Simple Mutton Soup

400-500 g of diced mutton / lamb
red onion and garlic (as much as you like) - thinly cut
a few celery stalks 
4-5 dried mushrooms
white pepper
oyster sauce
corn flour
water
1-2 tablespoon of oil
salt

1.  Pour the oil into the pot and saute the onions and garlic till golden brown
2.  Immediately, put the diced mutton into the pot and keep on stirring to caramelize the meat.
3.  Pour in water (or even better, chicken or mutton stock), as much as you want, but I prefer to have the level just slightly above the mutton chunks.
4.  Put the mushrooms, oyster sauce, pepper and a bit of corn starch. And leave it to simmer (oh I don't know how long, it is really up to you).
5.  When you think it is almost done, put some salt for taste and the cut celery sticks into the pot. Stir everything about for a couple of minutes and serve. (I ALWAYS add a few dash of sweet soy sauce before eating)

Usually people eat soup with rice or whatever. I just enjoy the entire huge bowl of soup just like it is :)

p.s. - Had the mutton soup with a friend. And we finished the entire pot in one sitting :)

Fun At The Beach With Disco the Ferret

I went to the beach with a couple of friends yesterday evening and I brought one of my ferrets along. He was an instant hit with the people there [like I said, I was the sole owner of ferrets for the entire district :) ]. Glad my ferret had fun digging his heart out in the sand :)

How about posting some pics of you and your pets doing fun activities?

'Tis was the smile that made a few fingers bled. (He's a biter, when excited).

I am GORGEOUS!! Look at me!!!

My ferret resting a bit after completing his big project; Tunnel to China.

I wanna see it too!! Lift me! Lift me up!

Personality Test (in class, dreadfully bored...)

Personality Type Quiz

Intellectual Personality Type You’re really smart, obviously, but you’re more book smart, than street smart. You like reading, watch the news, and love discussing whatever is going on in the world. You enjoy being around people who challenge you intellectually.

Fun quizzes, surveys & blog quizzes by

I am Mario! Where's my Luigi?!!

Early this morning as I was turning on the kitchen tap to fill a bottle of water, something unexpected happened. I do not know if it was my prodigious strength or evil fate, but the copper tap broke at its neck and sprayed water all over me.


And there was I already gorgeously clothed and ready for school!


After closing the main valve up front, I took a few minutes looking for a wrench but the metal thingy proved to be elusive. I gave up and went to work (with my wet shirt and trousers. Fortunately I always wear dark colours). And I dry up quickly.


After school I bought an adjustable wrench from a hypermarket (just next to the school) and rushed back home to repair the damage. But lo and behold!! The stupid thing's jaws was not big enough for the pipe.


I grumbled and drove out to the nearest hardware store, with a rather friendly Chinese woman as the proprietor. She advised that a PIPE WRENCH was a proper tool to use, not a bigger adjustable wrench. Duh.... Oh OK, I bought the stuff from her with a discount (the wrench was heavy enough to commit murder in a single stroke).   


So back I was to continue my discontinued quest. I tinkered and cluttered. I turned and whacked. It was messy and a really hot job. 


I walked ALL the way to the front gate to open the main valve. But heck no!! The stupid new tap dripped like a maiden crying for her dead boyfriend!! I unscrewed everything (after walking SO FAR to close the valve AGAIN) and slapped a lot more sealing tape on the durn pipes before screwing them back on.


I opened the main valve and hey lookie, it worked! With the pipe wrench in my hand, I laughed to no one in particular, and suddenly feel like Nintendo's mascot, Mario the Plumber. :)  

For your information, that was my first try at fixing a pipe. It wasn't that hard. The secret was having a pipe wrench and lots of sealing tape!!

Fun With Kaos & Disco

My ferrets, Kaos and Disco having fun in a huge plastic container filled with shredded paper. I got this idea from some ferret owners in YouTube. They are too fat to climb out of the container!! :)

My Meteorological Wish Came True - Well ALMOST!

I was alone in the kitchen yesterday's afternoon, preparing ingredients for mutton steak with tomato sauce. A storm was lashing outside, so strong that it tipped over several of my mom's potted plants. And I have to save Kiko (the blue eyed kitty) from her cage at the porch because the wind was so strong and it blew the rain HORIZONTAL!

So as I was minding my cooking in the noisy weather (the thundercloud was right above now) I heard something weird, other than the sound of rain and the blasts of thunder. It sounded like pebbles and sand were hitting on my roof!

And who is crazy enough to play outside in this hellish weather?!

The sound was eerily continuous and I had to look up at the transparent part of the kitchen roof to look at the things that fell on the house.

There are little bits of ICE on the roof!!! (Well, for some of you here, you'd say it's no biggie, but... I live in a country on the Equator belt, the hottest part of the planet. Ice falling from the sky is an anomaly).

My reaction? OH GOD, NO!!!!! IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD!!! I AM TOO YOUNG TO DIE!!!!! (being a bad person makes you feel very very guilty.... sometimes).

It kept on raining little pieces of ice. It's not really snow, and maybe we can call it mini-hail.

And suddenly the rain stopped.

Of course I cannot show you guys the proof... the little bits ice was quickly melted by the gushing rain. I text-messaged several friends about this, but I think they don't believe me much :(

I think I told you people (in comments) how I enjoyed cold weather and sometimes wished for snow. I think I just had my wish come true - well, partially :)

What I Did This Morning Till 3 p.m.

Awoke at 9.30 am, I watched dvds with a friend until late last night.

Bathed and clothed in 10 minutes flat. (No, we don't have a shower or hot water in our home).

Spent a few minutes contemplating what to do tis wonderful Sunday morning...

Decided to go to the Weekly Market in town, a few minutes of driving.

Bought half a chicken for lunch.

Oogling over some very cute bunny rabbits on sale at the market.

Bought some veges at the stands.

Ate a few fried 'inner-organs' for breakfast - gizzards, hearts (of chicken, duh)

Drove back home and played my PSP for a few hours.

Watched another gory-infested flick on my home theater ('Ninja Assassin' in hi-def).

Hungry again....

Cooked chicken soup, with miscellaneous ingredients thrown in. The 'Chef at Home' mantra; cooking without a recipe :)