60 DAYS OF ILLUSIONS : POEMS ON DISTANCE AND YEARNING

60 Days of Illusions: Poems on distance and yearning
by Suzene Ang
Kindle Edition
US$2.99
Buy it here for US
Buy it here for UK
Check your countries' Amazon for the ebook (Only available in some countries, use a VPN otherwise)

For 60 days I was consumed by images in my mind, such poetic images that directors in the likes of Michel Gondry and Jean Pierre Jeunet might translate into moving images. I remember the scene in Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, where Jim Carey was running away with Kate Winslet from the blackout, the symbolism of his memories of her being erased. And the scene in Jeunet's Amelie, where Audrey Tautou turned into water when she saw her love interest walked through the doors of the cafe.

Such powerful images, such powerful emotions that words are so inadequate that only symbolisms seem fit enough to convey them. I am no movie director, nor do I remotely get my wish granted to translate such poetic thoughts into moving images in my job. But in 60 days with my imagined characters, I penned down a poem every other day to play all these scenarios in the simplest of words, and the intensity of their symbolisms.

DIY YOUR MARC JACOBS GOOGLY EYES WHATEVER

This is so refreshingly easy. Makes us want to just pick up that glue gun and just googly eye everything around us.

SUSTAINABLE HEALTHY FRUGAL EATING. PRE-COOKED MEALS, PROJECT LUNCHBOX AND ONE POT MEALS

I have been eating quite frugally. This is a little experiment I am trying just to see how easy or difficult it is to cook and pack lunch to work. Of course I have the occasional urge to eat out, just to be served, or to eat something that I cannot prepare myself. It takes a considerable amount of will power to work out this little eating project for the week but once I got into the momentum, it is not much effort at all.

I shall describe how I sustain this habit. The key is to have a good pantry, and these are my staples that I cannot do without.

DRY CABINET STAPLES

• Cargo rice: I have opted out of white rice, only when eating out or when the family cooks it. It is nutty and chewy.
• Couscous: This is too easy. Just hot water, stock cube, cover and fluff. I keep some of this at work in case I need it for an emergency meal or when I do not time to prepare it the night before.
• Quinoa: I opt for this when I have already had too much carbs in the week. This is a good source of proteins that taste just like rice or couscous. It is crunchy too, so it adds a lot of fun to eating it.
• Buckwheat noodles: Daiso (a Japanese $2 shop) sells 4 servings of this in a packet. I always pick this over cha soba which is wheat noodles with green tea because there is more fibre in buckwheat. This is good cold or boiled and then stir fried.
• Buckwheat noodles sauce: Daiso sells this for $2 a pop and it is one of the best tasting soba sauce at this price. I use this for flavouring couscous and quinoa too.
• Oats: Not just for breakfast and not just sweet. I use oats to make savoury chinese congee.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Good for light frying and flavouring salads. I pour some of this into the buckwheat noodles when I refrigerate it for lunchbox the next day so they do not clump together.
• Coconut oil: This is gold. It is good for cooking and flavouring food. You can use it for desserts and savoury dishes. It makes everything so much more tasty that you do not need much else.
• Stock cubes: Guilty. But stock cubes are not so bad. They add a lot of flavour to anything and helps to make quick soups too.
• Herbs and spices: I cannot do without these. I am a junkie and I have almost everything. Cinnamon, cardamon, coriander seeds, fennel, cumin...etc. A few of these tossed with root vegetables and coconut oil in the oven is awesome. They are easy to flavour simple put together dishes with any of the above staples.
• Plain flour: For the odd onion bread that I love with olive oil and turmeric. Yummy. (need yeast of course)
• Vinegar and other dressings: Some simple dressings from Daiso again, onion and perilla dressings. Lime juice for thai inspired salads and soups.

REFRIDGERATOR STAPLES

• Miso: This makes a quick dip for vegetables, marinate for meats, soup base and even a quick salad dressing.
• Kimchi: This is quick for putting into a lunchbox or tossing with dry cabinet staples with you do not have vegetables. It can be added to a miso based soup too.
• Pickles: Works the same as kimchi.
• Tofu: I like to make scrambled tofu 'fried rice' when I get bored of dry cabinet staples. You can marinate tofu in spiced soy sauce too and have it as is, pan fried or roasted.

KITCHEN STAPLES

• Onion and garlic: This is a no brainer. They flavour everything. Make a batch of caramelised onions for the week and you can toss it into anything, or top it onto soups. I like thinly sliced onions with my cold noodles too.
• Sweet potatoes: I seldom have this but if I do have to have potatoes, I would pick sweet potatoes. It is just so much better for you than regular potatoes. I always like to foil wrap a few of these and pop them into the oven while roasting or baking something else.
• Cauliflower: I am in love with this. This is so good roasted or made into a soup.
• Broccoli: This has to be one of the most nutritious vegetable you can have.
• Kai Lan: This is a chinese vegetable and it is a species of broccoli just like broccolinis. They are a bit bitter but tasty nonetheless. Loads of nutrition in here like broccoli.
• Carrots: This root will keep for a while.

TIPS FOR COOKING FOR THE WEEK

• Batch cooking: I usually roast a whole batch of vegetable like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and whatever looks good in the market. This batch of vegetable goes into most things like couscous, quinoa, noodles or just by themselves.
• Instant: It doesn't need to be unhealthy. Miso paste into soup with buckwheat noodles, seaweed and chilli oil is very very yummy. You can add a lot of other things like ginger and garlic to flavour the soup, and just add meat or veg to top it off. Oh yes, and if you have instant oats, how can that be unhealthy in any way?
• Just add water: I sometimes cook more savoury oats than I need and I just heat what I need in the pot and then add whatever I have in the fridge to top it off.

I hope this will give you some ideas for healthy frugal cooking. Let us know if you have any good tips that you cannot live without.

PROJECT LUNCHBOX 230315 : PATE AND BROCCOLI

I had always ever only made lunch boxes for others. I have never really spent great effort to make anything for myself. I thought that should change. And boy, have I been feeling the love. It is such a cosy feeling. 

I really value my own time in the evenings, working on my hobbies and catching up on my videos and movies. That makes my day worthwhile, it isn't about going to work in the morning and does that. Work doesn't mean much to me because it is a means to an end. It is just something that pays the bills. I have spent too much time and effort on work before that doesn't pay and appreciate back. So, the time I find to better myself at the end of each day is very valuable to me. 

In order to knock off on time, I make sure I finish my tasks quickly and off to my second leg of the day. It makes sense to do this then eating out too. I am not sure if there is a change in the hawker food culture in Singapore or that my taste and preference has changed for the better. I find hawker food satisfying but it doesn't satisfy me nutritiously. Affordable hawker food is mostly of carbs, noodles and rice with that token meat or vegetable. Especially vegetable! Sometimes the only vegetable on the dish is the spring onion garnish. Kid you not.

Hence, I have also included making lunch boxes for myself as part of my substantial after work days. And for Lunchbox 230315, I have learnt how to make a simple pate. How is that for awesome. Yeah, the photography is a bit crap from the warm light and mobile phone but I was beat after all that cooking.

40 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE

MAPPING NOMAC : THE DIY LOGO

I was fiddling the other day in between my travels, just sketching and doing my handicrafts. I thought of my friend Swee who started her handicraft business, Swiedebie from scratch in The Netherlands. It was a tough start with no income for a couple of years. It was a lot of creation and recycling materials, upcycling in a way, and then braving the weather at art and craft fairs in the country to try to establish her brand of plushies and handmade wonder. I cringed at the thought of spending on materials when you are struggling with income and the whole notion of profiting to feed yourself is a faraway idea.

I started to think of how one could easily produce their own logo by hand and yet having it look more or less professionally duplicated. Sure there are rubber stamps, potato cuts and stencils. But these methods do not allow one to scale it easily. What if the only tools I have are the trusty old scissors and pencil? Here is the challenge: how can I simplify the process?

I thought of Macca Lee who embarked on his 7-month trip around Europe. How he could use his web name 'Mapping Nomac' all around the world like those who became worldwide memes by dancing or posing all around the globe.

I started toying with the idea of paper crafting and played with different folds and cuts. The accordion fold seemed like a simplified fold in this case, making it almost creating each letter in a 'factory line'. Not all names could be applied to this method. Nomac is short enough and all the letters have almost symmetrical forms. You will see what I mean in the next few pictures. Swiedebie would not be a good name to try on this simple duplication.

All you need is paper, a pen or pencil, a pair of scissors and something round for a more precise curve to be drawn.

This is the final logo of Mapping Nomac. It is black just as a default. It could well take on anything one can get hold of. Be it maps, used leaflets, magazine spread, menus, tickets...etc.

Just finish off with 'Mapping' in handwriting for that personal touch.

40 TIPS TO A MORE FRUGAL LIFESTYLE IN 2015

I want to write this post on some of the ways I am saving as well as I have used to save. I have stayed in different cities and different economies, and the problems are always different. Inflation is not a norm when our salaries do not increase at the same time. I wonder how we will all survive in the future if we do not learn how to curb our spendings a little. I owe some of my assets to my virtue of saving. If I had not adapted to learning how to cook in London, or sustainability in Amsterdam, or picking the bargains in Southeast Asia, I probably wouldn't have a few things in my portfolio now.

I want to share my list which has helped me for many years. I didn't used to save, simply because there was no need to. And then it became a shock or a chore when I needed to. It is also one of the reasons why I started Fidgety Fingers. Some of you might have found my tips useful and some not. Whatever it is, they are here to help you adapt to a more frugal lifestyle.

Being frugal is being healthy. That is what I think. You do not need to eat poorly. You can still eat very healthily. What I mean by being frugal is healthy in simply being responsible to yourself, your earnings, or your spouse's earnings, to your environment and many more. Being frugal taught me how to maximise a lot of resources in my life, it taught me that I can achieve some of my goals earlier than I had planned, and that a lot of money out of my pocket is actually unnecessary.

I hope you will enjoy my tips below. Please feel free to comment and share.

1. PLAN AHEAD. It is important to plan. If you have lists, you are least likely to spend more on things you do not need. I do not really need lists these days. My mental lists help me to maximise a lot of journeys and shopping. Though it will always help to jot them down. I sometimes reschedule my market trip to another day just because I would be visiting that area with a cheaper market. 
2. NOTE YOUR GOALS. Identify what your goals are. Are you saving for a holiday or something bigger? If you have a goal in mind, or a visual board which is better, you are more likely to stick to your savings. It is often easy to stray and succumb to the treats, but it only takes a little to visualise back to your goals and focus on the bigger picture. It is quite important to differentiate your goals and temptations and recognise how a bitsy temptation can lead to more.
3. WEIGH YOUR OPTIONS. NEED VS. WANT. I sometimes buy things because they seem like bargains, which in the end are things I do not really need. If you already have 3 other bags in your closet which you do not use, do you then need another bag? If you have things in your closet which you do not use like all the best of us, you probably fall into the general category of people who support the economy by falling prey into their advertising to buy things you do not need. The next time you see a bargain, walk away and think of how many other similar things you have. And then see if it is worth that trip back to the shop. These days I try to use my things till they break before I get a new one. Also, do you need that branded bag instead of one a few hundred cheaper? Options in the closet is good but I have learnt that it takes how you use your stuff. I once had a raggedy notebook which I stuck quotes and pockets in. My friends were so in awe with it that they started their own. 
4. USE YOUR COINS. Every little counts and people do not think that the spare change can account to much. But we all know that is not true. I always use up my coins, so that I lighten my purse, and also be a bit richer using those 'invisible' wealth that is actually my own.
5. WALK. I am not sporty. No gyms, no conscious effort to workout from me. What did people do in the old days? There was no gyms or fancy workout parlours. They just worked in the fields. I try to involve my workout in chores. It could be washing, mopping, or my favourite, walking from point A to B. Ditch the train or the bus and walk for a distance. Plan your route so that you walk to run errands like marketing and catch the public transport home with your heavy load. You get a save some change from the transportation and get fitter at the same time.
6. CARRY A FOLDABLE UMBRELLA. I always have a small umbrella in my bag. There are many small and ultra light umbrellas you can buy these days. Those ultra light options are not particularly good on stormy and windy days but they get you to where you need to in the drizzle. Many of us simply give up and opt for the taxi when it rains. It is so much more efficient to still hop onto the public bus or train and walk the short unsheltered distance under your umbrella. You would be saving the cash and your time too, considering the taxi queues are extra long on rainy days and everyone else would be calling for taxis.
7. ALWAYS CARRY A ROLLED UP TOTE IN YOUR BAG. This is for those establishments that charge you for the odd plastic bag. Shops still give you the free plastic in Singapore. Establishments like Ikea do not, but that is a good thing nonetheless. Regardless of the free bag or not, I always have a tote with me just because carrying the load on my shoulder is easier than on the hand. This keeps your hands free in crowded public transports to hang on too.
8. ALWAYS CARRY A SMALL BAG OF SNACKS. I didn't use to do it but I find it extremely helpful these days. It stops me from popping into a shop to buy a snack which I do not need. More often than not, I would finish the snack even if I do not want to finish it all. Why would I want to keep half a pasty in my bag and stink it? So, you get the drift. I carry a small bag of dried fruits and nuts with me these days for that unexpected pang or itchy mouth syndrome as I call it. It is also much easier to sneak a handful of nuts into your mouth instead of clumsily trying to eat a pasty in the middle of listening to a talk.
9. SHOP AND STOCK UP. I like offers in supermarkets. Most of the time they are just trying to clear the shelves for new stock. The offer items are sometimes not expiring soon. You would normally still have months to a year. I do this with canned goods and dried stuff which can have a longer shelf life in the pantry.
10. BUY DISCOUNTED ITEMS. I do not mind using meat and veg that are clearing for the day. The markets will not sell anything that is already inedible. More often, those clearance meats are still very much edible. You might have to cook them differently, like in a stew or something. Always use good judgement when buying clearance meats. I know people who shop and then leave their meats in the fridge for a few days before they use them anyway. So, what is wrong with discounted meat that is sometimes as much as 50% off?
11. STOCK UP ON DRIED INGREDIENTS. I like to do this just so that I can have lazy days to say I do not want to go to the supermarket to crowd around. You could actually create pretty delicious meals with your dry pantry. Pulses, pasta, bread...etc. It can be limitless. You only need imagination. This also reminds me of the time in Europe when it rained or snowed. It was pretty pointless to head out in a hail storm when I have enough items in the pantry to whip something up. Crazy hail aside, it is also healthier than a takeout or a frozen meal.
12. WATCH THE BARGAIN BIN. There is a bargain bin in the supermarket near my home. They would carve out the bad bits of a pepper, cauliflower or any veg and sell the good bits in a bag. The bag which is usually good for a portion or 2 cost only 50 cents. The quality of the produce is not compromised. We are guilty of keeping produce for too long after buying them sometimes. Hence I do not think it is cheapskate nor compromising to buy from the bargain bin. Many times supermarkets do not sell certain things on their regular shelves just because it is a little out of shape. It does not mean it is any less delicious.
13. COOK AHEAD, IN BULK AND FREEZE. Time is of the essence these days. With long working hours and other commitments, people complain that it is difficult to cook at home. When I find myself in that rut, I usually take time to cook in bulk over the weekend. It is just more time efficient and wash efficient considering the numbers of utensils needed to cook some dishes. You can always freeze soups, pasta sauces, stews...etc. I normally cook a big pot of stew which is then eaten in the next few days. Stews taste better the next day or two anyway. It could be eaten with rice, bread, or even tossed with pasta when you just have a bit of the saucy stew left.
14. SOUP IT UP. Being Asian, soup is the essence for me. I love soup and I can drink a whole pot of it. It is also sensible frugal and war time food. This is the best way to use up scraps and also fill your bellies to a slimmer you.
15. WORK THAT OVEN TO WARM YOURSELF ON COLDER DAYS. This is something I used to do in Europe during winter. Sometimes it just does not make sense to keep the heating on all the time. I always hung out in the kitchen and I would cook more casseroles than usual during winters. The slow cooking allows you to zip around the house for other chores. The slow warm waft of the food also creates a cosy, snuggly environment.
16. BAKE BREAD ON WARMER DAYS. I stay in the tropics most of the time but I have read that it is more efficient for some kitchens in colder climates to proof yeast and rise bread on warmer days. 
17. BAKE OR BLEND WITH SUPER RIPE BANANAS. Use super ripe bananas that are spotting and browning in your smoothies and baking, so you use less sugar and taste the natural sweetness of the fruit.
18. FREEZE LEFTOVERS. Do you do that? I always freeze the leftover bread for future uses like thickening a soup or for toasts. It stays just as good. What other things do you freeze? I freeze kaffir lime leaves, chillies, ginger too. 
19. PICKLE LEFTOVER FRUITS AND VEG. Buying in discounts sometimes mean bulk. So one of the things that are very handy in the fridge is that jar of pickle as a side dish which you do not need to cook up. All you need is a glass jar, vinegar, sugar and some spices if you want. There are many recipes online and they all cook well. You do not need to cook your fruits and veg, you only need to chop or julienne them, mix them with your pickling liquid and forget the jar in your fridge for a week or 2. Oh, if you already have a jar of pickles, you can reuse the pickling liquid instead of making your own.
20. SAVE THE BONES AND VEG SCRAPS FOR SOUP. I always freeze the odd bone from a pork knuckle takeaway or veg scraps to make soup in the future. I used to go to this restaurant where they serve cheap german knuckles on Mondays. My friends and I would indulge in the chopped meat and ask the chef to pack the bone for me. How about those carrot peels and odd tops and ends of veg? Save them to make soup in the future. You can freeze them easily. Just make sure you clean them first. I have also heard of onion peels giving the soup a deep and rich natural colour.
21. GROW YOUR OWN HERBS. Herbs are expensive. Compare their prices with that of meat and veg, it is almost ridiculous. And we only need a bit of what it is a bundle that we buy. If your kitchen and climate permits, use your own herbs like basil and chilli and whatever else you might fancy.
22. SAVE WATER FROM WASHING YOUR VEG. You can catch water used to wash fruits and veg to water your other plants. This would be water or money that goes down the drain anyway. You might as well make good use of it to bring more fruits to you.
23. MAKE DISHES FROM SCRATCH. This is just much healthier and we all know it. Once you get the hang of it, everything else will come naturally.
24. WATCH AND READ USEFUL DOCUMENTARIES. This debunks myths and can help you to be more efficient in all aspects. How about learning how to remove stains and store food properly...etc. This is the step to becoming a domestic goddess or god and being more efficient 
25. LEARN HOW TO COOK. I only started to cook in my 20s and that was because I moved to Europe and I had to. This became a very useful skill as I could whip something up anywhere I am in the world. I could also successfully recreate the taste of home no matter where I am. 
26. MAKE ICE EVERYDAY. I visited someone for a cocktail at home. And he had no ice in his empty freezer. It is super inefficient in my opinion. You have a perfectly functioning freezer compartment which is empty and you would rather head to the convenient store to buy ice for $5. Yikes.
27. COMPOST. For those scraps which I cannot use in soup making, I would toss them in the garden and compost them. If you consider it properly, compost/soil is expensive from the gardener. And I often ask myself why we need to buy earth. It is one of the most ridiculous purchases staying in urban cities. So, make your own and add a little nutrients to your plants. These scraps like potato and carrot peels, and the odd tops and ends of veg are good to toss in your garden without attracting pests. 
28. SIMPLIFY. At one point I was consuming a lot of supplements. I was so stressed from work that I was breaking out, gaining weight and greying. I purchased a lot of supplements and downed them all. It was crazy and I wasn't even sure if they were doing anything for me. I could have just watched what I ate a bit more and paid more attention to the quality of food I consumed.
29. MAKE YOUR OWN EVERYTHING. I make my own beauty everything now after not understanding what goes into some of the products. Coconut oil, essential oils, clay powder, coffee grounds, baking soda are just some of your essential ingredients. Sounds pretty simple huh. Yes it is. This is not only healthy for your purse but your skin and well being too.
30. SOAP VS. SHOWER GEL. I used to use bottles after bottles of gel. And I have thrown away many shower gel bottles in my lifetime too. Soap definitely lasts longer than gel. I have a shower to myself and I do not like the idea of sharing soap. If you are sharing a shower, it is probably best to each have their own soap dish with a cover. It is more hygienic.
31. LEARN THE MANY USES OF INGREDIENTS. The knowledge of the many uses of baking soda saved me on many situations, not only in using the thing right in my kitchen but also to save quite some money of buying necessary products. You can use baking soda to combine with your shampoo to make a clarifying shampoo; baking soda with detergent to clean stubborn stains and grease off pots and pans; baking soda in your facial cleanser as a scrub; baking soda in baking of course...etc. Baking soda is just one example. There are multiple uses for a lot of other basic ingredients as I call them.
32. STOCK FROM OVERSEAS. I know this sounds extravagant but trust me that it is not. Buying dried herbs and cheeses are more economical in Western countries and spices and cooking mixes are more economical in the East. You get my drift. It is also interesting to bring back local flavours for those dinner parties or special dinner nights instead of heading to restaurants.
33. DO YOUR LAUNDRY ON A SUNNY DAY. Don't machine-dry your laundry. The sun is free and strong sunlight can kill some germs.
34. RETHINK PYJAMAS. Do we really need PJs? What is wrong with that old tee shirt?
35. REARRANGE YOUR WARDROBE. Have you ever find that old forgotten top at the back of your drawer or cardboard? Me too. Rotate your clothes every few months. This means taking the stack of clothes from behind and putting it in front. If you have heard of crop rotation, I call this clothes rotation. In the way, you will really know what to throw out because chance are, you will not want to wear it even if it has been rotated for your use.
36. CHECK YOUR ELECTRICITY TARIFF. Some countries/cities have different tariffs at different times. It is sometimes cheaper to use electricity at night, which means doing your laundry in the evening can save you in the long run. Just check the tariffs if you can get your hands on it. 
37. DOWNGRADE. Do we need that high bundle mobile deal or the wifi that has more bandwidth than you need? Time to check and downgrade. You can buy yourself an online pressie with that saving.
38. SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL ALTERNATIVES. Magazines, newspapers, films, music, books...etc.
39. STREAM. There are many things you can watch online these days instead of owning a TV. YouTube and NetFlix are your friends. Save from owning a white elephant and the overpriced cinema trips.
40. EBAY. I probably do not practice this enough. Buying secondhand and uploading your old stuff to sell is a good way to recycle and be more responsible to your environment. You would be surprised to see what good stuff you could buy secondhand out there. One person's trash is another's treasure and this cannot be more true. I always feel special to be wearing something secondhand because there are many love stories before and I am giving it more stories.

WANGARI MAATHAI : I WILL BE A HUMMINGBIRD

In this beautifully animated clip from Dirt! The Movie, Wangari Maathai tells an inspiring tale of doing the best you can under seemingly interminable odds. Join us at www.DirtTheMovie.org

DIRT! THE MOVIE

Excursion into the realms of soil, the number 1 lifegiver on Earth...It's fundamentally important ecological functions, our poor understanding of it as well as our destructive relationship with it. They are so essential to life and thus to us, that our survival is directly dependent on their understanding and protection!

A 420 SQFT TRANSFORMING APARTMENT

MAN TURNS 500 SQFT INTO A MANSION

PROJECT TRAVELING RICE COOKER : JAPANESE BEAN CURRY

We rehydrated some mixed beans of lentils, barley and other beans overnight. We then cooked them with Japanese curry cubes. Cannot be easier than that.

PROJECT TRAVELING RICE COOKER : THE BRAISED GARLIC SPREAD

This is a quick post as this was a quick attempt to finish the garlic we had in hand. We were already leaving the country and were left with, well quite a few bulbs of the stinkers. We peeled all of them and braised them in a little butter. The butter braises and softens the garlic and what we were left it is a non pungent cream spread for breads and pasta.

We added the stems of the sweet basil. We were going to throw the stems away but throwing them into the braised garlic for a while actually releases the oils in the herb and infuses the garlic.

PROJECT TRAVELING RICE COOKER : JAPANESE BEEF CURRY STEW

We were craving for some meet yesterday and so decided to go to the supermarket to see what was fresh. This piece of stewing beef looked good so we thought we would make a stew with the ingredients we have. We tried 'frying' or browning the steak in the mini cooker but really, it isn't suitable for browning anything really.

This is as brown as it will ever get. We think this is because of the 'pressing down' system that we talked about before. It has to do with the heat contact. It will only ever get really hot when the lid snaps shut.

So we made Japanese beef curry stew. 

INGREDIENTS:

• A stewing steak
• Garlic, we love garlic so we put in a whole bulb
• 2 tomatoes
• Mixed pulses like peas, barley and lentils
• Japanese curry cubes
• Water
• Some macaroni

We wrapped it the next morning with some sweet basil and that was our lunchbox.

PROJECT TRAVELING RICE COOKER : THE FIRST MEAL, MUNG BEAN SOUP

This is our first attempt at using the mini rice cooker. You might ask why the picture is upside down. That is due to our unprofessionalism and scramble cooking in a hotel room for the first time. Yikes! But this is fun stuff. We like projects and especially if it means giving others ideas for a more fruitful and sustainable life. As you can see, we have a mini chopping board and knife too. Just enough for a no frills traveling kitchen.TIPS ON COOKING WHEN TRAVELING :

• It seems like the mini rice cooker is a MUST. How else? We have read that you can use the iron to make sandwiches. That is if you wrap it in foil of course and we mean the sandwiches, bacon and what not. It can potentially melt cheese. But the rice cooker is more versatile as it can make soups and stew and rice and pasta... the list goes on.
• A small knife with a small chopping board. We already have a small wooden one but a rollable silicon one seems feasible.
• Always line the table top with a towel to reduce mess.
• Carry dry food with you like pulses, herbs, spices, rice and pasta. You can always buy fresh food like meat and vegetables from the local supermarket. Not that you cannot buy the dried food too but that is really just in case you don't find the supermarket readily. Also, you will not need to buy the whole packet of it. Bringing measly amounts of whatever you need reduces waste too.
• Be flexible with what you eat. It is always about what is available. Almost like camping. 

Garlic is always good to spice up dishes and to give it a fuller taste. It lasts for a while too and can keep the bugs away from your uncooked rice.

Onions are always good for a soup or stew. 

Now, using the rice cooker. We are planning to try to use this cooker to fry the garlic and onions up. We have read that one can easily do that by pressing down the cook button. 

In this case, the bottom of the pot does get a bit hot but it isn't sizzling.

We tried pressing down the cook button again and again to heat up the cooker pot. 

It gets hot enough to melt the knob of butter but it isn't hot enough to fry up anything really. 

We then realised that you really have to press down the cooker pot. This pressing down method works only for this model. Pressing it down creates the contact of the heat. Just imagine this... The rick cooker will really only conduct the full heat when you put the lid on and snap it shut. At the moment, we are not creating that pressed down heat contact.

First attempt and it is alright, not the best fry up experience but it is ok. At least we now know how to work this function.

We added from dried shrimps to the mix.

And then mung beans.

And then water.

Close the lid and let it cook and simmer until the desired consistency is achieved.

We added some local vegetable after the soup is done and let it cook very quickly. So is this first attempt a success? Certainly looks and tastes like it.

PROJECT TRAVELING RICE COOKER

This is the rice cooker we have acquired and yes, we are testing our new project. THE TRAVELING RICE COOKER. Call us crazy but we are not big fans of the food from where we commute to for work. Sorry co-workers if you are reading this. We leave this mini rice cooker in the office and bring it back to the hotel when we come and stay for work, which is often. Just see how compact and how cute it is. 

It snaps open like a lunchbox. It originally came with a handle but we have detached it as it gets a bit bulky for the suitcase and really, for traveling light.

It comes with a metal steamer which is great for steaming eggs and vegetables. We have also seen people cook a small single portion of rice in it too.The capacity of the mini rice cooker is about 3 cups of rice. Which is really plenty for even 2 persons. This is a good size for soup, stews and savoury rice for 1-2 persons. Though, it is probably a conservative quantity for hungry or big eaters.

DIY CHILDREN'S CARDBOARD FURNITURE

If only every kid could be so hip.  This cardboard, easy DIY furniture set is available in three fabulous colors, comes with two stools and a desk, and stores in a snap! Perfect for your mod dwellings.