An alternative to the somewhat tedious smoothie bowl will be a yogurt bowl. It requires less cleaning but equal satisfaction. The main ingredient is a yogurt of your choice. My all time favourite is the Thick and Creamy from Diary Farmers. Due to its sugar percentage, it is definitely not as healthy as original greek yogurt but I am still trying to get used to the sourness of greek yogurt. My sweet tooth still cannot handle it. You see, it's the little changes that makes the journey exciting. For instance, switching from fresh milk to almond milk. So, do not rush yourself, enjoy the process. Then the other ingredients added into the bowl will be your favourite fruits, superfood and crunch (cereal/granola). I love adding cereal as it brings added texture to the mix. I like it when I have something to munch on. My cereal choice is the Nestle Fitnesse chocolate which is wholegrain, contains fibre and satisfies my chocolate addiction. It is definitely very yummy, some what healthy and satisfies my stomach.
This whole journey started when I was experiencing some sort of quarter life crisis with the direction I am heading in life and body image. All this while I knew a person's physical appearance relied heavily on 80% food intake and 20% exercise. But how long can one lazy and stubborn person, like me, keep up with all the eat clean plans and what not that can be found readily on the internet? To be honest, it only lasted a week. I went back to old habits and nothing changed. That's when I stumbled upon Ella and Niomi Smart, who both changed their diet to plant based and saw significant changes to their body, both physically and mentally. As I follow their story on instagram and YouTube respectively, I got motivated to do the same. I mean, if someone who is about the same age as me despite living half way across the whole can do it, why can't I? However being a stubborn bull, I did not want to bid farewell to my red meats just yet. I limit myself to them and severely cut down my intake of soft drinks and substitute them with water. It can get tricky sometimes when you crave for an iced cold sweet drink on a hot and humid day. Having a sweet tooth, trust me, I know. To solve that problem, I turn to eating fruits and drinking smoothies/juices. Fruits are a natural sweetener with many other health benefits so it's a win win for your sweet tooth and body. Obviously there are times I rebel but having a chocolate cube every alternate day is fine, just not the whole bar. So, I have here with me my all time favourite home-made Acai smoothie bowl. There are a ton of different recipes online but I learnt mine from here. After discovering it, I have been living by it! Here's some reasons why: Easy to make - You do not need any skills to make it. You just need a blender, your favourite fruits, acai pack, superfood (optional) and water. Don't bother getting a Nutribullet because a cheapo Taiwanese brand (like the one I'm using) can do the job. The fruits I usually use are frozen banana, kiwis, cherries and mixed berries. They are mostly high in fibre and antioxidants (to flush out body toxins) and really good for the eyes (especially helpful if you use the computer 24/7). I buy the acai pack from Project Acai, in Holland Village. It's definitely a lot cheaper to buy them and make a bowl at home rather than spending close to $13 for a large acai bowl. The reason why I put acai in my smoothie is it has many health benefits like controlling cholesterol and reducing signs of aging. Sometimes I will add a dash of chia seeds, a nutritional powerhouse, into the mix. This website tells you in detail the benefits of chia seeds. Fills you up easily - A bowl, as seen in the picture, can fill me up till lunch time. It gives me energy to start the day right and I do not crave for snacks. Wallet friendly - Like I said earlier, buying a smoothie bowl/drink can easily cost more than $10. Making one only takes up 10 minutes of your morning to prepare, blend and clean and will definitely cost less than $10. Everyone's road to a better self and self satisfaction is different. It took me many tries to stay on track and keep pushing. I hope by documenting this journey, I will be able to carry on and not give up.
In light of creating more content and honing my creativity skills, I have decided to start on a project called 'Weekend Madness". Basically, it's me recording the fun moments I have during the weekends with my love ones. Not only will it allow me to do more and spend time with my friends and family, it will also allow me to record beautiful memories for my future 40 year old self.
This all started last week when one of my close friends decided to invite my group of friends to a staycation at MBS, one of Singapore's prestigious hotel. It was not possible to decline such a sweet deal and the company of my friends. Party mood was on baby! We had sinful midnight snacks (Rocher tau huay!!!) while playing mind boggling card games that could potentially wreck the friendship and laughing hysterically at one another. The night could not get any better when our tired souls got the better of us. The next day was a relax and rewind day by the infinity pool (the famous roof top pool that overlooks the Singapore skyline). If you are ever staying in MBS, you have to go up to the 57th floor as it is not open to public. The view of Singapore is incredible and picturesque! I am lucky to call her my home. Also, thank you to my dearest friend for the invite!
Sunday, being Mother's day, I had a mini gathering with my relatives at Two Bakers cafe. There isn't any pictures of the food we ate (it was a little awkward when relatives are looking) but I did feature the Crabmeat Vongole Linguine in my vlog. That dish is superb, definitely recommended! One of Two Bakers' selling point is their pastries, made by Le Cordon Bleu graduates. Considering we had so many people, I tried almost every single pastry on display. My favourites were key lime tart, passionfruit tart and le chocolate noir (rich burst of chocolate goodness). It was a refreshing break from the mundane week of endless work! And I am sure there will be more to come! I am determine to find interesting things to do in this small island.
Can I just say how excited I am when I found a decent cafe in the west! Being a west-sider most of my life, I am always jealous of how most cafes flock to the north and east but never the west. This definitely resulted in me having to travel a distance for good food and a place to chill. That's not the case anymore! With the growing development in the Jurong East area, high speed rail, second business district and what not, more and more people are looking to be a part of this increasing hype. Only 20 weeks old, Flock Cafe opened their second outlet at Ghim Moh, 5 minutes walk from Bouna Vista station. Being the first cafe around the area, potentially monopolizing the area, it's able to attract adults working nearby, students from Singapore Polytechnic and many excited west siders. My first impression of the cafe is its modern and minimalist design concept and the huge glass panel that fills the communal space with warm summer light. My friend and I were also greeted by the friendly staff. It's very inviting. The black and white contrast between the chalk board menu and the walls was a creative touch to the place. What an innovative way of displaying the menu, avoiding clutter on the tables and counter top. The brightly lit space is suitable for people trying to get work done but you may have a problem finding powerpoints. Food wise, we ordered Pork Cheek Rigatoni and beer battered fish & chips. It was a hit and a miss respectively. I would definitely return for another plate of rigatoni anytime! The pork was tender and flavourful while the pasta was cooked within the right time. However, despite its beautiful plating, the fish and chips dish was lacking in flavour and the fish was a little raw for my liking. I prefer my fish to be well done. Coffee beans are from Liberty Coffee so you can expect a good quality cup of coffee. Overall, I had a good catch up with my friend over lunch. The experience would have been better if we ordered something else other than the beer battered fish and chips. You can find Flock Cafe at Blk 21 Ghim Moh Road #01-213 S(270021).
More popularly known for its renown university, Exeter is a city about 4 hours away from London. As mentioned, people from all areas come to Exeter to attend one of UK's top 10 universities, University of Exeter. Therefore it is a city mostly populated with students/young adults. Fun fact; JK Rowling is an alumni of University of Exeter and the architecture of Exeter helped inspire the Harry Potter story.
I visited a few days before Easter break so I mostly saw students with huge luggage getting all excited to head home for their 1 month break. That said, I was able to explore this urban-meets-countryside city with minimal human obstruction. Also, my "living like a local" experience officially starts here as I got to experience shopping at local brands like Primark, Boots and Waitrose. You have no idea how long I have waited for this day to come, after continuously watching those British YouTubers' vlogs for almost a year. I was in mini heaven. Obviously, the company of an old friend, whom I have not seen for almost a year, was also a huge bonus. What I did: University of Exeter - As the main purpose of visiting Exeter was to reunite with my dear friend, naturally, I joined her for a day of school. I assumed to be surrounded by red brick buildings and historic architecture but to my surprise, the school is quite new and modern. Moreover the Streatham Campus, where the business faculty is located at, had lush greenery surrounding the school's perimeter. It's simply gorgeous. It's no wonder this campus is described as the "best-gardened campus in Britain". My friend sure did take advantage of this luxury to wander off into the wilderness as she managed to find a secret hangout spot on the far end of campus. This secluded area was breath-taking. A bed of fluffy white clouds filled the endless blue sky as we overlook into the horizon. It was definitely an amazing spot for us old friends to chat up and have breakfast while enjoying a surreal view of Exeter. Funny story; we were so caught up in taking pictures that my friend's sandwich was blown away by the strong wind and a dog that was passing by ate it! Tragic...
I also visited the St Luke's Campus which housed the sports and sciences faculties. This campus has a more rustic feel to it. I felt like I was walking into a castle. The campus has a huge field in the middle. I can totally imagine groups of students chilling during summer time. I just love how luxurious and spacious the campuses are.
Dart's Farm - A local farmer's market that sells locally grown, reared, baked and cooked products. Almost everything seen in the market place are exclusive to Devon. It was heart warming to know that this family run business still strives to keep this place as localized as possible, only serving the best quality. It was hard to resist the home-baked products sitting beautifully on the counter so my friend and I had quiche and a bowl of soup for brunch. As pretty as they look, they taste amazing too. It had a crispy buttery crust with flavourful fillings. The salmon in my quiche was spot on. After the hearty meal, shopping for local products was in order. If I had to choose one item to recommend, I highly highly highly recommend the Portlebay popcorn. Not only are the flavours unique; Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup, Chilli & Lime and Cinnamon Swirl, they are only hand popped in Devon which means they can only be found in the Devon area and are hard to find in other parts of England. It was non-stop eating after the first handful of popcorn, to the point where all five fingers were licked clean when the bag was destroyed! #sorrynotsorry
Waitrose - Waitrose is one of the upmarket supermarkets in England. It offers more interesting options as compared to the others, Tesco. I went straight into grocery heaven when I was in there. European supermarkets are just so different from Asian ones. There are cut fruits and microwaveable food readily available for purchase. It's so convenient. Thankfully I do not live there or else I would spend a fortune every time I grocery shop. What I did purchase was a dessert recommendation from Alfie and Zoella, salted caramel & chocolate pot from Pots & Co. It's basically a ready-made dessert pot that has a reusable ceramic bowl. The presentation is what you would find at a restaurant but I only paid 2 pounds for one pot. The dessert was too sweet for my liking but at least I got to keep that pretty pot. I would say it is very convenient for parties as it can be bought off the shelves. Other than that, I will refrain from it to avoid diabetes.
Boots - It is equivalent to our Guardian/Watsons but bigger and better. They sell almost everything under the sun; from beauty to skincare to electronics. I love that they offer travel size toiletries which Guardian/Watsons lack. It is so much more convenient when packing for a trip. A purchase recommendation from Boots will have to be their disposable film camera. It is super affordable and developing of film can be done instantly. That purchase definitely sparked my interest for film photography. City Centre - It is a street filled with brands like Urban Outfitters, John Lewis, Jack Wills, Whittard, Waterstone and so much more. It is definitely a shopaholic heaven and a one stop place to get gifts for love ones. Where I ate: Georgian TeaRoom - When in England, one can never miss the experience of a traditional afternoon tea. It is definitely a must-do-thing when in England. I was lucky enough to experience it in an original tea room that serves probably the best scones in UK. The reviews on TripAdvisor can vouch for that. Even scones in London cannot be compared to this. This tea room can be said to be one of the oldest running bed & breakfast place in Devon. The owners are at a ripe old age of 76 and, unfortunately, are looking to retire. So if you are around the area, take time off to visit this place for their scones before they close for good. Their address is 35, High Street, Topsham, Exeter Devon, EX3 0ED, UK.
The quaint tea room is furnished with simple dark wooden furniture paired with floral table cloths. The room was filled with posed and sophisticated elders catching up with dear friends as the fireplace filled the room with warmth. It was as though I stepped back into the Georgian era. It did not take long for the food to arrive. The golden brown scones paired with homemade jam were presented on beautiful floral hardware. Everything was pleasing to the eye. Best eaten warm, I wasted no time and had my first bite. There was fireworks in my mouth! The crisp-like shell with moist and buttery interior accompanied by the raspberry jam was a party in my mouth. I loved the consistency of the scone and the jam complemented it. Their house tea was equally good. I can assure you I've never tasted anything like that in Singapore. Scones in Singapore are always either too hard that it becomes a cookie or not too buttery to be a scone. As the saying goes, the older the better and the more experienced. You cannot miss this place!
I said it before; as long as one can satisfy my stomach, he/she/it will win my heart. Exeter managed to do that in so many ways. From not knowing what to expect to missing all the amazing food, scenery and company, I will return to Exeter in a heartbeat.
