I forgot to close this blog.

Hereby I declare that I will not be updating this blog anymore tho I won't delete it. So stop asking me too. And those idiots who spam my tagboard can go to *tooot*.

My new (tho now not so new anymore) blog address is: http://my7kaleidoscopes.blogspot.com/

So, I'll see you there ya (:

Ja ne~

Coming Soon...

I know I haven't posted anything for the longest time. School, work, social life yadda yadda have kept me busy. Very busy, really. I promise I'll come back after my exams are done, in like 3 week's time ya.

Btw I'm in the midst of creating a new blog(s?) with ehm... more intelligent sounding blog addie (altho i still find 7bohahaha a very cute and funny name. blame my addiction to Bleach heh...) and nicer stuff, i think. And maybe cuz I wanna change theme also lah.

Oh wellz, keep a look out for it.

In the meantime, I'll see u when I see u ;)

Ciao~

PS: Erns told me few days ago that he ended up on my quiet lil bloggie when he googled for Hana Kimi. hehe... Interesting.

All my bags are packed...

But, I'm not exactly ready to go.

Somehow, I've been feeling uneasy. And 2 nights ago I could sleep cuz I kept having nightmares about the mission trip. Dunno why. Usually this kinda trip always get me really excited. Maybe Reuben's incident kinda have an impact, no matter how slight it was. Makes me kinda paranoid. And the bad weather just sorta worsen the mood.

But anyways, I'm sure God is watching especially since we're doing His work.

I really hope the weather is better there and it's not that cold. You know how much I HATE cold places. Maybe cuz i'm such a warm person, coldness and me aren't exactly best friend :P :P

But in any case, I've taken a nice long warm shower and scrub my entire body in case I decided not to shower there cuz it's too cold. But if u noe me, U'd noe that I can't go to bed w/o taking a shower first.

Heard it's about 5 centigrade there and we hafta take our baths in the river. Hahaha.... Hope my butt won't freeze.

I've so many food pictures to post but guess now no more time. My flight's at 630 AM! gosh!

Wellss, sayonara for now. Will be back on the 24th. On X'mas eve!! well afternoon actually :)

My B'day + X'mas Wishlist!

Gosh I've been so busy that I forgot my bday is around the corner. I've never done this before (cuz quite paiseh, u noe) but since I haven't got any income for the whole term and my internship pay has been long depleted, I guess I shall be shameless and write a b'day wishlist. Oh and since it's near x'mas, the list can double up as x'mas list i guess. *hint hint*

They are in order of priority, meaning No. 1 is what I want the most. But then again... I want 'em all! haha.... even if i don't get all, hope I can get a part time job nxt year so I can buy them myself. Tee hee...

So here's my list:

1. Canon EOS 400D. Optional add-on: 50mm f1.8 lens (if u wanna give me f1.4 also can :P)
2. Springform pan. Brand doesn't matter as long as they are of good quality. I believe Kaiser is avail in S'pore.
3. KitchenAid stand mixers in Empire Red
4. Ramekins
5. More baking pans!! haha... I only have 7 and 8-inch sq pans and a too-big-a-size loaf pan (need a standard size one). Williams-Sonoma has the most extensive and unique range *twinkling eyes*
6. Rectangular ceramic baking dish
7. Cake decorating set
8. A meet up with Jamie Oliver
9. A trip to Japan,
10. Coupled with a meet up with Oguri Shun!

(ok the last three are quite far-fetched, but what the heck.. :P And if u make them come true, I'll LOVE u forever!)

Actually there are lots more but I shan't be greedy ;)

Oh btw, as much as I love reading cookbooks, I think I've enough already. And besides, I prefer getting my recipes online where they've been tried and tested :)

I'll be celebrating my bday in some ulu place, again. The coming one makes it 3 in a row ^^" Dunno if it's good or bad. haha... I do want a nice good quality choc cake for my bday instead of a "kampong" cake. LOL... (altho I really do appreciate them) Maybe I shall buy myself one when I come back :D

Eat, Drink and be Merry

Sometimes i wonder why is it that even tho it's hols now, time still passes by so quickly. I hardly have time to do all things that I wanted to do. LOL but well, at least I'm doing things that i like. Managed to try 4 new recipes, finish all the postponed one piece and naruto shows, go out with friends for food and discovered new baking shops. Not to mention, Fenny and I are planning something exciting! But it's not concrete yet, so I shall keep it under wraps for the moment ;)

So, I've accumulated so many photos but no time to upload and talk about it >.<

Where should I start?

Oh, last Saturday we hang out at Oliv's place for some fun, joy, peace and laughter. At first I didn't really feel like going cuz first, they always started so late (earliest 9pm) and since I had to go home early, thot no point going there. Second, Vee and Ellen couldn't come. Third, they always play drinking game. You know I can't drink. Even if I can, I don't like the taste (unless it's Baileys, or they're used for cooking or baking). But in the end, I'm glad I went. We did have lotsa fun and laughter.

We started with a simple potluck dinner. Check out the proportion of food to drinks. haha... But hey, I didn't drink hor (ok maybe a sip). So don't go running to my dad and say that I've been a naughty girl. Cuz I haven't and I want my x'mas gift.

While everyone is still sober

Played drinking game, which was really fun. Seriously, it's true when ppl say, "People will think you're smarter than you really are if you keep your mouth shut".

This guy is a summa AND acct top student leh. BUT he was the one who kept losing. LOL... that shows gpa doesn't really show ur true intelligence :P

And then people start doing weird things:

Dan demo-ing ase reje dance??

Oliv kept saying 'chicken nene po' (no idea what that means), but Yola heard it as 'chicken lamb chop', and I heard it as 'chicken airport' which got Anz hysterical (mayb cuz he's high already). So mayb that hand movement is part of chicken dance ala Anz *shrugs*

And then there's the joke:
Q: Why did the chicken NOT cross the road?
A: Cuz it'd rather take airplane from the chicken airport.

U have to be there to understand the joke :P

KO-ed

Eat, drink and be merry :)

*Phew*

Finally!! done with exams! *phew*

There are tonnes of new recipes to try out my hands are so itchy now. tee hee...

Oh and of course i feel bad i've neglected the straw hat crew and naruto & friends for so long :P

U noe, after exams sleep was the last thing on my mind even tho my eyes were asking for it >.<

Time to resume my life! haha....

It's been awhile now and though it was short, it was nice knowing you. It was nice having prata with you, jane, and veron before morning assembly. It was nice hearing you play the piano during chapel time. You were a great senior and head prefect.

Rest in peace, Reuben....

Welcome to the Family, guys!

.... and here's some cookies as ur welcome gift :):)

That was the first time ever since I came to Singapore that I've seen so many ppl getting baptised. 11 people! Majority are from earliteens. 2 from BRATz! Congrats to Denise and Teddy!

So happy especially for Teddy. He definitely has changed alot from the first time he joined BRATz. He was er.... rather chubby and bit wilful. Now he's much better. Trimmed down lots (but still considered as my 'babat' rival). And he's now even more diligent in reading his Bible than I am. Shame on me *shakes head*

Can't believe the BCD were baptised also o.O Those 3 mosquitoes.... A big headache in PF. So mischievous and can be super pesty. Hopefully they've really changed haha....Wait. Noe what? Bryan actually complimented my cookies *gasp* The most rascal one.... First time he said nice things to me! I was really happy. LOL... All the effort baking those cookies till 11+pm yesterday paid off ^.^

Seeing all of them getting baptised made me remember my own and how I've changed since. I must say not really for the better. But somehow now I kinda feel lyk I've gotta change my attitude. Be a good role model, sth like tt. Feel kinda bad when Dom actually read all those F words and told me it was vulgar and I ignored him. Haha... Sry Dom, was really upset tt day. But well, I'm the kind who need to let things out. I'll be really mad and upset for a while, but shortly after tt I'll be fine and be a good girl again :) So yea...

Mayb I shud say things using their positive synonyms even when I'm upset. Like my bro said. Instead of saying, "F***, he's such a flirt and so lazy". I shud say, "Goodness me, he's such a super sociable and laidback guy." haha

Well neways, again to Ralph, Denise, Dom, Clarence, Bryan, Tasha, Nic, Grace, and the 3 Filipinos (forgot their names :S), WELCOME!!

I shoud've made more cookies so the rest of the youths cud eat them too. But since it was a new recipe, I wasnt sure how it would turn out. So only made half batch. But it turned out great! the kind of cookies i like. Crisp on the edges and chewy on the inside. Like Subway cookies :)

I think i took out a little bit early so it wasn't tt crispy (I didnt mind tho). An extra minute or two wud make it perfecto. Finally I found the perfect (at least for now) choc chip cookies recipe!

Well, I won't be selfish and keep recipe for myself. Here's to all cookie monsters out there ;)

Addictive Chocolate Chip Cookies

(courtesy of 'bakingsheet')

2 cups ap flour

½ cup quick cooking oats

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup white sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F and line a few baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Blend in vanilla extract and egg. Slowly add in the flour mixture until nearly combined.

Add in chocolate chips and stir until dough is uniform in color and chip distribution.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake at 350F for 11-13 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 40 cookies.

Note: I suggest reducing the sugar by 2 tbsp at least, unless u've a very sweet tooth.

Argh, I hate using camera phone but bro took my camera >.<

Chocolate Keeps Me Sane

Okay, so I've been rather pissed, frustrated, and jaded these past few days. All triggered by that stupid MS midterm which i failed really badly. And i mean REEEEALLYY badly. So bad tt everytime i remember it, I felt like taking the paper out (which I've put right at the bottom of my papers pile) and tear it into tiny little pieces while screaming "Damn u, MS. DAMN U!"

Well, of course there are many other reasons that had sorta built up. But yea, that bloody MS - it's worth 30% and it's MS for heaven's sake. Not AFA.

And so to keep myself sane, I turned to whatelse but chocolate! I ate them, made them into brownies, truffles and muffins in the past 4 days. Chocolate therapy works wonders ^^

I've just realised that we have so much chocolate at home. Thanks to bro's friend who got us a big box of Ghirardelli assorted chocolate fr US. Then there's a container-ful of white and dark choc balls my sis bought couple of mths ago (still taste good), few bars of snickers from last cell group's retreat, couple bars of different milk choc i bought for my experiments (still can't find meltable white choc ): ) and a bar of baking choc :D

Seiously, whoever discovered chocolate should be given a Nobel prize. If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, I'd say, "A piece of chocolate a day, keeps the psychiatrist away."

Mayb it's just me, but I don't even need exp choc to keep myself happy. I love kitkat, snickers, and even those cheapo choc gold coins.

The brownies were for Pris. The heart Yuppies spells "happy bday Pris". Took me quite sometime to stick the hundreds&thousands to the gummies. One of them got burned by the candles. Hee...Had wanted to make choc cupcake cuz i like frosting them but she likes brownies more. She's got expensive taste :P

Made these cuz still have the ingredients left from making the choc truffles bouquet for Kris and Yola. They're the not the normal choc truffles with ganache filling btw. They're Oreo truffles and Tim Tam truffles. But I think I won't be making them in a long long time. Too much hassle. And seriously, working with chocolate when u're living along the equator is a real challange, unless u don't mind blasting ur air-con while making it. But my kitchen doesn't have air-con :(

Those pics are taken in my room with the air-con on and even then the humidity made the chocolate 'sweat'. Sigh....But they still look better then the first ones I made. When I took the pics of the bouquet, they were already melting cuz the weather was warmer. Still contemplating if I shud post the pics cuz they don't look as pretty as I had intended :(

I love taking pics of chocs! They're so photogenic, don't u think? Don't think we have this brand in Singapore. Read about them in some American flog. Their choc is good! Had to eat all 4 squares cuz I've lyk touch them here n there while taking the pics. But not complaining :)

Used the dark choc one to coat the truffles. My fav is the raspberry one. The sourish raspberry filling compliment the dark choc real well. It's just slightly too sweet for my taste. Me not a big fan of mint choc, but I must say I really like their mint choc. After Eight is another good brand.

Will post the muffins pics later and listen to AMA prof now. Ah.... I love chocolate!

Have u ever felt so useless? So fucking useless like u can't do anything right, like ur the dumbest person on earth, like everytime u go for classes it seems the profs are speaking in greek u don't fucking noe what's going on, like u screw up even the simplest task, like u're only interested in doing things tt other ppl consider stupid/useless/meaningless (read: things tt aren't sch-related)?

It doesn't help that all ur friends are so bloody intelligent and hardworking either. Don't get me wrong. I don't have anything against intelligent n harworking ppl. Good for them tt they're such smarties. Gah i so feel lyk bitching now. Class is boring. Fucking hate going to school. Seriously considering quitting school. But dad will disown me if i do that. Damn.

Fuck. I need chocolate. Lots of it. Should i just leave the class?

"I'd give up chocolate, but I'm no quitter"

I had some stored in my mobile which I found while browsing through choc cookbook. The rest is courtesy of google. Enjoy :)


The darker, the better. -- Myself, Caressa

Nine out of ten people like chocolate. The tenth person always lies.--John Q. Tullius

Put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list of things to do today. That way, at least you'll get one thing done.-- Anon.

There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE.-- Linda Grayson

All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt! -- Lucy Van Pelt in Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz

There are four basic food groups, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and chocolate truffles. -- Anonymous

Man cannot live by chocolate alone, but woman can. -- Anon.

When the going gets tough, the tough eats chocolate.-- Author Unknown

There’s more to life than chocolate, but not right now.-- Author Unknown

I'd give up chocolate, but I'm no quitter. -- Anon.

Awfully Chocolate, Awfully Good!!

Okay, so I have like so many unposted pictures of stuff that I made that I dunno where to begin. In the end, I decided to blog about sth that I had today. Didn't make it but I totally totally love.

I'm sure u can guess what I'm gonna talk abt from the title. ha... It's none other than my fav food - C.H.O.C.O.L.A.T.E!!

Neways, we started by having dinner at Astons at opposite Katong Mall (119 East Coast Road). Theo's been mentioning that place several times cuz it's sposed to sell good and cheap steak. Never heard of that place before. But well, several people said it was good and really value-for-money and apparently it's quite a popular place. So I said, okay I'll go. There were sposed to be like 15 people, but in the end, the evilness of schoolwork+deadlines+balmy weather reduced the number to only 8.

The place has quite a nice ambience and there is a nice selection of food. And yes, they are relatively cheap. For chicken, there is chargill, black pepper, cripsy fried, hickory bbq, teriyaki, lemon lime, double up, chicken & sausage comb, mostly at $5.90 (incl GST). For fish, there are the normal fare, like fried fish, grilled fish etc mostly at $6.50. For steaks there are prime sirloin, black pepper steak, prime ribeye, prime tenderloin, and pork chops, ribs, lamp loin chops at $11-$15. Every main course comes with 2 side dishes like coleslaw, mashed potato, baked potato, onion rings, salad, etc. There is the 'celebrities beef' which was Wagyu. It was $38.90, I think. Cheap for wagyu, but definitely not in our tight student budget :P

Well, I'm not a big fan of steak and we seldom have beef at home (usually only in soups or stews) I prefer processed ones, like sausage, corned beef, burger, meatballs and the likes. So I went with Viny's suggestion which was the Chargrilled Chicken with mushroom sauce. The rest had steak (prime sirloin, ribeye, black pepper). Well they all said it was nice. Tried them but I couldn't really appreciate. I thought it was kinda dry and didn't have much flavor. I very much prefer my chicken. It was juicy and the sauce was nice. Not salty at all. The pasta salad was bad. It was too soft and sour.

Chargrilled chicken, pasta salad and baked potato

The 2 latecomers with prime ribeye and can't-remember-what-steak made Erlina and Cyn hungry again

For more info, click here (lazy to type cuz it's already 2.30am!)

After dinner, we crossed the road to Katong Mall for the awfully good dessert - Awfully Chocolate. Been wanting to try their stuff cuz been hearing ppl singing it praises. I so wanted to eat their famous chocolate cake, but the group isn't exactly chocolate lovers, except for Michelle. Since they don't sell in slices and the std cake is sold out, we were only left with the ice cream. We bought a pint plus 2 scoops for 7 of us. Mike didn't eat cuz he 'doesn't like choc'. When I heard that I was like 'Is it even possible for a person not to like choc??' *shakes head in disbelief*

Btw, Karen doesn't eat choc anywmore also. Okay, it's not that she doesn't like it, she just give it up due to some reasons. But for me, whatever reason ppl give me, I am never EVER gonna give up choc, even if they tell me that choc is highly unhealthy, life-threatening and can reduce ppl's lifespan by half. At least I die a happy girl :)

Bact to the topic, the ice cream was bloody good! Even non-sweet-tooth ppl like Theo and Fenny agreed that it was yummilicious. It was so velvety smooth, has intense choc taste and has the right amount of sweetness. It was like eating soft, cold, dark choc. Perfecto! I'd rather have that ice cream instead of the chicken for dinner. ^ ^

We love the awfully good choc ice cream!!

Dig in!

Dang, now I've a craving for its choc cake.

So ppl, hint hint....I wanna have that for my bday cake! (choc cakes from Bakerzin or Choc Factory are welcome too :P)

The aftermath. Wish I could lick the box :P

Abandoned puppies need a home :(

FROM: jen.riding@singaporepoloclub.org

6 black lab (mix) puppies were rescued out of the middle of the road on Saturday. PLEASE help me find them homes - otherwise, it's Animal Control - which means they only have 5 days. We've bathed them, sprayed them for fleas and wormed them....but we can't keep them. They are currently in a kennel in my basement since I don't have a fence. I've lost count of the number of rescue groups that I've contacted, only to be turned down due to no room. Please check with every dog person you know to see if they need a puppy.

Aren't those puppies cute? It's always sad to hear that there are those horribly f***ed up irresponsible owners who abandoned their adorable innocent pets. Feel like punching them, don't you? If only I could keep those puppies, I most definitely would. Unfortch, I can't. So if you like dogs and would love to give them a home, please contact that email ASAP.

Gah! I seriously totally hate irresponsible pet owners! Hope they get their just dessert. Karma ppl, KARMA!!

Mommy, it's over :'(

The Ikemen (sans Nakatsu)

Sigh... finally my favourite drama has ended. The last drama of my summer - Hanazakari no Kimitachi e.

While my peers are enjoying shows like prison break, ugly betty, boston legal, etc, I high-school j-doramas like Hana Kimi. So un-university student like, right? But who cares, I really enjoy every second of it. So sad it has to end :(:(

But really, if u guys haven't read my previous post about the show, go read it. Then go watch the show. The guys are insanely hilarious and silly (it doesn't hurt that they are cute too). But they are also very warm-hearted. I love simple stories of friendship like this. No need to to hold your breath thinking if some guy will get caught or bombard your mind with bitchyness or rake ur brain for some cheem (hokkien for profound) case. Doesn't mean I don't appreciate those shows (i love CSI), but mindless feel-good shows are nice to have once in a while ;)

I'm gonna miss the whole Ohsaka Gakuen boys. The brawny but no brain dorm 1 boys, the cute/hot-looking and fun-loving dorm 2 boys, and the weird and silly dorm 3 boys. No more Mr perfect Nanba-senpai, childish but faithful Tennouji-sama and crazy/always-possessed Oscar. But most importantly, I'm gonna miss the "hot-blooded soccer player, Nakatsu Shuichi". I've to admit he's the best actor in that show (sorry Oguri) and highly entertaining. Boo the stupid director, producer whoever it is that failed to bring the best out of Oguri. They totally supressed his role. He's supposed to be the more lovable character according to the manga. But well, as ppl have speculated, i think they wanna promote Ikuta Toma and the other boys. But he's still my fav actor atm.

Sano (Oguri Shun) and Nakatsu (Ikuta Toma)

I hate how they crammed everything into just 12 episodes. They should make another season. But I guess the final ep (a 2-hr special) kinda redeemed it a bit. The final ep was a roller-coaster of feelings, man. I was worried during the earlier part, then LOL, then worried again, then relieved, the laugh like crazy during the Ohsaka Gakuen festival then felt really sad (me who don't usu cry while watching dramas, actually tear abit), then felt warmness (talking abt feeling lah) and squealed and had a huge grin at the end.

Btw, there's speculation that they're gonna do a SPECIAL, cuz at the end..... ha nvm u guys watch urself. I really wish they do tho.

Neways, here's a video from ep 11, the cheerleading part. Man, they must be the hottest cheerleaders I've ever seen! I totally envy Maki. I used to hate Avril Lavigne's Girlfriend, but now it's stuck in my head *.*

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Will miss u all. BABY!!!

Where's my mooncake festival?

This sucks. I can hear firecrackers swishing downstairs and kids laughing and chattering with glee downstairs. I can see them running ard with lanters. Or squating in groups trying to light up the little candles and make them into shapes like stars and all. I'm on 7th floor and I can even smell the firecrackers and burning candles. Sigh..... I wish i could join the fun.

But nooooo, I'm stuck here in my room, reading up stupid MS cuz i've no idea how to do the hw and fussing up abt my project and cca and my ever increasing readings all at the same time.

And what's more, I thought tho I can't go downstairs and enjoy the beautiful full moon, I could at least eat my mooncake while doing my work. But noooooo, I forgot that mom put it in the freezer and we don't have a friggin microwave cuz my parents think microwaves are baaaaadddd and so it takes some time for it to thaw. Gah! Crabby patty!

Mission Trip Here I Comeeeeeee!

After praying hard every night, sometimes on bended knees, my dad finally let me go to mission trip instead of to his ulu (aka in the middle of nowhere) hometown, which I am very very glad to pass. YAY!! Don't get me wrong, I don't go to mission trip cuz i wanna escape from the other horrible trip, but cuz i DO miss going to mission trip and thus i really do wanna go.

Remember the first mission trip the BRATz had on Dec '05? Click here, if u missed reading abt it. U must scroll down a bit tho.

We totally had a blast! Tho we were stripped off of our usual privileges (computer, internet, bed, clean bathroom etc), we learned alot of things. I came back a different person. Lol, ok lah not so dramatic. But really, a part of me changed, for the better, of course. That is why, this year I wanna join the BRATz in our 2nd mission trip. Cuz i noe i'll be able to help the less privileged ppl, learn new things, meet new ppl yadda yadda, but most impt, witness to non-believers (just like our lesson this morning).

We had lyk 13 ppl fr the previous one, while for this one , we have 17 ppl confirmed going. Praise God! We even have an earliteen coming with us. Isn't it great? I'm really looking forward to this trip.

Btw, ehm.... we need funds obviously. We need at least $10,000. That's solely for the project. Personal expenses (air tix, accomod, etc) come fr our own pocket. So far we've managed to raise ard $5,000+ (a gazillion thx to those generous donors) fr our fundraising day and t-shirt selling. We're still selling t-shirt (details later). The designs are christian-themed and very2 nice. U can help us reach our target by buying the t-shirts or make donation.

So if u wanna help (bless ur heart if u do), don't hesitate to contact me! I'm sure God will bless u abundantly :):):)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So neways, here's the details of our mission trip:

Group of youth from the Balestier Seventh-day Adventist Church, will be embarking on Project Aurora in December 2007. We will be headed to Bee Yaw Ta village, a mountain-top village in Chiang Mai, Thailand (it's abt 8 hrs drive fr Chiang Mai, and we need to hike up a little to reach the place)

During this mission trip, we will be running programmes at the public school situated there. Our programmes include English Language lessons, Art & Craft lessons, Health Education, etc. Also, we would also be repairing two classrooms there which have been damaged by termites.

Late afternoons would be dedicated to Vacation Bible School for students of the school and children in the village. We will also be holding nightly evangelistic meetings for the villagers, preached by our own youth (I'll be preaching too (; )

We need funds for the construction materials (timber, nails, paint), the materials to run our programmes and vacation bible school and also for the villagers’ daily necessities. We hope to be able to purchase 100 thick blankets to bring over as it gets very cold in the winter season.

Your help will deeply felt by the people of Northern Thailand. Thank you.

For more details:
Do not hesitate to contact me for the Information Booklet (hard and soft copy available)

Or simply email us at projectpharos@gmail.com to request for it!

Cheques can be made payable to Balestier Road Seventh-day Adventist Church.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Even if u can't help us financially, ur prayers will be very much appreciated :)

Cheezey cakes

Almost forgot I've these pics. All taken when I went out with my favourite gossiping-bitching-ranting about life, sch and the likes-mugging partner. Ok, I'm not sure about the mugging part. We did often stay back in lib to "mug", but usually we ended up doing the other 3 mentioned or some other random stuff.

So sad we don't have any common class this term. It's really fun (altho not exactly work-efficient) doing the same mod as her cuz we're so alike in many things and we're both such 'laggards' (if u don't noe the meaning of the word, google it or take TWC class :P). So it's nice to know u're not alone in a class full of those competitive smart-asses highly motivated people. Crap, we could have been in the same AMA class if not for that stoopid BOSS system.

Neways about the pics - both the tiramisu and cheesecake are from Bakerzin. I totally love Bakerzin, man, ever since my first trip there like er....5, 6 years ago. That time went with my churchmates cuz Gail was working there, so we got staff discount. I still remember how good the warm chocolate cake was. Expensive, but superb. We had other cakes also, which were good. But my fav till now is the molten choc cake.

The tiramisu and cheesecake were really good, as expected. Both were smooth and velvety. Cheesecake wasn't too sour, like some lousy ones, and the strawberry jelly on top balanced the taste well so that the u won't feel jelat (malay for feeling sick if eaten too much, i think) after only a few bite. Tiramisu had a nice amount of alcohol in it, altho a bit more wudn't hurt ;) and the coffee taste was just nice, not too overpowering.

But the nicest tiramisu I've tasted was the one i got during FT dining at NUS Guild house or sth (forgot the place's name) resto located above Carrefour, Suntec. It was damn good! Prof said they used half bottle of the alcohol for our batch. One bite and my throat felt warm already. Heard one girl from the previous class got a bit dizzy. haha...Don't get me wrong tho. I don't like to drink alcohol. I think all kinds of alcohol taste disgusting, even the sweetest and mildest wine. But I love to eat alcohol! In tiramisu, fish & chips, pasta, roasted fish/chicken/beef, ice cream, cakes, etc. And i like the smell also :P

The cake on the pic was carrot cake with cream cheese frosting from NYDC. I really like the chunky cake. U can really see the carrot bits and it got lots of walnut pieces. Nice... They put too much cream cheese tho. But u can always scrape it aside.

Btw it wasn't intentional but don't u think Dawn really looked like a rabbit eager to eat carrot? haha...

Oh n i just realised all 3 cakes have cheese cream on them. Goes to show I love cheeeeseeee :)

I made my own ice cream!

Lolly pops are non-brainer. Lollies are just frozen lemonade, juice, or whatever liquid u freeze in the lollies mold. Simple but really great during summer. But during the summer hols, I felt like making a ice cream. A proper smooth creamy ice cream. And remember I got tonnes of Milo? So yea, I need to finish them up before they expire.

I remembered making my own ice cream with my neighbour when I was juz a tiny tyke. She was a couple of years older, but still we were only in primary sch, I was maybe only primary 2 or 3. I don't quite remember how we did it, but i do remember it being pretty easy. We didn't even get any help from the adult. But I don't really remember how it turned out tho. Haha... So maybe it turned out well, maybe it didn't. Still I don't think it's that hard to make ice cream that u even need ice cream makers, which cost few hundred bucks. I don't think it's worth it, unless u wanna have ur own ice cream parlour. I bet u can make good ice cream without spending much.

Googled how to make good ice cream without ice cream makers. Found some, erm... interesting methods. There's one using Ice Cream Ball. The ball's definitely cheaper than ice cream maker, but where wud i get it from? Never seen it before in Sg. Then there's the Tin Can Ice Cream. It uses similar concept to the ice cream ball, but instead it uses tin can, which are cheap and widely available. But it needs rock salt. Firstly, the salt wud be wasted afterwards, and second, what if the can broke and the salt gets into the ice cream? Yuck. And it's ma fan (troublesome) having to kick it around.

So lucky me, my latest favorite flog (that's short for 'food blog') by David L has a step-by-step guide to making ice cream w/o ice cream maker. yay! and it's got tonnes of ice cream recipe. double yay!!

So, after tweaking David's Malted Milk Ice Cream recipe from his book The Perfect Scoop, I came up with Chocolatey Milo Ice Cream :)

Chocolatey Milo Ice Cream

What's in it:
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
3 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 cup milo powder
4 egg yolks
a pinch of salt
optional: dash of vodka/rum
optional: malted milk balls (such as Whoppers or Maltesers), roughly chopped

How to concoct it:
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the one cup heavy cream with the malted milk powder. Place a mesh strainer on top of the bowl and set aside.
2. In a sauce pan, whisk together the 2 cups milk with the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt until smooth. Whisk together the egg yolks in a small bowl. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Drizzle a little bit of the milk mixture into the egg yolks, stirring to combine, then add the egg yolks in a slow stream back into the milk in the saucepan. Return the pan to the heat and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not let boil or it will curdle. Remove the mixture from the heat and immediately stir in the chopped chocolate, stirring until the chocolate is melted and combined.
3. Pour the chocolate mixture through the strainer into the malted milk mixture and stir to combine.

At this point, if u have the machine, then continue with the method. If not, go to Making Ice Cream Without A Machine for instructions.

Took forever to freeze...

Place the mixture in the refrigerator to chill thoroughly, at least 4 hours. Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. Add the malted milk balls (if using), at the end of churning.

Note: I eliminated the cocoa powder and added more Milo powder cuz I still have so much :P
Btw, according to David, to make the ice cream softer, u need to add more alcohol. But I think I added too much. Erm... like 3 or 4 tbsp. And i think tt was why it took forever for the ice cream to freeze up, like 7 hrs to half freeze and another 5 hrs to really harden :P But the waiting was worth it. It was soooo gooooood.

Time...

...seems to fly even faster this term.

It's suddenly week 4 already. I was lyk, "oh crap, week 4 already?!?" this morning.

Somehow, I still dun have the drive yet. I noe I told lyk every single soul I noe that I'm gonna be a good nerdy girl who wud study and study and study and get a GPA of 4.3 (what u laughing at, eh? I noe its toughimpossible, but I still hv the right to daydream okay!)

I seriously dunno where all my time go to. It's creepy, man. Ok, i did study a bit. Gonna study somemore. Oh and i resumed my gym session today! *yay!* First, cuz my energy level's really bad nowadays and cuz Andy kept askin if i've used the new shoes (which i got erm.... couple of wks ago :P) yet.

Oh and I still haven't upload the food pics I've been meaning to, cuz i was..... busy. yes busy....Okay i finally finished my j-drama (kurosagi and nobuta were great! and yamapi is sweeeeet. Damn Kit for 'intro-ing' him to me :P) and promised not to watch anymore till hols.

I shall upload some photos now ya, so I can delete them. They're seriously cloggin my disk space.

Here We Go Again.....

School officially re-opened today. But lucky (or is it unlucky?) me has no school today. Dang, I still have 3 mods only! Oh plspplsplsplspls let me get my bids this time...

Alrite, gotta pack my bags. Now where the **** did I put my pencil case n stuff? :S

Gah! Where did my hols gone too? It ended too sooooooooooooooooooooon! :(

Hope can survive my tax planning (gasp!) tmr. G'nite world, goodbye dear holidays and welcome (not) school days....