All in a day's eating!

Totally pigged out today!

Started with a Simple, Asian "breakfast" that I quite miss!!
You can find this at pretty much any local food court, you pick the type of noodles/ rice you want andn add stuff to it. I know it looks pretty sloppy but that fast, ready made food for you! And did I mention cheap? That $3.50SGD totally put a dent in my wallet. Like, totally.

I REALLY need to know the secret ingredients that the Auntys use to fry this goodness up!! Its sooooo good, and not dried or stuck together, the ones I make dont even come close! :(

Dinner feed! @ Old Kallang Airport foor court

And this dear folks, IS Hokkien Mee!
Not Singapore noodles (there is no such thing!) but This Is It! The Beez Neez! Hokkien Noodles/ Yellow Mee (Yellow ones, Mee means Noodles!) mixed in with rice noodles (white ones), fried around real quick with mixed seafood and served with yummy sambal (sweetish, shrimpy chilli). MMMMM!! Try it on its own before you dose it with lime, its good!

Washed down with freshly squeezed sugar cane juice!!!!!! YUMO! Definately spoilt!!!

Oyster omelette! Simple, eggs fried with omeletter, accompanied by chilli with a good ol kick!

Hokkien Mee and Oyster Ometette!
Dinner for Champions, and on onwards and upwards to the club!
Ladies night! Definately another thing to miss here - FREE Entry and FREE Drinks for Ladies!
God we love our free stuff dont we :)

View from the club! Marina Bay Skyline!
Ive never been a fan of the city, nor like the concrete jungle Singapore is becoming or already became. But theres no denying, I love this spot. Its so beautiful at night! Definately a top favourite and I love the lights, buildings and shapes! :)

 

 

post drinking meal @ the good ol Sha Alam at Circular Road!
Aisyah has a Bee Hoon Gorend! MMMMmm!
 
 

I had the awesome Ice Limau (Ice Lime, SO GOOD FRESHLY SQUEEZED LIME!!), to wash down my Roti prata with fish curry! And that in the back, thats Chicken Hati. Hati = Heart.
Get it, Hati, Hearty?
sheesh, tough crowd.

 

Content feed today. Now to start getting my very oftenly hung over behind to do some running!!

DOpH!!
Not to mentioned Bangkok bound on the 30th, and I'm DEFINATELY going to do some serious eating there!! Lots of good, cheap food full of yummy-ness and spice!

GRRR Im hungry now.

Christmas 2012 @ The Hendricks'

Our yearly Christmas at the Hendricks'. Eat, drink, and drink somemore! :)

Nothing more awesomer then spending the whole day in the kitchen feeding people you love! :)

My prawn, mango and avocado salad, with a Lime and Lemongrassy Mango salsa dressing!

My Cous Cous Salad!!

OKAY! I do have a fetish for salads! Its just so fun inventing new ones and demolishing them after!

The drinking begins and so does the memory loss! Home by 730am the next day, waking up to a very VERY topsy turvy stomach, 2 drink coupons in my bag, reciepts from 2 bars and a taxi, and someone's phone number! What did we do??!

I do remember though, walking for ages to get a cab becase I didnt want to fight for one with 1398172 other drunk people on the streets of Clarke Quay! But I'll let you in on a secret. I remember walking for ages and I didnt want to stop! There is just something, something so good in walking barefooted in the post-rain wet roads. Off the warm roads, jumping into water puddles and kicking water onto parked cars seeing how far you can kick droplets! Now I totally understand why kids always ALWAYS see puddles and ignore their parents' whinging about not to jump in it - ITS BLOODY AMAZING! Smart little things those kids, definately got in good with the fine, simple pleasures of life!

Yeah, I'll probably do it again sometime soon. And, now, RAIN :)

Sunday Brunches are the BEST!

Brunch! Definately missed having a lazy Sunday afternoon brunches, relaxing and talking for hours. Next one will be a boozy champaign one tho! :)

Cafe Melba @ Goodman Road. I give you a 5.5 out of 10! The food sounded better then what it was, though the truffle fries - pretty yummy!

 My portabello mushroom stach with grilled tomatoes and goats cheese topped with wild rocket and pine nuts, drizzled in balsamic

Asahi party!

Asahi Beer hosted an event at One on the Bund the first night I was back - its like they planned it for me! :) Free flow of beer, served in cans; couldnt help myself but play wizard sticks!!

Def; Wizard Sticks - Cans are drank, stacked and taped together to form a stick. The first person to get a stick to the same height as you is the wizard. Drinks have to be drank out of the top of the stick, so if you have stacked enough, it will look as such...

 but because we didnt have tape, after awhile our sticks started breaking apart! so we built Tin City instead! :)

 and talk about beer bringing people together - Bumped into Bridget there too. Always nice to see a familiar friendly face (Love being home!!) and, an old friend from back in the high school days with everything high school. I'm just glad I got to reconnect with someone whom Ive not seen in so long and we've not left off on the right foot. But, heres to a new year with new olds and new news! :)

 

 

Carrying the party on, Daniel and I chopped a bottle of vodka at BQ bar, and lets just say a meal later I begged to be allowed to go home and not party on! :/ What a great first night back, having no working phone sucks but I had so many people message me on facebook hearing that I am back, making me feel like the luckiest person in the world! Definately very humbled, and DEFINATELY HOME!! <3 p="p">

Schweet Home Alamak-la!!

HELLO HUMIDITY!

 Oh my, back in Singapore and I swear the construction and infrastructure industry here is on STEROIDS!!

I've only been away for one year, and I have lived in this house for 20 years! But getting home was a mission! I gave the taxi driver a run around the block, missing turns into my house because the roads were different and there were new roads/streets! On top of it, a new train station is being built on the road outside my house so massive construction set up everywhere! AND, a new mall down the road, like 5 minutes away from the next one! Oh concrete jungle, definately not missing this side of you Singapore!

Big sleep in today, not alot caught on the plane. Someone had to restrained! I must have lost abit of my Singaporean-ness seeing how I never got around to finding out what happened! :)

Out of a phone service for the moment, my Australian number doesnt work here, and my Singapore one was terminated. So if you need to get me, Facebook or if not call my sister Tiffany's phone and ask to speak to the more favourite sister :)

First day in and already straight in it! - Rocking an Asahi party in the city, free flow event never gets old! Now that side, I miss!!
Also just putting it out there, now that I am back its my 30 day previlledge of torturing people on my facebook! Its no secret - I am DEFINATELY embarking on a food expedition while I am here and like EVERY OTHER FRIEND I HAVE ON FACEBOOK WHO USE TO TORTURE ME WITH THE AWESOME FOODS IVE BEEN MISSING, let it be known its MY TURN :) 30 days, 3 meals - I better find a place to store all the food! :)

I must say though, I've been back for 12 hours, and the messages, posts, texts that I've been getting have been humbling. I havnt been the very bestest at keeping in touch with people or telling them what Ive got planned or like to get planned, but lots of people have been happy by the mere fact that I'm back. And for these little things, I definately count my blessings for being one very lucky girl. So humbled! And SO MANY pEOpLE TO SEE AND HUG!! Cannot wait!

Let the days begin!

goodbye, everything

So this is it. I'm exactly where I thought Id be months ago; at the ultimate closure to the last couple of months. It's been a bittersweet end to the best time of my life.

But tonight, I get on a plane. Walk on and fly away. Home. Come tomorrow, no more. And next year I'll be back, better and more awesomer then ever.

double trouble!

look out, trouble's got a new best friend!
Eli and Maddison out on a morning stroll and walkabouts at the park. And he walks SOOO well beside her on his lead. Good boy!! :) Definately one proud mama, see the Nazi dog training way does have its perks. Even sits for his photo.

Hangover 2013, I predict!

So its been a challenge convincing mates bac home to embark on a messy, epic journey for a New Year's Eve adventure. So much so I was at the point of giving up! And as fate would have brought it, I walked into a bank (as you do...)

"Dont I know you from somewhere?"
"DION!"
... the casual small talks and how are yous continue..
"So I have a year off work and I'm going to laa lal lalall la (at this point I wasnt listening very well because I just imagined what it will be like winning the lotto so that I can attempt to trump his travel plans, that lucky son of a gun!!) and Bali, and New Year's in Bangkok"
"No way"

5 minutes into a really long queue at the bank, we've basically nutted out enough to know that we're getting a crew started once we join up in Bangkok with his other mates who are coming from somewhere else. Wicked! First item on the agenda, BOOK THOSE TICKETS! I dont care if Im going alone, I'M GOING! And everyone else on my facebook can look at my pictures and posts and say "I WISH I HAD WENT!" :)

So tickets are booked, look out Bangkok, trouble's coming your way!
My best mate Daniel is coming with too, and we are going to tear it up!!
6 days we are there but we may venutre onward North for some nature R&R through caves and wonders. One things for sure though, I am DEFINATELY going to eat my way through! And finish up with some shopping with my left over pennies :)

Bring on 2013 already, lord knows I need a new start!! :) x

12/12/12

Gosh the cobwebs on here...!!
And I cant believe its already December! Where has the year gone?

Well, for one lots have come and gone.

I have grown to learn the very expensive way that Elijah is a very accident prone puppy! Who knew a 1 year old pup could rack up a vet bill of over 2.5k, single paw-dedly! But not one day have I looked back on making that solo drive to Bunbury to meet him and the litter, and come back with an albino pup for my 24th birthday present to myself :) Yes, I am one of those people who LOVE my birthdays! Or just birthdays in general. So come 24th November, I organised a puppy day out to the rapids for dogs and humans alike! Leisure floating down the river in floats that took us 30minutes to blow up, manually! picnic on a rock island in the middle of the rapids, dogs running and swimming, clouds clearing the sky maing room for some sunshine, bliss!!

And through lots of relationship, past, present, gone and lost, I've realised, I havnt been myself of late! Even reading back on my posts and actually remembering the time and space I've wrote each post, and the freedom of my feelings and comfort in my physical presence. I was freely happy and happily free. Looking back, I've been in 2 relationships this year; one was destructive but tested every fibre of my being. Definately taught me life lessons and how I need to be strong and put myself first at best I can. No one should put up with someone who says they want to build a life with you, starting off by moving in together, because no matter how picture perfect people can make things out to sound, no one should put up with a cheating drunk, and thats the least to begin with. That, I've moved on from. Its easy to get over a bad relationship because you see the detrimantal path that's coming and you know you love yourself enough to know you deserve and can have a better life, people DO NOT CHANGE. Well, not after the countless chances. Granted it hurts, feelings dont just do away. But its nothing compared to having give up on a good relationship, one that actually worked. One that I thought, was IT for me. I'd daresay I was the happiest I've been in a long time, I didnt need much more. That comfort of having that home in someone, was all I needed and mattered at the end of the day, good or bad. And like a turn of a century, something just went, wrong. Almost instantaniously, the CTRL+ALT+DEL was hit, like nothing happened, mattered or existed. Its funny, out of a bad relationship its assured me of things I want,believe in and hold important in my life, but out of a good relationship that didnt work its actually made me question if things I believe in and hold value to actually exist in the first place?  

I need to do some soul searching, there has to be somethings I am not doing right. I've not done anything with ill intent but I always find myself back at square 1, and I don't like questioning myself on 'why or how havnt I been good enough'. And I know its not that, I just need to regain my stance and put trust in the faith that one day, it'll be my turn. That I will find my someone, and be their someone too. And that feeling, is worth holding on to every trying day.

But I am so, so blessed and grateful to the people that have been a part of my life over the last couple of months. Their love, laughter and support have been godsent and its to these people as well that I owe to find that state of freedom, love and happiness I once was in. I don't, and still don't believe that we arnt dealt with life situations that we cannot overcome.

So it is the 12/12/12, its been a long journey, and from here on out it'll only get better. I'm due home in less then 10 days and its high time to reconnect with loved ones who humble me daily, and also shove my face with good food WHO AM I KIDDING :). I cannot wait to be back home, leave my 2012 here, just reset my mind, body and soul, and welcome a better year in 2013. To greater things that are coming, and I guess its a bonus I am coming back to a job promotion! 2013 will be the year that doesnt slip me by.

To the places I will see, faces I will love, laughs I will treasure, food I will devour!
Bring on Christmas!! My favourite time of the year with the warm and fuzzy feeling deep down in my belly.

Live. Laugh. Love.

Look who it is!

so Audrey came to visit.....

 

and she brought friends!! :)
Makes for a happy happy Steph and Eli! :)
Love it when people from home come say hello, definately brings a small slice of home back to me

Its Mo-vember!

So Movember came by again, and Ive always wanted to have a partner who I can demand some faciel hair growth. Well, that never happened so I took matters into my own hands!

For the month of Mo-vember, I've "grown" a moustashe - a different one each day!! At work, play or at touch rugby, I'd spot a upper lip vandalism!

 

http://mosista.co/stephanie.hendricks

I managed to donate $95, which is my little bit towards the cause. But the amount of laughs, smiles and jokes puts a pretty good giggle into my day! :)

30 Day Detox Challenge : A week and so in

So its been a week or so into my "detox".

Ok, I have not been good. Lets say its no longer dry July and the holidays got the better of me. Nothing over the top though, just quiet glasses of wines here and there. Also anticipating a big housewarming party this weekend roadtripping away with the dogs, and also next weekend where I celebrate an awesome landmark in my life looking back on the things and people I have standing behind me. I have alot to be appreciative and thankful for!

But anyway, so being naughty with my no drinking. FAIL. And I have not made concious meal decisions though, I mean who doesn't eat on their holidays! plus food is one of my biggest passions - both the cook and more importantly the indulgent bit called EATING! :) I have swapped meals for smaller healthier options when it counts, especially when I am eating in. "Especially" probably isnt the best use of the word, because it would sound like I made a special effort. Not good.

Given that though, after this week and so since I embarked on this, I am down to weighing 56.5KG, which is 0.9kg less then when I started. Could I do better, possibly. With the way I am going and my own rules that I am breaking it doesnt really "count" for me.

I still have halfway to go towards the end of the month. Drinking - im going to keep it to only on one day of the weekend (influence of the social calender my friend!!). Eating - let's do 2 fruit 5 veg, and crack on to more wintery warming soup and the raw stuff aie!!

August will be a pretty busy month. I will give myself a week to reasses if I am mentally prepared to accept and stick to it! I havnt done very well this time around, not even disappointed actually. Its hard doing something when you don't have your mind in it.

Time to add some brain food in the mix young lady!! :)

30 Day Detox Challenge - Day 1

1st of July - Day 1!

So, I'm going to do something I have never done before, not to anyone and never in a million years would I ever. But, how can you keep track of progress without keeping track of numbers? That's right. For everyone who has tried to carry me with me refusing, or asking me to sit on their laps when theres a seat shortage or too many people to sit in the car. I weighed myself today!

So as of today, I weigh (drum and tummy rolls) : 57.4 kg
Its not very accurate to gudge base on weight alone because you can have a very heavy but tall person. The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a better indication of one's obesity level, it compares your weight in proportion to your height. Based on that, you are put into numerical categories to give you an indication of your "weight":

Underweight = <18.5

Normal weight = 18.5–24.9

Overweight = 25–29.9

Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

Its pretty easy to calculate; here's a gingle they had back in Singapore!
Take a look at your weight. Take a look at your height. Then divide your weight, by your height times height! :)
Or, click here to go to a site that does it for you. 
So based on my 57.4kg and tallness of 157cm, I'm sitting on 23.3 on the BMI which is in normal weight. I;d like to see if I can bring it down towards the lower range in that category, somewhere in the 21.5 - 22.5 range, if thats realistic? Its only consulation, my main objective is to FEEL healtheir and look it wouldnt hurt either.
Despite pulling up abit rough this morning from having after work drinks, I kick started my detox with Multivitamins and Calcium Complex tablets, and a late breakfast with Joe at the cafe down the road, Ootong and Lincon. And my most beloved Eli of corse (still the chick magnet!). I had a Tuna Patty with Salad on the side. Pretty tasty and though the salad was abit of a dissapointment, it was a "smack, bam get your ass into detox!" type thing with crisp raw greens. Post brekkie walk on the beach, beautiful Sun-shining-Sunday - cant complain! Other then Eli's 3rd public poo that he seems to be most comfortable doing at the water's edge. Edge, till it gets waves over it!!

I had a MASSIVE chocolate craving so I cracked open the Chocolate and Peanut Butter nutritional bars as a quick snack. It was gooood, pretty nutty! Definately hit the spot with getting sugar slapped on my taste buds! And then off to work with the bow wows I go! During my shift though I got hungry and started thinkings about food though it wasnt too long ago since my last feed, so in terms of the reducing of cravings and surpressing of appetite goes, I dont think the bars have quite done it for me yet. But we will see in time!

Been wanting to sink teeth into a hot bowl of creamy soup all day! Dinner time rolls on and to Clancey's Fish Pub we went! I'll have the Seafood Chowder, thanks! Satisfied, indeed! No beers for me, just a lemon lime and bitters.

Pretty cruisy first day easing into the whole challenge, no sudden shocks only rude ones with the potency of my farts in the later part of the day. Like pho, god damn! (Pho, mmmm!) Soup season is definately here!!

Going to sleep nice, warm, snuggly and soundly tonight. Eli already ahead of me so that's me for today. Looking forward to a week with more dinner catch ups and cook ups, and Sydney this Thursday night!

My July 30 Day Challenge!

So following my health kick last year where I did a 20 day detox (10 days short of my goal because an old friend came round with Coronas!), I actually lost 4kg in those 20 days. I started the detox with the goal in mind of clensing my body of the evils I've put it through becaue of late nights out at the pubs or lazy lunches where I dont even have to leave the comforts of my car. Yeaaah, guilty. And I wanted to be more atheletic for the Touch Rugby season that summer. The weight lost was definately a bonus, but I felt so much energetic and lighter in my steps. No, I was not an extreme porker pre-detox, I literally could feel a spring in my step! That, and the liberation of controlling my lifetyle choice!

My main detox rules were simple:
1. LOTS of water. I aimed for 1.5L a day, and try to double that on days I do exercise or have games

2. NO ALCOHOL! Empty calories was a no-go, that, and the fact that in the whole detox process in where I clense my body (of the bad stuff!) and just do good to it, it does not make any sense to just make way for a fast-track for the nasties in alcohol to get into my system! Think about it, would you sanitize the kitchen bench, wipe it down then dry it off with the floor mat? YEAH, something like that.

3. DIET - Small meals throughout the day, that means waking up early for breakfast too! I try and cut out as much carbs as I can, and the main goal is simple; the less cooked or the less cooking required, the better. Salads, wraps, soups, multigrains (or bird food crackers my friends have called it!) lots of fruit, beans and legumes.

I am no diet Nazi though! Its no secret, I love my food. And I was not going to begin to torture myself with what I can and cannot eat. What's the point in that? Throughout the 20 days, I made choice. I've not deprived myself of the food I love like LAMB! (MMMMMMMMM), procuito (mama!!) or well in summary meats and seafood. It was by no mean a vego diet. It became pretty fun challenging myself to come up with new recipies for the next meal, I found that planning ahead for the next meal was a big contributing factor to empowering myelf with choices in what I put in my belly. And boy did I come up with great recipies! Never boring coming up with killer salad combinations to top the last one off, mmm!!

The detox by no means ruined my social butterfly lifestyle either. I would still have meals out while catching up with mates and still head out for a boogy or 2. The difference? Planning ahead! Knowing that I would probably treat myself when we are out with a big meal (with consideration to what it i or how its prepared), I would have "better" meals during the day leading up to eating out. If it was bigger then I expected, I would just make up for it the next day. And when it came to going out on the town, I would swap my alcohol for a drink of choice. Mine was lemon lime and bitters - so it feels like I am still drinking something, even though its sugar loaded its not alcohol! And I had a rad time everytime! :) Alcohol did make a big difference to my detox, I lost lots of flab on my tummy-doughnut and saved my liver along with alot of money :)

Detoxing this time around I have similar goals in mind; lifestyle choices to become more atheletic, energetic and healthy! Add self control and decipline to the mix because this time around I admittedly feel like I have less motivation (for some reason) maybe partly because I would be squeezing some travels in this month. It will be a challenge!

This time around I would not only try and keep in the same rules as before (because it worked and more importantly it suited me and my lifestyle!) but also I am trying a range of products by Melaluka, which is a wellness company that has eco-friendly and organic products the focuses on, surprise surprise, Wellness.

So I purchased the this "weight management" pack, which includes Nutrion Bars (chocolate peanut butter, and sweet and salty nuts!), Sustain Electrolytes, Organic Tea in yummo hibiscuz and rosehip flavourflav!, Calcium and Multivitamins for women. I just wanted to personally trial these products and see how far I can push myself to achieve results! It will be a challenge, but I ACCEPT!