Category: Creative Mode

Hand-sewn small pouch

When I feel stressful, sometimes I like to sew beads on my baju kurung.  But I am too lazy to restock the beads so, whatever left is not enough to embellish my baju kurung.  I am trying to spring clean my room (a wish that I have since January) but like always, I find some of the things that I have stashed away (on my last spring clean).  I found a left-over fabric from my late mom’s baju kurung and a polka dot black-and-white fabric that I bought last year (for my other project that has never been materialised).

I watched Youtube on how to make lunch bag, pouch and and such.  I came across a video showing how to make a hand-sewn small pouch.  So, I gathered all the materials that I needed after maghrib yesterday and I started to sew around 8 pm until 10 pm and I continued to finish sewing this morning.

a)     

a) All you need are a piece of fabric (the sizes depend on your preference) – 4 pieces and a zipper.  The tools that you need are a needle, thread and scissor (for cutting)

b)

Align the different pieces of fabric together with the zipper and sew it together.

c)

Flip the stitched fabric and make sure the same fabric are stitched together.  Make sure you keep the zipper open.  When you sew the edges of the same fabric together, leave a small space (not sew together) as an opening so that you can flip the pouch like picture D below through the opening.

d)  ‘

After you flip the pouch inside out, sew the opening.

e) 

The end product.  I put my stationery, official stamp and such inside.  I always want to have a small pouch like this.  The one that I can buy have different sizes and materials that I don’t prefer.  So, creating my own pouch ticks every single requirement that I want to have on a small pouch.  Satisfaction guaranteed.

Durham BBQ chicken wings recipe_Version 2

This is also the whatever-is-available-in-the-kitchen recipe for BBQ chicken wings.  

Chicken cube

Sweet soy sauce

Oyster sauce

Honey

Crushed garlic

Crushed ginger

Crushed black pepper

 

How to do it?

Just mix all the ingredients for marinate.  Leave for few minutes/hours/over night.  It does not matter.  I am not that particular about that 😀  The process is similar like Version 1.  Mix all together.  No fancy stuff.  

Durham BBQ chicken wings recipe_Version 1

Well, it is not Durham recipe, but it is a recipe that I used to cook BBQ chicken wings when I was in Durham.  After searching my recipe book (uhuk uhuk I sound like a professional chef, right? 😀 ), I find the recipe.  Here is the recipe for version 1.  There is another version.  Version 2 (also can be categorised as whatever-ingredients-that-you-have-in-kitchen recipe)

I call it as “Resipi tak cukup bahan versi 1” [Translated: Insufficient ingredients recipe Version 1]

Mayonnaise

Chicken cube

Sweet soy sauce

Oyster sauce

Crushed black pepper

Crushed garlic

Crushed ginger

Note: As you can see, there is no specific measurement.  It is just according to my hunch and the availability of the ingredients.  😀  I don’t know how it tastes though.  It has become a distant memory.  But, my PRs say that my BBQ chicken is delicious

 

BBQ chicken wings

This is one of my famous signature dishes when I was in Durham.   The ingredients are simple yet now it is difficult to find some of it in Malaysia.  So, I don’t make any now.   Well, I can easily go to Nando’s or Kenny Roger’s or Pizza Hut to eat this.  I don’t have to prepare it myself.   

The recipe?  I need to find my cook book where I wrote all the recipes of the dishes that I cooked in Durham.  Once upon a time ago.  Indeed.  

Me? Baking?

It has been a while since the last time I baked something for Eid.  I think it was two years ago, when I made chocolate chips and almond london biscuit for Eid.  Last year, even though I bought some ingredients to bake chocolate chips, but I didn’t feel like I wanted to celebrate Eid at all.  The passing of my mom in September 2017 still has its effect on me.  But, I still remember when I lost my dad in 2009, my mom insisted us to keep the tradition alive i.e. the tradition of preparing cookies and whatsnot for Eid.  It was some of the things that she normally used to do without fail before Eid.  Being me, I would rather buy than bake unless I have to.  

I know that I baked a lot when I was doing my PhD as compared to now (post PhD period).  I guess at that time, I enjoyed baking and cooking because whatever I baked and cooked would be enjoyed by many people i.e. my housemates and #60 Steavenson Stresst PRs.  

But, today I baked brownie cookies (I get the recipe from Youtube).  Since I didn’t have the exact ingredients that they use, I improvised.  I didn’t know how it will turn out because I am fasting (at the moment of writing this post).  

Here are the pictures that I took: Before and after.  

P.S:  I know that the shapes and sizes are not standardised but I don’t care.  I just let it be that way.  After all, I am pretty sure that I will be the ONLY one who eat this and there is no way that I serve this to any guest who come to my house during Eid.

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