Tips for making cookies

I have been searching for so long about this. Finally, thanks to BakingBites. I found it.

If you want chewy cookies, add melted butter. Butter is 20 percent water. Melting helps water in butter mix with flour to form gluten.
More gluten will make for a chewier cookie, just as it will make for a chewier bread. Keep in mind that you're introducing extra liquid with a substitution like this one, and the cookies may be thinner than you'd like unless you add more dry ingredients or less liquid.

If you want thin, candy-like cookies, add more sugar. Sugar becomes fluid in the oven and helps cookies spread.
A little extra sugar will also help you get a crisp edge on a cookie. Caramelized sugar does not always survive well in the open air. Too much sugar and your cookies will be thin and chewy, not crisp, although they should still taste great. An airtight container will help preserve their fresh-from-the oven texture.

If you want cakey cookies, add more eggs. Yolks make cookies rich, and whites cause cookies to puff and dry out.
The same warning about too much liquid can apply to this. Too much egg and you'll have cookies that have an eggy flavor to them and a spongy texture. It's best to start with small additions, maybe one yolk or white at a time

If you want an open, coarse crumb and craggy top, add baking soda. Baking soda reacts quickly with acidic ingredients (such as brown sugar) to create lots of gas bubbles. If you want a fine, tight crumb and smooth top, add baking powder. Baking powder works slowly and allows for an even rise.
Leavenings interact heavily with the other ingredients in a cookie, so a small amount of baking powder or baking soda added may not make much of a difference. A cookie that is already tending towards cakiness, for instance, will be more likely to have a smooth top than a craggy one. You may want to try two batches at once when experimenting with leavenings so you can easily track your progress.

Fantastic lecture on how bad sugar is

Everyone should watch this and get informed. Educate your family member.

My riding plan for this year

Ok. Here is the plan. I will want to cover the first 6 stage of Tour de Langkawi. Large map here.

Stage 1 - Kota Bharu - Kuala Berang (174.5km)
Stage 2 - Kuala Terengganu - Chukai (182.9km)
Stage 3 - Pekan, Pahang - Mersing, Johor (144km)
Stage 4 - Mersing, Johor - Parit Sulong, Johor (163.5km)
Stage 5 - Muar, Johor - Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan (140.3km)
Stage 6 - Putrajaya, WP - Genting Highlands (103.9km)
Stage 7 - Kuala Kubu Baru - Dataran Merdeka (loop x6) (92.8km)

Stage 1, 2 & 3 can be done in one extended weekend.

Stage 4 & 5 can be done in one extended weekend.

Stage 6 will be challenging.

Not sure how interesting is stage 7.

Any taker? Who want to join me? Need logistic, support car and etc.

Probably after May.

Lemon baked pasta

Found out I have a tub of sour cream in the fridge while planning for lunch yesterday. And some lemon as well. 

Decided to use all these ingredient and make PioneerWoman's baked lemon pasta. Since I have a craving of something lemon for a while, even though I should not be eating pasta (am in a low low carb diet). Here is the recipe.

I don't have parsley and parmesan cheese at home. So, not exactly the same as PW's cooking. And I may need to reduce on the lemon since the wife think is a bit too sour. Megan's also think so, but she did finished her portion.

I think I need to plant parsley at the herb project. 

Bike accident on Kesas highway

Hey, it has been a week since my fall on Kesas highway, while riding with Chai.

Due to my own mistake and carelessness, the front tire of the bike went into the drain cover, causing the bike to flip and me landed on my back, with big impact, landed on my right back shoulder and broke the right scapula.

Chai drove me to SDMC. Get into the emergency room. Nice nurse took care of me. Gave me a shot of pain killer. Not that I was complaining about the pain, but it was good.

Took couple of X-Ray and confirmed by the doctor on duty that the right scapula was broken. Doctor advised to stay overnight for observation and wait for the doctor for further diagnosis.

Had another stronger jab of pain killer and passed out. Still wearing the bike short and shirt.

Discharged the following day, doctor wants to know if I can stand the pain with just the pain killer pill instead of the jab.

Well, 3 weeks before I can drive (I think i will drive earlier than that) and 12 weeks of full recovery.

Fortunately I still can type.

I consider myself lucky that no major injury. What if shoulder bone, hip and worst, skull fracture. That will be bad.

Anyway, training put on hold. But will not abandon.

Tuesday dinner

Yesterday was wife's gym day. So, need to get home early after pick up Megan.

Went to Old Town coffee cafe in Taipan for dinner, but after scanning the menu, nothing there that I can order without carbo.

Decided to head home remembered that I got some chicken breast in the freezer.

Defrost the breast, slice into half, marinate with salt and pepper. At the same time, defrost green peas. Chopped up a yellow onion and a garlic.

Cover the breast with some olive oil and fried it on the grill. At another pot, fried the onion, garlic and green peas.

At the end, here is the product. High protein and low carbo. Instead of ketchup or chili sauce, I put Dijon mustard on top, zero calories. :)

Perfect dinner. 3 more portion of chicken breast at home. Same style, variation will be the vegetables.

Weekend ride

What an interesting weekend.

Saturday, me, Ee and some colleague of mine went riding at FRIM. 2 of them are new to FRIM. The weather was good to us, the only morning that has no rain, not until we are in the car on the way home.

The usual trail was done without much suffering. For the newbie, time to get used to the terrain, the trail and their new bike. All went well.

At our usual rest stop, we decided to take Steroid hill. It was really tough, for me, at least. My MRH (maximum heart rate) went up to 99%. Way above the lactic acid zone. It was really steep, slippery and challenging. I got down and push couple of times. Took a rest on the top, didn't go up to the heli-pad. The way down was pretty scary, steep as well. Took my time, ride at the speed that is within my control.

Muscle ache, but tons of fun. Picture above was taken after the downhill from Steroid. Saw a guy just fly down from the slope. Amazing.

The next morning, thought of doing a long recovery ride to flush out the acid from the leg, took my RB and ride on Kesas. From my home, went to LDP via Puchong, get towards Kesas. It was drizzling already at 6.45am. Thought of turning into USJ from Kesas, but there was no rain at the exit, decided to go forward towards Klang.

The ride was very nice. On the bike lane, felt safe. Just need to give way to motorbike. U-turn at the junction to Jalan Kebun because of the rain, and go back home via the Kesas exit at USJ. Need to go home to bring Megan out for breakfast and shopping at the wet market. Only covered 48km.

Next time will ride forward and u-turn at Sri Petaling. That will get me above 60km.

Excellent weekend. Felt good. No major pain. Lots of fun. I am happy.