Thursday, December 30, 2010

Spanish Fiesta with Serenity

Date: 8 January 2011 (Sat)
Time: 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Venue: Serenity Spanish Bar & Restaurant (Vivocity #01-98/99)
Ticketing: Register online

Say "Hola" to the rhythmic moves and flavours of colourful Spain! Learn the charming Flamenco and witness a live cooking demonstration of the Paella (Spanish Rice) in a 1-metre pan! Learn how to make refreshing Sangria and treat your taste buds to a variety of Spanish tapas. This workshop is supported by Serenity Spanish Bar & Restaurant and Los Tarantos.

PAssion Card Privileges:


  • Members: $18.00
  • Non-Members: $23.00 (includes free tasting and goodie bag)


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The Eurasian Culinary Experience

 

Date: 22 January 2011 (Sat)
Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Venue: Eurasian Community House (139 Ceylon Rd S429744)
Ticketing: Register online

Learn how to cook up traditional Eurasian fare from Skinny Chef, Quentin Pereira who is a cookbook author and also featured on TV and magazines. Whip up some lean, mean Chicken Devil's Curry and Shepherd's Pie. Pick up pointers on how to decorate the table to capture the festive spirit. Workshop also includes an unguided tour of the Eurasian Showcase, which provides a precious glimpse into the rich Eurasian culture.

PAssion Card Privileges:


  • Members: $35.00
  • Non-Members: $40.00

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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Health & Fitness Apps

What health and fitness apps do you use in your iPhone?  I only used two apps for health and fitness and both are free.

Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker by My FitnessPal

This helps me monitor my calories and what I eat. IMG_1152[1] I would know how much should I eat.  And if ever I crave, I can adjust my meal plan and making sure that I will not exceed to my calorie goal for the day.  I can log my meal right away even when I’m out.  

It’s really nice to plan your meal ahead.  Though it’s not that easy finding the exact food that I’m eating, still there are choices that I can just use as my guide.  And I’m taking the highest calorie count if ever.  I hope in their updates, they would come up with more food database, especially Asian meals.  More so,  I can also keep trackIMG_1153[1] my activities that somehow helps me lose calories.  I can customize my exercise if any.   I would know my progress about my weight and measurements.  And most of all, I would know if I maintain a regular diet plan for weeks I would know my weight in a month or so.  When this app was new to me, I was actually not that serious.  Like a month ago, I missed to record my meal for days and don’t monitor my calorie goal and eating more, exceeding 1200.  This month, I saw results for a week, seriously logging my every meal and sticking to my goal, it worked.  It was not that fast but I know I’m losing pound.  So much so, this app is so good, overall I recommend this free app. Just visit the App Store for more details.


LiveRun

Another free app that is recommended for weight watchers out there. IMG_1014[1] You might also want to try the Live Run app.  This time it will track your runs and there’s reward as well.  It works thru GPS, before you start running like while warming  up, you need to open the app first and wait for the GPS since it will take for a few minutes to work.  It is so easy to use and have simple features that I need for my run.  I’ve tried other free apps but I found them complicated to me.  And I can say Live Run is accurate.  Awesome for a free app.  Just visit the App Store for more details.  Please note though that Live Run is only limited to Singapore only.  

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Friday, December 10, 2010

Luxury Bag Sale!!


Luxury Bags Sale !! LATEST Collection !!
Brands include COACH, KATE SPADE, GUCCI, PRADA, BURBERRY,
MIU MIU, DIOR, FENDI, and more....

Date: 17 Dec 2010 (Friday)
Time: 2pm - 7pm
Venue: Suntec Convention Centre
Level 3, Room 303/304

For More details, please visit www.nimeshop.com

While Stock last.... Come Early to avoid Disapointment.... SEE U !!

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Thursday, December 9, 2010

Gingerbread Cookies

To update you with my previous post on Project Gingerbread Cookies, we finally made it this morning.  My kids both asked me as soon as they woke up about the Christmas cookies we are going to make.   Well, I got the recipe from Joy of Baking.  For her butter ingredient, I substitute it with Crisco all-vegetable shortening.  The last time I used shortening was the time I made a homemade donuts, so I still have enough and I don’t want to waste.  The molasses that I got was darker that’s why my dough and cookies were darker in color.  While rolling the dough, I needed more flour because the dough was still soft even after refrigerating it overnight.  I put back the dough in fridge for more than 10 minutes while preparing for the cutters and table for my kids to work on.  The first batch of cutting cookies were clean and neat.  For other batches, my kids played on the dough, enjoyed rolling, adding flour and cutting.  They had fun!  It was a mess but seeing them enjoying made me so so happy.  I baked the small cookies to 12 minutes and for the large cookies I baked them more than 15 minutes.  When the cookies were done, (cookies not totally cool yet) my kids grabbed on the cookies and ate it happily!  They were really proud on what they did.  It was team work!!  

Here’s the ingredient from Joy of Baking (except for the shortening, original - butter)
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 cup Crisco All-vegetable shortening
  • 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2/3 cup molasses

Here’s what we did:
  1. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and spices.  Set aside.
  2. In mixing bowl, beat the shortening and sugar with electric mixer until fluffy.  Add egg and molasses, mix until combined.
  3. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating until incorporated.
  4. Divide the dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate overnight.
  5. Prepare a clean surface for the rolling of the dough.  Sprinkle flour and place the dough.  Roll the dough until you reach 1/4 inch thickness.  (I actually worked the dough in glad paper with flour and did the rolling then put the glad paper with dough in a baking tray).  While rolling I added more flour because the dough was still sticky.  Return to fridge for at least 10 minutes.
  6. Preheat oven to 350F / 177C and place rack in the center of the oven.
  7. Prepare your cookie tray with glad paper.
  8. Use cookie cutters to cut it out.  Lift carefully the cut-out dough with offset spatula and place in baking sheets.  If you used small and large cookie cutter, I suggest you put them in different tray because the baking time for small and large are different.
  9. Bake large cookie for at least 15 to 18  minutes.  And bake small cookie for 8 to 12 minutes.  They are done when they are firm.
  10. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool in baking sheet for about 5 minutes.  Check first if they are completely firm and that’s the time you transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. 
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About the frosting, I wasn't able to do that.  I know it is better not to miss the frosting especially if you have the gingerbread man cutter and other holiday cutters. For the taste, it was good!!  Molasses tastes good in cookies.  The small cookies were crunchy.  My kids wants to do it again, hmm maybe I will try other cookie.

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Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Project Gingerbread Cookies

My daughter’s been buzzing me to bake gingerbread cookies.  She was suggesting me to bake gingerbread man cookie since the day she saw me playing the apps from my phone.  I’m addicted to these games.

About the game, the first Oven Break is the free version.  I don’t know why I cannot search anymore on App Store about this lite version.  Anyways, I really enjoyed playing this apps.

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The full version is the OvenBreak-Infinity.  This cost $0.99.  But I got it for free.  They were on sale few weeks ago, yay! 

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Fine, enough for the apps. 

My daughter bought the cookie from the mall over a week ago and she really liked it.  That’s the time I decided to look for the other ingredients which I don't have and do it.  I'm lacking molasses and ground cloves.  I didn’t know it was hard to find.  I've been hopping several grocery stores and getting nowhere so I tried to search for an alternative.  The molasses needed for the recipe is in liquid type, this is the only liquid from the ingredient.  I’ve read there’s no best alternative, but others were suggesting to use dark corn syrup but the taste will not be the same – cookie will be more sweeter and spicy flavor will come out, something like that.  For the ground cloves, the stores that I've been to only sells whole cloves. 

Days had passed, just remembered to ask my neighbor-friend who also bakes if she have molasses.  Fortunately, she have it at her home, yay!!

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Since I already have molasses, decided to buy the whole cloves instead and just let the grinder works.

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By the way, this is my gingerbread man and other holiday cookie cutter that my hubby bought from Ikea.

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I’ve made the dough this evening.  I put in fridge and have to wait overnight.  My kids are already excited because they want to do the cutting of the dough.  I will post the outcome of our cookie soon. 

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Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Super Quick Quesadilla

My son is so picky on food while my daughter is quite adventurous.  She likes to try anything that I offer to her.  They both love cheese, my daughter loves wrap and I love quesadilla.  So I  thought of making a very simple and easy quesadilla that we will all enjoy. 

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I just heated the non stick frying pan.  Place the wrap, top with quick melt grated cheese (pizza topping).  Place the second wrap on top of the cheese.  Wait for a few minutes to turn over to heat the other wrap.  Remove from pan, slightly cool then cut with kitchen scissors to serving pieces. 

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Red Velvet Cake

IMG_2538 I made red velvet cake more than a week ago.  Planning if it works, will bake again so I can give  to give it to my friends.  I promised them that I will make a cake for their birthday, that was October and now its near Christmas, haiz!  Sorry girls!   I want to try other flavor and since it’s almost holiday, I thought why not a red color cake, also perfect for the occasion.   I prepared a two small layer cake.  I overlooked the time, I thought I over baked it.  Removed immediately from oven and did not test the cake if its good by inserting toothpick in the middle. IMG_2567 Worst I did not wait to cool completely, it was still warm when I inverted the pan.  The first pan was good but the second was a disaster, the middle did not cooked well. I made it worst and cannot tell the whole story here, in short I was really stupid of doing it.  I did post a pic of my disaster cake on my FB account. 

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The taste was okay, it was moist and soft.  I liked it.  But my other problem, I haven’t tasted red velvet cake before.  So I really don’t know how it really taste.  Another stupidity.  So how?  I can’t find time to search where I can buy a red velvet cake in our area.  Besides I’m not with my good self lately.  Hay, me and my big mouth!!

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Friday, December 3, 2010

Viber

I learned this iPhone application from a friend.  Since it is free and has an amazing offer, I got too excited to download it.  Luckily, I was able to try it immediately.  It really worked!  Must have app!! :)

Viber is an iPhone application that lets you make free phone calls to other iPhone users that have Viber installed. When you use Viber, your phone calls to any other Viber user are free, and the sound quality is much better than a regular call. You can call any Viber user, anywhere in the world, for free. All Viber features are 100% FREE and do not require any additional “in application” purchase.

For more details, watch the video here and visit Viber.


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