Sherilyn's 16th Birthday ~ 16 February 2021

Sherilyn turned 16 today!

I asked her what she'd like me to order for lunch and dinner and of all the food, she requested for a foot long Subway sandwich and Subway choc chip cookies, albeit she could make way tastier and healthier sandwiches and cookies.  She also requested for Fire Tiger boba and jelly tea and salted egg fried sotong 😆. 

Her wish is almost always my command and we ordered all her favorite food and had a low-key birthday celebration at home. 

Lychee strawberry cake from RT Pastry.

Sweet and spicy crabs with extra sauce.

Fried chicken with fish paste.

Salted egg fried sotong/squids

Her best birthday gift - Haru. She's always been a cat lover.

Haru's new afternoon nap spot - iron grill on the window. Such a hot spot in the afternoons but perhaps she finds it warm and cozy.  Hubs commented that Haru looks like a sea lion with long whiskers 😹

Haru is a super duper light sleeper, so light that she would even know that we're next to her when we tip toe to take a brief peek at her when she naps. 

Second Day of CNY 2021 ~ 13 February 2021

Hubs had a last minute order for delivery today and since none of his staff are at work, he had to do all the work.  And he roped in Sherilyn and me to help as well. Thankfully hubs knows cooking (he studied hotel management and catering and later did a bakery course) and Sherilyn and I could help with some simple kitchen work. But it was a mad rush having to get the food ready to be sent out by 11:30 a.m.  to the customer. 

We were home on time for our Hoi Nin Fan (first meal of the Lunar New Year) with hubby's aunt who lives on our block joining us.  The mil did most of the cooking.

It's been a super hot day today, typical weather of CNY every year.

Chef Sherilyn insisted on donning her cloth face mask, cap and disposable gloves in her dad's stuffy kitchen.  I told her that since it's so stuffy she needn't have to wear a mask when chopping veggies but she insisted on wearing it throughout the 2 hours in the kitchen.

Sherilyn to me - do you know what hygiene is?? 

She even wore the mask when she was frying otak-otak but when she got home, she said she felt dizzy from the lack of oxygen 😁

Ready to be Grab-ed to the customer ~ rendang chicken drumsticks, mutton rendang, fried otak-otak, sauteed mixed vegetables and loh sang with jelly fish. 

In the evening, Sherilyn made Tiramisu which was a winner!  The Tiramisu was so delish that even the two super critical foodies in the house gave their stingy compliments.

I think the Tiramisu is good enough to be sold.

Roast duck from hubby's aunt.

Braised pork ribs

Braised stuffed oysters with fish paste and abalone.

I'd like to wish all my readers "Koong Hei Fatt Choy" and may the year of the Ox be a prosperous, happy and healthy year for everyone!

My heart melts whenever Haru gives me this pitiful look, begging to be let out of the box to roam freely and scratch her nails on my slippers (which is now her scratching pad).

9 February 2021 MCO Homecooked Dinner ~ North India Cuisine

When Sherilyn was younger, she used to tell me what she'd like to eat and her wish was my command.  Now it's the other way around. I tell her my request and she would execute it. All I have to do is to buy the ingredients and she would gladly dish them out 😍.  

Caveat: this is only possible during the MCO. When the MCO is lifted and she's back to school, she won't be able to cook for us anymore.

Our Tuesday dinner this week brought us down to memory lane, back to the year 2019 where we could travel anywhere to fix our cravings. In that particular year, we were hooked on North India food. We especially loved Tasty Chapathi @ Damansara and Khan's Indian Cuisine @ Bangsar South.  Now that we are not allowed to cross district or dine in, we have our in-house teenage chef to satiate our cravings.  Sherilyn prepped all these from scratch herself, assisted by the TMX6:

1.  Butter chicken

2.  Palak Paneer

3.  Naan

4.  Passion fruit and vanilla ice-cream

Sherilyn even made the cottage cheese herself, for the Palak Paneer. Everything is super yums!!

 

Homemade cottage cheese.  Her first attempt in it.

Homemade vanilla and passion fruit ice-cream. Also her first attempt, using the TMX6.

Here's Haru saying peekaboooooooo!  She loves playing catching and hide-and-seek with us.  She's looking more like a cat now at about 7 weeks old, though her face sometimes still resembles a tiger cub. We all love her to bits!

Homecooked Bibimbap

MCO lunch on Thursday, 4 February 2021 ~ Just because it's still the gawd damn MCO with no end in sight to the pandemic, we get to enjoy more of Sherilyn's kitchen trials 😐.

Today she cooked Bibimbap for lunch, prepped from scratch - from the kimchi to the pickled radish, marinated spinach, zucchini and bean sprouts and bibimbap sauce.   

All those colours! This would put anyone in a good mood!   😋

Though I'm thoroughly enjoying all of Sherilyn's delish experimental cooking, I can't wait for her and her two sisters to be able to go back to school for proper classroom learning.  Teenagers should be in classrooms, not confined at home for prolonged periods 😓😢.    Next month on 18th March would be our country's 1st anniversary of being in a movement control order. I hope that by then, our country would be placed in a recovery MCO 🙏. 

MCO Dinner ~ 3 February 2021 (Pork Wellington and Beef Lasagna)

Sherilyn whipped up yet another labor-intensive dish ~ Pork Wellington served with red wine shallot sauce, French potato puree, caramelized onions with Italian Balsamic vinegar and seared zucchini.

This girl is truly a sucker for challenges and competitions since young!  She hardly settles for cooking simple and easy dishes but likes to try out new recipes.

Pork Wellington is such a labor intensive dish with a slew of ingredients and Sherilyn made everything from scratch, inside out -- from the puff pastry to the crêpe, red wine shallot sauce, French potato puree and the pâté (with minced mushrooms). The French potato puree and mushroom puree were done by the TMX6.

As long as the MCO doesn't end, we're going to be chef Sherilyn' guinea pigs, trying out new dishes almost daily 😁

Another skill that Sherilyn learned as part of producing this dish is opening a bottle of red wine with her dad's wine opener! 😁 The red wine shallot sauce is truly amazing and gives the Pork Wellington a moreish flavor.

So much hard work, time and passion goes into this Pork Wellington.  

The first time she baked it, the pork inside the puff pastry was still slightly pinkish and uncooked. It's a thick chunk of meat.  As it was already 8-ish p.m. (yeah, we all waited till this late for this dish!), the girls ended up eating instant noodles, while I drank organic almond milk with oats for dinner.

And the Pork Wellington was kept in the fridge for lunch and dinner for the following two days 😂

The chunk of seared pork is wrapped in several layers ~ pâté, crepe and finally the puff pastry. Every layer is handmade by Sherilyn.

I just love the caramelized onions with Italian balsamic vinegar and seared zucchini.

Beef lasagna from hubby's shop, Catermate.

And I end this post with Haru saying meow meow hello!  Ain't she adorable?

IT Exams For A Promising Career In IT

2020 was a difficult year for most of us and it's spilling into 2021.  Many of us felt like we were challenged at all fronts, emotionally, financially, physically and more. Not only has the Covid19 pandemic roiled the entire world, it has caused severe disruption to the lives of many people. Millions of people all over the world have lost their jobs and with there no end in sight to the pandemic, more people will continue to lose their jobs.  I've seen pilots switching jobs dramatically to such jobs as Grab delivery rider and food seller (there's even a pilot who's now driving a hearse to earn a living) and those in the tourism sector now selling food and vegetables by the road side.  Of course there are some who are still safe and protected as the industry that they are in are not affected by the pandemic.  Those in the groceries business, pharmaceutical, face mask and gloves, IT and manufacturing of IT components are some of the industries not affected by the pandemic.  Good on you if you have sat for an isaca cism exam as the certificate will prove valuable to you if you're now looking for jobs such as Network Engineer, Information Technology (IT) Manager and Systems Engineer.

I bumped into my neighbor at the car park the other day and chatted for a while. We were talking about how MCO 2.0 would kill the country's economy.   I thought that he was also impacted but he told me that he's very thankful that his IT business has not been impacted at all. In fact, business has been good throughout the lockdown as more people are staying home and everyone is now reliant on IT to get through their daily routines from learning, meetings and making purchases.  

If you're looking at a career advancement in Information Systems and Information Security, first find out the isaca certification cost as this course is available online. ISACA certification holders are among the highest paid IT professionals. Big enterprises recognize the value of employing top-notch information security specialists to manage the risks and costs associated with cyber crime. Becoming ISACA certified is one of the best ways to prove you have the skills and knowledge to secure the modern enterprise against escalating threats.

If you have experience as an information systems auditor and want to move up or over, consider acquiring the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certification from spotoclub.com. The CISA credential recognizes individuals who are skilled in auditing, controlling and assurance of enterprise IT systems. The CISA is by far the most popular ISACA certification, with more than 115,000 credentials granted since the program began.

Computer technologies are integral to modern life.  A career in computing and IT security is promising and rewarding. Whether you want to work for a big corporation managing networks and designing software or become an information security analyst to ensure that all the systems and applications are secured to avoid any breach, there is a lot of potential in every IT job.  A computer science degree or an IT certification will open up a world of possibilities.

Last Day of January 2021

Our kitchen was a hive of activity today.  Sherilyn spent the entire day making her 3rd batch of classic red kimchi while Alycia and Cass made pancakes.  Sherilyn also made her first batch of Baek Kimchi (White Kimchi) for Alycia and me who can't stomach her spicy red kimchi.  She did all these in between zoom church youth fellowship meeting and entertaining Haru, our new baby kitten. Then she cooked dinner.

Some of my Facebook friends asked what I actually do everyday as I don't need to cook anymore with the MIL around now and a fantastic teenage chef who loves cooking.  As usual everything else that no one likes to do - litter train and care for a 4-week old kitten, cleaning cat's litter, scrubbing bathrooms, moping the floor like 20x a day and the endless laundry 😬. And I have my own online writing to do as well as help hubby in his online food delivery business.  

Such a big batch of kimchi.  Can you imagine the amount of work needed to produce all these!  But Sherilyn ain't complaining. She finds so much satisfaction and joy cooking and baking all her favorite food.

Baek Kimchi (White Kimchi)

Red classic Napa cabbage kimchi and cucumber kimchi

Saturday, 30 January 2021

For weeks I've been bugging Sherilyn to cook Indonesian yellow fish soup and even got her all the ingredients needed to make this flavorful and healthy soup. She finally made a big pot yesterday and I mean a really big pot  that's enough to last us for at least 3 or 4 meals!  We added fresh fish to the soup today and will probably add something else like fish balls or meat balls to go with noodles tomorrow.

Our lunch and dinner yesterday ~ Nasi Ulam and Indonesian yellow fish soup.

The fresh torch ginger flower elevates the Nasi Ulam and gives it more depth of flavor.  Sherilyn even made the Kerisik (toasted grated coconut) herself. 

We added fresh fish into the soup for our dinner today -

Sherilyn is a terrific cook who preps her food with a lot of passion. Many of my friends asked if she's going to pursue a course in culinary arts but no. I got a shock when Sherilyn told me recently that she'd like to study something related to Science and Medicine, in particular heart and brain. But she's only concerned about the cost and whether she has the perseverance to complete the entire course.  She recently registered herself in a X-Culture Collaborative Project online course to improve herself.  I do think that Sherilyn can become a doctor if she puts 200% effort into her dreams. We have two doctors in our family (from hubby's side) - a renowned heart surgeon in the UK (hubby's uncle - google Dr John Yap) and a doctor also in the UK (hubby's cousin).  Anyway, I think a teenager's ambition keeps changing. Once upon a time, she wanted to be a professional dancer.  For now, I hope that the girls can go back to school to attend physical classes.  My radar is now on Alycia who'll be sitting for her SPM in 3 weeks.  I'll just settle her in college first.

Cancellation of Doctor's Appointment

I cancelled my appointment to see the head of Urologist at HKL last Friday after hubs told me that there's an active Covid19 cluster at HKL (Jalan Pahang Cluster). Actually I wanted to go ahead with the doctor's appointment as it's not easy to get an appointment for Cass and I to see Dr S during the MCO. Dr S will only see patients on a case by cases basis.  And only emergency surgeries will be carried out during the MCO.   But hubs was very insistent that I postponed the appointment due to the surge in Covid cases for the past few days.  

I called the nurse in charged of Cass' case and asked her if I could instead speak to the doctor over the phone.  She then helped me to get Dr S to speak to me via phone the next morning.   Dr S discussed with me what she intends to do - which is to have a repeat Urodynamics test done and from the result, she will determine if it's viable to do a Endourethral injection of bulking agents into Cass' bladder neck.  Cass did a Urodynamics test more than six years ago, when she was six years old.  

As to the MAG3 scan that Cass did last December, I'm thankful and relieved to hear that Cass' kidney function is good on both kidneys. 

It's going to be a long and tedious journey ahead for Cass and me, her primary caregiver.  But Cass and I will soldier on no matter how tough the journey will be.  We know that there will be light at the end of the tunnel.   

Update On The Stray Baby Kittens

I've been checking on the baby kittens every other day while hubs feeds the mother cat everyday.  Last week mommy cat freaked out when hubs and his staff were moving some tables and chairs. The loud sounds and movement of heavy objects must have scared her and she transferred her babies to another hiding place, a hardware shop just two doors away.  But she's now quite comfortable seeing us and would not run away whenever she sees us.  She even allows me to go near her babies, though I try hard to resist stroking the cute fluff balls lest mommy cat thinks I'm going to take her babies away. 

And guess what? Hubs' heart was so moved by the kittens that he is going to adopt one BUT the kitten will be placed in his office.  He bought a cat carrier last Sunday, all ready to bring the kitten to the vet for vaccination! I'm not sure how he's going to do it as we have zilch experience with cats and kittens. And how are we going to take the kitten away when mommy cat is always around? She's going to get very upset and hostile if she saw us taking her baby away.  A cat lover friend of ours will be going to the shop tomorrow with a cat litter to litter train the cats.  The hardware shop owner is cat lover and he previously adopted a stray kitten when the mother cat gave birth outside his shop.

Today I finally got a better glimpse of the kittens and I'm so glad that all 6 babies are still alive.  Get ready for some heart melting photos of the adorable kittens with stormy blue eyes!  And if you're looking to adopt these kitties, do drop me a comment.  As advised by friends, we will not separate the kittens from their mother for at least 8 weeks.  I think it will be another 4-5 weeks before the kittens are ready for adoption.  

Mommy cat - she has green eyes.

MCO Day 224 ~ Tuesday, 19 January 2021

This morning I received a call from the nurse at the Urology Department of HKL. My request for an earlier date to see Dr S, the head of Urology has been approved and instead of waiting until February, she's given us an appointment to see Dr S this Friday.  Bless this nurse's heart. She always tries to help me whenever I tell her my reasons and concerns.  

I truly wish and pray that Dr S will be able to tell me how she intends to fix Cass' urinary tract issues. And I pray that the MAG3 scan report is favourable.  This issue has been dragging for too long and it's a real pain for both Cass and me.  And it's affecting Cass emotionally; when she's affected emotionally I'm affected just as badly.  

The past one year has been really tough on everyone that's affected by the pandemic, whether physically, financially or emotionally.  Though we're not infected (hopefully we'll be spared), we're not spared from the financial and emotional aspects the pandemic has on us.  Like I'd mentioned before, I always wish that this pandemic is just a nightmare and we could all wake up to our usual busy, hectic and normal lives once again.

Please pray for Cass. She needs lots of prayers for a complete healing from her health issues. Thank you 💓

Finding The Perfect Prom Dress

Prom night is a custom where high school juniors and seniors dress in formal attire and participate in activities surrounding a dance. Prom was born in the United States more than 100 years ago and has spread to other parts of the world. Prom involves dates, elegant prom dresses, tuxedos, dinner and dancing.

Prom is one of the most important events in high school which is normally held in the beginning of spring and the end of the school year.  Girls typically wear floor length gowns and high heels while boys are required to wear either suits or tuxedos. Students, especially the girls usually prepare for the event many months ahead because prom is often the highlight of a girl’s school life.

A prom dress is often considered the most significant part of the entire prom experience, so you should choose a dress that expresses your individuality! Prom dresses come in various styles, length, size, color and price. Every girl wants to look her best in a jaw-dropping, flattering prom dress and be treated like a queen.  Get started early and follow this guide to be the belle of the ball:

1. Plan In Advance It takes time to do your research and choose the perfect gown. Plan to make a choice and your purchase about four to six weeks (or even earlier) before your prom night. You may need alterations on a dress and purchasing it in advance gives you ample time for you to have the alterations done.  Decide if you'd like to purchase the gown online, from a boutique, bridal shop or tailor-make it.

2. Do Your Research Take cues from what you saw on the red carpet, catwalk, magazines, and what you are seeing in the stores now to find some of the most sought after styles of the season.

3. Plan Your Budget And Stick To It One of the worst feelings in the world is trying on a beautiful dress and then finding out that the price is way out of your budget. So before you even begin to look, let the salesperson know what your budget is, and if you’re doing your shopping online, filter the results so you can only see the dresses you can afford. One place to get affordable prom dresses is My Chic Dress.

4. Look For Precious Fabrics

For your prom dress, look for precious, fine and luxurious fabrics such as satin, tulle, silk, chiffon, organza, lace and velvet.

5. Follow the School Rules 

Many schools have instituted prom night dress codes. Strapless styles, spaghetti straps, plunging necklines or other sexy details may not be permitted. Additionally, the school may institute a theme for prom night and request that students’ outfits reflect the theme. Be sure that you fully understand all of the school rules and guidelines before you begin shopping.

When choosing a prom dress, you have to know that trends change with every season. If you want to know the 2021 prom dresses trends, or wondering which prom dress style comes out on top, My Chic Dress has plenty of classic styles that are elegant and timeless for you to choose from.  Remember to look for a great fit, a beautiful color that plays up your best features, a dress with embellishments if you want that extra special quality, and remember to go for a dress that you feel your best in!