Sugar....oh Honey! Honey!

      I hardly take sugar unless it comes with rice, pasta, desserts, other food and drinks that I consume at eateries. I guess sipping my father's sugar free drinks (he was a borderline diabetic) got me into this habit. Also the fact that once upon a time I was allergic to so many foodstuff including chocolates. I absolutely adore desserts though. A good thing I don't live next door to a bakery or makcik kuih.
      There was a time when I had to carry sachets of sugar in my bag for when I had the shakes. A couple of friends would remember having to go out for sugar when they dropped by - because I forgot to stock up the precious stuff for my guests. Teruk betul kan!! 
      I wasn't the least concerned when we had sugar rationing - the 2kgs I bought remained unopened until I moved back to mak's.....2 years or so later.
      But there's something sweet that I MUST have almost on a daily basis......honey! How I love this stuff. I go gaga when I spot the honey jars lining the shelves at supermarkets/pharmacies/organic food stores. Like this one.........

      I need no excuse to pick up yet another pot of honey. My latest collection.....

They seem to finish in no time when my grandkids are around. Most times honey goes into my........

Sometimes this happens.......

      So I think it's time I visit a.......

 

Seems that we have lots of these in Malaysia - at Melaka, Cameron Highlands, Sabah to name a few.
      Any one game to Cuti2 Malaysia with me?? I promise to be "sweet" on you..... ;)

Back to cooking!

      I dismantled the stove and gave away both stove and gas cylinder (both of which I inherited from the previous occupant) when I moved into my flat. I had no need to cook - food was plentiful in other family members' kitchens! Since I lived all alone, everyone opened their kitchen to me. Food was, at times, even delivered to me. All I had in my little kitchen was an electric kettle and assorted crockery - enough for 4. I even gave away the fridge (which I inherited along with the stove, gas cylinder, crockery, washing machine etc). I only cooked at other people's homes.
      My kitchen was filled with seedlings - I discovered that I loved gardening and could actually make things grow! I sprouted beans and ate them raw. My food cache consisted of lots of fruits, biscuits, cookies, marshmallows for the kids, dates....in short, stuff that could happily stay good in a collander on the dining table or in jars. Also assorted coffees, brown sugar, (gratis) tea, assorted honey and himalayan salt. On the days that I wandered away from home, there'd be pastries too.
      My shopping list was really short then. The only oil I had was habbatussauda, which I took with apple cider vinegar and honey.
      Then I moved out. And now I'm back to cooking as I can't heck eating out every single day. That'll probably kill me faster than my heart attack. Nah....the truth is, it's just too much hassle to figure out what and where to eat every meal time. Also the fact that I'm not much of a fast food connoisseur. Contrary to popular belief, I do eat healthy....thanks to my maktok and mak.
      So now I'm back to cooking.....an activity I really enjoy. I only rustle up one dish meals of no specific recipe. When cooking time rolls around, I peep into the fridge and cupboards, and concoct something. At least one meal will be a smoothie of sorts - stuff thrown haphazardly into a blender and sipped happily. I'm one of those strange folks who could gulp down the ingredients for a cooked meal - ginger, garlic and all though I stop short at curry powder in my smoothies! I love adding coconut oil to my smoothies.....sedap!
      Grocery shopping was an activity I took so for granted until I ended up at Damansara Damai. I couldn't track down ingredients I could easily find at all the other places I had lived at. I literally gave a victory cry when I discovered a Jaya Grocer just 5 minutes away! Oh the thrill of having no-msg/gluten free bla bla stock! A wide range of organic foodstuff. My favourite biscuits. Peanut butter other than Lady's Choice and Econsave. Butter!
      On the upside, I get real fresh fish, fruits and vegetables from the pasar malam. And every imaginable sayur kampung and ulam - 4 times a week. For cheap. And they seem to have a never ending supply of mushrooms - a favourite with me. However, it is almost impossible to get fresh coriander here. I wonder why.....
      Today I stumbled upon fresh salmon at Econsave. And spinach for less than a ringgit a kilogram. So it was grilled salmon for dinner with blanched spinach, cauliflower, broccoli in butter, and tomato, capsicum salsa on the side....Buon appetito!