Spiced-Pumpkin Mini Cake

For 12 mini cake, you need:

3/4cup white sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
3/4cup canned pumpkin - if using fresh pumpkin, steamed and mashed
1/4cup water
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

How to:
Preheat oven to 200C. Prepare muffin pan, greased or use papercup for easy option.
Mix sugar, oil, eggs. Add pumpkin & water, mix well.
On separate bowl, mix flour with baking powder, baking soda, all spices and salt.
Add wet mixture to the flour mixture, mix well.
Fill papercup 2/3 full, bake for 20-25 minutes , check with inserting skewer on middle of each cake.

(I made two batches, 1st batch I used electric mixer, 2nd batch I did hand mix. Both mixed well, the one mixed with electric mixer came smoother compare to other)

Creamy Lemon Spaghetti

We kind of oversupplied of basil lately -since all my basil plants blooming on the same time-. I've been looking for simple recipe with basil that not require mortar an pestle or food processor.

Then I found this simple recipe, which took me less than 1 hour to cook and cleaning up my kitchen mess.

The only downside was I could not find single (pouring) cream on my local supermarket, so I use creme fraiche instead -yes, it taste bit sweeter, and the consistency is different, so mix it with little bit of milk.

For 4 serve, here what you need:

400 grams spaghetti
80 ml olive oil
1/4 cup salted capers, rinse and drain
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1cup of single(pouring) milk -I substitute with 1/2cup of creme fraiche mixed with 1/2 cup of fresh milk-
1 tablespoon of lemon rind
2 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 cup of basil
Salt and pepper

How to:
Cook the spaghetti as packaging instruction, drain and return to pan.
Heat 1/2 of oil on medium heat, sauted all capers for 2-3 minutes , set aside.
Pour remaining oil onto pan on medium heat , add garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes, add lemon rind, lemon juice, capers, cream, salt and pepper. Stir evenly for 2-3 minutes.
Pour the mixture onto cooked spaghetti, add the basil,mix well.
Ready to serve.
You could add fresh spinach on side -if you like.

Grilled Miso-Salmon

Miso not only great on soup, it also good for marinate and add yummy flavour on white meat like chicken or fish.

We love Salmon, apart from Sashimi, I used to grilled Salmon marinated with teriyaki sauce that always ready on my kitchen cupboard. This time, I tried different recipe.

I bought 400g steak Salmon as usual, cut into fingers size, marinated with 1 tablespoon white miso paste for about 1 hour, then grilled as usual. I served them with blanch french bean and jasmine rice.

If you don't feel like grilled it, you could always pan fried it on medium heat, skin on pan first for about 1 minutes, turn over only once, another 1 minute, and your salmon should be ready.

Happy Cooking!

Chilli Crab Spaghetti

You need:
400g spaghetti - you could use linguine or angel hair if you like
30g butter
2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
200g flaked crab meat - I used canned Crab meat fr Ayam Brand
1 tablespoon finely grated lime rind
2 tablespoon lime juice

How to:
Cook pasta until al dente , drain, return to the pan.
Melt butter on large saucepan over medium heat, add chilli flakes, crab meat, lime rind and lime juice. Cook for 2 minutes.
Toss the crab mixture to warm spagetti, seasoned with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
Add chervil leaves if you like.


Original recipe courtesy if Donna Hay, published on DHM issue 55.

Jenna came home

If you read my previous posting, you knew about Jenna, I suppose. In case you wondering what Jenna looked like, here, let me show you.

It's actually not the 'real' Jenna, it's a 'replacement' Jenna, as my husband flew out of city with the same airline and begged the stewardess to spare him one, a Chimpanzee doll he not supposed to get since he was travelling with no kids.

My son put the biggest smile on his face as he got ‘Jenna’ last night.

Yes, I do agree with teaching our kids to be responsible, if they lost their belonging –especially if they are the one who carry the responsibility to looked after their own things- ; they have to deal with it. Parents not always had to fix the problem.

We’ve failed last night, I guess.

Holy Dolly

"Mum, Jenna hilang. I lost him".

My 8years old son put on sad face last night -seriously sad. Jenna was his tiny brown chimpanzee his sister got him from our last flight. Yes, it's a freebie, a freebie he likes most.

As parents we all aware that our kids are different each other, yet when it's come to one favorite and -most if it- cherished dearly, they all the same. This one -or more- special item means the world. And we all parents are guilty before trial if they looking where is this       Object gone thus we could not help to find them.

There are many funny yet touching stories about this particular object. Like my niece for example. She loves her long sausage-shape pillow dearly. Not only she could not sleep without, she cuddles it almost anytime. Her mom tried to replace with new similar pillow; she refused and resulted in tantrum.

My daughter is the same. We bought her this cute character from In the Night Garden TV series, she falling in love since. She named him her own name; he went wherever she goes, if a frequent flyer applicable, this doll will have more point than me.

As I read on one article by child psychologist, if a child develop very strong bond with one particular item -not always toys or doll- its actually help them settle because of the secure feeling they got from it. Don't get offense if your child loves her doll more than you at one period of time. It just part of growing up time (if you disagree, call this pschycologist yourself for complain).

For me, one question remains unanswered -at least until now-. When they will start to break their relationship with their special item? Will the moment full of tears, or will they brace themselves like Andy on Toy Story 3? Will their special item try every single way for this detachment process -ok, sorry I might watched Toy Story 3  one too many-.

My son was so sad for loosing Jenna. He did not prepare for this situation to be happening. No matter he tried to put it behind him, I could feel his sadness. I might have to catch a flight somewhere so I could get another Jenna for him.