simply joyful

thanksgiving

2010-10-28T03:30:00.002+08:00

So since I'm in cold country I don't get to celebrate Thanksgiving - wrong. Apparently the Canadians also have Thanksgiving, albeit on a different day. Actually, I think I was so caught up in it that I forgot (though I tried to make a mental note) to post about it.

Since I'm alone here, with no family, the significance is a bit blurred. But somehow people in church decided to do a thanksgiving party as a whole. I can't remember if it is an annual tradition or they just decided to do it this year. It sure helps since there are a number of us students with no family around.

Anyway, I learnt how to make turducken which is a chicken stuffed in a duck and then stuffed in a turkey. I had heard about it a few times before and was very excited to be able to learn how to make it. To me, probably the most challenging part of it would be the deboning of the meats. Other than that, the rest of the steps are pretty much basic things I already know how to do.

The dinner was great - food and all, though not all the 'traditional' thanksgiving fare I was used to was there. I missed my pumpkin pie and sweet potatoes. Contributed a green bean casserole (searched high and low for the French's Fried Onions). The games were fun and fellowship great.

In summation it was a great Canadian Thanksgiving, though I wish I could participate in the American one too. Maybe in time to come...

in cold country

2010-10-02T11:13:00.003+08:00

I'm finally here...well basically in cold country doing grad school. Things have been going well - have found a local church and am enjoying the fellowship, school has been great - classes aren't easy-going but am learning many new things, made new friends and am enjoying the city of Montreal so far. The cold hasn't set in yet. It's getting colder, not merrier but I guess I should try and see the 'bright' side of it - I get to wear winter clothes for the first time in 14 years!

Will try and update this blog more often too. =)

prepping for the move

2010-05-12T16:42:00.003+08:00

So it ends up I will be going to Cold Country this fall to do my graduate studies. It's exciting yet daunting and well, good for me at the end of the day as I will be able to learn to be independent from my parents and friends...since I will have to make new friends. At this moment the whole thing hasn't sunk in yet because am still dealing with immigration papers etc. But I guess once the flight is booked and papers and visa confirmed, the reality will set in. For now, I'm just trying to master a basic pasta sauce. Something thrown together which tastes good. Am pretty frustrated with myself because it sometimes seems like every other sauce I make just doesn't tingle my tastebuds. Oh wello...

changes in life

2010-04-17T14:13:00.002+08:00

It's been more than a month since I last posted and life has taken quite a turn. New changes up ahead - though daunting at times (when I think about it), it is rather exciting.

Now awaiting confirmation of some sorts before life really moves quickly after that.

how to be a domestic goddess

2010-03-03T21:39:00.002+08:00

Maybe that's my dream - to be the ultimate domestic goddess, Martha Stewart...those housewifery dreams of mine.

Anyway, I've learnt over time to stash them aside (not away) and concentrate on the here and now - not yet married = no children yet = not yet a housewife aka domestic goddess.

As of yet, I now have the book - a birthday gift off my Amazon wish list...the first time anyone has actually bought me anything off my wish list. Though I protested for it to be returned (the book being the 'inaccurate' American version), the book still made its way back to Singapore and is now settling comfortably on my shelf.

People who will benefit from the book - most probably family, close friends and most importantly the giver of the book.

life movie

2010-03-01T17:58:00.001+08:00

If your life was a movie, what would its title be?

cny-vday

2010-02-13T17:26:00.003+08:00

It's Chinese New Year (CNY) once again and this year it seems that the F&B retailers are caught in some sort of a bind since the first day of CNY falls on Valentine's day as well.

Just thought I would write that down. Haha.

I fell in love 2ish years ago...

2010-01-23T23:48:00.003+08:00

and am still in love with the same person. =)

teacher.teaching

2010-01-16T21:32:00.002+08:00

Though I probably just went through one of the most hell-fire weeks of my teaching career, I still have to stand up and say this - I love my job.

Please remind me of my love for teaching when I have those down moments.

Just made the most fan-tabulous frosting ever...it's actually the buttercream/frosting for Nigella Lawson's Malteser cake. I bet it can go on almost anything! Yum-o!

my public declaration

2010-01-05T22:06:00.003+08:00

I'm now going to make a public declaration of love and admiration for my 'family'.

Mom - who just had another 'mom moment' today at Sephora. She was attempting to sniff a very nice smelling shower gel and squeezed out some gel at the same time...did not notice it till I exclaimed and started laughing. Mom, I love you.

Shario - whom I will dearly miss when she goes back to cold country. Dearie, I hope you can come to a decision soon about where your life should kinda end up...of course I'm not really rooting for the 'you-know-which' country but I have to say this - 'wherever God leads'.

Madam - no words can express our friendship the past 14 or so years. We've been through lots together and though we're going to be apart, maybe till we see Him again, I know somehow we'll still be close at heart. You'll be my 'madam' forever...oh dear, that kinda sounded wrong...but you know what I mean.

Jieyi - changes galore the past year but I hope we'll still keep in touch and be close at heart.

I was just reflecting the other day about my 'family' and our friendship. Who knew 13 years ago that we'd be apart, all around the world? If I'd known then, I would have treasured those times even more.

a wrinkle in time

2010-01-05T21:58:00.002+08:00

Mom says: This dress you bought from Promod really makes you look like a little girl (younger).
Me says: Aiyah, mom, don't talk about it anymore, I already feel so old.
Mom says: Oh, you're feeling it already ah? So sad.

I 'see' the wrinkles developing around my eyes and I shudder. And then I think about how many more 'expected' years I have left to live. One life to live for Christ here on earth. What can I do to make the best of it?

Sometimes I wonder...

what did I get myself into?
is it really what God wants me to do?

I've kinda decided not to set any resolutions for 2010 but o wello, just some things I hope to get done this year...

- go to grad school (finally study in a real university environment)
- drive a car, park a car, operate a car etc. (does not necessarily mean get a license...hehe)
- finish the bible (I must, I must)

Just 3 things. Like I've learnt working with children, sometimes it's best to set smaller, shorter goals so that you can actually achieve something.

Blessed new year!

blessings

2009-12-31T01:30:00.002+08:00

Just had our annual PL Gathering at my place. It was a delightful time of fellowship, catching up, eating and of course, singing. Singing is probably something most people don't do at gatherings, but it's always a staple during any PL Gathering. Songs from the yesteryears - theme songs, favourite choir pieces etc. are sung. It's amazing how we can still vividly remember incidents in secondary school and of course the numerous nicknames we had for each other and of course the teachers.

After that, I was pleasantly surprised (or rather, VERY surprised) by my poly classmates (the apprentice gang). They hatched a very elaborate plan, sneaked into my house and surprised me with a cake and gifts. I had a special 'gift' in my closet...haha. I love them to bits! Seriously, poly life was fun because of them.

Another year is dawning and it's time to take stock of my life's blessings.

Parents, brother, 'family', close friends, special friends, friends and colleagues are all people that have impacted my life some way or other this year. They are true blessings from God. Thank you guys for being there for me.

Thank you Lord for these people in my life.

blessed christmas!

2009-12-25T00:47:00.002+08:00

Blessed Christmas everyone! Remembering His first coming and anticipating His second.

=)

children are like...

2009-12-15T21:16:00.002+08:00

vegetables, you might not really like them but they are good for you.

- someone's parenting philosophy.

What are children to you?

At the present moment, I want a kid so I can buy him/her cute stuff from Pottery Barn Kids. Erm, apparently that's not a good reason at all.

seis

2009-12-12T21:39:00.002+08:00

and what seems like a lifetime of waiting.

It's the festive season once more and time for the yearly baking-run. This year, it's cinnamon rolls. Just bought copious amounts of butter - on the cheap and am gearing up to carry a few kgs of flour and sugar home. Hopefully all will turn out well and I won't be cinnamoned rolled out.

Love to all this festive season and may we all remember the true reason for this season - my Saviour's birth!

everyday blessings

2009-11-29T00:12:00.002+08:00

I initially wanted to dedicate a blog just for listing (anonymously) everyday blessings that I've experienced. Well, it wasn't to be since someone already registered the blog name (but didn't do anything about it...argh!).

Hmmm, I do remember I've listed some blessings before. I think I would continue the habit. I think monthly reflections are good for the soul.

recreating thanksgiving

2009-11-26T23:28:00.002+08:00

So after years of just posting - 'I miss Thanksgiving' as my November headliner, I'm actually going to do something about it, on a whim. I was dreaming about it this afternoon after work and casually toying with the idea of a roast chicken (turkey is too much for a fam of 4), sweet potatoes, creamed spinach and stuffing for a little farewell dinner for Gong who's off to T***** for a mission tomorrow. But, in the end I figured, heck it's too much work.

Then came the deciding factor, Aunty SJ (family friend we met in the US ions ago, okay about 16 years ago and haven't seen since 1996) is in sunny SG and meeting my parents for lunch. Seriously, US, Aunty SJ, there's no excuse to recreate my favourite holiday meal. So she's coming over tomorrow with a friend and hopefully I'll be able to bring back simple, heartwarming memories of the turkey season, without a turkey. Haha...mad grocery shopping and cooking tomorrow.

Potential menu:
- Roast Chicken (turkey is way to expensive here, and for 6 people only, too much)
- Creamed spinach (Gong's request)
- Stuffing (Gong's request)
- Garlic roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, onion, zucchini, celery
- Fresh corn with wild rice (from PW, toying with the idea over stuffing)
- Apple crisp with ice-cream for dessert

Will try and post pictures of the effort. Haven't roasted a chicken in some time!

cooking blitz

2009-11-21T09:45:00.002+08:00

Going to embark on a cooking blitz for the next 5 days.

On the unconfirmed menu:
- Mexican taco night (for friends)
- Malteser cupcakes
- Sticky Date Toffee Pudding
- (yet another) Chocolate chip cookie recipe (which will hopefully be what I'm looking for)
- Italian Parmesan Cookies
- Hae bee hiam cookies

and more, I guess.

Now I just need to find people to give the food away to.

if you love me...

2009-11-13T16:03:00.001+08:00

you will buy me a hay bee hiam cookie from the Cookie Museum at the Esplanade.

me wants hay bee hiam cookie.
actually, I would eat the whole tin and try and figure out how to make it...much cheaper that way.

quatre

2009-10-17T17:26:00.003+08:00

It has been 4 months and I am learning lots about myself. Someone once said, 'people who know a lot about love, don't really know how to deal with it when it comes'. There is really a distinct difference between knowing about love and dealing with it. My balance is a little tilted due to my years of fgm-ing. But thank God I have wonderful friends to help me through this, both here and around the world. Thanks guys, you know I appreciate and love you all to bits.

I'm still fgm-ing part-time though =).

feeling a spot of happiness

2009-09-27T23:53:00.002+08:00

I've been living in a small little bubble sometime last week. There was this sudden gush of happiness and I don't know how and where it came from. The week progressed and I survived - I always do. Why? Because He is with me and will never give me something He knows I cannot do. Yet He teaches me that I can do nothing without His strength and guidance. Ironic? Lovely.

Children's Day is coming up. Am contemplating what to do for my kids. I don't really believe in gifts and such. I feel it adds to the materialistic culture our kids are living in. Anyway, my kids lack nothing (materially speaking). The last Children's Day I experienced I had a cupcake decorating activity for the kids. They loved it. Will probably do that again this year. Simple, yummy and fun.

enthusiasm nil

2009-08-31T00:41:00.002+08:00

So I have a serious lack of enthusiasm to update any of my blogs. I am actually falling in love with Wordpress but am reluctant to make the official move because I simply love my current blogskin here. Wordpress is really 'niao' (particular) about letting us wordpressers have our freedom to choose the skin we want to use. Must pay money. Nuff said. Anyway Gong has been bugging me to update. I'm not even really sure who reads my ramblings here anymore.

So just a short update on the weeks/month to come. Jieyi is getting married and I'm beginning to feel more excitement than stress and sadness over this matter; work is getting pretty hectic because it's coming close to the end of the year; stuff outside of work is also filling up my time pretty tight; I'm trying to squeeze in some time for cooking, but there doesn't seem to be enough time for that; learning to balance my time and money too; grad school applications = headache because procrastinate too much.

Needs to sleep. Hopefully I will get to spend some time just chilling and petting koalas in Aussie land.

time passes on

2009-08-22T19:45:00.003+08:00

Come next month I will be reaching a few milestones in my life - best friend getting married, applying for grad school and third month into what I hope will be a lifetime of learning how to love.

Life has changed much, especially this year. I've learnt and still am learning how to 'grow up' and take the changes in life as positively as possible. That being said, Madam, please prep a box of tissues for me as I watch Jieyi walk down the aisle.

This blog does seem rather dead. Haha...I'm still alive though.

changes

2009-07-26T00:44:00.002+08:00

There have been quite a few changes in my life as of late. It takes a little getting used to but my schedule is almost up and running. Have started a discipleship course, doing a little more cooking and have recently spent some time on some projects like redecorating the house. Would have to dedicate soon a day to start clearing out my room again. Just realised that I have about a year before I (hopefully) trot back to school. As such, it would be wise to start clearing materials for use in the classroom since I wouldn't be able to use such teaching materials overseas.

Life has taken a turn (for the better) but there is always that reminder in place that Christ is where we should look towards.

On a side note, I personally feel Mr. O made a huge mistake commenting about the Harvard Prof's arrest. I never thought I'd say this but - he should learn from Singapore. (oh man, I said it)

making the effort to...

2009-06-27T23:21:00.002+08:00

I realise I need to get off my butt and start moving - literally. Now that work hours are a little shorter, it's time that I start filling my days with other things to do, that is things not directly related to children. It's good to have varied interests. So I've got a list and am trying to fit in the activities and plan my time. Hope it all goes well.

On the kiddo front, my class has shrunk (a little) but new challenges emerge come next week. Another day, another challenge, another opportunity to live for Him and trust in Him to bring me through it all.

au revoir mon cherie

2009-06-24T23:22:00.002+08:00

For the past few weeks, I've had one child leave my class each week. Some have returned back to their homeland, others their parents have had transfers overseas and some are trotting off to international schools. I've been a little sad since I've grown to love all of them and appreciate them for their little quirks, challenging behaviour and creative expressions. Looking through their work and pictures brings back fond memories of the past six months. Now, as I prep another farewell gift, I hope that tears don't well up tomorrow as I part with my dear French kid. Au revoir mon cherie.

bringing out the housewife in me

2009-05-18T00:35:00.003+08:00

When it comes to homes, some people look out for the living room, others the bedroom and even some the bathrooms. But I look out for the kitchen. When I trot to Ikea, I always enjoy the kitchen section the most - what lovely cupboards, pot hangers, storage solutions, child-safety gadgets, wine glass displays, funky stoves, huge ovens, fridges and spacious counter tops...the list goes on.

Just happened to chance upon this webby which I will explore in greater depth later on.
http://www.thekitchn.com/

it's 12.40am. I need to sleep. Work beckons.

things I miss...

2009-05-18T00:02:00.000+08:00

Sometimes on a rainy day, or even a sunny one, or just one where I have a minute or two to sit down and think, day dream or just catch a breather I ponder about the things I miss, want to do but currently can't or just looking forward to. Some of them are weird and quirky (like me) or just plain silly. Others could be things I've just 'given up' on or chucked to one side. There are priorities in life and one can't do everything though sometimes I know I can do more, it's just that I'm not disciplined enough.

A glimpse of my list...

Joy misses

1. Being a student, studying (see, I'm weird)
2. Singing in a group, conducting
3. Hanging out with friends
4. Cooking, experimenting and hosting meals
5. Travelling

Such is life at the moment.

no I have not died. yet.

2009-04-26T00:21:00.002+08:00

Just been busy at work, with work and fighting off dreams about it as well. Anyway, I just spent half the afternoon uploading long over-due pictures to be put up on my class website. Life has been somewhat mundane since I'm practically just preoccupied with work and the likes but no matter how supposedly mundane it is, it somehow never is because every day is different. Children never behave the same way all the time and there is always a light-hearted moment each day - you just have to look for it.

On the graduate school front, it looks like there is a greater chance that I will be heading to cold country. However, I must no matter what still try and apply for some school in the US (and hopefully not have to do the GREs along the way unless absolutely necessary).

back from down under, fancies measuring cups

2009-04-06T11:12:00.003+08:00

Besides the trip down under, I was just looking through P-widdy diddy's archives and came across her post about these whimsical and heirloomishy-like measuring cups. Oh man, isn't Anthropologie just pro at gifting! I would buy these too...except Anthropologie isn't too nearby and I might kill myself buying it online. Maybe, just maybe.

best all-round dim sum - so far

2009-03-14T17:18:00.000+08:00

We have a don tot winner...
So far, amongst all the egg tarts I've tried I think Crystal Jade comes out tops. Sorry Wah Lok and Imperial Treasure. Also, I enjoyed their dim sum lots. Nothing to complain about - century egg porridge was good, steamed rice rolls with filling was fresh and good, dumplings, yum-o (esp. the har gow, they got it right) and carrot cake crispy and homemade. Chicken feet was also savoury and yummy, though maybe I like it with a little more salty black beans. All in all, it was a good meal. The only problem was the long wait for a table. Service was prompt and polite. Stuff of dim sum joints. =)

being touristy in Singapore

2009-03-14T17:04:00.000+08:00

I never get the opportunity to visit, or rather never am motivated to visit the sights and sounds of Singapore unless a visitor from afar comes. I had never seen the Merlion up close till friends from cold country came and well, never visited the Asian Civilisations Museum and Peranakan Museum till H came. Above are a few photos of us museum trawling and posing (or rather just H, since photos of me are in her camera) with Mr Raffles. Sad to say the ACM was quite a dissapointment. I was a little reluctant to bring H there since she's from the US where museums are by and large world-class and much more exciting than what we have here, but H was keen so we went. The Peranakan one was slightly better, but small. All in all, you wouldn't catch me in a museum any time soon - unless another visitor comes along. I think I might try the Singapore History one next.

1234

2009-03-02T00:40:00.001+08:00

theres only one thing two do three words four you.
i love you.

sweet. =)

busy bee

2009-03-02T00:39:00.003+08:00

Yes, it's true. When you work full-day childcare, you really don't seem to have a life.
Trying to kick back some meaning into it!
Reviving/starting a new hobby perhaps?

And yes, I've found good dim sum and continued on my brownie baking quest. Just that I haven't had time to blog.

a slice of americana

2009-02-01T23:06:00.002+08:00

A slice of americana landed just before Chinese New Year at my place this year. Having not seen H for 13 years, this was indeed eventful. We had a blast cooking American food she hadn't had in a long time and up and about joining us in CNY visitation.

Top picture: H cooking, wishing everyone a Happy Chinese New Year, cuddling my niece and posing with me before we went out visiting on the first day of CNY.

Food we made: Mashed potatoes with butter, sour cream and chives, green bean casserole, creamed spinach, ham and bean soup, honey-lemon-ginger roast chicken and red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting topped with a walnut. Oops, I forgot, we also made molten chocolate cake with whipped cream and blueberries. Didn't post the picture though.

friends from afar

2009-01-24T23:41:00.003+08:00

Just had a wonderful home-cooked dinner, jointly done by my pal H (from afar) and I. We chatted and cooked like two quaint little sisters busying ourselves around the kitchen. It was simply a dream, working hand in hand, churning out a meal for eight. It was a successful one of honey-lemon ginger chicken, creamed spinach, green bean casserole, ham and bean soup, mashed potatoes (two-ways) and for dessert, molten chocolate babycakes with whipped cream and fresh blueberries.

We had the usual suspects over to eat and had sweet fellowship as well.

=)

the end of an era, the beginning of a new one

2009-01-19T22:50:00.000+08:00

Obama in, Bush out.

humorous memories

2009-01-18T22:59:00.002+08:00

Purging the clutter is what I've been busy with these past few days, besides work of course. It's hard to throw away fond memories that I hold dear to my heart...well, not the memory but rather the object. I usually keep Christmas cards, thank you cards and even notes that were written to me ages ago by my elementary school friends. I'm quite a collector I guess, sentimental perhaps? Oh wello, I realised that these things are temporal (as is life on earth) and that they are in fact taking up lotsa space. So in line with my room 'revamp' I had to clear them and keep only the main big ones. While going through all the notes, fond memories came back to me - secondary school choir, PB, debate days, sec 4 farewells, my first 'job' teaching at a BASC and teacher's day gifts and messages from about 2 years back. Interesting messages include well-wishes for me to 'find a good boyfriend', which unfortunately has not occurred in the past 5 years and for me to 'become a principal', which is even more unlikely...haha. But it is entertaining and enlightening to read such innocent, yet profound messages written by children (and some friends).

and so I laugh.

i found it

2009-01-10T14:57:00.000+08:00

My dearies attempts to bake me a cake. Fond memories that will last a lifetime. Oh yes, and the cockroach incident.

egg tart-y

2009-01-10T12:16:00.001+08:00

I am on a quest now to find the best egg tarts. I only like those with flaky pastry and so far, Imperial Treasure's egg tarts are in first place. Sorry Wah Lok.

high tea at the shangri-la

2009-01-10T12:09:00.001+08:00

S and I had a delightful afternoon sipping tea and eating our hearts out at the Shangri-la Hotel, courtesy of S's lovely parents. We were there mostly for the ambiance and to try out the 100+ teas available on the menu. Seriously, I've learnt that buffets are usually great ways to make money because one can never seriously order all 100+ teas on the menu. The teas were interesting. We got to try some interesting tea combinations like rooibus and cocoa and a variety of green teas, though I honestly feel any flavoured green tea will still eventually end up tasting like the original green tea. The food was so-so, nothing much to rave about. The only thing I actually seriously enjoyed was the scones with clotted cream and jam. That was lovely with the tea (alas, for the life of me, I have no idea why I didn't take any pictures of it). Service was prompt and friendly. Oh yes, actually the Penang laksa was pretty good too (again, no idea where that picture went). The Rose Veranda (name of high tea place) was aptly rose-themed with roses all around, rose plates, napkins and rose-flavoured foods.

Pricey, but nice considering the ambience was fresh and inviting - comfy chairs, natural sunlight pouring through the glass windows etc. It was just a little crowded for a Saturday. Weekdays would probably be much better.

The Rose Veranda
Shangri-la Hotel, Singapore

From top-left (clockwise): Rose-themed table setting, velvet covered menu, rose teacup, tin of Shangrila tea.

From top-left: Shooter of scallop and soba noodles (scallop was a little overcooked); lamb in some spicy (mild) tomato sauce (so-so); shooter of chicken salad I think (weird tasting); rose macaron with chocolate cream; mango and mint minestrone (what a name, was ok); shooter of sliced bell peppers with I forgot what (was the best shooter of the lot); opera cake (hard, no crunch); empty tea cup; tea filter contraption.

my lovely S taking a picture of me take a picture of her.

i still like him

2009-01-04T22:54:00.000+08:00

Read this. Tell me it's not true, but I believe most of it is.

blessed new year 2009!

2009-01-01T18:01:00.000+08:00

Another year has past, another year we enter. May we always have this spirit...Thank you Lord!

wah lok - not so wah

2009-01-01T17:23:00.002+08:00

For my birthday this year I did not host the traditional 'Joy will cook for you' gathering since so few people were around to actually attend it. Instead I went out for some nice dim sum with 2 dear friends. We were initially going to try out Crystal Jade's dim sum but I suddenly remembered a friend's recommendation - the lovely egg tarts at Wah Lok Cantonese Restaurant. I love egg tarts, especially the flaky kind, so I was set, Wah Lok it is.

Made the appropriate reservations the night before in case it was crowded being New Year's eve. Overall the food was only so-so. The egg tarts were nice, flaky crust not too oily and a good balance of pastry and egg, though I would prefer more egg. The baked custard pastry was not what we envisioned when it came. We expected a pau-like bun filled with custard and salted egg yolk, instead we got a puff pastry thing with a very bland custard. It wasn't that bad, just something new and unexpected. Chicken feet, chee cheong fun (rice rolls) and other dishes were okay. The har gow (prawn dumpling) however wasn't very well made. The skin fell off too easily and was a little gooey. My only big gripe during the whole meal would probably be the century egg porridge which I felt reeked of msg. After my 3rd scoop, I felt the msg taste was too heavy...

Would I come back, maybe. I will be taste testing Imperial Treasure and Crystal Jade next though. Oh and we (S, E and I) also talked about how we missed the traditional dim sum places that wheel trolleys around...

Wah Lok Cantonese Restaurant
76 Bras Basah Road
2F Carlton Hotel

Pictured from top left (clockwise): Braised chicken feet, baked custard puff pastry, siew mai, toothpick

Pictured from top left (clockwise): Century egg porridge, chee cheong fun (steamed rice rolls), baked egg tarts, har gow (prawn dumplings).

anatolia restaurant - yummy turkish fare

2009-01-01T17:14:00.002+08:00

Pictured (from top left, clockwise): Iskender chicken, Turkish bread, Cheese Pide, mixed kebab platter. We ate the dishes with a delicious butter rice.

Had a mini gathering with my poly mates the other day. Usually the challenge is find a good halal place to have a meal because of my dear Muslim classmate. It's actually quite exciting and of course a joyous event when we chance on a good place. So you can imagine the joy we had when we found Anatolia. Serving up Turkish dishes, I have no idea how authentic this is having never been to Turkey. But the food was good and yummy and reasonably priced (if you buy the sets). I just felt the family kebab mixed platter was a little pricey...and it only serves 2!...2 ain't a family!!! Also the rice is $3 a plate...partly because it's a butter rice...but it's very good.

Anyway, the service staff were friendly and you can even have some Turkish ice-cream for dessert...though we didn't in the end.

Anatolia Turkish Restaurant
14 Scotts Road #02-58/59
Far East Plaza S(228213)
Tel: (65)6836 3352
http://anatolia.com.sg/index.html

birthday blessings

2009-01-01T17:07:00.000+08:00

This one is for you Ganma and Ganpa (and H). Thank you. I was pleasantly (okay, very) surprised.
This year the blessings were no less than before. Smses and wishes from dear friends, phone calls from abroad as well as good food and fellowship really made my day. Though this year there was no cooking (and boy did it feel weird), it was an eventful birthday none the less. I think though that next year, I will still go back to the ole' tradition of cooking for dear friends. Just hope that more will be around.

blessed birthday, shario

2008-12-20T13:22:00.001+08:00

the cake she made me last year, my all-time favourite cheese cake.
blessed 21st!
(I was trying to find the one H, T and mom made for me a few years back...)

things my darling brought me

2008-12-20T13:16:00.001+08:00

S brought this back from cold country. Fresh off Granville Island, smoked salmon that was 'cured' in maple syrup. Apparently this is traditional fare. Delish!

innovative 'zi char'

2008-12-20T13:13:00.001+08:00

I lost my ST article on the innovative 'zi char' stalls in Singapore. What is 'zi char'? Well it basically means cook and fry. Zi Char stalls in Singapore serve a variety of cooked food dishes that compliment white rice. They might also sell soups. Typical zi char dishes include prawn paste chicken, sambal kang kong and seafood horfun. They might also serve things like yam rings and seafood dishes (e.g. chilli crab). While surfing the net with my aunt, looking for good food places, we decided to search for the stall I read about that served kai lan (a chinese vegetable) in an innovative manner. Was really excited to have found it and discovered that it was in Ang Mo Kio, not too far away from home. Aunt and I decided to go there for dinner so we washed up and took a taxi there. In the cab, the driver overheard us talking about the zi char place and also joined in the conversation, offering tips on hot foodie outlets in Ang Mo Kio as well. We finally arrived...

Golden Sands Seafood

and we (of course) had to order this - Deep fried kai lan with silver fish, an innovative dish invented by these peeps. The ST article described the finely chopped and deep fried bits of kai lan on the top as tasting like seaweed. They were spot on. It was hard to believe you were eating kai lan.

Pumpkin tofu - tofu was homemade. Pumpkin sauce could have been better with a bit more pumpkin.

Golden Sands house crab - fried with salted egg yolk and a little bit of butter. Yummy and fragrant! Huge portion though for 2, even though it was only one crab. But the crab was huge.

Golden Sands Seafood

Blk 215 Ang Mo Kio St 22

Singapore

tea cafe - the snacks

2008-12-20T13:10:00.002+08:00

To celebrate the end of our undergraduate programme, R, M and myself met up before handing in our final thesis. I brought them to Tea Zen (a place I had reviewed before). This time round we ordered a few snacks. They did not disappoint. Baked fresh, the apple cake was fragrant, soft and lovely. The cuttlefish (which I had mistakenly ordered the wrong one) was also nice. Roasted to perfection, the normal cuttlefish smell (typical smelly smell) was somewhat gone. It was served with an aioli that complimented the taste of the cuttlefish well.

As usual the place was decorated to reflect the season. Silver baubles were hung from the 'tree' in the middle of the room and candles and wreaths adorned the tables and shelves. It was a very pretty experience for both M and R.

Tea Cafe
38A Seah St
Singapore 188379
Tel: 63335400

canele patisserie

2008-12-20T13:07:00.001+08:00

I've always walked past the Canele Patisserie at Raffles City Shopping Center. However, I've only ever bought their baked goods - cakes, macaroons etc. but have never stepped in to dine. R and I decided after walking around half of City Hall area that we would dine there to celebrate the end of our undergrad days. Skimming through the menu, I decided (no shocker there) on the burger. Canele only has one burger on its menu, a chicken on brioche bread with some fig compote of sorts. R had a croque madam with 'Paris ham' (not sure if it's from France direct) and topped with an egg. Both mains were served with a side salad.

To sum it up, maybe Canele should try serving a beef burger instead or choose a different part of the chicken for the 'patty'. Breast meat was used and seasoned ever so lightly I had to ask for mustard to hold up my appetite. The meat was also rather dry. The only saving grace was the nice broiche bread. Other than that the fig compote was yummy but was spread very sparingly. The filling of iceberg lettuce and a local tomato didn't help much. I should think at such an outlet that the lettuce factor could be upped (though the side salad had a more international flavour).

R's croque madame was so-so. It wasn't particularly yummy and R didn't finish it either. She said it was okay. I didn't get a taste so I shan't make any judgement on that. All in all, the service also scored a so-so on my card. The layout of the restaurant makes it a little tough for the servers to keep an eye on all diners. We were seated somewhat behind a pillar so raising of hands didn't really help. We had to 'wave' our hands (sometimes rather frantically) to get their attention.

Canele is more on the pricey side (a little but more expensive than Cedele) so I did expect something more wow-wee. However, Cedele still has the best/affordable/healthy-choice burger in my books.

I wouldn't really go back again, maybe for something else, but that being said, I'm also not a huge fan of their cakes. Their macaroons do somewhat suffice if I am desperate for them. That being said, do give it a shot if you're high on cash and low on options.

Canele Patisserie
Check website for branches information: http://www.canele.com.sg/

food.baking.food.food.work

2008-12-17T00:20:00.002+08:00

Been busy baking for the holidays, thinking about what food to cook for the holidays and eating whatever is left in the fridge or seems healthy. I had a few Wheatabix and out popped my pimples. Must be a little too heaty for my body, all that wheat!

I feel slightly guilty now. Just munched down a Nutella-banana cupcake along with a few bananas, all for the sake of experimentation. I hate myself for that. I don't really like/enjoy baked goods. But for the sake of the eaters, I have to be the guinea pig for a day because the resident guinea pig is away in camp and the real guinea pig cannot munch on cupcakes.

Starting work soon and according to fellow industry-pals, full-day childcare marks the end of one's social life. I shall wait and see if that is true, though I am already beginning to think that it is.

Pictures to come.

funny thoughts in the wee hours

2008-12-09T03:29:00.002+08:00

Chillin' and relaxing after stressing my printer out and squeezing (or rather using) all the ink from the cartridge printing the 'it'.

Listening to Corrine May, painting toenails a brighty pink (I invent words, I know). Musing over life - the happy and sad, the disgusting and disappointing. Basically, life is quite sad without Christ. Still feeling my way through though.

Just read the word 'inclement', thought about Gong's passing out parade and the 'letter'. Does anyone know what 'truncated' means? Haha...still trying to figure that out.

Okay, I just checked. It means 'cut short'. We made an educated guess that day then.

Nights.

catching up on life

2008-12-04T16:51:00.001+08:00

Thesis almost complete, work starting, friends from afar coming home for the holidays, year-end cooking and cleaning.

Sorry for the blog posting overload...haha.

peaberry & pretzel

2008-12-04T16:48:00.002+08:00

After dinner at Grill-Out, we headed next door to Peaberry & Pretzel, cute name I know.
The dessert menu seemed quite ordinary except for the souffle that caught my eye. In joy-fashion, we had that along with a dessert platter for one which could seriously feed 3-4. Desserts were reasonably priced and good, though nothing out of the extraordinary. They reminded me a lot of the dessert platter I had at the now non-existent Corduroy & Finch (I miss my tuna burger!) I would probably come back again to try some mains. They serve pork knuckles (and I read somewhere only about 10 a day) and some other German fare.

On the dessert platter (from top left, clockwise): Chocolate liquor mousse on chocolate/butter cake with macaroon (mint I think) and strawberry; raspberry creme brulee; warm chocolate pudding; and apple and rhubarb crumble with ice-cream (good!)

Strawberry shortcake thing (also on dessert platter)

Rum souffle with vanilla bean sauce and vanilla ice-cream on macaroon. Interesting dessert for a sweet change.

peaberry & pretzel
106 Clementi st 12 (sunset way)
#01-52
tel: 67773477
www.peaberryandpretzel.com.sg

grill out!

2008-12-04T16:44:00.002+08:00

After Gong's POP (Passing Out Parade), we went to celebrate at a nearby steak place featured on Makansutra (some Singapore foodie show). Grill-Out! at Sunset Way is a steak place serving up US beef etc. at affordable prices. I went there mainly for the special Kurobuta pork and of course the US beef, something I haven't had in a long time (two words: mad cow).

The prices were so-so, about 30 bucks for a US Angus Beef ribeye, but the star of the show was really the porkers. We had them kebab style having gone for the combo for 2 meal and they were yummy - tender and succulent pieces of pork! I would go again, for the pork...haha.

The house salad like many other reviews wasn't anything to shout about, but a nice compliment considering how much meat we were about to partake. All in all, we had an okay meal, but weren't 'satisfied' so we headed next door for dessert...

Grill-Out!
106 Clementi St 12 (aka Sunset Way)
#01-38E/50
Tel: 67747001

entre-nous

2008-12-04T16:41:00.001+08:00

This small quaint French crepe place just opened about a month back at Seah St. I frequent the area since that's where school is and love checking out new and affordable eating places. I do have to say the crepes can be a little on the pricey side, BUT they are so worth it. Opened by a cute French couple who moved to Singapore from Brittany, France just 5 months ago, they serve very authentic French crepes, the thinnest I've ever had in my life. They also use a special buckwheat batter and crepe cooking thingy from France...haha. I had a simple crepe with salted caramel (homemade of course) with a rich hot chocolate. Delightful. They also serve savory crepes and traditional french desserts like creme brulee. I'm pretty sure they would be wonderful as well. The place is run by the couple only - guy at the stove, lady at the counter/waiting tables etc. so if the place is crowded, I would expect 'slower' service. However, the lady is really friendly and sweet, so that makes up for it anyways.

Entre-nous
27 Seah St.
tel: (+65) 63334671
www.entrenous.sg

the food of austin hills (KT VBS)

2008-12-04T16:32:00.001+08:00

Before we headed to the resort, we had lunch at a nearby coffee shop. I have to say, I was a bit skeptical at first, being ever the weary of coffee shops overseas (and at times locally). I'm a bit paranoid about food poisoning perhaps. However, I am so glad I didn't pass this one up. This was the best fishball noodles I have ever had. The noodles were the bomb and you can seriously just eat it on its own. Don't think you can get this in Singapore. Cheap too, at about less than $2 SGD per bowl and huge portions. Yum-O!

Fishball noodles with black sauce

Fishball noodle soup, generous mix of ingredients and lovely broth that didn't have that msg aftertaste.

Char kway teow with the 'wok taste'. Not too oily too.

meet a slice of heaven

2008-12-04T16:26:00.001+08:00

po lo bun with butter from Imperial Treasure. Was introed to it by Aunty V, now I actually wait till 2.30 pm when they start rolling out the buns to eat this.

KT VBS

2008-12-04T16:21:00.001+08:00

About 2 weeks ago, I spent my weekend somewhere in Malaysia serving the Lord with a group of wonderful people. We ran a short 3 day 2 night Vacation Bible School (Camp) for a group of about 60 plus children and teens. It was indeed a great challenge for me to spend the weekend communicating in my second language, interacting with kids from a different background as me and also being a mother hen to 6 precarious girls. We had fun, good food and great fellowship. Best of all, we served the Lord with gladness.

Bill the box

Lovely skies

View from the top of the golf course

close to home

2008-11-30T13:43:00.002+08:00

The past week's events have truly been horrifying. For one, the first Singaporean killed in a terrorist attack. Yes I felt sad during 9/11 and did feel a tinge of sadness everytime I read a report on terrorism, but this one really hit close to home.

We're all in danger of being hit by terrorists, but most of the time, we can't imagine something happening to anyone we know. Singapore just seems so safe. Still, we should never take things foregranted.

Praying and awaiting His return.

missing thanksgiving

2008-11-28T13:12:00.002+08:00

It's that time of the year again where I post my 'missing thanksgiving' post. I notice that I am faithful in posting it every year and well, here it is again this year.

Mr. Turkey, Miss Sweet Potatoes, Mrs. Stuffing, Little Miss Pumpkin Pie...

Actually I miss the whole feeling of the season more than anything else.

There's a lot to be thankful for this year and especially with the events unfolding these past few days, I want to thank God for the country I live in. Shocking, but true.

Happy Thanksgiving to my Americana pals!

step up and do something

2008-11-19T17:10:00.004+08:00

I love my lecturer for PPA, mostly because she opened up the world of database searching to me on the UniSA site. Yes, I have to say I had no idea before my PPA module how to make use of what I have been paying for. Now I feel like slapping myself in the face...oh wait, I already did that.

Anyway, while researching for the final PPA assignment, I came across this old forum letter written in 2006.

Oh MOE, it's really time you should step up and do something about special education AND early childhood education...hey, we both have the word 'education' behind our names and aren't you the Ministry of Education?

Here's the letter:

An inclusive society shouldn't leave education of special needs students to volunteer bodies

Straits Times, The (Singapore) - Saturday, November 25, 2006

I refer to the article 'Govt should manage special -needs schools ' (ST, Nov 2), 'No, better review this sacred cow' (ST, Nov 9), and 'More kids with special needs attending MOE schools ' (ST, Nov 17).

It is heartening to know that the enrolment of special needs children in mainstream schools is on the rise. I believe it is time for the Ministry of Education (MOE) to seriously consider putting special education (SPED) schools under its management and control.

President S.R. Nathan, in his address at the opening of Parliament on Nov 2, called for Singapore to be an inclusive society.

An inclusive society cannot leave the education of special needs children to voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) and the National Council of Social Service (NCSS).

While MOE provides a comprehensive approach in managing mainstream schools , it only provides 'professional guidance and support for special education schools ', as stated on its website.

While a gifted child is given all kinds of assistance to excel in mainstream schools , a special needs child has to fight for an affordable and decent education in the few SPED schools run by VWOs.

MOE has stated that the total funding per child in SPED schools is about four times the level of funding per primary student in mainstream schools .

However, taking away the NCSS and other recurrent funding, the $55 million a year commitment by MOE (as outlined in a speech by Dr Ng Eng Hen on July 9, 2005) to support the SPED schools and mainstream schools with special needs programme is a mere 0.79% of its 2006 budget of $6.966 billion.

Furthermore, an inclusive society cannot leave the career development of SPED school teachers in 'no-man's land'. These teachers are few and far between and they should be duly recognised for their talent and effort.

I wonder how much does MOE appreciate such teachers in its $1.947 billion permanent staff budget for 2006.

President Nathan stated that the government 'will continue to provide every child access to a top-rate education, so that he or she gets the best possible start in life'.

I am very sure President Nathan did not exclude special needs children with learning disabilities in his outlook on education in an inclusive society.

Png Eng Huat

------------------

Thanks Mr P. I hope your letter would create 'ripples' in our society.

bold

2008-11-19T13:12:00.002+08:00

'Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?'

Proverbs 20:6

unwritten

2008-11-15T16:22:00.001+08:00

Simply amazing. The guitar accompaniment was phenomenal.

career goal(s)

2008-11-09T23:23:00.002+08:00

I have decided that I want to be an educator. Not just an educator of young children, but an educator that enriches the lives of those around me and inspires others towards lifelong learning.

This goal has actually been around for a long time, but I guess I had it stuffed in the corner of my mind when other 'priorities' cropped up. Now, it's time to put this goal back where it belongs.

The housewifey goal will still be there (but it'll probably be stuffed in a corner for a bit), but career-wise, I'm going to work towards being the best educator I can be and pedagogically speaking, it means I got to get my hands down and dirty.

At this moment in time, I'm looking forward to it and moving towards it.

because I need to stop eating a cookie, when I feel sad

2008-11-08T15:29:00.004+08:00

Was trawling the internet today looking for a new look for this blog. I also have been contemplating moving over to Wordpress (which has beautiful themes) until I found out you can't use downloaded themes unless you are on Wordpress.org, which basically means money.

Sigh.

Anyway, I shall be sticking with Blogger for the time being. The only thing I'm angsty about Blogger is the picture uploading. It takes ages to load pictures manually and only 4 pictures can be uploaded at one time using Picasa. Someone please tell me why. I'll be over the moon if I can manage to upload more than four miserable pictures at one go.

Oh, and you need to click on the 'pull' cord to view stuff like links and archives. =) And I haven't mastered a few html things yet with regards to labels and such. Please bear with me.

P/S: I removed my tagboard so if you want to leave a message, please drop a comment. Thanks!

the proof of the pudding is eating it

2008-11-05T16:33:00.001+08:00

munch munch munch munch

...

let's review in 2012...

(if you're living under a rock, just to let you know, Obama has made history as the first african-american president of the United States. now i'm just waiting to watch out his four years, God-willing.)

it's hard to think objectively in this campaign

2008-11-02T20:11:00.002+08:00

I pity the Americans.
It's really hard to draw the line
It's hard to decide and
It's hard to think objectively when everything you read, may or may not be true.
Both candidates are guilty of smear tactics and no candidate is 100% clean.

How would you decide which guy to vote for?

Thank God it'll be over in 2 days.

(in the meantime, will be praying over here in Singapore, and this time I'm on the fence though I have a strong inkling history will be made this time round. may the Lord's will be done)

losingest team.

2008-10-30T12:24:00.002+08:00

The Phillies have won the World Series. That just made my day though 1) I haven't seen any game this season 2) I don't even keep up with American baseball.

But, the Phillies are technically my home team and it's great to hear of their win after having watched them lose dramatically last year in May.

Whee. No longer the losingest team. And I got that term from SI.com.

wonderful endings

2008-10-27T16:12:00.001+08:00

18 months have truly (not yet 100%) flown by. We still have 3 assignments to hand in along with the work hours needed before the term truly ends, but classes have come to a close. I had a mini celebration with a few of my classmates at a locally run Spanish restaurant, The Tapas Tree.

The wonderful people whom I have journeyed together with the past 18 months.

The food, from top row left: Tapas Tree napkin (non-edible); red sangria (excellent and refreshing); bacon wrapped asparagus (so-so, you can make this at home for less than half the cost); house salad (ordinary); fried calamari (squid was fresh, batter crispy when hot); seafood paella (yummy but rivals the one from Ma Maison, we also had a noodle paella which in my opinion tasted like fried vermicelli, so order the rice one when you're there); baked cod with chick peas (cod was fresh, but I felt the dish was drowning in butter); churros with chocolate sauce (churros were a little too doughy for me. I felt it could have been lighter and crispier like the sort you get at fun fairs in the US); and bananas wrapped in filo pastry with vanilla ice-cream and chocolate sauce (the bananas weren't very sweet, quite bland actually and it reminded me of plantains, the 'filo pastry' was more like a crepe and wasn't crispy at all. I didn't know what they were trying to achieve in this dessert.)

All in all, I think I enjoyed the sangria the most along with the fried calamari. The food was quite pricey though and the service wasn't all that great - our table had a run-in with the service staff but it was resolved amicably (though a few feathers were ruffled). The ambiance wasn't too bad. As can be seen, we were at Boat Quay, a supposedly scenic (looking out at Singapore River) and touristy spot in Singapore. There was also live Spanish music and a flamenco dancer who was friendly and had a chat with us about Spain, Singapore and dancing during her break. Being from Spain, she said the food was rather authentic. The chef is local but trained in Spain.

The Tapas Tree
#01-08, Block 3D Shop House Row
Singapore

sing it again

2008-10-18T00:47:00.002+08:00

Went with E to Sumi Jo's Sempre Libera concert today. Last minute I decided that thirty-one dollars and fifty cents was worth it to go and watch Ms Jo. I had initially wanted to purchase the 17 dollar tickets a few months back but there were no willing people to attend the concert with me. E relented after J couldn't make it. Boy was it worth it. I would pay 50 bucks to watch her again. Sumi Jo is simply divine! And the SSO (ie. Singapore Symphony Orchestra) was great too. The repertoire wasn't too heavy (which helped a lot) and very entertaining. But really, props must be given to Ms Jo - a true professional. Now I know why Gan Ma likes her so much. Her technique and expression is first class and her notes, squeaky clean. I really am a great fan of her voice now. To top it all off, she's got a really sincere stage personality - giving us not 1 but 3 encore performances, the last being an unaccompanied Korean lullaby (homage to her roots).
Hear this recording of Mozart's Queen of the Night and you'll see why she rocks big time.

At the other end of the spectrum, while reading comments on YT, I came across this opera singer Florence Foster Jenkins. Someone said they liked her version of Queen of the Night so I decided to listen to it. It was well, something to be reckoned with. The 20th century William Hung if you would say. Wikipedia has the most apt introduction of this lady - "Florence Foster Jenkins (July 19, 1868–November 26, 1944) was an American soprano who became famous for her complete lack of rhythm, pitch, tone, and overall singing ability". Read the whole entry here. It's hilarious and listen below and you'll know why.

I especially like this quote of hers, "People may say I can't sing, but no one can ever say I didn't sing." Well, maybe William Hung should have said that to Simon Cowell...haha.

ma maison

2008-10-17T11:23:00.000+08:00

Had a delightful dinner with my dear aunt last night at this quirky, yet homely place called Ma Maison which aptly means 'my home' in French. It's a Japanese-Western kinda place aka Japanese-style Western food so expect the usual hamburger steaks and pork cutlets with Japanese curry sauce. According to my aunt, it's usually very packed for lunch (so make reservations, if going). The place was quite busy during dinner too. Staff were friendly and helpful (though we did have to wait a little bit for our food and hot water), but service with a smile sometimes makes the customer more forgiving. We shared a seafood paella and I also had an onion gratin soup and their famous brownie. The soup was a little on the salty side but was passable and unique as they dunked the bread with cheese into the soup. I have a feeling that that's the traditional way of serving onion soup though. The paella was very flavourful and yummy, though the seafood was a little on the dry side, no one's complaining. The serving is actually for 2, but good enough for one hungry guy and two portion-conscious girls (aunt didn't eat much). I had to order the brownie because my aunt said they are famous for it and that the brownie was good. Although not really a brownie and ice-cream person, I'm a foodie person so in went the order. The brownie wasn't too rich nor too sweet, yet it was chewy and choc-a-bloc full of walnuts (I like...). The vanilla ice-cream tasted like the cheap kind though, but again, no one's complaining considering the number of people who actually ordered the dessert. I loved the decor and my aunt spotted next to her a bottle of chardonnay...house label. Haha...it was blue. Apparently Ma Maison makes their own brew too. Heh.

Anyway, Ma Maison seems like a fairly established eatery in Japan too judging from it's website. I loved the cashier though. She really helps end off your meal with a spark. She was really funny and cheery. I felt like I was booking out from a hotel when I passed her my 'keys' (table number tag). I'm going back again to try the hamburger steak. They also have a very affordable set lunch. Whee!

Ma Maison Restaurant
Bugis Junction
#02-51
Tel: 63384819

Central
6 Eu Tong Sen St
#03-96
Tel: 63278122

the tcc

2008-10-13T12:39:00.000+08:00

The TCC or The Coffee Connoisseur (not to be confused with The Coffee Club) is a chain of coffee cafes sprouting around Singapore. I'm not a big fan of coffee, so these places usually fall flat on me. I like hot chocolate and appreciate a good cuppa. Gong and I ate here to erm 'celebrate' his first booking-out. Actually, it was more for convenience. The food was reasonably priced (not too expensive) and we needed to eat someplace before rushing off to some study fair. Gong had the pumpkin mint soup. It was passable but not wow-wee and we both had the smoked salmon and avocado burger. It was a very interesting combination indeed and really an acquired taste. I wouldn't say I really enjoyed it but I can't say I hated it entirely either.

Overall, the service was okay (nothing wow-wee again) but I noticed that they revise their menu quite often (having eaten at the TCC a few months back) which is healthy actually because the public gets to try out new eats instead of feasting on the same fare.

Would I go back? Well, between Swensens, Delifrance and TCC, I'd give TCC the vote. Honestly TCC is way better than the first two places and well, the food is consistently okay. Haha, what a review.

TCC
http://www.thecoffeeconnoisseur.com/
Check website for branches.

craving satisfied?

2008-10-13T12:12:00.001+08:00

Dinner this weekend was mac and cheese baked with some breadcrumbs and an additional topping of mozzerella cheese along with salad dressed with Nigella Lawson's Wasabi-Lime dressing. Recipe for dressing here.

I realise I hate the smell of boxed mac and cheese but once I get over it (ie. start eating) all is somewhat well. I couldn't find my Paxo breadcrumbs (searched high and low) so I used some matzo flour instead which resulted in a less crispy experience. The dressing turned out nice - there was a hint of wasabi and the tartness of lime combined into one. Was great over the salad.

Now for the molten chocolate cake. I actually bought some bittersweet chocolate over the weekend and have found a willing participant to give the cake to...heh. I don't think I'll be doing the creamed spinach just yet.

short, sporadic cravings

2008-10-10T00:56:00.002+08:00

for:

mac and cheese

creamed spinach

molten lava chocolate cake

salad with Nigella Lawson's wasabi lime dressing

thus I will:

go out and buy a box of mac and cheese, top it with some cheese and bread crumbs and bake in oven

think twice about the creamed spinach (fat, fat and more fat)

try out another molten lava chocolate cake recipe using my new silicone baking cups

have the salad with the mac and cheese. I found wasabi in the fridge and also bought my plastic lime juice!

hungry.

soon and very soon

2008-10-02T23:00:00.002+08:00

Does anyone notice that there's nothing positive in the news now?

Economic crisis, food crisis, murders, shootings, kidnappings and every other imaginable thing on top of the wars going on around the world.

Soon and very soon we are going to see the KING of KINGS.

Are you prepared to meet HIM?

lots

2008-09-30T23:46:00.002+08:00

Lots has been going on in my life and head, lots. And it's also difficult to pen them all down because 1) I might get arrested for saying 'improper' and potentially defamatory remarks, 2) It's useless to keep brooding on them.

I realise I've been flitting back and forth between topics in life and then coming to a sane end before revisiting the topics once more in regular (or somewhat regular intervals) in my life. I try not to think about certain things too much and try and concentrate more about what is current and what can be done NOW instead of looking too far ahead into the future. I also try and keep myself busy, as busy as I can get so that I wouldn't think so much about the things which bug me and are not within my control or stuff that I shouldn't be worrying about now or maybe even pointless to worry about.

This is confusing, right? I confuse myself and amuse myself constantly.

Let's stay on track, shall we?
School starts next week again. It's the final semester and I hope to end it with a bang.
When school's over, I shall move into a confused-thinking-brooding individual again.
That's what you get with too much free time (or free time rather).

nanbantei

2008-09-22T15:35:00.000+08:00

Japanese food is pretty diverse I would have to say. One moment it's sashimi and tempura, the next moment you're looking at hotpots and yakitori sticks. I've never been to a restaurant specialising in yakitori before and was pleasantly surprised when Gan ma and family brought me to this place at Far East. Okay, seriously I didn't think Far East had the capability to have anything this good except funky fashion and cheap (ahem, somewhat cheap) shoes and accessories.

I was quite bowled over by the homey decor and simple yet yummy bento set. It even came with a yummy dessert of mochi and red bean which wasn't too sweet, just right. Yes, there's still an ongoing debate about what the empty jar at the side of the table is for (I still think it's for our used yakitori sticks, but Gan Ma kinda thinks otherwise) and the quirky shichimi and sansho dispensers (unlike any salt and pepper shakers you've ever seen) but if you're looking for a comfortable Japanese place that serves good food and doesn't make you feel like you have to look a million-bucks before entering, then Nanbantei is for you. They also have various sides and stuff, but are most famous for their bento sets.

Nanbantei Japanese Restaurant
Far East Plaza, along Orchard Rd #05-132
Singapore

MD at 44?

2008-09-19T09:40:00.002+08:00

Was very inspired by the life-long learning adventure of Karen Morris-Priester. Mother of 5, single-mom for most of that period and grandmother of 4, she just graduated from Yale Medical school last year with an MD. She battled against the odds - a teenage pregnancy, failed marriage and being a single mom to 5 kids. Yet she managed to finish high school, go to college and get her nursing degree and decided at 40 that she wanted to achieve her dream of going to medical school. Seriously, her story really inspires me and points out to me once again - it's never too late. Learning doesn't stop when you leave school and learning doesn't occur only in school. Think beyond the classroom, learning has no bounds.

Medical degree at 30 perhaps?
But I think I'd rather work towards a PhD in education. =)

Read more here.

at long last

2008-09-12T19:42:00.003+08:00

Well, not really but Gong has finally enlisted today. I actually felt this tinge of pride that my brother was going to defend the country. Haha. That being said, I started wondering what it would be like if I was to enter the army as well. Brings back memories of the endless debates we had over women serving compulsory national service in Singapore. But personally, I think some combat (ie. self-defence) training would be helpful. It might also be cool to learn how to fire a gun to protect yourself in countries where you might encounter a gun by chance. Haha.

Awaiting Gong's return in two weeks...not looking forward to the laundry though.

le saluda atentamente

2008-09-04T21:01:00.002+08:00

I hope that's right.

Had a conversation with a close friend today that I hadn't spoken to in ages and haven't seen in even longer ages. Anyway, she said 'bye joyo' and I realised that only two people in this world have ever called me that. Timo and her. Somehow, that felt rather warm and fuzzy and for that split second in time, I felt her by my side.

I miss you LY.

change

2008-09-04T14:46:00.004+08:00

"In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change."
- Sarah Palin, VP candidate for the GOP or Republican Party, USA

Seriously, our politics here in Singapore needs a little more life. Gong and I were humoured, sobered and inspired hearing Sarah Palin blast the Democrats. Now I'm just waiting for the Democrat's response. For a moment there during her speech, she seemed like she was running for president.

Oh and I also think Trig is a cuddly bundle of joy. He's her 5th child by the way and has Down's Syndrome.

Palin with Trig and Hubby. Trig almost sounds like Twig...hehe.

*Oh, and I'm not endorsing John McCain. Am going to step aside and observe the fight this year.

here comes the SUN...doo doo doo doo

2008-09-03T14:42:00.000+08:00

Aunty MM likes the food at SUN, some Japanese restaurant at CHIJMES that also has a branch at Wheelock Place in Orchard. Dadto also likes the food too, except that he has only gone to the branch at Wheelock. SUN has a really nice ambiance, generally good service and great food. The prices have increased (due to inflation perhaps and most probably) but thank goodness the quality hasn't been compromised. It's a little weird how some restaurants increase their prices and then scrimp on their food. Hmmm.

Anyway, pictured above are a few dishes I had in my set meal today along with Aunty MM's grilled salted mackerel. The set lunches are generally well-priced but it isn't a place where you can eat everyday. I usually order the grilled cod fish set that comes with another side, miso soup, rice and pickles. Today I had the sashimi set that came with a generous plate of assorted sashimi, a side dish of deep fried fish pieces and lettuce, bowl of rice with grilled eel, pickles and miso soup. Also had tea and a plate of fruits which basically comes with every set meal. I like how they slice their sashimi in thick slices (reminds me of cold country).

Japanese Dining SUN
CHIJMES, #02-01
Nearest MRT is City Hall

There's another branch called SUN with MOON at Wheelock Place in Orchard Road.

while you were sleeping

2008-08-30T22:47:00.003+08:00

I love this song. Speaks volumes about our world today. Will we be sleeping when Jesus returns?

"While You Were Sleeping"

Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you're lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight

Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

Oh little town of Jerusalem
Looks like another silent night
The Father gave His only Son
The Way, the Truth, the Life had come
But there was no room for Him in the world He came to save

Jerusalem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
The Savior of the world is dying on your cross today
Jerusalem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we're sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we're lying in the dark
There's a shout heard 'cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returned
And has carried His bride away in the night

America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping
Will we be sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night

first thai

2008-08-30T22:40:00.002+08:00

This is a long overdue post. Lately I haven't really been snapping pictures of food partly due to the fact I've been frequenting the same old places and eating the same old dishes (yes, I can be a creature of habit). This is as I've mentioned long overdue.
Aunty MM brought my mom and I to First Thai in City Hall area a few weeks back for Sunday lunch. It's a nice homey Thai restaurant, no frills and has a painted portrait of Keanue Reeves on the wall (don't ask me why). Service is quick and efficient partly because there wasn't many people by the time we tucked into our somewhat late lunch. Aunty MM says it's pretty crowded during weekday lunch hour and it isn't open on Mondays. Food was great though and unique. Got to try some Thai delights that I've never encountered before.

Thai vegetable omelet. Seriously, this does not taste like an omelet. It's crispy and fried to perfection. I'm not sure exactly what vegetables they use but I'm thinking chives of some sort and eggplant. Dip it into the special chili sauce and heaven appears. I loved this! Also, I've never seen this on any Thai menu before. So I guess there aren't many places selling this.

Thai basil chicken. Staple Thai delight. I loved the fragrance of basil infused into this dish.

Tom yum soup. I think when most people think of Thai food, they think of this. This soup was different as it isn't as clear as the normal tom yum soups I've had before. They were very generous with the seafood ingredients too.
Mango and sticky rice dessert. I liked the fried bean bits on top of the rice and coconut cream.

First Thai
23 Purvis St.
Alight at City Hall MRT and walk.

what I want to get out of life?

2008-08-30T21:25:00.003+08:00

This may seem very humanistic.

I managed to catch the 'Freegan' episode of Oprah today and was glad I did. I wrote about 'freeganism' before but was only able to write about what I saw on the website. After watching the actual show, it made me think a lot more about life and how we are living it.

Humanistically speaking, we waste a lot. We are really all guilty of it. But instead of simply just thinking about how we can use less and save more, we need to get to the root of the problem/source which is what we want out of life. The people featured on the episode were professionals - doctors, engineers, bankers and former bankers etc. digging through the dumpsters aka trash cans looking for food. We're not talking about homeless people here, we're talking about people just like you and me. One of them was a self-professed Christian doctor who said that his 'freegan' lifestyle complimented his Christian beliefs. I agree with him. And so what if we talk about recycling and reusing when tonnes of edible food, useful items get dumped everyday. Not only metal, glass and paper can be recycled. Read the doc and his engineer wife's blog here.

What is my life all about?
What do I need essentially in life?
What are things I can live without?
What kind of example am I going to or already setting for my children and the people around me?
And how can Christ shine through me?

One great example would be food. A topic rather close to my heart. Some people eat to live, others live to eat. I like to strike a balance between both. But sometimes I admit I stray a little too far on the 'live to eat' side. As such, it's time to reevaluate the basic essentials in life and see whether we are on the right side of the fence. Balance is essential, but when it comes to wants, it's better to be on the conservative side, keeping tabs of what we consume.

Consumerism can really eat us all up, but it's time to see beyond what advertisers and companies want us to do (which is buy buy buy) and evaluate what we really need. Of course one would argue that economies can die out when people stop buying, but seriously, the world is coming to an end, it's just a matter of when Christ will return. So at the present moment, let's just be good stewards of what God has given us, using our resources wisely.

That being said, I'm probably not going dumpster-diving here in SG, but will evaluate what I want out to get out of life while I'm still here on earth in accordance with God's will for me. =)

inclusion

2008-08-29T01:51:00.004+08:00

"Children that learn together, learn to live together"
- Inclusive Education

I'm for inclusion in the mainstream preschool classroom.

Who's with me?

I predict that in about 2-3 years time, almost every Early Childhood class in Singapore will have at least one child with additional needs.

happy teacher's day.

2008-08-29T01:31:00.003+08:00

It's 1.32am in the morning and I just finished baking a batch of chocolate cupcakes for my colleagues. It's Teachers' Day once again here in sunny Singapore (I realise I always say that) and it has been raining a lot these days.

On this day, I feel as though I have hit a rut in my somewhat short (not yet short-lived) teaching career. It's frustrating at times (okay, almost all the time) and then teacher's day comes along and one feels somewhat appreciated for all the effort, late-nights, early mornings and endless work hours you have put in. Then everyone chimes how this is all worth it.

But honestly, it's not (most of the time). I realise how much I complain (yes, bad habit) or lament about the dour and sour situation I'm in, trying to push for something better, hitting a wall and then backing up and saying - nevermind, that's how it is and will be.

A teacher, more particularly an Early Childhood teacher might seem insignificant in many people's eyes - 'professional nannies' they call us. But what few people know about is the influential power we have over our young charges. What power you might ask? Just think about the time when as a young kid, your teacher told you you were the smartest, cutest little girl/boy in the class. How did you feel? Just think about the time when the teacher scolded you and told you how stupid and useless you were? How did you feel after that? Or just reflect on times when the teacher said that if you talked, she would call the policeman to come and catch you? Did you really believe her?

Young minds are impressionable. I remember when I was young (about 5), I was scolded terribly and reprimanded about 2-3 times by the Chinese teacher because I could not write the word 'long xia' or lobster in Mandarin. I had a great phobia for Mandarin after that - heh, I think I still do. I never quite had the confidence in that language.

When I was in elementary school, my teachers told me I could dream big and be whatever I wanted to be if I put my heart to it. I did - I wanted to be a teacher just like them.
When I came back to Singapore, my teachers told me to take a good look at my grades, and that I will never make it far if I didn't score As in school. Such is life.

Now I'm the crossroads of my career as an educator - where to go next, what to do, where to teach etc. I hope I don't dig myself a hole and get stuck in the wrong place, drowning in my own agony, buried in regret.

Happy Teacher's Day.

thinking of...

2008-08-14T22:57:00.002+08:00

mom in france, S in cold country, H in melbourne and T in adelaide.

me in sunny singapore trying to write my progress report and do my literacy assignment.

God in heaven.

a bit of earth in singapore

2008-08-12T15:52:00.002+08:00

Singapore is often described as a garden city. Yes, we do have a little bit of earth here on our tiny island. Decided to snap some shots while walking home today.

Tree branches against a clear blue sky.

Instant trees. A week ago, this patch of land was grass only, now it has got a few full-grown trees probably transplanted from somewhere else.

The large field opposite my HDB flat. I reckon it'll be gone in about 10 years or less. Okay, maybe 5.

Oh, this is the heartlands by the way. If you want flowers and pretty landscaping, maybe you can try the downtown-touristy areas. The airport isn't too bad either.

whitefield, august 2008

2008-08-07T23:29:00.000+08:00

On the eve of the Beijing Olympics, I present you with an exclusive photoshoot of Whitefield aka Whitty the guinea pig.

I heart Whitty.

macaron sandwiches

2008-08-07T23:22:00.000+08:00

Made using macarons from previous post. Still haven't gotten it 100% right, but on my way there.
With Nutella filling, was too lazy to make a ganache.

the policeman is my conscience

2008-08-04T23:17:00.002+08:00

John McArthur once preached a sermon about the lost conscience.
I believe that our conscience is God-given - that little voice in us telling us what's right and what's wrong. It's just tragic that nowadays we don't listen to it very much . 'I know it's wrong BUT...'. So 'but' can be a very dangerous word. Its use attempts to negotiate with our conscience and in the end, we generally opt for the other side of the coin, ignoring our God-given alarm system.

If you ever cross the road at the City Hall junction outside Raffles' City Shopping mall and around CHIJMES, you would as a pedestrian notice that vehicles rarely stop when the lights turn red, preferring to zoom past at high speeds to beat the red light. Maybe it's CBD (Central Business District) behaviour, maybe they are rushing for time. But whatever it is, it seriously isn't safe for pedestrians. And it's irritating too. Yes I know pedestrians do irritate drivers as well when we jaywalk or walk on the wrong side of the road, or worse, walk so slowly like we own the road acting as if vehicles don't exist. But, well it does work both ways and I think speeding to beat the red light well isn't very safe at all. It puts not only the pedestrians in danger, but also other cars that move when the light changes for them.

However, today the unexpected occurred. For the first time, not a single car or vehicle attempted to beat the red light. Traffic was safer than usual and drivers were careful and considerate. Utopia you might say? Well, Mr Traffic Policeman was at the corner keeping an eye out for red light beaters.

The policeman is my conscience. It's a shame we need Mr Policeman around so that we can do the right thing.

macarooning - the journey continues

2008-08-02T16:17:00.001+08:00

and so the journey for perfect macarons continues...

Macarooning once again, I attempted my 5th and 6th batch using similar methods but different timing. I achieved success with the 'feet part' but still had some problems cooking the bottoms fully. I also learnt a few things along the way.

Some things to note:

1. I invested in an electronic timer to help me in my temperature reduction. Since the recipe calls for a reduction of 10 degrees (celcius btw) every 1 min, it is hard to stare at the clock and furthermore, I can't find the stupid timer on my handphone (another story to be told). So I went to Daiso and bought a timer. It was only 2 bucks so it was worth it.

2. You need at least 60 g of egg white if the recipe calls for the whites of 2 eggs.

3. When you pipe the macaron batter, don't pipe the macarons too close together. I think they need some breathing space, if not they might end up looking a bit 'uptight', refer to picture below. But maybe they look like that because I didn't 'rap' the pan before popping them into the over...hmmmm.

4. Prepare everything from the piping bag to the lining of the tray to the ingredients before starting. You need to move from mixing the egg whites, folding in the almond flour + powdered sugar + cocoa powder mixture, putting it into the piping bag, piping the babies and popping them into the oven with as little time in between each step as possible. Once you have a time gap in between, it kinda affects the end product.

I still haven't gotten the perfect macaron due to the cooking time, but they are passable and yummy. Crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside.

macaron with feet

macaron either looking 'uptight' - it didn't have enough breathing space I think or the result of not 'rapping' the pan

my round babies - these guys didn't turn out 'uptight', they had smooth tops

check out the 'little one' in the corner, he was leftover batter.

Till the next update.

cupcakeology 杯糕

2008-07-31T14:21:00.001+08:00

it's all about the cake

visit cupcakeology 杯糕

sing singapore 2002

2008-07-30T17:27:00.003+08:00

Every National Day I will remember the Sing Singapore competition I took part in in 2002. It was with my Sec 3 choir mates and boy was it memorable. Years down the road, I kinda overwrited the VHS with some chinese drama and thus lost the footage recorded.

Today I decided to google it and guess what? I found it! Apparently Mediacorp actually put it up online!

http://nettv.1-net.com.sg/SingSingapore/ss2002_250k.asx

Or go here and click on Sing Singapore 2002 Grand Finale Concert
http://www.singsingapore.org.sg/video-content.asp

We sang at around the 14 min point.
Okay, I have to say this - we sounded phenomenal!!!

Fond memories.
Only those who took part in the competition would remember the song parts because they were all original and just learnt by listening - there was no score. And we wrote most if not all of the parts ourselves.

Thank you seniors for making us take part in that competition.

how to (or how does joy) plan a menu

2008-07-29T18:00:00.000+08:00

This is probably just a tiny insight into how my brain is wired (with relation to food).

For our case study today, I have selected H's farewell dinner (hosted last Sunday evening at my place).

Menu

For the main course: Parsnip and Pancetta tagliatelle on a bed of baby spinach
For dessert: Warm chocolate cake, pears poached in Riesling with a scoop of pistachio ice-cream
For drinks: Sparkling white grape juice

What went on in my mind...

Basically, this was a farewell dinner for a dear friend so I usually would cook something that she usually likes to eat. I called and H requested pasta. So I immediately thought of the cabonara dish I usually do (and H affectionately loves).
But since I decided against a starter (I was thinking a soup of sorts or a salad with caramelized onions), I thought of trying something with tagliatelle. I rarely and probably never use that pasta because it seems very heavy. But thinking of the little nests they come in, I thought I would be able to manage small portions each (alas I was wrong, but o well). Next step was to flip through cookbooks and scour the Internet for alternatives. I happened to flip through my only Jamie Oliver cookbook (which coincidentally was a gift from H and family) and found a recipe for parsnips and pancetta tagliatelle. Bingo! I've never had parsnips before (yes, we rarely eat them in SG) so I decided this was a great opportunity to try them. Main course set. The bed of baby spinach was to supplement the dietary fibre severely lacking in the dish (I was thinking of mom...).

Dessert!
I had planned to do the poached pears in wine because I had the impression that poached pears had this air of class (so works my brain...). Searched the internet and found a relatively easy recipe. Even used up one vanilla bean that was given to me some time ago by Ganma. I wanted to pair the pears with a chocolate hazelnut (nutella-filled rather) macaron since I was on this macaron baking craze. But alas, I got a little lazy and seeing my box of chocolate fondant cake mix sitting in the cupboard, I decided to use it up. I baked the cake in single small tins to achieve small individual cakes. I also undercooked them a little so the center would be melty. Usually with warm chocolate cake one would buy a good vanilla ice-cream. But alas, I couldn't find a good, affordable one so I decided to go with pistachio, knowing that I would eat it if there were leftovers. So, the final tripartite was formed - poached pear, warm chocolate cake and pistachio ice-cream.

Verdict - I like the dessert better. The pasta was heavy but the parsnips with pancetta was yummy. Raw parsnips are bitter, so I wouldn't suggest eating them raw. Even the guinea pig didn't like them.

Oh yes, don't forget to choose a drink that goes well with the food. Think wine pairings.

rapide, simple, bon marché

2008-07-23T13:27:00.000+08:00

Going back to ST's Lifestyle 100 Best Dishes, I had to try La Petite Cuisine's confit de canard. The restaurant in Serene Center boasts not only authentic french cuisine, but also food that is pretty light on the pocket (for authentic french food). I had a green pea soup (with roll and butter), main (confit de canard) and dessert (creme brulee) for $23.50. Not bad considering everything was made from scratch and portions were not as 'petite' as the newspaper described. It was just right.

The chef, boisterously friendly, came out occasionally to greet the customers with french flair. The service was no frills (no GST and service charge mind you), get your own water, but no need to clear your own table. The set-up wasn't that of a classy french bistro, but was good enough for me to tuck into some authentic french food. The only scary thing was the sight of butter dripping off the sides of my potatoes. Okay, so I just read some stuff about trans fats and all different kinds of fats. Oh well, once in a while won't hurt.

Green pea soup

Confit de canard

Creme brulee

*Pardon the poor quality of the pictures. I had to use my hp camera.

my macarooning journey

2008-07-21T00:53:00.001+08:00

Macarons would probably rank number one as the first thing I would look for in a bakery/confectionery store. I love them, especially the pistachio ones with cream - yum! Mom has promised to buy me at least one from France when she comes back and I can't wait! Getting excited just thinking about it...

Anyway, macarons I must say are terribly expensive in Singapore. On average, one macaron (which can be devoured in one or two bites, three bites and you'd be savouring it) costs about $2, with $1.50 being the cheapest I've seen and $3.20, the most expensive. But I'm sure there are more pricey ones out there, I just happened to pay $3.20 for my latest one. I think the high price is basically due to the sheer hard work and technique that is needed to produce the two crisp yet chewy shells encapsulating some sort of filling. Seriously, I don't care THAT much for the filling, but I love the texture of the macaron.

So far the best I've had was in Montreal, Canada. It was from a French Bakery located at the farmer's market. It was crisp, chewy and had just the right amount of sweetness infused. Yum! I've had plenty of bad ones though in Singapore. It's hard to get it right, I know from personal experience.

I embarked on my macaron journey with Jo. But we failed terribly the first time round despite following tonnes of advice. I have to admit I was very discouraged, until I came across this recipe which actually blatantly tells you to ignore all the advice I read. Okay, so I love being a rebel at times and decided to try it out.

Well, I failed twice as can be seen, but learnt a few things:

1. The keeping egg whites overnight to let them coagulate and thicken theory didn't really stand true.
2. The batter for macarons is actually quite thick.
3. There's no need to let the piped macarons form skins, just pop them straight into the oven.
4. You need to pipe them straight after mixing, don't let the batter sit cause then the baked macarons will crack.
5. Oh, yes, if you haven't gotten it yet - PIPE your macarons to ensure equal size and to give them some 'height'.
6. You have to watch the oven temperature like a hawk and adjust accordingly.

Anyway, below are some pictures of my attempts (3 in all, not counting my first one with Jo). I kinda got it right at number 3 except that they were a little undercooked. So now I have a rough idea about cooking times. My method was a combination of many different methods. So when I finally get 100% success, I will post the method and recipe on my cooking blog. By the way, I made chocolate macarons.

In the meantime, it's assignments and research.

1st attempt, feet too big

2nd attempt, some feet

3rd attempt, feet just the right size, but macarons a little undercooked

3rd attempt, two macarons sandwiched together without any filling