I finally got a new digital camera after two  months of waiting! I hope my new Canon Powershot S95 will last for years (my previous PowerShot S2 IS lasted for a good 4+ years).

My Sunday started at 11 am. After 10 solid hours of undisturbed sleep, I was ready to hit the road for a run. I couldn’t resist the nice weather!

I had two of these ‘licious nutty-fruity cocoa coated balls (recipe at the bottom) and drank a glass of warm water before hitting the road!

I ran gadget-free. I always do. No watch, no music player. Brought along 10 bucks  though, in case I needed to buy drinks — which I did after I finished my 15 km run. Running is addictive. Oh yes it is.

Rice Cracker Sandwich as post-workout fuel.

The filling: Egg white, Tomato  sauce and crunchy faux bacon bits

I  also had one or two more of those nutty-fruity cocoa coated balls.

Nutty-fruity cocoa coated balls

Ingredients

• 15 dried apricots
• 7 dried prunes
• 5 dates
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup peanut butter of your choice
• 1-2 tbsp water
• 1-2 tbsp honey
• 3/4 cup roasted silvered almonds
• 2 tbsp raw cacao nibs
• 2-3 tbsp unsweetened Hershey cocoa powder

Method: Place the first 7 ingredients into a food processor and process until they stick together. Place the sticky mixture  into a bowl and add the silvered almonds and raw cacao nibs. Mix well. Shape into balls. Coat each ball with cocoa powder. Pop the Nutty-fruity cocoa coated balls into the freezer. Best eaten frozen!

First things first … I got more bangs! Fringes that is :)

I like my fringes this time because there’s no layering (unlike last time). I also covered up the dark hair root. It’s been 3 months since my last haircut. I don’t have a regular hairdresser but I think I’ve finally found one now.

Now on to the Muffins!

The wet ingredients: 2 very ripe bananas, 4 tbsp of Greek yogurt, 3 tbsp of creamy peanut butter, 4 tbsp of honey, 4 tbsp of sunflower or vegetable oil, vanilla extract. They are actually pretty healthy muffins.

Stirring until smooth

I mixed  in the dry ingredients. Then filled the muffin liners.

Twenty Five minutes later. The house smelled sooooo good!

An hour later. When time is on my side and I am in the mood I enjoy having guests at home, cook and bake for them. Not pictured was my hot chocolate drink =)

Can you spot the ‘Biscuit Champagne‘? hehehe

An hour and half later

With our guest, director of Ugandan youth Track & Field Association, whom the husband met (along with others including the Mauritian team) at the Youth Olympic Games.

I will post my niece’s Birthday pictures another day.

***

Banana, PB, Greek Yogurt, Raisin Muffins

Recipe via here

Ingredients

• 2 very ripe bananas, roughly mashed
• 4 tbsp of Greek yogurt
• 3 tbsp of chunky or smooth peanut butter
• 4 tbsp of honey
• 4 tbsp of sunflower or vegetable oil
• 1 ad 1/4 C flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 C of raisins

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven at 180 deg C and line  a cupcake tray
2. Beat together the bananas, honey, Greek yogurt, peanut butter and oil till smooth.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda. Mix in the raisins.
4. Fold in the flour mixture to the banana mixture, a couple of tablespoons at a time, till everything is just moistened. The mixture will be quite thick.
5. Spoon the mixture into the muffin liners, till about 3/4 full.
6. Place the tray in the centre of the pre heated oven and bake for about 22-24 minutes or till the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted through the centre of the muffins come out clean.
7. Cool the muffins in the tray for a minute, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely before storing in airtight containers.

Back in Singapore, my breakfast is often taken in a rush. So, one of the things that I am really enjoying at the moment is my nice long breakfast, tea and baguette.

We had “pain maison” this morning…

Mum also made  fluffy banana pancakes

Some days we have bread + jambon fumé

We are heading to La Pirogue after lunch for the weekend. Soooo looking forward to the breakfast and dinner buffet :)   I am also planning to hit the gym so that I can digest all the food that I will be consuming!!! I gotta maintain some workout schedule for my mental well-being  hehe.

I hope the water will not be too cold because I wanna swim and do some water sports :) Most importantly,  I hope it will be very sunny!!!

Will update when I’m there :) Cya later!

So anyway, I got up and prepared breakfast — not those quickie ones like making a sandwich or pouring milk over corn flakes — I made my first protein pancakes! I recently spotted Fitnessista’s protein pancakes, so I gave them a try! I used Bob’s Red Mill soy protein powder, wheat germ and milk and then the rest of the ingredients remained the same. I’ve never used protein powder before. Soy protein is my first. You can get it at Paragon Marketplace.

These pancakes are yummy. I ate them with nutella! Anything with nutella tastes nice. I initially made 1 serving. After my first bite, I knew I had to make more! So I made 2 more servings. Each serving yields about 3 pancakes (size of the palm).

The batter – more on the thick side

Yes I made one by one O.o

N.u.t.e.l.l.a!!

Protein Pancakes – At least 20g of protein in one serving.

Protein Pancakes

Adapted from The Fitnessista

Ingredients (for 1 serving — yields about 3 palm sized pancakes)

• 3 tbsp Bob’s Red Mill soy protein powder
• 1 tbsp wheat germ (I prefer flour)
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup low fat or skim milk (add more if batter is too thick)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Method

• Heat a skillet to medium heat.
• While the pan is heating up, in a small bowl, combine the protein powder, wheat germ, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, salt and whisk to remove any lumps.
• Whisk in the egg white, milk and vanilla.
• Cook the pancakes for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

I was on leave today as I had an important appointment with my DR. And since I was at Paragon, I dropped by Paragon Marketplace. Remember I said that I wanted to get Greek yoghurt? Well I saw a couple of them, including Fage Total (I’ve been seeing this yoghurt around the food blog world lately) at Marketplace. However the price turned me down. $14 I think! Euh, no thanks. I’d rather stick to my $7-$9 yoghurt (1kg).

I am in a yoghurt craze at the moment. It’s a good thing right. Yoghurt is healthy. I think I must have had two of these Thick & Creamy yoghurt today! I bought 6 of these on Sunday – they were on sale (2 for $2.99).

Remember my new pair of running shoes? Well I’ve used it twice. I should have got half size bigger … oh well.

Tonight I made curry brinjal lady finger. Not pictured are the spices (masala, cumin powder, salt and pepper)

Here’s the end result after slow cooking it for about an hour.  This is my first time cooking lady fingers. I’m not a huge fan. But he is =)

I really wanted to make some granola bars tonight! And I did :) I will try to get a better picture tomorrow morning (morning = natural light = better photo quality). I haven’t cut them into bars yet.

Well I’m not supposed to eat too much sugar and carbs – DR’s advise — No I don’t have diabetes in case you are wondering. The husband was a little upset that I made these, knowing that I was supposed to avoid sweet things. Hmmm I don’t think my granola bars  are as sweet as the processed ones…

***

Are you a fan of lady fingers? How about granola bars?

It was time to replace my old pair of Adidas running shoes with a new one.  I chose the latest Mizuno Wave Rider 13 this time. I started using Mizuno shoes back in 2005 — wow that was sooooo long ago! Can’t believe I was running in shoe of size US6.5 back then. I wear US7.5 or US8 now (for running shoes). Did my feet grow bigger and fatter in 4 years?? :)

Here’s my new pair of Mizuno Rider 13 running shoe.

Tonight dinner wasn’t alien. I cooked something familiar. I made daube de poulet, a typical mauritian dish.

Mum’s version is so much tastier :)

I didn’t make my creamy chocolate tofu pudding again tonight. Instead I had a low-fat chocolate cakey muffin. Or two. I will post the recipe another day.

Rewinding back to morning …  Breakfast was a cup of Yoplait

I also packed a sandwich (wholemeal bread + lettuce + cheese + ham + nutritional yeast + mustard + ketchup) to work.

Off to watching American Idol. Goodnight all!

Soon after I came back home I prepared dinner. I’ve been experimenting with quinoa lately and tonight I made quinoa-stuffed aubergine.

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

• 1 aubergine
• 2 small shallots chopped
• 1 medium grated carrot
• 2 cloves of garlic crushed
• Olive oil
• Soy sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste (not too much salt because of the soy sauce)
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried Oregano
• Crushed walnuts
• Mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 cup water

Method:

1. Slice the aubergines in half lengthways (2 halves). Deeply score the white flesh in a criss cross pattern. Dribble olive oil over the aubergines and cook in pre-heated oven on a medium temperature for 15 – 20 minutes.
2. To cook the quinoa: Place quinoa and boiling water in a pan and bring back to boil – simmer for about 15 minutes or until cooked.
3. Meanwhile fry the chopped onions, carrot and crushed garlic in olive, adding  oregano, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Add the cooked quinoa.
4. Scoop out the aubergines from their shells and add to the carr0t mixture. Spoon the mix back into the aubergine shells. sprinkle with crushed walnuts and mozzarella cheese and place back in the oven on a low heat for about 15 minutes.
5. Serve hot.

Before

And after. Yum!

For dessert I made my first creamy chocolate tofu pudding!

** Wait, did I just say TOFU???? **

I had absolutely no idea what to expect from a pudding made with silken tofu. But you know what? It was amazing. Seriously, I didn’t expect it to taste this good and this creamy. If you have never eaten tofu pudding before, give it a try! I’m gonna make cheesecake tofu next time! The husband  however, thought that the tofu pudding tasted really weird!! FYI he’s not a fan of pudding or creamy things like custards  O_o

Ingredients

• Half a block of silken tofu (about 60 g maybe)
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 – 2 tbsp sugar (add more it you want a sweet pudding)
• A drop of vanilla extract

Method: Mix all ingredients into a food processor or blender until smooth and creamy. Pour into a small bowl and sprinkle with some nuts. Serve chilled.

I still have half a block of silken tofu in the fridge. I will make some more tomorrow :)

***

Time to go to bed now … Nite!

In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on – Robert Lee Frost

I woke up at 7.30 this morning feeling blah and not looking forward to the day. I went back to sleep until around 9 am.  I took the day off — maybe this wasn’t a good idea because work keeps my mind busy. Well I’m still sad, frustrated, scared (of the unknown) but hopeful. And life goes on no matter what. Great to chat with mum over the phone for a short while this morning.

Breakfast was  a semi creamy yoghurt. I have not had my usual morning iced tea for quite some time and I do not miss it. Nowadays, breakfast is either soya beancurd or yoghurt and occasionally fried spring rolls or curry puffs.

Then I was off to meet the husband for a while, followed by grocery shopping for the week.

***

Tonight I made my first quinoa salad using 1/2 cup quinoa + 1 cup water + lemon juice + 1/2  red bell pepper + sun dried tomato pesto + 1 small shallot + salt + pepper. The quinoa salad was pretty good.

I added about a tablespoon or two of this sundried tomato pesto too

Now I’m off to watch some TV to keep the mind busy.

Dinner was this

I made stir fried soya beansprout + carrot, drizzle with sesame oil and topped with a tablespoon of nutritional yeast and some crushed walnuts. Oh by the way, in case you are wondering …  nutritional yeast tastes a little like marmite. I have not eaten marmite for years! We grew up eating marmite (add it to bread and to rice porridge).  I’m gonna get a bottle soon :)

I also prepared rice porridge (rice + chicken stock + wolfberry seeds + dried red dates + carrots + quinoa)

And finally I baked a piece of salmon

Dessert was honey Thai mango. I bought 10 mangoes yesterday at $1 each. Buy 10 pieces and get 1 free :)

And a piece of his birthday cake

Loved Adam Lambert’s performance on Idol tonight!! <3

***

Bought a packet of quick soup mix ($4) from Holland and Barrett (CityLink) last weekend. The soup mix has 5 types of grains: Red lentils, green lentils, red split peas, green split peas, whole barley and barley flakes. I turned it into a 11-grain soup by adding additional grains :)

The grains:

Red lentils, green lentils + red split pea + green split pea + whole barley + barley flakes — from the soup mix. Whole oats + whole long grain brown rice + whole rye + whole heart red winter wheat + whole triticale, whole barley + whole buckwheat + whole sesame seeds — from the 7 whole grain pilaf. I added wolfberry seeds + quinoa seeds + corn kernels + bay leaves + basil leaves + crispy faux bacon bits.

Totally going to make this soup again! It’s super healthy.

***

The husband wanted to try Pizza Hut’s new crunchy (corn flakes) crust after seeing it on TV. He is a fan of corn flakes. So on Sunday we ordered a Hawaiian pizza with a crunchy cheese bites crust.

I thought the cheesy crust was too thick. I used to like pizza crusts a lot but I’m not a fan anymore.

The set meal also came with some chicken nuggets and garlic bread.

***

Last night I made a salad bowl: Long beans + tomatoes + red peppers with honey mustard sauce topped with parmessan cheese and crushed red pepper.

Take care. Bye!

I was on medical leave yesterday because I was still having  pain in my tummy – not gastric pain but more like stitch pain. I didn’t sleep much on Monday night, so yesterday I managed to catch up on my lost sleep.

The other day at Brewerks, we ordered some veggie dips that came with raw celery and carrots and a cheese dip (I think they are not on the menu but they will gladly serve you some if you ask them  — $1.99 for a plate). Yesterday I felt like making my own veggie dip –  Bacon bits sour cream dip.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup low fat sour cream
• 2-3 tbsp bacon bits (add more if you like)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Pinch of salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese (optional)
• 1 tsp honey (if you like it a bit sweeter add more)

Method: Mix all together (except the bacon bits). Chill for a few minutes. Before serving, add the bacon bits. Serve with crackers, chips, or veggie dippers.

I served mine with boiled broccoli.

***

Quinoa

I’ve always wanted to try quinoa. They have been commemorated as the “Super grain of the future“. Although classed as a grain, quinoa (keen-wah) is technically an herb, originating with the Incas, in Peru. They are light, delicious, high in protein, and easy to cook.  They can be used in place of rice, bulgar, or couscous in any recipe.

Some health benefits of Quinoa

• Unlike its counterparts, Quinoa is a complete protein (12-18%), since it contains all the eight essential amino acids.
• It has excellent source of potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium, iron (15%) and B vitamins.
• Thanks to the magnesium content, they are Nature’s medicine for people suffering from Migraines. Add them to you diet often. They are also excellent for the heart. Magnesium also relaxes muscles and blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure.
• Since they are an insoluble fiber, it helps in gallstone prevention.
• They are go-to foods for diabetic patients, since it helps to decrease the blood sugar levels.
• If you suffer from celiac disease, then look no further for Quinoa is here. It is gluten free.

Did you know: One cup of quinoa contains more calcium than one cup of milk!

I bought a packet of Quinoa at Fairprice on Tuesday.

And tried it for dinner. I made Prawn, Tofu and Quinoa stir fries with a tablespoon or two of coconut cream. I will do without the coconut cream next time because I didn’t quite like its taste.

Hidden underneath are roasted walnuts and almonds for a nutty taste.

The husband isn’t fan of those healthy grains especially things that he has never eaten nor heard of. However he finished his bowl :) Good thing I added the prawns!

***

I think I will stir fry  long beans + firm tofu + quinoa tonight! I am not allowed to work out for the next few weeks and I’m already really missing sweating like a pig :( I just discovered some very interesting workouts but unfortunately I can’t do them!! Anyway, have a great day ahead!

Can’t wait for the hair to grow!

So anyway how was your Monday? I got a ton of things done this morning. My mornings seem to always be busier than my afternoons.

Tonight I made quick pizzas with Swedish thin flat bread. The bread was a little too thin. It became soggy.

Still yummy though. Just messy to eat :)

***

James was in Singapore on Sunday but we were not able to meet. I went out with the family. Visited a show flat condo with sis at Khatib.  Most of the units were already sold out. After that we went to IKEA,where we met my brother for some afternoon snacks or pre-dinner. IKEA was having the annual clearance sale (yesterday was the last day) and I bought some vanilla scented candles – my favourites.

Claire relaxing in that very comfy chair hehe

Bro and Althea playing with Claire

I made granola bars yesterday and gave some to sis

We are meeting again this Saturday for some tennis and swimming.

***

Last week’s workout: Oh boy I don’t remember what I did last week!  The only thing that I can remember is the 30 minutes of strength training on Sunday morning, followed by this delicious breakfast heh.

I almost forgot how delicious and filling oatmeal can be.

• Oatmeal
• Milk
• Vanilla essence
• Banana
• Kiwi

Dinner was pilaf + egg spinach + minty cucumber salad. The husband is not a fan of Pilaf. He doesn’t like anything brown such as brown rice, brown pasta …  :P

My brother gave me two packets of Crispy cod fish with seaweed. Love them!! Eating as I’m typing :)

Now we are off to watching some TV and snacking on those crispy cod fish! Goodnight!

Part of dinner was this.

Minty cucumber salad in tangy honey mustard sauce.

Two egg whites topped with a tablespoon of nutritional yeas, spinach jalapeno hummus and bread slices. I recently discovered nutritional yeast via food blogs and I’ve wondered what it tasted like. So the other day I bought a packet from carrefour Suntec (organic section) — 100g packet for $3.30. What can I say? It is awesome! It has this nutty cheesy flavour, it is a good source of protein and B-complex vitamins. I am seriously loving it because of its flavour :)

***

I forgot to post the Double Chocolate Pudding recipe … So here you go.  It is Yaaamiiiieeee … Light and not overly sweet.

Ingredients used. Cocoa and Corn flour are not pictured.

Cocoa, corn flour, soy cream, milk, egg, vanilla and sugar mixture

Placing into my small ramekins

Et voila!

The best part is licking the left overs :)

Recipe follows. Goodnight!!

Double Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients

• 2 tbs. cornstarch
• 1 cup low fat milk (you could also used soy milk)
• 1 cup soy creamer (you could also use double cream)
• 1/4 cup sugar (add more if you want it sweeter)
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp semi-sweet chocolate
• 2-3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Method

1. Combine cornstarch, milk and soy creamer in saucepan and stir until cornstarch is dissolved. Turn heat to medium and stir in sugar and cocoa. Cook whisking frequently, until mixture reaches a low boil. Remove from heat.
2. Add egg and whisk in. Return to heat and cook 3 or 4 minutes, until thick but not boiling.
3. Place chocolate in medium bowl and pour hot  milk mixture over it. Let stand for about a minute, then stir until melted and smooth. Cool for 15 minutes, then stir in vanilla.
4. Pour into small ramekins, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool completely at room temperature.
5. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight before serving.

Gorgeous green isn’t it. Breadstick + Hummus = <3

Ingredients

• 1 (410g) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 jalapeno peppers
• 1 cup boiled or wilted spinach
• Olive oil or EVOO (I didn’t add too much)
• Salt to taste

Method: In a food processor add beans, jalapenos, spinach, salt and puree until smooth . With the processor running, slowly add olive oil in a steady stream through the feed tube. Process until mixture thickens, about 1-2 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

***

I bought a box of Grissini bread stick ($2 after discount) and Kashi 7 whole grain pilaf ($3.50 after discount) from Cold Storage. Both items were on sale and price reduced by half, because they are close to hitting their expiration dates. I guess there is more than enough time to consume them before they expire :)

I’ve never eaten Pilaf until today.

After 25 minutes of cooking (1/4 cup pilaf + 1 cup of stock), it becomes like this. They are pretty chewy and tasty. Nice with stir fries etc.

***

Look what I bought the other day :)

Honey Thai Mangoes — $1 for 1 piece (quite fleshy) — I bought 9 pieces!

I actually baked mango muffins last night but they didn’t turn out that good. They became too moist (due to the big ripe mango chunks) even after having baked them for at least 45 minute! In my opinion, ripe mangoes are best eaten fresh or in smoothies.