Hong Kong GO!GO!GO! - Ananas comosus.. what?

Yes.. I'm messy most of the time, but it's sparkling clean now!:D

More commonly known as PINEAPPLE (ananas comosus is it's binomial name). This fruit has more benefits than what the humbler potions of society (like me) knows. I had the most pineapple during my final year, all thanks to Huifang. "Pineapples can help to loose weight!" as i quote. What happens next is totally predictable. We had pineapples practically everyday during lunch, and they are all honey pineapples, the way the pineapple guru prefers!

And that's not all.. my second pineapple guru says that pineapple helps to ease cramps during girls' MC. She mentioned other "perks" but my brain retains information selectively. So if anyone is interested, go to christine.. she did a project on it. (the 2nd pineapple guru)

So much on pineapple but it wasn't brought into play today. HAHA! Perhaps the name? Polo bao otherwise known as pineapple buns don't seem to incorporate pineapple in its recipe in anyway. Conceivably it's called that way because it has the pattern of the pineapple peel? hmmm.. sounds convincing yah?

It doesn't look very nice yah? i should try harder next time!

If you haven't known, meng ni is back from hong kong! and brought back a few of the local cakes/desserts/dim sum recipe! And polo bao is the 1st. I'm not a big fan of polo bao until i tried the ones in sai kung! it's simply delicious!!!! The first bite is the crucial moment in time, your teeth will first break the crusty crust and starts sinking in to the fluffly bread.. and then u can just gobble everything down.. goes really well with their milk tea by the way.. HAHA! i didn't take any picture of the bakery, because i was busy queing for the bun obviously. Anyways, you won't miss it if you go to sai kung, it's the only bakery that has a que! there are 2 directions to sai kung. you can either take the mtr to caihong (rainbow station) and then take a minibus that has the saikung name on it to saikung. Or for my case, i took the minibus from mongkok near fife street, same thing, the minibus will have saikung on it so please use your eyeballs at all times and ask ard if you need to. *end*

Anyways, am back to Singapore and i have this long list of 'things to do'. Galdly, one of it is 25% done. it's always hard to plan a trip with Deuterated Tungsten and Tungphorus (a tungsten and phosphorus alloy that i made up).. names were kept secret to avoid conflicts hehehe.. anyways, it always start with everyone excited about the trip.. then somehow something happens, and the trip will look 90% dead. At this point, tocopherol and ascotrium (a drug that has L-ascorbate and Yttrium that i made up again) will jump in and do CPR to the 90% dead trip and make it breathing again! YAY! Meng ni is goin on a trip again!! ♪♫

Yah i know it doesn't make any sense, i'm bored and feeling lame...haha~ Ciao!

p/s: i just realized i left something with christine, something i hold very dear to me, something that is close to my heart...eeeee.. sounds lesbiany.. eh! give me back leh!

p/p/s: ONG LAI! may the polo bao bless my mj games to come.. pls pls pls pls pls

Peanut butter cookies

"An average of two rodent hairs per one hundred grams of peanut butter is allowed."
No. 20. FDA Government guidelines

After a night of mascaras, blobs of foundation and cans of hairspray! It finally marks the end of our graduation dinner.. Not to mention the mahjong game after that which a certain someone Jia en took away meng ni's $2.10! leaving meng ni with peanuts which explains why i'm making peanut butter cookies today:( I want to 上诉! tsk tsk..

Anyways, i'm joking lah huh.. (but serious about the 上诉 part).. heehee.. I just so happen to visit the supermarket today, went to the jam/spread isle and saw SKIPPY! and decided to bake peanut butter cookies, last bake before i leave Singapore.. i'm definitely goin to send out resumes this time and look for a job when i get back! If not, i'll change my name to GISELLE! ( i think only christine will get the joke).

Back to my cookies.. easy to make! done and ready to eat in about 30 minutes? i really liked the texture, but my mother said that the peanut taste is not distinct enough for her.. hmm.. maybe i should add 1 more tbsp next time?

Since Jeannie's back, i'll let her try if i get to meet them tonight.. or maybe keep the cookies until half a month later for them.. HAHA~ in my Perfumes and cosmetics mod, the lecturer says, vitamin E can act as a preservative, maybe i should spray some on my cookies.. that way, the cookies will be well preserved and the person eating gets to have some kind of supplements when they gobble down my cookies!! Yeah~ smart smart~ *spraying*

Ingredients:

250g plain flour
50g corn flour1tsp double action baking powder
150g unsalted butter
100g castor sugar
2tbsp chunky peanut butter for this recipe, you may add more if you like
1tsp vanilla essence
1egg


Method:

1. Cream butter, castor sugar, peanut butter and vanilla essence until light and fluffy. Add in egg and beat well.
2. Fold/use triangular looking hook to add in sifted flour mixture and mix well until a soft dough is formed
3.Drop 1/2tbsp of dough on lightly greased baking trays.
4.Bake in oven at 180 'C for 12 to 15 mins or until golden brown.
5. decorate with melted chocolate if desired.



p/s. Huifang, i forgot to chase you for my cooper Tee!!

Coconut kisses

Poof! I'm gone, back, gone again,back again, clocked a total of 600hrs of tv and gulped down 10kg of fats and here i am, ?? kg fatter (i'm trying very hard to shed some weight btw) just before my GRADUATION DAY AND DINNER.. yah, i think i'll look great in the pictures *in denial*

Anyways, to celebrate my convo in 2 days time, i've baked some coconut cupcakes. I do remember i've pre-celebrated ??-times, but i guess it's time for me to add new entries to my dust-collecting blog.. keke~

It rose just perfectly, i had to take a picture

Lets digress.. I've been practicing throwing my mortarboard at home, trying to achieve the perfect projectile. Btw are you suppose to catch it or let it fall to the ground after you throw it huh? i dunno, maybe the better i throw it the faster i'll find a job? Like the better you throw your loose tooth up the roof the better the next one will grow? HAHA~ anyways, i think the happiest bunch of people will still be my parents, i can already picture a tear drop flowing down my father's cheeks and he'll be mumbling to himself "I'm so glad that i don't have to pay for my ever money-leeching daughter's school fees again" and at this very moment, i'll run up to him "Pa, can you register a no-limit supplement card for me so that i can buy the Birkin Bag?" haha, kidding lah.... maybe the MIU MIU bag/dress? keke~

Hai.. no more bags until i find a job man..

Back to my coconut kisses.. i got the recipe when i was in hong kong, its a big book of all meng ni's favourite things! but nothing goes perfectly, i totally destroyed my white chocolate ganache.. damn.. i think i whipped it for too long and it starts to split..and i have to throw everything away, what a WASTE! Oh! and i couldn't find coconut essence anywhere, so i used coconut cream powder instead. The cupcake itself wasn't bad, but it can look prettier if i had those GANACHE! damn..

i can take pictures, if only i can fully understand how to use photoshop

To end this, meng ni is goin to hong kong again on the 15th, i've taken lots of orders to buy SKIIs, cosmetics, branded stuff and such. Please call me if you need anything from hong kong (not too heavy please). And because R.Federer lost the Wimbledon (i stayed up all night to watch) meng ni is not in a very good mood and i've been goin yoga (to calm down) alone these days because our dear christine sprained her poor back (i though it only happens to old people). My regards to you dear, my not very young friend.. give me a call when u're better and we can go yoga together and watch our fats dissolve away *trance mode*

Green Apple Bread Pudding

"Slack" a simple word, yet it can fully describe Meng ni's past ten days.. I'm going to continue my legacy for the next 10.. but in Hong Kong~ yoohoo!! and maybe send out my resumes from there? Haha~ anyways.. i have been watching a lot A LOT of tv. Somehow SCV decides to unlock the asianfoodchannel (channel 69) for my family... ??... i seriously don't mind their decision lor haha~ more channels for me to scroll.. But my point is, there's actually an asianfoodchannel website and they have all the recipes that have been/are showing on the channel itself..

This entry's recipe is obviously from that website.. and the bread pudding turns out really good!. It's not very sweet according to my sis (which she liked very much) and i think it's a lot better then the ones you see/taste at Buffets. More importantly, it's easy to prepare and ingredients are easy to get (from all supermarkets). I bought my baguette from delifrance, which was fresh from the oven i must say, it was warm to the touch and that made me a very happy Meng ni:)

OH! a note for those who are trying out this recipe. This bread pudding is not as soggy as those you find Buffets.. i think it really boils down to personal preference lah.. my sis didn't like the soggy soggy kind, so she preferred mine. For those who liked a more pudding texture, maybe add more of the cream mixture? another note.. the recipe on asianfoodchannel is a little vague, it states half of a large baguette.. eh.. how large is large huh?? haiyah.. anyways i cut the whole stick of baguette in.. so won't waste any food lah hor.

Fresh from the oven!

Ingredients:

About 50g unsalted butter, melted ( I agar agar one...from exp?? heehee.. bhb.. or the original recipe states 5 tbsp of unsalted butter.) btw, i like president's one.. french butter.

1 delifrance baguette, cubed

1 green apple, peeled and diced

3 Tbsp raisins (agar agar lah~ no need too precise.. u like raisins? put more lor)

2 egg yolks

2 whole eggs

1/3 cup caster sugar

1 ¼ cups whipping cream (president)

1 cup milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 Tbsp Irish cream (optional) sugar for sprinkling (i didn't add)

maple syrup for brushing ( i like!)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F/175°C in fan assisted cooking. Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking dish (or oval pyrex glass dish which i used) with half the melted butter. Toss bread cubes, apples and raisins together with remaining melted butter and spoon into baking dish.

2. Whisk together egg yolks, whole eggs and sugar. Whisk in cream, milk and vanilla. Pour over bread cubes and press down gently on bread to help soak in. Let stand for about 15 minutes. If you wish, drizzle with Irish cream.

3. Place baking dish in a water bath and sprinkle top of pudding with sugar. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the center of the pudding springs back when pressed.

4. Remove baking dish from water bath. Brush maple syrup over surface of pudding. Serve warm. Congrats!

my sis say she take until very artistic.. so MUST put it up