Cooking demo by Panasonic for public and bloggers by Theresa Wong

Yesterday, I attended the cooking demo as organized by the Singapore Blog Awards committee for my category which is the best cooking blog award. The instructor of the day was Ms Theresa Wong.
She taught 4 recipes for the day. They are the mixed wheat raisin bread, bbq char siew buns , tuna pizza and mango smoothie.

First, she showed us  how the bread maker works. Like how easy it was for us to bake bread at the comfort of the home. She mentioned that if you have forgotten to put in some ingredients, one does not have to worry. As the bread maker can still in ingredients when it is in the kneading stage.

Next, we have the char siew bun made with bbq chicken. The char siew sauce that she make for the char siew sauce was superb. I felt that the char siew could be eaten it on its own as a dish.

Here's the recipe for the char siew

Char siew filling
150g of roast chicken
50 g of diced yellow onion
1/2 tablespoon of tapioca starch with 3 tablespoons of water add
2 tablespoons of cornflour

Char siew sauce
20g of castor sugar
1 tablespoon of superior light sauce
1/8 tsp of salt
1 and a half tsp of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
1/2 table spoon of superior dark sauce
120ml of water

To make the char siew of this version, you got to cook the onion with 1 tablespoon of oil in high power in microwave for 3 mins in which you do not cover. Next, you add the sauce and cook on high power in microwave for 3 mins in which you cover. Then you add cornflour to mixture and cook
on high power for 2 mins in microwave oven and leave it aside. Lastly, add in the bbq meat to sauce.

While waiting for the char siew bun to be made, she made us some mango smoothie. She also started using the bread maker to do the pizza dough. Most of the participants have a great time enjoying the food.

For me, it was more of a learning experience as I don't really bake and I am more prone to cooking chinese or fusion meals. For once, I know that bread that is home made can last for 4 days without preservatives. However, for the bread maker to work effectively it is best to use the measuring spoon and cup provided from the panasonic bread maker itself . The best flour to use for baking with this panasonic bread maker that is to be on loan to me is the bake king bread flour.


 

2 dishes using one big bitter gourd

Usually when I planned my meals on a budget for a week , I would usually make these 2 dishes cos it is more economical.

First dish- egg omelette

ingredients
1. 2 eggs
2. half of a bitter gourd de seed
3. one teaspoon of sugar
4. one teaspoon of light soya suace
5. a dash of black pepper

I would first whisk the eggs . Then add the de seeded bitter gourd which has been diced into some cubes. Add the sugar , light soya suace and the dash of black . Next , heat up the wok with some oil  and pour the mixture in . Once it has been browned, flip over to next side and serve.

 

Second dish - stir fry bitter gourd with lean meat

ingredients
1.  a piece of pork loin
2.  half of a bitter gourd de seed
3. 3 small chilli padis
4. 1 tablespoon of light soya sauce

5. 1 tablespoon of dark soya sauce
6. half rice bowl of water
7. a teaspoon of corn flour
8. some garlic

I would stir fry the garlic with some oil then add the sliced pork loin in with the sliced bitter gourd then further on add the light soya sauce, dark soya sauce , corn flour and water to fry. Last but not least add in the chilli padis to enhance the taste.

Recipe of ice mocha drink

Ingredients

1 packet of cabury hot chocolate
1 teaspoon of nescafe gold
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of condensed milk
Some ice cubes

1. Firstly mix all the ingredients except ice cubes and mix it with hot water .
2. Add some water
3. Lastly, add some ice cubes.

I usually like to have this drink when I am having some snacks during exams. It is a cheap and good quick fix to get ur ice mocha fix.

10 ways to reduce belly fat

The following picture I guess is the most concern to all of us out there who wants to lose the belly fat. Hope it helps you after reading.

 

All about bread making ~~~~my first attempt

 

Today I am using the Panasonic bread maker sd-p104 to bake wholemeal bread for my mom .

I am really excited about the fresh wholemeal bread that is coming out later from the breadmaker.

 

Ingredients that I use based on the user manual to make the wholemeal bread

1. 75g of wholemeal flour from phoon huat

2. 175g of breadflour from prima flour

3.10g of SCS salted butter( there are 9 pieces)

4. 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar

5. 1 tablespoon of skimmed milk powder from phoon huat

6.1 teaspoon of salt

7.190 ml of cold water ( cos my room temperature is 28 degree celsius as mentioned in the manual if the room temperature is more than 25 degree celsius must minus 10ml from 200ml)

8. 1 teaspoon of instant dry yeast.

 

After putting in all the ingredients, i left it to work on its own for 5 hours.

 

End Result

 

I din have a bread knife so I just pinch it. My mom love the taste of it.  The freshness of bread is so nice and sweet ... I am really excited to attend the cooking demo to ask the instructor on my next recipe that I have in mind. I shan't say what is my next recipe....

 

 

 

 

 

Right to Brag- a theme of the day from word press

Tell us about something you (or a person close to you) have done recently (or not so recently) that has made you really, unabashedly proud.

For once, I would just wanted to say this is the first time when I register myself under SG blog awards and I got in as a finalist under the advertisers' choice under the best cooking blog. I have never expected that I would be in as a finalist since this is my maiden registeration.

 

If you guys out there like my blog, kindly vote for me daily for the best cooking blog  at http://sgblogawards.omy.sg/2014/vote/advertisers-choice.html for the best cooking blog award.

This has made me to be more inspired to get more recipes to cook. Next week, I will be doing wanton soup. I shall upload the recipe then.

A tweak of the recipe from Sunday times today - Tomato and avocado salad

Tomato and avocado salad

Ingredients:

2 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp of grain mustard
1 tsp of honey
Salt and ground pepper to taste
200g cheery, grape or baby roma tomatoes
1 large, ripe avocado
1 tbsp of sunflower seeds


Method

1. Measure the vinegar , olive oil, mustard and honey into glass jar with a screwtop lid. Cover the jar and shake until the dressing is emulsified. Have a taste and add salt and pepper.

2. Halve the tomatoes. Pit , skin and cut the avocado into cubes.

3. Just before serving, toss the tomatoes, avocado and dressing and sprinkle the sunflower seeds together.



 

Picking up back a hobby-swimming

For the past one month or so, I have been swimming. It helps me to destress and also helps to reduce the neck and shoulder pain. Further to that, I have been using the app Active Sg to get entry in . This app is actually created to get the locals and prs to get involve in an active lifestyle.  Locals are being given $100 credit to utilize facilities like the gym and also swimming pool.

For more info about the active sg app, you may got to this website https://www.myactivesg.com/
Staying healthy is not just an individual's affair but the whole family's affair. Being healthy enables you to enjoy more activities and fun.

This hobby got me into a shopping craze for swim suits which i constanly look for nice swim wear.
I think best ones that one can get is from qoo10.sg. Perhaps all might think exercise is not important but it is very essential for mental health .It reduces stress. However, do take note of your own health before engaging strenuous exercise.




 

Review of Lenu's taiwanese beef noodles

Recently, I went shopping at vivo city and decided to pop in to one of the shops for braised beef noodles. It's name is Lenu taiwanese beef noodles.

                          

                                                  Lenu special  dry noodles - $6.90

This special version of dry noodles does not have beef actually. I was given a piece of beef  by my friend. However, the special dry noodles is of sweet and salty. Within the bowl was the sweet peanuts and kiam chye, the sauce that was quite salty. For ratings, I would give it 3 out of 5.

                                   

Braised Beef Shank Noodles- $8.90

 

The soup base was infused with butter. Something that is rather different though it taste like somehow like the traditional taste of the beef noodles and it is slightly more oily. When dip the beef with the dipping sauce, it is rather salty. For ratings, I would give it a 2 out of 5. 

Braised Beef Tendon & Brisket Noodles -$12.90

 

For this , the amount of beef tendon and briskets given was quite a fair bit of amount.  I would give it a rating of 3 out of 5.

**this is not a sponsored review.
 

Review of BoatHouse Gallery's Cheese and Mince Pie

Cheese and Mince Pie -$4.50

 

Today is considered to be my rest day and enjoying it with my gf, Veron. I was looking at the pies of Boat House Gallery and decided to get the pies. I decided to get the beef collection of pies.

 

Started off with the Cheese and Mince Pie, as it was nicely cut up to show you guys out there with the ingredients that is inside and also to share with my gf .Inside it is really filled with lots of beef and a little bit of peas and lots of mozzarella cheese. The first mouth was like having the juice from the beef oozing out. Each bite is really so mouthful.  For people who enjoy lots of fillings itself , they will enjoy it alot.

 

Boathouse Galley is a nice and cosy restaurant which serves quality food, beverage and drinks. Their range of 10 savoury pies are freshly baked on the site . There are also pie set meals, pastas , specialty coffee, salads, soup, breakfast menu and more.

 

There are also going to be new items to be launch from 24 June 2014 . They are boneless chicken rice leg set with drink at $10  and chicken or beef baked rice at $7.50

 

Boathouse Galley is located at Blk 81, Macpherson Lane , #01-53, Singapore 360081. Opening Hours are from 9am - 9pm (Tues- Sun). Tel: 68424838

 

For readers of my blog, to get discount please code andrea for discount . As for trinitarians, please show your membership card to get a 10% discount.

Shouting for joy

Today I wan to shout for joy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~I passed my exams with good grades... Thank God for it . The legendary killer paper cognitive psychology  i passed at one go ....so happy.

This song is expressing my mood.....

 

 

Familial Feasts

Last Sun was Father’s Day in many countries. If you could dedicate a holiday to a more distant relative, who would it be — and why?

I guess will be grand auntie's days ....cos my grand auntie make fabulous rice dumpling which i could never forget....For someone who walks very wobbly, she is still so active trying to maintain her life through socializing. She never gives up and ensure that she gets a dose of social life even at her age i guess she is ard 70.

Verbal Ticks

Is there a word or a phrase you use (or overuse) all the time, and are seemingly unable to get rid of? If not, what’s the one that drives you crazy when others use it?

For me , it is you dun care about me to my bf . There are many at times when I needed him to be with him and yet he is appearing can't be bothered. I know men have the tendency to put career over relationship. However, at times I just need that listening ear from him  hoping that he could comfort me for a little while as we are in long distance relationship . I guess as a gf  I have been independent enough just that when I am down  I need that listening ear which he feels is too much of an overloading to him.

I seriously dunno how to maintain this relationship anymore . I have spoken to him about breaking up and he ask for the reason  and I cited to him and he did change for a while and yet go back. It is a relationship I treasured as it has been over 5 yrs...If he still does not intend to relocate, then breaking up without a sms to him might be the best way as I feel he never seems to treasure me.

For Sale: Black decency watch from swatch

Last year, my sister got me a black decency watch from swatch in europe. However, I got nickel allergy and I have stopped wearing watch altogether. I have never worn that watch before just slip on for once to show my mom that I could wear but I did not wear at all. Feeling that it actually takes up space so decided to sell it off .

Here's the link of the watch
http://www.swatch.com/zz_en/watches/finder-detail.sku-YGS749G.html.

I am retailing it for $150. Interested parties, please email me at akimoto_emi05@yahoo.com.sg.

Favourite mistake -Is there a mistake you’ve made that turned out to be a blessing — or otherwise changed your life for the better? Tell us all about it.

My favourite mistake is logging onto mirc. It was a mistake to know logging on to mirc yet also can be a blessing. Cos from there i got  one good friend and got to start dating. I never knew I could date cos being an ugly duckling I never believe I could date.

In there, I saw the most of the human nature...the sluttiness, the gayness, the pevert acts through the typing from others. It also helps me to do the research that I needed for my course work. I have submitted an assignment thru interviewing a gay for my assignment title For a man who loves shopping.

City Planners

 Daily Prompt- If you could clone one element from another city you’ve visited — a building, a cultural institution, a common street food, etc. — and bring it back to your own hometown, what would it be?

It would be malaysia's lok lok and also black pepper hot plate chicken noodles. The current lok lok version in singapore sucks big time. The black pepper hot plate chicken noodles is just nice cos singapore one not so nice.


 

Antique Antics

I guess the oldest thing that i ever owe now is my sony discman which i got it in the late 90s with my first pay check. It held memories of my teenage working life.

Here's a picture of it.

 

This is currently so out of date in current lifestyle. Now only hp,ipad ,tablet and ipod.

 

 

One day, your favorite piece of art — a famous painting or sculpture, the graffiti next door — comes to life. What happens next?

This reminds me of the night of the musem movie where all the historical figures were out at the night and that they did all the things that they were having fun. If it is a famous painting, i would wanna to be able to take a walk within the famous painting especially if it is a scenary painting. The cheap way of getting a holiday without having to spending money. If it is a sculpture, then I would interview on its feeling of being a sculpture. As for graffiti, see how it moves.

 

Terminal time - You’re at the airport, your flight is delayed for six more hours, and none of your electronic devices is working. How do you pass the time?

I would be taking a browse at the bookstore and get the book which i like to read and from there write out the reflections i learnt from the book
 

Binding Judgement

Daily Prompt - Does it ever make sense to judge a book by its cover — literally or metaphorically? Tell us about a time you did, and whether that was a good decision or not.

For me , I dun really care about the book's cover more I care more about the content that is in the book. Books that are of pretty cover page might take get the attention. However if the content inside the book is useless it will not help much.

Somehow or rather, I am glad that I have many books of treasures which i really enjoy reading after which i will write it as a review for it . I do love reading when I am reading subjected to having to read it at a aircon place.

Here are some of the titles that I enjoyed reading : the power to change your life by rick warren,  David by charles swindoll, the power of positive thinking by norman vincent peale and etc. I would not say it is a good decision or not in choosing the books cos it is up to personal preference.

In another retrospective point of view , what if it is coming from the legal aspect? Does judges judge just based according to the statue of laws or rather was there a component of compassion in them . It is really hard to say on anything.

Gone with the Windfall

Daily Prompt

You just inherited $1,000,000 from an aunt you didn’t even know existed. What’s the first thing you buy (or otherwise use the money for)?

Seriously, keep 70% in bank first.  Balance 30% go and get a place of my own. Cos 70% can get something else i like later on with some interest to be earn from there then go on a short trip.
 

Dream Teacher

Daily Prompt- You can choose any person from history to teach you any topic you want. Who’s your teacher, and what do they teach you?

For me, there are many teachers in my mind like Steve Jobs, Jim Rohn and Jesus. However, the ultimate teacher would be Jesus. It is so difficult to struggle with unforgiveness , hatred, anguish when people hurt us with their hurtful remarks. How to deal with it in a simple manner yet find it easy to let go , is just a matter of choice.

Choice as mentioned earlier, is something very personal. Sometimes , it can be frustration cos that person hurt you so bad enough that it feels so hurt that u never wan to see them nor forgive them. This is really something I want to ask Jesus for the power to be ability to forgive just like He did for me.

 

Review of Kin Kin Chilli Pan Mee

There has been much rave about Kin Kin Chilli Pan Mee. Thus I decided to try it after my church service last sat. I went in at about 7.20pm and I managed to get a bowl of their signature dry kin kin chilli pan mee. There is one staff who will shoo people away once it hits 7.30pm even though it closes at 8pm.

This bowl of noodle is served without the signature chilli inside. However, the noodle was not well cooked in a certain way. The noodles are sticking to one another so much ..can't even taste a strand on its own. Chilli wise you got to estimate how much u can withstand then you eat.

In my honest opinion, the ban mian is not as nice as the nearby one which I have been eating for years. It is located at 82 macpherson lane. Just a few streets down the road from Kin Kin Chilli Pan Mee. Over there, they have the dark soya with superb belachan kind of chilli for the dry version and also the soup based one for fish maw which is cheaper than the Kin Kin Chilli Pan Mee.

Overall rating , I would give this dish under Kin Kin Chilli Pan Mee  a  2 out of 5.

** This is my personal opinion and I am not doing the review as in being sponsored.

Review of the book David by Charles Swindoll- Part 1

 This book talks about David , a bible character from his young tender age as a boy till him as a king.

In chapter 1 , there was this one sentence that i think will reasonates with all of us out there. It is that Greeks look into brains, brawns and beauty and never look into the inner beauty of the person. It makes me realize that most of the time people will not look at the inner beauty of the person even at work. So packaging your self to the max including getting plastic surgery to look good is the norms nowadays.  Would there be even real natural beauty now ? Are we getting too extreme with our own looks?

In chapter 2, it talks about King Saul. King Saul was a good looking and tall guy. However, his flawed character got revealed when he was made as as King. His character was selfish, angry, hateful, mean-spirited man. It daunt on me there is a leader within us. So what kind of leader are we potraying to others?  How to know what kind of person I am in my deepest most being? Most of us like to potray ourselves to others in the best light so that we are able to survive. Do we really have the ability to see beyond the obvious ? Can we avoid by not just looking at the capabilities but by the heart?

3 Timeless lessons in david's life:

1. God's solutions are often strange and simple, so be open.
2. God's promotions are usually sudden and surprising , so be ready
3. God's selections are always soverign and sure , so be sensitive. 

God never forgets me even I am alone or a nobody.

In chapter 3, God can use something in ur past to use it in the most incredible ways. Music, an antidote for depression. Psalms are for folks who feels that music is an art , requires a pure heart that is after God and can be used for times of refreshment, recovery , times in which emotions seem to be gettting out of line. Jesus rose from the dead to give us the desire and the power to live a positive , fulfilling life free of the cage of human depression and despair.

In chapter 4, how can I then have the ability not to be impressed by man based on looks or be intimated by the problems of life?
No matter how big the giant be, God is greater. And no matter how powerful he might be, God is all powerful.

 

Breathing Room- An extra room has magically been added to your home overnight. The catch: if you add more than three items to it, it disappears. How do you use it?

The 3 items I would add to the room is my bed, a book, and a cup of ice mocha. It would be my special sanctuary where i want to be disappearing from home. I would want to disappear ...I think i disappear already also no one will know ....

Adding 4 items can get me a free disappearance from this ugly world is the best thing.

 

You are on a mission to Mars. Because of the length of of the journey, you will never be able to return to Earth. What about our blue planet will you miss the most?

If i will never be able to return to earth, the people i  think i will miss most is my partner veron, mom , bf and also my business.

Veron is because i found a confidante in her, Mom is because of her cooking , Bf is because of that I love him and my business is because it is a way of me trying to impact the world by helping others to build healthy lives and home.

 

Unsafe containers-Which emotion(s) — joy, envy, rage, pity, or something else — do you find to be the hardest to contain?

I find the hardest to contain is rage. Rage, not only consist of jealous and envy but  also anger.
Sometimes, rage is something I feel is to deal with anger management first. Thoughts are provoking.
It is something that can cause hurt and bitterness for the rest of your life.

For me, it was bitterness and rage when I was being abused by my dad. He caused the hurt which I could never forgive him. If he thinks that he has the right to abuse me whenever we have an argument, I think is utterly wrong. The two worst attempts were that he threw a standing fan at me which till now my chest still feel painful at times and the punches and kicks that he gave. It was so painful that I had to see doctor.

My own personal opinion is that if you are planning to have kids, make sure you know that you can love them instead of abusing them. Gals out there, make sure you find a partner who is not abusive and not useless kind of guy.


**Disclaimer- this is a fictious story from my imagination.
 

A true saint - theme of the day from word press

Daily prompt-In 300 years, if you were to be named the patron saint of X, what would you like X to be? Places, activities, objects — all are fair game.

For me , I wanted to be true saint of love. Love is a powerful source of energy. With love, there are a lot of things that you would do for the one you love. Like a mother lifting a car up for her child trapped in it.  The first and foremost thing for me is that when I feel that I am being loved, I feel I am refreshed , recharged and nothing can stop me.
 

MALAYSIA CHABOR by Joyce Chu 四葉草@Red People

I got captured by her sweet smile and cute looks... she is so pretty.... her singing is not too bad. This song is a bit funny. Just for laughs to reduce monday blues

Snapshot stories - theme for the day by wordpress

Snapshot stories for me are pretty few cos i rarely like to take photos. However, the one who makes me like to take photo would be the someone special whom I got to know a few years back.

Taking photos help us to engrave our memories with more meaningful rememberances when we are old and trying to reminiscence. Hmm... let me see which is the first photo I took.

This was taken on my 28th birthday

 

Something to remember about that I celebrated my birthday with my lovely cell of SM165.Besides me is my friend Dan Yang. Looking at the photo makes me think that I need to go and find that brown tee shirt to wear again. Haha, I have got too many clothes that I have only worn a few times and I chuck it one side. I think i really need to revamp my wardrobe again.

 

 

Going on a blogging challenge

I am planning to go in on a blogging challenge hosted by word press. It seems interesting  and that you have to blog according to the theme. I guess it is something for me to write on more interesting articles as well.

This challenge will start on 2nd June 2014. It is going to be first blogging challenge that i am going on. Hope that  I will not disappoint u people out there.

I also submitted for a blogging challenge on blogging award for best cooking blog. Let's see how it goes. I am going to write out some receipes that I have been practicing to share with you guys out that as well for th.e best cooking blog award

單戀雙城 - 主題曲《很想討厭你》by 林夏薇 (TVB)

 

This is my current favourite chinese song from the drama. So nice and it is sung by raymond lam's cousin lin xia wei. She has better talent in singing rather than acting i feel. Overall , this show 单恋双城 is also nice .

My new cooking toy ~~ playbear electric lunch box

Actually , I bought this new cooking toy for about 2 weeks already. Today is is the first day that I attempted to use it. Reason on buying it is because my thermo flask which has been serving me throughout my uni years is no longer able to keep food warm.

It is pretty simple to use just that the manual is in chinese. If your chinese is not good, you can try to get someone to translate for you. I attempted to cook the rice and the steam egg as per the instruction manual.

The rice is cooked just like in normal rice cooker. As for the steamed egg, it is pretty hard to wash off the stains even putting some oil on it. However, I am quite happy with this buy. I am looking forward to cooking more healthier meals at sch when i am studying during exams  with all the food pre- packed in it . Just go to sch to steam it.

**Note: please do not follow the manual to cook 150g of rice. Cos it can be taken in by 2 person.

 

Talent management - part 3 (talent planning)

Talent planning goes by the formula which is called A.C.E. A.C.E is being defined into 3 categories. A stands for alignment of business strategies and the needs of the people in the organization. C stands for creating the capabilities to develop talents and  E stands for engaging employees to stretch and excel.

There is a framework for talent planning which consists of coaching where you can use the intentional change theory, development based performance management more likely to be your normal KPIs and appraisals at work , application of strategic competencies in recruiting where you use the job descriptions to help you recruit the best employees to your organization, leadership development where you tend to identify and retain your star performers in the organization, implementation of skills and competency based workforce planning that is championed by the management in order to achieve the current and strategic business goals.

Factors that will help to optimize the talent planning are :

• Using the talent life cycle to link to business and people strategy
• Ensuring the alignment of the business strategy and people needs, creatping the capbilities to develop talents and engaging the employess to stretch and excel.
• Getting the committment from the leadership to influences the adoption of the ACE formula and also be able to handle the issues at large with closure.
• Optimise talents with better people measures to identify talent reservoir
• There must be a holistic talent management system that is being build.
• Having a career progression plan in mind for the staff will encourage them to perform better.

For further read ups, you may want to look into this book which is the talent management handbook by Lance A. Berger.

What is your brain good at?

I just did a simple quiz on what is your brain good at ? This quiz is simple and casual but not mean to be serious . My result is......

For me, this is pretty accurate cos i rarely think about stuff in images. This makes me think about cognitive psychology. What makes language interesting is the synatic first approach and the interactionist approach.

Synatic first approach means that it goes in the way of proper english sentence construction. You  would actually check the way the sentence is structured rather than the meaning that is wrapped within the sentence.

Interactionist approach actually take note of the meaning that is wrapped within the sentence. In this case, we look at how at sentence is phrase according to the meaning.

Parents at times might have problem coaching kids in terms of english sentence construction is because the kids tend to use this term which is called principle of late closure in sentence construction. Principle of late closure means that the person keep on adding on the new added word into the sentence without considering the context. It meant that  a sentence might never end in this way. Therefore, for composition writing it is best to help the kid to understand that when they are writing the story , they must consider the context and know when to end for a sentence.


You may want to try out this quiz just for fun at http://www.quizony.com/brain/9.html

 

Recent blog post which the blogger roy got into a law suit

Sometimes I wonder if blogging about politics is a taboo or what. I would feel that blogging about politics need a sense of justice to be aired and also that hoping the government would start to understand how citizens are feeling.

In the recent blog post which the blogger roy posted about the politics, he was issued with a letter. To a certain extent , there are really some hard truth reality but what matters most is that the government would not be corrupted. That's my prayer....

Seriously, at times I would really feel anguish on all the policies that are more catered to the high earning people. How would the ministers feel if they are supposed to probably live on 1.5k a month to feed a family of 5 ? I mean seriously even the welfare might not be enough to help them. Have any of our ministers really tried living out the normal citizens lifestyle? No doubt there are policies to help the elderly or so called pioneer generation . What about the sandwich generation ? Sandwich generation is those who are young parents and need to feed their kids and support their parents. The pioneer package cannot help a lot for the sandwich generation as there are many daily necessities to pay off . For e.g. 2 meals a day outside would cost a person about $15. How to cook at home when there is no time for cooking?

Seriously, I would rather say since some of our ministers for some reasons are already directors of some companies getting directorship. Would they really work for free to serve the country for certain months?

I would just hope that all governments in the world to be fair and just in their ruling and no more corruption in the world.

Free Parenting Workshop on 25 May 2014 or 29 May 2014

I am writing this in lieu of a free parenting workshop on financial education and also how to create a champion in your child as it has got limited seats available as provided by my friend. This free workshop is hosted at cool de sac. You may want to check out the website at http://cooldesac.com.sg/

For me , i believe in having sound financial education aids in planning for a better future for your kids. Giving them the champion mindset will help them in life as well as they will be more self reliant rather than dependent on others.
Interested parties, please email me at akimoto_emi05@yahoo.com.sg by 21.5.14 to reserved seats.

Reflections on the days where I am busy

As I was reading my textbook for my exams, I was just wondering on one of the topics that I am reading. Is it true that all of us would prefer to make our decisions of our hectic workload at the early part of the morning or would it be that we would ponder first till midday then rush through the day?

For me, it seriously depends on my caffeine intake for the day. Though it seems that having to plan at the earlier part of the day is better , it also depends on what kind of body u have. For me, I am a person who performs better from afternoon onwards.

With this I would like to leave you guys out there with this verse to help you take a stock check on your life.

New Living Translation of the bible: But as I looked at everthing I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless- like chasing the wind, There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.

Ecclesiastes 2:11

So make sure you live your life meaningful each day!

Chocolate Review~~~a dream come true

Recently , I have been invited by Choc Gourmet Chocolate to do a review on chocolates. However, I was really sick at that point before the tasting session so I asked one of my friend, Arifin who had done food review with me before to do the tasting.  Thanks to James and Mr Benny for the invite  and allowing my friend to do the tasting on my behalf.


Here's a little back ground of Chocz Gourmet Chocolate

Started by Mr. Benny Chua, who has had experience importing European ingredients, his goal of starting Chocz is to educate Asians on the art of appreciating fine chocolate.  By immersing yourself in the culture that the Europeans have cultivated, we can then reach a higher level of appreciation.  To that end, Benny has setup both a retail arm as well as wholesale business to reach his aim.  Also, by conducting Chocolate Appreciate as well as Chocolate Making Workshops, he hopes that more Singaporeans will be able to differentiate between fine chocolate, and the kind of additive-laden chocolates found in retail shops and supermarkets.  If you are interested in attending such a workshop, register at http://www.chocz.com.sg/chocolate-workshop/.  Because Chocz also caters to major hotel establishments in Singapore, don’t be surprised if you might have had a taste of the creation made by Benny’s company.


** Note: For the month of May except for Mother's Day , anyone who likes the facebook page of Choc Gourmet is entitled to a 10% discount.

Here's the link https://www.facebook.com/#!/chocz.sg

 

Here comes the review from the guest blogger for the day on his review for the chocolate tasting session.

Chocolate Heaven By Arifin

If you are a chocolate lover and are looking for seventh heaven, Chocz at Esplanade Mall might just be the place you are looking for.  Located at unit #02-13/15, it is next to the escalator from level 1 of the Mall.  Here, they serve not only just chocolate cakes, but also pralines, fondue as well as drink concoctions made from the best beans of cocoa on this planet.  As it is found in the heart of the Central Business District, if you need to have a meet outside of the office, make your way to this place.  It seats 20 to 30 people nicely.  They are also willing to host you should you need a place to conduct some discussions outside the office setting for 5 to 8 people.

How can you describe an establishment like Chocz, besides being a Shangri-La for fine chocolate?  Let me count the ways …

Firstly, they only use imported dark chocolate from Europe, Africa and also cocoa beans harvested in Java.  Chocolate was first introduced to Europe in the 1500s when the European explorers brought back the treasures from the New World.  Because the exploration business was expensive, it was mostly sponsored by the royal families and aristocrats. So, when we partake in these wonderful creations created by Chocz’s chocolatiers, we have to remember we are taking in something that is steeped in history.

Take for example, their Chocolate Drink.  Unlike a cup of hot chocolate you get from a fast food outlet or a coffee shop, at Chocz, they make it to order here.  So, instead of getting a drink that is in powdered form, what the staff will do is to making it from their imported chocolate bar.  They will make it from the finest dark chocolate (between 55% to 60% of dark chocolate) using a recipe from Switzerland.  For us Asians, unaccustomed to such quality products, we might find that the taste is too rich and bitter.  My first sip of this hot chocolate, it felt slightly bitter.  But a second sip, when the taste of cocoa gets to my palette, it is both rich and satisfying, and the luxuriousness of the chocolate envelops your mouth.  That’s when you want to wrap your hands around the unique cup that it has been served in.  The cup does not have a handle, so that you can wrap your palm around it.  If you were at Zermatt, a ski resort on Matterhorn (a mountain in Switzerland), you would welcome the warmth the cup of hot chocolate brings you!  Because they do not use vegetable fats, unlike the chocolate bars you might find at your convenience store or neighborhood supermarket, they achieved this result by using only the freshest of dairy cream.  Also, as this is unlike your typical Mars bar, it has a lower melting point.  A tip to enjoying such exquisite chocolate, it is best to eat these chocolates after you have let it warm up to room temperature.

If you like your hot chocolate to have a higher percentage of cocoa, you can create your own DIY hot chocolate too.  Add as much cocoa to your heart’s content!  You can even go up to as high as 72%!

 

 
                                           Figure 1: Hot Chocolate, in a handle-less cup

If you like dipping your food into warm liquid chocolate, then yes, they have got fondue too.  And they have 3 varieties to choose from – Standard, Venezuelan and Madagascar.  The differences are in the taste, color and viscosity of the liquid chocolate. 

The Standard, which uses a mixed blend of beans from Africa, is thicker and has a stronger taste, even though it uses the standard amount of dark chocolate, which ranges from 55% to 60%.  For us Asians who are used to spicy food, the Standard isis something familiar. 

The Venezuelan, using cocoa beans from the South American country, has a stronger aroma, lighter in color, even though it uses about 64% of dark chocolate, is more runny, and the tastes will linger in your mouth longer.  So if you are a health conscious chocolate lover, go for the Venezuelan, and watch the chocolate drip from your fruits and marshmallow. 

                                      Figure 2: Standard Fondue, using Dark Chocolate

Figure 3: Venezuelan Fondue, with a lighter viscosit of Dark Chocolate

Of course, the best is saved for last.  Cakes!  And they have a variety of cakes, and their signature line is, what else, a chocolate cake, it is topped with a ball of chocolate truffle!  It is a wider slice compared to other cake shops, and a slice retails for $6.50 for a slice of heaven!  It is rich and luxurious, but if you are sharing, 1 is not enough.  Weighing in at between 120 and 130 grams, it uses pure chocolate.  For me, having had 1 slice, makes me realize how much more time I have to spend at the gym and the extra laps in the pool!  But I would say, it is worth it.

 

                                          Figure 4: Chocz's signature line Chocolate Cake


I would call them a specialty shop, as they do not produce their cakes in large batches.  As such, if you would like to buy a cake for a special occasion, like Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, it is best that you place your order in advance, so as not to be disappointed!  This is because they want to ensure freshness in their cakes by producing only in small batches.

For Mother’s Day, they have made a special creation, a heart-shaped Chocolate Truffle Cake, made of dark chocolate and truffles, topped with shavings of white chocolate and nuts all over the side of the cake.

                                            Figure 5: Creation by Chocz for Mother's Day

Dark chocolate has been scientifically researched to be good for your heart and it helps to control your blood sugar, while being full of antioxidants.

So, if you are in need of some chocolate pampering, head down to Chocz today!  They are open from 11am to 11pm everyday.  The best time to pay them a visit is just after lunch at 2pm or before the start of any show at the Esplanade.  Then you’ll be able to enjoy such sinful pleasures that will only benefit your heart!


Pricing of the items tasted

Item	Price (Excluding GST & Service Charge)
Chocolate Cake (slice of 120 to 130gms)	$6.50
Chocolate Cake (heart-shaped) – ½ kilogram (14cm)	$33
Chocolate Cake (heart-shaped) – 1 – 1.2 kilogram (20cm)	$52
Fondue	$25 - $28
Hot Chocolate	> $10

 

 

 Location of the 2 outlets

Esplande Mall                                                   Leisure Park Kallang
8 Raffles ave                                                      5 Stadium Walk
#02-13/15                                                          #01-13 Leisure Park Kallang
S(039802)                                                          S(397693)
Tel/ Fax: 62380803                                           Tel/ Fax:62420135

 

What does your cup of coffee says about you?

For me , I am between a cappucino and a frappucino as it depends on my mood. I would say that the capuccino drinker seems quite accurate for one of my friend who loves to drink cappucino.

My latest buy -the xiao mi's redmi handphone

With all the recent advertisement of Xiaomi's red mi on the facebook so frequent on my facebook, I was lured into getting one myself as the specs where pretty not bad for a smartphone without contract.

Today marks the first month that i am holding on to a redmi. So far the only thing I would want to complain is the volume of the phone is too soft. However, it can be done by doing some changing of the settings in the phone. Here's the link http://en.miui.com/thread-17459-1-1.html.

Given for the fact that it is a China brand phone, I would not expect much. However, I really like the user interface ....so nice got so many cute cute cartoon theme for me to download.

Here's some photos i took using the redmi

 

For those who love taking selfies

For those who love taking selfies , please do take note that AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION MAKES IT OFFICIAL: ‘SELFIE’ A MENTAL DISORDER.

 

Levels of the disorder can be rated in the following

 

Borderline selfitis : taking photos of one’s self at least three times a day but not posting them on social media

Acute selfitis: taking photos of one’s self at least three times a day and posting each of the photos on social media

Chronic selfitis: Uncontrollable urge to take photos of one’s self round the clock and posting the photos on social media more than six times a day

 

I guess why taking selfie can be considereed as a mental disorder is because of this mental disorder called body dysmorphic disorder (BDD for short).

 

Body Dysmorphic Disorder  is a pre occupation with some imagined defect in appearance by someone who actually looks reasonably normal. The person afflicted with this disorder is concerned by skin and hair, doing a variety of checking or compensating rituals to alleviate their concerns, becoming house bound for fear of showing themselves to others, - excessive grooming and skin picking are also common,imagined bodily defect was real and reasonable source of concern and avoid looking into mirror.

Statistics- onset during adolescence peaking between 16-17 till 20s, chronic, men focus on body build , genitals, thinning of hair and women focus on varied body areas and more likely to have eating disorder, reluctant to get treatment , easily to get depression and substance abuse.

Causes could co–occur with obsessive compulsive disorder( concern with intrusive thought and also compulsive checking looks) and it displace mental stress to physical symptoms.

Treatment –Medicine to prevent the reuptake of serotonin, plastic surgery, skin treatment, dental surgery, cbt.

Easter Presentation True Colours by Trinity Christian Centre

 

Have you wondered sometime whether if you showed others your true colours will they leave you ? Sometimes, it is better to show your true colours rather than keeping it under wraps then you will know who are actually your real friends . It is the acceptance which is genuine just like Jesus loves us. With this, I would like to invite all to go and view the Easter Presentation , True Colours by Trinity Christian Centre . The above trailer is a sneak preview of how this presentation is done.

Just a side note of what is my daily reading from the bible about character building and helping others:

It is coming from Proverbs 3:27 -28 New Living Translation 

27Do not withhold good from those who deserve it

when it’s in your power to help them.

28If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say,

“Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.”

Talent management - part 2 (competency model)

Competency model ? How many of us who have worked in our own company understand that the

company that we worked in has a competency model ?  I bet there is rarely a handful of us.

Competency model is a model for the foundation for staff planning, career management and staff development management. After the development of the competency model, the competencies can be integrated into the recruitment process. Recruitment must be aligned to the businesses strategy and not based on any other requirement. Identifying the key competency of the present/future employees enables the company to determine if the current or new hire is right- fit.  Setting a performance target for every single employee not only improves the performance of employees, it also improves the organisation as a whole. With goals set, appraisal must be done periodically to let every employee not only gauge of their individual performance but also areas requiring further improvement  Through appraisal, areas where they are lacking can be improved with training  and development plans. The performance of an organisation is based on the quality of its values, employees’ competences and their ability to lead and excel. As organisation leaders, HR executives have to implement the appropriate competency framework/model and align the employees’ competencies to meet the business objectives.