Things that I care...

The softest Banana Cake I've ever tasted

2009-11-01T21:19:00.000-08:00

I have some very riped bananas sitting idly on my dining table and started my search for a more unique recipe rather than the old classic banana cake. However my favourite recipe website, The Repressed Pastry Chef made a rather convincing posting on banana cake with cream cheese frostings that prompted me to give this old boring cake a try. Of course she never fails to impress me with her words and surely, this recipe is heavenly for a non-banana cake lover like me. The texture is so closed (my DH said it's even better) to the banana cake sold by the downtown famous Hiap Joo bakery shop in Jalan Tan Hiok Nee. Those living in Johor Bahru would know which bread shop I'm talking about.

The original recipe from RecipeZaar calls for the cake to be frozen for 45 min straight from the oven. I think no clear mind would follow this step as it means disaster for your poor hardworking fridge, and so I omit this step but the result is still promising. As I'm using microwave oven (MO) to bake and my MO doesn't have the temperature setting button required in the recipe, I baked the cake at 130 degree Celcius for 70 min and 150 degree for 10 min (it's the low temp baking that contribute to the moist and soft texture of the cake).

Here's the recipe that I've modified on the contents and technique. This cake is so yummy that I baked it consecutively for 2 days. However, I did not frost the cake with cream cheese as my DH dislike frosting and also for the second time round due to time constraint (so I decorated it with can peaches).

Ingredients:

1 cup mashed bananas (mix 1 or 2 tsp of lemon juice to prevent from browning)

2 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

120g butter - room temperature

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs or 2 medium eggs + 1 yolk

2 tsp vanilla essence

240ml buttermilk (or 230ml milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice or 1/2 plain yogurt + 1/2 milk)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 135o Celcius.

2. Grease and flour 8 inch round pan.

3. Sift flour, baking soda and salt. Put aside.

4. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy (high speed).

5. Beat in the eggs one at a time till incorporate. Add in vanilla.

6. Beat in flour mixture and buttermilk alternately starting and ending with flour till combined. It is important not to overbeat the mixture.

7. Stir in banana.

8. Bake for 60 min or skewer comes out clean. Cool the cake for 10 min in the pan before invert it out for further cooling.

9. Enjoy it!

Macau trip

2009-10-22T00:17:00.000-07:00

The reception area in The Grand Lisboa Hotel

The night view in Senado Square. The lanterns are replicas of fruits

Wynn Hotel Rotunda 'Prosperous tree'- an indoor performance round the clock

The ruins of St. Paul Church. Slinging is way more convenient than stroller

This is the open viewing deck of Macau Tower. My sons esp younger one didn't seem to notice the height from the plexi-glass base. I couldn't even go near and look down for a second.

Inside A-ma temple

Night scene of Lisboa Hotel and behind it is Grand Lisboa

My DS in front of Performance fountain in Wynn Hotel

In front of 猪扒包 stall in Taipa. We had this as late lunch right after we landed.

This is the pork fillet burger - a signature snack of Macau

Di di is having his 'in-flight lunch'...

My proud 哥哥 and 爸爸 enjoying their bird's view scenery of Macau

Before I could finished this post, my partner discovered something unpleasant regarding our cloth diaper. It is found that a foreign brand 'Hatio' cloth diaper that is manufactured by the same manufacturer has the washing label bearing our Moms & Tots website address. This is solely due to the negligence of the manufacturer. Therefore, I would like to clarify that Hatio is not part of Moms & Tots Store and our product is different from Hatio in terms of design, quality and material used.

As promised to update you all on cloth diapering my baby while travelling, well, here you are. My destination this time was Macau a.k.a. Las Vegas of the east. Macau indeed lives up to its' name - it's night scene is full of colours from the flashes of neon lights on all the casinos and hotels. Every casino especially the new ones has its' distinctive, entertaining and thematic interior and exterior designs. For example Wynn, the hotel that we were staying has a millions of dollars performance musical fountain outside and 'Rotunda - Prosperous Tree' (checkout Youtube to know further). We also visited Grand Lisboa Hotel Lobby and it's an eye opening experience with huge stone sculptures, Stanley Ho's bronze portrait sculpture, a national treasure bronze sculpture of a horse head and lots of others priceless oriental art pieces. What really attracts me is it's building's structure. Even my younger son was in awe to see the glittery and colorful night scenes.

We didnt go lots of places but managed to visit the famous "妈祖" A Ma temple that faces Zhu Hai 珠海- China, the ruins of St. Pauls, Macau Tower, The Venetian Hotel and its' shopping mall (there's not much to shop although supposedly to be the largest shopping mall in Macau). We tasted the infamous chinese restaurant 黄枝纪 in Senado Square that serves local chinese food. The food was yummy but service did not tally with the delicious food. In the square itself, there is a coffee shop that serves authentic steamed milk (炖奶), chinese version of milkshakes with lots of choices of mixture e.g. coconut milk, chinese almonds杏仁, papaya etc minus the ice-cream. It's surely healthier and lighter in taste. We ate Portugese egg tart (you can buy it everywhere) almost everyday but there is a shop near Macau Police Academy School that sells extra yummy egg tart and other pastries. We 'ta pau' the egg tarts back to Malaysia as they can last for several days in the fridge. All you need is a toaster to crisp up the crust....still have the drooling effect thinking of it. Besides that pork fillet burger, egg rolls，bbq dried meat 肉干, almond cookies, 'luk luk' standup steamboat are some of the street foods you must try.

The highlight of this trip was my hubby and my elder son went for skywalking around the Macau Tower. My hubby couldnt sum up his courage for bungy jump and so he opted for the skywalk. I didnt expect my son agreed to join his father and I am proud of his courage for his age. I guess children his age have less height phobia than adults (I am one of them). As for my mission to cloth diaper my baby son throughout the trip, sad to say I failed. Overall, I would say Macau is a less suitable holiday destination for baby because most of the eateries (including shopping mall's food court) don't provide baby chair, the shopping mall we went known as the biggest shopping mall in Macau doesn't even have baby changing room. Overall, we had a pleasant trip that feasted both our eyesight and palate.

I hope to blog about my top passion - baking very soon since there is no holiday plan in near future. So, look out for my collection of best kept recipes in town....

Soft launching for Moms and Tots Store

2009-10-03T20:11:00.000-07:00

At last, our website http://www.momsntots.com.my/ is uploaded and officially open for business. You are cordially invited to visit our homepage. We appreciate your comments and support. I need to give credit to my SIL aka my business partner, Alice for doing a wonderful job in creating our website from scratch without any trained knowledge in this field. We chose to launch our website on Mid-Autumn Festival Day as it signifies abundance harvest.

A simple feast - mostly children's favourites. My aunt served fried sweet potatoes instead of potatoes and it's yummy.

My family celebrated Mooncake Festival Day at my DH's aunt house together with my parents in law, SIL and family. We had simple feast - Hainanese Chicken Rice, fried foods, mooncakes, pomelos, boiled baby yams etc. It was a rainy day but fortunately it stopped around 9pm. We lit some lanterns after dinner and the kids went for a short walk carrying their lanterns. Along the way, we saw houses lighting lanterns and some having a family reunion party. It is very heart warming to see our Chinese tradition still being carry on after so many generations. I still remember vividly how I spent my childhood Mid-Autumn Festival. Early in the morning, my maternal granny would offered prayers to the God. I loved helping my granny to prepare the joss sticks and joss papers, foods and rice wine as offerings for the above. Later at night, my extended maternal family (my mom has 9 siblings) would gather to feast at the car porch (the dinning room could not accomodate the crowd). After dinner, we would snacked on pomelos, baby yams, mooncakes and 'buffulo horns' (water caltrope, a type of water chestnut resembling black buffalo horns). How time flies....

Nowadays, more and more youngsters and young families either celebrating diffirently or totally forgotten major Chinese festivities apart from Chinese New Year. Some prefer to go out for a feast in a restaurant, catch a movie, or concerts and public celebration. Personally, I find this modern way of celebrations a bit disturbing and compelling as it could spell disaster to our customs and culture. How are our next generation or generations ahead going to keep our traditions alive if their parents are taking it for granted? I guess this is the side effect of industrialisation and globalisation that more youths educated abroad find western culture more awesome and interesting. They remember and celebrate Christmas yet they are not Christians but couldn't stay home for family gathering on Mooncake Festival Day because their idol is having a concert!

Call me a conservative freak but I think my kind of celebration is ideal in promoting kinship and parent-child bonding in a special way. I want my children to grow up with fond memories of how they spent time with his parents especially during festive celebrations, just like how I remember my granny. In times, they will be able to share their childhood memorable moments with their kids and grandkids. To me, parents play a key role in preserving our traditions and culture through story telling, exhibitions visits and customary celebrations. You can always invite friends and their family over for dinner to make Mooncake Festival merrier and more meaningful to the children. Lastly, Happy Belated Mid-Autumn Festival!

Raving about cloth diapers (CD) - part 2

2009-09-28T23:38:00.000-07:00

An evening view of the bar from a tower patio

Just returned from a holiday at Club Med Bintan Island, Indonesia. Generally, it's been a pleasant and relaxing holiday for my family, especially my elder son. He simply adored the pool and beach plus the company of other kids (silly me, whose kids don't like that?). Before the end of our stay, all of us got 'fried up' by the sun. Even my younger son could not escape from being tanned although he hardly spent substantial time in the pool or by the beach. The resort is situated by the bay with wide sandy beach. I like the food there esp. pastries and desserts and it's friendly staff (they call themselves as G.O. - gentle officer). It has heaps of activities for adults and children that 3 nights stay is simply not enough.

On board Wan Seri Beni from Tanah Merah Jetty Terminal, Singapore to Tk Sebong, Bintan Island
White sandy beach with clear blue sea. There are many water sports FOC

Two tier swimming pool. The pools are cleaned everyday.

Some of the guest room blocks facing the open space garden.

I brought some CDs along with me during this trip to find out how convenient to cloth diaper him out of home. Well, to be honest it's a good experience, mainly because he never poo poo on the CD through out the trip. I always get the cue whenever he wants to do 'big business', so I was spared of extra washing and embarrassment from sneering public eyes. Plus we didn't go out of the resort throughout our stay that made it easier to cloth diaper him. The only set back was the inserts took longer time to dry up due to the absence of washing machine. But this can be resolved by packing more inserts. I even put him on a cloth diaper during pool time without the inserts, of course. No problem at all! Now I've busted the myth i.e. cloth diaper is for indoor. Tip: If you decided to try it outdoor, prepare a wet bag for you to put used diapers before you can wash them.

Our room was raided by a bunch of not -so-friendly monkeys. They snatched a bag full of biscuits and took them 2 days to finished. A pair of them copulated right in front of us. Luckily my elder son thought that they were playing riding piggy back :)

My 2 lovely son. Di di is wearing Moms & Tots CD in white color

Back at home, a friend of mine complained that her son's cloth diaper overflowed in 2 hours time and she is reluctant to put CD on her son again. Let's diagnose the overflow/leaky issue. There are several factors that contribute to this problem and having a heavy wetter doesn't mean you can't cloth diaper your child. Instead, you should be switching to CDs all the more because you'll save more since you'll be using more disposables.

1. Full house

Obviously, your child needs a fresh change if you detect an overflow diaper. If your baby is a heavy wetter, just add on another piece of insert to last longer albeit it looks bulkier. Hey, bulky bottom can be an advantage too - cushioning your baby's bottom from fall especially when he's learning to crawl.

2. Washing instructions

It is crucial to wash your newly bought CDs thoroughly and it means washing a few times before using it for the first time. Washing machine not only helps to clean away the manufacturing residue but also swells and fluff the cotton fiber for maximum absorbency performance. The inserts will absorb better after few washes and continue to function excellently as long as you are following the washing and caring instructions. Most of the cloth diapers cannot be washed with baby detergent or any other detergent that contains softener, bleaching agents, fragrances, additives, optical brighteners and enzymes as these agents will shorten the lifespan of the PUL lining and the elasticity in the gusset.

There is no extra washing steps for CDs. Just treat them like your normal laundry. I wash my son's CDs separately but spin them (in the laundry bag) together with my other clothes if I'm using softener on other clothes. Other than that, I wash the CDs as usual with all the other clothes in the washing machine.

3. Nappy rash cream
Nappy rash cream or any baby balm cannot co-exist with CDs as the former will leave a greasy residue on the fleece thus preventing it to function properly. Should you leave no choice, you'll have to layer the fleece with nappy liners. Nappy liners are great too when your baby poo on the CD. It will lessen the stain on the fleece and inserts thus making cleaning easier.

4. Wrong positioning
Some inserts are made of different layers of fabric, for instance Moms & Tots inserts are made of bamboo fiber and 3 ply of micro fiber. If you are using such inserts, make sure that the bamboo fiber layer is facing the fleece when inserting. This is necessary as not only does the bamboo layer has antibacterial properties, it also absorbs better than micro fiber.

So, these are some of the factors that could contribute to leaky incidents. Hope this post will guide first timers in using CDs. There is a Chinese saying, 'There is no ugly people, only lazy people', the underlying meaning is similar to those who give excuses for not switching to CDs. To be honest, I was one of them before I lay my hands on CDs. I was appalled by the thought of cleaning up the poo (*sob* this is part of the parcel being a mother ) and extra washing(before I discovered they can be machine washed). After using them for some time, I find it as easy as 1, 2, 3. I kind of feel like I've gone extra miles in preserving our planet and I feel so GOOD! All I did is to take the first step - try it with an open mind and read up some internet researches and comments. Since then, I've never looked back.

My next experiment will be using CDs on an excursion tour abroad! Can't wait to share my experience with you. So, keep an eye on my upcoming posting in October (keep my fingers cross).

Raving about cloth diapers (CDs)

2009-09-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

Greetings! This is my first blog, feeling a bit nervous on how to begin with my posting. The reason I created this blog is to voice out issues or teeny tiny things that catches my attention and to share my passion in baking and cooking. As I'm embarking into the modern era of 'stay-at-home-business', yes, I'm starting an online Cloth Diaper business with my sisters-in-law, this blog will serve as a platform for me to rave about cloth diapers vs disposable diapers.

I believe all mummies and daddies always put their offsprings in the first place whether it's regarding on how to spend family incomes, what food to cook, which restaurant to eat out, where to go for vacation and even to the extend what kind of music/songs to listen and so on.... The ultimate decisions is always for the sake of our children. I guess this is humans nature, ya?

Now back to cloth diapers issue; there are many kinds of cloth diapers around the market, namely prefolds, fitted diapers, pocket diapers, diaper covers, AIOs(all in one). CD has definitely evolved from a piece of square fabric a long way but in such a short time. Pocket diapers is the latest diaper system in the market that come in 2 parts, consisting of a waterproof outer layer (PUL) with an inner layer of fleece. These two layers are sewn together in such a way as to leave an opening at the back into which you insert an extra strip of absorbent material (called an insert).

Why do I decided to sell cloth diapers? First of all, ''it's all 'bout the money, it's all 'bout the dang, dang, dang....". Frankly speaking, who doesn't do business for money? Besides that, I can save lots of money and many more benefits by cloth diapering my younger son (9 mths old). This is like killing 2 birds with 1 stone. Had I known about cloth diapers back before I have my first son, I'd certainly go for it because by now I'd have save more money by passing the cloth diapers down to my second son.

Here are some of the advantages of using cloth diapers:

Great money saver - Basically each child changes around 7000 diapers during his/her first 3 years of life. For easy calculation, assume that the average price of disposable diapers per piece is RM0.80, so your cost will be approx. RM5600. As for cloth diapers, you'll need roughly 8-10 sets for full day use (depending on your child's age) and you need few more to change while waiting for some of them to dry up. Assume you buy 15 sets of cloth diaper (Moms and Tots Super Saver Package 5 sets @ RM340) and your cost will be RM1020. Conclusion: Your savings will be RM4580. Remember, you'll save more if plan to cloth diaper more than 1 child.

Free of harmful chemicals and less incidence of diaper rash or allergy. The more absorbent disposables are the more they contain Sodium Polyarcrylate (the same chemical that has been removed from tampon) which could affect reproductive organs according to a study. Urine and bacteria will still be layering your child's bottom no matter how absorbent the disposables that lead to fewer changes. On the other hand, Moms and Tots diaper insert is made of natural bamboo fibre that doesn't harbour bacteria growth(http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julie_R._Holland) and yet is super absorbent, eco-friendly and gentle on baby skin. Our cover material is water proof yet breathable.
MomsnTots CD is made to suit our hot and humid climate that minimizes heat retention. Our micro fleece is highly functional in terms of wicking and porosity of moisture so your baby stays dry and snug.
Cloth diaper is an eco friendly product as compare to disposable diapers. We can reduce landfills by hundreds of acre a year just by switching to cloth diaper. More over, soiled disposables pose a danger to environment which could increase the risk of spread of diseases. By cloth diapering your child, you are saving our mother earth and act as an ambassador in preserving our earth.
MomsnTots cloth diaper comes in 5 lovely colors that is fashionable to wear as it is. Our cover uses velcro fastening to the back that prevents skin irritation and little hands from pulling off the tab.

Cloth diapers are certainly durable for you to use child after child if you take good care as per instructions.

Well, enough said about it. I hope you get useful info from the above and start using cloth diapers on your baby or simply as a baby shower/full month gift for your friends and relatives. Either way, you are still lending your hand to save the earth. If you wish to purchase or enquire further on our products, email me at jay_tb99@hotmail.com or visit our website at http://www.momsntots.com.my/ (will be up in Oct, sorry for the inconveniences)

This is front view of MomsnTots cloth diaper. The cover is made of 100% Polyester PUL that is water proof but breathable. Notice the 3 rise settings by snapping the matching color snap buttons.

This is the back view. The Velcro fastening boost size versatility around the waist that fits babies from new born to toddler hood.

MomsnTots cloth diapers come in 5 lovely colours; Orange, White, Lemon Yellow, Baby Blue and Apple Green

MomsnTots 4 ply inserts is made from organic Bamboo fibre and micro fibre cotton. It can be adjusted according to the cover's size.

The inner lining is made of micro fleece that absorbs minimal liquid,passing your baby's pee into the insert so that your baby stay dry even though the insert is wet. It has laundry tab next to the Velcro hook to avoid scratching the cover or other clothes during laundry time.