Bila 2013

Bila 2013 (sekarang baru 11.09am, 31 Dec 2012)

Saya, ye saya..

Mahu dan cuba

SATU :: Jaga fizikal saya - badan, kulit dan pakaian

DUA :: Jaga jiwa saya - mind and soul

It's a tall order, semoga saya berjaya. Amiiin.

Melbourne 2012 : The Preliminary

Persiapan kali ni adalah dalam kategori UNDER-PREPARED

Why ? 

- Hotel booking was only done 2,3 weeks before actual travel date and we have 5 hotels, yes FIVE to book. In the end we ended up with 2 motels, 1 townhouse, 1 motor inn and 1 backpacker. Memang best sbb anak-anak boleh experience mcm2 tajuk tempat tinggal especially backpacker walopon inche boipren sedikit wary on safety.

- Booked our car middle of Oct - we made the right choice. CAMRY. The only disappointment was the super bulky booster seat. I thought it would be a booster a la Graco yang ada seketul je kat bawah for her to sit on but we got yang mcm babyseat punya besar and reduced the space a bit, not to mention mudah terlungkup when the seat-belt off. 

- Itinerary was finalised on the travel day itself, but not the major one as we had already  decided on the major pit-stops earlier. CBD itinerary memang x buat until Friday morning, sib baik kerja opis dah siap so sempatla ku menggugel & belasah. Tapi in actual xde la follow sangat the sequence coz most of the CBD attractions dekat je even on foot. 

Di subuh hari nak bertolak, itinerary utk 3 hari kat town still x siap !!

- I didn't prepare the list of eating places, all based on my reading & bloghopping. I remembered names of restaurants but couldn't recall where the heck. Found out that 2 are along the same St as our motel. Tu pun sbb jalan kaki balik dari QVM huhu the rest we just have it on the go. Tapi food senang kacang jelah nak cari kat CBD, melambak.

- I only started packing on Wed night. 2 hari sebelum fly. Took out the luggage from storage and campak all the things that I need into 1 bakul. Pack small stuffs dalam zipper bag dulu - medication, toilettries and food. TIDO. Khamis malam sambung with baju and all tapi tak habis sebab penat giler. TERTIDO. SHOOOT. Terbangun pukul 4AM OMG OMG OMG sambung pack sbb aku still kerja 1/2 day pagi tu. Finished packing around 7am then terus gi opis !! Sampai rumah almost 2pm, zass zass itu ini kemas rumah *rumah musti tiptop bila pulang jalan2*. Pukul 5 gerak g airport. Gila, kalau travel dekat and just me & boipren oklah, ni nak pegi punyalah jauh dengan 3 kanak-kanak riang. Jangan dibuat lagi ye !! Baik boss !!

Apa2hal pun campak dulu baju & brg yg nak bawak dl bakul ni..thx bakul

Pemandangan pukul 6.30am, break jap..sakit pinggang + panic

By 7am : kesat peluh kat ketiak dahi. Am good to go..to work

- I forgot to print out our budget list which is the most important part of my travel kit, itinerary ada, packing list ada, waktu solat ada, sunset/sunrise time ada. Budget yg list all admission fees & how much cash to set aside for budgeting purposes aku bleh lupa. So, time nak belanja pakai cash ni dok congak2 la jugak based on apa yg aku boleh ingat, takut lari bajet sbb dah terpakai cashnya. Bila boipren tanya nak masuk tempat itu ini berapa tiket aku nganga *tp dlm aksi terkawal* dan terus selak brochure kot2 ada tulis, pantang ada wi-fi laju2 carik. Haaa kan dah menyusahkan diri dan membazirkan masa prepare tapi x bawak. In the end we have an extra about few hundred dollars. 

GugelMap utk our self-drive journey from point-to-point, coz we didn't use GPS

Downloaded map, flight itinerary & hotel bookings dlm travel folder. Tp missing budget list pffffftt !

Some of the must-have/must-bring gadgets or tools which I think you would need when travelling abroad, the list was longer when my kids were babies, now that they're toddler we can shrink our luggage quite considerably. Can't wait until all of them can carry their own backpack :P

• Segala mak nenek charger
• Kiblat locator |jgn lupo city location code
• Luggage scale |esp. trip yg melibatkan operasi shopping
• Vacuum bag besar } roll, bukan vacuum
• Vacuum bag aka zipper bag kecik |IKEA's good, double zipper
• Power adapter |AirAsia punya best, nicely packed @RM48
• External power for gadgets |saat-saat kecemasan, 10% power pn b'guna
• Mini tripod (untuk saat2 tiada pembantu)
• LipIce Sheer Color |lipbalm + lipcolor love love
• Puke bags (cilok flight pnya pn ok) + wrist accu-pressure
• Travel insurance (flight + medical) |mine was from HSBCAmanah, online easy peasy
• Pen | ol'skool but trust me it's useful

FOODSTUFFS untuk saat2 malas nak keluar bilik cari food

• Beras
• Kopi-O 2-in-1
• Maggi Tomyam + Kari + Ayam
• Ibumie
• Perencah Nasi Goreng
• Sos Cili

*Ni yang bekal dr KL, lain2 beli kat sana, pancake flour, telur,garlic bread, white bread etc even sugar. B'sepah tempat nak beli & properly-labelled so tanpa was2..

UBAT untuk saat2 yang tidak diingini. Alhamdulillah. NONE.

• Nurofen
• Adik-beradik Panadol - ActiFast, Extend, Soluble blabla
• Clarityne and Clarinase
• ENO Halia
• Charcoal Pill
• Gaviscon
• Hot cream / minyak angin
• Vicks
• Novomin
• Ubat tahan muntah
• Ubat luka & plaster gambor winnie the pooh
• Adan's medication

gedek gedek gedek...red yellow green. FULL !! we had 3 cameras w us :: OVER !! ::

Poncho yang langsung x sempat tgk dunia Melbourne. Last2 guna kat Legoland hehe

Our faithful kiblat locator, been with us for ages and still performing. 5-star !!

Last minute item sbb teringat jalan GOR. Reserve for Adan tp ms kat GOR x jumpa carik. Salah selit huhu 

Digital scale. Ada cerita lawak psl scale ni @ DFO Essendon parking lot

Our 2nd newly bought power adaptor

Mobile external power, can charge up iphone up to 50% (shud've bought bigger power)

The whole set with all kepala & the most important is the car adaptor yg lubang kosong kat tengah. Senang caj dlm keter jek

Sesuai kalau dalam M'sia compared to overseas esp Oz sbb tandas sana tulus mulus

This is how it looks like everytime I'm about to fly for a big trip, the checklist will be tempek-ed right before entrance-exit and everytime turun tangga I'll know what I need to find & sumbat. Even before locking the door ku go thru seround lagi, konpom xde tinggal then lock switch off lock switch off lock mana yang patut. 

Kalau tertinggal jugak, memang la..

Tick sana tick sini, jgn tick sesaje..barang lupa amik huhu

Tebiat aku klu time travel. Sblm b'lepas ke opis, siapkan segala sepentot sepender serkup tudung baju bajan yg nak pakai for the day *ekceli xmo depa kecahkan wardrobe hehe)  

Okeh. Done. Tetiba rajin nak buat preliminary bagai, memang kena pelempang la kalau cerita trip tu tak  up sampai sudah. Doakan kerajinan melanda diriku ye...ku karang pelan2. 

Pictures were uploaded in my FB in 3 parts but I'll put some extra for this space, this space should capture more and we do have more more and more than enuff pix to share. Ok ? Choww

It's Out and She's Out

Before school holiday started and UPSR result announced, I've submitted an application to place Hanis in one of the SBP specifically SEMASHOR. My koliq buzzed me about that (Thanx CikSuhart1la), her son got a place @ SESMA, KT, my ex-best friend's alma mater. Good school esp for those who loves sports. 

Hanis didn't make it.

My heart did sank at that moment but then I remember that things happen for a reason. 

At first we decided not to tell her because it was announced on the day we were @ Leg0land, dowan to spoil her mood la. But then she noticed me and hubby looking at the phone and discussing something. In the end we decided to let her know.

She's cool about that. Hehe That's my doter, ibu yg over sebona eh...

Based on info from frenzz, we may not be appeling to the decision via e-rayuan because we are hoping for MRSM, by appealing to SBP we are reducing her chance of getting into MRSM. That is according to tips semoga betullah tips itu. SBP selection process does take into account the school which the candidate went to. My doter happens to be a private school leaver, so even with 5A + impressive co-curriculum records, it does not give her any advantage over top scorer with less co-curriculum list from SK. 

So, still on school related stuffs. This weekend is the final weekend for us to do last minute back-to-skool shopping. Hannah kepoh bag sekolah blom beli. Beg-pink-ada-tayar, no less ! Adan pakai beg lama coz it's still good, mau tak goodnya tajuk pun dah Nike, pakai la ko smpai skolah menengah. Along is looking for purple-shade bag, she gave her GirlsGirlsGirls' bag to her kazen. Uniform-wise, Hannah needs more tudung, Adan needs baju melayu and pants. Shoes & socks done. The most anticipated part..STATIONERYYYY, mana lagi...Mydin tersayang wlopon hubby sudah hint mau pigi Pustaka Rakyat dekat rumah. Situ best & besar gakla tapi harga pun besar, kalau dah beli stock 6 bulan sgtla terasa kebesaran harganya...so will pout my lips and 

Sambil-sambil tu, doakan Hanis dapat MRSM ye, yang part ni maybe akan ku rayu sungguh2, mak kempunan nak masuk MRSM kecik2 dulu nyah, kalau tak dapat then she'll be closely monitored by Cikgu Hasni kat SMK GombakSetia hahahaha

Melbourne 2012 : The Prelude

Bila :: 9 - 19 Nov 2012

Mana :: Melbourne dan sekitarnya

Siapa :: Ibu + Babah + Along + Adan + Adik

Can you believe it ? Me, the mother of procrastinator started blogging about her trip just 10 days after the actual trip.

Hahaha don't get too excited, this is just the prelude, you may need to wait 6 months to read the real thing !! 6 months if you're lucky enuff, I have trips which haven't made into this blog even after 1 year. For now say amiiin coz you have seen the itinerary at least.

So, here I am laying down the itinerary for the trip, in general. List of towns that we passed by but not necessarily made a stop and some of the attractions that we managed to visit.

Compared to my original itinerary, there're a lot of changes and misses because we traveled with kids and we tweaked it according to their larat-ness and also the weather. Since this is another DIY trip, it's no fret, I can always change it. Places that we missed can always be in our next trip's itinerary  (???) hehe it's gonna be loooonnnnng before the next one *bankrap*

DAY 1 : 9 NOVEMBER 2012 |Travelday|

Take off LCCT (8 hrs)

DAY 2 to 5 : 10 - 13 NOVEMBER 2012

Melbourne CBD (on foot + city circle tram + tourist shuttle + yarra tram)

- Melbourne Zoo

- Queen Victoria Market

- Melbourne Museum + Royal Exhibition Building

- State Library

- Royal & Block Arcade

- Federation Square

- Flinders Station

- South Wharf DFO + Harbourtown

- Shrine of Remembrance + Royal Botanic Garden

- Fitzroy Garden + Cook's Cottage + Fairies Tree

- Parliament House

- Shot Tower 

- St Kilda Pier + Luna Park

- Yarra River

- Public Arts : Public Purse, 3 Businessman, Arch fragment, Wall art

- Countless walk around Swanston St coz that's where we stayed. Right smacked of the middle of town & attractions

* visited those places but not in that order

DAY 6 : 14 NOVEMBER 2012 |Roadtrip Day 1|

Belgrave 

- Puffing Billy

Phillip Island (overnight)

- Panny's Choc Factory

- The Noobies

- Penguin Parade

DAY 7 : 15 NOVEMBER 2012 |Roadtrip Day 2|

Mornington

Sorrento

- Ferry crossing to Queenscliff

Torquay

- Sundial

- Beachwear FO

Lorne (overnight)

DAY 8 : 16 NOVEMBER 2012 |Roadtrip Day 3|

Apollo Bay

- many many lookouts

Port Campbell (overnight)

- many many lookouts oso

DAY 9 : 17 NOVEMBER 2012 |Roadtrip Day 4|

Warnambool

Port Fairy

Penshurst

Dunkeld

Hall's Gap (overnight)

- few magnificient lookouts

DAY 10 : 18 NOVEMBER 2012 |Roadtrip Day 5|

Stawell

Ararat

Beaufort (err Sabah ??)

Ballarat

- Sovereign Hill

Melbourne Airport

DAY 11 : 19 NOVEMBER 2012 |Travel day|

Land LCCT

Untuk cerita dan gambar. Tungguuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu *konpom lambat lagi hahaha*

Congrats my Purple Princess...

:: Yes, my eldest is my Purple Princess as she has entered the phase of puberty Please-Buy-That-Thing-Coz-Its-Purple !! and still stuck inside which I guess will stay until she can see that blue or black or even pink is more attractive ::

My dear Hanis a.k.a Along,

A for Along @ ACMI, Melbourne

Congratulations on your 5As UPSR and Jayyid Jiddan PSRA. 

Ibu dan Babah bangga dengan Along, not because of your excellent result, tapi atas kesungguhan dan kegigihan Along membuktikan pada Ibu dan Babah bahawa Along berpegang pada janji untuk buat sebaik mungkin dalam UPSR dan PSRA sekiranya Ibu dan Babah membenarkan Along bergiat aktif dalam aktiviti ko-ku sekolah. Juga atas kesabaran Along menerima kritikan daripada Ibu yang kadang-kadang hilang kesabaran sewaktu melihat keputusan ujian dan peperiksaan. Sehinggalah Ibu dan Babah sedar, Along takkan mampu menjadi seorang yang bermotivasi sekiranya Ibu dan Babah tidak bersama-sama Along dalam perjalanan yang baru bermula ini. Ibu dan Babah cuba menyediakan apa yang terbaik untuk Along supaya perjalanan Along lebih mudah, supaya Along menjadi seorang yang menghargai, hadiah terbaik untuk ibu dah babah adalah bila Along menjadi seorang anak yang berperibadi tinggi dan menyayangi Ibu, Babah, adik-adik dan keluarga yang lain sepenuh hati. Apa yang tertulis di kertas dan sijil hanyalah bonus. 

Ibu nampak kerisauan Along sewaktu kita dalam penerbangan pulang ke KL, to end an awesome holiday with 'dreaded' news (according to HER own definition is = not getting 5As) would not be something you're looking forward to. Ibu tau Along risau sekiranya keputusan UPSR Along bakal mengecewakan ibu dan babah. My dear, Ibu and Babah will be proud of you no matter what, not scoring 5As doesn't mean we love you less. Strings of As has nothing to do with how much we love you. String of As would mean nothing if you're not happy throughout the journey but we can't deny that string of As will ensure you to a good start, something for you to hold on and convince yourself that you're capable of something. 

Even if you didn't get any As or just a few, this entry will still be up and I will still congratulate you for all the efforts and the most important thing is, Ibu wants to tell you that, Ibu really cherished the moment we spent together in my room which was arranged to be your study area, all comfort and spacious with free-flow of food and drinks Hehe 2 ,3 weeks of 'studying' together had really opened my eyes to see how hard you've tried to make Ibu and Babah proud. Dont' worry dear, we are parents, parents are known to be proud of every single things coming from their kids. We are biased like that. Ibu shared the anxious feeling on exam days when Ibu drove you and send you off to the exam hall, Ibu still remember the hugging that we shared just before you were called into the hall. The tears when you came to salam and mintak ampun. So sedih yet memorable.

Even if you didn't get the chance to study at top schools, it doesn't matter. It's not the end of the world and it's not the measure of success. It's YOU who matters. It's YOU who will shape your own life chart, not school, not 5As not even Ibu and Babah, we can only guide and pave the way.

We [babah, ibu, Adan, Adik] love you so much, love us the way we loved you. Be grateful for what Allah has provided us, put us in comparison with those less fortunate not those beyond reach and you will see how blessed our lives are. 

Alhamdulillah, terima kasih Ya Allah atas semua rezeki yang Engkau berikan kepada kami dalam segala bentuk, semoga kami tidak menjadi orang yang kufur kepada nikmat dan rezeki Mu. Berkatilah hidup anak-anakku NurHanisRaihana, MuhammadHaniffRashdan dan NurHannahRaudah. Amiin. 

Vain phase has started but..

...the holiday might spoil it. Time holiday apakes kau minah nak kontrol makan kan ? Tambah2 down under, sah2 ku baham fish & chips dan yg sewaktunya dengannya. Hot choc yg marbeles juga bakal jd daily staple. Oh help me god..

As at 7 Nov 2012, I am..



Started on 24 Sep with 61.5kg with 2 weeks plateau at 58kg. Deng. The hardest part to break.

No PAIN No GAIN ? Are you sure ?

TREETTTTTT WRONG !!!

In my case, if there in no GAIN then there would be no PAIN

Slowly start with the GAIN

I was 62 originally, terpele'ot kejap tgk, ku saspek cuma 59kg

FarahFauzana tengok pon serender ni babe..ukurlilit 40inci (more?)

See..my lengan shieldtox is baccckkkk...bezakan dgn awek cun sblh, nangis sekarang!!

Tolak batu dan kayu dan yang tak halal, lawa tak rambut  afro ? double chin ? No chin is the new runcing

Then come the PAIN (in the ass..literally)

5 menet di threadmill makcik SOS oksigen, kembang lubang hidung utk extra supply. Oh my glorious dagu

Dengan ukurlilit 40inci, harus gigih men-squat, dengan bantuan stand itu...

Merawat vontot yang kematu nak eksesais kat lantai (woi !! yoga mat ko mana??)

The PAIN then continues....uwaaa bila nak jumpa part VAIN ni *fengsan kat threadmill sambil pegang lime juice*

9 more days and it is still WIP

It all started like this...

Then later baru transfer sini, biar senonoh sikit... 

but as written on the title...1 week more and I am still looking at the blank spaces here and there. Sama blank dengan otak. Banyaknye benda tak buat lagiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii *tarik rambut*

But I shall complete this before the weekend as weekend would a tight one coz we have khatam quran, aqiqah & Hannah's concert on Sat (Nak jemput kawan2 tapi we wouldn't be around sbb acara clashed, next time eh). Sukan and swimming class on Sun morn till afternoon. In between I need to squeeze in the most dreaded part that is PACKING as well as shopping for last minute items (extra SD card and apa lagi ek...aiyoh die die like dis)

Still a bag-aholic & shuz-lover, shopping yuk !!

It's been quite some time since I last updated an entry related to bags and shuz. Sejak dari itu, bagku sudah veranak dan berhimpit2 dalam almari bajuku yang memang sedia sempit. Not that many pon, x sampai sepuloh bijik pon tp tulis veranak bagai macam bag ko puluh2..hahaharus

I'm still in love with them bags, it just that I'm not gonna post it every time I purchase one hehe 

Nak beli bag ni banyak cara. antaranya : 

CARA PALING JIMAT NO. 1 : Tak payah beli, bag je pun, baik beli gelang emas ada gak pekdah, tak gitu cik kiah ?

CARA PALING JIMAT NO. 2 : kirim kat kawan yang pegi tempat2 yang konpom harga bag murah macam Paghiii or US. Bag2 jenama ni selalunya murah dekat country asal dia, jadi kalau kamu mau bag PEGHADA maka haruslah ke Italy *hint* gitu. Kalau ga ada kesempatan ke sana maka intai2lah outlet untuk tajuk bag yang anda mau itu (kalau kamu tak kisah past season item seperti aku, bag adalah bag). PEGHADA outlet paling dekat adalah di Hong Kong hmm..dekat tuu *hint*. 

CARA PALING JIMAT NO. 3 : Kalau takde kawan atau ada kawan tapi dia pun nak borong apakes nak bawak bag kau kan, maka online butik la jawabnya. Kalau authentic site banyaknya tak ship ke sini. Harga definitely cheaper dari butik kat KL tapi different sites offer different price. Apa yang penting ? Kena tanyaa...Banyak belog yang jual tapi tak semua boleh pakai. Ni antara yang boleh dipercayai..

- Princess Victoria Stylo (stock are variety and in abundance)

- I Want Bags (cheaper most of the times)

CARA PALING JIMAT NO. 4 : Kalau anda seorang online shopper yang tegar, maka ini antara international sites yang boleh menjahanamkan kad kredit korang (Jangan lupa bayar semua atau tukar kepada installment secepat mungkin. Sekian):

ShopBop (Existing price oredi cheaper than KL, imagine kalau sale 30%, mak pengsan 5menet)

HopShopGo (Super dangerous during US Summer Sale, pengsan  2 menet xleh lama2 takut sale abis)

CARA PALING JIMAT NO. 5 : Beli je kat KL tapi tunggu big SALE except for high-end brand mcm eLVivo, Chanel and da gang, mmg berjanggut korang tunggu diorang sale (LV baru je increase price between 8-10% starting Oct 2012. Pengsan dalam jangka masa yang agak lama) but aku tau Gucci & Ferragamo do have sale on small items like wallet, pasni aku nak try masuk Peghada or Chanel, manatau ada jugak. No sale sign displayed tho. Walk in confidently and ask and if you're lucky enuff, it goes off at 30% discount. Coach selalu sale up to 70%, Marc by MarcJacob aka MatYaacob (jgn konpius dgn higher range MarcJacob ye..) sometimes ada storewide sale up to 30%. 

CARA PALING TAK JIMAT : Beli kat KL masa bukan sale, ni time2 kejadian tergetik2 nak beli tak dan2 la ni. Tapi cara ni korang dapat the 'feel', ala musti korang tau perasaan bila nak beli barang idaman...Cara ni sbnrnya lebih elok diamalkan kalau yang tukang bayor bukan korang *hint* walopon dalam hati dok congak2, harga kt KL bleh dapat 2 bag harga obersi tapi dah orang nak kasik ko jgn byk cekadak. Ambik je.

Sekian, tajuk ada tulis shuz tapi citer pasal bag je kehkehkeh later2 ah friend...

Jumlah hint = 3 sahaja

Teringin : Salted Caramel Choc Cake

by Martha Stewart

I can imagine how sinful this one can be. Anyone want to try first ? Bukan try kek yang ahkak buat, try buat resepi yg ahkak bagi haaa....Sila sila...ahkak blom beli candy temperature gituh. Makcik Martha kata penting sbb nak jugak..nak jugak..exact temperature. Klu nak celop jari pun silakan. Resepi ku kopipes teros dari sini. 

Tapi ahkak tau korang sure malas nak kelik2 pastu nak tunggu gambor kluar bagai (ko pakai broadband cap apa senah ??) maka dengan gigihnya hahaha ambik kau gigihla sgt setakat tekan Ctrl-C + Ctrl-V tuh, ku selepek kopipes di sini utk tatapan dan cubaan...

• Bahan-bahannya ye adik kakak....

  
  

  For The Cake

  • Unsalted butter, room temperature, for pans
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1 tablepoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • Coarse salt (sila dengar ckp makcik Martha, garam kasar tau !!)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk (leh buat senirik, nanti ku bagi)
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons safflower oil
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• For The Caramel

  • 4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • Coarse salt
  • 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

• For The Frosting

  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
  • Coarse salt
  • 1 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped, melted, and cooled
  • Garnish: flaked sea salt, such as Maldon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the cake: Butter three 9-inch round cake pans, and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Sift flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons course salt into the bowl of a mixer. Beat on low speed until just combined. Raise speed to medium, and add eggs, buttermilk, 1 1/2 cups warm water, oil, and vanilla. Beat until smooth, about 3 minutes.
2. Divide batter among pans. Bake until cakes are set and a toothpick inserted into the center of each comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cool in pans set on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks, and let cool completely.
3. Make the caramel: Combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Cook, without stirring, until mixture is dark amber, about 14 minutes. Remove from heat, and carefully pour in cream (mixture will spatter); stir until smooth. Return to heat, and cook until a candy thermometer reaches 238 degrees, about 2 minutes. Pour caramel into a medium bowl, stir in 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and let cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Stir in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Let cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, make the frosting: Whisk together cocoa and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water in a bowl until cocoa dissolves. Beat butter, confectioners' sugar, and a generous pinch of coarse salt in a clean bowl with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in melted chocolate and then cocoa mixture until combined. Let stand for 30 minutes before using.
5. Trim tops of cakes using a serrated knife to create a level surface. Cut each in half horizontally to form 2 layers. Transfer 1 layer to a serving platter, and spread 3/4 cup caramel over top. Top with another cake layer, and repeat with remaining caramel and cake layers, leaving top uncovered. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.
6. Frost top and sides of cake in a swirling motion. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Cook's Note

To make this cake ahead of time: The caramel can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before using. Cake layers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days (they actually taste better when refrigerated and have a better texture for stacking). When finished, the frosted cake can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Bagaimana rupanya ?? Makcik Martha kata segini haaa....tajuk kek masin, rupa manis how ? how ?

Ahkak yakin akak boleh wallop dengan jayanya, karamel meleles tuh. Pasni korang tunggu la ye cara buat buttermilk, kalau agak2 sebulan (sebulan kau ! hambik...) takde gak entry tu, pandai2 la cari kat internet ye..

We had enuff...

* Draft yang tak terpost sebab no mood & no time *

Dengan nekadnya...

Aku telah mem'fire' bibik latest edition...

Sebab...ahhh banyaklah sebab dia, what happened on 3rd raya cuma penyebab terakhir...aku just ckp kt ejen tu, takyah risau lah, dah dia MIA & buat cerita ala2 UFO sbb nak cuti extra 1 hari, aku bagi dia berhari-hari, cutilah kau sepuas2nya tak payah balik, barang dia ku deliver later hehe

Dari 1st day lagi aku duk ada doubt dengan timeline dia yg bertukar2 dari hari ke hari. Kerja rumah ok, no issue. Bila org tanya ok ke tak, aku jawab ok tapi...always got tapi coz aku duk saspek mcm too good to be true. Cerita2 dia pun lain macam je but I was cool and still probing, skill ku sebagai auditor masih ada, soalan bercabang hehe. 

What is so nekad about the decision ? coz kitorang decide just 1 day before masuk kerja balik after cuti raya & we have no replacement.

And not looking for replacement pun...

Nape la takde daycare yg best sket yg aku leh campak diorg utk lepak 1,2 jam sementara tunggu aku F1 dari opis. Ikut ati nak suh lepak kat compound sekolah sbb sekolah pn abis di petang hari & kantin still operating tapi itu pasti mendatangkan kerisauan kepada wan & nenek. Option itu bersifat 'tidak boleh diterimapakai' pada mereka. Aku mencik anak aku jadi beban org.

Harap-harap takde lagi employer yang tertipu dgn dia sbb dia memang tak boleh apply permit, lari dari majikan (before me), kat depa pijak semut tak mati, kat belakang pergh samseng kg dusun. Henpon saja dah 4, husband ntah berapa. Dia cukup konfiden cerita sana-sini yang aku takkan fire dia sbb aku suka dia & kerja rumah dia buat bagus. Hehe sorry bik, salah org maa...kerja utama kamu jaga anak bukan kerja rumah, kerja rumah tiptop pun tp u flouted that main one..out you go, I can handle house chores. 

Malas nak cerita panjang, at least dia jaga anak2 & buat keje rumah untuk aku for 3 months. Aku dah halalkan semua belanja yg aku keluarkan utk wardrobe dia yang m'cecah beberapa ratus sbb wardrobe dia sumer baby T and suar pendek. Dalam 3 bulan 2x aku beli sandal cantik sbb hilang. Barang2 yang dia tinggal  dah selamat aku pos ke rumah ejen termasuklah berus gigi, ubat gigi, pad & all stock yg aku dh beli utk dia. 

You can always choose either 1, get them and sakit hati or get rid of them and sakit badan. For now I chose the latter and with the help of cinta hatiku yang rajin we should be fine. Just thinking of the kids' welfare & how to handle the next school holiday...how how. We may change the stance if the kids are affected by new routine and get back to the sakit hati phase but for now we'll see...

Ujian kecil dari Allah, having maid is not necessity at all time but it may be necessary sometimes...

Salam Aidilfitri

Salam Aidilfitri untuk kawan-kawan semua. Semoga ibadah Ramadhan penuh keberkatan dan berterusan.

Maaf andai ada perkataan, perbuatan, penulisan yang menyentuh jiwa halus kawan-kawan semua.

Selamat Hari Raya

Kalau yang raya KL tu jemputlah datang rumah MIL saya (1st / 2nd raya), 3rd raya jemput dtg rumah saya atas bukit sinun. Semua lokasi sekitar Gombak, kampungku yang indah hewhewhew 5th raya kita jumpa kat SOGO pon ok huhu mak sudah kirja nyahhh....

Yay !! [for successfully uploading entry ucapan sebelum event - kejayaan hahaha]

Makan apa ye iftar semalam dan harini ?

Antara juadah yang terkeluar dari myRedDapor sehari dua yang lepas.

Walaupun telah bgtau inche soami saya tidak kuasa dan tidak power mau buat kueh Ramadhan kali ini, tapi klu dah dasar tekak mkn manis mmg x boleh ko godekkan jugak. Tambah pulak kueh2 di param makin blergghh not to mention mahai nak mampuih.

Marathon - Makan Apa Sepanjang Ramadhan 1433H

Dulu kerajinan, sekarang kemalasan + ketidaksempatan tapi masih teringin...

Kalau dulu ada entry "Makan Apa xx, xx Ramadhan", ini entry terus jalan straight, takdak hari ke berapa ...sudah 2 minggu Ramadhan takde list menu apatah lagi rupa menu.

Jadi harini marilah kita lihat rupa menu homemade yg sempat ku cilok sepanjang 2 minggu ini, byk yang x sempat snap, ada yang telah dipublish di mukabuku, semua tak berapa semenggah sbb main cilok ngan tangan berminyak bagai huhu

Hari pertama puasa sangat gembira sebab berbuka dikampung halaman tercinta (wlopon aku x posa :P). Hari seterusnya barulah aku tak cukup tangan nak terkam semua benda. Kuih-muih jangan ditanya, memang tak adanye, lalu jadi pembeli kuih Param yang setia.

Sangguppa  aka asam gupal  (my all time fav) - serve chilled slurpp

Rojok ke1ing + ayam (ecxuse me but yeah that's how we call it here) + onde2

Sambal udang petai

udang petai, asam pedas ikan pari, ikan merah

Tomyam + ayam masak merah + sayur goreng

Siakap steam limau nipis +  sambal hati + ayam masak merah

Sup tulang + ayam kampung goreng + kacang botor goreng

Menu2 berdasarkan pengalaman hehe pick and choose :
Daging goreng kunyit garing
Udang goreng kunyit simple
Nasi ayam
Bawal goreng garing + sambal kecap
Ayam masak kicap
Pari + sotong bakar + air asam
Keli masak sambal
Ikan sardin/selayang kukus goreng
Gulai daging urat
Perut cecah air asam
Gulai - ayam, ikan merah/tenggiri
Ikan kembung percik
Kerang rebus
Daging masak kicap mamak
Daging masak hitam
Nasi minyak
Mee kuah resepi
Ikan patin masak tempoyak
Ikan keli sambal
Ketam masak lemak
Ayam kampung goreng
Ayam masak merah
Gulai ayam style nasi minyak
Kerang rebus
Kari ikan tenggiri
Ayam goreng
Sup ayam, tulang, ekor
Sambal sotong
Sardin - tumis, pedas, goreng
Ayamas stuffs - drummet
Lauk dari spesis telur - telur asin, dadar, mata kerbau, even scramble
Spaghetti + Macaroni Bolognese
Ayam panggang
Ayam percik Kelantan

Sampingan
Chicken Fajitas
Baked Macaroni
Chicken wing
Sotong celup tepung
Sotong kangkung
Tauhu Sumbat

Kueh2
Agar-agar klasik merah
Dadih coklat
Puding jagung
Kek coklat
Cream Caramel
Puding Roti
Kuih Ketayap
Kuih Cara
Lopes
Bubur - kacang hijau, gandum etc
Pengat pisang
Donat
Karipap

Banyak lagi menu yang ku teringin tp buat masa ni kira kategori wishlist la kununn
Kerabu kaki ayam
Tomyam Pok Tek (Perahu Pecah)
Western menu (apakan daya anakku cari nasi bln puasa sigh..)
Nekbat
Asam Gupal

Ada opismate aku yang tanya, how you do your grocery eh, I mean you cook every day, right ? To which I said, monthly and weekly. Monthly for dry stuff like onions, cheese and noodles and weekly or bi-weekly for wet stuff like chicken, beef, ikans and dauns. She then asked the most interesting question...How big is your fridge ? Hahaha aku rasa masa aku cerita tu dia duk imagine cemana aku silat dan lipat ayam, ikan, daging dan spesis seangkatan dengannya dalam freezer.

My friend, this is how big my fridge is. Don't freak out just yet !! 

The esbok untuk wet stuff

The shelves for dry stu

Yeah, I know, macam setinggan hehe

Freezing moment

How I packed my ration - per serving
- I know, I'm not an Earth-Friendly cook

Frozen dishes, ready to be thawed and served