So my last attempt to revive this blog clearly went well :p Let's see how this one goes!
As I write this, we are packing up our lives in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia for move to Detroit, Michigan, USA. I am feeling excited, apprehensive, nervous, panicked (because I don't think we're ready for the removalists to come and pack everything), optimistic...
I will attempt to chart the best and worst parts of the move, and everything in between!
From a brief trip to see Detroit a couple of months ago, I know this much: the great Italian-style coffee that is so readily available on every street in Melbourne will be hard to come by. My husband's colleagues have bought us a coffee machine that awaits our arrival in Detroit, so I will have to polish up my espresso/cappucino/latte/flat white-making skills pronto! And keep hoping that we find more places like this one. How AWESOME does that place look? I can't wait to try it out, and to see what life in Detroit and the US holds.
Stay tuned for more!
Sunday, 25 May 2014
Sunday, 15 January 2012
Reviving the ol' blog.
Change is constant and inevitable. Since my last post almost 2 years ago now, so many things have happened. I wanted again to have an outlet for my observations, thoughts, and news. Facebook is great for the odd one-liner, but a blog - even if not one really reads this one, is more suited to musings.
I'm hoping that I will continue to jot down my thoughts, maybe generate a little bit of debate (at this point in time, I have many observations and questions about social etiquette).
But, to start.
This week I edged a little closer to 30, but I'm probably marvelling more at the fact that I am not as keen as I used to be to announce that it's my birthday. I admit, I used it as an excuse to get some friends together, but I was not really expecting presents, cake, the whole hoo-ha. I had a lovely dinner with my husband, who also gave me a present, and received a card from my sister all the way from the UK, and a present from my parents-in-law, and was very satisfied just to have the company of friends and family (in person, over the phone, etc) without TOO much fuss.
As I wrote that last paragraph, it dawned on me that I created what must have felt like a great big fuss for my father-in-law's birthday! He must have felt like it was 'much ado' but I think he had a great time in the end.
You see, in most circumstances, my husband and I would visit his parents over the weekend and his mum would cook a birthday (or whatever the occasion is) meal while we were there. This time, I offered to host a lunch/dinner at our house for my father-in-law's birthday, which is 5 days after mine. The idea was that the in-laws could invite whoever they wanted, and we (my husband and I) would cook and clean so they would be able to enjoy an afternoon with their friends. We only had 8 people in total - one other couple who are their oldest friends, and the daughter of that couple (whom my husband grew up with) and her husband - but it was a good group.
I had heaps of fun preparing lunch and dessert, and 8 was a good number for my ability (or lack thereof) to feed a group.
I tried some new recipes for the main course and dessert, and being a lover of desserts, the latter is probably what I am proudest of: a macadamia encrusted pavlova roll.
Now, I've never actually made a pavlova or any meringue-y sort of dessert before, so I don't know whether this was a brave or stupid (or naive) move on my part. But I'm glad I did. his was the end result:
Keen to have a go? Here's how to make it:
Ingredients
4 large egg whites
1 cup (or just under) castor sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2 tsp cornflour
1 tsp vinegar
For the sprinkle mixture: 1/3 cup chopped macadamia, 1 Tbsp Castor sugar (I used raw), 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Whipped cream for spreading
Whisk egg whites until very stiff. Gradually add castor sugar, whipping continuously.
Fold in cornflour then vinegar and vanilla.
Spread mixture onto a greaseproof paper lined baking tray. The mix should be 1cm thick. Sprinkle with macadamia nut mixture.
Bake in a 180 degrees preheated oven, until just set (about 5 to 8 minutes).
When cooked remove pavlova from tray and rest on a cold bench until cool.
Dust a clean teatowel or (greaseproof sheet) with icing sugar. Invert meringue sheet onto teatowel, pull original baking sheet from back of meringue. Spread a 1/2cm layer of whipped cream onto meringue. Roll up as you would a Swiss Roll.
Slice pavlova roll into portions and serve with seasonal fruit.
(Source: http://www.abc.net.au/local/recipes/2010/02/26/2831244.htm)
Voila! As you can see, I served this pav roll with strawberries (which I'd macerated). As I was whipping the cream, realised I was serving a modified version of strawberries and cream!
It's not your typical pavlova with a crispy/crusty top, but everyone seemed to like it (or they were being polite :0) ) And I consider this birthday party great use of my time this weekend.
I'm hoping that I will continue to jot down my thoughts, maybe generate a little bit of debate (at this point in time, I have many observations and questions about social etiquette).
But, to start.
This week I edged a little closer to 30, but I'm probably marvelling more at the fact that I am not as keen as I used to be to announce that it's my birthday. I admit, I used it as an excuse to get some friends together, but I was not really expecting presents, cake, the whole hoo-ha. I had a lovely dinner with my husband, who also gave me a present, and received a card from my sister all the way from the UK, and a present from my parents-in-law, and was very satisfied just to have the company of friends and family (in person, over the phone, etc) without TOO much fuss.
As I wrote that last paragraph, it dawned on me that I created what must have felt like a great big fuss for my father-in-law's birthday! He must have felt like it was 'much ado' but I think he had a great time in the end.
You see, in most circumstances, my husband and I would visit his parents over the weekend and his mum would cook a birthday (or whatever the occasion is) meal while we were there. This time, I offered to host a lunch/dinner at our house for my father-in-law's birthday, which is 5 days after mine. The idea was that the in-laws could invite whoever they wanted, and we (my husband and I) would cook and clean so they would be able to enjoy an afternoon with their friends. We only had 8 people in total - one other couple who are their oldest friends, and the daughter of that couple (whom my husband grew up with) and her husband - but it was a good group.
I had heaps of fun preparing lunch and dessert, and 8 was a good number for my ability (or lack thereof) to feed a group.
I tried some new recipes for the main course and dessert, and being a lover of desserts, the latter is probably what I am proudest of: a macadamia encrusted pavlova roll.
Now, I've never actually made a pavlova or any meringue-y sort of dessert before, so I don't know whether this was a brave or stupid (or naive) move on my part. But I'm glad I did. his was the end result:
Keen to have a go? Here's how to make it:Ingredients
4 large egg whites
1 cup (or just under) castor sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2 tsp cornflour
1 tsp vinegar
For the sprinkle mixture: 1/3 cup chopped macadamia, 1 Tbsp Castor sugar (I used raw), 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Whipped cream for spreading
Whisk egg whites until very stiff. Gradually add castor sugar, whipping continuously.
Fold in cornflour then vinegar and vanilla.
Spread mixture onto a greaseproof paper lined baking tray. The mix should be 1cm thick. Sprinkle with macadamia nut mixture.
Bake in a 180 degrees preheated oven, until just set (about 5 to 8 minutes).
When cooked remove pavlova from tray and rest on a cold bench until cool.
Dust a clean teatowel or (greaseproof sheet) with icing sugar. Invert meringue sheet onto teatowel, pull original baking sheet from back of meringue. Spread a 1/2cm layer of whipped cream onto meringue. Roll up as you would a Swiss Roll.
Slice pavlova roll into portions and serve with seasonal fruit.
(Source: http://www.abc.net.au/local/recipes/2010/02/26/2831244.htm)
Voila! As you can see, I served this pav roll with strawberries (which I'd macerated). As I was whipping the cream, realised I was serving a modified version of strawberries and cream!
It's not your typical pavlova with a crispy/crusty top, but everyone seemed to like it (or they were being polite :0) ) And I consider this birthday party great use of my time this weekend.
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
Another New Beginning
After my last post, so many things have happened. I left my job, spent some quality time with my fiance who came over for a holiday over Xmas and New Year, moved home to spend time with my family, planned my wedding, then moved back to Melbourne to finally after almost 3 years, live in the same city as my fiance. We had our hen's and buck's night last month. We got married a week and a half ago, and this weekend, we'll move into a new apartment - the first time we will officially have the same address!
My parents and brother came for a week for my registry, and we took them around Victoria - down Great Ocean Road, then up to Halls Gap - to see more than just the city of Melbourne. They had a good time.
I read something about 'love chub' before I moved over. Supposedly it's weight gained in a relationship because you do things like lie in bed and cuddle on the couch more. In my case, I think it's because I eat later at night, even when I don't feel like it, when I could have just skipped dinner if I didn't feel like it when I was alone. Then there was the fortnight of gluttony over Easter and the registry weeks, and I'm doing less exercise now. I walk more, but that doesn't seem to be helping much.
I'm relearning to drive a manual car and ride a bike, things I haven't done for 10 and 17 years respectively. I'm still job-hunting, and making jewellery but have not sold any since I got here. Except to my cousin's friends in boarding school in far off England. I miss the camaderie of the workplace, which I never thought I'd say! Please, powers up in the sky, help me find a job. I promise I won't complain about work!
I've been doing the 'house-wife' thing too (albeit not very well): laundry, cooking, baking... Last week I made chai cupcakes and chocolate cheesecake slice for Ben to take to work (common practice to bring cakes when you have an 'announcement') and yesterday it was blueberry choc chip muffin. Found the recipe on ninemsn, modified it, and thought I'd share.
2 cups self-raising flour
¾ cup caster sugar
100g choc bits
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup milk
100g butter, melted and cooled
150g blueberries
Mix first 3 ingredients together. Add the next 3 ingredients, and stir until combined. Add the blueberries, mix quickly, and fill muffin moulds 3/4 full. Bake at 200°C for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
The original recipe says to serve warm or cold, but in my opinion, they are best when still warm out of the oven and the chocolate is gooey! :D Muffins may be made one day ahead of frozen up to 1 month.
My parents and brother came for a week for my registry, and we took them around Victoria - down Great Ocean Road, then up to Halls Gap - to see more than just the city of Melbourne. They had a good time.
I read something about 'love chub' before I moved over. Supposedly it's weight gained in a relationship because you do things like lie in bed and cuddle on the couch more. In my case, I think it's because I eat later at night, even when I don't feel like it, when I could have just skipped dinner if I didn't feel like it when I was alone. Then there was the fortnight of gluttony over Easter and the registry weeks, and I'm doing less exercise now. I walk more, but that doesn't seem to be helping much.
I'm relearning to drive a manual car and ride a bike, things I haven't done for 10 and 17 years respectively. I'm still job-hunting, and making jewellery but have not sold any since I got here. Except to my cousin's friends in boarding school in far off England. I miss the camaderie of the workplace, which I never thought I'd say! Please, powers up in the sky, help me find a job. I promise I won't complain about work!
I've been doing the 'house-wife' thing too (albeit not very well): laundry, cooking, baking... Last week I made chai cupcakes and chocolate cheesecake slice for Ben to take to work (common practice to bring cakes when you have an 'announcement') and yesterday it was blueberry choc chip muffin. Found the recipe on ninemsn, modified it, and thought I'd share.
2 cups self-raising flour
¾ cup caster sugar
100g choc bits
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup milk
100g butter, melted and cooled
150g blueberries
Mix first 3 ingredients together. Add the next 3 ingredients, and stir until combined. Add the blueberries, mix quickly, and fill muffin moulds 3/4 full. Bake at 200°C for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
The original recipe says to serve warm or cold, but in my opinion, they are best when still warm out of the oven and the chocolate is gooey! :D Muffins may be made one day ahead of frozen up to 1 month.
Saturday, 5 December 2009
Stuff
I have had to pack all my belongings at very short notice during the week, and I saw it as an opportunity to throw out the stuff that I didn't want/need and I thought I could be ruthless. But I can't. And I have so much STUFF it's ridiculous. Every time I have to pack and move, I keep telling myself that I will stop buying but obviously I didn't learn my lesson 2.5 year ago, and here I am again in the same situation with too much stuff and not ruthless enough.
And what's really really annoying is that sometimes, I know I need to get rid of the stuff, but I feel so bad and wasteful about throwing it away. Often, I think I might be able to sell it and make some money, but lack the knowledge/motivation/time to sell it on ebay or something. I have so much stuff that even if I sold each item for RM5, I'd probably make enough to buy another pair of Charles and Keith shoes! Hey, replacing all that stuff with just 1 pair of shoes or a bag is a pretty good deal, ok? ;)
The bigger issue here is how to curb the spending and buying and 'collecting' to avoid having the same problem in future. When Ben and I have our own place, I don't want to go through this again. I have at least 5 bags of clothes, for goodness' sake! Grr.
And what's really really annoying is that sometimes, I know I need to get rid of the stuff, but I feel so bad and wasteful about throwing it away. Often, I think I might be able to sell it and make some money, but lack the knowledge/motivation/time to sell it on ebay or something. I have so much stuff that even if I sold each item for RM5, I'd probably make enough to buy another pair of Charles and Keith shoes! Hey, replacing all that stuff with just 1 pair of shoes or a bag is a pretty good deal, ok? ;)
The bigger issue here is how to curb the spending and buying and 'collecting' to avoid having the same problem in future. When Ben and I have our own place, I don't want to go through this again. I have at least 5 bags of clothes, for goodness' sake! Grr.
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Melbourne News
I've been reading up on The Age website again, in anticipation of my next big move. As usual the Epicure section is always one of the highlights for me. I was especially thrilled when I read the first blurb in today's Espresso. Opening March-April next year?? Perfect!!
But please, Mr new Premier, tell me why I should be liable for late public transport when I am the one who is inconvenienced by it?
And an article related to some of the fashion dilemmas I'm going through... :)
But please, Mr new Premier, tell me why I should be liable for late public transport when I am the one who is inconvenienced by it?
And an article related to some of the fashion dilemmas I'm going through... :)
Monday, 16 November 2009
Sam Newman and his big mouth
I always found the footy show pretty appalling and wondered why people put up with Sam Newman. I thought that maybe I just didn't get that aspect of Australian culture (just the being an @$$ bit, not the footy bit), and am comforted to know that I am not the only one who thinks so (make sure you read the comments at the bottom of the page). However, I did think that any apology should have come from the network's ED or Sam Newman himself, and not their over-paid QC!
Friday, 13 November 2009
Tustle
As I have a 'friendly discussion' again with my colleagues about where to go for lunch, I am reminded yet again oh how different I am from the typical Malaysian in some ways. :(
I've also found out that not only is the manager that I am working with resigning, more the senior staff on my project is too! They both leave on the same day in December, and I am just hanging on, waiting for my time to do the same because I can't do it just yet...
On a completely different note, I saw this car on the road the other day, and I'm sure you'll agree that the back of the car - the tail lights, at the very least - look like a Mercedes. It is in fact, a Hyundai i30. Hehe.
And in the meantime, to alleviate my sadness, I keep myself occupied with tasting the food at more new places, such as The Darling bakery in Kuching. It was pretty decent, but too much cream in proportion to the mini cake, I thought.
I've also found out that not only is the manager that I am working with resigning, more the senior staff on my project is too! They both leave on the same day in December, and I am just hanging on, waiting for my time to do the same because I can't do it just yet...
On a completely different note, I saw this car on the road the other day, and I'm sure you'll agree that the back of the car - the tail lights, at the very least - look like a Mercedes. It is in fact, a Hyundai i30. Hehe.
And in the meantime, to alleviate my sadness, I keep myself occupied with tasting the food at more new places, such as The Darling bakery in Kuching. It was pretty decent, but too much cream in proportion to the mini cake, I thought.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)