Made from scratch

 Somehow making things from scratch is therapeutic. Made udon from scratch today for beef udon. 

 Though I wonder does this make it actually healthier since it is not processed or still the same cos it’s still carbs

 

Health and money

 Recently Bian and I started photosynthesis sessions to build up our vitamin D. 30mins every morning whenever we can. So far it’s been going well. We rarely skip unless we need to go out in the morning. 

Our lives were also toss upside down momentarily when he found out he got brvo - an eye stroke. Went to Farrer Park -> SNEC -> Mt E. I must say his ophthalmologist family fren has good bedside manners and all and sets the patient at ease. She recommended us to a neurologist who apparently treated LKY wife for stroke. So Bian did get pretty good medical care if you ask me. Anyway at the end of the day, thankfully the stroke happened at a location of little or no consequence. Just that Bian has to watch his diet more carefully now. Although after thinking through, we thought it might have been vaccine related. Anw no way to prove it also. 

Wish my money would grow faster and I can stop working lol. 

Random updates

I haven't been using my ringfit lately. Gym is also capped at 2 pax so really hard to use. Tried to run outdoors and was bitten by several insects. Gees, all the covid19 measures just make it harder to establish an exercise routine. But for now I'm back at swimming, although it leaves my hair in tangles. 

Been reading books by Khaled Hosseini on Kindle too. Feels like I have traveled to Afghan. 

Still interviewing for job with ESL. Can't believe it. Already been 2 months... Really taking their time with this heh. Actually better for me so I also never really chase. 

While I found many abc recipes I didn't actually try alot of them in the end. Tried a few that just didn't turn out that great. So I'm back to relying on the internet. Now I know how to look for great recipes. Those with few thousands who rated almost full marks. 

Going to try making pretzel. Hope it turns out good. 

So far my best recipe is still the apple pie, tuna bun and parmesan chicken 

I decided to put off kitchenaid purchase cos there are still loads I can do n explore without it. Plus it's really chunky. 

Shopping in my head

 seems like the ringfit is not as frequently utilized as I thought it would be. Well at least hub is using the exercise mat daily. 

So far the best buy is still kindle. I suppose that's because I get new books every now and then. 

Occasionally I think of buying kitchenaid with that pasta attachment. Actually when I think back, I didn't even do all the ABC recipes that I found. Probably because not all are good anyway 

More things I bought

 I just bought ringfit adventure and exercise mat. Considering that I have thought about buying this since last year CB, I Guess u can’t count it as an impulse buy. It’s not cheap. Everything adds to abt 143. 

But I’m going to exercise!!

So far I’ve also baked curry cheese onion bread and maple zopf. Both are a bit dense. Wonder how I can make them softer ... maybe incorporate tangzong method. 

Reflection and goals

Time for some goals again. Although not sure whether having these goals are necessary. I should say they are not really goals but rather what I want to achieve. It would be good to look back from time to time and see how my priorities have changed. I should name it instead as things I would do if I had all the money and time in the world hahaha. 

Here goes! Not in order of importance:

1. Grade 8 clarinet exam by next year. I'm already doing the pieces but obviously not exam standard yet. Been dragging this for years. sometimes I wonder why do I want to give myself such stress? I'm thinking one day if I want to join some band (maybe community band) I can do so more easily with a certificate? And after all I have learnt this for so many years, I want a piece of paper to commemorate it. 

2. Learn tennis again 

3. Swim 4x a week (get fit!) - no fatty belly. My toned arms n body. 

4. Baking/cooking. I felt so proud that I manage to plough through the internet for free ABC cooking studio recipes. I'm going to try them and improve my baking! It's much cheaper than signing up a course. Auntie me feels proud of myself for saving the $$

5. Read 2 books a month. I wanna spend time to read proper books because the internet is filled with so much trash. 

Things I wanna buy and hopefully I get a good deal 

1. Watch for swimming 

2. Exercise mat (that expensive gorilla mat looks so good) 

3. Kitchenaid mixer

4. Refurbish my old clarinet 

5. New tennis racquet 

Things I bought recently

1. Zojirushi rice cooker (got it at like $80 brand new from carousel. Retail at $180). The old mistral rice cooker can't keep the rice warm without hardening it. 

2. New adidas sneakers for work ($69) (thanks hub for buying them for me!). I bought the kids version so it was slightly cheaper. Anyway it's all the same. My previous one lasted about 4 yrs and had holes on the side and back and both sides did a crocodile split on a rainy day. I had to call darling to pick me up. It was bad. Hehe 

3. Kindle - that was quite a while back. But totally worth it because of the number of books I've read to date! 

4. Containers to make my pantry look nicer

Gateau Au Chocolat (ABC Cooking Class)

Gateau Au Chocolat (ABC Cooking Class)

Total time: 60 mins (40 minutes baking time) 

15cm cake

Ingredients:

85g Milk chocolate (bar / buttons) or 65g milk 20g dark

65g unsalted butter 

25g Cocoa powder 

8g cake flour 

2 egg yolks 

12.6g caster sugar 

2 egg whites 

40g caster sugar 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160 deg Celcius 

2. Using a bain-marie, melt down the milk chocolate and butter. Alternatively, use a microwave, ensuring the chocolate does not overheat. (50 to 60 deg C)

3. Sieve the cocoa powder and cake flour, twice. 

4. Whisk the 2 egg yolks with the 1tbsp of sugar til frothy and white/ light cream in colour. 

5. Whisk the 2 egg whites til it looks like beer foam. Put in 1/2 of the sugar (20g) and whisk til soft peaks. Put in the rest of the sugar (20g) and whisk til stiff peaks. 

6. When the chocolate-butter mixture is slightly cool, fold in the cocoa-flour mix. 

7. Add the whisked egg yolks to the mixture by folding in gently. 

8. Add 1/3 of the whisked egg whites (meringue) to the mixture and fold in gently. Add another 1/3 and fold in gently. Finally add the last 1/3 and fold in gently, ensuring batter is well-mixed. 

9. Fill 15cm cake tin and bake for 40 minutes at 160deg Celcius. 

10. Set on a cooling rack to cool. Sprinkle / sieve icing sugar to decorate.  

Stressed

Not sure since when the drive to work disappeared. Yet I feel so stressed, fearful that I’m not able to perform.

Just wanna go on a holiday!

geylang serai bazaar

I love the geylang serai bazaar!
they have all the super creative hipster food and fun things like claw machines! And the food is delicious.
These are times when i think i can be a malay haha. just kidding. But this kind of bazaar just makes me want to live in eunos, even though it happens only once a year. totally irrational...

Even chinatown during chinese new year also not as cool. SG should set up christmas market!

miss the christmas market in UK.

Happy wedding anniversary -1

Most people celebrate how many years they have been married. Ours is -1. We are officially 1 year away from our wedding! Im prob a lot less excited now than before. It's a good thing actually cos i cant handle that much excitement. More excited about our future house. And also because we have been going to so many wedding showcases for the free food that the excitement kind of wears off. Weight has not moved much at all... zzz

Most days are good although we have our disagreements.

Job wise, getting more unstable by the day.

Dad resigned. Not sure how he gonna survive on that meagre amount but shall see.

sigh

the chase and the talk of money just makes one unhappy

couples should talk things out. but what if it always makes me unhappy?

Dieting is so hard

Dieting is so hard. Weight loss is also so hard. I've been exercising but havent seen any results. Arghhh. How to lose 10kg leh.
 : (

Buyer's remorse?

Still trying to convince myself that FRF is the right choice. I mean it looks prettier la but lack privacy. But on hindsight, maybe should have been more prudent and gone for Carlton due to number of tables... oh well 

Then again, this is already the smallest wedding i ever attended. Lol so i should just cut myself some slack

More about wedding

Just finalised the wedding banquet at Furama Riverfront hotel few days ago. Many people commented this was the earliest save the date they have ever received considering that we are more than one year away from the AD. Well that's due to xx and my personality. We are both planners, just that he is much more organised than me. 

Like honestly, I don't know how people hit 30 tables or even more? I'm just settling for 12 and I already think it is difficult. The problem is I have so many relatives but doesn't mean all will turn up right? But later if I book the venue too small, all turn up how? cannot reject also mah. But I guess 12 is ok. Loogi a bit also bobian. The first morning that I woke up realising I need to individually invite my relatives, I thought I should have just eloped. but too late for regrets now. 

These days weekends are all used for househunting, wedding showcase, tuition. very busy. 

My resolve to lose weight is non-existent. I would eat yong tau foo few days and then give up, pontang gym sessions. Sighh, i need to lose my tum tum and also try and fit into my fren's gown. Hopefully, then I can save money on the gown also. 

Back to FRF hotel, it is actually a very special hotel to me. I worked there for 2 days before and quit. LOL. Back when I was in st nicks, there was a job shadowing programme to do waitressing. Hated it. But now i'm back as a guest/client. I have come full circle! 

I did a photobook for xx supposedly for his bday for our NZ trip. He liked it. But i'm so lazy to do the second photobook and it's expiring by end of Mar. 

lost in the wedding journey

Been reading so many dayre, blogs, forums, websites about wedding planning and stuff. So hard to cut costs from wedding. thinking whether should i just cut down to one wedding gown instead of having wedding gown and evening gown? two gowns still need to change in and out which can be stressful. But aiya is the evening gown that look nicer usually. Then again, wear the gown so tight and uncomfortable, may not be able to play clarinet also. At the end of the day, it is few hundreds for each gown. Few hundreds can go holiday. So expensive, but if i dont wear now, may not have chance to wear anymore. Then again, it is so not me. I dont even buy new year dresses. Later I sacrifice liao, next time I strike big and become rich, also cannot relive this moment leh. 😕

So far for hotel, we really like the peranakan room at Katong village hotel. Plus price is right. Just glad that xx is doing all the hotel comparisons hehehe. I read a lot of blogs, guys are usually very hands-off and stuff, and usually is the girl planning the whole thing alone. Then look like the guy not interested, then the girl gets upset. I even thought of not having it at hotel to save money, but hmm.., hotel does seem easier. Especially for my large group of maternal relatives, maybe they are more traditional.

oh well, still considered happy problems 😁

Wedding plans

When i see facebook posts during cny, ironically i feel happy that i didn't have to spend money on new clothes. I guess after all these years i still dont care about new clothes. A waste of money for a one day affair if u ask me. Then again, wedding too is a one day affair. Which explains why i am struggling so much. Im trying to be logical and keep it cheap but theres a part of me that just want this and that. Like i got totally sold on chris ling pws when i attended this sales talk by zwedding. The photos look really nice. Theres been a lot of soul searching what is impt to me so that i know what to cut out without feeling a sense of loss. Ultimately i need to balance financials for my house n retirement n kids n travel lol. With the big picture in mind, i need to be mindful of my wedding expenditure.

Im willing to forgo things like bridesmaid dresses, gatecrash, tea ceremony, engagement ring, invitation cards, wedding favors. Im proud that my wedding band is just $300 each.  I shudder when i think about couples who rent a convertible just for wedding. But to each his or her own. Im still thinking about AD video. I also wan a pretty gown and so far zwedding gowns do look wonderful but aiya zwedding considered quite ex. Then i think to myself i have worked so hard for the last few years, i shudnt be so stingy to give myself a memorable day. Then again how does one compare this one day to say a trip to nepal for ABC trekking or a family trip. Few thousands can go for a week holiday lor. Few thousands can also make the house that im going to look at everyday nicer. Thats why it is so hard right. Main point is i want to only spend on things that truly matter to me. It is not about being budget all the way, but being selective about what i want and spend accordingly.

Journey to marriage

This journey is a busy but a happy one. Weekends are now filled with visiting wedding showcases, showflats for new launches and resale flats. I reckon im going to be busy for the next few years of my life. I get pretty anal about having the best deal and all. Thankful for xx to be so involved in this and scheduling all the events. Not many guys are so involved i guess. I also took up tuition to help towards funding my house. Housing is so costly! But i guess it is good we start early now. Apparently theres so much to plan and do!

Snowskin durian mooncake

7 pieces

131g kou fen
119g icing sugar

Sieve the above

130ml cold water - add coloring

30g shortening
120g durian

30g dough per piece of mini mooncake. Wrap 23g durian in dough

Leaving big 4

It is strange how when i was in big 4 i felt the people who quit left too soon and the prospects cant be better than staying in big4. Yet after i left big 4, i pity the people who still remain in it, not daring to take that leap out as work life is so much better

Nintendo switch

Life is good. Praise god. Sometimes i wish life would come to a standstill. Work is kind of chill plus pay is pretty comfy. Well at least for my level of experience. To be honest im kinda slack compared to my days back in kpmg.

I even have time to play nintendo switch so that's something.

Met up with a couple ex kp colleagues and heard a few want to go back to kp to work after a short while of trying commercial. I cant imagine that. Must be horrifying

Going bkk this weekend!