Shine Jesus Shine

Chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with marshmallow fondant

 I pray your day is bright and cheery from reading this post. Well, it did for me when I was making them for the birthday kids on our Friday Family Night. It is tiring to knead the fondant from scratch, especially on a hot afternoon, but knowing the cupcakes will bring smile on everyone's faces, young and old, keeps me doing it many times for Family Night. Homemade fondant tastes better and I observe the younger ones like to peel the fondant off the cake and eat it, sometimes leaving the topless cake to their mummy.

Shine Jesus Shine
Shine Jesus Shine is one of my favorite song. A 1987 Graham Kendrick song, was sung many times during Sunday School. A powerful song that begins with 'Lord the light of Your love is shining in the midst of the darkness, shining' Yes, Jesus light shines in the darkness, in the dark places of our own lives and in the darkness of society. We need God to shine in our midst for 2 Corinthians 4:6 reads 'For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ. Enjoy this kid version and sing along. Matthew 5:16 'In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.'

Cupcakes with Marshmallow fondant


The cupcakes are vanilla and chocolate. The vanilla cake recipe is from here. I have a few chocolate cupcake recipes, and this is the one I usually use if I am doing fondant cupcakes.

Chocolate Cupcake

15 cupcakes

150g unsalted butter

½ tsp salt

150ml water

35g cocoa powder

170g cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

175g castor sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine butter, salt and water in a small pot. Cook over low heat till the butter has melted and the mixture is about to boil.

Add in cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Let it cool completely.

Preheat oven to 180C.

Sift cake flour and baking powder,

Add in sugar and mix very well. Stir for at least a minute.

Add in eggs and vanilla to the cocoa mixture and beat until smooth.

Scrape this mixture into the dry ingredients.

Stir with a whisk until smooth, and then spoon batter into cupcake tins, filling it 2/3 full.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes.

For the Marshmallow Fondant

Ingredients

1 bag miniature marshmallows (16oz, 454gm)
1 kg icing sugar ( you might not use all )
2 tbsp water
shortening

Method

• Grease microwavable bowl with shortening and place mini marshmallows in bowl. 
• Add 2 tablespoons of water and microwave on high for 1 min. Stir with a greased spatula
• If the marshmallows are not melted, return to microwave for another 20 seconds. Stir.
• Sift half of icing sugars in a greased mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the melted marshmallow. (you can do this on a clean table top too)
• Mix until marshmallows are incorporated into the icing sugar
• Continue to knead and add icing sugar as needed until dough is smooth and not sticky.
• Wrap fondant in plastics if not using immediately.

Glory to the Lord!

Many people who tried Jamie Oliver's recipes like his easy and fail proof recipes.  Chicken In Milk is one recipe that sounds odd, but has such a fantastic combination. It is simple to prepare and so good to eat. I browned the chicken in happycall pan before baking in oven.  I love the happycall pan though I seldom use it for cooking. It is useful for frying fish, keeping the kitchen splatter and odor free. You can also use the pan to bake cakes.
I butterflied the chicken for easy roasting, preferring this way because cooking time is cut by half and chicken is evenly browned.

Happycall Pan

Ingredients

1.5 kg chicken
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
115 grams butter
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 good handful fresh sage
2 lemons, zested
6 cloves garlic, skin left on
565 ml milk

Method

• Preheat the oven to 190C, and find a snug-fitting pot for the chicken.
• Season it generously all over with salt and pepper, and fry it in the butter, turning the chicken to get an even color all over, until golden.
• remove from the heat, put the chicken on a plate, and throw away the butter left in the pot. This will leave you with tasty sticky goodness at the bottom of the pan, which will give you a lovely caramel flavor later on.
• Put your chicken back in the pot with the rest of the ingredients, and cook in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours or 1/2-45 minutes(butterflied).
• Baste with the cooking juice when you remember. The lemon zest will sort of split the milk, making a sauce, which is absolutely fantastic.
• To serve, pull the meat off the bones and divide it on to your plates. Spoon over plenty of juice and the little curds. Serve with wilted spinach or greens and some mashed potato.

Powerlab

Glory to the Lord ! We are almost there with all  the volunteers we need. I am praying for this lady, G who is a mother of one of my old Sunday school child. G is a nurse who holds two jobs to support the family. When I approached her to serve as the camp nurse, she readily said yes and would apply leave to serve. I pray that she will be granted leave from her busy schedule to serve as our camp nurse.
All the volunteers will have to attend a half day Pre- camp briefing and training on the 13 November which is a public holiday. The purpose of this meeting is to familiarize themselves with the camp activities and the objectives.  The Lord has brought all of us together to experience His miraculous power at work in and through us as we serve Him. He will certainly work mightily in the hearts of the 250 children whom we are expecting at the camp too. Praise the Lord!

Update
G's leave is not approved, but the God loving lady wants to serve during her rest time. She will be at the camp from 9am to 2pm before leaving for work at 3pm. We will arrange someone(doing bus duty) to drive her to work so that she doesn't need to rush back to work.

Quick Lunch III

Soba, sauce, shredded seaweed

I am going to make a healthy and delicious, fast and cheap lunch. I bought these at Daiso, a Japanese value dollar store where everything in the store sells for 2 dollars each.  It is my favorite store to go for kitchenwares and Japanese foodstuff .
I  bought these on my last trip and spent $10 for 5 items.

deep plates, oven gloves, pot stand


  I love the pot stand and the pink gloves but sometimes you have to shop wisely when you are there. I tend to be carried away by the cheap pricing and kawaii designs that I have bought things that are not really value for money.

I find these really useful

saucepan

Food cover

And Who can resist this?

paper serviette

Cold Soba ( 300gm pack serves 3).

•  For one serving, cook 100g of soba into boiling water for 4 minutes.
• While soba is cooking, prepare the sauce. Dilute 1/4 cup of soba sauce with 3/4 cup of ice water. 
• To serve, put some ice cubes on bamboo mat of the serving plate, and then place cooked soba on the ice. Eat by dipping soba into sauce.

Soba/Sushi  plate set from Daiso

 This is such a healthy and delicious meal done in less than 10 minutes.

Cold  Soba

Bring Up the Child

Oyakudon

Oyakudon means mother and child rice.This is a popular Japanese donburi. Donburi is fast to prepare and I  usually cook donburi when the family eats at different time. All I have to do is prepare ahead; meat seasoned, rice cooked and onions chopped, and a hot meal will be ready to eat in 5 minutes.

Donburi  is a general term for "bowl" and is also popularly refers to as a bowl of cooked rice with some other food served on top of it.  It can be Gyudon,( beef and onion) Tendon(tempura shrimp),Tamagodon(scrambled egg),Katsudon(deep fried pork cutlets,Tekkadon(raw tuna) and many more. I like to add Umami togarashi, chili pepper powder on my rice. This recipe serves two.

Umami togarashi

A donburi bowl

Ingredients

200gm chicken thigh fillet, cut bite size

1 tbsp mirin                                       }marinate for at least ½ an hour

Dashi mixture

2 tbsp light soya sauce                                             

½ tbsp caster sugar                                                                           

1 tbsp cooking sake

1/3 cup dashi stock (1/8 tsp dashinomoto mixed with 1/3 cup water)

1 brown onion, thinly sliced

Spring onion, sliced diagonally,plus extra with garnishing

2 eggs beaten

Method 

Fry chicken pcs until browned and cooked.

Add onions and fry till softened and add onions

Add dashi mixture and bring to boil,reduce heat

Pour in beaten eggs in circular motion over simmering mixture

Set over low heat till egg is just cooked

Place a portion of hot rice into each bowl and slide half a portion toppings .

Garnish with spring onions.

Proverbs 22:6
'Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not turn from it.'

Touched by Angels

Strawberry Sparkle Cake

Pioneer Woman Cooks has very easy to follow instructions for first time cook. I have made her famous cinnamon rolls, the best chocolate sheet cake,  red velvet cake, pancetta and leeks pasta and this strawberry sparkle cake. I have asked a friend to get her first cookbook for me when he was on a work trip in the States.This cake is not featured in this book. I like the cinnamon rolls and have made and given them to families when I was doing visitations earlier this year. It was well received. I often cook the pancetta and leek pasta which I find very favorful and the family love them too. This strawberry sparkle cake is an angel food cake with strawberry jello filling and heavy cream frosting.

Ingredients

Angel food cake
15 whole egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 cup Plus 2 tablespoons sugar,sifted 3 times
1 cup cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling
1 package (3oz) strawberry jello
2 1/2 cups boiling water
1 package (1 pound) frozen sliced strawberries


Icing
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoon sugar

Method

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine cake flour and salt and sift together five times. Set aside.
• Beat egg whites until frothy (lots of bubbles but still liquidy and loose) Add cream of tartar and beat on high until stiff.
• With mixer on medium-low, slowly sprinkle in sifted sugar as it mixes in.
• remove bowl from mixer and fold in sifted flour gently until it"s all combine. Sprinkle vanilla into the bowl and fold gently
• Spoon batter into tube pan - make sure there's no grease or butter in there! Smooth the top and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a wooden skewer stuck all the way to the bottom comes out clean. (don't open the oven while it's baking!)

Carefully remove the cake from the oven and immediately invert it on a wine or vinegar bottle. Let it cool completely while hanging upside down. Once totally cool, remove it from the pan.

Reading lamp?

To Make the filling

Sprinkle the jello powder into a bowl and pour in 21/2 cups of boiling water. Stir to dissolve, then add the bag of frozen sliced strawberries. Stir to cool the mixture and set it aside.
Turn the cake upside down so that the end that was stuck to the bottom of the pan is now facing up. With a serrated knife, carefully cut the top 1 inch of cake from the top. Remove it and lay it beside the cake. Next, with a small paring knife, make two concentric cuts in the cake: One cut is 1 inch from the outside rim, the other cut is 1 inch from the inside rim. ( Be careful not to cut all the way through to the bottom of the cake! Leave about an inch from the bottom.)
Tear out a trench in between the two cuts and save the torn cake pieces for another use.
By now, the strawberry mixture should be cool and somewhat gelatinous. IMPORTANT: If mixture is not thick, stick it in the freezer for 15 minutes or until it thickens and sets. Carefully spoon the mixture into the trench in the cake, filling it all the way to the top and ever so slightly above to allow for a little settling. Place the top of the cake back on top, lining it up just right.
Refrigerate cake for a couple of hours (or you can stick it in the freezer for an hour or so if you're in a hurry)
to serve, whip together the cream and sugar until stiff. Spread all over the cake. Cut into slices and serve! Note that once you make a cut, the filling will slightly seep out of the remaining, but not overly so.





Angels
Have you touched by Angels? Hebrews 1:14 "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?"

Fishers of Men

Grilled Saba Fish

Saba mackerel is commonly grilled or used for sushi. For this dish, I just brush with olive oil, sprinkle sea salt, black pepper and grill (200C) in an oven for 15 minutes. So fast to cook, and so healthy too. Mackerel is a cold water fish, therefore it contains a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which helps to prevent cardiovascular disease and promotes brain heath. It contains other nutrients too.
My friend J gave me this fish which she bought from the market. She has heard that I have bought the wrong fish as I couldn't tell one mackerel from another. Thanks J, you are so kind.

This is the fish I bought, Yellowtail scad

This is Saba

Here in the  pictures they look so different, Don't laugh, but if you are an inexperienced fish buyer in a market like me, you tend to get confused by the variety of fishes (unlabeled) displayed. I buy my fish and meat from supermarket and rely on labels to look for specific type and cuts.

A market fish stall

You can also grill saba with teriyaki sauce which is just as good.




Matthew 4:19
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

Sing To The Lord

Chicken Fricassee

Fricassee De Poulet A L'ancienne is halfway between a saute and a stew. A French comfort food of many variations is cooked in a single pot using humble ingredients. I have never eaten chicken fricassee but I must say my first attempt in making this is a success.Martha Stewart's Living recipes are pretty reliable and this dish caught my eyes as I was browsing the October issue in the library.
I did not use whole chicken because I prefer more thighs and drumsticks. I bought 4 thighs,4 drumsticks and 1 large breast which were chopped into 16 pieces for 6 people,the family and a guest. I served this dish with choice of mashed potatoes or farfalle.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (31/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 11 pieces (reserve back and wing tips for another use, such as stock)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice (1 cup)
1 carrot, cut into 1/4 inch dice (1/2 cup)
1 celery stalk, cut into 1/4 inch dice (1/2 cup)
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
2 tablespoon all purpose flour
2/3 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken broth
2 sprigs fresh flat leaf parsley
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 large egg yolks,room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 to 3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh tarragon leaves
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Method

BROWN CHICKEN
Season chicken on both sides with 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Preheat a Dutch oven or other large heavy pot over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter and oil to pot. When butter melts and foam subsides, add half the chicken, skin side down, in a single layer; do not crowd pot. (if butter begins to blacken, lower heat.) Fry chicken, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes total, and transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.
SAUTE MIREPOIX
Reduce heat to medium, and add mirepoix (onion,carrot, and celery) to pot, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spooon. Saute mirepoix, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown in places, 8 to 10 minutes.
COOK MUSHROOMS AND FLOUR
Add mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms darken, become glossy, and begin to release liquid, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in flour, and cook until flour is absorbed by vegetables and is no longer visible, about 1 minute.
POUR IN WINE AND BROTH
Add wine to pot, and bring to a boil, stirring until liquid just thickens, about 45 seconds. Add broth, and stir.
SIMMER CHICKEN
Place chicken, skin side up, in a single layer on vegetables; pour juices that have accumulated on plate into pot. The parsley sprigs,thyme sprigs and bay leaf together with kitchen twine, add to pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover partially. Cook until internal temperature of thickest part registers 165, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to a clean plate. Simmer liquid, uncovered, until reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Discard herbs.
MAKE AND ADD LIAISON
To make the liaison (sauce thickener), whisk together egg yolks and cream in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, pour 1/2 cup cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, into liaison to temper it. Stir tempered liaison into pot.
FINISH WITH TARRAGON, LEMON, AND BUTTER
Return chicken to pot. Add tarragon, lemon juice, and the remaining butter. Bring to a simmer, stir gently to combine and serve.

My portion

The Imperatives of Worship

Psalm 96
'Sing to the Lord a new song;sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.'
That was the sermon outline on Lord's Day yesterday. God cares how we worship him. Psalm 96 teaches us how to worship and we do worship and not attend worship. We are to sing to the Lord, we are motivated, are encouraged and in worship, we declare his greatness, and his glory. We are also to expect his coming in vv 10-13. We are to love,work for and obey the Lord, for he will come to the earth and will be a great and fair judge.

Cranberry Kueh Lapis

Cranberry Kueh lapis

If you are watching your diet, you are allow to eat one piece only, for this is such a rich cake with a whooping 18 egg yolks, butter and cream cheese.in it.

 This is a traditional  Dutch Indonesian cake, Spekkoek, is baked layer by layer under a grill.  Each layer is spread out to grill separately, making the cake moist, and the added mixed spice make the cake highly addictive.
The baking process requires time and patience since there are so many layers (usually 15-20) but I have no patience, made this into thicker and lesser layers, which is less appealing. Maybe next time I will bake it with more thinner layers.

Thank you Helena's Kitchen for recipe source
Ingredients

(A)
200g butter
150g cream cheese
100g fine sugar
5 tbsp condensed milk
14 egg yolks

(B)
120g fine sugar
7 egg whites
1/4 tartar powder(omit)

(C)
180g Hong Kong flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp Bumbu kue Lapis(spekkoek) or mixed spice

(D)
Dried cranberries

Method

• Cream butter, condensed milk, sugar until creamy, light and fluffy.
• Add in egg yolk one at a time, beating until well blended. Leave aside.
• In a clean mixing bowl, beat egg whites, tartar and fine sugar until light and stiff peak.
• Sieve flour and baking powder and fold into butter mixture. Fold in gently till combined.
• Add butter mixture into egg white. Continue mixing until well combined.
• Divide batter into 2 portions (about 800g and 350g)
• 1st portion original flavor and 2nd portion mixed with pink food coloring(gel)
• Grease and line with a 7" cake tin and spread original batter evenly. Using grill function, bake the first layer until light brown. Press lightly with cake press to break any air bubbles and to get an even layer.
• Spread 2nd layer with the same batter. Continue doing with the original batter and spread some cranberries on the fourth layer and continue to grill until you get 6 layers original flavor.
• Then change to pink portion(5 layers) and continue with the rest of original batter and cranberries.
• Grill the last layer for 5 mins then using top and bottom heat and bake the cake at 180C for further 10 minutes.

Spread a thin layer of melted butter every second layer ( or every layer to prevent cake from drying out after long baking process)

Palm To Psalm

Char Siu

Maybe it is the glistening fat that put me off from preparing this dish often, but this char siu is sinfully delicious and is well received by the family. It is also very easy to prepare and need very little ingredients. You can also cook this hours ahead of your meal. The meat is very tender and succulent and gravy is honey sweet. This is best served with cucumber on the side and any leftover can be cut into cubes and add into fried rice.

pandan leaves and palm sugar

Ingredients

500gm pork belly, 1.5 cm slices
80gm palm sugar,chopped
1/2 tsp salt
Pandan leaves, knotted

Method

• Arrange belly slices into a big heavy based pot. Add everything except palm sugar. 
• Put enough water to cover the belly.
• Bring to boil and lower to a simmer for 20 minutes. Covered
• Flip the belly over and let it cook for another 15 minutes. Flip the belly pieces again
• Put in chopped palm sugar and reduce gray until it's thick like honey. (lid off. Use medium heat and watch the char siu closely to prevent burning)
• Let the char siu cool in pot. Slice when it has totally cooled down.

Powerlab

242 children has registered with Powerlab! We need many lab Crew Leaders (shepherds) to guide the children through all the activities and fun. The children are divided into groups of 6 each. We will therefore have 41 groups and so need 41 crew leaders. Thank God we have 23 people who have committed themselves  and God will send the 18 more we need.
We also have a Dedicated Prayer Team who pray for the camp. Our hearts are filled with thankfulness and praise to the Lord for His mercies.

The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to where it sets. From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth. Psalm 50:1,2

Salt and Light II

Sakura Peach Roll

Ingredients

2 eggs
60g superfine sugar
60g flour
6g unsalted butter,melted
1 teaspoon milk

Cream
200ml fresh cream
2 tablespoon superfine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
A few slices of canned peach

A few pieces of preserved sakura,soaked and dried

• Whisk eggs and sugar in a bowl over a pot of hot water..
• When sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and continue whisking till ribbon stage.
• Fold in sifted flour
• Mix milk with melted butter. Add in some batter into melted butter, mix them well and pour back into the rest of batter, folding gently.
• Lay sakura on the tray lined with parchment paper, bake in pre-heated oven for 8-9 minutes at 180C.
• Cool the cake on wire rack and peel off parchment paper.
• Whip cream with sugar and spread on cake. Place some sliced peaches on the cream. Roll cake and chilled before cutting.

Salt And Light I

Preserved Sakura

These are preserved sakura from Japan. Preserved sakura are traditionally used as tea called Sakura-yu to serve at arranged meetings between potential marriage partners. Other uses include Sakura gohan, rice cooked with a few preserved sakura and dashi stock, Sakura manju, steamed buns flavoured with sakura flowers and decorated with a preserved flower on top, and also in butter cookies and cakes

You have to soak these preserved sakura in cold water to reduce the salt and leave to dry before use.

Soak in cold water

leave to dry

Ingredients

90g unsalted buteer
50g superfine sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
125g pastry flour
20 preserved sakura

Method

• Soak sakura flowers in cold water for at least 2 hours to reduce salt. Drain the sakura and discard the water. Lightly squeeze out the water.
• Preheat oven 180C. Cream butter with salt until soft, add the sugar and beat until light in colorr  Add  vanilla extract and egg yolk. Beat to combine.
• Mix in flour and fold. Cover with clingwrap and chill for 1 hour.
• Line baking sheet with baking paper. Roll the cookie dough to 3-4mm thick, and cut with cookie cutter.
• Place a preserved sakura on each unbaked cookie, pressing lightly on the cookie.
• Bake cookies for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle superfine sugar. 
• Let cookies cool on baking sheet and later let it cool completely on a wire rack

The cookies are light, buttery and crumbly and when added with the preserved sakura and sprinkled sugar, melt in the mouth with a sweet and salty taste.

Sakura Cookies

Salt and Light

The Bible tells believers they are Salt and Light of the world. Matthew 5:13 'You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses it saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 16'Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.'
We are to be like salt with its usefulness in flavoring people with kindness,love and humility,preserving the world with God's truth and teaching, In healing the spiruitually weak. Salt also make us thirsty,for Christ, a need for a relationship with God, just as we were created with a need for water.
We are beacons of God's love shining out to people in darkness. Show the world God's love, hope and faith through our actions in our daily lives.

We live in Him and He in us

Soy Sauce Chicken

I am always looking for quick and delicious, and if possible, traditional recipes to cook. This soy sauce chicken is one of them. This is a classic Cantonese chicken dish you can find in most Chinese restaurants and roasts shops.  It is one pot cooking and there's no stirring involved. You can even make two side dishes, egg and fried tofu with the sauce. The chicken meat is very tender and juicy, and it is traditionally served with  ginger and scallion dip.
This recipe is adapted from RasaMalaysia

Ingredients
Half Chicken
2 inch ginger(skin peeled and lightly pounded)
4 cloves garlic(lightly bruised)
2 stalks scallions (tie into a knot)
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick(about 2 inch length)
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup dark soy sauce (I used 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
3 dashes white pepper powder
4 oz rock sugar
4 cups water

• Add all ingredients (except the chicken) into a deep pot and bring it to boil on high heat for 15 minutes. Add the chicken into pot and boil over high heat for about 10 minutes.
• Lower the heat to simmer for about 20minutes. Turn off heat and let the chicken steeped in the soy sauce mixture for a few hours to soak in the flavor. 
• Dish out the chicken, chop into pieces and serve with dipping sauce.

Ginger and Scallion Dip

1 oz ginger(skin peeled, finely chopped)

1 scallion (cut into thin rounds)

1/2 tsp salt

2 tablespoon oil

Place the ginger, scallions, salt into a small bowl. Add oil into the bowl and blend well. 

Note: You can use whole chicken for larger serving but make sure your pot is deep and chicken is immersed in the sauce. For eggs and tofu, add a few hard-boiled eggs(peeled) into sauce after turning off heat and deep fry the firm tofu before adding into sauce. Alternatively you can add both eggs and fried tofu into sauce and leave it to steep overnight as another side dish.



Sunday school

I am using the Discipleland to teach the children and today's topic is on God's Spirit, and memory verse is 1 John 4:13 'This is how we know that we live in Him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit'.
 After Praise and Worship, the children who are grouped accordingly to their age group will go to their respective classroom and have their lesson.
Today the children will learn about Jesus sent His Spirit who lives in,guides, and empowers His children.They  will also learn that God teaches them and helps them to grow through His Holy spirit's instructions and guide them in the His ways of truth.
Learning to memorize God's word is important. It is one of the keys to putting God's Word in our hearts where God can use it to change us and grow us in His will. Psalm 119:11,104 and 105 and 130 clearly tell us that. We want children to be able to memorize a Bible verse,put it into practice in their daily lives and recall it many times throughout their lives.
They are many ways to teach children to remember the verses. I find the best way is through games and have fun while learning the verse.

Arranging Today's Verse 1John 4:13

Five Loaves and Two Fish

Green Tea and cranberry loaf

I knew my bread is going to turn out soft and fluffy, the way it should be when I kneaded the dough. It was so smooth and elastic and I was telling myself it's time to get a proper loaf tin.
This is the matcha powder I used, not the most expensive on the shelf, but has the intentsity of a good Japanese matcha. My friend who was back from touring the States and Canada for 2 months gave me these bags of cranberries and raisins.

Feeding of 5,000

This two loaves of bread also bring me to acknowledge the abundant generosity of God and His miraculous work in our lives as seen in the Gospel of John in the Feeding of 5,000. Jesus can work miracles with five loaves and two fish brought by a little boy as his gifts to Him and what mightly miracles God can do! God wants us to do the same, the simplicity of who we are to God, and our inadequacies, God can work miracles through them.

Ingredients

 350g Bread flour

10g  Milk powder

1 tablespoon matcha powder

I handful of dried cranberries

65g Fine sugar

1/4 Teaspoon salt

7g Instant dry yeast

1 Egg, lightly beaten

120g Tangzhong (Water Roux)

125ml Milk

30g Unsalted butter, soften

Method

• Combine all dry ingredients such as flour, milk powder, salt, sugar and instant yeast in a bowl and mixed well.
• Make a well in the center and add in wet ingredients such as beaten egg, tangzhong and soft butter and slowly stir the mixture till it form a sticky dough by adding the milk to it. You might not use all the milk. Next turn the sticky dough out on to lightly floured surface. Stretch the dough by pushing the front half away with one hand.
• Fold the stretched part of the dough back on itself, give it a quarter turn and repeat for 5 more minutes, until the dough has been turned full circule several times and is a smooth elastic ball.
• Place the kneaded dough back into the lightly floured mixing bowl and leave it in a warm place to prove for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
• Test your proofed dough by pushing your floured finger deep into the risen dough whereby it will leave an indentation that does not spring back.
• Punch the risen dough with your fist to deflate it, re-shape the dough into oblong shape and let it rest for 5 minutes.
• Divide the rest dough equally into two portions, about 400g per portion, flatten one portion of the dough into a rectangle, scatter some cranberries on the dough and fold 1/3 of the top part down and follow by 1/3 of the bottom up.
• Lastly tuck in both side of the flatten dough and seal the shaped dough with your finger tips.
• Place the loaf in an oiled and lightly floured pan for second proofing for 45 minutes to an hour or until the dough rises just above the top of the tin.

Bake bread in preheated 175C for about 20-25 minutes. The bread should be well risen, golden brown and sound hollow when tapped with fingertips. Remove the loaf immediately from the pan and leave to cool for at 30 minutes before slicing.

Tangzhong (water roux method)

 25g Bread flour

125ml water

Method

Mix flour and water in a small saucepan until without any lumps. Cook over medium low heat, stirring consistently with a egg whisk or wooden spoon to prevent the mixture from burning while cooking.

The mixture will thicken up( takes about less than 2 minutes) while cooking, so once you see 'lines' appear in the mixture it starts to form a dough, it is done.Transfer the cooked dough into a clean bowl and cover with a cling wrap sticking onto the surface to prevent it from drying up.

Cool it completely before use.

Note: The flour to -water ratio for tangzhong is always 1(bread flour): 5(water). The recipe above make a batch of approximately 140g tangzhong. Here's a video to guide you in making the water roux starter