Baked Pork Chops Rice

This is one of my favourite dishes- it took a little longer to make (2hrs) as there were too many preparation but once done, its all worth it!

Ingredients to serve 6 people:

8 Pork chops

1 Large Onion (chopped)

6 Tomatoes (chopped)

Ketchup

Worcestershire Sauce

Mirin (Chinese wine)

1/2 cup of Water

Salt, Sugar and Grounded Pepper

2 Garlic cloves (minced)

Breadcrumbs

Potato starch

Oil (enough for shallow frying)

3 Eggs

Rice (left over night for fried rice)

Red Cheddar Cheese (optional)

For the pork:

Add 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tbsp mirin and garlic to the pork. Mix well and let marinate in fridge for at least 30mins.

After 30 mins, add 1 egg to pork and mix well then cover pork in breadcrumbs.

Heat wok/ shallow frying pan and fry the pork for 10- 15mins or until golden (don't over cook as you will be putting this in oven to cook through).

Set aside on cooling rack.

For the sauce:

In a medium heated pan, saute onions until see through then add tomatoes. Cook until soft then add 3 tbsp ketchup and 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Add 1/2 cup of water and let braise in low heat for 10-15mins. Add starch to thicken sauce (only at the very end).

For the fried rice:

Heat wok til its smoking then add 2 beaten eggs. Add rice and stirfry, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven Gas Mark 5.

In an oven proof dish, pour in the fried rice. Put pork chops on top of the rice in a single layer and add the sauce evenly. Sprinkle some cheese on top (optional) and bake in oven for 20mins.

Embrace The Braces! 6th Week.

Its only been 6 weeks and I can't believe how quickly time has flown! I've had the wires clipped 2 weeks ago as it was starting to dig into the sides of my cheek and it really hurt! I had small ulcers and they really hurt too! I couldn't eat anything sour or salty as it would just add more pain. I was suppose to rinse my mouth every night with salt water but I had to avoid it for few days as it would really hurt when I did so. There has been a big improvement and I can't wait to get my braces tightened in 3weeks time! I will definitely post some pictures up to show my progress..

Flossing has been a  breeze and I'm much quicker at it now getting in and out of the wire with my dental floss. It's still very important for me to brush my teeth twice a day and after each meal as I hate having food stuck in my braces! At night after I brush with normal toothpaste I use whitening toothpaste and brush for a further one minute.

I love drinking tea and coffee so I don't want any tar build up. What I find frustrating the most is I usually love eating cookies with my tea but because the cookie is quite hard, I have to soften it with the tea.

The braces haven't hurt me since the first couple of days with it on. The odd time the two front teeth would get a little sensitive but other than that nothing major.

My little cousin is thinking of getting braces too for her top set as her bottom set are perfectly straight and I will be bringing her to my orthodontics tomorrow afternoon for a consultation. Oh I am so excited for her!

I'm so glad to have my wisdom teeth removed as it makes my face look a little smaller now. It's weird with braces because I use to eat a lot although I'm not massively big but I don't snack as much as I use to. Which uis a good thing I guess as I shouldn't be eating too much junk!
        After: 6 weeks                   

                                                    Before: 1st week

 

So this is my teeth after 6 weeks with braces on. My front tooth which juts out the most has started to retrieve back to where it's suppose to be. You can also see the wires have started to straighten themselves out! ^_^

Blog Update/ Keihl's Review

It's been an uber long time since I've last updated my blog. The main reason is beacause I have been too busy playing my iPhone games, Facebook games, DS and Wii.. Ahhh.. They are just too addictive!

Today's post will be a review post on Keihl's Ultra Face Cream and Keihl's Cucumber Facial Toner. I absolutely love these two products. I was first introduced to them from a friend's sister who works at Keihl's branch on Wicklow St, Dublin. I have been using Clinique's Moisturising Lotion and had wanted to try something different. The skin on my face is fairly normal/ dry in some places. I find the Clinique Moisturiser a bit too heavy and leaves my skin slightly oily. 

The Keihl's Ultra Cream is very light and spreads very quickly and easily and didn't leave any residue or heaviness on my skin. I like the way its very light and very easy to work with!

Keihl's Cucumber Toner is very refreshing and the good thing about this is it's non alcohol. It cleans my face without stripping away natural oils. Its cooling and refreshing and I always apply Ultra Cream afterwards.

These two products are my must haves and I definitely would be getting more when I run out of it!

What You Can or Can't Eat with Braces

To be honest- u can pretty much eat anything!! The orthodontics will tell you that you can't eat this or that and don't drink fizzy drinks etc. You will learn how to eat what you want instead of cutting it out of you diet while you're in braces mode. Here's a list in my own opinion on how to deal with:

• Hard fruit; Apples, Pears, Plums etc- don't eat from whole using your front teeth as this can make the brackets come off. Instead, just cut it up into small pieces and use your back teeth to chew. Or try eating softer fruits like Bananas, Oranges, soft Peaches etc...Better yet- invest in a smoothie blender!!

• Food; Chicken wings, BBQ Ribs, KFC etc- eating from the bone can break the bracket off so just shred the meat before chewing with back teeth. Other foods such as Raw Carrots, Corn on Cob, Nuts, Popcorn, Bagels must be avoided. These food are too hard on the braces and braces are fragile and can easily be broken off.

• Crunchy chocolates; Malteasers, Crunchie bar etc- just suck on it instead of chewing it. Avoid chocolate bars like Snickers, Mars bars or anything with toffee or caramel as this is very sticky and when chewing it, it might pull the brackets off. Opt for plain chocolates, breaking into small pieces. Brush teeth after as you don't want sticky substances hanging around your braces.

• Fizzy/ Soda drinks; Coke, Pepsi, Red Lemonade etc- while it is advised not to drink these, you can if you wish. But make sure to use a straw. It is said that these dark soda drinks can stain teeth but just brush afterwards. Opt for fruit juices or dilutable drinks like Ribena or squashes where you can just add water. If you need your sugar fix then 7up/ Sprite or any light colored drinks are ok but rinse with mouthwash after.

• Chewing gum/ sticky sweets- chewing gum can just stuck to braces and it goes all over the place unless you are very careful chewing with the surface of your back teeth but I'd avoid chewing gum all together. Opt for mint instead. Sticky sweets like those 10c bars are a definate no-no! Super sticky and can cause wires to bend extending your treatment time and can cause cavities!!

The first day after having the braces fitted in, I had Carrot and Coriander soup and I remember the tiny carrot  pieces getting stuck in between my braces. It didn't look great. Haha! My first proper meal on the 3rd day took over 30mins.

Just remember to brush after each meal. I usually brush up to 4 times a day. During meal times I would eat what I like and get my coffee/ fizzy drink fix then brush my teeth. I'd wait til the next meal time as I'm not keen on brushing my teeth more than 4 times in a day. If you are drinking fizzy drinks and don't want to brush then rinse with a non alcoholic mouth rinse.

I have a routine for when brushing and flossing my teeth at night as I like to go to bed with fresh breath knowing there is nothing stuck in between my teeth or feeding bacteria.

First I'd rinse my mouth with water to get any tiny food that's been stuck in the braces. Then the usual 2 minute brushing with toothpaste, over the brackets, under the brackets and on the surface of the brackets. Rinse mouth with water then I'd floss with a dental floss. The back teeth are the hardest to get with the floss so I use the small dental brushes to get in around the braces then I'd brush again for a minute and rinse with non alcoholic mouthwash. Its important to clean the tongue too!

It may sound like a long routine. At first it took me 30mins or so, it was a total nightmare but now it just takes 10-15mins.

The Pieces Don't Fit Anymore- James Morrison

I've been twisting and turning in a space that's too small
I've been drawing the line and watching it fall
You've been closing me in , closing the space in my heart
Watching us fading and watching it all fall apart

Well I can't explain why it's not enough
Coz I gave it all to you
And if you leave me now
Oh just leave me now
It's the better thing to do

It's time to surrender
It's been too long pretending
There's no use in trying
When the pieces don't fit anymore

Oh, don't misunderstand how I feel
Coz I've tried, yes I've tried
Still I don't know why
No I don't know why

Why I can't explain why it's not enough
Coz I gave it all to you
And if you leave me now
Oh just leave me now
It's the better thing to do

It's time to surrender
It's been too long pretending
There's no use in trying
When the pieces don't fit anymore
The pieces don't fit anymore

You pulled me under so I had to give in
Such a beautiful mess that's breaking my skin
Well I'll hide all the bruises; I'll hide all the damage that's done
But I show how I'm feeling until all the feeling has gone

Well I can't explain why it's not enough
Coz I gave it all to you
And if you leave me now
Oh just leave me now
It's the better thing to do

It's time to surrender
It's been too long pretending
There's no use in trying
When the pieces don't fit anymore
The pieces don't fit anymore

Oh, don't misunderstand how I feel
Cause I've tried, yes I've tried
Still I don't know why
No I don't know why 

Painting Pottery

Few weeks back, my friends Mary, Anzie and I went to Giddy Studios in Rathfarnham and did some paintings on pottery. Anzie and I painted mugs while Mary painted a little water jug. I had to wait a week before getting them back because they had to be glazed and into the oven. It was worth the wait and just in time for my mom's birthday as I painted the mug especially for her.. Had so much fun that day!

 

Embrace The Braces! 1st Week.

Today is the third day with braces on. After years of refusing to get the hideous mental braces in my mouth, I finally gave in and decided I wanted straight teeth not just for appearance but for hygiene reasons too. Because my teeth are too overcrowded, I find it hard to brush in some places. Having straight teeth will also help boost my confidence and smile more! After having 3 premolars and 3 wisdom tooth extracted- 1 being surgical removed- I was finally seated on the orthodontics chair on 03062K11. My orthodontics told me I will have just the top sets first due to an overbite so after 2nd or 3rd adjustment, he will put in the lower sets. The whole procedure for the top sets took under 40mins. One of my tooth doesn't have a bracket on as its too slanted inwards so on my next visit in 10weeks time (08082K11), hopefully it has come out a bit. Its replaced with a spring instead of the wire while the rest of my teeth is arched with a wire. Afterwards, the assistant gave me a starter kit and showed me how how I should brush my teeth/ floss with braces on.

I have been doing a lot of research online and a lot of people has complained of the pain after having the braces on. I took 2 tablets of Ibuprofen and I don't feel any major discomfort at all except a little pressure but apart from that, the pain is not that bad as everyone makes it out to be. I just regret not having it done sooner as I absolutely love my new braces! Just got to embrace what I have now because there is no turning back. I will have to wear the braces for 18months- 2years. It will all be worth it at the end!! ^_^

I will be documenting on my braces progress with pictures and any other little tips I come across.