Bridget is very pretty, but Dean you are an idiot. I hope you wake up and realize what a gem you are letting go soon.

Warning: This is an image heavy post!

It was my first time in years (since many many years ago) on a cruise ship - and first time on Royal Caribbean - and it definitely exceeded my expectations! Aside from the fantastic company I had (wink), there were fantastic (and virtually unlimited) food, entertainment, service and new experiences. Loved. It! And would very much like to be back there right at this very moment!

I'll let the pictures do most of the talking. Let's start with my favorite part: the food. Beginning with those from the Romeo & Juliet Dining Room, i.e. the formal dining room where ala carte dinners (and some breakfasts and lunches) are served.

And now, desserts!

Dona Manis Cake Shop's Banana Pie

Sis and I were first introduced to this to-drool-for beauty (and only $2 for a slice!) by my aunt last summer, when the three of us + Mom were in Katong for some munchies after Mom and I attended a wedding in the vicinity. This pie has a crumbly buttery crust, chunks of sweet soft banana, topped with a layer of shaved coconut and sprinkled with some chopped nuts. To die for. Really good. My sis is not a banana nor coconut fan, but she loves this - that's how good it is.

Dona Manis Cake Shop is somewhere on the B1 floor of Katong Shopping Centre. It's just a small bakery (not a walk-in) and you'd be able to spot the sign when you near it. Enjoy!

But well, all good things have to come to an end - and it's back to school tomorrow. While I have been dreading it (and I am most certain it has contributed to the worsening of my sickly condition), as always I still feel a tinge of excitement for the new semester. While school stresses me out - real bad at times - it's still somewhat of a comfort zone and I do (except for certain periods) enjoy it. Okay now please don't stone me when you see me on campus!

Cheerios. :)

2011, you have been a great year to me and will always be a very fond memory. Not only was it the year I turned 21 - the event made me realize how loved I am by those around me and how important they are to me - but also a year of fulfillment. I got to know the Phuas and while I didn't do too swell for the module that had initially led to it, I am really glad to have been able to spend time with them, become friends and help them out even just a little in raising funds for future medical expenses. Their motivation and spirit for life are so incredibly admirable. The past year also marked my greatest academic accomplishments in terms of my grades (though my CAP is still not Dean's List worthy, it still way better than I ever thought I'd be able to achieve). In 2011, I also came to several very important realizations. I now know what I'd really love to pursue in the future, and I also know who I'd love to be beside me in that future. While thought of the future still scares the crap out of me, knowing what I want - and that I've already got part of that - does help a lot.

Have a jolly new year, folks! And may 2012 be as delightful as 2011 was.

Cheers!

Before coming home with only one weekend left to savor and then I have classes all over again (insert painful groan) and the (possible) headache of trying to obtain my 6th module in Round 3A. Sigh.

Well, life goes on.

Have a great New Year's kiss when it strikes 2012, people! And don't drink and drive!

So when I saw the pineapple upside down cake recipe from Flour that involves making caramel and cooking fresh pineapple chunks in the caramel when was looking through my cookbooks for dessert choices for our family's Christmas Eve dinner, I decided to take a whack at it. My mom and I love pineapple, so we almost always have some fresh pineapple cut up and in the fridge. The recipe makes a 9'' cake, but at the time I only had sufficient pineapple chunks available for a 6'' cake, so I just added chocolate chips to the remaining butter cake batter and made them into chocolate chip muffins.

This is really pretty simple to make, actually! But, I think I might have either cooked the pineapple a tad too long, or perhaps the brand of pineapple wasn't the best to be cooked, because the pineapple chunks had a slightly bitter aftertaste - though my dad couldn't taste it for some reason. The cake was great though. The pineapple-infused syrup that soaked the top part of the butter cake made it so so awesome.

from Flour by Joanna Chang

1 pineapple

350g sugar, divided into 150g and 200g

120g water

86g softened unsalted butter, plus 114g, melted and cooled

140g AP flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs, room temperature

3 egg yolks, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

For the pineapple:

1. Using a serrated knife, peel, halve, and core the pineapple and then cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices. (I just used pineapple chunks that were already cut up by my mom and in the fridge)

2. Put 150g sugar in the bottom of a medium saucepan (preferably not with a dark non-stick surface because you need to watch the color). Add the water and gently swirl the pan to moisten the sugar.

3. Place the pan over high heat and leave it undisturbed until the contents come to a rolling boil. Then continue to boil rapidly without moving the pan until the sugar syrup starts to caramelize. This will take about 3-4 minutes: the sugar syrup will boil furiously; then as it thickens, it will boil more languidly; and then you will see some of the syrup start to color and darken around the edge of the pan.

4. When you see color in the pan, gently swirl the pan in a circular motion so the sugar caramelizes evenly, and then keep swirlig gently until the caramel is a medium golden brown.

5. Turn down the heat to low and whisk in the softened butter; be careful, as the caramel may sputter and steam.

6. Carefully add the pineapple and stir until it is coated with the caramel.

7. Turn up the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Then turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for 8-12 minutes, or until the pineapple turns golden brown. The pineapple will release juice and liquefy the caramel.

8. Using a fork, transfer the pineapple to a plate. Continue to boil the remaining liquid on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, or until thick and syrupy.

For the cake:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 176°C. Generously butter a 9 inch round cake pan. (I lined the bottom with parchment paper and buttered that too)

2. Add all of the pineapple and caramel syrup to the prepared pan, arranging in concentric circles and covering as much of the bottom of the pan as possible.

3. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and egg yolks until blended, then slowly whisk in remaining sugar, the vanilla and melted butter. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture until just well combined (no clumps).

4. Pour the batter evenly over the pineapple in the cake pan. Tap the pan gently on a countertop to get rid of any air bubbles in the batter and to make sure the batter fills in any crevices in the pineapple and settles into the bottom of the pan.

5. Bake for 50-60 minutes (it took about 35 minutes for the 6''), or until the top is golden brown and springs back when pressed in the middle with a fingertip.

6. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack until cool enough to handle.

7. Place a serving plate upside down on the top of the cake pan, then holding the pan and the plate tightly together, carefully invert them. Lift off the cake pan. If some of the pineapple sticks to the pan, remove and replace it in its place on top of the cake. Let the cake cool for at least another 30 minutes and then serve warm or at room temperature.

*This cake can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Enjoy!