Miss cooking

Whenever I show my love, I would cook. If I have a choice, I would love to invite my family and friends over for meals so that I can cook for them to tell them how much I love them. Not that I am a great cook..but I just find it nice to sit around the same table with your loved ones, sharing a meal and having a drink together. Its a nice and warm feeling.

Anyway, today I squeezed out whatever little time and energy I have to cook for my family on a Sat because I miss cooking for them. Usually for Sat lunches, we would eat something simple to cook. It could be porridge, fried rice, spaghetti or bee hoon. Today, I felt like cooking mac and cheese as it has been a long while since I ate. Its basically quite easy to make.

Here's the steps I took to cook it:

1) Grate the Red Leicester Cheese. This cheese has great depth and richness in its taste. Very good for mac and cheese dishes. Mozzarella Cheese works fine too but as compared to Red Leicester, its too mild.

2) Preheat the oven to 220 degrees celcius. Cook the macaroni at the same time in boiling water.

3) After cooking it, put in glass tray together with evaporated milk, and cheese. Some recipes put eggs and nutmeg in but I didnt cos I forgot to put the eggs and I didnt have nutmeg in my house.

4) So I just simply mix the macaroni with evaporated milk and the cheese I grated. Finally pour the excess cheese on top. I topped it off with breadcrumbs so as to give the mac and cheese and crunchy, crispy texture after its baked.

No need to add salt because the cheese is salty already. I added black pepper to my own portion on my plate as I was afraid the children may not like.

Also ate this dish with grilled chicken. I was glad the children enjoyed the food! Feel accomplished each time my family appreciates the food I prepare when I see them eating so heartily! ;) Small actions like this just touch my heart so easily..

Trip to Northlight School

I have always been wanting to visit Northlight School to see how it is like. Today, I finally had the chance when my friend, Lydia invited me over to have lunch there as it was her ex-school and I was interested to see and meet up with her teachers and where she used to study in. I was most amazed by the cafe they have there. The students were taught how to serve the customers and to cook the food. It was quite professionally done.

We had a set lunch that costs only $5!

It comes with french onion soup, served with bun and butter.

Came with a drink too!

The main dish was very nice. Love the fish! Very filling though. Was struggling to finish!

After that, Lydia took me around on a tour. Met up with her teacher, Mr Tan Cher Chong who took me on another tour of the school. He also gave me 2 books written about the school and articles written by their students.

It was nice to visit the place and I am glad Lydia shared with me a part of her study life in this school and by introducing me to her friends and teachers. I always find it nice and humbling to be a part of people's life and when they take you to their workplace or to revisit their past.

Thanks Lydia!

First family movie-The Lorax

Today we had our first family movie together in the big screen! CT got for us 4 free movie tickets at the new Lido. In May 2011, after a seven-month and S$20 million “re-imagining”, Shaw’s iconic Lido Theatres reopened its doors to the public with brand new offerings: a total of 11 halls including one featuring Singapore’s first and only IMAX’s Digital Theatre System.

The movie, "The Lorax" was sponsored by SembCorp and were given 2 lucky draw tickets which got us a thumbdrive as well as a travel duffel bag. All thanks to Caleb and Danielle who stuck their hands in the lucky draw box to get us 2 wonderful gifts!I have always wanted to watch this show when I first saw the trailers online as I love shows by Dr Seuss. You are guaranteed a creative and imaginative show which I love!

Here's the children just before the movie. While waiting, we just saw down on the comfy huge sofa!

We were also given 2 free boxes of popcorn as well as mineral water! Awesome! I couldn't ask for a better movie date!

Caleb and Danielle were both entertained throughout the show. Danielle was laughing during the show as well as indulging intensely in her popcorn while Caleb was simply glued to the screen. He is usually very focused in what he does.

After the show, we went to Far East Shopping Centre for lunch at the Turkish Restaurant.

My 2 darlings fell right asleep in the car on the way home. Must have been tiring for them being out for quite a while..

Holiday fun at the beach

Today is the start of the March School Holidays and whatever little time I have at home, I quickly spend it with my family. Brought the children for cycling at Punggol Beach.

I love nature and if I had a choice, I would rather do away with technology and just spend my time with my loved ones at the park or beach.

Do you know I have always dreamed of pitching a tent in the beach or some jungle, start a fire in the middle of the night and grill a chicken over the fireplace and just talk through the night? Its still my dream and I am just waiting for someone as crazy as me to do that with me...Yes, I am pretty adventurous and I just love the outdoors. That is why I love watching Survivor Reality shows and seeing how they survive in the wild. I really envy them... I would really love for any opportunity to survive in the jungle and just hanging out with people and learning from them.

Anyway, back to my time with my family in Punggol.

Caleb and Danielle had fun playing with the sand.

Very nice windy weather today! It almost felt like I wasnt in this humid, sunny island called Singapore.

Thank God for such a wonderful day!

Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West

One of our favourite weekend haunt would be the Ang Mo Kio Library as its big and its nice to eat at Ang Mo Kio for a change, especially in the market area with lots of good food. Anyway, every time we visit the library there, we would notice a park and playground opposite the library and kept thinking it would be nice to visit the place. So finally, we decided to put our thoughts into action and went.

We first had to climb the numerous flight of stairs which was surprisingly quite a breeze because its not that steep.

I had fun taking pictures of the flowers as usual..

Here's my darling children, Caleb and Danielle having a great time playing together and running about!

There is also a nice and big water lily pond..

After that, we treated the children to have some fun at the playground before we went to the library, then for dinner.

Yet another great time spent with the family! Thanks dear for bringing us out!

Breakfast is fun!

I don't know about you but recently, I realised how fun breakfast can actually be! There's just so many variations that you can eat during breakfast that I love this meal the best! I used to skip breakfast almost every morning but have learnt to appreciate it and enjoy it! (though I still get lazy once in a while and skip about 2-3 times a week)

Why I say breakfast is fun is because there's so many kinds of breakfast food that I simply LOVEEEE! I love eating the Chinatown Complex Ikan Bilis Yong Tau Foo and glutinous rice there. My family's favourite haunt when I was studying in NUS. My whole family would go there for breakfast by 7am. Then my mum would drive dad to work while my brother and I would go NUS together.

Then I also love eating chee cheong fun. The kind I like would be the ones without the sweet sauce. Instead, I prefer to just add sesame oil and soya sauce. Here's the one which I usually eat for my breakfast as I would drop by to buy and bring to my school at 630am. I like this stall as they would add chai poh to it and its very near my school.

Then at times, my colleagues would also treat me to breakfast- another of my favourite....Vegetarian Bee Hoon!

I also like to eat bee hoon with luncheon meat, fish cake and fried egg with runny yolk! Oooo...drooling already. Then at times, I would eat nasi lemak..another of my favourite! Especially with the sambal chilli.

Another to die for breakfast is this!! Pork Porridge (with egg), you tiao (dough fritters) and raw fish!!

Then of course, there would be chee kway which is usually my side dish for breakfast.

Sometimes, for breakfast, I would cook glutinous rice for my colleagues' breakfast to just brighten up their day and show my love and appreciation for them.

Then in the past, I would go marketing in the morning with my mother-in-law at Bedok and we would have Bak Chor Mee (Soup) for breakfast! That is also very yummy.

And also Char Siew Wantan Mee

I also like eating char siew pau or da pau for breakfast, as well as siew mai. Then, there's this which I love! Very sinful but delicious!

Another kind of breakfast which I love to cook for the family is bacon and eggs!

The food list just goes on and on...

I guess I found interest in breakfast recently when my colleagues and I now usually meet for breakfast around the table at our staff pantry by 645am. We would eat together and share breakfast, as well as talk about anything and everything. So with great company, comes great food! This is so Singaporean...

Here's our breakfast club..(missing Mr Choo in the picture as he was away on course)

Anyway, let's all learn to appreciate the things around us and that includes friendship and food! ;p

Lai Huat Sambal Fish Restaurant

The famous Lai Huat Sambal Balacan Fish Restaurant just opened another branch in Siglap , just outside my mum's place. So, went there to check it out with my parents. Moreover, the chef/owner belongs to their friend.

Its our 2nd time visiting the place and so far, we have enjoyed the food!

We ordered Emporer's chicken which the kids love (must order), deep fried sambal balacan white pomfret (must order- but ordered the sole fish this time round to try the difference. Still prefer the white pomfret one), fried toufu with chai poh, fried mee sua which looked plain but it was very tasty and light, nai bai veggies (Must order- love the crispy fish bits on top), ordered clams too.

Be sure to visit the place if you stay in the East or happen to be nearby the area!

Lai Huat Sambal Fish Restaurant 17 Upper East Coast Road S(455208) (Opposite Shell Station, next to Royal's Cafe, at junction of Jalan Tua Kong and Upp East Coast Road)