Deep fried Oreos.

Ingredients
1 cup buttermilk pancake mix
3/4 cup ice water
1 quart vegetable oil
1 sleeve of Oreo cookies (14 each)
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar

Hardware
3-quart saucepan or electric deep fryer
Whisk
Medium bowl
Metal tongs
Paper towels
Sheet pan

Step 1: Freeze cookies for 3 hours.
Step 2: In a 3-quart saucepot or deep fryer, heat oil to 350 degrees F (medium heat on stove top).
Step 3: While oil is heating, set up a sheet pan with paper towels for draining.
Step 4: In a medium bowl, stir water into buttermilk pancake mix with a whisk until thoroughly combined. Batter should be consistency of pancake mix, if not, add more water or mix accordingly.
Step 5: With metal tongs, dip each cookie one at a time into batter, making a thin coat completely around the cookie.
Step 6: Place coated cookie carefully into hot oil. Repeat for each cookie. Fry on both sides, turning over once until golden brown.
Step 7: Remove fried cookie from hot oil with metal tongs and drain on paper towels.
Note: The cookies inside should be soft throughout, if they are cold and hard reduce oil temperature.
Step 8: Dust with confectioners sugar.
Step 9: Let cool slightly (about 2 minutes) before serving

Makes 14 cookies.

How much do I cost?

JACK (age 3) was watching his Mom breast-feeding his new baby sister. After a while he asked: 'Mom why have you got two? Is one for hot and one for cold milk?'

MELANIE (age 5) asked her Granny how old she was. Granny replied she was so old she didn't remember any more. Melanie said, 'If you don't remember you must look in the back of your panties. Mine say five to six.'

STEVEN (age 3) hugged and kissed his Mom good night. 'I love you so much that when you die I'm going to bury you outside my bedroom window.'

SUSAN (age 4) was drinking juice when she got the hiccups. 'Please don't give me this juice again,' she said, 'It makes my teeth cough.'

DJ (age 4) stepped onto the bathroom scale and asked: 'How much do I cost?'

CLINTON (age 5) was in his bedroom looking worried When his Mom asked what was troubling him, he replied, 'I don't know what'll happen with this bed when I get married. How will my wife fit in it?'

Alexandra McQueen, Fall 2009.

McQueen makes everyone else look boring.
Love these dresses.
Maybe I should I throw a costume party sometime.
hmm..

Boysenberry.

Art inserts are from a colour-water painted in a primary colour 'boysenberry'.

Below is a story of an illustrator & his finding of the odd-yet-some-what-surreal colour.

While working on a film and focusing on color for the movie, Mr Hoofine lost sleep over not having enough colours in the world and because he could not find the "perfect" color for these trees in one of the scenes.
One day, Mrs. Hoofine made Mr. Hoofine a boysenberry sandwich, and when he opened up the sandwhich and saw the color of the boysenberry, he knew that he finally found his color.

Have you discovered your own colour?

Meredith Melling Burke.

A good friend of mine asked me where do I get my style ideas from.
I told him there's no one particular source really. I tend to play it safe mostly by choosing neutral colours & simple symmetrical lines.
But on weekends I wear colour.
And I dont always get it right.

But I can tell you one lady that almost always get it right.

If you're an avid VOGUE reader like me, Meredith is one lady telling you what to wear next. She's their Senior Market Editor. I just love her impeccable taste and killer style (in my opinion). Her wardrobe is drool-worthy. She puts pieces together that even I have not thought to do, as of yet.

Doughnut Muffins.

I have always found baking therapeutic.
Perhaps its the smell of butter or putting to use all the energy on stirring & mixing.

So here's to great friends, family & glorious butter.

Doughnut Muffins (adapted from a recipe by Kathleen Stewart)

from Lottie + Doof.com

Muffins:

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup buttermilk

Topping:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a standard-size muffin tin.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just mixed in. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Combine the milk and buttermilk. With a wooden spoon, mix a quarter of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Then mix in a third of the milk mixture. Continue mixing in the remaining dry and wet ingredients alternately, ending with the dry. Mix until well combined and smooth, but don’t overmix. Scoop enough batter into each tin so that the top of the batter is even with the rim of the cup, about 1/2 cup. Bake the muffins until firm to the touch, 30-35 minutes.

For the topping: Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. When the muffins are just cool enough to handle, remove them from the tin, brush them all over with melted butter and roll them in the cinnamon sugar.

***The muffins are best the day they are made when they taste most doughnut-y and delicious, although that didn’t stop us from happily eating the leftovers the next day.

Ultra luxe living.

Here's the residence of a powerful Malaysian family from YTL group.
Designed by a Paris-based architect Agence Jouin Manku.

I think its gorgeous. Also kinda looks like Wall-E's head to me.
Maybe that's how Manku got his inspiration from.
Hehe.

Ride of Silence.

Taliah Lempert is an artist who primarily paints about bicycles.
Insert is one that reminds me of someone special.

This post is to also support to all cyclists around the world in honour to those who have been injuired or killed while cycling on public roadways.

Show your support on May 20th, 2009. 7pm.
Ride at 20kph.

Packham, Lhuillier then Wang.

Who's your chosen one?

Crispy salted oatmeal white chocolate cookies.

I've got biscuits craving...

Crispy Salted Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies

(click on title for link: smittenkitchen).

The original recipe didn’t have white chocolate in it, but it really works wonderfully in here. Even if you’re a dark chocolate fan.

Watch out, use the good stuff and this may even convert you.

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

6 ounces good-quality white chocolate bar, chopped (not “white chocolate” chips; they’re almost always artificial. I am adamant about this.)

1/2 teapoon flaky sea salt (like Maldon or fleur de sel) (for sprinkling on top)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and table salt in a medium bowl.

2. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape down bowl again. Add flour mixture gradually and mix until just incorporated and smooth. Gradually add oats and white chocolate and mix until well incorporated.

3. Divide dough into 24 equal portions, each about 2 tablespoons. Roll between palms into balls, then place on lined baking sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart. Using fingertips, gently press down each ball to about ¾-inch thickness.

4. Sprinkle a flake or two of sea salt on each cookie

5. Bake until cookies are deep golden brown, about 13 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack to cool.

à (dans une dédicace).

When I was a kid I had a collection of piggy banks from the Standard Charted Bank in the classic Disney characters - Mickey, Minnie & Donald.

My favourite was Donald Duck. Henceforth, my eternal love for ducks & my refusal to eat duck till I was 18. When I find myself in Bayswater in London in a Chinese restaurant made famous for its Roasted Duck in Plum sauce. It was skin crisp, fatty juicy & tender meat. And in the cold miserable winter days, it was more than heavenly.

This post is on the contary is not about Bayswater's heavenly Duck.
It is about my immaculate Mother (yes I am catholic & im refering to my birth mother) & her one particular influence on me. She taught me one important trait- Saving.

Though I am still trying finding it hard to practice it. I gotta admit I mentally play out her words in my head each time I am making an irrational purchase.

Happy Mothers Day my beautiful Mama.

You're the world to me. And you will always be.

Spring 2009 by Elie Saab

Have I ever admitted to you I'm a girly girl?

Le Sigh.

Shut up & Kiss me.

Shut up & Kiss me...

on top of a taxi please.

Long, dark & dashing.

When Oprah asked Queen Rania of Jordan what makes her deliriously happy.
She answered with a smirk,
"Chocolates. The darker the better."

Seems like even the Queen agrees with mortal me.
Im going to let you in on my highly favoured baking chocolate to use in this Universe...the long, dark & dashingVALRHONA.

Doesnt the name itself sound divine?

My best friend, K.

This is from my favourite scene from the movie 'My bestfriend's wedding'.

Michael O'Neill: Kimmy says if you love someone you say it,
you say it right then, out loud. Otherwise the moment just...

Julianne Potter: Passes you by...

Michael O'Neill: Passes you by...

Then Micheal went on to sing their song 'the way you look tonight'
as he held her close & slow danced.

A hundred percent.

A little boy & a little girl were playing together.
The little boy had a collection of marbles. The little girl had a lot of sweets with her.
The little boy told the little girl that he will give her all his marbles in exchange for all her sweets. The little girl agreed.

Little did she know he had hidden his biggest & most beautiful marble away her but gave the rest to her. The little girl kept her promise & gave all her sweets to the little boy.

That night, the little girl slept peacefully. The little boy however did not. He couldnt sleep as he kept wondering if the little girl had kept some of her best sweets away from him.

Moral of the story is, if you do not give a 100% in any relationship,
you'll always keep doubting if the other person has given you 100%.

So give the 100% & sleep peacefully.

Queen B.

Blair Waldorf: You don't grant birthday wishes, do you?

Priest: I'm a priest, not a genie.

Blair Waldorf: Well, the next time you talk to Him, would you ask Him to send my boyfriend back to me?

Becareful for what you wish for.

1) I sometimes wish I have flaming red hair & green eyes to match.
2) I wish mostly I'd be more bold & wear prints more often.
3) I wish I could curl up with you every night.
4) But right now, Im alot grateful to be sipping tea & having you.

Apple Tart.

(please forgive pic quality.. taken from blackberry).

Alice Waters’s Apple Tart is the way to go!!!

INGREDIENTS:

For dough:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, just softened, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
3 1/2 tablespoons chilled water

For filling:
2 pounds apples (Golden Delicious or another tart, firm variety), peeled, cored (save peels and cores), and sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
5 tablespoons sugar

For glaze: 1/2 cup sugar

MIX flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl; add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Blend in a mixer until dough resembles coarse cornmeal. Add remaining butter; mix until biggest pieces look like large peas.

DRIBBLE in water, stir, then dribble in more, until dough just holds together. Toss with hands, letting it fall through fingers, until it’s ropy with some dry patches. If dry patches predominate, add another tablespoon water. Keep tossing until you can roll dough into a ball. Flatten into a 4-inch-thick disk; refrigerate. After at least 30 minutes, remove; let soften so it’s malleable but still cold. Smooth cracks at edges. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 14-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Dust excess flour from both sides with a dry pastry brush.

PLACE dough in a lightly greased 9-inch round tart pan, or simply on a parchment-lined baking sheet if you wish to go free-form, or galette-style with it. Heat oven to 400°F. (If you have a pizza stone, place it in the center of the rack.)

OVERLAP apples on dough in a ring 2 inches from edge if going galette-style, or up to the sides if using the tart pan. Continue inward until you reach the center. Fold any dough hanging over pan back onto itself; crimp edges at 1-inch intervals.

BRUSH melted butter over apples and onto dough edge. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over dough edge and the other 3 tablespoons over apples. (Deb note: I found it nearly impossible to coat it with this much sugar, so I used a little less–more like 3 tablespoons. It made a lightly sweet tart, which we found perfect.)

BAKE in center of oven until apples are soft, with browned edges, and crust has caramelized to a dark golden brown (about 45 minutes), making sure to rotate tart every 15 minutes.

MAKE glaze: Put reserved peels and cores in a large saucepan, along with sugar. Pour in just enough water to cover; simmer for 25 minutes. Strain syrup through cheesecloth.

REMOVE tart from oven, and slide off parchment onto cooling rack. Let cool at least 15 minutes.

BRUSH glaze over tart, slice, and serve.

You either have it or you dont.

How spunky is this lil kid?
(picture from: thesartorialist)

Have a spunky wkend y'all!!