Thursday, October 20, 2011

pak mentuaku makan dalca as a soup.

errr.. nak tegur ke tak nak

tsk tsk.. layan jelah ba

Saturday, October 15, 2011

An apple a day, keep the doctor away




I have a full basket of apple given by Mrs Z and Madam shahab. I am thinking to bake couple of apple pies to adik2 supir and tukang2 masak on the picnic day. Anyway, since amma and appa visiting day is approaching soon, aint sure that i will have the time to cook and deliver.

If there's a rizq, then an apple pie will definitely show up at their front door

so I baked my safe recipes of apple bundt cake and classic apple pie. baked-proof but the pie crust a bit tricky. Praise to Allah, today it turned as what I always hoping for.

~update~

Ingredients



* 5 jumbo-sized eggs, separated

* 1 cup buttermilk

* 2 CUP butter, plus 1 tablespoon, for pan

* 3 cups cake flour, plus 2 tablespoons, for pan

* 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced into 1/8-inch pieces ( I used 3 in-seasoned apples)

* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

* 1 teaspoon lemon juice

* 2 1/2 cups sugar, divided

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 1 teaspoon lemon extract

* 3 teaspoons baking powder

* Special equipment: 10-inch Bundt cake pan



Directions



Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Let the eggs, milk and butter come to room temperature on the counter before beginning. (Butter goes on the counter last.)
Butter the Bundt pan with 1 tablespoon of butter, then add 2 tablespoons of flour and shake and tap to coat the interior of the pan; set aside.
Put the diced apples in a bowl with the cinnamon and lemon juice.
In a large bowl or stand mixer add the butter and 2 cups of sugar and beat until smooth.
Add the egg yolks, 1 at a time, and blend to completely incorporate before adding the next.The mixture will become very light in color.
Add the buttermilk and the extracts and mix to combine.
Stir in 3 cups of flour along with the baking powder and stir until incorporated.
In a separate clean dry bowl, whisk egg whites until foamy,then add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and whisk until shiny and soft peaks form when removing the whisk from the whites.
Gently fold this into the cake batter. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan.
Arrange the apples in the center of the ring all the way around, being sure they don't touch the outer or inner edge of the pan.
Pour in the remaining batter and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely.
Put a large plate or cake plate on top of the pan, then holding both together,flip them so that the curved bottom of the Bundt pan is on the top and the plate is resting on a flat surface.
Slowly remove the pan from the cake by lifting it straight up. Slice and serve.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Something to ponder

What the Quran says about Places of Worship Source: Anas Zubedy
http://letusaddvalue.blogspot.com/2009/08/new-bob-agency-what-quran-says-about.html

I grew up accustomed to Chinese drums and Hindu temple bells and the experience made me a Muslim who loves the Quran more than any other book in the world.

Let me tell you why …

I grew up at Fettes Park Penang, Evergreen Road to be exact.

From Fettes Road turning into Evergreen Road, you will need to battle a short slope uphill where we kids would need to paddle standing up while riding our bicycles and where many ladies would jump off to push theirs till the road flattens 10 meters ahead – about 100 meters later you will pass my house, house number 14.

There is an empty space almost triangular in shape where the two roads meet. At the centre of that empty land stood a large tall leafy bee infested tree with red colored nuts sprouting from the branches. On one side of the empty land was a row of shop-houses. On its corner lot wall the words NEW BOB AGENCY in red bold capital letters greeted the Fettes Park community for many years. So we call that little corner piece of land - Bob Agency. Across the road to Bob Agency stood two temples; one Chinese and the other a Hindu one.

Bob Agency for the better part of the year was left empty but the piece of land comes alive twice a year when the Chinese temple organize Chinese Operas ( Teng Lang Kho Tai) especially during the Hungry Ghost Festivals. Usually the first two days it would be the Chinese Opera (we use to call it Tong Tong Tong Cheng! Show) and followed by a second two days of modern bands belting the latest Chinese numbers and some popular western songs (I love it when the emcee announced something like “ Andy Gibb chang terk, Shallow Lancing!” ).

Each year the temple committee, both Hindu and Chinese will go house to house to request donation either for the upkeep, repair and temple improvement or for projects like the Hungry Ghost festivals or Thaipusam. Each time my Mom will ask me to tell them politely that as Muslims we cannot donate to a ‘To Kong’. (Besides, we actually did not have any extra cash anyway! Ha!ha!)

They too were polite and understanding and just moved away wishing me thank you regardless. I did not question my mom’s reasoning as I took it as true; not until 1977 when the Penang State Government was building the Penang State Mosque. I was 13.

It was announced that Loh Boon Siew the big Tau Keh of Penang donated RM 1 Million to the building of the state mosque. But wait a minute. We cannot give but we can take? That does not sound right and downright unfair. My mom had no answers so; I had to bring it up during agama class in school. After all, it will not be the first time I was asked to leave the class anyway- so what’s another period of wondering around the school (my eldest sister was not allowed to be in agama class at all during certain years in her school life !!!).

Honestly, I was not a bad boy. In fact I won the agama prize for being top in school twice. But I had questions that needed real solid answers. And, I do not give up easily!

Poor Ustazah. I asked her if I could donate to temples and her answer was a firm ‘No’. We can’t give but we can accept? I told her that my religion sounds unfair and I cannot accept her answer as my Grand Dad told me Islam is the most just religion in the world.

I refused to accept the answer and kept on harping on the RM 1 million from Loh Boon Siew. Finally she relented and said that if we were to give any donations to the ‘To Kong’, we must ‘niat’ that it is money we ‘ buang ke dalam sungai’. I told her ‘Ustazah dah merepet’.

She was by then in tears and it did not help that my classmates were cheering with drum beats – thumping the table top. She rushed out of the class and the rank cheered, the class went into the usual rumpus of school boys without supervision… but it did not last for long.

She returned with Ustaz Mahayudin, whom we were all scared shit of! And he was not alone; he brought his friend a handsomely meter long rotan. He banged the rotan on the teacher’s table a few times, we were dead silent. He uttered a few words of warning, and left. (Actually Ustaz Mahayudin was a kind and nice man, in fact I have never seen him use the rotan on anyone. I had good conversations with him, and he allowed differing opinions although he was worried of my constant questioning of the status quo. He treated Non-Muslims kindly too, and, always with respect).

I did not get my answer until my university days when I took to reading the Quran and Muslim history for myself. I discovered that the Quran suggested,

'WOE UNTO THOSE who give short measure: those who, when they are to receive their due from [other] people, demand that it be given in full, but when they have to measure or weigh whatever they owe to others, give less than what is due! Do they not know that they are bound to be raised from the dead? [and called to account] on an awesome Day (Quran 83: 1-5)

I also discovered that early Muslim leaders created a peaceful environment so that people from the various faiths can practice their way of life. In fact state money was used to build, repair and support the building of not just the mosque but also Non- Muslim places of worship. The Muslim army has a duty to defend all places of worship as the Quran commands,

(They are) those who have been expelled from their homes in defiance of right,- (for no cause) except that they say, "our Lord is God.. Did not God check one set of people by means of another, there would surely have been pulled down monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which the name of God is commemorated in abundant measure. God will certainly aid those who aid his (cause);- for verily God is full of Strength, Exalted in Might, (able to enforce His Will).( Quran 22:40)

Back in the mid 90s I decided to buy a condo unit at Sunway area. Beside the wonderful square swimming pool, the other attractions were a Hindu and Chinese temple right in front of the guard house and a mosque just behind the corner. In the morning you can hear the azan, the temple bells and every now and then I get to smell Chinese incense bringing me back memories of growing up in Fettes Park and Bob Agency. The only missing link was a church :(

Each morning, each evening, each nite – each day that condo where I stayed for a good many years reminds me of another Quranic announcement. It is as though the Quran spoke to me directly,

To thee We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety: so judge between them by what God hath revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging from the Truth that hath come to thee. To each among you have we prescribed a law and an open way? If God had so willed, He would have made you a single people, but (His plan is) to test you in what He hath given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of you all is to God. it is He that will show you the truth of the matters in which ye dispute (Quran 5:48)

Thank You Bob Agency, Thank You Evergreen Road, Thank You Fettes Park, Thank You Penang, Thank You Malaysia!

Thank you for helping see the world the way God wanted me to see it.

Thank You God.

blood test

i had a blood test today. as it always a quick one, i curios how shortlong it is to extract the blood out of my body, so, i timed it.


guess how long it takes from inserting the needle into my vein to fill up 1 tube?!!

10 seconds

tu dia.. i think if someone slit my throat (God forbid), my blood will gush like a bellagio fountain.. oiii


p/s cik aimi saya tidak lupa hutang saya

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Ya Allah permudahkan perjalanan hidupku dan urusan hidupku di duniaMu ini.

Amin Amin Ya Rabbil A'lamin

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

last name

i read a post about ning baizura putting her husband's family name as hers too.
Seriously, I really have no issue with it whatsoever. it's not wrong in Islam and hey kawin mat salleh khennnn.

Usually I dont comment in gossip column cause I dont see any point at all but my fingers were so gatai when some of the forumers said how important it is to have the husband's family name for the sake of official matters.

what a load of crap

your wedding certificate is more than enough for any official matters out there especially over here in North America.

I dont know what's the fuss with the name change. most of my canadian or American female friends ( yes, they are my varsity buddies) , well I shall say, ALL, dont change their name after they exchanged the vows.

Infact , I was in the heated discussion among 15 women who discussed about the last name. of course, the asians who happened to marry mat salleh were literally stood firm on their ground on why they have to have their husband's surname. others, well, err , hmmm with higher education (I dont talk about only a master's degree okay) or with impressive professional background, only wanted to be known by their maiden name.

and the minority who has nothing under their belt aka me and few others were inclined to be on neutral zone.

well, my personal experience. I dont change my last name. some people called Madame or Mrs A, which is M's family name and all my official letters are written Ms.B ( my father's name). I married for almost a decade. my male friends who are possessive type are not happy with my decision of no family name's change and not even wearing a wedding band, but my feminist friends, they all hi-fived me. and M, he didnt give a rat arse about it. infact he told me, you are who you were, either before or after we married. Although most of the time, people thought we are boyfriend girlfriend, or friend but it didnt make my life any difficult.



Monday, October 3, 2011

oh boy

M and I are working hard, literally, to get the bun cooked in the oven. oh well! it's not that fun. Please bear in mind, we are an old and lazy couple where kiss now become a peck, and hugs become a tug. but love is still there people! i hope :P last time when we met dr H, he told us, my chances to get pregnant from 14% now become 3%. M and I looked at each other; and burst out with laughter. I think we both dont really care anymore if we have children or not. we just place it on Allah's hand
aku pulak yg sakit. must've been catching the hospital bugs

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Bantu Membantu

A friend was admitted to the hospital. being thousands miles away from family and home, it was pretty much hard on her emotionally. On the day she was admitted, a very kind friend of hers called me that she got warded. When I went there, I was very touched to see how A & I treated her. she vomited lots and had massive headache, A and I were tending her with sisterly love and care. Masyaa Allah It reminds me of Pomona's gal. hmmm.. i got misty eyes now