Thursday, June 30, 2011

You know you are a True Blue Food Junkie...

... when you "fan" food websites and start subscribing to them.
I'm already subscribing  to allrecipes.com, and my friend, Krisit Bray, introduced this new website to me.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/

It is soooooo cute! I heard about these two  LDS cooks/ writers who won a contest and published their own cookbooks as part of the prize prior to reading Kristi's blog, but I was never interested enough to check them out (since allrecipes.com is really quite amazing enough). But Kristi wrote about making cinnamon bun popcorn (how tempting does that sound!) using one of their recipes, and curious me clicked onto their website and voila! New fan.

Check out their Colorburst Cupcakes or their Single Serving Pie in a Jar-aren't those the cutest idea?! 


Where do people get such creative ideas from??? 
Their recipe index is fan-tabulous as well.

Silver Linings

As much as the rain makes traveling inconvenient, it has definitely made walking much more pleasant. 

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

I AM

SO TIRED!!!

Monday, June 27, 2011

Becoming Jane

My roommate and I recently went on a BBC Romance Classics mini-television series binge, watching 3 of them in a row- Pride and Prejudice (Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy!), North and South (see previous post), and last, Jane Eyre.

This Jane Eyre was rather... gloomy. I like it, but didn't love it. I think it's because the timing of the sequence of events was rather erratic. For example, it went through the childhood and schooling phase way too fast, and as such, there wasn't enough time to fully develop that sense of pathos  for her character before she grows up.  I also wish they developed the characters of the Rivers sisters better, instead of merely concentrating on their brother. A pity. But on the whole, BBC never disappoints and it is still worth watching.

Good thing I'm away at camp now, so I'm taking a hiatus from TV watching. My roommate however, might compile a list of things to watch when I get back. Bwa ha ha ha ha ha!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Who can resist a strong jaw? *Swoon*

This is one of my all-time favorite BBC productions. The cinematography is beautiful, especially the part where she talks about "hell... it is white, snow white." I also love the soundtrack to this mini TV series. Makes me want to read the novel (by Elizabeth Gaskill). 

Vickie and I watched all 4 episodes into the night because it is addicting. There is so much to it- the romance, the industrial revolution, workers vs. mill owners... 

THE PLOT: Margaret Hale is forced to move from the idyllic South to the industrial-driven north when her father quits the clergy. She hates it in the beginning, and has a run in with John Thornton, a rich cotton mill owner with a temper. However, she slowly gets to know the factory workers, who are planning a strike, and her charity towards them conflicts with her growing attraction to their "master" Mr. Thornton (who might not be all he seems to be after all...).

And if you need added incentive to watch this, seriously who can resist Richard Armitage's (he plays John Thornton) strong jaw?!

And again... 

GO WATCH!!!
So perfect and exalted was Christ's love for God's children that He took it upon Himself the penalty for their sins, descending below all things in the Garden of Gethsemane and dying for us on the cross at Golgotha. Yet He never compromised virtue nor tolerated sin in the slightest degree. He treated the woman taken in adultery with love and respect, putting her accusers to shame; nevertheless He said, "Go, and sin more." (John 8:11) The Master abhorred sin... God's love is sometimes described as unconditional. It is true that God loves all of His children on earth no matter how often or how far they may stray. But while God's love is all-encompassing, His blessings are highly conditional, including the very blessing of being able to feel and experience His love. .. when we stray... we, by our choices and actions, have distanced ourselves from His love.

Elder Bruce D. Porter (of the Seventy)
June 2011 Ensign "Defending the Family in a Troubled World"

Friday, June 24, 2011

When You Can't Go to the Food...

Make the food go to you.

Thanks to Mom for sending me sauce packets. I made mee siam yesterday, and ooh la la! I was in food heaven.
Mee siam, sambal chilli, red peppers (courtesy of Fan) and vegetables cooked in mee siam sauce. Yum yum!

Gems from Church History

These made me chuckle

While reading19th century articles about polygamy, I came across this article. In it, new sister converts from Europe were detained and persuaded to "flee" from the Mormons. They were warned about the danger of travelling to Utah, where they would probably be married off to a polygamist, and this is one of their replies:

"Yes," she replied quickly, "and if a man is good enough that six wives will stay with him he isn't going to be bad to one more."

Ha ha ha ha ha! Good point.

The next is from an anti-Mormon account of how Brigham Young manages to convince "his" followers that he was a prophet, despite his "inability" to perform miracles. No other details are given so we don't know the context of the situation. However, this is classic Brigham Young humor:

A certain elder, while chopping wood, had cut his foot so badly that it had to be amputated. As soon as he was able he came to Young and stated his case to him somewhat as follows: "I have always been a good Mormon; I have several wives and a good many children, and in my present maimed condition I do not know how I am to provide for them. I believe truly that you are Christ's representative on earth, and that you have all the power that He had. if you like you work miracles; if you like you can give me a new leg, and now I ask you to do it."


Young assented to all the flattering propositions as they were laid down, and when the elder had finished speaking he said: "I can give you a new leg, and I will, but I want you to think about it a little first. When the day of judgment comes, whenever you are buried, your old leg will find you out and join itself to you, but if if I give you a new one, that will rise with you, too, and the question is whether you would rather suffer the inconvenience of getting along with one leg for a few years here or go through all eternity with three legs."

Singapore News Highlighted in The Post

I subscribe to the Washington Post headlines e-mail, and guess what I found under the "Politics" section? (Keep in mind, they only send the hihglights)

Top Singapore GIC wealth fund executive resigns to run for president 
SINGAPORE — A top executive at wealth fund Government of Singapore Investment Corp. has resigned to run for president of the city-state. 
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP) 


No kidding. Was there a mistake? I was amused, mainly because who honestly cares?! Not even Singaporeans care that much, considering that the president is really more a ceremonial position than anything. The Post didn't even run an article about the recently concluded and hotly contested Singapore elections, and here it was including news about Singapore's upcoming Presidential election in it's highlights?! Wow... real interesting. 


Oh well, Singapore is still "important" enough to garner this much attention from the Associated Press. At least it exposes to the rest of the world how monopolizing the government is (I didn't even know SPH controlled that many publications!). Perhaps PAP might want to try a different tact now. 

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Summer Flowers are in Bloom!

Summer is HOT HOT HOT. But dang, the flowers are gorgeous! And the perfect place to find one of the most gorgeous flower landscapes now is at the temple. The paths are lined with stunning rose bushes, with pockets of yellow flowers.

Here are some pictures I took of the temple grounds, and a few more can be found at
http://myzestylittlelife.shutterfly.com.






My Best Friend's Wedding

SO MUCH FUN BUT SO TIRING TOO. When my wedding comes along, I'm giving my husband an ultimatum: Either cater or no reception in America. I have a feeling that my future husband will actually choose the "no reception" option... base on what my guy friends say.

The Wedding in a Nutshell (version according to Keshia)

Jay got out of the car, and we had to "shoo" him back in (it's bad luck Jay!). Ray (Su's youngest brother) made him answer 12 questions before he would open the door for the poor groom to get out.

Then he had to overcome the Bridesmaids/ 阿姨s Challenge 
The *cough* demure *cough* posse of Bridesmaids
Starting Price: $88,888.
For every challenge he and his groomsmen won, we would knock down one digit.
I have to say I was impressed with Jay's stamina. Here is the long list of challenges he had to overcome. Note that most of the challenges were designed by the bride herself, so don't blame me for all the "torture":
  • Catchphrase- Jay and his groomsmen lost
  • Riddle- After being merciful and giving them a hint, they "solved" it. One digit down.
  • D.D.R.- The groomsmen trounced us! Or at least, Jay's best man trounced me by  80,000 points. And I practiced for an entire week!  Another digit down
  • Pineapple Cutting Contest- Jay lost to Fan
  • Recited Shouted a sign pledging to take care of Su for the rest of eternity (it was more embarrassing than that) through the door. One more digit down
  • Bargaining with the Bridesmaids/阿姨s. It was really funny because the price was $88, but Jay said, "Be merciful, how about $XX?" and named a price higher than $88! *tiong* Sure. Thought that since they are newlyweds shouldn't demand too much, but hey! 
  • Surprise challenge from bride- he and his men had to find her shoes
Tea Ceremony for Su's family. It was very touching, and it was so cute when he youngest brother started tearing up! 

Off to the temple. HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY- the guests were in for a treat because none other than Elder D. Todd Christofferson performed the sealing! It was very special, and the Spirit was very strong during the ceremony. 

Picture taking after the sealing. 
The newlyweds- after a 9 month long engagement, HOORAY!
How cute is that?!
It always awes me
Her gorgeous bouquet consisting of her favorite flowers


 Ashlynn with her Mom. She is adorable! And the other is Lincoln, her brother with his grandfather. Isn't his chubby cheeks just so darn CUUUUUTE?! 


"One day Ashlynn, you too..."
After picking up my license plate from the dealership (my car is official-official now!), we drove back down to  Orem for the reception at the chapel of the Liu's. The caterers did a great job with the decoration and the food. Su's brother, Han, composed a music piece called "Journey" and performed it along with her other brothers and cousin for the wedding. Good job Han!  
Come to think of it, they remind of the jellyfish in Finding Nemo... 
The Wedding Cake!
Then the reception. While the bride and groom entertained at the receiving line, the rest of the wedding party "re-stocked" food and some of us decorated the car. 

Once over, the bride and groom drove off but not before the bridesmaids, ok, I had another "bargaining" with the groom for his car keys. Didn't want to bankrupt them and they were really tired, so it didn't take long. Only a few more dollars each. 

Then...
Most original idea for party favors, and a great hit with the guest. 
Phew! What a day. But so happy for them. HOORAY!


    Wednesday, June 22, 2011

    An Irony of Society: The One Way Street of Tolerance

    You might have heard that the Broadway play The Book of Mormon recently won multiple Emmies despite it's anti-Mormon anti-religion theme (or at least that's what I heard it's about since I have not seen it).

    Just the other day I read in the most recent Ensign an article by Elder Bruce D. Porter (of the Seventy) titled Defending the Family in a Troubled World. I want to share excerpts from the section he called "The Shifting Definition of Tolerance."

    Until recently in our national history, tolerance referred to racial and religious non-discrimination. It meant civility in the political arena; in others words, respecting the right of others to express their views, even if we do not agree with them. It meant treating all people with decency and respect. Such tolerance is an important and vital part of our American heritage.

    Today, however, the world is in danger of abandoning all sense of absolute right or wrong, all morality and virtue, replacing them with an all-encompassing "tolerance" that no longer means what it once meant. An extreme definition of tolerance is now widespread that implicitly or explicitly endorses the right of every person to choose their own morality, even their own "truth," as though morality and truth were matters of personal preferences. This extreme tolerance culminates in a refusal to recognize any fixed standards or draw moral distinctions of any kind. ...

    When tolerance is so inflated out of all proportions, it means the death of virtue, for the essence of morality is to draw close distinctions between right and wrong. ...

    Curiously enough, this new modern tolerance is often a one-way street. Those who practice it expect everyone to tolerate them in anything they say or do, but show no tolerance themselves toward those who express differing viewpoints or defend traditional morality. Indeed, their intolerance is often most barbed toward those of religious conviction. ...

    Even in its original and correct connotation, tolerance is surely a secondary virtue in comparison with the far higher virtue of love. Certainly is is good to be tolerant of those who are different than we are, treating them with kindness and civility. But love, or charity, is the highest of all, and it is far better to genuinely love those with whom we differ.... By defending the traditional family, Latter-day Saints bless all people whether others recognize it or not.

    Imagine my surprise and delight when I came across this article in the New York Times. Really makes people stop and think. And I was even more surprise at the "positive" or at least, civil comments written by people below it. Probably because most of them genuinely have an interest in this topic (this article is specifically in the Religion and Politics Section) and respect most religions already.  

    Dinner Group Disasters... Made Right. Sort-of

    Disaster #1 Almost-Failed Hainanese Chicken Rice

    My dinner group has 12 people, and I wanted to cook this famous Singapore dish. I only had 2 sauce packets left and *erhem* decided to simply increase the amount of rice and chicken in the rice cooker by a third. Unfortunately, it didn't work, and I was left with half-cooked rice and half-raw chicken. Oops! I had to scoop out half of the rice and chicken and cook it over the stove.

    Disaster #2 Almost-Failed Vegetable Curry

    This dish was going well until I tasted it at the end and realized that it was much spicier than I anticipated, which meant that many of my American friends would find it to spicy. Panicking, I added in sugar. Lots and lots of sugar. In fact, too much sugar, and it became too sweet. What did I do? I decided to add in more curry paste, except I ran out of vegetable curry paste, and (my "brilliant" idea) added in Singapore Curry Paste instead. It tasted... not like vegetable curry, but oh well, no one except I would know right? ;)

    (Potential) Disaster #3 Almost-Didn't-Get-Done-On-Time Longan Almond Jelly

    I made only one packet of almond jelly and one can of longan, and then thought I better make another batch just in case. I made my second batch of jelly just 10 minutes before dinner started. I boiled the water, dissolved the powder and poured it into the mold all in record time, then into the FREEZER to harden. Good thing I made another batch though, because the first batch was gone.

    Despite my almost-failures, I'm still a huge dinner group junkie!

    Quote of the Week

    Circumstances have led me to look again at some of the materials we used at a time when I am no longer in the stage of thrilled discovery or searching for role models and freedom within the Mormon tradition. Casting an old, cold eye over the sources, I am surprised to find myself demystifying the pioneers. As I read the documents now, I find many feisty and accomplished women, but I would no longer use words like heroism and sacrifice. I find many women doggedly doing their duty, much wishful thinking about home industry, much effort to rise above difficult situations, and much heavy rhetoric about gentility and refinement. I find women who are strong of necessity, who did what they had to do, rising to the opportunities and challenges that beset them, but women who are very much like their great-granddaughters of today. This is not a master race of foremothers set apart by their nobility; these are our own sisters. In their place, we would have done as well.

    Claudia L. Bushman (NYC, 01 June 1997)
    Mormon Sisters: Women in Early Utah

    May we live up to this expectation.

    Tuesday, June 21, 2011

    to live outside the range of the electric cables was to live an isolated savage.


    the whole world was civilized; the whole world dealt in cities; the whole world was property.


    He had heard now of the moral decay that had followed the collapse of supernatural religion in the minds of ignoble man, the decline of public honor, the ascendancy of wealth. For men who had lost their belief in God had still kept their faith in property, and wealth ruled a venial world.






    These are some of the quotes found in this novel. Rather presciently accurate for a novel written about a hundred years ago about the 21st century, don't you think? I rushed through this book for Book Club, only to find out that we won't be having a meeting till next week, when I'm gone for camp. Oh well. I'm not a fan of science fiction (the last book we did was "I Am Legend" and I gave up after reading the first 50 pages. Couldn't stand it), and so it took a few chapters for me to get "into" it. Even now, when I have about 70 pages left (of the 325 pages), I'm kind of tired of it already. However, it was rather thought-provoking and made me reflect on what direction our society/ world is heading towards.

    So Proud of my Sisters!

    I have not seen my sisters for over three years! Not since I left in August 2009.

    Let me tell you about Abish. Abish recently returned from serving a mission for my church in Oakland California. I loved reading her weekly letters, and they always inspired me. Thinking about her experience makes me recall my own experience. Being on a mission is not easy at all, and that's why knowing that she served and returned honorably makes me proud of her.

    Then there's Myra, who is still a teenager. However, just recently, she wrote in a letter to the Singapore newspaper refuting a reporter's claim that Mormons continue to practice polygamy, and her letter was published! Concise but dead on.

    Ignore the top letter

    Because of the image ratio, etc, you can't click to enlarge it. Here is her letter:

    In Sandra Leong's article, Tough Love (LIfe!, June 14), she wrote: "Though the act of polygamy is outlawed in the United States, some religious communities such as the Mormons in Utah, still practise it."

    I am from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We are known as LDS (Latter-day Saints) or more commonly as Mormons.

    We do not practice polygamy. This has been our law since 1890.

    People who practice it are either non-members or have been excommunicated from the Church. They are not true Mormons or LDS.

    This is not the first time Life! has reported on the TV series Big Love and made similar misguided statements regarding LDS and our supposedly ongoing practice of polygamy. 

    I hope this clarifies our beliefs and that a similar mistake would not be repeated.

    Really proud of both of them, and can't wait to see them in 2 months!