Color Wheel Quilt project

My first quilt project, and greedy me, decided to make a big quilt instead of a small one.  The actual size of this quilt was 56″ x 56″ but “greedy” me decided to make increase it to 86″ x 93″ for our bed.  Hmmm, not sure I will regret making these increase or not, because first I haven’t finished quilting it yet, so not sure whether I would feel it was worth all those extra hours and troubles increasing it.  But really, it is huge…so therefore I have problem with space, space to do the quilt sandwich and basting, then also quilting it with my sewing machine.  Have trouble moving the quilt while sewing it, because of the weight and size.

Here’s some pictures on my project:-

Finished basting, which took me like about 9 hours!!!

Fabrics for the quilts

The pattern is from the book called Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson.  This book is really AWESOME!! I recommend it to anyone who wants to start patchwork or quilting hobbies.   Because of the number of different fabrics and colour required for this project, I decided to buy Color Wheel Bundle by Purl Soho; as I found the task of searching and colour co-ordinating by buying individually too daunting   And I highly recommend buying this bundle because the fabrics selected by them are simply beautiful and well-coordinated, great for people like me hehehehe…who get pretty dizzy with colour and patterns.  One thing, the bundle is enough for two of this quilt pattern, plus enough scrap for a small project like pin cushions, not just one pin cushions, many pin cushions

I’ve quilted about 60% of this quilt, so will update with the finished product, once I done the rest and also the binding.

Baked trout with buttered baby potatoes

My first attempted in cooking a full trout.  Not any special recipe from any celebrity chef, just my “agak agak” and “what left in the fridge” lightbulb moments hehehehe

Ingredients:-

1 trout

A handful of diced spring onion

A big pinch of shredded ginger

3-6 fresh button mushroom (medium size)

1 tbsp sesame seed

Generous dashes of olive oil

3-4 new baby potatoes

a knob of butter

Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1.  Season trout with salt & pepper and place it on piece of baking foil (big enough to wrap the trout in a pouch).  Sprinkle sesame seeds on both side of the trout.  Dash olive oil all over the trout (not too generous lah to the point of submerging the trout in oil!), sprinkle diced spring onion and shredded ginger and finally place the mushroom with the trout.  Wrap up the trout and close it nicely.

2.  Place it on a baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven about 350 celsius for about 20-25 minutes.

3.  Boil baby potatoes until cooked, then drained and add butter and salt.  Coat the baby potatoes evenly with the butter and salt and serve with baked trout.

4.  Add mixed salad if you like

What’s baking

Some of my recent baking “adventure”

Gooseberries pie

Greengages Almond tart

Some good news :-)

Well, UK bank gripes aside…some good news from Malaysia

I’ve received a bank draft from………drum roll………IRB!!!  For the amount of USD216, hooray hooray….this is the second payment, probably the last refund I would be getting from IRB Malaysia.  The last amount I received was for £11   Not sure why this time, they gave me in USD instead of GBP.  According to my UK bank ( the bank I use here, also my DH’s bank), it would takes up to 28 days to clear with a charge of £5.50.  So waiting excitedly for that amount to be credited in my account

Oh Citibank Citibank, how I miss you!!!

Yup, another gripe with the bank here in UK.  Imagine been charged late penalty fee of £12 and interest charged on that balance plus future purchase for the next month balance!!!  Luckily got the penalty charge waived BUT very unhappy with the interest charged.  Mind you, I paid in FULL every month, and in Jun, I paid late according to them by one day, and I get charged interest even for the next month purchase!  Tried talking to them, more confusion only, fed up, hung up and soon cancel this card.  Do you know it takes them 3 working days to credit my cash payment into the same bank which offered me this card?  Due date of that particular month in dispute, was 29 June, I paid at the bank counter, CASH on the 26 June, morning…if I count 26 June as one working day, then 27 June (bank open also on Saturday mah), 29 June one working day….they only credited on 30 June, ta-DA!  I missed by couple of hours kua…LATE PAYMENT!

I called their customer service, they were willing to waive late payment and interest when I spoke to them…so good hor, happy me at that time, nice bank.  Charges for that month was £165, plus the late payment and interest, so I go pay at the bank counter again, cash, £170 one week earlier.  Cool hor, thought I covered all ground, this month statement, they refunded £12, not the interest BUT guess what charged interest on my current purchase of £125!!!  Called them, they said that interest was for £165 last month, HECK!  I paid full amount on time, how could that be interest charged!  If they want to charge me interest charged me on the £91 which they said I late paid by one day!  Really, the banks here ar, no wonder got problem…con job!

Oh boy, time like this, wish I could use my Citibank card, so nice…never have problem with them.  Even I pay last minute at their atm machine, also credited same day.  Here, cash payment also needs 3 to 4 full working days!  Cheque payment lagi jialak kua!  My history with Citibank started from 1995, from a classic visa card, I was given classic mastercard about a year later, then upgraded to gold card for both and recently, they offer me a platinum card, obviously, I didn’t took up as now me in UK.  Might be a lot of hassle with exchange rate and transfer of fund from here to settle accounts.  So Citibank cards only for use when I am in Malaysia and also my Malaysia insurance premium payment. Somemore, can collect point to redeem cool stuffs.  Here, no collection of point, no loyalty reward, some bank got do collection of point of like £10 to a point or two, if you want to accelerate point collection, pay £25-50 annual fee.  The only advantage card here is no annual fee BUT interest ranges, for my so-called bank current credit card rate is 16.9% variable rate per annum.

Aiyah!  Shien with banking system here, too many complicated plans and not transparent at all!  Not only that, dinosaur system!  Cash payment at some bank of the same issuing card bank also takes three working days to clear, how pathetic!

Ohhhhh Honey, I wasn’t JOKING hehehe

TA-DAH!!!!  Here’s my new BABY!!!

Just look at the amount of free gifts!  50 reels of big big reel one of polyester sewing threads, a set of scissors (5 of them), measuring tape, stitch picker, 2 pack of sewing machine needles and extra bobbins   Soooo excited and can’t wait to start sewing with this babe!  Well, I mean actual sewing, I have tried out the stitches after I assembled it…cool stitches, great tension (something I was worried about as the mini sewing machine I had, have some tension problem, couldn’t get the tension right), easy to operate, love the speed limiter and the storage place for presser foot.

Couldn’t ask for more….actually initially I was thinking about computerised one…that can even do embroidery and many other stuffs.  BUT then, back to reality, I have never use an electrical sewing machine so how to run so fast up to computerised one.  Must learn slow slow mah.  The type of sewing machine I used for my “sains rumahtangga” (domestic science) was the pedalling type (Singer).  So really, I am at beginner level with this machine.

The only complaint I have about this machine was the DELIVERY part, the company I purchased from was brilliant!  No complaint about the process of buying as the sales person was nice and easy to deal with, fast too.  But the delivery man ar, really I feel like “sepak” that person!  While waiting for delivery, I went out to do something and bumped into that person…that guy asked me to sign and when I asked him are they heavy, he said NO and quicky left the package there at the front gate!  After he left, when I looked properly at the weight stated on the side of the package, it was 15kg!  Oh heck!  My flat was at the other end, and there were two packages which weighed up to 15kg to carry!  Bloody idiot I was!

My arms and shoulders are already sore due to this morning marketing spree….carrying all those potatoes, clementines, tomatoes, mushrooms and other vegetables from the market back, again my fault, forgot to bring the GREEN bag with wheel hahaha…then carried those packages…now my shoulders and arms really sore sore.

ANYWAY, when I look at my BABY I am happy!  Hopefully, there will be loads of productive moment with it.  Now working on a dress project.  Pattern by Anna Maria Horner, called Socialite Dress.  Suppose to be on the easy level as it require basic sewing technique, don’t even need to sew a zip!  So keeping my fingers crossed on this, hope I didn’t screw it up like what I did with the sofa cover :-p

How well you know your Husband

Hmmm…I’ve been tagged by Blackie007, who was tagged by Lupie hehehe.  Okie okie, nah nah nah here’s the answer, hopefully they make sense cause I am still “seasick” from holidaying in Penzance.  Too much seafood, Cornish pasties and walking kua.

 

1.  He’s sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen?

Hmmm…he prefers books to TV leh BUT if he is really sitting in front of the TV (not force by me one hehehe) then it’s probably the Eurovision Song contest!  We “baru” watched the contest live on last Saturday.  Norway wons wor.

 

2. You’re out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?

French dressing.

 

3.  What’s one food he doesn’t like?

Hmmm…he isn’t fussy about food.  He’s a vegetarian, so there’s are quite a huge variety of food he doesn’t eat but that doesn’t mean he dislikes them…ohhhhh…I wonder if I am making any sense or not?

 

4.  You got out to eat and have a drink.  What does he order?

Filtered coffee with milk.

 

5.  Where did he go to high school?

Brighton College, I think.

 

6.  What size shoes does he wear?

UK7 or 8, depending the style of shoes.

 

7.  If he was to collect anything, what would it be?

Antique books, old home movies…and now he is pondering about collecting 78rpm records!

 

8.  What is his favorite type of sandwich?

Cheese sandwich, any kind of cheese except cheese with vine or fungus or maggot hehehe

 

9.  What would this person eat every day if  he could?

Gherkins!

 

10.  What is his favorite cereal?

Fruits and nuts cereal muselli

 

11.  What would he never wear?

Polo T-shirt or any t-shirt/jersey with collar.

 

12.  What is his favorite sports team?

Talak! NONE, just like me

 

13.  Who did he vote for?

Ooohhhh…didn’t ask wor.  Labour?  Conservatives? Liberal Democrate?  UKINP? BNP? Green?  Not sure wor.  Coming June 4th, my turn to think and research about them as I have to vote leh!  Strange hor, never voted once in Malaysian Election even though registered but  in UK voted once liao for local council.

 

14.  Who is his best friend?

ME!!!!! hehehehehe

 

15.  What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn’t do?

Err…er….being “hyperactive”?

 

16. What is his heritage?

European kua or British or English…aiya…..ang moh lah akekekekekke

 

17.  What is his favorite colour?

Green

 

18.  What is his habit?

Procastinating according to him lah

 

19.  What is he proud of?

His  book of translation, his lovely daughters…….

 

20.  Lastly, do you think he will read this?

Of course lah….cham lor cham lor

 

AND NOW WHO CAN I SEND THIS TAG TO??? ER….ER……..SWEET FLUFFIESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

I made PAU PAU (Chinese Vegetarian Steamed Bun)

Oh yes, I attempted vegetarian pau on Wednesday and HOORAY!  I made it, even though the shape looked a bit wonky hehehehe…nevertheless, I enjoyed them very much, definately making them again, with different type of filling.

Well, I didn’t follow any recipe for the filling as I just used whatever I have in my fridge and cupboard.  Since my DH is a vegetarian, so I made vegetarian filling using Quorn mince and other vegetables available to me

Here’s the recipe for the pau/bun:-

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (I mix 2/3 room temp. water to 1/3 hot water)  must be careful with temp as too hot, it will kill the yeast and too cold, yeast won’t active

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 3/4 or 3 cup whole wheat flour or white flour

Method

(a)  In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water, blend in sugar, oil and salt and let it stand until bubbly for about 15 minutes

(b)  Then add flour and mix until dough holds together, transfer to a lightly floured surface and kead until smooth and elastic (which may takes about 10-15 minutes)

(c)  Put the dough in a lightly greased bowl (I use sunflower spray hehehe), cover with a cloth and let it rise in a warm place (I put it in my airy cupboard hehehe) or until doubled (about an hour).

(d)  While waiting for the dough to rise, go make your filling, any type of filling you want, char siew, or even curry potato…the list is endless!  Must cool down your filling first before wrapping it with the dough.

(e)  After the dough has risen or doubled, punch it, then turn it onto lightly floured surface again, and knead for a minute or two, then cut dough to 12 equal pieces.  Roll each piece into about 4.5 inches diameter.  Press outside edge of round to make it slightly thinner than rest of the dough.  Place two tablespoons filling in the center of the round, pull edges of of the dough, by pinching a little edge at the time until all pinched up and twist to seal on top.  Put bun on square non-stick baking paper (about 3″ square).

(f)  Once finished making the bun, cover them with cloth and leave to rise in warm place until puffy and light (about 30-45 minutes).  After that, put bun in bamboo steamer or steamer and steam for 15 minutes.  Serve hot or warm or room tempreture, depending on your taste!

Give it a try!  Make PAU today

The tree I want growing in my garden

I saw this lovely tree while exploring Hinksey last Friday.  This one has white flowers and I seen some in pink in Abingdon (another exploration walk  hehehhe, oh yeah we walked a lot, and a very long way…..couple of miles!)

I said to my DH that if we have a house with garden one day, I want to plant or if possible these trees growing in the garden already.  One white and one pink

Aren’t they lovely?

Swan nesting

I saw this on Friday during our holiday “exploration” walk (Friday was Good Friday holiday).  This time, we explored some part of Abingdon Road, Grandpont, Hinksey Park and New Hinksey, I think.  The exploration was also part of our”home moving” project…exploring for possible areas to live

I haven’t seen a swan nest or a swan nesting before in my life.  This is my first! AND what a lovely SIGHT!