my foodie christmas wish list. =)

1. the pioneer woman cooks: recipes from an accidental country girl

by ree drummond

my all time favourite blogger finally wrote a cookbook which i've been lusting for some time now. i can finally smell the book making its way into my arms, thank you lulu for the birthday prezzie! =) [checked!]

2. the man who ate everything

by jeffrey steingarten

i've heard about this award winning book but had held off buying it for the longest time because it costs over forty bucks in singapore. recently bought it in kl for half the price! extremely excited to begin on it! [checked!]

3. cuisinart 2-lb bread maker

figured since i love bread so much i should learn to bake my own, minus the fuss! this one by cuisinart looks so metallic and macho it's sexy! i'll get it... someday.

4. the sweet life in paris

by david lebovitz

part cookbook, part memoir and part guidebook, it speaks about lebovitz's experience in paris when he decided to move to the city of love following his partner's death. paris, france, not just any food but french food, what's there not to want?

5. jamie magazine

by jamie oliver

picked up a copy of the magazine at oriole cafe and i was hooked. jamie oliver was the very guy who got me interested in cooking, going way back during my secondary school days when i'd get to watch his shows on channel 5. gave myself a birthday treat and bought a year's subscription, though it kind of burnt a hole in my wallet! [checked!]

6. dvd of julie & julia

freshly added to chian's-must-watch-movies list is julie & julia, with meryl streep as famed real-life chef julia child, and amy adams as julie powell, who took on the challenge to finish every recipe (524 to be exact) in julia child's first book within a year. a combination of the parisian setting, food theme and love stories amongst the characters makes this movie an absolute winner. as you can see, i've already watched it, but such great movies ought to be bought and kept!

7. mastering the art of french cooking

by julia child

only because the movie impressed me so much that i need to own a copy of julia child's cookbook too. heh!

8. shake aun koh's hands

although chubby hubby's blog may be a little too commercialised at times, he's still one of my all-time favourite food bloggers (and a singaporean one at that) because of his excellent photography skills, writing and love for food. from cooking in his stylish kitchen, conceptualising restaurants, reviewing hotels to interviewing chefs from all over the world, he's doing everything i love, for a living. it'd be nice to be able to meet him in person. =)

9. have breakfast at bills, sydney

i'll always remember watching bill's tv program and admiring his amazing white-themed kitchen right beside the sparkling blue aussie beaches. known for serving one of the best scrambled eggs around, i definitely have to visit his cafe if i ever travel down under.

10. attend a course at le cordon bleu

take time off work and pay tens of thousands of dollars to be a professional culinary student, that shall be my long term aspiration waiting to be fulfilled in future!

so there you go, my foodie christmas list in its full glory. of course, there're still many other wish lists according to categories... like shoes, bags, cars, boys.. kidding! what's your christmas wish list like? =)

i wanna be a Supercook!

just discovered an awesome website called Supercook from Time's 50 Best Websites 2009, where you can just enter the ingredients available in your kitchen and it will automatically generate the relevant recipes needed to whip up a meal. is this brilliant or what? extremely user friendly, it's quite fun to play around with even if one has no plans to cook.

then again, i get excited at the mere mention of food. =)

cubicle rat.

i really love wan jun's sense of humour. =D

credit: ms lee wan jun, the maker of funny charts

flowers for each season.

Today, I find myself running in the opposite direction of one of the best gifts from God.

Ironically, this is the decision that I have came to in peace, and at peace, with myself.

Perhaps I really do have to go through this journey and experience the so called “growing pains”, before I can truly exclaim “this is what I really want”.

Through it all, I’m just going to trust in the Lord that whatever is lost, will be restored with not just a double portion but hundred-fold blessings at the end.

thank you for everything.
thank You for everything.

when i find me.

song of the moment.

this song never fails to lift me up every single time i listen to it, gives me a bounce in my steps! =)

The Desert Song - Hillsong United

This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame

I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain

I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

And this is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I receive I will sow

memento.

They say that reaching the age of 21 means being given the key to freedom, it's the age where life as an adult truly begins.

It’s been two years since I turned 21, but it feels longer than that. In between, I was blessed with the chance to experience living abroad in a country I couldn’t have chosen better, suffered a major heart break, got closer to a whole bunch of friends who happened to be in the same season of life as I was, ventured into a new sport, lost some of the fats that’d been with me since a mighty age of three, saw my mum through a career change after 27 years with the same company, and more recently, finally completed 18 years of education. Applying for jobs and deciding on my career path was another big decision to make, and I’m very thankful to be blessed with such an exciting opportunity ahead. These two years have been, I daresay, filled with occasions more momentous than my whole life put together.

Commencement is only 2 days away, and what lies after is yet another milestone in life waiting to be experienced. There are many unknowns, infinite possibilities, but one thing’s for sure – I know that it’s going to be good, because You are in it with me.