The Baking Biatch || by Cynthia Lim

Air Fryer Char Siew

2018-09-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

This recipe is really simple and I love it! I'd rate it a difficulty level 2 out of 5 and it takes about 30 minutes to prepare, excluding time to prepare marinate which is a few short minutes.

Air fryer Char Siew

400g pork belly/shoulder butt cut into chunks

2 pieces Chinese fermented red bean curd

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp Chinese Shao Xing Wine

1 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp dark and thick soy sauce

1/4 tsp white pepper

3 tbsp fine or castor sugar

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl or bag.

Marinate overnight.

Remove meat from marinate and bake in preheated airfryer at 160 degree Celsius for 10-15 mins, flipping meat over once in the middle of baking.

Apply marinate on meat nearing end of baking if you'd like.

Enjoy!

Baby friendly Thai Basil Pork Rice

2018-09-29T08:29:00.000-07:00

This is a dish that I like cooking cos it's really simple. Coupled with an egg, it's a perfect meal.

I'd rate it a difficulty level 3 out of 5 and it takes about 30 minutes to prepare.

Baby friendly Thai Basil Pork Rice 😍

Serves 2 - 3 pax

400g minced pork

15g basil, sliced

6 cloves of garlic, sliced

3 pcs long bean, diced

Handful of Shinmeiji mushroom, diced

30 to 50ml water

Garlic powder

Black pepper

Olive oil

NOTE:

1. Pork can be replaced with chicken.

2. Long bean and mushroom were added for extra deliciousness.. can be omitted if you don't like it.

1. Add sliced garlic to pan. Brown lightly.

2. Add long bean and stir fry.

3. Add minced pork and some water to break up pork. Stir fry.

4. Add mushroom and seasonings. Stir fry till pork is no longer pink.

5. Add basil and stir fry for another minute or so.

6. Serve over white rice.. yummy!

Baby friendly Salmon Baked Rice

2018-09-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a simple recipe for a Salmon Baked Rice! I like it a lot! I'd rate it a difficulty level 3 out of 5 and it takes about 30 to 45 minutes to prepare this dish.

Salmon baked rice

Serves 2 - 3 pax

1 cup basmati brown rice, cooked with 2 cups water and 1 tbsp of butter

1 stalk celery, sliced

1/2 carrot, diced

6 sticks of baby asparagus

2 pieces of snow peas

1/3 pack shinmeiji mushroom

Garlic powder

Olive oil

200 to 250g salmon, sliced

Japanese mayo

Dried laver powder

Black pepper

Parmesan cheese

1. Cook rice

2. In olive oil, stir fry veg & mushroom

3. Add in cooked rice

4. Season with black pepper and garlic powder

5. Dish into bakeware

6. Add slices of salmon

7. Top with Japanese mayo, grated parmesan cheese, garlic powder and dried laver powder

8. Bake in preheated oven of 180 deg Celsius for 15 to 18 mins

9. Enjoy!

Note: 1) You may use mozzarella cheese in place of parmesan 2) feel free to add any veg you like/omit what I used 3) dried laver powder only adds some flavour, feel free to omit or use parsley etc 4) feel free to use white rice though I find that overnight white rice or cooled and chilled white rice works better for frying

Baby friendly Mushroom Soup

2018-09-29T08:15:00.001-07:00

A simple recipe for a delicious mushroom soup! I'd label this a difficulty level 2 out of 5. The only tedious bit was all the slicing XD It takes about 30 to 45 minutes to prepare this dish.

Baby friendly mushroom soup 😍

(Serves 2)

250g portobello mushroom

200g white button mushroom

300ml chicken stock

100ml cooking cream

1 yellow onion

Garlic powder

3 bay leaves

1 tsp oregano

Black pepper

Olive oil

Parsley for garnishing

Adriel loves it 😍

Note: If you use homemade stock that is unsalted, you can just 300ml. If your stock is salted, replace 100 to 150ml water water instead.

1. Clean mushroom with paper towel (do not come in contact with water).

2. Dice/mince 2 portobello mushrooms.

3. Slice onions/dice them.

4. Sautee onions till translucent.

5. Add mushrooms. Saute till softened.

6. Season with bay leaves, black pepper, oregano and garlic powder.

7. Add stock and boil for 5 mins on medium high heat. Reduce and boil for another 10 to 15 mins.

8. Add cooking cream and boil for another 5 to 10 mins. Adjust consistency if needed with more water/cream/stock.

9. Sprinkle with parsley and serve! 😍

Roasted Lamb Rack (Baby Friendly)

2018-09-29T08:00:00.003-07:00

Here's one of my favourite basic recipe for a roasted lamb!

Roasted Lamb Rack Recipe

1 rack of lamb

salt

pepper

2 bulbs of pepper

2 onions

thyme

rosemary

oregano

(Use whatever fresh herbs you have)

Olive oil

1. Bring lamb rack to room temperature/close to room temperature. I usually leave it out for 30 minutes.

2. Score lamb rack. Season with salt and pepper (I usually omit salt so Adriel can enjoy it too)

3. Heat up some oil in pan.

4. Sear lamb rack on all sides with halved onions. garlic and herbs.

5. Once lamb is seared, transfer all ingredients into baking pan/pop pan into preheated oven of 200 degree Celsius for 20 minutes if yours is oven safe.

6. Bake for 20 minutes. Rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

7. I usually either sear Adriel's portion in the pan or pop it back into the oven for it to be well done.

8. Enjoy!

Baby Friendly Cynthia's Alfredo

2018-07-13T08:57:00.001-07:00

This is one extremely tasty recipe I love to bits (: The fresh pasta I used helped enhance the taste of the dish. I'd rate this dish a difficulty level 3 out of 5 and it'd take 30 mins to prepare.

Baby Friendly Cynthia's Alfredo Recipe

This recipe serves 2 - 3 pax

1 chicken leg, cut into bite sized pieces

1 carrot, cut into strips

1/2 pack shinmeiji mushrooms, cut into bite sized pieces

1/2 broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces

2 portions of tagliatelle (I used fresh ones)

1/2 cup shredded parmesan (from block)

150ml to 200ml cooking cream

1 chunky English sausage, cut into chunks

2 egg yolks

Garlic powder

Dried mixed herb

Black pepper

Olive oil

1. Stir fry chicken with olive oil, dried herbs, black pepper and garlic powder.

2. Add sausage and stir fry.

3. Add carrot and mushroom and cook for 2 mins or so.

4. Add broccoli and stir fry for 2 mins.

5. Add cream and mix well. Add black pepper and garlic powder.

6. Add cheese and egg yolks. Mix well.

7. Cook for another min or so.. add cooked and drained pasta.

8. Mix well and serve!

9. Enjoy!

Baby Friendly Rice Cooker Chicken Rice

2018-07-13T08:47:00.003-07:00

This rice cooker chicken rice was highly recommended by Angie. I tried it and we loved it. I cooked a soup to go with it as well as long bean eggs.

Adriel loves soup and he is seen using the B.Box cup here. It has a straw that is stuck to the side of the cup and handles for the cup for independent drinking of soup (:

Anyway, this recipe is easy, takes about 15 minutes to prepare given that the rice cooker does the rest of the work. I'd rate it a difficulty level 2 out of 5.

Baby Friendly Rice Cooker Chicken Rice

This recipe serves 2 - 3 pax

1 cup rice

1 bulb garlic

2 - 3 chicken legs

sesame oil

2 pandan leaves, knotted

stock (3 cups for the low GI rice I used, 1.5 cups or a little lesser for Jasmine rice)

1. Washed rice thrice.

2. Smash 1 bulb of garlic (8 to 10 pcs) and remove skin and base

3. Added stock and pandan leaves.

4. Added a drizzle of sesame oil.

5. Cook as per white rice function.

6. Serve and enjoy!

The soup I cooked together with lunch (:

A simple long bean egg (:

Baby Friendly Pumpkin Sauce Pasta

2018-07-13T08:38:00.002-07:00

I found an easy way to make pasta sauce 🤣

Steam some cubed pumpkin/butternut squash for 7 to 10 mins. Mash. Stir in cooked pasta. Sprinkle some dried herbs like parsley and you're good to go! It tasted naturally sweet and Adriel loved it!

Baby Friendly 1 Pot Tomato Rice

2018-07-13T08:36:00.003-07:00

This is a really simple 1 pot/rice cooker rice and it tasted really good! I'd rate it a difficulty level 2 out of 5. It takes about 15 minutes to prepare and let the rice cooker do the works. Adriel loves this and so do I even though I'm on a low carb diet XD

Baby Friendly 1 Pot Tomato Rice

1.5 cups rice

1/2 broccoli, diced

1 carrot, diced

1/3 pack shinmeiji mushrooms, diced

4 cloves of garlic

2 cups water mixed with chicken stock (I used 1.5 cups stock and 0.5 cups water, use all chicken stock if stock is home cooked)

200g beef slices

1 chicken leg

1 tomato, marked with a X the top

Put all into rice cooker and cook as per white rice function! Yummy! 😍

Baby Friendly Oyakudon

2018-07-13T08:31:00.001-07:00

This is a simple dish that Adriel surprisingly likes! It's pretty simple to cook too!

I'd rate it a difficulty level 3 out of 5 and it takes about 30 minutes to cook, given that rice is cooked.

Adriel loves it (: He ate the meat and veg via a preloaded spoon.

Baby Friendly Oyakydon Recipe

This recipe serves 2-3 pax

2 onions, sliced

1/2 broccoli

2 chicken thighs, cubed

1 pack bonito flakes + hot water OR stock

2 eggs

Method

1. Fry onions with olive oil till slightly translucent.

2. Add chicken and fry for 2 mins.

3. Add stock/bonito flakes + enough hot water to cover ingredients.

4. Put lid on and boil for 5 mins with lid on.

5. Add broccoli and boil for another 3 mins with lid on.

6. Add egg and boil for 2 more mins without lid.

(Ensuring that egg is cooked through for babies/toddlers)

6. Enjoy!

Baby Friendly 1 Pan Udon

2018-07-13T08:24:00.002-07:00

I love 1 pan dishes and here is a rendition I love!

It takes about 20 minutes to prepare and I'd rate it a difficulty level 2 out of 5.

Baby Friendly 1 Pan Udon

This recipe feeds 2-3 pax

200g Ground beef

4 -5 pieces of da bai cai, sliced

1/2 packet white button mushroom, sliced

1 carrot, sliced,

1 packet Enoki mushroom

1 egg, fried in sheet form

1/2 broccoli

1 piece udon (frozen from don don donki) or 1 to 2 packs of regular udon

Tesco's garlic bread spices (salt free) or any dried herbs you like

garlic powder

black pepper

olive oil

Method

1. Fry egg with some olive oil in a sheet form and slice

2. In the hot pan with olive oil, fry mushroom till softened.

3. Add minced beef. Season with herbs, garlic powder and black pepper.

4. Add in all vegetables and Enoki mushroom, stir fry and cook for 4 mins.

5. Add in udon and cook for time required in package.

6. Season with black pepper, herbs and garlic powder.

7. Serve.

Baby Friendly Creamy Pasta

2018-07-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

This recipe was highly raved by mama Angie in the BLW group that I'm in. Original recipe is from Mother Queen Z. The sauce is really creamy but it was well liked by hubby. It was okay for Adriel but way too creamy for my liking. Then again, you may like it so here I am to share it (:

This recipe takes 30 minutes to prepare and I'd rate it a difficulty level 3 out of 5.

Baby Friendly Creamy Pasta

This recipe feeds 2 - 3 pax

6oz fresh milk

10g plain flour

20g grated cheese

10g cream cheese

50g broccoli, cut into bite sized portions

1 carrot, sliced

1 stalk of celery, sliced

Olive oil

cooked pasta, enough for 2-3 pax

garlic powder

dried herb of choice (oregano, rosemary all work)

Method

1. Cook olive oil, milk and flour on low heat till it thickens.

2. Add in cheeses and mix well.

3. Add in garlic powder and dried herb.

4. Add in veggie and reduce heat. Enable vegetables to cook through. You may choose to boil/steam it beforehand too.

5. Add in pasta and serve.

6. Enjoy!

Baby Friendly Salmon Fried Rice

2018-07-13T08:05:00.001-07:00

Adriel loves rice. His first try of this salmon fried rice had him having 3 servings non stop cos he just loved it so much! (: I love adding lots of ingredients to it so here's my rendition.

I'd rate it a difficulty level 2 out of 5 and it takes about 30 mins to prepare, given that rice has already been cooked.

Baby Friendly Salmon Fried Rice Recipe

Serves 3 - 4

1 cup rice, cooked and cooled (I prefer overnight rice but if that is a concern for you, cook it, cool it, refrigerate it for a few hours and use it. Overnight rice seems to be tastier for fried rice!)

200g salmon, diced

1/2 corn, diced

4 - 5 pieces of long bean, diced

1/2 box white button mushroom, diced

1 carrot, diced

6 prawns, diced (optional)

4 eggs

Olive oil

black pepper

garlic powder (optional)

1. Heat up olive oil in pan.

2. Stir fry mushroom till softened.

3. Add in all corn, long bean, carrot and prawns and stir fry.

4. Add rice and stir fry, breaking rice up.

5. Mix eggs and pour evenly into rice.

6. Stir fry, ensuring that rice is coated as evenly as possible.

7. Add salmon. Fry. Season with black pepper. Add garlic powder if you fancy. I LOVE GARLIC POWDER (:

8. Enjoy!

Adriel sure loves his fried rice! (:

Baby Friendly Waffles

2018-07-13T07:47:00.000-07:00

These waffles are easy to whip up and freeze really well. I do not use sugar but use banana to sweeten it instead. You can even add blueberries to make blueberry waffles! Yum! They're crunchy on the outside yet soft and fluffy on the inside.

This recipe takes about 30 minutes to whip up 1 batch of them.. I'd rate them a difficulty level 3 out of 5.

Baby Friendly Waffles

1 ripe banana

160g cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 egg separated + 1 egg white

250ml fresh milk

3 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp cinammon

1 tbsp vanilla bean paste

1. Mix dry ingredients together.

2. Add banana, egg yolk, milk, oil & vanilla bean paste in.

3. Whisk up egg whites till stiff peaks are formed.

4. Fold in egg whites into yolk batter in 3 additions.

5. Cook as per waffle machine's instructions. I did about 4 mins each.

NOTE: This has a very faint sweetness to it so feel free to add 1 more banana, replacing 20 to 30ml milk or add a few tbsp of castor sugar if you'd like to sweeten it..

Baby Friendly Veggie & Mushroom (Creamy) Risotto

2018-07-13T07:38:00.002-07:00

I've been away for too long! I have not been baking much but I've been cooking quite a bit for the family. Here are a few baby friendly recipes I'd love to share! Here's a risotto I love to cook that has got Adriel's heart. It allows me to add lots of veggie that he sometimes would not eat otherwise.

It requires constant stirring when cooking so be ready to stir for a good 20 mins or so but the results are so worth the effort (: I'd rate it a difficulty level 3 out of 5 and it takes about 40 mins in all to prepare and cook.

Veggie & Mushroom (Creamy) Risotto Recipe

Serves 4

1 onion (yellow)

1 carrot

5 to 8 white button mushrooms

1/2 pack Shinmeiji mushroom

1 stalk celery

1/2 broccoli

1.25 cup Arborio rice

Stock (about 700ml to 1 litre)

1 tbsp butter

Olive oil

cooking cream (If you like the creamy version)

NOTE: You can add any veggie you like. I did cauliflowers and pumpkins too and they tasted great.

1, Chop up everything into small pieces.

2. Add butter to pan. Melt the butter and cook on medium heat.

3. Stir fry onions till translucent. Put in all vegetables except broccoli and stir fry for a few minutes.

4. Add in rice. Stir fry for 2 mins.

5. Add in 1 ladle of warm/hot stock. Crank heat down to low.

6. Stir. And stir! And stir!

7. Stir till liquid does not run down the middle when you run your spatula through the middle of pan. 8. Add in next ladle of stock. Do it in many additions. Stir, dry and repeat.

9. 0 mins into cooking, add broccoli.

10. Takes about 20 mins. Taste rice for doneness. Add cream in place of stock in the last 5 mins of cooking if you like a creamy risotto. You can also add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese if you'd like.

11. Enjoy!

Gordon Ramsay's Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb

2018-03-09T23:27:00.000-08:00

This herb crusted lamb is a favourite of both hubby and I and it's a recipe I've been cooking very often. Even Adriel has it with us. I've tried it a couple of times with and without a couple ingredients so I'll list those I find optional in the recipe.

I adopted the recipe from this site but I made adjustments according to our fancy as we went along.

Adriel's portion! He sure is eating better lately!

Anyway, this recipe feeds 2 - 3 depending on how much meat you'd fancy. I usually serve it with greens and fruits. The recipe takes about 40 minutes in all to prepare and I'd rate it a difficulty level 3 out of 5.

Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb Recipe

500 - 700g rack of lamb

salt (optional)

black pepper

stale bread (about 2 slices or 3 small ones)

2 tbsp olive oil

2 bulbs of garlic

1/2 cup grated Parmesan (optional)

4 sprigs parsley

4 sprigs rosemary

4 sprigs thyme

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

Method

The NTUC at Tampines Hub has these lovely racks that I often buy. Lamb is pretty sensitive to heat so bring a thermal bag with ice pack if you shop for one.. or go home ASAP after the lamb leaves the refrigerator of the supermarket.

I freeze my bread so I toast them in the pan to warm them. Otherwise, use as is. These are 3 slices of NTUC's country loaf.. You may use 2 regular slices of bread too.

In a food processor, place bread, 2 sprigs of thyme, 2 sprigs of rosemary and 4 sprigs of parsley in with the freshly grated Parmesan cheese. The Parmesan cheese is option IMHO. I forgot to add it in my cooking today and it still tasted great.

Into the processor!

Give it all a good blitz!

Bring lamb to room temperature (or close to it) by leaving it in a cool place for 30 mins. Score surface and season with salt and pepper. The salt here is optional, it worked when I did not add it as the Dijon mustard does add salt to the lamb at the later part.

On high heat, heat up olive oil and sear all sides of lamb rack. Place remaining sprigs of herbs into the pan along with garlic.

Do remember to sear the sides too. If you have a cast iron pan, use it. I have not seasoned mine (HAHAHA! After having it for close to 2 years) so I used a regular pan + baking pan.

Transfer contents to a baking pan (or your cast iron pan) and send it into a preheated oven of 200 degrees Celsius for 7 to 8 minutes.

Remove from oven..

Working quickly while lamb is still hot, remove lamb from pan and spread Dijon mustard all over.

Your layer should be thin. Otherwise, the meat will be very salty.

Place in dish with herb mixture!

Cover lamb with herb mixture. Shake off excess. It helps at times to pat the mixture onto the lamb.

Transfer lamb back into baking pan and bake for another 4 - 5 mins. Remove lamb from oven and allow for it to rest for 3 - 5 mins.

Slice and serve. Perfect with a little mint jelly. I usually sear Adriel's portion till it's well done and trim off the salty sides.

Enjoy this delicious dish!

Sweet Potato Parmesan Stacks (baby friendly)

2018-02-24T00:45:00.000-08:00

A simple dish that Adriel likes. Works well in the oven.. can probably work in the air fryer too. Parmesan is usually salty so I omit the top layer when serving to Adriel. I'd give him the insides that has a little cheese. If you are not comfortable offering cheese, you can omit cheese from the recipe.

I'd rate it a difficulty level 2 out of 5 and it takes about 30 minutes to prepare this.

Sweet Potato Parmesan Stacks (baby friendly) Recipe

2 sweet potatoes

Olive oil

Dried herbs like basil, oregano etc

Parmesan

Peel and slice sweet potato thinly. This gadget from Daiso works well!

Add olive oil (1 tbsp or so), dried herbs of your choice and a couple tbsp of freshly shaved parmesan. Mix well.

Add more parmesan on top if you fancy. Bake in a preheated oven of 200 degrees Celsius for 15 to 20 mins or till tender.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Mash (baby friendly)

2018-02-24T00:12:00.000-08:00

A recipe so simple yet delicious. It takes only 2 ingredients and 15 mins (:

Sweet Potato Mash (baby friendly) Recipe

2 sweet potatoes

1 tbsp unsalted butter

Method

Boil or steam sweet potato till tender.

Mash sweet potato with a fork or use a ricer.

Add butter and mix well.

Serve as a lump or pipe using a piping bag and tip. I used Wilton 1M.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin mantou (baby friendly)

2018-02-23T23:53:00.001-08:00

I was exploring with food for Adriel and I did these pumpkin mantous for Adriel. They're pretty soft when steamed but they develop a harden skin after cooling down XD Nevertheless, they're still good. I'd peel off the skin before serving.

These mantous can be frozen for up to 3 months and steamed to heat up prior to eating.

This recipe can be done with a mixer or by elbow grease! XD

It'd take about 2h in all to prepare these and I'd rate it a difficulty level 3 out of 5.

Pumpkin mantou (baby friendly) Recipe

80g pumpkin

5.5g instant yeast

1/2 tsp sugar

75ml warm water

4 tbsp oil (I used olive oil)

250g cake flour

Method

Peel and cut the pumpkin.

Steam on high heat till soft. I steamed it for about 10 mins.

Nice and soft. Drain off excess water, if any.

Mash the pumpkin while it is hot.

Add sugar to warm water. Add instant yeast. Stir well.

Set aside.

After 10 mins!

Put all ingredients into mixer or in mixing bowl. Knead the dough till smooth and elastic.

Oil bowl before setting dough to rest. Cover bowl with a moist towel. Leave bowl in a warm place (like an unused oven) for an hour for dough to rise.

Nice and fluffy. The dough would have doubled in size.

Shape accordingly. Use lots of cake flour where needed to prevent sticking. You can roll out a batch of dough, apply water on the surface of the dough and roll it like a Swiss roll. The water would help in sticking the dough together. Portion accordingly and place it on baking paper.

Steam for 15 to 20 mins depending on the size of the mantou.

Enjoy!

Beef Bolognese (Baby friendly)

2018-02-23T23:30:00.003-08:00

So I've embarked on Baby-led weaning for Adriel and I've been cooking a lot more though they have been really simple fares. Here's a really simple Beef Bolognese sauce that I've prepared, It freezes well for up to 3 months. I cooked it using my pressure cooker though it can definitely be cooked over the stove or even in the thermal cooker.

It takes about 1 to 1.5 hours in all to complete this recipe and I'd rate it a difficulty level 2 out of 5. The tough part is actually the cubing of the vegetables (:

Beef Bolognese (baby friendly) Recipe

2 large tomatoes, cubed and seeds removed

3 brinjals diced

4 stalks celery diced

4 carrots diced

1 can whole tomatoes (Hunt's)

Collagen stock (homemade) or beef stock (readymade)

600g minced beef

Bay leaves

Assorted dried herbs like oregano, basil etc

Method

Heat up pan(I used my pressure cooker to halve the cooking time) with olive oil.

Cook vegetables (excluding brinjal).

Remove vegetables from pan.

In the same pan, add more oil and cook beef.

Add all vegetables (including brinjal) in with stock, herbs and canned tomato.

Liquid should be sufficient to just cover ingredients.

Cook for 1 hour on low heat (stirring occasionally) for regular pan.

If using pressure cooker, cook for 30 mins and cook for another 10 mins after pressure release or so to dry up/thicken sauce.

Allow sauce to cool completely before freezing. I use this as a base for lasagna too!

I freeze them flat in individual portions. I do not even thaw it XD

I simply peel off the food storage bag and pop the entire frozen brick into the pot.

DISCLAIMER: I did not salt the recipe so it's friendlier for Adriel. Please feel free to salt it according to your liking.

Enjoy this delicious recipe!

Full of goodness!

Freezing in individual portions

When freezing, lay kitchen paper between each bag to prevent sticking of the bags. They tend to tear if they're stuck together. I also lay a sheet on the base of the freezer that's made of plastic.

Baby-led Weaning with #Chubbycheekschu

2017-12-09T22:42:00.001-08:00

When Adriel turned about 6 months old, it was time for him to be introduced to food. I chose baby led weaning for many reasons and we started when he turned 6 months old (corrected age). He was born about 3 weeks early.

The beauty of baby led weaning enables a child to learn to chew before swallowing as opposed to traditional weaning of purees which teaches a child to swallow. It promotes exploration and encourages a child to eat till they are full. Sure it looks scary, fancy a 6 month old child biting chunks of food! SOLID FOOD! A child is encouraged to eat what the parents eat. Parents model eating habits for the baby. As such, it is also a good opportunity for parents to eat healthily.

Gagging and choking are the scariest part of BLW. Adriel gagged a fair bit in the initial stages. It's been 2 weeks but he's not exactly eating yet. He nibbles, sucks and plays around with the texture of the food but does not consume much (yet!).

With BLW, I aim to have him learn to be independent. I do not want him to be fed while watching programmes on an electronic gadget (sorry to parents who do!) or having to force feed him. As it is, feeding him milk showed the hubby and I how he hates to be forced. He even refused milk for a good period after we force fed him post op. The last thing I want is for him to be forced fed.

This excited mama got a lot of stuff for our BLW journey!

We started with breakfast on a Sunday morning. Steamed Japanese pumpkin, sweet potato and broccoli.

Food for this introductory stage is generally cut into finger sized pieces, easy to grab and should be soft enough to be mashed when held between fingers.

Our food vs his.

Food allergies can occur at any point of time. Even to something you have eaten for years. With that, I did not stick to the 1 food item 3 day rule. Of course, I observe and watch out for signs of sensitivity and allergy to food.

This was our very first meal! He gagged. Gosh, were we frightened. Adriel did work it out though, he spat out the large chunk he took.. along with some milk XD But it was all good.

Pretty messy affair!

That night, he figured out that he could get food! He got some cucumber (washed in hot water) while we had dinner at Putien.

I try to cook as healthily as possible. No processed food. No additional salt. No additional sugar. This lil' fella is a good supervisor!

He likes bell peppers. This was stir fried pasta.

He had baby teethers!

The gagging for this was scary!

We had BLW lunch (I prepped from home) when we met my sis.

I had fun digging out all my lunchboxes to play!

As the days passed, he showed more interest in food. And had fun even though he didn't actually consume much. Here he is with wholemeal bread.

Pumpkin!

His favourite broccoli!

And it shows! He would usually refused his meds and force feeding him meds was one of the most dreaded tasks of all. He snatched my syringe and attempted to feed himself meds! I am so proud of my lil' boy.

Not everything tickles his fancy. Avocado were not really his thing.

He did enjoy beef a lot. LIKE A LOT. I grilled it till it was well done and he sucked on the juices. It was the longest I've seen him feed on a food item!

Bananas, he likes them!

Baked potatoes at Lenas!

Grillled veg!

He just likes his beef.

Got this knife from Amazon to help texture some of his food so that it is easier for him to grip them!

Eating at Miam Miam, impressing his yeye and ah ma!

He is on task most of the time.. but at times, he gets distracted! Like grabbing my chair..

We had fun at Swensens!

He liked mashed potatoes! I dabbed some on his fingers and he licked them.

We made quite a mess! Of course, I clean up!

NOMSSSS.

He really liked his steamed chicken!

I cannot wait till he actually starts eating XD though the exploratory stage can take a while. I'm just glad to be eating healthier cos of him.

Here are some of his meals so far.

A couple of things to note when it comes to BLW.

Babies under the age of 1 SHOULD NOT be given honey due to the possibility of botulism. There should be minimal salt & sugar. Otherwise, the concept is that they pretty much eat what we eat!

Will update again!

Collagen Broth

2017-12-08T07:57:00.000-08:00

I was inspired by a friend who cooked up some collagen soup lately so I decided to try it too. It uses sooooooo much ingredients (as in quantity) for a small quantity of soup yielded 🤣 but given the benefits of it.. it's worth a go!

Thanks to Annie for her recipe!

INGREDIENTS

2 chicken carcasses

20 chicken feet

2 pork bones (about 4 packs from NTUC)

5 to 6 litres of water (based on my 28cm Happy Call deep pot)

METHOD

Blanch pork bones and rinse well. I used my hands to wash them real clean.

Blanch chicken feet. I didn't trim the feet but do trim them! Rinse well.

Blanch chicken carcasses and rinse well.

Place in pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Boil on high heat for 10 mins.

Boil away!

After 10 minutes, reduce heat to low and boil for 4 hours, checking in occasionally and removing scum. Salt it if you like now or salt it when you use it. My soup reduced about half in quantity.

Remove ingredients and sieve soup.

Chill for coagulation to take place.

Freeze for future use or use it as a stock in your cooking. I used it to cook Bolognese today.

Adriel had this with us (: I cooked it as such as he could consume it. I'm doing baby led weaning for him and I'll share more details soon! In the mean time, enjoy your collagen broth!

Adriel's had his major operation (6 Oct)

2017-10-16T06:47:00.000-07:00

#Chubbycheekschu has been injured since birth. It's just something I don't share with most people. It's tough to explain. It's tough to put to words. It's something that's so rare locally. It's something that just hits all the raw nerves. I've not exactly come to terms with it and I guess I may never do so.

He was admitted to KKH in September for a MRI. When we reviewed the results in late September, his doctor decided to operate on him, It was to give him a chance at recovery which would be of low chance if we didn't operate. 6 Oct. Children's Day 2017 but a day nightmares are made of for us.

I took CCL on Thursday as Adriel needed to be admitted a day prior to his operation.

He was really cheeky and refused to go back to bed after his morning feed.

Ma accompanied us to have him admitted. Not my kind of vacation.

The nurses had insisted on having a plug set so that 'things are easier'. It hurt to see him poked. I stayed the first night, 1 caregiver can stay with the little one in the hospital. In the regular ward, the caregiver is provided with a pull-out bed.

He fasted since 2am and we were blessed with the presence of Pastor Zhuang who came to pray for us on the morning of his surgery. My brave little warrior.

I went in with him to the OT. It was intimidating. Once again, I held onto him as he was put under GA. The first time he had his MRI, he went all woozy from the gas and his eyes cried out, "Mummy, what's happening to me? Mummy?"

It was worse this time round cos I saw the OT, equipment and medical team. The image is one that is hard to shake off. The operation took a good 10 hours, slightly longer than predicted. He took a long time to come to too. The sight of him upon exiting the OT observation ward broke our hearts. He is so tiny, so young but yet, he has to go through so much.

He was sent to the high dependency ward. He had a neck brace, an arm sling, IV plug on his neck and a bandaged leg. How is one to watch their baby go through all this?

He was awarded a certificate!

Post surgery was HELL. He didn't drink well. I couldn't nurse him. He was fussy. He was angry. He was upset. Hubby stayed the first night with him but there was no pull-out bed in the HD ward. We pretty much slept sitting on a chair.

It was tough. When I got to the ward after going home to freshen up, #Chubbycheekschu was refusing his milk and crying the ward down. Syringe feeding didn't work either. Our hearts broke and we cried with him.

Out of desperation we prayed. As if guided by Jesus and his angels, he started drinking from the syringe and then the bottle. From almost starving (not even 10ml) to finishing 140ml in mere minutes. From being restless to finding his newfound strength, he wanted to flip 😐 he wanted to yank out his IV tubes 😐 We had to restraint him but we were thankful for little miracles.

Though I cannot phantom why God would allow for all this to happen. I question it far too often.

It helped to go home to sleep and freshen up.

On Day 3, I finally got to carry Adriel, It was overwhelming. It did comfort him... and that, I'm thankful for.

He started being very silly though he was in a lot of pain and was heavily drugged. They had his IV plug removed and transferred to the regular ward.

KKH is pretty happening and fun things happen when I wasn't in the ward. #Daddychu was more impressed than my little boy was. Adriel's appetite was still poor.

I don't usually allow for him to watch television programmes but he found joy in the ward. LOL. He really concentrates on the screen. He's leaning to sit btw!

We ran out of mittens so I had socks put on his hand. So cute! XD

I was able to nurse him and I was glad that it gave him comfort. I enjoyed not having to pump too. He was getting better but was fussy. We could barely put him on the bed without struggling. He just wanted to be carried. My breastfeeding journey is just one that's so tough IMHO, not that it is easy for any nursing mums. It didn't help that I didn't get as much support as I wish I did. I'm probably at the end of my journey soon..

The ward is indeed an interesting place.. Partying in the middle of the night. Kid being restraint to insert a plug ): subsequently, other babies and children started screaming and crying too.

When Adriel had his plug and IV removed, he was definitely very very pleased.

I didn't allow for him to watch television programmes but he found a way out.. by watching his neighbour gorgor's TV programme! XD

He loves to sleep on his belly and he kept trying to flip. He behaved as if as he didn't have a neck brace on, that his arm wasn't in a sling.

I made myself a little happier with a MCD happy meal! I had my doctor's appointment and I had my surgery scheduled. Yeah, after Adriel's surgery comes mine. I suffered from a 4th degree tear and need to be fixed. This is all too draining for us. We can only take things 1 step at a time.

On Thursday evening we got discharged. Doctor said that we could go home as soon as we felt comfortable taking care of him at home. This silly baby was so happy to be home. He refused to lie down on the hospital bed unless really forced to. He merrily laid in his bed and gazed at his surroundings. I trimmed his nails and he enjoyed his fingers almost immediately after I cleaned them.

When we got home, his pain wasn't exactly manageable. When it hurt, he'd go to the extent of stretching out his entire body and his toes get all curled up. He'd get so tense and he'd struggle and cry. ): It hurt a lot to see him suffer.

It does not help that he is a HAMSTER. He has been refusing his meds and we get most of it spat out after he harbours them in his cheeks, despite giving us the illusion that he has swallowed it.

His cheeks were really cute though. He did smile at doctors and nurses in the hospital when he wasn't in that much of pain.

When his grandma came to visit, he smiled himself silly for her!

On Saturday, we visited his doctor at his private practice at Gleneagles for a review. His wounds have healed though the scars were AWFUL. I'm gonna do what I can in my power to get the scar be less visible. He's got a scar on his shoulder.. and 1 long one running from the back of his left knee right down to his ankle ):

We were thankful that his doctor did not charge us a consultation fee out of goodwill. I can't wait for him to recover well and review his progress in 2 weeks' time.

Having been stuck at home for too long.. and at the hospital, we had a nice lunch in town and went window shopping! Adriel looked like he had HUGE BOOBIES >.<

He enjoyed being carried and drooling all over me. Doesn't help that he's kinda teething now. Didn't help that our air conditioning wasn't working for the past few days. It broke down. Thankfully, we had it fixed and the house is nice and cool now.

This past week or so has just been really tough. We're thankful for the support of friends and family that have reached out to us. We've been blessed in many ways. I'm just hoping that Adriel recovers well and that we see progress real soon.

4 months has been a long time.. #Chubbycheekschu

2017-09-16T09:33:00.001-07:00

I've been wanting to blog about my pregnancy but never got around doing so. It was easy in the early stages but it took a toll on my body nearing the last trimester.

I was aching in the ribs. I was aching in my lower back. I had seriously bad heartburns. I even had early contractions. Even though it was tough, I miss being pregnant 😂 it's a pretty lovely feeling. I miss #Chubbycheekschu's kicks when he was in my belly. His hiccups too!

It's too much work typing so I'm just gonna let some pictures do their work.

I was really round 😂

At week 36+4, I woke up pretty weary. I recall telling hubby that I kept feeling like my waterbag was gonna burst the entire night. We were just getting out of bed when I felt a gush of water between my legs.

My waterbag broke 😂 I recall laughing so much. Well you see, during our checks at Week 36 + 2, Dr Loke told me that he'd likely wanna perform a C-sect on me cos #Chubbycheekschu would be really big by Week 38 since he was already 3.2kg then.

I kept telling #Chubbycheekschu to come naturally at Week 38, 15th May. I had the inkling that he'd be out on my sister's birthday on the 5th. Well, blocked by my belly, he must as heard it as the 4th 😂

I took a really lovely shower before heading to Mt A.

I regret not taking my breakfast. I wasn't allowed to eat. I had my happydural soon after settling into the labour ward.

I only gave birth at 8+pm.

Adriel was so huge at 3.9kg!!!!

It was a really difficult labour. We did both get injured in the process and are seeking medical treatment.. I'll share once I'm comfortable doing so. It's just too complex.

So anyway I wasn't given any food. They ran out of single wards so I had to share a 2 bedder. Hubby had to go home. I was not prepared for that 😭 I cried the entire night as I was just so hungry having not eaten since the night before and all I was given were crackers. Breakfast the next morning was heavenly.

Hubby came and he carried our baby 😍

I had to maintain my sanity so I showered 😂

Cartoon met Adriel. If only..

Proud grandparents 😍

Us 😍

Proud grandparents

I stayed for 2 nights but Adriel developed jaundice and could not go home. I stayed 1 night with him. I recall recovery being a bitch. I had a natural birth with forceps. I was given an episotomy but I tore further. The recovery almost killed me 😂

After a couple of days, we got to take Adriel home.

Daddy's first bottle feed! As Adriel was really huge at birth, he had to be whisked off to be fed formula milk and be monitored for his blood sugar levels. We never got to do skin to skin. I never got to latch him.

Being a FTM who popped 4 weeks early, I felt unprepared for my breastfeeding journey. I wish I knew more. I wish I had insisted on nursing my baby. I expressed my milk religiously but my supply never met Adriel's needs. Being a preemie, his latch was weak. I really should have persisted. I wish I did.

Anyway, I am nursing him now. My supply is still low. I latch him whenever possible and supplement with formula. Many times I've been tempted to stop breastfeeding. But I'm just gonna press on for as long as I possibly can.

I recall how he made us so weary needing to be fed every 2 to 2.5h.

We had a CL but she fell sick before Adriel got home so I sent her home. We didn't have a replacement till a couple of days later. Hubby and I, together with our then helper and mil braved through the first few days of our own.

The replacement was shitty. Couldn't cook confinement food well. She basically cooked regular dishes for me 😑 She also tasked her job to my helper. My pots were destroyed by her. She offered to go home about the same time I wanted to kick her away.

She left. We were on our own again.

Our first CL then returned. She cooked better food. However, she was really kampong and there were somethings that we didn't agree to. After all, most CLs have the control of how things are done cos couples are inexperienced. Having been on our own, we knew what worked and what didnt. Sometimes it just didn't agree with her. Coincidentally, she had family matters to see to so she left early.

I was pretty happy not to have one person to fret over but I then discovered how my kitchen was destroyed by her, the previous CL and my helper. I was devestated.

It's been 4m and I'm still working on repairs 😂 doesn't help that I kicked my helper home almost a month ago 😂

Anyway.. back to pictures!

Lil bub had to get his tan!

He loved to wriggle out of his swaddle.

So cheeky 😍

Eyebrows cos his were barely there 😂

I liked how I was his pillow at times. He's like so GROWN UP at 4mo and doesn't wanna sleep on me anymore 😂

Daddy's first day of returning to work! I'm so thankful for the paternal leave that we have in place. Having my hubby be around after birth is one of the best things I can ever ask for.

We didn't do a first month bash but we did share some cakes and treats with some relatives.

At 5 weeks old, Adriel caught a flu and cough. His PD gave him meds which I regret feeding. I wish I had gone with my gut feeling and not medicate him. He didn't get better so we took him to KKH where he was warded for observation.

We love our Tula blankets!

He is very expressive.

At 5wo, I managed to Tula him in our FTG!

He attended church service in the nursery at 4wo!

Hubby tula-ed Adriel too!

He sleeps in funny poses.

He has even learned to smile.

Daddy has his priorities right 😂

At 4 months old he can giggle, squeal, babble, flip on his tummy and fart a lot 😂 he loves going out with his mummy and loves to sleep. He generally sleeps through the night 😍

At 4m 1 week old, we had him admitted for his procedure. Seeing him go under GA broke my heart. It's just the beginning of a lot more to come...

He was so groggy and hungry. How do you expect a baby to fast?

Thankfully, all was well and we could go home.

He was back to his silly self!

This journey is gonna be tough. We're just praying for wisdom to understand why what's happening is happening to us. It's a lot to take. At times I feel overwhelmed. Crushed. Defeated. I will share when I'm ready. For now, keep us in prayers. 😍

A Better Florist, beautiful blooms for your loved ones

2017-09-11T04:13:00.002-07:00

I love flowers. A Better Florist sent me a bunch of their lovely tulips lately!

Coupled with salmon sashimi and my tula parcel (spot that Migaloo Delight Wrap?), my day was perfect (:

Such pretty colours! It even came with instructions on how to make the bouquet last!

Of course, #Chubbycheekschu just had to be a part of it! He's grown so much already. He's like 4 months old this week! This baby has grown so much!

He loves to be on his tummy..

Smiles a lot more..

And sleeps with style XD

He's such a sweetheart.

Anyway, A Better Florist is an express flower delivery service. They pride themselves in delivering fresh flowers with same day delivery. Sending flowers do not have to be for a special occasion though many send them during anniversaries and birthdays. I personally like sending them to lift the spirits of my loved ones. Everyone needs a little joy at times. I'm very blessed to be blessed with beautiful blooms by friends when I'm down.

Do check out their website! Their prices are pretty affordable for the selection they have.

www.abetterflorist.com

1st timers on the website get $5 off!

Some of their blooms <3

There are even bundles for your peckish friends or loved ones!

So if you want some affordable, classy and speedy fresh blooms, check out www.abetterflorist.com today!