Chili Tomato Prawns

Ok, so i need to work on my photography skills.  made this dish as i had fresh prawns bought in bulk from costco and was hoping to make something spicy for the tastebuds.  mummy mades a very good rendition of this dish and i've always loved ladling spoonfuls of gravy onto my rice.

i don't have a recipe per se for it since i pretty much eyeball my ingredients. so i added a whole white onion, 1 roma tomato, about 13-14 prawns, half a tablespoon of chili sauce brought from hometown and about 2 tablespoons of ketchup.  depending on how runny you want the gravy to be, feel free to add desired amount of water.

nice quote

you live as long as you are remembered - russian proverb

lovely words. pa is still alive :)

Don Quijote @ Dempsey

tried tapas for the very 1st time at Don Quijote @ dempsey. did my research well so i know what i wanted to order. placed my order for the squid ink paella the minute we sat down coz i read that it might take an hour to cook. went on to order their well known dishes such as the garlic shrimp, garlic mushroom and the tortilla espanola. 

Sangria and tortilla espanola

garlic mushroom and garlic shrimp

the sangria was refreshing and honestly i couldn't taste the wine at all but mummy claims it made her woozy half glass through. the tortilla espanola which is eggs covering layers of potatoes is supposed to be really good but i felt it was forgettable and uninteresting. mummy likes it though, says the taste is mild and appealing. the garlic mushrooms and garlic shrimps were awesome. the mushrooms were juicy and the sweet onions and garlic paired well together. the garlic shrimp had bits of fried garlic and the shrimps were succulent. it looks really oily but it doesn't taste that way. 

the highlight of the dinner has to be the arroz negro. i took a pic of it but the restaurant was dark, the dish was black, it really does not do it justice. arroz negro is squid ink paella. many years ago, i tried seafood paella with boy and was really turned off by the heavy seafood taste (not a great fan of clams and mussels). everyone who ate at don quijote raved about the paella so i figured i have to give this another try. good thing i ordered the squid ink version because it isn't cooked together with the shellfish so it doesn't have the taste i dislike. the rice was charred at the bottom but was al dente otherwise. the shrimp, squid, lemon juice and tomatoes all contributed to the varying taste and texture of the dish. this is probably the only version of paella that i will enjoy to this extent.

all in all, a tasty meal and a nice experience. do check it out!

things to do in los angeles

a friend is planning a trip to the west coast of USA and i was struggling to name things for her to see/do in los angeles. i spent 4 years there and you'd think i should be able to name countless interesting things to do but all i could think of that is unique are the beaches. seriously though, what else is interesting to do in LA? it definitely isn't known for architecture or culture. telling people to go there solely for shopping makes my IQ decline immediately. theme parks aren't my cuppa tea since i dont believe in spending that much money to have my lunch hurled out. can someone name me 5 things to do in LA that is truly unique and appealing?

beauty products review

one of the presents i requested for my birthday was the shu uemura uv under base mousse.  i have been rather intrigued by the product after watching 女人我最大.  the mousse just looked so easy to apply and i've been looking for something that will help my makeup stay longer and to cover up my enormous pores.  my friend managed to get it in the limited edition packaging and it looks really pretty.

so how did the product fare?  application was, as i thought, super easy.  the pump is easy to control so you don't get a big glob of mousse.  it went on evenly, you don't have to worry much about it not blending in nicely.  the mousse smells really nice, a light floral scent.  it comes with spf 30 so i was able to skip my usual eucerin moisterizer + sunblock.  

the coverage probably ranges from light to medium though u can layer to get slightly better coverage.  it does help to minimize the looks of my pores a little though nothing life changing here.  the disappointment was that it didn't help my makeup stay longer or better.  i tried pairing the under base with my mineral foundation, my compact powder and my liquid foundation, all did not stay on longer than if i were to wear them alone.  in fact, it makes my skin oilier by mid day and the foundation i have on top tends to "slip off" easier.  i'm still undecided on the product, would really like to try it different ways to make it work since so many people seem to rave about it

next up is the biore aqua rich UV face mousse spf 50+ PA +++.  i first saw this product in taiwan last year but think i didn't have enough twd in the end so did not buy it.  recently saw it selling at those discount beauty stores in chinatown and decided to have a go at it.

i really like the product. it contains hyaluronic acid so i skip moisturizer when i use it for the day (i tend to find products that can double up as moisturizer and sunscreen coz i hate applying multiple products in the morning and it's time consuming).  it isn't exactly mousse-like but the texture is very light, somehwhat like whipped cream.  it goes on smoothly, does not have a white cast that most sunscreens give you.  it is not sticky at all (yay!) and even feels a little refreshing, so makeup goes on nicely.  given that it has been so warm these few days, this sunscreen seems sufficient for my moisturizing needs though i'm not sure how it will fare in a colder, drier country. having said that, i'm still gonna buy a few more tubes to bring with me to the states.

a long overdue tribute

as mentioned in my 1st post, the last 5 years i've been through many trials - family, work, relationship, etc. every time i encounter something so great that it consumes me, i turn to my faith to see me through. i've not reached the stage when i can be at total peace and trust in God fully but i really am learning to let go and let God. in retrospect, i realize why God said "no" to some of my prayers and i really do see His work in my life even though i am not the most deserving of His blessings. But, that's how He is so awesome.  it is by His Grace that we are made worthy.

there were so many encouraging words that i came across in my difficulties and here are some i would like to share:

- in my most recent life challenge, i've been waiting and waiting for an answer for a really long time. then i read the daily email from Joel Osteen's and i was very encouraged by it

“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today...the LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still” Exodus 14:13-14


how i interpreted it was God did not bring me this far just to abandon me and what i should do is to be still and trust in his deliverance. i am the most paranoid person i know, i worry about countless things and it is impossible for me to be at peace when i am facing a difficulty. this passage came at the right time, reminded me not to give up hope and that everything will be done in His perfect timing and He will not be late. i now realized He caused the delayed response so that I will learn this lesson and also for me to spend more time at home with my family and friends.

- "God meets even our simplest, most basic needs with extravagant generosity" This was the theme of a daily Catholic meditation for the passage when Jesus blessed the disciples a record catch of fish when He suggested they try His method after they failed to catch anything.  Because of their obedience and willingness to follow, God blessed them with abundance. One must be careful to interpret this. God's abundance may not be in the prosperity, tangible sense. His blessings of intangible things such as character can also be abundant in nature.

- those who follow Rick Warren's sermons will know that he names a verse in the bible as the SOS hotline. "call upon me in the day of trouble, i will deliver you, and you will honor me" Psalm 50:15

this is one of my favorite verse as well. what i've learned about praying is to gently remind God of the promises He gave us. not that God is forgetful, but that you are breathing life into His words when you activate them and put them to the right use. See, God wants to bless us, but we need to ask him for the blessings we want. be specific, be persistent. okay, i'll admit i'm not always praying consistently. there are time s when i find myself in trouble and i will pray this verse and God will see me through what i ask of him. answer may not always be immediate (i waited 2 years for my help), so be patient.

As a Catholic, there are several novenas that I hold dear to my heart. i am not going to debate the notion of asking saints to help us pray (we do NOT pray TO saints), i think that is not the point i am trying to make. The novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the novena to St Jude are 2 prayers I've been saying since 5 years ago when my papa was ill. i'll pray these prayers when i wake up and will go beyond the recommended 9 times. i've said these prayers many times after that and i know i will continue to say them for the years to come.

So what i want to say is thank You God, for the blessings you've given me, thank You for the trials which have molded my character and drawn me closer to you. continue to bless my loved ones and i pray i never lose sight of you.

needs a break...

while tweedling around with the layout of this blog, stumbled upon a beautiful background showing snow on trees.  brought back memories of the trip to NZ last year around this period.  the breath-taking scenery, the yummilicious seafood, the idyllic time, the fresh air, i can go on and on...

probably won't be able to take an awesome trip as such this year, so will leave myself with these serene pictures...

thought of the day...

do i judge because i disapprove or because i am jealous?