When Dillon is at school, he used to eat by himself and he can finish quite fast. But when he is at home, he is so lazy to eat on his own and would always demand us to feed him.

Even then, he will take his own sweet time keeping the food inside his mouth without chewing and swallowing it, until you remind him, or scold him. So normally he will take more than half hour to finish his food, with a lot of screaming and scolding from either myself or my mother-in-law, it doesn’t matter if he is watching TV or not, situation is the same.

I’m not sure if this is a phase he needs to go through, or he is just simply not interested in his daily food (I swear that we have made our effort to serve different food every day at different meal time).

Although he still finish his food eventually, but I’m just hoping to improve the situation, I don’t want myself or my mother-in-law to be scolding him every meal time, it’s kind of frustrating for us and Dillon as well.

I’m thinking to start doing those cute bento, like what many other creative mommies have been doing for a long while, this could be a way to attract Dillon to eat his food by himself, I’m not sure if it’ll work but I just have to try and see.

The thing is that, I’m not very good in making these bento. I know from which mommies’ blogs I can find some ideas and recipes, but I just think it’s gonna be a challenge to my not so artistic and hands. How I wish that one day, I could do something like below:

But well, These seem too advanced for me right now, I’d better get some tools and start making some basic bento first. I hope I can have some decent bento pictures to share with you very soon……. (if you don’t see any follow up post after this, you know what it means.. *sob sob*)

Any mommy has any idea or advise , please share with me too.

• 10 Comments

Went to Ikea on last Friday but didn’t get to eat the Swedish meatballs there because it was too crowded and I only have limited time to shop for my stuffs. So instead, I bought the packet of meatball sauce mixture and decided to homemade the meatballs over the weekend, and it turns out well.

Ingredients:
Minced beef (250g), minced pork (120g), chopped onion (half), egg (half), milk, cornflour, salt & pepper
This made into 22- 24 meatballs

Method:
1. Mix all the ingredients into a bowl evenly, marinade it for 10-15 minutes.
2. Scoop the mixture, roll in the palm and shape into balls, give final mold with fingers.
3. Heat the pan with oil, put in the meatballs batch by batch, turn to medium high heat and fry for 2 minutes.
4. Turn over and fry on the other side, repeat until all meatballs are done.
5. To make the sauce, I add the packet of sauce mixture (bought at Ikea supermarket) with cold water and cream and bring it to boil, then it is done.
6. Coat the meatballs with sauce and it’s ready to serve. (add chopped parsley for nicer presentation)

The meatballs can be served as it is without the sauce, Dillon & Kaith like it that way, whereas I serve it with the sauce, poached potatoes, sauteed button mushroom and spaghetti with fried garlic oil.

• 2 Comments

Ingredients:
Fish, lady finger, oyster mushroom, tomatoes, big onions, Tom Yum paste.

Method:
1. Rub a bit of salt to the fish.
2. Heat the wok with a bit of oil, fry the big onions (cut into quarters) until fragrant, then add in Tom Yum paste.
3. Add in water and cover with lid until it is boiled.
4. Add in the fish (water should be just nice to cover the fish, if not then you have to flip the fish to ensure both sides are properly cooked), cover with lid for about 5 minutes.
5. Add in lady finger, oyster mushroom and tomatoes, cover with lid again for another 3 minutes, and it is ready to serve.

**add in more Tom Yum paste according to your liking, and cili padi if you prefer more spiciness, add in also lemon grass and daun limau purut for a better aroma and flavour.

**May also substitute fish with squid, prawns, clams or a mixture of all seafood.

• 7 Comments

Somebody posted a comment in my blog, asking about how to make this dish, so I’m gonna share it here.

Ingredients:
Chicken, bitter gourd, black dace, big onions, cili padi.

Method:
1. Marinade chicken pieces (I prefer to use thigh) with a little bit of salt (or light soy sauce).
2. Cut bitter gourd into small pieces and rub it with salt, then rinse off. **
3. Heat the wok with oil, put in big onions (cut into quarters), fry until fragrant, add in cili padi (optional), don’t put this if you dislike it.
4. Add in some black dace (packet ones), followed by the chicken pieces and then bitter gourd, stir fry the mixture for a while.
5. Add in some dark soy sauce and water, cover with lid and cook for another 5 minutes.
6. Add a bit of sugar to taste, then thickens the gravy by adding in some cornflour + water.

** I was told that rub some salt to the bitter gourd pieces can reduce the bitterness, it’s true enough that now I started to like eating bitter gourd already.

• 3 Comments

Since last month, I have been cooking dinner not only on weekends but weekdays after work too, because eating out is so costly and we are also bored to think of what to eat everyday.

My time is always very rush, left office about 6pm and I normally reach home around 7 – 7.15pm depending how bad the traffic is. Then quickly I would start preparing the ingredients, sometimes I do get my maid to wash the vegetables and marinade the meat for me before I got home so it makes my work easier and faster. My maid have already cooked the rice and soup also because Dillon and Kaith will have dinner earlier too.

I always prepare very simple dishes, normally 3 dishes and I’d need roughly 30 minutes to get it done, and my husband really enjoy homecooked food, plus it is cost saving too.

Our simple dinner, consists of Red spinach with fish paste & KeiZhi, Beancurd with minced meat and carrot dice, Chicken with bitter gourd in black dace sauce:

• 11 Comments

Just wanted to share on good stuff.

As what most of the parents does, I do not add any flavouring to my baby’s food before they turned one but when they grow older and demand for tastier food, instead of using salt and normal soy sauce, I got this Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, which I find it’s less salty, and a much healthier option for our young kids.

Ingredients: Bragg Liquid Aminos are made from health-giving, NON-GMO soybeans and purified water. They are an excellent, healthy, gourmet replacement for Tamari and Soy Sauce. Not fermented or heated and Gluten-Free. More information about the product.

I have been using this since Dillon started having table food up till now, normally I will add in noddle soup, or mee goreng, dishes like steam egg, tofu & vegetables. In fact, it’s good for adults too but it’s just that the price is higher than the ordinary soy sauce we used.

You can get this in Bio-green Organic shop (I believe other organic shops should have too), a 200ml bottle cost about RM18 – 19 and can last for 2-3 months.

• 10 Comments

I love to eat fried food but I do not like the oily part (who does?) and I’d prefer to make my own batter than using those instant seasoned flour. This is how I make my own batter:

Ingredients:
Wheat flour, whole egg, iced cold water, salt

Method:
1. Sieve the flour into a big bowl.
2. Break an egg into the center of the flour, and start mixing it evenly with chopsticks in on direction, this will ensure the flour doesn’t lump together.
3. Add in adequate amount of iced cold water gradually into the mixture, and continue to stir it, until a smooth paste is formed.
4. Add in pinch of salt to taste.

The secret here is, add in iced cold water to make the batter, and the batter has to be used immediately. Also, when you deep-fry food, make sure the oil is very hot (this seals in the moisture and flavor), coat the food with batter and after putting it in the wok, reduce to medium heat so that the food is cooked properly without the outer latyer being over-cooked. When deep-fry until golden brown, switch back to high heat (this prevents food from absorbing excessive oil), remove fried food with a strainer, drain off the excessive oil before serving.

I used the batter to make fried chicken pieces and also fried oyster mushroom, it’s so crunchy, tasty and most importantly, less oily too.

• 8 Comments

Ingredients:
Turnips (sengkuang), Dried cuttelfish (Ju Hu), Black mushroom, Chicken meat, Garlic

Method:
1. Shred the turnips.
2. Cut black mushroom (pre-soaked) & chicken meat into long, thin stripes.
3. Heat the wok with oil, add in some chopped garlic and fry till fragrant.
4. Throw in chicken meat, mushroom & ju hu and stir for 5 minutes, add in some water and toss for another 5 minutes.
5. Add in dark soy sauce (optional) for the desired colour, and light soy sauce to taste. Cover wok until the gravy has thickens.
6. Add in a bit of sesame oil before serving, it’ll smells good.
Best served with iceberg lettuce or crunchy butterheads, or you can just eat it as it is.
P/S: It’d be great to add in some shredded carrots and the dish will have a nice combination of colours and will taste better too.

• 7 Comments

It’s not a special dish but I’d like to share about the Chicken Curry paste by Tean’s Gourmet. I have tried their Curry Laksa paste before and it’s so tasty, and this Curry Chicken paste did not disappoints me as well

The method of preparing is as easy as ABC, I just put in chicken pieces, potato cubes, long beans & “tau pok” and stir fry for a while, then I add in the paste, once it’s well mixed I pour in water, cover the wok and let it cook for about 15 minutes. (add in curry leaves to enhance the fragrant)

After that, add in a dash of coconut milk (santan), or if you dislike its creamy taste, you can also substitute with evaporated milk. Then it’s ready to serve.

• 5 Comments

After my sister got a new oven, I just can’t wait to attempt to bake my 1st cupcakes. Here are the “results”:

It doesn’t look very nice but overall the taste was quite good.

My icing decoration didn’t turn out too well as it was too “watery”, perhaps next time I should keep it refrigerated first before I pipe it on the cupcakes. Another thing is that we do not have an electric mixer, we have to mix the ingredients manually with our hands. Not only it was tiring but we found that it was not evenly mixed and has somehow affects the appearance of the cupcakes.

Looking at how happily Dillon, my niece and nephews were eating the cupcakes, I’m sure going to have my 2nd attempt to bake again.

• 4 Comments

Ingredients:
Black mushroom, oyster mushroom, minced chicken, crabstick.
Sauce:
Tomatoes, ketchup, butter, garlic, shallots & dried chili flakes

Method:
1. Melt butter in the pan, add in chopped garlic & shallots, fry until fragrant.
2. Add minced chicken, followed by the mushrooms.
3. Stir fry for a minute, add in crabstick, chopped tomatoes & ketchup, with half cup of water.
4. Cook until the gravy thickens, add in dried chili flakes according to the level of spiciness preferred.
5. Serve with pastas or even rice.

• 2 Comments

Ingredients:
Minced chicken, mushroom, carrots, cauliflower, choy sum, egg, garlic & shallots.

Method:
1. Fry garlic & shallots until fragrant.
2. Add in minced chicken & stir fry for a while.
3. Add in mushroom, carrots, cauliflower, choy sum, and half cup of water.
4. Cover the pan and let all ingredients cooked.
5. Beat an egg (or two) and stir in to thicken the gravy, add salt & pepper to taste.
6. Serve with rice or noodles, yee mee or kuay teow.
This is one of my favourite dish because it is delicious and healthy (with more vegetables than meat), plus it is easiest to make. When I do not have much time to prepare for dinner or just simply lazy to cook many dishes (which is often the case, hehe), I will prepare this for dinner.

• 2 Comments

This is a type of dessert which my Myanmar maid has made over last weekend, I don’t know what is the actual name called, but it taste good.

Ingredients:
Sweet Corn, Glutinous Rice

Method:
1. Scrap off the corn from the cob, but remember to keep the corn leaves
2. Steam the corn and blend it.
3. Soak the glutinous rice well, and then add in together with the blended corn
4. Take a scoop of the corn mixture and wrap with the corn leaves.
5. Steam it for like half hour, then it’s ready to serve.
There is no need to add in any sugar, and you can taste the natural sweetness of the corn that has blend in well with the glutinous rice, with the fragrant of the corn leaves.

• 4 Comments