Learning to Cook and Other Things

When I was young I did not have the privilege of owning Barbie dolls. Because aside from not being available locally at that time I think, we could not have afforded it. Later, when I got me my own daughter growing up in what I can now consider a Barbie doll generation, she was lucky enough to receive a couple; from me, from my friends and from relatives. I recall getting her an expensive set, complete with all those curlers and mini make-ups, with wigs and various other girly accessories. There were other models , she owned, those that included Barbie's boyfriend, Ken I think, it was and Barbie's other playmate dolls. I am not sure. Oh well. The first Barbie doll was launched by Mattel its maker, in March 1959. She "wore a black and white zebra striped swimsuit and signature topknot ponytail, and was available as either a blonde or brunette. The doll was marketed as a 'Teen-age Fashion Model,' with her clothes created by Mattel fashion designer Charlotte...

Are you craving for your favorite chocolate shot today? Stop awhile. Look at what you are nibbling. Could it be Cadbury? One of England's confectionery maker, Cadbury announced a recall of their chocolates manufactured in a "small factory" based in Beijing. Yes, it was found to be tainted with melamine as well. Affected by the recall are chocolates distributed in the Asia-Pacific region only, ( said to be Australia, Taiwan, Nauru, Hong Kong and Christmas Island.) and not those distributed in the United States. "Preliminary tests showed melamine in Cadbury chocolates produced at the candy maker's Beijing factory, but it was too early to say how much of the chemical was in them, said a Cadbury spokesman who declined to be identified because of company policy". Of Cadbury's total worlwide sales, only 0.5% come from their Beijing factory, the AP news item said. See entire news feed here . Affected products were its : Dark Chocette, Eclairs, Dairy Mil...

Designer clothes I can understand that. Haute cuisine, yes, I get that too. And now this is the guffaw of my life ta da-da-- designer chocolates from the famous Giorgio Armani . This is the real deal! A chocolate or confection product that's exclusively made by Armani Dolci, the confectionery store owned by Armani himself. And in time for Halloween too. Giorgio Armani's confectionery just "released a special ghoulish chocolate", described as chocolate pralines enclosed in white chocolate coating". Take a look at how goody it looks. The packaging is super. choco photo courtesy of wwd In a similar fashion maybe for the coming Christmas holidays, the Dolci Stores will once again offer pastries they traditionally make available to their uppercrust clientele, in much the same way they did in 2007. See the old cuisine news snippet and pic here . By the way, the Armani designer chocolates are seasonal and available only at Armani's main store in Milan, I...

Do you know that Warren Buffet is said to drink cherry flavored Coke? And snacks on 'Cheetos', mixed nuts, including 'licorice pastel candies? Yes, that's right, Mr. Buffet, the philanthropist and perhaps, the wealthiest man on earth, eat food that is not outstandingly healthy. Consider Coke - might just be like drinking a cherry flavored sugar solution. And Cheetos, whether it's cheese, flaming hot or twisted, admit it or not may contain loads of transfat. And those sugar coated licorice pastels , candies. I am not really familiar with these. But mixed nuts , that, possibly provide some nutritional value. Could this type of regular snacking habit helped War ren Buffet develop his money making wizardry? Licorice pastels have been in the market since the 50's and so is coke. And Cheetos a rather familiar snack item, which celebrity, Ellen De Generes, admits is her favorite snack. If he has been eating these snacks for a long time now, I am thinking, is ...

What is China doing to repair its 'damaged' international reputation amidst its current melamine milk gaffe? During his recent visit to New York to attend the 63rd United Nations General Assembly, Premier Wen Jiabao assured that as a responsible nation, China considers food safety and quality as an important aspect of their products. As reported by China's News Daily, the Premier said that, they have taken 'prompt and resolute steps' specifically about the case of contaminated milk. Apparently, trying to controll the damage caused by the melamine milk scare, he went on to assure his audience that, "We have ordered all the hazardous milk powder and dairy products off the shelves, and we have also given the order to seal up and destroy the tainted milk powder and dairy products". "We need everything possible to ensure the quality of products, particularly the safety of food as this concerns everyone's life," he said, adding ...

Please allow me to thank the following e carders who have very kindly reserved an ec card widget space here in my cooking blog. 1. amreekia 2. mumsgotta 3. monfat48 4. insomnimusing 5. chinesemedicinenews 6. food on my table 7. my interesting files And for those who I have failed to thank in the past to all of you, my sincere appreciation!!! Thank you image courtesy of fotosearch Cheers.

Some dental crowns and and bridges from China, among other countries may be tainted with lead. "CBS investigative reporters in Columbus, Ohio, purchased 13 crowns from labs in China, Thailand and the U.S. Ten of those crowns tested positive for lead at levels ranging from 110 parts per million to 240 parts per million". Read the news article here .

I know, with prices spiralling up these days, more and more people are thinking of eating in. But if you're one of those who really love to dine out and can still afford it yet, would want to stash a little savings here and there, AAANNDD if you live in the United States try this site. PS This is not a paid ad. I was just thinking - introducing their freebies wouldn't hurt anyone. So what are you waiting for?

Conversations about TV show favorites

I just met Cora Roxas recently through her Inside Suburb blog. This lovely lady and her family, are I think currently based in China. Cora obviously loves her home and that seems to be her main avocation. That is aside from maintaining a travel related business. I was quite pleasantly surprised that she gave me, together with my soulful thoughts and little miss firefly two awards: A Perfect Blend of Friendship Award and Kind Blogger Award 2008. Thank You Very Much Cora. It is a pleasure knowing your acquaintance. And the Award in fact should be passed on back to you because YOU too deserve it! And so I'd like to pass this on to the following bloggers, all wonderful and amazingly beautiful women, inside and out and Wow they are my favorite favorites: 1. sher 2. mom wanna be 3. cora roxas 4. pinay single mom 5. elaine of d positive side 6. second cup 7. ivy agustin of chuva chaka 8. the super goddess 9. think nonsense 10. evil woobie 11. smarter than grade 5 Rock on!!...

I received this award from Sher. Sher is a Singaporean friend who now stays in Croatia with her loved one. She's a great cook. I say Chef. And I can guarantee she bakes incredible cakes and pastries. Have you seen pics of her baked goodies . Makes me drool. Sher, my friend, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! And I am happy sharing the honor with these fabulous bloggers: dine o meter , east coast life , a singaporean in london , durano and last but not the least, symphony of love. To stand side by side with these very popular bloggers makes me feel truly especial if only for a day:-) I haven't said this, but my blogs represent me in a manner of speaking because they tell stories about who I am as a person: 'living it up' in an incredible city and loving it, enjoying the fruits of my labor as a mother of my terrific children, or perhaps, serving as a friend to my children's girl and ex-friends', add to that, remaining a hopeful daughter to a most amazing mother, a...

MSG served as my friend SherX's, topic on her latest post . And I thought I would add my two cents worth to it. As described in a wikipedia entry , MSG or monosodium glutamate is a "sodium salt of the non-essential amino acid glutamic acid. It is used as a food additive and is commonly marketed as a flavor enhancer". " It is a non-essential amino acid, which means that the body produces what is needed and we don’t need to make it up in our diet. The brain uses glutamic acid as a neurotransmitter". Read more of this from here . How safe is MSG really? It seems there are those who say it is okey. Just eat safe levels. But here's a worrisome article I found, and which touches on MSG. It says, "Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is not just used on Chinese food but used by most food processors to enhance the products they produce. MSG can be concealed in foods as natural flavors or as spices. Companies like it because it suppresses off-flavors, bitterness,...

News has it that some baby milk made in China are contaminated with melamine, a resin used for many plastic applications like dinnerware, plastic cups, table tops, etc., and these babies are now found to have medical problems involving their renal or kidney systems. These milk in powdered form is said to have been recalled was manufactured or processed in China, specifically, Gansu province by a company called Sanlu and is part-owned by Fontera a New Zealand company. Melamine was also said to have caused some pet foods also made from China to be recalled from U.S. supermarket counters back in 2007. From what I understand, melamine contains a protein derivative which was what was added to these infant formula. Is this now what we can call maximum product efficiency? To mix chemical substitutes to provide maximum cost efficiency? My mother used to own a small eatery and she used melamine dinner plates. At that time, and ignorant of its ill-effects, I already questioned its suitabilit...

I never tire talking about home furnishings. Maybe in my previous life I was a struggling interior designer. Be it face to face or by way of photographs and websites, I just love looking at beautiful furniture, those elegant home decor; uniquely simple but functional kitchen designs; floral and vegetable garden patches in the home; and last but not the least dazzlingly designed rugs. No, I don't really covet them. I just love to look. They always evoke a warm and happy feeling. Talk about rugs. They have been my most favorite items for the house - always add structure and warm ambiance for a small place, but at the same time defy space limitations, just like area rugs . On the other hand, rugs add a homey and cozy feeling for wide and open areas like hotels or office buildings. Can you imagine them without these rugs in their rooms and lobbies? How dry could that be? My home is over the top when it comes to rugs. My partner just can't live without them. We have them everywhere,...

I received this I Love Your Blog Award from a good friend mommawannabe .This is my first blog award ever and I am so delighted,happy and quite giddy :-) Thank you very much Jade. I love your blog too. And now I have to pass this on to some of my blogging friends. ***start copy*** The rules of the award are: 1. The winner can put the logo on her blog. 2. Link the person you received your award from. 3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs. 4. Put links of those blogs on yours. 5. Leave a message on the blogs of those you have nominated. Previous awardees: Mabelle, Prily, Ate Norma, I Love Philippines Too, Shenga, Nova, WebbieStuffs, Nancy, Webloglearner, Pinay Wahm, and My So Called Life, Let's Spice Things Up, Beauty and Shop, Idealpinkrose, allin, kimchiland, Korean Food, The Paper Vision, Embrace Simplicity, Me and Mine, A Window To Our World, A Grateful Heart, Can of Thoughts, A Mother's Stuff, Housewife @ Work, MommaWannabe ibanag cooking ADD YOUR LINKS HERE. *** end copy*** An...

For Entrecard. I try to give thanks every end of each month to entrecarders who take the time to include my blog as one of their ec stops. Thanks so very much as always and may your tribe increase. 1. d positive side 2. a second cup 3. a taste of both worlds 4. the super goddess 5. smarter than grade 5 6. pink hues 7. cape town news 8. think nonsense 9. blog deleted 10. chuva chaka Cheers!

To digress a bit about our current heat insulation problems at home, I have been wishing bed weather since I woke up early this morning. Not for me really, but for my son so he can sleep at ease and well. Which reminds me of cloudy and drizzling days spent with my partner, teasing each other about bed weather. Back when we were young, it meant conditions were ripe to laze around the bed, snuggle, joke, tumble and do romantic things. The bedroom served as our sanctuary where the bed titillated us to spend countless lustful hours together. Ahh, that seems just like yesterday. The time we spend on beds are actually some of the best moments in our life. I think, we spend almost fifty percent of our lives in bed, sleeping, if not resting or finding comfort behind the sheets, day after day after we finish our daily grind in the office. It is also in bed that most of us consumate the full expression of our love with our mates. And it is also perhaps, in that same bed that some of our c...

When we first moved to this place almost two months ago, we were informed that the attic can serve as the third room aside from the two others. It was also the major reason why we finally decided to take the place. Because in effect there were three 'rooms'. Our two sons still staying with us found it great that there was an attic and it was so spacious. During that time, it was always raining and whatever problems we already had then with the place didn't include heat in the attic. Today, as the days grew hotter, my son who occupies the attic finally realized that it is getting to be unbearable sleeping there. My son works at night and so therefore goes home every morning to have his much deserved, rest and sleep. Rest is difficult to attain and sleep is hard to find because of the heat. He told me yesterday that the attic, which he personally chose to be his 'room' of comfort is unable to provide that at all. Yup!!! No rain, no drizzle lately, if at all. He was a...

When we have moved to this new place, my partner and I found ourselves wondering if we needed to make a change as well with our some of our old furniture. First on our list is our old bed. This bed has been with us for awhile now. It has served us well but is now creaky, that a slight human movement causes it to make a rocking movement. Swell! So we decided to go for a replacement. As I am a wooden beds fanatic, I am planning to buy another one. What I like about wooden beds is that it is timeless. Particularly, those made of hardwood. I have started to scout around and I didn't realize how plenty the choices are. The furniture sites abound with so many different home furnishings, including those for the dining area. I saw strikingly elegant dining tables and was awed with the richness of the colors and designs. There were classics and there were modern. Again, our dining table replacement must be in wood. No other. And one more item I need is a book case. During our recent mov...

A new restaurant just opened in Soho, Central London which allows you to dine in peace, order, or pay your dining bill fast without a fuzz. It can even get you a cab. How cool is that? The restaurant has no waiters so you do not have to suffer waiting in line to order for food. Just click on your tabletop and presto, the menu pops-up. Then start ordering. The place is called Inamo and caters to Asian fusion food. Owned by two Oxford graduates, they set out to "work developing existing Bluetooth and projection technologies for the restaurant market". And presto the result is a click and order resto. Just be careful about accidental clicks. You might just pay for food you did not order :-)

I have just joined surveys by dneero. They say I can earn money from doing so. They call these surveys "conversations". Again, I have been informed that while at it, "earning from Dneero is fairly easy. Respond to the surveys and post them on your site". I have chosen the conversation topic 'Eat healthier, not cheaper'. Cheers!