Wake Up and Smell the Cake

TGIF! I'm so happy with my two hour lunch break :) Went to JEM to get gifts from Chomel for the interns whose last day is today. They made for us shepherd's pie, cupcakes and each person our name in Arabic calligraphy. So sweet! See! Really nice right! My table's in a mess right now but I'll find a place to put this! Today is a day of gifts. The Husband received the cufflinks I surprised him with (posted to office address haha), me receiving interns' gifts and I went shopping! Blessed Friday indeed :) I roamed around alone because I need some me time. Happens once in a while, when I get overwhelmed with many many things. Bought 4 t-shirts from Uniqlo because they have buttons!! Yay for breastfeeding mothers! And why buy one when it's only $12.90 each! So I got pink, yellow mustard, dark grey and purple. I also bought 2 brooches for myself from Chomel. Was browsing through for the interns' gifts (I looked at practically all brooches, some more t

This is my first ever lemon cake. There are lots of recipes using lemon zest, but I always skipped that little bit of adding lemon zest. But yesterday while I was killing time at Paragon and hoping to get some atas ingredients, I decided to get lemons. It's time to add some zest into my butter cakes! I bought vanilla pods as well but I don't have the courage to use that yet. Can I just add that Paragon Market Place is so expensive!! Why should I buy flour and sugar there when it costs more? Practically everything costs more! Even the items labeled "manager's choice" are still more expensive than the neighbourhood supermarkets. Back to the cake! It's just the lemon bundt cake. I decided not to make lemon glaze because one, I'm lazy and two, Husband will not bother to eat the cake with a fruity glaze. I adapted a recipe from the trusty allrecipes.com because I didn't have lemon oil. But I still got a soft, fluffy and lightly citrusy cake! The lemo

Bought yet another baking tin. Hurhur. But this has been long outstanding. Bundt pan! Yippee! But I didn't get my pretty pretty Heritage Bundt Pan that I really really want cos that's really ex, like $90+ or something. Anyway it wasn't found at the shop I went yesterday. Soooo. Yesterday I was out and about in town for work related stuff, and my last stop was at Raffles Hotel which is GORGEOUS by the way!! It's like a mini botanic gardens in a hotel! Not to mention the classy vintage British decor! Anyway. My main point is, Raffles Hotel is beside Seah St which is!!! Where!! SunLik is located! Like FINALLY I get to visit that little shop tucked in the middle of a whole row of pubs. I read that that's the place to get good chocolate. Oh no! I just remembered I should have gotten Dutch processed cocoa there! Urgh. Anyway. I browsed around, and I found a Bundt pan! But only one design. Pictures courtesy of SunLik Trading . It is the classic Nordic Ware bundt p

Finally finally went to Daiso!! Wanted to go there for ages already! The first thing I came in, went to the cooking section. Found my ramekins! But they're not white. Oh wells. Can't be choosy for $2 ramekins! There were white ones, but super small white ramekins. And pie tarts too! Oooh so tempting! But I don't know when I'll make tarts hurhur. Actually I'm still thinking what I should bake using these ramekins. I remember having one of those "I wish I had ramekins right now" moments but I can't remember when. Maybe when I was making lava cake . Daiso is evil. It's so cheap you just feel like coming back again! Oh and did I mention there's a $2 weighing scale?! Measures up to a kilo but that's quite alright for baking isn't it! I mean, $2!! Dirt cheap lah. Not sure about the accuracy though. Didn't do much cleaning last weekend, very much spent lazing around at home just like what weekends should be like. I love being at ho

Okay I think I shall skip the outstanding posts I mentioned earlier . Getting out of date already. Haha. Suffice to say, making sugar cookies with difficult mould shapes (like Chip & Dale) is frustrating and tedious, and I haven't found the perfect icing recipe yet. That aside!! I is excited to say I've finally (yes, finally!) perfected my banana cake recipe! Heehee. I have no idea why I couldn't get my mum's recipe to work, maybe cos it's a different oven? But it's almost the same model! Oh well. This time I reduced the butter because the last time it was too oily, and the cake could use a bit more flour. I kept the banana the same cos I love having loads of banana in the cake, rather than use banana essence. Here are my lovelies I brought to work. I didn't capture any pictures while I was baking because I wanted to get it in the oven before Junior gets impatient watching me bake. This was taken with my iPhone. Ingredients : 200g butter 9 oz

Celebrated our second anniversary last Monday. What an amazing two years it has been, and thinking back all the things we did and went through! This year, with a baby practically hanging on to me 24/7, I couldn't bake or even complete a decent card! But I did come up with a short and simple message which sums up everything: Loving you is like butter cake. It is easy, non-extravagant yet so good and wholesome, and it gets better by the day :) I know! Butter cake right! Me, baking, buttrer cake! Perfect! Muahahaha In other news!! My fingers got itchy and so!!! I got for myself a snakeskin handbag! At a steal ! The last time I bought for myself a leather handbag was a year ago, my favourite leather, ostrich skin. So okay la hor one year on, quite justified to get one now hehe. Awesomeposum! Just in time for raya! :)

Yay! New sandals! My second pair of Papillios, the first one was like at least five years ago? That pair went long distances, took me to many faraway places! This pair? We'll see where they'll bring me :)

Tired. And I'm not even doing full housework and cooking. I feel like weekends should just be spent at home doing housework and nothing else. Then spend some quality time with Other Half. That's it. Oh and read the newspapers too!! I wanted to read on Saturday, but I didn't. Not enough time? Or I just have to wake up early. But 8.30am is quite early already! :( And bake! I would love to bake on weekends. Or try some weird recipe. Or marinate stuff for the following week's food. I think I shall get a house helper once in two weeks, to iron my clothes at least. My clothes require a lot of ironing. Haha. Then that'll free up a few hours and save me from tiredness!

So I didn't buy the super chio red bag in the previous post. Neither did I went to look for it. Ended up at Far East Plaza and bought another bag!! Heehee. But before that, here's the other bag I bought previously, looks like a small school bag. $29.90! Have yet to use it though. Hehe. And this is yesterday's buy! Am very happy with it! Has a long strap, can be used as a shoulder bag or a sling bag. Love! Heehee!! Now I have too many bags! I should consider making space in my house to display my retro and vintage and in future, expensive bags :)

Teeheehee VERY tempted to get this. But it'll burn a whole in my pocket and will affect reno finances too. Sigh. Mummy dearest said she has too many bags already and won't be getting any even though there's a sale now. But I have yet to start my own collection! Should I should I?? Hmm... Maybe I should just go take a look at it. Just see see only hehe. And ask for the price too.

My clutch/sling bag for Raya. The one I got from Far East Plaza. Pretty hor!! Modelled with Chip. I love the centre piece! Love the vintage look and Aztec feel :) Preferred this to the usual stones brooch. Though it's a bit more than what I'd budget for a simple clutch, but I feel it's worth it. Weeee!

Remember the wedges I was so happy about? Here they are! I've worn it for two days now. To work. Hahaha. Okay I shall remember to take fotos of my bag purchases soon. Another note to self: charge camera!!

Yippee!! Yesterday Other Half brought me to Far East Plaza!! Thank you darling! Weeeee! Bought a pair of wedges, a clutch and a cute sling retro schoolbag! I feel like going shopping there AGAIN!! I found a shop with elegant work clothes, but sadly their sizes are like S and XS. What the hell. So small. If only I wasn't that big... Sigh. Anyway!! I is loving my buys! The clutch is plain, leather-like. I doubt it's real leather since it's just $31.90. And you can choose the ornament for the clutch too! Heehee. The shop has a website with their catalog online. VERY tempted to get other bags. Hehe. Was supposed to look for a sling bag, and we found this shop with awesome big totes! I like big bags! But but. That wasn't in my shopping list so I should avoid. But I got this hard shelled bag at the same shop! It's pretty! I like! Maybe I shall upload fotos instead of making such a lame attempt at describing the bags. Haha. The wedges are open toed, pretty flower designed

Let's see what I've been up to. NOT cooking because I have mother dearest doing that already. Haha! And besides, my cooking is not up to her standard. I WATCHED TWILIGHT. Not on purpose, though. The many many cable channels didn't have anything interesting this morning. And I was waiting to watch my ultimate fave cartoon. Speaking of which!! I am so disappointed to know that it runs only for 15 minutes!! Cartoons, especially good ones like this, should run for a full 30 minutes! Anyway. Back to Twilight. Not bad lah the movie. It's not like a chick flick or what. I like Edward's parents. Such sweet people. And they are 'vegetarians'. Cool! Self restraint. Even vampires have self restraint. I threw away some old clothes! Mainly because my mum is running out of hangers. Hahahaha. Freed up nine, I think maybe can afford to free up more. But then again, I'll be quickly using them again to put new clothes. Wahahaha. Yesterday on the way home, I decide

And so I didn't buy the black heels. Because it has pig skin lining. Bleah. Good thing I didn't buy online too. But!!! Since I was already at the shop, I browsed through the shoes on sale and I got something better! For the SAME price! Although on the website it says 20 pounds instead. Good deal! Perfect for weddings! Or other occasions also can. Looks much prettier when worn. But I foresee blisters. HAHA. Oh well. What's a pair of heels without blisters! Hahaha. Aahh now I'm broke! Haha! No more shopping. I need to deposit next month's pay + bonus in another bank: Confirm I won't withdraw the money wan. Too leceh.

I bought this yesterday while waiting for Other Half. Thank you for being late! Hahahaha :) Price? TEN POUNDS!! :D Just what I needed! Brown heels! The one at home is quite in a bad shape. Trying on the shoes was a little weird cos it's been months since I've worn heels. Been wearing flats all round London. Need to get used to heels again! Hahaha. Love this pair. I can run in them too! Hahaha. Always buy shoes you can run in. And then my itchy fingers went to their website to look for more deals. And I found this: Another 10 pounds deal!! Should I buy?? Should I??? Very very tempting!! Hahaha. I think I shall. Hopefully they have it in store. Ordering online will cost 5 pounds more for shipping. Okay bye! Attempting Korean beef stew today. Wish me luck! [edited] So here's the recipe I used! Korean Beef Stew improvised 1 onion 2 garlic 2 inch ginger 1/2kg beef 50ml dark soy sauce 5 tbsp sugar 1 tsp cili kisar 1 tsp black pepper Serai to taste Turned

Was browsing through the website my mum gave me, and I found two leather bags I'd like to have but obviously can't buy yet: It's a weird blue but the design's pretty! Anyway it doesn't hurt to have an outstanding blue as part of your bag collection! Classic beauty isn't it! A must have! I like classics for bags. Very the elegant. Okay that's all for now! Daydreaming continues!! Hahaha

Tomorrow is Monday. Last few days here before I fly back home. Damn that's fast! Hopefully the next few weeks will pass by quickly too, and Other Half can go back home soon and say BYE BYE to London. I don't ever want to come back here unless needed. Back in Singapore, we'll have the house to settle. Renovation and furniture! Still quite undecided on how we're going to do the house. Especially with budget constraints. Have to start looking for furniture ideas when I get back! Anyone wanna follow me? Haha. I'm doing my kiasu stunt again of going back to work less than a day after touch down. This time it'll be crazier cos the night I come back, it's World Cup finals baby!! Straight no nonsense Germany versus boring Holland. And Germany will win, duh. Then back to work a few hours after that! Not that I haven't been working (okay you can disagree on this haha!), but I'll be back at my desk! Must be dusty... Yucks. Loads to catch up! I bought a max

21 June 2010: Wanted to do something different with sotong today, like sotong bakar or something like that, but it was hard to find the recipe! So I settled for this one instead: http://audreycooks.blogspot.com/2006/08/sotong-curry-squid-or-calamari-in.html Finally! I could use the belacan and asam. Haha. Other Half loved it, so mission accomplished! Today: Life has been good. So good that I've been getting fatter. Haha. NOT good. That, I hate. The babats gather round the stomach area. Bleah. Can I have a magic wand and zap it all away? :( The weather's getting cooler, and hotter and cooler and hotter. Today it's hot. But one thing good about summer, shopping :) Sale has also begun, but nothing much on sale caught my eye yet. Lots of long dresses and quite a few skirts here! I like! Maybe I shall go looking for that wide leg pants too. After being dormant for a couple of months (a major feat!), the shopper in me has come alive! Hahahahahaha

I hate London. I don't know why people love this place so much. It sucks. The air here sucks. It's dirty, pollen infested, dirty, smelly and just not the kind of air you wanna breathe in. Bleah. I don't like the medical facilities either. Wayyy too comfortable with Singapore's. I don't like the hooligans especially the youngsters. Feel like slapping and punching them. If any one of them was killed in some fight, I'd say good riddance. The only nice thing about this place is that their customer service (for some retail shops) are amazing. Very friendly. But other than that, I miss my Singapore very much. I can't wait for us to be back in our own home. Yup. I'm a spoilt Singaporean brat who thinks there's no other better place than home. I won't ever want to step into this country again unless there's no other choice.