Cold Sore!!

I have heard and seen people suffer from cold sore...I thought it was something to do with hygiene. My ignorance proved me wrong. Last week for days I did not go to my health club for my regular exercises. My arms, legs and in fact, my entire body was aching. For days I felt quite unwell. I thought I was going to catch a cold. There were no symptoms of having a cold like sore throat and headache. So I ignored my body until next morning when I looked on the mirror I saw a little blister on my left lower lip.

Aaahhh..what is this? My local pharmacist asked me if I could feel a tingle. I said "No". She looked at it and said "yes, it is a cold sore"!! Cold sore I thought. Hmmnn...SO she sold me a 2g tube of Zovirax for almost 6 pounds!!..She advised me to apply the cream to the affected area 4-5 times a day. I tried to read the small prints on the tube when she loudly said...DO NOT USE IN EYES OR ON GENITAL.. Am I that stupid enough that I could not read the prints. Anyway, that is what you get.. I walked out of the pharmacy with '''aarrrhhhh'''to let out my stress.
I must stay away from cafes....restaurants....
and from all public places...
No it is the sign of winter, stupid! I said to myself....

Birthday dinner

Summer has gone...This summer was a memorable one. I was asked by an old, dear friend sometime in April if I can cook and host a dinner birthday party for his 65th birthday. He would like to invite members of family...how could I have refused?

We met twice to discuss preliminaries and accessories, menus etc at a brasserie in Sloane Square.

{S to arrange her hairdo and massage J & S to select and arrange cheeerful flowers for: living room kitchen and dining tables Crockery and cutlery, glasses for wine and soft drink.

Tea towels, loo rolls, kitchen rolls and kitchen disposables

Drinks - M to select and delicer red and white wine - 8 bottles each. (Some will be drinking in the kitchen with S from mid-afternoon onwards!

M to deliver still and sparkling mineral water. Who to buy orange juice and other soft drinks? Leave out beer and lager.

J& S to select coffee, tea or tisane.

Food - leave to S! Home-made cake for M. Baby food is also included.

Float - say 600 pounds on account of S' "preening", flowers, all miscellaneous and all food. Settle balance afterwards. }

S after approval from M presented the following menus:

Starter -

Dry-fried King Prawns with Coriander

Smoked Duck breast with victoria plum sauce dressing

Main Filo tart

Perfumed Pilau Rice

Sushi

Side dishes -

Orange, Cumin and Olive Salad

Melange of Green Salad

Desserts -

Rich Chocolate and Roasted Almond Cake (birthday)

Fruit Salad ala Oriental

Coffee & Tisane

No of guests: 15

Cost of food excluding drinks 227.43

Cost of flowers 61.96

Champagne

Red Wine

White Wine

family gathering

I wish I could share...yes..last Sunday 12th, I had the pleasure of entertaining some members of my families from Brunei to come and share my cooking and English way of eating at our Victorian home. Not using our right hand four fingers and thumb to push the food into our mouth, instead we used knives and forks. A good display of roasts from roast leg of lamb, boned and stuffed shoulder of lamb, roast potatoes, roast parsnips, carrots and courgette, ratatouille were served.
For desserts I completely ignored the rules or boundaries of high cholesterol food..a good selection of sweet dishes from coconut milk creme caramel, layered kek lapis betawi, prune and chocolate cake, and some kuih mor (including some made by dearest coz Kak Am & Kak Pat, and some few balls left made by me. I made 2 kilos of kuih mor..Emma & I helped ourselves with 1 1/2 kg...there goes my diet) were served. Not forgetting Celebrations sweets...grapes and apples...

A layered chocolate cake with yummy filling and covered with rich glaze of chocolate and cream for Adik Adrina, Izzah and Suhaebah belated birthdays!!

My!! thanks everyone....

Prune Cake

Someone kindly sent me a recipe for prune cake with 20 eggs, 1 lb of butter, 150 g caster sugar, a tin of condensed milk...Do I get the quantity right?....