The end is near. One month left! Okay, less than a month since I finish exams on 25th rather than 29th...
The weekend has been ridiculous. I surprised myself by reading and understanding ALL (actually except one) the chapters of ECON326.. I totally went through the lectures in the past 2 months in a daze and had totally no idea what was going on...
And I have finally caught up! YAY! And I don't feel like dying yet, which is a terribly good sign.
DON'T GIVE UP!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Lemon Sugar Cookies!
Lemon Sugar Cookies
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup solid vegetable shortening
2 eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Additional granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 350 F and grease baking sheets. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In large mixer bowl, beat sugar and shortening until fluffy, beat in eggs. Stir in dry ingredients, then lemon juice. Mix well. Drop onto prepared baking sheets, 2" apart. Sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
2. I skipped the salt.
3. I replaced the shortening with canola oil. I think it works with butter as well, and it will just be richer.
4. Don't see the need to sprinkle additional sugar as it is already sweet enough.
5. I halved the recipe.
Result: Rather sweet, but still cookie-like. SUCCESS!
The sugar and oil mixture, looks like sorbet.
At first the sight of the dough scared me cos it looked so dry, but it was also very greasy when I moulded it with my hands..
I baked off 2 large ones for about 10 minutes and it turned out cake-y, maybe not long enough.. And then I proceeded to bake off 12 small ones, and they turned out great!!
Froze the rest of the dough for another time..
Ta-da!! Enjoy!
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup solid vegetable shortening
2 eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Additional granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 350 F and grease baking sheets. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In large mixer bowl, beat sugar and shortening until fluffy, beat in eggs. Stir in dry ingredients, then lemon juice. Mix well. Drop onto prepared baking sheets, 2" apart. Sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Changes I made:
2. I skipped the salt.
3. I replaced the shortening with canola oil. I think it works with butter as well, and it will just be richer.
4. Don't see the need to sprinkle additional sugar as it is already sweet enough.
5. I halved the recipe.
Result: Rather sweet, but still cookie-like. SUCCESS!
The sugar and oil mixture, looks like sorbet.
At first the sight of the dough scared me cos it looked so dry, but it was also very greasy when I moulded it with my hands..
I baked off 2 large ones for about 10 minutes and it turned out cake-y, maybe not long enough.. And then I proceeded to bake off 12 small ones, and they turned out great!!
Froze the rest of the dough for another time..
Ta-da!! Enjoy!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Deprived Children
A thought occured to me.
If my future husband is also an only child, and if we have children, those poor children will have NO cousins, NO aunts and uncles..
Like that how can?!?!?
Note to self: If I am getting married, better marry someone with SOME siblings rather than NO siblings. =)
*That is, if I am even planning on getting married in the first place.*
If my future husband is also an only child, and if we have children, those poor children will have NO cousins, NO aunts and uncles..
Like that how can?!?!?
Note to self: If I am getting married, better marry someone with SOME siblings rather than NO siblings. =)
*That is, if I am even planning on getting married in the first place.*
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Short-term goals
Time flies. The final exam of the course will be just in a month. To help you prepare well for the final, I have posted two sets of sample questions for the final exam and their solutions. See the examination section on this page.
Wah, thanks ar ECON326 prof. Exactly a month. Great reminder. 25 April will be my last final exam! ECON326, no less. Then I will be free!
Thanks to an email from the English department and Ryan's updates on the latest technology, I have formed myself an achievable goal. Hopefully it can be done! I can only rely on myself to do it.
If it does, it will be a dream come true. Apart from the dream mentioned in a previous post, this has been a goal which I have set out to attain at the end of last year, or at the beginning of this year. But this goal is different from the goal mentioned in the above paragraph.
So if you are following me closely (or rather getting lost), there are 2 specific goals stated in this entry. Which means I now have 1 dream to fulfill and 2 goals to attain.
I never considered myself to be a goal-oriented person. NEVER. But now, I want to work hard and these 2 goals are my top priority now. I hope to come back in a few months and be able to say, "I DID IT!"
Wish me luck.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Oops!
Oops. Was my roommate tweaking her heater or was she having sex?
I started hearing these banging and tweaking noises from my heater and they seemed to be coming from her room.
I thought she was fiddling with it but it went on for a long time.
I knocked on her door to ask if her heater was giving her problems.
Nobody answered the door. Only heard her letting out a giggle.
There's a dude in there.
OOPS. SORRY!
I started hearing these banging and tweaking noises from my heater and they seemed to be coming from her room.
I thought she was fiddling with it but it went on for a long time.
I knocked on her door to ask if her heater was giving her problems.
Nobody answered the door. Only heard her letting out a giggle.
There's a dude in there.
OOPS. SORRY!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Chocolate Tax 0_0
Scottish doctor urges "fat tax" on chocolate
Thu Mar 19, 2009 11:54am EDT
By David Brough
LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Scottish doctors came within a whisker of passing a motion calling for a "fat tax" on chocolate last week, and the doctor behind the move said chocolate was a root cause of increasing obesity.
"Certainly the U.S. and the UK are affected by rising levels of obesity," David Walker, a family doctor in Airdrie, western Scotland, who proposed the motion, said.
"If the British government is serious, they should tax chocolate in the same way as they tax alcohol," he said in a telephone interview.
Walker said on Wednesday that Britain had witnessed almost a doubling of cases of type 2 diabetes, which is linked to obesity, in the past 15 years.
In Scotland, nearly one in four people are obese, he added.
He said British people's fondness for chocolate must explain in part the growing obesity problem, because chocolate is high in calories, fat and sugar.
Chocolate was one of a number of factors, including growing affluence and more sedentary lifestyles, that had contributed to Britain's fatter society, Walker said.
The Scottish doctors' conference in Glasgow on March 12 defeated the motion to tax chocolate by just two votes.
Walker's call attracted vigorous debate in the national media as healthy lifestyle becomes an increasingly hot topic.
The UK Food and Drink Federation, the voice of the companies in the sector, lambasted Dr Walker's message.
"Introducing regressive taxes on the foods that consumers love would result only in lighter wallets, not smaller waists -- particularly as we already have to pay VAT on all our chocolate purchases," said Julian Hunt, director of communication.
"While good for grabbing headlines, there is no evidence to suggest that such 'fat taxes' would actually work in reality."
Walker said the positive health benefits of chocolate, such as the antioxidants in dark chocolate, which cut risks of cardiovascular disease, are counterbalanced by chocolate's contribution to obesity due to its high calories.
"Chocolate should be treated with respect -- it should be treated as a luxury item, a special treat," Walker said.
"It should be eaten quite infrequently."
Walker said he admitted to feeling guilt over the impact a chocolate tax might have on impoverished West African cocoa farmers if demand for chocolate fell.
"That is certainly something that has pricked my conscience," Walker said.
"It would take a very brave government to tax chocolate," he added.
Wei, CANNOT! How am I gonna live?!?!?!?! Hahahaha. Sigh, okay la fine, should cut down on chocolate. I wonder how much weight I'll lose if I stop eating chocolate? :D
Thu Mar 19, 2009 11:54am EDT
By David Brough
LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Scottish doctors came within a whisker of passing a motion calling for a "fat tax" on chocolate last week, and the doctor behind the move said chocolate was a root cause of increasing obesity.
"Certainly the U.S. and the UK are affected by rising levels of obesity," David Walker, a family doctor in Airdrie, western Scotland, who proposed the motion, said.
"If the British government is serious, they should tax chocolate in the same way as they tax alcohol," he said in a telephone interview.
Walker said on Wednesday that Britain had witnessed almost a doubling of cases of type 2 diabetes, which is linked to obesity, in the past 15 years.
In Scotland, nearly one in four people are obese, he added.
He said British people's fondness for chocolate must explain in part the growing obesity problem, because chocolate is high in calories, fat and sugar.
Chocolate was one of a number of factors, including growing affluence and more sedentary lifestyles, that had contributed to Britain's fatter society, Walker said.
The Scottish doctors' conference in Glasgow on March 12 defeated the motion to tax chocolate by just two votes.
Walker's call attracted vigorous debate in the national media as healthy lifestyle becomes an increasingly hot topic.
The UK Food and Drink Federation, the voice of the companies in the sector, lambasted Dr Walker's message.
"Introducing regressive taxes on the foods that consumers love would result only in lighter wallets, not smaller waists -- particularly as we already have to pay VAT on all our chocolate purchases," said Julian Hunt, director of communication.
"While good for grabbing headlines, there is no evidence to suggest that such 'fat taxes' would actually work in reality."
Walker said the positive health benefits of chocolate, such as the antioxidants in dark chocolate, which cut risks of cardiovascular disease, are counterbalanced by chocolate's contribution to obesity due to its high calories.
"Chocolate should be treated with respect -- it should be treated as a luxury item, a special treat," Walker said.
"It should be eaten quite infrequently."
Walker said he admitted to feeling guilt over the impact a chocolate tax might have on impoverished West African cocoa farmers if demand for chocolate fell.
"That is certainly something that has pricked my conscience," Walker said.
"It would take a very brave government to tax chocolate," he added.
Wei, CANNOT! How am I gonna live?!?!?!?! Hahahaha. Sigh, okay la fine, should cut down on chocolate. I wonder how much weight I'll lose if I stop eating chocolate? :D
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Culinary Complaint
I would certainly like to think that my culinary skills exceed those of my peers exponentially.
At least I can cook smooth velvety mashed potatoes. Not like lumpy goop looking ones.
At least I know how to marinate a steak. I do not know how we ended up with old tough non-crusty non-golden-brown steak. I don't know if I can actually cook it, since I haven't tried. But I've seen everyone else around me do it all the time. I would like to try.
Don't mind me, I'm feeling a tad bitter. Just bitter that I didn't get a ride home.
At least I can cook smooth velvety mashed potatoes. Not like lumpy goop looking ones.
At least I know how to marinate a steak. I do not know how we ended up with old tough non-crusty non-golden-brown steak. I don't know if I can actually cook it, since I haven't tried. But I've seen everyone else around me do it all the time. I would like to try.
Don't mind me, I'm feeling a tad bitter. Just bitter that I didn't get a ride home.
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