Pearl Bean, Corn and Carrot soup recipe

It's quite rare to find pearl beans at the supermarket. In fact, I have never seen any before. Often, i will spot it at the wet market. Marketing is extremely therapeutic for me coz it's a kind of me-time. However, most of the time, I have to wait till the hubs is in town before I can do that. Just last week, I had such an opportunity! And yipee! I found me some pearl beans!

This is how the beans look like. I wanted to boil them with lotus roots however, with recent reports on lotus roots being bleached, I stayed away from them whenever I deem them too white.




It's great motor skills training for the kids. They enjoyed taking the beans out of the pods.

Pearl Beans have a nutty and creamy taste to it. It is packed with nutrients as well. Each cup of beans provides 241 calories, 0.8 grams of fat, 16.5 grams of protein and 43.3 grams of carbohydrates. These pearl beans, otherwise known as Cranberry beans, do not contain any cholesterol and only have trace amounts of sodium, making them a heart-healthy protein choice. Perfect for the whole family! It also contains loads of fiber. Fiber adds bulk to your diet and since it isn't digested, it makes it beneficial for those who are trying to lose weight. It also decreases your risk of getting constipation and haemorrhoids.

Here's how I incorporate it into my soup -- Corn, Carrot & Pearl Bean Soup:




INGREDIENTS

• 200g of pork ribs
• 2000ml water
• 1 carrot
• 1 cob of corn
• A handful of pearl beans
• Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Blanch the pork ribs in boiling water for about a minute. Scoop it out and wash away the scum.
2. Bring water to a boil in a separate pot or slow pot. Add the blanched pork ribs, corn and carrot. Let it boil for an hour or so over small flame or in the case of a slow pot, i boil it for 3hours. It could be less probably, but i typically boil it the night before so i can get my 老火汤
3. Add in pearl beans and continue to boil for about 20 minutes.
4. Add salt to taste and serve. Most of the time it is sweet enough such that no salt is actually needed. However, a pinch is good to bring out the flavour. 

It's a great hearty soup for the whole family and not difficult to prepare. So why don't you try it today!

Daikon and green radish soup recipe

The weather has been pretty crazy lately. One minute it is raining incessantly, the next minute, Mr Sun is blazing mercilessly on the ground. As such, the kids have been down with cough and runny nose. They have been coughing for 2 weeks now so I thought i had better start being more hardworking in terms of home remedy.

First up, it is my Daikon & green carrot soup. This is a hot favourite in our household. This soup is great for dispelling heat. Daikon itself has several benefits including removing body toxins, aids digestion and kidney functions, it is also a good decongestant and if you find yourself having a breakout, this soup is for you!

We call it the 臭臭汤(smelly soup) as it emits a rather 'unique' smell when boiling. Small K has been rather heaty of late. His mucus is green and his breath is so bad! It doesn't help that it takes a lot of reminder before he starts drinking his water. So hopefully this soup helps. These two vegetables are known to be cooling so pregnant women should avoid it. If you are afraid that it is too cooling for the family in general, you could add a few slices of ginger.

These are the main casts of my soup, in case you are wondering what's a Daikon and a green radish. I was told by a TCM that we should not add the typical orange carrots as it cancels out the effects of Daikon. 

Here's my recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized Daikon
• 1 green radish
• 3 dried scallops
• 1 honey date
• 300g of pork ribs
• 1 tsp of Chinese South almonds (南杏）
• 1 tsp of Chinese North almonds (北杏）
• approximately 2.5litres of water (this is just an estimation. I basically adjust according to the size of my ingredients)
• 2 slices of ginger (optional if you are afraid that the soup is too "cooling)

Instructions

1. Blanch the pork ribs in boiling water and set aside. 
2. In a slow pot or a separate pot, boil water for soup.
3. Peel and cut the green radish and daikon. 
4. Rince all ingredients 
5. Add the pork in once water has boiled. After approximately 10minutes, add the rest of the ingredients.
6. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours if you are doing it over the stove. I often use my slow pot and will turn it on for approximately 4hours. I usually prepare it the night before when the kids are sleeping so that I will have nice soup for lunch the next day. I don't sleep much anyway.
7. When ready, sprinkle a pinch of salt to taste and serve.

A good soup is really a great addition to the meal! So why not try this today? 

DIY Beauty in a pot Collagen stock

The hubs hasn't been in town for 3/4s of February so, yes, I've been running solo. It's tough. Real tough, but the show must go on. Emotional, my tank is empty, coz well, he calls home but mainly to talk to the kids. And when we finally have me-time to spare, our time difference makes it hard to chit chat. Not that he is much of a chatter with me anyway. So instead of wallowing in self-pity, I chose a better option. To host parties whilst he is away! Ok, honestly, i would rather him be around so that at least there is someone to help me with the dishes and rubbish. And, the scheduling of a party is usually done way before hand and so coincidentally, his trips always clashes at the last minute! So here I am, already extended the invite to friends, but there the hubby announces that he has to pack his luggage and fly (again). What do I do? Party on!

The latest party was a meaningful one. It is a celebration of 3 birthdays! A little 2 yo and two other older ones. One of whom is ME! It's great coz it wasn't planned for but happened that the dates were close hence I suggested a cake to go along. All kids love cakes right? And me, I just love celebrations! Since young till I was 21, mom had always bought me a cake from Bengawan Solo on my birthday. However ever since she knew I was in a relationship, she stopped. After I got married, she sends me text wishes, but that was it. No more double eggs with mee sua. No more Bengawan Pandan cakes. She probably thought my other half would celebrate for me. Well, she didn't get it wrong. He did. For the first couple of years at least. After a while, the novelty worn off and I don't even get a timely wish let alone a cake or a present. I had to plan my own party. Pathetic much? 

So here's the party we had over the weekend and I am specially penning this down coz many have asked me for the recipe for my collagen broth. So here goes:

• 300g of pork ribs
• 300 g (approximately 2) big pork bones (I did not use big bones this round due to the capacity of my pot. You can actually replace pork ribs with pork bones or vice versa)
• 1 chicken carcass
• a bunch of chicken feet
• 2.5-3litres of water

If you have a bigger pot, you can add more, but my pot was small hence I had to do two batches. Yes, over 10 hours of boiling! *horrors

I basically blanched all the ingredients to get rid of the scum and simmered it for 5 hours on low heat. Yes, you heard right! 5 hours! I literally stayed up till 3am to simmer this! #toofree. Next, I turn the heat slightly higher for 2 hour or so. It's basically to make the stock more milky and have that sticky effect. It was way past my bedtime hence I kindof skipped this step. However, everything in the pot has already disintegrated and I was sure it was collagen infused.

As I boiled, I constantly scooped away the scum that surfaced. You will get a clear stock that way. Once it has been boiled, discard all the bones and let the clear stock cool before freezing them. I freeze the in small containers so that I am able to use them when cooking noodles or porridge or soups. Remember not to add salt before freezing. 

On party day, in order to make the soup sweeter and more flavourful, I added the following: corn, turnip (my secret weapon -- now you know!) and carrots. I added in the frozen stock together with these ingredients and boiled for approximately 2hours on slow fire. 

The result -- DIY 美人锅 (Beauty in a pot)

What a bloody start to 2017

I have been awfully quiet. I know. It had been the worst New Year. The worst start! A bloody start literally as well. My blood had been sucked by a mosquito. An Aedes mosquito no less. Yup, I contracted the Dengue! *Horrors 

So what happened was that we were in Malaysia visiting a farm on our last day of our trip. I had to make that happen even though we were running out of time. Big mistake! Despite applying repellent, Small K and I were bitten. Thankfully he is fine. We furiously applied more after being bitten. That happened on 23rd December 2016. The week passed and I was planning our New Year's Eve party. Days prior to NYE I even met up with some of my favourite blogger mommies for brunch. A day passed and I was fine. The next day, it was 360 degrees change! I woke up with my joints and body aching like crazy. It was so painful I couldn't drag myself out of bed! I thought that after a short rest I could still cook a simple meal for the kids, but the minutes passed and things were not improving! I was boiling. Fever struck. Thankfully the kids were very cooporative and entertained themselves. I SOSed my mom, however, after 10 missed calls, i almost cried! Apparently she went to the market without her phone and I had to send Dad to look for her and send her to my house, pronto! Despite being so ill, I knew the kids had to be fed and go to school. Thankful that my parents are now staying close to me. 

So after 4 days, my fever did not subside. It hit 41 degrees celsius on several occasions. The nights were awful. I could not sleep well. The days were worse coz I had to mind the two kids. Fortunately, the hubs was in town! His trip got postponed by a stroke of luck and he was able to help with the kids. He did a great job but my condition wasn't improving despite meds. So we went for a blood test to ensure that it wasn't Dengue, Zika or Malaria. Negative. That was the result I was given. Shortly after, my fever subsided so I thought it was just a virus. A day later, I was scratching like a monkey! It was so so so bad that I could not sleep! I applied Aloe Vera cream, I put ice, I did EVERYTHING, but the itch was still so so bad. I wanted to bang my head already! The itch subsided after 2 days, so again, I didn't think much about it. Just then, a new turn to my condition surfaced -- I started feeling nauseous  and giddy and started vomitting like crazy. I was literally hugging the WC! I visited a TCM as western meds didn't seem to work. The TCM said it was due to the fact that my fever induced by a cold was not completely cured and those effects were the remnants. He was sure it wasn't Dengue but my heartbeat was very very weak. He gave me some meds but each time I took them, I vomitted. This continued for about 3 days. I couldn't eat or drink. The hubs was very worried and insisted that I get myself to the hospital. I did. Finally. They ran a blood test again and guess what? It's DENGUE! *horrors

I was admitted immediately and went on drip for two days. Anti-vomitting drug was given to me and I could finally eat a little. Technically, a staycation at the hotel should not be all that bad. After all, no kids, air-conditioned 24hours, and 24hours butler service. Wrong. They did not have a single bed available and I had to put up with a double bedder. My roommate was burping, farting and talking loudly on the phone all the way till 11pm! and at 7am, she started we-chatting with someone possibly in her family. Oh Gosh! I was going nuts! I texted the hubs continually from 7am, whining like a baby, demanding that I get discharged. The doctor did not come round till lunch time. I was whining so badly that the nurses could empathise. The wait was arduous! I pitied the hubs who had to hear my whines. Finally when the doctor arrived, I whined again. haha...Even the doctor could not stand it and said I could be discharged but had to come back for a blood test later that week. My platelet count wasn't bad by the time I got admitted but my liver function was not great hence I was merlioning a great deal. However, it wasn't a dire situation, hence I was safe. So off to home I went. Instantly, I felt better! I was and am sill nauseous . Days later, I went back for a blood test and was told that I was cleared of dengue however, I got the fatty liver syndrome apparently from Dengue. That was why I was still feeling nauseous. The numbers wasn't of concern hence, once again, the doctor gave me clearance. 

The next few days, I was desperately googling for remedies for Dengue. One of which I found was recommended by Serene. Frog and bitter gourd essence. Serene was a gem, she tried to help me look for those little bitter gourd. She said it had to be Indian. haha...Honestly, I wouldn't be able to tell! She even wanted to head off to Little India to look for it! *heart melt. I was still weak but I knew no one in the family was able to help me with this, hence i dragged myself out of bed and went round my estate in search for the ingredients. I came home giddy and nauseous again. Thankfully I found them after a visit to a supermarket! Came home and immediately started boiling this concoction with a slight twist. I added dried conch. Just for the taste :P. After cooking for 3 hours, it was finally ready. the essence was so YUMZ! so sweet! ok, bitter actually but i loved it! This recipe is suppose to cleanse the blood. Yup, probably just what I needed since my blood was tainted by that bloody mozzie. 

Over the next few days, I cooked myself light stuff like mee sua and porridge. My appetite had not returned but I was at least eating. Yes, you heard me right. I cooked for myself. You see, despite having help from mom and the hubs, they were primarily helping with the kids. Fed, bathed and ubered the kids. I was thankful for that. The hubs claimed he didn't know how to cook porridge or mee sua the way i liked it so I was on my own. Yeah, i know. What an excuse! But oh well, he whipped up great lunches for the kids, so much so Big K declared that his cooking was better than mine! *Horrors How could that possibly be right?

Photo credit: youngliving.com

photo credit: google

Besides this recipe, I relied heavily on the doctor's anti-vomitting pills but I knew that was not going to cure me. I also relied badly on sour plums. I even had cravings! I know what you are thinking, but NO. I wanted to go back on my TCM meds but the smell was bad and I was afraid i would end up puking more and getting myself back in hospital again. So, out came my lemon essential oil! I sniffed and mixed it with water and drank it. It kept my vomitting spells under control. Together with this, I took Young Living Ningxia. Another advice I got from kind friends is to take the Longan Red dates with dang shen everyday. The type a woman would take for confinement. It is supposedly to help me regain my strength and boost my blood. By week 3, I started work. Everyone was surprised as usually such a disease required at least one to two months before the patient can fully recover. Well, I have not fully recovered. I am probably only 50% there. However, life needed to go on and the husband needed to fly. My mother-in-law even ticked him off for flying. "Your wife is sick and you are still flying?" she said. His reply "Sick then no need to eat ah?" He couldn't help it and so, I had to stand strong. I had to return to work soon too as despite the many concerned messages and phone calls i got from parents, I knew that deep down they were hoping to see me soon. Kiasu-syndrome. Only a small percentage could wait till after Chinese New Year. It doesn't help that CNY is round the corner. Imagine the chores I had to embark on! Plus with the hubs away, I really thought I couldn't make it this far. His travel schedule has been planned till April! OH GOSH it is C.R.A.Z.Y! I was doing the minimal. Bit by bit. Day by day. I could not over-exert myself as I am still weak.  I tried to sleep as much as I could but somehow, my sleep was very poor. Constantly interrupted by the urge to vomit. Everyday I would text the hubs telling him how tired I was by midday and that I wanted to vomit constantly. Probably the liver is still fat. 

The hubs is back over the weekend and I am So so so so thankful! He instantly got arrowed from me, doing all the menial chores of the house. He is a very handson person and within a day or two, our spring cleaning is 80% done! Yipee! The journey to recovery seems tough. However, slowly but surely I will get there. My appetite is getting better. So much so, I regained 1kg! Now, if only someone can tell my coming-to-3yo Small K to stop acting up and behaving like a Terrible Three? URGH!!!!

How has your 2017 been? Hope it has been better than mine!

Review: Playbear steamer

I've been feeling extremely lazy of late. My sink has been swamped with dirty dishes and more often than not, most of those dishes aren't used by me or the hubs. You see, we are now temporarily staying with the in laws (7 people in a small place amongst boxes) and each time, I'm the last to sleep hence, the onus is on me. I mean, seriously, how to turn a blind eye when all the leftovers are on the dining table where I'll do my work every night? Plus, I need to get best (only) daughter-in-law award right? And the mountain of clothes waiting to be folded is becoming Mt Everest. I'm oblivious to this all. Indifferent. Not sure what's happening because it isn't my peak season. Too overwhelmed perhaps by the fact that the kids has been falling ill. To the extent of Big K being admitted into hospital. That was followed by Small K who had bronchitis. Seriously knackered and don't know how i pull through each day. On the kitchen front, things have also been pretty laid back too. The dishes whipped up aren't exciting, but they are still nutritious and edible. I'm unable to visit the wet market or stock up stuff I'd like to cook hence, dishes have been pretty mundane. Since I'm so unmotivated to wash tons of pots, I decided to invest in a new toy. The following were what I've been cooking for lunch:

Soya sauce chicken stewed for approximately an hour; mixed brown rice steamed for 30mins of which during the last 15mins i paused to add in a tier of cod fish. In between, i was busy doing other chores and entertaining the kids.

#throwback in the old place. Everything except the soup was prepared using the steamer. Soup was easily cooked using a slow pot.  Egg was a tad pockmarked as I had forgotten to put a cover to it.

Tadah! This is the machine which I'm raving about! There are presets for stuff like cooking rice. You can also set your own timing. What you need to note is to ensure there's sufficient water. The technology works the same way as a milk warmer. It is really compact and for once the hubs was supportive of my purchase! Often he'll roll his eyes as kitchen stuff are usually pretty bulky. Not this! N it seems to be very popular amongst OLs as well.Not surprising as it's really healthier to cook your own lunch rather than to dine out. N by having this little gadget, the risk of burning down the office is low. And at home, it's a great help as i wouldn't need to check on the fire and can set it to cook as i bring the kids down for some playground fun. This baby is definitely here to stay!

*No monetary compensation has been received. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and written according to my experience in using the product.

On turning one and recipe for Eggless milo tiramisu, almost

I'm no Nigella Lawson but i was mighty proud of what I've made for Small K on his first birthday which was just over last weekend. For those of you who don't know, I can't bake for nuts; I don't own any fancy baking kitchen aids; i don't know the difference between folding and mixing; i use a hand whisk and I'm secretly fantasizing that I'm a whizz and can bake pretty sweets. However, truth be told, ever since my younger days, I've never been successful at baking. They mostly turn out rock rock hard or burnt.

So it never really occurred to me that i should and would bake for da boy. However, the boy has a mild allergy towards eggs and eggless cakes cost an arm and a leg! Hence i was determined to unleash this "talent" of mine. And i succeeded!!

Here's sharing my recipe for Milo Tiramisu:

Ingredients (Makes a 9 inch cake)

• 400ml of whipping cream
• 500g Mascarpone cheese, bring to room temp
• 3 to 4 tbsp of condensed milk (you can reduce or increase depending on the level of sweetness which you'd like)
• ladyfinger biscuits (i lost count but i must have used at least 50 to 60 pieces?)
• 1 cup of milo. I did not add any sugar to it
• 2-3 tbsp Milo powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Whip the whipping cream until stiff, adding the condensed milk halfway. 

Do not over whip. Approximately 5 minutes will do. Once you achieved a soft peak, Stop.

Put the mascarpone cheese into another mixing bowl and slowly fold in the whipped cream.

Dip the ladyfinger biscuits into the cup of milo and arrange them neatly. Don't oversoak as they will turn soggy easily. Also, need not worry about the little gaps in between. It will be filled up with the cream.

Smoothen on a layer of the cheese mixture and dust on some sieved milo powder. Repeat this for the next 2 layers. I did 3 layers in total but you can always adjust accordingly.

Put it into the fridge for approximately 1 to 2 hours and take it out to place the biscuits round the circumference and pop it back into the fridge again. This is to allow the whole cake to set. It needs to be refrigerated for approximately 6 to 8 hours but due to the lack of time, i only managed to have it in for 4hours. Luckily it didn't turn out too bad.

Tie a ribbon round the cake as a form of decoration. If you are looking for a totally eggless one, you might need to bake the sponge cake yourself. 

Tadah!!! my end product! Mighty proud of myself! The in-laws and those who ate were kind enough to say that it was nice. Not too sweet. Yay! N you know what? I gave Small K a few bites and he didn't break out in rash!!! guess the eggs in the ladyfingers weren't that potent! Yippee! 

It's really quite insane how time flies..cliche i know. But with two, everyday seems to be a rush. This is especially so when I'm mostly a one man (or woman) show. We have no helper and though the mother-in-law helps, she generally takes over in the afternoons after 2pm. Am thankful for that arrangement as it allows me to head out to bring some bacon back but then again, it means no quality time with each of my children. The guilt has been gnawing me for a while. I used to do so much with Big K. By 1yo she was rattling off so many words. But with Small K, i can see a significant difference. The difference is so startling that recently my hubby has asked me why haven't i done any homeschooling with the kid. By this age, I've already brought Big K for playgroups but with Small K, the only playgroup is probably with the neighbour which happens only once a month perhaps. Apart from time, to be honest, money is a factor. Education for young children is so damn expensive! And the burden lies on me because the dear husband doesn't believe in paying money for such stuff. He feels that kids will naturally learn by going to the playground or by playing marbles with the neighbors. What he doesn't realise is, he doesn't bring them to the playground all that often! And even if he does, he'll be leaving them to their own devices while he engages in a battle on mobile. Yes, his addiction to mobile games is getting to me. Recently, my father-in-law also asked if I've been teaching the boy! Gosh! These men don't used to be so anxious! In fact, they think that is natural progression and the kid will automatically know their ABCs by the time they reach Primary 1! So yes, i really should get my act together. These days whenever I've pockets of time, and we are only talking about 10mins here or 20mins there, I would either be pumping and catching up on half an episode of my drama or surfing the net. Social media and the Internet can really be evil but yet again, it's necessary to keep in touch with the world. To me at least. 

So dear son, please give me some time, I'm sure I'll get something done for you. Slowly but surely. Meanwhile, turning one is really awesome and I'm so blessed and happy to have you in my life. You are my miracle child and my happy pill. I pray for your good health and may life be filled with lots of blessings!

Embarking on solids

The boy is already close to 11 months old and here I am, blogging about his solids. He has started solids officially at 6months old and I'm very glad that he's a good eater as compared to his sister whom I've pulled every strand of hair trying to cajole her into taking more than 5 spoons. Every morning, I ensure that he get his necessary nutrients and mostly I'll insist on making them fresh as opposed to frozen. I do, however, freeze some of the stuff for weekends when the hub embarks on some fatherly duties while I work. I used to get my frozen stash from Petit Bowl but they shifted further from me hence I have no choice but to buck up and inevitably save a bit. Cooking for a baby honestly isn't difficult when you have the right tools but when you have to do it every single day, the menu does get a little dull. Things also get a little arduous when cooking is not limited to a baby but a toddler and me! All these have to be done by 1030am as the both of them have to be fed by 1130am before they are coaxed into taking a nap. Imagine the rush especially if we wake up a little earlier! Quite rare. Very often we spend the first half an hour frolicking and lazing around in bed. Oh and don't forget, I've gotto bathe the both of them and play with them too! Admittedly, I have my lazy days, but I tell myself to be motivated for the sake of my sweetie pies. I hope the below baby food will serve as an inspiration for all mommies out there!

Porridge with spinach, fish and wolfberries

Apple, red sweet potato, chicken and onion

The boy constipates quite a bit. So prunes has become quite a staple fruit in his diet

Pumpkin brown rice porridge

Kiwi and sweet plum for weekend desserts. And yes, da boy eats them all!

These two ingredients pack quite a punch

Butternut squash  & potato blended with vegetable stock with a sprinkle of grated cheese. YUMS!

Purple sweet potato & brown rice cereal


Pears are supposedly good for constipation too! Hence this combo.


Potato, Spinach and Fish

My trusty tool from PHILIPS AVENT. The Steamer cum blender! A lifesaver when it comes to preparation of food. Am so glad I kept it for Small K!

Sniffing and Coughing on CNY

I don't get it. Whilst everyone else was happily preparing to usher in the year of the Horse, I was and still am taking care of a very whiny and clingy sick 2yo. Since last Sunday, Lil k had had the fever. it's like a roller coaster ride and I'm sure it's every mother's nightmare. Waking up in the middle of the night to sponge her and to take her temperature is the least to say. We went to the PD prior to CNY and were prescribed some antibiotics. Upon completion, her fever was still random and now it's the cough. Great. just great. I thought and was furiously boasting that I'm the strongest in the family. The hubs took ill the week before before Lil K but alas, I'm sniffing furiously and coughing like a broken recorder as I blog. So Why am I not resting when I should? I CAN'T! Being in a sitting up position seems to ease the congestion and I've stopped sneezing. The moment I lie down, the sinus headaches and everything else comes back. 

So here I am, googling on natural remedies on how to rid that. Am so gonna do the following:

Stay clean as much as you can. 

Take care to be as clean as possible while you have the flu; it will help you fight the illness as well as reduce the risk of it spreading.

Take vitamin C.  

Since my daily diet (which at this moment is highly packed with junk food and bah kwa - yes i know, i'm trying to cut down but it's once a year you know!) is terribly un-nutritious, am gonna get myself those 500mg tablets! 

Steam orange with salt. 

Ok was told that i shouldn't be taking oranges due to the cough so am not quite sure if this would work. But many people have sworn by it so I'm gonna try!

Step 1: Wash then soak an orange for 15mins

Step 2: Create a cap and sprinkle some salt on the flesh

Step 3: Prick it and mix the salt

Step 4: Cover and steam for 15minutes

Step 5: Eat and drink the juice

Plenty of rest

This is definitely on my agenda but it's not an easy one to execute. Not when Lil K still wakes up once or twice in the middle of the night for her dream feed and the Daddy has selective hearing towards his daughter's cries. But yeah, i'm gonna try harder to rest whilst I can, even if it means to sleep in an upright position!

Here's wishing everyone a Healthy Horsay 2014!!!

The Festive Period

So it's here. Christmas, New Year then soon after, Chinese New Year. But somehow this year, I'm least excited about all the festivities. Hard as I try to focus but the body just won't coorporate. All I want is to lie down in bed or be in a horizontal position the entire day. Nausea aside, I'm just flat out exhausted for some strange reason. Sluggish and unproductive are all appropriate adjectives for me. Nevertheless, some level of excitement has to be shown to the lil one for her to understand that it's a season to be jolly.

Here's letting the photos do the talking....I told you i'm plain lazy..........

DA FOOD

Xmas themed breakfast for the little one. It has been a while since I did food art, but her appetite has been horrid thus I had better buck up

Da dinner. Yup. It's steak. The hub's specialty as he likes to call it.

We didn't have turkey so the least I could have was turkey ham!

The galore of food below are from the party we had at Grace's house. Yums!  The truckload of food was only for 8 adults and 4 children and 1 toddler and a baby! It's an amazing spread!

Wanton Skin Pizza anyone?

Korean pizza made by Grace

I made this!!! Yum Woon Sen! Super easy but somehow still not up to the mark.

Making New Friends

HAPPY 2014!! First breakkie of the year. How original.

Giving myself one last chance to baking and what do you know! I managed to bake this no-brainer strawberry cheesecake! No brainer coz it's a pre-mix so if i failed, I'll probably just give up trying to bake for the rest of my life.

Mentaiko! My current fav! first time trying to make agadeshi tofu and it's darn simple! just coat the silken tofu with cornflour, fry till golden brown. I added some dashi soy sauce and bonito flakes and Viola! Restaurant standard!

Steak. Again. A must-have for him on every special occasion.

Home baked cookies. not by me of coz! I can't bake for nuts!

DA HOMESCHOOLING ACTIVITIES

You'd think I'll be all sluggish and not entertain Lil K right? Think again. I did. Well, more like I had to. She simply didn't allow me to even lie down. Each time i did, she'll say: Mama, wake up. Leaving her with toys didn't work too coz she wants me to play with her but even when i do, she gets bored after 5 minutes. So here we are, doing some stuff together:

Our Xmas trees! The one of the left was lugged back from Bangkok some 4 years ago and it has been my Xmas and Chinese New Year tree every year! The little white tree on the left was a gift when I was perhaps in Primary Three, aka, eons ago! Mom and pops didn't believe in Xmas and more importantly, didn't believe in buying me silly things like a tree which we'll only take out once a year! So i totally treasured this baby and was over the moon when that certain aunty gave it to me. The leaves have turned yellow since and some have dropped off but heck, it's still usable! Coz, I'm not gonna splurge on some tree that i'll only bring out only once a yr! haha

Say Hello to Frosty!

Waves to Rudolph and Rudy! Made from toilet rolls, these adorable creatures were Lil K's fav for the season.

Wishing upon a star

Ok, my system is going into shut down mode. Going to lie down now. 

Happy Feasting everyone!