Misunderstood.

Tired of being treated like a kid. I might act like that sometimes but that doesn't mean I am one.
How long are you going to protect me? How long will you be there for me? I need to face the world sooner or later.

Donning on the chef's hat.

I am going to be the chef/cook for today.Ingredients provided: 2 lamb shoulders and pork loin.
Recipe: No idea. =)

Am going to use my common sense to make something out of those meat. I have no idea what it will turn out but let's hope for the best.Am going to bake those meat and maybe just rub some salt and pepper on them for flavor.

Non-Halal post.

No offense to the halal people out there, but I love pork. =)

Dad went to the market and bought a whole lot of pork. My mum, sis and I were cutting,chopping and separating the pork and storing it into the freezer for a long winter. Poor dad has to feed an army of girls. Yup, that's us all right.

I took one look at the meaty raw pork and I went ooooooooh. It was so thick with meat and juicy. I begged my mum to let me do the chopping.

Yup, I was handling raw meat. Be careful,I'm someone you do not want to mess with. I really am thankful that my parents are one of those very rare parents that insist their kids to go to the wet market and learn to do things like running a household and kitchen. I was once scolded by my dad for not knowing how to chop and clean a chicken.A whole chicken. I mean, he literally scolded me. So I asked my maid for help and yup,am proud to say, Dixie:1,Chicken:0.

source: http://www.a-taste-of-france.com/pork-fillet.html

Delicious 3 layered pork.The crispy skin on the top, the soft juicy fat and the tender and firm meat at the bottom. The perfect trio of meat.

This website has recipes with the majority of pork being used.

Tomorrow is a special day.It is the very exact day,2 years ago, that I, Dixie Ong sat for her last SPM paper which was EST! Brings back fond memories aite?

I have been sleeping at around 3am for the past few days and now, I HAVE PANDA EYES!
Not that I am happy about it,actually I am kinda annoyed/not happy about it. Therefore, this post won't be as long as the ones before but I'll make it up to you.

Oh yeah, short update,I might have a job already. =) Not confirm yet but I'm 70% sure I'll get the job, unless, for some unforeseen reason that cannot be explained then yeah...

Toodles...

About Beef Wellington and Hell's Kitchen...

source: http://hellskitchen.edogo.com/

I have been watching Hell's Kitchen and it really has really perked my interest in working under duress. It was fun watching Gordan Ramsay shouting his arse off. His favorite phrase is, "Move your bloody arse" in his oh-so-delicious British accent. He has a kind side to him if you do not annoy him. What surprised me the most was, majority of the contestants weren't academically trained in culinary. They just had sheer determination and ambition.That was what really got me interested. I had to watch Hell's Kitchen on Youtube as my television at home is spoiled. So far, Gordan Ramsay's menu which I have noticed consist mainly of beef wellington and pea risotto although I have no idea what risotto taste like.

source: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2538/beef-wellington

Basically beef wellington is just a big slab of beef rolled into puff pastry, sounds easy isn't it,wait until you watch how some of the contestants struggle to cook it to the chef's standards. I mean, if I were in Gordon Ramsay's place, I might have felt the same,minus the swearing. =)

I am really interested in making this dish although the cost of the beef would be expensive. Oh yeah, it suppose to have some pate or liver thingy to wrap it but there was this recipe that used minced chicken meat. Mmmmm, delicious! This website teaches you how to make beef wellington!

Oh yeah, update on the book reading. The Peter Pan in Scarlet left me.......... clueless.

I have no idea what the book was rambling about. It was confusing, the book was leading me nowhere, the plot in circles. Sorry dear author of Peter Pan in Scarlet, but I have no idea what the whole book was. No offense but, it was a waste of time.

Anyone wants to sponsor me to Hell's Kitchen? Hey, I might win the challenge and become the head chef in one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurant. Just saying. =)

Indulgence...

Thanks to my sister, I've been binging on junk food which I've craved for a very very very long time. I have this bad habit of trying to control my eating habits especially when it comes to junk food as I use to eat them everyday when I was young. I've been snacking on Twisties and Cheezels for the past 2 days already. Not to mention all the exercising I've been putting in trying to drop of the few kilos I've picked up from the past few stressful months. It looks like the exercising is working but thanks to the junk food I just ate there goes my determination out the window...

So, to curb my ever longing for junk food, I've made myself a cup of coffee. When I was young, I never really tried coffee and hadn't really thought about it until I reached the age of 15. After that, I never looked back again. The aroma of a freshly brewed cup of coffee is enough to tingle your senses, making you long for a sip. Besides, now, coffee even look pretty and amazing.

source:http://www.scottscoffeehouse.com/gourmet-coffee.html

The pictures below are obtained from this website. Amazing isn't it?

I had finally decided to snip off my fringe and I had planned to do this on my own without having to pay people just to snip a small portion of my hair. I was ready to snip it off when my mum came and volunteered. Well, happily I passed the scissors to her.=)

As she snipped and snap and combed. I took one look at the mirror and burst out laughing. I had wanted a slanted/layered fringe and that was exactly what my mum did. But on the very much shorter version than what I had imagined.

Now, I look something like this.

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source: http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/emma-watson-cut-hair-for-dragon_1157389

Hah! I wish.


Actually, more of like this.

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Nah, just pulling your leg. Hahahha.

Ok, serious now,it's something like this but a little shorter.

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source: http://www.freakingnews.com/Haircut-Pictures-34926.asp

HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHA,I'm sorry but I couldn't help myself. Am imagining your faces. Teeheeeeee. =D

Okla, the picture below is somewhat like my fringe but on the shorter side. Much shorter.

source: http://www.celebrity-haircut.info/tag/mens-hairstyles/

After the hair cut, my mum, Chrissie and I couldn't stop laughing. I literally had tears in my eyes. My mum laughed so hard she had stiches at her sides. =)

I insisted it looked funny but my mum insisted that it looked alright and when I stared at her, she was trying so hard not laugh and when she finally did, she blamed it on me saying that I was the one making her laugh. It was fun,all of us laughing, at the expense of my hair.

More updates soon! See ya!

Before that,I'll leave you with another picture.

http://www.overidon.com/2009/09/excellent-shave-and-a-haircut-at-fast-eddies-coast-barber-shop/

Of Cheap Thrills and Real Fun...

Seeing my dogs chasing after squirrels and barking up a tree can really make your day. Sniffing and hunting as if she's a hunting dog in a forest, looking for her prey,Fluffy is as cute as a dog can get.

I am torn between the will to clean and help around the house or spend my time reading, surfing the net, enjoying my own free time at my own pace. I finally brought my guitar home, need to change the strings though. Classical guitar, it sounds nicer than acoustic, the name I mean, the sound of an acoustic may sound nicer but, to me, a guitar is just a guitar, it's the talent, more of the passion that matters to me. A person may show tremendous talent in an instrument but without the proper emotions and passion, I'd rather watch a beginner starting off with passion and love towards their playing anytime.

source: http://www.learnacousticguitar.org/

Hopefully, I will be able to master both the piano and guitar soon. I have been procrastinating long enough on these two instruments. Even my Croation Rhapsody which I was so enthusiastic about at the beginning of the year,I only managed to learn up the first 2 pages, memorized them to be exact. 3 MORE SHEETS OF MUSIC TO GO!

Ok, let me rant a little about my dream house, since I've already started on and on about having an enormous library. You know hos some people dream about having the perfect bedroom and living room and garden, well, I'd prefer the perfect kitchen and library. I had even thought that if my house was to small to build my perfect kitchen, I would demolish the living room and all my guests would have to end up sitting in my kitchen! =)

Don't worry, in compensation, I would feed my guests till they can stuff nothing more into their bellies.

source: http://www.everydayminimalist.com/?p=664

There, my dream kitchen, filled with every pot, and tins and cutlery and plates and knives. Everything, perfect with every imaginable items that are needed in a kitchen. Large ovens to roast 20 birds at once, thousands of cake tins enough to build an empire of cakes and cookies and other delicious goodies. Hey, I just rhymed. =) That's it, my next post shall be about Cookies and other delicious goodies. Oh, the number of sharp knives and forks, one may think twice trying to break into my house. Bowls and plates, pots and pans. Ohhh...Chopping boards, rolling pins. OK, paging Dixie,Dixie. Earth calling space. COME BACK TO EARTH!

source: http://winewriter.wordpress.com/2007/12/04/kitchens-id-love-to-cook-in-photos/

Doesn't this depict a picture of perfect homeliness?

The first thing I usually do if I enter someone's home, I must see their kitchens. Call this obnoxious or a compulsive disorder,but hey,I'm human. =) I crave for perfection just like any other normal person would.

Ok, enough ranting for now. I'm not even sure if I'm writing this for my own sake, like a little diary or for people out there to catch a glimpse of my somewhat, perfect-but-not-too-perfect life. Stay tuned for more imperfections of the daily life of an imperfect person.

Devil's food cake...

source:http://www.mccormick.com/Recipes/Desserts/Chocolate-Cherry-Cake.aspx

source: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2007/08/devils-food-cak/

First off, I'm learning to source my pictures which I normally don't. But I do think that credit must be given. =) So yeah, all pictures will be credited and sourced to my best efforts.

I made devil's food cake on Sunday with the help of a certain tall and lanky, noisy helper. No,it's not my sister.She's too busy "studying".

Well, anyway, the cake turned out great, since this lil small town of Seremban, I could not find cream so I had to substitute it with milk and butter, which is basically the same thing unless you wanna make whip cream than sorry mate, you got to look for the real cream then. The icing was a tad bitter... well, quite bitter to be exact as I had used the leftover chocolates which were 85% and 70% cocoa.Very bitter...hmmm, but my family said it tasted exactly like American Chocolate cake,if only the icing was sweeter. =) Looks like Grandma's recipe book really can be trusted!

I have been pestering my mum to buy round cake tins as I only have rectangular ones and truthfully,I'm kinda bored with rectangle cakes already. I know,I know, no matter the shape, the taste is still the same right? But I really like round shaped cakes. =) Nice to see nice to cut ma.

Oh yeah, the first picture, my cake texture and colour is exactly the same while the second picture is to show you the icing I had poured on the cake except that my icing was darker, much darker in colour as I had used dark bitter chocolate.

OK,more recipes and book reading to come.

Frugal and fragile...

Well, seems like the full nerd mode is going well. I've finished 2 books in 2 days already. Not up to my usual standard yet but it's getting there. What can I say, I've got to occupy the time that I've got on my hands,what better way than to read, which not only occupies my time but at the same time, improves my language and grammar(hopefully)?

Ever noticed that the mind tends to wander and little itsy bitsy pieces of insecurities and nonsense creeps into your mind?

It will be 2 years this Saturday and yet,I still feel the insecurities and uncertainties that I first felt on our first day. Why is it you may wonder, it might be the lack of self confidence in myself that so very often takes over me. Even until now, I sometimes feel that either I am not good enough or maybe I am too good. Don't get it, never mind.


I borrowed two books from the Taylor's library.

Source: http://www.fishpond.co.nz/Books/Fiction_Literature/General/9780751542455/?cf=3

Crossings, is a book by Danielle Steel and this is my first time reading one of her works. I have to say, she did a very good job in details. This book had a serious edge to it and yet very intriguing. The plot had me stumbling to find out more about the characters, about Liane,a very young woman but has shown maturity beyond her age. Set in the period when the Germans were attacking the French, and Japanese with the Americans, a tale stunningly told, a love affair, her love torn between a man that she loves, married, dear old Armand, a man 20 + years older than her but is far away, defending his country, or the young Nick Burnham, as charming and handsome as he is but married to a woman, so full of herself and her philandering ways. The struggles she has to go through to support the man she loves and to comfort the man living in pain and is attracted to day by day. A tale as original as it can get, this book had my eyes glued to it.

source: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/jane-costello/nearly-weds.htm

This book has a similar plot to the Sound of Music and The Nanny and many others. Just can't seem to think about any right now. Zoe gets stood up by her fiance, flies off to America to work as a nanny, falls in love with her employer, who puts up an obnoxious, defensive front after his wife died. He soon slowly falls for her, she falls in love with him, she get's into a dilemma of choosing between her hot,American but annoying and unpleasant boss or her fiance who's begging her for a second chance. A well predicted ending but I quite enjoyed the story and humor in it. Very predictable though but good enough to keep me reading on.


What can I say, I am a sucker for romance novels. I use to think that, friends and family should just buy me a book each for my birthday, Christmas, and all the other gift giving holidays as my presents!

Next book am going to devour is... jeng jeng jeng, a classic story but WITH a new twist in it. It's Peter Pan in Scarlet! Interesting isn't it,believe it or not, I use to have a crush on the cartoon version of Peter Pan(actually,I still kinda do). I would dream that he would come through my window and I would fly away with him. I've always thought I would make a better Wendy than Wendy did. Haha. =)


Yup,interesting, Peter Pan. Need I say more. He's Peter Pan. Read more to find out! *drools*

PS: To the person concerned, that's for leaving me all alone. I devour,swallow,engulf and consume books due to boredom. You know who you are. I'm watching you. @.@

Just once...

Just once, I want to feel...

Just once, I do not want to be the stronger one.

Just once, I do not want to worry but to be worried by.

Just once, I want to act all childish.

Just once, I want to let everything go.

But in the end, you still pull me towards you.

Why can't I seem to let you do the worrying?

Why can't I let myself do what I want without being held back. There are so many things,holding me back. Why...

I thought I got over this phase. Looks like it's just the beginning.

Contradictory...

Even in the run-down dirty,congested and terrible living conditions in Mentari, there are still people who make the effort to decorate their houses during the Festival of Lights. This was taken during Deepavali and as I walked pass this, it brought a smile to my lips, thinking of how some people leap at the very chance of having a holiday and decorating.

This is Fluffy.

This is how my sister takes a break from all her studying. The poor dog may look tortured but she is actually enjoying it.


On the way to cousin's wedding. Wore a dress that belonged to my aunty. This dress is almost 25 years old? Not so sure about the age but it is definitely from the past where bell bottoms and frizzy long hair were in fashion. My mum has been recycling her old (old as in, clothes that she wore when she was young, not the old,unwanted clothes) by taking them out of those old dusty cardboard boxes and dressing me up in them. I have to say, some of the dresses do look like they are bought from those famous and over-priced shops like Forever 21, Topshop and others. =)

Now, with all the free time, I am going to waste it by baking and cooking. Mum just bought a cookbook entitled 'Grandma's quick and thrifty cookbook' and I am, in a way going to try cooking and baking all the recipes in there.
My source of inspiration? I've been addicted to the movie Julie & Julia which for some reason, I can't help but to watch it over and over again.

When I am old enough to support myself with my own house, I'm going to have a whole room specifically for books only. A whole personal library of books. Ranging from cookbooks to storybooks, fiction and non-fiction, science fiction, romance novels, adventure stories, mystery and maybe a small collection of horror/murder stories.

Imagine the collection of books, just for recipes, and the ones above are just a fraction of recipe books. Try imagining owning and buying all the recipe books in the world. I can open a small library by then. =)

You want to know what can really make me happy? What makes me contented and warm and gushy, you know, besides eating...

Books.

Endless, thousands of books, waiting for me to read them. Sitting quietly in a corner, filled with books. Turning each page, reading from cover to cover, book by book. I am already planning to build a collection of books. Something like the pictures below.


That's were I feel one should spend their quiet times in. Maybe it's just me.

A book is the only place in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or explore an explosive idea without fear it will go off in your face. It is one of the few havens remaining where a man's mind can get both provocation and privacy. ~Edward P. Morgan


I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~Anna Quindlen, "Enough Bookshelves," New York Times, 7 August 1991

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. ~Charles W. Eliot


To sit alone in the lamplight with a book spread out before you, and hold intimate converse with men of unseen generations - such is a pleasure beyond compare. ~Kenko Yoshida


Lord! when you sell a man a book you don't sell just twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue - you sell him a whole new life. Love and friendship and humour and ships at sea by night - there's all heaven and earth in a book, a real book. ~Christopher Morley

These are just some of the meaningful quotes I found from this website. Click on the link and read through them.

So, I am challenging/encouraging you to pick up a book and throw it at someone. Hahha,was just testing whether you were asleep or not. =p Nah, try reading a book. If you didn't like the book you read, pick up another and another until you have found the one you like, the one you found inspiring, the one you found love.

Breathe of Life...

I've been suffocating for the past few months. It's like I've been wearing this really really tight corset those ladies in the Vitorian era use to wear and finally it bursts open! Phew... I really have to thank God for helping me survive the past few months, not to mention the support given by family and friends.

Well, I've vowed to be more hardworking next year(sounds familar,well, I say it almost every time I procrastinate). My mum wants me to improve my language and grammer skills. I want to improve on my cooking and baking skills.Oh, including piano and guitar. Am gonna start and finish something for once.

Thanks to the hectic months, I've not been putting much effort in exercising, my stamina really dropped.

Yesterday night I attended my cousin's wedding. It was really beautiful, she was really beautiful. But as usual, all weddings starts later than the given time. I was quite hungry by time the food arrive. It was quite an affair. Food was not bad. Cold and shivering through the night. Went cuckoo with Chris all the night.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Revamped look... Coming Soon.

Pictures-taken-by-self, to me, comes once in a blue moon.

More updates later when I've overcome this hectic period.

Chocolate milk.

I hate and detest milk but I love chocolate milk.

I hate and cannot stand cheese but I love any kind of cheese ON pizza and lasagnas only.

I can't stand having butter in bread but I love toasted bread with butter.

I use to sulk and shiver at the mere mention of vegetables, now I can't seem to get enough of them.

I use to hate bitter gourds but now, it does not bother me one bit.

I had once thought coffee was very bitter and tasted funny, and now, coffee is my constant companion.

I use to be a daredevil/tomboy and absolutely abhor wearing skirts, dresses and heels, now, it has become a fun time wearing skirts and dressing up.

Funny, how we change over time.Likes become dislikes and we grow up to learn to tolerate,not all things but most things.

Perfection...

Looking for perfection? Well darling, there is no such thing as perfection. Never expect such a thing from anyone or anything. We all will just have to learn to live with all the imperfections of life.

When we learn to lower our expectations, that's when we are able to feel at least that tiny hint of satisfaction. Live and let go. Don't hold on to things that won't last.

The only perfect thing in this world,is to live with the imperfections.
(Dixie Ong, 2010)

Rumble Grumble...

Rumble grumble,
My stomach's in trouble,
It feels like an empty bubble,
Need a burger, wait, make it a double.

Add some fries and a shake,
And a big chocolate cake,
Next,I'll have a medium rare meaty steak,
With some potatoes, either mashed or baked.

No, it's not fake,
I really am in a hungry state,
You wanna bring me on a date?
It's either a give or take!

Composed by Dixie Ong
3 November 2010
6.15pm

All it takes is a little patience...

I've just realized that, I tend to want to grow up pretty fast. Instead of enjoying what I am and what I have currently, there will always be this tiny hint of longing.

I have just cleaned my room again. I could not stand another day living in my dirty and messy room so I took action. I even cleaned and almost dismantled my small fan in the process. Now, after cleaning my room, I am paranoid. Even a single hair falls of my head I would pick it up. Not to mention the little annoying 6-legged tiny things I found crawling all around my room.

So far, I am pretty contented with myself but deep inside I know there are a hundred and one things for me to do. I find it hard to picture myself working. I could imagine myself studying and all but I just can't picture myself, working in a company, for a company, like having a serious job, not part time or something. Maybe I am afraid of not being able to see and predict the future. I do not like not knowing what will happen...

Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security.
John Allen Paulos.

Torture...

Since my holidays are coming soon, recommendation of work anyone? =)

My dad saw this ad in the newspaper about some pastry and baking course in 3 months. He asked me whether I was interested or not. Well, I was planning to EARN money not spend money but yeah, I was interested. So we went online to check how much it would cost and our eyeballs literally fell out of our sockets! For a 3 month course, it will cost you 10k ++. And that's not including the other expenses. A Full 9 month course would cost you 30k++. Wow... Well, it's back to square one.

My IPD torture is, well, almost over. Honestly I can tell you, this is one course I would never understand and has the worst assignments. I really do not see the point in taking/studying this subject. Sorry to say this but this subject is almost and practically useless besides taking up our time and money. Whoever came up with this subject should go... well, you know...

More updates soon. Stay tuned. =)