Am I there yet?

I must say that it has been a fairly decent week so far... I've learnt a couple of things that positions me in my current stage of life. That is, I am too old to know who the One Direction boys were or want to marry them...like these girls did:


But I was also not yet at the stage of my life where I could name the character this one year old's cake was based upon. Or why it's left wing looked unfinished.



So where does that leave me?
I am part of the social media whirlwind, trawling beauty, fashion and lifestyle blogs on a regular basis, pondering what are my next lusthaves or what new recipe I'd add to my bag of tricks next, building my arsenal for when I become Supermum one day.

Just an aside, my brother-in-law nudged Mr. HEA yesterday about children, pointing out that I was getting really clucky... Am I that obvious? Ah well, might have been that my crazy chasing after the cute little ones and attempt kidnaps of the one year olds at the party have been slightly misconstrued.

What I'd more rather do is pick up the next hot deal guilt free from spending their college funds, like how the #pricelinelovesrevlon hash tag drove me to buy three peach parfaits and one pink truffle on a whim.



I mean, the peach parfaits are practically gloss, and a girl's always gonna have to have gloss. Check out the swatch below:





The pink truffle on the other hand is my new found alternative to Chanel's Boy. Just as luxe in feel and colour, even more long lasting without a liner than the Chanel, I imagine it is a strong contender and have since sensibly put aside my Chanel pout for a Revlon one.






So here's the other part which works great when you're a DINK, when faced with a decision of buying another one of those lipsticks in order to get my claws on the Priceline Beauty Bag, the answer was Yes Please. Even if it meant a massive giveaway to my girlfriends over What'sapp that night:



and then another one including a cull of my own samples beauty bag the next day for some Friday the thirteenth fun at work:



Hmmmph, it's a good life at the moment, my attention in my private life only being shared between my gorgeous readers, followers and Mr. HEA. And being able to chase chuckling toddlers around and then handing them back overstimulated to their parents so that they can do the mundane stuff like putting them to bed and changing nappies.

And then jetting off to Melbourne the night of the Logies, for a day of coffee, chocolate, shopping and celebrity spotting... Hope I gather enough to post about next!

What I'd rather be doing

I am sure most people are familiar with that feeling.

Today at work we get an email soliciting a volunteer actress for a training video about risk. The attached script named the part as Chris, and I thought, well, interesting they are only looking for females as this could be a gender-neutral role. Until I read further down. The scene is about a female boss who lunches and leisures and leaves her trusted staff to run her business with no acumen to put in any check points over cash withdrawals made by staff.

Hrrrrmmph... Why did Chris need to be a woman? After my initial wave of anger bubbled in me and then subsided, the inner diva in me from high school drama classes began to mentally act out the part of Chris.

I'd have immaculate makeup, bouncy well styled curls, carry my designer bag (oooh fun I get to choose which one I'd showcase) and oh my nails will of course be manicured with my favorite colour of the moment: O.P.I's Hong Kong Sunrise Source: makeupalley

Oh but I'd need to shape up, so that my bum will look good in the tight pencil skirt I will be wearing. I'd need to do a few songs on Kinect's Dance Central 2 (which I have not turned on since my post Xmas workout btw) and burn some unnecessary calories that way.

 

Then reality crashed and I realized with my current role they'd never allow me the time to run off to do another training shoot (even though I did get my last volunteer video shot within only three takes the last time). Plus who has time to get manicures and dancercise when one has to cook and do laundry?


So I very quickly crashed back down to reality. You know what else is reality but I am denying vehemently? That indian summer isn't coming. It is blistering cold outside. I haven't fully given in though. Even though I caved and put on stockings, and changed my bag to one that will fit over my  jacketted-shoulder I am still boldly sporting my Nine west cotton shawl.

OOTD

Tagged Again and Awarded

I have been humbled again. It's enough to know that I have friends in the blogger community but that they would think of me, now, that's something I never expected and am very thankful for.

So 2 weeks ago, Fey from The Bombshell Next Door tagged me and last night, Mallhaciel, The High Queen of the Elves *wink* awarded me with the Versatile Blogger Award and because some of the things you have to do for both are quite similar, I thought I'd combine them here and make for one big post about my journey and me.

The rules of the Versatile Blogger Award are:

1. Add the Versatile Award photo on a blog post
2. Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to them in your post. THANK YOU JEN! What an honour that you considered me!
3. Share 7 things about yourself. This will be combined with my tag requirements
4. Nominate 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly for the Versatile Blogger Award.
5. Contact the chosen bloggers to let them know about the award.

The tag Rules

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves on their blog.
2. Post small photo of person who tagged you with a link to their blog

 Isn't Fey just Gorgeous?

3. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you plus eleven questions for the people you have tagged to answer

4. Choose eleven people and link them in your tag

5. Go to their page and tell them

6. No tag backs

7. You legitimately have to tag

11 Things about my relationship with S aka Mr. HEA that forms the basis of this blog mostly (also because I have already posted about myself before)

1. I have been with the Husband for 9.5 years today! Dating for nine and married for half a year already
2. We met in Uni in First year and revisited the campus to take our Engagement shoot
3. We both like our toilet rolls coming from the top and our clothes facing the right which makes it two less things to annoy each other about when living together.
4. We actually lived in the same suburb once when we were eleven, which is incredible as we were in different countries. S was visiting a family friend for a whole month for summer and that was the year I moved into our family house in KL which happened to be in the same suburb!
5. The picture in the header features our cake topper, chosen because S loves his Xbox and Superman. What people don't realise is I actually have a good go playing Kinect with him and that I love watching him play games with stories, like Gears of War, Mass Effect or Uncharted ( I know this is a PS3 game) and this is something that creeps into our normal conversations over dinner. "So Mordin the Salarian died in the game. He sacrificed his life to cure the genophage." And I totally get what he is talking about.
6. I had a random dream of our wedding a good few years ago and that at our wedding, S's Best Man will meet and fall in love with one of my cousins. Funny thing was, she did visit during the wedding, but they never spoke and the Best Man still hasn't forgiven me for not introducing them.
7. So S has one brother who married a girl who only has a younger brother, very similar dynamics to me, which got me to thinking, our children as well as his brother's children will never have an Ah Yi (Mum's sister) or a Gu Ma (Dad's sister), the concept of which is kind of wierd to me.
8. I burnt garlic bread once and the Husband still thinks until today that I am crap with the oven. No other meal no matter how fabulous seem to be able to redeem me.
9. S and I love brunch together on weekends.
10. I am very particular with how my husband behaves in front of my family. All rules that applied to me when I was a kid and living at home now applies to him when we are back home. Poor Hubby got woken up as soon as someone else in the family stirs. Woe betides us if we ever slept in longer than an elder. I drive him insane with these arbitrary Asian rules.
11. One day I let out a huge sigh in the midst of a Twillight book and asked S, "Why can't you be Ed Cullen?" and without hesitation, he replied "Why can't you be Beyonce?"

Questions from Fey

1. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be, and why? I always dreamt of spending time in a cottage in Tuscany with my husband because its rustic, full of charm and the people are warm if you remain ernest and open.
2. What is your favorite lipstick? Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy
3. What is your favorite perfume? Viktor Rolf's Flowerbomb
4. If you were to walk out of your house, and could only put one cosmetic product on what would it be?.

BRTC BB Cream with SPF50. Makes me look ghastly in pictures but as my colleagues tell me, my skin will be thanking me for it later on.
5. Do you work out in the gym or at home? I actually never go to the gym. I do a lot of chores around the house and occasionally go for long walks with the Husband
6. When it comes to fitness and staying in shape what do you find is your biggest challenge? Cutting out carbs, does that count?
7. What's the first thing you check out on a man when you meet him? His eyes
8. What is your biggest turn off when it comes to men? Tucked in T-shirts and Polo Tees. *shudder*
9. If you could go on a date with a famous celebrity who would it be? Just to make my husband jealous, Beyonce Knowles
10. What's your night skin care routine like? I cleanse with Shiseido's Extra Gentle Cleansing foam, tone and revitalise with SK II toner and essence, slap on eye cream of the moment and Oil of Olay on the rest of the face and neck.
11. If you won a Million dollars in the Lottery tonight, what would be the three first things you would do with the money? I'd go with the Husband to Europe, buy myself a Chanel bag and then pay off our house's mortgage. 
 

So here is the twist. I am combining the two rules. I am awarding 15 people and on top of the Blog Award duties, they are going to have to answer my 11 questions. Or if they have already been tagged, or been given the award, then they can just answer my questions.

My Questions:

1. What is your song?

2. What must you pack with you when going away for the weekend?

3. Best Pickup line you've ever heard?

4. What's your Favourite Indulgence and does your partner know about it?

5. So you're in the final rounds of a beauty pageant and you are asked, "If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?" What would you say?

6. If you had to bring a dish to a dinner party and you really want to impress, what would you make to bring?

7. What's one beauty tip do you swear by and will pass on?

8. How old were you when you found out where babies came from?

9. Which is your favourite spot in the house?

10. Best Party you've ever attended?

11. If a genie granted you three wishes, what would you wish for?

And here's my 15 Versatile Blogger nominees:

Btw...I follow a great many other great blogs, but I know they either have already been tagged with me, or I am too shy to award them cause I don't know if they would respond.

1. MrsB at The Wifey Chronicles

2. kerker at !♥ The Ugly Moments

3. Miss Directions at Miss Directions

4. Lauren at Sugar and Spice

5. Fey at The Bombshell Next Door

6. Little black sheep at Tiny Little Bubbles

7. Jorji at It Feels Like Home

8. K at Almost Mrs Who?

9. Lilian Harlow at Lilian Harlow

10. cevapa at One step @ a time

11. Z at Lovely Jublies

12. Krystle C.at F-Words: Profanity-free thoughts

13. Emily at Emily's Anthology

14. Mrs C at http://mrsjackofalltradesdaily.blogspot.com/

15. KittyCate at All Cats are Grey at Night

All you lovely ladies work hard at your blog posts and I have been inspired by your posts at certain points to improve my lifestyle/ cooking/ fashion sense somehow, sometime. So keep up the beautiful posts and I look forward to many more to come!

 

Quick Apple Pies - Three Ways

Before my brother left, he bought about half a dozen of massive fuji apples and never finished eating them despite my nagging him to have an apple a day. So staring at the apples this weekend and knowing that he won't be back to claim them, I really began to miss him.

One of the memories I have of when he first came to live with me, was his claim that he made the best apple pie in his church back in Glen Waverley which spurred him on to buy all the ingredients necessary to build an apple pie from scratch. But I never got to taste this acclaimed apple pie.

So on a Good Friday morning, I picked up one apple and began peeling.

I  decided to use this Simple apple pie recipe and make it suit the 5 apples I had at my disposal.

Ingredients:

• 1 (6 sheets) package puff pastry
• 5 apples
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 beaten egg

Method:

1. Thaw puff pastry according to directions on package.
2. Peel, core and chop apples up coarsely.

 

3. Combine apples with sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg.

4. Heat oven to 180°C.

5. Flour surface lightly

6. Cut pastry sheet into nine squares.Place approximately 2 heaped tsps apple mixture on one square, Score parallel lines in the middle of another square making sure you stop at least 1-2 cm from each side. Place scored second pastry square on the top of the already filled pastry to form a pocket. Press down border with fingers to seal and then press with fork to decorate the edges.

Or if you fancy a more rustic looking design:

6. Cut pastry sheet with a large circle cookie cutter, or like in my case, I traced mine with a martini glass. Place approximately 2 heaped tsps apple mixture in the middle of one, With the ends of the pastry sheets after cutting out the circles, I rolled them flat and then cut out strips the length of the circle's diameter. Arrange the strips on the top of the already filled pastry to form a latticed pocket. Press down border with fingers to seal and then press with fork to decorate the edges.

Or when you have done the first design and realised that cutting nine squares means you are always left with one odd square, you can fold it into a triangle puff with 1 heaped teaspoon of filling inside and crimp the edges to prevent spillage.

7. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and give each one an egg wash.
8. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden.

There you have it. Individual Apple Pies - Three ways:

One pot wonder

Whilst walking through the grocer's picking up some of my favorite vegetables, I saw this Korean brand of tofu, Cho Dang. I hadn't seen it for a good many years now and it brought back memories of an Easter trip we made many years ago where I met A, one of the most talented and messiest cooks I had ever encountered. She made this Curry on our stay there and even though she used Malaysian curry paste, the curry turned out with Thai flavors and was really delicious. The most memorable thing for me was that she had put this Cho Dang tofu into the curry and I had never had white tofu on curry before that!

We normally would put tofu puffs, but sliced white tofu... With A's recipe though, the sour tang from the curry latches onto the smooth tofu, and this particular brand had a bite to it which I adored.
So when hit with sudden cravings for A's curry I just broke all desperate housewife rules and made this one pot wonder (all your proteins and three vegs in one pot) for Monday night's dinner.

Preparation time including chopping: 1.5 hours
Serves 2 very hungry adults

Ingredients:
1.5 cups of steamed rice (To serve)
1/3 cup loosely packed chopped coriander, include roots if you have it
1 shallot diced
3 cloves garlic diced
1 litre stock
2/3 cups red curry paste. I used a Malaysian meat curry powder instead.
100ml coconut cream
1 tsp of tamarind purée
1 tsp of lime juice
1tbsp soy sauce
1tbsp fish sauce (A was very particular about the fish sauce. I was pretty Devo when I found out we had run out so had to use more soy sauce to balance out the flavours instead)
300g meat of choice: I used lean rump beef, diced
100g of sliced Cho Dang tofu
Three vegetables of choice: popular choices include potato, eggplant, carrot, tomatoes, beans...I used roasted sweet potatoes so that it is already soft, capsicum and okra, sliced into rather large pieces as I didn't want them to dissolve into the curry.

To Garnish:
Coriander leaves
Fried shallots

Method:

1) Heat a tbsp of vegetable oil on high heat in a heavy based pot. Fry the coriander stalks and root, shallots and garlic until fragrant.

2) Add curry powder mixed with 2 tbsp of stock to form a paste and mix them all up and add to the herbs to fry.

3) Add meat to brown in the Curry Paste Mix.

4) Add Coconut Cream and vegetables that you want to soften (I put in capsicum first then okra about 5 minutes later) If the curry gets too hot/start to dry up, you slowly add the stock, just 1.3 cup each time and you can now add the coriander leaves, tamarind, fish sauce, soy sauce and lime juice and begin balancing out the flavours. I added the soft potato and tofu after the flavour of the curry is right and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes on a lower heat before I began to spoon the curry into a serving bowl.

5) You can garnish with the remaining coriander leaves and the dried shallots. I even put some on the rice just to make it look nicer.

 And then, 'Makan!' Is how our Malaysian friends would encourage you to dig in!

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