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Wednesday, April 20, 2011

How to Lent.

I need a doctor, call me a doctor...

As you guys may or may not know, I gave up chocolate for Lent. That's 40 days of giving up something I love and over-indulge in. I was actually quite fine with controlling myself so far.. "out of sight, out of mind", but as the countdown to Easter shortens, its been getting progressively worse! and @leannemark has not been helping!! (see #frockyeah's "Emergency Chocolate" and Parisian Macarons!)

So, this is what I've been doing at work: Brainstorming how to break my choco-fast. These are some of my favourite ideas so far (taken from timeoutdubai.com). PLEASE help me decide!! and No, I cant do all.


Chocolate afternoon tea
Spend the afternoon deliberating life’s pleasures over a variety of chocolate cakes, brownies and scones with home-made chocolate spreads and jams, plus six different perfectly petite finger sandwiches. Wash down all that chocolate with a variety of soothing herbal teas – or, for die-hard chocolate fans, hot chocolate. The experience can be enhanced with a cocoa-inspired spa treatment, which includes a full-body massage, a chocolate body scrub and a chocolate lotion finish.
Afternoon tea Dhs85 per person; spa package and tea Dhs345. Axis, Hilton Dubai Jumeirah, The Walk at JBR (04 318 2530).

Chocoholic rating: 4/5


Chillled valrhona chocolate fondant
In a restaurant that spoils its diners with a menu overflowing with diverse, intricate and inventive dishes, it’s little surprise that the valrhona chocolate fondant brings the three-course set menu or six-course ‘Menu Prestige’ to a wonderful conclusion. The fondant is encased in an intricately wrought honeycomb shell; you’ll almost feel guilty cracking into it. But your remorse won’t last long – the rich, cool chocolate that oozes out from its centre is divine, and its taste is enhanced by the shards of sweet honeycomb that get caught up in the flood.
Verre menu Dhs395; Menu Prestige Dhs495. Verre by Gordon Ramsay, Hilton Dubai Creek, Deira (04 227 1111).

Chocoholic rating: 5/5

Spicy chocolate soup with white chocolate granite
If you’ve bored of your standard milk chocolate dessert and are after something spicier, here’s your fix. Although dressed as a soup, don’t expect a bowl of liquid chocolate. What you’ll find is a moist dark chocolate truffle-laden pudding capped with some intricate chocolate work, and a pouring of chocolate sauce bedded on a slab of refreshing raspberry sorbet. The hints of chilli and South American spice, and the mix of textures and temperatures, all work beautifully. It’s heavenly and devilish all at the same time.
Dhs60. Asado, The Palace Address, Downtown Burj Khalifa (04 428 7899).

Chocoholic rating: 4/5

Mississippi mud pie
Seafire’s recommended dessert (this and the key lime pie) is served with a river of near life-changing milk chocolate sauce. The heavy pie boasts the texture of a crumbly brownie and is packed with chocolate drops, topped with creamy white chocolate mousse atop a digestive biscuit-style base. Even the most experienced chocolate fans should expect to be electrified. We just don’t want to think about the calories.
Dhs45. Seafire, Atlantis, The Palm Jumeirah (04 426 2626).
Chocoholic rating: 5/5


T MINUS 4 DAYS B*TCHES!!!! 


Monday, April 18, 2011

How to be "In the Maze"

"In The Maze Of Our Minds"
DAA IB Art Exhibition 2011




This one was my absolute favourite! By Katerine Hanna, acrylic on canvas - inspired by photography.  Makes me wanna draw and paint again. It also makes me wanna just fall into a pool in a flowy dress and vogue.


Saturday, April 9, 2011

How to bathe- moroccan style!

Do you know what a Moroccan Bath is?!?!

That was the question that ignited all sorts of curiosity in me. I just had to try it after my waxing lady told me about it. "My Dear, if you go for Moroccan Bath, you will feel like you just went to heaven" *Indian Accent* "your skin will be just soo soft soft"..

i'm sold.
Thursday Morning: Gym, Pilates, Moroccan bath

At the "spa" i'm led into a small room with a red two-seater couch on one end and a towel shelf across from it. There are 2 closed doors on either side of the couch. And i'm instructed to get into a towel and relax... So, as I was stripping down, I turn around to grab a towel and WHY did I see the masseuse getting out of her clothes too!?! She changed into something like a wetsuit as I sat down and waited nervously in my towel.
Finally, she tells me "open the door and get in the tub hunny"

For the next two hours I just felt like I was a car at a carwash in this completely tiled room. I have never ever been lathered up and scrubbed and buffed this way. After soaking in the tub, I was moved to a table that looked like what "dexter" does his kills on. And the lady literally resembled a mini "Mulan" except when Mulan had to pretend to be a boy and had her hair up the entire time.. yes, this is the best comparison I could come up with.

Highlight of the treatment: She puts on a layer of moroccan soap on me and tells me "Hunny, I be back in 15 minutes, you relax and dont get it in your eye, i turn steam on" 

Not only did I get the soap in my eye within a matter of 5 minutes, I got up to wash my eyes and I couldnt see because of the steam. Struggling to breathe, I step off the kill-table and step my foot right into the steam jet. DONE.... she must have heard me swearing because she knocked to see if i was ok in there. I think I managed a whimper.

However, I have to say- my skin feels amazing after! But I could have done without the steam burn on my ankle and looking like I was so high thanks to the soap in my eye. I guess that was my fault. But yea. MOROCCAN BATH EXPERIENCE - captured.

The kill table aka. the carwash aka. scrub table

the shiz that made my eyes bleed!!


How to beach bum.

Things at JBR... (Jumeirah Beach Residences)
-hot sand
-cool water
-skyscrapers
-party boats
-skydivers!
-jetskis
-parasails
-hot bods, speedos, bikinis
And...
-CAMELS?! .. So cool!

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from du

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

How to cook!

My mom's gone away to india for a week... So its time to get the creative juices flowing in the kitchen!
Nishanth and I found an amazing blue cheese and chicken breast recipe.
2 chicken breasts
8 bacon strips crumbled
10oz of spinach
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tbsp of flour
1/2 tsp of pepper and salt

Stuff the chicken breasts with the bacon/spinach/bluecheese mix, roll it around in flour and salt/pepper, brown it on a pan and then bake for 30 minutes. Done and done. Tastes SOOO good!!
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from du