Kids are doing well

Kai was asked to share to the whole school on his thoughts on a story which all students must read. It was his first time, addressing to the whole school. It was a good opportunity for him in building his self-confidence.

He is also doing well for his creative arts workshop. If he does well for the school selection, he will move on to a mentorship programme.


I am an open-minded parent. In fact, I think all parents should approach their kids with an open mind. Their education should not be about fulfilling your wishes and unaccomplished dreams. Well if your wishes are his interests, great! If not, please allow them to pursue their love.

Being a writer may not give him a Merz or a condo or earning millions but I know one thing for sure, it will make him a very happy person.

Ann is also excelling in her own way.
 
Excellent results from her. She also sat for English and Math, waiting for the results.

Honestly, I just let her sit for the assessment with no added stress. Today, she is sitting for the GEP assessment. No studying, no prep class. Just go and do her best. Sometimes, I think, this works best for the kids. Learning requires energy. Piling them with tuition and countless assessments books may not help. Yes, some kids strive under stress but seriously, most kids just want to be …yes, KIDS!

Foodie on food

It has been sometime since I blog on food. No, I have not stopped cooking or baking, I just put them aside. So, here they are…


This meal is re-made using all left-overs. Any time better and healthier than the Macs


I didn’t make this. It is a rhubard pie. Always wanted to find out what it taste like. Been watching British Bake-off and it is a favourite dish to do among the contestants. When I saw it, I must try. Verdict…good for those who like sour-ish pie. Not exactly mine kind of pie.


With all these, I whipped out three different types of tiramisu for the great reunion

 
Durian, Bailey’s and semi-bitter sweet tiramisu.


Ann was off school for two days because of the PSLE oral exams, we did the Shanghai dumplings, it’s her favourite.


We went Moroccan. This is really easy. Whether you are a FTWM or SAHM, this is a very nutritious meal for the family.

 
Put all ingredients in and pop into the oven. You can do whatever you want, spend time with your kids. If you are a FTWM, get a slow cooker. Even a very good one doesn’t cost more than a $100. Do it in the morning, by evening, everyone can eat together.

 
Oxtail with couscous. We were first introduced to couscous by a friend, was an Asean-scholar, who went to Morocco to do mission work. In Morocco, they will cook a big pot of couscous. Then a pot of stew. The cooked couscous will then be placed in a big serving plate, the stew will be poured over it. The whole family will then use their hands to eat from the same plate. Yes, it is community eating.

When this friend came back from Morocco, she brought with her some couscous and invited us over for a meal. It was ‘eat at first sight’. Both the spouse and I fell in love with it. We search for it and found it. When the kids came, we introduced it to the kids. Ann, especially, loves it.


Here is a picture of community eating.

If too much white rice is unhealthy and brown rice, the family find hard to eat it, try couscous. It is a healthy staple. According to some nutritionist, couscous is more than just “the food so nice they named it twice”, it also has a wide variety of health benefits, including the ability to prevent certain cancers, increase heart health, prevent bacterial and viral infections, promote normal metabolism throughout the body’s systems, controls fluid levels in the body, improve digestion, help weight loss efforts, heal wounds, build muscles, and boosting the immune system.

From Morocco, we went to Japan.

Cured my own salmon. All these for just $13. You won’t get this price if you eat outside.

 
Brought out the bento box and we had Japanese food. The family loved it so much.


Wonder what is this? A great dipping sauce for anything. Recipe shared by a very long-time friend.
Cilantro, green chili padi, garlic cloves, blend together. Thai fish sauce, sugar and  lime juice, whisk till sugar dissolve.  Add into the blended mixture. Goes well with practically anything.
Like what Ann always say, “easy peasy, lemon squeezy”. *Wink*