HOMEMADE SNOW....Kids having Fun

I rarely buy toys for my kids. It's an idea passed down from my grandmother to my mother to me. The idea is not to buy toys but to invent toys or games for kids.

Since I was very young, my mother always says she doesn't believe in ready made toys as they are not fun. I have 3 brothers and I'm the youngest. We always invented toys made from papers, cups, discarded items like pot, wire, rope, etc etc. We make use of recycle items and convert it into toy house, cable cars (using boxes and ropes and attached to our double deck bed), build rooms using blankets and bamboo sticks in our bedrooms (we even have a tiny toilet in our room), paper balls, boat, kite etc. Anybody came out with an idea of certain toy, we would make that fun toy immediately. Most of the time the craft is done by my eldest bro as he is the smartest among us.

Many times, we would come out with script and act it out as a game. My eldest bro was always the bad guy, my younger bros were the heroes and I was the princess they need to protect and rescue. We played haunted house (my second brother is ghost and we are visitors cos my second bro acts ghost well), zoo (my bros are animals and I'm visitor), hero rescue, ghost comb (my second bro...ghost again...holding a ghost come and chased after us. Whoever being poked by comb would be the ghost), riding mad horse (my bros are the mad horse and I need to ride on them till I fell from their back). It's really fun and at zero cost.

Now, it's my turn to pass this idea to my kids. I started with them when they were very young. When they were one year old, I made toys from papers and cloth. When they get older, they are able to make themselves. It just happen naturally.

My kids simply love their own invented games and toys. There's once my youngest son told me "mum, ready made toys are not interesting as compare to the toys or games we come out with ourselves." I guess, it's the fulfillment that hey have being able to create something fun to play. At times when my kids receive toys as birthday and Christmas presents, they really love the toys but the feelings are a bit different. They will play for some time and you will notice that they normally put them aside and go back to their own games.

Here is a vedio I capture when my younger son was playing "Homemade Snow" with his sister using papers. See how much fun they have. Enjoy the vedio. Cheers.



Encourage your kids to make their own toys. It's good to practice their imagination and encourage their development of motor skill too. Best of all, it's Save the Gaya act and Save Your Money too.

Homemade Pizza (AMC Pot / Oven Bake)

As what have mentioned in Pebble’s blog, it’s so convenient to call a pizza company and ask for delivery. My family love pizza with extra cheese toppings as the regular toppings are normally not to our satisfaction.

Extra toppings = extra money. Thus, auntie like me is always looking out for cheaper alternatives. There’s pizza joints that offer buy one get one free. Hey, it’s still not cheap and doesn’t taste as good without extra toppings. I’m greedy though…. :P

You can also make your pizza at home with ready made pizza base and spread your pizza sauce, cheese, toppings. However, nothing is cheaper and better then a Homemade Pizza with homemade dough. Thanks to Pebble and SC for this easy recipe. It works like miracle. It taste good and it’s absolutely easy to make.

I’m using AMC pan but if you do not have one, an oven is equally good.



INGREDIENTS FOR PIZZA BASE
1/2 bowl fresh / low-fat milk
1 Egg
1 tsp dry yeast
a pinch of find salt / sea-salt
a pinch of sugar
1-1/4 bowl of plain flour


INGREDIENTS FOR SEAFOOD PIZZA TOPPING
tomato base (note: you can use paste sauce)
sliced ham (cut into squares)
sliced bacon (cut into squares)
sliced mushrooms
sliced prawn
sliced crab meat
sliced pineapple (cut into small pieces)
sliced capsicum
grated mozzarella cheese
shaved or grated parmesan cheese


INGREDIENTS FOR PORT FLOSS PIZZA TOPPING
tomato base (note: you can use paste sauce)
mayonnaise (optional but it really taste better with it)
pork floss (I choose one with sesame seed and seaweed)
grated mozzarella cheese
shaved or grated parmesan cheese


METHOD

1. Mix the milk, egg, yeast, sugar and salt in a big mixing bowl.
2. Add the flour and mix till a dough forms.
3. Knead the dough.
4. Cover the dough with a wet cloth (note: remember to squeeze out as much water as possible) and leave the dough to rise for about 30 minutes. The dough will rise about another 3/4 of the original height.
5. Grease the inside of an AMC flat pan with butter / margarine.
6. Place the dough in the middle of the pan and use your fingers to spread out the dough until it covers the bottom of the pan and a little of the sides of the pan.
7. Cover the entire pizza base with a layer of tomato / pasta sauce.
8. Sprinkle the grated mozzarella cheese liberally.
9. Add the bacon, ham, mushroom and pineapple (note: the ingredients are to be squeezed as dry as possible before placing them on the pizza base).
10. Top with shaved parmesan cheese and grated mozzarella cheese.
11. Flatten the pizza so that the cooked pizza will turn out even.
12. Cover the pan with the AMC cover and cook on a low flame until the dial reaches "M". The cooking time is about 15 minutes.

Remarks & Tips

As the dough will rise after 30 minutes, place the dough in a tall container and cover it with wet cloth. If you place it in a small container or bowl, the dough will rise and touches the wet cloth. Why should you spend extra time washing the cloth isn’t it ?

The above pizza topping is for Seafood Pizza. Use your imagination and creativity to make your unique pizza. Give your invention a name. I name mine Kim Tian Regency Royal Pizza.

I made two pizzas at one go. One is Seafood Pizza and the other is Pork Floss Pizza. For Pork Floss Pizza, since the floss is cooked, I cook the base with tomato base, mayonnaise and cheese without topping the floss. Once the base is ready, I spread a bit more mayonnaise (so that the floss can stick to the base) and top the base luxuriously with seaweed pork floss.

My Fun with Kids & Friends

Our Royal Pizza was served with mixed vegetable salad, coleslaws, cakes, and drinks. It’s a Saturday night party feast.

Do it with your kids. My kids did it with me with minimum help. They feel very encouraging being able to show their talent. My Buddies TS and UR tried the pizza and the result is ……thumbs up. My eldest son Supercute can’t get enough of it and he did another two pizzas on the following morning as our surprise breakfast. He serves with hot lemon tea. Simply Delicious !!! Thank you son.

Pay less, get better pizza PLUS lots and lots of fun in the process of preparing and eating. Homemade is the best.