Patio is clean

Patio is clean

2 weeks ago, got Pat to take the pressure washer out as I wanted to get our garden furniture washed. He managed to wash 2 chairs and then the hose gun broke. So work stopped. Pat had to go order new "gun" and then when it arrived - weather was crap and raining the whole time, so could not manage to get out to the garden. Finally, yesterday sun was shining, so lugged the pressure washer out again and hey presto, we are ready for summer! - if it ever comes! I am so proud of myself! hehe

Patio before cleaning with moss and weeds


After washing


Steps before cleaning


Steps after

Flowers

Flowers

Spring flowers! Let the flowers speak for themselves.
Feathered tulip

Another view of the feathered tulip

Regular tulip

Rosemary bush

Wisteria plant

Scones

Scones

Haven't had scones in some time, so made them for tea time.

Cream melted because the scones were still hot from the oven when I slathered the scones with it!

This is a very belated post and I would like to thank E of Precious Moments for this award. I started blogging in July 2008... geez going to be 2 years soon... anyway, to continue, mainly as a sort of journal so my family and friends in Singapore and other parts of the world would know what was happening in my life besides my cooking and baking.

People who know me will be surprised when I say I am a rather shy person.. in fact no one will believe me!I say this because although I read a lot of blogs, I do not post or leave comments in them, hence I am not really known in the blogging world.

Hence, when I received this award from E who I have known for a few years already, I was happy but in a quandry as I do not have 12 bloggers to pass to.

The rule of this award is as follows:

(1) thank the person who passed you the award.
(2) paste the award to your blog.
(3) pass it to another 12 bloggers or more if you prefer.
(4) write 10 things about yourself.

This is my list of bloggers who I log on to almost daily:
1. audreycooks.
2. beachloverskitchen.
3. ching.
4. deb.
5. hkchoo.
6. lydia.
7. lily.
8. mamafami.
9. mykitchensnippets.
10.terri.
11.obachan.
12.zu.

About myself:

1. A Singaporean who got married at 21 and lived in Japan for 4 years from 82 to 86.

2. 10 years ago remarried to a Englishman and now residing in London.

3. My daughter, who will be 24 this year was with me until last year when my brother passed away, so she went back to Singapore to accompany her grandmother. I miss her very much but I suppose my mum comes first.

4. Used to own a cafe in Singapore for a short period of time called "Tina's Peranakan Delights" in Orchard Road yonks ago. Gave up the shop because I met my present husband and got married.

5. Love experimenting with food.

6. Love baking too and last year did a 5 day cake decorating course, so am into sugarcraft now. Bake almost every weekend for hubby's tea.

7. Love travelling and visiting new places.

8. Am a terrible book worm and when I was younger, used to read non stop. Right now am reading 2 books on the go, one for the tube and one before going to bed.

9. Like I said above, am a shy person until I get to know someone.

10.Going back to Singapore once a year to visit mum, daughter, relatives and friends and to enjoy my much loved hawker food!

Pork Trotters in Vinegar

Pork Trotters in Vinegar

I have always loved pork trotters cooked in vinegar, so since I was at the chinese supermaket, I bought myself a nice trotter!



Ingredients:
1 or 2 port trotters
2 inch ginger - sliced
Sweet vinegar - 1/2 bottle
sesame oil

Method:
1. Heat water in saucepan and cook/blanch pork trotters for 5 mins. Remove.
2. Heat sesame oil in saucepan, add ginger slices and fry for 2 mins. Add pork trotters and sweet vinegar and water to cover the trotters. Bring to boil then lower fire to small and simmer for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours or till trotters are tender.

Note: I used a mixture of sweet and normal black vinegar and 1 tbsp of brown sugar.

Butter biscuits

Butter Biscuits

I was planning to make shortbread biscuits as I thought I had not made them in a long time. So measured my ingredients and then put it in the oven to bake.

As I was clearing up, I saw that I had left the rice flour still on the weighing scale! Oops! Shucks... what's going to happen to my bikkies? After baking time was up, took them out from the oven, patiently waited for them to cool and tried them. Wow... they actually tasted good! Very caramelly! Boy, was I so relieved!
The recipe can be found under "Shortbread Biscuits" and the apart from not using the rice flour the only change I made was to separate the dough into 2 parts and roll each part into a sausage shape and cover with cling film and put in the fridge for about 15 - 30 mins for it to firm up. When you are ready to bake the biscuits, cut them into thin slices and flatten them on the baking sheet and bake for about 10 mins.

German Chocolate cake

German Chocolate cake

Received a request to bake a 3 tier chocolate wedding cake for September. All of the wedding cakes that I have made so far were either fruit or carrot cake. So I had to try a bake a cake that would be nice and chocolately and yet strong enough to hold the fondant and tiers. Tried out the recipe from Rose B's book and it turned out fantastic. It does not use butter but oil so it does not become dense even it is refridgerated. So the children and Pat became my guinea pigs but I think it went down a treat!