Breakfast at IKEA is cheap and nice! 99p for an english breakfast - bacon, ham, egg... can't remmeber what else there was since i put off writing this for so long. haha.. i got a scolding for not eating the right way. i'm supposed to hold the fork pointing down, then use the knife to push the food onto the fork and put it into my mouth. believe me, i tried. the food just won't stay up!! i still think it's easier to shovel with the fork, but of course, that's so american. not that i mind, but well, the rules of ettiquette dictate otherwise.
next, we took a walk up the north downs.
saw some blackberries along the way. you can just pick it and eat it. tasted sweet! it's originally red, then it will turn into black when it ripens. be careful what you pick though, not all are edible.
finally! the top.. the view was good. the wind refreshing. the cow dung abundant.
from afar, i thought they looked like bears. here they are... the hairy coos..
such affectionate creatures..
we went out to eat once, since there was an irresistable offer at toby's. 5 pounds for carvery, buffet vege, and desert.
here it is: gammon, roast beef, yorkshire pudding, root vege like parsnip, turnip, brocolli, cauliflower in cheese, turkey stuffing, cranberry sauce, french mustard (for the beef), apple sauce (for the gammon), beef sauce, roasted potatoes, and mashed potato.
and of course, ice cream with butterscotch! this was really delicious..^^
most of the other times, we cleaned out my aunt's well-stocked freezer.
here's a sample of the various food i ate over the weekend. and this list is not even complete.
chocolate cake with latte
paella with mooli and cucumber
ham roll
thai salad
each meal was set nicely on trays - rice with curry chicken, roast lamb with mint sauce, thai salad and roast sweet potatoes. 
healthier snack - cut down on pringles (texas bbq flavour. love it!) with lots of healthy unsalted nuts. raisins too i think. 
pitta bread with humous and beef rendang. Some helpful hints on survival:
1. get dryer balls from pound shop - makes your clothes dry faster in the dryer. haven't managed to find any here though.
2. buy a wonder cooker - you can fry anything without getting splashed on with hot oil and having to clean up your kitchen afterwards. again, couldn't manage to find it in any pound shop.
3. get some hot packs for winter - boil it and it's nice and warm. when it cools down, press it and some chemical reaction will take place inside, giving you warmth for another few hours.
4. making bed is not as easy here. there are numerous sheets and rules.
5. washing dishes are not easy too. the water must be very hot! wear gloves. dry dishes after that.
6. after using the bathroom, clean it until sparkling. or else...
7. want warm boots? check out Sorel. quite an expensive brand though.
8. want to keep from catching a cold in winter? blow dry hair after washing. and keep your head covered. but gosh.. i so don't like to wear a hat.
9. fish + tartar sauce. beef + horse radish. Ham + cranberry sauce. Lamb + mint sauce. Pork + apple sauce. me? i just eat everything with chilli sauce. simple right? i love the mint sauce though. very nice. can be bought from... saintsburry i think.
10. NHS really is cool. i went to a NHS walk-in clinic for free. had to wait ages though. and i was seen by a nurse prescriber. still, it's better than making an appointment and waiting weeks for your turn. at the pharmacy, just tell them you are registered with the HC2 form and you can get the medication for FREE! flucloxacillin doesn't go well with me though. i got most of the side effects. it does wear off after a few days. now i feel more empathy for the patients whom i always counselled so flippantly: you might get these side effects, but don't worry, it will wear off after a few days. gah.. try feeling nauseous and having GI disturbances and rashes for a few days. even i am so tempted to be non-compliant.
some recipes:
WHACKY CAKE: FROM HEART FOUNDATION
(for people with diabetes or heart problems)
sieve onto grease-proof paper:
1. 1.5 cup plain flour
2. 1 cup sugar
3. 1/4 cup cocoa
4. 1 teaspoon baking soda
5. sieve onto 8" x 8" baking pan
6. make 3 holes in the flour mixture - Hole 1 (1 tbsp vinegar), Hole 2 (1 tsp vanilla), Hole 3 (6 tbsp sunflower oil)
7. add 1 cup water over it
8. stir with a fork. check corners
9. bake for 175 degrees for 30 mins
KIM CHI
1. cut chinese cabbage, sprinkle with salt
2. after a while, wash. squeeze dry.
3. add minced onions, garlic, ginger, paprika powder, chilli powder, sugar --> mix well.
4. keep in glass jar.
CURRY IN SLOW COOKER
1. 'tum' in oil: garlic, lots of onion, curry powder, coconut milk, tumeric, paprika, (optional: chicken stock/salt). use more oil, make sure oil separate from rempah before adding coconut milk.
2. add into slow cooker with chicken for 6 hours.
3. if don't want coconut milk, put assam instead.
CLAYPOT CHICKEN RICE
cook rice. when boiling, add chicken/lap cheong + black sauce + ginger. keep warm 30 minutes before lifting up lid
BEE HOON
fry beehoon + garlic + light and dark soy sauce + sugar
fry cabbage/cauliflower
fry chicken/pork in dark and light soy sauce
eat with aubergine or shallots.
MOOLI
cut white radish into strips. sprinkle with salt. leave for 3 minutes. wash in cold water, squeeze. put white sugar and vinegar (cane vinegar)
CUCUMBER
- can be eaten in sandwich/salad, with fish+carrot+peanuts..
cut into strips. put salt 2 minutes. wash, squeeze. add vinegar, sugar, red chilli sliced thinly. mix all together.
THAI SEASONING
add white/brown sugar 1/3 of the bottle, add fish sauce 1/3 of sugar, add lemon juice to taste, add garlic, ginger, coriander, chilli.
THAI SALAD
soak tang hoon in hot water for 10 minutes. wash in cold water, dry using sieve.
add raw carrot/cucumber, onions, thai sauce, fish sauce, sugar, coriander, peanut, prawns, shallots, sesame seed, mooli, cucumber pickle.
HUMOUS (LEBANESE)
open chick pea can, wash, sieve, mash.
1 tin: 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice/half a big lemon, a bit of salt --> mix all together.
can be eaten with pitta bread/sandwich
drizzle with sauce. put paprika on top/sesame seeds.
ROAST PORK SALAD
pork - steam/cut
add carrot, onions, spring onions, thai sauce, peanut, coriander
PAELLA
fry chicken - semi-cooked
'tum' garlic, onion, carrot, lap cheong, peppers, tomatoes, kunyit/tumeric powder 1 tsp, add water + chicken stock. boil till carrot soft. add rice (don't stir anymore after add rice. if starch broken will become sticky!). drop in chicken, mussels, frozen peas, pork. cover until look like rice. can be eaten with pickle, mooli, aubergine..
OAT PORRIDGE
4 tbsp oat (taste good brand), add hot water until cover top, microwave 2-3 minutes, add 2 tsp brown sugar, add lecithin, add toasted sesame seed.
RICE IN MICROWAVE
1 cup rice + water:
microwave 7 min
stir
microwave 5 min
ROAST SWEET POTATO
roast sweet potato + garlic + onion + ginger
CHICKEN RICE (bai zhan ji)
Chicken
boil water. must be enough to cover chicken. add ginger (one finger segment long), spring onion, star anise 2 or 3, pepper (black and coarse). drop chicken in and boil for 7 min. turn, boil 7 minutes. turn back, boil 3 min. cover, off flame, leave for half an hour. cut up and serve
1. get dryer balls from pound shop - makes your clothes dry faster in the dryer. haven't managed to find any here though.
2. buy a wonder cooker - you can fry anything without getting splashed on with hot oil and having to clean up your kitchen afterwards. again, couldn't manage to find it in any pound shop.
3. get some hot packs for winter - boil it and it's nice and warm. when it cools down, press it and some chemical reaction will take place inside, giving you warmth for another few hours.
4. making bed is not as easy here. there are numerous sheets and rules.
5. washing dishes are not easy too. the water must be very hot! wear gloves. dry dishes after that.
6. after using the bathroom, clean it until sparkling. or else...
7. want warm boots? check out Sorel. quite an expensive brand though.
8. want to keep from catching a cold in winter? blow dry hair after washing. and keep your head covered. but gosh.. i so don't like to wear a hat.
9. fish + tartar sauce. beef + horse radish. Ham + cranberry sauce. Lamb + mint sauce. Pork + apple sauce. me? i just eat everything with chilli sauce. simple right? i love the mint sauce though. very nice. can be bought from... saintsburry i think.
10. NHS really is cool. i went to a NHS walk-in clinic for free. had to wait ages though. and i was seen by a nurse prescriber. still, it's better than making an appointment and waiting weeks for your turn. at the pharmacy, just tell them you are registered with the HC2 form and you can get the medication for FREE! flucloxacillin doesn't go well with me though. i got most of the side effects. it does wear off after a few days. now i feel more empathy for the patients whom i always counselled so flippantly: you might get these side effects, but don't worry, it will wear off after a few days. gah.. try feeling nauseous and having GI disturbances and rashes for a few days. even i am so tempted to be non-compliant.
some recipes:
WHACKY CAKE: FROM HEART FOUNDATION
(for people with diabetes or heart problems)
sieve onto grease-proof paper:
1. 1.5 cup plain flour
2. 1 cup sugar
3. 1/4 cup cocoa
4. 1 teaspoon baking soda
5. sieve onto 8" x 8" baking pan
6. make 3 holes in the flour mixture - Hole 1 (1 tbsp vinegar), Hole 2 (1 tsp vanilla), Hole 3 (6 tbsp sunflower oil)
7. add 1 cup water over it
8. stir with a fork. check corners
9. bake for 175 degrees for 30 mins
KIM CHI
1. cut chinese cabbage, sprinkle with salt
2. after a while, wash. squeeze dry.
3. add minced onions, garlic, ginger, paprika powder, chilli powder, sugar --> mix well.
4. keep in glass jar.
CURRY IN SLOW COOKER
1. 'tum' in oil: garlic, lots of onion, curry powder, coconut milk, tumeric, paprika, (optional: chicken stock/salt). use more oil, make sure oil separate from rempah before adding coconut milk.
2. add into slow cooker with chicken for 6 hours.
3. if don't want coconut milk, put assam instead.
CLAYPOT CHICKEN RICE
cook rice. when boiling, add chicken/lap cheong + black sauce + ginger. keep warm 30 minutes before lifting up lid
BEE HOON
fry beehoon + garlic + light and dark soy sauce + sugar
fry cabbage/cauliflower
fry chicken/pork in dark and light soy sauce
eat with aubergine or shallots.
MOOLI
cut white radish into strips. sprinkle with salt. leave for 3 minutes. wash in cold water, squeeze. put white sugar and vinegar (cane vinegar)
CUCUMBER
- can be eaten in sandwich/salad, with fish+carrot+peanuts..
cut into strips. put salt 2 minutes. wash, squeeze. add vinegar, sugar, red chilli sliced thinly. mix all together.
THAI SEASONING
add white/brown sugar 1/3 of the bottle, add fish sauce 1/3 of sugar, add lemon juice to taste, add garlic, ginger, coriander, chilli.
THAI SALAD
soak tang hoon in hot water for 10 minutes. wash in cold water, dry using sieve.
add raw carrot/cucumber, onions, thai sauce, fish sauce, sugar, coriander, peanut, prawns, shallots, sesame seed, mooli, cucumber pickle.
HUMOUS (LEBANESE)
open chick pea can, wash, sieve, mash.
1 tin: 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice/half a big lemon, a bit of salt --> mix all together.
can be eaten with pitta bread/sandwich
drizzle with sauce. put paprika on top/sesame seeds.
ROAST PORK SALAD
pork - steam/cut
add carrot, onions, spring onions, thai sauce, peanut, coriander
PAELLA
fry chicken - semi-cooked
'tum' garlic, onion, carrot, lap cheong, peppers, tomatoes, kunyit/tumeric powder 1 tsp, add water + chicken stock. boil till carrot soft. add rice (don't stir anymore after add rice. if starch broken will become sticky!). drop in chicken, mussels, frozen peas, pork. cover until look like rice. can be eaten with pickle, mooli, aubergine..
OAT PORRIDGE
4 tbsp oat (taste good brand), add hot water until cover top, microwave 2-3 minutes, add 2 tsp brown sugar, add lecithin, add toasted sesame seed.
RICE IN MICROWAVE
1 cup rice + water:
microwave 7 min
stir
microwave 5 min
ROAST SWEET POTATO
roast sweet potato + garlic + onion + ginger
CHICKEN RICE (bai zhan ji)
Chicken
boil water. must be enough to cover chicken. add ginger (one finger segment long), spring onion, star anise 2 or 3, pepper (black and coarse). drop chicken in and boil for 7 min. turn, boil 7 minutes. turn back, boil 3 min. cover, off flame, leave for half an hour. cut up and serve
Chilli sauce
pound/chop red chilli, garlic, ginger. add a bit of salt, lemon juice/vinegar, sugar. serve with dark soy sauce to dunk together (singapore style)
Rice
fry in oil: garlic, uncooked rice. pour in soup from chicken. cook.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment