Sunday, December 30, 2012

Popping My Own Popcorn!

Months back, I was shopping with my boyfriend at Mustafa and we saw a whole shelf of microwaveable popcorn so I got a box with 3 packets inside to try! There were so many brands that I did not know which to get so I randomly chose Orville Redenbacher's. Never heard of it before but the packaging seems the nicest! Right after that I saw that 7-11 was selling this brand by individual packets.



I left it in the fridge for months and almost forgot about it. Then one night I was looking for something to munch on and decided to try a packet! I've never microwaved my own popcorn before so I was very excited, I took out my camera for some snaps! Hehe.

Okay, read instructions! The 'corns' come in a transparent plastic bag which has this paper thing wrapping over it.


Into the microwave! The instructions stated 2 minutes but by a few seconds it was already popping and I was unsure if I should remove it. The popping sound was so scary and made me so afraid the microwave would explode! Then at 1 minute I started to worry if my popcorn will get burnt. In the end, I took out after 2 minutes.


Then I cut the lines and open up the "bowl"! So convenient, no need to wash your own bowl!


It was very crunchy and it taste decent! Not sure if it was because I chose butter flavor, so it was very salty. Shall try original flavor next time, hopefully it's sweet!


I think this would be a very good and convenient last-minute treat for guests or kids that come over to your house!

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Blue Like Mondays

Lovely package from El-ska Online Shoe Boutique. What a nice shoe box!



I chose this pair [Aztec Rush] because of the unique design. I sent the photo to some of my friends and they agreed it looks great too.


I love shoes with zipper at the back. So much easier to wear, don't you all think so too?


I was advised by the kind people at El-ska that the cutting for this particular pair is bigger than usual, so remember to get one size smaller if you are getting this one too! If you are unsure what size to order, you may also refer to the size guide on the product description.



I just went to visit their Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/Elska.Singapore) and found out about some awesome promotions that are happening right now! By the way, remember to like them on FB to get the latest updates on amazing deals offered by Elska!

A Hot Kicks contest is currently going on, where the lucky winner will win a pair of shoes from the upcoming collection and 3 others will receive Elska gift cards.

There is also a storewide 20% off if you enter code: NYE20! Place your order before 31st December 2012 to get them in time for New Year!


Elska is also giving one exclusive handmade leather cardholder for every purchase over S$100! Comes in gorgeous hues such as coral pink, dusty aqua, oxblood red and warm taupe!

You can find out more information by heading to their FB page!

FB PAGE: http://www.facebook.com/Elska.Singapore
SHOP: http://www.el-ska.com/



As the heel is already patterned, I paired it with this simple two-piece dress from Earthdoll [Bukit Panjang Plaza #03-21]! Earthdoll stocks up on a wide variety of styles, priced at mostly $10-$15! :) If you live near the mall, do check them out!



Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Mongkok Dimsum

I was craving dimsum a couple of weeks back and I asked bf to bring me to Swee Choon Dim Sum restaurant for lunch. He introduced me to that place a long time back before we even started dating. At that time I didn't want to scare him off by taking photos of everything as I usually would, so I didn't get to blog about it back then. But Swee Choon Dim Sum was so good that I was totally won over (by the dim sum, not him. hahaha).

I'm so glad that me and him are an item now and ever since we started dating he already saw my true colors (taking photos of anything and everything) so I can blog about this for you all! Just that day I was snapping continuous photos of myself while he was driving and then I suddenly turned to ask him if he is irritated by all that snapping. Lol. He didn't answer so I take it that he's not irritated and I can continue snapping. And so I did. Hahaha.

Anyway the photos in this entry are all taken by him so actually all that talk about me taking photos is not relevant now. I love the photos he took for this entry! ^_^ I also love that I can now begin tucking into food immediately while he does all the photographing work. Hehe.

So anyway, Swee Choon was only available in the evening so he did some online searching and we decided to try out Mongkok Dimsum, which was open even for lunch.

Good choice!



First dish that came was this plate of pretty egg tarts. Off to a good start! I usually only like those Portuguese type which has burnt sugar on top but this one is VERY nice! The layered crust was crispy unlike the usual ones from outside and I liked it alot, but the real winner was the smooth and tasty custard. I totally want some of these egg tarts right now.


The cheese mantou was not like what we expected (we thought it was fried, kinda surprised that it was steamed instead) but not too bad too. The plain mantou was quite chewy and tastes quite good with the light melted cheese on top. Don't mind having this again.


One of the best dish was the 3-yolk and crab congee! It consists of salted egg, normal egg, and century egg. And real crab meat. Comes in a claypot so my bf scooped some for me and him into two bowls, one for him and one for me. He was exclaiming that they were very generous with the crab meat but I was like "got meh, I only got 1-2 piece in my bowl...." Turns out his bowl had all the crab meat! Lucky him! But saddening for me :( I love crab meat!


Har Gow is a must-order for me at all dimsum places. The prawn here was good and fresh!


The Shredded Mango with Shrimp was okay but didn't fare as well as our expectations...


Prawn paste chicken wings! My fave anytime, anywhere. Haha.


The siewmai was impressive! Chewy with fresh ingredients and not too floury. Thumbs up!


Bf likes fried carrot cake so I let him order lor.... I think it was okay only. Tastes like all other fried carrot cake elsewhere in my opinion. He also insisted on ordering the paper wrapped curry chicken... bad choice. Tastes like Hei-bi-hiam. If you know what that is. So I think... next time leave the ordering to me! I got better taste! Hahaha.


He chose three colored milk tea which has a weird sweet taste. See what I say about him having lousy ordering taste? Hahaha. I had the milk tea which was okay lah, better than his drink at least!


Would love to come back here again!!

Mongkok Dim Sum
214 Geylang Lorong 8
Singapore 389274

Tel: (65) 6841 5133

Opening Hours
Mon - Fri: 1600 - 0500 hours
Sat - Sun: 1000 - 0500 hours



Dress from MissQueenie.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Xmas Giveaway

Merry Xmas~ Just a short pictorial update, with a giveaway at the end!

My boss granted me a whole day off for Christmas Eve, so I got a long-long weekend! It felt so good! Haha. And something else worth celebrating is that I survived the "end-of-the-world" 21st December 2012! We all did! Can't believe I was actually quite scared it would really happen although I knew at the back of my mind that it wasn't going to end just like that. I kept checking twitter because I figured that whatever it is, it cannot attack the world all at once so it has to happen somewhere else first and people will tweet and that gives us time to prepare for the appending disaster! Lol. Was so relieved when I woke up on 22nd December 2012. Haha. I love life and I still want to enjoy life! I'm not ready yet!!



So, putting 21 December 2012 behind, I had an enjoyable long-long weekend! Bf was overseas for the whole of last week and even missed his initial return flight and that delayed his arrival to Singapore for a few more hours. Then, he got sick and I think it spread to me because I'm now a little sick too. I also just ate a big amount of chicken wings that my grandpa fried for dinner and I can already imagine how painful my throat will be tomorrow. But it's Xmas so lets just enjoy and forget about tomorrow!

Bf got my family a real Christmas log cake after our failed attempt at baking it previously. Haha. But I think my decoration is nicer than this one!


Went shopping with the family at Orchard yesterday and bought each other gifts. I got this lovely pastel necklace from them! Love it much!


Speaking of gifts, I went to my hair sponsor Essensuals Bugis last week to trim my fringe and got this gift from them too. Thanks Bryan!


Not just a gift for me, but also a gift for you! Essensuals Bugis is giving away a Xmas gift to one of my readers!

Win a complimentary Hair Makeover at Essensuals Bugis!

The makeover includes cut and colour with stylist. Start the new year with a new hairstyle! I'm also thinking of adding some oomph to my current dark straight hair. Haven't decide what yet, but for those of you who already have something in mind, what are you waiting for? Try to win this awesome Hair makeover! For those who are like me, can also try to win! You can also get the stylist to suggest suitable styles for you  :)

How to win? Follow me on twitter (@theiceangel), and then retweet my tweet about this giveaway! It's so easy! One reader will be selected by end of this week. Good luck!


Meanwhile, check out their Facebook page for updates and promo/ check out the styles done for previous customers (get inspirations for your own hair!), or ask a question on Formspring!


Alternatively, you may call them at 63330039 to find out about the current promotion before heading down. They are located at 241A Victoria Street, Bugis Village, Singapore 188030. It is actually right above Burger King beside Bugis Street.

Remember to mention that you are a reader of my blog!

^_^

Monday, December 24, 2012

OOTD: Denim & Floral

I'm loving this one!

Headband: Light blue bow to match the denim part of the dress.
Dress: Remember I blogged about Fashiondrama before? Well, I got a couple of pieces from them and they have arrived! Wore this one first. It is actually a one-piece dress which looks like a two-piece. The color of the denim top goes so well the floral mint green bottom! I love how it looks so refreshing and young. The two pockets on the denim top is cute too!
Shoes: Bugis Street at $10. Only wore it once before and I'm so glad I finally found another chance to wear this pair!




The coral and yellow petals match so prettily with the mint green.


Check out Fashiondrama if you are keen in other pretty clothings:
Website: http://fashiondrama.miiduu.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/FashionDrama/133004123516228

Close up of the shoe:


Anyway, tomorrow is Christmas Day! This outfit entry is coincidentally also very "Green"! Haha. Advance Merry Christmas to everyone!

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Christmas Log Cake



Bf came over to bake a Christmas log cake with me last weekend. I initially thought it was going to be easy because it is just Swiss roll with decorations, how difficult can it get right? I was totally wrong. The cake failed the first time round and failed again on our second attempt. Whyyyyy?!?! We still haven't figured that out. Nevertheless, I shall share the recipe I used. You can try and see if it works for you.



Chocolate Swiss Roll Sponge Cake

Ingredients:
30g unsalted butter
25g fresh milk
4 whole eggs, beaten
95g castor sugar
60g cake flour
15g cocoa powder

Method:
1. Sift cake flour and cocoa powder. Set aside.
2. Melt butter with milk over a double boiler or microwave. Set aside.
3. Beat eggs and castor sugar with high speed until light and creamy. Continue beating for another 1 minute using low speed to stabilize the batter.
4. Fold 1/3 of the sifted flour into the batter and mix well. Fold the remaining flour into the batter until the flour is well incorporated.
5. Scoop a small portion of the batter into the melted butter-milk mixture in step two and mix well briefly. Then pour the mixture back into the batter and mix well, until the butter and milk mixture and batter are well combined.
6. Pour into a 36cm by 26cm swiss roll pan and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 12 minutes. 

My cake turned out not spongy at all. I don't even know how to describe it. For the first attempt, we let it cool a bit before we spread the buttercream. During the rolling process, it cracked. For the second attempt, we rolled it up with grease paper and left it to cool. After that, we unrolled and spread the buttercream. This time it did not crack but still, the cake's texture is wrong. After some time, the roll becomes slightly flattened and not as round as it should be.


Buttercream Icing
Ingredients:
140g butter
280g icing sugar
5 tbsp milk

Method:
1. Beat the butter and half the icing sugar in a large bowl until soft and smooth.
2. Add the remaining icing sugar and milk. Beat the mixture until creamy and smooth. 
*you may add food coloring at this step. 

This was the easiest recipe I could find for buttercream. Our buttercream turned out not too bad! But it seems to be slightly different from the usual cream that bakeries use for their swiss roll. Maybe it was not chilled enough.


Decorations

After the cake was rolled, I coated the cake with generous layers of Nutella and created the log bark texture by going over it with a fork. That's probably the only thing that went excellent throughout the process. Haha. But when I tried transferring the cake to a nicer plate, the cake went BAM face down -_-" My woody design gone. Did the whole Nutella spreading all over again but wasn't as good as before.

I actually wanted to get some Christmas themed figurines to decorate the cake but ended up with items that are easier to get at the neighborhood supermarket. These are what I bought:
1. Cherries (Can substitute with strawberries)
2. Choco Wafers
3. Cornflakes (Can substitute with nuts)
4. Ferrero Rocher (Cut into half) 


I also printed Christmas signs and attached them to a toothpick. The icing sugar sprinkled on the cake gives the snowy feel, and I think this is the crucial decor item.



Our final nice-to-look-at-but-inedible product:


Love baking with bf because he washes everything! ^_^ I want more baking sessions!!

Thursday, December 20, 2012

EARTHDOLL at Bukit Panjang Plaza



EARTHDOLL will be opened till 10PM this Xmas eve and Xmas for any last minute shopping needs. Usual opening hours are 11.30AM to 9.30PM. There are new stocks daily so if you live nearby you can visit them everyday too!

70% of the clothes are priced at $10. Very affordable! The shop is spacious enough for a comfortable shopping experience. I also personally think that the bags are suitable gifts for Xmas!

For more information, you may check out EARTHDOLL Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/Earthdoll

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Last minute xmas gifts

LYRAMINN has a new revamped web layout and it's much easier to browse all the products! Normal postage is now FREE and in addition to that, a special edition Christmas collection is launched! Suitable gifts under $20 for friends, and these come with free delivery + gift wrapping!

I really like the spectacle case!


Some others which I also like:




SHOP AT www.lyraminn.com
LIKE ON FB www.facebook.com/shop.lyraminn

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Medan Town

My boyfriend suggested to visit Medan Town after seeing good reviews about it online. To be honest, I did not even know about a place called "Medan" in Indonesia until earlier this year due to work. Anyway, I was excited to try out the food! It's an eatery located along Tanjong Katong Road.



Heard that a Medanese couple set up this place for Indonesians living in Singapore who miss the food back at home. Therefore, I'm guessing the food here is authentic enough.



Some old Medan photos on the wall...


For my main,  I had the Soto Medan. It is actually chicken broth with coconut milk. In my opinion, it tastes like a mix of Mee Soto and Laksa without the spicy kick.


He tried the signature duck kway teow. It was indeed quite nice!


We also ordered other sides and desserts. Bf went crazy ordering. Usually is I want to eat this eat that, first time see him order almost half the whole menu!

Monday, December 17, 2012

El-ska Shoetique

Another outfit entry!



Top: Mamatiam
I love this piece! Initially wanted to pair it with denim jeans for a casual look but decided to wear a black dress underneath in the end. I love the layers in front, which adds a little frill to this simple blouse. It is also a versatile wear! I think I can wear a formal high-waist skirt over the blouse which will make it a corporate look too. Like most of the clothes at Mamatiam, this is priced at only $13.

Heels: El-ska
This pair is called "Rev It Up" from a newly launched 'shoetique' in Singapore. I really like how it's so unique and adds a punch to the outfit. The platform also makes this high heel a comfortable and stable wear. I foresee myself wearing this a lot in the future. I can easily match it with black or brown dresses and the pink back really complements the design.



On a side note, I just went to check out El-ska again and I'm in love with one of their new arrivals "Brave Front"! A towering red suede platforms featuring a metal piece cutout detailing in the front and stiletto heel, I think it would be perfect for the upcoming festive parties! It's so pretty!! Can anyone get it for me as a Christmas gift? haha.

Another pretty photo of "Rev It Up":


Ending this entry with one more photo of the outfit. I have a lot to complete this week and also trying to clear my blogging backlogs too. Trying to clear the shorter entries first so that it seem like I have lesser on my list! Haha. By the way, I am thinking of adding some highlights to my hair! What do you think? Teal? Pink?


Have been taking more detailed outfit photos recently, so I will have more outfit entries like this coming up, but not so soon! Will sandwich some other entries in between :)

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Before the weekend end

Some updates about the week!

I received many parcels from sponsors on my doorstep earlier this week. Very happy! Can't wait to wear them out and take photos to show you all.

Attended Jacelyn's ROM on Wednesday, 12-12-12. The decor was extremely cute and the bride was really pretty!

Highlight of the week for me though, was the weekend! On Friday morning I traveled to Malaysia for a 2D1N holiday at Awana Resorts, Genting Highlands with a bunch of other Nuffnang bloggers and Churpchurp twitterers. Many "first-times" for me during the trip!

Baked a Christmas log cake with bf this afternoon. I'm personally very happy with the design I made! But the cake terribly failed! We tried baking it one more time but failed again. The cake did not have the spongy texture... Very sad! This is the first time I failed so badly at baking. Should have just bought the cake mix!

A photo from my phone... Blog with better photos another time!


Oh ya, he also made pancakes topped with nutella and banana for me in the morning before coming over to my house! It was yums although the back was all burnt. It was like, all black! Haha. He made it in 3 different flavors - rose, orange and green apple. Happy at the little surprise ^_^



I wanted to blog about an awesome dimsum place today but I just realize that bf haven't sent me the photos yet! Went there a couple of weeks back and I really think the food there is very good and beyond expectations. Will try to blog about it by this week bah.

Tomorrow is Monday already! It is going to be a long week ahead because bf is going overseas tomorrow till Saturday :( But it's okay, I'm looking forward to the two holiday week ahead - Christmas and New Year!

Friday, December 14, 2012

Lao Bei Jing Restaurant

Went shopping at the new extension of Plaza Singapura with the family awhile back. Watch Ah Boys to Men. Very funny and I really enjoyed the movie! Looking forward to Part 2!



I'm wearing tank top from Coccomomo.com. It's not clear in the photo but it says "I Love Rock N Roll". $12.90 only! Deeply in love with my the outerpiece too. Got it last year or something and glad I didn't give it away. It's such a staple and easily dresses up any outfit! I haven't been dressing up or going out much anyway, would love to have more time to hang out and wear the nice clothes in my wardrobe more often!


For dinner, we chose Lao Bei Jing Restaurant.


It was a good dinner. I love having chinese cuisine at chinese restaurants! Photos:








This dish came last. The photo on the menu looked interesting so we ordered it to try. At first I thought it was a cube of pork belly, with stacks of pork skin on top. It looks like it doesn't it? Haha. I was wondering where they get so many excess skin! But actually, it's a cube of pork belly being cut round and round (or square and square? haha) from the edges to the centre. Then, they supported the middle part with vegetables below to push it up to look like a pyramid. Interesting! It comes with the buns to make it Kong Ba Pau.


Photo with Daddy.


Mum and Sis.


My parents celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary last week and the whole family had BBQ & steamboat as a celebration. Didn't bother to put on make up or dress up, but we had a good time! If I could have it my way, I'd very much want my life to be eating good food, dating, travelling and vacationing in different countries, dressing up, meeting friends, blogging, watching movies and dramas. That would happen if I strike TOTO!! My parents strike also can! Then we all enjoy life together! Hehe.