happy,happy

I'm on 3 week lose weight programme. Devised by myself with the goal to look ok for the family photo session on the 11th July. I'm already on week 2 and lost 1.8kg since i was on the programme. Target? 66kg and now i'm 69.2kg If i can maintain the diet, i'll expect to lose another 2 kg. This 'all out' programme include:

• High protein diet_eggs, tempe, tauhu, fish, chicken only. No veggies and fruits
• 2-3 litre plain water to flush out the toxin and fat
• Attend slimming centre programme once a week
• Take SD II 3 times a day
• Attend aerobics class if any

Collection  of pics since 2005:

2005, attending a wedding

2006, Hari Raya celebration at the office

mid 2007, organising a make over workshop. This was when my diet was going out of control. Weight was 70kg. Couldn't shed the extra kilos since.

May, 2008. 4 mths pregnant. During a trip to Tioman Island.

June 2009. During trip to Redang Island. Not sure about the weight. Maybe 68kg.

Oct 2009. Around 66kg.

Mar 2010. 69-70kg i think.

I really want the photo shoot to turn out well. Something i'm not ashamed of framing and put on my wall. Right now, i'm really feeling down looking at my latest pics. I don't look nice at all.... hmmmm....

Testing my culinary skills

I've done some baking with the oven. I would say the oven performs well except the part where it says the oven is easier to clean. I followed the instruction to clean the oven as i really wanted to see when the grease on the oven wall turn to debris. So i turned the temperature knob to 'clean' icon (probably the highest temp) and waited for 10 mins....OK, logically grease would melt thus can be wiped away at that temp.... but none had turn to debris as the salesgirl had claimed. So the oven is not as advanced as they claimed but i am happy with the performance.

Some baking i've done:

Pizza 1st attempt (before & after)

Cookies for the kids' birthday party.

Pizza. This one used tortilla bread as the base.

Apple pie. This is before. Forgot to take the after pics.

















And chocolate cake where i used mayonaise as substitute for sour cream. Not bad except it was over baked....

Also my favourite bake, roast chicken.

The menu is roasted chicken with roasted veggies, mushroom with bread and macaroni. I made to brown sauce myself.

Weight management

School term break (2 weeks) starts tomorrow....yahooo! Wonder whether other parents are as excited as i am.... I think i am more excited than my daugther!.... I've postponed our family photography session also the trip to Terengganu. Which then leaves us with nothing to do this weekend. Thought of going to Ikea to purchase a dining table which then i remember we've sucked all the budget into renovation. Furthermore, most probably the traffic may be quite bad as some major KL roads will be closed for YDP Agong's birthday celebration.
My brother and family is here from Kelantan. His wife has lost 9kg!!! Wow! Reminds me of my determined days when i managed to reduced to 60kg... Her way is fasting and she has been doing that for 5 months.
As for me, the scale has been pointing to 67-69kg for the past one year. If only i can really ignore carbo altogether, i think my body will start to burn the stubborn fat. Unfortunately, it's rather hard at the moment although i have managed to cut down the proportion.
I've been taking SDII from New Image and it does help...a little....... I do want to lose weight. I just need to be strong..(yeah, easier said than done)

Love thy neighbor

Sometimes when you are excited about certain things, you forgot to consider the cause and effect, the action and consequences.  Unfortunate event happened to me today and i admit it was my fault in the first place. I was willing to back down but really appreciate some acknowledgment or gesture as a sign we are still in good terms. I don't want to play hard because it involves rather delicate relationship. Unfortunately, this incident somehow caused me to be judgmental. I just want to let this go by writing....

The above phrase is from the Bible. Since i am a Muslim, i will use this link to remind me how to be a good Muslim neighbour.

Me, cooking?....

I don't why but it has been ages since the last time i cooked. Possibly since the trip to Cameron Highland at the end of February. I don't know why, i even get up late this few months. My last attempt was 'rebung (bamboo shoots) masak pajeri' last week. My MIL gave a biscuit-container full of homegrown raw 'rebung' via my husband who attended a conference in Penang on 13-15 April. He dropped by Perlis and brought us back a box mixed with banana and mangoes too.
The bamboo shoots were left for nearly a week when my husband asked me whether i've cooked the bamboo shoots. I knew i had to cook by then and felt really guilty for not being able to serve my husband before he mentioned it. I attempted cooking the shoots that same night and luckily the dish was edible (although the gravy was a bit too thick for me).

I really want to start cooking again.....but when? sigh.....I really need to motivate myself to do a lot of things right now!!!!!!...I'm really sorry Abah, hope to serve you better.....

Porch_progress report 2

This is the 2nd week since the project started. The trellis and 'pergola' is nearly done. They've started on setting up the ceiling for plaster ceiling. I've chose a new door. It took me 3 days to finalise the design that i want. Not because i was particular, the design that i wanted was not available. It frustrated me as the catalogue showed various choices but due to time constraint, i have to settled with what's readily available. As usual, i don't want to have what others already have. Today, i told the contractor 2 choices....1st choice is 2 panelled glass with some blue (the door will be white). 2nd choice would be moulded door with 1 clear glass panel.
1st choice (with different panel design)

I think the contractor is a bit slow this week. Not much has been done. Once the door arrives, he'll knock down some of the front wall to position the new door. Next week will be more of action hopefully... wiring, new door, window and plaster ceiling. This is only the first part. Now i have to think how to furnish to complete the new living room. Budget is tight so i have decide wisely where to spend the hard earned money most.

Porch_Progress Report 1

I applied for leave today to monitor the progress of the porch renovation. It has been 4 days since it started. So far so good. There were times when things done were not the same as I described. That is why it is important for owner to be present and monitor the work.

Porch is more complicated than kitchen, i think. It is the first impression of the house. And having a limited space also requires careful thinking in order to incorporate maximum use of the space. Currently my porch is just for drying clothes, storage for shoes and bicycles and potted plants arranged along the drain. My wish is to make my porch more inviting by having a spot to hang out. The hang out place will be in front of the sliding door, and a wooden swing will be placed between the pillars. A polycarbonate shed with timber trusses will be placed at the opening in front of the sliding door. New things i learn are about gutter and tiling. Not much has happened to show the progress. Most of the job were demolishing and getting the floor ready for tiling.