Oats and Raisin Steam Cake madness

I am so into cake steaming!!! HAHAHA!

After I successfully steamed the apple steam cake for my little girl, I moved on to steaming oats and raisin steam cake! And again! She loves it! She ate so much that she has to skip her dinner! Hahahaha! Bad I know! She is addicted to it too!

Let’s get back to our main topic, oats and raisins steam cake. This round of steaming I got myself a smaller mold! A better size to be packed into her snacks box and also just nice for her to hold!

On top of that, I use Blackstrap Molasses instead of honey for this cake. Why Molasses? Molasses are high in Iron and Calcium content. Oh yes! Toddler needs calcium and iron in their diet! Molasses is not as sweet as honey.

 For your reference: (I am not a nutritionist, just a researcher, you may want to check with a nutritionist/doctor if you have any doubts)

1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses: 172 mg Calcium

1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses: 1 mg Iron

Source and references:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_iron-in-your-childs-diet_10324691.bc

http://www.babycenter.com/0_calcium-in-your-childs-diet_10324689.bc

http://www.wholesometoddlerfood.com/toddlercalcium.htm

Ok, enough of nutritional info.

Let’s go back to steaming! For oats and raisins, I used rolled oats and normal raisin. Note that rolled oats takes a long time to cook (instant oats cooks faster). Hence, I soak them overnight, drain the water and I blend the oats with the raisins (because my girl dislike chewing). You can skip the blending part if your child prefers chewy texture. 

Munching on big sweet raisins makes a child happy! *Wink!*

steam oats and raisin cake

Here you go! The recipe for Toddler Oats and raisin Steam Cake! (~3 egg tart size cake).

 Not recommended for children bellow 1 year old (No Molasses for children below 1)

Steam cake recipe:

½ cup of all purpose flour

1.5 teaspoon of baking powder

1 egg

2 tablespoon of rolled oats

1 tablespoon of raisins

2 tablespoon of grated cheese (cheddar)

1 tablespoon of molasses

3 tablespoon of natural yogurt/milk

Just mix everything and steam for 8-10 min/until cook.

Have fun steaming and feeding your toddler!

Apple Steam cake for my Girl!

  After seeing a steam cake recipe shared by a wonderful mom, I decided to make some for my little girl. Sadly, my first attempt was a failure. But after fine-tuning the recipe à Whoala! I got a steam cake!

To begin with, I do not have a mini mold to make a mini cake for my mini human. So bah! She have her egg-tart size apple steam cake and she loves it! (To me…tasteless.. hehe) The upside of making this steam cake is that you can make it within less than half an hour and it is a good snack/finger food for toddlers! You don't even need a OVEN!!!!!!

She is such a poser isn't she?

Here you go! The recipe for Toddler Apple Steam Cake! (~3 egg tart size cake) 

à Not recommended for children bellow 1 year old (No honey for children below 1)

Steam cake recipe:

      A.     ½ cup of all purpose flour

      B.     1.5 teaspoon of baking powder 

      C.     1 egg

      D.     2 tablespoon of apple puree (or grated apple if you like it crunchy)

      E.      2 tablespoon of grated cheese (cheddar)

      F.      1 tablespoon of honey

      G.     3 tablespoon of natural yogurt/milk

Just mix everything and steam for 8-10 min/until cook.

Time to stock up your kitchen and have fun steaming and feeding your toddler!

Now A MOM

The word “Baby” does not mean anything to me all these years. Even though I got married early, “Baby” was not what I would even plan or think about at that time or maybe never! I could not imagine myself pregnant, carrying a baby (which I don’t at all before this), feeding a baby, going around with a baby, cleaning poop and pee and etc. Just NO! I would probably sucked as a mom. I was just comfortable as myself and doing my thing my own way and timing. Just not as a mom! I Have no idea how to handle or talk to a kid!

The fact is like it or not, the moment you get married, everyone will ask and some will pressure you about babies. Growing up in a Christian family background plus Chinese culture, we don’t live/sleep/vacation alone with our potential spouse until we get married. BAH! Very traditional and conservative I know! So why not enjoy the two after marriage before moving on to 3 or more (Just my point of view and you do not have to agree/disagree with it!)? Hewp! I can write all my point of views about marriage and baby timeline here but let’s just save it for another post or maybe not at all.

Moving to the next phase of life (Parenthood) was not an easy decision. It was an exciting move for my hubby but it was rather “yes and no” situation for me. Being neither here nor there, I was actually very lost. Making the matter worst, I have a very frequent traveler hubby (due to his job nature). It was tough to face the stress all alone most of the time which eventually draws down to depression (and yet nobody understands but God understands). Phew. After much consideration, negotiations (YES NEGOTIATE) and lectures, we finally decided on family expansion after 2 years of marriage (I was still trying to sort out my life with plus one!).

After nine months of baking (spending my entire second trimester in Montreal with hubby), I am finally a mom with a physical baby in my arms! Me being me, as hard as a rock, as rebellious and a cow, you can imagine how hard I fought between scientific/medical facts and traditional myths throughout my pregnancy plus confinement. It was not easy and until today myths still don’t make sense to me but hey! I am born Chinese! So accept it! Some advices are given through observations and own experiences without clinical test and they may or may not benefit you. And me being a researcher, I guess I would have to learn to accept some of what I don’t see/read or tested. So my advice, just listen, you might need them or maybe not along the way. CHEERS! (Seriously…. Drink more soy bean for fairer baby? Or don’t eat octopus during pregnancy or else something will pull baby in the womb and you can’t push the baby out! Muahahaha!) Ok, fine, people still do believe in those myths! So please! Respect! MILO MAKES BABY BLACK! Tell me that! I am a milo addict! OK! *Make peace!*

Beautiful Sky in Montreal, Canada

Today, I am a blessed mom of a one year old darling. I am so blessed to be given a choice to handle my baby on my own. Being a 24 hour mom, it teaches me life beyond myself. I learned to love, care and to give more than I could even imagine. I couldn’t see myself as a mom who cleans/touches poop and yet I did it! Well, I guess she changes me. It is amazing to see how God works. From month to month I see her grow, change and does new tricks like how she begin to crawl and now walk (very fast and sudden!)! It is beyond what I can imagine to see how God created human to be and experiences are beyond what we read on books/articles. As a researcher, I call this “practice brings theory to life”! Seriously, I think I read a lot ever since I am a mom! Ah well, there are so many things to learns when it comes to babies and not to forget about what to feed them when they started to eat! I have never been so serious about food until I am pregnant and even more when started feeding my baby. We all know that articles are articles. So do talk to other moms or your doctor for some information too! That is how I learn about motherhood from zero to something. HEHE! Baby friendly home? Bah! Don’t even talk about it! It was not an issue until she turns one! Now I am learning to make my home baby friendly. So do wish me luck! (Advices and Ideas are welcome too!)The journey of growing together is priceless and to be able to give the best for her is definitely a blessing from God. Her laughter and presence brings so much joy to the family.

A very playful girl

I think u can see me and my baby getting chubbier together! HAHAHA!

Hubby fed us well! *HUGS*

We as a parent, we learn so much by having so much hands on experience. We are glad to have a strong baby who is able to follow us no matter where we fly. By trial and error (I hope no serious damage), I am glad we made it! Not an easy task but a fulfilling one! *High Five!* 

Hugs to all mom and mom to be out there!

Something New

I have abandon this blog more than a year ago and guess what? I am back! Why am I writing again? 

When we were having our vacation in Hong Kong last month, Hub told me to wake my creativity once again. Giving him a confused face, "Am I that dull ever since a became a Mom? Hmmm...". 

Hong Kong can be an interesting place for creative ideas (besides shopping). The architecture of the buildings and the interior designs of the malls around Hong Kong actually inspire us to think beyond the box. As we were walking and talking about what we see and how we can creatively redesign the rooms in our home, hub suddenly suggest that I should start writing again. 

Hong Kong after a heavy downpour

Ok.. Write? It has been awhile since I last written something. I have to admit that my brain is seriously getting lazy. Just living the day with task and datelines. So, any good topic for me to write?

Hub: Now  that you are a mom, you can write about your experience as a mom. Since you are travelling again, you should have fresh ideas to share. It will be interesting!

Me: hmmm.. Sounds interesting! This means I have to start squeezing my brain juice again for ideas plus grooming again and no more slacking... (For the sake of photos!) >_<

Born in Hong Kong! I will be on my lappy/phone writing again and this time it is about motherhood, traveling with baby, food, home and many more..

Keeping my fingers crossed!

 Looking forward to find some time to write and hopefully it is inspiring and comforting or maybe  helpful to moms/mom2be/mom wanna be/lost mom/anybody!