Homemade Sweet Potatoes Mooncakes with Mung Bean Fillings

I did a trial run today since I had to prepare the mung bean fillings in advance for tomorrow.

Ingredients:

1 big purple sweet potato (abt 200g after skin peeled which yields 4 small mooncakes), cut into big chunks

1/2 cup of split mung beans (still have leftovers for making of more mooncakes tomorrow)

1 tbsp of organic Simple Mill raw virgin coconut oil (VCO)

1/4 cup of Billington's molasses (can half it if prefer less sweet for LOs)

Some boiled water

Directions:

1. Steam mung beans for 30 minutes (I used my Avent steamer & blender) or till soften.

2. Blend to desired texture (BB likes more textured food so I left it quite chunky). If mixture is too dry, add a bit of water till it can blend smoothly.

3. Heat up the VCO then add in mung bean purée & sugar.

4. Mix evenly over low heat till sugar has melted (can add some water if mixture is still too dry to prevent it from getting burnt). Cool the mixture completely before using. Can also leave overnight in fridge once it's cooled if you're preparing it in advance too.

5. Steam sweet potato for 20 - 30 minutes till soften then mash, cool & put into fridge for at least 30 minutes.

6. Put a thin layer of sweet potato purée all around the mooncake mold.

7. Fill with the mung bean filling then cover it with another thin layer of sweet potato purée.

8. Invert mold over a plate & slowly push down the plunger (firmly so that the design is imprinted). Slowly lift up the mold while continuing to push down the plunger gently to remove the mooncake from it.

I did the first 3 mooncakes using the method shown in the video I've shared earlier on Grub n' Grow's FB page but it's quite difficult to get a thin outer layer of sweet potato as the purée breaks up quite easily. This resulted in very little filling in the centre as shown in the picture below.

Unsatisfied with the end results, I put on my thinking cap & came up with another method. Using the remaining ingredients, I gave it 1 more try & it looks much better now >.~ As for the taste, I really do like the stronger flavour in the mung bean filling due to the usage of molasses instead of normal sugar. Actually, they'll be a nice snack for normal days too if you use molds of other designs instead of mooncake ones.

Hope everyone'll hv a Happie Mid Autumn Festival celebration with your loved ones tmr!!!

Giveaway for Singapore Parenting Congress 2016 - “Are you a SUPERHERO to your child?”

You don’t need to save the world to be a superhero to your child; what matters is being there for them at every step of their journey. Not just at the significant milestones, but also in the little everyday things.

If you have a child aged 4 to 12, you can’t miss the Singapore Parenting Congress 2016, a joint initiative by Mediacorp and Families For Life Council that addresses the challenges modern parents face. Join me at the Singapore Parenting Congress on 30th to 31st July at Suntec Convention Centre Level 3 and pick up some parenting super powers! . There will be a total of 13 sessions this year (6 English, 4 Mandarin, 1 Malay & 1 Tamil). Tickets available at all SISTIC channels starting from $18. 

These are the key parenting messages that will be highlighted at this event by different seminar sessions, which includes the following:

Active Parenting - The importance of taking a proactive approach in parenting, in developing a child's character, installing them with the right values and building them up to be resilient people. How can we prepare our children for a future we don't know? Academics should not be the only focus in a child's development.

Screen time vs Face time - Impact of technology on parenting, it is not always a bad thing. Tips will be shared with parents on how they can connect and engage with their children more effectively at this time and age.

Spending quality vs quantity time - Many parents in dual household income struggle with balancing work and family time. Spending quality time is very important in building strong family ties. Spending time with your kids (being present physically & mentally), also helps to make a child feel more confident and secure.

Grand-parenting - The role of extended family in a child's development - the important role grandparents play these days. Grandparents aren't just an extra pair of hands. They make great role models who can be positive influences in our child's life! There're only 2 sessions that touch on the role of grandparents. However, this is an important topic in today's context as many grandparents are very much involved with childcare responsibilities.

For more information on the programme schedule (synopsis in English, Mandarin, Malay & Tamil), click here. 

If you're keen to join me at the following seminar, you may participate in the giveaway to win a pair of tickets. A total of 3 pairs of tickets will be given away to 3 lucky readers ;)

Active Parenting – Developing Your Child Holistically

Date: Saturday, 30th July 2016
Time: 9:30am – 1:00pm
Speaker: Mr James Gary Satchy

Every parent wants success for their children. But what is true success and how do we achieve it?

In today’s world and tomorrow’s future, we see challenges that require more than academic excellence. A child needs holistic development in order to be a true success!

This talk will focus on what parents can intentionally do to develop their children in 4 areas – Active Learning, Character Choices, Emotional Health and Social Skills.

All these areas are interlinked to help our children be resilient in the face of challenges so that they can be true successes in life.

Directions to win:

1. Like "Grub n' Grow" Facebook Page.

2. Tag at least 5 friends to this Facebook Post.

3. Share this post publicly on your timeline.

4. Closing date is 24th July 2016, 2359hrs.

Hope to cya all there ~.^

About SmartParents
We want to be a part of that rewarding journey you make to becoming a better parent. Which is why we started smartparents.sg, a parenting portal by Mediacorp Pte Ltd. SmartParents.sg is a one-stop information resource for parents with children up to age 14.

Backed by teams from the former BabyCare and Mother & Baby Singapore magazines, SmartParents.sg brings you everything from real-life stories to easy-to-access insights by our panel of experts, so you can make smart parenting choices. Tune in to us and take part in our exciting events and seminars all-year round. Visit SmartParents.sg and like us on Facebook!

About Families for Life
Families for Life’s vision is to build strong and resilient families because that makes for stronger communities and better individual well-being.

We Listen. We listen to the issues that Singaporean families are facing.
We Explore and Promote. We bring people and organisations together to create platforms for family bonding and to engage Singaporeans in conversations about families.
We Voice. We voice out concerns that people have on family issues and continue this conversation with our partners and the community.

Musichaus: Music Explorers Workshop

BB was in for a treat as he had received his first sponsorship from Musichaus for the Music Explorers Workshop (ages 1.5 to 3 years old) during this June school holidays. Yesterday was the first lesson & boy, was he really looking forward to it. BB got to explore various musical instruments & he seemed to have a special liking for the triangle, holding on to the metal rod most of the time. 

Here, he was beating the drum & learning rhythms simultaneously.

I can't help but mention about Teacher Trina who leads & directs the music programmes. She's super patient especially towards my ever energetic boy. She reassured me that it's ok as he's showing his own creativity in a different manner & that even though he may not seem to be focusing all the time, he's learning in his own unique way. True enough, that night on the way back, he was actually humming part of the lyrics of a song she sang in class. In fact, even on the next day, he repeatedly sang one of the other songs we sang & mumbled some key words from the book they read together.

Next, Teacher Trina introduced the piano which is not entirely new to him since he has 2 toy keyboards at home. He was more fascinated at the numerous buttons on it though *faintz

Storytime was another segment of the programme & this was another of BB's fave since he has always been such a lil' bookworm. What struck me as the main difference from another music class (which he had attended almost a year ago) was the incorporation of music into daily activities. The theme for this week was Nature & thus, Teacher Trina had chosen a related book to read. As she read, she actually made use of the various instruments to incorporate sounds into certain parts of the story to make it more lively. Furthermore, she also played sounds of nature like running water & different animals for BB to listen & guess what they were.

Look how attentive he is, a far cry from minutes ago where he was running around the room..lolz!

Teacher Trina even gave me other tips as to how to make music a part of our lives. For example, she asked me to put on some music while BB is going about his daily routines of playing, learning, etc. A little experiment mummies can try at home too. Let your child do some doodling without music. Then, turn on the music & give a new piece of paper for him/her to doodle again. You will notice that the colours or types of strokes used in both art pieces will actually be different. 

There's also a Music Adventurers programme for children ages 4 to 6 years old. More information for the programmes can be found at Music Explorers Workshop & Music Adventurers Workshop respectively.

When the class was about to end, BB refused to leave & actually wanted more. Teacher Trina was so kind to help us check if he could go to Kids' Atelier, a Reggio-Emilia inspired space designed for 6 months to 6 years old children, for a short playtime while Mummy toured the rest of the premises.

Mummies / Daddies with homebased work, if you have never heard of Trehaus, it's high time you do. It is Singapore's first co-working space with childcare & learning facilities. You can leave your baby or toddler with them for a couple of hours as you focus on your job next door yet check in on your little one anytime you want while the child-minders expose your kid to different sensory plays to stimulate their developments. As the drop-off service is also available to non-members, you can also get some errands done knowing your kid is in good hands. To name a few, there are the Arthaus & Dramahaus playtime. As the names suggest, one is an art workshop which make use of natural materials while the other is dramatic play.

His 'masterpiece' done during his short 'trial' at Arthaus <3

Choose between private offices, semi-private dedicated desk or co-work space or you can also opt to rent their spaces for events, networking & parties. With the numerous 'Work' or 'Work + Play' packages catered for different needs, I'm sure you can find a suitable one >.~.

This shows the common area where parents & children can co-exist in harmony & one of the semi-private dedicated desks.

This is the adults only zone with meeting rooms for up to 10 people & fully equppied with projectors & whiteboards where members have full access to.

Spacious patio area ideal for networking sessions.

To find out more information, please contact them directly.

Trehaus

Claymore Connect

442 Orchard Road, #03-01

Singapore 238879

9843 8077 / 6816 2779

www.trehauscowork.com

enquiries@trehauscowork.com

Opening hours: Mon to Fri, 9am to 6pm

Barney's Beach Party 'Live' On Stage & Summer Splash Carnival at City Square Mall

Since it's the school holidays & BB'll be turning 3 next month, he gets to watch a bit of cartoons every morning & he chanced upon the commercial for the Barney show at City Square Mall. When he first saw it, he asked me excitedly what it is about. I was so tempted to tell him we've been extended a media invite & that he would get to see it in person soon but I decided not to let the cat out of the bag so that he'd be in for a lil' surprise instead.

The "Barney's Beach Party", a fun, educational & upbeat live show, features Barney, BJ & Baby Bop singing & dancing to all-time favourites with a fresh summer twist. 

Look at how engrossed BB was!

We were also blessed to receive the "Meet & Greet" pass where we could have a picture with Barney & his friends. You can also redeem one an hour prior to each show by spending $50 with a maximum of 3 same-day combined receipts, but only for the first 50 passes per show & they're redeemable at L2 Customer Service Counter.

Details of Barney's Beach Party 'Live' On Stage

Date: 4 - 19 June 2016

Time: 2pm & 7pm from Tues - Fri 

         1pm, 4pm & 7pm on Sat & Sun

Venue: Level 1 Atrium

Furthermore, in conjunction with the beach theme, there's also a Summer Splash Carnival where the City Green outdoor park has been transformed into an urban beach setting. Don't forget to take a family photo with the spectacular sandcastle display made by a team of professional sand sculptors. If you share the picture on Facebook, use #BeachFunAtCitySquareMall hashtag & tag "City Square Mall", you may be one of 3 lucky winners of $100 worth of vouchers.

There're lotsa super duper fun beach-themed activities. Here, BB was having a whale of a time on the Bumper Boats despite turning in continuous circles..lolz! 

He also absolutely enjoyed digging in the Sand Play Pen ;)

Other stations include the Mechanical Surfboard, Sand Bowling, Frisbee Throw & Inflatable Rock Climb. Do note that there are height requirements for some so better to check them out before purchasing your tokens.

Details of Summer Splash Carnival

Date: 27 May - 26 June 2016

Time: 1pm - 10pm daily

Venue: Level 1 City Green (Outdoor Park)

In addition, kids can also hop on the Choo Choo City Express for a memorable ride from 12pm to 10pm daily. BB didn't ride on it as he had chosen a kiddy ride over the train ride after dinner. However, upon seeing it, he still asked if he could sit on it. We reminded him about his choice earlier on &, fortunately, he accepted it without much fuss. Tickets at $6 per child (children less than 90cm get 1 free adult companion ride pass) can be purchased at the Smiley World ticket booth next to the park. 

Since it's the Great Singapore Sale, you can also redeem a Beach Survival Set which consists of a beach mat that comes along with an inflatable pillow as well as a 12-can cooler bag - essentials for a trip to the beach, with every $200 ($300 with NTUC receipts) spent. They're while stocks last as only 4,000 sets are available. Furthermore, every purchase of $50 worth of City Square Mall will also entitle you to a complimentary $5 voucher.

More details on the activities & promotions, visit www.citysquaremall.com.sg or check out City Square Mall's Facebook page.

So, make a trip to City Square Mall to soak in the sand-sational line-up of activities & promotions with your LOs soon!!

Nickelodeon's Spongebob Run Debuts in Asia!

You probably know who lives in a pineapple under the sea but not my boy since he has minimum exposure to all electronic gadgets..hee! Since its launch in July 1999, SpongeBob SquarePants has emerged as a pop culture phenomenon. As the most widely distributed property in Viacom history, SpongeBob is seen in over 185 countries and translated in more than 50 languages. The character-driven cartoon chronicles the nautical and sometimes nonsensical adventures of SpongeBob, an incurably optimist and earnest sea sponge, and his undersea friends.

And, here's the great news! Nickelodeon's first ever SpongeBob Run in Asia, presented by X-Change Republic, will flag off in Singapore on Saturday, 6 August 2016 at Siloso Beach Walk Sentosa! Join SpongeBob SquarePants in search of his missing best friend Patrick Star via a fun run which will see participants cover a five kilometre route showcasing iconic landmarks from the underwater city of Bikini Bottom, including the Krusty Krab, and the houses that SpongeBob, Patrick and Squidward Tentacles live in. The race course is also lined with many trigger-happy opportunities for participants to snap a #wefie with SpongeBob and his friends in life-size cutout boards, such as Sandy Cheeks in her pressurized suit and SpongeBob's pet sea snail Gary.

On the same day, a carnival filled with nautical-themed activities, food and beverages, awaits SpongeBob fans and their families. At the end of the race, fans can enjoy a screening of three episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants with their loved ones. The first 30 participants who finish the race will get the opportunity to meet SpongeBob and Patrick.

Events Details
Date: Saturday, 6 August 2016
Time: 4pm - 8pm
Venue: Sentosa, Siloso Beach Walk
Distance: 5km

There are two categories of race entitlement packs:

• For BASIC (S$49.50 per pax), particpants will receive an official event t-shirt, an event medal and a runner's license.
  
  
  
  Event tee (front)
  
  
  
  Event tee (back)
  
  
  
  Event medal (front)
  
  
  
  Event medal (back)
  
  
• For NORMAL (S$59.90 per pax), in addition to receiving an official event t-shirt, an event medal and a runner's license, participants will go home with an exclusive SpongeBob Run Singapore plush toy and drawstring bag.
  
  
  
  Exclusive SpongeBob Run Singapore plush toy
  
  
  
  Drawstring bag (front)
  
  
  
  Drawstring bag (back)

"We are thrilled to work with X-Change Republic to launch the first-ever SpongeBob Run in Asia and in Singapore! Nickelodeon enjoys giving kids and their families playful entertainment experiences," said Claire O'Connor, Vice President of Consumer Products and Retail Marketing, Asia Pacific, Viacom International Media Networks. "It is a fantastic recipe having SpongeBob as the ambassador for this fun run. It encourages families to get out and run together, especially in the lead-up to National Day."

Even though BB may not recognise SpongeBob and his friends yet, I'm sure he'll by the end of the run ~.< I doubt any kid can resist the cuteness overloaded characters. Furthermore, it'll be our first family run together. In fact, it's all our virgin run..lolz! Oh mine, I'm so looking forward to it! August, please come faster!!! 

So if you are ready, say 'Aye Aye Captain' and register for the race at the SpongeBob Run Singapore 2016 website at www.sbrun.sg. For Grub n' Grow readers, you can get S$5 off by entering the promo code SBXCELINE during your registration and it's valid till 4 August 2016 23:59. Hope to cya there!!!

About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon is one of the most globally recognised and widely distributed multimedia entertainment brands for kids and family. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company’s portfolio includes television programming and production around the world, plus special events, consumer products, digital offerings, recreation, books, feature films and pro-social initiatives. Nickelodeon's brands reach 1.1 billion cumulative subscribers in more than 160 countries and territories, via more than 80+ locally programmed channels and branded blocks. Outside of the United States, Nickelodeon is part of Viacom International Media Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. For more information about Nickelodeon in Asia, visit www.nick-asia.com. 

About X-Change Republic Pte Ltd
X-Change Republic is a one-stop solution for sports and lifestyle brands. With a presence in Singapore and Malaysia, the Company specialises in manufacturing customised clothing apparel and also integrated marketing.
Committed in providing clients with a highly personalised service, X-Change Republic takes on a quality consultative approach across its three synergistic business pillars: Manufacture, Co-Create, and Experience.
X-Change Republic develops effective apparel brand building strategy and works directly with clients through every stage: conceptualisation, production, manufacturing, front-end sales, and brand activation via targeted evThe Company has not only shaped the sporting industry with its superior sporting apparels, but also conceptualised and delivered notable in-house races such as YOLO Run and Diamond Dash.
For more information visit http://www.x-changerepublic.com.

All photos credits attributed to: © 2016 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. Created by Stephen Hillenburg

One Pan Whole Wheat Spaghetti in Homemade Creamy Carbonara Sauce

What would you do when you've got a craving for creamy sauce pasta but yet there's no cream at home? The answer is "Do-It-Yourself!" & that's exactly what I did >.~ 

Ingredients (serves 1 toddler & 1 adult):

150g of organic sliced beef

5 mini portobello mushrooms, sliced

4 small red onions, sliced

1 garlic, sliced

1 big Japanese cucumber, diced

150g of Alce Nero organic whole wheat spaghetti

300ml of fresh milk

300ml of water

2 tbsps of organic extra virgin coconut oil (EVCO)

1/8 teaspoon of dried basil

1/8 teaspoon of dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon of freshly grounded black pepper

2 kampong eggs

4 tbsps of frozen self grated organic cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Heat up a pan & add VCO followed by beef slices to stir fry till they brown then scoop them out.

2. Add in the garlic. Once it starts to brown, add in the onions & stir fry with medium fire till they soften slightly.

3. Next, pour in mushrooms, basil, oregano & pepper. Stir-fry till the mushrooms are shrivelled & 'sweat', then pour in the milk & water.

4. Put in the pasta once the mixture start to boil & top with cucumbers.

5. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally till pasta is almost cooked.

6. Break the eggs, top with cheese then switch off the fire immediately. The remaining heat will cook the eggs. 

7. Plate the pasta, top with beef slices & some more cheese. Serve warm.

The end product? Even though the recipe uses milk instead of cream, it tastes almost exactly like the usual cream sauce pasta which I usually cook, but yet healthier. Cucumber seems like an odd ingredient in pasta but it happens to be one of the few vegetables that BB likes. He actually asked me to cut some for him to munch on when he saw me take it out from the fridge..lolz! You'll be pleasantly surprised to find that it complements a cream based sauce as its light flavour helps to combat against the richness of the sauce. 

Mummies or Daddies who've been following my blog, did you also notice something different in this recipe? Yes, you're right! To save time, I'm actually cooking the pasta in the sauce itself instead of cooking it separately. Just have to add extra water to your usual sauce (tomato, mushroom etc) so that by the time your pasta is cooked, the sauce would have reduced to a nice, thick sauce.

Beneficial Combination:

Garlic + Onion = Detoxification & anti-cancer effects

Egg + Milk =  Enhance the brain's memory function