Watermelon and Lemongrass Sorbet

My son has just turned 17...

It feels like yesterday, I was in labour room, waiting in anticipation and in pain for our bundle of joy to arrive. One can never forget Magical moments like that (even the 'moment' when I told the nurse and hubby off, for trying to comfort me by  giving me a tummy massage... ).

He taught us what parenting is all about (prepared us well to become parents for the second time round)

He gives us so much joy...  ~ drooling and teething at 3 months old, uttered first word at 8 months old... I was desperately wanting his first word to be Mommy but NO!!! it was 'Lowee...' for lorry.... harumphhh Boys!!! 

He never stopped from then on...he would talk and talk and talk... followed by questions and questions and questions... 

Talking about him and his questions...

One day, we were walking along the pavement from the carpark to the shop... and my 2 year old saw a manhole, he turned to his dad and asked

'Dad, why is this call a manhole and not a womanhole?'

I was trying very... very hard not to laugh in front of my 2 year old... Logical, innocent question but we adult took it the wrong way ... he'd 'kill' me if he knows that I blogged about this.. the big IF... he ever read my blog anyway...



Happy 17^th Birthday…

My Dearest Beloved Son...may your journey in life be as sweet as  watermelon.... fresh and full of zest as lemongrass... and keep cool all the time...

Recipe

1kg watermelon
1 cup sugar
1/2cup water
4 lemongrass stalk - coarsely chopped

1. Cut and diced the watermelon and place in blender.
2. Blend and sieve.
3. Refrigerate the watermelon juice.
4. In a small pot, bring sugar, water and chunky lemongrass to boil then simmer for 10 minutes or until the syrup thicken (just slightly). Leave it to cool.
5. Mix the watermelon and lemongrass syrup (note: I'd go easy with the syrup if the watermelon is sweet)
6. Using ice-cream maker, churn for 10-20 minutes (note: according to the manufacturer recommendation), and then freeze the sorbet for at least 2 hours before serving.

its melting fast......



Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup

Million thanks to my well wishers... and thank you : DG of Tasted and Tested and Ah Tze of AwayofMind for the wonderful Blogger Award (hop over to my Page here)
I just couldn't believe it that I am already into my 4th year of blogging...

When I first started out... I set myself a 'Target' of 3 posts per week; Monday, Wednesday and Saturday... and it has to be one of each; Western , Asian and Dessert respectively... I was cooking... cooking and cooking then Clicking... Clicking... Clicking away... I was THAT ridiculous!!!! I had more than 100 posts waiting in the 'Draft' folder at one time...

Blogging consumed me... My hobby, my passion has become my obsession!!!

I eat Blog, sleep Blog and everything Blog....

H often said 'It doesn't matter if you are not able to post on time' ... but do I listened to the sound advice from the old wise man? Noooo...

Then... when I discovered webpages that display foodies' photos... I was excited and joined in the bandwagon and submitted mine... I was overjoyed whenever my submissions were accepted and I get very upset, otherwise.

I had time re-assess, re-evaluate (late last year)... H is RIGHT... it does NOT matter if I don't post on time, it does NOT matter if Foodgawker or Tastespotting reject my photos... Life is too short .... to dwell on negative issues

I've learned heaps... 'met' wonderful individuals from every corner of the earth that I called friends now

YES..  I will still carry on BLOGging...

I am still having fun, but my apologies in advance should there be ZERO post for the week...

Full Moon... just before it dissappeared into the horizon... on the 8th of Feb 2012 at 5.30am ...

Sometimes we just have to STOP! Look BACK... something wonderful and beautiful is just waiting to be discovered....

and need not be too complicated too...

Just like this Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup... with left over roast chicken, either fresh corns or canned creamed corn... all done in less than 15 minutes
Recipe

2 cans of creamed corn

1 fresh corn-

3 cups of leftover roast chicken - shredded

2 eggs - give it a light whisk

1.5 liter of water

2 maggi chicken stock cubes

a dash of sesame oil

salt

white pepper

1. Bring water to boil in a stockpot. Drop in the Maggi cubes. 
2. Add shredded chicken, creamed or fresh corn. Bring to boil.
3. Season to taste.
4. In a steady stream, pour in the egg.
5. Lower the heat to a simmer for 5 minutes or until the egg is cooked.
6. Add white pepper.
7. Turn off the heat and add a dash of sesame oil.
8. Serve.

Old Schoolyard ~ Cat Steven ~ Icy-Balls

“Remember the days of the old schoolyard
We used to laugh a lot, oh don't you
Remember the days of the old schoolyard
When we had imaginings and we had
All kinds of things and we laughed
And needed love... yes, I do
Oh and I remember you

Remember the days of the old schoolyard
We used to cry a lot, oh don't you
Remember the days of the old schoolyard
When we had simplicity and we had
Warm toast for tea and we laughed
And needed love.. yes, I do
Oh and I remember you”

~ Cat Steven

The radio was playing 'Remember the days of the Old Schoolyard' by Cat Steven,  on the first day of schools!!!
As I was driving, smiling and humming to the tunes...
I recalled sweet memories...  driver on my right must be thinking... 'who let this  MAD lady behind the wheel' early Wednesday morning!!!

The good old days...  The 'free spirited' days... with no care of whatsoever happening to the world.

I remembered my first best friend in Kindergarten, we were together, in the same class from kindy up to Yr 6, then I left to another school and after 30 odd years...we met up again  (in Perth).
I remembered the teachers who taught me ABC, 123, drawing and colouring.
I remembered the Sisters/Nuns telling us off when we screamed at the top of our lungs, for disturbing their evening Prayers.
I too remembered, that I just couldn't wait  for classes to be over, so that we could continue playing... 'Toi' or 'Galah Panjang' (quick description ~ 2 teams of 4 or more... The Running team members had to run past the Oppossing team who formed row of barriers without any physical contact. GAME OVER for the Running team member if any of Opposing team members manage to make any physical contact)...confuse? oops sorry ...

Sometimes we would play 'Police and Thief'... running around chasing friends... fell flat on our face or grazed our knees when we missed a step or two... felt no pain, got up and continue playing again...

After much running... and screaming, we would take a breather and quenched our thirst with Shaved iced with sugary sweet syrup, for 5 cents a pop, we would slurped and slurped the icy cold iced syrup... until nothing left but the icy ball...
Then another game would start...

Icy Ball fight

....we would aimed and target friends and start throwing the Icy ball at each other.. or chased a friend, in an attempt to shoved the ice down their pinafore... 

So much laughter


Sorry state...St Nicholas Convent, Alor Setar...  at one time was 'THE' school for girls...

Top: our 'playground' while waiting for schoolbus to take us home...

Middle : my standard 1 or Primary 1 classroom...

Bottom: my final year in SNC (Year 6)... double storey building on the right hand side... 

Yes... I remember you.... my dearest Friends and Teachers at St Nicholas Convent, Alor Setar...the old school in Telok Wanjah

I can't turn back the clock to share that magical moments with D and E... but I could 're-live' and share that moment through food... as I always do ...

Recipe

Ice cubes

Red colour syrup
1/2 cup of sugar
3/4 - 1 cup of water
1 pandan leaf knotted
red colouring

Brown sugar syrup
1/2 cup of sugar

3/4 - 1 cup of water
1 pandan leaf knotted

1. Make syrup separately. Mix sugar and water in 2 separate pot.
2. Bring to boil, stir until sugar dissolves.
3. Leave it to cool.
4. Pat some shaved iced into a ball and drizzle the syrup over.
5. Alternative : replace syrup with cordial

Psst… I turned 3 today…

Lemon Curd and Strawberry Swirls Cheesecake

How was your Chinese New Year Celebration? 'Chow-ing down' loads and loads of festive food? And for the Young and Restless and Single ~ received many red packets (known as Ang Pows)?

Ours was a quiet family affair... with lots of food that can last us the 'whole year' so to speak. We had Steamboat, Crispy fried Wonton, Sang Choy Bow and Lor Ark or Chinese Braised Duck... Oh Boy!! we were like whales about to give birth by the end of the day...

Sleep or Siesta was never far from my mind... It was very ... very ... very difficult keeping my eyes open... I would have to use tooth pick to hold the eyelids from 'Shutting'...
Dont be alarmed... I wasn't going to do that 

...and if I did I would have missed this gorgeous sunset...

The last sunset, marking the end of the Year of the Rabbit... see the glowing Rabbit's tail bobbing down the horizon?

With the Rabbit gone... I wanted to complete the picture by welcoming the Dragon ... early ...the next day.

Woke up early and captured I did... I was thrilled...
What I saw was mesmerising..  the horizon was glowing by the minute... the sky, clouds and everything else were like a priceless Painting... A Masterpiece in the sky...
a Painting of Baby Dragon breathing its first 'Fire Ball'... My photo didn't do any justice to what I witnessed...


Baby Dragon hatched and it breathed 'Fire', alright... We were having 10 straight of very HOT summer days... with thermometer hovering around high 30's to low 40's...

I dont feel like potter-ing around the kitchen much in this heat... I'd prefer to serve everything COLD... like this Lemon curd and Strawberry Swirls.

To enjoy a slice... with ice cold drinks would be a Bliss  

Recipe (adapted from Good Taste June 2009)

200g pkt Arnott's Lattice Biscuits

500g cream cheese, softened

395g sweet condensed milk

3 teaspoon gelatine

2 tablespoon boiling water

250 ml or 1 cup of lemon curd

3 tablespoon of strawberry jam

1. Line base of 20cm x 20cm dish with baking paper allowing the sides to overhang. Line the base with biscuits and cutting to fit if necessary.
2. Use electric mixer and beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add condensed milk and beat until combined.
3. Place the gelatine with the boiling water in  a small bowl, and stir until dissolves.
4. Add to the cream cheese mixture and beat until combined.
5. Pour half of the cream cheese mixture over the biscuits.
6. Spoon half of the lemon curd.
7. Use a skewer to make swirls. 
8. Repeat with the remaining mixture (Reserve about 2 tablespoon of lemon curd, add one drop of yellow colouring, mix well) and dollop with strawbery jam and the 'coloured' lemon curd..
9.  Again use a clean skewer to make swirls.
10. Refrigerate overnight.

Note : I substituted 500g creamcheese with Philly 80% fat free spreadable cream cheese