Daily Archives: 30/04/2010

Hiking up the price won’t really make a difference

Posted by Misty Mom on 30/04/2010 None comments

Today, the PM, Kevin Rudd announced that the price of cigarettes will be going up by approx $2 from tomorrow and they are also thinking about making the boxes plain looking to deter kids from buying them. You can imagine the mad rush for smokes today! It was even mentioned on the news. *lol*

Anyway, I reckon he is doing this to help cut down on the ever increasing number of smokers but in all honesty, nothing you could do would make these hardcore smokers stop smoking unless they want to. Just like liquor in Malaysia as well as here, hiking up the price does not decrease anything at all. In fact, people are merely buying cheaper alternatives instead of going cold turkey and giving up. I reckon it will be the same with cigarettes. Smokers need smokes and they will do almost anything to get some. Hence, one can foresee more petty theft following this plan and that is just the tip of the iceberg!

I really don’t see how this move is going to help anyone at all. :/

14 weeks+2days and counting

Posted by Misty Mom on 30/04/2010 None comments

I recently had my last appointment with my doc here in Sydney before I head out to Malaysia. I can’t believe that I will be 29 weeks when I get back! The appointment went on as scheduled with me getting on the scales and getting my weight (80.4kg – up by only 400g, normal or not?) measured. Then while waiting my turn, doc rushes out coz someone is about to have a baby. I thought it was funny coz here we all were waiting to see him, and he’s off! More funny is how casual the receptionist was while telling up that doc’s gone to deliver a baby and it won’t be long, about 1/2 or so. She even suggested we go for a coffee which we did.

I got a call not even half hour later saying that doc was back and so off we went and I was called in next. During the scan, he told me that he knew the gender and was 60% sure what it was and asked me if I wanted to know. I said, ‘Yes pls!!’ and he told me. But I won’t be revealing that until the 19 weeks morphographycal scan to be absolutely sure what it is. So don’t try prying it out of me! :P

Everything else is growing well and all is good. I’m just hoping that I can get in touch with someone back in Malaysia who can run this scan for me as well as the sugar test at 26weeks. I’m not sure who I can really rely on so if you know anyone who’s done this, pls let me know.

Yvy’s Crispy Choc Flakes

Posted by Misty Mom on 30/04/2010 None comments

Did I mention that my recent attempts of making some sort of choc dessert was a hit, especially with the kids at KR’s birthday party? *beams proudly* Actually, Ted thought it was pretty fantastic given the fact that it was my first attempt at making something that was other than banana cake! *lol* You see, I’m no Iron Chef….heck, I’m not even a good cook. I cook to live and if I could avoid cooking, I normally do. Do you see why this was such an achievement for me? :)

I can’t take full credit for this recipe as this is my efforts at ripping off Nigela Lawson’s Cripy Rice Cakes. When I saw it on tv, I knew it was just too simple to not work and I was dying to try it. I love Nigela’s recipes especially her desserts because they are really simple that even a dodo like me could pull it off with minimal effort and get maximum results :D Word of advice though, these recipes are not for anyone who is currently taking any diet supplements or weight loss drinks. Her dessert recipes are sinfully delish and oh so fattening too….they are heavenly!! Anyway, for anyone who consider themselves simples chefs like me, here’s my recipe for them Crispy Choc Flakes.

bd1-7

Ingredients:

200g of dark choc
3 medium sized choc Easter eggs *We still have so much leftover that I took Che-cheh’s advice!
2 tablespoons of honey
150g soften butter
Vanilla essence *Optional
3 cups Corn Flakes
Mini paper cupcake moulds

Makes approx 68 pieces

Method :

1. Combine all your choc and butter together over slow fire and continuously stir until they are well combined.
2. Add the honey and continue to stir to ensure the choc doesn’t get burn.
3. Add Vanilla essence and mix well.
4. Add the corn flakes and turn it so that the corn flakes get well coated. Don’t over mix of they will break up into small pieces and you’d want them in chunks.
5. Scoop the combined mixture into your paper moulds and refrigerate them for at least 20 minutes. I had them in for about 1hr before the party and I think that would be a better idea.

This is an extremely sweet desserts and I reckon only kids or adults with a sweet tooth could really enjoy it. While I love sweet things, this was a little too sweet for me however, Ted thought it was perfect! ;) I think they were even too sweet for Arianna coz she couldn’t even finish one! *lol*

Anyhoo, good luck and if you do try this recipe, pls link me up so I can see your outcome. :)

When tv is actually educational and not a stupid box

Posted by Misty Mom on 30/04/2010 None comments

I know that for most parents, TV is the enemy. Lots of kids these days can live on TV alone and I can understand why that is. I am rather ashamed to admit it but Arianna does watch a fair bit of TV but the one good thing is that the shows she watches happens to be shows that she can actually learn from. She’s totally grown out of In The Night Garden when once upon a time, she was absolutely nutters over it. I suppose its also because she’s growing up and honestly, although it’s gentle and all, I feel its got no educational purpose but merely colorful and entertainment. The characters don’t even speak properly, just sounds that you’ve got to figure out.

These days, it’s mostly Playschool which I think is the best children’s show ever! It’s been an Aussie production since 1966 and if I could relocate the tv to our balcony, I reckon Arianna could easily spend the whole day watching tv outside on those outdoor cushions I recently made – they have birds on them! :P Playschool is excellent because it is interactive and gets the kids to join it, lots of singing especially nursery rhymes, lots of activities done and they are very good at using recycleable stuff. The things they come up with is just fantastic! Needless to say that the other show she loves is Sesame Street. And I swear, she is REALLY learning so much from it!

Just this evening she proved that watching TV is not all that bad…she got this puzzle from Grandma which is an alphabet cut-outs on a board. And they were all in small letters which I hadn’t started teaching her yet, but she surprised me by idenfying so many of them on her own!! I was REALLY truly surprised but it was a pleasant surprise. She’s also been more vocal in singing and dancing. It’s really nice how she can sing on demand although her choice of songs are rather limited.

We’re thinking of getting a poster of the solar system because Arianna can actually identify earth…. :D And she’s also into insect so getting her a little bug thingamajig is definitely on my list of to-buy for some day. I’m actually really glad that I let her watch tv. I reckon if she keeps watching that ‘Simple Chinese’ program that comes on for an hour every morning, she could be teaching me one day! ;)