I’ve been looking for a compact stroller for cbb in anticipation of the day she outgrows her current infant pram. At the rate she’s growing, it’s no surprise that this day will come very soon. I do active babywearing but when going out as a family, we use our infant carseat-stroller more, with the carrier packed in my diaper bag AT ALL TIMES, in case she has a sudden meltdown. I’ve recently been sent the Fedora L3 stroller and we took it out for a spin over the weekend. Here’s what we liked about it.

One-touch folding to a compact size

What I like most about the Fedora L3 is its size. With the crazy amount of things I have to bring around when travelling with cbb, a small and manageable stroller is what I need. The folded dimensions are: 666mm (H) X 273mm (D) X 560mm (W). Scroll down to the end of this post to watch the video of how easy it is to open and close.

It can be easily hand-carried or slung on your shoulder

The included shoulder straps makes it possible for me to sling the L3 easily on my shoulder, freeing my hands up for other things. Jason prefers to hand carry it and he says it feels like carrying his work bag.

It is lightweight but not flimsy

At just 5.9kg, the Fedora L3 is one of the lighter strollers in the market. The grip of its wheels performs better than the other lightweight strollers I have tested at baby fairs. Maybe because I am used to the sturdy structure of my current 7+kg carseat-infant-pram-in-one, the overall handling of the L3 takes some getting used to.

5-point harness safety belt

Babies 6-months onwards love to be forward facing cos they wanna see the world but I am a bit paranoid when I can’t see what she’s up to. With the 5-point harness safety belt, I can be sure that she’s properly and safely buckled up even when she’s not in my face.

Reclinable seat and foot-angle adjustment for better posture

The seat angle can be adjusted for when cbb has fallen asleep, and the foot rest can also be angled to coincide with her posture as she grows.

Ya errrrr those are supposed to be long pj pants.. which look sar-suku on her.. sorry baby! Mummy will buy new ones!>

Suitable for newborns to 48 months
With the amount of money we have to spend on a baby, investing in something that grows with her is really important. The Fedora L3 can be used from newborn (with infant insert) to toddler, making it an extremely value-for-money essential.

Cbb on the way to school! Yes she fell asleep…..

Overall
The L3 scores on many aspects which are important to me: size, safety and aesthetics. It is light enough to be brought around and yet not flimsy. It would be really awesome if Fedora could come up with a carseat cum stroller, for even easier travelling in cabs and Uber when I go out alone!

Watch the introductory video of the Fedora L3 here:

Available on My Miracle Baby, the Fedora L3 comes in three colours: red, blue and royal purple. Go on over to their website to know more.

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Disclaimer: I received a Fedora L3 stroller for review purposes and received no monetary payment for this review. All opinions and comments on my blog are my own unless you bribe me with a lot of money, cash only. But until now I haven’t accepted any bribes yet which is worth trading my 良心 for to say something is good when it sucks. Unless you really got a lot of cash to spare, like A LOT, 收买我吧.

First-time-moms have at least one thing in common: we buy things which we end up not using! I don’t feel guilty about those purchases though.. we don’t buy we don’t learn. Right? RIGHT?! And if anything, there’s carousell! (I’ve realised that selling baby/nursing stuff on carousell is generally pain-free because mommies. I don’t want to be reminded of the time I tried to help the husband sell his spare phone…..)

I’ve bought a few items which I’ve regretted – not a lot, but there are some. Like the infant insert, nursing wear from Taobao which are way too short, too many long-sleeved rompers (buy footed pyjamas instead!), her baby cot (true story)…. but there are also purchases that have helped preserve my sanity. Now that the baby girl is 5 months old, I’ve done a “stock-take” of everything baby-related that I own, and here’s my top 3 essentials:

Like many new moms, one of the first things I bought when still pregnant, was a baby carrier. A Tula, to be exact, because the prints are so pretty! I also got the infant insert because anything under 7kg just use the insert right? Except it didn’t really work out for me.

Cbb is a relatively easy baby, even from the start. But there were times in the beginning where nothing I did could sooth her. Sometimes she could accept being in the insert (like 2% of the time) but most of the time, she would have none of it. Being a clueless new mom, I was exhausted, helpless and frustrated.. until the Kokadi came along.

Truly, my life instantly turned around. Lots of baby dust suddenly was sprinkled all over cbb, and she slept the best she has ever slept in her Kokadi. It is adjustable and super easy to figure out, and it is a cinch to achieve the M shape so that her spine and hips are properly supported. I dare say the kkd saved me from going nuts in the early days, and I use it even now! She loves being in it.. it makes her feel safe cos she’s close to me, and it allows her to look around curiously one minute, then shut everything out and just sleep the next. Just 10 minutes is all it takes for cbb to drift off to dream world. Just to prove I didn’t imagine the sleeping dust:

I love the convenience of the Hanil UV Steriliser so much that I already blogged about it in June! Compared to traditional sterilising, using this saves so much time and it doubles up as a storage device. Plus, HANIL is also the only UV Sterilizer in Singapore that is tested and certified by PSB Singapore. Read my review here and apply my promo code “bpantry” on www.gaia.com.sg to purchase it at a special price AND get a complimentary GAIA gift. Valid from now till 31 December 2016.

A car seat is the ONLY place for your baby in a moving car. Yep, the only place your baby should be in. Not in a baby carrier, not in your arms. Your Tula or ring sling will not protect your baby from the impacts of a car crash! More info: http://thecarseatlady.com/will-a-babybjorn-or-other-soft-infant-carrier-protect-a-child-in-a-taxi/

I babywear cbb when taking public transport or when walking around in the mall or park, but she’s 100% in her car seat when travelling in cars or cabs. It is non-negotiable. Because we don’t own a car, having a portable car seat cum stroller is super important for us. There are travel systems (car seats mounted on top of strollers) which also protects your baby, but the Doona car seat/stroller is so much more convenient especially for me when I travel alone with baby. Imagine being able to skip crowded lifts when in a mall (just transform stroller into car seat and take the escalator!), and there is no need to transfer a sleeping baby from the stroller to a separate car seat. An uber driver (who’s also a new parent) saw our Doona in action and commented that this alone is worth the price!

The Doona can be used from birth (and we have used it since cbb was a few days old) up to 13kg. It has indeed taken our baby girl from newborn to now! Just a few days old:

One month old:

Two months!

Three:

Four months (want to box me cos of the hat I made her wear!):

5 months. She can party in it!

Err and emo in it too:

When she outgrows this, I’ll be looking around for another travel system, because a car seat is the ONLY place for a baby in a moving car. Also, read why you should be choosing a rear-facing carseat for your baby instead of one that’s forward facing.

Read more about Doona here and watch the video that completely sold us this!

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So these are the three baby items that I can’t do without over the past 5 months. What are yours?

Onigirazu (Japanese Rice Sandwiches) is derived from Onigiri (Japanese rice balls). According to Eating With Your Hands, Onigirazu means “no shaping”. When making Onigiri, the rice needs to be shaped into a triangle, but no squeezing/shaping is needed when making Onigirazu. This explains the “razu”, which means “none”, or “without”.

For the longest time, the husband has been hoping that I would make Onigirazu. And why not, I thought, since these fit right into my “Approved” list of fuss-free food to cook. These Japanese rice sandwiches can be filled with allll sorts of ingredients!

This time round, I made two variations – the pork chop version and one with Japanese potato salad and ham. I’m going to give you the recipe for the pork chop since I’ve blogged about the potato salad recipe before.

Some useful tips:

Here are the basic wrapping steps:

Have fun with these.. the combinations are endless. I have made these with crispy fried chicken cutlet, grilled portobello mushrooms, Japanese hamburger steaks, luncheon meat and lots more. Can’t wait for cbb to grow up so I can prepare make bento boxes for her to take to school. Hehe. These are perfect for kids’ school excursions or even as a weekend project with your kiddos! Very minimal mess (for you) to clean up and they’ll love making it too, I promise!

You know what, it’s true when they tell you “The days are long but the years are short.” I feel like crying when I’m typing this because whaddya know, cbb is going to be SIX MONTHS OLD! Oh and to set the record straight, cbb is not her real name. You can call her Amber :)

I was going to share her first-solids experience along with some information on weaning that I gathered from my research, but the post would be toooo long then. Look out for another post, detailing common first foods, allergy concerns, how much to give, etc etc coming right up.

I’m starting cbb off with root vegetables, followed by fruit like apple and pear for her first tastes. You can also mix food together later, as baby gets used to the first foods. I’m not an advocate of baby cereal and am not going to let cbb try it at 6 months. Her first food: PUMPKIN!

GET FREE $15 FOR ORGANIC/NON-ORGANIC FRUITS & VEGGIES FROM OPENTASTE.SG

I get ALL of my cbb and my family’s fruits and vegetables (not necessarily organic) from Opentaste.sg. Use my code ‘240D2E’ at checkout to get $15 off your first order. Minimum delivery is just $35 so with the $15 off, you pay only $20 for groceries at prices even lower than supermarkets. Give them a try, you won’t be disappointed.

Very first foods should be very smooth in texture and quite runny. I didn’t add any ebm or fm to the pumpkin below cos the texture came out just perfect. Preparation was a breeze with my Philips Avent 4-in-1 baby food maker.

5 reasons why I like it:

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Disclaimer: I received a Philips 4-in-1 Baby Food Maker for review purposes and received no monetary payment for this review. All opinions and comments on my blog are my own unless you bribe me with a lot of money, cash only. But until now I haven’t accepted any bribes yet which is worth trading my 良心 for to say something is good when it sucks. Unless you really got a lot of cash to spare, like A LOT, 收买我吧.

Cbb has started solids for over two weeks now! Want to know what I fed her, how I prepared them, her reaction to each food, and a mood and poop analysis? Here you go!

I choose to start her on vegetable purées., followed by fruit. Some good first solids choices are: pumpkin, butternut squash, avocado, carrots, parsnip, potato, apple, pear, banana and papaya. I get all her vegetables and fruits from Opentaste.sg. Use my code ‘240D2E’ at checkout to get $15 off your first order.

Why not rice cereal? Cereal or baby rice CAN BE a baby’s first food, but they don’t HAVE TO be. Don’t get me wrong – there’s nothing wrong with it. I choose not to give cereal at this stage because what is cereal? It’s essentially carbs and sugar. Cbb is getting both from her milk. And she’s hardly active, she doesn’t need the extra energy now. Same goes for porridge. But there’s nothing wrong if you choose to give it. They’re also widely given because rice/grains are safe (and convenient) choices that rarely cause allergies (but many fruits and vegetables rarely cause allergies, too). Depending on the texture, you may or may not need to add milk to your baby’s purée. I didn’t add any to most of her food (except sweet potato) as the texture is fine enough to be eaten like that.

Most of the solids are prepared in the Philips Avent Baby Food Maker. Read my review here!

Here are the first foods that I fed cbb (ok not exactly 5 but 6):

Food #1: Pumpkin Puree

How to prepare: Cut pumpkin into cubes, place in Philips Avent baby food maker, steam for 20 minutes, then blend till smooth
Amount: 1-2 baby teaspoons
Did she like it: Not a fan! Hahaha
Mood: The first she had solids, she WOKE UP 4 TIMES THAT NIGHT, whining!! I instantly regretted giving her solids but I believe it’s just a matter of her tummy getting used to eating.
Poop: Orange but normal frequency

Food #2: Avocado

How to prepare: Cut avocado into half, scrape, mash and feed (no need to cook). There’s no need to add milk but you may if it makes it easier to mash.
Amount: 2-3 baby teaspoons
Did she like it: Initially so-so, but lapped it up after a while
Mood: Still woke up a few times that night!
Poop: Normal poop, smelt nice and light like avocado haha

Food #3: Carrots

How to prepare: Cut carrot into chunks, place in Philips Avent baby food maker, steam for 20 minutes, then blend till smooth
Amount: 1-2 tablespoons
Did she like it: OH YES! CBB loved carrots…. but it’s not her favourite food, yet!
Mood: Slept through the night!
Poop: Orange poop, very fibrous

Food #4: Apples



What happens when you take away her apple…….

How to prepare: Cut apple into cubes, place in Philips Avent baby food maker, steam for 15 minutes, then blend till smooth
Amount: 2 tablespoons
Did she like it: OMG did she like it! Cbb absolutely lovesssss apples!
Mood: Slept through the night!
Poop: Poop was hard.. she had a hard time pooping. I gave a bit more water when she was on apples.

Food #5: Pear

How to prepare: Cut pear into cubes, place in Philips Avent baby food maker, steam for 15 minutes, then pulse a little
Amount: 2 tablespoons
Did she like it: Quite neutral, not much excitement when eating leh
Mood: Slept through the night!
Poop: She might not love pear but I love it. No pooping problems and poop was soft and regular

Food #6: Japanese Sweet Potato

How to prepare: Cut sweet potato into cubes, place in Philips Avent baby food maker, steam for 20 minutes, then blend till smooth. I added some water from steaming as the texture is very sticky as the starch breaks down.
Amount: 1 tablespoons (cos I think sweet potato is very filling)
Did she like it: She loves it too!
Mood: Slept through the night!
Poop: Pooped once every two days instead of pooping daily, but when she did poop it was normal and not hard like the time she was on apples

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I’m really happy that cbb enjoys eating. Many times when I take away her bowl she cries and wants to eat more. But take note not to overfeed your baby as at 6 months, solids are not meant to replace milk. Overfeeding them could lead to throwing up, indigestion and a rejection of milk, which means less nutrients intake (from milk!). The small amount of solids you feed them is not equivalent to the nutrients they get from milk. Happy exploring!

p/s: I get ALL of my cbb and my family’s fruits and vegetables (not necessarily organic) from Opentaste.sg. Use my code ‘240D2E’ at checkout to get $15 off your first order. Minimum delivery is just $35 so with the $15 off, you pay only $20 for groceries at prices even lower than supermarkets. Give them a try, you won’t be disappointed.

GET FREE $15 FOR ORGANIC/NON-ORGANIC FRUITS & VEGGIES FROM OPENTASTE.SG

This is a dish perfect for busy weeknights! This is one of the dishes that I term ‘The Conjuring’.. because I hadn’t thought of cooking it this way and just put together whatever ingredients I could find. And like magic, it’s ready just like that, in a matter of minutes.

And as you can see, this week my fridge is lacking greens. Some spring onion garnish would make this dish look more appetising for sure!

My aunt doesn’t taking spice, so I didn’t add chopped chilli padi this time round. A little bit of chilli would give this dish the spicy kick that goes sooo well with the gravy and loads of rice or fried man tou. You could use this sauce with crayfish or other seafood as well. Enjoy!

[Advertorial]

How do you celebrate the year-end holidays? For me, I do it with get-togethers and food! Truly, December is a time for family and friends, and what’s a get-together without desserts? This year, I decided to bake a lovely pear, cranberry and chocolate crumble for one of our gathering sessions on Christmas Day!

The Pyrex® 950ml Limited-Edition Glass Storage Bakeware (Set of 2 in two designs)

Baking this delicious, buttery crumble is nothing short of easy, especially using the Pyrex® 950ml Glass Storage Bakeware. This made-in-USA limited edition Holiday Trees design is just the right size for about 4 servings, and like all Pyrex® bakeware, it is safe for use in the freezer, oven, microwave and top rack dishwasher. I am featuring the Holiday Trees design here, and there is another design in Snowflakes which you can see below.

I love it that it comes with a secure lid (can’t go into the convection oven!) for food on the go, cos it’s super useful when I have to transport food from home to gathering place! I can also store leftovers and do away with cling wrap or foil. What I adore about Pyrex® is that its non-porous glass will not absorb stains and odours and is a breeze to wash. Ahh.. Pyrex® – my favourite bakeware since I started cooking in my teens! I have 4-5 of them in varying sizes in my kitchen.

There are only a handful of ingredients in the basic version of a crumble recipe: fruit of your choice (apples, pears, peaches, bananas all work well), sugar, butter and flour. Yes! Without the ‘fancy’ stuff, a crumble is really one of the easiest things you could bake, quite foolproof too! For this version, I used ripe green pears and added chopped dates (you can use raisins) for the filling, and added rolled oats and chocolate chips to my crumble topping. I only used 50g sugar as I added chocolate chips. Once the bake was out from the oven, I decorated it with fresh cranberries for a perfect sweet and tart balance. Full recipe below!

Corelle® Collection in Nature Heart design

This delicious dessert will be perfect served on these beautiful Corelle® plates. Corelle® features:

Where to buy

The Pyrex® storage set (two designs: Holiday Trees and Snowflakes) valued at S$35.90 is a gift with purchase for any S$200 spent on any World Kitchen brands (Corningware®, Corelle®, Visions®) from all major department stores from 24 November 2016 to 3 January 2017. Both the limited edition, gift-with-purchase storage containers are random and while stocks last only! The Snowflakes design is gorgeous too – which do you like more?

See these posters for more promotion details:

Recipe

If you’ve been following my Facebook or Instagram, you would know that I recently started some kind of a “weight loss diary”, documenting the food that I eat, along with updates on how many kgs I’ve lost.

In 24 days, I have lost a whopping 5kg and 20cm all over my body. I feel soooo good!

A little background about me
I’ve always been fat. And by “fat”, I don’t mean that I just have problem areas like the tummy or thighs. My weight has been in the 70+kg range for the past two years. I know it is hard to believe because I am blessed with a slim face, but I’ve been overweight for most my life. When I was 16 years old, I weighed 95kg and had a blood pressure of 150/100. My weight dropped to 59kg through a series of doctor’s visits and eating well, but I put on the weight again as my metabolism slowed once I reached my 30’s. I weighed 89kg on the day I gave birth in May 2016. And due to what I believe is hormonal change and an even slower metabolism, I didn’t lose much weight even though I went back to my no-carb diet after stopping breastfeeding last month. I also have severe water retention problems, particularly in my legs. After losing 5kg and dropping two dress sizes, I feel less lethargic and wayyy healthier! I have to show you these two photos as a comparison – (pics taken in Sept and Nov by Jars of Fluff!):

And now I have a confession to make: I didn’t do this just by changing what I ate.

Absolute Slimming played a MAJOR part in helping me achieve my weight-loss targets. I know you have questions! But first, take a look at my report card:

Although I’m still far from my ideal weight, I think it’s amazing how there’s already a marked difference in just 24 days!

Before I continue further, I want to put this disclaimer upfront: I was NOT paid to write this review. I was sponsored 8 treatment sessions, and if I didn’t get good results, I was not obliged to write anything for them. My results are so good that I will be continuing the treatments until I reach my target weight.

What is Absolute Slimming?
Absolute Slimming was founded in 2002 and uses a Chinese approach to weight loss. Using a kind of treatment called CSH therapy™, which includes cupping (拔罐), scraping (刮痧) and heat treatment therapy, Absolute Slimming can help produce fast, lasting and natural weight loss with a 99% success rate.

So what are you actually doing to lose weight in such a short time?
Apart from following a clean-eating meal plan, I attend twice-a-week treatments where therapists use a smooth, flat, comb-sized panel to apply repeated strokes throughout my body. This scraping therapy helps improve blood circulation to prevent further fat deposits. Small magnetic bulbs are then cupped on my body, stimulating acupoints that improve metabolic functions. I also undergo the optional heat treatment on my arms, thighs, back, etc, which helps to break down stubborn fat which has made themselves at home throughout the years.

What does your meal plan look like?
Following the plan is quite easy as the treatment actually suppresses your appetite. Plus, going no-carb is not new to me. It’s basically about eating till you’re 70% full and my daily meals can look like this: 2 hardboiled eggs for breakfast, vegetables and a protein for lunch (I have fish, chicken chop or pork chop sometimes), coffee (I even take 0% sugar gong-cha coffee), a serving of fruit for tea-break, and vegetables for dinner. I’m also allowed to eat wholemeal bread for breakfast but I don’t. Due to the effect of appetite suppression, never once did I starve. Let me show you!

Follow me on Instagram to see what I’ve been eating!

With the kind of food you’re eating, wouldn’t you lose weight anyway?
My readers would know that I’ve always watched what I ate. So I thought losing weight after the baby is going to be a breeze once I went back to no-carbs. But I was down maybe 0.2kg, 0.4kg in weeks, and I couldn’t understand why the weight didn’t drop like it did before. Yes, dieting would have helped me lose weight eventually, but from past experience (and I have A LOT), weight loss is usually from my face and waist but the fat from my problem areas like hips, butt and arms will not budge.

With Absolute Slimming, it was way different. I saw visible reduction, especially in my upper arms (that’s a very difficult area to lose inches), after the 1st session. By my 5th session, I could fit into my old jeans which meant that my hips, thighs and butt were losing inches as well. So this is why I am convinced that the cupping, scraping and heat therapy treatments and Absolute Slimming was key to helping me lose so much weight within such a short time. 5kg in 24 days! I couldn’t have achieved this on my own, no matter how disciplined I am.

What makes Absolute Slimming different from other slimming solutions?
I don’t believe in diet pills, slimming machines, wraps and creams BECAUSE I HAVE TRIED THEM ALL. After all these years, I know for a fact that ANY slimming treatment that does not require you to EAT WELL WILL NOT WORK, simply because it is not sustainable. On top of eating well, a key criteria to losing weight is improved metabolism, which will jumpstart your body’s natural fat-burning abilities. CSH therapy™ addresses the root of most weight problems by improving your metabolism, along with your digestive and circulatory functions. An improved metabolism is the ultimate tool that will help you manage your weight with ease in the long run.

Am I losing fat or water?
This is a very important point to address. Treatments aimed at reducing water % (e.g. steam therapies) usually require you to limit water intake, thereby producing a much faster drop in weight. I was never required to drastically drink less water and I was still able to consistently reduce my weight and fat %.

It sounds so easy. Is there anything else about the treatments that I should know about?
I’m not going to lie, scraping is not pain-free at sensitive areas like the outer thighs. But the intensity felt differs from person-to-person. You can ask the therapists to reduce the strength applied but most times I just bear with it and it was over in minutes. Also, cupping is painless, but leaves light maroon cupping marks the size of 50-cent coins which fade in a few days. Wearing long sleeves solves the problem, and if you have an event coming up, you may request for them not to cup areas that will be exposed. Essentially to me, this is a small price to pay for 5kg of weight loss in less than a month.

Overall
My 5kg weight loss is not due to gimmicky quick-loss solutions which make me lose only water. In my 24 days, I have not had one cup of meal-replacement shakes which is not real food. I have not stepped into a sauna, had my body wrapped with cling wrap, or undergone any form of machine slimming. I have eaten with discipline, and the treatments at Absolute Slimming jumpstarted my metabolism and amplified my results by 3-5 times. If you can follow the meal plan, I am sure you will have great results, just like 99% of their customers.

I am very thankful to Absolute Slimming… they made me see light when I thought all hope was lost. Thank you for helping me become healthier for my baby! I am now still undergoing treatment and will update you guys of my progress again.

Special Promotion for Budgetpantry readers!
Quote “Budget Pantry” when you visit Absolute Slimming and enjoy 1 free body treatment worth $200 with the purchase of any package! This exclusive promo will end on 31 January 2017. Call today for a no-obligation appointment, or simply for more info. Like them on Facebook to know about the latest promos and see more success stories!

Absolute Slimming
Website: http://www.absoluteslimming.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/absoluteslimming/
Outlets:

Bugis Cube
470 North Bridge Road, #04-23
Singapore 188735
Tel: 68370640

Holland Road Shopping Centre
211 Holland Avenue, #03-14
Singapore 278967
Tel: 64630360

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Disclaimer: I was NOT paid to write this review. I was sponsored 8 treatment sessions, and if I didn’t get good results, I was not obliged to write anything for them. My results are so good that I will be continuing the treatments until I reach my target weight. I am also deliberately taking a 2-3 week break in December to see if my weight will rebound after stopping the treatments.. I’ll resume the sessions in January. Look out for my progress updates!

It’s been a while since my last update on getting the keys to our BTO flat! Read this post if you haven’t! We’re getting quite excited seeing the place come together. It’s been 7 weeks since renovation started, and we’re probably 50% there. I remember hacking of the kitchen walls started on 1 November and it’s now the 20 December. Progress is not the fastest cos our ID got our permission to wait for his preferred carpenter (his booking was full) and we’re not in a hurry to move anyway.

We have known since the start that we engaged Space Atelier because of their designs. There are so many IDs in the market but how many of them are designers? We didn’t want a renovation coordinator – to us having someone who’s savvy in coordination IS important, but secondary. We have met “IDs” who ARE very savvy, who can negotiate super well with contractors, can click with owners, can promise you a lot, and who are sincere in their jobs too. But we didn’t click in terms of designs, because quite simply, it’s not their background.

To be honest, our ID is not the most detail-oriented guy in the universe, but we are, so it’s something that we can let go a little. What’s important to us is that he’s not the kind of person who will inflate costs and over-promise. He’s a young designer, sincere and not out to cheat your money. Can be a bit muddle-headed though, but he has qualities that we appreciate. Thanks for handling our renovation, Space Atelier, can’t wait to see our completed home!

CBB is starting to love looking into the mirror…. I wonder who she takes after?

Here’s list of the main things we’re doing:

And here are the pictures!

CBB playing peekaboo with her two front teeth!

Our oven, hob and chimney hood are from Rinnai. I will be writing about their inner flame technology soon! The Crestar fan is for our main bedroom, which also has a false ceiling – so we can only afford up to a 32″ fan in the room (but Crestar doesn’t have 32″ so we got 30″).

Basic lights from sglightings. Not super alot of selection, but all the basic stuff plus reasonable selection is available there. I think you will like it if you’re going for the Scandinavian or industrial look. Pricing is great and transparent. We saw the same bedroom light selling 3 times the price at other lighting places (not kidding, $65 vs $195 at Chelsea Lighting at Jurong East). Our dining and balcony lights are from Design Light from Jalan Besar Plaza. Love that place too!

Sanitary items from Hoe Kee. They didn’t have the colour for the Blanco granite sink we wanted, so we got another brand from a store in Tradehub 21. This is the Grohe rainshower that Jason can’t wait to bathe in.

The living room and balcony view:

By this time, CBB has fallen asleep:

My subway tiles for one side of the kitchen:

We’re considering installing solar films for our windows to keep the heat out, and will be having day and night curtains for the living room and bedrooms. For the balcony, we’re still looking at installing a child safety rail or barrier. Furniture shopping is the last on our list. I don’t even know what to do with the other two empty rooms yet! If have any recommendations or wish to feature your product or services, contact me! Can’t wait to see the final product although I already feel sucky that I have to move out of my aunt’s place. I have stayed with them forever!! Waaaaah!

I recently got sent the new Tefal Advanced Spherical Rice Cooker for review, which promises to produce delicious rice with a fluffy texture, even with brown rice and multi-grains. Is it that good? Let’s give it a whirl!

Innovative spherical pot technology exclusive to Tefal

Inspired by traditional methods of cooking rice over the fire, Tefal’s innovative spherical pots are orbed at the brim and bottom to encourage even heat circulation. It swirls rice grains circularly rather than vertically, with 2D spherical heating technology that emits heat from the sides and bottom of the pot. I’ve never seen this anywhere else before so it’s pretty interesting to me.

Key features of the new Advanced Spherical Pot Rice Cooker

My experience
I decided to make an easy one-pot mushroom cabbage rice with chunks of chicken thigh. Saves me the time and one pot means lunch for the aunts and dinner for Jason are all settled!

All I did was layer the ingredients on top of the rice and multi-grains, press the ‘Brown Rice’ setting and ‘Power’ button, and wait for our meal to be ready! What’s really important to me is that the functions are idiot-proof – I really don’t have the patience to read instructions and this rice cooker is easy enough to figure out in 2 minutes. Thank you for thinking of people like us when you design your products, Tefal!

And… done! Just fluff up the rice and it’s ready to serve. And yes the chicken was cooked perfectly in the cooker too.. there’s no need to cook it separately, although it would taste better if first fried briefly with garlic before adding to the rice cooker. You know what I think I will leave out the chicken next time and add chestnuts instead.

I added multi-grains to the brown rice for even better goodness. It is available at selected Cold Storage and Fairprice supermarkets, Mustafa, selected Sheng Siong outlets and Redmart.

About the rice: The aunt, who is really anal about the texture of her rice cos she’s got a gastric problem, didn’t make any bad comments and even said lunch was yummy so I think all is good. But if I had told her it’s brown rice I’m sure she would have complained of imaginary stomach discomfort by now. I love this rice cooker and can’t wait to explore the rest of its functions. Thanks Tefal for sending it my way, just in time for our new home!

Availability
Priced at SG$179, the Tefal Advanced Spherical Pot Rice Cooker (model number RK8115) is available at leading electrical and departmental stores. For more information about Tefal, please visit the website and follow Tefal on Facebook for its latest news.

Recipe

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Disclaimer: I received a Tefal Advanced Spherical Pot Rice Cooker for review purposes and received no monetary payment for this review. All opinions and comments on this blog are my own, but you can consider bribing me with a lot of money! Please?

Many of you know that I gave birth at Mount Alvernia hospital in May 2016. How was my experience, you asked. From the hospital tour, to pre-admission, to my few hours in the labour ward, to the operating theatre when my inducement failed, and then to the single ward for my 4D3N ‘hotel stay’, my time at Mt. A has been a joy! The staff and nurses are all experts in their field and I felt safe and assured under their care. There is no doubt that if we do have #2, Mt. A will be the hospital of our choice again.

Soon-to-be parents will be delighted to know that apart from supporting you during your baby’s delivery, Mt. A has now launched the first edition of their Mother&Child Guide – To Maternity and Beyond, a one-stop resource developed by a team of specialist doctors and clinical experts. I was given the opportunity to be a contributing reviewer of this book, and I was wowed by the sheer amount of easy-to-read content that is useful to parents before, during and after pregnancy.

Where to get
This book will be given free during Mt. A’s maternity tour sessions in 2017. Copies will also be placed at the doctor’s clinics and maternity wards.

What I like about the guide
Unlike most pregnancy and maternity books, ‘Mother&Child Guide – To Maternity And Beyond’ takes mummies beyond the 40 weeks, providing glimpses of parenthood, toddlerhood (there’s a section on weaning!) and personal health. It’s like attending prenatal classes right in your own home. And now I’m going to share with you my favourite sections of the book!

Before pregnancy

How do you know you are ovulating? What are the signs of pregnancy? What are HCG levels? What do you actually do when you see a big fat ‘positive’ on the test kit? Do you choose a gynae first, or hospital first? What is this whole…. process?

I remember when I saw a ‘Pregnant’ on the pregnancy kit, my first thought was, ok, ‘What next?’ I wasn’t sure if I should book an appointment with a doctor.. a GP.. a gynae (who?), and when? What about my travel plans? And what’s this thing about cord blood banking? This section will clear all your initial confusion and is really useful for first-time (or forgetful) parents.

Week-by-week developments and prenatal care

This section details how your baby is developing in your tummy, from week 1, where you’re not actually pregnant yet (yep!) all the way to week 40 when your baby is ready to see the world (and show you the real meaning of ‘not enough sleep’). It also includes information on ultrasound scans, gynae appointments, screenings and tests typically taken during pregnancy, complications you might encounter during pregnancy, and many more.

Staying healthy and Labour & Delivery

When I was pregnant with cbb, I made sure I ate well and supplemented with folic acid and calcium, as well as with prenatal vitamins. I was cautious about overeating initially, putting on about 6kg til the end of the second trimester. But! I ballooned during my third trimester haha! This chapter provides the nutritional facts you should know, and even has information on skin problems and travelling when pregnant (plan that babymoon!).

‘Labour & Delivery’ is loaded with essential information like what to pack in your hospital bag, what documents to bring, when to go to the hospital, and what does labour really feel like? It also includes info on natural and caesarean births and the difference between the two when it comes to recovery.

Baby is here! Now what?

I wish I had this guide when I gave birth in May! Very few maternity guide books give you an insight to what happens when your baby goes home with you. Learn how to bathe your baby, sterilise bottles, change a nappy – all by following the useful pictures and illustrations included. I can’t tell you how many times I have put a diaper back-to-front in Amber’s first month cos I was sooo clueless!

Breastfeeding and toddlerhood (weaning recipes!)

In Singapore, there are many resources on breastfeeding and this is just one of them. It covers essential info on how to start breastfeeding on a right note. Being someone who didn’t have a smooth breastfeeding journey, I wish it covered more on what to do when breastfeeding ‘goes wrong’ or when the advice of ‘just keep latching’ doesn’t work for you. (p/s: The one book that I found helped me – and was recommended by a lactation consultant – was ‘The Breastfeeding Mother’s Guide to Making More Milk’, also written by lactation consultants. You can google for more information and get it from bookdepository)

I was surprised to see a section devoted to older babies and toddlerhood. What first foods should you feed your baby with? How do you travel? What ‘milestones’ should they be achieving month on month? All these and more right here. I really find that this chapter is helpful for me especially now that Amber is 8 months old.

Mummy’s health and Daddy’s role

I find that when getting overwhelmed by the newborn, mummies tend to neglect their own wellbeing. This section discusses issues like common gynecological disorders, postpartum concerns and topics like birth spacing and preparing for your next pregnancy. I love it that there’s something that Daddies can read and relate to, because they do need support just like mummies! Men our generation are more hands-on, and I believe the content here will help dads immensely.

Additional resources

The closing chapter discusses rights and benefits for the pregnant woman. It also provides info on the different schemes (for example, baby bonus) to support marriage and parenthood in Singapore, as well as a list of support organisations you may need in your pregnancy and parenthood journey.

Overall
‘Mother&Child Guide – To Maternity and Beyond’ is a must-read for every parent-to-be. Whether you’re a first-timer or not, you’re bound to discover new knowledge as you thumb through this comprehensive guide. Thank you Mount Alvernia for thinking of me when you approached me as a contributing reviewer, and for always coming up with ways to improve the service and support for your maternity patients!

Read about my birth story at Mount A. and know how much my bill was when I delivered there in 2016.

Bittergourd is a vegetable that you either love or hate. I hate it. LOL. But everyone else in the family loves it, including the husband. So although I don’t like to eat bittergourd, I often cook with it. I can’t remember if I’ve shared my pork rib bittergourd with fermented black bean sauce recipe before, but my aunts actually said it reminds them of THEIR mom’s cooking. Wow they just propelled me to another level wtf I don’t deserve this.

I shall cook that dish again one day and make their day.

I ordered a crazy variety of vegetables from Opentaste.sg that day (don’t miss their $15 off first order offer. punch in my code ‘240D2E’ at checkout), and added a few bittergourds to my cart. My aunts were quite happy. And it certainly came into good use the week Amber (and I) fell sick and all I could manage was real simple cooking.

How do you choose bittergourd if you’re buying it from the market? If you prefer something more bitter, choose one that’s darker in colour, or better yet, get those baby ones. For less bitter taste, get one that’s light green. Depending on how you slice it, remove the seeds either by scraping them off (together with the white part) with a spoon (if you’re slicing them length-wise), otherwise slice into circles and push the white part out with your thumbs. That’s what I do anyway and I sometimes find it faster than using a spoon or knife.

To reduce bitterness, soak sliced bittergourd in saltwater for 15 minutes, then drain, rinse and pat dry. Why eat bittergourd if you don’t want it to be bitter? Beats me, but that’s why some people do anyway.

For an easy extra dish on the dining table, cook this. 10-15 minutes from start to end if you don’t soak, and that’s perfectly fine. Bought too much? Use them in stews or a simple soup. Those who love them really do.

The post Stir Fried Bittergourd with Egg 苦瓜炒蛋 appeared first on Budgetpantry: Food, cooking, health & baby.

My family loves salmon, cbb included! I’ve recently introduced salmon to her diet, and boy does she love it! When preparing food for cbb, I always have a liquid/watery base like pumpkin/carrot/sweetcorn/cauliflower/potato puree (the possibilities are endless), a carb and a protein (like chicken or fish) and chopped vegetables that I make more lumpy to add to the base. There’s no hard and fast rule and I realise I love preparing meals like these for cbb as compared to boring mashes of single-type food when she just started solids.

I made a pumpkin/sweetcorn base and combined it with flaked airfried salmon and chopped peas and carrot for her this week. If I find it too lumpy, I add more base, you get what I mean? Some mummies choose to add water but to me, more vegetable base = more nutrients and flavour yes? I was also surprised to find that she loves broccoli, so I combined cauliflower and potato (the base) with chopped broccoli and chicken for her to try. She likes it too! I should really do more recipe posts on what I’m feeding cbb, but hmm I hope I get around to doing it!

Because I was cooking more salmon, I tried to think up different salmon recipes for Jason’s dinner. Airfried cajun salmon is awesome, but I wanted to cook and present our favourite fish differently this time. Turmeric salmon kebab it is!

This is super simple – just cut the salmon and vegetables of your choice into chunks, marinade the salmon, skewer them up and airfry for 6 minutes and you’re done! Absolutely love my airfryer. I think everybody should get one :) You can also grill or oven bake this.

The post Turmeric Salmon Kebab appeared first on Budgetpantry: Food, cooking, health & baby.

Of course, this is a dish which combines most of the leftover vegetables I have after cooking 七样菜 on Day 7 of CNY. Just add all the aromatics together, then toss in some mushrooms, and finally layer with chicken, and dinner is done!

I love my slow cooker (I use Takahi). I can prepare ingredients the night before and place the inner pot in my fridge. Then next day before I go to work, I add hot stock and turn the button to ‘auto-shift’. And dinner is settled for the day. It’s a mad rush every day for me. Let me tell you what I have to accomplish in 2 hours after work. Why 2 hours? Because 8pm is cbb’s bed time and SHE GOES MAD IF I DON’T TUCK HER INTO BED!

5.15PM: Get off work
5.55PM: Pick cbb up from school
6.15PM: Reach home, prepare her dinner, feed her
6.55pm: Cook dinner for the family/husband, prepare my lunch box for the next day, EAT MY OWN DINNER AS I COOK
7.20-7.30PM: Bathe
7.35-7.50PM: Wipe down cbb while she struggles and cries bloody murder
8PM: Feed cbb milk and tuck her into bed

There are some days when my meetings end at 530 or 545.. that’s when I am incredibly thankful for dinners like this. I basically skip the dinner preparation.. EVERY MINUTE COUNTS!

To make a nice stew, you need a base vegetable which melts beautifully to form the gravy, or impart yummy flavours into the gravy. Vegetables like onions, leeks, celery, potato, garlic.. all these are great. For bite and texture, you can add ingredients such as carrots, mushrooms and capsicums (they’re yummy when cooked through, too!). And of course you need a protein.. chicken thighs, chicken wings, beef or pork shoulder are good choices.

The thing about slow cookers is that you can’t really thicken the gravy nicely at the end. So when I need to thicken my stew, I always ladle them into a cooking pan and add my cooking cream or coconut cream. For dishes like oyster sauce chicken, I thicken them with cornstarch slurry. I used cooking cream for this chicken stew, but you could use coconut cream instead (use 100ml instead of 150ml) for a different taste. And add some potatoes if you wish.

Enjoy!

The post Slow Cooker Creamy Leek and Chicken Stew appeared first on Budgetpantry: Food, cooking, health & baby.

This morning in the office, as I was making my way to the toilet, I met a friend and colleague, who follows my Facebook page.

“Just how many Tula baby carriers do you have?!”

“Err, not a lot!”

“But I always see you with a different one!”

*grins*

To set things straight: I only have three Tula carriers.

I also have a Kokadi Flip babysize, a Kokadi Flip toddler and an Ergo Adapt. Plus a Soul soft structured carrier (SSC) coming.

But I spoke the truth… I only have three Tulas! Which isn’t too excessive I think. There’s potential for more! *runs* I love my Tulas!

A little background
Not many people know this, but the first thing I EVER bought for cbb, even before she was born, was a Tula canvas carrier, in Foliage (now discontinued):

I even ordered matching droolpads from Etsy, shipped from the US for $50 all in, I think. Fast forward to when CBB was 6 weeks old. Friends around me were using the Kokadi Flip with much success to calm colicky babies. It worked for us too. I loved my KKD and sold Foliage soon after.

Babywearing: it’s really about preference
But as cbb grew, I couldn’t use the KKD for more than an hour before my shoulders and back surrendered. I started exploring with different carriers, slings and wraps with the awesome Janna of Jars of Fluff, who introduced me to the world of babywearing. She made me see one thing: that there is no such things as a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to babywearing. I hated the ring sling. I tried wraps, and while they were the most supportive, I just couldn’t wrap with confidence in public. I tried the Mei Tai (now termed Meh Dai – Cantonese/ Bei Dai – Mandarin. I’m struggling to understand this, because not all Asians/people of Chinese race are Cantonese. Why use the Cantonese pronunciation instead of say, Teochew, Hokkien or Hakka? Isn’t choosing one Chinese dialect over another inappropriate, too? Please enlighten me if you know why. Thank you in advance!), and although it was more convenient than a wrap, I found that an SSC still works best for me.

Rekindled love
Dancey Doll Twirl (Full Wrap Conversion)
When cbb was 6 months old, I decided to try Tula again, all because of one carrier: the Dancey Doll Twirl.

Are you kidding me? The whimsical prints and turquoise colour were screaming my name. The illustration has dolls dancing playfully among confetti and disco balls. What reason do I have not to get this? I got this at a great deal with custom accessories: a matching hoodie with ears, ribbon reach straps and curved drool pads. With the original hood, I went on to customise a pair of booties/prewalker shoes for CBB. The accessories maker even made a headband with the extra fabric!

The Dancey Doll Twirl is a full wrap conversion, meaning all aspects of the carrier, excluding the buckles and straps, are converted from a wrap fabric. Of all the carriers, I feel that it supports CBB best. The 30% tencel and 70% cotton blend is buttery soft and molds to her body, all round. If you’re talking about overall support for mama, our canvas carrier (coming up right below!) offers a little bit more, for me.

Beacon (Canvas)
I got struck by two things when I laid my eyes on Beacon: the sunshine yellow colour and the retro prints. I had to have it! Beacon is not available in Singapore and so not a common design. I customised my reversible drool pads from Little One Layette on Facebook, and have a hoodie on the way!

Shabby Chic (Full Wrap Conversion)
If there’s a personal description for Shabby Chic, it would be: “All the things I like, manifested in this carrier.”

Lace. Ribbons. Ruffles. Mint. Purple. Mustard. Craft. Victorian. Mystic. It’s completely dressed with full accessories. I got this from a lovely mama who got this from a lovely mama who has kept it in pristine condition. She even included scraps for me, and they’re on the way to be made into booties for CBB! Can’t wait to see how they will turn out!

The stock photo on the Baby Tula website doesn’t show how gorgeous Shabby Chic really is.

The days ahead
I see myself using my Tulas in rotation. Not just because they’re pretty (of course that’s a factor!), but also because to me, the support and convenience can’t be beat. I can carry her (she’s 9+kg) for the entire afternoon we’re out shopping. That’s easily 4-5 hours without putting her down. The thick shoulder padding and structured waistband provide the support I need over other SSCs I’ve tried. Plus, in a couple of months, I can try the backcarry with her. She would love that!

How long will I babywear CBB? I don’t know. But for now, I know that she loves to be cuddled. And I love to baby her. Although you technically only need one carrier for that….. :P

We’re very lucky to be chosen as a Tula Ambassadors for Singapore. There’s nothing I love more than to share my love for baby wearing and Tula carriers! And of course, I’m looking forward to err, growing my collection. I’m a bit obsessed with Lucy’s Garden, an Abby’s Lane exclusive release with glittery fairies. I hope to get my hands on it one day!

If you like my posts and updates, or would like to be informed of baby/cooking-related giveaways and promos from time to time…..
Like my Facebook page or follow @budgetpantry or @chuabeebee on Instagram! Yes, I just started an Insta account for CBB too!

The post Why I love wearing CBB in our Baby Tula carriers appeared first on Budgetpantry: Food, cooking, health & baby.

I can’t believe that I still have time to blog about a cheesy potato gratin recipe but this is long overdue!

Gratin is a traditionally French dish that has ingredients in a shallow baking dish topped with a browned crust – it could be using cheese, breadcrumbs, eggs or butter. So potato gratin means the key ingredient is potato, topped with something that would brown it. Of course it has to be melted cheese!

This is the husband’s modified recipe. So if he can do it, so can anyone! He cooked this dish for our anniversary and it was the most delicious potato gratin I have ever tasted. The white sauce is made with flour, butter and milk. Some gratins I’ve had before include packaged cooking cream, and I’m not necessarily a fan of those. This also means the dish is a little more waistline and pocket-friendly. The sauce that goes all over the potatoes:

Bacon is optional. Spring onions are optional. You can buy those pre-shredded packs of red & white cheddar/mozzarella cheese from Cold Storage for $2.99 a pack. Depending on the size of your baking dish (I used a 10″ x 7″ oval pyrex baking dish), you may have leftover sauce. I used them the next day in a seafood white sauce pasta which Jason gave the thumbs up to.

We had it with the awesomest juciest brined pork chops. Recipe coming up for the chops too!

I love potatoes. If only they weren’t carbs!

The post Cheesy bacon potato gratin appeared first on Budgetpantry: Food, cooking, health & baby.

When it comes to preparing meals for cbb, there’s one method I especially like: Throw everything into the rice cooker, press ‘Cook’, and walk away!

This is another of those one-pot rice cooker recipes that satisfies all nutritional needs in a meal: meat, vegetables, rice. To ramp up the flavour, I like to use chopped up leeks (the white part) and a bit of ginger-garlic paste. I often cook this for dinner for the entire family… I don’t add salt to our portions also, but you could if you wish.

I’ve got many pms asking me which rice cooker I am using. I can’t live without our Tefal Spherical Pot Rice Cooker. It’s super easy to use and practically fool proof. I can cook one-pot meals like this, or make a comforting porridge or congee. The included steamer rack also means that I can steam fish/meat/eggs while cooking rice. Saves me so much time! I reviewed this product last year, along with a recipe of multi-grain rice. Click on this link to read more.

It’s not a super-must to add leek, but I had some in the fridge that day and used them. I must say it really enhances the flavour a lot. This recipe also calls for ginger-garlic paste. You can make your own by blending 2 cloves of garlic with 3 slices of ginger in the food processor, or simply smash the garlic and grate the ginger. It’s more work but it means less things to wash. Or you could use store-bought paste, preferably with no salt added.

Tip: Click here to see my other baby food recipes. Will be adding more soon :) Like my Facebook page or follow @budgetpantry or @chuabeebee on Instagram to be updated on new recipes!

After discovering how easy it is to cook lamb French racks last Christmas, I’ve decided to contribute this dish for Chinese New Year’s reunion dinner: Pure South Lamb Cutlets in Char Siew Glaze.

This gorgeous dish took me all of 20 minutes to prepare, honest! 5 minutes to slice the lamb racks into individual lollipops, 5 minutes to baste them in garlic char siew sauce, 6 minutes in the airfryer at 170C and you’re done.

You can of course choose to pan fry or oven roast, or grill them. Read on for the different ways to prepare these Lamb French Racks!

Why I like these Lamb French Racks

Apart from being the most tender part of the lamb, this ONE reason about the French Racks has made me a lamb-convert: It’s incredibly easy to prepare at home.

Simply remove from package, rinse and pat dry, slice them into individual cutlets (it’s super easy to do – I sliced them all up in 5 minutes with my IKEA knife), season with spices/sauce or simply salt and pepper, then cook for 6-8 minutes.

You can also choose to roast them whole in the oven and only slice them after cooking. This way, even more juices will be retained, making the meat even more moist and tender.

Where’s this lamb from?

The lamb I’m using is conveniently packaged and frozen from Pure South, a New Zealand brand wholly owned by skilled and passionate Kiwi farmers.

Pure South dates back to 1948, when a group of farmers came together to process and market high-quality meat. Today, with over 4,000 farmer shareholders, they continue to lead the way with their passion and pure expertise in what they do.

Free range, grass fed stock = leaner and juicier meat

Free range and grass-fed stock is simply better. It’s healthier, tastier, and raised in New Zealand’s pure environment, it’s the ethical choice for quality red meat. The meat is leaner and juicier thanks to a higher moisture content. My entire family loves it.

Try it for Chinese New Year with a storewide 18% discount till end of Feb

These frozen lamb racks are available on Pure South’s online store, with prices as low as SG$23.91*!

Now available in single-rack packaging (approximately 400g), it’s perfect if you’re new to lamb, are curious about its quality, or if you have a small family of 2-3.

*Website reflects discounted price

Where to buy

Pure South New Zealand
Ecommerce website: https://puresouth.asia/collections/frontpage
Facebook: www.facebook.com/PureSouthAsia (lots of recipe inspirations!)
Instagram: www.instagram/PureSouthAsia

Recipe:

Do you have a little one who LOVES biscuits? I do!

But the biscuits or cookies in the market are either sweetened or devoid of nutrients. Most are made with sugar, butter and refined flour, and even the ‘purest’ baby bite (rice crackers) are not a great choice since you’re basically feeding your kid empty calories.

So instead of spending money on packages of ‘baby mum mum’ rice crackers, I finally decided to bake my own. I mean, taste is really secondary for cbb. Once she sees something in the form of a biscuit, and which tastes reasonable, she is a happy girl. But I didn’t want to make cookies with white flour. I had a pack of oats sitting around at home… it was time to make my own oat flour!

You can do this in a high speed food processor or blender for best results. I did mine in a manual food processor because I was too lazy to set up my Philips blender from the cabinet (true story). It worked, but it took a while. I have made this using rolled oats and instant oats. Best to make a small batch at one go, and ensure your appliances and bowls are dry.

Sift the flour to get rid of the larger bits. And store the fine oat flour in an airtight container. Use as you would regular flour.

Who else tries to eat as low carb as possible but can’t do without bread?! Hi, we can be friends!

One day, I was craving grilled cheese sandwich (‘grilled cheese’ in short) so much that I literally had to have it immediately.

There was no bread at home as usual but I had a whole head of cauliflower in the fridge. It was a sign that I had to create a low carb version.

The key thing is to squeeze as much water as you can out of the cauliflower. Too much moisture and it’ll fall apart. For the cheeses, I used a mix of shredded sharp cheddar and mozzarella and they turned out perfect. So there you are! An indulgent grilled cheese with minimal guilt.

You’re welcome.