she made pulut kuning last friday. steamed glutinous rice yellow from turmeric. a kg of the rice was left to soak and soften for a few hours in a bowl of water, some black peppercorns, slices of garlic, onions and ginger. a little bit of salt.
the steamer tray was lined with pandan leaves. the softened yellow glutinous rice was then placed on the pandan leaves (for the wonderful aroma). steamed for about an hour or so until soft and clingy. removed from tray, mixed with boiled santan (abt rm3.00) already salted.
placed again in steamer tray. steamed further for another 40 minutes or so. until the sticky rice looked shiny.
the kids love eating pulut kuning with chicken curry or boiled egg curry, loading the rice with lots and lots of gravy!. (curry has kerisik in it so that the gravy is thick and yummy!)
she loves it too....
in those childhood days of yore, when her grandmother taught the village kids to recite the Al-Quran, each child would bring a plate of pulut kuning, curry and omelette upon finishing the 30 juzuks. (no chicken curry then as in those days it was only cooked once or twice a year on Aidilfitri and Aidiladha)
the kids would also give her grandmother a kain batik, fabric for kurung, selendang and rm10.00 (in the 60's was big money for the village folks).
teaching kids was then done free of charge. ikhlas. they say a Quran teacher will never get senile in old age. in her grandmother it was perfectly true. at 100 years of age Alhamdulillah she was still focused as ever!
Thursday, 18 July 2013
Tuesday, 16 July 2013
2 little argus
looking at dear little kiko and koko munching carrots side by side reminds her of the 2 little marmots she had when she was in primary 4.
they were placed in a large cage built by her grandfather, under the beranda.
each evening she'd carry a small blue basket to cut the particular type of grass the argus loved. what a coincidence that the grass grew plentiful at the very place she once saw the gargantuan golden rooster when she was about 3 years old!
one argus was grey and the other white with splashes of brown and orange.
now she has sweet, clever little kiko and koko, 2 lovable companions immediately hopping to her when she calls their names.
alice had a white rabbit in tuxedo with a pocket watch., who led her to wonderland.
ah alice....should she get pocket watches for the rabbits too?
they were placed in a large cage built by her grandfather, under the beranda.
each evening she'd carry a small blue basket to cut the particular type of grass the argus loved. what a coincidence that the grass grew plentiful at the very place she once saw the gargantuan golden rooster when she was about 3 years old!
one argus was grey and the other white with splashes of brown and orange.
now she has sweet, clever little kiko and koko, 2 lovable companions immediately hopping to her when she calls their names.
alice had a white rabbit in tuxedo with a pocket watch., who led her to wonderland.
ah alice....should she get pocket watches for the rabbits too?
the purple orchid
spectacular. the dense purple orchid is in bloom again. 2 flowers this time. standing out boldly from deep green leaves. about 75mm in diameter. beautiful. makes the terrace lovely.
once on a hike up bukit bendera at tanjong penaga, she looked closely at the numerous pitcher plants on the hillsides. especially at the pitchers.
they are like the predecessor to orchids! the difference is the size of petals and pitchers. in the pitcher plant's pitcher or 'jug', the size of the 5 petals is very tiny while the jug is huge and the most prominent component.
if you look closely at orchid blooms, you'll see a miniature pitcher. it is the opposite here as the petals are much larger than the jug!
the leaves are similar. both species originate from tropical jungles.
she loves wild orchids which are usually white. found on trees in forests. sometimes she could see some clinging precariously to aged branches of tall trees along the old hill road to her village.
it was along the way to pedu lake once that she spied huge bunches of scarlet wild orchids on tree trunks. she made the hubby stop the car and they gathered the bunches to take home!
they did a lot of travelling when the kids were young. she loves going to new places, local or abroad. it must be the wanderlust in her. or a thirst for knowledge not easily quenched.
they'd bring along food and snacks for impromptu picnics. they'd just think of a place and head for it without prior plans. places sometimes unheard of. especially along trails less travelled. along narrow roads in remote villages. she smiled as she remembered the day they travelled to grik near the border. they drove so deep into one of the villages until there was no road anymore right at the foot of a hill!
ah....yesterday when she was young....
once on a hike up bukit bendera at tanjong penaga, she looked closely at the numerous pitcher plants on the hillsides. especially at the pitchers.
they are like the predecessor to orchids! the difference is the size of petals and pitchers. in the pitcher plant's pitcher or 'jug', the size of the 5 petals is very tiny while the jug is huge and the most prominent component.
if you look closely at orchid blooms, you'll see a miniature pitcher. it is the opposite here as the petals are much larger than the jug!
the leaves are similar. both species originate from tropical jungles.
she loves wild orchids which are usually white. found on trees in forests. sometimes she could see some clinging precariously to aged branches of tall trees along the old hill road to her village.
it was along the way to pedu lake once that she spied huge bunches of scarlet wild orchids on tree trunks. she made the hubby stop the car and they gathered the bunches to take home!
they did a lot of travelling when the kids were young. she loves going to new places, local or abroad. it must be the wanderlust in her. or a thirst for knowledge not easily quenched.
they'd bring along food and snacks for impromptu picnics. they'd just think of a place and head for it without prior plans. places sometimes unheard of. especially along trails less travelled. along narrow roads in remote villages. she smiled as she remembered the day they travelled to grik near the border. they drove so deep into one of the villages until there was no road anymore right at the foot of a hill!
ah....yesterday when she was young....
Monday, 15 July 2013
a beautiful iftar
it was a weekend. the kids were home.
she started cooking after Dhuha. she was elated to cook for her children. always was.
the dining table at iftar ended up filled with fish bergedil (for bill who doesn't eat ikan kembung and everybody else's fave too), sambal tumis udang (request fr dhyra and everybody's fave), lobak masin (bill's and naj's fave), ikan kembung goreng (q's, dhyra's, naj's and ma's fave), salad telur (bill's and q's fave), bendi goreng (fave of naj and dhyra), bak choy sos tiram (a request fr dhyra), sambal telur rebus yang digoreng (q's fave), masak cuka ikan kembung (ma's fave), nasi lemak and watermelon juice .
though the dishes nearly numbered 10, they were all in small portions, just enough for all. just like tapas that she loves. no excesses. empty plates at the end of iftar. except for the fried ikan kembung (a favorite in the family). these fish leftovers she cooked into masak kicap the next iftar with onions, tomato slices, green chillies. delicious.
she was so happy seeing the kids digging sumptuously into the food.....
she started cooking after Dhuha. she was elated to cook for her children. always was.
the dining table at iftar ended up filled with fish bergedil (for bill who doesn't eat ikan kembung and everybody else's fave too), sambal tumis udang (request fr dhyra and everybody's fave), lobak masin (bill's and naj's fave), ikan kembung goreng (q's, dhyra's, naj's and ma's fave), salad telur (bill's and q's fave), bendi goreng (fave of naj and dhyra), bak choy sos tiram (a request fr dhyra), sambal telur rebus yang digoreng (q's fave), masak cuka ikan kembung (ma's fave), nasi lemak and watermelon juice .
though the dishes nearly numbered 10, they were all in small portions, just enough for all. just like tapas that she loves. no excesses. empty plates at the end of iftar. except for the fried ikan kembung (a favorite in the family). these fish leftovers she cooked into masak kicap the next iftar with onions, tomato slices, green chillies. delicious.
she was so happy seeing the kids digging sumptuously into the food.....
dear little bird, do build a nest in my garden
she sat on the rattan chair at the terrace facing her garden. it was just after Subuh. the air was chilly. the mist lingered on mount jerai in the distance.
kiko and koko the sweet little bunnies were frisking to their hearts' delight among the ferns and dew laden grass.
it was eden. an oasis.
then a tiny yellow breasted bird flew into sight and stopped on a branch of her group of 3 longan trees. she smiled. it made so pretty a picture.
she whispered " dear little birdie, do build a nest in my tree!"
kiko and koko the sweet little bunnies were frisking to their hearts' delight among the ferns and dew laden grass.
it was eden. an oasis.
then a tiny yellow breasted bird flew into sight and stopped on a branch of her group of 3 longan trees. she smiled. it made so pretty a picture.
she whispered " dear little birdie, do build a nest in my tree!"
buah letup
one cool misty morning while pottering in the garden, she saw a new plant tendrils et al on the chain link side fence.
the buah letup from her childhood days !
a little adventurous birdie must have eaten the seeds from some far away padi fields and regurgitated them in her 'eclectic' tiny garden!
now it is growing healthily on top of the fence, an array of the rounded familiar fruits, in a green filigree turning yellow as they age. she used to foray into the village with her friends looking for these same fruits, not so much to 'eat' as to hear it pop when squeezed.
ah.....those so distant childhood days under the balmy turquoise skies, never a care in the whole wide world.....
she could see them clearly in her mind's eyes....smell the sharp fragrances of kenanga, melati, hear the rustic sounds of the village, the happy chickens running around the house, the free melodious birds in the jambu trees, the infectious laughter as children frolicked everywhere.....she could still taste the cuttingly cold winds from the hills......
Alhamdullilah for a perfectly beautiful childhood....
the buah letup from her childhood days !
a little adventurous birdie must have eaten the seeds from some far away padi fields and regurgitated them in her 'eclectic' tiny garden!
now it is growing healthily on top of the fence, an array of the rounded familiar fruits, in a green filigree turning yellow as they age. she used to foray into the village with her friends looking for these same fruits, not so much to 'eat' as to hear it pop when squeezed.
ah.....those so distant childhood days under the balmy turquoise skies, never a care in the whole wide world.....
she could see them clearly in her mind's eyes....smell the sharp fragrances of kenanga, melati, hear the rustic sounds of the village, the happy chickens running around the house, the free melodious birds in the jambu trees, the infectious laughter as children frolicked everywhere.....she could still taste the cuttingly cold winds from the hills......
Alhamdullilah for a perfectly beautiful childhood....
Friday, 12 July 2013
kiko the meercat
one morning in the kitchen. she was on a stool cracking sunflower seeds for kiko and koko.
she felt a touch on her lap.
it was kiko, standing on 2 hind feet just like a meercat, 2 fore feet on her lap! he just couldn't wait for the seeds!
lovable, funny, sweet kiko!
she felt a touch on her lap.
it was kiko, standing on 2 hind feet just like a meercat, 2 fore feet on her lap! he just couldn't wait for the seeds!
lovable, funny, sweet kiko!
to write
she took a bus ride to the capital city last week. the morning ride, sometimes through padi fields, other times through the green green secondary forests, was refreshing. she savoured the myriad shapes of leaves, the different shades of chlorophyll; hills, dales, limestone caves.....even rustic villages peeping among aged fruit trees...
the vibrance of the country's pulsating center once again captivated her. walking alone among strangers in the crowded streets she was lost in reverie. of years gone by when as a student, she'd have a tall glass of cold cold root beer at a&w in between classes. that was one of the good things of city campuses!
or the evenings and nights spent strolling in the city after staring blankly for 2 hours at an empty sheet of butter paper on the drawing board. when ideas just wouldn't show up. inspiration went awol. and the dateline inches away sniggering and taunting.
she'd then go walking without a definite destination with her room-mate, ogling the merry and garish neon lights. feeling the jubilation of hundreds of pedestrians out for dinner or window shopping. or just wandering around, drinking in the excitement of the evening and the electric atmosphere . the lyrics of 'the streets of london' echoing...
those were the days....
and now she is to write....a book.....on a subject she is so passionate about...it is so exciting. and rejuvenating.....
Alhamdulillah. for the opportunity.
the vibrance of the country's pulsating center once again captivated her. walking alone among strangers in the crowded streets she was lost in reverie. of years gone by when as a student, she'd have a tall glass of cold cold root beer at a&w in between classes. that was one of the good things of city campuses!
or the evenings and nights spent strolling in the city after staring blankly for 2 hours at an empty sheet of butter paper on the drawing board. when ideas just wouldn't show up. inspiration went awol. and the dateline inches away sniggering and taunting.
she'd then go walking without a definite destination with her room-mate, ogling the merry and garish neon lights. feeling the jubilation of hundreds of pedestrians out for dinner or window shopping. or just wandering around, drinking in the excitement of the evening and the electric atmosphere . the lyrics of 'the streets of london' echoing...
those were the days....
and now she is to write....a book.....on a subject she is so passionate about...it is so exciting. and rejuvenating.....
Alhamdulillah. for the opportunity.
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