Little Joy Factory

Do you feel that time is flying every day? Can't believe it's end of July already. I asked my younger daughter the same question the other day, she told me she felt time has been very slow!  Well, I understand how she feels. She can't wait to go for an overseas cultural immersion trip organized by her school in November.

There are sometimes when I just don't know what to do with vegetables.  I usually stir-fry them with meat. However,  my daughters are getting more and more fussy nowadays.  One just takes Chinese cabbage, and the other just takes broccoli.  What about those vegies in my fridge?  That's when I turn to baked frittata as I can add whatever vegetables I have on hand. Baked vegetable frittata can be served as a vegetarian main course or a tasty side. It's easy to make and delicious.  In this recipe, I used two long leeks, 1 can of button mushrooms, and 1 pack fresh oyster mushroom.  My daughters loved it and asked for seconds!

I enjoy making delicacies from different cultures in my kitchen.  It gives me a feeling of having an exotic vacation without travelling.  When I browse through  Über mich's blog ,  it feels like I am on a French food tour. The beautiful array of French food in her blog look so tantalizing.  The blog is written in German and French, I used Google Translate and managed to get a few recipes in English.  I started "food sampling" with this Savory Crème Brûlée. The traditional Crème Brûlée,  which is also known as burnt cream,  is topped with hard caramelized sugar.  Über mich's recipe   creates a savory version by adding herbs and cherry tomatoes.  Simple ingredients, pleasant and rich taste! Egg yolk, whipping cream, cherry tomatoes and some dried herbs are all you need to make this famous French appetizer. 

How much a slice of cheesecake cost in Singapore nowadays? $6-$8. Quite steep to me,  which gives me a good excuse to watch the calories.  However,  as a fan of cheesecakes, I can't help baking at home occassionally.  I have tried different flavor of cheesecakes at home, e.g blueberry cheesecake , chocolate cheesecake , Oreo cheesecake and peach cream cheese cobbler . By far the most popular one is still peach cheesecake with digestive biscuit streusel. 

Everyone seems to be getting sick right now!  In fact, it is very common to get sick during this warm and humid period.  Outside temperature is as high as 34-35°C, while the air-conditioned room is at 23-25°C.  Really have to take extra precautions when walking in and out the air-conditioned rooms as sudden changes in temperature affect the respiratory system. Other than regular exercise to keep our immune system up and running,  we need to watch out our intake to have balanced and healthy meal.  You probably know that lemon is high in Vitamin C, which helps to boost the immune system. Do you know that garlic is powerful against infectious diseases like cold and flu? It all thanks to its antioxidant , antiviral and antibiotic properties.  That's one of the reason I decided to cook fish fillets with lemon and garlic today. Both lemon and garlic are powerful immune boosters. They are the best cold re...