Xavier's Lunch Box for the week

Tuesday

Homemade mini Banana Chocolate chip muffins

Organic mozzarella cheese stick

Cheese bread in bear and rabbit shapes

banana and grapes

 Wednesday

Homemade mini Banana Chocolate chip muffins

Organic mozzarella cheese stick

cinnamon waffles 

Colourful goldfish crackers

Thursday

Homemade Steamed Chocolate Banana cupcakes

Honey Star Whole Grain cereal

Grill bread with cream cheese and cheddar

Grapes

Steam Boat gathering & Cake Cutting

5 Oct 2013, Saturday

 Organised a steam boat gathering at our place 
invited hubby's section friends and Oaks Committee
The Ng and Quek family

With the help of Candy and Danny we went to grocery shopping
 and they came over early to prepare the food too!!!

Kids entertaining themselves while getting the food ready

Ryder, the always cheery boy!

Special Thanks to: 

Yanwen - lending us the long table, chairs and steam boat pot

Candy - for preparing such weelicious laska soup base

Elin - homemade sambal chilli

In my opinion, nothings beats a bowl of hot and spicy laska soup in the cold weather
*Yum... Yum*

Before the end of the event, it was time for birthday song and cake cutting!
Xavier was delighted to have so many people to join him

Singing Happy Birthday Song

Hands together trying to make a wish

His fav - blowing of candle

2nd Birthday preparation updates - Mickey & Minnie Cookies

After our discussion

Hubby and I decided to hold a mini birthday party on 8 Oct 2013 in Xavier's school 

instead of having one at home 

 Cos the thought of cleaning up the house after the party 

Is so dreadful lor!

Anyway

The theme will be "Mickey Mouse" Xavier's favourite Disney character
Bake homemade cookies for party favor for the kids 
Mickey for boys 
Minnie for girls

Ordered party favor from party city 

Play pack comes with stickers, crayons and colouring book! 

Tattoo 

All nicely pack

Hope the kids will like it! 

Stay tune for more updates!

Fun with Play-Doh :)

We had so much fun playing with Play-Doh!
Busy cutting squeezing and rolling 

  

  

New lunch ideas - keepsake

It's always challenging to prepare for Xavier's pack lunch for school 

Needs lots of creativity, definitely have to be appetizing and nutritious

His standard lunch box will have: 

Fruits / yogurt

grains 

cheese

Found a few recipes for keepsakes: 

Dorayaki (Japanese Azuki Read Bean Pancake) with Nutella

Ingredients:

((Pancakes))
2 eggs
100g (3.5oz.) cake flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda (pure sodium bicarbonate)
50g (1.8oz.) granulated sugar
1 tbsp. honey
2 tsp. water
cooking oil
((Fillings))
Tsubu-an (sweet Azuki red bean paste with skins)
nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread) and banana slices

Directions:
((Pancakes))
1. Beat eggs in a bowl. Add sugar and mix well. Add honey and mix well.
2. Sift cake flour and baking soda in 1. and quickly mix until combined. *do not overmix 
3. Then add water and mix until smooth. *do not overmix
4. Cover with a plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
5. Heat cooking oil in a pan on low, pour 2 tbsp. of the batter onto the pan, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.
6. While it's hot, put it in a closed container (or cover with a plastic wrap) to keep it moist, then continue making the next pancake.
((Fillings))
1. Make a sandwich with Tsubu-an filling. 
2. Press the edges to close.
*nutella and banana slices are a delicious combination!

Tuna Egg Bite Size Tamagoyaki Sandwich

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 tbsp. milk
2 tbsp. Panko (bread crumbs)
2 tbsp. (30g=1oz.) drained canned tuna
2 tbsp. frozen green peas
2 tbsp. finely-chopped onion
1 tbsp. shredded cheese (parmesan, mozzarella, cheddar, or any kind is okay!)
salt and cracked black pepper
cooking oil
ketchup

Directions:
1. Beat egg and milk in a bowl. Soak panko (bread crumbs) in the mixture.
2. Add drained canned tuna, defrosted frozen green peas, finely-chopped onion, and shredded cheese. Then mix well and season with salt and cracked black pepper.
3. Heat cooking oil in a tamagoyaki nabe (rectangular omelet pan) on low heat, pour the egg mixture into the pan and spread over the surface. Then cover with aluminum foil and cook until you can flip the omelette without breaking it. Then cook the other side.
4. Let cool until you can handle it. Cut into 16 square pieces. Sandwich 2 pieces of tamagoyaki with ketchup. Then secure with sandwich picks or bento picks if you have.

Grilled Cheese Roll up

Preheat skillet over medium heat. flatten the bread using rolling pin. Generously apply cream cheese on one side of bread. Spread shredded cheddar/ mozzarella cheese on top and roll up.  Grill until lightly browned and flip over; continue grilling until cheese is melted. 

First Rain Boot

After the searing heat in summer

fall finally slips in

with a bit of rain and cool temp in the early morning

  

Got Xavier a matching pair of fireman rubber boots from carter

to go with his rain coat

This is his first time ever stomping a puddle with rain boots

Xavier's 1st Halloween Costume

Went Grapevine shopping with the ladies today

and got Xavier a costume from Old Navy

for $12... after 40% + 20% off

Had been searching for a pirate outfit for quite sometime

finally got the one I Like Wee~~~

Hope Xavier will have a blast for his first Halloween experience!!!

Japanese Baked Cheesecake

 

Enjoying our homemade cheesecake for breakfast

 

 

 

"Japanese Baked Cheesecake"

I made the crust using vanilla wafers so it taste very crispy and delicious

 

Ingredients:
((Crust))
120g (4.2oz.) vanilla wafers
40g (1.4oz.) butter (softened)
((Cheesecake))
200g (7oz.) cream cheese (softened)
60g (2.1oz.) sugar
2 egg
150cc fresh cream (or whipping cream is okay)
1 tbsp. lemon juice
3 tbsp. flour
20g (0.7oz.) butter

Directions:
((Crust))
1. Line the brownie pan with waxed paper or parchment paper.
2. Smash vanilla wafers in a Ziploc bag, add butter (softened), and mix well. Press firmly into the brownie pan. Chill until set.
((Cheesecake))
1. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F).
2. Beat cream cheese with wire whisk. Add sugar, beaten eggs (little by little), fresh cream, lemon juice, flour (sift in), and melted butter, and mix until smooth.
3. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the brownie pan and bake at 180C (350F) for 35-40 minutes.
4. Allow to cool to the room temperature and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Cut into bars.

 

Plano Balloon Festival 2013

 

21 Sept 2013

  

I am super excited about catching the annual Plano Balloon Festival this year!

Last year, Xavier was sick so had to give it a miss

so this year... here we go, our first balloon experience!

 

 

 

Reached around 5.30pm and we got to sit in front of the balloon launch area

(Thanks to Winnie for getting such a good spot)

Xavier was fascinated and excited about the balloons

He kept saying "big big balloon" and "Hot balloon"

 

Waiting patiently for the event to start

 

 

Can't leave his eyes from the balloons

 

 

 

 

Finally the event started - Sky divers

 

 

 

 

Setting up of the hot air balloon.. lots of pics

But too bad, the balloon didn't get to launch due to weather

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meiling & family

 

 

May & family

 

 Winnie & family

 

 

kiddos enjoying themselves while waiting... waiting...

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

   

 

 

We stayed till the end for the fireworks

It was spectacular and definitely worth the wait

the fireworks finale really made the experience complete