Gordon Ramsey's Easy Recipes

Let's start with something easy like Eggs.

Scrambled Eggs



Poached Egg



Crispy Salmon



Stuffed Chicken Legs



Sticky Lemon Chicken



Ribeye Steak



Baked Pork Chops

Kutucat Goes to the Vet

Every end of the year, Kutucat pays a visit to the good doctor to get a medical checkup and her shots. We usually go to Animal Medical Centre Sdn Bhd Subang Jaya but this year we decided to check out the Veterinary Hospital of the same group along Jalan Tun Razak KL. It's an animal clinic, surgical unit, pet lodge, grooming and supplies shop all in one block.

Cooperate??? You can't be serious.

Frigthened cat huddled at the far end of the pet carrier.

Not an easy job forcing her to get in at home and tilting her out of the box at the vet's examination room. Obviously, I had my hands full and was unable to take pictures.

Taking a rectal temperature. Aaaieeeee!!!

Now for the hard part - deworming pill.

Had a standoff moment - Kutucat vs Clinic Assistant. A ferocious swipe of a clawed appendage at the human hand. Luckily Clinic Assistant's reflex was faster than Kutucat's angry smite. No injuries were sustained except Kutucat's dignity.

I stepped out to answer a phone call and came back to find the cat wrapped in a towel ala straitjacket style.

Apparently, she retaliated violently the very moment the pill-popper touched her lips. After three valiant attempts, the vet resorted to administering the drug via a second injection. Vet said: "Okay!" after that and Kutucat practically RAN back into her cat carrier.

There is safety behind bars. Now that all the unpleasant business is finished and done with, Kutucat is inquisitive and interested in the on-goings in the clinic.

All in all it was a very energy-draining morning for the humans. We didn't even get to do her dental checkup with all the hissing and spitting and biting. Kutucat is a difficult and hostile patient!! Vets usually shake their heads at the end of the session. Except Dr Nathan in 2007... he's very gentle and experienced and the whole thing was over before the cat realized what was happening.

Those who tagged along to this annual visit usually ended up more tensed and traumatized than the cat. Actually, one must remain calm and in control because pets can sense and react to the owner's anxiety! One should understand and accept that rough handling is sometimes necessary to perform a medical procedure. I've seen kids fight and scream bloody murder when they have to be poked by a needle. It's not a pretty sight when one has to hold a child down to insert a syringe into a child's vein and this is always done behind a closed door without the parents' presence. Some of them know it's for their children's own good but some get upset. Anybody's first instinct to a child's cry for help is to rush to his defense and rescue him from the situation. The challenge is to resist this urge to intervene and let doctors do the needful for the child's own good.

I sound like Bambi is my baby. In a way, she is!!! I held her in one palm when she was a little kitten. I washed her backside when she was just learning to use the litter box. I only refrain from buying her clothes because of she has a thick coat and it's already hot in this kind of climate. As cool as I am about her vaccinations, it's a good thing that Kutucat is generally healthy and we only need to go through this once a year.

Desserts Bar @ Solaris

Mum, sis and I we are the Sweet-tooth Gang... went out looking for an after-dinner indulgence at Solaris Mont Kiara last Saturday.

We were the only customers there which made for exclusive customer service.

Ice cream with fruits and tofu margarita.

No alcoholic content.

Belgian chocolate fondue set.

Ice cream balls - super cold...


Dip into warm chocolate and it becomes a crispy crusted delight.

Actually you can cover it with ground peanuts. It's amusing to do but they get stuck between my teeth.

As ambitious as we were, we could not put in more than what we ordered. The servings were generous! The Desserts Bar's menu is a pleasure to browse through with enticing colored prints of food porn. It's easy to be greedy when ordering. I only have one complaint: It's not sweet enough!!!! Maybe we ordered wrongly - the selections we had were more suitable for the health-conscious, lacking in that powerful brain-smacking sugar-rush high followed by calorie-ladden guilt. I certainly didn't feel fat after that.

Senior Cat

The cat is unusually affectionate nowadays. I think age is catching up with her and she has become milder in her temper. She actively seeks affection and doesn't mind being held. She doesn't jump as high as she used to, nor dash after paper balls as long and and far as she used to either. She prefers sitting on the soft cotton rug to the cold hard floor. She wheezes, she sighs.

She came to live with us in 2001 at around one month of age. That makes her 7 years old now! Bambi, stay healthy and strong. Live with us as long as you can dear. We will take good care of you. I love you.

Carrot Soup with Ginger

Been borrowing cook books from the National Library and trying some recipes out. This one seemed simple enough:

Ingredients

2 tablespoons buttter or margarine

1 onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

5 1/2 cups chopped carrots

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root

1 1/2 quarts chicken stock

7 tablespoons whipping cream

a good pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

salt and freshly ground black peper

Soup: Superb Ways with Classic Dish by Debra Mayhew

Melt the butter or margarine.

Add the onion and celery and cook for about 5 minutes until soft.
Stir in potato, carrots, ginger and stock. Bring to a boil.

Lower the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Pour soup into blender and process until smooth.

A few swirls and its done.

Return the soup into the pan. Stir in cream and nutmeg and add salt and pepper to taste.

Reheat slowly to serve.

Looks like pumpkin soup but sweetness is more subtle with outstanding infusion of ginger and nutmeg fragrances. Texture is creamy but light and smooth. Suitable for a simple lunch with crackers or toasted bread. Serves 4-6 people.

Raya@Midvalley Megamall

The roads were empty with the exodus of half the city going back to their hometown for Raya celebrations. Thinking it would be a good time to venture out, I went shopping at Midvalley. Only to be greeted by huge crowds of people having a "family outing" - grandparents, parents, maid and children in tow. They move in herds.

I hate crowds.

This year's display at the Centre Court

I like the little red bike with flat tires. Very quaint prop!

Performances at The Gardens, Midvalley

What dance is this?

~twirl~

Uh... butterfly dance?

Graceful!

Contortionist Kutucat

Catfight

Adrenaline pumping.
Hackles raised.
Tail puffed up twice the usual size.
Claws unsheathed.
Ears flattened against her head.
Fangs bared.
A deep-throated growl.
Hindlegs tensed.
Ready to spring.
Eyes intent on the opponent's jugular.
A battle to the end.
Just say the word "Go".

Anti-kutu

Kutucat wants to show you her flea collar.

Oddly, she doesn't mind when we put it on her, as long as you don't fiddle and fumble and take forever to buckle it up. I think she is a vain pot who loves to accessorize. The collar is medicated with insecticide/tickicide/fleacide/kutucide and it helps reduce the parasitic population and hence her irritation. Her fur gets matted beneath the collar, which posses a problem of sorts when it comes to grooming. Many a times, we find a lump of tangled fur and I have to shave off the area with a blade. The tangle is usually too near the skin to use scissors. I am always scared of snipping off a piece of her flesh accidentally *shudders*. Try handling sharp objects when wrestling with an uncooperative 6-year-old. Poke your eyes then you know.

Aquaria KLCC

Aquaria is actually located at the KL Convention Centre, accessible from Suria KLCC the shopping mall via an underground walkway. Entrance fee for adults with Mykad was RM28, opened daily from 11am-8pm. More info here.

There is a giant cylindrical aquarium as you descent into the exhibition

hall featuring the lower half of a mangroove tree with fish

doing n-number of laps around the tank. Everyday.

Also included in the tour were reptiles, snakes and spiders.
Oh. And a skunk.

Welcome to my home, said the spider to the fly.

Croc-like fish

Fearsome lion fish

90m acrylic tunnel

Bellyrub. Shark is ticklish.

Feeding time lunch crowd

Geli-lar.

Turtles' turn

~The End~
I lazy to write today.

Trip to Singapore

Last month (has it been a month already?!) I made a trip down to Singapore. Took the Aeroline from Bandar Utama (1-Utama shopping center) at RM80 one way. It was easier than flying considering the travel time and cost to get to KLIA. Bus was punctual, meals served included 1 Subway sandwich (nasi lemak coming back), 500ml mineral water and a hot drink (Milo/Coffee/Tea). Oh... and a movie on board. Down side is the trouble of getting on and off the bus at the customs checkpoint. Leg space was a bit narrow for me otherwise it was a very comfy 5-hour ride.

Aeroline waiting lounge

Better food than I expected

A walk in the park (Pasir Ris)

The Singapore Chinese Garden at Jurong East

Is a fearsome statue

Reminds me of China

Sky so blue!

In the end had to cut short the outing and skip the Japanese Garden to escape to aircon place

Lunch at Din Tai Fung

Siao Long Bao bursting with slurpy gravy

I can't remember the name of this dish. Deep fried tofu with pork rolls.

Or something like that.

This one cannot miss!

Went to check out the Fullerton Hotel

I love the hotel's buffet breakfast

Sunset at Raffles Place

Night comes and the place lits up.

This is a 80-year-old building (completed in 1928)

The architecture looks very grand and opulent

It used to be the General Post Office

Went for a walk along the Singapore River

Cavenegh bridge

Lucky I brought my tripod for night shots

The Asian Civilisation Museum

Sat and pondered long and hard by the river while taking in the view.

Visited Friend who had twins(!). Had a wonderful time catching up (a lot of stories to tell) and chillin' with the babies while watching the Olympics on TV. It's a nice cozy family and I'm very happy for them. :) Thank you B and PH for fetching me and letting me stay with you guys! Love to GBL and BJM from Auntie Kutucat!! Muaks!!!