F for Fashion reconstruction #27

This Fashion reconstruction project is a replication of FR #16 and FR #21.


It is also the last of the series of blouses which I bought in Hong Kong sometime in 2011, in 3 different colours altogether ~ red, green and gold.


The long-sleeved cotton blouse is paired with a long polyester skirt I bought back in early 90s.

Because the skirt is rather old, I had to trim off the edges which were fraying badly and mended a couple of holes which are totally hidden from view once the dress is finally completed. For a comfortable fit, I have added borders on the sides of the skirt and extended the length by adding skirting at the bottom of the skirt.


It took me less than a week to complete this project since I had everything I needed in my inventory. Besides, twice the luck and thrice the charm, no? Also, past experiences always help.

Like the other two dresses, this one is also lightweight and drapes very well.


Who could tell that this was a cut-and-paste project, if I had not disclosed the facts?


I can proudly say that you cannot find this item anywhere. 💃🐒👌🙋

F for Fashion reconstruction #26

This fashion reconstruction project is unique because the dress I made is reversible.

It was inspired by a shirtdress I bought from Hong Kong circa 2011 but since I have given it to my sister because it looked better on her and she liked it, I thought I should try to create something similar.

I picked a couple of short-sleeved cotton blouses (bought in early 90s when I was on a business trip in the Philippines) that have similar floral motifs and combined them with a pair of long cotton linen pants (bought in Singapore in 2013) and extra fabric from my mom's remnant collection for the skirt.

This project was a tricky one to handle because I thought I had enough fabric to play with until it came to the part where I had to fix the sleeves. I even had nightmares about it.

Fortunately, I found a long-sleeved cotton blouse (tailor-made in Indonesia in late 90s) that my mom no longer wears and decided to steal the sleeves from it since the colour fits very well with the scheme of things.

Unlike the other projects whereby I would usually fix the sleeves last, I realised for this one that I had to fix the sleeves first before everything else.

Once the sleeves were done, the rest of the pieces just fall into place accordingly. I also decided to give this oldie a refreshing look by adding some embroidered trimmings as embellishments.

It took me a couple of weeks to complete the project and I am glad it is finally over because I cannot wait to wear the new dress or shall I say, dresses?

This dress would be ideal for a weekend getaway because I would not need to carry an extra change of clothes. I can simply turn it over and it would look as though I am wearing a different dress altogether. Neat, isn't it?

Who could tell that this was a cut-and-paste project, if I had not disclosed the facts?


I can proudly say that you cannot find this item anywhere. 💃🐒👌🙋

B for Baking #10

I love pancakes! Who doesn't?

"As flat as a pancake" is just a myth because pancakes these days are not flat but fluffy.

And the secret to having those fluffy pancakes, I learned from other bakers, is in the batter. Some bakers added "tonnes" of eggs. Some, added "tonnes" of baking soda/baking powder. While others, added "tonnes" of both. It is no wonder theirs looked so fluffy. But are they as tasty/healthy as they looked? It is all up to them to know and I don't want to find out because from my own experience, adding too much of anything for consumption is bad!

And what's good for others may not be good for me, vice-versa.

While others have theirs, I have my own recipe, too. Not so fluffy pancakes, but definitely not flat.


Unlike my previous sourdough pancakes recipe (Baking #3), this one has no sourdough starter or buttermilk. This one has liquid sour whey instead (just because I had some in my storage). Unfortunately, for those who are lactose intolerant, this one's not for you.


And for variety's sake, I have made onion pancakes this time (also because I had bought onions which were on sale the other day).

Onion Pancakes (makes 14)

What you need to have:

Ingredients

250g non-wheat flour (sifted) *
1/4 cup rolled oats *
3 Tsp milk powder *

1 Tsp psyllium husk *

1 Tsp golden flax seed meal *

1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda *

1/2 tsp baking powder *

1 tsp raw sugar *

1.1/2 tsp salt *

175g grated red onions #
1 tsp mixed herbs #
3 large egg yolks #

3 Tsp melted unsalted butter #

1 Tsp extra virgin olive oil #
100 ml sour whey #
100 ml water #

3 large egg whites

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Apparatus

a kitchen scale

measuring cups and spoons

a large bowl

a medium-sized bowl

a whisk

a spatula

cling wrap

a non-stick pan or griddle

a ladle
a wire rack
plastic sheets and an airtight plastic container or a zipper bag for freezing leftovers

What you need to do:

1. In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients (*) until well combined.

2. Make a well in the middle and pour wet ingredients (#). Mix well until a thick batter is formed. Set aside.

3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar until it resembles a soft peak.

4. Fold in egg whites gently into the prepared batter. The end result should be a cake-like batter.

5. Cover with cling wrap and let the batter rest for 30 mins or refrigerate overnight.

6. Heat non-stick pan or griddle over medium-low heat. Place a ladle of batter in the middle of pan. When bubbles start to form, flip the pancake over and cook the other side. Pancake is ready when the sides are golden brown.

7. Remove and place pancake on wire rack to prevent sweating.

8. Repeat until all of the batter is finished.

9. Let cool completely before freezing leftovers in between sheets of plastic in an airtight plastic container or a zipper bag. Some people say "food stores better in an aluminium foil" but I'd say "plastic is much better" because some researchers say "aluminium is bad for health".

Best served warm with your favourite savoury condiments. You can even eat it on its own.

Enjoy!

my mini pancake served
with garlic butter scrambled egg,
baked beans and
beef pepperoni
(the mini pan used for cooking the pancakes
and scrambled egg, yes that's just 1 large egg)