<div style=”text-align: justify;”>Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (8″) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.
</div>
<span style=”font-weight: bold;”>Chocolate Buttercream frosting:</span>
84g good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)
113.5g  unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 medium egg yolk, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cups sifted icing sugar
1/2 tablespoon instant coffee powder ( omitted)

<div style=”text-align: justify;”>Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 1 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don’t whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.
</div>
<div style=”text-align: justify;”><span style=”font-weight: bold;”>Outcome:</span>  The cake, without the frosting, tasted very bland.  With the buttercream frosting, tasted great.  The buttercream recipe is a keeper, but not the cake recipe.  My quest for my ultimate chocolate cake is still valid.</div>

Closing date: Soonest possible to avoid item OOS / 4 Oct 2009

Check out website: http://www.ralphlauren.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=1760783&ab=global_children

Exchange Rate 1USD :  MYR3.60 (will adjust depending on the rate charged to my credit card during purchase)

Preferred Payment Method: Paypal (or otherwise Maybank)

Payment
Will be divided into 2 collections,

1st payment is for the cost of your purchase + 20% of total purchase (min RM50/USD$15) as handling and coordination fees. Payment must be made before order can be submitted.

2nd payment upon arrival of items (3 – 4 weeks) -
i) Cost of international shipping from US to MY (total cost will be divided equally according to no of items. If you have more items, be prepared to pay more) Estimated cost of shipping per item RM10 per piece.

and

ii) Please indicate if you prefer self collection (no extra cost apart from (i) or registered mail. For registered mail, normal Pos Laju rate applies.

Collection
Registered mail or
Self collection at Cheras Perdana / Jusco Selatan Cheras on weekdays. Weekends collection can be arranged.

Terms and Conditions
No ordering of bulky items.
Please top if rate goes up.
I am not liable for any wrong colour,wrong item, wrong size or any defect in item sent BY RL.
I am not liable for any damages in item due to mishandling during shipment.
No exchange unless you opt to pay for 2 way postage to and fro US.
No cancel or refund once order is placed.
Be prepare to pay more units for heavy item or bulky item.
I reserve the right to cancel the order if there is not enough response.
I reserve the right to drop any order without payment.
I am not responsible for item loss through normal mail. Registered mail is recommended.
I will try to avoid tax but if incurred due to shipping cost (which I can’t control) will have to be shared by all.
Full Payment must be done before collection.

No payment = No order

Order Format:

Name:
Email:
Hp: Email me so that I can contact u
Collection point/method: Please indicate

Item #1
Item Desc:
Url :
Color:
Color OOS: [Please provide alternative if OOS]
Size:
Size OOS: [Please provide alternative if OOS]
Quantity :
Price in USD$:

Total purchase amt in MYR: (TOTAL USD$ X 3.60) = MYR

Email me at babynwear@hotmail.com for more info.

Order without payment will not be accepted.

——–

Order Example

Name: xxx
HP: 012 xxxxxxxx
Email: xxxxxxx
Collection: Self Collect

Item #1

Item Desc: Long Sleeved Stripe Polo
Url : http://www.ralphlauren.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3577220&sProdEvar=Recently Viewed
Color: Oasis Yellow Multi
Alternative Color: Drop
Size: 5
Alternative Size: Drop
Quantity : 1
Price in USD$: 19.90
 
Item #2

Item Desc: PRLClub Tee
Url : http://www.ralphlauren.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3577223&cp=2943769.2943769&ab=int_0929_sale_clp_Boys2_7_PRLClubTee
Color: DeckWash White
Alternative Color: Drop
Size: Size 5
Alternative Size: Drop
Quantity : 1
Price in USD$: 8.99

Total purchase amt in MYR: (USD$19.90 + USD8.99) X 3.60 = MYR 104.00 (pls round up)
 
+
 
Handling and Coordination Fees: RM50 / USD15 (20% or min RM50/USD15)
 
1st payment: MYR154.00 / USD43.90
2nd payment (upon arrival of items) : Cost of shipping only (self collect will incur no extra cost besides cost of shipping)
 
 
—-

I skipped Kelsey’s 6 months old milestones because we were on holiday in Elba. I forgot to bring the wireless router and Terry had been using his laptop. I hardly used his laptop. Furthermore, I wanted to take a break from net surfing. Normally at home, I surf the net for long hours after both of them are asleep.

Physical:
weight: 9.3kg – his weight gain has slowed
height: ??
teeth: 6

Milestones:
loves to bounce
can sit unsupported
make razzing sounds and likes to say ah….., just a couple of days ago, started saying dada
Work at getting a toy that is out of reach
Start crawling or lunging forward
Get upset if I take a toy away
Distinguish emotions by your tone of voice
- just yesterday, he bit me while breastfeeding, I stopped and scolded him with a stern voice, he seemed to understand.
separation anxiety begins
- this has definitely started. He cries so loud whenever I am out of sight, especially loud and pitiful when he is hungry and sleepy.
stand while holding onto something
bang objects together
pull up to standing position from sitting
like to throw toy on the flour and then look for it
from time to time, he grinds his teeth
- this time round, I am not too concern, because Malaika had this phase too and it didn’t last long. I will only begin to concern if it persists for a long period, like 1 month or so.
grab on our pants, hoping we will carry him

Kelsey is a mama boy. He only wants me during the night. Even if I pass him to Terry, so that I can do quick chores or even go to the toilet, he wails and wails. And once he sees me, he gives me a big smile and extends his arms to me and wants me to carry him. Then he will be quiet.

Diet:

For the past week, I prepare some rice cereal with some mashed fruits, like banana, papaya, mango and pears for lunch and then steam sweet patatoes with sliceso of apple. Whenever I tried to feed him, I have to distract him with toys. And when he is ready to out the toy in his mouth, I quickly shovel food into his mouth. And he will give me a very bad look. It seemed like a torture to him. With Malaika, she accepted solif food very well.

around 12-1 pm – fruits cereal
around 6-7 pm – dinner

Sleep routine:
wake up around 730am, so that Malaika can get ready to go to the school.
10-12am – sometimes only sleep for 1.5 hrs
12pm – having rice cereal with fruits for lunch
2-4pm – nap time
8pm – sleep time (by this time, he is overtired)

chinese steam bun with soy braised pork

Ingredients (to yield about 16 buns)
- 350mL warm water
- 3 tablespoons white sugar
- dash salt
- 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
- 1.5 tablespoons oil
- 600g white bread flour

Methods:
1. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and salt in the water, and then mix in the yeast. Let it rest for a while and it should smell active and bubbly.
2. Add the oil to the mixture.
3. In a large bowl, add the flour and scoup out a hole in the centre. Add the liquids to the hole and gradually incorporate the flour.
4. Knead the dough until it forms into an elastic and smooth ball, which takes about 15 minutes. The dough should not stick to your hands, and be quite stretchy.
5. Roll out the dough into a tube that’s about 5cm in diameter.
6. Slice the tube into 16 loafs. Lay each of the loafs on its cylindrical edge, not the face, on top of a square of parchment paper.
7. Wait 20 minutes for the loaves to rise. They won’t rise much, but you just want the surface of the loaves to be puffy.
8. Arrange the loafs in one or more bamboo steamers. They will expand more on their faces, so don’t put loafs face-to-face, or they will stick together.
9. Place the bamboo steamers on top of hot boiling water. Cover, and steam over high heat for 15 minutes.
10. Remove the lid and remove the loaves to a plate, before turning off the heat. You do not want water to condense on the buns.

For lunch, we had lasagna. When we were in Elba, I ordered lasagna. I was disappointed with the food. It was dry and not tasty. Mine was juicy with juicy oozing out. I think I made better lasagna than those restaurant simply because I am generous with the meat and the sauce. The below recipe is just for my keeping. I can’t give out any measure because I just cook by instinct and estimation.

Lasagna:
meat sauce:
tomato sauce – from pizza sauce
minced meat

cheese sauce:
butter
flour
milk
cheese

1. Cook tomatoes sauce and minced meat. Set aside.
2. Put a huge dallop of butter in a skillet.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of flour. Whisk it.
4. Before the butter-flour mixture get burned, add it 1/2 cup of milk.
5. Then add cheese in the mixture.
6. Cheese sauce shall be thick and creamy. Milk, flour and cheese, just strike a balance among the three. If the sauce is too thin, then add more cheese and flour and vice versa.
7. Assemble the lasagna layer – lasagna sheet, cheese sauce, meat sauce and the lasagna sheet and repeat the process.
8. Pop the lasagna in the oven as per instruction on the lasagna sheet pack.

the original – pesto risotto with pan fried salmon

my version of pesto spaghetti with pan fried salmon

Pesto sauce: (for 2-3 persons)
1 cup of fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons of pine nuts
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
1/4 freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. Put clean basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic in a food processor/mixer.
2. Slowly add parmesan cheese and olive oil.
3. Mix it until smooth and reach the consistency that one desires. Add water/olive oil if too thick.
4. Put some butter in a frying pan.
5. Season salmon with salt and pepper and put it in the pan.
6. Mix spaghetti with pesto sauce and put the fried salmon on top.

————————————————————————————————-
I have been telling Terry not to carry her anymore and let her walk, tell her that you have no energy to carry her. She is older enough to walk by herself. I have not been carrying her since I was preggie with Kelsey. She knows I don’t have the strength to carry her and she would walk with me. Malaika’s favourite phase is still, ‘ Komm zu Papa’ (come to Papa), and Terry will carry her. Well, Papa answered me when I asked him why did he still carry her.
T: I will carry her as long as I can. Soon, I won’t be able to carry her (because she has grown up).

Before Terry goes to work, he will kiss her.
M: Mama auch (too).
Terry kisses me.
M: Kelsey auch.
Terry kisses Kelsey.
M: Papa auch.
Then Terry would kiss his arm. And she would laugh. Then,
M: Big hug, Papa.

At times, she doesn’t want to be alone in the room, she would say:
M: Papa muss hier bleiben. (Papa must stay here)

She knows how to talk to people on the phone. The first time, I let her talked to Terry on the phone while he was at work.
M: Papa, du muss hier kommen. (Papa, you must come here)

When she is sick or sometimes, wake up from her sleep, crying, she would look for Terry.
M: 找 Papa

Terry is having lots of wounds from scratching and doing some gardening work. Malaika saw it and insisted that Terry put some plaster on the wounds and then she kissed all the wounds. She thinks it would make them not painful.

We have been telling her to be careful when on the street, because of the traffic, and telling her she would need to go to hospital and it will be very very painful if knock down by a car. Her response: Then she needs lots of kisses from Papa. (Papa’s kiss can heal wounds!! she thinks)

Everyday Terry bids goodbye to her, saying that he is going to work. He would kiss her goodbye. And then one day, he forgot to kiss her.
M: Papa, kiss?

Aren’t that sweet?

She definitely has a special place in Terry’s heart. All father has soft spot for daughter.

Recently I told Terry, ‘Enjoy while she is still young, next time she doesn’t want you anymore. You will sure miss it.’

She also knows how to read the time. Just yesterday, around her sleeping time, after getting Kelsey to sleep, I came to get her to bed. She walked with her head looking at the floor. I asked her why. She said the clock tells her to go to sleep. I guess by not looking at the clock, she didn’t need to sleep then.

Last but not least, her writing skills has improved. Now that Kelsey is getting more demanding, I don’t have much time to teach her how to write. Even reading, I try to read to her everyday. I asked my sister to buy some exercise book for Malaika to learn the Chinese strokes. It has been so long since I learnt how to write Chinese words. Of course I forget how all those strokes are called. I was pleasantly surprised that after a session or two of showing her how to write 撇(downwards-left curved character stroke) and 捺(downwards-right concave character stroke). She can now write more characters. She knows how to write 人, 大, 小, 天, 门, 田, 开, more importantly, she knows how to write her own name – 晓雨. She was very happy that she managed to write her own name. I am very proud of her.

those with arrows are characters written by Malaika

I have just finished unpacking the luggage, and now I have to pack again, luckily this time, it is only a 2 nights stay.
]]> http://malaikankelsey.wordpress.com/2009/09/18/on-the-road-again-3/feed/ 6 malaikankelsey