Let Scarlet

Been wanting a bralet so bad...now that I have it, I'm confused on how I should wear it...;p

Topshop bralet, Bloop blazer, Zara shirt, Mphosis skirt, Uniqlo tights, unbranded chain, Steve Madden heels

*Street image from here

Happy Halloween and Giveaway Winner

Happy Halloween everyone!! As much as I love this holiday, I can't never celebrate it as merry as everyone else in another part of this world. I come from a pretty religious family that think celebrating Halloween co-exists with "inviting the devils into our house" (pfft!) And here I am, my little girl heart is throbbing on donning a monster costume and knocking on neighbour's doors. (sigh)

Anyhoo .. some of my talented readers have made it up for me this Halloween..have I mentioned how I love seeing my printables actually functional to babalisme's readers? OK, here's one..

2 little holligans' treat bags was including the Halloweenies printables, both boy and girl versions! And yes, she sew that cute little bag herself.

Susan of poca cosas, on the other hand, added much needed embellishment to my Halloween mini cards! Notice the little pearls on Skelly's chest?

If you manage to keep your eyes open until you read this, congratulations. I'm also here to announce the winner of my first ever giveaway!! Chosen by random.org, everyone, ...so congrats to Andi Lia and Jamie Lee!! I have contacted the winners earlier today and if you are them, do reply me back with your mailing address. Thank you all for participating!

Man On A Picnic

Sooooooo i don't know what actually happened but I ended up being a judge for HIMSI Binus's Halloweeneuphoria "Halloween On Catwalk" costume competition hahah...:D


Now...the judge herself should also dress up, don't you think? ;p I've never really been to a Halloween party or event, but I do know that most of the time people would wear costumes that resemble certain scary characters, superheroes, or 'it' celebrities...so I thought...rather than going 'obvious', why not go 'conceptual' hehehhe...

I present you..."Man On A Picnic"...:)

I made my costume just the night before, and everything cost me less than Rp. 50.000 (or US$ 5) hahah...was fun making it!

So yeah...there you go...:D

Roasted Chicken with Carrots, Fennel, and Onion AND a Giveaway

It was another cold and rainy day here in Portland so I decided to roast a chicken. I didn't want anything fancy... just simple comfort food. I found this recipe for a perfect roasted chicken by Ina Garten and decided to make it. I adapted it a bit by excluding the butter because I wanted to keep it a little lower in fat. I loved the flavor of the roasted carrots, onion, and fennel and the

Potluck Posts 10/28

I'm getting ready to hit the road again, with a couple of trips in November. First I'll be in Napa for the Worlds of Flavor: Japan conference then I'll be going on my first cruise and adding on a couple of days in Miami. The photo above is from my most recent trip to Wisconsin.

If you enjoyed my post here on Switzerland, check out my longer Frommer's report on Appenzell, a lovely region not far from Zurich. I've shared a few culinary highlights of the region, it's definitely worth a visit.

On Epicurious, my most recent posts are about sweet piquante peppers, you might know them as peppadews. There's another post with an updated list of my favorite foodie newsletters, all are free and good reads. I explored the flavor combination of zucchini, thyme and lemon. The comments on my post were great. I loved the suggestion to make a lemon pound cake with lemon and thyme sugar glaze.

Next week on Cooking with Amy you'll find another post in the series "Why do YOU cook?" as well as a review of afternoon tea at a fancy hotel on Nob Hill.

Beads & Fabrics & Rattan

I took some time to visit Indocraft 2010, an exhibition where artisans from all over Indonesia gather & sell unique locally-made handicrafts, at JCC today...there wasn't anything that I really liked, except for these G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S wedges from Nusa Tenggara Timur which I spotted just when I was about to leave the place..woah!


Gorgeous.

:)

Hari ke 4 BIMTEK UAN

Hari 4 kegiatan BIMTEK UAN Kegiatan begitu padat dimana kita harus membuat contoh soal UAN berdasarkan Standar Isi dan Kisi-kisi yang telah disepakati sebelumnya , dimana bahasa inggris dibagi menjadi dua kelompok dan harus membuat dua paket  soal , sehingga tidak waktu yang terbuang , karena jika soal telah selesai  maka dipresentasikan dan akan di  beri bimbingan oleh Narasumber ibu Elok dari SMP 569 Jakarta dan pak Basikin dari UNY

Semuanya serius demi untuk meningkatkan nilai UAN di daerah kami masing-masing dan rasanya cuma aku yang nggak serius karena masih sempat ngambil foto dimana-mana dasar udah jadi hobby foto tanpa ijin pun jadilah dan langsung diposting

Inilah nara sumber kami dari SMP 569 Jakarta Ibu Elok yang sering muncul di TV Edukasi. Rasanya para peserta sudah pada merasakan homesick atau rindu pada keluarga , contohnya saya yang sering tidak fokus, kemarin aku minum kopi berdua dengan sahabat , dan karena tidak konsentrasi gelas teman aku minum dan gelas aku sendiri masih utuh  dan jadilah dia tidak minum malah aku yang kebagian dua gelas kopi hi hi,

Lemon and Garlic Broccolini

I picked up some broccolini at the store and I wanted to make a simple and healthy side dish. I found an Ellie Krieger recipe from the Food Network that sounded easy and delicious. I added some minced garlic to the dressing for added flavor. This recipe took only minutes to make and tasted fantastic! I will be making this recipe again and again.Lemon and Garlic Broccolini:Adapted recipe and

Ocean Sunset

Zara blazer, unbranded shirt, various necklaces from Bali, Retail Therapy wedges

*Sunset image from here

Although we are different

Although we are different...
We trusted each other...

Although we are different...
We helped each other...

Although we are different...
We honored and appreciated each other...

Although we are different...
We guard each other ...

And although we are different...
We always one heart!...
Because we are the true friend.

#With those poem i dedicated for commemorate the "Sumpah Pemuda" day and wanna say Tq 4 Sist Nova that give me this award, Tq very much sist :)

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins topped with Spinach and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

My kids and I were shopping at Trader Joe's and they were passing out samples of their frozen turkey meatloaf muffins that were topped with spinach and mashed potatoes. We all really loved them so I decided to re-create them at home for dinner. It was a fun recipe to make and they tasted even better than the store bought version.Turkey Meatloaf Muffins topped with Spinach and Roasted Garlic

Creating A Meal You'll Love: Book Review

It seems fitting that food writers and chefs, who focus on the pleasures of eating, also help out those who don't get enough to eat. That is the idea behind Creating A Meal You'll Love: Notable Chefs and Food Writers on Their Unforgettable Dining Experiences. It's a book of essays from chefs and food writers and all of the contributors provided their essays "pro bono" with the royalties from the sale of the book going to Share Our Strength, the leading non-profit organization ending childhood hunger in America.

There are some recipes in this book, but mostly there are just wonderfully written essays from a wide range of voices. I am proud to share the pages with people I know like Shauna James Ahern and Jaden Hair, writers I admire like Louisa Chu, Mimi Sheraton and David Sax and inspiring chefs like Marcus Samuelsson, Anna Thomas, Susur Lee and Skye Gyngell. In fact, the essay from Skye Gynegell about a memorable meal that she shared with her father in Tuscany is reason enough to buy this book. My essay is on The Most Important Meal of the Day. Perhaps you can guess which one that is? It's the meal I enjoyed with guests on my wedding day and one I cherish making on the weekends and sharing with my husband.

I write this blog because I love sharing with you, my readers. I ask nothing in return. I do not ask for donations, bore you with sponsored posts or even pester you to click on ads. But I do hope you will purchase a copy of this book either for yourself or to give as a gift. I'm sure you will enjoy it and the money goes to support an important organization and a cause near and dear to my heart. Like the Best Food Writing anthologies, this is a book that shares stories from writers you treasure and will enable you to discover new voices as well.

Mengikuti BIMTEK NASIONAL UAN

Mulai dari tanggal 26 - 30 Oktober ini saya di beri kepercayaan untuk mengikuti BIMTEK Ujian Nasional di Hotel Singgasana Makassar, jadi maaf untuk sahabat jika ada yang tidak bisa saya kunjungi balik untuk saat ini karena jadwal  kegiatan yang begitu padat. dan saat ini  hanya bisa posting seperti ini saja:

       Secara nasional, rata-rata hasil UN SMP, termasuk SD-SMP Satu Atap tahun 2005/2006 (7,07),  2006/2007 (7,02), tahun 2007/2008 (6,87), tahun 2008/2009 (7,36), dan tahun 2009/2010 (7,36) sebenarnya cukup baik.

      Namun demikian, sejumlah provinsi, kabupaten/kota, dan sekolah (SMP) pada tahun 2009/2010 belum menunjukkan hasil yang menggembirakan dengan ditandai oleh rendahnya rerata nilai UN dan tingginya angka ketidaklulusan.  Jumlah SMP yang nilai rata-rata UN di bawah 5,50 pada tahun 2009/2010 masih besar.

       SD-SMP Satu Atap termasuk diantara SMP yang hasil UN-nya rendah. Sekolah-sekolah tersebutmemerlukan bimbingan dan pendampingan teknis yang secara khusus dapat memfasilitasi mereka melakukan pembelajaran, persiapan-persiapan, dan pelaksanaan ujian nasional dengan lebih baik sehingga pencapaian nilai rerata UN dan angka kelulusan meningkat secara berarti. Namun walau prestasi Nilai UAN di Indonesia sudah mulai baik , namun jika kita mau jujur dari nilai tersebut  kira-kira yang berada didaerah putih berapa persen, daerah abu-abu berapa persen dan daerah hitam berapa persen. Ya karena para pendidik paling sering merasakan dilema antara melepas anak berjuang secara jujur ataupun memakai cara-cara yang tidak jujur .

 ss

 N

Roasted Tomato Soup with Poblanos, Oregano, and Cotija Cheese aka Sopa de Jitomate y Rajas

I saw this recipe on the Whole Foods blog and I couldn't wait to make it, especially after watching Rick Bayless make it here. The soup was extremely simple to make and tasted so amazing. My poblanos turned out to be spicier than normal so my soup definitely had a kick but my husband and I really, really loved it. There was such a great depth of flavor from the roasted tomatoes and poblanos as

Featured: The Jakarta Globe

Oh wow...thank you sooooo much for including my blog in the article! :)


Read the full article here...:)

*Note: It's supposed to be 2007, not 1997...;p

Random: Purple & Pouch

Assalamu'alaikum :) Hehehe alhamdulillah I have a chance to post the latest package came for meeee... It's Mba Elsa's prize for Baby Dija's competition ^o^

She's so creative and talented... someday I wanna learn how to sew by machine *I'm afraid of sewing machine*

 Wanna make a pouch like this? Visit the step-by-step tutorial at mba Elsa's blog here.

And this is a look I've already worn maybe 4 times since I bought the dress... hahaha

Purple gamis: Vannara, inner hijab (left): Tuneeca.

Notice the difference between those 2 pictures?

I worn those at different weeks... and actually this week I worn that gamis again :) What can I say? wearing gamis always save my time!

Pray for this week: (and following weeks)

Allah, please give me and my readers and our family health and succeed... and ways to solve our problem and reach our dreams. Amiin.

My bosses will go to pilgrimage (Hajj) tomorrow... and I'll be the person in charge at the office... wish me luck!!! A little bit worried but surely will go through it. Ganbatte!

That Pink One

Modified my shirt...:)


PS: This is getting bad...the flood, the earthquake, the volcano eruption. I pray for everyone to keep strong, cautious, alert, and most importantly, safe and sound. Keep praying and reciting inside your heart, and always monitor your family members and friends. God bless us all.

The Foundation Of It All

I gotta be honest that I’m not really a make-up person, so the only make-up products I use would be those which are very basic. Nevertheless, I am very happy to receive these True Match products from L'Oréal …thank you so much! :)

For those of you who haven’t heard, True Match is a dedicated variant customized to truly match our Asian skin texture and tone. My tip: search for the color that matches your neck instead of face. That is because most of us Asians have different shades between the face and neck, and that's where the foundation comes to play - to even it out.


Above is a 1) liquid foundation, 2) two-way cake foundation, and 3) loose powder with minerals. I think I’ll just be using the liquid foundation & loose powder. Mom has taken the two-way cake foundation anyway hehehehe…here’s my attempt of using the two products in the manner that I usually conduct on a daily basis…;D

(Song: "Dancing With Myself" - Nouvelle Vague)

Verdict: I find the foundation light with a runny texture, able to blend easily and cover some of my dark spots naturally. And it doesn’t give you that crack effect I really hate. Phewh! Loose powder is nice too, feels light to the skin hence perfect for everyday wear...I like it! :)

D is for Death

Cecy Meade

In a Halloween mood, I tried to google up my favorite macabre illustrator name and came up with twentysixtinytombstones. A blog, filled with Edward Gorey's tribute, particularly to his work The Gashlycrumb Tinies (1963). The book itself is filled with alphabet and its accordingly name of objects in pictures, but instead of apples and zebras, we will find children's names starting with each alphabet and their deathly fate.

Jerrod Maruyama

At twenty sixtiny tombstones, illustrator Patricio Oliver invited his artist /illustrator friends to re-enact any alphabet from the book, it doesn't even matter if one alphabet done numerous times or the artist change the kid's name and how he meet his ill fate. Sounds fun? Go visit or maybe submit your own!

Luli Bunny

Water Color Me

A cute illustration by Manu...thank you so much, dear! :)

White Chocolate and Pecan Pumpkin Muffins

My kids had a day off of school for parent/teacher conferences so we decided to make some pumpkin muffins. They wanted to add white chocolate and I wanted to add pecans. They were very simple and fun to make and tasted wonderful! White chocolate and pumpkin go so well together! They gobbled up a couple for an afternoon snack, had another one for dessert after dinner and finished them off with

Mendidik anak dengan Metode Pembiasaan sejak Kecil

 

Seorang bayi adalah ibarat kaset kosong yang siap digunakan untuk merekam apa saja. Dia bisa digunakan untuk merekam dan menyimpan cacian, umpatan, makian, kemarahan ataupun hal buruk lainnya. Pun demikian bisa kita gunakan untuk merekam kata-kata indah penuh kelembutan, perkataan-perkataan bijak penuh hikmah, senandung kesyukuran, lantunan kalam suci illahi dan hal-hal bermanfaat dan terpuji lainnya. 

Semua itu tergantung pada kita sebagai pihak yang bertugas memberikan hal-hal yang hendak dia rekam. Kitalah sekolah pertama bagi mereka. Seorang anak sendiri dalam proses tumbuh dan kembangnya akan melalui beberapa tahapan pendidikan. Hingga usia 5 tahun, paling tidak seorang anak akan melewati tahapan pendidikan pembiasaan, pengenalan hukum, pengenalan disiplin dan membangun pemahaman dasar dengan pendekatan yang bergerak dari yang bersifat konkret ke abstrak, dari aqidah ke pengenalan hukum dan konstitusi , dari hal-hal pokok ke detil/cabang. 

Diantara pembiasaan yang kita bisa lakukan sejak dini adalah terbiasa disiplin dan mematuhi peraturan sekolah,  terbiasa senyum ramah pada orang,  dan kebiasaan-kebiasaan lain yang menjadi aktivitas keseharian kita. Untuk bisa melakukannya memang mengharuskan kita sebagai orang tua atau guru  harus bisa menjadi teladan pertama dan utama bagi anak. Jadi jika ingin membiasakan siswa kita taat aturan  maka kita pertama harus lebih dulu taat aturan . Yang perlu diingat oleh kita selaku orang tua guru pada waktu melakukan proses pembiasaan ini adalah kedisiplinan atau Ketelatenan. Jangan kadang dilakukan, tapi kadang tidak. Hal itu akan mempersulit kita meraih keberhasilan. 

Kalau kita displin , rasa sulit atau berat hanya akan kita rasakan di awal-awal kita memulai kebiasaan baru tersebut saja, berikutnya akan mengalir dengan jauh lebih mudah. Terkadang, diantara alasan  para orang tua atau guru  kurang bisa disiplin melakukan pembiasaan tersebut adalah rasa malas, merasa tidak ada manfaatnya karena saat itu anak kita belum displin atau masih sering melanggar peraturan di rumah atau sekolah , merasa masih cukup memiliki waktu untuk melakukannya di lain waktu, menunggu anak atau siswa kita lebih besar dan pintar dulu dan beberapa alasan lain yang mungkin lebih karena ketidaktahuan kita akan potensi daya ingat dan juga dengan prinsip ala bisa karena biasa. Maka lihatlah, ketika kita  selalu membiasakan anak atau siswa untuk taat dan disilin pada peraturan  sejak dini  maka ketika ia dewasa , ia akan tumbuh menjadi anak atau siswa  yang sadar  serta taat kepada aturan 

Escape

I feel so sad knowing that many people are still stuck in the terrible traffic jam right now...hang tight, guys! Listen to some nice music and read prayers inside your heart...

Anyway, just received this dress from Nefertiti....loving the details on the sleeves! :)

Nefertiti grey dress & chain-like necklace, Increamnia rings, Riotous head piece, Topshop socks, La Redoute boots

Quote of the Day

"Your heart always knows the truth. It's the mind that likes to play tricks on you."

- Diana Rikasari -

Red Wine Pasta with Walnuts: Recipe for World Pasta Day

Pasta is my comfort food. It makes me happy to eat it, to cook it and even to look at it. I love all kinds of noodles from Italian to Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and even Spanish noodles. I love the texture and the way noodles are chameleon-like, absorbing flavors and reflecting all kinds of cultures. Noodles have something to say, whether lowly instant ramen or handmade fettuccine tossed with butter and shavings of truffle. I have written about noodles many times and am always glad to participate in anything pasta related and this time, it's World Pasta Day!

I would not stop eating pasta for any reason, but it is good to know that pasta is not an "evil starch" but actually is a slowly absorbed carbohydrate, that has a low glycemic index. That means it does not cause sugar in the blood to rise as quickly as many other foods. Studies have shown that when eaten in healthy portions, pasta does not lead to weight gain, may be beneficial for those with diabetes, may reduce the risk of breast cancer, lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes and may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, prostate cancer. You can read more about it and see links to the medical research in Pasta for All.

I was looking for something new to do with pasta and I came across something not so new. It's a recipe that has been floating around in various incarnations for years. In my usual manner I looked at several recipes and mixed and matched until the recipe worked best for me. I don't want to say this recipe is weird, but cooking spaghetti in red wine gives it an unusual color and flavor. In addition to pasta, this recipe features red wine, walnuts, garlic and olive oil in it, so you can eat it for health or eat it because it tastes good! It has a very earthy and slight spicy flavor and is very pretty on the plate. The new plate by the way is from Villeroy & Boch. They sent me a couple of pieces to play with and I just love them.



Red Wine Pasta with Walnuts
Serves 4

1 pound spaghetti
3 cups fruity red wine
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 small garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of crushed red pepper, or to taste, but don't use too much!
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving

Cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain then return the pasta to the pot and add the wine. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring from time to time, until wine is just about completely absorbed, 7 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile in a dry skillet, toast the walnuts over medium heat for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Remove toasted nuts from the skillet and set aside. Return skillet and add the oil, heat over medium. Add the garlic and sprinkle with salt. Cook over moderate heat for 30 seconds. Add the parsley, walnuts and stir for a moment or two. Add the pasta and toss then add the cheese and continue tossing until well combined and glossy. Taste for seasonings, serve, passing additional grated cheese at the table if desired.

Enjoy!

Boo!

Boo!
Halloween's coming, so many things to do
Candy shopping and costume making
Fret not, here's a little help to set the mood
A Halloweenies Minicard set for you!
Boo!

YAY! So how was my poem?
**enter miserable ghoulish sound**

..

..

OK, I'm sorry for such lameness. Anyway, I'm not making things up though about the last part. A halloween themed minicard ready to download! Free as always!

download

On more serious side... I have been receiving a lot of emails asking about downloading problems, so I'm sorry to inform you as well, that you have to be registered at Scribd.com before you can make any download. Registering is easy and free, of course, you just have to upload 1 document (your shopping list would do, if you're really not that creative) and there are thousands of printable, recipes, literature, music sheets, and many more to be find. I encourage you to do so, since I offer many free printables only at Scribd :)

Happy Halloween!

Boo!