Escapades With the Oven

A black little fella called Oben came to our home with Piper a forthnight ago. I shouted with glee and welcome him with a mighty big grin. Next is finding a place for Oben to sleep.

Clearing some stuffs from the counter, we finally found a big empty space for him to be hot.

Tadaaa! This is Oben. Say hi to Oben.

Lately we have not been posting much as we were pretty busy with this black fella :) Since most of my trays and stuffs are still in my sister's storeroom in Kuala Lumpur, i just went out to get some basic trays as i don't really have much patience to let an oven wait in vain.

The chinese have a saying that goes... "San See Hang" means New Toilet. When there's a new toilet around, everyone is out to check it out to take a leak. Same goes for the oven. When there's a new toy/cooking thingy in the house, everyone is pretty excited to cook/bake/do something with it. Even Dommy keeps reminding me about the bone & dog shape cookie cutters that i got a while back. Bake something for us lazy bum. He seems to be telling me. *LOL*

When all the bruhaha is passed, will this Oben be a white elephant shoved in the corner? Naw! I love ovens. I have a deep love for ovens since i was a little kid. I fell in love with the first oven way when i was barely 8. Even way back then, i had a dream to own that oven. Yea.. i am a pretty weird kid.

Thanks to my baby sister, i am back to my baking days :) This house will smell of cinnamon and cakes and more burnt stuffs :) My sister does love me a lot.

Disaster No 1 - Banana Cinnamon Cake
My tray was way too big (i only had one tray at that time) and the dough portion was too small *LOL* The cake was barely even 1 cm thick.. hehehhee.. but the cinnamon saved the day. So it was edible. I don't usually read instructions properly especially when i am baking.

Disaster No 2 - Baked Lemon Chicken
Tray size is correct this time. But too much lemon. It leaves a *twaaaaaannng* taste in the mouth.. hahahahahaha Still edible as both dad and i were hungry and we only had chicken and a salad for dinner.

Disaster No 3 - Blueberry Muffins for Nessa's Birthday
In honour of Nessa's birthday last Saturday, we baked some blueberry muffins. This time it was better. How wrong can you go with pre-mix. *LOL* My colleague says that i am cheating when i use pre-mix *LOL* But premix also have some measurements that need to be measured too... like the oil and the water. Since i bought a small crummy plastic measuring cup (for temporary use) which don't have all measurements, i had to google to convert the measurements while stirring the mixture halfway. Ya ya.. read the instructions first before you start baking. I know i know. I don't do instructions properly. But hey.. this turn out pretty okay except for the few in the center which got burnt pretty fast in the top *LOL*
Note to self: Read the oven instructions before attempting to bake anything.

Disaster No 4 - Beef Lasagna
This was just yesterday. My dad's been wanting to make lasagna since he came home from his holiday at Jaiboo's home. My sister taught him how to make lasagna when he was over there. And he wrote the recipe in his book. I have never made lasagna before but since dad had a recipe all written nicely, we decided to do it. He was pretty excited about it and kept asking me what time can he start layering the stuffs. Being the smart ass and just looking at his recipe, we both grinned and said.. this should be easy enough. How did it turn out? hehehehhehee.. It was quite like eating cardboard. *LOL* Rule of thumb: With Google and Youtube... we should always check.. How to Make a Simple Lasagna before attempting to make lasagna without a few key ingredients. *LOL* Still edible because we were both hungry. Cardboard still taste good :) Oh.. we were too busy trying to munch on the cardboard that we forgot to take pictures of it :)

Hopefully we will post more about successes with the Oben than more failures. But hey... with each failure, we learn a new thing :) Failure Breeds Success! (that is if you learn from each failure and read instructions next time)

These two below are still waiting for their turn with the oven. Poor guys.

For The Mumbling One :)

HAPPY BEEEDAY AUNTIE NESSA!

We did try.. we have been practising the whole day.. but both of us just couldn't synchronize like them corgis up there... so we are sorry. Piper is just too lazy to sit up straight. Its all his fault.

We got that lazy bum of the Anny to bake you some cake.. but she got lazy and just did some muffins for you. We already ate them for you.. noms nomsss nomssssssssssssssssssSSSS. But that lazy bum ate the most. Too much la that woman. She still have crumbs all over her shirt.

Hope you did have a wonderful day today with your loved ones. And hope you did have a great celebration. Remember age is just a number and being 16th is the best age to be. 

Happy Birthday Auntie Nessa
Love, Dommy

Happy Birthday Auntie Nessa
Love, Piper

Dad and His Rocketship

Yes... my dad has a rocketship. And nop.. he is not a pilot :)

In this household, we have two cars. One is dad's and the other is mine. Both are just as broken and old as we both are but we are quite happy with it. We can park it anywhere and seriously... don't think anyone will want to steal it *LOL* My car is pretty banged up on the sides... as the porch is quite narrow and trying to fit two cars into the porch can be quite a task on somedays when you are sleepy or unattentive.

Just the other day, my dad was driving my car and when he tried to park my car into the porch... i was waving madly to ask him to stop.. but he nodded and keep grinning and moved forward with the car. Then there was i with eyes as big as marbles and my hands over my mouth.. speechless.. shocked. I heard the screeching sounds of the side of my car running through the pillar on the porch. Dad stopped grinning and happily reversed. Ahhh... not much damage as that side of the car is quite badly scratched. *LOL* And that is one of the reasons why we should both not be driving fancy smancy new cars.

Some days, i love to drive my dad's car more because the seats are higher and this car seems to have more power. You should see my dad driving this rocket. He whizzes by so fast.. i keep asking him where he's rushing off to. When we are going out, i don't let my dad drive anymore if i am in the car. I'll probably have a heart attack from jamming on the non-existent brakes on my passenger side the whole way if my dad is driving.

My dad went for a small procedure at the clinic last week. He's been under medication for the past few days. The medication made him woozy and weak. He didn't go anywhere in his rocketship. He didn't even go for his morning walks at the park to see his friends. But now that the medication is finished, he's back to his usual self and off he went whizzing in his rocketship just now. He told me he's going off to see mom at the church. He came back with a bag of muffins and some stuffs. Very proud of himself. But he told me later that he should probably take it easy these few days.

My siblings were back last weekend to see him. He was awfully happy that there's so many people around in the house. He even forgot that he was still woozy. Even though his mouth went.. "don't come back.. i am okay" but his heart was saying "come back come back and see me". He grinned happily knowing that everyone made time and came back. He had quite a big stream of visitors these past few days. His brothers and sisters all came by to see him too. Even his mobile keep ringing off and on.

It doesn't take much to make an old man happy. Seriously it doesn't :)

Even the small guy is back. He's staying behind for a holiday. Yes yes.. even a little doggie needs a holiday sometimes. He's right at my feet now. Another heartbeat at my feet. Life is wonderful.

The Sweetest Day

Today is the sweetest day. And do you know why? Today is the sweetest girl's barkday :)

*shhh* We stole another cake. Hope you love your cake Sugar :)

This time we stole from www.cheekyweaselcakes.com/shop

They do some pretty neat cakes and natural treats.. its a dog bakery. 

A certain curly here would love to visit a dog bakery i am sure.

 

Her mommie has a big pawty for her. Let's all hop over to Sugar's home and join the pawwwwwty :) You can even see that she's all ready there singing and dancing to her birthday song.

SUGAR SIMA

Let the celebration rolllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll...

Up On The Roof

When this old world starts a getting me down,

and people are just too much for me to face.

I'll climb way up to the top of the stairs and all my cares just drift right into space.

On the roof, it's peaceful as can be and there the world below don't bother me, no, no.

So when I come home feeling tired and beat, I'll go up where the air is fresh and sweet.

I'll get far away from the hustling crowd and all the rat-race noise down in the street.

On the roof, that's the only place I know, look at the city, baby.

Where you just have to wish to make it so, let's go up on the roof.

And at night the stars, they put on a show for free.

And, darling, you can share it all with me, that's what I said, keep on telling you

That right smack dab in the middle of town , I found a paradise that's trouble-proof.

 And if this old world starts a getting you down, there's room enough for two

up on the roof, up on the roof, up on the roof.

Everything is all right, every thing is all right.

You got the stars above and the city lights below, let's go up on the roof.

Up On The Roof ~ James Taylor

I'm So Lonesome I Could...

Its been a while since i bore you all with our life stories here. We have gotten busy with work lately and some of the work was giving us a lot of grief. But grief as grief be, we manage to get some sorted out and some still on the way.

When i am working, Dom sits nearby... a heartbeat at my feet. When i glance his way, his ears perk up and with a hopeful look... he seem to ask "are you free to play yet?" When i turn back to my work, i could sense disappointment.

Its great to be able to work from home and to have a furry one beside me. On really warm days, we both just lie on the floor and i'll give him some tummy rubs. He is easily satisfied. With back and tummy rubs, he rolls over and over and yelps in glee. We can go on and on with the tickle games and he will still yelp in glee. Such a simple minded creature. Not quite a creature of habit but certainly the most well behaved one. He does have better manners than some people i know. *LOL*

My dad usually sings with youtube on his computer while playing spider solitaire. He has the headphones on so as to hear better and to let me have some quiet time to work. But sometimes he sings out loud to some of his favourites and you know when he has the song on loop. He goes on and on with the same song. Sometimes by different singers of the same song. That's the wonder of Youtube.



Today my dad was singing this song by Hank Williams, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry. At one point, i thought i heard him singing, I'm so lonesome i could die. Yes, we could get a bit melodramatic when we are bored. And when he stresses on the dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeee... i guess he must really be lonesome and bored.

Why do people get bored? We should fill our time creatively with things to do. For an old man who's been there and done that, don't you dare tell him to find things to do. *LOL* But what am i to do with my bored old man.

Everybody's busy living their own lives to notice this old man. Everyone has their things to do but not this old man. Even Dom is busy snoozing and running after cats.

Then it comes back to the issue of companionship. How important it is to have one to hold hands with when we are old and grey. My parents were the perfect siamese twins. They go everywhere together. They do everything together. But mom had to go first and left my old man to fend for himself.

I am not exactly one with a lot of patience. My dad tries very hard on some days to make me happy. He buys me breakfast everyday. He reminds me to drink water each time he passes by my window. He reminds me to sleep early. Sometimes it is a bit overwhelming because i have lived on my own for a while before i came home. He asks me a lot of questions in a day. Usually he asks me where are his things and if he kept it with me. My poor dad.

I live in a community where there's more old people around me than young ones. The young ones have fled to the city to work and build their own lives. When i was walking Dom the other day, i met my childhood friend's mom who lives few rows away. She was quite happy to chat with me and showed me all the things she has planted in her garden. She even asked me if i wanted this plant and that plant.

I asked if my friend has come home lately. With downcast eyes, she said... she hasn't come home since Chinese New Year. But she still defended her own child and said, you know she's busy. Chinese New Year is like six months ago. And to come back and see your mom is just a two hours drive away. How busy can you be. I told her, if she can't come back, you go over there to see her. Then she smiled. She continue to chatter away about the vegetables on her plot and ask if i wanted to take some home. Makes me miss my own mom.

How busy are we really. Our parents were never too busy to give us the time of day. I'll end this post with one of the seasonal Petronas commercials by Yasmin. She keeps reminding us about filial piety even in death. May God Bless her soul.

Hear Me RoarRRRR

Dommy's Day Out

We are using this blog for a test today :) If you are passing by, hope you love this song.
Its a cover by Emi Fujita. I'll Have to say I Love You in a Song.