3BT: Random Days

1. I managed to deal with the additional shifts even while I was feeling under the weather. Crossing my fingers that I won't get sick!!! 

2. The flower-giving grandpa came by the store to do some grocery shopping when I had just finished my shift, so I quickly went to the cashier, bought some flowers, wrapped them with some paper, taped the receipt there, told my coworker that I would give them to a grandpa (so that she wouldn't charge him for the flowers while showing the receipt that I had taped there), and then went to find the grandpa and told him that they were for his wife. Felt GREAT to be able to return his favors!!! He's been giving me flowers on many occasions already!  :-D

3. Taking these pictures made me feel happy...

4. A grandma complimented my voice! Ha! It's never happened before in my entire life he he he he...so I'm gonna cherish the memory hi hi hi hi...:-D

5. Finally getting a few days off in a row. Phew!!! Now I can catch-up with blogging and blog-hopping. :-)

6. Finding a suitable gift for someone as well as another souvenir for Ken's little brother. And having the budget to buy both is something I'm THANKFUL for.


7. Joululimppu (a kind of Christmas bread) with delicious smoked salmon made by Kiveliön factory, eaten with a slice of cheese and chili sauce! YUMMY!!!!



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8. Knowing that MIL's heart is working well (no blockage). She went for a check-up in Rovaniemi hospital last week and the result was OK. No need for surgery or anything. Phew! 

9. Have to teach a coworker to do something and I've finally finished writing down my list so that I remember everything I have to teach her. :-D

10. Finally exercising again after not having done it due to my busy schedule and being slightly under the weather. Felt GREAT! :-D


11. Almost forgot: A coworker asked me if we had kids and I said no. Thankfully she didn't pry whether we wanted kids or not or anything else. She just accepted the answer. YEEEEEEESSSS!!! :-D

Childhood Memories: French Baguette

One of the memorable treats that we got when we were children was the long French baguettes. At that period of life in my hometown, it was quite a rarity. At that time kids were still playing folk games with their friends and computers were unheard of. Plenty of my neighbours didn't have any fridge yet. There were no big malls, just small private owned stores selling daily needs and snacks and goodies. It was a very different period of life.
 
At that time there was this HUGE supermarket in Dago Street catering to expats and rich people in Bandung. Well, the place looked especially huge for small children with short legs, though if I compare them to the huge malls all over that city nowadays, it's not that huge after all. 

Anyway, this particular supermarket sold plenty of exquisite goods at a rather high price and at the back of it there was a bakery. The bakery sold lots of things, but we only went there to buy French baguettes and some ham or sausage. The ham and sausage were so delicious when eaten with the freshly baked baguette, but we knew they cost a lot of money, so it was a rare treat and we enjoyed every bite of it. :-D


Until now I still remember clearly coming home on a motorcycle behind Dad while holding the French baguette in my hand tightly while the neighbours' children looked at the long bread in awe, because it wasn't something that you could find everywhere. I remember feeling as though I was holding a Light Sabre in my hand HA HA HA HA...I don't know if the supermarket is still there now or not. The last time I was there years and years ago, I think the supermarket chain has changed owner or something (my memory is getting blurry), but don't know what happens to it now. 

Do you have any special childhood treat that you remember fondly? 
 

Squirrels Video Clips + Stung by Bug

On Saturday my MIL told me that one squirrel dared to come inside the house a few days before to get some food. Since it has been hot lately, their front doors were left open. It seems that the squirrel lives in their shed. After some time, that Saturday the squirrel made its appearance, so my MIL quickly got some bread to feed it.

We came inside the shed to give it some food. MIL said that the squirrel looked different (smaller) from the one who came inside the house the other day, so we were sure there were two of them there HE HE HE...

Here's the video clip of the smaller squirrel. I made several video shots and combined them into one. What my MIL said in the video clip was basically something like, "Come here, little furball...here's some food for you...come here and don't be afraid...hereeeee..."



At first it was hesitant and it was running in circles and wouldn't grab the bread, but in the end it did take it. Some time afterward, the other squirrel came out.

Here's the video clip of the other squirrel. In this clip, it was just munching on the bread he he...



I got the surprise of my life when I peeked inside my MIL's greenhouse. Here is the pic of the cucumber two Saturdays ago:



And here are two pics of the cucumber plant last Saturday (these are two different cucumbers, the first one is bigger than the second one):




Anyway, on Saturday I was also stung by a bug. At first it was like a mosquito bite but it gradually grew larger and larger and redder and it went swollen. The diameter is around 15 cm on my right calf. It started becoming painful at times and also if the area bumped into something (also if I slapped on the area). Last night it also started becoming SO itchy that I was awaken by the itch, though the swelling has subsided a bit. So I didn't go to work today. Went to the health centre and then I bought some medication and salve. They said that if it worsen in a few days, I should come back. Oh well...tomorrow I'm going back to work, though. Hope the pain and the itch have subsided even more by then.

I'll blog-hop during the weekend, okay? Take care, people!

Strawberry Bread Pudding

This is another one of my experiments. Found this recipe in this website: Strawberry Bread Pudding. Mind you, it's not the regular Indo "pudding", but it's still tasty.

1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen strawberries, thawed
2 tbsp. cornstarch
2 1/2 c. milk
2 tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla
4 slices bread, cut in 1/2" cubes (4 c.)
2 slightly beaten eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

In small saucepan combine undrained strawberries and cornstarch. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens and bubbles. Spread evenly over bottom of 10"x6"x2" baking dish. In mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, butter, vanilla and salt. Add bread cubes to moisten. Carefully pour custard mixture over berries. Bake in 350 degree oven for 50 to 55 minutes. Serve warm with cream if desired.

Here are the results:

Banana Bread Recipe

Yep, time to share my baking experiments. I browsed LOTS of sites and found this one: Yummy Banana Bread Recipe.

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup of flour

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180'C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

I actually added rhum into the mixture as somebody who commented in that site said that it would taste better. Then I also added strawberries (we have LOTS of stock of frozen strawberries from my in-law's garden last year), so I actually made banana-strawberry bread. It was tender and moist. SO VERY YUMMY. I brought some for my in-laws and they loved it! :-)))))

Here're the pics...