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...