Is it spring yet?

If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom. ~ Teri Guillements

The healing power of chocolate, not any ordinary chocolate

Hot chocolate with house-made marshmallow...what an organic way to spend the afternoon

Quoted from Cacao7...

Research has shown that Cacao (Cocoa) increases the body's natural production of endorphins (the feel-good neurotransmitters). It is by far the most potent endorphin-producing food on earth. Cacao also contains flavonoids that lower blood pressure, improve blood flow and cholesterol. It is no wonder that chocolate is known by the Greeks as the "food of the Gods"! Be sure to choose chocolates that at least 70% cacao and aim to have about 1 oz or 30g per day.

Wondering wanderer

A journey of reflection

Pieces of life put together, do you get the picture?

The road to serenity

The flight of steps that divides

Food and memories

I had dinner at Paradise Inn with my parents over the weekend, wanted to eat the braised vermicelli with pig trotters. Actually, it's kinda tasty but we thought it was a little too oily for our liking. We could not really finish the vermicelli maybe coz we ordered too many other dishes. The leftover was packed, taken home and it was my lunch today :P Actually, I kinda remember my grandmother used to fry beehoon with canned pig trotters, was that pig trotters or canned pork? Hmm, if I am not wrong, it was in a yellow can. Well, that was really so long time ago when I was still a little girl. Did not really get to taste that kinda canned pork since then. Ha, maybe should try to look for it again in the supermarket and fry it with beehoon one of these days. I still remember the canned pork was rather tender but kinda oily :P ...My grandmother and my late maternal grandmother used to cook many wonderful traditional dishes when I was a little girl. At times, I miss helping my grandmother make Teochew glutinous rice kueh and shun kueh, love to fold the edges of the shun kueh for grandmother :) Miss those days that I would play with the ingredients when my grandmother was making rice dumplings. There was always a huge steamer in the kitchen near the window on those special days, the small kitchen was always filled lotsa noise and the aroma of the food also filled every corner of the house, miss the noise and the smell too...

The heart that speaks

Our days are so crowded

and our hours so few

There's so little time and so much to do

That the days fly by

and are over and done

Before we have even half begun

To do the things that we mean to do

But never have time to carry through

And how nice it would be

if we stopped to say

The things we feel

in our hearts each day.

~ Helen Steiner Rice

A photograph...maybe

I think this photograph (I added "Lomo" effect but it seems to appear greener here, goodness :P) was taken sometime early this year while visiting Sunny baby. He was walking a little aimlessly in the living room. Love the view of him from the top. The light from the afternoon sun cast a little shadow of him on the floor, wondering what was going through his mind. Was looking at some of his photographs late last night and took interest in this one. The picture seemed to speak much but at that very moment last night, I seemed to be at a loss for words... This morning, received a comment from someone about this photograph, his perspective set me thinking and gave me words for this picture... Maybe there are really moments that we are at a loss, losing a sense of direction and pondering upon which path or direction to go. Besides our own shadow, we probably wish and long to see another shadow next to us, hoping that someone could hold our hand and give us the answer. Isn't this how we feel at some point of our lives?

A conversation...maybe

A part of a conversation via WhatsApp...

Snoop: U'r forever d ms optimistic. I really wonder where u get ur doses of optimism all d time dear Pooh

Pooh: Ha, maybe it comes with age...

Maybe I realise that I probably dun have many decades more to live...hence, I do wanna think dat I have a choice whether I wanna be positive or lament about life...

Maybe life isn't so bad afterall...looking at pple from other countries...

Maybe...

Maybe there are really moments that I was pessimistic but I told myself dat I must conquer that...

Maybe I shouldn't be thinking too much about this and just live life...

Snoop dearie, I am not happy and optimistic all the time, I do have fears, uncertainties, worries and negativity within myself...I just try ways to take control of them...not complete success all the time but I know I must try...

Pound cake

Kat dearie, thanks for thinking of me and for delivering that pound cake which you have baked to my place, really sweet of you! Great effort, keep baking and I will gladly be your guinea pig :P In baking and cooking, you just gotta keep trying till you get it right :)

The wonders of effects

Photographs and effects by Mark. Well, I simply arranged them like a collage using "Tile Wallpaper" :P

I always feel that the different effects that one creates for a photograph have the ability to bring out different feel and moods. Amazingly powerful, isn't it? Ha, Mark shared much with me today about the different photography iphone apps that he has discovered and how he made used of various effects on a photograph. Thanks for sharing the different ways to create wonders on our photographs with the mere use of the iphone :) But you know, let's also not discount the fact that some photographs look best in their true, unedited and effects-free selves, agree? :)

Vegetarian

Mummy said it's like chap chye but I thought it's more of a vegetarian dish. I ate lots of the cabbage, together with porridge and steamed fish. Simplicity is bliss :)

I asked Mummy why we needed to tie knots for these zhen cai and she said it was just passed down from her grandmother. But I was not satisfied with this answer, was really curious to know why knots have to be tied. We decided to ask my grandmother one of these days :P

Some of the ingredients...vegetarian 'abalone', sweet beancurd skin to be pan fried first and zhen cai (those with knots)

I was really craving for homecooked food over the weekend, something simple and blend perhaps, haha :P Suggested to Mummy that we should cook dinner at home instead of eating out in the evening on Sunday. Volunteered to cook a vegetarian dish for dinner so headed out to the supermarket to get a few ingredients, bought an organic cabbage and some others. I always feel excited trying new dishes, you know, not knowing if the outcome will turn out to be good or bad. Well, you just gotta try right?

Sawadikap!

Somehow, knowing a group of friends who loves to eat is in no way gonna make you slim and slender :P

Seeing and eating this plate of mango salad reminded me much of the hawker along the streets of Thailand...simple yet tasty ingredients.

Thai otah was kinda soft and smooth but I prefer it to be a little more spicy :P

My favourite! Fish was fresh and the ingredients went fantastically well with it.

Tom yam soup was rather spicy but I thought the taste was not rich enough for my liking.

The moment I stepped into the eatery, I kinda felt like I was in Thailand...love the Thai ice lemon tea, refreshing for a hot afternoon

We could not be seated until all had arrived. At the entrance while waiting for the latecomer :P

Being a frequent shopper at Bugis, I must say Miss Tan is very knowledgeable about the facilities, shops and eateries around that area. She recommended a place (for once! :P) for Thai food at Purvis Street for our dinner on Friday. Nope, it's not the Thai fine dining restaurant located at the end of the street. The little Thai eatery, First Thai, is located at the other end of the street. It's a place that I walked past a couple of times but simply failed to notice this little place for Thai food. We were there pretty early as it could really get crowded at about 7pm. No GST or service charge but guess what, we were kinda impressed by the service :)

Bob

Picture taken from http://www.facebook.com/thestoryofbob

May I introduce Bob :) He's still recovering from his surgery. I guess it's gonna be a long healing process for Bob dearie but glad to know that he's recovering well. To his caregivers...thank you for being so attentive to Bob's needs, you guys have really made the world a better place to live in, especially for those furry animals. Bob sweetie, you are a very lucky guy, you gotta get well k, please eat more. Have I ever told you how much I love those little white paws of yours? Lovely white 'socks' :)

Confession

I wrote down a list of things to work on this afternoon but only managed to complete one, huh, talk about being efficient, silly silly gal :P ...I am tired from thinking much from the past two days of discussion, hmm, I guess I will shelf that list of things for now...

Warriors' feast...Be thankful

We finished every bit of food on our plates, thinking of and remembering those who probably are not as fortunate as we are...Thanks for sharing this pic Edmond, glad everyone helped to finish every bit of the roasted chicken :)

Warriors' feast...Through the lenses

Does photography put a smile on your face?

I'm sure I wasn't the only one with a camera :P

Warriors' feast

Let's hear from everyone...

Still wondering what's really special and unique about this Xing Hua beehoon...the ingredients?

Chu Hwei needed some meaty meat so here it is :P

Sweet and sour fish...We love this!

Hmm, not really my favourite but thought it's not too bad eating the yam while it's still piping hot.

Clams with lotsa garlic and chilli padi...a must try at Pu Tien

You just got to try this chilli...potent!

In my previous posts, I called them warriors, we fought together in the 'battlefield' before and well, though no longer colleagues, I am certainly glad that we are still keeping in touch...Never ever forget those warriors who fought together with you and stood by you :)

Your blanklet...

Life is like a blanket too short. You pull it up and your toes rebel, you yank it down and shivers meander about your shoulder; but cheerful folks manage to draw their knees up and pass a very comfortable night. ~ Marion Howard

What do we really know about the value of life?

I was kinda hesitant to read the newspapers today, was a little afraid to flip through pages of devastation... Thousands, ten thousands of them or even more lives are just taken away in a matter of a day or two. The aftermath could even be more heartwrenching... You know, I was thinking, it's so easy for us to say "Life is fragile" or "Life is so unpredictable". Well, life indeed is, coupled with a great fear of losing your loved ones, but I was also wondering how much do we really value these statements as we live through every minute of life? What then? So what?... From this part of the world where we are from, if we ever utter a word of complaint or even whine about what life has to offer, we probably don't really understand the true value of life...

To the Fukushima 50, thank you for showing us what real heroism is in the midst of the horror and devastation... I think it's really a tough test of resilience for the people on the land of the rising sun but I am sure the world has faith in you and will continue to support you and pray for you...Stay strong and keep warm...

Chickadee + Calbee prawn crackers

Leftovers from the movie...became my supper (Oh, so darn sinful!)

I don't really fancy popcorn while watching a movie. Hmm, as for nachos with cheese dip, I think it will be a sin that I cannot really forgive myself for especially after savouring much of the irresistible cheese dip :P Well, I usually would munch on Pocky chocolate sticks when watching a movie. I was given a ziploc bag containing Chickadee and prawn crackers before watching a horror movie today. Mark prepared a bag of mixed snacks for each of us. Ha, the most interesting bag of snacks I have ever received. Hmm, as for the horror movie, I think a few scenes did frighten me or made me jump a little but it still did not fit my definition of a h..o..r..r..o..r movie. Well, I guess it's just the momentary thrill of it :P

The magical touch that touched

"I believe in animal rights and high among them is the right to the gentle stroke of a human hand." ~ Robert Brault

Not any skinnier with Skinny Pizza

Paella...squid ink...Hmm, prefer it with pasta, right Miss Tan?

An all-time favourite...ginger butter chicken pizza

Helped Rachel with a quarter of the burger...

Truffle fries (Yummy!), sweet potatoes strips and sauteed cauliflower bits with prawns

I am not really a fan of pizza, thought the crust is usually pretty filling and probably fattening. However, I think I'm kinda a fan of Skinny Pizza, hmm, maybe coz of the 'crust', so darn skinny. What a crack! :P But you know what, I think Skinny Pizza is not really gonna make us any skinnier.

The state of confusion

I am not trying to show how hardworking and diligent I am. In fact, I am probably trying to show confusion and disorganisation, or should I say it's disorientation. Nah, certainly not disillusion yet. I shut myself in XF's room (hee, needed a big work space with minimal distractions) this morning, armed with my laptop and a big stack of readings and for once, with no music at all, started working on my assignment (one of the many). One hour into trying to organise and analyse ideas from the various readings read over the past weeks and I realised that I was terribly stuck, really stuck...Hmm, how should I argue that? How should I support that point of view? Do I have evidence for that argument? Have I read enough to synthesize? Have I selected suitable articles? Oh no, I felt like I was given a jigsaw puzzle with a thousand pieces and not knowing where to start. Oh well, frankly speaking, I would probably even get stuck with a 100-piece jigsaw puzzle. I stood up and started walking around the room, munching on my so called healthy snacks - nuts :P Maybe I was going nuts thinking about this essay for the past hour. Well, I knew I gotta start somewhere and I needed to start typing! I finished the last bit of my cashew nut and sat down again, started typing, looked at the relevant readings and started 'punching' ideas into my essay. I desperately needed to see words on that blank document. One paragraph...two paragraphs...three...four...five... After about two and a half hours, I finally had three pages of words, I was only halfway through. I started reading through what's typed...more questions came to my mind. Is there coherence? Do I have a direction in what I have presented so far? Am I moving towards a clear direction? Would someone who has no understanding of the subject matter be able to comprehend what's presented? Am I making sense?... Goodness, I needed more cashew nuts and cranberries :P Stood up again, took a look at the table from a distance and ha, thought it felt like a piece of art - a piece of confusion or maybe the art of confusion :P I took a picture of the 'state of confusion'. What do you think? What could be my next piece of art be?

I was thinking about what one of my lecturers had told us. He said with a broad smile on his face, "To hear that you are struggling with your essay is music to my ears. I am happy to know that because we all have gone through that before." I do not know if I should be amused by it or be comforted by it. Well, but at least I thought there's still encouragement in his remark. Maybe this state of disequilibrium does lead to learning. Hmm, but for the time being, I guess the state of confusion stays, need to work on the 'jigsaw puzzle' again tomorrow, need to move towards seeing the picture to be formed from the puzzle, I hope.

Messy Baby

I knew I had to get hold of this pic, thanks Mark :) ...Although they don't talk, their eyes speak much. In those moments that you look into their eyes, the comfort that's felt is probably much more soothing than what words could ever offer...Thinking of you lots, messy Baby...

P.S. Looking forward to seeing that sparkle in Bob's eyes too, get well real soon...

Wonton noodles

My father has kindly helped me to buy the char siew and roasted pork. They sure have added much vigour and colour to the whole dish. Our dinner...wonton noodles!

The filling was really a good combination of ingredients, the right amount of each too. But I think I have overcooked the wonton a little, the skin was too soft. But Mummy said, "Never mind, you learnt from it, it will be better next time." :)

The filling...minced pork and prawns, spring onions and Chinese mushroom. Well, I guess this is not exactly the way to wrap the filling with the skin of the wonton, they looked more like prawn dumplings. But stubborn me thought that this was a neater way to wrap the fillings :P

You know, cooking comes with mood. Well, I guess at least that's applicable to me. I love to cook whenever I feel like it, under no circumstances where there are expectations or stress. I guess I was in the mood to prepare wonton for dinner today... Bought a stack of wonton skin last week but had not got the mood to prepare wonton for the past week (silly gal!) :P

A message to Bob

Dear Bob,

I read about you in The Straits Times (5 March) and before I could finish reading the last bit of the article, I was tearing. I was determined to find out more about your story so went to check out Facebook, tears flowed uncontrollably looking at all your pictures... You are such a brave sweetie to have gone through the numerous operations, it must have had been painful. You know what, I thought your story really brought out the beautiful and lovely side of people. You are such a special darling in the eyes of many that they are all keeping you in their thoughts and prayers. I knew I had to make a trip to Books Actually at Tiong Bahru, I wanted to do a little something for you. I did and there were others there too, people whom I am sure will continue to give you the love and support. I wish I could give you a little cuddle, I wish I could soothe the pain that you have...Keep fighting my dear, we all want to see that sparkle in your eyes again...love you

Lunch with Mummy at McDonald's

Mummy enjoying her fillet-o-fish with lotsa lettuce added :P

Teriyaki chicken burger...I'm loving it!

Suggested to Mummy that we should try something different for lunch, well, fast food! I think the last time my parents had fast food might probably be last summer in Basel? ...No violent objection from Mummy about having fast food so we drove to a mall near our place for McDonald's. Hee, Mummy really loved the french fries (so do I!), I think she had more fries than I did :P But after the meal, she mentioned that we should not be having fast food often. Got it, Mummy. We bought some foodstuff from the supermarket and Mummy said that we should head home soon so that she could prepare dinner for me before I went for my evening class...Thank you Mummy...always

Follow Our Hearts Day

Have we ordered too much?

Our all time favourite...Yuzu tea

Squid stuffed with kimchi...juicy and spicy

Yakitori...not really our highlight for the evening

Seemed to be Angeline's favourite

I have a feeling I can eat these every day and not get sick of the rawness :P

I remember chatting with Nura over the phone last weekend about being smart and we mentioned about following our hearts to be a happier person. Ha, I suggested that we should name the day that we're gonna meet up as "Follow Our Hearts Day". So, it shall be! ...Met up with Angeline and Nura last evening for dinner at Shin Kushiya. Wow, food glorious food! We were so very full at the end of the feast that we could not have dessert at all. It was a quiet weekday and the restaurant was not crowded at dinner time. We were laughing so loud at times that I think we were inviting stares from two Japanese businessmen who were sitting near to our table, better learn to be more demure :P ...Hmm, what do our hearts say?

Mummy prepared lunch and I prepared dinner

For the filling of the popiah, I shredded the sardines into bits, added lotsa chopped onions and mixed both. Should have added some chilli padi :P

Our dinner!

That day, I was so tired after reading the whole afternoon that I decided to cook up something exciting in the kitchen. I peeked into the food cabinet, looked into the refrigerator and thought about the kinda excitement I could create with the food items at home. Well, well, well, cooking can really be therapeutic at times :)