My Kitchen By Unity Kitchen

the famous Unity Kitchen, Kajang 

(click here for showroom pictures)

Early this year my fiancé has finally some funds to build a kitchen for our new home in TTDI. Of course we were tight with our funds as the terrace house was crazy expensive! Even for an old house. We had a contractor who did a makeover for our home at a reasonable price so many things were changed, from electrical to plumbing to flooring. Kitchen was an important part of our home and it was the second big project after we move in. Having to cook using kettle pot and microwave, I begun to miss the luxury of having a kitchen ready. 

With many research on affordable but still good quality and presentable kitchen contractors in the Klang Valley, I saw a promotion on Unity Kitchen (UK) Facebook and made an appointment to see UK and the showroom, all the way in Kajang! It was worth the journey because UK explained many things to us. 

Finally my fiancé agree to engage UK after I convince him this is the best place. Affordable, good service, nice designs and friendly! I heard many good feedback a from lowyat forum about them too. All I needed was to make a consultation session and UK will send 3D plan for approval. If I like what I see, I confirm the design and pay deposit :D balance to pay when they come to install the kitchen.

My Kitchen - BEFORE

click here for to see transformation album

arrived on the dot, UK Lorry

UK Team hard at work

In January, UK came to our house after a 2 month wait (they're so popular until there's a waiting list!). We took off from work to see them in action. I took many photographs haha. It's all in my Facebook! Click here to see my FB Kitchen from Zero to Hero Album.

before empty kitchen just fridge only

the kitchen plan - let's start work!

whole day for installing my mega big kitchen

almost crying to tears when it was done!

I ordered Blue Pearl granite top
(their granite price is also not bad)

what do you think of my dream kitchen?

This is a quick post to show a before and after of my dream kitchen. I choose a white kitchen with nice granite top along with Blum fittings. There's many drawers and UK even helped fitted the kitchen appliances for us! Though there is some mistakes, UK was quick to help and solve it all for us. Which I think is the most important element of having a kitchen contractor - the service level must be good. Otherwise you will have headache trying to communicate with your kitchen contractor. 

I also contracted UK to do my walk in wardrobe

(click here to see fb album)

Best price, design, and workmanship at an affordable package. I highly recommend Unity Kitchen for your dream home. My kitchen and walk in wardrobe costs in total about under 24K with all the ad dons I included (Blum fittings, aluminium skirting, additional drawers, granite top, 3G Glass, anti cockroach). It's cheap compared to other kitchen contractors I have contacted! One in particular is charging me double the price. Again I highly recommend getting Unity Kitchen, you can contact Eugene (he was the marketing sales taking care of me) for Klang Valley areas. He's a patient and friendly guy, will answer and explain what you need to know about getting your kitchen done.

P.S: I bought my kitchen accessories from Builder's Hardware (highly recommend too for affordable kitchen and bathroom accessories) and another shop near Sunway Giza at great package price too. Ask me if u want to know yeap.

UNITY KITCHEN SHOWROOM: 

No.39A, Jalan Prima Saujana 1/1A, Taman Prima Saujana, Seksyen 1, Kajang, 43000 Selangor

Working Hours: 10am-5pm (Closed on every Tuesday & Wednesday)

Tel : +603-8737 3708

Fax: +603-8737 3308

Email: enquiry@unitydesign.com.my

*CLOSED ON Tues & Wednesday.

TGV Beanieplex Birthday Bash with Tammy

beanieplex birthday bash *yipee*

Time flies, one day I was deciding if I should start blogging and the next thing I know it's already been 5 years. Though I have grown so much more from when I started, I still believe I can do so much more and chase my dreams. One of my dreams is about to come true, a birthday movie party in a Beanieplex! Yes that's right sitting on a bean bag while watching an awesome movie is well... AWESOME right? The newly revamped TGV 1Utama has a beanieplex so I have booked the whole hall especially for my blog birthday celebration!

it's a bird, no it's a plane, no it's Tammy's blog birthday!

What's the awesome movie we're watching? Jeng jeng jeng, it's going to be Man of Steel! I can't wait to see who's the new guy wearing that red cape. I am looking forward to catching a glimpse of his superhero attire. I heard there's no more red underwear! (seriously? what happened to his red underwear?). Now who wants to catch superman with me this coming 22nd June, 2013 at TGV 1Utama from 10am - 2pm? The whole hall is ours to enjoy and well I'm not sure what else can be done in a movie hall? anyone has any ideas to share please comment!

this is your bean bags at home
image source: mydecorative.com

Example of how a Party Face looks like!

image source: http://www.mebophoto.com

this is a instagram photo contest readers! sorry something different this time okay? Just instagram your party face with a bday wish for me & tag #plusizekitten #tgvcinemas

Now here's the catch. You know I like exciting parties and that means I like exciting entries from my readers as well! No more simple slogan winning giveaway here. For my Blog Birthday Giveaway, I would like to see my readers in their party mode face wishing me an awesome birthday wish on INSTAGRAM! Be creative, be adventurous I'm going to invite 18 awesome readers & their date to watch Man of Steel with me. You're going to have popcorns and drinks too, all thanks to TGV Cinemas.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions:

1. Giveaway starts from now until 18th June, 2013 midnight.
2. Open to my blog followers who wants to watch Superman with Tammy at TGV 1Utama (click here on how to follow).
3. Followers must share a party face photo with a birthday wish and hashtag #plusizekitten and #tgvcinemas.
4. One invitation per reader only. No dates or plus one allowed. Ask them to join this giveaway! Total of 38 readers will be invited to my birthday movie party.
5. Photos shared will be used for promotional activities on facebook.
6. Don't forget to leave a blog comment to tell me your ideas for the beanieplex movie hall!

The OnlyBeauty Giveaway

click here to join the giveaway

Have you heard of Onlybeauty.com.my yet? If you haven't you should click www.onlybeauty.com.my and find out what's in store today to try! Every weekday there is an exciting experience for you to try something, be it a facial or a beauty product sample. This week OnlyBeauty.com.my is giving out FREE JuiceBeauty RM500 Facial Treatment Voucher! I have not tried Juice Beauty products or facial before so I'm going to apply to get this!

OnlyBeauty is giving away 20 Beauty Prizes to 20 lucky members! Register as a member now and just click here to join the giveaway.

Juice Beauty Facial Treatment Package RM500 Voucher

Voucher Terms and Conditions

Redeemable only for Facial Treatment Package at Mid Valley Green House

Voucher must be presented for redemption

Voucher is valid from 1 June - 15 July 2013

Exclusively for OnlyBeauty members only

Voucher is non-transferable or exchangeable for products

Voucher cannot be exchanged for cash

Green House reserves all right to cancel or change promotion without prior notification

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SK-II Cellumination Essence EX & Whitening Spots Specialist

Mirror Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?

Do you have "atas skin" I overheard girls talking one day in a cafe. Apparently "atas skin" means high class skin and people with this skin loves luxury skincare line. Among the brands you can think of would be SK-II, well known for the their luxury care of translucent bright skin all thanks to the miracle ingredient called Pitera, a naturally-occurring liquid from the yeast fermentation process.

Of course who don't know the amazing story about SK-II? It all started when a group of scientists noticed the "ah ma" (elderly) workers at a sake brewery in Japan had wrinkled faces but extraordinary soft and youthful hands. Scratch head how come? It was due to the constant contact with the sake fermentation process. 

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence, a holy grail product

(also known as The Miracle Water)

shifting all 5 dimensions to Crystal Clear Skin
(yes this is all my collection haha)

Everyone knows that the SK-II's Miracle Water is a must have if not must try product for every girl who can afford it. I for one tried this when they had the starter kit that comes with a free mask. That was years ago, granted with the abundance of skincare products in the market I could never be satisfied not trying everything there is, however expensive they may be! (as I mature, I become more believing in "atas skin" theory). Some may say the product is too rich for them, while others swear by it. It's really a matter of your skin's preference to drink which cocktail they want.

which one is the shining star today?

Cellumination Essence EX & Whitening Spots Specialist

Speaking about cocktails, one particular cocktail called the "Aura Bright Cocktail" was introduced to me during the SK-II Translucent Aura Bright Skin event at SK-II Isetan. Customers, media and beauty bloggers got to know more about the two star products. You must be wondering what star products right? other than the famous Miracle Water? It's the SK-II’s No. 1 globally awarded whitening series comprising Cellumination Essence EX and Whitening Spots Specialist for translucent aura bright spot free skin. This is my first time knowing about it too as I don't particularly go for whitening skincare (more towards hydration and anti-aging).

spot Denise Loong? SK-II Malaysia Country Trainer
(hint the lady in white)

Seeing is believing says SK-II country trainer, Denise Loong who taught us a step-by-step whitening regime on how to get amazing skin like hers (she's also a SK-II user of course) and beauty tips. With her spot-free face, I was almost wanting to murder her on the spot. Seriously need to start using whitening products now, I can see so many spots on my face *ugh*.

Here's WHY It's No.1:

1. Highest sales numbers for SK-II’s whitening products!
2. Cellumination Essence EX is the first essence within SK-II to achieve the aura effect.
3. Most talked-about whitening essence  (March-June 2012 on SK-II’s official webpage).
4. First to invent the in-store Magic Ring™ test to see through skin and educate on the science of whitening. 

I got to try the Magic Ring™ test to analyze my skin

(you can find out your skin age with this test!)

come closer! come closer! no spot see!

About the No. 1 globally awarded whitening series of Cellumination Essence EX and Whitening Spots Specialist:

Cellumination Essence EX Is Designed To Help Refine And Radiate Skin

SK-II’s Cellumination Essence EX is designed to improve both RGB balance and RGB variance for brilliant translucent aura skin, as if you are wearing light foundation. Its Aura Bright Cocktail with Pixel White™ evens out texture and tone from a microlevel on top of treating spots or freckles as well as epidermis plumpness and collagen glycation.   In one week, feel the healthy radiance. Four weeks later, 91% of women feel that the product makes them like their bare skin.

Eradicating The Root Of The Problem With Whitening Spots Specialist

The Whitening Spots Specialist dives deep to the root of the problem to reduce dark spots by cutting and loosening their roots. As a preferred option to laser treatment, the Whitening Spots Specialist aims at macerating five-year old stubborn dark spots in just four weeks¹. 

The gel-type Whitening Spots Specialist caters to both morning and night use. When you apply the moisture serum over the entire face, the active ingredients penetrate deep into skin to cut “the root of dark spots”, which is the root cause of dark spots. 

Apply Whitening Spots Specialist over the entire face after cleansing, spreading this evenly on skin. For best results, apply twice daily, once during the day and once at night. 

information source: SK-II Malaysia

an award winning product in my hands

aura bright skin in just 4 weeks*

(source: SK-II website)

radiance enhancer with watery light essence

Now this post is just about what I discovered at the SK-II event, I have not even begun using this product due to another skincare commitment. Since I am going to get married soon, I better use this award winning whitening product to the max! (not a drop wasted). It's what all brides wish for right? "atas skin" on their wedding day. 

How To Use Cellumination Essence EX ?

Apply it twice a day, once in the day and once before you sleep after cleansing and miracle water (or toner). In about 4 weeks of religiously doing this, you'll see improvement on your skin texture. After 8 weeks, you'll be able to see improvement in your skin tone. 

What I like about Cellumination ESSENCE EX?
The light powdery scent of "astas skin" on my face. The product is packaged in a glass bottle with a dropper. Texture wise, I absolutely love how fast the product gets absorb into my skin with minimal effort! Two drops of white lotion, massage it onto your skin it turns into a translucent watery light texture that fades away quickly leaving no oily residue or stickiness behind. You have a barely there feeling using an essence!

What I don't like
That I have to buy the Whitening Spots Specialist to use together for a the full spot-free radiant effect on my wedding day. "Atas skin" is not cheap mind you. Since I have not used it for 4 weeks I can't comment what I don't like other than the price factor.

Availability & Pricing

SK-II’s No.1 whitening series of Cellumination Essence EX and Whitening Spots Specialist are available at all SK-II counters in all major department stores nationwide. 

SK-II Cellumination Essence EX RM499 (30ml); RM709 (50ml)

SK-II Whitening Spots Specialist RM419 (30ml); RM609 (50ml)

#SK-II’s whitening series is SK-II’s No.1 series with over 200 awards received from 2004 to 2012 

¹Please note that results may vary between individuals for claim.

A Thai Dinner by Tammy

what's on the table tonight?

Finally it's time to show off my cooking skills as a graduate of Krabi Thai Cookery School by Ya. I invited my fiance and his closed friends to try my cooking for the first time. They were a bit hesitant at first! Only big motor mouth Victor Botak (because there's two Victors, it's easier to identify him with his best trait) agree instantly on What's App to eat my home cooked Thai food. My best friend was "busy" or rather maybe she would like to see what happens first before agreeing next time to eating my food.

Anyway it's just a few simple recipes I learnt from Ya, from the picture you can see how humble I am with my food. I'm still learning to cook! forgive me sob sob.

yay finally made the mango sticky rice!

(but will be better the next time)

My mango sticky rice didn't turn out well because I didn't soak them long enough *cries* or either that the Phillips steamer was drying the rice up. I got to try again maybe after I come back from Hong Kong. I'm going to the airport soon in an hour and thank goodness I have packed! Rushing this post first so everyone can "cuci mata" while I am away for 5 days. Surprisingly it still taste really nice with the mango! Such sin dessert oh yeah ~ it was awesome showdown after eating spicy Thai food. I still have some Jasmine glutinous rice left and will attempt again to make Mango Sticky Rice until I got it PERFECT!!!

which dish do you want to try first?

friends & home cooked food = happy family

empty plates means it was good right?
(our they're all too scared of me & emptied their plate quickly)

The white fluffy rice on a big bowl was centered around the dishes. Both Victors goggle everything up and even went for seconds and thirds! I guess this means my cooking is not bad right? Mark and Daniel was quietly eating their food (I think wishing their ordeal would end quickly). Mark isn't the spicy kind of guy and Daniel if I'm not wrong, has a weak stomach? He talked about emptying quickly his "factory". I quickly served the mango sticky rice to them, not giving them a chance to run away.

Perhaps another try again and this time I'm going to invite my girlfriends to eat too. As promise here's the recipes from the Krabi Cookery School by Ya. I maintain the text because it's written by Ya and Ya, although her English is not perfect, it has the reminisce of being in Krabi and listening to her Bang Bang Chop Chop and funny English way of teaching us how to prepare Thai food. Please leave a comment if you like the recipes or my cooking horror story (my fiance says I torture the guys).

there's many types of Jasmine rice, use the right one okay?
(click here to see the difference & how to cook)

Jasmine Fragrant White Rice
1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water

Hot and Sour Prawn Soup (Tom Yam Goong Nam Khon)Ingredients
2 tbs Tom Yam paste

300 grm Prawns - washed, peeled and deveined.
2 cups Chicken stock or water
2 stem Lemon grass - lower part 1/3 only, slice into small pieces
5 Kaffir lime leaves torn into pieces, discarding the stems
3 Shallots - sliced
2 Tomatoes - cut each into 8 pieces
5 Thin slices of galangal - peeled

200grm Straw mushrooms - halved
5 - 6 Hot chillies cut lengthwise

4 tbs Fish sauce
1tsp White sugar
3 tbs Lime or lemon juice
1 stem Coriander leaves - chopped

Preparation:
Heat the stock until boiling. Add the lemon grass, galangal, shallots, prawns and mushrooms. Season to taste with lime juice, fish sauce and chillies. Add kaffir lime leaves and chopped coriander. Remove from heat and serve hot. Eat with boiled rice. Only soups are served hot in Thailand. All other dishes are eaten at room temperature.

Fried Spicy Chicken with Basil Leaves (Phand Ka)
Ingredients

300 grms Chicken breasts - thinly sliced
10 - 20 Basil Leaves
60grm Tender green beans - chopped fine
2 Big red and green chillies - thinly sliced
3 tbs Fish sauce
1 tbs Sugar
Discard the stems
2 - 2 Sweet basil leaves

2 tbs Oil

Preparation:
Put 2 tablespoons of oil into wok. Add the chicken and fry for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add half the red Chillies, Stir and add the fish sauce to taste. Add the green beans and basil leaves just before you remove from the heat and garnish with the remaining red Chillies.

Green Curry Chicken (Kaeng Kiaw Wan Kai)
Ingredients
2 tbsp Green curry paste
300g Chicken - cut into long thin slices
2 1/2 cups Coconut milk
2 Kaffir lime leaves
2 Stems sweet basil - take only leaves
2 - 3 Red chillies - cut into strips
1 - 2 tbsp Fish sauce
1 tsp Palm sugar
A pinch of salt

Preparation:

Fry chillies in coconut milk until fragrant. Reduce the heat and add chicken, coconut milk, egg plant, palm sugar, fish sauce  a pinch of salt and then taste it. When the meat is cooked through add the sweet basil leaves and remove from heat. Pork or beef can be used instead of chicken.

Mango Sticky Rice
Ingredients

1/2 kilo Jasmine glutinous rice
1 cup sugar
3 cup coconut
1/2 tbsp salt

Preparation:

Soak the glutinous rice overnight for 8 hours. Steam the rice for 25minutes. Boil the coconut milk with sugar and salt under low fire, it's ready when sugar is dissolved. When rice is ready, put into a bowl and a spoonful or two of coconut milk and let is absorb. Served with fresh yellow mango sliced into pieces.

How To Cook Jasmine Rice?

it's all about Thai today, but it begins with rice

This is part 2 of my Sawadekap Thai Dinner that I'm going to blog about! Part 1 was about me learning all about Thai cooking at the infamous Krabi Thai Cookery School, the first authentic Thai cooking school in Krabi by Mrs. Ya (who taught Gordon Ramsay how to cook Tom Yum). Read part 1 here. You can see the video of Gordon Ramsay and Ya together!

welcome to Krabi Thai Cookery School

the ingredients for my Thai dinner is ready

 you need glutinous rice to make Mango Sticky Rice

(normal rice won't do!)

Recap from my first post, I was sharing that I wanted to make the Thai Mango Sticky Rice which is a popular dessert at the back of the menu in any Thai restaurant you go to. Mango Sticky Rice also called Khao Neeo Moon, is a sinfully delicious and happy treat to anyone after a fiery Thai meal. This is my first attempt to make Mango Sticky Rice or any Sticky Rice recipe of that sort. I didn't know where to start, so I went to B.I.G Supermarket and saw a packet of Jasmine Glutinous Rice 1kg RM8.90 near the cashier counters! (thank heavens!). 

Mango sticky Rice is a easy but long process. Long as in you need to first prepare the rice by soaking it overnight in water before you steam it and make the yummy coconut dessert.

eh but what's the RICE difference?

Yes you can't use normal rice to make Mango Sticky Rice! Luckily I went to the cooking school or I will be soaking normal white rice in coconut milk overnight. I'll be explaining the differences using my home rice, the rice I always use - Jasmine Sunwhite Fragrant AAA Special Rice. I use this instead of the normal rice because of it is smooth, soft and fragrant compare to the other rice in the supermarket. Plus is has triple A rating macam hotel. You can purchase Jasmine rice at any supermarket or grocery stores (it's widely available).

Two Types of Jasmine Rice for daily meals

• White Jasmine Rice
  
  Your long grained aromatic rice, flavorful alternative to traditional white rice. It has a faint jasmine odor (hence the name) and is slightly sticky, making it popular for many Asian dishes particularly Thai dishes.

• Brown Jasmine Rice
  
  The same rice but without going through the final stages of "polishing" so the outer layer of rice is not removed leaving it with a brown tan color, slightly oat-like flavor. It's a healthy alternative than the white Jasmine rice. My dad uses this rice to help control his diabetes and lower cholesterol.

how to cook beautiful rice?

step by step guide of washing rice for dummies

I know some of you may already be experts in cooking rice. For me my journey starts now because I am going to get married and I want to prepare delicious home cooked meals for my husband to eat. Truthfully I didn't really know how to cook rice? it's just something I see from the kitchen on how my parents prepared it. For this blog post, I though why not just show how I do it? it might be wrong so please correct me readers?

different rice, different methods of cooking

(guess which one is faster?)

the not so secret formula

look at the beautiful white rice in the water!
(SKII commercial ahem)

How to Cook Jasmine White Rice:

One cup of Jasmine Rice to 2 cups of water that is Mrs.Ya's perfect rice formula (and also my family). Wash the rice well under running water until all starch is removed (water runs clear). Add rice and water to rice cooker pot and let the rice cook (well mine is automatic!). When the rice cooker is done, remove the lid, turn off the heat and fluff the rice with a fork. The last step is to cover it again for 2 mins and then walah! you have the perfect beautiful rice to eat.

How to Cook Jasmine Glutinous Rice:
Soak the glutinous rice overnight or at least for one hour before steaming it 20 - 25minutes with water. I use Phillips Steamer because it's so easy to use muahahha. It has a rice steaming function so I used that. That's how you prepare the glutinous rice. The soaking part is really important so that your glutinous rice is moist and translucent after being steamed. Otherwise it will be not cooked / dry. 

perfect for my green curry & tom yum!


soaking the glutinous rice overnight
(see how beautiful it is)

the next day, become a yummy snack!

 tips for sharing? come on hehe

Now that I have explained why you should not use normal rice to make Mango Sticky Rice, my next post is where I share my recipes for my Sawadekap Thai Dinner! Yay are you excited to see how all my dishes turn out? Remember, those yummy spicy dishes will not be complete without yummy fragrant rice! It's really important to make the rice perfect. Just like the Japanese, they take pride in making a bowl of rice, regardless of of simple it is.