Last week: In my kitchen...

During the Christmas break, I really enjoyed the time I spent in the kitchen (much more than I had in a long time) and got my mojo back.

And without even noticing, I've been cooking up a storm and experimenting lots.

I've made an old recipe of mine that I've forgot about for years. Rice pudding with Thai jasmine rice, coconut milk and a touch of natural sweetener.

I also whipped up this super easy Thai tofu curry that quickly became a favourite of mine. I think I've made it 3 times in the past 2 weeks, LOL. But don't go thinking I've got the most amazing little eaters out there. They don't even like the smell of curry, and they will try lots of things, but curry isn't one of them. This is only a Mama dish around here. But that's ok too ;)

I've also tried this apple cornmeal muffin recipe.

The kids really like it fresh out of the oven, so I thought it was a keeper, but they don't really like it that much after all it seems. Oh well. You never know unless you try!

And last but not least, I've made Madeleine's. These are little cookies with a cake texture from my childhood. I remember eating these at snack time at daycare, when I was about 4 or 5 years old. Years ago, I was surprised to find a pan to make them, and couldn't help my self. Because a Madeleine is not a Madeleine unless it's in the shape of a shell ;)

So I dug out my old recipe and made a batch. It had been so long, that I couldn't remember what they tasted like. They are really good, but I need to experiment with other recipes out there. My recipe is full of egg, butter and sugar. I don't digest those types of fat very well and my son is sensitive to sugar. And unfortunately I felt ill after eating only a few. (I know, I should have known better.)

The kids still enjoyed them fresh out of the oven, with some warm soy milk and honey as a bedtime snack. They enjoyed a lot. (Remember last Friday's my "this moment" picture? It's Madeleine's my son was holding ;)

I am determined to find a healthier recipe for us to enjoy these, so I'll have to experiment lots more. But other than that, my goal for the next while is to focus less on snacks and deserts (as I already have lots of recipes my kids like), and focus more on main dishes my kids will love. That's been a bit of a tough one, it's been pretty repetitive.

So for the next while, the experimentation's will involve more veggies, beans, pasta and such. But that's ok. I've been really enjoying spending some time in that little kitchen of mine :)