Heavenly Paradise@AdelineAng.com

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! Valentine’s chocolates, candies, and soft toys have been put on shelves at various stores, more than a month ago; basically after the Christmas and New Year’s celebration. Scratching your head what to get for loved one?

Chocolates? 

Soft toys?

 Why not consider something else? Something unique for your special one. Instead of chocolates, soft toys, or flowers, spare some time & effort making some baked goods!  Melt your valentine heart with some thoughtful and delicate valentine cookies and/or cupcakes. Yumm…

Wishing everyone a Happy V-Day!!!

The winter season in Canada can be long and painful (for most people).

1. 3 months of winter, you’d think? Spring, summer, fall, and winter; four seasons in one year. A simple math calculation tells you that season changes every 3 months. As a matter of fact, NO!! Be ready for 6 months of winter, if not longer! Here is a general season pattern: spring (May-June), summer (July-August), fall (September-October), and winter (November-April).

2. Winter boots. Do you really need one? If you’ve to walk in the winter, of course YES! However, some can survive with just a good pair of sneakers. How? Ask them! Nonetheless, wearing winter boots doesn’t mean that you can run on ice. You will still slip on ice, especially when you’re not paying attention. For myself? It’s usually one painful fall (on average) each winter, on the black ice (covered with snow). I just hope that my laptop is not with me when that happens :)

3. Dry skins and cracked fingers, leads to bleeding. It’s hard to keep your skin moist when the weather is so dry. Cranking up the heat and washing hands on a regular basis are not helpful at all, but making skin condition even worse. What to do? Apply hand moisturizer as often as you possibly can.

My dry, cracked finger joint that was bleeding.

4. Wind chill factor. Even when the temperature is as mild as -5 ºC, the wind chill factor can easily make you feel like -15 ºC!! Watch closely to the weather forecast when planning for a trip, even stepping out of your comfy home for just a few minutes.

5. Raining in the winter. The icy condition from the freezing of melted snow can be disastrous! Hence, I favour snow over rain in the winter!

6. Winter tires, antifreeze windshield washer fluid, windshield ice scraper & snow brush, and block heaters. Trust me, you’ll need these in your car! Be sure to plug in block heater overnight when the weather gets really cold, usually below -30 ºC. As well, allow some time to brush off the snow, scrap off the ice on windshield and whatnot, before you hit the road!

The power plug (in red box) of a car block heater.

7. Snow. A snowstorm can result in 20-30 cm of snow. Clearing the driveway with a shovel or snow blower can be a hard chore, especially in the cold weather. The city uses snow plows to clear off the roads and highways; spreads liquid salt to melt ice and snow, or sand to provide traction.

Watch out for the snow plow!

8. Painful frostbite. Try to avoid exposure of large skin area under extreme weather; by wearing appropriate winter clothing, including a pair of gloves and winter hat.

9. Dry weather. Lint particles are often found on clothing. They are apparent on darker clothing, especially black. Static shocks can be annoying too, simply from grabbing on the doorknob (usually metal objects).  Solution? Try touching something with a piece of metal (e.g. key), before holding it by hands. Keep the air moist in your room by placing a cup of water on the desk. You’ll be surprised how quickly it evaporates!

10. Falling snow and ice. Avoid walking under buildings with overhanging ice and rooftops with thick snow, especially when the weather starts to warm up.

Have a safe, pleasant, and enjoyable winter!

After all the inspiring winter stories you’ve read about and breathtaking winter pictures you’ve seen, you’re now pumped for the true winter experience yourself! Wait a minute… even though I enjoy winter (the good part of it) myself, I’ll have to reveal some winter scenes that are rarely publicized. Why? It’s because I’ve to be honest to you that winter is not always as pretty as you think it is!!

See it for yourself… 

The high pile of snowbank is no longer in white, but black (literally) instead…

The sidewalk is not scenic like it used to be… 

Looking foward to a nice spring? Before we get to that point, here’s the challenge… walk on the slushy melting snow!!

In spite of the unpleasant sights of winter, including the disasterous icy condition that I’ve previously shown, winter is still great after all. Some dislike winter with a passion and some take delight in it. Other than the bitterly cold and windy winter days, I’ve been enjoying winter thus far. My sixth winter, and still counting…

Hummus is an Arabic snack prepared from chickpeas (cooked and mashed), blended with tahini (sesame paste), garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. It can be used as a dip or spread. I tried hummus at a multicultural food fair a few years ago and really liked it! Since then, I’ve been making homemade hummus :)

Here is a recipe of hummus without tahini; since tahini is not a common ingredient and might not be readily available at grocery stores. The hummus tasted as great!!

Ingredients:
1 can (540 ml) chickpeas
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 salt

Directions:
1. Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas.
2. In a kitchen blender, pour in chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, water, olive oil, with the rest of ingredients, including salt.
3. Blend on high speed for ~ 3-4 minutes or until a paste with soft texture is formed. Add more water if needed.
4. The flavourful hummus is ready in no time! Serve with pita bread, crackers, or even veggie sticks! Enjoy :)

Here is my recipe of homemade taro-flavoured bubble tea as promised ;)

Ingredients:
30 tapioca pearls
1 green tea bag
2 cup hot water
4 tbsp taro powder
2 tsp honey
3 tsp condensed milk
4 ice cubes

Directions:
1. Prepare a pot of hot boiling water. Cook the tapioca pearls on high heat for 20 minutes, and on medium heat for another 20 minutes.
2. Prepare a glass of green tea (2 cup hot water with a tea bag). Add honey and condensed milk into tea.
3. While the tea is still hot, add taro powder. Mix well.
4. Shake tea with a cocktail shaker (or regular drink container).
5. Blend together tea and ice cubes, using a kitchen blender. Blend on high speed for 10-15 seconds.
6. Drain water off the pot. Pour tapioca pearls into a glass, followed by the well-blended tea.
7. Ready to serve!

Yumm… my all-time favourite–taro bubble tea with lots of bubbles!!

My bubble tea story continues, after my previous introduction about hot bubble tea from the Trinitea’s Cup. A few weeks ago, I tried the so-called taro bubble tea in downtown Fredericton. Even though the “bubble tea” was tasty and flavourful, I was shocked to find out it wasn’t tea that they used!! It tasted more like taro smoothie; a blend of taro-flavoured juice with scoops of ice-cream… On top of that, flavoured jellies are used to replace tapioca pearls. Hmm… how is it suppose to be bubble tea, when there’s neither bubble (tapioca pearl) nor tea in it??

Bubble tea is 珍珠奶茶 (zhen zhu nai cha) in Mandarin, meaning tea with milk and pearl.

My taro-flavoured “bubble tea” with mango-flavoured jellies.

Then, I came up with the idea of preparing my own bubble tea! How? Check out my next post entry!!

Tired of baking the same thing over and over again? Bored of referring to recipes whenever you bake? Hey, why not come out with your own recipes??

Baking is a great way to release stress; it’s even more fun experimenting your own recipes! Satisfying food cravings and bringing a big smile on someone’s face has always been my “mission” in cooking and baking =D

I came up with the idea of making corn muffins with my brand new silicon muffin pan!

Ingredients:
1+1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup cream-style corn (canned)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Beat the egg lightly. Cream together egg, sugar, and margarine.
2. Add milk and vanilla extract into the margarine mixture. Mix well.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
4. Pour the flour mixture into the margarine mixture in step (2) gradually, while stirring/blending with another hand.
5. Lastly, add the cream-style corn into the batter. Mix well.
6. Pour batter into a lined muffin pan, about 3/4 full.
7. Bake in preheated oven at 375 F for about 30 minutes, or until light brown.

* This recipe yields a dozen of small-size muffins. Very moist and tasty (according to my tasters)!!

Tips: Use 2 tsp baking powder instead, to get the muffins to rise more :)

Winter can be long, as you may have realized. Well, if you’re not into skating, skiing, or any fun adventures as such, you’re missing out a lot! Guess what? There is always something you can do, ensuring an exciting season with a wide array of winter activities!!

Are you curious now? What are THEY??

Fun #1: Dipping (more like sinking) feet into the deep, soft, white snow! How deep does the snow get? Check it out!

Fun #2: Climbing to the top of a 10-foot snowbank!! Smiling at people who look at you as a weirdo, while enjoying the scenic view!!

Fun #3: Making snow angel!!! You’ve experienced winter? Really?? Not if you haven’t made a snow angel!

How to make one? First of all, make a jump on a cushion of soft snow. Be sure to stay clear of obstacles.

As you land on the snow, on your back, move arms and legs in the snow to form an angel!

I’m obsessed with picture taking of overhanging ice lately :P Pictures are best taken under the sun, at the right angle. The overhanging ice varies in length and thickness. It is a result of melting snow from the rooftop when temperature rises, followed by dripping water from the roof edges; and finally, freezing of water in the sub-zero climate. There forms the overhanging ice!

Even though they are nice to look at, be aware of falling ice as you walk pass these buildings. Don’t take the risk parking your car close to them! I can’t picture what would happen if the ice falls on someone’s head…

Of course, there is always pretty snow in the winter that we shouldn’t miss!

Have you had a chance to take a close look at the snowflakes? The gorgeous snowflakes don’t come by easy, depending on the temperature, humidity etc. These snow crystals are formed as a result of water vapour condensation, which leads to the creation of ice. This process takes place in clouds. The growth of crystals contributes to the unique pattern of snowflakes. You’ll be amazed to find out that there is no two snowflakes that look alike! This is comparable to the DNA profile of human beings; snowflakes have individual identities! How neat  =D

Winterfest NB is an annual event held in Fredericton. This was my second visit, after the first one in year 2005. Weather was mild for this outdoor event. It was awesome! Nonetheless, the traffic was incredibly ridiculous. I wished the organizer would have done something to solve the problem. Even though the parking space has been expanded, the entrance & exit site was so narrow that it slowed down the traffic. Some visitors even claimed that they had to wait in the car for 1-2 hours before getting to the site!

I went with some friends. We were lucky that the traffic wasn’t too bad when we were there, around 3 p.m. The actual ground wasn’t very big, a reasonable area size for visitors to have some great fun! Free car parking on the site, and $3/person for admission.

There were snow sculptures, giant slides, snow maze, and sleigh ride. Besides, food stalls were available on site. Freezing and need some warmth? The “warming tent” was setup with picnic benches in a heated tent!

I enjoyed (getting lost in) the maze and giant slide with friends. It was wonderful to be a kid again ;)

A long lineup for the giant slides.

The long, wide, and extremely slippery giant slides!

A cute snow sculpture with tunnel that allows young kids to crawl through.

The penguin snow sculptures.

Polar bear snow sculpture.

Mini snow castle with a Canadian flag.

Spongebob was invited to the Winterfest?!

The sleigh ride.

We were there for about 2 hours. As we made our way to the exit after all the excitements, we bumped into this warning signage that we should have noticed earlier =D

Being part of a student organization during my university days at the University of New Brunswick (UNB), has been a fruitful and memorable one. I joined different student organizations; one of which was the Malaysian Students’ Society (MSS).

The MSS was founded in 1978.  Over the years, MSS has organized activities such as apple picking, Thanksgiving potluck, Christmas party, birthday party, cultural night, ski trip, graduation dinner, BBQ etc. These events enriched our living experience at UNB, given us a better insight into Canadian culture, and also enabled us to share our culture with the local community. MSS welcomes all students from campus to be part of the group. The nationality of members ranges from Malaysian, Singaporean, Chinese, Taiwanese, to Indian, Canadian etc.

Here, I found it amusing to meet people from the same cultural background and speak the same language. Ironically, some are neighbours who used to live just a few miles away from where I was; but meeting each other when I’m thousands of miles away from home, in a foreign land!

The highlight of the MSS activity, is the annual event–Malaysian Cultural Night. Juggling between busy class schedule and massive preparation, members had fun putting bits and pieces together and made the event a roaring success, year after year. The cultural night, which opened to university students, faculty members, and the community, usually targeted for 200-250 guests. The biggest crowd was in 2004, where we had around 350 guests!

Members and friends involved in food preparation, performances, decorations, table setting, sound system, food serving, and of course, cleaning (food and garbage) too! =D  It has been a “tradition” for MSS to have a group picture of members and friends who helped out at the cultural night.

2004: Cultural Night in “Pasar Malam (Night Market)” Style. I was the Secretary this year, in charge of ticket selling. Guests purchased a coupon booklet of $5 or $10, and got to go around the table and try different dishes for just $1 each! The event was held at the Student Union Building cafeteria, UNB.

2005: Cuti-cuti Malaysia, Malaysia Truly Asia. Being the President, I was busy all night socializing with the VIPs and guests. It was a banquet-style event held at the Student Union Building Ballroom, UNB.

2006: Cultural Night in “Mamak” Style. I was one of the emcees for the evening. This was also a banquet-style event, same as the year before.

2007: Pulau Idaman, Paradise Island. As the Vice President, I was the greeter this year. It was a buffet-style event, located at the Student Union Building cafeteria of UNB. “All you can eat!”

2008: Malaysian Cultural Night 2008. I helped with food preparation in the kitchen. 8 hours of cooking!! This was also a buffet-style event, similar to previous year.

Although the preparation required much effort and was time-consuming, the idea of promoting Malaysian culture to the Canadian community was splendid! Friends of members were invited to lend a helping hand to host such a big event, in exhange for a scrumptious Malaysian meal!

From performance practice (for at least one month), ticket selling, food preparation (as early as two days before hand), to the actual cultural night, it was a lengthy yet enjoyable process. The joy of introducing Malaysian cuisine and sharing the culture with the community, has made every effort worthwhile.

Are you curious what was on the food menu? Here are some food items we’ve had in the past:

Appetizers: Fried wanton, spring roll, fried chicken wings etc.
Main course: Fried rice, fried rice vermicelli, sweet & sour pork, satay, beef rendang, chicken curry, tandoori chicken, BBQ pork, mixed veggie, sambal egg etc.
Desserts: Red bean soup, red bean square, serimuka, jello, fresh fruits (imported from Malaysia) etc.
Drinks: Rose syrup, water, juice, coffee & tea.

We tried our level best to place at least ten different food items on the menu, for greater selection to our guests. What do they think about the food? Absolutely LOVING it!! Majority of the guests actually comes back every year!

The Malaysian Cultural Night is certainly one of my best memories from UNB!

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
~ 3 cm ginger root, grated
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 can (540 ml) chickpea, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp chana masala
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp salt
Dash of coriander powder
Dash of garam masala
1 tbsp cooking oil

Directions:
1. Heat cooking oil in a pot on medium heat. Saute onions till light brown.
2. Add garlic and ginger into pot. Pan-fry till fragrant and brown, on low heat.
3. Next, add tomatoes and salt. Mix well and let cook on medium high heat, cover with a lid. When it comes to a boil, let simmer on low heat.
4. As tomato juice thickens and a thin layer of oil becomes apparent, add chickpea, red chili powder, chana masala, and turmeric powder. Mix well on medium high heat.
5. Stir continuously for 1-2 minutes, till fragrant. If too dry, add ~ 1 tbsp of water. Let simmer on low heat for another 15 minutes, with lid on.
6. Lastly, stir in coriander powder and garam masala. Let cook for one minute before turning heat off.
7. Serve while hot, with rice or Indian bread.

* Spicy level: 7/10

This is a hot & spicy Indian dish. Feel free to adjust the amount of spices according to taste. I was inspired by the Indian cooking of my friend, Seema, several years ago. Since then, I’ve been having fun preparing Indian dishes from time to time. Seema, I missed your samosas and pakoras!

Skiing is a great sport. It requires body strength, flexibility, and endurance. This is my sixth winter in Canada thus far. I’m an amateur skier who usually visit the ski mountain 2-3 times every season. I’d have gone more often if it’s easily accessible; and having my own ski equipment would help too, I supposed.

Listed below are some tips you may find useful for your upcoming ski trip:

Use ski poles appropriately. They are useful when you need to speed up, do a turn (sometimes), and release skis. Ski poles can also be extremely helpful, as a support to get up after a fall :) You’ll be surprised that good skiers can ski without ski poles! Hence, use them only when needed.

Use hip and leg strength to maneuver skis. Try not to rely so much on ski poles.  

Useful tip for ski beginners to reduce speed: Keep skis with tips pointing each other at a sharp angle, and form a “V” shape.

Ski in a zigzag pattern on steep slope. This allows better control of speed and body balance. Wider zigzag results in a lower speed, and vice versa.

Keep skis in contact with the ground. The moment skis are lifted in the air undesirably, body will most likely lose its balance.

Avoid ice patches. Skiers are prone to losing balance on ice, due to the lower friction between ice and skis.

Prevent ski goggles from fogging up. Moisture from the air or sweat may cause fogging of ski goggles. Hence, try not to rest goggles on forehead (though it looks cool); release of body heat creates moisture that promotes fogging.

Read the signs before proceeding. There are different levels of difficulty and steepness for each trail. Understand the trail map and avoid any unfavourable route, e.g. an expert hill for a ski beginner and a long, flat trail for an advanced skier ;)

Skiing on ungroomed trails can be challenging. Skis often lose its flexibility when covered in snow. Skis are harder to maneuver due to the friction with snow. More often than not, you’re left with no choice but to ski straight down the slope!

Powder snow is great for skiing, especially after a snowstorm! Try to avoid skiing on ice patches or icy snow. It hurts real bad when you fall!

Skating techniques help in mastering skiing skills. It’s easier for someone to learn skiing if he/she already knew how to skate.

Dress appropriately. Ski hat, ski goggles, neck warmer, ski gloves, wind breaker (if not winter jacket), ski pants, and a pair of warm socks. Avoid overdressed. Why? First of all, winter clothing can be rather bulky; it reduces your flexibility. Also, body warms up as you ski. Try to avoid sweating as the moisture will cause freezing in the cold air. Overdressed is as bad as underdressed. Thus, doffing and donning of ski attire according to weather and comfort level as you ski.

Fall safely. Huh? What does it suppose to mean? If you have to fall, fall on the snow rather than bump into the tress. When you lose control of your direction and self-balance, be sure to land on a clear spot.

Ski with a buddy. Anything can happen when you ski. Seek help from your buddy when something goes wrong, especially to pick up skis that are few feet away from where you landed :D

Last but not least, ski with confidence and full concentration. Stay positive and ready to be challenged. After all, you’re just going to stumble on a cushion of white snow, if you lose balance. What’s the big deal?!

Ski safely. Have fun skiing!

Why do I enjoy skiing? I had a previous post entry that may answer this question. My experience from skiing in Banff a month ago was different from skiing at the Crabbe Mountain. Having said that, I enjoyed skiing at both locations.

To me, skiing is not merely a sport. It provides a great insight into building personal development and a wonderful interpretation of life. How? First and foremost, be bold. Downhill skiing is a risky and challenging sport. I’ve had two friends who broke their legs from skiing in the past. I came to realize that it’s all about skiing responsibly while enjoying the fun of it; just as my perspective of life. You don’t avoid doing something just because you’ve to step out from your comfort zone to reach out for it. If you think it’s worthwhile doing and to avoid regrets later in life; by all means, go for it!

The positive attitude in facing new challenges in life. Even though you are informed about the level of difficulty of each trail, you’ve absolutely no idea what to expect. Is it going to be a smooth or bumpy descend? Regardless, you do your level best to overcome what lies ahead of you.

Thirdly, there’s no turning back once a decision is made. You pick the trail, and no matter how steep the slope is or how bumpy the trail is going to be, you’ve no choice but to apply the skills you’ve built up in the past, and move on courageously.

Falling is inevitable. I still remembered the bruises I’ve got during my first few ski trips and the serious muscle soreness I suffered from. The main point is to learn from experience; the more you practise, the better you’ll get. “Practice makes perfect.”

Be independent. There are times when you stumble and fall, you’ll have to get up with your own strength. Reach out for your fallen skis and reattach them to your boots, in order to continue on with your journey.

Take control of yourself. To ski fast or slow, to make a turn or not etc., it’s all up to you! Make use of your own skills to overcome upcoming challenges and not to panic, it’s a positive way to clear the obstacles in life.

Building self-confidence. If you think you’re going to fall; the chances are, you’ll fall! Have trust in yourself in everything you do, and know that you’ll do it well.

Be attentive. A full concentration is required in skiing. There were times where my mind was drifted away when something caught my attention. The next thing I realized was a painful fall!

Perseverance. You maybe exhausted and wanted to give up, but press on with things that you do. The joy of achievement is rewarding!

Lastly, appreciation of life. The beauty of nature becomes apparent, by looking at the surroundings from the top of mountain. The view is gorgeous and breathtaking. After one day of excitement from skiing, I’m glad that I’m still in one piece and be thankful for the enjoyment I’ve had. “Life is good!”