Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

keep it simple, silly.

“Sometimes the simplest things are really the best.”

Oh so sweet, these potatoes!  

According to The New York times, sweet potatoes are complex carbohydrates that contain protein. To me, this simply means that I do not need to have the same type of scorn for than as I have for carbs like bread and regular potatoes! Fabulous option to satisfy the carb tooth when it strikes!

The most fabulous of it is that these baked sweet potato fries taste awesome and are really easy to prepare - No one really needs to spend long hours in the kitchen to prepare awesome food anymore.

Ingredients you will need:

Sweet Potatoes. 1 potato for each person will be a safe bet.

Easy 3 steps:

First, Cut up the potatoes into strips.

Well, what more can I say about this step.. Except that it was rather tiring for my weak hands to cut through the thick potato. Exert some will power to finish it, or get a sharper knife!

Second, sprinkle olive oil, salt, pepper and some cornstarch over the potato strips.

Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of olive oil and cornstarch (for added crisp) per potato, salt and pepper to taste. Mix it up evenly and note that the cornstarch should look well dissolved into the potatoes.

Third, lay the strips on a baking tray and Bake it!

Ensure that the strips are not too crowded together. Lay them in a single layer.

Bake for 15 mins in a oven heated to 425F / 218 Deg Celsius.

Remove from oven after 15 mins to overturn the strips.

Bake for another 15 mins.

Voila! Enjoy your fries!

life is simple if you let it.

xoxo,

crystael

DIOR CHERIE BOW 002 - pretty pink please

paradise in pink

Was gifted this pretty Dior Cherie Bow set since last Christmas, but just never had the time to explore and break into it! And also partly because it was so pretty, I didn't have the heart to impose any imperfections to its pristine glory.

 Cute little design that snaps into a purse like compact.

From left to right, it comes complete with a beautiful iridescent shimmery white eye shadow, pink eye shadow, rose pink eye shadow, gel liner and a natural peach lip gloss. It also comes complete with a little eyeliner/shadow brush, and a lip brush that are not shown in this photo.

Matching pinkie items to create a look!

from left to right: Nyx pencil sharperner, Etude House Face designing Brightener, Marjolica Lash King Mascara , Versace Bright Crystal Eau De Parfum, Random lash curler, Love Alpha Lash fibres and transplanting gel.

Well, frankly I'm not quite the beauty expert. And most of the time I think less is more, since it also saves more time. This is also the first time I've ever used a gel eyeliner! Interesting and it really is quite easy to apply with an eyeliner brush.

So I simply pat the light pink shade sparingly over my lids - add some rose pink shade to the middle of the lids - line the inner corner and bottom eye line with the shimmery white shadow - use a brown shade from the urban decay naked palette to line the outer parts of the eye - draw a little line with the gel eyeliner - add some mascara - even out the brows with a pencil - and dab on some pink lipstick!

Wow, who knew beauty stuff can be so much fun! no wonder the existence of so many beauty youtubers! Have some fun painting on your eyes today before you head out that door!

dior dior dior

xox,

crystael diorre

Home away from Home - Legacy Living in Tucson

home away from home

“Home isn't a place, its a feeling”
― Cecelia Ahern, Love, Rosie

Feelings of Love, Warmth and Happiness are what Home really is. 

After what seemed like a journey full of trials and tribulations, we finally managed to get an apartment we liked! The property market in Tucson is nowhere the same as Singapore. After many unanswered calls to several home agents, we finally found Legacy Apartments - small, safe and cosy, just for the two of us. And, I realise, I love creating a beautiful home no matter where my feet lands - is this desire to sink roots wherever I dwell good, or bad?

Living / Dining Area

Little fengshui tip: The southwest of the home represents love and relationships. So it is a good idea to place objects of pairs, or pictures of loving relationships at this corner. 

Little Fengshui tip: its a good idea to place a bowl of apples in the living area where people congregate to promote harmony and peace!

Bedroom Area

Little fengshui tip: It is a good idea to awake to beautiful and happy images that inspire joy! On the contrary, mirrors facing the bed are said to be detrimental.



Den / Study / Shoe-drobe

I LOVE MY SHOES!!!

Love the luxurious bathrooms

And the surroundings of the apartment: little bushes of cute flowers here and there.

and this, is part of tucson living. 

xoxo,

crystael

[p/s If you'd like, you could view the tour of the apartment here - http://youtu.be/-mFmSMHSNuU ]

INSPIRATIONS FROM DONALD TRUMP - From the book 'Midas Touch' (Part I )

the midas touch

I have always been fascinated by Donald Trump ever since I read his first book - "The Art of the Deal" several years back.

His tenacity, unwavering vision and sometimes arrogant confidence are perhaps the ingredients for his success amidst difficulties. The following are excerpts and reflections on the first chapter of the book "Midas Touch" co-written by Robert Kiyosaki and himself. Their thoughts together help to give the entrepreneur, or any self improving individual a good perspective on the road ahead.

//

If It Weren't for Bad Luck - Donald Trump

Setbacks are simply 'Blips' and nothing more.
"Over time, I was able to regain my focus and my fortune. I actually became much more successful after my big loss. One of the reasons is that I had always seen myself as a lucky guy, and I still do. I didn't let the experience of a big loss change my view of who I am. I saw the whole thing as a 'blip' and nothing more. I knew I had the skill set to get back into the game, just as a golfer knows and uses the same techniques to get out of the sand trap and sink a birdie."

"Because I'm not a quitter, I quickly resolved to stick it out  I also didn't want to be a 'wanna-be' entrepreneur. This just happened to be a low point. You'll have a few of those too."

Own the Good and Bad of what you do. Make it Extraordinary.

"It is empowering, for one thing, and your effectiveness will increase tremendously when you own the good and the bad of all you do.. As soon as you take responsibility for all that you touch, the power is in your hands to make it extraordinary. For me, having that sense of control has been a catalyst for success."

That great feeling of Creation.

"And the best part of success is that great feeling you get from taking something that was barely breathing and turning it into something alive."

Get the Job Done.

"I've always had the energy and eye for improvement. I approach each project pragmatically and with emotional control, yet I maintan the enthusiasm necessary to get the job done. Its an important balance to acheive."

The Midas touch - Having the Vision to see how things could be, instead of how they are.

"Part of the Midas Touch is having the vision to see things as they could be, instead of how they are. Someone has to do it, and I've always had the energy and eye for improvement."

Distilling it Down: The Strength of Character

"What separates Midas Touch entrepreneurs from all the others is that when they face a loss, they quickly stand back up, learn from their mistakes, and move on. Successful entrepreneurs know that learning from their mistakes affords them greater wisdom and strength for the next challenge."

//

And so, reading these inspirations aren't enough. 

Thoughts need to be translated into actions in order for them to really make an impact on our lives. 

To really effect these inspirations, we could start by getting around in our heads and answering these questions to unlock the First key - Understanding our strength of character that we currently possess:

How do you handle losing?

How do you handle fear?

Are you willing to work for years, without a paycheck, on a project that may never get off the ground?

Have you even been betrayed?

How did you handle the betrayal?

Are your trustworthy under pressure? Or do you stab people in the back when the chips are down?

How do you feel when someone else makes mistakes that you have to pay for? Can you fire a friend or a family member?

Are you generous or greedy by nature?

How do you feel when you are out of money?

And when we get around to doing this first step, we can start to turn inspirations into reality.

Actions - Trump cards that turn inspirations into realities.

xoxo,

crystael

INSPIRATIONS FROM KARL LAGERFELD

the little black jacket

"You have to like the present; if not, your life becomes second hand if you think it was better before, or that if you feel it will be better in the future." 

-Karl Lagerfeld

I was most intrigued by Karl Lagerfeld's recent fashion show that featured the 'Chanel Shopping Center' and its grocery runways. How can one be so forward thinking, creative, and so accurately hit the nail on the spot on the Modern Woman's Dilemma?

Day in and out, women are grappling with multiple duties -- To work, or to stay home and nurture a child wholeheartedly. To focus razor sharp concentration on work to achieve mind blowing success, or to allocate adequate time to nurture a great relationship with our partners and family. And in my case, to keep working on something that has gained good momentum, or to abandon everything temporarily and accompany my loved one to a far away town.

These decisions are often difficult, and the times that the events arrive at are usually not within our control. But really, in reality, women are tough enough to realise that they can juggle all these, and do well in all aspects that they so choose. Karl shows us that we can be stylish even while performing our traditional 'female-gender' functional duties, even grocery shopping. In fact, the legendary Chanel 2.55 Flap Bag with the chain was born out of Coco Chanel's desire to be stylish but also functional. In those days, bags were literally handbags that women in their corseted suits held in their hands. The 2.55 Flap Bag was invented when Coco Chanel got tired of having to hold a bag in her hands while she was working, hence giving birth to the chain strap that gave her busy hands to freedom to work.

I have to admit, part of the reason why I feel so deeply for this recent show( to the extent of repeatedly playing Karl's interview to listen to his cute french accent in the background, heh), is because I feel like he really hit the nail on the spot and expressed in such a beautiful way, what my real vision for DessertGuroo was. Besides a passion to continue my family legacy in the dessert industry, I also really wanted modern women and men to no longer be bogged down with complicated 'feminine' chores. I wanted the modern man and woman to know that in today's world, they can create desirable desserts easily and stylishly. The messy-haired woman huddling in the kitchen for hours no longer needs to surface in reality. Style and Function coexists.

Having waxed all that lyrical, these Karl Lagerfeld's quotes that I penned down serve as great inspiration -

Keira Knightly on Karl Lagerfeld:

"He is constantly reinventing, always thinking forwards, (always) in the present. And he always seems to have the enthusiasm of a child."

Karl Lagerfeld to a journalist on a documentary:

"Oh...I produce roughly about 8 collections a year for Chanel, 2 for Fendi.. You count, but I don't count."

" If there's something in the air, you must catch it and make it yours."

"As a child, I didn't want to look like other children. I wanted to be different from others."

"The brain is a muscle, and I'm a kind of bodybuilder."

Karl Lagerfeld on the interview for the show:

" I like fashion to be part of daily life, it should not be cut away from it."

And that said, I am glad and grateful for my fresh start because I can see unlimited potential in the States. And also, I have proved to myself that I do not live any kind of 'sacrifices' as long as I choose not to. So far, my time here has surprisingly given me space and utmost concentration to really focus on DessertGuroo - something I was never able to really do because I was piled on with unending distracting tasks back in Singapore. And I'm glad these little steps have translated themselves into real harvest as well. Style and Function coexists!

If you want to see the videos, hit the links here >>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUXkJivPPPM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLDUXZ4X5b8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cymBShWaezY


style and function coexists

xoxo,
crystael

NO HEAT CURLS and a Red Lip

 the magic of buns 

"Our appearance is merely an extension of our personality.”

Curling hair is really that easy. Simply tie slightly damp hair with leave in conditioner into a bun like this:

And awake to luscious curls like this:

 Keep things simple, and add a satin-finish red lip for an extra happy day. 

Every woman should try a red lip to add some sparkle to their day! 

the magic of simple things.

xoxo

crystael

EASY EGG BENEDICT with Poppy Seed dressing

cooking eggs 

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is to try just one more time.”

― Thomas Edison

Attempted an Egg Benedict and it turned out very delicious! It should probably take you less than 20 minutes once you have mastered the art of egg poaching!

Ingredients you will need:
- 2 large eggs
- Choice of Ham
- Baby Spinach
- English Muffins
- Dressing of choice

First, Poach the Eggs! This took me the longest to succeed at. But after a couple tries of different methods, I was able to do it quite easily.

The technique that I discovered was the easiest was to  --
- Bring pot of water to simmering boil.
- Add a tbsp of vinegar to it so that the egg whites curdle easily.
- Crack an egg into a ladle and gently lower it into the simmering water, keeping it roughly at the surface.
- Leave the egg in the ladle at low heat(or off the heat) in the pot and let the egg set. I prefer well done egg yolks so I left it there a little longer.
- Lift it onto a bowl and set aside, or keep warm in an oven.

Second, Boil Spinach & Grill them Muffins! Easy peasy.
- Boil bunch of spinach in a pan of hot water. Cut them with scissors, reduce as much water as possible and set aside!
- Put your Muffins into the oven and grill for 10-12 mins at 425F.

Third, Heat up Ham and dressing so it is oh-so-warm in your mouth.

- Lightly pan fry ham, no oil needed.

- I used ready made poppy seed dressing to replace the fat-rich hollandaise sauce (made up of 80% butter OMG). Just warm the sauce up in the pan! p/s: Be creative, hollandaise is not the only sauce that will make these eggs yummy.

Fourth, Lay everything together and serve. 

- Pair of muffins are laid open faced. Lay Ham. Lay Spinach. Lay egg. Spoon sauce.

Verdict: Very Yummy. And I'm pretty sure everyone can do it.

and the simplest things may be the most difficult to master. but persistence and patience will always be fruitful.

xoxo,

crystael