Josh's First Violin Recital

At the end of every month, the kids at Josh's violin class are encouraged to give a recital together with the students from other music schools. I gave Josh my word that I will not share any videos of him performing until he can handle a 'real' song. He was kinda embarrassed 'cos he could only fiddle baby songs as he started taking lessons only 2 months ago.

 

Here are the photos to share.  

Josh playing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

" "Music has charms to sooth a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak." William Congreve  

Marshmallow Art

These insanely cute edible painted marshmallows are the creations of foodie and blogger Meaghan Mountford.

Who would've thunk?

Thanksgiving

Fall Showers

Picasso, le reve

Sand, Surf and Lawn



Spring

Harry Porter Series

Mustachioed Snowmen

Steamed Cod Chinese Style

Steaming is a healthy, no-fuss, no-mess method of preparing fish. Try this jiffy, mother-in-law-approved recipe.

Enjoy!

Preparation time:
Less than 15 minutes

Ingredients
300g white cod fillet
1 heaped tbsp julienned ginger
Sprigs of Chinese parsley for garnishing

Sauce:
1-2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce (optional)
a pinch of sugar
dash of pepper


2 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 tbsp cooking oil


Method
1. Preheat steamer.
2. Place fish on a platter and sprinkle ginger strips on fish.
3. Steam fish over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes. Do not oversteam or the meat will become tough and dry.
4. Meanwhile, heat oil in a sauce pan and fry garlic till golden brown. Turn off heat.Mix in sauce ingredients.
5. Once the fish is ready, remove from steamer and pour sauce over it.
6. Garnish with Chinese parsley and serve hot with rice.

Renaissance Portraits of Modern-day Celebrities

I totally love, love, love these post-worthy renaissance renderings of modern-day celebrities I received in an e-mail forward. Unfortunately, I can't find the artist who so deserves the credit for his/her brilliant creations.

Jennifer Aniston

Madonna

Eva Longoria

Drew Barrymore

Cher

Michael Jackson

Brad Pitt and Angeline Jolie

Julia Roberts

Sharon Stone

Dustin Hoffman

Dancing Squid - Could You Eat This!??

Seriously, can anyone stomach this? This is sooooo wrong. I've no qualms about eating squid but to watch my lunch doing a jig on my rice? Ughhhhhhh!! I'm freaking out just looking at this.

On googling, I learned that this is a controversial delicacy called Odori-don that literally translates as 'dancing squid' served in a restaurant in Hokkaido. Apparently, the squid is dead but the sodium in the soy causes neurons to fire, making the muscles twitch, creating the illusion of a resurrected squid.

Bon appétit!

Mochimochiland

Brooklyn knit guru, Anna Hrachovec, knits the cutest, littlest toys. Her insanely adorable itty-bitty knitted creations have been featured on The Martha Stewart Show, all around the web, and in print.
Visit Mochimochiland for knitting patterns that you can buy and download and print out yourself.

Amadillo

Vampire

Cow

French Fries

Kangaroo

Squid

Baby gators

Leprechaun

Skunk

Snails and Slugs

Mutt Mugs

Here's something for the dog lover in all of us. I found these enchanting handpainted mugs from Blue Witch Ceramics Inc, a family owned company founded in 2007 by Art Schuller and sister in-law Pomm Bunyakhet (Madame Pomm).

Chow Chow - Originates from China, and originally bred for herding, hunting, protection, and cart-pulling.

German Shepherd - A pastoral dog, the German Shepherd is loved the world over as a family pet.

Great Dane Harlequin - Shares the loyal, gentle characteristics of other Great Danes, but has a beautiful and distinctive colouration which is sometimes mistaken for a Dalmatian.

Greyhound - Known for its speed, and dating back as far as 4000 b.c.

Irish Wolfhound - The Irish Wolfhound is the tallest of all dogs, and was originally bred for hunting wolves and lions.

Maltese - With its dainty and luxurious appearance, the Maltese is lively and sweet-natured. Bred for companionship and originates from the island of Malta.

Pug - Ideal as a family pet, or as a watchdog, the Pug is outgoing, tough and charming. Originally bred in ancient China for royalty and companionship.

Poodle - From its roots as a retriever, the Poodle's distinctive look has made it famous around the world and is known to be an intelligent, and thoughtful breed.

Basset Hound - Laidback, affectionate and thrives on company.

Akita - The heavy-boned, thick-furred Akita is known for its loyalty and strong protective instinct. Akita means 'tender in heart, strong in strength'. Remember Hatchi, the Akita-ken who waited every day for 9 years at the train station until the last train for his master in the movie "Hachiko: A Dog's Story"?

More doggie mugs and pooch trivia @ Blue Witch

Light Painting

Light painting is a photographic technique in which a handheld light source is moved in a darkened room or at night and captured by long exposure photography.

Enjoy these images taken from rafoto's flickr photosteam