0 A true JEM

Drugs paper was so bad today I should have cried. Instead, I relieved my sorrow with a bout of grocery shopping (4 peaches, 10-grain BRM pancake/waffle mix) and whipping up a yummy one-bowl-buddha-bowl lunch (couscous, garlic cod, avocado, blush tomatoes, red peppers). And then random surfing of the www until now. Is this yet another year-4-graduation symptom?

I haven't posted a picture in a long while and here's my pre-exam breakfast fuel. Delicious but sadly, did nothing to help in my writing speed and memory.

Steel cut oats cooked in almond milk (Natura, unsweetened) spiced with vanilla & cinnamon, on a bed of chopped strawberries, blackberries, nugget of Laughing Giraffe vanilla almond macaroon, chopped mango pieces. Baked for an additional 10 minutes to get it all hot and bubbly. Topped with my concoction of JEM cinnamon maca AB/melted raw chocolate truffles (Ultimana)/raw macadamia nut butter + more toppings of crushed almonds and dried cranberries. The shade of pink is so lovely, isn't it?

JEM nut butter definitely lives up to its name. For the cinnamon/maca version, it tastes exactly like caramel, and if you're familiar with asian cuisine, full of that gula melaka (jaggery) flavour. That's because they sweeten it with coconut palm sugar. My next haul from Raw Food Living will definitely include another of their products - likely the cardamom one. Sounds exotic!

***

Update. Was dreaming about pancakes for tomorrow's breakfast and then mum came home, with not just one box, but TWO or maybe THREE boxes of durians! New idea: durian pancake! Like Four Seasons style. My intention initially was fluffy pancakes with blackberries and strawberries but now, it's gonna be crepe style with thick chunky durian pulp! With all these going on, I can hardly focus on studying! Bad girl.

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 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 2012>2013

I ushered in the new year... by not ushering it in; I was in deep slumber, knocked out and unconscious. Initially I even contemplated going for watchnight service. But as I crawled into bed at 9 PM (just after dinner and newspaper reading), I knew I was a goner. What an eventful start to the new year, ha.

2012 was a year of turbulence and self-discovery. It started off with re-adapting to the intensity of NUS's curriculum, after spending a relaxing semester at KCL, which may even be considered a semi-holiday. Of course, there was much nostalgia and pining for the days of yore. Politics of Heritage was also one of the most challenging, stressful but rewarding modules I'd taken so far. Of course, the highlight was the trip to Cambodia which really opened my eyes to the less fortunate and atrocities of mankind; my previous travels were largely limited to the first world countries. Starting lab was another turning point. I'd never imagine it could get so intense, or maybe it was the nature of my project. Even before commencing the project, finding the right professor proved a challenge as a faced many rejections.

Spiritually, I think I can say I've grown a teeny weeny bit. At least I try to devote the best part of the day (mornings) to reading the Bible and learning God's word. I hope to continue this practice in 2013, as well as to do more prayer and read deeper into the Word, and not just read for reading's sake. I would love to join a small group in church, but I'm so afraid of commitments, especially when my schedule is so unpredictable. I know this is an unexcusable excuse, for nothing should override God as priority. But still...

It has also been a lot of fun on the gastronomy side. Although I still like dining out, I now much prefer home-cooked food and experimenting with ingredients. This (oops, I mean last) year many new creations were replicated or developed, from breads from scratch to curries and protein powders. The tradition of oatmeal continues unabated, but with more flourishes and toppings. I also overcame my fear of coconut in 2012; now I enjoy coconut butter in appreciable amounts, use coconut meat without second thought in smoothies and drink coconut juice with gusto. The top few dining highlights in 2012 were (in no particular order): Pollen at GBTB, Waterfall Cafe at Shangri La, Wah Lok at Carlton Hotel, Wild Honey at Scotts and the sweet potato curry from Palm Sugar (?) restaurant in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Actually I loved all the food in Cambodia. Unfortunately, I lost even more weight, and am at my lowest physical point ever, if that is even possible. :(

In 2013, I hope to gain weight (drink supplements consistently and treat it like it's medicine); grow stronger spiritually and have a deeper relationship with God, and hopefully discover God's purpose for my life; learn to live and let loose; learn to treasure friendship, family ties, and not be so insular.

Today the new year gave an impetus to try out a new breakfast: buckwheat groats porridge. Previously I had only tried buckwheat flakes before which has a very earthy taste and definitely would benefit from some (natural) sugars. As a fail-safe strategy, I did a cream-of-banana-cinnamon-vanilla with buckwheat groats, cooked in water/soy in 1:2 ratio. The groats were much less absorbent than oatmeal, and did not get creamy at all. Although according to instructions, the groats would be cooked within 10 minutes, I doubled the cooking time as I did not want to be biting into stones for breakfast. It was topped with the usual tahini, protein nut mix and a special (last) chocolate-covered raisin. The result? Either the groats were tasteless or the banana-cinnamon-vanilla spice completely overwhelmed the expected earthy taste of buckwheat. I may reduce the cooking time to 10-15 minutes for some chew; this time it was quite soft although the groats still retained their individual shape. Overall it was not a bad experience. I am also looking forward to experimenting it in salads and savoury dishes like pesto buckwheat.

For lunch I also prepared an artichoke - a first experience. Another post will be dedicated to this!

Seeing prof for ISM arrangement tmr morning :( My last ISM. A tinge of regret that I procrastinated last sem and shifted it to this sem.

Bible verse to tide through the year (or at least the month or week)- Joshua 1:6-9

6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.

7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

0 Amok over amok

Curiosity and craving duly satisfied. Amok trei (steamed fish in a curry coconut custard) can be considered as the Cambodian sibling of Singapore's otah, except the fish is left whole instead of pureed to a paste. In fact, the spices are pretty similar - garlic, shallots, lemongrass, kaffir lime, shrimp paste and coconut. I compared various recipes online and here's my version.

Amok trei

Yield: 5 small servings

Ingredients
Curry paste (kroeung)

• 1 red chili, deseeded (ideally should use dried red chilis)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large shallot, diced
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 3 sticks lemon grass, trimmed and chopped
• 2" galangal, peeled and chopped
• 2" ginger, peeled and chopped
• 3 kaffir lime leaves, finely minced
• 1 tbsp shrimp paste
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Curry (amok)

• 400g fish, skin removed and diced into chunks(I used toman, also called snakehead)
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 tbsp brown sugar (ideally should use palm sugar)
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 egg
• banana leaves

Directions

1. Blend curry paste (except oil) using food processor, or more traditionally - and tedious - a mortar and pestle.
2. In a medium/large pot, fry curry paste in oil until fragrant, about 1-2 min.
3. Add coconut milk, sugar and fish sauce. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 mins. Allow to cool.
4. Meanwhile, fold the banana leaves into cups. For a 7 cm cup, cut out a 20 cm diameter circle. Use two circles for each cup with the leaf grains crossing for added strength. Fold in the corners and secure using toothpick or staples (initially I tried using toothpicks but the leaves kept tearing; staples were much better although less presentable).
5. Beat eggs gently into cooled coconut milk mixture. Add fish chunks.
6. Divide the entire mixture among the banana cups.
7. Steam for 20-25 minutes until the custard is set.

Typing this, I realized I haven't posted a recipe in quite awhile. I'm glad I'm back at tring out new recipes! The final result was a non-spicy coconutty gravy. It did not quite reach the thickness of custard. That might be due to the coconut milk (homemade, thus probably more liquid) or insufficient eggs; some recipes call for coconut cream and 2 eggs, which I don't think my heart will be thankful for. Nevertheless, the spices compensated for all that. Full of lemongrass and lime! I would prefer a more spicy kick to it though. Maybe it was because I did not use dried chilis. I would add some crushed red pepper flakes next time (although it's not authentic to do so).

The gravy (not quite custard as I mentioned above) was perfect for dunking rice into. I slurped up every bit of gravy with Pappy's lup cheong rice sans lup cheong. I haven't enjoyed coconut-based curries since... I can't even remember. I'm thankful for having gotten over the irrational fear of coconut milk and coconut-based dishes. MCFAs, bring it on!

0 Coconut - variations on a theme

What do you do with the remaining coconut flesh once the (utmost refreshing) water has been drunk?. Previously I had mostly used it as a garnish for my oatmeals but its getting boring and given the heaps of coconut flesh, it would take an absurdly long time to complete it, or probably it would have turn to rot even before I finish it. Hence I needed a more large-scale manner of using it.

Here comes homemade coconut milk. Its super easy: just blend coconut flesh (chopped into small pieces) and water in a 1:2 ratio. Strain it using a fine-meshed sieve, or better still, milk it using a milk bag. The best thing about homemade is that you get to adjust the amount of water to your desired thickness. The 1:2 ratio gives a nice mouthfeel and rich coconut flavour without being too jer-lat.

Some of the coconut milk was promptly used in today's breakfast. Fresh is best, no? Frozen banana chunks and blueberries steeped in homemade coconut milk and further thickened with protein powder and chia seeds, then ladled over buckwheat flakes, given a good stir, and the mixture allowed to stand as I busied myself with lunch preps. After about 20 minutes, the result was a pudding-like buckwheat porridge with delightful notes of coconut amidst bursting blueberries. Almonds and sunflower seeds provided some extra crunch. Fantabulous.

So I have another 1+ cups of milk left and amok trei, the Cambodian version of otah, is calling. On the school trip to Cambodia earlier this year, I had wanted so badly to try amok but every time I chickened out at the last minute at the thought of coconut milk. I have since gotten over the fear of coconuts (stemming from saturated fat) - yay! - but unfortunately I won't ever get to try authentic amok less I make a return trip to Cambodia. The alternative is to DIY and that's my Sunday plan for tomorrow! Nevertheless, I still remember the best meal I had in Cambodia - a sweet potato curry at Sugar Palm, Siem Reap. The sweet/spicy gravy was intoxicating! Incidentally there happened to be a widespread blackout that night and dining in the dark (candles provided minimal lighting) made the experience even more memorable. Perhaps to recreate this another time!

As for my weight gain program, I've progressed in a few aspects but failed in others (hangs head in shame). I have successfully maintained by carbohydrate intake and even increased it in a few instances, like doing 95g of rice for dinner last night and 33g of Rude Health "The Oatmeal" oats [the mix of steel cut + scottish is amaze balls!]. Typing this out now, I feel rather silly; what difference does 1g make? But I tell you, every time I look at the figure on the scale, there is this inexplicable urge to reduce. It was a battle each time NOT to reduce and so I think maintaining the amount (which I WILL increase soon) is a baby achievement. The major failure so far is that I DID NOT take my Ensures. I still feel full at 0830 and when the bloatedness tones down by 9+, I fear that when lunch time rolls around, I'd have no appetite. It helps if I'm at home as I can then split the Ensure into morning and afternoon portions, but as I was in school yesterday and today, I couldn't do that and ended up skipping the entire thing.

The question now is that what will my action plan be when I face this situation again? Okay here's what I'll do: I'll bring the half portion of Ensure to school (if I'm going to school) and PROMISE that I'll drink it. No excuses.

I haven't forgotten my recipe for baba ghanoush. I think it tastes even better after a few days in the frige when the flavours meld together. Soon to come!

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 Night fest 2012

I found this year's Night Festival slightly underwhelming. On the good side, I think there was a wider selection of more accessible (i.e. not so 'artsy') programmes such in the music genre (beat-boxing, rapping, samba, acapella). I remember lots of folksy tunes from last year's night fest, mainly by foreign artistes, which may not be highly appealing to the common man.

On the other hand, the experience of the highlight performances by Argentinian group Fuerzabruta fell short of my expectations. La Argentina was merely a dancer swinging in the air supported by a crane, looking/acting to be superbly happy while dishing out confetti and glitter as she cruised along Armenian St. The floating pool performance was marred by horrid lighting and poor sound systems. I caught only the last bit of the silver curtain one and that may be slightly better. But overall, spending a night out was still better than staying home.

I had a nice [tropical] start to Sunday with durian-coconut protein peppy kernels (mix of oats, wheat, barley, rye, millet, sesame). Featuring mao shan wang durian (flesh of 2 seeds), Artisana cacao bliss, Bob's peppy kernels and Vega Complete Health Optimizer, topped with coconut flakes. The texture was lovely - creamy from the durian and protein powder, yet slightly crunchy from the mixed grains. But it barely tide me over. I felt hungry again 1.5 hours later, a (happy) problem of late. Despite excessive consumption of durians (11 seeds so far) and what-not over the past few days, my stomach is becoming a bottomless pit. But I don't know where all those calories go; clearly not onto my body.

I read that puffed grains is quite toxic due to the protein extrusion caused by the high heat and pressure of puffing. And I just bought a box of Kashi's 7-whole grain puffs.

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!

0 Priorities refresher

What do you live for? What makes you tick? What rocks your boat?

Life is short; we all have some passion that gives our lives purpose, so as to make the best out of our temporary existence on earth. Sometimes we are guilty of chasing after material goods, wealth, experiences, certificates, medals, epicurean delights and other worldly pleasures. Personally I need to remind myself to eat to live and not vice versa. As the Bible reminds us,

Serving two masters
No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Matthew 6:24

Putting God first
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33; Luke 12:31

The antidote to greed and coveteousness, as the Pastor delivered in his message today, is to live a simple lifestyle. Eat simply, dress modestly (as in having a timeless wardrobe and not chasing after the latest fashion trends), and donate the extra time and money for good causes.

A somewhat simple breakfast for a simple lifestyle this morning: D24 cashew coconut steelies, which was in every way a tropical paradise. In case you're interested, it's steel cut oatmeal simmered for 25 min in water/soymilk (3.5:1 ratio), then D24 durian puree and Sunwarrior protein powder stirred in two minutes before serving. Finally, cashew coconut butter was drizzled on top, the heat causing it to melt instantly into milky nutty puddles.

I shall take this chance to review Sunwarrior protein powder which I had purchased online from iHerb. It has a mild, slightly malty taste which I really like. In fact it's the best tasting protein powder I ever had! Many plus points for taste. However, it doesn't dissolve as easily as soy/whey/egg protein powder. It will eventually after much vigorous stirring, and yield a rich creamy texture. No griity bits like soy protein! If you're seeking fluffiness in your protein powders, stick to egg white; Sunwarrior brown rice protein merely thickens but does not give much volume. I've been enjoying Sunwarrior daily in my oatmeals. Overall this is really one of the best protein powders and it's name lives up to the many raving reviews.

2 Harnessing the power of dollars

We all know it's in to be 'green.' Buy local. Eat sustainable. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Taglines are abound, but have these mantras actually been translated into actions? On my part, I do try to make green efforts such as bringing my own shopping bags but beyond that, not much. Which is why I decided to take up the Mindful Consumption challenge as part of the 2012 DIY Lifestyle challenge.

The DIY lifestyle challenge is the brainchild of Evon, a graphic designer and final year student at NTU School of Art, Design and Media. This project, which doubles up as her final year project, aims to inculcate sustainable lifestyle choices in urban dwellers. (If only my FYP can be as cool as hers!) There are four specific challenges in the series, targeting different aspects of DIY in every day lives: Food, Commute, Making and Mindful Consumption. I chose the latter.

Mindful consumption is about being constantly aware of the things we consume and spend money on can affects us, the community, society and the planet. It dose not only refer to the food we eat, but the TV we watch, and even the conversations we partake it. Anyway, here's what I have to do for the Mindful Consumption challenge (which has a more specific focus on tangible consumption):

• Snap a photo of everything you spend money on every day for seven days (i.e. food, clothes etc.)
• Keep a consumption diary, tracking what you bought every day and how much you spent.
• Document the above with pictures/videos and upload them in a new album on Facebook, tagging at least 3 friends

Tips are provided on the website, such as buying local, second-hand, and recyclable products, and stopping to think if "I really really need this" before buying.

Here's the breakdown for challenge Day 1 (mostly, no actually all food):

Item	Brand	Bought from	Country of origin
Steel cut oats	Bob's Red Mill	Brown Rice Paradise	US
Chocolate rice milk	Rice Dream	MarketPlace	US
Protein powder	Right 4 Your Type	Clinic	US
Pomegranate	-	Cold Storage	Australia
Coconut cashew dream	Loving Earth	Real Food Grocer	Australia
Ensure Plus	Ensure Plus	Pharmacy	Ireland
Roast chicken set lunch	-	Han's	Unknown
Royal Gala apples	-	Cold Storage	US
Red cherries	-	Cold Storage	US
Green bell pepper	-	Cold Storage	Malaysia?
Coriander	-	Cold Storage	Malaysia
Jazz apple	-	Cold Storage	US
Salmon	-	NTUC	Atlantic ocean?

Wow! I really ought to hang my head in shame. My food comes from all sorts of far-flung places except local soil. My carbon footprint must be as huge as a dinosaur's one. It doesn't help that Singapore virtually has nil farms. At least it's good to know that Bob's Red Mill is a small business in Oregon (started as family-run but recently turned employee-owned) and not to mention their steel cut oats have cinched the Golden Spurtle Awards How cute is that? I think I could try to switch to local soy milk although I find the taste vastly different from Silk soy; it has a very strong beany taste. Or am I just being atas? As far as fruits go, US apples are by far the best (Jazz, Fuji, Granny Smith, Ambrosia, Honey Crisp, Pink Lady). Sure China has Fuji too, and thus more 'regional,' but it's just inferior in taste (watery apples anyone?)

It's so difficult to strike a balance between local, organic, quality and variety. Of course the ideal situation would be local and organic, of high quality and great variety. I think Day 1 of this exercise has revealed a lot of points to ponder upon, and that this following week will uncover even more of the politics of consumption.

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?