Home-ifying the Patch

When Jul came over to bake 2 Sundays ago, she said our flat looked really quite lived in. Big & I take that as a compliment. A home is not a home if it looks like a showflat.

Over the weekend (it was longer one for us as we were on leave Friday), we bought a couple more essentials, cooked 2 meals at the flat (not including breakfast), put up a clock, a small shelf and used the washing machine. We also ordered the shoe rack and a seat, and argued over whether Spooky should be confined when she's alone in the house next year.

At the same time, we seem to be embarking on some kind of personal mission to add little odds & ends to the place. It reminds me (rather embarrassingly) of what my ex-boss Charlene once said about how her shoe, bags & clothes collection grew & grew & grew when she moved to her new flat becos she had her own space, & there was no one to complain about her taking too much space. Oops.

Pumpkin cheesecake from the Pumpkin Patch

The Patch hosted its first official "gathering" over the weekend - a spurt of baking with 2 of Big's colleagues Jul & Lif, and my sister.

The idea actually begun in late Nov when Big & Jul went on a complimentary baking class at Shermay's school. They came back armed with a sheaf of recipes which called for some really posh ingredients like high quality nuts and honey and Valhorna chocolate and pumpkin puree. Big thought it would be fun to initiate the new oven by trying out some of the recipes at home. He especially wanted to try Pumpkin Cheesecake and Panforte, which is like an Xmas fruitcake of nuts, dried fruits and honey. Panforte was subsequently dropped from the list becos it is not easy to make, and Big thought it might be better to do in his own time. We decided to take on the simpler but popular all-time fav Choc Chip cookies instead.

So, we spent Sat running around Phoon Huat, Carrefour and Cold Storage snatching up baking equipment, and ingredients. Pumpkin puree was especially elusive. In the end. Big made his own puree from baked (and microwaved) butternut pumpkin. And we still missed out salt which had to be bought at the last minute by my sister.

In the midst of the mad rush, we also managed to grab a small cupboard for the master bedroom, a cheapo beanbag, a step ladder which can be used as a (rather high) stool, a magic floor cleaner (which, according to Big, I spent the whole of Sat night talking about - OMG I'm turning into my mother), and a fire extinguisher (don't ask).

Sun turned out to be a very fruitful day.

Big put up his country-styled shelf on the orange wall of the dining area. And plonked three tiny pots of cactus on it. Only to realise that he had chosen an orange cactus which of course blended neatly into the wall behind it...

The baking session was surprisingly accident-free, with the exception of one poor Pumpkin Cheesecake cup which decided to commit suicide flat on itz front. The oven is so air-tight that you can hardly smell anything baking. And it cools down rather quickly too.

So, we churned out, 24 Pumpkin Cheesecake - cup-cake style. And a nice number of Choc Chip and Pecan cookies, which, for some reason, were still bread-ish inside.

And I put together my magic floor wiper and tried it out immediately after we got it. Kinda like how Big takes his Transformers out of the box to play with right after he gets them. Talk about new toys.

Curious sights at home

Uncles bonding in the rainThere is a small grass patch in front of the block. Directly under our window. It's next to the playground, and belongs to the nursery downstairs. We've also seen senior citizens playing croquet (yes - croquet - so very Brit!) there. Last Sunday, two uncles were hanging out there. In the rain.

The Marine Parade community

We are under Uncle Goh's care. I've always had a soft spot for him. He was a very good PM, and from what I've heard, a very approachable amiable person. He's also my dad's old classmate from RI, and they always have something to chat about when they do meet.

So, although we don't get to vote, being under Uncle Goh's care has its perks. We have security cameras and monitors in the lifts and lift lobbies, the estate is relatively clean and pleasant, and there are quite a number of interesting activities. This Sunday flea market is one of them. The other is the very happening District Arts Festival whose collaterals really impressed me.

Dec - report card

The kitchen is almost done. The baking oven is in, and we inherited some nice plates and stuff, and a cutlery set from Big's aunt - all un-used. We're just waiting to turn on the fridge and pick up baking stuff.

The 'bots moved in even before we did. Shows who's the priority here, doesn't it?

A surprise visitor

We've had both sets of parents and siblings dropping by. We're planning for baking spree with some of Big's colleagues, and a house-warming of sorts for his office nearer the New Year. I'm hoping to get the Ecosystem and Capris in Jan as well.

But we had a surprise visitor even before the parents came by.

This is my friend Spot.