Hazy Day

Good morning, rise and shine everyone! Though we can barely see the sunshine this morning, it doesn't mean we can stay in bed all day. 

It's been in the news. We had a bad case of haze in Bangi. So folks, it's better to stay inside. Due to the hot weather, best to drink a lot of water and please refrain from being out in direct sunlight if you have no business to do so. Another thing, you might want to stock up on premix Lai Chi Kang. This drink contains ingredients that help cooling off high body temperature. Or if you have no access to it, barley drink will do the trick. 

Now, you'll probably have eaten your breakfast. If it not being the case, you might want to try this out. It will brighten your day somehow... ^_^

It's Mine!

We fought over these. 

It was silly, really.

But we had to stand guard on what ours...

The Art of Alfredo

Any type of pasta in a white, cheesy, creamy sauce is forever the comfort food. Known all over the globe as alfredo sauce, the taste is widely varied. There are so many version of alfredo sauce out there, each one has been improvised by the cooks to suit their palates. 

When Chocolate Meets Cheese

Thinking about chocolate so early in the morning is okay. Just thinking about it will not add any calorie to your body. But thinking about chocolate this early, and at the same time you have two plates full of chocolate cake hiding in the fridge...Well, it's going to be heck of a hard time restraining yourself.  

My My...Cheesy Caramelized Onion Rolls

Another craving was appeased with this savory rolls. Carb, cheeses and sweet caramelized onions go perfect together! The rolls are perfect on its own, better toasted on the next day and amazing as a sandwich. Be prepared to have your house smells like a bakery afterwards...Hit the link! ^_^

resolution shut-down : out-of-the-world breadstick

it's 30 degrees outside but the wind still feels cold to me. might be because of the rain this morning. anyhow, i'm not going to go on about the weather, but you see...it still affect me on deciding what i made for our evening tea. 

despite my grumbling on too many calories and fat included in my cooking, i must admit that i have a very weak determination. first, i didn't do any work out i mentioned in the last post. two, i made lunch contained heavy cream and cheese...*don't ask me why i did what i did. it just happened* and three, i eat two more strawberry cake that i made yesterday... *each about the size of your palm* O_o

uh-oh...see what i meant? what a major blunder on my part. believe me, i can't stand having any cake within ten feet radius in the house. *i heard them screaming eat me! eat me!* obviously i can't let them down, right... ^_^ 

and coming to the real topic, i just made out-of-this-world breadsticks! oh yes, it was scrumptiously delicious you'll lick your finger off the remaining butter.. ;) it so darn good i had to have three. still, the aroma lingers in the house. and it's a very windy day! how am i going to stay sit with the smell of garlic + butter + cheese constantly teasing my nose?! grrr...well, guess what? i'm going to transfer the torment to you.

out-of-this-world breadsticks

adapted from here

• 1 1/8 cups warm water
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 3 tsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 3/4 tsp minced fresh basil
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 1 or 2 Tbsp butter, melted  

1. in a medium bowl, combine water + sugar + yeast; stir and let sit 5 minutes or until bubbly
2. take a larger bowl and combine olive oil + cheese + garlic + basil + italian seasoning + salt; mix together then add the yeast mixture
3. add in all the flour and stir until it comes together as a big lumpy dough. rub all over with a little olive oil and cover with plastic wrap. let it stands for about half hour
4. to make breadsticks: preheat oven to 175 C (350 F). flour the surface where you'll be kneading the dough. then knead the dough on it a few times till it becomes supple
5. divide the dough into 2 parts. divide each part into 12 smaller part. roll each smaller part into 9 inch length rope, twist it a bit before you place it on greased baking sheet
6. let the twisted ropes rise again until double in size about 40 minutes. before baking, brush the ropes with melted butter and sprinkle some more salt and and italian seasoning.  
7. bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until it has nice golden brown, remove from oven and brush with melted butter again...

*it's so worth it...^_^*

singing tummy : cheesy pasta pretty please...

this week has been relatively cold and chilly. it's only relevant if i post another *yummy*  comfort-food recipe that surely will hit high note on your rumbling tummy. ^_~. i made this yesterday evening. the day has been windy and chilly and i'm in need of something hot, something that with cheese...and pasta...in another word, i need carbs! 

the dish was a quick one to prepare *i'm so impatient to get a taste of it*. so if you already have the ingredients on hand, it'll be magically on your table under 20 minutes. now, lets get to the recipe!

cheesy pasta shells with chicken and veggies

slight adaptation of mac n cheese

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 palm-full of frozen mix veggies *peas, corn kernels, carrots*
• 2 tsp ground cayenne powder
• 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
• 1 cup pasta shells
• 2 tsp thyme leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
• parsley leaves for garnishing 

1. melt the butter first in a medium pot, then add both onions and garlic. let it cooked until translucent, then add the milk and chicken stock. let it simmer for 5 minutes
2. then, add in the frozen veggies along with cayenne powder and the cooked chicken. stir everything in, and cooked for 1 minute. then thrown in the pasta shells and thyme leaves
3. let it cooked, stirring occasionally until the pasta becomes al dente. add salt and pepper to taste, and lastly stir in the cheese
4. remove pot from the heat, serves the pasta hot in a bowl. garnish with chopped parsley

enjoy...^_^

yippie...cheesecakes on sale!!!

manis: cheesy weesy makes me go dizzy~: "ehem ehem...clear throats~ it's going to be a cheesecake day this friday!!!! the 7th of january 2011, you will have the chance to savor our..."

as you can see, there's a big sale on cheesecake at manis this friday. they make the best cheesecake ever, you won't be sorry...^_^

and for those who lives around gombak, wangsa maju, taman melawati, selayang, ampang and kepong *that's a mouthful!*, lucky for you guys cuz they provide free delivery within these areas! now that's a chance you shouldn't pass. head over now to book yourself one *or three* boxes of these delicious cuppies and host a party!

come out and play sunshine!

it's really...really...really...cold today. even the sun's still hiding behind the cloudy blanket. in this kind of weather, i'm always feeling a lil bit melancholic. maybe its just me, maybe others feel the same way. but you know what, at this kind of moment people *as in me* will always crave for something warm and flavorful. 

as for me right now, i imagine myself having one hot bowl of chicken noodle soup plus a cup of hot black coffee...hmmm...okay, that makes my tummy growl. but i'm not done yet. let say, a plate of just-out-of-oven mac and cheese will do the trick too. with sides of salsa and crispy oven-potato chips...yum yum!

why am i typing this when i could make any one of those? if you must know, i'm sooo in this LAZY mode *with capital letters for that* that i think going into the kitchen and making them take a little too much effort from me. so i just have to satisfy myself with the web's drooling-worthy pictures...even if my tummy not so much agreeing it! 

extra cheese please

i'm in the middle of watching Indiana Jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull. i've never known indiana jones could be quite funny...all this time, i thought the storyline was heavy and boring so i've never watch one. well, that's not the reason i'm posting. i've been meaning to make this for so long. and i made it today! yippee!!! you want to know what's that it? drum roll please...ehem, ok. here you go ^_^

if you are tired of sweet muffins, now is the right time to try some savory muffins. reduce the sugar, add some spices, herbs, peppers, sausages and cheese...can you picture that? i bet you can even taste it now. ;-) perfect  for breakfast or evening tea.

sometimes, a little change is needed to make things more interesting. the next time i made these, i'll be putting extra of the spices, herbs, pepper and cheese since i felt that the end product lack of something or... everything. so i'm going to make this again with a few changes. 

nonetheless, this is a good basis for muffins and can easily be improvised to suit your taste. i do believe that try and error will always make you a better cook! here is the recipe.