Steam Moist Chocolate Cake

It was a few days before raya, my Mak repeatedly asked me to bake a chocolate cake for raya. She knows me well that I wouldn't lay a hand to bake any cookies, certainly. 

I don`t see any point to refuse, chocolate cake is family favourite after all. As always, I googled the recipe from the internet and this is how my chocolate cake was made!

The ingredients are as follows:

• 2 cups of all purpose flour
• cocoa bars (or cocoa powder)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup of boiled water
• 1 cup of oil
• 1/2  cup of fine sugar
• 3  eggs
• 1 cup of evaporated milk ( I used Ideal ) 

To start it off,

1) Mix the sugar, baking soda and baking powder using the electric mixer.
2) Add the flour, followed with eggs, milk, boiled water and oil. And last with cocoa bars.
3) Apply the butter to the surface of the bakingtin, and pour the mixture onto it.
4) Heat the water in the steamer, and put the cake tin with the mixture after the water boils for 45 minutes or so.
5)The cake is done when the toothpick inserted come out clean.

 

At the first attempt, I promise you, the cake looked so horrible, it was only the taste that remained edible. Nevertheless, the cake was finished by my big eater siblings in one day despite its horrible look. I  did it again for a few times and the outcome was getting better! Pheww!~

A little notes about me and Ramadhan 1433H

Fasting month is like an idle month from active days and it is definitely a looong day for me. But it turns otherwise in the night time. I barely had good time for surfing the internet, watching series or even getting updated on E! news :P  and speaking about updating the blog? Ahh.., just forget it.

Since I moved in my new house, I rarely cooked, despite the well-equipped kitchen that I have set earlier. Back in my mind, I had planned to cook the proper meals throughout the upcoming fasting month. Yes, I hate to be in the crowded places, and bazaar Ramadhan is one of them.

Ramadhan appeared, and little that I expected, for almost three weeks of working in Ramadhan,  I was invited for iftar  at numerous restaurants and hotels almost everyday. (Kudos to Pae to be generous enough to seret me with her). Praise to Allah s.w.t. =).  Unfortunately, I didn't snap any pictures of them as usual. It is so apparent that I was too occupied counting the ticking clock rather than snapping the different iftar atmospheres and meals at the different places. Hmmph. What a loss.

                       The only meal that I snapped at Awana Kijal and after that- I was lost savouring the scrumptious meals

Nevertheless, towards the end of fasting month, I cooked my meal - for once and after ages . And the result was not so satisfying,tho. Huhu.

One of wonderful things during this Ramadhan is that I managed to fulfill my wish to complete the terawih prayers for all days that were allowable. Praise be to Allah s.w.t, another wish was granted by His Mercy, at last I managed to complete (khatm) the Quran in the Holy month. When the last 10 days approaching, I prayed hard that I would get the opportunity to 'meet' the night of Lailatul Qadar.

 For that matter, I made some readings to understand how the night of Lailatul Qadr is like and the signs of it. Guided by the readings and  the talk by ustaz, every morning after the odd nights, I looked at the sunshine. Until one day, when I opened the door for work, I could feel that the air outside was colder and the morning was extraordinarily soothing. It was on 27th of Ramadhan. The sun shone unusual than other day. Indeed, it was a fascinating view, wasn't it?

And more interesting when I found this hadith which reads

I thu asked Ubayy b. Ka'b (Allah be pleased with him): Your brother (in faith) Ibn Mas'ud says: He who stands (for the night prayer) throughout the year would find Lailat-ul-Qadr, whereupon he said: May Allah have mercy upon him; (he said these words) with the intention that people might not rely only (on one night), whereas he knew that it (Lailat-ul-Qadr) is in the month of Ramadan and it is the twenty-seventh night. He then took oath (without making any exception, i. e. without saying Innsha Allah) that it was the twenty-seventh night. I said to him: Abu Mundhir, on what ground do you say that? Thereupon he said: By the indication or by the sign which the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) gave us, and that is that on that day (the sun) would rise without having any ray in it. - Sahih Muslim

Allah knows best if it was the morning after Lailatul-Qadr happened. All I wish was that my prayers and all amalan are accepted which in results, turns me into a better muslimah. Amiin~

Hidden Awesome Sceneries at Pantai Kemasik

17th July 2012

After work, usually I spend an hour or so to do some workouts to get some sweat out of the body. Nothing rigorous, though. Well, at least to convince myself that I lead a so-called healthy life. *teehee*

Usually, I go out jogging with Pae around KGRP football field for three rounds or more, alternately with walk, talk and laugh. Ramadhan was just around the corner. Thus, before we idle from any physical exercise during fasting month and not to mention after sick of putting up with the weird glances  from the driver of passing cars (You know, ladies which were seen jogging around Kerteh is a rare scenario), we decided to jog along Pantai Kemasik.

We jogged for about half an hour to reach the end of the shoreline, and to our great amazement, as we were closer to the beach, the scenery is more beautiful! The place is very isolated, and it was hardly to see anyone except for a few fishermen hanging out under the hut. It was a bit scary for us to stay longer, thus we snapped the pics and left.

The day was getting darker, and the dusk sceneries were too breathtaking to waste any snap of pictures!

 

 

I have seen the best  pose with sunset when I went to Manila early this year. But after finding out this beautiful sceneries with the sunset, I have a feeling that Pantai Kemasik will be recommendable for wedding outdoor photography someday. *wink*

Weekend with the BFFs

13-14th July

It felt like ages that I haven`t been to KL since my trip to Umrah. So I decided to go to KL during this weekend for two primary reasons. 

1) Meeting Ju.Z and family who came back from Australia for a brief holiday in KL

2) Getting some new stuff for my so called shopping raya. *ka-ching!*

As always, it was never been a straight-forward visit when it comes to meeting this couple in Ampang, for I was brought to Ezam's family home, having some meals, which no less like jalan-jalan beraya. Hihihi. Only when it was almost midnight, we reached Ju Z's home, having some conversations with her family and followed with again -(slrrpp) makan! :)

On the next day, it happened that PC fair has just started at Convec.While the couple did the shopping, I, on the other hand, enjoying our-time to babysit the lil boy, Kimi. *uninterested with those gadget thingy.*

                                            apparently he found  everything in his hands is edible. Haishh~

We had a stroll together around KLCC park while waiting for Ezam who was still inside dealing for a new Samsung SII. *winks*

 

 

And afterwards, we proceed to Pavilion,my shopping-craze spot! Zara blouse, pairs of Charles & Keith footwears, M.A.C stuff were just enough.Nothing much. Mission accomplished! :))))


On Saturday, Ezam and family were holding a majlis to welcome their new in-law sister. Zaira and I went together, and ah-ha with her new ride~ VW!

And surely we won't let the chances to pose with red hot volkswagen slipped as simple as that,no?

And that`s how we fulfilled our weekend together. Meeting and catching up!!

The toothless uncle and cranky nephew

Being at family home during weekend is always the best theraphy to neutralize my prolong (or can I call it as excessive) me-time throughout the week.  Why? It is never quiet moment in my home throughout the day except for after Isya, when most of the noisy ones went to bed.Pheww~

And only during weekend like this, I get to see my other siblings, as well as extending my ears to listen to endless 'reports' from the little ones.

And to add some flavour to the chaotic weekend, my sister left his son, Muiz before going to work, at our home for us to babysit.

It was always fun when he is in good mood, that I started to feeling motherly and what not- I repeat, when he behaves well, mind you . But it didn't last longer, for everytime he gets cranky and refuse to stop, I shoved him to my Mak. Terus senyap!~ hihihi..Ahhh.. there is loooong way for me to be good mother, I guess. (hmmpphh)

And this is what I recorded during my lazy day during one of those weekends.

East Coast Sports Carnival 2012-Netball

15-16th June 2012

East Coast Sports Carnival 2012 has ended  like err- over one month ago. And only now I manage to have some time to scribble something about it here. How time flies~ Or issit me who gets lazier to blog? Hmm..

It was the first time that I was selected to be part of the team. The EXPRO netballers team was well-known as the champion for 4 consecutive years. Like it or note, it caused more pressure to our team to sustain the championship.

Alhamdulillah, despite the training period which lasted in 1 week whereby all the techniques and lessons from the credible coach were compressed in that short period of time , finally we managed to maintain our championship for the 5th year.Yippi~!

Speaking about the reward of being the winner, it was always fun to be part of the team in celebrating the victory. First thing of any rewards was to be treated with free lunch  after the final game at KGRP.

Sisters time :Conquering Bukit Bauk

3rd June

When I come back to my family home on Thursday to stay throughout the weekend, it was always my 13-yr-old sister, Nadia who prompts me about the 'outing of the weekend' plan. It is either to bring her and other siblings out for jogging on the next morning or to bring them to Teluk Bidara beach.  And being me, a not-so-morning person, more often than not, I bring them to the beach, watching them having fun in the sea and  I will be the  their self proclaimed lifeguard. *yawn* 

And recently when I told my sister about hiking Bukit Bukit,  she jumped giddily upon learning the plan and invited her jog-mates to come along in no time! Memandai-mandai~ 

Upon arrival, Fatihah took my phone and snapped this pic. I used to think kids snap pics with crappy angle. But when I see this, I changed my mind. :)

The morning was a bit rainy, that I felt like cancelling the plan and resuming my sleep.  But I will be cruel evil if I let down the kids as the friends of Nadia were already there in front of my house at early as 7. Hmmphh..

                                                                           See Nadia . Excited!

Nadia was state sprinter when she was 12 and she still 'sprints' for her current secondary school. And another friend of hers is a long distance runner, who was also a gold- medalist. So you can imagine how the adrenaline rush that they had  when I let them jogged on their own. They left me waaaaaaaayy behind them with my other siblings. Bertuah!

Ika is the chubbiest  of my other siblings. I was worried that she couldn't finish it to the end. Thankfully, she made it. But I bet it was very pitifully tired for her to reach there.

Ok I think this view is awesome, for this early hour.

We stopped ocassionally and breathed the fresh air and enjoyed the cold wind.

And finally after almost 1 hour, finally we reached the end point, unscathed. Pheww!~