Thursday, 31 March 2022

Assam Laksa Overloaded With Toppings & My Failed Potato Project

There was 1 last packet of ready made assam laksa paste which I bought from Penang. It was nearing expiry date, so better to use it before it expired. The paste is enough for 4 people so I informed my neighbour that I will be cooking assam laksa for them too. 

My bowl of assam laksa overloaded with toppings with noodle out of sight.
This time I used fresh fish. I bought 4 big "ikan mambong" or mackerel for 4 people. I love lots of fish chunks in the assam laksa.
I also used fresh pineapple. The cucumbers were fresh from my garden. I didn't buy the special laksa noodle, so I used rice vermicelli (beehoon).
Our delicious assam laksa dinner.
Thanks to the ready made paste, this assam laksa is super easy to cook. Will need to stock up on the laksa paste again.
~~~~~
Today, I want to share one of my failed gardening projects with you.
Sometimes, I kept the potatoes too long and they started to sprout. Instead of throwing them away, I thought I could try to grow them in my garden.
Surprising, the sprouts grew well and look healthy.
Actually, I have tried a few times to grow potatoes but failed.
The plants grew to about 2 feet.
I was excited to see the plants started to have flowers. But my excitement was short lived. After a while, the plants started to turn yellow and died. Could it be our weather or the soil or too much water? I hope some experts could give me some tips on potato growing. If I get a sprouted potato, I may want to give it another try before I totally give up. I wonder if anyone successfully grown potato in our local tropical weather.

For there is hope for a tree - if it's cut down,
it sprouts again and grows tender, new branches.
(Job 14:7, The Living Bible-TLB)

Wednesday, 30 March 2022

Szechuan Preserved Vegetable Soup And Steamed Green Brinjals

Thunderstorm/hailstorm is back! For the last two days, many trees were down, cars and houses were damaged. Last evening I was preparing dinner in the kitchen and I could hear hailstones dropping onto our back awning. Then all of a sudden I heard some crashing sound. Later we found out that one of our neighbour's roof tiles were blown off and came crashing down onto the back lane. This morning some workmen came to repair the roof. I will always remember that particular evening when our roof was blown off during a thunderstorm and water came pouring down our dining hall like waterfall. If you are interested to read about it, you can click here for the post.

Sunrise at 7:05am.
Sunrise at 7:10am.
Sunrise at 7:32am.
In my garden, I had 8 corn plants growing in 4 pots.
I thought they look small and were not ready for harvest so I waited.
So I waited....
I finally decided to harvest the corns on Sunday.
There were altogether 8 corn cobs but I only harvested 5 and left 3 smaller ones on the plants. I steamed the corn cobs and much to our disappointment it was over matured and were chewy. They were edible and our jaws and teeth had some good exercise. It was the same for the other 3 smaller ones.
For dinner, I boiled soup using pork rib, Szechuan preserved vegetable (char choy) and carrot. I boiled enough for 4 people to give half to our neighbour.
Steamed green brinjals or eggplants, drizzled with oyster and soy sauce.
This was our simple home cooked dinner.


The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
(Psalm 19:7, New Living Translation-NLT)

Tuesday, 29 March 2022

Fried Pork Rib, Steamed Fish & Potato Leaves For Dinner

These sky shots were taken with hubby's photo because my phone battery needed charging.

Sun shining through the dark cloud.
The dark cloud couldn't hold back the sunrise.
The cloud seemed to be getting darker.
The sun rays pierced through.
A bit of this and that from my garden.
They are all harvest from old plants.
~~~~~
Brunch
Hubby bought mee goreng and rojak from the Mamak stall and I steamed the last bak chang (glutinous rice dumpling) given by neighbour. The container at the back with the cut cucumber contains the ingredients for the rojak.
I poured the rojak ingredients onto a plate and poured the sauce on top.
~~~~~
Dine out dinner with friends at Kopitiam Mun Soon, Taman Boon Bak, Ipoh.
Deep fried pork rib (foh yim pai kuat)
Sambal belacan sweet potato leaves.
Steamed Tilapia with spicy sauce.
Total cost of dinner including rice (small portion) and Chinese tea - about RM54.
An antique wooden door of an eatery (formerly a house) that we visited.


I know you well; you aren't strong,
but you have tried to obey and have not denied my Name.
Therefore I have opened a door to you that no one can shut.
(Revelation 3:8, The Living Bible-TLB)

Monday, 28 March 2022

Pork Rib + Bitter Gourd With Chili Bean Sauce

This was a few days ago. We woke up to a lovely morning. Went for morning walk as usual.

Sunrise at 7:30am
Sunrise at 7:35am
I stopped to buy some mangoes from a roadside stall. The mangoes was selling at RM7 per kg. (RM7 is approx. 1.66 USD), I don't know the name of these mangoes but they were juicy and sweet. The flesh thick with flat seed.
~~~~~
 The following were harvested from my garden.
Beautiful tomatoes, no more worms after wrapping them in plastic bags. I cut a few small holes in the plastic bags for air circulation. I enjoy eating them raw knowing that they are free from pesticide.
I cooked the white bitter gourds with the chili bean sauce (below) for dinner.
Chili bean sauce (Toban Djan) from Lee Kum Kee.
This is a tasty mixed treasures dish.
Ingredients used: Pork rib, white bitter gourds, bean curd stick, tofu puff, chili bean sauce, chopped garlic & ginger, salt and sugar to taste.
Only 1 nutritious dish dinner for 2 people.
Chinese art wall mural on a wall surrounding a nearby Chinese school.

Linking to Monday Mural.

You are my hiding place from every storm of life;
you even keep me from getting into trouble!
You surround me with songs of victory.
(Psalm 32:7, The Living Bible-TLB)

Saturday, 26 March 2022

Kampua Noodle With Minced Pork + Diced Mushroom Topping

This was last Monday. When we work woke up, it was still drizzling.

I went out to check at about 7:20am and found that the drizzling has stopped.
I went in to inform hubby and to change into my walking attire.
Surprise that the moon was still visible at the time.
This is the best I can manage with my old phone camera.
Up on my right, this mourning dove was making its "coo, coo" sound.
~~~~~
We had the following for dinner.
I used the last 2 remaining dried kampua noodle that my son bought in Sitiawan to cook for dinner.
I cooked minced pork with diced mushrooms with chopped garlic, oyster sauce, dark and light soy sauce, salt & sugar to taste. Before serving, mix the noodle with topping.
Steamed home grown long green okra or ladies finger and topped with crunchy chili oil, oyster and soy sauce.
Chinese sausages, sliced and pan fried.
Simple and satisfying dinner for 2 people.
~~~~~
My dear friend shared with me this photo of a moth that she found in her garden.
Photo credited to Maguerita.
Using Google Lens, it looks like the Slug Moth.
Can someone please help to identify this moth? Thank you.


Beware of false teachers who come disguised as harmless sheep,
but are wolves and will tear you apart.
You can detect them by the way they act,
just as you can identify a tree by its fruit.
You need never confuse grapevines with thorn
bushes or figs with thistles. Different kinds of fruit trees
can quickly be identified by examining their fruit.
(Matthew 7:15-17, The Living Bible-TLB)

Friday, 25 March 2022

Kampua Noodle With Lobak & Pink Cleome Flower

The following sky photos were taken early March on our morning walk.

Sunrise at 7am.
Sunrise at 7:20am.
Sunrise at 7:25am.
Sunrise at 7:40am.
Kledang Hill on the reverse side, same time as above.
~~~~~
We have finished the kampua noodle that my son bought for us from Sitiawan. I am also missing the lobak because the one who made these lobak has stopped doing so.
This was one of the ways I prepared the kampua noodle: Mix the cooked kampua noodle with light and dark sauce, oyster sauce, sliced lobak, garlic crisp and oil, and some blanched vegetable.
Light Pink Cleome or Spider flower from my garden.
This plant sprouted out on its own in the pot with a fig plant growing in it. Every now and then some can be found growing all over my garden.


Now, here is a lesson from a fig tree.
When its buds become tender and its leaves begin to sprout,
you know that spring has come.
(Mark 13:28, The Living Bible-TLB)