Why do kids like holidays?

I posed this question to Wyng. Here are his answers:

Number 1: Because I don't have to do homework
Number 2: So that I don't get whacked by teacher. Naturally, I questioned how often he get whacked. 'Not always la', was his reply.

Things to do during school holidays

Yeh! It's holiday time! What I would like to do during the holidays? And the holidays is only a week for me as I will still be pre-occupied with my home venture during the first week.

* Go for my long overdue medical check-up. 'The most vulnerable part of a female' is at high risk for me as I've put this off for more than two years, as far as I can remember.
* Go for my hair-cut
* Fix the problem of my car. Even new cars have problems and this is a manufacturing defect, I suppose.
* Clean up the house. Some areas are not so visible to guests in my house and need cleaning or else they will turn to stubborn stain, cleaning while they are still fresh is advisable.
* Baking. I promise Wyng I will bake some cup cakes. I hope H can help me to do the tedious and messy washing after that.

If only I put in more effort

For the first time since he started school, he scored 100% in BM. Generally, it's no big deal that a primary student manages to score full marks in their test. But, for my kids, it is worth 'shouting' about it. Despite compliments from people close to me that my kids are smart, this doesn't show very prominently in their academic results.

He got 76% in BM in the first term. And that was without my 'interference' in his studies. Despite devoting full-time in guiding other children, I neglected my own kid.

So, setting some time for him, I gave him some guidance after the first term. I also gave him a few exercises as well as flash cards. Not to say that I am not giving credit to his tuition teacher who gave students many past year worksheets to do, if only I can spend more time with him, he would definitely be an A-scorer, a strong one.

Do you think Vista sucks!

When it comes to IT stuff, I am quite 'hopeless' despite having depended on it for more than a decade in my previous jobs.  We have been using Vista for about four years at home.  It was not until last year that its performance has been deteriorating. 

Hoe has been complaining because he isn't able to play most games using my desktop.  A lot of programmes have been quite slow running on Vista.  In fact, most of the websites take too long to load.  It came to a point when the desktop is unbearably slow.

So, we have decided to change it to Windows 7.  Hoe will be very happy about it, that is provided he is allowed to touch my desktop. 

How to get rid of these pests?

What kind of home we are living in? We've got uninvited guests, every minute, every day. They are none other than Mr Mosquitoes. I got their attention when I am hanging out clothes to dry in the car porch. There was an occasion when I got stung even when I was cooking something in the kitchen.

To get rid of them, we got ourselves a device which gives out UV light to attract them. How they are killed eventually is not important as long as they are dead. Having this device is not the solution as this only covers a small area. I have to mobilise this from room to room, too tedious.

Next thing my husband fell in love in is this repeller which emits a sound, harmless to humans and pets but hazardous to insects including lizards and spiders. It claims to even clean the air. Able to cover an area as big as 4,500 square feet, this is more than enough to rid these pests from my house.

Bye,bye mosquitoes.

Who keeps talking and nobody listens?

When Wyng popped this question, the answer that I gave was a very natural one. "Wyng!" I quipped, to his amusement and annoyance. He's becoming so chatty nowadays, that I have to stop him from his endless queries and babbling of facts and more facts.

"It's the teacher!", he retaliated.

How true! Nobody listens to the teacher when they are supposed to, then what are teachers for?

He likes details

As soon as he gets permission from his daddy to draw on the discarded business cards, he wasted no time. He diligently drew on the back of the cards. And I thought he was scribbling on them. Little did I realise that he was tracing the path on the roadmap at the back of the cards.

According to Daddy, he was showing the roadmap to his 'shop'.

And he did that on the entire pack of cards in probably about three days. What intrigued him? Only he knows.

Happy Mother's Day

It is just less than 10cm. Even though I don't really like the way the card is done (the message was written in pencil and the card is not cut neatly), the message is so real. I do hope he means what he wrote about loving mummy.

Yummy chicken

Chicken is Wyng's favourite meat. Nowadays, he eats with his fingers and sucking deliciously off the bone. He used to stay away from even touching the meat with his fingers. He will surely like this dish provided I don't include chilli in it.

This is a dish downloaded from Asian Online Recipe website.

Cashew Chicken

Although it is not native to South-East Asia, the cashew tree is highly prized in Thailand and the classic partnership of these slightly sweet nuts with chicken is immensely popular in Thailand and abroad. The Thais not only value cashew nuts, but also the "fruit" under which each nut grows. Although they are known as cashew apples, these so-called fruits are actually bulbous portions of the stem. They may be pink, red or yellow in color and the crisp, sweet flesh can be eaten raw of made into a refreshing drink. They have even been used for making jam. Cashew apples - and undried nuts - are rarely seen outside their growing regions.

Whatever it is, this is one delicious recipe that you should get your hands on.

Ingredients: (Serves 4 - 6)

450 g/1 lb boneless chicken breast portions

1 red (bell) pepper (capsicum)

2 garlic cloves

4 dried red chilies

30 ml/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

30 ml/2 tablespoons oyster sauce

15 ml/1 tablespoon soy sauce

Pinch of granulated sugar

1 bunch spring onions (scallions), cut into 5 cm/2 in lengths

175 g/6 oz/1.5 cups cashews, roasted

Coriander (cilantro) leaves, to garnish

Method:

1. Remove and discard the skin from the chicken breasts and trim off any excess fat. With a sharp knife, cut the chicken into bitesize pieces and set aside.

2. Halve the red pepper, scrape out the seeds and membranes and discard, then cut the flesh into 2 cm/0.75 in dice. Peel and thinly slice the garlic and chop the dried red chilies.

3. Preheat a wok and then heat the oil. The best way to do this is to drizzle a "necklace" of oil around the inner rim of the wok. so that it drops down to coat the entire inner surface. Make sure the coating is even by swirling the wok.

4. Add the garlic and dried chilies to the wok and stir-fry over a medium heat until golden. Do not let the garlic burn, otherwise it will taste bitter.

5. Add the chicken to the wok and stir-fry until it is cooked through, then add the red pepper. If the mixture is very dry, add a little water.

6. Stir in the oyster sauce, soy sauce and sugar. Add the spring onions and cashew nuts. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes more, until heated through. Spoon into a warm dish and serve immediately, garnished with the coriander leaves.

First carwash,polish and wax

Even a four-wheeled needs a facial treatment,I mean body treatment. I also pamper it with a good polish and wax.

It looks so glossy and light after that. And so was my pocket, lighter by RM150.

My faithful blood-sucker friends

They have been with me since I was in pre-school, as far as I can remember from a very old photo of a young innocent me. They left marks which are visible enough to be seen on photographs. Yes, that is how 'attached' they are to me.


We never part since then

Childhood, from primary to secondary even til adulthood

Their presence, never fails to be noticeable

By only the 'priviliged' few whom they adore,unfortunately

And when they sting, they cling

Til we feel the itching, darn annoying

Relentless, I swear they are

Ugly red bloody marks, in numbers, they often are

An identity I loathed to have

For I got interrogated in school for inviting these creatures

Who seemed to adore me so dearly

Ironically only a few feel their presence

As most are unscathed by them

Pleasing blood,it seems I have

To entice these blood-sucker friends

Toasts for gatherings

Another snack menu from Asian Online recipes. Maybe, I can make these for any parties or gatherings, simple yet appetizing.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

225 g/8 oz peeled raw shrimp (prawns)

15 ml/1 tablespoon sherry

15 ml/1 tablespoon soy sauce

30 ml/2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)

2 egg whites

4 slices white bread

115 g/4 oz/0.5 cup sesame seeds

Oil, for deep-frying

Sweet Thai chili sauce, to serve

Method:

1. Process the shrimp, sherry, soy sauce and cornflour in a food processor to make a shrimp paste. In a grease-free bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold them into the shrimp and cornflour mixture.

2. Cut each slice of bread into four triangular quarters. Spread out the sesame seeds on a large plate. Spread the shrimp paste over one side of each bread triangle, then press the coated sides into the sesame seeds so that they stick and cover the shrimp paste.

3. Heat the oil in a wok or deep-fryer, to 190^oC/375^oF or until a cube of bread, added to the oil, browns in about 45 seconds. Add the toasts, a few at a time, shrimp side down, and deep-fry for 2-3 minutes, then turn and fry on the other side until golden.

4. Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with sweet chili sauce.

How to stop my hunger pangs?

For the past two over years, it's been the same habit. Munching something,be it chips, pickled fruits, buns, muffins, bread, occassionally the healthy fruits, you name it, at hours which is supposed to be sinful for eating. Of course, it shows on my waistline but who cares when I still look reasonably 'ok' for someone my age. I could have looked better and more attractive though. But, with my kind of lifestyle, it's rather tough to always look radiant and cheery. Once in a blue moon, I don't munch but that is if blue moon appears more often. Nothing is impossible! I do believe this. It just takes determination which I lack unless...

Dish no. 2 to try

Now that I have an electric oven at home, I am looking for simple recipes to try out. Here's one I found which I think will appeal to the kids.

(From the web)
Soy Marinated Chicken Two simple flavors, soy sauce and orange, combine to make this mouthwatering dish. Serving the chicken on a bed of asparagus turns the dish into a special treat. Wilted spinach or shredded greens work well as an everyday alternative. Boiled egg noodles or steamed white rice make a good accompaniment.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast portions

1 large orange

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

14 ounces medium asparagus spears

Black pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Slash each chicken portion diagonally and place them in a single layer in a shallow, ovenproof dish. Halve the orange, squeeze the juice from one half, and combine it with the soy sauce. Pour this over the chicken. Cut the remaining orange into wedges and place these on the chicken. Cover and let marinate for several hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 350^oF/175^oC. Turn the chicken over and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken over again and bake for 15 minutes more, or until cooked through.

3. Meanwhile, cut off any tough ends from the asparagus and place in a skillet. Pour in enough boiling water just to cover and cook gently for 3-4 minutes, until just tender. Drain and arrange on warmed plates, then top with the chicken and orange wedges. Spoon over the cooking juices and season with black pepper. Serve immediately.

How to keep the kids occupied?

I am killing a few stones with one bird. Not only they are my handyman (well, fixing or assembling furniture pieces is never my cup of tea) who lighten my burden and get the piece assembled fast enough, they learn to work together cooperatively as brothers and workers to accomplish the given task. Not to mention that Hoe can put his Living Skills to test whereas Wyng can learn,as a beginner, some carpentry (no sawing please) skills.

Honey Chicken Wing

I shall try this dish. I am sure the kids will like it.

Cooked in a wok or in the oven, these caramelized wings are drizzled with chili oil and eaten with the fingers, and every bit of tender meat is sucked off the bone. Often served with rice and pickles.

Ingredients: (serves 2 to 4)

75 ml/5 tablespoons sugar

30 ml/2 tablespoons groundnut (peanut) oil

25 g/1 oz fresh root ginger, peeled and finely shredded or grated

12 chicken wings, split in two

Chili oil, for drizzling

Mixed pickled vegetables, to serve

Method:

1. To make a caramel sauce, gently heat the sugar with 60 ml/4 tablespoons water in a small, heavy pan until it turns golden, set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a wok or heavy pan. Add the ginger and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the chicken wings and toss them around the wok to brown.

3. Pour in the caramel sauce and make sure the chicken wings are coated in it. Reduce the heat, cover the wok or pan, and cook for about 30 minutes, until tender, and the sauce has caramelized.

4. Drizzle chili oil over the wings and serve from the wok or pan with mixed pickled vegetables.

My kid dislikes vegetables

I had to threaten him that that plate of wantan noodle would be the last he would be taking if he didn't take the 'choy sum' on his plate. After much struggle with him, he finally only agreed to take one piece and he chose to take the stem. I tried again a second time,with much persistence and firmness than the first time. Only a second piece of small stem managed to go into his digestive system. And, he had to eat it together with a big spoonful of noodle. Anyway, it is a start for him. I don't blame him as Mom didn't work hard enough to feed him those fibrous food from young.

Back to drama class for the kid

Wyng resumes his drama class after Chinese New Year. After surveying another language studio at Ampang Point, the decision is to continue with Helen O'Grady as this language studio does not offer any drama class on weekends. Their current classes clash with Wyng's school time.

Live in the present

"One day at a time - this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering." - Anonymous A quotation I received in my mailbox this morning. To those who worry too much and not appreciate the present.

My kid dislikes tuition

It was the second day since I started him attending tuition. Tuition classes are twice a week, early morning before his school. It was 8 am and Wyng was standing outside my room (not his usual self) looking pitiful enough for me to suspect something was wrong. With his almost inaudible voice, he told me he had finished his breakfast. Eyes teary, he continued and told me he didn't want to go for tuition. Knowing fully well that he must have been penalised by the teacher for not completing his homework, I convinced him that as long as he finishes his homework, he would not be reprimanded or penalised again. Thank Goodness, he listened.