Friday, October 14, 2011

Man plans God decides

Last year today, I celebrated my best friend, Peng's birthday at my home. I made a simple dinner and a birthday cake for her. We drank wine, ate, chatted, laughed and had a good time together.




This year, I thought of going to Bangkok with her to celebrate her birthday there. This was planned two months ago. I was going to buy her dinner at our favorite Thai Restaurant, Ban Khun Mae in Siam Square. Air tickets were bought and hotel room were booked more than a month ago.  I planned to take her to have a massage everyday, eat and shop till we dropped.  I don’t think I need to go on and you already guessed what happened. We have to cancel our trip today because of the flood in Thailand.  Not only that our plan is spoilt but also the air tickets were burnt! The airline said that since they are still flying there, there will be no change of dates without penalty and no refund. What a RIP OFF!!  We have spoken to our clients in Bangkok and they said it is not advisable to go because the highway is flooded and no one is sure if the flood will hit Bangkok or not. I was rather upset yesterday after I have contacted the airline but then my Quay Lo asked me to take a deep breath and let go. When things goes wrong, we had a choice. We can stay upset or we can let go and be happy. On hindsight, loosing the money on the air tickets is better to be caught in a crisis like that in a foreign land. This is a blessing in disguise, don't you think? It is so true that Man plans, God decides. I believe in that, do you?

So much for my ranting and I have made my choice. Now, let's get on to a happier note. Today is Peng's birthday. I have a new idea. I am going to take her to a nice Spa for a two hours relaxation massage and then go on to have a scrumptious lunch with her. So please join me to wish her a Happy Birthday. Instead of a birthday cake how about these delicious chewy banana chocolate chips cookies as a birthday dessert with vanilla ice cream?



Chewy banana chocolate chips cookies
Adapted from Big Oven with modification




Ingredients:
1 large egg
1 1/4  C All-purpose flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/3 C Light brown sugar
¼ C oat meal (raw)
2 tbs corn flour
1 1/2  medium bananas, mashed (preferably banana raja)
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
75 gm Butter or margarine
1/3 C Sugar

Method:
Lightly grease cookie sheets. Put brown sugar, oat meal and corn flour in blender and blend well and set mixture (A) aside.  Peel banana and place in small bowl. Mash enough banana with fork to measure 1/2 cup. Set aside. Place flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl; stir to combine. Beat mixture (A), butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping down side of bowl once. Beat in banana, egg and vanilla, scraping down side of bowl once. Add flour mixture. Beat at low speed until well blended, scraping down side of bowl once. Stir in chips with mixing spoon. Wrap the dough in cling wrap and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes or more. Just before baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Drop by 2 heap table spoons onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 12 – 15 mins or until lightly browned.  Cool slightly and remove cookies to wire rack to cool completely.  

74 comments:

  1. I like the way you look and things! You are so nice to your friends planning all these wonderful fun things for her! I think your alternate plane sounds good to me. You can do that for me on my birthday...hehe! Of course our birthdays are so close we'll just have to do it together :D

    Anyway on to the cookies, they look perfect! This is the way I like my cookies, and so different with the banana! Yum!

    Glad you didn't get caught in the floods!

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  2. you have such a wonderful outlook on life and such a good friend.

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  3. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to your dear friend...I think she got the best gift of all when she met you :)

    the cookies look divine :)

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  4. You're already the very best gift that God had given to her! No matter is Peng's birthday celebration in Thailand or any other countries, I'm sure she's already very happy to have you, such a deary friend. ;)
    Those cookies looks so tasty with chocolate chips! ;D

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  5. you have a great attitude and wonderful cookies!


    Aloha from Waikiki;

    Comfort Spiral



    > < } } ( ° >

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  6. Love those cookies! Great post as usual!

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  7. Main thing is you could be with her on that special day.Your smile is thousand dinners worth.Happy birthday Peng:).

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  8. Happy Birthday to your good friend, Peng, many many happy returns to her! Neah, since u both are going to celebrate together anyway, it doesn't matter where u are celebrating, have fun and have a joyful girl's party tonight!^^

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  9. Happy Birthday to your good friend! I love to have a bite on your chewy banana chocolate chips cookies, they looks so delicious!!

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  10. Happy,happy birthday to your dearest friend and this look amazing! gloria

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  11. So sweet!!! Also, Im looking for this great cookies recipe too :)

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  12. Happy birthday to your fren ya. Those chocolate chips cookies really looks good. Must be taste good too.

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  13. Hello Peng, I'm Ping :D Happy Birthday!
    What a great friend you are, Veronica/Lucy. No wonder you are so loved by all.
    You are very fortunate not to have gone and get caught out there and not able to make it back. 2 of my friends are there and they're stuck. We are so worried for them and another Thai lady living here had to rush back to her family home in Ayuthiya, worst hit area, hoping her family is unharmed. I feel so sad and anxious for them all. Sorry, just letting out my worries ...
    Anyway, glad you're here and safe. Hugs.

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  14. U r such a wonderful friend ! And thank you for reminding to think positively. No point to be angry and disappointed on something unhappy. Learn to let go and life still goes on :D

    Happy Birthday to your best friend, Peng.

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  15. Bananas in cookies? Wow.

    It's always nice to spend birthdays with good friends.
    Happy belated birthday Peng :)

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  16. All your good friends, they are so blessed to have you in their life. You are a wonderful person. Chocolate chips cookies are delicious and moreso with banana in it; I guess it is absolutely more tasty. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

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  17. Shame about that air ticket tsk tsk And there's no use being upset , remember, WRINKLES hahahaha Happy Birthday to your friend ;) Love the cookies and at fisrt glance , I thought it's a chocolate scones :D

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  18. Ooooo am on a cookie making spree and this recipe sounds real good. Do you think I could omit the oatmeal or would that make a big difference?

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  19. Happy Birthday to your best friend :)
    Bananas in cookies, sounds great:)

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  20. Banana is so healthy :) Nice and easy to follow recipe.

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  21. I love how you take it positively... :)

    What an interesting birthday bake!! :)

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  22. Quay Lo is right to say 'move on' though a bit disappointed with the things 'people count not as God count' {yan syun putt jyu tin syun ~ Canto}. Love your banana cookies.

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  23. What a great friend you are. I am sure Peng would be happy to see you, no matter what you cook for her! :) Best friends are forever

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  24. Better be safe than sorry no? I have a friend who just flew there today, let's hope everything is fine...Happy birthday to Peng, and a great substitute for celebrating too!

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  25. Happy Birthday to Peng :) Better to be safe than sorry.. can always go back to BKK after the flood has subside..

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  26. There are 2 types of fruit that I like best. Durian and banana, so everything has durian and banana I sure love.

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  27. That's a great adage to live by. Happy Birthday to your friend and those cookies will make a wonderful gift for any occasion! :)

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  28. Your cookies looks delicious. Wishing you had a great time with your best friend birthday celebration.

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  29. your cookie is amazing, never taste any cookie with banana before, so interesting! Wish you and your friend "Friendship forever"!

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  30. Happy birthday to your dear fren, Peng! The choc chips look "oh-so-yummy"! Have a wonderful celebration together!

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  31. I'm so sorry about your trip. Your take on that saying is kinder than mine. I'd heard it as "Man plans, God laughs."

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  32. gosh! the cookies look so delicious i want!!! can i?? :)

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  33. This friend must be so special to you, you willing to plan and arrange all that for her. Happy birthday to your friend.

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  34. So sorry to hear about your trip, but you definitely have the right trip. We had an exchange student in high school from Bangkok and I think about her very often. Hope things get restored there very soon!

    Your cookies sound great - Banana and chocolate chips are a great combo. I always have leftover bananas that need to be baked so I love recipes like this!

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  35. Wow..what nice things you do for a friend's birthday...Can I be your friend too?...Hahahahaha....

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  36. I understand what it would have felt initially, having paid and prepared for the trip. But then again, perhaps it is heavens' will to prevent you ladies from running into some con there, getting stranded etc. Everything happens for a reason, or multiple reasons at times. The possible outcomes are like the two sides of a coin, it all depends how you take it.

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  37. Yeah, what a dissapointment. lol! Hope your friend wasn't upsad. However, I bet she'll enjoy whatever you planned for her. Kudos!
    Happy weekend.
    Kristy

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  38. Happy Birthday to your dear friend. She has a lovely friend in you too. Guess , looking back, being on dry land is a good idea and you can enjoy yourselves thoroughly too tho disappointed . have an enjoyable time together.

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  39. Happy birthday to Peng! I'm sure both of you have enjoyed so much on her birthday, the massage and the meals and the cookies. One bite into these cookies, peng will look prettier, inside and outside!! btw, i thot that we can postpone the date on the air ticket so that you dont have to lose out totally on the ticket.

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  40. Scandalous how some airline companies treat their customer.

    Greetings,
    Filip

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  41. Happy Birthday peng! The cookies look scrumptious! Am sure she loved them

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  42. Hi, good to have a friend like you with your warm and generous thoughts.
    Tell Peng a gentleman from Canada wishes her 'many happy returns of the day. And a birthday is just another 365 day trip around the sun. Have fun'.
    Lee.

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  43. awww, it's the thoughts that counts. Its better to be safe than sorry ya.

    Happy Birthday to your dearest friend too.

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  44. I'm sure she had a fantastic birthday despite the cancellation :) Birthdays with friends are fun no matter where they are!

    Buzzed

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  45. It is so true when you said man plans, but God decides. And it's a wise choice to forgo your plans than go through a crisis in a foreign land. It's distressing enough if it happens right at your home country, it would be worse if you're in a totally different place. This recipe looks scrumptious, Quay Po. I would love to give this a try!


    Cheers,

    Wi
    A Single Girl's Musings

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  46. Happy Birthday Peng! I have never heard the phrase, "Man plans, God decides" but I've always believed this to be true. And while the choice to get over the upset in situations like this is always challenging, choosing to be happy is always wise. You have a good man in Quay Lo and Peng has a good friend in you. Brava!

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  47. Happy Birthday Peng!

    Better luck next year in taking her to Bangkok!

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  48. Yay for good attitudes even when things don't go quite how we would like :)! Happy B-day Peng!

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  49. Happy birthday to your friend!

    How lovely of you!

    And I like any kind of banana recipe - there is something about banana that just tastes like home!

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  50. What a bummer! Oh well, it is not important where you celebrate the day but who you celebrate with :)

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  51. Happy birthday Peng. I am sorry your plans did not work out the way that you wanted them to.

    Your cookies lovely!!

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  52. Lots of strawberries on the cake.. yum yum!~

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  53. Happy belated birthday, Peng!

    My birthday's coming next, where r u taking me to, Veron?? Hahaha! BKK is a wise choice to celebrate with Peng but too bad, plan has to scrap. Really sweet of u to plan so much for her :)

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  54. So sad that your trip has been cancelled. So sorry to hear that.

    You have been very thoughtful friend and sometimes, I think that it's the thoughts that count. Peng must be touched having these yummy cookies.

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  55. Birthday greetings to your friend. Next time, plan to come and celebrate in Sibu - no such problems... Only thing is when you want to go back, you will have to book two seats per passenger. LOL!!!

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  56. Happy Birthday Peng!
    I wish i had a friend like you, you're so wonderful. these cookies look great, such a delicious way to celebrate your friend birthday:)

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  57. Maybe if you bribe the mean airline people with these cookies they'll give you your money back! I'm sorry you couldn't visit your friend!

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  58. it's a nice of u to have a bday with ur friend last year and still planned to celebrate this year bday with her too :)
    and I'm glad that u can "handle" ur feeling for not to face the sad fact with upset but with wisdom and still believe in God's heart :)
    Tq for sharing the recipe quai po, I've been searching this recipe since a month ago becoz 1 of my friend love bananas and planned to make a banana cookies... thx again and send my blessing and warm regard to ur friend - Peng - wishing her a great blessed bday and blessing all the year a long :)

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  59. @All
    I would like to thank you all on behalf of Peng for the birthday greetings.

    @Lyndsey
    Oh I would love to be able to spend our birthdays together!

    @laurie
    Peng is a great friend. This is a small way to show her my appreciation for the friendship.

    @David
    I think I got the best gift when I met Peng.

    @Lyn
    We are very happy to have each other. We have been through a lot together:D

    @Cloudia
    Thanks.

    @yummychunklet
    I appreciate your continuous support and leaving positive comments.

    @Dzoli
    Her smile means a lot more to me.

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  60. @Alice
    We had fun getting the massage and a good lunch.

    @Ah Tze
    The next time I come to Singapore, maybe I can bring some with me and we can meet up for tea.

    @Gloria
    Thanks so much.

    @hankerie
    It is good you found it! hehe

    @Angeline
    It taste really good. Make some.

    @ping
    Yes I agree, we are fortunate that this did not happen while we were there. I hope your friends are safe. I can appreciate your worries for them. HUGS.

    @mNhL
    Yes, we have too to stay happy.

    @Wendy
    Sure it is:D

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  61. @Mel
    I feel the other way round. I am blessed to have them in my life.

    @anne
    Good advice. hehe

    @The Sudden Cook
    Yes you can but without it, the cookies turned out less chewy.

    @yummylittlecooks
    It taste great too.

    @Thristan
    It is a simple recipe isn't it?

    @hanushi
    I thought it is nice to do something away from the nom.

    @Bananaz
    My Quay Lo said to me, he is always right and never in doubt! haha. That is exactly what happened.

    @Rose
    Friendship forever for sure.

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  62. @Jeannie
    I hope your friend is okay.

    @Swee San
    Yes, Bangkok is just a 2 hr flight. Can go anytime.

    @Sheoh Yan
    If you like durian, check out my durian puff. You are Once, Twice, Three times a PUFF and I love you!

    @Kiddothings
    I agree, will make a nice gift for Christmas too.

    @Amelia
    We had great time together. Thanks.

    @Sonia
    I am sure your kids will enjoy these cookies too.

    @Oliveoylz
    Thanks, we had!

    @That Girl
    haha, I think I like Man plans God decides better.

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  63. @Mars
    Sure you can:D

    @Hayley
    All my friends are special to me:D

    @Becki
    I can appreciate that you must be worried about your friend in Bangkok. If you have left over bananas, this is a sure thing to bake.

    @Daddy
    You are my friend already!:D

    @Jo
    Well said.

    @Keat
    We enjoyed ourselves very much. We had a good massage and delicious lunch.

    @Lena
    We can postpone that day with a penalty. It is not worth it. Better we buy a new ticket to go another time.

    @Filip
    Airlines are so different from the old days. Sad but true.

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  64. @Baker Street
    Thanks for your visit. Hope to see you around.

    @Uncle Lee
    It is great to have good friend like Peng. I will definitely pass your birthday greeting to her.

    @Littlelamb
    Yes, that was what I thought too.

    @Parlsley Sage
    She did. :D

    @Wi
    Do give this recipe a try. You will be glad if you do.

    @Brooks
    I cannot agree with you more.

    @Foodycat
    Better plan next year for sure.

    @Amy
    I have a wise man beside me lah.

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  65. @StarletStarlet
    Banana is a fruit that is so easy to ilke. It is so versatile that it can pair with a lot of other ingredients.

    @Reese
    That's right.

    @Words of Deliciousness
    No worries, our alternative was as enjoyable:D

    @prince n princess mum
    Yes, that was her birthday cake last year.

    @Shirley
    When is your birthday? How about coming to KL and I will cook a special dinner for you? You can stay with me if you don't mind my humble home.

    @Zoe
    Yes, I agree, thoughts is more important.

    @Arthur
    Ya lore. I just told my Quay Lo that we HAVE to make a trip to visit you in Sibu so that we can taste all the delicious food there.

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  66. @Roxana
    You are my friend already:D

    @The Blonde Duck
    Oh yes, how come I did not think about doing that? LOL!

    @Elies
    I am glad you can end your search now and bake these cookies for your friend.

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  67. So true that we can plan all we want, but the ultimate plan is God's will. Great attitude, and those banana chocolate chip cookies are a delicious compensation.

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  68. what a treat for your friend if that has gone through!! Sorry to hear how the flood has affected your plans! But it's true!! liking your attitude in accepting what it is and making the best of out of it! lucky friend with these cookies.

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  69. @Claudia @ Torviewtoronto
    Thanks:D

    @daphne
    The lucky one is me!

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  70. I'm so sorry your plans didn't work out, Veronica. I do agree with you that it was a blessing in disguise though. The important thing is both of your are safe and sound and were able to celebrate Peng's birthday. A very happy belated birthday to your best friend Peng. Hope the two of you had the best of times. I'd take your banana chocolate chip cookies over a cake any day. those look scrumptious!

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  71. I'm sorry the airplane didn't refund! That sucks! But I guess you use all the anger to these delicious cookies!!! ;-) They look really yummy. I'm all about crunchy texture but I'd love to try these chewy kind!

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  72. @LeQuan
    We had a good time. We really enjoyed the massage. Both the masseurs did a great job. We went to a little shack for nice home cooked Chinese food. We had a Vietnamese deep fried fish, belacan four kinds of beans and preserved mustard tau foo soup. We finished everything and felt stuffed with satisfaction! LOL!

    @Nami
    Yes, it helps to rant sometimes and definitely a good therapy to bake or cook when I am upset because when I see the result of cooking and baking I forget that I am upset. hehe.

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  73. What a sweet post. Great friends like that are God's greatest gifts to us. Your Quay Lo is right and I love his outlook. Have a blessed week and rejoice that you are out of the disaster area. (The spa day sounds fabulous!)

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