Stepping back, and remembering

Sometimes I need to take a step back, to remind myself about what's important and what's trivial. Sometimes it takes someone to remind me to take that step back. Sometimes it takes a book. A book written a long long time ago by a girl, about her family, and their life in the prairie. Care to take a guess to the title of the book? Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

1999 and I had just started my work life, in a new place, far far from my family and friends. It was also the year I bought my own copy of Little House on the Prairie. Back then, Penang didn't have a proper bookshop, so I had to buy the book from Amazon. I read the book during my secondary school days and enjoyed reading Laura's accounts of her life in the Prairie. They had a simple life, but how they cherished all the little things they had. I enjoyed reading how Pa asked Ma to put her handprint on the bread she baked and about the little cakes filled with white flour, sprinkled with precious white sugar that Laura and her sister got for Christmas.

8 years later, my copy of Little House on the Prairie is now falling apart at the seams. So when I spotted a similar version of the book a few weeks ago, but this time printed on high quality paper, and with coloured illustrations, I couldn't resist getting another copy. A new copy, for a new chapter in my life.

Of Moleskines and alternatives

I'm just giddy with delight now that Borders is in Penang. Not only are the books more interesting, but they have an exciting selection of journals. There are journals from Moleskines, Paperblanks, Paperchase and other brands that I can't recognise.

Now that my Moleskine is almost due for a replacement, I'm undecided as to which journal to get. The only journals that are close to the dimensions and aesthetics of the pocket Moleskine are from Paperblanks. These journals have a faux leather cover, same pouch like the Moleskine, same elastic band, albeit a few pages less than a Moleskine. But best of all, Paperblank journals are cheaper!

We've read about cars from China looking uncomfortably similar to their competitors. So now that the raw materials that make up the Moleskine journals are sourced from China, why aren't there imitation Moleskines? It's hard to justify spending $50 on a Moleskine...

Timmy and Junior

I never understood people's attraction to dogs... until I met Timmy and Junior. They stay with sp and her family back home, so I only meet them a few times a year. But whenever we meet, a few sniffs and licks is all it takes, and it's like we were never apart.

Timmy is the quieter of the pair, with the patience brought on with experience but isn't afraid to show who's boss when the younger Junior goes too far.

Junior is a flurry of excitement and energy, always eager to play and partake in his favourite pastime - eating.

They're really well taken care of, and in return they take very good care of the family. One can hardly stay glum with Junior prodding you to take his favourite bone and play with him, or Timmy calmly staring at you with those gentle eyes, not asking for anything except companionship.

French Toast weekend

This weekend I had an attack of the French Toast munchies. I ransacked the kitchen and found a loaf of baguette, or also known as the French Loaf that I bought from Jusco on Friday. In the fridge was an egg, some butter and an opened bottle of milk. Pepper... check. Sugar... check. All the ingredients I needed to make French Toast!

I mixed the egg with a generous squirt of milk, several shakes of pepper and a teaspoon of sugar together. Then I cut the baguette into inch thick slices, then soaked them into the mixture. The baguette has such dense texture that I let the slices soak much longer than usual. Gotta let all the eggy goodness soak deep into the bread.

I buttered the pan and fried the slices in low heat. I had to make sure everything is cooked properly, yet not too dry. I wanted my French Toast to be mildly crispy and sweet on the outside, slightly moist, almost custard-like on the insides, and with a thin layer baguette left untouched in the center.

My French Toast turned out pretty good! sp hasn't sample them yet. I'll make a new batch when she comes back.

Misty Mooring

Before I go any further, let me say that I don't know how to appreciate wine. I've read wine reviewers go on and on about the fresh fruitiness of the bouquet, the raisiny, curranty and oakiness of the taste. I'd love to go get a bottle of the same wine and see if I could taste any pears, or raisins. I tried, but they're too expensive.

So with a firm budget in mind, and considerable online research written down on my moleskine, I set off to Jusco, Queensbay in hopes of finding a wine that I could enjoy. And I came back with this - Angove's Misty Mooring - Late Harvest Sweet White.



Quite a plain looking bottle, but the price was right, and since it's a Late Harvest variety, it's supposed to be sweet, ie a dessert wine. Late Harvest wines are normally made from grapes that are left to ripen on the vines. Ripe grapes have a higher sugar content, so the end product is sweeter and generally a higher percentage of alcohol.

Did I like it? Misty Mooring being of the Late Harvest grape variety is a dessert wine, and I enjoyed the extra sweetness. I tried sniffing the wine in hopes of discerning some kind of fruit to describe the smell, but all I could describe is that the wine has a fresh aroma... of grapes.

I found it tastes pretty good after a spicy meal, just like it's recommended by the wine maker. I also find myself enjoying the wine in small sips. It seems to be more flavourful that way.

Hot Cross Buns

Several times I've passed the bakery in Tesco, yearning to buy some Hot Cross Buns, or, as Tesco and everyone else nowadays refer to them as, potato bread. How could a nice and emotive name like Hot Cross Buns be turned into a plain and drab sounding Potato Bread, is beyond me.

They are usually served on Good Friday, although I believe there were raisins in the bread back then. I'm not a fan of raisins, so no big loss. I have vague memories of eating them in church when I was a kid.

I finally bought some today, and they taste pretty good. Sweet, custard-like aroma.