Chocolate..chocolate n Pastry!!!

Palmiers
Ingredients: 1 package Puff Pastry Sheets(2 shts) thrawed, 1 egg, 1 tbsp water, 6 tbsp sugar
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces, melted
Directions - Heat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. beat the egg and water. Unfold 1 pastry sht on lightly floured surface. Roll the sheet into a 16 x 10-inch rectangle. Brush with egg mixture. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp sugar. Starting at the short sides, fold pastry toward center, leaving a 1/4-inch space in the center. Brush with egg mixture and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Fold one side over the other, making a 4-layer rectangle. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet.
Cut each rectangle into 12 slices. Place cut-side down 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Brush tops with egg mixture. Bake for 12mins /til golden. Remove from the baking sheets and cool on a wire rack.
Dip half of each palmier into chocolate. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until chocolate is set. Makes 24 palmiers.

Chocolate Ravioli
Ingredients: 1 package frozen Puff Pastry Shts, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 egg yolk, 1 tsp water, 1 package(8 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate squares, chopped ,Confectioners' sugar
Directions: THAW e shts at room temp 30min. HEAT cream in saucepan to a boil. Pour over chocolate in bowl n let stand 5min. Whisk until smooth. Freeze mixture 15min. Stir and freeze 15min til firm.
UNFOLD 1 pastry sheet on lightly floured surface. Roll into 16" square. Brush with half of egg mixture, leaving 1/2" border around edges. Place 24 rounded teaspoons of chocolate mixture in 4 evenly spaced rows with 6 mounds in each row. UNFOLD remaining pastry sheet on lightly floured surface. Roll into 16" square. Place on chocolate-covered sheet, pressing firmly between the rows of chocolate and around edges to seal. Brush pastry with remaining egg mixture. Cut between the rows. Place on 2 large ungreased baking sheets. Freeze until firm abt 15 min. Preheat oven to 375°F.
BAKE 15 min. /til puffed and golden. Serve warm, dusted with confectioners' sugar.

Clarisonic Mia - my baby facial cleanser "my wish"

Clarisonic Mia™ Sonic Skin Cleansing Wand


Clarisonic Mia gently yet effectively loosens dirt and oil to clear your pores.
♥ Helps reduce oily areas, dry patches and blemishes
♥ Leavs skin feeling foter and smoother
♥ Remarkably gentle for cleansing all skin types, even with sensitive conditions such as rosacea and acne.

Includes:
♥ Clarisonic Mia™ (pink) with one speed
♥ International pLunk Charger™ for worldwide use
♥ Sensitive Brush Head
♥ Trial Size Cleanser (Gentle Hydro Cleanser)

At first I must admit, I never thought I'd pay so much just to clean my face! after so many reves abt it, im convinced its a gd investment. While I don't believe this is a MUST HAVE item, it is really nice to have.

my obessed with puff pastry

i try my hand in doing curry puffs, turn out nt bad(of cos im nt doin the traditional way; deep frying, im using pastry to do like polar stuff; baking mre healthy).
next, im goin to do this. seem i still got strawberry jam in my fridge so what i need is fresh strawberries now.

Strawberry 4-Point Tartlets (makes 4)
Ingredients: 1/2 of Puff Pastry Sheets(1 sheet), thawed
1 egg, 1 tbsp water, 1/4 cup strawberry jam
1 cup large fresh strawberry cut into quarters, Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream Directions: Heat the oven to 400°F. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a square, cut it into 4 squares. Place the pastry squares onto a baking sheet. Beat the egg n water. Stir the jam and add the strawberries. Spoon abt 1/4 cup strawberry mixture in the center of each pastry square. Fold the pastry corners over the filling to the center and twist the points firmly to seal. Brush with the egg mixture. Bake for 20 mins /til the pastries are golden brown. Serve each with 1/2 cup ice cream, if desired.

Mini Napoleons (make 8)
Ingredients: 1 Pastry Sheet, thawed ,1 package vanilla instant pudding or chocolate /mousse
1 1/2 cups whipped cream, 1 1/4 cups sliced strawberries /chopped nuts/ melted mashsrows
Confectioners' sugar/ honey or hazenut spead
Directions: Heat the oven to 400°F. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface, cut it into 3 strips along the fold marks. then cut each strip into 4 rectangles. Place the pastries onto the baking sheet. Lightly brush w an egg, bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Let the pastries cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Split each pastry into 2 layers, making 24 in all.
Prepare the pudding mix according to the package directions except use 1 cup milk. Fold in the whipped cream. Reserve 8 top pastry layers. Spread 2 tbsp pudding mixture on each of 8 bottom pastry layers. Top each with 1 tbsp strawberries and pastry layer. Top with the remaining pudding, strawberries and reserved top pastry layers. Sprinkle with the confectioners’ sugar.
Note: For 1 1/2 sweetened whipped cream, beat 3/4 cup heavy cream, 2 tbsp sugar and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Instead of pudding mix, u can also used icecream.
Make-Ahead: These Napoleons can be served immediately /covered n refrigerated for up to 4hrs.

Mars and Venus as Each Other’s Teachers: Communication

i come by this article n aknwledge the truth.
Lose the ‘I’ and win the world!

Article:
There is so much talk of marital discord nowadays. Every journal /TV prog is discussing it. It is the same old clash of two desire entities that we encounter everyday, everywhere and with everyone, each wanting its own way to the exclusion of consideration for the other. Selfishness and self-centered-ness are part of the gifts endowed us by nature.
Marriage is team-work and this is an acquired trait which has to be learnt and practised with serious intent. Of course, we complement each other but most of us would be equally happy living alone, content in our own selfish balloons. Our genes and hormones have a potent force of their own. Destiny which is still running our lives – we may accept it or not – keeps us throwing into contact with attractive people of the opposite sex which gets the desire centres humming.

Opposites coexist and attract each other. Observe closely, every couple is a pairing of two people with opposite tendencies. The law of creation takes us to our next level of evolution by the effort we put in to live with each other. We are each other’s teachers.
Clashes will be but we have to learn to see both ends of the argument and learn to go beyond the obvious and mundane. At the other end of the spectrum is the fact that we cannot all make our bread, tailor our clothes, make our shoes, construct our house and make our cars; so we need other people in our lives. In extension we therefore need a society and if we wish to live within this society, the word teaming-up again appears and we have to accept certain confinements. Therefore it is plain to all to see that life is a huge compromise after all. It’s so galling!

The BUT I was talking about makes its splash here. We are on our best behavior most of the time; continuously adjusting to the pressures of people and circumstances. BUT the moment we enter the threshold of our homes, we find it difficult to make the same compromises in our marriages willingly with a singing heart. Why? It is very well and facile to live when we make short contacts and all go home at the end of the day to our own watering holes, alone in our comfort zones; with the option to keep or break a relationship if we wish to. In marriage we have to be with the same person day in and day out for ever and ever with no respite. Readjustments are in order. It seems as if the partners are forever saying “Be reasonable, do it my way”. This when coupled with a tendency to overbear is a formula for disaster. We made our bed and now we need to lie in it. Do we have a right to hurt the person we brought home or run away from the responsibility of raising our children?
There are even impossible demands when the partners are taken for granted. We need to wake up from this dream. The obvious solution is to adjust but we are not prepared to do so. Very good reasons are cited and all very tangible and real. Everything is taken into consideration except the fact that the first point of law is that the marriage has to be maintained at all costs as a garden of joy. It is our marriage and our life. Everything else pales into insignificance.

Discord is inevitable unless we are prepared to let go a bit and cross over into the other’s camp and live for the other person. This is said for both men and women and has to be a concerted effort. Personally I find this idea so wonderful. My life is no more a closed box. I let somebody in and a close partnership begins with of course an absolute interdependence. This is the beginning of happiness. I do lose a bit of the “I” but win the world. Putting up one’s feet is such a pleasure. We did marry for the small comforts of married life, did we not? We live much harried lives. What we think, feel and speak are never the same things. We are always hide something. There is an accepted perverse insincerity practised at all moments and at every level of our existence. In the outer world where every man is for himself and wolf eat wolf is the situation, there is much to be said for a bit of charade but not so in a marriage.
It is, whatever you may argue, an evolutionary process in which both the parties as well as children grow into more matured beings. When you see it in this light, you have to allow the barriers to fall and sincerity has to pervade in the home. Thoughts, feelings and the spoken word will need to be in harmony at all times otherwise chaos and clashes will erupt. Lording over is absolutely out. Cleverness is a no-no. At least aim to reach this level. There will be stumbling blocks, yet wherever this spirit of candidness exists, there will be laughter and rarely any quarrels. The human spirit is a forgiving one. Whenever honesty seeps through, joy prevails. The other factor taking a heavy toll of the quiet life in marriages is the poor quality of communication. Poor language use, bad speech habits and worse, inadvertent habits like speaking from distances or changing the place of things and forgetting to tell. We are also plagued by the sense of right and wrong and get irritated in righteous indignation. This indignation turns easily into a scream like a cracker going off without restraint. Always forgetting that how we deal with the everyday world and how we need to deal in our marriage world are two different things. In marriage it is the team not the individual who matters. We forget it to our pain. Let’s never forget if the other party is grating on our nerves, then we are no angels. Have we ever tried to find out how we are grating on other people’s nerves? We are constantly giving out wrong signals. Utter confusion prevails at the best of times. So first we need to begin by listening a bit more and not reacting to every word that one hears. Not only to words bit those intangible sighs and those inconsistencies in behaviour patterns. Consider that the other person may be thinking aloud or uttering the wrong words because of other extraneous circumstances.
Just think it over for a while. Forgive and forget if you have been mildly wronged. Show your appreciation often and learn to remain silent in as many languages as you can. Along with this attitude, ask for favours and when the other person asks for them, do respond positively. We do make the mistake of asking for favours and wanting instant gratification but when the other person asks for something, we are always busy in our own world and cannot grant any. This will not do. Gratitude needs to be cultivated and practised a bit more, especially in small inconsequential things, which are really the ones which swell into tidal waves. All that is needed is a little shift in our own orientation to our life and partner. Give and give and take some. Rather you will notice you will get without asking and much more than you could have asked for.

Ski & tubing @ Bogus Basin (whole day fun)

Movtivation

- Manifest Your Own Miracles: 8 Steps
1. ASSUME THAT EVERYTHING IS FOR YOUR HIGHEST GOOD
2. EXPECT SUPPORT FROM THE UNIVERSE - Life is solely an outer manifestation of our internal expectations.
3. BE OPEN TO THE SIGNS
When the world hands you a coincidence, stop and say “thank you!” I see coincidences as winks from the Universe, helping confirm that we’re on the right track. When opportunities line up perfectly, when situations mystically converge, when opportunities fall in your lap, or when you simply find a penny on the ground, embrace them without hesitation.
4. DON’T WANT FOR ANYTHING - Evoking the emotions you would feel once your desired goal is attained is the real key to generating your desires.
5. BE GRATEFUL
The state of gratitude is like having your arms wide open to receive all of life’s bounty. Are you feeling open to everything around you, or are you guarded, grumpy, cynical or sad? If you are frustrated by your current situation or surroundings, make a choice to see only the good, even if just for 2 minutes each morning. Jotting down things in your life that you’re grateful for, no matter how small, helps you to open to life’s abundance.
6. CLEAN UP YOUR INTERNAL ACT
7. FOLLOW YOUR HEART - When you choose to spend time with things that bring you great passion and interest, your emotional body resonates on a very different level. Those who follow their bliss, choose careers that bring joy, spend time with people who delight them, watch movies that lift their spirits, and read books that inspired excitement often draw in more abundant situations. If you make choices out of fear or to “play it safe”, life will give those types of situations or frustrations right back to you. And if you instead take risks to open your heart, mind and spirit, you will, worst-case, get a life of fulfillment, surprise and joy. Look inside to all your underlying motivations and shine a light on them so that you might make a different decision tomorrow. Awareness is the key.
8. TAKE ACTION
When we realize what we desire, and begin to align ourselves with these goals, the next step is action. And often times this is the step that trips us all up. We can’t stop with just meditation, gratitude, and cleaning up our thinking. We also must take action, and step up to the plate when life hands us miraculous situations or circumstances. Don’t let a great thing pass YOU by!


Making Choices
Life is simply a sum total of the choices we have made. there is a saying, “You are free to choose, but the choices you make today will determine what you will have, be and do in the tomorrow of your life.” That may seem a little daunting, when we do pause in our journey through life’s many twists and turns, to consider how we actually make choices. Choice of career, choice of spouse, choice of investment, the list goes on. Is it by instinct or “gut feeling” or do we actually analyse the important decisions we make in life? Or do we get so paralysed by fear of making the wrong decision, that we simply abdicate from any responsibility and just leave it to “fate”?
Or are we taught to go the safe route, to live with compromise, as we would have plenty of that? For those looking for a job or those at the crossroads as to what direction to take for the rest of your life, here are some thoughts on what not to do when making choices:

1. Don’t attempt to weigh all options.
2. Don’t think of all the things you don’t want.
When thinking about career for example, don’t waste time thinking what you don’t want to be doing. Instead, focus on what you want to do n what job is ideal for you. As the saying goes, what you focus on expands. Similarly, don’t focus on solving problems. If you keep focusing on your problems, and what you don’t want in life, that is exactly what would expand! Instead use a creative approach – think about what you want in life and focus on how to create that for your self.

There are three types of choices that can help take you forward – primary, secondary and fundamental choices.
Primary choices are choices you make with regard to major results e.g. “I choose to be financially free in five years’ time.” Meanwhile, secondary choices that can help you take a step toward your primary results. In the above example, a secondary choice to support the choice to be financially free may be to build a second source of income, or perhaps to set aside money for investment.
What about fundamental choices? This is something not many people are aware of, but it is indeed crucial if you want to be really successful in life. Whereas a primary choice concerns itself with specific results and a secondary choice supports those results, a fundamental choice has to do with a state of being, or basic life orientation. A fundamental choice is the foundation upon which primary and secondary choices rest. It is not subject to changes in internal or external circumstances. be the choice to be true to oneself.

Personal Branding!

Personal branding is a powerful way of communicating and clarifying the unique promise of value that you have to offer your boss or your clients. “Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding: we are the CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc.”

1. Personal
understanding your true self. u are an original – there is no one else quite like you. What do you stand for? What are your beliefs? Jot down a few phrases that describe your unique value, vision, purpose and passion. Take some time to discover your strengths, weaknesses and hidden talents. Ask yourself what impacts you the most and what drives you.
2. Perception
It is imperative that you must be aware of how you are communicating yourself to those around you. In this area, you will need to know your attributes and how others perceive you as an individual. Develop a focus group comprising of close friends, colleagues and family members to ask, collate responses and consolidate their perceptions about you. For example, are you seen as reliable, trustworthy or adventurous with a natural instinct for business?
3. Position
know your target audience, business or job competitors. How can you stand out unless you know whom you are standing among? When people see your name or face consistently over a period of time they assume that you have something special and that you must be successful.
4. Performance
Establish yourself as an expert in your field because expertise can bring you increased recognition and therefore you can position yourself well in the hearts and minds of your target audience. Get good testimonials from your satisfied customers and for employees, create outstanding portfolios of your past accomplishments. Create a personal mission statement. Do seek out new and challenging assignments that will build your brand. Write articles to showcase your knowledge.
5. Promoting
You can have an amazing brand, but if no one knows about it, you are not going ahead. Nothing in marketing is more powerful than a promotion tool called word of mouth. What your network of friends, colleagues, clients and customers say about your brand is what the market will ultimately gauge as the value of the brand.
6. Planning
Make an appointment with yourself at least twice a year to re-evaluate your personal brand statement. Also, obtain honest and helpful feedback from your focus group on your brand performance, value and growth.