Thursday, December 23, 2010

A hike to celebrate winter solstice...


...on a perfect evening. I like! :)

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

In all seriousness...

I was at a Christmas party the other day and everyone was supposed to name one thing they were thankful for in the last year and a prayer request for the new year. I was particularly touched by the honesty and sensibility of some of the young ones. No, they did not ask for the latest Xbox game or a pretty doll to play with. Instead, they prayed for good health for their sick grandparents, ability to do well at school and for everyone in the family to be happy. Wow. I was truly humbled.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Mother Nature's Artwork

I finally got to see the lighthouse encased in ice on Lake Erie. Quite an amazing piece of work by Mother Nature, don't you think?

Friday, December 17, 2010

Dancing with Kinect


The console finally arrived yesterday! I had called DELL up the beginning of the week to find out the status of the delivery only to discover that they had cancelled the order because they had no stock! I was pretty upset at first but immediately found a deal for the Xbox console (the last one at walmart!) and the kinect sensor separately which turned out to be cheaper. So yay!
I'll be practising my moves this weekend (in between grocery shopping and a caroling session) and I'm so gonna beat hubby in the game! Woohoo!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Tea bag wisdom

"A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water." -- Eleanor Roosevelt

Considering the amount of tea I drink, does that make me even stronger? Hmmm...;)

Monday, December 13, 2010

In all festivity...

It was Christmas carols overload last week. From the Cleveland orchestra's holiday concert to Neil Zaza's One silent night (Christmas carols rock guitar style at crazy decibels!) and not to forget the non-stop Christmas songs playing on most radio stations. I think I've heard enough for the season. Heh.
Winter is absolutely gorgeous. It has been nice and sunny after the first storm and I've made my first snow angel and trampled on whatever nice snow patch I could find. But the weather has made a turn for the worse again last evening and I'm convinced I will either get blown away or freeze to death if I step out of my apt today. So yeah, home is where I'll be today! :)

Thursday, December 09, 2010

All squishy and slushy

We had it bad in Cleveland yesterday - weather wise. Snow was pouring down on us for hours due to the lake effect and traffic was practically on a standstill everywhere just after noon. Hubs only came home past 11 pm after the traffic was decidedly better in our area. I was glad I get to stay home although I couldn't resist running out in the cold to snap a few pics. My friend and I had also paid for a historic warehouse tour in downtown last evening but there was no way we could have made it there. People were trapped in the traffic for hours at end going nowhere. Unfortunately, we were told that we'll not be getting a refund as it was also meant to be a fund raising event. But it is a good $60 and honestly, they might as well go rob someone! I am still hoping to get some money back. *fingers crossed*
Otherwise, weather is looking more promising today. A few flurries but nothing as bad as yesterday. I can finally make a trip to the supermarket today. My fridge is practically empty now!

Hope the weather is better on your side! Keep warm and drive carefully, everyone! :)

A sad day

Just received news from back home that a high school classmate of mine had jumped to her death. She had been suffering from post natal depression but had refused to seek medical help. She leaves behind her little baby daughter. :(

Monday, December 06, 2010

Beware, the mystery shopper!

I took my first assignment very seriously (ahem!) and began my observations the moment I entered the restaurant (hubs as alibi):
How long did the hostess take to attend to me? *checks time*  Did she give us an accurate waiting time? Is the server friendly and attentive to our needs? Must remember to check serving time between the appetizer and entrees. Wait, the server didn't check on us to make sure we are happy with our appetizer *makes a mental note* Takes note of presentation, temperature and taste of food served. Hmm...let me check the cleanliness of the restaurant. Now, where is that manager that I'm supposed to look out for? Oh, I need to make a trip to the toilet too! .....
 Ordinarily, I would have been quite happy to enjoy my meal without the server popping by ever so often with the obligatory "How are you finding everything so far?". However, I was required to take note of the server's attentiveness and couldn't help but notice that he was spending more time checking on our neighboring table than on us. So that was one less point for him! But overall, we were very satisfied with our meals and the highly recommended bread pudding was really yummy! We ended up spending $20 more than what would be reimbursed but it was still a pretty worthwhile meal and a fun experience. I will definitely be keeping an eye for more assignments like this in future! :)

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Tis the season to be jolly (or spending!)....

Ah..the first of Dec and what better way to kick off the day than with a blanket of white outside. Perfect day to simply curl up with a book and a nice cuppa hot chocolate! Will need to get myself out there for my first mystery shopper assignment this evening though. A $50 reimbursement for a nice dinner for 2 at a local pub & restaurant and in return I need to fill out a little survey about the restaurant. A pretty nice deal really.  I just hope the weather does not get too treacherous tonight!
In other news, I've been doing a lot of shopping lately. After the initial disappointment of seeing the Xbox 360 250GB console with Kinect sold out everywhere or at ridiculously marked up prices, we finally secured a set for ourselves at Dell online store yesterday. I have also ordered two additional games from amazon at $10 discount each. I'm not one to play games but the idea of being THE controller is way cool and right up my alley. I think we'll really enjoy this one and it will serve as our exercise for winter. Can't wait for the set to arrive!
I'm also done with my X'mas shopping and have stocked up on warm clothing for the both of us. Managed to purchase a Furla bag for my mum at an unbeatable price - I'm extremely pleased with the deal. As for myself, I've got my eyes on this leather satchel bag from ASOS. Am currently having an internal argument with myself on whether I really do need it but we'll see...;P

So how is your Christmas shopping coming along? :)

Monday, November 29, 2010

This Thanksgiving, we give thanks to...


...Good food and great company
...Good weather and smooth driving on the roads
...A wonderful time with friends in Pittsburgh
...& something warm and fuzzy to look forward to when we returned home!

Hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving weekend too! :)

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

All I want to do is crawl back to bed...

I slept terribly last night, no thanks to a very clogged nose.  It took alot of rustling of magazines and gnawing on the wooden wall panel by a certain fur-ball of a thing under my bed to finally make me pull myself out from under my comforters at 11 am this morning. Turns out that little creature was trying to make a statement. He wanted me to fill up his food bowl - STAT! Seems like I am slave to every living thing in this apt. *Pfttt...!*
There's a list of things I planned to do today but I'm still pretty much in a daze right now. Forced myself to do some grocery shopping earlier and I was practically falling asleep in the supermarket. Oh well, my bed beckons...good night...good afternoon! Will write when I return from slumberland. *Zzzz....*

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Happy me! (Or I'm so lazy...I'm going to skip class this evening!)

The past weekend was nice. We ate at "The Mad Greek" restaurant which I've been wanting to go to for the longest time. Nice ambiance and the food (a fusion of Greek and Indian cuisine) was good. Watched Harry Potter and the deathly hallows. Loved the fact that we did not have to fight a crowd for the movie. Managed to get Hubs into Marshalls to try on the winter jackets and bought one - an otherwise impossible task! On Sunday, we were meant to go grocery shopping but the weather was so pleasant that we made an impromptu decision to drive to Rocky River Reservation instead. The leaves had mostly fallen but it was a lovely drive and we took a nice little walk there before finally making our way to the Asian supermarket. I suspect this might just be our last weekend of good weather. I'd probably be needing those gloves this Thanksgiving weekend! "Let it snow..let it snow...let it snow!"

Friday, November 19, 2010

Pink Martini Concert

I had such a splendid time last evening! It was a last minute decision to go for the concert and what a treat it was! Honestly, I've not heard of Pink Martini until quite recently. A friend of mine was raving about them and told me about their one night performance here in Cleveland. I sampled their music online and really liked what I heard. So there I was at the concert yesterday and wow, they were even better live! An extremely talented 12 musicians band with their lead vocalist China Forbes belting out tunes in various languages. They even did a number in Chinese, "Gong Xi Gong Xi" (aka "Congratulations") which unfortunately turned out rather awful. But that aside, beautiful music, lovely evening and you bet, I am certainly a fan now! :)

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Let's Play Doctor!

No, not in a kinky way. ;) I've been helping hubs prepare for his final medical licensing exam this week by playing pretend patient. We went through case scenarios after case scenarios and my roles ranged anything from a 30 year old abused wife to a 50 year old man with impotence.  It was hilarious trying to answer questions about my erectile dysfunction. Haha.
Anyhoo, his exams are in a few hours so break a leg, honey!!! We'll celebrate your birthday proper when you get back! *Muacks!*

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Chwee Kueh

Last night, I had a sudden inspiration to make Chwee Kueh (aka steamed rice cake with preserved radish) for breakfast this morning. My sister had brought over the aluminum molds for me but they've just been sitting in the cupboard. So I looked up the first recipe I could find online and got to cooking. The recipe was pretty easy but I was (and still am) unsure as to how thick the batter should be before transferring them to the individual molds. The rice cakes turned out a little too soggy and I almost threw them out but they tasted just fine after sitting overnight in the fridge. (Phew!) I topped them with fried preserved radish this morning and breakfast was served! :)


Recipe adapted from Jas's Kitchen:
Ingredients:
180g rice flour
25g corn flour
800ml water
2 tbsp oil
½ tsp salt

1. Place the two flours into a bowl and pour about 300 ml water. Mix to form a smooth batter. Strain.
2. Bring remaining (500ml) water, oil and salt to boil. Reduce to low heat. Pour in batter and stir constantly till it thickens.
3. Grease a few chwee kueh molds. Pour the mixture into each mold and place it on steamer. Steam over rapidly boiling water for about 10 minutes.
4. Remove from mold.
5. Serve hot with radish topping. (Preserved radish fried with minced garlic and sugar)

Monday, November 15, 2010

Dent No More!

The dent on my bumper miraculously disappeared! Yay!
This crazy weather does have its advantages after all! ;-)

Saturday, November 13, 2010

This could be my full-time job! ;)

It has been a busy week of volunteering. I was a kitchen helper at the Cleveland Foodbank, which involved preparing trays of frozen roasted chicken and pouring gravy over them. I went in with no expectations and was surprised by how large the building and store was. I was a little tickled to be told that I could cause the whole operation to shut down if I did not observe the hygiene regulations in the kitchen. It certainly would be disastrous if the place has to close down after my very first visit! The next day saw me doing inventory check and packing at a unique shop selling crafts for third world people to ensure that they earn a fair wage. Some of the stuff are really pretty and exquisite and it is nice to know that the things do sell well. Yesterday, my friend and I spent the entire day helping out at the Fabulous food show which featured celebrity chefs, cooking demonstrations, food and wine tastings. It was a mighty big turn out for a Friday morning and we were swamped initially. We did have our fun later in the day with endless sampling of food and drinks, freebies and sitting in for some of the cooking demos. The admission fee was rather pricey ($30 for general admission and more for celebrity shows and the wine tasting pavilion) so we didn't really mind the long hours shift. Plus they did provide us with free lunch and a free admission ticket to use over the weekend. Finally, I've got one more ushering job at the theatre this weekend and I'm done for the week!  Looking forward to sleeping in this Sunday! :)

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Snapshots of DC

Pics of some of the places I visited. I would love to have gone up the Washington monument but the elevator broke down the first time and the tickets were all snapped up the second time I got there. Guess it was not meant to be but I did get the second best view of DC from the Old Post Office instead. My favourite attractions have got to be the Washington National Cathedral and the Library of Congress. Absolutely stunning architecture and interior. Wish I had more time to spend in there!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Argh!

Thanks to my wonderful parking, my car kissed a truck today. Now there is an unsightly dent on my back bumper while there is barely a scratch on the other vehicle. Sigh.

Tuesday, November 09, 2010

To the White House and back! :)

It has been a good trip. :) There is really so much to see in DC and the best part of it - the attractions are mostly free! I visited 4 museums and spent a good half a day at the Holocaust museum. Even then, I did not manage to cover all the sections! Hubs was only available to hang out with me on the first day and I was subsequently on my own. Decided to take the old town trolley hop-on hop-off tour who worked out really well since it gave me a nice overview of the city and I got the second day pass free! Also got to know a new friend, Tatiana, a Russian lady who has just completed her Master's program here in the States and doing her bit of traveling before heading home by end of the year.
The highlight of my trip was of course my meet-up with fellow blogger, Sugarlens! :) It's really nice to be able to put a voice and real life figure to the blog I've been following for a while now.  Her little one, Anna, is still warming up to strangers and I'm glad she was not completely put off by my presence. In fact, I managed to get a few giggles out of her! And the two little doggies, Pesto and Pargo are such sweethearts and so well-behaved! I really hope we'll have a chance to meet up again in the near future - hubbies in tow! :)
It's back to the grind for now. Plenty of laundry and ironing awaiting me! *Grrr....!*

 Evidence to show that little Anna did warm up to me! ;)

Tuesday, November 02, 2010

DC trip

Am pretty much packed and all set to go! We've just got to deliver Alfonso to our bunny-sitter this evening. Hopefully, our little furry one will adapt okay to his new environment. I wish I could bring him along! Anyway, we'll be back in a week.
Till then, have a great week everyone! :)

Friday, October 29, 2010

It is friggin' cold in here!

I'm currently wearing three layers of clothing in the apt and trying to stay warm with yet another hot cuppa tea.  Darn central heating (or the lack of it!). I think my landlord is trying to kill us. *Brrrr....!*

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Pardon my depression

Day 2 bleeding and a sore reminder that I have failed once again in the whole baby making business. Ordinarily, I wouldn't have been so affected by this but things are different now that my mum and in-laws are all psyched for a grand kid. I really regret disclosing my first pregnancy to them so early in the first place. Now it is all about "Any news?"..."Watch what you eat"..."Take care of your body"..."I've never had much difficulty conceiving in my time but I was younger then"..."Do not fly back to visit if you are pregnant"...yada yada.  I know they mean well but seriously, I feel like an incubator right now. And a dysfunctional one at that. I'm doing my best not to let them get to me but it continues to slowly eat away at my subconscious.  Hopefully, this is just a hormonal phase I am going through. Sigh...

Length does matter.

Alright, I've got non-existent eye lashes. The one time that anyone could visibly see something sprouting out from my eyelids was on my wedding day and they were fake. Not one mascara I've used in the past has given me the results I've wanted. Well, until now. After reading raving reviews on Maybelline Volum' Express The Falsies, I finally marched down to Target today and bought one at a discount.
The verdict: This is by far the best mascara I've tried so far. Of course I did not achieve results like the model below but there clearly is a difference before and after application. I actually do look like I've got lashes now. ;)

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Rest & Relax

Hubs has been working way too hard lately and it took me a long while to convince him to take a drive out and enjoy the outdoors for a bit. We were out for only a few hours yesterday but it certainly did perk hubby up a whole lot. We had lunch at B spot, took a drive through South Chagrin reservation and watched the ducks/swan swim at Chagrin falls in perfect weather. Ah, bliss! :)

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Hello!

I've been neglecting my blog but not without a reason. My sis and her friend were here to visit and I was their designated driver and tour guide for the week! The weather had been slightly chilly but the girls had an awesome time. They were totally smitten by the beauty of autumn splendor and of course did their fair share of shopping as well (oh boy did they shop!). They are currently making one last stop in NY (for more shopping!) before heading home. It has been fun having them around and it's strange to have the apt suddenly go all quiet again! But that's okay coz I've got one week to go before my trip to Washington DC! And I'm so looking forward to meeting up with Joyce and her lovely family! Yay! :)

Thursday, October 14, 2010

All That Lint

What was I thinking when I put in a comforter together with a blanket throw to wash? Now I will have to find a mega lint remover brush. Sigh.

Bread Pudding

Baked this for a recent gathering. A very easy and yummy recipe!
Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com:
Ingredients:
7 slices day-old bread
2 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup raisins
4 eggs beaten
2 cups half & half
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp ground Cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2) Break bread into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan. Drizzle melted butter over bread. Sprinkle with raisins.
3) In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.
4) Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Beautiful Sunday

I was feeling extremely lazy yesterday and would have slept the day away if hubby hadn't insisted that we get out for some fresh air. I'm glad we did because the day was just perfect! The sun was out, the air was cool and the autumn colors were gorgeous! We spent a relaxing afternoon at Whiskey Island and Edgewater Park and completed the day with a lovely dinner at The Harp. I almost ruined the day by making a wrong turn on our way home and nearly rolled over a drunken man's legs which were sticking out at the side of the road. But thank goodness his legs are still intact and I could safely say that we had a wonderful time! *phew!* ;)


 

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Blue Man Group

My volunteer work at PlayhouseSquare officially kicked off with Blue Man Group this week. The ushering work itself was uneventful and there was no intermission for the show which was nice. A complete sell-out and I had to sit on the staircase the entire time. The show was loud, energetic, interactive and it helped that the audience were a fun and spontaneous bunch. Well, except for a young man who got a headache from all that noise and a few others who left with their face all scrunched up at the end. Not everyone's cup of tea, I guess. It was entertaining but I personally wouldn't spend too much money on the ticket. Then again, I did get to watch them for free. ;)

Thursday, October 07, 2010

Antidote for Negativity

Words can be so lethal (whether intentional or not) and for some reason I'm having trouble purging it from my system for days now. But I'm getting there... The weather is lovely today and I am taking the chance to hang out with the girls and head down to the malls for some retail therapy.  Hopefully, that will perk me up and set me on track again! :)

Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Hit By Depression Bug

It's funny how it can bite you really hard when you least expect it.
I think I may need a good cry [& lots of love] to get it out of my system.

Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Vietnamese Summer Roll

The food challenge of the week was supposed to be Korean cold noodles. However, I couldn't find them at the Asian supermarket I was at, so I decided to make up for it by making hubby his favourite Vietnamese rolls. The rice paper were a little tricky to work with but the rolls turned out alright in the end. I also made the boo boo of mixing all the ingredients for the sauce into one bowl but it still tasted pretty good. :P

Recipe adapted from Squidoo.com:(makes 6 rolls)
Ingredients:
6 sheets rice paper
2 large leaves of green lettuce, cut into small pieces
3 ounces rice vermicelli, cooked
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
12 mint leaves
9 large shrimps, cooked, peeled, deveined and cut in halfs

For the dipping sauce:
1 tablespoon fish sauce
3 tablespoons warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3/4 clove garlic, minced
1 1/4 tablespoons white sugar
1/3 teaspoon garlic chili sauce (Chirashi)
2 3/4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon finely chopped peanuts (I replaced the sugar and peanuts with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter)

1. Bring the water to boil. Boil rice vermicelli 3 to 5 minutes, or until al dente, and drain.
2. Dip the rice paper in a large bow of warm water so it will become soft
3. Place the rice paper on a flat area, then stack small amount of lettuce, rice noddles, cilantro, mint leaves, and 3 haft shrimps
4. Roll the rice paper
5. In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, water, lime juice, garlic, sugar and chili sauce together.
6. In another bowl, mix hoisin sauce, peanuts, and chilli sauce. Serve the rolls with these two sauce.

Monday, October 04, 2010

Random bits of the week

* 39 steps at the Cleveland play house. Absolutely hilarious - had me laughing from start to finish!
* The Pearl Fishers at the Playhouse Square - great opera singing but I can't say the same for the storyline *yawn*
* Cleveland police reminds me of Pac man. They seem to be at every corner of the streets!
* Matzo balls and Gefilte fish - my first taste of Jewish cuisine.
* Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage celebrated their fifth anniversary today with free admissions to all their museum galleries. Had an interesting time learning about the Jewish culture and history. Definitely worth the visit! :)
*House hunting- should we risk buying property here? Hmm...

Thursday, September 30, 2010

IngenuityFest 24-26 Sep 2010

The IngenuityFest held last weekend was interesting, if not bizarre.  The 3 day event took place at the old trolley subway under the Detroit-Superior (Veteran's Memorial) Bridge which I felt was enough reason to  show up.  The concept was brilliant with plenty of original performances & displays (some bordering on creepy). My only grouse is that the bridge could have been better lit in the evening and there were plenty of wasted space linking the two ends of the bridge that could have been better utilized.  But all in all, a good attempt and I really shouldn't complain since it was free! :) Here are some highlights from the event: (click to enlarge)


Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Happiness is...

...adding a little spice to my life :)


*Update from previous post:  My parsley is alive! It was just thirsty. ;)

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Monday, September 27, 2010

Ayúdame! Somebody, please save my parsley!

I love having plants in the home. Unfortunately, I do not have a green thumb. If anyone is to be put behind bars for mass murdering of plants, that would be me. Anyhoo, I was at the Botanical Garden's "Ripe! Food and Garden Festival" last Friday and I won myself a small potted plant of parsley. Ah, a chance to redeem myself. And in all that excitement, I decided to acquire a cute little chilli plant as well. The instructions were simple - water them 1-2 times a week and make sure they get plenty of sunshine. How difficult can that be, right? WRONG! I came home last evening to find the parsley plant looking like this:
I'm not sure what went wrong. It was still looking good when I left in the morning. Perhaps it was the cold since I had it right next to the window. :(
Can anyone tell me how I can salvage it now?! *Sobs!*

P.S. My chilli plant is still very much alive. For now.

Friday, September 24, 2010

It's all free this weekend!

Still trying to decide where to go this weekend? For those in the States, 25 Sep (Sat) is Museum day which means you get to go to your favourite museum for free! You need to register online to have a free pair of tickets emailed to you so what are you waiting for!
As for those who prefer the great outdoors, over 100 National Parks are waiving their entrance fees this Sat as well! You can check out the list of participating parks here.
If you happened to be around Cleveland this weekend, do pop by the Ingenuityfest (Sep 24-26) at the Detroit Superior Bridge. With all that innovative ideas, live performances and interactive technology exhibits, it's guaranteed to be loads of fun! And guess what, it's free! ;)
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! :)

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Curry Puffs


My not so aesthetic looking curry puffs. ;)

We were told to bring a dish each to class this week. A dish that we are fearful of making for whatever reasons. I volunteered to make curry puffs - a snack that is pretty unique to Malaysia and Singapore. It is something I absolutely love to eat but have failed miserably in my one attempt to replicate it months ago - the pastry had turned out too hard and the fillings were too bland. I believe I had messed up the actual measurement of the ingredients while trying to do all that conversions from grams to pounds to cups. This time I made sure I had them properly measured out (or so I hope!)

Recipe adapted from grouprecipes.com:
Ingredients:
5 tbsp oil
1 medium red onion (chopped finely)
1/2 tsp kurma powder or chicken curry powder
2 tsp meat or chicken curry powder
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 cup of finely diced chicken meat (breast or thigh) (I skipped this)
3 large potatoes (boiled and diced finely)
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper or white pepper
1/2 salt
PASTRY:
500g (1lb) plain flour (equivalent to 2 cups of 8 oz based on my estimation)
150g (5 oz) margarine or shortening
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp salt

1. To make pastry, mix flour with margarine, water, salt and knead well.
2. Let it rest for 1/2 hour.
3. While waiting for the dough, heat oil and fr onion gently until golden brown.
4. Add the kurma powder, curry powder, chili, turmeric and fry gantly.
5. Add the chicken, potatoes, sugar, pepper, salt and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Mix well and leave aside to cool.
7. Cut the dough into circles (3 inches) in diameter when it is done.
8. Pre-heat the oven if you decide to bake instead of deep frying at 180c.
9. Fold pastry over to make a half circle and crimp at edges with egg white.
10. Deep fry in oil until golden or bake 15-20 mins at 180c. (I baked at 350 F)
*Brush egg yolk on the puffs if you want to bake it to give it the golden finish.

Verdict: Well, the pastry has a much better texture this time round. The potato filling was a little dry and could do with more spice and salt.
What did the class think? They all liked the pastry. Mix response on the overall taste though since most have never tried curry puffs before. Chef suggested trying waxy potatoes next time (instead of mealy ones) to allow for more moisture retention and adding some chilli oil to up the spice level.
I think I will just wait for my next trip back to Singapore to satisfy my cravings for good! :P

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Life as you want it

On the day you were born, you begin to die. Do not waste a single moment more - Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Lately, I've been thinking about how short life really is and how I've been living mine thus far. All that studying, work (oh the work!), more studying, more work, marriage, family obligations and never ending commitments! Just thinking about the past few decades of my life makes me breathless! I have been so caught up in meeting up with societal expectations that I forget about - myself. Well, I have decided I am not going to rush through life like a headless chicken any longer. From now on, I will do things that makes me happy at my own pace. Of course, family and friends will continue to have their opinions on how I should be living my life - I am expected to get my licensing exam done asap, find a job here as a PT and earn loads of money. Oh, and in between doing all that, I am supposed to have a baby too. But honestly, I am blanking them out and it helps that they are all so far away now. I will decide for myself what I want to do when I want to do them (sounds familiar, Zsuzsi? ;)). And right now, all I want to do is sit here with my freshly brewed cup of tea and blog. Ha!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

These boots are made for walking

"When do I get to go out and play?"

I bought this pair of suede leather boots recently at a steal - $28 (original: $69.99)!  Nothing like a good bargain to perk up my day! :)

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Monday, September 20, 2010

Food challenge of the week: Indian Chicken Briyani

This week I wanted to cook one of my favourite Indian cuisine - Briyani. I used to eat so much of it for lunch at work that it was no surprise that my cholesterol was on an all-time high! Very spicy, extremely sinful but oh so good! I decided to try the recipe by Vah Chef at vahrehvah.com. The long list of spices required was pretty daunting but I managed to get most of it except for mace (which I substituted with nutmeg powder), black cardamon and saffron. Note that the recipe on the link does not tally with the ingredients used in the video. This was what I used:

Ingredients:
For the marinade:
6 chicken medium pieces
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
2 sticks cinnamon
2 cloves
4 green cardamoms
1/2 tsp cumin and coriander pdr
1 tsp black cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp each of chopped ginger and garlic
2 green chilli
1 tsp nutmeg
6 piece pepper corns
2 cup yoghurt
Fried shallots
2 tbsp oil or ghee
Salt to taste
For the rice:
2 cups Basmati rice
Water
Salt to taste
2 tbsp oil

1. Add all the ingredients (except rice) with the chicken pieces and mix well (see video). Marinate in the refrigerator for at least four hours.
2. In a large pot combine the rice, water, salt, some oil and cook till the rice is half-done. Drain the excess liquid and spread the rice on a plate to cool.
3. In a large heavy-bottomed pan add chicken with marinade and spread a the rice evenly on top. Top the rice with some coriander, mint leaves and fried onions.
5. Cover pot with a tight lid and cook on high heat for first 10 min, medium heat for next 10 min and low heat for the last 10 minutes. Check for doneness.
7. Garnish with slices of boiled eggs, nuts or raisins.

The recipe was relatively easy to follow. However, my biggest issue was determining the time at which the basmati rice was 50% done. I must have overcooked it a little because the rice turned out softer than it should have been. I was quite happy with the taste though and I was pleasantly surprised that the chicken pieces did not burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. Next time, I shall try the baking method by showmethecurry.com.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Do you really want to know me? ;)

Aw..thank you Zsuzsi for giving me my first blog award ever! :) I believe in return I'm supposed to share some dirty secrets or unknown facts about myself so here goes:

#1 I am absolutely terrified of snakes. Whenever I am in a forested area, I always look up to the trees in fear that one of these reptiles might fall off a tree branch and land on me!

#2 I've had crooked teeth up to my college years when I finally decided to put myself under the mercy of an orthodontist. 4 extractions, 2 years of metal twisting/ torture and plenty of ulcers later, I finally emerged a swan (Not!).

#3 I can't swim. Well, I can but I can't coordinate the breathing bit so technically I can't.

#4 I have a fear of falling on slippery ground. I suspect I might have been traumatized by a pretty bad fall I had while hiking in the rain in Malaysia eons ago. So ice skating and skiing is out for me!

#5 I love the thrill of free falling/ accelerating through air. The tandem skydive I did years ago in New Zealand was one of the best experience I've had. I'm also one of those who would experience every single crazy rides at a theme park or carnival. The greatest plunge I had being 77 degrees on this crazy roller coaster ride at a speed of 104km/hr and a 70 m drop from heights on Gyro drop in Korea! Wheee!

#6  I do get way too emotional sometimes when reading a novel or watching a film. It can be pretty embarrassing to have tears welling up in my eyes in public (while reading a book!) or coming out of the movie theatre all red-eyed and sniffly. Gah!

Alright, I think that's enough about me already! Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! :)

Saturday, September 18, 2010

"Hey there stupid....O.H.I.O"

Okay, so that was what I heard at the baseball game and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why a State would want to call itself stupid. The song has been stuck in my head since and I just had to find the lyrics. Well, it turns out to be Ohio's State official rock song - Hang on Sloopy (Not "Hey there stupid..." Oops!), a big hit for the band The McCoys in 1965. Pretty catchy song I must say.  Well, at least now I can join in the singing!  "Hang on Sloopy. Sloopy, hang on. O.H.I.O!" ;)
Here's the original version by the McCoys:

Friday, September 17, 2010

Frugal housewife at work

So what does a [reluctant] housewife who has given up her job and feeling the financial pinch do? Why, she looks for bargain websites and freebies all day long (well, almost!). Good news is that US is a land of coupons & discounts and you could really get a good deal on things if you do your homework. For the past few months here, I have accumulated a list of websites that could help me save a buck or two. Good stuff needs to be shared, so here they are:

Daily deals:
Groupon.com
Eversave.com
Livingsocial.com
Housewaredeals.com

Coupons:
Retailmenot.com

Deal aggregators: There are plenty of such sites online but these are the two sites I use
DealAgg.com
Thedealmap.com
 
Pricewatch: Let the website do the price tracking for you
Priceprotectr.com
 
Cashback: Nothing like saving a few extra dollars for everything you spend
Fatwallet
Ebates

Sometimes housewives need a break from cooking too:
Restaurant.com
idinedeals.com

Travel: This is not a discount website but it allows you to search for the cheapest flights minus all that online advertisements
Matrix

Designer stuff for less: Honestly, some of these stuff are beyond my budget but it's fun for window shopping anyway!
Ideeli.com
Ruelala.com
Swirl.com
Thesamplesale.com
Onekingslane.com

P.S. Let's not forget amazon.com and ebay.com as well.  Great for comparing prices and they do have some of the best deals online!
That's all I have for now! Do feel free to add on to the list so that we can all spend, save and be happy all at once! ;)

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Lazy day meal

Japanese curry using the idiot proof Japanese curry roux.
Just boil the meat & veges in water, mix in the roux and voila!
Don't be fooled by the box. It is really not that spicy!
Our curry with pork, potatoes, carrots & onions served with rice. Yums!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Happiness is...

...cooler weather and a reason to snuggle under my super comfy comforter just that little bit longer. :)

Photobucket

Monday, September 13, 2010

This week in a nutshell

...Culinary class - Things are starting to warm up in the kitchen. We are finally moving on to fish, meat and poultry! Yay! (fr. the carnivore in me)
...Orientation for my volunteer work- I'll be helping out at the Botanical Gardens for a once off event and I've also committed to volunteering at the Playhouse Theater at least once a week. I've always wanted to be involved in the theater in one way or another and what better time than this! I'm required to don a bright red blazer at work but who cares if I get to watch all the musicals and plays for free! ;)
...Free trolley rides at the Sparx city hop
...A nice lunch at Melt Bar and Grilled - Hubs has been wanting to go there for the longest time but it was always so packed with people. Anyway, we finally made it there for lunch today and it certainly did not disappoint. Reasonable prices, huge portions & really yummy!

My half eaten blackened chicken with grilled peppers & onions, provolone. Mmm...

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Look what came in my mailbox today :)...

A BIG thank you and muchos besos to Zsuzsi! *Muacks*
You really, really made my day! :D

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Food challenge of the week: Pizza and Buffalo wings!

The food theme this week was American and I decided to try my hand at pizza making and buffalo wings. The pizza dough was really quick and easy to make and I used whatever leftovers I had in the fridge for the ingredients: namely ham/jalapenos/ mushroom/ shredded cheese & BBQ sauce as base.
 Pizza crust (adapted from allrecipes.com)
Ingredients:
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker's peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.
There were many variations of Buffalo wings recipes online but this one kinda stood out because it involved boiling and then broiling the chicken. I left the chicken in the broiler for a tad too long and they were a little hard but still tasted pretty good when mixed with the hot pepper sauce.

Baked Buffalo Wings (adapted from food.com)
Ingredients:
1 lb chicken wings
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup lousiana hot sauce (I used Frank's hot sauce)
1 tablespoon margarine

1. Fill a large pot half way with water and then add the first 4 ingredients.
2. Bring water mixture and wings to a boil and then boil for 15 minutes.
3. Transfer wings to an oven safe container coated with cooking spray. Bake wings on "Broil" (high) for 15 minutes on each side.(For crispier wings, cook longer on each side, maybe 20 minutes per side).
4. While waiting for wings, combine the Hot Sauce and Margarine in a microwave safe container and cook in microwave for 2 minutes or until melted. (You can cook the sauce longer for a thicker sauce).
5. When wings are done, shake 'em up with the sauce.

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

My first attempt at Lebanese cuisine

This was the meal I promised hubby last week. On the menu: lentil soup, kofta lamb, hummus & pocket pita bread (bought off the shelves). Falafel was initially on the list but I figured it would be too much food for the two of us.

Kofta Lamb (Recipe adapted from Lebanese recipes)
Ingredients:
1 tbsp ground coriander
Small handful fresh coriander
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 lb minced lamb
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp olive oil
Warm pitta bread, tzatziki, hummus and salad to serve

1. Put the ground and fresh coriander, onion, garlic and cumin in a blender. Whizz until finely chopped and blended, then add the mince and egg and whizz again until combined.
 2. Divide mixture into desired portions. Brush with oil and grill until cooked through.
3. Serve with pitta bread, tzatziki, hummus and salad.
* The lamb was flavorful on its own but I personally would have preferred a bit of salt in my meat.


Lebanese Lentil Soup (Recipe modified from Food.com)
Ingredients:
Few sprigs of fresh cilantro, stems removed
3 cloves garlic
1/4 to taste olive oil
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1.2 large onion, chopped fine
1 cup lentils, washed and drained
1/3 tsp cinnamon
2 1/2 cups water
Bunch of fresh spinach
1 potato, cubed
11/4 tbsp lemon juice
* See instructions on website
 * The touch of cinnamon added an interesting taste to the soup.


Hummus (Recipe adapted from About.com)
Ingredients:
1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini (made with 1 cup sesame seeds and 1/3 cup olive oil blended in food processor)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.
2. Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.
3. Add a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well. Garnish with parsley (optional).
4. Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread, or cover and refrigerate.

Verdict from hubby: "Not bad!" ;P