Hi,
It’s been a looong time……was not able to update my blog here. My apologies 
What have I been up to? Well, lots of stuff like teaching, cooking, handicrafting, reading – all these have kept my hands and feet really really busy.
I have been working much and blogging too at projek Dorcas. What’s this blog about? Check it out.
I baked some banana walnut loafs for some people who couldn’t make it for our family christmas dinner…they were either so busy at work during christmas and the public holidays like my niece who had to be on call in her hospital ward. Here’s a loaf specially wrapped up for her….
Ingredients
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (ripe)
1 3/4 cups flour ( Half plain flour/ half whole wheat flour)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C.
2. In a large bowl, beat oil and sugar. Add eggs, milk and mix well. Stir in mashed bananas and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt. Add baking soda to hot water, stir and add to batter.
3. Blend in chopped walnuts. Pour batter into greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
4. Bake for 50-55 mins till golden brown. Cool on wire rack for half hour before slicing.
Christmas 2009 was a wonderful season of sharing and catching up with family and friends over good food. I was busy trying out some recipes – to bake some cakes as ‘gifts’ for friends and loved ones.
We usually find or eat our chocolate brownies which are oven-baked. I tried steaming and find them yummy and moist. Here’s my easy recipe for the brownies:
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup flour
¼ cup bread flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoon Nescafe instant coffee
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp soda bicarbonate
1 cup cooking oil (vegetable oil)
1 cup of fresh milk
4 eggs (beaten)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup of hot water
Method :
1. Sift together the flour, cocoa & coffee powder, baking powder and soda bicarbonate in a big bowl then add in the sugar and mix well with a wooden spatula.
2.Pour in the oil, followed by milk, make sure that everything is well mixed and then put in the beaten egg. Keep mixing.
3. Add in the vanilla essence and finally the boiling water and stir everything together.
4. Heat up the steamer or wok.
5. Greased baking pan or line bottom with greased-proof paper.
6. Pour the batter into prepared pan and place the pan into the steamer/wok and cover the top of the pan loosely with a piece of aluminium foil.
7. Steam over medium heat for 50 mins.
8. Cool the cake in pan before turning out for chocolate topping.
Note: if you don’t like steaming in the wok you can either steam bake the cake as well .
Calling all those SPM BK students out there ! If you need BK trial papers from MBS to work on – check out this Bible Knowledge blog (http://spmbk.blogspot.com/ )
It has study tips and past year papers – so download what you need from this very resourceful website. You will be sitting for your BK paper soon in November so study hard, pray and do your best for Him.
All the best 
These are the ingredients I use for soup – one packet mixed herb spices, some red dates, some wolfberries (or ‘kei zhi’ in chinese), one or two ginseng roots and 4 or 5 pieces chicken wings/drumsticks. I am not sure what type of ginseng I used…but they were the ones my late Mom loves to keep and use for soup. She was an expert in chinese herbs… ( how I missed her cooking…:( )
Wash herbs and chicken. Put to boil with water over low heat for half an hour to 45 minutes. Boil at a gentle pace to bring out the ginseng taste. When chicken is cooked, throw in the wolfberries. Add salt and a little light soya sauce to taste. Serve soup hot…mmm..it’s my favorite nourishing soup.
Sphagetti, an easy favourite meal for any dinner or the weekend! – that’s when Richard and I feel lazy to eat out, where our legs would not go. Here’s how you prepare the beef sauce. Fry minced beef, onions and mushrooms (sliced) with mixed herbs and pepper. Add 1/2 can of Campbell cream of mushroom or chicken soup (my favorite) and some water. Add a little milk if desired. Simmer over low heat till cook .
Pour sauce over the cooked (and buttered) sphagetti and serve with any salads…
My favourite salads…of sliced Japanese cucumber, big onions, small tomatoes, chili padi and sweet pineapples (cut to cubes). Sprinkle with some lime and sugar.Chill before serve.MMm…the salads are spicy, fresh and crunchy. Penang-Thai style ?…whatever you name! it’s yummmy
Here are some muffins I made and brought for the kiddies at the KVA (Klang Valley Alliance) Leaders & Families Retreat, Port Dickson in June. Sorry!…no specific recipes or instructions. They can be found on the leaflet in the pack when you purchase these all-mixed flour from Bake With Yen shop. They have a branch in Puchong. It’s quick and easy – that’s what I like ! Beat up the eggs with milk and oil. Add the mixed flour into the wet ingredients. Spoon the batter into lovely paper muffin cups if you have. Fill up 2/3 of the cup and bake for 20 mins at 180 degrees. Hooray!….your moist muffins are ready for the kiddies and choc lovers. Yummmmmy!
A new collection of books and files have piled up on my work-table….
Some friends have asked..”How did you venture into this course?” “What made you be interested in special kids?” I started taking up a course on ‘Learning Disorders Management & Child Psychology’ with Linguistic Council Malaysia in Sept-Oct last year. Getting into this field is nothing new for me but just floating on a little different note. What motivated me – the innocence and giftings of 2 kids, Alden (my nephew-brother’s son) and my 14-year old God-son who have some form of learning disabilities. I saw how a child with autism behaves and sometimes wished I could see or feel the world as they do ! They may be different in some ways but they are very special !
Getting back to studies is a challenge, hardwork and well, it has some satisfaction too…(am so pleased I had completed 3 modules which produce good results. PTL!) I am now in my last module on Child Psychology.
Getting to do some hands-on and exposure at NASOM, Emmanuel Care Center (for children with learning disabilities) and the Dyslexia Association of Malaysia was also an eye-opener. I am still learning!
And well, putting aside books and papers sometimes, I try also to engage in baking, cooking, photography and blogging!. That’s how I de-stressssss!. … it’s fun!
IPIN Pastors’ Wives Retreat ( 19 – 21 February, 2009)
Swiss Garden Resort, Damai Laut
I came home feeling so blessed after attending the pastors’ wives retreat . NECF and IPIN (Impacting Pastors Impacting Nation) had organized and chosen the pastors’ wives to honor them with a 3 days 2 nights retreat at the beautiful Swiss Garden Golf Resort & Spa Damai Laut. This is the first of its kind and fully sponsored retreat for the wives of Malaysian pastors.
IPIN is a ministry founded by Pastor Roland Seow of FGA Melbourne. He and his wife Evelyn Seow have been running similar retreats to refresh and strengthen pastors in Australia and elsewhere. Having been a senior pastor’s wife for the past 20 years, Evelyn understands the many challenges and struggles pastors’ wives experience in the ministry. She was a great encouragement at the retreat and demonstrated the power of prayer over the flies at Damai Laut. Incidently the resort has plenty of houseflies that comes from a nearby chicken farm. On our last day of meals, (after her prayer), there was not a swap or ‘flapping’ of hands to drive the flies away. We ate our meals in peace.
pastors’ wives
I would like to acknowledge here my heartfelt thanks to all generous sponsors and people who had contributed sacrificially (in various ways) to make this retreat a success and blessing to the Malaysian pastors’ wives….
Pastor Roland and Evelyn Seow from FGA Melbourne who first birthed the ministry of IPIN to bless God’s battle-worn servants.
Evelyn Seow for her bubbling joy and cheerful spirit at the retreat. Her ministry was an encouragement to many wives. Inspite of her grandson, Joshua (who was born pre-mature) being in the ICU in the US..she was present with us and ministering at the retreat.
(*Evelyn, I remember your words to us… “Help me keep focus in You, that I will not miss your signals as to my move in the ministries…You are the initiator and perfector of our faith…” Thank you for declaring Isaiah 61! His words are indeed powerful !)
Andrew Wong who has a big and generous heart to sponsor all the rooms at Damai Laut. The hospitality and food was good for a 4-star hotel…. Place ok..except for too many flies on the first 2 days-stay.
NECF (SangNgan and Kathryn, Patrick Cheng, Mr. Samuel Ang) for coordinating and organizing…arranging our bus transport for many ‘poor wives’ who were not sure of getting their way to Damai Laut.
Our wonderful guest speakers :
- Mrs Jeanie Mok (Internation City Church, Brisbane) who is always well-groomed cos she visits her hairdresser everyweek….for her ‘spiritual makeover’ message and tips on the physical ‘ makeover’ for looking good.
- Mrs Koh Poh Kim ( FGA KL) for her wonderful testimony….of her ministry with the late Dr Koh Eng Kiat.
- Datuk Dr Chiam Heng Kiang for her wide knowledge and experience in helping children. She shared many ways on how to bring up children in troubled times.
- Pastor Dr Lew Lee Choo (SIB KL) who gave an inspiring message and her testimony of being a pastor and a pastor’s wife.
Sally Koh, my fun-loving companion in the bus journeys, who kept me awake with her testimonies and laughter.
Mr Cheok, our bus driver who was careful and patient ferrying us to and fro.
and all pastors for releasing and encouraging your wives to this retreat..
And all others who have helped, contributed in one way or another ( whether big or small) in prayers or finances to make this retreat a spiritual landmark for me. It was a joy to glean from the various speakers.
Thank you.
-an Aesop fable
A HEAVY WAGON was being dragged along a country lane by a team of Oxen. The axle-trees groaned and creaked terribly, when the oxen, turning round, thus addressed the wheels: Hallo there! Why do you make so much noise? We bear all the labor, and we, not you, ought to cry out.
Moral:
Those who suffer most cry out the least.
The ox symbolizes diligence, reliability, sincerity, strength and sound judgment.
So here’s wishing you and other readers of this blog an Ox-picious and Ox-cellent year. May our faith in Christ continue to be strong and firm in the times ahead.
Happy Chinese New Year…. ‘ Xing Nian Ping An’
