Thursday 31st January 2008

Sunflowers & Pine-combs

Technically, I should post these in the February month, since that was when the cookies were made. but since I want everything to be together, i'll argue that it still complies to a January blog requirement because the delicious pineapple fillings inside were made in January.

These cookies were done together with Ju, LL, LR, mom, Mariz, LP and Ju's mom. The delicate patterns of the sunflower were painstakings shaped out by Ju's mom. It is definitely a highly-skilled process. We failed miserable in getting the same pattern in our later batches. The pine-combs were tough customers too. They had to be pumped out of a faulty mold, and gently wrapped around the fillings. I took the important job of supervising and criticising everyone who failed to perform admirably. Muah-ha-ha.

Sunday 27th January 2008

Lolli-swirl

Ok, these 'dragon cookies' didn't come out that great. Which was why we didn't hand it to anyone. But it's actually one of my favourite kinda cookie. Light and crumbly.

Thursday 17th January 2008

Crazy Love

This cookie here is made up of a mad jumble of all the stuff people like in a cookie. Cashew nuts, macadamia nuts, chocolate chips, chocolate powder, coffee powder even...

Tuesday 15th January 2008

Happy Chap

Why the name?: Because this is a mix of pistachio and chocolate chip. Pistachio is 'kai-xin guo' in Chinese, which translates to happy in English. And who ain't happy to be a cookie that have chocolate chips in it?

Monday 14th January 2008

Mandarin Tangerine

Usually made with oranges, we put a twist to the recipe by using tangerines instead. Sweet biscuit with small bits of slightly bitter but absolutely delicious tangerine bits. Oh...Y.U.M.M.Y.

Wednesday 12th January 2008

Butterfly Smacks

Welcome to this short edition of Cookies fm Home. The cookies featured above are the wonderful butter cookies made in bite size. Made from wholesome NZ butter, and the ingredients (do u call it dough?) are all stirred with spoon. No machines! Hehe...

Tuesday 1st January 2008

Cancer cure?

Recently, my financial assistant (aka insurance agent) sent me an email. The email was a forwarded mail claiming that a new cure for cancer have been found. Instead of the various dangerous treatments, this new cure is simply to take certain diet (which consists mainly of fish and vegetables) to 'starve' and eventually kill off the cancer cells.

Upon receiving this email, 3 things flashed through my mind. The first was of course the most cynical thought: (Yes, i confess that a very very tiny drop of cynicism exist in perfect me. :P) What is she trying to hint at? That instead of cashing in my insurance money when I get such a terminal disease, I should instead leave her alone and try to cure myself by starving?

The second thought was: Hmm, good to know that the list of food actually included fish (my favourite) and excluded milk (my dislike), since milk is supposedly to cause some stomach mucus which is yummy food for cancer cells.

The third thought was: Let's forward this. After all, most of the food listed is pretty much ur usual fare of health food. Like, would you ever read that extra oily fried chicken and extra salty dishes are good for you? Here is one sincere reply that resulted fm my forwarding:

Hi x0lee0x,

This email is hoax according to this link:
http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/cancerupdate.asp

Also read this link:
http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=26278

Until now there is no treatment for cancer which has not caused harmful side effect. Because, in my opinion, cell cancer is actually only normal cell which somehow got the wrong input signal and grows the wrong way. As we yet has not been able to differentiate cell cancer with normal cell, so the healthy cell would be effected also with the treatment intend to kill the cancer cell. There are some ongoing research ( also in S) which tries to customize the medicine/treatment so that only the bad cell effected. But the result probably can be implemented several years later.

As with the forwarded mail suggesting certain diet requirement, sadly the vitamin/diet that makes normal cell/immune system stronger normally also strengthen the cell cancer as they have similiar trait. Though there is chance that there are some substance that only affected the cell cancer and do not disturbed the normal cell. But we have yet to find proof for this substance.

Regards,
XXXX

Currently reading: Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman (Book 1 of His Dark Materials) - About a child who grew up among scholars in a college, about to set out on a grand adventure. Though she was raised in the college, her playmates were mostly the children in the streets. Pretty nice so far.

Just finished reading: Night Shift & Night Shadow by Nora Roberts - Two love stories in one book. One is about the older sister, a radio jockey at night, and another is about the younger sister, infatuated with a night hero and a businessman at the same time.