Monday Morning Dilemma

One good friend suggested that I join her line dancing practice every monday at 10am. I am quite interested, as the one I joined (but quit...haha) was an advanced lot, I had difficulty to catch up. Actually I didn't even joined yet, but went to trial classes a few times. Moreover, it starts at 7 am....way too dark for me to get out of the house for comfort even at 6.55 am.


The practise session this friend have, is formed by a small circle of friends. So she can teach me step by step line dancing at beginner's level. Just perfect!


Its a very good form of exercise that actually uses not only your energy, but your memory, too. Believe it or not, there are so many steps to remember and each song have all the different steps that you have to memorize. One lady claimed that she lose 10 kgs just by doing line dancing for 3 months! Amazing!


However, yesterday, another good friend/neighbour invited me for a swimming lesson at her house. Oh my god, I really needed a formal training on swimming. The way I swim now is like a hippo adopted by a fish! Can stay afloat, and swim short distance, but only where I can still stand on my feet in case I panic or gets tired on the way there...haha! I did attempted to join swimming lessons twice, but then, I was phobiatic about submerging my head in the water. Now I can swim, only because I visualize that I can! And I can! But not enough to save myself if I were on Titanic and the ship sank....touch wood!


The only problem is...its also on monday morning! So, which should I go for? Its a very busy day for me too, because I also go for a tafsir and mengaji session in the afternoon!


Well. either way, obviously I won't have Monday Morning Blues....!

Of Yoga, Gymball and Dumbells

We had so much fun at the yoga session today, as usual. Apart from the regular exercising, someone, somehow will make us laugh with their antics, or even unability to do certain poses. And eversince a few months ago, when yoga was being questioned and banned in certain states, we as a group still continues with our regular exercise, as we know really well that nothing is wrong with our sessions, plus Dr D is now introducing a few more varieties to the class, so as not to seem to be too much into yoga'ism and create controversies, although nothing is wrong with our previous practice other than stretching and twisting our limbs to near impossible postures.

Gymball Exercise

The gymball tones all the muscles in the body, improves flexibility, and also great for stretching and warm up activities and different muscle workout. The round shell of a sphere is an unstable surface, so when you lie, sit or lean on it, you must continually rebalance yourself. These subtle steadying adjustments help isolate and activate the deepest muscle layers in the core. Whether you are conscious of it or not, your abs are working overtime whenever you are on the ball. To learn more you can read it here.

Dumbells Exercise

Dumbells are wonderful fitness training tools because they can be used to strengthen nearly every muscle in your body. This is one exercise that is great in strengthening your neck, back and shoulder muscles.

Thus, to me, everything always, always have a blessing in disguise. And everything happens for a reason. With the recent controversy of Yoga exercise, now we even have more fun playing with the ball and the dumbells! Its heavier to carry your stuff to the class now, but hey, no pain, no gain......Lol!

I Learned This Online

While surfing the net to look for gardening tips, I was sidetracked and found some recipes too. That's often happens, and reason why sometimes you can reallly spend hours online, as I'm sure some of you agrees with me.

I stumbled upon a photopage entry on this traditional malay cake, Serimuka. Hey, it lookes pretty easy, and the writer also mentined she used the pandan leaves behind her house. And guess what? I also have lots of pandan leaves in my backyard. Sorry I forgot to save her web address, but I think her name is Liza. Here is the recipe.

SERIMUKA

Layer: A

2 cups glutinous rice

2 1/2 cup coconut milk

A pinch of salt

Layer: B

2 cups of thick coconut milk

2 cups of pandan juice (+ some green food colouring)

1 cup of sugar

3 tbsp flour

3 tbsp custard powder

1 egg

A pinch of salt

Ingredient A

1. Clean the glutinous rice and soak for a few hours.

2. Steam until the rice turns soft and cooked.

3. Press the cooked rice until it becomes nice and solid.

Ingredient B

1. Mix the top layer ingredients together. Sift it out to get a smooth blend.

2. Pour nicely over the bottom layer.

3. Steam again for about 30 minutes.

4. Once cooked, cool it first, before cutting into pieces.

Ta daaa..... almost half eaten entry! Not too perfect result, but delicious all the same. Actually the bottom layer is a bit too soft and doesn't cut well. I guess you need to lessen the liquid content, or maybe its just still too hot to cut. Everybody was hungry...lol!

And here's the source of the pandan juice that graced the top layer of the cake. So far, it had helped me to cook nasi lemak, bubur caca, bubur kacang hijau, pandan chicken, etc.

And yes, when one of my cabinet got this certain musty smell, I just place one or two leaves there to get rid of the smell. And when I took home a whole loads of durian from my friends house/orchard in the car, this leaves helps eleviate the strong odour from tha car faster.

This special plant also have some medicinal values. It was used as bath extracts for women under confinement, and also good for hair. Also used to treat diabetics, joints and muscle pain. Some mid-wife adds this ingredient to their massage oil for that aromatic and medicinal qualities.

I just noticed that there are new sprouts of young batches at the bottom of this plant. Cool, because some of the plants I see end up growing tall and skinny after repeatedly being harvested. Then I learned that what you can do about it, is to cut off the top portion and replant it on the ground, while the stump will regrow with new leaves. You will end up with two plants, too!

Home Sweet Home 2

Haah...just came back from another travelling. This time more of visiting relatives kind of vacation. No pictures, coz I didn't even go out much except to one mall, more of a stay home and get pampered as a guest treatment...hahaha. Nice, but its great to be home...again. :)

First thing after getting home, a quick trip to my backyard! My beloved herbal garden!! Oh, I missed it so, this time. Thank goodness, everythings alright.

Then to the vet to fetch the adorable hairballs, Minty and Honeybun from the hotel, er, hostel stay. Honeybun was said to have gone through diarrhea and depression, but the vet took care of it. First time boarding away for her. Oreo is left to guard the house, we left him with the food and water dispenser enough for the duration. So far he's risen up to the occassion. The house was intact, eerr...except some cream furs lying all over the grass at a few spots. Evidence of territory protections. And a couple of territorial markings, suspected from the alley cats that Oreo's been chasing.

But back to my little green haven. Some have really grown!

Aaahh.... the much amissed corner.

The ladies have transformed into beauties!

Yummy spread at the vegetable bed. I wonder when will it be ready for my table?

Something's been eating this one. Just you wait, ok!

Ok, this one, the slimy culprit is is caught red handed. It didn't live much longer after this pose. I cut it with the trimmer together with the leaf.... eeewwww.. urggghhh....@#$&!*+!!

On a happier note, a latest addition to the family, donated to my garden collection. The whole pot! Tq! Tq! Tq!

Replacement Cactus

Last September when I first arranged the cactuses in a bowl, I had high hopes for it. It was actually a trial project to see, 1. whether cactusses brought from Cameron Highland can lasts in KL climate, and 2. whether it can survive as indoor plants sharing a bowl amongst them.

Well, as you can see from the left picture above, the finished project of Cactus in a Bowl and on the right is the bowl after almost 3 months. When one by one a few cactuses started to die, I was clueless on what to do. I still am now, but yesterday when I shop around, I saw some cute cactusses for sale. And they're pretty cheap too.

So I bought four new cactusses to replace the ones that didn't survive the project. I'll probably do it after coming back from my vacation next week.

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The Hamsters Have a Bathroom....Can You Believe It??

Its raining again this afternoon. That means for 2 days in a row, I cannot do my gardening, except for taking a peek at what's sprouting and what's not.

The Bittergourd is still shy, so is the cucumber. Oh, I didn't update, the earlier healthily flowering cucumber died when I transfered it to the vegetable bed. I suspect Minty or the other cats must've jumped on it. Oh, well....

However the brinjals are sprouting 2 strong twigs almost overnight, and the okra is steadily and slowly growing. I also tried to plant red chilies fresh from.... a red chilli. It's also sprouting now. Amazing!

Since I'm not taking pictures because of the weather, I'll post these ones instead. The hamsters have a bathroom....can you believe it?

The Orange Bathroom........ and Hi Sakura!

Waiting room while the 'house' is being cleaned...Hello Syaoran! Tell Sakura not to climb over, k.

Garden Garbles

So far, I am quite happy with the overall progress of my herbal garden. However as you go along, there are things that you learned and discover and discovered that you need to learn more. If you know what I mean...

My tomato plants need to be grounded, but according to the net, you need to build a vegetable bed, ie. create a higher ground for the plant. Where? And how? Will this work?

The kesum or vietnamese mint, or laksa leaves, some called it, is nice and bushy, but somehow the leaves are getting smaller in size. Or am I just imagining it?

The Thai Basil is flowering and germinanting but some leaves are getting yellow and aged. What do I do about it? What I do now, I pinched off some of them and crushed them and hang them at random on the plants prone to pest attack, like the lime families. And if I get mosquito bites while gardening, I'd just rub the leaves on the skin and it would heal fast and good repellant for further attack, I think. Mint seems to be ok but I wonder why the leaveas are so small compared to the ones in supermarkets. Is it of different species? By the way, this plant started from a stalk pinched off from a plant the seller gave us as she tried to convince us to buy it and said that this is the easiest one to grow just by sticking the stalk in the soil. We got convinced. She didn't sell us the plant, but we convinced her to give us a stalk.

My cucumber needs a trainer but I haven't had a hoot how to do it yet. So is my okra. It has to be soon before the poly bag and pot became too small for the plants.

My Pandan and Lemongrass, Galangher, Tumeric and Ginger is growing beautifully but I don't know when they can be harvested. The onion leaves are getting wilty.

My chilli plant looks so thin and well,...thin. I am wondering if it is dying a slow.....very slow death. Seems to still flowering and produce one or two chillies.

Curry, ok.

Lime families, Kaffir Lime, Kasturi and Lime is getting better and less invasion from the leaves eater, whetever it is. I just crushed some kesum leaves and stick it either at the thorns or in between leaves to ward off these pests. The fragrant from the kesum leaves supposedly confuses these bugs from the lime fragrant and they will leave these plants alone. So far, in this last few weeks, it seems to be working well. No more eaten leaves.

Pineapples, ok. Long wait of 1-2 years.

Papaya, grounded. All twelve but left with 10 now as 2 died. Eventually only 2 will be maintained once I determined the male/female plant.

Piper leaves and Betel leaves is growing slow and steady at a shady spot. The Piper leaves tend to have some orange/black spots on some of its leaves, but I haven't find anything online for the causes. The Betel looks ok, but still some infested leaves.

My daily vegetable attempt, lettuces, Butterhead and Salad, not working. Bittergourd, next round.

Oh, my friend also presented me with a house warming gifts of 2 plants and some seeds from Mardi. So, there's additional collection of Nona and Tenggek Burung. And recently I managed to stick a couple of Sambung Nyawa stalks in the ground. Looks ok. Next to Mas Cotek we bought from the nursery.

And my front outside garden, sometimes forgotten because, well... it is outside, is unkempt. This one need bigger mental struggle to do...hahaha!

Well, I am listing all these so that I won't forget the list of things to do or to find out. Its still a learning process for me, but the wonder of discoveries is out of this world!

Relabelling...and whadya know...I got Tagged!

As I was about to write this entry to share my 'frustration'..hehehe..online, although like DJ said, for all you know, only the moon and the sun reads what you wrote, I discovered that Cakapaje guy, e.r..I mean 'Datuk Aje' (he was conferred 2 days ago by Snowflake, you know..) had just tagged me on Piano by Ear, again. Actually this tagging thing is new to me although I've started my first blog for more than a year now. Maybe then, my circulation of friends were very, very limited, and really, only the moon and the sun read my entries.

Ok lah...I believe I am a sport. But before that, let's hear another one of my garden misadventures...

I thought I labelled them good this time. The last incident when we plant some seeds in a nursery bag, I forgot what plant it was. Later it was assumed that it might be chilies and ground it next to the birdeye chilies plant.

So last week when I sowed some seeds which I got from the hardware store, six of them consisting of tomatoes, okra, bitter gourd, cucumber, butterhead lettuce, salad lettuce and chinese celery, I know I must label them. Especially being an unprofessional gardener with different available recycle containers, which should be easier to identify, but yours truly doesn't trust herself and cannot guarantee to remember which is which after a few days. Even worse, she labelled it wrongly, minutes after sowing them.

I thought it was tomato, and it sprouted a day later. But somehow the growth was stunted and it is still in its seed form with a little sprout. I checked the growth everyday. Quite estatic when the cucumber, the bitter gourd and the ladyfinger (okra) is sprouting nicely. The butterhead lettuce is taking some time but as of today you can see tiny leaves coming out. But the tomato is still stunted.

Clockwise from left: Ladyfingers, Bittergourd, Cucumber and Butterhaed Lettuce

So I took out again the leftover seeds, and luckily I had enough brain to keep them in the original packaging respectively and not throw them away. Took out the tomato...and suddenly realised that the seeds are not the same. Upon checking all the other seeds, the stunted one was actually the bitter gourd seed. Now, which one is tomato? What about the rest? Are they correct? How do I know which plant needs the stick and frame to climb?

More work here. Later I will need to compare the plants with online pictures to find out which is which. I love the internet...!

Ok, now back to the tag business. 15 random facts huh? Here goes...

1. I am a hopelessly positive person, and I tell myself that I am always happy.

2. I love to play piano. I started with two fingers on the right hand, move to five finger still right hand and only recently I played with both hands, and 9 fingers! Hey presto!!

3. I love gardening....from planting plants to weeding out weeds. But I just hate the worms and the frog that I found under the pot. If they know what's good for them, they'll run away as fast as they can or risk getting an ear piercing scream the whole neighbourhood can hear.

4. I go to yoga class once a week and ponteng once a month.

5. I wanted to visit Korea once again and this time to meet Bae Young Jung. Sighhhh...!

6. I look forward to drive to Ampang and meet my cousin. A fun secret rendervous, supposedly..

7. Given a choice, all my cats will sleep in my room. But that only happened many many moons ago.

8. I love comedies. 'Friends' top the list, though they're no longer on air. I have the whole DVD collection of the entire 10 seasons, but still haven't got the time to watch it again. The rest, not much, can't remember. In fact, I am hardly infront of the TV nowadays. Its either the garden, the piano, or the PC! ;)

9. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a scientist. So when we found some strange soil, we thought we could light it up and make fire crackers. Then a six year old unknowingly torched it to my finger and the mark is still here.

10. I once fell from a cherry tree about 15 feet high from a broken branch. Passed out for 15 minutes. No other injury, except a mark under my chin.

11. When I first drove a car, I didn't know where the brake and the handbrake were. My 'tutor'got panicked when I drove and pressed the foot brake with his hands when he asked me to brake, and I asked 'where'?

12. My curiousity got the better of me when I kidnapped my brother's huge street bike and I almost got into a drain out of control and but was saved by God and it looked like I just did a stunt in front of some rempits and they really salute me after that. Not that I know them, but before that they always make whatever remarks or whistles whenever I passed by, but after that incident, they were strangely very quiet.

13. My friends and I almost got detained as illegal immigrant by the US Immigration at the US-Canada border when we accidently left the country through the highway and made an illegal U-turn when we realised we were heading towards Canada with no passport on us.

14. I went jogging once with my cousin at 3 am in the morning, thinking it was 6.30 am.

15. Once my cousin and I were 'budding' teenagers and we were sitting in front of the house. A car approched and being 'modest and shy', we quickly stand up to run inside. But our bums was caught at the half opened door and we can't get inside. You know, like Winnie the Pooh..'.the car drove off because it was only making a u-turn, and not visiting. Hahaha... And we were stuck for the longest 20 seconds ever.

There, a few excerpts of my life, at random. What I fondly remember, what I am passionate about, and what tickles me.

Now, who do I tag next? Really! Definitely I do not 15 names, especially most of my friends are already taken. Well, I guess, ...

Eskapisminda, Raden Galoh and Daphne!! Forgive me, but you're IT!!

Sweet Basil

One of the most satisfying activity that I find lately is gardening, especially when you looked at the fruit of your labour. Sweet basil, as I understand the name is, in English, is a really sweetie plant. Malaysians call it Selasih. So far, it is quite easy to maintain and I have harvested it more than once during the Raya festive season as a garnishing for one of my delicasies.

And recently, I was suprised to find some small seedlings sprouting all over the plant on the ground. Initially I thought it was some weeds, but as I pinched a leaf, it smells fragrant just like the basil plant. Wow! There were at least a dozen of these seedlings. Apparently, the flowers germinate itselves into these seedlings.
I learned from a site that you're not supposed to let this plant flower as it will stop producing leaves and will eventually die. So the flowers must be cut off. But really, they just looked so lovely, I don't have the heart to chop it off. Especially when the plant itself looked so healthy. Maybe I will wait and see, and do damage control once it starts to happen. (I really hope it'll not happen). Anyway, if its any consolation, the seedlings may replace the parent?

Another thing about the flowers, they can actually turn into a drink. We normally have it in a syrup drink. I am yet to try it out, with my own plant. Also, I am yet to learn how.

Naturally, the next step is to either let the sprouts grow there on the ground, but they were randomly scattered all over. So I scooped up the bigger plants, and place them into a nursey pot from my old cactus, and I can give it away for anyone interested to grow it in their backyard!

Tips online:

Basil has been known for many years as an herbal remedy for diseases of the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, and the bladder. It is primarily a digestive and nervous system aid. Infuse basil and use it as a tea for indigestion. Inhale basil tea to relieve cold symptoms. Basil has uplifting, energizing, anti-depressant properties.

The dried leaves are used as snuff to relieve headaches and colds. Basil is also used as an insect repellent. Place a pot of basil outside your door to repel flies. Use basil essential oil on a bee sting (use only one drop, more than one drop may irritate the skin) or crush the leaves and rub on cuts, insect bites and stings.

Some of the ailments basil can treat are: anxiety, concentration, indigestion, respiratory problems, colic, tight coughs, asthma, nervous headaches, migraines, muscle tension, nerve pain, memory loss, insomnia, infection, a stuffy head, colds, sinusitis, sore throats, bronchial congestion, appetite loss, gas, diarrhea, and nausea.

Use basil flowers and leaves for an invigorating bath. Basil adds luster to hair: brunettes, add it to a rosemary rinse, blondes, add it to a chamomile rinse. Combine basil essential oil with other essential oils to make perfumes and toilet water. Blends well with: Bergamot, geranium, hyssop, neoili, marjoram, melissa and lavender.

Basil is very aromatic. Add dried basil to potpourri and sachets. Lemon basil and opal basil are good choices.

Use basil as an ornamental; not because of its beautiful flowers, but because it has beautiful shiny leaves that can offset other flowering plants.

Last but not least, basil is very compatible with tomatoes. Basil is known as the tomato herb. Use sweet basil in your pesto and tomato sauces. Sprinkle dried or cut fresh basil over salads and sliced tomatoes. Basil also goes well in soups, salads, eggs, fish and meat dishes.

* The information in this article should not replace the advice of your medical practitioner.

Into the Veggies

My tiny meeny herbal garden is growing pretty well. I have already experienced the sweetness of harvesting from your own backyard, and it was really satisfying. No wonder why so many people keep planting trees and plants at their backyard, and I've come to understand the concept now.

Ok, now I'm about ready to take my own gardening 'skill' to the next level. This time, edible vegetables like lettuce and cucumbers. One that needs more attention and care. Unlike the pandans and the serai where you can totally 'ignore' them while they grow, these group of plants can be fragile. But with proper care, they will grow and fruit beautifully.

Gardener at work..!

This time, they must be labelled.

The growing collections.

Furball spy watching out for insects.