Thursday, January 30, 2014

I registered my company!

Hey peeps! Today's a momentous day for me! Since now I'm offering writing, editing and translation services full-time and professionally, I've registered my business :)


Cue fireworks!



Monday, January 27, 2014

Chinese New Year feasting - Be prepared :)

Each time Chinese New Year rolls around, I can't help but recall the time when I attended an ex-colleague's open house many, many years back. She had prepared quite a spread, and since my friends and I got lost on the way to her house, we arrived well past lunch time and were famished. Her mum was an especially kind and attentive hostess, asking us to eat more and more. Guess, what? We did, and boy, did my friends and I overindulge! 

That evening, when I got home, I started having this awful burning sensation in my chest. That was the first time I ever experienced heartburn! To make it worse, I didn't know what to do about it, so I had a very uncomfortable night. I would later experience heartburn while I was pregnant with my first child. Both times, I hadn't realised that there was a remedy for such a condition. 

Apparently, one of the tricks to preventing heartburn and indigestion is understanding food's hot and cold properties. Have a look at this infographic:  


Based on the facts above, I should definitely gravitate towards cooling and neutral recipes, so I'm going to keep that in mind from now on! So far, I haven't had heartburn during this pregnancy, but if it does rear it's ugly head, I have a bottle of Gaviscon ready! It'll also come to the rescue in case I overindulge again this festive season ;) Hey, I'm five months pregnant, so I've got quite an appetite right now! 

Want to see how Gaviscon works? Check out this video:


Gaviscon doesn't just come in bottles, it also comes in handy tablets and sachets too, so you can carry them in your wallet or purse when you're on the go. To learn more about Gaviscon and their range of products, do visit the Gaviscon website. Have fun but east responsibly everyone! I'd like to wish you all a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year!

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Take it and go! Love these songs

I'm in a romantic mood today. and seriously, they just don't make songs like these anymore...

Not a big Madonna fan myself, but this song is just plain amazing. The video? I love it!

  

I'm not a Top Gun fan either, but this Berlin ballad rocks my socks!

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Homemade capatis and vege curry

I'm on a mission to learn how to make bread at home, I've dabbled in it before, but have yet to perfect my technique. I thought I'd start with something simple, so the first bread I've attempted to master is the chapati, an Indian flatbread that I've always loved. After a not-so-successful attempt, I finally got it right! 

Homemade capatis and vege curry by adline✿makes

Here are my soft, fluffy and round chapatis :) I also made a vegetable curry to go with them. I learnt to make chapatis here and if you're a novice like me, do pay attention to the steps! They make all the difference :)

First time I made capatis - not so great results - hard and not circular :P by adline✿makes

Here's a pic of my first attempt at making chapatis, they turned our hard, dry and not very circular. I'm glad I got it down now, no more buying chapatis at mamak shops or ready-made frozen ones! Homemade chapatis are fun to make and much, much easier on the purse :)

Monday, January 20, 2014

Declutter diaries: How to fold socks

Today I thought I'd tackle my husband's sock drawer... I started off with this messy pile...

messy socks by adline✿makes

And ended up with this neat pile...

organised socks by adline✿makes

Learn how to organise your socks after the jump!

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Baked selar kuning with chillies, onion and garlic + Stir-fried broccoli, cauliflower and carrots

Wondering what to have for lunch or dinner? Well, if you have a selar kuning (or two if they're small) in the fridge, why not try this healthy meal?

Rice with fish and veges by adline✿makes

As you can see, I also made a simple vege stir fry to go with the fish. Check out the recipes after the jump!

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Frugal tip: How to make ginger last longer and not waste it

Now that I'm a work-at-home mum, I've become more aware of our grocery bills and I do what I can to prevent food wastage. When it comes to savings, every little bit counts, so today I'd like to share with you a frugal tip that I've been utilising for quite some time now.

Ginger is an important part of Malaysian cooking, so I always keep it on hand. However, I only need to use a bit of it at a time and ginger doesn't really keep well for long periods. It either shrivels up and dries out, when I leave it on the kitchen counter, or becomes icky and moldy when it sits in the fridge for too long. To make sure that I get to use every bit of my ginger, with no wastage, here's what I do! 

How to make ginger last longer by adline✿makes

See how not to waste ginger and keep it fresh for longer after the jump...

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Review: See U Village Steamboat Restaurant, Paradigm Mall

I've been craving healthy food lately, particularly vegetables. So on a recent weekend, I asked the hubby if we could go to the new steamboat restaurant @ Paradigm Mall, so that I can gorge on vegetables. As stated in the Paradigm Mall website, this restaurant is Halal. So off we went to See U Village Steamboat!

Update 2016: Kindly note that the link in the Paradigm Mall website above that says the restaurant is Halal no longer exists, and the bunting outside the restaurant, which says it is in the process of applying for a Halal certification from JAKIM is still there after years have passed. Please take this into consideration before dining there.

Here's their menu:
See U Village Steamboat Restaurant, Paradigm Mall by adline✿makes

Let's take a peek inside, shall we? 
See U Village Steamboat Restaurant, Paradigm Mall by adline✿makes
Their set meals are good value and they have six different broths to choose from! Note, you can change the noodles in the set meals for rice, we did.

Want to see the steamboat spread? Read more about the jump!

Friday, January 3, 2014

Making pickled veges

I'm now 16 weeks pregnant and thank goodness my appetite has improved for the most part. I don't gag at the smell of food anymore and I can keep what I eat down now. Still, I'm becoming a very picky eater. It seems my baby likes vegetables, so I'm always craving veges! To help with my vege + sour cravings, I made some vege pickles today! It's super easy to make! Here's what I used - Japanese cucumber, a carrot and a yellow onion. Check out the recipe after the jump!

Pickled veges by adline✿makes
Pickled veges, a photo by adline✿makes on Flickr.

Welcome 2019: Time to Grow

Happy New Year everyone! I'm so so excited for 2019 and everything that it'll bring. I'm starting the year with gratefulness for...