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Shake legs grocery shopping with RedMart

July 16, 2013

I’ve written some time ago how supermarketing is now a whole new experience with three kids in tow. It’s a big excursion that requires planning and coordination of naptimes and mealtimes, as well as a good deal of strategizing on how to get my shopping-list items in the most efficient way, while keeping the kids out of mischief. And oh yes, the three of them now fill up one trolley, so I push one more extra now so the groceries can go somewhere. Which means I can never head to the supermarket without an extra pair of adult hands to help me push the kids around and make sure they don’t pinch, stab and squash whatever they see along the way.

There are some days when I really don’t feel like I want to be pushing three kids in a trolley, don’t wish to be lifting a single grocery bag, don’t want to be stepping foot into a supermarket (which is almost always crowded these days!) and wasting precious time queuing. Did I also mention that finding parking at these malls with supermarkets is such a pain?

What can I do on these “some days”, especially if the larder, refrigerator and toiletries cabinet are calling out to be replenished?

Online shopping! I hear you say.

Somebody recently told me that I should start buying groceries online if bringing the kids out is such a hassle. There are local e-grocers that offer competitive prices and free delivery within the same day to cater to the modern need for efficiency and convenience. Some time ago, I experienced one of those “some days” and decided to stock up my household items at RedMart. We were running out of rice, bathroom cleaners and snacks for the kids; plus, the doc’s just given me orders to lower my LDL, so I desperately needed to buy some oatmeal cereal and go make myself a few thousand bowls of that to eat over breakfast, lunch and dinner for the rest of my life. And with the recent haze crisis, I wasn’t too sure of the PM2.5 concentrations in our air to be heading out with the kids. I dread looking for parking and paying for parking, and Nat fussing to be carried after a few minutes of being in the trolley.

So I went online and got everything I needed in the comfort of my couch, using only five fingers and a mouse.

And it was so easy, so quick, so convenient! Here’s what I did:

Signed up with an email address and a password

Got a smiley and an email for registering successfully

Browsed by categories, which were readily available on the header and footer and the left sidebar

A while later…

What happens after check-out: payment, choose a delivery timing and wait for items to be delivered!

What happens after check-out: payment, choose delivery timing and wait for items to be delivered!

My orders came promptly the next day at the delivery timing I selected, and the larder was restocked. Happiness!

Orders came promptly, and we’re restocked again!

No need to push trolleys around. No need to strategise shopping route. No fuss and meltdowns. No need to have to lug the kids who somehow always had the magical ability to conjure up a full bladder despite emptying it before we leave home and whenever we’re halfway supermarketing. No need to have to hear them scream Yakult! Oreos! Apples! – and wish there was a hole to hide – whenever we go down the aisles.

Can shake legs some more.

I’ve concluded: I need to do this more often – especially if all the heavy stuff like rice, diapers, milk powder and canned food all run out at the same time – and on those “some days” when I am too bone-tired to have to run about a supermarket!

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!

*Wanna shake legs shopping for grocery too? RedMart is offering readers of this blog a 10% discount on your first purchase! Simply check out with the code rm_mkao!*

Disclosure: The good folks at RedMart sponsored this post and gave me the opportunity to shake legs, drink a glass of Milo, and grocery-shop away online in the wee hours of the night. They were also kind enough to pick up the tab. All opinions and doctoring of the screen captures (yep, those with added emphasis and shout-outs; and also so you won’t know where I live!) are my own.

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Rockin’ the kitchen with the all new Philips Jamie Oliver Food Processor

June 20, 2013

I’m a big fan girl of the Naked Chef, and I’ve been one happy girl these days spending time in the kitchen with him.

Mr Jamie O in da’house!

Well, ok, not exactly him, but close enough.

The all new Philips Jamie Oliver Food Processor

Ever since the Philips Jamie Oliver Food Processor came into my life, it’s found a permanent spot in the kitchen and in my heart. I can’t even start describing how awed I am by this cool kitchen tool. It is truly, in the words of Mark Bittman, a “virtuoso one man band”.

Since it came, it has allowed me to finally chop onions without tearing, dice shallots and garlic like a pro, shred potatoes finely to make rosti, mince pork, shrimps and water chestnuts to make ngoh hiang, juice oranges without my arm muscles getting knotted up, serve homemade sorbet and cake pops for dessert (much to my kids’ delight) and transform egg whites into meringues in seconds.

(clockwise) Diced onions and water chestnut for pork rolls, frozen banana ice cream, balloon beaten eggwhites for meringue, thinly stripped potatoes for rosti, and minced beef and shallots for meatballs

Specially designed by the man himself and developed by Philips, the new range of Jamie Oliver electric kitchen tools ranging from the food processor to the hand blender is meant to be easy to use so food preparation becomes effortless, and to be shown off – yes, you heard that right, shown off! – with its pretty splash of cornflower blue.

When I first got the huge box, I must admit I was a little overwhelmed unpacking the various individual accessories that came with the 3.4L food processor. I’m someone who is easily plagued by the disease called gadget-phobia, but I’m here to tell you this dude is really easy to figure out, easy to clean, and delivers in every aspect. So take my word for it if I say it’s really, really idiot-proof. If I can do it, anyone can too.

Looks daunting but it’s really easy to assemble and figure out!

And the best thing is, the kids are now welcome in the kitchen.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve chased Ben and Becks out when I’m trying to whip up a meal, but these days, I’m roping them to help pulse and throw ingredients in because this food processor is safe even for my little ones to use. Talk about being designed for busy parents!

Ben and Becks helping me shred potatoes and make strawberry & blueberry sorbet

Just how safe is it? For one, the Philips Jamie Oliver food processor has a sturdy base with four very powerful yet easy-to-release suction feet to help keep the tool fixed on the table top.

Very strong suction from these feet, I say!

In addition to that, it also has a safety function that locks the lid in place before it can be turned on to pulse. I found that out when I couldn’t turn it on a couple of times, and realised that it was because I hadn’t secured the cover properly. Same thing happened when I first used the citrus juicer. For a while, I thought my machine went wonky!

Safety lock feature: I’m pretty sure they were designed with busy parents (who would rope in their kids for food prep) in mind!

I also like the fact that it only has two pulse speeds (just 1, and 2!) and that just simplifies everything and keeps the kids out of mischief. Imagine one that has speeds from 1 to 10. I can so imagine my kids trying out every single speed on the dial just to see what it’s like to pulse their Oreos or juice their oranges. I wouldn’t be sending them too near such a machine, that’s for sure!

Juicing their own orange, and having fun!

Juicing oranges, and having fun!

With this new tool in the house, and extra pairs of hands to help, it’s been a breeze churning out tasty treats. Ben and Becks are always asking, “What are we going to have today with the white monster-machine?“, and I find myself looking forward to rummaging the fridge and larder to throw random things in to make snacks and treats of every kind. This is a monster-machine, alright. With it, we could really make almost anything we want – from scratch with little fuss! And we’re having so much fun while at it.

The Philips Jamie Oliver Food Processor impresses with its effectiveness, simplicity and affordability. If this is as close to Jamie O as I can get, this fan girl’s definitely not complaining!

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 this dude for the purpose of writing this review. This post is the first in a series of sponsored conversations on behalf of Philips Singapore. All opinions are my own.

P/S: I say it’s safe but I never let my children go unsupervised in the kitchen. Just so you know. Please do the same!

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Cake pops, the fuss-free way

June 17, 2013

So, cake pops are all the rage right now and they seem to be a hit at every kid’s birthday party. I discovered a way to make them without baking. My kids and I love them; the moment they are chilled in our fridge, they become addictive balls of yumminess we just can’t get enough of. You’ve been warned: too easy, and too addictive!

This is the cheater’s guide.

Oreo Cake Pops (Depends on how big or small you wish to roll them, really. I made about 20.)

Ingredients:

30 Oreos
1 packet of Philadelphia cream cheese (250g)
For the frosting: anything goes! (Some suggestions: white chocolate (melted), dark chocolate (melted), rainbow sprinkles, chocolate rice sprinkles, sugar balls)

Instructions:

1) Pulse the Oreos in a food processor till they are crumbs. (I got my Philips Jamie Oliver Food Processor to do the job.)

2) Add cream cheese and mix well with Oreo crumbs.

3) Roll mixture into balls. Stick a pretty stirrer or lollipop stick in each ball.

4) Dip in melted choc and roll them in chocolate rice, rainbow sprinkles or sugar glitter.

5) Put the balls in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

6) Pop them in mouth and enjoy! Yes, it’s that simple!

That’s it? Yes, that’s it!

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Very addictive pork rolls called the Ngoh Hiang

June 2, 2013

I finally made ngoh hiang, and am now proud to call myself a real Hokkien mama! For the uninitiated, ngoh hiang is a delicious fried pork roll dish that is unique to the Hokkien and Teochew dialect, and is essentially a composition of fatty minced pork and prawn, seasoned with five-spice powder (after which the dish is named) rolled in beancurd skin. The dish is usually served with ketchup manis (or sweet sauce) and chilli, and eaten together with other items like the century egg, deep fried beancurd, ginger, cucumber and fried prawn fritters.

Every Hokkien and Teochew mother I know knows how to make this. My grandmother did. My mother and aunts still do. With pride. They’ve all diced and minced and rolled many, many, ngoh hiangs in their lifetime. And it is of utmost urgency I know how to. How else can I join the league of these mothers who churn out such unforgettable, flavourful pork rolls?

As a child (and even now), I could sit at the table all day eating these juicy, chunky meat rolls on end, never finding the will power to stop. It is my desire that this is a dish my children would remember me by, and would remember eating it with so much fondness.

Ngoh Hiang (Recipe makes about 12 six-inch rolls.) I dumped most of the work to my new Philips Jamie Oliver Food Processor – the chestnuts and onion were chopped in seconds. Review coming up soon!

Ingredients:

About 500g minced pork (or get a slab of the shoulder for its higher fat content and make your food processor do the work!)
250g of fresh shrimp, shelled and minced
1 large egg
2 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp five-spice powder (I got mine from Hock Hua for 80 cents!)
12 water chestnuts, washed, peeled and ground
1 yellow onion, minced
3 tbsp plain flour
Dried beancurd skin, cut into 6×6 inch rectangles)
Corn oil / canola oil / sunflower oil
Sweet sauce (and chilli) for dipping
You can also add finely chopped spring onions or leeks if you prefer

Instructions:

1) Mix the pork and shrimp in a large bowl and add the beaten egg. Stir to mix. In a small bowl, stir together the soya sauce, salt, white pepper, five-spice powder, then add it to the pork and shrimp mix.

2) Stir in the finely chopped water chestnuts, onion (and leeks/ spring onion) and mix to distribute the ingredients evenly.

3) Sift in the flour and mix thoroughly.

4) Lay out the prepared skins on the tabletop with damp palms. Arrange a heaping tablespoon of the pork mix along the longer edge of the skin. Shape the meat as you would a slim sausage.

5) Tuck in the side edges, then roll the skin starting with the edge closest to you. I followed the step-by-step tutorial from Little Teochew. Roll till the meat is fully wrapped, and place it seam down on a plate.

TIP: To reduce the saltiness of the skin, you can try wiping the skin very carefully with a damp clean cloth. Or try asking the Chinese grocery store for a brand of beancurd skin which is not so salty. The folks there oughtta know. (Credits: Motherkao’s Supermom)

6) Steam the rolls for 10 minutes, until the skins are translucent and the rolls are firm. Cool rolls on wire racks.

7) To fry them, cover the surface of a non-stick pan with just enough oil and pan-fry away. Handle about 3 – 5 at a time, depending on the size of your pan. Remember not to overcrowd your pan. Fry on medium heat until you see skins turn dark, crisp brown.

TIP: You can wipe down the pan with paper towels after each batch before cooking the next to prevent your rolls from getting burnt. I didn’t bother. Was in a hurry to eat!

8) Leave the rolls to cool on paper towels. Slice them into 1-inch chunks and nomnomnom away with the dipping sauce. Enjoy!

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Going Out!

Jammin’ the arty way at Museo

May 28, 2013

Over the Vesak Day weekend, the kids and I were invited to Museo, a new boutique restaurant at Sentosa Cove’s Quayside Isle. The swanky fine dining restuarant, with its seamlessly integrated bar concept and painting studio, is by the same people behind Arteastiq Boutique Tea House at Mandarin Gallery, known for their luxury high tea and social painting.

We were invited for an art jamming session in the afternoon, as well as to have tea on the house. Problem is, the only jamming I know involves either music or traffic. What exactly is art jamming?

The concept of art jamming is pretty new in Singapore. Art jamming – which is about being in a relaxing and conducive studio environment and taking time out from the busyness life to a place of creativity and self-expression through art making – is beginning to be quite a hit here.

And here at Museo, it’s impossible NOT to relax. The stunning view from the restaurant overlooking the tranquil quayside and marina area provided the perfect backdrop to chill, with a capital C. And CHILL, we did.

Add to that, a comfy, luxurious daybed to sprawl and people-watch, funky acid jazz playing in the background, and their extensive selection of Specialty Tea Sets, I almost forgot we were there to paint!

Before the kids and I art-jammed, we decided to try their Mezzanine Set ($39) that comes highly recommended by all the people I know who’s been there. Museo does a twist on conventional fine dining by serving food in a cup, and the Mezzanine Set allows you to customise 4 out of 12 entrées to your liking.

It was hard to make a decision because all the food sounded so delicious just by reading their names on the menu. I loved it that all the items on the menu were named after famous artwork by great artists. In the end, I ordered The Great Wave (tuna tataki), Picasso’s Blues (deep fried prawns flavoured with lavender), Smile of Mona Lisa (deep fried camembert cheese served with cranberry sauce), and Joys of Life (smoked roast pork belly served with hot sauce), and a French Rose tea set. Fatherkao went with a smoked salmon salad and a cup of cappuccino for himself.

My favourite has got to be the deep fried prawns with the most delicious and fragrant lavender flavoured dip. Ben loved it too and devoured almost all the prawns, leaving me and fatherkao to try only one each.

Being a meat lover, Becks, my little girl, loved the crackling roast pork belly best. She didn’t have it with the hot sauce; she loved the cranberry dip so much that she licked it clean with every bite of the pork. The deep fried cheese was great but it was a pity I had to eat it without the cranberry dip, thanks to her.

The tuna tataki was freshness in a glass, dressed just right, but quite forgettable, really. The smoked salmon came wrapped in asparagus and was dressed lightly with a generous serving of microgreens. The honey mustard dressing was sweet and I must say, pretty refreshing.

When it was time to get down to art jamming, we were given two canvases, a set of paintbrushes and an iPad to choose any picture we would like to paint. The folks at Museo will print the picture for you in a jiffy, and you can head on to the social painting space and spend as long as you like there and let your creativity explode on canvas.

We started with one canvas first and my grand plan was to paint a picture of the sunset with the kids. Hurhurhur. I haven’t the slightest artistic vein in me, so I wasn’t sure if I would end up drawing an egg yolk instead. My plan was to draw it out and palette the paint first, then have the kids take turn to hold the brush with my guidance. Very ambitious, I know.

Halfway through my sketching, the kids got restless waiting for so long (I am not Picasso huh, deal with it, kids!) and started to monkey around as usual. When we finally started painting, they were upset that they had to wait for their turn and started their usual “hey-when-is-it-my-turn-why-am-I-waiting” bickering with me and each other. When they sat on my lap, they started to ruin the canvas by adding colours not meant for the picture and basically going abstract on me.

Now, I can get pretty task-oriented. Upon seeing my masterpiece go down the drain, getting upset was quite an understatement.

So I decided to let them to go free expression on the second canvas, and that kept them laughing and happy for a long while.

Until they couldn’t agree on what colour to paint their canvas. Becks had decided to paint it almost black, and Ben obviously got quite distraught that his portion got swallowed up in darkness.

That was when I decided, heck my masterpiece. I gave my canvas up to Ben who finally stopped sulking, and watched the two of them go impressionist, then surreal, then abstract, all in one sitting.

I’m glad that towards the end, they had some fun finally. They got very, very dirty, and very, very messy but it didn’t matter. They painted their masterpieces without their mother breathing down their necks. And I was honestly quite happy I didn’t have to wait for the canvases, probably layered thirty times over, to dry, or to bring them back (you have to pay an additional $20 if you want to per canvas).

Now that was our art jamming experience.

Methinks art jamming is excellent for parent-child bonding but probably more suitable for older children who are able to follow instructions, appreciate art, and WANT TO paint something decent on the canvas.

More details:

Museo is located at Quayside Isle (Next to W Hotel), 31 Ocean Way, #01-22, Sentosa Cove, Singapore 098375.
You can get a free canvas for art jamming if you spend a minimum of $20 in your dining bill. Connect with them on their Facebook page for updates and specials.

Disclosure: We were invited to an art jamming session at Museo. We were given a complimentary drink and a passport with F&B discounts. All opinions and text here are Motherkao’s own.

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Light cream cheese pound

May 17, 2013

I crave for this ever so often and find myself needing to bake this and have it as a staple in my fridge! Ben, Becks and Nat love the deliciousness of this pound cake. It’s got a semi-dense texture that’s oh-so-yummy when served warm with a cold glass of fresh milk.

I have Gninethree to thank for her recipe. This is my modified version, all because I cannot get enough of cream cheese!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake (Recipe makes 1 huge mama in a square pan)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
150g unsalted butter, room temperature
1 pack of Philadelphia cream cheese, 220g
1/2 cup castor sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
Lemon or orange zest

You will also need: a square pan

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 175ºC. Grease and line square pan.

2) In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3) Whisk cream cheese and butter with an electric whisk or hand whisk until smooth.

4) Add the sugar in three additions, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until light and fluffy.

5) Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla essence and lemon zest and beat until incorporated.

6) Add the flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Pour the batter into the square pan and smooth the top.

7) Bake for 50 minutes and check for overbrowning.

8) Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes (this will allow the cake to set).

9) Slice and enjoy!

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A slice of sunshine – the citrus sunbeam layer cake

May 10, 2013

On rainy days, where it’s a little too dark and gloomy for us to stay home, I try to make life brighter by baking cheery, happy things.

I came across this recipe from one of my favourite magazines, Cake Heaven, and modified it as a four-layer instead of a six-layer cake. I don’t have too much space in the refrigerator for such a tall cake!

Citrus Sunbeam Layer Cake (Recipe makes 1 with 4 layers)

Ingredients:

400g unsalted butter, softened
400g caster sugar
6 large eggs
499g self-raising flour, sifted
grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
yellow and orange gel paste food colouring
2 tbsp. of milk (optional)
1 tsp of lemon essence and 1 tsp of orange essence (optional)

For the frosting:

125g unsalted butter, softened
250g cream cheese, straight from the fridge
500g icing sugar, sifted

You will also need: round 9″ baking tins (4 if you have!), baking paper and 2 small bowls

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 190ºC. Grease and line 4 round tins. Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl with wooden spoon or an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs in a jug and gently add them to the creamed mixture, beating all the time and adding some flour to prevent curdling. Fold in remaining flour.

2) Divide the mixture in half. Add the lemon zest and a teaspoon of yellow gel paste to one half (with lemon essence too, if you prefer); add the orange zest, a teaspoon of orange gel paste (with orange essence if you prefer) to the other half. I added a tbsp of milk to each bowl for equivalent consistency.

3) Divide the mixture between the tins, spreading it evenly. Bake the layers individually or in batches. I made four layers with this recipe. I guess if you have smaller tins, you could make 6.

4) Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake or the cake will be dry. Leave to cool in tin for a few minutes, then turn out onto baking paper set on wire rack to cool completely.

5) While the cake layers are cooling, make the frosting. (The original recipe called for syrup made with lemon juice, Limoncello and sugar but I skipped that.) Beat the butter with with an electric whisk, then add cream cheese and beat until smooth. Gradually sift the icing sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Place in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up if it’s a little runny or add more sifted icing sugar if it’s too runny.

6) Assemble the cake by placing an orange cake layer on a cake stand and cover it with a thin layer of frosting. Repeat with the remaining layers, alternating the yellow and the orange sponge.

7) Cover the top and side with remaining frosting. Decorate with a little zest if desired.

8) Slice and enjoy.

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The kids, me and Lipton tea

April 19, 2013

On the day I discovered I was pregnant with my first child, I went cold turkey and gave up one of the best things in my life – coffee.

That was also when I discovered the wonderful world of tea. I became an avid tea drinker after I gave up coffee, and fell in love with chamomile, rose, and lavender tea. These kept the terribleness of each first trimester at bay, and have helped calm me in many a frenzied moment in motherhood.

So when the kids and I were invited to Lipton’s world-first pop-up High Tea Bar at Plaza Singapura last night, I was especially thrilled. Lipton, the largest tea brand in the world (and the first brand of tea I ever tried as a kid!) is introducing its first ever High Tea Bar to bring the art and science of tea-pairing and quality tea choices closer to consumers and their lifestyles.

Lipton’s first pop up High Tea Bar at Plaza Singapura

I don’t usually think hard if the dessert or food I order goes well with the tea I drink, so I thought I might learn a thing or two from the event. The High Tea Bar features 6 tea sets paired with Canelé’s Pâtisserie Chocolaterie’s sweet and savoury items, three of which have been specially customised by Canelé’s Executive Pastry Chef, Chef Christophe Grilo, and Unilever’s Food Technologist for Lipton, Miss Wong May Chee, for the Lipton High Tea Bar. At the event, these two experts also shared how tea-pairing with food is done.

One of the 6: Lipton Yellow Label Tea with Lemon Macarons

One of the 6: Lipton Asian White Tea with Chestnut Cassis Sponge Cake

Unfortunately for me, I got nothing out of their sharing because the two kids I brought along to drink tea with kept bouncing and prancing around me, asking incessantly, “Can we drink tea now? Can we? Are we going to have tea now? Why aren’t we drinking any tea? Why?” and I had to constantly get them to hold their excitement in. I can’t imagine what the rest of the night would be like if we ever tried all 6 sets of tea!

Very excited children who are trying to entertain themselves

Thankfully, the good folks from Golin Harris prepared a special non-caffeinated herbal infusion of cranberry, raspberry and strawberry for Ben, Becks and the nursing mother that is me. It was paired with the Chicken Mini Burger, which Ben devoured in minutes because “the sauce is just so yummy”. We all loved the herbal infusion for its fruity flavour and very soothing aroma.

Lipton’s Herbal Infusion: Cranberry, Raspberry & Strawberry

Having tea with sweet and savoury treats

Becks: Let me smell the tea!
Ben: Let me eat the burger and macaron!

We also had Canelé’s lemon macarons and classic cheesecake to go with our herbal infusion. I also tried the Russian Earl Grey Tea made with bergamot and sweet blue flowers, paired with Canelé’s Le Chocolat Croustillant, which was a great combination, in my opinion. I’m a sucker for anything dark chocolate, so the distinct aroma of the Earl Grey with this Vanini Cocoa mousse layered cake with crispy chocolate praline was a sweet end to my very tiring day.

We dug into the cheesecake before we remembered to take a picture!

Oh, the decadence and deliciousness of a dark chocolate praline cake!

I think Lipton’s pairing with Canelé is such a perfect match because I can definitely appreciate the aroma and flavours of tea much better when it’s taken together with decadent confectionaries. What an indulgent experience this has been. I certainly had a good time having tea (and desserts) with my kids and I’m definitely going to replicate this experience at home. Thank you, Lipton Singapore, for having us at the High Tea Bar!

Savouring a Lipton Moment

More details:

For 6 days only, members of the public can redeem and enjoy a complimentary High Tea set at the Lipton High Tea Bar with a minimum spend of $25 at Plaza Singapura or a purchase of $15 worth of Lipton products at the Bar itself.
The 6 Lipton High Tea Sets include: 1. Lipton Yellow Label with Lemon Macarons, 2. Lipton Forest Fruit Tea with Chicken Mini Burger, 3. Lipton Citrus Tea with Traditional Salmon and Cucumber Sandwich, 4. Lipton Asian White Tea with Chestnut Cassis Sponge Cake, 5. Lipton Blue Fruit Tea with Classic Cheesecake, 6. Lipton Russian Earl Grey Tea with Le Chocolat Croustillant
The Lipton High Tea Bar is at Plaza Singapura, Main Atrium. Redemption is available daily from 11 am to 8.30pm from 16 to 21 April 2013.

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Our dinner at Beanstro

March 15, 2013

After one week of being cooped up at home, eating semi-solids and drinking soups for practically every meal, the kids, hubs and I are ready to feast again. We were invited to Beanstro at Ngee Ann City for a food tasting session on Wednesday, and we couldn’t wait to finally go eat something nice.

Beanstro opened a few weeks ago at Ngee Ann City, and is the second casual dining restaurant by The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf®, following its success of its first outlet at Marina Bay Sands. We arrived there at 6.30pm and was greeted by the restaurant manager, Steven, who came and made sure we were seated comfortably. Baby chairs were prepared for Nat and Becks, child-friendly utensils were provided, and warm water was served. Thankfully, we were seated outside the main dining area, and there was ample space to fold and park our twin stroller. I also had the pleasure of sitting next to three food bloggers, whose mouthwatering food trails (SG Food on Foot, Celestial Delish and GNineThree) never fail to amaze me, and had the opportunity to chat with them.

The menu at Beanstro is extensive I was warned by Steven that the portions they serve will be huge. There’s a selection of all-day breakfast, fresh salads, open-faced sandwiches, pastas, mains, dessert and hand-crafted beverages, and we were certainly spoilt for choice. I ordered their Breakfast Platter and roast chicken for the kids, and for starters, fatherkao and I ordered the soup of the day and the Seafood Velvet. Fatherkao also wanted some greens and coffee, so he got the garden salad and a cappuccino as well.

The Breakfast Platter arrived first, and the kids were quite excited to dig into some scrambled eggs. It also came with two grilled chipotle sausages, turkey bacon, mushroom ragout, buttered baguette and marinated cherry tomatoes. The turkey bacon and tomatoes were finished, the mushroom ragout was untouched, and the baguette was quickly chomped down by the baby. Ben said he didn’t like the eggs cos’ they were tasteless, and that he preferred mc-dees anytime. I tried what he had, and well, it was honestly not that impressive. To be fair, I would say it was decent; mc-dees’ scrambled in Big Breakfast tastes more processed. The one at Beanstro is nicely cooked but a little bland.

Breakfast platter ($18)

The soups arrived shortly after and the hubs had mushroom soup while I had a creamy seafood soup with scallops, cheese toast and a peach compote. We both found the soups a tad salty for our tastebuds, although I must say the peach compote in my Seafood Velvet was refreshing and reduced the saltiness quite a bit.

Seafood Velvet ($9.50)

Mushroom soup ($8)

The garden salad came next, and the portion was generous indeed. The salad tasted like, well, a salad, and it was a little odd to have edamame in the bowl.

Garden salad ($10)

The mains arrived after we finished our starters. The kids’ roast chicken that’s marinated in hickory came highly recommended by Steven. He even instructed the chef to separate the Cajun-infused mirepoix (a thick tomato-based sauce that tasted of bell peppers, onions and celery) in case the kids found it spicy. The tender roasted chicken came with sauteed vegetables and fries, which the children were glad to chomp on.

Roast chicken

The hubs ordered cod fish and it came with sauteed vegetables and mashed potatoes in seafood broth underneath. He loved the freshness and aroma of the pan-seared Chilean cod, although he found the sauteed vegetables really salty.

Cod fish ($26)

My seafood wrapped in cartoccio featured some really fresh lobster skillets, mussels and scallops. I was a little disappointed that the fettuccine was hard and the chilli padi overwhelmed the taste a little.

Seafood wrapped in cartoccio ($26)

Which made me look forward to dessert. Steven recommended that I try the Cherry Clafouti and Bread and Butter Pudding. I ordered the Classic Affogato for fatherkao who loves coffee in his dessert and the Berry d’treasure yogurt swirl for the kids.

Classic affogato ($6.50) & yogurt swirl ($6.50)

And indeed, dessert was the best part of our meal. They were done to perfection – my pudding and clafouti – the sweetness was just nice for me. Both fatherkao and I enjoyed these two best.

Bread and Butter Pudding ($9)

Cherry Clafouti ($10)

The kids loved their yogurt and slurped it beaming. The affogato wowed the coffee dessert lover too.

Happy kids! (priceless)

All in all, there were some hits and misses but Beanstro is great if you’d like a hearty meal, complete with value-for-money tantalising dessert and good coffee. The service is prompt and ever-willing to go the extra mile (more serviettes, more clean plates, more water, oops, dropped the cutlery again – you know what’s it like with kids!) and it’s a good place to chill out after getting some shopping done.

More details:

Beanstro Takashimaya is located at 391 Orchard Road #B1-37 Ngee Ann City Singapore 238872. Operating hours: Monday to Sunday 8am to 11pm.

Disclosure: We were invited for a complimentary food tasting session by Beanstro. All opinions here are Motherkao’s own.

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Becks Kao Ben Kao Family life as we know it Milestones and growing up Mommy guilt The Kao Kids

Mealtime woes: finding new ways to win this war

February 7, 2013

I’m officially raising the white flag in the battle of wills at mealtimes. You see, despite my efforts in making things like these…

…the kids still aren’t very keen to eat or feed themselves. They don’t want to sit at the dinner table and finish their food. They want to play and have me feed them while they are at it. I’ve compromised my standards of table etiquette and manners. For a while now, I’ve stopped making bentos (they didn’t care much for it anyway!) and I’ve allowed them to play with their Lego Duplo every evening while I sit next to them and feed them.

Because they run around with the Lego they construct, I’ve found it really tiring to feed them. Dinner can last as long as an hour. I’m sure if I ran along and chased them, it would take less than that but I’m too lazy and I refuse to set a precedence for that. Instead I’ve settled for the ‘you come for your next mouthful to where I’m sitting when you’re done chewing’ rule.

So I’ve restrategised to minimise my anguish at dinner time for now just so we can get through this. So yes, *gasp*… I’ve turned on the tv and am allowing tv time during dinner time. One episode of Word World every evening. For now.

So far, they’re not gagging and fussing, and with their eyes peeled to the tv screen, they hardly even care what they are eating. I get to sit down without them running around and finish my job of feeding in about 30 minutes. I’ve also managed to shove a lot more “unpleasant” Chinese food into their mouths – things that they dislike – like the luffa, beef stew and chicken. Plus, they are learning how to spell watching the show.

But it’s not a strategy I’m comfortable with and I would be rethinking it as soon as the stay-home gig kicks in in March this year. Research has shown that TV interferes with the natural cues children’s bodies send them about whether they are full, and can lead them to overeat or undereat (Source: http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/kidtv.html).

I may have lost this battle, but the war ain’t over yet.

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