Christmas may now be over, but it doesn't mean that the festive gatherings and feasting has ended as there are now year-end parties to attend!!
I'm sure like me, you have heaps of leftover food from your Christmas parties to take care of and make sure that they don't go to waste.. but who wants to have plain old Christmas turkey and ham for the whole week?
Now is also not the time you'd want to slave for hours in your kitchen too so the easiest thing to do is to make wraps. That's what I'd do, anyway. Simple, fast and always a hit!
Mission Foods is my go-to brand for wraps as they are delicious, of the right thickness {not too thick or thin, but juuuuuust right} and can usually be bought at a good deal. Their website is also filled with creative recipes {like, who would think of using wraps to make lasagne??!} on how to prepare their wraps and if I'm stuck for ideas, I usually have a quick look-through as well.
Found these 5 Easy Wraps to Make with Christmas Leftovers with links to the recipes on Mission Food website which I've bookmarked myself to try to make for my family, and to bring to the upcoming year-end potluck parties.
Have a look and let me know if you have a go with them too. Please also share with me any other Christmas food leftover recipes you have! 🎄
*****
1. Turkey Fajitas
Made with Plain Wraps, Salsa, Chilli Powder, Oregano, Turkey Breast, Red Capsicum, Green Capsicum and Red Leaft Lettuce. See full Turkey Fajitas recipe here.
2. Turkey Cashew Salad Wraps
Made with Garlic Herb Wraps, Ranch Dressing, Lemon Juice, Lettuce, Onions, Celery, Cashews, Capsicums, and Turkey Breast. See full Turkey Cashew Salad Wraps recipe here.
3. Ham & Goat Cheese Snack Stack
Made with Soft & Fluffy Wraps, Marinated Goat Cheese, Ham, Onion, Cherry Tomatoes and Dried Chilli. See full Ham & Goat Cheese Snack Stack recipe here.
4. Zesty Mexican Lasagne
Made with White Corn Wraps, Beef {I'll substitute with shredded Roast Beef}, Onion, Jalapeno Chilli, Garlic, Tomatoes, Paprika, Garlic Salt, Black Olives, Ricotta Cheese, Mozzarella Cheese and Egg. See full Zesty Mexican Lasagne recipe here {and also our family favourite lasagne recipe here}
5. Egg & Bacon Cups
Made with Plain Wraps, Eggs, Bacon {I'll substitute with Chrismas Ham} and Cheese. See full Egg & Bacon Cups recipe here.
Last weekend we were at Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium for little family staycation... I know, I know. We came back from Japan not long ago but then I'm missing that trip terribly, and what better way to get over a holiday than with another one?? hehe..
I'll share more about the Famtastic Weekend Staycation Package that we went for next week or so but I just want to get the word out on Atrium Restaurant's Festive Delights buffet first because well, Christmas is coming up in less that a week's time and if you haven't found a place to eat out yet for your Christmas gatherings, this should be it!!
There's currently a one-for-one promo for an incredible spread of local and festive dishes and in a cross-my-heart-no-gimmicks kinda way, I honestly think it's a very good deal and if you can, don't miss out on it! #dontsaybojio
When I say I "looked forward to eating there again"... I really meant that and the boy & I actually went to the gym for an hour's workout to prep ourselves for the extra calories from the buffet dinner ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
And why yes, I still felt like I enjoyed the buffet wayyyyy too much so went in after that at night for another session of cardio #oops
Compared to the Festive Delights buffet dinner we ate 2 years ago which was already pretty good, for some reason I enjoyed this year even more.
Maybe it's because I know after the dinner we're gonna have a relaxing time at the hotel, or maybe it's because I haven't been to a buffet for a long time, or maaaaaybe it's because there's a much, much bigger array of fresh seafood {which I absolutely love!} compared to the last time we came....
I think it's the latter reason (´∇ﾉ｀*)ノ
There's now TWO tables of fresh seafood on ice filled with Snow Crab, Oysters, Crayfish, Sea Snails, Mussels, Prawns etc. Oh such bliss!! And like before, they are replenished frequently throughout the night.
This was also my hubby and my parent's fave buffet section for the night.
One thing different though, is that there's no longer a kids corner buffet table at Atrium Restaurant. Only kids plastic cutlery and plates are available..
... but no worries, as there are still many kids-friendly food options such as satay, sushi or prata available at the buffet, and kids 5 years old and under still eat for free.
Other than the sumptous fresh seafood, there is also Whole-baked Salmon, Fresh Sashimi, Signature Laksa, Chilli Crayfish {the boy's go-to dish for the night haha}, Lamb Stew, Kueh Pie Tee and so much more!
Just for December, they have also added festive delights such as Roast Tom Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing marinated with Fresh Herbs & Spices in Natural Turkey Jus & Baked Honey Glazed Gammon Ham with Orange Cinnamon Sauce over at the carving station.
Brings back memories of my childhood when my mum used to roast our own turkey hehe..
The boy and I have always loved our cheese...
Which go so well with the salad offerings. Over the years, one important "strategy" I've learnt which helped a foodie like me on how to deal with buffets and holiday feasts is to load up on protein and vegetable, then fats and carbs for taste.
So basically what I do is I'd start off with and eat mostly the fresh seafood {not the cooked ones with sauces but those with natural, umami flavours} and meat dishes, and about 2-3 servings of salad in between. This fills me up pretty well already. I won't touch usually touch the carbs e.g. rice or pasta dishes {unless it's something reeeeeally appetising like uni pasta?? hehe} but I'd definitely head for desserts last.
And talking about desserts, the Festive Delights buffet offers sweet treats such as Tiramisu, Ice-Cream {Lil Pumpkin's fave!}, Macarons, Chocolate Fountain and seasonal specialities like Tropicana Yule Log Cake {mango & passionfruit flavoured}, Christmas Pudding {I went for 2 servings!}, Gingerbread Cookies and Stollen bread.
For those that prefer local desserts, there's Asian kueh-kueh and DIY Ice-Kachang available too.
If you plan to go on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day itself, things are made even more special.
In addition to what I mentioned above, there also Boston Lobster, Baked Honey Glazed Ham with Pineapple Chutney and Slow Roasted Australian Beef Ribeye Fillet with Pommery Mustard Jus that are available only on those 2 days.. Also featured on their Christmas Eve and Christmas Day buffets are two of their newest festive creations - Salt Baked Laksa Turkey and Sa Cha Infused Meatloaf.
Oooooo sounds so good!!! Too bad we already have other plans for our Christmas Eve and Day meals..
A delicious spread of festive favourites are also available for your party needs! There's a traditional Christmas package which includes a 4kg Traditional Roast Turkey with Stuffing, Giblet Gravy & Cranberry Sauce, 1kg Sa Cha infushed Meatloaf, Tropicana Yule Log Cake, Mashed Potatoes and a bottle or red wine, or you can purchase the dishes e.g. Roast Beef Ribeye or Stuffed Lamb Leg individually.
Please visit Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium's website and order online for 25% off! Festive takeaways are available from now until 31 Dec 2017.(●⌒∇⌒●)
Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium Restaurant Daily Festive Buffet
317 Outram Road, Level 4
Tel: 6731 7172 {one-day advance reservation required}
12 noon - 2pm {lunch}, 6.30pm - 10.30pm {dinner}
Period: 1 - 31 Dec 2017
Price: See below for details. Prices in SGD and subject to 10% service charge and prevailing government taxes. Child rates for kids 6 - 12 years of age. Kids 5 years and under dine free
1 to 30 December 2017
Festive Lunch (Mon - Fri):
$68++ for two adults, $20++ per child
Festive Brunch (Sat - Sun):
$78++ for two adults, $25++ per child
Festive Dinner (Sun - Thu):
$88++ for two adults, $30++ per child
Festive Dinner (Fri - Sat):
$98++ for two adults, $35++ per child
Special Festive Dates (24, 25 & 31 December 2017)
Festive Lunch:
$88++ for two adults, $30++ per child
Festive Dinner:
$128++ for two adults, $35++ per child
P.S. If you're a hotel guest, you'll get additional 15% OFF the lunch or dinner buffet at Atrium Restaurant!
Back from our family holiday to Japan!! And as much as I love to just "get away from it all", it is always a struggle in regards to travel and training. Especially when I'm away for long trips and this time, we were away for around 2 weeks.
How do I keep my strength, maintain my muscle mass and not put on tooooo much weight while relaxing, taking it slow with my family, not exercising religiously and eating all that I want to {oh I'm salivating just thinking abt it!} whenever, wherever??
Before I left, Superman pleaded with me to tryyyy not to go crazy with my food since I tend to overindulge on holidays. He's always wary when I go on trips since I left an impression on him during my HK holiday last year when I "ate the whole of Hong Kong" as he put it, and gained 3kg in 5 days #oops
He still wanted me to enjoy my holiday though and gave me some leeway... "We'll work hard again when you return, just don't come back past 60kg!" he said, and sent me off with a simple holiday training program to help me try to get some work in while there.
In my last long visit back to Japan, I was still doing CrossFit so the boy and I bothered to find a CrossFit box in Tokyo to train and lift some weights in.
This time, we decided to not go to any gyms to work out in, and just planned to train in our apartment using mainly the TRX suspension band and body-weight exercises. I also brought along one red resistance band, my skipping rope and a peanut ball for rolling/ self-massage especially for my back.
It is easy easier to keep to your nutritional meal plans {see my 10 how to meal-prep tips} and regular exercise schedule when you have a fixed routine. Yes, even though life is pretty hectic in Singapore with work and family commitments, at least our routines are more or less fixed and we do more or less the same things day in day out, week in week out.
Benjamin Franklin apparently said, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.” It's so true. When we are busier, we also tend to be more focused and efficient in managing the many things on our hands, and make more of an effort to stick to what we've already planned..
But when we're on a holiday... well, "holiday mood" kicks in and somehow we just want to let loose and let go_へ__(‾◡◝ )>
But the thing about getting a PT and training is that I'm supposed to be able to function well even when things aren't going to plan or even if there's nobody there to "monitor" me.
It is a lifestyle change, not just something I do just when my PT is watching. Just like a certain goal or result isn't the end point for keeping healthy and fit, I must be able to make healthier life choices myself without Superman around. Even if I'm more relaxed in my exercise or eating plans... I shouldn't fall back to my old, unhealthy ways totally otherwise it'd just seem like I learnt nothing at all the past 2.5 years.
And so, I did what I could with what I had and just made some time to exercise in the morning before we started our day, tried to portion & measure my food when I can or just choose heathier food options.
This is the simple program that Superman gave me to do on alternate days - just something to burn calories, and try to maintain my muscles and strength somewhat. It takes about 1hr to complete.
Exercises are mainly body-weight, but I got a bit creative and used some household items to help me make the exercises a little tougher e.g. holding a filled kettle for my Bulgarian Squat, or putting my legs up on our small luggages for Elevated Planks hehe and I also increased the sets/ reps from what was prescribed to increase intensity since these body-weight exercises are easy for me.
On days I didn't do this program, I did a bit of cardio like skipping or climbing stairs. Some days were too cold to leave the apartment so I just did burpees at home too.
I'm glad that I've the boy with me as he made it a point to wake up and exercise or do yoga every morning too. It certainly gave me motivation to get out of bed and move my ass a bit before we went out to enjoy our family holiday..
Certainly no gym, no problem!! ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
And oh, I did NOT come back past 60kg!!! Maybe only 1-2kg heavier than before I left for hols?? (≡^∇^≡)
Today the boy reminded me that there's less than 2 weeks to Christmas!! Yippee yay!!! 🎄🎅
Pretty pleased that I've got most of our family Christmas presents out of the way early thanks to some {rare} forward planning and our recent trip to Japan... but I still have some gifts for friends to cover. And their kids!!! Oh my! In the past year it seems like the number of children in my circle of friends have doubled!! haha...
Which is, of course, a good situation to have, but unfortunately, it means that my usual repertoire of go-to gifts of books & toys is pretty much exhausted and I've been forced to look for new and meaningful gifts for the little bundles of joy in our lives.
Kids nowadays seem to always always be on the move whether for school, work or play, and I thought gifts to help them make their journey more comfortable or entertaining would be useful.
If you're still Christmas shopping for the young ones, here's 6 Gift Ideas for Kids Always On-the-Go which have caught my eye and I hope you'd find this list useful too! 🎁
1. mifold Grab-and-Go Booster Seat {S$99}
This was actually what I got for my own niece, Lil J. There's an important, but overlooked, traffic rule in Singapore: For safety reasons, juniors under 1.35m {usually kids aged 7 and below} need appropriate restraints or booster seats in private hire cars. However, most of these private hire cars in Uber or Grab are equipped with booster seats and it's actually good to have your own.
However, any parent going out with their young kid, nappy bag, pram / carrier etc. knows that its already tedious enough, so who wants to carry a bulky car booster seat around too?? Mifold is pretty amazing as it's really compact like a large wallet {25cm x 12cm x 4cm}, weighs just about the same as a small bottle of water {750g} yet sets up in 30s to do the same job as a bulky traditional car booster seat. Perfect for those that usually need to take cabs or car-pool with kids!
A regular booster seat lifts a child up to be in the position of an adult in the car, but the portable mifold adjusts the adult-sized seatbelt to hold it down and securely fit a child. I like that it will "grow" with Lil J and has 3 settings that will allow her to use it until she is about 12 years old {36kg/ 150cm} too, if need be! Find out more on how it works & order from mifold U.S. website or you can purchase it in Singapore here.
P.S. Even Grab Singapore uses mifold in their GrabFamily service. It comes in 6 colours.
2. Minejima Chalk-It Book {S$38.50}
This is something I would totally get for myself actually haha. The Chalk-it Book is a 10-page, portable chalkboard book that comes with four colorful dust-free chalks that are smudge-resistant but comes off easily with water. It also has a plastic chalk-holder so those tiny hands don't need to have direct contact with the chalk, and the chalk actually stays in one solid piece heh. All these are kept tidy in a built-in zip pouch in the book.
Some of the pages are printed with dots to join or other puzzles, and the pages are easily cleaned with a wet wipe. There's 6 fun designs for the plastic book covers {I personally like Origami} and it seems like a great gift to encourage kids to doodle, write and think creatively. Purchase them directly from Minejima website, and there's free delivery for orders over S$65.
3. Yumbox Bento-style Lunchboxes {S$32 - S$49}
Getting kids to eat well can be hard at times. Getting kids to eat well on-the-move... well, you need all the help you can get! Yumbox is a kids-friendly lunchbox featuring a removable, dishwasher-safe insert, single leak-proof lid and easy latch lock. It seals all food wells individually so that food won’t touch or leak outside of the box, and comes in 4 sizes.
Yumbox’s pre-portioned illustrated trays guide you to packing healthy and hassle-free lunches. They encourage balance, taste, nutrition and also importantly, variety, while making this little box more of an adventure in good nutrition than just plain old packed food!
I like the fun inserts that illustrate the key food groups that you should be packing for your child: fruit, vegetable, grains, protein & dairy, and a small well that you can use for dips, sauce or a small treat. Kids can also use this as a guide to pack their own healthy lunchbox and make healthy food choices of their own. Find out more on how it works from Yumbox website and purchase them in Singapore here. You can also get personalised versions from Stuck On You Singapore.
4. The Journey Journal World Edition {S$25.11}
These are great for kids to remember every detail of a family vacation in his or her own way - be it the things they see, or the things they want to do.. they’re all amazing memories, and they deserve to be preserved in a really cool journal.
The journal's front features a map of the world. You can use the round fasteners {6 included} that come with the journal and punch them on your destinations and track the journey with the string provided. There's enough pages for a 13-day trip, but any longer I guess you can get another book.
Each of the 13 day pages includes space to write down: date, place, temperature, plans, noteworthy moments, reflections, encounters, a drawing space, etc. and at the end there's a page for after thoughts and a nifty compartment so you can safely store all the treasures you collect on your trip.
I'm keeping this in mind for Lil Pumpkin's next vacation actually, and if you like, purchase it from Cracked Designs online shop here. You can also request a custom order and have something made just for your specific trip.
5. JBL Kids On-Ear Headphones {S$39.90 corded /S$79.90 wireless}
We have the older version for Lil Pumpkin and she still uses it at times, especially when we fly because the airline earphones don't fit kids that comfortably, even for those that have a children's version e.g. Singapore Airlines.
The new version was released this year and there doesn't seem to have much internal update, but externally it actually looks less kiddy, and more sturdy? Safe, lightweight and sized for kids, the JBL headphones deliver up to 12 hours of playtime for the young music fans. Headphones are designed to ensure the volume is always below 85dB to protect hearing and easy controls can be operated without any help. Kids listen in comfort with custom designed soft padded headband and ear cushions for a feathery fit.
They will also enjoy the ability to customize the headphones with the available stickers. Corded {JBL JR300} and wireless {JBL JR300BT} versions are available. Read more about its specs on JBL website and purchase them online or at the local retailers.
6. Oh Happy Fry Wooden Toy Camera {S$36}
I've always been a sucker for wooden toys and these wooden toy cameras are the perfect accessory for pretend play when on-the-move, plus they help to keep those curious little hands off your expensive camera gear.. hopefully!
Designed and made in Australia, the cameras are equipped with a movable dial and lens and have a small view finder for little eyes to look through. They are made from natural pine timber, then sanded smooth and carefully hand-painted. Each comes with a cotton strap for a soft finish and are packaged in a lovely little calico drawstring bag. There are currently only 4 colours available and you can purchase them from Oh Happy Fry webstore directly. They also have a Wood Toy Camera Teether {S$23} for little babies to grasp and chew!
Oh, if you don't mind waiting, you can get a personalised wooden toy camera {S$33.06} from Beige Bois that's based in Greece. Made of unfinished basswood and beechwood, you get to customise the wooden camera with a name and choose the colour of the elastic camera strap. There's a cute little screen frame at the back that you can put your own pictures to display.
What other ideas do you have for children's Christmas gifts?
Been to any interesting local or overseas destinations this holiday season?
