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Family life as we know it Food, glorious food! Invites & Tryouts Motherkao loves... Product Reviews

Versatility, uninterrupted: 10 reasons why you need to get that Philips Airfryer NOW

December 19, 2013

Ever since I started sharing on social media about my new kitchen wonder-tool, I’ve been getting quite a number of questions from friends, relatives and readers of this blog if the food that’s been cooked by my Philips Avance XL Airfryer tasted as good as they looked. And ever since my user experience post of the Philips Airfryer went live last month, I’ve gotten even more questions about the functions and specs of this versatile cooking machine, and if it’s really as good as I wrote it to be. Most of the people that’s approached me mainly have one huge doubt looming above their heads:

“Will it be worth my money? Does the air-frying really work?”

I am still very amazed by how technology has progressed to the point Rapid Air can be used to fry food similar to deep frying (but way much healthier), and how a kitchen gadget like this can achieve so much with so little effort that I’ve decided it’s time to answer all your questions in this post.

So here it is: ten reasons why you absolutely need to go get the Philips Airfryer for your kitchen and experience Rapid Air Technology for yourself.

1. The Philips Airfryer lets you INDULGE in fried treats guilt-free

Yes, it really cooks WITHOUT the oil. I don’t know how many incredulous gasps I’ve heard whenever I talk about the Airfryer and tell people you don’t need to add oil. Nobody seems to be able to come to terms with the fact that you can fry food without using profuse amount of it. And have the food still taste crispy. And cooked tenderly on the inside.

Let me share with you how it’s done. The Airfryer emits hot air from the top which is circulated rapidly and evenly within the device to cook the food and this is what goes into its unique design:

And so the secret is this: it’s the temperature you select that helps make the food crunchy and crispy à la deep fried style. At a temperature of up to 200°C, the air moves quickly and forcefully within the Airfryer to add that perfect crisp to the exterior of the food that’s being cooked.

Recently airfried for dinner: tau kwa, shishamo and batang fish

How’s that for technology. It doesn’t just remove the need to put an excessive amount of oil to eat things fried, it takes away every single drop of guilt too, especially for fried food lovers like me.

2. It’s a solid helper you can count on especially when you need to host

We host friends for dinner quite often and I am so, so glad for a kitchen tool that can help me cook food fast! Although I have to cook in batches with the Airfryer, I can now make different things in a shorter amount of time compared to using just only my stove and oven. Just last month, we had Fatherkao’s wine buddies come over for dinner, and thanks to the Airfryer, I could make Cajun fried wings in it (something spicy for the adults!) which would otherwise be impossible, while grilling honey wings that’s non-spicy for the kids in the oven and preparing aglio-olio and chowder on the stove. And because the wings can be airfried really fast (8 minutes at 200°C, and only 16 minutes if you have 2 batches), I was able to airfry two batches of shrimp toast with caviar for the guests as appetisers while we wait for the rest of the food to be prepped.

Cajun airfried wings: rub with salt, pepper, cornflour and Cajun spices and airfry for 6 minutes at 200 deg C

Pulse frozen shrimp, 2 slices of ginger, 2 cloves of garlic in the food processor; season with salt & pepper; spread paste on toast or slices of baguette, airfry to crispiness at 195 deg C for 4-5 minutes

Shrimp toast with caviar: pulse frozen shrimp, 2 slices of ginger, 2 cloves of garlic in the food processor; add dash of salt & pepper; spread paste on toast or slices of baguette, airfry to crispiness at 195 deg C for 4-5 minutes.
Serve with a dollop of Thousand Island Dressing and a little caviar or flying fish roe for decadence.

Takes awesome and healthy cooking to a whole new level, and increases the number of dishes you can place on the table for your guests too! Needless to say, our guests enjoyed all the food, including the airfried ones!

3. The Airfryer lets you grill, roast and gratinate too

FAQs and recipes in here, and more from www.kitchen.philips.com

Besides airfrying, the Philips Airfryer lets you grill, roast and gratinate. Once again, it’s knowing how to set specific temperatures and timing with your preferred recipes of glazed, marinated, or dipped-in-batter food that helps you do that.

Philips gives you a collection of Airfryer Recipes with every purchase of their Airfryer to start off your culinary adventures and the recipes come with recommended timings and temperatures. Once you get the hang of it, you are basically set to create on your own and cook up a storm!

4. Yes, air-baking is also possible

The type of heat transfer used in the Airfryer is that of convection, and this appliance allows you to leverage prolonged dry heat by this method of heat transfer to bake too.

To be honest, I was sceptical when I learned about this. Make that very sceptical. I bake a lot and it really makes me uncomfortable to know that Rapid Air Technology can be used to bake my desserts. Huh, like how is it possible?

So I had to try it, see it and taste it for myself.

I recently put a batch of Red Velvet cupcakes in both my Airfryer and my Ariston oven. My main gripe about using the Airfryer is that the space is tight and if I’ve got lots of batter, it’s gonna take me forever. But having said that, I could always use my oven to bake my stuff and let the Airfryer handle the leftover batter (which I often have) – and that would work perfect too!

I mentioned the tight space…

Anyway. Here’s the Red Velvet baked in the Airfryer (on the left) and in the oven (on the right). This was before they were frosted.

Airbaked to the left, from the oven on the right

As you can see, the one that’s airbaked is more fluffed and uneven. My mum-in-law, whom I was baking this batch of cupcakes for, thought I was making huat kueh (chinese fortune cakes)!

I wasn’t able to use the normal paper liners in the Airfryer. I had to use the more sturdy muffin cases, hence, the larger size for the airbaked ones. Before I frosted the airbaked ones, I also had to trim away the fluffed up bits to level each one for the cream cheese frosting (read: MORE work).

Frosted: the airbaked one’s on the right now with a red glazed cherry, while the one baked in the oven is on the left with a green glazed cherry

Cupcakes ready and waiting for Grandma!

Taste-wise, I was surprised to find that the airbaked cupcake wasn’t cakey at all but instead tasted softer and fluffier than the oven-baked ones! I must say, I didn’t expect myself to prefer the taste of the ones baked in the Airfryer, but I did. I’m definitely sceptical no more.

It’s gonna be perfect for churning out small chiffon cakes and I’m thinking of making some for Christmas with my Airfryer already!

**5. It’s got super size benefits, yea, the XL kind**

The Avance Collection Airfryer XL is 2100W and has a a larger cooking capacity at 1.2kg compared to its 0.8kg, 1400W Viva Collection counterparts. This means that if you’ve got a large family to feed, you get more capacity and enhanced performance in terms of power and speed. I LIKE! I have three tiny mouths to feed and three adults to cook for, and this big black mama is just perfect for its size and volume for the amount of food that needs to be prepped for the family.

6. It cooks your food with precision and is designed to look futuristic cool

The digital touch screen on the Philips Avance XL Airfryer allows you to control the time and temperature of your cooking in a more precise way, which is a huge improvement from its Viva (HD9220) with its turn timer and temperature control (but Philips has also recently launched the digital version of the Viva). It also has a unique starfish-grooved pan which is designed such that you don’t need to turn your food at all while it’s cooking in the fryer, plus a cool sleek exterior that shouts futuristic sophistication which makes all the other kitchen gadgets (at least the ones I have, some of them) look terribly ancient.

Sleek, sophisticated, cool

The future is already here.

7. No more running, scrambling or toiling

Three of the best things that’s ever happened when the Airfryer came into my life are:

(1) I no longer need to make a 1-metre dash whenever I fry something (think sliding a pomfret into a pool of hot oil – you run too, like me, don’t you?),

(2) I no longer need to scramble to take the laundry out when the frying begins, and

(3) I no longer need scrub the kitchen after the frying is over

My kitchen is a pathetically small space which means that oily deep-fried cooking smells get trapped in the confines for a long time whenever we attempt to fry our food. Before the airfryer came, one of the reasons why we hardly deep fry food is the ridiculous amount of cleaning that needs to be done just to have a plate of fried fish. There’s the stainless steel backing to wipe, the floor to clean and the oil stains on the wall to scrub. And every time we want to fry something, it has to be on a sunny day where the laundry can be hung out. I once tried to pan fry some salmon fillets with marmite on a wet day and our freshly done laundry hanging indoors ended up smelling so stinky we had to wash everything again when the meal was over.

Which explains why I never allow any frying to take place on a rainy day (I can’t hang the clothes out!). And why we would pay for deep fried almost anything from calamari to grouper to pork ribs when we eat at zi char stalls. And why we’ve been mostly slow-cooking and steaming our food.

The Airfryer comes with an integrated air filter to dissipate unwanted cooking smells. As the air inside the Airfryer takes only a short time to heat up, you can even open up the device even in the midst of cooking to check on the food / add seasoning / remove items, something impossible if you’re deep frying anything in hot oil.

I’ve placed my Airfryer close enough to the kitchen windows so that the hot steam can find its way out of my house (you’re advised by the user manual to leave at least a 10-cm free space at the back, sides and top of the appliance). Even then, that’s usually minimal and lasts a short while.

Placed near the window so the steam and fumes can dissipate quicker!

Placed near the window so the steam and fumes can dissipate quickly!

The last I checked, my kitchen floor is not greasy and there is no smell on my wall. My domestic helper is forever grateful.

8. No assembly required, just open and use

There are only three items that make this device: the cooking basket (with a basket handle) where you put your food (this is the 1st piece), the pan that collects the excess oil and food remnants (this is the second), and the main fryer unit complete with a control panel in front, air outlet openings and air inlet on top, and a drawer that holds the pan and basket which glides out to stop at a maximum distance like a sturdy tray table (this is the third).

No assembly required (clockwise): the Airfryer body unit; the Airfryer even when in use can be pulled out to a maximum distance (and nothing falls off); and the pan & frying basket

Yea, that’s pretty much it. Completely uncomplicated.

9. It’s easy peasy to wash and clean

You know how deep-fryers are, they are notoriously difficult to wash and clean. But not the Airfryer. There’s basically only the frying basket that needs a little scrubbing, and the non-stick starfish-grooved pan to clean. Some hot water, washing liquid and a non-abrasive sponge would do the job.

What’s more, you can place aluminium foil paper or baking parchment in it so the scrubbing is really minimal. Just make sure you give enough room for the air to circulate and not foil the sheets all around too tightly. If you’re worried about having to scrub off skins that stick to the basket, lightly brush the basket with a little olive oil and you pretty much would have an easy life cleaning up.

10. Fret not, you’ve got support

So even if the day comes and you’ve exhausted all the possibilities of creating food with the Airfryer, don’t throw the Airfryer out or banish it to some deserted shelf space yet! You can find hundreds of recipes to push your creative boundaries with the Airfryer by joining the ‘I Love Philips Airfryer’ social media community on Facebook, which is followed by 10,000 over fans from all around the world.

It’s really fascinating, the things that have been created and cooked by the Airfryer. You will definitely get some inspiration yourself, as have I. You can also ask questions and connect with people who are using the Philips Airfryer from all over the world.

I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Chef Dable Kwan, the founder and owner of the ‘I Love Philips Airfryer’ community and pick up tips on how to develop unique recipes with the Airfryer at the Philips Airfryer Launch last month. She AIR grilled, baked, fried, gratinated and roasted five dishes for us to sample, and I was totally blown away. That woman is now officially my cooking inspiration! Do check out the recipes on the page to see what Dable and other fans of the Airfryer have created.

I got to watch a cooking demonstration and a cook-off, plus overeat (again) at the Philips Airfryer Launch

I got to watch a cooking demonstration and a cook-off, plus overeat at the Philips Airfryer Launch

With Chef Dable Kwan, my Airfryer inspiration!

I totally love the idea that it’s now possible to get so much “support” from people who are so willing to share their experience using just one kitchen appliance with social media, and being able to maximise that one versatile appliance to its fullest!

~~~

There you have it. I hope the huge doubt looming above your head is gone. Yes, the Airfryer really works. Really.

Cook with Air today! And here’s a discount code for you!

Cook with Air today! Quote [MotherKao] and buy the Philips Viva Digital Airfryer at $399(Usual price: $459 | FREE $50 SHOPPING VOUCHER) and Philips Avance XL Airfryer at $479 (Usual price: $539 | FREE $50 SHOPPING VOUCHER) at the PHILIPS EXPERIENCE SHOWROOM*.

This promotion is valid from 1st December till 31st January 2014.

*Limited to 1 Airfryer per person. IC must be produced.

The PHILIPS EXPERIENCE SHOWROOM is at 620A Lorong 1 Toa Payoh Building TP4 Level 1 S(319762) | Tel: 6882 5800

Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 9.00 am – 7.00 pm | Saturday: 9.00 am – 1.00 pm | Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays

The Philips Viva Digital Airfryer and Philips Avance XL Airfryer are also available at regular prices in leading electronics stores, department stores and supermarkets island-wide.

Disclosure: This post is the part of a series of sponsored conversations with Philips Singapore. I was given the Philips Avance Collection Airfryer XL for the purpose of this review and paid to cook and eat 100% guilt-free by the good people at Philips but all opinions here are my own.

23 Comments

Becks Kao Ben Kao Enrichment Invites & Tryouts Learning fun! Reviews

Learning the Eye Level way

December 14, 2013

When I received an invitation from Eye Level to learn more about their programmes, I almost wrote back to say that my children did not have myopia (thank God!) and wouldn’t be needing programmes to help them improve their eyesight.

I mean, a place called Eye Level must have something to do with helping children tackle their vision woes, no?

Clearly, I was mistaken. And boy was I glad not to let my assumptions get the better of me.

Prior to their international rebranding last year, Eye Level Learning Center was widely known as E-nopi. Eye Level is a leading enrichment education provider that has its origins from South Korea and operates in 15 different countries with over 2.5 million students. It has established a significant presence here in Singapore since 2011 with 9 centres around the island and an enrolment of over 900 students providing enrichment in the areas of Mathematics and English for children between the ages of 4 and 14.

Eye Level holds steadfast to the educational principle of seeing things from a student’s perspective – hence, eye level. The name is inspired by a story about a teacher who was found kneeling down to look up at every painting he saw at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC. His reason for appreciating art on his knees? He was an elementary school teacher and would be bringing his students to the museum the next day, so he wanted to know how they would enjoy every painting from where they stood.

At Eye Level, students learn at their own pace and are taught the invaluable skill of self-directed learning. Programmes are systematic and individualised to cater to each child’s learning needs and abilities, and customised using their unique methods of teaching and learning.

I was really curious how this would all translate into actual mastery of skills and concepts for my preschoolers, and since I almost never say no to outsourcing (a tired home-teaching mom also needs a break, yes?), the Kao kids (Ben and Becks) and I accepted their invitation to find out more about what this enrichment centre has to offer. The teacher in me also badly needed to know how it’s possible to get my three- and four-year-old to do self-directed learning.

We visited the Eye Level Learning Center at City Square Mall which I have walked past several times thinking it was an optometry shop with a designated play area for kids (yea, I thought that was really cool). What I immediately liked about the place: the environment was bright and cheery, and space appeared to be well maximised. I liked the bright colours, the fact that it wasn’t claustrophobia-inducing like some learning centres I see in some malls, and the cosy play area outside the centre with math games and English books that were within reach. The classrooms were spacious and the environment looked inviting enough for a child to sit down to learn.

I learned also that there’s a lot of flexibility and individualised learning taking place in each classroom. At Eye Level, there is no structured lesson where the teacher conducts teacher-talk. The uniqueness in their programme lies in the quality of their materials and the fact that each student’s learning is customised for them by the levels determined by these materials (more on that in another post). The student turns up for the time slot he or she has chosen every week (or twice a week) to complete the assigned work with a certified instructor who would then guide and provide feedback. This means that a range of students of different ages can be in the same classroom but the students are all doing different assignments acquiring different skills and concepts. There would be no more than 8 students for the older age group in a class at one time but students as young as Becks (3 years old) would usually get one-to-one attention.

What is also interesting is that there is also no fixed duration for each lesson. Every week, work is assigned (with a skill / concept to master) and the child will be trained to do self-directed learning (with guidance from the instructor available) according to his or her own pace. The activities in the materials are designed to be completed in an hour, but there is no rule that says the student has to leave after one hour or stay till the hour is up. Each lesson is flexible in that it follows the child’s pace, and keeps the big picture in mind: that the student has a concept / skill to learn and that the objective of the lesson is that the student learns it well no matter how long it takes.

Ben and Becks enrolled in Eye Level’s Math Programme and Play Math Progamme respectively early this December after taking their diagnostic tests (that is why you are seeing pictures of them in the classrooms!), and I am pleased to be taking on ambassadorship for Eye Level and to be sharing with you more about Eye Level, come next year. I will also be writing updates on the Kao kids’ progress, as well as show you a glimpse of some of Eye Level’s very excellently designed learning materials.

The kids have gone for two lessons now, and so far, it’s been something they look forward to this holidays. They are, surprisingly, getting very proactive in their learning, which I’m glad for, and picking up some mathematical concepts which is otherwise quite difficult to learn from their math-dumb mom (another post, another time about my inability to handle numbers). We’re all looking forward to more meaningful learning next year, so do watch this space!

More details:

For more on Eye Level’s Math and English Programmes, visit their website or connect with them on their Facebook page. To find an Eye Level Learning Center near you, check out the locations of their centres here.

AND JUST FOR MOTHERKAO READERS:

Eye Level is extending a promotional offer to all Motherkao readers! For $10 (usual price $60), your child can take the diagnostic test, attend a trial lesson (30-45 min) and get a complimentary study skill analysis.

Simply quote [Motherkao] to enjoy this offer via walk-in to any of the Eye Level Learning Centers island-wide. You can also leave a Facebook message on Eye Level’s Facebook Page or make a telephone enquiry to any of the Eye Level centres.

Disclosure: Ben and Becks have been invited to attend Eye Level’s Math and PlayMath for a term of three months. Motherkao has accepted sponsorship for her reviews of their programmes and endorsement of the centre. All opinions here are Motherkao’s own (with input from the two Kao kids).

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Christmas happiness Food, glorious food! Invites & Tryouts Motherkao loves... Product Reviews

Eating up a Winter Wonderland

December 13, 2013

You know Christmas is here when the kids got to experience a winter wonderland in a totally new way.

Last week, the kids gathered around the Winter Wonderland Cake that the good folks at PrimaDéli sent over, and squealed with delight as they drooled over a fresh cream-covered blackforest sponge adorned with strawberry snowmen, chocolate mushrooms, white chocolate snowflakes and sugared Christmas trees!

The Winter Wonderland cake from PrimaDéli’s Christmas Collection this year was such a treat for the eyes and oh so pretty! Just hovering around the cake for three minutes got Ben, Becks and Nat very, very, thrilled. They couldn’t wait to eat what they were seeing.

And chomped down those sugary treats they did. They were on an all-time sugar high after savouring all the things that made up the winter wonderland.

And so was I. There was also a little hut made of yummy dark chocolate which I made the kids stay away from – cos’ it was mine to indulge in. Hurhurhur. That, plus the awesomely light and decadent blackforest cake wrapped in fresh white cream. Mmm…mmm.

We cleaned up the wonderland in a matter of minutes and had ourselves a truly merry time picking (from the cake), licking (the sweet treats) and laughing (at our cream covered faces).

Oh what a night! Is Christmas here already? Merry Christmas, everyone!

Thank you, PrimaDéli, for letting us experience winter wonderland with our senses this Christmas!

Christmas makes a great reason to feast, have a party and be merry! Excite the kids with a colourful array of PrimaDéli’s sweet treats this holiday and get everyone in the festive mood for the coming Yuletide.

The cheery Winter Wonderland cake (approx 760g) is available at PrimaDeli at $45.90. Other treats suitable for children also include The Gingerbread boy and girl sold individually and priced at $2.50 each; Christmas Cupcakes (in a set of nine, of any one flavour which includes Chocolate Divine and Vanilla Cinnamon amongst others) priced at $27; Merry Cookies (a selection of Oatmeal Raisin, Chocolate Tarts or Deluxe Almond Cookies) at $14.80 a tin; and Chef’s Supreme Pie (16cm diameter) priced at $11.90.

The PrimaDéli Christmas Collection 2013 is available from 21 November to 25 December 2013. The closing date for all Christmas orders is 20 December 2013. Check out more on PrimaDéli’s Christmas Collection here.

Disclosure: We received the Winter Wonderland cake with compliments from PrimaDéli. No monetary compensation was received for this post and all opinions here are our own.

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Christmas happiness Happy days Invites & Tryouts Nat Kao Product Reviews

Getting BIG HUGS this Christmas (featuring Sesame Street’s Elmo!)

December 10, 2013

It’s Christmas time!

Nat goes to the stores. Nat sees Elmo at a toy fair.

Nat sits down to watch promo clip. Nat is fascinated.

Nat wants a picture with Elmo. No, make that a picture with many Elmos.

Nat goes home. Mama’s not buying any.

Hasbro Singapore sends the Kao kids an early Christmas gift!

And…

The kids are thrilled. Nat is MOST thrilled.

Elmo asks for a hug and Nat gives it.

Elmo asks Nat to hold him tighter. Nat obliges.

They have a conversation. They laugh. Elmo sings. Nat giggles.

Best Christmas present so far!

Big Hugs Elmo is an interactive and educational plush toy that invites preschoolers to cuddle, pretend, sing, dance, and explore while learning the alphabet, numbers, shapes, colours and more. Your child can give and receive hugs from the Hasbro Playskool Sesame Street Big Hugs Elmo who would move his arms to return a hug, plays songs, dances with your child and engages him or her with four fun imaginative activities, including playing astronauts and playing rabbits.

Disclosure: Christmas came early for the Kao kids when Hasbro Singapore sent over Big Hugs Elmo on behalf of Santa. We received the latest offering from Hasbro for the purpose of this review. Motherkao received no monetary compensation for this post and all opinions here are my own.

P/S: Pardon the poor picture quality from my S3. We were all so entertained by the giggling pair (Elmo and Nat!) that we couldn’t stop shaking while snapping pictures of them!

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Food, glorious food! Invites & Tryouts Motherkao loves... Motherkao's recipes Product Reviews

Look, Ma! Something big and black’s in my kitchen! (All hail the new Philips Avance XL Airfryer!)

November 27, 2013

We’ve been eating in more often than out lately because something black and big has given us every reason to.

This something big and black is my new Philips Airfryer.

All appliances line up! And this big and black thing's currently in prime spot!

All appliances line up! And this big and black thing is currently in prime spot!

Say what? Yes, you heard that right – an AIR fryer. Apparently, air is now the new oil with Philips Airfryer’s Rapid Air Technology. What it does is that it combines fast circulating hot air with a grill element that helps fry food with air instead of oil. Hot air is emitted from the top of the airfryer and moves around rapidly and evenly within to cook the food.

What it also does is that it’s open up a whole new world of frying, grilling, gratinating, roasting and baking (yes, this big mama allows you to bake too!) all kinds of food to have in the comfort of our home. One appliance, FIVE ways of cooking!

If you know me, I’m pretty strict with the kids when it comes to fried food. They don’t get to eat fast food at all, and hardly eat at Western food stalls if we’re out. The only thing they are allowed from MacDonald’s is their corn cup. I tell them as long as I am around, I will not put junk in their body. And if I happen not to be around, like if they are at a school party or with other adults from the family, it’s their decision whether they want to put junk in their body. My number one gripe about fast food is that it’s highly processed, and that they are usually cooked in a profuse amount of oil.

But with the Philips Airfryer, I can create a Happy Meal so very easily (and healthily)! So far, I’ve popped in frozen food of all kinds which the kids love: cuttlefish balls, fish balls, gyozas, spring rolls, breaded cod fillets and tempura prawns. You can buy frozen food from the supermarket and cook them without a single drop of oil in the Philips Airfryer to satisfy the kids’ fried food cravings. Just make sure you read the label and buy those without monosodium glutamate (especially fishballs) and flavour enhancers (some fish fillets are not made with real fish).

Airfried frozen snacks

We’ve also had ourselves airfried fish, potato fries, and shrimp toasts made from scratch, as well as air-grilled Cajun chicken steaks and honey chicken thighs, all ingested without the guilt of oil and fat!

Airfried bites (clockwise): shrimp toast with caviar, fried pomfrets, honey chicken thighs and Cajun infused chicken steaks

Airfried salmon and potato fries made from scratch, which is healthier! I marinated sticks of potatoes in 4 tsp of olive oil, salt and pepper before airfrying them at 190ºC for 8 minutes.

I recently made a batch of mai pian har cheong gai (shrimp paste chicken wings with oatmeal – ma’ own creation!) – the combination of the two best things in zi char, which are usually prepared either as something deep fried in oatmeal or deep fried in shrimp paste.

And I must tell you, this dish sealed my position as the top chef in the Kao household in the eyes of the kids (there are three – the helper, Fatherkao and myself – but methinks I’m currently number one, hurhurhur). If not for oily hands, I would’ve snapped a picture of all three of them yanking the flesh out from the chicken wings like cannibals and licking their chops the whole time at dinner.

The wings were awesome. Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. All airfried without a single drop of oil. The Philips Airfryer even extracted some from the skins to reduce the fat content for us!

Airfried to yumminess!

The oil left in the pan even though I hadn't added any!

The oil left in the pan even though I didn’t added any!

You can imagine how exhilarated the kids are now whenever they hear that I’m going to be cooking for them with the airfryer, because this usually means something yummy and crispy is coming their way.

A Happy Meal made with airfried snacks!

~~~

And here’s my really simple recipe of the gloriumptious chicken wings to share:

Recipe: Mai pian har cheong gai, made with the Philips Avance XL Airfryer

Ingredients:

mid joint chicken wings
packet of shrimp paste marinate
a teaspoon of sugar
2 cups of oatmeal

Instructions:

Marinate wings in shrimp paste and sugar. Leave to stand for at least half an hour.
Preheat Airfryer to 200ºC for 3 minutes.
Roll wings in oatmeal before placing them in the Airfryer basket.
Airfry wings at 200ºC for 8 – 9 minutes until cooked and crispy.

The Philips Avance Collection Airfryer XL with Rapid Air technology (S$539) is available in stores in December 2013 at leading electronics and departmental stores.

The Philips Airfryer Black Trio (from left to right): the Philips Viva Collection Digital AirFryer (SGD$459), the Philips Avance Collection Airfryer XL which is bigger and better with 50 percent more capacity (SGD$539) and the Philips Viva Collection Airfryer (first generation)

Cook with Air today! And here’s a discount code for you!

Cook with Air today! Quote [MotherKao] and buy the Philips Viva Digital Airfryer at $399 (Usual price: $459 | FREE $50 SHOPPING VOUCHER) and Philips Avance XL Airfryer at $479 (Usual price: $539 | FREE $50 SHOPPING VOUCHER) at the PHILIPS EXPERIENCE SHOWROOM*.

This promotion is valid from 1st December till 31st January 2014.

*Limited to 1 Airfryer per person. IC must be produced.

The PHILIPS EXPERIENCE SHOWROOM is at 620A Lorong 1 Toa Payoh Building TP4 Level 1 S(319762) | Tel: 6882 5800

Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 9.00 am – 7.00 pm | Saturday: 9.00 am – 1.00 pm | Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays

The Philips Viva Digital Airfryer and Philips Avance XL Airfryer are also available at regular prices in leading electronics stores, department stores and supermarkets island-wide.

6 Comments

Going Out! Invites & Tryouts Reviews The Kao Kids

Review: Grimm’s Fairy Tales (and my take on fairy tales for children)

November 9, 2013

We all know how grim fairy tales can be (pun intended). So many of the pervasive stories found in the Brothers Grimm’s tales in their original versions can be terribly terrifying, gruesome and bizarre. Like I would never forget how my Lit teacher deconstructed Little Red Riding Hood for me when I was reading Literature in JC. And revealing the sexual misconducts, blindings of mankind and macabre twists found in well-loved tales like Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty and Rumpelstiltskin. (Thank you, Mrs C, for opening my eyes.)

Which is why I don’t read fairy tales as bedtime stories, and I make sure the kids only watch / read / hear the sanitised, child-friendly versions of them (think Disney and cheery, cartoony books). They vaguely know some stories, like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White, but that’s pretty much it. Ben used to tell me when they were read fairy tales at childcare that “it’s quite scary, those evil witch people” (I think he was referring to Snow White’s stepmother) and I told him to shut his ears cos’ Well, Son, you don’t have to know all these fairy tales, really. Wait till you’re older and Mama will surely tell you more, and take apart the stories so you will never read them the same way again! That’ll be even more exciting! Hurhurhur. I didn’t exactly tell him that; I just told him not to pay attention if it made him feel afraid.

Anyway.

I wrote all these to say that when I Theatre invited us to their final production of the year, Grimm’s Fairy Tales, I did hesitate if I should take the kids. I mean, I’ve done a lot to keep them away from fairy tales, and because of what I know about this genre, I’d prefer they get acquainted later than sooner.

But having caught I Theatre’s Hey Little Mousedeer! earlier in the year, and getting to know this family-focused theatre company, I know – and it is with confidence I say – that I Theatre will surely deliver a brilliant family-friendly production for us all. I have utmost respect for the hands and heads behind this non-profit organisation that exists to create top quality theatre for children and families in Singapore. So it is with this confidence I know that I don’t have to worry about the show being twisted and macabre, and that Ben, Becks and I would have a good time watching this full-scale Broadway standard musical that promises to be suitable for the whole family.

Indeed the production didn’t disappoint. The production had the overarching theme of family, with lovely songs that are catchy and inspiring (Mr Bang Wenfu, you’re a legend!) and brilliant delivery in terms of scripting and acting. The nine stories told were so carefully edited what we got were wholesome, sanitised versions of “happily ever after”, something which I seriously do not mind my children understanding and watching – for now.

The stories were told through eight animals, Wolf, Donkey, Cat, Rooster, Fox, Dog, Sparrow and Goose, and were creatively condensed only to highlight good virtues and values. Like The Enormous Turnip was told with the focus of not being greedy and jealous, and Hansel and Gretel had the message of family love triumphing above all. Rapunzel was surprisingly refreshing as it was told through puppetry, and all I could remember was Ben cackling away as the puppets delivered their lines with humour. And Little Red Cap was all about avoiding the woods, listening to your mother (I like!) and the brave hunstmen that saved the day. All in all, every story – even the not-so-familiar ones like The Musicians of Bremen, Lucky Hans and The Valiant Little Tailor – was all about good triumphing over evil and the joys we find in love and family.

And what we got out of that 90 minutes (15 minutes intermission not included) was that we had our funny bones tickled and ourselves an afternoon of wholesome family fun. I must say these animal storytellers from I Theatre were remarkably exceptional in captivating us with these tales that would have been otherwise so disturbingly grim if unedited!

Thank you, I Theatre, for enthralling us once again with your artistic brilliance!

Grimm’s Fairy Tales runs from 1 to 17 November at the Drama Centre Theatre, National Library Building. Tickets from Sistic here. This production is suitable for families with kids aged 4 and up.

Disclosure: We were invited to watch Grimm’s Fairy Tales by I Theatre. There was no monetary compensation involved and opinions here are all my own.

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Enrichment Invites & Tryouts Learning fun! Reviews

Gymnademics is at the ARC! (+a giveaway)

November 7, 2013

If you’ve read my earlier posts (here, here and here), you would have realised that Gymnademics isn’t your typical early childhood gym. Nat was invited to try their programmes out for a term earlier this year, and had it not been for timing constraints, we would be glad to have him continue lessons weekly.

Gymnademics adopts a holistic approach towards early childhood development, with a curriculum that comprises of a series of physical and intellectual activities specially designed to help the little ones (5 months to 5 years old) enjoy the process of discovery and learning.

Here’s some good news to share: Gymnademics has a new centre at the Alexandra Retail Centre (ARC) at 460 Alexandra Road, #02-25, Singapore 119963! Spanking cool, isn’t it?

And as part of their opening promotion, they’re waiving off registration fees and giving away a complimentary session when you sign up at the ARC:

*GIVEAWAY JUST FOR MOTHERKAO READERS*!

I’m giving away TWO trial class passes for classes at the ARC to two lucky readers of this blog! Simply Like Motherkao’s FB page (if you haven’t already done so) and Gymnademics FB page, and leave me a comment here with your name and email. Two winners will be randomly picked when the giveaway closes on 12 November. Trial passes are valid till 30 November 2013.

I assure you that there will never be a dull moment for you and your child at Gymnademics. Every hour that Nat attended class presented him with the opportunity to be engaged in as many as 14 activities that are mentally and physically stimulating. It’s been a few months since his last lesson, but I tell you, this little boy remembers his Welcome Song and hand actions for do-re-mi till this day his teacher should be proud (hear, hear, Teacher Selene!). Both of us remember his classes with fondness because it has been so much fun!

UPDATE: AND WE HAVE 2 WINNERS!

Congrats, Erlina and Serence, you won the trial class passes to attend Gymnademics with your little ones!

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Going Out! Happy days Invites & Tryouts Motherkao loves... Product Reviews

All in the picture again, thanks to Natsuki Photography

October 11, 2013

It’s always nice to have every member of the family in the pictures, and we were given an opportunity to smile for the camera again as a family last month at the Botanic Gardens, this time with Natsuki Photography which invited us to review their photography services.

I was initially a little hesitant to venture outdoors for a family photo-shoot. We’ve done an outdoor shoot once at Lower Pierce Reservoir (with an established company that boasts of having served big names and brands as their clients) and let’s just say the experience was extremely unsatisfactory and unpleasant. It was the combination of mozzies and unknown insects, an unenthusiastic and amateur photographer, plus the intense humidity which made everyone look unhappy and cranky in the photographs that made me decide that venturing outdoors ever again to pose for the camera – anyone’s camera – would be a bad idea.

Natsuki, the photographer behind Natsuki Photography, did suggest that we could have our photo-shoot taken in the comfort of our home. It sounded like a fantastic idea, but who was I kidding? I took a good look at our humble 5-room flat and there on every wall in the living room hung our homelearning activities, colouring sheets and posters of every kind. There were toys and playmats on the floor and absolutely NO corners at all to sit / stand / squat / sprawl for any photo. Even our lovely white sofa now has blue ink scribbled all over it, thanks to the littlest one. So it was a definite N-O to our house as the location for the shoot.

Then I saw how the other mom bloggers from SMB were having so much fun with Natsuki Photography at their outdoor photography sessions and decided that it might not be so bad after all. They certainly didn’t look like they’ve got to fend off insects and had to deal with cranky kids. So Natsuki and I made arrangements for a shoot at the Botanic Gardens at 5pm on a Sunday last month. I was hoping that 5pm on a Sunday in September would mean cooler weather, fewer people and mozzies that would have been fully fed by the crowd that hung around earlier in the day.

We decided to go all colours as a family since taking pictures at the Botanic Gardens would mean we would be against a mostly green backdrop. We brought bubble guns, fish feed, well-rested kids and an enthused anticipation of being able to run and play freely as a family – and this was the result:

The kids did take sometime to warm up to Natsuki and her assistant, and initially they too seemed unsure as to how to handle the three of them, who couldn’t wait to run and play and chase each other. But it soon got better as we made small talk and looked for squirrels together. Natsuki made some suggestions as to what we could do for the camera, and we all ended up with a smashing fun time throwing the kids up in the air, smooching them silly and literally letting them roll on the grass.

I liked that she was able to capture many a priceless moment of the gleeful expressions of the kids.

And this has to be my favoritest picture ever – the three kids grinning at, erm, I couldn’t even remember what:

It was amazing I didn’t return home that day with cranky, sticky and whiny kids like the last time. Venturing outdoors to have our pictures taken wasn’t such a bad idea after all!

*And just for Motherkao’s readers, enjoy this special offer from Natsuki Photography just by quoting “Motherkao” when you engage their services*:

Get a 5% discount off packages when you quote “Motherkao” when you make your booking! One of the services that Natsuki offers is 1-2 hours of outdoor photography or photography in the comfort of your home, which includes ALL photographs in high resolution to be returned, 25-50 specially retouched photographs, a personalised digital photo-slideshow and all soft copies in DVD with customised cover
You’ll also get an exclusive online preview of your pictures so you can request for touch-ups and editing, and registered mail delivery of the photos in soft copies.
For more information, check out Natsuki Photography’s website here or contact them via email at natsukiphotography@hotmail.com

Disclosure: We were invited to review the services provided by Natsuki Photography and did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. All opinions here are my own.

P/S: I especially appreciated the fact that I could get ALL the photos back. You know, those NG (No Good) takes of you and your kiddos blinking / scratching / looking away – yea, those! Not many photographers offer this, and would charge you for the extra photos you want. I’ve often wondered why they would want to keep them for, especially NG takes – ya, maybe they delete them – so why not give them ALL to me? Well, Natsuki did. Check out some of our NG shots for a good laugh!

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Invites & Tryouts Motherkao loves... Nat Kao Product Reviews

Gumigem Teething Necklace Review [+Giveaway]

September 23, 2013

Nat’s not exactly a gnawer, and he’s breezed through his teething now at 19 months, unlike his older sister who’s given me a bit of hell when her teeth broke through. Still, I hate to sling something over my neck only to have the littlest one, who’s so used to being worn in the Beco, tug and yank and put my costume jewellery in his mouth.

For that reason, I have not accessorized for the longest time.

Then I heard about Gumigem, a wide ranging line of award-winning, baby-proof, mommy jewellery that promised to make me look like a fashionista mom. Forget fashionista, I say – show me the baby-proof! I was really curious to see how an accessory that’s to be worn over my neck would be baby-friendly and yet stylish. I was offered my choice of their award-winning teething necklaces for review and so I browsed away at MamaLavie and finally decided on this:

Gumidrop Pearlberry SGD $34.90

Each item of Gumigem jewellery is made from silicone, which is the same material dummy teats are made of. The baby-proof part comes in the form of the silicone being free from BPA, PVC, Lead, Latex and Phthalate, meeting all required standards, which means it is all non-toxic and washable. When my Gumidrop Pearlberry arrived, I gave it a good wash with baby soap and slung it over my neck:

Looking like a fashionista mom already with Gumigem’s Gumidrop Pearlberry

My first thought: Why didn’t I get to know of this when Becks was teething and giving me a terrible time? I would have had teethers readily available for her in the form of these “pearls” and “gemstones” and wouldn’t even need to worry about them dropping, since I would be wearing them. Heck, I might even buy ten of those Bubba bangles and wear them on my wrist to save her (and myself) from those teething pains.

And my second thought: The necklace is indeed very, very commonsensically designed.

Each Gumigem necklace is fastened with a breakaway clasp, so if the little one decides to tug it, there is no discomfort for the wearer at all because it will come undone and not create discomfort for the neck. Every bead and pebble is also kept in place by knots in the cord, which means that nothing slides up and down and traps tiny fingers.

Clearly, Gumigem has designed their accessories to allow an otherwise frazzled looking, disheveled, baby-wearing mom to dress up any outfit with ease. The colours are vibrant and a lovely shimmer; there are no hidden parts and they are easy to put on. No hooks, no clasps, no icky bits that “eat” into your skin.

For Nat, since he’s past his teething woes, this piece of jewellery serves as an excellent distraction and keeps him fairly still. I’m very glad that whenever I am wearing this and nursing him outside, I don’t have to deal with all the lifting up my blouse, scratching my navel and yanking my clothes.

Stylish accessory and safe distraction: Nursing in the car is no longer a nightmare

All hail the genius who thought of this brilliant idea: stylish jewellery solves teething woes and itchy hands.

*Giveaway: A Gumigem Neclace and 3 x SGD$10 coupon code! *

I’m hosting a giveaway for a Gumigem Gumidrop in Jellybean and 3 x SGD$10 coupon code for four lucky readers!

A gorgeous teething necklace up for grabs: Gumidrop Jellybean (SGD$34.90)

Simply fill in the Rafflecopter widget for your chance to win – it should direct you to leave me a comment telling me why you need this piece of accessory / how this piece of accessory will help with your teething baby! Giveaway ends 30 September 2013.

Click on the Rafflecopter widget here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And if you’d like to purchase the brilliantly-designed, baby-proof teething jewellery, there’s a 10% discount code for all Motherkao readers. Key in the code MOTHERKAO before checking out. Check out the designs here.

And the WINNERS are…

Necklace: Adeline Tan
3 x S$10 voucher: Arsheitha Ganesan, Edlyn Giam, Huimin Faith Su

Congratulations, and thank you all for participating!

Disclosure: I received the Gumidrop Pearlberry for the purpose of this review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

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Becks Kao Ben Kao Enrichment Invites & Tryouts Learning fun! Milestones and growing up Reviews

heART Studio’s Little Masters Workshop Review

September 19, 2013

During the September holidays, Ben and Becks were invited to heART Studio for their Little Masters “Monsters” Workshop Holiday Programme.

I’ve finally found a place who would take in kids their age for art class on an ad-hoc basis. I was a little worried initially if Ben and Becks would do ok in a 2.5-hour drop off class – you know how sticky and whiny they can be without me – but my worries were unfounded because of three impressive factors: experienced teacher, small class size and engaging tasks broken down into parts suitable for young children.

For two and a half hours (including a short 15-minute snack break in between), Teacher Syafiq and his assistant were able to shuttle around effectively to guide the class of 6 children, all aged 3 and 4. Under the teachers’ guidance, they were given clear instructions and specific tasks throughout the session.

I was peering in from the window and this was what I gathered they did for the entire workshop: choose monster, learn about colours, choose background colour, paint background, dry background with hairdryer, paint monster in parts (head, body, eyes, teeth, etc) under guidance – teacher outlines and gets child to paint inside the lines, dry what they’ve painted in parts, and wa la!

Ben and Becks chose a monster and then proceeded to paint part by part

Ben and Becks chose a monster and then proceeded to paint it part by part

And this was one of those very rare times I saw how focused and engrossed my little girl was!

Monsters on canvas, that’s what they got!

Ben with Teacher Syafiq, who was extremely patient and encouraging, and very good with kids!

The little painters and their masterpiece

Ben and Becks loved what they did at the workshop and couldn’t help but to show off their masterpiece the whole day long. They came home and told Fatherkao, Little Nat and the helper that “we painted all this by ourselves, you know” and wanted to display their monsters prominently for everyone to see. They can’t wait to paint again, and are looking forward to doing more art pieces next holiday!

I’m just really glad that had a good time and I didn’t have to clean up any mess.

heART Studio LLP is located at 101 Soo Chow Walk Singapore 575385 |Tel: (65) 6554 7563 | Fax: (65) 6554 7562 | Email: info@heartstudiosg.com | Website: www.heartstudiosg.com

Disclosure: Ben and Becks were very kindly invited to join the Little Masters Workshop in September. We received no monetary compensation for this post and all opinions here are my own and based on the kids’ experience at heART Studio.

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