I think my blog might just evolve into a food blog one day........ but only if I ever lay my hands on one of those DSLR cameras..... yeah!

Gil gave me a packet of strawberry coffee to try. Even tho' I am not a coffee lover, I do enjoy the aroma of coffee. Anyway this special blend is lovely, tasted like strawberry ice-cream with lots of coffee in it.... hmm.....nice.



Have been cooking quite a bit this week. Baked this Roasted Teriyaki Drumsticks and Snowpeas with Crabsticks for dinner on Wednesday. The chicken was alright, think will have to add some honey the next time. I love the snowpeas! Sweet and crunchy..... will be even better if they were fried with prawns and mushrooms.... too bad I didn't have them in my fridge that day.


Today, I decided to try preparing "Lao Kuai" cos I missed my grandma's "Lao Bak". I used chicken instead cos we had a big bag of frozen drumsticks in the fridge. The result was great tho' not perfect. I felt that the bean curd was not "flavourful enough". But Tom seemed to like it a lot cos he kept saying "Hmm....this so nice, I like the gravy.... very good!" I did not cook it the traditional way by using herbs and all. I wanted something less complicated..... hee... I am lazy la! So this is my secret recipe.... (I am typing the recipe out so that I can remember how to prepare this dish)

LAO KUAI FOR 2
Main ingredients:
- 3 drumsticks
- Mushrooms
- Firm Bean Curd
- 2 hard boiled eggs

Gravy:
- Garlic, I used Lee Kum Kee Minced Garlic
- 2 big bowls of water
- Teriyaki sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Dark soya sauce
- Mushroom stock (optional)
(No measurement given, just taste and add to yr liking)

Procedure:
- Marinate the chicken with teriyaki sauce for at least an hour. Do not discard the sauce after marinating.
- Soak mushrooms till soft and cut up the bean curd.
- Add oil and saute the garlic till fragrant. Add in the drumsticks and stir fry them for a little while. Add in the mushrooms and continue stir-frying.
- Pour in the teriyaki sauce that was used for marinating and some oyster sauce and stir fry it again.
- Add in the water, bean curd and hard boiled eggs. Let the water boil. Add in dark sauce and simmer for an hour.
- Taste the gravy to see if it's salty enough and add some mushroom stock for more flavour.
- Serve hot with rice or noodles.

Looking at the food above made me missed my mom and granny's cooking. So I am going to list down the top 10 dishes that I missed

Mom's dishes:
1) Mui Fan - I remembered how my mom used to cook this whenever she wanted something less troublesome to prepare. Tho' it was simple, I luv it..... my comfort food. Come to think of it, the ingredients she put in were not exactly that "simple"..... there were pork/chicken, tiger prawns and kailan! Drooling now.....

2) Zup Chye (Stewed vege with fermented bean curd) - One of favourite CNY vege dish. Even Tom the hokkien guy liked this Cantonese style vege stew very much. My dad, a Cantonese was the one who taught my mom, a Teochew how to prepare this dish. My mom has been cooking this every CNY. I want to get the recipe from her so that I can try preparing this.

3) Soya Chicken - IMO, the best soya chicken in the world. Soft and tender with the right amount of sauce...... truly unbeatable! I must learn how to cook this cos my hb luv it!

4) Lup Mei Fan (Chinese sausage rice) - My dad's fave! I can easily chomped down 2 bowls of this sweet and salty rice. I luv the chicken, the liver sausages, the mushrooms, the fragrant rice, the oyster sauce....... etc...... just right for me.

5) Banana cake - Simple and heavenly. My mom knows that I like my cake soft and smooth. She blended the bananas and added her secret ingredient and viola...... a delicious banana cake!

Grandma's dishes:

1) Stewed small intestines with mei cai - I missed this a lot..... now that she is old and ill, she doesn't cook anymore. My grandma is a fantastic Teochew cook. I wish I could turn back time and learn from her. Back to the intestines.... I craved for them when I was pregnant with Joash. I luv the mei cai most - soft and not too salty.... just right!

2) Steam Pomfret - This is one of my grandma's signature dish. It is light and very appetising. I think to the Teochew, pomfret is a delicacy. I can just have this dish with rice and be very satisfied and happy.

3) Lao Bak - Ever since she stopped cooking, I can never find another comparable Lao Bak in Singapore. Yes, all pale in comparison with hers. The meat were lean enough for me and the bean curd were flavourful...... she taught us to dip he pork and bean curd in garlic chilli for more kick! Ah ma's Lao Bak is the best!

4) Stewed duck - Almost all Teochew housewife knows how to prepare this duck dish. I think my grandma could easily stew one without any difficulty. The meat were tender and flavourful. I remembered seeing her painstakingly basting the duck every 15 minutes. I understand why they say women in the past are more hardworking. My granny is one of them!

5) Fried Tang Hoon - Another one of my comfort food, very simple with eggs and shrimps. Whenever she fried this dish, she will always remind me to save some for the rest of the family members cos she knows I would just eat and eat till the plate was empty...haha... I am greedy ya! I tried several times to prepare this Tang Hoon dish but it just didn't taste like hers. Must try until I get it right.

That's my top 10 mom and Ah Ma's food that I missed most. Do you have mom or grandma's dishes that you missed?

Enough of food..... here are 2 things that I thot was meaningful from the show Kung-fu Panda....

* Our past is history, our future is a mystery but TODAY is a gift...that's why it is called "present"! Let's not take this gift lightly but learn to treasure this present that God has given us..... This is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice in it!

* What is "special"? Special can just be a blank piece of paper or even yourself, it is how you view "special"..... profound huh!

These are my K2 kids performing some skit from the story I read to them. I just luv their smiles.

I will be attending 2 weddings this month...... and I was reminded of a very happy and cute song by David and Jolin..... Congrats Ben & Linda, Jeni and Hb (I forgotten his name!)..... This song is dedicated to you guys.

今天你要嫁给我 Marry Me Today-蔡依琳 陶喆

I had always known that I will be a mother one day. I had no idea what taking care of a baby entailed, except that when he cries, you comfort him; when he poops, you clean him; and when he's hungry, you feed him! Then as the child grows, you take care of him differently - send him to school and try to nurture him into a fine young human by giving him lots of love and attention. Throw in a dash of parenting principles like encouragements, discipline... and you're set.

I WAS DEAD WRONG! Right until Joash was born, I didn't know how to hold a baby properly. I had scary visions of letting his head flop about on his puny neck and accidentally dropping him while bathing him.

After 2 years of being a mother, I have come to realise that these should have been the least of my worries cos they could be easily picked up from parenting books and practice. True enough, I mastered them within a week of Joash's birth.

What parenting books don't teach you, however, is how absolutely hilarious and crazy your days will become as your baby grows into a toddler. Babyhood days are easy - you comfort, clean, feed and play with the baby, sleep a lot less, suffer from sore nipples and a little postpartum blues, have a little time left for yourself, and that's it.

Toddlerhood..... now, that's a tough one. Nobody told me Joash was going to grow into a little puppy who would scamper around my legs and trip me up as I went about doing my chores, hang onto the edge of the table by his little chin to grab whatever he can reach, or try to pour water from a big jug himself. Without his daily walk, he would go berserk. When I'm busy in the kitchen, I have to keep him away from the hot stove with my legs, just like you would a curious little puppy.

Nobody told me I would almost never be able to do anything in peace anymore. When I read a book or magazine, 2 little grubby hands would float into my field of vision as Joash starts identifying pictures and characters. Guess what happens when I am watching the TV???

Nobody told me it would be years before I could have a leisurely meal again. When we eat out, I had to eat fast and fixed my eyes on him so that I could stop him from throwing his food about or sticking a fork down his throat!

Nobody told me that I would be an expert in stealth, doing everything in silence while Joash sleeps. I know how much pressure I need to use to close his door so that he wouldn't be awaken- and how not to inhale beforehand so that my sneeze comes out as a mere whisper...haha!

Nobody told me that I would almost always have a spectator in the bathroom, waiting patiently while I do my business and have my shower. Joash has taken upon himself to tell me what are the steps to take after his bath ("lotion, I want cream, Joash comb hair, ok, much better!"), order me to sit beside him while he eats and remind me to feed him his vitamins after his meals.

Nobody told me my previously quiet conversations with my husband would be interrupted with urgent calls of "MAMA, MAMA!!!" from Joash - just to pretend to eat a fake muffin from his little hand!

Lastly, nobody told me I would love this boy so much that I would go thru' this crazy cycle again if I have to.




Ok. now for some updates. I saw these cute little pastries at Bread Talk at Bugis while waiting for Jo's turn to see the doc. Yes, Joash caught a throat infection and high fever on Friday and I am grouchy from lack of sleep! I hope he will recover soon. Anyway, don't you find these ping pong bats adorable!



Cooked Unagi rice and cabbage soup with crab sticks salad for dinner on Wednesday. I am beginning to enjoy preparing home-cooked meals again..... after more than 2 years...... finally, I am fulfilling one of my goals for the year. Hb & I enjoyed the food very much. simple and nice.

Went to IMM for dinner on Thursday. I was so happy to see my fave Pai Ku Ramen on Ajisen's menu cos I thot they have changed their menu..... but my happiness was short-lived cos they were using the old menu....grrrrr...should let the customers know first what! So I told the waitress that I am not eating and walked out of the restaurant. Then we decided to have our dinner at Crystal Jade cos I liked their Xiao Long Bao but the same thing happens, they had ran out of XLB....sigh, I stood up and left. Finally, I decided to go for a safer choice, Fish & Co for my fave calamaris...... I told myself myself that I would really kick up a fuss if they would tell me that they had ran out of calamaris. But as you can tell from the pics, all went well and we had a yummy dinner.

To fulfill my craving for XLB, we had them for lunch at Crystal Jade on Saturday..... so satisfying! There were only 3 XLB here cos I was too happy slurping the juices out of these yummy little things and forgotten to take pics. I want some now!!!


Alright, that's all folks, I have to go and check on Joash and feed him his medicine. Good night!

Wednesday 11/6/08 - Had dinner at Toa Payoh. We found a nice and cheap place for yummy food. They used to sell pearl tea only but have expanded into a small eatery. I had a scissors cut chicken chop & curry rice set which cost only $5.90. Tom had the pork chop curry rice set which is a dollar cheaper than mine! All set meal comes with either red tea with pearls or grass jelly. We finished every morsel of our food. Think will come back here to try other food on their menu.


I brought Jo for his first ride on the bus & MRT. He was thrilled to see a real train! We went Bugis for some shopping with my SIL and her kids. See Jo's blog for pics!

Saturday 14/6/08 - Went for dinner with the usual pack in Toa Payoh. We were back at the small eatery. Daryl brought his friend Dawn to join us.... *wink*. Joash was smitten with her....haha..... but think he thot she was Emmie. We had to keep telling him to stop calling her "Emmie" but "Dawn". But this smart boy called her "Dawn Emmie"..... *faint*...... anyway, she is a nice and friendly girl. Like the fact that she finished her food first cos it showed that she was comfortable with us. She said the food was good! Jerome found the pork chop too salty...... and Nicky couldn't finished his food becos he felt that the chicken chop were too bland for his liking..... I tried them both and I thot they tasted perfectly fine! Honestly, you can't really trust these 2 guys' tastebuds, one is weird and the other practically grew up on on Indian curry. Pls trust us normal humans! We popped over to Mac for ice-cream after some shopping in TP. Btw, the green tea ice-cream is yummy!


Sunday 15/6/08 - Father's Day Special. Got Jo to pose for a pic with the sign "HAPPY FATHER'S DAY" so that I can put them up on his blog as his gift to his papa. I also cooked a pot of Chicken & Scallops porridge for my dear hb. Mich, Kei & Ken came over too! My dear boy liked the porridge..... it's been a long time since he sinked his little teeth into porridge....really rare! Hb liked the porridge so do the rest.

In the evening, we had dinner with my dad & family at Soup Restaurant. Been there several times. We were served "chlorine" chrysanthemum tea...yes, think something was wrong with the tea so had them changed to normal chinese tea. The food was quite good, especially the vege dishes. I could just have rice with them! The ribs looked good but was nothing to shout about. IMO, their Samsui chicken is still the best meat dish they have on the menu. After dinner, we went over to Mac for ice-cream again!


Monday 16/6/08 - Cancelled dental's appointment cos my dentist and I were having some stuffy nose. I fried a simple bee hoon dish with lots of my fave stuff in it that day. Think will start preparing home-cooked meals now.


I am still addicted to Taiwan drama serials. Been staying up late to catch "Rolling Love" & "Honey & Clover" on Youtube. I especially like this song from "Rolling Love" by Genie Zhuo. She is very sweet looking, luv her smile. Jiro is quite cute too..... here's the MV.... enjoy!

永不消失的彩虹 MV by Genie Zhou

Hmm....where should I start? ok...let's begin with the new product from Mcdonald's: ONION RINGS. I have always love onion rings but I don't really like these from Mac. Too bland and dry for my liking. Preferred Bk and Carl Junior's version. Mac should just stick to frying french fries.


Gil bought some interesting chiffon cakes for us. They look really cute. Not to mention soft and fluffy too! I like the fact that they are not too sweet. Think Daph bought these cakes for us before...right Daph?

She also made some "Ba Zhangs" for us. They tasted like a mixed of Nyonya and Teochew dumplings. Yum yum......Thks Gil!

Tried this tempura snack from Tao Kae Noi. It was crispy and salty..... perfect for me...hee

Saw this sweet looking guitar for girls at Balmoral Plaza on Saturday and I couldn't resist taking a pic of it with my hp. My dream guitar la..... yellow, pink & purple...... pink strap........ butterflies & flowers too..... I want it!

These kawaii miniature toys were on display at Taka. Was there shopping with my niece and nephew on Saturday night. I have always dream of collecting them. Yup, dream only cos no space for display plus Jo might swallow them thinking that they are real food.

Was awaken by a loud, "Testing Mic, 123 testing......" at 8 am on Sunday morning. My dear son woke up early too. There was a children funfair organised by the RC at near my place, in fact, just downstairs! I decided to bring Jo to the funfair. I bought a goody bag and Polar swiss rolls for $3. There were also free candy floss. Lots of balloons too. We even applied for the OCBC baby bonus account. Save us the trouble of going to the bank! See pics......

Had dinner with Daryl, Jerome & Gil at Tong Shui Cafe. Missed the 2 guys cos have not seen them for some time. It was great catching up with them. I have come to a conclusion about the food at TSC (sorry for being so random!)..... they are definitely below average except for their Peanut butter and condensed milk toast (the best!)! Their signature baked rice tasted bland and boring. Daryl's Fish & Chips were nothing to rave about. I will still be back but only for their toast.

Went to the dental clinic with Gil on Monday. Have not seen the dentist ever since Jo was born. They have upgraded their clinic.... mac powerbook..... sunshades, x-ray room..... wow, he must be doing well! Other than 4 holes that needed to be filled, the dentist suggested that I get braces cos I have a a bad bite. Been thinking of getting them but was afraid of the pain plus no $$$$! Gil hasn't seen a dentist for almost a decade so the condition of her teeth was pretty bad (see her blog). Here's pics of the dental office and a "cool" looking (she was far from cool!) Gil on the chair. Jo also had his first experience on the dental chair (see his blog). Dr Jon Paul was as usual, funny and charming!

Von, Kei & Leslie came over to my place for dinner last night. Von was the main Pasta chef. She used Leggo's cream sauce and the pasta turned out slightly sourish but still yummy! The fresh baby shitake mushrooms were yucky. I hated the musky taste so I tried masking the taste with lots of garlic, pepper and Hua Tiao Jiu! Kei & Leslie liked them but I still could taste the musky part. I love mushrooms but definitely not these! Thks Von for cooking and buying the groceries. I would really like to try your Ginger Chicken dish...keke!

I hope you're not drooling from all the pics of food...hahaha!

Fiona tagged me on her blog to answer these qns...... Btw Fiona, there are only 19 questions cos no. 11 is missing from yr list! Anyway, here goes.....

1. If your lover/hb betrayed you, what will yr reaction be?
Angry & upset..... then throw all his stuff out of the house and tell him to burn in hell! I am that heartless....... won't kill him cos don't want to go to jail becos of such a person! Oh, I will change my child's surname to mine too!

2. If you can have a dream to come true, what will it be?
Well, it's a tough choice between having good health and unlimited supply of money! Think I will choose good health but..... but...... can I have 2 dreams to come true????

3. What will your dream wedding be like?
Guess this qns not so valid but anyway, I would love to have my wedding held in the Precious Moments church..... yes there is one! Go google it. If that is not possible, then maybe in a pink private plane with my close friends and family members. Will fly off for honeymoon straight after ceremony!

4. Are you confused as to what lies ahead of you?
Who isn't??? You never knows what tomorrow holds!

5. What's yr ideal lover like?
Hmm....... I would love to have an intelligent, understanding, loving, talented, taller than me....the list goes on.........

6. Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone else?
Being loved by someone else......... but must be normal, not the psycho or aggressive type.

7. If the person you like does not accept you, would you continue to wait for them to change their feelings?
Of course not! There are plenty of trees around, why waste time waiting!

8. If the person you secretly like is alr attached, what will you do?
Nothing, I don't like to be a third party.

9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy recently?
Nothing too serious to make me unhappy.

10. What do you want most in life?
Good health and wealth plus a happy family! I am greedy you know.....keke....

11. If you find out that your best friend is going out with yr lover, how will you react?
Let them be together if my lover likes my bf too cos I don't believe in fighting over a man. But their contacts will forever be erased from my hp and brain! No point having such people in my life.

12. Who is currently the most important person to you?
Spiritually, God. Humanly, Hb.

13. What kind of person do you think I am?
Drop dead gorgeous...haha.......... no la...... more like simple and funny!

14. Would you rather be single and rich or married and poor?
Single and rich of course! Don't like the feeling of being poor plus having to pay overdue bills ...what if high risk pregnancy like me.... how...... no $$ cannot survive la!

15. If the person you secretly like cannot recognize you, how will you react?
It's ok since I am just his secret admirer.

16. Would you give your all in a relationship?
Depends on whether you're referring to marriage relationship or just BGR..... If just BGR, I would probably hold back a little..... you know the kite theory??? If marriage, then most likely I will give it all!

17. If you fall in love with two persons at the same time, who will you pick?
The one who care and love me more. If both love and care for me in the same measure, then I will choose the richer one...haha!

18. What type of friends do you like?
Trustworthy and relaxed.

19. If you play prank on someone and he/she fell for your trap, what would you do?
I have done it so many times! Laugh my head off and blog about it..... check out my past entries...muahahahaha..... I am Punk Dowager..... hmmm....... my birthday's coming in 2 months..... want to punk me again?

(added this last qns myself) 20. Name 5 persons you think should ans these questions?
Gillian, Michelle, Tommy, Kian Kei and Yvonne.

What's 幸福? I think I am pretty 幸福 to have a loving husband and a darling son. But what is really 幸福?? I found my answer in this video below from "Rolling Love".



Do you agree with the video??
幸福 is giving the person that matters most to you 幸福. I hope I have brought some happiness to my dear hb for the past 8 years. I shall try preparing a 幸福 bento for him one of these days.

Here's the 1st celebration pics on 2/6/08:

It was a simple dinner at Sakura (Toa Payoh), the same place where we celebrated our ROM Anniversary in January. I wasn't in the mood for food (very rarely!) so instead of wasting $$ at Kinshin-bo, we decided to go for Sakura.

Toa Payoh is also the place where we used to "pa tuo". Lots of memories there....... can't believe we know each other for 11 years already!

Tom got me a hand phone as a pressie..... I luv it tho' it cost $0...haha....cos we extended the contract. This is so far my favourite phone, small & sleek! But Tom is not a cheapo, he will be adding on to the list of gifts that he knows I want....keke....right dear?? I will be getting a new specs plus a major shopping spree with Mich soon.....I am so 幸福 ya!

Here's our 2nd celebration on 3/6/08 (actual day):

We had dinner at Ajisen..... wanted to try the food at Ma Maison but it was too crowded plus I didn't have much of an appetite to appreciate good food...... no I am not pregnant. Just that my taste buds are under maintenance! Was quite disappointed to find that they had changed their menu..... no more Paiku Ramen! so we tried their soft bone pork instead. Not too bad but think I will not be going there for some time.......

After dinner, we went shopping at Bugis Street. This place has changed so much since the last time I was there...abt 5 years ago! I wanted to shop sooooooooo badly but having Jo around makes it tough to concentrate if you know what I mean. So we just walked around and Tom bought me a cute pink watch for $5! No, that's not an anniversary present.....just something that he thot I would like.

That's how we celebrated our 8th Anniversary (Bronze Anniversary).... simple and sweet...... 幸福就是簡單,簡單就是幸福.

幸福氧气-卓文萱


你说DOREMI 我ABC 你打着节奏
我哼着歌曲 很有默契 连毛孔都会着�� � oh oh
看你的表情 我很得意 靠在你耳边
偷偷深呼吸 说预备起 我们的宇宙降�� �

骨子里 那热情 流动着 那旋律 转个圈我们一�� �

我爱你 就是你 给我幸福的氧�� �
快乐不会过期 每天制造 活力的抗体
Come to me 就是你 招牌动作眨眼�� �
每天写下日记 反复练习 只属于 我和你
幸福氧气
倒数三二一 吸足那氧气 为我做一个
专属的表情 摇摆着身体 挥洒那汗滴 oh*

灿烂的天气 包围这里 严肃的阳光
也沉不住气 跟着旋律 往世界的顶端�� � oh oh
彩虹的阶梯 为我升起 天使的翅膀
挥洒着甜蜜 充满惊喜 随时有恋爱冲�� �

口袋里 的秘密 转个圈 都安静
抛到遥远太空�� �

Watched the repeat telecast of the Sichuan Earthquake Charity show today. It was heart wrenching to see so many lives lost in this earthquake, especially the kids. I couldn't stop crying when Xuan Yi Feng, the compere shared about a mom who protected her two months old baby with her body. This mom left a sms on her hp to her daughter before she died.......... here's the video from Youtube..........



As a mom who has lost a child, I can almost feel the pain that they are going thru' now. I know how it is to watch your child dying in front of you and yet, you can't do anything..............some don't even have a chance to say goodbye..... I remembered that when Barn passed away, we were not there to bid our last farewell. But I know I will see him in heaven one day and tell him that I love him and we were glad to have him as our son.

Back to the charity show, JJ wrote a song within 2 days for the victims of this earthquake and it really touches my heart.

愛與希望 (Love and Hope)曲﹕林俊傑 詞﹕王雅君

大地被搖晃著 天空突然黑了
我的心也被震碎了 下一秒瓦解了 淚堆積成了河

但明天是好的 我們要堅定著
愛~讓我們不放棄活著 還要繼續和大自然拔河

當愛與希望 投射炙熱的太陽 ***
昨日淚光 會隨時間都蒸發
別輕易放棄 明天要許更多願望
裝滿了勇氣就更有力量

當愛與希望 倒映暖暖的月亮
再回頭望 又是築好的家鄉
我知道未來還有好多路要闖
我打開了窗 看見了晴朗

This is a video of him in Sichuan singing at their charity show


Another video of of the Charity show in Singapore with him singing a duet with another guy.


"Lord, my heart pains for them, esp the moms and kids.......... I really wonder why did this happen? Lord we can only continue to trust that You knows best and You're the same today, tomorrow & forver. Give them strength to carry on, give them hope to hold on and give them love to live on."