It's Sunday again! This week was busy as usual. So much I want to blog about but so little time.

If only I spent 15 minutes to prepare an entire blog post, that would be great! JOY.

But no, I take more time that that as I not only edit ALL the photographs to perfection, I also write the article with conviction and ensure in-depth detail.

I really do, and it takes a hell lot of time! Grrr.

But sometimes I wished I didn't. Le sigh!

I think you can tell by now (after 7 years!) that I'm not the sort of blogger who posts up a few photos and several sentences and call it a blog post.

Since when has blogging ever comprised copy-pasted facts and a stock image?

Quality control has always been the key! 

But I do realize I must stop this "perfectionist" attitude from hindering my efficiency & timeliness

It may be my strength, but it can also be my weakness! 

So I just drew up a near-impossible schedule this morning to make the rest of my December even busier.

It's a challenge.

Far-fetched or not, I gave myself incredibly tigjt deadlines to meet everyday in order to clear off all my back log of 30 blog posts!  I can, I must!

In the meantime, my kitty can keep me company all curled up on my lap

while I slave away on the keyboards 

Have you noticed that we are more inclined to be productive and things actually do get done if there is a target, a goal or a dream ahead of us?

If there's none, well, instead of procrastinating, set yourself those deadlines to push yourself!

It's the same principle I apply for my gym workout routines.

If I get complacent, I'll stop taking it seriously and then there will be no point, no drive, no motivation anymore

Moral of the story? If there is no push, there will be no results 

Anyway, here's what I've been up to this week.

Attended the launch of NIVEA's Pure & Natural range at Delicious! Even Kate Middleton uses them

So glad to bump into Nadia, it's been a while  She was the MC for the afternoon too

*full blog post soon!*

Thursday night being serenaded by Vince Chong during the Merry Guinness christmas dinner

at Dirty Nelly's @ Life Centre by Guinness Malaysia

*full blog post will be published on Christmas day!*

My Friday coordinate comprised earthy and neutral shades!

Jessicat wears : Corduroy cropped jacket in brown by Voir | White Paris graphic tank top by TopShop |

Grey denims by TopShop | Metal feather necklace a gift from Konzy |

Buckled leather heels in brown by Pedro | Armbag in white by Seed

Attended the launch of the iPhone 5 in Malaysia on Friday morning

Made lunch! Organic Durum Wholewheat Spaghetti with Haricot Beans, Mushrooms

and lots of freshly chopped garlic, onions & oregano 

Grabbed some dessert at one of my favorite places – Circus KL @ Pavilion KL

Had a Lez 3 Chocolat (it's a special… off the menu!) Thanks Ralph!  It was delicious

Noms & chilltimes with Ralph, Louise & Konzy. Love yall! 

Chilling at The Pressroom Bistro @ Pavilion KL

Konzy had something called Fancy Sencha Tea while I had Bellagio Hot Chocolate

I loved my Hot Chocolate by Bellagio! None of that watered down crap or typical Cadbury sachets

This was rich, thick and the aroma was amazing  The Fancy Sencha Tea? Well, it was good but we didn't find anything too fancy about it… as its name suggested 

Had a lunchdate with Konzy at Teppanyaki Express @ Food Republic, Pavilion KL

He had a Sliced Lamb set (bottom left) with Squids for the sides

while I had Salmon Fish set (top left) with Mushrooms

I've never had teppanyaki made right in front of me with an iron griddle by our own designated chef!

Both our sets came with rice, clear raddish soup, beansprouts and green leafy vegetables 

I loved it. T'was a new experience & a hearty meal! Thanks Konzy  Definitely recommended 

Had a healthy lunch yesterday at O'Briens Irish Sandwich Bar @ The Curve!

I've recommended this joint before in previous editions of The Sunday Times.

Konzy had his usual fave Big Club Sandwich (above) while I tried something new today, the Chicken Slice, Swiss & Guacamole (below). This is one of our choices if we're feeling healthy!

Here's my current song of the week by the way 

Do take a listen to my current fave dubstep track that's been on loop on my iPod all week!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vLFnx2udp0

Might wanna check 'em out 

Before I go, I have some good news to share. I will be roadtripping and making my final drive to Penang with my trusty ol' white Kelisa to make the switch this Wednesday.

Switch? Yes, the switch to my brand new dream car.

It arrived my home in Penang last week and I'm coming for it! 

If you're following me on Twitter, you would already know what ride it will be.

A bright red 1.6CC Ford Fiesta Hatchback Sports Edition that cost a whopping RM86K!

Probably not expensive for some of you rich kids on the block but it is, to me 

Looks like I'll be eating bread and water every month when its time for me to pay the installments haha.

Oh and, I've also paid off all my credit card debts of 2012!

I'm now debt free because I'd hate to carry any debts over to another year. Woohoooooo!

This is how my bank account looks now. Depleted 

Hang in there! I'll work even harder and be more prudent to get you fat and healthy again!

So if you owe anyone anything to anyone, make sure you pay them all off before the new year! 

Wouldn't you rather start your 2013 clean? You have two weeks… The clock is ticking.

On that note, always be prudent and have a lovely week ahead, dearest readers! 

Much love,

Jessicat

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The Sunday Times is a weekly series; published every Sunday night to recap the highlights of my week, capture what piques my interest and to briefly highlight my recommendations for to-go and to-eat places!

Some of the photos in this edition are posted instantly on my Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr & Facebook

Do follow to get instant updates and pretty photos of the sights & sounds all around me!

Speed blogging from Ipoh right now as we speak.

So I drove back to Ipoh – in the goddamned rain! – last night to attend an event right after an event in the city. 

ELEVATE hits downtown Ipoh @ Sensation of Sound (S.O.S)!

*Full blogpost coming soon*

Talk about a back-to-back schedule on a Saturday! Geez. But it was all worth it.

Coming back to the place I spent half my childhood in is always something to look forward to 

Heck, it's practically my first time partying/clubbing in Ipoh! 

Was taken to supper after the party! I shall eat what the Ipoh-peeps eat 

Popular for their Bak Chiok (baby octopus) & Yuet Gong Hor (Raw Egg "Moon" Koay Teow noodles), Restoran Tuck Kee along Jalan Yau Tet Shin is the place to go.

We also had Braised Chicken Feet – I didn't eat it but the others did! – , Herbal Boiled Eggs & Pork Balls

People patronize them during dinner and it's also the to-go place for "after-clubbing" hours.

Coming back to the comforts of home means being spoiled by comfort food as well.

A gift from granny. Kieldsens' original Dannish butter cookies! 

Discovered excellent news that made the raver in me jump for joy!

The legendary God of Trance music, Armin Van Buuren will be making his way to Sepang, Malaysia for A State of Trance (ASOT) 600!

Mark your calendars fellow EDM-kakis, for March next year will be so fun!

Cuddles & playtimes with my babyChivas 

He's the best cat in the world, my one & only –  I love him to bits! 

If you can ever read this, lil one, mommy loves you a whole lot

So what else did I do earlier in the week? Let's see..

Woke up early to have quite an elaborate breakfast Tuesdate with boyfieKon

at La Bodega @ Bangsar Shopping Centre

I fully recommend the Club Sandwich, Big Breakfast and Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon on Toast.

It was sucha hearty breakfast and much chattering over coffee & hot chocolate. 

Tues outfit of the day! Casual with an edgy hint on a day out 

Fri outfit of the day! Played it girly with a childlike, Japanese touch. Matched my iPhone with my outfit too!

Oktoberfest with the buddies! 

Drink up on a Friday night to kickstart the weekend 

Made Organic Wholewheat Durum Spaghetti with Roast Chicken,

Button Mushrooms, Chopped Basil & Asparagus for dinner

Breakfast like a king! Had O'Briens Irish Sandwich Bar @ The Curve

The Big Club Sandwich & Classic Triple Decker Sandwich were real winners! 

Brunch! Fruit & veggie platter of mangos, watermelon chunks and celery

Dinnertime. My fave mix of oven-roasted Zucchini, Baby Potatoes, Australian Carrots, Pumpkin,

Shallots, Garlic and a generous amount of Rosemary & Black Peppercorn seeds

Dinner again! Organic Wholewheat Durum Pasta Carbonara with Broccoli,

Button Mushrooms, diced Carrots with lots of onions! 

Replaced cream with a healthier alternative – a nice blend of low-fat yoghurt, egg-whites & milk.

And when I do decide to eat out, Japanese food has always been at the top of my list.

Check out the Grilled Gindara Codfish in Teriyaki Sauce I had at Sushi Zanmai @ The Curve

Another one of my all time favorites – the Caterpillar Maki Roll, also from Sushi Zanmai 

Can't ever say no to Grilled Unagi (eel), Omelette & Avocado 

Imma let you in on a little secret 

You know how I always share the healthy, clean food that I either homecook or when I eat out, right?

Truth is, that's as close as I can actually get to my ideal diet.

A whole lot of my sweet-tooth snacking, overindulging & unhealthy food enters my system too. 

Hey, I'm only human – just like you.

But the very moment I've set my mind to propagating health & fitness, by inculcating this idea and motivating all of you, I have to first set an example. 

One always have to practise what one preaches, right? 

And I'm glad I've managed to drive this point home, from the feedbacks I've received and by mere observation. I see more and more healthy eating & an obvious increase of a fitter lifestyle in all of you.

So proud of ya'll! 

My favorite bowl of Mac & Cheese. Just one of the many sins I indulge in. Don't we all?

I hope this doesn't demotivate you, but rather motivate you even further with the truth.

So don't be discouraged or think you've failed and have to start all over again, whenever you succumb to that burger, pizza, chocolates or nasi lemak – I do too. 

The moment you make an attempt, you're one step closer to your idea lifestyle, ya hear me? 

Oh and yes, some good news to share!

I've been invited to a fully-sponsored trip to Cambodia to attend BlogFest Asia 2012 held in Siam Reap! 

Simply cannot wait – Angkor Wat, here I come! 

Before I go, as usual, a song of the week for your listening pleasure 

Got this one stuck in my head since last Friday at David Guetta's rave party . 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8aaR6jo4VA

The lyrics. Just six sentences, but means so much. Just… yeah. 

Have also been plagued by an alarming, inexplicable occurrence in the household that is seemingly responsible for my missing belongings and finding those said missing belongings in the possession of others 

There is a fine line between having absolute trust in someone and

having to believe in the supernatural. I can only choose one. 

No matter. Whatever it is, I'll have it dealt with. SMILE! That's all for this week's wrap-up.

Have a lovely seven days ahead of you!  I will too.

Sleep well, ladies and gents. Let your dreams take flight *yawns*

Much love,

Jessicat

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

The Sunday Times is a new once-a-week series; a personal piece published every Sunday night to recap the highlights of my week, capture what piques my interest and to share recommendations for to-go places and to-eats throughout the week.

Check out the entire series here : The Sunday Times edition.

Some of the photos are posted instantly on my Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr & Facebook on the go.

So follow me to get instant updates and pretty photos of the sights & sounds all around!

Whilst I was still in Aussie, I remember making one fine trip up to the city to meet up a friend.

A friend that I knew since college days in Penang. Alexis and I were feeling Italian that afternoon.

But she was occupied earlier, so I spent sometime in Spiga on the comfy couch by myself while waiting

Had my fave iced chocolate drink to accompany me while I blog

The plans changed and instead of meeting up in Melbourne Central, we decided to head up to Lygon Street.

That's where Italian food comes in abundance! Best part was, she lives just across the road from there.

So off I went to visit her. Yes, I walked all the way to her house.

Couldn't be bothered to catch a tram (I never buy Metcards!) and I love walking so that explains it 🙂

Walked past the State Library of Victoria so I had to grab a picture!

Had a random stranger take it for me 😛 Thank God he didn't run away with my camera LOL

If he does, I'll karate chop him to ham slices 

A very impressive library! Don't know why all the students love sitting on the grass studying in the sun

Prolly because it's always chilly everywhere.

Hung out at Alexis' house for a bit and then off we went for dindins!

Lygon Street by day

Lygon Street by night

We were there for quite a bit!

Heaps and heaps to catch up and talk about :)

We decided on Toto's Pizza House with her recommendation!

Alexis and I when our pizza arrived!

Oh and about the man? I'll tell you later 😉

We shared Chicken Carbonara Fettucine with Avocados

and a medium sized pizza! (I forgot what flavour/toppings)

The pizza looked delicious… appetizing indeed!

Some greedy snapshots of me busy nomming the pizza!

Yikes! The cheese was so springy . Best while it's still hot!

Okay, I'll tell you about that man now.

We finished dinner chitchatting and when we were just about to adjourn, he tapped me on the shoulder and said :

Nice to know you girls are from Malaysia. I've visited Malaysia once and it was beautiful

I'm going there to visit again I love the food there… I know KL, your capital city….

you're both Chinese Malaysian, then you should be able to speak Hokkien,

since you both are from Penang, 

you also have three main races… *continues rambling on

 

 

And he continued "responding" to whatever Alexis and I's were speaking of in our earlier conversation.

Good grief. Looks like he was listening to us all the while! >__<"

 

Left Lygon Street to head back home

I'm in the middle of the road!!

 

And back at Alexis' crib. Her residential area had a really pretty garden, especially when lit up!

Okay! Time to sleep.

Goodnight! I miss you, Australia. See you in 60 days! 

Okay I know I owe you guys loads and loads of my cooking escapades!

If you are following me on Twitter, you would know that I've been cooking up heaps of stuff for lunches and dinner – often experimental and adventurous.

Cheesy Penne Pasta Potato Bake with Roast Chicken! 😀

Oh and, just so you know, I never follow recipes. So I have no idea how the "recipe" just popped up in my head!

Hmmm… perhaps all these years of eating or numerous food review sessions has subconsciously taught me a thing or two and honed my long-time repressed culinary instincts.

Anyway, that's what I made for dinner for my family in Sydney!

Feast up! Also, I will also show you a brief step-by-step on how to recreate the dishes.

Everything I cook is pretty damn easy, to me. If I can make them,  I don't see why you can't as well!

Ingredients used – potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, capsicums.

Chop 'em up, dice 'em well, slice 'em well!

Before you cut up your veggies, you might want to pre-heat your oven first to prepare for roasting.

Set it to about 180 degrees Celcius.

Marinade a whole raw chicken with salt, black pepper and barbeque/mushroom sauce.

Stuff the chopped vegetables into various parts of the poor thing.

Yes. That's my hand inside its asshole.

Sprinkle more condiments and your favorite herbs. I used basil and rosemary.

Remember to line your roasting tray with aluminium foil or butter it!

Take it out of the oven after about 45 minutes or how well-cooked your chicken is INSIDE.

Lay it to cool and carve it to shreds.

Boil potatoes and mash them with salt, pepper, milk and butter

Boil the pasta of your choice. I chose curls and penne.

Stir fry onions, garlic, spring onions, mushrooms, veggies and that shredded roast chicken

with your fave pasta sauce

Put everything together in a casserole dish layer by layer.

Mix the pasta evenly with the sauce mixed with everything you've fried earlier, and layer with mashed potatoes and grated cheese. Then pop it in the oven again to bake for about 30 minutes on 150 degrees celcius.

You want your cheese to melt into the potatoes and the layers below it.

Yadda yadda yadda preparation time in total would be about 2 hours +

Okay, everyone is hungry… let's eat!

Salad for appetizers!

Mix cherry tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, avocados and lettuce with mayonnaise or mustard.

Have a good balanced diet!

Eat them together with the main meal. Are you hungry yet? 😀 😀

Ta-da! Portion for one.

We ended up getting 2nd, 3rd and 4th helpings!

I'm glad they loved it. Ahem. They better do 😛 😛

For it is cooked with love, by me

Whee I love to see a happy family enjoying my home-cooked dinner!

There was plenty to go around!

Not bad,. All gone! I've made another extra casserole dish… waiting for tomorrow though

Here's to hoping it will suffice for lunch tomorrow! 😀

Oh and, this also marks Episode One of my lil cookbook of homemade nomsters by me.

If you haven't tried making this, you probably should. Serves 5 and above 🙂 All the best!

Good Friday and Easter Sunday has always just been a memorable occasion for me.

Well, we get public hollies and commemorate the resurrection of Christ. What's not to love?

But the whole idea of Easter Bunnies & chocolate eggs never really got to me

Until I landed in Australia, for my first ever REAL Easter.

Back on University rez, we even had an Easter Egg Hunt game! Anyway, for the week-long Easter Break, I decided to fly to Sydney to sight-see and pay a my extended family a visit 🙂

And I'm thankful I came; for they gave me the best Easter ever!

Chilling with couzzies Sam and Nick before dinner

Thanks for picking me up at the city, Krizzy! 🙂

I was taken away when I first entered their house.

It's beautiful! Have I ever mentioned that I love the architecture and layout of houses in Australia? I've been into some 7 houses now, and it's really different from the ones back in Malaysia.

Anyway, spotted a pretty candle holder hanging on the wall!

People here actually celebrate Easter.

Most of my friends here were busy with their own family Easter dinners today as well.

I simply adore Lindt's Easter Bunny chocolates! 😀

On to the foodsies! Prepare for noms ahead.

Not for the hungry 😛 I was amazed how we managed to stuff ALL the dishes into our tummies

But first, some appetizers & tid-bits before dinner!

Nachos, chick peas, feta cheese, pistachios, cookies and more

"Did I hear food? Can I come in too, pretty please?"

Dinnertime begins!

We were all helping out with the preparation and plating the food on the dining table

Caesar Salad!

Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni!

More cheese! Popped it into the oven again LOLOL

Potato Au Gratin bake!

Roast Lamb!

Roast Pork!

My uncles took to carving of the roast meat

Yay! And then its time to drizzle the gravy all over

Easy now, slicing & cutting up the pieces of the pork chunk by chunk

Devour the scrumptious delights before they are all gone too soon!

Coincidentally, the 3 of us were wearing black tonight

On the dinner table with couzzies Adie & Krizzy

Here's my platter

Looks rather messy but who gives a !@#$%? Let's eat!

Eating medinner! Want some?

It was a fabulous home-cooked meal… without a doubt!

After dinner, we gathered at another table to chill and catch up 🙂

T'was so nice to rekindle with all my aunts and uncles again after quite some time.

We downed a few shots and neat drinks over our chitchats too

That's the way our family roll, no pansiefansie mixers – nadah!

Oh, how I love gathering together and reminiscing lotsa old-times!

Yes. I'm talking to you

After a few hours, it was time for  yummy cake!

Aunt Yi Ling baked us an Apple Tea Crumble for dessert

It was so good, this time with extra nut & cinnamon toppings!

Fancy a slice?

with ice-cream to jazz things up? Yes, please 🙂

Pastry dessert & vanilla ice-cream… delish!

It finished rather quickly as you can probably tell!

Now, how's this for pretty dessert?

Uncle Danny played around with the food and voila! haha

Needless to say, I had a fantastic time with the family.

Here's a piccie of my cousins and I… for the road!

Happy Easter 2011 folks!

Much love