Tomato Egg

This time, I am following this youtube video on how to cook tomato egg!

It is really a yummy and no-hassle dish. 

To prepare:

2 tomatoes

4 eggs

oil

1 tsp salt

1.5 tsp sugar

and that is all. Oh my gosh it is so simple. 

1) Cut tomatoes into 1/8. Whisk the eggs evenly, adding in some salt and pepper to taste. Add adequate amount of oil in the wok and swirl it around. 

[I am not sure if you can gauge from the picture but it is probably about two tablespoons. In the video, it also stated 2 tablespoon of oil but it looks like there is a lot more. This prevents the egg from sticking to the pan.]

2) Once the oil is heated, pour in the egg. After it is cooked up till 50% done, you can cut and stir the egg into smaller pieces. Push them to the side of the wok.

[Apparently, the lady can make the egg swirl in the wok. I think it's due to the amount of oil used, because the egg was stuck in my wok. Do not stir the eggs too quickly, if not it won't have the nice browning taste.]

3) Add in the chopped tomatoes and stir-fry a little. Sprinkle the salt, and then sugar onto the tomatoes. Stir fry the tomatoes to mix well.

[According to the video, adding the seasoning to the tomato itself gives it the flavour, coming out from the juice it produces. Adding the seasoning to the egg would make it more salty.]

4) Mix the egg and tomatoes together. Cover the lid and simmer for about a minute.

[I added a little water to make the dish slightly more moist. In the video, it produced more gravy, which might be due to the oil.]

The end result: delicious egg flavoured with sweet and sour tomato goodness.

The picture looks ugly but don't judge it by its appearance!

Fast Exercise

I borrowed this book called "Fast Exercise [by Dr Michael Mosley with Peta Bee]" from the library recently, and I wish I had read this much earlier! Do you get a clue what this book is about judging from the title?

This book describes the benefits of high intensity training [HIT] and all the related researches done on it. The many benefits includes better aerobic fitness, endurance, reduced body fat, increased strength and better insulin sensitivity. It also mentioned about intermittent fasting [Fast Diet] and as we all know, diet and exercise are complementary.

Previously, I wrote about my jogging experience and just as I thought all my effort were wasted, the book explained that exercising for a longer duration has its advantages still. It is better for our general and mental health but how much of moderate exercise is enough? It stated that many of us don't even do 2.5 hours of moderate activities per week, and that is so true given that I don't run very long. 

The book provides explanations on why weight loss cannot be obtained by going long and slow [moderate but long duration of exercise]. We do not burn much fats this way unless we do a lot and a lot. We can easily consume back that 200 calories we just lost. After we go for a long workout, somehow we feel more tired and our bodies are tricked into thinking that we have burnt a lot and we need more food. We also think that since we require energy to exercise, we should eat up first. 

In the past, the hunter gatherers were much more active than we are. Given our work requirements now, many people have become sedentary. The hunter gatherers as I have learnt during university do very intense work like climbing trees, chopping wood, hunting for food. However, they spend the rest of their time resting a lot too.

"We benefit from short bursts of intense activity and we need rest days to recover or we undo all the good work."

Research also seems to show that HIT curbs the appetite and you are less likely to feel more hungry and tired as compared to a long duration exercise. I put this to the test and it really is the case. Because I do short burst of fast run, I don't spend so much time exercising and persevering, I feel less tired overall.

HIT seems like a very risky and dangerous thing to try. Like if your heart beat goes too fast or if you sprain your ankles. Personally, I think it is very strenuous on my feet when I sprint. The muscles feel tighter than usual. That is why the rest has to come in. Strangely, the research reveals that HIT is more effective in terms of recovery for people with chronic diseases like heart failure as compared to the conventional way of exercising.

The book outlines the different types of exercise we can do with intensity. They have several methods and timings to follow accordingly. Exercises aimed to train our muscles can also be done with intensity. It is suggested that late afternoon to early evening is the best time to exercise. It is hardest to perform in the morning because our body temperature is at the lowest when we wake up, that is no wonder I cannot get myself to run in the morning. It is also best to fix a consistent standard time for exercise so we will follow through with more discipline. 

One of the concluding points is that we also need to be more active on an overall basis! This is not exercising. It is how much we move around rather than being seated all the time. The busy-working-face-laptop-always lifestyle is making us forget that we have been sitting for too long. It is time to add more movement into our daily life. Start standing up while on the train or walk up an escalator. Take small steps at first and slowly increase.  

And I really mean it, to start everything little by little. I have pulled a muscle some time ago after trying their high intensity workout. The doctor told me that I need to stretch, warm up and warm down. Really important! It has been about two months since I first started this. I haven't really see much weight loss [say about 1kg so far as my weight keeps fluctuating] but I'm not giving up just yet. Of course, weight loss can come from other factors and not 100% a result of HIT workouts. 

This is such a time efficient exercise and you would probably feel less lazy to workout! You might want to grab this book and give this a shot :D.
 

Etude House Eye's Cream

I wanted to find an eye cream with SPF to protect my undereye area and eye lids on those days I don't have my make up on. Those face moisturizers (mine with SPF), as I have read online, are too strong for the eye area. So, my eyes are often not protected if I don't put my foundation (with SPF) on. Even if I'm covered by my make-up, it's probably still not enough protection from the sun. I'm not really looking for dark eye rings reducer because I have given up on it. And I am not looking at those expensive branded eye creams. I just wanted something suitable for the eye and provides protection from the sun.

so this is it!

This cute little thing, called the eye's cream, is mint "flavoured". Once applied, your eye area feels comfy and cooling. But that only last for maybe two seconds hahaha. It's like a gluestick, no gel no cream, so I am not sure whether am I applying anything on my eyes or not. It just feels slightly sticky (but not to worry). So I am not sure how much coverage I have on my eyes, like whether have I applied enough or not.

I bought this quite a awhile ago and really, there's not much effect on my dark eye rings. However, it might be because there is generally less blood circulation around my eyes due to nose allergy, and just a cream would not solve the root problem. I bought it at $18.90 which is quite affordable. It is sweet smelling and it is convenient for application [though I would rather the stick's circumference be smaller]. Most of all, it is such a cute product!

Give it a try! Just for the fun :D.

Spicy Basil Minced Chicken

I saw a video demonstration of this delicious Thai dish and I wanted to give it a try as it looks simple enough. My first try kind of failed as I have used too little seasoning. It wasn't wet enough, probably because I didn't add shallots which would produce some water. Also, my minced meat ended up in chunks! It was still okay and edible though.

I showed my mum the video and she demonstrated how to cook this dish hahaha. The below ingredients and seasoning amount is only my estimate. She goes by her feel in terms of how much sauce should be added, which is also what I usually do.

Ingredients:

About 300gm minced chicken

Some shallots

Some garlic

4 chilli padi

About 10 basil leaves

Seasoning:

Dash of pepper

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp sweet dark soy sauce

1. Cut the shallots and garlic into small pieces. Remove the seeds of the chilli and cut them into small pieces. [if you want it less spicy, without the seeds is already quite spicy. Eating the seeds is going to be spicy like mad]. Chop basil leaves into smaller pieces. 

2. In a wok, heat the oil and swirl it in a circular motion to cover the sides. Oil should be sufficient as minced meat tend to stick to the surface. Add in shallots and then garlic. 

3. Put in the minced chicken and stir fry it continuously, breaking it into small pieces at the same time. The trick to the small pieces of minced chicken is really to keep moving the spatula to cut the thick chunks into smaller ones. Add in the seasoning above. Taste to see if more seasoning is required. 

4. Stir in the chilli padi and lastly, the basil leaves.

This is really a nice and simple dish to go with rice. As my basil minced chicken doesn't have a lot of basil taste, it taste more like chinese food haha!

>.<

K Palette and Clio Liquid Eyeliner

I suddenly had the urge to replace my current liquid eyeliner for a longer lasting alternative because it seems to always smudge below my eyes nowadays. I have tried applying a layer of foundation after I apply the eyeliner but sometimes it doesn't work to prevent the smudge. Utilizing Google, I searched for blog reviews on liquid eyeliners that claimed to be waterproof, smudgeproof and long-lasting. Two of the cheaper options are "Clio Kill Black Waterproof Pen Liner" and "K Palette Waterproof 1 Day Tattoo". Clio brand's liquid liner includes the option of a brush liner, but I opted for the pen due to its darker intensity with one swipe. K Palette also comes in non-waterproof, black and brown. Both eyeliners are pen/brush kind, so I was hoping that the ink would be rich and dark.

After much research and deliberation, I decided to try K Palette. The deciding factor was the video "Tried and tested" on Clicknetwork TV. A comparison and trial was done on 4 different eye liners and K Palette was the bomb. The liner basically does not budge at all despite all the various tests [water, smudge, oil, swim].

K Palette Waterproof 1 Day Tattoo- Super Black

SASA happened to have a 20% off for this liner, and together with my membership discount, I got it at $15.10. The original price is $19.90 which is still rather affordable. With much excitement, I draw lines on my hand first. The result is a lightly glossy opaque black line, easily drawn with a soft and pointy tip. To me, it is not as super black as is stated. 

I proceed to use it on my eyelids. To my  disappointment, it is no longer so black looking. Upon application, it looks like as if very little ink has come out. It is similar to those marks when the permanent marker ink does not work on certain material. One layer of liner looks horrible, in my opinion, because it is not dark enough to look like liquid eyeliner. I couldn't take a clear photo of the look, but you can take reference from Mizu's photo in her post. The black is also of a very faint shade, although hers is brown.  

I have to use many layers to get it dark enough, although there is still some white spaces left still. The colour is not jet black. After about 2 to 3 hours of wear, it starts to flake off O.O. The good thing is that the flakes did not become smudges which would have made me looked like a panda. The flakes might be due to the multiple layers I applied, I don't know. I have to keep wiping off flakes from my eyes and at the end of the day, it looks so ugly. Maybe my eyelids are oily, but this just proves the lasting power of this eyeliner. 

This eyeliner might have passed the test for everything when applied on the hand because the skin there is drier. I have tried it too, it was waterproof and smudge-proof on my hand, like super hard to rub off with just water, and even soap. However, it failed the real examination. It does not have a dark intense colour on the eye and it is not long lasting. The eyeliner flakes badly after only a few hours of wear. 

Clio Kill Black Waterproof Penliner

After the disappointment from the above, I bought the Clio one the next day. It is $22.90 from Watsons. I was very hopeful. If you have seen Lee Hyori's advertising posters, her eye make up looks super intense and so black. I apply the eyeliner on my hand too and it looks like how a marker pen ink is supposed to look like. In fact, I tried the tester in Watsons and was convinced of its darkness. 

However, on the eyelids, it is a disappointment again. The intensity is very much darker than the K Palette, no doubt. But it is still leaving spaces of white here and there on my lids and I require multiple layers. From far, it looks good and dark. Maybe that is why Lee Hyori's eye make up looks so fabulous. After a few hours of wear, the eyeliner starts to "disappear". I don't know where it went because there are no smudges but more skin on my eyelids can be seen. It does not have a super dark intense colour on the eye and it is not long lasting. The eyeliner disappears gradually even after I applied a second coat. 

All in all, I don't recommend these two eye liners for people who like the dark intensity, glossy, thick and precise look. I may be very biased against these two products because I am a user of liquid eyeliner that comes in a container and a separate brush [Maybelline hyper glossy]. The liquid content from a container is probably thicker and darker than those ink coming out from a pen. I will go back to my original Maybelline hyper glossy then. Please smudge no more. 

Please recommend me if you know of a good waterproof, smudge-proof and lasting liquid eyeliner that comes in a container. As liquid as possible. 
Recently tried 3ce black liquid eyeliner but it also flaked after a few hours. The only good thing is that these flakes does not smudge. But I won't get this anyway since it is more expensive. 

为什么又让我带着难过的心情睡觉。
眼泪直流好累。也不是什么天大的事情，我是怎么搞的。
为什么就不能安抚我才放电话嘛，我快被折磨死了。
我怎么会有一天是不想见你的，你难道还不知道吗。

我不是乱发小姐脾气。对不起是我错了吗。
你真的听懂我所感受的吗？

Braised Eefu Noodles

Inspired by the eefu noodles we had in Genting, the one which is so gravy-ish and not so much chive, I tried cooking it!

The first attempt:

I took reference from noobcook's recipe for the first time but I didn't follow it exactly. I used 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce and some pepper to make the gravy. I did not add the chicken stock but I added cornflour to make the gravy thicker. The result is okay but my bf said that my noodles is salty enough but not tasty. It is nice, but the content of the gravy is not rich in flavour.

The second attempt:

My second reference is from Pig Pig's Corner. I realized that the mistake was that I added too much dark soy sauce [therefore salty] instead of something more flavourful like oyster sauce. So here's my ingredients, and portion is determined according to my feel.

>> 

Mains
2 servings ee fu noodles
Some garlic
1 large can straw mushroom
300gm enoki mushroom
200gm beansprout

Gravy
1/4 tbsp dark soy sauce
3 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
Pinch of sugar
Dash of white ground pepper
1.5 bowl hot water
Approx 2.5 tbsp cornflour

>>

1) Cook the noodles in a pot of boiling water. Once the noodles has spread out, drain the hot water away and leave it aside. For the straw mushroom, cut them into smaller pieces. For the enoki mushroom, cut the whole bunch into half. Chop the garlic into tiny bits. 

Plucking the roots away is tiring

2) Heat up the oil in a wok. Once hot, add in garlic, followed by the mushrooms and the beansprout. Stir fry for a bit.

3) Add in the sauces and spices for the gravy. For the cornflour, mix some water with the flour before adding into the dish slowly. Add more sauces or cornflour according to your taste. Mix well.

4) Submerge the noodles in the gravy and let it simmer for about 2 minutes. 

5) Taste, edit if required, and serve. 

Noodles:

I guess you can skip the cooking of noodles in water step since the noodles would be simmering anyway. Generally, noodles are spread out first to ensure that it won't get soggy in the next step if cooked too long. It is also easier to submerge the noodles in the gravy because it's no longer two fat blocks. 

Ingredients:

Note that the quantity of my ingredients is actually quite a lot. The amount of mushroom and beansprout exceeded the amount of noodles. I would recommend 150-200gm of enoki instead but if you prefer more noodles than ingredients, you would need to reduce further. 

Gravy:

Initially, I only used 2 tbsp of oyster sauce but given the mountain of ingredients, I had to add more water to cover them adequately. Hence, the gravy turned bland and required more taste. The same goes for the cornflour. The more water you add, the more cornflour you need to attain the thick consistency you want.

Have a fun time trying this!

Experience of a Noob Jogger

I have been a regular jogger for quite a while now [few years?]. During my time with the first job, I couldn't find time to jog due to the working hours. Yes, that is definitely an excuse, but I prefer jogging in the evening really. As a result, I realized that I have grown in size! The amount of time sitting in the office might also be part of the reason.

Hence, I dedicated this break to exercise. Okay, it is not as noble as it sounds like but I do jog almost everyday. It can range from a short 10 minutes to 25 minutes [yes still rather short a time]. My stamina is still bad, even after so long. No matter what, I just thought of sharing my jogging experience and how I coped with it.

-To start off-

Convenience

Exercising is tiring. I hated running because it makes me so breathless. But I sill choose it because I can just change to my sports attire and head to the canal nearby for a fast jog. I don't like so much hassle when it comes to exercising. It is always easier to go jogging than to go swimming, badminton [so windy, unless you book a court, which is always booked by others], yoga classes and etc. This is called lazy exercising. You identify what works best for you.

To be alone or not

Linked to above point, jogging alone is definitely more convenient because you don't have to accommodate to anyone's schedule. Anytime you feel the adrenaline rush, you go for it. Jogging alone also enables you to run at your own pace. And have a myself time to think and reflect.

Think of it as a lifestyle

Rather than dreading the day you have to go exercise, think of it as an opportunity to get some fresh air. It is a continuous process of keeping your body fit and healthy. It should not be fulfilling some kind of duty or obligation. Therefore, my goal is no longer to lose weight through jogging because I never seem to lose any. It is to improve my health, my body and my self esteem. People can't see the changes because they are not obvious. But I really feel the improvements. 

Body posture

The body posture is very important during the run. Always keep your body straight from the start as your lungs can receive air better that way. When people get tired, they sometimes drag their feet while pushing themselves forward. I always remind myself to always have full control of my feet so that I won't fall. The path is not always even, and without full control of your feet, you might trip easily.

-In the midst-

Focus on everything other than the actual activity

I guess one of the good things about jogging is that you don't really need concentration [on say catching a ball]. You can admire the scenery, you can listen to music, or you can have a brainstorm session. Whatever it is, just don't keep thinking "oh I am running now, I need to run till that end point..". Forget that you are jogging and feeling tired, distract yourself. For me, I like to observe other runners and look at the environment. With the music playing, I focus on the lyrics to keep me going. Sad songs may make you move further. Titanic related music always helps me.

Find your motivation

When I get really tired,  I find myself some form of motivation to keep me going. Well, if you run with friends, you can get motivation from them. Otherwise, like me, I find random strangers with similar running speed and run behind them! Just keep that person as the focus point. Or sometimes, I pretend that people are looking at me and so I have to perform well haha. After jogging for the past few years, I can already recognize many familiar faces and I feel they might recognize me too. 

Short term goals are more effective

I find myself being able to fulfill short term goals better than long term ones. Hence, instead of telling myself to run from this end to that end, I look at the points on the ground. Let that leaf be my target, and once I reached the leaf, I change my target to the next stone. This method works until I eventually reach my end point. A person is more likely to fulfill goals which seem more attainable.

-The after-

Rest is important

I realized I might be jogging too much. Even though the distance I cover is considered short, it is still bad to not let the body rest. 3 times a week should be the optimum. 

Always remember that your health is your responsibility. So, let's all be disciplined and motivated!