A Whiff of Lemongrass

I was already in bed when Bald Eagle came home from work.  As he reached over to kiss me, I could detect a faint smell of coffee on his breath.  To be specific, it smelled like caramel latte.  To be even more precise, it smelled like the caramel latte macaron I had just bought from Delectable by Su that evening which I hoped to savour the next day.

“Mmmm….the macaron was good,” he murmured.

“Don’t tell me you ate my macaron,” I said.

“Of course I ate it,” he said, nonchalantly.

“But it’s MY macaron,” I exclaimed.

“Yup, ” he replied.

“My macaron.”

“Uh-huh.”

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An hour later, I nudged him, trying to call his bluff.  “You really ate my macaron?”

“It’s gone now.”

“You ate my macaron,” I sniffled.

“If it were your macaron, dear, you wouldn’t have displayed it in full prominence in the fridge to tempt me,” he explained, as he would to a child.

And with that, the matter was closed.

********

Having tasted several giant macarons from the shop prior to the case of my disappearing macaron, I can attest to the fact that Su’s macarons have a lovely texture; a crisp outer shell and a fudgy centre, with flavours that are not overly cloying.  The size, easily 6-7 cm in diameter, allows for more consistency in texture.  I do love the lemon raspberry macaron which provides a refreshing contrast in flavours.  The salt in the salted chocolate macaron, on the other hand, is a bit undetectable – I would have liked it more had the flavour been more prominent.  However, I am unable to comment on the caramel latte macaron thanks to a hungry husband, but I’m hoping he’ll read this and return the favour one day.  Soon.

Delectable by Su
Shops in The Gardens Mall and Pavilion KL.

At which point does happiness start and end?

Some time last year, I put up a picture on Facebook, a somewhat unflattering picture of myself sans makeup, my hair messed up, and my face plastered with a wide goofy grin as I leaned back against my husband.  I labelled it simply “Happiest Day of my Life”.  We were at the Iguazu Falls in Argentina and I had experienced a baptism of sorts, a cleansing of the spirit and a reminder that there is a greater hand in control of our lives and our world.  And while Tim went away to enjoy a boat ride to the falls, I opted to sit on a rock near the falls in solitude, my thin clothes offering me little warmth thanks to my hardheadedness at wanting to experience nature up close without a raincoat.  I was a sight – a candidate for a wet t-shirt contest, although my physical aspects were less appealing considering that my competition consisted of buxom Argentinian lasses with boobs spilling out of their bras.  It would be incorrect, though, to say that I didn’t get any attention.  Little old ladies thought it fit to interrupt my reverie by asking me to take photographs of them because I must have looked like I desperately wanted to take photographs of little old ladies at the falls.

I guess my point is that happiness doesn’t start or end.  Each experience, each interaction, each action brings about a different kind of appreciation for blessedness.  And the moment I realised this while sitting on that rock at the falls, I knew that I could count my blessings under any circumstance.

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I’m doing this as a favour to my friend who owns Tanamera.  It isn’t food related, but you can definitely get a whiff of lemongrass in some of their products.   I’ve been using Tanamera products for a couple of years already and I am absolutely in love with their products.  The bath products, body lotions and skincare smell heavenly.  My favourite products are the Spa Jerneh bodywash which, naturally, smells of lemongrass, lemon, lime and ginger, and the complementary body moisturizer with similarly refreshing scents.  I carry these items with me when I am on holiday as a little reminder of the tropics.

If you’re keen to know more, or you’d like to grab Tanamera products at discounted prices, do drop by at Central Market this Sunday, 25 March, between 11am and 5pm.  Tanamera is also working with EcoKnights on a recycling programme, so bring your old clothes along and exchange them for free Tanamera goodies.

Check out these links: http://www.tanamera.com.my/ and http://www.tanameraspa.com.my/ as well as http://www.facebook.com/TanameraSpa  and http://www.facebook.com/events/233766183379511/  on Facebook.

See you at Central Market!

Time certainly flies when you’re having fun.  It’s been a mixed end-2011/beginning-2012 for me.  Memorable events include a car accident that happened in December which tarnished my no-accident-in-25-years-of-driving record.  The accident made me realise that shit happens no matter how well you think you’ve orchestrated your life.  I rarely nag my husband (although he may choose to disagree with me), but the one thing I’ve constantly tried to drum into his head is that no matter how careful you think you are on the road, someone else can come and screw it up for you. Sure enough, and without going into details, my experience serves as a reminder to him (and me) now.

But enough about the accident.  We spent Christmas and New Year in Los Angeles with Tim’s family and it was just so relaxing and fulfilling to be able to enjoy the celebrations with such wonderful people.

And before we know it, Chinese New Year is upon us.  I don’t know about you, but I can barely breathe now.  Unlike my yearly record of partaking in at least 10 yee sang sessions before CNY, I’ve had only one at a reunion dinner with ex-colleagues.  So this year, I plan to take it easy and embrace CNY hopefully before the end of the 15 days!

If you’re planning on giving gifts to friends during the CNY period, perhaps you’d like to consider the delicious treats that my friends at Just Heavenly have come up with.  Their cakes are to die for!

Note that the final slide is for Valentine’s Day but that’s in just 3 weeks so it isn’t too early to start planning.  The roses look so pretty, I wouldn’t have the heart to eat them!

Happy Chinese New Year, dear readers.  Enjoy the holidays and remember to drink lots of water coz it’s gonna be hot hot hot!