Worthy Once more

Two years ago,after completion of my outdoor adventure license, a batch of us were awarded with T-shirts with our names embossed on it,a proud symbol to celebrate the sun-burnt,sweat,blood endured during the course...Now,I am such a far cry from what I used to be,ex-colleagues were surprised that I can be so fair...Looking after a baby make me so tired that all I want to do is to hit the sack every night...good grief,what a shame...something stirred in me,visualize myself 10 years down the road,I do not,must not be a couch potato,becoming a barrel of fats waddling around...haha...small steps at a time,my lao gong and I make the effort of going for a stroll around the neighbourhood after dinner,never mind that by then shops have closed,it give us a breather,soups and blanched vegetables have become side dishes accompanying hearty main meals..I believe with effort placed in,I will be on the way to good health and good nutrition,cheers to a wonderful 2008....hehe....Come on,friends,lets go for a walk next time...bukit timah hill anyone? hehe...

OK,my lao gong has since piled on around 8 kg,and he has been grumbling about his weight...haha...Thanks for your compliments,but my cooking skills is really mediocre compared to the experts I seen in other blogs...hehe...basically,we share our desserts,after all the fun is in the sharing too,isnt it?This way,we limit our portion,deep-fried foods are rather rare,with absorbent papers absorbing all the grease,in addition,with his passion for weekly and kickboxing,oh well...that helps alot...hehe...to eat,we must also not neglect our health....thin may not be healthy,but obese is definitely not an option...

Roasted Peppers,Homemade Cheesy meatballs

Meatballs,the munchies easily available at ikea,if I do not mind the queue,the overcrowded eatery,whereby securing a seat can take ages,haha...It is easy to do,so I thought why not attempt my own version,then I can add whatever ingredients I like...hehe...For roasted peppers,after grilling it,the skins become blistered,easy to peel,the sweetness of the capsicums is enhanced,needing no additional seasoning,I feel that it is good enough as it is....A quick lunch that is not difficult to assemble with a little help from del monte pasta sauce,haha....In addition,I also added in grilled tomato,just peel and chop roughly....This will help cut down on amount of seasoning needed,since tomatoes by nature contain MSG..
Conveniently packed,the servings is just right for two with no leftovers for me to discard...It took me less than an hour to put together this filling and hearty lunch,so why not try it too?hehe...

Cheesy meatballs
220-250g minced meat
A handful of shredded cheddar cheese
5-6 dried mushroooms,soaked in water to soften
5-6 water chestnuts,chopped roughly
dash of pepper
1 tsp soya sauce

1. Mix all ingredients together and marinate in fridge for a few hours.

2.Add in 2 tbsp of cornstarch,roll into patties ,if patty is still too wet and sticky,add more cornstarch,pan fried and drain on absorbent paper.

Roasted peppers,tomato,
1.Wash the capsicumS(I used two green and one red peppers)Deseed them and cut into chuncks,for tomato,simply quartered it.
2Place on grill,skin facing up,brush with olive oil.Grill till skin has blackened and blistered.Cooled and sliced them,chopped tomatoes.

As for final dish,I cooked the pasta in hot boiling water,when the pasta is half-cooked,I turned off the heat so that it can cooked in its own heat without being too soft.Al dente is the desired texture.After turning off the heat,I fry one chopped up onion in olive oil,once it become fragrant,I toss in the peppers,pasta sauce,and 11/3 cup of water,grilled tomatoes,simmer,turn off heat.Drain pasta on plate,add in meatballs,and spoon sauce over it.Easy,isnt it?hehe....

salad bowl

Trying my best to finish up all the fruits before they turn bad,alas the honeydew has started to turn a little mouldy on one side,sliced off the the mouldy part,and convert it into a fruit salad bowl instead,haha.....Good enough to impress?hehe...

Purple potato bread

Risen dough




Woa,now that my lao gong is clearing his annual leave,this is the best timing to try out baking new goods,haha...with him attending to clover,I tried to bake this bread which I saw posted in a forum,and has many good reviews...My first attempt failed miserably,having a high tolerance for heat,the so-called "warm" water was a tad too hot,killing all the yeast cells,hence dough was .....er...still a dough after baking for half an hour...haha...the bread did not rise and the interior was still raw and wet...oops....Undeterred,I head to the supermarket to buy another pack of flour,this time round,what you see is what I get,Danny commented that it is soft,fluffy while stanley feels that this would go well with mushroom soup or just jam,peanut butter...As for clover,she take it au natural,hehe...Fresh bread from the oven without preservatives,maybe if time permits,I will bake other types for clover again...hehe..

Stewed Spicy Chicken in Shaoxing Orange sauce

At any given time ,my fridge will always have 3-4(5 the max)types of fruits....Fruits of different colours to provide a well-rounded antioxidant effect as well as to contrast the taste.Lowering cholesterol,boosting immunity is another well-known benefit but personally I feel fruits should not be used as a substitute for vegetables,and vice versa...There is a reason for 2 +2 servings in food pyramid,vegetables is lower in sugar,and some antioxidants are powerful than the ones found in fruits....Though to state exactly which ones will bore us to sleep...haha..
Fruits can be tangy,sweet,mild-tasting which when combine together makes an enjoyable snack....hehe...Last week gathering left me with more than 7 types of fruits which make me ponder how to finish them within the shortest period ever,before it turn mouldy and has to be discarded...

Cooking with fruits is not a good idea to obtain nutrients,still it does help to finish the fruits before buying new ones,haha....During heat treatment,vitamin C is easily lost,even vitamin C rich oranges are not spared,fibre is left behind,which helps to aid bowel movement,however,fruits rich in beta-caroten(liver will convert it into vit A as and when needed by body),such as mango,tomato,the vit A is better absorbed after these fruits are cooked...In this dish,orange juice give a mild sourish sweet tang while the wine mellow it to a rich sauce that goes down well with fluffy white rice without making us drunk....haha...Will try this again should I have too many oranges again...haha...

Stewed Spicy chicken in shaoxing orange sauce
1/2 chicken
juice and zest of one orange
pepper
1 stalk lemongrass
ginger,sliced/shredded
chilli
1 tsp fish sauce

1.Marinate the chicken using the above seasonings for about 3-4 hours in the fridge.

2.Pan fried garlic,add in the chicken and sauce,half bowl of water,3 tbsp of shaoxing wine,1 tsp of sugar and cover it to simmer for about half an hour till chicken is cooked.

3.Add in either orange or mandarin segments.Serve.

Thumbs Up!!

Even in sleep,Clover is always ready to pose for the camera,haha...



Hurray,X'mas is here again,which marked the ending of 07 and urge me to embrace the new year....This year been a fulfiling one so far,with me staying at home to take care of clover 24/7,which at times can be frustrating for no baby issue can be easily solved by textbooks,mostly trial and error...but we survive the hiccups,endless sleeps and ten years down the road,I can easily share with her on how she "torture" me,hahah....

This year,instead of a log cake,hmm..am still figuring out how to smoothen the cream on the cake without it resembling a sunken ship,haha....still waiting for the opportunity to go for classes,think I must have mention it too many times already,haha...I baked a long-awaited choc cream cheese brownie,a treat which make my neighbour cum friend,Lishi smsed me to asked when is the day,haha...Finally,its done and fortunately,it did not disappoint her....hehe...Phew,else it will be such a letdown...So,peipei and rachel,interested to try baking this brownie at home too?hehe...
(Recipe is adapted from cookshelf chocolate by jacqueline
Chocolate cream cheese brownie with fudge icing:(yields 16 slices)
250g cream cheese,softened
2 eggs
250g caster sugar(I reduced to 200g)
1000g butter
3 tbsp cocoa powder
125g self-raising flour
50g chopped nuts(optional)
fudge icing:
50g butter
1 tbsp milk
100g icing sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder

methods:
1.Lightly grease a 20cm/8 inch square tray.Preheat oven to 180 degree celcius.

2.In bowl,beat cream cheese with 25g of sugar till smooth.set aside.

3.Beat eggs,remaining sugar till light and fluffy.Place cocoa powder and butter in pan over low heat tll butter melts,then stir into egg mixture.Fold in flour,nuts(if using).

4. Pour half of the brownie mixture into the tray and level the top.Carefully spread the cream cheese,then covr with remaining brownie mixture.Bake for 40-45 minutes,cool in tin.

5. To make icing:melt the butter in milk by warming up milk gently.Stir in icing sugar and cocoa powder.Spread the icing over brownies and decorate.Leave icing to set before slicing to serve.

Hey,De,thanks for the good wishes,clover was indeed lucky,though I must dress her up in dresses more often ,haha...

Lucky Clover

Sent clover's photos to try her luck at winning a 1k worth of makeover photo album,she was shortlisted,and after shooting some photos,I was asked if I like to purchase any at an astounding price of 50 bucks per photos,wah...that was way too expensive,I felt,for it is simply photos,not even a proper album...Few months later,received a phonecall from the studio,the caller congratulated "my boy" for winning the 3rd prize...

"Congrats on having a photogenic boy,he won the 3rd prize"

"My girl,u mean?thanks so much for selecting her."

"Oh...er...aheam...shes a girl?Are you sure?"

Goodness me ,I am clover's mummy,how can I not be sure of my baby's gender?haha....Clover used to have this annoying habit of tugging at her skirt/dress that I felt a bodysuit,especially one as cute as Winney the Pooh will look adorable on her...Thanks jolene and Mr Foon for getting the bodysuit for her,I still think it looks nice on her despite being mistaken once again,haha...

Priceless Moment

Red dates and longan -helps to fend off fatigue and anemia,improve blood circulation...A sweet ,easy way to boost my energy level,hehe...Orangey sweet potaoes is rich in beta-carotene,so that I will not knock into things even without the lights on,haha..



One fine evening,clover and daddy was sitting side by side on the sofa,daddy was busy typing away furiously at the laptop when he felt a light tap on his thigh..Turning around,clover looked up at her daddy,eyes shinning and saying"papa"in her crystal-clear ,girlish voice before breaking into a wide grin...That was enough to make my lao gong swooning with pride and joy..leading him to repeat the story for days,haha...Even though we doubt if clover really understand what she is saying or know the meaning,that did not deter us from feeling happy...haha..strangely enough,we also realised that whenever each of us is absent,clover will keep repeating calling for that person...hehe..

Sneaky,sneaky....Sssh..........

For some strange reason,Clover prefer poached}(cooked)apples or pears compared to raw ones,she will spit out and no matter how I coax,she just refuse to swallow more than a mouthful of the sweet-tasting juicy apples/pears...Hmm...But as raw fruits are higher in nutritive values,I resort to chopping up the fruits,toss them into the blender together with her porridge,bravo,she will happily lap it up,none the wiser for it that the fruits have been added,haha...sneaky sneaky,but it works,haha...

Have been trying to clear my fridge before my next shopping trip,and for an interesting twist,instead of adding sugar,I used fruits like persimmon and plums to bring out the sweetness in the prawns,the end result:a sweet,tangy appetizer....wanna try?

Persimmon and plums prawns
600g prawns(marinated with a tbsp fish sauce,pepper,cooking wine)
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 persimmon,3 small plums,chopped finely
Bake in preheated oven of 200 degree celcius for about 20minutes,till prawns turn pink.

Lifestyle Changes

My life revolve around "the boss"




Lack of sleep,lack of energy has extend itself to my cooking adventures in the kitchen too...Yet,I cannot help but drool over the mouth-watering food recipes featured in magazines,but to attempt it,oops,I never seem to have the timing for it,Too many recipes which I have to shelve it first,hmm..things will be better as time pass,I hope,haha...One-dish meal has become a common feature in our family,and it is certainly going to stay,with new dishes thnrown in now and then...By the time,clover retire for the night,I am so exhausted that I want a snooze myself after attending to her for more than 10 hours a day,to slave over the kitchen,that can wait....haha...Geez,I am getting more and more boring...haha...

Sweet potatoes week

Called it PMS,but every month I will develop a craving towards a particular dish which I can lap it up for a few days in a row,leaving my lao gong baffled...haha...Once,it was fish head curry,as a result,my lao gong had to endure eating fish head curry with me for days,haha...And another time as I recall it was cabbage soup,hence I must have it,until my family got so sick of it,they sworn off it for months,haha.....This time round,it is local desserts,so I bought sweet potatoes,few different types as it will make the dish more appetizing,and include in a packet of starch cubes...Simple to make,and I enjoy chewing on the sticky,chewy starchy cubes,though they are nothing more than tapioca starch,haha...Hmm...now I just have to wait for my lao gong to book out from his reservist to try the next sweet potatoes longan red date soup,yum yum...

Hi,HP,I suppose my friend was too engrossed in our conversation and hence failed to notice clover,it was a moment too fast,I had just turned to chat with them and tucked into my food after playing with clover when it happened...sigh...

I agree wholeheartedly with you that exercise plays an important role too,come to think of it,there are quite alot of factors to look into,such as stress management,genetic factors,etc...Oh well,lets just live well and enjoy every moment..

Being Kiasu Pays

Am glad to share that after two months of experimenting with organic foods,clover's immunity has improved,yipee,though she did not have the luxury of having all organic foods,neither do I really advocate that as I feel that it is better to have a mixture,in case she develop adverse reaction next time when she dine outside...Read that it is the norm for babies to have 6-12 colds before they turn one,oh,not clover,if I can beat that figure,I will...haha..I do not favour the idea of being confined at home all the time too...Being with clover 24 hours of the day,7 days a week can be overwhelming,hence I do miss human(adult)interaction...hehe...It does not help when my lao gong is not at home most of the times,and with no extra help now that the babysitter called it quits after 3 visits,well,I had to lug around with clover everywhere I go..

As all my friends know that I come in a 1big,1 small package,clover even received her first wedding invitation card,haha...Imagine that,the card cordially invite clover and me,leaving out my lao gong since he cannot make it...Geez,this will be a card which I ought to keep it as a memory keepsake...haha...A wedding card for a 9months old baby indeed,haha....

A good lesson learnt today

No matter how much I try,at times I fail to be viligant enough,and thats when accidents occur...Met up with a friend for lunch,clover was sitting merrily in the highchair,with the strap snugly around her waist ,playing with her toys and curiously scanning the strangers around her...Mistake no 1 I made was having her sitting besides me,facing her would be a better option,but given the space constraint,sometimes,this was not so feasible..Somehow,clover slipped,the strap tightened around her neck,making it impossible to cry out...I was tucking into my food and chatting with friends when I felt a tug on my shirt....To my alarm,clover was strangled!!Immediately,I released the buckle,one hand supporting her lower body,thank goodness,my little ger was saved in the nick of time,had she not tagged at my shirt,I shuddered to think what could have happen....

A lesson learnt today,one that I like to share and reflect upon....I hope that does not make me a lousy mum though,hehe...This incident make me more cautious,it did not deter me from meeting friends for meals,but whenever possible,I like to place clover in the pram from now onwards,thank you,no highchair for now please...

My Wish

I harbour a secret wish-one that may jolly well seem like a tall order....haha...If possible,I love to be free from chronic illness,disability or even death till my little ger is able to fend for herself independently,holding a stable job,is a happy,confident young lady....Over the msn chat one day,out of the blue,my friend ask me "Have you notice that people around us are dropping like houseflies?"Given a random count,I can easily rattle off at least 5 names of friends or relatives who had passed away before 35.We are living longer but not necessarily healthier...oops...Posed this question to friends and collegues as to who will look after their kids should anything happen to them,touchwood,all I got was a shrug of the shoulder and a brush off with"aiyah,why worry so much?"

One insurance agent even added that while the dead are no longer aware,clover still need to survive...haha...good sales pitch but he clinch the deal,I certainly do not want clover to worry about finances in her growing up years....An ex-colleague of mine recently passed away due to liver cancer,leaving behind 3 kids below the age of 5 and a struggling hubby trying his best to make ends meet...Upon hearing this,my lao gong and I decided that it is better to insured ourselves and clover should tragedy strike....Settling on a guardian is an issue,as our parents are aging...sigh....whatever will happen will happen eventually,meanwhile,enjoy the day while it last...Rejoice in the fact that we are still healthy and strong,haha...Baked a batch of peanut butter orange cookies with a generous addition of macadmia nuts for friends who took the time out to meet me for lunch even on a busy working weekday...so sweet of them...hehe...since I still have some time left before going back to work in full force,now the good time to meet friends up...hmm..whos available next week?haha...

HP,you are certainly fortunate to have a doting mother who emphasis on good nutrition and I suppose that has rubbed on you too...hehe...Obesity is always the precursor to many chronic diseases but that does not mean one must be fat to be suffering from heart diseases ,stroke etc,cholesterol is also another culprit...lets eat healthily together,cheers :)

Chua,it is amazing how babies develop their own taste at such a tender age,don't you think?haha...I would love to hear more stories about your baby too,thanks for dropping by,mummy...

Natt,I have report to my new school already though I have yet to attend the meetings,clover is getting more chatty,learning how to walk and feed herself,goodness,I am going to miss her so much when Igo back to work...haha..

Love- Hate Relationship with water

Clover's "black face" when given water


Water-the essence of life,yet I hardly bring myself to drink plain water,given a choice,I pass it for juices,tea,coffee and my weakness,season ice lemon tea...It must be seasons,no other brand will do,that is how picky I am with my drink...haha...Sigh,all the diuretic drinks make me lose even more water straining my kidneys,that is certainly not a wise idea...Hence,home-brewed soup to the rescue,haha...Without seasoning,I enjoy slurping my soup,this soup contains all the natural goodness from organic raw peanuts,first time I ever try it,the leaves tasted like spinach,and with the sweetness from green papaya,I drank the whole lot without much urging...haha...

Like me,clover dislike plain water too,no matter how much I try to coax her,her lips will automatically pressed together when a drop pass her lips,no wonder my lao gong joked that like mother,like daughter,we both have a common dislike,haha....Suggestions from friends to add in ribena,delrosa syrup were to no avail,just as determined I am to made her drink,she is equally headstrong in resisting...haha...Screaming till her face turn red,pushing the bottle away,the naughty baby wins...Working around the problem,I now turn to home made juices,soup which she happily gulp down...Oops,not a good solution..What if she turns out to be like me?Better be a good role model and drink my plain water too...haha...In time to come,clover will also follow,monkey see,monkey do...haha...

I am what I eat-literally

OOohing and AAahing over the food pictures featured at others' food blog put mine instantly to shame,haha...Oh well,better to be true to myself,for while such desserts are to-die-for,it should be an occasional treat...hehe....With the flu virus at its peak,we are more vulnerable than ever to fall ill under such harsh weather...I always make it a point to include more fruits and vegetables in my daily meal..True,nothing is foolproof,but at least I try and have on numerous occasions managed to keep flu and cold at bay....Once I remembered getting into a verbal arguement over this with one of my ex-colleague,he believe that kids should not be restrain over their food choices,as it will backfire with most of them flockering over to the fast-food outlets, being deprived and eat even more of the unhealthy food,me on the other hand feel that kids ought to be taught at young,with parents leading a good example on eating healthily,drilled on healthy food choices,with fast-food being a eating out once in a blue moon...Eventually nobody win,we stubbornly stick to our guns...haha

The first time I visted a local organic farm,the farmer while explaining on the benefits of organic produce,plucked a ladyfinger,use a hand towel to clean off the surface dirt and offered it to the crowd,for a while,nobody came forward,in my mind,I was thinking"raw ladyfinger,so gross with sticky sap,must be awful"..To our surprise,a little boy came forward,eagerly took the ladyfinger and munched on it happily..Naturally,that got me curious too,after getting my hand on organic ones,I took a huge bite,to my surprise,it is crunchy,without much sticky sap and has a sweet aftertaste,the organic apples and passionfruits were also much sweeter than conventional ones,nice on its own...without fanciful dressing...hehe..My frds,shall we organise our eating out at an organic cafe?haha....

Gaining strength and skills

Over a period of 8 months,clover has grown so much,it is almost unbelievable....From a tiny "blop" who only wailed and smiled,she can now make her intentions known clearly,by saying "urm"whenever she pooed or "mum mum" occasionally when she wants milk,smiling broadly when I approach her with her bottle,haha....

How to fend off boredom is a daily task we have to tackle,for she will keep on whining,till we hand her things of interest,haha....Luckily,tearing of tissue paper still tops her list and is easily available,and she will attack the whole box with great gusto,happily shredding the paper to bits,haha...Sitting on the sofa used to be her favourite spot until she discover walking can take her places,haha...Hopefully,she will walk on her own unaided,for now she does enjoying being led by us....hehe...A wonderful imitator of sorts,she can minic the sounds we made,even repeating my actions of feeding her when I gave her a spoon and bowl during feeding times,she will gingerly dipped the spoon into the bowl,and then slowly aimed it into her wide mouth,but alas,it is only for a short while before she find it even more amusing to haul it onto the floor,chuckling loudly...haha...

Having 4 teeth mean that I do not have to puree my food to a fine paste,instead it helps to provide texture to the food and encourage her to chew...A friend had also commented that she can recognise her name,indeed she looks at the person who call her with a "Whatsup" look,haha...It will not be long before she can verbally acknowledge the caller....Oh well,my little cookie is thriving and will embark on another milestone by sitting on her potty next week,wish me luck...haha...One day when clover is old enough to understand words,I will show her this post,hopefully it will still be around...

Chip off the OLD cookie

I always prefer crunchy cookies to chewy ones,hence when I bite into these cookies,it was a disappointment to me,but to fans of softer ,chewy cookies,this recipe is most likely a keeper:

Choc Chips and macadamia nuts cookies(about 60 pieces)

120g butter,softened
3/4 cup white sugar
2/4 brown sugar
2 eggs
21/2 plain flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup choc chips(I used milk choc,hence reduce sugar slightly)
1/2 cup chopped macadmia nuts

1. Cream butter and sugar till white.
2.Beat in egg one at a time,add in sifted flour and baking soda.
3.Lightly stir in nuts and choc chips,drop by tsp onto ungreased baking tray.
4. Bake at 170 degree celcius for about 15 minutes,20 minutes for slightly crunchy cookies.




Clover has always been a happy baby,a trait which my colleagues put it as me being a happy person,haha.....Happy mummy when pregnant will produce happy baby,haha...It will be exciting to know what kind of individual she will develop into,now at 8 months old,she is getting more and more chatty,in the past,she will only squeal in delight,mouth the sounds"ah,mum,and urm" at night,now it is all day long,at times,she can scream for attention,haha...Yet,when outside,or facing the videocamera,she is good as gold,smiling merrily at the camera or at strangers,
tsk ,tsk,the pretence of it all..haha...Guess most likely,she will pester us when she can talk,just like how I "fan"my friends at our gathering with my endless chatter,haha....

Natt,my lao gong and I are of pure chinese descent...it is merely coincidential that clover do resemble abit mixed,I have came across comments that she looks malay,indian and eurasian....haha...

Clover's balancing act

After seeing the number of toys my friend's baby own,my lao gong then proclaimed that we ought to get clover some too...Haha...comparison has already started,huh?haha...Even though I doubt clover need that many toys now,still it seem not a bad idea as well,as buying abit more,and rotating the toys can entice her interest and capture her attention,so that she can at least stop "pestering" me for awhile and I can sneak in some housework,haha...For now,it seems to be working,she has great fun holding and slipping her legs through the "doughnuts",haha...

Oh,Danny ,here is the recipe of the okara(soyabean pulp) cake ,in time of need,hehe...

2 Earl Grey teabags
1 cup okara
1/2 cup boiling water
250g unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
11/4 cup self-raising flour

Tea syrup:
11/2 cup caster sugar

Methods:
1.Brew teabags for about 5 minutes.Discard teabags,reserve tea.

2.Place butter,brown sugar,eggs,flour,okara,and 2 tbsp of the tea into mixing bowl.Beat till pale in colour and well-combined.

3.Spoon mixture into 8-inch round pan,bake at 180 degree celcius for about 50 minutes to one hour,check with a skewer to see if it is ready.

4.To make tea syrup:pour remaining tea and caster sugar into saucepan.Stir over low heat till sugar dissolve.Let stand for 10 minutes and drizzle over warm cake.

Creamy pasta carbonara-His style

Having studied in UK for a couple of years,my lao gong can cook to make his otherwise monotonous diet a tad more interesting,since as a student on budget,he cannot afford much too..Hence,he does love to cook to impress whenever friends come visiting...haha...

Being appointed the "chef" among his working mates in Aussie has improved his culinary skills further...Situated in outback Australia,without much dinning places around,it seem practical to prepare own meals,here is one of his "thumbs-up" dish that he whipped up,and which I am fortunate enough to sample it too,haha....

I prepared the ingredients for him,doing all the dicing,slicing etc,and he did the cooking..In my house,there is an unwritten rule:Do not intervene with the cook...haha..Too many cooks spoil the broth,I do not mind if people asked why and what was done,but not when it is incessant nagging...Imagine while cooking,and there is endless ranting about how things ought to be done this way or that way,no prize for guessing who I am most likely referring to:mummy dearest,haha....Both of us have mummies who nagged,or perhaps it seem to be an universal problem,women nag by nature?haha....While advice is greatly appreciated,it is the raving and ranting that is enough for me to throw the white flag and escape...haha...

Do not do unto others what you do not like,I hardly nag,except when I am fuming mad,then I will rant endlessly,haha..I do hope I will stay that way with clover too...and not fall into the syndrome of getting mellow and nag,nag,nag....haha..

Nattalie,apology accepted...In my much older posts,I did mention about me being on unpaid leave,no point repeating my status ever so often...I guess..haha...

OK,thanks so much for your encouragement,as much as I want to become a full-time mother all the time,it is not possible for the time being,as I have another 2 and a half years of bond to fulfil,failing which I will have to pay up to 40k or slightly more,an amount which I figure can be put to better use for clover's milk powder and diapers,clothes..haha...

Life is all about choices,I am fortunate enough to be able to take unpaid leave to look after clover,yet still retain my job...Since I chose this path,hence will have to leave my post in the former school and be allocated to a new place,next year will mark a new begining for me...I may not have the fortune of meeting a great,understanding boss with fun-loving colleagues,or maybe I will...who knows?whatever will be will be,I just make the best of it...haha...

Heres how he did it:
(serves 4)
1 tbsp butter
220g fresh button mushrooms ,sliced
1 cup cream
2 eggs
125g parmesan cheese,grated
200g chopped ham
400g dried spaghetti

Methods:
1.Melt butter in non-stick frying pan over medium heat.Add mushrooms,stirring for 5 minutes,remove and keep warm.

2.Combine cream,eggs,3/4 of the grated cheese and finely grounded black pepper.

3.Cook spaghetti in pot of boiling water to which one tablespoon of oil and pinch of salt has been added.Cook till al dente.

4.Drain pasta,toss in sauce and when sauce has thicken,serve.Enjoy.

Why I did what I did

Tsk tsk,I should have explain the full story further....Clover is left at the babysitter at the most twice a week,this allows me the freedom to take a breather,as well as the opportunity for clover to get used to being with others around,since I have to go back to work in two months time.I am on unpaid leave,not quit my full time job to be a SAHM.Though dec is normally school holidays,it is the time for teachers to arrange meetings,plan work assignments,discuss budgets etc.In short,it is work for the teachers,holidays for the kids,haha...

Stranger anxiety which normally starts around this month,tends to make baby cautious of strangers,new environment,though it differs from baby to baby ,it helps to give clover some time to settle in,as well as a chance for me to observe if she is comfortable,and whether babysitter can cope....I do not fancy the idea of thrusting my baby into the arms of stranger only at the last minute,besides,reliable babysitter is not easy to find,some may be out to earn a quick buck...Hence,if this babysitter is not suitable,I have to find time to do my search again...sigh..Thank goodness,clover is adapting well so far from the two visits,babysitter is also caring and will "report"the amount of milk drank,how long her nap was,her behaviour in great detail...haha...

Well,anonymous,we are not rich,though I hope we are...haha...As I said,the second job is borne out of passion,it allows him to earn more income,who will say no to more money ,when the opportunity presents itself?haha....But being human,and as a woman,it is hard not to be vain alittle,I do love to indulge in a facial now and then,or shopping for new clothes without baby around....Having a baby does not mean I have to be a typical "huang lian po",isnt it?It is good to update a new wardrobe once in a while,but leaving my lao gong or grandparents to look after the baby is not an option in my case,hence babysitter is by far,in my opinion the best choice....Care to sign your name?I always like to see names being signed off even though I do not know you personally,but it gives me a feeling that you are "real" and not just a cyberperson...haha...

Furthermore,it also allows my lao gong and I to date once in a while,just like "back in the days we were dating" without baby around....it is sad to see couples whom after having baby,their lives centre only around kids,school and nothing else,I have seen such couples filing for divorce,(especially more so if a more loving and much more understanding "third party" enters the picture),and the typical reason is "she/he do not understand me anymore,we always quarrel all the time",life is work and kids,seems dramatic to you readers,but such is harsh reality,especially after children comes into the picture...The partner feels no longer valued but more of a mummy or breadwinner...and well,I believe in not neglecting my lao gong for who we once were,and yet embracing the baby to make us a family unit...hehe...Working in sales,schools,it is interesting as it enables me the opportunity to observe the interaction between couples,kids vs parents etc...and knowing some of them personally make me want to avoid the pitfall ,hopefully,touchwood,it does not happen to us...haha....

Zhuo Niu Zhuo Ma

Holding one job is exhaustive enough,imagine two jobs....haha...Though the second one is borne out of passion,still time,efforts have to be put in,and thank goodness,it is only occasionally,otherwise my lao gong will be a very busy busy man indeed...haha...Cooking and baking what he enjoys,perhaps will be the least I can do...Oops,that makes me sound like a typical "huang lian po",doesn't it?haha...Fortunately,I managed to enlist the service of a reliable babysitter,allowing me to have some free moments of the day to catch up on some errands,meeting friends,pamper myself,to have "er ren shi jie" with my lao gong,afterall,we are a couple first before baby comes along,haha...A time for me to recharge and with some rest,I certainly am more tolerant of clover's whining...haha...That little ger gets bored so easily,I have to think of ways and methods to stimulate her or engage her...While I do not lose my cool easily,I do feel out of touch with the "outside world",facing her day in,day out....We all need "me" moments too,hehe...If I can have it all,why not?

This cake is different from most of the cakes I baked so far,it consist of okara,leftover soyabean pulp...Few years ago,ignorant me will dumped all the pulp away after making soyabean milk...Till I met the school cleaner who was aghast with my actions...haha...Apparently,the pulp could be used to bake cakes,cookies,pancakes,okara cutlets..etc...Rich in fibre,vitamin B,it is a rich source of proteins too...Lesson learnt,haha....Using a blend of organic black beans and soyabeans,I churn out creamy soyabean milk,inexpensive and easy to do...Highly recommended for those who want to make healthy living your style...hehe...Oh,did I also mention that I replace it with my morning cuppa?Less jittery,hehe...

Organic Beans milk
100g soyabeans
30g black beans
sugar to taste
400ml water
pandan leaf
muslim cloth,to drain the liquid

1.Wash and soak the beans overnight.
2.Drain away water,blend it with 400ml of water.Pour it into muslim cloth,with saucepan underneath the muslim cloth.Drain the liquid and squeeze the muslim cloth to yield more milk.Tie Pandan leaf into a knot and dump into saucepan.
3.Bring to boil,stir occcasionally with wooden spoon,add in sugar to taste.As for the pulp,it can be stored in the fridge for two days...hehe.

Orange honey baked chicken with pumpkins

Celebrated my lao gong's homecoming with a moist,tender,succelent chicken...hehe...The moment he came back,he proceed to empty his bagful of goodies,haha...I am more interested in what he brought back than anything else...hehe...Brought back two packs of kettle chips,yipee,somehow,the kettle chips in australia taste better than the ones sold in sg...More crispy..Since he came back at the wee hours of the morning, clover will gets to see him when she wakes up...When she started bawling for her first feed,her daddy went in to soothe her,upon seeing him,she seem stunned for a moment,perhaps,surprised to see him there after a month...hehe...For a moment,she stopped,studied him for a moment or two,smiled before closing her eyes to bawl again...haha...apparently,she still remember him,much to the relief of my lao gong...haha....

Orange honey Baked chicken
1 chicken,cleaned and gutted
approx 1/3 cup honey
juice of one orange
1/4 tsp five-spice powder
knob of finely sliced ginger
3 tbsp light soya sauce

Methods:
1.For better flavour,I marinated the chicken oovernight,wrapped in aluminium foil.
2.Bake in preheated oven at 180 degree celcius for about an hour,then remove,baste chicken and bake for further 40 mins till juice is clear when poked at the thigh.
3.Root vegetables can be added in to bake with the chicken.Enjoy.

Ok,I would most likely describe my lao gong as a tall and lanky man,he towers over me at 1.81m,while I stands at only 1.59m,haha....Clover inherited her daddy's long limbs,my chubby cheeks and flat nose...haha...As for her eyes,wel,mine are not as big as hers,though I do have double eye-lids,whereas my lao gong has small,sleepy eyes,haha...

SE,the HO Licence that I am referring to is the Home Office licence,according to NEA,it is compulsory to apply for one to start a small-scale bakery,which I found out recently,failure to do so will be hauled to court and pay a fine,hmm...why pay that fine when everyone is applicable as long we own a housing property?hehe...Most likely,I may start doing either christmas or CNY cookies,but nothing is cast in stone yet,thanks for the encouragement....

Mixed Identity

Strangers keep mistaking clover for a boi boi,whenever I want to purchase clothes for clover,I will be shown the boys clothes wagon first by sales assistants who assume...Still remembered there have been occasions when I was selecting clothes at pasar malam,after picking up some pink tops,the auntie went"er...these clothes are meant for girls"..haha...According to the older folks,since clover looks so boyish,there is a high chance of us conceiving a boi the next time...hmm...wonder if any of you heard of that before?
How can I blame them since even my parents and lao gong also feel the same way...hehe...well,to me ,it is not entirely a bad thing after all,for hand me down from relatives does not pose much of an issue...apart from going out when I need to dress her up in cutie dress and pink clothes,most of the time,she is clad in t-shirts and shorts....
At 7 mths old,clover stands at 71cm,weighs 9.3kg,big baby indeed ...haha..outgrowing her clothes at a rapid rate mean that I have to purchase clothes for her every couple of months,as it is,I only look for clothes aged 12mths and above...Hopefully,she can walk soon,everyone is now complaining of aching arms....haha...

Well,Berto,while I do not deny the possibility that the kids may have come up with the money on their own, either that or they possess eagle eyesight(sharp and bright-eyed)....In this case,I gave them the benefit of the doubt,as I feel it can be contradicting for the kids if I praise them to be honest to return found stuff,yet I doubt them if they really found it...Besides,I guess nobody likes to be to be accused of being untruthful....
what I am trying to share is that kids ,like adults thrive on praise...Praise and reward enforcements work so much better to yield desired behaviour and is always more effective than nag,cajole or worse,corporal punishment....though some parents may believe in sparing the rod and spoil the child....The very last resort?...hehe..

Hi,OK,that is an interesting name...how do I pronounce it?Though initally,like what you had mentioned ,I too had the perception that you signed off as okay,but I thought that was rather odd...thanks for clearing the air...haha..

Nattalie,thanks for sharing....I can certainly understand your predicament,Im Nan here...though some of my friends will call me little nan nan if you read some of my past comments....haha...

Er..SE ,the bakery has been left vacant for some time,as I am too tired to really do much,perhaps I will continue with it after I attained my HO licence,thanks for pointing it out...As for planting my own herbs and plants,I did try once many donkeys years ago,however it turned out to be a failure...despite articles mentioned that basil is a hardy plant,one of the easiest to maintain,the plant still wither and died after one week,I still yet to find out the cause though,as I watered religiously,place it under the sunlight for couple of hours and placed fertilizer...hmm...beats me...haha...

Organic Products- TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?

Research has continously revealed that organic produce contain more vitamins and minerals compared to non-organic ones,free from pesticides,artifical fertilizers,no additional preservatives,protect the evironment and of course,hopefully reduced incidences of asthma,cancer and allergies....Being a protective mum,it does seem worth the effort to give it a try...and give a good headstart to nutrition....hehe...

It also helps that organic products are widely available and I can also order online ...so convenient..hehe...Though a little more costly,I still feel the benefits outweigh the cost...Of course to comprise for it,something has to go so that I can afford more products...hehe..As a result,I decide to forsake taking cab
rides,opting for public transport instead using a carrier for clover...Will eating more organic produce be beneficial for clover?Only time can tell....hehe...

Who do you see in the mirror?

Years ago,in my NT form class,I openly praised two students for returning five dollars to the general office which they found in the canteen...Very soon after,I have more and more students approaching the office with found dollars notes.....haha...No doubt the kids love to be praised for being honest..haha..Whenever exams are approaching,I will encourage the kids to write short encouraging notes to their classmates sitting next to him/her,as I believe that we all need that extra moral boost every now and then..In addition,I also wrote one for each student.After which the students will paste the notes proudly on the table...Does it help?Well,I found out that even when I swap the seats,the kids will insist on swapping their tables too,with the notes attached...haha...When I was hospitalised,the kids created a huge card for me to show how much they care,such is the impact of kind words....haha...Lead by example and hopefully,they will reciprocate..and all these from a bunch of NT kids,who are commonly perceived as rowdy,slow achievers,troublemakers etc...no doubt they are,nature cannot be change,but surely,they deserve kindness too?

As much as I like to shield clover from being bullied or being exposed to bad influences,ultimately,there will come a time for her to be put to the test....Kids are sponges,readily soaking up whatever they seen or heard,and growing up in an IT-savy world,TV,internet are readily there to exert influence on them...it takes all kind of people to make up this world,definitely with the good,we have the bad at any corner anywhere...haha..With clover,I feel like I am under constant scrutiny...at 7 mths old,now,she can imitate most of our actions such as making funny faces,clucking her tongue,when faced with strangers,she will look in my direction,smiling and relaxing if I do so...clamp up if I do not...haha...


I hope to be more observant ,to create opportunity to mould clover's character..to mind her Ps and Qs..geez....who does clover see in the mirror?May time reveal all...haha...I can only do my best and accept how she will turn out to be,for I have many shortcomings too..Nobody is perfect after all,besides,time,environment,her temperament all plays a role too...


By the way,SE,I am not qualify to dispatch advice....haha...just care and share...hehe...Do enjoy your motherhood too....To anonymous,I dare not comment anything,as it is really purely a choice of preference...Being mummies,we have the best intentions for our kids,so whichever path you choose to embark,I am sure that will be the best decision for your child and family,do take care,hope to know your decision too...hehe

Do Not Disturb-"Sleepyheads at WORK"

Woa...we must have taken more than a thousand shots of clover by now,guess that is natural ,for shes our first born...haha..My aunt told me that the number of photos will get depleted based on number of children,in her case,firstborn had many photos too,but not so for the 2nd and 3rd child...haha...
In this photo,I remembered that after washing dishes and leaving the father and child to play,I was amused to find the both of them dozed off on the sofa...It was a sight which would make a good memory keepsake ,or so I thought...haha...HEnce,this snapshot...haha...

Uncle,thank you

It pays nothing to be kind,a small gesture goes a long way....Even if I knew that most likely,the person I mentioned will not get to view this post,still I would like to offer my humble thanks and how his kindness brightened up my day...I was at the traffic junction,waiting for the light to turn green,clover was fast asleep in her pram..before the light turned green,clover woke up and started crying,perhaps was startled by the noisy environment...I picked up her up,pushing the pram with the other hand,just as I was about to reach the other side,there was a step...in order to get up the step,I would have to pick up the pram with both hands,but how am I going to do that with clover?besides,the green light was blinking,just then a pair of hands lifted up my pram without me saying anything,a gruffy,unkempt old man helped me...With a slight nod,he left hurriedly on his way....

Education does not make a man,his character does,values such as integrity,kindess seem forgotten or perhaps,we are so caught up in the rat race trying to outbeat each other,such values are always cast aside....Academic lessons can be taught,yet values are so difficult...how can I teach clover to look beyond the surface and see the goodness in everyone,to be thoughtful in a biased society?People say it depends on how you teach the kids,yet as times goes by,parents get so wrapped up in working,such values are often left to the teachers who seem to be all-rounder...Ironic,isnt it?

Flashback

Was given queer looks and not-so-encouraing remarks when I announced that I want to be a stay-at-home mum...."Are you sure?","Its boring,ya know,and not enough sleep","Can you handle without help,besides you cant even sit still,and you want to settle to stay at home?""what about your dept,and your classes?,who's going to manage them?"One male colleague even shared with me how his wife shattered all the plates at home,lashed out at him after being a stay at home mum,and being bored,frustrated,exhausted was unable to take it anymore...Even my mum and my gynae were skeptical that I can make it too...haha...for in their opinion,I cherish my freedom too much...hmm...despite their comments,I was determined to stick to my guns...after all,clover will only be an infant for a year or two before she starts to irks me with her endless questions of why what and how....haha...Career,i feel,can take a backseat for now,but clover will grow up too soon too fast,and I want to create memories...hence,the starting of this blog too to document my thoughts and her growth,hehe....

Of course,needless to say,there were moments of boredom,facing a baby 24 hours of the day,7 days a week can really wears me out..perhaps,engaging the service of a part-time bbsitter is not a bad
idea after all,then I can pamper myself and be a hdb taitai....haha....Armed myself with nursery rhymes dvd,er...theres a limit to the nursery rhymes I know,unfortunately,haha...I will play and dance in front of clover,keeping her amused and sometimes,she chuckles while I find it a great way to battle those post-pregnancy pounds...haha...no excuse for not exercising...haha...Understanding friends of mine now knows that I comes in a 1+1 package whenever they meet up with me over tea or dinner on a weekday to avoid the crowds
(air-borne infections transmit easily in such places)...cooking/baking is also a therapuetic way for me to destress too..hehe...In a nutshell,taking care of her is not as bad as I thought,for having established a good bedtime routine without patting her to sleep,I was able to keep my sanity during the days,interrupted routine only started when she started weaning,which I figure oatmeal cereal does the trick..hehe..good,old,trustworthy oatmeal..

Clover weighs 8.4 kg,stands at 68cm at 5 mths old,which makes her a big bb at 97 percentile,a large baby,no doubt,thanks to her daddy's tall genes,she need not cut down on her feeds,which I give to her on demands,not schedule...Se,I am not sure about your bb's weight,it will be best to check with the doctor,for nurses have told me that some babies need to cut back on their feeds as they are heavy but height is of a low percentile..Geez,need to get new clothings for clover again,haha...time for another shopping trip...yeah...

Pesky Flu bug

Lack of sufficient sleep has finally taken a toll on me,I caught the flu bug...Running a high temperature,coughing and sneezing makes caring for clover even more difficult especially in the middle of night,when all I want is to snooze......but of course,I cannot leave clover bawling with all her might...Gosh,I could really need some help around here..Exposed to a sick mummy makes clover susceptible to the flu virus as well...inevitably we both got sick....now it makes things even worse,as clover keeps crying due to discomfort...parents were unable to help out much as mum works 12 hours a day,it is unfair to add on to her load...sigh..Having flu does hinder with the tastebuds,doesn't it?Now,everything taste like cardboard,haha...Hence,I simply skipped the seasoning,and just place everything on the grill,puree some overripe mangoes to pour over the salmon...though it is a bit too late to hope that vit C can speed up the recovery process and chase the "bug"away,haha....

Being non-vegetarian,as I love seafood and poultry,I do not intend to raise clover as a vegetarian...Apart from the choice of food,there are also nutritional issues,such as vit B12 deficiency,iron and folate to be taken into consideration as these are vital for building of essential red blood cells,prevention of anemia...Besides,food combination is important too in the case of vegetarian,I have to ensure that pulses are eaten with vit c foods at the same meal to ensure absorption of iron...Aaah...Lazy me ,I prefer to whip food the VMB way,haha...Eating a variety of foods,everything in moderation(hence,no food is either good or bad),and balance the energy input vs the energy output...Oh gosh,occupational hazard again?haha...I used to have this knack of rattling of the nutritional value of foods till my friend,Michelle,told me to shut up and simply learn to enjoy the food...haha....

Fruits swimming in oaty soya papaya milk

Woke up with a scratchy throat,oh dear,and wanting to soothe that "fire"in the throat,I had ice cold soya milk(unsweetended) blended with 1/3 ripe papaya,and 2 tbsp of oats...Mmm...sweet,not too thick,just the way I like it...but its not sufficient enough to make me full,no worries,ever since clover started weaning,I have been introducing lots of fruits and vegetables to her,hence,there will always be fruits somewhere....hehe...Added in apple for a crunch,blueberries,dried wolfberries(unfortunately,it sank to the bottom) and sprinkle pomegrate seeds....Will I make this again?Yup,thats for sure,a quick breakfast that satisfy my sweet tooth....whats more,it lower cholesterol,faciliates bowel movement and most importantly,helps to boost my immunity.....

Now that I am home alone with clover 24 hrs of the day since my lao gong left,I cannot afford to fall sick,for there will be nobody to handle clover...Besides,if I do,most likely,clover will be infected too,which means hello to sleeplessness nites and tiring days...As it is,after 6 months,babies do not sleep much,however,to my dismay,clover sleeps only 7-9 hours at the most,even then she will wake up at regular intervals in the nite,making me feel like a walking zombie sometimes...the times she spent sleeping will be when I take a quick shower,prepare my meals,clean the house etc...Of course,there have been times when I wanna dump her at infantcare,feel like throwing in the towel...but then the paranoid side of me took over,knowning the risk of virus that kids are exposed to ,plus lacking of personal care and attention,after all,with so many babies,it is not fair to demand so much from the caregivers,isnt it?They are only after all humans...Hopefully,time pass quickly and when my lao gong comes back,at least I can have some rest again...hehe...

GOOD Health begins young

Healthy eating is not extended to solely humans ,as one can guage from the photo,well,that is if you can figure out what my brother's dog,whiskey is chomping on...haha...Pardon for the poor photography skills,I admit I do need lots of fine-tuning in this aspect...one of my ex-colleague even remarked that my photos looked like a scene from ghost movie,either the faces were disfigured or the background is a distant blur...haha...As for this photo,my brother commented that his dog resembled a lion with his fangs bearing for all to see...haha....


Enough of my not worth mentioning "talent",lets me reveal something interesting about Whiskey...Hes a vegetarian doggie,no kidding,strictly no meat and no fish since hes a yelping pup...hehe...Its been 4 yrs now and he has grown into a strong,noisy,active young doggie with a loud bark...Fresh,crunchy carrots which are shown in the photo is in his personal list of favourite foods,which also include raisins fluffy bread roll,apples,durians,boiled broccoli,cheese snacks(meant for dogs only) and hot boiled mashed eggs...As a result,his health status is tip-top with the all-clear from the vet when brought there for his yearly visit,no dental problem,no foul breath which plague some dogs,a shiny coat and wats amazing is that he only suffer from flu once in his four years,which was his once and only time when he was sick...

Hmm..I guess I can learn from this as well,which again goes to prove that fresh fruits and vegetables does strengthen one's immunity,animals included...haha..So far,clover seem to like her broocoli and spinach too...hope that will make her strong like "popeye the sailor man"?...haha...

Homemade Oreo Mango Ice cream

Not owning an ice cream maker did not deter me from experimenting with ice cream,after all,what have I got to lose?At the most,it will just be a chuck away attempt and nothing to brag about...haha...Fortunately,even if it did not turn out to be as smooth,creamy as commerical ones,the ice cream is still yummy,at least to us it is...haha..which makes my lao gong and I fighting for the ice cream tub...Oh dear,I better finish mine before it melt into a creamy mess..haha...In case you are wondering about the small portion,a little goes a long way...haha...We have to ration it else it will be gone very very soon...haha

Clover and grandma

Heres clover staring intently at the newspapers flapping in the wind and making a face...hehe..Ready for solids,she gets very excited and kicks her legs in great anticpation whenever I approach with her food bowl...hehe..Like most of us,she has a sweet tooth showing a liking for carrots,pumpkins,apples,bananas...If she taste something which she dislike,she will clamp her mouth shut,refusing to open...haha...

Lemony Salmon Spaghetti

Met up with my ex-colleague who asked if I eat instant noodles or tabao for lunch.....Me eating instant noodles?Nay,that will be nearly impossible for I loathe instant noodles,despite the great variety,so-called delicious flavours...and of coz the infamous slogan of fast -to-cook,good to eat....haha....

With a well-stocked pantry,I can have a wide choice too,though in my friends words"a slow meal"...haha...One can easily find brown rice spaghetti,brown rice bee hoon,canned fruits,soba(buckwheat) noodles,brown rice,barley,soya beans etc....For these are the bare essentials required by a "hermit"....haha...Taking care of a young baby mean I cannot afford to take the risk of bringing her out to too crowded places,least she gets exposed to virus...But now,that she hits 6 mths,yipee,it is the time to expose her to new sights,surroundings to stimulate her senses..In addition,it also helps to build her immunity....Yeah,time to go places with clover and no longer confined to the house as much as before....hehe...As for this lemony salmon spaghetti,simply add in lemon juice for the tang,stir fried the ingredients with light soya sauce,pepper,dash of wine,sesame oil,toss in cooked spaghetti to mix...Simple enough to tempt you to try?hehe...

Double Whammy chocolate muffins with banana filling

Having my own kitchen is something I look forward to....As I recalled staying with parents back then,my mum discouraged me from baking as she feels,well,it is a waste of time,not worth the effort since bakery shops are everywhere,sprouting up like mushrooms...."Isnt it easier to simply pop by and buy?"was the way she she sees it...
After my marriage,I insist on getting my own pad,finally,a place to put all my baking barang barang and more on the way,haha....Trust me,I am a real hoarder when it comes to baking recipes,cookies cutters,haha...Nows the time to bake ,bake without a care in the world...hehe...
Fortunately,my lao gong do not seem to mind me baking,in fact he even support me (as in financially)t enrol for more baking classes....Hip hip hurray,more goodies coming up in the near future..haha....

This time round,I baked some double choc muffins,and for a twist,added in some mashed bananas for filling,I dislike eating bananas on its own,but love them in baking,weird huh?haha....