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Irene's RumblesI love my life !!! 3月18日 It is FINAL !!!Hey everyone ...
I've finally decided to migrate all my future posting to the following site:- http://irenechin79.blogspot.com/
3月12日 Changing blog ... maybe ... maybe not ...Getting abit bored blogging in MSN space. Thinking of trying out blogger for awhile. Will be blogging in blogger at this address till further notice:- http://irenechin79.blogspot.com/ 2月29日 Had BBQ yesterday !!!Hmm ... put it this way ... life is getting abit boring and still and I've got to do something about it. So I've decided to organise a mini BBQ gathering ... people involved ... JM's uni friends ... kekeke. Luckily we'd discovered Huber's Butcher at NTUC Finest at Bukit Timah Plaza during our last visit to that place. Most of the meat stuff that we got for the BBQ are from there ... all marinated. So basically there's nothing much to prepare for also kekeke.
BUT ... the rain came just when we were all set to head down to the BBQ pit. Sigh ... what a bad sign ... but we had faith that the rain would not last and true enough it did stop after awhile. But because of the rain, we'd started late ... by the time the fire's up, there wasn't much day light left ...
View pictures of the BBQ via this link:- http://picasaweb.google.com/WongFamilyPhotoAlbum/BBQOn28Feb08
 1月5日 Oswald @ Apple TreeTime pass so fast. This year Oswald will be attending play group sessions at Apple Tree.
Till today, he had attended 1 day of orientation and 2 days of school already. Surprisingly, it did not turned out as bad as I thought. Oswald did not show signs of not wanting to go school and the best part is ... he did not even cry. So proud of him !!!
The very 1st day of school I was worried that he might look for familar faces in the middle of lesson hence I'd decided to hang around. Went to peep at him once in awhile. He seem to be wearing a "what am I doing here" look but other than that he is ok. Look around everywhere and walk around alot.
Hope he will learn to settle down in class soon. 12月17日 Apple Crumble PieFinally had the chance to bake after a long break.
Made Apple Crumble Pie for a pot luck party on Wednesday (12 December 2007) ... topped with ice cream from The Ice Cream Gallery ... YUMMY !!!
11月21日 Me again !!!Yes ... MIA for a long time already ... finally re-appear again :p
So what had happened ???
Well, the biggest news is ... my No. 2 ... Wong Keng Oh Owein ... had arrived !!! He touched down earth on 28th Sept 07 @ 1015hr. Since that day, I'd been busy handling him.
His 1st month of life ... not a smooth sailing one. Got some abnormalities in his thyroid hormones reading. Because of that, got to go for another blood test a week after he was born just in case the reading was not accurate. But who knows, the reading turned out to be the same. On the safe side, my PD recommended us to see a Specialist for further reviews. Our appointment with the Specialist was scheduled a week later. But before our meeting with the Specialist, he suggest we bring Owein for another blood test. According to him, there are cases whereby after awhile, the thyroid hormones readings might go back to the normal range. We brough Owein for the blood test a day before our appointment with him and once again ... his thyroid hormones level is not within normal range and hence got to see him as scheduled.
Our meeting with the Specialist ... after providing him with some background information, he proceed on to inform us what exactly would be / should be happening and what might be the cause. He then suggest to do a blood test on me just to be sure that what's happening is not pass down to Owein by me. Result ... possibility ruled out. That means ... another blood test for Owein. Poor boy ... such young age got to go through so many times blood test. We really prayed hard that this time round we would received some positive answers.
Guess our prayers are heard !!! A few days later, we received an email from the Specialist that Owein's thyroid hormones levels are within the normal range already and he can be officially 'discharged'. Thank god for that. That was really good news for us and with that good news, I carried on planning for hi full mth party with a light heart.
Owein's full month was celebrated on 28th Oct ... many friends and relatives came to give their blessings. I was too busy that day to take photos ... sorry ... no photos for that day's party. But I do have some other photos taken from the day he was born till now ... click HERE to see Owein's pictures.
Oh well ... till the next time I update ... ENJOY !!! 8月29日 Mooncake Frenzy ... & reviewOk ... not sure whether is because of my love for mooncakes or I am 'suffering' from some hormornes 'imbalance' ... heehee ... this year, I am totally crazy over mooncake and have started to eat them even before the 8th lunar month.
Oh well ... blame it on the pregnancy I say :p
Anyway, till date, I've tried mooncake from a few places ... and here's my say to it:-
Bengawansolo
Tried the Double Yolk Lotus Paste Mooncake. Quite ok only and not really that fantastic. Plus it is quite oily. My conclusion, never getting this type of mooncake from there.
Swee Heng Bakery
Hub and I walked past and saw that they sells mooncakes too. Their mooncake flavours very unique also and very importantly, it is DAMN CHEAP. Buy 1 get 1 free somemore ... haha. Anyway, we got attracted to their funny flavours and price hence decided to try some. Raspberry Cheesecake & Black Sesame Seed Mooncake. Overall looks of the mooncake really look not bad ... even the inside also quite impressive. However, after the 1st bite ... gosh ... it is the SWEETEST mooncake I ever tasted and can taste nothing else but sweetness. Lesson learnt ... never go for cheap mooncake again !!!
Tupperware
Haha ... must be surprised to know that tupperware have made their own mooncake right. I was also surprise when I browsed through their catalog. I was flipping through the catalog looking for tupperware containers and so happen the one that I like comes in a mooncake gift box set. It contains 2 mooncake, Single Yolk Lotus Paste & Green Tea Mooncake. Surprisingly, these mooncakes are much better that the ones at Swee Heng ... of cause cannot compare to mooncake from else where ... but for something that is 'free' it is not bad. In fact, I think it is better that the one from Bengawansolo cause it is not as oily.
Raffles the Plaza (Sze Chuan Court)
Bought their Mixed Snowskin Mooncake. Consist of 8 mini snowskin (4 flavours) - Lychee, Rum & Rasin, Baileys & Champange. Snowskin with white lotus paste and inside a chocolate ball fill with the respective flavours mentioned. As I am not really an alcoholic lover, I don't really fancy the alcoholic taste ones ... out of the 4 flavours, lychee is my favourite. Other than the flavours, what I like most is the snowskin. Soft & does have a 'snowy' feel when you bite into the skin. Conclusion, might or might not get them again next year cause a box of 8 lychee mooncake is abit too much and I don't really fancy the mixed selection cause I don't really like alcohol. Guess I will only consider them next year if there's someone else to share the alcoholic flavoured ones.
Shangri-La Hotel (Shang Palace)
White Lotus Seed Paste with Double Yolk. My MIL loves it. She said the sweetness just right and the lotus paste very smooth and lots of melon seeds. Personally, I share the same view as her but the only thing is that I find the pastry skin abit too thin ... can't really taste the pastry taste. But overall, it is still a nice mooncake.
Mandrian Marina (Peach Blossoms)
Similar to the snowskin mooncake from Raffles the Plaza (Sze Chuan Court), they too have a Snowskin Combination pack - 8 mini snowskin (4 flavours) - Vodka Peach Truffle, Green Apple Truffle, Chocolate Rochelle Truffle and Toffee Truffle. This I say would be a better buy if you don really like alcohol. Personally I find the green apple truffle quite unique and not to mention it taste not bad too. Worth a try if you are a snowskin mooncake lover. Just to add on, for their baked mooncakes, they do have 1 flavour quite unique too. If I remember the name correctly it is Lotus Paste with Macadamia Nuts & Peppermint ... it has a minty after taste. Quite nice but just too bad I am not a peppermint lover to really appreciate this.
Ritz Carlton
Bought this combination set whereby you can mix any flavours. My final pick is their Baked Chocolate Mooncake and Double Yolk White Lotus Mooncake. Choosen their baked combo cause I've already gotten a box of snowskin one from Mandrain Marina. Also, I was attracted to their Baked Chocolate Mooncake. This mooncake still have the white lotus paste in it and does have the traditional baked mooncake skin on the outer layer but the different thing about it is, instead of having yolk inside, it is replaced with dark chocolate. Nice combination also as the chocolate taste is not too over dose. Other than this special flavour, seriously, I find their mooncake is nothing really great. Plus it is on the slightly oily side compared to those I got from Shangri-La and so far this is the most expensive mooncake I've paid (even after discount). Guess this will be out of my list next year when it comes to mooncake shopping.
A recommendation made in Cuisine Asia Forum (formally known as Kitchen Capers) for their Durian Mooncake. A "die die must try" statement was placed in the post and it got me thinking. As a durian lover, I initially had made plans to get my durian mooncake from Goodwood Park already but later on was tempted by the attractive discount (25%) for HSBC card holder for the durian mooncake at Harbour City Restaurant. Then saw this "die die must try" posting in the forum ... then I decided to just give it a try since it was recommended. Well ... all I can say is ... it is WORTH EVERY SINGLE CENT and comparable to Goodwood Park durian mooncakes. Hee hee another alternative to durian mooncake next year. 8月4日 Baked Chicken Fillet w Cream Herb SauceFinally have the chance to post another new reciped that I've tried out on Wednesday. Tried out 2 different recipe and combine them to become my dinner.
Main:- Baked Chicken Fillet with Creamy Herb Sauce (from May 2007 issue of Food & Travel magazine)
Salad:- Prawn, Mango, Pineapple Salad (from July 2007 issue of Food & Travel magazine)
And, of cos, with some changes here and there to suit our taste, here's what I've done ...
Baked Chicken Fillet with Creamy Herb Sauce
(serve 2)
Ingredient:-
250g chicken breast fillet
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
200ml of thicken cream
1 tsp dried coriander
Method:-
1) Marinate chicken fillet with oyster sauce, salt, pepper for at least 15 minutes.
2) Heat up a non-stick pan and spray some cooking oil (or butter) in it. Place chicken fillet in pan and sear each side till browned.
3) Remove from pan and placed on a baking dish.
4) Heat cream and coriander for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over chicken fillet and bake for 20 minutes at 180C.
5) Serve with desired sides or see below for Prawn, Mango, Pineapple Salad.
Prawn, Mango, Pineapple Salad
Ingredients:-
3 - 4 prawns
1 mango, peeled & cubed
1 small canned pineapples, diced
1 small japanese cucumber, diced
Lettuce leaves for garnish
Mango Puree
Method:-
1) Blanch prawns in a pot of boiling water. Remove from heat. Cool prawns before removing shell and slice prawn into 1/2 lengthwise.
2) In a bowl, add mango, pineapple and cucumber. Toss them to mix them well.
3) Place lettuce leaves on serving plate. Scope a few spoonful of salad onto the leaves. Place prawns on top of the salad.
4) Drizzle some mango puree sauce over salad.
Note:-
1) For mango puree, I've used ready made ones bought from Phoon Huat.
8月1日 Chilled Mango CheesecakeFinally got an occassion to 'force' myself to get some baking going. Had been wanting to bake but sheer laziness had put off my baking attempts for quite awhile.
It was my FIL's birthday yesterday and since Oswald was at their place 'holiday-ing' ... there's no excuse that I've got no time and hence we go buy a cake for my FIL. So, off I went to buy the necessary ingredients on Monday (30 Jul) and made the birthday cake for him yesterday. Combining both his favourite ... Mango + Cheese!!!
What a heavenly combi ... glad to have found this recipe at Florence blog (who is my all-time favourite baker). However, instead of using the biscuit base that she'd used, I've decided to use sponge instead (FIL would prefer sponge in fact) and made some changes to the ingredients cause I don't have it. But overall, the whole thing still taste heavenly and great.
Ingredients:-
Sponge
250 Optima Flour
2 tsp ovalette
4 eggs (cold)
2 tbsp cold water
1/2 tsp vanilla
45ml corn oil
Mango Filling
200g cream cheese
1 tbsp vanilla essences 55g sugar 200g mango puree 1 tbsp gelatin 3 tbsp boiling water 200ml whipping cream 2 tbsp icing sugar 1 mango (cubed) Mango Puree Topping
100g mango puree
2 tsp gelatin 3 tbsp boiling water Method:-
1) Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and flour a 9-inch square cake tray.
2) Beat all ingredients except oil till thick and creamy.
3) Add in oil and mix well.
4) Bake for about 15 mins.
5) Remove cake from tray immediately onto a baking paper.
6) Allow to cool for awhile before turning it over and remove the baking paper. Cool completely before slicing the sponge into 1/2 horizontally.
7) Whip whipping cream with 2 tbsp icing sugar till about 70% stiff or mousse state, keep chilled.
8) Dissolve gelatine powder in 3 tbsp boiling water. Keep warm but not hot for use later. Heat it up in the microwave for about 8 - 10 sec if it cools off. 9) Cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla essences together till smooth and creamy. 10) Add the warm gelatin solution to mango puree and blend well. 11) Stir mango puree mixture into cheese mixture and combine till well mixed. Blend in the whipped cream. Stir in the cube mango pieces. 12) Place a 7 x 7 inch cake ring over a cake board. Place a layer of sponge at the bottom (trim the sides to fit into the ring). 13) Pour 1/2 the cheese mixture onto sponge. Spread out evenly.
14) Place the other layer of sponge on top of the filling and pour the remainder cheese mixture onto the sponge. Spread evenly. Chill for at least an hour.
15) Dissolve gelatin powder with 2 tbsp boiling water and stir this into mango puree. Pour topping gently onto chilled cheesecake. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving. Note:-
1) To remove the cake ring, place a thin knife in a cup of hot water. Dap dry the knife and slice along the edges. Keep repeating till all sides are 'cut'.
2) For mango puree, I've used ready made ones bought from Phoon Huat.
7月26日 Hainanese Pork ChopNowadays getting lazier to cook especially meals with more than 1 dish. I guess it is partly due to the fact that such meals require long hours preparing the food and cooking them and by the time I am done, my legs are aching like hell.
I think the best kind of meal for me now are those 1 dish meal. Had cravings for Hainaness Pork Chop yesterday and had decided to top it up with fried rice to make a simple meal. I say it is good enough for 2 person as a meal ... kekeke.
Using a recipe found in April 2007 issue of Food & Travel magazine, gave a slight change to suit our taste, and this is what I've got.
Ingredients:-
500g pork loin
Breadcrumbes for coating
Potato flour, mixed with a little water
2 tomatoes, cut into small wedges
Marinate for pork loin:
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
A dash of pepper
A dash of 5-spice powder
A few drops of sesame oil
1 tbsp cornflour
1 egg
Sauce mix:
1/2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
6 tbsp tomato sauce
2 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp water
1/2 tbsp vinegar
Frozen mix vegetables
A few drops of sesame oil
Method:-
1) Tenderise pork loin by using a tenderiser or the back of a chopper.
2) Mix pork with marinade and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
3) Coat pork with breadcrumbs and deep fry till golden brown.
4) In a non-stick pan, give the mix vegetables a quick stir. Add in tomatoes.
5) Add in sauce ingredients and bring mixture to a boil. Thicken with potato starch.
6) Pour sauce over the crispy pork and serve immediately.
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