i shall not stop writing.

In relation to my previous post on cooking with Rohani Jelani, this has been one overdue entry ;) sorry babes, I've been extremely tied up with stuff...

I think you can note my glee every time I talk about the cooking classes with RJ. The classes are not only a wonderful and enlightening experience, but more so because RJ is very passionate about her classes and her recipes. I think many people have experienced buying at least one recipe book or downloading some recipes from the net that do not work. I've tried a handful of them that were pretty tasteless too. Therefore, classes like this is truly helpful for people like me who doesn't cook much and not very adventurous to try anything too tedious.

Rohani Jelani, at work.

I also think that her classes are so wonderful in that I would be told if I made a mistake or things I shouldn't do in the process of cooking a certain dish... things can be rectified during the preparation process to obtain a certain result unlike you making something from a recipe from a book and would be wondering why things don't turn out the way they should because no one can point out if you've made a mistake... heck, in fact, you wouldn't even know what you did wrong.

And, the bonus part about going for her classes would be meeting all these wonderful people who may or may not be a good cook and that you won't feel awkward at all to admit that you haven't been doing this or that since everyone who comes in for the classes have one thing in common - to learn.

i love this simple arrangement at the registration table. they're things that RJ grows herself at her resort-like facility.

they're actually baby chilly plants and lime!

For this cooking session, I attended a class for desserts. I was gonna attend with my mom as a Mothers' Day treat but my dad forgot to inform her that they were supposed to attend a relative's wedding. So, I went alone despite moi not feeling well from a scary health attack the day before.

The thing about going alone is that you will be paired up with some other groups that chose similar type of recipes (you are to be paired with another student and choose 3 recipes from the list). This time, like the first class I attended, the group I was in made 4 recipes instead of 3 because they couldn't find any other students with an identical match. And, this time, I was in a group of 3 students.

With you coming in alone, there would be that risk of you getting paired up with a character that may not agree with you. Although my first class was a blast being paired up with a perfect stranger, this time, I wasn't that lucky. Well, it wasn't that horrifying... but I was nevertheless a little put off by what I experienced.

In the first place, all 3 of us chose 2 similar recipes - the Tarte Tatin and the Gooey-Centred Chocolate Pudding. But moi and another person had chosen to make the Creme Brulee while only one person wanted to learn to make the Baked Cheesecake. Now, I don't have any problem to learn things that I had not intended to learn because additional knowledge is priceless... but I would seriously detest a person who pushes me into doing something that I hadn't even sign up for, just because she may not know how to operate electrical appliances such as the food processor and hand mixer. I mean, the ingredients were literally shoved in front of me when the person had actually signed up to learn this particular recipe... all when I could have helped my other partner who was busy making the recipes that we had indeed chosen to learn. And I tell you, the other partner wasn't keen on making the cheesecake because she wanted to make those recipes that she had chosen. So, who else to shove the ingredients to, right, if not for this 'junior' student who probably looked young-er and easier to push.

To take it in a positive way, I learnt to use the hand mixer for the first time ever and the next time I sign up for RJ's classes, I seriously would want to get a friend to be my partner because I want my experience to be positive in all aspect. Then again, that opportunity might be rare since I'd hate to rely on another person because in most cases, it's better to go alone as you may not be in control of another friend's schedule and priorities when the time comes.

So, here goes... pictures of stuff we all made that day. All of them were lovely recipes and I seriously would recommend you to take up a class because you'd definitely want to keep going for more!

making caramel for the Tarte Tatin (pronounced as, "TAR-TA-TA")

While preparing the Tarte Tatin, I learnt so many useful tips especially on the tools to use. I especially liked the part where RJ taught us a trick on how best to peel apples :)

this one was a mixture for the Creme Brulee. The dark dust-like substance is actually speckles of real vanilla...

While preparing the Creme Brulee, I learnt a few new stuff particularly on several types of vanilla used on baking recipes and how each of them is different.

RJ doesn't leave us alone or just tell us what we should and shouldn't do. What I like about her is that she would patiently come over to your cooking area and teach you what you're supposed to do or how you go about doing something.

here, she made us all see how we should prepare the base for the cheese cake.

this was the area i used in my first cooking class... you see 2 groups with delicious stuff waiting to be completed. Clockwise from the top: Baked Cheesecake (that's almost done), the caramelised apples that's neatly arranged for the Tarte Tartin (waiting to be completed), and that dough for the pastry of the Tarte Tartin (which needs to be rolled with a pin).

here, a zoom in on the cheesecake waiting to be baked ;)

this was part of the process to making the Gooey-Centred Choc Puddings...

In this session, I learnt plenty of useful tips and how the gooey-centred result can be achieved. It was definitely enlightening.

look at everyone's expression... we were all eager to see the first batch of Tarte Tatin fresh from the oven ;D

ain't that pretty?? it was so yummy too...

here, RJ showed us a perfect Choc Pudding...

and how lovely it's gooey-centred portion flowed. heaven!

this was my portion of the Baked Cheesecake for me to bring home...

The Sunday class ran hours late because we all had a really good chat before the class started (the class really started at almost 11am instead of 9.30am) and since our group was doing 4 recipes instead of 3, we had to continue baking after that hearty lunch.

Thanks for asking me this question because I do have something I'd like to share concerning how we can make the most of an almost empty tube of beauty product. I don't know if you are already aware of this particular method because I think I got it either from the Martha Stewart show or Rachael Ray's... but I do think it may help enlighten many people because my family members would always give me that amazed stare whenever I do it. It's as if this particular method is so brilliant.

So, allow me to share.

I started doing this because I always felt that I haven't quite used up a tube entirely even when the products cannot be squeezed out anymore. Call me a scrimp if you like but I call it being efficient. I just hate wastage, especially when beauty products can be pretty expensive. So, the first step would be to cut off the top part of the tube using a pair of sharp scissors.

Once the top part is cut off, it will be large enough for you to dip your finger into it and you could even swipe your finger on its walls to ensure that you've really used up the content.

I assure you, you would always be able to get at least one or two more application.

Just imagine if I hadn't done this and would simply throw away the 'empty' tube when there's plenty more in it. Yes, you may find that there'll be excess amount of cream/masque/cleanser/anything that comes in a tube and so, don't fret... you can either use a large paper clip or in my case, a piece of clothes peg did the trick to keep the content fresh for the next beauty pampering session :)

Did you find this interesting?

This is a much overdue post and I hate having to make excuses like being busy with work and the demands at home. Then again, that is the truth :|

Anyway, I have been very excited about this piece of stale news... recently (early last week, rather), I attended a cooking class by Rohani Jelani.

I found out about her when a blogger-friend wrote about her cooking lesson, visited the link that she provided and was sold instantly! ;P thanks, Izreen... the power of blogging, indeed...

Rohani Jelani is a petite bubbly personality who exudes an infectious charm. The moment that she came into the dining area where her eager students were waiting for her, I was totally enchanted by her small size and zest.

From what I read about her, she studied at the London Cordon Bleu before returning to KL and was employed in a commercial kitchen, slaving through back-breaking hours working in a large hotel. Through time, she made a switch in her career and became a resident food writer of a woman's magazine. I guess after awhile, it was a natural step for her to set up part-time cooking classes which I personally feel is a success story...

I mean, I went for a class on a Tuesday and was worried that it'd get cancelled as there is a disclaimer in her website which states that some classes may be cancelled if there are less than 4 students. It surprised me that she had a big turn up that day, 9 pax, to say the very least.

Since I am always such a stickler for time and totally hate the bad morning traffic at the LDP, I made my way a little early that day, to her beautiful resort-like cooking school in Sungai Penchala. As I was very early, the gates were still closed. Called them up and Wati, her assistant answered the phone and walahh... open sesame. Another student came just minutes after and we introduced ourselves to each other. I found out that Aishah, was to be my partner that day and we chatted non-stop. One look at her and she reminds me of my beloved cousin, Fida, who's residing in the UK for more than 10 years already *sigh... how I miss her dearly*

One-by-one the students arrived... we even had a Swiss couple who were so friendly and a reporter from the Star online, who was doing an online reporting about Bayan Indah, which not only has a spacious and airy kitchen for cooking lessons, but also accommodation facilities to those who need to get away from the hectic lifestyle and relax in its warm atmosphere (and, enjoy good food all day long!)

Rohani does her lessons according to themes. And I am not embarrassed to tell you that I enrolled in the theme, Kampung Cuisine. Yeah yeah... one may think that it is easy to whip up masak lemak and all that (and I believe I do whip up a mean dish at that) but I wanted to learn much more... I believe that cooking is an art and that one should be consistent with the quality one produces. More often than not, I work according to my gut feeling... a dash of this and a dash of that, some spoons or this and some cups of that.... I wanted much more. I wanted a proper step-by-step guide so that I do not have to worry all the time (since I am such a pain hehe...) and I would like for someone to tell me what I am doing wrong. I know that we could always learn from our moms but since my mom doesn't have specific measurements every time she cooked, I thought it would be an eye-opener to learn from the best in the industry.

That day, I chose Ayam Percik (spiced, grilled chicken), Nasi Kerabu (herb rice salad) and Masak Lemak Ayam Nenas (chicken and pineapple curry). I chose them because my family loves them compared to the other three dishes that were also listed under this theme. Aishah, my partner that day, chose Onde Onde (glutinous rice ball with palm sugar) instead of my last choice but since there weren't anyone else with similar choices to ours, we were given the option to whip up 4 dishes instead of 3. It sounded pretty okay until we were in our 2nd-3rd hour... and I'll tell you all about it later on :)

Before we started, we had a really wonderful chat with Rohani. I think she wanted us all to feel welcomed (and very welcomed, we did feel). She explained how the class will be like. She also said that many of us were first timers compared to other classes where she would have students who come by every once in awhile to take up different lessons from her over 60 themes! I could tell that Rohani loves company, she loves to be around people, she loves to talk to enthusiastic people, she loves sharing her passion for cooking with people and she's very engaging. It made me feel totally involved in what she was sharing with us all and made everyone aware of everyone else. She also explained on some of the processes and preparation that were done the way her team did and we all then grabbed an apron and a hand towel each before getting into action.

My 'work' station was further inside and I liked that the kitchen was pretty airy... it was hot, I tell you, cooking and going here and there to whip up stuff which was explained clearly in the recipe that she provided in a folder but the atmosphere in the airy kitchen made it less stressful.

during the earlier stage - the preparation of the gravy...

While the chicken was cooking on the stove, we quickly went on to the next one - masak lemak nenas. Instead of chicken, we both got large prawns instead. Now, I know I always like to cook masak lemak at home and I do believe I cook it really well too... but through this lesson, I learnt the things I shouldn't do and Rohani scolded me in a joking manner on two things. Of course, I do think that if she could, she would have reprimanded me much firmly haha... but then again, she did want us all to have fun while cooking instead of being afraid to cook ;) in the end, the dish still turned out pretty tasty...

Next, came the ironic part.... as I mentioned earlier, my partner wanted to make Onde Onde, right... and the main reason I enrolled in this class was to learn how to make my favourite Nasi Kerabu. However, we discovered that I am not very good with knives and didn't cut the herbs as fine as how they should be cut. Therefore, Aishah took over slicing them herbs oh so finely while I had to move on with the next recipe as we only had another half hour before lunch. So.... you guessed it... I did the Onde Onde instead... and what a tedious task, as I found out later!

I know I've seen my mom done it many times before and I've even helped her put them balls into boiling water before taking it out after it floats to the top. But mannnn... I find making kuih very very cumbersome. You know, when you cook, it's like you take a little of this and that and grind and chuck them all in a wok bla bla bla... but this... the flour and the water temperature must be right to ease making a perfect dough. I was baaaaddd at that and Rohani had to add more flour and then even more because it was a total mess for me! Another student from the neighbouring group had to assist me as we were running late and Aishah had to help with the Nasi Kerabu from other groups but alas... the Onde Onde turned up ok despite all the drama. Still, if you asked me to make it again, I would give you a piercing stare. Ok?

Hmmm... then again, I think it must be a test from god since He knows how much the one loves Onde Onde. So I guess (and I am making a promise!!) that this year's fasting month, the Onde Onde shall come from my kitchen, not the Pasar Ramadan at Kelana Jaya hehe... *errksss*

We all then enjoyed the finale where everyone gets to taste everyone else's creations (I thought I took a picture of our Ayam Percik but that photo seem to have gone missing from my camera). We all chatted away and got to know each other even better.

All in all, I truly appreciate this wonderful opportunity to learn while we expand our contacts. I think learning is a never-ending process in life and there is always so much to learn. I also admire at least one of them, who has a high-ranking position in one of our largest banks who took some time off work just so she could do the things she had always wanted to do. I mean, you may think that Kampung cuisine sounds too simple and easy for us locals but you'd be surprised how so many of us would jump at the chance of learning to prepare these dishes the proper way.

Rohani doesn't just teach us how to cook, she gave us valuable tips on preparation and presentation. It was even better that everyone was so lively and it helped even more that Rohani was quite patient with our quirks.

I came home feeling good yet highly lethargic as I kinda overdid myself after I swam for the first time in 2 years just the night before... and being on my toes for a good 3 hours in the kitchen made me hit the sack early that day.

I look forward to attending more classes from Rohani Jelani but especially her next one where I would be bringing my mom along, as a belated Mother's Day treat... that one shall be another memorable experience ;)

I received plenty of inquiries on matters pertaining to breastfeeding/managing self and family/matters of the heart/etc. which got me to thinking that I really should put up those questions I got and make it a regular column. What do you think?

The first question to be answered will be posted on Thursday and I think I would like to make it a regular Thursday column.

I may not be a specialist on the issues at hand but since many have asked for my views and thoughts about the situations you are facing or even current issues that you'd like to discuss, I thought it may be a good way to share it with everyone here so that everyone else can also give their input for us to see things in a bigger picture.

Rules:

When I started to discover how little jj would focus on animation on TV like Wonderpets and especially those aired on Kelab Disney Malaysia on TV3, both the one and I considered including cartoon channels in our cable TV subscription.

Little jj was only around 16 months old then and she was very selective in the programmes that she would really watch. I only allowed Playhouse Disney for her and since then, she has started to discover many things she liked from the many quality and educational shows aired on the channel. She likes Handy Manny for the catchy tunes the tools and him would sing while performing their repair works and she'd laugh at Mr Lopart's antics and his pet cat, Fluffy; Special Agent Oso for the Paw Pilot’s tips and countdown; Safety Patrol for their annoying habit of scrutinising everything; Word World for their unique word-forms and usage of the alphabets; Chuggington for their upbeat tunes; the funny Ooh and Aah before any show starts; and others. Most importantly, her favourite would be Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for simply put, the star of the show – Mickey Mouse.

In conjunction with the public holiday this Saturday, 1 May 2010, Playhouse Disney on Astro’s Channel 613 will be airing their programmes with health-themed episodes from 9.30am to 1.30pm. Four special short-form prorammes like Mickey Mousekersize, Dance-a-lot Robot, Tasty Time with Zefronk and Adventures in Nutrition with Captain Carlos will also be shown throughout the day to add zest to this health campaign.

I guess this must have something to do with Michelle Obama’s initiative at fighting the increasing rate of child obesity and creating awareness about health as early as preschool years.

I know my little one totally enjoys the exercise sessions on Mickey Mousekersize. They make it look so much fun. And since dancing is a natural skill that a baby would develop, those catchy tunes that accompany all the activities always managed to capture her attention. She would move her body left to right and even twirls to the rhythm.

Tasty Time with ZeFronk is an animated short series where the host, ZeFronk, presents a healthy cook show from his house. Since she loves accompanying me to the kitchen, she is always fascinated with the show.

I look forward to discover the new show, Dance-A-Lot Robot, a combination of animation and live action programme where a robot teaches preschoolers simple original dance steps to the music of Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh.

For those of you with a child who’s a little bit older, Adventures in Nutrition with Captain Carlos spotlights a six-year old boy who shows how healthy meals and regular physical activity make him feel like a superhero.

I guess since her usual Saturday’s class at Kizsports is cancelled due to the public holiday, it would be great to sit infront of the TV and do those activities with her at least for an hour or two in the morning. What better way to start inculcating healthy habits (if you haven’t yet!) when everyone is around this Labour Day ☺

Enjoy watching them with your little ones!

Apart from the magic mouse for my birthday, I guess turning 17 *ehem* [again!] this year has been a beautiful journey to that age transition...

Firstly, I am almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight, although not really there yet... and seeing the photos from my birthday dinner really cheered me up. As I mentioned to the one, this toughcookie is finally back and he was so thoughtful when he said that I never really 'left' hehe... *awwww*

Losing weight after giving birth was an easy-peasy task for me then, with my first-born. I could already fit into my jeans after one month. So, this time, I never really thought I would balloon that much and was so confident to repeat the same feat.

However, I was proven wrong when much of the pregnancy weight didn't come off that easily despite the old wives' tale of losing fat while breastfeeding. As much as the scientific logic of it presents some truth, I do feel that it doesn't apply to everyone. Every mommy's body work differently and I find myself eating much much more everytime I feed little jj as I keep getting hungry all the time. Well, thanks to a supportive husband, I didn't think much about my weight and all I wanted to do was eat well so that I could transfer all that nutrition to my baby through my breastmilk. I didn't care that much if I was fat as long as the baby gets everything she needs and that my milk stock is continuous.

I must admit that as much as I didn't care much about my weight, it did affect me a little since EVERYONE would ask me what's wrong with me (my weight, that is)... relatives would ask me what I am eating, my mom's neighbours would blatantly point out how huge I have become and my dad didn't help much in making me feel good about my body. Still, I had never really worked out before and so, I did nothing much to tone up.

But I guess, after little jj turned one-plus and feeds less often from me, my hunger pangs decreased and many began to tell me that I have gotten smaller. *yeayyy!*

With my body issues taking a back seat, I feel good celebrating my birthday and proud with whatever achievements I've made, no matter how small or slow they were. I am proud of my age, and not afraid to tell anyone that I have turned 34 this year.

And little did I know, that I had another surprise in my inbox, in the form of a much-awaited message... I was told that I have been selected as an ambassador for MomBloggersPlanet, one of the more successful blogsite for mommies and WAHM, which I have been following for awhile. They had a search for 5 ambassadors, listing down roles that I would be responsible for, at a perfect time when I was scratching my head on newer ideas on how I can make my presence more visible in the blogworld.

I am extremely happy with this development and I look forward to contributing whatever I can to the mommies' community.

So, yeah... I forgot to wish me, Happy Birthday! :D

This tough cookie has been selected as Malaysia's Top 500 media user ;)

Now, I am not sure how I can verify the Top 500 part out of the mass population but I know that I have been using the social media quite extensively. Among the factors that make me qualify are points such as:

1 - I can't stay off the internet, which is very true, judging from my constant updates from early in the morning til the wee hours before dawn. Heck, even my ex-colleagues used to ask me whether I do sleep at all ;)

2 - I always chat with friends on IM. Well, I won't say all the time, but there are some frequency since I am on the net, almost all the time. Can even type with my one hand while the other is busy holding the little one feeding on my boobies ;P

3 - That I refer to facebook as FB, affectionately... that, I do indeed ;)

4 - That my thoughts come in Twitter bursts of 140 characters or less. Haha... no points for guessing! Just look at the top of this blog and you can see how true that is!

There are other factors taken into consideration and I was a little skeptical about being qualified but I guess they deemed me connected enough to be specially invited to the Project 500 unveiling affair. It will be held at Cathay Cineplex Damansara this Sunday which will end with a movie screening of New Moon. Interesting...

As I am unable to attend the briefing, they have promised to send an update by Monday. I am quite curious on what Project 500 is all about and totally welcome any new developments to the broad internet social media as long as it can benefit many of us while further enhancing whatever current applications we are using. Here's hoping that it's not just a gimmick. After all, we use the net for convenience. Therefore, convenience should be one of its advantages.

And, with that new internet development, I am also happy (and comfortable enough) to share with you the birth of my new blog My Views and Reviews. Am kinda jumping on the bandwagon with other opportunity-making bloggers in the blogosphere and hoping that my current readers can help support this new venture. After all, the content will be nothing new as many friends told me how much they have benefited from the reviews I've written in this blog. Hence, why not make it a possible income-generating site while I continue to give you honest opinions, right?

From my study, many bloggers have taken advantage of the huge possibilities and opportunities from the internet and blogging - from small ideas like selling personal collections to simply responding to contest ads where one is required to blog about the item, paste lots of photos and linking to contest sponsors.

Thus, I have discovered what I can do if I put my mind to it and staying true to my promise to not stop writing. Of course, I do want to write more often and by making it a point to constantly update, who knows what the future holds...

So, feel free to visit the new site (I have 6 reviews already!) and register as followers. I will still pen my personal thoughts in here but if you have anything you'd like me to check out, test and review, do write in to suggest so that I could update it on the other blog.

And with that, I shall leave you with a Happy Hari Raya Haji wish to my Muslim friends. To the rest of you, enjoy the long weekend while we all eagerly wait for many more holidays in December ;) If you have to drive this holiday season, please be extra careful and be considerate of others.