Stay-in-bed Monday

It's a wet and cool Monday morning, the perfect kind for staying in bed. Unfortunately, I'm at work while Rusty is enjoying a snuggle in my bed!

There will never be another you

Recently I participated in a Facebook contest called "There will never be another you". The top 5 most popular entries will win a photoshoot by famous photographer Russell Wong.

The moment I saw this contest, I thought of my best friend. She's someone whom I cherish alot. It would be great if we could have a photo taken together by a professional photographer!

After entering the contest, I realised we're never going to win because we have not garnered many votes. In fact, we're way behind many entries.

Instead of giving up the fight, I'm hoping to gather some support from my readers. If you have a Facebook account, please be so kind and vote for us. Just click on this link and like my entry.
http://greateasterntherewillneverbeanotheryou.com/gallery/155

We have been best friends since we were 6, yet we’re as different as chalk and cheese. She’s petite and compact, while I am taller and rugged. She sports a short, neat bob while I like my hair long and flowing. She is mostly serious while I am always grinning (and goofy).

An engineer by training, she’s systematic and methodological. I tend to be more expressive and spontaneous. She likes simple stylish outfits while I am a boho chick with loads of fanciful accessories. She wears court shoes while I am always running around in sandals. She participates in marathons while I prefer short runs. She’s patient and optimistic while I can be angsty and hot-headed. She drives a solid Volvo sedan while I zip around in my black jeep. Even our tastes in food are different. At the buffet table, she heads straight for the spicy Asian delicacies while I’d go for fruits, nuts, cheese and sweet desserts.

We seem to have little in common, yet it’s amazing how happy we are when we’re together! She cracks me up with the little goofy things she does and we giggle like school girls when we meet. She’s protective and treats me like a little sister and she's someone I can always turn to. Perhaps we know each other so well, we click like the Ying Yang twins. This friendship took us years to cultivate and we see many more to come, right into our golden years

Weekend with the boys

My sons may not be sportsmen or scholars but they've been brought up to love nature. When they were little, our idea of outings meant going to the farm, beach or park. Growing up, they were always growing, breeding or keeping something, from spiders and butterflies to fish and plants.

Now that YK's exams are over and SK has developed an interest in photography, we have been spending our weekends in the nature reserve.


Last saturday, we took a ferry to Pulau Ubin and spent hours walking in the rustic island. Somehow, they have a knack for spotting bugs and critters. Here are some interesting ones shot by SK.




By the time we walked to Chek Jawa, we were hot, tired and hungry until this old quarry came into view. The turquoise blue water shimmering under the hot sun was quite a mesmerising sight.

The next day, we were in the forest again, this time at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, one of our favourite hangouts.

Mad about chicken

The kids and I aren't big meat eaters. Actually our diet comprises mostly vegetables and seafood. When it comes to meat, we eat mostly chicken. Even then, the kids prefer breast meat which happens to be the part I dislike the most. We often find chicken that hasn't been properly marinated too 'chickeny' for our liking.

CH is more adventurous when it comes to food. He loves mutton and can never understand why I complain it's too gamey. When we're eating out, he orders beef or mutton which he can't get at my house. If tripe or something exotic like camel is on the menu, he would order it!

While we were eating at Buyan Russian Restaurant last Friday, we had a hard time picking the main dish. Finally, we settled for the Jordanian roast chicken. Despite the rich aroma, the chicken tasted a little bland. We felt that the chicken wasn't marinated long enough for the spices to penetrate. Then again, it's a Russian restaurant, so we weren't expecting anything too fiery.

Last week, while I was at the butcher (gourmet one), I was intrigued to see a selection of spatchcocked chicken marinating in spices, herbs or lemon. They're ready-to-cook and ideal for busy working people. But the prices are quite steep.

So guess what I did? I went to the wet market and bought two pieces of half chicken at a fraction of the price. I marinated one in herbs from my garden while for the other half, I used a spice rub and lots of garlic and shallots.

When I got home from work yesterday, I popped the marinated chicken together with some potatoes, carrot and onion into the oven and went on to do other stuff. The chicken turned out very juicy and full of flavour.

I've decided to do this every weekend so I can have ready-to-cook chicken during the week. I can get really creative with the marinate as well!

Eating well

These days, I'm not the only one at home cutting down on carbs. SK has been telling me not to give him any rice during dinner while YK hardly eats rice anyway. I've been trying to introduce brown rice but they do not like the taste.

It's hard to fill two growing boys up without any carbs, so I have to be more creative during mealtime. Last night, I made roast chicken marinated with herbs (majoram, tarragon, sage and rosemary) from my garden. Even though I found it delicious, the boys who aren't huge meat eaters, didn't really fancy it. On the other hand, the Vietnamese rice rolls were polished off quickly with nods of approval.

Since YK is busy studying for his test this afternoon, I decided to make a simple pasta salad before leaving for work today. It's one of the easiest dishes to make and the taste improves after a couple of hours. It's great for picnics and potluck parties. Yes, pasta is still carbs.

If you're thinking of making some, here's the recipe.

1. Boil pasta in a pot of salted water until al-dente. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. Panfry minced garlic, shelled shrimps and squid in olive oil until tender and lightly cooked.
3. Chop red and yellow capsicum, sugar peas and 1 red onion into small pieces. You can be as imaginative as you like and add anything like cheese, olive, tomato etc.
4. Toss pasta and vegetables together.
5. Make a dressing using juice of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon of mustard, 4 tablespoon olive oil, pinch of salt and ground pepper. Pour over the salad and mix well.

I've discovered the perfect food for my own breakfast. It's the humble tempeh, a kind of fermented soybean cake. Here is what it looks like before cooking.

I panfry it in olive oil until it is crispy at the edges and eat it with a light sprinkling of sea salt. It's surprisingly delicious and packed with lots of nutrition.

An ordinary day

Valentine's Day has come and gone without enriching our lives in any way. We have agreed some years back (can't remember when) that we will not celebrate like the millions of couples around the world on this over-rated day. So, I went to bed really early at around 8pm, when all the restaurants were filled with starry-eyed couples, feeling like a sad puppy. Yah, I shoudn't be feeling this way but I did.

To add to the misery, Rusty threw up twice on the shaggy rug early this morning. He ate something that didn't agree with his tummy. After he got it all out, he was happily wolfing down his breakfast and begging for his walk.

Yesterday YK asked, "Aren't you celebrating Valentine's Day with CH?" I said no and that was it. He then went on to bake a gorgeous fruit tart for his friend's birthday today. After he was done with assembling the tart, he said, "There's still plenty of custard in the fridge, maybe you can make yourself something?"

Sounds tempting but I guess not. I'm taking a break from carbs this week. But if he makes me a cake, I will eat it!

All grown up

SK is coming home today, after being away for 18 days on a trip to Australia. He flew alone to Bangkok to meet his father, from there they set off to Melbourne and Tasmania. SK has been keeping me updated of his whereabouts via email and sms. Tonight, he'll be flying back from Bangkok alone. I'm so proud of him!

It's funny how when the kids were young, they had to depend on me for everything. YK was so fascinated with marine life as a toddler that he would pester me to draw sea creatures for him. Well, I'm not exactly the most artistic person, so very often he would cry out of frustration when his beloved creatures looked mishappen or unproportional. He was quite the perfectionist with high expectations.

Both my kids are very artistic, eventually they could draw so well, I was relieved of my drawing duties. SK almost always gets a distinction in art and has decided to pursue his studies in environment design which I think suits him perfectly since he is also a nature lover.

It's the same with cooking. They love pasta and would make me cook pasta for them all the time. Now, YK makes his own pasta and believe me, they taste so much better than mine. He bakes pies, tarts and muffins too. Last week, he made chocolate cupcakes on a whim and they turned out to be the best I've ever eaten.

Eating freshly baked chocolate cupcakes is really different from eating store bought ones. YK used good ingredients in generous portions. The cake turned out moist and so chocolatety. For the icing, he used marshmallows, cream, rum and dark chocolate. Oh, the taste was heavenly!

After slogging away for so many years, it's now time for me to sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labour.

Staying active

I have reached the age where I can no longer take good health for granted. Keeping healthy and staying fit is hard work. Just a few days of slacking can undo all the good you have done throughout the year.

The daily walks with Rusty is hardly enough for me to stay trim. It doesn't raise my heart beat or make me sweat. A more intense workout like running is still necessary, in addition to watching my diet.

Alas, after laying off for several months, I still struggle to get the groove back after starting 2 weeks of running. It used to be as easy as putting on the shoes, zipping out of the door and covering 5km effortlessly. It'll take me another couple of weeks before I can run so easily again. Now I can understand why sportsmen get so frustrated when they can't train because of an injury.

So, it was with much psyching before I headed out this morning. I felt so tired even after a good night's sleep but by the time I ran to the canal, the rising sun made me feel energised all at once. I stopped to take in the breath-taking view before continuing the run. I only did 30 minutes today but it's better than nothing.

Last weekend, after dropping YK off at the fish farm at Pasir Ris, I drove to Lorong Halus Wetlands to check the place out. I didn't quite know what to expect and thought all I could see was a marshland transformed from a landfill.

I was in for a surprise. Besides being a biodiversity haven for plants, birds and other wildlife, the wetlands also uses innovative systems incorporating plants and ponds to collect and treat water. A large dam in the distance shows that it is more than a leisure park.

An impressive pedestrian bridge, with Serangoon River running beneath, connects Lorong Halus to Punggol new town.

I was really impressed with the running track and facilities across the bridge. The clear stream and rolling hills made me feel as if I were out in the countryside. The truth is, the bustling Punggol town is just steps away. The residents are lucky to have easy access to the park.

It was too hot for me to linger but I'll definitely be back for a good long run one day.

The week so far

In another 5 days, the Chinese New Year will officially come to an end. If you ask me, two weeks of celebration is a long time! We can't go on feasting like this.

I've recently violated all my rules about healthy eating and am now suffering from the ill-effects of over eating. I felt so lethargic and heavy that I forced myself to start running again. After a 4-month break, it was such an effort to pound the pavement that I ended up with sore muscles. Well, I'm glad I did because it is easier now.

I'm also back to eating lighter meals. Last night, we had Vietnamese rolls and fish soup for dinner. Vietnamese rolls are surprisingly delicious when eaten with a tangy dip, and they're such a cinch to make. They are completely fat-free as well.

The family loves it, so I forsee it will be a regular feature on our dining table from now on. On Tuesday night, I met up with some friends for a mostly vegetarian dinner.

We had yu-sheng (raw fish and vegetables) of course since it's only available at this time of the year.

During the new year, my god children came to visit me and as usual, everyone focused their attention on little Rusty.

We also went visiting. It's nice to know that my best friends are the same ones who went to school together. This group from junior college meets regularly. We've even gone on holidays together. In fact, I'm going hiking with ML in Southern Italy this May. We're really excited about the trip.

Needless to say, a visit to best friend's house is compulsory every new year. We were treated to delicious popiah and snacks.

And we washed everything down with Chinese tea- a very pretty variety that 'blooms' in hot water. Just look at how gorgeous it is!

CNY celebrations

It's the fourth day of the Chinese New Year and we're finally back at work. The celebrations, however, will go on for another 11 days. We've already had several rounds of reunion meals, yu-sheng tossings, steamboat dinners and a picnic. There are a few more gatherings to attend this weekend.

The feasting began last Saturday with CH's family. Everyone cooked something. I made eight-treasure duck and pomelo salad.

There were lots to eat. One brother made a sea cucumber dish and steamed chicken while another made wasabi prawns.

His sister took care of the traditional Hakka dishes like yong tau foo and abacus seeds.

Everyone gathered around the table and tossed yu-sheng for prosperity.

The next day, we had reunion dinner at my parent's home where we tossed yu-sheng again. We all love this annual tradition. Yu-sheng is so yummy, even our dog enjoys it.

My brother prepared lots of food - curry chicken, dried bamboo shoot, chap chai, sea cucumber, char sao pork and lotus root soup. I made Teochew braised duck while mum cooked noodles (for longetivity) and 2 vegetable dishes. Dad's contribution was a huge steamed garoupa fish (for abundance).

On the first day of the Chinese New Year, it is a tradition to visit our parents. Everyone turned up in the morning wearing auspicious colours.

My nieces receiving hongbaos.

Even I made it a point to wear a red top.

Pretty fan made by my sis-in-law.

After all the feasting and visiting, it was nice to spend a relaxing day with friends at Botanic Gardens the next day.

For a change, we ate simple food like sandwiches, fruits and cheese.

Rainbows and puppies

I love going back to my parents' place in the West. They get some of the most gorgeous sunsets. Yesterday, we saw a double-rainbow stretching across the sky in a continuous arc.

It was so awesome that everyone stopped along the road to take photos.

The fact that we were traveling along the country road made the rainbow look even more majestic amidst the greenery. The air was clean and so fresh after the rain and the sun was still shining at almost 7pm in the evening.

When we got out of the car to take photos of the rainbow, a white puppy that belongs to the farm ran towards us for some cuddles. I wish we could bring it home!
In case you have room for a puppy, do consider adopting this other one. It's currently living in a construction site and my friend is hoping someone could adopt him. Read the entire story here.

Chinese New Year

When it comes to Chinese New Year, I'm quite a stickler for tradition. I spent the past week baking cookies, cleaning house, buying festive goodies, preparing hong paos and visiting Chinatown.

Even though I didn't buy much at the festive market, just being there put me in a festive mood. Everything on sale is in bright colours.

Chinese New Year is also the time to meet up with family and friends. This week, I had lunch with my good friend EE and her daughter EH (who is my god-daughter). EH has grown so much since I last saw her!

The feasting will start tomorrow. We have a reunion lunch and dinner to attend and I'm making duck for both occasions. I have two whole ducks marinating in the fridge right now and a whole lot of cooking to do this weekend.

It's probably the best time to start running again.