Stew chicken in lemon grass, tomatoes and plums

I have recently discovered that there are many recipes that we can try out using natural ingredients, i.e. fruits and vegetables.

This really saves time for having to prepare two sets of lunches/dinners (for the baby and adult) – as baby can have the table food without added salt and sugar; and also cost – we can soon do away we having to buy salt, oyster sauce and stuff.

Here is one of the stew chicken I made for little 17chipmunks and our lunch/dinner.

Ingredients used for marinating the chicken (overnight):

1. One stalk of lemon grass
2. 3 tomatoes
3. 2 plums

Steps to cooking:

1. Saute onion in olive oil until fragrant.
2. Add in the marinated chicken.
3. Add in some vegetable/ chicken stock.
4. Stew it for 20-30 minutes.
5. Cool down and ready to serve.

Mixed grains fried rice

I have officially started “rice” with little 17chipmunks this week (13.75mo), since she sort of outgrown eating porridge – and thus, i have been giving her pasta and pizza. Well, amazingly, she loves rice – and no gagging from her. This is the first time cooking fried rice (1) with mixed grains and (2) no seasoning added.

Mixed grain – soaked at least 6 hours, and boiled in normal rice boiler, used: tri-quinoa, millet, buckwheat, lentils and brown rice

Meat – mixed of pork and chicken, marinated in lemon juice and yogurt; stir fried with onion, set aside

Egg – omelet, minced into small pieces

Other ingredients used:

1. Long beans – cut finely

2. Shiitake mushroom – cut finely

3. Onions – minced

4. Garlic – minced

5. Pepper

6. Olive oil

7. Cheddar cheese (which replaces salt)

Steps:

1. Stir fry onion and garlic in the pre-heated olive oil.

2. Add in the long beans. Stir fry.

3. Add in the mushroom. Stir fry.

4. Add in the cheddar cheese. Stir until it melts.

5. Add in the mixed grains and pepper. Stir it around.

6. Add in the stir fried meat and omelet. Stir it.

7. Cool down and ready to serve.

 

Normal Mamy Poko vs Mamy Poko Easy Fit Pants

AS little 17chipmunks grows, it has been increasingly difficult to get her to wear the diaper. She just doesn’t like to be lying down on the changing table. There are tricks that we did to make her stay still. Another alternative is getting the Mamy Poko Easy Fit Pants. It is easy to just put in this diaper – as it is like a pant. But the “horror” will happen if she poos – as it will lead to leakage when removing the diaper.

 

Anyway, just want to do some price comparisons here (using M sizes – as little 17chipmunks is a small size toddler).

Usual price for the normal Mamy Poko is 66 pieces for RM53.99 – meaning RM0.82

Usual price for the Mamy Poko Easy Fit Pants is 44 pieces for RM27.99 – meaning RM0.63

 

Well, at this rate, I would use Mamy Poko Easy Fit Pants right after I potty train her in the morning – that is during her breakfast and her morning bath – just to save a little cost. Alternatively, I would put her in cloth diaper.

Pasta in creamy mushroom, apple & oat sauce with grilled chicken

I find that little 17chipmunks no longer like porridge that much. So, I have been cooking pasta more often lately. Besides the soup that I served the pasta with, I started to make my own pasta sauce – well, modified with the guidance of the “Your child’s Brain food meal plan Vol 1” by Nutritionist Jennifer Lee.

Creamy mushroom, apple and oat sauce –

Ingredients used:

1. Shiitake mushrooms

2. One apple

3. Minced onion

4. Rolled oats (2 tablespoon)

5. Olive oil

6. One bowl of vege/meat stock

Steps:

1. Stir fry the minced onions in heated pan of olive oil.

2. Add in the shiitake mushrooms and apples. Stir fry.

3. Add in the bowl of stock. Let it come to a boil – for about 5 minutes.

4. Add in two tablespoons of rolled oats. Let it come to a boil – for about 3 minutes.

5. Let the brewed ingredients cool down.

6. Blend the brewed ingredients.

7. Boil it again about 1 minute. Ready to serve.

little 17chipmunks loves the sauce very much; the remainder was stored in fridge to steam with oats for next day’s lunch.

Grilled chicken – marinated with grapes, lemon and yogurt (pan fried for 5 minutes, baked in oven of 200 degree celcius for 20 minutes)

 

 

Why stay-at-home-mum is a good decision?

This wasn’t written by me, but copied from a comment from Stay-at-home-moms Malaysia facebook page, by a member: Jenny Loh Wai Khum

No need to rush for work, save a chunk of your money on petrol, tol, parking, clothes, shoes, make up, hair, mani and pedi, babysitter, and no one to breathe down your neck for datelines, no office politics, no worries on being fired, and also being caught in the jam for hours.

No need to rush home to cook dinner, catching up on household chores till midnight, lack of sleep from sick kids, insomia or not feeling well.

You get to eat healthy food from your homecooked meals, bonding time with kids, guide them in their homework, plan for trips without having to apply for leaves, attend to kids when they are not well without having to apply for emergency leaves,

No doubt you will feel stress juggling so many roles but being the CEO of your own house, you can have the final say on how the day should be.
I love being a homemaker cause I want to live a simple yet a happy life away from all the stress relating to my working career. I want to be there for my kids during their growing up years which I think a role I am not willing to delegate to my maid or their grandparents. Kids that I brought to this world is my responsibility to guide, nurture and love with all my heart.

– – – – – –

It reads my mind so much.

Healthy snack for my 13.75 mo: Toasted sweet potatoes

I always feel guilty when I can snack whatever I want while little 17chipmunks has limited snacks. I don’t want her to be addicted to on-the-shelves snack, though designed for babies/toddlers – one thing is because of the cost. Well, therefore, I made her toasted sweet potatoes. Simply easy to do. I just need to strip/shred the sweet potatoes. On the baking tray lined with aluminium foil, place the stripped or shredded sweet potatoes – just put one tablespoon of olive oil. In a preheated oven of 180 degree celcius, toast it for 20 minutes or so, until it crisp or however you want it to be. Great and healthy snack prepared! It probably cost less than RM2, depending on the types of sweet potatoes used, and it is fresh!

It has been a month

Photo credit: blog.heaps.co.nz

It has been a month since I left my ex-company. I can’t be called unemployed as I am not actively looking for another job. I am now a full time stay-at-home-mum. Yes, that’s what I prefer to be called, instead of housewife.

So, how’s life been? Well, the first 3 weeks were honeymoon – as I had a week break myself, and then followed by two weeks break with hubby – of course, little 17chipmunks were with us then. Thereafter, I am totally independent handling her – now, for two weeks. So far, it has been good – but I would definitely say that this “job” requires a lot of EQ test. I need to remind myself to be “gentle” to little 17chipmunks; I need to remind myself that I am not going to use physical punishment as much as possible (since I am still traumatized with how physical punishment was meted on me during my younger days); I need to remind myself that it is not necessary to check on the do-list – I don’t have deadlines! The rush that I face now is – rush to do the dish, laundry or etc – before the toddler cries out for me. I rush to pee or poo – while she stares at me in or outside the toilet. My only me time now is after she finally calls it a day and if I am done with house chores.

 

But I do have enjoyable time with her. What I loved most is bringing her to the pool, playground and also some short grocery shopping visits. We enjoyed showering together. The most enjoyable part is when I was playing the tab and she was feeding me her snacks that I prepared for her. It was such a lovable scenario.

Financially, I have really slowed down on spending. I would think twice when I pick up each item – do we really need it? We have also been eating in more frequently – especially breakfast. Nevertheless, we got the second carseat again from Fabulous Mom for my car (well, the same level of service given for the first buy – just that there is no longer the RM10 discount this round) – using the collected angpau monies. Firstly, I am more comfortable driving my car. Secondly, the car seat can only be placed beside me in the car – which makes me more comfortable handling her cries. And, thirdly, in case of any emergency, I can always bring her to the doctor – without having to swap cars with hubby.

Sometimes I do ponder if my decision to be a stay–at-home-mum is correct – I am more fearful on the financial wise. I have thought of venturing into small little business – such as nanny service, driving kids to school and so forth. But we think – it is best to set aside such thoughts for the time being while I continue to settle down with my little 17chipmunks. At this point of time, she needs me the most.

Similar to one of the most common comments when I decided to breastfeed, the most common comments when I decided to be a stay-at-home-mum: Later she will cling on you & she will not want anyone else to take care of her. So what if she clings on me, isn’t she my baby who needs mummy the most now?

Steamed egg with minced pork

little 17chipmunks has a small tummy, and each feed (just like her breastmilk intake) she feeds in little. Therefore, my duty is to prepare five little meals for her – whether she takes all, a little or none – will be another issue. In addition, I realised that babies/ toddlers do not like to go on fixed schedules (well, we are too used to timetables in school and work 9am to 5pm – that we want “fixed schedules). Just like yesterday, she has a totally different schedule compared to the one she had a week ago – so, I told myself, to go with the flow. Yes, there will be time of frustration, hunger and tiredness -but I guess that is part and parcel of being a stay-at-home-mum.

So, little 17chipmunks had late lunch yesterday as she did not want to take her morning nap until about 12pm. So, she woke up around 3 something, and I had prepared for her steamed egg with minced pork – just like the ones our mothers/ grandmas made for us. Simple recipe:

Ingredients 1:

1. Minced pork

2. Diced carrot

3. Minced onions

Stir fry these three items with olive oil and set aside for it to cool down.

Ingredients 2:

1. A bowl of soup/water

2. 2 eggs

3. Pepper

Combine all the ingredients together.

Steps:

1. Place the stir fry items on a flat silver plate.

2. Then pour the combined ingredients onto the stir fry items.

3. In a boiling water, steam for 15 minutes.

4. Cool down and serve.

A cool treat for little 17chipmunks: Banana & blueberries ice cream

Well, I wish to offer her something cooling as the weather is really hot! I made her banana & blueberries ice cream. Ingredients used:

1. 3 bananas

2. One box of blueberries

3. 1 pack of unsalted/unsweetened coconut milk

Blend everything together and then store in the freezer for 1 hour. You can start offering by then or start separating into smaller portions. The recipe supposed to come with half an avocado – which I couldn’t get from the market.

Homemade Thin Crust Pizza

Since my little 17chipmunks has not much appetite these few days (it happens almost every time she catches flu), I wanted to try pizza. I have googled around and stumbled to this: http://www.thekitchn.com/weekend-cooking-homemade-thinc-45499 . I only used the same recipe for the pizza crust.

For the dough:

3/4 cups of water

1 teaspoon instant yeast

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt (I have reduced the amount of salt) – I read somewhere that salt is necessary for the dough – not for the taste, but the fermenting process

Steps:

1. Combine the water and yeast

2. Sieved the flour into the water and yeast

3. Add in the salt.

4. Knead it as much as possible

5. Leave it aside in a bowl covered with a wet cloth for at least 1 hour.

Oven: 250 degree celcius (the max in my oven), fan on. For 20 minutes (or until you find the crust looks good)

For the toppings: I used the remainder pasta sauce made the day before.

Well, little 17chipmunks enjoyed it so much!

My little girl was initially crying (as usual) after her evening nap – saw me taking a bite of the pizza – she wanted to try. Thereafter, she stopped crying & wanted more of the pizza!