I am very disappointed and quite disgusted with my cousin. She had stolen some money from her brother and the maid, who had been working for them for more than 10 years was blamed. Instead of owning up to it, my cousin chose to let the maid take the blame and let her be sent home after years of service. My cousin is not 10- she is over 17 so she should have developed some kind of conscience by now.
I am also disgusted with her parents but what can I say? I suppose every parent want and in a way, should believe their child. Whatever it is, the least they should/could have done is to try to teach their children right from wrong and to have some respect for another human being. I guess one of the reasons why I am so angry about this (technically, it isn't even my problem) is because obviously, women who leave their families and countries to work as a slave (practically) in Malaysia, do not have a choice. They do it because they are poor, because they need to take care of their families. Yet, my cousin, who at most, would have gotten a spanking (still common in Malaysia oops) or grounded, chose to ruin this poor lady's life, ensuring that this lady and her family will not have even less of an income.
I think the heart of the matter is: this women aren't considered human beings. This isn't uncommon in Malaysia. Most people do see these ladies as 'lesser beings'. It is true that not all maids are great (lets face it, people who are willing to work 24/7 for like 150 euro a month, aren't exactly the most educated) but there are many families who seem to think they are doing maids a great favour. It's a working relationship which means they both need each other. The most annoying and most common comment I hear is "Oh we give her food, we let her eat with us, she can eat meat, she can have a day off on Hari Raya etc. so she is lucky to have us". Like as if that is something to be commended! Hahaha, sorry but all those things are necessities and are a given. Those things aren't benefits!
OK, I shall stop because I'll just get more grumpy.
Friday, 15 March 2013
Friday, 1 March 2013
Meals in March
Wow, am I organised or what?!
I never plan meals. Normally, what happens is we end up not feeling like eating what we've planned and it'll be wasted. Lately though, it's worked out quite nicely- mostly because I decided that I don't enjoy grocery shopping that much anymore so I'd rather go once or twice a week instead of 5 times a week.
This month's meals are as follows:
March 1st: Savoury Pancakes
March 2nd: Pesto Chicken Breasts with Potatoes and a French Salad
March 3rd: Eating Out
March 4th: Burritos
March 5th: Slavink (which is basically mince meat wrapped in a slice of meat), red cabbage, potatoes for the Dutchman. I will be having sushi with friends yay
March 6th: Thai Beef Stir Fry
March 7th: Takeaway
March 8th: Ratatouille
March 9th: Chicken & Ginger Hotpot
March 10th: Indian Style Chicken Thighs with rice
March 11th: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans
March 12th: Tuna Chilli Linguine
March 13th: Vegetable Tart
March 14th: Lemon Chicken Roast
March 15th: Mackeral with Chickpeas
Too lazy to type the rest out but will do sooner or later!
I never plan meals. Normally, what happens is we end up not feeling like eating what we've planned and it'll be wasted. Lately though, it's worked out quite nicely- mostly because I decided that I don't enjoy grocery shopping that much anymore so I'd rather go once or twice a week instead of 5 times a week.
This month's meals are as follows:
March 1st: Savoury Pancakes
March 2nd: Pesto Chicken Breasts with Potatoes and a French Salad
March 3rd: Eating Out
March 4th: Burritos
March 5th: Slavink (which is basically mince meat wrapped in a slice of meat), red cabbage, potatoes for the Dutchman. I will be having sushi with friends yay
March 6th: Thai Beef Stir Fry
March 7th: Takeaway
March 8th: Ratatouille
March 9th: Chicken & Ginger Hotpot
March 10th: Indian Style Chicken Thighs with rice
March 11th: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans
March 12th: Tuna Chilli Linguine
March 13th: Vegetable Tart
March 14th: Lemon Chicken Roast
March 15th: Mackeral with Chickpeas
Too lazy to type the rest out but will do sooner or later!
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
Monday, 17 December 2012
Renting in The Netherlands
The rental property market is quite competitive in The Netherlands at the moment due to the mortgage crisis. Many people, including us, do not want to buy a house just yet because prices are dropping, mortgages are harder to get and the amount you can actually borrow is pathetic).
The rental market can be divided into 2 sub-markets:
i) Sociale Woning
These houses/apartments are subsidised (by the government) rental homes for households earning a maximum of €34 085 euro per year. The maximum rental for these places are €664.66 per month (but most are in the €250-500 range). 10% of subsidised rental homes can go to families with incomes higher than €34 085 BUT no more than just over €40 000. Sadly, we cannot qualify for this as our household income is above that. What's even sadder is, the homes are ALREADY subsidised yet the people who get to live there can also apply for rental benefits from the government.
It can be hard to get a property this way as waiting lists in big cities can be very long (something like 7 years in Amsterdam). If you're homeless or in a terrible position, you can request to be put ahead of other people in the list.
ii) Vrije Sector
Homes are not subsidised and are thus much more expensive than 'sociale woning'. Also, there are not all that many homes which are available for a longer period of time. Most are available until the homes are sold. Moving is expensive plus renters are obliged to allow viewers in the home whenever needed.
What is even more annoying is renters have to earn 50 times (if one income) or 80 times (2 incomes) the monthly rent! That's just crazy because on an annual income of €100 000, you can only rent a place of €1250 which lets face it, will not get you much (depending on where you want to leave). For €1250 per month, one could rent an apartment in a lousy suburb with a high crime rate in Amsterdam.
So we're stuck:( There's no point moving unless we can rent something a little nicer. Or we'll just have to bite the bullet and buy something for the next 5-10 years and move again after that.
The rental market can be divided into 2 sub-markets:
i) Sociale Woning
These houses/apartments are subsidised (by the government) rental homes for households earning a maximum of €34 085 euro per year. The maximum rental for these places are €664.66 per month (but most are in the €250-500 range). 10% of subsidised rental homes can go to families with incomes higher than €34 085 BUT no more than just over €40 000. Sadly, we cannot qualify for this as our household income is above that. What's even sadder is, the homes are ALREADY subsidised yet the people who get to live there can also apply for rental benefits from the government.
It can be hard to get a property this way as waiting lists in big cities can be very long (something like 7 years in Amsterdam). If you're homeless or in a terrible position, you can request to be put ahead of other people in the list.
ii) Vrije Sector
Homes are not subsidised and are thus much more expensive than 'sociale woning'. Also, there are not all that many homes which are available for a longer period of time. Most are available until the homes are sold. Moving is expensive plus renters are obliged to allow viewers in the home whenever needed.
What is even more annoying is renters have to earn 50 times (if one income) or 80 times (2 incomes) the monthly rent! That's just crazy because on an annual income of €100 000, you can only rent a place of €1250 which lets face it, will not get you much (depending on where you want to leave). For €1250 per month, one could rent an apartment in a lousy suburb with a high crime rate in Amsterdam.
So we're stuck:( There's no point moving unless we can rent something a little nicer. Or we'll just have to bite the bullet and buy something for the next 5-10 years and move again after that.
Thursday, 6 December 2012
Sinterklaas 2012
The Dutchman and I are not romantic. I'd like him to be but he's more likely to do the dishes over buying me a bunch of flowers haha. A few years ago, he surprised me by preparing a 4-course meal all by himself. We had just moved and had barely any furniture. The dining table that evening was a ratty, old desk and the table cloth was a bed sheet. Good times.
We enjoyed it so much that it is now an annual tradition- he cooks for me on Sinterklaas and I try to impress him on Christmas Eve/Day.
Dutchman's menu this year:
All in all, very tasty! Plus, it only took him a few hours to shop and prepare the meal. I have some ideas for my Christmas dinner but I foresee myself running around like a headless chicken trying to source certain cuts of meat or spending hours in the kitchen just for a single meringue!
We enjoyed it so much that it is now an annual tradition- he cooks for me on Sinterklaas and I try to impress him on Christmas Eve/Day.
Dutchman's menu this year:
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| Dutch smoked beef sausage with sauerkraut braised in beer, apples and a forest fruit confiture |
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| Poached Scottish smoked salmon stuffed with cod and an apple salad |
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| Ribeye steak |
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| A peach and orange mousse |
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| OK this isn't food but the first time he's ever actually surprised me with a present! HAPPY! |
Wednesday, 5 December 2012
Flowers of the Week
I still buy flowers every week-sometimes twice a week- but hadn't bothered taking pictures for some time. Time to revive this weekly feature, don't you think?!
Friday, 2 November 2012
Pork Tenderloin Stew with Bockbier
It was yummy and was such a generous portion that we had leftovers for lunch. Oh and I don't think we've eaten that much vegetables in our lives!
We still have the pumpkin mash and fish to make (went out for dinner yesterday) - hope they're delicious too.
Saturday, 20 October 2012
New Concept- HelloFresh!
Just so you know, this isn't an advertorial (if only it was...;) ). If you want 20 euros off your first box though, the promotional code is: 54LWJ4
HelloFresh is a sort-of new concept which I LOVE LOVE LOVE. Now, granted, I've only JUST signed up and haven't even received my first box yet but I can't wait!
What it is: a subscription (which can be stopped for an unlimited or limited period of time if need be) for a box of 3 or 5 meals per week. This is NOT a catering service- you have to cook everything by yourself but you just don't have to plan your meals nor do the shopping for it. Depending on where you live, your box of groceries (everything you need for the 3 meals) and the recipes get delivered on Monday or Tuesday.
I am stuck in a cooking rut and I hate doing the groceries. I mean, as far as chores go, grocery shopping is one of the things I enjoy-but sometimes, leaving your home just to get a lemon or a bag of salad is just such a pain in the arse. Also, I don't drive so I go with the Dutchman once a week (but we don't buy EVERYTHING since we are not disciplined meaning we can't decide what to eat and if we don't feel like eating X that night, we just don't = a lot of wastage and because we can't be bothered carrying too much stuff). I also go to the supermarket/ butcher an additional 1 to 2 times a week to get ingredients for more meals/wines and what not. So yeah, with this box, I can go less often and we get to eat different (every week, you have 1 meat, 1 fish and 1 vegetarian dish) and more importantly, HEALTHY stuff. Next week (I was too late for next week though so I will only start on October 30th), subscribers will be eating:
Only thing I'm killing myself about this is WHYYYYY didn't I think of this idea for my business plan back in school! Such a simple concept but so brilliant.
The 3-meal box is a bit expensive (39 euro for 2 people) but the 5-meal box is pretty reasonable at 49 euro for 2. I got the 3-meal box as the 5-meal one isn't available in Arnhem yet and I also got 20 euros off my first box! If you want to get 20 euro off your first box, the code is: 54LWJ4
I can foresee myself blogging on a weekly basis because of this box hahaha
HelloFresh is a sort-of new concept which I LOVE LOVE LOVE. Now, granted, I've only JUST signed up and haven't even received my first box yet but I can't wait!
What it is: a subscription (which can be stopped for an unlimited or limited period of time if need be) for a box of 3 or 5 meals per week. This is NOT a catering service- you have to cook everything by yourself but you just don't have to plan your meals nor do the shopping for it. Depending on where you live, your box of groceries (everything you need for the 3 meals) and the recipes get delivered on Monday or Tuesday.
I am stuck in a cooking rut and I hate doing the groceries. I mean, as far as chores go, grocery shopping is one of the things I enjoy-but sometimes, leaving your home just to get a lemon or a bag of salad is just such a pain in the arse. Also, I don't drive so I go with the Dutchman once a week (but we don't buy EVERYTHING since we are not disciplined meaning we can't decide what to eat and if we don't feel like eating X that night, we just don't = a lot of wastage and because we can't be bothered carrying too much stuff). I also go to the supermarket/ butcher an additional 1 to 2 times a week to get ingredients for more meals/wines and what not. So yeah, with this box, I can go less often and we get to eat different (every week, you have 1 meat, 1 fish and 1 vegetarian dish) and more importantly, HEALTHY stuff. Next week (I was too late for next week though so I will only start on October 30th), subscribers will be eating:
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| Meal 1- Cod with tomatoes, broccoli and garlic thyme potatoes. Meal 2- Ham, beer and dates stew, pumpkin stamppot with feta and pumpkin seeds |
The 3-meal box is a bit expensive (39 euro for 2 people) but the 5-meal box is pretty reasonable at 49 euro for 2. I got the 3-meal box as the 5-meal one isn't available in Arnhem yet and I also got 20 euros off my first box! If you want to get 20 euro off your first box, the code is: 54LWJ4
I can foresee myself blogging on a weekly basis because of this box hahaha
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
Dinner @ a 2-Star Michelin Restaurant
I'd like to apologise for not writing down notes. I've completely forgotten most of them but I can tell you that they were all incredibly yummy!
Amuses
All in all, an excellent meal. Every single morsel of food was a joy to eat. Service was very good- nice, smooth, everything went well and yet, not painfully formal. They handled our large noisy table very well (I felt sorry for the couples sitting near us). Would definitely go back again.
Amuses
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| Goat's cheese, beetroot etc. |
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| Keropok with trout, trout roe etc. |
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| Savoury Meringue, can't quite remember what was in it anymore |
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| A tomato and basil sorbet. Such a classic combination but ridiculously yummy |
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| Don't remember, sorry! |
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| Again, something I don't remember but it was also yummy |
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| The Starter: shrimps, barbecued watermelon etc. |
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| 2nd Course- half-eaten. Forgot to take a picture before it was too late. I think it was plaice |
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| Main- duck |
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| Dessert Amuse- a buttermilk sorbet. Very refreshing! Loved it |
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| Goji berry dessert with citrus fruits. Also very good. Apparently goji berries are happy berries which explains the smiley face. |
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| Coffee & friandises |
Monday, 27 August 2012
It's Been A While
By now, I've had plenty of amazing and not-so-amazing meals out, am married and haven't cooked all that much as I just didn't feel like it.
HOWEVER, since last week, I've started cooking again. We still have McDonald's once a week but that beats unhealthy daily take-aways. You know what's funny, despite the McDonald's, KFCs, snack bars and what-not, I didn't put on a single kilo hahaha but for all I know, my arteries are hopelessly clogged.
Dinners last week:
Monday: Barbecue with shrimps, lamb, pork and chicken
Tuesday: Chinese Take-away
Wednesday: Lamb chops (from the same organic butcher), potatoes and a salad
Thursday: Thai Fried Rice
Friday: Really amazing rib-eye steaks from the organic butcher with bread and a salad
Saturday: Macaroni & Cheese (with cauliflower so we can pretend it's healthy)
Sunday: McDonald's ;)
This week:
Today: Baked Chilli & Bean Pasta
Tomorrow: Probably an aubergine mince stir-fry with rice
Wednesday: Probably a veggie lasagna
Thursday: Dinner at a 2-star Michelin restaurant YUMMY!
Other days: will decide later!
I am enjoying not HAVING to do anything and I LOVE living in the center- within a 3 minute or less walk, I have 3 butchers (1 organic-expensive but good-, 1 halal and 1 normal), a green grocer, 2 supermarkets, 1 organic supermarket, a cheese shop, a bakery, a florist, a wine store etc. Love it!
HOWEVER, since last week, I've started cooking again. We still have McDonald's once a week but that beats unhealthy daily take-aways. You know what's funny, despite the McDonald's, KFCs, snack bars and what-not, I didn't put on a single kilo hahaha but for all I know, my arteries are hopelessly clogged.
Dinners last week:
Monday: Barbecue with shrimps, lamb, pork and chicken
Tuesday: Chinese Take-away
Wednesday: Lamb chops (from the same organic butcher), potatoes and a salad
Thursday: Thai Fried Rice
Friday: Really amazing rib-eye steaks from the organic butcher with bread and a salad
Saturday: Macaroni & Cheese (with cauliflower so we can pretend it's healthy)
Sunday: McDonald's ;)
This week:
Today: Baked Chilli & Bean Pasta
Tomorrow: Probably an aubergine mince stir-fry with rice
Wednesday: Probably a veggie lasagna
Thursday: Dinner at a 2-star Michelin restaurant YUMMY!
Other days: will decide later!
I am enjoying not HAVING to do anything and I LOVE living in the center- within a 3 minute or less walk, I have 3 butchers (1 organic-expensive but good-, 1 halal and 1 normal), a green grocer, 2 supermarkets, 1 organic supermarket, a cheese shop, a bakery, a florist, a wine store etc. Love it!
Saturday, 14 April 2012
Whoa
I am horrible at this blog thing, aren't I?:D
I don't have any pictures of food. Heck, I haven't even really cooked anything proper for a long time. I just have zero motivation to make anything nice! Not to mention, my diet started last week so everything I want to make, I can't eat so what is the point, really? Haha
We're almost done with the wedding. We are SO looking forward to the holiday! I am enjoying my job but it is somewhat difficult (in a nice way but also the pressure to perform is....) and is bloody faraway from where I live. I spend half my day commuting. Wedding planning itself is just..painful. The nice bits are picking out your dress, flowers, the venue.. that kind of thing. Everything else is just sh*t really.
The venue annoys me to death. Everything has a ridiculous price tag but we don't have a choice because we've commited. So right, somehow a 40-person wedding is going to cost us RM100 000. Looking at it in Ringgit terms is giving me a heart attack ugh. It's not like it's even fancy! My shoes are from China! Our band is dinky! My earrings aren't even diamonds! We don't even get a honeymoon! Hahaha I have to laugh just thinking of the band, sorry:-P
All in all, I AM excited though. I just hope it won't rain and that no one gets hurt/misses their flights/ loses their luggage/ ill etc. I try not to be such a Debbie Downer but I really wish we had eloped just so I don't have to worry about our guests...
Right..bedtime. Night!
I don't have any pictures of food. Heck, I haven't even really cooked anything proper for a long time. I just have zero motivation to make anything nice! Not to mention, my diet started last week so everything I want to make, I can't eat so what is the point, really? Haha
We're almost done with the wedding. We are SO looking forward to the holiday! I am enjoying my job but it is somewhat difficult (in a nice way but also the pressure to perform is....) and is bloody faraway from where I live. I spend half my day commuting. Wedding planning itself is just..painful. The nice bits are picking out your dress, flowers, the venue.. that kind of thing. Everything else is just sh*t really.
The venue annoys me to death. Everything has a ridiculous price tag but we don't have a choice because we've commited. So right, somehow a 40-person wedding is going to cost us RM100 000. Looking at it in Ringgit terms is giving me a heart attack ugh. It's not like it's even fancy! My shoes are from China! Our band is dinky! My earrings aren't even diamonds! We don't even get a honeymoon! Hahaha I have to laugh just thinking of the band, sorry:-P
All in all, I AM excited though. I just hope it won't rain and that no one gets hurt/misses their flights/ loses their luggage/ ill etc. I try not to be such a Debbie Downer but I really wish we had eloped just so I don't have to worry about our guests...
Right..bedtime. Night!
Friday, 20 January 2012
Wedding Planning
I am enjoying most of it! I am so excited and I can't wait to get married already. Also, I'm terrified that it will be a total flop.
Invitations
I absolutely LOVE them. These are probably the most beautiful invitations I have ever seen. Yes, it was very expensive and yes, people will just throw them into the dustbin but they make me happy.
Dress
I bought my dress!! This was quite a journey. I went to about 4 stores (I went 3 times to the store where I bought the dress so I basically tried on dresses about 7 times haha). First dress was a total disaster. I thought I would never find the one. I'm not VERY short (although I AM short compared to a Dutch person. I am 5ft 3") but all the dresses had humungous ball gown skirts (and not just a bit but huge. Like so huge, the Dutchman would have to stand 1.5 metres away from me). And the styles they have here.... were just sort of thrashy and I wanted something elegant.
Finally, feeling guilty and thinking that I would never find the one, I settled on one which looked great on me but wasn't really my style. Of course I felt like sh*t after that, I felt almost embarassed that people would think that is something I would pick so I cancelled the dress a few days later. As I had already paid a significant deposit for the dress, I had to pick THE dress from the same store.
Anyway, I ended up in something I didn't expect but it gave the look I was aiming for (elegant, romantic, classic). Woohoo! I never thought I could ever get a Pronovias but after adjusting the budget a little bit (i.e. less money for flowers :( ), it was possible to get my dream dress. Yay!
Rings
Again, ended up being totally different from what we wanted but it was really comfortable and the rings were the only ones which actually didn't make our fingers look stupid. The one thing which was significantly underbudget;-)
Guests
Very happy with the turnout on my side. Sadly, most of Dutchman's friends are too poor and half his direct family will not be attending (afraid of flying, no money, babies). I feel sorry for him as this wedding shebang was his wish (I wanted to elope).
Venue
Slightly problematic. It is a high-end venue and expensive. However, because our wedding is relatively small and they are used to mad Russian millionnaires, our wedding basically does not generate a great amount of revenue (it is a lot to us but not them). Thus, we are small fry and treated as such.
Flowers
I want peonies but they are not available. Ah well. Not sure what the options are...
So many things to organize but in a way, it's quite fun having an almost free rein (except obviously budget restrictions) to plan an event;)
Invitations
I absolutely LOVE them. These are probably the most beautiful invitations I have ever seen. Yes, it was very expensive and yes, people will just throw them into the dustbin but they make me happy.
Dress
I bought my dress!! This was quite a journey. I went to about 4 stores (I went 3 times to the store where I bought the dress so I basically tried on dresses about 7 times haha). First dress was a total disaster. I thought I would never find the one. I'm not VERY short (although I AM short compared to a Dutch person. I am 5ft 3") but all the dresses had humungous ball gown skirts (and not just a bit but huge. Like so huge, the Dutchman would have to stand 1.5 metres away from me). And the styles they have here.... were just sort of thrashy and I wanted something elegant.
Finally, feeling guilty and thinking that I would never find the one, I settled on one which looked great on me but wasn't really my style. Of course I felt like sh*t after that, I felt almost embarassed that people would think that is something I would pick so I cancelled the dress a few days later. As I had already paid a significant deposit for the dress, I had to pick THE dress from the same store.
Anyway, I ended up in something I didn't expect but it gave the look I was aiming for (elegant, romantic, classic). Woohoo! I never thought I could ever get a Pronovias but after adjusting the budget a little bit (i.e. less money for flowers :( ), it was possible to get my dream dress. Yay!
Rings
Again, ended up being totally different from what we wanted but it was really comfortable and the rings were the only ones which actually didn't make our fingers look stupid. The one thing which was significantly underbudget;-)
Guests
Very happy with the turnout on my side. Sadly, most of Dutchman's friends are too poor and half his direct family will not be attending (afraid of flying, no money, babies). I feel sorry for him as this wedding shebang was his wish (I wanted to elope).
Venue
Slightly problematic. It is a high-end venue and expensive. However, because our wedding is relatively small and they are used to mad Russian millionnaires, our wedding basically does not generate a great amount of revenue (it is a lot to us but not them). Thus, we are small fry and treated as such.
Flowers
I want peonies but they are not available. Ah well. Not sure what the options are...
So many things to organize but in a way, it's quite fun having an almost free rein (except obviously budget restrictions) to plan an event;)
Saturday, 31 December 2011
2011
was a great year.
i) Got engaged
ii) Passed my internship with flying colours and then almost failing it because my boss felt slighted over my report (the comments were frankly nothing..something like "while I wish the internship could've been more challenging, I do not regret having chosen for this company". School laughed like mad about it and passed me anyway.
iii) Got a new member of the family (the cat)
iv) Dutchman got a new job
v) Parents' visit (last time was 3 years ago)
vi) Got legally married!
2012 will be challeging as I'll have a new job and will be navigating through life as an adult (job, etc.) but it could also be very fulfilling and I know I'll enjoy wedding planning, hunting for our first home and all that stuff;)
All the best for 2012!
i) Got engaged
ii) Passed my internship with flying colours and then almost failing it because my boss felt slighted over my report (the comments were frankly nothing..something like "while I wish the internship could've been more challenging, I do not regret having chosen for this company". School laughed like mad about it and passed me anyway.
iii) Got a new member of the family (the cat)
iv) Dutchman got a new job
v) Parents' visit (last time was 3 years ago)
vi) Got legally married!
2012 will be challeging as I'll have a new job and will be navigating through life as an adult (job, etc.) but it could also be very fulfilling and I know I'll enjoy wedding planning, hunting for our first home and all that stuff;)
All the best for 2012!
Thursday, 15 December 2011
Nyonya's Christmas/Sinterklaas Rocky Road
250g milk chocolate, broken into small pieces
175g butter, sliced
4tbs golden syrup
150g amaretti, crushed into various sizes
150g pepernoten , crushed into various sizes (I used mine whole as they were pretty small- the ones from the AH bakker)
150g pink & white marshmallows, cut into small pieces or just use mini marshmallows
100g glacé cherries
50g dried cranberries
1) Melt the chocolate and butter (bain marie). Add the syrup.
2) In the meantime, prepare your amaretti and pepernoten (basically just crushing them with a rolling pin). Please make sure that you don't crush it too finely- you want them to be in bits and pieces. Cut your marshmallows with scissors. Chop the cherries into smaller pieces (if preferred. I used mine whole).
3) When chocolate mixture has melted, mix to combine evenly.
4) Add the crushed pepernoten and amaretti into the chocolate and mix.
5) Then, add everything else.
6) Pour mixture into a (I used Pyrex) pan and leave it in the fridge to harden (about 2 hours). Slice with a strong, sharp knife and sprinkle icing sugar before serving.
P/S: I think the quality of the chocolate isn't very important in this case. I used Valrhona which is quite expensive (about 23 euro for this recipe) but couldn't taste the difference!
Saturday, 19 November 2011
The Turkish Airlines Saga Continues....
Turkish Airlines initially offered us 300 euro compensation (EU regulations= 600 euro) but we said we wanted 400 euro as the Danish passengers who were bumped off the flight as well, received 400 euros (yes, the 24 +hours we spent together means we had enough time to exchange contact details). Turkish Airlines called the Dutchman on Friday and confirmed. They asked when we could pick it up. We agreed on 3p.m. Saturday at Schiphol Airport.
So today, we left at 1.30p.m. to arrive there at 3p.m.. Guess what happened next?! Arrived at the counter and the Turkish Airlines employee says....
"We have no cash with us at the moment. Perhaps you should come back on a weekday as more people buy tickets then"
We were like WTF!?!?! We had an appointment at 3p.m. to collect the compensation! We drove 1.5 hours! We had to pay 8 euro for parking! We wasted our time! It's a Saturday, ffs!
This is seriously the shittiest airline of all time. Unbelievable.
So today, we left at 1.30p.m. to arrive there at 3p.m.. Guess what happened next?! Arrived at the counter and the Turkish Airlines employee says....
"We have no cash with us at the moment. Perhaps you should come back on a weekday as more people buy tickets then"
We were like WTF!?!?! We had an appointment at 3p.m. to collect the compensation! We drove 1.5 hours! We had to pay 8 euro for parking! We wasted our time! It's a Saturday, ffs!
This is seriously the shittiest airline of all time. Unbelievable.
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
Beef with Ginger & Spring Onions
I was talking to some Asian ladies the other day and it struck me that Dutchman and I do not eat Asian food very often. We eat pasta, roast chicken, fish, steak, stews etc. instead. I love Asian food but it always seem kind off fiddly to get the taste right and fake Asian food is the most disgusting thing in the whole world( which is why I never buy the Westernized Asian pre-packaged stuff). Anyhoo, last night, I made beef with ginger and spring onions. This is a simple dish- the kind you eat at home at least once a week together with (in my family anyway) stir-fried greens, clear soup and fish.
Fresh ingredients
300g beef, sliced thinly
5 spring onions, chopped into 1-inch pieces
2-inches worth of ginger, sliced
Marinade
1 tbs Chinese oyster sauce
1 tbs ShaoXing wine (maybe a bit more, generous splash heh)
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp corn flour
some pepper
Sauce
1 tbs oyster sauce
1 tbs ShaoXing wine
1 tbs sesame oil
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp corn flour
2-3 tbs water
1) First, marinade the beef for at least an hour. Combine the ingredients for the sauce before you start cooking.
2) Then, in a saucepan, saute the ginger in the hot oil until soft. If you like, you can also add the white part of the spring onion at this time.
3) When the beef is almost done, add the sauce and the green parts of the spring onions and cook until done. Do not overcook this or the beef will be tough. If you think that the sauce is too watery, you can add some cornflour.
Serve with white rice.
Fresh ingredients
300g beef, sliced thinly
5 spring onions, chopped into 1-inch pieces
2-inches worth of ginger, sliced
Marinade
1 tbs Chinese oyster sauce
1 tbs ShaoXing wine (maybe a bit more, generous splash heh)
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp corn flour
some pepper
Sauce
1 tbs oyster sauce
1 tbs ShaoXing wine
1 tbs sesame oil
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp corn flour
2-3 tbs water
1) First, marinade the beef for at least an hour. Combine the ingredients for the sauce before you start cooking.
2) Then, in a saucepan, saute the ginger in the hot oil until soft. If you like, you can also add the white part of the spring onion at this time.
3) When the beef is almost done, add the sauce and the green parts of the spring onions and cook until done. Do not overcook this or the beef will be tough. If you think that the sauce is too watery, you can add some cornflour.
Serve with white rice.
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Never Fly With Turkish Airlines
This matter has brought me out of my slumber.
A few months ago, we decided to take a chance on Turkish Airlines. In The Netherlands, Turkish Airlines is probably most famous for crashing next to a highway near Schiphol Airport but heck, it was the 2nd cheapest (cheapest was Egypt Air which sounded a bit dodgy to us) and we really only had to fly for 3 hours on an actual Turkish Airlines plane (codeshare).
That totally did NOT pay off. Our nightmare had just started. Checked in at Dusseldorf Airport and thought it was strange that we did not get our boarding passes for the Istanbul-KL leg (normally, they give all of it to you) but when we asked, the ground staff said that it is policy that we would get it there (LIAR! If you ever face this, don't even believe them!).
Well well..guess what happened! We arrived at Istanbul 3.5 hours before our flight to KL was scheduled to depart and immediately headed towards the counter within the transit hall. Turns out, there was a 'computer problem' so we weren't on the flight. I am not stupid - some of my family members work in the airline industry. This means they are overbooked (which they later admitted).
Was very nice the entire time (me, not them). Told them nicely tat we had booked and paid for these tickets months in advance and that it wasn't our problem if there was a problem with their system or not. Ground staff barely understood English. They told us to come back 1 hour before the flight to check. Fine, came back, was told that we were officially bumped off. Madly pissed as had a wedding to attend and shitloads to do upon arrival (tailor, hen's night etc.).
Assholes at counter then made us wait on the floor whilst they find a connecting flight. Well, assholes couldn't have been the most efficient people as it took them 4 freaking hours (literally) with us sitting on the floor and hanging at the counter (they kept saying "10 minutes, 10 minutes"). Finally, Dutchman and a Swede (who was also bumped off the same flight) barged into the private office, sat next to one of them and got a flight- apparently the only one left which was scheduled to leave at about midnight (to Shanghai and then to KL) so yes, that was a good 12+ hours doing nothing but WAITING for a flight. They did put us in the lounge but no real food (just some lousy dry bread). I freaking hate eating bread for dinner. It makes me feel like Oliver Twist.
Finally, got on the flight. An hour later, captain says someone on board has had a heart attack and we'll be returning to Istanbul. Fine, I guess that's not something they can help and probably cost them heaps of money as well. Plane grounded for 3-4 hours. Arrived in Shanghai, scheduled flight already departed but ground staff at Shanghai were EXCELLENT. They got someone to meet us in the arrivals hall, arranged priority check-in (for the next flight and passport controls) and everything. Got us on the next flight (Air Mauritius) to KL. Finally, we arrived in KL at like 4a.m. a day later (22 hours delay).
Now, this is the part which annoys the shit out of me. Yes, we were shit ass tired. Yes, we were crazily stressed (because missing and then not knowing when your next flight will be when you have shitloads to do when you arrive). Yes, we spent some extra money (calling people from the plane, midnight fares etc.). Yes, our holiday was ruined. Yes, the staff at Istanbul were useless, rude and dumb.
But MOST OF ALL, Turkish Airlines didn't want to compensate us and they were so SNEAKY about it. See, if they had told us about the delay at Dusseldorf (EU), we would have been entitled to 600 euro per person compensation (delay of more than 4 hours, EU Regulation) but they purposely dragged us to Istanbul because Istanbul's not part of the EU and they wouldn't have to compensate anything! And they call themselves "Europe's Best Airline" HAHAHAHA.
I am going to make it my mission to ensure that everyone knows what a shit airline Turkish Airlines is. I'm going to make sure no one I know ever flies on it again. Certainly, no one will want to -unless they don't care if they arrive as scheduled or not.
That totally did NOT pay off. Our nightmare had just started. Checked in at Dusseldorf Airport and thought it was strange that we did not get our boarding passes for the Istanbul-KL leg (normally, they give all of it to you) but when we asked, the ground staff said that it is policy that we would get it there (LIAR! If you ever face this, don't even believe them!).
Well well..guess what happened! We arrived at Istanbul 3.5 hours before our flight to KL was scheduled to depart and immediately headed towards the counter within the transit hall. Turns out, there was a 'computer problem' so we weren't on the flight. I am not stupid - some of my family members work in the airline industry. This means they are overbooked (which they later admitted).
Was very nice the entire time (me, not them). Told them nicely tat we had booked and paid for these tickets months in advance and that it wasn't our problem if there was a problem with their system or not. Ground staff barely understood English. They told us to come back 1 hour before the flight to check. Fine, came back, was told that we were officially bumped off. Madly pissed as had a wedding to attend and shitloads to do upon arrival (tailor, hen's night etc.).
Assholes at counter then made us wait on the floor whilst they find a connecting flight. Well, assholes couldn't have been the most efficient people as it took them 4 freaking hours (literally) with us sitting on the floor and hanging at the counter (they kept saying "10 minutes, 10 minutes"). Finally, Dutchman and a Swede (who was also bumped off the same flight) barged into the private office, sat next to one of them and got a flight- apparently the only one left which was scheduled to leave at about midnight (to Shanghai and then to KL) so yes, that was a good 12+ hours doing nothing but WAITING for a flight. They did put us in the lounge but no real food (just some lousy dry bread). I freaking hate eating bread for dinner. It makes me feel like Oliver Twist.
Finally, got on the flight. An hour later, captain says someone on board has had a heart attack and we'll be returning to Istanbul. Fine, I guess that's not something they can help and probably cost them heaps of money as well. Plane grounded for 3-4 hours. Arrived in Shanghai, scheduled flight already departed but ground staff at Shanghai were EXCELLENT. They got someone to meet us in the arrivals hall, arranged priority check-in (for the next flight and passport controls) and everything. Got us on the next flight (Air Mauritius) to KL. Finally, we arrived in KL at like 4a.m. a day later (22 hours delay).
Now, this is the part which annoys the shit out of me. Yes, we were shit ass tired. Yes, we were crazily stressed (because missing and then not knowing when your next flight will be when you have shitloads to do when you arrive). Yes, we spent some extra money (calling people from the plane, midnight fares etc.). Yes, our holiday was ruined. Yes, the staff at Istanbul were useless, rude and dumb.
But MOST OF ALL, Turkish Airlines didn't want to compensate us and they were so SNEAKY about it. See, if they had told us about the delay at Dusseldorf (EU), we would have been entitled to 600 euro per person compensation (delay of more than 4 hours, EU Regulation) but they purposely dragged us to Istanbul because Istanbul's not part of the EU and they wouldn't have to compensate anything! And they call themselves "Europe's Best Airline" HAHAHAHA.
I am going to make it my mission to ensure that everyone knows what a shit airline Turkish Airlines is. I'm going to make sure no one I know ever flies on it again. Certainly, no one will want to -unless they don't care if they arrive as scheduled or not.
Thursday, 11 August 2011
Wedding + Food Blog
As much as I love food, wedding planning is what takes most of my time these days. Negotiating is something I am absolutely horrible at but I've learnt a lot the last few weeks. Thanks to tips from a former bride, we managed to get the location we wanted but thought we could not afford. I hadn't bothered to bargain because the difference was HUGE- we are talking like RM60 000 worth of venue hire charges which now has reduced to just a few thousand (like really little, not even 3k!) so ladies, don't forget to bargain! Unfortunately, I didn't get the prices I wanted for the rest (ie. same as her) but I just didn't feel like bouncing emails back and forth just for a few hundred here and there. Plus, I think she had more to bargain with- my wedding is about 15% smaller so that makes it fair, right? :-)
Weddings in Malaysia are cut throat. You book your venue a year in advance (more if it's a popular date), your make-up artist, your photographer, florist, band (if any) immediately after and you pay through your nose- much more than I would pay in The Netherlands. Heck, an unknown make-up artist in KL actually dared to quote me RM3000+ flight+ 2 nights accomodation+ RM600 outstation fee. Er.. hello?! RM4200 (1000 euro) for 4 hours worth of work (incl. waiting) is just mad. If I'd known make-up artists could make that much, I would've gone to some kind of beauty school instead of going to uni. The famous one actually gave me a very reasonable quote- much better than the newbies and semi-famous. Weird, right...
Back to food: not much happening on this front although I will be entertaining a small after-dinner party tomorrow. Must try to remember to take photos. Haven't actually made pastry cream since 2006 or so, so I desperately hope my tart will not have to be binned.
Weddings in Malaysia are cut throat. You book your venue a year in advance (more if it's a popular date), your make-up artist, your photographer, florist, band (if any) immediately after and you pay through your nose- much more than I would pay in The Netherlands. Heck, an unknown make-up artist in KL actually dared to quote me RM3000+ flight+ 2 nights accomodation+ RM600 outstation fee. Er.. hello?! RM4200 (1000 euro) for 4 hours worth of work (incl. waiting) is just mad. If I'd known make-up artists could make that much, I would've gone to some kind of beauty school instead of going to uni. The famous one actually gave me a very reasonable quote- much better than the newbies and semi-famous. Weird, right...
Back to food: not much happening on this front although I will be entertaining a small after-dinner party tomorrow. Must try to remember to take photos. Haven't actually made pastry cream since 2006 or so, so I desperately hope my tart will not have to be binned.
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
Had An Awesome Holiday
There was a wedding, a centurion birthday and a massage-filled holiday in Bali. We ate- oh boy, did we eat! One thing about belonging to a food crazy family, you get dragged along to eat all the yummiest food within 100km from where you live. We had the most amazing non-halal Thai food, nasi lemak, Ipoh Sar Hor Fun and my beloved ikan bakar. In Bali, we had the infamous babi guling and overpriced seafood (280 euro for 4 people and it wasn't even good! Nor was it a fancy restaurant :( ).
The good thing about Bali is the amount of villas they have available for rent. We paid just 200 euro a night for a gorgeous 1-bedroom villa with a small private pool in Seminyak. Food here was awful but I wish we could live here forever!
Tegalalang Rice Paddies. Somewhat touristy but still VERY pretty!
Wedding Stuff: I tell you...my entire family is wedding-mad. All they talk about is the wedding. They are incredibly excited about it. At that time, I didn't even know where we were going to get married but they already wanted to know the theme/colours/etc. so that they can start making dresses or whatever! They've booked their flight tickets- even their accomodation (take note I'm only getting married in 11 months). I haven't even bought my own flight ticket to my own wedding LOL. Still, I am very happy they are excited - rather them be happy and excited than completely disinterested!
Oh and we changed our venue! Now, we're getting married in the venue of our dreams;-) I am so happy. Eek excited. Problem now is deciding on colours. Ugh I like everything.
Wedding Stuff: I tell you...my entire family is wedding-mad. All they talk about is the wedding. They are incredibly excited about it. At that time, I didn't even know where we were going to get married but they already wanted to know the theme/colours/etc. so that they can start making dresses or whatever! They've booked their flight tickets- even their accomodation (take note I'm only getting married in 11 months). I haven't even bought my own flight ticket to my own wedding LOL. Still, I am very happy they are excited - rather them be happy and excited than completely disinterested!
Oh and we changed our venue! Now, we're getting married in the venue of our dreams;-) I am so happy. Eek excited. Problem now is deciding on colours. Ugh I like everything.
Friday, 8 July 2011
I have been happier
since the cat joined our family. She is easy to care for, dependent and just so sweet.
In 2 weeks, we will leave The Netherlands for a short 2-week holiday to Kuala Lumpur and Bali. Will be meeting plenty of people I haven't met for years. Dutchman can stock up on his button shirts. In fact, Dutchman wants to get his wedding suit made in Malaysia.
Our wedding is slowly shaping up. We have decided on a venue and theme but I cannot decide on the colour(s)! I like everything! Help, anyone?
In 2 weeks, we will leave The Netherlands for a short 2-week holiday to Kuala Lumpur and Bali. Will be meeting plenty of people I haven't met for years. Dutchman can stock up on his button shirts. In fact, Dutchman wants to get his wedding suit made in Malaysia.
Our wedding is slowly shaping up. We have decided on a venue and theme but I cannot decide on the colour(s)! I like everything! Help, anyone?
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