School Lunchbox Week 1

Yes, I know we are on the 3rd week of school but it's never too late to share V's school lunchbox.

Parents were reminded during the school orientation to pack healthy lunch for kids to bring since unhealthy sweets can make young ones be hyper active.

V's school start very early, assembly time is at 7:20 am and 8th period ends at 1:40 pm. I initially thought that Grade 1 will have two breaks (1 for snack and 1 for lunch) but they only have one at 10:25 am till 11:00 am, when the teacher told us about this all the parents reacted with one question "Won't the kids get hungry?" to which the teacher replied with "That's why you should make sure they eat a healthy heavy breakfast."



My week 1 lunchbox ideas for V was to send him a filling snack/lunch to school and preferably something that is warm. During our vacation I bought a Sahara Tiger Thermal Lunchbox this keeps food warm for up to 8 hrs (C did prove this to be true, lunchbox was prepared at 5:30 am and stayed warm till 12 noon). V's complain on this lunchbox - heavy and big.

 



 

I was on a search for V's perfect lunchbox something light, has compartments and something that will keep food warm. The search led me to Daiso I purchased this rectangular shape clear box, silicon muffin cups and clear square box with lid.



 

I'm giving myself a pat on the shoulder for managing to pack a pretty healthy lunchbox for V. Here's what I prepared for 1st week I just forgot to snap a photo of his 1st day lunch.

1 Cream Cheese, 1 Nutella & 1 deli meat animal shaped sandwich, Full Cream Milk, boiled Corn, Apple & Olives.

feedback:

V came home telling me that his classmate ate 3 sandwiches, good thing he ate all of his corn.

  

Rice topped with Broccoli & Carrots, Apples & Oranges, Banana Oat Muffin, Chicken Adobo strips with Quail Eggs

feedback:

V came back with 1 muffin, untouched rice, 1 pc of apple slice, half of adobo strips

  

Rice, Boiled Corn & Edemame beans, Shrimp Hakaw

feedback:

Rice and half of the corn & edemame came back home

  

Yag Go! Chocolate Milk, Deli Meat & Cream Cheese Sandwich, Yakult, and Apples

feedback:

V ate all his apple and came home with half eaten sandwich.

  

Overall I'm happy that V ate most of the food I prepared for him. V doesn't want to eat a lot in school afraid that he might go potty #2 and he requested that I don't send him with a lot of food in school.

What did you pack for your kid's school lunch? & What is your favorite lunch box container?

 

1st week of Junior 1

*sigh*


My V all smiles inside his classroom for Junior 1.

I asked him if he'll stop kissing Mama in front of his friends because his in grade 1, V replied with a hug and wet kiss telling me I will never stop kissing you Mama. ( I will come back and show him this post when his a teen and refuse to give me a kiss!)

We have survived 1st week of school and I admit I was the one nervous that I won't wake up early enough (bus pickup at 6:13 am) and that I won't pack enough food for him.

I've been crazy searching the stores for the perfect lunchbox since V complained that the Sahara Tiger lunchbox is too heavy but hey it keeps his food warm even after 6 hrs!



Vs week 1 school lunchbox feedback is that I send him way too much food. Too much? He comes home complaining he's soo hungry! He explained that he doesn't want to go potty #2 at school that's why he doesn't want too much food.


How was your 1st week of school?

V beat the claw game machine!

I won Mama! For the first time I won!



Beaming with delight with a screaming LittleMiss beside him.

After the claw game drama which broke Vs heart, I was hesitant to make him play again but he would insist every time we see one.

I finally gave in when he insisted that he wants to do it for his LittleMiss. He maneuvered the claw from left to right and finally settled above the toy pressed the red button. Viola! Claw grabbed the toy and dropped it.

V won!

Ginataang Munggo

I am talking to my sister via facebook, she's in the office and even though storm Maring has left Philippines it still is raining back home. The recipe I am sharing today is perfect to give warmth to a rainy season.

Ginataang Munggo is a mix of glutinous rice and green mung beans cooked with coconut milk and sweetened with either sugar or condensed milk similar to ginataang mais.


 

It's 9 am and the kids are still sleeping. I am enjoying a little bit of "me quiet time" while reading the newest addition to our bookshelf - Momofuku Milk Bar. I am planning to prepare at least three recipe from the book every month.

The husband has been giving me hints that he likes ginataang munggo, the dish was suppose to be a surprise for him to enjoy for afternoon snack but then the nearby grocery delivered the wrong item and didn't bother to come back for my glutinous rice. My dear husband had to go down and buy me glutinous rice a key ingredient to enjoy his merienda.

Ginataang Munggo (Mung Beans and Sticky Rice Pudding) 

• 1/2 cup  Mung Beans


• 1/2 cup Glutinous Rice, washed


• 3 cups  Coconut Milk


• 6 Tbsp Sugar  (or 2 Tbsp condensed milk)


• 2 Tbsp Milk

Procedure:

1) Toast mung beans on skillet until brown

2) Cool mung beans and crack using a blender or almeres (mortar & pestel)

3) Simmer 2 cups of coconut milk

4) Add rice and let boil. After adding the rice make sure you give the pudding a good mix every 5 to 10 minutes.

5) Once you got the rice & coconut milk boiling add Mung beans.

6) Simmer till rice is soft and mushy and the mung beans still has a little bite to it.  If the rice and mung beans still not cooked to your liking pour in the remaining 1 cup of coconut milk, and if you ran out of coconut milk don't worry you can add either whole milk or water till the pudding texture you like is achieved. *We like our ginataang monggo with a little texture that's why the mung beans are a tad bit under cook.

7) Stir in your preferred sweetener.

8) Serve warm with a little bit more of milk.

Enjoy!

Car seat outbursts

This is not the usual cutie patootie posts about our LittleMiss.

I don't drive so I always sit at the back with the kids, C and I find the seating arrangement convenient so I can attend to whatever request V and LittleMiss needs (water, food, tissue, breastfeed - yes I've found a way to feed LittleMiss while both of us are buckled in the back).

We bought V his car seat when he was around 3 years old and he never had a meltdown while seated. LittleMiss however started fighting getting strapped on to her car seat, carrier and stroller at 11 months. Most of the time I give in and end up letting her sit in my lap. Why? She starts crying, screaming and vomiting that we end up not having a fun family day. Once she ended having a mild fever from her car seat outburst from Al Qusais to Dubai Mall.

Photos below taken while we were waiting for Dad C to come back.

As soon as I put her down this happens.

And when I still refuse to get her she vomits.

Her outbursts has cause me stress whenever we go out. I've tried offering her toys, singing favorite songs, and breastfeeding (this usually works) but as soon as she unlatch we're back to crying.

Any advise? Should we change her car seat? Ignore her completely? (ignoring her is really hard for me)

Food we ate along Nathan Road

One will never go hungry along Nathan Road, Hong Kong. Sharing with you some snaps of food we enjoyed during our 5 days stay.

Gong Cha - We ordered Taro and Black Tea. C and I thinks that it needs a little more flavor and sweetness, but it might be just us asking the wrong mix? They speak very little English we had to give our order fast (long queue behind us).

 Almost everyone walking with us had this particular bubble tea in hand.

Food Corner - Located just a block away from our hotel this food stall was a busy one, they had siomai, fish balls, beef tripe, pork innards, octopus meat and a whole lot more.

  

V's favorite food place along Nathan Road.

 We had a long walk to reach Nathan Congee & Noddle place for breakfast.



 

I ordered Congee with Pork Liver

 a complimentary sweet bread in every table

 Hubby C ordered Beef Noodles

Food on Stick - We passed by this place and it had a long queue which tempted us to join the crowd as well. Sold here are Squid/Octopus and Pork innards on stick served cold with mustard and what I think is hoisin sauce. Taking photo was not allowed, good thing I was able to snap a photo of the stall name before they opened.





 

Cafe de Coral - We discovered the restaurant on our last day located in the 2nd floor of a building across the Food Corner.









 

As much as I want to explore the food scene along Nathan Road it was quite challenging with a baby who refuse to sit on the stroller or carrier and who was not happy on a crowded place. When the kids are older we will go back and try to eat at each food stall along Nathan Road.

 

*photo taken using my iPhone 5

World Breastfeeding Week 2013

Happy Breastfeeding Week! All milking mama's





Breastfeeding week starts today till August 7. Here in Dubai though we celebrate it in November because the country observes Ramadan this month.





LittleMiss turned 13 months and still breastfeeding. I weaned V from the breast weeks before he turned 2 years old, this time though I have no plans of weaning her by that age.





I would like to thank my MIL for staying with us when I gave birth and for my husband C for the support and always cheering that we can do it.





Thank you also to Breastfeeding Q&A UAE Group for the listening, advise and stories that accompanied me on the wee hours while I feed my baby.

Read more abouth this years theme at World Breastfeeding Week

Reach out and share your breastfeeding journey Mama's!