Rainforest Camping Trip (I)

Our journey started at 2pm on the 29th of Aug, Saturday. I'm so glad the weather was looking good all along the way. I was so worried because it started raining since a few days ago.

And what you saw in this picture is our legendary 'Gunung Ledang' or Mount Ophir. There are stories about this 'Gunung Ledang'! It is most famous being it the legendary princess called 'Puteri Gunung Ledang' once wooed by the Sultan of Melacca(Melaka). The Sultan had heard of her beauty and wanted to marry her but she set seven impossible conditions to him! You can read through the legendary story from this web page http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LegendofGunungLedang or http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PuteriGunungLedang or use google search for Legend of Gunung Ledang or Puteri Gunung Ledang and I'm sure you going to love it.

I was the one who incharged to prepare all the food for about 18 persons included children for a 3 days camping trip. I was too busy and don't even have time to take down the pictures! We always store extra food for emergency use. Who knows!!!

There are many oil palm plantations along the way which owns by SIME DARBY. And these are the estate houses for the employees. Before entering the reserve forest, we need to get permit from the oil palm plantation office for using their entrance to get to the other entrance. It was about 3.30pm when we reached to the oil palm plantation entrance.

All the oil palms will be gathered here in the upper storage to wait for delivery. These oil palm will be deliver directly to the oil palm factory for further process.

These are the fruiting oil palm trees and will be cut down in another few more years.

Now, we were at the bother between the oil palm plantation (on the right) and the reserve rainforest (on the left). They have installed electrical wires in some of the areas, to scare off the wild elephants and tigers. Oh yes, there are tigers in there!!!
We get down to take some fresh air in half way. As for me, I'm going to take more pictures of coz! Unexpectedly, the forest is actually really hot and dry!

I love this picture view! What do you think??? This is the down stream and we're going up stream. You can easily find animals foot prints along the side. They are coming down for water.

What do you think these are???? he he he....

And this one here????..... Oh yes, really big!

The foot print is about 6-7 inches long!

**TO BE CONTINUED......

Sweet Crumb Savoury Bun

My husband is taking me and the kids go camping this afternoon. So, I'll be away for a few days. We are heading to the nearest reserve forest with our 4x4 friends and family. I've been there for a number of times. It's a very interesting place. I'll try to post them up on next week. Then, I've prepared some buns & breads last night. This is one of those savoury buns for our trip and would like to post it up before leaving the house. And hope you guys will enjoy it! Will show you the other bread after the trip!

Ingredients :

500gm bread flour

1 tbsp yeast

3 tbsp sugar

1 tspn salt

1 egg, beaten

250ml warmed water

2-1/2 tbsp butter

Filling and Topping :

12 slices chicken ham

12 slice of cheddar cheese

1/2 cup butter cookies crumb

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

egg glaze

Mayo (optional)

Method :

- combine all ingredients together to form a soft dough.

- leave to proof for 1 hour.

- divide dough into 12 portion.

- roll dough flat into oval shape, place in a roll up ham & cheese.

- seal up the dough and place onto a baking tray.

- leave for 2nd proof for 30 mins.

- brush on egg glaze; place on mayo; place on grated cheese; sprinkle cookies crumb over the bun dough.

- then bake for 20mins at 200'c or untill golden brown.

- leave cool before lifting.

I was so curious!!! And wanted to take a look at the bread. So, I straight away slice it open when it is still hot and totally forgotten about the cheese...... Wow, the cheese actually looks so creamy and the outer layer is so crispy sweet...hmm...mm... I should have place on more crumbs! Not bad after all....he he ! Ooops...got to go now...see you next week!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Lychee Mousse Pie

I think it's time to have something nice after a few days of vegetarian.....he he! Something smoo...th to melt in your mouth. I'm going to use lychee in my today's recipe. I've never try lychee in any pastry or cake or pie before. I guess this is quite a challenging task! I kept on thinking was it going to work with this pie??? NO answer except untill I take a bite of it!!!

Ingredients for Pie Crust :

200gm all purpose flour

120gm butter

1 egg, beaten

30gm sugar

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Method :

- combine all ingredients together to form a dough.

- wrap dough with plastic sheet and chill for 2 hours.

- roll out flat in round shape and place into the pie baking tray.

- then bake for 5-8mins at 200'c.

- leave aside to cool.

Ingredients for Mousse Filling:

200ml whip cream

80ml lychee juice(use juice direct from can)

5gm gelatine

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Method :

- combine gelatine with lychee juice warm over low heat untill the gelatine totally dissolved.

- remove the mixture from heat and cool off over a pot of cold water.

- whipped cream untill fluffy and add in the juice mixture.

- stir well untill combine.

- then spread the mousse cream over the pie crust.

- and chill for 2 hours.

- decorate the pie with the topping ingredients or as desire.

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Topping :

3/4 cup grated white chocolate

1/2 cup grated dark chocolate

1 can of lychee

Well, what do you think? This recipe is quite simple and hassle free. Not much baking need to be done except the crust!

If you want the mousse look cream like mine, use 100ml lychee juice instead of 80ml.

This is a very light flavour of dessert and no sugar is added in!

Stir Fried Green Beans with Sweet Preserved Radish & Bean curd

We need a healthy lifestyle but yet once in a while still need to enjoy food without fear ! Whatsoever, any of you like to take white clear porridge? Well, I do ! I like to take porridge with pickled radish, preserved radish, salted egg and omelette or spicy fried anchovies. The dish that I've prepared for today is something fantastic to go with white rice or porridge. I think it's prefect for those who are on diet...he he ! This is a very flavourful dish eventhough without meat. So, let check out the ingredients.

Ingredients :

400gm green beans, cut in 1" long
100gm sweet preserved radish, cut in 1" long
a few bean curd, cut small
1 red chili, sliced
1 tbsp chopped garlic
3 slices ginger


Seasoning :

3 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce


Method :

- preheat pan or wok with 4 tbsp cooking oil.
- stir in ginger, garlic and green beans; cook under medium heat for 1-2 mins.
- add in preserved radish and stir fry for another 1-2 mins.
- stir in fried bean curd and chili; stir fry for 1 min and off the heat.
- finally, add in the seasoning and stir to mix.
- and serve.
This is the whole preserved radish and there also chopped preserved radish sold in the market. And there are sweet or salty radish too! So, it depends what you need for your cooking ingredients.
Ta....da....here is the flavourful vegetarian dish ! I juz love it...and hope you will too.

Fennel Cookies

I think it's about time to make another batch of cookies to fill up my cookies' jar. Really want to make something difference from the one selling at the supermarket. So, I was thinking of using some kind of spices like caraway in my cookies. But unable to find the caraway, so I'm using fennel instead. Never try never know....have to give it a go !


Ingredients :

150gm butter
100gm sugar
1 egg
pinch of salt
1 tspn fennel powder
300gm all purpose flour


Method :

- cream butter, sugar, salt and egg untill well mix.
- stir in flour and fennel powder and mix to combine.
- wrap dough with a plastic sheet and chill for 2 hours.
- then cut dough into the shape desire.
- bake for 15 mins at 190'c or untill slightly brown.
- leave cool before lifting.

Here's my fennel cookies! Ready to serve...

Hmmm....mm....crunchy, light sweet aroma, something new ! Not bad at all ! Next batch going to be caraway. I think caraway is stronger in aroma. Well, have to find out!

Vegetarian 'Piao Xiang'

Sometimes it's good to go vegan for a day or two. No meat for one or two days, I think it isn't a big problem. But still a lot of people couldn't go without meat not even a second...he he ! I mean meat is good but sometimes we just need a little cleansing in our body to help in the process of detoxification. So, I'm going to make a vegetarian dish in my today's menu. I think this dish is likely to serve in most vegetarian restaurant or non vegetarian restaurant which they used real meat for the dish. Most vegetarian food was mainly made of flour or soya bean. So, my today's menu is 'Piao Xiang' which is a fried yam/taro ring with filling (sweet & sour vegetarian chicken).

Ingredients :

one large yam ring

- deep fry untill brown in colour.

This is the vegetarian chicken meat that mentioned about earlier. It was made of soya bean! Unbelieveable texture...exactly like chicken breast!

Ingredients for filling :

300gm vegetarian chicken meat

one green pepper, cut in chunk

one tomato, cut small

two slices of pineapple, cut small

one red chili, cut small

2/3 cup tomato sauce

1 tbsp sugar

1/3 cup water

*thickening : 1/4 cup water + 2 tspn tapioca flour (combined)

Method :

- fry the vegetarian meat with my prawn fritter batter.

- leave aside.

- preheat wok or pan with 2 tbsp cooking oil.

- stir in pineapples, tomatoes, chili and green pepper; cook for 30 seconds under medium heat.

- add in tomato sauce, sugar and water; leave to cook untill boil.

- then add in the thickening and stir untill well mix under low heat.

- stir in the vegetarian chicken fritter untill the gravy became a little sticky.

- off the heat and serve.

And this is the ready made yam/taro ring which I bought from the vegetarian shop. I've already fried it. For those who is unable to find this, then you've to make your own yam ring. You can check out The Waitakere Redneck's Kitchen Blog for the making of yam ring.

Ta...da...here's my vegetarian yam ring pot! I've decorated with some fried vermicelli at the bottom. My son is a very picky eater. So, as long as he likes it! I think this is a good recipe..ha ha!

Oreo Plum Square

Today it's pouring rain out there! I'm not going anywhere, still need a little rest perhaps! So, I'm making something simple and nice for myself, of coz...ha ha ! I love fresh fruits and my kids love cookies.....I guess that it! Finally, I came out with something juicy fruity with the combination of Oreo cookies. Oh my, I've never thought this thing came out looks so gorgeously in colour. And the plum is still juicy wet....You have no idea how was it taste like!!! Yes, I'm in....I love the taste of fruits and Oreo cookies. Absolutely, perfect! Here comes the recipe...

Ingredients :

150gm butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups self-raising flour

2/3 cup milk

1 tspn vanilla extract

4 plums, sliced

1 packet of Oreo icing cookies

some icing sugar for dusting

Method :

- beat butter and sugar untill fluffy.

- add in eggs and beat untill well combine.

- then add in flour and milk alternately.

- pour the batter onto a 9x13" baking tray with a sheet of parchment paper.

- decorate the top with Oreo cookies and sliced plum.

- bake for 40-45mins at 185-190'C.

- then cool in tin for 30 mins before lifting.

Remember, do not press the fruits and cookies into the batter! Just leave it like this.

Here comes the gorgeous thing! Should have put more plums. (so greedy!)

I can't wait to have a slice of it as soon as the thing came out. The colours really captured my attention.

Can you see the red colour juicy plum? mmm...mm..... I guess it's a wonderful try out...yey! And very happy about it. My kids, they love it!

Cheese Horseshoe

I went missing for 2 days! Well, I was busy cooking for the past 2 days for the Chinese Ghost Festival. I don't know have you heard of it before! Some of you are celebrating Halloween and I'm celebrating Chinese Ghost Festival. Actually, it's not a celebration but to pay respect to the ghosts!!! Before going any further with the story...may we begin with the Horseshoe recipe first...he he!? This recipe is truly an old fashion kind of savory scone but deliciously rich with cheese. Eventhough this is my first try I know I've already fallen for it....ha ha ! I love the smell of the cheese and especially with mushroom in it. I've never try any scone in this way and this is my first time. And I'm totally in! Hope you like it too!

Ingredients for dough :

2 cups self-raising flour

30gm butter

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup water

- rub butter with flour untill well combine.

- add in milk and water to form a soft dough.

- place the dough onto slightly floured baking tray.

- knead to form a rectangle.

Ingredients for filling :

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

a hand of chopped onion

1/3 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup sliced mushroom

salt & pepper to taste

Topping : 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese and egg glaze

- mix all ingredients together.

- then spread filling over dough and roll up like Swiss roll.

- then form into a horseshoe shape.

- brush on egg glaze and sprinkle with cheese.

- bake for 20-25mins at 220'c.

Oops!!! Forgot to brush on the egg glaze....but still tasted wonderfully! Had to have a mug of coffee....mmm...mmm....

Chinese Ghost Festival is also called as 'Yu Lan' or 'Zhong Yuan' festival. According to the legend, every lunar 1st of July Yama is ordered to open the door to hell and then the suffering innocent ghost would hang out for a short time (actually one month) and enjoy fresh food. So, the Chinese believe that this is not a lucky month to get married or to do any celebration activities. During this period, incense is burnt in front or behind door of each household together with fruits and food to show respect to the ghost. In some places, people flow water lanterns. According to the chinese tradition, the lanterns are used to direct the ghost to find their way back. Check out for more stories at http ://www.chinavoc.com/festivals/ghost.htm.

So, for the past 2 days I was busy preparing food and all the praying stuffs. I had prepared 7 dishes and cook them in one day; and bought a few additional dishes & fruits. I started as early as 8am by steaming the traditional fatt go. Second one is the 'Hakka Yong Tofu' which I made the fish paste one day earlier (can feed more than 20 persons, so it's huge). Third one, I'm cooking the 'Ayam Masak Lemak'....it takes a little time for this dish. It is about 1pm by the time I finish cooking this! So, my kids have to take instant noodle for lunch. Forth one, I prepared the traditional Ma Lai Go and jelly...I'll make a posting for this jelly later on, very interesting! Fifth one, I started making satay drumsticks and salad. Then, I've bought a roast duck and some roast pork. It's about 5pm by then and my husband was helping me to arrange everything on a BIG table at the back yard. And we burnt lots of incense and candle ! Finally came to an end, we have invited all of our friends to come over to enjoy the food.......Nope, not yet!!! Who is doing the dishes? Of coz, I am.....So, I ended up cleaning and washing untill 12am! Oh yes, extremely tired...! I'm going to take a nap later on.

Mixed Rice Crab Pot

I've been planning this recipe months ago after watching a TV programme review. It looks so yummy and I wanted to try it out myself ! But it's not easy to get fresh crabs lately. Finally, I bought some yesterday and straight away I go for this dish. Well, it turned out wonderfully....I cook extra rice to keep for the second day. The rice tasted absolutely yummy eventhough without the crabs. My family loved it! Here goes the recipe...


Ingredients for crabs :


1-1/2kg fresh crabs, cleaned and cut into half
1/3 cup rice wine or 'Hua Tiao' wine
1/4 cup ginger juice
ground pepper
1 tbsp cornstarch


-combine rice wine, ginger juice, pepper and cornstarch to mix well.
- marinade crab with the mixture and leave aside.


Ingredients for chicken meat :


400gm boneless chicken breast, cut into cube
1 whole green pepper, cut into chunk
300gm mushroom, sliced
4tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
3/4 tbsp dark soy sauce
ground pepper
2tbsp sesame oil


- combine all ingredients together and mix well.
- leave aside.

Method :

- cook the quantity rice as desire and cut down 1/2 cup of cooking water than you usually did.

(otherwise, the rice became too soft & I'm cooking 2 cups of rice)

- cook the rice untill the water level has gone below the cooking rice level.

- pour the marinade chicken mixture into the middle, do not stir.

- and place in the crabs then pour the leftover juice around the rice.

- then cook in low heat untill the crab became totally red in colour.

- off the heat and keep the lid close tight untill serve.

I'm using the Japanese or Korean dark pot for this recipe , instead of clay pot!

Oh my, I can't wait untill it's serve! My month is watering when I'm trying to get the posting photos out of it....ha ha !

DoubleXL Chocolate Chips Cookies

This recipe is actually inspired by lots of my blogger buddies. And it has became one of my kids' favourite cookies which they can't get or buy from anywhere else...he he..! (so cheeky, huh!) Eventhough, if you found it; probably you are not willing to spend that much.....I mean just for cookies only! But you can make dozens of them at home without bothering the price. And it's fresh from oven...what can I say more!

Ingredients :

230gm butter

150gm sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1-1/2 tspn vanilla extract

2-1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 tspn baking soda

1/2 tspn salt

1-1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 bar Cadbury milky chocolate, breaks into small pieces

Method :

- beat butter, sugar, vanilla extract and eggs untill fluffy.

- fold in the combination of flour, baking soda and salt.

- stir well untill well mix.

- then chill for about 1 hour.

- divide the dough into small balls and insert each dough with a piece of milky chocolate.

- then roll the dough over the chocolate chips.

- place them onto baking and bake for 15mins at 195'c or untill slightly golden brown.

- and leave cool before removing from tray.

I can't wait to grab the cookies as soon as it came out of the oven.

The recipe given can fill up at least two cookies jar. Probably, can last for a day or two..!

These cookies are nicely fit into my recycle cookies jar! Looks yummy, isn't it!