Mummy,sleep sleep

Tucking clover into bed each night is a nightly routine for clover and I..It is a time I cherish ,even though the ritual can last for as long as two hours...haha...Spending time with clover with no outside disturbance,just a small light,and only mummy and clover,sometimes,daddy will smuggle into bed with us too....Usually when I noticed that clover is about to doze off,I Will pat her lightly on her bum and hum a lullaby...However,on one night,I was so tired,so I pretended to be asleep,hoping that she will dozed off soon,to my surprise,she approached me,laid her arm over my shoulder,started patting me lightly and rested her head on my arm,almost as if shes now patting me to sleep...Oooh...how sweet,gosh I must include this in my blog as a keepsake...haha...

Cute as button

Feeling puckish at 4pm,too late for lunch while dinner is a good two-three hours away...Rummaged through my pantry,hey,the sardine and grilled button mushrooms may make a good combination....or so I though...haha...Hence,I came up with sardine cheesy grilled button mushrooms...good for a nibble without ruining appetite for dinner,by serving on a bed of fresh lettuce for extra crunch,topped with low fat-cheese,it is light on the palate and light on calories...haha...

Extra sardine mixture can be kept overnight in the frige for a yummy sardine the next morning

Grilled cheesy sardine buttons
1 packet fresh button mushrooms,rinsed/wipe clean,remove the stalks.
1 can of sardine( I opt for low-salt version)
1 small tomato,chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
1 bird's eye chilli,sliced thinly
1 slice low-fat cheddar cheese
1 onion,chopped
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp olive oil(I use extra-virgin olive oil)
Few leaves of lettuce?(washed and pat dry with paper towel,sliced)

1.Mash sardine,add in lemon juice,water,chilli,tomato and onion together.
2.Heat over the stove till gravy starts to simmer and onion is soften.Remove from heat.
3.Lined the grill tray with aluminum foil(my grill is a small,compact with a combined bread toaster),greased with olive oil,add mushrooms on it,topped with sardine mixture,tear a piece of cheese over.Do the same till all mushrooms are covered.Grill till cheese melts and mushroom is soften.Serve on plate of lettuce.Can drizzle some sardine gravy over the mushrooms before serving.Enjoy.

IF ONLY........

What a disappointment,the steamed yam cake failed to meet expectations,it turn out a tad too hard,the meaty mushrooms and Chinese sausage taste disappeared upon cooking,I wonder what went wrong,perhaps I had steamed too long,or the quality of the mushrooms or sausage were inferior?hmm..though they were by no means superior quality,the grades of the dried goods were not that poor either...tsk tsk,how I wish I had my granny's recipe on hand...that was one of my greatest regret,being a tender age of 15 years young,I had not the interest nor the patience to cook,such a pity that after she passed on,none of my aunt inherited her fine cooking skills,all the delicious heirloom recipes had passed on too....Up to date,I still think she make the best yam cake,yam abacus and yellow wine chicken....Oh well,just have to fine tuned from now on till I reach satisfactory result....sigh...

E is for Exercise.not excuses

After having clover and being married,my life after work is being consumed by slouching on the sofa being sucked in by the jukebox,tending to clover and lao gong,baking treats and goodies to be shared and enjoy...No time,too tired for anything else become my personal slogan,gosh,I cannot go on like this...this is not whom I was previously,and now I am nearing 30,reaching another milestone in life,it marks the beginning of life changes...Firstly,I ought to keep tab on my health,cutting down on refined sugar,flour and caffeine...Incorporating exercise into my life has now become my personal agenda again,to mark my milestone,I sign up for marathon,a good way to force my butt to leave the couch and gets MOVING!!haha....

Seek advice from a dear friend who is a PE teacher cum teacher in charge of athletic team who told me to do cardio exercise at least 3 times a week,jog for at least 30-40 minutes each time,sounds like military training to me now!But I believe I can do it,so for now,perhaps,there will be more post of healthy foods,haha...Cheers to good health!!

Best of friends

When clover was born,like most first time daddies,my lao gong was at a loss on how to handle a howling baby,especially when its working day the next day,with me unable to get off the bed(during confinement),and no help around,he will sometimes lost his temper and stormed out of the room after handling the baby to me....Over time,clover managed to wind her way into my lao gong's heart...Now he is "stolen" by her...haha..The moment his keys turn the lock,clover will be on alert mood,eyeing the door with great anticipation,smiling and greeting dadda loudly....haha...

Sometimes,during lunchtime,my lao gong will even venture into toys shop,purchasing toys,or replenish her milk powder...So proud a daddy he is that he even went as far as sacrifying
his sleep to record,edit a video montage of her milestones and her birth....Based on all these,I suppose I can forgive the times when he cannot wake up in the middle of the night,and cannot help out,or when he has to work,leaving me with clover for weeks on end...haha...Observing the close bond between clover and daddy,with clover laughing loudly at play times,or reading a book being hold smugly in daddy's arms,or my lao gong changing nappy,helping to feed clover while laying on daddy's warm chest,I must say good job,daddy!way to go!!Just want you to know that you are greatly appreciated by us!!hehe...

Hi,HP,no offence at all...as mummies,it is natural that we all want the best for our children...For me,milk is very very important,and when clover rejected her milk,that make me tried out other alternatives..It was easier for clover to make the transition as she is used to having her milk powder being changed every couple of months,due to her nutritional requirements as she grows.With kids,it is always trial and error,what work for one may not be applicable to other(for whatever reason)..Good luck,and thanks for sharing..It is interesting to know how/what other mummy do...hehe..We learn as we share

Bailey mint chocolate oatmeal banana cake

This is a cake of first-first time baking a cake using oatmeal,bailey mint creme...Resulting in a moist,chewy,soft,not too cloying sweet minty chocolate cake,unfortunately,the fragrance of the bananas was overshadowed by the chocolate and mint....Shared this with my ex-colleagues and student who enjoyed it though they agreed that the banana was not really detectable,next time I shall omit the bananas and glaze it with chocolate ganache...hehe

Bailey mint chocolate oatmeal banana cake
125g butter
170g sugar
180g mashed bananas+1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp Bailey mint creme
180g dark chocolate +2 pieces of after-8 mint,melted
2 tsp oatmeal
2 eggs
250g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp milk

1.Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy,beat in eggs one at a time
2.Fold in sieved flour,baking agents,milk,mashed bananas,oatmeal,melted chocolate(melt using double-boil method/microwave),Bailey mint creme lightly.Do not overmix.
3.Pour into baking tray to bake at 180 degree Celsius for about 45 minutes.

Hi,HP,for a brief period,we too faced the issue of clover rejecting her milk,which sent us hunting for other brands which is delectable to her tastebuds....Hence,I can understand the "headache" you are having...haha...It took a switch of 3 brands,before she settled for Dumex ALL-IN-ONE...In addition,I also provide clover with cheese singles,yoghurt,ikan bilis,tofu and broocoli as alternate calcium sources,worth a try for your baby too...


Clover with new fringe..much to the horror of my lao gong as the cut was uneven..haha

You say it best when u say nothing at all...

At 8mths of age,clover started addressing us as "mama" and "dadda" when we come home,or when one of us is not around,she will start searching and keep calling till that person appear...haha...However,more often than not,she will speak in a string of unintelligible phrases with such intensity looking straight at us in the eye that it is impossible not to sit up,and pay attention to her....haha...Failing to do so,she will creep over,pinned her face close to mine and frown,repeat her words again,demanding my full attention...haha...

Unfortunately,it will be a good many months before she can articulate her wants clearly,at present,there are moments of frustrations leading to physical meltdowns,whenever we are unable to read her cues...oops...hmm...Hence to work around the issue,we started
teaching her handsigns that we invented ourselves for our understanding..haha.such as milk,wait and come here has its advantages,for she can signal back to me,for example when ask if she wants milk,she will either nod her head/smile(yes) or shake her head(no)...while playing,sometimes when I disrupt her to give her meals or water,she can show me the handsign for wait,so that I know she is still busy engaging in play...then when I indicate that I want her to stop and come ,she will do so after she has enough of playtime,likewise she will also show me the handsign for come whenever she is lazy to pick up her beachball and want me to do so for her....haha...

Her favourite handsign of all times?Finish/No more when her favourite nursery rhyme dvd has ended...haha...Sometimes ,she amaze us when she utter single words such as flower,five...With constant repetitions and experimenting,it does do wonders...haha...Although it does not have a 100 % success,depending on clover's temperment and takes lots of time,effort on our side..I still think hand signs are worth a try ,or perhaps ,I believe in devoting time to clover..hehe..Despite what my colleagues say "where got time?"...

Whats cooking today?

Friends always joke that I must be feeding clover with goodies of all sorts,for shes big and tall for her age....haha...Quite the contrary,actually,for although I am indulgent with the adults,her food choices are rather strict and rigid...Before one year old,seasonings was frowned upon,I prepared wholesome home-cooked meals,which may taste bland to us...is nutritious for her...Besides,without having tasted seasoning,there is no benchmark for comparison,does not strain her immature kidneys too...Recently,baby food have also become the latest fad diet in Holloywood,not surprisingly,for usually baby food if prepared well,can be healthy,nutritious in small amount....haha...So,friends who have been asking me,heres goes...

Heres what I have tried feeding clover when she is weaning at 6 months:
rice porridge with a small handful of brown rice(rich in fibre,B-vitamins)/oats cooked with :
-prune,apricot,raisins(usually I opt for sun-dried ,pitted w/o sulphur,can be found in organic stores,dried fruits contain fibre and iron-lacking in bb at 6mths old)

-fish like salmon,mackerel,cod(rich in Omega-3 and DHA-vital for brain development,now the best time for absorption of DHA,besides these fish have less bones ),half a fillet,cook with the porridge,sometimes,I will soak the fish in milk to get rid of its fishy taste,though ginger work well,but ginger can be heaty for clover

-lean pork,chicken breast
-dried scallop/ikan bilis(soaked for about 5 mins to get rid of excessive salt first)
-Root vegetable like sweet potato,purple sweet potato,carrot/pumpkin/celery/broccoli/kailan/xiao bai cai/spinach/other green vegetable(only the dark green leaves,not stems,the darker the leaves,the more folic acid and iron it contain)

-tofu(white soft tofu,I add this into the porridge),not to be added into spinach porridge due to the oxalic content
-whitebait silver fish(soak to get rid of excessive salt)
-soybeans/corn can be used to make stock,then discard
- mashed boiled potato with some of her milk,or /and cooked fish flakes
-fresh quarter red apple/pear blend with her cereal

-papaya,banana(too much can lead to constipation),avocado,mashed and mixed with milk
usually,orange-fleshed fruits and vegetables,I will give twice a week for its high beta-carotene content,up to date,clover has not eaten any citrus fruits as it can cause phlegm...

Rather limited list huh?well,the list gets longer as clover grows older,I guess it depends on individual babies,and I dare not claim this is the best list...haha...I suppose with a baby,a blender and slow cooker are important,however with the choices of smoothies,soups I can cook,nobody is complaining...haha...

Hi,Nancy,well,we just do the best we can and hope for the best,isnt it?Lets work hard to make our little ones safe ,sound and healthy,cheers :)

Many choices,nothing pleases...

Gradually,clover refuse her solids,at first,I thought it is all part of the teething process as her lower gum was swollen,3 small teeth were making its appearance...in the begining, it started with her wanting to eat just soft foods,almost as if she still weaning,eating just porridge or cereal,but now,no sooner did the food gets swallow,she will spit it out and shake her head vigorously,any further attempt for her to try usually end up in a battle of tears?(hers) and a worried mum(me)...haha...Oh dear,went to the library,borrow a few books on toddlers meals,perhaps,to a toddler,my cooking skill is bad?haha...but to no avail,she simply refuse solids,I am lucky if she can finish one third of the bowl without spitting...haha...

Perhaps,shes unwell,looking at my friends babies who joyfully finish up their meals,sometimes even ask for 2nd helpings make me wonder whats wrong with mine?Besides,read that babies are supposed to be picky around 2 yrs old,mine isnt halfway there yet...so why is my energizer clover rejecting though she still has boundless amount of energy to play while surviving on solely milk?

At my wits end,I brought her to the doctor who also happen to be a child's specialist,after listening to me patiently,smiled and reply" hes(sigh,why is everyone assuming clover to be a boy?) not eating solids,I see,so why are u so concerned?"hmm....isnt that something to fret about?shes not getting enough iron,DHA from milk alone,isnt it?The doctor did a check on clover ,laughed and assured me not to worry too much ,he knows of one fellow colleague who survived on milk for the first 4 years of his life,clover is developing normally,perscribed some vitamins and urshered us off..Am I being overly-concerned?Still figuring out where to draw the line,to stop being too "kan-cheong" (my lao gong's words)