Latest Addition

One of my own garments..... a two year old birthday present from my pic... a make over.

FLYING HOME

Today, 13th September, 2:30p.m., I shall be on my way to home sweet home and be together with my sisters and their families. I shall post long outstanding stories if and when am available for you to read.

Those who are interested on my amateur beadings, please have the pleasure to copy and do it on your garments... if you like them please do copy but make sure to link with RTL if your are going to upload in your blog.

I have baked more cookies since the last post and prepared three steam cakes for give aways...

My beadings are thriving. I have just completed mine on a two year old baju kurong yesterday but I shall post the picture later.....I am onto another off-white garment belongs to Di now. I shall complete it once I came home after This Eid break.

Fasting is coming an end in a week's time and we shall celebrate Eid on the 1st of Syawal.

To all my Muslim blogger friends, I and my family wish you an enjoyable Eidul Fitri. Do not forget the less fortunate and remember to perform our ibadah so that Allah showers us with forgiveness, Jannah and stronger love and faith towards Him. Amin.

BEADING part 5

This is another garment belongs to Nadia. It's a very delicate chiffon fabric which requires extra attention while stitching.

The beads are stitched at her request, to duplicate my other design I previously made.

The completed stitching... below.

BEADING part 4

Straight stich beadings on a very dark brown brochade fabric belongs to Tasha, Harith's Mama.

The sewing is temporarily shelved because I have run out of the dark brown beads
for the middle opening of this kebaya.

The same phone cam taking pictures at different times...
the correct color is the shots from the top.

BEADING part 3

Starting from the neck opening... This is Nadiah's baju kurong... a young relative
who is so petite and a gentle person.

The stages to do them... the amateur way....

Almost completed work on the neck opening.

Ahaaa... looks like a special effect ... actually the cam made a dashing movement...

the design could be transformed like so.

The completed work, both sleeves and the neck opening.
These shots were from m phone cam.

BEADING part 2

This dark green Thai Silk baju kurong belongs to Nadia's mom. The phone cam did not bring any justice to me.... the color did not come out as it should be and the shots were very poor.

BEADING part 1

Alas they are here!!!

These are free style beadings on baju kurong.

Pictures from phone cam.

TOMATO PLANTS

The once healthy plant looked like this after a few months.

The only miserable fruit that was just ready for photo shot.
Soon after, it disappeared with the monkeys...

What's left to ponder, to remember and to glue into my memory... and to share with blogger friends. these are all phone cam shots.

The once healthy looking tomato plants from my 24 pots are all a goner now. I wonder how's Ginnie's tomatoes are doing right now?

The plants slowly started receiving whitish visitors who stubbornly refused to leave. They got stuck there, practically on each leaf causing them to turn yellowish a few weeks later. The trees were almost three feet high but never fruiting. There were plenty of flowers to make me happy. I shower them everyday until the day I decided to pull them all out of those pots.

Now the pots are filled with other little plants which are much less significant. But they would hopefully grow big soon, because this morning after shifting them there, I also put some fertilizers... Am I expecting them to grow over night?

Now no more tomato plants to fill up the side wall and beautify my garden.

COOKIES??

Amidst the seasonal "cookies baking", I too decided to tag along the bakers and the cookies makers. The Eid is fast approaching. People are busy baking cakes and cookies for sale.

Day 1:

I received this particular recipe to make the much-wanted-most popular" semperit biscuits, from a close friend. Monday morning, we decided to visit Zackry and baby Zara who have just arrived from Qatar with their mom. On our way, we dropped by at the hyper-market. In I went with Di tagging along. Leaving Harith howling at the top of his voice in the car with Zaza at the wheel. We managed the rush. Picking up this and that was easier than taking out the cash to pay!!!

At this point, I remember those days when I have to foot so many bills and bills and bills all alone. It was pleasant to write cheques with my bold hand writing using the thickest of the nib from my black & gold Shaffer pen. When I began writing the dates it was still okay. As my fingers scrolled down to the column I have to write figures, "stars" started flashing in my eyes. This was especially worse after replacing parts for my MPV. It was a rare occasion if the bills were below three figures. Another occasion would be the month I lapse installment payment for it... Anyway, I no longer have to foot any bills now. Thanks to God, Alhmadulillah.

Back to my Semperit Biscuits: once the dough was done, I started looking for the biscuit cutters and its set. They were there but incomplete. It was quite hard to push through those plastic bags manually... hence I added a little milk to make it softer. Yes!!! It worked. Di was making twirls, round and round and making coiling shapes. I just pushed it out of the plastic bag and blop, blop, blop they faithfully came out of the bag. We got three tray of 1.5' x 1.5'. Baked at 170F for 15 to 20 minutes. The color wasn't there at all. They were supposed to be orangish color. Did they put colorings? Ours turned out looking like any butter cookies. It better taste good because I was using the most expensive butter... a canned butter.

Voala! The taste was there although the look wasn't there at all!!!! Congratulations for a successful baking on day ONE.

Day 2.

Taking out this thick "Good Housekeeping Cooker Book" I obtained from England in 1980's, I flicked through the pages... back and forth, back and forth. The book looked so old but not torn. the white papers turned brownish but still legible. What shall I bake today?

Mmmm, lemme see... Creme Puffs looked pretty easy to prepare... what is it that I have not eaten for so so long??? Yes, yes, yes....rock buns.

After copying the recipes I went into the kitchen to look for the ingredients. There was no baking powder. So, how? Never mind. I remember having some SRF but it wasn't sufficient to supplement the plain flour. Never mind. The urge to do (which was rare) was immense. I better do it. Okay.

I summoned Di. She helped with the butter and flour. I was shaving the orange rind and at the same time giving the orange to Harith. I beat the eggs and then poured the milk to soften the dough. The mixed fruits were added. I forget to leave these fruits in the flour. Sugar? Yes, demerara sugar (brown sugar we called it here)... how much to add? 4ozs. BUT there was no weighing scale to weigh it. I roughly scooped out three scoops using Harith's milk scoop. I have no idea how much was 4ozs.

Anyway, using two tea spoons, we finished the dough and line them on one tray. The oven was ready. We finished already? Once baked... almost all the raisins left the rock buns? Freely popping out of the rock bun... LOL!!!!!!!! Anyway, the rock buns were not hard. That was my consolation even though there was no baking powder.

Okay, we shall now prepare the Creme Puffs. I took the butter and cut them, putting in a pot of 150 ml.water. What? Was it 200gms or 2 gms ??? I went back to the recipe that I scribbled on a little square paper. Oh oh... it was only 2 gms. ???? Was that all? I cut a slice of it although wondering how much was 2ozs. So, I took out the remaining block of butter, already in the water, from the water ... hahaha... 8 Tablespoons flour... was ready to be added into the pot. Once the pot was off the stove, I put in all the flour. Stirring vigorously ... oh no! It began to form lumps... I was not strong enough. Di came to the rescue. We did not take out the electric beater. Luckily, she managed to smoothen it. It was easy to fill the baking tray with this dough. It was soft.

Meanwhile, I poured some milk and 3Tbsps. of custard powder and bring to boil. The filling was easy to make. Once done, I cooled the puffs and slit them a bit to allow hot air out. Di managed the rest!! Then she put everything in the fridge.

WoW! That was some baking. Today, I don't have any support from my pic... she said...

"Lets finish everything we baked first, then bake new ones"...

That makes sense. Anyway, most of the recipes requires baking powder or SRF... I better shelf my urge, pack them up and open this note book. This is a borrowed NB. It's Di's. I still haven't got my new cable yet.

My right arm is hurting... the stiring of the puffs had contributed to this pain.

Cookies, pain and pleasure....