Lunch Menu and Pickled Petai

I made petai jeruk or pickled petai last three days.  Petai are green beans in a pod. It has a strong smell yet wonderful to eat . My mother used to make sambal petai  but not pickled ones. There are some blogs which showed how to make the pickled petai. It is quite simple , boil the petai in it's pod until it became quite yellow. Then boil some salt with water let , it cool. Then add the boiled petai into the cool salt water . For more information you can find a blog about pickled petai here : http://outdoorfreak.blogspot.com/2009/03/jeruk-petai.html  Wait for 4 to 5 days.  Today my father is not well, He has vertigo and my mother had prepared a simple meal .

Blemishless face

I have been using Tia Amelia turmeric cream for 5 years  This  is about the only skincare product which I get praises and people wanted to know what I use .I used this cream for about a week without alternating it with other creams  when I realized that my blemish is fading , I have about 5 more little blemishes and a scar which is covered. I am so happy.

Cats galore

Jingga

Awang

Koko

Kurus

Ketek

Si Hitam garang

These are my tiny companions day and night. There is Jingga which is now  an outdoor cat .  His teeth is not improving . Awang which nuzzles for food . Kurus , a refugee cat from the back which  made his home and decided to stay . Kiki and Koko were  left by their mother about one year ago. Ketek or with short legs came every day but does not want to stay . And another addition , a tiny kitten which lost it's mother  a few days ago which  found his or her way into this house.

At home with a cat

My brother Zahid  and his family   came back from Seychelles a few days ago for holiday.  Yesterday with my parents they have gone for a week off to Langkawi, Ipoh , Penang and Kedah to visit relatives and a wedding.  Today Mal too  had gone out . He is waiting for the ticket  to Madinah insha allah , soon to arrive on Monday or Tueday. Today I am left with the cats around. Jingga which still has a tooth ache had come back . He slept and and had gone out. 

Awang , the reclusive cat has at last allowed me to touch him . He likes to snuggle besides me and he also loves chicken meat.  I have rashes on my face yesterday .  So I used what else that works ,  the calamine lotion . I think I will change to Olay again. I have used Safi for nearly 6 months. It is okay but now with these blemishes I am not so sure.  Perhaps I need to buy a good face scrub.

Pumpkin soup

The second soup I made  was pumpkin soup. Not that I have not tried soup. All my life I  tasted clear chicken soup or oxtail soup. With pumpkin it was either savoury or sweet. Pumpkin is tasty in a vegetable dish usually with sayur asin and  pumpkin shoots in coconut milk.  I have only tried the pumpkin shoots , my mother said she had pumpkin most of her young life. My father on the other hand loves , porridge . Pumpkin porridge or Serawa Labu is also nice but my mother does not want to make all this fattening treats. 

So I went to make a pumpkin soup , I roasted  about a quarter of a pumpkin which yield about 1 cup the first time , the second time  I had two cups of mashed pumpkin  and I made the pumpkin soup  when Nas came. 

Nas and family had gone to Mecca to perform Umrah . They will be in Riyadh and Dubai too. Mal's birthday was yesterday and my father is 75 years old on the 15th of December.  I saw a recipe from Allrecipe and  with this recipe , I do not have to to use butter . I just have to add  the chopped onion , garlic, peppercorn , chopped fresh thyme into the mashed pumpkin and chicken broth. The first time I add cream and boil which is a no no. The second time , I add some peppercorns which made it spicy .  Next time , I will try a mushroom soup and broccoli soup. With broccoli soup I think I will try the simple one.  Here is the recipe I used if you are interested :http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-soup/

Diorifc Lipstick

I have a birthday gift , a Christian Dior  lipstick.  A gift from my sister Yati. The colour is Mystic Mauve , No. 008.  I have bought two Diorific lipsticks before . The first was an aubergine colour . I was into gothic makeup , sometimes I have giggles from my co-workers. A vampire type , with dark lipstick.  After the gothic lipstick I went full swing to nude lipsticks, That was years ago , I have asked the sales assistant for a nude lipstick and she suggested this colour Mystic Mauve of  Violet tactic. The colour is brown with  purple  colour . I love it .  I have another Mauve colour  lipstick  from Estee. Lipsticks are the one item which I splurge on.

Birthday party , potato gratin and pea soup

The four of us my parents, Mal and me went to A & W in  Petaling Jaya to celebrate Rania Z's 1st birthday . It was raining when we reached the place  . We saw our old house at Section 14 on the way to A & W. What memories, Rania was there in faux fur and a sweet gown. A princess . He he he. The games were enjoyable.
I made potato gratin .  I took about six medium sized potatos and sliced them thinly. I need a mandolin !!!

 Then add milk and salt . I cooked the potatoes for 15 minutes then pop the potaoes in the oven at 180celcius for one hour . Before that I add cream and some  cheddar cheese. I made the potatoes twice , the second time  I add more salt  and grated the cheese. The first time I  turn the oven for 200celcius at the last 30 minutes , it was not very nice . The constant temperature of 180celcius is good enough.
I also tried pea soup. I have always wanted to make soup but did not go about it. I bought some frozen peas, fresh thyme and parsley . I missed the lettuce or leeks. However I did go about making express broth. I made chicken broth twice.  At first I wanted to make pea soup with cumin with potato and tomato . I did not .  I made a lot and I ended eating all the pea soup myself . I have some more peas in the freezer . Perhaps tomorrow I will buy cumin.