Our Quiet Sunday

I haven't been a good parent, in fact, far from it, as I busy myself with so many activities everyday, I have failed to really just being with my children... completely focused on them and give them my full attention.

Very often, I'll find myself distracted by a book, being on the internet, checking mail through my smart phone while being physically with them, I've not truly been with them, you know what I mean?!

I've decided that I want to be with them, physically, emotionally and mentally... being with them for I realized they are growing too quickly and time just flashed past so swiftly... it wouldn't be long before I will not be able to enjoy such moments (as much) with them once they start formal schooling. 

I truly want to treasure these moments I have with them hence I put away everything (all distractions), just to be with them! This was a record of our day on Sunday (27th Nov 2011).

Our day started with the kids requesting to do some painting...an activity we haven't done in months!!! (read: lazy mama doesn't want to do all the cleaning up so no painting activities was allowed)

I realized my children don't really have to be at a mall or some expensive gym or any form of paid children's activities to be happy. 

An hour of bicycle ride and fun at the playground is good enough to satisfy them :) 

Since our TV broke down some 2-3 months ago, the kids have been "trained" to live without watching TV. They have been given time on the computer only on the weekends to play educational games and watch some videos. This was their computer time after lunch today :)

On pockets of free time, we read books together (me reading aloud) and occasionally, if Little Man was in the mood he'll read aloud to me and his sister :) It's so nice to be read to (I can take the back seat and relax).

Snack today was home made pop corn made on the Happy Call Pan :)

It was home learning time after dinner and am heartened the kids were enthusiastic about home learning most of the time when I whip out the workbooks and other learning materials.

It was more play time just before bed time and look at that happy face? I am content that the time spent with them today has been fruitful and the bonding has drawn our relationship closer.

We don't need to have too much material or monetary gain to be happy and I am thankful that I've been so richly blessed!

More Happy Call Yummies on Video

Here are another few more videos I've made recently :) it is sheer fun to make these videos. Hope they will inspire you one way or another :)

Proud Moment

If ever there's a moment I am proud of being a mother besides the first time I ever carried my two babies, it'd be when I watched them on stage during their annual year end concert.

I can't remember when I was so easily moved to tears besides after being a mother... every little achievement that my kids accomplished would make me rejoice with glee. I suppose motherhood has its effects on me... as I watched those graduating kids, I'd feel emo, even though it wasn't my child who's graduating.

I love being a mother it's brought me so much joy which I cannot describe while there may be frustrating moments but the joy definitely surpasses it all! :)

Here's a little video clip of my two kiddos... it's a mark of how much my little ones have grown and definitely a moment I wish to treasure forever!

Happy Call Yummies - On Video

I have been thinking of video-ing the food preparation process using the Happy Call Pan for a while now but have been procrastinating. Recently, someone in the Happy Call Pan Facebook Group asked if anyone would share videos of food prepared on the Happy Call Pan, that kinda triggered the decision to put my idea into actions :)

So here are two short 3-mins video clip I've made, demonstrating the how to's and what to's of making Char Siew (grilled pork) and chicken capsicum dish. Hope it'll be of some help to you too :)

Happy Call Yummies - Yakitori Chicken Meat Balls

The problem with me is, I have too many interests/hobbies/activities I want to do/accomplish (if I can do them all at the same time, I would!) thereby, it's quite hard for me to be focused (that's a serious flaw, I know). I've promised to put up this recipe since weeks ago and I am only finally sitting down to type it out now.

Yakitori, one of my FAVOURITE Japanese food especially those bought from food courts where it's grilled right in front of you and ready to be consumed anytime. My only grouse with that is it's far too salty and I'd often end up very thirsty after eating it.

I saw someone shared the yakitori chicken recipe in the HappyCall Pan group in Facebook a while back and decided to make these yakitori chicken meat balls instead *smile* 

It's definitely no rocket science in making these chicken meat balls, all it takes is time and patience :)

It was tasty and the kids love it, I didn't want the teriyaki sauce to over power the natural taste of the meat and vegetable therefore I used the sauce quite sparingly. 

Here's how to prepare this:

Ingredients 

1 pack of minced chicken meat, approximately 300gms (bought from the super mart) or you may buy chicken breast and process it into minced chicken meat.

1 small green capsicum; 1 small red capsicum, sliced.

1 egg (whisked)

1/2 cup Dried bread crumbs (panko)

2tsp Corn Flour

2tsp Plain Flour

1/2 tsp salt

Dash of pepper

2 inches ginger grated

Bamboo Skewers

Yakitori Sauce -

4 Tbsp Sake

3 Tbsp Shoyu (Japanese soya sauce)

4 Tbsp Mirin

3 Tbsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Corn Starch blend in 1tsp Water

Method

1) Place the minced chicken meat into a big mixing bowl, add in whisked egg, dried bread crumbs, corn flour, plain flour, salt and pepper mix and combine well.

2) Roll the meat mixture into small balls

3) Boil a saucepan of water and squeeze the ginger juice out of the grated ginger into the boiling water

4) Place the chicken meat balls in the boiling water for approximately 7mins or cook till the meat balls change colour and float to the surface. Scoop it out and set it aside on kitchen paper towels.

5) Thread the chicken meat balls into the skewers; add capsicum slices in between the meat balls.

6) Brush the yakitori sauce onto the meat balls before placing it into the Happy Call Pan.

7) Pour about 1-2tbsp of the yakitori sauce into the pan before placing the meat balls into the pan

8) Grill the meat balls for 4-5mins, on medium low heat (with lid closed) on one side before turning the meat balls to the other side and continue to grill for another 4-5mins.

9) Serve warm and sprinkle some sesame seeds onto the yakitori; you may serve with more yakitori sauce

Oishi! :) Have fun!

For The Hungry Children

The title of this post seemed like an irony to the fact that I've been sharing so much about food lately. I've totally taken it for granted that there will always be food for our next meal or next snack, so we're covered! However, I was reminded through the news of world disasters, wars, pestilences have caused a severe lack of food in the world. Thereby, many are going hungry even as I type this post.

We know the world population have recently hit 7 billion people and my friend Rachel and I were just chatting about it yesterday. But I was thinking with all these disasters and shortage of food will this world even be able to sustain the needs of everyone? Someone in my FB contact list shared this video this morning on her wall and it really sets the stage for us to really want to get something done (in our small little way) to help these poor hungry children. In the video, it was stated that in every 2.3seconds 1 child will die of hunger, our hearts went all out to these poor deprived kids.

Rachel and I have decided upon this organization,  Children's Hunger Fund, which we wish to raise funds for.

This year, 6 million children will die from hunger related causes if we don't do anything about it. So, lets work with this organization to do something.

Just think about it, 6 million children, that's more than the whole population of Singapore! According to Children's Hunger Fund, US 5 cents is enough to provide a hungry child a meal.

So I am appealing to all friends for your participation in this little fund raising activity. All you need to do, is this:

1. Crop and paste any of this above information or pictures on your blog site, together with this logo (just right click and save image as in your hard drive)

2. Appeal for friends and readers on your site to go directly to this page to make direct contributions. All it takes is US $5.00 for 100 meals for the children. Of course, it will be great if you can contribute more. You can also go to this page to make a direct contribution to areas that is most needed; like disaster relief.

3. Organise your own fund raising activity. Rachel and I will be making handmades the next couple of weeks and all sales proceeds will go into Children's Hunger Fund.

There are plenty of  ideas that you can adopt to raise the funds;

• Bake sale
• Make and Sell a product
• Give up a birthday gift
• Lose weight by missing a meal and contributing what you might have spent on the meal to the Children's Hunger Fund

4. If you have a preschooler or a child who has learnt to save some money, talk to him/her to see if he can give a little of his money to help to feed hungry children.

So many of us take it for granted that we always have a hot meal ready on our dining table for ourselves and our children and always have something to snack on whenever we are hungry. But the reality is not the same for many children around the world.

So for the Hungry Children's sake all it takes to help is that little bit of money and some time and effort to be able to make a difference to the poor and needy children in our world. Help us and Children's Hunger Fund to show a child in some remote corner of our world that he / she is loved.

Do drop me a note if you are interested to participate and will be putting this fund raiser activity up on your blog or FB page. My deepest appreciation and thanks in advance for your kind and giving contribution to Children's Hunger Fund!