0 Berry Banana Morning

New star ingredient: Waitrose Blueberry Coulis!

There's only one ingredient on the list, which is 100% blueberry puree. But if there's no preservatives whatsoever, I wonder how the coulis manages to be packed without going mouldy. Anyway the coulis had a bright, tangy sharp flavour, clearly just blueberry goodness without the sugar nonsense.

Paired with fresh chopped strawberries, mashed banana, and spiked with cinnamon and vanilla, my steelies could not have been more awesome. The nut butter frenzy continues with four toppings today! Chunk of Laughing Giraffe vanilla almond macaroon, Jem red maca almond butter, Woodstock Farm almond butter and my homemade peanut/almond/flax/sesame butter.

I froze the rest of the blueberry coulis into ice cubes because I know I wouldn't be able to finish the package within 2 days as recommended. Makes as awesome after dinner dessert especially with the repressive humidity + blisteringly hot weather going on now.

0 The Culmination

I'm kind of excited and happy and relieved to finally submit my thesis. After 10 months, I have learnt so much and killed so much. 3 days more but I have et to write my discussion section.

Anyhow, the more important thing is that the most massive haul of online grocery shopping has finally arrived at the doorstep! Well not exactly because I had to personally collect it from the post-office. Loving ALL the stuff. From the vanilla COCONUT macaroons to the "cheezy" kale krunch chips to the spirulina granola which I thought would be like oat bran kind porridge, but nevermind, it's darn tasty. The JEM almond butter was kind of below my expectations though. It tasted between a cross of gula melaka and kaya, a bit of almond flavour but not really there. I think I'll stick to the traditional almond butters like Woodstock or Artisana but it makes a nice drizzly topping nonetheless. Have yet to open the macadamia nut butter and raw cacao butter and cacao nibs!

Oh yes, the most awesome sammich for lunch: Gardenia bread with pesto, salmon + barely there wiggly sunny side-up egg whites, cherry tomatoes and sprinkles of KALE KRUNCH. Made complete with a whole october sun plum and a guilty indulgence of a crumble of vanilla almond macaroon.

0 Cracked

Oh dear, today marked the death of my dear red Le Creuset stoneware baking dish. This goes to show that money does not necessarily buy quality; it did not even last two years. I bought this on the cheap at Bicester Village near Oxford during SEP. Initially I thought of fixing it with epoxy glue, but then reconsidered it after reading about toxic fumes. So now I'll happily use this as an exuse to buy yet another piece of Le Creuset. After extensive browsing on the net (at the expense of studying for tomorrow's early morning MechBio CA), I have finally decided on a 9" Le Creuset skillet in Carribean (I would love to see it in cobalt though). Hopefully Sg stocks it or I will have to order online. Also hopefully there will be discounts with Mother's day coming up though I wouldn't want to wait that long before my purchase.

0 A much welcomed break

I had a mini respite from the 12-hour intensive lab work over the course of last week. We marked granny's 83rd birthday at Ming Kee seafood restaurant, which meant I had an excuse to complete my work earlier. The dishes were lip-smackingly good from start to finish: signature homemade beancurd with shitake and broccoli, bamboo (razor) clams, triple cooked crab bee hoon, soft and silky smooth steamed tiger grouper, sea cucumber with more shitake and broccoli, and chinese spinach in superior stock. Everything was flavorful without being too rich, salty, or having that MSG taste that so often plagues cze char eateries. The crab bee hoon was Shiok with a capital 'S' - thin rice vermicelli coated in its sweet & robust crab stock, with more crabtastic goodness from the chunks of fresh Sri Lanka crab pincers. The fish was also very good (flavoured in the classic soy sauce/spring onion way), albeit a tad pricey. I loved the plump shitake shrooms featured in the bean curd and sea cucumber dishes too. Unfortunately, I didn't take to the bamboo clams, and the broccoli and sea cucumber could have been more well-cooked as they were slightly hard to the bite.

Before that I had a jaunt at Marketplace@Tanglin Mall, where I stocked up my supplies. Exciting new buys included Mullers coconut greek yogurt, cappuccino Larabar and a tabbouleh salad mix (Fantasic Foods). Also bought Israeli couscous, Pacific soy and cage-free eggs (to test if there's a difference between that and normal eggs).

For lunch today I decided to have the egg yolk, instead of throwing it away. Lunch was tri-colored fusili pasta with purple sweet potatoes and the last of my soaked and roasted crunchy buckwheat groats, salmon, aforementioned egg done sunny-sideup, cucumber and lettuce, and pesto and goat's cheese. I thought the egg yolk would make a "sauce" for the pasta since I don't fancy Pappy's pasta sauce, which is the bottled creamed version. Although I couldn't really make out the taste of the yolk, I did have the thrill of poking into the yolk and seeing the golden liquid ooze out. I was eating in the dark (in confocal room), and sometimes I like it that way.

0 On a yogurt roll

Unexpected surprises evoke the most pleasure. Pulling off the cover of Rachel's ginger greek yogurt revealed a thick, creamy, off-yellow pudding-like yogurt that tastes as sublime as it looked, or even better yet. This yogurt is laced with bits of crystallized ginger which makes for an interesting warm flavour and texture. The ginger wasn't as kick-ass as I would have liked, but the highlight, as I stress again, is the gloriously thick and creamy mouthfeel that the non-fat Fage 0% cannot give. The power of fat, cream and sugar is manifest. I felt so indulgent, digging into the pot. But it sure did make for a good post-lunch dessert, and because it was so rich, I was easily satisfied with two (heaping) tablespoons.

Yogurt was featured in this morn's breakfast too as part of a yogurt mess: Last of Fage 0% + 1/3 crumbled [commercial] muffin + buckwheat flakes + coconut shreds + R2E2 (or KP) mango - the best, non-fibrous, super creamy and smooth mango I'd had ever!! It's a mango from Australia.

For mum's birthday yesterday, I did a handmade card and whipped up some orange zesty french toast using the slightly stale rye sourdough baguette she bought from Bread Society. The french toast wasn't sweet at all (likely attributed to the small amount - 1 tsp - of brown sugar in the egg mix), but with the zesty orange flavour, seared caramelized bananas and yellow nectarine slices, there wasn't and shouldn't be much need for sugar in the first place. My only regret was that I wolfed down my share too fast that I did not have time to analyze the areas for improvements. And also I got serious bloatedness after that and its effects is still manifest till today (slightly).

The family's going out for a Chinese lunch/dinner tomorrow as a continuation of the big 55 celebration. Venue's not confirmed, but I'm game for anything :)

After my final paper next Wednesday, I cannot wait to (i)watch Life of Pi; (ii)watch Rise of the Guardians; (iii)Christmas-related activities; (iv)bake/cook; (v)FYP-related stuff. Yesterday the PI reminded me of the PhD application deadline, indirectly insinuating that I should apply. I guess he's hoping I stay on to continue on the research; I, on the other hand, am not too keen of another four years of studying. At least I should be glad I have an offer to stay on.

0 Dysregulation

I think am self-destructive, or at least immune to stress, or maybe, have a damaged amygdala. Knowing very well that I have an assignment which deadline is imminent, exam in two freakin' weeks time, and untouched revision, yet I still am surfing the web like it's the holidays. Why can't I regulate my behaviour properly???

But I haven't been that relaxed and happy in such a long while. After church (7.30 AM service - a convert to early bird :)) I headed to Cold Storage at Takashimaya for grocery shopping. Unfortunately at just past 9 the shops were still closed. What [bad] luck. As such, it called for a detour to United Square's branch instead. But it proved a blessing in disguise because I scored a few discounted items and exotic buys. Like:

• Kashi cinnamon harvest (blame it on Amanda's influence! In fact I still have an unopened box of Dr. Oz's buckwheat flakes)
• 71% Ecuador dark chocolate block (Montezuma)
• Swiss farmer rolls (Swiss Bake) - 1/2 price!
• Pacific Almond milk (unsweetened) [couldn't bring myself to splurge on Silk's almond milk]
• Flavour Fall pluots - 1/2 price and in rather good condition still!
• Wild sockeye salmon [omegas yum!]

I think what put in a such a good mood was really today's breakfast: (last of) rolled oats (Binda Valley) cooked in unsweetened soy milk (Natura), sweetened with 1/2 mashed nana and raisins, upped with protein powder (Lifetime Life's Basic protein - the most neutral flavour thus far, compared to Sunwarrior and Vega Health Optimizer) and protein blend (real good food), spiced with cinnamon and chocolate chili and dressed with chocolate hazelnut butter (Justin's). A double whammy of chocolate would be bound to deliver a double whammy of endorphins and it sure did!

And then it was home sweet home. Managed to be a good girl and squeeze in a bit of work before spending ~2 hours (!) cooking and eating lunch, which was a ooey gooey curry & cumin bean stew (BRM whole grains and beans soup mix) with torned tortilla pieces, avocado, sardines (Boiromar), curly lettuce, cucumber, tomato, honey goat's cheese (Delamere) and beetroot relish.

A Jaffa sweetie (pomelo x grapefuruit) to end the meal. Guess what was found on Pubmed:

All applied methods showed that sweeties had higher antioxidative activity than grapefruit. Experiments on laboratory animals show that diets supplemented with sweeties, and to a lesser extent with grapefruit, increased the plasma antioxidative potential and improved the lipid metabolism, especially in the rats fed with added cholesterol.

Apparently a sweetie has more antioxidants than a grapefruit!

Lately people's been asking what I plan to do after I graduate. My PI is persuading me to consider PhD at TLL. For once, I really don't know what should my next step in life; so far it's been pretty straightforward: pri > sec > jc > uni, with the choice of school's quite [re-determined too. Pray for God's guidance in this.

0 Lychee 'POP'!

I was rather apprehensive about my order of Lychee 'pop' icy soy milk from Mr. Bean. I had in mind canned lychee in saccharine sweet syrup, not to mention the slightly weird combination of lychee and soymilk. The only reason I bought it was that I had a voucher that expired in November and didn't want to waste it. And also the weather has been infuriatingly hot lately, perfect for a cuppa ice blend. Unexpectedly, this was probably the best thing I had in a while. There is no fruit pieces in the drink but instead, the lychee flavour is infused throughout. The subtle fragrance of lychee actually paired quite well with the soy milk. But the best thing is the lychee pearls, or 'pop's as they call it. Instead of your regular gargantuan starchy black pearls, the lychee pops were small translucent innocent-looking globules. But when you bite into them.... they explode to release an intense burst of not-too-sweet lychee juice. It's akin to packing the goodness of lychee fruit into a small globule; that's how intense it was, not to mention a fun eating experience!

0 Chocolate mole banana tofu soft serve

After months (years) from procrastination, I finally took out the food processor from the depths of the kitchen cupboards. Dusting off the layer of fine dust that had settled from under-usage, I set to create the much anticipated banana tofu soft serve.

This morning was a good lesson why you should never procrastinate - you'd end up missing up lots of good things in life!

I can't believe how such a simple no fuss recipe (if you can even call it a recipe) can yield such amazing wondrous results in less than a minute (or five if you consider washing up.) Thick, utterly smooth and completely flexible, tofu soft serves are definitely going to make more appearances (and so put my food processor to good use too!)

Chocolate mole banana tofu soft serve (serves one)

Ingredients

• 1/2 frozen banana, sliced
• 1/4 package firm tofu (I used Moringaga; silken would work too but probably would yield a slightly less thick texture)
• 1 tbsp chocolate mole powder (or 1 tbsp cocoa powder)
• 1 scoop protein powder (optional; I used Sunwarrior natural)

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor, blend.
2. Serve immediately or chill/freeze if you want a more ice-cream-style dessert

Recently, I'e been enjoying lots of fancy nut butter products too, including PB&Co cinnamon raisin swirl (so-so; good for a bit of indulgence); Woodstock farm creamy almond butter; Artisana cacao bliss (will please coconut fans, 2nd order from iHerb!); and Arrowhead Mills crunchy peanut butter (PB will always be my first love). From iHerb I also got Vega complete optimizer (natural) which was 60% off! So happy with the great deal! Shipment was faster this time round, taking about 2.5 weeks. I also got Chocolove chocolate with cherries and chilis. Chocolate mole is my new favorite flavour. The Mexicans have nailed it right!

Finally, last weekend I bought Nancy's kefir (beverage made from fermenting kefir grains in milk) and Kashi's seven whole grain puffs. Kefir's not cheap but the tangyness and benefits of it is far superior than any yogurt drink; can't be beat. Off to complete my to-be-due-soon essay!

5 Gifts and thanks

Thank you for the wonderful time at Venus Transit, the opportunity to meet new people, make new friends and learn new information about the wondrous world. Above all, praise to the glorious magical universe of His divine design, His creation.

We helped to set up those ground sheets. No joke considering the humid weather of late. On a side note, isn't UTown so pretty?

Thank you for the watching over the safe delivery of the iHerb order.

I was beginning to wonder if my order of SunWarrior protein powder and Nuttzo seven nut butter, made without tracking (save $), was ever going to make it to my address. Given that this is my first online purchase, I was all the more worried. But it finally did arrive, two-three weeks later, and with freebies inside to boot! So freakin' excited to try out the stuff in tomorrow's breakfast. Even Batman's excited too! Stay tuned for the review.

Thank you for blessing the world with wondrous fruits and foods.

If Eve was tempted by the apple, durian would be my forbidden fruit. Baked Mao Shan durian steel cutters with Cashew Coconut Dream was a tropical paradise and provided good fuel for lab work later. It's NOT a weird combination; tastes just like a warm version of durian chendol :D

For my first lab session, I learnt how to distinguish between male and female flies, and virgin from old flies. Post-lunch I did CNS dissection of third instar larvae. I must have gruesomely killed about 50 would-be flies today alone, in the name of Science. Every time I close my eyes now I see abdomen stripes, guts and bug eyes staring back at me, demanding for their souls back.

2 iHeart iHerb

I'm so excited! I just made my first online purchase through iHerb for Sunwarrior classic protein powder (natural) and Nuttzo seven nut and seed butter (original). Thanks to a discount code provided by wildchildurbancity, I got $10 off my first purchase. Best yet, the international shipping fee is so darn cheap! Only $4 for purchases more than $40.00 and less than 4 lbs. Being the ever budget conscious me, I made sure I maximized my transaction by ordering the most I could under 4 lbs. So that's why I chose Nuttzo nut butter even though there were so many unbelievably cheap Artisana nut butters I would have bought. Once the total weight exceeds 4 lbs, you have to ship by DHL/UPS which fees escalate tremendously.

I'm no stranger to protein powders. One of the most frequent complaints regarding protein powders is the texture: gritty, sandy, chalky to downright nasty, I've experienced them all. I find soy protein (Bob's Red Mill) the worst, whey protein (Beneprotein, Propass) slightly better but they do not settle well. The best yet is egg white protein (Peter D'Adamo Protein Blend Powder O) which turns out fluffy when microwaved (imagine scrambled egg whites) and gives great body and volume to oatmeals. Then there's meal replacements: Amazing Grass meal (nasty), Spirutein (better in taste but full of sugars) and Ensure/Ensure Plus (the best yet).

Since my current Protein O is about to finish, it was a good time to look out for new brands to try. Sunwarrior has received pretty rave online reviews so I'm putting my bet on it through iHerb. Their classic protein powder is a raw, vegan rice protein made from sprouted whole grain brown rice, including the germ, endosperm, and bran. One scoop provides 17g protein in a complete amino acid profile. Interestingly, their other product, the Sunwarrior Blend that is made from various proteins, include cranberry protein. Sure I've heard of rice protein, pea protein and hemp protein, but cranberry? Isn't that a fruit? From their website, it appears that the cranberry seed contains 25% protein in addition to lots of fiber. Exotic stuff.

As for Nuttzo, I was introduced to it by KathEats. I have not seen it in Singapore so it makes sense to purchase that online. I'm always game for nut butters.

Now, to do some advertising. Check out iHerb for some really good offers (including up to 40% discounts!). International delivery is unbelievably cheap and quick. If you're a first time buyer at iHerb, don't forget to quote YAF589 before you check out to enjoy $5 off your bill!

4 Sign me up

I persuaded Mum to sign up for Biblethon, a church effort to handwrite the whole Bible. Yep you heard that right. It's a three-prong exercise to celebrate our church (Wesley) upgrading project, to emphasise spiritual building (and not just building of physical structures), and to reinforce this year's theme of 'Speak Good Bible'. We each get 15 minutes to write a number of verses, and the final handwritten Bible will be displayed at the church's archives. I think it's quite an innovative idea to bring people together. I also signed up for a talk called 'How Do I Know God's Will?' Everybody faces some identity crisis now and then, and since it's only two hours and at a reasonable price, I thought it wouldn't hurt to go. It will be my first time attending a church talk though.

Did some atas grocery shopping which put me in a very good mood, albeit significantly poorer. ThreeSixty at Ion has spruced up its line of products; it's range is now even more exclusive - and expensive. Extra virgin olive oils, authentic balsamic vinegars (from the region of Modena or Emilia Reggio and aged at least 12 years), Japanese mini-watermelons at 38 bucks and a mango at freakish 128 bucks! The cheapo me bought varlhona guanaja (70% dark chocolate) just because it was going 2 for the price of 1. I also bought a jar of dried porcini mushrooms which would come in very handy for risottos and soups, and a mini jar of fig jam by Hediard. At realfoodgrocer (Killiney Road), I finally found coconut cashew cream. Coconut oil is now sold at many places including specialty supermarts, but coconut butter is still a tough find. I have yet to find pure coconut butter (without mixing with other nuts).

And last but not least, a very stimulating breakfast that I had this morning, both in terms of color and taste. All my favorite ingredients in a bowl!

Should I or should I not volunteer for SIWW?

0 Hello Khmer

Seven days in a "developing" country. I think it'll be an eye-opener, learning about the politics of a place as you traverse it. I realized that despite my travels, I had never really visited such "backward" places, and it makes me all the more be grateful of having been born into Singapore.

Yesterday started with a bang at Wild Honey, Scotts Square. We "traveled" to Persia with the Persian French Toast, California with a veggie tofu scramble and (??) with a fontina and feta cheese scramble.

Come to think of it, I don't know why my french toast is considered Persian; I mean I've come to associated Persia (modern day Iran) with Persian cats and french toasts to American style breakfasts. But Persia and french toasts? Anyhow, the signature brioche bread was coated in a sweet orange marmalade, topped with stewed rhubarbs instead of the black plums as stated in the menu; the waitress had informed us the black plums were not available. I loved the brioche most - soft and imbued with hints of milky fragrance, it was delightful. The french toast was not the eggy kind (more like marmalade spread on top?) but the syrup was overly sweet [such that I totally forgot that syrup was offered]. I could manage one toast on my own, but luckily I had mum's veggie scramble and sam's cheese scramble to share to tone down the sweetness. I really liked the Californian and would order it again if I were to make a return visit. The french toast was more one-dimensional (sweet sweet sweet), but the veggie scramble and more interesting textures and flavours - crunchy peppers & earthy shrooms wrapped in a silk-robe of fluffy eggs and tofu pieces, plus the smokey grilled ciabatta!

I was probably too excited over the glorious spread and threw my mantra of "slow, savour, stop" mindful eating to the wind. Have to constantly remind myself not to get so overwhelmed :D

Moneyball somewhat redeemed the tragic experience with TTSS. Simple, straightforward and enjoyable, with a good bit of Stats thrown in to tease the mind.

Haul from BRP:
- Justin's classic AB
- Allos amaranth basic muesli (popped amaranth makes a return!)
- Sharpham Park spelt porridge
- Clif Crunch PB & Chocolate ($3.95 for 5x2 bars! - sold for clearance)

But. Last-min packing! (PS: I'm dismayed to have read that Heart Bistro at Palais Rrenaissance is now defunct (recalls fond memories of the shrimp pasta). Hope they find a new space soon!)

0 Super(b) market

I've discovered a gem of a supermarket - Fairprice Finest at J8. I have a feeling it will buy my loyalties over from Cold Storage. It has a wide variety, fresh produce, good range of the organic stuff, and all the essentials at a fair price. Cold Storage is getting to expensive these days. It's the equivalent of shopping at Whole Foods. Not a sustainable option in the long run.

I bought a couple of items that lifted my spirits.
- Fresh cod fish fillet (was deciding between fresh or frozen, and for the frozen, whether cod loin, cod steak or black cod. I guess I will slowly try out all as time comes :))
- Squid ink pasta! Gonna serve it with white wine and seared scallops! Or at least make an atas meal out of it, like this.
- Avocado - to make up for Hamm's loss
- Belgium conference pear (cheap)

:D

0 Happily filled

In a nice twist of chance, mum had us run an errand for her so Hamm & I ended up in the heart of Orchard after church. We headed back to our usual suspect - Cedele @ Wheelock. Eat well, live well, be well - comfort food at its best! This time I got the fish pesto garlic pasta:

Grilled white fish, topped with coriander pesto with garlic aglio olio pasta

First, the fish looked and tasted like it was pan-fried rather than grilled. The outsides were slightly charred, giving way to juicy, but not fishy, white flesh. I give them the benefit of the doubt since it was pretty nicely done. The pasta (linguine) was power packed with garlic, and a nice touch of peppers, tomatoes and french beans. The pesto sauce that came with the dish was however, in my opinion, too heavy on the lemon. Luckily in some way or another, when mixed, everything seemed to fall into place, flavours of garlic complementing the lemony pesto sauce and so on. I liked this better than the Rose's curry pasta I had previously, which was too assertive. For $16.90, you get a nice serving of fish, so it's a great deal.

Then it was off to Ion to get mum's chocolates for her friends party. We got Valrhona - a French chocolate brand. We all know it's famous, and quality doesn't come cheap. $49 for 16 chocolates = $3 per piece. If I were the person eating, I'll definitely nibble and savour each piece dearly till the very last chocolate drop. As we didn't have the privilege to enjoy the atas chocolates, we bought a mini Manjari bar (64% cocoa) for $4.

Our final destination was the recently opened Maison Kayser by baker doyenne Eric Kayser at Scotts Square. I expected it to be very crowded (you know how the 'it' shops tend to attract foodies it Sg). There was a queue but it wasn't snaking long, thankfully. I expected a much larger shop; the shop merely consisted of its display counter of breads, a couple of tables and nothing more. The staff were clearly overworked/understaffed. Five or more were crammed behind the 4m counter, squeezing their way past one another to get stuff, their faces carrying scorns, frowns and everything else but smiles. The counter itself was piled with uncleaned dishes; not a good sign. Although there is a dine-in option, most were there for takeaways.

I got the campagne, a whole meal plain bread. Although there was a lone loaf sitting at the display counter, the server had me waited just a couple minutes more for a freshly baked loaf. For that, I am so thankful and give thumbs up for service (despite their grumpy faces). The warm bread was emanating wafts of buttery bready-ness as I made my way home. I believe dinner will be awesomez. Planning on having it with avocado & herring slices in tomato sauce!

0 Up up and up

Today I went to do some reflections at Reflections at Bt Chandu. It was a long but good walk up the winding road to Point 227. Halfway through I doubted whether I was on the right trail. There was not a soul around, no humans, no cars, not a single creature stirring (except for the ever noisy cicada) despite it being midday. I persisted and eventually got to the restored two storey villa.

As expected it was extremely quiet for a designated National Heritage site. Either there's a lack of promotion, a lack of interest in war and history, or it's too out-of-the-way, or a combination of all three.

This audio-visual narration employs a holographic 'pepys ghost effect.'

At the Well of Reflections.

I shall save all the intellectual talk for my essay. After tutorial, I made a stop at BRP for the essentials. (1)BRM's steel cutters; (2)Maranatha's roasted AB (on quick sale!); (3)Back to Nature apple blueberry granola (on quick sale too!); (4)Nakd cocoa mint; (5)Justin's dark choc PB cups. I figured that having saved much on the quick sale items, I could get more snackies like the energy bar and pb cups ;) Oh steel cutters, how art miss thee.

Ate super lots today. First, for mid-morning snack I had UK-style Ensure Plus i.e. in the 220ml bottle instead of the regular tetra pak 200ml. The reason for the switch was that the expiry date was looming for the former (01 2012 in fact). In other words, I was sort of coerced/obligated into drinking that. Nevertheless, that I completed it all in one sitting marks a significant departure from my normal practice.

Lunch was vegetarian in Arts Canteen. I didn't intend on vegetarian as I wanted to bulk up on real protein a.k chicken/fish. But by 1+ pm all the food at the economic rice stall look so yucks, so again I went back to the same stuff. The only redemption was the brown rice - which I completed all and this time I didn't even ask for less rice! I then contemplated if I should eat the Korean Fuji apple I packed, which I did, and mind you, it was a huge one.

I had more than usual for dinner too. Apart from extra dishes and larger portion of fish, I had four pieces of papaya. Now feeling a bit bloated, but surprisingly, not uncomfortably so. I think those digestive pills are seriously effective, or that my metabolism has gone wild. Whatever it is, at least I am having appetite now - on the right track of up up up!

0 Happening day at Kensington & Hyde Park

Can't believe exams are just ~2 weeks away and here am I, still galavanting around London like there's no tomorrow. Well, soon enough, this statement will indeed come true. To reward myself for NOT going out yesterday, I spent the whole day out today. Here's today in pictures!

First stop: Natural History Museum. Although I'm quite sick of visiting museums, a cumulative effect from the past few months of sightseeing, London's Natural History Museum is pretty famous and it would be a blasphemy so stay in London for 3 months without making a visit here. I was up bright and early and arrived here shortly past 10 am (my trip took longer than expected due to weekend tube closures) and there was already a queue snaking its way onto Cromwell Road. Good choice that I came early!

Natural History Museum basking in what's left of November's sun - beautiful weather today!

This place is catered for family & kids, and family & kids descended galore to this place. The dinosaur gallery could be mistaken for a kindergarten learning centre; the sheer amount of kids and parents trying to teach their kids was inescapable. "Say tie-ran-o-soar-rus," a mother would say. Apart from the crowd, the displays were not of fantastic quality but they were clear and simple - and abundant.

Dino gallery that was infiltrated with kids.

Baleen from the blue whale. Say eeeee...

Charles Darwin gets a prominent spot in the museum. He overlooks the entire center space.

After about 2 hours at the museum, I went to another museum - the V&A which is dedicated to art & design. You might think I'm crazy, but the two museums were just next to each other, and even though I was getting hungry, it would be a waste to skip the V&A. I didn't do a thorough comb of all the galleries; walking through them would be a more accurate description. I liked the photography, stained glass, postmodern furniture design and jewelry and silver section. I skipped the paintings and Europe/Asia stuff because I never know how to appreciate those things. At least now I can say I've been to the V&A :)

I was excited about my planned lunch at Ottolenghi, an eatery by the eponymous chef famous for cooking stunning vegetarian food that is a feast for both the eyes and stomach. I made my way down to the Holland Street outlet, devoured my eyes on the selection of cakes, pastries, and salads - and walked out empty handed. I just couldn't justify paying £2.60/100g of salad. The main factor was the lack the seating. It was a take-away kiosk. Just opposite the road, however, I spied this:

Menoo Eclectic Foods. Nice bow there, eh? I didn't realize it when I took the picture.

Not long after, this arrived at my table:

Leek quiche!

Although they also had a decent selection of salads at the display, I threw health to the wind and ordered a leek quiche (£3.50). To think of it, I can actually count with one hand the number of times I ate out in London. If I can make my own salads, why should I order them? Besides I haven't had a quiche in such a long time. Leek quiche it was. A side note: the staff weren't familiar with the food at all. When I asked about what was in the different types of quiche, he was squinting at the ingredients and mumbling something I couldn't catch. He tried to be helpful though.

Another picture, leaking with leeks :P

The quiche was bursting with leeks, literally, as they were spilling out over the crust. It wasn't too eggy, cheesy or oily (I think I'm starting to like cheese in small amounts now?). It was very sloppy and wet though, which I don't think a quiche should be. Whatever, as long it was tasty, and it was.

Refuelled, it was time to hit Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland!

There was crazy number of people there

The Wonderland was larger than I had expected. There were roller coasters, games, food stalls and the Christmas market. And it was PACKED.

Ready....

... and screeeeeam!

What a day! Back to work!
P.S. got Saf Kale & Spirulina crackers @ Whole Foods!

2 A forage in the foilage

Yay. I can strike another "to do" off my list. I trooped down to Hampstead Heath after Endo lecture today, after a lunch of mushy pea soup and tuna toast. As Hampstead was off my map, I had to rely on my sense of direction - or what little is there of it. The moment I stepped out of Hampstead tube, I didn't know whether to turn left or right. I gamely took a left turn, which although it eventually brought me to the Heath, was the longer route. It was a blessing in disguise, because the route was very scenic. Pretty English houses and fresh air!

Pictures at the Heath:

At the top of Parliament Hill, the highest point of the Heath!

Shortly after this photo was taken, I got lost. This heath is not your Singapore Botanic Gardens where every 100m you get a location map. There were so many paths - both paved and unmade - and just trees all around. Initially I saw it as an opportunity to "explore" the area, but as time passed and as the sun rapidly sank into the horizon, I started to get a bit scared. The temperature got colder and the wind picked up speed, and yet I was still wandering aimlessly. As long as I saw people around, I figured I was still on the right track; I just had to get an exit. Eventually I tried my luck and tailed two people, where they unknowingly saved my life! I think I was wandering about for about an hour? Phew.

Taken while lost in the woods.

Hampstead Heath kind of reminded me of Primrose Hill, except it was far more extensive and had a "wilderness" feel to it. Although green spaces are abound in central London (all the various Parks), they have this commercialzed, artificial feel with its landscaped trees etc. What Hampstead offered was raw and natural.

Since I was in the vicinity, I had planned to do some grocery shopping the Finchley branch of Waitrose. Here's what I returned with:

Heritage (fortyfold) potatoes! (no more bean soup), wild sockeye salmon (1/3 off), mushroom stir-fry, russet apple, taylors gold pear, sharon persimmons, house-brand soy milk.
Waitrose is far more affordable than Whole Foods. When I visit Waitrose, I'll usually walk away with something; when I visit Whole Foods, I go away empty-handed!

3 First Sunday

Today I visited Holy Trinity Brompton Church with Charlene and her friend, Lionel. It's an Anglican church, and thus supposedly very traditional with a strict order of service. However, it turned out to be very informal, almost like Wesley's Prayer & Praise. There were also a good international mix there, with Koreans, Chinese and Asians. Maybe next week we'll go Wesley?

After church, I finally made my trip down to Whole Foods Market at High Street Kensington. I think after seeing all the artisanal breads, cheeses and nuts (they even have a make-your-own-muesli-mix counter!) I cannot shop at Tesco anymore. Boo. Anyway, I ground my own salted peanut butter and it was so fun! We also dined at their in-store marketplace. I had the kid's portion of Mezze platter. For 3.49 pounds, you get to choose 3 dishes. I chose the couscous, moussaka and grilled vegetables (eggplant, red bell peppers & caramelized onions). There was also a side stack of pita bread. It was so filling, even for a kid's meal!

Then it was down to Kensington Gardens. We had a nice stroll. The animals there seem larger than life: squirrels with impossibly bushy tails, obese pigeons that waddle about, ducks that actually fly as a herd, and graceful swans. We passed the glided Albert Memorial and Royal Albert Hall on our way out.

Tomorrow is enrollment day!

Currently I'm surviving on pasta with store-bought tomato & basil sauce and salmon from tesco. Need to start making more impressive meals soon.

1 For the last first time

Today was a day of many firsts.

Black Cherry Chocolate Spirutein

I tried out my first Spirutein energy supplement in Black Cherry Chocolate in lieu of the usual Ensure Plus. I followed the instructions and added 3/4 of the packet of powder to a mix cold soy milk and ice-cold water, which I found weird because usually powders are added to hot liquids to aid dissolution. I stirred the mix vigorously, dubious as to whether the powder would dissolve. Surprisingly, it did, though only after quite a bit of stirring and not completely. To sum up the taste experience, it was blackforest cake packed into a drink - great flavour but overly sweet. The bits of dried cherries floating about was also kind of annoying as it interfered with the drinking process. On the plus side, Spirutein comes in an amazing range of 20 (!) flavours like Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl, Double Fudge Crunch and Peaches & Cream. If I ever buy Spirutein again I would get those without the fruit pieces. Overall I still prefer Ensure/Ensure Plus for it being less sweet. Nutrition-wise, I would say Spirutein is more suitable for those looking for protein enrichment (110 kcal, 0 g fat, 15 g carb, 14 g protein) while Ensure Plus is a more balanced source of energy (300 kcal, 9.8 g fat, 40 g carb, 13 g protein).

First cookbooks!

I finally put the $50 worth of Kinokuniya gift vouchers I received a year ago to good use and bought my very first cookbooks: 500 mediterranean dishes and 500 vegan dishes of the 500 recipes collection. At first I considered buying cookbooks by well-known figures or even celebrity chefs, but then I decided that perhaps generic cookbooks would suffice, at least for me the novice cook (and I wouldn't have to pay for all the celebrity fluff too). The 500 recipes cookbooks boast plenty of pictures, easy-to-read texts and multiple variations for each recipe. For example, the basic squash & apricot tagine in 500 vegan dishes can be varied by using beans & apple or prunes. For $15.95 for each book, I think it is very worth it. Hopefully this will inspire me to cook more and expand my repertoire of recipes :) I also bought a small London travel guidebook by Time-Out for my upcoming exchange.

Then just outside Orchard Building, I had my first up-close encounter with models who were, I believe, part of an event for the launch of H&M. Okay, I wasn't that close to them, just about 5 m away, but it was the closest I'd ever seen a real-life model. Now I fully understand what is meant by being a "head-turner." The male and female models were mostly Caucasian, tall, slim, leggy, decked out in trendy (H&M) wear, and veiled under a layer of immaculate make-up. Many Singaporeans were inevitably gawking at them, and some of them stared back - they were simply standing outside Orchard Building as if waiting for something to happen. I felt so... small, so underdressed and so ugly next to them. They made me feel like I was from outer space and a total different breed from their species. I guess this is what it takes to be a model.

I met mum at Plaza Sing to get party decorations and run some other errands. The day culminated with dinner- a bowl of shrimp Ipoh hor fun (soup) - at Angel Kitchen at Cuppage Plaza which was simple and good. They are better known for their curry chicken, which mum had. I bought the last bowl of hor fun available!