Letti Thursday

It's not that I've been neglecting Da Boyz

but I just haven't been taking pictures of the dishes I've made. Maybe I should do it more often coz when I complain about not knowing what to make for the following week, David says I ought to have written down my "menu sets". Well, I guess taking pictures of them would be just as good, if not better. At least for me.

So here's what was cooked for 2 Letti Thursdays in a row

Week 1


Pork Chops with Gravy, Scalloped Potatoes with Cheese, Bread Rolls and Cantaloupe.







And here's Walter watching Baby Max's birth on my laptop after dinner, a day after he was born.





Week 2


Macaroni and Cheese with Peas and Carrots, Salad and Oriental Style Baked Chicken.

Two Weddings and a Memorial

Today JumbledMind got married

or rather, if you want to get technical, it was late last night, Texas time.



My little sister is now a married woman, and doesn't she look lovely. There will be another reception at our hometown ( the one today was at the groom's hometown ) in a week's time.

My brother and older sister and their families have gone back to Malaysia to join in the happy occasion, but for various reasons, I am unable to travel back to Malaysia to be with my family and my younger sister for this wonderful celebration. Of course I feel sad, but some of the reasons are beyond what I can control, and so it's a que sera sera situation. David feels terrible for me, but JumbledMind promises me that I'll get a DVD of the whole thing. I know it won't replace being there, but oh well....*grin*

Another friend of ours, Monica from Taiwan, also got married today in Abilene, and we were fortunate enough to be able to participate in at least the reception after the wedding ceremony, after attending the Memorial service of another friend of ours, at another church across town.

The memorial service was short but concise and sweet, and everyone remembered Mark to be a very special person.

My father in law had told us yesterday that if we were to make HIS memorial / funeral services anything more than half an hour, he would personally jump out of the casket and smack us on our pointy little heads.

:)

Maternity Shopping

I am 11 weeks today

and either I have the Death Bloat from a seriously progesterone-slowed-down digestive system, or I've started to "pop" OR I have suddenly gained a significant gut on top of the blubberous belly I already have.

When I am at home ( which is most of the time ), I usually go around in my dingy drawstring house shorts or drawstring PJs, but I can't do that when I'm about to go out somewhere.

So.. today, I finally "christianed" my first pair of maternity shorts, which was supremely comfy ( read: Death Bloat ) and I even got my first maternity top ( LOL it's Betty Boop and says "HOT MAMA" ) at Walmart.

Hoy.

Welcome Max Micah!

Stephanie had her little boy today

Max Micah Thornton, at 4.03pm, 9/17/2008

Stephanie with Max

David and I had been at the hospital with Stephanie's family from about 1:30 pm, as she progressed with her labor. It gave me a chance to get "acquainted" with the maternity/labor & delivery at the hospital that would be ( Lord Willing ) the place I would deliver our baby too. Both mom and baby are doing great and happy but tired :)

Link to the rest of the photos HERE

Long Awaited Food Post

I may not have the best of appetites right now

but I still want Asian food :)

One way is to go get Chinese Food at some buffet place, but you know my grouse about them. Another alternative is to go to the Noodle House where I get my weekly dose of South East Asian food, but that's downtown and a little on the pricey side. So what else can a girl do except make her own.

It's funny though. Right now there are a bunch of smells that makes my stomach turn - like rotisserie chicken, fried chicken, deli food, subway sandwiches etc, but the smell of CURRY starts me salivating. Strange but true.

So here's what I made David and myself for dinner last night...

Fried Vermicelli with Napa Cabbage and Chicken

Stewed Chicken in Five Spice Powder and Soy Sauce

with Shitake Mushroom and "Black Fungus"

Potato and Carrot Curry

Baby Bak Choy

Watermelon for dessert.

Best part is, there was still leftovers for today.. YAY!!!

Not really food cravings...Uh hu.

But lately, much more than in the recent years,

I've had a hankering for Malaysian or South East Asian food. ANY Asian food, I guess. But Malaysia, being multi cultural, means I have a hankering for Malay, Indian AND Chinese food...And I don't mean the type you get from the Chinese Buffet place either.. Those are kinda too fakey and "westernised" tho.

From the simple ones like nasi lemak/coconut milk rice to the more exotic like Fish Head Curry, or even just plain ordinary economy noodles ( not Ramen ), mamak mee goreng ( fried Indian noodles ) and sooo many others.. I'm making myself depressed just thinking about it. I'm blaming it on the pregnancy hormones.

Furthermore, it's the fasting month for the Muslims back in Malaysia and there is usually no lacking of food bazaars or stalls that are set up that sell the most amazingly varied and delicious food for the breaking of fast at the end of the day. ARRRRGGHHHHHHHHHHH. Now if only I were a better cook when it came to my own native food.

Anyway, Abilene may have several universities with international students, but somehow the availability of international foods is kinda well, pathetic. That's why I love love love the Cambodian noodle place down town ( YUMMM ) and the little Filipino Store that I go to every Friday. They had just changed management and now have a bunch of new stuff and every Friday is market day, and so I get to get my fill of several kinds of Asian vegetables.. *sigh*

Anyway, one of my recent finds there was the Char Siew Pao or Chinese Steamed Bun with Meat Filling. That is such simple everyday, anywhere kind of food back home, but I had yet to have one pass through my lips since I got here. After I had followed the instructions and brought it back to life from its frozen state, and took a bite into it, oooooo.. it was literally like how some people describe things as .. "like coming home again"..

There were 4 Paos in the package..

Frozen and saran? wrapped Pao waiting for me..

After being heated up in the microwave for a minute, wrapped in a paper towel.

Such Yummy Fluffiness...

I guess it would be kind of like if an westerner was abroad in someplace where there was no "authentic" western food but only the local fare, and then after 5 years, came across a cheeseburger and fries or something :P

Friday Night Lights

Go Moguls!

We took a short road trip over to Munday yesterday, to help support the Munday Moguls football team, and our nephew, Tyler, to be more specific. This was probably my first actual Texas "Friday Night Football" experience, and it was pretty cool. The Moguls won against their rivals by wide margin. W00t! The Moguls were State Champion in their division last year, and so we're hoping for a repeat success this year!

The young man we were all rooting for

His sister, Holly, was in the Band and this year, she's in the volleyball team so we may just make another trip up there to watch HER at one of her volleyball matches. ( Any excuse for a road trip, no matter how short )

Good Grief

Just when I thought

I'd received scam emails from every known scamming nation,

I get one this morning that's supposedly from MALAYSIA.

Sub: You won $2.5 Million Dollars ( yeah, right )

From:"Malaysia Sweepstakes" ( Poor mala.com has a page denying anything to do with this.)

To: undisclosed-recipients ( Gosh, there were THAT many of us?!?!? And I thought I was special...*rolls eyes* )

-----Inline Attachment Follows----- ( what does that even mean? )

You won $2.5 Million Dollars from the Malaysia Sweepstakes. ( Er, I don't recall entering any. And besides, the Malaysian sweepstakes pays in DOLLARS instead of RINGGIT? Very COOL. )

Contact Andy Jerry ( all the legit andy jerrys of the world are going to be seriously pi**ed )
for delivery of your Cheque via email: asiapacific_2000@verizon.net

Yours Truly,
Goh Song Keng.( I'm still trying to make a joke out of this name, but I'm drawing a blank here )
Online Co-Ordinator

----------------------------------------------------------------
This message was sent using http://webmail.coqui.net ( isn't a coqui a FROG? )


I of course googled diff things in the email and lots of people had received a similar scam email, and of course scam emails are always hilarious, but this one made me kinda miffed coz I learned that other people had received a LONGER version of this crap, and I had received the truncated ( like as if i was less important ) version.

Good Grief.