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!

Homelearning amidst the craziness

It's been a while since I've posted anything on our homelearning efforts. To be honest, I've been a headless chicken since the arrival of Small K. It is coming to a year (GOSH! A year? did someone just say he's going to turn one?!) but everything's been pretty disorganised. I'm living each day as it comes. If I'm up to it, I'll do my prep work the night before and feel really good the next day. However, more often than not, I'd rather crash in bed, thinking that with all the experience and toys i have, i can simply whip something up at the snap of the finger. But, i forgotten to take into account the kids' temperament. Sometimes what i grab may not appeal to them. I guess they can feel my insincerity. Really hope to be more well prepared and purposeful in our learning. 

The guilt is eating me up but things havent gotten any easier since last weekend. Everything seems to be telling me that I've to slow things down even more. The laptops went cranky (yes both laptops), the printer went cuckoo (all thanks for silly me who bought the wrong cartridge! Wasted good money there coz I no longer have the receipt), best of all, the husband turned off my deep freezer which stored all my frozen breast milk!!! That completely drove me up the wall! Imagine my exasperation. His explanation was that he needed a plug for the warmer. The warmer has all the while been at another spot and there was no reason why he should shift it! Even then, he continued to defend himself by saying he switched the freezer on and off but somehow he forgotten to turn it on for the last time! All my stash completely thawed. I hugged Small K and wanted to cry but no tears came out. Supply has dipped tremendously but I don't intend to stop breastfeeding any soon. *stress. I attribute his forgetfulness to his addiction to gaming. He's a great dad and all but gaming is getting in the way. Seriously, for the last two weeks when the mil went on holiday, we were all on our own. I took the morning shift whilst he took the afternoons. He cooked dinner for the kids, bathed them, wound them down and washed up. Often, leaving two or three items for me to wash up. His excuse -- I would be too free if he did them all. HRMPH. So any hoots, back to the addiction. It's so bad that he went out at midnight one day to buy a snack, armed with his iPad but not his keys. Yups, at 1230am, he called me and even rang the door bell. I was fast asleep but was awoken. And Small K was also awoken. Thanks. So if there's such a place as a rehabilitation centre for gamers, please let me know. I'd like to send him there!

Ops! Sorry I digressed. Pardon me, but it's not easy managing a big baby and two other little ones. It's really tough managing two young children alone. Kudos to those who do homeschooling full time! Probably I'll manage better if I don't have to work and have more time and am not always in a rush.  If you give Big K something, Small K will come along and explore (read: create a mess) and this causes Big K to scream her lungs out. If you give Small K something, Big K will come along to say that she wants it as well.  "i want i want i want..mama mama mama" Those words are frequently resonating in my household. So how do I manage it? Well, i find an activity where both are able to play together and when Small K naps, I try to get Big K to do other stuff. That is if I've the energy and she's cooperative. 

Below are some of the activities, apart from roaming around freely in the house, that we did over the last month:

They absolutely LOVE this. Sensory play is just what the boy needs! I'm thankful that he's at an age where learning is this easy!

I've been trying to introduce phonics to Big K, but I've been terribly inconsistent. She's in her sensitive stage now and I really would love to do a bit more. However, it's not always easy to get her to sit and listen and furthermore, I'm often doing such activities as I cook or wash the dishes. 

I had these for a while but it didn't really appeal to her till of late. 

My mom brought me these. I don't know why. So instead of throwing, I improvised it into a bingo game for Big K! She totally enjoyed it. 

Things are a tad slow around here. However, slowly but surely, we will get there. 

Melancholy and Mother's Day

Mother's day. Pre kids, it was realy a no big deal day to me. I mean seriously it is just a commercial way for retailers to exploit. That said, i have been exploited. For if i hadn't done my part and celebrate with Empress Dowager, she would probably disown me as she sank into her abyss of depression for my unfilial act. 

Post kids, initially i didn't feel it was a big deal too coz honestly Big K was too young to understand the significance and in anycase, everyday should be Mother's Day! Then in 2013, everything changed. Melancholy and Mother's Day were suddenly synonymous. I had a painful loss. A loss which made my heart bleed so badly. They say time will heal. It did. But it would never be complete. The scar will always be there. Then God heard my prayers and gifted me Small K. My miracle child i call. All wounds should have been healed with this happy pill's arrival. Indeed, motherhood took on a different meaning and i felt that Mother's Day is a must for the husband (not the kids) to recognise my efforts. But, as if i had to go through yet another csection, today, i received a sad news. A man who has been a fatherly figure to me when i was a toddler; a man who brought me to the playground and pushed me on the swing; a man with a golden heart. This man, who had the same name as the late LKY passed away on 9 May. The exact same date when my world crashed 2 years ago. The zipper on the csec scar was opened once again. I thought i wouldn't have this much emotions. Afterall, apart from Chinese New year and perhaps mid autumn festival, i rarely see them. Pretty terrible of me if i may say but there were so much happening for the last 5 years and with little help, and little time, all i could do was to give a call. Even then, it was rare. So it took me by great surprise that my name was in his obituary. God-daughter. That's who i am. To be honest, I'm not too big on this whole god daughter business. Since young, several of mum's friends wanted me to be their god-daughter. It really felt weird to me. But this was different. My godma whom i affectionately call Aunty Lee, was my nanny when i was a little girl. From my recollection, i was pretty close with her children though they were at least 12years my senior. Then when i was no longer under her care, we drifted. But today at the funeral, i felt that i was never forgotten. I thanked them for treating me as family and the reply i got was "you are always part of us". #touched max. It's like gaining a family i never had. I've always been alone so having this huge family showing love to me made me speechless.

All these episodes are probably God's way of showing me that love is all around and that there are miracles around. Indeed, I'm blessed and appreciative.

Happy Mother's Day ya all! I now have more reasons to remember this day.

Love my babies to the moon and back!

I will grab on to the both of you forever!

A cake for myself! Yup, the hub fails in getting Best Husband award because he doesn't believe in Mother's Day, flowers, cakes and all those works. Oh well, it doesn't bother me (Who am I kidding! It does ok!).
This lovely Matcha Oreo Cake was baked by the lovely people at #inthebrickyard. It went very well with the usually fussy husband and I'm really liking it because it ain't too sweet! Best Mom Ever? Hell Yeah! I won't deny that! 

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!

Have I been jinxed by the Monday Blues?

MONDAYS. A term synonymous with blues for many. Honestly, I seldom have that problem because everyday is quite the same to me. But today, it really feels like the world is against me. 

First, just when i was about to cook lunch, my rice cooker decided to act up. Next, i visited IKEA and the pregnant staff decided to give me a bit of an attitude. Ok, she's preggers and working so I'll forgive her. Next, my Macbook declared itself a holiday! To be fair, the laptop has been around for 6years and I've been meaning to get myself a new one but have been procrastinating because of well, Money!! Been trying hard to be more prudent and i do have the husband's spare laptop (which has disappearing cursors and words) to work on. However, nothing beats a Mac right? Actually why am i so adamant? What do i know about specs? I just know the Mac is mad chio (pretty)! So ya, just last week i was working painstakingly on a project which hasn't been saved on my external hard disk. Great. Just great.

Back to the bit about the rice cooker. Two weekends ago, the hubs and I were shopping around and I casually mentioned that I'd like to get a chio cooker for our new place (yes! We are shifting but it's really not as exciting as what you think). I think the mere mention of replacing the cooker totally jinxed things. My rice cooker couldn't boot up as well!! Quick-thinking, i whipped out my Happy call and cooked me some rice! 

You would think that will all be diluted as the day went by. Well, Wrong! At 9pm, I wanted some decent dinner and packed from Subway. Guess what I received? Instead of Fanta Grapes, it was more like Soda water with a tinge of cough syrup. Gosh! someone probably forgotten to add more syrup!
A total waste of good money to upgrade to a combo meal! And I thought all's well, ends well. Again, I was wrong! Along the way, I almost hit an oncoming vehicle which was in my blind spot! That really made me jump out of my skin.

In light of all these, I'm unfazed..ok who am i kidding, I'm still cursing and swearing deep down. Positive thinking is not about expecting the best to happen. It is about accepting whatever that happens. Such wisdom! The above mentioned matters are all very easy to solve but somehow it feels better to bitch about them and move on..so did you have a bad day? Come come,  share with me!

Goodbye to the great Mr Lee Kwan Yew

It's been rather quiet on this space. For a reason -- Death. 

Death. It is feared by many and celebrated as much as life itself by others. Yet, it is a quintessential part of cultural life, not just a personal affair but a communal one. Just over the weekend, Singapore, a little red dot, mourned the death of one of its greatest leaders, the founding father of Singapore -- Mr Lee Kwan Yew,who passed away on 23rd March 2015 at the age of 91. There was much grieving and reflecting as people paid tribute to this great man. A 7-day national mourning was declared. While death is a topic largely avoided by most, Mr lee's death was the topic of the town. Everywhere on social media, his quotes, photos and stories were mushrooming. What really struck me was his tenacity towards life, his love towards his wife and his loyalty towards his people. Low crime rate and general orderliness in Singapore society would appear to bear testimony to the effectiveness of his rule. It was also the first time I read and saw pictures of the interior of his house and was appalled that despite being so wealthy, the decorations were so humble.

Above all, what really drew me to read on was his love and dedication towards his wife. I'm a hopeless romantic. However, the hubs isn't one who will quite reciprocate in the same way as I do. This is completely different in the royal love story where Mr Lee's love for his wife was evident in his daily life. He was a great husband who spent every evening, at least 2 hours, reading her favourite poems during her remaining days. Madam Kwa Geok Choo was more than just the woman behind LKY. She was a woman who silently gave her all to the nation and her family. Back then, she was the only female student in Raffles College in Singapore and crossed path with Mr Lee. They stated off as competitors but ended up as lovers. Classic isn't it? Kindof like how it was like for the hub and I. I hated his guts back then. Moving on, Mdm Kwa was a good Asian wife, walking two steps behind her husband. She was more than a wife, she was also Mr Lee's confidante and adviser. When she suffered her first stroke, Mr Lee took care of her complicated medication regime, measured her blood pressure several times a day, and meticulously picking up the food which she dropped. Mdm Kwa passed on after being bedridden for 2 years. That was Singapore's very own royal love story. While Mr Lee had been courageous and resolute in pursuing his dream and love, much has been credited to Mdm Kwa whose consistent rational and emotional support were his driving force. They are truly a model couple. Mr Lee might had  been critisized for his ways in politics. however, I'm sure it is without any argument that he was and still is a role model for husbands. With his demise, he can now be reunited with her in another realm.

29th March. It was the day the world sent Mr Lee on his last journey. Singaporeans lined the streets in salute as his casket went past the street. A grand funeral which no other man in Singapore ever had. That day, the heavens opened and rain was beating hard on this little red dot which Mr Lee played an instrumental role in building. The throbbing sadness was palpable. From dull, monotonous gray drizzle to fast and furious raindrops, the sky seemed to be making a tonal melody that matched the mood of many Singaporeans. His dedication for his country was evident in the respect garnered by the people who queued for as long as 8 hours just to enter the Parliament house to pay their last respects. Listening to his children deliver their eulogies, I too, shed an uncontrollable tear. I tried explaining to Big K about the passing of this great man. I told her Mr Lee is now watching us from above. And she replied,"He's in heaven?" I told her without this man, Singapore wouldn't be who she is today..We wouldn't have MRT to sit on or schools to go to. Then Big K continued," We wouldn't have playgrounds to go to and no house to stay." Wow! She seemed to understand what i said! A 3.5year old comprehending the impact that LKY made in our lives! I feel very blessed indeed that I'm born in this country I call home and am deeply thankful for this great man who built it. 

Thank you Mr Lee! #rememberingLKY

Gong xi fa cai

I know. I'm late. hey, but i'm penning this down on the last day of Chinese New Year. Chup Gor Meh (15th day in Dialect) so technically, i'm not late right? Ok, excuses excuses. But definitely legit. You see, Small K developed a fever on Day 9. It spiked to 40 degrees celsius on Day 10! I was terribly guilty as I checked him at 730pm before putting him to bed. He was good. 37.4. But, 2 hours later when the hub came home and checked, the boy had shot up to 40!! We stripped him naked and sponged like mad. I didn't quite sleep that night. Waking up almost every hour to sponge him and check his temperature. Thankfully the fever subsided the  next day. However, on Day 12, a sudden rash surfaced. It was then i realised he was having Roseola. Roseola is a fairly mild and common viral illness that usually strikes children between 6 months and 3 years of age. It's caused by a kind of herpes virus, although not the type that's sexually transmitted. roseola usually starts with a sudden, relatively high fever. The fever typically lasts three to five days and may end abruptly, followed by the telltale rash. The rash may last for days or only hours. The rash is pink and may have small flat spots or raised bumps. These spots may have a lighter "halo" around them and will turn white if you press on them. The rash isn't itchy or uncomfortable, and contact with the rash itself doesn't spread the illness. It usually shows up on the trunk and neck, but can extend to the arms, legs, and face. My poor baby was a grouch and coupled with a whiny three year old, oh boy!!!

Anyhoots, here's a quick round up of Chinese New Year for us this year. It's special this year coz I've a new arm candy and I was really gearing myself up in terms of their clothings. 

 

The day before Chinese New Year.

Reunion outfit: 

On Me: Top from Love Bonito; Skorts from a Korean supplier

On Big K: "I'm a mini" tshirt from MiniRodini & Right Left tights from Hello Merch

On Small K: "daddy's little dude" romper from Carters & Socks from BabyStyleIcon

 

 

 

Day One

On Me: top and bottom from Zalora which incidentally has amazing service! I bought the wrong size and accidentally clicked on two for the same item but I was able to return them and exchange for the right size! No questions asked! I just had to pop by the post office and return. Postage borne by Zalora!; Shoes from Taobao

On Big K: Elmo Pillowcase dress from Etsy

On Small K: Dragon Romper from Taobao

 

  

Day Two. I decided to play matchy matchy. 

On Me: Top from Tracyeinny; Skinny Jeans which failed to make me skinny, from Uniqlo

On Big & Small K: Outfits from Elly. Shoes from Pediped and PUMA respectively. I've resisted on buying a cheongsam for Big K since birth. reason being, it's mostly worn only on special occasions. Mileage isn't too high. The cost of one isn't cheap too, but i caved in this year simply because it's too cute!

 

Check out the boy's new bib! Sud bo? It's one of his Chinese character by the way. Really hope this boy will be happy everyday. He's been bringing me so much joy every day. A very smiley baby whom I'm really thankful for. A miracle child who I can't wait to hug after work everyday. 

  

I just had to play matchy matchy again!

Tops and rompers from Hello Merch

Small K's dinosaur pants from Babystyleicon

 

 

Having two in tow this year is really different on all fronts. I used to be way ahead in decorations and crafting but this year, the above was all I did. A first DIY attempt at making paper pom poms and fans. Not bad eh? The decals were from Taobao. Bought it way in advance but pasted only the night before CNY! On crafting with Big K, I really did close to nothing. If you consider colouring an activity, then ok, I did heaps! 

 

Check out the many designs for red packets! The evolution is amazing. No wonder collecting red packets (sans the money that is), has been in vogue in the recent years.

 

 

Was excused for cooking on days one and two. but come day 3, I had to get something together lest the family starves. So the hubs and I decided on some unhealthy but delish noodles! A luxurious treat if I might add.  

 

Day 4

The kitchen was in full gear and I tried making Har Cheong Gai. Recipe taken off The Domestic Goddess Wannabe. I attempted to use the air fryer however, I failed miserably as the flour was still visible. Ultimately, I heated up some oil and shallow fried. The result, YUMMEH!

 

Day 5

Braised mushroom with dried oyster. A must-have in my family during Chinese New Year. This year, Empress Dowager made things difficult and decided not to cook reunion lunch, so we didn't have this. I decided to cook for my family instead. It's really a very simple dish to whip up. 

My recipe:

• 12 Dried mushroom soaked for an hour (i soaked overnight though)
• Moss (Fa Cai which is suppose to represent prosperity)
• 4-5 dried oysters
• 1 dried conch
•  a few Smashed garlic  
• Water/ Broth enough to cover the mushrooms

• Seasonings:
• 2 tablespoon of abalone sauce (oyster sauce also possible but i ran out of it)
• 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce
• if you want the colour to be darker, you may add dark soya sauce. But taste to ensure it's not too salty

Method:

• fry the garlic till it's fragrant, then add the mushroom
• after stir frying for a bit, add the abalone sauce
• add broth/ water + conch and boil
• transfer to a slow cooker and add the light soya sauce.
• You may use the regular pot to cook if you are not cooking overnight in a slow cooker like I did.
• This dish somehow tasted better overnight. 
• Approximately half and hour to an hour before you serve, add in the moss. If you like, you may add cornstarch solution to thicken the gravy.

 

Lastly, we managed to have our annual brunch with the Mahjong Kahki. Ok technically, only a few of them play mahjong. I, for one, am not. I guess I'm so over with that game after spending nights after nights losing at the table during my University days instead of studying! Am feeling very blessed for this bunch of friends. Many who were from my Secondary school and some whom I've known for 2 decades! The longest standing one, however, has to be the hubs whom I've known (but was absolutely disgusted with back then) since Secondary two! It's really quite a sight when we have to take the annual group photo. Terribly difficult to coordinate this year with the kiddos running around! Soon to come, we probably should have a shot separate for the kids! And a table for them at lunch as well! Wow! this family sure is growing!

So how was your Chinese New Year? Hope it had been a Meh-ry one!