Happy December :)

I am a happy girl this month. :)...

My dearest hubby decided to splurge on me on my birthday month.. Yay! :)
He also said this must be done so that he'll have a good start of 2013 after many years of lessons learnt when he took my birthday lightly. :D

So I have two presents this year. Yay!! :)

And I love my presents so much.

Thank you Dear! Promise won't nag you for not spending on me anymore.. at least for some time. :D

Tadaaa! New watch! :)

It comes with a very nice box with cushion :)

On my small wrist :).. Love big watches :)

  

Meet my new bag!

The metal monkey!

Interview

I hate going through interviews. Yeap. After I graduated, I went through 7 times of interviews with different companies before I got my first job. Probably I got traumatized then. And I hate going through interviews, especially the technical interviews.

I remember how nervous I was before I came for interview for my current job. I prepared for few days before I came for the technical tests. And I thank God that my interviewer (my boss) was very kind and it was a pleasant one, and I got the job!

Recently, I was given chance to interview candidates to join my team.

I still can remember how I felt while going through every single interview that I went through previously. Thinking back, since graduated until now, I think I have been through 10+ interviews. So when I looked at the candidates that I interviewed with my colleague, I can feel how nervous and empathized them. But of course, I am a very nice person and I try my best to put them at ease as I know how they felt, esp. when they couldn't answer or understand our questions.

Anyway, it was a good experience.

Though I feel sad for the candidates who didn't make it.

That reminds me, after going through so many interviews before I finally got my first job, I actually told myself that I want to be a HR hiring manager in the future, and reject those applicants, to let them experience what I have experienced.

But, I guess, I am a very soft hearted person. I actually dreamt last night that one of the candidates cried during interview when she found out she didn't meet our criterias.

Ya, sound stupid.

But, it was still a good experience. :)

Makan-makan in Ipoh & Taiping

After becoming parents, EG and I hardly have time to spend with each other. After 2.5 yrs of training (since Eunice is born), now we're used to parent-lifestyle and can do things more effectively in a shorter time. Both of us can't really shop when we go out with Eunice. We actually have been taking leaves on Friday to have some time for ourselves, like watch movies, shopping or etc. If Eunice is out with us, we'll be bringing her to places where she can enjoy, instead of for us to enjoy. :)

This time, I sent my baby Natalie to babysitter 2 weeks before I came back to work from my maternity leaves. And EG and I planned for a Ipoh makan trip, just the two of us. We didn't manage to spend long time in Ipoh anyway because we needed to do something else in Taiping. So, we stopped by Taiping for breakfast in our favorite coffee shop, then drove to Ipoh and went Ipoh Parade to have some pak-toh time where EG bought some shirts. And looked for toys for Eunice (yea, we both missed her), and went for late lunch before we came back Taiping and Penang again to pick up our girls, and resume our busy life.

Ya, so the pics of the food. :)

My favorite coffee shop in Taiping

Curry mee

Fried noodle + bee hoon

The half boiled egg - after finished.
They ran out of toasted bread as we went late. :)

The recommended coffee shop by friend in Ipoh

Dunno what is this called, EG ordered this.
Looks like curry mee but without the noodle and only with the pork balls, fish balls, and etc that we chose.

Very nice popiah

The famous tau-geh

The famous Ipoh Kuey Teow, slurp!

Yea, best in the country in newspaper!

A Loving Saturday Morning

Sometimes, I think I have the best hubby in the world. :)...

I woke up on a Saturday morning, getting a bit stress up with all the things that both EG and I need to do over the weekend - marketing, cooking, cleaning, washing, house chores, laundry, and not to mention feeding and coaxing a fussy baby.

When I came to the kitchen, I saw some cute arrangements on my kitchen counter.

Guess what's inside?

Tada! Our breakfast!

I know it's just a simple breakfast but I appreciated EG's thought to get up earlier in the morning (while I'm still trying to get my engine started while playing with my girls). Not to even mention, he went to market to do marketing for me so we'll have food to cook for the next week. Oh, he even did all the cleaning before leaving to market for me.

So, this is called ~L~O~V~E~ I guess. :)

That's why I say, I think I have the best husband in the world. :)

Bear & Cat Talk

Cat: Is your new breast pump heavy?
Bear: It's ok la.. It's only heavier when I put the cooler bag with the frozen ice pack and the storage bottles with milk inside..
Cat: Oh? Why?
Bear: Eh.. 4 bottles of milk plus a n ice pack wor...
Cat: Hmm.. Isn't it the same? After you pump out your milk then you'll feel lighter and the weight goes into your bottles..
Bear: Huh?? Then do you feel lighter after you pee???
Cat: (Signature cheeky smile) Maybe?!?!

Ya, we still do stupid talks..

Bear & Cat Talk

I woke up at 6am in the morning to prepare dinner for the night before leaving to office.

Me: U are lucky to have a wife like me who is willing to cook for you!
EG: U are lucky to have a husband like me who is willing to eat whatever that you cook!

:P

OK la it takes two hands to clap. :)

Toy Story

My childhood didn't have much cartoons, because my mum was quite strict on us. I remember watching some same Mickey Mouse cartoons, Tom & Jerry, and can't remember more than that. :). I wonder if that's why I love to watch cartoons now.

As Eunice is growing, EG has been buying some nice cartoons for her to watch. Toy Story is one of them. I never watch Toy Story before until now, yea, until now 30+ yrs old. :D... When EG showed me and Eunice the first one, I am quite impressed. I thought the story line was not bad. Eunice loves it too. And just like what a normal kid will do, she has been watching Toy Story I for easily 20+ times, until I can remember the whole story line already.Then, EG got her Toy Story II last month and Toy Story III last weekend. I was quite excited actually... Hehehe...

It's a Walt Disney animated cartoon about a boy called Andy, who owns some of these toys, which actually "came to life" when nobody is around. :).. Quite a creative idea I thought. Anyway, in Toy Story I, the story is about a new toy joining Andy's old toys and some jealousy and rivalry and which later resolved. In Toy Story II, more toys added in. And in Toy Story III, Andy has finally grown up and going to college, so the story is about what he's doing with these toys before leaving to college.

Among all, I love Toy Story III the most. Some parts are really funny, and well, believe it or not, it moved me to tears during the ending. Ya, EG laughed at me, as usual. But yea, I am those type who can cry even over a cartoon, a very small heart I have.

Anyway, it's a nice cartoon series with very good story lines even until the finale. :). And Eunice even learns how to sing the theme song "You've got a friend in me" from the cartoon. Hahaha.. how cute! :)

Toy Story I

Toy Story II

Toy Story III - I love the lotso bear, but he's the evil one! :P

Rice Cooker Recipes

Yea I've been cooking quite a bit for many months. So I really appreciate some quick and easy recipes especially when it's a busy weekend.

My friend shared this extremely simple chicken rice recipe with me and I found the original recipes here. I tried cooking it the first time and EG loves it so much! It's very nice, and it is also very very simple. It doesn't dirty the kitchen and the only oily thing is probably just the rice cooker! :) He loves it so much as it's so nice to eat, and yet it doesn't take up a lot of his time to do the clean up. :). So far, I've been making it for 3-4 times in the past 1.5 months and EG still loves it a lot. :)

Chicken Rice

Simplified Hainan Chicken Rice


Ingredients:
Boneless drumstick (approx 350g), garlic 2 cloves, ginger 3-4 pcs
White rice 2.5 cups, water 2.8 cups (Note: I just cook the normal amount that we take)

Chicken Marinade:
Salt 1/3 teaspoon, Rice wine 1 teaspoon


Seasoning:
Rice wine 1 big tablespoon, Salt 1/2 teaspoon

Steps:
1. Marinade the boneless chicken drumstick with salt and rice wine for 30 minutes.
2. Mince garlic & ginger.
3. Put rice & water into rice cooker.
4. Add minced garlic, ginger and other seasonings. Mix well.
5. Put the marinaded chicken on the rice, skin side faces down.
6. Cook as usual
7. Once cooked, do not open the cover and leave the rice & chicken inside the rice cooker for another 30 minutes.
8. Take out the drumsticks, mix well the rice.
9. Cut the drumstick into desired size.
10. Put some soy sauce on the chicken & rice before serve.

Later I found another recipe online for claypot chicken rice by using rice cooker here. Since I have all the ingredients at home so I decided to give it a try. It involves more steps than the chicken rice but still it's simple. Btw, I added the fried egg myself. :)

Claypot Chicken Rice

EG said it's also nice. But for this recipe, I need to clean up the wok since I need to stir fry the ingredients first but it's still consider a very simple and easy dish to do esp. when we need a quick meal. :)... So there two are for sure the must-keep recipes.

I love these recipes because I can pre-prepare them before I go out, and knowing that I have delicious meals awaiting for me when I come back. :)

2012 Update

After being parents for 2 years+, both EG and I got more and more effective in getting our household done. Sometimes, friends are amazed of things that we could do, but they often forgot, that also means that we don't get to go out so often, because there are just too much housework to do. That also explains why my blog idles for so long. :P

And yea, for Eunice's sake, I have been cooking dinner, for at least 3-4 nights on weekday, Saturday is a sure-cook day and Sunday is my free day. It's a break for both EG and I. With now that Eunice is 2 yrs old toddler, it makes things easier to go out or to eat out. :)

Many friends asked me, how do I manage to cook on weekday after a hectic day in office? Well, my meals are very simple. I normally will do a meat with a vegetables. If we're very hungry, I'll have a 3rd dish - which is either fried eggs, steam potatoes, or etc. I bought a magic cooker (which is actually a thermal cooker) from Cosway. I used it to cook soup either on the night before, or early in the morning. After I come back from office, I just need to cook rice, and wash all vegetables and fry them. It can be done quite quickly. Sometimes, I'd do steam chicken or steam fish or some simple boiled soup with fish. All can be done within 30 minutes. And after eating, EG will take over the washing part. And most of the time we're all done by 8pm. We make an effort to have fruits everyday so I'll cut some fruits for everyone to eat after that. And by 10pm+, Eunice and I will be snoring already. EG will normally stay up to tidy up the house or do some work. :)...

Having said that, in order to prepare meals on weekdays, that means we need to do marketing on weekends. Yeap. We've been going market on weekend to stock up the poultry, vegetables and etc so we have food to eat for the rest of the week. We found that the vegetables in the market, though slightly more expensive than the hypermarket, surely taste nicer and sweeter. :)... So, we go to the market without fail on every Saturday morning, no, not with Eunice. So it's either I go, or EG goes. Depending on situation. So, Saturday is a super busy day for me because if EG goes market for me, I'll prepare the list of food to get, and I need to prepare breakfast, clean up all the poultry, keep them in portions, and keep all the vegetables, and STILL cook for lunch & plan for dinners. He's not so free either. He has to help on all the laundry, hang, bathe Eunice, wash car porch, and do other housework. Very busy, but definitely satisfying.

Thank God EG is happy with my food though it's just some simple food. When I crack my head on what to cook, he'll tell me it's ok, he won't mind if I repeat the food every week. Ah, that's very sweet and make my life much easier. But I do make an effort to do something different during weekend especially. And sometimes I bake too - but EG is not a cake person so mostly it's for me and Eunice. :)

And yes, all these are done with a 5 mths belly. And yes, I'm going to be mummy again, and yes, my EDD is early August. And you wonder how I can do so much with a belly? Erm, yes, I can. :)

I just hope when my 2nd baby arrives, I'll still be able to do whatever that I am doing now for my family. :)