Office Christmas Party

we had to choose party or pizza plus bonus. Guess what we chose...got one weeks pay as bonus

Simone's Fruit Mince Loaf

Revisiting this recipe since its nearing Christmas, it was the most delicious fruit mince I've ever had and I plan on making it again this year.

With a few adjustments but absolutely delicious.

Dry Ingredients: 

70 grams - wholemeal spelt flour 

70 grams - white spelt flour 

50 grams - ground almond 

20 grams - corn flour 

3 tea spoons - baking powder 

2 tea spoons - baking soda 

2 tea spoons - cinnamon 

1 teaspoon - ground ginger 

70 grams - rapadura/raw cane sugar

Wet Ingredients: 

1 egg 

100mls - melted butter 

50mls - yoghurt 

100mls - orange juice 

1 tea spoon - vanilla essence

200 grams - fruit mince (I soaked mine in cooking brandy for 2 hours then blended it all together to make it a bit smoother)

Blend all wet ingredients in food processor and mix in the melted butter.

Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl and pour wet ingredients in then beat well to get a smooth mixture.

Add the fruit mince last and mix well to a smooth batter.

Pour into a greased and lined 8 inch loaf tin then bake for 40mins at 180 degrees Celsius.

I used 140g cashew nuts with only 70g flour instead of corn flour. Also because total amount of flour to cashew nuts combination was not even 1 cup I used only 3/4 teaspoon of baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda. No ginger and just plain brown sugar not raw sugar cane sugar. It was too good to die for. 

Found these today

They keep trying, keep learning and keep moving forward. They win the battle in their minds, and then it overflows into what they do.

Vision doesn't follow resources, it happens the other way around

First we have a dream, then we have to move forward. Then-and only then-do people and resources follow.

A journal is not a diary. A diary is about the things you did. A journal is about the lessons you learned — the mistakes you made and how you learned from those things.

Home for Christmas

I'm putting up the curtains that the house hirl had qashed, stayed home on sick leave whent his car pulls up in the driveway. I ask mum if she's expecting anyone. Jitoko goes it looks like Sean, me thinking he has no idea what Sean looks like until I hear him calling out to Jitoko. Hehehehe...this lil monkey needs a hiding but he came just to see dad, best surprise ever.

Classic Sean moment number 1 gets out of car still coming up driveway when one 4wd parks behind him, friend stopping to say hello -Lord mayor of Lautoka has arrived...gotta love this kid

Classic Sean moment number 2 stopping for two minutes in kadavu st-guess sara whose house *smh* hihihi...present his sevusevu

Classic Sean moment number 3 everyone is off to bed..takes bags out of car ok see you guys in the morning.oh well you know where the keys are....hihihihi can put the boy in the marine can't take lautoka out if this kid #lilbro is home for christmas. Have fun, you made time for mum and dad and made their christmas thats all that matters

Aji would have been so proud of the young man he has grown into.

offended much?

offense leads to betrayal which leads to hatred. hatred means the absence of love. deal with your offenses as they become the breeding ground for deception. Woah!

Family Time

Starting to love these lil family times Jaydon and I have been getting with his daddy. Don't want to say too much about it incase I jinx it and it suddenly stops but loving that he now finally understands that he needs to make time for us in the middle of his busy career, ministry and what and what not he has trouble walking away from. We went to The Lounge. Yes finally after nagging him the whole year and only because the owners took him for coffee there early in the week and he fell in love with their Fruit Punch. Jaydon had an iced chocolate, which was so chocolatey that neither of us was able to finish it. We had fruit Punch and the 3 of us split a serve of Fish and chips, which was so big that neither of us was able to finish it. Comparing this place to all the other places we have been to lately. Definitely better food then Hard Rock Cafe and I have to admit as much as I like Sugar N Ice which has alot of Ice in their drinks. This one was much tastier. I order sushi and it was a big failure. Not only are the sushi rolls thinner then my fingers, the serve was incomplete. We they missed out an entire Avacado roll. The place was quite classy and relaxing non the less, they even gave Jaydon colours. Think I'll take dad their this weekend if his leg heals.

Beef Stroganoff

Made my very own Beef Stroganoff with a bit of a twist.
Slice up the beef into strips - thin strips will cook faster.
Fry beef in soy sauce.
Mix in 1 cup of water with beef stock
Add to beef and stir
Add in sliced pumpkin and sliced carrots
Add can of condensed cream of mushroom soup and stir.
Let cook and serve with Dalo
Delicious and creamy and easy to make

Rainbow Cake

I reckon one little boy is gonna go crazy over this. Triple Rainbow Cake.
Definitely must try this especially since I have food gels and he's been nagging to make cake

Good News

Having the best day in a long long time. Started with a trip to visit the Fiji Bati thanks to the big bro in law. It was supposed to be a joke to tease Priya but he arranged to have our photos taken with them so it was real nice. The fan in me kaicolo abit but was even better having Jitoko there with me. Then the fan in him kaicolo abit and he started asking for more photos with his choice of players...haha family business. Thank you Lord for the patience big bro has for us. He wouldn't have done this for anybody else thats for sure. Was telling Jitoko about what he was saying about hosting the Warriors and the Kangaroos in October next year and he goes yeh more photos...segai...

The best news is that we are ready to launch tonight. We are making HISTORY....yeh...thank you Jesus and all because of you. our TA connection is expected to go LIVE tonight. So we should be able to start with our campaigns first thing tomorrow morning. Its so exciting. Still got the Warwick meeting, the Rosie paper and the Outrigger discussions to get through but if all that works out, I am heading to Brisbane for Easter for sure! 

JBoog

Late to jump on the J Boog band wagon but so glad I heard this song on the mini bus to work this morning. For a minute there thought it was common Kings until I realised it was George Fiji. Love this song, now to find the lyrics

Absolute Worst Week

Having the absolute worst week from hell but thankful to still be standing, still be alive and thank God for his protection over family. Thank you God for your protection. Thank you God for your faithfulness. Thank you God that you never fail. That people can do and say whatever they want. That things can go absolutely wrong but you are still in control, you are ever so faithful. You will take care of us no matter what. That even though it looks like its the absolute worst its not over until you say so and it just means things are about to get better. Take care of aunty today Lord that she will not end up needing the surgery, perform that miracle, not because we deserve it but because its the door to their hearts Lord. Cover us today with your precious blood and surround us with your grace and your mercy. For your mercy endures forever. For you are good. And that my soul know very well.

The best gift ever

The best gift my mum had ever given me: doing everything she possibly could to make sure that I was raised in the ways of the Lord. No matter what she went through or how she did everything she could to make sure we put God first in everything we did. Everything I am today, everything I've become is all thanks to you mum. If I could be half that person to Jaydon. If I could raise Jaydon to know God the same way you raised me I would be passing on your legacy.
This songs been ministering to me today. Your grace find me. In the darkest night in the cry of a new born in the wedding day. Your great grace find me, Lord. No matter where what or why you're always there Lord and I can lean on that knowing that you will always take care of me no matter what. I'm breathing in your grace waiting on your grace today. Its like that Joyce Meyer video I saw on Sunday where she declared that even if God never blesses her in her entire life for the rest of her life she will faithfully tithe. It was the wilderness experience she described it as like the Israelites in the desert where God provided their food, water and clothing to the point their clothes and their shoes did not wear out but there was only enough. Right now it is only enough we are not short, we are not overflowing but we have more than enough food and money to get us through and even if we stay like this for the rest of our lives with no abundance its fine. Even if we don't get a cent extra its fine. We will tithe because we are commanded to and we will tithe because of what God has done for us. He is faithful and just and will take care of us no matter what.
Like Richard said on sunday its time to start declaring God's word around you everywhere, its in your head its in your heart but it needs to come out of your mouth so that your spirit and everything around you hears it:
- my daddy will not die without receiving Jesus
- My God will take care of me & Jitoko in our workplaces
- Our debts are paid off in Jesus Name
- My sister is healed in the name of Jesus
- Your grace is sufficient for me
Psalms 138:8 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me.

The Sparrow at Starbucks

I can't take credit for this but it was too awe inspiring not to share.

This is a very good example of a "God-incidence." (similar to what many people call a "co-incidence". I'm sending this to those who truly appreciate the  difference between the two terms. 

The SPARROW at STARBUCKS - The song that silenced the cappuccino machines.*

It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside the Starbucks shop  on 51st Street and Broadway, just a skip up from Times Square . Early November weather in New York City holds only the slightest hint of the bitter chill  of late December and January, but it's enough to send the masses crowding  indoors to vie for available space and warmth. For a musician, it's the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world, I'm told, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes right.

Apparently, we were striking all the right chords that night, because our basket was almost overflowing. It was a fun, low-pressure gig. I was playing keyboard and singing backup for my friend who also added rhythm with an arsenal of percussion instruments. We mostly did pop songs from the '40s to the '90s with a few original tunes thrown in.

During our emotional rendition of the classic, "If You Don't Know Me by Now," I  noticed a lady sitting in one of the lounge chairs across from me. She was swaying to the beat and singing along.

After the tune was over, she approached me. "I apologize for singing along on that song. Did it bother you?" she asked.

"No," I replied. "We love it when the audience joins in. Would you like to sing up front on the next selection?" To my delight,  she accepted my invitation. "You choose," I said. "What are you in the mood to sing?"

"Well.... do you know any hymns?" Hymns? This woman didn't  know who she was dealing with. I cut my teeth on hymns. Before I was even  born, I was going to church. I gave our guest singer a knowing look. "Name one."

"Oh, I don't know. There are so many good ones. You pick  one."

I replied. "How about 'His Eye is on the Sparrow'?"

My new friend was silent, her eyes averted. Then she fixed her eyes on mine again and said, "Yeah. Let's do that one." She slowly nodded her head, put down her purse, straightened her jacket and faced the center of the shop.

With my two-bar setup, she began to sing, "Why should I be discouraged? Why should the shadows come?"

The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed. Even the gurgling noises of the cappuccino machine ceased as the employees stopped what they were doing to listen. The song rose to its conclusion.

"I sing because I'm happy; I sing because I'm free. For His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me."

When the last note was sung, the applause crescendoed to a deafening roar that would have rivaled a sold-out crowd at Carnegie  Hall.

Embarrassed, the woman tried to shout over the din, "Oh, y'all go back to your coffee! I didn't come in here to do a concert! I just came in  here to get somethin' to drink, just like you!" 

But the ovation continued.. I embraced my new friend. "You, my dear, have made my whole day! That was beautiful!"

 "Well, it's funny that you picked that particular hymn," she said.

"Why is that?" I  asked.

"Well,"  she hesitated again, "that was my daughter's favorite song.”

 "Really!"  I exclaimed.

"Yes," she said, and then grabbed my hands. By this time,  the applause had subsided and it was business as usual... "She was 16. She died of a brain tumor last week."

I said the first thing that found its way through my stunned silence. "Are you going to be okay?"

She  smiled through tear-filled eyes and squeezed my hands. "I'mgonna be okay.  I've just got to keep trusting the Lord and singing his songs, and everything's gonna be just fine."

She picked up her bag, gave me her card, and then she was gone.

Was it just a coincidence that we happened to be singing in that particular coffee shop on that particular November night? Coincidence that this wonderful lady just happened to walk into that particular shop?

Coincidence that of all the hymns to choose from, I just happened to pick the very hymn  that was the favorite of her daughter, who had died just the week before? I refuse to believe it. 

God has been arranging encounters in human history since the beginning of time, and it's no stretch for me to imagine that he could reach into a coffee shop in midtown Manhattan and turn an ordinary gig into a revival. It was a great reminder that if we keep trusting him and singing his songs, everything's gonna be okay.

The next time you feel like GOD can't use YOU, remember, Noah was a drunk, Abraham was too old, Isaac was a daydreamer, Jacob was a liar, Leah  was ugly, Joseph was abused, Moses had a stuttering problem, Gideon was afraid, Samson had long hair and was a womanizer, Rahab was a prostitute, Jeremiah and Timothy were too young, David had an affair and was a murderer. Elijah was suicidal, Isaiah preached naked, Jonah ran from God, Peter denied Christ, The Disciples fell asleep while praying, And Lazarus was dead!

No more excuses! God can use you to your full potential. Besides you aren't the message, you're just the messenger.

Dreams, Visions, movements

While putting Jaydon to sleep last night prayed with Jaydon then prayed that God would cover us and speak to us through visions and dreams. Woke up at midnight from dreaming tht mum had died. I was sitting in the office, Vika in the kitchen, we're talking. Bill and va walk in from their meeting at Treasure and she looks up at them and goes "Oh Thank God you're hear I've been waiting for you guys. Cherie's mum just passed away. "

Am at home now, Jitoko is trying to explain to Jaydon that they had to take nena, she died and have to take her body to the hospital. I look at see them carrying her body white cloth and all over it on a stretcher. 

Couldn't sleep for a wholehour after that. Jitoko had to pray for me and rebuke me that I was being rude to mum. I told him he doesn't know what he was talking about since he's hardly at home but that he was right about the part where mum was important to me. Was the dream about dad? Was I just dreaming that just because I heard it was Janine and Bianca's mum's funeral today? Whatever it is its not a coincidence that I pray God speak to us through dreams and visions and I see this. 

On the way to work this morning I realised it might have something to do with Anit's uncle. Maybe he died at midnight or something. Asked him and he said his uncle slipped out of coma at midnight. Responded to a few tings then went back into coma. Still quite shaken about the dream. What if it is about mum. What if it is about dad? What if it is about the uncle? I asked mum if she was moving around the house lastnight she said no only at 4am but I felt it, so what was that? 

Python Push

This is more a reminder to myself once we have done the Django CMS upgrade for the push notification we have to implement with it. I found this on my favourite all time forum Stackoverflow, the best place to get the right answers.

I don't want to apply too much load on our main server seeing as it already has 6 or 7 services running from it. So I have recommended we try to push availability and rates for the TA connection from the ibp server. Lets hope this works.

So Django CMS has push capabilities via its Tasty Pie API. Its just a matter of figuring out how to configure it for the purpose we want. Otherwise I will have to make another windows service just to be able to push to TA which is what I don't want to do.

It was suggested on stackoverflow that I look at the signals section of the documentation: https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/topics/signals/
at the following method:

@receiver(post_save, sender=MyModel) 
def my_handler(sender, **kwargs): 
    ...

Chowder Stew

I made chowder last night but because I used beef stock it went brown like stew. It was yummy nonetheless. So here's there recipe to my
Corn Crab Chowder Stew:
Heat butter in pot, add broccoli and cook.
Add corn
Add two cups water
1 cube stock, I chose beef for a little spicy flavour.
Add 1/4 cup four and cook till flour is fully cooked. Reminder to myself to make sure to stir the flour in water before adding so it doesn't get lumpy, I keep forgetting to do this.
Add 2 cups milk, when cooked add cheese then stir in the crab
Yummy yummy chowder stew for this cold weather. Absolutely creamy.
I added a bit of my pepper chilli sauce to my bowl for that extra spice.
Serve with dalo
lets just say it was so good that Mr had a few extra bowls and he is usually the fussy one.
He even made me fry him some eggs just to be on the safe side. Later on I see the eggs and dalo being dipped into the Chowder before going into his mouth

Thought Provoking Communication on Marriage

Found this on yahoo, thought it was worth sharing:

Whether you recently said "I do" or just celebrated a double-digit anniversary, you can probably spout off a lot of info about your husband-his middle name, where he was born, his favorite food. But knowing these 10 other things can bring you closer than ever. Find out why, and try these relationship strategies to ensure your husband is anything but a mystery. Photo by Getty Images 

1. When He Needs Space 
 Sharing office news, the kids' schedules and the latest neighborhood drama as soon as your husband walks in the door each night can backfire. "Most women want to immediately connect at the end of the day. For a lot of guys, they need their space more than ever then," says Les Parrott III, PhD, a psychology professor and co-author (with wife and marriage therapist Leslie Parrott, EdD) of The Good Fight: How Conflict Can Bring You Closer. Give your hubby a few minutes to unwind when he comes home. You're more likely to get his undivided attention if you wait.
2. When He's Really Listening 
 If it seems like your husband constantly tunes you out, consider this: Men may look at other areas of the room while still paying attention, according to Deborah Tannen, author of You Just Don't Understand: Women and Men in Conversation, who reviewed videotapes of same-sex best friends talking. Rather than focus on where your husband's gaze lands during conversations, note how he responds to you. If your words are truly falling on deaf ears, Rachel A. Sussman, a relationship specialist and author of The Breakup Bible, suggests gently telling him you feel he isn't listening; then, let him respond. "Don't accuse or blame him," she advises.

3. The Most Productive Way to Fight… 
Arguments happen in any good marriage. But there's a wrong and right way to fight. Through a study conducted to predict how long couples would stay married, researchers discovered, not surprisingly, that yelling during fights often led to divorce-but so did approaching arguments differently from one's spouse (say, one spoke calmly and the other avoided the conversation). "Ask yourself, 'When would I want to have this conversation?'" suggests Sussman. "Then, think about what might work best for your husband." Assessing both your moods can help you pinpoint the best time for a constructive argument. 

4. …And When an Argument is Going Nowhere 
For some disagreements, there's just no productive way to fight it out. To find out if you're gearing up for a purposeful fight, rate the importance of the topic. If it's a core value-like how to raise your children or which city to live in-rank it highly. If it's not-like the color of a new bedspread or what to have for dinner-it may not be worth an argument. Next, determine if you and your husband are ready for the discussion. If either of you are "tired, hungry or distracted, don't get into a conversation about something important," Dr. Leslie Parrott advises. 

5. Which Topics Set Him Off 
 Maybe it's talking about his mom's flavorless cooking-or his late nights at work. Dr. Les Parrott says it's important to "know where the emotional landmines are. If you step on one, you can expect an explosion," he says. But you can't avoid all "hot topics." "Find the right space and time to talk about these issues," he suggests. Plus, try to understand your husband's side, and then approach him in a non-threatening way. You might say, "I'm not looking to upset you; I'm just looking for a solution to an issue that's causing me a lot of pain," Sussman offers.

6. How (and When) to Be His Support System 
Couples who say they have strong spousal support and face daily stress have 50% higher rates of marriage satisfaction, according to a 2012 study. While wives equate affection and warmth with support, husbands feel supported when they're appreciated, needed and receiving offers to help with errands. Not sure if your hubby needs you? Ask him. "Mindreading is outlawed," says Jackie Black, PhD, a board-certified couples' coach and author of Meeting Your Match: Cracking the Code to Successful Relationships. Volunteer to tackle some tasks on his list so he can recharge. And tell him how much you appreciate him as a partner to give him a boost. 

7. When He's Not Loving Your Love Life 
If your man isn't showing signs he wants to have sex-perhaps he usually kisses your neck or gives you a telltale look-then it's time to rekindle the fire. Dr. Leslie Parrott says couples reconnect when they try out-of-the-box activities together. "Women experience intimacy through communication, so we often underplay sharing something novel," she says. Plan a date that'll get you both in the mood. Some ideas: Sign up for a race, head to the museum or take a cooking class to, ahem, turn up the heat.

8. How He Views His Role as Husband and Father 
 Whether it's just you two or you plus kids, you and your husband have equally important family roles. And it's vital that you recognize how he views his part and respect it. "Of course that's a two-way street, but it's even more important for men," says Dr. Les Parrott, who adds that respecting his role helps him feel close to you. Fight the urge to cast your husband into specific parts without his input. And keep in mind that you don't always have to be in sync with parenting. "Differences in temperament and style are key to parents' success and the enjoyment of parenting," Dr. Black says.

9. What His Dream Job (or Vacation or Car) Is 
It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life, but happy couples discuss "each other's hopes and dreams to build and sustain intimacy," says Dr. Black. Make it a point to regularly talk to your husband about, well, him. Find out his career goals for the next few years-or just hear about his favorite book, TV show or food of the moment. Then, reciprocate by telling him more about you. Communication helps you grow with each other instead of apart. 

10. That You Don't Know Everything About Him 
No matter how much you communicate with your husband, you can never completely know him, and that's OK. "It's never good to believe you know anything about your partner for sure and therefore not ask," says Dr. Black. "It's vital that you and your husband continually get to know each other," adds Sussman. "If you're growing, you have to continue to catch up with each other." That means there's at least one enjoyable thing you can do each week: get to know-and fall in love with-your husband all over again. 

Tiramisu Trifle 30

Hubby's birthday yesterday. I had the day off.
Had my driving class at midday so was thrown behind schedule with a bit of running around here and there, then aunty and Shibu showed up and lucky mum had brought chicken. Gosh so chaotic but my little boy had the time of his life baking his daddy's cake as he called it. Mixing the frosting and filling for the tiramisu cake
Gosh if only I had known all this time how easy it was to make tiramisu cake I would have tried making it a long time ago. The roast chicken and gravy with the potato salad disappeared from the table the moment someone sat down to eat. So much for thinking I could pack leftovers for lunch today then I went and forgot to pack the tiramisu and the trifle. I used Baileys in the syrup so it had a creamy coffee like flavour.
Note to self: Next time more cream and mascaporne and thicker layer of cake maybe a 3 layer should do the trick. I probably should have used the two cakes one on top of the other instead of halfing the first one.

                                         

My little boy had his hand in everything, the baking to the point he wanted to wash the dishes. Oilei. Well he claimed it was his birthday so he picked the candle he wanted, made me light it blew it, cut it then ate it and mind you this is the first time I've seen him dig into a cake, maybe because he made it. Every other time he will walk away but this time he made the father cut him a piece which he very nicely ate then finished off with his cereal. Now who eats cake then cereal?

Birthday Roast Gravy

Found a new way to make delicious gravy yesterday when looking for something juicy to go with our roast yesterday.
Cut up the onions, lengthwise
Cut up fresh tomatoes
Fried Both in olive oil then threw in a chicken stock cube and added water.
Absolutely thick creamy and delicious.
Half way through the meal and aunty asked whether I added flour. Oops...

Ruins

Having the kind of week that could send my career up in smoke but ever since Sunday I've been meditating on this song and message attached to it by Pastor Brian Houston.
Two things came out it.
1.A reminder of everything that God has placed in my heart and dreams that need to be fanned back to Life. 2. God fixed and is still in the process of fixing it all up. If I will just continue to trust in him
I sit down and think how much of this is going to keep happening and how much of it will my boss tolerate then I hear Let the ruins come to life in the beauty of your name rising up from the ashes in the glory of your name and I am at peace because my God is able and he is in control and he will take care of me. And my soul will find refuge in the shadow of his wings. My God is faithful and able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20) and if I have to go through this for his glory, then let the ruins come to life.

Hillsong
Glorious Ruins lyrics

VERSE
When the mountains fall
And the tempest roars You are with me
When creation folds
Still my soul will soar on Your mercy

PRE-CHORUS
I'll walk through the fire
With my head lifted high
And my spirit revived in Your story
And I'll look to the cross
As my failure is lost
In the light of Your glorious grace

CHORUS
Let the ruins come to life
In the beauty of Your Name
Rising up from the ashes
God forever You reign

And my soul will find refuge
In the shadow of Your wings
I will love You forever
And forever I'll sing

VERSE
When the world caves in
Still my hope will cling to Your promise
Where my courage ends
Let my heart find strength in Your presence

So powerful it made me realise that God placed a dream in Brian Houston's heart. He started and I remember him preaching about it in a small church made up of only 5 or 6 people and something about slinging from one side of the church to another and now how many years later he has one of the biggest churches in the world still writing powerful songs, still ministering in praise, worship and preaching all because like in Habakkuk 3:2 he wrote his dream down and ran with it. Just like Pastor Phil Pringle, God told him Sydney and he left everything in the U.S and moved and God moved with him and now he is running one of the biggest churches in Australia. God told me move and I moved and somewhere along the way work, dad, family and everything that is in a big mess in the church has clouded up what and where and everything God is laying in my heart. Have become tired and weary and in desperate need to see God move, but needing him to move in dad first before I can step out again. So this is me sitting here and saying ok Lord what next. What is the next move you want me to make. What is the next step because everything looks like it is falling apart and I am tired and weary and overwhelmed but if I have to trust in you with all my heart then ok Lord teach me to trust in what you are doing. 

Everything can fall into ruins but God can make it glorious because it will arise out of the ashes in Jesus name. 

Deborah's Red Velvet Cake

So this is Deborah's famous red velvet cake. 

She has told me to half the recipe for cupcakes.

Thank you so much for sharing darling. Definitely gonna try it real soon. 

Ingredients:

230g butter, soften

1 1/2 cups caster sugar

6 Large eggs

3 cups self-raising flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

240ml sour cream(8 oz)

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp cocoa powder(Hershey's recommended)

1 1/2 bottle red food colouring

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Method:

1. Sift together the self-raising flour and baking powder in a bowl and also sift in the cocoa powder. Use a whisk to mix it together.

2. Beat the butter until creamy , then add in the sugar and continue to beat ntil light and fluffy. Add on the eggs one at a time beating until blended after each addition.

3. Add in the flour mixture to the butter mix alternately with the sour cream, starting with the flour and ending with the flour.(ratio 3:2)

4. Add in the vanilla extract and the red food colouring and fold it with a spatula until well blended.

5. Pour it into a baking tin and bake until skewer comes out clean.

6. Leave it to cool until ready to frost.

Swiss Buttercream Recipe

Thank you Debs for this.
I will definitely try it and get back to you.

The perfect Butter Cream Icing

I've always used cream cheese in my recipes but somehow never knew the correct measurements.
Here it is now:
226g butter
680grams cream cheese, you would have to buy 3 of the 250g packs in order to make up this.
6cups of icing sugar, any leftovers can always be frozen for later.
Mix butter and Cream cheese until smooth.
Add Icing sugar and mix until you can no longer taste the grains.

1st Cake Order

My first cake order, it was so nerve wrecking it wasn't funny. Oven was on for an hour even though I decided to safe side it and go with a Betty Crocker Recipe. Amidst all that nervousness found the right way to decorate it and lady did not show up to blow her candles. Oh well her lose. I still made $20 from it my first cake sale and everyone liked it. Maybe when I open my first shop I can place this on the wall - a reminder of humble beginnings.

Crab Stir Fry

Mum made crab stir fry the other day and I couldn't help wonder where I had tasted something like that before until it occurred to me that Chinese restaurants use that same crab for seafood combination chowmein. Guess this is where I get all my experimenting habits from. Its genetic.

Sure to rise did not

Somebody gave me Edmonds sure to rise chocolate cupcake recipe and well it did not rise. it was a complete disaster but here's to hoping somebody can take it and perfect it. Infact the lady who gave it to me told me maybe it needed some more milk. Well whatever it is it put a bad stench to my baking the one I did this morning also failed and I have to bake for a party tomorrow which is making me really nervous.
Maybe someday soon I will be brave enough to try it again and fix what went wrong.

Cupcakes (Edmonds)
125g butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup milk

Chocolate
Replace 3 tablespoon flour with cocoa.

Orange
Add zest

Icing
100g butter
1/4 vanilla
1-2 tsp water
2tsp powdered milk

Centre of it All

Can't believe I wasn't a fan of this song all this time Jitoko's been playing it. Maybe its got something to do with him being away and missing him am really loving this song right now.

New song for the week

Found this song today. My favourite all time band. Turns out its a christian song written by one of the guys whose daughter had just been baptised. Its appeared on 20 Countdown magazine a couple of times but finally managed to get my hands on it today. Very moving.

Help Me Find it

I love this song. It came to me at a great time when my day was practically at its worst but I love that I can confess that ok Lord I don't know where to go from here and I'm struggling with the way I decided to go but  help me find your will for my life. Help me find that road. Help me find that peace.
Amazing song. Amazing declaration. So very powerful.

Infact I had this song in my playlist for months but only had the chance to listen to it when a friend shared it. Amazing how God uses people to minister to you in the middle of everything you're going through, he still finds a way to connect with us.

Chicken Stir Fry

We had stir fry on Monday, thanks to our stir fry order pack from Fresh & Simple which came in on Friday.
Very simple, very easy and very delicious I could eat it all week.

For Chicken Marinade:
Soy Sauce
1 drop of Apple cider vinegar
Honey

Fry vegetables in sesame oil until colour turns abit dark.
Take out and put aside.
Fry meat until cooked.
Mix everything together and serve with rice or dalo.

The Ultimate Cupcake Recipe

This is my ultimate cupcake recipe. Not only did everything turn out well, I ended up selling all well there is 3 left but still. $10 for 10 cupcakes not a bad bargain considering I had to walk so many places to sell it.
So here it is:
1  1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup cocoa
salt
3 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk
Mix dry ingredients together
Mix wet ingredients separately. Once butter is fully melted add milk.
Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix
This mixture made 18 cups cakes. 12 regular sized and 6 giant sized.

Frosting
140g butter
280g Icing sugar
1-2 teaspoon milk
Food colouring. Beat till fluffy and forms twirls

Dealing with things

Found out last weekend that my babysitter had been locking my son up in the house and going next door with food for a talanoa session until she knew it was almost time for me to come home then she's run back up to start the fire for the dog's food. The old lady next door was telling mum. Now that explains why the butter and the sugar and everything was finishing up so fast. I'm furious, i'm so angry I was practically ready to go and slap her on Sunday and yes she comes to our church calls herself a christian and was collecting $60 a week from us to be leaving my lil boy at home, eating and taking food from my hard earned sweat for her lil talanoa sessions. Still dealing with this but furious isn't the word to describe how I feel about it. Furious? now that's an understatement..how dare she? My poor son. I had seen the signs, I had sensed something up in those last 6 weeks. 6 weeks, shit. Al that trauma that my son had to endure, all that frustration he was holding on to. If only he could have formed the words to tell me exactly what he was going through. shit doesn't even describe how raged I am but I'm having to learn to just leave it to God. Fed up of leaving things to God and watching people get away with things, working all over us like that. When Lord, when are you going to move? When are we going to get that breakthrough. When are you going to do something so that people stop getting away with things. Believing in God for our breakthrough this week. That is the only thing that I can believe in and stand on, knowing that he will take care of us and the truth is in the middle of it all he has been so faithful, he does take care of us. 

These past two three weeks I've been asking myself whether it was a bad idea to move in with mum and dad. There is so much strifing, so much frustration, so much anger, bitterness, hatred. Its just wrong. Its not good for Jaydon, its not good for Jaydon. I'm learning all over again about honouring your parents, I guess running away from all this for the last 10years, now its time to face it and pray it away. its time all this fighting and hatred stops. So much for all that reconciliation session the other weekend. But I suppose in reality that reconciliation session was more for the sisters and now we have to pray for our parents. Their salvation, their redemption, their deliverance. Its so hard, how can I stand up and preach or teach or speak about God when I can't even show his love to my own father. Learning that he is getting old an senile and that its not him but the stroke that has made him snappy like he is right now but it hurts watching and listening to him react to every little thing mum does. Even thought about care giving this week. To have someone come in to help her clean him, bath him. its not going to improve the way he treats her but at least it  will give her a break and make life abit easier for her. My parents are now 70 years, for 30 years of his life all he's known is his alcohol. All his every been is an alcoholic. Now at 70 he doesn't know anything else except his Gin or whiskey. Even if he is tormenting Jaydon constantly, maybe some where in his mind he can't seem to see it that way. 3 things that I'm praying for regarding our breakthrough this week: 

- Dad's salvation

- Mum and dad no more striving, just love and restoration of their marriage and peace in the house. For once I would like to go home after a long bus ride to no fighting. 

- Bigger or better job opportunity for Jitoko, whether inside Datec in FEA or outside wherever. 

I can't believe I once wanted to work for Datec. So much corruption and dishonesty and bureaucracy everyone is just filling their own pockets and stomachs without any care or concern of staff welfare. 

This song really got me through these past two weeks and I'm so grateful for the man that God has placed in my life, I am more thankful and appreciative of him every single day and admire and respect his hard work and dedication regardless of what is expected of him. 

Chocolate Brownie

Found this best ever brownie recipe online and since I was running out of butter but still watned to bake thought I'd give it a try. I used melted chocolate instead of cocoa but now I think maybe I should have just used cocoa. Not bad for a Brownie first timer. Its very dry though but the sweet sweet icing and my lil deco made up for it.

1/2 cup butter
 1 cup white sugar
 2 eggs
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
 1/4 teaspoon salt
 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

 3 tablespoons butter, softened
 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
 1 tablespoon honey
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 1 cup confectioners' sugar
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Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.
In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.
To Make Frosting: Combine 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar. Frost brownies while they are still warm.

First weekend

First weekend with the parents back was terrible. There was so much bickering and fighting I was thankful that Jitoko was working all weekend that he didn't have to bear it. On that note, he was supposed to be working the whole weekend but ended up working only for a few hours on all days which left him tired and exhausted but still took us out.
I'm still working on this watermark thingy but I think I have a clear idea of how I want it done. Now to perfect it.
I took Jaydon to the park. We took him to the carnival and then he took us for drives and it was nice. I think my favourite part was meeting him for meat pies at Denarau marina..that was sweet of him. It was a nice getaway small date, get together, outing.

DBA ignorance

Had a real lesson in database administration today. Have been so focused on having my sites ready and working I had clearly neglected any sort of database administration or maintenance. Went into panic mode today when found that my database went down to only 3MB. Thank God for forums, in my panicky state of frenzy I posted on the stack overflow DBA forum and found there was no need to panic and a few house cleaning and everything was good. 

Database running out of space

with the provided answers that helped save my day. Well not really I just spent the whole day praying and asking God to hold everything together and to move and stood on the reading I saw today on God equipping us and he would move. A whole of of praying and speaking in tongues during lunch. 

The reading? (pasted below)
'The world and all that is in it is Mine...' Psalm 50:12 

The Bible says, '...God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.' (Genesis 2:7 NKJV) Until then, we were just inanimate lumps of clay in human form. At that point God breathed into us two important things:

(1) Imagination. It distinguishes us from all other living creatures. It's what makes us capable of going to the moon, inventing the internet, having a dream, and worshipping our Creator. But even when God gives you a concept; you must work to make it a reality. God said, 'The world and all that is in it is Mine.' That means that when you get ready to build and you only have a few bricks, you can pray for more bricks and God will give them to you. It also means that instead of complaining about what you don't have, you look at what you do have, and what you can make of it with God's help. (2) Freedom of choice. God has empowered you with the ability to make the right choices and act on them. But even though God has given you this ability, don't try to go it alone. Jesus said, 'What is born of...[the physical is physical]; and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.' (John 3:6 AMP) Always depend on the Holy Spirit. He's called 'the Helper' for a reason (John 14:26 NKJV). Jesus promised His disciples, 'You shall receive power [ability, efficiency and might] when the Holy Spirit has come upon you...' (Acts 1:8 AMP) Imagination and freedom of choice - use them to glorify God.

He will give us the resources and the man power and the wisdom and everything we need to accomplish it for his glory!

Great Night

For the first time in 6weeks no barking dogs, no late night groggers, no prayers across the road or loud music. Just peace and quiet, none of us woke up in the middle of the night. Not even Jaydon, who had to be carried out of bed at 7:30 because he was still practically knocked out. Unfortunately it looks like tomorrow the fire walking across the road starts. I miss you Corbett st. 

That one little action

Hubby's working late so I'm catching the bus. 

Step out in the rain runing my new shoes that I've only worn to work for the third time- I knew it was a bad idea to wear this today, why didn't I just listen to the voice in my heard that told me not to this morning. 

Our bus comes to a grinding halt at some point with the bus driver and a bunch of people looking out to the right yelling at someone. 

For some reason the bus moves forward,flies backwards then halts for the next 10. 

Turns out theres an accident and a cement truck is stuck on entrance to the bridge but our bus driver is adamant on getting across and now even if it means driving over the edge of the bridge. 

Well I'm not going to wait for the bus to fall into the sabeto river so I get off, in th rain, catch a ride to Lomolomo and wait for something to take me from there to Lautoka. 

There is no traffice coming from that side of the bridge. Twenty minutes later, we're still waiting when the police truck speeds by-real Fiji time. 

Another twenty minutes and the same bus comes and stops infront of us. 

The chinese in me starts arguing with the bus driver that he shouldn't charge me bus fare since I already paid him $2 from the other side of the bridge. Then why you giving me $3 he asks me, oh bloody hell...

He takes $2, I go sit down, the bus is gong through through viseisei village, great. 

We reach the bypass, the bus goes past FNU, the Big supermarket with the Ram in the front and then halts again. 

The bus driver looks to the back and tells everyone to get off and get on the bus in front. What?

Finally make it into Lautoka, get into a cab get home, pay the driver to drop the baby sitter home, walk up the stairs and close the door to realise that I had forgotten to pay her. right well...

Pick up the phone and call her number to tell her to come back and pick it up, I'll pay the extra cost only to have her phone answered by her mother demanding to know where her daughter is. 

I tell her she's just left but I forgot to pay her, we'll come down and drop it off only to have the phone slammed on me. okay!

By this time my little 3year old wants me to put him to sleep, I think I should take a shower first but then I look down at him..I was already late today so better not keep him waiting anymore. 

Climb into bed with him to put him to sleep. I look down at him tired and ask him if I can get a goodnight kiss.

He grabs me with his little arms and wraps himself around my neck, rubbing his little face up against mine. That one action threw everything, the bs ride, the babysitter, the old lady all out the window. Time had stood still and it was all about him now and only him

So Hilarious

Only Pacific Islanders can do it like this and get away with it

All that you've done for me

You're just amazing Lord and I just want to say thank you.

You always come through for us even though come through with be the wrong word to describe you because you're ever so faithful and you're magnificent.

Almighty maker of heaven and earth you never cease to blow us away with your faithfulness. 

Worthy is the lamb that was slain. Worthy is the king who conquered the grave.

This is amazing grace. This is the king of love.

You took my place and my cross father you did all that for me.

Thank you.

Dinner Surprise

Hubby surprised me with dinner again last nice.
Baigani lolo(eggplant in coconut milk with tinned corned beef )
It was to die for. So yummy, one of these days I really am gonna have to put on that canvas and go for that run.

Cut in long strips then fry eggplant separately
Cut and fry onions
Arrange in oven tray 
Pour coconut milk over 
Bake till eggplant is brown and crispy

Sick Boy

My little boy was sick all weekend. Started with the bad cough on Saturday which turned into fever for 15 hours...so scary...His body was so hot. I ended up having to put him in the shower to cool him down. Had to just fan him all night long because he didn't want to be sponged. So thankfully for God making Litty drop by at home and advise on the antibiotics to get him which totally worked by 5 am yesterday morning the fever left. I just wanted to be home to be sure he was definitely fine. He vomited out the flu last night which was just great. Thank you Lord for his healing. 

Lied today

I lied today. I'm not proud of it and I don't even know how it happened all I know was my mouth was moving and I could hear myself saying. OMG....how did I get this this place. oh father forgive me for I have sinned against you. Show me how I got here and help me move out of here to a better place. 

Log4net Update

Just mastered my first log for net code.
Very excited about it because it was literally easy once I found the right place to look.
Figuring our where to look was the worst thing because most urls provided by google only had the portion for adding to the app.config and not in the main code section.
This blog was the most useful : JustinRhinesmith.com on Log4net
All you gotta do is first download log4net package.
Save it somewhere and go to that saved location each time you want to add to your project.
Add the dll file in add reference section
Add the assembly in assembly.cs
Then add the log4net code to the app.config file.
I used the RollingAppender. Its most recommended because it keeps adding to the log file and you can set it to roll (create new) in minutes or in days.
Add using Log4net in the top using section
Then Add a static logger variable at the top of the class like this: private static readonly ILog log = LogManager.GetLogger(typeof(Program));
Now you can log anything and everything you want without worrying about halting your service.
To log do something like log.Info("Service has started"); depending on whether the information you want being logged is for your info or for warning or for debugging etc.
I had to install and uninstall my service a bunch of times before I could have it all working properly but that was mostly because of the eventlog I had initially had being created in my service install file.
Its alot easier to have manually install and until the service rather then doing a build install via visual studio mostly because the command prompt when installing gives thorough details of errors if they occur during installation which you can't figure out when installing via visual studio.
Now to find code on how to delete the logs after a number of days, yet to decide whether that will be 7 days or 15 days or the whole month.

Dinner surprise failure

Came home last night to find soup spewed all over the ceiling and floor.
Hubby's attempts to surprise me for dinner had failed because he had made the mistake of trying to use mummy's pressure cooker. I hit the room, mostly because I really was looking forward to his cooking after a long time. I guess I should have just explained to him that nobody can master mummy's pressure except mummy alone.

Update 15/4/2013
He made lamb neck and rourou for dinner and it was yummy yummy yummy...totally loved it and love him for making it. Too bad I forgot to pack it for lunch and the babysitter had finished the entire pot by the time we got back home.

Log4net Tutorials

I'm currently learning Log4net to add to my windows service for the logging portion. Resorting to learn this because when using the event log viewer if the the log file is full it completely halts my windows service. Luckily I found this out when I was testing out the performance enhancement changes I was doing to the service.
So I found a bunch of links on how to implement log4net. Some useful some completely useless. The download link itself was a nuisance. It turns out that everybody is more familiar with v2 1.2.10 which the website explains was an incubation version, had no idea what this was until I read on and to make matters worse there is very little to no documentation on v2 1.2.11. under log4net 1.2.11 you have the src.zip file. Don't download that. Complete waste of bandwidth. Download either the bin old key or new key depending on whether you have already used log4net before in your codes or if this is the first time. If this is the first time you are using log4net go ahead and download the bin new key zip file.
If you have used log4net before download the old key and read up on combining the old platform and merging with the new. Look up issues on 1.2.11 or 1.2.11 vs 1.2.10 you'll find clear instruction on stack overflow site, my favourite site for every time I get stuck in code.
This one's the best tutorial I found on how to learn log4net, easy as.

Log4Net Tutorial

 Now to find out how to enter my log details into a text file rather then console as in the tutorial. I got stuck a couple of times and had to redo both tutorial 1 and 2 all over again. Make sure to have the
[assembly: log4net.Config.XmlConfigurator(Watch = true)]  in your assembly.cs file also if you're using asp.net 4.0 then make sure that your project builds in .net framework 4.0 and 4.0 client