what have i been up to

Planning to make some money, that's what I've been up to. Lol.

I feel bad not contributing to the household income. I feel bad buying another bag, even though it only costs $69. I feel bad for spending over a hundred on colouring my hair. I know I should not feel that way but I just cannot help it. If I am not contributing, I better not do more harm by splurging on unnecessary.

In order to curb this horrible feeling, I decided I need to bring back some bacon and hence I laid a big plan ahead of me. Now that it is slowly materializing, I'm a little overwhelmed. After all, it is really my first venture in my entire life. Let's hope things will turn out smoothly.

Apart from that, I've also done the unbelievable, to join the grassroots group. I'm still not clear why I took up this challenge but I'm sure I will find out, in time to come.

That's what I've been up to, all these while.

baking frenzy

I am not abandoning this blog, its just that I do not have the time nor any interesting things to talk about. Life has been hectic and slowly things are falling into routine. I have to get use to a new lifestyle that includes waking up at 5.30am every weekday. But, it is very fulfilling, in fact, a little decadent at times.

Anyway, lunar new year is just around the corner, and since I stay at home ninety percent of the time, I decided to make my own goodies this year, instead of spending hours sampling at CNY Bazaars and spending tons of money on snacks that eventually adds on to my thick waistline.

My favourite CNY snack has to be pineapple tarts, the open top version with lots of sticky pineapples and a pastry that melts in your mouth. I have seen many recipes that promises a pastry that melts in your mouth but I am reluctant to try them out, given that most of them are recipes that yield a considerable quantity, it will be a waste of effort and resources if it did not turn out the way I hope for. Moreover, taste is subjective.

This recipe is actually taken from the morning chinese newspaper published probably more than 2 decades ago. There is seriously nothing special about this recipe, and it is quite close to many popular recipes floating around. Somehow, I just prefer this to many others and like I said, taste is subjective.

I wish I had made my own pineapple jam but time was not on my side. Next year, I promised myself.



Apart from this, I also made a small batch of coconut cookies using the dessicated coconut that I have been desperately trying to clear. I got this recipe from a Taiwanese cookie book and it turns out very well - great smells and good crunch.



I'm still trying to squeeze in some time to bake the all time favourite chocolate chip cookies, using the recipe from the same Taiwanese book. And hopefully (greedy), Edith's oatmeal raisins cookies.

It has been tiring, but extremely fulfilling.

happy children's day

Finally for once, I managed to bake something for T's children's day celebration in school. After pouring through a few cookie recipes, I decided on one from Nigella's How to Be A Domestic Goddess. This is a very straightforward recipe and the dough was easy to handle too. I love the buttery flavor but I will leave it in the oven it a little longer for better crisp. I was afraid of burning it as I always do with cookies. And oh yes, I finally get to use this cute cutters which I made my sis brought back from Hong Kong. They make cute cookies but removing the stamped dough from the cutter was very tricky.

And you think the kids would love them, the container came back untouched, none was eaten, guessed the kids had to much food and preferred games instead. Oh well, all ended up in my tum..yum!

cottony soft natural yeast bread

This must be one of the most delicious breads I have ever eaten. And I didnt buy it from a high end bakery, I bought it from a old provision shop off Commonwealth. I have a feeling this is how my whipping cream bread should taste like. It has the familiar greasy touch due to the large amount of whipping cream used. I take back my words, I'm going to give this whipping cream bread a try again.

In case you are wondering, this wonderful bread only cost me $1.20, which is a steal considering you often pay more at some bakeries.

whipping cream bread

Baking bread takes alot of planning and effort. A lot of planning because breads really take a long time to prepare, from the inital stage of kneading until they are ready to be sent into the oven. The timing, hence, is very important. I usually knead my dough after 10pm and let it rise overnight. For my dough to rise within an hour or two, I need external assistance, like sitting my bowl over hot water or leaving it in a warm oven.

I saw this recipe from dailydelicious and I remember one of the memebers in the parenting forum I visit, mentioned that it is super nice, so with some planning calculated, I started on the dough on Sunday night. This recipe does not require any eggs or butter but instead, 225ml of whipping cream. Being a novice breadmaker, I was surprised how oily whipping cream is! The dough felt like a chinese oil dough, my hands were covered with a film of oil. No wonder the recipe requires the dough to be kept overnight in the refrigerator.

When I shaped the dough the next morning, I can still feel the oiliness so I had to make swift movements to prevent the dough from melting. While I let the dough do its 2nd stage proofing, I made a quick trip to the airport to pick up my sister coming back from HK. However, halfway through we received news that my youngest sister, in labour then, was about to birth, we detoured to the hospital. I did not factor in this and hence, my breads were over proven.

I didnt think this bread is anything more fabulous than my 65C bread. Maybe because of the little mishap at the end. I dare say I might not attempt this recipe again because the whipping cream is way too oily and fattening.

Anyway, my sister gave birth to her second child, little Freja yesterday evening. Such a lovely little bundle. Maybe I should bake some Swedish Semlor to celebrate her arrival.

golfing with gf

Men will tell you how great it is to share a round of golf with their buddies and I can tell you, it is even better if you could with it with your bestest gf together with your spouses.

Thats what we did, when J came over to Singapore this week. I haven't seen her (other than online) for a year and our first meeting this time is actually off to the green.

I was sceptical about this outing because I really do not want J to feel bored, knowing that she has just started on this game and it will be challenging to conquer 18 holes (applies to me also) on a hot humid day (it is still wintery at the place she came from). Nevertheless, seeing her immaculately dolled up in her Nike golf attire assured me she was more than ready (at least, the dressing part).

We did it slow and easy and we actually had alot of fun!! Fun for me because I have someone else to talk to during the game, instead of hearing dh's constant reminder to square my shoulders and don't lift up your head!!

The day started hot and got even hotter, I was afraid J would pass out anytime! It got better after the brief shower, at least, cooler but that was also when the mosquitoes decided to come out for a feast.

We ended the game in the late afternoon and had a yummy fattening lunch of Char Kway Teow, Nasi Goreng at the clubhouse. I wish we can do this again, J. Maybe next time, in your home ground. *wink*

Er..I forgot to take pictures, we were, erm, very serious with the game. Yes we were. Lol.

laughter's the best medicine

Not that I needed medication but recently, my BFF made me fell off the chair, not once but twice with her crazy antics. It was simply too hilarious that I laughed until I tear.

The first occcasion was pre-warned surprise package arriving at my door step on my birthday. I had no idea what it was, I thought it was this but at around 5pm, my mom called my mobile to inform me that surprise has arrived and because she couldnt believe her own eyes, she asked me if I had told my friend that our family is short of a wok?! Now that got me all curious and I quickly made a phone call to my BFF. We laughed, we giggled like two silly teenagers. You've got to see it to understand what it was all about. I also salute to the guys behind it, it is indeed a very unique table arrangement, except that I would prefer a Scanpan wok rather than a Ikea :p



The second dose was even better. Not too long ago, I completed a mint bolero which was inspired by a certain French luxury brand women's wear. BFF was so convinced by me that she made one for herself, in the exact color (plus the shimmering metallic threads) I described to her. That was like two days after the wok surprise, I received another box from the mailman, this I had anticipated. Nonetheless, when I opened the box, I saw a paper bag that spelled Chanel and in it, was that lovely bolero she made!! Goodness girlfriend, you shouldnt have spent so much money *grin*. I called her again and we laughed like two mad women this time.



Thanks for the presents J, you are such wonderful friend and I love your unusual sense of humor. I think nobody but us will understand what the Chanel paper bag is all about. Lol.

another year older

Birthday present to myself : )

If someone were to ask me which is the best part of my life, I would say its now. I have a great (literally and figuratively) hubby, 2 lovely children, my mom in good health, a super duper cute nephew and wonderful family, what more can I ask for. I am grateful for what I have today.

It may sound freaky but I know 4 other people actually sharing the same birthdate as me. Happy Birthday to mom, wishing you great health and happiness, and also to JR, J & LB. Wishing you all a wonderful day!!

make your own dress

I have been searching for some casual weekend wear dresses but all I saw were skimpy sun dresses that exposed half of your chest, or frumpy sacks that tried to pass off as dresses. Of those that pass my looktest, they cost an arm and sometimes a leg throw in.

I have a couple of Japanese sewing books which I am now toying with the idea of sewing my own dress. Problem is, my sewing skills (haha..hardly any) sucks. I cannot even sew a straight line or cut a perfect rectangle. The sewing machine roars like a hungry lion and I am so petrified, hardly dare to treadle faster. So how am I going to even sew a dress?!

I love those Japanese designs, they are roomy enough without looking like a shapeless sack and sometimes, they have cute details too. Maybe I should humble up and ask my mil for help. She is a great seamstress, surely she can guide the most clumsy apprentice.

Let this be one of my 2009 resolution, to learn how to sew. I wonder why, when a woman becomes a mother, she suddenly takes interest in sewing and dream of making an entire wardobe of cute dresses for her daughter. Or is it me only?

random updates

Our long vacation is finally over and now its back to reality. T is promoted to K2 now and due to some 'technical faults' my mom failed to pick him up on time for the first 2 days, that cry baby bawled his heart out. We promised him it won't happen again.

During the short break, we made a trip to the Marina Barrage, a huge open space but crazily hot with not much shelters.







We also managed to squeeze in a getaway to Sofitel Palm Resort and celebrated the children's birthdays there.



Finally, my princess is willing to put on the cape I made for her last year, ever so convinced that she is indeed a princess. I think she looks alot like my second sis in this picture. Actually, they have similar mannerism and equally vain :P

christmas party with ex-nobelians

...ex nobel colleagues, not nobel lians :p

We planned this about a month ago and we finally got together last Saturday. It was a boisterous afternoon. I do miss this bunch of colleagues, well, at least, they are normal people, compared to my current co-workers. What fun we had!



We had a table laden with good food and speaking of food, I mustn't forget to mention the pulot hitam logcake. You cannot imagine black glutinous rice and sponge cake coming together but I tell you, it was fabulous, best logcake I'd ever had. Shirley got it from Pine Garden (and their famous lychee martinis cake) and I'm thinking of placing an order for my family gathering next week. But I'm a bit lazy to travel all the way to AMK to pick it up. Jess' fried Mee Siam was simply ol la la too, everything was yummy!!

What is a christmas party without gift exchange. Everyone was supposed to bring foodstuff, yes, we are a bunch of foodies who prefer food to photoframes or cups. And lucky me, I got a tin of nougats from Agnes b delice, all the way from HK, thanks to Ko Heem!

Apart from the usual gift exchange, Cat and myself sponsored a mini lucky draw, we had crazy prizes ranging from shopping bags to g-string. It was hilarious to see who got what. And to top that up, one lucky winner brought home a lottery ticket, we are waiting for her to split the loot in Jan (Lian, we never forget).

It was really fun. Let's hope we will get to meet for CNY.

the long and winding yarn

So I plucked up enough courage to unravel the 2 hanks of yarns J sent me. Whosh..my instant nightmare began. I spent almost 3 hours trying to wind the first skein, getting messy all throughout. I recalled vaguely something about a clothes hanger J used when she did hers, but too late for me to do anything now. Just imagine a plate of meatball spagetti, I'm the meatball sitting on top of a mess of spinach noodles.

I became smarter with the second skein, I tried the clothes hanger method but didn't quite work for me, it was slow. I then looped the huge coil of yarn around my knee with me sitting on the floor. I used 1 hour for the second skein, much faster and tidier.

I don't think in any time sooner, I will order yarns sold in this format. I'm not ready. Lol.

took a day off

from work and spent the entire day with the children since it is T's school break this week. I knew I'm playing my luck when I suggested Pasir Ris Park since the weather here has been gloomy and rainy. The morning was sunny but the boys didnt wake up until 10am. By the time we set off, we made a quick drive to Bedok to satisfy the man's craving for char kway teow. Our favourite Hill street CKT has moved to Bedok since a decade ago and we have not made any effort to locate it, so why not yesterday, since we were heading east. The prize was not the CKT but actually prawn noodles a few stalls away, I love their chilli, with a dash of tomato sauce that adds tangy sweet taste to it. Sedap!

Pasir Ris Park was very quiet on a weekday despite school holidays, I guess the students are busy preparing for their year end exams (SA or CA?? I have lost track but will surely remember in 2 years time). We didnt get to cycle as planned but we plonked ourselves beside the beach and built sand castles. H was so terrified of stepping on grass and sands so she kept herself busy by drinking 700ml of diluted Ribena and snacking on biscuits within the safe zones on the picnic mat.

Nothing special but just a typical family outing with lots of fun as usual. Oh, we did make a detour to Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, hoping to retrieve a missing waist pouch containing G's precious memory cards (containing his psp games, not erotic pics btw) which he might have left behind during our last Bintan trip. And because of this, we bumped into our long lost friend who was on the way to Bintan with his family. I always feel happy to meet up with old friends, brings back memories of my happy school days.

I will be taking the afternoon off tomorrow, will be bringing the children to the toys store, we haven't done that for a long time and, we don't have to worry about the menancing dark clouds.

decisions

My dilemma, just like J's perennial KitchenAid 'problem' (quoted from her), is really to buy or not to buy a sewing machine. The fact that I can remain so half-hearted, for almost a year, indicates that I really don't need (deserve) it.

My inner voice says I should have one, so that I can sew up pretty dresses for H but my mind thinks otherwise. Now, if I had a sewing machine, maybe I can whip up pretty quilts like Erin, look at her Bloom quilt, isn't it awesome? So unlike the usual quilts that come in blocks of standard shapes. She is really an inspiration.

Okay, back to my problem, so, even if I bought the machine, will I use it to the fullest?? Or will sewing split zippers/hems be the only glorious task it will undertake?

So, do I really deserve one??

And which one?? Brother, Janome, Sakura, Pfaff, Bernina (hehe)??

お元气ですか

日本语お　ぜんぜん　忘れますでした。残念。
(did I get it right?)

Someone mentioned about selecting a good Japanese language school and this stirs up my memory of me studying the language in my early working life. My first job was with a Japanese company and at that time, Jdrama was a hit (like current Kdrama craze). I was totally in love and had eyes only for Kimutaku, after watching his performance in Love Generation and Long Vacation. I took up the language course, determined that one day, should I patronize La Bonita and meet him in person, we could communicate, just in case his English competency is pathetic.

I studied the language conscientiously up to Advanced level, made my way to Tokyo two times but never get to go near his restuarant let alone meeting him in person. Years have passed, he still have a place in my heart, but just a very tiny corner since it has been replaced by T and H. Haha.

happy feet

Woke up to a gloomy saturday morning and decided to make something cheery for breakfast - waffles. This is one item in my kitchen that I'm determined not to let it turns into a white elephant else G will have alot to say about our ready to burst storeroom.

I do not have a great recipe for waffles and so I followed what was provided in the manual. Problem is, the recipe isn't good either, what does

1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup milk

means altogether?? 7/12 cup milk? Or was it a typo? Or it means 1/4 (or 1/3) of something else?? I'm too lazy to google up for a recipe and rely on eyeball measurement, hoping to get it right each time. I mean, how difficult is it to make waffles?? So, sometimes, I get fluffy waffles and sometimes rubbery. Thankfully, the recipe yields 6 pieces so it is still not wasteful even when it goes wrong.

Happy go lucky.

bid it

Sis will be attending a conference in the US and we are taking this opportunity to stock up some children's books from ebay. We have been very busy watching and bidding for sets of books and I get heart attacks at those very last minutes to see someone outbidding me. My weak heart cannot take this kind of excitement, I have to settle for items with reasonable purchase price.

While searching for our children's books, I decided to get something for myself, Nigella Lawson's latest cookbook - Nigella Express. This is her latest publication and I think it is selling at S$69 but I managed to get it at S$19 including shipping to US. Yay!!!

my little indulgences

There are times where I buy certain things for pure indulgence rather than actual need. I reckon if we worked hard, we should reward ourselves in little ways. (At least, I'm not splurging on luxury items)


Buying food magazines always makes me happy for a long time, I will happily flip through the journal, savour every single articles, enjoy the pretty photos and (sometimes) plan to try out the recipes. One of my favourite magazines is Delicious (Australian ver) as they cover mainly on food as well as restuarants reviews. I prefer the mag to focus on its purpose than to branch out covering every possible topics which they think their readers will enjoy.

I have to stop myself from buying every single issue because, firstly, it is not cheap and secondly, I do not have space to store them. One thing for sure, I must get their Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas edition for the specialties featured.

J, hope I'm not making you green with my latest buy, I can dhl a copy over but first we must sort things out with the PO, making sure the postman is not trying to pick up cooking as well. Keke.

and thomas again...

We are planning for a vacation and when I asked T if he would like to visit HK Disneyland, he thought for a moment and told me he prefers Thomas Land. Yes, you've heard it correctly and there is indeed such a place, somewhere at the foot of Mt Fuji, Japan.

If you haven't known me, I love to plan for holidays, the research and working out the itinery set my adrenalin rushing. So when my darling said Thomas Land, I started clicking on my keyboard straightaway, now if only I'm as efficient at work *blush*

I have since shortlisted a few hotels and the route to take since it will most likely be a free and easy trip. I dislike guided tours even though they are supposed to be cheaper and no brainer, the thing is, I hate to wake up early and spend half a day travelling on the tour bus. I also do not enjoy spending my precious holiday time waiting for some inconsiderate tourmates who do not seem to realise the entire bus is waiting for them. As such, most of my holidays are self guided.

Anyway, the plans are drawn, destination decided, we are just short of deciding when to take off. As usual, the dad has an unpredictable work schedule and speaking of which as I'm typing now, I realised our mileage is going to expire. I better be speaking to G about this soon.

lookalike

I was reading a book that features various artists and literary figures from Japan when I came across Yoshitomo Nara's work. In many of his works, you can see this little girl with high forehead, squinty eyes and chubby cheeks and she reminds me so much of H. Cute factor. I only hope H will not develop the anger that shows in her eyes sometimes. I believe he is one of modern cult artists hence you can see the little girl holding a tiny dagger sometimes, though in his explanation, she is hardly aggressive since the knife is so small.

Not many people will want to associate anger or any form of evils with children but you can't say they are all angels otherwise, why Terrible twos, threes and even up to twenties?? Its part of growing up.