Recipe: Pumpkin Bolgonese + Pasta

Ingridents:

2 Tomato

1/2 Onion

1 clove Garlic

Beef

Pasta (penne)

Cheese

Method:

1) Steam tomato and onion for 10-20 mins so that it is moist

2) Stir fry garlic with beef

4) Add in the tomato onion to the beef and let it shimmer for a while.

5) Add in pasta, stir it up and add some cheese and let it melt

6) Add in pureed pumpkin, stir it

7) Blend it

Verdict: Passed! close to tomato paste bolognesse but not so strong and slightly more sweet.

6)

Recipe: Baked Salted Salmon

Ingridients:

Salmon

Sea Salt

Olive Oil

Method:

1) little olive oil on the baking dish

2) pinch of salt on to the salmon to marinate it.

3) place the salmon to the baking dish and cover with an aliuminum foil

4) 180 celcius for 20 mins.

Verdict: Passed!

Milestone: 13.1 months (400 days) 20 Sept 2011

- climb up and down from the sofa chair.
- when you ask tigerbaby to come, she start to understand.
- when you ask her to give an item on her hand, she acknowledge and hand it out
- 2 upper teeth and 3 lower teeth
- loves rice
- crawl like torpedo
- still can't walk on her own but can walk fast with assistance
- able to smooth herself to sleep on her own in parents bed after 10 mins rocking only.
- flip like fish when changing diapers and would scream and yell for "help"
- able to poo on the poo pot

Recipe: Shepherd/Cottage/Porkish Pie

Ingridients:

180g (1 Avent cup) Meat (Beef, Lamb or Pork)

1/2 cup of onion (chopped finely)

1-2 clove of garlic

1/2 stick of carrot(chopped finely or grated)

2 tablespoon tomato sauce or tomato puree

1 tablespoon of wotchierters sauce (optional)

1 tiny pinch of salt

1 cup of gravy stock (beef stock/pork stock or even vege stock)

1 handfull of baby green peas / sweet corn

2 potatos (peeled and choped to cubes)

50g of butter

1 Avent cup of milk (or less)

Method:

1) Stir fry the onion with garlic until soft. Put aside

2) stir fry the meat until cooked. Put in the onions and stir fry alittle more.

3) Put in vege (boil the vege for a while first) and then stir fry. Add pinch of salt.

4) Add tomato sauce and wotchiester sauce. Stir fry a while

5) while stir frying, boil the potatos. Once done, remove the water. While it is still hot, add in the butter and milk. *milk qty depends on personal preference to make the mashed potato. Like watery, add more milk.

6) Use fork or spoon to mashed the potato.

7) Using muffin tray - with muffin paper, put in the stir fried meat half and potato half. Would make approx. 8

This is a great dish to serve: there is carbo, protein, vege and calcium. Definitely would make it again! Tigerbaby liked it, BlurDad like it and Cluelessmom loved it :)

Note: It is best to mince the meat yourself. Once you got the meat from market, wash and give it a quick "bath" and mince it. If not to be cooked that day, freeze it.

Upgrade from steam to stir fry on Menu for Baby Crystin

16 September 2011 - crystin is 13 months 1 week old. It is the start mark that i would use oil or butter to cook her food (Olive oil or Canola Oil or Butter)

First to go is "Scrambled Egg with Butter" :)

Recipe: No Butter Apple Muffin

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plain flour

1 cup self raising flour

1/2 sugar (if for adult - 1 cup sugar) mix caster + brown

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup cooking oil (eg: vegetable, canola)

2 cored, peeled and chopped apples to the size small enough for baby finger food

oven: 200 degrees for 15 mins

Recipe: Mini Non-Baked Cheesecake

Ingredients:

250g Biscuts (Arnots Nice/Scotch fingers would do)

125g butter

375g cream cheese (Philadphea one packet) room temperature

zest of 1 lemon

2 teaspoon vanila essense

1/3 cup lemon juice

1x400g tin condensed milk (for tigerbaby, i only use 200g to cut down on sugar)

Method:

1) Process biscuit until finely crushed. Add butter and mix well

2) place muffin paper cup on muffin tray and fill them with 1/4 of biscuits base into the muffin cup and slightly line it around the side of the paper cup with a spoon

3) refrigerate at least 15 mins

4) beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy

5) add lemon zest and vanila essence and beat well

6) gradually add condense milk and lemon juice and beat well.

7) scoop 2 tablespoon of the mixture to the each paper cup and top up if you see nessary

8) let it fridge overnight.

9) add strawberry or any fruit you like on top

note: makes 12-16 depending how generous you put your biscuits into the tray but don't overdo it as your cheese mixture may not be enough. in general should make 12 .

Recipe: Green Vege (Spinach with Cauli) + FIsh Combo

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower
• Spinach
• Fish
• One teaspoon Butter

1) Steam fish with one teaspoon of butter on top for 3 mins. Once colour change, close off fire, do a quick stir and let it be in steamer pot for 1-2 min. If using Avent machine, steam for 3 mins. However I do suggest not to as the butter does not go into the fish that well and it would be harder to wash. So use a saucepan, put a rice bowl in it and steam the fish. Easier in my point of view

2) Spinach and Cauliflower combine and steam with Avent machine for 15 mins. once done, pour out at least half of the water (or else when you blend it would be too watery)

3) Blend the fish and vege together for infants and if you baby is ready for chunkier food, just blend the vege. For the fish, use a spoon to soften it / smashed it so it look a bit like fish flakes.

To serve: Porride/Rice on the bowl; then put the puree vege; then put the fish on it. Or separate it is fine. Presentation looks good and it is definitely appetising as I too can eat it. :)

Verdict: Passed! It looks presentable and eatable by judge Tigerbaby! hehe

note: somehow this 2 vege compliments each other; if you would like to try with other type, please go ahead.

Summary of TigerBaby's Growth

20 Aug 2010: one day- 2.68kg - 48cm height - 32cm head

21 Sept 2010: one month - 3.36kg - 50cm Height - 36 Head

15 Oct 2010: 2 months - 4.1kg - 53-37

19 nov 2010: 3 mths - 4.62 -58-40

23 Dec 2010: 4 mths - 5.17 - 58-40

25 Jan 2011: 5 mths - 5.61-62-41

22 Feb 2011: 6 mths - 5.9 -63-42

22 Mar 2011: 7 mths - 6.25 - 65- 42

20 Apr 2011: 8 mths - 6.48 - 67 - 43

1 May 2011: 8+ mths - 6.52 - 68-43

2 June 201: 9 mths 2 week - 6.52 - 68 - 43 *Australia - measured with full nakedness*

2 Aug 2011: 11.5 mths - 6.925 - 69.5 - 44

12 Sept 2011: 12mths+ - 7.12kg - 71.5 - 44.3

bad combo - celery + fish + pasta

to all mothers, if you want to try this combination, please add soemthing in. It definitely isn't a good combination.

Ingiridient:

steam fish with ginger + celery + spaggeti pasta.

Verdict: FAILED BIG TIME!! so if you plan to do this combination, do add in something else to make it appetiing... tigerbaby only ate 1/4 abt 10 spoons of the meal

Redish Vege Recipe

Ingridients

1 Tomato (remove seeds)

1/2 Red Pepper (Capsicum)

1 small Carrot

1 palm size amount Beef

1) Remove seeds for tomato and red pepper.

2) cut all vege to the amount of palm size

3) Steam for 15 mins (using Avent steamer blender)

4) Blend 3 sec - 3 times

5) Serve with Rice / Pasta

Verdict: Passed ! Tigerbaby liked it a lot and finish 1 bowl. Cluelessmum finish 1/2 bowl. The smell is quite appetising due to the capsicum and it goes well with the tomato. As for carrot it is quite optional. Carrot brings sweetness; Tomato brings savoury; Capcisum bring spicyness. hehe Varity is provided and combination works well.

Note: To add another variety, can put parsley or cheddar cheese. :) it brings the fraqance ~

Baby Porridge/Rice Soup Recipe

Tigerbaby is well loved by Grandma Judy. For her, Grandma Judy would wake up middle of the night to defrost meat/ bones and to boil soup out of them so that it can be made porridge. When Tigerbaby was in Australia, she would get Ikanbilis (anchiovies) soup, Chicken Soup and Pork Soup. With that I decided to write about it before i start to forget:

Note: In Australia, electricity is expensive *blurdad constantly remind me about it* so I decided to use Gas to boil. If you are in Asia (Singapore / Malaysia), I think it is much worth while to use Slow Cooker which runs on electricity.

To make Soup Stock with Meat base (Pork bones, Beef Bones, Chicken Frames or whole chicken)
bones have calcium and nutrition of other things which I don't recall..

1) bath the bones/chicken in hot boiling water for 2-3 mins for the "dirty" residude to rise
2) pour away the water. Reboil a new pot of water
3) put in the bones/chicken and boil for at least 2 hours. for example: If you use 4 bowls of water, let it boil till it remains of 1 bowl left of liquid.
4) let it cool down. Put in in fridge for half a day
5) Remove the top layer of oil and then use the soup to boil porridge/rice or freeze it for later use.

Infant more than 6 months -> Porridge

Type 1: Steam
1) Boil the soup stock
2) In a big pot, put some water and then put in a "steam pot", have the soup and rice grain in it and steam it for 20 mins.

Outcome: will look like sticky rice but the porridge would be much softer and it is open like a "flower" (Kai Hua) which is much easier to blend or to mashed it; and the essense of the soup goes all into the rice.


Type 2: Boil
1) Just add the soup stock with the rice grain in a saucepan and boil until its all soft.

Outcome:well grandma judy dont quite like it due to hse thinks that the soup essense is gone 1/2 by usig this method. indeed one thing, to use this method, ensure u got enough soup in it or else by the time it evaporates the porridge is not soft enough!

Infant more than 6 months -> Rice

1) This one is much easier, just put everything (the right amount of soup) in the rice cooker and let the cooker do the job.

Note: the usual amount of water you use to cook rice, use the same amount on soup. If you prefer more soft rice, add more soup.

Note: Sometimes a simple soup base porridge is more appetising to tigerbaby. She can finish one rice bowl worth of it!! Variety indeed she loves. Best of all, easy to make and nutrition is catered! Not to say, easy to bring out as well haha

Avocado cheese rice/porridge

Ingredients:

Avocado
Tasty cheese or mild cheese
Rice or porridge

1) cooked rice or porridge (thick version and not watery type)- go with ur baby preference. Tiger baby likes rice now.
2) smash avocado a little
3) on top of warm rice or porridge, shred the cheese on top and then put the avocado
4) mix it abit

Verdict: passed. Tiger baby loves it, simple and easy to eat. Clueless mum try it and it is nice enough that she made a portion for herself. However the key is the Rice must be warm at least or else it won't bring out the fraqance of rice and the cheese. Avocado blends well with. Cheese in this form.

Beef and Vegetable Soup for Baby

Ingridents:
1 -2 clove of garlic
2 palm size beef fillet
2 tomatos
1 potato
1 carrot
1 palm size parsley
1 onion
1 stick of celery

1) Boil carrot , onion, carrot and potato in saucepan for 3o mins
2) Steam beef and tomato (remove seeds) for 20 mins using Avent Steamer
3) Put parsley into the soup base , boil another 10mins
4) Blend the beef and tomato and then remove for freezer (approx 3 meals - Avent containers)
5) Let soup cool down, set for freezing (approx 3 containers- Avent containers)

Verdict: Refreshing soup (I didn't use bones as I wanted to bring another flavour), Puree Beef brings a meaty savoury taste. Combination: Passed!

I split the meat and soup due to easier to mix and match with other food :) Throw everything in saucepan is workable as well.

My First Attempt of Carrot Muffin

I finally baked Carrot Muffin on 3rd September using this receipe:
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

Outcome: Passed but not satisfied.

1) It is quite tasteless as I can't feel the sweetness or butterness (of course, it is a butterless recipe and I used brown sugar)

However I reduce the Oil from 1.5 cup to only 1 cup Canola Oil. And with a little creative from me, I added 0.5 cup of Milk so that I still have the liquid quantity (which could be the reason for the tasteless part)

The muffin came out OK, as it is still moist and fluffy. Wiht that, I suggest those who would like to follow my recipe; before you want to consume it, is to microwave it for 10 seconds (or 20 seconds) and then apply with Butter. Then my verdict : Beautiful!! The butter brings out the aroma of the muffin and with the carrot taste, it brings out the sweetness. Great combi haha and to my perspective: Slightly healthy version for a toddler.

My concept of baking remains the same for Tigerbaby:
1) Reduce Oil
2) Reduce Sugar (regardless what type)
3) Increase main ingrdients (carrot, blueberry etc)
4) Subsitute oil with milk (optional) as I believe milk is better than oil - as for allergy debate point, it is cook so chances of allergy % is reduce *my own thinking* and it is a good way to slowly introduce cows milk to my todller then straight cold from the fridge :P

Disclamner: This is all my own thinking ... and some from seniors asian adults (like my mum, my grandmum, aunties...) follow as u deem fit

Sleep Before 11 PM

I was reading the Epoch Times in Melbourne, there is one article which I would like to share Or to remind myself

WE ADULTS MUST SLEEP BEFORE 11 am so that we have a good Liver.

Livers are the most hardworking during 11-1am. With that, if we are alseep by then, we would have a better sleep and our body are much better detox. This is scientific proven or should I say self-proven by me.

As I had very little MY time during the day, after 10pm is consider my time which I would watch tv with blurdad. Neverthressless and go to be around 12ish. Afte 2 nights of doing so, the 3rd day morning I was very gruchy (due to lack of sleep) and also having headaches. Nauseness. Dizzyness.

On the 3rd day, I went to bed before 11am. Eventhough with occasionally waken up by Tigerbaby but eventually I self work at 8 am ~~ so for a better body system, we should try to sleep before 11pm each day.

the big note i would like to say: If we adults need to sleep before 11 pm, babies/toddlers definitely need to sleep before 10pm!! The reason are sooooo clear! Hopefully mummies and daddies out there would have this in mind. :)

Sleeping

Tigerbaby is rocked and sing to sleep. Her favourite songs are:
1) ABC
2) Minang Boh Boh (indo song)
3) Silent Night

However she is getting heavier and it would be really tough on CluelessMom and BlurDad to put her sleep *well blurdad doesn't seem to be able to rock&sing to put her to sleep and would pass back to cluelessmom.*

With that, frustrated BlurDad decided to use another method - which in some way is the right thing to do - is to put her to bed and let her "comfy" herself to bed , that would include some wailing, complaining from her and maybe a little cry... :( neways, on 31 August, BlurDad successfully put her to bed with this method after nearly 1 hour of attempt (slept at 11pm!!)

1st Sept - blurdad succeed again but i think she had some activiity in day time so went to bed much faster.. but refuse her night milk ...also about 11pm i think.

2nd Sept (fri ) - cluelessmom decided to give it a try on tigerbaby morning nap. So at 10.30am I put her to bed and slept next to her and singing and patting her butt.. Failed! she sit up and start movign around... so I tried to push her back to sleeping poisiton.. she complain!! ohhh tigerbaby knows how to complain and "bend" her mouth in a form of Disagreement. After 15 mins of wailing and wresting, cluelessmom failed. Back she carried her and stand up to rock and sing, within 5 mins, KO! :( Cluelessmom 1st attempt - FAILED!

Note: I personally don't like to tigerbaby to cry and wail for too long period as i believe (asian belief) would cause her to suck in wind/colic. Wiht that, 15 min was my threeshold.

Lets hope next attempt would Succed! :P

Yummy scrummy carrot cake recipe - Recipes - BBC Good Food

Yummy scrummy carrot cake recipe - Recipes - BBC Good Food

The next attempt of cake..