Auntie Tips (28)

Tip 1:
Stretch a rubber band around the rim of a covered container to prevent ants from getting in.

Tip 2:
To prevent dripping fat from flaring up the flames when barbecuing meat, cover the hot charcoal with a layer of fresh lettuce leaves.

Tip 3:
To salvage an overbaked cake, pour 1/4 cup of milk evenly over the cake while it is still hot. Once the milk has been absorbed, turn the cake pan over and let it cool.

Tip 4:
To get your fish really crispy, immerse it in milk before dipping into flour.

Tip 5:
When sewing on buttons, use two separate threads for each side of a four-hole button. It is unlikely that both threads will break at the same time, so you won't lose your button.

Tip 6:
Don't discard old contact lens cases. Use them to store a dab of facial wash and moisturiser for those overnight trips.

Tip 7:
To prevent worms or weevils from infesting your rice, place a few drops of cooking oil in the rice bin and shake it well or add a few dried red chillies.

Tip 8:
To remove candle wax from a carpet, fill a plastic bag with ice cubes and place it on top of the wax for a few minutes. Then gently lift off the brittle wax with a blunt knife.

From : Simply Her - Feb 2008

Auntie Tips (27)

Tip 1:
If you have an ant problem in your home, find out where the ants are entering from. Sprinkle cinnamon powder or ground black or white pepper there.

Tip 2:
To keep your room free of mosquitoes, cut a lemon in half and press whole cloves into the skin. Lay the lemon, cut side down, on a plate and place in the room - it also helps scent the air.

Tip 3:
Polish silver accessories with Hoi Tong white pressed powder (from Chinese medical halls). Put some on a cotton pad and rub silver till it shines.

Tip 4:
If your chopping board is discoloured, rub some salt on it and leave for half an hour. Then wash with a scouring pad.

Tip 5:
To get rid of the burnt taste from burnt rice, place a slice of white bread on top of the rice while it's hot. Replace the lid and wait a few minutes, then remove the bread.

Tip 6:
Put expired tea bags to good use - place them in shoes and wardrobes for a pleasant fragrance.

Tip 7:
Cut cotton buds in half and pack several in a small zip-lock bag (those holding medication are ideal). They are handy as eyeshadow or concealer applicators, or to remove excess makeup when you're on-the-go.

From : Simply Her - Jan 2008

To the cinema : Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1)

After the quite diasppointing "Half-Blood Prince" in my opinion, I was expecting more from the "Deathly Hallows". No doubt it was only part 1 of 2 (which I think is an attempt to make more money from us before the whole Harry Potter saga ends), I still had quite high expectations for it. It was also partly due to the feedback from the Harry Potter fan (my sister) that it was good.

But once again, it kind of disappointed me. It started off quite exciting, and I was expecting the same kind of action and energy to continue throughout the show. However, it didn't really worked out for me. To be honest, I could only feel the evil and sinister part of the dark lord getting more powerful. I didn't feel Harry Potter or his friends getting more confident or powerful to defeating him.

And as my friend had so rightly pointed out, the flow of the story was not that fantastic either. Like there was about 5-10 minutes of excitement and action, then followed by a whole 30 minutes of nothing, with no surprises or unexpected happenings. It was getting kind of predictable as the 2 hours and 10 minutes dragged on.

In my opinion, if they were to cut down on those long and draggy parts, there might not be a need to have "part 1" and "part 2" for this final episode. So, I'm off to finding the book and finish reading the "part 2" and then decide if I want to spend on catching the movie when it comes out 6 months later.

Universal Studios Singapore

A good friend of ours decided to invite us along to Universal Studios Singapore as her company was having a family day there and the weekend tickets are going at the price of a weekday ticket.

As expected with new tourist attraction, it was quite crowded and queues for the popular rides were long. But we did managed to take the rides recommended. I couldn't remember when was the last time I took an amusement park ride. I got to admit that my legs did feel kind of shaky after the "Revenge of the Mummy" ride, which we concluded was the most fun of all.

The "Rapids Adventure" ride in Jurassic Park, the one where everybody will get wet, was quite disappointing. We spent almost an hour queuing for it, only to experience a few seconds of thrill.

However, some of the featured shows were quite good, like the Shrek 4D movie and the Steven Spielberg special effects theatre. And then there were the random performances on the streets, and the occassional meeting of movie characters, like Shrek and Fiona, Frankenstien, Po, etc. Even though we all knew that some were only costumes with people in it, something about these characters that bring out the child in us. I wouldn't mind spending a whole day there just to wait for these characters to come out and take photos with them. ;p

Krabi (22nd Oct - 25th Oct)

After strong recommendations from my sister-in-law, we finally managed to have a short getaway to Krabi (Thailand). It has been a while since the husband and I went on a holiday and I was really looking forward to it.

It was like a little town that just depends on tourism for a living. There are no famous local produce, or handicrafts or any such things that is a must-buy for tourists. Instead, tourism in Krabi depends totally on all the tiny islands/beaches surrounding the area. As the pictures show, the view is spectacular and the water is always crystal clear. We spent 2 full days island and beach hopping, and the husband also had a blast of the time snorkling on both days.

We went on a long-tail boat for the first day and it was quite an experience. As it cannot get too close to shore, it was a challenge getting in and out of it. The waves were constantly shifting the boat's position, and depending on luck, the water could just reach your calves, or all the way up to your thigh when you attempt to get out and find a spot where your feet could touch solid bottom.

The second day was spend travelling on a speed boat. Though the time taken for travel with a speed boat was half the time of a long-tail boat, it didn't make the moving up and down of the boat any easier. But at least we got to try the two different modes of travelling on water.

The husband is already thinking which island to go snorkling and relax next. Honestly, it was really fun and enjoyable to have a short trip once in a while, where you are not bound by the schedules of itinerary.

Auntie Tips (26)

Tip 1:
To get rid of stains in your electric kettle or airpot, place lemon slices inside, fill with water and boil.

Tip 2:
To get rid of the stickiness left on your fingers by tape, rub fingertips with salt and rinse.

Tip 3:
Remove tomato sauce stains from plastic containers by rubbing with a damp cloth dipped in baking soda.

Tip 4:
Treat oil stains on clothing right away - sprinkle with baby powder, cornstarch or artificial sweetener to absorb the oil. Rub in liquid detergent to treat remaining spots, then wash in the hottest water suitable for the fabric.

From : Simply Her - Dec 2007

Incident for thought (6)

It was a typical workday morning, on the MRT to work. There was a couple, maybe in their late 30s, with the wife sitting and the husband standing right beside her. When the train stopped at a station and the passenger besides the wife alighted, the husband moved to take the seat. But at the same time, another auntie came out of nowhere at lightning speed and was going for that seat too. They bumped into each other, and after each giving the other a "how-dare-you-snatch-my-seat" look without a word, the husband sat down, conveniently ignoring the auntie's deadly stare.

I didn't know why this incident bothered me. Maybe it was the way that the guy still took the seat when he knew that the auntie was going for it too. Or maybe it was just the traditional me, still believing in the "gentleman spirit".

Natalie is 1!

My dear niece is one today. Time really flies... She had "changed" from this ...

... to this...

Cute as she may be at times, she can be one bossy, fussy and demanding little kid too... haha...

In memory of HW

No love, no friendship, can cross the path of our destiny

without leaving some mark on it forever

~ Francois Mocuriac

Rest in peace, my dear friend. You will always remain, in our hearts, a great friend, a wonderful and loving husband, father and son. 

Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta

This has been one long overdue post. And I apologise for that shadow at the corner of the photo. I think that I was too hungry at that time to care to re-take another proper photo. I could still remember that it was delicious, despite looking a bit sad in this picture.

Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta (recipe from here)

Ingredients :

- 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
- 3 cloves garlic, minced – divided
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon basil, chopped fine (I substituted with dried parsley)
- 4 oz dry linguine
- Grated parmesan

Directions :

1) Place the shrimp in a bowl and add one teaspoon of garlic, the lemon zest and the vegetable oil.  Stir and let marinate while the pasta cooks.

2) Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, but cook for one minute less than instructed.

3) During the last three minutes of the pasta cooking time heat the butter in  a large skillet until it foams.  Add the remaining garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the shrimp with the marinade and cook for 30 seconds, or until the shrimp are just turning pink.  Add the basil and stir to combine.

4) Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain the pasta and add it directly to the pan – work quickly or your shrimp will over cook.  Stir to combine, allowing the shrimp and past to cook the rest of the way, about one minute more.  If the sauce does not coat the pasta completely add a bit of the cooking liquid to thin it out.

5) Top with grated parmesan and a spritz of lemon juice.  Enjoy.

Auntie Tips (25)

Tip 1:
Place a stalk of pandan leaf in your wardrobe to get rid of insects and bugs ; it also leaves a pleasant fragrance.

Tip 2:
Place a few pieces of charcoal in the fridge or under the sink to absorb stale odours.

Tip 3:
Keep glass-top furniture sparkly clean with lemon juice ; to remove scratches from a glass surface, rub in some toothpaste.

Tip 4:
Not handy with a hammer but need to put a nail in the wall? Use a fork to hold the nail in place, then hammer away.

From : Simply Her - Nov 2007

Been quite busy since starting on the new job at the end of June. Can't believe one month passed by so fast! Hadn't had time to blog for the whole of July. And I realised I kind of missed cooking...

Auntie Tips (24)

Tip 1:
Don't throw out the desiccant sachets from your vitamin bottles - put them in cookie jars to keep biscuits fresh longer

Tip 2:
Use creamy peanut butter to remove the residue left by sticky labels on glass.

Tip 3:
To remove stains on cups or utensils, rub crushed egg shells over the stains, then rinse.

Tip 4:
Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it.

From : Simply Her - Oct 2007

Auntie Tips (23)

Tip 1:
To prevent superglue from drying up, place it in the fridge and it will be as good as new.

Tip 2:
To maintain the freshness of leftover spaghetti sauce, freeze the sauce in an ice-cube tray. Just defrost what you need each time.

Tip 3:
Frozen packets of ketchup and chilli sauce make up for handy ice packs when your kid gets those bruises or bumps.

Tip 4:
Wrap celery in aluminium foil before refrigerating and it will keep for weeks.

From : Simply Her - Sep 2007

Fruit Yogurt Popsicles

After lying around in my kitchen cabinet for months, the 8 popsicle moulds were finally being put to work for the very first time. I wasn't really thinking of making this until I saw the boxes of blueberries and strawberries on sale in the supermarket. And it wasn't everyday that we have blueberries here on this sunny island of Singapore. So, I decided to buy 2 packs of them to give this recipe a try, and to freeze the remainders for some other recipes.

One tiny change I made was to just chop up the fruits to tiny bits instead of blending them, so that I can still munch on the frozen bits of fruits while enjoying the smoothness of the yogurt.

Fruit Yogurt Popsicles (recipe from here)

Ingredients : 

- 1 cup plain yogurt 

- 1 cup fresh fruit or frozen fruit, your choice of blueberries, strawberries, cherries, etc

- 2 tablespoons honey 

- 4 wooden popsicle sticks or plastic spoons 

- 4 paper cups, 5 ounce size 

- aluminum foil  

Directions :

1) Place the yogurt, fruit (slightly thawed if using frozen) and honey in a blender. Blend to desired consistency (some kids like the fruit chunky and others like it smooth).

2) Pour into paper cups, filling them 3/4 full.

3)Cover the cups with foil. Make slits in the center of the foil covers and insert the popsicle sticks.

4) Put in the freezer for about 5 hours or until frozen solid.

5) When ready, peel off the paper cup and eat. 

Note : I doubled the recipe and managed to fill about a little less than 7 popsicle moulds.

Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream

I didn't know what came over me to want to give this ice-cream recipe a try. I do not have an ice-cream maker to begin with. But sometimes, there are certain recipes that just caught my attention and I can't stop thinking about them until I gave them a try. And no, I didn't rush out to get an ice-cream maker either. Refer to the note at the end of the post to learn how to make ice-cream without a machine. 

To be honest, I didn't think there would be much success on this first attempt. There was a floating layer of fats (I think) after I had melted the chocolate and the cream together. And the final product turned out a bit too hard compared to store-bought. I didn't know if there is any relation to that layer of fats that I decided to omit when doing the final mix. But I was glad that the overall taste was good. So much richer and more chocolate-ty than store-bought.

Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream (recipe from here)

Ingredients :

- 6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup of sugar

Directions :

1) Put the chocolate in a 2-quart liquid measuring cup or a large heatproof bowl. Bring 3/4 of the cream to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit a minute, then, using a rubber spatula, and starting in the center of the mixture, slowly stir the cream into the chocolate in ever-widening concentric circles. When the ganache is smooth, set it aside.

2) Bring the milk and the remaining 3/4 cream to a boil in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan.

3) Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar together until well blended and just slightly thickened. Still whisking, drizzle in about one third of the hot liquid-this will temper, or warm, the yolks so they won't curdle, Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remaining liquid. Pour the custard back into the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring without stopping, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon: if you run your finger down the bowl of the spoon, the custard should not run into the track. The custard should reach at least 170 degrees F, but no more than 180 degrees F, on an instant-read thermometer (this took about 8-10 minutes on my stove.) Immediately remove the pan from the heat and slowly and gently stir the custard into the ganache. 

Note : If you do not have an ice-cream maker, refer to this article by David Lebovitz. Thanks to him, everyone can enjoy home-made ice-cream even though you don't have the machine.  :)

Yam (Taro) Rice

To be honest, I didn't have much confidence when starting out on this recipe. Yam (or taro, as known in other parts of the world) is a completely new ingredient for me. But luckily, NTUC is selling vacuumed packs of yam that had already been skinned. So it saves some time and effort on my part to have to deal with the unfamiliar yam. 

After cooking this dish, I realised that it was not as complicated as it looks. But I would advise to use a larger rice-cooker if you are planning to cook the amount as stated in the recipe. For me, the cooked rice almost filled the brim of our tiny rice-cooker, and so the top layer was slightly uncooked. So, we stirred around a bit to bring the top layer down to the middle and let it steamed for a few more minutes.

Note : I followed the selected recipe very closely, except for the seasoning part. The recipe below will be my version. If you want to see the original recipe. Click here.

Yam Rice

Ingredients :

- 500g yam/taro (cut into cubes) (Remember to wear disposable gloves when handling yam)
- 3 1/2 cup rice
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 2 shallots (finely chopped)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons dried shrimp (soaked in warm water, drained and roughly chopped)
- 250g ground pork or chicken meat (minced)
- 3 3/4 cups water (to be used separately) (use the same cup as the one to measure the rice)
- 5 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked in warm water, drained and cut into thin slices)
- 4 tablespoons cooking oil
- Fried shallot crisps (for garnishing)
- 1 scallion (cut into small rounds, for garnishing)

Seasonings :

- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 3 dashes white pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions :

1) Wash and rinse the rice. Set aside to drain.

2) Heat up a wok and add a little oil. Stir-fry the yam pieces for about 3 minutes. Dish out and set aside.

3) In the same wok, add some more cooking oil. Stir-fry the shallots and garlic until aromatic. Add pork (or chicken), mushrooms and dried shrimp and stir-fry until the meat changes color. Use the spatula to break the ground pork or chicken so they form into small lumps. Add 2 cups of water into the wok and follow by the yam pieces. Add all seasonings and bring it to boil. Add rice into the wok and do a few quick stirs. 

4) Transfer everything into the rice cooker, adding the remaining 1 3/4 cups of water, and then cook it like you are cooking steamed rice.

5) When the rice is cooked, use the rice scoop to stir the yam rice and loosen it up. Serve immediately with some fried shallot crisps and chopped scallions.

Auntie Tips (22)

Tip 1 :
Worried about candles dripping hot wax on the birthday cake you have baked? Simply use marshmallows to secure the candles firmly. Not only will they hold the candles straight and steady, marshmallows will also make your cake looks quite pretty.

Tip 2 :
You've bought a pretty bouquet of flowers, but find that their stems are too short for your long-necked vase? Try and insert the stem ends into drinking straws. Then simply cut the straws according to the length you desire.

Tip 3 :
Don't throw away your children's old baby booties or socks. Instead, slip them on the legs of the table and chairs. The socks will protect both your furniture and floor. And booties will add a 'cute' touch, especially in a child's room.

Tip 4 :
To remove stains on your fabric car upholstery, simply squirt a palm-sized of shaving cream on it. Rub thoroughly with a damp cloth and then dab dry with a sponge.

From : Women's Weekly - Dec 2008

Earl Grey Tea Sorbet

I can't remember when was the last time I made desserts. So when my mother sms-ed me to say that we will be celebrating Mother's Day at my grandma's place, and asked me to either make or buy some desserts, I knew it was time. And since the weather had been scorching these days, I thought sorbet would be the perfect thing to make. And not to mention, simple too. :)

I got the recipe from a video here.

Earl Grey Tea Sorbet

Ingredients :

- 3 3/4 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 6 Earl Grey teabags
- juice of 1 lemon

Directions :

1) Put the water and sugar together in a pot and bring it to a rolling boil. (Try to maintain a low and consistent heat, and ensure all sugar has melted but at the same time not burnt)

2) Add the 6 teabags into the syrup and take it off the heat.

3) Let the teabags rest in the syrup for about 30 minutes before removing them.

4) If the mixture is not completely cooled at this time, stick the pot into the fridge and let it cool.

5) Once it has cooled down, add in the juice of 1 lemon. If you have an ice-cream maker, just pour the mixture in it and leave it to do the rest of the work. 

If you do not have an ice-cream maker  :

- Put a glass dish into your freezer to cool it. When you are done with the final mixture, take out the glass dish from the freezer and put the mixture into it. Cover it with cling wrap and pop it back into the freezer. 

- After 30 minutes or so, check the mixture. If the sides of the dish is starting to freeze, use a fork to break down the pieces and put it back into the freezer again.

- Do this after every 30 minutes until you get the consistency you want. I've read that the best is to do it for 8 hours or so, if you really want a smooth professional-like consistency.

Note : I've got feedback about the final product being too sweet. So if you do not have a very sweet tooth, you might consider reducing the amount of sugar a little.

Braised Chicken with Shallots

Finally, we were rid of the flu and cough bug. So, it was back to cooking chicken for our meals. Looking back at previous meals, I thought it would be good to cook a Chinese dish this weekend. And of course, a simple and quick one at that.

Braised Chicken with Shallots (recipe from here)

Ingredients :

- 4 chicken thighs & drumsticks, chopped
- 10 shallots, washed & peeled
- 2 nos garlic, sliced
- 5 nos ginger, sliced
- 1 tsp black soy sauce

Marinate:
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp light soya sauce
- 4 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- pepper to taste

Directions :

1. Marinade chicken with the marinate. Set in the fridge for 3 hours or longer.

2. Heat up olive, saute shallots, garlic and ginger till fragrant.

3. Add chicken, stir fry the chicken till tender and fragrant.

4. Add water - the water should cover the chicken.

5. Cover the wok lid. Simmer under low fire for about 10-15mins or till gravy thicken. (Note : The gravy didn't seemed to be thickening at this point, so I added in some cornstarch mixed with water)

6. Add dash of salt.

7. Add black soy sauce, stir well & dish up. Serve hot.

Salmon and Broccoli Spaghetti

I made this about 2 weeks ago, when the husband and I were both attacked by the flu bug. The husband was worse off than I was, he got the cough as well. So, when he mentioned he wanted to eat at home for dinner, I had to think of something that was suitable for the sick. And according to my mother and Chinese physician, it is not good to take chicken when you are having a cough, though there are no real scientific evidence, but I had some experience in that, so I'd rather avoid it till we're ok.

So, off I went to the Internet (what would I do without it??!) to search for a quick and simple dinner. And I came across one with minimal ingredients, and decided to tweak it by adding some broccoli for a more balanced meal.

Salmon and Broccoli Spaghetti (recipe adapted from here)
2 servings

Ingredients :

- 1 steak salmon
- 200ml whipping cream
- spaghetti for 2
- broccoli florets
- 1 teaspoon tomato puree
- a little butter for frying
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (I omitted this)

Directions :

1) Season the salmon with some salt and black pepper. Then put it into the oven at 220 degrees Celsius for about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the salmon.

2)While the salmon is baking, boil the water and cook the spaghetti. When the water boils, what I did was to scoop some out to blanch the broccoli separately. Leave the broccoli in the water for about 3-5 minutes, then drain and set them aside.

3) When the salmon is cooked, it should be light pink and be able to flake apart easily when prodded with a fork. Break the salmon in the desired size and set aside.

4) When the pasta is within a few minutes of being done, heat up a pan and melt the butter over low heat. Add in the whipping cream, cayenne pepper (if using), tomato puree, salmon, broccoli, and salt and pepper to taste.

5) Gently heat this for a few minutes until hot (but NOT boiling), then add in the spaghetti, mixing it well to coat with the sauce. Serve immediately.

To the cinema : Iron Man 2

Yup, there is something about the movies these days with the word "man" in them. Haha. And after watching 2 movies in 2 days, I think it will be quite a while before we go for another one.

Anyway, back to Iron Man 2. Honestly, I'm not as impressed as I was with the first one. But at least, in my opinion, it was not as bad as some other sequels had been. At least it was  entertaining, not the "wow" kind, but the "oh ok" kind. And thinking back to the movie, there was actually not much of a storyline. I thought it was just to show off all the high-tech technologies and to impress audience with the animations. Other than that, it was like the team just tried to put together a movie just for the sake of a sequel. Even the action parts of the movie were not too exciting, with the bad guy struck down so fast when he was portrayed as such a genius? And what exactly is Scarlett Johansson doing in there? I can see the whole movie going on smoothly even without her. Unless it was like the rumours going around that there will be another movie with her character in it, Captain America and Thor...

Personally, I feel that there is only one climatic moment for Iron Man and Iron Man 2, that is the part where Tony Stark actually admitted that he is the superhero. So, with that already done, I didn't have much expectations for the sequel. I thought the point of being superhero is to be anonymous? Or maybe Iron Man just wants to be different from the other superheroes?

Plus one (I mean, the age...)

I guess I don't so much mind being old, as I mind being fat and old.

~ Peter Gabriel ~

This is one of the much quieter birthdays I had compared to previous years... since I've been at home for the past few months, looking for another job. I'm not very particular about big birthday celebrations and such. I'll be happy to just spend some time with the family, or husband, or just as a "me, myself and I" day.

Also, as time goes by, (I'm sure some will agree), we would rather not be reminded of our birthdays, coz it means that we are getting older. It's a totally different feeling when you think of yourself being 32 years old, and when someone else reminds you that you are 32. Although the number is the same, it always sounds much older when other people talk about it, compared to just thinking about it in my mind. Or is it just me that feels this way...

To the cinema : Ip Man 2

I can't remember if there were any sequels to any movies that we looked forward to as much as Ip Man 2. A little more than a year has passed since the first Ip Man movie had came out, and it's always a little worrying that sequels will never be as good as the first.

But after watching it, I personally felt that it was almost as good as the first movie. In the first movie, it was Chinese vs Japanese, and in this sequel, it was Chinese vs British. Since it was a semi-biographical film, the storyline is kind of simple and expected. So nothing much to say about it without revealing the whole movie. But no complaints there coz the fight scenes and Donnie Yen alone makes up for everything! Haha.

Chicken, Leek and Tomato Soup

This was made a few weeks back and I had forgotten about it until I went through the photos in my phone. No, I didn't use a camera for my photos. Nearly all the photos of the dishes that I cooked were taken by my phone's camera, and thus, the non-professional look and poor lighting. But I do try to make them presentable.

Anyway, I was looking for something light for dinner that day and the husband was feeling abit under the weather, so I thought of soup, and some toasted small buns to go along.

Chicken, Leek and Tomato Soup (recipe from : Quick Short Chicken Recipes)
4 servings

Ingredients :

- 60g butter
- 3 leeks, thinly sliced
- 3 chicken breast fillets
- 3 cups (750ml) chicken stock
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 425g can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon soft brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chopped basil leaves
- chopped basil, extra, to garnish

Directions :

1) Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the leek and cook for 2 minutes without browning.

2) Halve the chicken breast fillets lengthways and thinly slice them. Increase the heat, add the chicken to the saucepan and cook for 3 minutes, or until the chicken is browned.

3) Add the stock, garlic, tomato, sugar and basil. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes, or until the chicken is tender. Season and garnish with extra fresh basil. Serve with crusty bread.

Sausage and Pasta

As I've mentioned before, it will be expected to see repeated ingredients from a previous dish as I can't vary the amount to be bought to suit to just the two of us. So, here it is again, the last Polish sausage from dinner previously. I adapted this from a real simple recipe, and the difference is that, the original calls for beer, but mine has chicken stock instead. Coz the husband and I are not beer persons. However, I might still give the beer version a try some time.

Sausage and Pasta (adapted from here)

1 serving

Ingredients :

- sphagetti for one

- 1 Polish sausage, sliced

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

- about 1/3 cup of chicken stock

- pepper to taste

- red pepper flakes (optional)

- dried parsley for garnish

Directions :

1) Heat up some olive oil in a pan. Saute the onion for a few seconds. Then add in the garlic and sausage to saute for about 3-4 minutes.

2) Add pepper and red pepper flakes (if using) to taste.

3) Add the chicken stock, cover, and let the liquid reduce to a little less than half on high heat. You can cook the pasta while the sauce is reducing.

(Note : I didn't add any salt because the chicken stock and the sausage provided enough saltiness for me, however, you can always adjust it according to your taste after you add in the chicken stock)

4) Serve the sausage and onion over the pasta. Make sure you get the sauce over everything. Enjoy!

Sausage and Mushroom Sphagetti

When it comes to cooking, I like to have a bit of time to plan ahead. Time to think of what to cook, time to look through my recipes collection slowly and see which is the one that will catch my attention that day. But once in a while, dinner plans will pop up at the last minute and I just had to come up with something fast. And so, here is my quick and easy sausage and mushroom sphagetti :

Sausage and Mushroom Sphagetti

2 servings

Ingredients :

- sphagetti for two

- 2 Polish sausages, sliced (I bought 3 Polish sausages for $5.50 from Cold Storage)

- 1 pack (~125g) white mushrooms, sliced

- 4 cloves of garlic, minced (coz the husband likes a lot of garlic in his food)

- half a bottle of pasta sauce (from the 397g kind, can adjust according to your preference for the sauciness)

- handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped

- black pepper

- grated Parmesan cheese

Directions :

1) Cook sphagetti according to the package instructions. 

2) Meanwhile, heat up some olive oil in pan and stir-fry the sausages till the oil is released. Dish out the sausages and set aside, leaving the oil in the pan.

3) Add in the mushroom and garlic, and fry till the mushroom is almost cooked. Add in the cooked sausages and fry for a few seconds.

4) Add in the pasta sauce and basil, and stir to combine all the ingredients together, until the sauce has been heated up.

5) Turn off the heat and add in the cooked spaghetti to the sauce, or vice versa. Season with black pepper and your desired amount of Parmesan cheese. Serve.

Auntie Tips (21)

Tip 1 :
Don't throw away clothes with sweat stains just yet. You can get rid of the stains by dissolving three aspirin tablets in a large bowl filled with water, and then soaking the shirt or top in the mixture for one hour. Launder as usual.

Tip 2 :
To clean a thermos, just pour a tablespoon of salt and some ice cubes into the flask. Close and swirl so that the salt and ice cubes lightly scour the bottom and inside of the flask. Rinse thoroughly before use.

Tip 3 :
To remove dirt from your favourite leather bag and make it almost as good as new, just rub the surface with medicated oil.

Tip 4 :
So your fridge becomes sparkling white and smells minty fresh, apply toothpaste on the inside and scrub with a sponge, brush or rag. Wipe with a cloth to dry.

Tip 5 :
It can be irritating to walk and move when your dress is clingingg to you due to static. To solve this, just pin a small safety pin onto the seam of your skirt or dress. The same thing goes for slacks that cling when you wear panty hose.

From : Women's Weekly - Nov 2008

One Pot

This kind of one pot dish is not only simple to cook, but also allows you the flexibility to add whatever you like into it. There is also less washing up to do, and is one complete meal when served with rice. Do refer to the original recipe for more ideas for ingredients if you are cooking for more than 2 persons.

One Pot (recipe adapted from here)
2 servings

Ingredients :

- 1 tube silken tofu
- 1 pack of Shimeji mushroom
- 1 broccoli
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 4 mini fishcakes, cut into 3 pieces each
- 8 grey prawns, shelled and deviened
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can chicken broth (~240ml)
- fried shallots, as garnish

Directions :

1) Marinate prawns with salt and pepper. Set aside for 10 mins.

2) Cut away the bottom part of the mushrooms and separate them. Blanch in hot water for a few minutes til they turned slightly soft. Drain and set aside.

3) Blanch broccoli and carrot in some oil with hot boiling water. Drain and set aside separately.

4) Heat up some oil in a claypot. Saute garlic til fragrant.

5) Add in carrots and stir-fry for a few minutes. Then add in the fishcakes and stir-fry for a few seconds.

6) Add in the chicken broth, and braise at medium heat for about 5 minutes. After that, give the soup a taste to see if salt needs to be added. (I didn't add any seasonings coz the canned chicken broth is already salty enough.)

7) Add in prawns, and simmer till they just turned pink. Add in the mushrooms, broccoli and tofu. Let it simmer for another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, garnish with fried shallots and serve hot.

Chicken Pasta

I've decided that I had enough of outside food, and so it's back to simple home-cooked pasta again. With the use of chicken broth in this recipe, I was worried that it might turned out to be kind of soupy.. which is weird for a pasta dish. However, my worry was pointless. The moment the pasta and the sauce were mixed together, the broth was soaked up nicely and the dish turned out to be quite flavourful.

Chicken Pasta (recipe from here)

Ingredients :

- 1 pound of linguine

- 1 pound of chicken breast (I used chicken fillets)

- olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, diced
- red pepper flakes (as much or as little as you like)
- salt
- juice of 2 lemons
- 1/2 cup (or more or less, depends on how much sauce you want) low sodium chicken broth
- handful chopped parsley (I used dried parsley flakes)
- handful grated parmesan cheese
 
Directions :
 
1) Start out by boiling the water for your pasta, as that always takes the longest for me. Cook your pasta according to the instructions on the box.

2) Cut up your chicken, and set aside. In a large skillet heat up enough olive oil to cover bottom of pan. Add in garlic and sautee until tender, this should take a few minutes. Add in salt (about a tsp. or so) and red pepper flakes and cook for a minute.

3) Add in chicken and cook through. Once chicken is pretty much cooked through, add in lemon juice, and quickly bring to a simmer. Next add in chicken broth, and bring to a simmer again, yet let it simmer for 5-10 minutes.

4) Once pasta is cooked, either add the chicken mixture to the pasta, or vice versa, depending on how large your pot is. Sprinkle in parsley and cheese, and mix together.

The Sound of Music

I was so so glad that my mother introduced us to this show, The Sound of Music, many years ago. Has it been 20 years already? Thinking back now, it was kind of strange how my younger sister and I, as kids, had the patience in the first place to sit through this very long (3 - 4 hours?) show. Maybe it was the songs that got to us then. But as I grew older, I realised that it was not only the songs that attracted me so much to this show, it was also the simple yet heartwarming storyline, the message of the importance of family, the relationships among the people.

Tiger Prawns Noodle Soup

Are you a rice or noodle person? I mean, do you have a special preference for one over the other? For me, I'm more of a noodle person. I eat almost any kind of noodles, no matter their shapes and sizes, from Chinese vermicelli to kway teow (flat rice noodles) to spaghetti. I can eat them most of the times without ever missing my rice. Maybe it is because there are so many different noodles, and so, even more ways to cook them that make them so appealing. And when it comes to cooking for one, noodles are so much easier to deal with than rice.

I didn't follow any specific recipe for this noodle soup, but did adapt some steps from here.

Tiger Prawns Noodle Soup
1 serving

Ingredients :

- 1 serving of noodles (I used the one from instant noodles, which is just the right serving for one)
- 5 tiger prawns, shelled and de-veined
- 2 fresh shittake mushrooms, sliced
- 1 small bunch of bok choy
- 1 can (14 oz. , which is about 396g) chicken stock
- 2 small shallots, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 small piece of ginger, sliced and cut into thin strips
- salt, to taste
- cooking oil
- a handful of chopped spring onions, for garnish (optional)
- a handful of fried shallots, for garnish (optional)

Directions :

1) Put a pot of water to boil and add in the instant noodles (without any seasonings). Cook the noodles for less than the normal time required and drain away the water. Put the noodles aside.

2) Heat up the chicken stock in a pot.

3) Meanwhile, heat up the cooking oil in the wok, and add the garlic, ginger and shallot and stir-fry for less than a minute, just to release their aromas.

4) Add the prawns, and stir-fry for less than a minute, then add the button mushrooms and stir-fry with the prawns for less than a minute. Lastly, add in the bok choy and stir-fry all together for less than a minute.

5) Slowly pour in the chicken stock into the wok. Stir to combine the ingredients and stock, and give it a taste at this point to see if salt needs to be added. Once done with the seasoning, pour everything over the noodles, add garnishes and serve immediately.

Auntie Tips (20)

Tip 1 :
If you have chopped more garlic than what your recipe requires, you can still keep the bunch and maintain their freshness. You can even add a little flavour too. Simply soak the pieces in olive oil inside a bottle and then keep in the fridge.

Tip 2 :
Cut out the bottom of a clean milk jug; turn it upside down and fill it with the plastic bags from grocery shopping. Punch holes on the sides of the jug, insert hooks and hang it in your pantry. To dispense the plastic bags, just pull through the mouth of the jug.

Tip 3 :
To prevent the mess kids might leave behind due to ice-cream dripping from the cone, simply stuff a piece of marshmallow at the botton of the cone to prevent this.

Tip 4 :
When you've purchased new bedsheets, use the plastic cover that comes with it to store your shoes or sandals. It will keep them clean and dust-free, plus you can easily organise them at a glance.

Tip 5 :
Lint and dust are more visible on dark wood furniture. Others may mop it up with a wet cloth, but here's another way to remove those specks : Get a long bottle or a rolled-up magazine, put cellophane tape around it sticky side up and roll it along the surface.

From : Women's Weekly - Jan 2008

Spicy Garlic Shrimp and Tomato Spaghetti

It's sometimes quite frustrating when it comes to buying ingredients for two, or even one. The quantities for most ingredients are pre-packed and limited in the supermarket. For example, I'm forced to buy a whole big bunch of packed parsley which most likely will last the 2 of us for the next 2 weeks, instead of just a handful which I only need to keep for a few days.

So, it's not much surprise that I had been cooking for the past 3 days. And even less surprising is that, all 3 were pasta dishes. I guess it can't be helped since the ingredients (cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley, sour cream) I bought were more suited for cooking pasta than anything else, or most likely, simpler for a lazy person like myself. ;p

However, I think I have reached my 'limit'. It's time to take a step back from pasta for a while. Let me look through my bookmarked recipes to see what else I can try next. :)

Spicy Garlic Shrimp and Tomato Spaghetti (recipe from : here)
4 servings

Ingredients :

• 2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 pound spaghetti
• 1/2 pound shelled and deveined medium shrimp, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 pint small yellow pear or red grape tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced rosemary
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Directions :

1) In a small skillet, cook the bread crumbs in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the bread crumbs onto a plate.

2) In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti until just barely al dente. Drain the spaghetti, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

3) Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil with the shrimp, tomatoes, garlic, rosemary and crushed red pepper. Add the spaghetti and the reserved cooking water to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderately high heat, tossing the pasta and lightly crushing the tomatoes, until the sauce is slightly thickened and the shrimp are cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer the spaghetti to bowls, sprinkle the bread crumbs on top and serve.