Sunday, April 20, 2014

Counting Calories Again

Its always so much easier to gain weight than to lose weight. The former would entail eating til your heart's & stomach are contented. The latter meant having limited amount of food. Like now my stomach is growling but I can't indulge it. Its like the stomach got used to lots more food so now lesser food, growls. Mouth also needs restraining. It got user to being able to eat lots of savory food in a day.

I started calorie counting again. From last Mon, 14th April. I would keep it up and try to consume within my defined calories, 1600. And according to the app, it would see me losing that unwanted 5kg in 10 weeks time... (which incidentally is about the duration I have been eating uncontrollably) Just that when one is enjoying the food, lack of control, time dpes seems to pass quickly. In this calorie-limiting days, just getting thru one week felt long.

Food choice is important. Like how I could eat a foot-long subway sandwuch for dinner and still be within my limit but how the combinations of Frankenstein hotdog, chilli con carne with tortilla (lunch) and my earlier 1litre of milk (breakfast) meant I had only a measly 250 calories for dinner. But I had lunch very late, near 3.30pm so wasnt hungry ao just ate a few pieces of steamed chicken and the chicken liver. That petit dinner kept me within my calorie-limit.

This coming week, I have to eat lunch in class, so sian. I bought cans of tuna, low fat milk, oatmeal squares and bread. Will be eating tuna sandwiches *urgh* The very thought sounds like torture. Indeed on one hand, I can exploit it and eat healthily, building up some deficits. Luckily I can say goodbye to sweetened drinks permanently. Think I will try to exercise a little cos feeling "pent-up". Also see if my shoulder is ok enuff to exercise a bit.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Last Pig-out of the Spring Hols, back to Calorie counting on Monday

My final weekend before work resumes,  hence I had already decided that I would count calories cos put on 5kg since CNY, since the shoulder injury. So no exercise until now. Back to cleaning up my food and slowly try to exercise.

Wed: Acupuncture session no 2 that left with me tears and very sore. Went for hair-cut. Headed to Ikea for 2nd time meatballs in this month. In the supermarket, there is a very nice raspberry jam vanilla cookie, a nice alcoholic pear carbonated drink (4.5%, 500ml). They have an apple version but I preferred the pear. Bought it the first time I went during this hol. That was the time I bought the perler beads n the setting plates.

Thur: I went exploring at Haji lane. Been a very long a time since I been there. The last time, was with Tab and Quet, one afternoon there. We ate in a Turkish restaurant and later stayed in a cafe on the second floor of a junction.

Went there on a bus 33. Enjoyed the ride. Walked over from Raffles Hospital?  There were a few parallel lanes, Bali lane, Haji lane, Arab street and then into malay kampong area. I walked down the length of the entire lane then cross to the next. There are changes in thr shops, think high turnover. Didnt go in the shops much cos selling fashion stuff, and nothing I needed. Its interesting how when u cross from one lane to another, things change entirely, one moment turkish, one moment Arabic indian, then Malay. I did end up buying 3 scarves. One cos the print is very cheena chic and the other 2 is for possibily my bro's wedding use.

Fri: Met up with Candle for dinner. FH decided to join in. I wanted to go for dinner at this place I saw in a website, and I was hungry so thought to go try out that Hotdog place opp Crispy Creme. Passed a few times before but never tried. Decided to eat one then later for dinner.

The name is Mustard Incident, asked them whats most popular. Frankinstein & Duck-Can-Fit. Ordered the Frankinstein. Took a pic to post and bit into it. WOAH! Its damn good. Wow better than Lil Papa Waynes. The pork sausage is flayed open, with some minced meat scooped in between. Then a creamy sauce toped with caramelised onions. Damn nice. A symphony in my mouth. Going to eat here everytime I am in Orchard CK Tang area, in case it didnt last long. I was eating it damn happily and by the time FH, I had finished mine and was contemplating a second dog. FH got a Frankinstein too and he also said its good.

By the time Candle came, we ordered a second dog. I decided to go for Duck-can-fit. Its an Asian-fusion hotdog. It has a chewy firm duck sausage with grilled red and green capsicum, with sour cream on top and topped with fried bacon. It tastes good but for more those who dun mind capsicum. They still have 4-5 more, I wanna try them all.

Quet came and joined us. A bit paiseh sitting there longer cos only 2 tables and a group of girls were aiming the table. After that became our dinner, we walked to take a look at the food court cos FH said they chose good hawkers to open in that food court. Later we walked over to Crispy Creme and noticed they had an indoor production for their doughnuts. We stared as a new batch came out and was gonna get glazed. We stared, looked and discussed the doughnuts as they inched forward on the ultra slow conveyor belt. The floor manager inside got his staff to wrap up some doughnuts, thry camr iut and handed to us. FREE! The freshly glazed doughnut was soft, moist and warm plus not as sweet. Wow. We all totally enjoyed that.

Decided on tea to help digestion. TWG, first time there. Tea is exp $11++ and each teapot had its own insulation that had an exterior gold casing. Wow, we all were impressed. The list of tea they had was extensive. I enjoyed my White Knight - oolong and sencha with orchids. But there is no refill cos no tea leaves were in the pot. They brew then pour it into the teapot. Refill is just hot water. Candle's choice of the choc cake is good cos it wasmt sweet and the chocolate gnash is chewy. Talked and chatted then Tab joined us for more tea and cake. I went back after cos parents went back again and got to keep an eye on sis

Sat: Had mee siam breakfast and damn nice Javanese nasi padang. Felt guilty but met Candle for dinner. Wanted to check out Maki-san, from the internet list I found for good and affordable and popular food. Tried to find the perler beads refill 8n Spotligjt but they didnt have it. We walked over and saw Maki but it had very few seats and beside it is another which I wanted to eat at, 18chefs. So we ate there. Had my "Heart Atk Fried Rice" for one. Think its ok. I felt the butter fried rice was sinful. Candle liked her steak but found the aglio olio too little.

So we decided to eat Maki-san, following FH's discussion of a 'petit' dinner followed by a 'dinner proper' the day before. Had our meat and fats at the 18chefs and go Maki for our carbs, we joked. Happily customised our own maki rolls though it felt as though I was filling out an exam questionnaire.  We got a table and waited for Quet to joined us. Its interesting to be able to choose ur own fillings. Mine had salmon, cucumber, carrot, egg, edamame, bonito flakes. It tasted good for me. Next time I must get the yuzu sesame sauce and make a combination for it. After that we walked around the Cathay and headed back. The Cathay basement has much better food now than before. Though for me, it will still be hotdog first than maki rolls.

Sun: Brunch was 卤米粉面 then went for drums class. Went to Vivo Toys r Us to see if they had the perler beads. Nope. On the way home, I decided to buy some grocceriea to mske aglio olio after Candle mentioned hers wasnt enough the day before. It stayed in my mind. I haf some pasta stuff from previous cooking 2 weeks ago. So I added the ground black pepper, a red capsicum and a couple of chilli padi and Korean strawberries. Thinking to make aglio olio, more the outside style and also french toasts eith strawberries. Reaxhed home,  cooked, multi-task between prep for aglio and french toasting. Ate. Then swept floor, mopped floor. Washed up dishes and pots. Tired siah.

Work starts tom. A mixed feeling cos on one hand its great to be laxed and do ur own stuff and so on, but it gets repetitive and stagnant at times. Periods of routine, same-ole, same-ole and some burst of excitement and fun. Yet theres a lack of purpose. Work can be repetitive,  stressful and tiring. But provides the money and fills the time. Kinda mixed. I better sleep on time.

Saturday, April 05, 2014

Cajun Chicken Breast fillets & French Toast with strawberries n syrup

After 2 consecutive dinners of pre-made Tempura fish fillets and then Fish fingers dinner with bread, lettuce and tomatoes. Decided I wanna go to chicken breast cos I intend to restart my diet monitoring... let myself go in the past 2.5 months that I havent exercised fromthe shoulder injury. Plus the stress and then the holidays meant I didnt control my eating. Have lots of cleaning up to do.

Yesterday tried out the Cajun chicken breast. Itwas a recipe I found online. It is supremely easy. The chicken breasts I let it thaw and separate into 4 batches of 6 breast fillets in ziplock bags. Chuck the rest into the freezer. In the one I would cook, pour in olive oli, cajun spice from a bottle, added thr multi purpose spice and minced garlic. Massaged with the bag and chuck in chiller to marinate.

Cooking is easy, heat up olive oil over small fire and fry each side 3-4mins. I used a knife to cut thru to check its cooked through. Ate it and it was very moist inside. Flavorful from the marinade. Didnt add sauce. Also did a plain simple garlic aglio olio. Ate that for my experimental lunch. Later before I went out, I cooked for my sis.

Today I made soba for breakfast cum lunch. Around 2pm I got the munchies and decided to try out french toast. The recipe included quick, light- fry in the pan followed by toasting in the oven. Its less soggy than a pure frying in oil. Had Korean strawberries and cut a few and put on top. Drizzled pancake syrup over. I tasted the plain, plain with strawberries and one with everything. The first was plain but just like light tasting toast. The second had sweetness from the strawberries and the third had the syrup and strawberries taste much enhanced and the chewy texture of the toast made it slightly cake-like. Interesting how the flavors and textures play out. That was my "lunch".

Dinner I am going no carb cos I over ate the carbs - 2 servings soba and 5 slices of bread. Going to cook Cajun chicken breasts, Fish fillet Papillote (trying out) and blanched oyster sauce 小白菜. Plus tofu for me and bread for sis. My appetite is huge and its a challenge to rein in.