.::. Our 8th Anniversary .::.

“There is only one happiness in life: To love and be loved.”Georg Sands

A few days back, we celebrated our 8^th anniversary.  It’s also our 1^st wedding anniversary as we exchanged our vows one year before, on our 7^th anniversary.

We started our journey 8 years back, diving into the unknown, not knowing if we will even last past his army days.  We were 18 year-olds then, happily in love.  Fast forward 8 years, after all that has happened, everything has changed yet one thing remains.  We’re still very much in love.  Little did I know that I would love the same man for 8 years straight. 

Love means so many different things, and between us, it has evolved so much over the years.  Some people claim they love, but keep hurting people they love and screwing up relationships.  Some love, and enjoy the love and happiness that love brings.  I honestly think that the greatest form of love transcends everything – regardless of race, gender, religion, age, shape, size, looks and really everything else.  And today (and every other day), I’m most thankful to have found love and my partner in life.  The man who loves me for who I am, who understands me inside-out, who has never expected me to change in any way, who supports and encourage me in whatever I choose to pursue.  Unconditionally.

That’s the best gift anyone could receive in life.

If you ask me, what is the most important thing in a relationship, I would say honesty.  I’m thankful to be able to be 101% honest with the husband right from the start – I really can’t have it another way.  I think he loves me for that, because there’s no need to guess, I’ll let it all out.  He’s the complete opposite of me.  Sometimes, he thinks that what he thinks does not matter because it doesn’t change anything.  It’s very much due to his experiences that he’s the way he is, and it took years for him to slowly let down the wall he built around himself. The first 3 years of our relationship to be exact.  Things got better from then on.

Being able to speak your mind and be straight-forward with your thoughts and opinions avoids many misunderstandings, making it easier for you to understand someone.  Speaking your mind also encourages communication.  With understanding and communication, no problem is too big to solve as long as both is willing to go weather the storm together.  The prerequisite is the willingness to be reasonable, to compromise and to try to see each other’s point of view.  I now realize that it takes 2 willing parties to make relationships work.  It all gets easier when you know each other better.

I only have one goal in life – happiness.  Not career, not money, not fame, nor power.  Happiness as I envisioned is being able to have my own home designed by myself, doing things I love and surrounding myself with things that makes me happy.  Having a partner in life is a bonus to my little dream, and was something that was left to fate.  I met him when a boyfriend was the last thing on my mind, yet he's the best part in my happiness equation.

Here I am, in my mid-twenties, living my dream.  My dreams came alive. I’m this state of contentment, like I’ve nothing more that I want from life.  If I were to die tomorrow, or today (it's the 21st of December 2012), I will die a very happy woman.  I was telling the husband that if I were to die, I would like to be incinerated and to have a party-like funeral.  There’ll be turquoise table cloth (preferably polka dots and stripes) with pom poms hanging around with fresh flowers and jazz playing in the background.

And if we were lucky enough to grow old together, our retirement plan is to work in MacDonalds together.  It's our little joke and it makes me warm and fuzzy thinking of us, growing old together, hand-in-hand.  Happy together.

Having said that, things and people may change. Too many love stories gone wrong these days.  Till the day comes, I’m going to enjoy every little moment of happiness.  Afterall, 8 years of happiness is already aplenty and not everyone gets to experience such love in their entire lifetime.

Thank you, my dearest.  I will do all I can to protect our happily ever after.

Dreams do come true.

.::. Profiteroles .::.

I finally started baking again, after the husband replaced the transformer for my kitchenaid.  He blew the whole thing when he tried to use it to make brunch some time ago.

As we're hosting a few Christmas cum housewarming parties, I wanted to make some dessert for our guests.  I thought that profiteroles were a good choice - easy to make beforehand and kids would love it.  The first time I made this was with Emma in Sweden, it's a traditional French dessert - one of the many that she taught me.  How I miss those days.

I followed Martha Stewart's Pate-Choux Recipe and actually converted everything into grams.  It was really easy to do.  I just dumped everything into the pot, boiled it, then dump it into the kitchenaid, added eggs, and it was ready to be baked.

The recipe from her site, with my own conversion to grams for easy measurement.  I actually put everything into the pot that I'm using to boil and added everything on a digital scale.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (114g)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (160g)
• 4 large eggs, plus 1 large egg white - I used 5 eggs as the normal eggs in Singapore are pretty small and the mixture was too dry for soft peaks to form.

Directions

1. Bring butter, sugar, salt, and 1 cup water (263g) to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon, quickly stir in flour. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture pulls away from sides and a film forms on bottom of pan, about 3 minutes.
   
2. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until slightly cooled, about 1 minute. Raise speed to medium; add whole eggs, 1 at a time, until a soft peak forms when batter is touched with your finger. If peak does not form, lightly beat remaining egg white, and mix it into batter a little at a time until it does.
   
   
   I used the macaroon set which the husband bought for me secretly.  It had all the pipings and sheets.  It rose beautifully in the oven.
   
   2/3 of the whole batch.  Take note of the cooling part, leave it in the oven partially open to cool slowly or cut a hole for the steam to come out.  Otherwise, all of them will deflate and look soggy.
   
   You're then supposed to cut them into half and stuff ice-cream in between.  I used the 'watermelon' scoop (those used to make round watermelon or honeydew) to scoop the ice-cream.  Lastly, drip some chocolate sauce on it.  I was lazy to melt chocolate and make my own chocolate sauce and used Hersheys' instead,
   
   It's then ready to be served!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

.::. Complete .::.

The living room is complete now!  Our coffee table and papa chair finally arrived last week.



The living room.



Papa chair.  It's really comfy and I can fall asleep on it.



The smile table in oak.

We're only left with our bedside tables and my study table before the home is truly complete.  =)

.::. Bed's here! .::.

Our bed is finally here!  I love how comfy it is and how the room finally feels like a room.  The bed is the most expensive piece of furniture and cost a small fortune.  It reflects both of love for a good sleep.  It is quite similar to what I had in mind all along actually.  It's worth the search!



Yesterday, when the bed was delivered.




Today.  New bed, new bedsheets. =)

.::. Home .::.

Home.  A place where you can always find comfort and refuge in, where there's love and warmth, making everything else seem insignificant.











Home now really feels like home.

.::. Training Chikey .::.

Chikey has been such a joy to have around the home these days.  The initial few weeks was bad - I forgot how stubborn dachshunds were and how difficult it can be to toilet train a puppy.  For many days, he broke out of the confined area and none of the fences worked.

And when we finally had to confine him in a room, he barked incessantly and was simply dirtying the whole room by eliminating outside the tray then pacing everywhere!  It was a nightmare to come home and having to mop the room several times and monitor him yet end up having to clean up as he has accidents.

Because both of us were working, I rushed home by 6pm everyday just so I can quickly feed him and hopefully toilet-train him.  But when we caught him peeing and brought him to his tray, he simply refused to pee till we happen to go to the toilet.  It drove us crazy really and we ended up trying to confine him in a playpen, so that he can be praised and let out after he pees in the right place.  It may sound like a good idea, but he simply refused to pee nor poo.  This 4-month old puppy outwits us and out-waits us.  He can hold from 6pm to 12am till both of us wanted to sleep and brought him into the room - he then find somewhere to pee.  It doesn't help when he's so small and simply pee by bending his butt slightly downwards.





He simply slept when we confine him!

We bought a few pee trays, pee pads, 2 toilet-training aids, read so many books and forums to try to toilet-train and stop his incessant barking.  Initially, he refused to even walk on his leash nor go out.

We came a long way.  I realized that he likes to pee and poo outside our MBR toilet, near the door.  I bought pee pads and lined the whole area with them so that he naturally would get it right.  It worked for awhile till he started sleeping and biting the pee pads.  Then I decided to simply leave his pee tray there and pray that he would get it right.  And then he did.  From then on, his hit rate is probably 90%.  At times he pee right beside or pee inside the tray but poo outside.  The joy I experienced when I finally did not need to clear pee and poo early in the morning!

We eventually leave him in our huge common toilet now, after getting a baby gate.  I also got him a radio to accompany him while we were out.  Surprisingly, he pees at the pee tray and poo around that area too.  Even when we let him out, he goes back to his tray to eliminate.  *yay*  His hit rate is at least 90% these days and it gives us more time to enjoy him instead of feeling frustrated and watching him like a hawk.

Chikey is a lot more settled over the past month.  He enjoys his walks now and dash towards us whenever we say 'gai gai'.  He also no longer sticks to us like glue and plays with his toys on the carpet while I cook.  He's a little darling although he's still teething and likes to bite many things.  He likes to gather all of his milk bones and rope on our floor mat and start nibbling on all of them.  He always runs around with his milk bones, even when you carry him up.  He rushes to my side every morning and turns his tummy up for a tummy rub with a shaking tail.

And here's the cute baby in the house now:

































This is his good friend, Rugby.

Chikey is still the very playful puppy now, and still a long way from being 'trained'.  Thankfully, he's trained enough to be a joy now.  Dogs, they bring so much joy into your life and teach you things that you can never learn from humans.  =)

.::. Life's Amazing .::.

So much has been happening these weeks.  And I've got to say life's amazing.  I'm so blessed, so thankful.  The wedding shoot went pretty well and the friends got quite a few good shots although we've not seen the photographer's photos.  We are settling down in our new home and feeling really comfortable and enjoying every moment.



This is how the home looks like now.  I think we've both built a beautiful home together.  He did that photo wall.  It's precision planning and hard work.

Nothing much I can ask for now really.  Simply savor every moment.  =)

.::. The Little Things .::.

I’m scrambling around after recovering from the long bout of horrible flu that put me down for 5 full days!  That was really a wasted long weekend, but perhaps I needed the rest to be recharged.

Since last week, it has been a mad rush to get things in order for the pre-wed photoshoot and to kickstart wedding preparations.  My girls can’t stop reminding me again and again how little time I have left while the husband kept asking me to take things slow.  It’s just like him, he always under-estimates time needed for things.  But anyway, he’s sitting back while I’m supposed to prepare most of the things.

I was feeling emo and complaining about how the pre-wed shoot is in a week’s time and I do not have a veil, do not have a make-up artist, do not have shoes nor accessories nor planned what to wear for the casual shoot, have not got the photowall up nor chose pictures, have not finished unpacking nor decorating the home, have not arranged details with the photographer nor briefed him on my expectations, have not done my hair nor nails and brows, have not prepared prop.  And this is in addition to all the household chores, washing, ironing and work.

Then that day, he stayed up later to accompany me while I finalized photos for our photowall.  He even suggested that I go shopping the girls on Friday while he went home to look after Chikey.

It’s the first time he ever asked me to go shopping.

And just yesterday, Chikey munched on his spectacles and scratched the lens yet again.  He had to make instant spectacles and got me down to NEX to choose frames for him.  He liked an Armani frame but we ended up choosing this YSL frame and saved him some money.  The husband has this huge presentation with all the big shots today, and I think he’s going to look good in them.

So yes, I’m enjoying all these little moments and getting settled into our love nest.  =)

I think everything will work out just fine.

.::. The Great Chef .::.

I honestly didn't know that the husband was a good cook till recently.  Let's say it's a well-kept secret and I never expected him to actually cook much for me, except perhaps occasionally.  But it's been happening pretty often, and I wonder if it will last.

Wednesday night I told him that I wasn't feeling well and I'm going straight back to bed.  I didn't even want dinner.

Yet, I woke up at almost 9pm to this.  He cooked steak.  Steak is our common favorite food (he influenced me).  I didn't know to laugh or to cry.  I was sick and really didn't have appetite for steak, it was hard to swallow for a sore throat!  He even made some sauce with cheese and butter and chopped mushrooms.  It wasn't fantastic, but full marks for the effort nevertheless.

I asked him, why did he cook steak for a sick person?  And he said that he thought that it would make me happy.  *aww*  

After being down on Thursday and Friday too, I woke up to porridge after a nap.  Or perhaps I have been sleeping most of the day.

While I was eating, he said sheepishly "I tell you a secret.  I've never cooked porridge before."

Saturday morning, I was fed with cheese sandwiches in bed while I went straight right back to bed.

And then came Sunday, he said he's going to make me a special breakfast.

And I had constant wadsapp progress pictures which I didn't even see till I was awoken to eat.  'Breakfast is almost ready!' he said.

I've no clue how he made this, it had cheese and mushroom inside.  It's a dog-shaped mould.

I can't really recall what happened in between those meals.  The weekend past by in a blur and I was sedated or asleep most of the time.

I've mostly recovered now although cough still persist.  At least my mind is now clear.

I'm so loved.  So thankful.  

.::. Sick .::.

I’ve been sick.  Since last Wednesday.  I got home and went right into bed after work.  The husband cooked steak for dinner, although I can barely swallow it down.  He thought that it would have made me happy.  I was coughing through the night and woke up with horrible body aches and fever.  It felt like all my bones were broken and moving simply hurts.  It took all my will power to get up for a shower and to see a doctor downstairs.  I simply couldn’t make it to central to see the better doctor.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday went by in a blur.  I woke up, I took medicine, I went back to sleep.  I managed to make it for brunch with the JC mates on Friday and the girls came by on Saturday for steamboat, reminding me how much I need to do before the pre-wed photoshoot and upcoming wedding.  I then spent the rest of the long weekend sleeping while the sweet husband cooked for me.  It got so bad that I finally relented and took anti-biotics on Sunday and went to the recommended doctor on Monday.

There goes my long weekend.

Is it almost November already?

I’m starved for time.  There’s so much to do and I’m barely coping with day-to-day routines, much less unpack and start preparing for everything else.

First thing first – get my health and strength back!

For now, I’m going to sentence myself to full house rest (apart from work) till I fully recover.

Jan will be back.  Soon.

.::. Braised Duck .::.

Mummy used to make braised duck, and it's one of the FIL's favorite dishes too.  And I am very much addicted to Teo Chew Muay these days after the husband made me a convert.  I used to think that Teo Chew Muay was for old people till the husband brought me for Teo Chew Muay repeatedly despite my protests.  Now, I have it for breakfast many times a week and felt like reproducing my favorite dishes at home.

I didn't follow exactly any recipe.  Mummy only gave me some instructions and I googled some recipes and did it my own way.  It did turn out pretty well though the husband thinks the meat is not tender enough.  The tastes was there, perhaps longer braising might be required.

Ingredients:
Garlic
5 spices powder
Blue Ginger
Ginger
Lemon Grass
Cinnamon Stick
Peppercorns
Start Anise
Dark Soy Sauce
Sugar

(1) I did it with a whole duck.  Cut the legs and the head.  Blanch it in boiling water and leave it to cool and drip dry.



(2) Marinate it with 5-spcies powder and dark soy sauce overnight.



(3) Heat up some oil and sauté the garlic and blue ginger and ginger till fragrant.



(4) Add the lemon grass (cut the stalk into pieces) and stir for awhile more.

(5) Add a few teaspoons of sugar to cover the bottom of the pot and let it caramelize.



(6) Add the other spices in and stir for awhile before adding dark soy sauce and water.  I added a bottle (500ml).



(7) Let it boil for 15 minutes before adding in the duck.

(8) Braise the duck and turn it regularly if liquid does not cover duck fully.



I braised it for about 2-3 hours, and it turned out beautifully although the meat did not turn dark.

Tip: I cut out some duck fats to sauté with the garlic and blue ginger to give it more taste.



And these were the dishes for teo chew muay for the night.

Braised duck was a success.  =) 

The husband gave me a 7/10, and complained that the duck meat wasn't tender enough.  Pretty good comments generally and good enough for the first try!

.::. Sunday .::.

The husband made breakfast again, while I slept in.  Have been really tired after the cleaning and cookout on Saturday.  Nothing beats home-cooked breakfast with love.  =)



It tastes so much better this time round.

Then I started folding plastic bags and doing some unpacking while Chikey lay lazily on the carpet.





He's such a darling.

Why are weekends so short?