Recipe: Lemon Poppyseed Loaf Cake

Verdict: Tigerbaby is acceptable with the cake.. weird she prefer the topping maybe of the extreme lemon flavour but a bit too much for cluelessmom me :)


I realise pretty much cakes are about the same if you want to make simple cakes. With that i did spend a fair bit of time comparing receipes and finding way to summarise it and to make one that is easy (ie: less ingridients and uses common items and less STEPS) With that, this cake is being created : Lemon Poppyseed Loaf Cake


Using the main ingridients from Simple Butter Cake Recipe, I added a few things to make this Lemon Poppyseed Loaf Cake. 


Ingredients

• 2 eggs 
• 125 g unsalted butter 
• 3/4  cup sugar 
• 1 cup self-raising flour 
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk 
• *for my 1st attempt, i only use 60 ml (1/4 cup) due to many recipe advise so - but i think next one i would give it its 100 ml (1/3 cup) as i find it slightly  a bit dry.*
• pinch salt
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 lemon zest 
• *just the yellow skin and not the white skin*
• 1 lemon juice (for icing)
• 1/2 tablespoon icing sugar or less (for icing) 

Directions (for beginners)

1. 1. Beat all ingredients in a bowl for approx 4 minutes.Pour into a greased cake tin (line base too) and bake for 30 minutes in a moderate oven 180'c, or until cooked when tested.
2. 2. Once cake is cooked, take it out and rest on a wire rack. 
3. 3. Add lemon juice and icing sugar in a bowl, warm it with a saucepan or microwave high for 10 sec. Take it out and do a stir again with a spoon
4. 4. Pour on top of the warm cake bit by bit.  If you have more patience, brush / coat it with the lemon juice icing.

Directions (for a person with a little more patience)

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Brush tin with melted butter or oil and then Line base and side with baking paper.

2. Using electric beaters, beat butter and sugar in small mixing bowl until light and creamy. Add eggs gradually, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add Essence, add Lemon Zest beat until combined.

3. Using a metal spoon, fold in sifted flour alternatively with milk.  Pour in the Stir until just combined and mixture is smooth. Be careful not to overmix.

4. Spoon mixture into prepared tin; smooth surface. Bake 35-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when it is inserted in centre of cake. 

5. Add lemon juice and icing sugar in a bowl, warm it with a saucepan or microwave high for 10 sec. Take it out and do a stir again with a spoon. 

6. Pour on top of the warm cake bit by bit.  If you have more patience, brush / coat it with the lemon juice icing.. 

7. Leave cake in the tin at least 5-10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.*I just leave it in the tin to be fully cool down before turning it out*

 

** For this loaf cake, I spend 15 mins preparing including the beating with a medium size loaf pan. 


Tip: Take your block of butter out earlier if you want to bake to let it soften or else put in microwave for 10 sec high so it gets soften but not melted as i think melted butter causes something to the cake.. either it makes it sunk or something else.  

Recipe: Teriyaki Chicken

This is one of my husband favourite - Teriyaki Chicken (Boneless).  Tigerbaby kinda like it but somehow this is not fully proof recipe for toodlers that don't fancy meat. Occasionally she likes it a lot and occasionally she rejects it ... but for adults - definitely nice and easy

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast (boneless) 

2 chicken fillet (boneless)

Teriyaki Sauce (I use the brand <Yamasa>) which you can get from supermarkets. 

3 slice of ginger

1 cap full (tablespoon) of Chinese Cooking wine (aka Hua Diao Jiu)

1 tablespoon of Honey 

Methods:

1) Wash the meats, have the breast cut into 3 long strips with about 2 cm width or your family preference. Fillet cut into 2 piece.

2) Marinate with teriyaki sauce (basically enough to bath them), add in Chinese Cooking wine, and the ginger. Give it a good mix - either with your hands or a spoon

3) Cover it with glad wrap or in a container and fridge it - for at least 2 hours. But I always fridge it overnight or at least half a day. If it is meant to cook for dinner, it would be fridge in by noon. 

When it is time to cook:

4) Heat the pan (if you have a grill pan - it works better) with some oil

5) put in the meat arranging them nicely. piece by piece. DONT pour in the remaining sauces yet. 

6) Let it grill for 2 mins and flip to the other side and grill (or pan fry) for another 2 min approx till you see the meat is cook. 

7) Pour in remaining sauce - close with a lid to let it shimmer a while

8) Add more teriyaki sauce if required - to get it cooked and the meat is dark brown colour 

9) Flip the meat to other side (it is a bit like BBQ style just to clarify easier)

10) Finally, brush the meat with honey *i just squeeze honey on top of the meat* 

11) Cover it for appox 1-2 min and its ready to serve. 

** whole cooking time is approx 10 mins.  Serve for 2+ adults 

Recipe: Simple Butter Cake

Verdict by Tigerbaby: Passed - she had 2 slices~ asking for more... 


It seems after a few research of finding the easiest reciepe, the ingridents for a butter cake are about the same.  Just the dosage difference and add a little other small items which can be optional for eg fruits, nuts... enclosed i summarise the main basic ingridients: 


Ingredients

• 2 eggs (to 3 eggs)
• 125 g unsalted butter (to 150g)
• 3/4  cup sugar (to 1 cup)
• 1 cup self-raising flour (to 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup milk 
• pinch salt
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence

Directions (for beginners)

1. Beat all ingredients in a bowl for 4 minutes.Pour into a greased cake tin and bake for 30 minutes in a moderate oven 180'c, or until cooked when tested.
2. **Add 1 tin or equivalent of fruit to mixture if wanting fruit with that was suggested to add more flour. So if you want to add fruit then have at least 1.5 cup of flour to 2 cups. 

Directions (for a person with a little more patience)

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Brush tin with melted butter or oil and then Line base and side with baking paper.

2. Using electric beaters, beat butter and sugar in small mixing bowl until light and creamy. Add eggs gradually, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add essence, beat until combined.

3. Using a metal spoon, fold in sifted flour alternatively with milk. Stir until just combined and mixture is smooth. Be careful not to overmix.

4. Spoon mixture into prepared tin; smooth surface. Bake 35-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when it is inserted in centre of cake. Leave cake in the tin 5 minutes before 
turning onto a wire rack to cool.


It does pay for a little more patience and going wiht more steps just to bake a simple butter cake, however for the easier one which is dump everything into one bowl and mix the results are still good and yummy! 


With all being said, for a simple butter cake which would cost u less than $2 to make - Do it yourself than to buy one from the supermarket which cost $5 ~ though you pay $3 for the 

labour and cleanning up but to smell the cake being bake in the often ... that is priceless~~ 

** For this loaf cake, I spend 10 mins preparing including the beating and it is a moist cake but yet fluffy still... :) and with a medium size loaf pan. 


Tip: Take your block of butter out earlier if you want to bake to let it soften or else put in microwave for 10 sec high so it gets soften but not melted as i think melted butter causes something to the cake.. either it makes it sunk or something else.  

Toodler: West vs East perception

As i was having my nice cup of english tea with moist banana cake I wonder, am i bless that tigerbaby seldom gets sick and fevers *touch wood.. touch wood*. Then I started to think back what have I done and have not done. With that, i recall the words of wisdom for generations from the EAST.

As Asian, we believe in "body wind" which in others words gets us sick due to wind or air got in the body. causes stomach discomfort or colic or cold or flu. As my mom and grandmothers would remind me constantly when i was back in Asia for 2 months is - is she wearing warm enough? make sure you don't let her catch cold aka wind.

Number 1 Factor: Clothing

Even in hot weathers in Asia, burning hot sun which would make you all sweat. its unavoidable you just wnat to put your baby or toodler with sleeveless shirt. But then the negative side is the TUMMY would occasionaly show eventhough you tuck it in due to they twist and turn and play.  So wiht that Rompers area great wear i regular uses. or else i would buy slightly a bit bigger shirt so that it really covers the tummy and well tuck in.  And of course, we would use some ointment to apply on her tummy and shoulders once she is out of the bath.

Number 2 Factor:  Food

Western believe to let little ones try as many things so it helps to explore. However as today, she has not had fried food. Well maybe i am just being a bit paranoid but she hasn't had fries nor nuggets till today *eventhough u can baked them and not fry them* Even packet chips no chance she gets! ice cream either.  well that broke it when i drop her at school where they had Apple Crumble with ICe cream for tea break. But no ice cream at home as i think she had enough of her sugar from her fruit drinks. However, i do give her Yogurt *which is a cold item* but it would always be in day time. Asian believe not to have cold items at evening or night as it would develop phelgm easier and the horrible cough.

Number 3 Factor: Exposure

I have to say, this comes with a con. Due to i was tight up with her scedule, I hardly took her out. In Singapore, mummies were bringing their young ones out shopping when they 1 month old.. thats a No in my family believe. Tigerbaby hardly went out till she was 6 months old ; only to docs for vacination and probraly to friends house. Harldy to public places. The Pro part is she hardly get sick i have to say which i think this is one big factor. The other thing i was on my own *husband was not around when she was 2 weeks old till pretty much 8 months old* so it was really hard to take her out and due to her routine was so tight.

Con side of this is her development skills were slower than others. Crawl and walk at latter stage than her peers.


Tigerbaby first major sick was when she came over to Melbourne. Approx 11 months old.  Her first FLU> seriously i was in for a shock.  She had runniing and BOCKED nose and slight fever.  Was horrible. Was difficult for her to sleep and i was really unprepared for this. I littlerally had to carry her where her head lies on my shoulder to let her sleep and she would get woken up due to difficult in breathing average every 2 hours. Antiboitic was introduced.

Her 2nd sick episode was in Malaysia when she was approx 15 monthd old which purely i believe was clueless mom aka me carelessness. When i bath her i forgot to close the windows and there was new year eve breeze and i believe that how she caught the "wind" aka cold and started of with running nose.  Plus she was terribly teething at that stage as well. Nevertheless, No cough so i was once lucky.  In Asia, doc have medicine for Running Nose and Fever separatedly. So after few days of medicine, she back to her own self. And of course, i too gave her TCM medicine to help her to recover

Her 3rd sick episode was back in Melbourne approx 19 months old which purel again was my carelessness and her blurdad stubbornness. Melbourne unpredictable weather change and was windy and cold and i think i underdress her a little even with a singlet, a shirt and a sweater. That particular day was really winter indeed and she started to go to school and i brought her to the playgrounds that week so yeah many factors but one key factor indeed was the Exposure to public places which that what blurdad conclusion is she caught it from school. She started with running nose, blocked nose, slight fever and the most horrible thing the COUGH. *i know i know.. the worst is fever but to me cough is suffering enough for my stage* she cough the whole night and even vomitted few times due to the bad cough.  We tried to let her recover herself due to what GP / Doctor advise but it seems it lasted more than 3 weeks the whole sage and we at the end surrender to antibiotics which help to recover in 5 days. Thank lord!!

In Summary: as a parent we should have a bit of east and west perception. Cloth them well, Watch their food and try to give them supplements for eg: tcm or fish oil to really boost their immune system.  Nevertheless getting sick is a good thing to build immune but i personally think 2 colds a year is enough ... seeing my friends kid having cold, cough and fever average every 2 months, poor mom and poor kid indeed and taking medicine for each episode, isn't it worse than giving natural supplements? just a tought.

To young and first time parents : if you think it is not cold but it may be for the young one. vice versa don't over dress as well as they get skin irriation.  In air condition places , make sure they have a sweater or not sleeveless. A short sleeve shirt wuld do.  East believe we catch cold from the shoulders and the back of your body and from your tummy and lastly the chest.  So do take note! =)

Reciepe: Moist Banana Cake

got it from this website: http://www.bestrecipes.com.au/recipe/Banana-Cake-Supreme-L3296.html

Ingridients:
125g Butter, softened
1 cup sugar ( I only used 3/4 cup, with half brown sugar and half caster sugar)
1 teaspoon vanila essense
2 egg, lightly beaten
100 ml buttermilk (if don't have, just use milk and add 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar)
1 cup mashed banana (approx 2-3 large bananas)
1 1/2 cup self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon bic. soda.

Method:
*i personally find the method on the webiste a bit troublesome as i don't have a food processor so i like to keep it simple is my motto

1) Preheat oven 160"c for fan force oven (or 180''cc)
2) Dry ingeients in one bowl ( flour, bic soda, sugar)
3) Wet ingrideitns in one bowl (buttermilk, egg, butter, vanila essense)
4) Combine 2 bowls into one. personally preference which goes to wich, I usually put wet into dry
5) Baked 50 mins on 160'c  or  40 min for 180'c

or

1) butter, sugar, vanila essense, banana and eggs in food processor. process 2 mins
2) add buttermilk
3) flour with the bic soda mix
4) add in flour to the main wet ingridients

Verdict: the cake is indeed intense moist. However on my first attempt i overdid it and added 4 bananas instead of 3 haha so the cake sunk in a little as it was probraly a bit heavy. howevver, heavenly banana taste it was! hehehe

hot plate tofu

Ingredients

2 tube egg tofu (cut rounded and fried)

1 egg (beaten with 1 tbsp water)

½ tsp chopped garlic (I used up to half a bulb of garlic)

Chopped spring onions for garnishing

Minced meat and/or prawns, mushroom etc (add your own variation)

Sauce (combined in a bowl)

1 tsp oyster sauce

2 tsp light soy sauce (decrease a little of the light soy sauce if you prefer less salty)

A dash of white pepper powder

1 ¼ cup water

¾ tsp corn flour

A few drops of sesame oil

A dash of 花雕酒 (optional)

Steps

1. Deep fry the egg tofu with sufficient heated oil. Fry one side till almost golden brown before turning each piece gently to fry the other side, cover the pan but not tightly to brown and crisp the tofu. Thereafter remove and set aside on paper towel.

2. Prepare the sauce. Saute the chopped garlic with 1 tsp of oil until aromatic. Add the minced meat to stirfry for a short while, add in the sauce and wait until it thicken slightly. Cover awhile. Set aside in a bowl.

3. In the heated happycall pan, add in 1-2 tsp oil and make sure it coats the whole of the pan. Pour in the beaten egg mixture spreading over the entire pan.

4. Add in the fried tofu in the middle. Pour in the sauce with the minced meat. A sizzling sound will come. Bring away from heat and place on a wooden base/steel rack. Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve immediately.

Toodler TCM Medicine: EU YAN SANG BAO YING Compound

my hubby is a anti tcm person seriously but I do believe in them. I do give tigerbaby this when i see signs of cold coming soon to prevent illness attack. Its a good supplement in some form but it won't really cure fully once the flu attacked. Nevertheless i personally feel it helps out with the fever and phelgm (as in loosen them) and not stick to the lungs and get infection.
EU YAN SANG BAO YING DAN Description:

Bo Ying Compound is an ancient formula for young children. From generation to generation, Eu Yan Sang Bo Ying Compound has given our children the gentlest and most effective care. This traditional remedy is proven by Beijing University of Chinese Medicine for its effectiveness in curing pediatric illnesses and maintaining our children’s health.

Actions / Indication:

Traditionally used for Phlegm, vomiting, crying at night, fever, cold and cough.

Direction:

Children 1 to 3 years old – one tube of 330mg compound per day. Children 3 to 10 years old – two tubes of 330mg compound per day. This medicine is to be taken with lukewarm water. If symptoms persist, please consult your doctor.

Ingredients:

Calculus Bovis, Margarita Pteria Martensii, Rhizoma Acorus Tatarinowii, Succinum, Aisaema Cum Bile, Concretion Silicea Bambusa Textilis, Rhizoma Paris Polyphylla, Radix Saposhnikovia Divaricata, Rhizoma Pinellia Ternata, Bulbus Fritillaria Cirrhosa, Radix Scutellaria Baicalensis, Ramulus Uncaria Rhynchophylla, Radix Curcuma Wenyulin, Herba Mentha Haplocalyx, Rhizoma Gastrodia Elata, Periostracum Cicadae Cryptotympana Pustulata.

CONTRAINDICATION:

This product is not to be taken by infants suffering from G-6-PD deficiency