Honda Civic SIR: The VTEC Growl

When I was young and restless I loved to speed while driving. And I am truly thankful to be still alive and that no one was hurt. But I'll never forget that feeling... as an extract from a car magazine (WHEELS) skillfully explained:

... Once the turbine wheel starts boosting up at 3,000rpm, cold air is immediately sucked into the open turbine mouth...into the engine for a thorough combustion... with excess pressure getting relieved through a Blitz Blow Off valve audibly announcing sharp throttle lift-off.

This is where things start to really heat up. Once the tachometer exceeds 5,500 rpm, all hell breaks lose as the sound of the T28 turbocharger at its full 1.3 bar of boost is then drowned by the awesome VTEC growl as it hits its full 8,900rpm rev range at the third gear. By then, everything around would look seemingly dreamy, as your nose starts to bleed...



His Honda Civic (SIR) in 2004 (Note: Ignore the Tigger)

Ok, my nose did not bleed. But I wouldn't dare to speed now, esp. since I've had my child. I even feel that it starts to get dangerous when I drive above 70km/h (43mph). Once my friend even revved up to 280km/h on his Honda Blackbird, with me as the pillion rider. It was surreal. With only my fingertips left hanging on to my friend's waist, I almost flew off with my helmet! If someone were to do this to me now, I might faint. I guess, my heart can't take such thrills anymore.

Anyway, I've listed the rest of the vehicles we've owned before - just to savour those memories. Right now, as our family pocket is shallower, Jeff is even considering selling his car and taking the public transport instead. I kind of support him for that. Doesn't it feel lighter to own less?

 

Enjoy our rides!

 

 

His BMW R1200C Cruiser. His '1st wife'

He sold his '1st wife' to get me through university.



His Toyota Corolla 1.6.

Then, we traded this Toyota car with SIR. We almost fell off a cliff with it a few years ago! Phew..

Took this photo with my phone camera (VGA, hence the poor resolution) and sent to Tigger (hubby) who was in London for a one-month course. I missed him so much then that I voluntarily washed and polished his car. But that was the first and last time I washed his car.

 

Feelings of longing for him turned to horror and panic when I couldn't get him and when he did not return my calls after I saw the news and footages of London bombing (2005) being broadcasted. Thankfully, he was safe.

 

Seeing this picture brings me back to that horrifying but grateful day. But still, that was the last time I'm washing his car.

 

 

My Piaggio FLY 150 Scooter

Sold this scooter when I'm 2 months pregnant. Luckily, zero accident or baby Tigger won't arrive on earth.

My Suzuki Swift 1.5

After bidding farewell to my scooter I bought this car. Again, proudly zero accident - probably because I'm moving like a snail while pregnant. And I sold this car soon after I left my job. How is it going, darling?

 

His Mitsubishi Lancer Ex 2.0 MIVEC

The only vehicle we have now. And of course, my rusty but trusty old friend, Bicycle.

 

Mrs. Pocketbook App and Game

In my dreams indeed...



App Logo

This app will be the essence of my blog where all essential notes and lists will be neatly organized for the readers to find information quickly at the tip of their fingers.

Main Logo

The blog and store is real. The app, as above. The Pocketbook Game? It has the original setting of a library with books each inscribed with a word. Player will slide each book in the correct shelf with correct word category, group or similarity with or without time limit. Play it as fast as possible and play with more difficult words as you increase your level. It's a fun way to expand or 'revive' your vocabulary.



Dresses de Horizon

I've been dreaming about printing pictures/paintings of landscapes on dresses and aptly using its horizon as the waistline/empire line. Here are some of the dresses I've dreamed up:

*Sorry, couldn't resist Van Gogh's version of the dress :)

The main message I hope to put across:



Cameron Highlands

DON'T FORGET NATURE;

AND YOU ARE PART OF IT.

&

Nature loves you. Love it back.

Nature gives. Give it back.

It might not be long before we or our kids have to say goodbye to all these beautiful places on earth. I strongly suggest you watch former US Vice President Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth (a 2006 documentary film) and you will know what I mean exactly. It is an amazing show on its own.

What's the Difference Between Wholegrain, Wholemeal and Wholewheat?

Really eager to know this since this is so confusing. Here we go:

Wholegrains are grains that has its 3 layers: endosperm, bran and germ intact. There are many types of grains and wheat is one of them (see pics and lists of wholegrains here).

Wholemeal and wholewheat are products of wholegrain with all its 3 layers still included. They may be wholegrains milled to a finer form to produce softer food products like bread and biscuits.

Both wholemeal and wholewheat means the same thing But the term 'wholemeal' is usually used in countries like British whereas 'wholewheat' is commonly used in the US and Canada.

Sources: 

http://www.hpb.gov.sg/foodforhealth/article.aspx?id=6362

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/whole-wheat

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/whole-wheat

Comforting Maggi Mee: Instant Noodles

                       

There's a story behind this cheap but tasty meal for me. 15 years ago, it costs merely less than a US dollar for a 5-pack meal. And the extra cents I have left will then be used to buy 1 or 2 eggs for that greater taste and satiety. A hot bowl of instant noodles is a poignant reminder of my broke and hungry days.

My mind flashes back to a chilly night when I was a teenager. The electricity and water has been cut off again due to late/no payment. My little 8-year-old sister and I just had a cold bath in the dark - using the water we carried back with pails from the public carwash tap. Fortunately, we had a comforting bowl of piping hot noodles waiting for us. We ate quietly but happily in the romantic flickering candlelight.

Be it tom yum, chicken, abalone, vegetarian, prawn, soba, kimchi or mushroom. Till today, all these flavours still make me drool (and sweat, because I like my soup really piping hot).

One just need to add some mixed vegetables (which include corn, carrot, peas) or put in some green leafy vegetables for a healthier meal. Don't forget to mix in 1 egg for a 'milkier' and thicker soup.

You have to finish the whole bowl of noodles to feel satisfied. Eat till you're full. It's good to have this when you are very hungry or if you are burning the midnight oil to complete a project. Just don't pick up my bad habit of finishing the soup which can be full of MSG and salt. Oh, by the way, you can opt to buy cup/bowl noodles, which is even more convenient.

Nissin cup noodles are my favourite because they come with a lot of 'real' ingredients like vegetables and eggs. Try their Chilli Crab and Seafood Tom Yum flavour if you have a spicy and sour tooth like me. I like Korean ones too (like Nong Shim) as they have a unique brothy/umami taste.

Anyway, have a great bowl of noodles tonight! Till then.

Peppers Salad

Got this recipe from the Dietary Error show with some changes. Very crunchy, very refreshing. I like to have this when I'm hungry but don't feel like eating a full meal.

Method

1. In a big bowl, add in diced red, green, and yellow bell peppers.

2. Add in sliced cherry tomatoes and chopped coriander. You can use estimated amounts as in the picture above; there's no need to be exact.

3. In another small bowl, add in 2 Tbsp of white vinegar, 2 Tbsp of lemon juice, 2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, 1 Tbsp of honey, and a dash of black pepper.

4. Add in a cup of diced/shredded cheese for a fuller meal. Enjoy!

PS: You can always use your favourite type of vinegar (e.g. red wine vinegar) or add other shredded vegetables like carrots, lettuce, corn, and cucumber. I also love to add in some dry-toasted black sesame seeds. Be your own Master Creator ;)

I'm 30 Already?

A letter I received not long ago is a timely reminder that I'm getting older. Stepping into the Over 30s Category, I'm now officially called Auntie i.e. a woman who is not young anymore.

Nevermind the saggings, bloatings, and greying hairs - I'll see them as signs of ageing... falling apart... wisdom! :) After all, who doesn't grow old and die?

Anyway, this BIG 3-0 not only nudged me to reflect upon my life experiences so far (what have I achieved?), but also urged me to envision myself in the future (what am I going to achieve in the next 30 years?). Well, while I definitely don't have a big plan in mind (like pioneering a children's foundation), I could visualize myself 30 years later, on my birthday...

Today is my 60th birthday and I'm celebrating it with my husband, my son, my daughter-in-law, and my grandchildren. I'm wearing my favourite dark blue dress, clutching my favourite titanium pocketbook (clutch) with my pretty bob haircut, and, as usual, without any make up on but just a dash of lip balm to keep my lips soft. I feel very blissful right now to (still) be alive and every moment felt like a dream.

My beloved husband (I hope he's still alive) now walks up to me and presented me with a bouquet of the most beautiful dark blue roses I've ever seen. He gave me a kiss on my (then wrinkled) face like he always used to for the past 40 years. I blushed like a little teenage girl and flashed a brilliant smile at my husband and the rest of my family. That brilliant smile that first attracted my husband.

I now turned around to the piano waiting for me and, with a deep breath, began my mini recital of Mozart's Turkish March - something I really wished I could do.

The song ended and my family members who were listening intently gave a round of encouraging applause. I hoped I've made my husband proud. After a wonderful meal, we rounded off the celebration by singing birthday song and sharing a mango cheesecake.

This is it. This will be how I'm going to spend my 60th birthday - with the people I love.

Of course, by then, the younger generations will address me as Ah Mmm or Ah Mah (elderly woman).

In any case, I hope by that day, in 2042AD, this blog will be filled with all the important things I want to remember and, as I look back in retrospection and maybe with tears of joy and sorrow combined, I know that the past 60 years of my life is not wasted, as I've loved enough and lived enough - I am contented and I feel blissful :)

If possible, I'll post a grand picture of me and my family on that very day 23rd March, in the year 2042. Hope to see you then!

Pocket Prata

Got this idea from a Channel U Chinese entertainment show, Ladies Night. Go to part 2 of this episode for the Japanese version prata which I love to make. Watch how Dr. Tay teaches us how to make prata and curry from scratch.

Do try out the other prata fillings like the 'Hamburger' and the 'Blueberry Cheesecake'. I was so excited when I first watched this show because this is a clever fusion of 2 of my favourite cuisines, namely, Japanese and Indian. Why didn't I think of that?

I'd like to call them pocket prata simply because they are like pockets of food and I love anything pocket-sized which is easy to carry around.

I even daydreamed about opening a Pocket Prata Shop to sell many different types of healthier-version pratas for people on the go.

Teriyaki Salmon with Spinach

Mango Cheese Chicken

Strawberry Custard

Hawaiian (pizza) Prata

How about wholemeal prata?

Ok, ok, just dreaming. Below is how I usually prepare the Japanese Pocket Prata.

Recipe

Canola/Sunflower oil

Cooked mixed vegetables

Cooked crabmeat

Furikake (bottom right)

Ready-made prata dough

Mayonnaise,

Plain/greek yogurt

Curry

Furikake: A Japanese condiment consisting of dried bonito (fish) flakes and dried seaweed

You can add in extra seaweed and bonito flakes (centre), if you like

Thaw frozen prata till soft, then apply about 1 Tbsp of oil onto both sides of prata

Gently pull the sides of prata to size of plate, trying your best not to have any tears/holes

Place all the ingredients onto the prata centre and flatten them

Fold prata's 2 sides inwards

Repeat for the other 2 sides

Pan-fry both sides on a non-stick pan with medium heat till prata

is fully cooked. No extra oil is needed

Serve with curry and/or plain yogurt. Or even eat it on its own.

Bon appétit!

A Warm Welcome

A photo I took when I was 14. Love the Van-Gogh blue sky

Dear Readers,

Welcome to my blog! Writing notes and lists is my hobby and I'm still writing them every other day. I won't be stopping anytime soon and it'll be my honour if you could find anything here useful to your everyday life.

I had previously explained how 'Mrs Pocketbook' came about. And now I am going to list out the goal of this blog and brief summaries of each section of this blog so that you can better utilize all the information here.

The notes and lists that I have here are simply tips that is either working for me, what I am currently practising, or what I think is good.

They are largely based on my own life experiences and my own way of life. Hopefully, you can find tips right here that works for you too!

As a side note, please don't be confused if some articles are incomplete or has changed. They are so for the simple reason that I'm in the midst of updating them.

Please bear with me as I try to find time (and energy!) out of my crazy days: the endless cycle of endless things to do i.e. taking care of my very active and curious toddler, cleaning, cooking, washing, laundering, ironing, morning/evening walks, outings, grocery shopping, disciplining, scolding, shouting, screaming, teaching, loving, hugging, playing, bathing, diapering, put to sleep and etc.

And here's a summary of what each section presents.

a. Author's Notes

Some of the notes or letters that includes important information to my readers and myself.

b. Mind and Body

Mainly about having a healthy mind and body.

c. Home and Living

About your home and everyday living.

d. Baby and Kids

From pregnancy to parenting. Find notes and tips from a fresh new mom.

e. Simple Recipes

Recipes of easy-to-make meals from a housewife who doesn't really have talent for cooking but nevertheless, tries her best to whip up decent meals.

f. Burning Questions

Questions that keep running in my mind. They refuse to get out of my head. I can almost feel them burning my brains out so I must do some fire-fighting by answering them.

g. Dreamlist

Now that I have little pockets of time throughout the day to daydream. (e.g. waiting for my son to fall into deep sleep which can take up to 1 hour and can be EXTREMELY boring.) So,...

... why not dream a little dream?

h. Classic Moments

The important moments in my life I do not wish to forget and hope to relish them now and then or even 40 years later.

i. Travel Notes

Come and take a little armchair vacation with me as I bring you along to the places I've been with my hubby - both overseas and locally in Singapore.

j. Unclassified

Notes and lists that doesn't fit into any of the above sections.

By the way, don't forget to flip through My Little Black Book for random quotes that inspire me!

Happy reading!

My Baby's Recipes (0 - 2 Years Old)

If I can turn back time, I will buy a combined steamer and blender. You just steam whatever you want, blend it, and feed it to your baby. All-in-one gadget! Manually mashing the food took up so much of my energy and time - I'd need muscular fingers! And transferring the food from the chopping board to the cooker, to the blender, and to the bowl just end up with a whole kitchen mess to clear up! Drives me crazy, Ahhhh!

WEANING YOUR CHILD

One of the hardest thing to master in the course of infant-care is to introduce my child to adult food. For the first six months of my child's life, he survived solely on milk. Afterwhich, when he could sit up with support, I began feeding him mashed food in between his milk feeds. The younger he is the more 'pureed' or watery his meals were. I estimated the consistency to make sure he doesn't choke. At the beginning, I fed him liquidy mashed food through his milk bottle with a slightly bigger nipple/teat hole (which I cut out a little bit, so that the thicker liquid food can pass through). This transition is not difficult since it is not much different from his usual milk feeds. 

But as his meals get thicker and coarser, and when I start feeding him with a spoon, there is an additional skill to master - The Art of Feeding Your Baby. You and your baby need to coordinate with each other well enough with all the cues to prevent spillage: You put spoon to mouth, encourage baby to open mouth (say Ahhh!) and take in the food and swallow the food (Amm..amm..) instead of pushing it out. At the same time, you try to figure out whether he likes the food you had just fed him. That is why, in the beginning, it is important to feed only ONE thing at a time, e.g. carrots only, so that you can decipher what are his likes and dislikes and whether your child is allergic to certain foods. You and baby will get the hang of it in a few weeks time.

Most of my ideas and knowledge about baby food comes from the internet. There is this great site which teaches you when certain foods (fruits, vegetables, grains, meat/poultry) should be introduced; how to choose, prepare and store food; the age-appropriate recipes suitable for your child; and whole lot of other important information that you will want to know (e.g. Forbidden baby foods: Honey, peanut butter and acidic fruits like strawberry should be consumed after one to two years). I cannot imagine my child's weaning period without this website: wholesomebabyfood. Seriously.

From there, and based on my baby's palate, I have made a little note about my baby's food recipe. Hope it gives you some ideas on what you can prepare for your ever-growing baby. May you and your baby enjoy the daily feeds :)

Group A. Fruits and Vegetables 

Apple (I always buy organic Gala apples), carrot, pumpkin, sweet potato, green peas (canned), broccoli, spinach. Buy all of them organic if possible (esp. apples and spinach!).

Group B. Grains

Brown rice, white rice, Oats (Quaker Oats), multi-grain infant cereal.

Group C. Protein

Tofu, chickpeas, soy bean, black bean, egg, fish, chicken.

In general, I'll boil or steam till the food is fully cooked. Then, when it cools, I'll mash them to the desired consistency. If it's tasteless, I'll add some milk formula to make it taste 'familiar' to the baby. If not, the boiled apples, sweet potato, carrot, or pumpkin is usually enough to make the puree tasty (I do not add salt at all). After that, I'll portion the pot of food into small containers (one for each small meal) and freeze them for future use (I'll usually finish them within one week). When it's mealtime, I'll microwave the food before feeding. If I have more time on hand, I'll only cook when it's feeding time so that he eats fresh.

At first, I fed my baby 1 or 2 food items from group A only (esp. pumpkin, carrot, and sweet potato. Once, his skin turned orangey and I had to stop them for a month!). Then, I mixed items from group A and B (e.g. apple and infant cereal). Eventually, I mixed items from all groups (A, B and C) (e.g. Carrots, broccoli, chickpeas, black beans and brown rice, see photo below). Yes, I simply boil all of them in a pot/rice cooker with water and 1 tablespoon of olive oil, cool them, mash them, and serve warm. I'll always try to buy the freshest ingredients from the neighborhood markets. 

In addition, I'll feed my baby the list of food below, as and when he seems peckish in between his meals. This is more of a playtime for him (and cleaning up time for mom!) as he explore the colour, texture and taste of different types of food with his bare fingers. Sometimes, I'll put his food into a bowl, give him baby fork and spoon and let him have a good time playing with food. This is also a good time to teach him how to eat on his own. Warning: It'll certainly end up with a whole lot of mess to clear up (both the eating area plus the baby). So, do so only when you're well-rested or have an extra helping hand :)

Others: 

Banana, blueberry (his favourite!), cheese cubes, yogurt (for infants), multi-grain Cheerios, bottled mash food (from Heinz) and small pieces of bread or baby biscuits.

The food bowl didn't last long on his table.

PS: Updates on 2013 Dec! At three years old, my boy can now eat on the table just like one of us, with some spills here and there of course :) But I'm a happy mom already! Therefore, I think every little bit of 'training' do add up.

Here's a useful guide I got from WholesomeBabyFood.com.