Chicken, Capsicum and Mushroom Stir-fried with Soy Sauce

I wonder if it is surprising that I actually can cook decent meal. I even prefer to cook myself rather than eating out, except for fast food that I can't resist (McD's) and some delicacy that I'm too lazy to invest some of my time to cook it (Laksa Sarawak).

Now, for this Chicken stir-fry, it is actually the usual chinese-style dish. Some of my family member is not really into such, uh, cuisine. But, whatever. Now here are the basic ingredients:

200gm Chicken (cut into cubes)
Half a Capsicum
200gm Oyster Mushroom
a packet of Enoki Mushroom
Garlic
Ginger
Light Soy Sauce
Oyster Sauce
Sesame Oil



Preparation:
Marinade the chicken in oyster sauce and soy sauce. Depend on your liking, you can even marinade it overnight. Since I was in hurry, I only marinade the chicken for about 10 minutes.
Cut the capsicum and oyster mushroom into slices.
Discard the enoki mushroom's roots and separate the mushroom stalks from each other.
Cut garlic and ginger into slices.

Cook-it:
Heat some cooking oil in a wok. Don't use too much oil. Just enough to fry the ginger and garlic.
Stir-fry the garlic and ginger until it is nearly brown in color.
Put the chicken, stir-fry it until it is well cooked.
Put the mushrooms. Stir-fry it until it is soften. Put in some light soy sauce.
Finally put in the capsicum, stir-fry for a little bit then put in a little bit of sesame oil.
You can add some more light soy sauce depend on the taste.
Stir some more, and there you have it. Chicken, capsicum and mushroom stir-fried with light soy sauce.

The pictures turn out to be quite ugly. Sorry about those. But, I can guarantee, it tasted real good. This was a simple meal that I cooked with whatever I found in the fridge. You doesn't need to follow exactly like I did. Add any taste that you like into it. If you love it to be sweet, add in some spring onion. No fresh mushroom? Dried mushroom is also good. Can't stand the taste of capsicum? No need to put it in. Its you meal, do whatever you want with it.

Lastly, have fun, and enjoy your meal.

Sarikei-Kuching-Sarikei in less than 24 hours

Bus tickets

My body is still sore from the journey, but I gotta make this entry. Yesterday, on 30 July, my mom had gone to Kuching, spending few hours there, then go back to Sarikei. Although this is the second time we've done this, but hey, this is Ramadhan. My mom and I is risking our 'fast'. 6 hours journey to Kuching. Spending few hours at Kuching in hot weather. Then spending another 6 hours journey to Sarikei. The journey was really tiring, but I'm not complaining. I'm just being a really good daughter to mom, accompanying her to the city, for some work. This trip was also almost not planned. Just a sudden decision at the moment. 

We're supposed to go on Sunday actually, but mom have upset stomach, so we cancelled it. Should we go on Sunday, we've probably spend some money at the hotel, which in my opinion is not necessary. The money could be use for shopping which is more satisfying. 

Sarikei-Kuching Journey

Sarikei-Kuching bus tickets

We took the 8 a.m bus. Somehow, the bus took off from the station around 8.30 a.m. Possibly waiting for more passengers. Then, stopped at their base-station at few miles off the Sarikei area. I was bored and couldn't sleep. I didn't bring any books with me, but I did bring my tablet, so I just read whatever novel I've uploaded to my tablet. The novel was quite entertaining. The typical Harlequin series. But I struggle to finish it since I forget to switch my phone mood to battery saving, thus I waste the battery for just reading the damn e-books. I think I didn't get to finish the first half of the book when I get nauseated. Not from the book of course, but from the pressure of highland area, and also I got dizzy from reading in moving bus. I rub some balm to my chest and tummy, then trying to get some sleep. Sleep I did.

I woken up when we reach Jelukong(hopefully the spelling is right). The rest-stop is about 3 hours from Sarikei. I finished reading the novel, taking advantage of the stationary state of the bus. The journey from there was uneventful, as I manage to get some sleep until we reach Kuching.

Kuching Adventure

No picture since my tablet battery has gone flat (LOL). We reached Kuching around 2 p.m. Upon reaching there, first thing to do is to go to the washroom. After refreshing ourselves, we start the plan. Mom figured out that her business matter would just took less than an hour to finish. We agreed to take bus back to Sarikei at night. But we need to figure out on where to put our tiny suitcase. Luckily, the staff at the ticket counter was really nice, she let us store out suitcase at the back of the counter. Problem settled, and lets go to the city. 

We took taxi to go to the city, the fees was RM30. First we go to Satok area since mom need to settle her business there. I waited in the taxi for about less than half an hour. It was fast and before I even realized it, mom was already back in the taxi and we're already on our way to India Street. We need to pay additional RM10 for the journey to India Street. But oh well. 

Upon reaching there, the taxi driver dropped up in front of the Electra House. We skip Electra House, then going straight to India Street. Honestly, I don't care anymore about buying clothes or shawl. The things that I bought are baking supplies and some cooking utensils. Mom trying to talk me into buying some clothes, somehow, none got me interested. So we went to the other side of the street to buy dates. Mom bought 2 boxes of dates. Which of course too heavy to be carried by me. I already got handful of those baking supplies. The worker at the shop was very kind to offer on helping us bringing the box to the taxi. May god bless him. 

Now, the taxi ride back to the Kuching Sentral, we're charged RM25. We manage to avoid traffic jam (woohoo) and reach the Sentral around 5 p.m. The taxi driver was so nice that he offer to carry the boxes and other stuffs to the sentral building. Shameless we are, me and mom again put our stuffs behind the ticket counter. The staffs must be shaking their head with our purchases. 

Next was food hunting (I know it is only 5 p.m tyvm), but we're worried that the restaurant gonna be full during 'breaking-fast' time. So we reserved a table at SCR and also ordered chicken rice plus beverages. Foods settled, and it is shopping time. 

I'm confused with the american and british terminology, so I'll use basement, ground floor, first floor and second floor. The first floor, shoes therapy (mom bought sandals and shoes) then the super save store, where we bought ready-made curtain and some plastics cover. I bought fringe roller, fringe holder and bobby pins. We walk around to more shops until it is nearly 6.20 p.m. We go back down to the ground floor, putting our stuffs at the counter and go to the restaurant. 

Breaking-fast and dinner was really great. I even ordered some hot tea after I got some brain freeze from too much of cold drinks. We sit around for a while before resuming our shopping spree. 

Cleo July'12 issue and Sizzle by Julie Garwood

Mom decided to go back to the super save store to buy some more stuffs, then I suggest for us to go to the third floor. I'm glad I did, since there is a book store up there. I bought July's issue of Cleo and a novel by Julie Garwood. 

I forgot how did we even get to the shop, but me and mom actually bought 3 cardigans and a handbag. It was such an impulsive purchase. But the cardigans are really nice. Each one for three of us. 

We then realized it is nearly 9 p.m. We rushed back to the ground floor, packing our stuffs and asking for help from the staff to bring the stuffs to the bus. 

We get it in the bus and ready for the journey back to Sarikei. 

Kuching-Sarikei Journey

Kuching-Sarikei bus tickets

Like usual, the journey took off a little bit late than the scheduled. The bus seat is somehow very comfortable, sofa-like and the room for legs are quite spacey. The aircond was not too cold, nevertheless me and mom still cocoon ourselves in our pashmina. 

Now, the journey, the driver drove very very fast in my opinion. I woken up when the bus driver was over taking some trucks and other buses at Bukit Begunan. This hill is very legendary for drivers. The steepness, the height and the sharp bend. We reach Sri Aman around 12 a.m. I try to sleep again after that, then we reach Jelukong reststop around 12.30 a.m which was freaking too fast. After half an hour rest, we continue our journey. I fall asleep yet again. But I woken up several times when the bus stop picking up passengers. Mom called my sister when we reach Jakar, asking her to get ready to pick us up. The funny thing is that the bus driver drop us at the wharf. We didn't realized that we already reach the town until we nearly reach the wharf. We could have just asked the driver to drop us off at the bus stop near our house. 

When we reach our house, it was near 3 a.m. Which kinda freak me out. I mean the bus driver really did drive too fast. Me and mom expect that we gonna reach Sarikei around 4 a.m. 

The journey was quite fun and I'm looking forward for the next journey. 

An Update, After 9 Months Not Logging-in

Hey dear blog, I see there are still some traffic to this blog, despite the lack of updates. I feel bad that I didn't post anything. But I don't have the "writing muse". I'm not testing new software for the time being as well. 

photo credit: jpaxonreyes Flickr

One thing for sure, I'm busy with real life. I'm busy figuring what I really want in life in the process. I read and read and read. I also write, but on paper, because I think I'm too dependent on word processing software. Technology make our life easier, but in the same time, it make us forgot the life before the technology exist. My handwriting is bad, but when I read back my writing on the paper, I can feel more-the emotion, the passion, the frustration-all sort of feeling that come up when I write. I'm not denying the power and the benefits of the technology, because it helped other people to be able to read my writings. My hand-writing is barely readable, so word processing technology help a lot for me to type my writing so that it is being available in readable format. 

My life is probably a mess, but I'm happier at least. Less depressed, even though there are some "feeling-down" moment happen to me once in a while. I can't hurt myself much here. I have temporary reason why I still want to breath. I want to search for a permanent reason. I hope to find the reason soon. This might sound depressing, but believe me, I'm feeling much better. There has been worse moment for me. But I survived it. 

I also begin to notice more about things around me, reading more and doing more stuffs. This is my exploration on life. For other people, I'm wasting my life and time. For me, I'm just saving myself from further depression. 

Maybe I would find a way to start again, in less depressing path. Someday. Soon.