The mood for online shopping struck a few weeks ago. And I purchased a silicon baking tray, not for me obviously but for hubby. He has been baking a lot during the MCO, so we thought it’d be fun to vary the bread shapes and sizes.
Now, this is our first silicon tray for baking, and it took hubby a couple of bakes to get it right as far as the temperature and timing control are concerned. On the first attempt, I was left in charged to watch the loaves in the oven because he had to leave for the office.
Obviously I cannot bake! 😅
And the mini loaves, under my watch, came out a little burnt! Oops. I had followed the temperature and timing accordingly though…
Second attempt using a wheat bread recipe
So hubby had to make some adjustments. On his second and third attempts, using a wheat bread recipe, the loaves turned out okay. And by the fourth attempt, the mini loaves turned out lovely. All these attempts, I wasn’t roped in to help, thank goodness.
A tad too little (dough) that resulted in skinny minis?
It’s that time of the year again to celebrate our wedding anniversary. This year, it’s supposed to be a special milestone because it is our 25th silver anniversary!
Alas, flying off to somewhere far and exotic is out of the question. It used to be we would traverse the world for significant wedding milestones but not this year. With the pandemic still raging on uncontrollable, it is best to shelf any big plans that involves flying.
However, we did go away on a short local self-drive trip for some golfing fun rather than sticking to our weekend golf routine. And when I say short, it was just 2D/1N. The shortest trip for the most significant milestone!
Happy anniversary, my significant half! We have had an amazing journey for the past 25 years. I certainly look forward to the next 25 to come. And we will weather through this weird and trying year together.
I have taken over M2’s two-story DIY set because she has given up working on it. She has lost interest and has no patience at all. For me, I just cannot bear the thought of it staying unfinished, and collecting dust. So I find myself working on it everyday.
The ground floor is almost complete except for the living room’s sofa and pillows. However, much effort is needed for the first floor that has yet to be put together.
Every night, as I walk past the dining table and seeing the two completed projects, I’d play with the lights to admire the structures. The lighted pieces spur me on to stay focused so that this third set can join the other two to be displayed. But it has been slow.
There are more pillows in this set to work on, and it takes time for the glue to set. I’m not complaining though as I have gotten it down to a pat to do the pillows properly.
I’m sure there will be further progress this week. With Thursday being a public holiday, and I am not playing golf for once, I can focus on this.
It has been two weeks already since my mishap missing the last step on the flight of stairs. The donut on the left ankle subsided, but the bump on the right ankle is still evident, albeit smaller.
Bump has reduced on the right ugly foot
I have gone back to playing golf after resting for five days. And I played one of my best games ever, coming back with two under my handicap! I guess the break was not only good for the ankles but the body. However, to be safe, I wrapped my right ankle for protection. The weather was excellent, and the game was exceptional. And I didn’t let the ankle bother me.
Since then after that personal best, I have played three more games. And I’m pleased to say the ankle held up okay. I hope by the end of this week, the bump will subside and the ankle back to looking normal. The road to recovery can sometimes be an arduous track, but I’m hanging in there with exercise and positive thoughts.
As I’m resting from my weekend golf to allow my injuries to heal, we decided to do a day trip to Malacca to keep busy, and not just stay at home. M2 had read about a dog cafe and thought it would be a good idea to check it out. And so we did on Sunday.
The drive was pleasant as traffic was not too heavy on the highway. We arrived at 11.30 am and decided to have an early lunch. Approaching the junction, we had a good laugh over the welcome signboard. Mamee Monster is a snack everyone grew up eating, my girls and I included.
Welcome to my hometown says Mamee Monster!
Hubby took us to Baba Ang, a Nyonya restaurant. He had dined here with his friends before, so he thought this would be a good choice rather than somewhere unfamiliar. However, we couldn’t order a lot as there’s only three of us compared to his big group of friends.
Nyonya lunch stop
The sambal on the okra was very good with a hint of dried shrimps in it. Likewise, the Assam Fish looked fiery but wasn’t too spicy for the taste buds. But the Tamarind Prawns was a letdown. It was expensive for only five prawns that weren’t even big ones. The Cendol dessert rounded up the meal.
A hot day and no crowd
After lunch, we drove around town. We were glad we took the sights from inside the car than on foot because the weather was extremely hot. I was happy I didn’t have to walk to stress the ankles. Sadly, most shops along Jonker Walk were closed due to the MCO restrictions imposed to contain the pandemic virus that has besieged the world. There were some tourists but not in overwhelming numbers.
Soon it was time to head to the dog cafe, The Huskitory. We had a delightful time mingling with all the Siberian Huskies and vying for their attention with treats. The dogs are very well trained but picky. They’d only come close to you if you have a treat in hand. Clever furballs.
It was called a Husky tsunami when the dogs rushed inSimple dinner at the end of the day
The allotted hour went by quickly, and it was time to leave for home. Although traffic was heavy, we were in no hurry and simply enjoyed the drive back. The pleasant Sunday day trip ended with a satisfying dinner and a lovely sunset.
Last week, I had an unfortunate mishap that resulted in unnecessary injuries. It wasn’t even clumsiness and totally my fault. I was looking at my iPad Mini and not the stairs when I was walking down, and I missed the last step. The iPad went flying, I took a tumble and both landed with a thud. Ouch!
Quickly, I hobbled to the sofa and iced the right ankle because it was throbbing the most. Icing was a good precaution to reduce the swelling. But somehow, a good bump still developed. Strangely, the left ankle had a donut effect which I’m sure was not there before. Hmm… Thankfully all other body parts were intact and no bruises. Phew.
A week ago: a lovely donut and a bump!
While I should rest, I played golf the next two days because firstly, I didn’t feel too uncomfortable after the mishap, and secondly, they were games that I couldn’t cancel.
The Tuesday game was out of sorts because I was very conscious not to put weight on the right leg even though I wrapped the ankle, and hobbled pretty much throughout the game. The next game on Wednesday was slightly better as I was more relaxed and didn’t focus too much on the ankle which was wrapped again. I hobbled less and played so much better.
To be safe though, I stopped playing golf for a week after that. The donut on the left leg is less pronounced now but the bump on the right leg is still there albeit smaller.
I find that at certain angles when I walk down the stairs too fast, I can feel a pinch in the nerves because the movement compresses the ankle area. So I have to remember to descend slowly or sometimes move like a crab, sideways.
Ankles aside, I discovered to my dismay two days later, some discomfort on my left wrist! Yikes… I just hope nothing too serious.
It’s been a week already since the mishap. I try to ice the right ankle whenever possible, massage the left ankle and left wrist daily, and hope for a speedy recovery. I play my regular game tomorrow and we shall see how I hold up.
It is often said whatever that has been planted and cared for without using pesticides will be evident in the harvest; there will be worms enjoying the fruits of the labor.
This round, mostly green ones
Our scotch bonnet pepper plants have been very healthy and we have had non-stop supplies. And sometimes worms included. On and off, I’d find tiny worms in the container holding the basket of peppers. And I’d just wash the icky worms down the sink.
Bumper supply of worms too! Five altogether
One morning, I saw a worm on the kitchen counter top instead! Eeek… it had somehow escaped from the container. Before I could do anything, the ants got to it first! They were quickly maneuvering the worm to their nest for the rest of the colony as food. I didn’t have the heart to thwart them. It would be too vicious.
One, two, three… heave! One, two, three… go!
So I simply took a picture of the action but missed the rest of their journey to their lair when I turned away. Dang! They sure are fast but they sure are happy ants with the unexpected bounty.
The Habanero plant in our garden may not be the Habanero that we initially thought. Hubby says what we have is the scotch bonnet peppers instead, which are slightly sweet in the overall taste. If you’re not a pepper expert, it’s hard to tell them apart because these peppers are cousins. The only difference being the Habanero is about an inch bigger.
The spiciness or heat level of all peppers is measured according to the Scoville Scale in Scoville Heat Units (SHU) and both these species are right up there on the chart. But there seem to be contradicting readings I see on the internet.
One site listed our scotch bonnet pepper at 445,000 SHU and the Habanero at 260,000 SHU only while another site says both are on the same level at 100,000–350,000 SHU. Well, it doesn’t matter which exact reading, our scotch bonnet certainly burns the tongue and even fingers if we are not cutting them carefully! Sometimes even the green ones are enough to numb the senses, what more eating the ripe red ones.
Scotch bonnet peppers are an excellent source of phytochemicals and vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), iron, vitamin B, carotenoids, niacin, riboflavin, dietary fiber, flavonoids, and magnesium but I don’t eat them all the time. Too spicy to handle and too much to consume.
Puny green peppers towards the end, so plant #1 had to be cut down.
Hubby had to trim the first plant because it has grown too tall. At more than eight feet, it’s too taxing to produce plump healthy peppers. The puny harvest, evident in its loss in strength. Eventually, the plant was removed.
Plant #2 is out of control, growing tall and wide!
Now we get our supplies from the second and third plants. And the second plant has grown to become such a monstrous blob, it’s rather unsightly. It is now six feet tall, but its yield has been superb. We have had an abundance of scotch bonnet peppers and have been giving them away to friends because they’re too spicy for us to handle.
Chop… chop… and the grass below are no longer shaded!
The two trees in the front garden of the house were pruned a few days ago, together with all the other big trees along our road. Hubby had requested the contractor to do the honors as the trees were getting too tall for his reach.
And in order for them to get the job done, hubby had to remove several of his prized staghorn ferns as a precautionary measure, in case the pruned branches accidentally fell on the ferns and damaged them. Luckily no mishaps occurred.
The ugly gaping hole
But one fern has been permanently damaged by the darn woodpecker, some time back in February. The gaping hole is such a heartache to look at. We don’t think the woodpecker will return to it anymore as it’s rather damaged and unlivable, and most unlikely to provide any comfort. So hubby intends to nurture the fern to a more presentable shape before putting it back on the pruned tree.
Last weekend when we were away, we had some pesky four-legged intruders. They were making themselves at home in the wet kitchen area. How did we know? Put it this way, they left evidence here and there: droppings or should I say, poop. Ugh.
So we had to trap them, otherwise, they’d get too daring and cause a lot of problems. On the first night, however, an unlikely intruder was nabbed! A squirrel. Eeesh… Not the culprit we were hoping for, and hubby lets it go.
Then for two nights in a row, the trap that was set up was successful in trapping a young rat each night. Let’s hope this puts an end to unwanted pesky intruders.
Angieneering 
Remarks