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...