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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Trying to get used to new environment

Man, reali need to get used to it. I mean taking public transport.
Nw I shifted further inside. Transportation doesn’t seem mre convenient at all!
I try walking but seem far n a bit deserted in some area, although got a few nice scenery. I dun think I will walk unless I got a lot of leisure time.
Hehhaha foodwise ok la, although a lot of them are famous stalls but usually for nightly business heehaw. Daytime foodstalls abit limited. Area wise I find abit old leh compared to the last area, mre quiet here also.
I wish they can do mre on the paintwork. I think for my hubby he will wish for a bigger carpark area... here the multistory carpark is super small n limited = that mean if he come hm late, no space for him unless at the roof top so troublesome. The passway for cars to move around is too small for 2 cars onli one car pass by at a time

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

wonderful week

wow..too much good foods in distribution, think sliming will be my top priority coming new yr.
Clearing my leave.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

nEX Mall

nEX mall had been opening for quite sometime. im hoping to hop by this weekends. heehee.
http://www.nex.com.sg/index.php?section=whats-in-store let's check what stores r available n interest me. Heard it is as big as Vivo city but caters but different crowds no high end boutiques. Mre eateries so far i c in the list, my hubby mention it is like a biggest mall in heartland.

Sigh... been bz w settling in my new hse, attending wedding banquets, parties n gatherings(wow! totally broke this mth). lots to catch up, think must the yr ending, everyone is in the mood for all sort of gatherings, making appts n resolutions. Me too.!! doing a list right now...

goin to Medicare n pedicure this fri, hooray! half day at work this fri, Christmas eve. wont be celebrate Xmas in town with my honey. totally out of place, nowadays orchard is damn crowded, hardly space to walk, n jams Jams. not to mention supered ex with restaurants abandon their usual menus n came out w 'Xmas menus'. I most probably staying at hm n watching dramas n movies. my hubby had bought alot for us to catchup.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Moving in???

three weeks had gone- n passed, Although most of reno is sort of completed, but there still got some rectifications to be done. most of stuffs had shifted in, my hubby managed to find a ok mover.
now we need to unpack n sort them out n major cleaning of the whole hse. along the way, i threw some of my stuffs cos i lazy to pack n unpack, hehhahah minimum is the best!!
Man!! i reali wished we got a big wardrobe. we got so many clothing. Hecks!! especially after we came back from US, n all those winter clothing n thermal wear n accessories.
anyway, my hubby n i are quite pleased the hse turned out to be, as we tried to stick to the 3d design as close as possible.
Now then i realized having a hse n reno is so tasking, so things, time and much money involved.
I'm so lookin forward for my free wkends to come, thus eversince i got the hse my wkends burnt in checking the hse progress, buying stuffs for hse, discussing plans w my contractor, packing stuffs, cleaning. NO FREE TIME FOR MY OWN!!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Blogs that i like

this yr is goin to end soon.
Share with u all some of the blogs i like:
http://peonykiss.wordpress.com/ ; aka peiling
simple n clear cut n photos hehahahh.. know her though her blogshop co owned w her frnd.
saw her afew times in real life cos we work same area hehahaha, damn skinny like the photo in her blogshop (that y i hardly buy the clothes there, cant fit; especially those bodyhugging types or the latest faze of bandage styles :( )Blogshop call http://agneselle.livejournal.com/ i like the shoes n some of the bags.

http://finestluxury.wordpress.com/; another blogshop owner Georgiana (a veri successful one too!!) co partnered w her fiance ==> her idea initially. now a proud owner of 2 physical shops MDS.
like to read her blogs, as she wrote about hw she started out, in progress n day-to-day activities N her veri funni boifriend become to be fiance. like hw to post about her personal comments of life, photos of herself n with her models. saw her once, she's cute.

http://www.sixpegs.com/Peggy Chang; fun, active student to model with her funky pixie hair look. envy her complexion. appear in afew public advertisements / contests.

there are of course many more blogs that r nice, but these three r most interesting so far for me this yr.

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Cooking Salmon ...

Shaohsing Salmon by The Cupcakes - Serves 2
Preparation time 5 min, Cooking time 15 min
Ingredients:
2 salmon fillets, deboned, with skin
2 tbsp Shaohsing Chinese cooking wine
6 spring onions, finely shredded, white and green portions separated
2cm knob ginger, grated
3 tablespoons light chicken stock
1 tbsp Soy Sauce n sugar
3 tbsp peanut oil
3 cups rice, cooked
1 bunch coriander leaves

Fine Salt & White Pepper to taste

Method:
Season salmon with salt, pepper and 1 tbsp rice wine.
Place salmon in steamer and steam over gentle heat for about 3 minutes. Strain, place on serving dish, and top with white spring onion bits and ginger.
In a small pan, bring chicken stock to a boil. Remove from heat and add Lee Kum Kee Reduced Salt Soy Sauce, 1 tbsp rice wine and sugar. Pour over salmon.
Heat peanut oil in another small pan till it smokes, then add green spring onion bits, and pour over salmon. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with steamed rice.



Salmon Says by The Wan And Only - Serves 3
Preparation time 5 min, Cooking time 15 min

Ingredients:
2 salmon fillets
2 potatoes, peeled, cubed and boiled
10g Anchor Butter Salted
4 tbsp mayonnaise
1 cup mozzarella
1 tsp Fine Salt
15g fresh parsley, chopped
4 asparagus spears
1 carrot, julienned
White Pepper, to taste

Method:
Cut salmon fillets into large pieces and pan fry in Anchor Butter Salted. Remove from stove when done and blend with mayonnaise, salt and a pinch of pepper.
Divide potato cubes into ramekins then pour the salmon mixture on top. Sprinkle with mozzarella and bake for 5 min.
Garnish with asparagus, fresh parsley and carrots, and serve immediately.

Sunday, December 05, 2010

Finger foods

Gyoza by Cotton Bleu - Serves 4
Ingredients:
Vegetable oil for frying
1 packet fresh round wanton wraps
1 tbsp cake flour
Fine Salt & White Pepper to taste

For marinade:
250g ground pork
3 tbsp Reduced Salt Soy Sauce
1 large egg
1 tsp five-spice powder
150g fresh tiger prawns, shelled, de-veined and diced
4 water chestnuts, 1 tomato, 1 small carrot(diced)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, sliced
½ cup spring onions, finely chopped
White Pepper, to taste
Method:
Mix ground pork with marinade ingredients, then wrap mixture in the wanton pastry circles. Cook on a small, lightly oiled pan until dumpling bases turn golden brown.
Mix cake flour with 6 tbsp water and add mixture to the dumplings. Cover the pan and let dumplings steam for a while. Once the water has evaporated, drizzle a bit of oil into the pan to loosen the gyozas and carefully flip them onto a serving dish. Set aside.

Seafood Parmesan Roll With Cheesy Tempura Surprise by The Rojaks - Serves 4
Preparation time 5 min, Cooking time 10 - 20 min
Ingredients:
1 packet spring roll skin
1 egg white
1 box Japanese tempura flour
125g Perfect Italiano Parmesan Cheese Shredded
1 cup iced water
2½ cups cooking oil

For seafood roll filling:
80g Perfect Italiano Parmesan Cheese Shredded
1 cup crabmeat, cooked
20g fresh coriander, 1 med onion, 5 small chillies (chopped)
20g Mainland Tasty Cheese

For mayo-chilli sauce (combine ingredients): ½ cup Mayonnaise and Chilli Sauce
For frying: 1 green and red capsicum, cut into rings, 200g calamari, washed and cut into rings,
1 large onion, sliced into rings
For garnishing: 2 tomatoes, sliced, 1 head lettuce, 1 sprig parsley

Method:
Thoroughly mix ingredients for seafood roll filling, then wrap in spring roll skin, using egg white to seal the ends. Heat ½ cup cooking oil in a pan and fry rolls until golden brown.
Mix ¾ box of tempura flour with enough water in a bowl to form a thick batter, and separately set aside remaining tempura flour on a plate. Put Perfect Italiano Parmesan Cheese Shredded on a separate plate.
Heat cooking oil in a wok. Roll capsicum, calamari and onion rings in tempura flour, then dip into batter, and finally coat with Perfect Italiano Parmesan Cheese Shredded. Fry until golden brown.
On a serving platter, place lettuce leaves and sliced tomatoes. Place seafood rolls on lettuce bed, top with mayo-chilli sauce, and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with cheesy tempura surprise on the side.
Christmas Shrimp Cocktail In Cheese Basket by Cotton Bleu - Serves 4
Preparation time 10 min, Cooking time 15 min
Ingredients:
250g Mainland Tasty Cheese, grated
1 cup large shrimps, cooked
1 can diced pineapples, caramelised and cooled
1 bottle mayonnaise
1 tube wasabi
1 iceberg lettuce
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 pinch paprika
1 bunch coriander, roughly chopped
Fine Salt & White Pepper to taste

Method:
In a medium-sized frying pan, evenly spread grated Mainland Tasty Cheese and cook till melted. When the edges turn golden, upturn the formed disc into a mould and leave to cool, so the cheese takes the shape of a bowl.
Heat olive oil in a large pan and cook garlic and shrimps. Add paprika and season to taste. Set aside and leave to cool.
Combine mayonnaise, some wasabi to taste, lemon juice, caramelised pineapple chunks, then add shrimp mixture and stir till shrimps are fully coated.
Place a lettuce leaf in the cheese basket and fill with shrimp cocktail. Garnish with coriander and serve

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Movie Review – “Confessions”

So many movies for this yr, i had seen much of 'fave' / popular ones.
I could say that Asian movies std certainly had dropped over the yrs. they are too cheesy or too idiotic to watch.

But recently I come upon this movie; jap one.. It is one of the amazing piece that will catch yr senses into it, n making me to rewatch it again definety gd

Movie Review – “Confessions”
Warning!! - it may spoil the movie as i explained (if u didnt watch it atfirst)
“Confessions” is an adaptation of a six-part serial novel. It is a dark revenge fantasy, can be horror. In Japan itself, it was number one at the box office for four consecutive weeks.

The film begins with a rowdy class in a Japanese secondary school. The students are having a milk break. The teacher (Takako Matsu) tells them that this is her last day in profession. They cheer. In a 25-minute monologue that bravely opens the film, she speaks of how she became pregnant by her lover who later died of AIDS. She says that both she and her daughter Manami, were lucky. Neither of them had contracted the disease. Then she speaks of how as a single mother. Later she also tells them about her daughter’s death by drowning in a pool. It was considered an accidental death, but she knows that two of the students in this classroom murdered her child.

She even makes it clear to the children who are the two students. She knows that as they are under age they cannot be punished for their crime. The legal system will not try them as adults. So she had decided to take matters into her own hands. She tells the whole class bluntly that she has injected her former lover’s HIV-positive blood into the milk the guilty pair have been drinking. The classroom erupts into chaos.(hohooo, this is one of climate of the movie)

One of the murderous students, 'A' is bright. He had a website that he devises experiments to torture animals cruelly. The other student, 'B' is a weak-willed loner.
As teacher Yuko finishes her confession, the movie opens out of the classroom, shifting between other confessions, perspectives and inner monologues of students and parents. A year later, these “confessions” tell us the conscience-free 'A' continues to go to school, where he is taunted, beaten and abused by most of the others. 'B' believed himself lethally infected, holes up at home, watched over by his overprotective mother. She refuses to believe her child could have done anything wrong. Equally in the dark is the new class teacher who believes in befriending the students and trying to be one of them. He too is manipulated.
Also drawn into this tragedy is their classmate, who pity the two child-killers.

In the end, u may even feel pity at the two child-killers even though u atfirst sympathize side with the victim mother teacher. As she merciless plot her revenge on these two by break them part by parts til they totally lost themselves. One could think this is simply cruel of her as they r still 'naive' of life.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Completion of my hse - when?

it was scheduled to be end of this mth - which is today.. but the progress seem to be dragged as some of things still nt yet up / installed. my hubby said give them another 2wks n c hw. anyway, we sort of predict this situation alreadi cos sometime there is no progress of revon in my hse at all.
God! we reali went there almost everyday, veri tiring luckily is nearby whew!!.

Sigh, we need to start our packing also, so many things to shift. Time to collect e empty boxes.
Although our new hse is nearby, but we still need a mover, at least a lorry ..argh... so many stuffs!!
Time to throw AWAY the OLD, USELESS, UNWANTED stuffs. HEHAHHAHA. Think it's a sign.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Chicken & Lup Cheong Rice, Rice Cooker Recipe

Ingredients(Serves 2-3)
- 1 cup rice
- 1/2 chicken (about 650g), chopped
- 2 lup cheong/Chinese sausages (about 100g)
- 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- a piece of ginger

1. Marinade chicken pieces with dark soy sauce and oyster sauce.
2. Grate some ginger and squeeze the pulp to get about 2 tsp ginger juice. This step is very important but when I’m busy, I just substitute this step with a few slices of ginger. Add the juice to the marinated chicken pieces.
3. Slice the lup cheong diagonally.
4. Open the lid of the rice cooker to check when the rice is almost 3/4 cooked (the water is almost dried up). Each rice cooker is different and will take different timing to reach this state.
5. At this point, add the chicken, lup cheong and a few slices of ginger. I did not add the leftover marinade sauce as it will cause the rice to become soggy. Close the rice cooker lid and continue cooking. My rice cooker cook for a further 20 minutes before it sounds the chime indicating the rice is done . You should “keep warm” the food for at least another 20 minutes after the rice is cooked to ensure that the chicken and lup cheong is cooked through.
6. Use a spatula to mix the ingredients thoroughly with the rice. After doing so, your rice will become brown from the soy marinade. Garnish with fried shallots and chopped spring onions.

Friday, November 12, 2010

LUS S-line Body Glove

Convenient, effective and practical unique slimming glove for tummy, thigh and arms!

The price for LUS S-Line Body Glove (1 Sheet/5 Packs Glove) is S$34.90.
You can purchase from SASA Outlet, BHG Outlet or visit http://www.secretive.sg
It claimed to be raved by Korean celebrities! And this ’super’ powerful glove can helps to achieve slim and toned body (Effective exfoliation + BURNING FATS + Firms skin) Although it states results vary from different person, but i pray hard n had faith to slim my elephant thighs.

Do this exfoliating action on desired areas for 3-5 mins. The cream in the glove will activate a cooling sensation in this process.
After exfoliating, start Slimming Action. Massage on desired areas for another 3-5mins.
Heating and intensive lifting sensation will activate around 10-15mins.
wow, can see results immediate, fell in Lve with it. I’m veri happy with the results. Besides the toning effect, my skin becomes softer and smoother. I bet this glove will also be effective if you are prone to water retention. Overall, needless to say about the effectiveness, I just like to add on that the cream has very nice light scented fragrance and is quite safe for sensitive skin.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Japanese Buffet Restaurant Singapore

Ikoi Japanese Restaurant at Hotel Miramar, Irodori Japanese restaurant at River View Hotel and Senki Japanese Restaurant at Killiney road are amongst the best Japanese Buffets in Singapore.

IKOI Japanese Restaurant – Japanese Buffet 401 Havelock Road #01-01 Hotel Miramar Singapore Tel: +65 6887 3788 // Weekday Japanese ala carte Buffet $33++ Weekend Japanese ala carte Buffet $33++ * Reservations highly recommended

Senki Japanese Buffet Restaurant 109 Killiney Road Tel: +65 6734 5565 // Weekday Japanese ala carte Buffet $30++ Weekend Japanese ala carte Buffet $33++

Here is another place for japanese food lovers
Tetsu: 163 Tanglin Rd, #03-18 Tanglin Mall, Tel: 6836 3112
Katsu is excellent! Its really a must-try if you visit Tetsu. The Kaisekis course meals are still value for quality.

Friday, November 05, 2010

I Love Taimei: Taiwanese Street, Bugis, Singapore

I love Taimei, a small Taiwanese cafe located at Bugis Village that sells Taiwanese street food. Even though I always pass by the area, but didn’t notice the place until recently. I heard that it opened for a year or longer.


A regular bubble tea is $2, while most of the Taiwanese street food like the fried chicken, burger, mee sua are around $3-4; a strong hint of vinegar within the sticky and soupy mee sua, which had bits and pieces of tiny little oysters. A set meal consisting of a main, side and drink will cost around $6-7. I had drank Taimei’s bubble tea for afew times, and I definitely don’t think that it will lose out to KOI. (not expert on it; just thought).
BBQ Crispy Chicken ($3.90). It was crispy and drizzled with the spicy-sweet BBQ sauce. It ok but small for 4bucks. Cheese fries ($2), which was pretty decent. Coated with a layer of cheesy texture, it’s the ideal snack to munch the afternoon away.


**post taken from ironladychef blog***

Thursday, November 04, 2010

Facebook launch!

Social Network
On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook founder) begins his fury of dunk blogging and programming; FaceMash after his "breakup", what begins in his dorm room soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history... but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications. Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), once Zuckerberg's close friend, who provided the seed money and Napster founder Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), who brought Facebook to Silicon Valley's venture capitalists.
Movie started off through flashbacks via deposition hearings for two concurrent lawsuits, the development and early days of the social networking website Facebook is presented. Zuckerberg, with financing from his friend Saverin, decided instead to develop his own website without telling the "Winklevi" (as he calls the twins) and Narenda. Zuckerberg's assertion was that he never used a line of code provided by the three in his work. As "thefacebook" blossom, brought to more and more university campuses, Zuckerberg and Saverin began to have a difference of opinion: Saverin wanted to sell ad space to generate revenue while Zuckerberg, never one interested in money, didn't want to go that route as the ads would make the site lose its "cool" factor, which made it popular. The site attracted the attention of the founder of Napster, Sean Parker. As Parker ingratiated himself into Facebook's life (much to Saverin's chagrin) and as Zuckerberg began increasingly to side with Parker, Saverin slowly began to be phased out of both Zuckerberg's personal and professional life.

Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg; a cold, calculated and determined genius who knows what he wants, is very confident and forward-looking and will stop at nothing to get it. His counter in the film is Saverin, played brilliantly by Andrew Garfield, Saverin is a far more sympathetic character, more warm and inviting – these traits only increase the impact of the tragedy of Zuckerberg's betrayal of their friendship.

In the end this isn't a story about the founding of Facebook (cos nt 100% real); it's really a story of friendship, ambition and betrayal, a character study of this fascinating individual whose actions in the film happen to depict the invention of an online social networking site that gets out of hand and puts all of his relationships, especially that with his best friend and business partner, in jeopardy.

Monday, November 01, 2010

Samsung Galaxy S Vs Nokia N8

Nokia N8 is a flagship phone with premium feel, Symbian3, a high-end device to run a tried n true mobile OS that millions of users are accustomed. Samsung Galaxy S, on the other hand, a novel path it undertook with Android, having the fastest graphics chipset w 4” Super AMOLED screen.
Design: Nokia N8 is beautifully crafted from anodized aluminum, exudes that premium feel. Simply run your fingertips on it /against the etched logo, it is a high-end craftsmanship. Samsung Galaxy S wows with best LCD screen , as extremely thin n light, thus doesn't feel like the big phone it actually is. Being made entirely of plastic has its positives - plastic is lighter and less rigid thаn metal. Both have physical home buttons under their screens. Galaxy S adds back and menu buttons on its sides, making its' a better idea.
Nokia N8 has a non-removable battery. Card slots (SIM and microSD) are taken out of the battery compartment, placed on the left side. On the right side is the camera button, while Galaxy S uses the touchscreen to focus and shoot. Buttons on both handsets are very responsive. Important ports are protected either by sliding lids /plastic caps, both are manufactured with precision, feel like they can go on for years.
Interface, Software and Connectivity: Samsung Galaxy S has a more slick looking interface, feels faster n more responsive. Messaging has similar functionality, email client of Nokia can download up - 999 messages for offline viewing, while Galaxy S allows you to carry so much mre and searchеable. An improvement in text input department of Nokia's handset is needed.
Nokia N8 offers a free lifetime navigation with excellent Ovi Maps, which has turn-by-turn directions coverage in much more countries than Google Maps for now. It is an offline navigational software, of that type u have to pay in Android Mkt n only if u are in a country that supports paid applications download for your Android handset.
Camera and Multimedia: Galaxy S is more touch-friendly n easy to use. Nokia N8's 12MP camera with powerful flash is aimed more to sophist ppls, who know what they are doing. The photos from Galaxy S come slightly unfocused. Photography-oriented Nokia N8 took sharp, detailed snaps in a variety of situations, especially in low-light. Indoor shots are aided by flash up to 10ft. Nokia N8 had the advantage, focusing exactly on the object at hand.
When recording, Nokia N8 has upper hand with its stereo recording capabilities, offers very usable 2x digital zoom while shooting video. Samsung Galaxy S make videos smoother, but the difference isn't much. Galaxy S videos are a bit underexposed compared to those of Nokia N8, resulting in a slightly darker looking environment, but color representation is good on both handsets. Photos n videos gallery looks better on Samsung Galaxy, with nice animations and 3D effects, whereas on Nokia N8 is just plain ol' grid of thumbnails. Nokia N8 excels in editing functionality, offered for pictures n videos in the gallery. Abilities on Galaxy S are basic while on Nokia N8 the editing possibilities offered are comparable to a paid program that u have to buy off from Android Market.
Music playback on Galaxy S is excellent, with a pretty and functional player interface and SRS surround sound in headset mode. Nokia N8's music player on other hand, supports Cover Flow-like eye candy, its true audio virtue is the work of Dolby Mobile technologies in both headset mode n through speaker. It can play sound encoded with Dolby Digital Plus, which adds to the immersive experience.
Speaking of video playback, both handsets support a large number of formats, including DivX/Xvid and the chipsets are powerful enough to play HD resolutions. Big, vivid screen of Galaxy S definitely has the upper hand for watching videos on the go.
Performance: The in-call performance on Nokia N8 is very good, with loud n clear sounding voices in earpiece, while the noise-cancelling microphones do for better output at the hearing end. On Samsung Galaxy S the voice quality is decent – fine clarity in the earpiece on our side, but static noise at the receiving end plus some echo. Speaker of Nokia N8 also has upper hand, producing loud sounds with minimum distortion while Galaxy S is clear but weaker, as expected in a thin handset. Both phones produce excellent sounds in headset mode, due to the surround sound technologies present, but Nokia N8 has taken it to another level with Dolby Mobile. There is no reception problems on both handsets so far. Nokia N8 has placed the antennas near the plastic at both ends of the phone, so receptionwise it doesn't disappoint. Battery life in 3G talk time mode is rated at 6.5hrs time for Galaxy S, and 5.5 hrs for Nokia N8.

Conclusion: As usual, in the end it all comes to personal preferences. There are many differences that will make picking one, depending on the usage. If you watch movies on your commute, read e-books n documents, play games on a 4” Super AMOLED screen, powered by the most powerful mobile graphics chipset, u may want to go with Samsung Galaxy S. For a well-rounded smartphone package, that appeal a lot to the casual n more experienced photographers, one would most likely pick Nokia N8, with its 12MP camera and Xenon flash. The Finnish handset also adds other notable virtues, namely the ability to watch its contents via HDMI-out with channel surround sound, USB-on-the-go and free lifetime navigation that works offline in most countries.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Comparison Samsung Galaxy S vs. iPhone 4

I had share these findings i have:
Design: Samsung Galaxy S is bigger with 4inch screen - iPhone4's 3.5 inch screen. However, Samsung has 480 x 800 pixel resolution while iPhone has 640 x 960. when put side by side, you could see that iPhone4 has a crisper screen resolution. As for design quality, iPhone4 is made like a glass composite materials which adds to its weight making it abit heavier than Samsung. Design win by iPhone4 cause it's mre pocket friendly n offers on hand ease of use.
User Interface: Galaxy S runs Android OS while iPhone4 has iOS 4.0. Both OS offers fluid scrolling n very responsive. Samsung Galaxy offers more customization. Different homescreens where u can put widgets to, similar to HTC.
Multimedia: iPhone4 is a better multimedia device. Screen resolution n built in iPod software has been unrivaled. Note that Galaxy offers DivX compatibility. So for those who fond of downloading DivX videos, they might lean towards Galaxy S more as they don't have to converting their videos.
Camera n Video Quality: it seems that iPhone4 has better image quality compared with Galaxy S but comes to video quality, your choice would have to depend on whether you want to have the option of setting video resolution to HD /VGA. Samsung Galaxy S has that option while iPhone 4 doesn't.
Web Browser, Connectivity: Now for web browser, both Safari n Android browser are two of the best web browsers on mobile phone. Both renders web pages very fast n scrolling is very smooth. Now the deal breaker is whether you want flash or not. Apple has forever closed its doors on Flash for iPhone while Galaxy S will have the option to do so in near future. Connectivity, both mobile phones supports WiFi b/g/n but Samsung added DLNA compatibility to Galaxy S. So if you have a WiFi equipped TV, you can easily stream media from phone to home TV. Both phones also have GPS but iPhone 4 has a lot of turn by turn navigation available on App store while Android mkt is lacking but Android has Google Navigation which is free, at least in the UK n US.
Games n Applications: iPhone 4 has the largest selection of mobile applications. Android, though it doesn't have an extensive collection but best part is most of apps are free on Android mkt.

You really wont lose in whatever phone you choose because developers are now making their most popular iPhone apps available for the Android market as well and if you can't find the exact same app on the Android market, there are plenty of free alternatives available.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Madam Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant

Instead of having Western or Japanese food all the time, why don’t you try Vietnamese food at Madam Saigon Restaurant Liang Seah Street for dinner?

A platter of Spring rolls ($17.90), which is a popular Vietnamese dish, appeared on the table. Luckily, they didn’t disappoint: the semi translucent raw spring rolls went well with the sauce; as for the deep fried ones as agreed always taste good.
The Vietnamese Fried Calamari ($9.50) was very different from the ones that I had before. For one, it wasn’t round and they were broke down into strips, bearing a close resemblance to fries. It was a very addictive snack/appetizer, and we enjoyed it with the light dipping sauce.
Coming back to the Vietnamese Pho ($8.90), its just wasnt authentic. It was hard to pin-point what was missing, as there isnt much vietnamese eateries here nor had i been eaten it for all my lifetime. We just tossed lots of raw beansprouts, mint and squeezed wedges of lime into the Pho.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Soup.. soup

White Fungus Soup with lotus seed
2 pcs White fungus, 100g lotus seed. – soak the fungus in water for 3times, remove the ‘head’. Cook til soft, then blend finely with cold water. Pour in a bowl and mix well with honey. Add 400ml water with lotus seed and cook. Cool it and mix with white fungus, serve.

Sheng Yu broth
Sheng yu 500g sliced, wolfberry 1tbsp, seedless red dates 8pcs, ginger afew slices, rice wine 50ml, boiling water 5glasses, sugar ½ tsp, salt 1tsp.
Wash and soak sheng yu in boiling water awhile. Soak the wolfberry in rice wine for a while, slam the ginger slices & cut in small cubes. Stirfry the ginger w 1tbsp of oil, add in sheng yu & cook in high heat then add rice wine n cover for awhile, then add in dates n wolfberry. Slowly in ad in the boiling water into 3portions. Cover and steam awhile each time. Whole process is 20mins. Add in sugar & salt as seasonings n serve.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Back from a short relaxing trip BKK

I had been waiting anxiously for the days to come, so looking forward to this BKK trip. My body n mind just tells me its time to relax! Nt long b4 we started on this tip, there is bad news (bombing! yucks!! Y didn’t end mah?) Its spoil the economy as nos tourists slowed, didn’t the locals notice?
My hubby n I already had a list of what to buy n promises to colleagues for tidbits. Heeahahaha, shld had look up into calendar to avoid the monsoon season.
Although the rain did hamper our spirits abit, we keep our shopping to mostly indoor and freq trad Thai massages. There are lot new stuffs, but also some disappointing happening like buildings being renovate and their nite market no longer interesting.

Saturday, October 09, 2010

Colour of windows????

As I was looking out of my room, I notice there is colour on windows.
Black common, blue/ green even brown... wow.. I just wan simple grille for my windows n my main gate.
Im considering not to have any window curtains cos so troublesome need to wash n redunct. May put up blinds instead if necessary.
Pondering where to install a shower screen?? mah? but area seemed to be too small Or just a curtain will do??? Afraid will smell / mold?

Thursday, October 07, 2010

PS Move

PlayStation Move is a motion controller sys with sensors to detect player's movements n translate into gameplay. Primary remote is abt the size of Nintendo Wii remote /attached MotionPlus combination. Where Move departs from Wii is that Wii detects movement with its built-in accelerometers, pointing (with sensor bar) /detect exact orientation (with addition of MotionPlus), Move can be tracked precisely within real 3D space instead of just inferring relative movement based on your previous position. Most gameplay motions require a full and complete movement on Move - also means interesting things for augmented reality. Of course, for AR you need camera, for Sony it has PlayStation Eye. In fact, Move system is partly based on what the Eye can detect of those cute colored balls at the end of each Move controller, which helps PlayStation know how far away from camera the controller is, and map, say a tennis racket exactly to a user's hand. Each wireless Move controller has the four familiar symbol buttons surrounding a new "Move" button, which generally functions as OK/ Accept command input.

The controller itself is comfortable to hold, contours resting perfectly in our hands. Every button is easy to reach, although the 45-degree counter clockwise twist of command buttons did confuse ppl. Move controller's not just for games -- it can navigate menu by holding down the T button to initiate movement and tilting in direction. Sensitivity can be adjusted. Though not part of any bundles, Sony's also releasing a companion Navigation Controller (also wireless) that you'll be able to wield with your off hand for more traditional analog controls. It's got a joystick in standard position, a directional pad just underneath, as well as additional 'X' n 'O' buttons. Below that is another XMB menu button, on underside are L1 n L2 triggers. But if u already got DualShock 3, no point for this.
The Starter Bundle includes motion controller, required PlayStation Eye camera n Sports Champions. If u're a complete newcomer to PlayStation 3 - or need to slim down yr home theater sys - starter bundle with a DualShock 3 pad n new 320GB PS3. PS3 has something for everyone, be it watching Blu-ray movies, playing the latest games, and now working out while gaming at the same time. But still Sony had a lot to live up to if this was the system to compete with Wii .

Saturday, October 02, 2010

Furniture hunting.

List wanted: dinning table, sofa, coffee table, bedside table, accessories; hook, mag racks, entertainment rack? Side table.
In fact, dinning table; we want tempered glass will do.. but mil wan a marble instead so we suit her. I wan my coffee table to have drawers inorder to keep things easily/ handy. A small side table for phone will do. Sofa I wan in leather, can’t stand fabric ones cos sensitive skin if fabrics I need to wash freq.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Finally is my second appt

Finally is my second appt with HDB, getting our keys and planning schedule of renovation proj soon. Planning to look for fengshui master hehhahhaha… (Although I got modern views, but no harm in engaging one.
Also this coming weekend, we are goin to look for aircon (sys 3for 3rms) NT for living room as we opt for a ceiling fan. Certainly nt an inverter as we seldom switch on during nighttime except hot humid days. So many brands as we went to gain city in expo sale, heard Toshiba nt bad... Mmm considering…

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

A checklist..? for electrical appliances.

Mm.. washing machine (front / top load), fridge (hw big, any additional features???), tv (inch”, led? Hang or standalone) for mil?? Aircon-inverter or nt? Fan (hw big, windy, blades??) Wow, so many brands to look out for. Conclusion; just go for trusty old brands (Jap brand; ensure made in jpn)

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Kite Flying Days by NTUC Income (18, 19 Sep 2010 Sat & Sun 4-8pm) at the Promontory @ Marina Bay.

It is my first time to a kite festival.
Heard this event is the second anniversary, missed the first one then cos I wasn’t in sg.
Didn’t know kite flying had become a popular hobby for Singaporeans til recently (think cos of the opening of marine barrage and new towns e.g. Punggol where got large open fields). I rem the last time I ever done tat during my young teens @ marine bay.
Reached the place at around 4plus and it is already crowded with people! People are queuing up for their free NTUC Income kites (goodies bag). While enjoying the sky view scenery full of kites, some of kites fell into the river. And the water dampens the kites n slowly disappear, out of sight. My hubby and I didn’t try to fly ours cos too packed in flying area.
Next time then, I think I reali need to get my hands on the pretty cool kite.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Lightings

Since we r goin to have false ceiling, downlights is a must!! But no cove ones.. Til now then I realize we need so many of them…wow.. Make me think do I really need a false ceiling.
In fact my hubby n I always want to have some designer pieces in our living room like a standing light / designer piece chair??? Think we will shelf them first for time being, seem like our money being flowing out almost everyday

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Spent a bomb!

Wow, we spent abt 3k on kitchen / toilet accessories. All those toilets, tapes, sinks, utility hoses, towel bars and hood n hod etc and a built in oven (cos my hubby wan it!! I can foresee myself baking monthly??!! He thinks we still in us.) We get them mostly in stainless steel, no brands. Now then I realized even toilet accessories got brands. Dun knows it how the sum totaled up come about. Scary!!… Wonder how much we goin to spend on other stuffs later on...

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Let’s Sweets – Japanese Dessert Buffet in 60 minutes

#02-49 Bugis Junction Singapore Tel: 6338 0187
Daily: 12.00pm–4.30pm, 5.30pm–10pm


Let’s Sweets is Singapore’s first and latest dessert buffet restaurant which promises to inspire and offer sugar rush experience. A refreshing concept of Japanese dessert buffet, priced at $15.80++ for lunch and $18.80++ for dinner during weekdays. It is operated by Japan Foods Holding Ltd, which also runs celebrated brands such as “Ajisen Ramen”, "Fruit Paradise" etc

Walking into e colourful store along the counters of colourful cakes and rows of savoury items. Chefs dressed in white uniform and stood behind counters to prepare handmade crepes with ice cream and ‘dancing’ Yaki Mochi. It is an interesting item to look forward, their famous Japanese street snack, " Dancing Yaki Mochi". The rice balls are slowly and evenly toasted to give a crunchy feel on the outside with a warm and flavourful feel on the inside. These handmade Japanese Mochi are filled with five different flavours comprising of Sakura Cherry Blossoms, Red Bean, Miso, Black Sesame, Sweet Potatoes that rolled into perfect little balls.

A time limit of 60 minutes (80 minutes for dinner) reminded by a baby blue alarm clock.(stress :~( eg:- For a 60mins spread, timer will be set till 50 minutes for diner to take and enjoy the food from the buffet area and another last 10mins is for finishing up all the food on the tables and proceed to the billing.) Eating like a glutton, I got into a sugar high very quickly. And somehow everything from the crepes, chiffon, tarts and mousse tasted the same after the 6th piece.
Savouries such as Japanese Mushroom Spaghetti, Chicken Teriyaki Burger and Takikomi Rice, potato Soup was thick and creamy, with loads of ingredients. The sweet potatoes, rarely used for western soups, were a clever addition for a gentler taste. Cream puffs n mousse are ok.
My suggestion would be to include Hokkaido ice cream and increase the buffet time.
What's not so good; the desserts were mostly of mediocre standard (mass-produced). 2)jellies sucked, should improve on the flavour and quality. The heavy use of gelatin in the jellies made them too starchy.
Faved abt Rouleau au Caramel de salée (Sea Salt Caramel Rolled Cake) - personally i feel soso. Hokkaido Coffee Zenzai is another fave abt, but i cant take coffee stuff. So no comment.

But i feel 1 hoour is so rush for savoury, only 1 HOUR….mean we only can eat n can’t talk or share opinion…what’s the point of paying n can’t enjoy the food or the rest concept in a proper manner. And most of all, u see the ugly side of singaporeans being kaisu hehahahh. U are paying for indigestion!!! More for tea-session.
nt recommended, nt goin for second time too.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

HTC Desire vs. Samsung Galaxy S

Frankly speaking, im sold by the sleek n sexy looks of these phones.

Dimension and Weight: Samsung Galaxy S compared to HTC Desire is appearing longer and thinner , lighter too.
Display: Both Galaxy S and HTC Desire have 480 x 800 pixels. HTC Desire is 3.7 inch AMOLED display while Galaxy S has 4 inch super AMOLED display. Both are scratch resistant n display 16M colors.
Display (Function): Auto rotation, multi-touch and proximity sensor are in common. Samsung Galaxy S has TouchWiz UI 3.0 and Swype text input. HTC Desire has HTC Sense UI and also has optical trackpad for navigation.
Sound: Both have standard 3.5mm headphone jack, play mp3s and alert via vibration. Only Samsung Galaxy S can alert using WAV.
Memory: Both have unlimited phonebook and call records, hold up to 32GB. However, Samsung Galaxy S has the internal memory size of 8/16 GB. HTC Desire makes it up by including 4GB memory included.
Camera: Both have 5 MP as well as face & smile detection and geotagging. Samsung Galaxy S can record 720p@30fps HD video, has touch focus. HTC Desire has LED light and records video at WVGA (800×480p) @ 15fps.
Video Calling: Both are able to preform the task; however HTC Desire does not have a front facing camera and Samsung Galaxy S can.
Features: Both have similar abilities such as being fast, can do messaging, browse the web
OS are the same: Android OS, v2.1 (Eclair)
Radio: Both have, Games: — untested so far –
Colors: Both have brilliant colors, GPS: Both have the ability.
Out-of-Box Playability: Samsung Galaxy S beats the HTC Desire on social integration (content aggregation), document editor, video playback and Flash support.

Pros for the Galaxy S are:
better sound quality, better music player, better video capabilities
better video capture n camera (low light conditions that require a flash aside of course)
1.8GB of app installation space, TV Out via cable, DLNA, WiFi tether
better bluetooth implementation, significantly better battery life,
supports landscape rotation in both directions
Pros for the Desire:
multicolour LED notification light, hardware keys, HTC email app better than Samsung
better browser with flashlite 4.0 (although I prefer browsing on Galaxy S cause of larger screen)
better initial setup (a lot better)

okay, seems like im goin to sided with Samsung more. mmm.. still it hard to get one cos the retailer didnt carry much stock due to overwhelming sales of iphone4 (everyone' focus). even i didnt get a glance at it.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Smartphone... ..touchscreen

Once i back in sg, i was pondering whether to change my hp. but its still fairly new, cos i just change nt long b4 i left sg and i didnt use it much in overseas.
im totally shocked by the fashion trend of ppl carrying iphone everywhere, even little kids know hw to navigate it.. amazing.. later learnt from my frnds that it was a trend in cny that every kids is playing games with that aka latest game gadget: Must have?.
There is even a saying that every mom carry iphone for her kids.. during daytime, parent usage, once they reach hm, phone become gaming station on kids hands..wow...
i was tempted by it too.. but sorted halted by e news of latest iphone4 internal antenna error. still got ppl rushing to buying/owning one, they had prebooked it way long ago.
so i wait lor..(no hurry.. lol)

oh yes, i forget there is also other smartphones around; HTC Desire, Samsung Galaxy not to forget upcoming fav brand; Nokia N8.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Finalization of ID / design

Finally, we kind of finalized our renovation design, been goin around sg for weeks, hunting good, cheap ID n looking mags for idea. My hubby and I decided to go for modern look and abit of minimist… of cos nt extreme like concrete gray flooring as we r living with my in-laws.

Simple functional kitchen design, with glass backing (which I tot is kinda cool) as for wall, simple plain white ceramics tiles will do. Flooring I opt for beige colour to match my living… dun reali like black for my kitchen… but I take black for my bathrooms. I want to have showers in both bathroom but in resale flats, seem cramped (luckily my hubby n I are abit at small size??). Living room flooring I use big homogenous tiles with a feature wall to conceal the wiring of TV. We also have false ceiling done for my new home.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Chef Daniel’s Kitchen Iluma Bugis

Chef Daniel’s Kitchen located at level 7 of the shopping mall’s Sky Garden. For just $10.50, the 3 course set lunch at Chef Daniel’s Kitchen can be one of the best value for money lunches in Singapore. Everyone starts a soup of the day with herbed bread, a main course from more than 15 choices to choose from, and a dessert of the day.

The choices for the Chef Daniel’s Kitchen set lunch are rather diversified. For a Japanese fusion meal, go for the tonkatsu don, otherwise there’s the popular grilled beef burger, fish & chips, or spaghetti. Dun be taken by the look of petite portions, u would be surprised that u wre full by the end of meal. Most of the main courses come with a helping of fries and greens and complimentary soup and dessert.

Thursday, August 05, 2010

Ginger Milk Curd

Ingredients: (for a bowl)
150 ml whole milk
1 tbsp ginger juice
1 tsp sugar/sugar substitute

Method:
Grate ginger with a microplane grater and squeeze the juice through a strainer. Measure 1 tbsp and leave in a small bowl. Measure 150 ml of whole milk and add in 1 tsp of sugar or sugar substitute. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes to obtain the temperature of 176f - 186f. Cooking time differs as microwave oven differs in wattage - know your microwave wattage. Stir the ginger juice, then pour the hot milk into the ginger juice and allow it to set. Curd should set in 10 minutes. A spoon rested on top of curd will not sink, then you know that the curd has set.
ENJOY

Sunday, August 01, 2010

Inception

there is alot of great movies goin on this yr. gd for me; as a movie fan, i could say this movie will reali top the chart of the yr 2010. Great, may confused at first requires thinking n also at the ending... sort of let ppl anticipated if there is a sequel of it. but i rather nt. Sequel is always a poison to the box-office as it seem to lose / failed to have the initial affect n fantasy that previously able to enrapture ppl.

anyway tis movie is abt dreams... dream dream. Imagine ppl can go inside yr dream n reveal yr darkest deepest secret, absolute no privacy. if serious, it's even get u killed Woah speaking of tat, lucky its' wasnt a nightmare like em street.
while ppl may gussing over the main lead Leonardo i prefer his side kick more partner Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), it look like kenve reeves in Matrix. i also like the actress Ellen Page, she act in Juno and X-Men too. interesting refreshing cast, i should say n eeveryone had their own characters to play out, flaws n their gd points.

Friday, July 30, 2010

busy ... or lazy ...

Eversince I started work, i just too busy or... plain lazy to blog.
hehhaha need to adjust my sleep schedule. my weekends is mostly filled with appts.
Recently, my hubby n I took up hse hunting. Mostly on resale, cos i dun reali wan to stay in punggol. now all hdb new units at under BTO; means u need at 4-5yrs to complete. tat's too long for me, as me nt getting younger with the **%%## 30yrs of loan deed. I can forsee im goin to work til veri old to be done of repaying it.
Sigh, And i miss the DBSS (condo-like) ballot. Anyway, i dun think i can afford to buy also hehaa but i had to admit they r reali gd locations (mature estates).

Gods!!! i reali broke. with the coming major purchase(hse) of my life. i cant imagine the huge renovation n furnishing bills. Reali need to be veri thrifty and tighten my purse strings = i cant spurge/ or have any shopping spree for at least afew yrs in order to recoup my "blood". yucks!!!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Art piece bag, i want!!

Bilbao Bag, from Pleats Please by Issey Miyake
The Bilbao bag is not just a functional, waterproof tote that is distinctively recognisable in your hands. Personally, I find this bag a beautiful piece of art.

Apart from its geometrical structures, made up of synthetic triangle panels on mesh, the Bilbao must have been created by a visionary genius.
Technically speaking, the Bilbao bag is not from Issey Miyake per se, but falls under Issey Miyake’s secondary label Pleats Please.

As its outer surface is made up of triangles, the Bilbao has an ability to be folded in and out. From a flattened, tote shape, the triangles may be manipulated by hand and folded into each other to produce a base at the bottom of the bag, creating a rectangular or square base so as to adapt to the items you are carrying.At the same time, the handles are adjustable to your preferred length.In a luxurious yet fast-moving fashion age as ours, it is absolutely delightful to encounter a bag like the Bilbao, which is easily customizable and so ingeniously created. Personally, what is an additional exciting feature of the bag is its waterproof exterior, extremely suitable for Asian weather, which allows me to enjoy it even more than a leather bag.

I humbly suggest that you check out the Bilbao if you have not, it is an absolute favourite of mine. Bilbao belongs to the accessories range of Issey Miyake, called BAO BAO. Available at Issey Miyake, within Hilton Shopping Gallery, find the Bilbao in a variety of sizes starting at S$330.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Nando’s

Nando's is recently fave abt restaurants in sg. it originates from south africa (is i rem correctly). im nt totally unfamiliar with this name cos used to eat it in KL(famous), wonder y it took so long to shift the focus to sg.

when it open in bugis, my hubby n i went to try it out. his firsttime n my recall tasting hehahhaha. we wait for the kaisu crowd to tone down, then we went to savour it.

Rave reviews; its legendary Peri-Peri Flame-grilled Chicken and some of their popular sidelines are Mediterranean Rice and Old Style Chips. Bestseller Gourmet drinks(to me): bestseller Redbush Refresher (a combination of Rooibos Red Tea- sans caffeine, mint leaves and lemon grass) and Cape Verde Fresca (a blend of iced green tea and lime wedges).
Not to forget the ever-present bottles of Peri-Peri Sauce (Garlic Peri-Peri for the meek, Hot for the daring and Extra Hot for the audacious).

My usual is the 1/4 chicken thigh along with two side dishes; Peri-Peri fries and mediterranean rice. We also ordered the peri hummus and novo pita. Warm bread dipped in unique sauce. for me is ok still got standard, hehhhaha but not to my hubby liking.
So maybe second time, when we feel like it. NT so memorable!(added in by my hubby)

Monday, June 14, 2010

Desserts i ingule evn i fear of getting fat... ....

Rocky Brownies - make 16
Ingredients
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
* 1 bag (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar n light-brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 large eggs
* 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 cup miniature marshmallows
* 1/2 cup chopped nuts, such as cashews, pecans, or walnuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch-square baking pan. Line bottom with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides; butter paper. In a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, combine butter and 1 cup chocolate chips. Heat, stirring occasionally, just until melted, 3-5mins. Remove mixture from heat; stir in sugars and salt, then eggs, then flour, stirring just until combined. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 30-35mins. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips, then marshmallows and nuts. Bake until chocolate is shiny and marshmallows are puffed, about 5 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Using paper overhang, lift cake onto a work surface; cut into 16 squares.

Key Lime Pie
Ingredients
* 1 ready-made pie crust 9inch
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1 can (14 ounces) can sweetened condensed milk
* 4 large egg yolks
* 1/2 cup freshly squeezed key-lime juice
* 1 tablespoon grated key-lime zest, plus more for garnish
* 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
Directions; Heat oven to 325 degrees. In medium bowl, gently whisk together condensed milk, egg yolks, key-lime juice, and zest. Pour into the prepared crust. Return pie to oven, bake until the center is set but still quivers when the pan is nudged, 15-17mins. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Shortly before serving, combine cream and 2 tablespoons sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form, 2-3mins. Spoon over cooled pie; garnish with zest. Serve immediately.

Chocolate-Ricotta Icebox Cake - 10 servings
Ingredients
* Nonstick cooking spray
* 14 ounces semisweet chocolate (do not use chips)
* 2 containers (15 ounces each) part-skim ricotta cheese, room temperature
* 3/4 cup heavy cream
* 1 package (9 ounces) chocolate wafers (about 44 cookies)
Directions
Prepare pan: Remove sides from a 9-inch round springform pan. Place a sheet of waxed paper over bottom, leaving an overhang; lock sides onto bottom, firmly securing paper. Spray inside of pan with cooking spray; line sides with a strip of waxed paper 28 inches long and 4 inches wide.
Make chocolate-ricotta mixture: Break 12 ounces of chocolate into pieces. Place in a heatproof medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stirring occasionally until chocolate has melted, 8-10mins. In a food processor, blend ricotta until very smooth, abt 1min, scraping down sides of bowl. Add warm chocolate; blend until smooth. In a large bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in chocolate-ricotta mixture.
Assemble cake: Arrange half the cookies in an overlapping pattern to cover bottom of pan. Spoon half the chocolate-ricotta mixture on top of cookies; smooth top. Cover with remaining cookies; top with remaining chocolate-ricotta mixture, and smooth top. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 6 hours and up to 2 days.
Before serving, release sides of pan and remove waxed paper from sides. Using bottom piece of waxed paper, pull cake onto a platter; with a metal spatula, lift cake and remove waxed paper. Using a vegetable peeler, shave remaining 2 ounces chocolate over top of cake. With a knife dipped in hot water, cut cake into 10 slices (wipe off knife, and dip in hot water after each slice).

Chewy Chocolate-chip cookies
Ingredients - Makes 48
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda n salt
* 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1/4 cup light corn syrup
* 2 large eggs
* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat sugar, butter and corn syrup until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, beating just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop dough by tablespoons onto two baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are no longer shiny, 10-12mins, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool 2mins; transfer to wire racks and let cool. Repeat with remaining dough. (To store, keep in an airtight container, up to 5 days.)

Buttery chocolate chips
Ingredients - Makes 16
* 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
* 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
* 1/3 cup granulated sugar
* 1 large egg
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips n chopped walnuts
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush an 8-inch square baking pan with butter; line pan with a piece of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Butter paper.
In a large bowl, whisk butter and sugars until smooth. Whisk in egg and vanilla. Add flour and salt; mix just until moistened (do not overmix). Fold in 1/2 cup each chocolate chips and walnuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips and walnuts. Bake until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40-45mins. Set pan on a wire rack, and let cool completely. Using parchment overhang, lift cake from pan and transfer to a cutting board; cut into 16 squares. Store it in an airtight container at room temp, up to 2 days.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Fish dishes

Steamed Cod
Ingredients
* 4 skinless cod fillets, (6-8 ounces each)
* 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons finely grated, peeled fresh ginger
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
Directions
In a large skillet, combine rice vinegar, soy sauce and ginger. Season both sides of cod fillets with coarse salt and ground pepper; place in skillet with vinegar mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cover; cook until fish is almost opaque throughout 6-8mins.

Cod w/ potatoes
ingredients
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 small onion, diced
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 pound potatoes, thinly sliced
* 1 can reduced-sodium chicken broth
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 3 strips orange zest, 1/2-inch-wide
* Coarse salt
* 4 skinless, boneless cod fillets, (6 ounces each)
Directions
In skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook til onion is soft, add tomato paste; stirring to combine. Add potatoes, chicken broth /water and orange zest; season with salt and pepper; stirring to combine. Cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender abt 10mins. Season fish with salt and pepper. Place on top of vegetables in skillet; reduce heat. Cover; simmer until fish is opaque throughout 8-10mins.

Baked Salmon
Ingredients
* 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 2 tablespoons dry white wine, or water
* 2 pounds salmon fillet
* Lemon wedges, for serving
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. with a rack in the center. Make the glaze: In a small bowl, stir brown sugar, olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice and white wine until the sugar has dissolved.
Cut salmon fillet into 4 equal-size pieces; arrange, skin side down, in a single layer in a baking dish. Pour glaze over the fish, and turn to coat evenly. Bake until fish is opaque but still bright pink inside, basting every few minutes with glaze from baking dish 15-20mins. Serve with lemon wedges.

Honey glazed Salmon
Ingredients
* 1/4 cup honey
* 5 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
* 4 salmon fillets (5 ounces each), skinned
* 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Directions
Make glaze: Stir honey, soy sauce and lemon juice in a small bowl until combined. Lightly brush the top of each salmon fillet with glaze; reserve remainder. Heat oil in the nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Cook salmon fillets, glazed sides down, 1min; reduce heat to medium-low and cook 2mins more. Turn fillets over and cook 3mins for medium-rare (salmon will be slightly pink in the middle), or longer if desired. Transfer to a plate. Pour remaining glaze into skillet; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until glaze has thickened to the consistency of syrup abt 1min. Serve salmon with glaze on the side.

Cornmeal Crusted Fishsticks
Serves 4
* 4 large egg whites
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 1 pound skinless tilapia fillets, cut into 1-by-3-inch strips
* 1 cup yellow cornmeal
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 cup vegetable oil
Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites, 2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper; add fish, and toss to coat. In another large bowl, combine cornmeal and flour; season with salt and pepper. Working in batches, lift fish from egg-white mixture (letting excess drip off), and dredge in cornmeal mixture, patting to adhere.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Working in batches, cook fish until golden brown and opaque throughout 4-6mins, turning once (if fish is browning too quickly, reduce heat). Serve with ketchup.

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

asian stirfry

Sesame chix
Ingredients
* 3 tablespoons honey
* 2 tablespoons sesame seeds n soy sauce
* 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
* 2 large egg whites
* 1/4 cup cornstarch
* 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil,
* 1 1/2 pounds broccoli, cut into large florets, stems peeled and thinly sliced

Directions
Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan, and fill with 1 inch water; set aside for broccoli. Meanwhile, make sauce: In a small bowl, combine honey, sesame seeds, soy sauce and garlic. In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites n cornstarch. Add chicken; season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and toss to coat.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add half the chicken; cook, turning occasionally, until golden and opaque throughout, 6-8mins. Transfer to a plate; repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and chicken. Return all the chicken to skillet; add reserved sauce and toss to coat.
Meanwhile, place saucepan with steamer basket over high heat; bring water to a boil. Add broccoli, cook until crisp-tender, 4-6mins. Serve sesame chicken with broccoli.

or do it in orange sauce; (replace honey w 1 cup fresh orange juice n 1 tbsp sugar). Add orange juice, soy sauce and sugar. Boil over high heat until syrupy and reduced to abt 1/3 cup, 4-5mins. then cook w the meat to coat thoroughly for a min.

Pork Cutlets
Ingredients
* 12 ounces pork tenderloin
* 2 large egg whites
* 1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* Coarse salt, for seasoning
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
Cut e pork tenderloin into 12 pcs. wrap it w plastic wrap; with a meat mallet, pound to 1/8 inch thick.
In a shallow bowl, beat egg whites with 1 tbsp water. In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Place all-purpose flour in a third bowl. Season pork with salt. Dip pork in flour, then in egg mixture. Dredge in breadcrumb mixture; pat it in. In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute half the cutlets until golden brown and cooked through, abt 1min per side. Repeat with another tablespoon oil and remaining pork.

Beef Stirfry
Ingredients
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce n rice vinegar
* 1 tablespoon peanut butter n honey
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* coarse salt and ground pepper
* 1 pound skirt steak, thinly sliced crosswise
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch
* 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
* 1 large head bok choy, cut 1 inch thick crosswise
* 4 medium carrots, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced on bias
* 1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
Directions
In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, vinegar, peanut butter, honey and garlic; season with pepper. In a bowl, toss steak with cornstarch; season with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet with a lid, heat oil over medium-high. Add 1/2 of steak; cook, tossing, until browned, 1-2mins. Transfer to a plate; repeat with remaining steak.
To skillet, add soy mixture, bok choy, and carrots. Cover and cook, tossing occasionally until tender, 5mins. Return steak to skillet; cook until heated through, 5mins. Serve over rice; sprinkle with peanuts.

Omelet
Ingredients
* 3 large eggs, preferably room temp
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 1 tablespoon butter, plus more for serving
* 1/4 to 1/3 cup desired filling (onion, mushrooms, bell peppers, spinach, diced turkey or ham, crumbled bacon, diced potatoes, chopped asparagus, shrimp or crabmeat, cheese, seeded and diced tomatoes, prepared salsa, diced avocado, diced smoked salmon)

Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Season with salt and pepper. Heat butter in an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, tilting to coat pan; after foaming subsides, whisk eggs again and add to skillet.
Cook, stirring quickly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until eggs begin to thicken, abt 30secs. With spatula, pull edges of omelet in toward center, tilting pan so uncooked eggs flow to edges of pan and underneath omelet. Cook until just set but still loose, 15-30secs (omelet will continue to cook once removed from heat).
Sprinkle with filling. Using spatula, loosen omelet from skillet on all sides; shake pan to ensure it is completely released. Tilt pan toward serving plate; with spatula, working from side of skillet that's tilted up, fold 1/3 of omelet over the center.
Simultaneously slide and roll omelet onto plate so that it folds over on itself again and lands seam side down. Brush or dab lightly with butter; serve immediately.

swiss roll cakes. Come On, roll roll roll

Strawberry roll
Ingredients
* Unsalted butter, for pan
* 8 extra-large eggs, room temperature, separated
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
* 2 teaspoons sifted baking powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 1 pint heavy cream
* 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
* 1 quart strawberries
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and line a rimmed 15-by-10-by-1-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar together until light in color, about 1 minute; stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Add cake flour and baking powder; stir until well combined.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into flour mixture.
Pour cake batter in prepared pan and spread evenly with the back of a spoon. bake until cake springs back when touched, abt 20mins.
set 6 strawberries aside for garnish. Thinly slice remaining strawberries. Place heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium speed. Slowly add remaining teaspoon vanilla n 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar. Continue beating until soft peaks form. Set half of the whipped cream aside. Gently fold sliced strawberries into remaining half.
Lay a clean kitchen towel flat on a work surface with one of the short ends facing you. Generously sprinkle dish towel with confectioners' sugar. Flip cake onto towel, remove baking sheet, and peel off parchment paper. Using the dish towel, roll cake away from you; let cool.
Unroll cake. Evenly spread strawberry whipped-cream mixture over surface of the cake and re-roll. Transfer cake to a serving plate and evenly spread top and sides of cake with reserved whipped cream. Cut reserved whole strawberries in half lengthwise and place on top of cake for garnish.



Festive ytule cAKE
Need!
1 pkg. 2layer cake mix, 4 eggs, 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt, 1/2 cup oil,
3 Tbsp. powdered sugar n 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, 2 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided 3 Tbsp. Instant Coffee, 1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
Make It!
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Line greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan with parchment or wax paper. Grease and flour paper; set aside. Place cake mix, eggs, yogurt and oil in large bowl; beat with electric mixer on medium speed 1 to 2 min. or until well blended. Spread 3 cups of the batter into prepared baking pan; tap pan gently on counter to remove any air bubbles. Pour remaining batter into 4 to 6 paper-lined medium muffin cups. Bake cake and cupcakes 15 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.

MEANWHILE, place large sheet of parchment paper on top of clean kitchen towel; sprinkle evenly with the 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar. Invert cake onto prepared towel; remove pan and top sheet of parchment paper. Starting at 1 of the short ends, roll up cake with parchment paper and towel. Cool on wire rack 30 min.

GRATE enough of the chocolate to measure 1 Tbsp. grated chocolate; set aside. Microwave remaining chocolate in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. or until partially melted. Stir until completely melted. Beat the 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the cream cheese spread in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate.

UNROLL cake; remove paper and towel. Spread cake with cream cheese mixture; roll up. Refrigerate 30 min.; place on serving plate. Stir instant coffee granules into whipped topping; spread over log. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Cut into 20 (1/2-inch-thick) slices to serve. Sprinkle with reserved grated chocolate.
**Kraft KitchenTips ;Wrap tightly and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator, then garnish just before serving. Lightly run the tines of a fork through the frosted yule log to resemble the bark on a log

For Rum favour, just brush the syrup on the cake
* 1/4 cup water n sugar * 2 tablespoons light rum
make rum syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until sugar has dissolved abt 3mins. Remove from heat; add rum then let cool completely.

Basic cake recipe

Basic vanilla cake
Ingredients
* 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature,
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour,
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder n baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks
* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 1 cup low-fat buttermilk/ yogurt
* Whipped Frosting

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-by-2-inch cake pans. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer beat butter and sugar until light n fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined.
Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake until cakes pull away from sides of pans, 32-35mins. Let it cool 10mins before taking out.
Place one cake, bottom side up. Tuck strips of parchment paper underneath. Using an spatula or table knife, spread top with Whipped Frosting. Top with remaining cake; frost top, then sides. (Store unfrosted cakes at room temperature up to 1 day. Once frosted, serve within a few hours.)

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Bib necklace

Bib necklaces has become current season’s costume accessory. It is a necklace characterized by a central thread to form a ‘bib’ at the front. The main characteristic of this necklace is its size n the distinctive bib-like coverage of the neck, which gives it its name. The larger-than life appearance of this jewelry makes it ideal to make a fashion statement without spending too much money on the look like wearing it over a plain top(changing the image).

Bib Necklaces are usually dressy and the neckline must be plain and flat to not distract from the main focus. These necklaces are in a variety of designs, ranging from pretty floral to bold chunky to delicate lacework. You can buy them in beads, stones, fabric, feathers and lace, in all sorts of colors. Just put on a funky, bold ‘Bib’ made of Rinestones and stand out in the crowd without seeming gaudy /flashy. For a fancy evening party, try a Pearl ‘Bib’ with your little black dress and show the elegance that such a party demands or ribboned flowers! Trying to look funky? Wear one made of off-beat materials, like buttons or safety pins or even paper, over a plain T-shirt!

In fact, u can have a Bib Necklace by diy with your choice of material and design, to an expensive one made of gold or silver with precious stones. The sheer choice you have is amazing. You can get one in any price you want! I had been looking around(like diva's) for eye-catching piece but nothing turn out to catch my eye fancy, maybe i shld go on diy myself. hehhahhaah

Monday, May 10, 2010

Cafebiz: Buffet

Weekend dinner buffet from Mon to Wed is $45++, while dinner from Thursday onwards to Sunday is $50++ per head. We were too full to try all the food; we missed out on the Indian food, and the roasted duck selections. Eating a little of everything was almost enough to fill up the tiny stomach of ours. Plenty of tea and a long chat after the meal aided in the digestion too! Cold seafood counter. There were prawns, there were crabs, and there were mussels & scallops. I tried the ice chilled oyster, squeezed a whole wedge of lemon onto it, careful not to spill any; every drop of lemon was precious, to fully bring out the quintessence of it. I pitched it up with a fork, and slowly put it into my mouth, one swallow, one gulp, and it was gone. Salad with variety of dressing available; thousand island, Italian dressing, and also the adventurous yoghurt one etc. Roasted meat selections, Indian food, Western & Asian mains to choose from too. one of nonyang dish; the process of ‘playing’ with the Kueh pie tee; the shell fill with the typical popiah turnip fillings, sprinkled a bit of the crushed peanuts, drizzled the sweet sauce, beautify it with parsley, and had options of tuna, chicken, and prawns to top with. Boy, it was good! The crispy shell, with the turnip fillings, but it was the sweet sauce and peanut which provided the difference. Desserts section; Cakes, dessert shooters like a lighthouse beaconing the direction. And not lest, the-sight-of-it again: the omnipresent chocolate fondue, my heart just flew over with hugs and kisses. There is a cake looked like pandan cake had a flavourful pistachio taste! Unique!! Truffle berry compote cake for its smooth and silky chocolate, with composition of berries within. There’s a chef specially preparing waffles and crepes on-the-spot. The waffles were excellent, but they used the same mixture for the crepes, which turned out to be overly thick. And the staffs actually delivered the waffles to our tables when we forgot to collect it. ***This post is taken from Ladyironchef blog.***

Saturday, May 08, 2010

Strawberry-Banana Tofu Shake - 4pax

Recently, i watch the local variety show. there is a lady who can make a tiramisu out of tofu. Woww...!!! she 's damn cool!!! Idol!! i lve tiramisu, n her way is veri unique. the judges r impressed n the taste of tofu is still there. i wanna try, pls!!

so i came upon this drink, cool!!!
Soft silken tofu provides the best results for this drink. If you only have firm/ extra-firm silken tofu on hand, you can add mre as a quarter cup of soymilk to achieve the desired consistency. U can try substitute blueberries /raspberries for the strawberries or experiment with other soft fruits like mangos and peaches.
Can stores well in the fridge for up to three days.

Ingredients
* 1 package (10 ounces) strawberries, thawed
* 1 cup plain soymilk
* 1 small ripe banana, peeled and sliced
* 1/4 cup honey
* 1 package (12 ounces) silken tofu, drained
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* Pinch of salt

In a blender, puree berries until smooth. Remove, and rinse blender. Combine the remaining ingredients in the blender. Puree until smooth and thoroughly mixed, scraping down sides with rubber spatula as necessary. ready to serve or store in the fridge. If refrigerating, whisk to recombine just before serving.

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Frozen Peanut Butter, Chocolate, and Banana Loaf

i wan THIS!!!
Ingredients
* 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
* 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
* 2 ripe bananas
* 1 cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks(abt 2 cups)
* 1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped
* Nonstick cooking spray and waxed paper, for loaf pan

1. Coat loaf pan with cooking spray; line with waxed paper.
2. Melt chocolate; cool to room temp. Puree bananas til smooth.
3. Stir peanut butter into cooled chocolate til combined, then stir in banana puree. Gently fold in whipped cream until combined. Pour into prepared pan; top with peanuts. Fold waxed paper over top; wrap tightly in plastic. Freeze til firm at least 3hrs.then ready to serve.

Sunday, May 02, 2010

Marina Bay Sands - here i come

http://www.marinabaysands.com/
We went on Saturday noon, the veri first opening weekend. We went by MRT , exit from marina bay station walk for 10 mins,damn hot n sweaty by the time we reached. Its way too crowded. most shops(all branded stuffs like the ion orchard) didnt opened til jun 23 this yr. since the boss is the owner of the Venetian n the Palazzo in Las Vegas, the concept of building is pretty much similar with the river. i guess must be for the boats to row. on top of it, it boast abt the gravity-defying Sands SkyPark(will be open much later. man, im disappointed when i heard there will a fee entrance). Perched atop the hotel, 200 meters above the city, this architectural masterpiece features exclusive restaurants & lounges, three 50-meter infinity pools, an observation deck, landscaped gardens and an unrivaled 360° view of the Singapore skyline.
i notice there is a show called the lion king, make me wonder if its the same as Vegas. Personally, i like the artistic design building of their museum, which looks like a bowl from far away(interesting). hehahhaah, the entrance to the casino look like a immigration hall. alot of ppl just standby, blocking the way cos they dun wanna to pay the levy fee.
we walk on the infamous hex bridge which link marina bay to marina sq.
After the whole tour, we went to nearby marine sq for shopping n meals n movies, Yaa!!! If u ask me which casino i will go in spore, i definately choose Marina Sands(its way grander than the Resort World in Sentosa, which is under Genting. n y shld i pay the additional entrance fee for the sentosa when i could just go a casino in town area). Note; Singaporean need to pay a levy of $100 for a 24hrs entrance.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Smoothies i lve

Banana-Oat
Ingredients
1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt, 1 banana, cut, 1/2 cup fat-free milk, 2 tsp honey, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
In a blender, combine oats, yogurt, banana, fat-free milk, honey, and cinnamon; puree until smooth. Serve immediately.

Pineapple-Banana - for 2
Ingredients; 1 (8 ounces) can crushed pineapple in juice, 1 big banana, 1 tub(6 ounces) plain nonfat yogurt, 1/2 cup ice cubes
In a blender, combine 1 can crushed pineapple in juice, banana, plain nonfat yogurt, and ice cubes. Puree until smooth n serve.

Strawberries-banana smoothie
What needed! 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) plain fat-free yogurt, 3 / 4 peeled bananas, cut into chunks, 3 cups strawberries, stems removed, roughly chopped, 1/4 cup skim milk /soy milk, 2 tbsp honey, 1 cup ice.
Add all ingredients in the blender; puree until smooth. Serve.

icy things is gd for spore hot weather. y nt make popsicles?
Banana Blueberry Swirl Popsicles - make 10
Ingredients; * 3 to 4 ripe bananas * 1 1/2 cups yogurt(yr fav, of cos!) * 3 tbsp sugar * Juice of 1/2 lemon * 1 cup fresh blueberries
Puree bananas until smooth. Add yogurt, sugar, lemon juice. Remove half of the yogurt mixture n set aside. Add in blueberries until just combined. Layer blueberry and reserved yogurt mixtures into ten 1/3 cup ice-pop molds. Swirl the two flavors together. Insert ice-pop sticks. Transfer to freezer until frozen abt 8hrs. Dip molds quickly in hot water to unmold.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Earth day (apr 22 10) - think of recycling

make beautiful flower pots out of used tins n bottles,
make organizer folder/ makeup kit container out of cereal box(wrapped in nice decro paper/ cloth),
make stool cover out of recycle materials,
make a bag out of old t-shirt,
make a candle out of the old teacups,
make decro door/ knob out of recycle fabric
make a poster out of leftover decro paper/ ribbons or even cutlery,
make a soap dish out of a seashell,
make a mirror out of antique platter / plate(i lve this most)

how to do a decro mirror piece
If an antique platter or plate is scratched, cracked/ broken, its patterned border can be used as the decorative frame for a mirror. If the platter or plate is split into several pieces, glue them together and allow them to dry. A round plate, you may find a circular mirror. If the platter is an unusual size or shape, have a professional glass cutter use your template to custom-cut a mirror. Request a polished edge, which is safer to handle.
For braided trim around the glass, attach pillow piping. To attach the mirror glass to the platter permanently, use ceramic epoxy. Apply epoxy to the back of the mirror in a big X from side to side and in a thin line just within the perimeter. Press the mirror onto the platter. The epoxy must be dry before you hang the finished mirror. If you'd like to be able to remove the mirror in the future, use mounting tape instead of glue. u can mount the framed mirror on the wall using a plate hanger of the appropriate size or ribbons.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Vitacreme B12

Vitacreme B12 Review

Texture: Very sheer light cream, not oily at all, feels like those medical creams from the doctors.
Fragrance: There is a light floral scent, pleasant.
VITACREME B12 is the first cosmetic cream containing Vitamin B12, an essential component for healthy skin. With deep penetrating capability, VITACREME B12 helps regenerate, nourish and moisturize your skin.

Benefits of VITACREME B12
* Stimulates renewal of skin cells
* Hydrates and softens skin tissues
* Rejuvenates and improves skin elasticity and firmness
* Revitalizes and diminishes age lines and existing wrinkles
* Helps to prevent premature wrinkles
* Repairs and rebalances the skin's natural defense system
* Relieves and soothes chapped skin
* Smoothes or attenuates new or old scars
* Helps prevent peeling after a sunburn
* Can be used as a day cream and/or cosmetic base

Apply a pearl-sized portion of VITACREME B12 using this massage technique. This will accelerate its actions, with results being seen and felt within 2 weeks.


It gave me a light numbing sensation, which I think B12 is trying to relax my natural stress lines or tension areas. A lot of times we frown even with out noticing, it has became a natural facial expression, as time goes by fine lines and wrinkles are much more easier to appear on those places that we put tension on. With B12 the relaxation agent relaxes our natural frowning actions or naturally tensed areas, which give us a more relaxed face, like a gentle Botox for our whole face. Also the detoxifying action in B12 make our face loosing water retention faster. I've been using this day & night, as this tube only last 6 months after opening. I can see dramatic results in the morning, my pores are smaller and face is tighter.
However if you have dry skin I would recommend to use this in between your toner & hydrating night cream.

Recommended it!!!

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Ma Maison Restaurant (Bugis Junction)

Cuisine: AsianWesternJapanese
This place is recommended for mostly for Romance/First Dates

Opening Hours :
Mon–Fri: 11.30am–3pm, 6pm–10pm
Sat–Sun: 11.30am–10pm


Ma Maison Restaurant is located @ Bugis Junction (they also have another branch at the Central). Although it is a Japanese restaurant, the decoration is predominately French, and they serve Japanese rendition of European dishes. The dark entrance of the place was nt reali appeal to firsttimers.

Its famous for its Hamburger Steak, so it goes without saying that I had to try it. With a beautiful sunny side-up sitting on top, the hamburger steak was well prepared, and the brown sauce complimented the meat perfectly. Although the portion looked small, it was actually quite substantial with the additional salad, soup and rice/bread.

Monday, April 05, 2010

internet is up

finally, it is up. i decide to chose singnet(to get a different feel?)
meanwhile i had been catching up w my family n frnds.
After this, i need to start searching for jobs.. anyone, pls take me?

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Banana-Apple Pudding - 6pax

I wan to try this unique recipe, but seem quite tasking(lazy). hehahaahah

Things needed!
* 1/4 cup plus 1 tsp sugar
* 1/2 tsp lemon zest n 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
* 3 apples, peeled, cored and cut into cubes
* 3 tbsp + 1 tsp tapioca starch
* 4 ripe bananas
* 1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt

Directions!
Bring 3/4 cup water n sugar to simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in lemon zest and juice. Add apples; cook uncovered abt 5mins. Add starch til fully combined and slightly thickened abt 4mins. Let cool completely.
Transfer apple mixture to a food processor. Add 3 bananas, and process until smooth. Stir in yogurt. Divide among 6 bowls. Chill, if desired. Cut remaining banana into 1/4-inch pieces n divide among puddings. Sprinkle on top of each pudding with chopped nuts/almonds.

Monday, March 08, 2010

Peppered pork pastry

My hubby n i love this in taipei.

Ingredients:
Dough 1: 2 cups bleached all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp instant yeast, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 cup water(to make a soft dough)
Dough 2: 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup lard

Filling:
1 lb ground pork, 1 tbsp soya sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp rice wine,
1 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp black pepper, 1/4 cup water
2 cups chopped green onions, White Sesame seeds for topping, 1/2 cup syrup for glazing

Method:
Mix all the ingredients for the filling and stir well to combine. Add water, a little at a time until pork is homogeneous. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator

To prepare Dough 1: Dilute salt in water. Mix sugar, yeast and flour together and add in all the water to make into a dough. Set aside and leave to rest. Let dough rise until double in size.
To prepare Dough 2: Add lard to the flour and knead into a dough.

To prepare the pastry: Divide Dough 2 into 10 portions(more if smaller pastry) Divide Dough 1 into 10 portions. Wrap Dough 2 with Dough 1, repeat with the other portions. Using a rolling pin, Flatten dough by starting from the center and roll up once, back to center and roll down once.then pinch the two ends together, so that the dough now is slightly round.
Roll with rolling pin to a thin circle, fill with marinated pork and a generous portion of green onions. seal well.
Dip the surface of wrapped pastry onto the and then dip onto the sesame seeds. Repeat with the other 9 portions.
Cover wrapped pastries and let it rise for 20-30mins before baking in preheated 350f oven for 20mins, after the first 10mins, open the oven door so that steam can be released and pastries will crisp better.

Saturday, March 06, 2010

we r back!!!

Thursday, March 04, 2010

SFO - Twin Peaks, Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz

Twin Peaks





Strolling @ Fisherman's Wharf

























Wednesday, March 03, 2010

SFO sightseeing cont... ...

PhotobucketOctagon House. The design of this oddity built in 1861 is based on a popular theory of the mid-1800s, namely people inhabiting this shape would live healthier, happier lives. The building now houses a museum of American Colonial and Federal Era decorative arts and historical documents.



Lombard Street, known as "the crookedest street in the world" because of its eight sharp turns on a 40-degree slope. The turns, known as switchbacks, were built in the 1920s to allow traffic to descend the steep incline. The street zigzags around beautiful flowers and shrubs and offers a nice view of the bay. It become a picturesque stretch of Lombard St along a single block. There are stairways (without curves) on either side of the street for pedestrians.
Coit Tower





Golden Gate Park
Conservatory of Flowers is a large white-colour botanical greenhouse in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. There is Buffalo Paddock(where u c the animals in the park). I like e Windmills situated @ Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden is quite a sight when in full bloom.After this, we went to California Palace of the Legion of Honor then next Cliff House, sits on a rock perched over the Pacific Ocean with a view of Seal Rocks (a popular hangout for sunbathing seals).
Photobucket Pacific Ocean
Photobucket Seal Rocks
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Holy Virgin Cathedral, imposing structure crowned with five domes, each covered in 24-karat gold leaf. On a bright day, the sunlight hitting it is dazzling. Inside, is a glimpse back in time. The interior, consecrated in 1977, could just as easily date from 1577. Through the incense gleams the gold of more mosaics, these depicting various saints, and the precious metals of the icons that are everywhere.

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