~ Labour Day - Long Weekend ~

It is a long weekend due to the Labour Day holiday on Friday and I am enjoying it :). We went to the Metro Expo Sale on Labour Day and I got 2 pairs of crocs shoes again at $45. hehehe

On Saturday, we took the kids to swimming as usual.. I wonder if it's due to the holiday or H1N1 Flu Influenza, there seems to be less people. When we enter the gate, all visitors need to register their names. Denver went straight ahead with his lesson while Gladys has to wait half hour later before she can go to the pool.. (cos it will be too long for her to stay in the water for the full hour).

Gladys simply cannot sit still... she walked about, 'disturb' her daddy who is busy looking at the papers and finally got frastrated having to wait soooo long and cried. :p hahaha.. Well, she eventually got to hit the waters. Denver and Gladys had fun at the pool. :)

In the evening, hubby brought my mil and family to Xin Wang HongKong Cafe @ Kovan for dinner in celebration of Mother's Day. Urmm.. I think they didn't really fancy the food but it's definitely something different. Earlier, I also bought Gladys a new Fishing Game toy.. and the siblings keep 'fishing' at home. I wonder how long the toy will last.

On Sunday, I went to Owen's house where hubby helps to fix up the router. Then, we visit my parents and had lunch. Mother's Day is around the corner and I still don't know what to get for Mum... hmmm.. We travelled back home for a nap and woke up rather early (2 plus in the afternoon).. so we decided to go Marina to collect my Zingrill membership card and walk around in Suntec. Has been searching around for a toy crocodile for Gladys as she is getting out of hand. She is quite scare of it and will try to behave more. We went to Toys R Us and manage to find a small one... well.. it works for awhile... urmm...but she somehow seems to get over it eventually..urghhh.. back to the cane.

Sunday evening is a night out at NTUC Xtra and looking around for FOOD! :p They are selling Electric ovens at around $70 and I am wondering if I should get one.. Really tempted to buy and try start baking cakes... hmmmm

~ Downtown East ~

Yesterday's lunch was spaghetti with pre-made instant carbonara sauce as I wanted to finish up the left over ingredients. Didn't went to buy new food at NTUC and so I'm re-using what's left in the fridge.

After work, Hubby and I took the kids to Downtown East to enjoy the last day promotion offer - Fun+Meal deal. (i.e. 1 Free kiddy/Ferris wheel ride + dine at selected eatery + 1 play of your choice at $15). We bought 2 tickets at $30 and here's what we got.

1) Hubby took Gladys on a Ferris Wheel ride

2) One BK meal + drink and Subway Tuna Melt + Drinks

3) $20 worth of XZone arcade top up.

Quite worth it! We paid an extra $6 to let the kids enjoy the kiddy train ride though as Gladys keep saying she wants to sit on it. Later, we went to the arcade and spent more than $10 there.. Ah well...

~ 'Ketchup" Rice ~

Getting tired of having normal rice for lunch lately and so I tried to make something different..Tomato rice.. Hmmmm.. but since I don't have any tomatoes at home, so I use Ketchup instead :p. I steamed my rice as per normal. Using another small saucepan, I put Ketchup, chopped hot dogs, carrots, crab meat, a bit of water, salt and pepper together and cook. After that, I mixed the ketchup sauce with my cooked rice and here is my "Ketchup" rice.. hahahaha :p. Taste not too bad la. Next time should get some greenly vegetables/peas.. will be more healthier and colourful.

~ Doctor Play Set ~

We took the children to Pasar Malam last weekend and they had fun playing with rolling the balls games. Points were collected in exchange for a Yellow Ball which Gladys wanted. Then we head on to play the "fish a frog" game. $5 for 3 tries and each frog has a prize number in it. Hubby spent $10 and all the mini-toys were in exchange of a Doctor set for Gladys and Snooker set for Denver.

Gladys was so happy with the Doctor playset and she can't wait to go back home and play. The kids started to pretend as doctors and their favourite kits are the stethoscope and the injection needle. I had to be their patient to let them 'inject' me and also listen to my 'heartbeat'. (i.e. if they can place the stethoscope at my chest. Most of the time they were placing it all over me..my tummy, leg, hand and even face. -___- Trying to be funny.. LOL)

~ Heat Wave! ~

The weather these days have been terrible! HOT HOT HOT! We have to turn on our Aircon every night to keep the room cooling. Electrical bills is expected to go UP again next month. :( Hubby's car air-condition is often running at high or full blast and I have been bottling myself with either water or cold drinks (felt so bloated). I'm also not really keen to stay outdoors for too long. Occasionally there will be rain, but then the heat starts to steam up again. I wonder how long this warm weather is going to continue....

~ Baby Ashton ~

There's a new addition to the family on 22nd April and he is Ashton Lau (刘宇轩). Big brother's first baby. Hubby and I went to visit that evening at TMC and am glad that baby is well and healthy weighing a good 3.1kg. Can't believe that I am now upgraded to Aunt Phoebe. From having my own children to now having a nephew.

Suddenly recall how I went through giving birth to Denver and Gladys. It was a painful process but an experience that I'll never forget. Given another chance, I will still go for natural delivery to bear the extreme pain to appreciate and treasure the wonderful children that I am blessed with. Considering myself a failure being a daughter, hence I don't have high expectations on my children. Being a mother, a parent is not easy... I can only do my best to love, provide and educate them.. hoping that they will grow up to lead a honest and happy life.

~ No bake Oreo Cheesecake ~

I had a couple more attempts on making other flavours of no bake cheesecake some time ago.. Tried pandang jelly and it doesn't taste as nice.. then I put peaches with the lemon flavoured cheesecake and felt something is missing. hmmmm..

Anyway, this time I made another attempt with Oreo. :)

The receipe is pretty much similar except I reduced the amount of sugar (since the cream within the Oreo is pretty sweet) and tried increasing the amount of Gelatine to make the cake firmer.

Steps:

1) Separate the cream from the Oreo biscuits. (I used about 14 cookies)

2) Crush the Oreo cookies into fine crumbs.

3) Mix melted butter with Oreo cookies crumbs. This will be the base of the cake crust.

4) Press biscuit mixture firmly onto the base of your container. Store it in the freezer.

5) Put cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, cream from Oreo cookies and dissolved gelatin into a large deep bowl. Beat mixture with electric mixer at low speed until well blended and smooth.

6) Separate the mixture into two portions.

7) Coarsely crush some Oreo cookies with cream inside and mix with the first portion of the mixture.
8) Take out the container from the freezer. It should harden by now. Spoon filling over crust. Use the back of the spoon to smoothen the surface of cake.

9) Let the mixture set for awhile before applying the 2nd portion of the mixture on top of it.

10) Optional: you can add finely crushed Oreo cookies crumbs in the middle or on top of the mixture.

11) Cover and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, or until firm.

Tata! Final output.. :) Not bad for first time attempt. hehehe.. The kids love it! Hubby says he prefers the lemon flavoured one. I like it both. :D

~ Cooking ~

I have been learning to make some really simple dishes.. looking at various recipes from the web and here's some which I made last week.. Nothing fantastic (limited resources as we don't have lots of food at home for me to 'play' with).. at least it still edible and no one has a bad tummy. :p

Steamed tofu with mushroom and carrots.

Egg rolls with hotdogs

I was working from home on Thursday and steamed my rice.. Being lazy... I put carrots, hotdogs, crabmeat and steam them altogether so that I only have to wash my steamer. Hahaha.. That settle my lunch and the colours still look pleasing for me to eat. :p