My Galfriends Love Me and I Know it Because...

They know exactly what I like, in the colours that suit me taking into account the cutting, material, style and size that I wear without me needing to remind them of these details and they select great stuff for me! I love my galfriends lah! I can feel the love lah girls! I love ya'll too!!

Shelly passed me that white halter dress you see in a couple posts back, yes, the one that made the guy slam into the wall dress. And she passed me a pair of smashing looking jeans *not in picture* that looks FAB on my ass. And this Outfitter Girls halter top that I wore today for my lunch appointment with my galfriend Kay.

It was gorgeous and I had my daughter, Lauren take a couple of shots for me in them with my going to drop off my ass size 35 jeans *need to get some size 32-33 pants soon!*

A straight up sweety shot, a bitch with an attitude shot and a I'm just passing through Oh Hello! Shot.. hahhaha!

Love the top lah babe.. THANK YOU! *hugs hugs hugs*

And my galfriend, Kay had a surprise for me during lunch too! And it was perfect timing! My sandals recently broke and I was intending to get some new ones asap and she surprised me with this!

Sandals specially ordered from Australia which her fiance purchased specifically upon her request and couriered them into Singapore just for me!!!

Wahhh!!! I'm so touched!!! *sniff wipe tear sniff*

Rubi Shoes...*ahem* sorry.. Rubi Sandals and bc its in black, it matches perfectly with alot of what I wear regularly! I loved it when I saw it already.

Slipped them on once I reached home and prodded about the house gleefully. So comfortable!! I'll be wearing them to death! Thank you Kay!!! *hugs hugs hugs*

I heart Reggaetton!

Anyone who has been to dance class with me knows that I'm a BIG reggaetton fan. BIG!! And everyone knows I love moving like this. I love the beat and I really can move naturally well to it too. And we have used this set in class last week I think. Damn freaking good for cardio! And I couldn't resist it. I had to try this video out. Easy peasy and SO FUN!

When they ask me how I do it.. I also don't know.. natural inclination perhaps attributed to the fact that I'm part spanish filipina by blood that has something to do with being able to move easier?

You've got to admit though, spanish filipinas DO sing and dance well. :) Too bad I can't sing. WTF happened there Ma?! Hahah!

And I found this video replicates very closely to what we do on some sets at Rumba and you will see why I'm enjoying dance so much. This video is also so funny, one moment all singing then the next they're breaking out in dance! I would love to gather a group of my dance mates and do something like this.

When the complete reggaetton only class comes out on schedule *which my dance instructor, David claims he will start one day*, I'm so definitely there. I LOVE REGGAETTON!! LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!! *SCREAMS* LOVE IT!!

And I think my body is built just for this kinda dance too. I've got the shakey shakey booty shakin' ass, my arms are long, I've got the body shaking down pat thanks to Rashidah's guidance and constant practice and my hips are practically detached from my torso in class anyway.

And I know when people say they love my dancing, its very likely they were checking me out when we were doing the reggaetton sets. I LOVE REGGAETTON! Whooot!!!

Curry Chicken w/ Roasted Garlic Toast

Today's meal is Chicken Curry with potatoes with Roasted Garlic Toast.

Anyone who has eaten at my place would know that my garlic toast is first class. And even myself who is TECHNICALLY not eating bread bc of the carb levels will be having some slices today bc its just TOO GOOD! And I'll share how to make garlic bread Pam's way here.

Whats in todays Chicken Curry?

1 chicken *chopped*
1 pack of curry paste
5 potatoes *diced big*
2 onions * cut into quarters*
1 small pack of coconut milk.
1 cup of boiled water.
Sprinkle Paprika, white pepper and black pepper on top of curry upon serving.

Optional: Dark soya sauce upon serving *my hubby, CJ always takes his curry sprinkled w dark soya sauce* and boiled vegetables by the side for some daily greens.

Heat oil. Pour in curry paste and stir fry it till fragrant. Add in onions & pototoes and stir fry for around 5 minutes. Add chicken pieces, stir for another 5 minutes then add in water and coconut milk. Blend well, cover pot and leave to boil on high for 8-10 minutes & turn it to low heat and leave to simmer for 20-30 minutes stirring occassionally.

Pam's Roasted Garlic Toast
*recipe enough for 1 standard size baguette*

4 large whole bulbs of fresh garlic
Salt
White Pepper
Paprika
Black Pepper
Italian Seasoning
Olive Oil
1 tsp of granulated Sugar

Slice off the top 1/4 of the garlic bulbs and season open top with all the dry ingredients liberally and drizzle olive oil on top of cloves.

Place them into toaster for 10 minutes till the garlic turns fragrant & some sides turn brown.

Pull out of toaster & leave to cool and use a fork to mash out soft roasted garlic from its papery skin. Throw away the papery skin. Mash soft garlic and add 5 large tablespoons of butter *SCS* or margarine *I use meadow lea* and blend together.

Season to taste with more of the above dry ingredients and slap them onto to sliced french bread aka baguettes and toast for 2 minutes till bread becomes hot & crispy.

This can be made in advance and put in the fridge and toasted when required.

What you get is a heady deep flavourful roasted garlic sweetness with fluffy crispy toasted bread that can go with curry/pasta/chicken and whatever you eat garlic bread with.

Low carb option: Don't drink the curry, eat up the chicken pieces. And no touching the potatoes. Eat all the vegetables.

Enjoy! :)

Lounging at Kallang Riverside...

What does a mother, on a Saturday when she doesn't have dance class because the instructor is out of town and has 2 bored children bouncing against the walls at home do?

Well it has to be something that is relatively low in budget, convenient, relaxing for the mom and fun for the kids all at the same time.

What do we do? We go to Kallang Riverside!

Its only 2 bus stops away from where we live, so the only thing we had to bring were snacks and bus fare!

Cheap? *tick* Convenient? *tick* Relaxing? *tick* and Fun? *tick* - OK. GO! At 2pm when I assessed that the sun wasn't burning hot, I yelled, go get your swimming suits! This was followed by a flurry of cheers and alot of scrambling to put their stuff together!! "Can we bring toys?! Can we? Can we?! Huh? Huh? Huh? Mommy please?!"

And so we packed and left. And I took the opportunity to try on a Bikini set today too! Whoot! I only realised the duo-toned boobs this evening when the pictures were uploaded and it was a sunny day too so all the pictures have us sweating alot. But sweating is better than burning at least!

-.-'' Looks like I need some serious suntanning soon.

The last time we went there, I ended up FRIED. Entry to that can be found HERE.

So this time, I made sure that I brought a REALLY GOOD sunblock and my umbrella. The only thing we forgot however was one of the most crucial. The Ground Mat. Which we only realised that we forgot it when we reached the riverside. Damn! I had to sit on plastic bags. Again. :( Must remember to bring the mat next time so I can lay out, lounge, watch the clouds roll by and read my books on the pokey grass!

So food was cake bread, prawn crackers, digestive cookies and water. And for entertainment... my phone fully loaded with my favourite tracks to add to the ambience of the lazy afternoon.

And it was off to play! Scoops and buckets to make little sand castles and for shell collecting.

Eirian was quite pleased enough to play in the sand and take pails of water to douse her area so she could mold the sand into various little shapes.

Lauren on the other hand, decided she wanted to go fishing and she did! She proudly caught 8 little tiny fishes and brought them home in the pail.

In the course of our explorations by the waterside, I saw a partially covered lump by the shore and went to prod it and realised that it was a fish! I saw bubbles by the side and realised that it was still alive so I shoved it back into the water.

It was alive! And it swam about happily for a moment and then...

IT SWAM BACK and plonked itself onto the dry shore. AGAIN. I thought it was weird and maybe strange coincidence. So I shoved it back into the water and it swam about again and CAME BACK and plonked itself on the shore AGAIN! WTF!

I squat down and prodded it and it let me prod it. And I picked it up and stared at it. It looked like it was alright. So I flung it deeper into the water. And...

Thats right. It swam back. KNN.....

I did that 10 times. 10 times, it swam back and flung itself onto the shore. WTF! Spastic fish or what?! Was it so depressed that it was trying to kill itself?!?

Anyone know what kind of fish this is? Or is this some kind of amphibian that is trying to get to shore and mutate and is not actually a fish but a strange giant frog mutation?

I picked it up again before I attempted one last throw into the water and took its picture. Not surprisingly, it returned so I gave up. WTF. Weird fish. It sat by the shore while I watched it from the grassline. I made one last attempt before we left to leave it PARTIALLY in the water at least to keep it hydrated and not dry out on the sand.

The Kallang Riverside is simple to locate. Its a 5 minutes walk from Kallang MRT station or you can drive and park by the roadside and enjoy the afternoon there.

Other than being a serenely quiet place, there is also the convenience of having a washroom/toilet nearby so you can wash off the sand and relieve yourself if necessary!

The sandy areas aren't too clean but its clear enough for older children like mine to watch out and be wary where they step and not stamp on bottle caps and other potentially harmful objects.

The most noise you would hear are maybe the dragon boaters practicing their rounds around the lake or perhaps on some days, wakeboarders doing their laps with the light buzzing sound of the motor boats dragging them along the river.

So thats about it for us lounging at the Kallang Riverside today. If you have kids and are looking for something to do and can appreciate some mindless lounging in a windy open space, go check out the riverside. Who knows, you might catch us there too! :)

Simply Musing...

For the past couple of weeks, I've gotten to know quite a good number of new people through dance class or out of studio at the gym floor. And I'm revelling and musing in the SAME shocked look on their face everytime each of them first talk to me.

The realisation that I'm NOT a swinging mid 20 something single girl which they ALL ASSUMED I was but a married in her 30s woman with TWO school-going children.

I would literally have to pull out my phone just to prove that I have kids by flashing my daughters photos and then there would be "oooohhhs, ahhhhs" and "you've maintained yourself well" but little did they know that maintenance like this only came recently literally through blood, alot of sweat and tears.

And in a sense, it makes me feel very justified and encouraged in the effort that I have made to take up the challenge to lose all weight to "regain" the youth that comes with looking healthier.

Indeed, when you're fat, you tend to look older. With much appreciation to everyone who has helped along the way like my hubby, CJ and my dance instructors, Rashidah & David which have given me guidance and motivation to keep on going. I still have 17kg more to go before I hit 55kg but I'll be monitoring myself along the way and record my journey here in this blog.

Reactions like these feel like a reward to those years of bringing up 2 babies on my own when I was in my early 20s and looking like I'm over 35 years old during those years. Much less having a very undesirable body that was a total disgrace for someone in their 20s. So feeling rejuvenated in my 30s and being mistaken for my 20s is all sitting very well with me now.

I hope this also serves as motivation to those on their own journey right now to work towards achieving their goals and find that along the way, your efforts will provide you with the sense of achievement and provide you the satisfaction that would keep you going towards maintaining healthy lifestyle. If I can do it, so can you.

Even now, no one believes that I'm still 72kg thereabouts. My girlfriend Jo. made a point which I thought was highly amusing and actually makes quite alot of sense! I mentioned this to some dance mates and they agreed that her theory might actually be correct! Hahaha!

She said: "Your boobs are around 5kg. So you're actually a 67kg sized woman with a 5kg chest"

What do you think? I think.. she might be right. :)

Frozen Orange Slices!

There is a mini pasar malam in my area that started this evening for the weekend. After school, my girls and I grazed the food area for dinner and stuffed ourselves silly with chicken wings, fish fillets, pepper chicken, takoyaki, otaks, curry puffs and fresh coconut juice!

I love pasar malams*! *night markets*

We headed home after all that gluttony and I had a treat in the fridge!

Frozen Orange Slices! YAY!! We love oranges!

I threw the oranges in the freezer before I went to pick them up so they were partially frozen & not too hard that they couldn't be bitten into.

I sliced up 10 oranges and we had a great time chomping into them after all that oily food. Always good to have a serving or two or more of fruits each day. :) Have you had your vegetables and fruits today?

The Difference between Nenepok & Boobies

I overheard giggling amongst my girls after their shower today so I stood around the corner near where they were to evesdrop and peek to see what was going on.

Apparently the topic was breasts. What I overheard was quite amusing. It went something like this...

Eirian: "Jiejie! wear your tshirt! I can see your nenepok! Heee heee heee"

Lauren: "You also lah! I can see your nenepok too! *point point* Heee heee heee"

Eirian: "Wait you don't wear your shirt and become fatter and then you have boobies then you know ah... heee heee heee"

Lauren: "Noooo! Only Mommy have boobies! We have nenepoks. Haar haaar haar!"

Eirian: "Yah yah yah! Adults have big ones called boobies. Children like us small small have nenepoks! Haar haaar haaar!"

Lauren: "Yahh!! yahhh!! *nodding in agreement* Haar haaaar haaar!!"

Both burst out laughing and rolled about their bed. -.-'' Kids do say the darndest things. And I think I have to start re-educating them on the names of body parts again soon. Nenepoks & Boobies anyone?

Warning: Be prepared to Cry

Original Artist: Luther Vandross.
Song: Dance with my Father

When I heard this song just a while ago, I was enthralled. It caught my attention and I listened more and then before I knew it.. my tears would not stop falling and they still fall in a constant stream even while writing this now with the music in the background. I've put the original song in my playlist so scroll through the songs in my player and check it out if you want.

Its not the video, its the words and how everytime a song like this touches my heart deeply. With any daughter, my daddy will always have a special place my heart. My father is still alive of course. But it just makes me miss him. He's a man of few words and we don't talk much. I'm going to sms him in a while just to say I love you. Before its ever too late.

I love you Daddy. Even if I don't say it alot. I do.

Cheesy Burger w/ Caramelised Onions & Corn

I made burgers today! I love homemade burgers because we can control the amount of meat patty that we put in each burger and of course, the more - the better of course! I love fat juicy meat patties!

So thats lunch today and dinner too!

Cheesy Burger w/ Caramelised Onions & Corn

Whats in this? A toasted buttered bun with a layer of mayonnaise and cheese salsa. A serving of fresh crispy lettuce, red tomato slices, hamburger patties and topped with caramelised onions.

How do you make the meat patties? I'll put my version here but you can substitute the meat for minced chicken or minced beef or a combo. if you prefer. I used pork. I would suggest however adding a little bit of dark soya sauce if you're using minced chicken to add to the colour - chicken tends to cook white.

800gms minced pork with a little fat. *Makes 16 small burger patties*

Seasoned with the following:

2 whole small eggs *which works as a binder to bind the meat together while cooking*
A generous amount of white pepper - around 10 swishes?
A generous amount of black pepper - around 10 swishes too.
5 swishes of paprika powder
5 swishes of italian seasoning *can be bought at the supermarket*
2 teaspoons of salt
2 red onions *minced finely*

Blend well and deep fry molded patties in hot oil. You can form the patties in your hand as you go along and slide them into the oil to cook - takes about 2 minutes for each side to cook but monitor your own patties and take them out of the oil when they turn golden brown on both sides.

When all the patties are cooked, take 5 sliced onions *prefereably sliced as rings* and throw them into the burger oil and cook till onions turn soft. The left over seasoning & brown cooked bits thats left in the oil from the burger frying earlier will season the onions and make them tasty.

In the meantime, boil your corn on the cob. Takes maybe 15-20 minutes to boil till soft. You can leave them in the water till you need them.

When done, assemble your vegetables, bread and put everything together and top with the caramelised onions & serve! YUMMILCIOUS!!

Low Carb Alternative: Skip the bread and wrap your burger & onions in a wide roll of lettuce.

Weightloss Update: 72kg!

I love it when I'm not on a plateau. The weight just keeps on melting. I'm mentally prepared to hit one at 71-72kg though bc its already been 3kg down since my last plateau. Nonetheless, I'm very pleased with the progress so far. :)

Today's weigh in after dance class: 72kg.

Total accumulative loss to date: 28kg from Sept. 07.

Total remaining: 17kg to go to hit 55kg.

Next aim: To reach 65kg by end October 08.

And something very amusing happened today.

I made a guy slam into a wall!

What happened? I was on my way home from class, feeling quite good. Having a pretty good hair day. Grooving to some new tunes with my headphones and had on my favourite shades and in a short white halter tube dress.

I noticed this young man walking down the stairs at my block, and noted that he did a double take and started gawking. *pretend to ignore* He turned left to go on his way while still facing me and didn't stop staring and then I heard a BAM!!! *Yes, it was loud enough to hear through my blasting music! Imagine that!* I turned to look and realised......

His face got plastered against the wall. *Hahahahaha!*

Luckily for me, my lift door opened up right at that time and I did what I was trying hard to resist. I burst out laughing and ran in. Must have been so Damn Embarassing for him can!!! Hahahahahahaahahaaa!!!

Anyway... am pleased with todays' weigh in.. off to finish the Chili Rojak my mother in law bought for me. Yummy!! Heh heh heh!! CARBS!!