J.CO Donuts

So the last I had Krispy Kreme was a few months back .. I had done a post on that. My friend, eat, saw the post and he mentioned that I should try J.Co Donuts. J.Co Donuts hails from Indonesia and owned by a Johnny Andrean who also owns salons all across Indonesia .. I always go to Johnny Andrean when I go to Batam for creambath by the way.

He was raving about J.Co and how they tasted soooo much better than Krispy Kreme .. well at least those were his thoughts on J.Co.

So last Saturday, knowing that eat was going to come back to Singapore from Jakarta, I had him buy some for me! When eat called me before he caught his flight back home, the first question I asked was whether he bought me the donuts. He said "yeah .. half a dozen" .. hmm .. nvm half a dozen, still I get to taste them, or so I thought.

So I fetched him at the airport with my sister in tow and this uber nice friend not only bought me half a dozen but a dozen ..

erm .. no no no .. not a dozen actually .. he got me 2 dozens .. woohoo .. I was smiling from ear to ear!

and here were the assorted donuts eat got me ..

yummehhhhhhhh .. so which one do I love best .. it has got to be Al Capone and and Mango Blitz .. why Al Capone?? coz I love almonds, that's why .. and why Mango Blitz?? .. sticking my finger into the mango creme and licking it off was just pure bliss!

Here's a lil something on Al Capone ..

The last sentence reads "Addiction is at you own risk!" .. and boy was I addicted to it .. yeah addicted big time!

Al Capone .. I need you baby .. come in to me .. come in to me (reads my mouth) .. hehe

Blogging by Mail: My Package Has Arrived!

I participated in yet another Blogging by Mail event! Woohoo .. It is hosted by none other than Steph of Dispensing Happiness. You basically submit your details to Steph and at the end of the sign ups, she would match up participants with a partner. The theme to the BBM package this time around is A Few of My Favourite Things!

The package arrived while I was away at work! My hubby was at home to receive them! He didnt call me to inform but only told me in the car while on the way home from work. Gosh you should know how eager I was to get home!

The moment I reached home, I took my camera out and started snapping pix of my "baby". Yay .. the package was from a beautiful lass named Brooke of Bear Necessities. The things she had included in the package were all just soooo awesome.

Take a look at what she gave ..

Brooke had included in the package a Food and Travel magazinefrom the UK which features alot of travel places and recipes too.

A book entitled Three Cups of Tea on a man's mission to promote peace .. lotsa rave reviews on this book. I just cant wait to start reading this once I am done with the book I am currently reading!

Brooke had also baked some very nice heart shaped hibiscus shortbread for me! Gosh, I couldnt help but dived in on this one when I saw that it was made of hibiscus tea .. they were reeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaalllyyyyyyyyyy delicious! Oh ya, she had also kindly included a recipe card on how to make the hibiscus shortbread plus a box of hibiscus tea .. I will definitely try making some myself soon!

Knowing that I love to bake cookies for my girls, she gave me a cookie book, which she had kindly taken from her collection .. I hope it was not a hard decision to make, ie. to part with a book from your own collection and then giving it to me .. I'll definitely treasure them! Hell yeah .. another book to add to my collection .. really lucky me!

And yah, she also gave me coloured sugar and dino shaped sprinkles too!

Brooke really did her homework, she must have read the whole blog of mine. She had noticed that I had difficulties some caramel chips here and had kindly bought me some butterscotch flavoured chips .. oh yeah Brooke, thats definitely an adequate sub!

Next, Milk Duds, Brooke's favourite choc which she always get when she goes to the movies. I have tasted these and boy were they really nice, sweet and caramelly .. really my kinda stuff! And more chocs, freckles and sea shells .. too pretty to eat .. heheh .. Brooke said the sea shells tastes like M&Ms.

Oh gosh .. a jar of Pesto .. who can resist Pesto .. I cant wait to have this with some penne .. slurp .. and slather some pesto too on perhaps some grilled chicken and then sprinkle some toasted pine nute .. yummeh

She also noticed I mentioned about Sea Salt in my specs and she got me a pack.

And the last thing she included was a jar of Cranberry Orange Marmalade .. never mind the debate Brooke, I am most happy to receive them anyway .. ;-)) .. I'll definitely share this one with my mum coz she loves marmalade too!

So thank you thank you thank you Brooke from the bottom of my heart for your kindness and generosity .. I lurrrrrvvvvvveeeeeeee each and everything that you've included in the package! You just soooooooooo knew what I like!

My package is now travelling to some place which I'd love to visit sometime! Cant wait for my partner to receive them.

Till the next BBM, ciao!

Black Pepper Seafood Pasta

I was talking to a friend over the pasta I made the other day and he mentioned that I should try making black pepper pasta. Suddenly I started to hanker for black pepper pasta! I love black pepper dishes of any sort - black pepper beef, tamarind fish with black pepper, etc etc .. I loikeeeeeeeeee .. *drool*

Right after work earlier, I went to the supermarket to buy lacking ingredients to make Black Pepper Seafood Pasta. Got home, rested and about 7.45pm, I started cooking my pasta.

Ingredients

a handful of linguine
1 small red onion, chopped
2 pips garlic, chopped
60 gm fresh button mushroom, sliced
10 prawns, peeled, deveined and leave the tails intact
5 pcs crabstick, sliced diagonally
4 tbsp black pepper sauce
2 tbsp water
coarsely ground black pepper
salt
coriander leaves, chopped

Method

Cook linguine in a large pot of salted boiling water till al dente.
Drain then wash under running water.

In a pot, saute some onions and garlic.
Then put in the prawns, crabsticks and mushroom.
Add in black pepper sauce and water.
Then lastly put in the pasta and mix well.
Season with salt and more coarsely ground pepper.
Serve immediately, garnished with coriander leaves.

The next time I make this, I may want to try adding some oyster sauce. It might taste good or not better!

I was burning inside after a plate of that pasta I made but somehow I love that burning sensation though!

Plain Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping

I made mini cheesecake yet again. This time around, I made Plain Mini Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping.

Ingredients

Base Crust

75 gm digestive biscuites, crushed
45 gm butter, melted

Cheesecake Mixture

250 gm cream cheese, softened to room temperature
40 gm sugar (original recipe called for 30 gms sugar)
1 egg (Grade A)
1 tsp vanilla essence

Topping

blueberry pie filling

Method

Preheat oven to 175C.

Line 9 of a 12 holes muffin tins with paper cases.
Mix butter and crushed digestives and divide among the prepared wells. Press evenly into the bottom of the wells. Bake for about 5 mins (recipe called for the crust to be refrigerated till ready to use). Put aside to cool.

Lower oven temperature to 150C.

In a bowl, whisk cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
Then add egg and vanilla essence and mix well.

Spoon filling into the crusts, dividing evenly and then bake for about 15 mins.
Transfer to wire rack to cool and refrigerate.

Just before serving the plain mini cheesecake, spoon some blueberry pie filling on top.

Paiz and Hafiz, cousins o mine, got to try them and they loved it ..

Awesome .. ;-)

Creamy Linguine with Smoked Salmon

I have always loved creamy pasta. As you can see, I seldom cook but bake rather alot. While looking at other food blog, I came across this recipe here and was rather amazed to find out that creamy pasta is reaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllyyyyy eaaaaaaasssssssyyyyyyy to whip up.

When I saw that recipe, I kmew I had to make some for myself. So for dinner today, I made Creamy Linguine with Smoked Salmon. You could prepare, cook and finish eating this in less than an hour! Am not kidding! Really a breeze!

Eating this pasta warm on a cold rainy day .. what more could I ask for!

I tweaked the recipe with what I have. I am sure it tasted as good as the recipe that I saw.

Ingredients

250 gm linguine
1 small red onion, chopped
200 gm cream (add uht milk if not enough creaminess)
75 gm smoked salmon, chopped (more if you have .. i only had that much)
60 gm fresh button mushroom, sliced
a handful of fresh basil, chopped
salt and crushed red pepper

Method

Cook linguine in a large pot of boiling water till al dente.
Drain then wash under running water.

In the same pot, put in cream, onion, mushroom, basil leaves and smoked salmon.
Put in the pasta and mix till the pasta is coated with the creamy sauce.
Season with salt and crushed red pepper.
Serve immediately with sprinkles of more crushed pepper for an added kick.

The kids also had this creamy pasta for dinner. Theirs was a more simpler version of just cream, chopped sausages, button mushroom and then seasoned with salt.

So there you go .. another recipe which could be prepared in a jiffy!

Here's a meme TRIVIA:
Did you know that I am a sucker for easy recipes??
I guess now you know .. ;-)

Chicken Mayonnaise

So what was for breaky today?? I made Chicken Mayonnaise yesterday night and chilled them in the fridge for breakfast today.

We had our Chicken Mayo with loads of lettuce and filled them in Pita pockets and served with chopped chicky pops on the side.

Yummmmy ... even Tihani and Auni enjoyed them.

When Tihani saw me eating lettuce, she went "i want to eat vege too" .. so I gave her some and then she commented that I did not cook the veg .. and I said that they were meant to be eaten raw .. and she just finished eating them and didnt dare ask for more .. hehehe

Auni is definitely not choosy .. even after finishing her pita .. she still asked me for more lettuce and ate it just like that .. such a darling baby!

Here comes the recipe ..

Ingredients

400 gm chicken breast
salt and peper, to taste
enough mayonnaise
lettuce, torn
pita bread

Method

Boil the chicken breast with a little bit of salt.
Once cooked, drain them then shred.
Combine shredded chicken, salt, pepper and mayonnaise.
Fill pocket of pita, with chix mayo and lettuce.

So bloglings, yet another easy to whip breakfast idea just for you!

Milk Choc Rice Krispies Mini Cheesecake

My oh my .. what a long title .. Milk Choc Rice Krispies Mini Cheesecake .. hehehe

I have always wanted to make cheesecake. So when a fellow Resipinet member shared this easy peasy cheesecake recipe, which made use of Milk Choc Rice Krispies, I had to try them.

Ingredients

Base Crust

75 gm digestive biscuites, crushed
45 gm butter, melted

Cheesecake Mixture

250 gm cream cheese, softened to room temperature
40 gm sugar (original recipe called for 30 gms sugar)
1 egg (Grade A)
1 tsp vanilla essence
35 gm milk choc rice krispies + more for topping

Method

Preheat oven to 175C.

Line 9 of a 12 holes muffin tins with paper cases.
Mix butter and crushed digestives and divide among the prepared wells. Press evenly into the bottom of the wells. Bake for about 5 mins (recipe called for the crust to be refrigerated till ready to use). Put aside to cool.

Lower oven temperature to 150C.

In a bowl, whisk cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
Then add egg and vanilla essence and mix well.
Using a spoon, fold in the milk choc rice krispies.

Spoon filling into the crusts, dividing evenly and then bake for about 15 mins.
Transfer to wire rack to cool and refrigerate.

Just before serving, break more choc and top the baked cheesecake.

Hmm .. you know what .. mine didnt need any topping at all and yah I microwaved mine a little. I just love mine served warm .. the goeyness of the melted choc and the crispiness of the rice krispies .. it was just heaven!!

Tihani is 5 Today!

Today is Tihani's birthday. We were supposed to bring her to East Coast to cycle but it rained almost the whole day. So in the evening when the rained stopped, DH brought the kids down to cycle.

While they were downstairs, they shouted for me, and then I ran to the windows and saw Tihani on her bicycle with her sis, Auni riding pillion. I took hold of my camera and snapped pix of them.

The girls on the bicyle showing me the Peace sign ..

And this is especially for you ..

Tihani, wishing you a Happy 5th Birthday .. promise Mama you'll be a good girl k.

Post Tihani's Mini Bday Celebration

So I went to Tihani's kindy today. Tihani was definitely surprised to see me when we (DH, Auni and myself)walked in. Teacher Azizah played her part .. she kept mum about the whole thing from Tihani .. hehe

Let me share with you some pix taken at the kindy ..

Tihani's classmate singing her a bday song

Tihani blowing the candles

One for the camera babes and dudes

After school, we brought Tihani to have lunch at Marina .. that's the bday girl posing for the camera

We then went to Carrefour to get her a bike .. thanks Pa, for getting the bike for Tihani ..

Oh ya .. Tihani also received lots of other prezzies too ..

Thank you Teacher Azizah, Teacher Zai, Teacher An and Teacher Liza for the presents

Thanks Auntie Marie, Uncle Ding and Hashri boy for that nice top and that must have reversible bag and

Thanks Mama Ina, Baba Zul and Hannah B for that Barbie Doll set!

Tihani's Birthday Cupcakes

It is Tihani's birthday this Saturday. No plan for a big birthday bash for her this year so I decided that we do a mini one at her kindy.

It was gonna be a SURPRISE for her .. she hasnt the slightest idea about the mini celebration.

I called her teacher for permission and asked how many children are there in Tihani's class and how many teachers there would be.

Sis helped me with the goody bags and I made CUPCAKES for Tihani earlier.

Phew .. after many hours in the kitchen, baking the chocolate and strawberry cakes in souffle cups,



making the icing, icing the cakes and topping it off with sugar decor stuff, here were the outcome ..

cupcakes ..

and more ...

There you go .. the cupcakes which I made for Tihani to bring to her school later on.

I really hope Tihani will be surprise to see me there and to see the cuppies I made her! Wish me luck!

It was definitely an improvement I made from the cupcakes that I baked her last year .. ;-)

Creative Cuppies

I do not normally go out on my own on Sundays. Sundays has always been a day for me to spend time with my family but today was exceptional.

This afternoon, I attended a creative cupcakes class. It was a whole lot of fun. Learnt to make some cuppies and cream.

The best part of the class was when I got to try hands on icing and decorating the cuppies.

I really enjoyed myself thoroughly .. got my hands and my top all messed up with the cream and all.

Check out the cuppies that I decorated .. still an amateur at this .. but I guess I have got to start somewhere rite??

Dont laugh aite .. just gimme the encouragement .. please please please ..

So here they are ladies and gentlemen .. presenting m3rni3's amateurish iced and decorated cuppies ..

hearts cuppy

webbey flower cuppy

ladybug cuppy

drift cuppy

rosey cuppy

Here is one more .. I got another participant to ice the leaves for me coz I was really not confident with icing leaves.

Never mind the names I gave them cuppies, I was just being creative .. ermm .. more like being wacky .. hehehe

I iced and decorated a whole lot more cuppies but only managed to snap pix of the above!

Hmm .. my hands are itching to make cuppies .. I really wonder when .. soon I hope!

Devil's Food Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Swirl

Over the weekend, when I opened my kitchen cabinet trying to clear stuff, I realised my Devil's Food Cake premix was going to expire soon.

So today, after work, I decided to use the premix before it expires. I made Devil's Food Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Swirl. The cream cheese swirl came about after I read alot of Marbled Cheese Chocolate Cake that friends of mine made.

Ingredients

1 box devil's food cake mix
1 1/3 cups water (i used fresh milk instead)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs

Whisk all ingredients till well incorporated.

Cream Cheese Mix

125 gm cream cheese, softened
30 gm caster sugar
1/2 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Whisk all ingredients till well incorporated.

Method

Heat oven to 180C
Place paper cases in muffin tins and pour mixture 2/3 full.
Take a heap teaspoon of cream cheese mixture and put over the cake mixture and use a toothpick to make swirled effect.
Bake for about 25 mins or until a pick inserted comes out clean.

Turn out onto a rack to cool.

After baking earlier, I went to Mila's house to pass some things to her and I brought some of those freshly baked cakes for her to try. She said that it tasted nice .. Phew!! just when I thought that choc and cheese doesnt go together, it had definitely changed my mind after Mila's comments .. ;-)

Thanks Mila! .. you should try making them sometime yah!

An Order

Sometimes I wish, I would get cakes or muffins orders from people I know or do not know. I always dream of doing a small business selling muffins or cakes .. simple reason being, I love to bake!

The last I got an order was in Feb when a friend ordered some cookie gift packs to bring to her daughter's kindy for her daughter's bday.

Last week, I got an order for 30 pieces of Choc Chunk Banana Muffins and you couldnt imagine how delighted I was.

Here are some pix of the order ..

Fresh from the oven

Erm .. one for picture sake .. hehe

Muffins all packed in a box and ready to be delivered!

So this was my second order for this year and I hope there's gonna be more orders coming my way!

Food Glorious Food!

After work earlier, DH and I went to Bedok Corner to eat. We were joined by Mila, her hubby, her hubby's brother and her hubby brother's friend .. hehehe .. So that make 6 of us.

I really stuffed myself today. Hmm .. I always complain that I am fat and yet I stuffed myself with all the nice food Bedok Corner stalls serve .. hahaha

We had

Fresh Cockles Kuey Teow .. it was really nice .. kuey teow fried with soy sauce and a lil chilli .. and some sliced fishcakes, prawn and fresh cockles thrown in .. oohh how I love thee!

Sotong Kangkong .. this shop has been serving this for the longest time and it has of course its followers .. sotong, sliced tau pok, chopped pineapples served on a bed of blanched kangkong and topped with the sauce and peanuts .. walla. The last I ate that was before Bedok Corner underwent renovation.

Mutton Satay .. really sweet .. these skewered meat were really tasty .. really well marinated .. served with chopped cucumber, onions and peanut sauce.

Cockles .. just yummy .. I just ate it like that without any dipping sauce whatsoever.

Sambal Stingray .. seriously I love this one more than the ones at Newton .. but the rest of the guys prefer the ones at Newton though .. maybe becoz I do not really like spicy stuff and this one is not spicy at all .. suited me well ;-)

Oyster Sauce Baby Kailan .. yikes .. dont really like this one .. the ones at Newton is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy much better .. nothing beats the ones at Newton. And yah, nevermind the blurry picture .. it is not nice anyway .. hehe

Oh yah .. that is not all .. a meal is never complete without dessert .. ehehe .. Mila and I ate Peanut Rice Balls with Warm Soy Milk .. the rice balls were really smooth and the peanuts just simply melted in your mouth.

That's Mila and me .. NICE FOOD = HAPPY GIRLS .. hehehe .. ;-)

After having all those glorious food, we said our goodbyes and parted .. BURP .. oops sowee .. ;-P

Singapore Hotels
Title: Singapore Hotels
URL: http://www.hoteltravel.com/singapore/hotels.htm