How To Put Out A Kitchen Oil Fire

I've seen this video before quite some time ago but received it again through email yesterday and it's a good reminder for all of us who cook, and those whose kids are learning how to cook...

My New Ceramic Knife

The other day I was chatting with some friends over a bowl of freshly cut apples when someone mentioned that fruits cut with a ceramic knife would not turn brown from oxidation. I had never heard of ceramic knives before and the serrated kitchen knife that I have has served me well for the last 16 years without the need for sharpening,so I never thought about buying knives...well, until now.

If the ceramic knife is so amazing I would certainly get one because I remember cutting fruits for a party and they turned a terrible shade of brown before being served to the guests...not very appetizing.

I was at Ikano Power Centre (now known as IPC) last week and I was walking past a store selling fancy kitchenware when I spotted it....the ceramic knife...and it comes in a variety of bright happy colours! The salesman did a short demo and then announced the price - RM69.90

No way was  I going to pay almost 70 bucks for a knife to cut fruits...!

I was glad I didn't give in to impulse and buy it because at another shop just a floor below I found one that cost only RM39.90! That was more within the range of what I was willing to pay and I was more than delighted to find out that I could redeem it with Maybankard Treats Points.(big smiles)

Ceramic knife with its cover

Bought a red knife. Really pleased with it as it slices through meat and vegetables effortlessly. Then it was time for the fruit test...grabbed 2 apples from the fridge. Sliced one with the ceramic knife and the other one with a stainless steel knife...and here are the results...



Apple cut with a stainless steel knife starts to turn brown after 15 minutes



Apple cut with the ceramic knife retains it colour

I read on the internet that it's because the ceramic knife is chemically inert whereas the metal in steel knives react with the food that is being cut. Not sure about all the scientific jargon and explanation though...I'm just glad that I can serve nice-looking slices of apples to my guests :)

Sungai Klah Hot Springs

Last Saturday our church Youth Fellowship organised a trip to the Sungai Klah hot springs at Sungkai, about 2 hours' drive up north from Kuala Lumpur. This time we hired a tour bus instead of driving and there were about 30 of us...adults, teenagers and excited little kids.

It's a very pleasant place, landscaped with lots of shady spots for people like me who try to avoid the sun as much as possible. Entrance fees is RM10 for adults and RM8 for children. We are given plastic wristbands to wear once we pay for the tickets, and we can enter and exit the park as often as we wished as long as we are wearing the wristbands.

There are a few pools with varying water temperature for those who want to soak their feet. The water is supposed to have positive effects on stiff joints due to rheumatism and arthritis.

There is also a warm water swimming pool plus a large swimming pool with cool water from the mountains. The ladies tried boiling eggs at one of the pools and they turned out rather delicious without the strong smell that hard-boiled eggs usually have.

Boiling eggs at a hot water source

Food cannot be brought into the park so we had to eat outside. Found a nice shady spot and had a simple picnic lunch of nasi lemak and pasta, courtesy of the ladies of the church. After lunch, the teenagers went back to the pool for a swim while I helped to keep watch over their belongings. The rest of the adults stayed in the bus to enjoy a short nap in the air-cond.

The weather was cloudy but most of them, including my daughter, got sunburn... and her cheeks and nose turned a bright rosy shade of red. I thought it was cute but she was horrified when she had a look at herself in the mirror!

Left around 3.45 pm and reached KL at almost 6 pm. It's been 20 years ago since I last went on a bus trip with a group of friends so this was lots of fun :)

Spotted a monitor lizard taking a stroll through the park

21st Century ABC

Had a good laugh when I opened my email a few days ago and saw this...

What kids are learning today:



A: Apple

B: Bluetooth

C: Chat

D: Download

E: Email

F: Facebook

G: Google



H: Hewlett Packard

I: iPhone



 

J: Java

K: Kingston

L: Laptop

M: Messenger

N: Nero

O: Orkut

P: Picassa



Q: Quick Heal

R: Ram

 



S: Server

T: Twitter



U: USB







V: Vista



W: WiFi

X: Xp



Y: YouTube





Z: Zorpia

My daughter, SweetTeen, even guessed correctly most of what the other alphabets represent after I showed her only A, B and C from this list.

At least A is still for Apple...!