Happy 2nd Birthday My Little Man!

Hari ini genaplah usia Zafran 2 tahun. It's been an amazing 2 years, watching him progress from newborn, to crawler, to toddler, and watching his personality develop too!  Happy 2nd Birthday my delicious baby boy! Mama and ayah love you very much more than you'll ever truly know. Semoga menjadi anak yang soleh dan membahagiakan hati kami.

Seawal 6 pagi birthday's boy Zafran dah bangun tidur. Nasib baik la mama dah buat decor setting seawal semalam sambil layan Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (disebabkan ada SRK sanggup tengok sampai habis). Kononnya nak surprisekan Zafran tapi ayahnya pulak yang terkejut. Zafran, seawal detik dia memandang ke belon, sudah sahaja melonjak gembira dan excited. Tetapi celik-celik mata je dah request tengok Upin & Ipin. Haih, besar sungguh pengaruh Upin & Ipin kat Zafran. And at one time bila dia nampak bunting Upin & Ipin kat Bukit Jelutong, his expression was: "Waahhhh ... Upin ... waahh .. ama (mama) upiinn", dengan muka yang sangat teruja, hehehe ... priceless bila tengok keletah Zafran masa tu.

Zafran melayan DVD Upin & Ipin, setiap hari tengok pun tak jemu lagi, sampai dah hafal dialog.

Sebenarnya, tahun ini kami plan untuk buat birthday party Zafran di luar, bagi dia berseronok bersama rakan-rakan seusianya. Memandangkan keadaan kesihatan emak tak mengizinkan, so buat private party je la. 3 bulan sebelum tu, aku dah fikir nak buat tema Pool Party, nampaknya kena postponed tahun depan, insyaAllah kalau ada rezeki. Maybe masa tu Zafran pun dah boleh swimming dan hopefully emak dah bertambah sihat, Amin. 

Zafran yang tersipu-sipu bila dinyanyikan lagu birthday oleh mama & ayah.

Baju favourite, he love everything about football! You are the apple of my eye!

Meskipun mini celebration, as a mother pastinya aku beria-ria buat persiapan. Hehehe, mama memang sentiasa excited untuk Zafran. Memandangkan aku ni sangat mementingkan decor in any aspect of my life, so ... table setting untuk Zafran's birthday juga mestilah sweet and simple!  Well, asalkan cantik di mataku. 

Table setting by mama for Zafran.

Harap maklum, kesemua cupcakes bukan dibuat olehku, ianya dibeli di Wondermilk. How coincidence, semalam di Wondermilk ada jual all the cutest cuppies yang sesuai untuk birthday Zafran.

Mini cuppies untuk dibawa ke rumah pengasuh. They are cute!

"As you celebrate your second birthday, you are fortunate to be surrounded by family that loves you more than mere words can express."               -  Love always, Mama

* Aku tahu dah agak bersawang blog ni, tak berkesempatan nak update and moreover dah lama tak jadi Fizella. See you again in another new blog's post. 

A raw beauty at Sekeping Tenggiri

Sekeping Tenggiri ... as poetic as it name, me and hubby truly falling head over heels in love with this place. Upon stepping into this exotic house, visitors will have a view of plants of all textures, shapes and sizes, hanggin from the roof. Great views and natural ventilation from these landscapes brings out the relaxation effect for those who stay here. The retreat is a corner double storey link house which is the refurbishment of 2 original linkhouse units and feature a “back to basic”concept designed by the exceptional local landscape architect, Seksan.

We booked Courtyard Room since Skyview Room that we want not available. But we just falling in love with this room as we step-in. 

Welcome to our room, Courtyard Room ... 

As you can see, the walls are unrended and the colours of brick walls provide a cozy ambiance. The interior is adorned with very interesting pieces of local art. The fixtures and fittings are salveaged materials  from old malay kampung style houses (I truly love this concept).

While their attached bathrooms are roofless, guest can enjoy a warm bath beneath the clear blue sky.

Night scene also breathtaking ... even though we still in the city, Sekeping Tenggiri kept away from the hustle and bustle of the city life.

I choose this gorgeous retreat as our 3rd Wedding Anniversary mini retreat, a 'surprise' gift for three of us. If you interested on the idea of invitation, you can download 'DIY Valentine Popcorn Invitation' from here. While for 'DIY origami heart love note', you can download from here, and 'DIY Je t'aime coffee cup wrappers' at here. You can personalize any DIY project with your own style. I just loved these kind of cute way to make your day much more special.

I seriously enjoyed my time in Sekeping Tenggiri, so does hubby and Zafran. Definitely gonna visit this place again. Every room is worth the stay, if you appreciate uniqueness. I always inspired by Seksan Design, me and hubby truly adore the architecture and wish our own house like this (early exposure to our becoming architect aka Zafran ... hehehe).

The address is 48, Jalan Tenggiri, Taman Bukit Pantai, and you can see some pictures here and read an interview with Seksan about it here. Here is the video tour for you. I wish I can be a lodging reviewer, introduce a different lodging experience from the usual hotels. Till then, wait for my next recipe post, special recipe for our wedding anniversary. 

Gorgeous Mini Treats

A bite-sized or cute mini treats are my all-time favorite, especially when they are easy to make and work against the clock (which is EXPRESS!). I've made this lovely mini treats a couple month ago and totally forget to share with you. So, let's me introduce to you Cherry and Almond Loaves. 

According to the recipe, you need to use 12 section silicone loaf tray 7x5 cm or 3x2 inches. Alternatively they can be made individual metal tins, which I'm using it ... then cut it into smaller loaves. And makes sure you add an extra 5 minutes' cooking time. To experiment, I also made them into mini cupcake cases, and it's look really cute!

These are spectacular loaves! Great to enjoy during tea-time while it still warm.

Recipe adapted from Mini Cakes by Joanna Farrow (makes 12):

Prep: 15 minutes, plus cooling

Cook: 20 minutes

85g lightly salted butter (softened, plus extra for greasing)

70g caster sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

70g self-raising flour

1/2 tsp almond extract

55g ground almonds

55g natural glace cherries, roughly chopped

2 tbsp flaked almonds (I use extra because I love the crunchiness texture when you bite the loaf)

55 g icing sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 180 degree C. Place a 12-section silicone mini loaf tray on a baking tray, or grease and base line individual mini loaf tins. Put the butter, caster sugar, egg, egg yolk, flour, almond extract and ground almonds in a mixing bowl and beat together with an electric hand-held whisk until smooth and creamy. Stir in cherries. Using a teaspoon, spoon the mixture into the tray sections and level with the back of the spoon. Break up the flaked almonds slightly by squeezing them in your hands and scatter them over the cake mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes (25 minutes if using tins), or until risen and firm to the touch. Leave in the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

*Beat the icing sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl and drizzle over the cakes with teaspoon. Leave to set.

OR

Serve lightly dusted with icing sugar.

Then ... the other day, I've tried a different version by changed the cherries to blueberries. What fun to experiment in the kitchen. Indeed, it's super duper yummy. 

After all, this heart shape traditional cake really stolen my heart away while I dig deep to the bottom of it, mmm... delectable!

Brownies Affair

Brownies have always been one of those late night snack foods for me (lately!). I'm all for baked goods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (and every space in between), but brownies have always held a particular time slot for me, maybe it's easiest to make and got a lot of ready made variety sell in the hyper market.

Since there are fresh blueberries in my fridge, I'm decided to make a brownie. I'm supposed to make  pancakes using blueberry, but somehow not enough ingredients to make this so called 'home-made blueberry pancakes'. So, I just made these, and I would like to say that they are fantastic! Here is the recipe which I forgot I outsourced from where because I just wrote it in a paper. Neway, thanks to the owner of this yummy brownie!

Click to enlarge

These blueberry brownies are very cakey and light, also springy (is that a such term for a brownie???). Here is the 'pyramid of pleasure' - as what Nigella said.

But if you are a die-hard chocolate lover, you can always make them more chocolaty by adding chocolate chips. I'm prefer a nutty brownies as always. The blueberries add a rich dimension to the chocolate and the cinnamon brings warmth (which I was a bit skeptical about omitting it, but I was not disappointed). You will need a glass of milk with these.





My little boy 'helped out' and always accompanied me during any of my baking project. 

Mama, are you doing it right? -Maybe that's what he might say...hehehe

These brownies are so much better the second day, after all it's a better combination for supper between the best ice-cream and superb brownies. 

Okay, I'm finished!

Ultimate Brownie's Recipe!

I bet you, this is the ultimate brownie recipe ever! Sesuailah dengan namanya; Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie & Oreo Fudge Brownie Bar. Hurm, dengar nama pun dah menggetarkan selera dan mengecurkan air liur kan?  Hehehe...tentulah, boleh dikatakan brownie ni 3 in 1, ada kombinasi cookie, Oreo & brownie ... superb!

Sebenarnya dah lama nak try recipe brownie yang menggunakan Oreo (memandangkan aku dan Zafran memang suka sangat makan Oreo, meskipun Zafran makan filling je). First tengok recipe di Annie's Eat, dah berkobar-kobar nak buat tapi tak terlaksana jugak. Then, last Friday tertengok recipe Sis Rima Bisous A Toi tentang recipe brownie ni. So, apalagi ... lunch hour terus bergegas ke Jaya Grocer, Empire Subang Gallery mencari bahan-bahan.

Operasi bermula setelah selesai sarapan di pagi Ahad. Recipe asal adapted dari Kevin & Amanda. Tapi aku kurangkan sukatan untuk adunan bagi bekas 8x8", sesuai dengan bilangan isi rumah iaitu aku, Zafran & hubby, dan sudah tentu akulah yang akan paling banyak makan brownie ni.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie & Oreo Fudge Brownie Bar

Ingredients:

½ cup butter softened

½ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup light brown sugar

1 large eggs

½ Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1¼ cups all purpose flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1 pkg Oreo

Small size Brownie mix (I used Duncan's Hines)

Sukatan bahan-bahan adalah separuh dari sukatan asal yang aku buat perkiraan sendiri but the cookie dough seems good. Baiklah...setelah memastikan bahan-bahan sudah mencukupi, barulah boleh memulakan operasi dengan Sous Chef yang sedia menemani ...hehehe, siapa lagi kalo bukan Zafran.

Preheat oven to 180˚C. Cream the butter & both sugars with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3-5 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well to thoroughly combine. In separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda & salt, then slowly incorporate into the mixer until the flour is just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread the cookie dough in the bottom of 8x8 square foil that been greased with butter.

Top with a layer of Oreos. I should buy Double Stuffed Oreo!

Mix together brownie mix, see box for instructions (for home-made brownie recipe you can refer here). Pour the brownie batter over the cookie dough and Oreos.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for additional 15-25 minutes. Let cool completely before serving. Enjoy!

Double decker Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie & Oreo Fudge Brownie Bar with Icecream. Menurut hubby, dari aspek kesedapan jika diukur mengikut skala 1 hingga 10, maka 8 adalah markah yang paling tepat ...well, at least he like it. It would be nice if serve with Salted Caramel Sauce, malangnya bahan-bahan tak mencukupi. Now, I wish I have a pantry like Nigella!

Ini khas buat Zafran, tapi dia tak makan pun, sibuk melayan DVD Little Einstein. Instead he's sharing with me sebabnya dia tak suka icecream chocolate tu. Sorry dear!

Yup, double stuffed Oreos will be awesome, double the joy!

Okay, one pack for us, another one for Zafran's babysitter. Walaupun buat dalam acuan 8x8" tapi bila dipotong dalam mini bite-sized square, banyak juga yang dapat. Lagipun, brownie ni agak tebal, makan sepotong pun agak mengenyangkan.

Anda mahu cookies? Anda mahu Oreos? Anda mahu brownies? So, you should try this recipe. I will make this recipe again later, but I will use the express way. The secrets: buy chocolate chip cookie mix, Oreo & brownie mix. Voila, instant indulgence and delicious treat for me!

Dinner for Three!

Sometimes, it's quiet challenging to think of dinner menu. Especially for three of us. My hubby more to Malay cuisine while me and Zafran have a similar taste which is, we eat anything delicious and easily prepared. So, no problem for us, but not for hubby. 

The only spaghetti that hubby's eat is Spaghetti Aglio Olio version, it's such a relief, which can be listed in our dinner menu... hehehe. So, the dinner menu are; Spaghetti Aglio Olio with Seafood & Mushroom as the main course. Followed by Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding for dessert and Crispy Lamb Chops for my supper. Seems really heavy, but it for weekend's night, these menus should be alright.

I think everybody knows how to make Spaghetti Aglio Olio. You can go to here for recipe, except for this version I'm adding in salmon and replace tomatoes with brown mushroom.

If you are a bread and butter pudding lover, perhaps you would like to try out this Nigella's recipe. 

Original recipe as below:

Serves: 4-6

You will need: A greased ovenproof dish approximately 23cm dia x 6cm deep (1.5 litre capacity)

250g stale bread cut into large cubes, 25g chocolate chips, 3 eggs, 40g light brown sugar, 2 x 15ml tablespoons dark rum (I omit this), 125ml double cream, 500ml semi-skimmed milk, 4 teaspoons demerara sugar (I used white sugar).

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas 3. Put the bread cubes into the dish and mix in the chocolate chips.

2. Whisk together the eggs, light brown sugar, rum, double cream and the milk. Pour the mixture over the bread, press the bread cubes down into the liquid.

3. Leave to soak for 20 minutes or so, then sprinkle with the demerara sugar, put into the oven for 50 minutes.

4. Leave to cool down for 10 minutes or so before serving.

For Crispy Lamb Chop recipe, you can click on the link below (am to lazy to type it ... hehe, anyway no changes at all).

For recipe go here: Nigella.com

I desperately need to finish my reading of Julie Julia book by this weekend.  Have a great weekend!

Happy 7th Anniversary To US!

Happy anniversary to me and hubby, I love you so much hubby! It's our 7th LOVE anniversary, not our wedding anniversary ... hehehe. Coincidentally 14th February is our love declaration's day, tetapi tak bermakna aku menyambut Valentine's Day okay!

So, for our special day, I decided to prepare a special dinner for me, hubby and of course untuk Zafran sekali. The special main course menu is Red Snapper with Sweet & Sour Shredded Salad, yang diinspirasikan dari resipi Nigella. Resipinya boleh dilihat di Nigella.com.

Here are sneak peek of our dinner that night:

Lovey dovey is the theme as love is always in the air.

Zafran's plate. Mama love Zafran.

Zafran with his new haircut.

Selepas selesai makan malam, to "pick us up", presenting the Tiramisu for our dessert. Resipi kali ini aku adapatasikan dari resipi Tiramisu Su Chan, di dalam buku Su Chan Cake Temptations and Other Desserts. Well, Tiramisu memang kegemaran hubby since first trial sewaktu Fizella's Kitchen buat pertama kalinya membuat majlis makan bersama teman-teman rapat. Dan sudah tentu mendapat pujian dari hubby, hehehe.

Bagi yang ingin mencuba, resipinya adalah seperti berikut. 

BAHAN-BAHAN

• Ladyfingers 

• Kacang walnut berkaramel (resipi di bawah)

• Krim putar   300 ml, diputar

• Sos strawberi  10 ml

INTI

• Keju krim       300 g

• Gula kastor     100 g

• Kuning telur    3 biji   

• Krim pekat      250 ml, diputar

• Coklat             100 g, diparut

SIRAP KOPI

• Serbuk kopi segera   1½ sudu besar

• Air                            300 ml, panas

• Gula kastor               1 sudu besar

CARA

• Untuk membuat inti, pukul keju krim dan gula di dalam mangkuk adunan sehingga ringan dan masukkan kuning telur sebiji demi sebiji. Kaup balikkan krim putar.

• Untuk membuat sirap kopi, larutkan serbuk kopi sedera dan gula di dalam air. Sejukkan dan ketepikan.

• Rendamkan ladyfingers dengan sirap kopi. Letakkan ia ke dalam acuan berukuran 22.5 cm (9 inci). Tuangkan inti ke atasnya. Taburkan parutan coklat dan tuang inti lagi.

• Letakkan lapisan ladyfingers yang satu lagi. Ulangi proses meletakkan inti.

• Simpan di dalam peti sejuk semalaman atau sekurang-kurangnya selama 6 jam dan biarkan kek mengeras.

• Keluarkan kek dan letakkan kacang walnut berkaramel. Potong dan hidang sejuk dengan sos strawberi.

Kacang Walnut Berkaramel

BAHAN-BAHAN

Kacang walnut

Gula kastor

Air

CARA

Didihkan gula sehingga menjadi karamel dan masukkan kacang walnut sehingga disalut rata. Tuangkan kacang walnut ke dalam dulang leper untuk mengeras dan menjadi sejuk. Hancurkan kacang walnut menjadi beberapa kepingan apabila sudah sejuk.

Nota penting:

Hanya letakkan Kacang Walnut Berkaramel bila anda mahu menghidangkan Tiramisu. Kalau tidak, ia akan menjadi cair, seperti Tiramisu di atas (excited sangat, sampai tak baca resipi properly)

Dan untuk supper pula, sebenarnya supper untuk aku je, hahaha ... Australian Shepherd's Pie. Resipi ni adalah dari Chef Zam, resipi yang patut dicuba! Memang best, apatah lagi aku menggunakan daging kambing, terbaik! Selamat mencuba!