Today Lesson

REPEATED DANCE

My new life
When I cry

Penang Acar

My contribution during our Kota Kemuning gathering

Penang Acar
1 kg cucumber
500g cabbage
300g long bean (or French beans)
300g carrot
300g cauliflower

1kg groundnuts (toasted and coarsely ground)

100g sesame seeds (toasted)

Grind these rempah ingredients :-
6 stalks lemon grass (serai)
5cm piece of galangal (lengkuas)
5cm piece of fresh tumeric (kunyit)
2.5cm of belacan (optional)
300g shallots
6 pips garlic
30 dried chillies (seeded and soaked)
4 candlenuts

1-1/2 cups oil
2 cups rice vinegar
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/2 tsp salt

Cut vegetables into 2.5cm lengths,

Remove seeds of cucumber but keep the skin, then toss in one teaspoon of salt and dry the slices under the sun.

Blanch the rest of the vegetables separately in a pan of boiling water with 1 cup of vinegar, starting with cabbage, followed by cauliflower and so on. The vegetables must not be overcooked or else they won’t be crunchy. Drain off the excess water from the vegetables before adding in the sauce.

Fry the grounded ingredients till fragrant or when oil surfaces. Ad vinegar, sugar and salt. Allow to cool for a couple of hours before adding vegetables. Sprinkle groundnuts and sesame seeds.

Best serve after the vegetables has been soaked overnite and kept in the fridge.

Thai Leave Roll

Hi! Saw the pic that was posted by Christina? That salad is called Mieng Kham or Thai Leaves Roll. This is an exotic Thai salad. It's a great appetizer and healthy snack. An excellent dish to serve at a party. I managed to get the recipe from the net. Somebody pls try it out and make during our next potluck okay?

In Thailand, Mieng Kham is usually served with betel leaves (Mini daun sirih). If getting the leaves poses as a big problem to you, instead, it can be substituted with lettuce, cabbage or a similar broad leaf vegetable.

You will need:

• 1/4 cup dried shrimp
• 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts
  
• 20-30 betel leaves or lettuce leaves
• 1 chopped lime (with skin - the thinner the skin, the better)
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 20 chopped small thai chillis
• 1/2 cup grated toasted coconut
• 1/4 cup chopped raw ginger, tumeric (kunyit)

You can also add other optional items such as shredded kaffir lime leaves to add the extra zing..

.....and then the sauce:

• 1/2 tablespoon finely sliced galangal (aka "blue ginger")
  
• 1/8 cup chopped shallots
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup palm sugar (gula melaka)
  
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1/4 cup grated toasted coconut

Directions:

1. Dry roast the coconut in a wok on medium high, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Cook until the coconut is medium brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside the amount used for the sauce, and put the rest into a serving bowl.
2. Cut up all the ingredients which are not to be put into the sauce into small 1/4″ pieces. Arrange in small bowls, or in piles on a plate.
3. Now, for the sauce… pound together the shallots and galangal until fine. Set aside.
4. In a small sauce pan, add the water, fish sauce, palm sugar & shallot/galangal mixture.
5. Boil over medium heat to reduce the sauce to the thickness shown in the picture below. You’re going to boil off about 1/2 the liquid. Make sure to keep stirring every now and then.
6. Add the roasted coconut, remove from heat, and put into a small bowl.
7. To eat… Take a leaf and fold the bottom to make a pouch (see large pic above). Put a large pinch of roasted coconut in first, then follow with a piece or two of everything else from the serving bowls: shallots, lime, ginger, peanuts, shrimp and a chili if desired. There is no ‘proper’ order to put them in. Then, add a bit of sauce on top, roll the leaf to make a packet, and eat in one bite. Eating Mieng Kam is like a taste explosion.

TODAY LESSON

REPEATED DANCE

Island in the Stream

NEW DANCE

When I cry (48 steps, 2 wall)

Yesterday night Jam Dancing party.

Look at all the faces.... All so happy. Got home make food to eat and jam dancing, what a party!
This is the first gathering party we had and looking forward to more.
This a whole group of line dancers from BRP line dancers, Kemuning Utama line dancers and Sri Muda line dancers and of course some of their family members.


The above is a special dish make by one of the Sri Muda line dancers. Whats the ingredient and name of the dish....oh sorry lah I forgot. But the taste is good and very exotic.


Wow, so many homemake food to eat. The menu................. too much to remember.


Rui Ting said...so many food to choose ah...hmmm let me see. Cheryl said..ayai just grab anything lah that can give us energy loh.

The above is a group of Sri Muda line dancers.

Below are one of the video that I am able to take before the night fall dark. Sorry the rest of the video is so dark and can only see their teeth.

Thai style Kerabu Chicken feet flesh

Chicken feet flesh (above picture)

Chilli padi, Bunga Kanta(wild ginger buds) and lemon grass.(as shown above)

Mango strips(must be half ripe)

Kaffir Lime Leaves and pasley(as shown above)

Ingredients

1) Chicken feet flesh(boneless) = 1200gram(300gram/pkt) = RM5.50/pkt
2) Lime = 10nos (squeeze the lime juice)
3) Lemon grass = 3 stalks or more
4) Bunga Kanta(wild ginger buds) = 3 stalks
5)Kaffir Lime Leaves = Some to taste
6) Pasley = Some to taste and decoration
7) Chilli padi to cut into piece or to blend it
8) Some salt to taste
9) Sugar = 7 to 8 table spoon or more
10) Vinegar = 2 table spoon
11) Mango strips

12) Onion

It is easier to buy the ready make chicken feet flesh from any supermarket or frozen food shop. How to de-boned the chicken feet, sorry lah I really dont know at all. Mabye, some nice people out there will have the method to share.

First, you need to thoroughly clean the chicken feet flesh with salt and drain twice with warm water to get rid of any unwanted smell.

Cut the chicken feet flesh into small pieces(size according to your liking). Mix all ingredients together and put into the fridge. Preferable to eat cold.

This is my recipe which I want to share with my friends and if anyone out there have better recipe or ingredients are most welcome.

Chinese Wisdom

Here’s some good old Chinese wisdom!

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole, which she carried across her neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments

But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After 2 years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream

“I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.”

The old woman smiled, “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?

That’s because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.”

“For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.”

Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”

Each of us has our own unique flaw…

But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.

You’ve just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

To all of my crackpot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers, on your side of the path.

REFLECTION OF LIFE

REFLECTION OF LIFE

Our Life cannot always be full of happiness but it can always be full of love!

He who is blind to the view of our souls, will not enjoy and see as it is.

The more you plan, the less likely you will experience chance, therefore live life to the fullest.

A true friend is one who holds your hand and thus touches your heart.

When we get married, we won’t know what lies ahead until we hit the waves of life at sea.

Life is reality without an eraser!

Nothing in the future, will correct those moments that you have missed in the past.

Don’t waste time with someone who won’t support you in time of need.

Always look at the bright side of life. If there is no bright side, wait until the future turns to light.

Don’t cry over what has happened in the past, but be happy that you could enjoy the moment.

Always remember the words from a true friend : “ I’ll be there for you”

WORK , as if you don’t need money.

LOVE, as if nobody has hurt you.

DANCE, as if nobody was watching you.

SING, as if nobody was listening.

LIVE, as if this was paradise on earth.

Don’t despair, the nicest things will happen to you when you least expect them….

Feel free to share this with friends even those that you don’t talk to very often.

REMEMBER : “EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS, HAPPENS FOR A REASON”

Beware of Intruders In Our Neighbourhood

Hi Frens! This incident happened last Friday during the afternoon. A resident of BRP3 (with house facing the school field) became a victim of snatch theft while getting out of her car and the incident happened right in front of her house.

She struggled with 2 Indian men who were riding on a motorbike when the latter attempted to snatch her handbag. They slashed her hand with a knife. The usual ploy. Sorry, hate mentioning the race. But in case you are entering or getting out of your car. Just pay extra caution and beware of any oncoming Indian bikers to avoid falling victim to snatch theft.

Daylight robberies and snatch theft incidences are on the rise. In fact few weeks earlier while I was hanging clothes outside my house, I have already noticed a dark skinned man on a van who appeared to be rather suspicious. He was driving very slowing as though he was observing the environment and stalking on potential victims. Sometimes you can't tell whether they are the thieves or robbers as they may dress-up smartly and driving a decent car. Crimes can be committed by local or foreigners and irregardless of race. We really gotta be cautious of our surrounding and keep a close watch of any unfamiliar faces around our neighbourhood. Stay safe, buddies!

Moon cake festival

Today is the moon cake festival or mid autumn celebration.

Its started to rain in evening around 3pm until 7pm and its quite disappointing as the moon was hidden by the rain cloud.

Anyway, we still continue our prayers even though the moon is not out. Most of the people have asked me this question why we are praying to the moon as the man have already landed on the moon and found no fairies at all. This about the fairies is just one of the stories that I mentioned in the earlier post. If you would like to know actual story, you got to do some research in the internet.

As for me, this is one of our Chinese festival which I think we should continue to remind our children or grandchildren that there is such festival or else it will be totally lost forever.

Today Lesson

NEW DANCE

My New Life


************************************************
The Party(Makan-makan and jam dancing) on the 13th September is postpone to 20th September and it will be a Pot Luck basis.(Contribute your own talent of cooking to the dance members).

The following are the dance songs for the 20th September 2008

CD NO 1

1) Achy Breaky Heart
2) Come dance with me
3) It is so easy
4) The Shake
5) Mister-in-Between
6) Por-Ti-Sere
7) Man Chang Fei
8) Demi Cinta
9) Rock around the clock
10) Tong Nian
11) Living Doll
12) Brother and Sister
13) Cherry Blosson Cha

14) Hit The Road Jack
15) Madu & Racun
16) Never & Forever
17) Khoo Kaat
18) For the Sake of Love
19) La Chico
20) Saturday Night Fever
21) Bosa Nova
22) I Saw U Standing There
23) Amor De Helio
24) Crazy Foot Mambo
25) Groove with me

CD NO 2

1) Sha La La
2) Mambo Rock
3) Kiss Me Quick
4) Tea for two
5) Colour of the wind
6) Yi Ge Wen
7) Hua Hee Du Hoo
8) Chaca Chaca
9) Two Butterflies
10) Silver Threads & Golden Needle
11) Zjozzy Funk
12) Rasa Sayang
13) Body Cha
14) Rio
15) Making Of India
16) Bobbie Sue