Gadgets

During the first decade of the Swallow's life, the simple telephone was introduced into her home.  Previously, the only contact she had with a telephone was the one in her paternal grandparents' home.  It was the type that had ten holes with ten corresponding numbers.  To make a call, one had to put a finger into one of its ten holes which corresponds to the number to be dialed, move that finger in a clockwise direction, release the finger, wait for the dial to return to its original position, then repeat the actions until all the numbers have been dialed.

Retro Telephone

The telephone that was introduced into the Swallow's home was considered more modern as it was a push-button type.  Simple and quick to use.

Initially, with the high cost of usage per telephone call (or what was told to the Swallow and her siblings), the telephone was only used for emergencies.  No chance to make outgoing casual calls to friends.  No, a call to check with a friend about forgotten homework was NOT an emergency!  The Swallow and her siblings were only allowed to take incoming calls.  Alas, the Swallow's friends must have had the same rule in their families, so time spent on the telephone was minimal...

Push-Button Telephone

As the Swallow grew older, this rule was relaxed and it was a time of anticipation and wonder each time a telephone call was made or received.  Who would be on the line?  Would it be the Swallow's call?  What does one say?  How to start the conversation?  How to end it?

Over the years, the simple telephone has progressed to a cordless telephone, to a handphone and it is still in a state of progress.  Now, it is very common to have a handphone.  In Singapore alone, there are at least three major handphone service providers.  The handphone too has progressed to one that has many functions, some with touch screens, some with links to the internet.

The Swallow's mate bought her a handphone recently as a Mother's Day gift, to replace the previous one which was given several  years back also as a Mother's Day gift.  The handphone battery was also in a decline, requiring a charge almost everyday and depleting its energy instantaneously whenever a call was made.

This new handphone had several functions that the old handphone did not have, and the Swallow is still discovering these functions and having fun along the way.  One of the Swallow's young one was quick to offer his assistance.  When the Swallow remarked that there were so many functions that did not seem useful, this young one was even quicker to offer, "Mama, it's ok, you can use mine.  It's easier to use.  It will meet your needs.  I don't mind using yours"!

Which is Which?

Recently, the Swallow made a basic Roasted Chicken using just salt and black pepper for the seasoning.  After a casual mention to a close friend that the job of coating the chicken would have been easier if she had a salt or pepper shaker, the Swallow found herself a recipient of a salt shaker and a pepper shaker from that same friend the following day!

Salt & Pepper Shakers

Proverbs 18 : 24b (NIV)
...but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Indeed, the Swallow is grateful to her Lord God for His gift of dear friends, more so as her own siblings are in various countries.

The Swallow was given a matching pair of white shakers, one with one hole and the other with two holes.  The gift was appreciated but the Swallow had a question...which was for the salt and which was for the pepper?

A trawl in the Internet did not help the Swallow much in her search for the answer.  There seemed to be several ideas raised, one of which was based on the cost of the condiment.  To save cost, the more expensive condiment would be placed in the one with fewer holes.  Another suggestion was to buy shakers that were marked 'S' or 'P' to save oneself from the headache!

To cut the long story short, the Swallow has decided to place salt in the shaker with one hole, and black pepper in the other with the simple reason being her family loves pepper and food that is low in salt.  Problem solved!

Luo Han Guo Tea

Luo Han Guo, also known as Lor Hon Kuo in Cantonese, is lightweight, round and dark-brown (before drying, it is green). This dried fruit has a sweet taste and is easily available in Chinese medical shops.

Due to its cooling properties, it is very popular to drink Luo Han Guo Tea during the hot weather, which occurs frequently in Singapore and Malaysia.

It is very simple to make Luo Han Guo Tea.  No sugar is needed to sweeten the tea and this makes the tea suitable for diabetics.

LUO HAN GUO TEA (serves 3)

Luo Han Guo

Ingredients

• 2 pcs Luo Han Guo
• 4 cups water

Method

1. Wash and rinse luo han guo.  Crush them open.  Put everything into a pot.
2. Add water and boil for 40 minutes.
3. Strain and serve the tea.

Note

• The Luo Han Guo residue is good for a few more rounds of boiling, although the sweetness will be milder.  Re-boil as many rounds to personal taste.

Doodle Art "Swimming with Fishes"

Swimming with Fishes

Click here to find out more about Doodle Art.

Doodle Art "Rat Race"

Rat Race

Click here to find out more about Doodle Art.

Doodle Art "Dogs"

Dogs!

Click here to find out more about Doodle Art.

Doodle Art

Several weeks back, one of the Swallow's young ones watched a locally-produced art programme on Okto, one of Singapore's free-to-air television channels, and it started off an art craze in the Swallow's home.

The programme highlighted an art form known as Doodle Art.  Basically, one doodles on a piece of paper, then another will try to bring out a picture from the doodles.


The young one was quick to rope in her family to help create some doodles for her to complete.  The young one and her sibling had great fun trying to visualize what the final pictures meant.

Dogs

Swimming with the Fishes

Rat Race

Luo Han Guo

Luo Han Guo

Luo Han Guo, also known as Lor Hon Kuo in Cantonese, is lightweight, round and dark-brown (before drying, it is green). This dried fruit has a sweet taste and is easily available in Chinese medical shops.

The said benefits of Luo Han Guo are:

• it balances heat buildup caused by internal conditions, life-forces, or external heat
• it soothes / moistens dry lungs
• it relieves coughs
• it is good for sore throats
• it treats constipation
• it is a low-caloric food
• it reduces blood sugar
• it lowers blood pressure
• it can be used as a sweetener in beverages and cooked food
• it is good for diabetics

Luo Han Guo Tea is a good drink for the hot weather. Click here for the recipe.

A Special Meal

Sharing his joy with the family...

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Being Served a Special Meal

The Swallow enjoyed a special meal tonight.

The 3-course meal consisted of an appetizer (a twist to a simple Prawn Salad), a main course (Japanese Noodles with Shimeji Mushrooms), and a mocktail (a simplified version of Pussyfoot).

Why was the meal special?

L-R: Pussyfoot Mocktail, Prawn
Salad, Japanese Noodles with
Shimeji Mushrooms

Three reasons. One, it was cooked by one of her young ones! Two, the young one had roped in his sibling as helper and the Swallow was very happy to find them working well together and having a good time producing the meal. Three, the young ones cleaned up after the cooking!!


The Swallow and her mate are thankful to the Lord when they see the long way their young ones have come.

Recently, one of the Swallow's young ones had a practical exam for the Food and Nutrition subject.  Based on a Japanese theme, the young one chose to create three courses for the exam.  Encouraged by his family and with a burst of confidence from the marks he received for the exam, the young one decided to make the same for his family tonight.

The appetizer was a prawn salad.  The young one served the prawns with mayonaise and a dip of wasabi.  The prawns were cooked to perfection and were described as succulent by a friend who had the privilege of dining with the Swallow's family.  The wasabi dip was a good complement to the dish.

The main course used Soba noodles, a popular type of noodles eaten by the Japanese.  Shimeiji mushrooms and miso paste were added into the dish to complete the Japanese theme.

The mocktail, on its own, was not strictly Japanese-themed.  The young one mixed an iced drink which contained lime juice, lemon juice, and orange juice.  The young one placed a tiny decorative paper umbrella on the glass to meet the requirement.

Overall, the meal was tasty and well received by his family and friends.  The Swallow and her mate are delighted with their young one who did a wonderful job at his first-time-cooking-a-complete-meal-without-adult-supervision.

Well done!