Parents & Tots Class - Lesson 1

Hiya, today is my 1st lesson for the PT class. PT = Parents & Tots ( 18mths - 3yrs). I am in room 2 iso room 5 which Mummy was told. Anyway, Mummy double check with the name list pinned on the board & its confirm dat i am in room 2 wor.

My teachers are teachers Lafa & teacher Naz, Naz something. We had only 5 students today, including myself. Perhaps its due to the heavy rain dat all the parents pontang class. Hehe...

The lessons conducted are somewhat the same as PB class except tis time round, we get to identify each zoo phonics alphabets & match them to the alphabets pasted across the wall. I gt the letter D & T. For D, i was wrong the 1st try. I matched the letter to Catina Cat - C instead. Then Mummy showed me the strokes for D & recite to me A B C D. The 2nd try, i gt it right. As for T, i straight away matched the corrrect card on the wall. Clapped hands!

Then also, we learn hw to match alphabets & the pronouciation for each word formed. This is something new for me. Mummy gt homework here to do already. Haha. Eg: Missy Mouse = M, Ally Alligator = A & Nigel Nightowl = N. Put them together - M A N & they're pronouce as MAN.

As for numberings, we learn the # 4. We also learned to identify numbers. Teacher Naz wld draw a number on the board & asked if tis is the number we are learning today. Headache ar.... So different from my PB class. Cry!

At least teacher Naz drew 4 diff insects on the board cos we our lead role is Inny Inchworm = I today. We learn words dat begins with the letter I - Igloo, Ill, Insects, Inside, In. So we have a dragonfly, a bee, a butterfly & an ant. For artwork, we learned how to make an igloo. An igloo is a hse for the eskimos who lived in the North Pole & its very very cold there. Teacher Naz explained dat the eskimos gt to weat thick fur coats to keep themselves warm. We were each given a cut out paper igloo. We were all given brush & glue to spread all over the paper. Then we took white paper cubes to stick ard the igloo. I m more interested in the glue though, making Mummy quite mad at me.

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