2013 – year in review

Posted on January 2, 2014 by Angeline

So 2013 has flown past. And I’m glad to say I’ve taken an admittedly longer break from blogging than I had originally planned. After drafting my last advertorial for the year, I  thought I’d be back to do up more posts for that week before heading off for a break, but yeah, as you have already found out, that didn’t quite happen. That meant that I was away for almost an entire month. Oh and I forgot my blog password too. Epic.

Anyway, I’m back on the blog on the first working day of 2014 with a post about 2013.

It was a good year – we spent lots of time together as a family, lots of crafts and learning were done with the kids (little boy asks to do art now!), new recipes attempted and enjoyed and milestones reached for the kids.

My girl finally has hair long enough to tie up, can read simple stories (though not without lots of coaxing on my part), can scoot well, skip count … plenty to be thankful for.

My boy started the year picking up words and ended the year forming sentences. I think that’s a pretty awesome achievement! He still refuses to pronounce words starting with ‘s’ with the /s/ sound and replaces it generally with the /l/ sound, but he drops the /s/ sound totally in some cases – the linguistically-trained me says I could write a paper on his current language system, but I’m not going to – and all these even though he can jolly well pronounce the /s/ sound when you ask him to do so.

Resolutions for 2014?

To be honest, I haven’t thought of that much. But in the last few months of 2013, I’ve been part of a homeschool group on Facebook and we’re embarking on an exciting adventure, starting tomorrow! We’ll be doing inquiry-based learning at the zoo on Fridays, January through March and it’s the first time that I’m actually meeting up with homeschooling families and being part of a co-op. Can you feel my excitement yet? It’s the first time we’ve done anything of this sort so it’s going to be a learning journey for us this year and we’re definitely looking forward to the rich experiences homeschool offers.

I’m hoping that 2014 will be year of fruitful learning (not just for the kids, I’m expecting to do lots of learning myself as well), lots of family time, cuddles and good health. 😀

Wishing you a year filled with joy and good health!

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Posted in Memories | 4 Comments

Philips Avance Airfryer – the healthier way to cook

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Angeline

With Christmas fast approaching, I’m sure you would have Christmas parties and year-end parties already lined up in your schedule. And parties and gatherings definitely mean food, food and more food. I used to fret quite a bit about the weight I’d pile on from the feasting but this year, armed with my Philips Avance Airfryer, I know that if I’m preparing the food, there’s nothing to worry about because I know I can cook party food – traditionally cooked or deep-fried with cup loads of oil – with little or no oil.

Philips Avance Airfryer

Fancy a perfectly roasted chicken in less than 30 minutes? Yes, with the Philips Avance Airfryer, you can!

At simple gatherings with close friends or relatives during this festive season, I’d think finger food, some snacks and maybe even a roast chicken for a dinner event are pretty ideal. With the Airfryer’s unique Rapid Air technology, I can easily fry, bake, roast, and grill the tastiest snacks and meals with up to 80% less fat than a conventional fryer! And here are just some simple finger food I like to cook and it’s a breeze cooking with my beloved Airfryer.

Wanton ingots – great for parties and even more appropriate with Chinese New Year arriving soon.

Yummy finger food – grilled white button mushrooms with ham and cheese

We read a book the other day and my daughter asked me what S’mores are. So I just had to make some… with my trusty Airfryer. And special for little fingers – mini S’mores! Makes for a fun dessert at a party.

If you’re wondering how the Airfryer works, here’s what I think – it must be purely magic. But of course, besides magic, I’m sure its unique combination of fast, precisely circulating super-heated air, starfish design and optimal heating profile help to bring about the delectable food cooked with little or no oil. With Rapid Air technology, there is definitely less smell and vapours than traditional frying, making it easy to clean and there’s no need to worry about oily floors or smelly curtains in the hall. And most importantly, no more burns from oil splatters.

Perfectly golden brown and crispy chicken wings cooked without stinking up the kitchen. Say goodbye to oily floors and smelly hair. 😀

[UPDATED: Recipe available here] Stuffed ‘you tiao’ – crispy ‘you tiao’ and juicy filling. I swear cooking this dish has been in my dreams all these years and only with my Airfryer have I dared to cook this! This is one of my favourite finger foods which my mum prepares during gatherings when she has a little more time to spare – now I can make my own! *over the moon*

The best part about cooking with the Airfryer in my opinion is that I don’t need to stand at the hot stove constantly to ensure that the food doesn’t burn as I can control the time and temperature of the cooking with the digital touch screen. Any time I need to check on the food, I just need to pull out the drawer of the Airfryer and peek at the food without having to stop the Airfryer at all.

There’s also a smart pre-set button, programmable for the most commonly used setting so that means I don’t have to try to remember all the details of my recipes (I know, it’s a wonderful feature for failing memories like mine).

Running at 2100W, the Philips Avance Airfryer can cook 30% faster without compromising on the taste of the food. In fact, the chicken I roasted with the Airfryer tasted more tender and succulent than oven-roasted ones and I definitely needed less time roasting it in the Airfryer. That’s great because that means dinner on a daily basis can be ready faster and if you’re cooking for a party, I’m sure you’d appreciate it as no one likes to keep guests waiting.

The Philips Avance XL Airfryer also has a 1.2 kg capacity to feed up to 5 people! That’s an additional 50% extra capacity which larger families would definitely appreciate. And it’s definitely a bonus when preparing food for a party!

Want to start cooking with Air today and work some magic too? Quote Simply Mommie and buy Viva Digital Airfryer at $399 + $50 shopping voucher (Usual price: $459) and Avance XL Airfryer at $479 + $50 shopping voucher (Usual price: $539) at the PHILIPS EXPERIENCE SHOWROOM. This promotion is valid from 1st December till 31st January 2014.

The Viva Digital Airfryer and Avance XL Airfryer are also available at regular price in leading electronics stores, departmental stores and supermarkets island-wide.

*Limited to 1 Airfryer per person (IC must be produced).

PHILIPS EXPERIENCE SHOWROOM

Address: 620A Lorong 1 Toa Payoh Building TP4 Level 1 S(319762)

Tel: 6882 5800

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday: 9.00 am – 7.00 pm Saturday: 9.00 am – 1.00 pm. Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays.

Disclosure: This is an advertorial. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Posted in Advertorials, Chicken, Desserts, Food for kids, Pork, Recipes, Recipes for the family, Reviews, Seafood, tools & appliances | 2 Comments