crazy online bargains

Lately I've been having more time to browse online. Whoopee... and online bargains are exciting - to the point of, well, let's say, now whenever I  do go out to the shops, I always compare whatever I see with whatever I could get online, price-wise, that is.

Shop til' you drop?

Here's my top eight shopping sites I discovered after eBay a long time ago:

1.Ozsale

2. Brands Exclusive

3. okme

4. Baby shop direct

5. Bump baby & beyond

6. GAP

7. YES style

8. Book Depository

There are tons of shopping sites like ozsale.com and brandsexclusive.com where I frequently shop for stuff. okme.com and baby shop direct for baby items often have special price tags. If not a bettwe price, at least it saves one from toting bulky items from the shop, to the car and into the house, heheh, but it does take longer for delivery - time frame ranges from 7-21 days. So, online shopping in these sites are great for non-urgent items.

There are also deals on teampreets, living social, scoopon and catch of the day that are pretty good, though very rarely applicable for full-time new mom like me. Most of these deals are restaurant-cafe deals; with some beauty packages every now and then. For these sites, it's best to subscribe so you can get daily deals sent to your emails and you can just decide from there.

Books are another thing that I like to look at; especially children's; now that I have Rafael. Book depository is a great place to go to. They offer a huge range of books and free shipping worldwide. Koorong also has quite a good range in its online shop- and when you're a member you'll get sale notice sent to your email inbox.

There's also another type of auction shopping, but different to eBay, like flutteroo, for example. They term it 'penny-auction' where the auction increases 1 cent at a time; so the goods could end up being much cheaper than retail. I'm talking MUCH cheaper here... i.e. iPad sold for $3.50 or something like that. But hmm.. better be careful not to get sucked in into spending money on what seems to be too good to be true.

An Autumn wedding

For a friend's wedding recently I made chocolate mud cake filled with dark chocolate-raspberry ganache. It was a little bitter to my liking, but I'm certain that to those who prefer dark chocolate, this slight bitterness is rather delicious. :)

Made a set of wedding figurines as well, working around my little boy's sleep & waking hours in the process. I'm hoping it will get better and better as I have another wedding cake for this coming Spring.

Autumn wedding topper

The cake itself is a simple three-tiers of off-white with a chocolate sugar ribbon band around each tier. On the day, the florist scattered fresh burnt orange roses all around it. Great that the day went smooth for the bride & the groom... though the clouds hung low in the morning, the day cleared up and stayed crisp & fine, just like a perfect Autumn day should be...

 

Autumn wedding reminds me of our own wedding, and how the weather (thank God!) turned out fine for the day, though some areas rained in Perth then. Thinking back, I'd rather have much smaller wedding than what we had (though it was considerably small with only 210 guests in attendance). I feel small and intimate is the best when one wants to plan a wedding. Even better, make it into a destination wedding, so only a select handful of people, you closest ones, could attend your special day. That way you don't have to worry about seating arrangements and the number of RSVPs ^_^. Now that's a win-win solution, no?

Peking Duck lunch

It's been a while ago since I enjoy something mundane such as going out to eat in the city. It makes me shudder to think of bringing Rafael in a stroller to a crowded restaurant just to eat something nice such as pork rice or roast duck - it's just not worth the pain, though it didn't lessen my wanting Peking duck :(

Thanks to my husband's effort, today we are enjoying a MYO Peking duck lunch. Well, I'm not cooking duck, ever since that incident with cooking duck al galantine, I vowed not to cook duck ever again. Anyway, he bought the marinated duck from Good Fortune roast duck house; and we're roasting it ourselves! coz' Peking duck just has to be eaten right away, when it's still crunchy and steaming hot, yum!

So, I prepared the accompaniments, cucumber, spring onion, ready-made pancakes *steamed for 8 long minutes* hoi sin sauce and lettuce leaves. A roasts the duck in the oven at 185C, for about 30 minutes, (I truly lost track of time, I was just watching the duck cooks while drooling) until the skin becomes crispy, yet the meat still tender. 

Just like at restaurants, A sliced the crispy skin off the whole duck, I sliced the meat for sang choy bao, and the bones go into the pan for soup.. 3 course meal in one go! Finally.... we're enjoying our very own scrumptious Peking duck lunch!!

bliss!

Pumpkin Chicks

Food processor, love it!  With time and energy at a premium, I like to get things done FAST! This dish is an example of that. Everything comes together in a food processor bowl, then baked for a healthier meal... Don't you think the name's cute...? :)

PUMPKIN CHICKS - Makes approx 18

1 1/2 pcs medium chicken thigh fillets, chop roughly

2 Tbsp chopped onion

2 Tbsp chopped lean bacon 

50 g Kraft cheddar cheese, cubed

3 1/2 Tbsp plain flour

80 g pumpkin, chop & steam for approx 10 mins (Kent pumpkin preferably)

Salt & white pepper to taste - optional

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to 190C (not fan forced), line baking tray with baking paper and a little oil
2. Process chicken & onion, add steamed pumpkin pieces. Pulse til' reasonably smooth.
3. Add in cheese cubes, pulse a few times until cheese becomes tiny bits
4. Add in bacon pieces, pulse to combine. It should still be a little chunky.
5. Scrape the processor, transfer into a bowl. Pour in the flour gradually as the mixture is stirred with a spatula.
6. Bake rounded teaspoons of the mixture for approx 10-15 minutes or until golden and the bottom browns nicely.

freshly baked

Serving suggestions: serve these on a bed of shredded lettuce and grated carrot. Add salad dressing of your choice.

The pumpkin lends some sweetness and the bacon and cheese a slight saltiness. So even without an additional s&p, it would've been okay. The salad gives it a touch of crunch and it's a fitting accompaniment to this dish. On a hindsight, if I were to re-do this again, I'd sprinkle the pumpkin-chicken (pumpkin chicks, get it? ^_~) with some chopped Italian parsley, either fresh/ dried, before it gets baked. It'll taste much nicer!! 

Best served warm  :)

something to think about...

One who says parenting was easy must have been somebody who hasn't been there before.  I've seen seemingly all good and rosy stories around parenting that would lead you to believe that parenting is a smooth sailing journey. I tell you, even a rookie parent like me would attest to that. (well, especially a rookie parent like me :P ) How about the late night hours? the countless nappies and breast-feedings/ bottle washing? and those are just the beginnings..

However, as I watch over my baby son sleep tonight, my frame of mind has changed considerably. Sometimes we have much, (way too) much to complain, but after stumbling upon this blog this afternoon, I don't think I would complain ever again. 

This is a beautifully written little blog that expresses honest emotions, dealing with grief and death. I admit I cried copiously after back-reading the entries. Heart-breaking story with bittersweet notes to it, this blog is a poignant reminder of how precious and fragile life is, and that true love conquers all.

cherish what we have today, for today may be our last...

Thod man Pla

Does anyone like Thai food? Close your eyes for a moment and try to conjure the tastes of Thai food... what comes to your mind? For me, it's the whirlwind sensation of hot spicy chilli and sour tamarind, with high notes of spices such as coriander, lime leaf, and lemongrass. With seafood. Yes, seafood is excellent cooked Thai style, it just goes so well with the myriad of spices used for Thai dishes. 

Thod man pla is one of my favourites. They are magical little morsels of golden, deep fried fish cakes infused with chopped coriander and chilies. On my last trip to Bangkok a few years ago, I snacked on them wherever we went, they are so addictive! (that, and som tum - the green papaya salad. Truly yummy with a capital Y). 

This time, I'm attempting to make my own thod man pla, and it's relatively easy (especially if you cheat and use ready made curry paste, which is what I did, heheheh..). Eaten with hot & sour dipping sauce, it didn't last long at all!

THOD MAN PLA - serves 2

150 g firm, white fish fillet (I used blue spotted cod), de-boned & minced.

1 tbsp rice flour

1small egg, beaten

5-6 pcs stringless green beans, chop thinly

1 1/2 stalk spring onion, chop finely

1 1/2 tsp red curry paste - ready made

1/2 tbsp fish sauce

2 stalks coriander, chop finely (use stalks for dipping sauce)

1/2 red chilli, de-seeded & chop finely

1/2 tsp raw sugar

Oil, for frying

Method:

1. Blend together minced fish, egg & flour.
2. Add in green beans, spring onion, coriander & chili. 
3. Stir in curry paste, sugar & fish sauce. Add a little salt if preferred.
4. Mould the batter into round patties of medium thickness. (see picture)
5. Heat oil in frying pan & deep fry these patties until golden brown & firm to the touch.

NAAM PHRIK (Dipping sauce):

1/2 red chili, de-seeded & chop finely

10 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp white vinegar

2 tsp brown sugar

1 clove garlic, minced *optional

1 lebanese cucumber, slice thinly

Method:

1. Put together chili & garlic, toss it into a frying pan without oil until fragrant. Turn off the stove.
2. Mix in vinegar, fish sauce and brown sugar. Add a little water if preferred. 
3. Place sliced cucumbers in a prepared sauce dish & pour the dipping sauce on top.
4. Garnish with a stalk of coriander.

I forgot the garnish =O

Easy chicken buns

These days I do more cooking than baking, I even considered changing the title of this blog (but I couldn't, 'cause I do love baking, just can't afford to do more of it at the moment..) 

Coming into the cooler autumn months means warmer foods. And boy, don't we usually eat a lot around this time of the year? (well, for me, any season except Summer.. ^_^) This time, it's a simple snack. It is oh-so-simple and versatile because you just need to buy the folded buns off the freezer section of your local Oriental market, and make the filling as you steam the buns.

Sandwich buns

SAUTEED CHICKEN & ONION BUNS

Ingredients:

A pack of sandwich buns 

250g chicken thigh, minced 

2/3 medium onion, chopped finely

2 1/2 tbsp dark sweet soy sauce ("Bango" brand)

1 1/2 tbsp light premium soy sauce

1/4 tsp raw sugar

1 tbsp oyster sauce

Salt & pepper to taste

A generous pinch of five spice powder

4 tbsp oil

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the chopped onion until fragrant and slightly tender.
2. Add chicken mince and cook halfway before seasoning with the remaining ingredients.
3. Stir well until the chicken is thoroughly cooked but not until the juices dry out. It should still be moist with a little sauce left in the pan. Set aside to cool.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the steamer and place preferred quantity of frozen bun in the steamer. Steam approx. 5-10 mins or until the buns have fully defrosted and are soft to the touch.
5. Fill the buns with the prepared filling, about 2 tsp each (do not overfill, it could get messy)
6. Enjoy them right away.

The filling

 

Warm, toasty buns

If those buns don't get your taste buds moving, I don't know what would... :P

A time to cook

Since the birth of my son, I barely cook, let alone roam around the kitchen; I'm pretty much confined in the bedroom and bathroom, taking care of nappies and bottles, feeding, sleeping and bathing. Sometimes the routine is soothing, therapeutic even, but at times it drives me nuts. ^_^

Quite recently, thankfully, Rafael is adjusting to some kind of routine well enough for me to do a little bit of work, and that includes cooking. Like this morning, for example, I could get laundry, dishes and the cooking done at the same time. It made me happy (it's surprising how little things can make me happy now... hahaha)

I've got half a rack of pork spare ribs sitting in the freezer, so this recipe is created to make use of those ribs.. yum!

IGA BUMBU KUNING (SPARE RIBS IN YELLOW SAUCE)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 L water

1/2 rack of ribs (approx. 400g)

1 lemongrass

3 cm galangal

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 medium onion, chop finely

3/4 tsp raw sugar

3/4 tsp chicken powder

salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. Cut the ribs into single portions, clean & boil in the water on low-medium heat. Filter out the froth.
2. Add all the ingredients except salt, pepper & chicken powder
3. Put a lid on the pan once it boils & lowers the heat, continue simmering the meat until tender (meat almost falling off the bone) It took me approx. 50 minutes. The sauce will be reduced to almost 1/4 by then. Season to taste, turn off the heat.
4. Serve the spare ribs with a mound of steamed rice and fried shallots, drizzle with the sauce.

That's it. Easy peasy, and tastes quite good too.. Perhaps I was hungry.. ^_~