Little Panda Mommy與中意混血兒

Healthy Eat - Fusion Lettuce Wrap Recipe

2013-04-23T18:13:00.000-05:00

Simple and yummy. This dish is pretty much just chopping and stirring, and everything will be ready in 30 minutes.

First, you should start with rinsing the rice, cook it in a rice cooker, a pot or a pan, it should be done right on time. Of course, if you worry about crab, skip it or substitute it with brown rice (a little healthier).

Ingredients:

Steamed Rice 4 cups
Big Carrot (diced small) 1 carrot
Celery (diced small) 3 stalks
Lettuce (halved) 1 head
Green Onion (chopped) 1 cup
Garlic (minced) 1 tablespoon
Parsley (fresh, finely chopped) 1/2 cup
Onion (diced small) 1/2 cup
Ground Pork 1 pound
Vegetable Oil 2 tablespoons

Seasonings:
Salt 1 teaspoon
Oyster Sauce See recipe below

Oyster Sauce Recipe:
Oyster Sauce 1 tablespoon
Water 3 tablespoons
Sugar 1/4 teaspoon
Step: Whisk the ingredients until combined.

Marinade:
Salt 1/2 teaspoon
Chicken Powder 2 tablespoons
Ground White Pepper 1/4 teaspoon
Vegetable Oil 1 tablespoon

Steps:
1. Rinse and cut all ingredients. Halved the lettuce and separate the leaves carefully.

2. Cut pork into small pieces. Process pork in a food processor with the seasonings, let it sit for 5-10 minutes.

3. In a LC 3.5 quarts round wide oven (also called Risotto), add vegetable oil and garlic over medium heat until fragrance. Add onion and cook for 1 minute.

4. Add celery, carrot and salt, cook until onion is transparent (about 3 minutes).

5. Add ground pork, lower heat to medium low, cook until pork are medium well.

6. Add oyster sauce, parsley and 1/2 cup green onion, stir well and cover for 2 minutes or until it cooked.

7. Put pork and vegetable, steam rice and green onion on lettuce leave, wrap it together and serve.

You may also like:
Lettuce wrap with tomato, pork and rice fillings recipe

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Cinnamon Green Apple Oatmeal Recipe 肉桂青蘋果牛奶燕麥(附食譜)

2012-10-08T13:25:00.001-05:00

肉桂青蘋果牛奶燕麥食譜
Cinnamon Green Apple Oatmeal Recipe

材料:

青蘋果(去皮,去籽,切粒) 2個
水 3湯匙
紅糖 8湯匙
肉桂粉 1/2茶匙
燕麥片 2杯
牛奶 2.5杯
鹽少許

Ingredients:
Green Apples (Peeled, Seeded and Cubed) 2 apples
Water 3 tablespoons
Dark Brown Sugar 8 tablespoons
Ground Cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon
Oatmeal 2 cups
Milk 2.5 cups
Salt a pinch

做法:
Steps:

1. 在鍋中加入青蘋果和水,以中大火加熱至水滾.

1. Add green apples and water into a pot, bring it up to a boil on medium high heat.

2. 加入4湯匙紅糖,煮至溶解.
2. Stir in 4 tablespoons brown sugar until dissolved.

3. 加入1/4茶匙肉桂粉拌勻.
3. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and mix well.

4. 煮至蘋果軟身,盛起備用.
4. Cook until apple soften, set aside for later use.

5. 在鍋中,加入燕麥,牛奶和鹽,以中火加熱煮熟燕麥,約5分鐘(請根據包裝指示),並不時加以攪拌.
5. Add oatmeal, milk and salt into the pot, cook them on medium heat for about 5 minutes (please follow the package instructions) and stir frequently.

6. 拌入餘下的肉桂粉並熄火.
6. Stir in the remaining cinnamon and remove from heat.

7. 加入餘下的紅糖和3/4蘋果肉拌勻,加上少量蘋果肉在表面作裝飾即成.
7. Stir in the remaining brown sugar and 3/4 of the apple compote, mix well. Garnish with a little apple compote and serve.

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Shredded Chicken and Leek Congee Recipe (pressure cooker version) 雞絲韭葱粥(壓力鍋版本,附食譜)

2012-10-07T14:26:00.001-05:00

雞絲韭葱粥食譜
Chicken and Leek Congee Recipe

材料:
雞 1隻,約2公斤
水適量
珍珠米 2杯
粗鹽 3茶匙
韭葱葉(切絲) 2/3杯
薑(切薄片) 2-3片

Ingredients:
Chicken 1 whole chicken, about 2 kg/4.5pounds
Water enough to cover chicken
Sushi rice 2 cups
Kosher Salt 3 teaspoons
Leek ( julienne) 2/3 cup
Ginger (thin sliced) 2-3 slices

做法:
Steps: 1. 洗淨雞隻,放入壓力鍋中.注入水至雞隻被蓋過,加入1.5茶匙鹽.(若水已注滿至最高水位,雞身少許露出水面是可以的.)
1. Rinse the chicken and place it in the pressure cooker. Add enough water to cover the bird and 1.5 teaspoons salt. (If the water level reach the highest before the bird fully covered, it will cook fine.)

2. 按下雞隻按鈕.
2. Press the Chicken button.

3. 在等候雞隻煮熟時,用清水將珍珠米洗淨,韭葱切絲和薑切片備用.
3. Rinse the rice, chop the leek and slice the ginger while the chicken being cooked.

4. 跳掣後取出雞隻置於大碗中.將珍珠米,1.5茶匙鹽,1/3杯韭葱和薑片加入雞湯中,蓋上並按下煮食按鈕.
4. After the bird is done, place it in a large bowl. Add rice, 1.5 teaspoons salt, leek and ginger into the chicken stock, put the lid on and press the cook button.

5. 用2隻叉或雙手將雞肉撕成雞絲.
5. Shred the chicken with 2 forks or hands.

6. 粥煮好後,加入一半份量的雞絲拌勻即可.可隨個人口味加入適量的韭葱碎.
6. After the congee is cooked, stir in half of the shredded chicken and serve. If desired, add chopped leek to taste.

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迷你意式肉丸(附食譜) Mini Italian Meat Balls Recipe

2012-08-18T16:29:00.001-05:00

迷你意式肉丸(附食譜) Mini Italian Meat Balls Recipe

迷你意式肉丸食譜(約做45個)
Mini Italian Meat Balls Recipes (approximately 45 balls)

材料:碎牛肉 1.25磅
意式肉腸(去外層) 3條
蒜蓉 2茶匙
雞蛋 1隻
粗鹽 1茶匙
 意式香草麵包糠(按食譜) 1/4杯
帕馬爾芝士碎 2湯匙
歐芹乾 2湯匙

Ingredients:
Ground Beef 1.25 pounds
Italian Sausage(casing off ) 3 links
Garlic (Minced) 2 teaspoons
Egg 1 whole egg
Kosher Salt 1 tablespoon
Italian Bread Crumbs 1/4 cups
Parmesan Cheese 2 tablespoons
Parsley Flakes 2 tablespoons

做法:
Steps:
1. 將焗爐預熱至華氏375度.
1. Preheat the oven to 375F.

2. 在大碗中,用手將所有材料混和.
2. In a large bowl, hand mix all the ingredients together.

3. 用手取出小量肉餅,搓成1吋大的肉丸,平均放在已墊錫紙的金屬焗盤上.(注意:肉丸不要搓得太實,成形即可)
3. Scoop a little amount of meat on hand, form a 1 inch meat ball. Place meat balls on a foil lined metal baking sheet. (Attention: Don't compress the meat balls too much, stop rolling as soon as the shape formed)

4. 放入焗爐中層,焗10分鐘.然後將焗盤前後反轉再焗7分鐘,或直至熟透.
4. Place the meat balls in the middle of the oven, bake for 10 minutes and flip the metal sheet front side back, bake for another 7 minutes or until done.

5. 將肉丸配合意粉和意粉醬伴食,可隨個人口味灑上芝士食用.
5. Serve the meat balls with pasta and pasta sauce, sprinkle with cheese if desired.

Chinese recipes available for printing on http://thecook.hk/
請到http://thecook.hk/列印中文版食譜(文字版)

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2012-08-17T14:46:00.001-05:00

三文魚餅食譜: (兩位用)
Salmon Cake Recipe: (For Two)

材料:

三文魚柳(去皮,切粒) 半磅

洋葱(切細粒) 3湯匙

葱花(切碎) 1茶匙

他他醬(卡夫牌) 2湯匙

麵包糠(食譜按此) 2.5湯匙(魚餅用); 2湯匙(外層用)

特級初榨棷欖油 1.5湯匙

鹽 1/4茶匙

黑椒碎(新鮮磨碎) 1/4茶匙

Ingredients:
Salmon fillet (skinned & diced) 1/2 pound
Onion (finely chopped) 3 tablespoons
Green Onion (finely chopped) 1 teaspoon
Tartar Sauce (Kraft brand) 2 tablespoons
Bread crumbs (recipe here) 2.5 tablespoons (for cake mix); 2 tablespoons (for breading)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1.5 tablespoons
Salt 1/4 teaspoon
Black Pepper (fresh ground) 1/4 teaspoon

做法:
Steps:

1. 在中碗內,放入已切好的洋葱,葱花,三文魚粒,他他醬,2.5湯匙麵包糠,鹽和黑椒碎,用手攪拌至材料完全混和.
In a medium bowl, add in onion, green onion, salmon, tartar sauce, 2.5 tablespoons bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Hand mix the ingredients until well combined.

2. 在小碗中,倒入餘下的麵包糠.
In a small bowl, add in the rest of the bread crumbs.

3. 把已混合的材料搓成每個約1.5吋的魚球,按扁成餅狀後,放入小碗中至表面沾滿麵包糠.
Use the mix ingredients to form fish balls, 1.5 inches each. Press lightly to form a cake shape, then roll it in the small bowl until evenly covered with bread crumbs.

4. 在平底鑊中,加入橄欖油以中火加熱至冒煙.調低至中小火,加入三文魚餅煎約2分鐘至金黄色.反轉再煎約2分鐘或直至熟透.(要小心反轉,以免散開)
In a paella pan, heat olive oil at medium heat until smoking. Turn the heat down to medium low, sear the salmon cakes for 2 minutes until golden. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes or until they are done.(To avoid the fish cake falling apart, flip the fish cakes carefully)

5. 上碟後,要趁熱吃啊!
Serve and enjoy while it is hot.

注意: 若想魚餅實身一點,可以加入麵包糠(魚餅用)1湯匙,三文魚切細粒或攪碎.亦可加入1個蛋黄和1湯匙麵包糠入魚餅,鹽和黑椒份量亦稍加些少.
Attention: To make the salmon cakes holding up better and firmer, add 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs into the mix, ground the salmon or dice it into smaller pieces. Or add 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of breadcrumbs into the mix, add a dash more of salt and black pepper too.

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香蕉糕食譜 - 真材實料版本

2012-08-17T01:22:00.001-05:00

市面上賣的香蕉糕,大部分(或者全部)都是香蕉油做的,根本沒有香蕉成份,很有被騙的感覺.加上住在美國6年多,從來也沒有見過有香蕉糕賣.雖然我不特別喜歡香蕉糕,但希望小公主們可以試試不同的香港特色小食.於是,早陣子前我試製了一次香蕉糕,當然用上真香蕉,自家做的怎會偷工減料用香油過關,而且一試成功,很開心呢.

小公主們非常喜歡,一見到就吃了2條香蕉糕.老公說喜歡再甜一點,我自己則喜歡更香綿一點,所以昨天調較份量後再試一次,終於做出大家都喜歡的版本.這次做的還是較街上買的少一點甜,因為街賣的對我來說太甜,我只能吃2口就不能再吃下去.如果大家喜歡甜一點的,就將糖的份量改成1杯,應該會有街賣的甜度.

選材的方面,香蕉要用熟香蕉,鮮黄色的靚靚香蕉不要用,多等1-2天待其充滿啡色斑點後,隔著一段距離也聞到香味,摸上手還算實手的,就是合適的香蕉.糯米粉和粘米粉的比例大約是7成糯米,3成粘米,可根據個人口味調較份量.喜歡軟身一點的,可加重糯米份量,相應減少粘米粉;喜歡硬身一點的,則加粘米減糯米.

香蕉糕食譜:
材料:

糯米粉 1.75杯 + 3湯匙(炒用)

粘米粉 1/2杯 + 2湯匙

熱水 2/3 杯

糖 3/4杯

菜油 1茶匙

熟香蕉(壓爛) 3隻

做法:

1. 在易潔鑊中,開中火炒熟3湯匙糯米粉(約2分鐘)備用.

2. 把糯米粉和粘米粉過篩備用.

3. 把熱水和糖攪拌至溶解,加入香蕉蓉及菜油,用飲品攪拌器打至滑身.

4. 分4次加入混合粉,用發蛋器拌勻.

5. 在方形蒸盤上塗油防黏,把香蕉糊過篩倒入蒸盤,放入大滾的水中蒸20分鐘.

6. 用小刀黏上菜油,平均將香蕉糕切成條狀,沾上炒熟的糯米粉即成.

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Shrimp Taco Recipe ( Serve 2-3) 大蝦軟卷食譜(2-3位用)

2012-07-31T16:06:00.003-05:00

大蝦軟卷食譜:(2-3人份量)
Shrimp Taco Recipe: (For 2-3 people)

材料:

大蝦 1磅
鹽 1茶匙
黑椒碎 1茶匙
莞茜葉 1/2杯
生菜(切絲) 1杯
洋葱(切粒) 3/4杯
特級初榨橄欖油 2湯匙
蕃茄(切粒) 2杯
檸檬 1個
軟卷 10片
雞尾酒汁適量

Ingredients:Shrimps 1 pound
Salt 1 teaspoon
Ground Pepper 1 teaspoon
Cilantro Leaves 1/2 cup
Lettuce (Shredded) 1 cup
Onion (Diced) 3/4 cup
Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 tablespoon
Tomatoes (Diced) 2 cups
Lemon 1 whole
Tortillas 10 pieces
Cocktail sauce To taste

雞尾酒汁食譜:Cocktail sauce Recipe:
材料:茄汁(Heinz品牌) 4湯匙
是拉差香甜辣椒醬 1湯匙
原味乳酪 1/2湯匙
蘋果汁 1/2湯匙

Ingredients:Heinz Ketchup 4 tablespoons
Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce 1 tablespoon
Plain Yogurt 1/2 tablespoon
Apple Juice 1/2 tablespoon

做法:Steps:
1. 將所有材料加入小碗中拌勻即可.
Add all the ingredients into a small bowl, mix well.

大蝦軟卷做法:
Shrimps Taco Steps:
1. 將大蝦去頭去殼去腸,洗淨瀝乾後加入1湯匙橄欖油,鹽和黑椒調味.
Headed, shelled and deveined the shrimps, rinse them off and pat dry. Season the shrimps with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon olive oil.

2. 在不锈鋼平底鑊中,以中大火加熱1湯匙橄欖油,放入蝦隻每邊煮約1分鐘,或見蝦身微曲轉橙色即反轉煮另一邊.再煮1分鐘或直至蝦身全轉為橙色彎身,即時離熱上碟.
In a stainless steel pan, heat up 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium high heat. Add the shrimps, cook for 1 minute or until the shrimps slightly curl and turn pink. Flip the shrimps and cook for 1 minute, or until the shrimps curl up and turn pink all the way. Remove from heat immediately and serve.

3. 把其他準備好的材料放在桌上,按個人喜好加入不同的材料.
Put all the ingredients on table, assemble the taco to personal taste.

4. 在大蝦軟卷上,加上鮮榨檸檬汁和雞尾酒汁,把軟卷兩邊拉起,即可進食.
Fresh squeeze some lemon juice on the shrimp taco and add some cocktail sauce, pull up both side and enjoy.

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Homemade Watermelon Popsicle 西瓜雪條做法

2012-07-25T23:21:00.001-05:00

西瓜雪條做法:
Watermelon Popsicle Instructions:

材料:西瓜(榨汁) 1/4個
雪條模數個
砂糖* 適量(隨個人口味加減或略去)

Ingredients:Watermelon (juiced) 1/4 of a Whole Watermelon
Popsicle Molds A few
Sugar* To taste (skip it if it is sweet enough)

做法:
Steps:

1. 將西瓜去籽切粒,用飲品攪拌器將西瓜肉打至滑身.
Seeded and cubed the melon, then puree it with a blender.

2. 將西瓜蓉過篩倒入大碗中.
Strain the puree into a large bowl with a strainer.

3. 將篩拉起,直至所有西瓜汁過濾到大碗中.(注意:不要在篩面按壓西瓜蓉,避免西瓜蓉跌入碗中)
Lift the strainer, wait until all the juice strain through. (Attention: DO NOT press the puree on the strainer, avoid any puree fall into the bowl)

4. 將雪條棒放入雪條模,用量杯把西瓜汁注滿雪條模.
Place the Popsicle sticks into the molds. Fill the molds with juice using a measuring cup.

5. 將雪條模放入冰箱,冷藏至少4小時(冷藏一晚更佳),凝固後即可食用.
Put the molds into the freezer, wait for at least 4 hours to let it frozen (overnight is better) and serve.

Shave Frozen Milk Recipe 牛奶刨冰食譜

2012-07-24T22:21:00.001-05:00

牛奶刨冰食譜(1位用)
Shave Frozen Milk Recipe (Serve 1)

材料:全脂牛奶(低脂,脫脂亦可) 1/2杯
砂糖 2-3茶匙(隨口味加減)
朱古力醬適量

Ingredients:Whole Milk (Low fat or Skim) 1/2cup
Sugar 2-3 teaspoons (to taste)
Chocolate Syrup To taste

做法:
Steps:
1. 把牛奶和砂糖攪拌至溶解,試味至甜度剛好後,再加半茶匙攪溶(刨雪奶後,味道會較試味時淡) ,放入冰箱雪至少4小時至硬身(冷藏一晚更佳).
In a small bowl, dissolved the sugar into the milk, sweeten to taste. Add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, stir until dissolved (shaved milk taste lighter). Put the milk in a freezer for at least 4 hours or until frozen (better overnight).

2. 將冰奶刨碎入小碗中.
Shave the frozen milk into a small bowl.

3. 加入適量古力醬,即可進食.
Add chocolate syrup to taste, then serve.

減壓治失眠 - 蜂蜜薰衣草花茶食譜 Lavender Tea with Honey Recipe

2012-06-06T00:14:00.000-05:00

材料:
薰衣草(新鮮/乾花) 1茶匙(乾花份量減半)
蜂蜜 1 茶匙
熱水 1杯
茶壼 1個

Ingredients:
Lavenders (Munstead, fresh or dried) 1 Teaspoon (fresh); 1/2 Teaspoon (dried)
Honey 1 Teaspoon
Hot Water 1 cup
Teapot 1 pot

做法:
Steps:
1. 把薰衣草洗淨印乾放進茶壼內,倒進熱水蓋上焗5分鐘.(我喜歡味道濃一點,焗了10分鐘)
1. Rinse then pat dry lavenders, put it in the teapot and add hot water, steep covered for 5 minutes. (I steeped for 10 minutes for deeper flavor)

2. 加入蜂蜜攪拌,即可飲用.
2. Stir in the honey and serve.

藏在廚櫃多年的手繪茶具,茶壼和茶杯可以層層叠,一看便愛上買了回家.下次試做新鮮玫瑰茶也要用它們呢.
Pretty hand-painted stacking teapots has been hidden in my cabinets for years, I fell in love with them once I saw them. Next time, I will use them to blew fresh rose tea.

茶杯內也有手繪圖案.
There are hand-paint flowers inside the cups.

心形的蓋頂.
Heart shaped lid top.

蕃茄碎肉生菜卷食譜 Lettuce wrap with tomato, pork and rice fillings recipe

2012-06-06T00:09:00.000-05:00

材料:
白飯 4碗
豬肉 3/4 磅
黑椒碎 1/4 茶匙
鹽 1/4 茶匙(醃豬肉); 1 湯匙(烹調用,可隨個人口味加減)

麻油 1/4 茶匙
菜油 1 湯匙
米醋 1 湯匙
雞粉 1 湯匙 (可隨個人口味加減)
白胡椒粉 1/2 湯匙
葱花 1.5 湯匙
蒜蓉(切碎) 1 湯匙
洋葱(切粒) 1/4 杯
莞茜葉碎 2 湯匙
蕃茄(切粒) 4個(中)
生菜 1 棵

Ingredients:
Steamed Rice 4 cups
Pork 3/4 pound
Black Pepper 1/4 teaspoon
Salt 1/4 teaspoon (pork seasoning); 1 tablespoon (finish seasoning, to taste)
Sesame Oil 1/4 teaspoon
Vegetable Oil 1 tablespoon
Rice Vinegar 1 tablespoon
Chicken Powder 1 tablespoon (to taste)
White Pepper Powder 1/2 tablespoon
Chopped Green Onion 1.5 tablespoons
Garlic (Minced) 1 tablespoons
Onion (Diced) 1/4 cup
Chopped Cilantro Leaves 2 tablespoons
Tomatoes (Diced) 4 medium size
Lettuce 1 head

做法:
Steps:1. 將所有材料洗切好,生菜開半並小心分隔菜葉.
1. Wash and cut all ingredients,half the lettuce and separate the leaves carefully.

2. 將豬肉切粒放進食物處理器中,加入1/4茶匙鹽,黑椒碎和麻油攪碎.
2. Cut pork into small pieces and process in a food processor with 1/4 teaspoon salt, black pepper and sesame oil.

3. 在平底鑊中,用中火把菜油加熱.加入洋葱粒和蒜蓉炒約半分鐘.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan, stir in the onion and garlic for 30 seconds.

4. 加入蕃茄粒煮至出水後,伴入米醋.
4. Add the tomatoes and cook until watery, then stir in the rice vinegar.

5. 將豬肉碎倒入煮熟.
5. Cook the pork thoroughly.

6. 加入莞茜碎煮約半分鐘.
6. Stir in cilantro for 30 seconds.

7. 倒入葱花煮30秒後,加入鹽和雞粉作調味(可隨個人口味加減),熄火即成.

7. Stir in green onion for 30 seconds, add salt and chicken powder to taste, heat off.

8. 將適量白飯和蕃茄碎肉加在生菜上卷起,即可食用.
8. Put desire amount of rice and pork filling on lettuce, roll it up and enjoy.

蠔汁火腿蒸豆腐食譜 Steam tofu and ham with Oyster sauce Recipe

2012-06-05T23:57:00.000-05:00

材料:
軟豆腐 1磚
熟火腿(薄片) 4大塊/8小塊
葱花 3/4碗
蠔油 3湯匙
水 3湯匙
糖少量(約1/8茶匙)

Ingredients:
Soft Tofu 1 piece
Cooked Ham (Thin Sliced) 4 big slices/ 8 small slices
Green Onion (Fine Chopped) 3/4 cup
Oyster Sauce 3 tablespoons
Water 3 tablespoons
Sugar a pinch ( about 1/8 teaspoon)

做法:
Steps:
1. 將豆腐切成小份,厚約0.5厘米(約1/4吋),舖在大碟上.
1. Slice tofu into slices, 0.5cm (about 1/4 inch) thickness each, place them on a big plate.

2. 火腿切成小正方形,放在豆腐片之間.
2. Cut ham into little squares, put them in between tofu pieces.

3. 在油鑊注入水,約1吋深,以大火加熱至水滾.
3. Add 1 inch deep water into a wok, heat it on high until boil.

4. 放入蒸架,調低至中火,將豆腐和火腿隔水蒸約3-4分鐘.
4. Place a steaming rack in the wok, lower the heat to medium, steam the tofu and ham for about 3-4 minutes.

5. 等候豆腐煮熱時,在小平底鑊中混和1/2杯葱花,蠔油,水和糖,以中火加熱至大滾後30秒即熄火.(注意:要不時攪拌以免煮燶)
5. While the tofu is steaming, combine 1/2 cup green onion, oyster sauce, water and sugar in a small pan on medium heat, let it boils for 30 seconds, then remove from heat. (P.S. Stir often to avoid burning.)

6. 把蒸好的豆腐取出,用小匙把蠔汁倒在表面,灑上1/4杯葱花作裝飾即成.
6. Take the steamed tofu out, use a small spoon to pour the cooked oyster sauce on top, then sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup green onion as garnish.

Chinese recipes available for printing on http://thecook.hk/
請到http://thecook.hk/列印中文版食譜(文字版)

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支持的網友,請到專頁讚好一下.https://www.facebook.com/littlepandamommypage

Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe

2012-03-03T23:40:00.000-06:00

Little Panda Daddy got a pineapple home because Cheeky Panda wanted some. As soon as he got the pineapple, he was craving Sweet and Sour Pork for dinner. He remembered what I usually put in the dish, so he got all the ingredients home and asked me to make dinner. He rarely ask me to cook something specific, so I knew he really wanted it. I wouldn't disappoint my dear husband and was happy to satisfied his taste buds.

While I was cooking, some new ideas came to my mind and I decided to try something new this time. Little Panda Daddy was playing with the girls but so curious about the strange ingredients on the counter top. He asked me a few times what were those extra ingredients doing there. He looked concerned and probably worried about his dinner might be ruined. I told him everything fine and I was just trying something new. Luckily, the new recipe was a success, everyone loved it.

Sweet and Sour Pork (Serve 4)

Ingredients:
Fresh Pineapple 1/2
Green Pepper 1
Pork Rib Eye 1 Pound
Sweet and Sour Sauce 3 Tablespoons
Salt 1 Tablespoons
Plain Bread Crumbs 1/2 Cups
Vegetable Oil 4 Tablespoons

Tool:
Ziploc bag 1

Steps:1. Wash and cut all the ingredients into 1 inch cube

2. Add salt to marinate the pork for 5-10 minutes

3. Put bread crumbs into the Ziploc bag

4. Put the marinated pork into Ziploc and zip close

5. Shake the bag upside down and back and forth

6. Shake until every pork cube are covered by bread crumbs (This method will save your hand from getting messy)

7. Heat 3 tablespoons oil into a sauce pan with medium to high heat

8. Tilt the pan around until oil covers the pan

9. Add pork into the hot pan (Tips: make sure the pork are evenly spread on the pan)

10. Do NOT move the pork until they turn golden brown

11. Flip the pork and cook until it is done (Tips: Do NOT move the pork until it is cooked)

12. Remove the pork and reserve for use later

13. In a clean wok, heat the remaining oil and add green pepper until it starts to be soften

14. Add the cooked pork and stir

15. Add the sweet and sour sauce and stir

16. Add the pineapple, stir until everything was covered with sauce

17. Done and serve

Sweet and Sour Pork (serve with steamed rice)

Educational iPhone or iPad App reviews (Highly Recommended)

2011-08-23T23:28:00.002-05:00

Panda Daddy found a few educational iPhone and iPad apps that work quite well with the little pandas, there are some of the reviews for them.

Cheeky Panda is 2.5 years old now, here's her favorites apps:

Monkey Preschool Lunch Box (monkeypreschool.com)
Cost: $0.99 (Highly Recommended)

What the app do: It teaches the children shapes, colors, numbers, alphabets, matching, counting, problem solving and motors skill through little game tasks.

Why it works: Cheeky Panda has been playing with the game for 2 months. From the very first time, the colorful app with cute little monkey capture her attention right away. She tried to play with it all by herself since the beginning. With successful and fail attempts, she learned the shapes, colors, numbers and matching (which I tried so hard to teach her but failed) very well. Somehow she just figured out all these complicated concepts through the game herself without me explaining much. She can match and find the different object from a group easily now. At the same time, her motors skill and problem solving skills are clearly improved since she need to use her little fingers to drag and place some puzzle pieces to form some fruits' shape. Therefore, she is learning different kind of fruits also.

Monkey Math School Sunshine (http://monkeymathschool.com)
Cost: $0.99 (Highly Recommend)

What the app do: It teaches numbers, pattern, counting, concept of more or less and simple calculus (sum and minus)

Why it works: It shows the pattern along with narration, which have a blank in between, for the kids to pick 1 out of 3 objects to fill it. I found out the narration of the pattern actually help a lot for her to understand what is going on.

For counting and numbers, she has to connect the numbers dots from 1 -14 (more or less numbers) accordingly, so the turtle can cross the sea. She can count from 1 - 14 now, thanks to the turtle count along every dot he through.

There are four groups of sea creatures or objects to choose from, she has to pick the one with the most or the least.

Natural method that help heal my baby's eczema

2011-08-23T22:08:00.001-05:00

My baby was suffered from eczema for 10 months since she was 3 months old. Thanks God, she is free from these itchy red bumps now. I have been trying all kinds of remedies, lotions, soaps and stuff that doctor, family and friends suggested. Nothing work and those cream and soap the doctor suggested were so expensive.

The brand my Pediatrician suggested was Cetaphil. I bought both the moisturizer and a bar of soap, they cost me $20. If they worked or I could feel and see the different, I wouldn't complain. I knew so many people are using these brand for the same reason, maybe it worked for them but not my kid.

I discovered a much cheaper alternative which is not a moisturizing soap, but known as purity and mildness - Ivory Soap. It was on sale at $1 for 3 bars in the store and I got a few $0.50 coupons. That made it $0.50 for 3 bars, a very good deal compared to my Dove soap, so I decided to give it a try. My husband then told me Ivory soap actually known as its purity, their commercial always have a baby in it (I never saw a commercial of the brand, didn't know about it at all). He suggested we can tried it on Cheeky Panda, the very sensitive him tried it and he was fine, so I gave her a try. I can feel her skin was not as moisturized compared after a bath using the $4/bar Cetaphil Soap. However, it definitely did not irritate my baby's skin and clean her perfectly.

And there was another discover for cheaper moisturizer instead of Cetaphil which works for Cheeky Panda. The well-known Johnson & Johnson's brand have a new product called Head-to-Toe Baby Lotion which is fragrance free. Honestly, I like it much more not only because of the price different, I actually see improvement of my baby dry skin after using it. It absorbs as quick as Cetaphil moisturizer and I can apply it repeatedly if I wanted to. And it didn't not clog the pores like some other brands do.

Thanks God I found these products and they works so well with her. And I found one last product that works magic and it is Avene thermal water. This brand is famous for its sensitive skin products. All I do was spray this water on wherever she had eczema, mostly on face and neck. It soothed her itches right away as you can tell by her smile. I used it myself to soothe the itches from bugs bite and general irritation. I said it works like magic because I saw the red bumps faded to light pink only after a few sprays within 15 minutes (I usually spray immediately after the prior spray was dried). And I repeated it every hour or two. About half a day later, I saw her face and neck are regular skin color again although the bumps are still there. I continuously used it for a couple weeks, the bumps were finally gone and she has a perfect smooth little face again. Hope this will last and she don't need to suffer again. Wish this can help those loving parents out there seeking the method that works for their children. Good luck everyone.

Fun way to lose baby weight at home

2011-08-19T23:08:00.004-05:00

After Cheeky Panda was born, I started doing exercise to tone the arms and legs by using Wii. Yes. the video game system. I don't like to go to gym stared by strangers or ended up staring at strangers. The EA Sports Active game actually work very good and it came with a elastic band for strength exercise. I used it for a month or so, I saw my upper arms are toned and were so happy of the result.

Honestly, I didn't really expect much in the beginning. I only want to move a little to boost the mood and feel like I am myself again while the baby sleep. The visible result was unexpected and the confident boost was just amazing. I wanted to continue but a one day break of the routine just killed it. I got too lazy to get up the couch again the next day and just forget about it.

This time, after a whole year of nursing Chunky Panda, I started to try exercise again. After all, two pregnancies have their huge effects on me. I gained 40 lbs then lost 30 lbs for the 1st one. Gain another 40 lbs and lost 30 lbs again for the 2nd one. Lucky for breastfed my babies, the 30lbs actually lost by itself from nursing, I didn't do anything extra to loose them. But also because of nursing, breastfed moms' bodies will keep the 10 lbs just to make sure there will be enough fat to product milk. I was pregnant again before I done nursing Cheeky Panda, so.... before I could try to loose the last 10 lbs, I started gaining weight again.

I was on the scale another day, 20 lbs more than I have these two wonderful kids. I think it is time to do something again. This time I am going to use XBOX 360 KINECT. Sound weird but they actually are fun and help you burn calories. The main reason I switch to Kinect is no controller, you (the player) is the controller. I enjoy the Wii but really hate to exercise with two remotes on hand, who work out like that? The Kinect make much more sense, at least for exercise purpose.

My favorite games are Dance Central and Your Shape. They are both fun and sure keep your body moving. Dance Central is more fun to me because I like dancing to begin with. It has hit songs and cool moves in the game, started from a step by step tutorial, then you can perform it and even try a dance battle. Every song have different levels, you can build up your dance skills to your favorite tunes. I have to say they do have quite different moves in different levels which keep it fun.

Your Shape is more an exercise core game, I bet you can tell by the name. It has different programs for you to choose from. The one I tried was for loosing baby weight (yes, they have a program for that). Starting the game, those exercises don't really look hard at all. But you will know how hard it is when you actually doing it, at least for someone like me who do not exercise on a regular basis. The screen will have a computerized personal trainer showing you what to do, and you will see yourself right behind the trainer. This helps you realize how exact or how far off you are comparing to the model positions from the trainer. Since the cameras track how you move, they compare your moves to the right positions, so it is less likely you will hurt yourself by doing them wrong. It also have a calorie burning scale right there as you working out, quite motivating.

Drop my grocery bill form $90 to $70, not too bad

2011-06-21T21:58:00.000-05:00

Couponing for a while now, had my 1st TWO Salad Dressing today. Ken's 8-9oz salad dressing was on sale today for $1. I got 2 coupons which were $1 off per product ($1/1). YEAH. I normally will not buy the flavor I bought today, but this is the only two flavor left on shelf, the rest of them were gone. So, it's free, what the heck, I will give them a try. Maybe I will like them. Or not, I don't have to loose anything.

But there is a weird thing. HEB supposed to accept 1 Code B (Big Saving coupon) and 1 Manufacturer coupon. I saw they have $4 off IF you buy 4 ($4/4) for Cereals, so I bought 4. I was looking at the coupon and all of a sudden I noticed it was a B coupon (they usually are marked as M which can't be combined with Manufacturer coupons). Cool, I can use my own coupons on top of that, a few extra dollars to save. But when I checked out, the cashier keep trying to scan my own coupons, they all showed as invalid. Only one of the $0.5 off Cheerio coupon scanned okay. She started to look at the coupons and said that was for a lot of cereals. I said 'Yes, I got 8 of them.' So she counted how many boxes of cereals was the coupons for, and didn't checked the computer or my cart again, she overrode it. I was glad I didn't need to say anything extra or she had to call the manager for that. I was just prepared to take those didn't scan back and forget about it. Since my girls are so tired and hungry, I just wanted to go home.

So be careful if you are going to HEB hoping to use B coupon with your own Manufacturer coupons. It may not go as smooth as you think. I remembered the B coupon fine print mentioned "do not combined with other offer." Maybe that's why. However one of the Cheerio coupon did go through without a problem, so it is really confusing. Whatever, the transaction is done. I got my 23% off my bills. I think it is a good start. And I received a few print out coupon at the cashier. It included a $5 off next shopping for HEB (printed complimentary from General Mills, I guessed because I bought 8), $2 off 5 boxes of Big G (General Mills) cereals and $1 off any 2 Ball Park Deli Beef Franks.

My 1st Free item from couponing at Target - Cutter Mosquito Repellent

2011-05-30T23:29:00.000-05:00

Went to Target to buy some sunscreen yesterday. It was on sale and I had 2 Banana Boat sun care coupons ($1 off 1 product). Target has a buy two specific products get $5 gift card, I got 2 for $6.92 after coupons and gift card for next purchase, it makes that cheaper than getting one.

Then I got Cutter mosquito repellent for FREE. It cost $3.99 and I have a Target $2 off coupon, and a $1.5 manufacturer coupon, so ended up I earned $0.01 to contribute for the total.

And they have Pantene shampoo and conditioner on sale at $3.89 each. If you buy two you can get a styling product ($3.99) for FREE. I got a $3 off two products Manufacturer Coupon, and a $1.5 Target Coupon for the same condition. So I ended up paying less than one product and get all 3 products for $3.08.

The pool is up, the girls love it

2011-05-24T22:38:00.000-05:00

Little Panda Daddy came home a little early today, so we can go outside and set the swimming pool up. Cheeky Panda has been asking all day long to get the pool set up, I guess she remembered the fun from last year. As a two year old, this girl sure surprised me with her wonderful memory.

The time to set the pool up is like 10 - 15 minutes, but it take 3 hours to fill that 1000 gallons up in the 10' X 30" pool...we were playing in the pool while it was filling, so it wasn't too bad. The girls were crawling, walking, splashing, kicking and laughing so hard that I really have to ask them to quite down a bit. This is the first time Chunky Panda "swim" in a pool, she loves it so much that she laughed like screaming the whole time. Then she got so tired she looked for me to hold her so she could rest and chill. I bet she would have fall asleep if I let her. Cheeky Panda on the other hand do not want to come out for dinner. I told her I when I counted to ten, she had to get up. She said yes but when I counted to 9, she suddenly said "no 10, no 10." HAHA. I thought that was really funny she knew 10 is after 9, and asked me to stop counting. Now I know for sure she can count.

We can't find the cover in the store, so my husband ordered it online from Amazon tonight. It should arrive on Thursday (we have the Prime which give us Free-2-day Delivery from joined Amazon Mom). Hope the pool won't get too dirty in two days since there is a house building behind us. God bless.

Got my new swimming pool

2011-05-22T23:44:00.000-05:00

Last year the little swimming pool was out in the yard for too long, all kind of dirt and bugs are collected in it (so gross). I tossed it a couple weeks ago and finally bought a new one today. The girls will be a little bigger this summer and a bigger pool will fit them better. Hopefully this time Little Panda Daddy and I can both fit in it. Before Chunky Panda was born, only Cheeky Panda and I can fit in the tiny pool, Little Panda Daddy was all left out. A good thing about that was he could hang the towels for us to dry off.

Checked a few places I usually shop, the lowest price for Intex 10' X 30" pool is $49.99 from Academy (I found that on a TV commercial and the newspaper ad., I don't really shop there typically). Now my next project is to clean up my back yard full of dogs' poop.......and wait for Little Panda Daddy to mow the yard. Hope everything go right and the pool is good. Then I can play with the girls in the new pool and have a lot of fun together.

Nursing pads comparison and reviews

2011-05-06T23:14:00.000-05:00

Breastfeeding my girls for more than 2 years now, I have tried quite a lot of nursing pads out there. One after the other, I almost tried all of them expect the most expensive brand - Medela, which is like $3 to $4 more than the other brands. Honestly, until now I am still trying to find the best one since they all have its pros and cons.

There are two kinds of nursing pads: Disposable or Reusable. The disposable pads I tried included Johnson's Contour nursing pads, Gerber's NUK Ultra Thin Nursing pads, Avent's Nursing pads and Lansinoh's Disposable nursing pads. Reusable pads I tried Gerber's NUK Reusable nursing pads, LilyPadz's Reusable nursing pads and a little fold up wash cloth.

Compare Different Brands Disposable Nursing Pads

Johnson's Contour Nursing Pads

Pros:

-Contour shape avoid the nipples showing issue

-Comfortable to wear

Cons:

-Not super absorbing (I had leaked a few times especially at night)

-Left linen on breasts

-Feel it when the pads got wet

Gerber NUK Ultra Thin Nursing Pads

Pros:

-Ultra Thin

Cons:

-Without a padded bra, the pads make your breasts all lumpy looking

-Not super absorbing (Leakage happened in day and night)

-Need to be changed often due to nonabsorbent

-The sticker back is not sticky enough

-Pad move around a lot

-Feel it when the pads got wet

Avent Disposable Nursing Pads

Pros:

-Comfortable to wear

-Indent in the middle of pad for the nipple for better fit

Cons:

-The pad look like have a nipple on its own from outside (because of the nipple's indent)

-Only a tiny sticky strip at the back, not stick to bra at all

-Pad move around a lot cause leakage problem

-Feel it when the pads got wet

Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads

Pros:

-Ultra Thin
-Individual package for each pad
-Comfortable to wear
-Absorb the best compared to the above
-Bigger pad for better coverage

Cons:
-A crisp in the middle where it folded can be unattractive on the outside (usually can be solved by smoothing it out)
-The bigger size pad show outside the bra some times
-Sticky strip is sufficient but would be nicer if it is bigger

Compare Different Brands Reusable Nursing Pads

Gerber NUK Reusable Nursing Pads

Pros:
-Feel nice on skin and comfortable to wear
-Machine washable

Cons:
-Leak through easily without little amount of breastmilk
-Move around too much because there isn't any sticky part at all

LilyPadz Silicone Nursing Pads

Pros:

-Stick onto the breasts and won't move at all

-Silicone pads can be cleaned easily with soap and hot water

-Easy wipe off in between use instead of changing it out

-Reuse it up to 2 months per pair
-Prevent leakage by giving the nipple pressure directly

Cons:
-Trapped sweat in between the pads and breasts (especially summer time)
-Have to make sure the breasts are clean and dry prior to putting it on

Gerber Baby Washcloth (or any kind you have at home)
How to use it as nursing pads:
Fold it twice into little square shape, tuck it in between the breasts and bra

Pros:
-Cheap and comfortable
-Machine washable
-Absorb fast and a lot

Cons:
-Feel uncomfortable when it gets wet
-Need to change often so it won't leak through or get uncomfortable
-Not leak-proof

Right now, Little Panda Mommy latest testing product is LilyPadz Silicone Nursing Pads. I like it quite a lot. It prevents leaking. Since it sticks onto the skin, I don't need to worry about it moving around is a plus. The nipples showing issue will not happen at all because you supposed to press them in before you stick the edge onto the breasts (That's how it works). The only issue I have but not really a big deal is: every time I peel them off (it doesn't hurt at all), there is some sweat trapped in between and dripped on my pants. (I don't know is it because I am sweaty or other people have the same problem.)

My Favorite Disposable Nursing Pads Brand: Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads
My Favorite Reusable Nursing Pads Brand: LilyPadz Silicone Nursing Pads

Tips:
I brought both my favorite pads from Target, Lansinoh Nursing Pads cost around $7-$8 most the time, when they go on sale a few time per year, stock up. I got 6 boxes last year when they went on sales for $5.5 per box (60-count). LilyPadz Nursing Pads price is all over the place, Target is selling it at less than $6. This is so far the best price I found.

Good luck on finding the nursing pads that fit your need.

Cheeky Panda isn't happy (Tips of dealing with a naughty child)

2011-05-06T16:29:00.000-05:00

My girls make me proud all the time. They often got compliments from people in restaurants or grocery stores or actually everywhere. Praises are not only about they are cute and beautiful, but also they are so well behaved. But this last week my little Cheeky Panda was kind of naughty, whatever you told her not to do, she did it repeatedly.

Timeout isn't working at all. She seems like enjoying the timeout and goes straight to sit down for her 2 minutes. Then she gives you a kiss and apologizes and goes on being a little trouble.

Little Panda Daddy suggested instead of putting her in time out, we should take her favorite toys or activities away for punishment. So I took her Princess dolls away for the first time and put it somewhere she could see it. It worked and she got so upset and cried. She finally started to listen again and understood if she doesn't behave herself, her stuff would be gone for a day.

I think I finally get why she has been doing all that today. These few days she has been saying Chunky Panda is happy, mommy and daddy is happy but not herself anymore. I asked her "are you happy too?" She said "no, mommy." Then repeatedly saying everyone in the home is happy excluding herself.

Today before nap time, she is closing the door on me and not listening again. I have to tell her your Jelly Bean will be taken away and she is not allow to have any until tomorrow. She broke into tears and came hugging me. I asked her again is she feeling unhappy. She said "Yes." It broke my heart. I believed she actually mean it not just fooling around like usual. I asked her why but she couldn't really tell me. So I asked "are you not happy because mommy and daddy has been punishing you a lot?" " Yes" "Do you want more attention and feel like we give Chunky Panda more attention than you?" "Yes" And she cried and hugged me so so tight.

Poor little thing, she almost made me cry. I sat her down and looked her in the eyes, explained the punishments were the consequences of being naughty. And I told her "Mommy Daddy both love you a lot and we love Chunky Panda too. I am sorry you feel like you don't have as much attention, I will pay more attention about that and make sure you are happy too. Is there anything I can do to help you feel better now?" She don't know or can't express herself. But her body language started to show me she wanted some tickles. Sounded weird but as soon as I tickled her, she laughed so hard and she was happy again. After a good 5 minutes of laugh, I asked her again is she happy now. She said "yes" and then everybody else in the house were happy too.

Time to be tucked in and she looked all happy and ready to have a good nap.

Lesson Learned - When a child not acting like their usual self, something is wrong. May be she is not feeling good physically or emotionally. Try to find out without scaring them off. Little kids this young can communicate at some level but not capable of fully express themselves. Ask simple questions like "Are you feeling okay?" "What's wrong? Can I help you?" Then if they respond as you asked, go ahead and help them. If not, you may need to get some clues around the house and guess what caused the problem. Ask more specific questions and hope you can get a simple YES or NO from them, and sorted it out from there. Such as: "Are you not feeling good? Is your teeth hurt?" or "Do you need something? Can you bring and show me what you want?"

Just be patient and make sure not let them push your button. Continuously dealing with a naughty kid can be very exhausted and frustrated. Every time you feel like you need to scream or yell at them (NEVER put your hands on them), take an extra 5 seconds to put them in a safe area, step back and take a deep breathe. Calm yourself down and come back to your child, sit them down and get down to their level (eye level), explain what they did wrong and tell them what is the consequence. It can be a time out, toys being put away, no outside playtime, etc. Make sure to follow through the discipline and explain it to your child. They can understand way more than you think, even they are only One or Two-year-old.

Save on Diapers - get 30% discount and 2 days free shipping from Amazon

2011-04-29T22:37:00.000-05:00

Before my first child born, like most parents I went to grocery stores, drugstores or stores like Target. I signed up a few online websites and manufacturer websites hoping they will send me some coupons. They all did. The problem is, with the coupons I can only save $2 at most on a package cost around $18 - $20. And you won't have a coupon on hand all the time. With a tiny little baby, it is not convenience to go pick up a new package either. After trying Costco and Sams Club, which offer a lightly cheaper price (about $2-$3 off) but you have to be in luck to get the size or brand you needed.

Little Panda Daddy found out Amazon.com have a program called Amazon Mom. (Members get FREE Two-Day Shipping with Amazon Prime benefits and 30% off diapers and wipes with Subscribe & Save delivery.) It is 30% saving on selected baby products included most brand names diapers & wipes, such as Pampers, Huggies and Luvs (Amazon.com for diaper) (15% from Subscribe & Save which you can cancel anytime with a button, no hassle; 15% from Amazon Mom member = 30% ) . All you need to do is take a few minutes to sign up (no purchase necessary), then fill up some basic information to receive coupons and great deals.

Examples:

Example 1:

Huggies Snug & Dry Diaper, Size 4 (140 count)
One Time Delivery Price: $30.65 ($0.22/count)
Subscribe & Save Price (15% off) : $26.05 ($0.19/count) (SAVE $4.60)
Amazon Mom Member Price (with Subscribe & Save)
(30% off) : $21.45 ($0.15/count) (SAVE $9.20)

Example 2:
Pampers Soft Care Scented Wipes (720 count)
One Time Delivery Price: $18.49 ($0.03/count)

Subscribe & Save Price (15% off) : $15.72 ($0.02/count) (SAVE $2.77)

Amazon Mom Member Price (with Subscribe & Save)

(30% off) : $12.94 ($0.02/count) (SAVE $5.55)

Get Pet Smarts coupon for $5 off purchase $25 or more

2011-04-28T16:35:00.000-05:00

Just got a bag of dog food from Pet Smarts today. I signed up for their loyalty program and they send me coupons through email from time to time. Also, if you are a member you get a cheaper price for a lot of products. Signing up is free and you can get a Pet Perk card when you pay at the cashier, it save you money right away. Most of the time, the coupons arrived just right after I bought what I needed. So before I went out today, I searched online for the brand name I am going to buy, the Pet Smarts website and typed in "pet smarts coupons" in Google search engine. There are so many coupons out there you can print out, just be careful to turn on and set up your printer ahead. A lot of websites generate a special code for their coupons and can only be printed from the same computer for a limited amount (mostly 2). So make sure you got everything set up right before you click the print button.

Here is the link I got the coupon: http://www.facebook.com/PetSmart/posts/10150571045800596 . You don't really need to like their link to get the coupon (I didn't click " like" it). Just click the link they provided and fill in your name and zip code, then print it out. Your name is going to show on the coupon that's why they needed it. It is good until May 1, 2011. Come in a first come first serve base, so hurry in and save yourself some money.

Tips for new mom about breastfeeding

2011-04-27T23:46:00.000-05:00

Just found out a few friends is expecting, so happy for them. They have been asking me a lot of questions since I have two little one under 3. Such as the pregnancy weight gain, ways to keep fit after the baby born, is breastfeed hurt and difficult?

I breastfed my first child until she was 11 months and still breastfeeding my little 9 months old baby now. I originally planned to nurse the older one until she turned 1 year old. But I was pregnant when she was 9 months old, tried my best and my body just couldn't stand it anymore. So I gave up to make sure my little one will have enough nutrient to grow in my belly.

I told my friends nursing don't hurt at all if you do it right.It takes a little time to get use to it, after all your nipples didn't use to all that sucking. My first few attempts wasn't very smooth but with the nurse assistance, my girl got what she needed.

It is very normal for new mom to have colostrum only in the first few days. A few drops of it is all your infant needed, don't worry about it may not be enough. Your smart little one will tell you by crying or at least fussing. Usually the milk supply comes in around 3-5 days. The breasts will engorge so much more than what you think was huge during pregnancy. Some mommies may experience leakage of colostrum or even before the baby is born. Try to buy some disposable or reusable nursing pads to avoid being embarrassed, it can soak your shirt all the way some time. This is totally normal and don't need to be alarmed, unless it comes along with pain or the color of liquid isn't a light transparent yellow or white. If that happened or anything concern you, contact your health care provider right away.

Please prepare yourself mentally and physically before breastfeed your baby. It takes patient and a healthy body to be successful on this important job.

1. Get yourself well educated about the pros and cons of nursing.

Pros like:

For Baby: Breast milk is the best food choice for baby, it is easy to digest and has all nutrients a baby needed.

For Mommy: it helps burn a lot of calories so you can slim down faster.

Also while the baby sucking the nipples, it simulate the uterus to contract and shrink back to its original size.

Cons like:

It can be very exhausted for the new mom since new born are known for frequent feeding and diapers changing. (Breastfeed baby need to be feed every 2-3 hours compare to formula feed every 3-4 hours.)

Attending a nursing and new born care class will help you and your partner a lot (should be easily find in your local hospitals provide birthing service). If you are not up for it, don't worry, the nurses assist you in the ward will be happy to guide you through. In my case, they marked that I was a new mom, so every time a nurse came and checked on me would ask me whether I have a question and how the nursing goes.

There are a lot of feeding positions to choose from, find one that fit you and your baby the most will help a lot. I personally like the cradle post the best, some people like the football post, some like lying down (seem like the baby will need to burp more throughly using this post according to my experience). To find more information, pictures or videos of the feeding positions, please check out http://www.breastfeeding.com/ .

2. Talk with your partner, family and friends about your decision

No matter you are going to breastfeed or formula feed your little one, make sure you communicate with your partner, the baby's grandparents, other family members and friends that are close to you.

I had a friend was so beat up and gave it up on day 3 because all the people listed above opposed to her decision of breastfeeding. So make sure you tell them loud and clear this is your choice for your and the baby, you would like their support and understanding. Some people believe the formula's commercials so much, the baby is smarter and healthier, they thought formula is better than breast milk. My solution to that is, bring them along to a doctor visit and have the doctor tell them which one is truly the best choice. (Make sure your doctor is on the same page ahead, some doctor worries the mom have too much pressure to breastfeed so they keep telling patients they are just the same and as good).

3. Stick with it but don't push yourself

I sure know you want to provide the best for your children. But don't beat yourself up if it is not working. Keep trying and ask for help when you needed. Don't be shy or feel embarrassed, we can't know it all and especially can use some extra help when we are new moms. Some moms or babies just can't do it, and if that is the case, feed your baby formula and enjoy the longer nap time you are going to get. (Formula are more filling than breast milk)

Remember, you just gave birth to a little baby which kind of like having a major surgery. Get all the rest and help you can get, take well care of yourself is the first thing you can do in order to provide the best caring to your little angel.

Congrats and take rest.