Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Vogue-U Potion - "Remarkable Pencils" / "Recycled Pencils"


May Peace Be With You.....

Salam Ramadan to all.
Mak Pah just wants to share pictures of recycled pencils which some artists have redesigned into a form of art.....
I really admired the artists' patience and endurance to produce such piece of art. Remarkable indeed.


Enjoy all......
































Well if I were to do such piece, I don't know what's the outcome of it....hehehehe

To Muslims, have a great iftar tonight!!!!

Lots of Luv..... Mak Pah

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Vogue-U Potion - Direct from Farm, Oh My Lovely Mak Siti!!!

May Peace Be With You.....



Salam Ramadan to all...... wow how fast time flies and today is already the 14th day of Ramadan. May we all have a blessed Ramadan. InsyaAllah. Ameen.


OK the above post title could be quite misleading.... hehe. Well actually Mak Pah wanted to introduce the herbs and spices for cooking, under the name of Mak Siti produced by Nasuha Herbs and Spices Sdn Bhd.... remember the post about the farm a few weeks ago.... (http://vogue-u.blogspot.com/2010/08/vogue-u-potion-sprinkles-of-herbs-and.html).




Introducing the range of Mak Siti Herbs and Spices



FYI, Mak Pah did not buy the herbs and spices for cooking direct from Nasuha Farm, but came across the sachets while scrutinizing the spices counters in Tesco Hypermarket in Johor a very long time ago, without realising they were from Nasuha farm. It's only after watching 1 programme in M'sia's TV3 channel, that I got to know about Nasuha Farm and fell in love with their organic herbs and spices. The best part they not only came in big packaging, but also in sachet packets as well, which is suitable for 1-time cooking, whereby you don't have to bother to keep the balance powder into a container for future use or wondering how much to put into your cooking if you buy the bigger packaging type. BTW, behind each sachet, they also have print out of recipes, but of course you may choose to do your style of cooking too.



Come let me introduce to you what I have stock up in my kitchen........



They came in 2 types of spread, the powdered type and the bagged type (Malays called them "punjut" or "bunjut")



Here's the powdered range. They are packed in 25 gram each.





Soup Spices Powder - suitable to cook with any kind of meat.... just boil the meat till tender, then drop in onions and ginger (garlic is optional for soups), pour the whole sachet of spices. Add in any vegetables like potatoes, carrot and celery. Garnish with fried shallots and sliced coriander leaves. Also suitable for vegetarian soup!!!







Spices for cooking soto noodles, rice cake soto, can be chicken shredded soto or meat soto, up to your preferance. Mak Pah normally add about 1 whole chicken, with slices of onions and ginger, some chopped or pounded garlic, 1 or 2 kafir leaves, about 2 to 3 liters of water, 2 tablespoon of salt and 1 or 2 sachets of the Soto powdered spice. Boil till chicken or meat is tender. For chicken, you need to take it out and shred the meat before serving. To serve, lay a handful of parboiled noodles (any type, bee hoon, yellow noodles, kway teow, laksa), with a bit or handful of beansprouts (can be raw or parboiled), lay shredded chicken meat, pour in the soup and garnish with chopped chinese celery and fried shallots, and also black small chillies sauce (blend a cup of dark soya sauce with a handful of brid's eye chillies and 1 garlic). Some people like to serve with potato balls or potato cutlets (well it's optional)





Mix spices for soya sauce fish (any kind of fried fish), very easy to prepare and recipe is indicated at the back of the sachet. However Mak Pah finds this sachet is too full of spices, so it's best to add more water to dilute the spices evenly. Nevertheless it's still quite tantalizing.



Mak Pah finds this soya sauce meat spices powder is more suitable for chicken. I did try cooking beef soya sauce, but still prefer the chicken version. Well you should try and rate it yourself then. Recipe is also stated behind the sachet.


OK now let me introduce to you the bag type. They came in 10 grams per sachet. Normally for those who prefer lighter version of soups.


Bag Soup sachet - suitable for all kinds of poultry, seafood or vegetables. With addition of either sliced onions and ginger (garlic is optional) and 1 litre of water, with a pinch of salt and pepper.... voila you get a soup for the day....




This is the lighter version of Soto soup. Recipe can follow the powdered type above but lesser water, probably 1 litre only.



King of Soup - also suitable for any kind of soup for poultry, seafood and vegetables.


If not mistaken there is 1 more sachet which is not in my kitchen pantry now. I think it's the Bone Soup Spices (Rempah Sup Tulang). Well they come in many colours and packaging, so it's up to user to choose wisely. As for Mak Pah, I will only stock up the sachets each time I shop at Tesco Hypermart. I'm not sure whether other supermarkets in Malaysia carries the Mak Siti products. Maybe can venture as well.


Last but not least, meet my partner in "crime" each time I go to Tesco........


My youngest niece.... so vain taking a shot with a bunch of flowers for VU's readers.

K all, happy trying out Mak Siti's spices for a spice of your life...hehe

Lots of Luv..... Mak Pah

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

RECIPE - MAMA MORALLE

Helooooooo salam to all.........today mama nak post the most eazyyy meazzyyyy recipe, close one eye pun can sure jadi.....its very simple, for those who is rushing from work, or may be for sahur, its a good one :)

Its a recipe that I had  tried  from a lady called Rossya..........she had many wonderful and nice recipe, thou she had closed her fotopages, mama still browse through her fotopages once a while to cari-cari recipe....


IKAN POTONG CILI BAWANG

beberapa keping ikan goreng (mama suggest ikan kerisi besar, lembut)

2 batang lada merah & hijau dimayang

1 labu bawang besar dimayang

2 ulas bawang putih dimayang

1 mangkuk kecil air asam jawa

garam dan gula

Sediakan kuali dan bubuh sedikit minyak untuk menumis. Masukkan cili, bawang besar dan bawang putih. Tumis hingga wangi dan garing. Tuangkan air asam dan bubuh garam serta gula. Masukkan ikan goreng. Setelah mendidih.. matikan api..

C..........easy right......so try it u will never regret it :):)


Pic taken from owner fotopages........

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Vogue-U Potion - Recycling Idea - Plastic Bottle Caps


May Peace Be With You.....


Ramadan Al Mubarak to all......



Today Mak Pah wants to share a useful tip in order for us to do good to all and the environment. Before I begin, let me thanked my cousin, Yuana for sharing this useful tip with me.


Majority of us after taking any plastic bottle drinks, we tend to throw away the bottle coz most of know water cannot be kept too long in plastic bottle in our humid environment due to a chemical excretion from plastics called diacin which is harmful to our body.


Nevertheless, most of all didn't take a step ahead or think outside the box that the bottle caps are actually useful and can be recycled!!!! Come let me show you.....






Step 1 - cut an incision at the neck of the plastic water bottle



Step 2 - unscrew the bottle cap and insert the plastic bag into or through the neck of the bottle which you have just cut off.... and voila it became an airtight plastic bag for your nuts!!! But some may ask, how about potato chips, do we have to crush the chips or what???? Well, my answer is easy, just pull the plastic bag from the bottle neck and eat your chips and after you are done, insert the plastic back again into the bottle neck and screw the cap back!!

Better than the plastic clips that you have to buy right??!!




I guess I'll start saving all those water bottle drinks after drinking the contents now hah....

So all, it's up to us to save the environment....

Lots of Luv... Mak Pah

Friday, August 13, 2010

RECIPE - MAMA MORALLE

Assalammualaikum.......insyaallah sempena Ramadhan ni, mama will try to post few dishes that I hv tried from other source and di jamin sedap.

One more recipe to try and ini pun sodapppp...simple n easy lagi....selamat mencuba :):)


TAHU KUKUS

Bahan-bahannya


1 pack tahu lembut
2 sudu besar sos tiram
2 sudu besar kicap manis
secukup udang
minyak untuk menumis

Bahan untuk kisar


1 batang lada merah
3 sudu makan udang kering, direndam dan cuci bersih

Bahan untuk hiasan


bawang goreng
hirisan lada merah
hirisan lada hijau
daun sup/ daun bawang

Cara-caranya


1. Tumis bahan yang telah dikisar sehingga naik bau. Kemudian masukkan sos tiram dan kicap manis. Bila telah sebati tuangkan diatas tahu yang hendak dikukus.

2. Letakkan beberapa ekor udang diatasnya dan kukus selama 15 minit.

3. Setelah dikukus taburkan dengan bawang goreng, hirisan lada merah dan hijau dan juga daun sup/ daun bawang. Siap untuk dihidangkan.



**Resepi asal and pic dari koleksi resepi pilihan Diana**

Thursday, August 12, 2010

RECIPE.......MAMA MORALLE

Assalammualaikum semua................selamat berpuasa :):)

Wahhh lama sungguh tak update di sini, not only here, my own blog pun dah terbengkalai...

Ok enuf blabbering, today mama nak share a recipe yg uols semua can try ok...its nice, I've tried this, n thinking of cooking it again this wkends...

Selamat Mencuba...tak cuba rugiii tau.....

DAGING BISTIK



Bahan-bahannya

1/2 kg daging batang pinang, dihiris nipis
3 biji kentang, dipotong wedges
2 batang karot, dipotong ikut suka
2 biji tomato, dipotong empat
3 sudu makan rempah kari daging
3/4 cawan sos tomato
3/4 cawan kicap
4 cawan air
sedikit kayu manis, buah pelaga, bunga cengkih dan bunga lawang
garam secukup rasa
serbuk perasa jika suka
minyak untuk menumis

Bahan untuk dikisar


2 biji bawang besar
1 ulas bawang putih
1/2 inci halia
5 batang lada merah
10 batang cili padi thailand

Cara-caranya


1. Panaskan minyak, kentang yang telah dipotong wedges dan karot digoreng setengah masak, angkat, toskan. Ketepikan.

2. Panaskan minyak, masukkan kayu manis, buah pelaga, bunga cengkih dan bunga lawang. Kemudian masukkan rempah yang telah dikisar dan tumis sehingga naik bau. Masukkan pula rempah kari dagiing kacau hingga sebati dan tuang sedikit air. Biar ia mendidih sekejap.

3. Masukkan sos tomato, garam, serbuk perasa dan juga kicap. Gaul rata. Masukkan pula air dan daging yang telah dihiris nipis. Gaul rata dan biarkan ia reneh pada api yang sederhana selama 10 minit.

4. Bila daging telah setengah masak, masukkan pula kentang dan karot yang telah digoreng tadi. Biarkan ia reneh lagi selama 10 - 15 minit sehingga semua kuah dan bahan-bahan sebati. Kalau airnya kurang boleh tambah sedikit.

5. Rasakan kuahnya jika kurang perasa, tambah apa yang patut. Masukkan tomato dan tutup api. Biarkan sebentar dan sedia untuk dihidang.

NOTA: Masakan ini sedap dimakan dengan roti atau nasi putih bersama telur mata lembu.



**Resepi asal dari koleksi resepi pilihan Diana**

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Vogue-U Potion - Sprinkles of Herbs and Spices


May Peace Be With You......



I guess majority of us somehow or another knows that herbs and spices are not only used in cooking but also in medicinal form like improving blood circulation, relief of fatique, relief of aches and paints, maintaining our health, so on and so for.



That said, well the reason for this post was, each time Mak Pah goes back to KL, we normally detoured by the Pagoh exit for authentic Malay dishes like "asam pedas" either in Muar or Malacca. And each time before reaching Muar, we would pass a famous organic farm called Nasuha Herbs and Spices Farm, located on the left side of the road, about 19km from Pagoh exit to Muar. However each time we passed by, it's always night time and they are closed. Thus I would always remind my husband one day we need to come during the day in order to try their well-known restaurant (heard about in the M'sia's media).



Voila, when the day came, we happened to go back to KL last July for my husband's family gatherings and prayers. We decided to come back early in order not to miss the opportunity to drop at Nasuha Herbal and Spices restaurant as I have been eyeing to try their herbal soup for so long.



So come let me show you around through these photos taken by hubby and me.....



Entrance to Nasuha Herbal Restaurant




The dish counter dividing the kitchen and dining area... I love the wall features of embossed cemented shapes of giant herbs and spices. Creative indeed!!! You should see their washrooms.... too bad I forgot to snap a photo of it. All areas are equipped with their essential oil scents (even the washrooms smell so refreshing, hehe!!!)

Our dinner, organic goat's meat briyani set and vegetarian herbal beehoon soup (no added salt at all, totally pure herbs and spices)..... Total price of our dinner was around RM20+ (can't remember the actual but it was less than RM30/-, considered quite reasonable for an organic food). The goat meat was tender and fresh with no pungent goat smell at all. After taking them including the herbal tea, I kept urinating (hubby said detox process!!). And if you noticed the 2 tree trunks behind us - they were embedded with their empty herbal tea containers. Again another creative deco idea.



Meet, Mr Haji Nasuha, founder and entrepreneur of Nasuha Herbs and Spices Sdn Bhd

Here, Mr Nasuha explaining the scientific factors and effects of herbs and spices to our body. He was glad it was easier to explain to my husband considering he's in the chemical industry.


I like the colourful features on their paperbags....hehe

Damages to my husband's wallet



A memoir of Mr Sam Poi and Mr Haji Nasuha (Mr Nasuha was so tan coz he just came back from swimming with his youngest daughter)

By the way, we have to be barefooted when entering their shop and restaurant, coz the floor is embedded with reflexology stones. All of us would walk around the area while waiting for our food.

A satisfied customer!!! Walking around the area to get the fresh herbs and spices scent after a hefty meal.

Well, I duly recommend this place for a refreshing and rejuvenating stay, coz besides the restaurant, they also have the log cabin, chalet and dormitory, herbal steam bath, spa and many more, which I am looking forward to go one day. Do visit their website at http://www.nasuhaherbsparadise.com/ for more details.

And yes before I forget, for Muslims, Mr Nasuha said, they also conduct the "Qurban" of their organic goats (not sure about cow, must ask them then) for "Hari Raya Haji".... so do visit their website for their contact if you wish to have your "Qurban" done there.

Lots of Luv.... Mak Pah