Muffin Recipe for TigerBaby (make 10-12 muffins)

Amended Muffin Recipe for TigerBaby (make 10-12 muffins)
with attempts to make the Right muffin a few times, this is my concluded findings after reading and comparing numerous recipes..

Basic Ingredients:

1. 1.5 cups of self raising flour , sifted (or 1 cup All Purpose Flour + 1/2 cup of Self Raising)



2. 1/2 cups of caster / brown sugar (if not enough brown, can use White but not Raw; as for Caster, reduce the amount a little)



3. 1 egg, lightly beaten



4. 3/4 to 1 cup of Milk (if no milk, Water can be subsitute)



5. 100g butter (or 1/4 cup of Oil eg: Vegetable , canola or Peanut oil; but I personally think butter is better for babies Vs Oil)
   

Addtional ingredients you can consider to put:

• 1 teaspoon of salt




• 1 teaspoon of baking powder




• 1 teaspoon of vanila essense




• 1 teaspoon of Cinamen (for apple / pear muffins)

Methods:

1) Wet Bowl (Egg, Milk and Butter - lightly whisk)
2) Dry Bowl (Flour , Baking Power, Sugar)
3) Wet bowl ingredient go to the Dry bowl - mix a bit
4) Add in the Toppings (blueberry, chocolate chip, apple, pear .. etc) into the bowl and stir it with a wooden spoon until ingredients are just combined. Do not over mix or else it come tough so the experts states.
5) Bake at 200'c for 15 mins (or 180'c for 20 mins)
6) Allow to cool for 5 mins on a wire rack.

Side notes:
- no need electrical mixer, a wooden spoon/spatula would do the job!

Homemade Baby Food Website

Clueless Mum have been making home made food for Tiger baby. Since she was born , cluelessmum main basic fundamental of 6 main items in each day menu are as below:

1) Fruit
2) Carbo - porridge or pasta
3) Meat - fish, pork, beef, lamb or chicken
4) Green Vege - vege with leaves
5) Orange Root vege (if busy days, either 4. or 5. will do)
6) Calcium - Cheese or Yogurt (as I always had the prespective that she didn't drink much formula milk or breast milk since birth I need to pump up her calcium)

As time goes by, cluelessmum runs out of ideas and starts to visit websites for inspiration. The below website/blog are cluelessmum favourites starting August 2011:

http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/
http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/baby-food-chart.html
http://mybabyshungry.blogspot.com/
http://bunnynwife.com
http://thescarfer.net
http://yvonnefong.blogspot.com/
http://thebabystepsoflife.blogspot.com/

Stay tune for more cluelessmom baby kitchen exploration...

My re-attempt on Carrot Cake baking

I would bake Carrot Cake once again as the 1st one is not up to my expectation.

Shall I go with this receipe http://www.exclusivelyfood.com.au/2006/07/carrot-cake-recipe.html
or another another one? hmmm ... to be decided....

Recipe: Blueberry Muffins

30 August 2011 @ 10pm -

Cluelessmum First Homemade BlueBerry Muffin 6 pc and Blueberry + Choc Chip 4 pc

Verdict: Passed!

View: The receipe below indeed is good. The muffin are light and fluffy. For once I follow the receipe but then of course due to curiousily I made a very very tiny slight change on to it. Best of all, no need electric mixer to do this! Less one thing to wash! Nevertheless, outcome is nice and I got good review from 2 self declared guinea pigs of mine hahahaha. As I write this post, one blueberry muffin and one cup of english tea right next to me. Aww .. blissful feeling!!

My Amended Recipe comments placed.

Ingridents: 1 1/2 cup Self Raising Flour , Sifted (Followed exactly)
1/2 cup Brown Sugar (I a bit "kiasu" and sifted the brown sugar as well)
3/4 cup BlueBerries (about there..)
1 egg lightly beaten (size XL egg which is 700g )
3/4 cup Milk (fresh milk)
90g Butter Melted (100g - as it was easier to measure follow the line on the wrapping)

Added: 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

In future to try: Add 1 teaspoon of Vanila essense.

Summarise steps:


1) Wet Bowl (Egg, Milk and Butter - lightly whisk)

2) Dry Bowl (Flour , Baking Power, Sugar)

3) Wet bowl ingredient go to the Dry bowl - mix a bit

4) Add in the Toppings (blueberry, chocolate chip .. etc) into the bowl and stir it with a wooden spoon until ingredients are just combined. Do not over mix or else it come tough so the experts states.


5) Bake at 180'c for 20 mins

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I decided to try this Blueberry Muffin for tonight as Blur Dad is back from Canberra on business trip. As he seldom take his fruits so I guess a fruity muffin for breakfast tomorrow would be good for him and a nice snack for Tiger Baby. Of course, there is blueberry in the fridge and i thought, better clear it before it gets spoil as they are not cheap..

It seems this time I got most of the ingredients...

Ingridents:

• 1 1/2 cup Self Raising Flour Shifted





• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar





• 3/4 cup BlueBerries





• 1 egg lightly beaten





• 3/4 cup Milk





• 90g Butter Melted





• 1 teaspoon grated Lime rind (optional)

Method

1. Mix Flour, Sugar and Blueberries together. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk egg, milk and melted butter together





2. Pour the liquid into the flour and stir with spoon until ingredients are just combined, but Do not Over Mix





3. Spray muffin pans with cooking spray and fill muffins pans with mixture, level with the top





4. Baked at 200 c for 15 min, unitl muffins spring back when lightly touched.





5. Allow to cook for 5 mins on a wire rack

... will update all on how it goes.. :)

Baby Beauty/ Well Being Products

As they say, there is no ugly woman just lady woman in a mandarin saying. With that, clueless mom decided to start as early as she can for her tiger baby.

0-3 months: tiger baby uses
1) Desitin (Blue) diaper rash cream. Johnson or Darpolean (forgot the name) can't beat desitin. It is applied after bath and every diaper change. Yes, even there is no rash, I would apply with a reasonable amount. This money is well spent indeed. It hurts clueless mom to see diaper rash on tiger baby.

2) California Baby Calendula Cream. It works for tiger baby ezema's (red rashes and it is quite harsh as well). Alternative use breast milk to apply on it for ezema or milk rashes (poison fight back poison). However for tiger baby, this cream works much effective than the breast milk/rice water.

3) Fitti Diaper - i thinik I can create a separate section for diaper but in short at this stage, Fitti 360 degress suits her the best due to her small build body.

4) Ru Yi Oil - It is a MUST thing for Asia countries babies. Due to its power, dosage is limited to 3 drops. apply the drops on adult palm. rub it till it is warm then place it on baby tummy and quickly cover back with the shirt. This is to remove "wind" aka colic.

5) Minyak Telon (indonesia baby colic ointment) - It is a much lighter than Ru Yi Oild which result clueless mom would apply much more but due to the botol design, it is quite hard but yet u just need to share it harder or squeeze it out. There is another brand with a logo of a Eagle. Its not bad as well but with blur dad family, they prefer this minyak telon.

6) GAIA bathing products: verdict - the smell doesn't seem to be so nice and if you brought the travel kit, u better use it asap or else within a short period once it is open, the smell would change and the texture as well.. so i personally, won't use back that product!

7) California Baby bathing products: verdict - its expensive to buy from Guardian/Watsons so highly suggest to get it from spree or directly from the US.

8) Johnson tip and toe bathing products: verdict - smell nice but it seems quite strong so remember to use only very litttle.

Note: First month of tiger baby, I think cluelessmom didn't use any body shower gel. Just plain boiled warm water. Yes Boiled (but warm temperature). I remember it is boiled due to bathing tigerbaby is so much work. Marni (nanny aka helper) had to boil the water the night before and boil one pot early in morning so that tigerbaby can have her 9am ish bath with the right temperature water.

3-6 months: tiger baby uses ..... to be continued...

Carrot Muffin

As some of my friends know, I have been busy in the the baby kitchen mode.

My next attempt is Carrot Muffin either from http://bunnynwife.com/category/food-recipes/

Ingredients
4 eggs
1.5 cups vegetable oil
3/4 cups organic raw cane sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups organic unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 cups grated carrots
(optional but not recommended for baby below 18 mths : 1 cup grated pecans, 1 tsp cinammon)

Method
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a muffin.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla extract.
3. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt (optional: cinnamon)
4. Stir in carrots. (optional : pecans)
5. Pour into prepared muffin tray.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.

or else would be this receipe http://www.joyofbaking.com/CarrotMuffins.html

Carrot Muffins Recipe:
1/2 cup (50 grams) pecans or walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
2 cups (270 grams) grated raw carrot (about 2-3 peeled carrots)
1 large apple, peeled and grated
2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated white sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3.5 grams) salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup coconut (sweetened or unsweetened) (optional)
3 large eggs
3/4 cup (180 ml) safflower, corn, or canola oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting: (optional)
1/4 cup (56 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 ounces (1/2 cup) (110 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla


Carrot Muffins:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Place paper liners in 18 muffin cups.
Toast the pecans or walnuts for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely.
Peel and finely grate the carrots and apple. Set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Stir in the nuts and coconut. Set aside.
In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. Fold the wet ingredients, along with the grated carrot and apple, into the flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 10 minutes remove the muffins from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Makes 18 standard-sized muffins.
Frosting: Beat the butter and cream cheese until very smooth with no lumps. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until fully incorporated and smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract.
Place a dollop of the cream cheese frosting on the top of each muffin.

But of course as usual me, I would Modify this receipe again hahaha so stay tuned and see what the modified receipe would be and the outcome... to be continued....

Crystin Baby Blog is born finally....

As I was pregnant with Crystin, I told myself that I would create a blog to record all the things / events / items she used so that it could be share with others and to remind myself if I ever go for 2nd baby.

Crystin was born on 20 August 2010 in Singapore Thomson Medical Center. This blog was created on 29 AUgust 2011 so I guess I really took my time.

Pregnancy is a big topic, Preparing for Labour is big topic, During Labour is a big topic, Recovering from giving birth is a big topic, First 30 days of confinement is a big topic, Babies first 3 months is a big topic, Baby at 6 months is a big topic and the finally, the Baby "infant" is upgraded to become a "toddler" - One Year old is a big topic.

I would cover all of this soon.. to be continued...