I like to use sugar in my coffee and tea (sometimes) but don’t want to run the risk of getting diabetes, so this is a great alternative to Eq*ual and Swee*t N Lo. I haven’t tried it but have had some feedback that it’s better. This weekend we’re gonna get some at the grocery store.

What’s On your computer desk Right Now?

Right now, I’m at work but I’ll talk about my computer desk at home. It’s technically not MY computer desk. I share it with Mike, my husband. We have an iMac and a PC on the desk, our HP printer/scanner/fax, our mousepads, the mice, pens, napkins (for when we eat there), coasters, Wi-Fi router, modem, keyboards, a Victoria magazine and crumbs.

Last evening for dinner, I made my own pasta sauce. I cut up a couple slices of lean bacon (what an oxymoron!), smashed a couple of cloves of garlic, opened a big can of diced tomatoes and a tin of chopped clams (we ran out of tuna). Render the bacon till semi-crisp, add in the garlic and some chili flakes. When the garlic starts to brown, add in clams to mix well, then pour in the tomatoes. By this time your kitchen should be smelling great. Let it marry and simmer for about 10 minutes. To thicken the sauce, put in about 2 tbsp of tomato paste. Add to cooked pasta (we used fettucine) and top with grated parmesan & parsley.

I have a question and I need opinions from you: When is the best time of the year to look for a job? In Singapore where I come from, the good time when there is a lot of movement is right after the annual bonuses are paid. Is it like that here too?

I was checking out the teapots I blogged about some weeks back and found this new set. Isn’t the set just cute? I wish it would come in their wonderful colors. But white is quite lovely too.

While the beautiful sunsets at the beach were worth catching, I had to pay for it by letting sandflies bite my ankles and legs. I have been itching for days now and Go*ld Bond is not good enough for me. At night, to sleep I have to take allergy meds to prevent me from staying up scratching. This morning, I found relief in my Euky Bearub*. It is mainly to help chest congestions but at the bottom of its list of applications, it stated that it would help minor insect bites. The wonderful concoction of eucalyptus oil and other ingredients soothed me beyond words. I will be reapplying this throughout the day. Ahhhh….

(This is not found easily in the US, Cindy bought 2 tubes for me and sent it here, thanks dearie!)

My morning consumption habits vary…sometimes, I would go on a cereal hiatus and I have been for a while… I would resort to all other forms of breakfast foods instead of cereal. But last night, I went out to the store and decided to try Kell*og’s Low Fat Granola with Raisin. Just a few minutes ago, I almost swallowed a rock-hard piece of granola! Yikes! I can tell that it’s granola and not some strange African beetle that got trapped in it but man, that was some hard piece of oat/nut combo!

Anyhow, I do like the flavor of the granola – not too sweet and most of it is chewable. Off to work now!

For a quick dinner last evening, we made Tom Yam Glass Noodles. In a sauce pan of water, we added 2 Knorr Tom Yam cubes (you can find these at Asian grocery stores), a couple of DoDo Prawn balls, and a bunch of sliced napa cabbage. Once the frozen prawn balls floated to the surface, we added some fish sauce to taste. Then in we popped 2 bunches of glass noodles. Once those turned soft, we scooped it all up into bowls. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Great hearty and quick meal.

Last night, Mike and I watched Il Postino on DVD and enjoyed it very much. It is the story about Pablo Neruda and his postman. I’ve enjoyed the passionate poetry of Neruda for a while now and I wanted to share this with you:

And it was at that age...Poetry arrived
in search of me. I don't know, I don't know where
it came from, from winter or a river.
I don't know how or when,
no, they were not voices, they were not
words, nor silence,
but from a street I was summoned,
from the branches of night,
abruptly from the others,
among violent fires
or returning alone,
there I was without a face
and it touched me. - Pablo Neruda