Week 20 - Team Pink!

We had our 20 week anomaly scan today. Don't want to bore you with details, but it's a thorough (took almost an hour) scan that looks at the baby to check that it's developing properly (major organs, fingers, toes, spine, facial features etc) and also at where the placenta is lying in the uterus. Baby looks fine (yay!), but I have marginal placenta previa. This is when the placenta attaches too close to the cervix which might cause bleeding. But doc reassures me it's quite common at 20 weeks, and there is a high chance the placenta moves up later. Just in case, I'm told not to carry heavy things (yes mdm) or walk too much (hmm a bit hard for me). Doc also gave me some progesterone pills to standby when I travel next week. 

Thank God for watching over my little one and keeping her safe and healthy. Yes, it's a little girl, the scan confirmed it! I am so happy, it's like the cosmic pieces of the universe have come together in my belly and I feel "completed" in His blessing. 

I also weighed myself at the clinic. 47.8kg, which means I've put on slightly more than 4kg of pregnancy weight. A quick check here shows that at 20 weeks, my minimum weight should be 48kg, maximum should be 50kg, and average weight should be 49kg. Although I'm on the lower end, it's still healthy whew. 

B and I had a very quiet Friday night, just the two of us and simple dinner at Great World City foodcourt. We made our first two big ticket purchases for baby - the Stokke Mini and Sleeper cot, as well as the matching changing table. 

They weren't cheap but we loved the cot from day one, so it was definitely a carefully considered indulgence. The expense can also be looked at as a long term investment because both the cot and changing table are designed to adapt and transform as the baby grows. 

The Stokke Mini (#1) sleeps an infant up to 6 moths, then it can convert to the Sleepi Bed (#2, 3) for up to 3 years old. The base can be lowered, so it is ideal when the baby is standing or sitting on its own. Then for toddlers and up to 7 years old, you can further convert to the Sleepi Junior (#4,5). Finally, you can just convert to a chair. 

The Stokke changing table too, can be converted into a study table for junior and later a bookshelf or rack. 

Can't wait to make more purchases for baby!

Apple and Poppy Seed Coleslaw

I've been cooking a lot this sabbatical but not posting the food here. But this simple gem of a recipe I found on this website is too good not to share. So easy but so delicious and refreshing. There are a lot of commercial coleslaws out there but nothing beats home-made goodness. I tweaked the recipe by adding an additional splash of apple cider vinger because I like my coleslaw tangy. Perfect! I feel happy just looking at the pretty bowl of coleslaw. 

Yield 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 cups shredded green cabbage

1 1/2 cups shredded red cabbage

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1 Granny Smith apple, julienned

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large bowl, combine the green cabbage, red cabbage, carrot and apple.In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, poppy seeds, salt and pepper, to taste.Pour mixture over cabbage mixture and stir using a rubber spatula until well combined. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour.Serve cold. 

Kin Kin Chilli Ban Mee

I'm a couple of months late but I finally made it to Kin Kin! The popular stall from KL opened its first outlet in Singapore, and from what I've seen on social media, the queues were just crazy long the first few weeks. The good news is that while the restaurant was quite busy last Saturday afternoon, we easily got a table, placed our orders and got our food in less than 20 minutes. 

The bad news is that I felt a bit cheated by the price. I can accept paying $5 for a basic bowl of noodles but $3 more for 4 miserable clams leaves a bad taste. Notwithstanding the poor value, the food itself was pretty tasty. The noodles were fresh with a good texture. The chilli was the star and packed enough omph. Together with the oozy egg yolk and minced pork, it made for a fairly satisfying meal. 

We ordered pork and fish balls to share. The pork balls were ok but the fish balls stood out. Softer than the usual fish balls I am used to, a bit like tofu. Interesting in a good way.

Would I go back? To be honest, I don't think so - Macpherson is a bit out of the way for me and I've had better ban mee elsewhere. I suppose the fact that I had the runs that night also make me hesitant to return, haha.   

Marimekko for Banana Republic

Happy day - I am on a shopping high!

Banana Republic's hot collaboration with Finnish fashion house Marimekko has been on my radar since it was announced. Think bold prints and over-sized polka dots in bright cheery colours! It launched TODAY in the U.S. and will be in Singapore shops later, but guess what I did?

I logged onto the Banana Republic website and bought my pieces online. No need to jostle with the crowd for my size 0 petite (yes for short people like me!). But wait, that's not all. The best part was that I got 25% off my purchase - woohoo! 

Here's a hot tip. The BR website is giving a discount for "first timers" and once you register, they email the discount code to your email address. Here are the pieces I bought, the Siirtolapuurtarha dress, and the peplum top with shorts. Love the print! 

Inspiration to lose my baby weight to fit into these. Going for a run now, before dinner, haha.
    

New Lor Mee Find at Eunos

I've been taking driving lessons at Ubi driving centre and since I'm on sabbatical (i.e. have no income), I've sensibly been taking public transport. Which means a home-Somerset MRT-Eunos MRT-home route. And luckily for me, I was particularly famished after my lesson today and so I headed directly for the hawker centre at Eunos MRT for lunch. 

It was a no brainer picking this stall. "Fu Chun Laksa Lor Mee" it was called. The queue moved quickly, which I was grateful for. Not making excuses for my gluttony but these days when I am hungry, I need food asap!

It was only 12 noon but the laksa was sold out. No matter, I love lor mee. 

This bowl of lor mee was $3.50, very decently priced for what it was. Lots of noodles and ingredients - 1.5 stewed egg (I asked for an extra), 2 good sized battered fish pieces (very tasty and crispy!), 2 ngoh hiang balls and some pork slices. What I also liked was the flavorful sauce and the consistency was just right, not too thick and not too watery. I was very satisfied!    

Audi Fashion Festival

First of all, a minor victory that this pregnant lady yours truly managed to fit her 18 week bump into her Ong Shunmugam dress. Second, she is so wowed by the new collection showcased at this year's Audi Fashion Festival that she now has new motivation to lose her impending baby weight in order to do the pieces she will/ must acquire justice. 

Ong Shunmugam has made a name for herself with the brand's interpretations of the traditional Asian dress. This season, she takes it further again matching with some traditional batik prints with bold modern geometric prints -  lovely! See an example of what I mean - batik top with geometric skirt.

(I wished I had more and better pics to show for tonight but I only had my handphone camera and it's not very good). 

The show started with some cropped top and culotte outfits which were nice but I dare not be ambitious enough to think I can carry off. Next, she also had some nice traditionally cut cheongsam dresses in muted yellows and blues, dang, can my wardrobe accept more cheongsams? Maybe I should get this flirty flare cut cheongsam piece (argh super blurry shot) - that lovely muted green!

There were some funkier front drapey (think hanging cloth in between legs) which looked interesting. Will need to try these to decide they are feasible for me. Also keeping fingers crossed I can fit the slightly pointed shoulders of some of the dresses. Can't wait for the new collection pics to be uploaded on her website in their full glory. Here are some from Instagram. 

Thanks A for asking me along.

Prima Tasting

Prima ready-to-cook pastes and sauces used to be a staple in my back-to-Shanghai "comfort" food pack. I used to bulk purchase so that I could satisfy my laksa, curry and mee rebus cravings away from home. Fresh is best I know, but these Prima products are just so convenient and tasty. 

It was by chance that I received a last minute invite to go for a consumer tasting at the "R&D" department of Prima foods. Naturally, I jumped at the opportunity - free food!

The food item for the day was sandwiches. Specifically, the Prima folks were exploring selling gourmet sandwiches at their outlet, iBake, located at the Star Vista. The objective of the survey was to collect feedback on the taste and pricing of their offerings. 

We were allocated individual cubicles and a set of questionnaires. Each of the 3 types of sandwiches were then put into the cubby hole at the cubicle for us to taste.

A shot of the 3 sandwiches I tasted : Roast beef, Roast chicken with Japanese curry and La ratatouille with salami. My fave was the chicken sandwich followed by the beef. I liked the taste of the curry sauce and they were generous with the meat. I'm not a fan of cold sandwiches, so although the ratatouille sauce was refreshing, I just didn't enjoy the sandwich. The baguette for all 3 sandwiches was excellent though - fresh, crunchy and complements the fillings perfectly.  

It's interesting how Prima is trying to penetrate the market of the likes of Subway and O'Briens. Hmm, their sandwiches are pretty competent tastewise so I'd be interested to see how they fare. And if I am ever in the area I wouldn't mind popping by iBake for a Prima sandwich. (Note: this was not a paid tasting, just my personal opinion).
    

Week 17 - Mommy-To-Be Rant

As a mom-to-be, I'm riddled with questions and worries. But beyond the "will I be a good mother" and "am I eating well for the baby" concerns, I find myself trying desperately to hold onto my pre-pregnancy self. I am a fun and wine-loving foodie, traveler and runner. Statement. And I would like to stay that way during pregnancy and after I become a mother. Statement. 

I suppose a part of me is afraid I will lose the essence of myself and become "all about the kid". You see, while I know my life will drastically change in a few months -- which I completely welcome and I'm excited for -- I (very idealistically) also want to keep some semblance of my former life. During pregnancy, that includes still getting my regular sashimi fix, sipping the occasional glass of wine, keeping my fitness level and strutting in my high heels. 

I can already see all the flank I am going to get for writing this. But I am frustrated and need to vent. Here are some of the riveting topics I'm grappling with. 

1. Don't judge me for ordering chiraishi 

One of things that annoy me about pregnancy is the amount of conflicting advice and judgement about the behavior of mothers and mothers-to-be. When I posted a "satisfied my sashimi craving" post on facebook, I was slagged. The comments I received ranged from horrified concern - "do you know that you aren't supposed to eat that?!", to plain noneofyourbusiness "xxx disease in babies is linked to eating raw fish". What I don't get is why people feel entitled to judge, and some even insinuate I am irresponsible towards the baby because of what I eat. They make me feel like washing down the sashimi with a chilled glass of wine in their faces. If they'd only do their homework, they'd see that in moderation and carefully prepared (hence only once a month from reputable restaurants), raw fish is an excellent source of protein and fish nutrients for the baby. Even the occasional (half) glass of wine has never been proven to harm the baby.  Don't even get me started on the comments to my photographs taken in Margaret River holding glasses of wine (most of which I spit after tasting!). 

2. Don't put me on bed rest 

Pregnant women are not made of glass. I love my unborn child, and I will never do anything to harm it. Before I continued with running and other exercises, I did my due diligence. I know that as long as I listen carefully to my body and do not over-exert myself, I am fine to carry on a lighter version of my pre-pregnancy fitness routine. So stop giving me dirty looks when I put on my running shoes. Keeping up my fitness both keeps me sane and will, closer to my due date, help with my delivery. When I get too big I will naturally change to a lower impact form of exercise.  For goodness' sake, stop nagging at me.

3. Yes, I still wear high heels (sometimes).

I cannot believe I was shoe-shamed the other day! Do people honestly think that pregnant women can only wear plain ugly flat shoes, or will we topple over or suffer from the thin atmosphere up there? I honestly don't wear heels everyday -- I am usually in my reliable birkies. But when the mood hits, I like to sweep the dust off my pretty shoeboxes and throw on a pair of stilettos. That doesn't mean I am vain and endangering my child.  

People need to see that pregnancy is a very personal matter and choices we make are our own. I don't judge you for still not kicking your nicotine habit when your wife is pregnant, and one can also argue that all the ultrasounds you go for may harm your baby. End of the day, I believe we are all educated enough to know what the myths are, and to discern our individual types and levels of risk tolerance. One lesson I've learnt is to really keep my "mouth shut" on social media i.e. to keep my chiraishi pics to myself.

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On a brighter note, I am getting bigger! Check out my bump below. It was taken last week when I realized I "popped". I still look a bit pudgy but one can almost guess I am pregnant. 

B was away this weekend so I took the time to pack my skinny clothes away and make space for my maternity wardrobe. Fully intend to still wear my non-maternity clothes where possible but I did make some basic maternity purchases to see me through the next 5 months plus. Yes, I don't intend to look frumpy just because I'm preggers!

It's certainly safe to say, I'm in love with a child, a tiny piece of Heaven, that I have yet to meet.

Dibs Restaurant and Bar

I love it when we have a precious restaurant find, especially when we least expect it. It was the eve of Labour Day and we were looking for dinner options at the Duxton area. B had suggested another new restaurant, Life is Beautiful, but it was fully booked. Serves us right for not making early reservations on the eve of a public holiday. I suppose it was a blessing in disguise because then we wouldn't have gone to Dibs and discovered just how good and good value the food was. 

The restaurant itself wasn't much to shout about. Grey walls and sparsely decorated, the semi-open kitchen was partitioned from the seating area and you can't see the chef cooking, unlike other tapas places. Note, I use the word "tapas" loosely, you can look at the menu and decide for yourself. 

The food is definitely fusion, and 29 year old Singapore born chef has done well incorporating asian ingredients and flavours into western dishes. 

We started off with 2 appetizers to share. Now, escargots and bone marrow are very standard western (even french) dishes you say? Check out the clever twists! For the escargots, the chef used wheat beer and salsify (a type of root vegetable), which I thought made the escargots taste meatier and gave it a bit of an oyster taste. On the bone marrow (they called it "meat butter" on the menu, what a delicious name), the chef added Japanese touches of teriyaki and bonito flakes which I thought was ingenious as it helped cut through the richness of the bone marrow. B and I polished off the meat butter on warm slices of bread within minutes.  

For mains, I ordered the crab cakes in bisque which wowed me with the innovative use of fried red threads of togarashi (japanese capsicum) to give the rich crab dish an additional dimension. I'd recommend ordering this main to share though, as it can get quite jelat.
  

I thought B's order of the steak and radish made for a more well balanced main. Oh dear, the daikon fries were so addictive (happy problem)! The steak was perfectly done and my oh my the bovril sauce was delish. I would order this again. 

For a young chef coming out on his own, I must say I was impressed with the quality of the food at Dibs. I was pleasantly surprised to see that our bill for 2 appetizers and 2 mains only came up to $106 - by today's standards (look to all the many "tapas" places out there) that is really cheap! I liked that the service staff there were attentive and friendly, keeping B's ice water and my hot water glasses filled up without us asking. 

I will return with friends to try more dishes and I think you ought to go check it out too.

Dibs 

51 Duxton Road