more projects! there's just too many things coming this month and next!

As i said in my last post, i wasnt quite sure if k.sharifah would agree to my picture frame, and so i made a card as well. i sent her both pictures and she couldnt decide which one to go for and so she chose BOTH! :)

A girly card with hearts, flowers, a cupcake and girly colours to go with it. you just have to have some pink! just to personalize the card a bit, i added her name inside the card.

So here's to Shakirah, Happy 7th birthday! and may all your dreams come true. hope you like the card and the frame as much as i have making it for you!


Oh, and if you're wondering if the card comes with the pink cupcakes background, the answer is no! hehe. that one's actually a recipe book given to me from my sister! it is still very new and i have yet to fill it up with recipes! sayang lah!!!

Allright guys, to those who left comments, thank you so so very much! i am now going to download our photos from our Barcelona trip and will write about them when Aidan's at school tomorrow morning. not making cards tonight, as i already did one this afternoon. i'm off to watch Big Brother in a bit! (see! i told you i'm a sucker for reality tv!! and dont you just love Davina!)

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

~ Flower Power ~

Before i left for Barcelona, i managed to save these photos and thought i might blog from here. lucky enough we have an internet connection int he room and as Hardy's downstairs at his conference, Aidan's still asleep, here i am, blogging from the hotel.



I always like to make something girlish. a few orders came from k.sharifah. one of them wanting me if i could make her a birthday card for her soon to be 7 year old daughter, her youngest. i just could not wait to get started coz i just knew what i wanted to do and what colours to go for!

So instead of a card, i made her a frame, she could hang it in her daughter's room or make it stand and put it on her bookshelf. i added her little girl's initial and some pretty cute embellishments. emailed k.sharifah a snapshot of it and she agreed! i then made a card just incase she would not go with the frame (will blog about that when we come back from Spain).


She was ever so kind and very friendly. here's to k.sharifah, thank you so much for trusting me! hope they all like the card! it is certainly nice to get to know you, nanti gi makan kan ikan bakar kat tepi laut for me eh? best wishes, always!