Be My Friend Forever

Friends are like gems to me; so vulnerable, yet so precious. I treasure friendship, as much as I treasure my diamonds :) However, it’s not easy to sustain a pure & sincere friendship, especially lasting more than a decade.

Jen is my ex-classmate from secondary school, backdating all the way to 1980s. Yes, it’s that long. But we kept in close touch, though not meeting often. The last we met was a Sweet Indulgence At The Marmalade Pantry, more than a year ago. I’m always happy to see her.

Jen came to visit me, making more than an hour of journey by bus, train & bus again.

I’d the intention to prepare a feast fit for a queen, but Jen said she couldn’t stay long as she needed to pick her son up from school. She came after lunch, with a full stomach. A little disappointed, but I did not forget her approaching birthday on Oct 15. Besides a bottle of perfume that I’d arranged for her, I’d to prepare some snacks. That's the least I can do.

I try to remember my friends’ birthdays. Not that I’m running on the lastest memory chip with the highest capacity, but I make it a point to record their birthdates. So I won’t miss any, at least try my best not to. Now with Facebook, things even get easier, I get a reminder just before their birthdays.

Well, I wanted Jen to try the latest cocktail that I’d created for The Cocktail Challenge: "Luxury Haven" Cocktail Is Born!

Still using the same base, but I substituted Champagne with Sprite & the Yume with Strawberries instead. So did she like it?? Well, she finished the drink. So either she really liked it or she was really thirsty. LOL!

Then, I prepared Craby Celery Sticks with Bacon Bits. For sure, she loves the sticks as she was asking a lot of questions on the preparation. I wanted to give her something refreshing & crunchy since there was gonna be Deep-fried Prawn Paste Chicken Wings, so the Celery idea was perfect.

Come back for the recipe soon. However, I won’t be posting the recipe for the wings as it’s really too straightforward. You’ll just need to mix fermented prawn paste, which comes in a block, with water to make a paste. It’s almost effortless to make. Important thing is how you control the fire to make it really crispy.

Dessert was an implementation of the Hershey’s Fruity Surprise @ my hubby's Birthday Seafood Galore. But I’ve used up all the custard & coconut cream, so I'd to make do with Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey instead. Oh, how I love playing around with food. I’m a colourful person, so I toy with my recipes accordingly to my mood & the ingredients in my kitchen :)

Despite having a full stomach as she’d said earlier, I was glad Jen emptied all the dishes I’d fixed.

Jen then took out some gifts. OMG! It’s a Pearly Pink Hello Kitty Key Pouch that she’d gotten from Japan!! And……… she hand-made these pretty bookmarks & hp charm with “Shirley” beads on it!

Aren’t they lovely? Jen’s amazingly good with her pair of hands. She makes crafts & bakes too. Hop over to Agapejen Crafts Collections to take a look at their creations.

Jen also bought a box of donuts from Donuts Factory, enough to feed my family of 3. Hahaha!. Well, it was another day of fun & laughter!

Do you also have friends that you really treasure? Share with us one beautiful moment with him/her here & inspire others to treasure friendship. Let's give a toast to long-lasting & marvelous friendship!

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Crispy Anchovy Garlic Toast

The first time I tried this was at the Japanese Restaurant, Waraku. It was love at first bite & I knew I’d to try making this myself. I remember heading straight to the supermarket right after my meal to look for Anchovies.

Recipe Featured @ Ptit Chef as 'Starter of the Day!

I bought John West Anchovies & mixed with garlic & parsley to make the toast. It was good but terribly salty; I’d added too much. Subsequently, I learnt to control the amount of Anchovies & frequently make this delicious crispy toast. Well, if you're thinking of ordering this @ Waraku, they've already discontinued this sometime back :<

This time round, I bought Crown Prince Anchovies in Olive Oil. Both brands are just as good. I just take whichever is on promo :) Next, we’ll need bread, garlic, parsley & we’re ready to go.

6 Slices of bread
2 Pieces of anchovies
2 tsp Minced Garlic
3 tbsp Butter
½ tsp Parsley flakes

Method:

1. Mash Anchovies & mix all ingredients together. * Make sure you mash it well into tiny bits or it'll be very salty.

2. Trim the sides of the bread & cut in halves. Spread on butter mixture & grill till slightly brown & crispy. The aroma from the garlic & parsley will give the toast an added punch!

I'm most delighted to submit this recipe to Anu's Herbs and Flowers "PARSLEY" Event by Seduce Your Tastebuds.

I’d paired this with Cream of Wild Mushroom during my hubby’s Birthday Seafood Galore. Click on the highlighted links for details!

I've also recreated this tasty appetizer together with a Bruschetta. Check it out @ Hearts On Fire “Bruschetta”!

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Zesty Avocado

Avocado is packed with nutrients & a perfect addition to your food. Not only it's a fantastic anti-oxidant, it’s brilliant for your skin too! High Avocado intake also has a beneficial effect on blood serum cholesterol levels because it's high in valuable fats.

What do you think of this pix? Do you like it?

This recipe has made it to Top 9, No. 4 position out of 4,017 recipes from the Foodbuzz Community, chosen by their editors & users. I’d made this Zesty Avocado to start off my hubby’s Birthday Seafood Galore, added Wasabi, the "Japanese horseradish" to spice it up. The appetizer is so easy to prepare for 6 pax. All you need are:

3 Avocados
200g Surimi Crabmeat
2 Sprigs of parsley
4 tbsp Mayonnaise
1 tsp Extra-virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp Wasabi
Pinch of ground black pepper

Method:

1. Lightly rinse the crabmeat. You don’t need to cook these. Chop them up & set aside.

2. Rinse Avocado & cut into half. Twist it to open & remove seed. Carefully, remove half of Avocado & dice the pulp.

3. Chop parsley. In a bowl, add all the ingredients & mix well.

4. Sprinkle black pepper & serve chilled.

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Birthday Seafood Galore

“Happy Birthday to you………………” song was supposed to start off my hubby’s birthday dinner but it didn’t. My mischievous teenage son uttered, “There's no need for birthday song for those over 20 yrs of age.” LOL! So he won, & the dinner commenced without the opening song.

There was a special guest this time, my brother’s girlfriend. In total, I’d to cook for 6. At the supermarket, I found some really nice Avocados & decided to serve that with Surimi Crabmeat as a starter.

Zesty Avocado

For my next course, I made Crispy Anchovy Garlic Toast to go with my Cream of Wild Mushroom, using Portobello & Mixed Button Mushrooms.

For main, I decided to reconstruct the Seafood Ciopinno my family ate @ a restaurant sometime ago.

Cioppino is somewhat similar to Bouillabaisse, traditionally made from the catch of the day, typically a combination of seafood & tomatoes in a wine sauce. Bouillabaisse is a regular affair at home, so I just had to add Linguine & Soft Shell Crab to imitate the restaurant’s Seafood Ciopinno.

Seafood Ciopinno With Soft Shell

Dessert was really impromptu. I picked whatever I can see from the supermart & created this.

My bro’s gal asked me what’s the name but I haven’t thought of it then. I shall now name it Hershey’s Fruity Surprise.

I'm humbled that 4 of these recipes have been featured in popular American & French food sites. So click on the links & get cooking!

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Mayer 23rd Anniversary Sale!

Looking to upgrade your kitchen or thinking of purchasing some equipment for your cooking??

Catch the Mayer 23rd Anniversary Sale from now till 29 Oct 2010, on kitchen hobs, hoods, ovens, washers, dryers & accessories from quality brands like Ariston, Cuisinart, Indesit etc. Don't forget to look out for their S$23 deals!

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Traumatic Brain Injury & the Military

The following article was submitted by Chelsea Travers in order to bring attention to traumatic brain injury as it pertains to the military. By raising awareness, together we can help our combat soldiers avoid the long term implications associated with TBI....

[Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is all too commonly associated with modern warfare, particularly the War on Terror. Many veterans suffer from these injuries without realizing it, until serious problems develop. Through awareness, we can help our military friends and family members avoid the serious implications of a traumatic brain injury.]

Military men and women are continually involved in situations where risk of injury is high. One silent war wound that often goes unnoticed is a traumatic brain injury (TBI). A TBI affects the function of the brain and can often cause life-altering damage ranging from personality and behavioral changes to complete loss of brain function and the ability to communicate. Therefore, some of the affects are not just life-altering, but also life threatening, and wind up requiring, long-term, specialized traumatic brain injury rehabilitation.

According to the Veterans Health Initiative, active male members of the military were hospitalized due to TBI related injuries at a rate of 231 per 100,000. The rate for female members of the military was 150 per 100,000. Based on these statistics, over 4,000 military personnel are hospitalized on average each year for traumatic brain injuries. Some are diagnosed as a mild TBI (aka concussions), while others result in moderate to severe TBI. As family members and friends of military veterans, understanding the symptoms of a TBI can sometimes aid a victim in recognizing the warning signs that a potential brain injury might exist. Pointing these symptoms out could help them decide to seek immediate treatment giving them the best chance at avoiding serious, long-term implications and enjoying the most comfortable lifestyle possible post active duty.

Mild TBI refers to loss of consciousness, confusion and/or disorientation for a duration less than 30 minutes. They are often overlooked at the time of injury but in at least 15% of cases can still have effects that last longer than 1 year. Symptoms associated with a mild TBI are fatigue, headaches, impaired vision, memory-loss, inability to focus or pay attention, impaired sleep, dizziness, emotional impairment, depression and seizures. They are not always experienced right away and behavior changes are usually noticed by friends and family members before the victim realizes there is a problem. Therefore, it is important that any soldier suffering a physical blow to the head get examined immediately even though they might feel fine at the time of the injury.

Since symptoms are not always apparent immediately after a blow to the head occurs, it is possible that neither the victim, nor the military personnel immediately in contact with him/her at the time of the injury, would ever recognize a problem. Instead, symptoms may not surface itself until after a soldier returns home to their friends and family. Therefore, friends and family members may play an instrumental role in recognizing and being the first to alert a veteran to any uncharacteristic behavior possibly stemming from a brain injury. The more that friends and family members know about the causes of TBI, the associated symptoms of mild TBI, and the long term effects of a resulting serious TBI, the greater their ability to help. Should a mild brain injury in fact been sustained, the ability of soldiers, their friends, and their family, to recognize a problem early and to have immediate treatment sought from a hospital or skilled nursing facility, the better chance the victim has at avoiding serious long term implications. Ultimately, it is important that a soldier returning home doesn’t dismiss any warning signs they notice themselves, or health concerns mentioned to them by others. Early treatment of a mild TBI will give a patient the best chance at a full recovery and provide their entire support network an opportunity to maintain (or return to) the same lifestyle they had prior to the injury. Leaving a mild TBI unattended could result in more serious implications if the injury turns moderate or severe.

Moderate TBI refers to loss of consciousness, confusion and/or disorientation between a range of 30 minutes and 6 hours with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 9 to 12 (15 being the least severe). Severe TBI refers to a brain injury resulting in loss of consciousness, confusion, and/or disorientation for a duration longer than 6 hours and a GCS of 3-8 (1 being the most severe but 3 being the lowest score achievable while considered non-vegetative). The GCS is a cumulative point system that combines three different scores determined by a patient’s eye, verbal and motor responses.

In cases of severe TBI, patients suffer cognitive damage including all of the symptoms of a mild TBI with the additional difficulty with impulsiveness, language processing and executive functions. Severe TBI patients may have difficulty speaking, understanding words, reading or writing and may alter the speed at which they try to communicate. Impairments to their sense of sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste are likely. Seizures can ensue and damage to the individuals’ physical and emotional health can be devastating, including physical paralysis, chronic pain, bowel disorders, malnutrition, menstrual difficulties, anti-social behavior, lack of motivation, aggression, depression and denial.

A patient and the friends/family members of a patient suffering from a severe TBI will undoubtedly experience significant changes to their lifestyle throughout the recovery process and especially in the event that the patient cannot recover. The best way to prevent TBI is through awareness. Recognizing and responding to the early symptoms of a TBI can often aid in preventing further damage caused by the injury. So it is vital that serviceman and their families are aware of TBI so that they can recognize the symptoms and help the victim seek medical treatment if symptoms are present.

Written by Chelsea Travers

Chelsea is a communications representative for CareMeridian, a well-known subacute care facility located throughout the western United States for patients suffering from traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, or medical complexities such as neuromuscular or congenital anomalies.

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Winner of Healthy Recipes Contest!

I'm pleased that not one, but two of my recipes have won the Healthy Recipes Contest organized by Health Exchange Singapore!

Click on the highlighted links to start living a healthy lifestyle now!
1) Losing Appetite? Try This Uplifting Recipe!
2) Steamed Dory Roll with Snow Fungus

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