Monday, December 14

My boyfren...





I am blogging again ! =) Recently, many people (esp. my frens) would like to noe more about my bf. =) His name is Si Jie. He is quite tall and has a good pair of shoulders (for me to lean on). Thus far, his heart for me is big and deep. I like his sense of lame-ness humor... and yes, we share the same love of food (esp. sushi) and subjects such as history, basic economics, people and travel. We love nature and yes, communication has been fine for us. =) Hmmm, wat else ? He is not very indulgent-hedonist kinda guy; he likes to fly and loves fruits; veggies... haha *guilin gao*... I love to see him smiLe... =0)
Here are some pics we took. Life is never the same again with him.

Monday, November 16

Another posting for yummy food...


Yummy In A Mug-Cake

1st Time (after 2yrs i think...) Whole Meal coOking & my "heart" for cooking fired up AgAin

Dear Diary,

I cooked the first time solely on my own at home [except the chopping up of garlic] !
For Dear.
=)






BTW, my galfren shared a recipe she tried last week:




Bread And Butter Pudding - Delicious Cheap Recipe
(U.S.: pls use Quantity Conversion Chart)


Ingredients:
8 slices of bread, buttered
1/2 cup sultanas
3 level tablespoons caster sugar
Ground cinnamon
1 and 1/2 cups skimmed milk
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method:
Heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius.

Cut each slice of bread and butter into 4 triangles. Place 1/3 of the bread in the base of a lightly greased baking dish. Sprinkle with half the sultanas, one tablespoon of sugar and a shake or two of cinnamon. Place half of the remaining bread on top and then the remaining sultanas plus one tablespoon sugar and another shake or two of cinnamon. Place the remaining bread and butter on the top, trying to ensure all the sultanas are covered by the bread. Sprinkle the final tablespoon of caster sugar over the top.

In a separate bowl beat the eggs and skimmed milk together. Carefully pour over the bread and fruit mix. Sprinkle on a little more cinnamon.

Let stand for half an hour. Don't worry if the top pieces of bread are not submerged under the milk - these are going to be the nice crispy bits.

Bake at 160 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) until the "custard" has set and the pudding is golden brown on the top. this will take about 40 minutes.

Serves 4 - 6 depending on how sweet your tooth is.

Notes:
If you want to be really healthy you can use whole meal bread instead of white bread.

I try to totally cover the sultanas with bread purely to protect them from over-cooking and going hard.

Food Facts:
Eggs are one of the most versatile forms of nourishment available. Nutritionists recommend we eat a maximum of four eggs per week, although a study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that there is no significant link between eating eggs and developing cardiovascular disease in healthy individuals. Most eggs sold today are infertile because there are no roosters housed with the laying hens There are no nutritional differences between fertile and infertile eggs. Eggs contain all nine essential amino acids, making them a complete protein food. An egg shell has as many as 17,000 pores over its surface. It is said that a mother hen turns over her egg as many as 50 times per day. This is done so that the yolk doesn't stick to the inside of the shell. A fresh egg will sink in water, but a stale one won't. White shelled eggs are produced by hens with white feathers and ear lobes. Brown shelled eggs are produced by hens with red feathers and red ear lobes.

Cinnamon comes from the inner bark of a small evergreen tree. As the bark dries out it curls into long quills. The quills are then cut into cinnamon sticks or ground into cinnamon powder. It is a very old spice and is suspected of being used back in 3000 BC in Egypt. Cinnamon is a symbol of good luck in the Far East. Cinnamon implants a warm rich flavour to both desserts and to savoury recipes.

Thursday, November 5

A recipe my galfren shared with me...

Pommes Croustillantes
Preparation Cooking Time Serving Style
15 Minutes 35 Minutes 6 People Dessert

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/3 cup melted butter
Cinnamon
8-10 apples


Directions:

1. Fill an 8 or 9 inch pie plate with peeled sliced apples.
2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and egg together.
3. Place the egg mixture over the apples.
4. Pour the melted butter over the flour mixture.
5. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
6. Cook at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until apples are soft (Test them with a knife)

















Sounds nice Christine !

=)

http://www.cooking-french.com/recipes/recipes.aspx?Act=Recipe&ID=7

Wednesday, November 4

i dislike people who make remarks to "hurt" others

i really dislike people who make remarks to hurt others... in order to protect themselves.

Wednesday, October 28

we re very near to 1month after the 40-day; v.near 70th day... =)


Here is one of our pics two-gether... SJ Cloud is good to me.

Thursday, October 22

it is not blind faith...

yay... today is Thurs !
Thank God it's Thur ! =) Work has been alright these days... not just on an auto-pilot mode, but more becoz I am very happy LC and i reconciled with regrd to work. And perhaps, I made up my mind and moving on from here...

As for Cloud and I, days hv been tough & clarification involving understanding on both sides takes time. That aside, he had been trying hard and praying...now falling ill... I understd he had a difficult time, coz of "layers of questioning" on his sudden appearance and not in church for a long while. I was not able to help much.

What is "a comforting outcome" in tis period is that perseverance betw. us, where we tarry and even though i cannot see him sometimes, I noe he is there. He chose to be hopeful tat the relationship will "take off" and be successful. It is difficult also for me (mentally) as I truly wanted to listen to my leaders; placed before my human physical (attraction) instincts... I dun wana fall into love with something unclear... And whenever i struggle, i ran to God. Now, situation improved; the cloud is no longer over our heads... everybody knows we are together & not questioning; Throughout this period... prayer really deepened and for a relationship, i noe that trust is not blind faith... no further clarifications required...

Friday, October 16

55th day

Today is the 55th day of celebrating the day SJ-Cloud and I confirmed a new journeying together after we got to know of each other's interest (clarify-- as in we got to know we like each other and went on... explored the possibility of a relationship).

Many things have happened, and both of us got to know each other better during tis period. Liking each other goes beyond just romanticism... but sharing+communication; understanding+listening. And praying together.

There are moments of sweetness and joy. Also, some moments of confusing/ misunderstanding/ misinterpretation (SMS is really not a good form of communication). We survived misunderstandings (esp. when it is outsiders' views when they do not know... he knows I am affected)... shared different viewpoints... It is a bittersweet real-tough-on-our-faith --> journey. God willing, we will have many more days... together.

Wednesday, October 14

I am worried...

Was worried... last nite abt my nose !
There was blood... it is not e kinda which I experienced before; not the dripping kind.
This time - there was a bit of phlegm and it was quite dark-red and sometimes black... like the blood had clotted somewhere and now flowing out.

Hmmm........ where did the blood come from ?
Seen the doc. this morning and he said I was alright.

The nose stopped bleeding ard 10plus in the morning. Yet i felt the yesterday's situation (throughout the nite as well) is worth a look-into and thus I went to the doctor today.

Poor Cloud-SJ was worried... now, I am worried, what is he thinking ?

I did not mean not to tell him, just am afraid he misunderstd it.

Monday, October 12

my God... helps me wif my heart; my relationship

Dear Diary,

I wish I can talk to God deepere....
hear His voice...

Recently I am feeling some fatigue.
Being in a relationship is not easy... perhaps I feel too much for Cloud. And I am worried for his health.

Cloud -be assured; i dun see you as a passing cloud...


I bade goodbye to my fears and worries.
And Cloud came along.
Cloud was fast and really expressive. He does not fear.
I let go of my "constraints and expectations".
( i had long ago stopped "judging a person / circumstance " )

Then I slowed down and had a chat wif my pastor; along e way we prayed. Really prayed !!! Then my pastor had stuff to share wif him. He was upset. Sometimes confused.

It is not really his fault; also not my fault.
We just cannot see eye to eye on everything. However, we are making adjustments for each other.
It is true, being in a relationship is not just about lovey-dovey; romantic feelings.
There are adjustments... it takes perseverance, prayer (faith and more love) and God's help.

I wana sleep more... becoz sometimes i feel i need more energy to be a person in a relationship.

In the past, everythg i do, just for myself. I am happy now, however, there is much more to do; spending time together. It is different...

Hmmmmmmm........
It is fun, enjoyable and happy times. Sometimes we "iron" some stuff out, need more time and engage in deeper communication... can be draining at times; maybe i think too much... Thank God that we are both communicators & think before arguing.

=)

God, please help us. I really need to have more of You in this.

Jus me,
Esther

Thursday, October 8

I like tis dish !

An excerpt.from Online Receipe...



Gemma Comas
Serves: 6

Yields: 6 servings


Total Time: 24 min

Prep Time: 12 min

Cook Time: 12 min
Ingredients
( U.S. Metric Conversion chart )

1 pound(s) thin asparagus, trimmed, cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces
1 pound(s) dried gemelli pasta
3 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounce(s) sliced pancetta, slices cut into thin strips and separated
1 orange bell pepper, cut into strips
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup(s) shaved Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus extra for serving

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add asparagus; blanch 1 minute, or until bright green. Scoop asparagus from water with a handheld strainer and refresh under cold water.
Bring water back to a boil; add pasta and cook according to package directions, until al dente.
While pasta cooks, heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp and most of the fat has been rendered, about 7 minutes. Add asparagus and bell pepper and continue to cook 1 to 2 minutes, tossing mixture, until asparagus and pepper are crisp-tender. Remove from heat.
Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Add pasta to skillet with freshly ground pepper and toss until combined. Add Grana Padano cheese and reserved cooking water and toss well. Serve immediately with extra cheese.

Today is a beautiful day...

Hi Diary !

Today's weather is good... cool... no rain and no scorchy sun !

=)

What a wonderful difference love makes in our world !
And it all started with God. He is the root from which all love springs. John says: " This is Love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son Jesus as an atoning sacrifice for our sins " ( excerpt fr. Book in Bible, 1 John 4 verse 10)

Tuesday, October 6

Today is a sunny day ! Also busy day...

Dear Diary...

I smell a bit today, after having a tough "workout" checking out the inventory of a tenant's unit... Mr K. did not pay up... we re-entered and took back the unit. Had a good lunch wif Patsy at TM Crystal Jade... and one of my fav. desserts fr. Crystal Jade: water chestnut (pan-fried). Now rushing some work... then go for Mr Royston's jazz class !

Monday, October 5

A brand new beginning... starts from today. =D

"We can truly rest in God's Love ... We can close our eyes, lean back, and know that thru' everything we count on in life may fail... but God's love never fails..."

I am glad for today. I will be working harder & dancing more till end of the month, Cloud, God bless you wif JOY in your Todays.

Let's focus.

Saturday, October 3

01Oct- we reached a milestone... 02Oct- day -end of 1st milestone- period of 40-day waiting

Dear Cloud, I am amazed by your persevering heart & faith in me these past 40-days... now. Now is 2am+, past 41st-day le... going into 42nd. Through the 40-days, you gave your best... I know you hv endureth. Thank u and may God's help always uplift you and may we wait patiently 4Him. It is quite a journey to begin with... =p GOD, Light IT Up ! We will never be a bit lacking if You help us... ~ rest our hearts in Him... Jia you !!!

Monday, September 28

Sept... passing by

Sept is coming to an end... amazingly fast. Previously Cloud and I had lots of discussion & prayer sessions. Also, I had fear. =) THANK YOU GOD for indeed Ur Word sustained me. I wonder how things are from time to time... Sometimes when I honestly voiced out my thoughts, I wonder how Cloud receives.

He is kind, patient and loving towards me. Even before I confirm him as boyfriend... I am very thankful; touched. There were meetings with my cell leader and her husband, then Pastor YL and he himself met MM + Eric... I must say it is quite miraculous@ times ( i could sense pressure ) + he is brave and persistent.

I pray that God will watch over him and continually renew-refresh him... As he read 1 Cor. 13, may his life be recharged & led by Holy Spirit... for myself, I asked God for help in understanding him and direction. Now I am flowing with joy & relief. Everyday... pray and believe. Actually I was physically tired last week, but I rem. it is worth it. (Momentarily caught a "flu bug" and did fall ill.)
I already have seen God's touch in his life these few weeks, and he was willing to be open to God & His leading.

We are approaching the end of our 40-day endure & wait period. Perhaps there is another extension. What it may be/ will come, we are moving on step by step in faith. God, please help us for the remaining period.

Sometimes he asked me (asks me) if I do like him and miss him...
=p keke... u shd know the answer ... I do not play with guys and dun mislead pple... I am waiting for the 2nd Big Rainbow/ new confirmation. Not by guessing or pondering, but letting God lead and I believe. =)

Jia you !!!

Friday, September 25

Today 33rd day !

Dear Diary,

Today is the 33rd day !!!
I ate very much this afternoon, yucks...

There are so many days that passed... we survived =). SJ is very patient. Thank U God.

Wednesday, September 23

23092009 - restarting my blog... =)

I am ready to start my blogging again... =D

In 2009, July to August, I got to know a guy. Let me make it known here, he is called Cloud; SJ for abbrev. =)

Cloud is a nice and likeable person. Quite difficult to describe here... next time I will put a picture of him... a picture tells a thousand words.

We know each other as normal beings. Hanging out in groups in July and August and then he slowly... asked me out for solo-dates. May not have time to fully describe all the details here YET. Anyways, we embarked on a Journey of Further Knowing each other... likes/dislikes/ inclinations/ weaknesses/ strengths/ values, etc. We listened to our pastor and leaders, and decided to slow down. Endeavoring to know each other more; without physical intimacy - this ain't easy..., perhaps v.weird in the eyes of others, but we will honor God.

Through circumstances, we begun to know each other's families as well, sooner than expected. His mum is a loving & funny person. Family is not ... there is good food to makan =D. His sis is beautiful and kind towards me. Grandma Mdm Chow Pek Siong just got to know Jesus. She is a cheerful & strong lady; and has a kindred spirit + vibrant outlook in life. I like her !