Cupcakes & Steak!

CAUTION: This entry would make you wanna forage for satisfying food and I have to say, it might leave you disappointed if you read this at 12:03pm.

I'm not so much into cakes but who can turn down these babies? So cute I could eat a full plate of them or so I thought. I don't indulge on these cuppies that often but when I crave for them, nothing would stop me from looking for these cuties at a small shop in UpTown known as The Wonder Milk. My favorite is the one with the rose(s). I love the taste of the icing on my lips. One cup could almost buy me a plate of McDonald's super saver lunch. You can buy a box of 6 at RM25 and they call this discount. :P  Strawberry icing, Rocky Road.. OMG.. writing about this makes me craving for more.... I swear if America's Next Top Model is not on air tonight... 

Cupcakes and coffee make a perfect combination, yes?  And my choice was Creme Brulette. Didn't know what to expect but this drink really surprised me. A shot (yeah, a shot) of this coffee priced at RM9... cafe latte topped with a layer of hard caramel... really satisfying.

And this cafe has something-something for guys who accompany their loved ones too. I'm sure it's the idea of the husband. :) Chunks of grilled beef on top of hot chunky fries savoured with bbq sauce titled perfectly as Super Beef Fries. It's not a superhero food, it's just food for superheroes. Perfection!

How could you not crave for this sweet indulgence... tell me..

And on Tuesday, we went to our regular Steakhouse to have our juicy steaks at a very humble restaurant. If you could stare this photo without any tears running down your cheeks, this could be your place. 

We enjoy our favorite juicy steaks with this mustard grain and HP sauce. Total awesomeness! 

Surprisingly, my husband settled for 150gm of lamb steak on this visit. Perhaps he had lunch here that afternoon.. haha! Here at this place, you can have giant-size burgers, custom made, anytime. Seriously!!!

And for me......medium well Angus steak charcoaled to perfection. How could I not drool over this? How could I?? 

After we experience steak at Las Vacas, steak at other places just feels flat. 

Las Vacas Meat Shop

No 23, Jalan SS5A/11, Kelana Jaya 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, MalaysiaTel: +603 7874 0711; 

Fax: +603 7874 0655

Kelana Jaya (near Wisma FAM)

OPERATING HOURS

Mondays (Closed)

Tuesdays - Thursdays (10.00am - 9.30pm)

Fridays & Sundays (10.00am - 10.30pm)

Saturdays (10.00am - 6.00pm)

Do You Know What You Want In Life?

That's a difficult question for me to answer. I have been reading The Secret, Who Moved My Cheese, but now I realize that I don't have anything to pursue. Don't laugh. Do you have any? I don't have a specific goal or target that I want to achieve. Some people wanna earn RM500,000 annually, 2 big cars, 2 big houses, 2 wives, etc. I don't have a specific goal. Sometimes I want to start something but it had never materialized the way I imagined it to be. People say you have to be good at something to actually start making money out of it. So far, I was paid for my translation and writing jobs. Nothing more. I did sell some pineapple tarts 10 years ago but I don't think that counts. My colleagues gave good reviews of my Nasi Ayam but they don't wanna pay for it, these cheapskates. I want to be doing something, to put my name on something. Maybe I need to be a bit serious in life. I have actually this idea that I think I should pursue but I need to have my consistency to making this a success. For now, pen off.

I Salute Women With Multiple Kids

Yes I do. Time and time again I find myself admiring women with a lot of kids. I have 11 siblings but that's different. Being a kid and being a mother is a totally different thing. Mothers run things. You have to manage your home, and that's freaking hard! You think it's innate, it's God-given talent. It's totally NOT! The cooking, the washing, the cleaning... OMG.. a lot of work! 

I don't do my own laundry. There, I say it. I don't. It takes a lot of my time. Laundry means sorting, washing, drying, folding, storing and ironing. Just the thought of doing laundry could give me panic attack. I send my laundry to the neighborhood launderette, and I do my small laundry on the weekends. It suits me. And I only have a kid and a husband. Couldn't imagine if I had more. I could probably die. 

Cooking is another matter. I love cooking. It gives me pleasure. But not everyday and not when I'm tired. I can easily escape this because I have only 3 in my family and eat out is an option. How to escape when you have more kids? Eating out equals a great adventure and it could easily turn into a hoo-haa anytime, plus the bill is something to think about also. Even worse when you don't really know anything about cooking. 

Having a lot of kids means that you need to give your kids attention. How to do that when you yourself is tired and in need of a break? When Tia throws a tantrum, I feel like throwing mine as well. Haha! It's not that easy to pay attention equally to all your kids. When I was small, perhaps I craved for attention but knowing very well that I couldn't get it, I just did my thing. How to read story books to many kids? How to listen to what they say all the time? It amazes me how mothers with multiple kids could do it. Seriously. I found myself struggling with only one kid. Balancing between what she wants and what I want and what my husband wants -- not easy! I love my Tia so much, she's my everything but at the same time, I'm just human and definitely not the candidate of the best mom award. 

So for moms with a lot of kids out there, I salute you! 

Gambar Hiasan: Lontong I made for my family of three. Yumma yumma!

Life is Too Short: You Need A Powershot, No?

This is a candle container from Turkey 

This is a plastic flower in my room at the office

this is a flower my friend received on her recent birthday

this is my daughter liking her noodles

this is my daughter playing with her noodles

 this is her posing for me

and our new kittens kiss.

these pictures are telling a story

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as......

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all of these photos are taken with my new camera

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Canon Powershot Pro S90

Do I know squat about camera?

No.

Do I want nice pictures?

Definitely

Why did i decide on this one?

Tamy advise me. Haha!

And I'm getting ready for my family/company trip to Seoul Korea this 3rd Nov 2010. 

it's me and the camera manual tonight

:)

Stage Your Beauty, Honey!

Listen up girls! In case you are looking for eye makeup for less, this is a good time to spend your money. Don't get me wrong... neither that I am paid to blog this nor that I want to show you that I'm uncontrollable when it comes to spending money... but I write about this only because.... it's a freaking good deal. 

Buy one palette of Stage eye makeup for RM135 and get the other palette free plus one lipstick (any color you want), free as well. Total saving, RM183. This is seriously a good deal. I choose a very red lipstick that'd make Gwen Stefani shy. Hubby... don't worry, I won't apply this lipstick when i'm with you. :)

Don't be intimidated by the colors.. they are actually nice colors after you blend them on your skin. And don't be afraid to mix them up with the other colors that you have. Combine that electric blue with black or dark brown, voila! Combination of orange and gray is fierce. I love the colors, they spark your creativity.. besides I have tons of earthy... chocolatey... dark colors that can turn me gothic in no time. 

The only downside to this is, these are the only two palettes you can choose from, but what are you complaining about? It's freeeeeeeeeeeee. And if you get anything above RM100, you can buy Stage foundation at RM25. Stage foundation has nice finishing to it, I wouldn't mind spending that money for a good base. 

I told my colleagues about this yesterday and they show me theirs already. My persuasion skill is not bad huh? Hehe.  Now we have to call one another to make sure no same mix on the same day or perhaps we could draw a chart to schedule the colors. Chet! 

Stage stores are available in Pavillion and Midvalley, if there are anymore stores, I don't know.                        Find them yourself. 

A Ring From Paris

My husband went to Cannes about a couple of weeks ago, stopped by Paris for two days to look around. Knowing very well that his wife is in love with rings, he found this gorgeous Egyptian-inspired ring at the Musee de Louvre. My husband loves simplicity. I, on the contrary, love things a bit colorful. This ring is everything that he is and everything that I am. This ring is perfect for me. And best of all, this ring has nothing to lose. No stones, no blings, no worries. When you live together, you can actually read your spouse's mind better. :) Love you so much, honey!

Eat, Pray, Love: Did You Expect An Action Movie?

It's been such a long time since I watched a grown up movie and I'd been kinda waiting for this one to show. However, after reading tons of reviews in the Internet, I was a bit scared to watch. I like the book, I was afraid that the movie is going to screw it up. Haven't watched New Moon yet and most probably would not and I was utterly disappointed with Kite Runner, the movie. So, I went into the cinema, ready to be let down.


First of all, I found the husband of Liz in this movie rather too disconnected to her in every sense. Julia Roberts is huge and when you put her besides someone trivial, it's just awkward. If I were watching DVD, I'd fast forward whenever the husband appear, plus he's not good looking. Don't judge me, I have eyes. Perhaps, it's meant that way but I maintain that it's a casting mistake. After a rather stoic divorce request by Liz, entered James Franco as David, her love affair during her divorce process. And when everything else in her life didn't excite her (including sex with a 28 year old hottie) she's so afraid of being zombie-like and decided to take off to three different places, Italy to eat, India to pray and Bali to find love. Obviously she has money and for those who don't,  you can try local towns. 


What surprise me was the fact that there were 3 guys beside me watching this movie on a working day. What's up dudes? Your wives or girlfriends refuse to join you or you prefer to cry alone? They were in their complete office attire, I swear.


I wasn't exactly sure what's Liz looking for in her life or what's she afraid of. Afraid to forgive? Afraid to let go? Afraid of trusting? Not sure. Whatever they were, she had issues. If not, she wouldn't end up abroad for a year, looking for herself. I think people in the West prone to overthink stuff, as if their souls are always empty and they appear constantly wanting something. Thinking is good on the one hand but on the other, you can't find answers to everything. Life itself is an unplanned journey. Though your parents may have planned to have you, YOU itself was the result of something random. If it's well planned out, God would tell you your mate(s) name(s) or deliver you your date of death somewhere along your life. 


And for those who trashed this movie like nobody's business, why did you watch it in the first place? If you are into action movies, James Franco would not be Spiderman's nemesis in this one. Javier Bardem would not kill even an ant in this movie. He's crying so hard when his 19-yr old son left for college. This is a movie about a woman's journey in discovering her (love) life. First of all, most guys would stay out of the way. Second, most girls would not want to torture their guys for 2 hours plus. Third, at the end of the day, life would work out fine when the writer is a woman (unless it's a japanese writer, I can't be certain) :)


All in all, I found myself liking the movie and thinking that Ketut would take a plane someday to Hollywood. 

I'm Waiting For A Tartan

It's like.... O.M.G!!!!!! Gorgeous! Gorgeous! Gorgeous! I'm seriously drooling over this new A Tartan Tale Collection by M.A.C, my favorite cosmetics brand of all time. It's not gonna be in Malaysia soon I guess, I reckon it'll arrive for Christmas promotion but I swear I'm gonna get this collection, biarlah aku tak makan nasi asalkan koleksi ini milikku. Haha! The US launching date will be this 28th October but no dates for worldwide sales yet. 

Look at the eye palette... how luscious. I'm eyeing the blue tartan... Play It Cool Palette. The price in the US would be USD36, maybe here around RM150. Or reduced because of the latest budget? Haha! The blackened plum looks sooo gorgeous, I could cry.

 

I confess that I'm usually more attracted to the packaging than the substance. Sue me! Like cars, I love a red Mazda 6 though I don't know squat about engines or performance. And I want that can. Period. I think I need to buy 3 of those lip glosses to get the can. Ok..start saving now... if i don't have roti canai and nescafe o in the morning, i have an extra RM2.50 per day. Can?

 

Please M.A.C Malaysia.. bring A Tartan Tale Collection here and I'll be right here waiting for you... 

Do i need raisins in bulk?

I'm amazed by people who can remember things. Did they consume raisins in bulk when they were young or their mothers gave them different kind of milk? My ability in that area is weak. Sometimes I couldnt complete my sentence because some of my thoughts disappeared in the middle of me constructing that sentence. It's pretty wierd but since i dont work in broadcasting or anything that involves public speaking, it's not a big issue to me. It all started about 2-3 years ago, i found it hard to complete my own sentences. Writing is fine, oral is quite challenging. I don't think it's that serious now but since there's history of Alzheimer in my family, it's a bit worrying. What should i do to NOT get Alzheimer? I have a plan actually, physically and spiritually. First I have to make sure that I read a lot, write a lot, think a lot, basically exercising my brain cells. Then, I have to make sure that I consume food that's good for the brain like raisins, nuts, etc, avoiding fish heads (pretty hard), organs, and the rests of the food that destroys memory. Third, do i need to keep a diary like the wife in The Notebook? Hmmm... don't have time for that. Skip. Then, i have to make sure that I pray a lot and ask Allah for good health until my time's up. What else could I do eh? I have to admit that i'm a bit afraid to grow old because of this. I don't want my husband or tia to see my suffer from any diseases especially Alzheimer. Anybody has other tips to prevent Alzheimer? Share please.

Planning Two Birthdays

My two sweethearts' birthdays fall in December, four days difference between one another. And I have to admit, I wish my bonus was paid in December so I can treat my loves the best gifts and surprises I could. 
My Tia's birthday is on the 4th and she's expecting a birthday party with her friends. The problem is, most of her friends are not available. School holiday la..  Perhaps this year we will do it in a restaurant and invite a few people that matter. I would give her two gifts or maybe 3. haha! Planning a birthday party is not hard but to invite people during school holiday is. The birthday dress is ready, we bought it in London early this year, and she loves it sooo much.  The challenge is... to invite kids that she knows! How leh..
This year, for my husband's birthday we are planning to go down under. No... not THAT DOWN.. it's just down to Singapura only. He would have an event over there and we'd extend a few days just to enjoy ourselves. What to get him this year eh? It's not that easy to find a gift for a man. There are not many choices out there but I have some ideas. Any hint, love?

But before December comes, let's enjoy ourselves in Seoul, Korea for 6 days in November. Pacha, pacha, pacha..

My Face Needs Water, Lots of It

I always have problems with plants in my office and in my house. I forget to water them and they always ended up in the garbage bin. The same goes to my face and body except that I couldn't throw it away and buy a new one. If I could, I would. 

Drinking plain water is like a punishment to me, I want to escape every time. Bought water tumbler and nothing's changed. Bought bottled water and I finished a couple in a month. Why is it so difficult to drink water? It's supposed to be natural. The Chinese are taught at a very young age to drink a lot of plain water or plain tea. You can see them carrying around big water tumblers filled with tea or yellowish liquid. I dread drinking plain water. Therefore, look at my skin. 

So what's the solution? People have been telling me about this product from Korea. I think I'm gonna give it a shot. If you have been using it, share your experience with me. 

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My Other Half

It's cliché but it's true. Without him, I'm just half. We've been together for almost 11 years now and I feel closer to him than I ever was. When majority of women (especially in the west) are shouting about being independent, I'm done in that subject. I want to lean on someone. I want to have a partner. I want to be dependent. It might suggest that I'm getting weak but the truth of the matter is, I'm becoming more trusting, intimately letting someone in my life, feeling me, taking care of me. I like that. There's no pretentiousness, no merely saying "i love you"s as a formality, never hesitate to make sure that he's happy. I take one look at him and I'm engulfed with joy, love and happiness. 


Having grown up without a father, deep in my heart I was always ready for any unpleasant surprises that might jump in front me. Always safeguarded myself from pain by refusing to feel. Feeling hurts, i know, I’d tasted the pain; it sucked. Many time I instructed myself to stop feeling when it's too painful, it worked but at the same time, when you bottle your feelings, it bounds to spill. Slowly, with him I have let those insecurities go. If pain comes, deal with it, he's the man I love with all my heart, anything that comes in the future, I'm ready. It's worth it.


He has shown me his overwhelming love and at this point in time I think we both have let each other involve into our lives more. Everybody has a wall.. a guard and when you fully trust, you let those down, prepare for anything and everything that'd come your way. He has taken care of me like nobody ever does my entire life, and he needs me in his life as much as I need him. He's not perfect, he has his flaws but he's my perfect fit. I am him and he is me. 


I trust that he'll be with me til the day our last days on Earth. Whatever the future holds for us, he's my love in this world and I pray to Allah, in the afterlife as well.