Cereal Chicken Cutlet

There's this nasi padang stall that I frequent to during lunchtime. Nasi padang, if translated literally, means "rice field"-- rice (nasi) field (padang). But in local lingo, it refers to a food stall. A nasi padang food stall is like a Malay version of a Pinoy's turo-turo. Different dishes are in front of you and you literally point out which ones you like to have on your plate.

One of my favorites there is their chicken cutlet. It's crispy and more chewy and a bit sweet. I've always wondered where this sweet taste came from. It couldn't be sugar, because it's not "sugary sweet". It's more like "milky or creamy sweet". Then I thought maybe they derived it from the recipe of Cereal Prawn. So I thought, maybe, instead of the usual bread crumbs as breading to cover the meat, they actually used oatmeal or cereal.

And I think I was right. I was surfing Kubiertos' site and I found this recipe. I will try it this weekend and hopefully, it will taste like that nasi padang's chicken cutlet.


Ingredients:

1/2 kilo chicken breast fillets (or you can use thigh fillets)
1 pack of Kelloggs frosted cornflakes (I'm planning to use cereals)
1 cup of milk1 egg, beaten
salt and pepper

Procedure:

Cut the fillets into 1 and a half inch pieces. Rub some salt and pepper for seasoning. Combine the egg with the milk and mix well. Put a lot of vegetable oil in a frying pan and put on high heat. Dip the seasoned chicken fingers in the milk and egg mixture then cover with corn flakes. Place in frying pan and cook until golden brown. Take the chicken out of the oil and place on paper towels so that it can absorb the excess oil. Serve with steaming white rice or garlic mashed potatoes. Enjoy plain or with gravy .



photo and recipe from Kubiertos

Help!!! Do you know any child psychiatrist?

Hi guys

Please, if you can recommend a child psychiatrist, please PM me ASAP. It's really urgent. I'm not sure if my brother needs a CHILD psychiatrist because he's already 13 years old, but since previous diagnosis showed that his learning and thinking is way behind his normal age, then it must mean he still thinks like a child.

So if you can recommend a pyschiatrist, I'd really appreciate it if you can let me know. Thanks so much.

Mitchie :(

Pink Ribbon

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.

A few days ago, I attended a symposium on breast cancer awareness organised by the Breast Cancer Foundation of Singapore. The symposium aims to empower women to do regular breast self-examination (BSE) and to be aware of breast cancer symptoms. Click here to know more about BSE.

I've always known the steps on how to do BSE but I don't really know what to look for. In the symposium, they had this "dummy breast" with lumps inside and they made us touch it so we know what the lumps feel like when we do our own BSEs.

In the early stages of breast cancer, there is usually no pain and there may be no symptoms at all. As the cancer grows, the following symptoms could appear:






Breast cancer has overtaken lung and colorectal cancers as the top cancer-killer in Singapore. But the earlier you detect it, the higher chance you have of surviving it.

Although a healthy lifestyle helps prevent any kind of disease, we all know that cancer--more so, breast cancer--is like a traitor who can hit anyone.

Let's help spread the message, support and understand those who are fighting breast cancer, and help in our own little way in breast cancer research. One such way is by getting your Pink Ribbon--proceeds will go to the Breast Cancer Foundation of Singapore. Here's mine:

And by the way, Nana had her last chemo session today. Thank you to those who prayed and encouraged us during this difficult time. Please help me continue to pray for her as she goes on her road to recovery.

The Vomit Bowl

Taken at National Cancer Centre of Singapore, at their chemotherapy section.

It's my first time to see a "vomit bowl". Cool huh.

Bintan, Indonesia

Hubby turned 31 last 11 Oct and we celebrated it by having a 3-day holiday at Bintan, Indonesia. It's the quickest beach getaway from Singapore that we could think of.

Since it was a last-minute booking, our travel agent said that most of the resorts are fully-booked already. She recommended the Beach Club inside Nirwana but she told us not to expect too much since it only had basic accommodation and nothing fancy. I told her I'd discuss with my husband first. Hubby and I decided to just go for it since all we wanted was to get away from Singapore even just for a few days. But when I called back the travel agent, the beach club was full already. Fortunately, she was able to find a spot for us at Mayang Sari (in Nirwana also), but at a higher price. It was ok with us and we when we got to Mayang Sari, we were so happy with our decision because we really liked the place. It was spacious, clean, private, beautiful and quiet.




Mayang Sari is located inside Nirwana Gardens. Inside Nirwana are: Nirwana Resort Hotel, Mayang Sari Beach Resort, Nirwana Beach Club, Banyu Biru Villas, and Indra Maya Villas.

The cottage was beautiful, clean and maluwag. It had that endearing "parang probinsya" scent. Aircon was functioning properly. Everything was provided--from toothbrush to incense to insect repellants. Even though we were not able to get one of the Sea View cottages, ok pa rin cuz it was still very near the beach. Food in the hotel and restau was so-so. But we were not able to try the other restaus, I think they serve good food there naman. Staff were all friendly--very typical Indonesians--always ready to smile and have small chats.

I'd say I can recommend Mayang Sari to you guys who want a quick getaway from Singapore. Thinking of going to Bintan? Try Mayang Sari. Click here to view more of the pics we took of Mayang Sari.

Everything went great on this trip. That's what's nice about getting travel packages, because everything has been arranged for you already. I guess the only thing that I can complain about was that we waited more than 30 minutes for the shuttle bus (transfer from Bintan ferry terminal to Nirwana) to leave. But even that wasn't so bad. Everything just fell into place--even my period stopped earlier than expected.




It was like God telling us, "Okay, you two have been working pretty hard this past two years so let me give you a perfect holiday."

So what did we do on this vacay? Nothing. As in nothing. Okay, there was something that we did--we took photos heheh. Of course, our baby Nikki was with us and it scared the sh*t out of me when hubby said that he thinks an insect was in the lens. Click here to see more of these random shots.



We left Singapore at 5pm via Bintan Resort Ferries at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal and we arrived in Singapore on Sunday evening. The downside of travelling as a couple is no one would be there to take (decent) photos of the two of you. Hehehe. The great thing about travelling as a couple is you can do whatever you want without thinking about other people.

Indonesia is an hour behind Singapore so we were "added" one hour when we got to Bintan. We had dinner in Mayang Sari on Friday night, and chilled out at the beach and our cottage afterwards. Then had buffet breakfast. Swam and swam and swam some more. If it was time for me to get out of the water, I was just lying there reading Kramer vs Kramer (I'm now in my books-turned-into-movies phase).




For Saturday's lunch we went to Pasar Oleh Oleh. I didn't really like it. I felt it was too touristy. A bit staged and not authentic. But food was cheap, so that makes the place okay after all. Ahh basta, I don't like the place, it looked depressing. I don't like to see shops kasi na parang walang bumibili, nadedepress akoh!!!





After Saturday's lunch at Cafe Helo Helo, we went back to our cottage to relax a bit. Then we went to the main hotel of Nirwana. It was too crowded and noisy for our taste (haha ang tanda na namen). It had this busy atmosphere that I felt I was back in the city again. It was probably because KPMG employees were having their teambuilding or something so there were so many people there.




For Saturday's dinner, we had room service na lang. We wanted to relax in our cottage's balcony before heading to the beach for an evening stroll. And believe it or not, we were in bed by 10.30pm! I was snoring before it even hit 11pm!!! Vice and the housemates were calling us at 11.30pm to check on us, but we didn't even answer because we were in deep sleep na. We really had a good rest.

The whole of Sunday morning was spent swimming in the clear waters of Mayang Sari. After the breakfast buffet, we headed straight to our spot in the beach, set up our towels and stuff and dove in! By 10.30am, Jun had to shout out at me to get out of the water because I was starting to look like a roasted pig. Mang Tomas na lang ang kulang.



We had to check out by 12noon even though our ferry back to Singapore is still at 3pm. So after checking out, we rented a buggy and drove around the island resort. After that, we had drinks and merienda at the bar near the beach.

Click here to see pics of us na nagtatampisaw sa tubig. heheh.

And before we knew it, it was time to board the shuttle bus to the ferry terminal. Back to reality na uli. Hay.

But it was a great weekend. A really great weekend with my one great love.

blogthings.com

Who am I in High School?

All American Kid

Popular but not plastic. Athletic but not a jock. Smart but not a brain. You were well rounded and well liked in high school.

What retro girl am I?

Your Inner Retro Girl Is

1960s City Girl

What font am I?

You Are Impact

You are very unique and quite striking. You are forceful and aggressive. You never go unnoticed, and people recognize your power instantly. While you make your presence known, your message is a bit fuzzy. You are not the easiest person to understand, and you're not one for details.

What condiment am I?

You Are Barbeque Sauce

You are a social person. You enjoy cooking for other people. You are both skillful and competitive. You enjoy mastering hard tasks. You appreciate complexity more than simplicity. Your taste in food tends to lean toward interesting flavors. You appreciate exotic spice combinations. You tend to like cutting edge, fusion cuisine. You get along with all personalities from a distance. Except salsa personalities, who always seem to annoy you.

Got nothing to do? Try it here.

Mid-week blues: I am so TTTired!!!

I need a vacation...

after my vacation.

-jun and chie were here-

To celebrate hubby's 31st birthday, we went to Bintan, Indonesia for three days. It was really, really, really great to leave all the worries and stress back in Singapore. We stayed at Mayang Sari (inside Nirwana Resort) and we loved the place. And that's saying a lot ha! Like most Filipinos, my standards are high when it comes to beaches.

More pics to come!

our public bar is not open because it is closed. (ANO DAW??)

Click here for more laughs.

The professional heckler

I love The Professional Heckler!!! I believe he won in one of the categories in this year's Philippine Blog Awards. He (or she? I'm not sure) injects good ol' comic relief to Philippine politics and current events. I just hope that his political "targets" actually read his entries so they'll know what a joke they are for continuing to mess up our country!

The Professional Heckler is like Chikatime on a more intelligent level. Hahah!

However, some people may not appreciate the way he writes. Specifically those who don't know how to separate fact from sarcasm from satire.

My favorite "hecklings" for today:

On the Teehankee Clemency: Anders Hultman, Maureen Hultman’s adoptive father has slammed President Arroyo’s granting of an executive clemency to Claudio Teehankee Jr., the man convicted of the killing of Maureen and her companion in 1991. In an email sent to the Inquirer, Anders said, “Why this president does this only God knows,” to which President Arroyo said, “Don’t drag an innocent being into the controversy. I haven’t talked to Him for a long time.”

On the demand for oil price rollback: Oil companies refused to implement a price rollback despite a huge drop in world crude costs citing the “still, fluid situation.” But the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan demands an “immediate, substantial oil price rollback” insisting that the drastic drop in oil prices worldwide “undoubtedly” warrants a pump price reduction of at least 7 pesos per liter for diesel, 2 pesos and 30 cents for gasoline, and 8 pesos for kerosene. Gathering those figures was a remarkable effort on the part of Bayan… considering the fact that most of its members actually spend more time marching than getting a ride.

Pati away ni Cristy and Nadia pinatulan (haha!): Gossip columnist and libel convict Cristy Fermin has revealed that Nadia Montenegro gave birth not only to five children as she has claimed but to six kids. The Asistios called it a shame. Showbiz columnists described it as a shocker. The Catholic Church wants Nadia to be their spokesperson against the Reproductive Health Bill.

Oh yes, I haven't gone home for almost two years but I am still updated. :)

Delayed post :)

Click here to see more of hubby's take of the race track and those amazzzing caroos that zoom through 'em.







And click here to see more scenes off the track.

I want to bring my younger bro, Miguel, to next year's race. Hope to see you there, too (especially Tins!)!

Now, here's what a so-so F1 fan (that's me) can say about this weekend:

1. If you are not an F1 fan, don't bother to even go. The loud sound of the F1 cars will amaze you when you first hear them. But after a few laps, they will all just be noise to your ears.

2. If you are an F1 fan, mangutang ka para lang makapanood hehehe! You will really appreciate the great engineering and hard work that goes to this sport if you see it with your naked eyes. I, a so-so F1 fan, am really impressed and maybe I can say, I am now a convert hehehe.

Our seats

3. You don't need to go for the expensive seats. I think even the walkabout tickets will do, if your legs have the strength of a horse. A lot of spectators didn't stay put in their seats and would rather go around and find a nice spot. Especially if you want to shoot some nice pics.

4. It helps to have a husband who can explain the technicalities to you :)

Still about the F1 Night Race

When you first saw the trophy for Singapore's F1 Night Race, what did you think about it? Honestly, at first glance, I couldn't appreciate it. Maybe I got so used to the traditional trophies. Someone even commented that it looked like a broom upside down.



photo: Singtel


The FIA requires Grand Prix promoters to present trophies "in the form of traditional cups." And award-winning Singaporean artist Zulkifle Mahmod followed the strict guidelines and designed the trophies in line with the tagline by the title sponsor Singtel: "Come Shape the Future of Racing".

It really looked weird at first glance, but when I read what James wrote, I started to appreciate it too. On closer inspection, James said, we could see the steering wheel at the base of the trophy and the individual stylised petals in black and red looks like a chequered flag. It looks good, in an unconventional sort of way.

PS. Have you seen this video about the first ever F1 race? Nice!

For hubby's 31st birthday...

...we will be spending it here.

(that is, if everything goes through as planned.)

photo: Roro Fernandez

Bintan is probably the fastest beach getaway from Singapore. We cannot really consider Sentosa or the nearby Malaysia beaches as getaways because they're not so nice. And as a Filipino, your beach standards are kind of higher compared to other people.

Hubby will be turning 31 this Saturday. He made a clear point that he did not want any parties. But I still want to celebrate his birthday so a week before his birthday, I decided to ask around whether it would be good to go to Bintan on that weekend. Unfortunately, the resort that we wanted to stay in is fully booked already, so we'll just go for the Nirwana resort in Bintan. At least we still get to runaway for the weekend.

I'll be booking the cottage tomorrow. Ida of BRF Holidays Pte Ltd will be the one taking care of our package. I'm not expecting a lot from Nirwana resort because I know it ain't the best in Bintan. I just hope it's not bad enough to ruin our vacation.

Believe it or not, I haven't had a decent holiday in almost two years! Except for the occasional trips to Malaysia, but that's not even considered a holiday at all.

photo: Candy Chu-Chao

So I can't wait to feel the sand between my toes (sand at the East Coast is NOT considered sand!It's more of cement!). There's a chance that it might rain on those days but I don't care! No rain will ruin my parade heheh.

a dream come true...

...for hubby.

He's such an F1 fanatic, so when we watched the first ever F1 night race here in Singapore, he was in seventh heaven! He was almost as happy as he was on our wedding day (errmm, should I be insulted?)

Pics taken with our baby Nikki and her cousin Nicco and their playmates Nikkor 18-200mm VR and 300 f2.8. Heheheh.

More pics to come!!!

Pahabol: Third world represent!!! Woohoo:)