So there I was last night, sprawled on the carpet in front of the TV, trying to relax after another harrowing day at the office. I was flipping channels like there’s no tomorrow when I saw Nigella Lawson preparing an instant pancake mix. Quickly grabbing a pen, I scribbled the recipe at the first piece of paper I found — the back of the envelope of this month’s Astro bill.
Eager to try the recipe, we had this for breakfast today. The older kids loved this so much, they didn’t leave any for me nor the twins for breakfast this morning. So when I got back from work today, I whipped up a special batch for myself…for dinner. Who says pancakes are strictly breakfast fare? ;)
Make a batch today and never buy pancake mixes again! Here’s the recipe:-
Nigella’s Pancake Mix
Ingredients:
600 grams all-purpose flour
50 grams baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
50 grams sugar
Method:
Mix well and store in an airtight container.
When you’re ready to make your pancakes, simply scoop out one cup of the instant pancake mix and add 1 egg and 1 cup of milk. Preheat your non-stick pan (greased lightly) while you whisk all the ingredients together.
Pour a small amount into the hot pan using a ladle. Flip the pancakes when bubbles start forming on top.
Serve with a pat of butter and some maple syrup.
Yet another mom-tested, kid-approved recipe for y’all. Thanks, Nigella ;)
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Quick Update (9-Nov): I forgot to mention that Nigella actually added 1 tbsp of melted butter into her batter, then cooked the pancakes in a griddle without greasing it. Creature of habit that I am, I prefer to pour the teensiest bit of oil into my non-stick pan, move it around a bit and pour out the excess, if any. As for the topping: Nigella simmered some blueberries with maple syrup. One day, when I get my hands on some blueberries, I’ll try making that :D
Without further ado, I hereby present to you the ‘free gifts’ that I mentioned in my previous post in anticipation of my birthday, which is exactly 2 weeks away from today (shameless self-plugging, no?):-
Option 1: Estee Lauder Crystal Lipstick in ‘Watermelon Fizz’
Sorry if the lipstick itself is a bit out of focus, but it’s obvious from the photo that this lipstick is va-va-voom red ;)
It has always been common practice for retailers to give away freebies to attract customers and boost their sales. Buy a mattress and get a free comforter set. Buy a TV, get a free mp3 player. Buy a 1-liter bottle of shampoo, get a free 100ml sample of conditioner. You get the drift.
What’s unique about Malaysia, however, is that these freebies are called ‘free gifts’ here. I mean, gifts are always free what? (That’s Malaysian English for you!) I used to find it funny. But after having lived here since 1993, the term has grown on me. And the word ‘gift’ when applied to freebies just doesn’t seem…complete anymore. I’ve got to confess that the phrase ‘free gift’ now rolls out very easily from my mouth.
So what am I getting at? I’m giving away some free gifts. Perhaps tonight. Perhaps tomorrow. Or maybe even the next day. I’ve finished writing the post. I’ve got the gifts ready and waiting. (Small gifts but nice ones.) The only thing missing are the pics. Because you’ve got to see the pics so you that can choose which free gift you’d like to have.
Watch this space! :)
Tags: free gift
Tonight, I saw a different side of KL.
It all started off nonchalantly. DH and I fetched from the airport a friend from Auckland, then dropped her off at her hotel in Bukit Bintang. Bukit Bintang is the equivalent of Makati in the Philippines, I would think. Or Singapore’s Orchard Road. Lots of hotels, shopping centres, restaurants and nightspots.
It was already past midnight when we left her hotel, so in attempt to save some time, we took a shortcut through a back alley. As DH turned the car slowly into the narrow corner, I saw a figure move in the darkness. It was approaching us! Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: KL nightlife
Have you ever harboured dreams of writing your own novel? Why, what perfect timing! Because November, also known as NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), is finally here.
The concept is simple. You sign up for free at their site any time between now and the 30th of November, then just start pounding away at your keyboard. Your goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight of November 30. It’s all about quantity, not quality, and just writing with complete abandon, so as to avoid getting bogged down by editing and the search for the perfect adjective.
Last year, some 100,000 people signed up, with some 15,000 winners crossing the 50k-word finish line. I wasn’t one of them because I never got past the first page :P
A few days ago, I was all ready and psyched up to try again this year, with ideas for a plot and the main characters all swirling in my head. Reality check: in between my duties as a wife and mother, the demands of my job, a couple of overseas trips planned for this month, a fat burner review, and a long overdue article for a friend in Poland, I doubt if I can get any serious, uninterrupted writing done. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see. I’ve always been the type who can’t seem to write anything on some days, then one day just hole up for hours on end in my home office, churning out blog posts, miscellaneous articles and (snail mail) letters.
What about you? Care to join NaNoWriMo as it celebrates “10 years of literary abandon” this year?
Tags: NaNoWriMo
