Kedai Kopi Hai Peng (海濱) @ Kuantan, Pahang

If you are familiar with the ever famous Hai Peng Kopitiam at Kemaman, Terrenganu, this ain't the branch. I was not very sure if this shop has any connection to the one at Chukai Kemaman, but according to this blog, the Kuantan branch is opened by the grandson of Kemaman's Hai Peng. To me, as long as it is worth to dine, I don't mind going back or introduce more friends to stop by.

I bumped into this shop, on my recent visit back to the land of Lynas! Oh, remarking the heated protest on rare earth in Malaysia over 2011/2012. Side tracked with a picture on a anti-Lynas T-shirt I have got. I might not make more frequent stop to this place once the rare earth plant is fully operate, there goes the land of Malaysia. Ok, story aside.

T-shirt front 

T-shirt back

Alright, as my partner drove along Jalan Haji Abdul Aziz an afternoon, I saw many locals park their cars and headed to this coffee shop for coffee break. As the shop area was shady, it automatically became a good spot for locals hangout. Nevertheless, I told partner to stop at this shop instead of the original coffee shop we were supposed to head to.

As we about to sat down, we started to observe what others ordered. To be safe, we ordered out drinks which came along a set of roti bakar (toast bread). There goes our bread, I didn't even have the time to snap a pic, we both held it all into our mouth and stomach, taste good! Along on my left hand, I was busy googling for blogs of this shop. First blog I stumbled was this. Apparently, the bread they used for toast are all wholemeal bread, it's healthy! ^^

Iced coffee - so refreshing

There goes our observation for other foods available to taste. I saw the next table ordered Assam Laksa, while the blog did mentioned the same dish. Upon checking, my partner has headed near to the kitchen to place an order, and it surprised me well enough... they serve Italian Assam Laksa! What about that? It uses Spaghetti instead of local noodle, RM4/bowl.

Simple Assam Laksa

Oh dear - it was Spaghetti!

Honestly, it was yummy! Just love the noodle mixed onto the local assam laksa favor, simply delicious.
Worth a try if you happen to be around.

The address :
Hai Peng Kopitiam
Jalan Haji Abdul Aziz
25000 Kuantan, Pahang
(next to Sin Chew Jit Poh's office, opposite AmBank)

Birdies...

Am I addicted to blogging today? Well, I am just in the mood, since I am not distracted by any other house chores, drama, TV programs, or foods...

Presenting you one of my photoshop edition for the birdies recently that hooked onto my bamboo trees, overlooked from my cozy study room window. :)

Birdie oh Birdie

They can be irritating at times, but most of the time they accompany me with a fresh tone in the morning. Tweet, tweet always... as long as they do not go Angry Birdies.

DIY - Barley Oat Bread made with Noxxa Breadmaker

I love experimenting with all kinds of bread with my breadmaker. Some recipe was previously shared by friends, while they are all using Kenwood breadmaker. Both had the same breadmaking concept and I find it easy to get along with their instruction.

I missed out some picture on the previous experimental breads. The last before this was a Pandan Pumpkin Seed bread, I like the Pandan smell very much, as it was all fresh from my backyard.

This time round, I experimented with left over Barley (薏米渣), all from the boiling pot for Barley drink. I always find it a waste, to chuck such leftover just like that. Though it usually gets recycled as composite for my plants. It seems ready for bread, but I don't need them all.

My Barley Oat Bread

For breadmaker user, this is fairly simple.

Place your wet ingredient at the bottom of your bread tray, in order to keep them away from the yeast. While the dry ingredient on top, and finally place the dried yeast cover at the very top of the flour.

Here was how I distributed my ingredient.

Wet : Milk 180ml, butter 1 tbsp, sugar 1 tbsp, pinch of salt, barley rice 5-6 tbsp
Dry : High Protein/Bread flour 200g, Wholemeal Flour 130g, Instant Oat 3 tbsp, mix them well

Place the tray into the breadmaking machine, I used the standard normal bread. It turned out just nice.
This had been the most satisfied bread I have ever made, it was moist enough, probably due to the fact that Barley was soaked for long time, where it absorb water.

I have yet try to make  bread without help from breadmaker. Will soon find the courage to do so, probably once I get fed up with the experimental ingredient. :)

You are welcome to try this, left over Barley rice still has lots of minerals and fibers in them. Don't waste food.

Wonders of Cotton & My Tibet Cotton Plant

Not too sure how many could still remember the olden days cotton wool pillow (named Kekabu in Malay)? Guess those same era as mine might still have the opportunity to see and feel such cotton wool pillow. Still remember those days when my pillows get thinner, mom would need to refill with more cotton wools. It wasn't a good experience after all, when you couldn't control the amount of wool fly around the house. Hence, we usually have to do the refill work in the balcony.

It had been recent years, when I don't feel good with my sleep and experiencing occasional body ache. I have been hunting for various kind of pillow, be it pure feather, memory foam, some synthetic with ginko, etc... Spent quite a sum in getting a comfortable pillow. Till one fine day, I was fed up with all the trial and error, I made myself a traditional cotton wool pillow!

Few months there for testing, proven it works fine for me! GO nature, GO organic, GO environmental friendly.

In case you would like to make one for yourself, your toddler or family members. You can always grab the natural wool from in bags from small villages area, i.e. Sg Buloh or Kuala Selangor, for those staying around Klang Valley. Prince ranges RM15-25 per pack.

Packs of cotton wool

Shop in Sg Buloh

Unfortunately I wasn't able to capture the actual location of this shop. It stated R10, BT 17 Kampung Merbau Sempak, Sg Buloh. Check out Google maps, may be able to locate it. There are more shops along the way between Kuala Selangor - Sekinchan. Was just able to grab another pack for a friend recently.

On the other hand, cultivating and planting had been such interesting, especially with the species of Tibet cotton, given by its seeds from a friend.

Tibet cotton - 1st seed

Tibet cotton flower bloomed with pink 

Full bloomed turned yellowish

Successfully turned cotton

Plucked cotton

The plant took only a few 2-3 months before it bloomed the first flower and turned into cotton. A Tibet cotton plan is at most 1.5ft tall. Easy to maintain, needs enough sun light, nice flower, most importantly it bear cotton! I may plant more of this at home, at least I have organic cotton wool to spare next time. Will it be possible?

DIY - Bib Lace Necklace

It happened just this week, when I had my shopping day alone and I passed by Tang's new outlet at One Utama. Saw this a set of elegant necklace on the display, and it immediate reminded me of a Taiwanese fashion drama I watched last year.

According to this local fashion site, Bib Necklace is a recent trendy fashion. Oh dear, I am seriously not a trendy fashionable person at all, but somewhat I am just attracted to nice and elegant stuffs. This challenged me to sew one of this on my own!

Here goes the outcome of my 'creative' handmade product. It seems my creative mindset once stimulated at that particular moment, where I drove myself to a beads and tread shop in Seapark, PJ. It was the immediate afternoon, where I finished the below lace necklace of mine. :)

Counting the years, it had been more than 5 years I do not made my own necklace. Specially those made of Swarovski crystals...

DIY - Limau Kasturi Jam (桔子醬)

I had excessive limau kasturi a.k.a. lime available at the backyard, not too sure what to do with them. It came by an idea to make them into jam. Jam which we usually use to make drink or fruit punch.

It had been a good cure for sore throat. Remembered some time ago a friend bought me a bottle of such lime when I had this miserable sore throat and cough. Stir a spoon full in luke warm water, it could ease sore throat occasionally.

How to make them, here are some simple steps :-

1. Rinse lime with hot water, to ease away greenish smell
2. Cut lime into half, de-seeds them
3. Place cut lime into food processor or blender; not to blend till full granted
4. Cook them in a pot, with sugar (I used organic sugar) for about 1.5 hour. Stir them occasionally

Recipes in Mandrin :-

• http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/miss-aunt520/article?mid=301&prev=306&next=292
• http://teainlibrary.pixnet.net/blog/post/26187802-%E6%9C%89%E6%A9%9F%E6%9E%9C%E9%86%AC%E4%BD%9C%E6%B3%95%E5%88%86%E4%BA%AB~%E9%87%91%E6%A1%94%E6%9E%9C%E9%86%AC%E9%A3%9F%E8%AD%9C

Encourage organic cultivation, eat healthy!

Ogawa EZ Thrive... my recent companion

I would not say I am a fan of exercise, though I do drag myself for yoga, belly dance, breeze walking or at times a 10KM walk... True enough, I am a sports freak! I hate exercising ever since I was young, not sure why.

Nevertheless, our fragile human body do need a lot of exercises each day, especially for those whom stay in office work, tied up onto the office chair and computer for at least 8-10 hours a day.

Let me introduce this recent companion of mine, with an advertisement (self explained) below.

Ogawa - EZ Thrive from Cheonghh on Vimeo.

Then, here is the real picture of the slim looked Ogawa EZ Thrive.

(excerpt from Ogawa official website)

It's such an easy to use machine, much more easier than a treadmill or those static bicycle. Practically does not need any strength or energy to drag you on it. It's just some matter of posture you would need to let the machine massage and burn its fat and calories.

There are couple of ways one could use this machine. By standing straight up, bend some of the knees, siting on it, side way up, and so per mentioned on the user guide. One will find a little burning itchy, if there is fat to burn. Else, it is perfect enough to help with various movements for some part of the body.

Worth it all!