Vegan Brunch with a Toddler

Lining up the blocks

We went out to brunch on Saturday at the new organic/vegetarian cafe in our nearby mall. I actually have no interest in organic food at all (it has always struck me as a complete waste of money, though I do appreciate vegetarian food), but these sort of restaurants tend to have vegan desserts, important as they are the only kind I can eat. And in this I was not disappointed: they had a full selection, so I ate brownies AND "cheesecake". Plus soy lattes! So exciting!

R used to be a champion at eating out, but then she got older and pickier. If she likes the food, she will probably behave herself (french fries for the win); when the food on offer is grilled chickpea/sweet potato patties with avocado and asparagus topping, she is not reliable.

B cleverly got her to sit still by buying her some new Duplo blocks. It was her first lego set and she loved them immediately. In fact, she woke up an hour early the next day just to play with them again. R, you're a cutie even if you are sometimes more trouble than a barrel of monkeys!

"I'm building a tower"

"Mommy, look what I made!"

Visiting Vivo City

R on the roof of Vivo City

I wrote before about how the parks here are mostly empty, even during peak weekend hours. But that doesn't mean that all the Singaporeans are at home: they are all at the mall!

Malls are a huge part of life here, the prime place for family outings, dates, hanging out with friends, and people watching. They combine Singapore's two great loves, food and shopping, with air conditioning and a high level of cleanliness, and this seems to be an unbeatable combination. Not surprisingly the island is covered with malls of all sizes and price levels, from the luxury palaces on Orchard Road to the bargain bin chaos of Little India.

Most malls are very child friendly, with easy stroller access, changing rooms, and even nursing rooms in the larger places. They also usually include free playgrounds or play areas. The largest mall in Singapore is pretty close to our house and features both an outdoor playground and a wading pool on the roof (which is of course chlorinated and filtered, because this is Singapore!). It's a fun outing for R and I, even if I dislike malls on principle.

Copying the other kids

Usually we then go out for German food at Brotzeit, which is a Singapore-based Bavarian chain. Despite being mostly German ethnically, B does not like the food (he thinks it's too heavy) but I am a big fan (sausage+sauerkraut yum!). R always gets french fries, one of her favorite foods, and thus is happy to go with me.

French fries are serious business

My lunch

Brotzeit's decor scheme is kind of cool

It's often full of hip professionals (at least by Singaporean standards), since they are famous for their beer selection:
 but being Singapore, children are more than welcome too

Where to Eat the World's Best Dumplings

Oops, it's been a while! We have been fairly busy (trip to Java, trip to Sri Lanka) but B is going to be really busy at work for the next little while so we won't be going anywhere exciting. More time for blogging!

One of my very favorite places to eat is the restaurant chain Din Tai Fung. It's originally Taiwanese (and yes I have visited the original location in Taipei, which is amazing) but has now spread throughout the Chinese world. Chain restaurants get a bad reputation sometimes but in this case it has not affected quality much. Several of the restaurants are Michelin starred (though they are all very similar: the company runs a tight ship and requires employees to be trained in Taiwan). So far I have visited branches in Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, the United States (near Los Angeles; Seattle has one too) and Singapore.

Their most famous dish is the xiao long bao (which literally means little dragon dumplings, why I do not know), though all the other food is also good. Their dumplings are among the best I have ever had, anywhere (and I have eaten a lot of dumplings). If you ever have a chance to visit a Din Tai Fung, do not miss it!

R loves Din Tai Fung's dumplings too. In fact, the last time we went there she ate the entire order of xiao long bao all by herself! (Note the glazed look in the picture above as she scarfs down the last one.) It is a great place to go with small children in general, as the atmosphere in typical Chinese restaurant fashion is bright, noisy, hectic and lively. You can even watch the dumpling-makers at work as all the kitchens have glass walls. And they offer specially branded children's tableware (in photo, look at the cute dumpling!)

Of course it's not just children there: since the food is delicious, Singaporeans go in droves (it is always crowded). I like this picture as an example of a typical Singaporean date, involving 1. good food; 2. awkward social interaction and 3. extensive cell phone use.

R Has Her First Ice Cream Cone

Back before air pollution meant we couldn't leave the house, I took R to the zoo, where she got her first ice cream cone.

It was a big hit. She selected the cone with rainbow sprinkles and ate the whole thing!! The ice cream was Ben and Jerry's, and their branding must have made a big impression, because since that day she calls ice cream "cow" (as in, "I want to eat cow")

 It ended with R covered in chocolate, but very full!

Nyuto Hot Springs: Tsurunoyu Onsen

Tsurunoyu Onsen

After our stay in a provincial city, it was time to go really rustic: off to the heart of the Japanese countryside. Japan has many natural hot springs, and for millennia the Japanese have greatly enjoyed visiting these springs and soaking in their waters, partly as a relaxing getaway, partly for health reasons (the waters are supposed to cure a great variety of illnesses). Many of the hot springs have been tourist destinations for centuries, and remain popular today.

Nyuto is a hot springs resort deep in the mountains of Akita prefecture (like the dog: the breed was originally from here). There are seven different lodges, each with its own personality, but we chose to stay at the oldest and most traditional, Tsurunoyu Onsen. The inn dates back to the 17th century, when it was a retreat for the lords of Akita.

It's a little bit complicated to get there (from the train station, you take first a 50-minute bus ride and then a 15-minute shuttle provided by the inn: you must call ahead so that they can come pick you up). It's also a bit complicated to stay there, because Tsurunoyu is extremely popular (they often fill up six months in advance, perhaps partly because of all the Japanese repeat customers: we met a man from Tokyo who has visited twice a year for the last ten years). They also only take reservations over the phone (and since there is only one person at the inn who speaks any English, this can be tricky).

R and I on the shuttle: the scenery is gorgeous because we are in the middle of nowhere

But the experience was worth every bit of effort. It's one of the most magical places I have ever been, a collection of rambling wooden structures built in traditional style built along (and over) the freely flowing hot springs, surrounded by pristine countryside. The interior is equally charming, with eccentrically bending wooden hallways, tatami-covered rooms and doors hand-painted with scenes of nature.

Entryway to the inn: the igloo is actually a shrine to the water god

We arrived at night so in reality (and without the flash) it looked more like this

The small lit snow pyramids are "homes" made for the local kappas (a kind of Japanese water spirit)

The world's most charming phone booth (R loves playing with phones): there is no cell phone reception

Door to our entry room (our room was quite large and divided into three sections: entryway (with toilet in a small closet off of that); main room; and sitting'porch area, filled with windows overlooking the stream: R is crying because she wants to go play in the snow right NOW!

R sleeping: even though she was too restless of a sleeper to stay in bed, the tatami made the floor pretty comfortable

Hallway to our room, curving at all kinds of crazy angles

Breakfast room

The baths at Tsurunoyu are also pretty special. There are four, but my favorite was the large outdoor bath. Sitting in the perfectly warm, milky water (due to the natural minerals) as snowflakes gently fell on my head, surrounded by beautiful mountains, was absolutely incredible. Since Tsurunoyu is so traditional, the outdoor bath is mixed sex (this used to be standard in Japan, before contact with the West changed their attitudes about nudity: all bathing in Japan is done in the nude). We felt this was an advantage, since it meant the whole family could bathe together, including R. She LOVED the hot springs and wanted to stay there indefinitely: in fact, she cried bitterly every time it was time to get out.

This passageway connects the main building to one of the bathhouses

All the inn's buildings

The outside bath (from TripAdvisor)

Part of the Japanese inn experience is the food. Typically breakfast and dinner are provided by the inn (in fact, their cost is usually included in your room rate). The food is usually kaiseki (Japanese haute cuisine). Each meal consists of numerous small dishes (dozens, sometimes), each one painstakingly arranged on carefully selected plates. Proper presentation of a meal is an art form, which ideally perfectly balances appearance, color, taste and texture.

Having dinner (this is actually only about half of the full meal)

More food, including stew, sashimi and mountain yam

Kaiseki uses only fresh, seasonal ingredients (important as the point of the preparation is to enhance the natural flavor of the food, rather than change it). Kaiseki also makes heavy use of locally sourced ingredients, as was the case at Tsurunoyu (regional differences are very important in Japan, so each little area has its own food traditions). As a result, the menu changes daily, though it will probably include raw fish (sashimi and sushi), cooked fish, picked vegetables, miso soup and rice.

At breakfast: R is not impressed with my whole fish

I don't speak Japanese, so have no idea exactly what we were served (though it did include perhaps 20 different kinds of mushrooms, prepared in every way possible, and "mountain yam"). It was extremely delicious, however, even the whole roasted fish with its eyes and scales still on (which is saying something, as usually I dislike seafood).

R is not a fan of kaiseki: she sticks to rice (and ice cream, handily for sale at reception)

I highly recommend a stay at Tsurunoyu: it was one of the highlights of the trip for me. We stayed two nights, but if you are in search of a truly relaxing experience I recommend staying longer and exploring the other nearby hot springs. Spending several days eating delicious food, taking baths and admiring the scenery, all while surrounded by excellent service (the staff, as is typical in Japan, were all extremely competent and awe-inspiringly polite), is definitely something I'd like to do when not accompanied by a very active toddler.

The inn has its own snowblower machine, necessary because it's so out in the country

They had to clear a path for us to leave: R loves the machine

Feeding My Toddler

R's diet has been a source of stress to me as a non-cook. Thanks to various commenters' suggestions, I have been trying to give her a bit more variety (even if the cooking part isn't going so well: my cooking class has been fun but actually motivating myself to make stuff at home is another matter). It's been relatively successful.

B is in charge of dinners, so I feed her three meals daily (breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack). She doesn't get food at other times.

Breakfast is pretty much always the same: Cheerios with milk and some kind of fruit (here, honey mangoes). Often she gets yogurt too (aloe and coconut flavor here). Plus water (she only gets non-water/milk as a special treat). 

Here's R at lunch: Kashmiri pulao (this is Indian-style rice cooked with raisins and nuts: obviously I didn't make this!), milk, kidney beans (with a little bit of olive oil and vinegar) and fruit (pineapple I think?). I have been taking Jessica's advice to give her one fruit/vegetable, one protein, one grain and one milk per meal, which has been working pretty well so far.

Snack time is usually not that healthy. I think of it more like tea time, especially since she eats it around 4:30 or 5 (we eat dinner at 7ish). I am going for the "French system" I guess? (Bread with chocolate and a glass of milk being the the snack of choice there, per Bringing Up Bebe).

Here R is eating chocolate cake (she picked it out from the local bakery due to its rainbow sprinkle topping, but didn't enjoy it much: cake is not something Asians do well), yogurt drink, part of a bagel with goat cheese, and a tangerine.

We often (usually) eat dessert. I have a theory that making dessert a normal part of eating will reduce temptation to binge eat on sugar (My evidence: I didn't eat sugar before age 5 and look at me!), but honestly the dessert thing is just because I like sweets.

Here R is working on her dessert of coconut jelly, prepared inside an actual baby coconut (this is readily available at our local grocery store). This is a more typical Asian dessert.

For dinner last night we ate Taiwanese takeout (green beans, rice, Beijing-style pork burritos, onion pancake and pork dumplings), plus mini custard pies for dessert. R here is eating avocado, green beans, rice, custard, and her very favorite pork dumplings (she ate 5/8).

She loves them so much she lined them all up on the table before she ate them, to gloat over their beauty I guess? Cute.

Trying to Learn to Cook, Part 1

I actually made lunch for R, twice!! and it was pretty tasty. It was a bean salad (she likes beans) and I used this recipe as recommended.

It was pretty much the easiest food you could possibly make (no actual cooking involved) but I was still surprised at how troublesome chopping vegetables into tiny pieces is (which is what "diced" means: you probably knew that already but I was a little unclear and had to look it up). The whole time I was doing it I kept thinking that this is the kind of mundane, pointless task that should be automated. Maybe there's a machine for it already and I just don't know it? If so, tell me what it is! I hate all manual labor.

I didn't use any paprika the first time (bugs had gotten into ours: things spoil much quicker here due to the climate), and substituted apple cider vinegar for red wine vinegar (which the grocery store was out of). I also didn't read the recipe carefully (cooking is tricky!), so didn't buy celery. The second time I followed the recipe exactly. It tasted fine either way.

I still need to buy a rice cooker and maybe a toaster oven (R has been ill or on school break, so I haven't had any time to shop yet) as the next step for using some of the other suggestions.

My next goal is to make an omelette. I am planning on trying this recipe per Gigi's suggestion (except with oil instead of butter, since I'm allergic. Hopefully it won't ruin everything?).

Adventures in Feeding My Child

I'm trying to feed R better (and myself, because she's getting old enough to notice I am eating gummies for dinner).

Success has been kind of mixed. B was willing to go along with it (like with giving up meat), so I went food shopping. Based on some of the comments from the original post, I bought many packets of frozen vegetables (in particular spinach, one of my favorite foods). I also bought quinoa, (canned) beans, (canned) tomatoes, cottage cheese, mushrooms, and eggs. And I've been making an effort to buy fresh fruit more often (troublesome because it only lasts a few days in this climate). I still haven't had a chance to buy a rice cooker, but that's next on the agenda.

So far we've had many different healthy meals. B made them, so they were real dishes with many kinds of spices and ingredients. They included garbanzos and quinoa with carrots and one was quinoa, sweet potato and spinach. We also ate spinach and egg omelettes, pasta with fresh tomato sauce, mushroom and black beans with wraps, mushroom and goat cheese sandwiches, Asian-style noodles and vegetables, etc. R ate most of this (though she refused to eat quinoa the first two times, and the third ate it, but with a look of reproach when it was served, and only after covering the whole thing in parmesan cheese. Not a fan, apparently).

Basically, I went shopping and then talked my husband into cooking for me. So we've been eating more healthfully, but the basic problem (of me being incompetent to feed my child) has not been addressed.

B did teach me how to make easy Asian-style stir fry (so maybe I will make it next week). And I made R eggs for breakfast twice! (This is really big, I assure you). I've been trying to follow Jessica's advice to include a grain, protein, veggie and dairy for each meal (though for breakfast I count fruit as a veggie: it seems too sad to give R spinach first thing in the morning).

I don't really have good motivation to make dinner (since B is so much better at it). But maybe I can try to make lunch (like, a real lunch rather than from a can) once a week? and then work up?

Someone recommended the Daily Garnish as a possible recipe source, and it seems very helpful. I think I will try the suggested bean salad on Friday (tomorrow is too busy). Let's see how it goes!

I Don't Know How to Feed My Child

Very typical lunch for R: garbanzo beans, rice cakes, Japanese
squash-flavored crackers, mixed vegetables, water. She eats
this at least 2-3 times a week. 

One of my biggest anxieties in parenting right now is R's diet. I said before that she wasn't picky and that food isn't a big issue for us. That's technically true: she eats whatever I give her (mostly, of course she has preferences to some extent just like an adult does) and has a good appetite.

But I constantly feel like I'm failing her because what she is offered is inadequate. She eats quite a monotonous diet: cheerios, raisins, beans, milk, mixed vegetables, crackers, rice cakes, apples, yogurt, bread with jam...Nothing is fresh really (beans are canned, vegetables are frozen, etc.) and so it's mostly heavily processed and full of weird chemicals. Then there's all the meals out, where the food is mostly greasy, oily, highly salted or otherwise not healthy (like french fries for dinner, which is what she had on Tuesday). Then there's the frequent candy she gets (whenever I want some, often daily).

It's better than my diet (which is basically highly processed carbohydrates and sugar), but that's really not saying much. I am passing on all my crummy food habits, which makes me feel very sad.

Poor R has no idea: she thinks it's tasty!

Part of the problem is that I don't cook (and B is only home for dinner, but he's been too busy lately to make it). I keep thinking I should start, but haven't. It's complicated by the fact that 1. we don't have an oven 2. I have no cookery skills, so anything involved is out and 3. shopping for food here is a huge hassle. Recently I bought two vegetarian cookbooks (since we don't eat much meat), but haven't done anything beyond that. Just looking at all the directions in cooking language speak made me feel tired and overwhelmed.

What do other people do to feed their toddlers? How do you even pull off making/planning a whole selection of nutritionally sound, varied meals (without an oven or any skills)? I really don't know. It seems like many toddlers I know are quite picky (and thus their diet is limited for that reason). I haven't asked my IRL friends about it because honestly I'm too embarrassed to admit I have no idea how to feed my child properly.

Any suggestions?

Malacca: What We Ate

The only picture I took in a restaurant: R
goofing around waiting for our food

I'm a failure as a food blogger, because I never remember to take pictures. (One of my friends takes a picture of every meal eaten when on vacation, however small, which is so awesome and a great way to remember the trip. I must try harder to do this.)

In any case, Malacca has superlatively good food (even though I don't have proof and you will just have to take my word for it). There's a lot of diversity in the dining scene, despite the city's small size: cuisines include Chinese (of many varieties), Malaysian, Indian/Pakistani, Portuguese, Japanese, Peranakan (known as Nonya here), American and European. Most of the food (especially the hawker centre or street food) is very similar to that available in Singapore.

My recommendations:
--Cendol (I love this: a dessert I can eat! Plus, you can't go wrong with coconut milk, sugar, ice and cendol on a hot day).
--Nonya food (We really enjoyed Nancy's Kitchen)
--Pak Putra (Delicious Tandoori, at least according to everyone else--I can't eat it due to the yogurt sauce. The naan was excellent, however.)
--Chicken rice balls (dish unique to Malacca; they taste just like the Hainanese chicken rice available in Singapore. R loved these and ate most of them).

Malacca is pretty touristy, but all of these dishes/restaurants are patronized by locals as well as tourists (and many of the tourists are Malaysian or SE Asian). I would avoid the more "foreign" food (mainstream Chinese, Japanese, etc.) as it's aimed more for tour groups and thus is not good. Stick to the small, Malaysian-oriented places and you won't go wrong.

R Loves Cookies

For a long time R didn't really like "junk food". In fact, she cried the first time she ate ice cream (too cold). But as she grew up and gained experience, she discovered that it really is delicious.

Mmm...cookie haze

Most of the food she eats is relatively healthy. But since I eat regular sweets (because I'm a sugar fiend), she does too: maybe every other day? She especially likes gummy candy (which is my very favorite), and now I can't eat it around her because she demands some and gobbles it so quickly that I end up getting very little myself.

She's got a piece in hand, but wants to make sure all the cookie is secured

On my birthday I couldn't have cake (due to my stupid milk allergy) so I bought R a cookie instead, to live vicariously (the cake pieces were way too big for a baby to eat by herself). She loved it! It was really cute watching her. I'm glad she isn't allergic!

Oooh, I am so full of cookie. Can't believe I ate the whole thing!