Christmas

Christmas isnt Christmas til it happens in your heart
Somewhere, deep inside you, is where Christmas really starts
So, give your heart to Jesus, youll discover when you do
That it's Christmas, really Christmas for you.


Jesus brings warmth like a winter fire, a light like a candles glow
Hes waiting now to come inside, like He did so long ago
Jesus brings gifts of truth and life and makes them bloom and grow
So welcome Him with a song of joy, and when He comes youll know


That Christmas isnt Christmas til it happens in your heart
Somewhere, deep inside you, is where Christmas really starts
So, give your heart to Jesus, youll discover when you do
That it's Christmas, really Christmas


Christmas, really Christmas
Christmas, really Christmas for you!

The week before Christmas

It's a norm that every year during this season, i'm as busy as the ants stocking up their food for the upcoming winter. Dun get me wrong, although most of the time it's about preparing gifts, and baking marathons, i'm still not particularly keen in getting ready that long list of food for Christmas so tat the hot roasting turkey sits on the table on Christmas eve, or dinner would be exquisite because it's tat season. I know some aunties or people who do, and who would make sure they have ordered every Christmas treat few weeks before, or otherwise Christmas wouldn't be Christmas. And talking about gifts, some even planned out what to buy the year before!

So ya, i used to bake and bake non stop when comes to this festive season. Infact, it's a yearly routine for me to pre-soak my dried fruits and bake fruit cakes three months beforehand, so tat they will be rich and 'rum-my' when consumed on Christmas day. But this year, i haven't been that keen or rather, the primary reason, i'm still settling myself in this foreign country. Again, dun misintepret, not tat i didn't bake anything for Christmas at all, just a bit different this year.

SO the week before Christmas, which is last week, i have been busying myself playing with Chocolates. Most of the items involved Chocolates, which i will explain a bit later after i've found my extra 24 hours (HAHA). I was trying out my new phone, but it turned out tat although it has a 5MP built-in camera, the pictures were still a bit blur..or should i blame my own skill?

My week? First, i started with jellies. All of a sudden, i had this craving for coconut pudding (i really miss the ones in Salut!), and decided to walk out to the shop one fine morning to buy some agar agar, pandan leaves and fresh coconut milk. Not bad, .... but i still think outside is better than my own homemade.

Then back to chocolate. If you have been to SG, you will notice that in every major supermarkets, this Hershey's cocoa powder is something common on shelves labelled 'baking ingredients'. I saw it from the first day, and ever since had always wanted to get and try it out, but never did, becoz the Varlhona is still sitting on my shelf. (Now i decided to save it to bake something for my sistas for the CNY!)

I got it finally...for nearly $7, per 226g. (It better gives me rewarding results!)

With this cocoa powder, i made my famous chocolate chip cookies as gifts for Christmas.

AS for Hub, he's busy as well. While i bake, he cooks! We had this super yummy prawn and spare ribs noodle soup for our dinner last Sunday and i'm still drooling over it until today. I just love his soups...yum! Then again..i love every soup, haha!

My cousin came down from KL over the weekend, and we had a lovely time chatting while enjoying our fondues (cheese and chocolate) at Clarke Quay. Beautiful place, my first time there (HAHA) and they have these bungee jumps tat look almost like the most ideal suicidal attempt.

This chocolate fondue was the best for me. I couldn't stop licking the leftover chocolates, until Hub gave me his 'parenthood' stare which indicates "Enough". And did i mention, they came with Ben & Jerry ice cream??

So tat was my week before Christmas. I need to go back to my designs and baking now.

What's next after puff?

CROISSANTS! ! ! I finally achieved another mission, isn't that great news? And believe me, this is supertedious, not in the sense where lotsa work is involved (which i do not mind), but more of like the precautions and extra care that i have to take when making them...Good stuff are normally complicated huh??

Croissant is a well known French pastry (i used to think it was Danish!) which has this crescent shape (like a moon). This buttery flaky and extremely fattening pastry is made of layers of yeast dough with butter, through three succeeding processes: rolling, folding and chilling. A well made croissant not only emphasizes on the distinct shape itself, but should be light and flaky.

Croissants and Danish pastries are the same, although croissant is more on the savoury side and danish the sweet. Both doughs are made with similar ingredients, and needless to say, very generous amounts of butter. The yeast dough is rolled out thinly to wrap up a chunk of butter and then folded into numerous layers. Chilling in between is required to ease handling of the dough and to prevent the soft butter from oozing out during the rolling process. It is the several repetitions of rolling, folding and chilling that creates the fluffiness, buttery and flakiness in the pastries.

This is my first attempt in making croissants, and definitely more space is needed for improvement. I think my croissants are too soft, which i am not pretty sure if this is right since i hardly and seldom eat croissants (considering the fats in it).

Blessed Resurrection Sunday!

Some disease struck me again. I was down with a minor fever yesterday, a continuation from Thurs' fever strike. Had a very bad tummy upset in the afternoon, and before i knew it, i couldn't get out of bed and was shivering all day eventhough it was bloody warm. Even had my hot water bottle with me at 26 oC! And Hub made a joke, saying that i'm suffering as a remembrance of Christ's cruxifiction.

Yeah i admit it. I was the one who inflicted that pain on him, one of those who nailed him to that cross. And guess what, He asked God the Father to forgive me before he breathed his last!

Have you ever wonder why they call it Good Friday instead of bad or sad Friday when it should be (by right) a mourning and gloomy day to remember Christ's sacrifice? Well i had, ever since young. Until i read this on Daily Bread this morning: 'It's Friday but Sunday's coming. That dark, Golgothan Friday can only be called good because of what happened on Sunday.'

Yups, no doubt it is today that God turned the worst deed of history into the greatest victory. It is today that death has been overcomed. It is today that our dear Lord Jesus resurrected from the death through the glory of the Father that we may have new lives. Today is the beginning of a new life, a new creation in Christ, because He has paid the price for you and for me.

Before i continue counting my many blessings on this day, i gladly want to share with you more flowers that are blooming in this season of spring. Don't close your eyes, the tulips are coming!

The Great Love

Sigh...i've been feeling unwell for the past days, but body finally detoxified itself by sweating profusely whole night long. And i just changed my bedsheet last Tuesday (duh!). The sudden change in temperature from 10 plus degree C to 26 oC is probably one of the reasons, but i'm glad that it is pretty warm now and i can wear short sleeves around. Being a M'sian who has lived her entire life in tropical hot climate that either rains or is superbly hot all year round, i can always say i prefer the warmth over the chill.

Today is a special day. Another day of the year to quiet down and remind ourselves of the Lord's utmost sacrificial love. The cruxifiction of Christ. Besides having head upsets and feeling nauseous lately (NO, i'm not pregnant!), i had been pretty upset with my own well being, so much that i felt i've neglected God's divine purpose for my life. When i looked at the bees working hard collecting flower nectars for pollination, i began to ponder on myself. Have i been working hard when God Himself is working hard? Have i been doing the right thing? Have i been setting an example as the daughter of God as i so claimed? Have i been thanking Him for everything that He has provided, or even for the sun that shines today? Have i been appreciating every single bit of my life, my family and friends?

God is soo gracious. 2,000 years ago, Christ came to give. He came for the poor, the sick, the needy and for those who are desperate for love. He came because He loves each of us so such, so exceedingly that He gave himself over to death to redeem our souls. Never have i heard or seen any love as great as this!! And He's not asking anything in return, but our hearts.

The choice has been given to us. The road has been laid, door opened and Christ has paid the price. It's up to us to believe, accept and repent before God. It's our decision; nobody is forcing even God Himself. He's only calling, calling you to run into His arms because He wants you to know one thing: He loves you dearly.

Spring, the best time of the year - Part 2

Splendid spring has so much to show! The sun was out very bright today, and i couldn't resist but snapping more photos of spring. Our used to be 'moody' winterous garden has turned into a beauty wonderland (reminds me of the ugly duckling) and flowers are blooming everywhere!

I love how these white flowers bloom...they're so prettty pretty (this is actually a plum tree) the fruits it produced during summer taste super sweet man!

Beautiful huh?

Xiang cai, u know the vege that they normally garnish on laksa

Look at the cute buds....

More snow white....

Think these shd be spring onions, if i'm not wrong

Banana trees, just moved outside yesterday

The green bush along the pathway

Apricot flowers are withering....fruits coming out soon?

More of lily-look alike flowers

With a tint of purple colour at the bottom, soo sweet

The sign of SPRING

Spring is here, and i'm sooo excited. I love spring because it is when I get to experience the lukewarm weather (neither too cold nor hot), feel the chilly wind, sense the sprouting buds, master germination and oversee flowers blooming!!

I was on a lookout for signs of spring today when we went for our usual climb. My photography skill is still inferiorly lacking, or poor if it's the best word. All thanks to my shivering hand, which I am persevering hard to overcome and be calm. Nevertheless, i believe i have captured most of the early birds of spring today, and beauty is such a wonder isn't it? God the amazing artist, i love all your flowers!

This is my most favourite flower, one that looks like violet tulip, but not.

The white version looks more like lilies

Buds, about to bloom

These buds reminded me of raspberries!

SAKURA!

The pinky pinky

Yellow morning glory?? They're soo sweet

More of my most fave tulip-like flowers!

These are apricot flowers in front of our main door

Fresh apricots will be here soon!!!