My Version of Shrimp Aglio Olio

Posted on September 20, 2011 by The Giddy Tigress

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Hubbs and I are firm favorites of the Aglio Olio version of spaghetti, quite simply put, Spaghetti cooked with garlic (Aglio) and oil (Olio).  We’ve always loved the Shrimp Aglio Olio from Italiannies and never fail to order it when we dine there.

Today, I whipped up my own personal version of Shrimp Aglio Olio, minus the artichokes and chilli flakes…and you know what?  It didn’t taste too bad at all! 🙂

Well, if my very stringent “tester” asked me to make it again this week, I’d take that as a HUGE compliment…hehe…

Here’s the easy-peasy recipe I used to make Shrimp Aglio Olio (this makes 2 servings):

Ingredients

  • Spaghetti (enough for 2)
  • 2 tbsp garlic, chopped finely
  • 5 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp chopped basil
  • 1 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
  • 10 olives, pitted and sliced cross-sectionally
  • ¼ pound shrimps
  • Salt to taste

Directions

  1. Bring water to boil and add some salt.  Cook spaghetti in it till al dente.  Drain and set aside.
  2. In a medium saucepan, heat up olive oil under medium heat.
  3. Stir in garlic, olives and shrimps.
  4. Cook until shrimps turn pink.  Do not overcook.
  5. Toss in the basil and parsley, stir for about 30 seconds.
  6. Add cooked spaghetti and continue stirring and tossing for a few seconds.
  7. Serve hot.

** Optional: Add some chili flakes for some extra “kick”.

I’m trying to see if I can get some artichokes to cook my Aglio Olio the next time…it would totally complete this dish 🙂  After all, I still have so much of the canned olives left over…

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Food Waste Friday: Two Miserable Cookies

Posted on September 16, 2011 by The Giddy Tigress

Today (and hopefully every Friday), I’m joining The Frugal Girl and other bloggers out there in posting my food waste photos within the past week, calling it Food Waste Friday.  It is hoped that by sharing pictures of the food I have wasted, it would motivate me to reduce wastage as much as possible.  I will try my very best to participate each week, and hopefully there will be weeks where I will be able to happily report that there was 0% wastage! 🙂

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This week, I threw out two miserable cookies.  They were part of a selection of Hari Raya cookies which my courier pickup guy brought for my family and I.  To be perfectly honest, the cookies did not look moldy or anything, it’s just that I figured they would not be that fresh and palatable anymore after more than 1 week.

And I was definitely NOT going to force it down my throat just so I could report a zero waste week.

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Guess What Color My Hydrangeas Are Now?

Posted on September 15, 2011 by The Giddy Tigress

So here’s an update on my hydrangeas.  They’ve changed color!

Oh yes, they have.  I kid you not.  They’ve turned from white to mauve now, a pale purplish hue…

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And all I did was to implant 3 nails into the soil, and watered the plant twice a day…and then I let the magic happen…

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After 2 days, I noticed a slight tinge of color on the petals, but I thought my eyes were playing a trick on me.  Then on the 3rd day, it was most certainly purple.  My son confirmed it to be true.

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Here’s another close-up shot…

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I think I’ll try adding a few more nails to see if the color will saturate a little 🙂

Posted in Close to Heart & Home, Thoughts & Scribblings | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

This Saved My Neck!

Posted on September 14, 2011 by The Giddy Tigress

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This is what I have been using in place of my soap and shower gel for the past 7 days: Pinetarsol.  If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a soap-free, non-drying cleanser that actively relieves red, itchy skin and moisturizes too!  And it’s imported all the way from Australia.

Why have I been using it?

SIGH.  About 2 weeks ago, I started to develop an angry itch and rash on my neck area.  The bumps felt slightly raised and would not go away even though I diligently moisturized every single day.  The rash did not go away even when I eliminated all skincare products except my regular moisturizer.  When it began to spread to my collar bone area, I saw my skin doctor immediately.

He diagnosed it as neck eczema, and when I remarked that I had never gotten eczema on the neck, he replied that there was a first time for everything.

Hmmph.  So much for being medically technical.

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Anyway, the rash went away after about 2-3 days of using Pinetarsol and applying a cream prescribed by the doctor.  I’m as happy as a lark, except that for the past week, I have been smelling like bathroom cleaner!  Yes, that’s what Pinetarsol smells like.  It’s quite a watery solution, and is brown in color.  It contains pine tar, hence the name, and apart from the smell which is NOT AT ALL like soap, it does cleanse well.  The smell wears off a while after your bath though.

Well, thank goodness the itchy rash is gone.  But I’m not going back to that skin doctor again.  Had a row with him because he would not give me an itemized bill…I mean, that’s like not letting me know what I am charged for, right?  Does anyone know if I can bring this up in some consumer rights society or something?

Posted in The Fairer Sex, Thoughts & Scribblings | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Do You Use Up Every Little Drop?

Posted on September 13, 2011 by The Giddy Tigress

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You know the scenario.  You squeeze or pour out the contents of your  tube or bottle of lotion/cream/moisturizer/sunblock, only to discover that only a few squirts are left.  You squeeze the body of the tube with all your might just to get the last bit out.

But is that all you do?  Do you toss it away after you find that you cannot get anything else out?

Not me, no sireee! 🙂

I try my best to use up every little bit of the contents, especially if I like the product very much.  And this is how I do it…

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Posted in The Fairer Sex | Tagged , | 1 Comment