Robert Timms

I have been seeing this name on the shelves of supermarkets for some time now, since I started shopping for my own groceries.

I am not a coffee drinker, so when I do get the occasional cuppa cafe, I want to drink better ones. I have been frequenting Oriole Cafe & Bar that was recommended by ieatishootipost a long time ago, and even attempt to bring friends there if they ask me where I want to go (but they tend to turn the place down because it is more pricey, and has a lack of vegetarian dishes).

However, Oriole seems to have become a bit too popular and noisy for my liking. In addition, the very poor service is just still not making sense to me.

So the other day, I spotted this new cafe a tiny walk away from Oriole, and tadaa! It's my second time in there now, and I intend to go back to try other dishes.

Okay, so the first thing I ordered was my drink. It's Ginger Herbal Tea, at $7.

I was surprised at the way this is being served even though the menu "forewarned" that it comes in a pot. haha. My idea of a pot is well, literally an English teapot.

It makes me want to buy this!

I have been thinking of buying a pot like this for a few years now, but never really saw the point of it in my house, so I've been procrastinating since.

And I love transparent cups.

I realise I didn't photograph the tea in the cup. haha.

The taste of the tea was good, I will not say great because I feel that Chinese tea always have better tastes. Please don't tell me about comparing apples with oranges, because Ginger Herbal tea exists in Chinese tea culture. I can even make my own.

I think the ginger taste here is on the mild side, but nevertheless detectable, because English customers are not into taking really strong ginger flavour. I like the extremely strong and "hot" taste that Indian Teh Halia has.

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Next, it's my food, and I ordered Kangaroo meat.

Yes, it's Kangaroo meat. It's so exotic that I just had to order it.

What can I say? It's nice!

I love the presentation, I love the buttery taste of the biscuits, I love the small caramelised purple onions, I love the soft and tender, yet still springy kangaroo meat.

That's kangaroo meat for you.

It doesn't tastes like lamb, not like deer, not like beef, much less like pork. It's just special, has a different taste from all the other common meats I've eaten before.

So it's definitely worth your trip here should you require a cup of coffee, a different taste, and a place for celebration. Or maybe, like me, just a deserted place to chill. =)

Rating: 10/10
Yes, so far, the service has been great, and so are drinks and food. Read more "Robert Timms..."

Bakerzin The Moon Rabbits Truffle Snow Skin Mooncakes

Food is never just food in modern Singapore. I admit that I am attracted to packaging, provided the food is good. And alas, I found that Bakerzin's Truffle Snow Skin mooncakes are nice!

This year, Bakerzin's mooncake comes in good quality plastic bags of pink, orange and yellow, with beautiful rabbit printed on it. I was so attracted because of the rabbit. I like rabbit signs, because I think they have a special meaning for me.

In addition, the rabbit theme goes down to being embossed on the mooncake itself. What more can I ask for?

The bag that I actually bought.

The silver foil keep-warm bag that is equally attractive.

Oh my gosh! This drawer, I could reuse it to put my makeup or stationery. I am already using it on my study table.

The rabbit-embossed mooncakes in 4 flavours, two of each.

Rabbits, close-up.

The deal is sweeter, because there is discount for all DBS/POSB card members. At $41.75, I really feel as though I am just buying a bag.

I have opened, cut, and eaten the mooncakes, because I was told they would not last more than two weeks. I thought I cannot finish them, but I feel I can, because they are so small! I cut each of them into eighths, and take a small nibble when I need a sweet treat.

Not wanting to overeat these things, I have also used it as an excuse to invite family and friends over for a tea! Love it. (Now that I am living away from my family, I really feel a real need to be socially active. Otherwise, I think I will go crazy from loneliness.)

PS: I am already planning to get the black and gold durian mooncake. On my plans since last year!

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Cocoa Green Tea

I think this blog may come to a new phase in life, just as I have come to a new phase in my real life. You may not see as much reviews of "outside" food as you like anymore.

Sometimes, reality sets in, and instead of eating out all day and going back when I feel I need a food break (from "outside" food to homecooked), I have to report home everyday, and provide for others in the house. And that's when the place is called home.

Nevertheless, the basis of my blog is still the same, Sweetly Nice. I stand by eating good, eating well, to feel good and look good. Be it "outside" food or homemade, I will not forget that this blog stems from Positively Nice, which is written with the mentality to share anything that makes you feel and look good. Only difference? Sweetly Nice is about food. Food I eat, recipes, all the edibles.

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What I wish to share today is from a book I have been trying to devour, because it is much thicker, and heavier in hard knowledge than Harry Potter 7. I am presenting my concoction of an antioxidant drink from the book, Full Life Repair Kit - How to undo the damage already done, and keep you sailing on for many years to come, published by Reader's Digest.

Cocoa Green Tea

On page 120, under Choice 1, to "Make more than half of your diet beans, fruits, and vegetables", it say, "just 100g serving of dark chocolate significantly inhibited platelet aggregation, a measure of blood-clotting potential -whereas white or milk chocolate had no effect". Then it suggests, "pair your chocolate with the right red wine or a steaming cup of tea for even more phytochemical prowess". Phytochemicals is the collective term given to thousands of beneficial compounds, including antioxidants.



That's how I was inspired to make the following drink for my post-workout drink.

Large enough cup/mug (preferably tall)

1 green tea bag (I use Pokka Sencha.)

1 tsp cocoa powder (I use Vanhoutten.)

1 long enough spoon to stir

Boililng water

The ingredients.

Simply put the tea bag in the cup together with 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder, pour in the boiling water, stir to dissolve cocoa powder, and get the tea taste, wait for it to cool a bit and drink.

The end product.

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PS: I think that I have never posted openly what I have really been doing, so many may not understand my lifestyle, and where I am coming from. As such, I hope to provide some background information that will fill the gap to this article.

My BMI has been at as high as 30 - 32 before. I am now at 20, which for a non-bodybuilder, this does falls perfectly into the healthy range. I am not aiming to be underweight, even though I have dropped to 17.5. I know, I know, it's horrid, it's bad, and I can swear and tell you the story of how bad it is. All I hope for now, at this stage in life, is to achieve what the title of this book advocates, a Full Life. I need my lifestyle to be sustainable, because I also know what it feels like to have BMI way up there. So I am now in the process of building this sustainability. It will involve a lot of changes, and you may find contradiction here and there because of change. I ask for understanding on this.

The routine now, is to basically move around everyday. 20 min strength (weights) training, followed by 30 min aerobic, and 10 min stretching.

On top of that, I have successfully cut all sugared drinks 7 years ago. I have started eating vegeatbles 7 years ago. I have started eating REAL food 3 years ago. I feel I am now in the phase of eating GOOD food, rather than just REAL food. This means superfoods, food that give maximum nutrient in minimum calories. They are things like strawberries, brocolli, almonds/walnuts, wholegrains. Definitely, this goes down to dark chocolate and green tea, which brings us to back to the point of this article. Why Cocoa? Why Green Tea? Why Hot not iced?

Now that I have answered the food part, I will turn to the point of post-workout drink. Basically, this drink can come in anytime of the day. Good for breakfast, good for tea-time. But I'd just like to add that, after a good workout, we need water, water, and more water. (In another book, it says 4 glasses. Personally, I can only swallow 2.) Followed by good protein, like chicken breast, milk, yoghurt.

P/S/S: I am not sure who else out there is on the same page as me right now. I do feel like a lot of things I say is pointless. But if you are in the same phase of life as I am, you would have seen everything I say a dozen times already. In fact, I think I have read 75% of this book elsewhere, but in bits and pieces. The thing about this book, is that it does not only gives me information. It gives me Scientific backing, loads of it (this is the 25% I don't know). And it structures EVERYTHING in one book. I dare say, it's the single most advanced and comprehensive life wellness book, including tests. It builds you from your past to your future. It is idiot-proof.

***I paid for everything I have mentioned here.***

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