Fatigue is Here

Diposting oleh good reading on Sabtu, 31 Maret 2012

I had a good week- I managed to stay busy enough. I checked everything off my to-do list (pretty much anyway). I walked a lot of hilly miles. I did a bunch of cooking; some things were successful (I finally made a really good batch of mujadara- lentils and rice with carmelized onions) and some not so much (raspberry coconut macaroons- great when they came out of the oven but a mushy mess the next day, ick). We had a chance to catch up with some of my colleagues from work last night and that was great. After years of seeing them everyday of the school year, I miss seeing them everyday. Oh, and the colleague who hosted has two of the cutest little dogs! Made me want another dog (not what we need, but...).

There were a couple of gifts from students for me yesterday. One was a gorgeous flower arrangement from a former student and teaching assistant and the other was...wait for it.... a saber toothed tiger tooth! He was given the tooth as a gift and lent it to a friend who had cancer and that friend recovered, so he's lending it to me now! I'll be fighting this crap like a saber toothed tiger now! Seriously though, all my interactions with students and parents have been so supportive and sweet, I am really touched. Thank you!

Keith and I saw a psychologist who specializes in helping cancer patients and their families. It was a little weird and really draining, but I like her a lot and I think in the long run it will be a really good thing. I made another appointment to see her around the time I'll be getting my follow up brain MRI because I'll (we'll) be anxious about the results. It is a weird thing though, by the end of it we both left feeling like we've been doing a pretty good job of coping without any professional help so far.

That sums up the week, then came Saturday...I slept ok, got up and finished making the bagels I started yesterday (it was fun to try making them, but I'm not sure it is worth the hassle), ate a yummy breakfast of FRESH bagels and lox and promptly fell asleep on the couch. I proceeded to spend most of the day dozing and watching throw-away TV. It was a nice lazy day, but geez!?!? I finally got up and did a couple errands with Keith and at 7pm (in the rain, ugh) I took Red for a short walk. I think the fatigue they kept telling me I'd have might be here. We'll see how tomorrow goes.

My sister is coming out on Monday, so that'll be fun. I won't have to work at staying busy next week because we'll figure something out. I have appointments on Tuesday (oncologist) and Wednesday (hearing test and ENT - finally!!!), but the rest of the time we'll have fun relaxing and eating food she can't find back home.

I will say that other than being lazy, I'm feeling good. I've been off steroids for almost a week. No real change in the moon face yet, that'll take a month they say. I don't have any real headaches. I think my legs are getting stronger and I'm sleeping better.
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Azkend 2 - The World Beneath

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Journey through the center of the Earth on a fantastic adventure in Azkend 2 - The World Beneath, a captivating ride to remember.
While traveling from Liverpool to New York, your ship was pulled down into the sea by a massive whirlpool. The end seems all but sure yet you open your eyes in astonishment and gaze upon a fantastic world never before seen by the likes of men. It's a magical world with many unbelievable possibilities, but your desire remains to find a way out and make it back home.
Hop aboard and take this fantastic voyage that will fill you with a sense of awe, excitement, and even moments of serenity. Play enchanting Match 3 chain levels as you explore a magnificent world in hopes of finding the exit. Equip nine active and nine passive power-ups throughout your challenges and earn more than a dozen achievements. With three game modes, an amazing soundtrack, and gorgeous animated scenery, the world beneath will leave you breathless.
 

Game Size 47  MB

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The Secret of Margrave Manor Remastered

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The Secret of Margrave Manor: Remastered brings Edwina's first escapade back more beautifully than ever before! This classic hidden object adventure game is set in a spooky old manor house in the English countryside - you assume the role of Edwina Margrave, trying to find your grandfather who went missing in mysterious circumstances 10 years ago.
Your only clues to his whereabouts are scattered around the Manor. It is your job to collect and decipher the clues by searching the manor room by room to uncover its secrets and discover your family's forgotten past.

Game Size 104  MB

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Life Quest 2 - Metropoville

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Move to Metropoville and begin a 12 step Life Quest program! Find a new rewarding career in this incredible Strategy game! Upgrade your vehicle, purchase a pet, and even find true love as you move up the social ladder. Go from rags to riches and complete challenging quests and difficult objectives to earn cash that you can invest in yourself! Race around Metropoville taking important classes, working awesome jobs, and enjoying your day in Life Quest 2: Metropoville!

Game Size 117  MB

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House of 1000 Doors The Palm of Zoroaster Collectors Edition

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A cursed gem that has left a trail of smoldering bodies in its wake is threatening the residents of the House of 1,000 Doors, prompting the head of the mystical dwelling, Gabriel, to once again summon Kate Reed to its aid. Guide Kate as she searches Tibet, Jerusalem, Madagascar and more for the artifacts that can break the power of the gem, solve a massive array of cleverly designed puzzles and find hundreds of ingeniously hidden objects. Production values that rival the quality of theatrically released animated 3D films and superbly performed voiceovers will draw you into this story of supernatural intrigue, unbounded adventure and sweeping scope. The House needs you. Will you answer its call?
The Collector's Edition of House of 1,000 Doors: The Palm of Zoroaster comes with concept art, dazzling desktop wallpapers, a step-by-step walkthrough and a captivating bonus chapter that lays bare the mysterious past of Gabriel.

Game Size 502  MB

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something chocolaty

Diposting oleh good reading on Jumat, 30 Maret 2012

It was one of those mornings when I decided that I should bake something chocolaty...


and, it has to be that classic chocolate cake that I have bookmarked for weeks. Never mind that I do not own a 15cm round pan, I can do with ramekins. Never mind that I do not have rum, I can do with vanilla extract, to me, it's no rum no harm ;)


Preparing the batter was just like making a chiffon cake...even the ingredients used is identical...

Just 15mins into baking, the cake rose beautifully in the individual ramekins. They puffed up real nice and climbed well over the rim. It was an admirable achievement considering the fact that the ramekins were barely 3/4 filled with batter.

Alas, what goes up would eventually come down (except my age and my weight!)...those little cakes started to sink the minute they were out of the oven. What were once muffin-like domes came crashing down...by the time they were completely cooled off, the cake pulled away from the sides of the ramekin and there were cracks here and there. Unlike the usual classic chocolate cake I have made many times before, there was no sight of nice flaky crusts :_(


It's always good to have some berries in your fridge (I wrapped the berries with kitchen paper towels before storing them in air tight containers, it helps to keep them stay fresh for extra few more days). They are lifesavers when it comes to dressing up a 'not-so-appealing' dessert made by 'some unqualified, self-taught home baker', meaning me! Plus the magical power of icing sugar, these little cakes were ugly ducklings no more.


The sunken centre serves as a great nest for the berries! Oh, if you do not have berries, but happen to have a tub of ice cream in your freezer, I am sure a scoop or two of your favorite ice cream will fit in perfectly!


Now, it's time to dig in...

Do not expect a soft centre as it is not a molten cake (something which I will bake the next time I crave for something chocolaty)...the texture is excellent for what it is meant to be...a classic chocolate cake! Lighter and not as fudgy as brownies, but denser and so rich in flavour that no chocolate sponge cake or chiffon cake could match it. I will use the adjective yummilicious to describe its taste...according to Urban Dictionary, 'when food is so more than yummy and beyond delicious so it is yummilicious'. Well, but that is IMOHO since taste is something so subjective.

The only thing that I am proud of myself from this little baking episode of mine...was to be able to take the last picture without any help. The picture was taken with my right hand holding on to the camera, while I held the spoon with my left hand, with the spoon turned at an angle so that it faced the camera lens, I know, it is hard to imagine! I had to cross my hands so that my right could rest on my left to steady the camera, and, all the time trying to keep the spoon as steady as possible. Any photographers' toes would be laughing out loud if anyone of them caught me doing such an acrobatic act, lol! Even though the effect was not what I had expected...the spoon didn't really stand out...but seriously, I think I should give myself a pat on my shoulder, at least, for the effort :)



Sunken Chocolate Cake (法式巧克力蛋糕)

Ingredients:
(makes one 15cm cake, or about 4 ramekins(6 oz size))

50g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
60g unsalted butter
40g caster sugar
40g egg yolks (about 2 yolks from large eggs)
5ml rum (I replace with pure vanilla extract)
35g cake flour
15g cocoa powder

70g egg whites (about 2 whites from large eggs)
40g caster sugar

icing sugar for dusting


Method:
  1. Melt dark chocolate and butter in a saucepan over very very Low heat. Remove from heat. Let cool.
  2. Line the bottom of a 15cm round pan (with removable base) with parchment paper. Grease and flour the sides. If using ramekins, grease the inside with butter, set aside.
  3. Separate egg whites from egg yolks when the eggs are still cold from the fridge. (It's easier to separate eggs while they are cold). Sift together flour and cocoa powder, set aside.
  4. With a manual whisk, whisk egg yolks with the caster sugar, till the mixture turns pale, becomes thick and creamy (takes about a couple of mins). Add in the melted chocolate/butter mixture. Whisk till well mixed. Add in rum (or vanilla extract), whisk till combined.
  5. Add in flour mixture and fold gently with a spatula. Set aside.
  6. In a clean, dry mixing bowl, beat egg whites with a handheld electric mixer on high speed until mixture becomes frothy and foamy. Add the caster sugar in 3 separate additions, beat well after each addition. Continue to beat until the egg whites reaches the soft peak stage. The soft peak stage is reached when the peaks of the whites curl over and droop slightly. The egg whites should appear smooth and glossy. (Do not over beat the whites still stiff, it is better to beat the whites still soft peaks for easy folding with the yolk batter.)
  7. Add the egg white to the egg yolk mixture in 3 separate addition. Each time, fold in gently with a spatula, making sure all the egg whites are incorporated into the batter, take care not to deflate the batter. (Note: finished batter should be thick and flows like lava when pouring.)
  8. Pour batter into the prepared cake pan or ramekins (fill up to about 3/4 full). Tap the cake pan/ramekins gently on tabletop a few times to release any trapped bubbles in the batter. 
  9. Bake at 160 degC for 15 mins, turn down the heat to 140 degC and continue to bake for another 10 ~ 15 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumb. Do not over bake. 
  10. Remove from oven. If using ramekins, leave them to cool. If using cake pan, leave it in the pan for about 5mins. Unmould and let cool, right side up (do not invert) on wire rack. Decorate cake with berries (optional). The cake is best eaten at room temperature. If stored in fridge, bring the cake to room temperature (to soften) before serving.
Recipe source: 最適合新手的点心烘焙入门 by 隈部美千代
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happy WEEKEND

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HAPPY WEEKEND
love 
the Mana girls
xxxx
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Shiver - Poltergeist Collectors Edition

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After inheriting a manor in England, you begin to explore the Kangale Estate and discover its history in Shiver: Poltergeist! Ricardo Chellini’s life is incredibly dull and full of repetitive tasks that leave him unfulfilled. One day, however, he receives a letter informing him that he’s the sole heir to an incredible manor in England. Travel with Ricardo to his new estate and discover its terrifying history in Shiver: Poltergeist, an incredible Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!


Game Size 498  MB

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Ghost Encounters - Deadwood

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The town of Deadwood is being terrorized by the ghost of a murderous outlaw in Ghost Encounters: Deadwood! Break Blackjack’s evil curse and save the day while enjoying the incredible Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure gameplay. After killing 21 men while he was alive, Blackjack is back to kill many more! Grave robbers have unleashed a phantom curse and condemned the entire town. One by one the townsfolk are dropping dead and now it’s up to you to save them in Ghost Encounters: Deadwood!
Final Version!
Game Size 283  MB

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Chicken Invaders 4: Easter Edition

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They came without warning, squawking menacingly, and their ruffled feathers darkening the sun. Invading intergalactic chickens, out to punish humanity for our oppression of their earthly brethren. You instantly knew what had to be done. You dropped your half-eaten chicken burger and jumped into your cockpit. With a greasy finger you set your lasers to "extra crispy" and blasted off to intercept the fowl invaders. But your greatest adventure was yet to come... 

Game Size 24  MB

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Phenomenon - City of Cyan

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Help Monica uncover the secrets and tragedies of her childhood in Phenomenon: City of Cyan! 20 years ago a dangerous experiment destroyed most of Cyan City and turned many of the citizens into strange creatures. Explore the deserted city, overcome supernatural enemies, and find powerful allies on your quest to find out what happened to Monica’s parents in this fantastic Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game. 

Game Size 307  MB

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