Saturday, October 31, 2015

Happy Halloween 2015

Hello! What did you get up to this Halloween?

We put on make-up / play dress-up


Baby C's two front teeth came loose just in time for Halloween! What timing.


Kids decorated a pumpkin 


Hubby arranged all our Halloween crafts nicely... 


Kids went out with their grandparents for a bit.... got their face/hand painted


Came home and we made worms crawling out of soil... a nice and easy Halloween treat - just crush Oreo cookies for soil. Reserve the white cream filling and make a ghost, then pour soil in a bowl and throw worms on top.

We played Halloween Bingo... 


Happy Halloween!


Say hello to Mr. Frankenstein


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Friday, October 30, 2015

The Majestic Hotel KL's Afternoon Tea Box

Without a doubt, The Majestic Hotel KL is one of my favorite spots for afternoon tea.

Great news!

Now, you can takeaway their famed traditional afternoon tea in an elegant box. The limited edition elegant Afternoon Tea Box comes in a beautiful British-styled hat box, consisting of three tiers - sweets, scones and hot savoury items, and a selection of dainty sandwiches. The selection of sweets, and hot savouries may change weekly, so diners can be ensured of a great variety. The box is priced at RM160 nett  for two persons, which will easily feed 2-3 persons. They're fantastic for throwing a fuss-free afternoon party at home with your friends and family and it will also make a lovely corporate gift for your clients.

Here are some photos from the launch event of the Majestic Afternoon Tea Box. We had such a great time, enjoying afternoon tea in a beautiful setting!


Enjoying the tai tai life ;)


Afternoon tea for 2


Hot savouries - curry puff, fried mantau and crab cakes, gives the traditional afternoon tea experience a local twist


Afternoon tea in a colonial setting


Love the table display, especially the beautiful hydrangeas


Fine bone china completes the quintessential afternoon tea experience


♥♥♥♥♥

A pianist to entertain you should you choose to have afternoon tea at Colonial Cafe


Takeaway an afternoon tea set for 2 persons in this elegant box to entertain your guests



First tier - sweets, second tier - scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, hot savouries, third tier - sandwiches


A memento of our afternoon, captured by the event photographer ;)



We took home a Majestic Afternoon Tea Box for our kids to enjoy. The kids were overjoyed, and super excited to throw their own afternoon tea party at home!




Thank you to The Majestic Hotel KL for having us!

The Afternoon Tea Box is priced at RM160 nett for 2 pax. For afternoon tea at the hotel, it is priced at RM68 per person for Colonial Cafe. RM88 per person at The Drawing Room and RM108 per person at The Orchid Conservatory.



Service: Excellent

Price: RM160 nett per box.

Location: The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, 5 Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Parking RM10 per entry)

Tel: 03-2785 8000

Website: http://www.majestickl.com/

GPS Coordinates: 3.139059, 101.692617




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Thursday, October 29, 2015

Ichiriki Japanese Restaurant, The Gardens, KL

Note: Update June 2017: Revisited the restaurant recently and had the worst chirashi don here... the fish was not fresh and they added fried garlic to the chirashi. Certainly would not recommend it. 

Hubby is on an #EatCleanCosTooLazyToTrain regime, hence whenever we eat out, we try to go for Japanese food as we deem it as one of the healthier cuisines. It's been a while since we ate at Ichiriki, so decided to visit with our daughter in tow.

I secretly wanted the chirashi don, however, ended up ordering the rosu katsu set (RM25) which comes with deep fried pork shoulder cutlet that I could share with my daughter. Although it has been deep fried, the pork katsu was not oily, and very crispy. This set comes with rice, rice noodle, cabbage salad, appetizer, chawan mushi, pickles, miso soup and fruits. Enjoyed this very much.





Staying true to his #EatCleanCosTooLazyToTrain diet, Hubby ordered the Salmon Sashimi Set (RM29) which came with 7 slices of salmon sashimi, rice, miso soup, appetizer, side salad, pickles, miso soup, chawan mushi and fresh fruits. For me, the salmon sashimi is a bit of a letdown as the slices were really small compared to our other regular Japanese place and I felt they could be fresher.



Verdict: Lots of value for money set lunches, but I wouldn't go for the salmon sashimi set in future.



Non-halal.

Opening times: 11.30am to 10.00pm

Service: Good.

Price: Total bill RM67.65.

Location: Ichiriki Japanese Restaurant, Lot F237B, 1st Floor, The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala Lumpur. (Isetan side)


Tel: 03-2284 0688

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Spa Review: V Integrated Wellness, The Andaman, Langkawi

V Integrated Wellness is the award-winning wellness centre in The Andaman, Langkawi, with signature offerings such as V Botanical Spa, V Salon, V Fitness and V Healthy Cuisine. It is inspired by the "Tree of Life",  an ancient metaphor for interconnectedness of all life.




V Botanical Spa takes "being one with nature" to a whole new level, as it offers open-air spa villas perched on a hill with breathtaking views of the Andaman Sea. Each villa is tucked away in the lush tropical rainforest, hence providing guests with utmost privacy.




We were booked in for the V Signature Couples Romance Getaway package (RM888 per couple). You can choose from either the Ocean Awaken Delight (9am to 1pm) or Twilight Delight (6pm to 9pm), the difference being the times they are offered at. We went for the Ocean Awaken Delight, a morning spa and dine package, which include a 80-minutes Signature Kahuna Wave Massage and uplifting foot bath at V Botanical Spa, followed by a healthy 3-course V Healthy Cuisine lunch at The Restaurant.

Upon arrival at the Spa, we were presented with a welcome drink and cold towel. It has been a while since Hubby and I went on a couple spa, as our past few vacations have been with the kids and we would take turns to look after the kids while the other enjoys their spa time.


Five essential oils to choose from for our massage


Our therapists arrive and usher us to our spa villa. After changing into the sarongs provided, we were given a foot bath to scrub our feet. At the same time, we took a moment to enjoy the great views from our villa.



This gorgeous view from our spa villa!


This was followed by the Kahuna Wave Massage; this massage mimics the waves of the ocean by using gentle rhythmical strokes and perpetual flowing motion to reach your core. Using mainly their fore arms for the massage, it was both invigorating and relaxing at the same time. We both enjoyed it thoroughly. The fantastic ambiance coupled with soothing sounds of the sea really adds to the whole experience.



After our massage session, we were led back to the reception area and served jamu, a traditional herbal medicinal drink. After a short rest back in our suite, we then went to Jentayu Lounge (as The Restaurant was under renovation during our visit) for our 3-course V Healthy Cuisine lunch.

V Healthy Cuisine showcases vegetarian, gluten free and macrobiotic menus using local produce. We started with healthy V Juices, made using a slow juicer. Hubby had the Steamed Asparagus salad with fava beans, tomato and rocket while I had the Japanese Rice Paper Roll for appetizers.




For mains, we both had the Char Grilled Tenderloin Steak with sauteed creamy spinach. The dish was supposed to come with polenta chips, but they swapped it with mashed polenta which we didn't care much for. However, it was still a very tasty dish overall - we enjoyed the steak and spinach combo very much.



Finally, for desserts, Hubby had the raw chocolate tart with cinnamon and yacon sauce while I had the cashew orange tart with orange spice white tea sorbet and agave.




The V Signature Couples Romance Getaway package is priced at RM888 per couple.For bookings and enquiries, please contact V Botanical Spa at +604 959 1088 (ext 591).


Opening times: 9am to 9pm daily.



Location: V Botanical Spa, The Andaman, PO Box 94, Jalan Teluk Datai, 07000 Pulau Langkawi, Kedah Darul Aman, Malaysia.

Tel: +604 959 1088 (ext 591)

Website: http://www.theandaman.com/cuisine-jala

GPS Coordinates: 6.429376, 99.675843


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Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Recipe: Spook-tacular Halloween Coffin Cake

Since Halloween is drawing close (31st Oct!), we decided to do some Halloween bakes with the kids. We had some overripe bananas, so banana loaf it is! You can also make this using a butter cake base, but banana loaf is good for this recipe as banana loaves are not very pretty and that makes it perfect for Halloween ;P

The cake should be made in a rectangular tin (9" x 4") to achieve the coffin look. Once the cake has cooled, cut a triangle from all sides and then slice 2cm horizontally from the top for the coffin top. Hubby even made a "mummy" using one of our kids toy as a prop. Finish the look with creepy crawlies for a spook-tacular Halloween coffin cake!


Halloween Coffin Cake



Expertly baked by #babysumokids, styled by mummy and daddy ;)





Halloween Coffin Cake
Recipe by Baby Sumo, adapted from here
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 45-50 minutes
Serves 6-8


Ingredients
250g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
100g sultanas or raisins
100g butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp milk
3 large overripe bananas, mashed



1.Preheat the oven to 190°C (no fan). Grease and line the base of a 9"x 4" loaf tin with baking paper.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon into a large bowl. Add the sultanas/raisins and mix with a wooden spoon.

3. Place melted butter, vanilla essence, egg, milk and mashed bananas into another bowl and mix with a whisk or fork.



4. Pour the wet ingredients (from Step 3) into the dry mixture (from Step 2) and combine thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

5. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 45-50 mins or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out to cool completely on a wire rack.

6. Using a bread knife, slice a triangle bit off from each side to make the coffin shape. Then, slice the cake horizontally 2cm from the top.


Top right piece stolen and eaten by Baby D before I managed to snap a photo. :P


7. Decorate with spiders and a mummy.







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Monday, October 26, 2015

Juicing for Health with Kuvings Whole Slow Juicer

At home, we generally eat healthily and consume a balanced and varied diet. Together with Hubby, we have been considering juicing as an option for the whole family to maintain good health. We feel that the benefits from raw fruits and vegetables consumed as juices is something we want to introduce to our lifestyle and hopefully instill good dietary habits in our children.

We recently attended a book launch by Kuvings and MPH, and after listening to the personal story of the author, Sara Ding, and reading the book from cover to cover, we have now embarked on our own juicing journey.

The latest addition to our kitchen is the Kuvings Whole Slow Juicer (Model B6000R - RRP RM2,698), the world's first wide mouth slow juicer. It uses low speed masticating method, with a single auger juicing screw which allows efficient extraction and minimal separation in juice. The powerful motor is quiet and can operate for up to 30 minutes in one session.




Why are we juicing?

Fortunately for us, our children are not very picky eaters. However, we believe that through juicing, we can contribute to them getting their 5-a-day (fruit and veg) in a fuss-free manner whilst arguably being beneficial to their health, with their bodies absorbing essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, enzymes, phytonutrients and antioxidants.  Furthermore, with the recent haze, we are even more determined to hydrate their young bodies; drinking fruit and veg is a fun alternative fluid intake supplementing their good habit of drinking sufficient water.

We also believe "prevention is better than cure", hence by hydrating ourselves and nourishing our bodies with fresh juices, in the long run, our bodies will reap the benefits and our kids will continue to grow healthy and strong.

Although we have only had our Kuvings slow juicer for 1 week, I am absolutely loving it. I wake up every morning, looking forward to my fresh juices.

Our kids love being part of our juicing journey



 Which type of juicer is best?

There are currently two main types of juicers in the market, namely the centrifugal juicer and the slow (masticating) juicer. A slow juicer is recommended as it runs on slow speed (40 to 160 rpm), hence oxidation is reduced and the enzymes and nutrients in the juices are preserved.

When you consume raw fruits and vegetables, the digestion-absorption rate is only 17% in 3-5 hours, whereas juice made with Kuvings whole slow juicer has a digestion-absorption rate of 65% in 10-15 minutes. This high absorption rate means more nutrients can be absorbed into your body.




5 Reasons why We Love our Kuvings Whole Slow Juicer

1. Easy to assemble.
2. Easy to operate and easy to clean.
3. Maximum juice extraction.
4. Juicing is fun and has captured our children's imagination.
5. Accepts most fruits whole




I think I speak for majority of juicers that the first three reasons I stated above are definitely the most important criteria when choosing which brand of slow juicer to get.

When I was researching which juicer would be best for our home, one of the first questions I would ask the Sales Person was "Is it easy to clean?". Many years ago, Hubby owned a centrifugal juicer which was pretty troublesome to dismantle and clean.We were happy that the Kuvings slow juicer is very easy to clean and Hubby commented that the cleaning tool that comes with the juicer is excellent, a cleverly engineered piece which really does the job.  It is recommended to wash the juicer daily, hence the ease of assembling and dissembling is another great feature of the Kuvings Whole Slow Juicer.

The beauty of the Kuvings whole slow juicer is that it has a wide mouth, which means you can place some fruits into the machine whole (eg apples, tomatoes). It is also very easy to use, just press the on button and viola! A glass of fresh slow-pressed juice. Using a slow juicer, you are able to extract juices from leafy vegetables and it has a higher juice yield, so you get maximum extraction from your produce and it is more economical in the long run.


Even the pulp does not go to waste.... it is used in our compost making / garbage enzyme for our garden



With the slow juicer is an accompanying recipe book, which I find very useful as it explains the health benefits of each fruit and also gives you guidelines on what fruit and vegetable combinations work well together.



We also received a signed copy of Sara Ding's "Juicing for Health" book when we attended the Kuvings event earlier this month at Nu Sentral mall, KL. Sara is a juicing evangelist, and is also a Certified Health Coach & Nutritional Consultant. It was interesting to learn about her inspirational personal journey, as she transformed from a malnourished person suffering from toxemia, and turned her life around through juicing. Her book is great for juicing beginners like myself, as it includes detailed descriptions of many juices you can create for healing. This book is available at major bookstores such as MPH for RM39.90.



With author of Juicing for Health, Sara Ding



Juices we have made so far (and enjoyed!):

Apple + cucumber + celery + lemon


Pineapple + red spinach + lemon + ginger


Carrot + orange + lemon + ginger


Orange + ginger + lemon



Do follow us on our juicing journey via the hashtag #BabySumoXKuvings on Instagram. I will also be blogging about our favorite fresh juices and other juicing related topics in the near future. :)

Thank you very much to Kuvings for sponsoring our slow juicer and to Nuffnang for making it happen!


The Kuvings Whole Slow Juicer is available in white (RM2,598) or red and silver (RM2,698).For more info about Kuvings, please visit their website or Facebook page.




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