Saturday, November 07, 2009
go natural
I have moved house! And no, I'm not thrilled about it. I miss Pandan Valley very, very much. =(
Anyway, I just wanted to post up some stuff that I learnt about natural ingredients while researching for my skincare article.
Here's a list of the most incredible ingredients and their skincare properties!
I have moved house! And no, I'm not thrilled about it. I miss Pandan Valley very, very much. =(
Anyway, I just wanted to post up some stuff that I learnt about natural ingredients while researching for my skincare article.
Here's a list of the most incredible ingredients and their skincare properties!
- Brown sugar is a gentle exfoliant that gets rid of dead skin cells and allows impurities to be purged instead of remaining trapped beneath your skin. (Yuck, who wants bumpy skin?!)
- Olive oil is rich in antioxidants and Vitamin E, which have moisturizing and anti-aging properties and help maintain elasticity of the skin.
- Strawberries are a natural source of salicylic acid, which is used in anti-acne treatments. (Why use over-the-counter creams which contain nasty preservatives and chemicals you have never heard of before?)
- Yogurt, especially when used chilled, is great of soothing irritated skin. Great for sunburnt
lobstersbeach-lovers! - Oatmeal has soothing, anti-inflammatory properties, helps to soften skin and retain moisture.
- Lemon and lime juice help remove dead skin cells and lighten dark spots.
- And here's my favourite all-in-one: HONEY! It's a miracle ingredient because it soothes, moisturizes and smoothen skin; improves blood circulation; aids collagen production and new tissue growth!
Sunday, November 01, 2009
munchkins
I finally got to try the main courses at Canelé
This here is spaghettini tossed with chunks of crab meat, aglio olio style. Tasted really great with an extra dash of chili flakes.
While I loved the pasta, I'm on the fence with their 'Big Breakfast' pizza. While it was decently topped with gooey mozzarella and bacon ham, I had to fault the texture of the thin crust. It was stodgy and didn't snap in the mouth as it should.
The desserts were impeccable as always.
I loved the rich Earl Grey ice cream, adorned with shards of milk chocolate. The tart raspberries and raspberry sauce were a perfect counterpart to the silky ice cream.
I loved Exotique, a sweet crepe paired with a dollop of passionfruit banana sorbet and flambéed bananas.
The zesty sorbet melts in the mouth, leaving a lovely tingle on the tongue.
Talking about the desserts at Canelé is making me hungry!
In other news, I can't wait for the coming week to be over and done with.
I'm actually longing for the study break.
I learned quite a bit while scouting DIY facial mask recipes for my skincare article in Insomniac, and I'll post up some stuff about it soon!
Oh, and thanks to all who let me feature them in the article! =D
Thursday, October 29, 2009
rush rush rush
This is probably the busiest semester I've ever had in university. It's deadline after deadline, with hardly any time to catch a breather in between. As soon as one task is scratched off the to-do list, another is added to it. =/
It's very frustrating when all I want to do is write well, but every time I think I've done a pretty decent job, I read someone else's work and I just can't give myself that pat on the back.
I guess everything is a learning opportunity and that shouldn't stop me from trying harder and harder each time.
I'm really praying to get the 6 month internship at SPH magazines. Looking at the job description, I know it's going to be tough but I want it so badly.
In all honesty, I'm very afraid of getting rejected no matter what I apply myself to.
It's especially hard when you know that people expect a certain quality from you. Many times, I'd rather not try doing something because if I don't succeed, it's because I didn't even attempt it and not because I'm incapable.
Coward, I know.
So I've got a new motto, that is: Don't be afraid to succeed.
It's a line in the finale song in Fame and the whole number is so rousing it never fails to inspire me.
I don't want to be a mediocre writer.
I want to be much more brilliant than I now am.
I want people to read my articles and immediately know that it was written by me, even without seeing the author's name.
I'm not afraid to succeed, so I need to stop being afraid of hard work.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
when i grow up
I just got my first news writing assignment peer-reviewed by some Year 4 dude in my class and he edited like 50% of it.
OMG how to be a journo if my work sucks so badly?!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
grandmama
Got my interview over and done with yesterday. I'm pretty sure I passed it, so now I just have to pray that I ace the interviews over at the companies' side.
It's gonna be a hectic weekend leading into the new week, so I thought I'd take a little break and post a food review before I throw myself back into the flood of assignments I have to complete.
I visited La Nonna (Italian for grandmother) at Holland Village a couple of weeks ago, and I must recommend it for the fabulous food and service they have.
True to its name, they serve up a selection of soups, pastas, wood-flamed pizzas, anti-pastis and desserts that emanate the comforting taste of homecooked food. The price tag may be a little much for just a casual dinner, but it's definitely a worthwhile splurge for dates or special occasions.
Complimentary bread basket, containing these warm, fluffy rolls and lightly-salted slices of bread that snap delightfully between the teeth - kinda like crispy pita bread. They go uber well soaked in olive oil and vinegar.
This was what I ordered - fettucine with succulent prawns in a thick saffron cream sauce, accompanied by slivers of crunchy zucchini and wedges of baby tomato.
This came in a dome-bottomed dish sitting over a small flame. Very ingenious, indeed; the heat kept my pasta nice and warm throughout the meal and prevented the sauce from coagulating. I like that they were so generous with the prawns, which were truly fresh and not injected with baking soda like some restaurants do to keep them crunchy.This is porcini risotto, a rich and creamy Italian rice dish.
I love a good risotto because the rice grains are so plump and give great bite, and you can chew on them individually in your mouth. This one wasn't bad, but I think Pierside's risotto with bone marrow at 1 Fullerton is better. La Nonna's risotto tasted great at first but got kind of bland after chowing through half the dish.This was definitely the highlight of the meal - a seafood pizza called Nera. The exceptional thing about this thin-crust pie is that it's slathered with squid ink paste instead of tomato and boy, does it taste amazing!
Squid, scallop, prawns and baby tomatoes were scattered generously across the layer of melted mozzarella cheese atop the pizza, such that you got a chunk of seafood with every bite. Very, very good.This has to be the best thin-crust pizza I've ever had. The base was light and not at all stodgy. I had dinner at Modesto's last night and although the pizza there was pretty good too, it pales in comparison to La Nonna's in terms of texture.
The best part is, the pizza is huge and perfect for sharing and costs only $19 (before tax and service charges)! We couldn't finish it on the spot and had to request for it to be packed into a doggy bag for us.
What I love about La Nonna's food is that it tastes so healthy. Even the blandness is somewhat comforting and offset by the natural flavours of the ingredients. It's definitely nice to have a creamy pasta and not feel guilty about the calories!
The service there is something to sing praises about as well. I was really impressed by the waitstaff's attentiveness, and the way they treat their customers with utmost courtesy. =)
Definitely worth a return visit, especially for the squid ink and seafood pizza! Hopefully I'll get to try their desserts next time; I heard they dish up a mean panna cotta!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
the zits are out
I'm so bogged down with schoolwork, it's crazy.
I have countless disgusting assignments that require the most ridiculous amount of work for measly amounts of credits, and the deadlines are all looming round the corner.
And then I'm scheduled for an internal department interview for the 6-month internship program on Friday, which I am majorly stressing out over. Prayers will be much appreciated, thank you very much.
Plus I just joined the Lifestyle section of Insomniac, a faculty publication, just for the sake of having a university CCA to include in my resume for said internship. I'm going to be assigned an article to write that's due end of the month, so that's gonna add another bit to my workload.
Great.
The awfully hot and humid weather these days isn't helping much either. It makes me so sleepy and cranky, call me "Grumps".
On second thought, don't.
And I still have so many food places I want to document here! Rarrhhh...hopefully I can squeeze in another post over the weekend after I've scratched some tasks off my to-do list. =(
Oh, and have I complained about the stifling weather yet? Pfft.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
oishii!!
Finally getting down to blogging about my meet-up with Elsa, Mich and Ernie over recess week! =D
We met at Holland V and had the hardest time deciding what to eat, but we eventually settled on Yoshimaru Ramen Bar.
Many people rave about Marutama Ramen at Central, but gosh, I hated that place due to their unreasonably poor service and in my opinion, substandard food.
So when I visited Yoshimaru, it stood out like a beacon of light. Love the service, love the grub. I'll definitely return for more!
The noodles at Yoshimaru are delightfully springy without being overly crunchy. Instead, there's a slight chewiness that adds to the bite which I really like. Plus, each soup that comes with different ramen dishes is delicious and uniquely flavourful.
While waiting for our food to be served, we managed to sneak in a few snapshots of us pounding sesame.
About 10-15 minutes later, the food arrived!
Ernest's Mini Burger Conbo, a set of three not-very-mini burger buns featuring different fillings. One sandwiches teriyaki chicken, a second cradles a prawn patty with mentaiyiko mayo, and the last one has spicy char siew snuggled between.
Elsa's Traditional Hakata Ramen.
Mich's Toasted Garlic Ramen. Elsa and I couldn't really taste the garlic in the soup, but Mich insisted that it was strong enough. We have weak taste buds, I suppose. =(
My Tan Tan Mian, which boasted a robust, nutty flavour, thanks to the sesame infused broth.
The best part about the ramen must be the hard-boiled egg that comes with it. I don't know how the Japanese do it - leaving the yolk inside soft and runny while the surrounding egg white is all solid. I could devour 20 of these in one sitting!
With dinner done, we headed upslope to Coffee Club for mudpie and drinks. =)
Can't resist adding this pic of Mich acting cute. =P
Group shot! =D
Saturday, October 17, 2009
I lifted this from lelove cos I think it so aptly describes how every girl feels!
so i’m trying pretty hard to be perfect. perhaps perfect is too strong; mindful, considerate, eager to please, call it what you will.
don’t text too much because it comes across as desperate. never send two texts in a row for the same reason. no facebook chat every time he logs on, ‘cause that’s desperate too, as is ‘Liking’ everything he posts, so don’t do that either. remember not to ask when we’re seeing each other next because nonchalance is key, right? don’t sound to eager when he suggests doing something in the future, remember, nonchalance. when you’re out with other people, don’t demand his attention, he’s not there just for you. and don’t make an issue of him making friends with new girls, that’s asking for trouble, you don’t want to look jealous and insecure. when he wants to go to sleep before you do, don’t latch onto him because you’ll seem weak, needy, intense.
all these crazy rules i’ve made up in my head so you don’t see past this facade. i’m not nonchalant, i over-think everything. i can be intense, and i’m definitely jealous at times. but in essence, at the crux of all this overanalysation; i am insanely in love with you. i just wish you knew how far away i am from nonchalance.
-tseluyu.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
let's go bombay
I think Indian men can be very handsome, especially the North Indian ones. I would love to have their long, dark eyelashes.
But that's beside the point, cos I wanna blog about food, not men, now.
So I was at Syed Restaurant (in Bedok Simpang) for the first time, feeling extremely hungry. What better to fill the tummy than scrumptious, fattening Indian food?
Roti John. Mm-mm...this was the show stealer - a crusty loaf of toasted bread sandwiching spicy egg omelette and tender slivers of chicken in between, decorated with haphazard squiggles of chilli sauce and mayonnaise.
Ultra sinful, but the taste is so worth it. Go halves with a friend, or you'll end up with heartburn.
Cheese masala thosai. I was craving for this soft, chewy Indian crepe and this more than satisfied me. Love the generous stuffing of masala potato cubes in the centre!
Seafood tom yum soup, shiok shiok! =D
Ok, actually I'm very lazy to write more descriptively for this post. I've got a lot more food entries I want to do, so hopefully I'll feel more inspired for those.
But seriously, the Roti John was damn good.
Monday, October 12, 2009
archived
Forget?
No, I could never forget.
How could I?
In fact, there are still times when I think about everything that happened and a mist settles over my eyes again.
But I have found a way to put those precious memories tucked away.
I've had to.
Love can be the easiest thing, but it can be the hardest thing too.
Love is when you're feeling insecure, upset, disappointed, discouraged, angry, at your limit's end...
And even so, you are somehow able to say:
"I love you."
-Rachel Xie
Saturday, October 10, 2009
less is more...
But not when it comes to my makeup collection!!! =D
My latest haul! Everyday Minerals' 45% discount off 12 items (or more) is so worth it when you're getting a lot of lipglosses or eyeshadows. I got yet another free pack of blotting paper and see those little pouches in the corner? Each lipgloss came in one, how cute is that?!
My love - blushes!!
Viki's Radiant Creation looks similar to Waffle Cone, but the former is more rosey and the latter is more earth-toned. Champagne is a pale pink with crazy sparkle...very pretty! It'll make a fab multi-purpose powder; you can use it as a highlighter or eyeshadow.
And finally, there's B&B. It's very orange with lots of shimmer, so go light with this one or you'll end up looking like a mad, glittery pumpkin!
I love me some blue eyeshadow!
Baby Sitter, Carpool and Beach Towel make up the 'Blues for Eyes' free sample kit, and Bubble Tea is an eyeshadow sample I threw into my cart to hit the order requirement for the free gifts.Said free gifts:
The colours here are really washed out, I know. But they're taken under the light of my table lamp so...I'm selling off Driftwood and Cliche, both of which I already have, and keeping Late Checkout. These colours will all make good brow bone highlighters or eyeshadow bases.
Speaking of highlighters, here's the highlight of my order!!!
The colours are so pretty, I was in such throes of ecstasy when I was swatching them yesterday night. Check them out...
Spring Berries: Reddish, berry shade as its name suggests.Soccer Practice: The perfect peachy pink, my favourite of the lot!
Siesta: A stunning orange colour, perfect for fall.
Pink Lemonade: Sweet baby pink.
Monster Movie: A dramatic, brownish plum, not sure how this will look on my lips.
English Muffin: Light taupe, great for neutral lips. I love natural shades like these!
Coffee Shop: Rich, medium brown with gold highlights.
Bamboo: Super pretty, light peach with a hint of pink.
I cannot describe how much I love the new Everyday Minerals lippies. They are like lipsticks, but with the finish of a lipgloss. Plus, they go on so smoothly and aren't sticky at all! And the best part is, they're made with all natural ingredients that keep your lips soft and supple...no icky preservatives, yay!
Do note, though, that the colours are sheer, so you do need at least 2 or 3 layers to get good colour payoff. But they're buildable and look fantastic without being overdone. =)
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
hell week
Thanks to NUS' e-learning week, I've only got to go to school on two days, but I've got so much piled up work to clear. =(
Readings from last week, readings for this week, cybercrime report to churn out, focus group transcript to conjure up, news reporting article to edit and rewrite, e-commerce presentation slides to prepare, webcasts to watch.
OMG.
Screwed.
Anyway, say hello to...
No, it's not an egg tart ... it's a BEANCURD tart!!!That's right, beancurd tart! It boasts a crunchy biscuit-like pastry filled with firm, yet silky beancurd. Nothing fancy, but it's a lovely alternative to your usual tau huey.
What's more, it tastes wholesome (read: makes a good guilt-free supper treat) and costs only a dollar. =)
You can get these from Le Cafe Confectionery & Pastry, located at 264 Middle Road and Blk 42 Cambridge Road.
Monday, October 05, 2009
makeup, finally!
It's been such ages since I last got new makeup, so it's nice to do a haul post after so many food ones!
I actually ordered a sample kit from Everyday Minerals many, many weeks back and it never came, so I emailed them and it was super nice of them to reship me my order. This time, it only took 6 days to reach me, along with another order I placed on the 13th of September. =D
Reshipped sample kit!
I really love Cypress, which is an EDM favourite - a shimmery, almost metallic dark khaki green with highlights of gold and brown. It's a lot darker than in the picture cos of reflected light.Pressed Olive is also quite pretty, a pale, pale green with fine golden glitter.
'Peach Neutrals for Eyes' sample kit that came with my bigger order.
Good China is so pretty I can't imagine why I didn't order it earlier. It looks so blah in the pictures on the EM site, but in real life it's an absolutely gorgeous pinky-peach eyeshadow that's perfect for everyday wear.Bird House is a matte light orange which will probably work well as a base colour.
Ginger Peach is another really wearable shade. I already have a full-size of it, so I will be selling this one off.
My re-issued items! EM is going to have monthly 'Reissue Parties', whereby selected previously discontinued and limited edition items will be put up for sale for only 2-3 days. It's awesome!
These are the eye colours that were reissued for the month of September, and a new Rose.Cardamom.Orange lip balm that's available on the EM site right now. They reissued a couple of blushes as well, but I didn't get them cos I already have full-sizes of them.
Take Out is a beautiful purple-brown with lots of silver shimmer, great for a sophisticated smokey eye look.3-Day Weekend is a metallic, bronzey-orange, and Hopscotch is brick-red with gold shimmer. I don't know how wearable they are, but they're still pretty, nevertheless.
I can't wait for the next Reissue Party that should be coming up next week!
I didn't picture the Kaolin Powder Sunlight, but it's my replacement for the discontinued Rice Powder that I was using as a primer previously. The blotting paper was a surprise freebie that was thrown in with my order. Love EM!
I have a large order with lots of lip glosses arriving hopefully soon, so I'm really psyched for that.
Makeup brightens my life! =D
Saturday, October 03, 2009
fren(sh)
I was thrilled when my cell group leader invited me out to lunch during my recess week. I love dining with her cos we're both mad about European cuisines and she always brings me to the best pasta places.
We decided to go French that day and popped into Bistro Petit Salut along Jalan Merah Saga (the row of shophouses behind the POSB branch opposite the main Holland Village area).
Their 3-course set lunch menu is quite impressive, with 6 choices per category to choose from. It's definitely a good deal at just $25++ per pax, but they do offer an ala carte menu as well.
My cell group leader ordered baked escargots as her starter. These came served on a hot wooden dish, each morsel simmering in a puddle of fragrant garlic butter.
I am extremely averse to anything slimy and normally shun things like mushrooms and oysters, but seeing as how I was at a French restaurant, I ought to try this signature French delicacy.The taste was far less funky than I expected. Apparently the snails have no particular taste of its own, so all they take on is the dressing they are prepared in, which in this case was buttery garlic and tomatoes. I must admit I quite enjoyed it, actually.
A pity I did not take to my own appetizer. Feeling adventurous, I chose to have goat's cheese served with roasted peppers and pastry.
It all came looking very pretty, but the moment I placed a forkful into my mouth, I knew I should have stuck to something familiar like Caesar salad.
There's a sort of spiciness to goat's cheese, and a very pungent aftertaste that lingered in my throat even hours after I'd finished my entire meal. Those accustomed to it would probably find it nice and piquant, but I couldn't force myself to finish more than a third of it.My sponsor ordered the catch of the day, two blocks of pan-seared fish with crisp skin, topped with spinach puree and served on a bed of mashed potatoes.
I can't remember what fish they used but I had a bite of it and it was really good.
I loved my own seafood aglio olio - coils of al dente spaghetti served with succulent prawns, baby scallops, clams and squid (I requested to omit the latter two).
The interesting thing about Bistro Petit Salut's version is that it's not served dry as typical aglio olio dishes are, but is instead tossed together with the seawater from the crustaceans. I really liked the mild saltiness and the added kick from the "taste of the sea".Both of us ordered creme brulee for dessert, and it came as a rather large portion, served in a flat boat-like dish instead of the usual little cup.
I was unfortunately quite disappointed. This version featured a layer of sugar that wasn't melded together, and I could feel the individual granules with each crunchy bite. They also used too much sugar so that it overwhelmed the custard below and made the whole thing overly sweet.Overall, I still did have a wonderful experience, thanks to the high quality food and great service. I'm definitely want to patronize them again, so let me know if you wanna try their food too! =D
Thursday, October 01, 2009
chefs at work
One of the group assignments I have for my Sociology of Food module is to prepare a meal with a budget of $30, so we decided to make American style breakfast!
A tedious 1 hour was spent at Cold Storage picking out ingredients. Us noobs were so thrilled to grab a pack of Pan Pacific sausages that were hanging on a rack labelled $2.50, and got the rudest shock at the cashier when we realized that it was $2.50/100g.
Managed to go back and exchange our purchase for a cheaper pack, though. =D
My group members who did most of the food preparation like shredding ham, beating eggs, cutting sausages, and slicing potatoes.
But I contributed too, okay?! I fried the bacon, sausages and the ham & cheese omelettes!
And all Seb did was to squeeze orange juice. LOL.
Food pictures!
My creations! The fire was too strong so some ended up getting burnt, and I couldn't fold the omelettes properly cos the pan was too big! But it's okay, I'll know how to do it better next time.
And thankfully they tasted pretty good after all. Love the melted mozarella and salty ham. =)
We were inspired by the bacon sticks we saw at Cold Storage's delicatessen. Sinfully good!
We actually intended to make fried potato chips, but my group member sliced the potatoes too thinly and they ended up mushy while boiling. So she improvised and came up with these fried potato patties that tasted really yummy!
Garlic toast! We cheated on these and bought ready-made garlic spread. =X
We spent an entire 2 hours cooking, so you can imagine our relief and satisfaction when we finally sat down to eat our "breakfast" at 2pm. Yay!
