The Pink Pomegranate

 

What’s this?!!!!

Hee hee, this is a very unique online hamper shop that a very good friend of mine set up.  I’m not getting commission for introducing her ’shop’, merely helping.  What’s the different between this and other hamper shop?  Here’s a little info about them direct from their “About” page:

“Are you looking for a gift that is a refreshing alternative to the traditional wine and flower baskets? We offer a variety of upscale selections for you, whether fun, elegant, or unusual gift hampers

…

We carry the finest selections in our hampers – natural as well as organic foods and spa products for babies and adults, and the best quality clothing and toys for the young ones, carefully selected for maximum comfort and safety.

You will be bowled over by our fine products from The Face Shop, Badger Balms, California Baby, Earth’s Best, EO spa products, Mothercare , Gund toys, Thorncroft, Thomas Kemper, Kettle, Tyrrell’s, The Chocolat Factory (delectable gourmet chocolates in gorgeous packaging from Spain) and more!”

Plus, a comment from ME: My friend is a very very nice lady who gives excellent service, and, she does customising too!  So, if you’re looking for a hamper gift with a different, check them out.

The Pink Pomegranate

 

He is enjoying his piano lessons

E may not be musically inclined, in fact, he sings out of tune.  (Z can sing reasonably well without being out of tune.)

But, surprisingly, he really enjoys his piano.  He looks forward to every lesson, so much so that he said he dreamt about it last night!  And this week he actually practised happily without having me to remind him.

I’m not trying to train a great musician in my household, but I just thought learning an instrument is a great hobby to pick up.  And I’m glad that E is catching on to it. 

Insecurity complex? Or I’m just normal?

My helper is very nice.  She is hardworking, tolerance (I’m a fussy boss! ), easily contented, not demanding, responsible, honest, mature, etc… She loves my children and take care of them well too.  Basically, what I’m trying to say is, I’m very please to have her as my live-in help.  Even many friends who know her think that she is very nice.

But but but… the monster side of me can get really uneasy when my children play with her too closely, ie, as if she is their mother!  This is really unavoidable since my hubby is usually oversea, and this left with me and my helper being the only 2 adults in the house.

So, for families out there with domestic helpers, I wonder how do you feel when you see your children SUPER close to your helper?  Do you get…. jealous????

I know I should be glad, cause if the children like (love) her, this means that she has been nice to the children, and I should be glad about it.

But, on the other hand, every adult surrounding my children are Mr and Ms Goodie, while here, ME, is the one who is strict and is constantly behind their backs barking and disciplining them!  That makes me the joy-killer, and Ms Bad Guy!  And, I hate that.  How I really wish I don’t have to be the “discipline master” in the house.

So…. How????  Sigh……

After months of struggle, well, I decided that: why should I be so insecured?  I should be confident and secured about myself in my role as the children’s mother.  Afterall, I’m the one who is hands-on, from feeding, bathing, reading, teaching, outings, etc.  And I should be glad that they have someone else who loves and cares for them in the house.  In fact, I should be thankful about it.

~~~ Eve, Happy 3rd year with me.  Thanks for being my great helper ~~~

White Bread Recipe for Breville Breadmaker

Yes, I got my breadmaker.  But, has all breads made so far been yummy?  – NO!!!!!

Like what my sister-in-law told me, bread recipes for a particular breadmaker may not work for another brand.  And this is so true!

Anyway, I finally got the combination right for MY Breville breadmaker!

Here’s a recipe for Basic White Bread.  I will post its variations as I try more along the way.

Pictured here is actually Cheese Herb Bread.

BASIC WHITE BREAD

Makes full pan.

Ingredients:

• Milk – 250ml (warmed)
• Water – 50ml (warmed)
• Butter – 60g (melted)
• Salt – 1 tsp (I put slightly lesser cause I prefer it less salty)
• Sugar – 2 tbsp
• Bread flour -450g
• Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) – 250mg (I use normal Vitamin C pills and crush it)
• Yeast – 2 1/4 tsp

Method:

1. Pour Ingredients into bread pan according to sequence.
2. Selet “Basic” and choose Light Crust.
3. When the cycle completes and the crust is not baked to desired, select the bake only and bake for another 5 minutes.

Note:

• Do not open the lid when the dough is rising.
• When the cycle completes, take the bread out immediately to prevent shrinking and sweating of bread.
• If the bread is to be consumed for more than 1 day, do not over bake it cause overbaking it will cause the bread to be too hard on the 2nd day.  In fact, stop the baking if it is browned enough before the time is up. (This is something I learnt the hard way.)

PS: I noticed there are quite a handful of reader who reach me when searching for bread recipe for Breville Breadmaker.  So this post is really for YOU if you found my blog this way.

What will it be like when he is 12?

There is this 12 yo girl in my neighborhood who is pretty close to me and will confide in me things that her mum doesn’t even know.  So why is she telling me and not her mum?  Why are both of them having such a hard time getting along with each other?  I know her mum certainly loves her, but unfortunately, she can’t see it.  I also know the girl has needs that are not met by her mum, but, the mum can’t understand those needs.  Today, the girl even told me “Aunty, how I wish you are my mum.”

It really saddens me.  Even at this point when I write, I can feel my heart wrench for both of them.  How sad will the mum be if she hears this, and how deep is the girl’s longing for her mum to understand her.  I really wish to mediate, but I know I have to do so very carefully else it may backfire.

This pair got me thinking about how will it be like when my children are at that age.  Despite all the time, efforts, energy and love poured out upon our children, will they see the love we have for them, or will they think that we don’t understand them and don’t love them?

Wisdom wisdom wisdom…. I need God’s wisdom in this parenting journey.

Another one moved

At this moment, I’m feeling a little solemn.  Another friend is now on the plane back to her hometown in States today.  Nice and inspiring lady, plus E gets along with her son very well.

Why didn’t I meet up with her more?

Why did I forget to give her a call this last few days?

What’s wrong with my memory!!??? I’m forgetting to do so many things!!!

While I really love and enjoy knowing people from various part of the world, but it is always so sad when we have to say good-bye – yikes… I hate goodbye… Shall we say “See you”.

As Singapore become more cosmopolitan, I know I have to get used to this and expect such to happen more.  Someday, I have to fulfill one of my wishes I made for the 2nd half of my life – ie, visit all my international friends.

“See you K, R and N.  Will see you again.”

Chinese Books at National Library

 

These are the kind of Chinese books I found from our National Libraries.  Were I blind or what? I never noticed that our NLB carries Chinese books translated from the English version.

So, with the high inflation rate now, looks like my trips to Maha Yu Yi Bookstore will be greatly reduced since I can borrow these types of Chinese books from the library.

BUT – you do need to look a little bit harder to find them though.

Going to library is much more fruitful now than before.  E now appreciate it better.  He used to go to the library to play the computers there!  I was so mad with it that I put a total stop to it and ban him from touching any of the computers. 

Actually, at times, a little bit of insistance from our side is necessary.  Cause since than, E goes to the library not for the computers, but for the books.  And he looks forward to every trip there.  I no longer need to select books for him, but he will just go around looking for the books he like.

E’s current craze is Enid Blyton’s The Secret Seven and Famous Five.  I certainly prefer Enid’s books of such genre than those about wizards, magics, weird stuffs.  My only complain is: the NLB’s collection over at the branch near our home is not a lot.

Banana Milk Shake

 

When top up with a scoop of ice-cream, this banana milk shake may not be that healthy   but, at least it is nutritious, not boring, and the children love it.

How::: (Serve 1)

1 Banana – Got to be the Del Monte or Dole, cannot use the asian “pang chio” cause the banana will end up grayish black.

1/2 cup milk

1 scoop of ice-cream

Blend banana and milk together.  Top it up with a scoop of ice-cream in any desired flavor.  To make it a little more attractive, decorate with chocolate rice.  I personally don’t like to use colored chocolate rice cause I find the taste very artificial.

Beauty

One do not need a scenic place to enjoy the beauty of sunset.  Anytime, anywhere, even in a concrete jungle like Singapore, we can still enjoy its wonder.  All we need to do, is to slow down in the midst of the hustle and bustle, and look at the sky.

SImply love how the sunset today made us felt like we were looking at a portion of a giant rainbow.

Wild Wild Wet and Escape Theme Parks

The WildWildWet & Escape theme parks been around in Singapore for quite some time, and I have the impression that they are very crowded.  Being one who hates crowd, it has never dawn upon me to go to these 2 places.  But today, we went at last, but a little reluctantly on my end.

Brave and Adventurous Z

Today, Z has certainly shown fearlessness.  At Escape, she took the Family Coaster without knowing how fast it can be.  Though she was very shock at the end of it, she didn’t cry at all.  The only thing she said immediately when it stopped was “I want to get out”, and in a very calm manner.  I expected her to wail actually.

Before we left the park, the children wanted to take the Choo Choo Train.  I thought Z would be scared after the previous ride, but, she proved otherwise.  Happily hopped on the train and enjoyed the ride.

Escape

In my opinion, this park is way over-priced and over-rated.  My 6 and coming 4yo do not have many rides that are suitable for them.

The memory of the accident at Escape that happened years ago still send chills down my spine, and doesn’t really give me enough confidence to go on their rides.  A witness of a near accident today at the Go-Kart Track makes me even more unwilling to do anything more than the kiddy rides.

Wild Wild Wet

It is even cheaper than Escape, and certainly more worth the price.  

Both EZ wre hesitant about the slides, but by the end of the time there, they took up the courage and went on a few rounds.  For Z, her favorite is to hold on to the swimming ring and flow along the Shiok River.

I have to give tuition in the afternoon, as such, we didn’t have much time here, else we would have explored a few more things there.

Review

I may not like it, but, the children certainly loves both park.  Our trips there were free today, but if I have to pay for it, I will visit Wild Wild Wet again, but not Escape.