S for strawberry for #AtoZChallenge: strawberry macaroni salad recipe

Strawberries -- succulent and sweet -- are one of baby Ren's favorite. Adorned with only less than 8 front baby teeth, he has enjoyed strawberries since he turned 8 months old. We introduced a little piece of his finger size, then two little pieces, then a strawberry, which is cut into little pieces, few days later 2 strawberries and he always wants more! Since strawberries are an excellent choice for getting vitamin C, flavonoids, folate and fibers, we are happy that he appreciates strawberries. 



I love preparing baby tomatoes, also known as cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, as one of our salad ingredients. They come handy for little fingers, who love practicing pincer movements in a path of becoming future prolific guitarists or mechanics or surgeons. We also love salad as a warm meal, all rich colors, tastes and textures mixed in a bowl or a plate.

Coriander, also known as cilantro, Chinese Parsley, contains antioxidants and anti-bacterial chemicals. Coriander is stronger than parsley in fragrance, and I love it with Hainanese chicken rice in Singapore. This meal will be the first one in which I introduced coriander to baby Ren. It is funny to see a finely-chopped coriander piece on his cheek, while he points indicating he wants more of his meal.

For #AtoZChallenge on 2014 April 22 Tue, I lovingly present a recipe of strawberry macaroni pasta salad by ServicefromHeart. This recipe is inspired by a strawberry aficionado-in-making, baby Ren!



Servings: 2 (2 adults + 1 toddler)
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 5-8 minutes

Ingredients:
♥ 175 g dried macaroni pasta
♥ 1/2 tsp salt
♥ 8 cherry tomatoes, quartered
♥ 1 water apple
♥ 1 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
♥ 1 tbsp sesame oil
♥ 1 tbsp olive oil
♥ 1 tbsp sesame seed
♥ 1/4 tsp pepper
♥ 1 clove garlic, minced
♥ 1 lettuce 

Directions:
1. Gently whisk dressing of garlic, pepper, oil, coriander, sesame seed. Stir until smooth.
2. Cook macaroni pasta in boiling salted water according to package instructions*. 
3. Meanwhile, wash thoroughly lettuce, strawberries, tomatoes, water apple. Cut them into bite chunks (toddler-size).
4. When macaroni pasta is ready, drain and immediately combine with dressing.

* It takes 5 minutes to reach al dente, but I cooked longer so the macaroni would be softer for toddlers.

Tips:
♥ For better fragrance, lightly toast sesame seeds over medium heat. For toddler recipe, I skip this stem to minimize too much heat in the meal.
♥ Since this recipe is intended for a toddler, the taste is mild. If you want stronger taste, you can use higher quantity for dressing ingredients. ♥  Some people may be allergic to strawberries, check with doctors if white-fruited strawberry cultivars (without Fra a1 allergen) are okay for them.



Other recipes that I love:
♥ Bridget's sweet strawberry pasta (Bake at 350)
♥ Kevin Lynch's strawberry and avocado spinach salad in raspberry balsamic vinaigrette at Closet Cooking
♥ Ali Ebright's avocado strawberry spinach salad with poppy seed dressing at Gimme Some Oven 

For faster-to-ready meals, see also our other #5minutemeal recipes.

With love,

ServicefromHeart

20140422

I for ice cream for #AtoZChallenge: strawberry ice cream princess {#ministory}

Ice cream always makes us happy, especially on hot summer days. A frozen yet smoothly textured dessert made of milk or cream, sweetened & flavored with fruits, the making of ice cream requires slow stirring while cooling to prevent large ice crystals from forming.



Enjoy a bowl of ice cream bejeweled with generous amounts of fruits.



Listen to a beautiful song.
Share a story or ministory to our little friends.
Life is beautiful! 

  

♥ ♥ ♥

Both baby Ren and I love the song Let It Go from Disney's 2013 animated feature film, Frozen. 

My favorite version is sung by Lexi Walker. Her beautiful voice is a blend of an innocent little girl & a smart mature young woman.



The original lyric, composed by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez:

"The snow glows white on the mountain tonight
Not a footprint to be seen.
A kingdom of isolation,
and it looks like I'm the Queen
The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
Couldn't keep it in;
Heaven knows I've tried

Don't let them in,
don't let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel,
don't let them know
Well now they know

Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore

Let it go, let it go
Turn away and slam the door
I don't care
what they're going to say
Let the storm rage on.
The cold never bothered me anyway

It's funny how some distance
Makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me
Can't get to me at all

It's time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me,
I'm free!

Let it go, let it go
I am one with the wind and sky
Let it go, let it go
You'll never see me cry
Here I stand
And here I'll stay
Let the storm rage on

My power flurries through the air into the ground
My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around
And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast
I'm never going back, the past is in the past

Let it go, let it go
And I'll rise like the break of dawn
Let it go, let it go
That perfect girl is gone
Here I stand
In the light of day
Let the storm rage on

The cold never bothered me anyway!"

 

♥ ♥ ♥

For #AtoZChallenge on 2014 April 10 Thu, I lovingly present a #ministory of strawberry ice cream princess, inspired by both Frozen and baby Ren, who loves Frozen's song Let It Go and strawberries.




During a cold winter, a young beautiful girl has caught cold after spending entire morning working hard outdoor.

When she was about to take a rest inside her tiny hut, which has no fire place, her stepmother shouted at her, "Quick! Make your sister some strawberry ice cream!"

Her sister is actually her stepsister without blood relationship, but the girl loves her sister. She would love to make her sister strawberry ice cream, if possible.

"But mother, where do I find strawberries in these winter days?"the girl gently replied, knowing how unreasonable the order was. 

Her stepmother fiercely replied, "I don't care! Don't come back before you find them!"

So the girl walked out to the mountain. She braved the storms and affirmed to herself, "be the good girl!" like her father's final words before being sent to a war. 

A day passed. Two days had gone. No matter where she looked for, she found no strawberries.

Hungry. Her tummy complained louder than ever, yet she persisted.

Tired.

Finally, she fell down on soft snow. "Oh ... God! Please don't let me frozen to death," she weakly whispered to the bone-chilling wind.

Fortunately, a bear soon found the girl laying cold and almost lifeless.

He used his furry body to cuddle the girl like a warm thick blanket.

He fed her honey to nourish her body, for many days ... until summer arrives.

The bear brought the girl to a patch of berries, including strawberries. The girl remembered her unfinished task to make her stepsister strawberry ice cream.

After collecting a  basket of succulent strawberries, she bid farewell to the bear, "My savior bear, when will I see you again?"

Inside her heart, she knows that she may not see the bear again.

The bear sincerely pleaded, "Good girl, please marry me and you will see me everyday of your life."

Before the girl replied, the bear kissed her - as red as strawberries - lips, and transformed into a handsome prince.

He was under a spell by a witch whom he angered for challenging her.

The good girl nodded and tears flowed down her cheeks. The prince brought her to his majestic kingdom, where she was crowned as a princess and both live happily ever after.

Every year, the filial good girl makes strawberry ice cream for her stepsister and visits her stepmother. Hence, people also dearly address the good girl as the strawberry ice cream princess!



With love,
ServicefromHeart
20140410

H for honey for #AtoZChallenge: warm honey heart pasta salad recipe by ServicefromHeart

First of all, my heart goes to you all who have kindly visited ServicefromHeart and left encouragements and constructive suggestions! Thank you very much ♥



Honey - a symbol of sweetness - is as sweet as granulated sugar. To give our food or beverages a sweet flavor, I often use honey (which has antiseptic and antibacterial properties) to substitute sugar.

Honey is also a symbol of everlasting, sweet new year, and healing in some cultures.

"And thy Lord taught the Bee to build its cells in hills, on trees, and in (men's) habitations; Then to eat of all the produce (of the earth), and find with skill the spacious paths of its Lord: there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colours, wherein is healing for men: verily in this is a Sign for those who give thought" ~ Al-Quran 16:68–69.

Suitable for long-term storage, as long as we minimize its access to humidity, honey is a must-have food item in our kitchen.

To prevent ants from competing with us, I immerse the honey jar in a shallow bowl containing water, just like a moat-protected mini castle.

Remember to change the water on alternate day to avoid a breeding ground for tropical mosquitoes, especially dengue-causing Aedes mosquito!

Alternatively, use the left-over of soapy water from washing dishes. 

♥♥♥

Both Winnie the Pooh and baby Ren loves honey. Many times, we love things that people whom we love, also loves.



Thank you hardworking honey bees! Without you all who diligently collect nectar from flowers, we would not be able to enjoy sweet honey.



For #AtoZChallenge on 2014 April 09 Wed, I lovingly present a recipe of warm honey heart pasta salad by ServicefromHeart. 

This easy to prepare recipe calls for many loving and heart-warming ingredients. It is suitable for a breakfast or bruch on the Valentine's Day, or a birthday of a loved one.



Rich in vitamin C, strawberry is a sweet companion for this salad as it forms many hearts when sliced.



Avocado adds smooth and creamy texture to this honey heart pasta. You may also be interested in a post on avocado for #AtoZChallenge on 2014 April 01 Tue.  



Servings: 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes



Ingredients:
♥ 1 tbsp honey (蜜糖)
♥ 1 tbsp sesame oil (麻油)
♥ 1 tsp balsamic vinegar (香醋)
♥ 1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped (芫荽叶)
♥ 1 tsp black sesame seeds (黑芝麻)
♥ 1.5 rice-cooker-cup heart-shaped 3-color pasta (心形三色意大利面)
♥ 2 tbsp Heinz mini star-shaped pasta (小星形意大利面)
♥ 1/2 avocado (牛油果), peeled, cored & chunked
♥ 3 strawberries (草莓), washed & sliced into heart shapes
♥ 6 grapes (葡萄), peeled & quartered
♥ 6 cherry tomatoes (小番茄), washed & halved / quartered




Directions:
1. Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Since the star pasta is much smaller, I added it later.
2. Meanwhile, mix honey, sesame oil, balsamic vinegar, cilantro, sesame seeds, cherry tomatoes.
3. Once cooked, toss pasta with the honey mixture gently to prevent accidentally breaking the heart pasta.
4. Garnish with strawberries, grapes, avocado.



Check also our other #5minutemeal recipes, especially for salad! 

With love,
ServicefromHeart
20140409