Chocolate Oreo Brownies

I stumbled upon this recipe quite literally when I joined up on StumbleUpon and was gobsmacked drooling over her photos of the brownies in the making. What a jenius, she is! Her recipe are here, check it out if you are interested in making them, I definitely recommend it. Click on the link to get to her recipe. Slutty Brownie from The Londoner

I pretty much used the same ingredients as per her recipe, I used different brands of premix, I just bought whatever that was on special that day. I used the White Wings Choc Chip Cookie Mix and White Wings Double Choc Fudge Brownie.

To make it, you have to follow the instructions on your cookie and brownie boxes. Basically, you are going to need, butter, oil, water and eggs. Plus a packet of Oreo cookies, everything else is already in your packets. Like she said, you could make it from scratch or you could do this, fast and easy way. What better thing to do on a rainy Sunday.

American Candy and choc bars

One of my favourite thing to do when I was flying for Singapore Airlines was to shop. At any stopovers, I would visit the chemist and lolly shops. I confessed, I have a weakness for nice smelling soaps and toiletries and I used to collect them from all over the world. Yes, I take those little miniature bottles of shampoos too from hotels of the world. I love those things, don't you?

As for lolly shops, I first discovered Violet Crumble in Melbourne and has never turned back. Love them. Then whilst doing the US flights, I discovered those wonderful macadamias covered in chocolate during stopover in Hawaii. The crew and I stayed at Ala Moana Hotel and next to it was the Ala Moana Mall. I think back now, those days must be the start of my love affair with American candies. And we haven't even started on my obsession with Twinkies yet :)

Today, I had to go into town to bank in my Nuffnang check at ANZ and I walked passed Darrell Lea Chocolate Shop. I think my heart skipped a beat when I saw the small sign by the window that reads "We stock American candies/chocolates"

In my mind, I rushed into the shop exclaiming "OMFG!!!!!! You have Reeses peanut butter cups!! And Hersheys!!!! "

Of course, I did not do that, only a crazy lady would that. I, on the other hand walked in, with a cool calm collected and relaxed manner whilst staring down the kiddies, thinking to myself  "Back off, you little punks, do not be touching my Hersheys and Reeses!" {Cue in... my evil laugh!!}

Alright, I didn't do that either but I was thinking it.. so without further ado, here is my little stash I bought today.

Darrell Lea Chocolates & Gifts
Shop 1
104 Baylis St,
Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650
Phone: 02 6931 7832


And best of all, they are online too. This post is not a paid advertorial and my stash today cost me $18.00. A bit pricey but cheaper than flying to the US, no?

Pay It Forward!

Who remembers this movie "Pay It Forward" which starred Helen Hunt, Kevin Spacey and Haley Joel Osmont? Well, the gist of the story is that, this kid came up with the idea to pay a favour forward and not backwards, kind of like repaying a good deed by giving it to someone else.

I laughed at the kid in the movie, this kid believed in goodness of people. A bit like my sister. Sometimes I think that she is naive, with her thinking that one simple act of kindness can change the world for better. Yup, that's my sister... if you need positive reaffirmation, go to her. I, on the other hand is the most negative thinking person ever. I am your Devil's advocate.  A non believer, if this was a movie, I would be the bad cop. I would give you the worst possible scenario. 

Where am I going with this? Why is this in a food blog? Meh! No reason. Actually there is, I don't believe that my one single act will change the world or anything. But just to be on the safe side, I choose Karen. ;)

It all started with my cousin Rubearn, he heard how much I had missed Haekoh ( prawn paste) and he send me some haekoh and belacan. Of course, I thanked him for it and thought nothing else about it. It was almost forgotten except that it is still in my fridge and I have not used it. I look at it to remember what a kind person he is. 

Then Lin, my friend in Melbourne, who travels to Singapore quite a lot for business, one day decided to mail me some peanut butter M&M chocolates and some other chilli flavoured chocolates. Once again, thank the person and thought nothing of it further. It was fabulous. I love it. You see, I should have done more, said more, but I am not your warm and fuzzy , let's hug it out person. There's a  word for it; thoughtless.

This week, it sort of got me thinking, coz what else does one do on their birthday but have morbid thoughts of death. What? You don't? Are you nuts? How can you not? You are... one year older .....tick tock tick tock the clock is ticking away ...at some stage you are going to clock out soon... Aiyo!! 

So I am sitting here with my morbid thoughts, thinking... what the bloody hell are my friends going to say about me when I passed on? Crazy right? Yup you betcha! It wasn't intentional but I thought to myself, "Gee, Jack, you're not a very nice person and you had better get cracking by being nice to people for a change.."

I thought hard.. blimey it was painfully fast. The only thing I am good at, is feeding people. And I like doing stuff like that. I could probably send one or two care packages. Let's start small, but don't ask me to share my beer, or help you move house, or shit like that... baby steps first. 

So, do you know what I did? I spotted some Dark Cherry Ripe Limited Edition chocolate bars at the supermarket, I knew immediately that I had to send them to Karen in Penang. This woman is the Number One crazy chick who is nuts about Cherry Ripe choc bars. This was perfect. At first, it was just to redeemed myself to the world but then it became a mission. I waited for Easter to be over, for the shops to reopen, then I searched high and low for it, bought heaps and plead and bargained with some supermarket manager for cost price so that I can send my friend a boxful of her favourite. It was crazy! I was crazy! 

Whoops! I kinda also started the buzz on my Facebook about the Cherry Ripe bars. I can't believed that they don't have it in Malaysia... that is madness! 

So my friend, received her box of chocolates yesterday and I feel happy that I did my bit in "Pay It Forward" and knowing Karen, one of the nicest person in the world, a Buddhist and all that, she is probably paying it forward now with a good deed or two or three to some other unknown person/s. 

So  it all ends well, I should do a cherry ripe ice cream or a cake next... hahhahahahah...I can't send her that. *Evil laugh* Muahhhh hahhahaha....see, told ya, I am evil... I'll never change ;)

Nyonya Breeze at Straits Quay

It was only natural that we would end up in a Nyonya Restaurant when we were in Penang recently. Actually not so recent, it was in January when I was home. Missing Penang again. Living life 9 to 5 is boring. How I wished to be back in the skies like the good old days jetsetting everywhere. I was eating all sorts of foods from all over the globe.

Anyway, back to Penang. Karen had suggested that we go to this place to celebrate Russell's birthday and we wholeheartedly agreed. Yeah, no need to twist my arm.. can you say Nyonya? This is a true blue authentic Peranakan food place, unlike the wannabes in Sydney with incorrect spelling! Pffttt!

The atmosphere is homely, the waitress is in their kebaya and looked lovely. One was pratically sprinting getting some rice to a table. I think the floor is shiny and marbled. Kind of reminded me of my home in Bedong. Our table was long as they were many of us. I can smell fried chicken frying in the kitchen. Got a whiff of the pandan smell. Someone must be cooking kapitan chicken.

Even the table was marble. It gives it a bright cheery look and not dark and dinghy. I don't mind dark but really some places are a bit of an overkill, I like to be able to see what I am eating. This place was perfect for photo taking of our meals ;) We let the host Karen and her hubby Alex, order the dishes.

• Inche kabin, the spiced fried chicken. 
• Fish acar
• Kerabu beehoon
• Sambal goreng with prawns 
• Sambal prawn and petais
• Kerabu Kacang Botol
• Sweet potato Masak Lemak
• Jiu Hu Char
• Desserts of bubur chacha and greenbean pudding.

The sambal goreng was definitely my favourite that nite. as much as I love sambal petais and kerabu beehoon, the sambal goreng was the highlight. It was very fragrant and on top of that, the sauce was creamy beyond beliefs. I could probably drink it straight and licked the bowl, and the bonus was the big fat prawns and roasted cashews on top. Sigh, I must be civilized and share ;)

Mmmmm ....Desserts... just kidding, the dessert was after dinner of course. I didn't have any. I was too full from dinner.

So after eating so much food, we had to go walk it off around the pier and look at my boats ;) Well, I know boats! They don't call me boat people for nothing. I saw one that I would have liked. However, it was a very short love story as I don't have sea legs ;(

And that's the story of my one memorable dinner that is still imprinted in my head till today and how I long to be back in the Penang isle again.