Snacking in the Sunset..

Since recovering from flu virus, I've been trying to catch up with my eating escapades and also satisfying the cravings I had when I was sick. I've also restarting my exercise regime again in the attempt to keep the weight lost during the last couple weeks off. I made plans with P to go for a swim yesterday only to have her bail on me but I decided to go solo anyway. After doing 11 laps in the pool, I got tired and hungry and called it a day.  Still it progress from the previous 6 to 8 laps I've been doing in the pool.  

The bf met me after my swim and was also tired and hungry after his day at work.  Seeing at it was still 5ish and too early for dinner, I convinced him to have a snack from Balmoral Bakery.  Since he has a sweet tooth, I recommended the custard puff to him.  I don't really like custard puffs (or eclairs for that matter) due to the texture of the pastry.  I like my pastry crispy and flaky.  Puffs like that have this soft pastry which makes me feel like I'm eating a soggy puff.  But, the custard puffs from this bakery have the thumbs up from  me (the bf's description was "it's okay", which is why I never bother asking him anything anymore, its usually, "Just eat it, it's good"). The pastry is, again, the soft type but this puff is filled to the brim with custard and even as you use the tongs to pick it up on the tray, it tends to start oozing out and getting everywhere (the bf was not pleased with this and blamed my clumsiness but actually, it was really just brimming with custard, and I wasn't that clumsy). The custard has a nice eggy taste and not too sweet that its overkill and just simply delightful to bite in only to have it ooze all over your mouth and slither down your throat and before you know it, its all gone!

I decided that I was hungry enough for two items, seeing as how I had just exercise (I know I know, the point is to lose weight and stay fit, but I was hungry and not thinking and had also been craving this for weeks, and you do not get between a woman and her cravings...). So I got for myself a samosa and a beef curry puff. MMMmmm... I used to snack on these when I was younger and they've become my comfort food. I have to say, the size and fillings of these pastries have definitely shrank over the years. I mean the samosas used to contain more than a slither of meat and their beef curry puffs used to have less curry paste and more beef. Still, eating them was like a trip down memory lane for me and I savoured every moment, even hesitating to give the bf the bites he wanted (he has a big mouth and his one bite usually equals to several of mine..). The taste was still spot on, despite the decrease in filling, size and meat. The paste for the samosa is not too spicy and the pastry is crispy such that every bite gave you that KRACK KRACK sound like you were eating potato chips. Despite the lack of meat, one thing about the paste is that it reminds you that meat was used to make it. I don't really know how to describe it, but its like it has this meaty salty taste that combines with the vegetables used to make this pulp which you can't really tell what is what individually, but you know it has carrots potatoes onions and meat when it is made. As long as you don't keep this samosa bundled in the plastic bag after buying is so that water can condense and make it soggy, you will be pleasantly surprised with it. Oh and of course, eat this first lah! eat the rest later...

After giving the bf my last bite of samosa, I continued chomping on the beef curry pie. This pie is not too oily that you will feel ill eating this and something else. It is also small and light. Making a great but terribly unhealthy snack. In other words, PERFECT. The curry paste again, is not spicy, just a tinge for flavour and because its also not too spicy, the filling is also not too oily. Not like other curry puffs where you eat half of it and its oozing oil and you start feeling guilty and gross. No, ladies and gents, this pie is small enough for you to finish it fast enough so that no oil shows up and also you don't feel gross after that. Pastry is the layered, flaky sort and the crusty ends are not too thick that you'll feel disappointed or sad when you come to the end of the pie and realise there is not more filling to go with it.

Seriously, this has been one of my favourite bakeries growing up, its really old school in its layout, smells, design. Nothing much has changed in this stall for the last 20 yrs. Even their boxes are still the same cupboard type with a weird castle print on top. They've not changed any of their pastries and not hopped on to any weird fad, except for the pricing, all there rest remains the same. They also do the traditional cakes with retro designs, not cause retro is in the in thing now, but cause they've been doing it for years! I have not had their cake for the longest time, but judging from the many orders they still get, I'm willing to bet that its still as good.

Anyway, if you're in the area and waiting to get a table at the restaurants near by just go by before they close (8pm daily) and treat yourself to some old school pie. You will not regret it.


Balmoral Bakery
105 Clementi St 12
#01-06 Singapore 120105
Tel: 67792064

The curse of the golden mouth

so the bf and I worked up the courage to weigh ourselves over the weekend and after several checks of the weighing machine and our weight, we finally resigned to the fact we had been cursed by the golden mouth. yes, its time to cut back on eating escapades or at least watch the desserts. I think having a decent dessert cafe and ice cream parlor nearby is just really not good for our waistlines. AUGH.

What's really funny is that after our dinner last night, we switched on the telly and caught The Truth About Food by chance. What's more, we caught the slimming episode. I swear it's a sign! Anyway here were some of the tips we got from it.

1. The bigger the container the more of it we’ll eat. So do yourself a favour and downsize rather than supersize.


2. Examine your portion sizes carefully - keep the evidence around until you have finished eating.


3. Increase the amount of protein in your meal without increasing the calories.


4. If you can’t cut down on the calories you are consuming, try a bit of NEAT activity:

1. 15 min moderate walking will burn 52 extra kcal.*


2. 15 min hoovering / dusting will burn 38 extra kcal.*


3. 15 min weeding will burn 52 extra kcal.*


4. 15 min moderate car washing will burn 43 extra kcal.*


5. 15 min recreational cycling will burn 45 extra kcal.*

(* Based on a 40 year old female of 5’5" tall who weighs 12st 7lb and is moderately sedentary).

1. If you think eating slow might benefit you: Time yourself eating a meal and then eat the exact same meal at another time, 50% slower. See if you are more satiated afterwards.


2. Eat soup as a starter to your meal and water down soups and casseroles.


3. If you’ve tried lots of diets and still find it difficult keeping off extra weight you could try writing down everything you eat in a food diary. Remember, everything counts - sometimes we forget how many calories we’ve actually consumed throughout the day and a diary may help.

MMM... it's soup diet time.

Gym Peeves

The thing with having a golden mouth is that dieting becomes almost impossible. I have friends who will say things like “I can’t afford the calories” or go on extreme (and in my opinion, unhealthy) diets such as no carbs etc. I prefer to just sweat it out in my weekly dance class and also at my neighbourhood gym. I also used to go swimming at least once a week, then I got vain and started dyeing my hair and swimming became problematic. I also didnt like swimming on weekends (weekdays were just not possible due to my work schedule) cause the pool would be full of kids on swimming lessons etc.

I really love going to the gym; there’s nothing more encouraging than to see your body progress through the weeks, managing to lift heavier weights, to more reps, and also seeing how much better one’s clothes fitted.

The problem with most gyms is that there are all these annoying idiots who have no clue what they’re doing such as…

The Hoggers
They’ll either be hogging the machines by sitting there “resting”. If you’re resting there for more than a min between your reps, you can jolly well get up and rest somewhere else. In that 5 mins that you were sitting there, I could have gotten some exercise. Or even better, there are those that hog the machines by leaving their towels on the machine and then going off god knows where but the moment you get near the machine, they’ll come tell you they’re using it. It’s really as bad as using tissue packets to reserve seats in food areas.

The Grunters
You can hear this group before you see them. Seriously, they’ll sound like they’re giving birth or something. And here’s the thing, if its too heavy for you, get a lighter weight. I can understand if you do it sometimes, but if you’re grunting through all the reps, its obviously too heavy for you.

The Mr WRONGs
they’ll be using the machines wrongly, having too heavy a weight, grunting AND also, they’re posture is all wrong, and they’re working the wrong muscle group with that machine. These are also likely to have many many accesories on them, such as a gym belt, gloves etc. The most impt thing is to make sure you’re using the weights properly, not how many accessories you have. Use the weight wrongly, and you’re likely to injure and do yourself more harm then good.

The gym bunnies
They come in and do nothing but run on the threadmill / exercycle. I’m all for using these machines, but I think for one to get a good work out, you need to use weights as well as cardio. And also, these are the same group who will hog the cardio machines for an hour if you let them.

I’ve also noticed that most people do not warm up or warm down. An other thing I really don’t get. I think both are key to ensuring your body does not injure itself while working out.

Hmm.. anyway, I need to go get ready for another eating escapade.