Project Kitchen: Siakap Stim & Labu Rebus Belacan

Dah lama tak tunjuk aksi Mizz Ray ke dapur kan?? Bukan takde masak kat rumah, tapi sebab takde major project sangat. Tu belum lagi occassional malas time when I do is dial the number for meal delivery je hehehhe...

Anyway, I've also discovered the wonder that is induction cooker! Thus bersemangat balik masuk ke dapur, even masak awal pagi nak bawak bekal ke office (yes, I bring my own food to the office now, and I keep my cooking healthy and easy peasy). And using induction cooker makes the cooking time shorter and more efficient.

Siakap Stim
So anyway, last week I had great craving (yess...one of my famous cravings made a demand last week) for fish. And so happened that one night after gym I found fresh siakap at Tesco. So belila sekor. Sedihnya, beli sekor je? Yela..bajet sorang makan je mahhh...And of course, when it comes to siakap, nothing beats steaming it ya?

OK OK better get back to the cooking. A few days after I bought the siakap I went to the morning Pasar Tani near my work place and bought some belimbing tunjuk. Belimbing tunjuk kan nama belimbing kecik masam yang sebesar jari tu kan? So I thought maybe I can improvise sikit and letak sekali this belimbing dekat my steamed siakap.

Then over the weekend I invited a friend over to 'help me eat the food'. Best tak?? Ada assistant nak makan hehehe..Lain kali kalau sesapa nak volunteer tolong Mizz Ray makan jangan malu jangan segan sampaikan hajat di hati OK!:)

Mari layan gambar:

Bahan-bahan 'sampah' untuk stim ikan ni: Bawang kecil, bawang putih, halia, belimbing tunjuk, sebijik tomato (not in picture), cili, serai-semua bahan ni dihiris.

Ikan siakap ler...Mizz Ray takde steamer, so I had to make do with my multicooker. So I just cut the fish into half. Put it in an aluminium foil.

Gaul bahan-bahan yang dah dihiris tadi dengan seasoning of your choice-in my case they're white pepper, salt and a bit of ajinomoto. Sikit je OK. Lepas tu boleh la letak kat atas ikan tadi:)

Ni la rupa siakap yang dah ready untuk distim:). Jangan lupa boil the water and get your steamer ready ya..

Ni pulak rupa my siakap stim. Bestnya..lemak sedap ikan ni memang tak boleh nak cakap la. And good to know that it's steamed and there's absolutely no use of oil at all.

Labu Rebus Belacan

This is one very simple rebus dish (kira sayur la kan..?) that I thought is a nice company for the steamed siakap tu. Really simple and easy to do.

Let's check out the bahan-bahan:)

Labu, diced. Should be of similar size so that nanti masak pun serata.

Bahan-bahan lain very simple-bawang kecil, bawang putih, fresh chilli (kalau nak lagi pedas guna je cili padi), belacan sikit, udang kering sikit (rendam dulu)

Bila udang kering dah lembut sikit, toskan and together with all the other ingredients, sila la tumbuk:D. Sementara tu, you can start rebus the pumpkin tadi in moderate heat. Labu ni rupa je macam keras, tapi cepat gak lembut bila direbus kan?

So ngam-ngam bila dah siap menumbuk, labu pun agak-agak dah separuh lembik, tinggal masukkan saja bahan-bahan tumbuk tadi combine dengan labu tu.

Tunggu kejap je then once everything is thoroughly cooked, it's now ready to serve:)


Sorry ye bahasa pun memang rojak habis la, but kalau dah lapar, rojak pun rojak la...
Bon apetit!!

My Sleeping Angels

Nothing much to update here, but thought I'd like to share some pictures of my babies. My sleeping babies:D...

Truly, whether they're human babies or your beloved pet(s), snapping their photos while they're sleeping is really fascinating. And I do that a lot with my cats.

So enjoy!!













Sorry, no accompanying story nor captions, but I guess those pictures tell their own story don't they? Aren't they angelic and adorable?? Love them to bits.

Ok..now off to focus on the United-Scousers game....Dammit Torres just scored!!:(..Oh well...we have 85 more minutes to catch up. Till then..toodlooo!!

Beautiful Blogger?Awww....I'm Flattered;)

Heh...Thanks Leo honey for this award..Malu lerr....


But alas, it comes with a price, a.k.a a tag along with it. Lemme see the syarat-syarat yadda yadda...

OK here goes:
a. Thank & link the person that gave you the award.-CHECK
b. Pass this award onto 15 bloggers you’ve recently discovered and think are fantastic-WILL DO AFTER THIS
c. Contact said Blogs and let them know they’ve won the award. -WILL DO AFTER THIS
d. State 7 things about yourself-OKIE DOKIE

Errmm...15 bloggers??? Sapa yer?I tend to blog-jump la. But if you're reading this, can you please consider yourselves tagged?? And it'd be good if you link me in and let me know you're doing it so that I can skodeng/check out/put you in my reading list/stalk your blog a lot more:)But still, I try ok...

Beautiful people:
1. Juwita
2. Ngegeh Babe-Geng blogger dari Kuching. Jawab jangan sik jawab ok Egeh!!
3.Aqies!!!-Weyyy mek ko wajib jawab tau...Kalo takkk....Hehhehe
4.Miak Nama Onn...Aihh dah malar madah dirik kach tek nak...so tuk nak dapat anugerah mesti polah tag tuk;)<--another Kch blogger
5.Darleng Ejad

Errmm..tu je yg terlintas kat kepala sekarang ni. Tapi if you're reading this, with all my heart I give you this award too. Would reaallly love to hear from you too so link me and let me know by leaving a comment ok!! Like I said, I'd love to skodeng your blogs too!:)

OK apa lagi nak kena buat??Check sat...

Now...7 things about myself? Apa ye..?

1. Mizz Ray loves her job! Heheh..tak percaya??I myself sometimes find it hard to believe. But I love the part where I get to write. Dolu-dolu time sekolah kan, cikgu English dgn cikgu BM mesti pening kepala bila dapat essay daripada Mizz Ray. Bukan apa, cikgu suruh buat 200-word limit, I would memandai-mandai buat until 800 words...Hikkksss...(oops..panjang lak. See?? Suka cerita meleret-leret mahh...)

2. Suka jugeks menari. Time sekolah pernah jadik wakil sekolah (and indirectly, Malaysia) in the friendly Festival Lagu Rakyat. Kitorang perform sambil menyanyi lagu-lagu tradisional rakyat Sarawak. Seronok banget! Nyanyi and menari dengan geng sekolah. Dah tu bila masuk uni pun ada gak involve, tapi tah apasal plak malas nak explore bebetul. Even Kolej Kediaman pun ada offer tempat kat kolej so that I can represent the college ni dalam Festival Seni, boleh plak sesenang reject padahal orang lain berebut tempat kat kolej tu. Isshhhh...

3. Masa kecik dulu dok dengan Arwah Atuk and Arwah Nenek lepas dapat adik lelaki. Tapi bila nak start kindy mak ayah amik balik duduk dengan diorang. At that time we lived in another town, about 2.5 hours away from Kuching. Masa nak berpisah dengan Nenek tu memang I mengamuk gila-gila la...Sebabnya, Mizz Ray ni cucu kesayangan Nenek ;). Still miss her till now, and I was the most affected when she passed away when I was in Form 4:(...tadah tangan sedekah Al-Fatihah jap...

4. Masa masuk sekolah rendah (and menengah jugak la...), mesti jadik budak saiz paling kecik kat kelas. Dah tu kan, kalau nak berbaris tu, mesti kena jadik budak berbaris paling kat depan:(...So nak lari pun susah. Nasib baik otak boleh pakai hehehe...

5. Mizz Ray adalah penyanyi yang pasti akan menyumbangkan lagu hahhaha..Pitching lari, hancus!! Tapi sekali sekala pergi karaoke best jugak sumbangkan lagu, boleh release tension. But thank god my rhythm is always right.

6. My first car was a Kelisa, back home in Kuching. Tapi bila pindah KL kena jual pulak. Sedih woorr...Banyak kenangan yang teramat manis dengan kereta (and dalam kereta heheh)..Kaler pun sama dengan my present car- ash gray. Suka kaler tu:)

7. Tak reti berenang, tapi boleh (insyaAllah) float on my back. Tu kira boleh berenang tak???<---sebab boleh buat kuak lentang mahhh...

OK tu je kot nak kena buat in order to accpet this award kan? Ehh jangan lupa ambik and tepek award ni ok!! Everybody is beautifullll...

It's That Time of the Year

Hola...tertanya-tanya tak it's that time of the year for what??

Hehe...macam gempak sikit...Sikit je. No la, nothing much. It's that time of the year (or more like half-year) when I have to work on weekends too. So, this Saturday and Sunday, 13 & 14 March, I'll be slaving off again. It's our convocation, so Mizz Ray will be lepaking the whole day for two days at Wisma MCA.

*And that scandalous ex-minister might be the Guest of Honour. Tak confirm lagi, but we'll see. Hope I don't get tortourous mental picture la hor...;)*

So wish me great energy for this exhausting work, and perhaps, something more life-changing coming my way soon;)

Errkkk....

I did a booboo, and it involves money...and I'm figuring out ways to get outta this booboo...Yikesss!!!

Truth is, I fell victim to a marketing ploy/pressure, whatever you call it la. I signed up for the membership of something that is yes, very beneficial especially to my health. The thing is, I've paid some deposit and luckily, they have not charged my credit card to pay for the remaining amount for this membership.

And now, looking at how I need to save up for the house and the possibility of changes in my daily routine and life, I know I can't afford to add on to the existing money worries. So...I'm going to cancel this membership and hope that they can refund me the deposit that I paid yesterday.

So, next time, think carefully before you commit to something or spend your money ok Mizz Ray??? Kalau kaya raya banyak duit takpe...Issshhhhh...

Watching My Name is Khan with My Parents

Life is now back to normal in my household. Mum and Dad have been staying over with me for two weeks, and we did many things and went to places together. So last Monday I sent them to LCCT in the morning before off to the office for me. It was kinda sad seeing them leaving, but I guess it's a good thing too, to get my life back to the old routine.

Anyway, amongst those things that we did together was going to a cinema to watch a Hindi movie, My Name is Khan. Mum and Dad are Hindi movie fans back when they were young, and I thought it'd be a nice thing to treat them to a movie.


And here's the trailer

At first when I told Mum, she said "Ehh taknakla..mana ada orang tua pegi tengok wayang??" but I went and bought the ticket anyway for last Sunday's afternoon show at Cineleisure, which thankfully is only five minutes away from home.

Anyway, my Dad, always the sport that he is, immediately agreed. I myself am not really a Hindi movie fan, but the pairing of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol is always explosive, and both talents are sure to draw fans to the cinema.

Anyway here's a bit of info about the movie:

Theirs was a storybook romance told against the shadow of a great American city, until a series of life-changing events threatened more than just their own happiness. Imagine what happens when a single act from a determined man seeking forgiveness and love lost can do to inspire the hearts and minds of a wounded nation. In MY NAME IS KHAN, Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol Devgan inhabit the most challenging roles of their careers. Rizvan Khan is an honorable Muslim man from India, living with Asperger’s Syndrome, who falls unconditionally for the beautiful Mandira, a Hindu single mother living out her version of the global dream of success. Yet, when an unspeakable act of cowardice tears their family apart, Khan selflessly embarks on a powerful journey through a contemporary America that is as complex as the terrain of the human heart. He innocently becomes that most unlikely act of defiance, one of peace and compassion. He provides a sobering reality that touches the lives of every person he crosses. In the name of the woman he loves, a curious stranger will introduce himself to the world simply by saying, “My name is Khan, and I am not a terrorist.”

Truly, after leaving the cinema hall, I did not regret taking Mum and Dad to watch this movie. Even if they were not around, I would still want to watch it because it was an unconventional Bollywood movie, devoid of the usual sing-and-dance tradition that is known in Hindi movie, and which is just purely artistic cinema experience at its best.

Without a doubt, this is SRK's best performance of date, and Kajol, as usual, is his most perfect cinematic partner. The kind of chemistry you see between them in their previous movies is as strong as ever. And watching it with my parents makes it even a better experience for me.

So go watch it if you can, it's message is global, it's heartwarming, and it's simple. This movie makes you laugh and it makes you cry. I'd definitely go find the DVD once it's out;)

Hikkss.....Tak sangka I can give such rave reviews on a Hindi movie kann...?

Another Short Getaway...and A Movie

Ok...As Mum and Dad are here, I try to spend as much time as I can with them. They'll leave on Monday:(...

But for the weekend, here's our plan. This is where we're going..





Do you know where it's at??

Guess again:)



Very easy to guess right???

We're going to....



Yup...Just plain 'ol Port Dickson. It's not that far, a good place to spend time with family, and well, although tunjuk gambar resort, no wwe won't be staying there la...Duit dah habis for last weekend's trip dah:D..

Anyway, expect a darker Mizz Ray back in KL by Sunday ya!! Then, I plan to take Mum and Dad to watch 'My Name is Khan' in the cinema. Will pop by at Cineleisure after work today to get them tickets. It will also be the first time I'm watchign a Hindi movie in a cinema, and well, sicne I know they're fans of Hindi movie, and I like the SRK/Kajol combo, I thought why not have a movie date with my parents;)

If I have the Rajin factor, I'll talk about the movie in my next entry. Till then, back to work!!

Off for Another Short Holiday...

I guess the East Coast holds some kind of attraction for me, mostly attributed to the shopping for kain part heheheh...

So this time tomorrow, I should be driving there via the East Coast Highway towards Kuantan and Kemaman first, before using the coastal road towards Kota Bharu. This is the third Chinese New Year in a row that I go to KB. Two years ago it was with Nina, and that was my very first trip there. Then last year's CNY I went with my sister and her two friends, and again, with Nina as our guide/driver there.

This time, Mum, Dad and my cousin Ina will be with me, while Nina would be waiting there again, to be our guide/driver. Thanks babe!!:)

Dad has been wanting to come to this side of Malaysia since last year. This is because in his previous visits, they've been work-related so he never had the chance to really explore the place. So if we have the time, we'll also take the time to stop by at Kuala Terengganu too, maybe on our way back to KL on Monday.

So wish us a great time and safe journey OK!!

I'm A Gleek! and I'm on a Diet

Yess....Mizz Ray is a certified Gleek now:)...That's the Glee-speak for Glee fan. So jadinya, sekarang every Wednesday lepas BJ class at Axis habis pukul 8.10, kena cepat-cepat balik to catch American Idol (my guilty pleasure), or what's left of it on Star World, and then followed by this new favourite series of mine, Glee:). Ala tertinggal AI sikit takpe, can always watch the repeat again over the weekend (kalau tak keluar la), but I try not to miss Glee.

Anyway, been feeling very-very musical hari ni, so all day I've been playing songs from the series while at work. And in case you don't really know about this series, here's a snippet of info from the show's official website (FOX).


The series follows an optimistic teacher, WILL SCHUESTER (Matthew Morrison), who - against all odds and a malicious cheerleading coach - attempts to save McKinley High's Glee Club from obscurity, while helping a group of aspiring underdogs realize their true star potential. It's a tall order when the brightest stars of the group include KURT (Chris Colfer), a soprano who hits a high note in fashion; MERCEDES (Amber Riley), a larger-than-life diva with a voice to match; ARTIE (Kevin McHale), a geeky guitarist who rocks and rolls; and TINA (Jenna Ushkowitz), a punk rocker who hides behind her stutter and blue hair extensions.

Will's only hope lies with two true talents: RACHEL BERRY (Lea Michele), a self-proclaimed star who is convinced that MySpace and show choir and are her tickets to fame; and FINN HUDSON (Cory Monteith), the popular high school quarterback with movie star looks who must protect his reputation from his holier-than-thou girlfriend and "Cheerios" head cheerleader, QUINN (Dianna Agron), and his arrogant football teammate, PUCK (Mark Salling).

Will is determined to do whatever it takes to make Glee great again, but his only ally is fellow teacher and germaphobe EMMA PILLSBURY (Jayma Mays). Everyone else around him thinks he's nuts - from his tough-as-nails wife TERRI SCHUESTER (Jessalyn Gilsig) to McKinley's scheming cheerleading coach SUE SYLVESTER (Jane Lynch) - but he's out to prove them wrong.

OK meh enjoy sikit lagu from this series ok;)..


this song is from the first episode

from last night's episode

On the same note, I'm also starting my detox programme today. I know, during the long stretch December holiday period, dah asyik-asyik kerja makan and outing and gathering with friends, jadinya I feel like I've been piling on some unwanted kilos...Tobatt!!! And tambah-tambah pulak January takde pegi gym and kurang aktiviti fizikal, lagila my fitness level turun, stamina pun pancit.

I started going back to the gym on Monday, and dengan tak happynya I declare that memang my fitness level menurun. Pegi kelas BJ pun larat buat separuh aje (on Monday, plus needed to rush out as my family was waiting to have dinner with me). Tuesday pun macam tu jugak, but at least I did some brisk walk and minor run on the treadmill to warm up. After that some weight training kejap, concentrating on my upper back and leg-press. I don't dare terus buat yang berat-berat sangat because I don't know how fit I was to do the heavier stuff.

Then semalam (Wednesday) pulak as soon as I reached the gym I hit the ellyptical and managed to sweat up a bit for about 20 minutes. Yes, I know, not much, but I have to take into consideration my asthma jugak, takut if I pushed myself hard nanti terus semput teruk:D. Lagipun bukan apa, kelas BJ pun would be held soon after, so I didn't want to exhaust myself too much before the cardio class. But I had sooooo much fun last night dancing, and I sweat even more from the routines that I am familiar with. Basah jugakla my t-shirt. Today is my gym break day, so I thought I'm just gonna head home and start kemas rumah sikit-sikit as my parents are flying in this weekend for a 2-week stay.

Ok back to my detox, what I plan to do is just a mild one, taknak la hardcore hardcore no rice no food type, but I will just try to take less carbo and more veges, fruits and fibre. Plus lotsa water. I also drink this herbal tea to help with my pipe-cleaning exercise:)

Trudtox ni beli kat Watson's hari tu. As a beginner, I just bought the 5-sachet packet, which I'm hoping to finish within this two weeks. Hari ni je dah minum dua kali dari satu sachet (boleh ulang guna 2-3 kali) and so far memang best, takde la rasa perut meragam nak berak sangat. But the toilet visit has been more frequent jugak today, and so I need to replace the lost liquid with more aqua la. That means more good news because I'm drinking more water. And malam ni I plan to drink another mug of this tea to excellerate the process.

So far I don't have a high expectation sangat, I just want my pipes to be thoroughly cleansed so that I can better absord the nutrients in my food. Memandangkan Mizz Ray ni orangnya yang amat degil dan kurang berdisiplin, so bendalah ni kena buat in moderation, sambil sendiri-sendiri jugak beringat la.

So, wish me luck in this minor diet OK;)As for perubahan berat...errmm...Taknakla hebah how much I weigh right now hehhe.. Cukupla sekadar tau that I've never reached this weight before in my life, and that's why it's worrying for me. But the more important thing is I want to improve my fitness level and tone my body, rasa macam out of shape la pulak:(..

Apa-apupun I will share the outcome here. First thing first, buang dulu toxin kat dalam badan ni!! In the meantime, bersuka-suka nyanyi macam dalam Glee dulu OK!!:)

Adjusting My Life

Ok...I know that people normally do their self reflection/wishlisting/resolution-making exercise at the end of the year.

I normally do not do that. At least, maybe not consciously or as deeply as I have been doing for the whole of this January.

Yes I know, it sounds ridiculous that I only do those things in January. But well, that's Mizz Ray for you, I try to be unlike any other:)

Anyway, I've been doing lots of thinking this month (not that I never do that, in fact one friend reprimanded me for 'thinking too much') and been analysing (yes, I use Brit spelling-what can I say? I'm an editor!) and I have come to certain conclusion and been (meticulously) making some what is hopefully, life-changing, errmm...adjustments. Don't wanna call them resolutions, for I will feel burdened and pressured by that term. But well, yes they are resolutions, but let's not call it that shall we? (Sorry membebel pulak!)

Why do I call it adjustment? Well, basically for me if you use 'resolution' that means something that is totally new to you. But for me, I'm just going to make ADJUSTMENTS to some areas of my life that need to be improved and altered. For example, good habits that may have bored me and thus need to be boosted (i.e. my fitness/excercise regime). It's really comforting to know that I care about my fitness level and I try to work out as much as I can, but it seems like it's never enough. I don't feel any lighter/fitter/helathier. Thus, I know I need to alter some regime or habit in this area that suits my need, or adjustment.

Thus, although I'm freezing my January gym membership, I'll be back in February with better level of consciousness about what I do there that can actually up the ante and challenge my body more. Wake those sleeping muscles up and and get them to work for me!! No more just cardio excercise and to include more weight training, core strengthening and overall body toning. And more of something as simple as drinking plain water! It baffles me la why is it so hard for me to drink plain water and so I must always remember and try to put more aqua inside me. InsyaAllah yakin boleh kann??

I also must tell myself to be more careful about what I eat and to get those healthy food more. Less fried stuff, less makanan bersantan, more vege, more fruits, yada..yada..yada..

I'm also going to do some major adjustments in my finance area. It's a bit messy right now, but I'm educating myself right now and am making the plans towards a healthier finance.

I need to focus more and stay focused if I were to ensure my plans that involve money are executed without any problem. My house is almost ready, so I need to think about filling up that house, renovation, wiring, and as I'm into this all by myself (sedihnya...) I need to keep track of where my money is coming from and more importantly, where is it going.

I also want to travel more and farther and so some percentage should go towards that goal too. I would like to diversify my investment portfolio too and so my constant mantra now is to not shop unneccessarily. Errkk...boleh ke? InsyaAllah boleh:)...No more pointless wandering in shopping malls, no expensive dining (occassional treat can or not??) and errmm...anything that I can do to save lah!:)

So...those are the biggest areas that I need to make radical adjustments at this year. I pray that I can stay focused and stick to them, and hopefully I won't get too overwhelmed by them or worse, pressured by them that I lose focus in everything and well..that's just not good. As for other areas...I will make the adjustments as they go. Wish me luck!


**actually takut tak boleh nak ikut, that's why tanak panggil resolution hehehe...benda cenggini kena guna psycho gak kan??choice of terms and words can influence how we act tau....**

TQ Mr. Google for the photos;)