Feta Stuffed Chicken Breast

I learnt this recipe from the 4 Ingredients Christmas cookbook by Kim McCosker which was given to me by my husband. I can't wait to try the rest of the recipes. It is really the easiest cookbook that I ever own as mentioned on the cover of the book. An excellent and handy cookbook for me as I really enjoy the simplicity of cooking using only four ingredients.

My beloved Mother (1928 - 2011) RIP

My beloved mother passed away on 16th October 2011 at the age of 83. I flew back to Kuala Lumpur and then off to Taiping. My other siblings were already in Taiping and some were on their way. The last time I saw my mother was early last year before I went over to Sydney to be with my partner. I remember that my brother called me on Sunday morning to inform me of the sad news. I felt so devastated and sad and it broke my heart when I later saw the look of my younger brother, for he has always been the good son taking great care of our mother.

The funeral took place on the 5th day after her passing. She was cremated and her urn was placed in a temple next to my father who passed away more than 20 years ago.

I really miss her and sometimes I still cannot believe that she is no longer with us. It seems like everything happened so fast and it has created such a big void in my heart. Nothing can ever replace the love I feel for my Mother. I love you dearly Mother. May your soul rest in peace....

Sambal Belacan

Sambal Belacan is one of the most popular condiments for Malaysian or Asian dishes.

Rather than using a mortar and pestle, I used the blender to blend all the ingredients consisting of fresh red chillies, shrimp paste (belacan) and garlic. Finally I added some sugar (optional) and a squeeze of lemon juice or preferably lime juice.

Fresh Garden Salad

I love eating fresh garden salad. It is so easy to make a simple dressing for the salad with a bit of olive oil, apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

De-cluttering my Wardrobe

Spring time is the best time of the year to de-clutter my wardrobe. It means sorting out my clothes, donate any clothes that I haven't wore for more than a year or never going to wear and throw out anything that is no longer in good condition.

I will be storing away items that I won't use for the season. My boots will be placed back in their original box and stacked away neatly in a cupboard. All the winter clothings needs to be cleaned and then stored properly. Now all I need is to find some time to get it all organised nicely.

Hello Spring, Bye bye Winter

I am so looking forward to Spring as I yearn for some warmth after being in the cold weather for the last few months.

Outdoor Furniture

We found this lovely 3 piece outdoor furniture set for our balcony during our weekend visit at the garden furniture shop.

I can't wait for the weather to get a bit warmer so that we can sit, relax and enjoy the view outside.

Growing your Own Herbs and Vegetables

I have just planted Oregano, Parsley, Basil, Rosemary, Thyme and Corriander in a planter box. The other vegetables planted are spring onions and red chilli. Watching the growing process of the vegetables and herbs can be quite a satisfactory feeling. As we are living in an apartment, I just have to make do of growing everything in a pot.

Red Bean Soup

Last night I felt like having something sweet and warm. So I made red bean or Azuki bean soup which is a popular sweet dessert soup.

Yoga

I have been practising yoga for almost 5 years now and I am absolutely loving it. Recently I took up Pilates class which also helps to not only build flexibility, but also strength, endurance, and coordination in the legs, abdominals, arms and back.

Congee

Since there was some left over roast pork in the fridge, I used it to cook congee. The roast pork is added into the congee while it is cooking. Once it is ready to be served, I sprinkle some chopped spring onions, fried minced garlic, a dash of white pepper and soy sauce on top of the congee.

Ku-ring-gai National Park

We went bush walking in Ku-ring-gai National Park last Sunday. We parked the car at Kitchener Street and started our walk from there. It was a great way to experience the bush and yet so near to urban living. There were some steep but manageable track along the way. We even spotted a kangaroo and found many types of plant species and trees.

Grilled Sausages

Last night I made some mashed potatoes, grilled some sausages and served it with broccoli for dinner. Just simply delicious food.

Cycling in Winter

As winter is approaching, it can get very uncomfortable riding the bike as the morning can get rather cold. This morning I had to put on my arm and leg warmers together with a full finger glove and a jacket. It really helps to keep my body warm and make riding more enjoyable.

Now that I have all the cycling gear for winter, I will continue riding the bike and not put the bike in storage during the cold weather.

Steak with Mashed Potatoes & Brussels Sprout

Simple dinner on a quiet Sunday night. Steak with mashed potatoes and brussels sprout.

Short Ugg Boots

I have just bought a pair of Ugg boots to keep my feet warm for the winter season. This is a classic short chestnut colour Ugg boots. The sales personnel told me that socks are not necessary as it is meant to be worn without. But I will be wearing it with socks as I want to keep the inside of the boots clean, just a personal choice. Some may said it look ugly but as long as it keeps my feet warm I am more than happy to wear it.

Hokkien Mee

I miss all the delicious food in KL and so tonight I decided to cook Hokkien Mee for dinner. All the ingredients are easily found in the Asian grocery store.

Chocolate Chip Cake

It is a simple cake to make and yet so delicious served with a cup of tea in the afternoon.

Serfas Aileron Sunglasses

This is a Serfas Aileron sunglasses which was purchased over the weekend. I worn it this morning and absolutely love it, really great for cycling. It is stylish, comfortable, light in weight and the rose lens is just perfect on a clear or sunny day. Best of all it comes with 3 additional lenses, brown, rust and clear to suit any weather condition. I am wearing contacts and the sunglasses performed very well in blocking wind.

Asam Pedas Prawns

It has been a while since my last Asam Pedas so I thought I cooked Asam Pedas Prawns for dinner tonight. The ingredients can easily be found in the Asian Grocery Shop such as belacan (prawn paste) and tamarind.

Gear Up Girl Challenge

On Saturday I participated in the Gear Up Girl Challenge Sydney Olympic Park Loop which is approximately 15km.

This circular route includes the scenic Parramatta River Walk, Bicentennial Park, past ANZ Stadium and Acer Arena and the historic Newington Armory. The event started at 8.30 am and I finished the 15km in 40 minutes. It was my first time participating in such an event.

I had a lot of fun and I am already planning for the next event which is the Spring Cycle in October this year which goes from North Sydney to Sydney Olympic Park.

Steamed Barramundi

My recipe for steamed barramundi. Rub some white pepper and salt on the fish. Put 5 slices of ginger and 5 spring onion stalks on the steaming tray, then place fish on top. The fish is steamed for about 15 minutes depending on the size of the fish. Just before fish is cooked, fry some finely sliced ginger, chopped garlic, 3 tbsp of soy sauce with sesame oil and vegetable oil. Then pour mixture over fish and lastly garnish with finely chopped spring onions on top of fish.

Manly

These are some of the pictures taken in Manly. Last Sunday was such a beautiful sunny day, so we took a ferry from Circular Quay and reached our destination about 20 minutes later. Lovely clean beach and the water was so clear. The weather was a bit warm with plenty of cool sea breezes. A really good get-away on the weekend.

My Dream Bike

I have been cycling for almost 2 months now. My sweet husband bought me a road bike in December last year, picture shown earlier in the blog. Recently we came upon a bike that I fell in love with but I can't buy this amazing bike just yet as my current bike is only about 2 months old. I will be using it until we feel it is time to change for a new bike.

The Year of the Rabbit!

This year we are celebrating Chinese New Year in Sydney. I miss my family and especially some of my mom's special dishes that were only cooked during Chinese New Year. I have always enjoyed being back in my hometown on this special occasion. It was a joyful time for family reunion and catching up with each other's life stories.

May the Year of the Rabbit bring us good health, happiness and prosperity!

Grilled Salmon

Seafood has always been my favourite especially salmon. Just sprinkle some salt and black pepper and then grill in the pan each side for about 1 minute. Then bake in the oven at 180 degree for about 10 minutes or until the salmon look pinkish in colour.

Bike Riding

I used to cycle to school on my mini-bike that had a basket attached to the handlebar. One of the fondest memories I had was I always looked forward to rainy days because I would then have a chance to wear my pink polka-dot raincoat. Those were the days...

Recently I took up bike riding again and much to my delight I really enjoy it. After a week of cycling I fell due to a bad cornering technique. For a week I couldn't get on the bike due to injuries on both my knees and right thumb. After proper resting, I can now resume cycling. Every ride is a new adventure, fun and I just love the cool air that blows into my face while riding.