On my desktop this month. Mine measures 1920×1080.
Click on the above image, then right click to “save image as” to download.
Author: San
Garlic Mushroom Pasta
A fast and simple pasta dish that I make pretty often, as I always have fresh shimeji and shitake mushrooms in my fridge. To avoid using too much oil in this single serving dish, I only used the minimal amount of butter to fry the garlic, herbs and mushrooms at first, then top with olive oil before serving. I also stir in the grated cheese while the penne is hot to make it more creamy.
GARLIC MUSHROOM PASTA
ADAPTED FROM : FOOD.COM
INGREDIENTS
1 serving penne pasta, al dente, keep warm 1 tablespoon of butter 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil 2 large cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 packet of fresh shimeji mushrooms 6 fresh shitake mushrooms, sliced 1 teaspoon dried sweet basil herb Salt and pepper, to taste grated old cheddar cheese, to taste
METHOD
01. In a heated pan, melt the butter and cook garlic till fragrant and turns slight brown.
02. Stir in sweet basil and chilli flakes to mix.
03. Add both mushrooms and cook until they soften.
04. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
05. Add cooked penne and grated cheese into the pan of cooked mushrooms and toss well.
06. Transfer to plate, drizzle extra virgin olive oil before serving.
Fresh Spinach Frittata
As I cook more often, the faster and easier it becomes.
The grocery shopping trip has also become more efficient, as I know the quantity and types of food that I can handle well. I allow myself to buy only one “exotic” or unfamiliar ingredient per trip and cook it before my next shopping trip. Plus, I always keep in mind that it is the size of the crisper drawer, not the entire fridge, that determines the maximum quantity of purchase.
Back to fast and easy cooking, this 16cm frittata gets done really quick, only 15 minutes, as cooking time is solely for frying the eggs and blanched spinach mixture till set, plus another 2-3 minutes under the broiler to cook the top. Since eggs get cooked really fast, they make a fulfilling breakfast even on a school day morning rush.
My Tiger wide tray toaster oven is big enough for my skillet, but I fear that it might not be able to handle the cast iron weight, so I left the lever door open, hold the skillet (wearing oven mitt) under the heating element to broil the frittata. This method takes away the need to preheat the oven, saving time and electricity, as I only need the broiler for less than 5 minutes.
Served these with sauteed button mushrooms, perfect way to start the day!
FRESH SPINACH MUSHROOM FRITTATA
INGREDIENTS
3 eggs 4 stalks spinach, wash and cut away roots dash of black pepper 1 tablespoon salted butter 2 tablespoons grated cheddar cheese red chilli flakes, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
01. In a pot of boiling water, blanch spinach till cooked, emerge immediately in a bowl of room temperature water. Remove from water and chop roughly. Set aside.
02. In a bowl, whisk spinach, eggs and black pepper together.
03. Heat up the skillet over medium heat. Melt butter and pour in egg mixture. Sprinkle chilli flakes on top.
05. Cook till frittata is almost done, around 3-4 minutes, but top remains slightly moist.
06. Place skillet in oven and broil till eggs are fully set, about 3 minutes.
07. Remove from oven, sprinkle grated cheese. Serve immediately.
DIY Journal Planner Printable – April 2015
Using the journal template from March, I was able to complete April’s version much faster.
BEFORE PRINTING: While the PDF file is in A4 size, I design it with a A5 booklet in mind. The planner portion takes up only 5 pages (Page 2 to 6), but with the booklet layout, I inserted a front and back cover page (Pg1, Pg8), plus a random notes page (Pg7) to fill up both sides on 2 sheets of A4 paper. You can easily choose this under the “Page Sizing and Handling” options in the Printing menu. Click on “Booklet” and then “Both Sides” under Booklet Subset option. Preview to make sure that the printing of the 8 pages document will now take up only 4 pages on 2 sheets of A4 paper.
Desktop Wallpaper Calendar – April 2015
April is here.
Mine measures 1920×1080.
Click on the above image, then right click to “save image as” to download.
Keeping Tabs On My Coupon/ Voucher Inventory
2014 vouchers status : fully redeemed, none left expired. Hurray.
I have drawn up a fresh A4 template for 2015 -16, the vouchers details are sorted according to their expiry months. This way, it will be even easier to track down those coupons with expiry dates nearing, and utilize them sooner.
Homemade Matcha Latte
A very quick homemade matcha latte (matcha powder + milk + sugar) and bread to start the first morning of a week long school holiday.
I use this recipe and a french press make milk froth at home. Simply heat up the milk till it start to steam (do not let it boil) , then pour it into the french press and pump the plunger a few times to froth the milk. The froth with this method is smooth and good enough to even make latte art.
HOMEMADE MATCHA LATTE
SOURCE
INGREDIENTS
1.5 teaspoon matcha powder 1 tablespoon hot water 1 cup of full cream milk 1 teaspoon raw sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
01. In a serving cup, dissolve matcha powder in hot water.
02. Heat up milk and sugar in a saucepan over small fire till it starts to steam. Do not let the milk boil.
03. Pour the milk into a french press, cover, and press the plunger for about 20 to 30 times to aerate the milk.*
04. Remove the plunger, swirl the french press to mix up the froth a bit, bang the french press on the tabletop 1 to 2 times to remove the bubbles.
05. Once the milk froth is ready, pour it into the serving cup with the dissolved matcha.
06. Serve hot, with a sprinkle of more matcha powder on the top.
NOTES :
* When pressing the plunger, do it gently, Otherwise big bubbles will form instead of smooth creamy froth.
DIY Journal Planner Printable – March 2015
I just set up my new laser printer after the old one broke down late last year. The first few things I have printed out are some family photos taken during CNY period and a March Journal template to kickstart a diary habit for my daughters. which works great as a planner too.
IMPORTANT: While the PDF file is in A4 size, I design it with a booklet in mind. The March calendar planner takes up 5 pages (Page 2 to 6), but with the booklet layout, I inserted a front and back cover page (Pg1, Pg8), plus a random notes page (Pg7) to fill up both sides on 2 sheets of A4 paper. You can easily choose this under the “Page Sizing and Handling” options in the Printing menu.
Desktop Wallpaper Calendar – March 2015
On my desktop this month.
Mine measures 1920×1080.
Click on the above image, then right click to “save image as” to download.
MONO and CO 