Stay-home guide for Thursday: Play National Day Parade game, make lor mai gai and more
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PHOTOS: NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD, MORGAN HARPER NICHOLS/FACEBOOK, REYNOLD POERNOMO/FACEBOOK, HEDY KHOO
1. Play: National Day-themed online game
In this mini online game by the National Heritage Board, search for 12 items hidden amid a National Day Parade at the Padang and its surrounding monuments.
Icons include the statue of Sir Stamford Raffles, the state flag carried by a Chinook helicopter and Singapore's national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim.
Click on the information boxes to learn more about monuments such as the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, and the former Parliament House - now known as The Arts House.
Complete the game, submit your e-mail address and stand to win NTUC vouchers and goodie bags. The contest runs till Aug 27.
Info: Website
2. Listen: Motivational podcasts
Set aside five to 10 minutes and start your day on a positive note with American poet-musician Morgan Harper Nichols' podcasts.
Listen to her uplifting stories, words of encouragement and timely reminders to find hope and joy in life - all of which are much needed during this pandemic.
You can also follow her on Instagram (@morganharpernichols) - her account has 1.8 million followers - where she posts motivational quotes. Share them with friends to brighten their day.
Info: Go to this website or download on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.
3. Watch: MasterChef Australia's Back To Win season 12
Season 13 of reality cooking competition MasterChef Australia may have ended recently, but the one to rewatch is the all-star season 12 on Lifetime Asia's YouTube channel.
Marvel at the culinary prowess of the best cooks from previous seasons, who were invited back to the show for another chance to win the coveted MasterChef Australia title.
They include past favourites such as dessert king Reynold Poernomo, dumpling whiz Brendan Pang and cookbook author and TV presenter Poh Ling Yeow.
Judges Andy Allen, Melissa Leong and Jock Zonfrillo also made their debut this season, replacing the previous trio of Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris.
Some of the most entertaining episodes were the ones with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, as well as guest judge American singer Katy Perry, who left all the contestants star-struck.
Info: Lifetime Asia's YouTube channel
4. Comfort Cooking: Steaming goodness of lor mai gai
Here is a dimsum favourite that you can easily replicate at home. Lor mai gai, which is Cantonese for glutinous rice with chicken, is made up of these two main ingredients.
What I like about this dish is that it works for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Seasoning is uncomplicated - almost the same ingredients are used to marinate the chicken and flavour the rice. These ingredients should be in your pantry if you cook regularly.
I add sugar to both the chicken and the rice for sweetness. Omit it if you prefer.
The cooking method is straightforward, except there is a lot of waiting for the rice to be soaked and steamed.
