DIY Journal Planner Printable – July 2015

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diy july 2015 journal template

NOTES 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.

Monthly Journal Download Title

DIY Journal Planner Printable – June 2015

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diy june 2015 journal template 001 diy june 2015 journal template 002

School holiday officially starts today!  Start filling the journal with your holiday plans!

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.

Bake A “Flower” Bun

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breadroll 001

Almost got myself a bread maker.  The idea of smelling freshly baked bread from the moment I wake up at 6am in the morning is really tempting.  But I backed out last minute as I still like to style my breads in different shapes, like this “flower” shape bun baked in a 6 inch cake pan.  Well, at least $150 saved!

The recipe is the basic bread version from the book <<新手零失敗超手感麵包>>.  It wasn’t as fluffy as I thought it would be, given that the dough rose quite a bit.  I managed to finish it in a day with kaya and butter, but I think it will turn denser the next day. 

I like the book as it has other simple recipes such as stews, a soup, salads and some jam spreads that the author Backe actually serves at her homecafe in Japan.  How nice it is to enjoy food at a homecafe!

DIY – Calendar Makeover

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calendar makeover 001calendar makeover 008
My daughter likes the old school style daily calendar, while I use the tear off sheets for scribbling random notes.  These wall calendars are usually free, and the daily chinese horoscope and quotes makes a pretty interesting read from time to time.  But the auspicious “Gong Xi Fa Cai” red frame is starting to look dated after Chinese New Year, as if I am still leaving behind some CNY decoration in the house, long after the festive celebration is over.

So I updated it with a few simple items:
1) a very thick A4 cardboard wrapped with patterned paper as backing,
2) grey felt to cover the red metal frame, which I retain part of, as a tearing guide.
3) large white clip for design.

Here are some step-by-step photos that I took along the way :
calendar makeover001
(above) Original calendar design, I used a simple S-hook to hang it on the wall.  Not so nice.
calendar makeover 002
(above) Dismantle the calendar to separate the three components : calendar + screw and bolt + metal frame.
calendar makeover 003
(above) For brand new calendar, there is no need for this step.  But I have used this calendar for a few months, a big gap is left from the torn out section, so I cut the frame to retain just the front panel to use it as a tearing guide for the remaining months.
calendar makeover 004
(above) Align the grey felt over the metal tearing guide and poke a small hole on the felt over the calendar’s larger punch hole and slowly push the screw through the felt, metal sheet, and calendar.
calendar makeover 005
(above) The hole on the felt cannot be too big or the screw will simply go through it instead of binding the felt onto the calendar.
calendar makeover 006
(above) Mark the two spots on the thick cardboard where the calendar will be mounted on.  Poke a small hole and wrap the cardboard with decorative paper, make a small hole where the spots were marked earlier.  Push the screw through, and finally fasten with bolt.
calendar makeover 007
(above) How the calendar looks after completion.

Kimchi Spaghetti

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kimchi spaghetti 001 kimchi spaghetti 002

This kimchi pasta sauce is even easier to make than the usual tomato sauce, as it requires no simmering.  I pan fried some erynglii mushrooms to replace the meat in the original recipe, and cook everything under 20 minutes.  That’s my kind of instant noodles!

KIMCHI PASTA
ADAPTED FROM : NO RECIPES
INGREDIENTS
SERVING : 1

100g uncooked spaghetti
2 pieces eryngii mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ small yellow onion, chopped
½ cup chopped kimchi
1 teaspoon gochujang/korean hot pepper paste
1 tablespoon hot water
optional for garnishing : black sesame seeds and coriander leaves

METHOD

01. Cook spaghetti, al dente style, according to package instructions, drain and set aside.  I usually dump the cooked pasta back in its cooking pot that has been drained of liquid but still hot enough to keep the pasta warm.

02. Clean and pat dry eryngii mushrooms.  Slice each mushroom, cross section, into 4 pieces.  On a heated pan, place the mushroom slices and cook over medium heat.  Liquid will soon be released from the mushrooms as you cook, keep cooking till the liquid evaporates and when the bottom of the mushroom turns slightly charred, flip and repeat on the other side.  Remove from pan, set aside.  Wipe the pan dry, and use the same pan to cook the kimchi pasta next.

03. To make kimchi pasta sauce, heat olive oil in the pan, add chopped onions and cook till them turn soft and translucent.

04. Add chopped kimchi, and cook till fragrant.

05. Mix gochijang with hot water to dilute the sticky paste.  Pour in the mixture into the kimchi sauce.  Stir around to mix well.  If the kimchi sauce is on the dry side, add one or two tablespoons of water.

06. Add in the cooked spaghetti, and stir around to coat the pasta with the sauce well.

07. Transfer to serving plate, top with pan fried mushroom slices, and garnish with a dash of black sesame seeds and coriander leaves.  Enjoy!

DIY Journal Planner Printable – May 2015

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diy may 2015 journal template 001

With school exams around the corner, I should have prepare this planner printable earlier and double it as a study planner.  But some last minute chores delayed the printing till today.  I can’t wait for at least 10 months of this to be completed, and then I will bind them like this.

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 7), but with the booklet layout, I inserted a front and back cover page (Pg1, Pg8), 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.

 

Garlic Mushroom Pasta

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garlic mushroom pasta 001 garlic mushroom pasta 002

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.