Muchos Mexican Bar & Restaurant

Mexican for dinner after some last minute Christmas shopping last week. Muchos from Clarke Quay opened a new restaurant at Plaza Singapura.

Abstaining from alcohol as its a bad idea to be drunk in the middle of the Christmas crowds and the taxi stand queue is a mile long.

Taquitos, my favourite mexican food that is also sold at 7-11 next to the hot dogs.

I ordered a mixed basket to sample the food and the wings are fiery good. 

The specialty here is Tostados that is delicious with a little of everything in it.

Online Post Christmas Shopping

More baking stuff on sale from Groupon, Betty Crocker's 100 piece Cake Decorating Kit for just S$10. I have heard good reviews for this product from as far back as the 70s so you know this classic works. Cookie Press Kit costs just $15. 

I also bought a Lekue Macaron set as it was a Christmas edition with extra recipes and a free gift. Hey, its pretty difficult to match up both sides of a macaron especially when it's anything but a circle.

Post Christmas Shopping

Christmas ornaments and themed items go on sale on Boxing Day. I wonder around looking for bargains and items I want for next year but thought twice about buying any as the queues are phenomenal. I did stop by Accessorize to pick up some cute stuff at half price.

Lunched at TWG as their festive menu is still available. Crab Mille Feuille for starters.

Quail stuffed with foie gras.

Orange Chocolate Cake for dessert with an amazing iced tea called Silver Festive Nights I think.

Pre Christmas Shopping

Put on my gold Pradas for a bit of last minute shopping, mainly because I have some vouchers left. Spotlight was giving out free Christmas recipes and craft projects as tearaways in-store and a 40% discount on my purchase. It's Christmas items also go on sale 2 weeks before Christmas and disappears immediately after that. No wonder I never get in on this sale.

So I bought a book of scrapbooking paper and ribbons. Great for making small gift boxes and wrapping smaller presents.

I can't believe how cute this is! Disney themed ribbons S$3.99. I was soo tempted to snatch up the entire batch. Actually I took half of what they had, I left some for the next person.

Christmas baking supplies. It's a little late, I know. But on sale, I can use them next year. Including an edible ink pen that is ridiculously hard to find, and Spotlight only has red color left.

Revisiting old favorites, Secret Recipe's award winning lamb shank stew with a butter bun. I love butter!

LVMH Cheval Blanc

Cheval Blanc is a French Ski Resort owned by the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy group and the powerhouse is due to open more hotels around the world soon. Expect Michelin starred meals, butler service and understated luxury served contemporary style. 

Oohh, did I mention an in-house Guerlain spa? Guerlain is one of the brands owned by LVMH. Skiing is once again a rich man's sport.

Dairy Appliances

Most of us purchase dairy products from the supermarket. But if you live near or on a dairy farm, these tools come in really handy. Fresh milk needs to be pasteurized before it can be drunk and if you have a little more, you can make yogurt, cheese and even butter.

Yogurt Makers S$80 are really popular with alpha moms. You also need yogurt starters or some sort of cultures to get started. So you mix heated milk with these packets of powdery yogurt starters and leave it in jars inside a yogurt maker overnight. Wake up the next morning to firm curd that you can mix with fruit, honey, granola or blend into milkshakes. 

Cusipro cream cheese maker S$20 is essentially a strainer but you will appreciate the convenience once you start. Leave regular yogurt in the strainer for a day in the fridge to make creamy cheese. Spreadable on toast and easily mixed into cheesecake filling.

If you like, you can make your own cheese from milk, preferably unpasteurized. You can buy cheese making kits online but it's essentially citric acid, thermometer and cheese cloth. Takes several hours and some arm work with the wringing but you get fresh homemade cheese.

I learned how to make butter from Barney the purple dinosaur, you put milk in a jar and shake it. Similar kits are sold online but I think that takes several hours before milk is churned into butter. Farms use large butter churners and smaller versions (like below) are sold to domestic artisans who want to make their own butter, available in either manual crank or electrical.

Cream is derived from milk and farms usually put fresh milk direct from the cows/goats into large vats to let the cream settle before separating it off. To speed up the separation process, you can purchase milk cream separators either manual or electrical.

Ice Cream Makers use cream that I covered in an earlier post, and so do soft serve machines. Soo many options for cold treats these days.

Christmas Day 2012

Christmas presents haul from my friends and family. This is my favorite part of the holidays.

Carolina Herrera Chic Eau de Parfum 50ml dressed up in a limited edition red leather wrap. I love perfume gifts. This is a light musky scent that I have run out of, previously used Gucci Envy. Great for lounging around and nights out with the girls.

Face Shop tissue masks and sleeping cream mask from my cousin Sylvia, wrapped in the cutest Rilakkuma teddy bear wrapping paper. That little teddy bear is popping up everywhere these days.

Presents from my sweet CHIJ friends, a homemade 2013 calendar of Shan's baby girl expertly shot by a true professional. A handmade glass art bracelet that fits me perfectly, one-of-a-kind like me. Nail strengtheners are practical and I use a lot of it as natural nails tend to chip. 

A set of Asian themed scrapbooking papers from my Aunt, how did she know I didn't have any Asian paper sets yet? Now I can use up the Japanese stickers I bought from Takashimaya. My aunt also included potpourri with organic fragrance oils and a calendar with real pressed flowers from Care Channels a non-profit charity organization that supports children in conflict areas in Philippines.

More scrapbooking kits and tape dispenser from my sister for my new hobby.

Cartoon thermos flask, one to add to my growing collection. I always receive cups/flasks every year and this year is no exception :) I just broke my teapot before leaving the house for a Christmas party *grumpz* now I have to buy another one. Good thing tomorrow's boxing day.

Christmas presents from Betty! A calendar composed from pictures she took of her travels and a Kate Spade wallet in a bright cheery red with spades all over it. Spades design on a Kate Spade wallet, get it?! I love poker card designs, it looks soo Alice in Wonderland. Gonna use it for CNY.

OK, that is it. I didn't post the food items I got like chocolates, tea and biscuits as I was busy eating it up. Until next year folks!

Christmas Eve 2012

Took some photos as I was shopping along Orchard Road the last month.

Not exactly great shots but you get the general idea.

And more freebies from shopping centres, lucky draws and live Christmas music.

Not forgetting my friends in America, I ordered cases of wine from Virginwines.com to be delivered to their place. Courtesy of vouchers from Barnes and Noble, I got a $100 discount on each case of 12 bottles that comes with another 3 free bottles of Malbec. Shipping and taxes amount to USD$30.

The website says the wines picked are handcrafted (that I like) and award winning (good stuff). I did a quick price check and these bottles do retail for at least S$40 each, a really great value especially to know the wine is already discounted on this website. Just hope my recipients like it too.

Chanel Books

The Story of Coco Chanel is soo legendary that everyone has heard it and many authors have written about it. You can even catch the movie versions, the most recent being "Coco before Chanel" starring Audrey Tautou. So my recommendations here cover just the luxury labels work.

"Chanel" a 3 book series on fashion, fine jewellery and perfume by luxury publisher Assouline. It comes in a limited edition tweed case for USD $2,500 or a beautiful quilted Chanel case (pic above) for USD $550. But, fret not as Assouline has kindly released a cheaper version (pic below) that retails for USD $50.

"Chanel collections and creations" by Daniele Bott, is a summary of Chanel's iconic works with previously unpublished photos and drawings by Karl Lagerfield. It's Chanel in a nutshell for USD $40.

There have been many publications on Chanel's jewelry over the years. The latest is "Jewelry by Chanel" by Patrick Mauries, published this year 2012 and retails for USD $100. It celebrates 80 years of Chanel jewellery in full colour. One to add to your book collection.

"Chanel the vocabulary of style" by Jerome Gautier talks about the clothes which is what Chanel is all about. A prolific study of the fabrics, ingenuity and passion that will sit well with fashion students and fans of the brand, USD $100.

Valentino Books

"Valentino: Themes and Variations" published in 2008, the year Garavani Valentino retired. It shows the culmination of 45 years of haute couture from the house of Valentino under it's namesake creative director.

If you are feeling lazy, just watch the DVD of Valentino's last collection, that iconic red dress and the personal life of Valentino Garavani in "Valentino: The Last Emperor". Also released in 2008.

Taschen Publishers released a monograph on Valentino in 2007. What's noteworthy is the art edition of this book is limited to 100 copies and comes in a box set with 4 prints of original drawings from Valentino authenticated with a stamp on the back. The art edition retails for S$ 6,000.