Friday, August 24, 2012

what's for brunch today?

the nice thing about having some spare time on hands, and being happily home alone without any interruptions or distractions, is the freedom to do anything, anyway and anyhow you like it, no pressure at all :) i get to decide whether to head out somewhere for a fancy all-day western breakfast at some chic neighbourhood bistro, or pop downstairs in my casuals to buy some local takeaways, or just look into the fridge for inspirations and make myself a simple meal, and then be a little self-indulgent - dress up the plate, put out some nice place mats, add a cup of tea, and just enjoy a respite from the hustles and bustles outside.

because we had so much leftover steamed rice from dinners earlier this week, and there's a can of luncheon meat in the kitchen cupboard too *grin*... so fried rice it is for brunch today - easy, simple and so satisfying. yumm yumm.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Fairly Legal - kiss me

i'm an avid TV girl, i watch quite a bit of TV on the cable channels, though mostly random. with an irregular schedule, it's difficult to follow a specific tv series through all its episodes, but thankfully for the Starhub hubstation, i get to pre-record selected shows that i love.

one such newer series that has gotten me hooked since season 1 is this fun and light-hearted "legally blonde" style drama - Fairly Legal on the Diva Universal channel. starring Sarah Shahi, Michael Trucco, Virginia Williams, Ryan Johnson et al, it's a story about character Kate Reed who quit her profession as a lawyer to become a charming mediator in an over-zealous quest to help anyone she meets.

so, i've always been captivated by the funny and impulsive Kate Reed, her never yielding sense of justice, as well as the chemistry, dynamics and conflicts between all the key characters... but now, one more reason that has gotten me more into the show is the budding romance and tension between Kate and her fellow colleague Ben Grogan (a filthy rich douchebag who's actually quite a sweetheart deep down inside) - yea, i know... fairytale, but who doesn't enjoy one every now and then? ;)

can't wait for the next episode to show tomorrow evening here, i'm actually rooting for them, they look cute together (and i'm no teenager, mind you). in the meantime, for those of you who follow the show, and also love what i love, this is for you :)

ps: love the sweet song in this clip too ("kiss me" by Ed Sheeran)


(courtesy of Im4Clois on youtube)

Saturday, August 11, 2012

mother dog saved puppies from fire in Chile

"In a fire that occurred yesterday in the city of Temuco (Chile) a mother dog saved all her puppies of only ten days old, carrying them from the burning house to a safe place, as the ladder of the firetruck. The pups are now recovering in a Veterinary Clinic, doing ok, except for one of the pups that has burnings." (source)


such a beautiful and heart-warming story... and a reminder of how a mother's love and courage transcend all kinds, human or not. the wonders of life.

such bravery, Amanda! hope all of them are now safe and well.

view the original article in Spanish

watch Olympics 2012 sporting events - LEGO style! ;)

don't miss these amazing stop-motion videos of the Olympics 2012 events by designer Fabian Moritz... love them all! :) commissioned by The Guardian.

"animated reconstructions of the best moments of the global sport event taking place in the UK from 27 july to 12 august 2012."

women's gymnastics final

men's swimming 200 individual medley final
they even included a funny bit about Michael Phelps' 12,000 calorie diet! lol!

Usain Bolt wins gold in 100m run final


click here for the complete series (more videos).

Thursday, August 09, 2012

happycall pan can bake!

yes it's true, and it works! the happycall pressure-pan bakes too, how cool! :) referencing recipes from experienced food bloggers, i made some tweaks and adjustments of my own and pulled this off...

 
 
 
 
 

the texture of the cake turned out, as the other bakers had also noticed, dryer and somewhat crumbly compared to regular oven-baked ones, but the fact that happycall can be used for baking opens up new possibilities for fun experiments in the kitchen :)

so the above was my first happycall bake - a mango upside-down cake with nuts and chocolate chips - totally random and unorthodox, but go ahead have some fun, do it whichever way you wish ;)

some inspiring recipes:

Wednesday, August 08, 2012

just gotta love Google Olympics Doodle...

this mashable article says it all.... hehe... all you had wanted to do was to perform a simple Google search, but ended up spending much more time than you had intended, trying to get a better score! LOL. genius.

so, what is your hi-score at the Google Olympics Doodle today? ;)

 

blueberry smoothie day :)

suddenly got into the mood for some smoothie today... so blueberry smoothie it is!

just grab a bunch of frozen blueberries, a cup of unsweetened / unflavoured yoghurt, add some honey to taste... blend... and voila! plus it's such a bonus seeing how pretty it looks, isn't it? Just brightens up your entire day :)


 

Sunday, August 05, 2012

Mentos singapore - national night??!

9th august is Singapore's national day... but have you heard of the 'national night'? ;)
LOL... hilarious (and very Singaporean) viral video by - guess who? - MENTOS SINGAPORE! hehehe...

Sunday, June 10, 2012

"Tikkam" for grown up women :)

remember when you were a kid, you would spend all your spare pocket money at the neighbourhood "tikkam" store - picking up a random number from a cup/box, matching it against the numbers on the gift board, and then often, smiling silly, walking away with an inexpensive little bell, a trinket, an eraser or something...

this is like that, except it's targeted at the grown up women ;)

 

you pay a fixed monthly subscription fee of S$25.00, and get little surprise packages of random beauty samples - skincare, bath & body, makeup etc. - delivered to your door steps every month.

very interesting concept, and i think it would continue to work as long as the perceived value of the packages surpasses the amount being paid, and of course, that lousy samples stay out of the packages. moreover people are not exactly paying for the items in the box, what they're after is that surprise, the suspense and that little thrill of receiving something expected - yet unexpected - in the mail. so keep it pretty too, and the subscriptions will roll...

Sunday, May 20, 2012

simply brilliant!

amazing things happen every day, no doubt about that... what makes the difference is whether we slow down enough to discover and appreciate them.

stumbled upon this very simple and ordinary little idea, so impressed with it that i just have to pass it on.


an everyday object most people would have access to, with just a few clever little touches, becomes a super practical piece of storage tool :)

keeps your snacks and loose packets of chips fresh and within reach. so easy to DIY, i'd say turn it into a little weekend project with your kids.

recycling efforts don't have to be on a big scale. you can start today, right at home :) have fun... and do leave a comment with a picture of your very own "bottle cap sealer"!

Saturday, April 07, 2012

good old comfort food

comfort food comes in all forms for me at different times, sometimes it's a slurpy piping hot bowl of nissin instant noodles (maggie mee), sometimes it's sinful pan-fried luncheon meat on toast, other times it's a plain bowl of teochew porridge with hae-bee-hiam (dried shrimps with chilli) and salty preserved olive leaves fresh from the glass bottle, or simply cheese with crackers...

today, for lunch... this was my yummy comfort food - the Beo Crescent Hainanese Curry Rice.

this stall has been around since i was a little kid, mum would occasionally buy this for our sunday takeouts. i guess it's a mixture of the nostalgic familiar tastes and the good old memories of my childhood days, that makes this an exceptional comfort food for me.

i love mine flooded with the generous scoops of mixed gravy and curry sauce, and the oh-so-sinful crispy fried fatty pork chop, a side of long beans, and braised cabbage.

do be prepared for the lunch-time queue (they usually sell out by 2pm or so), but good things come to those who wait... ;)

ps: of course, none of the above would be perfect without my biggest comforts of all times - my cuppa hot teh-siu-dai, or simply tea with milk (reduced sugar) :)

Thursday, January 26, 2012

travel with tokidoki this Spring

we all love to travel, don't we? visiting new places, experiencing new sights and sounds, new tastes and wonders, shopping, exploring, meeting new people, the occasional holiday romances.. lol! there's just something about holidays, vacations and travelling that's simply magical.

now take that magic and throw in some tokidoki, voila! that's what makes this Spring 2012 so wonderful. how so? check out these awesomely adorable travel-inspired tokidoki collections:



makes you can't wait to book your next holiday and hop on that plane, and bring these lovely bags and make-up along with you, doesn't it? :)

a lunar new year gift for myself :)

i simply love hearts and polka dots and ribbons and butterflies... can't explain why - guess it's part inert, part cultured.

it was love at first sight for this little pouch from coach - shiny patent leather in a sweet subdued lavender shade, debossed monogram prints, and *gasp* the most adorable little bow with a worn-gold heart charm! <3 <3 <3


yea, i know i didn't need a new pouch, but in the spirit of the lunar new year celebrations, i've decided to indulge myself and splurge a little, a new year's gift for myself ;) a pretty, new money purse for the new year, that should be a good token, right? *smile* ok, i'll be good now... no more indulgences.

cheers to a happy lunar new year 2012!

Sunday, January 01, 2012

HAPPY 2012!

another post, another day, another year...

there's a Chinese saying "三分天注定,七分靠打拼" - we are what we are because of 30% God's will, and 70% hard work.

life is often what we make of it - whilst fate plays a part in bringing us people, things, opportunities (even good luck) at a specific place, a specific time, a specific intersection; it is ultimately the decisions we make, how we respond, that determines what happens next... and then beyond.

2011 has been a whirlwind of events, despite it having passed by so fast, there were many significant moments - good ones, bad ones, crazy ones, rewarding ones, experimental ones, embarrassing ones - that made me discover more about myself, about people around me, my own strengths and limits, and the marvels of nature and life.

as we welcome the brand new year, i am thankful for all who has been there with me through the journey. it's easy to take things and people who matter for granted - i hope i will always remember to show appreciation in whatever little ways i can. i'm not a vocal or expressive person by nature but i am grateful for life and its gifts, and constantly remind myself to be a better person - to be aware, to share more, to appreciate more, to smile and give thanks more often, to count my blessings, to be happy, to live with conviction.

so in the New Year 2012, let us approach all things with an open heart, accommodate differences and shortcomings, show respect, dream big dreams, laugh out loud, share love, make time for people who matter, make time for ourself, and lead a happy, fulfilling life.

may 2012 bring us love, warmth, good health, good figure *wink*, good company, good dreams, good fortunes, and a good life.

happy new year to all :)