Banana Muffin 2nd attempt

Yes, I love to bake..but my muffin are still far from standard..hehe..
It has always been my dream to be able to serve piping hot home made cakes for Jared & daddy for their afternoon tea, Aren't it so sweet?

But with my standard now, ..I could expect what Jared would say in future...and daddy agreeds too..hehe.. Some lines that I could think of:

1) Mummy, why today's muffin so hard?
2) Mummy, why the muffin are so salty?
3) Mummy can you don't bake anymore?

Hehehe..Baking is really fun, coz you won't know how it will turn out until you actually gives it a bite ..

Banana Muffin (Using new source recipe as the previous didn't turn out good)

Ingredients:
75g/3oz vegetable oil
250g/9oz self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon (optional- I didn't use)
½ tsp ground nutmeg (optionall- I didn't use)
115g/4oz caster sugar (I reduced to 100g, going to reduce more next attempt and replaced with more bananas)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp banana essence (I didn't use)
2 large, ripe bananas (I put 3)
2 large eggs
125ml/4fl oz milk
10 walnut kernels (optional- I didn't use)

Method:
1. Preheat the oven.
2. Mash the bananas well. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a large bowl, add caster sugar and stir through.
3.With a fork, beat together the eggs, vanilla extract, banana essence, oil and milk in a second bowl. Add the mashed banana and stir through.
4.Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the egg mixture, fold in with a biggest spatula (don't over mix) until it is a lumpy paste.
5. Set paper cases into the moulds, or grease the moulds well with a little extra oil or butter and using an icecream scoop, spoon in the mixture until almost full. Top each one with a walnut kernel if you like.
6.Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the muffins come away from the side of the pan when touched. Rest the muffin tray on a wire rack for five minutes then remove the muffins and leave on the rack for another five minutes before serving.

The muffins turn out surprising big!!! hehe..Slightly improved in term of huatness and it's fluffy content, as I use hand to mix the flour to prevent over mixing, and finally realised bicarbonate soda is not the same as baking powder!!!... No wonder muffin does not huat in all my previous attempts ..hehe.

New Table

Wanted to get a table for Jared as he has been doing colouring on the floor...Not good for his back I presumed..

So we got this Ikea round table for him. Chose the round one over the rectangle one, cos daddy felt that it's big enough for all of us to sit together. Similarly, he doesn't draw on paper..he will colour directly on the table.

He will shout out the color of the crayon before he pick them up for drawing, so colours which he don't recognise eg. brown..He hardly takes loh.

Can't stop praising his work 美美 after done...Also managed to capture him saying his own name.

Qian Hu Fish Farm

This week we visited a fish farm as Jared has been reading Dr. Seuss's "One fish, Two fish, Blue fish, Red fish" book..and Yes, What a lot of fish there are...

He enjoyed feeding the Koi most..

Fun @ Ball House

Finally the ball house is out, since the sarong stand is kept away..Stingy Jared don't like us to go into the ball house..hehe

20 MO Day

Almost missed out...Today is Jared 20mth old day!

Has been a naughty boy lately. getting ready to enter the TERRIBLE TWO stage huh?..here's are some of the naughty ACTs!

1) Say 走开 to everybody who is trying to go towards him.
2) Bite real hard.. *Ouch* Can see blood leh.
3) forgoten how to say 抱我 instead he said "money yeah"!!
eg: Money 看 (If Jared want us to carry him to watch something)

Some of the good Acts

1) Official kuli at home. If need help to throw things in the rubbish bin, or get the remote to change channel, Jared would be glad to help

2) heard from 外婆 he could recite the 三字经? Got to KIV this item, cos I've not hv the honour so far. He has been listening to 三字经 since 3month old...almost like a lullaby for sleep.

3) We do heard him reciting 下雨天 poem, which is like this:

下雨天，
留客天，
天留我，
我不留


4) We always like to practise reading the contents of his favourite story book, My Car and By car anywhere and everywhere.

I am Jared
This is my car
Some cars are long, some cars are short
Some cars are big, some cars are small
Some cars are fast, some cars are nao nao (老爷车)

*Highlighted in orange, are parts where Jared continues when we paused*

5) Interesting Conversation

Me: Jared do you want a 弟弟 or 妹妹?
Jared: 姐姐
*With his most confident, and accurate mandarin*

Me: Where did ah yi go?
Jared: Germany

太婆: 给我 * tai po ask for the thing jared is holding*
Jared: 一个吻

*Errr...I'm not sure if I should cry or laugh!*

Today, 外婆 told me that Jared could sing humpty dumpty? -KIV too

p/s Not sure if it's concidental, last mth 19MO day, Daddy had to work late...this mth also have to...Hoping for a better day next month!

Good Times

To our poor mei mei in a foreign country, being eaten by bed bug....see what a feast we had!! ..D24..Yum Yum...

Cycling and sandplay

Jared requested for cycling previous week..so this week we brought him to cycle on a Sat morning even though we much preferred an evening ride. But evening we have a dinner gathering at Grace's place.
Why we don't like to cycle on a morning? Look at the pics...hehe..He sure to fall asleep one!!...and this scene will invites lots of ppl comment about us openly hehe..Things we've heard "Like this also can? Poor daddy"




We also included a sand play session...It turn out not bad, Jared loves it...almost refused to go..but still we couldnt get his butt into the water yet..He simply too scared of the wave. hehe.


p/s The night before cycling, I told Jared about the plan for the next morning, he said wanna do swimming instead..faintz..Probaly next week then swimming liao

JG3-Much Much Better!

heNo more crys except till the last singing part..Great improvements although a lot of times will demand us to carry a bit here and there...and sometimes still cannot concentrate on lessons..

I used to think mandarin class isn't necesary...since Jared could speak pretty well mandarin nowadays...But certain words we just never mentioned its chinese...like last week's farm -> 农场 or this week's purple 紫色.. So he refused to say 紫色(even ang moh kids willing to say) when asked by teacher.

I also see improvement with Jared on recalling what's learnt from class. When asked what he learn from school that day before sleep? He told me.. 蜗牛爬高高，爬, 爬， 看 grapes， 还有 butterfly. ( a snail trying to eat the grapes, and attempt to climb up the wall but keep falling, finally with determination it managed to reach the grapes).

Wow..a big part of the chinese story telling session is described by Jared....Am amazed.

This week's handicraft was getting purple bubbles on a paper and get the tod to tap on the bubbles. Jared really interested in the handicraft, and keep asking daddy to carry him to watch, when he saw chairs..keep saying "sit sit"..but we always on 2nd round to do handicraft lah..so need to wait loh.

For mei mei

Papa & mummy

Jared and her little ah yi

More Chinese Garden Pics

Another nice family pic


Playing with the square box


Jared got attracted to the fish in the pond, and refused to look into camera!

Children Tells No Lies..Post Chinese Garden Visit

It's our first time to visit the Chinese Garden. This time is to attend an ROM wedding there, Daddy's colleage. We took a walk around the garden after the ROM.

Interesting conversation with Jared before sleep that nite:
Mummy: 新娘美 or mummy 美?
Jared : 新娘美

The boey kam wan mummy asked a few round still the same answer, so another question pops in my mind.

Mummy: 新郎美 or daddy 美?
Jared : 都美

*I fainted*
*Daddy burst into laughter*

Julia Gabriel- 2nd Session

This session is definitely a much better one..Through out the week, we've been telling Jared many many times that he needs to go to school on every Friday, and need to listen to teachers and cannot cry in class..

This week's theme is farm, "F"

During first half hour free play, Jared was alright..just when the teacher closed the door and prepare to start the class..there goes Jared to start his cry..even bid bye bye to everybody. Teacher Meera was really good in catching Jared's attention, on and off when Jared started whinning she'll use different things to divert his attention. It can be gold fish, a secret box or the puppets. This week's handicraft was making a farm, with Old Macdonald,barn, chicken and rooster..at first when I brought him to sit on the table, he started whinning again. But soon after I showed him the brush and start coloring the plates aka Farm, Jared showed his interest again..He really enjoyed the handicraft with lots of "wow", "nice" when he feed the animals in the farm, using sesame seeds. I felt so proud, cos we finally managed to complete a handicraft!! The work was kept by teacher Meera, hopefully can get it back next week..


Then daddy took over the Mandarin class, similarly Jared would start whinning...Mandarin teacher are less sympathetic to us..But their story telling props are quite good..So again, Jared got attracted ..and watch the story telling session quietly..at one part even participate to pick up paper animals on the floor and returned to teacher..

We're so glad with Jared's improvement this week..and the 2hr just pass in breeze unlike the first session, we keep looking at the time on the clock hehe..We were also not exhausted as in the first session, similarly Jared was super energetic after that..talking and playing non stop.

Now everytime we asked Jared, 老师教舍莫? He'll say 农. (Supposed to be 农场)

Part of the class-Water Play

Next week is a headache..cos of the purple theme..It's so hard to get proper purple color clothes for boys!..We've been searching around after class but till now have not found yet..Even eyes are blured btw blue vs purple...hehe..Managed to get 2 purple t for daddy..while me will be digging mei mei's wardrobe heheh..

p/s: Now I understand lesson structure better.

-> Half hour free play
-> English/Mandarin lesson
-> Handicraft
-> Tea break
-> Mandarin/English lesson
-> Outdoor play or water play-> Singing and dancing together with kids from studio 1

19.5mth Update

I think I can't wait till next mth before I sum up what Jared could do now..


He could talk in 4 words nowadays...See some eg.
1) Uncle 扫地
2) Mama go home (when he's angry with me for meddling his toys)
3) finish, 加水(when he finish his milk and want somemore, poor boy, wanna add water and drink diluted milk, but he's already taking 300ml of milk!..)

He's also able to comment if food is nice or not. He'll say 好吃 if he think it's nice.
and when asked to choose what activity to do for coming weekend

Me : Jared do you want cycling, picnic or swimming for the coming weekend?
Jared: Cycling

Wowow...he had a preference already, but I think it's hard to squeeze in cycling now that we have JG class on friday evening, and this coming 070707 red hot date, we'll have a ROM to attend.

Oh yeah, my secondary friend, Shu Teng also going to ROM on the lucky 7 day. Here's wishing her a blessful marriage.

I've been pretty lazy to flash cards with words only, so his reading skill has been lagging behind. Till now he could only read egg, drinking, milk ,his name "Jared", my car and by car (libray books title)

Last night before sleep, I also revised with Jared last week's JG...and yes he could say Dragon, 龙. But I doubt it's impact from JG, cos he could echo after us pretty well nowadays.
Some words he could also say in both mandarin & english. So when he see the objects, he will say both.

1) Egg 鸡蛋
2) ant 蚂蚁
3) ball 球
4) sun 太阳

I'm also proud to say that looks like I'm the only person who can make him sleep early nowadays, if it's daddy or wai po..He sure protest and wanna continue plays till 10-11pm+. But whenever I'm the one who accompany him, he'll probaly sleep around 9-9.30pm...probaly cos I'm too boring, sing the same song, revise counting..But daddy is different, he'll play 盖褙 and sing all kind of songs to suit his taste..