Little Pixie Vomitted!!

The poor girl suddenly went silent in her playpen - which had just turned into a sty! She looked like she had never seen so much vomit before, and didn't know what she was supposed to do. She got immobilised!

Urban Insects

I loved ladybirds when I was a kid. Now they don't seem to fly around anymore - so here's my urban version.

What a relic!!!

Can you believe that my ex-job still uses such things!?!?!? (In case you don't realise, this is 'liquid paper'.

Pixie Hotcakes

This turned out very nice! It's egg-free and milk-free.
Lesson Learnt: It was dense because I flipped more than once.

This is my favourite section

I'm a civil service cynic, as all my friends know. This is just one more example!

Nov 21, 2006
Mobile food vendors: Five lessons to learn about entrepreneurship

I refer to the articles "Wanted in public service: Guts, gumption and risk-taking" (ST, Nov 17), "End of the road in sight for food vans" (ST, Nov 1), and Kelvin Hong Kian Boon's letter "How public service can further help businesses" (ST, Nov 17).
As food vans were one of the most highly profiled entrepreneurial ideas in the media, we need to analyse why they have failed so that we can learn from the experience in our drive to encourage Singaporeans to be entrepreneurs.
If I may be allowed to analyse from a layman's perspective:-
Lesson No.1: The key to entrepreneurial success, however brilliant the idea may be, is the freedom to operate with minimal intervention from the authorities. In this case, the Urban Renewal Authority decided where and when they could operate.
Lesson No.2:- Market forces are the best way for an enterprise to flourish. In this case, the URA said it would review the situation before the lease runs out, which means the total absence of market forces of demand and supply.
Lesson No.3: What works in other countries may not work in Singapore because of the unique factor in Singapore, that a government agency makes arbitrary decisions on geographical restrictions like "only at selected car parks in central Singapore", without saying why and how it arrived at this decision. Why only allow them to operate in central Singapore?
Lesson No.4: There must be someone continually driving, encouraging and helping the entrepreneurship initiative. Why is it that we no longer have a Minister for Entrepreneurship?
Lesson No.5: Entrepreneurship is about trying, failing, adapting, and keep trying, so that some will succeed, while some may fail. It should not be for the URA to decide that "there are no plans to open up more of its car parks to food vans".
Since the URA had not called for more entrepreneurial Singaporeans in the last three years, it seems the first 33 vendors were given one chance to succeed or fail. Without the entrance of new players, no entrepreneurial activity is likely to grow because there are no new ideas, talent, developments, etc.
With the lowering of the age limit to eighteen years to own a business and promote entrepreneurship, I suggest that the lessons learned be a guide to government agencies on what not to do when trying to foster entrepreneurship in Singapore.
Leong Sze Hian

I scalded a lizard!

It was there in the shower screen. No use screaming - I was home alone with Little Pixie! I took the shower head, turned on full heat, and blasted away. It didn't die. Went into the drainage.

I started showering, relieved. Moments later - AAAAAAHHHHHH! It was still there!!! I stepped out of the shower screen, showered it full heat, drowned it in cheap shampoo until the tail stopped wriggling, its head halfway down the drainage. The carcass is still there. Waiting for the weekly cleaner....

EEEEWWWW......

Pixie Pasta TV Dinner

Frozen for our convenience

Vinegar Craze

This is a Gallon-Sized bottle of vinegar next to the Pixie Farm creatures. We use it to denature pesticides in veges and to mop the floor.

Civil Service Club - eeeww...

What a bad experience. I made a reservation for Airport's birthday for Dim Sum. We all turned up ravenous at 11am, having starved for 12 hrs, and they told us they had no Dim Sum that day. The waiters couldn't agree on the reason. One said they were too busy with wedding orders. Another said 'the steamboat is spoilt'.

Food Additives

Look at the ingredients! I'm anti-soy. These are all pseudonyms for soy: Enriched High Protein Flour, Permitted 'emulsifiers'. Urgh!

Homemade Char Siew

This is a cool recipe - it uses no oil - just soy sauce, sugar and salt. I freeze it for quick lunches.

Simplicity through the Senses

Lousy Fleecing Session
Cost : Too embarrassed to mention

Home Spa
Cost : $0.80 leftover inedible cucumber

Cosmo's Trial Lunch

Cosmo's 9-course lunch was really cool! EVERY single item was good! Even the mustard greens tasted good! If you have eaten mustard green or tried raw mustard green juice like I have, you will know what I mean.

Cosmo's Money = Good Food

Cosmo's Hair Loss

At this rate, she should seek out Beijing 101 or Yunnan in HK.

The Greying of the Gnome

From Great to Gaunt
The Gnome used to be great. A giant. Now, he is grey. And gaunt.

He worked so hard all his life. Chasing the 'Dream'. A golden retirement, the time and space to spend all his time on house-improvement projects, enjoy his grandkids. He never indulged, or rested, or took time to be. Like most people, he was working for the 'future'.

The future is now. Now he has the time and space. But not the means. Immobility has shattered the 'Dream'.

It's a wake-up call for me. I was always living for the future. I refused to enjoy the present. I was miserable. I thought that once I got 'there', I would be happy.

My future is now. This is my journey, this is my goal. To live, to love, and to laugh.

This is the real McCoy

You know how 'almond-flavoured' drinks, soups, desserts taste? Well, guess what? The taste and smell is all fake! Real almond does NOT taste or smell like that, it's all sugar and funny chemicals made to make you think you are eating almond.
This fancy milk is made from blending 1/2 cup almonds with 2 cups water. This is THE REAL THING because the almonds are

• organic
• raw
• soaked overnight to encourage sprouting
• de-skinned because the skin might upset sensitive digestive systems

THIS DOES NOT TASTE LIKE COMMERCIAL ALMOND-FLAVOURED STUFF.

Cheap Fish!

A kingly cheap meal! The fish costs only $1.30 (Song Fish) and veges $0.65.

Oven Fried Chicken

This is a really great recipe! Courtesy of Hillbilly Housewife

Mix (Please refer to the website for the full, unabridged recipe)
1/3 to 1/2 cup flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika (I added chilli powder in addition and Tin Hang Zai said not spicy enough)
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning (optional) (I didn't have this)
1/4 cup margarine (I used butter but Tin Hang Zai said he didn't fancy so much butter)

Coat chicken pieces and arrange in baking tray. Lay a bit of margarine on top of each chicken piece. This is the 'secret'. Each piece of chicken gets it's own bit of margarine on top. Using this method the chicken is always tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. It works really well. (Mine didn't turn out so tender inside)

Now bake the chicken at 400°F for about 45 minutes to an hour. (I did this, but perhaps a 375°F and bake for 30-40 minutes might have resulted in less 'heaty' chicken.)

Note: This will NOT taste like KFC.

The Pixie Chicken Buddy Meal
$4.50 (450g chicken)
$0.20 (Bee Hoon for 2 persons)
$0.65 (Choy Sum)
Total Cost - $5.35