Saturday, 26 April 2014

Bellabox - Little Box of Small Surprises

So happy my Bellabox came today!!! Ordered my little box of surprise online at bellabox.sg


In my box I found, activa Well Being Hair dietary supplement capsules which I am a little skeptical about consuming. Based on the ingredient list shown, the capsules contain watercress, bilberry and fish oil to name a few. I am still contemplating this one.

2nd thing in the box was a Model Co Fat Lash Volumising Black Mascara. I am pretty keen on trying this one out. Who wouldn't want some fat lashes!???

3rd thing was a tube of Jyunka Ultra Defence UV Pro SPF 50. I will definitely try this out. Since sun protection is a must, lets hope its not too thick and sticky on the skin.

4th surprise was the batiste dry shampoo in coconut and exotic tropical scent. Not in confinement and not in West Africa at the moment so I may not need to use this just yet. Could come in handy after a Korean bbq meal though.

Last surprise were 5 capsules of DU BOIS perfume. Not sure if they all smell the same. The smell is pretty strong though. Will have to try them out one at a time.






Thursday, 17 April 2014

Cat and the Fiddle Cake - Maneki Neko


How time flies. The boss is another year older today and we got the privilege of having great tasting cheese cake from Cat and the Fiddle for her birthday.

The boss' partner got her a Maneki Neko cake from Cat and the Fiddle and it was very yummy.
Every bite taken into this cold and creamy delight was rather pleasurable.

According to the Cat and the Fiddle website, this cake is made with lemon, mandarin orange and yuzu aka pomelo to which I find to be a rather special and interesting ingredient to put into a cheesecake.

We have tasted lemon cheese cake before which can be overpowering but never pomelo cheesecake until today and I must say this tangy twist is what adds that refreshing oompf to the cake.

Based on my judgement, the first layer seemed to be a thin layer of gelatin infused with yuzu (pomelo), orange and lime skin but I could be wrong on this. Flavours are very concentrated in this layer.
The 2nd layer was definitely cheese cake and it was not very sweet.
The 3rd layer had a milky taste and creamy texture to it but I'm not sure what it was exactly.
And the bottom and final layer was the biscuit crust which I thought was a little too fine in texture, and not buttery enough in taste.
The layers do compliment each other very well though.

Another plus point about the cake is its reasonable cost - a 1.1kg cake only costs $28 to buy.

I really liked the cake.
Awesome choice by the boss' partner.
Will buy for myself and my family in the future.
4☆

REFERENCE: www.catandthefiddle.com







Tuesday, 15 April 2014

Mummy Joyce's Super Grain Porridge Recipe - Quinoa Seeds

Our TCM doctor told us to feed Quinoa seeds to our kids as a staple food to stop them from getting sick easily and after months of searching, we finally found organic Quinoa sèeds from an NTUC in Punggol.
These seeds fly of the shelves very fast and they take ages to replenish stocks once sold out so once we saw them, we bought a packet to try straight away. A packet costs $7.50.



If you do a Google search on these grains, you will find plenty of good things people have to say about this super food.
Quinoa seeds are basically gluten free super grains packed with plenty of good stuff like protein and vitamins for the body and both our kids love it.

So here is how I cook it - I boil in water till soft, 1/4 cup of quinoa seeds with a little white rice, some rolled oats and/or barley and a sprinkle of Chia seeds, which happens to also be another super food packed with lots of omega 3 and vitamin B.**



I then add fish meat or pork/beef and bovril/fish sauce (optional) into the water together with broccoli or any other veggie of your choice for more fibre and flavour.

The grains, although almost tasteless, emit a fresh grainy fragrance and the quinoa seeds have a bit of a nice soft crunch to it when bitten on.

Do feel free to improvise on the recipe to your liking.

I truly find this mix of super grains better for health than the usual white rice porridge we always make.
Must try!


**Chia seeds can be bought from shops selling organic food products and a packet of about 400g can cost up to $15 - $20 per packet.