Sunday bakes - Carrot cupcakes

After taking a long break off from baking due to kitchen renovation. Crystal wanted to baked some little cupcakes. She agreed to help me in the baking, my better half flipped thru the recipe book and suggested us to bake the carrot cake because we have got carrots in the fridge. The ingredient called for self-raising flour but we didn't have any. Crystal suggested to ask uncle Google see whether we can replace it with cake flour. Yes, we can. Just add baking powder and salt.

We did it with some modifications from the book's ingredients by reducing the amount of sugar and oil especially.  

most of the cupcakes are in this small size with only 4 bigger size with cheddar cheese topping.  The cheese all turned brown after baking.  

 

Company 2021 Christmas & year end lunch gathering

This is a very very late post.

It was on 9th December 2021 we had a company's Christmas & Year End Lunch gathering at The Palace Hotel Kota Kinabalu.  We were served with a 4-course Western Set Lunch. 

For the starter, I chose the Prawn, Avocado Salsa with Meslun Leaves & Sesame Seed Vinaigrette

Soup : Cream of cauliflower with olive oil drizzle & garlic bread

Main course : Chicken Wellington served with potato au gratin, creamed spinach sauteed vegetables

Dessert : Chocolate Mouse Cake with Strawberry compote

We have Christmas gift exchange after lunch.

A nice pastel blue handbag was in the gift bag from a colleague who had picked my name, a secret Santarina.

A compilation of plants & flowers at front yard

These are some of the photos of my plants & flowers that I managed to capture when they are flowering or I would say in good condition.  Post them here to record their blooming glory.

Desert roses are the only flowering plants that I have.  As you can see they are of common varieties.  I experienced down times with them, seeing all the leaves turned yellow, brown and dropped off completely.  I have to spray them with soap water when they are infected with fungal.  At times, I have no choice but to trim the branches.  They will grow back amazingly.  That's what I love about Desert Roses.

This plant is given to us by my sister in law who has green figures.  

Starbucks Doughnut

I grew up with round doughnuts. When seeing a doughnut in different shape, there is an urge to try it out. Just like what I did to Starbucks Doughnut, thought kind of different in taste because it is square. Do you have this kind of mindset ?

On board Airasia and MAS from BKI to KUL return

Is was sometime mid 2022 that I was on board an Air Asia 5 a.m. flight to Kuala Lumpur. I was thrilled to see the tiger painted on the air plane. Don't you think is nice ?  I got to stop to take a photo of it letting the other passengers went ahead of me.

the whole cabin luggage compartments are about "Save our Malayan Tiger". Nice.  So long as there is no real tiger on board :DDD

I always pre-ordered my meal on board Air Asia.  Most of the times are Chicken Rice.

Taste nice though..

I took Malaysia Airlines (MAS) on my return flight to KK..Meal is included in all MAS flights and with on flight movies selections for entertainment from take off to touch down. 

It was not long after the pandemic, the fares between Air Asia and MAS was not that much of a difference then. 

Rahmah Meal at Old Town White Coffee

We had a very satisfying breakfast cum lunch (brunch) at Old Town White Coffee, Jalan Gaya, KK yesterday. There is no banner or sign of the Rahmah Meal place outside the shop nor on the table. This leaflet is displayed on the cashier's counter.

We wanted to try the minced chicken set but it has sold out at around 10 a.m. so we ordered the Nasi Lemak Rahmah set and Nasi Lemak Rahmah with Sausage set.  All come with Lime Drink.  I am a coffee lover, I switched the Lime Drink with White Coffee by adding just RM2.00

Rahmah Meals for 2 of us cost RM11.50, it is very economical.

The rice is very fragrant, ikan bilis (anchovies) is crunchy, egg and cucumber are fresh.  The sambal is nice but just a bit too hot for my taste bud (just me).  Though is in a small bowl, the portion is just right.  Definitely will come back for my meals.

Hope there will be more shops and restaurants support the government's initiative in providing affordable meals to the public very soon.

Maple Boutique Hotel Melaka

Me and my sister checked in to Maple Boutique Hotel Melaka in August last year.  I did the booking via Booking.com for a big family room with 2 King size beds thinking that my daughter would be joining us for the stay. 

Maple Boutique Hotel Melaka is very near to the Melaka Sentral bus station and walking distance to both shopping centres, Aeon and Lotus. 

Our room is located on the 1st floor.  There is no lift in this hotel.  If you are having heavy luggage, it's better to stay on the ground floor room. 

Maple Boutique Hotel Melaka is quite a distance from the City Centre where Jonker street and other tourist attractions are.  Hiring of Grab transport is not a problem during none peak hours to the City Centre, however, to our experience, getting a Grab transport from the City Centre of Melaka during traffic peak hours could be a problem due to massive jam.

Reading Book Challenge

Finding time to read a book is a challenge for me while I was a full time working mum.  Though I am considered semi retired now, am trying to adjust my time to be a consistent reader.

I am challenging myself to finish reading this book which I got from the library's book exchange shelf.  With the book exchange concept,  this book is mine now as I have brought a book to exchange with it.

Aroid & Orchid Exhibition, Rafflesia & wild life of Borneo

One of the weekday after sending our girls to the Uni and school in the morning, we went to the city to check out the Art Attic shop near City Hall but the shop only opens at 10 a.m., since we are just near the City Hall and there is Aroid & Orchid Exhibition going on, I was curious what Aroid is, we went in to have a look.

     

A search from Google :

What is considered an aroid plant? Aroids are from the family Araceae and include many common houseplants like aglaonemas, monsteras, philodendrons, pothos and ZZ plants. While these plants tend to be “low light” indoor plants, they're often understory plants in the wild.

Lucky Bamboo for Chinese New Year

I had this lucky Bamboo for 2022 Chinese New Year. It didn't survive till 2023 Chinese New Year. Pretty disappointed to having them turning yellow one by one leaving only the swallow vase for me to keep. I did not buy one this Chinese New Year as it is not easy to maintain as it suppose to be. Probably will get one in the coming year when I am ready for it. Anyone managed to grow their lucky bamboo ? Mind to share some techniques ?

A visit to H Benjamin Residences, Kundasang, Sabah

We drove up to Mesilou in Kundasang from Jabez Resort to explore the happenings there. Mesilou is situated at the hill side of Mt Kinabalu where a lot of Resorts, home stays, cattle farm, strawberries farms, restaurants and golf course are located. 

We came upon a strawberry farm when we drove to Kundasang golf course, I must say the scenery from the golf course is breathtaking. Followed the direction, we arrived at Mesilou Strawberry Farm, very pity that no ripening strawberry can be seen as they have just be harvested. Well, it's still a good visit, we don't come by here often. 

On the way down from the strawberry farm, we were attracted by the bricks look building, it's H Benjamin Residences. We had our lunch here.

 

BW Bus Restaurant 小陳巴巴, Kundasang, Sabah

The buses that we rode on back in the younger years are no longer roadworthy. Instead of letting them to rot in the junk yard or send to scrap metal, some creative businessmen refurbished these buses into cafes. I have sighted several of these cafes around the towns and we finally had a meal on the bus at BW Bus Restaurant in Kundasang. It is situated right at the entrance of Jabez Resort at where we stayed a couple of weeks ago. 

Honestly, it has brought back a lot of memories when we (me & my better half) stepped on the bus. It was these buses that we rode to the town and to school for my better half. There were rolls of seats during those days and now turned into tables and seats as cafe.  

We did not expected much on the food they served but surprisingly they are good in taste and presentations.  We are satisfied with the dinner, I do not mind dine there again.

 

We are went to visit the Mesilou Strawberry Farm on 1850 ft above sea level and had lunch at H Benjamin Residences not far from the junction to the strawberry farm.  

Strawberry Farm at Mesilou, Kundasang, Sabah, at 1850 above sea level

Started off with my semi-retirement with a trip to Kundasang Ranau early this month, February, 2023. 

We had a 3 days 2 nights stay at Jabez Resort at Kundasang. Jabez is situated along Kundasang-Ranau road at 11,000 ft above seal level. 

We visited one of the strawberry farm at Kundasang, unforturnately they have just harvested their strawberries, none single strawberry for us to see, and it's also a Monday when the farm's cafe is closed, we only managed to buy their ready made bottled strawberries drink, ice cream and macaroni salad.  Check out my video  here.  

Jabez Resort at Kundasang, Sabah (3 days 2 Nights stay ) Feb 2023

This is our second time stay at Jabez Resort at Kundasang. Let's me bring you around the resort in this video.

3-D Jelly Craft

I tried my hands on 3-D Jelly Crafts few months ago.  It looks so easy to do.  To be honest, it isn't so.  Besides using the right tools, the type of colouring, the consistency and the temperature of the jelly has to be right too.  I haven't got them right so far even after watching so many tutorials and trials.  

 

I was so happy to produce this 3-D flower 

this is the best I did so far

Finally I just add the fruits into my jelly and concluded my trials of 3-D jelly crafts project for now.