Redemption smells like oranges!

So I started this last night during the Canucks-Calgary game [we lost in a shoot out :( ]... It was easy, and I found it quite amusing to do.

 I cut the oranges in half:

I took out the orange pulp with a spoon but with the first orange half, I got too excited when I almost got all the pulp out that I just ripped it out, leaving a hole in the skin. Lesson: Be careful with the peel.

I put the half orange peels in a muffin pan to stand them up:

I made jello (with 1/3 less water than the directions indicated) and poured them in the oranges. I had a bit of jello left over (not enough to fill an orange half) so I poured them into the holes :p

The next morning, I cut the oranges (flat side down) into thirds (but I cut the larger oranges into quarters):

And ta-da! I have orange jello slices!

Next time, I figured I'd add bits of fruit to the jello, or even make it in multi-coloured layers :p But for right now, I'll take this as a small victory :D

Yum!

Jello redemption?

I just saw this on Facebook and it looks cool.

Since my failed attempt at a jello salad last Christmas (which I meant to blog about but I got too busy), I've been waiting for an opportunity to redeem myself... jello-wise. So I might try this over the weekend since I have tons of jello left over...

Jello Orange Slices

1. Cut oranges in 1/2 and hollow out (don't want any pulp left at all. Get it all the way to the white-ish part)
2. Set hollowed orange halves, open side up, in something secure so they don't move around when the jello is in them (I used muffin pans; easy transportation, great to keep them where you want 'em =D)
3. Prepare jello with 1/3 less water needed for recipe. Pour into orange halves
4. Set in fridge and chill completely
5. Take out of fridge, flip over onto cutting board (open side down so it's flat on the surface). Cut into slices, either halves again (1/4 of the whole) or into 3 slices. Make sure to use a really good serrated knife, and don't be really forceful with them, it's jello after all! =)

And voila! You have jello orange slices!

Option: I haven't done this personally, but I plan on trying this at some point.... Jello SHOT Slices! =D Oh yea, what a party that would be! But I don't recommend having both at a gathering where there will be kids... imagine the mix ups that could happen! =O

Another day, another book

I just finished reading "Cinder" by Marissa Meyer and, honestly, I'm not too sure what to make of it.

It's not like I didn't enjoy the book... quite the opposite. I was so into it that I finished it in 2 days, which I think is quite impressive considering I only read to and from work and before bed.

I was really hesitant to read this book but in the last month I heard a lot of buzz about it and tons of good reviews. So I started off reading the prequel short story "Glitches". Immediately after, I picked up "Cinder" and read some more.

*** SPOILER ALERT!!!***

As a CINDERella story, I was disappointed. I guess I just buy into the whole Disney happy-ending thing that I'm sad that I didn't feel any closure. And I had guessed the "big twist" within the first couple of chapters. However, I really did like the main characters in the book, Cinder and Kai, and I truly sympathized with what they were going through. Which is why I'm upset that I'm left hanging after reading the entire book... what's going to happen to Cinder? What's gonna happen to Kai? What's gonna happen to Cinder and Kai? And now I'm left feeling like I need to read a feel-good book to perk up my spirits.

But don't get me wrong. I loved the book. And I can't wait for the second book of the Lunar Chronicles, Scarlett, which is supposedly based on Little Red Riding Hood. Also, Cinder is supposed to make an appearance in it as well. But, it doesn't come out until next year (torture us, why don't you?!?!?!). I think that's what added to my disappointment... thinking the second book is about a different character, I thought they would have resolved the story from the first book, but NO.

But I guess that's the mark of a good book... it keeps you wanting more. So It's not a bad thing when I say that I have strong love-hate feelings about "Cinder".


I give the book a cyborg thumbs up!

BUSY indeed

Gah! It's February already! Time flies... and fruit flies like bananas. Me too!

But seriously, I've been so busy that I've even to forgot to chronicle my own busyness for my blog... not that a lot of it is interesting. But then again, that was supposed to be the purpose of this blog.

So I thought it fitting that my next post be about making a video about being busy.

We made this video for a Singles for Christ (SFC) event. It wasn't my best work as we shot it in like an hour and I only had 2 evenings to cut and edit it on top of all my other busyness. But I'm proud of the video nonetheless :) Kudos to the "devil" for the idea ;)

Here's two behind-the-scenes, making-of clips from when we shot it:

And, of course, one of my favourite snacks during late night/early morning editing/studying/presentation-making sessions... HALF OREOS!!!

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When we made this video, we hoped that it would evoke discussion during the SFC event. And it did! (Yay! Mission accomplished!) And it went better than I'd hoped. Praise God! :D

I really do hope that others took something from the video. But more so, I hope I took something away from it, and I really wish it'll stick. So that's one of my resolutions for 2012... is to be more productive i.e. busy for the right reasons but also saving time for the "good" things and people in my life :)