We *Hearts* Hi5 & Happy Teachers' Day

I have never imagine myself being one of those parents who would put in effort to bring their kids to watch kiddy shows, less said to bring the kids to meet their favorite idols. Yup! I outdid myself! Well Done CXR! Big K and Lil K are both obsessed with Hi5 and Big K adores one of the members - Steven Nicholson so much that she has been "calling" him on those toy phones since she understands the whole idea of a phone. It is really a pity that he will soon leave the group for greener pastures end of the year and the performance in Singapore this year September would be his last appearance as Hi5.
Well, how could I miss this chance to make some lasting memory for my Kiddos?! And so le Hubs and me decided to bring them to a meet and greet session at some unknown mall prior to their actual performance (which we bought 3 CAT A tixs). It was like spend 50 and earn a chance to take a pic with the group. It was on a sat and so happens, the day before (Friday) is teachers day in Singapore. And so, I decided to do something special for both the teachers and the Hi5 members. I bake some sugar cookies and decorated them for each occasion. This is really simple yet looks so pretty. I reduced the sugar in the sugar cookie so that the overall taste of the cookie would not be too overwhelmed with sugar =)

Recipe adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/10402/the-best-rolled-sugar-cookies/
*Sugar reduced to 1 cup

The Naked Hearts

The one thing I really dread when rolling this type of cookie dough is they become so soft so quickly due to our ever so humid and hot weather. So it would really help if you can do it in a air-con room =)

As for the icing, just mix the following together till well incorporated. And divide them into piping bags and add your desired coloring. You are ready to rock!

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tbsp milk

For the cookies meant for the teachers, I went for the chocolate coat and covered with toasted almond bits. =)


Almond Choco Hearts

Big K had a great time running about the school distributing her gift to the teachers. But even better when she presented her Idol with the cookies on stage the next day. She got a big hug and Hi5 from Stevie. This girl is star-strucked! And since this will be the last chance she can get up close and personal with Stevie, we went for the second time on Sunday for the meet up, and yup, we spend another 50 for the queue tickets. Hai.. the money we spend just to make the lil ones happy. But hey... when they are happy... it makes me over the moon =)

For the Teachers

L-O-V-E

The initials for the 5 Hi5 members

 

Food-Bakes-Kids

Big K

Can't believe that it has been such a long time since I visit this blog. Looking through the posts feels really nostalgic. Well I am no longer 32 that's for sure, 33 years old already! Yikes... time really fly by when your days/weeks/months is occupied with waking up early, tending to the kids, work, cook dinner, playing with the kids and then some personal time to catch up on Youtube episodes, then sleep.  Although it sounds so mundane but to see these 2 lil ones grow up by day, is the happiest and most fulfilling thing in my life, there is never a dull moment with them. =)




Small K

That also means bringing quality food to them. I always make it a point to cook at least 3 home cooked meals per week, and also having home cooked meals by my mum every other day. This will help us save money while the kids still get the nutrients they need. One such meals I always turn to is Carbonara. We are hooked I tell you.. or should I say I am hooked. They are so easy and quick, from prepping, cooking, eating and cleaning up. It is my go to recipe ever since I found it on "Laura In the Kitchen" The key to this dish is using fresh ingredients, the fresher the better. I did tweak the original recipe a little to make it more creamy just what my hubby would like, but the original recipe taste just fine if you ask me.


Ingredients:

250g Pasta of your choice.( I always use penne or fusilli)
1 small yellow onion - Diced up
8 slices of bacon ( U can use less or more, you can use Pancetta if you are feeling "Atas") - Sliced up to about 1/2 inch
6 Brown/white Mushrooms (This is optional) - Sliced up
Mirin
Sea Salt
Black Pepper

Sauce:
4-5 Tablespoon of Heavy cooking cream
3 eggs (You can use 2 eggs plus 1 yolk)
Loads of Freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano  ( I use probably 1/2 cup)
A pinch of  Sea Salt
A pinch of Black Pepper

Mix all these in a measuring cup and set aside.

And that's it for the ingredients!

1) Caramelized the onion then add in the mushrooms, season with a pinch of salt and a dash of mirin and pepper. Set aside.
2) Boil water and add in 1/3 tsp of salt. When water comes to a boil, throw in the pasta and cook as per the instructions on the packet.
3) Sautéed the bacon till they are a little browned, not too crisp up!
4) Add in the onion and mushroom mixture and give is a good toss.
5) About the same time, the pasta should be ready, drain the water, and toss all the pasta into the bacon/onion/mushroom mixture. Give it a good mix.
6) Bring the pot off the stove and pour in the sauce and start stirring the mixture till all the pasta is coated with the luxurious sauce. The residual heat of pan and pasta will continue to cook the sauce but not hot enough to scramble the eggs which we do not want.
7) Serve immediately with more grated parmesan on top =)

This is so simple probably will take you at most 2 tries to actually perfect it to suit your taste buds.

Is this a come back blog? I don't know, but will not be the last. Till next time =)