Radish and Carrot Pickles

I like this yummy snack. A Chinese physician taught me how to make this simple tv snack that's healthy and good for digestion :


Julienned carrot and radish, rub with 1 big tablespoon of salt and leave for 3 hours, drain away water




Add half a bowl of Braggs apple cider vinegar and half bowl of sugar.

Leave to pickle chilled in fridge . Ready to eat in 3 days.

Snake and Ladders

I got a new game for Amber.
Snake and Ladders

I enjoy the game
Hubs enjoy it
3 of us loves the game






Helps her to understand counting numbers too !

Roast Pork Bone Porridge

A savoury porridge for the family. Amber loves it, I love it and good for hubs when he's sick

I made a whole pot. Ask for roast pork ribs, taste even better. Rinse with hot water to remove scum and oils and cook with porridge and chunks of carrots (can use tomatoes for a sweeter and tastier variation)

I like mine with extra century eggs (pei dan)

Roast pork reduces heatiness in our body and if you feel feverish, roast pork bone/ribs porridge is a tasty and hearty meal!

Nice or not ?

Falling Asleep

Miss 'Do Not Like To Eat Anything' had a hard time finishing her lunch and I caught her falling asleep !

We were at Cameron Highlands last weekend and I think she was overly tired from running up and down farms, she fell asleep while having lunch. Luckily I had my camera with me. While I video-ed, hubs was busy snapping pictures. LOL !

Of Weddings - Then and Now.

We attended a wedding dinner last week, hubs' cousin sister.

We were amazed how wedding receptions and dinners has changed over the years.

On last Sunday's wedding, they engaged a violinist to play, an entrance march to welcome the bride and groom. I thought this was very nice and classy.

Then I recalled back our wedding.. we had 'Power Of Love' blasting out loud, sung by Michael Crawford as the march in song.. I remember clearly, it was like that :
*** blowing dry ice.. misty effect***, volume on very very high..

The whispers in the morning...
Of lovers sleeping tight...
Are rolling like thunder now
As I look into your eyes
And I hold on to your body
And feel each move you make
Your voice is warm and tender
A love that I could not forsake

then.. the door opens, me and hubs walk in..

Coz you are my lady...
And I am your man .

Wuahh wuahh.. come to think of it.. so 'kwa cheong'... and grand at that time but now, it's so outdated. I remembered when we had a trial run and played Power Of Love, my father was there. He couldn't agree to the music. He suggested we play the The Wedding a very classic that goes :

You by my side, that's how I see us,
I close my eyes, and I can see us
We're on our way to say I do
My secret dreams have all come true

Ave Maria Ave Maria

I broke out laughing.. aiyo so 'lou tou'.. how to play this song at our wedding.
When they served the first dish to mark the start of dinner, we chose a funky musical played to the song 'You Can Call Me Al'. Father asked .. eh.. why no Kitaro meh ? LOL !!

Times have changed and what I thought was cool and hip then is not now. Classic dinners are 'in' thing now.

Moving on, 8 years later, we have Amber and I'd like to post some snippets from last weeks dinner :


She had her hands all chocolatey.. Aiyer.. I was darn stressed that she'll get her pretty pretty dress dirty. I think even she was afraid so but still couldn't help herself to our chocolates. She had her share, our share and also share of those sitting next to us.

Then she found a companion - Kelly, her partner in crime. The run up , down and all over the ballroom.

Amber also "Yum Seng" sooo LOUD, everyone looked at our table !

They filled the chocolate box with rose petals picked from the floor !

Both of them inching their way up stage, I had to get hubs to stop them, otherwise they'll be the center of attraction on stage

See? Both of them ransacked the decorations !

No matter how pretty her dress is, she ends up scratching backside ! LOL !

Bum bum itchy wor !! Haih !!

Amber just loves wedding dinners.

I also want to share a clip taken at another wedding dinner (brother of the bride) last year. Amber went up stage and danced. Pretended to be sing and holding a mike (which in matter of fact is a cork she picked from the champagne toasting)

The emcee even danced with her and welcomed her as the 'guest dancer' for the night. Amber, Oh Amber, really not shy at all. If she could, she'll dance all night !

New Products for Kids

I found some gorgeous products at Giant recently for Amber's eczema prone skin.I'm sure it's suitablet for other kids too :

Halos n Horns - Skincare for Sensitive Souls

Shampoo & detangler, baby bath, hair & body wash







Halos n Horns was founded by Leila Wilcox. Her son suffered from sensitive skin and sometimes flared with eczema after bath. The chemicals in his bath was the culprit and she went on a mission to research around for chemicals which caused skin irritation and later came up with her own range - Halos n Horns with a mission ' to remove chemicals linked to eczema, asthma and other health risks'

I bought the whole range for Amber and I'd say this is worth a try. Find out more about their products at http://www.halosnhorns.co.uk/

Over in UK, it's £2.99 per tube but now it's retailing at Giant supermarkets at only RM5.99, this is a STEAL !!!

Maids Again !

Another post about my maid...

Complain .... not really .... maybe a little lar..

My maid, she's leaving in January next year. Any complaints or unhappiness I have, I'd rather swallow down than spit out. No point teaching or counselling her.. for 2.5 months, I can tolerate.

All these while, she's not on good terms with Amber. My girl absolutely 'tak tahan' her and she'll make no effort in talking or playing with Amber. When we leave for work, Amber leaves for the childminder and we only get home late in the evenings. I ask her to prepare stuff for dinner but I'll do the cooking. Most weekends, we are out and don't cook. I only need her assistance for 2-3 hours in the evening when I do a little cooking or take a shower.

Her best times with Amber is TV TIME !! Wuah.. she'll sit close to my girl :

My maid is TV ADDICT.. I allow her to watch TV in the evenings when we are not home. I know what programmes she watches when I switch on my Astro and it'll revert to her last watched program. Her favourite channels are Ch 613,614,615 , Wah Lai Toi & AEC.

Now, she's smarter. She'll revert to Ch 519 - BLOOMBERG after watching her TV programs. She knows the last first and last channel we watch for the day is Bloomberg.

I've always ngam ngam cham cham to my sisters and friends on my maid.
She hates handling Amber so much that she'll :
- spend hours in the kitchen, wiping the bottles of sesame oil and soya sauce and every single dust. Cleaning aftermeals in the evenings can take up to 2 hours (as if I cooked up a storm!!). She hopes to stay in the kitchen until we go upstairs to retire for the day.
- fall asleep while accompanying Amber in her playroom.
- read newspaper while Amber play with toys. I really should have taken a photo of this. I was mad coz she has the whole afternoon/evenings to read papers but she's so 'tak tahan' looking after kids...she has to read the papers.
- rest her hand/wrist on her chin (like very very bored) while the other hand feeds Amber milk. LOL !!! I would have taken a pic n submit to The Star if I had my camera with me then.

I took some snapshots of her y'day. Not the worst situation but one of her typical situations in a typical evening. I was having my dinner, which I cooked myself.. and I asked her to feed Amber fruits (which I had cut and prepared myself) :


Our 'seetaupor' just stare with boredom while Amber plays with the phone.

Then she picks her nails.. nonchalantly..

She doesn't even care or realise that I'm taking her photo !! LOL !!!!

I asked her casually if she wants to continue her contract :

Hehehe... don't want. I want to go home

My father.. ask me to go home

He dunno I stay alone at home.. he ask me to go home.. he don't like I stay alone.

Duh ?? Stay alone ? What's wrong with staying alone at home ? Most maids would die for the 'me - the princess of the house time'. I hardly check on her work. I hard stand behind her shoulders and watch her work. I give her so much freedom.

Why ? You don't like to stay alone at home ?

Hehe.. no... emmmm.... I like ..err like work in a shop ?

Sopheak, those people you see working in a shop at from Myanmar. They are employed to work in shops. They have to pay their own, rent and food. They are not maids. Cambodians cannot work in shops.

And those Indonesian who work in shops .. they have to go back and do housework. They are employed as maids and the employer take them out to work and help. Go back, they have to cook, clean and iron.

You can handle meh ? Like us, only 3 people in the house, you already cannot handle ? You think you can clean house in the morning, go outside and work and come back and still work ah ? You like Maam's family got a lot of people ? Wash and iron for 6-7-8 people ? You can handle meh ? Just 3 of us and this house already you cannot handle and always forget things ?

She looks at me in disbelief. She's had it easier than a lot of other maids and still ungrateful for what she has.

You don't want to work, never mind lor. I will buy you air ticket home. I think next time I will get Indonesian maid, they like children better. Amber likes Kakak Ayuna and Kakak Tuti (MIL and childminders maid)

Yes, you get Indonesia.. better !

That ends my conversation with her. In fact I don't intend to get another maid but I just want to shut her up and tell her I'd much prefer an Indonesian maid, since she's so unhappy being with us.

Sopheak, Oh Sopheak ! I hope life treats you better when you go back to Cambodia. Maam and Sir cannot give you happiness or make you smile although we treat you well, allow you to watch tv, have your own room & toilet, have your own radio and give you ample food !

Good luck to you Ms Sopheak !

I hope this will be my last rant before she leaves.