Carrot & Apple Cupcakes

I thought of declaring a summer break and no school at home for these 2 weeks.

Mummy : "We have no school at home these 2 weeks for summer holiday."
Ethan : "No school? Wah... I like it! I like holiday!"
Ethan : "Hmmm... what is holiday? what I gonna do then?"
Mummy : "So you can play your toys and your cars, your transformer, watch your cartoon after dinner...."
Ethan  "Wah... good! I like holiday!"

Just after 2 days, they seem go haywire.... I also can't stand on the nagging that keep buzz on me...

Ethan : "Mummy, I am very boring ah..., play together lah, I don't know what I should do leh"
Emmanuel : "一起 read book lah....一起玩啦!"

I thought I can officially declare a break for myself.... indeed, there are no such thing of break for mummy during school break even you are a principal of school. I almost forgotten the "multipurpose roles". Ok, lets do something to empty the freezer for the school holiday.

Production line started!

Yooo... Ethan = Ser Lai KiatII!

Nice, we like it. Very moist and with cinnamon fragrant. 2 for Ethan, 1 for Emmanuel, 1 for Egracia, 2 for Mummy.

Egracia : "mum mum..."

Ethan : "这个不是你的mum mum! 你的mum mum 是porridge, sorry!"

Emmanuel : "妹妹不可以吃！不可以！"

Mummy : "wah... 你们gang up不给妹妹吃"

Carrot Cupcakes:
130g Low protein flour
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
70g granulated white sugar
120ml olive oil
100g finely grated raw carrots
100g apple (approximately 2 large)

Green Power

Mummy : “Plants can produce their own food by going through the photosynthesis process. So leaf is like the factory of the plants, roots absorb the water and delivery its via stem to the leaves. At the same time, leave will react to the energy of the sunlight trigger the chemical effect with CO2 and water then release oxygen.”

我一直都认为树叶能够自己给自足是理所当然之事。如环境真的坏一些，它们或许活得不健康而枯萎。我不需要为此事感到忧心烦恼。每一天太阳还是很殷勤的高高挂。我还正呼吸，还没什么问题。今天，我为孩子探讨“光合作用”，在述说的过程…

Ethan : “我不要给它light”

Mummy ：”哪。。。没有light,它就不能活啦！没有plants,就没有oxygen啦！没有oxygen就没有living thing 了！” 忽然我全身的毛孔倏然张开,浑身冷了一下。

想起了圣经记载，“起初神创造天地”，序列为天，地，光，空气，水，然后到了第三天上帝造了花草树木，之后造太阳月亮，动物和亚当夏娃。简单表明如果没有绿色的力量，就没有空气循环。没有空气循环，需要空气而活的生物就生存了。在光合作用里，叶绿素容易简单的与阳光的能量来把水和二氧化碳分解制成为树木的食物，释放氧气。生物就能生长在一个就可活的环境里。Amazing！

决定为他们拍下此照，继续与他们一同在科学里发现更多的真理。如果上帝是真实的，我想在科学里我们会遇见上帝，也看见上帝的作为为确据。而关键在于能量的来源是谁，谁是源头。好让我们靠着他支取力量寻求人生。也让我这个妈妈，这个living thing能更有把握传承，抚养教导这属于上帝的产业，他所造的人，我家的孩子。

小蓝球是个地球,而圣经就是记载这地球里的神人关系，和所发生的事物。

Emmanuel :"地球宝宝不要cry cry,我给你drink water."

In the beginning God created the Heaven and Earth

Milky Avocado

There are a lot of alligator fruit selling here. 100 to 150yen for 1. Japanese like to eat it together with raw salmon don or salmon california roll, even fried rice ball with avocado. I always heard this is a good source of vitamin. So we thought of trying it out to make some milky taste. After trying out the recipe and modifying here and there, we seem accept the taste better now. Breastfeeding mother needs more calories for the baby, so I reckon this is one of the good choice. ^^

~ 2 scoop of milk powder, 150ml fresh milk. (with sweet bean paste will be nice too, as the avocado is not the sweet base fruit) ~

10 Health Benefits of Avocados 

Prostate Cancer Prevention

Avocados have been shown to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer.
Oral Cancer Defense
Research has shown that certain compounds in avocados are able to seek out pre-cancerous and cancerous oral cancer cells and destroy them without harming healthy cells.
Breast Cancer ProtectionAvocado, like olive oil, is high in oleic acid, which has been shown to prevent breast cancer in numerous studies.
Eye Health
Avocados have more of the carotenoid lutein than any other commonly consumed fruit. Lutein protects against macular degeneration and cataracts, two disabling age-related eye diseases.
Lower CholesterolAvocados are high in beta-sitosterol, a compound that has been shown to lower cholesterol levels. In one study, 45 volunteers experienced an average drop in cholesterol of 17% after eating avocados for only one week.
Heart Health
One cup of avocado has 23% of the recommended daily value of folate. Studies show that people who eat diets rich in folate have a much lower incidence of heart disease than those who don't. The vitamin E, monounsaturated fats, and glutathione in avocado are also great for your heart.
Stroke PreventionThe high levels of folate in avocado are also protective against strokes. People who eat diets rich in folate have a much lower risk of stroke than those who don't.
Better Nutrient Absorption

Research has found that certain nutrients are absorbed better when eaten with avocado. In one study, when participants ate a salad containing avocados, they absorbed five times the amount of carotenoids (a group of nutrients that includes lycopene and beta carotene) than those who didn't include avocados.

Glutathione Source
Avocados are an excellent source of glutathione, an important antioxidant that researchers say is important in preventing aging, cancer, and heart disease.
Vitamin E Powerhouse
Avocados are the best fruit source of vitamin E, an essential vitamin that protects against many diseases and helps maintains overall health.

  

Ice-cream Pancake

37c, super hot day! We seems staying in the hot oven. I think is time for our summer holiday and school break should be declared. Lets have ice-cream pancakes.

150g superfine flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 100ml fresh milk, 1 egg.

Ethan : "Wao...!"

Emmanuel : "hu... hu... 哥哥，什么事情？"

Ethan : "你看！ice-cream哦! 吃咯!"

Mummy : "wei! 我在take photo leh!"

It is getting difficult to control them. Especially when both of them gang up. Just after a minute the house had been cleaned up, the next minute they are playing battle and combat, again is like in the war zone. They always like to pretend as a Hero, go to fight monster and bad man.

Egracia : "mum... mum... mum..."

Amazing! She knows it is food! The basic surviving skill.

小小红豆

想当年，我小时候也是种红豆做发芽实验。没想到今天我和我家的三个小冬瓜一同做着从前的小实验。小红豆加上了水，阳光的热然后与空气接触，很自然就触发了化学作用。小红壳打开了，在豆里头有两片储藏着足够使小红豆发芽的的能量种子叶。先是根长出来，过一天叶子也标了起来。然后继续的再长高一点，又一点。慢慢的种子叶就开始枯萎，小小的叶子可以通过光合作用自己制造食物了。不久之后又多长了两片叶子，叶子们越长越大了。。。有一天的晚上，我们发现了一个奇怪的现象，小叶子们静静的垂下了头！通过一番的讨论证实，太阳下山了，“叶子就睡觉了！”这个我从前小时倒是没有发现到呢！就这样过了多两个星期。爸爸说不能在把这小树苗捆在这瓶子里了，我们就试着把它移植到土地里。可是它的命运将会是如何，我们真的没什么把握。根据资料显示，红豆树是可以很大棵的。。。

在移植的过程里，我们遇上了神奇Mr. slug！我们把它从土壤里移到叶子上，它就吐出丝来慢慢的把自己吊回到土地里去。它的自我保护功能会是它爸妈教的吗？为何人的孩子，就是要教要学要引导要保护才可。但无可否认，人的特别于有一种寻找的属性成为万物之灵，是个无价之宝。

因着Mr. Slug的客串和小小的小红豆，为这家的小朋友带来了更多对活物的了解，大自然的认识与学习的乐趣。爸妈也乐在其中，赞叹享受在上帝的创造里。可爱的徐恒也变得常问，“垃圾是living thing 吗？，car是living thing吗？"为什么这个，为什么那个。。。徐信说：“living thing needs, AIR, WATER and FOOD。”

飞越时空，在某年某日，这家的小冬瓜会不会也为他们的小小冬瓜孩继续传承这种小红豆看生命萌芽呢？但愿能继续传承的是一颗对上帝渴慕的心，寻求真理。

上帝是真理，是自有永有的。如果生命活物是从上帝而来，我们不能不活在上帝里头，继续吸取力量，寻找方向成为我们一生的counsellor.

人继续去寻求，体会，发现，了解上帝的作为。因而感恩赞叹这一切所造的是多么美妙，多么神奇！

肩膀

爸爸像是一本活生生的有声字典，有问必答。肩膀常背负着建造，维修，滋养，爱护，指引和教导的天职。他再累也撑着，再难也顶着，再苦也要挨着。他持守着智慧和权威，一生一世以尽责为念却愿意顺服基督，放下自己以上帝的真理视为中心。更是要把上帝的爱为根基，建立家的磐石。生命缔造生命，是生命气息，志向，梦想的传递者。永想留下最好的遗产，就是那“根”和“翼”给他的爱人们。风吹雨打都不动摇，孩子们的避风港，“家”的依靠。

“您”是“我”的良朋益友，难得共度人生点点滴滴。

God took the STRENGTH of the moutain,

The MAJESTY of a tree,

The WARMTH of a summer sun,

The CALM of the quiet sea,

The GENERUOS soul of nature,

The COMFORTING arm of night,

The WISDOM of the ages,

The POWER of the EAGLE's FLIGHT,

The JOY of a morning in spring,

The FAITH in a mustard seed,

The PATIENCE of ETERNITY,

The DEPTH of a family need.

Then God combined these qualities.

Where there was nothing more to add, He knew HIS MASTERPIECE was completed.

And so He called it.... .... Dad.

Mother Farm

Sunny day, 14-July, 2012. 1.5 hour drive from Tokyo home. We went thru a very sophisticated tunnel that go under the sea for 10km to reach a wonderful and memorable place that full of our laughter and joy - "Mother Farm" located at Chiba. We ran around at the green meadow like a flock of sheep, catch the nice air with our breath, ate the ice-cream from the fresh cow milk made bay the farm, pet and fed the funny cute animals and gave a big clap to the clever obedient shepherd dog.  These boys always said they wanted to drive tractor, their wish came true here. Kids love it and so are we. The most fantastic was we like one of the farmer which didn’t need to bear for responsibility but just for fun. We ended the trip with lot of nice and good memory together. It make me so difficult to select the photo to upload in the blog for remembrance. And now I understood the say of “with our children together, as a parent we can go thru our childhood for another time”. Without them running around the farm it seems a bit strange.
Mummy & Daddy : “We need to go home, the farm is closing at 5pm.”
Ethan : “I don’t want to go home!”
Mummy & Daddy : “It is closed, we have to go back home.”
Ethan : “I don’t want!”, cried Ethan.
Emmanuel : “I don’t want to let the farm close!”, cried Emmanuel
Daddy & Mummy : “…… we can come again…Daddy & Mummy also like the farm a lot…”, cried Daddy and Mummy.

In fact, Daddy and Mummy also don’t feel to let the farm close too. Eventually we were the last family left the farm at 5.45pm by hang around at the farm main gate. We thought of waiting to be kicked out by the farm keeper.

In all of our heart with the same voice, “I will be back soon….”.

Dear Heavenly Father, can we granted for another chance to be there? Should the answer be YES or NO, we are contented that you have brought us peace, love and joy with us. Amen.

Let wait...and see... should it be 30 year laters with the my kids and grandchildren...