Just so that I will not take food pictures using the same old plates and bowls every time, I have gone to my mom’s and gathered some to add to my collection. Now, I just need to find the space to store them. No, it’s not a good idea to place them on the countertop. No…no….no…
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The other day when I was shopping for grocery, the blackberries were on sale. Thus far, I have baked with raspberries, strawberries and blueberries but none with blackberries and decided to buy one (small) box.
So what can you bake with them? I could mostly think of using them as decorations on cakes or cheesecakes but then decided on doing something simple like muffins. This recipe is adapted from Simply Recipes and I thought the muffins lack something crunchy and topped each up with a pecan nut. 
I’m not sure if I like these muffins but here you are. Hope your Monday has been great.
Blackberry and Lemon Muffins
[Yields about 18 muffins]
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Grated zest of 1 small lemon, about a heaping tablespoon
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar
8 Tbsp warm melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh blackberries
Directions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius. Prepare 2 muffin tins with 18 liners.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest. Set aside
In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, sugar, lemon juice, butter and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and, using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix together just until evenly combined. Add the blackberries and gently fold into the batter. Careful not to over mix, that can cause tough muffins.
Divide the batter into the muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan for just a few minutes, until the muffins are cool enough to handle and transfer to a wire rack.
Time passed so quickly. Faith is already six months old and ready for another stage of her development!
As the little munchkin grows, I find myself not knowing what to do to engage her at times. Being a new mother and a SAHM, I have to keep up with reading on relevant books and materials so that I could be well equipped in handling her. Thankfully there are workshops and online resources that reach out to people like me. Here’s one by Fisher-Price® that is coming up and I would be going for it. The following is a little information on it.
The Fisher-Price® Joy of Learning Workshop is an interactive, informative, and practical workshop to arm you with a clearer understanding of your role as principal caregivers in this scheme of play and offer tools to better engage and nurture your little ones through joyful play activities. Recognising the irreplaceable role of play-based learning, when our little ones are provided with settings where they can readily interact with us whilst actively investigating, exploring and manipulating toys and items in their surroundings, they are not only ‘playing’ but developing critical skills for daily living and relationship-building.
Conducting the workshop is Ms Carrie E. Lupoli, educational and parenting expert, spokesperson for Mattel Fisher-Price® “Joy of Learning” in S.E.A and founder of Singapore’s premier private education agency – Live & Learn Consulting.
Four topics of interest will be covered at the Fisher-Price® Joy of Learning Workshop:
1. The Roles and Responsibilities of Parenting
2. Understanding Developmental Milestones
3. How Children Learn Best
4. Age Appropriate Play-based Ideas for Optimal Growth and Development
Date: Sunday, 9 June 2013
Time: 9am – 2pm
Venue: Raffles City Convention Centre
Fairmont Singapore & Swissotel The Stamford, Atrium Ballroom, Level 4
80 Bras Basah, Singapore 189560
Cost: $50 (inclusive of a goody bag worth more than $100)
This workshop is open to parents with children up to 5 years old and expectant mothers only. However, children are not allowed as it is a hands-on workshop for parents.
If you are interested, please email your name and mobile number to fisherprice@asiaprwerkz.com
Posted in motherhood
Tagged advertorial, children, development, fisher-price, learning, parents, tools, workshop
It’s Food Revolution Day today! For the uninitiated ones, Food Revolution Day is a chance for people all over the world to come together and stand up for good food and essential cooking skills. It’s a chance for people to come together in homes, schools, workplaces and communities to cook and share their kitchen skills, food knowledge and resources. Food Revolution Day is a global day of action to raise awareness about the importance of good food and better food education for everyone.
The theme for this year’s Food Revolution Day is “Cook it. Share it. Live it” and here I am, sharing with you what I have prepared for breakfast today – my Asian-inspired Sliders
I’ve been meaning to make sliders or mini-burgers for a while and wanted to do every thing from scratch. Yes, even the bread. So, I chose to bake Brioche through Dorie Greenspan‘s Around my French Table as part of the French Fridays with Dorie project.
Err…yes, food education starts early for my little one. Faith was so amused by the flapping of the dough that she chuckled the way through. The mom felt bad for the Kitchenaid though since the dough took soooo long to be ready. Well, that’s brioche for you. Be patient and you will reap the reward.
From the recipe, I should be able to yield 2 loaves of brioche but I decided to apportion about half of it to shape it into burgers while the rest into a loaf.
The best thing about baking bread is that your kitchen will be perfumed by the aroma that it gives when it is in the oven. *Drool*
With my bread ready, I went on to make the lemongrass-infused pork patties. They are not at all difficult to make if you have the right tool, the Philips Chopper! I just put all the ingredients into the chopper and within minutes, the patties are shaped and ready to be cooked.
About 400g ground pork
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/3 cup shallots, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small stalk lemon grass, minced (about 1 1/2 tbsp)
1/4 cup coriander stems, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp cornflour
Light cooking oil
1. Combine first 8 ingredients gently in bowl being careful not to overwork or meat will bind up and become tight. Season lightly with ground black pepper.
2. Divide the mixture into 8 patties (depending on how big you want) – first forming gently into balls and then flatten gently as to not overwork mixture.
3. Heat oil in a large saute pan and saute until just cooked through – about 2-3 minutes per side (depending on thickness of the patties; I used 5 minutes per side).
To assemble everything, I added cheese and Alfalfa sprouts to complete my asian-inspired sliders! Asian because of the ingredients used – lemongrass and fish sauce.
The hubs love it but he probably is not in the least interested in how to make this dish so I’m sharing with you!
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Posted in French Fridays with Dorie, in the kitchen
Tagged bake, bread, food revolution day, home-cooked
This is how I learn cooking and baking – by reading from cookbooks and food blogs and visiting the markets. I could never learn enough because along with the craft, I know more about the science of it and not forgetting the history of each cuisine and along with it, the culture of various people groups.
This is what makes cooking interesting and certainly, an adventure.
Posted in life
I thought of Thai cuisine when I came across this recipe in the magazine – Delicious as it uses coconut milk and fish sauce as the base. I’ve adapted quite a fair bit and added beansprouts and mushrooms to the recipe since I have these ingredients in the refrigerator. You can definitely improvise. Another quick and easy dish that can be made in about 15 minutes.
Again, I wish my photography skills can be better. Sigh!
Makes for 2 to 3 portions
200g thick rice noodles
1 tbsp canola oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 spring onions, trimmed, sliced at at angle
100g carrots, sliced at an angle
50g brown beech mushroom
70g beansprouts
150g skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into 1cm-thick slices
200ml coconut milk
1 tbsp fish sauce
Small handful of coriander leaves (for garnishing)
Place the rice noodles in a bowl of boiling water and allow to soak for 4-5 minutes, until softened. Drain.
Place the frypan over high heat. Pour in the oil and when it is hot, add the garlic and half of the spring onion. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add the carrot and mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the chicken and cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until the meat is cooked all the way through.
Stir in the coconut milk and fish sauce, bring to a simmer and allow to bubble for 2 minutes. Add the beansprouts and noodles to the frypan. Remove the frypan from the heat and stir in the remaining spring onion. Divide among bowls/ plates and serve with coriander leaves.
Faith went for her six month’s vaccination on Saturday and weighed a whopping 7.6kg and measured 63cm.
She took to solids well, starting with white rice puree.
And the mom did an unthinkable thing during this week which she would disclose when all is confirmed.
Posted in Faith :: The first year, life
This is the first run that I have participated since coming back to Singapore due to the pregnancy. I’m thankful that the Nike She Runs gave me wonderful memories. I like races and love those that are well-organised.
The starting time was 6pm but I reckoned it would take some time to get to the race village since the place is not really accessible. Thankfully, the organiser arranged for shuttle bus and I met up with my race buddy at 4.30pm at the pick-up point.
At the train station, one would see a beeline of ladies decked in orange dri-fit t-shirt. Many heads turned as they wondered what these ladies were up to.
Look at how orderly our ladies were. No ugly scene but happy faces. The shuttle buses came every 5 to 10 minutes according to the race guide but my buddy and I didn’t wait long before we boarded the bus.
Security was rather tight for this race. Bags were checked before you could get into the race village. I have not been to a race like this before, based on my memory. But in any case, it sets our minds at ease especially after the horrific incident during the recent Boston Marathon.
Look, even the baggage deposit system is in alphabetical order. This makes for easy deposit and retrieval of bags. Excellent. As you can see from the picture, this race village became a gathering site for the ladies. Everyone was at ease, enjoying the cool (but humid) weather.
Of course, nothing is perfect. There were some glitches but they were forgivable. Prior to the first wave (6pm), the ladies were already waiting at the start pen which opened at 5.30pm. Imagine thousands of us waiting in the tight and crowded space. Enthusiasm soon waned as we stood for more than 30 minutes. The race started late and we were getting real thirsty.
When the race started, there were bottlenecks. If you intend to do a personal best, this race is probably not suitable unless you are among the first few in the start line. I find myself having to come to a halt or just jog since there were so many others blocking my path. There is no point in spending the energy weaving in and out of every tiny space available so I decided to take in real slow and enjoy the scenic skyline with my buddy.
Overall, the Nike She Runs left a good impression on me. Here’s why:
1) It was well organised, judging by how fast I collected my race pack prior to the actual day and how smooth the transportation arrangement was.
2) The ladies actually threw the cups into the dustbins provided during the race!!! Obviously, we were not out to be the top few and we took the time to jog with our friends and to care for our environment!
3) I saw how friends encouraged their buddies to continue running. Some waited for their buddies, others motivated theirs to carry on. During the race, when you got pushed by some runners, you got an apology. That’s manners, my friends.
4) It was conducted in the evening. Splendid. If it was conducted in the early morning, I think many mothers wouldn’t be able to make it. Think about the logistics involved in settling the kids!
5) After the finish point, the collection of the finisher’s tee (yes, we have finisher’s tee, even for a 5K run!) was smooth. Each line was marked by the shirt sizes that the runners wear. In other runs, I almost never get the size that I want and instead got an oversized t-shirt which I could not wear and have to pass it on to my hubs. This time round, I got the right size!
6) After the run, every runner was given a banana, hotdog, a can of isotonic drink and a bottle of mineral water. If you don’t mind queuing, you could get ice-cream and massage done! How awesome is that! Or you can spend time chatting up with your friends while enjoying the gig by 53A, my favourite local band.
The folks at Nike certainly know what women want and this race is a success, in my opinion. For $40, I received two dri-fit Nike T-shirts, a water bottle, a recycling bag and a good experience. Totally worth it.
So Nike, maybe you might want to consider organising a marathon/half-marathon for ladies, just like the one you organise in San Francisco? We certainly would love to have the Tiffany’s necklace as our finisher’s medal. Consider please? Please?
I had fun jogging with my friend of almost 20 years.
Posted in running
I had a rich breakfast today, all thanks to this recipe which is French toast soaked in custard. It is a dessert from central France and it is said that you can achieve best results by using brioche or challad. Since I had neither at the time of baking, just a normal loaf of white bread did the job for me.
The steps are relatively easy:
1. Make the French toast.
2. Arrange the cut slices of French toast in the baking pan and moist raisins, dried cranberries or cherries under, over and between the slices.
3. Make the custard and pour it over the bread and fruit.
4. Bake it.
Obviously, there are tiny details within these few steps but really, it’s a breeze making this.
If you are interested in French cooking, why not join us in French Fridays with Dorie?
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This is a recipe that I have taken from Today, 18 April 2013. At that point, I looked through my pantry and since I had all the necessary ingredients – minus a few – I thought I should just make these cakes. To make this cakes healthier, I would bake them in the oven the next time.
My hair has been dropping like snow in winter mad and now I understand why my mother friends have cut their hair short a few months after the delivery of their child.
Now it’s my turn. I have short fringe now. The last time I had it was 21 years ago.
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How do you plan a trip to Penang that could accommodate and satisfy a family of six which comprises an infant and folks in their 70s? We did it the slow and relaxing way – sightseeing via a van. Here is a summary of the recent family trip to the Pearl of the Orient.
#1. Book a hotel along Gurney Drive: You will not go hungry because there are numerous stalls along this road and the most popular one has to be Anjung Gurney. Here, you will find local delicacies like Assam Laksa, rojak, Char Kway Teow, etc. However, we find that the dishes are overpriced. Still, it makes for a good experience. Bring along a mini-fan.
I If you are like me and my aunt-in-law who love to buy Tambun Biskut (local biscuits), purchase them at their authorised boutiques or risk paying more.
On the other end of Gurney Drive, opposite Northam hotel is a beach cafe that faces the sea. There are stalls selling local food and is less crowded. Personally, I prefer this to the previous one which is overrated, in my opinion.
Aside from the food, this road is made popular by having the best view of the sunset. Just outside the Georgetown City, Gurney Drive faces the sea of Penang and having a hotel room facing this view can provide a truly relaxing experience. Now that we are travelling as a family, I’ll make sure the hotel has ample facilities that we can enjoy in the event that we have to stay in due to bad weather or when the elderly folks are tired. For me, a spa and a good pool are good enough.
Relaxing pool
#2. Mural art in Georgetown. Ok, I must be honest with you. I’m in Penang in search for the mural art by Ernest Zacharevic. We had it easy. Our tour guide cum driver took us to the various sites where the artwork can be found. My sister-in-law and I went crazy over them and sprang out of the van the moment we arrived at each spot. You see, there were many tourists who wanted to take a picture with the painting as well so you’ve got to act fast. Sadly, the colour of these paintings have faded and some are barely visible.
Boy on a bike
The following would be some museums/attractions that we chose to go for and they are all in Georgetown. The best way to explore this UNESCO world cultural heritage city is by foot.
#3. Khoo Kongsi. Completed around 1906, the temple belongs to the Khoo Kongsi clan. The temple features fine Chinese architecture and craftsmanship. Be wowed by it.
Khoo Kongsi Temple
#4. Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. This is the famed ‘Blue Mansion’, former home of tycoon Cheong Fatt Tze. Guided tours are at specific timing and it is an hour long. There are 16 B &B rooms but they are not cheap.
Front view of the mansion
One of the rooms was open for us to view and here they are – a basic room with shower facilities.
Interior of one of the rooms
#5. The house of Yeap Chor Ee. This house was turned into a social history gallery tracing the journey of Yeap Chor Ee, a young immigrant who came to Penang in 1885. Nothing spectacular though I was more intrigued by the restaurant found at the back of the house – Sire Museum Restaurant. If you dine here, you could visit the gallery for free.
Entrance to House of Yeap Chor Ee
Kitchen of Sire Museum Restaurant
#6. Pinang Peranakan Mansion. A must-go if you want to know more about Peranakan culture. It houses a good number of Nyonya antiques and collectibles, showcasing the Peranakans’ opulent lifestyle as well as their customs and traditions.
Pinang Peranakan Museum
#7. Chew jetty. This is one of the clan jetties around and you’ve guessed it, we chose this because one of the mural art pieces is found here but it is nearly beyond recognition.
Welcome note to Chew Jetty
Children in a boat
Open kitchen
#8. Crossing Penang bridge and riding on Malaysia’s oldest ferry service. Penang Bridge is Asia’s longest bridge and it offers a spectacular view of Penang. This bridge is the pride and joy of Penang and a national landmark. Our van took us across the bridge and we came back via the ferry.
Ferry ride
#9. View from the top of Penang Hill. We went up to the top through the Penang Hill Railway though you can climb up the hill. This is a funicular railway that will bring passengers all the way up to Flagstaff Hill.
Breathtaking view from the hilltop
#10. Culinary experience. I’ll be honest. One of the reasons I visit Penang is for the food. I love street stalls and local food and our guide recommended some good places for us to try their local food. Here’s some:
Nyonya Baba Cuisine
44, Nagore Road, 10050 Penang.
My peranakan in-laws endorse their food. Try their otak, spring roll and nutmeg drink. Actually, all other food is sedap (delicious)!
Best Cendol in town! You could also order laksa and rojak here.
How can I not go for Dim Sum? Our guide brought us here.
If you want malay food, try Line Clear. Tables are along the alley.
Hakka cuisine at Ke Ren Lai along Gurney Drive
Char Kway Teow stall
One of the street stalls
#11. Learn more about spice from the Tropical Spice Garden. If I was to go back to Penang, I would spend more time in this garden and enrol myself in the cooking class. There is a lot of information that could be gathered just by walking through the garden and if you have a guide, that’s even better. However, be warned that there are mozzies! Lots of them! There is also a restaurant that serves Thai-Asian-local cuisine if you are tired and just want to chill. Lastly, never leave home without buying the vanilla pod! They are relatively cheaper here. I bought some.
Spices galore! How can you resist them?
#12. Tembun, anyone? We bought a lot of souvenirs in the form of food items back. As I have mentioned earlier, go to the authorised stores. There, you can taste the products and you can be certain they are the real stuff.
The popular ones are Ghee Hiang and Him Heang
So, these are the 12 things we did in Penang. We did not have sufficient time for high tea at 1885, E&O hotel (what a disappointment) and if you want to go for it, do make a call for reservation!
We booked a van and the tour guide cum driver and this made our trip so much easier. Less walking which is good for the elderly folks. However, Georgetown should really be done on foot.
If you love beaches, spend a day at Batu Ferringhi. It reminds me of Kuta Beach area, Bali.
There you have it – our 4D 3N trip to Penang.
More pictures can be found on my FB page.
It’s 4pm on a serene Saturday and nestled within the PSA building, five bloggers were getting ready to learn wonderful cooking techniques from the chefs at ONAKA restaurant using Tefal Comfort Touch Frypan. The cooking workshop is a collaboration between Tefal Singapore and omy.sg and I am privileged to be one of the bloggers attending the event.
Held at ONAKA (which is an acronym for Optimum Nutrition And Kitchen Arts), the head chef, Jason Vito, and sous chef, Benson Tong showed their passion for cooking healthily by their deliberate choice of the ingredients used and providing us with nutritional knowledge of the food as they cooked. It was much like a Science lesson. As they demonstrated a three-course restaurant quality meal using the Tefal Comfort Touch Frypan, I am assured that good food is within the reach of any homecook.
I. Garlic prawns on toast
ONAKA’s belief in eating consciously and living mindfully naturally extents to the quality and ingredients used in their food preparation. For this dish, rye bread is used for its many benefits over white bread. Did I mention that they bake their own bread at ONAKA?
Heating up the Tefal Comfort Touch Frypan, Chef Jason added olive oil and saute the rosemary, kaffir lime leaf, garlic and chilli. Turning the heat to high, prawns were then added to be seared which turned red within minutes. Lastly, white wine (Chef used drinking white wine) was added and the restaurant was 
suddenly perfumed by the savory aroma and filled with sputtering music. My senses awoke and appetite whetted.
Before platting the prawns on the rye bread, Chef Benson showed us that even without a panini press, we could achieve the same result for a toasted rye bread using the frypan and he’s right, it worked well! With a sprinkle of extra virgin oil and lime juice and a brilliant use of blended soy lecithin and lime juice as garnishing, a very delectable garlic prawns on toast was presented before us. And it’s not surprising that we polished it off within minutes.
II. Roasted Mushroom Soba
The next dish would require more time for preparation since the mushrooms have to be roasted to remove its strong smell since some may not like it. However, once the ingredients are ready, the cooking time should just take about 10 minutes.
From the look of the ingredients and the name of the dish, you might think that it is rather Japanese, no? Well, it is essentially Japanese, in my opinion, but Chef gave a twist to it by adding truffle oil during plating, thus staying true to their incorporation of “East meets West Healing Kitchen” concept.
The dish is quick and simple to make, as I have mentioned, as long as the ingredients are ready and mise en place. Chef first blanched the soba in boiling water for about 2 minutes. Then, he added olive oil to the heated pan and sauted the roasted mushroom. Mirin was poured in and subsequently dashi and tamari (soy sauce) were added to taste. Finally, the cooked soba was added to the stock and brought to boil before Chef plated the dish and garnished it with nori, daikon cress and truffle oil. Yes, it’s that simple! Is it possible to make this dish at home? Absolutely! What’s even better is that this dish can be made just by using one frypan! I love it too that the Chefs at ONAKA create recipes that could be re-created in the comfort of our homes and kitchens. Awesome!
Don’t you love this roasted mushroom soba? You can tell from the picture that it is a healthy dish – good for our stomach! Have I shared that ONAKA means “stomach” in Japanese? Oh! Just for information’s sake, Chef shared with us that the best dried konbu has to be from Hokkaido.
III. Butternut Squash Pancake with Banana Ice Cream
Desserts! Who can resist? I must warn you that this portion is big and good for four people. I could have this for my main actually. 
Butternut squash was used instead of pumpkin which was stated in the recipe. And why not since the former is sweeter and definitely a winner. If you do not know how it looks like, here is a picture, together with the rest of the ingredients. The fun-loving Chef Jason decided to add a face to the squash and the latter came alive with a smile.
The preparation time for this dessert takes about 60 minutes since you have to roast the squash and rest the batter. Just some additional knowledge – when we mix the batter ingredients, it is advisable not to mix it too much as overmixing causes carbon dioxide to escape, resulting in flat, tough pancakes. The presence of carbon dioxide creates light, fluffy pancakes. The batter is then rested in the fridge for about 30 minutes to allow more carbon dioxide bubbles to develop. According to Chef Jason, baking powder is added so that a fluffier pancake can result.
Using the Tefal Frypan, Chef Jason heated it up to medium hot, added some oil and then a ladder of batter and let it fry for about 2 minutes. 8 to 10 pieces of roasted squash were then added to the batter. Chef commented that the pancake should not be too cooked since by doing so, it would result in a dry pancake. After ensuring the bottom of the pancake was well cooked (you should see a brown side), he did the flip.
I thought the flip fully showed off the frypan’s non-stick capability. Not a trace of batter was stuck and the bottom of the pancake was beautifully and evenly cooked. The frypan’s awesome!
Once that was done, the rest was simple. Just cut the pancake into eighths and garnish with banana ice cream and mixed berries.
Thanks to the good folks at Tefal and omy.sg, we could enjoy this terrific cooking experience with the affable chefs at ONAKA who were so willing to share their culinary knowledge with us. I am indeed motivated to cook healthily for my family and now equipped with Tefal Frypan and Saute-pan, I felt almost empowered and definitely encouraged to come up with wonderful dishes to share with you!
Join me in this culinary journey and do check back soon. I will be sharing a creation of my own recipe with you.
Read the experiences of the other bloggers on the official website.
More pictures of the workshop are on my FB page.
We are back from Penang and for today, I’ll share what’s in my bag for a 6-month-old mother.
1. Nursing cover. Couldn’t do without it.
2. Diaper bag which consists of diapers (duh), wet wipes, extra clothes for Faith.
3. Water bottle.
4. Recycling bag for grocery shopping.
5. Mini fan. Today, I decided to walk to church for bible study and thought I would attach it to Faith’s pram but in the end, didn’t use. Sigh! Added extra weight.
6. Wallet.
7. Mom’s home keys
8. Small folder to contain cards and vouchers.
9. Ipad and notes for BS.
10. Home keys (not in pic)
11. Old receipts
Hmm, this is not much different from my bag in January.
So, what’s in your bag?
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Posted in life, motherhood
Because of this recipe, my hubs and I could enjoy a delectable cafe-style breakfast. I’m so loving it that I intend to make this again, with poached eggs and brioche, if I have the time. :p
For now, it will be this. But I’m already satisfied.
If you are interested in French cooking, why not join us in French Fridays with Dorie?
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Faith hits another milestone on her 23rd week. Her budding tooth is visible now and you could imagine my joy.
Both Ken and I have suspected that she is teething when she becomes more fussy and drools … a lot! In addition, she wakes up in the middle of the night which is uncommon. Thankfully, once she has her fill, she is back to dreamland again. Oh wait! Does this actually mean that she needs to consume more and is definitely ready for solids?
Oh my! My girl is growing too fast for me. I need to read up more! This first-time mommy needs to catch up!
Counting down. We are starting her on solids the following week!
Posted in Faith :: The first year
…you will never be hungry.
It is my privilege to host the lunch fellowship today for my BSF group of ladies. My job is easy – just open my home and serve drinks and rice. The rest will be taken care of by the others.
Boy, do we have a lot of scrumptious food and most of them home-made (with love!). At the dining table, conversations are spontaneous and generally, the mouths do not get to rest. I love that we share about our lives and since we are all mothers, stories about our children, life at home, etc, are exchanged. We encourage one another and offer comfort to those whose spirits are down.
As for Faith, she has been really cooperative and good. I suspect she was listening to our conversation. Inquisitive girl =)
This happened on the Saturday that has just passed. Now, I just need to get down to writing it.
Ok, the first thing I asked myself upon looking at the title is what on earth is swiss chard? It sounds like some cheese and after googling, to my surprise, it is some greens! This is how ignorant I am. Do pardon me.
I wonder if there is any chinese name to this vegetable in my current context. I have seen and surely eaten swiss chard but didn’t know that they have such a name. Over here, the vegetables could be given some Chinese and dialect names so I could only look for swiss chard by how it looks. Apparently, the supermarket I visited yesterday did not stock up on this and I am going to replace it by using red spinach.
Farcous as these pancakes are called in France, are a staple throughout Southwest France and in French homes, they are a main course, most often served with a salad. The portion can be as large as a skillet but Dorie prefers them smaller, to be served as an hors d’oruvre.
I have eaten some form of vegetables pancakes as well during my travels to Taipei and Shanghai. Their versions include a lot of chives and are sold along the streets. I remember eating them like this.
Anyway, the pancakes are easy to make. First blend the ingredients (like milk, eggs, flour, shallot, onion, garlic cloves) together before adding swiss chard and in my case, red spinach, to the mixture and continue blending. I do not have a blender at home but thank God, Mom lives near me and I could borrow hers.
Farcous could be made a few hours ahead and kept covered at room temperature and then reheated before serving. Alternatively, they can be packed airtight and frozen for a longer period. Just reheat as needed.
FFWD participants do not publish the recipes on our blogs but a version of the above can be found here. If you are interested in French cooking, why not join us in French Fridays with Dorie?
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Posted in French Fridays with Dorie
These days, Faith has been acting up and it tires me out by afternoon. Perhaps, she is teething since she is displaying related symptoms like heavy drooling (really a lot!), sucking of her fingers (all the time), rubbing of her right ear and is more irritable than before. I couldn’t really get angry with her since I know she is feeling uncomfortable. In times like these, I wish there is help at home or some comfort food.
I didn’t waste any time. I got down to making a chocolate cake when Faith took a short nap in the morning. I like this recipe because it is fast to make and looking at the ingredients (like buckwheat and almond flour) used, you might find that it is comparatively healthier. Use good quality chocolate, by the way. It’s a chocolate cake we are making! The cake turns out to be moist and decadent and I would serve it with vanilla ice-cream. The weather is really hot these days!
Adapted from La Tartine Gourmande: Recipes for an inspired life
Makes one 9-inch round cake
Ingredients:
100g unsalted butter, plus more for cake tin
100g bittersweet dark chocolate (I used Valrhona 72% cocoa)
4 large eggs, at room temperature
90g caster sugar (I cut the amount of sugar)
Pinch of sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
35g buckwheat flour
30g almond flour
Confectioners’ sugar, to serve
Preheat the oven to 180C. Cut a round piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the sides and bottom of the cake tin. Butter the tin and line it with the parchment paper; set aside.
Place the butter and chocolate in a bowl and melt it in a bain-marie*.
In the bowl of a standmixer with a balloon whisk, beat the eggs with the sugar and sea salt until light and pale in colour and the batter has doubled in volume. Gently fold in the vanilla and the melted chocolate mixture. Sprinkle the buckwheat and almond flour over the batter and fold gently to combine.
Pour the batter into the cake tin and place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the blade of a sharp knife inserted in the middle comes out dry. Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes, then flip it gently onto a plate. Remove the parchment paper carefully and flip again. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve at room temperature.
* Bain-Marie – a process by which you melt or heat ingredients by putting them in a bowl that is then placed over a pot of simmering water.
Posted in cakes
Finally completed the reading of French Kids Eat Everything. The rules above are a reminder to myself. Countdown to starting solids on Faith starts today!
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As Faith grows, so does the amount of stuff in her room. The nursery used to contain just the basics but now, more toys are added since the parents thought that she would need some companionship.
Before such memories fade, I thought it would be good to capture the ‘growth’ of her nursery.
Faith’s room is rather small as one side of the wall has been hacked and replaced by a built-in wardrobe for the parents. Still, it could contain most of the essentials like a cot, a set of drawers and an armchair!
This has got to be the area that I like most. Why? I nurse Faith in this armchair and treasure every moment of that intimacy with her. Witnessing her growth is a joy and I’m constantly thankful that she is developing well. Faith is growing taller and when she stretches in my arms, she knocks her head against the sides of the chair. It won’t be long before this chair will be shifted out.
An organised changing area is especially helpful. You know exactly where to look for for specific items. However, the changing mat will soon be replaced as 
Faith grows.
A praying teddy bear by the lamp to remind me to pray constantly for Faith.
Have you been praying for your child?
The is the play area where Faith has her tummy-time and performs her flip. Now, she is constantly trying to crawl push herself out of the mat.
There isn’t room for a wardrobe in this room so one side of the walls has been used to display her dresses. This reminds the mummy of the frocks that she has and at the same time decorates the rather plain-looking nursery.
Left: A small reading corner is created for her and of course, we are looking to expand it!
Right: Training Faith on the high chair at the corner of the room.
Pouches hang by the sides of the cot, for organising soft toys and milk bottles.
Oh my! How you have grown, Faith.
Check back again in a few months’ time and see the changes for yourself!
Posted in Faith :: The first year
My brother-in-law bought us a tub of Ben & Jerry’s strawberry cheesecake ice-cream for dessert when they came back earlier this month and I was hooked. So, I thought I should bake the cupcake version and boy, do I love them! Pieces of fresh strawberries are used in this recipe and when baked, they moisten the cake and texture of the cupcakes. The crumbled digestive biscuits sprinkled on top add to the flavour of a cheesecake base. This is really an easy bake – no fuss and so straightforward – and I recommend you make them for tea! Another winner from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook!
*If you have silicon cupcake cases, it may be better to use them as the strawberries at the bottom can make the paper ones go soggy but I’m not too bothered with that.
You will need:
1 cup all-purpose flour
a scant 3/4 cup caster sugar
1½ tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
40g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
12 large strawberries, chopped into small pieces (depending on how big your strawberries are. I used about 6 and others for garnishing)
180g digestive biscuits
12-hole cupcake tray, lined with paper cases
For the frosting:
300g icing sugar, sifted
50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
125g cream cheese, cold
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and the unsalted butter in a free-standing electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.
2. Pour in the milk and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until all the ingredients are well mixed (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Add the egg and beat well for a few minutes to ensure the ingredients are well incorporated.
3. Divide the chopped strawberries between the paper cases. Spoon the cupcake mixture on top until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden and the sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, make the frosting by beating the icing sugar and the unsalted butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Add the cream cheese in one go and beat it until it is completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least five minutes. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.
5. Roughly break up the digestive biscuits and put them in a food processor (alternatively, you can just pound them). Process until finely ground. When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the cream cheese frosting on top and finish with a sprinkling of finely ground biscuits. You can decorate it with half of a strawberry.
Ever wonder how these cupcakes get their red?
I once had that thought and was wondering how the taste would be like. So I purchase one at a cupcake store, took a bite and was curious – it had a mild chocolatey taste. So, what cause the colour? And obviously, the answer lies in the red colouring that is added in the making of red velvet cupcakes.
If you look through the ingredients of cupcakes, you might find that the ones that red velvet cupcakes need are a tad different from the other common ones. For example, instead of baking powder, baking soda is used. Also, buttermilk and distilled white vinegar are used instead of whole milk. It is said that the reaction between cocoa powder and baking soda gives a tinge of red to the batter, but it is definitely insufficient to result in a good red. So, red food colouring has to be added. The recipe I followed calls for 2 tablespoon of it but I only used about a teaspoon of my wilton’s christmas red colouring gel. So, I guess it very much depends on how ‘powerful’ your colouring paste/gel is.
Recipes for red velvet cupcakes are more or less the same. For this batch, the recipe I used is from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook.
Posted in cupcakes
I admit I nearly gave up on this dish. It’s rather troublesome and especially with a baby who constantly vies for your attention, the making of these roulades can prove a tad too much to handle.
In short, this dish is made of a light fish mousse that is filled with lemony spinach. It is rolled into a sausage shape and steamed. Dorie explained that this dish used to be prepared by chefs working in grand French restaurants and of course the tedious work of getting perfectly smooth mousse was done by the apprentices. In our case, we just need to use the food processor and viola, we can have the same product too!
The morning saw me making the tomato-lemon sauce and my senses awoke when 
the aroma of melted butter and garlic filled the air. Hmm… and when I added the tomatoes, I decided then that I had to persist and make this dish work!
I didn’t use cod but replaced it with Sutchi fillet since the recipe calls for any other white fish fillet. To make the roulades, we basically have to put the small pieces of the fillet, egg whites and cream, together with salt and pepper into the processor and let the machine do the work. The next step then is to use the cling wrap to wrap and roll the mousse and the spinach into a sausage. Once this is done, it is a breeze thereafter. Just steam it!
I’m so glad that I persisted. Everything about this dish is new to me – the tomato lemon sauce, making the roulade with spinach and steaming with cling wrap! It feels good to learn new stuff! And the best part? I do enjoy having it for my dinner. It’s well worth the effort!
If you are interested in French cooking, why not join us in French Fridays with Dorie?
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Posted in Food, French Fridays with Dorie
Faith will be introduced to solids in a month’s time! How exciting and the ever 
eager mom went to purchase some bowls and cutlery for her in anticipation of this next phase of her development.
And before that begins, it’s always good to do some reading up. Here are 5 books that I am currently reading.
#1 | French Kids Eat Everything
Ever since I read Bringing up Bebe and implemented some French ways of bringing up kids on Faith (with some success), I’m hooked and am especially intrigued by how they educate children on food which ties in with my own philosophy -eat everything, especially veggies! Do explore the website to this book.
“At once a memoir, a cookbook, a how-to handbook, and a delightful exploration of how the French manage to feed children without endless battles and struggles with pickiness, French Kids Eat Everything features recipes, practical tips, and ten easy-to-follow rules for raising happy and healthy young eaters—a sort of French Women Don’t Get Fat meets Food Rules.”~ Amazon review.
#2 | French Twist
Another book on French parenting. I like how the executive lifestyle editor of The 
Huffington Post reviewed this - “Ever seen a French child throw a tantrum in a restaurant or talk back to his parents? Neither has Catherine Crawford. In French Twist she uncovers the secrets of French child-rearing—and then tries them out on her own family, with remarkable results. Part memoir, part instruction manual, French Twist is hilarious, honest, and incredibly useful“.
#3 | Bebe Day by Day
This is the notes’ version of Bringing up Bebe. It is an easy read but to get more information on French parenting, it would be better to read the original version which includes findings and explanation of certain behaviour by the professionals being interviewed by the author.
#4 | The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet
Ok, I admit I am attracted by the adorable graphics and photography. But more importantly, I am committed to providing Faith with homemade food rather than those found in the stores so the recipes found in the book would be of great help. I have no doubt that the commercial ones can aid in terms of convenience (and I am thankful for that) but anything with preservative is really not ideal, is it?
#5 | First Foods
Local production! I like! As with many guidebooks on this topic, First Foods provides information on frequently-asked questions for today’s parents and includes 50 nutritious recipes for Asian babies. It is an easy read and I must say the content is quite comprehensive.
Right, I should get down to reading them. Faith is starting to show interest in my food now -one of the tell-tale signs!
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Posted in motherhood, Parenting
Mom finally bought this chair for me! I think I quite like it although I don’t like to be seated for too long!
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Posted in Faith :: The first year
I awoke to the hubs telling me that an explosion has occurred near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.
I was shellshocked. That oh-so-familiar area, that path that leads to Copley library, now smeared with bloodstain.
As I read the newsfeed and twitter updates, my emotions turned to that of anger.
The world is already in such a messy state. To the one(s) who caused this: Why, oh why, do you add more chaos to it? Have you no regard for life?
What could have been a joyous occasion for both marathoners and spectators has turned out to be a tragedy.
Folks in Beantown, stay safe. Elsewhere in the world, many are praying.
Posted in life in Boston
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