Spring!!

biked around few days ago..


in the morning, of course...

made some pictures in the Ooster Park..


failed to capture the buds and blooming colourful flowers though .. :(

Cats Care

My tom cat, Tommy, died last year.
I took him to the vet but I wish I had read the article in this link.

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/pets/how-to-treat-a-cat-that-has-an-abscess.htm

I think he survived this abscess but then he got ill again and I wasn't there to take him to the vet.
I was out of town and so..
How I still blame some people and myself for this!

"Cycling Dinner" at Sarphati

We had a "cycling" dinner last night.
No, it has nothing to do with bikes.
The title refers to your having starter, main course, and dessert at different rooms.

I prepared two desserts : klepon (Ha!) and banana pudding. Here's how it went.

It's always nice if people like what you have made and klepon (my second time serving it to non-Indonesians) never fails me. :)
I put too much water in the dough though, so the result was too soft. Fortunately, the weather here (is it?) solved the problem. By the time the klepon has to be served, it has hardened a bit to almost perfect hardness (not too soft, not too hard).

The banana pudding was not bad, but it wasn't really good. I don't really like it. I think the taste depends much on the quality of the thick cream and finding the cream was not too easy. I looked at Albert Heijn and found slagroom without 471 but I decided to see if I could find the cream in a Turkish shop.
I did finally bought the cream in the Turkish shop (more expensive than AH's cream) but I think it didn't taste good. Maybe it's not the thick cream I was supposed to look for. I don't know, I can't understand what's written on it. Maybe I should've used the slagroom from AH, it might make the pudding taste better.
Here's the link to the recipe (in Bahasa Indonesia), if anyone is interested.

http://www.resepnugraha.net/resep/detail/?no=290

This recipe was not my first choice. I am not used to food with creams. I am a humble Indonesian from a simple family. Our cookies don't use thick cream.

I do want to make a fruit pudding but actually I prefer Pumpkin pudding :
http://gudangresepku.blogspot.com/2007/12/puding-labu-parang.html

However, this recipe needs a steamer, which I don't have.

I should've just made it as a usual pudding though. You know, boil it with many other things. :)
The thought crossed my mind but..........

Well, I'll make it for myself. I already have the pumpkin like a week ago. :)

Anyway, upon reflecting (What a word! :D),
why do I bother cooking for such an (sorry) unimportant thing?
Well, meeting your neighbours through a dinner is nice. I like this way of meeting friends.
We can eat (He he) and TALK peacefully and decently.
I don't like parties here (There is a party after the cycling dinner which I didn't attend) because it involves much drinking and just because I'm not into that kind of thing.

One more thing, I just like to try out recipes. Just like Lebaran day, this dinner gives me an occasion and reason to try out recipes.
I'll definitely make a pumpkin pudding. :)

Lend me your wings, Birds. I want to Fly home!

Ah, aku ingin pulang.
Kakakku satu-satunya insyaAllah menikah dalam hitungan jam dan aku tidak bisa datang.

Ah, aku ingin terbang pulang.
Tak bisa mendarat pun tak mengapa, cukup melayang di luar jendela dan memandang.

Ah, aku tak bisa pulang.
Sedihnya tak kepalang tapi do'aku semoga datang.