Food art is all in rage

Many a times, the vagaries of life would cause me to feel wound up. One reason why I'm always finding that time is not enough, it's because I'm highly ambitious. Very often, after lil bub sleeps, I'll be busy catching up with work or preparing learning materials for lil K. This gets a little stressful. The house is in disarray and I'm constantly shoving lil K aside. Coupled with my unforgiving schedule, i might have unleashed some harsh words on the lil one. Well, not quite harsh words but rather words (if any) of nonchalence and exasperation. Dealing with a clingy and demanding toddler who has turned two is stressful at times. The relentless mothering gig was putting a toil on my work as I do want to be as professional about work as possible. When I tell friends who have no kids, I get dissed. I know it's just a phase coz such episodes of outburst happen mostly during exam periods. Such is life and and i just have to soldier on. That's what I need to do. I hear myself apologising to Lil K one time too many these days. I decided to redemn myself and realign my priorities. Thus the birth of a new hobby -- FOOD ART. Focusing on pretty things keeps me zen and is thearapeutic even though it takes up tme sound. It is certainly helping me as bimbotic as it may sound.

Was terribly inspired by Samantha Lee's masterpieces and decided to try some of my own. Besides being a babe, Samantha is a mother of two and has recently been in the limelight for her food art pieces which she whips up for her children. LUCKY Kids! I don't know where she finds time but she probably is having help at home and in the kitchen and it certainly helps that she doesn't have a full time job.

Below are some of my works. Some are pretty sloppy and it certainly varies with mood. But HEY, I've to tackle other aspects of life too yeah? I'm all human who is a jack of all trades and master of none:

This was my first ahem masterpiece. Made up of beetroot noodles, minced pork, broccoli and nori.

This technically can't be considered "My masterpiece" coz it's bought off the shelf during the Mooncake festival. 

 

These visually appealing and ahem elaborately styled (haha no shame) works have encouraged Lil K to self feed. In fact, her intake of food these days has increased and I'd like to credit it to food art which melts even the hardest of hearts. These certainly help fickle eaters so if you have a lil one at home who doesn't quite love food, why not try making some kawaii stuff for him today?

My Baby is officially a toddler! Happy Birthday, Darling!

In the blink of an eye, the lil bug is no longer a bug. She has completed metamorphosis and bloomed into the the next stage -- The Terrible Twos! In the past, I've never believed in such a thing as the terrible twos. I mean, it's all due to the parents' teachings right? Well, I suppose to a certain extent I'm right coz I must say I'm very grateful that Lil K is becoming very sensible and understanding. Take for example, as this is a difficult period, I can't carry her and have explained to her that I'm tired thus can't lift her. She understands and would always say: Mama is tired. mama can carry only when sitting. Awww such an angel!

Since last yr, I made it a point that her birthday would be a day when the two sets of parents will come together for a get together. I mean what better day right? since they don't meet AT ALL! Empress Dowager will make the effort to visit my mil during Chinese New Year or once in a blue moon, when she's over at my place, she'll tag along with Lil K to the mil's. But I can't say the same the other way round. Maybe a difference in culture? Heck it. I do my part and on this day, every year, i told the hub, like it or not, we are gonna have them seated together and dine. It's like an appreciation dinner as well as a celebration. A way of saying thanks for helping this lil bug bloom. 

 The hub doesn't like me to splurge and make a big hoo ha with regards to party, but I on the contrary am a creature who loves beautiful things! So since I can't have a function room complete with photobooth and DIY party packs, I can only spend on cakes for the family. Above is the lil bug's favourite character of the moment. And she absolutely adores it!

 The Mil's birthday was just 3 days apart from Lil bug and the BIL was also within the same month, thus I had to show my generosity by giving them each a little something as well. Customised 3D cake and cupcakes from the talented Charlotte Grace. 

 Lil K really enjoyed the cake so much that few days following, she's still asking me to show her photos of her big day and her elmo cake! 

I bought this balancing bike some time back from a sale and was hoping to give it to her on her birthday, but alas! She's still too short. Currently standing at the 3rd percentile. 

Couldn't get a better picture but nevertheless, a gorgeous one!

Happy birthday my darling! Hope you'll grow to be a healthy and wise girl. May you be blessed, Always.

turning healthy

Major Hiatus! It has never been this way before! What has been happening? The usual. Tackling the oft-grinding life of working motherhood. Sleep deprivation. Adrenal fatigue. These somehow reverberated in several spheres for the past week. Lil K was sick. Down with viral fever initially. Shooting up to over 40 degrees twice and at 3am, it was the last straw. I took her to A&E, only to be disappointed by KKH. The doctor wasn't too sympathetic and instead criticised the medication I received from my pediatrician. On top of that, we were told to collect K's urine sample to test for UTI but from 330am till 7am, there was no pee! PANIC attack! I craddled her as she slept n the hub was also snoring away in his seat. The doctor and nurses offered no help. Finally, we decided to go home and wait for the pee to come. Collecting the pee was as traumatizing. Lil K was afraid of peeing into the little container. We let her go diaperless in hope that she'll let us know when she wants to pee (she usually does), but alas, she knew we were up to no good thus was pee-ing everywhere. Finally, at noon, we collected a clean sample! N guess what? As expected, it wasn't UTI. The doctor then told us if the fever persists for 4 days and rash comes out, only then will they conduct a blood test. FOUR DAYS? u gotto be kidding me! I need a solution pronto! Thankfully, her fever subsided on Day 3 but on Day 4, diarrhoea kicked in. Once again, we visited our PD (Dr Hiew from Junior Baby clinic @ Marine Parade). He was concerned and believed that Lil K had the stomach flu. True enough, the next few days, members of the entire clan caught the bug. All except me. Somehow, nature has its way of keeping the mother strong. I gulped down tons of vitamins and water to ensure that I stayed strong. It was sleepless nights as Lil K woke up to poop. At its peak, i had to change her 10 times a night! Amidst all these hullabaloo, I had to work. It was and still is, peak season for me. I often get bouts of panic attacks when thing get ovewhelming. Shouldering sleep deprivation isn't easy, however I've to constantly remind myself that we are not wired for work alone. Thereafter, the hubs went on 2wks reservist. Even though he got to come home every night, it was still mostly me, myself and I. Right after reservist, he was flying again.

 

This post has been hibrnating under "draft" for the longest time. Each time, i could only type a bit as I can't seem to find a full hour to sit down and pen down my thoughts. Frustrating much. wish there's a machine which can read my thoughts. Worse yet, the downloading of photos is an ardous process. In addition, my lappy's battery has popped and the hub's lappy is terribly sensitive. The cursor strangely jumps around when I type. Which is terribly annoying because it sometimes deletes what I type. Thankfully there's the UNDO button!

 

Alright, I'm pretty sure you won't want me to be yakking about how painful life is so i'll get to the point. I shouldn't let time go by without looking after myself well. This is especially important after the series of events which in a twist of fate, led me to realise how fragile and unpredictable life is.

Since young, I've been conditioned by self reliance. Especially so since communication with Empress Dowager was terse. There's nothing much medically that I can do at this moment so rather than to dwell on something exponentially unpleasant, an action plan to a healthier life should be in place. So that's what I've been doing. Looking at things from the other end of the tunnel, I'm starting to feed myself better despite having to juggle with comitments of both work and family. It's no excuse, everyone else is doing so. Only difference, they prolly have a better support system or spare cash under their pillow to put mounting financial stress at bay.Then again, 家家有本难念经, so I should not plummet myself into this viscious cycle. No matter how insurmountable it might seem, I'm going to try harder to treat myelf better. It's tough not to rush around and have the bandwidth to linger and reflect, but I hope to take baby steps to strike a balance in the drudgery of life.

 

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well

 

Here's what I've been doing to keep myself healthier (or so it seems):

 

I've been a staunch believer of TCM and lately I've switched physicians. This old man (Ban Choon Chan) @ Marine Parade came highly recommended but be warned, his queues are amazing too! He isn't opened on Monday and Tuesdays and the rest of the days, he's only opened in the day. His doors opens at 830am but pilgrims (including old ladies) are there even at 7am! Once I was there at 8am (happily  thinking that I was early), but alas! I was 12th in q and waited till almost 11am before it was my turn! There is no q number given so u basically have to be seated physically. Some even resort to putting a pack of tissue paper in order to sneak out for a breather! The meds don't come cheap. Two dosages like the above set me back by $75. Taken on certain days of the cycle unlike my previous TCM which had me consume a cough syrup like concoction everyday, every 4 hours. Honestly, I'm not too sure which works, but at least this physcian is located nearby and most importantly, SPEAKS ENGLISH! i've seen even Indian customers of his! And when I  first told him of my condition, he immediately used heaps of medical terms to explain. That bought me over.

 

 

I've recently (ok not very recent considering the hiatus) chanced upon this awesome little organic stall. It's really quite a small area selling all sorts of organic stuff (except fresh produce). I was particularly impressed by the fact that I could purchase organic pepper, garlic powder and some other spices by the gram! this saves a lot on wastage. Green Pantry is located at Katong i12, Basement.

I bought myself some Quinoa, organic noodles, red rice and organic raw cacao powder amongst others.

 

Here are the benefis of Quiona which I generally add to rice or porridge:

 

1. Quinoa is one of the most protein-rich foods we can eat. It is a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids.

2. Quinoa contains almost twice as much fiber as most other grains. Fiber is most widely known to relieve constipation. It also helps to prevent heart disease by reducing high blood pressure and diabetes. Fiber lowers cholesterol and glucose levels, may lower your risk of developing hemorrhoids and may help you to lose weight as it takes a longer time to chew than does other foods because it makes you feel fuller for longer and is less “energy dense” which means it has fewer calories for the same volume of food.

3. Quinoa contains Iron. Iron helps keep our red blood cells healthy and is the basis of hemoglobin formation. Iron carries oxygen from one cell to another and supplies oxygen to our muscles to aid in their contraction. Iron also increases brain function because the brain takes in about 20% of our blood oxygen. There are many benefits of iron some more of which include neurotransmitter synthesis, regulation of body temperature, aids enzyme activity and energy metabolism.

4. Quinoa contains lysine. Lysine is mainly essential for tissue growth and repair.

5. Quinoa is rich in magnesium. Magnesium helps to relax blood vessels and thereby to alleviate migraines. Magnesium also may reduce Type 2 diabetes by promoting healthy blood sugar control. Other health benefits of magnesium include transmission of nerve impulses, body temperature regulation, detoxification, energy production, and the formation of healthy bones and teeth.

6. Quinoa is high in Riboflavin (B2). B2 improves energy metabolism within brain and muscle cells and is known to help create proper energy production in cells.

7. Quinoa has a high content of manganese. Manganese is an antioxidant, which helps to prevent damage of mitochondria during energy production as well as to protect red blood cells and other cells from injury by free radicals.



 

Credits to http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4994/7-Benefits-of-Quinoa-The-Supergrain-of-the-Future.html

 

Another superfood worth mentioning is Cacao powder. I add this to my daily cup of Milo.

The much touted nutritional benefits or raw cacao range from reducing cataracts to improving heart function to alleviating stress. The theobromine naturally found in raw cacao is a mild, non-addictive stimulant that some believe can treat depression. Nowadays we know that raw cacao is certainly very high in antioxidant flavanoids, sulfur and magnesium. The essential fatty acids found in chocolate may help the body to raise good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol. The high levels of antioxidants reduce the amount of free radicals in the body --that certainly sounds good to me.

 

The above are some of the simple healthy dishes I've whipped up. I try keep my dishes simpler as it's mostly prepared before work for lil K and I. It's no mean feat having to cook and having a lil toddler clinging by your leg literally. Not to mention the cleaning up thereafter. It's often a madhouse right after I drop off Lil K at her granny's. Sometimes I'd be in such a big hurry, the dishes will just have to wait. Thankfully, the ants and cockroaches are still at bay.

 

 

When I'm out, I try to opt for healthier options too. Am trying to avoid fried stuff (oh how i love my  KFC) but i now indulge in such foods only once in a blue moon. The above haunt is an awesome place i found in the Toa Payoh enclave. Nestled in the heart of the interchange, this stall which sells only steamed stuff is really a gem. You may think that steam = boring. But check out it's array

 of dishes! From Assam Fish Slice to plain old steam veggies, they have them all. There's also an option of white rice or brown rice. Naturally, even though it doesn't taste as chewy, I force myself to go with the brown rice.

 

 

Apart from white rice, I've stocked up on red, brown and black rice! ooooo i love colours! Am trying to get the whole family (namely the hub and lil K) involved in eating these supergrains as their benefits speak for themselves:

1. Rich in fiber
2. Controlling blood sugar levels
3. Making full faster
4. Contains antioxidants to counteract free radicals

In addition, red/brown rice is rich in zinc, a mineral that helps accelerate wound healing and maintain the body's immune system to function properly. Just as iron or manganese, zinc is also rich in antioxidants that protect the body from free radicals that can damage cells and tissues in the body.
5. Containing Vitamin B6
6. Lowering bad cholesterol levels

 

 

 

Having spent so much effort in detoxing, the results seem to be showing. My bowel movements are more regular and I'm feeling less lethargic and healthier. I don't know how long I can keep this up but hopefully the efforts will pay off!

 

Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food

DIY Samsung S3 covers

Crafting and the arts have always been in my blood but since young, my mom has been hindering my pursuit in the Arts. She said that being an artist can never earn big bucks. Old school. There's a wee bit of resentment for who knows I might have been the next big thing. For a while, I hid this talent from many. Aquaintances and even close ones would be pleasantly surprised at my deft fingers and creative juices. With the arrival of Lil K, things left me with very little time to relish nature or paint a picture, let alone craft. However, recently after knowing a bunch of "crafty" mommies, the love for crafting has been rekindled. I don't know where these people get the energy to craft, bake or even blog. Seriously people, do you sleep? Of late, I've been inspired by  Jasmine. The photos on her blog are oh-so-inspiring and beautifully captured. And her DIY projects are always on my bookmarked list. And in case you aren't aware, this talented mommy won the Best lifestyle Blog at the recent Singapore Blog Awards! Anyhoots, I've been meaning to try out one of her DIYs -- customisable iphone covers. A very clever idea. All you need essentially are those transparent covers and some nice pattened papers. However, stingy me am unwilling to part with those pretty full size scrapbooking sheets thus I thought, Why not print them out according to the size I want? Genius. Well almost, coz printer ink aren't cheap either!

 

I was really inspired by the below chalkboard quotes and wanted to replicate something for the phone. I mean how hard can that be right? No need for printer ink, just my trusty black paper and white pen! Pure Genius again. Wrong. I did not take into consideration that I'm customising for a Samsung S3 which has curves unlike the Iphone5! It was an ardous task to cut the three holes for the camera, flash and speaker. To cut to size as another difficulty. I tried but the end result was far from satisfactory. Then I tried inserting it into the transparent cover and guess what? It wouldn't close. Too thick I suppose.

 

So in the end, I did THIS! Simply printed what I wanted on normal printing paper and snapped them onto the phone using the transparent cover! No need to even cater for the three menacing holes! The end result might not be all that posh but hey, from far, it does looks pretty good and now I'm able to motivate myself with these beautiful covers!

 

 

 Here's the instructions credits to http://scissorspaperstoneblog.com

 

 I told you I was a genius! Teehee. :)

Review: Choosing the right BB cream

BB Cream. I've always been a fan of it. BB stands for beauty or Blemish Balm as it's more commonly known. It was first developed by a German dermatologist Dr.Christine Schrammek in the 1950s for her own patients to sooth skin, reduce redness and give it a more natural look after treatments such as peels. This multi purpose and multi tasking all-in-one cream is an anti-aging moisturizer, UV protecting tinted skin smoother, imperfection concealer and primer all in one. It's popularized by the Koreans and Japanese mainly who swore by it and managed to create that airbrushed feel with the BB cream . Ever since its emergence, I too, jumped onto the bandwagon. I used to be really conscious of my unsightly scars and flaming red skin. As such, I often piled on tons of foundation and concealer in hope to spare me the ridicule from mean people around. I used to be a fan of Bobbi Brown's foundation but since the evolution of the BB cream, I've tried Dr Jart+ BB cream but didn't like its shade and creamy texture which made me look pasty and unatural;  Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector B.B. Cream which again did not make the mark in the colour department. It's super-light but probably too light for my liking. I felt insecure. I know BB creams are not meant for coverage, but it didn't seem to sit well on my skin and ended up fading after a few hours. On top of that, it seemed to add to the oiliness of my flawed skin. If you are prone to acne breakouts or if your skin is sensitive, this may not be the product for you. Finally, i took to affordable brands like Bio Essence Aqua BB cream and used it for a while. The pink undertone matched my skin and it didn't oxidize after a day. The only drawback was that I didn't quite like its smell. Then, CC cream came into the picture. Also known as Color Control cream, or color correcting cream, it is a refined blemish balm cream or Beauty Balm created and developed in Korea. Immediately I got myself a tube from Rachel K at Watsons. Popular brands of CC creams include Rachel K, Loreal, and Chanel. Rachel K, a Singapore-based brand, is said to be the first brand to pioneer CC cream and introduce it into the market before other major beauty companies like Chanel, Lancome, Olay and L'Oreal. It was founded by Miss Singapore Universe, Rachel Kum. Local babe, worth supporting of course! Then again, I basically bought it because of it's affordability plus its range is the only one available in a limited market that is formulated with pure minerals, making it suitable for all skin types including highly sensitive ones as the mineral ingredients do not irritate or damage the skin.

I would have stuck with the CC cream if I wasn't introduced to the Laneige BB soothing cushion. It is

a unique compact that contains a cushion filled with cooling air and BB cream. The unique formula of LANEIGE BB cushion is that it provides five benefits, including:
-      cooling effect that instantly cools down and refreshes the skin fatigued under heat, by 3°C;

-      brightening effect;

-      sweat-proof, long-lasting coverage

-      daily protection against harmful UV rays and sun damage with SPF 50+ PA+++:

-      tone correction to medium coverage, creating a clean and natural look; 

 

Highly recommended by makeup artists and editors, this baby blends on so easily and naturally. All I had to do was to apply onto puff and smooth along the texture of skin. Then, pat to increase adherence. Finally, I applied another layer to improve coverage. I was instantly blown away with the final result! It felt light yet not naked. The price tag isn' too friendly on the pockets though. Retailing in Singapore at $59 which includes a refill. I didn't quite like the fact that they don't sell the puff separately. Hygiene is of utmost importance if you want to achieve good skin, thus, I make it a point to wash the puff every 2-3 days. However, even after washing, I have an inkling that the bacteria is still lurking and seeing the stains on the puff makes me uncomfortable. Still, with its complexion-enhancing goodness and ongoing skin benefits, this is definitely the absolute winner and a keeper!

Yet to jump on the BB train? What are you waiting for?

Grab a code, feel free to link up! 

  

 <a href="http://themishmashmess.blogspot.sg/2013/08/review-choosing-right-bb-cream.html" target="_self"><img border="0" src="http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg601/I_C_E27/beautylinky.jpg" /></a> 

PS: This is not a paid review. All opinions are 100% my own. Results obtained from usage of the product may vary from person to person. Please do your own research when purchasing products as your opinion may differ from mine.

travelogue: bangkok jam

This post is wayyyy overdue. Blame it on the man duties I have to multi-task. Blame it on jam-packed agendas. Or simply, blame i on laziness.

After two weeks of rest, I decided to give myself a break. Or rather, the hub decided that I needed a break. An overseas one that is. So that broke my cardinal rule of not bringing the baby along on trips! We decided to go to the land of smiles and within the week, our airtix and hotel was booked. It has been 3 years since the hub and I travelled together ALONE. Don't get me wrong. I love that the lil one is with us on our trips but i suppose, time off is good in a time like this. Prior to leaving, i prepped lil k but unknown to me, the separation anxiety was more on me. How was i going to get my daily fix when i m a million miles away? There will not be any rolls to munch on when i m back! True enough my withdrawal syndrom started even as i arrived at the airport.

Upon arrival at bkk however,i caved in to the sights and embraced myself in the frenzy of escalating chaos. Yup, the jams were amazing. Thus we decided to tk the airport express to our hotel located near Asok BTS instead. It took us a total of half an hour to arrive. We first took a direct train to Makasan station and from there made a transfer to the MRT and alighted at Sukhumvit station. Exited entrance number 1 and viola, we arrived at the FX furama exclusive hotel.

 

 

I was pleasantly surprised by the room. Spacious, clean and bright. Only complaint i had -- the bed was too hard.

Don't expect too much from the daily buffet spread too. The photo may look pretty decent but the variety sux.

That night, we feasted at Tawangdang. It's a German Brewery and is actually a stand-alone huge ass bunglow. They have a branch in Singapore but of in bkk, it's way cheaper n  nicer! There were performances too to entertain us. The vibrant colours and multitude of dishes made me momentarily forget my woes.

 

I absolutely adore Thai food!! Can't believe it's been this long since I've been to the land of smiles.

Day 2: Took the train to Citlom and Went to Central World coz I heard there's a host of Plan Wooden Toys over at the Toys R Us. However, I reckon we probably have half of the shop at home, thus we went home empty handed. Talk about self-control! I was impressed. We then headed over to Platinum Wholesale mkt where the galore of stuff was amazing. 6 levels (i think) of shopping! Platinum Fashion Mall is located smack in the centre of Pratunam, a 10-minute walk from either Ratchathewi or Chidlom BTS Skytrain. At the end of the spree, i was merely zipping through the lanes. Stamina didn't seem to be as good as before. I used to be able to shop the entire plaza for 6 hours non-stop without stopping even for lunch, but now, it's a whole new story. I was done in a mere 2-3hours. The hub was pleasantly surprised. :)

 

Had this for lunch -- Pork Rice. For only 65bht

 

Day 3: Chatuchak market. A weekend market which all tourists should go. For first-timers, conquering Chatuchak may seem like an impossible task, but worry not.  Inside, one main walkway encircles the entire market, and it branches off into a series of numbered alleyways called Soi 1, Soi 2, Soi 3, and so on.

These alleys are grouped into sections, with 27 sections in all. You will find more than one category of goods contained in one section, and the same category of goods will appear again in the other sections. In terms of locating your category of goods, this system is rather useless; but it will come in handy when you try to locate your particular stall or where your exact location is on the Chatuchak map. I was actually not as enthusiastic as before. Perhaps age has caught up and thus the novelty has worn off. However, I was still keen to go try the highly acclaimed coconut ice-cream. A definite treat on a hot hot day!
 

 

 YUMS!

 

How to get there:

Hop on the skytrain (BTS) to Mo Chit station, take exit no. 1 and follow the crowd until you see rows of canvas stalls selling clothes.

Another option is to take the subway (MRT) to Chatuchak Park station (exit no.1), then follow the crowd until you arrive at the small entrance that leads into the market (clothing section). For the plant and flower section, get off at Kampheng Phet MRT station (exit no. 1).

The weekend market is open on Saturdays and Sundays, 09:00 - 18:00 (strangely I was there at 10am and several stalls were still not opend), and Fridays 18:00 - 24:00. Plant sections are also open on Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 07:00 - 18:00

 

 After a long day of dehydration under the sun, we needed a good massage to rejuvenate. So off we went to Healthland which was located within walking distance from our hotel. That was one reason why we wanted to stay at Furama. For the proximity to this spa haven. Without fail, everyday we visited it for our daily dosage of massage.

 

 

 

On our last day, just before heading to the airport (yes, we are that hardcore), we decided to give ourselves one last treat -- Aroma massage for 1000bht for 1.5hrs. Used to be 800bht. hmmm..the works of inflation. If you are opting for a less pricey deal, the typcal thai massage is abut 500bht. that's for 2 hour of pamper.

 

One of the places which we dined at was the highly talked about Ban Khun Mae. I shall let the photos tell you the level of satisfaction:

 

 BBQ Pig's neck

 

 

 

A must have at every meal: Yum Woon Sen. It's really quite easy to prepare. I wasn't quite over this whole Thai fiasco thus went back and tried replicating this dish. The hubs gave me at 88%. Below is the recipe if you are keen to try out:

Serves 2 | Prep Time: 20 Minutes | Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients:

4 oz pre-soaked mung bean noodles (glass noodles, cellophane noodles)

8-12 medium-sized shrimp, shelled and deveined

3 shallots, thinly sliced

1/2 small tomato, diced

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped cilantro leaves

Dressing Ingredients:

1 garlic, finely minced

1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons warm water

1 tablespoon lime juice, or to taste

1/2 tablespoon chili garlic paste

Method:

Dry mung bean noodles are very light. Soak the dry mung beans noodles with warm water for about 10 minutes (until soft). Discard the water, drain dry and set aside (use 4 oz of them for this recipe). Boil some water and add in the noodles and cook according to the package instruction (a couple of minutes or until the noodles are just cooked through but not mushy). Remove the noodles and drained. Using the same water, boil the shrimp until they are completely cooked. Remove and set aside.

Mix all the ingredients in the Dressing well (make sure the sugar is completely dissolved), set aside.

In a salad bowl, mix the mung bean noodles, shrimp, shallots, tomato, cilantro, mint with the Dressing. Toss to blend well. Add the roasted cashew nuts, stir to combine well. Serve immediately at room temperature or chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.

 

 Another Must have in Thailand! Succulent BBQ Big headed prawns!

 

 

 There was a shop right across the street selling all mango desserts called Mango Tango. One of the famous Thai dessert is Mango Sticky Rice. Another must try!
The 4D3N was basically just eat, massage and be merry. Other worth mentioning places we visited was Somboon Seafood. Be warned that this place only accept cash.

 

The land of smiles is not only known for their food, pretty erm girls but also their creativity:

 

We chanced upon his Magnum cafe at Siam Paragon. Was tempted to  head in if not for the very filling dinner we had.

 

 

On the last day of our escapade, we had almost 5hours between checking out and departure, thus we decided to visit the mall nearby -- Terminal 21. Once again, it was within walking distance! It is located at the BTS and MRT intersection thus very accessible. This cutting edge mall is called Terminal 21 aparently because it is located at Asok Soi 21. If I'm wrong don't blame me! The hubs was my informer and he has the tendency to over-exaggerate his knowledge. I was impressed with the design of the place. Every level had a country theme. London, Istanbul, Paris, America, Rome etc. What blew me away was that the interesting concept extended to even the toilets! The small little shops on every floor also make it a good place to hunt for gems.

 

Was really glad I went on this trip. Did me good. Hope that you found the above information useful! Till next time XOXO

 

 Directory:
FX Hotel Makkasan
1643 / 5 New Phetchaburi Road | Makkasan Ratchathevi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand

Terminal 21

 2,88 Sukhumvit Soi 19(Wattana) Sukhumvit Rd., Bangkok 10110, Thailand

 

Mango Tango

Siam Square Soi 5

(https://maps.google.com/maps?q=13.744312,100.534454&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF-8&hl=en)

 

Ban KhunMae Restaurant

458/6-9 Siam Square Soi 8, Rama 1 Road,

Patumwan District, Bangkok 1033

Tel: (662)250-1952-3 (best to call for reservations. the place can get pretty crowded)

 

Tawandang Bangkok

Rama III, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

+66 02 678 114 6

 

Pratunam Shopping Mall

Opening hours: 10am-10pm
Location: Petchburi, Ratcathewi

BTS: The nearest Skytrain station is Chitlom (quite a walk if you ask me)

 

MBK Shopping Mall

444 Phayathai Road | Patumwan, Bangkok, Thailand (Old City)

 

Somboon Seafood

The one we went to was their Ratchada branch

167/9-12 Huay-Kwang Intersection,
Ratchadapisek Rd., DinDeang, Bangkok 10320
Tel. 02-692-6850-3 (best to make reservations)

 

Chatuhak Weekend Market

Chatuchak Market is adjacent to the Kamphaengpecth Station (MRT) about 5 minute walk from Mochit Skytrain (BTS) Station and Suan Chatuchak (Chatuchak Park) Station (MRT)