It's all in the prep or if you wanna go French, mise en place

T has been giving me these great 2.5 hour or 3 hour long naps. It gets me too comfortable. When he goes down, I clean up, have lunch and then have too much freedom on my hands. After I shrug off the initial feeling of strangeness, I start projects at about the 1 hour mark, it could be cleaning the closet, washing the floor, reading a book, watching TV (most likely result) or doing actual money earning work (forgive my language), anyway, I get engrossed in whatever it is that I am doing and I forget to prepare for 'the awakening.' In the middle of translating 'low muscle tone with high degree of pronation' I hear a small volumed 'Mommy!' and I think, CRAP! I'm not ready! There's no food for my usually starving toddler. I don't want to give him a snack when this is the time where he'll sit and eat a meal. Yogurt just feels like I'm not trying. Fruit will only hold him so long. But there are times when a Past Wendy thinks of Future Wendy and does things to help her along in moments just like I had mentioned. As a veteran of sorts from restaurant work, Past Wendy knows it's all in the prep. If you've done what you're supposed to, service will never feel too hectic or out of control. Moms, if you find yourselves in similar situations, here are some prepping ideas for your fridge:

Chicken- portion meat into sandwich sized plastic bags (I separate each of these in one bag, 1 leg/2 wings/1breast)

Use for:

1. Chicken Fingers- heat pan with a little oil, dip chicken into egg then your choice of bread crumbs (when I make this for adults, I dip into egg then flour then egg then bread crumbs but no reason for extra work here), pan fry

2. Chicken Soup- cut meat into small pieces, stir fry a little in quart pan, toss in some vegetables (onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, etc.), pour in Chicken or Vegetable stock, can add pasta/rice or toast some bread

3. Chicken Sandwich- pound breast meat thin, cut into desired portion, grill in fry pan. Serve in mini-pita pockets with cucumbers and cream cheese.

Quick accompaniments to keep on hand:

Vegetables- Carrot sticks, Cucumber rounds

Dips- Pesto with cream cheese, Marinara Sauce

Stock or Soups- Chicken soup, Vegetable stock

Pasta/Rice- cook extra pasta/rice when you are making it for a meal and keep in storage container for super quick future meals

This may seem like a lot of work. But I just did the chicken fingers today. It was 10 minutes from 'how I met your mother' marathon to 'Mommy!' to BAM ... food on table. I also stock frozen waffles and that's what kept T busy while I spent the rest of my 8 minutes finishing the chicken fingers.

Bon appetit!

Sandwiches

I was never a lover of sandwiches. I love heroes, cheesesteaks, muffalettas and two slices of bread with so much stuff inside that it can't be handled with one bite. Sandwich sounds so weak. A slice of ham here and a nibble of cheese there, with cucumbers? Blech.

Now, with a toddler and constant traveling, mainly by car and within borders anyway, I realize the necessity of sandwiches. They are comparatively neat and efficient. I can cover all the food groups in 5 bites. Clean up is a relative breeze, dust some hands and send them on their way. Here's the current list of favorites:

All made with frozen commercial multigrain bread, Arnold's Oatnut or 12-Grain:

Tips-
1. Cut into fours prior to packing into a glass container, the hard container makes sure that the sandwich isn't crushed.
2. Make sure to give sandwiches an extra press at the end so the whole thing stays together
3. Frozen bread will defrost by the time your child eats the sandwich thus ensuring extra freshness and chill while in lunchbox
4. Always include a spread, it's such a great way to include nutrients and taste but more importantly, it 'glues' the sandwich together. Cream Cheese means Whipped Cream Cheese, which is lighter-tasting, easier to spread and sticks better.
5. I leave the crusts on. I don't have the time nor the money to waste on cutting those crusts off!
6. On pancake days, freeze extra pancakes and substitute for bread in 'Sweet' sandwiches on special lunch days
7. Make what you would eat, toddler food should also be 'adult-friendly', especially if you only have time to feed the kids, at least you get to eat their leftovers and be happy about it!

Savoury:
1. Cream Cheese and Ham- Line with spinach leaves, sliced cheese, sliced roasted peppers.
2. Hummus and Cucumbers- I had to squeeze the cukes in there somewhere! Add sliced tomatoes or some grilled chicken/poultry. If your child isn't like mine, some sprouts or watercress would be awesome in this. Hint: try Trader Joe's Edamame Hummus.
3. Roasted Red Pepper Spread and Mozzarella- Just slice string cheese in half, dust with some fresh basil. Add some 'slices' of grilled corn or baby corn, if you have the time...

Sweet:
1. Cream Cheese and Strawberries- Strawberry cream cheese is such a popular item, why not just add fresh sliced strawberries to cream cheese? T loves this one and this was how he started his sandwich phase.
2. PB&J- Good old classic but use fresh ground PB and some imported Jelly (my favorite is Bonne Maman)! Toddler tastebuds are super influential, use the good stuff if you can! Plus, the flavors are better, you can use less (just a smatter of jam, you shouldn't even see it) and overall healthier. I sometimes replace the jelly with apple slices, whichever I have on hand. I'd imagine Granny Smith would taste pretty good.
3. PB&N&B- N is for Nutella and B is for Banana. On days that I make this one, I also wish that T doesn't finish it. Even the crusts taste awesome! You can also switch the banana for apples and it tastes just as good with an added crunch.

Open rice!

Tea

I love the idea of tea. It's so comforting to have a hot cup of tea when it's been raining for a full week and the temperature is miserably low. Nothing beats an afternoon in a cafe with a book and your cup of tea.

Being Chinese, I have always felt comfortable with tea. As a child, I was very familiar with tea served during dim sum, usually Pu Erh. It's a bit intense, especially when the leaves continue to steep in the pot, but it clears off your taste buds. For a long time, that was all I knew about tea. I didn't know about milk and sugar, bubbles in my tea, fruit teas, herbal teas or anything.

It's almost akin to my learning of the world. As I expanded my social circle beyond family and Chinese friends, I found that milk and sugar in Earl Grey was pretty satisfying. I almost didn't need to eat after a cup of Earl Grey. The milk solved hunger and the sugar fulfilled a mental need for sweets. Bubble Tea became hugely popular while I was in college and traveling in Taiwan. It was a novelty and most definitely a meal in itself. Fruit teas I discovered while spending a week with friends in Turkey. Dried apple bits with honey in hot water, I wasn't sure if I ever fell in love with it but it was worth trying. As a mom, looking for alternative juice options, I found that herbal teas are good for toddlers. Apparently, tea can be matched to milestones in my life. How interesting. And yet, I'm pretty sure it's cliche.

But honestly, I wouldn't mind going out to the world and drinking tea.

Our Time in Bali

Warung Murah- Seminyak

Plataran Resort

Seminyak Beachside Food

Chili Crab

Fried Fish with Chilis

View from Metis- Seminyak 

Sardine- Seminyak

Metis- Seminyak

Plataran Resort

Metis-Seminyak

Plataran Resort

Plataran Resort

Beachside Food- Spring Rolls

My Romance with Trader Joe

I love Trader Joe. My toddler really loves Trader Joe. Whoever he is, we love him. When we step into the store, T drags me to the 'yummy' area for a sample of their daily product tasting. He has his own grocery list when I visit Trader Joe's.

Pretzel Stick Bread, which is eat on premises
Freeze Dried Strawberries, eat in car on way home
Blueberries and Cream Yogurt, eat first thing when we get home
Ground Turkey (for meatballs or burgers) and Frozen Petite Peas, used for dinner that night
Mini Pancakes with fruit and agave, breakfast the next day
Edamame Hummus, for sandwiches the next day
Guilt-Free Pita Chips, to finish off the hummus by the evening

I can actually keep going just on snacks alone (honey wheat pretzel sticks, kettle popcorn, peanut butter filled pretzels, etc.). We love Trader Joe. Whoever he is...

T in the Far East

16 hours from JFK to HKG. A week later, 4.5 hours from HKG to Denpasar, Indonesia. At the risk of malaria and Bali Belly, we touted our 2 and a half year old T on a 3 week trek through Hong Kong, Bali and Macau. I think T is made for travel- the many times that he's flown, he never had problems with air pressure and motion sickness, and though we worried about upset stomachs and mosquitoes, the biggest problem we had to deal with was T getting too comfortable sleeping on our bed.

I'm almost ashamed to admit the amount of Hong Kong street food that he had, the curry fish balls, the mini cakes, the waffles, the bowls of noodles and steamed rice crepes. Add to that, all the freshly made juice that we bought in street stalls, whose equipment and ingredients lay open and accessible to dirt, people and gaseous fumes. But he had the time of his life! I have to say, I'm pretty proud of him.

T even got to see the fancier side of Hong Kong food. He loved it just the same. It was just more painful for us when he decided that he'd eaten enough and wanted to run around instead. I'm really ashamed to admit that we pulled out the electronics all too often. But there was no way anyone was letting him loose around Lei Gardens or the Four Seasons. So, iPhone it was.

Salt Cooked Chicken and Quail Eggs- Street Stall in Tai O

Baked Portuguese Chicken and Rice- Mei Do Cafe

Smoked Duck Egg- Ningbo Restaurant

Stinky Tofu & Shrimp with Egg Yolks- Ningbo Restaurant 

Satay Beef with Tomato Broth Rice Noodles- Star Cafe

Shrimp Caviar on Noodles- Six Cafe in Macau

Street Stall- Tai O

Beef Chow Fun- Mei Do Cafe

Breakfast with T

In our household, breakfast never posed much importance until the arrival of our toddler. Waking at dawn on most days, T is hungry by 7am EST. My groggy self usually whips up a suitable breakfast in automaton mode. Here are some ideas:

French Toast- Super easy with store bought bread, especially if you're close to a Chinese bakery, the high-gluten flour that they use for sliced bread gives your toast great texture. Give your slice of bread an egg bath, toss it on the fry pan with a teeny bit of oil, some cinnamon and maple or agave syrup, good to go!
Omelets- Pop an extra ingredient to make it more filling or nutritious.
Frozen Pancakes- Serve with fruit/nuts/granola and yogurt on top.
Steel Cut Oatmeal- Make enough for a couple days and store in fridge. When ready to use, heat up a little milk and pour in oatmeal to warm. Add your mix-ins.

Growing up Chinese, we have a whole other menu of breakfast items. Some to share are:

Macaroni in Soup- Use any kind of broth (chicken, usually), add cooked macaroni, cubed carrots, peas and chicken, variations aplenty, tailor to taste.
Frozen Waffles- Use for pb&j's, nutella and pb. For really special mornings, condensed milk with peanut butter.
Chow Mein- Great to heat up in nuker for a quick breakfast. Don't use the typical American-Chinese oily noodles, instead, grab the thin or wide egg noodles. Stir fry the noodles with chives, a little soy sauce and sesame oil. If that's too plain, mix with an omelet cut into strips and add some chopped up veg.
Savory Oatmeal- use a savory broth to cook the oatmeal, add chicken or pork, peas and carrots, same idea as Macaroni in Soup

Happy Brekkie!