life is sweet
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the past few days have been filled with sweet nothings... Perhaps days lyke these only come by before the arrival of the dreadful dark days. just lyke the eye of the storm. now i await the start of school. *groanz*
Late thurs night, gaseng was nice enough to drop off the long-borrowed glasses at my hse. plus he bought me Earl Grey Dark Chocolate from France! woots...i mean its french chocolate.. WOAH!!! *jumps ard excitedly*.. took a piece of the gem and slowly savoured it. the dark chocolate was delightful, and the earl grey flavor took some while for it to reach the taste palette. But once it did, the infusion of mild tea flavor resulted in a burst of fireworks in my mouth. Crunchy bits of crushed tea leaves heightened the sensation and i was left begging for more. But nope..gotta save this little treasure for real treats only. hehe.
went by ikea tt day and guess wat did i find.. ginger thins! my gosh.. so cheap and they make a lovely snack as well. Tea anyone? 
beautiful sunsets...
a lovely cup of almond coffee - his my babe's (decided to go back to gone fising once more..its reallie a homely place) and my hot french vanilla which was velvety smooth... comfort in a cup.
and lastly, an order meant for an old fren of mine Yan'an from way back in secondary skool. It was nice catching up with her though i wasn't reallie the perfect location, think supermarket. But oh well, it was still nice. haha. 
embrace the beautiful moments while u still have them.. for they can disappear as soon as they have appeared... live and breathe every moment as though it was your last.
emo
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tidying up the room, i pick up a bottle..no.. not with medication inside.. verses.
"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, forI am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
a little teeny weeny peace seeps in...
random findings
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lets see.. things have been happening at too fast a frequency these days. so lets see.. oh well, went to joo chiat for a 'cool down' session after a reallie hot and furious car chase. *gasp* lets forgo the details on this one. yep. Suddenly recalled tt i was so near Obolo, the gourmet cheesecake pattessierie! so it was a mad hunt for the tiny little cafe in joo chiat district which thank goodness wasn't too big so the hunt didn't take us too long. Settled in house for a cup of non-sweetened early grey tea which perfectly complimented the 3 slices of gorgeous cake tt we had. YUMZ! all in all we had the Noisette, New York Cheesecake and the Mango Passion. For me, i thought the new york and mango cheesecake were nothing to rave about. the Noisette on the other hand, dark chocolate mousse, caramelized toasted hazelnuts, crunchy praline feullitine, chocolate genoise enrobed in chocolate glaem. tt description alone was enough to send me drooling all over the floor (which of course i didn't do if not i wld be disgrace). the slice of cake was lyke heaven as it slid off the polished spoon and slooshed about at the back of my mouth. i was captivated, enthralled by all the different textures and flavours tt the cake carried. It worked its magic up to the moment it disappeared, its flavour still lingering at the back of my throat. somewhat deep and mysterious. the piece of gold flake adorning the top of the chocolate glaze was the highlight though and it made me feel lyke a million bucks as soon as it touched my lips. So to all u decerning viewers out there... these are the cheesecakes to try! the BEST cheesecakes in town w/o a doubt.
watched the movie 'knocked up' too. was a pretty hilarious movie..pretty good dosage of the f-word in there. But i must admit that the show was realle downright farnie. Humour wise, it hit the spot, not dry comedy nor cliched lines. highly recommended. plus there were a few lessons to be learnt from the show... haha.. watch the show to find out yeh? haha. Can't wait for Bourne Ultimatum to come out! Kp! i book u to watch le hor!!!
oh yesh.. last of all, ordering macarons from a Evan from Kitchen Ramblings.
had a tough time deciding on the flavors though.. there were so many to choose from!!! the price is rather expensive too but worth it for all the effort put in i suppose... her macarons look divine, just cldn't resist. plus its all the hype now. Wondering if its just empty shells with uber sweet innards. haha. Hope this trial wld change my perception of the famous french pastry... Stay tuned for updates soon yar! dun worrie Weiyi and Rina..u'll certainly get a taste of them yar!Last of all, i wld lyke to share a mtv tt i've caught recently, brought a tear to my eye. guess its the end part tt reallie struck a chord in me. when she read the msg from her husband at war tt 'i'm ok. I miss you.' i totally melted inside. Fantastic song by Avril Lavigne. Rock on girl...
Avril Lavigne -- When you're gone
Sorrie for my rather random post today. its evident tt my thoughts come in little surges of energy. oh yesh.which reminds me of the link my tuition kid Nicholas sent me today. its reallie cool pls watch it yar! haha. Pretty cool stuff. Animator vs. Animation II. Wacky stuff man. Trust me, u won't regret watching this one.
#33 SHF: Tropical Paradise
Labels:
cupcakes,
events,
sugar high fridays
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Yeeps!!! I’ve been a big fan of the sugar high Friday for the longest time. Would often find myself gazing at the lovely compilations of the sweetest things, eyes glued to the monitor screen. Always wanted to participate in one of these but somehow never found the determination or motivation to get my lazy ass moving about creating something according to theme. Well, at least times have changed... and I found the excellent chance to bake something to my urges tt perfectly fit in the theme of the #33 SHF: TROPICAL PARADISE! Woots... by the way, its hosted by our lovely Mary from alpineberry this time around. Do check it out at after the compilations have been made on the Friday August 3rd.
When I think of the tropics. I think tropical fruits, cocktails by the beach, little umbrellas and coconut trees sprawling the beach. Having live in the tropics for all my 20 years. I initially thought that this theme would be a tough one. However, I spoke too soon. Had big plans for the constructing of a Malibu pineapple cupcake, inspired by a lovely cocktail I had just recently at Zouk ( a hot nightspot in Singapore); being a treat from a very special friend of mine, I was fixed on re-creating the drink just the way I had it that night. Sweet, seductive and alluring.I started off with nothing, frantically digging thru my recipe books for inspiration. Hence I decided on a simple yellow cupcake base. Drained canned pineapples and soaked them in Malibu, light coconut rum infused with cinnamon powder for that extra oomph... (Not to mention it’s my favorite ingredient ever!). Then, after mixing the batter, all of which was done with a certain sense of randomness until I got a consistency that I liked. Hence I apologise if the amounts of Malibu, Milk and Sour Cream added in the recipe are not reliable. I added the now plump and juicy drained pineapples into the mixture and carefully folded them in before piping them into my cupcake liners in the muffin trays.
After a long, anxious wait of 23 mins, the cupcakes were ready. And the smell whiffing out from the oven was heavenly! Then I set out to make the frosting. Settled on a pineapple flavored seven-min frosting inspired from Elinor Klivans “Cupcakes” book. This I thought would perfectly compliment the cupcake as I didn’t want too sweet a frosting that would steal the show from the flavorful cakes. Slathering the fluffy frosting on the lovely cupcake, I then proceeded to dip the tops of the cakes in shredded coconut to add a bit of texture to the cake.Then it was time for the taste test. It was love at first bite… at least for Auntie Nora. I was a tad disappointed as somehow the pineapple bits as succulent as they were fell short of carrying the flavor of the Malibu. Perhaps I would soak these in the alcohol over night he next time. But overall, I must say that this was a winner recipe considering that I configured the entire thing myself. Yippee! Haha. Fyi, mummy wolved down one in about 5 seconds and daddy ate 2 to himself! Haha.
So tts it for my first sugar high Friday. Hope all u peeps love it. Looking forward to more SHFs!!!
Recipe for Malibu Pineapple Cupcakes
This recipe makes 12 regular cupcakes
Ingredients:
1¼ cups all purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk
¾ cups sugar
½ cup canola oil
4 tsp Malibu coconut rum
1/3 cup sour cream
3 tbsp milk
1 cup Pineapple chunks soaked in cinnamon infused Malibu well drained
For frosting:
2 large egg whites
2/3 cup sugar
4 tbsp pineapple juice
¼ tsp cream of tartar
1 tbsp water
Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius
2. line the muffin tray with cupcake liners
3. Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda together
4. Cream the eggs and yolk with the sugar till light and fluffy
5. mix in the oil, Malibu until well incorporated
6. Mix in the sour cream
7. Add the flour into the mixture in two batches, each time adding milk until. Add the remaining flour mixture and milk till a consistency desired.
8. Add in the drained pineapple chunks into the mixture and gently fold them in.
9. Pipe them into the cupcakes liners till about 2/3 full (to achieve a high hat) and put them in the oven for approximately 23 mins
10. Remove from oven and allow to cool on racks for about 5 mins before removing them to rest on the cake grills
11. Prepare frosting, in a bowl, heat up the egg whites and other ingredients using the double boiler method.
12. Beat on high speed until frosting forms a soft peak that stands up straight for about 7 mins.
13. Remove from heat and beat for another 2 mins to further thicken up the frosting.
14. Using a thick metal spatula, spread thick frosting over the cupcake and dip gently into a bowl filled with desiccated coconut to allow for an even coating.
15. Enjoy! *YUMZ*
lunch time
Labels:
food,
restaurants
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finally had the opportunity to make a stop over at Gone Fishing.. a lovely little family eatery near my place at Chu Lin road to be exact. Situated in a slpy little neighbourhood surrounded by residential areas mostly, it was the epitome of a quaint little cafe ideal for lazy afternoons.
Hungry from the whole morning of non-stop tuitioning. I had a stop over for lunch at the cafe which i had long wanted to check out since i came across it in an online forum. pity i didn't bring my camera with me, or else it wld be a rather trigger happy situation for me. in fact, i feel tt this wld be the perfect location for a birthday party! love the walls..full of scribbles and comments..some non-sensical and some meaningful quotes. How quirky!
So, after a quick scan thru the menu which honestly was short of being extensive. i was quick to come to the decision of having the set menu which consisted of the norm soup of the day, main course and beverage. for starters, the soup of the day which was to be chunky mushroom was served almost immediately. I've had my fair share of being served lousy mushroom soup of canned consistency in several resturants and even some higher end eateries hence i wasn't holding any kind of expectations for the soup they were serving up. However, i was pleasantly delighted by their delicious soup. its name fell as perfect description for the texture of the soup. Creamy and yet chunky with a lovely blend of mushrooms, portebello and oyster mushrooms chucked into every mouthful. It was utter bliss. Next up was my main course Polish Sausage. Two thick and lovely sausages, lightly sauteed with a small mold of chicken rice and a fresh serving of lettuce and shredded carrots on the sides. Looked pretty wholesome to me... enjoyed it very much though it was nothing to shout about. The highlight was of course to be the Almond coffee... which to me was pretty rare considering the large number of coffee chains tt have sprung up in recent times, this concoction was rarely found on the menu. and yet in this suburban little eatery, the almond coffee was the star of the show. Served generously in a huge cup, i could smell the strong aroma of almond infused with coffee straight away. I do not claim to be a huge lover of almond. old habits die hard, never did like almond in my desserts. But i must say tt the almond coffee was a rather interesting drink, intriguing to the taste buds and soothing to the soul. My mum loved it and her face swooned of lust with her very first gulp. She was taken...
Gone Fishing, a resturant led by husband and wife team is indeed a place for the unhurried soul. A good place for reflections and heart to heart chats with best pals. a perfect spot to chill out, lay back, grab a coffee and simply watch the world go by..
to lihui
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I would like to make a declaration of love for my dearest
Lihui
(a.k.a Sleeping beauty)!
girl..thanks for standing by me thru my bad times... being ard u always just made me feel tt much better. perhaps ur vibrant and bubbly personality just rubs off with ease when u're ard. Thanks for always listening to my nonsense, my incessant ramblings about my crazy love life and my other woes. Lurve uand everything about u dearly..and i must be the luckiest person to have a fren lyke u. *hugz*
having a bad day
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the last two days were pretty rough. Doesn't help being stood up by two friends in a row. Oh well, i dun reallie blame anyone..especially the 2nd case since it was a scenario of me trying my luck. Well..looks lyke my luck ran dry.
So poor me..have to pack my bags and head home from town. Settle for a pathetic lunch at home. *sigh* thank god i have my lovely hot tea to accompany me thru the cold gloomy day (btw..himalayan tea latte was shiok last night. *tee hee*). bah.. enough spoken. Think i shall give this 'try my luck' business to find lunch partners a miss next time. Only serves to beat up ur morale. Bah..
things to look foward to this wkend:
- tuitions with all my special kids
- S17 jc class gathering (considered pretty weird since i never was reallie officially in tt class)
- Baking task for the upcoming SHF: tropical paradise
- Gyming, yoga and MORE running.
*bah*..boring life i have...
mistakes
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its strange how some mistakes come back to haunt you... I frown, i whimper, i sob...but wats done is done and cannot be undone... what remains are regrets and lingering thoughts.
anyway, i'm totally into Rihanna's new song. Shut up and drive. Gosh.. love her attitude and spunk when she sings the lines 'shut up and drive'.. so seductive..*swoons*..makes me wanna just grab her and give her a full kiss on the lips.. she's tt yummilicious. hehe.
sigh
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to the one (if u're reading this):
i'm sorrie tt i hurt u tt badly. I've screwed up majorly since we've been seperated. made several wrong decisions tt i'll probably regret my whole life. I respect whatever u've told me last night, and i truly understand ur feelings. Now at least i'll think twice be4 and thrice before i embark on any form of emotional journey.
where do i belong
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read a post from Shun Zhang's blog just moments ago and came to realise tt i was such a cold person. A hermit, never willing to dedicate myself to the task of bonding. my detachement from the odac committee is evident though i have given the role of a programmer for this year's atc. and i am but a by-stander. not one who carries forth the spirit of the odac committee. Neither am i strong spirited nor fun-loving. But i am proud to be once an integrated part of tt committee, to once have been touched by the odac spirit during orientation days. Somehow now, it all seems to distant. Guess i was never meant to fit in...
mood now, slightly depressed.
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