It is my birthday today...
Thank you to my mummy for enduring the labour pains when she gave birth to me 34years ago.
Thank you to my DH who gave me a lovely candlelight dinner treat and then a wedding proposal ring 4 years ago.
Thank you to my two darling angels for always amusing me with their innocent childlike-ness. I hope I can spend more time with them before they grow up too fast.
Thank you to my wonderful and beautiful Savior Lord Jesus Christ for blessing me with this abundant life!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Banana Walnut Cake with Chocolate Chip Toppings
I've been wanting to better my maiden attempt at baking this cake so I thought "why dont I give it a shot today?"
And I did with my wonderful little helper, Rachel. :)
She enjoyed greasing the baking pan with butter, transfering pieces of chopped walnuts from the chopping board into a bowl, mashing the bananas and I guess the most enjoyable part is to sprinkle the cake with her favourite chocolate chips!!
Here's the recipe adapted from HHB's blogsite.
Banana Walnut Cake
Ingredients:
100g butter, soften at room temperature
160g caster sugar (i use 125g as my maiden attempt yielded a very sweet cake)
3 eggs, lightly beaten, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large ripe bananas, mashed (i use 3 medium sized "Ang Bah Jios")
210g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
50g walnuts, chopped
Method:
- Grease (with butter) and flour the sides of an 8" or 9" round pan and line the base with parchment paper.
- With an electric mixer or a manual whisk, cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
- Dribble in the eggs gradually and beat till incorporated in the batter. (The mixture may appear slightly curdled.)
- Add vanilla extract and mashed bananas. Mix till smooth.
- Sieve over flour and baking powder and mix till smooth.
- Add chopped walnuts (reserve some for sprinkling the top, optional). Mix with a spatula.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth out the top with the spatula. Sprinkle the top with the remaining walnuts or arrange some banana slices (dipped in some lemon juice to prevent it from turning black) on top. (In addition, Rachel sprinkled her favourite chocolate chips!)
- Bake in pre-heat oven at 180degC for 60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the cake.
- Leave the cake to cool in the pan for about 5~10 mins. Unmold and transfer to wire rack to let cool completely.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Of Triglycerides, HDL & LDL...
A couple of weeks ago, I went for a basic health screening test at Dayspring Medical Group. I took the most basic package so that only required a blood test. (I need to fast the night before; for at least 10hrs prior to the test). The results were out a few days later.
I received a good report. :)
My BMI is within the normal range.
My blood pressure is within the normal range.
My total cholesterol level falls within the desirable range. The breakdown is as follows:
For some of you who have no idea what the above means, here's the definition.
HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) Cholesterol is known to be the "good" cholesterol as it helps remove cholesterol from the tissue and transport it to the liver for harmless excretion. A high level of HDL cholesterol lowers the risk of atherosclerosis (thickened artery wall due to buildup of fatty materials). A low level increases the risk of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease.
LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) Cholesterol is the "bad" cholesterol as it transports cholesterol to be deposited as fat on the walls of bloof vessels. An increase in LDL is associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease.
Triglycerides are a type of fat found in the fat tissue of the body. They are converted from excess calories and stored in fat tissue providing a major source of energy for the body. Consumption of food rich in animal fat and alcohol are known to elevate the triglycerides level. Very high levels are associated with obesity and coronary risk.
The main objective to take the test is to find out about my cholesterol profile because I have no idea what mine looked like. Now I know.
I give thanks to my Lord for giving me a good report.
About a year ago, I heard Pastor Joshua's preaching on diet and health. He testified that he prayed to God for a healthy body and then he went about eating whatever he desired. He would sometimes stop eating what he was eating and went on to buy another plate of food just because his body no longer desired eating that food. If he feels full, he would stop eating as opposed to many of us who would finish the entire plate of food because our grandmothers once told us not to waste food. In the process, he gained a healthy body without the need to diet and he gave God all the glory.
That sermon left a deep impression on me as I wanted to have a beautiful, healthy and trim body. A year ago, I weighed 59kg. My height is 1.62m and that weight on the scale was not ideal. I decided to go by F.A.I.T.H.
I prayed to God to give me a beautiful, healthy and trim body.
He told me to eat when I feel like it and stop when I am full. He also said I should eat whatever I desire.
That sounded very good to me and I followed His advice.
One year on, I weigh 51.6kg now (without the need to diet and I also did not do any exercise apart from doing housework).
Most friends who saw me commented that I looked good and I do feel alot better now that I am trim.
To God be the glory!!
The medical report is a testament of His goodness to me.
I really believe that in every thing that we do, we should always seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)
I received a good report. :)
My BMI is within the normal range.
My blood pressure is within the normal range.
My total cholesterol level falls within the desirable range. The breakdown is as follows:
Total Cholesterol : 173 (Desirable)
HDL Cholesterol : 80 (High)
LDL Cholesterol : 88 (Optimal)
Total/HDL Ratio : 2.2 (Normal)
Triglycerides : 27 (Optimal)
For some of you who have no idea what the above means, here's the definition.
HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) Cholesterol is known to be the "good" cholesterol as it helps remove cholesterol from the tissue and transport it to the liver for harmless excretion. A high level of HDL cholesterol lowers the risk of atherosclerosis (thickened artery wall due to buildup of fatty materials). A low level increases the risk of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease.
LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) Cholesterol is the "bad" cholesterol as it transports cholesterol to be deposited as fat on the walls of bloof vessels. An increase in LDL is associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease.
Triglycerides are a type of fat found in the fat tissue of the body. They are converted from excess calories and stored in fat tissue providing a major source of energy for the body. Consumption of food rich in animal fat and alcohol are known to elevate the triglycerides level. Very high levels are associated with obesity and coronary risk.
The main objective to take the test is to find out about my cholesterol profile because I have no idea what mine looked like. Now I know.
I give thanks to my Lord for giving me a good report.
About a year ago, I heard Pastor Joshua's preaching on diet and health. He testified that he prayed to God for a healthy body and then he went about eating whatever he desired. He would sometimes stop eating what he was eating and went on to buy another plate of food just because his body no longer desired eating that food. If he feels full, he would stop eating as opposed to many of us who would finish the entire plate of food because our grandmothers once told us not to waste food. In the process, he gained a healthy body without the need to diet and he gave God all the glory.
That sermon left a deep impression on me as I wanted to have a beautiful, healthy and trim body. A year ago, I weighed 59kg. My height is 1.62m and that weight on the scale was not ideal. I decided to go by F.A.I.T.H.
I prayed to God to give me a beautiful, healthy and trim body.
He told me to eat when I feel like it and stop when I am full. He also said I should eat whatever I desire.
That sounded very good to me and I followed His advice.
One year on, I weigh 51.6kg now (without the need to diet and I also did not do any exercise apart from doing housework).
Most friends who saw me commented that I looked good and I do feel alot better now that I am trim.
To God be the glory!!
The medical report is a testament of His goodness to me.
I really believe that in every thing that we do, we should always seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)
Monday, August 2, 2010
Conversations with Rachel
Here are some of the interesting conversations we had with Rachel...
Looking out from the bay window, Rachel pointed to the man who cleans our pool thrice weekly and asked,
Rachel : "Mummy, what is that fisherman doing?"
Mummy : "Fishing leaves."
Rachel (with a wide-opened mouth) : "Leaves??"
----------------------------------------------------
We were getting to go for a walk around the estate and the kids were all set to go. They had on their shoes and socks and cant wait for us to open the door.
Daddy : "Wait for me, I need to change."
Rachel (who, by this time, was already standing in front of the lift): "Okay, why dont you go and change and I'll go and poo poo. Wait for me okay?"
----------------------------------------------------
Looking at a picture of the desert in the August 2010 National Geographic magazine....
Rachel : "Mummy, I want to go to this place."
Mummy : "This is a desert. It can be very hot in the day and there is hardly any water there."
Rachel : "It's okay Mummy, I will bring my water bottle. If I run out of water, I will take some from the camels."
----------------------------------------------------
Looking out from the bay window, Rachel pointed to the man who cleans our pool thrice weekly and asked,
Rachel : "Mummy, what is that fisherman doing?"
Mummy : "Fishing leaves."
Rachel (with a wide-opened mouth) : "Leaves??"
----------------------------------------------------
We were getting to go for a walk around the estate and the kids were all set to go. They had on their shoes and socks and cant wait for us to open the door.
Daddy : "Wait for me, I need to change."
Rachel (who, by this time, was already standing in front of the lift): "Okay, why dont you go and change and I'll go and poo poo. Wait for me okay?"
----------------------------------------------------
Looking at a picture of the desert in the August 2010 National Geographic magazine....
Rachel : "Mummy, I want to go to this place."
Mummy : "This is a desert. It can be very hot in the day and there is hardly any water there."
Rachel : "It's okay Mummy, I will bring my water bottle. If I run out of water, I will take some from the camels."
----------------------------------------------------
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Me & My Little Darlings
Till date, I have not been able or rather I thought I could not take care of two of my young children all by myself alone. Yes, me and me only.
Early last week, my husband came home and announced that he had to leave for an overseas assignment at a very short notice and he had to take off on Friday evening. In the past, whenever such announcements came, we would pack up and stayover at one of my parents or in laws' house. Rachel didn't like the idea of not being able to sleep at home while daddy is away and I didnt like to trouble either set of parents and more so I didnt like the thought that I could not handle both of them by myself.
So here it goes again, I had to think of which set of parents' house to stay this time. But all of a sudden, as if something inside of me pops a question back at me "Why dont I try to take care of them by myself this time round?"
I always thought I could not handle them both but if I dont give it a shot, how will I know?
What's the worse that could happen? I asked myself.
If there's really an emergency that calls for help, the grandparents are just a phonecall away.
With that in mind, I decided to give it a shot.
Last Sunday was the very first time that I spent the entire day with my two lovely chickadees!
It turned out to be really manageable.. with a little planning on what to eat during mealtimes and a little help from the TV, the rest works perfectly to a T.
Thank God for the invention of DVD players and TV. As much as I hated to make use of the TV to babysit my children, I found out that a little use of it wouldnt cause much harm. While I was cooking, I entertained the kids to some educational children DVD programmes. They were totally glued to the screen for a good 15-20mins before Ariel started to walk into the kitchen to check out what I was doing.
That 20mins was enough to cook up a meal.
:)
Rachel was also very understanding. I am so grateful for that. When I had to nurse Ariel and pat him to nap, I asked Rachel to read her books while she waited for me in her room. She still wants me to read her a book before she sleeps. She didnt make a fuss over this request and cooperated fully.
Little did I know that she was so tired while waiting that she dozed off into slumberland on her own.
When she got up from her nap, I told her that Mummy is so proud of her that she was able to go to sleep on her own. And from then on, she decided to go to naps on her own. :)
They are such darlings right?
The weather was surprising good last Sunday. I decided that I should bring the kids out for a walk and watch people fly kites.
It was a short walk to the nearby open field and Ariel got so excited over the kites that he kept on saying "bird bird" while pointing toward the blue skies.
When we reached the open field, the kids chased each other while I relaxed my arms. (I ended up carrying Ariel because he goes wild if I put him down and I reckon it's unsafe for him to walk next to the roads)
It was an enjoyable evening seeing the kids having such a great time running and chasing each other. Ariel fell down while he was running down the slope but it didnt bother him abit. :)
It was a simple day that I spent with the kids. A simple meal and a simple routine but it meant a great deal to me that I was able to handle my kids on my own. At least for a day.. :)
I look forward to more fun moments that I get to spend with my children.
the kids decided it was fun to take each other's height!
Early last week, my husband came home and announced that he had to leave for an overseas assignment at a very short notice and he had to take off on Friday evening. In the past, whenever such announcements came, we would pack up and stayover at one of my parents or in laws' house. Rachel didn't like the idea of not being able to sleep at home while daddy is away and I didnt like to trouble either set of parents and more so I didnt like the thought that I could not handle both of them by myself.
So here it goes again, I had to think of which set of parents' house to stay this time. But all of a sudden, as if something inside of me pops a question back at me "Why dont I try to take care of them by myself this time round?"
I always thought I could not handle them both but if I dont give it a shot, how will I know?
What's the worse that could happen? I asked myself.
If there's really an emergency that calls for help, the grandparents are just a phonecall away.
With that in mind, I decided to give it a shot.
Last Sunday was the very first time that I spent the entire day with my two lovely chickadees!
It turned out to be really manageable.. with a little planning on what to eat during mealtimes and a little help from the TV, the rest works perfectly to a T.
Thank God for the invention of DVD players and TV. As much as I hated to make use of the TV to babysit my children, I found out that a little use of it wouldnt cause much harm. While I was cooking, I entertained the kids to some educational children DVD programmes. They were totally glued to the screen for a good 15-20mins before Ariel started to walk into the kitchen to check out what I was doing.
That 20mins was enough to cook up a meal.
:)
Rachel was also very understanding. I am so grateful for that. When I had to nurse Ariel and pat him to nap, I asked Rachel to read her books while she waited for me in her room. She still wants me to read her a book before she sleeps. She didnt make a fuss over this request and cooperated fully.
Little did I know that she was so tired while waiting that she dozed off into slumberland on her own.
When she got up from her nap, I told her that Mummy is so proud of her that she was able to go to sleep on her own. And from then on, she decided to go to naps on her own. :)
They are such darlings right?
The weather was surprising good last Sunday. I decided that I should bring the kids out for a walk and watch people fly kites.
It was a short walk to the nearby open field and Ariel got so excited over the kites that he kept on saying "bird bird" while pointing toward the blue skies.
When we reached the open field, the kids chased each other while I relaxed my arms. (I ended up carrying Ariel because he goes wild if I put him down and I reckon it's unsafe for him to walk next to the roads)
It was an enjoyable evening seeing the kids having such a great time running and chasing each other. Ariel fell down while he was running down the slope but it didnt bother him abit. :)
It was a simple day that I spent with the kids. A simple meal and a simple routine but it meant a great deal to me that I was able to handle my kids on my own. At least for a day.. :)
I look forward to more fun moments that I get to spend with my children.
the kids decided it was fun to take each other's height!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Da di Di
I enjoy the time when I put my kids to bed. It is an intimate moment that we share with them...
DH would read to Rachel while I nurse Ariel till he is so so satisfied that he is ready for bed.
Last night, Ariel was saying Da Di Di.. after i nursed him.. with his eyes closed.. as if he is calling out to his daddy who is faraway.. in the Holy Land...
And he doesnt stop there.. he went on to murmur "ba Ba bababa...."..
He went on and on for a good 3 minutes until he eventually dozed off...
Rachel was already fast asleep by the time Ariel switched to "Babababa.."
DH would be thrilled to hear this when he returns from his business trip.
DH would read to Rachel while I nurse Ariel till he is so so satisfied that he is ready for bed.
Last night, Ariel was saying Da Di Di.. after i nursed him.. with his eyes closed.. as if he is calling out to his daddy who is faraway.. in the Holy Land...
And he doesnt stop there.. he went on to murmur "ba Ba bababa...."..
He went on and on for a good 3 minutes until he eventually dozed off...
Rachel was already fast asleep by the time Ariel switched to "Babababa.."
DH would be thrilled to hear this when he returns from his business trip.
My Girl Turns Three
i fell in love with the month of November after i met DH. And it turned out subsequently that many happy occasions in our lives are centred around the month of november..
one of them is the birth of my precious daughter, Rachel.
She was born on the twenty eighth day of my favourite month, a day after her daddy's birthday.
Since the beginning of this year, she had sounded me out that she wanted an Elmo cake for her birthday... I went on in search... but somehow i just couldnt find one that catches my eye..
I settled for an Elmo agar agar and a Sesame Street Themed 2-Tier Cake.
My sister is really kind to sponsor the balloons for the party.
We had an Elmo skywalker and a big Three from Party City.
DH and I had wanted a small celebration for Rachel so we carefully planned the guest lists and food. In the end, we narrowed down to about 20 guests and our immediate family members.
The party was held at La Casa Clubhouse and we had a good time catching up with our dearest friends...
We didnt cater any food this time round as we were both so "sick" of buffet styled food.. that we decided to DIY.. our mothers were very kind to help us out as they know that we probably wont have the time to cook anything in the morning before the party starts.
The highlight of the party is probably the cake!
It was a 3-kg lychee martini and chocolate mousse cake from Pine Gardens.
I would highly recommend cakes from them as they not only taste great but also very value for money. I paid only $150 for a 3-kg adorned with beautiful design and delivery to my party venue.
The agar agar was good too. It's from Mrs Chan's Jelly. I got this contact from my sister's friend and later found out that she has already earned a respect in the SMH forum.
All in all, I believe Rachel had an amazing time and it is so heartwarming to see her enjoy her day.
To my darling Rachel,
I pray that you will always be curious about the world you live in, always seeking knowledge, asking questions. May you be blessed with God's wisdom and favor all the days of your life. May you shine like a star. May you always be above and not beneath for you are your Heavenly Father's beloved child. I thank God for you, my precious one.
one of them is the birth of my precious daughter, Rachel.
She was born on the twenty eighth day of my favourite month, a day after her daddy's birthday.
Since the beginning of this year, she had sounded me out that she wanted an Elmo cake for her birthday... I went on in search... but somehow i just couldnt find one that catches my eye..
My sister is really kind to sponsor the balloons for the party.
We had an Elmo skywalker and a big Three from Party City.
DH and I had wanted a small celebration for Rachel so we carefully planned the guest lists and food. In the end, we narrowed down to about 20 guests and our immediate family members.
The party was held at La Casa Clubhouse and we had a good time catching up with our dearest friends...
We didnt cater any food this time round as we were both so "sick" of buffet styled food.. that we decided to DIY.. our mothers were very kind to help us out as they know that we probably wont have the time to cook anything in the morning before the party starts.
The highlight of the party is probably the cake!
It was a 3-kg lychee martini and chocolate mousse cake from Pine Gardens.
I would highly recommend cakes from them as they not only taste great but also very value for money. I paid only $150 for a 3-kg adorned with beautiful design and delivery to my party venue.
The agar agar was good too. It's from Mrs Chan's Jelly. I got this contact from my sister's friend and later found out that she has already earned a respect in the SMH forum.
All in all, I believe Rachel had an amazing time and it is so heartwarming to see her enjoy her day.
To my darling Rachel,
I pray that you will always be curious about the world you live in, always seeking knowledge, asking questions. May you be blessed with God's wisdom and favor all the days of your life. May you shine like a star. May you always be above and not beneath for you are your Heavenly Father's beloved child. I thank God for you, my precious one.
Love always,
Mummy
Mummy
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