zucchini and carrot meatballs

picky eating toddlers never gets old. i'm at my wits end trying to get veggies into my toddler girl's diet ever since she declared that veggies are "not so yummy anymore."
she would occasionally eat broccoli and cauliflower. but that's it.
she's also developed quite a discriminating palate. however much i hide veggies in her food, she would still know! sigh...
my sister suggested i use zucchini since it doesn't lend much flavour.
here's what i came up with.

Zucchini and Carrot Meatballs 

ingredients:
(adapted from this recipe)

1/2 kg minced pork
1 egg
6 pcs jacob cream crackers
3 tablespoons milk
1 carrot grated
salt and pepper, to taste
1 medium zucchini, grated

1. mix all ingredients, except zucchini, in a bowl. set aside.
2. grate zucchini. put in a colander. press or put weight on top to help drain as much liquid as possible.
3. mix zucchini with rest of the mixture. mix well using your hands.
4. roll into balls.
5. deep fry in vegetable oil (since my oven's still not working) or
6. bake - place meat balls on a sprayed baking sheet and bake at 350 degree for 15 minutes
7. enjoy!

 the photos don't look much. but these meatballs had a really nice aroma, texture and flavour to it. an unexpected combination. my girl couldn't stop smelling them. of course, she ate more than a couple too!

linking up with a juggling mom for motivational mondays.

wholemeal cinnamon pancakes

pancakes are a breakfast staple around here but i had never thought of doing one from scratch. i've always relied on good ol betty crocker premade mixes. taking my cue from green living's detox workshops by militza and del, i decided to incorporate healthier food options into what was once a processed sugar-laden staple.

ingredients:
(makes 4-5 pancakes)

3/4 cup stoneground wholemeal flour
1 tbsp. brown sugar
11/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup milk

mix dry ingredients in a bowl. make a well and add eggs and milk. whisk till smooth.
preheat griddle in medium heat. grease with spray oil or butter. add 1/3 cup of batter to the pan for each pancake. cook for 2 minutes  before flipping. you should see large bubbles forming on top of the uncooked side. flip & cook for another 1-2 minutes. serve with your favourite fruit topping and maple syrup.

now go and enjoy homemade pancake goodness!

p.s. you may also use half white flour + half wholemeal flour, if you're not too keen on going all out wholemeal.

a snap

bonding over books

monday.

it's back to school monday for local singapore schools today.
and the first day of nursery one for the toddler girl in the house.
no biggie really...not!

we're excited for her to meet new friends, learn social skills and
to just enjoy being away from mummy a few hours a day. i hope she enjoys the experience! 

salted caramel popcorn

i came across this popcorn recipe by liz of say yes to hoboken a few days back. 

i had most of the ingredients for the salted caramel one in my pantry so, i tried making it 

with a few modifications. 

ingredients:

raw popcorn, preferably organic

3/4 cup brown sugar 

1/2 stick butter

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

*original recipe called for corn syrup + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions:

1. make 1 batch of stove top pop corn. here's a great method to make sure that all kernels are popped!

2. melt butter in a small pot.

3. add brown sugar and maple syrup. stir until mixed then let sit for a couple of minutes. 

4. remove from heat. add salt and baking soda (+ vanilla extract, if desired).

5. let cool for a few minutes then pour mixture over the popcorn. mix. 

6. (i skipped the baking part since my oven isn't working) —> 

spread popcorn onto baking sheet & bake for 30 mins at 275 degrees. flip occasionally. 

let cool on waxed paper.

the proof of the pudding...er... popping!