Archive for the ‘Bonding : Food’ Category

I bought a new Rice Cooker two weeks ago when I saw it on sales at BEST Denki. It is a Panasonic Microcomputer Rice Cooker with many functions.

Have been wondering how I use the CAKE function since I have been baking quite often recently but never with a RICE COOKER.

Until I came across this blog post on how to bake cake using Rice Cooker at LittleInboxRecipe.

[I omitted the mango yogurt from the recipe and added some vanilla essence.]

TA-DA! This is what I got after selecting 25 minutes of baking using CAKE function. Hee…maybe I am a DINO to know, only after I get my new rice cooker, that I can bake with it.  Even my mom thought I baked it with oven.

Fast and hassle free. Next time, I will let our boys do the baking with the rice cooker instead *hee*.

And I am definitely trying out other flavours of cake eg. our favourite banana cake with the RICE COOKER.

Came across an interesting youtube video on Phua Chu Kang’s advertisement for Toshiba Rice Cooker to bake cake.

Amazing functions that electronic applicances can perform nowadays.

[By the way, this is not a paid advertorial for any brand of rice cooker].

Having to work full-time, cooking has never been a priority in my life.

Having a dad who loves cooking and moreover is a fantastic cook, I have a good excuse not to even step into the kitchen for more than 15 minutes each time.

Lately, however, I realise that something is missing in my motherhood if I do not even know how to cook a tasty meal. It is also a pity not to inherit the secret recipe of my dad (although I admit I must master many more years of his skills before I can be anywhere near his). For my mom, she is not encouraged to cook because she has a husband who can cook well and always chases her away from the gas stove but I do not have common excuse:(

So, I started on a cooking adventure (with my dad’s recipe and picking up tips from other’s cook recipe) and then slowly overtime, I am getting more interested:)

[Note: Why adventure? Cos' it entails alot of exploring eg. the amount of seasonings and timing, taste buds of each family member, treatment of ingredients, bearing with that raw seafood smell. Fortunately, for me, it is a pull factor for me to try out as Papa Ed has no expectations of me to step into the kitchen after a tiring stretch of working days and I guess that makes cooking for me enjoyable i.e when I am attracted to do it than be forced to. I am one stubborn lady. I don't like being forced. Haha:)]

I admit that it is tiring for 1 person to prepare the ingredients for the dishes, cook them, wash all the pots and pans and clean the kitchen.

But. The happy faces of our boys and the progressively higher marks that they are giving me - is making the efforts all worth it.

[Yeah. Mom also gets assessed for her culinary skill, okay? *haha*]

Now, I truly understand why my mom and dad will say to us during every meal :” Eat More. Eat More” and the pride my dad has, to share with me his recipe *hee*.

[Haha! I am behaving like I am compiling a gongfu manual except that mine is a manual of seasonings and ingredients:)].

and…..

For cooking parents, there is a strong sense of fulfilment and satisfaction having family members finishing up the dishes and telling us to cook more of that next time.

Do you agree?

When some friends heard that I am starting to cook, they thought that I am referring to my noodle soup stuff.

Ahem! So, I told them “Don’t look down on me because I am referring to a meal with a few dishes, as in a combination of marinating the raw meat, stir frying, boiling, steaming and deep frying.”

My dad actually challenges me that he would foresee me quiting to cook after one or two sessions. Still, I am going strong after a few weeks *keke*.

While they still struggle to believe that this career woman, who fancies only her dad’s food and restaurant delicacies, is actually cooking with the little available time that she has - a decent meal…..

Yes. I am happily experimenting more dishes:)

I only hope that our boys and man at home do not mind the lousy cooking for the time being.

Cos’ mommy is still in the process of making every homecooked meal taste better.

Practice makes perfect. Right?

As I end here…I am rushing off to prepare the ingredients for today’s lunch *smile*.

Familiar with the Nestle MILO beverage - that combination of chocolate and malt powder?

MILO has become a part of our family’s life.

For me, I do not usually consume coffee and tea since young and MILO, MILK and CEREAL have become my daily hot beverage companions.

Whoa! So our dependence on MILO has come a long way.

Now, MILO has very much become a part of Darren’s life.

He will have his share of MILO in the morning, another share as supper and then sometimes another share in school.

Ha!Ha! I didn’t know that MILO has such an impact on his life till I came across his “MILO and Other Stories” a few weeks ago *lol*.

It’s a cute narration although the English might not be perfect. So, he has put his passion for MILO into writing.  If MILO has a creative writing competition, Darren might win a prize *grin*

Hee…Enjoy reading, just like I did :)

“One day a little boy came out of his house and when to buy some milo but his mother don’t allow him to buy because he always drink milo.

In the morning he dring 15 milo and the afternoon he also drink 15 milo, Evening he also drink 15 milo.

The next day, he went to the park he saw a man drinking 20 milo, five milo more than him.

Sudenly, a thief steals all the milo.  2 people wanted to chase him but they can’t catch him. 

A clever person go use a string and pull the milo but he is going to seat a jet plain, he is very near but the string manage to pull the milo after the string pull the milo the jet plain fly away.

everybody was happy they thank the clever man. ”

 - End of story -

[BTW, this is NOT an advertorial.]