Moments in My Life

Our trip is coming up soon.  We will be flying on Eva Air.  This has been my regular airline to fly with when I travel to Malaysia.  I have accumulated enough miles for an upgrade from Taipei to KL from economy to Premium Laurel Class (Business Class).  It requires 15,000 miles for an upgrade.  Even Brandon had enough miles after his last flight to KL, he has a little bit over 15K miles on his account.  So both of us will be flying in style from TPE to KL, which has a flight time of 4 hours 45 minutes.  We were given a choice to pick our own meal online before the flight and I hope they are good.

We will be having these as our main course:

Panfried Salmon Fillet Toped with Light Curry Cream Sauce
Accompaniment:
• Our deep-sea salmon is rich in healthy oils like the Omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA served with light curry sauce. Let you engohighly nutritious meal that is as good for you as it tastes.

Din Tai Fung Stewed Beef Shank with Noodle Soup
Accompaniment:
• Stir Fried Preserved Vegetable

Are the pictures making you hungry? They sure did to me. My stomach was growling as I was typing this and posting the pictures up.

Hubby had made reservation at The Lawry’s Steakhouse and presented the dinner for two to me on Christmas morning. Surprisingly to me, he even arranged the babysitting service with my SIL for that evening without me knowing it. He said that it would be a nice way to celebrate our 10th year wedding anniversary. He likes prime rib. I do too but I didn’t want to over eat. I heard they have different cut of prime rib (24oz, 16oz) and saw some pictures of the dish and side dishes at Yelp. The food was supposely good but the pictures don’t look too appertizing to me, especially the side dishes. That’s the reason I suggested to Hubby to cancel the reservation. Of course, he was disappointed. But yet we still made the night out to a nearby Japanese Yakitori Restaurant - Shin Sen Gumi (Torrance).

We arrived at 5:30pm, it was just a 5 minute drive from our home. But the place was not opened yet. So we drove around and came back at 6pm and it was almost filled with customers. We asked to be seated by the bar. We were given an order list, and we checked what we wanted. We picked all those non-regular stuff which we don’t eat at home. Hubby also ordered a plate of yellowtail sashimi.

The chefs are very friendly indeed. Two of them were busy yakitori-ing (grilling) the customers’ orders behind the bar (see picture below). The hot green tea we ordered was great idea with the raining weather outside. We were really warm. I even took out my jacket. This place is small and it was full very soon after we were seated.

Everything was very good. Unexpectedly, I was very full after the meal. I was actually quite done with my meal when they served the 4th or 5th stick. But Hubby had ordered so much and amazingly we finished everything.

Now are you ready to see what we had (without Brandon with us)??

Here goes …

We were all done by the time it was 7pm and we got back to my IL’s place around 7:15pm to pick up Brandon. He was good, and playing with his Lego toys my SIL got him for Christmas. So total time we left him there with my IL was 1 hour 45 mins. We may try it for longer the next time.

Happy Thanksgiving!! We’ll be having dinner at MIL’s house tonite. So I thought I will bring some dessert over for the dinner.

I was into a mood in making dessert/snack/pastries lately. Today I made Kuih Lapis. Bought a box of flour mix - Kruathip Coconut Layer Cake (Kuih Lapis). From the picture of the box, the dessert looks very delicious. I checked out the method and it was not difficult to make at all. The package has a mixture of rice flour, tapioca flour, vanilla powder and sugar. It is a product from Thailand. All I need to add is 230ml of coconut milk. I also bought a new bottle of pandan paste/flavoring/coloring. The price for the box of flour is $0.99 and the pandan paste is $0.99.

Ingredients

Two bowls of mixture - one pandan and one normal white

Steaming the pandan layer

Pandan Kuih Lapis / Coconut Layer Cake

Verdict: It is very easy to follow the instruction and I was able to finish all the steps in 30 minutes. The package didn’t indicate what size of pan we should use for steaming. I used a 9″ baking pan and could only manage very tightly to get 4 layers. The texture is not as smooth as seen on the picture in the box. The taste is OK, it is chewy, unlike the 9 layers kuih we used to eat in Malaysia. I wonder if I should add more coconut milk to it next time to make the texture smoother. May be I will try making this kuih recipe from scratch if I have the time.

A packet of ‘Bak Kut Teh’ (BKT) was going to expire soon, so I planned ahead to make this special dish for Tuesday dinner. A few ingredients were missing and I had to drive out to get them on Tuesday afternoon when my MIL was over here playing with Brandon. I bought the enoki mushrooms, pork neck bones and ‘tau fu pok’. It was a whole afternoon affair making this soup. As soon as my son napped, I started the cooking.

First I prepared a small pot of boiling water for the Chinese mushrooms to soak. The pork meat (pork sirloin) was cut up the day before and stored in the refridgerator. I boiled a big pot of water to blanch the meat and bones. While the water was boiling, I peeled up a lot of garlics. Then I took them out and put all in a clean bowl of water. And with that, I started boiling another big pot of water for the soup base. I cleaned up the pork bones and meat of any impurities and set them aside.

When the big pot of water started boiling, I added the pork bones and meat into it. Of course, I also threw in the 2 packets of Bak Kut Teh soup base as well as the 1 whole peeled garlic. Next in the cleaned mushroom with the stem cut. I added some dark soy sauce, light soy sauce and salt. When it boiled, I turned the heat to simmer.

Brandon woke up from his nap at around this time. I turned on the DVD to keep him busy. As the BKT is simmering, I prepared the enoki mushrooms, lettuce and ‘tau fu pok’. Again, a pot of boiling water is needed and I blanched all of them in the sequence. As for the ‘tau fu pok’, my intention was to get rid some of the oil by soaking them in the hot water. On the side, I also made blanched broccoli for Brandon, just in case if he chose not to eat the lettuce. The rice was in the cooker cooking at this time.

Wonderful smell of BKT was filling up my kitchen. Yummy! I was getting hungry too. The soup base was alot and I knew we couldn’t finish it in one meal, so I set up another smaller pot and put in all the side ingredients - enoki mushrooms, lettuces and ‘tau fu pok’ and scooped half of the soup base plus the meat into this smaller pot. Once this small pot came to a boil, I turn off the heat and it was ready to serve!

Brandon loves this soup a lot and he finished up every single grain of rice in his plate and even asked for a second bowl of the soup. As I was helping him to finish up his dinner, Hubby was washing up the dishes. Yes, he always finishes FIRST during our meal. I told him to wash everything except for the big pot of soup base as that needed to be cool down before storing.

After Brandon finished his dinner, I went into the kitchen to scoop out the meat and bones of the BKT for storage. As the soup was still hot (not warm), I left the soup in the big pot to fasten the cooling process for both, the soup and the meat. Then I took out a bowl of udon soup that was inside the refridgerator to throw away and also to make room for my BKT. I told Hubby, “This throw away,” passing him the bowl. Then I went to the living room with Brandon as I was still chatting with Hubby over the little window that opened up from the living room to the kitchen.

After a minute or two, I came back inside the kitchen area and I saw the big pot of BKT soup base was no longer on the stove! Of course I was shocked! I went bizzare! I asked him, “What was in your thought when you poured away the HOT soup? Why? Why? Why did you throw it away?” Hey come on, is not that he didn’t know. The soup was still hot and you don’t usually just chuck hot water down the drain like that. And he said during dinner that he likes the soup BEST! And I really wonder what was going on in his mind when he threw out the whole pot of soup that he likes? The leftover could have save me an afternoon of hard work preparing dinner as I can just reheat it and add more enoki mushrooms, lettuce and ‘tau fu pok’. But now with it gone … aiyo … I have to slave myself again for dinner tonite. I was crying and laughing at the same time … really! I just don’t get it why he threw away the soup. He replied me, “I am stupid mar.” That didn’t help to soothe down the fire in me.

And with all this craziness was going on in the kitchen, Brandon thought it was funny and he kept running with me laughing about his Mommy and Daddy craziness. It was his laughter that cool down the fire in me.

And this is not the first time ever he did something like that.

Living in a foreign country is not easy, especially when comes to food.  I do miss having nice warm soup noodle for breakfast or roti canai or nasi lemak.  But we have to get to do with what we can get here.  Usually Brandon and I only eat bread with peanut butter and jelly for breakfast.  Sometimes I will eat cereal and milk, sometimes toast up frozen waffles and spread them with butter and top with some syrup.  But today, we got some warm delicious home prepared Steamed BBQ Port Rice Noodle (Char Siew Cheung Fun) as our Sunday brunch. 

We were at Chinatown yesterday and I bought a small piece of BBQ pork (Char siew).  I also bought a box of flat rice noodle, no cut.  I left the rice noodle on the counter top but refrigerated the BBQ pork in a container. 

After we came home from our morning errand this morning, I started to prepare our brunch. I took out the BBQ pork and diced it to smaller pieces. Then I opened up the box of flat rice noodle. I slowly separated two layers of the noodles and placed it on a big plate.

Spread some BBQ pork on the noodles in the center and then fold the rice noodle up from the bottom once, and then from top to down once.

Set it aside to the plate.

Heat up a wok with some water to steam the noodles for about 5 to 8 minutes.

I made my own soy sauce with some sugar and sweetened dark soy sauce. The amount of seasoning is up to your liking.

Wah lah … our brunch - BBQ PORK RICE NOODLE (Char Siew Cheung Fun).

You will need: Tilapia, slices of ginger, slices of garlic, green onions, tomato (optional) salt and white pepper.

I bought a swimming Tilapia this morning and steamed it for our lunch and ate it with rice.

The Tilapia was cleaned out with the fins and tail off at the market. At 99 Ranch Market, swimming/live Tilapia sells at $3.99/lb. The fish I got was slightly over a pound, a little over $4.

When I came home, I rinsed it with tap water again to remove whatever stuck to it. I pat it dry with paper towel. Then I put two light cut on each side of the fish to open up the meat slightly for cooking. Next, I sprinkled some salt and white pepper and pat the seaoning down with my hand.

While I was preparing the steps above, I had a wok with water boiling. I spread the sliced gingers, garlics, green onions and tomatoes all over the fish, underneath and the top as well. Whatever were left, I put all on the sides.

When the water is boiling, I put the plate with the fish into the wok. I cooked it for 8 minutes with medium heat. After 8 minutes, I turned off the heat but left the lid on until serving.

Here is a picture of the steamed Tilapia. Easy, healthy and delicious too!

We have recently switched our milk from Swiss Dairy 2% milk to Stremick’s Heritage Organic Lowfat 1% milk.  I have never seen this brand at any outside retail stores. The more common organic milk sold outside is Horizon brand. Unfortunately, not Sam’s club or Costco carries this brand for their regular carton milk.

There is definitely a different in taste.  This organic milk taste more ‘milky‘.  We still get this milk from Sam’s Club at bulk price. The one gallon of Swiss Dairy 2% cost $2.30 while a three half gallon cartons of Stremicks Heritage Organic Milk cost $9.88. That is almost three times the price of the Swiss Dairy milk. So why we switched? Because I am afraid the added hormone and chemical to the feeds for the cow or to the cows themselves will affect growth and our health since we drink milk very often. My son drinks three times a day while I take it once a day. One half gallon carton will last slightly less than two days for our household.

Edit: I just found an article that encourage us to drink organic milk.

Seven Reasons Why Kids Should Drink Organic Milk

Organic milk, produced without synthetic chemicals, hormones or antibiotics, is the best choice for kids And families, according to Dr. Alan Greene, one of the nation’s leading pediatricians. Sought after for the wealth of information he gives parents At DrGreene.com, Greene is a pediatrician at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford University clinical assistant professor of pediatrics, father of four and author of McGraw-Hill’s “From First Kicks to First Steps.”

In recognition of June Dairy Month, Dr. Greene is offering the following seven reasons why families who drink milk should choose organic:

1. Produced without antibiotics. “Antibiotic overuse is a major public health problem. One of the main places where antibiotics are used today is in agriculture. Organic milk comes from organic cows that have not been treated with antibiotics, so it doesn’t contribute to the growing problem of bacterial resistance.”

2. Produced without synthetic hormones. “Hormones are powerful. Even trace amounts can cause dramatic changes in living beings. When you choose organic milk, you know that added synthetic hormones are not stimulating the cows’ milk production.”

3. Produced without harmful pesticides. “Agricultural pesticides are now widespread. They can even be measured in raindrops falling from the sky, fog rolling over the hills, ‘fresh’ snow, and in water we drink. Organic agriculture reduces pesticide exposure because it comes from organic cows that are fed food grown without chemical pesticides.”

4. High in Conjugated Linoleic Acids (CLAs). “CLAs are important ‘good fats’ that have been linked to decreased heart disease and diabetes. In fact, in the May 9 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health reported low-fat dairy products, including milk, might lower the risk of type 2 diabetes in men.

“Milk made from cows who pasture has higher CLA content. Since many organic farmers rely upon pasturing and give their cows fresh green grass whenever weather permits, organic milk often has a high CLA content.”

5. Excellent source of calcium. “Most of America’s school children are failing to get the calcium they need each day for their growing bodies. Kids 4-8 years old need 800 mg per day. Kids 9-18 need 1,300 mg of calcium per day. Organic milk contains about 300 mg per eight-ounce glass and is one great way to help kids get the calcium they need. Organically flavored milks, such as chocolate and strawberry, are popular options for kids, too”

6. Organic milk is wholesome. “Organic milk is a natural, whole food beverage - unlike most beverages promoted for kids that are packed full of artificial chemical ingredients. Many of them contain high fructose corn syrup, aspartame and/or artificial chemical dyes.”

7. It’s the right thing to do. “Unlike factory cows, organic cows must have access to open air. Organic cows from some dairy farms are allowed to graze freely in organic pasture when it is in season. This kind of farming is kind to animals, supportive of wildlife, healthy for rural communities, respectful of our air, water and soil, and healthy for children.”

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day.  It is a glutton holiday feast.  There will be so many food served including turkey, ham, sweet yam, different pies (pumpkin and pecan are popular ones), cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cornbread … and the list continues.  So what will I be making for tomorrow?  NOTHING!  We’ll be heading to my in-law’s home for Thanksgiving dinner.  She will be preparing a small roast turkey, mash potatoes and sweet yam.  My sister in-law loves cranberry sauce but not me.  We’ll probably bring a Marie Callendar pie over for dessert. 

We’ll come home and be ready for bed early tomorrow night as we are looking to go out for Black Friday shopping the next day at 6am.  *wink*

We make the hotel reservation for Las Vegas earlier this month.  Our plan is to be there for the Thanksgiving weekend.  Hubby will be taking two days off from work and spending a total of three days/two nights mini vacation.  Why we choose Las Vegas?  Because is near to drive there.  Gas is cheap now too.  I saw it today was $2.33/gallon. 

Hubby already planned out our meals.  We will be hitting a few buffets in the town.  As you know, when I am at a buffet, it is hard to control the amount I take.  The last time we were at Mandalay Bay’s buffet with my brother back in May, we spent more than 2 hours.  We were there from the time they almost done with lunch menu.  So we were able to taste the lunch as well as dinner menu for the price of lunch.  We ate so much that day.  This time, Hubby planned to do the same thing.  Going to the buffet around 2:30pm and sit till they changed the dishes.  hehehe … I know I know … I already put on 6 pounds from my trip to KL.  Now with this again … I better prepare myself with the best diet pills available. May be I should give some to my Hubby too.