Here's looking at you kid! *Ribbit*

The only frog I've seen up close are the fried frog legs sitting on a plate. Cooked or not cooked, I keep them at an arm's length. It was the sight of the sad amphibians sitting in their tanks at zi-cha stores that halted all my desire for frog legs when I was a teen, FOR GOOD.

But I never knew there was a frog farm in Singapore, so you could say it was with morbid curiosity that made me join Kai for his school excursion to the Jurong Frog Farm.

When the time came to pet the bullfrog, Kai was understandably scared. But I wanted him to step out of his comfort zone. So what did I do? Yes. I touched the frog to show him that there is NOTHING to be afraid of.

My brain was screaming "NOO! You're mad, woman. You're mad!!!" But I heard myself saying, "See Kai, there's NOTHING to be afraid of." Maybe he saw the scrunched up, lousy attempt of a smile on my face and said: "NO!"

It was his teacher who finally got him to pet the frog. He was a lot braver than me. He actually touched the frog with four fingers. I only touched the frog with one fingertip.

Where:

Jurong Frog Farm

56 Lim Chu Kang Lane 6

Obsession with pie pots

For two weeks or so, I've been looking for pie pots. I've tried the kitchenware section of big department stores and the baking section of supermarkets.

Nothing. And I refused to make pies using any other pots other than the pie pots. I was adamant.

I finally found them at Sia Huat. It is THE place to go if you want to outfit your kitchen, restaurant, or food store. They even sell mops, buckets, and yellow signs that warn of slippery, wet floors. And even chef hats, aprons, and uniforms.

I didn't make the pie in the end. Terence did using Nigella Lawson's Chicken, Mushroom and Bacon Pie recipe. Sweet, sweet Terence. I wanted to make the pies for him, but he did it himself. :-p

Weekend pastry chef

We have been baking almost every weekend mainly to engage Kai, and he loves to help. It can get pretty messy with egg shells in your liquid ingredient, flour all over the floor/table/chair, and one must be quick enough to stop toddler from throwing an ingredient that's not required into the mixing bowl.

There are plenty of instant cookie/muffin/brownie mixes available, but nothing beats making them from scratch and Kai has more to do. We haven't baked the perfect muffin which everybody loves yet. But Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffin disappeared rather quickly, though I would prefer it to be more moist.

Here's the recipe. Enjoy!

(Serving size: 12)

Ingredients:

250g plain flour

2tsp baking powder

Half-teaspon bicarbonate soda

2tbsp cocoa

175g caster sugar

150g chocolate chips (plus more for sprinkling later)

250ml milk

90ml vegetable oil

1 large egg

1tsp real vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C and fill a 12-bun muffin tray with paper cases.

2. Weigh out the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Pour all the liquid ingredients into a separate bowl.

3. Mix both together. (It will be a runny batter.) Then spoon them into the muffin cases

4. Sprinkle more chocolate chips on top and bake for 20 minutes (or until the muffins are risen and springy)