a dash of nutmag!

Kaye, if you ever will come here to read this, the yellow guy on the right, that’s you! Haha! Alcohol-legal now? Here’s to the good years in MGS, ACJC, and maybe not-as-good years in RJC! (Hah! But yea, thanks I remember how we’d made a pact to go to the same JC while we were in the MGS LT waiting for our science practicals to happen!)

Anyway, I went to this good ole Japanese shop (I can imagine those small street side stalls in Japan) at Cuppage plaza behind Centrepoint. Called Osho And in Chinese characters it reads: Jiao Zi - Wang Jiang It is really a gem hiding in a corner. Good food! What I really liked about it was that the look of it is nothing special, in fact cuppage plaza is pretty run down.. Well, it’s that kind of place you go pour your own water and set your own table, though it’s not very cheap.

I was there with my mom just earlier on. We had fantastic pan-fried Gyoza (think Guo Tie) with the also fantastic sauce to go with! yum! (: Must try it man! For 6 pieces, $4 is quite worth it, I must say! Also tried the roast pork ramen (Chasyu Ramen). Really good stuff! It comes with 4 large slices of pig that was rolled up before slicing. It’s like 7cm in diameter man! And the pork stock soup is worth slurping every bit. Usually when I eat at Jap places (almost anywhere), I refuse to drink the soup cos you can surely taste the Ajinomoto no matter what! No way am I going to get thirsty after eating man! But this one? It tastes so homemade and MSG-free, yet sufficiently tasty! Deserves Brownie points. (:

Overall, this place was filled with working people and I suspect it’s meant for that crowd cos it opens till 2 am. Go try it! (:  

Yesterday, for dinner, made another round of ang moh-type dinner!
1) Oven-roasted herbed potatoes
2) Stir-fry beef slices
3) Balsamic Salad

I learnt from Joel Koh some months ago over at Feli’s that you’ll never go wrong combining tomatoes with balsamic + basil leaves. (: And I’ve never forgotten such a great tip! Hah! Tks! Good stuff! But anyway, this time round, I find that it’s really useful to season your shallots and tomatoes (pulp removed) with lots of vinegar (distilled vinegar will do, but since I had tomatoes, I used balsamic) and salt. It kinda lightens the tang from the onions (especially for shallots) and at the same time bringing out its natural sweetness. (Something I vaguely remember on Jamie Oliver’s new series - jamie at home) Acid from the vinegar/lemon juice kinda ‘cooks’ things up?? Haha!! But you gotta leave them soaked in vinegar for a couple of hours before adding it to the rest of the greens and olive oil!

Prepared a really really weird dinner 2 days ago. While I was wanting to enjoy a nice western meal, something happened! Haha.. Nothing bad though! The menu:

1) Pan-grilled garlic salmon with grilled french beans

I was being lazy with washing up, hence grilled beans, too. Yea so they kinda shrivelled up. (: Haha. For the salmon, a bit of some random sauces and spices. A lot of chopped garlic. D: Mom have a habit of keeping loads of sauces/spices without using them so I use A, B, C on one day, and D, E, F on another! Haha.. It works well! Btw, for a quick one, its very convenient to get a bottle of Masterfoods garlic salt to rub into your meats/fish/vegs. Because it has a mixture of other things as well, it works well if used alone. I use it every single day to cook the veg. Safe time lah! But don’t get the McCormick one - it clogs easily.

2) Chye-po egg (??!)

My bro came home suddenly when dinner was almost ready so there wasn’t enough dishes for everyone. So, he asked for egg. Which totally didn’t go with salmon. Haha.. But our dinners are often like that. Try-to-be-herby-but-want-to-add-sesame-oil!

3)  Stir-fry Pak Choy

Just like the egg, a last minute add-on. ", 

See the orange liquid? Clearly, fish oils only. Didn’t add olive oil or anything.. Healthy?

All shrivelled up beans…

For today though, it was nice and all westernized! (:

1) Roasted Chicken breasts with vegetables

Ok, today I went to Giant IMM with my mom. And we got a bottle of balsamic vinegar and boy, I was looking forward to using it man! Hha! So.. here we go again! With lots of garlic! Onions too! I just crushed them in without peeling. Lazy. (My mom would have made noise cos it’s ‘dirty’. But she’s out for dinner tonight! Shh..) The veggies were par-boiled first though, then everything was tossed in olive oil, herbs (I used thyme), vinegar and the usuals… Sat in the oven for about 40 mins. So I managed to finish up my chem tutorial during that precious time!!!! Yea, that’s the way mag! Haha! But, that’s about all the work I did in a day. Wow, there’s still 3 tests next week. :/ Anyway, the balsamic vinegar can work quite well with onions, other than tomatoes, cos it gives a the already sweet onion added sweetness when it caramelizes. Hmm yea. 

Haha.. Dirty garlic..  

Job 42 (NIV) 

  (Job to the Lord:)
   v5 "My ears had heard of you
  but now my eyes have seen you."

I must confess that whenever I’m involved in any worships, especially over at main church side, I find myself simply stoning during the sermon. Otherwise, the band would altogether disappear from the back door to grab fishballs from the kitchen. Haha! Well, this week, I almost did just that, but as Rev Lilian Ang went on halfway, I was quite amazed, cos that’s what I was struggling with this really bad week especially. I only started taking notes towards the end, so the content is not really jointed, though good enough for me! Haha! Sorry.

No Answers?

We ask, "Why does this or that have to happen to me?"

How can we accuse God for not caring and not being in control in our times of trouble?  Especially when we can’t even comprehend for ourselves God’s all-loving and all-powerful nature?

In the earlier chapters before 39, Job questioned and ‘accused’ God for precisely this, and later, (c38-41) He revealed Himself in His own way. God questionsed Job: ‘Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.’ (Job 38:4) The rest of the chapters goes on like this, talking of God’s hand in creation etc.

So, how could we question God, asking where is God in all the trouble we’re going through? God has created the heavens, the earth, and all the things on it, and it is running in perfect order - that is how much He loves us. The knowledge that we have a God who is in total control is enough. Creation in itself tells us this.

It’s not about getting answers, but in taking comfort in the revealed character of God.

–

YM@Church was today and yesterday, so Philotheos led worship over at PnP. I woke up with a sorethroat yesterday. Not good. Surprisingly though, the sorethroat got slightly better after singing for worship! (: But it got worse at dinner at Abi’s 21st birthday bash yesterday because of tempting food and Time Out! (Hey Abi, you looked great in your dress! ",) The best thing was, when I woke up this morning, the sore throat was almost gone! haha! Amazing? God’s hand must be in this. Denise also told me today that she had prayed for me last night! Thank you for such encoragement! (: Now, after singing once more for 2 services today, my sore throat is completely gone. Haha. What irony. Nice. I’m really thankful for all the encouragements week after week. It honestly just makes me wanna give even more to this ministry.

Anyway, I find that whenever I’m down with a bad throat, I’m forced not to use my throat to sing. Is that a good thing? If it is, shouldn’t I get sick more often? Haha!

The Hillsong Contingent - as Joel Koh puts it - has come back! (: And so, I get these! 

Ooh.. how my teeth sinks.. melts.. no lah.. my teeth don’t melt.. haha! Thanks man Zhou! (: Still so fresh.. Haha! Such goodness! Thank goodness I didn’t gobble it down before I capture for memory’s sake when I’m craving for it! (:

I don’t know what you call these man.. Unless you’d redefine ‘donut’, these are just so not the usual!! Hah!

Hmm… Maybe I’m consoling myself for feeling bad after doing badly for Chemistry Common Test - bad I don’t mean like B or C ok? Bad.. Next to my grade she wrote: " Way beneath what you’re capable of! " Hmm.. see, I feel really silly now! :/ I’m not as smart as I think eh? Haha!

So anyway, what a great Saturday to self-console and rebuild my self-esteem! Ha! OK, just kidding… (: So, I made these!

 Chocolate Chunk Walnut Cookies

Usually, I tend to stick to the same proportions and ingredients once I think I’ve found the best one. (Haha.. I guess I’m the kind who dislikes unnecessary change. Unadventurous? Maybe!) Anyhow, now I try not to use Hershey’s Choco Chips; especially when I’m feeling generous, my mum finds it tastes better to roughly chop up some dark chocolate that you’d like. It was accidental actually - previously, I ran out of chips so I just crumbled in some leftover Lindt chocolate bar I got from MG friends and she liked it! For this, I used Lindt’s 70% Cocoa (thin).

Coffee Muffins with Raisins

Mm.. I had no suitable muffin cups, so I cut some baking paper. It looks quite pro though! Haha! (: Maybe I’ll just continue doing this!

Oh, and this morning, my mum and I ate orange muffins from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Both of us are totally not fans of ‘cake-like’ muffins. So, they failed our tastebuds, sadly… :/ Taste wise, I felt the orange was lacking, otherwise, it’ll make a pretty decent raisin cupcake! (:

That aside, almost everybody (ok, exaggerating, a bit hah!) is at Hillsong conference!! While I agonise over my CTs.. Haha! But been hearing good things, though they seem to be really tired! Can’t wait to the day I get there! (: He’ll will make me a way!

Cheers everyone!  Haha…