Dish #3 - Steam Egg

Mummy: Okay okay. Laugh all u want. I know tis is a simple dish to prepare, other than frying an egg or cooking instant noodles. You may say: Wa liao, its as simple as ABC but let me remind you, tis my 1st time doing it, so stop LAUGHING LA.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

150ml water

light soy sauce

a pince of pepper & salt

Preparations:

Whisk the eggs gently.

Add in the water & mixed

If u want a smooth texture, sieve the egg mixture.

Heat water in the pot.

When water is boiling, set in the bowl of egg mixture.

Steam for abt 15 mins.

Looks kinda weird...

** You may like to add in stuff like minced meat, crabstick, mushrooms, etc.

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Why do i keep blogging on foodstuff? Where are the kids? Well, the truth is, there is nothing much happening for me to note. No exceptional outings, no funny happenings but rest assurred, they are both growing strong, well, healthy, happy & of cos, as mischevious as ever.

Dish #2 - Stir Fry Pork with Mushrooms

Mummy: The stir fry fish dish was a success yesterday. Everyone commented nt bad. My sil loves the gravy especially. So today its another dish - Stir Fry Pork with Assorted Mushrooms. My family loves mushrooms, so if u hv a family dat cannot live without mushrooms, stock it up. Haha!

Lean Meat - i used the loin meat, sliced

Chinese Shitake Mushrooms

Assorted mushrooms - from left : 金针姑, button mushrooms & straw mushrooms

carrots & ginger slices

Outcome - Cant see the pork? :P Shy la... hiding deep inside.

Ingredients

- Lean pork meat, sliced. ( pork type depending on ur preference)

- Shitake mushrooms ( depending on the no. of people eating, 2-6 pieces shd do)

- Straw mushrooms, button mushrooms, shimeji mushrooms, 金针姑 or watever edible mushrooms u like.

- 1 teaspoon garlic, chopped finely

- 2 slices of ginger, cut into stripes

- a few slices of carrots

- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce

- 1 teaspoon corn flour

- 1/2 tablespoon oil

Seasoning

- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce

- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce

- 1/2 tablespoon sugar

- 1 tablespoon corn starch - flour & water mixture.

Preparation

Submerge pork slices in salt water for abt 15 mins

Marinate with light soy sauce for 1/2 hr

Heat wok with oil.

Stir fry ginger slices till fragrant or golden brown on low fire. Add in pork pieces & stir fry for abt 1/2 min.

When pork is abt half cook, dish out & set aside

Fry garlic till fragrant

Add in carrots & all the mushrooms.

Stir fry abt 2 mins or so.

Return the pork back to the wok.

Add in the seasoning.

Continue frying till pork has cooked & sauce has thicken.

Serve hot

** If u prefer to hv more gravy, add in more water.

** Caution: Wok will hissed when u slide in the pork slices. Oil will splatter everywhere. Be very careful! You dun want to hurt urself. But hor, 难免得啦

Suggested ingredients: If u tink the outcome of my product seems to be a little dull, not colourful, u can also add baby corn & sweet peas. Just stir fry all the veggies first b4 adding in the mushrooms.

Dish #1 - Stir Fry Fish Slice

Mummy: After long thoughts abt it, i finally decided to learn some cooking. Usually my fil is the one who does the cooking for the whole family but i was tinking he is getting on in age. What if something unexpectedly happen? Whose gonna cook for the kids? I dunno if my mil & my sil knows hw to cook but as for me, its nt too late to start now rite?

Since last fri, i hv been preparing some dishes for lunch. Since i am eating alone, i only cook a little, for testing. I am also the guinea pig to sample my own cooking. If i tink the outcome passed, esp in 色香味, i might also cook for dinner & bring it down to the shop for the rest.

I followed some recipes & some i whipped up my own by combining a few recipes together. There is no rule saying u gt to die die follow exactly the same as what is stated on the recipe. I also cooked a few dishes based on memory of what my mum used to cook before i was married & staying at my own place.

Today, i tried stir fry fish slices. It may sound like a common item but for me who nvr do any cooking before, is a real test for me. Haha...

I went to the market, nt knowing what kind of fish to buy. I do not know any fish monger too. I anyhow "gasak" & approached one stall which seems to hv many customers. I asked the uncle:" Uncle, wat kind of fish to buy if u wanna prepare stir fry fish slices?" He introduced to me Batang. He says tis kind of fish is gd for stir fry or steam & also for fish porridge. I asked him hw much is he selling? He asked me hw much i wanna buy. Oh no! I wldnt know leh. I scratch my head, tinking. "Uncle, i 1st time buying leh. Help me pls" He asked me to buy those already wash & cleanse & packed in a tupperware. I can take out the amt i wan & put the rest back into the freezer. But he also gave me some adv. Dun take out, put in, take out, put in...the fish will spoil easily & faster. So i ask him hw much. Like i say, i'm 1st time buying so i dunno if tis is consider cheap or expensive. The tupperware weighs abt 600g & the uncle charged me abt $11. He says normally 1kg wld cost abt $16-$20 bucks.

Batang fish slices

Here goes...i bot the fish home & bot some mushrooms as well. I dunno the actual name but in chinese is 金针姑.

金针姑

Ingredients:
fish slices
small bunch of mushrooms
salt & pepper
cornflour
garlic
fried onions
cooking wine
light soy sauce
brown sugar
water
oil

Preparation:
- Soaked the fish slices in salt water for abt 1/2 hr ( to remove the smell of the fish - 鱼腥味), then soaked in clear water for another 15 mins. ** Taught by 姑姑 - Dust some salt & pepper, cooking wine & cornflour on the fish. Set aside.
- Heat up the pan with some oil. Throw in the mushrooms & stir fry for abt 2 mins or till golden brown on low fire.
- Using the same pan, add in the fish slices. Add more oil if pan is too hot. Carefully flipping the slices, stir fry till cooked. Set aside

Prepare the sauce in advance
1 tbsp light soy sauce
5 tbsp water
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cooking wine

- Wash the pan first. Bring the sauce to a boil. Do not put any oil. Set aside.
- Fry some garlic & small onions ( shallots) till golden brown & fragrant.
- Sprinkle ard the fish slices
- Pour in the sauce.
- If desired, serve with spring onions.

Wella...a common dish.....fit for..........a common family :P

晚上不睡觉，早上不起来

Mummy: Tis past few weeks, Lionel has been giving us his daily speech exactly the same as the one in the heading. Literally translation: "at night dun sleep, morning dun wake up".

U see, for his dad will only sleeps after watching the 11pm TV show & upon scanning thru his mails online. And not forgetting, surfing some of his favourite websites. For the Mummy, dat's me, will usually finished watching the 10pm channel U show, bath & falls asleep immediately.

So the above speech usually directs at his dad who sleeps late most fo the time. Cos each morning, Daddy will only sit up in bed after endless nagging from Lionel to wake up. ( with some kicks from Mummy as well)

Another favourite tag line from Lionel: "早起的鸟儿有虫吃，晚起的鸟儿被虫吃".
So i always ask Lionel: 就是说你吃虫咯！是不是？In return, i get a sheepish look from Lionel. Haha...

Military Reserve Parade

Today happens to be Daddy's MR Parade. MR = military reserve. NO fotos allowed during the ceremony so there will nt be any fotos uploaded here either.

Daddy's part of: 326 SCE - Alpha Coy. SCE = Singapore Combat Engineers. And Daddy's camp is at Nee Soon Camp.

Daddy's rank: Captain Seah. ( in case some of u readers' parents know Daddy :P)

Daddy has been serving his ICT for 10 years already. And today is their passing out parade. After today, all those involved in tis parade no longer need to be called up for reservists anymore. Daddy rcvs a cert in recognition of his contribution towards National Defence.

At the ending of the parade, everyone shouts:" Huat Ah!"

3 cheers to Daddy. :)

GUG lesson 7

Today, i attended yet another lesson at GUG. I was sleeping when we arrived in the class. Mummy let me sleep for a little while more & just as teacher Devi was singing the song " Toys away...." i woke up.

Feeling groggy, i sat very still on Mummy's lap while the teachers sang a few songs. But after awhile, i started my "exercise"

We learned the # 8 today & the letter G - Gordo the gorilla, gloves, grapes & goat. For confidence builder, we were supposed to do the tunnel crawl but we nvr did cos the tunnel was nt available so we started on our project instead.

We were all given cornstarch with water so dat we can feel the mixture. Looks like we were all attending baking class instead. Flour everywhere, on the tables, chairs, floors, on our faces, our clothes...such fun!

We also had music lessons today. But no bubbles session leh. Last week also dun hv. Did they stopped dat session?

And finally, we saw Amanda. I was so shy but at least i say bye bye to her. :P

Army Mueseum

Daddy bot us to the Army Museum tis afternoon. Daddy is having his ICT = In Camp Training = Reservists? And today is their trip to the Army Museum. Daddy took us along & Mummy is feeling rather awkard cos no other army personnel bot their family members along. "Its so weird to 'blend in' with uniformed officers ":P

But Daddy's officers ( higher ranking ones) loved to play with us. They even say Daddy's very lucky; a complete family at such a young age. Haha...

A grp of students listening to a presentation

Souvenirs from other army personnels, representing their country during visitation

The SAF pledge

Skills & Proficiency Badges

Artwork from students from diff schs.

The exercise playgrd...

Learning hw to climb the ropes

Log hurdle

Board Walk - its shaking

Balancing myself..

Rachel can do it too

Daddy, help...

Who says girls cant join the army...

2-men Fire Trench

Wire Obstacles

Shooting Positions

Wondering if my training will be the same in the future..

Canon...

Lionel, can u drive anot?

i'm more gung hor than kor kor

I can drive too

So fun!

Army March

Rachel at the exercise playgrd, assisted by Daddy

Balancing my skills..

Stuck halfway....:P

GUG lesson 6

After missing 2 consecutive lessons the last 2 weeks ( cny eve & 1 feb - still in perth), i attended today's lessons finally. :P

We had the # 10 with 10 fishes drawn on the board. We also learned the alphabet F - Francy Fish, flower, fan & feet. For confidence builder, we became little basketball players. We learned the difference between light & heavy; wat object will float when its in the water & what will sink.

Today there were 3 teachers: teacher Aida, teacher Zaina & teacher Tina. For story telling, we were told abt the Farm Animals. (repeated lor).

Mummy paid my fees for term 2 for the PT class. PT - Parents & Tots class. So my last lesson under PB - Parents & Babes will be 22 Feb thereafter, i will be joining the PT class. I am already passed the 18 mths mark.

For this lesson, Mummy told me she was quite surprised that i sat quite still thru out the lesson cos usually, i will be up & abt, running ard the classroom. "A nice change for once & i hope tis remains for every lesson. A good behaviour for her to learn so when she is ready for official sch next yr, she can blend in well"

Comes year 2010, i will be attending Pre Nursery just like wat Lionel did.
Mummy will enrol me sometime towards Sep or Oct tis yr. Time flies!

Southern Ridges

At the foot of Mount Faber, from Harbour Front Station

Starting of our journey... (from left: Liting, Lilan, Gu Gu & behind, Priscilla)

View from Faber Walk

Valentine's Dinner, anyone?

View of Henderson Waves from below

Indicative directions

Starting of Henderson Waves

Park Connectors

Henderson Waves

Onwards to Hilltop & Forest Walk

Hilltop Walk

Forest Walk

Alexandra Arch

Floral Walk

Inquisitive fellow

Entrance of Hort Park

Gu Gu with her "ferns"

Ending the day with Canopy Walk

Final destination - Kent Ridge

Lim Keow Gu Gu sms Mummy the night b4 & asked if she wanna go to the Southern Ridges. They hv been toking abt it but nvr put into action. So Mummy says ok.

Us kids did not go along cos Mummy says cannot handle us all the way. Mummy will faint, especially without Daddy to help out. Maybe wait till the next time; cut the walk shorter :P

Mummy: We started the walk at abt 11am & ended ard 3pm. Depending on the speed u walk & the stops u made along the way, some might take longer to finish. We begin from Harbour Front Station, the foot of Mount Faber, right up & all the way thru Telok Blangah & across Hort Park, arriving at Kent Ridge.

There are abt 8 major stops:

1) Henderson Waves (0.3km) - highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore; 36m above Hendeson Rd;connects Mount Faber Park to Telok Blangah Hill Park.

2) Marang Trail (0.8km) - an easy walk of steps & shaded footpaths thru secondary forest; extends from Marang Rd, behind Harbour Front Station to the cable car station on Mount Faber

3) Faber Walk (1.0km) - meanders thru Mount Faber Park & ends at Henderson Waves

4) Hilltop Walk (1.0km) - runs thru 34 hectare Telok Balngah Hill Park; connects one end with Henderson Wave & the other with the Forest Walk leading to Alexandra Arch

5) Forest Walk (1.3km) - elevated walkway; height ranging from 3-18m; brushes the canopy of trees & offers a bird's eye view

6) Alexandra Arch (0.08km) - connected to Hort Park via Floral Walk

7) Foral Walk & Hort Park (0.3km / 1.1km) - delighted stroll along the path lined with flowering plants; gateway to Hort Park; the 23 hectare Hort Park connects the Kent Ridge Park via the Canopy Walk.

8) Canopy Walk (0.3km) - links 47 heactare Kent Ridge Park via Bukit Changdu, known as Opium Hill; takes u thru secondary forest.

We exited from Normanton Park Condo back gate cos we were all quite blur, not knowing which path to take. Some path indicated Sciene Park & some others indicated Science Park I. Anyway, we found our way out. We took a bus down to Jurong East Interchange & had our late lunch. By the time we arrive back home, its already close to 6pm. What a day!