An Apple A Day Keeps Little Miss Yurie Happy

One of my Little Chills is a one-year-old Little Miss Yurie. She eats almost anything and has an appetite and attitude of a grown up. If you are in my kitchen, you will be inspired to bake some more because all that goes to her mouth are superbly YUMMY to her taste. 

Unfortunately, she has a mom who is  neither a cook nor a baker. But with the help of YouTube and other food blogs, surprisingly, I had slowly transformed into a pro...  (hahaaha..wish it's true!) And since we love apple in the house, I googled some easy apple recipes for my Little Chills to taste and nibble.

Here are some of the Little Chills' Favorites:

Baked Apple Cinnamon Crisps 

This is actually inspired by the Baked Cinnamon Apple Chips at http://sallysbakingaddiction.com. But instead of baking it at the oven, I baked mine using the Philips Airfryer.(Philips HD9240/94 Airfryer Avance, X-Large, Black) You may visit the site to see her method but as as always you can do your twist in baking this recipe.

I also use my favorite Mandoline Slicer (Swissmar Borner V Power Mandoline, V-7000, Red) to quickly slice the apples very thin and beautiful. 

Baked Apple Crisps inpired by sallysbakingaddiction.com

 Baked Apple Roses

This may not look stunning as the other Baked Apple Roses you can find on the web, but I'm happy I can actually make my own Apple Roses.Check  http://tiphero.com to see how these beautiful roses are made and you will be happy with what you can do.

Baked Apple Roses inspired by tiphero.com

L'usine Squares: A Modern Way of Preparing Sandwiches

One of  mother's great joys is to find ways how to make their little ones happy with what they are eating, especially when they are in school. Last week, as I was looking for breads in the supermarket, I found L'usine Squares . (By the way,  "L'usine" means 'the factory' in French) 

This little discovery is very timely since schools will start next week and one of my concerns and I know other mothers too,  is what to put in my child's lunch bag.  

So what are L'usine Squares all about? As the package says, "L' usine Squares are the new modern bread which can be topped, grilled, toasted with a variety of ingredients. Deliciously soft and white, they are perfect as a quick and tasty snack for anytime of the day." 

Indeed those things are true!  L'usine Squares are really great and a modern way of preparing sandwhiches. I am not being paid for endorsing these breads but I just love to share this with my other mommy friends as it really works great for me and my daughters simply love the new sandwhich.


Again, why do we love the new L'usine Squares?

•  Breads are readily sliced for your convenience. There are 6 sandwich slices per pack so if you think your kid can only finish this much in a week, then just get 1 pack and buy again if you need one. This means less food waste.
•  Resealable packaging -it is packed in a resealable plastic as compared to a plastic bag with twist tie closure so less space in case you want to put it in a fridge. Although, they say fresh breads are not recommended to be stored in a fridge because it dries out much faster. 
• Longer expiry date than the regular breads. This one has 7-8 days shelf life while other bakery sandwhich breads have 2-3 days shelf period.
• Quality bread for a reasonable price - Ohh sorry, I actually forgot how much it cost but I think less than QR5 per pack. I'll try to update when I buy the new pack this week.
•  Quick and easy to top, grill or toast with a variety of ingredients. You can fill or top it with cheese, eggs, chicken, meat, turkey, jams, or anything your child loves. You can even make pizza squares! But for now my daughters' favorite are just the easy grilled cheese sandwhich! 

So, to all my mommy friends (especially the busy, working moms)  try these new L'usine Squares in preparing sandwhiches for your kids and you will simply love the difference!

What Kind of Spice Are You?

Friends who really know me can easily say - "Chill cannot survive in her kitchen all by herself because she cannot really cook!" It's a shame but that's true! Cooking is not really my cup of tea. Rather than putting my apron on and dipping my hands on the sink, I think Dennis would prefer me calling our favorite restaurant for a quick food delivery. At least, we are all assured that we will not starve for the day. Good thing, we always have Kathy to save our hungry tummies.

Spice market photo @ www.kenresearch.com

But despite of my cooking deficiencies, I am not putting my hopes down. I have promised myself I will be learning how to cook the best way I can.In fact, I started my lesson last week with various spices and I would like to share some interesting thoughts on it.

Have you ever thought that spices are pretty much like us? Read below some of my favorites and decide for yourself:

Every kitchen has this - Black Pepper. It has a sharp, penetrating aroma and with a woody, piney flavor. It is hot and biting to the taste.

Cilantro has the "indescribable" bold flavor - it has a mixture of sage, parsley, and citrus that adds pungent flavor and sets apart many dishes.

Cinnamon (my personal favorite)is characterized as woody, musty, earthy, and sweet flavored spice. It is warming to the taste. Cinnamons can be whole, sticks, or ground and can be used in spiced vegetable dishes as well as in sweet baking dishes.

Paprika is the "garnish spice" that contributes brilliant color and sweet pepper flavor in light colored dishes. It is often used in French dressing and a popular addition to many rubs, marinades and sauces.  

For no good reason,most of us can be like Mr Black Pepper - sharp and woody and hot tempered (and bite like a dog when being annoyed!).

Boldness that sets apart -now I can call this "cilantropic attitude". Looking at the positive side, cilantropic people can inspire us with their creativity and boldness in all their endeavors.

Speaking about Cinnamoners, I think everybody would want to be like them -- warm, good natured souls. They are down to earth and can hang out with people from all walks of life.

The Paprikans are people gifted with brilliance that can illuminate a gloomy atmosphere. Their mere presence can inspire and spice up one's life.

And of course, who can ever forget Mr.Salt? No further words required, but no cooking can survive without a pinch of salt.

So what about you? Have you thought what kind of spice are you?

Create a difference, spice up your life with love and goodness!