What To Do With Leftover Curry?

One thing that will never go to waste in my house is curry. Made some chicken curry the other day and the next day, added some yellow noodles and taugeh (beansprouts) to have a scrumptious lunch. Unfortunately I didn't have that much left over so the noodles were kinda coated in curry rather than swimming in it.

Well, that's another idea on how to recycle your food.

Summer Time Deal On Holiday Cards

Christmas may be in December but people are getting smart these days by starting their Christmas shopping early. Yup, as early as July. Why?

• You can shop at a leisurely pace.
  End of the year is always a rush. You are rushing for this and rushing for that. Suddenly there's 1001 things to get done and not enough time to do it. If you can tick some things off your Christmas list months in advance, why not? 
• Ease the financial burden.
  You have to admit that your pocket goes bust during December right? Well, December is not the only month that you're allowed to buy Christmas presents. Buying gifts during the summer sales could save you some money. Plus, spreading out the expenses is a better idea than going broke or getting into debt in one month.

Besides buying Christmas gifts in July, there's another thing you can do early: Preparing Your Holiday Cards.

Tiny Prints is aware that people are on the lookout for holiday card bargains in July. So, they've put together this promo for you.

20% off all Holiday cards (Excluding William Arthur)
Code: JULYHOL
Expires: 7/28/2011

Just click my affiliate link or the banner below to access their website and get your discount.

Tiny Prints Christmas in July 20% off Promo

Tips to create and preserve back-to-school memories

(ARA) - It's back-to-school time again, which means new teachers, new classrooms and new routines. As the long summer days are coming to an end, fall schedules start and families get back into the swing of the school year. To help kids make the transition, it's important to create a healthy balance of school duties and family time, while maintaining the summer energy and fun.

Here are some tips to help your family create and preserve cherished memories during this back-to-school season.

Digitally preserve school memories
School artwork, important documents and first day photos are special reminders of your child's time spent in school. Keeping physical copies of these items can be cumbersome, with fragile pieces of artwork often ending up damaged or lost.

• Skip storing items in a dusty basement box and create a digital scrapbook the whole family can enjoy.
• Preserve special memories by taking photos of your kids' artwork and uploading the images to a CD or flash drive with other important documents and photos.
•  Create digital scrapbooks or online photo albums, a fun activity that makes these items easily accessible for out-of-town family.
•  Involve the whole family to inspire imagination and create lasting memories.

Create musical moments
Master morning chores, homework assignments and after-school errands with the help of family-friendly playlists.

• Create an upbeat playlist to help get kids through the morning routine of brushing teeth, eating breakfast and getting out the door.
• Lullabies and classical music have been known to help people absorb more information and de-stress.
• Use music to support after-school study sessions and keep kids on task.
• Make car time fun by letting your kids pick the playlist.
• Let them include some favorite sing-along tunes to help travel time fly by.

Schedule time for family
It's easy for family moments to get lost in the shuffle of everyday routines. Just as you would schedule a practice or work meeting, consider scheduling regular family time.

• Choose any type of game (video, board, sports) that is team-oriented to bring the family together.
• Turn daily chores into family fun by hosting a cooking competition or a high-speed room cleaning contest.
• Taking time to be together will improve communication, build a solid support system at home and create more meaningful family time.

Memorex offers a full line of products that help families create and preserve lasting memories. The Memorex Signature Audio Series offers six stylish iPod and iPhone compatible audio products to help families groove together at home or on the go. The Memorex line of video game accessories will reinvent your family game night with Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS and PlayStation 3 compatible accessories.


For more information, visit the Memorex Facebook Page at www.Facebook.com/MemorexFans or Memorex.com.

Save 90% With This Special Summer Bundle

Menu Planning Central is offering this deal until 26th July 2011. Yeah, not much time so don't take too long to think about it.

Here's my affiliate link if you want to go straight to their deal page: SPECIAL SUMMER BUNDLE

WHAT'S THE DEAL ABOUT?
Up for grabs is 9 wonderful products for a low price of USD10.00. If bought individually, all these products would amount to USD100.57. 

1. Kid Approved Meals
   Included are 13 weeks of breakfast and lunch menus that will please your kid. Comes with grocery shopping lists.
2. Entertaining Made Easy
   Six complete Entertaining Menus (with shopping lists) to make your entertaining meal preparation a snap. Host a party without stressing out.
3. Weekend Family Brunch Recipes
   A mini recipe book with 50 brunch recipes. Whip up some delicious meals for the family on the weekends.
4. Fun With Food E-book
   Edible play-dough recipes to keep kids busy. Also lunch recipes and craft ideas. Everything to keep your kids happy.
5. A Year of Snacks
   Kids are always game for snacks. Now you won't run out of ideas.
6. Summer Time Smoothie Recipes
   Good way to cool of this summer. And it is nutritious too. This ebook gives you 40 tasty smoothie recipes.
7. Easy Breakfast Ideas & Recipes
   30 breakfast recipes to make mornings a little easier for you.
8. Summer Stress Relief Pack
   Keep sane during summer vacation with Kid Summer Activity Ideas, Family Friendly Summer Recipes & Summer Exercise Tips for Mom.
9. My Favorite Forms & Checklists
   Forms and checklists to help you get things done faster and easier. You've got recipe organization, menu planning, grocery shopping etc....

  ALL THAT FOR USD10.00! 

Remember, don't wait too long. This deal will disappear in a few days time.

Click my affiliate link to qualify for this deal:

I WANT TO SAVE MONEY

WITH THIS SPECIAL SUMMER BUNDLE

* Tell your friends about this great deal by tweeting this post or putting it on your Facebook. Very easy to do. Just use the social buttons below.

Win Chef Jeff's New Cookbook: Dinnerevolution

Cooking for the family takes up a big chunk of my time. Some days I am hardworking and cook dishes that require a bit more effort and some days I just opt for simple stuff. Deciding what to cook can be quite a headache. Most of the time, what ends up on the table depends on my mood.

I was recently given the chance by Chef Jeff to have a look at his new cookbook called Dinnerevolution. All I can say is "WOW". It has at your fingertips over 200 recipes... all healthy and tasty. If you're a busy mom who don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen, than this cookbook can help you. His recipes all require less than 10 ingredients and you'll only need about 30 minutes to prepare each dish.

Want recipe examples? Chef Jeff said I could share one with you. So, here's from a page of his cookbook that I thought you might like.

CITRUS BASIL CHICKEN

The citrus cooked down with the onions creates a great tasting topping for the chicken breast.

Serves 4
Cook time: 25 minutes

1 pound Chicken Breast
1/2 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 cups Orange juice
2 sliced Onions
1 tablespoon All Purpose Seasoning, no salt
1 tablespoon cumin
2 Limes
1/4 cup chopped Basil Leaves

Heat skillet over medium heat and brown the chicken on both sides in the olive oil. Stir in the onions, orange juice, cumin, and seasoning. Cover, and cook for 8 minutes or so until the chicken is cooked through. Squeeze the lime over, and remove the chicken to a plate. Bring heat to high, and cook down the onion mixture until thickened. Add the basil and chicken back to the skillet to coat.

per serving: 309 calories; 25.5 gram protein; 14.5 grams total fat; 1 gram fi ber; 5.5 gram saturated fat; 21.5 grams carbohydrates; 72 mgs cholesterol; 75 mgs sodium


Yeah, so imagine 210 pages of that. You even get the complete nutritional breakdown.

Since I'm Asian, I cooked mostly Asian types food. So I was happy to see quite a number of recipes with "oyster sauce" as part of the ingredient. I used that a lot in my cooking. So, if you're Asian, like me, this cookbook has recipes for you. I was quite impressed with that. Not many cookbooks written by a caucasian guy includes recipes I'm comfortable trying.

HOW TO GET THIS BOOK?
Right now, all you have to do is follow my link below and enter your name for Chef Jeff's raffle. He is looking for 6 winners. So, put your name in and then tell your friend so she can put her name in too. Healthy food for the family, cooking quick but yummy dishes, reduce buying outside food that is expensive and not fresh... You really don't have to think twice. Click the link!

YES, I WANT
CHEF JEFF'S DINNEREVOLUTION  COOKBOOK

* Disclaimer: I was given the cookbook to review for free. I received no payments for my opinions or this post. 

Discount to Tint Your Car

Are your car windows tinted? We didn't tint our car windows until we bought our current car. It really does make a difference. It is still quite hot when you initially get in the car (after parking in the sun) but it cools down fairly quickly.

I remember driving back to Bukit Mertajam during the Chinese New Year, my arms and legs would get so hot. I felt like I was being baked in the oven. But now that the windows are tinted, the journey is not so torturous.

Here are some tips I learned when looking to tint my car windows:

• Find a reputable company to do it. It is better to go to a shop that specializes in tinting and not an accessories shop.
• Make sure it is JPJ compliant. The last thing you want is to have JPJ pull you over and have you tear it off. I believe the guideline is this: At least 70% of Visible Light Transmission (VLT) for the front windscreen and a minimum of 50% for the sides and rear windscreen
• A security film will keep the windows intact and not shatter to pieces when broken. This means more safety for you.
• The higher the percentage of Infra-red heat rejection (IR), the cooler your car will be.

When I tinted my car windows, it was very heavy on the wallet. I think it was close to RM1000 and that was a discounted price already. But then, mine is an MPV, so it usually cost more than a sedan.My DH chose to go with Raytech.

Well, if you are looking to tint your car windows, there is a very fantastic deal available by Solar Tintshop. Here is what they are offering:
RM245 instead of RM980 for Standard Saloon Car Tinting with 2mil High Performance Solar UV Film.

That's a RM735 savings! 75% discount.

It is JPJ compliant and you'll have 7 years warranty. Pretty sweet deal. You can get this deal in 5 locations. If you want to know where, just click this link for more information.
SOLAR TINTSHOP BEST DEAL

A few things you should know about this deal:

• Complimentary Golf Umbrella OR Touch 'n Go Card for the first 50 Purchasers for each location.
• Redemption Period: 22 July 2011 - 31 December 2011. Not valid on 22 August 2011 – 6 September 2011
• RM80 charge for removal of old tint, if applicable
• This deal price is for Category A, Standard Size Saloon Cars. Additional charges apply for other types of cars. 
• The film they used is imported from United States ( I hear Korea ones are not durable). 

To get the voucher and to know more details, click my link below:

I WANT TO TINT MY CAR WINDOWS
AND SAVE MONEY TOO

* I will be compensated if you take up their offer. Consider it my recommendation fees. Thanks.

Young Kids Should Be Banned From

I was on twitter and saw an interesting trend called #youngkidsshouldbebannedfrom.

That got me thinking, if I were to make a list of things young kids should be banned from, what would I write? Well, here are my thoughts.

Young kids should be banned from...

• eating junk food. 
• having a facebook account until they finish school.
• having a PSP or whatever electronic gadget that warps them into another dimension.
• having a mobile handphone. And when they are old enough to have one, it shouldn't cost more than what mommy or daddy is having.
• watching cartoons the whole day.
• throwing tantrums.
• calling other people names and swearing.
• listening to music that teach bad values.
• blaming other people when they are in the wrong (applies to adults too).
• calling their mother fat.
• asking their mother to have another baby... and then changing their mind when the baby is born.
• sitting and tumbling on dirty floors.
• changing their clothes more than 2 times a day.
• using the mouse more than they do a pencil.
• spitting out food onto their mother's plate.
• wasting food.
• being lazy (this one is my daughter's suggestion).
• looking over their mother's shoulder when she is typing on the computer (and ranting about the kids).
• from eating the last bit of dessert. We all know mom deserves it right?
• fighting over where to sit in the car.
• jumping on the bed and climbing over house furniture.
• staying awake past 9:00pm.

Okay, I think my list is long enough. I think this is interesting enough to make into a meme. You can make your list as short or long as you want. Tag however many people you want. Free and easy to do. But do leave your link in the comments section coz' I want to read what you write.

So, first up, I'm tagging the following people:

1. Mamapumpkin
2. Blog With Yan
3. Aloha Molly
4. SashaBlaBlaBla
5. Mumsgather

If you're not tagged but want to contribute your thoughts, please do so too.

Playdoh For A Rainy Day

My daughter was bugging me to make her some playdoh. So happened it was raining that day and I thought "okay, why not". I ended up making 4 "balls" of playdoh. I couldn't make a lot of colors because I threw out most of my food coloring since they were expired. So I made green, pink, red and white. If you need the recipe and directions on how to make them, you can get it here from my previous post: PLAYDOH RECIPE

This is the first time babyK has seen playdoh. She was scared to touch it at first. D1 doesn't like the smell of it, so he chose to play with plasticine instead. I know there's a recipe that uses KoolAid. I'm sure that smells better but unfortunately, we don't have KoolAid here.

Here are some of the playdoh creations done by my older girl. 

Mamas Parenting Tip

• If you need an activity for a rainy day, make some playdoh. 
• Store up cookie cutters of a variety of shapes. It'll provide loads of fun when playing playdoh.

Family travel: Big city survival advice

(ARA) - Americans are done with the "staycation." In fact, more than 80 percent of consumers surveyed by Orbitz.com, a consumer-travel website, said they plan on taking a vacation this summer. For families that means loading up the car or rolling through the airport to head somewhere fun, educational and family-friendly before the kids head back to school.

Here's how families can navigate summer's top destinations with the kiddos in tow:

Chicago
With two major airports, solid public transportation, five pro-sports teams, and a lakefront with ample water activities, families can choose from a wide variety of Chicago vacations. Millennium Park's famous "Bean" is a must-see on the way to the waterfront and Navy Pier. The Chicago Children's Museum is close to the pier and has many family activities - from riding the Ferris wheel to catching movies at the IMAX theater. Meanwhile, Mom can slip away to the Magnificent Mile shopping district while Dad and the kids check out the breathtaking views from the top of the John Hancock Building and the skydeck at the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower.  


Washington, D.C.

According to Away.com's D.C. Family Travel Survival Guide, the District is the perfect place for a big-city family getaway. Divided into four manageable quadrants and home to one of the cleanest subway systems in the country, Washington, D.C., makes it easy to have a fun (and even slightly educational) summer break. Nearly everything is open to tour, from the Capitol building in the heart of the city to the National Cathedral in Glover Park. The Washington Monument offers an elevator ride that can whisk the whole family up over 555 feet where they can view panoramic scenes spanning 30 miles, and the Kennedy Center rooftop terrace offers a bird's-eye view of Georgetown, Arlington and the east side of the National Mall. Greenscapes such as Rock Creek Park and Alexandria's Founders Park allow a retreat into nature and are just steps from the city. But perhaps the best thing about a trip to D.C. is that there are plenty of free things to do, thanks in large part to the Smithsonian's 20 properties, including the National Zoo (which are all free).


New York

To a tourist, New York City can seem overwhelming. But with a map and a little bit of planning, the Big Apple can be conquered without losing sanity or the family. One of the keys to exploring NYC is to take it in bite-size sections (or neighborhoods). Thankfully, New York has one of the best public-transportation systems in the world. It takes more than 3.5 million people to and from the office each day, and subway lines run up and down the East and West sides of the island, across town, and even down to Nathan's hot dogs in Coney Island. Must-see landmarks include the New York Public Library, Union Station, Bryant Park, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Fifth Avenue, Central Park, Times Square, Ground Zero, Battery Park, Statue of Liberty, and, if timed right, a Yankees game in the team's new stadium. A trip to NYC also offers nearly every type of food a palette can desire - from corned beef and pastrami sandwiches in Times Square to greasy gyros from street vendors.

Making "Suey Kau" Dumplings

I learned how to make this from my DH. If you're out of ideas on what to cook, try this. Compliments well with  soup (or dry) noodles, but you can have it with rice too.

This is how you do it.

 I bought RM8 worth of minced pork. I can make around 40+ dumplings. I added in chopped up carrots, big onion, garlic and shitake mushrooms. Seasoned with salt, sugar, soy sauce and oyster sauce. I bought the "suey kau" skin wrappers at the wet market.

Very easy to do. Just hold the "suey kau" skin on the palm of one hand. Scoop some meat and plop it onto the center of the skin. Don't put too much coz' when you fold the skin, it will tear. You'll have to experiment yourself to see how much meat is ideal.

 

Dap water all around the edges of the skin and then fold it over. Press the edges together so they stick.

When you're done wrapping the meat, boil them in hot water until cooked.

Best to put them in soup. If not, they will end up sticking to one another. Even more "sedap" (delicious) if you have your favorite chili to eat them with.

Tips: Once you finish wrapping the "suey kau", cook them immediately. Don't leave them thinking you'll cook them a few hours later. It will get wet (from the meat) and the skin will stick to your plate, causing it to tear as you pick them up. So for example, don't wrap 40 dumplings thinking you'll cook 20 for lunch, and the other  20 you'll leave for dinner. If you're gonna cook 20 for lunch, just wrap 20.

Happy cooking!

One Way To Become A Millionaire

A mom didn't like all the baby carriers she tried. So, she designed one herself and guess what? Now she is a millionaire. Karin Frost invented the famous Ergo Baby carrier and last year, she sold her business for USD91 million. You can read all about it here: Baby Carrier Makes Maui Mom Multimillionaire

I wanted to share her story here because it is an inspiration. You want a successful business, you have to come up with a workable solution that solves people's problem. Know what people want, what frustrates them and what will change their life for the better. Not an easy task I would say. But you never know when you might hit the jackpot like Karin Frost.

Another good lesson to learn here is... DON'T underestimate the talents and potential of ordinary mothers.

If you are looking for a good baby carrier, do check out the Ergo. You can read my review here: ERGOBABY BABY CARRIER

LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer: Good or Bad?

What is your take on children learning from electronic gadgets and devices?

Personally, I'm not too eager on the idea. I am totally against my kids staring mindlessly at an electronic screen for hours on end. That is why I refuse to buy a PSP for my kids despite their numerous pestering. I think it is rude and detrimental for children to disengage from everyone and everything around them while immersing themselves totally in a little handheld device. I've seen how a child sits at a dinner table with their parents but their eyes are fixated on that little gadget. Even at social gatherings, I would see a bunch of kids huddled together; one would be playing and the others just watching like they've been hypnotized.

I don't deny there are some benefits to these gadgets. It doesn't have to be mindless games all the time. Some learning activities can be included. Plus, we cannot run away from the fact that being gadget savvy and electronically competent is part of their generation's culture. If we do not give them opportunities to learn and develop those skills, they will be at the disadvantage when they enter the working world.

I give my children time to use the computer but there are limitations. They can only use it in on Fridays and Saturdays. They are given a maximum time of 1 1/2 hours each. Another rule I just imposed is that whatever games they play must not involve violence or destruction. I encourage games that teach them to think, build and create.

I saw on the internet that LeapFrog is going to launch their LeapPad Explorer tablet for kids 25th August 2011. They are now taking pre-orders. To a kid, this looks very interesting. My kids are definitely oogling it. They are going ga-ga that there are over 100 downloadable apps. They are bought on the idea that it is fun to shake it, turn it and flip the pages with the touch screen. Oh, and there is a stylus pen to write with. Take a look and tell me what you think of it.



The learning tablet is targetted for kids ages 4-9. If you have a kid who is unmotivated to learn, I'm sure this will jumpstart their desire. I like how the activities are all learning activities. You can fill up their spare time with spelling, phonics skills, mathematics, science, music, geography, and more. Plus there is a camera and video recorder. It is a valueable skill these days to learn how to create online videos and do photo editing. Plus, if your kid keeps hijacking your iPad, it might be a good idea get them their own. Rather than letting them handle your pricey iPad, let them play with a USD99 kids version of it.

The LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer looks like a good investment to your kids education. BUT I would still make rules before you get it. I'm still thinking whether I should or should not get it. I foresee lots of trouble coz' definitely my kids will all fight to play with it.

What do you think? Is this something you would get your children?