My First Baked Pasta

... was a success :-)

Here's the recipe:

1. Cook the Pasta (elbow macaroni). Undercook it for 5 minutes.

2. Prepare the Sauce.

Heat 3tbsp. butter, add 3tbsp olive oil. Add 1/4kg minced lean beef. Add 3 or more cloves of garlic.

Add 1/4kg of ham, thinly sliced, 1 small can of button mushrooms, sliced, 1 diced red bell pepper. 1tsp of chopped basil leaves. Add 1 1/2 - 2 cups of pasta sauce (i used prego's mushroom and garlic). Add 2-3 tbsp brown sugar. Boil and simmer.

3. Prepare the Topping.

Melt 1/3 cup of butter (anchor), add 3 tbsp flour. Stir in 2c water. Stir in 1c evaporated milk (carnation). Add half a block of kraft cheddar cheese, half a block of philadelphia cream cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Toss the pasta and sauce. Pour in baking dish. Pour topping, make sure to cover all the pasta and seal the edges. Bake at 180deg. 20-25 minutes.

5. Enjoy with your favorite bread and ice cold Coke! :-)

How to Celebrate an Auspicious Lunar New Year

I got this from a flyer on Chinese New Year Festivities. Btw, the Lunar Year of the Tiger starts on 14 February 2010.


DO'S

• Stock up with plenty of food
• Have new, fashionable clothes ----> I like this :-)
• Celebrate with sumptuous feasts
• Put away all brooms, brushes, dusters and dustpans
• Have new furnishings
• All rooms must be brightly lit and cheerful

DON'TS

• Do not wear black
• No crying. Unless they are tears of joy.
• Do not stop shopping. ----> As in? hahhaa
• No trashing of rubbish during the first 5 days of the new year
• Do not eat congee or porridge
• Do not wash your hair on 1st day

The world is flat...

..and so are my shoes. I want them flat, comfy yet chic and stylish. I haven't been using heels since we moved to Singapore except for special occasions .. and whenever we go out the little girl is with us and puro lakaran so it is really very convenient to wear flats.

Black ballet flats has always been a staple in my wardrobe. My favorite pair from Zara has become my daily uniform 'cause its super comfy and it goes with almost everything in my closet ... its really a favorite so I have to save it and find reinforcement :-)

When hubby and I went for a stroll in the mall after our "first-ever movie-date" here in Singapore...we stopped by at Tod's (Sale!) just to take a look and "appreciate" the merchandise ... no budget eh so window-shopping lang talaga :-)

Saw these flats on sale @ around SGD 400-600. Not exactly the colors and styles that I wanted and saw at the shop but very close ---

Then, I ended up buying this one from Charles and Keith at 50% off :-)

These, on the other hand, are nice to have too ...

Miu Miu Flats

Tory Burch Reva

more miu miu's

and this, i think is the shoe, also a miu miu, which "inspired" the one i got from Charles & Keith. This miu miu used to be priced at around $400 something and i got my version for only sgd 27 (even at its original price sgd 55)...quite a steal!

This year ...

Want to 'generate' your own new year's resolution? try this - http://moninavelarde.com/newyears/

Prada's "eye-candy" Collection

Since I came to Singapore, I have never entered a Prada store nor looked closely into it's display windows, until I saw this bag -

...love the color, the material and the hip design :-)

But since, there's no way I can afford to buy any expensive item at this time :-( I just browsed through the rest of the collection over the web and here are some numbers which I liked ...

and, i love this black dress! --

A Prayer for Haiti

"Heavenly Father,

It is with a heavy heart that we come to you, not necessarily knowing what we should ask for because many of us are wondering, 'Why did this happen? Why has tragedy struck Haiti again and why do so many lives have to be lost again? Why has this beautiful island been struck by a catastrophic earthquake and ruined?' But as many questions as we have regarding the situation, we still humble ourselves before you to ask for your mercy to be upon Haiti and its people. Extend your hand upon the land and restore all that has been lost, destroyed and damaged to be better than it was before. As rescue teams search for casualties, give them foresight. May they be led by your wisdom, and encouraged by your strength and advised by your discernment. There are yet people who are surviving and I pray that the rescue workers would find them in time and revive them. For the lives that will be lost, we pray for immediate comfort to come to the family and friends of the deceased. For those of us who are watching this unfold from the outside, I pray that you would give us hearts of compassion so that we can give out of our surplus to fill the deficit that is widening in Haiti. May we all extend ourselves in any way possible to secure our brothers and sisters in Haiti. And may every prayer regarding this tragedy be heard and responded to in your good time.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen"

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