Iphone5 Vs Samsung note Il

*this is NOT a sponsored post. 

Image courtesy of here

We converted to Apple family a few years ago. We practically changed all our electronics to Apple. I blogged about my Apple family here. I was very excited when I heard they were going to release the iphone5 and actually waited patiently for them to launch it.  I was vastly disappointed when they launched it! It was not much different from iphone4s which I was already using. The only different was it was smaller and lighter.

I told hubby that I didn't want the iphone5 since it was not much different compared to iphone4s. Hubby wanted it because he needed a new phone and he much prefers to use iphone for work. 

I started talking to my friends and she recommended Samsung Note (before iphone5 was launched) since I was vastly disappointed with iphone5 I told hub that I wanted the note.  He told me that Samsung was going to launch note II shortly after iphone5.  Since I didn't want iphone5 my next preference was to try note II (hubs actually tried Samsung Galaxy 3 before and didn't care for it). I patiently waited for it to launch here and as soon as we were able to pre order it hubs pre order it for me. 

Image courtesy of here

Finally my Note II came last Friday! I've been using it since Saturday and I'm loving it! I do not have any problem going from iphone to Samsung. I was really nervous I would not be use to using Android phone after being use to using iphone. Many years ago before my first iphone I tried the Samsung Captive before and didn't care of it so I was slightly nervous I won't like the Note II.  This phone is pretty huge compare to the iphone but it doesn't really bother me. Pkus if I want a smaller phone when I'm travelling I can always use my iphone4s or use hubs iphone5. I think I can do so many more stuff with the Note II like blogging etc (maybe you will see more posts?) since is difficult for me to use a laptop because I have a very active toddler that's also currently in his terrible two stage that will not allow me to use my computer in peace!

Image courtesy here

Samsung Note II screen is obviously bigger compared to iphone5 so is more suitable for older people. Even hubs love the Note II but he cannot use android phone for his work that's all if not he would have definitely change to the Note II I'm pretty sure.. If Apple ever really upgrade their iphone and not the same boring one I will definitely not hesitate to go back to iphone. In the mean time I'm definitely mostly satisfy with my new phone! :)

**This is definitely NOT a sponsored post**

Char Chu Yoke or Hakka Braised Pork II

I made the same dish here many moon months ago. I made some changes to the previous recipes and made it even more tasty!! 

Some of the difference I made to my original recipe was

1) I marinate my pork with more nam yue (about 8-10 cubes with more liquid)

2) Added more garlic 

I think this dish taste better (taste more nam yue) with more nam yue. I think I used slighly too much nam yue cause it is slightly salty if eaten just by itself but when you eat it with rice or noodles it taste just perfect!! I used almost a whole bottle of nam yue! LOL. I would definitely use this recipe again because it really hit the spot. I now have a few containers of char chu yoke sitting in my freezer for when I have craving for them or when I run out of ideas too cook or when I'm too lazy to cook all I have to do is defrost one container, boil rice and stir fry some vegetables. 

Sweet soft buns

I've been using this recipe to make bun/bread for more than a year now. I first discovered this recipe last year when my mom was here and I would sometimes make raisin/cinnamon raisin bread. My mom does not eat cinnamon but she likes raisin bread and all raisin bread in the store has cinnamon so since I know how to make bread might as well I make my own bread for her. At least I know is healthy and with no preservative. I was thinking of using this method but I am not always successful with this method and I don't always get a perfect loaf hence I decided to find another method. This recipes has NOT disappointed me so far even after many attempts on making it. It is super soft and yummy!!They usually soft for days but of course is the best when is fresh out of the oven :)

Aglio Olio II

I have a very active, mischievous  and constantly needs my attention toddler so any meal hearty,  simple, fast, easy and yummy dish is my kind of meal. I've learn to look for meals that I can prepare in a jiffy but also nutritious and taste good instead of solely relying on instant noodles. Aglio Olio fits my bill and I always wonder why I've never made this more often. Since blogging about it here I've not made it again yet. The beauty about this dish is you can almost use anything or nothing (as in just olive oil, noodles and garlic) to make it. Since I'm only attempting to cook only one dish meal I need to incorporate my other food group to make my meal a nutritious, hearty and balanced meal. 

Anyway yesterday I decided to make this dish without the shrimp/prawns. Recipe can be found here. Instead I added tomatoes and some baked salmon. I could have cooked my salmon before cooking my noodles in the pan but since I'm baking the salmon for my little man I figure might as well I just do it all at once. 

This time I made a slightly bigger batch and could not finish my meal so I kept it for lunch the next day.  It was really torturous for me because I loved it so much but could not eat everything last night and was wanting to eat them soon. Today, I was desperately just waiting for lunch so I can eat the left overs. My little toddler was sleeping so I had to actually wait till he got up before I can eat so we can both have lunch together!

I finally warmed them up and dig into it! Yum it hit the spot! It even tasted good the next day just warming them up in the microwave. I am sure if I ever go back to work and make lunch for work this would totally be the dish I would make often because it is super simple and yummy. 

Homemade Kaya II (Coconut Jam)

I've made Kaya once or twice after my attempt here but did not blog about it.  Every since I saw Frozen Wing  post about Kaya and that she used duck eggs to make Kaya I was curious to see how good it will taste. I've been searching for duck eggs for quite some time now because I've been wanting to make salted eggs using duck eggs but could not find any at the grocery store. When I used to work one of my client that has a farm said that they have duck and their duck will lay eggs and they don't eat them. They offered to give me some but has never given me any. I swagbuck and actually found some online and at one point I was so desperate I almost got some online but decided that not to.

Blogging, readers, comments

I've been wanting to blog about this topic for a long time. I've been blogging for a fare amount of time and I've "met" and read many blogs and comments from the writer and readers. I've "met" many wonderful blogger through blogging and I'm very happy that I started blogging because I've learned so much from different blogger out there. I also sometimes read blogs that is out of my norm (I'm more into reading blogs about other mom's and also cooking)

I personally feel when someone reads other people's blog and if you don't like what you are reading keep those comments to your self! Why do you want to make nasty comments about what other people has to say? If you don't like a person's blog or writing just don't read it! Simple as that!

For example (I am not friends with her but I do occasionally read her blog. I found out about her blog because of how unique her bf now husband propose to her!) She was blogging about how her brother and his gf almost got robbed etc. The comment started with how her a reader don't like her bro's current gf because she was the cause of his break up with his ex etc or how she blog about her mom was only thankful for the safety of her bro and not the gf as well.  I don't know this blogger at all but I so sad reading comments like this. I am trying to wonder is it because people are just jealous since she is a famous blogger or because people have nothing to do. Even when she blogged about her proposal I notice she mentioned that only one hate comment! Really? Why do people do that? What ever people write is truly up to them and if you don't like to read DO NOT GO TO THAT BLOG!!!

Another blog that I often visit; here she was just sharing about her new purchase but yet there is actually someone out there that is so RUDE and make a nasty comment about her!

This person that wrote this comment probably don't even know the blogger! and if he or she does and do not like this blogger then DO NOT associate and I've said this many time DO NOT VISIT this site!

I know there are A LOT more blogger out there that actually receive nasty comments about what ever they are writing about. I am not going to go through ever single blog I know or don't know and write it here. I myself have been in this same exact position. I am not going to go into detail about my own experience but I just want to get this out my chest. It really makes me very angry when I see comments like this since I've been though the same situation. Maybe I'm not as great of a person as these other blogger who can just brush it off.

For me, I just want to be able to blog about things I like or dislike, Stuff that makes me happy or unhappy or JUST WHAT EVER I WANT TO BLOG ABOUT!! regardless of whether someone else likes to read them or not! Just GROW UP if you haven't or just go to hell!

Mushroom and Shrimp Aglio Olio

I made this yesterday.. So this post is actually a new post!! Lol I am hoping if I actually hit the publish button I will be more motivated to start posting or actually finish all my other saved entries. I just don't get much opportunity to sit down in front of my Mac to write proper entry. I know I have a smart phone but blogging is just not the same when you are blogging from the phone!

Anyway back to Aglio Olio...I've been wanting to make this dish since my friend told me about it. She told me about this dish way before I was pregnant and now my baby is almost 15months so go figure..I've been craving for pasta these two days (cause my cousin mention she was going to make pasta for dinner and after that it was good etc..)I was thinking of making shrimp scampi but I decided that I needed to make something quick and simple. My toddler skipped his afternoon nap( semi cranky toddler) and I had to clean the floor before I could make this because we have an invasion on raspberry ants!!  By the time I was done prepping, cooking and eating I was behind schedule. I wanted to put him to bed earlier but that didn't happen and thankfully  after I showered him hub was able to put him to bed while I took my shower.

Anyway.. My only regret is I didn't make this earlier!!! I really like it. It actually reminds me of a quick stir fry asian noodle probably because of the chili padi! Lol

Ingredients

6-10 cleaned shelled shrimp

8-10 cloves of chopped garlic

1 cup of sliced mushroom

Salt and Pepper

2-3 chili padi ( bird's eye chili) chopped/ red pepper flakes

A few table spoon of cream or milk or water from cooking the pasta

1/3-1/4 cup Olive oil

One serving of pasta cooked in boiling salt water till al dente

Handful of fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)

Parsley

Method

1) Cook pasta according to direction till al dente

2) Heat pan (I used my cast iron pan) and add olive oil followed by garlic and chili padi

3) Slightly sautée the garlic and chili then add mushroom. Cook till water evaporate from the mushroom.

4) Add shrimp and give it a quick stir. Season with salt and pepper.

5) Drain cooked pasta and add it to the mixture. Drizzle a few tables spoon of cream/milk/ water from the pasta to the pasta while mixing them up with the rest.

6) Garnish with Parmesan cheese and parsley.

I love this dish so much I already thaw out the shrimp to make another batch tonight for dinner!! I love anything spicy!! I'm sure it will taste as good if I just used crush pepper. My only problem was I added slightly more olive oil so it was slightly more oily than I would like..Oh well cooking is usually about trail and error..

FIRST

I scheduled this post a long time ago but unfortunately these two weeks I've been busy attending to my fussy baby.


For my baby's FIRST birthday I initially decided to bake him a cake. Then I thought I would just get some edible prints and stick it on the cakes or cupcakes. Then I decided to just order a cake or an ice-cream cake for him.


Well remember my wilton caddy that I bought years ago? The one that I insisted I had and will use it? Well I never did really used it before and so hubby mentioned that I've spend so much money buying wilton stuff and that I should bake our baby a cake instead of buying one!  *stress*


I decided to make my baby a grover cake because he use to like the monster at the end of this book that hubs bought the app for the iPhone and iPad. Initially I was going to make cupcakes for him hence I even went out to the store to hunt for the tip so I can pipe the fur for grover! I finally decided that cupcakes would be too time consuming to decorate that I decided I will just bake him a cake instead!

Hakka Braised Pork with Fungus or Char Chu Yoke

My late grandmother was a great cook. Our entire family loves her dishes. My uncle, her second son actually managed to learn how to cook some of her yummy dishes.


When we were over in Australia my uncle cooked this dish one night and we all devoured it. My grandma's still taste nicer but this was good too. No complains! The pork was not too skinny or fat. Lovely!! I ate so much of it!

Mantou or steamed buns or flower buns

I do apologized.. I've been away for this long. I do have a lot of recipes that I would like to share and am currently finding the time to post it. I've also been away for almost two months on vacation with my baby (DH joined us later).


We were in Malaysia and Sydney, Australia with lots of family, friends and great food. I miss having family and friends that truly care. Family and friends that is sincere and mind their own business instead of trying to butt into anything and everything they can about yours or your families' s life. Really dislike selfish and nosy people that pretends that they care!


Anyway back to my mantou, I had great mantou when we were dining in Sydney that I felt like having some. Yesterday I found a recipe and decided to attempt making them. It came out horrible and I threw every thing away. What a waste of ingredients since it was not edible at all!!