Little Yums - Avocado & Coconut Ice Pops

Last few weeks back, the weather got pretty hot..and since I had some avocados at home, I decided to make ice pops for the first time!

I've to say it was quite a success cos Daddy Li and Kaitlin liked it. Though, Kaitlin wasn't too keen on
eating it from the popsicle stick, so I scraped it and fed it to her instead.

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 Avocados
- 1/2 cup Coconut Milk
- 1/2 cup Fresh Milk
- 1 tbsp Wheat Germ

Method:
1. Scoop out the avocado flesh and place in blender
2. Add in all the other ingredients
3. Blend till smooth
4. Pour into ice pop moulds and freeze

For the adults though, I added condensed milk to sweeten it and lessened the amount of milk. You could also try using gula melaka (palm sugar) if you don't have condensed milk. Additionally, instead of milk you can also use yoghurt.

I found making ice pops a great way to get Kaitlin to eat her fruits, and for me to add in superfood ingredients like wheat germ. I'm thinking of adding chia and flax seeds in future as well. Can't wait to try out lots of other fruit combinations as well, so stay tuned!

Healthy Family = Happy Family!

Sorry for the lack of updates! The past week I've just been feeling really lazy and unmotivated, partly due to some personal reasons. I know this isn't a good thing, but yes, I'll try to get my drive back!

We've been out and about quite alot these few weeks. Been spending more time outdoors and trying to get the whole family to be more healthy. I don't know why, but recently I've really enjoyed going to the pool or to the botanics just to spend time with Daddy Li and Kaitlin. Don't get me wrong, I still love shopping very much, but being outdoors with the family and seeing everyone have a good time is just as fun as well.

So anyway! I've decided to share how we've been trying to be more healthy, and if you're thinking of having a healthier lifestyle for your and your family maybe you can try what we do as well. Just a disclaimer! I didn't purposely want us to be more healthy or anything like that, it was more of a natural thing that happened and we've been enjoying it alot.

1. Explore Outdoor Spots

We've been going to Botanics very often seeing that it's the nearest park/garden to us. We usually hang out at the side that's closet to Food For Thought and Gleneagles cos that's the side that's most accessible to us. However, recently we decided to be more adventurous and check out the other end of Botanics as well as the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden. We've brought K's car out with us so she can ride in it and explore Botanics. Not forgetting bringing along bubbles to play with, and buying bread and fish food to feed the ducks, swans, fish and turtles. K loves feeding them!

We've also gone to ECP twice this year. I know twice doesn't seem alot, but when you don't have a car and you live such a distance away, it can be quite troublesome to travel all the way there with a toddler. We usually rent the family bike to ride around and then take walks with Kaitlin. It's especially nice to when there's a breeze and all. Fresh air is way better than AC!

Of course if Botanics or ECP is too far for you and your family to travel to, you can always hang out at:

Hort Park
Fort Canning
Marina Barrage
Labrador Park
West Coast Park

In fact, you can check this site out for a list of parks and more.

2. Outdoor Playgrounds > Indoor Playgrounds
I love bringing Kaitlin to playgrounds. I find it the best way that she can play all she wants and really just go crazy running and jumping everywhere. It's also my no. 1 solution in getting her to have a long and proper nap. Hehe, so sneaky right. But really, toddlers have so much energy that I've to admit sometimes even I get tired out. That just goes to show how unhealthy I am.

Well anyway! Besides bringing Kaitlin to indoor playgrounds, we've brought her to outdoor playgrounds as well, like Jacob Ballas and the playgrounds at Vivo City and at Thomson. For a list of malls with playgrounds, click here. There are also lots of outdoor playgrounds around the heartland areas, but if you prefer the ones with water play you can also check out the ones at the Zoo and Jurong Bird Park, or even Port Of Lost Wonder at Sentosa.

3. Exercise
Daddy Li and I have been going for runs. I don't exactly run far and long like Daddy Li, but it's really better than just sitting around and waiting for my fats to accumulate.

We've also been going to the pool alot. It's almost become a weekly weekend affair for us. We don't really swim much but it's more just to get out to enjoy the good weather and have fun with Kaitlin.

4. Eating Fruits
We've been eating more fruits recently. Esp since we recently went to the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Market to check it out, we ended up buying lots of fruits back cos they sell in bulk, and of course that meant that we had to finish up the fruits whether we liked it or not.

It's always good to eat fruits and veggies in a variety of colours.

Red - strawberries, raspberries, apples, cherries, cranberries, watermelons
Orange - oranges, apricots, papayas, cantaloupes, persimmons
Yellow - mangoes, lemons, pineapples, grapefruits
Green - apples, kiwis, pears, avocados, honeydew
Blue/Purple - blueberries, grapes, plums, figs
White - bananas, peaches, lychees, longans

Besides eating them as it is, we've also been blending them into juices or smoothies and also making them into ice pops!

So that's basically how we've been slightly healthier and having lots of fun and memorable times together! Hopefully that inspired you to start making tiny changes for a healthier lifestyle :)

Little Yums - Healthy Banana Smoothie

In this Little Yums post, I'll be sharing a really simple smoothie recipe. Only three ingredients are needed and minimal washing after.

Ingredients:
- 2 small bananas
- 1/2 cup of whole fresh milk/formula milk/breast milk
- 1 tsp of organic wheat germ

Method:
1. Slice bananas
2. Combine all the ingredients
3. Blend till smooth and serve

The portion was slightly more than that the cup we used, which was too much for K so I drank up the rest. If you would like, you can freeze the remainder and let the kids eat as ice cream later on.

You can also opt to add yoghurt. Just adjust the quantity of the milk by half and substitute the other half with yoghurt.

It's so idiot proof to make, but actually the main point of this post is that I would like to introduce wheat germ!

Wheat germ contains natural oils and has Iron, Vitamin B, Vitamin E and Folic Acid. It has plenty of fibre and protein, which is good for growing children and adults. In fact, wheat germ is good for reliving constipation in kids, but at the same time remember not to give too much as it can lead to diarrhea.

For more information about feeding wheat germ to babies and toddlers and recipes that incorporate wheat germ, you can read this. You can easily find wheat germ at most supermarkets and organic shops and the one we use is this.

Hope your kids enjoy the banana smoothie like K did!

Little Yums - Ikan Bilis (Anchovies) Stock

This Little Yums post is gonna be a little different from usual..it's not really a recipe for a meal, but more a recipe of a basic ingredient that would be good if you are going to be cooking porridge, veggies or fish.

Using stocks instead of water when cooking adds alot more flavour and nutrition to a meal. It really makes a difference in your cooking, and I realised that K readily eats whenever I cook with stocks.

Stocks usually take at least an hour to be ready and that's not always feasible if you need something fast. Moms will know what I mean..the less hassle the better, and the less time it requires the more time we get to...do other chores or spend time with our little ones. I bet you were expecting me to say more time to rest, but well hello to the world of motherhood where resting is almost impossible.

This is why when I don't have much time I like to cook Ikan Bilis (also known as Anchovies) stock. It requires very few ingredients, and it takes you maximum 30 minutes to prepare and cook. What's more it's rich in calcium which is important for growing kids!

For the ikan bilis I got ours from Isetan Supermarket during one of those Japanese fairs. They seemed to be of pretty good quality so I decided to try them out and so far the stock's been really full of flavour. You can easily get ikan bilis from the supermarket or at the wet market from the dried foods stall.

Ingredients:
- 750g dried Ikan Bilis (Anchovies)
- 2 slices of Ginger
- 6 dried red dates, pitted
- 1 litre of water

Method:
1. Rinse ikan bilis a few times
2. Soak ikan bilis for 5 minutes before rinsing once more to get rid of the salt. Water should be clear.
3. Bring water to boil in a stock pot.
4. Add ikan bilis, red dates and ginger to the pot.
5. Boil for 10 minutes, and when done let it cool.
6. Pour it through a sieve so that you can easily remove the ikan bilis, red dates and ginger.

Do be careful not to boil the stock for more than 10 minutes, as the stock will start to taste bitter. You can store the stock into containers and keep in the fridge for 1 or 2 days. Alternatively, you can freeze it for up to a week.



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Little Yums - Hidden Veggie Omelette

In this post I'll be sharing a simple Little Yums recipe which I made using whatever I could find in our fridge. It's the classic omelette but with hidden veggies inside. Good for those with picky eaters like my girl.

Ingredients:

- 2 eggs

- 2 tablespoons of milk
- Sprigs of thyme (amount as your prefer)
- 1/4 cup of spinach, chopped
- 1/4 of a big onion or 2 small shallots, sliced 

- half a potato (that has already been boiled or steamed), sliced
- 2 tablespoons Cheddar cheese, grated

- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

*do note that I cook smaller amounts as I prefer not to freeze too many portions. If you would like to cook more at one go just double or triple the portion
* I didn't use much oil as I was using the Happycall pan which doesn't require much oil for cooking.

Method:

1. Beat the eggs with thyme and milk.

2. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and saute the onions till they are slightly soft. Add in the spinach and fry for 2 minutes, followed by the potatoes. Cook for a further 2 minutes. 

3. Spread out the vegetables and pour in the eggs. 
4. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then flip to the other side.
5. Once both sides are almost cook, add the cheese on top and leave on the stove for another 2 minutes till the cheese has melted.
6. Slice it up into smaller portions and serve.

I would have loved to add some colour into our omelette by adding in tomatoes or red capsicums but I didn't have those in the fridge. However, if you do have lots of different veggies in your fridge, it would be good to use a variety in different colours. Visually it would look more appetizing and would be a more nutritious. Of course, if you don't have spinach or potatoes at home you can also substitute with other veggies. Just be sure to cook them well before pouring the eggs in. Same for herbs, if you don't have thyme, you can always use parsley, chives, tarragon or chervil.

Some good vegetable substitutions are:

- zucchini
- tomatoes
- red, yellow or green capsicums
- mushrooms
- kale
- eggplant

If you do use spinach and potatoes, I recommend using organic ones as these two veggies are part of the "dirty dozen" foods that are highly contaminated with pesticides, but of course it is up to your personal preference.

If you've got a similar recipe or have more ideas on what other veggies we could hide in there, do share and comment :)



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Little Yums - Easy to Bake Cod Fish

This will be my first Little Yums post, and I will be sharing a really simple Cod Fish recipe that requires just 4 ingredients!

Ingredients:

- 100g Cod Fish

- 1 1/2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

- 4 cloves of garlic
- Sprigs of Thyme (amount as you prefer)

*do note that I cook smaller amounts as I prefer not to freeze too many portions. If you would like to cook more at one go just double or triple the recipe.

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees celcius

2. Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. Place on baking dish.

3. Smash garlic and rinse thyme then place on and around the fish.
4. Drizzle with olive oil.
5. Pop it into the oven for 10-15 minutes and it'll be ready after that.

I like preparing fish this way for Kaitlin as it does not require much ingredients, and the ingredients required can be easily found in any household kitchen. They can also be bought at all, if not most supermarkets and wet markets.

It might be a little bland as compared to what we adults eat, but as mentioned before, I don't like to use preservatives when cooking for Kaitlin, and surprisingly it does not end up tasting fishy. Another good thing is that it's easy to prepare and when you pop it into the oven, your hands are free for the next 10-15 minutes to finish up cleaning the dishes or entertain the kids.

Hope you give this recipe a try, and let me know if it's yummy for you/the kids. If you've got any suggestions on how to make this dish more yummy, feel free to comment or email me :)



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Little Yums

Friends of mine would know that I'm very particular about what Kaitlin eats, and would prepare most of her meals for her. The number of times that we've used jarred or pouched foods can be counted with the fingers on one hand. Also, we rarely give her table foods, but are slowly opening up to the idea. We do so but in moderation.

I find that preparing food for Kaitlin can be alot of fun, yet not all that simple cos I've got to make sure her meals are healthy and yummy tasting at the same time plus my little one can be quite the fussy eater. I don't use salt, sugar or msg for her food. Also, no frozen food like peas or carrots or pre-made applesauce even if they are organic. Everything has to be bought fresh and prepared then frozen. 

I suppose many moms out there would face the same problem as I do preparing and planning for her meals to be nutritious and delicious..thus I've decided that I would share the more well-received-by- Kaitlin recipes here and they'll be categorized under Little Yums!

Do note that I ain't no chef or expert at cooking, just a regular mom trying to be a domestic goddess ^^v so please don't expect your child to be eating bowls after bowls. Though I do hope they will..cos that will mean the recipes are a success! Please do feel free to share your tips, recommendations or recipes if you've got any! I'll be happy to try them out :)


Meanwhile, if you've just started weaning your baby or need more inspiration for cooking for your little ones, here are some links that I've found very useful:

Wholesome Baby Food
Weelicious
Food4Tots
Annabel Karmel
Homemade Baby Food Recipes

Happy Cooking :D

Psst! My first Little Yums post will be out tonight, so do remember to check back :)