Potato Chips Biscuit

Last weekend Au and I tried this 'savoury' recipe that I got from a book in the library.Apologies to the author as I have no idea the source.As I said before, the family do not have a sweet toooth but cookies to munch is something we learn to enjoy. So I had been trying to satisfy both needs.

130 g butter
50 g sugar
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp vanilla
40 g cornflour
180 g flour
45 g ground potato chip

Followed normal lili's method ie cream the first 2 and add the rest! I guess I am no novice cook or chef. Just someone who does it.
Bake at 160 deg celcius for 15 minutes.
Amount should turn out 50 cookies

edit
used 40 g sugar
55 g chips
180 deg and waited till cookies turn light brown

verdict
At first try, we felt that it is nothing spectacular, not sweet or savoury just a bit. But after a few more cookies, we begin to feel it gives a special crunch to it and according to daddy, has a potato taste to it. So we decided it is worth an edited version

So I plan to do it again with a bbq or tomato based chips, to increase the chips to 60 g and see the difference.

The Week that Was

Started this week planning to have some good times with Au since it is her last week of hols before she start 3rd semester. At the same time, MIL was not around so another reason to relax.

Unfortunately, palpitations turn bad. it was so bad that I needed a few days to recuperate. It was the second time it went on for approximate 8 hours and the body felt exhausted after that.I guess I aggravated it by being uptight about certain things. Good time to make a stronger effort to block out unpleasant things.

Good thing that came out from it: I was pampered the whole week by the family. Au spend her last week of hols looking after me and daddy took care of the food. I wasn't even allowed to wash and iron or clean.

In the end, need to do some more tests to establish the reasons for the palpitations. though I suspect it has something to do with my menopausing. In the meantime, have to try to block unhappy things and just stay immuned.

Did had a good afternoon making sardine and tuna rolls with Au though.

Pastry from
250 g butter
500 g flour
cold water
pepper salt
parmeson cheese
Au did it with me overseeing and it turn out just fine. It was so nice that we enjoyed the pastry even without the sardine.

making the sardine, this time I remember to add
lemon juice,
salt
pepper
chillies
to one tin of mashed sardine
cooked with chopped onions

Tuna was a last minute thing when we have extra pastry so we miss out on the chillies. Also it was in oil and we didn't add any mayonnaise, it was easier to make.
Taste wise, sardine is stronger.

My little brain is thinking of using minced meat like Char siew and making them into little round disc like the spaceship when I next try it.

Ideas

Some ideas I picked up while reading in the library this week.

1. pastry for pies- add coriander seeds, cheese, lemon juice, sesame seeds at the right occasion

2. Butter cake with lomgan and kee chi soaked in milk or brandy. Should be interesting.

3. Butter cake with raisins and chopped pineapple. Should be better tastewise compared to pineapple upside down cake though not as nice to see.

4. Making crumble . - add oats (healthy but not so nice) or chocolate chips (Au dream but need to think about it first), dessicated coconut (not a favourite of family though)

5. Instead of apple, to try topical fruits like 1 papaya, 225 g pineapple, 1 1/2 tsp ginger, 100 g butter and 100 g sugar cook 10 mins till soft.

6. banana crumble with 4 just ripe banana sliced with 2 tsp of rum and lime. Daddy said he tried that at some hotel but didn't like the crumble (too floury. ). Maybe with my crumble it should be better.

Well. ideas. ideas. One of thease days I will transfer you all under 'recipes'

Last 2 Weeks

For the past 2 weeks, everytime I am in front of the computer, I am stuck with a blind mind. Other times, especially when I am driving, I could think of so many comments to make. Is it a sign of bad distraction?

2 weekends ago, Ed helped organished the 1st Malaysian International Medical Students' Conference. Being him, the 'help' became a 'co' and he was rushing from Seremban to KL, back to Seremban for lectuires and back again within 24 hours. He was producing the programme book which I must say is very well done. I am proud of him. (I too need to make myself download pictures from the camera and use them in my blog!). Naturally, with him being busy, daddy and mummy were kept on toes too. Packed moon cake, baked cupcakes amongst other things.

This weekend, need not cook for him so I baked a chicken pie. I have always avoided this because I have this phobia that the liquid will soak thro and the pastry will be wet. Either that or the filling will be dried. Well this time, I decided to make sure thre filling will be moist by adding flour to it. Lol, got daddy to cook it and forgot to tell him about adding flour. So the pastry was good but the filling a bit dry. Made sauce for it but the family prefer it without. Also forgot to put the eggs in in the rush to bake it for lunch.

Ingredients used
1 chicken breast meat
8 large prawns
mixed vege (next round should try only jagong and par boiled carrots)
1 chopped bombay onion
2 boiled eggs

seasoning
sesame oil,
salt pepper
flour
oregano

Pastry
250 g flour
125 g butter
milk
pinch of salt and pepper

Would like to try and inprove on it and if I am not lazy make them into little pies. We will see

From the book Oven Dishes 1

Few ideas I picked from the book

White cheesy sauce for pasta
75 g butter
1/2 cup flour
2 1/2 cup milk
80 g cheese
2 tsp mustard
salt pepper poured over

500 g pasta with
herbs
garlic
olive oil
4 tbsp white wine
45 g sausages
vege
2 tbsp butter
bake till brown

Start of a new label

When I first retired 2 years ago, one of the first things I did was to put the family's documents together systematically . I guess after doing that for the school for so many years, I decided my home should demand the same attention as I had given the Student Affairs Department. I started with an empty room with practically no files, I build up systems of recording and classification. Now it is time my home to be more organised. It paid for in the process I discovered forgotten finance and wrong things that were happening to the house. At present, I can't say it is perfect but at least we remember bills to be paid, where our finances are, and things to note as days go by.
My next passion is cooking. I am no novice cook. As a matter of fact, I laid off the kitchen quite a bit in my many years in the school. I am now picking it up slowly and surely. I cook out of love for those I feed and I like to venture into areas where it is not common. Meaning, I will not make pau or cook laksa for I feel there are plenty that are close by and good. I like to go into food that is not available daily and I like to mix and match ideas as I pick them up in my reading. I have been pondering how to arrange these for the last few months. Truthfully, I couldn't come up with a good way. So this morning as I was walking between rooms upstairs, I decided to just put all I want into this blog and list it as IDEAS. They will consist of short thoughts and plans I want to do in the kitchen. It will evolve as time goes by but what the heck, this is my blog. Good luck to myself Ha ha ha