The Prayer


A song popularized by Josh Groban, that i dedicate to every mother or mother-to-be out there ....



I pray you’ll be our eyes
And watch us where we go
And help us to be wise
In times when we don’t know

Let this be our prayer
As we go our way
Lead us to a place
Guide us with your grace
To a place where we’ll be safe
La luce che to dai

I pray we’ll find your light
Nel cuore restero
And hold it in our hearts
A ricordarchi che
When stars go out each night
L’eterna stella sei
Nella mia preghiera
Let this be our prayer
Quanta fede c’e
When shadows fill our day
Lead us to a place
Guide us with your grace

Give us faith so we’ll be safe.
Sognamo un mondo senza piu violenza

Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza
Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino
Simbolo di pace e di fraternita

La forza che ci dai
We ask that life be kind
E’il desiderio che
And watch us from above
Ognuno trovi amore
We hope each soul will find
Intorno e dentro a se
Another soul to love

Let this be our prayer
Let this be our prayer
Just like every child
Just like every child

Needs to find a place,
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we’ll be safe
E la fede che
Hai acceso in noi
Sento che ci salvera 

A Recipe for Birthday Celebration

Roast Lamb & Mash Potatoes with Mango Salsa
Not only i make my Husband's day but i also make my cousin's day when she got stranded in the airport due to not paying PTPTN for a year (poor her....)  and decided to join the party. So since her shopping spree in Thailand burnt out, i guess good food plus good company just make my husband's 40th birthday more awesome.  

Below are the recipes

Roast Leg of Lamb with Orange Juice and White Wine

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup orange juice (naval orange is the best ..very sweet)
• 1 cup white wine (choose good white wine , i used Cabernet Sauvignon)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 (6 pound) bone-in leg of lamb, trimmed (please choose good lamb, i used Australian lamb bought it @ Bangsar Village grocery shop & ask for fat-removed lamb)
• salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Place orange juice, white wine, olive oil, garlic, fresh thyme and rosemary, and pepper into a blender; mix. Pour into a large, resealable plastic bag, and add the lamb. Coat meat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before roasting. Pat dry with a paper towel. Generously salt and pepper both sides of the meat.
3. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Arrange two racks in the oven - a middle rack to hold the lamb, and a lower rack to hold a roasting pan to catch the drippings. Place the empty roasting pan in the oven while the oven is preheating.
4. Arrange meat directly on middle rack, fattiest side up so while the lamb cooks the fat will melt into the meat. Position roasting pan underneath meat to catch the drippings. Roast for 30 minutes, and then reduce heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads between 130 to 135 degrees F (54 to 57 degrees C), about 10 to 12 minutes per pound. Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Traditional Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 6 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• Dash pepper

Directions

1. Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Cover and bring to a boil; cook for 20-25 minutes or until very tender. Drain well. Add milk, butter, salt and pepper; mash until light and fluffy.

Mango Salsa

Ingredients

• 1 mango - peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 fresh jalapeno chile pepper, finely chopped ( i replaced with 1 cili padi)
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix mango, red bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, jalapeno or cili padi, lime juice, and lemon juice. Cover, and allow to sit at least 30 minutes before serving.

So now you have the recipe, what are you waiting for..no excuses this time...  :-)

In Him we can trust - by Melanie Jominin

Just as I came back from a long holiday and about to start my day in my cubicle, my colleague informed me an earthquake struck Sumatra with 6.6 magnitude. I was dumbfounded for a while for I thought that  lately we are often bombarded with these natural disaster news that is caused by earthquakes, flooding, volcanic eruption, landslide and many more worldwide. We both were so disturbed with the news that we start recalling the documentary that we used to watch titled “Nostradamus Predictions”.  

Nostradamus is an astrologer who wrote “The Prophecies” published in 1955 a collection of 12 predictions which led to numerous speculations.  A few of his predictions involved major world events such as the rise and fall of Hitler, The assassination of John F. Kennedy, 9/11 collapse of the World Trade Centre and the most talked about now with a movie to visualized this prediction -2012 The End of the World.

At the end of our disturbing moments my colleague actually asked me, “So Mel, is the world really going to end at 2012?” I replied “Even if it is, let me die quick. I don’t want to open my eyes and know that I became “cacat” (handicapped) after a catastrophy.”

I still can’t get it out of my thoughts and it became a conviction that dwells me deeper into all this. I think not only the geographical coordinates were affected after a certain natural disaster happened (for example when the Tsunami struck Japan part of the world plates shifted that causes flood in other areas of the world), part of our lives are also changing as the world evolves.

The human natural metamorphosis doesn’t stop the ageing process; birth, death is still part of being a human.  Nothing seemed permanent nowadays. It comes to another question. What is permanent nowadays anyway?

Job? Nope…The higher level you go the higher the stress is to maintain your job.

Money? Nope….Hard to come, easy to go …even successful investors have their ups and downs.

Relationship? Nope….Adultery, divorce rate (OMG…Hollywood marriage)

As the thought goes deeper I can’t help to wonder, with where I am right now, the age that I am right now, the friends that I have right now that all these will constantly change or maybe to my worst imagination…gone.

Or is this Que sera sera, whatever will be will be or will it be C’est la vie.

My brain hurts thinking this way.

As I woke up the next morning, a particular verse kept on pushing in my brain. Alpha …Omega…it reminds me of  the verse in Revelation when God says:

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End

 Yes the world evolved.

Yes people changed now and then.

Yes we planned the future and sometimes no matter how hard we try things doesn't always go our own way. (If it does, good for you.)

But God,
He doesn’t change.
He assures us that He is still the same from A to Z.

Therefore friends and even to myself , from the first day we were born to the last day we breath in this world He gave us hope and strength that we needed that He will still be the same for us. 

Our beginning and our end.

Sinful Chocolate Moist Cake

My sister-in-law baked the most delicious chocolate cake i've ever tasted.After trying a slice i asked for the recipe and added the chocolaty taste and started selling this cake among my husband's colleagues. For chocoholics out there trust me this isnt an ordinary cake!!

Ingredients

1 box chocolate cake mix- any kind
5.9 box chocolate instant pudding
1 cup sour cream (no low fat here)
4 large
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup veggie oil
Combine all ingredients & beat on high for 2 minutes. Pour (will be thick) into a greased & floured bundt cake pan. (Or as from my big fat greek wedding Bundta pan) Optional: stir in 3/4 cup of chocolate chips into batter.
Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes. Then remove from pan. Top with topping below...

Directions

Chocolate Topping:
1/3 cup milk
1 cup sugar
5 tablespoons butter
1 cup chocolate chips
Bring milk, butter and sugar to boil. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stirring constantly. Remove from heat & immediately stir in chocolate chips. Beat smooth by hand and pour carefully over cooled cake.
I am sure you can do many variations with this cake. IF you want vanilla/white cake mix and use vanilla pudding mix. Can use butterscotch chips or white chocolate chips. Same with topping just use white chocolate. Even for chocolate cake you can use peanut butter chips or peanut butter chips in topping. But TRUST ME....TRY THIS AS IT IS FIRST. PASS THE COLD MILK PLEASE! Or, good strong coffee.

Japanese Rose

Japanese Roses for Sale

Japanese Rose is simply just that, as beautiful as it is and easy to take care. I adore the colour combination and they're just lovely to be in my mini garden. 

Grade AAA Pearls

FRESHWATER NECKLACE PEARL 7.0- 8.0 mm, 18 "

This Freshwater pearls are even in colour and they have a high level of luster.

They are made only from the best pearls of each harvest. Exhibiting almost perfectly round shape and excellent orient , this pearls are by far the rarest and most beautiful freshwater pearls available. 

Suitable for this coming Mother's Day as a gifts or collection items for pearls lovers.

Homemade Russian Cake - Napolean Cake

Introducing Cheese Cream Napolean Cake...

Napolean Cake is a cake made by several layers of pastry alternating with sweet cream filling. It is also known as ' vanilla slice' or 'cream slice' . In some countries like New Zealand it is call as 'custard square' .

In Melbourne Australia, The Age, one of Melbourne top newspapers , recognized Napolean Cake as the best vanillla slice in Melbourne.

Ingredients

For pastry:
==========
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream (regular or light)
2 sticks unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp white vinegar
All-purpose flour enough to make soft dough
For cream:
==========
1 1/2 quarts of whole milk
1 cup of milk (this is not a mistake)
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 egg yolks
4 very full tbsp flour
Pinch of salt
1 shot of vodka, brandy, or rum
(Amaretto or Bailey's are also good)
1 lemon (zest only)
Vanilla essence or vanilla powder to taste
Pinch of nutmeg
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

Directions

Pastry:
-------
Mix eggs, soft butter and sour cream together till they blend well.
Add salt.
In a table spoon, dissolve baking soda in vinegar - you will see "bubbles". When bubbling stops, add soda+vinegar to your mixture. Stir well.
Start adding flour, cup-by-cup, make soft smooth dough. Don't knead it too much, just enough to make it smooth and "un-sticky".
Split dough into 16 pieces, form little balls.
Cover the dough with plastic, and put in the fridge to chill.
While it's chilling, prepare cream.
Custard Cream:
--------------
Pour 1 1/2 quarts of milk into thick bottom pot and bring it to boil. Don't use aluminum pots - it will burn !
While the milk is warming up, prepare the cream mix:
Separate egg yolks and stir them very well with sugar and a pinch of salt - until mix turns very light yellow.
Add flour, mix well.
Add 1 cup cold milk, mix very well. Avoid lumps.
When your milk starts to boil, reduce the heat immediately to low.
Pour the cream mixture into boiling milk very slowly, using a whisk to stir the cream.
Bring the mixture to boil again, constantly stirring it. When it starts boiling, you will see it become thicker. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes, don't forget to stir at all times.
Remove from the stove, add lemon zest, vanilla, nutmeg, and vodka (rum, brandy, or liquor).
When you are able to touch the pot, add butter and mix it in as it melts. Set aside.
Now back to pastry:
-------------------
Preheat oven to 420 degrees F.
Turn off the phone, so no one can distract you for 1 hour.
a. Get 1 piece of dough from the fridge, roll it into a very thin crust on well floured surface - as thin as you can, forming a round or a square crust.
b. Roll the crust onto rolling pin, and unroll it onto UNGREASED baking sheet.
c .Pierce crust with the fork all over.
d. Bake in the oven for 2 minutes or until lightly golden. Don't over bake. It is better when it is not dark.
e. Remove the crust from the oven and put aside.
Repeat steps a-e for all the rest of the dough.
Never leave the kitchen while the crust is in the oven - check it all the time - it bakes very quickly.
Bake the last crust a little longer than others, letting it turn brown.
Put one crust on the cake dish.
Pour a ladle full of cream onto it.
Use skimmer to spread the cream evenly on the crust. Repeat for all crusts, except for the brown one.
Crush the brown crust on the board, using the rolling pin - just roll it over the crust several times - it will make great fine crumbs.
Pour the crumbs over the top layer of the cake.
Let the cake soak for 2-3 hours. Cut out the uneven edges, forming your favorite cake shape - square or round, or oval. You get to eat all of the cut-offs... mmmm...
*Hint: making round-shaped cake produces more cut-offs, which means, more for you!