Recently, I had to go back to the kitchen again and cook for the whole family. Okay, not true. I HAD to cook for 2 little people and then figure out lunch and dinner for myself and the Hubby.

In the end, I just cooked for everyone Easier that way, isn’t it?

Anyway, I had a lot of fun cooking for my baby girl especially as I was curious to see if she’s anything like her fussy big brother.

Interestingly, she’s just as particular about the quality of her food but she’s got a totally different appetite and palate:

• She just loves to eat! Seriously, I have to make sure everything I need (food, bowl, spoon, wet cloth, bib) is ready BEFORE I show her the bowl or even mention the word “mum-mum” or “porridge”. The minute she sees the magic bowl or hears the magic word, she’ll stretch out her arms, bounce up and down on her highchair and YELL at her Mum to hurry up LOL
• She prefers a variety of food. Unlike her brother who will stick to one favourite, this little missy prefers a buffet. She’s definitely like me because I get bored eating the same food everyday unless it’s a comfort food…
• She likes the savoury over the sweet. This has to be the most interesting finding because she simply HATES sweet potatoes, which her brother loves even till now.  The one time I pureed them for her, she blew raspberries at each spoonful. I tried mixing rice in them to make it a bit more bland. Nope. PFFFFFFFTTTTT!!!

What else has she tried? (6 months)

• Pureed red Gala apple – OK
• Pureed banana – OK, mixed with rice cereal – OK
• Pureed papaya – OK
• Pureed avocado – to come! Her brother loved them previously
• ??? (to update later)

Here are some simple recipes I prepared in a week (7 months):

PUREED POTATO AND CARROT
I just steamed the potato and carrot and then pureed it with a hand blender. Yum, yum!

PUREED POTATO WITH RICE AND BROCOLLI
Boil the potato until soft (use a fork to prick its center). Then, add the brocolli but remove it from the pot when it’s tender yet still green. Add the rice and boil until the grains split.

Ahhh…an empty bowl is what the Cook loves best (The hand blender didn’t blend everything smoothly. Or maybe it’s the Cook’s fault hahaha)

PUREED CHICKEN + POTATO + + CELERY + TOMATO
Youprobably guessed that I’d turned lazy at this point Yup, I went back to my trusty slow cooker or crockpot and made my usual chicken, celery, potato and tomato soup.

Then, I scooped up the portion for the baby and set it aside before seasoning the rest with salt. Soup-based purees are my favourite foods to serve the baby because they are so flavourful, wholesome and nutritious!

Yes, the little angel loved every bit of it

MASHED POTATO WITH BROCOLLI
The recipe for the mashed potato was given in a government clinic leaflet and I thought it was delicious – margarine blended with a boiled potato. I added the brocolli for health’s sake LOL

Unfortunately, both the baby and the brother HATED it! I had to turn to dry rice cereal with milk as a back-up Hubby lapped up the mashed potato to prevent a Mummy mutiny hahaha.

Looks like I’ll need to experiment with other Western-type recipes (and minus the brocolli unless it’s called for) to see which ones will suit the little princess and the little prince…

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Recently, I was left at home alone with 3 kids and had to think up of a quick lunch for all of us.Rummaging around my kitchen cabinets, I found this pack of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

Hubby bought it in case we were to travel again. Mac and cheese is one of the three non-Chinese dishes (No. 2 is spaghetti bolognaise and No. 3 is chicken nuggets) our picky eater will eat…

He calls it “maca-nohni”

A fresh food fan, I’m very, very skeptical of product packaging like the above i.e. a glossy photo of “shiny, cheesy macaroni and cheese”.

In reality, WHICH dried or canned food have you tried that looks exactly as it’s pictured on the package???

The cooking instructions called for the addition of some milk, which I thankfully had in my fridge.

Now, I knew the “cheesiest” wasn’t going to look like anything yummy but I was utterly disgusted to find the cheese powder looking like this (I felt so bad having to feed my kid THIS!!!):

What’s worse, the macaroni and cheese turned an awful, sickly-looking mustard yellow when it bubbled up in the pan. Ewww…

(The other bits are chunks of chicken breast I’d tossed in for added protein)

Ok, saucy remarks aside, what did the Cheesiest Macaroni and Cheese taste like?

Surprisingly good! (I need a cynical-looking Smiley here)

Trust me, I was still skeptical as I thoughtfully chewed the 2-3 spoonfuls of the instant mac n cheese. But, hey, it’s really quite nice when it’s hot. Oh, dear…

The boy liked it and actually finished a whole bowl of it on his own without my having to lecture, yell or call his name again and again LOL

As much as I still dislike it, I’m afraid Kraft’s “Cheesiest” Macaroni and Cheese will be added to our luggage should we go to a place where there is no fish, rice, tofu, spaghetti bolognaise or chicken nuggets! At least my little boy’s assured of a hot meal in his tummy, right? Right?!

Kraft promoted a “wholegrain”version of this Mac n Cheese at the back of the box. I don’t mind looking out for it to see if it’s a “healthier” version, well, as healthy as instant, dried food can be…

Note: As with any instant food, you HAVE to eat it while it’s hot. Once it’s cooled down, the “plasticky” texture and taste is a big bite of reality in your butt

Enjoy the maca-nohni!

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If you are young and single and Chinese, I bet you are relieved that the Spring Festival (or the Chinese New Year) is over, especially the family reunion

Why?

If you’re like MOST young Chinese folks with doting and greying parents (not to mention the grinning, inciting aunties and uncles AND that smug cousin who’s married with a son…) you’d probably endured situations like these:

Suggest situations you can meet with other young people
“Why don’t you go for a cruise? Summer is a nice time. You can stop at various ports and make new friends. Many youngsters go for cruises nowadays as you don’t need to check your luggage in/out of airports when you visit different cities.

You can eat, dance, swim and gamble any time you want – it’s so easy to find someone who shares the same interests as you! Did you know that Mrs. Huang’s son met his wife on a cruise?”

Try to set you up
“I know a nice girl / boy and I’m sure you’ll like him or her. Why don’t the two of you go for a movie? ‘Contract Lovers’ will be perfect for blind dates!” (groan)

If you resist, then your mother and father will have A TALK with you!

The talk
“Boy/girl, we are getting old. Your old father has to see the doctor every month now – he has gallstones, piles, a bad back etc He has to go to the toilet every hour.

Me (big sigh) I don’t know how long I can last either…see the liver spots on your mother’s old hands?

I know you are still young. I know you are working very hard to become a success.

But our arms are aching from stretching out time and time again to hold our grandchildren…”[BIG SIGH]

In China, the pressure is unbelievably high that desperate kids will go to the extent of renting a boyfriend/girlfriend for the Spring Festival!

Check out this New York times article on renting a boyfriend. Or this amazing ad mentioned in this online site:

Willing to pay 300 RMB a day for a girlfriend to take home with me for the Spring Festival
Time: February 11th to February 15th
Age: 25 to 30 years old
She gets to keep any lucky money relatives might give her, but she’ll have to cooperate fully and not arouse suspicion…

Anyone looking for a pretty Korean girlfriend? I’m available!

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Hello! I’m terribly, terribly, terribly sorry for not posting the past 2 months. If you’ve been following my other blog, you’ll know that I’ve just had a baby.

Of course, I’ve also had my Mum cooking dinner almost every night thus I didn’t need to dig up recipes or slave in the kitchen for home-cooked food LOL

Anyway, my Chinese confinement lady (who is with me for 2 months) will be leaving soon. She has been an amazing woman – one because she’s a whiz at whipping up delicious dishes!

What’s more, she’s not selfish about sharing her recipes.

For lunch today, she cooked a simple fishball soup made of 100% fish, which Hubby mentioned growing up with because my mother-in-law is another super housewife.

This blog post is to record this simple but yummy recipe. I’m one of the most terrible housewives but I hope that I’ll be able to try this out some day because both Hubby and my boy love fishballs.

INGREDIENTS
3 medium sized tenggiri (Hokkien=beh kah) fish
1 bowl of salt water (with 1/2 tsp salt added)
1 tbs cornflour / tapioca flour
1 egg white
1 stalk spring onion

METHOD
1. Make fish fillet: Remove the fish from the bones. Using a spoon, scrape the fish off the skin to produce a plate of fish meat.

2. Put fish meat into a blender to make fish paste. Add the salt water and the egg white to form a smooth paste as smooth as this:

(If you’re chopping the fish by hand, chop until the fish meat doesn’t stick to the cleaver. Add the salt water and egg white alternately and gradually. Mix the paste using a scoop-and-toss method until you get a smooth fish paste)

3. Form fishballs according to preferred size. Make chicken soup (boiling water with a chicken carcass). Put mustard leaves in and then add fishballs to the soup when bubbles rise.

Fishballs are cooked when they float to the top. Serve and watch everyone tuck in

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Oct 1 was China’s National Day (guo qing jie) and for 2009, China chose to showcase its armed forces in their full glory at Tian’anmen Square, culminating in the unveiling of its “giant nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles.”

The camouflage nuclear missiles, riding on 18 launch vehicles, rumbled past Tian’anmen Square and were reviewed by Chinese leaders and foreign guests.

The parade, marking the 60th anniversary (1949-2009) of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, reached a crescendo of excitement when the gigantic vehicles, each had 20 wheels, came to the center stage, carrying “remarkable symbols” of China’s defense muscle.

(Photos of the missiles are at: Xinhua News)

I wish that I were still in China to watch the national day parade on TV because we don’t have CCTV here and anyway, you get to see more through the local TV stations!

*****

When we first arrived in China, I didn’t know what to expect living in a Communist country. After all, life here is pretty normal.

When I saw the Chinese version of the “Uncle Sam Wants YOU” recruitment (or promotion?) poster, I was unfazed.

I was still cool when I see the occasional side car (or the Hummer below) on the streets when I go grocery shopping…

But I *was* impressed when I flipped through CCTV channels and found that they had a MILITARY channel! Not sure if it’s FOR the military or BY the military but the news broadcast focused on military updates mostly.

I love men in uniform but the male broadcaster doesn’t have the Richard Gere, John Travolta or Tom Cruise appeal

In comparison, the female news broadcaster looks pretty dishy . Don’t let the pretty face fool you – she could be just as lethal as Uma Thurman’s character in “Kill Bill”!

Then, I started to notice “military-themes” in everyday scenes around us e.g. the firemen gathered for a drill with 2-3 fire engines near some apartment blocks.

The boy’s preschool even held TWO fire drills (with a fire engine AND firemen) within just 6 months! When was the last time you experienced a fire drill with all the works?

(By the way, the fire chief approached me when I was snapping the photos on my mobile phone. I told him that my little boy LOVES fire engines and after showing him my photos, he relaxed and smiled. And yes, the boy demanded to see the fire engines AGAIN and AGAIN for at least a week!)

If you were impressed with the SUPER STRAIGHT files of the National Day parade, what do you think of these files below by supermarket staff? Every Monday, a flag-raising ceremony is held at major supermarkets and some organizations – we’d only have it in schools, right? They take it VERY SERIOUSLY.

*****

One day, Hubby’s colleague gave us a lift back home and I had the chance to walk through the underground carpark. Nothing interesting, right?

That is until you have to walk through THIS door to get upstairs.

The men were cool (they see it everyday) but when, I saw this, I was like:

“Oh my God! That’s a bloody door to a vault! The underground carpark is a bomb shelter!!!”

That’s when I realized just how “military” this Communist country is.

I see strong attempts to influence the children from young. My tall and highly-active boy is strongly encouraged in his physical activities (potential soldier!) at preschool.

I was amazed by his fascination with the Monday flag-raising ceremony in preschool (I hope it’s just a phase!). On the first day we were there, he immediately went to join the 4 “selected” older children who stood ramrod straight with their eyes raised before the flag!!!

The Principal just glowed with pride and went on to emphasize that ONLY the good, obedient children had the opportunity to stand there. She explained that this “xiao peng you” is still small but is already a good example

Seeing this, you can bet I hid away these military-themed Chinese preschool colouring books.

CHILDREN’S PLAYGROUND

We found this children’s playground by chance and I was dumb-struck by this “mini commando training ground”!

There was a slide and a tunnel but this tyre ladder? Looks very much like something from an army obstacle race or training course!

My little “Spiderman” was attracted to this chain ladder and wanted me to help him up it.

Despite it being quite tricky, he could climb up the chain ladder barefoot and he was encouraged by his first attempt to climb it again and again.

But I was tired and just wanted to sit and relax so I shoo-ed him towards the slide and tunnel where the kids were playing LOL

This must be where the current and future Olympic gold medalist gymnasts started their training!

I don’t like military-themes e.g. dressing children up in fatigues or letting them join in military-like activities e.g. Canada’s Kiddie Commando Exhibit.

Why and how could anyone market the military lifestyle as “fun” when there are child soldiers in countries like Afghanistan and Palestine???

An episode of “Army Wives” is enough to make one appreciate the challenges they face.

After a while, I started to accept the strong military presence as a part of our daily lives – the crime rate is low although it rises during the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) but we seldom hear of snatch thieves or break-ins.

Crime is still there e.g. rape, robberies and kidnapping but the incidence is low and the culprits are usually apprehended quickly based on the updates I hear from my Chinese-speaking friends.

*****

An Army officer lives on our floor and he is a fine example of one who “serves to protect and maintain the harmony”. One night, the boy was being *extra naughty* at dinner time i.e. not coming when I call and not eating what I fed. Hey, my cooking ain’t THAT bad.

Since the hot food was cooling down in the cold weather and I got so mad I threw him out of the apartment (we can still see him through the iron grille)! He started crying and I asked if he was going to eat his dinner when the Army officer appeared, checking on a potential case of child abuse…

The boy freaked out because the Army officer is tall and big and still in uniform! I opened the door quickly to let him in as he scrambled into my arms. Our neighbour was smiling but I told him:

“He’s being very naughty not to eat his dinner. Actually, he’s afraid of you now because he thinks you’re the police coming to catch him!”

Hearing this, he smiled apologetically and backed off, assuring the kid not to be afraid, told him to be good and that he’s leaving now. Hahaha, you can bet the boy behaved during during dinner that week

But I’ve also witnessed the Army’s brute force in implementing the law on the street vendors. Some of these errant small businesses extend their their goods’
display onto the common area i.e. the pedestrian walkway.

One day, I was shopping for something when I heard loud shouting and the shop owners frantically dragging or pushing the metal frames displaying bags, hair clips, clothes etc into their shop area.

Stepping outside, I saw army personnel, with a senior Private (?) leading the way, pushing down the metal frames that could not be rescued in time roughly onto the ground. They were also loudly shouting at the shop owners and writing out fines…

I’m all for law and order and the shop owners ARE in the wrong for obstructing the walkway with their goods but I didn’t like the way they handled them. But then, how do you handle stubborn people? The metal frames were back on the street the next time I went there!

While I felt relatively safer in China, I’m not sure I’d like to live under military rule. How about you? How do you feel?

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