Simple dimple meal ready in 30mins. (part 1)

Eating out can be a fast solution to many working couples. No hassle to prepare, to cook & to clean up. However, if you are not a fussy eater, prepare your own simple meal can save your time. No hassle tussle to think what to eat, where to eat, beat the after-work jam, search for parking with tired body & empty stomach. And, the worst thing is stuff your tummy with less nutritious food.

I've been sharing below simple recipes with some of my pals. Here I refreshed them in my blog, hoping it helps to lighten your burden as well as to add spark to your meal time.

Considering the requirements of healthy food, short cooking time and low difficulty level, you may need to avoid frying but more on steaming, blanching, stewing, stir-frying or grilling.

#1. Steam egg with minced pork
- prepare minced pork (half a bowl)
- beat 2 eggs (if you like salted egg, replace 1:1)
- diced some carrots
- sliced mushrooms
- cut in some fresh corns (1/3 stalk)
- prawns (optional)
- wolfberries (optional)

a. Mixed minced pork with eggs, add in half cup of water.
b. then, add in the rest of the ingredient
c. 2 tsp of salt & a dash of pepper
(if you are using salted egg, no salt is needed)
d. steam for 20mins in medium flame.

#2. Pasta in soup
- prepare the ingredient overnight.
@ defroze chicken/pork ribs in fridge, diced carrots, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, celery, soak black eye peas before bed **not the hip-hop group. :-)
Well, to avoid confusion, here is the image of black eye peas.



Put them into your magic cooker in the morning.

- In the evening, reheat the soup; then at the same time, cook your pasta.
Reduced the amount of pasta if you put more beans in your soup.
Try to choose pasta that easier to cook, like elbow, shell, macaroni or farfalline (bowtie).
Tips: Cook them in your rice cooker instead of pots. Set your rice cooker to steam function (normally min setting is 10m). To avoid overcook, check after 4mins. Small pasta should be well-cooked in 4-5mins.

- If you have left over food, don't hesitate to add in to your pasta soup. It definitely enhance the taste. This self made minestrone should warm up your tummy and brighten up your evening.

#3. Sandwich
- buy a roasted chicken from Jusco a day earlier if you can't drop by after work.
- reheat roasted chicken in microwave (if it's from the fridge), then cut into small pieces. Add in yogurt (if you don't have yogurt, replace with Heinz sandwich spread), diced onions, dried fruits like raisin, cranberry, apricot and nuts.
- lightly toast the bread. Top with the yogurt-chicken. Viola!
- Complete your meal with a cup of your favorite beverage. That will make a very satisfying meal.

#4. Miso chicken with blanch vege.

I bet you can't finish the roasted chicken & not sure what to do with it. well, here is the solution.

- Cut chicken into bite size. Blanch few 'siew pak choy' & set aside.
- mix 2 tsb miso paste with 2 tsb of water.
- heat the pan with few drops of oil, lightly saute some garlic & shallots. Add in the chicken, then miso paste.
- Lastly, add in the vege & stir-fry for another few minutes.
- Serve hot with rice.

I still have plenty recipes in my collection. Will share more from time to time. Hope you & your family enjoy trying out these recipes. Don't hesitate to share with me shall you discover something new during your experiment.

Korean Drama Craze

Just finish watching "Missing You" cast by Yoon Eun-hye (as Soo-yeon) and Park Yoo-chun (as Jung-woo). These shall explained why I've been so "busy" lately. I'm too quiet recently until it draws my cousin attention that "you are no longer writing blogs?" Well, I'm very busy.....busy buried myself in Korean drama, rushing from episod to episod; trying to finish up the series in one breath.

You may wonder why only recently I have the craze (or crash ;-p) in Korean drama? Hmm... this may be due to the fact that I'm a late bloomer. LOL. Actually, I'd say thanks to Android Apps - Viki which provides many recent dramas at no cost. And it comes with English subtitle too! Viki has a list of tv series and movies from different countries. Those who used Android system shall give it a try.

Well, this is pretty a new drama series where the story is mainly about romance between 2 high school sweethearts Jung-woo and Soo-yeon. They were separated in a horrifying tragedy that continues to weigh down on them as adults. The guilt-ridden detective, Han Jung-woo has been desperately searching for Soo-yeon for years, but when he crosses paths with her again, she has already become someone else with a new identity. Meanwhile, Kang Hyung-joon (Yoo Seung-ho), rich with the money his mother took from Han family, returns to Korea for revenge. He appears warm and nice, but turns out to be a psychopathic murderer and uses the alias Harry Borrison to get his revenge on Jung-woo's father for murdering his mother. To escape from the murder charge, he and his accomplice try to accuse Soo-yeon for being the person who planned and murdered.

In the end, the fire of vengeance has destroy Hyung-jun young life. But this has bring both Soo-yeon And Jung-woo together.

After completed this drama, I realised that I've given up too much of sleeping time as well as fun time on other activities. I forgot about my manicure, I haven't really look at the magazine that I bought a week ago. I even not writing anything lately. My brain is full. I can't afford to keep them anymore but to write them down, slowly. Please stay with me until the next post. :-)

I'm on another drama now, but in a much slower pace. The feast of God, starring by Lee Sang-woo as Kim Do-yoon, Sung Yu-ri as Go Joon-young, Seo Hyun-jin as Ha In-joo and Joo Sang-wook as Choi Jae-ha. The story is mainly about the fate of two girls whose identities were switched and later become rivaling chefs of traditional royal cuisine. Their pasts, their loves, and who their identities are tangled in a breathtaking, tragic, and triumphant drama about what it means to preserve truth and integrity in the midst of lies and corruption.

Drunken Dong Guai steam chicken

Tired of thinking how to cook chicken? What sauce to use, what method to cook....how if we go back to the old time favorite, steam chicken. Be frank, I don't really enjoy steam chicken. That's why I try to give it a twist. This is my first time in my life to cook steam chicken, and it turns out very tasty. It's not possible to let you try my drunken Dong Guai chicken, however, I can let you try your luck with my easy peasy recipe.Recipe

Ingredients :
1. one whole chicken. ideal size will be 1.2-1.5kg.
2. some herbs like Dong Guai, Dang Shen, Huang Chi, Kei Ji, as well as red dates. (if you are not good in this, just use ready pack herbs will do)


Methods:
1. clean chicken thoroughly without removing its skin. set aside.
2. boil herbs for around 20mins in medium flame.
3. turn to high flame before put in the chicken. chicken breast facing up.
4. after 5mins or when water is boiling, turn back to medium flame, simmer for 20mins.
5. off your stove and let it stand for another 10mins.
6. rub salt thoroughly on chicken, pick out Dong Guai from soup and try to put it under chicken skin.
7. lastly, rub wine (Shao Xing) on chicken.

You can keep it in fridge and take out after few days. I can't. I served this for dinner. :-)

how to raise a calm child?

Many of time, mothers always seeking ways to keep their young one calming down; either drawing, reading or playing for longer time. The restless tods always torn their mothers apart towards end of the day. It's like a never-ending battles until the tods is old enough to attend nursery. However, sending kids to nursery may not solved the chaos forever as you still have to face them in the evening, or the worse is during weekend.

In fact, to have an enjoyable parenthood, mothers should adopt ways to raise a calm child even they are just months old. Not to forget, baby will become toddler in split second and their energy level will double or triple up. Mothers will find themselves wishing their young one still a baby. No running restlessly, no shouting, no temper tantrums, no fighting among siblings. Always wishing a peaceful evening, especially working moms.

Kids are generally energetic. If you can deplete their energy level by half, you will be able to have an hour or two of peaceful mind. I strongly believe kids should enjoy physical workouts in daily basis (if possible). Even half an hour of fun time in your nearby field or playground or your apartment swimming pool can improve their concentration as well as appetite. If the workout is carry out in the evening, you will find it easier to put them to bed.




*having fun in Penang Botanical Garden & swimming pool at Sunrise Garden.



*exploring & learning botany in my apartment's playground.

Spending some effort to guide them drawing, coloring or doing artwork. Normally, artworks, reading or watching educational dvd will keep them occupy without creating much mess to your living space. Designated an area for these activities and keep all related stuff in that area.



*invest in a variety of color papers, scissors, stick glue, color pencils as well as a simple drawing guide; they will have fun for at least one hour. You can help to collect used wrapping, packaging or promotion booklet from supermarket. Then give them a topic to work on, like "you are going to invite some friends to your house. What are the food or toys you would like to get ready? Cut them out or draw in this blank paper. "

*invest in board games like scrabble (for older kids), art puzzle (like the one in above photo), or a good set of Lego.

*invest in educational dvd, like nursery rhymes, Barney, Dora, or the expensive but highly effective one -- Magic Englis, with interesting & fun filled learning modules in total 25 dvd. The original set shall comes with 25 hard cover books & perhaps free Barney story books as free gifts. (kiddos are so lucky that their aunty has a complete set of Magic English kept at my bookshelf)

long time you didn't cook "lobak"

During dinner, suddenly Ian asked "mommy, long time you didn't cook lobak"
"hmm...."
"Why? I remember last time you cook few times before"

uh oh, how come kids nowadays so demanding.....(sigh)
"Why? when can you make lobak again? Long time I didn't eat lobak"
"well, it requires a lot of works to make lobak."

**you must be wondering what is lobak. those from northern state should know. :-)
lobak actually is 滷肉条. But in southern part, they call it 五香.

"really?"
"yeah, nowadays with no maid, it's quite hard for me to do it. Last time kakak help me out."
"ok then." (phew....relief)
"since you say it's difficult, can you tell me the steps?"
(eyes popping out >____<)

I can't think of an excuse to not telling him the steps. However, I try to emphasize how tedious the steps are. But to him, it seems like nothing much. He just nod his head as if the steps are simple to him.

After finished explaining, he asked "ok, when can you make it?" @.@

you know, school holiday can be very fun (part I)

school holiday is over but my articles still sitting in draft box. :-p


The long awaited school holiday is finally here. We went back to mom's hometown for a month. My dad joined us for 5 days.

Our very first exploration is Sabah Museum.

RM2 per entry (f.o.c for kids below 12)

We invited my little aunt (mom youngest cousin) to join us.

We are not allowed to take photo inside the museum. Thus, I can only snap exterior photos.

After visited the museum, watched documentary about the state below wind. We posed for more photos, and walked through a hanging bridge that led to traditional houses.

Yvaine enters new stage of life

Yvaine is getting more cheeky and talkative since this school holiday. she will try to make up her own story without any main points. I think she is trying to mimic her brother whom she think is the ideal role model. She always starts her story with the same line "mummy, I want to tell you a story..." (copy & paste from her bro)

"ok ah, here is my story..... This afternoon, I took my nap. Then I wake up, so blur."
huh, why? what happened?
"ya, I'm blur. Not dreaming. just blur only"
>_< ok. So, this is your story?
Happily, she say "yes"

@she makes me recall Ian's riddle. *What does the triangle says to oval? "you are so pointless" *

This evening, they were playing Lego while I was in the kitchen preparing dinner. I overheard below funny conversations from kitchen.

I : Yvaine, bring me light green. This shape.
Y : Ok! (after some time, diligently digging from the container) I can't find light green.
I: then green la. Why you can't find light green?
Y : I think finish.
I : heiyo, let me see. If I can find. ..(he must have thinking very hard how to threaten her)
I : nah, this is not green ah! still telling me don't have.
Y : but this is not light green.
I : light green and dark green both consider green (sound impatient)
**** then both silent.......

out of sudden........
"hoooiiiii, why you take my blocks without permissions!"
I : POLICE!!!! someone steal my blocks.
(guess what was Yvaine's reaction. I can't stop laughing)
Y : huh, police ah. ok, beng, beng, beng....... done!
I : you cannot take this.
Y : but I want this
I : If you want to take something from me, you must ask for permission.
Y : ok. koko, can I take this?
I : CANNOT
Y : but you say ask first?
I : ya, then my answer is CANNOT.
** poor girl.

still they are playing happily and enjoy each other company.

tips to parents : try not to interfere when your kids are playing. This is how they learn ways to deal with their siblings as well as their friends in later years.