Boa Annabelle Hodge

I am so excited to share with you all that we had a girl!!!

Boa decided to join our world on April 3, 2013 (at 39 weeks) through natural delivery at 00:00, weighing at 3370 grams, 50cm long

We have been smitten ever since!!!

Here are some photos from her debut:

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After 14 hours in labour

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Few hours old, sleeping in her cot

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Few days old, such a sleepyhead

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Snoozin off with daddy

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I really don’t even know what to say about it yet except there is nothing more beautiful in this world than those eyes looking back into mine.

Bio Oil

The best stretch-marks lotion EVER!!!

When I was a teenager, I used to be really fat. I started losing weight once I graduated from high school, probably when I started juggling in between working from 7am to 5pm then straight to my law class from 6pm to 11pm. The evolution from fat to skinny, leave some marks on some parts of my body (thigh, butt and breast area). I am ok with the marks.I mean there is nothing I can do about it, right?

But I do know that, I am NOT one of those girl who is blessed with a good skin elasticity, my body is prone to stretch-marks.

So when I find out that I was pregnant, I am well aware that I will have a new stretch-marks under my belly area. I saw my girlfriends who have had baby belly, some are not so bad, but some other got quite severe stretch-mark that they cant wear bikini anymore. And judging from the stretch-marks that I have now, I will have a really bad stretch-marks once I give birth :(

If that happen, I can only embrace it, and accept the fact that it is one of the consequences of being pregnant, and will just have to make peace with my marks.

But there is nothing wrong in trying to prevent it, right?

So I started googling for the best stretch marks cream, lotion, oil whatsoever. Of course Miss Google come up with some stuff. I write down the list, and go to drug store in Singapore, asking the sales assistant if they got some. She got the stuff on my list, but she proudly recommend me Bio Oil lotion. She said its the best.

Hmmmm….I only go with Bio Oil, because it cost way more than the cream on my list. I believe its expensive for a good reason.

I was lazy to apply the oil under my belly on my early pregnancy. Only started using it religiously when I enter my 2nd semester. And boy….up until now, not even a dark line on my tummy.

Buuutt! That doesnt prove anything, right? There were no marks under my belly prior to pregnancy, and I could possibly got good skin on my tummy area. So maybe Bio Oil is nothing.

Nope!!!

Entering my 3rd semester, I spot a dark line growing on my butt, on my previous already faded stretch marks. Omg!!!

Thats when I started applying the oil twice a day on that area. After about a week, the dark line didnt go vanish just like that, but I can see the dark line slowly fading. Fiuuuuhhhh…!!!! Perhaps I should have apply the oil all over my body, then the dark line wont stand a chance to grow at all.

So YUP! Thats when I know this Bio Oil lotion is awesome. Believe and 100% sure its worth every penny. I am up to my 3rd bottle now (my first one was 200ml, but they dont have that size anymore nowadays), and will continue using it after pregnancy to get rid of the rest of the marks on my body.

Bio Oil

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PS: Even though I hope everyone having the same result like me when using this oil, I do believe the outcome are different for different people. So this review of this product is based on my own experience. It doesn’t guarantee anything.

It’s A Girl!

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Yup! We’re having a baby giiirrrllll!!!!! So excited!!!!!

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Her most recent picture. She’s kicking, twitching n punching alot. But that’s okay, because I love her too much already.

Rendang Padang

I Love Rendang!

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I might be born and live in Batam Island forever, but my parents originally came from Padang, West Sumatra. So, I am a Minang girl, or a Padangnese or a West Sumatran, whatever they call it. Its in my blood that I am always craving for spicy food. So, thats why today I am gunna make Rendang!!!

A little bit about Rendang:

Rendang is a spicy meat dish which originated from the Minangkabau ethnic group of Indonesia, which also popular in South East Asia. Culinary experts often describe rendang as: ‘West Sumatra caramelized beef curry’.

Rendang is rich in spices. Traditional Padang rendang takes hours to cook (usually four hours). Cooking rendang is time consuming and requires patience. The meat pieces are slowly cooked in coconut milk and spices at precisely the right temperature until almost all the liquid is gone, allowing the meat to absorb the condiments. The cooking process changes from boiling to frying as the liquid evaporates. The slow cooking process allows the meat to absorb all the spices. During the process, the meat should be slowly and carefully stirred in the spicy coconut milk mixture and turned over without burning or ruining the meat — well until all the liquids have evaporated. Because of its generous use of numerous spices, rendang is known for having a complex and unique taste.

If you want to know more about Rendang, please click here!

I myself, love the dry rendang, which is what I am going to make today. Buuuuuttttt….I am NOT in the mood to eat beef right now, so I substitute them beef with Vegetarian Mutton, which basically made of mushrooms, looks like beef chunk, but its mushrooms. It wont taste as good as beef rendang, but thats okay with me, because I am craving for the spice ala rendang, not the beef.

Annnndddd, since its vegetarian, I do not have to feel guilty if I eat a lot of it. I am making myself a week stock of Rendang, but usually I finished them in 3 days. Oh yes! This is not the first time I am making Vegetarian Rendang.

Lets get the party started!

Ingredients:

1 kg vegetarian mutton
500 gr mini potatoes
1 cinnamon stick
5 cloves
2 star anise
1 lemongrass (cut into 2, 4-inch length each and pounded)
1 kg fresh grated coconut, put aside 7 tbs for toasting, turn the rest into 1300ml coconut milk
6 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
5 bay leaves
1 turmeric leaves
Salt to taste

Spice Paste:

8 shallots
3 cm galangal
2 lemongrass (white part only)
7 cloves garlic
2 cm ginger
20 chilies
10 green chilies
2 tbs coriander seeds
1 nutmeg
2 candlenut
4 cardamom pods

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