Creamy Pasta Salad

Another fast and easy recipe that I adore. But WARNING: you have to workout a bit to burn off the fats! This delicious salad is the closest to what I could replicate from the supermarket's deli.

What you need:

2 cups Elbow macaroni, cooked-->drained-->cooled

1/2 cup Capsicum, diced

1/2 cup Celery, diced

1/2 cup Carrots, shredded

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tsp lemon juice

Parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Using a big bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream and lemon juice.


2. Add macaroni, capsicum, celery and carrots and toss gently.
   
3. Sprinkle some parsley and add a dash of salt and pepper.
   
   

Tip:


• Tastes great especially when it is chilled!
  
• For those who are health-conscious, go for the lite mayonnaise version.


• Use fresh parsley if you have. For this recipe, I used the dried ones. But you need to add a generous portion in order to get that nice parsley aroma.


• You can totally omit the salt, in my opinion. You don't want to be diagnosed with high blood pressure at such a young age, do you? A dash of pepper will do the trick.

So, there you have it! Another delicious potluck goodie!

My Favourite Disney Girls/Princesses

"The Flower That Blooms in Adversity Is the Most Rare and Beautiful of All... "

Fa Mulan

...isn't this quote beautiful? Taken from the 1998's Waltz Disney movie-Mulan, which I re-watched it last two weeks ago. Mulan's father said this to Mulan when she was feeling upset in the beginning of the movie. Brings back so much memories...I was so excited about this movie when it first came out!


I've always looked up to tough, independent girls. Mulan never fails to remind me that we girls can be as courageous as boys! I know it is a legend, but this disney movie speaks volumes and it is so different from other Disney girls/princesses. Although, I still very much adore....

Beauty and the Beast!

The Beast portrays as fierce and arrogant but behind this facade, he is gentle and soft-hearted.

And remember the enchanted rose? Very symbolic. I teared watching the last petal of rose fell.

Mirror, mirror on the wall... who is fairest one of all?


SNOW WHITE




... is next on my favourite list. When I re-watched it last year, oh my goodness, the actress has such falsetto-high voice!! Didn't notice that when I was a kiddie. The seven dwarves... who can forget them? I love DOPEY... so clumsy and funny!.. and he doesn't have a beard! Hohoho...





YES, the apple! I was always so afraid when the witch came into appearance (with the mole).. she still gives me goosebumps up till today!



Wait, I have other favourites as well...

• Cinderella
• Pocahontas
• Hercules
• Little Mermaid
• Pinocchio
• Aladdin
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame
• 101 Dalmatians
• Alice in Wonderland
• etc
• etc
• etc

This list will never end, I tell you...I remember I used to watch these cartoons again and again-probably a gazillion times already! Time seems to be abundant then. Now, busy with this and that etc etc.. no time to watch TV >.<

Oh, did I mention I love Love LOVE LOVE Disney songs??!?!? I grew up with them, play the organ songs, sing to their songs, dance to their songs...Will blog about that sometime later.

So, who is your favourite Disney girls/princessess? Share! Share! I want to know ^-^

One of the most talented artist...

Our King of Pop, Michael Jackson had passed away today...I'm sure everyone would have known by now.

M.J.

I'm still in shock when I saw the news. His death is so unexpected. It was reported that he died of heart attack this morning at his house. He is probably one the first singer/celebrity I know as a young kid. Loved and admired his cool dance move, his famous 'moon-walk'. My three ultimate favourite songs are :

• Billie Jean (I love LOVE the beat at the start of the song!)

• Black and White (He included this kid's voice in his music ... so original!)

• Beat it (Who does not know this song, come and see me! *gives you a whack* It so freaking famous and awesome! I think I performed in a concert with this song when I was younger ^.^)

MJ, you will not be forgotten for sure. Your legend of dance and music will live on forever. Thank you for the beautiful music you've created and the strong positive messages you've injected in your music.

Joke of the Day #4

Good morning, peeps! This is hilarious! Read on!

This bloke is sitting reading his Evening Herald newspaper when the wife sneaks up behind him and whacks him on the head with a frying pan.

"What was that for?" he says.

"That was for the piece of paper in your trouser pockets with the name Mary-Ellen written on it," she replies.

"Don't be daft," he explains. "Two weeks ago when I went to Randwick races & Mary-Ellen was the name of one of the horses I bet on". She seems satisfied and at this apologizes and goes off to work around the house.

Three days later, he's again sitting in his chair reading when she nails him with an even bigger frying pan, knocking him out cold.

When he comes around, he says, "What the hell was that for?"

She said angrily," Your horse phoned!".

Have a great day everyone! ^.^ Smile always

Musical Ensemble

in ChemoDay Centre... How cool is this?

I was reading quietly at my supervisor's office when I heard soft classical music in the background. My mood was lifted instantly! Seriously! In the office, I only hear 2 kinds of *music* everyday- nurses/doctors/patients talking away loudly and the annoying drilling sounds (there is some renovation going on up one level above the office).

Coming back to the topic. My first thought was Wow...The patient had brought in his/her own music player/radio in to share! What a creative way to spend their time here (Depending on what drugs they are getting, some will need to spend quite a bit in the outpatient clinic = boredom) Remember, patients here are 60 years my senior and they do not carry ipod.

I got very curious of who thought of that brilliant idea! So I stood up and trailed the melodious music. Nope, the sound isn't coming from the patients' rooms. And as I walked further up, my eyes nearly popped out.

The trio were sitting there, right in front of the Chemoday Centre entrance. That was the last thing I would imagine it ... The fact that musicians are here. in. the. ChemoDay. Centre playing music is so surreal. You just can feel a whole different environment that they have created- relax, serene, calm. If only they come everyday! Now, that would be my motivation to go to work!

This is just a short recording as my silly LG mobile phone can only do blocks of 15 seconds video *Grrgg*

L-R: Flute, Violin, Cello

I tilted the angle co'z I thought I could get a better view. I hope I didn't give anyone a brief moment of headache! Eek!

Fiber Focus

Many of you may not know this, but I like anything wholegrain/wholemeal =)

One good example is bread. I don't eat WHITEBREAD (unless, the supermarket sells only this) All along, my mom only buys the wholegrain/wholemeal kind of bread. It has got that rough, mouthful of grains to chew on which I really like^-^ Many people find whitebread better because it is smoother.

Another example would be the Five Kernel Mooncake. It is my second favourite after the traditional Lotus Seed paste mooncake. The burst of five different nuts and seeds (walnut, almond, pumpkin, sesame, peanut) when you take a mouthful is so heavenly-crisp & fragrant. YUM! Many of my friends, unfortunately think I am weird >.<

That leads me on to this topic of fibre. As you all know, dietary fibre is important for maintaining a healthy digestive system. It prevents constipation and keeps the heart healthy as well.

So what type of fibres are there?

INSOLUBLE FIBRE

What is it?
Also called roughage. Moves food through the bowel quickly. It is more resistant to digestion and is present in the large bowel where it can be fermented by bacteria.

Where can you find it?
Brown rice, wheat bran, whole-wheat pasta, whole grain foods eg multigrain bread, skins of vegetables and fruits

Note: Whole-grains are grains with their bran, germ and endosperm intact!

P.S: From my experience, I hardly ever get constipation. ^-^ Really.

SOLUBLE FIBRE

What is it?
Also known as soft fibre. Apart from feeling full, it helps to lower LDL ('bad') cholesterol, while maintaining the HDL ('good') cholesterol.

Where can you find it?
Oats, legumes (peas, beans, lentils)

Recap-Top Tips to Increase Your Fibre Intake:

• Eat wholegrain breads and cereals
• Fruits (not juice; eat skins where possible)
• Vegetables
• Peas, Baked beans (my housemate's fav!)
• Nuts and seeds
• Wholemeal pasta
• Brown rice

So, peeps! Start your healthy intake of fibres today! No more constipation problem and a healthier you =)

I've given you too much... Taking' back my love

I'm addicted to this song now! It is the latest single released from Enrique Iglesias's album 'Greatest Hits'

This video portrays a mixture of angry and sad emotions.

What I like most is the upbeat tempo! Funny to thing that break-up songs can be so groovy ^-^

Do you know that there is a second version where Enrique Iglesias duets with Sarah Connor (German singer)? I prefer her vocals for this song though.

And there is also a French version featuring Tyssem.

My other favourite songs from his previous albums are 'Escape' and 'Hero'. Aahh... feeling nostalgic now.

Darn! Enrique Iglesias is still looking hot after all these years!

Look, he's giving us a sexy stare!

I can feel my heart melting....Has yours?

Lotus Root Soup

I loooooooovvvvee SOUP!! I can just eat rice with soup alone! Back home, there would always, AlWAYS be soup for dinner! I miss my grandma’s and mom’s soup >.<

And… the good news is that these kinds of soup are so easy to make! Especially if you have a slow cooker at home *grins* My brother and I love this soup very much (my brother in particular!)

Lotus Root Soup (Lingau tong)

What you need:

Pork Ribs
Lotus roots, peeled, sliced
Handful of peanuts (optional)
5 red dates
1 piece dried cuttlefish
4 bowls of water
Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Blanch pork ribs in boiling water for a while and then remove. This step is to get rid of the blood scum hence, making the soup less murky.
2. Using a slow cooker, place pork ribs, lotus roots, peanuts, red dates, cuttlefish into the water.
3. Let the soup brew for about 6 hours.
4. Salt to taste

This is a busy woman’s way of cooking! Co’z you can plop everything into the slow cooker at 8am and come back home at 5 pm to a bubbling soup!

This soup is definitely one of my favourite comfort foods… *hearts*

Magnificence of Nature

I just want to take this opportunity to thank my family, relatives and friends who stood by me and who have been very caring and understanding through this sorrowful phase. You know who you are =) I hope I haven't been too difficult.

As many would have known, my grandfather and I share a close bond together. So, naturally I felt unhappy because I could no longer physically give him a hug or even listen to his voice when I call back...

A friend told me that sadness and pain are signs of emotional healing and it shows that you are human and you are being honest with yourself. You are building a higher level of relationship in creating new and continuous bond with your loved one in your memory. I will definitely keep that in mind...

Now, I have abandoned this baby blog for quite a while. Perhaps it is time to resume ... The icy cold weather is so unbearable sometimes, especially when the mighty wind blows!! So what better way to keep yourself cosy and warm with a bowl of hearty soup when you come back from work!?

That's up in my next recipe post...Stay tune ^.^

Joke of the Day #4

Good morning, peeps! This is hilarious! Read on!

This bloke is siting reading his Evening Herald newspaper when the wife sneaks up behind him and whacks him on the head with a frying pan.

"What was that for?" he says.

"That was for the piece of paper in your trouser pockets with the name Mary-Ellen written on it," she replies.

"Don't be daft," he explains. "Two weeks ago when I went to Randwick races & Mary-Ellen was the name of one of the horses I bet on". She seems satisfied and at this apologizes and goes off to work around the house.

Three days later, he's again sitting in his chair reading when she nails him with an even bigger frying pan, knocking him out cold.

When he comes around, he says, "What the hell was that for?"

She said angrily," Your horse phoned!".

Have a great day everyone! ^.^ Smile always

Ah Gong,

I will always love you, you know that

You are the most wonderful grandfather anyone could ask for...

Thank you for showering love to titi and I ever since we were born...

Thank you for the chicken rice that you always buy for us after school...

and the early morning 'nasi lemak' breakfast you buy.. always requesting for more sambal (you know its my favourite)

Thank you for listening and giving me 'words of wisdom' whenever mom and I quarrelled...

I wish I could play your favourite 'Wong Fei Hong' song just one more time before you leave...

And buy you Mc Chicken burger and your favourite fish paste noodle soup

and wan tan mee minus the black sauce...

I will miss having morning 'yam cha' session with you...

And going to the dentist together

You and Ah ma will always, Always be in my thoughts and prayers

You know that I always love you both very much

and I will carry the wonderful memories whereever I go...

I love you with all. my. Heart.

"I like your smile"

That was once a friend told me.

and no, I am not on levodopa. And till this day, I can still remember the way my friend said it to me- so genuine. It definitely brightened my day.

And I never thought my smile is captivating.

Sometimes, little things like this can make a big difference in a person's day. On Monday, I met this woman in the tea room. While making a cuppa together, we striked up a conversation... and I saw her eyes... so mesmerizing! It is not my nature to compliment a complete stranger for the first time (I get this impression that the person may think you are nuts!), but I cannot NOT TELL her. She was grinning from ear to ear when I told her that she has a very beautiful pair of eyes ...Lovely sea blue-green colour, I have never seen before...I even asked her if she wore coloured contact lens ^-^ It turned out that she is of mixed parentage-English and Irish-Spanish.

It feels good to sincerely compliment someone. So, pass it along-give a compliment to someone today.

Shepherd's Pie

Sorry peeps! I realized I didn't take any good snap shots for this recipe. But BUT, I got this instead...



I know, I know... it looks far away.. I promise to take an upclose picture the next time I cook this again, ok?

Meanwhile, enjoy this recipe! I guarantee you will love it!


What you need:

PART A

• 3-5 big potatoes, peeled, chopped into big chunks (Note:you can use any kind, but desiree ones taste nicer!)
• Butter
• Milk

PART B

• 500gms minced chicken
• 1 brown onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 sachet tomato paste
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

Step-by-step instructions:

PART A:

1. Cook potatoes in a pot of salted boiling water until tender.
2. Drain well.
3. Mash the potatoes and add in some milk and butter. Your end product should be smooth.
4. Season with salt and pepper.

PART B:

1. Heat some oil in a frying pan and cook the onions for 1-2 minutes.
2. Add in chicken mince and cook until browned.
3. Next, add in celery and carrots and keep stirring for 5 minutes.
4. Add in diced tomatoes and tomato paste.
5. Then, place bay leaves and Worcestershire sauce into the mince mixture.
6. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
7. Season with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaves.

PART C:

1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees.
2. Place the mince mixture to a baking dish (preferably one with a good height)
3. Transfer the mashed potatoes and spoon over the top of the mince mixture.
4. Use a fork to create peaks.
5. Optional: Sprinkle some parmesan cheese over the top.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until mashed potato turns brown.

Tip:

• I like to start boiling the potatoes first because they take some time to soften. Meanwhile, work on the mince meat mixture.
• Remember to take the bay leaves out from the pot! Count how many leaves you put in...
• A good simple recipe for potluck parties!

Recipe- credits to my lovely aunty!

Joke of The Day #3

Another random joke from the basket that I picked up this morning!

After being away on business, Tim thought it would be nice to bring his wife a little gift.

"How about some perfume?" he asked the cosmetics clerk.

She showed him a bottle costing $50.00. "That's a bit much," said Tim, so she returned with a smaller bottle for $30.00.

"That's still quite a bit," time complained. Growing annoyed, the clerk brought out a tiny $15.oo bottle. "What I mean," said Tim, "is I'd like to see something really cheap".

The clerk handed him a mirror.

Heehee.. so 'kiam siap'!

Australia's Biggest Morning Tea '09

Note: This happened a few weeks ago....

So, what is this morning tea about? Why is it the biggest?

Taken straight off from the website www.biggestmorningtea.com.au:

"Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea is one of Cancer Council’s leading fundraising events and the largest, most successful event of its kind in Australia. Over $60 million has been raised since it first began in 1994. The official date is Thursday 28 May (way past already), but you can host an event any time during the month of May or June. Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea is easy to organise, fun and completely flexible to suit your environment - at your school or club, at work or even in the comfort of your own home. Simply arrange a time and place and invite your guests to make a donation. Funds raised during Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea go towards Cancer Council research, prevention, education and support. "



Yep, so our fundraising event was held on the official date at my workplace, we had our gold coin donation. Because this event was organized by a lovely lady, she opted for all- you- can -eat delectable cakes (carrot, chocolate, cheesecakes, chocolate-mud etc) , yummy chicken sandwiches, home-made scones, tea, coffee etc etc. There was a wide selection of food to choose from!!(Sorry, didn't take any pictures) , was busying stuffing myself with these oh-so-good food! ^-^Hohoho...



My favourite was the home-made scones topped with cream and jam. Absolutely scrumptious! So come join next year's Australia's Biggest Morning Tea, or organize an event, not only for the good food but for a real good cause!



Ending this post by saying ...

Joke of the Day #2

I love crossing by a certain area in my workplace because there is a basket of small papers written on jokes. So everyday, I would go and pick up a random joke to kick start my morning blues =) So, here is one to brighten up your day!

A married couple were asleep when the telephone rang at two in the morning.

The wife, picked up the telephone, listened a moment and said, "Who was that?"

The wife said, "How the hell should I know? It's about 200 miles away" and hung up.

The husband asked,"Who was that?"

The wife replied," I don't know. Some woman called up wanting to know if the coast is clear".

XD XD XD

Stay tune for more!

1st Line Treatment for Growling Stomachs...Where's my food?!

When it comes to food, I guess as students, we miss the luxury of having our mom or maid to cook for us back home. Of course, when you think about it, life was so easy -you don't even need to think about cooking or even washing your own clothes.

(I probably look like this the very first time I held the metal spatula and cooked with my grandmother when I was 14 years old!)

I hardly cook back home. I know some of you are in the same position as me, so don't laugh! Probably occasional spagetthi bolognese, scrambled eggs. mashed potatoes, chicken nuggets, maggi mee XD. It is only when you are away from home, you start appreciating things that you take for granted.

But I am happy to say I am developing my culinary skills along the way. I know I can't afford eating out all the time... so in some ways, I am 'forced' to cook. BUT in a GOOD WAY, because now, I find cooking very therapeutic for me. The only part that I hate?- CLEANING UP/WASHING.... >.<

In this Foodie Zone, I will be attempting to post recipes. I am not a professional cook obviously (but secretly wishes my future other half is one for obvious reasons). I am still learning along the way, picking up tips from my mom/relatives/friends.

So, to kick start my recipe section, I will be posting up this delicious Shepherd's Pie recipe very soon.

Credits to Ah Yee.

On a cold, rainy day...

I LOVE the view from my room. In particular, I love the sunrise scenery... the blend of orange, pink and purple colour in the sky is hypnotic! Captured it once before with my camera, but it is not as beautiful as you see it with your own eyes.

Back to the title, it is so cold and gloomy today. It is still raining right now as I am typing. Huuhuu...

BUT I enjoy watching the view...the misty sky, damp roads, people running for cover and if you look closely enough through the window, you can see the rain drops. Aaahhh....and you are in your own cosy room. How nice :)

Tea time!
Toast anyone?
Peanut butter with forest fruit or passionfruit spread?

PLUS a hot cup of mushroom soup! Yum!
Simply heartwarming...

In order to keep myself warm, this is what I do:-

• Drink 2-3 cups of MILO per day..Eeekkk.. my blood sugar level. Pancreas, I hope you are coping well
  
• Stick faithfully to my wheat bag- so nice and warm! Thank you Gerry for the sewing!
  
• Wear double/triple layer of clothes
• Stockings
• Scarves-ESSENTIAL! Especially if you are out. My aunt says you lose a lot of heat from your neck upwards! This is so true! I feel so much warmer with my scarf on.

Question for you guys- What do you do to keep yourself warm and cosy?

My very FIRST MUSICAL.....

I spent a heavy sum on the ticket, and of course, my expectations were very high...and the play did not let me down at all. It turned out FANTASTIC ! I seriously don't mind forking out $$$ to watch it again!!! Truly enjoyed every moment of it. I was fortunate enough to sit on the side of the row, so my view was perfect. The songs were just beautiful and melodious. Madly madly in love with them.

My organ teacher introduced and taught me various musical songs. In particular, the phantom of the opera songs caught my liking. I didn't know the story behind it back then. I remember I loved the 'gothic' sounding of the opening of Phantom of the Opera (still do!). My brother, on the other hand, loathe the moment I play that song! Heehee...Probably that reminded him to finish up his english literature homework!

My Top 3 FAVOURITE songs are:

1. Phantom of the Opera
2. All I Ask of You
3. Angel of Music
   

A romantically tragic story written by Gaston Leroux

accompanied with mesmerizing songs composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Love it with all my heart!

Joke of the Day #1

This was up in one of the toilet cubicles!! If you knew where I was working, you will find that funny! Luckily no one was in the washroom at that moment when I laughed...It was soooo funny! I don't know whether you have heard of this one before, but here goes!



Dear Tech Support,




Last year, I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a slow down in the overall performance, particularly in the Flower and Jewellery applications that had operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0. In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as Romance 9.5 and Personal Attention 6.5, but installed undersiarable programs such as AFL 5.0 and NRL 3.0. And now, Conversation 8.0 no longer runs and Housecleaning simply crashes the system. I've tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no avail.What can I do?


Desperate





Dear Desperate,


First, keep in mind that Boyfriend 5.0 is an entertainment package, while Husband 1.0 is an operating system. Try to enter the command: C:/I THOUGHT YOU LOVE ME and download Tears 6.2 to install Guilt 3.0. If all works as designed, Husband 1.0 should then automatically run the applications Jewellery 2.0 and Flowers 3.5. But remember, overuse can cause Husband 1.0 to default to Power Off 2.5, Happy Hour 7.0 and Beer 6.1. The latter is a very disturbing program as that will create Snoringloudly.WAVfiles.Whatever you do, DO NOT INSTALL Mother-in-law 1.0 or reinstall another Boyfriend program. These are not supported applications and will crash Husband 1.0. In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have a limited memory and cannot learn new applications quickly.You might consider purchasing additional software to improve memory and performance. I personally recomend Lingerie 7.7 and Sex 3.0. GOOD LUCK!



Tech Support

Memories of the Blue Cat... DORAEMON!

Hi all!! To kick start my first post, I will be writing about my memories of the dear blue cat...DORAEMON!!! In fact, I found the inspiration to strike up a blog after a conversation around doraemon. I thought I needed a way to document and relive my old memories. I may remember things now, but can forget them 30 years down the road... Yea, our neurons degenerate..Boohoo
*better eat more gingko*

Anyways, back to the title- If you didn't know, I love to read Doraemon comic books back then. My brother and I used to buy (he does the buying most ) so many comic books from the indian shop near his primary school. And we read them at home during lunch!! Yes, you can imagine us with one hand holding a spoon and the other hand to flip the pages, the book against our bowls. We would generally use our left hand to eat so to free up our right hand to hold the book at the top and to flip the pages because the pages are read from right to left! Heehee...And I tell you...we would never be bored reading the same books again and again. Don't be surprised that if you ever want to borrow these books from me, you'll find some pages splashed with food stains ( mostly because of soup! Eekk..)

The Doraemon cartoon series would air on local TV 1 @ 7pm Sunday. I can remember this so vividly because this is the time when my brother and I would scoop our rice and side dishes in the kitchen, dash to the living room to grab our favourite spot and sing the opening song of doraemon (that's me only). Good old days!

I remember I hated the feeling of 7.30pm at that time when I was a little girl. 7.30pm marked the end of doraemon cartoon and this also meant the end of a good weekend and it was back to school tomorrow! Gggrrggghhh.. I DREAD it all the time!

Another cartoon that I enjoyed was Sin Chan. That's right, the mischevious boy! Ooo.. how I loved his crazy demeanor and his smirk! And I will never forget Bo's physical apperance... always dripping 'hingus'. You know, I know it is very disgusting but hey, remember these are little children and that is such a common sight in real life =) I should also add that I read Dragon Ball too- 'Mutiara Naga'! There were other animes as well, but I can't remember. I need to search in my anime collection box when I go back home..er, if my mom hasn't thrown or given them away!

But really, the cartoon that holds close to my heart is still Doraemon... I grew up with my virtual blue cat ! :D <3