Yum..what's for breakfast?

A friend recently posted on FB that she was in a breakfast rut with her three year old son.  It made me think about the question I ask Kai each morning, "What do you want for breakfast?"  This morning Kai replied with "sticky rice".   It's true Kai craves sticky rice about once a week. I know several friends who have picky eaters and are always searching for ways to mix up the food offerings at home.   For the next week, I'll post ideas for different meals.  Today, let's start with that most important meal of the day breakfast.

I think that there is a lot of pressure on moms to magically cook something different every day.  It's easy to fall back on Trader Joe's staples but that gets boring.  Here's our breakfast rotation:

1) Sticky Rice (ie. glutinous rice) which can be made instantly from this box with no preservatives or MSG or bought from your local dim sum shop.  There are both sweet and savory versions.

2) Banana  Flaxseed Pancakes.  Kai always helps me make these and he eats about three mini pancakes. These are great because you can make a big stack and save it for the next day.

3) Vanilla yogurt with bee pollen, blueberries, and mango.

4) Wheat toast with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Simple and delicious.

5) Cascadian Farms Cinnamon Crunch.  This is a store bought cereal that Kai picked out.  It was a nice break from Trader Joe's cereals and it's organic.

6) Leftover Homemade Pho Ga.  Vietnamese Chicken Noodle soup that either my mom or I made the night before. This is great especially during the cold season.

7) Soft Scrambled Egg with Tomato and Garlic over Brown Rice with a hint of oyster sauce (this can be bought in any Asian market)

Breakfast is different in every culture.  For some people eating cereal every day is fine, but there are a lot of families like ours that needs just a little more to get us going. 

once in awhile, we grab a blueberry bagel and enjoy it outside

Must Have Treat--Smooze!

I discovered a new treat for Kai at Costco. For awhile Kai was allergic to dairy and  Smooze! Fruit Ice  made of coconut milk and exotic fruit  is a super substitute for ice cream.  It's vegan, gluten, and dairy free. You don't have to feel guilty about this sweet treat because it's low in sugar and high in Vitamin C. It reminds me of the push up pops from the 80's but much healthier.  I highly recommend it for the little ones and their parents. Yum!

Happy Pho for Lazy Nights

I’ve never had brown pho noodles until yesterday. Our good friend Kendall introduced us to this designed for hipsters kinda box of Happy Pho. It’s been sitting in our pantry for three weeks and I finally broke it out last night for dinner. Sure I could make my own pho, but after a weekend of hubby being sick and many household chores, I was ready to be lazy. Luckily I had beef broth, green onions, cilantro, and baked tofu on hand. I whipped out two adult bowls and a baby bowl of pho out of the single box in about twelve minutes.



Kai didn’t like it much but he’s also in love and loyal to his grandma’s pho. J thought it was pretty good but felt that there was something missing. The truth is you can’t replace homemade pho that’s been brewing for three to six hours. But for something instant and healthy, Happy Pho does the trick because the anise and coriander flavor comes out. The brown pho noodles were tasty and surpassed my expectations. Star Anise products are gluten and MSG free which makes it ultra healthy as well. I still recommend it for those lazy nights and camping trips. For those who don’t have mom’s homemade pho, this could be the next best thing.

Ooh...Chopsticks and Baby

OMG! Kai picked up a grape with chopsticks yesterday. We were eating at Sushi King and he was seriously concentrating on picking up single grapes with the wooden chopsticks. This was his own initiative.On the fifth try, he was able to pick up one plump one and he was ecstatic! I think it’s time to buy the kiddie chopsticks like the ones shown above. I think that is one accomplishment that will do down in his book. Nineteen months and chopstick ready!

Read more about the average age to start chopstick training.

Last Call: Persimmons

January is the last month to pick up persimmons. I’m always surprised at how many people have never eaten one. It can be seen more as an Asian fruit as the markets in Chinatown are always fully stocked. Kids will love their sweetness and the star pattern found inside. The crunchy Fuyus seem to be packed with more beta carotene, antioxidants, and Vitamin A than the Hachiya variety. Eat up!

My sister-in-law made yummy persimmon bread over the holidays too.

Read more about Persimmon Pleasures at Tea and Cookies.

Winter Warm Food

We going through some serious winter chill in the Bay Area. Seriously it even snowed on Mt. Diablo.

Last night we discovered a great way to stay warm in our old Victorian home by cooking lots of hearty and hot foods.

With some leftover crab and chicken andouille sausage, I was inspired to make gumbo. It turned out pretty scrumptious.

J made two pizzas with Trader Joe’s dough:

Pizza 1: Spinach, Red onions, and Tomato with Asiago and Parmesan Cheese
Pizza 2: Pepperoni, red onions, and marinara sauce sprinkled with Asiago

Baby Kai tried out his culinary skills using a whisk and mixing bowl creating horchata with vanilla rice dream and cinnamon. It was so yummy he drank it right out of the bowl.

Cheers to cold weather and good food!

Preserving Culture Through Food

Many of my friends are 2nd or 3rd generation Asian or Mexican folks starting to raise their own children. I would also say that most of us have married someone of a different ethnicity as well. For J and I, we are trying to balance the Vietnamese and Filipino cultures. However, Kai hears English and Vietnamese mostly and my mom cooks him homemade Vietnamese food weekly. I’m hearing stories of multi-ethnic families where one culture can dominate depending on which language is heard more and which grandparents are around more often.

I think that if even a child is exposed to a culture through food, it’s better than no exposure to their other heritage. Many of us modern mothers are health conscious so we may serve up brown rice with entrees from Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s for our kiddies. Remember we didn’t grow up eating pasta or fish sticks. I don’t think there is anything wrong with mixing up some Jasmine or short grain rice once in a while or foods seasoned with soy sauce or fish sauce.

My favorite recipe to share with Kai right now is Chicken Adobe. I let the adobe slow cook for 8 hours while I’m at work and then I serve up on a bed of white rice. Other days he’s eating tilapia and rice too. Even though he won’t learn tagalong at home at least he’ll feel connected to Filipino food. How are you balancing the cultures in your family?

Yum: Baby's Favorite Snack

ONIGIRI-- His favorite is filled with salmon.

Night Out: SF Dining with A Cause

For parents looking for a night out with or without baby, I highly recommend checking out Mission Street Food. Local chefs guest star on Thursdays and Saturdays putting together special menus. Go early cause the line is usually out the door. Tonight Carlo Espinas is the star. CE will be dishing out plates for meat lovers and vegans. He'll be trickin' out a special Filipino Sisig too.

Eat up and be thankful your money will benefit Delancey Street Restaurant.

Power Shake for the Nursing Mama

To curb the hunger that hits me after nursing, I make this great shake that also satisfies my peanut butter cravings:

PB Boost

3 tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter
½ cup of vanilla or plain yogurt or vanilla ice cream if you need more fat
1 teaspoon bee pollen
2 squirts of honey
¼ cup of soymilk
1 banana

Make one for your partner too! Enjoy.

Read about the benefits of PB...it's good fat!

OMG! Birthday Cupcakes…My Next Big Mom Endeavor

Check out these cupcakes that my friend baked for her niece. She’s my role model right now. She’s a working mom but managed to bake and decorate 50 cupcakes over the weekend. Wow!



This is going to be quite the challenge for me. I can cook savory foods but baking doesn’t come natural for me. You know what this means, a couple of practice batches in the coming months. My love for cupcakes should keep me going even through any burnt or over-baked batches. I’ll keep you posted!

For more cupcake inspiration, visit a cupcakery.

Foodie Tour for the Whole Family: San Francisco

Here’s a foodie tour that’s both kid-friendly and wallet-friendly:

tea collection

Green Washing: Makes You Wonder

I’ve been seeing the new ads for JIF Natural. I’m a huge fan of peanut butter so I take notice. Sure as a kid from the 80’s, my mom only bought creamy JIF to make peanut sauce for our Vietnamese spring rolls. With the leftovers, I made PB & J sandwiches on Wonder Bread. But I was also the kid who ate Smuckers Grape Jelly straight from the jar. I didn’t know any better! It was only when I turned 22 did I try 100% natural peanut butter for the first time. Damn, it’s good despite the pool of oil sitting on top of the jar.

So back to JIF, they created this new natural line. Hmmm…makes me wonder what was it before if not natural? Looks like all these old school companies are jumpin’ on the green wagon. Why didn’t they just make things natural in the first place?

I believe the Natural JIF is now 90% peanuts and the rest is still sugar, palm oil, and salt.

Close enough, I guess but there’s no turning back for me. Remember there are benefits to eating this fatty and delicious food but you don't reap the benefits by eating refined peanut butter.

Beat the Sniffles—Cold Cure for Mama and Dada

Everyone seems to be sick now. That nasty cold keeps being passed between child, mom, and dad right? Well if you catch the cold, it doesn’t need to bog you down. Skip the Tylenol and try these simple recipes that will give you energy to beat the sickness.

The most important thing is to stay warm. Not just with socks and a hat, but your body's thermogenesis needs a kick.

Brew Roasted Ginger and Lemon Tea:

-Cut a whole ginger and lemon into thin slices and then place them in the toaster oven to roast for 10 minutes.
- Boil 2 cups of water with 3 tablespoons of raw or rock sugar.
- Add the roasted ginger and lemon
- Simmer on low heat for at least 30 minutes

Drink the tea several times a day and your circulation will be up to speed. Ginger is magic.

Eat Rice Congee. I know it doesn’t sound good but East Asians eat this to retain their strength during sickness. You can easily purchase it at a traditional Chinese restaurant. Or you can cook up this comfort food for cheap:

Basic Congee
serves 6
1 cup long grain white rice
9 cups water or stock (chicken or fish)
Salt to taste

In a heavy pot, bring the rice, liquid and optional salt to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer and cover loosely with a lid. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the rice is thoroughly cooked and the porridge has become thick and creamy, about 1 1/2 hours. Serve up hot with the condiments of your choice or plain, just as it is, for a comforting, simple meal.

Recipe from The Kitchn

If you’re not sick, these recipes can cheer up your partner, children, and friends. They’ll love you for it!

Mum-Mum: Asian Snack for Baby

Being Asian and a rice fanatic, I was thrilled to learn about Baby Mum-Mum at Kai’s last play date. Props to Lisa for turning us on to these lovely snacks.

As other parents know, the search for the perfect baby cracker is hard. Kai’s not old enough to nibble on the standard teething biscuit as they are made for 9 month olds.

Mum-Mums are rice crackers without the sodium, spice, or seaweed you might find in the adult version. They are individually packed and extra long for an easy grip. They seem to dissolve easily in baby’s mouth and make no mess on the floor. Plus, parents won’t mind eating any left over crackers either, they’re pretty good.

Mum-Mum crackers are made in China but have been Canadian tested so there are no deadly ingredients involved.

Hooray for Baby Mum-Mum!

I’ve never seen them at any grocery store in Oakland but you can buy them on Amazon.

Funny Note: MAMA BRAIN

It's confirmed. I have mama brain! Since becoming a mom, one of the things I keep forgetting is to turn on the rice cooker! For those who live on rice, you can understand the frustration. I'll wash, measure,and place the rice in the cooker without pressing "cook". So sad when I'm starving for dinner to find the rice uncooked.

To rice eating mamas... CHECK! CHECK! CHECK! Is this thing on?