In The Life of Kat

Procrastinating and.... random..lalalalaa

2010-11-05T03:45:00.001-07:00

Thanks to my new Eee PC.... y0! ;P

20 Years Later: Fine Dining at 'Eurolounge'

2010-06-05T20:38:00.001-07:00

My Menu:

* 'Blackforest Cocktail' (Cherry & Cream)

* 'Euro Temptation, tasting plate for two' (Twice cooked pork belly, oysters, scallops, chilli salt squid and duck ravioli)

* Pan roasted grimaud duck breast with beans, hazelnuts, potato puree, honey & sherry cream sauce

* 'Euro Temptation, teasting plate for two' (Creme brulee, Sticky Date pudding, white chocolate mousse, and raspberry sorbet)

For more information go to Eurolounge!

Dedicated to all Masterchef (Australia) fans out there who want Joanne to leave!

2010-05-27T14:49:00.000-07:00

It's 7:50am on a Friday morning, and I'm eating buttered toast. A pigeon has just walked into the cafe, and my fingers are so dry that the skin is cracking... eeehhh

Anyway, this apology blog couldn't come fast enough, after my sister told me how horrible Joanne was in the team challenge two Wednesdays ago (Tetsuya and Guillame as special guest judges).

I am sorry for doubting the poll takers. I can understand now why 43% (and counting) of voters wanted her to leave. I was sad to see Fiona leave last night. I still love Alvin!

Can someone please cook 'Soy Sauce Chicken'?

Dedicated to Samme: After watching that ridiculously frightening short film "The Cat with Hands"

2010-05-20T16:52:00.001-07:00

Dearest Samme,

I was on facebook just then and saw Frankie Magazine post something on the news feed. The blog is called "Cat Party" (I know, creepy right?).

http://ilovecatparty.blogspot.com/

Anyway, you should go check this out anyway, because as creepy as it may be, some of the designs are super cute!... haha No no, I will never ever want to frighten you!

Kat

Here is something much less scary!

BBC Mini series

2010-04-12T22:25:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to post a short blog about some of the beautiful heroines we see in BBC Television mini series. Last Sunday ABC aired the first part of the BBC adapted 'Tess of the D'urbervilles', by Thomas Hardy, starring Gemma Arterton as 'Tess'. Arterton also starred as 'Elizabeth' in 'Lost in Austen', along side Jemima Rooper as 'Amanda Price' i.e. 'the modern Elizabeth'.

Arterton is always so captivating to watch. She is undoubtedly beautiful, and personally, I think she suits the nineteenth century heroine. But, she was also beautiful as the 'bond girl' in 'Quantum of Solace'.

Gemma Arterton (below)

I also really liked Charlotte Riley in the BBC Television mini series, 'Wuthering Heights'. She was a great 'Cathy'.

Okay, now back to writing...

Charlotte Riley (below)

For the Sandwich Lover

2010-03-31T14:41:00.001-07:00

I love sandwiches. I love them because I am fascinated by them. I'm in awe of the idea. Bread+filling+bread=love. Here are some of my favourites.

- Turkish roll, turkey breast, cranberry sauce and avocado.(toasted or not... it's yummy)

- Wholemeal roll, rare roast beef, seeded mustard, beetroot and spanish onion.(I prefer this one raw and wriggling)

This one isn't really a sandwich, but it's still a good combination.

- Crusty sourdough, banana and honey...maybe add some ricotta to that, then top it off with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.

Happy sandwich making and eating.

Ooh... and I'm going to enjoy the gingerbread cookie my sister got me. YAY!

It's a RHINO cookie with pink icing!!!

From Cookie Couture, with love!

My New Music

2010-03-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

How to Tame Lions- Washington

Heretics- Andrew Bird

And the Boys- Angus and Julia Stone

Final Word- Direct Influence

When You Walk in the Room- Fyfe Dangerfield

Audience of One- Loyalty to Loyalty

(Listen)

(Love)

(Live)

Best Baked Beans I've Ever Eaten

2010-03-16T02:42:00.000-07:00

'Dear Daniel' (Hello Kitty's boyfriend): He is a pretty cool boyfriend to Hello Kitty. He wears overalls, like me.

'Hello Kitty' ("I weigh three apples"): She's a pretty cool kitty. She is also almost reaching

menopause age.

Okay... enough of the random facts!

Today I was being really moody and angry because Uni is being a real Mrs. Grouch to me. But then, after I threw a chair at the fridge, almost hitting my boyfriend, Tony decided to cook me baked beans and eggs. It was the best baked beans I've ever eaten. We decided that we want to make our own baked beans, and add XO sauce to it for a super spicy experience.

Go get some 'Heinz Baked Beans' or 'Heinz Spaghetti". It will do wonders when you're feeling down.

CHANEL, VERA and ODLR

2010-03-13T03:00:00.000-08:00

2010 Spring Collection

I have gone absolutely crazy over procrastinating on wedding gowns! Please let me wear one of these gowns, once in my life!!! I am gobsmacked at how incredulously beautiful and gracious these gowns look. To make this obsession sound worse, my sister and I were looking at the Vera Wang tableware collection in David Jones the other day. It was so very, very nice. Yes Vera, that image on your website says it all. I, one day, would love to be eating Jasmine tea

macarons on your tableware collection! Amazing! Please have a look on her website:

http://www.verawangonweddings.com/Default.aspx

Her 2010 bridal collection is stunning!

This one here (above) is not a Vera Wang gown. I just think it looks very pretty :)

This one here (above), also not a Vera Wang gown. But, also very, very pretty!

"Yes, of course I'm getting married in these shoes!"

New songs to learn

2010-03-11T00:59:00.000-08:00

My "routine" lifestyle seems to have settled, once again.

Uni, work, piano lessons...

It's all really good for me, actually. I need routine. It helps me focus and set myself on steadily working towards a goal.

Anyway, I have chosen to learn a Spanish piece by Manuel del Falla called, Danza del Terror: The Dance of Terror. It's very different to anything else I have learnt before, and it's all very exciting. I definitely need to work on my timing and feeling that syncopated rhythm (grace notes, triplets...).

I'm hoping that I will get a chance to perform this year. I use to be so anxious at the prospect of performance, however, now I realize that it is so vital to understanding the purpose of music, in a sense. The performance strips away feeling that playing music is encompassed by the pedantic remembering of notes and, the strict adherence to dynamic. The audience are the ones who write the music. They conduct the performance. I can play the same song ten times for ten different audiences, and I'm sure that it will feel different every time.

Another exciting prospect is that I will be properly learning my first Chopin song. It's a slow Waltz and it sounds very pretty: a lovely melody. I have decided that I do not want to play a popular song this time round. Nothing Andrew Lloyd Webber, even though this pains me deeply. I have an impinging feeling that I need to expand my musical horizons, and build up some knowledge in other genres of music. There is so much out there, and so little time to learn all of it.

Hopefully I will love these songs as much as I have loved the songs I played for sixth grade. I still feel bad that I haven't learnt La Coucou yet. It's such a lovely song: so much movement. Maybe I should just whip it out whenever I'm bored.

I should be getting back to my readings now... I always forget how dense readings are. They always get the better of me.

Happy reading to me...

新年快乐！(虎年)

2010-02-13T02:53:00.000-08:00

我想祝大家一个很高兴，很快乐的新年。

谢谢我家人，给我一个很温暖的家。

我知道我很容易发疯, 但是我真是感激你们对我的爱和关心。

我真爱你们！！

我也想谢谢我最好, 我最爱在的男朋友. 谢谢你永远站在我身边。

祝你學業進步, 心想事成。

I hope the year of the Tiger will bring much love and happiness to all!

再见。

Kat

The show (rice show) must go on

2010-01-27T19:52:00.000-08:00

In light of recents events, having my waning rice cooker not performing to its peak, I have decieded to do a little rice cooker research.

I found this ad on 'Ads by Google'. Here is the link to it.

http://www.designshoot.com/modern-digital-rice-cooker-for-more-delicious-dishes.html/

Most importantly, the rice cooker comes in pink, which is most convenient since I've always wanted a pink rice cooker. My search for a new rice cooker continues!!

Happy rice eating :)

Kat

Rice cooker....BROKEN

2010-01-24T23:46:00.000-08:00

Aigh eigh eigh... Rice cooker is making funny sounds. It hasn't sounded like this before. How many years? Almost a decade? It has served us well. Everything has its expiry date right?

Live on RICE COOKER!!!!

:P

Great words for sad times

2010-01-22T02:02:00.000-08:00

There are many expressions, words, some may even say, that do not belong in the dictionary, yet should. I think I may have a few of them...

1. Terribad (terribly bad)

2. ginormous (gigantic & enormous)

3. sucky (things that suck! (are shit))

Yeah. These should definitely be legitimized!

Anyone have any other suggestions?

Kat

ONIGIRI!!!

2010-01-19T00:07:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited for Thursday and Friday. I'm going to make Onigiri on Thursday, so I can eat it on Friday, with my bestest friend at track!

...And so it begins...my journey into the delicate art of lunchbox making. Well, this is how it began...

"What the hell is a Hamburg steak?"

"Hambur.....kdskj steak!"

"You mean a hamburger steak?"

"No. Hamburg Steak."

Yes. I found out that there is a dish (and yes, it is food) called Hamburg Steak. Upon making this wonderful culinary discovery, I was, there and then, dazzled into the world of "Onigiri".

I hadn't had much of a thing for Onigiri before. Yes, I was a bit of a bento fanatic for a short while (look at a previous post, sited with a Mona Lisa bento). Although, Onigiri didn't, much appeal to me as a flavoursome sort of food. The whole art, in itself, just said to me: "rice can look cute and bubbly, just like sausage". *Sigh* How wrong, I was. Oh so wrong.

It was only last night that I was watching a youtube link about making "Onigiri". It was a cyber channel called; something a long the lines of "Cooking with a Dog"...hmm...I don't really know what to say about that. But, it was really, really cool! Now, I want to finish my degree and become a bento master, specializing in the profession of making Hello Kitty shaped onigiri!!!

Thank you so much to my bestest friend! Best gift in the world!!! ^_^

Check out later post for MY OWN Onigiri.

Kat :)

SPAM ONIGIRI

Sydney Festival 2010 - Bale de Rua & Al Green

2010-01-09T13:30:00.000-08:00

I get off at St. James station with my sister and we're pumped up for the opening night of Sydney festival 2010. We're not even at Hyde Park and we can already see smoke and lights. Circus, acrobatics, musicians, Bale de Rua and AL GREEN!

Yep, my night was pretty spectacular.

My favourite acts were Bale de Rua and of course, Al Green (we love you Al).

Bale de Rua

Bale de Rua is a group of Brazilian dancers who bring together a fusion of hip-hop, African dance, samba and capoeira onto the stage. Sounds pretty awesome right? Without disappointment, they were fearsomely awesome. Although, I could only see from the side of the stage, it didn't matter because the performance was about feeling the rhythm, as much as it was about watching the versatility of the dancers. Bale de Rua will be playing at the Opera House

(Sydney) throughout the duration of the Sydney Festival. I'm so tempted to see them!

What I want to see:

Igor Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex and the Symphony of Psalms

Information can be found here:

http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2010/Music/Oedipus-Rex-Symphony-of-Psalms/

The New Year brings "Dexter", Capote and chocolate

2010-01-07T12:30:00.000-08:00

The new year is often filled with many thoughts: thoughts about new year resolution's, about enjoying ourselves, and about cutting back on calories...after the holiday season.

This year, I've taken the liberty of only thinking about three things. Well, mainly three things. They are marathoning the "Dexter" series until I can't marathon anymore, reading more of anything that comes my way, and eating chocolate (and Turkish Delight).

Little did I know that this ordinary combination of TV, books and chocolate could bring about the best start to the New Year. I'm not sure what I would do after season four of Dexter ends. I guess I'll be getting back to the plethora of trashy drama and soaps that I've been anxiously waiting for. I'm not sure if I should list these... (The Vampire Diaries, True Blood, Home and Away)

So my new year is about being happy and healthy! (not so hard to do, hopefully :D)

Thanks Jess!

Best thing EVER

This is Zumbo's chocolate cafe in Balmain. Best chocolate I have ever had.

Dexter is so genius!

OT

2009-12-15T01:49:00.000-08:00

I hate having to OT.

NO OT!

Planning on writing something more insightful for next time.

Kat

Season's Greetings

2009-12-12T21:49:00.000-08:00

Christmas is in two weeks and I have not completed my Christmas shopping. This is terrible.

Here is a list of what I want:

1. Hello Kitty Ramune

2. A soft serve machine

3. Nice designer clothes

4. A hearty steak dinner

Here is a list of what I need to buy other people:

1. ???

Yeah, that's right! There is no list. On the brighter side of things there is a big, big list of "maybe's" and also, a list of "that is too tacky to give to someone". I have eliminated bath products from my list and also Westfield gift cards (I understand the appeal, but I still think it lacks sentimentality). I've got a great present in mind for someone special, although I'm not sure if I can pull it off. It involves a notebook, photos and my somewhat rusty skills in crafting :( Well, my sister is putting together an epic power ballad compilation. Hopefully, having Lionel Richie on rotation will pull me through this last minute Christmas shopping!

I haven't posted in a century. This feels good. I like it :)

Kat

Things to Celebrate

2009-06-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

Finally, first semester is over.

I'm at work, again. I just finished the last bit of Chocolate to my Kinder Surprise. It was a surprise indeed! I got one of those table top spinny things.

It feels like so long since I've touched this blog. It's nice to be writing leisurely, again. As opposed to essays! Not that there is anything wrong with essays...*shifting eyes*

Yay! It is, also, World Environment Day today. So I encourage everyone do their bit for Mothernature, and we'll pretend that we've all done a good deed and made a difference. Sorry for being sarcastic. I suppose that is a little harsh on my part. I think we do make a difference (no sarcasm implied here). Lately, I've been switching off all powerpoints...nothing is on standby anymore. Sometimes I go to turn the TV on and think that we're out of power again. I made a vow, some years ago, that when I became a first home buyer, I wouldn't buy houses in suburbs with telegraph poles above ground! Three days without electricity is diabolical. I mean, quite literally! One minute you can heat up dinner in the microwave and the next, you have to steam everything. We had a lot of steamed food... Also, it was quite hard living without the automatic water boiler! (I think that's an Asian thing).. OH MY GOSH.. and the rice cooker! How could I forget the rice cooker!!

Anyway, if you see some rubblish floating around, pick it up and put it in the bin. Plant a tree, or something of that nature (haha..tree, nature..teehee). Print double sided today, or use scrap paper...hell, if you have time, make your own paper from newspaper pulp! If you live in Australia, contemplate taking a 4 minute shower. It's not too bad, really. If you feel there is no need to be doing all this, just turn on your television or go online to watch stranded polar bears on melting ice caps. Surely, that would make your eyes water and knees go weak.

My only conundrum: Why isn't the 'Google' icon reminding us that it's 'World Environment Day'? If Mary Casset's birthday is worth celebrating on Google, then surely, 'World Environment Day' would be too...right??

Look at it his way...

You can't have everything you want in life...but you can keep convincing yourself that the glass is, perpetually, half full!

Over and Out,

Kat ~

Mrs. Grouch has come to visit me

2009-05-18T16:08:00.000-07:00

What a bad start to what was supposed to be a good week. Well, at least I had hoped...

Here's a list of things to have handy in case you, too, are visited by Mrs. Grouch.

1. A butter knife

2. A good coffee cup lid

3. A back of steel to support the ten million books you might have to carry with you to Uni

4. A third arm so that you can carry your lap top whilst trying to get your library card out of your bag, and also carrying a boiling cup of tea.

5. A torch, so that you can go to the bathroom, as opposed to feeling up the walls of the UTS library toilet, trying to find the light switch

6. Josh Pyke on itunes

Yep, that's about it!

Take it from me, these are the quintessential items that will kick start you to a fabulous day!

Go away Mrs. Grouch!

I need positivity to keep me going today!

I don't know what this postcard says... but he looks a little like me at the moment!

Especially, the hunched back...

Food is (necessary, art, my life, "da bomb")

2009-05-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

I've come back from the unforgiving pits of sickness, long hours at Uni and yes, God forbid, assignment deadlines. But, only for a short while, since the end of semester is looming near and the procrastination virus seems to be spreading viciously throughout UTS campus.

Anyway, I thought it would be nice to share with everyone a new joy that I have recently delighted myself in; bento lunch boxes. Before you start perplexing over how I found time to make bento lunches for myself, I might clarify that I haven't actually made any, as of yet. The only bento action I've been getting has been from google images. I know, I know... sounds like I'm not doing Bento art any justice here. But hey, what can a girl do when she's downing herself with drowsy Codral medicine?

Well, for one, she can spend hours on end surfing the net for amazing bento creations!

So here's a few images to toast to all bento creators out there. Ooh.. and to the aspiring ones as well ^_^

Katsushika Hokusai's "Great Wave" couldn't have looked more delicious ^o^

These "Three Little Pigs" escaped the Big Bad Wolf. Unfortunately the Bento artist was also looking to turn them into a meal. Incredibly cute!

This is my favourite. As soon as I saw this one I showed my sister. She gave me a queer look, but I wouldn't blame her. I mean, it is the Mona Lisa with seaweed hair. I don't think Master Leo would have thought of seaweed when he was trying out new materials for his portraiture works! Tops!

Over and out!

Kat

After the Weekend

2009-04-26T21:15:00.000-07:00

A Monday afternoon in the office is usually a quiet one.

I have just finished some readings about television and the Diaspora community, and now feel the sudden urge to write. But, write about what?

Well, it seems that the only time I can manage to post a new blog entry is in the office. Which makes it a little hard to get creative, since my brain is usually too fried to brainstorm anything interesting by the time I get to sit down and type. So I decided to have another browse through dessert recipes (something I have been doing more regularly since my last post about the Green Tea Sponge Cake).

Anyway, I found this website called the Joy of Baking (http://www.joyofbaking.com/) and I clicked on a recipe for Peanut Blossom Cookies, which, by the way, looks like the perfect dessert for Peanut Butter lovers!

So, what it is, exactly, is a Peanut Butter flavoured cookie with a Hershey's Chocolate Kiss as a yummy, decorational topping. Apparently, there is nothing better than chocolate and Peanut Butter. Put the two together and you've got yourself some killer dessert going. This stuff seems really good for 'movie nights' with friends, or, for whenever you feel like a Peanut Butter snack attack. I mean, I have nothing against eating out of the jar, but sometimes I wouldn't mind having a Peanut Butter snack that can be dipped in tea or a mug of warm milk (mmm...). This sounds relatively simple as well. But, I mean this in a good way. You know what they say, 'Simple is the Best'! So here's a picture of what they look like.

Nothing more needs to be said...typed :)

Well...maybe not about Peanut Blossoms, but I wanted to do a little personal promotion for this Thai franchise restaurant called 'Yai'. Actually, there are only two restaurants and they're both in Sydney. I have never heard of it before, so I'm not sure how well I can recommend it, but it seems relatively cheap and, could be delicious.

I was looking through the pile of junk mail sent to the office today and found their flyer. They have this combo deal going on at the moment, where you can choose bewteen a curry, wok fired, noodle or salad dish, plus a can of drink, for only $10. If you're a student, like me, ten dollars is already way too pricy on the 'stingy lunch' radar, but, being so spend wary myself, I wouldn't be giving this place a thumbs up unless I thought it was acceptable. So, what it is, is they also do free lunch deliveries between 11 am and 3 pm, 7 days a week. Oooh.. you can also place internet orders!! I think ten dollars plus free delivery is pretty good. Here's their website http://www.yai.com.au/

Happy Thai Eating!!.. oh and also cheers to Peanut Butter ^o^

Kat

(Yum Nua Salad aka. Thai Beef Salad)

The things we really want in Life

2009-04-23T19:01:00.001-07:00

These cakes look amazing!
I think I know what I want for my birthday now ^_^

Mango seems to be a prevalent fruit in these cakes hahaha!!
Marshmallows, Strawberries, Mangoes and our favourite Sanrio characters!
What more could a girl ask for??

This image is from House of Kitty blog, blogger called Emily!

You have such an amazing blog <3

This cake looks amazing!

Friday is in the air

2009-04-23T16:22:00.000-07:00

Ahh.. yes, it is that time of the week again. Friday has come at last!

So, I was in the car this morning. The sun was hitting maximum on the shine-o-meter and Parramatta Road was as dusty as ever. The cars were in their usual bumper to bumper action and if you were not a Parramatta Road regular, I suppose you would not have noticed a certain calmness in the air this morning. No! I feel that 'calmness' does not nearly convey the atmosphere of this mornings' traffic. It was more like a welcoming enthusiam. It was most spectacular! It is a great feeling to know that the car behind you doesn't want to ram into the back of your car because they have just about had it in the office!

So I thought I would dedicate this short post to all those people out there who are glad that Friday has come at last. Although I know, that this indulgence in the anticipation of the weekend, does not diminish the fact that Friday is still a full working day. I do know that, regardless, of this inconvinient truth, I will be waltzing out of the office today at 5:15 pm with a sore back, but a very big grin on my face.

Here, I will leave you with a few words from Hard- Fi.

"When it gets too much,
I live for the rush.
Got some money to spend,
Living for the weekend."

Have a Great Weekend!

Kat

Green Tea Sponge Cake

2009-04-19T21:15:00.000-07:00

I am very excited at the moment. I can't explain how excited I am so maybe you'll be able to gather from how much I am going to rant in this post.

Anyway, the story goes...

I was just finishing up some paperwork at the office today and my boss hadn't come into the office yet. Like most people, I wanted to procrastinate a little while I still had the chance. So, I decided to google 'Asian desserts', and that didn't work out too well. So I then googled 'Asian desserts, green tea sponge cake'!!... and guess what happened?

Well, I'm sure most of you can work out what happened. Or maybe not? Unless you know me, and know that I am dreadful in the kitchen. Even with pasta! Oh dear, especially with my pasta :(

Anyway... *rant rant rant* and after many days....

I clicked on, maybe, the third link down from the top ten results and found the most amazing blog ever! I had never seen so many dessert recipes on one website before. In saying that, I don't usually go out of my way to search for dessert recipes. But, in the world of procrastination, anything goes.

Never in my life had I felt that making beautiful, beautiful cakes was a tangible aspiration, let alone accomplishment. But now I feel that everything has changed and, that perhaps, I'll be able to pull something, moderately spectacular, off!

Getting on with my story....

This particular link I clicked on directed me to a blog all about food of both Eastern and Western Cuisine. I know that hardly breaks things down in terms of detail, but I suppose it just emphasizes the diversity of this blog, okay???

I think the writer/creator/dessert extraordinaire/anonymous caters for parties and what not. So there was a lot of variety, both sweet and savory, in the recipes she posted. However, I was only interested in the desserts!!!

If I existed in anime land, I'm sure my eyes would have been swirling in spirals, or something else dramatic of that nature. I don't think anyone would have been able to comprehend how enthusiastic or ecstatic I was feeling. I'm pretty sure there would have been some drooling action going on as I was perusing through the pictures of her green tea sponge cake. ^o^

And that's when I decided to attempt one myself...

I don't know what to make of the ellipses. But, it either suggests that I am going to fail, epically, or that this is going to be one of the most greatly anticipated culinary experiences of a life time! Sorry about the sarcasm... I am being modest, truly ^_^

Well, hopefully it will be neither. All I want for the final product is a green tea sponge cake that doesn't topple over, or better yet, not having the icing drip off the edges because I accidentally added the wrong kind of sugar...(yes, it has happened before...).

So fingers crossed!

I'll post up photos regardless of the result!!!

Signing off now~

Kat