Saturday, August 25, 2012

Items for Sales - Furniture/Electric

StudyTable $40


DiningTable with 6 woodChairs $80





 $400 Panasonic 42inch Plasma TV

$50 TV Cabinet (with glass door) 




Items for Sale - Kitchen/ Electric

Dustbin $5


Novita Hummifer $150

Vaporisor $5  - no plug 

Abode Columm Heater $30





Dell Keyboard $5


Fan Heater $20 
Kambrook Dual Processor and Blender $40



Kettle $1 - available Mid Sept

Small Stainless Steel Pot $2 - available mid sept
Arcosteel Pot with Colander and Steamer Basket $5 


Wok $5

$5 Electric hand mixer - available mid sept
Dustbin $2
Dustbin $2
Weight Measrement $2
Rice cooker $2
Toaster $5
Clothes Hanger $5
Clothers Hanger Wide $5
Dish Rack $2

Sheives 3 for $3 - available mid sept
Induction cooker $5

Friday, August 24, 2012

Hearing Test for Tigerbaby

Tigerbaby hasn't talk much. Not more than 10 words at the age of 2 years old and 3 days.. If to my memory these are the words she knows:

  1. Ball
  2. Crystal
  3. There
  4. More
  5. Mum..  (depending on her mood)
  6. PoPo (meaning: Granny in mandarin)
  7. All Fall Down (it goes together...to her it is like One word)
  8. No (very occasionally she uses it...)
We took her to a speech therapist. Dr Elaine Kelly at Moonee Ponds. Consultation is about $120 per session and she went twice. Her comprehension skills are fantastic as evaluated by the doctor but indeed she is slow for her language (she is only at 1.5 years old stage) *I thought they suppose to have more words that stage anyway. Neways are comprehension skills are far exceed her level (she hit 2yrs 8mth stage). 

Dr Elaine ask us to go for a hearing test , eventhough tigerbaby has one while birth but as expert say, as time goes by they may get ear infection that parents don't realise and which may effect their language or speech skills. As those who know me, I am quite a "kan cheong" a.k.a paranoid mother. With that, my alarm bells went off and tried to find an appointment for her. 

The medical system in Australia is very "different". Seriously, I wonder are these audiologist so busy? Are there that many people go for hearing test? Unbelievable. And the best, they need referral letters. With that it links back to the Dr which the Dr need to write up one letter and fax it to the respective <department> and then the respective <department> call you to make an appointment. How Bazaar from my prespective but then that was what had happen. Dr secretary fax in the referral last wed and when I called in this tuesday the lady say they didnt receive the fax. And I called back the Dr and got voicemail and when goose hunting for another number to contact the Dr. Finally got the Mobile and the secretary say he did fax and i say could you fax again.  The next day I rang or so, i received a call from the Eye and Ear hospital and saying they receive a note that stating I want to make an appointment and say i need to get the referral letter in but i say dr already fax it and say she didn't receive.. oh in summary a tennis game and I was like going around bushes.  On Wed, Dr secretary rang and say he found a spot for me at Melbourne Diagnostic Center on thurs. So I rang up hubby to check whether he can make it. No pick up. Called back Dr secretary say i would take it as he wanted me to call back him so he call back the center to confirm. And when i did, he say better i call direct. Fair enough, called center and guess what???  the lady say the slot was on Hold by Dr Secretary but it was given out already. It was less than 5 mins from dr call to me and for me to call back!! That is not call on HOLD missy!! Arggg.. but she manage to find one spot on friday so .... Finally we managed to get one appointment today friday at 9am!! 

Off we went to the Melbourne Diagnostic Center to do a hearing test for tigerbaby. We went into a "vacumm" room. Did the tests within 15 mins and out we go! The audiologist say she is fine and the bill is $100 and she would send a copy of the report to the Speech therapist and one to my mailing address. 




Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Recipe: Pandan Chiffon Cake

I did feel like baking tonight but then I am physically and mentally tired so I guess I just take it easy tonight but to fulfil my "baking urge" I wrote this post instead.. well it links to "baking" in some way right? :P

I made twice pandan chiffon cake and I have to say it is really indeed a very nice cake to have and you really can't stop at 1 piece. My first version was not so successfully but was well commented Nice still yet I felt there was missing the fragrance (as I didn't use coconut milk and fresh pandan leaves) and also that extra sponginess of a chiffon cake should have. With that, Pandan chiffon cake version2 was created.

Ingredients 

Group A
150g Self Raising Flour
60g Caster Sugar (original recipe state 80g but I kinda like to reduce sugar in my baking)
90ml Coconut Milk
1/4 teaspoon Pandan paste + 30ml water
60ml Vegetable Oil (or 40ml Coconut Milk + 20ml Vegetable oil - this is what I used as I wanted to finish the coconut milk)
5 Yolks

Group B
5 Egg Whites
80g Caster Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Cream Tartar

Mould used: I think it is 21cm one - the smallest version. there is 23 cm mould out there so if you got the bigger mould then effect may be a bit different. Anyway I personally feel it is how well you beat the egg white is one big key for the success of this cake and not much of the size of the mould.

Method:

1) Preheat Oven at 160'c *DO NOT GREASE OR OIL THE MOULD/PAN*
2) Shift 150g Self Raising flour - set aside
3) Start with Group A : Prepare the 90ml Pandan juice - if you got access to Fresh Pandan leaves then please make it but as I don't have so pandan paste is use and to make it more sinful, I added coconut milk to the paste
4) Beat Egg Yolks with Caster Sugar till creamy (with a balloon whisk)
5) Add Pandan Juice , beat it for a while
6) Add Oil (vegetable / corn oil)
7) Add the Self Raisingflour into the mixture. Give it a good stir with the egg beater

8) Group B: Beat egg white till it becomes foamy
9) Add Cream Tartar to mixture, beat for 2 minutes
10) Add Sugar slowly to mixture (split into 3 batch) and beat it till stiff peaks (for my experience: this would take a good 4 min beating with a electric hand beater)

11) Slowly take the egg white mixture (Group B) and fold it into Egg Yolk mixture (Group A). Split the fold to 3 batches. Note: don't use electric mixer to do this "folding part" it would KILL the cake.

12) Pour into the mould (Yes, you need to have the mould that has a hole in the middle and non-stick). I like to make ribbons out of it so I pour around it so it is more balanced out.

13) Bake 160'c for 10 min, then change it to 180' for 30-35 mins as per original recipe. However due to I was using middle rack of my oven,  I change it to 160" for 25 mins and then 180'  for 20 mins.  Basically, you know your oven the best. Once you see it rise (take approx 10 mins) then monitor whether it gets BROWN too fast, if so, turn down temperature to about 150-160'.  it definitely would be done in 50 mins.

Cooling Part
14) Once remove from oven, invert the pan immediately (meaning Turn it upside down). have a little bottle or something to help sustain the weight of the pan so that it doesn't collapse or shrink.
15) Once cooled down, turn it back over. Use a knife and slide it as the side and at the ring hole. With that it would be removable from the pan. Cut and serve! :)



Verdict: Tigerbaby really love this and had 4 slices within 3 days. Well clueless mom too!



Sunday, August 12, 2012

Speech Assessment for Tigerbaby

11/8 Today is the first consultation for tiger baby speech therapy with Dr Elaine Kelly. Where it is called a "psyhological assessement" which we know she is fine but then as it is in Australia, process! need to do this first before next .... so anyway. The asssesment was called "Bayley Scales of Infant and Toodler Development. It has 3 parts:


  • Cognitive Composite score - 63rd percentile, 25 months - Average to High 
  • Language score - Receptive Communication - 25 months ; Expressive Communication - 18months
  • Motor score - Fine Motor - 31months; Gross Motor - 21months. 



For fine motor skills they would test on putting blocks together,  putting all sort of shape in the right place so it does work on brain coordination, observation,  concentration and listening to instructions.

For motor skills they test on asking you to kick a ball, walk on a blue line , jump across a line (which she failed as she dont jump much and definitely in this manner)

And was ask to do another hearing test as sickness may effect her hearing so it is better we do so eventhough I don't feel it is necessary but it is part of the process so off we need to send her for a hearing test and guess what, it require the doctor referral which means the dr would have to ring up the facility and make an appointment which I find it quite weird as how would she make an appointment to suit a slot with our time. Anyway.. that was what was told so we listened and head off and wait for her call,

Next assessment would be next week which would be on language. Gosh and I thought they do it today which was the main reason. Anyway, what needs to be done needs to be done, will have to make another trip :(

18/8 This is her 2nd consultation.  Its called the Preschool Langauge Sacle 4th ediction (PLS-4) which compose of 2 subscales. Auditory Comprehension and Expressive Communication.

AC - 88th percentile.Equivalent of 2yr 3 months So she passed
EC - 18th percentile. Equivalent of 1yr 5 months. so she failed.
with an overall of AC and EC, she is on the 55th percenile, equivalent of 1 yr 9 months.

Earing test is recommended.

And guess what the total bill came to for 2 consulation and a report AUD 440! Do hope private insurance do cover as it state on his broucher or else BlurDad would be very unhappy....



Friday, August 3, 2012

Recipe: Steamed Water Egg 蒸水蛋

Steamed Egg is nutritious for toddlers and easy to make. If your little one has a sore throat or not feeling well and you don't have time to make soup, steam egg is a good dish to go with Rice!  Besides adults can have it too so for busy working moms, definitely can give this a try!

Ingredients:

  • 1 egg (3 eggs if you cooking for 2 adults too)
  • approx 180 ml of  Cold/Warm/Boilng water *boiling preferred with that say, not boiling straight from the kettle type of boiling. Just from the hot water dispenser type would do. 

To Measure water, I always use this method: What level the eggs are on the bowl, thats the level of water (or soup) required. Its a 1:1 ratio - liquid level is very important for steaming eggs. If there is too much water it would take longer time to steam and the texture would be a bit different.

  • 1 teaspoon of soya sauce (optional - if you cooking for adults then add it )
  • 1 teaspoon of rice wine (optional - if you cooking for adults then add it)
  • pinch of salt



Method:
1) Beat the egg till foamy
2 Add water to egg mixture ; give it a good stir (or gently beat it again)
3) Pour it in a shallow plate Note: Use a Strainer to sieve the mixture so that no lumps occur; meaning pour the egg mixture through the strainer, you find some egg whites residue left on the strainer at the end - discard them however if you beat it well earlier on you shouldn't have them. Alternatively, beat egg white first then add egg yolk and beat again then confirm don't have residue but more work.
4)  Cover it with aluminium foil or a lid
5) Have a pot/ wok of boiling water. Put in the rack and then the egg mixture to be steam. CHange it to Low fire.
6) Steaming time:

  • For 3 eggs - Steam it for 12 mins on low fire ; checking every 4-5 mins *this would also help let the steam go off so that you get a smooth texture* 
  • For 1 egg - Steam for 6-10 mins; checking every 3 mins <Depending on the size of your plate or equipment you use for steaming> I use a "tingkat" to steam and it takes 6 mins with Low Fire. 
7) Once done, drizzel some Sesame Oil and Chopped Spring Onion on it.  Let it sit in the steamer or wok for 2-3 mins. this is really my personal style. Usually ppl would put spring onion after they remove from the steamer.