My kids have recently developed a fondness in sushi – which kid doesn’t like sushi right? Sushi rolls are a healthy meal packed with nutrients, including protein, good-for-you fats, and carbohydrates. But of course it will also depend on what ingredients you put in it. There are a few types of sushi and today we are going to do a more kids friendly one – maki rolls. Maki rolls are basically rice and fillings wrapped in seaweed.
Notes: Seaweed is the best dietary source of iodine, which helps support your thyroid gland. It also contains other vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin K, B vitamins, zinc and iron, along with antioxidants that help protect your cells from damage.
Ingredients (yields 3 rolls)
1.5 cups sushi rice
2 cups water
1/4 cup sushi vinegar
3 sheets sushi seaweed
6 sticks of imitation crab meat
2 sticks of cucumber
1 avocado (a small one)
Tools you need:
Bamboo rolling mat (makisu)
Plastic wrap
Sharp knife
Method
Cook sushi rice according to white rice setting in rice cooker
When rice is done cooking, evenly pour vinegar all over the rice. Toss the rice to mix. Make sure not to mash the rice.
Place bamboo rolling mat so the bamboo strips are running horizontally to you. Spread a strip of plastic wrap over the bamboo mat.
Center one sheet of nori on the plastic. Spread a thin layer of rice on the sheet of nori, and press into a thin layer. Leave a small space at the top edge of the nori so you can seal up the roll. Arrange cucumber, avocado and imitation crabmeat in a line down the center of the rice. Lift the end of the mat, and gently roll it over the ingredients, pressing gently. Roll it forward to make a complete roll.
Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Cut each roll into 4 to 6 pcs using a wet, sharp knife.
As some of you may know, I’m half Shanghainese (my mom is Shanghainese). My mom is an amazing cook so I get to have many traditional Shanghainese dishes as I was growing up. Hong Shao Kao Fu (紅燒烤麩) is a classic Shanghainese vegan appetizer made from wheat gluten. Soft and sweet with a unique springy texture, it can be served hot or cold but traditionally it’s served cold.
What is Kao Fu?
Kao Fu is made from just wheat gluten and water, it is first leavened and then baked or steamed, resulting in a spongy texture with lots of air pockets. This is similar to seitan (a common meat substitute).
Ingredients
1 pc of dried wheat gluten/kao fu but into 3/4 inch, soak in warm water until soft
3 pcs shitake mushrooms, soak in warm water for 2 hours
1 small handful of dried wood ear mushrooms, soak in warm water until soft, about 15 mins
Shredded carrots, around 20 sticks
Edamame bean, a small handful
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
3 teaspoons coconut sugar
3 cups water/ vegetable broth
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Method
Heat oil in your wok over high heat. Add the ginger and fry for 30 seconds. Add the wheat gluten, and cook until slightly browned, about 2 minutes.
Heat oil in your wok over high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Add the kao fu, and cook until slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, carrots and wood ear. Mix everything well. Then add the wine, soy sauces, sugar, sesame oil and water/ vegetable broth. Stir well and bring to a boil. Make sure there is enough sauce for the kao fu to soak up. It is like a sponge and can soak up a lot of liquid. Add more vegetable broth/ water and seasoning if the sauce dries up.
Cover the pan, turn the heat to low, and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent sticking. Add the edamame bean in the pan and cook for another 5 mins.
A year older and a year wiser. It’s been more than a year since I last posted something and a lot has changed since then. I’m no longer a banker but a baker. I no longer sit in front of a wall of computer screens but hundreds of cakes and cupcakes. I am no longer getting a pay check every month but giving out pay checks. I am now an entrepreneur, founder of The Cakery – a health-focused bakery made with natural ingredients – since the beginning of 2016. I have opened 3 pop-ups and 2 permanent shops since then. I am happy with what I have accomplished so far but I sometimes wonder if the countless sleepless nights was worth it.
I have heard many times starting a business is not easy but I never thought it would be this hard. Not only do I have to take care of one aspect of the business but two… three… four.. if not all aspects. The learning curve is very steep especially when I’m jumping into a completely new field with no prior experience. I can’t even believe how much I have learned this past year. I have had so many ups and downs since I started the business, thank god my family have been keeping me sane. Without my family, I won’t be where I am now. They have been so supportive in many ways. I am grateful to have a loving family who is always there for me.
Also a special thanks to Amy, my head baker, who has been with me since the beginning of the business. I will never forget the crazy hours we put in together at the beginning. And of course thanks for sending over a sweet surprise from Bloombox HK on my birthday.
The meaning of things tend to change as you grow older. Birthday celebrations used to be a lot of partying but at this point in time, being able to spend quality time with the family and loved ones is the best gift to me.
::Outfit on Me::
Top: J Crew (in pink here) Shorts: Club Monaco (old)
As some of you may know, we spent three weeks in San Francisco during the Christmas holiday. We were very fortunate to have Adorby join us for a few days and snap a few shots for us while we were there. In my upcoming posts, I will be sharing some of the photos we took during our trip. One very important thing to remember is that when traveling with toddlers it is essential to dress comfortably. Sweatshirts were definitely at the top of my list. A black sweatshirt can seem boring but can still look very stylish if you do some mixing and matching. For myself, I styled with a fews layers including a plaid shirt underneath and a leather jacket over it. For the girls, instead of layering the bat-wing sweatshirt which could look a little bulky, I styled the sweatshirt with some cute accessories. Maya found herself a Panda hat and gloves while we were shopping (she is a bigger shopper than I am!) which she was eager to wear, and I thought it would be cute to match with the black sweatshirt. While Maya’s focus is on her head, BabyA’s focus is on her feet. I came across these Charlie boots on instagram and immediately fell in love with them. They are very well made and extremely soft. They definitely made it onto my top baby shoes list!
Designers were on a fringe binge this season and the trend will continue into Spring 2016. I thought this would be a good look for the kids and put together a fringe outfit for them, although Daddy didn’t seem to agree as he thought they looked like cowboys (Picture me rolling my eyes). I, on the other hand, thought the kids looked cute and we actually received a lot of compliments from passersby that day. Are you a yay or nay to this outfit?
::Outfit on Mom::
Top: order here Bottom: Zara(old) (similar here)
Boots: Sam Edelman (here)
Bag: Chanel
::Outfit on Maya::
Shirt: Carters (similar here)
Vest: order here Bottom: Gap (similar here)
Boots: Jumping Beans (old) (similar here)
::Outfit on BabyA::
Shirt: Carters (similar here)
Vest: order here Bottom: H&M (old) (similar here)
Boots: order here Headband: order here
Happy Chinese New Year everyone! Just want to say a quick hello. Hope everyone is having a great time with family and friends. We wish you a prosperous year of monkey, good health and a year full of happiness.
::Outfit on Mom::
Top: Bought from China
Bottom: Zara (old)
Shoes: Carven (old)
::Outfit on Maya::
Top: Bought from China
Bottom: Next (old)
Shoes: Gap (old) (again here)
::Outfit on BabaA::
Top: Bought from China
Bottom: H&M (old)
Shoes: Gap (old)
I’ve always been a firm believer of the ‘learn through play’ approach. I believe this particular method teaches problem solving skills, promotes confidence, expands creativity and imagination, while simultaneously allowing the child to have fun in the process. This is the reason why I’m a big supporter of the Mini Mandarins Learning Centre. They engage the child and help them develop interest in spoken Mandarin through imaginative play in “mini” real-life environments. They focus on teaching the language through interactive play, practice and applications which I think is the best way to learn a language. Their play themes revolve around everyday real-life settings, such as a supermarket, a restaurant, or a veterinarian’s office. Their dynamic curriculum involves constantly changing themes which is intended to provide a total Mandarin language immersion experience for kids to put their learning to practice. I’m particularly impressed by the level of detail in each setting they create. Their latest ‘Chinese restaurant’ setup, included a kitchen with a noodle bar, cashier counter, dim sum tables and dim sum trolley. What’s more, the trolley included different types of dim sum made from felt while the cashier included money that looks like real money.
Maya began attending Mini Mandarins towards the beginning of last year and we can tell she enjoys the class very much, so much so I sent her to their summer camp as well, which lasted 2-3 hours each day for 8 weeks. She also attended their term break camp where she was able to sing and dance along with her favorite Peppa Pig stories and songs. I was very impressed about how much she was able to pick up during this short period of time. She started conversing with us in mandarin and can finally communicate with her great-grandma. I’m no expert in education but I believe in the end result and happiness of my child. Thank you Mini Mandarins!
If you have been following us, you will know BabyA just turned one and I was super busy preparing for her little bird themed first birthday party. So how did I come up with a bird theme? BabyA loves flapping her arms like a bird whenever she gets excited, she reminds me of a little bird whenever she does that, hence the little bird theme!
Similar to what I previous did for Maya here, I put together a dessert table for my little bird on her first birthday. Below are 8 little bird birthday party ideas:
Birdcage cake
Little bird cupcakes
Little bird cookies
Little bird mini marshmallow pops
Rice Krispies bird nests with chocolate eggs
Wooden bird house party favor for kids to take home and decorate their own bird house along with a birdie cookies
My little brother recently got married and having to come up with a few outfits for myself and the girls was a bit stressful. Though Hong Kong is quite westernized, it is still rich in Chinese customs and traditions. Like most weddings in Hong Kong, my brother’s wedding was a mixture of both western and Chinese traditions. I had prepared three outfits for the girls and myself on that day; one for the tea ceremony, one for the wedding ceremony and one for the banquet. Since I wanted matching gowns with the girls, I decided to make one for myself and the girls for the banquet. Thanks to Arthur from Matador Couture for putting together these beautiful gowns and headbands for us. I hope you like the gowns as much as we did.
We would also like to give a special thanks to Gusella Hong Kong for inviting us over to their shop and introducing us to the brand. I fell in love with every single pair of shoes they had on display, especially their teeny-tiny baby shoes. Gusella is an italian brand that is renowned as the world’s finest luxury shoemaker for children. The brand opened its first shop in Hong Kong in 2014 at Lee Garden. For those looking for quality children shoes, hop over to the shop to check out their selections!
Five years ago I married my best friend, my soul mate, and someone for whom I am grateful to have in my life. 2015 wasn’t the easiest year for me, I’ve definitely had better. The moment you think you can exhale a little after solving a dilemma, another one rears its ugly head. Some of the issues that I faced included the resignation of my helpers, and the process of hiring and training was frustrating to say the least. We were also faced with a pest problem that forced us to move out of our apartment for a couple of weeks. It came to the point where my friends likened my situation to a real-life soap opera, and having Baby A and Baby M around certainly made things more challenging.
I also made few important decisions together with my husband, including taking a break from my 10 year career as a banker, to purchasing a new house for our growing family. Aside from saying ‘I do’ five years ago, these are two of the biggest decisions I have made in my life. In some ways, I’m grateful these things happened because they made my relationship with my husband even stronger. Love is when the person stands by you and offers unwavering support no matter how bleak the situation. It’s easy to do when everything is smooth sailing, but when the ship starts taking on water, is he heading for the lifeboat? Luckily for me, my husband kept the vow he made to me on our wedding day and stood by me and supported me when I was weak. Thank you for being there for me. I wouldn’t know what to do without you.
Unlike previous years where we would go out for a nice dinner to celebrate our anniversary, this year was very different. I was busy baking for BabyA’s birthday party, so we ordered take out and ate on our coffee table, as the dining table was covered with my baking supplies. It wasn’t very romantic but I thought it was really cute and sweet. I enjoy having take out at home with the man I love. I look forward to spending many more years having take out together with you. Happy 5th Anniversary!
It’s my favorite time of the year, when Christmas lights go up, and the smell of gingerbread latte fills the air. While it would have felt a tad more Chirsmassy if it wasn’t still 28 degrees in early December, nothing can dampen my mood during the holidays.
Another reason I look forward to Christmas is the expectation of all the beautiful and whimsical decorations that adorn the city. Landmark in particular is known for its extravagant centerpiece. Each year they create a wonderfully unique Christmas experience for their visitors to celebrate the festive season, and this year is no exception. The Wishing Machine is the main focal point for this year’s installation, where every 30 minutes, the Machine bursts into life with a show of charming, illuminated, lighting displays and seasonal music featuring 80 adorable Santa Paws teddy bears with fully choreographed and synchronized movements. We were delighted to be invited by Landmark to have a closer look at the installation and share the story behind the decoration with us. BabyM was particularly fascinated by the flying boat and Santa Paws.
Beyond the lights and decorations, we are reminded that Christmas is also about sharing, and making wishes come true. In keeping with the traditional Christmas spirit of giving, Landmark has been a key supporter of the Make-A-Wish® Foundation over the past several years. This year, visitors can make a wish for their loved ones by filling out a Landmark Christmas wish token and inserting it into the ‘Wishing Machine’. For every wish token received, Landmark will make a HK$20 donation to benefit the children of Make-A-Wish® Hong Kong. Copies of “Santa Paws and The Wishing Machine” story book will also be available for HK$100, with all proceeds going to the charity. Last but not least, visitors can also contribute by creating their own 3D animated Santa Paws video using the specially designed “Landmark Santa Paws” augmented reality app. Users can color their Santa Paws to create a personalized 3D animated Santa Paws video, then share their unique creation with friends on social media. For each colored Santa Paws uploaded to Landmark’s website athttp://christmas.landmark.hkor Instagram with #LANDMARKHK, LANDMARK will donate HK$20 towards the wishes of three children of Make-A-Wish® Hong Kong.
In keeping with her helpful nature, BabyM was very excited to know that she would be helping those less fortunate than her. As parents, we constantly strive to provide our kids with the best, and that natural inclination can sometimes lead to children becoming spoiled and expect everything be handed to them on a silver plate. Although I want to give my children the best that I can, I also don’t want to see them to take things for granted. In this instance, I was able to use the Wishing Machine experience to explain to her that there are many less fortunate children that need our help.