Mischievous Clover

I know that I have friends who care and are curious about little clover,here is an updates on her latest developments at 16mths old...a spunky ,very active toddler..haha..
She is not toilet-trained yet,but recently,she started bullying me whenever I attempt to change her diaper,she will wiggle and struggle violently,then when she manage to get free,she will laugh and become a "RUNAWAY BABY",goodness giggling and running with her bare bottom for all to see,eeks,no sense of shame at all,so please do not be alarm when you comes visiting and see a bare-bottom toddler running at top-speed...haha...

As mentioned,she loves to scribble ABCs on the floor,papers,sofa,so if you do drop by,can always get her to scrawl for you and autograph it...haha...However,I must warn you that her scrawls are not really legible,though you can still make up the alphabets...

She loves to fling food onto the floor,but will feed you properly if you guide her...in return for a clap for a job well done...haha.

Clover makes a good dance partner and exercise playmate,in fact,she enjoy twirling around the room,or demonstrating her kickboxing moves when I do it together with her...

Her favourite activity is throwing and identifying her balls by colour,so far,she can pass you the ball by the colour you requested for,but she still cannot distinguish lighter or darker shade..to her light/dark blue are both blue,so she will usually pass you both balls,if you ask for blue..haha..

She enjoy a game of hide and seek,so do not be surprised if you feel a light tap on the shoulder or leg and when you turn,theres nobody there,most likely she will turn away giggling...haha..well,thats all for now,hope that answer the queries on hows clover now?hehe...

Leftovers?Where?

Whenever possible,I try not to waste food,but it seem unavoidable when cooking for the little one,at times,it can be difficult to gauge how much she will eat,hence what am I to do with leftovers?Pass it on to the dumping bin(me) ,of course...haha..But,of course that is not a good idea,especailly since it leads to overeating which in turn lead to excess weight gain...Hence ,I admit I do feel the need to work out on a frequent basis,especially since I do indluge once in a while ,last time used to be once a fortnight,now change for the better,once a month,haha...

Fortunately,clover has a strict diet which to many adults may seem a tad boring,consisting mostly of brown rice,oatmeal,fish,fruits ,vegetables,tofu,etc..since I cannot place a value on health,I will do my best to provide her a good nutritional headstart..

Heres an example of her snack,oatmeal with prune and blueberries,which was my "supper",though at times,I will sneak out for some forbidden foods too...haha...Life ought to be enjoyable at times...haha..

Loaded with fruits n bran Teabread

One glance at the photo,my lao gong starting shaking his head,lamenting that I ought to leave it to him to snap the picture,instead of a "brave attempt"...haha...hmm..a picture is worth a thousand words,and if my attempt is to tempt the readers to try baking it ,I believe I have flop miserably...haha...But I were too impatient to wait for my lao gong to come home,as I want to distribute the teabread before my kickboxing session...I am lucky to be surrounded by friends who do not mind trying,giving me comments,after all,how much bakes can I eat?haha..

Enough of my rumbling....heres a reason to celebrate with this
"Loaded with fruits N bran teabread",clover is finally eating!!Yipee,hip hip hurray,she has make a vast improvement by finishing her meals,without me making drastic changes,growth spurts maybe?haha...
To celebrate,I bake this wonderful teabread as a treat for her,instead of the boring oatmeal with prunes,which she likes but I enjoy a variety too...It makes a nice teatime treat for her,breakfast for the adults,especially with a steaming hot cuppa,do try it...
Recipe is modified from fruity bran teabread of many more kitchen secrets by Betty Saw
Loaded with fruits and bran teabread(makes 2 loaves)
480g self-raing flour
200g cold,diced butter
approx 150g sugar
80g bran
2 beaten eggs
250ml milk
6-8 peach slices,chopped
(I rinsed and soaked in tap water for a short while to remove the syrup)
4 ripe bananas,mashed with 1 tbsp lemon juice
200g dried fruits,chopped(I used unsulphured dried prunes,apricots,mangos)
Methods:
1.Rub in butter into flour till it resemble breadcrumbs.Stir in sugar,bran.Take 1/4 of the flour mixture to coat the dried fruits and peach.Add fruits into flour mixture.(By coating the fruits with flour helps to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of cake after baking)

2.Beat eggs with hand whisk till frothy.Add banana into the egg,pour in the milk,stir.Then fold in the mixture into flour.Spoon into baking pan,which have been lined and greased.Smoothen the top,top with extra bran if desired.

3.Bake in preheated oven of 160 degree Celsius for about an hour,I increase temp to 180 degree Celsius in the last 10 minutes to brown the top.Cool for about 15 minutes before removing from pan to cool on rack.

Look up to us....

Different personalitites can affect our parenting styles,our own family upbringing,our beliefs all come into play...yet having said that,I still think that it is important for the child to be disciplined when need be,for the parents to come to a joint decision on the punishments/rewards...in my work,nothing frustrate me than seeing how lax one partner can be,while the other simply lash out,or worst,the child is like a tennis ball being tossed from one parent to the other saying,"Im not free now,you tell my XXX,he/she will handle ,not me" Sad but this is the reality of life,when parents are too tired,too stressed in making ends meet,how the child misbehave somewhat appear trivial and pale in comparison to the problems they are facing....

I consider myself very lucky indeed that my lao gong and I believe in equal partnership,clover has to learn to put away her toys,her shoes after a walk...While she used to hurling her toys,books,or anything she laid her hands on,that has become much less frequent now,we follow the "one strike and u're out"rule,whenever clover threw something forbidden,she will be given a firm warning,do it again,and the toy will be confiscated...Instead she is given ball as a replacement for throwing...No exceptions from both of us,the little one picked up fast,haha...Whenever she has shown good behaviour,she will be rewarded with her favourite DVD or a short walk,which provide us with immense pleasure,haha...So ,maybe shes not the boss afterall,huh?haha....No doubt it takes lots of time,efforts and patience,so much so that I nearly want to give up at times,it is always easier to give a smack and shut her up,haha...But I realise that it gets easier once boundary(rules)are set,discipline begins even now...haha...

The chilli padi

The terrible Twos,throwing tantrum,screaming,incessant crying,craving for attention,a stage which I thought will happen when clover start to reach the age of 2 and beyond,but the truth is not to be...Facing rejections is not something to be tolerated,at least in her view,she do not see the rationale in throwing away her books,toys,wanting to watch dvd after 10pm,or why I refuse to bring her out for a walk in rainy weather,or why she is not allow to scribble her ABCs on the sofa,yet is approved on paper...Facing a firm mummy who told her no,she start to get upset,very upset indeed,banging her head on the floor,screeching at the top of her voice,refusing to be carried or pacify,with streams of tears flowing furiously down her chubby cheeks,it is painful to watch,I need a solution and fast....

Times out,reasoning with her were recommended which does not seem to work,for facing an impatient toddler at 16 months with limited vocabulary,it does not make sense,besides,I feel that clover will be so preoccupied with crying to notice little else,whats more,facing a toddler throwing tantrums is enough to make my own temper fraying too,little wonder then that some parents resort to smacking or hitting the kids....

Fortunately,I discovered that the small impersonator is good at imitating,hence I provide her with a soft little cushion,as a punching bag,a good outlet for her frustrations,haha...Initially,she laughed,perhaps she think that I am acting silly,punching the cushion and screeching with all my might,but little clover soon caught up with it,and when she is about to throw her temper,its the cushion to be punch and kick,phew,sound silly but at least clover no longer bang her head on the floor....Though I wonder how long this trick will last?haha...

Hi,ok,yes,you can replace plain flour with self-raising flour,and omit the baking powder,baking soda.Do let me know how it turns out.enjoy.

When every bite counts

Feeding clover used to be sheer delight,watching her little mouth opening wide eagerly,swallowing and asking for 2nd helpings,that now have faded into a distant memory,now mealtimes is always a gamble,not knowing if she will finish even half a bowl,she tend to stick to her old favourites,of avocado,cod fish,pumpkin,when these foods are served,she can lap it all up,but mostly,she will take a few mouthfuls before spitting into our face...eeekss..Worse,she refuse to chew well,preferring to mouth it,till the food is mash before swallowing,hence mealtimes is always slow,patience is required,remaining calm is a true virtue,whenever food is being spat out,usually we will remove it,no fuss,no tears,haha...

This is a challenge for the cook(me),who will then have to be creative in churning out foods that do not choke her,yet every mouthful is bursting with vital nutrients...This is what I have come up with:


Wholemeal cream cheese banana bran muffins with oat milk

It must be moist,else she refuse to even swallow it,hence I added in bananas,some cream cheese for calcium,as clover can be prone to constipation at times,fibre is of utmost importance,bran,oats,wholemeal flour(together with sufficient water and exercise) can help to ease the transitions,resulting in regular bowel movements,to avoid it being too gritty,wholemeal flour,bran is not required in substantial amount,yet enough to help in fibre content,it also makes a healthier breakfast or snack,do try it....

Specially for busy mums who really prefer to rest in bed and lack the time or energy to even bother with cooking,this is meant for you...Or for someone who want to eat healthily yet crave for sweets,try this option...It irks me to see kids tucking into deep fried wings,burgers laden with much sodium,fats,sugars...Though moderation is the key,to some of them moderation is once a week...gosh,isn't that much too often?Healthier options may be available,but I know if I were to eat at fast foods outlet,the more sinful the foods are,the better-tasting it is...haha..if not,why bother going?
(I modified from the book of kids and toddler food: cheese ,bran muffins recipe)
Recipe for the muffins(makes 12)
11/2 cup plain flour
1/2 wholemeal flour
1 tbsp baking powder
60g cream cheese,cubed
1 egg
1/2 cup unprocessed bran(I bought from Nature's farm)
1 tbsp instant oats mixed into 11/4 cup warm milk,can blend to make it finer
4-5 medium bananas,ripe till skin is blackened,mashed,add in 1 tbsp lemon juice
100g melted butter,plus 25g extra-virgin olive oil(note:can choose to use 125g butter instead)
approx 1 cup sugar
Methods:
1.Melt the butter,add in olive oil if using,remove from heat.stir in sugar.Add in egg,oat milk.

2.Sieve flour,wholemeal flour,baking powder in mixing bowl,make a well in centre.Pour in the wet ingredients,stir till just mixed,lumpy mixture.Add in cubed cheese,bananas,fold in.

3.Spoon into muffins cups lined with oil or use paper cups,bake in preheated oven at 200 degree Celsius for about 15-20 minutes.Can freeze in freezer and microwave before eating at medium high for about 3 minutes.

homemade char siew

For the record,this recipe did not come from me,nor did I modify it...It is derived from the AMC cookbook which can be used for grilling,baking,steaming without additional oil,sealing in the juices,making food healthier,and if to seriously compared,well,have to comprised a little on the flavour...In true grilling,the oil is brush on contionusly,food when slightly charred is the best,but of course the oil is always dripping onto the hot coals,emitting a type of fume which makes grilled foods ,especially the charred bits carcinogenic,besides,we hardly go for bbq outdoors,hence this make a healthier alternative,in a league of its own,I would not even called it char siew as it taste not quite the same,but since this is what is titled in the cookbook,so be it...haha...Cant think of any suitable name anyway...haha..Serve wrapped with cruchy vibrant green lettuce,it is a good way to indulge without much guilt...haha...

fruity salad loaf

The best part about baking is that I get to be in full control,omitting this,adding a pinch of that,and finally,to gain full satisfaction upon knowing that my "experiment" work,with a peace of mind,having been able to provide a "healthier" version than commerical one,that is motivational factor,which I cling onto to create and churn out one product after another...haha...Heres a fine example of one bake which I did modify to make it a snack for the little one,tea-time for the adults...Though canned fruits is not really a good option,I must add,however I am stuck with 3 tupper-wares of it,after making fruit-tarts,it is a good way to dispose of it as soon as possible,as much as I can....haha..It also translate into less sugar to be added into this loaf,as canned fruits are usually soaked in heavy syrup,some adjustments is required...
However, I do not dispel the notion of everything in moderation,once in a while,I do indulge especially when comes to chocolate cake making,Mmm...haha..
The response was so positive,moist,soft,slightly chewy and gritty, that I will not hesitate to do it again,anyone who like to try is most welcome to have the recipe:

Fruit salad Loaf
11/2 cup plain flour
1/2 wholemeal flour(I substitute wholemeal flour to increase fibre content)
3/4 cup sugar(original recipe uses 1 cup of sugar)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup cold,cubed butter
1 egg
rind of one orange/lemon
juice of one orange+30ml milk
1 cup mixed chopped fruits(I sieved the fruits to drain away excess syrup)
Methods:
1.Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius.Grease and lined loaf tin.

2.Combine flour,raising agents,sugar in bowl.Rub in butter till it resemble breadcrumbs.Add in rind.Toss the fruits into 1/4 of flour mixture.(This is to prevent the fruits from sinking to bottom of cake after baking)

3.In separate bowl,add in egg,juice,milk.Gently fold in fruits,adding all into flour mixture,fold gently.Pour into pan and bake for around 40-45 minutes,till skewer comes out clean.

A poor man's fare

Thats it..what you see is what you get,absolutely no hidden ingredients,no scientific preservatives or chemicals which can easily fool the unaware consumer...a dish that hardly conjures excitement at the table,but to me,it is pure comfort,a dish that evokes memories of me having a quick meal while working as sales assistant,back then,we took turns having our meal usually in the food court to save money,and since I do not like to wait too long for food,whilst the seats are easily filled up,of course,it is easier to have our meal later,but somehow,food courts are always crowded,and I have a strange quirk,I want to have a corner seat,almost as if eating alone is a pathetic,lonely affair which ought to be hurried for fear of exposing of how "unwelcome" I am,haha...(Fortunately,today,I mange to outgrow my "fear" of eating alone...hehe.)

Hence,chicken stew which left simmering for hours,the meat so soft,it simply slipped off the bone,with root vegetables thrown in,makes a substantial meal,and since it has already been cooked,the queue timing is distinctly shorter...haha...Besides,the root vegetables being full of fibre,low cost,filled me up,most importantly,I need to serve dishes which clover can enjoy too,lazy mum do not wish to cook for her separately,haha...Last month,the straits times run an article on sample meals to cook for a family of 4 for only 10 bucks,however,I like to provide a little luxury to see if I can feed the adults and one fussy toddler for around 20 bucks,see if I can rise to the challenge?haha....To try out the poor man's fare,here is what you need:
Chicken stew with root vegetables
3 drumsticks,marinated overnight with a tsp of oyster sauce,sesame oil,dash of pepper
1/4 pumpkin,peeled,cubed
1 carrot,peeled,cubed
1 potato,peeled,cubed
1 sweet potato,peeled,cubed
3-4 sugar peas
1 onion,chopped
2 cloves garlic
approx 500ml of water/stock
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp white wine(optional)
Methods:
1. Heat pan,oil.Add in onion and garlic,fry till fragrant.

2.Add in the drumsticks,fry till brown on both sides,add in root vegetables,add in 1/2 of liquid,stir once in a while.Add in wine.

3.Leave to boil,then simmer,add in rest of liquid,cover and stir once in a while,check water level,add in more if liquids seem to dry up.Add in the peas,as it cook fairly soon.Simmer till chicken is cooked and root vegetables are soft but not mushy.

Thanks for the compliments regarding the muffins,Lishi,sorry to know that the muffins were a tad too dry,perhaps,you can try storing the muffins in the fridge or freezer,and before consuming,pop them into the microwave,to make them warm and fluffy again,instead of leaving it for 2 days on the table,which may dry it out....

Hi-fibre seafood pumpkin risotto

I dislike instant noodles as much as my lao gong cannot stand the sight/taste of wholemeal spaghetti/brown rice...Hence,I was rather surprised when he expressed delight at the wholemeal pasta bolognese the other night,I had even set aside some chicken porridge for him,perhaps,it was curiosity that got the better of him...haha..which is an added bonus for his health,since wholemeal products help to stabilise blood sugar,lower cholesterol,not to mention,rich in fibre,b-vitamins..Bought a pack of short-grained brown rice intending to make some risotto,which I am sure will anger most food critics,haha...well,at least it gives me a peace of mind,knowing that my family is doing well health-wise,hehe...With the addition of home-made apple,cabbage stock,the risotto was so tasty that my lao gong polished off 3 plates,imagine that...wow,do give it a try,especially if you happen to have a family member like mine,haha....
The original recipe is pumpkin risotto,to make it more of a one-dish meal,I added in seafood,and more water/stock may be needed as brown rice require longer cooking time and slightly more water...

Pumpkin,seafood brown rice risotto
(Adapted from pumpkin risotto recipe taken from Oriental cuisine magazine)
1.2 litres water/veg stock(I used apple,carrot,cabbage with lean pork to make stock)
1 tsp butter,1 tbsp olive oil(the original recipe called for 30g butter)
1 chopped onion,2 cloves of chopped garlic
900g cubed pumpkin(I used around 1kg)
80ml UHT whipped cream
60ml white wine
4 tbsp grated cheddar cheese(salt is omitted as cheese is used)
500g brown short-grained rice(rinsed,can be soaked to reduce cooking time)
2 big squids,cleaned and sliced
500g prawns,peeled and devined
freshly ground black pepper

methods:

1.Heat pan,add in butter and olive oil,fry onion and garlic.
2.Add in rice,pumpkin,cook till rice is transparent.
3.Pour in wine,allow to bubble fiercely.
4.Add 1/4 of the stock/water,stir consistently until all liquid is absorbed.
5.Gradually add in the stock/water,stir all the time,till all liquid is absorbed before adding the next ladleful of stock/water.Lower the heat.
6.After 30 minutes or so,the rice should be creamy,add in the UHT cream.Stir in seafood.Once rice,seafood is cooked,remove from heat,add in cheese,black pepper,cover and leave to stand for 5 minutes.Garnish with extra cheese,black pepper,sliced cherry tomato if desired.



Wow,Do I have a genius baby?"Gasp"
Clover is flipping an Oxford dictionary,after which she happily flung it onto the floor,together with my "shattered dream" of a natural born reader...haha...

Being small does not matter

Lemon-banana bite-sized muffins

I sworn to eat healthily,exercise regularly,yet I must have my desserts,especially when it is that time of the month,craving heightens,sensory buds on high alert,every month I will be muching on the one thing,before getting so sick of it that the particular food will be strike off my list for months,haha...Strangely,every month my cravings differs,but whatever the chosen dish is,it is always a headache for my lao gong,for I will grumble if I cannot get hold of it ,believe it or not,I can eat the dish or food for days on end,haha...Some cravings that I had were soyabean jelly dessert,chocolate,durian puffs,oyster omelette,white cabbage soup,red bean ice cream, french loaf,no kidding,I will be chewing on the plain crusty bread during tea-time,which added more kilos,making me work much harder ,sigh,a kiss on the lips ,an inch on the hips,haha...So this time round,my cravings were banana muffins,baked in bite-sized portions,what a CHEATER,haha..just who exactly am I kidding?To make up for it,I jogged three rounds at the stadium,way to go,hurray,more room for desserts now,haha...

Lemon banana muffins(Yields about 18 mini muffins)
100g plain flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
rind of one lemon
1 egg
50g sugar
25g melted butter
3 tbsp milk
1/2 cup mashed bananas,add in 1 tbsp lemon juice
Methods:
1.Put egg,sugar,rind and melted butter in bowl and mix well.Sieve flour,raising agents into a clean bowl,and pour all into the egg mixture.

2.Mix swiftly into a wet,thick,lumpy paste.Fold in bananas and take about 1 rounded tsp of mixture to fill into mini paper cups.Check that mixture is about 3/4 full.(To be eco-friendly,simply oiled the muffin tray before adding in the mixture)

3.Bake for about 15-20 minutes in preheated oven at 180 degree celcius.


Notice how clover is imitating us?Even the way she sits cross-legged at the ankles is so much like her daddy,haha..

Waste Not,Want Not

Skipped grocery shopping for almost two weeks,rushing to attend workout sessions,meeting friends up over dinner has left my lao gong in an unpleasant mood,to say the least...coming home famished,and a peep under the food-cover reveal one pathetic vegetable dish is hardly his idea of a standard dinner fare...Not that my helper do not know how to cook,but when she require 45 minutes to get a stir-fried vegetable dish ready from the chopping board to the table,excluding washing -up,well,it seem so much easier to just double the portion for a hungry man rather than attempting to satisfy the tastebuds by cooking more dishes,anyway,back to the salmon,well,these are what we are left with,while I am glad that the fish came completed,it also prove a challenge as to what to do with the niffy-gritty bits,read"scales,tail and little flesh on bones" The possibilities were not limited ,I realised,but since I had only bare essentials,it make sense to prepare my own version of salmon-sardine spaghetti bolognese...haha..Boiled some water,dumped in the rinsed "spare parts",remove ,flaked it and coupled with canned mushrooms,bottled spaghetti sauce,canned sardines,wholemeal spaghetti,thrown in some capsicums,grated cheese ,I was able to well,prepared a one-dish dinner,with minimal fuss,satisfy the hunger and tastebuds of that lao gong,what more can I ask for?haha....