Hello! Thanks for visiting my blog.

I am on a blogging hiatus as I would like to focus on my jewelry craft work. Hence, I will not be taking in requests for reviews of any nature in the future. If you do have queries on my jewelry work instead, please get in touch via email : oon.adeline@gmail.com

Friday, August 30, 2013

[Recipe] Bruschetta


My husband, son and I love bruschetta! It is a taste for every season. Although I am so not a tomato person, but this is something I love! I guess it is the tangy flavor that makes my knees go weak...

At times when we go for Italian cuisine, this would be our appetizer. For 6 pieces of thinly sliced baguette, it truly isn't worth the price on the menu. Call me ngiow (stingy), but there are certain food that I will not be willing to pay for if I know that it is a mixture of simple flavors which I can whip up in my own kitchen.

Here's my tweaked version from the original recipe I found and am more than happy to share mine with you!

This recipe serves 8 sliced baguette. Prep time : 10 minutes. Cook time : 10 minutes.

Ingredients :
1 medium sized baguette
10 cherry tomatoes, diced (mummymoo.com saw my bruschetta photos prior to my post and mentioned that a chef friend told her the tomatoes should be de-seeded for this dish. So take note if you prefer yours that way!)
1 small onion, chopped
Coriander leaves (amount at your discretion) Alternatively, you can use basil leaves.
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp Lea & Perrin worchestire sauce (substitute with balsamic vinegar)
salt and pepper to taste
butter
minced garlic

Method :
- Set oven temperature to 170 degree celcius.
- throw the tomatoes, onion, coriander leaves into a bowl. 
- Add in olive oil, worchestire sauce, salt and pepper.
- Give it a good mix and leave it chilled in the fridge for at least 10-15 minutes. 
- Slice your baguette and place them on an oven tray.
- spread butter and minced garlic on the sliced baguette. (This alone is also my version of garlic bread!)
- toast the baguette in the oven for 10 minutes.
- When you are ready to serve your bruschetta, spread a table spoonful of the seasoned tomatoes on top of the toasted baguette and serve.

A simple recipe that is healthy and appetizing. Goes great with your pasta dishes or serve it together with a hearty soup which is a meal on its own! Try it!

 
Till the next post, have a blessed week!


Thursday, August 29, 2013

The Struggle With Mother Tongue

Mother tongue. Mandarin, to be precise. Have you had any trouble with the language? I did, back in school and now, the occasional conversation I have with foreign talents and school teachers - not so much with the general Singaporeans.

I was born in a speaking English family, during the early 70's. Not a word of mandarin was spoken until I was exposed to the language in kindergarten.  My 2 older brothers took 'Bahasa Melayu' as their second language right from the start. As for me, the option to switch the second language subject was given to me when I was in primary 2. However, as soon as I was given the opportunity to try at the Malay language, I backed out. Somehow, I was just afraid I would be worst off. Furthermore at 8 years of age, I was thinking how cool it would be when I would be the only one in the family that knew the chinese language and my family will not know when I am sharing a secret over the phone!

And so my struggle with the language was apparent ever since. The only time I got to use the spoken language was when I was playing with my neighbors and thanks to them, I picked up the conversation part fast. 99% of the time, my test scores hovered between D and F. Which was really bad. Thankfully, though my dad was a teacher himself, he had never once pushed me to master the language or had high expectations of me. But I can also see why. He knew I was not a slacker when it came to school work. He knew I worked hard and gave my utmost best. He knew I was a responsible student. I had no stress, so to speak. I only wish I possess this positive trait of him so that I can also exercise the same with my children now.

Mandarin has gotten difficult to master, in my opinion. There's more emphasis on oral to see if you can express your thoughts with more "flowery" words these days. The things my children learn in school is a far cry from what I learned. Though I help them in the language department at home, many a times, I find myself fumbling with the words they don't understand and in the end, we find them out together. And I learn new words.

A sample of what Brandon is learning in secondary one. Now seriously, if there wasn't any interpretation in English here, I wouldn't even know half of them nor have heard any of my friends using them in our conversations!
Brandon did pretty okay with mandarin in primary school. He had gotten his share of A's', B's', C's', D's' and F's' as he climbed the levels. Like Megan, Brandon has had enrichment in the language since primary 1. As one who struggled with mandarin, I identified the need to reinforce on this subject for the both of them since we too, speak English at home, 80% of the time. Both of them dislike doing their chinese homework but there is truly little we can do but to force encourage them to stay focus as much as possible because we all know, how a mother tongue subject can make or break you, if you are taking the path to junior college.

Do you know primary school kids with learning disabilities, like dyslexia, can apply to be exempted from exams on this language? This one, I am totally supportive and agree that another language will impede their learning. Children who have been away from Singapore for an extended period of time and rejoining the local school's system, can also be exempted from the subject on the basis that they were not exposed to the language. So, even though these kids will take 3 subjects instead of 4 during PSLE, their aggregate will be adjusted accordingly to be on par with those who take 4 subjects so that they don't lose out.

First thought : unfairness. That's because I know MANY children in Singapore are struggling with their chinese language, yet, they are penalized if they score low on the subject. If they barely pass or fail their paper in PSLE, their T-scores will be grossly affected.  Yet, those who can be exempted on terms other than having disabilities, are able to obtain even higher aggregates with 3 subjects, versus a child that takes 4 subjects and fail one. I do know of some who managed to be exempted after spending a lot of money to take a series of tests by psychologists, be identified as being 'slow learners' in the language thus disadvantaged if they take a 2nd language.

Though Brandon's PSLE is over, next year will be Megan's turn. This is the only subject that I see my children struggling with which they are encouraged to embrace. How then, can we instill the love for this language to our children if all they see is a stumbling block in their academic pursuits? If only the weightage of the second language is not as high as the other subjects, perhaps it would lessen the burden for those who struggle.

As I type this post, there is a tinge of heaviness in my heart to see Brandon having a harder time with his mother tongue at secondary school. His teacher will be recommending that he goes to a 'CLB' syllabus from next year onwards. If we accept this change, it would affect his entry to a junior college (JC) if he decides to take that route. Because it is not a standard chinese paper, it won't be considered as part of his total aggregate though it is still a criteria to pass the chinese paper to apply for a place in JC. According to his teacher, it will not be difficult to obtain a pass in CLB syllabus. The only disadvantage is that the ultimate scores will have to come from the rest of the subjects. In other words, he will need to score A's'.  If we decide against taking this recommended syllabus, he may not pass and will hate the subject even more. As much as I wish he can pursue the standard paper, I think the right thing to do is go with the flow and pray that he will be led to where he needs to go.

This matter has taken a toll in our relationship of late. The expectations. Losing patience. The raging teenage hormones...put them altogether and you get a volcano just waiting to erupt at 10 on a richter scale. But we will all stay positive during trying times. Life is about crossing hurdles. Whatever the outcome may be, I will keep the faith that it will all turn out well and for the better. More importantly, I just want my babies to be happy!

 
Till the next post, have a blessed week!

Linking up with :

 SANses.com's Talkative Thursdays

Friday, August 23, 2013

[Recipe] Thai Fish Cake (Tod Mun Pla)

I've always been a fan of Thai food. Tom yum, phad thai, green curry... just to name a few. My favorite dish is actually the very first taste of Thailand that I tried on my first visit to Bangkok more than 20 years ago, at a road side stall. Yes! The Thai fish cake - also known as tod mun pla in their language.

I've tweaked this recipe a little, adapted from Noobcook.com. It was easier to cook than I thought!



This recipe serves about 8 pieces. Preparation time : 8 minutes. Cooking time : 12 minutes.

Ingredients  :
- 200gm tub of fish paste, store bought
- 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste (add another tbsp if you like it spicier and redder color on fish cake)
- 1 long bean, sliced thinly
- 1/2 a medium onion, chopped finely
- 1.5 tbsp corn flour
- 1/2 an egg, beaten
- squeeze half a large green lime (as substitute flavor for lime leaves)
- a dash of fish sauce
- 2 tbsp cooking oil

Mix the ingredients well together. Heat up oil in your pan. The difference for me is that since I dislike to deep fry, I've chosen to pan fry them instead. The texture remains the same.

Scoop the marinated paste with a spoon and form into a flat shape before placing into pan. Fry them till golden brown, on both sides. Drain oil on paper towel before serving it with thai sweet chilli sauce, topped with cucumbers for the refreshing crunch in eat bite.
 
 Till the next post, have a blessed week!

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Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Silver or Silver Plating. Which Jewelry Component Is For You?

I've always received questions if there is a difference between sterling/925 silver and silver plating. Yes there is and its just that fine line which could either suit your skin or not. 

In this post, I have compiled a list of the components which I regularly use in my creations so that as a consumer, you will have an informed choice when you do your shopping.

Sterling silver
or 925 silver
contains over 92% of silver with the rest of the percentage a mixture of copper in it. This would be the highest end silver material that I can provide in my creations and would recommend for those who have sensitive skin as it is hypoallergenic. 

Sterling silver exudes a bright, classy and expensive looking finish which doesn't exactly burn a hole in your pocket if it's meant to be worn for special occasions or presented as gifts.

The surefire way to know that a commercial pair of earrings is sterling silver is to find an embossed '925' mark on an inconspicuous part on the metal. Unless it is stated that it is a handmade wired sterling silver pair, which I also offer at my shop, then you would have to trust the seller completely that he or she is providing the said material even if you do not see the mark.


Silver plating is the most popular choice with my customers and also one of my most used material in my creations. As the name suggests, silver plating is just a fine layer of silver coating over metals like brass or nickel - which are common and inexpensive materials. Nickels alone are allergenic and may cause your sensitive skin to itch when you wear them.

This also brings about the non-allergenic issue because even though it is "coated" with silver, it's coating will oxidize over frequent use thus your skin comes in contact with the exposed base materials which may cause sensitive skin to itch. So lucky you, if your skin is able to take this material well because it will save you a lot of money and with plenty of choice designs to wear!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Do sterling silver tarnish?*

Yes! As with all silver wares, they will tarnish if left exposed or not taken care of. There is no such thing as a silver that doesn't tarnish unless it is white gold. My advise is to wipe your jewelries clean with a soft cloth or tissue paper before storing them into a jewelry box. If you don't have one, a zip lock bag would do. The idea is not to leave it exposed to air if its unused. You can also buy a silver polishing cloth (available in major hardware stores) and polish your sterling jewelries to give it a bright shine. Do note though that these polish cloth only works on sterling silvers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brass (or antiqued brass) is my favorite material which I personally wear more often than not. Brass is actually an alloy with of a combination of metal. Antiqued brass is another procedure to make the brass look aged which gives the vintage feel.

If your skin is sensitive to silver plating, brass material may also not be suitable for you. But then again, it works okay for some even though they are sensitive to silver platings.

Surgical steel is a type of stainless steel that is used in medical applications. Thus, I would quite safely say that this material would also suit those who have sensitive skin as it is also hypoallergenic. It is usually darker and grayer than sterling silver. The cost of this material is quite equal or lower to sterling silver. I do carry this material for earring components from time to time.

The other alternatives for non-allergenic materials would also be suede, leather or fabric chains. They all come in assorted colors.


I hope you have gained extra insights of the choice of materials that would work best for you when you go shopping the next time!

Visit my blog shop for designs I've created :


 
Till the next post, have a blessed week!

Linking up with :
MummyMOO

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Sands Sky Park @ Marina Bay Sands

 It is odd that we seem to do the touristy thingy in Singapore during the National Day holidays. I guess its a re-affirmation of how much we love our country. A visit to Marina Bay Sands Sky Park was one of them!

Breath-taking view from the 56th floor! Shot taken with my Olympus Pen.

It was supposed to be a surprised visit planned by the hubs and kiddos. All I was told to do : "just bring your camera! You wouldn't want to miss this!" ... although the love of my kiddos to me couldn't bear the test of keeping a secret before we arrived. :p

I wanted to include the beautiful crescent moon and a single star in this photo which we saw that night. It completes the scene of our shore's beautiful skyline.
  If you're planning to visit the Sands Sky Park, be prepared to queue for tickets and at the lift lobby for the going up and the going down! 
 
Ticket Prices:
S$20 for adults
S$14 for children (aged between 2 - 12 years*)
S$17 for senior citizens (aged 65 years and above)
Children under 2 years may enter for free.

Where to buy your tickets :
Ticketing Hotline: +65 6688 8826
Marina Bay Sands Box Offices 
  • ArtScience Museum Lobby
  • Concierge Desk, Hotel Lobby Tower 1
  • Concierge Desk, Hotel Lobby Tower 3
  • Retail Concierge, The Shoppes L1
  • SkyPark Ticketing Counter, Tower 3 B1
  • Theatres, The Shoppes B1

Alternatively, visit KU DE TA where you can dine at the restaurant or wine at the sky bar with no admission charges to walk around the Sky Park. Just remember their dress code : casual smart outfit - no shorts, singlets or slippers.
 
 
Till the next post, have a blessed week!


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Friday, August 9, 2013

[Recipe] Hei Bi Hiam - Dried Spicy Shrimp

[Something quick and relatively easy to try out this long public holiday weekend!]

I love this condiment! It goes well with my breakfast, I have it spread on my lightly buttered bread. It goes well with plain rice. And absolutely wonderful when you put a dollop of it into your prawn noodle soup! And this is definitely not the usual hei bi hiam because this contains much lesser oil and its the crispy version - my mum's beloved recipe.

Best part is, it's much simpler to cook it than you would think it is!
 
Ingredients :
100gm dried shrimps (washed)
2 dried chillies (seeded and washed) - add more chillies according to your preferred spicy level
1 yellow ginger (about the size of your pinkie)
2 shallots
3/4 tsp belachan paste
1.5 tbsp of cooking oil
1 tbsp sugar

Method :
- Grind the chillis, yellow ginger, shallots and belachan into a paste. Set aside.
- Separately, grind the dried shrimps till semi fine.


- Heat up the oil in wok.
- Fry the paste till fragrant and add the shrimps, mixing them together on medium heat.


- Keep frying till it turns brownish. It took me about 15-20 minutes of cooking time. Do watch the fire as it may char pretty quickly if left unattended.
- Before turning off the fire, drizzle the sugar into the dish and give a final mix.
- Leave it to cool before storing it in your container.
- This would last you about a week if stored in room temperature. Or keep it in the fridge if you want to keep it for longer.



 May I interest you to a different hei bi hiam recipe?
My friend Diana of The Domestic Goddess Wannabe has another version for you to try!


 
Till the next post, have a blessed week!

Linking up with :

Friday, August 2, 2013

[Recipe] Bakwan Kepiting

 

Bakwan kepiting is a wholesome, very lightly flavored yet appetizing peranakan soup-based dish comprising of crab meat, prawn meat, bamboo shoots and minced pork rolled into a ball. It was only during special occasions that we got to eat this while growing up because crabs and prawns were not considered affordable in our household.

In my version, I've kept the crab and prawn meat chunky instead of finely minced as it mostly is because I wanted to taste the different textures when I bite into it. However, do feel free to minced all the ingredients to your personal liking.

Here are the ingredients to prepare (makes about 16 medium sized bakwan) :

- 300gm minced pork
- 1 pkt crab meat (I used a shortcut and bought raw/frozen crab leg meat instead.)
- 10 pcs medium sized prawns, chopped
- 2 pcs of bamboo shoots thinly sliced. (I used canned bamboo shoots by Mili brand. There are easily 4-5 pcs in a can. You can keep the balance to make poh piah or fried spring rolls!)
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp corn flour
- 1 tbsp taucheo paste (preserved soy bean paste)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 soup bowls of water
- 1 tbsp fish sauce

Method :

1) Put all the meat and 80% of the bamboo shoot in a bowl. Add the cornflour and egg. Mix well and leave aside.
2) Fry the garlic, the balance bamboo shoot and taucheo paste in your casserole till fragrant.
3) Add water and let it boil.
4) Scoop the marinated meat into ball shapes and place into the soup base. You can firm the shape of the ball with your palm too.
5) Once all the bakwan are in the casserole, add the fish sauce and let it cook for 20-30 minutes.
6) Remember to do your taste test and adjust the salt level to your preference.

While the bakwan cooks, you may want to make your own sambal belachan (spicy shrimp chilli) that goes extremely well as a dip! I made a small portion of 2 fresh chillis and 1 tsp of belachan. Nowadays, you can get prepared belachan paste in a glass bottle by Lee Kum Kee so I use that for my cooking. Blend the 2 together and viola!

If you like coriander leaves, do get them and serve it as garnish together with the soup!

p.s. This soup tastes even more awesome if there are balance to keep for the next day. :)


Till the next post, have a blessed week!

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