A Gastronomic Experience...

I love food so much and one of my favorite dish is the butter chicken. Back in New Zealand there is an Indian food stall that has the best butter chicken I have ever tasted. It's creamy, a little bit spicy, tangy and sweet.

When we moved here in Adelaide the very first thing I did was to look for an Indian food stall or restaurant that offers a butter chicken similar to the one in New Zealand. I thought I will never find one but I did :)

The restaurant is called Royal India and it's along Woodville Road. It's close to home and transportation would not be a problem for me in case I crave for some Indian food ;). The butter chicken there is very nice compared to the others that I have tasted. But the vegetarian dish Malai Kofta is the best! The taste of this dish is the same as the butter chicken in New Zealand only that this has potato and cottage cheese instead of chicken. Yummy!

Thanks Daddy for giving in to my desire! I know that you are really not a curry lover person but you still took me there. I truly had a great evening :)

And he said so...

Let me described to you plain and simple my first born child...A Happy Go Lucky person. Indeed, that's my "Kuya" (that's what we usually call him at home)!

I was surprised (very actually!) yesterday when I heard his comment about his sister's opinion. My daughter asked me and her brothers what would be our wish if Genie is real. My youngest said that he will wish for infinite times to beat his big brother in basketball...mine is world peace...hehehe...then my daughter said that she wanted to have a never ending wish. She will wish for a unicorn, a toy and so on and so forth...then Kuya said that this is boring. I never expected him to say this because I thought that his sister's idea is cool. Out of curiosity, I asked him why he made a remark like that and this is what he told me..."It is boring to have never ending wish because you will have no more options, nothing else to do if you have everything".

Good on you Kuya! Hope you will always remember mine and your dad's constant reminders. Always keep in mind that material things will only give you temporary joy and pleasure. Be a good boy always and stay cool...mwah...

Just trust HIM...

So many horrible things happened this past few days... typhoon and flood in the Philippines, tsunami in Samoa and earthquake in Indonesia. In times like this we cannot blame people, especially those greatly affected, for questioning God why He let these things to happen.

Lord, may Your light shine upon those people affected by these calamities. Make them feel Your love and presence. Give them strength to move forward.

These natural calamities (and illnesses) are things impossible to control but I know that with You anything and everything is possible...

All things work out for our good
Though sometimes we don't see how they could
Struggles that break our hearts in two
Sometimes blind us to the truth
Our Father knows what is best for us
His ways our not our own
So when your pathways grow dim
And you don't see Him
Remember you are never alone

He sees the master plan
And He holds our future in His hand
So don't live as those who have no hope
All our hope is found in Him
We see the present clearly
But He sees the first and the last
And like a tapestry
He is weaving you and me
To someday be just like Him

God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His heart...

(from the song Trust His Heart)

Hot Seat

Each suburb here in Australia have their own scheduled organic day. That's when people place their unwanted stuff or rubbish that cannot be recycled in the kerbside. People who pass by are free to get the stuff that they want. And my hubby is no exception to them. He likes to bring home things he sees in the street that he thinks he can still use.

Of all the things he brought home, one stood out from the rest. Somewhere in West Hindmarsh he found a stool...no scratches...still in an excellent condition...simply perfect like a brand new one! We wonder why the owner of this "stunning" chair threw it away. And we ended up with a conclusion that maybe the color does not match the house motif ;)

It surely was a lucky day for my hubby...how we wish we got a pair :)

Almost there...

I slept with a heavy heart last night after watching one of my favorite team, the Adelaide Crows, lost the game against their opponent. They were almost there...so close to winning...but that one touch...a hold that shattered not only them but also their fans and supporters :(

Oh well that's life. On the brighter side there is always a next time. At least, it was a good game last night...a very exciting one. My husband said that he heard our neighbor cheered every time the Crows scored. A game truly worth watching (even worthier if they won...huhuhu...)

And it goes a longggggg way ;)

There are times (or should I say most of the time) that I tend to be very impulsive especially in buying stuff for the house, be it food or appliances. The price does not matter sometimes if I see something new and attractive. I just want to buy it without thinking if it is worth it. And so the Nuffnang competition "Nuffnang Coles Group & Myer:How Do You Turn $10 into $100?" truly challenged me.


There are 2 challenges - the 1st challenge how to spend the $10 Coles gift card in the most creative, interesting or fun way. Well, this surely is not for me. I am not a creative person. The 2nd challenge is how far you can stretch the $10...hmmm...this sounds more interesting... perhaps I can be frugal even for a day :)

So, off I went to Coles to search every aisle to find the items that I need at home and that are worth buying for. Of course I need to keep in mind that I only have $10 to spend. And guess what I made out of my $10 Coles gift card? A yummy treat for my family especially for my 3 kids and a healthy treat for myself!

I bought 3 Cottees Jelly (Orange, Lime and Strawberry flavor) for 95 cents each, a Coles condensed milk for $1.89, a Liddells lactose free cream for $1.59 and a San Remo Cous Cous for $3.56. All in all, it costs me $9.89 for all these items! So, proud of myself :)


Now, time for some little magic...I used the jelly powder, condensed milk and cream to make a delicious jelly for my kids.


As for the Cous Cous (which by the way is 98% fat free and rich in fibre!), I added some leftover sultanas and slivered almonds and had it for lunch and dinner as an alternative to rice.

I have a dream...

When I was young, I have dreamed of becoming a doctor. And this never change until I graduated from high school and set foot to a world where the only language spoken is 0 and 1. With some mind setting and a little bit of tweaking I started to dream another dream...someday I'll be having my own IT consulting firm.

But lady luck is so not on my side and with twist of fate I embarked on a more adventurous path (and that was motherhood!), I painfully admit that my second dream will soon be "just" another dream :(

I love what I am doing...I love my work...but I love the most my family and my 3 beautiful angels that I need to balance my time for work and my family very well. And so I need to have a more realistic dream.

Good for me that dreaming is free. Otherwise, I will already be in debt. So what am I dreaming nowadays? I want to have my own food business. Indeed, I want to become a cook (and maybe a well known chef!).

My Mum...my inspiration...my confidence booster...she is the one who encouraged me not to be afraid to try new dishes. She once told me that I have a very good palate and that cooking will not be a problem for me. And my husband as my best critic I think my third dream will not be that far from reality.

Now, my only question is "When?". This will now depend on Him. If entering the food industry is the right path for me, God will surely find a way to make it happen. As the ever famous cliche goes...Do your best and God will do the rest.