Norly's Lamin

And here I am again in 2025. It’s hard to believe how quickly time has passed, last post was in 2020, but it feels like both yesterday and a lifetime ago. So much has happened since then. The world changed, and so did I. I lost people I loved,family, friends, some suddenly, some slowly. COVID didn’t just take lives; it left behind silence, empty spaces at the table, and a heaviness that’s hard to explain unless you’ve felt it too. I miss them more than words can hold. Sometimes, out of nowhere, the memories come flooding in, and the tears follow. And I let them. Because grief, I’ve learned, is love that has nowhere else to go. Life feels quieter now. Not empty, but different. I don’t rush like I used to. I don’t argue like I used to. My approach to things has softened—mellowed with time, with experience, with loss. Grief has changed me, but so has love. So has time. And maybe that’s okay. To those I’ve lost, I carry you with me. To those still here, I see you more clearly now. T...

It's been a while since my last posting.   Year in year out, I think I have such a boring life.  Initially, when I started this blog, I wanted to be a food blogger and sharing my passion for cooking and baking.  Before the existence of FB, blogging was the thing then.  I thought of trying to be one and yes, the first few years of blogging I was actively blogging, practically about everything. And then some turn in my life affected me so much that I began to drift away for a while.  Pic credit to Google.

After quite sometime, MIA and here I am still wondering what to ramble here.  Alhamdulillah! Its 2020 already and I never thought that I would still be around 2020. Been busy with a lot of things, especially baking things that I wanted to bake since sometime. Such bakes as in Mixed fruit cake that I have been baking a couple of times since the beginning of the year.  I never thougt that I would seriously get to bake a fruit cake.  Fruit cake has always been in my fear list to do actually as I never seem to come up with a good fruit cake.  But then again, as they say practice makes perfect..not perfect yet but am glad that I received some orders already..so yeah!!! that is one little achievement for me.

I was on practicing spree the last couple of weeks.  Nothing serious actually as I was so engrossed with getting the perfect scones. Yes! SCONES!!! ☺☺☺☺ See, how crazy I was with getting it right from the beginning.  I am a scone lover and honestly I have never tasted any other scones except those made by yours truly.  Therefore, I can't claim to say that I made the best scones but its a self-achievement for me.  Over the years, I have tried to get the scones like those I saw in the magazines, YT and TV.  I never gave up though and so just recently the craziness started again and walla....I did it!!!. There were basic scones with eggs and yogurt, savoury scones, blueberry scones, sultana scones and finally the basic eggless scones *the last 3 photos*.  Having said and done that, am sconeliciously satisfied with myself.

I love Congo Bars @ Blondies than Brownies actually though I baked more Brownies than Congo Bars.  I must admit, I have only tried around 2 - 3 Cong Bars recipes and I have decided to stick to the one from  http://kitchenguardian.blogspot.com/2015/02/being-true-to-yourself-lets-bake-congo.html   This recipe is a keeper and never failed to get repeat orders from my customers. So I baked this Congo Bars last week,  a bit overbaked though but still delicious. I just dumped all the left-overs from Raya Haji baking to come up with this Nutty Chocolatey Congo Bars. Yumm!!!

Dalam malas-malas nak berblogging bagai nak, kesian juak nanga gambar macam2 jenis kek yang diambik. Share jaklah, share gambar jak, resepi courtesy of Mr. Google lah. Semua urusan di ujung jari kinek, ketek2 jak sia.  😃😁😃😄 Just sharing some cakes and bakes during the last Hari Raya Haji.  I braved myself to indulge with fruit cake baking now, alhamdulillah my fruits floats nicely and none sank.      Steamed Prune Cake  Mixed Fruit Cake Cream Cheese Pound Cake This particular recipe surprised me as it has the same fluffiness and buttery taste similar to Mita Butter Cheese Cake. Am sure Kuchingites knows of Mita Cake House.  Their signature Butter Cheese Cake is a hit with non-Kuchingites nowadays.  Currently, Mita's Butter Cheese Cake is my first choice of gifts for friends and relatives whenever I travelled. That's all for now.  Till then....   

Dear Blog, It has been a while since my last posting back in February, quite a hiatus huh?!.  A lot of things happened since then and somehow I just don't know how to begin even. I lost another classmate last week, and today another one passed away.  First it was Kim Fung, then Roy and last week was Moses and now Fabian. It dawned to me my time is coming soon, one after another people around me have passed on.  Lately, those thoughts kept coming back and forth.  I may not make it till 55 or 60 even, entahlah.

What a way to start this CNY 2019, I am late though but its never too late when you just happened to stumble upon something as lovely as this Chinese drama, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms.  Its a fantasy historical romance kind of drama that spans over thousands of years. And yes, I just love the chemistry between the leading actors, Mark Zhao and Yang Mi. 

Phew! I don’t feel rajin at the moment but I thought I just blog a teeny bit. Long time no see to this nearly abandoned blog.  Nothing much but I managed to bake Congo Bars for a friend and right after delivery I stopped by to cut my hair. Its been 6 mths since the last hair cut. I feel like a mess everytime I look at the mirror. Dah macam Hantu Kak Limah 😉😉😉.  Whatever,  so for lunch today, I prepared Ayam masak Bunga Kantan.  Initially it was supposed to be Ayam Masak Serai but somehow I ended up adding bunga kantan aka Ginger Torch flower. After a long hiatus from blogging, I had to start from scratch to upload and putting a watermark on the picture.  Mind-boggling process for me la!        Trying out the calligraphy apps in my phone and I come up with this watermark.  Like seriously, I really have to explore all those stuff again.  (sigh!!!!!!!!). Back to the recipe, this tomato sambal was inspired f...

Sebab Acik ni dah jadi follower drama Mr.Grey, haruslah diabadikan dalam blog yang dikasihi ini ye biarpun dah bau hapak dan berdebu sebab diabaikan sekian lamanya. Ceh!..dah melalut dah acik tok eh?!!.  Anyway, nak habaq mai la kan,  drama Mr Grey ni dah jadi favourite drama for 2018 selepas kemaruk demam Titian Cinta tahun lepas.  Kenak acik suka drama Mr. Grey sebab chemistry hero & heroin ya nang antaplah.  Nak tetak jak nanga olahan sekalo sidak duak Mr. Grey dengan Nisa.  Duak2 palak stoing, pikat line (bak kata sidak kinek) menjadi2.  Wah, dah makin famous owh kitak duak Fendy Bakry & Eyra Hazali. Sejujurnya baruk perasan sidak duak tok as all this while I have never seen any of their acting. Lagipun acik tok selective dengan drama, I don't simply follow any dramas in particular as it depends on my preference.  I may love Zul Ariffin and Farah Nabilah in Titian Cinta but I may not like them in other dramas.  So to the both Mr. ...

Who knew that he suffered so much and yet he managed to hide them through his bright and jovial nature.  I was recommended by youtube and when I heard the song, it has such a beautiful melody to it and not until I saw this translated version.  Looking at how passionate he was with this song and only knowing about this song especially after his passing, in a way I felt some of his anguish and heartache; and how much he yearned to be loved and listened to.😢😢 I have seen his rendition of the same song when he first debuted back in 2008 but it was nothing like this.   😭😢

I was totally surprised when I read the news of his tragic demise last night.  Am not a fan of Shinee but he was gone too soon at 27 years old.    I first saw him in We Got Married (one of the variety program in South Korea) when one of the member "married" another member from the group Apink.  He seems bright and cheerful and always seem to be the happiest. The happiest always seem to suffer the most.  I began to watch some of their videos and listening to their songs.  He is such a super talented artist but it seems that he was battling depression badly which lead to his death yesterday. Whatever it is, I hoped he did find his peace finally.  You are like a candle lighting the others whereas you are actually suffering deeply. Good people like Jong Hyun are like candles, they burn themselves up to give others light.  RIP Jong Hyun, you can finally rest now.   Credit to the owner of the YT.   

Once upon a time, many moons ago I came across this particular song and I sort of fell in love with the melody and when I knew the meaning of the song, it is really a tragic song but the melody is calming.  Anyway,  I wanted to listen this beautiful ballad.

Its coming to the end of 2017 and still missing the lovebirds. Somehow, I was free the last few weeks to watch the complete episodes and ya, they seem real though.  Wishing that their ship is sailing.

Today I am officially 49 years, another step to reach 50. Hmmmmmm..... Honestly, I don't feel that old but the body seemed to fail me now.  Can't say much huh!..hehehe   Anyway, I have been getting birthday wishes since midnight, happy for all those thought from friends all over.  Looking back over the years, I have been through a lot of struggle. I learned a lot throughout those struggles and has learn to accept things as they are and to always have a positive thinking.  Its not easy but I found it to be working lately.  You will always have to fight and beat your own demon within you no matter, that itself is already a huge battle you have to face everytime you need to decide on something that is crucial in your life. Enough of ranting for the day.  Happy birhday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me.

Credit to owner. Some of my favourite scenes.

And so the Song Song couple is getting married this coming 31st October 2017.  Am happy for them.