NON BAKE PEACH CHEESE CAKE

The Cheese Cake Picture looks familiar ?? Yes, I posted it in my earlier blog post when we had it as a Singapore National Day Birthday Cake on our national day celebration. I've been receiving some requests for sharing the recipe of my Non Bake Peach Cheese Cake. It's easy to prepare and save you some trouble of baking. Kids can do it so why don't you give it a try.

INGREDIENTS :

The Cake :
400g Digestive Biscuits
120g Butter (melted)
1-1/2 tsp Gelatin
100ml Hot Water
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
250g Philadelphia Cream Cheese
4 tbsp Condensed Milk
1 tin Evaporated Milk – Chilled overnight

The Top Decoration :
1/2 Peaches (sliced)
2 tbsp Gelatin Dissolved with little Hot Water

METHOD :

1. Crush biscuits into fine crumbs. Mix the crumbs with melted butter in a mixing bowl. Mix well and press crumb mixture into a 9” baking tin to form a firm and even crust. Chill for 2 hours while making the filling

2. Dissolve 1-1/2 tsp gelatin with hot water. Stir in the lemon juice and put aside.

3. Mix cream cheese and condensed milk well.

4. Whip the chilled evaporated milk until thick and combine with the gelatin mixture and (3). Beat till the mixture is smooth. Pour filling into crust and decorate with sliced peach. Pour the dissolved 2tbsp gelatin over the cheese. Chill overnight to set.

TIPS :

1) I prefer to line the tin with aluminum foil before pressing the crumb into the tin for easy removal. It’s not necessary but I prefer as it’s really very easy when removing the cake from the tin.
2) I add extra peach cubes into the cake to give it an extra peach flavor and it looks prettier and colorful when you present slice cake to your guess.

3) You may wish to use Oleo biscuits if you like to add some chocolate flavor into your every bite. Digestive biscuits are preferred as it will compliment the light and fruity cheese cake.

4) I actually freeze it at times and serve it as ice-creme. My kids really love their cheesy ice-creme. Best of all, it's calcium rich.

4) Be creative by changing the fruits to Kiwi, Strawberries, Blue Berries or any seasonal fruits of your choice.

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.

KIDS SAVING

I have a kid in secondary school, one in primary and another is about 3 year old. My eldest son used to have financial control problems as he can’t really control his desire to spend all the money he has on tit bits he loves to eat, game cards he loves to own and nice stationeries he wish to have. It is a straggle for him and me trying to manage money.

It is of great concerns to guide him and the rest of my kids to let them be Money Smart Kids. I started off introducing my saving plans for my eldest son and my youngest son voluntarily wishes to do the same. Results are good and we are very happy with the change.

Many financially savvy adults have developed good money saving skills when they are very young. Children who learn the benefits of saving money will benefit them and they will have a very essential skill in life. They will know how to source for funds, maintaining funds and even expanding funds in positive way.

Ways for kids to do their savings :

1) Saving Accounts :
Open Saving Accounts for your kids as young as possible. Many local banks offer kids’ bank account. They often waive minimums to welcome these little bank customers. Some will provide incentives like giving small credit into kid’s account when they first open the saving account. Others will give attractive gifts and toys as encouragement.

2) Piggy Bank :
Encourage your kids to own a cute and small piggy bank. Let him/her choose her own bank and place it at a prominent place. Some piggy banks can produce music once a coin is slotted. There’s one bank I came across is a miniature ATM machine. You can deposit coins and notes similar to bank automatic deposit machines. There’s a smart card that will update the value so that when your kids slot in the card, it will show how much he will have. The kids will find it cool to have something similar to adult world. Of course, such bank comes with a price. You will need to spend some money before you can start saving. Thus, encourage your kids to consider wisely their budget. Ask your kids for their opinion on their choice. Once they have make up their mind, go for one that they have decided on. This will give them recognition too which is very important. Kids has pride and wants to be treated like adults.

3) Extra incentives :
Give your kids a real extra incentive when they hit their saving target. Let say, if your kid gets allowance of $10 per week and if he can save $1.50 out of it, you give him extra $0.50. He will have this weekly incentive. If he doesn’t spend the savings in the first month, he will get another $2.00 as extra bonus. This will keep your kids looking forward to hit their target and even if they do not hit the extra bonus, it will be an added advantage of fewer frivolous spending.

However, you have to stress to your kids that they have to take their meals in school. Do not skip meal just to save extra and get extra incentives. Show concern on what they eat, how they spend and how the saving going is. Guide them on the right path.

All good habits start from young. Encourage them to be young money managers. As child ages and maturity grows, they have already set their right foundation. Better investment on greater returns such as Trust, Bonds and Shares can slowly be introduced. The rest is to watch them soar and be proud parents.

BROWN RICE FACIAL WASH

Brown rice is whole grain rice with mild nuty flavor. In the past it is rarely eaten except by the sick and elderly as a cure for constipation. However, it is now well accepted as it is far more nutritious then white rice and becoming more expensive due to shortage.

The reason for me to introduce brown rice is that it is so nutritious for consumption, even the water you use to soak the rice is equally useful.

For cooking brown rice, we need to soak the washed brown rice for at least two hours in warm water (abt 35 - 38 degree C) prior to cooking. It will encourage gemination and activate various enzymes in the rice. You may transfer the rice to the rice cooker with fresh water but do not discard the soaking water. The nutritious water is for your face.

You will notice some residual at the bottom of your soaking bowl. This part (part A) will be for use as face mask. The clearer top liquid (part B) will be use as face wash.

If you face is oily, you can mixed some facial foam to part B and cleans your face. If your skin is normal, just wash with part B liquid. After washing, pad dry your face with a towel. Scoop up part A and spread it evenly on your face as a face mask. Leave it for about 10 - 15 minutes and rinse off . You can immediately feel the smoothness of your skin.

Try it my dear friends. You don't have to span too much money or time doing it as the brown rice facial wash and mask is totally free.

Food for your tummy and nutriants for your face :P

TIRAMISU Non-Bake Cake

Giving free gift to attract sales is one of the game that never fails me especially when I am doing my open house sales. People tends to remember my delicious snacks and thus remember me...Hahah.....ofcourse they will remember my items for sales.

I always start up with easy recipe even my kids have no problem preparing. Try it mums and dads. Your kids will love it so does your clients. You can even sell it to your friends to make some extra money, use it as birthday cakes so you can save some extra money instead of buying one.

The best thing with this recipe is that it DOES NOT REQUIRE BAKING.

Ingredients :
75g sugar
3 egg yolks
250g whipped fresh cream
250g mascarpone cheese
2 packets sponge fingers
1 cup black coffee
8-10 tbsps brandy
Some cocoa power for dusting

Preparation :
1. Put egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream them together until thick. Add mascarpone cheese and continue beating. In a separate bowl, whip fresh cream. Fold whip fresh cream into the cheese mixture and set aside.

2. Mix coffee and brandy in a separate bowl. Dip each sponge finger into the coffee mixture and line the base of a baking pan.

3. Spread a layer of cheese mix over. Add another layer of dipped sponge fingers and another layer of cheese. Dust with cocoa. Chill in the fridge for 4 hours but it taste best when chill overnight.

Enjoy little friends, big friends, dads and mums with this easy recipe. Hope you have fun with it.

EARN AS YOU READ

Many thanks to my friend Sharon for sharing with me a program in making little money via reading.

I have joint EmailCashPro and starts earning some money by reading online ads with no cost at all at my end. I will not go into something that I need to pay unless the return is really that good and justifiable. Thus, I go for this which I do not need to fork out any money. Haha…

ECP is a local (Singapore) advertising service company who pays members to view online ads. All you need to do is to sign up as a member. They will send links to ads to you via e-mail according to your interest and profile. (They are earning from advertiser and share some profit to you for viewing.)

You will earn money by clicking on the links and view an ad for a minute. Each view will earn you a point which worth around half a cent. Spend a little bit of your time per day viewing the ads will get you some money.

To earn more, you may enroll your friends or promote your member link (no spamming please). When your friends who enroll as member under your link start viewing their ads, you too will earn referring points which in turns converted to money.
If you think it’s worth trying at no cost, you may sign up via my link -
http://www.emailcashpro.com/?r=adecsynet
and I will earn some referring points. Haha….thanks and really appreciate that.

At this moment, they are also giving away bonus to member. You can view some free e-books and articles on topics like golf, babies, finance etc. You may find them interesting and helpful to read on.

Oh Yes…….You might think that half a cent is not much. You will not be rich for this money. But…..hey, it is till money isn’t it. My lovely grandmother keeps reminding me since I was young, “don’t look down on half a cent even though it is that insignificant.”