Healthy Bubur Chacha - Purple Sweet Potatoes in Fresh Milk

After trying out the Milky Oats With Purple Sweet Potato for Breaky previously, I've cravings for it again but preferably a more soupy version so I omitted the oats today.

Ingredients:

2 cups of fresh milk

2 middle size purple sweet potatoes, skinned & cut into small chunks

Directions:

1. Bring the milk to a boil. 

2. Add in sweet potato then simmer for about 15mins. Serve warm.

Omg!! The taste of this resembles it's counterpart, the bubur chacha even more! Without adding in oats this time, it has an even more distinct milky & sweet potato taste. Yums! Even though the little boy, a milk fanatic who very much prefers his milk straight from the source or cup, initially threw a tantrum after hearing that I was cooking a sweet potato dessert with milk; finally conceded and kept repeating 'Nice nice!!'

Beneficial Combination:

Milk + Sweet Potatoes = Prevent hypertension & arteriosclerosis

Milky Oats With Purple Sweet Potato for Breaky

I was having cravings for banana oats for breakfast this morning. To my disappointment, the bananas were too ripe & had turned brownish inside so into the rubbish bin they went. Since I've a pack of purple sweet potatoes on my countertop, I decided to try something new ;>

Ingredients (serve 2 adults & 1 toddler):

200ml of fresh milk

1/2 cup of organic rolled oats

1 medium size purple sweet potato, skinned & cut into small chunks

Directions:

1. Bring the milk to a boil. 

2. Add in sweet potato & oats then simmer for about 15mins. Serve warm.

What's the end result of my lil' kitchen experiment? The taste is kinda like a lighter version of bubur chacha. Fresh milk definitely doesn't have the strong fragrant of coconut milk but it also doesn't contain as much saturated fats present in the latter. Therefore, it's healthier too. The purple sweet potato gives the porridge a tinge of mild natural sweetness. What surprises me the most is the natural fragrant of the oats which fill my mouth as I chew on. I believe that without the addition of seasonings in my everyday meals, my palate has become more acute to the natural flavours or maybe because there aren't too much sweetness or saltiness to mask them.

Beneficial Combinations:

Milk + Oats = Has the effect of reducing fats & losing weight

Milk + Sweet Potatoes = Prevent hypertension & arteriosclerosis

Protection against Haze - Air+Smart Mask or Vogmask?

Masks are no doubt one of the two most sought after products every year when the haze hits us! For the previous years, there wasn't any suitable N95 grade masks for the little ones. This year, on the other hand, two different brands both with kids' sizes have been introduced to the market & I was lucky to be able to lay my hands on both with the kind recommendations & help from a few of my girlfriends. A big THANKS to all of them!!! I have seen a lot of questions being raised over the past few days as the haze condition worsened. Since I have both their respective "S" sizes for my 26mo boy, I thought it would be helpful to do a comparison, especially for mummies who're trying to find suitable ones for their kids.

Personally, I prefer the Vogmask as its reusable & washable. The only thing about it is that the straps are not adjustable so getting the right size to ensure a good fit is necessary. The "S" size was actually loose for my BB. On the other hand, accordingly to the feedback of my girlfriend, this mask has the best fit among others she has tried for her 2.5yo son. Another positive feedback from a mummy friend is that it is easier for kids to put on themselves than N95 masks.

For the AIR+, the feedback from another girlfriend is that it's too loose even for her 4yo gal so I was expecting it to be very loose for my boy. On the contrary, when we first wore it for him before his Vogmask was ready for collection, it fitted well. This is most likely due to the adjustable straps & as different people have different facial contours, the fit may differ slightly too. Some mummies may also wonder if it's a must to add on the ventilator. In my opinion, if your child is just wearing it from point to point, for eg, home to car, it suffices even without the ventilator. However, if it's for more prolonged periods, I'll recommend to add on the ventilator for more comfort.

In conclusion, both masks have their individual strengths over the other. Therefore, rather than choosing a particular brand, I think choosing the mask that has a perfect fit for your child is more important. As the haze continues to descend upon us, please take the necessary precautions for the safety of your LOs & take care too!!!

Throwback of Pear with Mi Zao & Chinese Almonds Soup

Readers of my blog would most likely know that one of the earliest natural remedies I've tried was the Double-Boiled Asian Pear since it has been the most popular post till date. I would say that this is a "tweaked" recipe of that. I was quite reluctant to add mi zao when my mum first introduced it to me as the dates are soaked in a raw sugar solution during the preservation process. However, since BB is already two, a bit of sugar now & then won't hurt I guess ;) There're various reasons why this is an ideal soup for the recent haze. First & foremost, pears help to nourish our lungs. Furthermore, other than lung nourishing properties, Chinese almonds also help to relieve cough & asthma as well as to dissolve phlegm. As for the benefits of mi zao, it has already been explained in my earlier post Apple Corn & Honey Dates Soup to Combat the Hazy Skies.

Ingredients (serve 2 adults & 1 toddler)

1.5l of water

2 Asian pears, skinned & cut into chunks

30g of Chinese almonds (premix of sweet & bitter almonds with a higher % of sweet ones)

3 Eu Yan San mi zao

Directions:

1. Bring the ingredients in water to a boil then simmer for 2h & serve warm.

Addition of the mi zao definitely adds another layer of sweetness to this drink. My 'boys' slurped up theirs & both devoured the dates in no time at all..lolz! 

Red Bean Oats Porridge - Another Immune Boosting Recipe

Another throwback recipe! The first time I tried something like this was in Seoul. Two big pots of red beans & pumpkin porridges outside a stall in a local market captured our attentions. However, to our surprise, it was salted, not sweet. Tasted equally yummy though. As I reminisced over the happy times in Korea, I recalled that I still had a pack of adzuki beans in my cabinet. Without wasting any time, I referred to my guide book for complements of these small red beans & found exactly what I needed..oats! So, here's my sweet version ^.^

Ingredients (serve 2 adults & 1 toddler):

1/2 cup of organic adzuki beans, soaked overnight (or at least 8 hours)

750ml of water

1/2 cup of organic rolled oats

Optional - 1 tsp of molasses or honey (pls exclude for babies less than 1yo)

Directions:

1. Rinse the soaked beans a couple of times then add into the pot of water. 

2. Bring the water to a boil then simmer for about 1hr 15mins or till the red beans soften according to your preference.

3. Pour in the oats & cook for another 15mins.

4. Add molasses or honey (best to wait till it has cooled down significantly before adding as high heat willl destroy some of the nutrients) to taste & serve warm.

Today's actually my second attempt & we still love this simple yet nutritious bowl of warm porridge in our tummies early in the morning. 

Beneficial Combination:

Oats + Red Beans = Enhance constitution & improve immunity

Apple Corn with Honey Dates Soup to Combat the Hazy Skies

Hello, everyone! I'm back after a seemingly long 'break'. First & foremost, thank you all for sticking around for the past few months!!! Despite the absence of new posts, I know some of you have still been referring to my blog for recipes & some inspirations. 

Many of you must have been wondering where I had MIA-ed to? Well, business was more or less as usual in my kitchen..lolz! My coming to 26 months old still essentially feeds on home-cooked food but I'll have to admit that I've started to close 1 eye to outside food since he's older now.Yes, only 1 eye, and not both. He may have an allowance of 1 to 2 'indulgences' per week, having the same food as us outside but I'll try to request for no salt & MSG for his portion. So far, our favourite restaurant with food that may be prepared as per the above requests is Fish & Co. Simply place an order of baked salmon or cod fish without any seasonings & sauces and he's ready to have them  (~.^) 

Food aside, I've been spending more time on his development for the last few months. With his rapid development in speech & his growth in awareness, my lil' BB is no longer that little..hee! His demand for attention has kinda increased exponentially. Thus, the focus in my blog may change slightly as well, with more emphasis on the 'Growth' aspect.

We've been more sociable as well. As my boy has not officially attended school yet, I've been meeting up with other SAHMs for playmates. These are good avenues for BB's social development & to learn how to share & interact with other children. Well, mummies need some support groups too, don't we?

Other than the Busy Bags exchanges which I've shared previously on Facebook, I have also made a Quiet Book for his 2nd birthday. This Quiet Book activity has only recently started to take off in Singapore. I've been wanting to share more but haven't quite gotten down to doing it. I promise though that it won't be long now : )

Lastly, I've also embarked on a wellness journey which I've procrastinated for like forever. I shall keep all of you in suspense for now but do stay tuned!

Enough for the catching up, let's dive straight into the recipe you've been awaiting for. With the bad hazy weather looming over our heads for the past few weeks, I have prepared this simple soup for my 'boys' at home. Consuming apples & corn together helps to boost our immune systems. In addition, mi zao helps to prevent the common cold as well as reduces allergic symptoms such as asthma & nasal inflammation by strengthening our lungs which I believe is what our bodies need most currently.

Ingredients (serve 2 adults & 1 toddler):

1.5l of water (2l if you prefer mild sweetness like myself)

2 organic apples, cut into wedges

2 organic corns, cut into thirds

2 Eu Yan Sang mi zao

Directions:

1. Bring the ingredients in water to a boil then simmer for 2h & serve warm.

I find this to be very thirst-quenching & throat soothing but a tad too sweet, especially for BB as his diet is still without much sugary stuffs. In view of this, I'll increase the volume of water to 2 litres for future attempts. Njoy the drink & bid the haze goodbye..soon, I hope!!

Beneficial Combination:

Apple + Corn = Can make skin glow & improve immunity

Sesame Oil Chicken Rice with Organic Pumpkin & Red Dates Soup

This is another of my all-time faves - "one-pot" chicken rice imparted by my mummy! The usual ingredients include Chinese sausages & dried shiitake mushrooms but we're all aware that sausages are not exactly a very healthy option due to high sodium levels & the addition of preservatives. Thus, they've been omitted. As for dried shiitake mushrooms, i've asked my mummy where I could buy good ones but she told me she also can't really find them nowadays & advised me to use fresh ones instead. That was quite a dampening news as I've always like their richer flavours as compared to the fresh ones. To compensate for the missing aromas, I subsituted normal oil with sesame oil instead & the results were great!

Ingredients (serve 1 toddler & 1 adult):

1 chicken leg + 1 small drumstick

1/2 cup of organic 10 multi-grains

4 tbsps of sesame oil

1 tbsp of Bob's Red Mill All Natural Cornstarch

1/2 cup water

50g of white bunashimeiji mushrooms

8 stalks of organic French beans, diced

Directions:

1. Marinate the chicken pieces with the cornstarch & half the sesame oil, and marinate the rice with the remaining sesame oil for at least 1 hour.

2. Add water to rice, top off with the chicken pieces & mushrooms then steam for 30 minutes (I'm using my Techno 3-Tiers Electric Steamer but rice cooker would do too).

3. Add the French beans & steam for another 5 minutes. Remove chicken pieces & give it a good stir to mix the ingredients evenly. Serve warm.

We both love the fragrance of the sesame oil in the rice. Be warned though that the rice is kinda wet & sticky partly due to the fact that it was cooked in my steamer where more moisture is added during the steaming process. Think along the lines of mui fan (which I happened to like too). Cooking it in the cooker should give you the usual rice texture if you're not a big fan of rice with lotsa gravy.

Ingredients:

240g of organic pumpkin

6 red dates, seeds removed

750ml of water

Directions:

1. Add all the ingredients to a pot & bring to boil. Then, simmer in low fire for 2 hours.

Nothing fanciful but just a bowl of comforting sweet-tasting soup.

Beneficial Combination:

Pumpkin + Red date = Invigorating spleen & replenishing qi as well as restraining & inhibiting qi of lungs