People might think that it’s still a long way to go but its time to gather your scrapbook for planning. The most beloved festive of the year is coming – Christmas. We love Christmas and each day we just got really busy with the preparation.
While this year I thought of getting garland for decoration, it will definitely bring life to the house. It will be white, silver and green Christmas, unlike the red, golden like last year! You can planned to have some cedar to weave in the finished garland or ended up liking it simple. You would also love that it looks a little wild and unruly.
If your weather is cold and damp this time of year, the fresh greens tend to stay green for a long time. Isn’t that great, we in Singapore couldn’t have that kind of weather. Using this green can also help to frame your walls and doors. It simply keep the place vintage and warm. Clip some images to the garland for a home feel.
Happy Monday everyone!!
xoxo, Angela.
Credit | All shots used on the Christmas mood board via our Pinterest boards.
Luna Park is not just another amusement park. It’s unique, and loved that it kept that way. Luna Park is a beautiful and fun creation.
This is my very first time to enjoy the rides outside of my country. Seeing all the children running around and playing the rides I though it’s easy. However, I can tell you all the rides is much more scary that what I have back home at Universal Studio Singapore. Still, I get to enjoy most of the rides.
I never stop being a children in heart but physically I think my heart is dead for all the scary rides. Yet I still can’t wait to go back again.
When we first started out making wedges, the one thing we were intimidated by was how to cut potatoes into the perfect shape wedge. Getting them crispy was another insane issue we had. It is actually the complete opposite and they are so easy to make. We prefer them over making fries, and have included step by step photos of cutting the perfect wedge!
I’ll tell you what – these are SO much better than any store bought frozen french fry you can ever buy. Not only that, but next time you go to by those frozen, ready made versions – take a look at the serving size they recommend and tell me if it’s worth it.
If you’re like me and like a big portion – believe me – this recipe is the way to go. Not only are they healthier, but they taste great too!
To have the most perfect potato, halve your potato and then halve EACH half again, so you have 4 pieces. Next HALVE each of those pieces, to make wedges. That’s it.
See? Wedges friends! Season them with your favorites. We use powdered garlic instead of minced but you can use minced if you so desire. Paprika, parsley and plenty of salt follow, because let’s face it, salty potatoes are the best kind of potatoes.
Ingredients |
4 russet potatoes, rinsed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp sea salt, garlic powder and black pepper
Method |
Preheat oven to 200°C | 390°F. Line 2 large baking sheets / trays with parchment (baking) paper; set aside.
Cut each potato in half length-ways, then cut each half in half length-ways again, and then cut each half in half length-ways again until you have 8 wedges. (Make sure they are about the same thickness and size).
In a small jug, combine the oil, garlic, salt and paprika. Place wedges onto the baking sheets. Pour the oil mixture over the potatoes and toss together to coat evenly. Arrange potato wedges in a single layer on a large baking tray, skin-sides-down. Bake for 35 minutes, turning wedges half way through baking time, until golden, crisp and cooked through when tested with a fork.
Serve with sprinkle of sea salt.
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One of the big trend now, is using bamboo as building material, as high quality Bamboo is reported to be stronger than steel. For all those who are looking for an attractive yet durable option – opt for bamboo flooring. They are not only eco-friendly but are easy to install too.
While it is a building material, you can use bamboo as decoration too. If you believe in minimalism choose for modern bamboo furniture. Redecorate your organizing area by having modern bamboo basket instead of the boring old plastic ones. For all those who want to create a serene environment at home, place bamboo blinds/curtains or waterfalls in your living area. Nevertheless, you can get one of those antique chairs to brighten up your room.
Bamboo is a cost-effective and sustainable material for homes. If preventive measures are taken, products made out of bamboo can last for ages.
Do you want something savory, crispy but salubrious for dinner? You will be in love with Roasted Peppers & Brussels Sprouts, it matches the description above. It’s a very simple dish that requires just a 20 minutes of your time.
This recipe was inspired by a small bowl of Roasted Brussels Sprouts I tasted a couple months ago. With the skin of the Sprouts stayed crispy and within juicy. For those who follow our blog notice that we have a love-hate relationship with Brussels Sprouts. Still, it is still as our favorite ingredients for dishes.
The roast vegetable can be very easy if you manage a few handful of tips. The time, temperature and seasoning. The reason I say so as there is the time we roast vegetable for dinner, we roasted it for too long and it turned out dry with burn smell. Even you manage your time well, if the temperature is too low or high it will not stay crispy and within juicy if you didn’t add enough oil, it then to be very dry and brittle.
Seasoning is always the most important note as nothing will taste good without good seasoning.
Like we say, this is dish this very simple, you just have 3 steps before you indulge it favors. Wash, Cut and Roast them. Isn’t it the most simple things of all? For those who don’t cook, this is as easy as cooking the instant noodle. Try this dish to impress people on your social media.
Brussels sprouts have been one of our favorite ingredient in the past year, as it not only taste good but it’s also a beautiful vegetables. Some promising tips for you while handling this vegetables;
They can stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week and a half, so they are good candidates for keeping on hand.
To make sure the leaves are softened and properly seasoned, give them a good massage before adding anything else.
Raw Brussels sprouts love a dressing with fatty and assertive flavors. Remember dress it with lots of olive oil, as it dry up fast.
Ingredient |
1-1/2 poundsbrussels sprouts, halved, stems and ragged outer leaves removed*
3 tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
1 yellow peppers, small cube
3/4 teaspoonkosher salt
1/2 teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoonbalsamic vinegar
2 teaspoonhoney
Method |
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a large bowl, toss Brussels sprouts with 2 tablespoons olive oil, kosher salt and pepper. Transfer the Brussels sprouts to baking sheet and roast, stirring occasionally to ensure even browning, until tender and caramelized, about 20 minutes.
Place Brussels sprouts back in bowl. Add remaining tablespoon olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey and toss to coat evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, then serve.
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Words reflect how one individual think, a phase does have more description while a poetry tells stories in lesser words, unlike a novel.
Little I agree with, I’m quite an expressive person. If I wasn’t an artist, I would have become a writer. And, that’s my ways of choosing to communicate.
I’m not sure about people, however, I thought that both arts and literature are in our daily life. You don’t have to be an artist or a writer, everyone embraces them daily and differently, good or bad. As that is a gift that human being possesses, with our capacity to speak and write.
Through my Melbourne trip, I was amazed by wonders and one night upon “Uphill” by Christina Rossetti. I felt that I once experience the similarity back I was a kid. Among us, some of us are afraid of leaving their comfort zone that once you experience top of the hill you will never able to get rid of your mind. We might have lots of fear in the unforeseen journey, but we make mistake and us simple embrace it and it will lead us to an astonishing galaxy.
PS: Can’t wait to get ready the images and post from our trip to share with you folks.
When I was a kid, Halloween was my favorite time of year. There was something magical about that spooky night that put electricity into the air for me. Plus, candy, duh.
For me, Halloween wasn’t about the scary things, it was about all the fun that came with the holiday. I loved making caramel apples, sherbert punches, and there were always crafts galore! Of course, as I’ve grown up, I’ve carried that same love of Halloween into adulthood. Except I get to have way more fun with it now.
Since we will be having kids around, we decided to make this Drink Bar a non-alcoholic one. Although one for adult we be much fun. We made some Pumpkin Juice and Nutella bread. All of them is very simple to make, it just took us less than 20 minutes to get them prepared.
One of the highlight for this drink bar is the decoration. The theme color of the drink bar is Purple and Orange.
Pumpkin or fall flower centerpieces add purple and orange color tones to Halloween decorating ideas. Bright yellow, red and orange flowers that bloom in fall, pumpkins, orange candles, tablecloth and furniture upholstery fabric in fall leaf colors make Halloween party decoration look gorgeous and welcoming.
We came across online having this cheese cloth ghost DIY, and we already can’t wait to made them. As the material is cheap and easy to made. After this drink bar the ghost and used as a light stand. Isn’t that wonderful?
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Hello Readers! We are back from our Melbourne trip and it is the best experience I could ever made. Therefore, we can’t wait to share all the amazing experience with you folks.
If you’ve ever stepped into an American home built in the 1940s or ‘50s. We’re pretty sure we know what you saw and that is pink bathrooms. And we’re not just talking about a simple coat of Ballet Pink. We’re talking pink tile walls and flooring, pink tubs and even pink toilets.
And if the thought of these cotton-candy spaces sends you running for the nearest home improvement store. We’d like to ask you to reconsider. As it turns out, these bathrooms were once quintessential in mid century homes. Moreover, in this fall now there’s a growing movement to save them. Adding little gold element with the pink help modernist the room. For me I also love the combos of pink and marbles, and pink and white tiles. It instantly bright up the whole room.
When white are not the only solution, you go for pink.
I have spotted lots of wildflower at there streets and homes of Melbourne’s streets. Since I couldn’t bring them back home, I only can take some pictures of them or even paint them down. The wildflower in Melbourne is all bright and colorful, especially it all smells good. How I wish there are all around Singapore.
The trip in Melbourne is a happy and joyful one. I get to see, eat and experience lots of new things. Although Singapore and Melbourne are both different countries they have their similarities.
Everyone deserve a break or even a party during the Halloween, even the cheese lover. Therefore, we decided to have an Ultimate Halloween Brunch Guide for Cheese Lover. When it comes to the perfect cheese platter, diversity is key.
It’s good to have a variety of cheese. What I mean by that is have a hard, creamy, and then one special or flavored cheese. Then you can build around those three if there’s specific ones you tend to like. It’s important to have those varieties but, ideally, you don’t want more than five cheeses on the board.
We therefore chooses Sharp Cheddar, Serenade Salami, Emmental and Brie Pere Cheese .
Other food can intensify and even change the flavor of cheese, so carefully choose what you serve alongside your platter. A simple water cracker works well, while thicker, biscuit like crackers are ideal with hard cheese varieties. Another popular option is a bread with nuts and fruits, like a pecan-raisin loaf or cranberry-walnut bread.
Grapes make an ideal accompaniment, with red, green or even delicate champagne grapes all being ideal. Brie, camembert and other soft cheeses pair well with white wine. Toasted nuts, dried fruit, quince paste (membrillo), slices of pear, fig cake and date cake are also popular selections.
Since it is Halloween how can we left Pumpkin out, therefore we decided to have some roasted balsamic pumpkin to warm up the palette.
Once you’ve chosen your cheeses and accompaniments it’s time to put the platter together. We chooses a large wooden board, with plenty of room, so that none of the cheeses touch against each other. This will prevent the stronger cheese flavors from interfering with milder tastes.
Don’t cut up all the cheese, leave them in large blocks and arrange your items in groups. To make the platter more visually appealing, try to stick to an odd number of cheeses, such as three for a small gathering, five for a medium get-together, or seven for a large group.
Arrange the cheeses from mildest to strongest, with blues almost always being the strongest cheeses on the plate, followed by washed rind cheeses. Once you have your cheeses arranged, place your platter in the centre of the room, or the table, and let people help themselves.
Some little tips to share with you from our experience;
Remove cheese from the fridge one hour before serving, as the flavor is best when the cheese is at room temperature.
Use the right knife for the right cheese. A knife with holes stops soft cheese from sticking and for hard varieties, a cheese plane will shave off shards and protect fingers.
Provide more than one knife alongside the platter to avoid mixing all the different flavours together.
Many cheeses are made with rennet (a product derived from calf gut). If you are catering for vegetarians it may be wise to include cheese molded in a vegetable source as well.
Since it’s a brunch we decided to have a pumpkin juice as our drink instead of wine. We ended up having a very good cheese palette and all our friends and family enjoyed it. As there is a lot of varieties, everyone get to enjoy it.
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I‘m not really an appetizer person, so when Angela suggested writing about a quick, last minute warm cheese dish appetizer I was a little stumped. I don’t make a lot of appetizers and I didn’t grow up in a family that have them. The warm cheese dishes was pretty much always just about the fondue. Luckily, Angela came through with the idea to do something with baked brie.
And, just so you know, you don’t need a fancy ceramic dish to bake brie. Placing the cheese on a baking sheet works just as well or, better still, a large oven-proof ramekin. Once it’s out of the oven, simply cover with a piece of foil to keep the cheese warm and melty till you’re ready to serve it.
Speaking of which, most folks tend to serve baked brie with some crackers or crusty bread, some fresh fruit or fruit preserves, and a glass of wine (there’s hot debate about whether it should be red or white). As for me, I say ‘just show me the cheese’! Enjoy!
This Baked Brie with Cranberry and Walnuts is so simple and perfect for those who, like me, might be more focused on the side dishes to really think about pre-meal snack foods. Even if you’re not as obsessed with cheese as I am, there’s no way you’re not drooling over that picture above.
The oozing brie with walnut and cranberry. Oh, and the honey! The sweet, sweet honey making everything just a tad more special. Isn’t that the perfect holiday appetizer?
Ingredients |
3/4 cup cranberry sauce
1 16-ounce brie round
1/3 cup cranberries
2/3 cup walnut pieces
3 tbsp of brown sugar
2 tbsp of honey
Method |
Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.
Remove the top of the rind from the cheese using a serrated knife, and discard the rind. Place the cheese, cut side up on an oven safe plate or bowl. Just make sure to use a larger plate or a bowl so your cheese doesn’t start oozing off the plate like mine is in the above photo. Bake at 200 degrees C for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and top with the brown sugar. Bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is soft and warm.
In a pot warm up the walnuts, cranberries, brown sugar and honey till thick. Drizzle on top of the cheese.
Serve immediately with crackers.
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Don’t you feel warmness especially surrounded with the scent of cinnamon, the taste of pumpkin even with the cold weather? While I always feel happiness everywhere this season since it’s glowing, cozy and shimmering and that is autumn.
It’s an enchanting season around the year – filled with various fiesta and celebration. Beginning with this month there are Halloween, following with Thanksgiving and ultimately everyone favorite, Christmas. It’s always heartwarming to have all kind of celebration with family and friends
Halloween is coming in less than 11 days, although I would missed the opportunity of celebrating it in Melbourne. Therefore, we decided to make some snack for the kiddo in our family. They always have a habit of craving something sugary at the end of there’s meals.
These small sweet bites are the perfect solution for such occurrences. Eating one or two for dessert satisfies my sweet cravings without any guilt, since they are also healthy for me. The right mixture of dates, pecans, pumpkin puree, and coconut flakes gives the balls an almost cookie dough-like texture as you bite into them. This mixture also loads each bite with fiber, antioxidants, and nutrients.
These easy pumpkin pie energy bites are vegan, gluten-free, and required absolutely no baking. Once the ingredients are blended together in the food processor, I recommend putting the dough in the refrigerator. That way it will be easier to work with and shape into balls. Once the balls are formed, you could also roll them in additional chopped nuts or coconut flakes if desired. Then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
This Pumpkin Energy Ball recipe calls for 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree, so it’s a great way to polish off any leftover canned pumpkin you have on hand from any of these recipes. You can double the batch to use up a bit more if you like, then stash the extras in the freezer, where they will last several months.
Moreover, whichever shape they take, they will be bursting with the deliciously sweet spicy flavors of pumpkin pie. Ending it with some Halloween decoration to make it more interesting for the kids, we make sure they will want more of it.
Leave the oven off, your taste buds on, and let this healthy Pumpkin Energy Ball recipe keep you happy all fall!
Ingredients |
1 cup pitted Medjool dates
1/2 cup pecans
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Method |
Place the dates into a small bowl and cover with water. Let soak for 10 minutes, then drain.
Place the pecans into a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add in the rest of the ingredients, including the soaked dates. Pulse until combined. Adjust the spices to taste. Place into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill.
Use your hands to form the dough into small balls. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
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Navy blue is of course a classic that never goes out of style. However, this fall we will be seeing even more of this stunning tone color is fresh and clean. Moreover, it is a bit lighter than the traditional navy blue. Navy Peony is one of my favorite hue for this fall and is a true blue color. It works will neutrals (we love it paired with white) but it also looks modern with tones like millennial pink.
This versatile shade will be everywhere. We love the depth of this color but the versatility is also a great feature of this stunning shade. You might think that navy is boring but it can be anything ranging from classic and traditional to fun and fresh.
Nevertheless it all depends on how and where you use it! Mix it with some metallic tones, bold color, mix and match prints or keep it with the neutrals. Try it in unexpected rooms like a nursery or the kitchen!
Hello friends. Halloween is coming in a few days, have you plan on what to do yet?
So I have been researching on what to do for that day, the food and also clothes. And in my search for the scariest looking costume, I realized nothing is more frightening than the world is now. All the wars, economy and the people. Think I am thinking too much.
Nevertheless, Halloween is all about the trick or treat, and I think everyone of you will be sweet on that day and always. May it be dreadfully creepy and scary and a whole lot of fun.
You guys, I made a mousse. There is no other way to explain it, but to say that I gave in to the pressure. I mean, can you imagine Halloween without a mousse? Didn’t think so.
But…
You may know that I do not make mousse often. Maybe once a year. And it will be an chocolate mousse. But this year we decided with a mousse. A pumpkin mousse. After a moment of sheer panic, I composed myself and decided that I can do it. It might just not be as traditional as you would expect.
And you know what? This is the best Pumpkin Mousse we ever have, everyone loves it.
These Pumpkin Mousse is light and creamy pumpkin mousse that’s a perfect finish to a Halloween dinner. This mousse is made in under half an hour and can be made ahead of time. The time saving dessert you need for the holidays!
Some tips for you to make this mousse;
I doubled the original recipe and changed out the neufchatel cream cheese for regular cream cheese, but feel free to change the cream cheese to whatever kind you typically buy.
If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice or can’t find it, substitute the following for the amount I used: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice.
Surprisingly even my parents were won over with this dessert and I thought it would just be for the sister in the house, HA, I was very wrong! The parents loved it and I had to share. But with only 7 ingredients needed, you can make this anytime at all.
Ingredients |
1 can pumpkin puree
½ can condensed milk
2 ½ cups of heavy cream, divided
2 tps of ground cinnamon
¼ tps of ground nutmeg
2 tbsp of light brown sugar
¼ tps of ground clove
Method |
Place the pumpkin puree, condensed milk, ½ cup of cream, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove into a medium saucepan and stir over medium heat.
Simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and allow the mixture to cool completely and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours.
Once the pumpkin mixture has chilled, place the remaining cream into a stand mixer and whip until stiff peaks form, 3-5 minutes. Gently fold the whipped cream (reserving 2/3 cup) into the pumpkin mixture until fully incorporated.
Fill six ramekins (trifle dishes) about 2/3 of the way with the mousse and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 to 4 hours. Top each with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of crumbled ginger snaps.
*Note: This is a soft, not stiff, mousse!
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Just one more week to Halloween, although currently we are at Melbourne we couldn’t stop the festival fever. Therefore, we decided to do a collage of some of the recipes we made to celebrate Halloween! Be it clear in makeup or not let celebrate with great food.
One / Hot Apple Cider
Raise your hand if you can tell me what is synonymous with fall. Well, besides the awesome cooler temps and beautiful fall foliage. I’m talking apples, y’all. I love ’em and now’s the best time of year to enjoy them! There’s nothing like warm, spicy apple cider to break the ice when you’re entertaining on a chilly day. This is the first drink that came into my mind for a Halloween gathering.
Two / Baked Honey-crisp Apples
Another dish using apple, other then Hot Apple Cider. You can have a creepy Snow White theme party for your children. This are one of the dishes that is delicious yet fun at the same time. They’re everything that their name implies – sweet and crisp!
Three / Monster’s Crispy Rice
We always wanted to try making one of this. Using the basic recipe with 2 ingredients – Crispy Rice and Melted Marshmallow. After you have done the snack you can be creative with your decoration and create all this amazing and adorable creatures. This is one of the kids favorite.
Four / Juicy Beef Burger
Hmm… You must be thinking isn’t this just a recipe that taste good, how is it related with Halloween? As this Juicy Beef Burger have a thick patty therefore we used a knife to hold the burger together. Isn’t this so cool? But make sure the kids don’t play with the knife.
Five / Cranberries Mojito
The last recommendation is for all the alcoholic lover out there. They might thought that they are drinking blood instead of Cranberries Mojito.
Using all these recipes you can create a Halloween party for both the adult and the children. Now I am going to hunt for a mug of hot apple cider as the weather in Melbourne is so cold.
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This week I want to dedicate this portrait to this amazing girl – Ash, she, is not Supergirl but she is as well. I’ve never missed the charming bright smile on her face, even though she goes through bad bays like everyone else.
A lady that represents sunshine, a fearless cool girl that I ever know – a lady with overloaded of charm. She represents freedom to me, an independent soul I wish I could master from her.
I appreciate spending time with this girl because I know that I could do crazy things with her and without judgment. She is young, beautiful and her athletic spirit always encourage me through mine insane days.
From months of waiting, the wait finally it arrives. In another 2 days, we will be on our flight for our trip to Melbourne. We’ve never once felt that travel was a form of escapism. Setting foot in an entirely brand new foreign land, soaking in new sights and sounds. It’s can be an experience like no other.
We’re definitely looking forward to the outskirts of Melbourne away from crowds like Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula. Since many friends and Instagrammers highly recommend us for its beauty including the food and drink in the regions. Tell us, what’s better than bread, cheese, and wine!
As you know, life has been kind of a roller-coaster lately. It was no better time, really, to get some fresh air, take time out and clear the mind, and so Melbourne we are coming to you – A city that I’ve been meaning to see for the longest, longest time.
“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.”
In the garden I looked up through the trees at the sky. I have had a strange feeling of being happy. As if something was pushing and drawing in my chest and making me breathe fast. One says before that everything we see is made out of magic. However I doesn’t agreed with it, as it can be created. Taking an example, for me I create painting about the flower, leaves and also the fox.
Fox is one of the mysterious animal I ever known. They look like a dog but act similar to a cat. The fox has many tricks. The hedgehog has but one. But that is the best of all.
This painting was inspired by @amyrogstad, this women have the most amazing art piece ever. Thanks for the inspiration, I got so much more to catch up.
My love for milk teas is like an extraordinary journey. In my little fancy my ultimate aim is to taste different of them in the world.
I bet not everyone drinks coffee, at least 50% of them drink tea. I enjoyed the discovery of them, from classic English Milk Tea, Earl Grey Milk Tea to Thai Milk Tea is my hobby.
At home, I enjoy mixing a different kind of tea with a various choice of milk. When you blend them, you create different a new chemistry of taste. Don’t you think this glass of Coconut Iced Thai Milk Tea, it tastes as beautiful as it color – it’s definitely healthier than the sweetener Thai Milk Tea. Recently, we have been in love with coconut – coconut milk has been listed to be one of the healthier choices.
OK, now we’re talking.
This recipe is simple, requiring just 5 ingredients (plus water), and is remarkably close to what you’d find in a Thai restaurant. While you can find authentic Thai Iced Tea mixes at the store and online, I’ve found they typically contain dyes and I wanted to keep mine natural, simple and accessible to everyone.
All you really need is black tea (loose leaf or bagged), vanilla extract, a natural sweetener of choice (I used a mix of muscovado sugar and maple syrup), and coconut milk!
Can we just talk about the creaminess going on here? I mean, can we talk about it?
Ingredients |
6 star anise pods
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Sweetened condensed coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons loose Ceylon tea leaves
Method |
Bring star anise, turmeric, vanilla, and 5 cups water to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; add tea leaves. Steep 10 minutes; strain and let cool completely. For each serving, pour over ice; stir in condensed coconut milk to taste. Tea will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
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The greatest gift of life is friendship. That’s why I’m blessed to have her in my life all these while. A person that have lots of place in my heart. She taught me to be patient, be thoughtful and give in when I have too. She is amazing because she always makes sense out of me through things I refuse to acknowledge with. Through her words, I learn to understand, to accept what I always don’t. She is a big sister while I’m a baby – while I’m still crawling with my hands, she is reaching out to me with hers.
When she announced getting married, I’m so happy for her however sad to know that a good friend will be away. Soon, she will be going away for a long while, the time we get together will be lesser than we have it now but that doesn’t matter as I will miss her even more. Knowing that she lead a happy life she always wants for, it is enough for me.
Hello folks, it’s the start of a week again. How are you feeling, having Monday blue like me or getting ready to start a brand new week? We all know it’s time for autumn when you walk into the stores. All the clothes looks warm and autumn-ish, with lots of food having pumpkin in it and also decoration for Halloween.
When I start scrolling the Pinterest looking at the autumn related pins, it makes me feel excited. All the pins looks like autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. After scrolling the Pinterest for days, here are some things I love about Autumn that i’m really looking forward to:
The Halloween with the Pumpkins and Candles around the house and more candles. With the cold weather I also get to wear cozy socks, scarves, and Boots. Most importantly get to drink all the hot chocolate and salted caramel that I can as I need to keep myself warm.
What are you excited for around this time of the year?
It’s finally fall when you get to see all the fall clothes collection in the stores. Although the weather doesn’t feel much different in Singapore but the mood is not. And I am really happy that falls is here. As I get to drink all the warm pumpkin latte I can. In my pass experience it an be cold during the fall which mean I can stay in my cozy bed all day.
Anyway countdown to 11 days to our trip to Melbourne, thus stay tuned for lots of travel post from us. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below, or sharing them on Facebook and Pinterest.
On the 4th of October we celebrate Happy National Taco Day, as it is one of our family food. Among all the tacos our favorite is using beef. A meat lover like us, the chicken could never satisfy us. Moreover, how can you complain about a simple weeknight meal, like these perfect beef tacos (can totally use chicken, too!) that are made from scratch and still on the table in less than 30 minutes.
You can even feel good about ditching the prepackaged taco seasoning, because a) you can always come back to it later, and b) these tacos are just as fast and easy (and dare I say, more delicious).
These homemade tacos really are the best-ever. Rather than having it using ground beef we uses steak for this recipes. We decided to use back the Summer Steak with Coriander Chutney recipes to marinate the beef. As we misses these sweet and juicy beef. These succulent steak recipes are perfect for summer grilling but it’s taste awesome in autumn taco.
Moreover, you does need much ingredient in here. You will only need 4 simple ingredient for the steak which are plain yogurt, coconut cream, hot curry powder and mango chutney.
The mango chutney is sweet, spicy flavor and generous chunks of juicy fresh mango, this traditional chutney is as good as any you’ll get in your local Indian restaurant. Serve it alongside all kinds of curries or with cold ham, chicken or game. It’s fantastic in cheese sandwiches, too.
After the preparation of steak and leaving it marinate in the fridge for 20 minutes we started preparing the taco and the salsa. We have once made a Mixed Salsa and Mango Salsa before, but this time we op-ed for a simple version. We used tomato, onion and coriander, just simply chop them into cubes and put them in a jar. End with squeezing some lime juice in it.
Ingredients |
200g of baby tomatoes
1 red onion
coriander (as much as you need, for us it’s never too much)
2 lime
Method |
Chop the tomatoes and onion into cubes and coriander in smaller pieces. Put them in a jar and add in the lime juice. Leave it in the fridge for at least an hour.
As Angela and I have different preference with with our tacos. Therefore, we decided to have 2 version of beef tacos, one with avocado as base and one with the salsa. I am not a fan with the avocado like my sister, as the taste too creamy for me. Who loves the avocado like my sister?
A little tips for you.
After grilling the beef please do not slice them right away. Leaving the beef aside for 15 minutes allow the juice to be contain it the beef when it’s been slicing up.
Now it time to assemble them together. As even we love vegetable and avocado but we will never stop at this proceed.
Any way one of our favorite rebellious taco moves is to make taco quesadillas instead of the so-last-summer tacos we love. It’s as simple as it sounds – slap a tortilla on a griddle or in a hot skillet, cover it with taco meat, cheese, and another tortilla, and cook until golden and that cheese is all melts. Once the taco quesadilla is cut into slices, we pile all adornments (lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, avocados…you know) right on top and dig in with a fork.
So let’s get back to the tacos. We end with our favorite coriander and lime. Isn’t the tacos beautiful?
Super yummy.
So clearly, the options are endless with this beef taco recipe! It’s a favorite, favorite. Hope you love it, too!
Ingredients |
6 hard shell Tacos
2 medium beefsteak
150g of plain yogurt
75ml of coconut cream
1 tbsp of hot curry powder
4 tbsp of mango chutney
1/2 iceberg lettuce, trimmed and shredded
1 avocado
handful of coriander
lime
Method |
Start by marinating the beef in the fridge for 20 minutes. Bakes the tacos using the temperature and time state on the box.
Place a griddle pan over a high heat and let it get smoking hot. Grilled the beef steak for 3 minutes on each side using garlic, rosemary and butter. For a juicy steak, let it rest for 15 minutes before chopping it into thick slices.
Time to assemble the tacos, start with the lettuce then the sliced avocado or salsa, and then the beef. Granish it with coriander and lime.
Make them take a photo, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. More stories on our #stellerstories, we want to see yours! It would make the day!
I believe that a true friend is no matter how many years have passed, whether you see another every day, if both parties want to be connected with, it’ll always be connected with.
Remember at least a decade ago while we are still students, nobody will understand why the two of us could associate with. She is an active sportsman while I’m a nerd. None of us have a common hobby I think, little to say I could speak her language. Von(ica) is amazing because of her personality; straightforward, no drama and never care what others think about her. Despite her smart-looking style, she is a super caring person that you could ever ask for. That must be the reason why I cherished her and appreciate her as a friend a lot.
Among our four years of study together, she is my penpals, audience, and healer. Ultimately despite our different path in life, we hardly get to meet and time from the time we connect through the message. This year finally we met up and nothing changes after year which I’m grateful for.
Highly chance she will criticize me for painting this portrait. However, I imagine this just speaks to her so much! Food simply represents her, I believe she is more a foodie than I’m. Therefore, I just thought this portrait is adorable, don’t you?
Many memories just pop up while I’m writing and I’m thankful that we are still connected.
Green Olive maybe a ugly shade to some however this fall it turn from a ugly duckling to a beautiful swan. Love the blend of the olive green – don’t you think that green olive has the glory tone among the greens? With the color on a velvet or treads cloths, it’s turn into a beautiful and elegant one. Moreover with it compliment the color grey, it helps to at a little touch to the room. It’s a great color for this fall as it warm up the room without having it too bright.
Another fun fact for Green Olive’s color – this sewage-tinged hue actually has an important mission. Out of the entire rainbow, experts chose the green-brown shade to discourage smoking. And one look at this swatch will convince you of its habit-breaking abilities. Nevertheless, a color have different sides of itself, like us human. It’s it cool?
Sauces are the greatest invention ever. Among all the different choices what is your favorite? Tomato, Pesto, Cream, Garlic-and-Oil or Meat Sauce? They are the guiltiest thing ever but without them, our life is just tasteless.
One of the best cream sauce would be Tartar Sauce, a classic English cream base for any kind of food and especially seafood. Everything tastes insanely great with tartar sauce and that is the time we stop the diet.
Previously we made Seadog and Fish and Chip at home and therefore we thought that we should also share our version of Tartar sauce. It might not be the best but it is not greasy with lots of the texture from the pickles and red onions. It still has great flavor (tell us if we are wrong).
It’s very simple! As you just have to gather all the ingredients and chop them, mix them, lastly eat them by dipping in all kind of food!
Side note: we love the products from Waitrose, it is affordable and in great quality. Most of their products have lesser salt content or they are organic. You can find most of the Waitrose products in most of the Cold Storage in Singapore. Some bigger store has a larger range but they’ve limited choice compared to the UK. Well, I might change my mind until I go to Melbourne. As lately I have been researching lots of great local market to visit.
Ingredients |
1 cup of Mayonnaise
2 tsp of lemon juice
1/4 tsp of freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp of finely chopped onion
1/2 cup of finely chopped dill pickles
Method |
Combine everything and give it a good stir.
Like we mentioned above, gather your ingredients and “chop”, “mix”, lastly “eat” them by dipping in all kind of food! We highly recommend chilling for at least 30mins to an hour before having it for your meal.
We hope that you like and as usual take a photo of your version, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us or, anything. It’s a thrill for us to see you trying out our recipe!
It’s time for some fall’s leaves and branches. Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale. Fall time is always a good time for the warm cup of chocolate and pumpkin.
This fall I am counting down to my holiday, it was happy yet stressful. As there is part of me, I can’t leave my work aside. Still I can’t wait for the trip! All the planning, packing and going to airport it’s my favorite things to do.
When fall is coming, kicking summer out on its own. However someday at the mid of September, I will always miss my old friend – Summer. But who doesn’t love holding a cup of hot chocolate or even those cozy sweater? Nevertheless, the Pantone color of the fall is something I can’t miss it.
This year there is a total of 10 Pantone color for the fall and what caught our eyes first is Autumn Maple. It is a blend of tawny and russet, a quintessential autumn color. This is the color I would love having in the whole fall even on my food, as I gave the warmest atmosphere to me. It’s a darker shade of pumpkin that gives a mature feel.
Autumn Maple goes well with different textures and materials such as knitted, fur and checkers. You can have a simple throw-over in Autumn Maple for your sofa and it simply warms up the whole room.
Complete strangers can stand silent next to each other in an elevator and not even look each other in the eye. But at a concert, those same strangers could find themselves dancing and singing together like best friends. That’s the power of music. Thus, when the whole world is silent, the one voice becomes powerful is music.
I listen to all kind of music since young. I listen them in different style and language, and all kind of music influence me differently. That’s the power of music, you don’t have to understand them but feel them.
We love to eat pizza like the Italians. Yet we never ever make a pizza before and how could that be happening? I always thought we at least need to cook and prepare what we eat! One day, I told Joe that I want to challenge to make a Pizza!
I was never a baker for sweets unlike Joe but I thought that I should at least have a try at making a Pizza (it could be a start for baking). We research for recipes and we’ve decided to learn to make the basic pizza dough from Jamie Olivia recipe. It wasn’t as easy like what the recipe stated. As the amount of the flour doesn’t work in the direction given.
Since the recipe didn’t work accordingly, we try to add in more flour generally. We modified a little based on our own touch and gladly it out to be not that bad. That Sunday afternoon was experimental and fun. It took us almost a full day for mixing, kneeling, waiting for it to sit down. Finally, send to the oven baking, before it turns into crispy dough we made.
It is essential that your pizza dough is very thin when it goes into the oven.The edges can be slightly thicker, but you should be able to see some light through the dough (in the center), otherwise you won’t be able to achieve a thin, yet crisp pizza crust. To make the pizza dough you will need;
Ingredients |
300 g of plain flour
1 teaspoon of yeast powder
1 teaspoon of salt
200 ml of warm water
1 & 1/2 tablespoons of oil (I use light olive oil)
Method |
For the dough, pile the flours and 1 level teaspoon of sea salt onto a clean surface and make a well in the center.
Add the yeast and sugar to 200 ml warm water, mix together and leave for a few minutes, then pour into the well. Using a fork and a circular movement, slowly bring in the flour from the inner edge of the well and mix into the water. Continue to mix, bringing in all the flour – when the dough comes together and becomes too hard to mix with your fork, flour your hands and begin to pat it into a ball.
Knead the dough by rolling it backwards and forwards, using your hands to stretch, pull and push the dough. Keep kneading for 10 minutes, or until you have a smooth, springy, soft dough.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm place to to prove for 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
If you want to save time (and be able to make this pizza on a weeknight, which is totally do-able!), this pizza dough can be prepared and frozen ahead of time.
We decided to make Margherita – the most classic pizza but to hard achieve the favor.
I have learned along the way that raw tomato sauces are the way to go. They are also extremely easy! Pureed Hunts canned tomatoes, garlic (minced in my garlic press), a touch of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Whatever you do, avoid putting a thick layer of sauce on the pizza as it will result in a less crisp crust. It should be very thin.
For the best Margherita pizza, you will want to preheat your oven to the highest temperature possible. For my oven, that is 220 C. I allow my baking stone to preheat for at least 30 minutes (regardless of whether my oven is ready as it takes time for your baking stone to come to temperature). The higher the temperature the better. This recipe makes two 10-inch pizzas, and they should be able to properly cook in 7 to 8 minutes at that temperature.
Everything seems worthy when people saying it’s delicious. Joe was surprised with our first try and succeed. Our parent finished pizza right away a from the oven. We did make some mistake for our first try by baking the basil leaves. That should be the last thing you put on it!
Ingredients |
carton of tomato
garlic cloves
tablespoons of tomato puree
mozzarella cheese
Pinch of chilli flakes
Pinch of black pepper
Fresh basil leaves
Drizzle of olive oil
Method |
For the sauce, peel and finely slice the garlic, then pick the basil leaves and finely chop the stalks. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan on a medium-low heat, add the garlic and basil stalks, then cook gently for a couple of minutes, or until the garlic is lightly golden, then add most of the basil leaves, the tomatoes, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Leave the sauce to tick away for around 20 minutes, or until smooth, breaking up the tomatoes up with a wooden spoon. When the time’s up, taste, and season to perfection.
To assemble the pizzas, divide the dough in half. Wrap one half in clingfilm and freeze for another day. With the remaining half, divide the dough into 4 equal balls.
Flour each dough ball, then cover with clingfilm, and leave to rest for about 15 minutes – this will make them easier to roll it thinly. Dust a clean surface and the dough with a little flour or semolina, and roll it out into a rough circle, about ½cm thick.
Tear off an appropriately sized piece of tin foil, rub it with olive oil, dust well with flour or semolina and place the pizza base on top. Continue doing the same with the remaining dough, dust with a little flour so you can pile them up. Cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge. When you’re ready to cook them, preheat the oven to 250°C. At this stage you can apply your topping: spread the tomato sauce over the base, spreading it out to the edges. Tear over the mozzarella and scatter with the remaining basil leaves. Drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper.
If you can, cook the pizzas on a piece of granite in your conventional oven – if not, cook them one by one on pieces of tin foil directly on the bars of the oven shelf, towards the bottom of the oven (If you’re going to cook your pizzas on the bars of the oven, make sure they’re not too big – otherwise they’ll be difficult to manoeuvre). Cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the pizzas are golden and crispy.
“This is delicious”! the happiest words from people who ate your food. We hope that you like and as usual take a photo of your version, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us or, anything. It’s a thrill for us to see you trying out our recipe!
Those wiser ones told me that, “friends are for life.” Definitely, she is one of the friends I cherish the most even though I couldn’t express myself in words. Especially if you ask me to confess in front of a person that how much I admire them, admittedly I feel really embarrassed. Well, you could say that my ego has been messing around.
Fortunately, I’m always blessed that I have her as my friend. Since, She shows me plentiful love in times of trouble, not just in happiness. Telling me the truth that no one has tells me. Believe in what I’m doing and encourage me to my non-realistic dreams.
As compared to her I’m not a good friend – as she is so strong that I couldn’t realize when she needs help. Because these days I felt that I have been a terrible friend that all my focus is all on work. While I missed those time we spent together and talk for hours. I hope that I’m able to be a responsible friend that never disappoint her anymore.
(Sorry for reading my boring story.)
“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” Marcel Proust
It is always sad to bid goodbye to summer. While, throughout the past 3 months, there definitely are various fun activities, lights, and fireworks that have brought us extraordinary moments.
Thus, I’m not sure if you experience it but Summer is the annual permission slip to be lazy. To do nothing and have it count for something. To lie in the grass and count the stars. To sit on a branch and study the clouds.
Even though there are so much more to talk about summer but sadly it all come to an end. We want to embrace our last Summer activity this weekend before we come to be regret!
Every Summer has a story and what is yours? Share with us!
I always love the color yellow, as it’s a bright and fun color. It symbolize sunshine, hope, and happiness, has conflicting associations. Yellow represent warmth and cheerfulness. Seeing yellow also help increased mental activity and muscle energy.
However, to me yellow are stories. It is a story about a yellow duckling. For me, as a painter I transform the sun into a yellow spot. While others transform a yellow spot into the sun.
Don’t ever laugh at me! A few years back, I have yet try Rose Tea Latte before! I don’t think it’s a thing back then. Separately, yes I did and I love both of them very much. The strong sweet fragrance from the Rose and the silky texture of the Latte just make it perfect.
My first ever cup of Rose Tea Latte was served at Everyday Karmakamet back in 2014. I wouldn’t say that it’s the best since then. So far the one that is unforgettable is from Starbucks in Taiwan. I have been trying to replicate the taste of it but I don’t think could but I end up mixing our one.
Don’t you agree that making drinks is always an art? Both of us, we are less professional than the Barista but it’s fun to mess up the kitchen! And we get to drink while making it.
In this recipe you will need Rose Syrup thus rather then buying a whole bottle of it which it’s impossible for us to use finish. We decided to made our own one as we can control the amount needed and not waste it. The rose syrup is a very simple and easy to be made, as you just need 3 ingredients and 10 minutes.
1/2cupsugar
1/4cupwater
1/2cupedible rose petals (dried)
Add the sugar and water into a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves, turn off heat, add the rose petals and steep for 5 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, pushing on the petals to extract as much of the remaining syrup as possible.
Making a beautiful cup of rose tea is my new favorite source for an energetic pick-me-up. Roses are traditionally associated with love and romance, but have you thought about actually eating a rose? Probably not. Roses are not only good for the soul, they’re also rich in health benefits.
What’s so fancy about rose tea? For the ladies, drinking rose tea helps to reduce pain associated with heavy menstrual cycles and breast tenderness. Rose is also used to help regulate irregular periods and treat infertility. It is also a mood booster. The rose tea helps to relieve depression, tension and stress. (Ah, amen).
Ingredients |
1cupboiling water
2tbspsearl grey loose leaf tea
1tbspedible rose petals (dried)
1cupwhole milk
4tspsrose syrup
edible rose petals and rose dust (garnish)
Method |
Combine the Earl Grey tea with the rose petals, and steep in boiling water for 5 minutes. Discard the tea.
Mix the rose syrup with milk, and froth with a milk frothier to your desired warmth and foam.
While waiting for the tea to brew, I filled my mug with hot water to keep it warm. Just before serving, discard the hot water, and mist the mug with a few sprays of high quality rose water. I sprayed once directly inside the mug, once on the outside, and once from up above.*
Fill your mug halfway with tea, and then add the steamed milk. Garnish with a few dried rose petals. If you’d also like to add some rose dust for garnish, simply add a handful of dried rose petals to a spice grinder, and pulse until they reach a fine powder. Use a fine mesh strainer to give a light dusting of rose powder atop the drink.
We hope that you like and as usual take a photo of your version, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us or, anything. It’s a thrill for us to see you trying out our recipe!
Time flies, and it’s already September. Apologies for all the delays for the past few months. Whatever all these mixed thoughts mean, one thing’s for sure – We’re not going anywhere and we have lots of new and exciting plans for this little space of mine.
Anyway, weekend is around the corner, and what is so exciting then having a party after the tiring week? A party is not a party without a good party hat, so we whipped up some super fun colorful painted ones to celebrate. These are perfect for a colorful party; if you’re planning one of those sometime soon (or if you just want to wear something fun on your head) download the file and let’s get crafting!
Download the party hat file and print it onto white card. Paint your cut with different color and pattern. Cut out each of the hats with a pair of scissors when the paint is dry. Fasten the two ends of the hat together to form a cone.
Cut a piece of elastic long enough to fit under your chin. Punch a small hole in one side of the party hat (towards the base) and insert the piece of elastic through. Tie a knot to secure.
Repeat on the opposite side of the party hat with the other end of the elastic. Glue a pom pom to the top of the party hat with hot glue.
That’s all there is to it – your painted pom pom party hats are ready to show off at whatever fun festivities you’ve got planned! Take a photo of your version, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see you trying out our craft!
Months ago when I painted Kate’s portrait she asked me if I could paint a portrait of her beloved dog, of course, I will and here it’s.
This is the 3rd-4th time I challenge myself to paint an animal again, it’s tricky especially to create the fur like. It’s unlike human with a fair and smooth skin surface. It took me hours and days to understand how should I move my stroke.
It was a great time painting this portrait and I enjoyed the painting process pretty well. I hope both Kate and Emma like it and this is one of the coolest dogs on the earth now!
Mason jars have come a long way from their humble canning origins, and it’s not hard to see why. These glass containers, which come in a variety of sizes (and even colors, if that’s your thing), are just inherently useful. In fact, if you have a kitchen that’s in need of some organization, they can be your best friend.
Jars is not only a container but it is also an art piece for the kitchen. It comes with all shape and sizes to provide different style and atmosphere to the place. Compare to container, this glass jar help brighten up the area rather than making it pack.
It’s been awhile since I last update my status of my life. Currently I am working on my website in parallel with Eggy and Le Plain Canvas. Thus I would love to have some comment to tell me what kind of painting style do you love from me. Are you a flora person or a object?
A leaf to the living is more than sumptuous wreaths to the dead.
Pandan is always one of our family favorite ingredient when it comes to making desserts. We are never out of getting them as our garden have pots and pots of them. They have this fragrance we never can resist it.
Pandan Chiffon Cakes are widely sold all around Singapore with Bengawan Solo’s being one of the more popular ones. Giant/Shop & Save even sells them at a cheap cheap 2 bucks! Pandan chiffon cakes has always been my mum’s favourite and it has also been my favourite when I was growing up. I can still remember stuffing myself silly with these fragrant slices.
However, this national day we decided to made a little twist to this pandan cake. We decided to add a layer of coconut whipped cream at the middle of two layer of cake to spice them up.
Ps: Do you also know Pandan leaves is also the best insect repellent?
Most people I know of would squirm at the thought of using their bare hands to fold the batter but to me, so as long as our hands are cleaned thoroughly before we fold the batter, it actually works better than a whisk or spatula!
So, here’s the recipe that I love so very much as there’s no food colouring involved.. all the flavour of the cake’s from the pandan juice made from pandan leaves. This cake takes about 15 minutes to prep and an hour to bake. I’m using a 20cm base chiffon tin and it yielded a 2″ tall cake. If you’d like, you can use a smaller tin to achieve a taller cake.
Ingredients |
2 eggs (65 g)
6 egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla extract
70 g unsalted butter
120 g all purpose flour (can use cake flour)
50 g coconut milk
50 g Pandan Juice (blend 6-7 leaves with 50 g water)
6 egg whites
140 g fine caster sugar
Method |
Preheat oven to 160C.
Combine egg, egg yolks, vanilla extract and beat lightly. Set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan, using low heat, then add all the sifted flour and cook through. Mixture will be lumpy at this stage. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the coconut milk and pandan juice and mix until blended. Next, slowly add the egg yolk mixture slowly, stirring with a spatula or whisk until a smooth batter is achieved. Strain batter and put aside.
To make the meringue, place the egg whites in a clean dry bowl of the mixer and beat until foamy. Add half the sugar and continue beating for a few minutes before adding the remaining sugar. Beat until the egg whites are glossy and firm peaks form.
Add 1/3 of the meringue to the batter and fold lightly to mix before adding the next 1/3 portion, fold in until just incorporated and then adding the final 1/3 portion and fold until no streaks of meringue can be seen. Gently pour into prepared pan, scrap the top as level as possible and bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove baked cake from pan and allow to cool on rack completely before slicing into two equally parts. Take one piece and invert the bottom side up and apply whipped cream. Stack the other piece on the top, bottom side down. Chill a couple of hours before slicing.
Take a photo of your version, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see you trying out our recipe!
I have been away from my paint brush (even though it’s a Wacom pen) for almost 2 weeks. I couldn’t paint anything as works are piling up and I couldn’t concentrate for hours that I required.
This week I told myself to block my schedule accordingly since I have breaks in-between both the morning and evening. I wake up early in the morning and paint for a couple of hours and spend time finish my book in the evening. Finding own time is difficult, but when the other could deal with it and why can’t I. So far I made it, I might not please everyone around me but I’m motivated by my desire.
Finding own time is rather difficult, but when the other could deal with it and questioning myself why I couldn’t. We might not able to please everyone around us but we’re motivated by our desire to achieve, to be happy and to help someone around us.
This week #APaintPortrait would like to dedicate to Sam. He reminds me of what I read from Ayn Rand, “A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.” It’s always interesting to read something from Ayn Rand as she is powerful with her words.
Happy “Read a Book Day” everyone! Just wanted to share recent reads I’ve been enjoying lately.
I love books – physically attached to them by their beautiful covers and the printing scent of the pages. Well, I don’t just judge a book by their cover but I read them, anticipate and be involved emotionally. I want to read and know more about it, whether it’s fiction, non-fiction, magazines or recipes. I felt peaceful and lost in time while reading them.
I found these books by chance during a visit to the book store. The sector of lifestyle has such corner called, “Hygge”. I saw this term somewhere before, I thought it’s a trend but I have no idea what it is and surely didn’t know that it is a word in the dictionary.
The Little Book of Hygge is very interesting and it feels like a thesaurus that consisted of lots of terms, facts, details yet very entertaining. I also enjoyed the beautiful illustration of each page, it makes things simpler and natural to understand. Not only that, but it also consists of various recipes throughout the book that taught us how to eat like Danish. I already plan to try the recipe.
The Book of Hygge scores 10 out of 10 of being “Hygge” from the cover, to the written pages and the sharing from Louisa Thomsen Brits. She doesn’t only share the facts but explains how to connect and stay comfortable through the habit of Hygge.
Hygge “hoo-ga” is never a trend but a way of living, its part of the culture that we Asian doesn’t have. It’s something that I want to practice at home, in the short term it’s all about live, play, love. Because everything in life can be living in it most beautiful way.
If you want to know more about Hygge and these two are the one, to begin with. For those, prefer a less wordy book and with the fascinating charts, The Little Book of Hygge is definitely your pick still I would also recommend The Book of Hygge for quiet reading.
If you have any recent reads you’d like to share, feel free. Hope you have a great weekend!
Little that we know, we are entering the autumn atmosphere, despite there wasn’t four season in Singapore we can still enjoy the four seasons by creating it through our interiors and everyday lifestyle.
By having these colors you could create a warmer hue at home thus celebrate the fall. In this palette with many colors that initially look like they belong to Spring. However, on closer inspection have the added depth and golden undertones of the Autumn palette.
Much like their colors, vibrant autumns often look like Springs until they are properly analysed. Often have a very light bright look compared to other autumns. Your best colors are vibrant grass blue, warm pumpkin orange and the brightest pink.
Using this color combination. it helps to create a fun and bold autumn for this season.
While summer is the hottest season of the year, this is the best time we enjoy great drinks and laughter. Also, who says it has to be spirits in the glass. We love to share this beautiful drink we have our favorite combination with. They’re watermelon, lemonade, and white-tea hence this summer you got to try this Summer’s Tea Melonade. Watermelon is our go-to for staying hydrated. Since it’s naturally sweet, you don’t need to add a ton of sugar. And who doesn’t love the mellow buzz and fresh flavor of white tea?
We decided to go with the T2 brand with lots of recommendation from friends. Among the different variate of white tea, we chooses Pai Mu Tan. Beautiful light, smooth white tea with bits of nutty taste. We re-brew this tea up to three times and it’s good to the last drop!
As the local market always deliver fresh fruits to their store in midnight and to avoid the crowd. To get started, remove the rind from a quarter of a large watermelon. We got our watermelon in the middle of the night at our local wet market.
After carrying a 3 kg watermelon home, we slice the fruit into small cubes and freeze on a sheet of parchment paper. However, if you’re not using them right away, transfer the frozen cubes to a Ziploc bag and marvel at your quick frozen fruit skills. (Freezing the fruit in a single layer prevents them from clumping together to make one giant ice formation.)
Next morning or when you are ready for this drink, start boiling some water and walk away. White and green teas have delicate leaves, and a very hot pour over can ruin the flavor. The ideal water temperature for steeping is around 170 degrees. For us we leave the water to cool for a minutes before adding the tea. Stir the sugar into the hot water to help the crystals dissolve completely.
You can use various type sugar for this drink as it will deliver different flavor.
Natural cane sugar, which has been processed less than regular white granulated varieties.
Honey would be delicious here.
Try coconut sugar for a caramel-ly flavor.
Another small tips for you, DO NOT leave the tea bag in the water for too long as it will get bitter! And finally, toss the frozen watermelon cubes in a blender, add the sweetened tea mixture and squeeze half a lemon for brightness. Blend on high until smooth and enjoy your G-rated frosé.
Ingredients |
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons of white tea
3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
4 cups frozen watermelon cubes
spring of mint, for serving
Method |
Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat and add sugar; stir until dissolved. Add tea bags and steep 4 minutes.
After the 4 minutes, remove the tea bags and press gently to release liquid. Let cool completely before refrigerate until cold. Blend mixture with lemon juice and watermelon cubes until smooth. Serve, with watermelon slices.
Grab a water melon and mix the drink, share with us do you like it. Take a photo of your version, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see you trying out our recipe!
Today I choose life. Every morning when I wake up I can choose joy, angry, negativity, pain. To feel the freedom that comes from being able to continue to make mistakes and choices – today I choose to feel life, not to deny my humanity but embrace it.
Therefore, today I choose butterfly. Butterfly is happiness, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.
Recently, I have fall in love in painting flora. Looking for different flower to create different flora waterpaint.
This has been the longest wait ever, ever since we booked our trip it has been weeks(sss). However, we still have another 7 weeks to our ultimate road trip (even though I couldn’t drive yet) to Melbourne. We’ve been planning for so long and finally it’s near us. As I’m (we’re) exhausted with our works thus I really hope for a rest since last December.
I’ve been complaining internally or to friends, I thought I must have been tired as I sound angry all the time. I want to travel to a strange land and have a cup of best coffee in Melbourne, walking on the street without thinking of things, enjoy the sun from the cooling clean air and the breeze along the sea.
Just want to go on a road trip without telling anyone and don’t bring our phone. Start walking and keep walking until you no longer know the road like the palm of your hand, because we walk the same roads day in and day out, to the bus and back home and we cease to see. Just walk, see, sit down if you like. And be. Just be, whatever you are with whatever you have, and realize that that is enough to be happy. There’s a whole world out there, right outside your window. You’d be a fool to miss it.
Have you questioned yourself what have you been doing these days? Times I don’t even know what I’m doing but just work – that’s horrible.
While these days it took me longer to find time to sit down and illustrate. No matter how busy I am, I must take time to make time for painting. As that’s not an excuse for not doing it therefore even I have to skip for a break I will want to keep on practicing.
I did mention that I’m really terrible at paint guys – definitely not my strength yet. I would still want to keep try and practice. Having a something I like to do is a total self-indulgence. It is something that you can do that is mostly- if not entirely-you-centric. And it’s painting.
“As with all commandments, gratitude is a description of a successful mode of living. The thankful heart opens our eyes to a multitude of blessings that continually surround us.” – James E. Faust
It’s funny. Before having my *real* food epiphanies, I was never much of a baker, let alone someone to cook much of anything other than Ramen Noodles. Sad, but true. Now that I am “in the know” about real food and healthy living, it’s hard to peel me out from the kitchen! Baking has become one of my favorite things to do. Isn’t it amazing to see just a few simple ingredients morph into a tasty, however nourishing something good for our bodies?
One of my latest creations that I am ready to share is a recipe for super simple, tasty, and quite nourishing breadsticks. If you’ve ever made pizza dough, then the process of making these bread sticks might seem familiar. This recipe is actually derived from a pizza dough recipe, but instead of stretching it into large – pizza-friendly rounds. You will then roll the dough into logs and bake them like long, skinny loaves.
Tender and soft on the inside but crunchy on the outside, these breadsticks have an irresistible texture and a full-bodied flavor thanks to a generous brushing of olive oil and a coating of spices and herbs.
Tips from us;
If your bread sticks are soft, they are best enjoyed the same day; if crispy, they will keep for up to 3 days in a paper bag at room temperature or can be frozen for up to 1 month.
Personally, We like softer bread sticks, so my total bake time was around 10 minutes. If you want crispy bread sticks, you might bake up to 14-15 minutes total
3¾ cups bread flour (plus more for kneading/work station)
2 teaspoons sea salt
¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
1½ cups warm (105 F) water
For the topping: Olive oil, herbs, and spices of your choosing
Method |
In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together to combine. Add the water and mix with a wooden spoon to incorporate. As the mixture becomes cohesive, switch to kneading by hand, using floured hands if needed. Knead for 2-3 minutes by hand, removing any clumps from the mixture.
Place the dough in a large, oiled bowl and cover with plastic. Let the mixture sit on the counter for at least 6 hours, up to 24 hours. The dough will rise to double its size in less than 6 hours, the added fermentation will help the flavors develop more.
Gently deflate the dough using an oiled hand (the dough might be a bit sticky). Reform into a ball and turn onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into four equal portions, then divide those portions into 4 portions each, so you’ll end up with 16 small portions of dough.
Form each portion into a ball, then roll or stretch each ball into a long, skinny log, about 8″ to 10″ long. Use more flour on your work surface as needed to roll. Place the logs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic. Let proof for about 30 minutes. Near the end of your proofing period, preheat the oven to 400 F.
Uncover the bread sticks (they will have puffed up a bit) and brush with olive oil, salt and the seasonings of your choice. Here, I used a generous sprinkling of herbs and some coarse sea salt.
Bake for about 8 minutes, then rotate the pan. Bake for 3-6 more minutes, or until the edges are crisped to your liking. Remove, let cool briefly on the sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool before serving.
Share with us your version! Take a photo of your version of Breadsticks, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see you trying out our recipe!
In the social jungle of human existence, there is no feeling of being alive without a sense of identity.
If you feel lost, disappointed, hesitant, or weak, return to yourself, to who you are, here and now and when you get there. Nevertheless, you will discover yourself, like a lotus flower in full bloom, even in a muddy pond, beautiful and strong. Lost is a new start/ beginning of what you are doing.
Don’t be afraid to be lost than be afraid that you have no courage to find your way.
These beautiful aerial shots, what are your first guess with that – a painting, a digital photograph or mess of colors?
I telling you that they are not painting, not just a photograph or random colors. However, natural salt ponds with an amazing color filter that we never thought with. The shape and character of our ponds are continually changing because of human influences as well as regular seasonal changes. Generally, the average depth of the salt pond does not exceed one meter and some virtually dry up during dry spells.
It never comes across in my mind if, without explanation! Landscape is always the best inspiration we could have, they are a gift for the earth.
I’m trying my best to cope with my work-life and personal life. Indeed it’s never an easy way out if you want to separate the two. This week I couldn’t finish #APaintPortarit again as illustrate a human took me hours or days. Therefore, I decide to share other illustration instead while putting the #APaintPortarit project on hold. This week I told myself that no matter how tight my schedule would at least pamper myself with breakfast and have proper 6/7 hours sleep. It’s a challenging while my work is piling up. I always motivate myself with the trip during October but with all the work on my mind – a simple breakfast is a healer while a good sleep makes me feel energetic.
Does anyone try Eggs in Hell before? Up until recently, we had no idea that they even existed… and then one day BOOM! One day after a hiking at the nearby park we have it for our breakfast. It’s simple yet warm and filling. Only, we also happened to be in the mood for a little bit of spicy Mexican food at the moment, so we decided to give my eggs a little bit of an Olé! treatment. I mean OMG seriously, where have these things been all our life?
So we went back home and try making it based on our taste bud. That’s have been our favorite homemade breakfast ever.
If you guys already still don’t know, I really love my pan fried eggs for breakfast, but this? Wow! Talk about a super tasty and deliciously different way to enjoy your eggs in the morning, or any time of day, for that matter!
Tips from the sisters;
When the sauce has sufficiently thickened, crack the eggs directly over its surface and then continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your liking.
If you want your yolks to remaining runny and a beautiful bright yellow, I recommend that you keep the lid off, otherwise, the thin coat of white that covers the yolk will also cook and turn opaque, and the yolks will also get a bit firmer, too.
If you’re not big on sunny side up eggs though and prefer yours prepared over easy, then, by all means, cover that pan while the eggs are cooking. You may have to reduce your cooking time slightly, so they don’t become totally rubbery.
As soon as your eggs are cooked to your liking, sprinkle the whole dish with a handful of chopped parsley, a pinch of salt and pepper and serve without delay: this dish is much better enjoyed fresh!
Granted, this is probably not the kind of breakfast that you’ll want to whip up on a hectic workday morning, right before you go to work, but on a lazy, chilly weekend morning, they will warm and comfort you right up. And then your house is going to be filled with the most amazing aroma for the rest of the day.
But… like I said earlier, these Eggs in Hell are totally fantastic any time of the day. Hey, why not make them for dinner tonight?
Ingredients |
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp chipotle powder
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 large (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
½ cup water
¼ cup finely chopped parsley (plus more to garnish)
4 large eggs
Method |
Heat the olive oil in a saute pan set over medium-high heat. Once hot add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno. Continue cooking until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add the spices, mix well and cook for another minute or two.
Add the crushed tomatoes, water and parsley; stir and bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until it has thickened a bit and reduced by about one quarter.
Crack the eggs across the surface of the sauce and continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Sprinkle with a handful of chopped parsley, a pinch of salt and pepper and serve immediately.
And then as soon as it hits your plate, pop that yolk and watch as the golden lava cascades down the fiery tomato sauce. Oh! It’s a beautiful thing. If that doesn’t start your day right, I don’t know what will! Share with us your version! Take a photo of your version of Eggs In Hell, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see you trying out our recipe!
Recently I have been trying to paint in earth/ashy tone for my painting. Figuring what kind of palette that I want is very hard. Not to say thinking what color to bring out for travel.
I was also doing experiment see which kind of painting style suit me. What do you think? Currently, I’m practicing my floral painting, one with an outline and one without. Which do you think will suit me?
“I like the good life too much, I’m not good at going on stage night after night and on wet Wednesday afternoons.”
I’m up early today even though I have a late night – I have to attend meeting after another meeting. I’m trying my best to fit everything on the schedule yet I barely motivated. I thought the only time I’m relaxing at work is spending time cleaning up my work space before beginning any work.
My home studio is my most comfy zone where I easily reach out any things that I need. It allows me to work triple efficiently. It’s important for us to always keep both our space, clean and exciting. As it allows us to stay creative and motivated all the time.
While wall grid organizer is the best organizing tool for us. It allowed us to hang up our illustration or creating the mood board for upcoming projects. Like I always share, Pinterest is our best friend for beautiful inspiration, therefore we gather some example for you to get inspired as well.
We got our own grid frame last weekend and finally, we got time to hang up on our studio’s wall yesterday morning. An upcoming post we look forward to sharing some post of our desk soon!
Hello, it’s been a while (not ready)! Currently, I am still having in the festival mood after celebrating Singapore 52nd National Day. All the performance, lights and fireworks are so overwhelming. While what I remember about that day is the fireworks, what most people remember is an incident about a boy. While most of his peer is cheering and having fun, he was filmed showing middle finger.
Is the kid in wrong? Yes.
Does this kid offend me? No, but I laughed and kinda of jealous that he gets to do it. He is still a primary school kid, and this is the age he gets to have fun and try out stuff. As long as he doesn’t hurt anyone, I think is fine.
Does he deserve scolding?
Yes, but it should be done back home or school. Not in the public. He needs to reflect his action but all this news will affect his life. The teacher needs to reflect on their action too.
Like my title, to me when you are young be wild. I am not saying that I encourage kids to do wrong stuff. If you did it without knowing it was wrong, it’s okay learn from it instead. Hope the public, school, and parents don’t be so mean to his action! #salute #thuglife
Happy 52th National Day Singapore! Thanks for providing a safe place to stay that I can call it my home. The celebration during this Wednesday it was a blast (even though we met some ruled person). Nevertheless, the fireworks and performance were amazing. We are lucky to have a great weather, as the weather for this few days had been very humid. Therefore, coffee has become a must in my life especially during the summer.
Every day includes a deliciously iced caramel macchiato from Starbucks from time to time. Long gone are the days when I’d order a grande mocha frappe or an extra sweet and creamy latte. I have to admit…I’ve become a coffee snob, but I still believe everything has a time and place, even Coffee Jelly.
Coffee jelly is indeed one of the quickest and simplest treats you can make. It’s all a matter of dissolving the powdered gelatin in very hot strong coffee, allowing it to cool and firm up, and drizzling the set gelatin with sweetened cream. Seriously, the hardest part of this recipe is the wait!
I like Knox for my coffee jelly and use about 4 cups of strong coffee to achieve the texture I like. Either way, this coffee jelly is a fun dessert everyone is sure to love. So let’s started.
Tips by the sister before you get started:
Use any kind of coffee you have on hand as long as it is brewed strong. I actually used some delicious cold brew I had in my fridge and just heated it up to just under boiling. It worked great.
If you want to make coffee jelly jigglers, use a 9×13 dish and once the jelly is set, unmold it from the dish and cut out cute shapes with cookie cutters.
Did you know that the longer a recipe made with gelatin sits, the more solidified it becomes? The awesome team at The Kitchen has a great article called 5 Tips for Working with Gelatin. If you’ve never used gelatin, you should check it out.
Ingredients |
1 (1 ounce) package unflavored gelatin (I used Knox)
4 cups water
2 tablespoons instant coffee
½ cup sugar
vanilla ice cream
mint
Method |
In a sauce pot, bring 3 cups of the water to a boil. Add coffee and sugar and stir until dissolved.
In a large bowl, sprinkle the gelatin on the remaining 1 cup of cold water and let stand for about 1 minute or until powder begins to bloom.
Gradually add the 3 cups of boiling coffee and stir constantly for about 2 to 3 minutes or until gelatine is completely dissolved and no granules are visible. Pour mixture into a lightly greased baking dish. Allow to completely cool, cover, and refrigerate for about 2 to 3 hours or until completely set. Cut into 1-inch cubes and divide into serving cups.
In a cup, pour the coffee jelly and top it with vanilla ice cream and mint.
Share with us your version! Take a photo of your version of coffee jelly, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see you trying out our recipe!
Before I realized weeks have passed and it 9th August. While, today we celebrate the birth of our nation, a day we declare our independence 52nd years ago. I’m proud to be a Singaporean as we’re always being well-protected in this homeland by our people. Thank you for everything, our home – Singapore and happy National’s day!
This week #APaintPortrait I would like to feature this smart, resourceful and cheery friend Mitch. Even he is so much younger than me but he is just inspiring, the way he works and insight for future. I believed everyone is like a book that you never judge by the cover, he is someone that full of surprises through his knowledgeable judgment.
If you ask me I will never be satisfied with all my painting as I always find flaws especially at myself. I’m a terrible perfectionist that I don’t wish to be one. I have to admit that I’m not the best male portrait illustrator, and I’m often terrible at it. I tried my best at this and I really hope that I portray this well. However, I still want to try at it to practice more often so that I can master my skill.
While in the past, I might stop trying, but now I want to try at it to practice more often so that I can overcame my fear of failure and master my skill every bit and then.
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. And that is what my friends and country have taught me.
Since Summer is all about colors, where brought us all the lively vibes – what is your favorite summer shades of all? Greenery, Mediterranean or Modern Electric while neon has been a favorable one for the humid season. It fit the characteristic of the Summer, at night it’s wild and sexy and in the day it could be fun and sweet.
Many of us have lean toward the basic colors; yellow, orange, pink, green and blue but we have neglected some lovely combination out there! One that I have loved pretty much – Neon Peach. It’s sweet like a 5 years old girl, it subtle to be used in any corner of a room. It could be as huge as a wall to the cozy fabrics on the bed. It wasn’t as striking as the Neon Pink or Orange and gives a subtle touch, it’s could be the best colors for young girls room or wall for a creative like you.
Add in texture and different color to create a different kind of mood. Adding wood material will create a modern natural look for your room. Or you can add in some fur to glam up your bed. The pattern also plays a very important role for neon peach, as it brings the fun in neon peach.
Lately, I have been busy with works, therefore, I’ve to skip last week sharing and post this weekend instead. I decided to do something different today compare my daily routine. I have to say art has been therapeutic to me, it allows me to sink into the deep sea and occasionally it reflects my deepest soul.
There’re occasions I paint with a purpose while the other time I paint to express my emotions – and that’s the time I’ll never expect what will be. My brush just moves along with my hand and it could be random lines or pattern. That’s always healing also cure my soul.
Have you ever experience paint without a purpose, even though you were staring at your canvas? It happened to me much time. I always admire what Danny Kaye shared, “Life is a great big canvas; throw all the paint you can at it.”
Despite the good or bad, bring the colors and make it crazy ever, that’s life.
Before I really get into coffee, coffee was just coffee. I could certainly distinguish bad coffee from very good coffee. However, I never really made the effort to seek it out. When I remembered to drink coffee it would be with plenty of sugar and often milk, so the coffee itself hardly mattered. More than anything, I’ve always loved the smell of coffee — be it instant, gourmet Four Barrel, or an Italian cappuccino.
Perhaps, in addition to traveling to eat, I also travel to drink coffee. If presented with an opportunity to take a break in the middle of my day for one single thing. I’d choose a nice little cafe, a mocha (with extra foam!) and a sweet little something to nibble on.
In fact, this lavender mocha recipe was inspired by my trip to Korea. A quick search for breakfast places brought up this fantastic spot. Often, when I eat at a new restaurant, I’m not only inspired by the things I eat but the things I don’t eat and pine after on the menu. In this particular case, a sweet morning drink sounded too heavy. Alas, I returned home with dreams of a lavender mocha, less sweet and made with dried lavender flowers steeped in milk versus a syrup-based drink.
There is something about a rainy, gray day that makes sipping on this lavender latte extra cozy. Bonus points if you can wear leggings and listen to a relaxing playlist. Sweet and creamy, floral and light. It delightfully incorporated in the creaminess of the milk while the lavender, as the main aroma, subtly compliments the citrus and chocolate flavors of the espresso.
Ingredients |
your favorite coffee beans (preferably not pre-ground, though you can use the pre-ground stuff if you don’t have a coffee grinder at home) – enough to make 4 shots of espresso
1 – 1 1/2 cups of low-fat milk
1 teaspoon of dried lavender flowers
Method |
Depending on your coffee maker, you’ll want to make 4 shots of espresso (2 per mug). Add the milk and dried lavender flowers to a small saucepan and gently warm it over very low heat. You don’t want to boil the milk, just get it to a warm temperature. Once warmed, remove the milk from the heat and let the lavender flowers steep in it for about 5-10 minutes.
Obviously, the longer you steep the lavender, the stronger the flavor will be. Use a strainer to strain out the dried lavender leaves and toss them. After you’ve made your espresso (or while it’s dripping, depending on your machine), steam the strained milk. The nozzle of your steaming wand should just barely dip into the milk. You don’t want to just plunge it in there; it will scorch the milk.
Divide the espresso between two mugs. Pour in the milk and scoop any extra foam on top. Serve with sugar, to taste.
We’re really stoked with the balance of sweet and floral of the Lavender Mocha. Come try one and tell us what you think! We hope that you like them! Share with us your version! Take a photo of your version of Ochazuke, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see you trying out our recipe!
We have a lovely balcony right outside our kitchen barely renovate but at least it is well finished with tiles and paint. But, I have always had this idea of converting the space by expanding my small kitchen to outdoor.
We always say that Pinterest is our best companion, it helps us to hunt for ideas and look for inspiration. We have been always wanting to change our window and extend our table top outside. And, we found some great ideas that I want to keep the note for myself.
Including a bar top in your kitchen allows guests to sit and talk while you prepare and cook. This brings the party to the cook. Many guests enjoy being close to the cook. And with a bar top, they can watch all the action while still staying out of the main kitchen space. Put your beer or water tap at the end of the bar. This will allow people to come up to the kitchen without interfering with the cook. Proper placement of the mini fridge is important, too. You don’t want too many people in the kitchen, and keeping these types of appliances at the end of the bar will control where people congregate near the kitchen.
Maybe it could be useful for you if you want to expand your kitchen outdoor like us! It could be the best idea of all.
If you have noticed I have changed the paper size for my artwork, and I felt that the size does matter. I save the earth by using less paper as more space is used up and the paints are more concentrated. Comment below and tell me what do you think!
Anyway, today I would like to talk about human. Although there is nothing related to the painting.
The definition of human to me is; Love is a friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. And also loyalty through good and bad times. Also, settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses. However, it doesn’t seem to be that way in this human world.
Every week we will sit down to discuss what will we be sharing and want to challenge to make. And my sister, Angela has been so annoyed and insisted on sharing one of her favorite dish – Ochazuke at home. Well, I can’t deny that it’s my favorite as well. This is the simplest recipes I have ever made and it’s delicious.
Ochazuke (お茶漬け) is a simple rice dish. A combination of green tea (Ocha), steamed rice, and an assortment of savory ingredients (zuke means “submerged”). Both of us love having it as a quick meal or a dish at the end of the meal to fill up yourself.
Although it’s a Japanese dish, Ochazuke is known as comfort food in ours home. It is typically enjoyed as a filler snack, any time of the day. Which is also loved as a midnight snack, or as a hangover remedy. It is traditionally enjoyed as a dish at the end of a Japanese meal, either to finish up a few last bites of rice. Or when your stomach feels like it needs just a bit more to feel full. Don’t be deceived, however, because Ochazuke can also be eaten as a meal in itself for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Home-cooked Ochazuke is typically made from leftover rice (either short-grain white rice or brown rice). Leftover ingredients such as cooked fish, pickles, and a variety of salted dishes, and tea. Prepackaged dried Ochazuke seasonings are widely sold in both Japanese and Asian grocery stores. These seasoning packets are merely added to cooked rice and either hot water or tea is poured over it to make instant Ochazuke.
You don’t have to spend lots of time preparing it, especially making Ochazuke is a great way to use up leftover rice and other foods from your fridge! For this time we decided to do 2 kinds of Ochazuke, the Salmon Ochazuke, and Salty Plum Ochasuke. Let’s start with the basic ingredients for this recipe the leftover rice and tea.
Type of tea we used in Ochazuke:
Various kinds of green tea such as Genmaicha, Sencha, Hojicha etc) are commonly used for Ochazuke and it’s easy to prepare. However, when you order Ochazuke in Japanese restaurants, the Ochazuke recipe is typically made with good dashi broth and that’s my personal favorite.
The Ochazuke served with green tea tends to be blander and relies on salty toppings to add some flavors. But with good dashi, your Ochazuke can be very flavorful even with just a few simple toppings. However, for a fast meal, we decided to use Green Tea.
Ingredients for Green Tea |
2tspJapanese green tea leaves(I used Genmaicha, but Sencha, Hojicha, Mugicha works as well)
1cuphot water(see the tea package for appropriate temperature for your tea leaves)
½ tsp soy sauce(we used kikkoman soy sauce, as it have a sweet base compare to the other we have before)
Method |
Put tea leaves in the pot. Bring the water to the appropriate temperature for your tea and pour into the pot. Set aside for 1-2 minute (follow the directions on your tea bag).
Salmon Ochazuke
Bake the salted salmon fillet at 400F degree for 25 minutes. If you’re using regular salmon, season the salmon with salt and set aside for 10 minutes before baking. When it’s cooked, remove the skin and bones and break up the salmon flesh into flakes. Set aside.
Now serve the cooked rice in the serving bowl. Place the shredded salmon and sprinkle the rice cracker, nori, and sesame seeds on top. Pour the tea until it covers half of the rice and top with spring onion and wasabi. Add soy sauce if you like.
Ume Ochazuke
We also did a Salty Plum Ochazuke, simply replace the salmon with the plum. This particular version contains umeboshi, which are strikingly salty and sour dried plums. The umeboshi, the mellow flavor of the dashi, the umami from the sesame and the heat from the wasabi make for a thoroughly unique taste that you will not soon forget. Not a fan of Ume, however this version of eating really lighten up my taste bud.
I definitely love this series of photographs and styling that Angela captured. It’s something that we never did before but she fully makes use of our beautiful black marble table top in our kitchen.
We hope that you like them! Share with us your version! Take a photo of your version of Ochazuke, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see you trying out our recipe!
We love eating unlike the rice that Asia eat, Japanese rice they are rounder and chewy.
Ingredient |
2 cups of rice
2 cups of water
Method |
Place rice in a large saucepan, add water to cover, and swirl rice with your hand (water will become cloudy). Drain through a fine-mesh sieve and return rice to saucepan. Repeat process until water is clear when mixed with rice (3 or 4 times). Drain rice a final time and cover sieve with a kitchen towel; let rest 15 minutes (this will help the grains hydrate evenly).
Return rice to the same saucepan and add 2 cups water. Partially cover pot and bring to a boil. Stir once, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer until water is mostly absorbed and rice is very fragrant and tender, 10–12 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest, covered 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a large spoon, re-cover pot and let sit 5 minutes before serving.
Hope you like them! Share with us your version! Take a photo of yours, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see yours!
It all started back in the 80s, when electric design was very popular in interior design. Nowadays electric style is back, mixed with different styles – from classic styles to modern, minimalist styles. These days designers use neon designs just to make an accent rather than creating an entire interior in bold electric shades.
Electric stands out most when it’s one component of a multifaceted room. It is better to try bringing electric-colored furniture to your home interior rather than paint the walls in electric colors. Keep in mind that electric will create a beautiful impression only when used in a spread out lodging. To complete the interior you can use accessories in electric style. You can also use retro furniture to make the whole picture. Here are some electric interior designs that will make you feel happy and will give you great energy.
Electric room colors express themselves loudly. Blended with softer room colors, they create cheerful, creative, balanced and modern interior design. Black and white decorating ideas, gray color shades, beige and dark brown colors are excellent for mixing with bold and beautiful electric room colors.
Gray, black and white decorating colors create wonderful backgrounds for stylish accents in electric colors. Painted legs of chairs or tables, mirror frames or bright lamp shades in electric colors, combined with home furnishings in neutral colors turn the room into bright and stylish interior. Lots of electric room colors in the room add a trendy night club feel to modern interior design.
How’s everyone week? Today I am going to touch on the topic, “Can couples work together”? As you know, currently I am working on a startup company called minnimi with a team of 4 people, and 2 of them are couple. From my observation of them, I can say couple can’t work together. Not all people really can put relationship aside when working. Likewise, the opposite.
I am really frustrate about this two person, as this company is not only them. Anyone have any solution for this kind of situation? Anyway, please do support my campaign on kickstarter.
The weather is heating up and that means it’s time for summer treats that cool you down! A trip to the ice cream parlor is always a fan favorite, but why leave the comfort of home when you can create your own sweet and dreamy masterpiece? This time we decided to for a simple diy, scoop and dip on the go. Go ahead, satisfy those hot summer-day cravings!
Did you do anything mischievous, out of character, or just plain ol’ fun? If you did, you must tell me all about it! I not only live vicariously through you, but I also like to look for a bit of inspo when letting loose during my summer adventures (and throughout the year, of course).
It’s just… sometimes I feel like we’re so focused all year-long. Focused on work, family, responsibility and etc. But what about the super important, completely necessary, but oft-ignored time to just CHILL? To just relax, unwind, and let the breeze run through your hair?
Alright, what could this possibly have to do with 3 Ingredient Vanilla Chocolate Ice cream you might be asking yourself? Here’s the thing: chocolate started turning into a symbol of relaxation for me years ago. Like, you know how pineapples represent hospitality and strawberries represent a cartoonish personality or something… 😉 Well, chocolate = CHILL time for me.
Every time I see a chocolate, I think about the summer. I think about long, lazy days of swimming, napping in the sun and enjoying all things mango. Be it 3 Ingredient Vanilla Chocolate Ice cream or not. 😉 I think about full days without any screen time at all.
…Sleeping in and waking up to breakfast in bed, with the sounds of the ocean gently waking me up. I think about… just slowing down.
With the summer in full bloom, it seems like high time to give ourselves the break we’ve been craving, nay, needing all year long. Don’t you agree?
This summer, I’m planning on taking a real and meaningful break from work. I’d like to step back a bit, stop obsessing about all the numbers, and just live life.
Will you join me?
Since chocolate = chillin’ like a villain (but not evil at all), I’m dedicating this 3 Ingredient Vanilla Chocolate Ice cream to change–the good, relaxing kind. Here’s to kicking off this newfound commitment to chillin’… and just plain breathing. To smelling the roses. Or chocolate. Whatever floats your cruise boat. 😉
Anyway, Happy National Ice Cream Day!!
Start by melting up the chocolate on a double boiler. Dips your ice cream cone with the chocolate and sprinkle the candies that you loves. You can keep this cone in the freeze for furture use but for us we scoops our flavor vanilla ice cream onto it.
Hope you like them! Share with us your version! Take a photo of yours, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see yours!
Time flies quickly, all the beautiful moments have turned into memories, in order to remember all of them, it shall be written down. I’m not always a writer but I tried my best to write and if I can’t, I capture, paint or sketch instead.
This is the 5th week and this week I’m featuring this lovely sweetheart, Lauren, she is like a baby. So sweet and I feel that she have to be protected. Ok, I’m a little too much! She is beautiful and I enjoyed every moment that she brought into my life. We haven’t known each other for very long but it’s so fun to be with her.
It’s unfortunate that she is going back to American soon and she will be dearly missed.
Looking up tumbleweed online it creates confusion, as tumbleweed, not just a plant. It is also an orange, peeled and quartered, flares like a tulip on a wedge wood plate anything can happen.
Far from being bland and boring, neutrals create an ideal backdrop for teenagers to stamp their personality. As they grow up, a neutral palette allows them to adapt the look and feel of their bedroom by changing wall art and soft furnishings to reflect their age, interests, and passions.
Tumbleweed is a perfect color for this summer, especially a summer wedding. Although splashes of color are eye-catching and vibrant, nothing says dreamily like a soft, muted wedding color palette of neutrals. Peaceful and classic, shades of beige, ivory, white, and the like repeatedly stand the test of time. And the best part about this natural and unfussy look? It can fit the mold of any wedding style, especially when you take advantage of the different textures you can play with.
For a modern, contemporary home, add cool neutral furniture in off-whites. Here, the polished concrete floor reflects light upwards, bouncing it around the room and increasing the sense of space. The floor also mirrors the color of the ceiling, tying the room together. To add warmth to a large space, use natural materials such as wooden furniture, cotton cushions, and soft wool throws. You’ll see that the different greys and variety of textures add layers of interest to this room, proving that neutral schemes don’t need bold accent colors. But if you’re keen to create contrast, a good trick is to add a few black accessories for a truly elegant finish.
I mean, let’s be real, I forever and always love just about any bread that is served warm and fresh right out of the oven. But there’s something extra magical about warm, comforting, decadent focaccia bread. Especially this recipe, which is kicked up a major notch with lots of fresh rosemary, extra drizzles of olive oil, and a generous sprinkle of flaked sea salt. Oh my heavens, it seriously is all of my bread dreams come true.
And the best part?
It’s so easy to make!
And here is my secret. A very simple secret that will guarantee your guests begging for another dinner invitation: bake this Focaccia right before everybody is supposed to arrive. Nothing compares to the mouth-watering smell of freshly baked bread. The inviting aroma of this focaccia will surely welcome your guests into your dining room, and make them run for their fork and plate.
Everybody will be impressed by your baking ability. But now, look at my recipe: quick and easy. No need for a bread-maker or any other expensive gadget. All you need is a spoon, your hands (… can’t do without them!!) and a little bit of patience. All great things take time to bake.
The trick to amazingly soft bread is in the rising. The dough needs a warm and safe place to stay. I cover it with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and let it sit for about 3 hours in the oven. Turned off, obviously 🙂 I am positive that you can do this. And I know that while you will be mixing, kneading and eating this Focaccia you will be asking yourself why did you wait this long to try homemade bread. I know you will!
Like, seriously. I made this bread three times last week, and still loved every last bite of it. ?
Ingredients |
4 1/2 to 5 cups bread flour (all purpose will also work)
2 3/4 cups warm water (about 110 degrees—not hot to the touch)
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary, plus extra for sprinkling
1/3 cup and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
Method |
In a large mixing bowl, mix together bread flour, water, and active dry yeast. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm, dry place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until dough has tripled in volume and is bubbly.
If using a stand mixer, attach dough hook and mix in salt and rosemary. Knead dough for an additional 5-7 minutes. Dough will be loose and sticky.
If you do not have a stand mixer, turn dough out on a heavily floured surface and, using your hands or even a wooden spoon, attempt to knead the dough. Mix in salt and rosemary at this time. Add flour as needed and fold dough in half in all directions if it will not cooperate enough to knead. Dough will be very difficult to handle, but try to incorporate as little flour as possible (it results in a softer bread).
Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for another hour, or until doubled in volume.
In a 13 by 17-inch rimmed baking pan, evenly distribute 2 tablespoons of olive oil to coat pan. Turn out down onto pan and, with oiled hands, pull dough to the edges of the pan. The dough may resist at first, but with a little patience it will stay put. Cover dough with a clean dish towel and allow to rise for an additional 15-20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
Using your fingertips, poke a couple dozen holes into the top of the bread. Pour remaining olive oil evenly over bread and sprinkle with a light dusting of coarse sea salt, rosemary, and freshly cracked pepper. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool slightly in pan before serving warm or at room temperature.
On the second day, the crust may soften. To bring back the crispiness, I suggest reheating the bread in the oven at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 5-8 minutes.
Hope you like them! Share with us your version! Take a photo of yours, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see yours!
The painting has been my only experience to do what I adore the most, I don’t have to imagine about what the other think. It’s the time I’m being an artist instead of a designer.
I don’t have to consider the selling point or the reasoning behind it. That is because my only reason for my pieces is embracing what I love the most, the things, the surrounding and people around me. It took me hours or days to complete a piece but the satisfaction is different. I just have to answer to myself till I’m happy.
This is the 4th week and this week I’m featuring this special young lady, Grace Pua. I have to admit that I like her so much since the day I get to know her. Her curiosity and joyful attitude constantly earn my respect to her.
She teaches me to keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.
When coming to summer, I don’t feel like doing any works but lay around the beach to enjoy the breeze. It definitely tastes great with my watermelon Popsicle. That’s the season I’m expecting for but it can’t be happening this year when both of us have projects ongoing.
Therefore, we’re planning and looking forward to our post-summer trip to Melbourne this October! It’s definitely exciting as it’s our first virgin trip to Melbourne.
We are so excited with the trip and don’t want to miss out on all the best that Australia’s coffee. Melbourne is also a city of architecture, art and great food. Like visit the Shrine of Remembrance and see the marine life at Melbourne Aquarium. Or travel to wildlife-rich Phillip Island for an adventure.
Melbourne is also known as sunshine and beaches. Thus we already have our beach bag ready!
Darling, you’re beautiful You’re a sweet thing, baby You’re a sweet, sweet thing
It been a long day, and these few days I didn’t got to go home. Since I have to work at office till very late. Recently I have met people who are complaining to me about their appearance. They are desperate and sad about how they look. That’s really up sad me about how social media affect individual mindset. Everyone in the world is beautiful and unique individual.
Breakfast is one of our favorite part of the day. Thinking about making breakfast that feeds both of our stomachs, it has to be something that both of us like. Especially since Joe is a meat eater while I prefer vegetable.
There could be thousand different combinations of these and we want to try something different all the time. And this time we would love to try a traditional Hawaiian seafood preparation — take bite-size pieces of raw fish like tuna, salmon, or octopus, marinade it in soy sauce and in essence.
We will say Tuna + Bean Salad is the best combination yet. We let the fresh combination that we are trying. Smoke tuna steaks low and slow to enhance them with a wood-fired flavor. Shred them & toss with egg mayo for the tastiest tuna salad you’ve ever had.
It’s very important to choose a good tuna. As a tuna’s freshness influences its smoked quality more than its variety. Check the following quality indicators when selecting tuna steaks to smoke:
Trim: The steaks should measure at least 1 inch thick and have clean lines and a smooth cut surface.
Aroma: Fresh tuna has a prevailing meaty aroma — no “fishiness” or canned-tuna odor.
Color: Deep red to crimson flesh denotes a tune harvested at the height of health. You might see slight discoloration or browning around the bone of bone-in tuna steaks, but it should be faint. Pass over tuna with spotting or deep discoloration.
Ask the fish seller for the freshest tuna. Fishmongers will direct you to the freshest of the fresh, and often make an extra effort to provide their best specimens upon inquiry. If possible, some go as far as to slice the steaks off the loin upon request.
When you have a good piece of tuna and the best ingredients. You are almost half way to having a good breakfast.
Ingredients |
2fresh tuna steaks
2 tbspolive oil
1 tbsp of garlic
1 tbspminced flat leaf parsley
1/3 cupprepared mayonnaise
1 tbspwhole grain mustard
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
a brunch of vegetable
a brunch of long beans
200g of baby potatoes
Method |
Start the Traeger on Smoke, lid open, until the fire is established (about 5 minutes). Season the tuna steaks on all sides with the Soya Sauce. Place the tuna steaks on the grill to smoke. Smoke the tuna steaks for 30 minutes to an hour (depending on how much smoke you want to taste).
After they’ve finished smoking, remove from the grill and turn the heat up to High and preheat, lid closed, for 10 to 15 minutes. Drizzle the olive oil on both sides of the tuna.Grill the tuna for about 6 to 8 minutes, flipping the tuna halfway through (or until done to your fish liking).
Cook the baby potatoes ans long beans in a hot water till soft. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, and season with pepper, to taste. Lightly stir to combine. Add lemon juice, to taste. Enjoy!
Hope you like them! Share with us your version! Take a photo of yours, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see yours!
Believe or not, never complain the time you got. You should never ever get worried about having more time to rest whenever you can. If you worried too much, your biggest nightmare will come and hunt for your time. Well, that sort of happened to me.
I planned to have a slow July and have a break and hopes that I would never occur new challenges coming in my way. Nonetheless, that is not the case. The thing is that I should have long prepared, being as a freelance designer. However, right now my stamina just too exhausted for anything else. Still, I will do my best for the new challenges.
This week the portrait that I would like to dedicate to this sweet, considerate young lady – Vanessa, one of the sweetest girl I ever know. I have a great time working with her, someone who always reminds me of taking care of my health and listen to my silliness. While painting her lovely smile, it just cheer my day up.
Times, I felt that I’m the luckiest person in the world, although I do think I deserve all this love around me.
Live edge furniture is getting increasingly popular in Singapore. It’s brings the earth closer to you. We love having American walnut wood for our furniture. These slabs typically have beautiful, interesting character resulting from things like burls and branches. This wood fits perfectly with the white walls, and it bring neutral to us.
One big question when selecting wood furniture is: Do I need to match my wood color? The short answer to this is: no.
Different shades of wood naturally go well with each other, hence you don’t have to enforce consistency in all your wood selection. This tip saves you the headache and the money. Brown, like grey, is a base colour that is extremely versatile. Originally within the wood itself, you can already find different shades of brown, which forms a pattern both natural and pleasing to the eye. Therefore, different shades of brown can co-exist within a room without looking messy nor clashing.
It’s the month of July, it’s summertime and the month of the birthstone – Ruby! A show of hands who birthday falls on a July? I have quite a number of friends who’s birthday falls on the July and I love July’s babies.
Ruby is considered the king of gems and represent love, health and wisdom. It was believed wearing a fine red Ruby bestowed good fortune on its owner. A Ruby is the most valuable gemstone and its value increases based on its color and quality.
They say women loves diamond, but for me I think Ruby will be my go to stones. Hope July will be a blessed month for all of us.
For our reader who followed our blog, we have shared our making of Hazelnut Madeleine with Rum Chocolate recipe before, during the last Christmas. Hence, we decided to try out different flavors since we in love of making Madeleine.
It’s all about science for baking. Every step is so precise and if you missed the step, you just mess up everything. It happened all the time and I’m so embarrassed by it. The truth is I’m less a baker compared to Joe. Therefore what I’m good at so far with baking is really cheesecake and Madeleine.
I (We) want to learn more about baking that’s why we set up this space to share what we good and bad at. Learned from our failure and become better.
We decided to have a challenge with Almond Madeleine, the things you always will face during the browning of the butter and estimate the time for the baking.
During the browning of the butter, you will have to take note of the temperature of the heat, preventing it from burning. We kept it heat at medium for 15 minutes till light brown. Turn off the fire and let the butter do it’s job, as there is still bits of heat inside. It will continue brown the butter till golden brown.
The texture for our mixture is less cakey, and almond is truly the hero here, but it is the perfect base for adding some of your favorite flavors. Vanilla with a touch of cinnamon, maybe? These little cookies can be adapted to whatever afternoon tea vibe you’re in. Enjoy!
Madeleine’s are small sponge cakes, light – with crispy edge. What makes these cakes luscious is that the batter is baked in a special shell-shaped mold pan. With ridged indentation that gives them their classic shell shape. Some other important notes for you before you start making these delicious treats.
Resting the batter for 50 minutes, then chilling it in the fridge for 10 minutes creates those cute signature humps.
By taking the cake pan straight from the oven and immediately inverting it over a baking sheet, the Madeleine will fall out of the pan without sticking.
Follow this few simple tips, I (We) promise these will be the best Almond Madeleine you will ever have.
Ingredients |
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, optional
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground almond meal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
Method |
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 12-mold Madeleine pans with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
In the bowl, cream together the eggs and granulated sugar until the mixture thickens and develops a light pale color, 3 to 4 minutes.
Beat in the almond extract, lemon zest if using, flour, almond meal, salt and baking powder. Slowly pour in the melted butter while mixing the mixture. Mix until everything is incorporated, but don’t over mix.
Divide the batter evenly between the molds in the prepared pans. Bake until lightly golden around the edges, about 8 minutes.
Let the Madeleine cool for about 2 minutes in the pan, and then invert them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
There is so many variation of Madeleine, there is sweets and even savory one. And we can’t wait to made them all for you. Let us know in the comment below, tell us what other flavor you would love us to try?
Hope you like them! Share with us your version! Take a photo of yours, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see yours!
I have to admit that I haven’t been spending much time over at Le Plain Canvas lately. Thanks to Joe, all the editorial went pretty well without much delay apart from my contribution. I’m ashamed as despite what’s going on with work, I have given my promises to this space that I’m in love so much.
This week things have been slowing down with the accelerator program that I participated in. Since I get more time to work on the projects that we planned during the beginning of the year. I hope I could produce better works to share with you.
This week the portrait that I would like to share is this amazing person – Kimmy, who always gives me lots of guidance. Boost my confident especially with my quiet personality when I’m not comfortable with a new environment. I’m always blessed to be surrounded by people who give me chance to explore the inner-self.
I love a quote from Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland, “Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s the great puzzle.” It will be always a new discovery of myself all over again every time.
While considering to get some accessories for your room and not sure what to get. As compared to an artwork or frames, getting mirror would be your top choice of all.
Essentially, mirrors have always rank as an effective interior design accessory used to achieve functional purposes and a multitude of creative ideas.
We consider that Mirrors they are the best accessories for homes, especially you’re staying small apartment like both of us. Having a narrow hallway and limited spaces, we always trying to make things simple and not too complicated but nothing helps to make the space bigger.
Hence, with the help of mirrors, it helps to amplify the place to be bigger and it looks more spacious. We shared some amazing ideas we found online, and they are pretty amazing. Now, it time to do some shopping, find a statement mirrors for your homes.
Oh, not to forget mirrors make you want to smile more. Happy Holiday! Cheers!
After working hard for the pass few weeks, finally I get to have some breaks with my girlfriends. This mean please stay tuned for some travel post. Been a tough week lately but I am very glad I have my girlfriend around me.
The friend in my adversity I shall always cherish most. I can better trust those who helped to relieve the gloom of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy with me the sunshine of my prosperity. Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.
We’ve found some good ones over the years, such as the only ones you should ever serve with your spaghetti and mashed potato. Which, if you have not already, you should not wait until next summer to try. Not to mention you can also sneak into sliders and soup. But as we hadn’t tried these before, my meatball recipe collection — and possibly even our life — was woefully deficient.
The first time we made these meatballs, we made them again the following night for dinner. They were so good and we couldn’t wait long to eat them again. An entire meal is baked in one pan and is ready in less than 30 minutes.
Now we’re going maintain this space as a complaint-free zone. So we won’t tell you how long it took me to tackle this recipe. Or how many times we bought the ingredients and they went bad before we could even find a window of nap time to make them. How even when we made them, we bored so many steps we had to do it again. It’s hard to step around the whining trap door sometimes, but I will because it’s not the point, which is that these are crazy good. They’re kicking your heels up good.
The trick to making these meatballs tender is to actually use chicken breasts finely chopped rather than using ground chicken or turkey which makes them too dense. We like to serve these meatballs separately from the pasta as a second course and prefer some type of short pasta such as penne or rigatoni to use the sauce on. The sauce is much healthier flavored with chicken rather than the traditional beef and pork, and can also be used to top any pasta, gnocchi, polenta, or used in lasagna.
This mashed potatoes recipe has just 4 simple ingredients (one of which is salt), but there are several secrets that make this recipe work so well:
1. Russet potatoes must be cooked whole. I learned this awesome tip from my Mom: russets are starchy potatoes which can fall apart or become water filled when boiled so it takes a few minutes longer to cook them but it’s well worth it!
2. Butter!! Lots of butter and don’t skimp here. I’ve tried with less and the recipe still works but it’s incredible with the amount called for.
3. Butter must be softened, not melted. The flavor of the butter is different when it’s softened and it incorporates into the potatoes beautifully leaving them silky, silky.
4. HOT milk incorporates easiest into the potatoes and keeps the potatoes warm.
5. Using a mixer whips up the potatoes without the effort of mashing by hand and produces the smoothest results.
6. Salting the potatoes at the end keeps them from falling apart while cooking.
Ingredients |
olive oil, for cooking
2 onions, diced
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) minced (ground) chicken
40 g (1½ oz/½ cup) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra, to serve
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 egg
100 g (3½ oz/1 cup) dry breadcrumbs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) chicken stock
250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) tomato puree
mozzarella cheese
Method |
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4)
Heat a small frying pan over medium–high heat. Add a splash of oil and half of the onion and cook for 3–4 minutes.
Tip the mixture into a bowl and add the chicken, parmesan, nutmeg, egg, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Mix together well, then roll into small meatballs. Pan-fry the meatballs in the same frying pan in a little oil for 5–6 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a deep baking dish.
Add the remaining diced onion, with a little oil, to the frying pan and cook until soft. Add the garlic, stock and tomato purée and bring to a simmer. Pour the tomato mixture and mozzarella cheese over the meatballs, cover the baking dish with foil and cook in the oven for 30 minutes.
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Add a good pinch of salt. Serve with the mashed potato.
Hope you like them! Share with us your version! Take a photo of yours, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see yours!
Hey, Folk! It has been 6 weeks since I ended my first 52 weeks project – A Paint Portrait. I have been busy with project and work, but I really miss illustrating. During my worn soul, I decided to pick my pen and begin my brand new 52 weeks project. This time round I will not just paint a portrait weekly but to create whatever I want during this 52 weeks.
This brand new week I would love to share this new painting I did for this amazing lady who always brought me joy. She is simply good at breaking my smile. It has been amazing working with her despite all the teasing.
There goes what Marcel Proust said, “Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
If you have someone that simply bring you joy, turn around to return them a smile.
The shelf can be an essential or a non-essential for a home. We mostly use them to categories our items but some just throw their items into boxes. For us, it’s not only for storage but accessories too.
For example, a narrow space can be put to maximum use with a row of floor-to-ceiling shelving on one side and a desk. And also cupboards and more shelves on the other. Not a scrap of space is wasted, but there’s still room to move around — or do a spot of yoga — in the middle.
You can also stack your shelf rather than hang it. A great option for a more informal look. It is for you to lean your artwork on a picture ledge, office desk. Or even create a bold statement with a large, feature piece leaning against the living room wall. Of course, this depends on the style of your property. And also whether your target buyers would find this fresher approach appealing.
I am always a lover of mammals especially dolphin and whale. As they are the most amazing creature I have ever seen. Thus I decided to create them using water paint. When I first start painting using my imagination. I was imagining a whale and wanted to paint that. But when I ask my friend about his opinion about it. He ask “Is this a whale or a dolphin?”. What do you think?
Anyway let’s talk back about these big fishes. Actually I am not a fan of looking at fish with there eyes staring at me. But Dolphin and Whale is different, they are creatures that makes me feel close to. I always wanted to feel how is it like to swim with them, but I guess that won’t be happening. As I am scared of water.
It’s surprising, really, that I’ve never made homemade potato chips before. Sure, I’ve tried lame baked ones (spoiler alert: they are not the same) but never truly fried potato chips at home before now. However this is exceptional, surprisingly.
Maybe it was the blue cheese dipping sauce that got me to set aside my deep-fried reservations this time, but I had no qualms about frying up this batch of crispy potato chips. Do beware, two potatoes may not seem like much, but when they’ve been sliced paper thin. It can last you for very long. But stick with it, as what seems like a ton of chips now will disappear in a blink of an eye and a smack of the lips.
You want to slice the potatoes as thin as possible, which is very hard to do even with the most ninja-like knife skills. For us we think a peeler is a necessity if you want to make chips of any kind. Once sliced, soak the potatoes in ice water to remove excess starch (it’ll result in crispier chips), and then dry completely between layers of paper towels. If you rush this and don’t let your potatoes dry completely they won’t taste crispy.
Bake them until the entire chip is golden brown, and then transfer to paper towels. But be sure to watch them closely, as the difference between perfectly golden and burnt to a crisp is separated by a matter of seconds. This is not the time to wander off to water the cats or feed the plants, stay focused on the task at oven and your chips will come out perfectly.
The blue cheese sauce is thinner than say, a sour cream dip. It’s more like a blue cheese fondue. Use a nice, creamy blue cheese, the potency of the final sauce dependent on the cheese you use. Some older blue cheeses are stubborn and reluctant to melt; if that’s the case, just whir the whole mixture in a blender or food processor for a few seconds to emulsify any remaining chunks.
So no, I probably won’t be frying potato chips on a regular basis. However, this one time I sure did enjoy the results. The thick and salty, melt in your mouth crunch of just-fried potato chips really can’t be beat by anything in a bag.
For the blue cheese dip |
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup crumbled)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
To prepare sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk. Continue to cook, whisking regularly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from head and whisk in blue cheese until melted.
Refer to our previous Baked Potato Chip with Parmesan for the recipes for the Homemade Potato Chip. Replace the Parmesan to seasoning it with cayenne and salt to taste. Serve warm.
Hope you like them! Share with us your version! Take a photo of yours, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see yours!
Upon in researching ideas to renovate our Patio and the arrangement for the garden. While, there so many things to be considered in the planning. We need to think how to implement design aesthetically and its functionality. Furthermore, the biggest challenges are we want to “plant in style”.
We have been searching for inspiration online or books. It is always interesting to see different idea. It’s fun to see how you bring flower bed indoor, a mini glasshouse to your room or having a rain-forest in your living room.
Watering system and storage play a largely in this role, it allowing the whole interior look more efficient. Thus having good organizer and storage is very important. Like small box shelf for smaller plant and rest of the drawers you can store your object.
Time really flies, and I have already draw and painted more than 60 of The Moon’s Insight. As I am busy with my start-up company, recently I doesn’t have any time to learn more. Therefore sometime I am out of ideas. Sometime, I was wondering if I should move on for a new project. Or should I continue with this circle. Any idea?
Anyway it’s Sunday, and it’s feel very good to write on a Sunday rather than working. Writing allows me to clear my mind and reflect on what I am doing. Today weather is a very good one. I wish everyday could be like this.
“Sunday clears away the rust of the whole week.”
Thus give yourself a break on a Sunday – watch your favorite movie, cook your favorite dish, or read a good book that you have no time to read during the weekdays. Do whatever makes you happy and you’ll see the great impact it has in lessening the stress.
I am totally taking advantage of these hot summer days and making all sorts of iced tea to cool off. I’m relishing and soaking up all the summer festivities as much as I can! As a tea lover, making some sort of iced tea was inevitable.
There is time where we preferred tea than coffee. Therefore we decided to make some Honey Rose Tea for our busy weekend. We used Commonwealth Tea – Flavored by Whittard that we got from our trip in Glasgow. It’s a special blend with a hint of alcohol in it. Black tea is a best option with honey and rose, as it help to cover the bitterness of the tea.This refreshing and delightful beverage is one of my favorites for the summer. Black Tea is an adaption that eases and refreshes the nervous system. The rose and honey add a balanced and rich feminine quality to stimulate the senses.
To tell you the truth, I was never a big fan of Rose prepared like that. It was always way too sweet and way too strong for my liking, but I always felt obliged to have a few sips of it nonetheless, in the spirit of the festivities. I do however believe that the tart cranberry-like flavor of hibiscus is wonderful, and that I could find many different ways to enjoy it that do not involve so much sugar as to overpower it and diminish its benefits.Some tips for you:
You can add in rose water if you wanted more of a rose flavor. The concentration can vary depending on the brand you buy, so I suggest working your way up to 4 tablespoons. Make sure you buy food grade rose water as well. Rose water is pretty delicate, so that’s why you need quite a bit of it.
Remember to let the tea steep in the water for not more than 30 minutes. Soaking too will make the tea taste bitter.
So now let’s us get started!Ingredients |
4tbsp of Black Tea Leaves
3 cups of water
5-6 of Rose Leaves, Torn
1-3 tbsp of Local Honey
Method |
Boil the filtered water.Once warm, pour the water over the tea leaves. Steep for 30 minutes. Strain out mint and tea bags. Let cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate until cool. Mix in honey to taste when serving. Serve on a hot day over ice and garnish with rose petal to taste. Enjoy!Hope you like them! Share with us your version! Take a photo of yours, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see yours!
I am going to share the monochrome theme today with grey which has always been a bit of a favorite color for me. It’s so flattering in clothing and interiors as it provides a great backdrop and base for pops of color.
The choice of a grey wall color in the living area adds warmth. It neatly breaks up the long open plan kitchen, dining, living space. You can have a use of textures like exposed brick wall, white stained floorboards and cosy sheep skins. All this factor help the bedroom to create a stylish yet warm and welcoming feel.
Have a minimal hanging rail displays some favorite frocks and french doors lead out to a small balcony that flood the space with light. You will create a place that is so light and inviting in just using grey.
It’s weird because chips have never been at the top of my snacking list. I can bypass the chip isle at the grocery without batting an eyelash. When there’s an open bag of chips (which there often is) at work, I have no problem saying no. I’ll even occasionally reach for a crudités instead of a chip when it comes to dipping. Thankfully, it’s just never been my thing. BUT! Give me a fancy chip, and I’ll cave in a heartbeat.
These baked potato chips literally take me back to that meal at Scarpetta. And while I can totally see myself sipping a dirty martini in their fancy bar area while popping these in my mouth, one after the other, I can also just as easily see myself at home, in front of the TV, drinking a beer and snacking on theme while watching football. They’re fancy enough for the fanciest of restaurants, but let’s be honest, they’re still just an unassuming potato chip, so there’s no need for red lipstick and high heels when reaching for one.
Now, of course, the key to all potato chips is the crunch, so I tried out two different cooking methods in order to achieve that perfect crunchy exterior, and here’s what I found out:
1. Soak the cut potatoes in water to get rid of any excess starch 2. Thoroughly dry the potatoes after soaking – a dry potato will yield a crispy chip! 3. Evenly spread potatoes out on a cookie cooling rack set on top of a baking sheet. This will allow the air to fully circulate the chips, making sure crispiness is 360 degrees around.
I found that some chips crisp up faster than others, so you really have to keep an eye on them, especially if you cut them paper thin as I did. Each time I saw a few chips getting brown, I’d take them out and put the pan back in while the others crisped up.
Of course at this point, you can eat them as is, but I was trying to replicate the chips at Scarpetta, so while the chips were doing their thing in the oven, I softened five or six minced garlic cloves in a little bit of olive oil, then threw in a handful of thyme and sprinkled the mixture over the chips after they were done cooling off. A last touch was a dusting of grated Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients |
1 1/2 to 2 pounds large baking potatoes, scrubbed
4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, peeled
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Method |
Preheat oven to 350°. Slice potatoes lengthwise very thin (about 1/16 inch).
Brush 2 baking sheets with 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil each. Rub garlic over surface, pressing hard to extract as much garlic juice as possible. Place baking sheets in oven to warm for 5 minutes.
Place potato slices side by side on hot baking sheets. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and Parmesan cheese. Bake 7 to 10 minutes, rotate pans (for even browning), and bake another 10 to 15 minutes.
Flip potatoes and bake 5 minutes longer or until golden. Remove and cool on paper towels. Repeat with remaining potato slices. Eat warm or store in airtight container. Sprinkle it with more Parmesan cheese.
Hope you like them! Share with us your version! Take a photo of yours, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see yours!
We’ve always loved spending time outdoors and a picnic during the spring is the best idea. Singapore is filled with tucked away spots that are perfect for escaping the crowds and enjoying a luxurious picnic on a sunny day. It is always fun to invite a few of your friends to join you for a late afternoon at a lovely little spot.
Angela and I have picnics like this often. There are a few things we always pack to make the day beautiful and comfortable. We always bring a couple of small rugs, pillows and blankets for sitting, lounging, and bundling up. We also bring 1 or 2 apple crates. We’ve bought them at the Rose Bowl flea market years ago. They’ve perfect for packing your items and once flipped act as the perfect table. We also almost always bring fresh flowers because we really just can’t help myself. You may finds it mildly annoying but we think they add instant charm to everything.
This spring we love to have a minimalist and nature spring picnic. Having and simple greyish laces rugs with different wooden board. With a simple layout top them up with colorful food. That’s a prefect spring picnic.
Spring is coming to an end soon, and I already miss it so much. Misses all the picnic and high tea session with my girlfriend. All the beautiful and blooming flowers in the garden and my house. I’d like to say this gets more clear when it’s more cloudy every day. But summer’s gonna come and burn the stormy clouds and all the doubt away.
While I don’t really hate summer but imagining the hot and humid weather all day long just make me tired. However, I also can’t wait for all the beach party that I am going to have.
I am just going to enjoy every single day no matter what is the weather. Being alive happy is the most perfect thing I will ever have.
Do not ask me why, but my love for Hummus is just coincident but long lasting. It’s my favorite second dips ever apart from any dips made from avocado. Our relationship begins by chance, a couple year back I attended a cooking class with a group of friend and that is my first time make my first jar of Hummus and it has been my favorite.
The truth is I haven’t really got to try a lot of Hummus outside than my self-made Hummus. Mine is always thick and creamy filled with garlic, herb, and olive oil. There’re times the Hummus I made with a fine grainy texture since I didn’t mix it well.
Making Hummus will need you to be patient as it requires time to try and error before you could get the favor right for your tongue.
Ingredients |
1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of salt and freshly-cracked black pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup water, or more if needed
optional topping ideas: extra drizzle of olive oil, chopped fresh parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, toasted pine nuts, chopped roasted red peppers, basil pesto
Method |
Add first six ingredients (chickpeas thru salt/pepper) to a food processor, and blend until smooth. Add in the water and continue blending until the hummus reaches your desired consistency, adding additional water if needed.
Garnish with optional toppings and serve immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
Hope you like them! Share with us your version! Take a photo of yours, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see yours!
You will be in love with the unique Shaded Spruce when you are seeking for some striking, flourishing touch. Unlike the Greenery, this particular tone is caught in between Teal and Golden Lime. It simply brings you to a different territory of perception.
I have this thing with greens, one particular color that rest my eyes compared to the rest that simply never bring me joy. Blue, red, yellow all just don’t look as great as the greens. With a different combination of a mixture, it will create a different look. However, Green is a difficult color to handle if you use it wrongly you just give it mess in your room!
White, teal, black, chrome and light wood is this palette is perfection! A teal colored wall tapestry is another great way to add a Boho vibe to your space. For a bit of mystery, go with a ‘Shaded Spruce’ upholstered sofa against a charcoal gray painted wall. You can also add in this gorgeous wallpaper. A great mix of teal, jade, white and gold tones.
Spring wasn’t my favorite season of the year but it is the season I get pretty clothes. It’s spring again but for this spring it is going to be a new start for me. In order, for this new start to be a good one, there is lots of hard decision to be made.
However, there is a saying “Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. Or make a negative decision in the low time. Most importantly, never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods. Wait. Be patient. The storm will pass. The spring will come”.
Happy World Baking Day! Today we will be sharing with you a few of our favorites baking that we have made. Some of them we have tried them many times cause they are really awesome. Here are our top 5 picks!
This tart features a sweet, crumbly crust filled with velvety smooth vanilla custard, all topped with ripe, juicy fruit for a refreshing treat. The tart pastry is the most time-consuming part of the recipe, but it’s not overly complicated to make if you have the right tools and ingredients. Perfect for your tea time.
The best festival’s bakes we ever made. Most importantly, this cake is dark, moist, rich and incredibly decadent. The Green Mountain Coffee’s Blend plays a very important role here because it blended amazingly well with the cocoa. As it helps to create the most intense and delicious chocolate cake yet you won’t be tired of it.
Lavender Lemon Biscuits brings a bright, refreshing flavor to a winter’s afternoon. The classic sandy texture of shortbread meets lemon zest and lavender buds. The lemon is the predominant flavor while the lavender imparts a subtle tone to the overall profile.
Delicious monster rice Krispie treats recipe that is perfect for Halloween or any monster themed party! Make a great kid’s recipe too!
Hope you like them! Share with us your version! Take a photo of yours, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see yours!
Hello Readers! We are back from our Melbourne trip and it is the best experience I could ever made. Therefore, we can’t wait to share all the amazing experience with you folks.
Little that we know, we are entering the autumn atmosphere, despite there wasn’t four season in Singapore we can still enjoy the four seasons by creating it through our interiors and everyday lifestyle.
I am totally taking advantage of these hot summer days and making all sorts of iced tea to cool off. I’m relishing and soaking up all the summer festivities as much as I can! As a tea lover, making some sort of iced tea was inevitable.
This refreshing and delightful beverage is one of my favorites for the summer. Black Tea is an adaption that eases and refreshes the nervous system. The rose and honey add a balanced and rich feminine quality to stimulate the senses.
Some tips for you:
Ingredients |
Hope you like them! Share with us your version! Take a photo of yours, send us an email, tag us on 
Summer Time
