Banana Bread or Banana Cake?

Banana Bread? Cake?

My favourite cake is always butter cake. Plain, I like my food plain.

I like my "ham chim peng" kosong.
I like my "gong zai peng" kosong.
I like my scones just butter scones.
I like my mooncake just lotus or red bean paste without the egg yolks.
I like my chocolate just pure dark chocolate.
I like my coffee dark or with milk, no other additives.
I like my milk just fresh milk, no flavoring.
I like...

I think you've got the idea.

But, it'll be pretty boring if I continuously bake ONLY butter cake.

Browsing through Pinterest and Flipboard everyday, and somehow, I landed myself with banana bread. Yes, that's what they call it in the recipe. But as I read through them, I just can't call them bread, they look more and cake to me.

But no matter what you want to call them, bread or cake. I baked them.

I used 5 fully ripen bananas and they turned out really fragrant. I wish they're more moist than the version of recipe that I follow, perhaps I shall make another version next time. If I've got the time.

I've tried to eat the banana cake/bread with a little cream cheese, they actually go quite well together :)

Here's the version of recipe I followed.

No-Bake Cheesecake

It isn't a Monday Blue today! It's replacement holiday at work, for Singapore National Day fell on Saturday. It makes me love Monday so much, well, just for today.

And I made myself busy in kitchen again.

Ever since one month ago, when blueberries are constantly on sales, 3 punnets for $6.XX, I have had so much blueberries. It's packed with vitamins and antioxidants, and myth has it to help burning fats, what a super fruits isn't it? Sounds great for a preggie, so why not?

I've had blueberries with oats, with cereals, with toasts, with pancakes, in smoothies! And today I decided to make them into no frills no bake cheesecake.

I've followed recipe from The Frustrated Chef, and as usual for a first time trial, I cut it into half recipe. And I cut down the sugar even further.

Tadaa!~

The one thing I would change with the recipe is to add lemon zest and lemon juice into the filling for more flavour. I actually wanted to do that, but I kinda made this whole thing in a rush because I am in short of time to go out for lunch with The Man.

Lesson, do not make anything in a rush.

I did make some changes to the filling though. I was cooking the blueberry while mixing the ingredients together. When the ingredients are mixed well, I fold the blueberry "jam" (without the fruits, just the gooey juice) into the mixture. Just lightly fold them, to create some flavour into the fillings. I didn't want the fillings to turn purple.

It turned out pretty good I would say.

Closer Look 

No bake no frills blueberry cheesecake

As I didn't plan to make a lot of them, I found a very useful tips from the internet, to make the small little cheesecake in cupcake mold. Place the cling wrap into each of the cupcake mold before you press the crust into them, as shown below. With that, when the cheesecake is chilled and formed, you can simply lift them with the cling wrap, and serve them on a plate.

By the way, the half recipe yielded about 6-8 cheesecake of this size.

Cheesecake in cupcake mold

I'm gonna be so fat...

Every time I cook or bake something, after I take pictures of them, I have to eat them, because most of the time I've destroyed them. With so many food that I've tried so far, I really do not wish to know how much fat have I gained!

When Another Life is Growing From What You Eat

Healthy tidbits anyone?

So how does it feel when it comes to food, when you're eating for two?

It kinda... sucks...

You know when you eat for yourself, you probably eat anything you want. You might occasionally feel the guilt for eating too sinful and see the weighing machine number shoots up. The tinge of guilt is all about it.

But when you're pregnant, everything changes!

You make sure you don't go hungry.

You make sure you're eating enough fibers, because constipation is the last thing you want.

You make sure you take protein, calcium, iron, folate, vitamins, omega3... And hoping you're intaking them in balance. Ugh! How do you even tell??!!

You make sure you're drinking milk or yogurt everyday.

You make sure you cut down processed food, or at least try freakingly hard! :P

You make sure you are far away from the no-no foods, whether they're scientifically proven or probably just myths!

Wine? No no, you can either pour in some grape juice to pretend you're drinking one, or use it decoratively :)

You make sure...

And the list just goes on and on...

At this time, mixed nuts have become my usual healthy tidbits. I'm actually a potato chips girl, I always eat potato chip because they're sooo sooooo delicious. And I like them to go with hummus dip or salsa dip!

But as pregnancy goes along, I've tried my very best to make friends with nuts (by going nuts), with occasion irresistible indulgence of potato chips.

The hardest part? The doctor advised you not too get too heavy in case the baby is growing too much and you'll have a hard time during the D-Day. And then it turns out, hey, baby a little too slim >.<

Food, a love-hate relationship!

三文鱼土豆粥

三文鱼土豆粥

已经好一阵子没有煮粥，一来因为懒惰，二来因为男人晚餐吃粥总是吃不饱，所以就渐渐越来越少煮。

几天前照超声波，医院报告说宝宝长得有点苗条。真奇怪，我明明一直一直都在吃，体重也一直节节上升，为什么还会长得苗条？就因为如此，更下定决心，要吃得更好。就来碗有营养的粥吧～

材料（一人份量）：

1. 三文鱼，约一百克
2. 土豆，一颗（小颗的）
3. 干贝，一颗
4. 米，三格
5. 水，四杯
6. 麻油，一汤匙
7. Furikake，少许，随你所意
8. 盐和胡椒，少许

做法：

1. 土豆和三文鱼洗净切小块。
2. 用少许盐和胡椒腌制三文鱼。
3. 把水煮开，把土豆和干贝放进滚水，小火煮至少20分钟。
4. 之后，把米倒进，小火煮至少10分钟。
5. 把腌制的三文鱼放进粥里，煮5分钟。
6. 倒入麻油，搅拌之后，把盖子关上，焖5分钟。
7. 把粥倒入碗里，撒上furikake，即可食用。

简单吧！而且有营养 :)

逐渐庞大的身躯

今天，我的孕期进入32周6天，明天就33周了。很快，不到两个月的时间，宝宝即将来到这个世界。

好多人喜欢问我，你准备好了吗？嗯，想想一下，还没有。我的房间还堆得满满的宝宝的东西，小衣服、小裤子、纸尿布、袜子、手套、还有各种各样亲朋戚友送的小礼物，各式各样都还原原本本的装在箱子或袋子里，没有拆封，没有清洗 (-_-) 柜子放满了，就放在床上，床上不够位子，放地上。这种时间，真的不能让人探望，凌乱程度会让人窒息。

从32周开始，医院吩咐孕妈妈每天记录宝宝胎动有无超过10次。这听起来不算艰难的事情，对我来说却有点难。为什么呢？我基本上很少静静的坐着，走来走去，动来动去的时候，除非宝宝的胎动特别用力，要不然没有注意，是不会察觉的。而且，现在我的很健忘，算到哪里了，总是胡乱写。反正我知道，是超过10次了。

喘 （−＿−；）

从踏入30－31周开始，我的肚子突然之间变得很庞大。31周期间，我开始觉得后腰会疼，尤其坐姿不对，或者书包里背得太多，或者走路走得太快。现在，必须时时刻刻提醒自己，步伐放慢一点，没有人跟我比赛；书包背轻一点；坐姿要正确，要时时走动，避免坐得太久。

32周开始，我也开始偶尔半夜需要起身上厕所。之前都是一觉到天亮，现在这种机会是50－50的。不敢期望我不需要起来上厕所，这种机会太渺茫，只希望从现在到生产，都维持这种50－50的情况就很好了。

31－32周期间，我也开始水肿 (T_T)，非常讨厌。有时间就得做做甩甩脚的运动，坐着的时候尽量把脚垫高，尽量走动，可以的话就喝喝红豆汤（有帮助消除水肿）。昨天也从机场买了一瓶同事介绍的Clarins的Anti-Eau Body Treatment Oil。据说，每晚用这个按摩，可以帮忙消除水肿。很贵，但是，我也尽管试试。

原本怀孕还是觉得一身轻的我，现在，渐渐觉的庞大无比，行动开始受阻了。

哎⋯⋯怀孕的痛苦，应该是这时正式开始。