Christmas

Christmas 2007 was fun!!!

On the eve, Daddy actually allowed me to drive all the way to Causeway point to collect the Dinner deal deluxe (Medium turkey, champagne ham, grilled beef, Guylian chocolates and a botttle of New Zealand Merlot wine, all packed in a wicket basket), a small turkey 3.5--4.5kg and a box of lovely chocolate & raisin cupcakes ( it had a butter-cream topping, wouldn't touch it).
Lunch was a plate of Yong Tau Foo (not nice gravy) and a huge ice-kacang with extra corn...yummy... following that was a fruitless hunt for Turkey gravy...which was all sold out. No wonder it is such a 'hot' christmas...
After that, I drove to Bukit Timah, Goldhill Road, through BKE, PIE and CTE. This is the furthest I have drove so far!!! From there, we went back to Woodlands and then to home.

Neighbour Louis and little Daniel came over to give us a black forest cake. Little Daniel kept saying it had 'funny funny things' on it...cute boy =) We got a remote-controlled car (hope it works) for him!

Preparing for dinner...














Made a chistmassy barbeque sauce. Very healthy one, with lots of tomatoes, herbs and large onion. Grandma said it is nice, hope it is true though...but at least it is 'MSG-free','fat-free', almost 'sodium-free' and 'diabetic-friendly' effort loaded sauce...




What a wonderful spread :D

With auntie Mervi...

With Me!!!

All of us attended the midnight mass at Christ the King church, and we did have seats!!! Hurray!!! Sang Feliz Navedan into Christmas day...

My furry brownie coatie...

The other day...

Daddy and Mummy went to get for me a 'water-proof', 'winter-proof' and I suppose should be 'fall-down proof''(since it is so thick) coat!!! It's brown and furry, quite nice actually, and undisputably expensive... haha...

Me with the tiny christmas tree :D

Xiu wanted to try on too...

The best thing is that if I do not want to look like a 'furry thing' with the furry cap (which is relatively nice when we look at it a couple of times), I can detach it!!! Nice!!!

Thanks Mummy and Daddy for all the effort! :)

Fast Food Nation--Eric Schlosser

Read FAST FOOD NATION the past few days (haven't completed it though...gosh...really lacking the determination to finish it in 1 day...am trying to regain it). A very informative book actually, not absolutely biased or prejudice, but still quite critical of the fast food companies around...

Was quite enlightening actually, for example, I didn't know that Tyson co. (the orange packaging of chicken drumsticks I used to look out, for during grocery shopping with mum) is the main supplier of all chicken in MacDonald's, and even 90% of restaurants in US! It all started in 1983 when they supplied chickens with uniquely large breasts for McNuggets (the super fatty food containing more fats than a hamburger, according to Eric Schlosser). Tyson is the overall in charge of the chickens, but they do not raise them. Instead, sub-contractors obtain the chicks, feed, equipments, technology etc from Tyson, who returns to collect the full-grown chickens in 7 weeks time. Interesting... And Macs is 2Nd only to KFC of being the world's largest consumer of chickens! Tyson must have been enjoying so much lucrative profits with every new fast food outlet opening.


Do you know that KFC's founder, Colonel Sanders, became successful only at the age of 74? Do you know that Carl's Jr founder was actually the 1st in US in starting the drive-in restaurant idea? He actually started off with a hot-dog wagon (still kept the receipt for it till his last days), and was even thrown out of his own co. by the board of directors (sounds like Steve Jobs). Later, he made a comeback by collaborating with a huge conglomerate, by giving all the governing power to this co. to this day. Even though I'm not into Fat-laden gigantic burgers like Carl's Jr( also a rip-off in price), there is a single connection between Carl and I... that is... he is also a Catholic!!! Who said church-goers can't do business??? ha ha


So many facts in there... but 1 interesting thing is the flavours part... look carefully below:

STRAWBERRY MILK SHAKE

Amyl acetate, amyl butyrate, amyl valerate, anethol, anisyl formate, benzyl acetate, benzyl acetate, benzyl isobutyrate, butyric acid, cinnamyl isobutyrate, cinnamyl valerate, cognac essential oil, diacetyl, dipropyl ketone, ethyl acetate, ethyl amylketone, ethyl butyrate, ethyl cinnamate, ethyl heptanoate, ethyl propionate, ethyl valerate, heliotropin, hydroxyphenyl-2-butanone butyrate, lemon essential oil, maltol, 4-methylacetophenone, methyl anthranilate, methyl benzoate, methl cinnamate, methyl heptine carbonate, methyl naphthyl ketone, methyl salicylate, mint essential oil, neroli essential oil, nerolin, neryl isobutyrate, orris butter, phenethyl alcohol, rose, rumether, y-undecalatone, vanilla and solvent.

Ethyl-2-methylbutyrate smells just like an apple

Adding:

Methy-2-peridyketone makes something taste like popcorn
Ethyl-3-hydroxybutanoate makes something taste like marshmallow
Amyl acetate provides dominant note of banana flavour

Aroma:

Hexenal – smell of freshly cut grass
3-methyl butanoic acid – smell of body odour

Natural & artificial flavours sometimes contain exactly the same chemicals, produced through different methods. For example, when distill amyl acetate from bananas with a solvent, it is a natural flavour. When it is produce it by mixing vinegar with anylalcohol, adding sulphuric acid as a catalyst, amyl acetate is an artificial flavour. Either way it smells and tastes the same.

A natural flavour is not necessarily healthier or purer than an artificial one.
When almond flavour( benzaldehyde) is derived from natural sources, such as peach and apricot pits, it contains traces of hydrogen cyanide, a deadly poison.
Benzaldehyde derived through a different process – by mixing oil of clove and the banana flavour,amyl acetate – does not contain any cyanide. It is legally considered an artificial flavour and sells at a much lower price.

MacDonald’s Corporation refuse to reveal the exact origin of the flavour added to their fries. However, in response to inquires from Vegetarian Journal, they acknowledged that some of their characteristic flavour from ‘animal products’.

Wendy’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich contains beef extracts.
Burger King’s BK Broiler Chicken Breast Patty contains ‘natural smoke flavour’.
A firm called Red Arrow Products Company specializes in smoke flavour, which is added to barbeque sauces and processed meats. Red Arrow manufactures natural smoke flavour by charring sawdust and capturing the aroma chemicals released into the air. The smoke is captured in water and then bottled, so that other companies can sell food which seems to have been cooked over a fire.





Maybe some 'organic' obsessed ppl out there will have something else to chuck out of their diet... but i may still take the low-fat, low-calories strawberry milk shake if it floats my way... ha ha :P

Teach at Rempang Island

The 3rd Rempang trip!!!

On 2 Dec 2007, the IHM and St Anne's groups went to the Rempang Island for our last volunteer trip of the year. We organised a X'mas party for the orphans and poor villages there. A very memorable experience as the greatest gift we received was the improvement in their studies and the happy looks on their faces!!!

The sisters were also very pleasant. All the fried tapioca, pineapple tarts and ginger snaps were really good!!! Not only are they holy people, they are also good cooks & bakers! Very talented indeed!

Thanks be to God for all the love and blessings he showered on all the volunteers, in areas like the beautiful weather and safety, especially for all the blessed children and lovely Indonesians we met along the way!