True Friends

I saw this at FB and I just feel like posting it here.

They say, true friends can go on long periods of time without speaking and never question the friendship. These types of friends pick up like they just spoke yesterday, regardless of how long it has been or how far away they live, and they don’t hold grudges. They understand that life is busy, but you will always love them no matter what.

I would love to say that this is true but sometime this is not the case. Sad but true!!

Beautiful Blooms

Here are some of the beautiful blooms I took at my friend Choy's garden. Enjoy!!

Yard Sale Find!

Summer is here and everywhere you will find people having yard sale and garage sale. I’ve never been to one until I came to the US. I’ve heard of it back in Malaysia but it is never popular. I guess in our culture it is never a good thing buying other people old and used stuffs. I think there is a misconception that only poor people go to yard sales or have them. I am a firm believer in one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Besides saving money, yard sale shopping helps the environment, since you don't get all that excess packaging. You also find unique items you can't just pick up at the mall. Even when you do buy something brand new, the next day it will be considered "used". We actually had a garage sale in CA just before moving to PA. We can’t bring a lot of our things with us so we decided to sell some of it and those unsold were donated to Salvation Army. I actually enjoyed it very much besides making some money from our unwanted things.

I like going to yard sale or garage sale as I enjoy looking at what people are selling and occasionally find some nice and interesting things. There was once we found a gently used love seat for Diana new apartment for $25.00. If we buy it new it will cost us around $300.00. I like buying books, recipe books, kitchen utensils, baking pans and most of all old and unique serving plates, cups and saucers. If you come to my house for afternoon tea you will find me serving you with all the mismatch pieces ha ha…


Bandit was at the yard sale too. Kids just love him.

Anyway, we went to a church yard sale last weekend. Just look at what I found there? All these for less than $15.00. Is that a good bargain or what?


3 very nice and unique ramekin.

1 set of Kaiser small muffin pans (new still in box)

A large Kaiser La Forme Bundt Pan (new with box)

5 recipe books, William Sonoma serving tray and wooden spatula.

Most Annoying Types of People at Facebook

This is funny as I think I'm guilty to one or two of them. Here are 9 of the most annoying types of people you will find on Facebook. Are you one of them?




I truly can't stand this!! Their updates have nothing but them playing Games.

Frendship

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all.

He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, 'You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. But It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound will still be there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

Remember true friends are rare jewels indeed. They make you smile, they encourage you to succeed; They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us.

YOU ARE MY FRIEND AND I AM HONORED!

Family Dinner at Elegant Inn – Hong Kong Cuisine

This post is long overdue. I am not a food critic or whatsoever but I just have to tell you about this restaurant. We had our family dinner on the 7th day of CNY. This is the first time I dine here but not my family. They frequent this restaurant often as they just love the food here. I was impressed with Elegant Inn. It was one of the best Chinese restaurants. Quality of food is excellent and the service was superb. I have no idea how much this meal cost but I understand it was on the higher side because of the quality of the food they served but it is all worth it.

Naturally, we started off with yee sang, the unique Malaysian CNY tradition. Of all the yee sang I tasted this is the best. They used only fresh ingredients like radish, cucumber, pomelo, carrots, Asian pear, salmon, abalone, etc. No fake colored preserved vegetables here. The taste was refreshing and not too sweet like the commercial ones.

Next was the impressive double boiled kampong chicken with ginseng (I think) for a few hours. End result a bowl of super rich tasting soup.

Next the most anticipated dish…CRABS!! I think it was cooked the egg yolk style. Super sweet and check out the super size claw…Delicious.



I was not very impressed with the next dish. It was steamed kampong chicken. The taste was just so so…
Prawns cooked in Foie gras sauce (goose liver). This dish is to die for especially the slight bitterness of the sauce. Rich and sinful.
A simple yet refreshing vegetarian dish that have lotus roots, with pine nuts. Simple yet refreshing.

Stir fried pig’s cheek with ginger and green onions.

Next had two rice dishes. I don’t know why I didn’t take a picture of the lotus leave rice with wax meat. Maybe I was too busy eating this fried rice. One of the best fried rice I’ve eaten. I forgot what was in the fried rice. This dish is a must order each time my family comes here. My nieces just love to watchthis handsome chef in actions (cooking the fried rice)

We end our dinner with pan fried nian gao and almond cookies.
Please call first before you go to the branch at Taman Connaught as I understand they only open for 3 days a week, that is, from Friday to Sunday.


Elegant Inn
No. 16, Jalan Waras 1,
Taman Connaught, Cheras
56100 Kuala Lumpur. (Tel: (603) 9130 2626)

2.01, 2nd Floor, Podium Block
Menara Hap Seng
Jalan P.Ramlee
50250 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-20709399

A day at Tanjung Sepat

Without realizing it I was back from Malaysia for a week already. I tried to extend my stay there but I can't get a seat on the airline for the date I wanted. So I came back as scheduled. I have tons of pictures I took during my trip but have yet to find the time to sort it out. Here is the first batch that I managed to upload to share it with you. It was a trip to Tanjung Sepat with my family on one weekend

Tanjung Sepat, a small fish village located at southwest part of Selangor. Tanjung Sepat becoming a tourist attraction after commercializes seafood restaurants open in this area. Nowadays, people came here for fresh seafood, visiting various orchards farms like Dragon Fruits Longan, mushroom and Ganoderma (Chinese Ling Zhi) farm and not forgetting the famous paus (steamed buns)

We start our journey early at 9.00am. First stop at for a quick dim sum breakfast at Seri Petaling. This was the first time I tried out the famous Phoenix baos. It was a unique shape pau with meat and glutinous rice in it. Taste wise it was ok.

The famous Phoenix bao.

After our breakfast we proceed to Tanjung Sepat and we drop by the Buddhist Temple. Jenjarom, Selangor

2nd stop was the famous Hai Yew Hin to collect the steamed buns (Bao) that we ordered a few days earlier. They were famous for their steamed buns and if you just drop by to buy it you might be dissapointed as their buns were always sold out. You have to order them in advance. You can see many people carrying bags and hags of buns in their hand. Tourists come in bus loads just for this. I tried the famous ‘mui choi’ and vegetables bao and they were pretty good. Our local Astro TV station even features them and I understand it boost up their business tremendously.

Astro featured them recently.

Next we proceed to the Mushroom Farm. Not much mushroom there as the farm were under renovations.

We wanted to visit the Dragon amd Longan Fruits farm but our visit falls on the 15th day of CNY so many of farms were closed. We managed to find a dragon fruit opened but not much fruits there as it was off season. Even the dragon fruits were pretty small. We managed to buy some though.

Sepang Gold Coast! Wow.. I didn't know that Malaysia had a 'Gold coast' but now I do..


Chalet on the beach, still under construction and will be officially open in April 2010.

The next stop was the Cassava/Tapioca Chips factory. When we arrived the chips were not in productions but the supervisor was kind enough to show us around their factory.

Start with the ubi. This will be peel.

Peeling the cassava/ubi kayu.

The cutter

Freshly sliced cassava/ubi kayu.

All fried up and ready to be pack.

The end product

We had our dinner here.

Nasi Lemak, grilled sotong and fish and stewed duck.

Stewed duck all ready to be serve to customers.

Grilled sotong

Grilled fish
Stewed duck.

The famous longan plant here at Tanjung Sepat. Too bad we didn't get to go to the farm. Maybe some other time.