Recently I tried my hand at making some Japanese Souffle Pancakes. They're known for being light, fluffy and jiggly! The secret lies in the egg white meringue and the slow cooking on low heat.
I'm very, very grateful for our electric whisk, if not my hand will probably ache after trying to whip up a meringue with stiff peaks.
My sister bought a new plate from Ikea!
My first try resulted in a sloppy looking pancake which tasted good despite its looks!
Tasted like a light fluffy cake, but could be more moist. Was too lazy to sieve the icing powder so it wasn't very pretty LOL! We were pretty impatient by then. Cooking these pancakes, excluding the mixing of ingredients, took almost 20 minutes!
Also, nothing can beat fresh strawberries, even if they are Korean frozen strawberries :( The pancakes are excellent with nutella though!
My mum bought me some fresh strawberries, so I made another batch of souffle pancakes!
Here's Attempt No. 2.
neater this time round, but despite using a soup ladle, the pancakes were still not very round.
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My pancakes were much taller in the second round! Looking good!
Got my sister to help me out with the plating and photography heehee. We used a ramekin, icing powder and my old cloth map for extra styling points.
Not sure how to make my pancakes taller - seems like they deflate with time HAHA! Probably will try another recipe and experiment a little more! I also LOVE the fresh strawberries. Pancakes also tasted pretty good with honey!
Initially I was wondering if the effort was worth it for these pancakes, but after the second attempt I realised that I really enjoyed these insanely fluffy pancakes more than the usual western style, flatter kind of pancakes! The temperature is really finicky though, especially when I have no idea how to gauge how hot my pan is.
Nevertheless they were fun to make. What have you guys been cooking up in your kitchen?
Love,
Skye
Harro everyone!
As you know, my sister is quite the cook at home, so I made her write a menu so I can easily order food. Heh heh.
Her repertoire includes Korean, Western and even Chinese cuisine. I like her kimchi pancake and more recently, the spicy beef tofu soup!
Her menu also has a bakes section which includes her chiffon cakes and miso butter cookies.
Some pictures for your viewing pleasure~
This was her first time cooking sichuan dishes.
I also made a menu, but mine definitely offers less choices. Guess I have to go learn more dishes!
My favourite part of my menu is the dessert section, which includes cakes, cookies, pies and ice cream. I also have a bread section.
Should probably learn how to make eggs benny too.
If you ever have the chance, I will cook you my Special Meepok! XD
I also have a beverage section that lists down my latest concoctions like yuzu houjicha and tea jelly. You can make your own cocktail page if you're into alcoholic drinks~
My To-Cook List
Souffle Pancakes
Tarts
I'm also very 鸡婆 so I wrote a menu for my mum too. It has the most dishes out of the three menus! My mum can cook so many things hahaha, meat, veggies, seafood, all types of rice and various Taiwanese goodies.
The desserts are also very Chinese - think red bean soup, wintermelon jelly etc. Lol.
Listing things down is rather satisfying and fun! One other benefit of these menus is when you eventually have to ask the dreaded question of "what to eat tonight?" you can just refer to the menus for some inspiration!
And if you're not the cook, but the lucky person who just eats, the menu presents you with all the choices~
Yum yum,
Love,
Skye
Hey sweeties 🍬!
How has life been? I compiled some movies I had watched in the past month, and added some of my (very short) thoughts on them. They were kinda disappointing really.
Ashfall
A Korean action movie about the race to prevent another deadly volcano eruption that threatens the entire country. With actors we know and love~
I watched this at 1.25x because it was 2 hours long... this is becoming a bad habit I think.
Also, I had to screenshot this moment. I love their over the top expressions here.
Kind of predictable.
6.5/10
Kiki's Delivery Service (Live Action)
Not gonna lie, this was a little strange. Cute, but strange and somewhat off-putting. I don't see how it can ever compare to the original animated heavyweight. It's nice that they tried to make a film adaptation but I can't say 100% truthfully that it worked extremely well. Skip.
5/10
Tall Girl (Netflix)
Not entirely satisfying to me. Kind of a weak premise and weak plot. You can't bank on one tall actress, the USP of this movie, and neglect the other parts of making a good movie.
For a tall girl short boy story, I much prefer the manga/animation/live action, Lovely Complex.
There was diversity in the cast, but awfully little time and space to explore the best friend dynamic. What a waste?!
Only a 5/10 for me.
The Goldfinch
I was surprised when I discovered that The Goldfinch would be receiving its own movie adaptation, and with a star studded cast too! This film isn't for everyone though. Drugs, violence, neglect. It's pretty depressing.
I enjoyed the young Theo's performance. Older Theo, played by Ansel Elgort, is currently facing the heat for sexual assault allegations. Yikes. Be safe, everyone.
7/10, because I wanted to see Boris (played by Stranger Things Finn Wolfhard) come to life on screen. Boris in my mind is more of a stocky guy rather than a scrawny, stylish goth, but I enjoyed their depiction anyway.
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Right.... so there wasn't anything much I wanted to rave about for this batch of movies I have been watching recently. Am I just becoming more discerning, or are the movies just not that great? You tell me.
Till next time!
Skye
Hey sweeties!
Read a couple of books lately and here's my little list of three.
Woah, another thrilling sci-fi read from Blake Crouch. This book uses memory as the jumping point for time travel. The story sure took its time to get into the thick of action, but once it starts, it doesn't stop, so strap yourself in for a wild ride.
Also check out Blake Crouch's other book "Dark Matter": Jason from this world needs to survive the multiple Jasons of parallel worlds. Expect mayhem and non-stop action.
Delayed Rays of a Star is an ambitious attempt following the fictional trajectories of three notable women in film. Personally I know close to nothing about these actresses and directors so I submitted myself wholly to the book and its portrayal of them.
There has been criticism from readers who actually know who these starlets are, complaining that they did not need some of the sordid details (like Marlene's deterioration into old age). It just offends them I guess, to imagine their favourite stars described as such and living decrepit lives.
In my opinion I thought these details served its purpose of showing us a very human side of these huge stars, and also as a juxtaposition of glamour and reality.
The book was nicely tied up despite having three leading characters, though I wonder if omitting one story line (probably Lena, I liked her chapters the least) would make the overall story line simpler and even more powerful? A good book overall but not an easy read.
I added this book to my To Read list a long time ago. By the time I finally found it the NLB E-books system, I had completely forgotten why I added it to the list. Before reading it, I was just thinking, oh man, this book looks a little creepy. I mean, a faceless boy in black and white? It better not be horror!
Nevertheless, I decided to trust my past self and plunged into it without looking it up further.
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is about a man who lives many lives. Each time he dies, he has to start his entire childhood again. The first few chapters felt rather disjoint and unpalatable. However, if you hold out and be patient, the second half of the book will exhilarate you. The characters are not entirely lovable but the premise pushes through doggedly.
In the end I felt the book was actually closer to the time travel/sci-fi genre rather than a mystical 'die and be reborn' kind of story. Would recommend if you like this genre!
That's all folks! The next book feature post will be when I'm done reading some new books. Send me your recommendations, especially if you have any sci-fi picks!
Happy Reading,
Skye
Heya guys!
Here's a lil round up of internet things. The series probably started long time ago but I'll just start the numbering here!
1. A Cute YouTube Channel
My friend Jeia introduced me to this quirky and cute girl called Su Lee. She makes really fun music videos of her whimsical original songs. I really enjoy her low tone too.
2. Asian MBTI
Also chanced upon this interesting Asian MBTI image online. It's super cute. I'm a Soup Dumpling, what are you?
I also found a very meaningful video from CNA, called Sexuality and My Teenage Children with Autism. It's a very brave video on a difficult subject, especially in Asia where sex is not usually discussed in most families., what more in front of a camera!
"At 10 and 11, her daughters who have severe autism started to masturbate, sometimes for hours, and at times while they were in school or out in the public. "I never thought that sexuality would be an issue that I’d have to handle." By speaking out openly on this issue, she hopes that parents like herself can find better ways to support the sexual development of their children with autism or other intellectual disabilities."
The lady said that by stepping out and sharing her experiences, she helped others to step up and share their stories too. Sometimes, simply by being brave enough to share your stories can help create a community and help others feel less alone. I'm very heartened by this and really appreciate her efforts.
Alrighty, that's all I have for now! Hope you enjoyed this roundup.
See you guys soon!
Love,
Skye
Yo!
So this post is a little ramble about this Singapore R&B band called brb.
They released the album 'relationshit' in early 2020. It's a really solid album, do check it out! Very catchy, very chill and very smooth. A++++
brb. is made up of a trio, consisting of Marc Lian, Clarence Liew and Auzaie Zie.
The funny thing is, I know of all three of the members from their past music projects and was so surprised to see my worlds colliding LOL. Gonna talk a little bout that below ↓
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First up is Marc Lian, who produces and plays guitar.
He was the singer of Trick, a hip hop duo together with rapper Richard Jensen.
I used to be really hooked onto their song, Up All Night.
They also did a lot of covers ranging from Taeyang to Taylor Swift. Here's their cover of Flo Rida's Whistle.
The YouTube comments often mention how Marc Lian exudes a Jay Park look and type of singing. Back then I probably didn't know who Jay Park was, and found his singing to be closer to the American punk style.
Trivia but he is now married to Gayle Nerva, another cool Singapore artist whose music I really enjoy! Check out Pretend and Echoes, you will have no regrets. I love them!
The two songs were produced by Marc LOL and back then I didn't know they were together! I was just thinking that this electronic R&B trap style was lit.
Just yesterday, I also discovered Gayle's cute blog. She redesigned her own wedding dress using her mother's wedding dress, awww! She also posted about her apartment and her wedding on her blog.
I think I even remember when he was making music with his gf Louisa Kan. My thought then was: Wow, must be nice to be a boyfriend-girlfriend duo.
Remember the one time he met Jeremy Passion? Yes guys haha I have been watching YouTube for the longest time. I was really into Gabe Bondoc and all the OG YouTube singers so I was quite shook when he got to MEET and SING with one of them.
CLO totally fell off my music radar because he didn't post much? Back then he did loads of acoustic stuff and the move to R&B is PERFECT! His voice is well suited to the genre and his sound is more confident and mature right now.
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Lastly is Auzaie Zie, whom I know mainly from Disco Hue, which is a young, retro-pop quartet. They were honestly a huge fresh breath of air in the scene back then. He is also known as the music producer @thievves_. I think he's the youngest in brb.! I think he plays keys, produces and sings too.
From Disco Hue, I'll Be Waiting was a fun song and with an even more fun Scott Pilgrim style music video. One of my favourite tracks from their latest album "The Yearbook" is "Echoes". It's part of my workout playlist, lmao.
Since there are two producers in brb. and I didn't study their individual production styles too closely, I'm not very certain whose ideas were whose 😂 Which is a good thing I guess, since it means everything came together seamlessly. But if I really had to hazard a guess, maybe his style is more evident in 'do me right' and 'can't tell'? I'm just guessing ok HAHA don't shoot me. I was thinking the trap influences come more from Marc. I don't know. Haha. Side note but I always found Zie to be the most comfortable behind the camera, with great shots and style whether with Disco Hue or brb. Maybe it's something called star quality! XD
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Favourite tracks from relationshit:
(click to listen on spotify)
'cool with it' : I love the flow of the song and the part where he sings 'maybe'
'whoops' really reminds me of Ariana Grande because of all the 'yuh's.
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Yeah so I'm glad all these artists are still around and still making music, and even better, collaborating! brb. is a power trio that I didn't expect but immensely appreciate.
They're also an inspiration to me to keep the passion alive. Do check em out, especially if you're into chill R&B.
What should I ask her to bake next? XD She has her mind set on some Zucchini Brownies which I'm not too sure I want to try... *gulp*
Till next time :)
Skye
Hi my friends!
Recently I've been working on some covers my friends requested a while back. This song is called 说好不哭, originally sung by Jay Chou 周杰伦 and Ashin from Mayday 五月天, and is dedicated to my friend Chanel!
Do you like the guitarist or the bear more? :P
To be really honest I didn't like the song much until I heard the cover done by Tanya Chua. It's sublime, do check it out!
For my own video, the peeps on Instagram voted for 'Rilakkuma' over 'Mermaid', hence the whole bear getup! Haha.
Also played with a video clone, it was my first time really! Didn't make enough space for my guitar though, hence it does not look as seamless as it should. Oh well! I'll try again next time when there's a song that requires many parts :)
I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless!
Also, we finally received great news yesterday that our country will be moving into Phase 2, which is essentially the end of quarantine! I'm so glad! It's time to meet loved ones :')
Sending lots of love,
Skye
This week, I bring to you the 3 YouTube Videos that gave me LIFE! I have been feeling rather listless and maybe bored recently, so these videos really inspired me in some way and I want to share them with you.
1. I Lived On A $5 A Day Budget for A Week In New York City
From this video, I learned that:
The blender and the oven are your best friends.
Oats are very versatile. Eat them, bake them, or blend them to make flour for pancakes or oat milk.
Even with limited ingredients, the possibilities of what you can make seem endless. The kitchen is your playground and you make the rules.
I actually watched an entire YouTube video that spanned 37 minutes!
Lazy food is great food. Pro chefs really just eyeball stuff and anything goes in the kitchen when they're at home. Love that laid-back vibe.
As the days (in the video) went by, I also found that I liked June, the person attempting this challenge. She is charming in a very off-hand manner and I went on to watch more of her videos on the Delish channel. I love that she is a very chill person that doesn't shout over-enthusiastically into the camera even when she's excited.
I aspire to live a life that has little food waste! It's sustainable and not to mention budget friendly. June often repurposed soup or whatever that was left over to make other meals.
2. Building the Perfect Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder
You might have already watched this viral video of a 'ninja obstacle course' for squirrels. This man built a full course in his backyard, luring squirrel contenders in with the promise of a mountain of tasty walnuts. It's a very fun and playful video.
I love his passion in creating something that doesn't have much "use". It is truly something that is for fun. The idea itself is very silly and amusing, and the fact that he so seriously executed the plan made this video an instant hit.
My favourite part of the video was when one of the cheeky squirrels 'took a photo' at the photobooth. Overall it was a really entertaining video that was wholesome and fun!
It's freaking entertaining, y'all.
3. DIYing clothes i already own 🌸 (THRIFT FLIP / upcycle / alter)
This girl @therochellefish has recently been blowing up on my YouTube feed, and grew exponentially from 4k to 10k subscribers in a matter of days.
I absolutely dig her quirky, DIY vibe. Her confidence thrums through her videos - you can tell that she's very comfortable in her skin, and that translates well onscreen. Also, it's so nice to see an Asian creating fun content like this.
After watching this video, I tried to DIY my own clothing too 😭. I already have a pile of clothes I wanted to donate, so I picked out two pieces and started from there.
The first try was cutting up a red shirt so that it would have two ends for me to tie at the waist line.
I used this picture as a reference for my t-shirt.
The result..was a complete wreck but also extremely hilarious. It was too ugly so I didn't take a photo.
The second project was cutting up a $10 dress and creating a fringed tank. It was slightly more successful haha!
I think the new piece is more energetic, what do you think? I should have been more generous in my first snip though, the tank is now more of a crop top after I tied the ends.
She has more fun videos where she shows us her eclectic wardrobe consisting of thrifted, store-bought clothing and even her mother's old lingerie. It's wild.
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After choosing these three videos, I realise that the common thread that runs through them would be the spark of life in them. These videos showed me the wonder and joy of doing things just for fun or the heck of it. I love that. In the day and age of monetisation, hobbies can often be overlooked or forced to become a side hustle. It's really inspiring and wholesome to view content like this.
Well, I hope that these videos brought some cheer to you too! Sometimes there are really many gems you can find in YouTube...if you spend enough time on it for it to recommend something up your alley, haha!
Sending positive vibes your way :)
Love,
Skye
Hey sweeties 🍬!
I gotta share this great find with you. The usual disclaimer: #notsponsored
One quiet night, I simply could not fall asleep no matter how hard I tried. Sighing, I switched on the light and started to scroll endlessly on Instagram.
I came across a pair of very interesting earrings. My heart went aflutter - I have never seen such an interestingly coloured stone.
I clicked in to visit the website. This is really dramatic but I found myself saying "太美了" several times as I browsed through the collections.
Over the past year, I have been seeing a lot of boring, safe styles in jewellery. So to me, Ade.g's designs were exceptionally bold and refreshing. I love the clear concepts behind them and the unapologetic style.
Look at the movement in this piece! Really like art, no? You can't blame me for being excited over this midnight find.
Their designs are thoughtful too! You only need one ear piercing for this cool look. (I don't know the name and collection for this one, the picture is from Instagram Stories)
I like this because the chain that loops to the back lends a bit of swag to the overall design. This comes in three colours.
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The price point of Ade.g's earrings (from $50 to $90) is slightly higher than some popular local jewellery brands, but in my opinion their designs are a clear cut above the rest. Yes, I do love minimalist, dainty jewellery, but I also appreciate a strong design in a statement earring.
Did I buy something? Of course ;) The passion behind crafting these earrings really shines through and I am proud to #supportlocal!
In fact, I was so taken with the designs that I messaged the owner over Instagram to express my appreciation. Haha very fangirl right?
There's nothing much online about the owner of Ade.g, but I wish she would write something about herself and her inspiration for her works. Huge fan! By the way, Ade.g is not a new brand, having been founded in 2005/2012 according to Facebook, but I only recently discovered it.
Hope you enjoy these collections as much as I did! They were really a visual feast and I look forward to more. Which design sparked the most joy in your heart? Comment and let me know ;)
Circuit breaker is over but everything seems unchanged.
Meanwhile, it has been pastries galore over at my house! It is damn near impossible to go on a diet with such tempting treats around...
Here are some surprise deliveries we received from my sister's friends that we enjoyed!
Maison Kayser
A traditional French bakery, Maison Kayser is known for its traditional breads and pastries.
The box of precious Beignets, or little donuts, are filled with Nutella, jam, or plain! We unanimously decided that the Nutella ones were the best.
The Pain Au Chocolat was very satisfying too. I mean, let's just appreciate the beautiful layers for a moment.
✰Yummy Level : 10/10 Highly Recommended! The pastries arrived still warm and toasty! Amazing.
✔Islandwide delivery
Order via: https://maisonerickayser.oddle.me/en_SG
Gram Pancakes
I wanted to try Gram when I was in Japan, but the famed souffle pancakes were usually either sold out, or we were too full to eat a full meal (compulsory order per pax). Was pleasantly surprised to try it in Singapore instead!
The cold dessert souffle pancakes arrived nestled in a pretty box of four. It makes for a nice gift!
My sister enjoyed the Matcha and Chocolate ones most!
Oh My Mochi
May I tempt you with a Nutella filled mochi bread bun? Or how about a mochi-filled brownie? Sounds good eh? I know there are many mochi fans out there... 👀
The mochis in a box are QQ and yummy! Big hit with my mum. If you leave them in the fridge however, the texture becomes terrible, so do eat on the same day if possible.
We love a good chocolate ooze.
My recommend would be the Mochi Brownies! I microwaved mine for 15s for a hot, fudgey texture. The little mochi bits in the brownie was really chewy and the whole concept worked for me.
Overall, it's something different and a fun treat to receive.
Edith Patisserie
We received gorgeous looking brownies and a cheese tart from Edith Patisserie.
I recommend the cheese tart to HUGE cheese fans who prefer a strong cheese flavour profile as compared to the milder, sweeter, tasting cheese tarts from Bake.
The brownies, though gorgeous, are more of the luxurious, dense variety that resembles more of a cake. I prefer simple but sinful fudgey brownies so I was not the biggest fan of these brownies.
That said, I do enjoy their cakes, which come in delicate flavours like Earl Grey Lavender and Lychee Rose. Check em out!
That's all folks! I hope this post helps you out a little, especially if you're trying to figure out what to send to your friends, or if you're planning a special treat for yourself! What was your favourite sweet treat this period? Please share the love with us.
