Push me again and I'd turn into a werewolf........

I can't believe I actually said that to a colleague from another department yesterday.

Yes, I really did tell him that if he kept asking for the Data I was supposed to hand in last year, I'd get really mad and turn into a werewolf and rip everything apart. I said that in front of the whole office members.

What's with the werewolf thingy?

Easy peasy. After watching the movie Twilight last year, I got the urge to get the whole set of the books. Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. After all, I did acquire myself a whole set Harry Potter books. I wish I got the supplementary books like Fantantic Beasts and Quidditch Through the Ages. I did get the Tales of Beedle the Bard though which I enjoyed very much especially JK Rowling's own hand drawn illustrations.

Back to the Twilight series. I'm on Book No.2 New Moon right now in which one of the main characters Jacob Black a young teen from the Quieleute American Indian tribe discovers his gift of turning into a werewolf when vampires exist. Apparently, he turns into one when he loses his temper.

So, I kind of fancy myself turning into one. Wouldn't it be cool to burst into a crazy mass of hair and fangs when you snap?

Sure, the vampires are deadly perfect-looking super gorgeous beings but being one means the moist deep dark chocolate cake will taste like moist muddy deep dark dirt to you. The werewolves can still eat like humans instead of eating humans. Also, the vampires' bodies are cold and hard like marble whereas the werewolves' bodies are warm (more like hot that you can fry an egg on the forehead) and can apparently walk around naked in the snow. Hey, wolves do walk around naked, don't they?

One problem though. The werewolves apparently burst out of their clothings and when you turn back into human, you'll be naked. Eeww.......I do not fancy walking around naked in the woods. Let alone the snow or anywhere public.

Singletons are more likely to get Alzheimer?

Just took a quick glance at the weekend paper (which subscription I haven't been paying for months). They have a 'health & lifestyle' section on weekends.

An article caught my attention. It said 'people who remain single are 2 times more likely to suffer from Alzheimer than their married counterparts'.

Hey! Who did this study?

I was on the way out for the day and didn't bother to read that much into it but what was that? As usual, I would always attempt to rationalize an argument like that, seeing things from the other person's point of view.

Maybe and just maybe that singletons tend to lose their brain usage a bit more because they only have one person to think about........themselves. Married people need to use their brains to think for the other person as well and also kids and family and in-laws.....whatever. What a crappy rationalization.

Maybe the author was talking about singletons who live in isolation. It's impossible to ignore other people when you live like I do. I'm an Asian Muslim and you know how family-oriented we can be. I look at my nephews and I do think about how their future will be. I watch the news on TV and faces of babies and children with blood all over due to cruelty of war and I wish they were all mine so I could shelter them from the atrocity.

Ok. Now back to the article. There must be more to it right?

Yes. There at the end. It said that 'divorcees are THREE times more likely to get Alzheimer'. Ha...ha....

So much for putting down singletons huh?

How to make a human TNT.......he...he....

Something hilarious happened today at work.

A colleague walked up to Mr.B and asked him why didn’t he take out the trash when it was his turn on the duty roster yesterday.

Mr.B shot back at him saying “It’s my business to do or not to do whatever I want”

My colleague (never shy about using his super sharp tongue) apparently didn’t leave it there as Mr.B then proceeded to threaten him “Do you want me to slap your face?!”

Just the other day, another colleague reminded Mr.B about his duty roster turn and was given the response that went along this line “I work as what my Grade dictates” referring to his super low Bonus Grade last year.

So, Mr.B says, if one gets low grade at work, then one should work very little.

How childish that is?

Hello…….it works the other way round. You get low grade BECAUSE you work too little.

Mr.B’s reaction quickly became a joke between me and my colleague.

How about responding like this the next time he brings up his Grade when told to take out the trash?

“Hi. You’re correct. Taking out the trash certainly is the kind of job that suits your Grade!”

Woo-hooh…….Mr.B will explode…….ha….ha…..!

Where to buy a Kitchenaid Mixer online in Malaysia........

OMG.

I found a Malaysian shopping website today called ALL 99 selling homeware including kitchen electrical items which among them are.........Kitchenaid Artisan Mixers!

(Click on the image to reach the website at www.all99.com)

I am nuts about these mixers. They're robust, practical and beautiful. ALL the biggest chefs all over the world use them especially when they appear on TV.

(Click on the image to reach the Kitchenaid page)

The Online Shop is called All99.com and here's the link to the Kitchenaid product page or click the image above.

The charges for delivery in Malaysia is relatively cheap too. One may check their shipping info on the "Help Desk" link. For example, for West Malaysia delivery, the first 2kg is only MYR6 and the subsequent 1kg is MYR2. Therefore, for an Artisan model that weighs about 13.2kg, the charge would be approximately MYR30 which is less than USD10!

OK. So, the item is much more expensive here in Malaysia compared to what you can get in the US. It's on average starts from a little less than MYR2.4K (about USD740+) for a 5L-bowl model. On eBay, a 5-Quart Artisan model averages around USD300 in the US. That's more than double!

So, what's the problem about buying the Mixers on eBay? The voltage. Malaysia uses the high voltage as the UK at 240kV. The US use the 110kV. However, someone on a baking forum said that's not a big problem as she did bid a Kitchenaid on eBay and uses a voltage Adapter for it and it serves her fine. Hmm.......that's an option come to think of it. The ones you can get on eBay US are still cheaper even after shipping cost added.


Anyway, as I love baking so much, it's my dream to own one.

How can you resist this?

...........or this?

.............and how about this elegant 6-Quart Professional series?

Lastly..............this is my ultimate Kitchenaid dream Mixer in its glorious soft pastel girly PINK!



Someday.........someday..........baby*sigh*

The tooth fairy could cost me a new car.....so to speak

There is one regret I have in recent years and that is getting rid of my molar tooth on the right.

The tooth was fine but I had mistaken sensitive tooth with decayed tooth. The dentist told me the tooth was OK but I wasn't patient enough. So, I insisted to have it pulled out just so I could get rid of the stinging pain which strangely came only when I lied down flat.

If only I knew then that the pain can easily be dealt with by using the Sensodyne toothpaste. How I regret it. Firstly, eating is never the same again. Secondly, it changed the symmetry of my face. I have always liked having a round face shape which was the nature's excuse of making me
look younger. After the molar was pulled out, my right cheek caved in a little leaving me rounder on the left. I look weird.

It's been more than a year since I lost the precious tooth. So, on Saturday, I went to the dentist again to get a denture made. Denture?! Eeeekk. I couldn't believe it myself. I had always associated dentures with old people. Now, look at me. I'm old.

The dentist informed me of the options:

1. A denture for one tooth which could give me discomfort because the base would still be extended to the left of my mouth and might cause the see-saw effect when I chew due to there would be no fake tooth on the left.

2. Bridging which is making 1 fake tooth held together by 2 fake teeth crown-styled to the adjacent teeth. The 1 fake tooth will be solid to fill the gap left behind by the pulled out original tooth. Cost? It will cause a major discomfort in my bank account at MYR1500 approx. Yikes!

3. Implant where the gum will be cut open to insert a screw base where the new fake tooth will be screwed into it. Material is titanium on the inside and resin on the outside. Cost? A whopping up to MYR4000 approx. because it's a molar. Now, that's a MAJOR discomfort in my bank account and credit card balance. I could put down a downpayment for a new car with that money or even start a small business. Wow, how precious in value your teeth are. Take good care of them.

I think you can guess my choice in the end. Yeah. The denture of course. Well, I wouldn't be the only person to use it. My brother uses it after losing a front tooth due to chipping away caused by a fall when he was a kid. Another friend who is my age uses it for similar reason. My youngest aunt has a front tooth implant. She lost the original tooth at age 20.

I'm getting rid of another upper right molar sooner or later. It's not painful at all but there is half a tooth left caused by an unkind attack from a wisdom tooth that didn't come out properly. The wisdom tooth was pulled out by the dentist last year but a bit too late to save the molar. It's half-damaged now.

I'll wait for the denture first and see how it goes. This is embarrassing. Me? Denture?

5th January.....it's my mother's birthday....and I'm still on leave....yeah!

Almost ended up going to work today.

Up till last night ....midnight.....I was still under the vague impression that my forced leave should start today. Even ironed my uniform last night. Somehow I had a modicum of common sense to reconfirm with the company calendar given to each employee at every year end.

There! 5th January is a company rest day. It's 1st day at school for kids. Apparently, our HR Manager also has a kid registering for 1st day of school. That's why he arranged today to be 'rest day'.

Enough of work. It's my mother's birthday today. Thus this leaves me with plenty of time to make the cake I wanted for days. A vanilla sponge. But I also just found an American Chocolate recipe which looks quite tempting, Maybe I should do both.

How I ended Year 2008......crash...bang...boom!

Hmm....not really. I'm not talking fireworks or parties.


Ok. The best thing that happened to me in 2008 is still the above Rank C bonus which I didn't take long to spend at least 1/3 of it before 2009 kicked in.

Looking back, with hesitation I'm forced to admit that maybe age is taking away just a little bit of my 'youthfulness'. I've noticed how I've become a bit clumsy when I kept on dropping flour, sugar and salt during my few baking adventures lately.

The worst sign of my 'ageing' surely is the time I lost one of my credit cards in Week 2 December 2008. Don't ask me which date. I don't remember. Just got a message from the bank alerting me of not fulfilling my 12 transaction requirement to qualify for the annual fee waiver. So, in a rush to make my transaction countdown, the poor credit card disappeared somewhere. I only realised it the next afternoon when I wanted to use it for petrol and saw that it wasn't there. Frantically called the bank to block the card and asked for a replacement. Thanks Heaven no fraud had been detected. Well, with only a tiny maximum limit, my card wouldn't be very attractive to a frauder.

Once the new card arrived just 3 days before New Year, I went on a 'spending spree' again. Well, I might as well got myself the things I would end up buying in cash anyway. Adding stock of my Olay Total Effects creams/serums. Adding my Twilight saga vampires series books. Bought another Children's bookabout a boy who grew up on a cemetery brought up by ghosts.........interesting......why I never thought of that? Anyway, if I were to spend away MYR75, it's better spent on myself rather than let it go to the banker right?

I also kind of ruined my nephew's birthday on 31st December. I wanted to make a fresh cream frosted cake but my cream turned to butter. It's my second failure to whip cream. I checked on You Tube to see the correct way of doing it. No wonder, I got it all wrong. Haha.....they say get everything cold first....the cream and the equipment.

It's been a long time since I last posted any recipes or my baking disaster story here. I should start again this year. I have some stories in the bag. Failures and successes.

I hope to make some side income this year but I'm not sure how.

Oh...what a start of a new year.....by not knowing what to do.





But hope can always knock from inside my Pandora's box.