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The Kao kids on the loose (and reined) at Candy Empire

March 25, 2014

I’m the kind of mother that throws away sweets in my kids’ goodie bags and ration M&M’s. It’s usually 10 M&M’s for Ben, 10 for Becks and 5 for Nat, and they can only have chocs twice or thrice a week. Most of the time, the Kao kids are given raisins, fruits, yoghurt and nuts to snack on instead. And it’s an absolute no with any kind of fizzy drinks. To date, they have not had a sip of Coke.

Yes, go ahead. You can call them deprived.

I’ve been reprimanded by older folks and other parents for depriving my children of a childhood, for being so strict on sweet treats, flavoured drinks and candies, in particular. But I’d rather be doing this than battling problems of tooth decay, poor appetite and indigestion. I’d rather have people throw stones at me than have my kids turn around one day and say, “Why didn’t you control my intake when you are the adult here, hello? Now, no thanks to you, I have _________ (insert problem).”

So, when Candy Empire sent us an invitation for a private tasting session to celebrate their opening at The Star Vista, I wrote back to explain that I am a strict mother and wouldn’t want to let my children loose at a candy store.

And I thought that was that, until they replied me and assured me that they were inviting us to an exclusive ‘Sunday Spread’ of healthy confectionery, and at Candy Empire, they don’t just sell candies and chocolates – they also feature premium cookies, spreads, macarons and shortbread.

Already quite impressed, and having been so busy these days that there’s just no time to be baking and churning out homemade cookies and cake, I accepted the invitation and brought the kids to Candy Empire.

And they went wild, of course – just by looking at all the things in the huge store that Mama’s been keeping them away from.

At the children’s corner specially set up for kids, they grabbed the jellybeans and marshmallows, and started gobbling them down like there was no tomorrow.

By golly, it did look like they were indeed deprived kids, thanks to me.

Fatherkao and I watched – and let them – until they were done with the frenzy. Then, my dear husband sat the kids down and taught the kids an important lesson about choosing right:

“There’s so much to see and taste at a candy store,” he said. “And you’re excited. But you don’t have to gobble the first thing you see. Look around you. There’s other good stuff too.”

And look around they did. And when the kids tasted the chocolates, cookies and fruits dipped in Ovomaltine, there was no looking back.

Now Ben would say, “Jellybean is nice but cookies and white chocolates are nicer.” And Becks would say tell you she prefers dark chocolates to white ones. Our family had a good time sampling an array of sweet, healthy treats for tea from bisquini cookies to crunchy cream-dipped fruits, and a wonderful afternoon of quality time together.

Best of all, our kids learned something about self-control that afternoon, and that to me, was the most precious takeaway from this. Thank you, Candy Empire, for the kind invitation!

Candy Empire constantly brings in novel products all year round, including seasonal treats! Besides chocolates and candies, Candy Empire also has a delectable selection of spreads, cookies and biscuits. Spot an interesting product in the shop and want to find out more before purchasing? Drop by Candy Empire’s blog, World of Candies, to check out confectionery product reviews and the latest confectionery trends!

Disclosure: We were invited to Candy Empire’s private Sunday Spread tasting at The Star Vista. No monetary compensation was received. We did get a huge bag of confectionery and specially packed goodie bags for the kids!

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Red wine ribeye seared with love, with compliments from OBE Organic

January 24, 2014

My husband and I love to watch Top Chef and MasterChef together. We get our inspiration to bake and cook from these reality shows. Besides being grippingly entertaining, they are really educational for noob cooks like us, and I always fantasised being able to serve up gourmet looking food all prettily plated and all some day.

Recently, OBE Organic sent us some Australian ribeye steaks, minced beef and beef cubes. Ooooh, how we love our beef! It didn’t take long before Fatherkao jumped into action, got into the kitchen and worked like a chef, taking inspiration from all the reality TV we’ve been watching.

And then single-handedly, he transformed this…

To this…

In a matter of minutes! Looks like somebody’s gonna beat me in fulfilling that crazy dream of mine sooner than I think!

The ribeye steak seared perfectly by him and drizzled with the sauce he made was heavenly. Every bite melted in my mouth and the huge cut that Huber’s Butchery sent us for each portion was so huge it was truly satisfying. I am so not looking at my husband the same way again – man, this man can make a mean plate of steak, and with so much luuurrvve.

Talk about the way through a man’s heart. This woman’s heart has been won over and over with every time he steps into the kitchen. *swoon*

I tried convincing him to share his recipe on my blog, and although he’s pretty hazy on the details and not giving me precise, exact measurements, I managed to make out what went into his red wine sauce.

Here it is; and oh yes, remember to get OBE Organic Beef which is certified 100% organic and natural, free of chemicals and growth promotants, and delivers amazingly great flavour.

Steak in Red Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

Ribeye steaks
knobs of salted butter
shallots and garlic
olive oil for frying
bottle of red wine (we used a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot South African wine, Nederburg)
a dash of red wine vinegar
a ladle of chicken stock (we make ours with carrots, onions and chicken bones)

Instructions:

1) Fry shallots and garlic with olive oil till caramelised, then add a dash of red wine vinegar.

2) Add 4 glasses of red wine. Let the pan’s contents bubble until the wine has reduced by three-quarters.

3) Now add a ladle or two of chicken stock, butter and reduce the rest of the wine, 1-2 glasses at a time. Regularly skim away any impurities by weaving a small ladle in and out of the top of the sauce. Taste regularly and check for seasoning.

4) Heat a grill pan to sear the steaks with oil and cook them, turning once, 4-5 mins for rare, 7-8 mins for medium, 8-10 mins for well done.

5) Serve the steaks on a bed of greens and pour the red wine sauce around. Remember to pass the sauce through a sieve to remove fine impurities.

You can get premium quality organic beef from OBE Organic at Huber’s Butchery. Shop online till the cows come home at Huber’s or visit their Butchery and Bistro @ Dempsey.

Disclosure: This post was made possible from the kind folks from Huber’s and OBE Organic who fed the Kaos really good stuff from really good cows.

P/S: Just cannot resist the pun!

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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.

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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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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.

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Going Out! Motherkao loves... The Kao Kids

Pseudo Holiday at Fassler Gourmet

October 9, 2013

Ever since we discovered this gem of a place at Woodlands where we can get frozen salmon, cod, prawns, lobsters, crabmeat, scallops at factory outlet prices, we’ve been going back to restock our freezer every half a year. We even bought another freezer just so we could stock up! At Fassler Gourmet Singapore, their Atlantic Salmon and Salmon Trout fillets are cut fresh every day. Their black cod fillet is $55 for a 500 gram pack of three, and the reason why my kids have extremely expensive taste buds. Ever since birth, they’ve eaten the best (and most expensive) fish – the cod and threadfin – that our land could sell they absolutely refuse to eat anything that tastes unlike what they are used to eating.

I figured a trip down to Fassler would definitely save me the need to explain to the kids why I don’t buy their favourite salmon, cod and scallops from the supermarket and wet market. Yesterday, we decided to take the kids to Fassler to let them experience the cold in their walk-in freezer, and to see for themselves where Mom and Dad get their favourite seafood.

It was their first time there, and they were thrilled! Becks loved it, surprisingly; she loved the cold and was the only one who was functioning and not wanting to get out.

We stocked up – ooh, fresh salmon, cod fillets, scallops, tiger prawns! And bought enough clam chowder (which the whole family absolutely loves!) to last us till the end of the year!

I say, this is a good place to practise getting used to the cold should we ever wish to go backpacking to Iceland when the kids are older!

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The Kaos here drink milk!

August 28, 2013

The Kaos in the house guzzle milk. And I mean guzzle. We drink as much as 6 litres of fresh milk every week, sometimes even more.

Fatherkao adds fresh milk to his coffee and Milo. I add it once every few days to some Earl Grey tea if I don’t get my daily bubble tea fix. Ben and Becks drink milk fresh from the carton every morning at breakfast, every afternoon with snacks and every night before they go to bed. And I’ve not even introduced Nat to fresh milk yet. I think when he finally joins the fresh milk drinking club, we’ll have to kidnap a cow.

And for a couple of years now, we’ve been drinking Greenfields. (If you ask me why we switched, it was simply because Starbucks uses it.)

Ben and Becks drink Greenfields Fresh Milk before they head to kindy every morning – and they love Greenfields Chocolate Malt best!

Originating from Indonesia and established in 1997, Greenfields milk does not include additives, chemicals, antibiotics and hormones. Fresh milk from Greenfields is single-pasteurized, which means more nutrients are retained. Their milk is also produced, pasteurized and packed within the dairy, and Greenfields’ integrated dairy farm based at Gunung Kawi (Malang, East Java) is of the highest quality and meets the world’s toughest microbiological standards.

The Greenfields Integrated Dairy Farm at Gunung Kawi

I like the idea that the dairy farm is kinda like it’s next door, compared to milk that has to travel a bit longer than Indonesia to reach us, like those from Australia or New Zealand; which means when Greenfields call their milk ‘fresh milk’, theirs is kinda fresher than those dairy farms which are further away.

Greenfields produces Honest Milk, and we like that it is fresh and safe for our family, and that it tastes great too.

Besides our daily affair of guzzling milk by the cartons, fresh milk is often a key ingredient for my cooking and baking. It’s a must-have in our ham and chicken Alfredo, clam chowder, sliced fish soup and curry chicken – because it’s way healthier than coconut milk and evaporated milk – and is one of the essential ingredient for my cupcakes and pound cakes which I bake for the kids for their breakfast and tea.

I recently made Hot Milk Cake with Greenfields’ High Calcium Low Fat Milk, which was a hit with the kids. This simple, classic pound cake is so easy to make and so yummy to have. Trust me, you will wow your kids with this recipe.

Hot Milk Cake (Recipe yields 12-16 servings. Half the recipe if you don’t need so much, but it’s pretty addictive so making more is always a good idea!)

Ingredients:

4 eggs
2 cups caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups all purpose flour / plain flour
2-1/4 tsp baking powder
1-1/4 cup 2% milk (I use Greenfields 1.3% Low Fat Milk)
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed (about 150g)

Instructions:

1) In a large bowl, beat eggs on high speed for 5 minutes till you see them turn a thick lemon colour. Gradually add sugar and beat till mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.

2) Combine sifted flour and baking powder and gradually add to the batter. Beat at low speed until smooth.

3) In a small saucepan, heat milk and unsalted butter under low heat until butter is melted. Gradually add to batter and beat until just combined. (That’s why it’s called ‘Hot Milk Cake’!)

Hot milk cake ready for the oven!

4) Pour into a greased or lined baking pan and bake at 175°C for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted near centre of cake comes out clean.

5) When the cake’s cool, slice and enjoy!

Freshly baked yumminess

Slice and enjoy!

What a way to load up on the calcium I say, with fresh milk every day and milk in our food and desserts!

Greenfields Milk is available at most supermarkets at $5.95 for their 2-litre bottle (all except at FairPrice), $3.25 for their 1-litre pack and $1.50 for a pack of 200ml Greenfields Milk (only available at 7-11).

Buy any 2 x 2-litre Bottles or 3 x 1-litre Packs to get your free limited edition double walled cup. Promotion is valid from 12 August, while stocks last and available at major supermarkets and hypermarkets nationwide. Limited to four cups in a single receipt.

This recipe and post was brought to you by Greenfields.

Disclosure: Thanks to the milk man from Greenfields who delivered a few 1-litre and 200ml packs to our doorstep, we got to enjoy (more) milk this month. The good people at Greenfields also paid me to write this post. All opinions here are my own and based on my experience. We’ve been drinking Greenfields for a few years now, and it’s currently our favourite brand of fresh milk.

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More reasons to shop at RedMart

August 15, 2013

If you’ve not been to RedMart, you really should. And you don’t need to travel physically there, push a trolley or wish that the ground would swallow you up when your kids monkey around and pinch everything they see along the aisles, cos’ all you need is a mouse, a computer and internet connection. If you have an iPhone, you could even download their app and grocery-shop on the move.

RedMart has close to 4,000 items in their store, and you could buy everything from baby supplies to pregnancy test kits to ready-to-eat briyani.

I am really impressed with the wide range of products they have in stock. During my previous shake-legs-grocery-shopping experience, I found the Chianti (Fatherkao’s favourite type of red wine), all the ingredients (from their extensive range in ‘Indian Selection’) which I would ever need to whip up a meal to rival Muthu’s Curry (not that I can, hurhur!), organic cleaning agents (like BabyGanics and Green Cleaners) and items like Eno, Panadol and calcium tablets to stock up the medicine cabinet.

I was really glad to have found this at this price!

Baby-safe cleaner at a discounted price!

Wide range of selection from Food & Beverage

And oh yes, if you ever found buying contraceptives embarrassing, you could even buy them here! No more need to explain to the kids that what you’re getting ain’t some funky candies!

The ‘Sexual Wellness’ Section at RedMart

And for someone who’s big on product labels, I particularly appreciated the fact that at RedMart, I could view every single product in this online grocery store close up. This is something that gives Redmart an edge over its competitors. Especially for someone who’s a stickler for labels like me.

I don’t buy sauces, pastes and mixes without reading nutrition facts and I am on a constant look out for no-no’s like monosodium glutamate when I buy my oyster sauce, ketchup and sambal belachan from the supermarkets. I check where products are made and when they expire. I make sure that when I buy food, the “Trans Fat” reads 0g and “Cholesterol” 0%. When I get cleaning agents and bath products for the family, I always made sure they were sulphate- and paraben-free. I scrutinize every single ingredient that goes into making the product, especially the kinds of chemicals, and I consult Dr Google on the spot should I suspect something amiss.

At RedMart, I am glad that even though there are brief product descriptions provided for every product, I get to scrutinize the labels on the products just by mouse-ing over the area I wish to see enlarged before I decide to add them to my cart.

Case in point: remember I mentioned I needed to be consuming oatmeal for the rest of my life because the doctor instructed me to lower my LDL? I found Bob’s Red Mill Organic Brown Rice Farina Creamy Rice Hot Cereal (that’s a mouthful!) and decided I might want to be eating this for forever.

And since forever might be a long time and I’ve never heard of Bob’s Red Mill, I was really glad to be able to read the cooking instructions and all the other finer print on the packaging before buying it.

Reading the label closely

At RedMart, items are not just cleanly organized into distinctive categories – like products meticulously shelved in supermarkets – you also get value-added shopping experience because you get to read product labels too, just like being there at the supermarket!

Now, how’s that for more shake legs grocery shopping?

More details:

The store comes to you at RedMart, with its large product selection of home essentials, same day delivery within 2-hour delivery windows (so you need only be home for 2 hours), free delivery on orders above $75, competitive prices and automatic reminders to restock. RedMart knows you have better things to do!

Disclosure: The good people at RedMart sponsored this post. All opinions here are my own.

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Turbo action on cake (introducing PrimaDeli’s new range of cartoon cakes)

August 7, 2013

We haven’t caught the latest DreamWorks animation, Turbo, on big screen yet, but we got a piece of the action today with PrimaDéli’s new Turbo cake range.

PrimaDéli sent over their Turbo Racing League cake which features SuperTurbo and Friends on the edible icing and the fluffliest chocolate sponge covered with layers of light fresh cream. A really nice gesture to perk up our long weekend!

An orange-themed Turbo cake was what we had for dessert today!

As with all cake, there must be a reason for eating it. At least that’s what the kids think. So we stuck four big candles and eight little ones all round the 1 kg cake, sang a birthday song to Singapore, and sat down together as a family to enjoy the deliciousness of fresh cream and choco sponge.

Singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Singapore with gusto

Excitement in the air: eating cake, National Day, long weekend!

The deliciousness of fresh chocolate cream by the layers

Licking their cake forks and loving the light cream and fluffy sponge

The kids were licking their plates and asking for more cream after they were done chomping down their slice of cake. After they had their fill of cream, they quickly asked, “Can we please go watch the snails?”

Looks like we need to go meet the Turbo Racing League soon. Until that movie date, we’ll be slowly savouring the sweet treat specially prepared for us by PrimaDéli. What a happy start to the long weekend!

*GIVEAWAY: I have THREE Turbo Cakes to give away!*

Watching the latest DreamWorks movie doesn’t just stop at the cinemas, now you can customise your cake featuring DreamWorks’s newest action star – Turbo and friends! And PrimaDéli is giving away THREE 300g Turbo Cakes to THREE of Motherkao’s readers!

Here’s how you can take part:

1) Like PrimaDéli’s Facebook page.

2) Share this entry by clicking the (very tiny) Facebook icon at the bottom of the page. Alternatively, you can go to to this link, look for {Giveaway} and share away.

3) Leave me a comment telling me what you love about PrimaDéli after you have liked and shared.

Terms & Conditions:

The above steps must be completed to qualify.
Contest will close on 11 August 2013, 2359hrs and results will be announced on 12 August.
Giveaway is open to everyone with a valid Singapore Address for delivery. 1 winner per household address.
Winners must respond by 16 August 2013 on delivery details, else giveaway will be forfeited.
Winner will be selected randomly and Motherkao’s decision is final.
Giveaway will be a 300g TURBO cake (choice of chocolate or vanilla only).
All giveaways must be redeemed by 31 August 2013.

Disclosure: We received a 1kg Turbo cake with compliments from PrimaDéli. All opinions here are my own.

Update: Turbo’s coming your way, Adora @ Gingerbreadmum, Jolin & Arsheitha! I see you smacking some lips already!

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Smooth Operator (with help from the all new Philips Jamie Oliver Blender)

July 25, 2013

No, I’m not referring to Sade’s lover boy with diamond life.

I’m referring to this man who’s been in the kitchen lately, making after-dinner drinks for the kids and winning their hearts:

Smooth(ie) Operator

Thanks to the all new Philips Jamie Oliver Blender, Fatherkao is now the official Smooth(ie) Operator in our house. With mangoes in season, a 600-W blender with a two-speed pulse setting, a high quality 1.5-litre jar and titanium-coated 5-star serrated blades, he’s been wowing the kids with his smoothie creations effortlessly using this new kitchen tool.

The all new Philips Jamie Oliver Blender

He throws in ripe mangoes with lemon sorbet, some fresh lime and mint leaves, and pulse everything with crushed ice. Some days he adds a dash of milk and some days a splash of orange juice.

The ingredients for a refreshing mango smoothie

And the kids go on an all-time high waiting for their desserts after dinner…

Act 1, Scene 1: Gimme, gimme!

Act 2, Scene 1: Can’t wait! Gimme!

Act 2, Scene 2: Smoothie ready!

And going totally ecstatic to the point of declaring this:

Ben: Mama makes smoothie a little bit nice. But Dada makes the NICEST! Next time, when Mama wants to make smoothie, we’ll call you, ok, Dada?

Yummy yum yum, they say!

Now, that’s how the Smooth Operator stole my thunder and became the latest hero in the kitchen, with an uncomplicated blender who does all the work for him!

Keep life simple with the PHILIPS | Jamie Oliver range which includes a food processor (S$268), handblender (S$128) and blender (S$108). Available at leading electronics and departmental stores.

Disclosure: I received the Philips Jamie Oliver Blender for the purpose of writing this. This post is the second in a series of sponsored conversations on behalf of Philips Singapore. All opinions are my own. And yes, I am jealous that what I make for the kids is only “a little bit nice” but that’s just because I lent Fatherkao my Philips JO blender.

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