Lazy Sunday Salad

Chun is craving for salad.
So we bought a carton of premix salad leaves tuesday,
went we went to watch "Grown up".

I introduce my family to live oil few years back when i realise the goodness.
And since we're still trying to get to the hang of the taste.
We're still using the "mild" tasting olive that i can get....

The usual salad dressing that i prep for chun is very simple.
I learn it from Jamie Oliver.
Its really simple yet really tasty.
All the ingredient required can be bought easily.

Salad Dressing
1 tbsp lemon / lime juice
3 tbsp olive oil
2 slices of bread, toasted
Handfuls of almond, bacon, whatever thats in the fridge

Procedure
1. Rinse the leaves under running water & spin dry.
I've learn that the leaves have to be dry, inorder for the oil dressing to cling to the leaves.
2. Mix the oil & acid together.
Usually , i will use slightly more acid for a more tangy flavour.
3. Toss the dressing into the leaves with hands,
shred the toasted bread into small pieces,
add whatever additional ingredient tat i feel like.
Enjoy~

Frozen Strawberries

Bought 2 large carton of fresh strawberries on thursday.
Yeah, kind greedy cos it was on promo!
I thought i wanted to make them into smoothie / ice pop.
But who knows my god-ma decided to pay me a visit.
So i cant take anything cold for the past few days.

Seeing that the beautiful strawberries are ripening
& turning soft fast in the fridge.
I decide to freeze them for later use.
Its really simple.
Just pluck off the green top, wash & dried.
Then place them in single row on baking tray, in to the freezer!

I have totally forgotten bout my strawberries in the freezer.
Only when we came back from the supermarket
with OVERFLOWING stash of food to be kept in our overstuffed fridge.
My brother ask "jiejie, ur strawberries still want or not?"
Then i magically remember that the berries are inside.

I took a peek at them, and thats when i truely understand,
Love at first sight!
The red berries look astoundingly pretty, with a coat of white ice, like snow.
How can anyone's mood not be lifted immediately upon seeing them!!
I was running like mad ard the hse, grabing my camera,
while screaming to chun & mum...
"Look, they're soooooooo pretty right"

Today while i'm resizing the photo for uploading,
i still smile to myself when i look at these photos..
They really are magical in lifting my mood!
Especially so on a moday, after a weekend of fun!

In the evening after our tepanyaki dinner.
I make another batch of smoothie with the array of
frozen fruits i have in my freezer after a week of loading.
Finally am i able to get the right consistency of a
smoothie that feels & tasted like my fav "Booster"... Yummy.

This is the first time im taking photo of somthing that melts sooooo fast.
Its so hard to take with the smoothie melting every second.
Every photo i took is like a pond,
more & more water in the next shot!! haha

Assorted fruit smoothie
1. 1 slice frozen watermelon
2. 1 frozen banana
3. 2 pc frozen strawberries
4. 1/4 cup ice
5. 1/4 cup mango juice
6. 2 tbsp yogurt
* yield enough for 2 glasses

Note to self:
1. Peel banana skin off next time before freezing, saves me the hassle of fiddling with the skin when its frozen hard!
2. Strawberries are powerful & strong tasting fruit, just a few pieces is enough for a loooong way. Dun be KS

Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Ice Pop

Since the weather is really really unbearable HOT & HUMID.
I have made these lovely & tangy popsicle.
The ingredient & process are real simple.
The result, ultimate bliss... with a tangy and smooth texture that chun love.

Ice pop are really easy to make.
And the ingredient readily availiable in singapore.
I used to have those ice pop mould,
which is the freebie with Ribena in my old house.
They were good and reliable.

But i threw them away when we moved like 5 yrs back.
Now, i'm feeling really guilty and i missed them... haha..
So i went in search of the perfect ice pop mould, but to no avail.
I even almost wanted to order a set from Amazon that cost ard $40bucks.
I know that he will definately KILL me if i did order that. haha.

Since we just got ourselves a new, more powerful blender for smoothie.
I thought making ice pop will only make more sense now!
And i cant spend more bucks on expensive & "high-tech" mould.
I'll have to make do with these cheap alternative from Daiso.
They cost only $2 for a set of 4mould.
The mould are those stick together so u can't use them individually.

After this exceedingly tasteful first batch of popsicle.
My mum have already feedback that,
"our family of 6, how to fight for 4 ice pop??"
Meaning = i'll have to go get another set to satisfy my family of 6!!!

Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Ice Pop
1. 1/2 cup fresh strawberries
2. 1/2 cup yogurt
3. 1/4 lemon (for taste)
4. 1 tbsp sugar
* Yield enough for 4 ice pop

Procedure
1. Blend all ingredient together till smooth.
2. Pour into mould, leaving a small space for expansion. Add slices of fresh fruits if desire
3. Freeze for at least 6hrs, enjoy!

Honey Chrysanthemum Tea

Weather is getting from bad to worst.
Firstly, it was the one day hot, the other day rain big time kinda weather.
Now, we have EXTREMELY HOT HOT HOT HOT weather only.
So I brewed some honey crysanthemum tea for family to take.

A short research on the net will tell you the various benefits of chrysanthemum tea.

1. Relive heatiness
2. Relieve headache
3. Treatment of cold, fever & flu
4. Clear vision

etc....... long list to go on.

Well, this is not the first time i'm brewing chrysanthemum tea.
But usually my tea will tend to have a slight bitter after taste.
Plus its a BIG hassle to have to strain out all the flower petals from the drink.

So this time round, I did some research and
with the help from some auntie from the medicinal store..
My tea taste great with no bitter after taste at all!
I also make it a point to use a cotton bag to store all the chrysanthemum flower
So removal of the flowers will not be a hassle.

The brewing method is also easy.
I boil big pot of water til boiling.
Then put in the bag of chrysanthemum bud into the water and let it seep for 15min.
After that remove the bag and add honey to taste.

*best to add honey when the water is lukewarm
as high heat can kill all the good stuff of the honey, esp the good honey

I read from some tea site that its best to brew chrysanthemum at 90deg water.
Thats why i didnt put the bag of chrysanthemum in and just let it boil.
This is what i usually do last time and i always end up with bitter tea.
Also, the auntie from the medicinal store told me that
chrysanthemum cannot be boiled for too long, if not will be bitter also.
Thus, I combined both advise..

I feel kinds wasteful that the chrysanthemum is being used for only 15-20min.
Maybe next time i will try to use it to seep another pot of chrysanthemum
or even use it for some other baking purposes!

Home made Fresh Button Mushroom Pizza

Impromptu decision to make fresh pizza for darling on saturday evening.
Its been a loooong time since i really get down making food,
other then dessert, for darling to eat.

So when i ask what he wanted to have for dinner on saturday.
He gave me a reply, which i already forgotten.
Instead i ask back " do u wanna have pizza? I can make."
Ecstatically, he replied "ALRIGHT!"
So we drove by Cold Storage in Anchorpoint to get the necessary stuff.

I have previously made pizza with the recipe
I learnt from Panasonic cookery lesson.
But that day, i wanted to try something else
cos i thought that wasnt a really fantastic recipe.

I google for "Jamie Oliver Pizza Base" straightway.
Cos i know, Jamie's recipe never FAILS me.
All the ingredients called for are simple everyday ingredient.
Steps are also very easy n relatively fast.

So we reach home n i started on my piza making frenzy.
Chun then called his sis to ask if they wanna join in the feasting session,
cos he thought i'll be making giantantic pizza!

Thus Cat n family came over to have a taste of the pizza,
and i gave kitty a hands-on lesson on rolling pizza dough.

The first base was slightly thick,
so i reduce the tickness for the subsequent bake.

Overall, the taste was fantastic!!!.....
Pile on my fav fresh button mushroom, chicken ham & tons of cheese.
I also bought a piece of fresh mozeralla that sets me back at $10/piece!

I half the recipe accordingly to Jamie's recipe.
Let the fresh dough to proof in the oven for close to 1hr / til double in size.
Then knead & shape it into base.
Bake the base at 250cel ard 4-5min.
Put on my fav topping & into the oven for another 4-5min, depending on size.
WALA~

Didnt have much time for photo shooting,
as the match btw Germany & Argentina is starting!!!!!!!!!
and i's sooooo hungry, i just gobble the pizza up,
almost entirely.
Had to make another one for chun, haha...

Guiding Kitty to roll out the base

Tomato paste

Topsy Turvy

1st try at Topsy Turvy Cake

Tiresome weekend.
Took off on Sat to start on Dongyou cake that morning.
But cat called n inform that DY will be
selecting the calculator & drumstick procedure for his 1st bday.
So after researching for barely 30min,
i prep to go over to Cat house.

Went back in the afternoon n check the supplies i need to get for the cake.
Darling drove me Chip Bee garden to get the Varlhona's chocolate
& some supplies from PH.
Reach home & start immediately on my marshmellow fondant.
I tested the fondant during the week earlier on.
Made 2 batch of it then prep to follow mum to dinner at Grand Shanghai.

Reach home from the dinner only close to 12am!!!
Cos of the bad jam on PIE.
Start the cake baking immediately & ask darling to help out.
I counted that i need to bake at least one 9' & three 6'.
The baking only finish at 4.30am!!!

Woke up at 8am the next morning to continue with the assembly
& making of cakepop.
Didnt finish the whole cake til its close to 1pm!
Rush over to Cat house for cake cutting.
So didnt really manage to take a very good photo of the cake at home.

The fondant start sweating soon after i covered the cake.
Kinda diasterious, but nonetheless,
manage to stay upright throughtout the whole event, lol.
Told chun the next time i wanna try layering with a layer of marzipan
before i drap the fondant over.
And i MUST start at least 2 days earlier next time to avoid the rush.

The chocolate cake, as its name was, was really very very rich.
Cos i use up almost 500g of 55% cocoa for all the cakes & chocolate ganache.
I will try out alternating layer of vanilla & chocolate next time!
Will definately look prettier.

Literally, a very very sweet 1st birthday

Rush over to Geralyn 1st month at 3.30 like this,
she've grown so much!
Look so different from the time she was born,
I hope she'll grow up healthy & happy!

Geralyn loves my red pentax as much as i do,
she smile almost instantaneously chun when he took out to take photo of her

Mothers' Day Cheese Portion

Bake a batch of Cheese Portion for
Mothers' Day celebration at Ah Ma house.
As i was out with mum, so i missed the party they have over there.
Made my presence felt with my cheese portion... haha..

Anyway these are the same recipe i have always bake.
This time using Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Paste.
They are differnt from the vanilla extract i have previously used.
The paste contain many little specks from the vanilla pod.
I like the way how it adds a litle "sparkle" to my otherwise plain cheese.

But the draw-off is that, ppl that dun know,
may simply think that the cheese is contminated with some dirty stuff!!!

Note: Bisquit base was not so aromatic n nice with cream cracker, seems like Jacob's taste better then the traditional one this time round.