As a single, there are loads of time and money that one can spend on oneself and, or with many others.
It is no wonder that Paul says to be single, one can fully focus and serve the Lord. Once married, the commitment itself will require much time to work on, what more with children in the equation. Priorities in life just naturally shifts to the family’s needs.
It is why I deeply appreciate and treasure the efforts made by our loved ones. My eldest sister who puts up with the kids camping overnight her place whenever she can afford the time and energy. My spiritual mentor who is the godgranny of my kids, receiving them for weekly dinners, training them in housechores and scripture memory. My Auntie Chrystl who never fails to visit us and shower us with her loot from US every time she returns to Sg and always a call or text away. Our church mates / young adults who helped out whenever there were times of need.
And for this post, it is dedicated to my youngest sister who takes time to consider my children’s birthdays and make plans to do something special together with each of them every year.
Each time she does that, it also means extra special times spent together with me the elder sister and updating on each other’s lives on top of the other family gatherings.
It is such a privilege to witness the growth in her life from childhood and now the status has changed. I am no longer the bigger sister who ‘knows better’. We discuss and share our lives as friends, learning from each other’s experiences. Sometimes, recalling our childhood fights and incidents made me wonder why I did such silly things and we can laugh at ourselves.
This is a post to thank God and honour this dear sister who took time to honour my whole family especially the little members of my home.
We are so privileged because she worked as a pastry chef before and the kids always look forward to her visits eager to see what she cooks up! This year, xiao yee (小姨）/ auntie offered to teach A anything he’d like to cook for his birthday. He decided on learning to make blueberry cheesecake swirls.
Here’s the process in the video.
Blueberry Cheesecake
The next birthday would be our little girl’s and mine. E chose to have Xiao Yee teach her how to make her own bracelet. I wished for an Egg Benedict breakfast! Initially I had wanted to learn how to make scones, however, I decided Cinnamon buns would be perfect to meet my whole family’s cravings.
My sister came to join us for dinner and we had a heart to heart chat. Both of us woke up at 7am to do my Eggs Benedict big breakfast for the family. It was an eye-opener for me. Poached eggs are not too difficult with her tips.
Eggs Benedict
Bring a 3/4 pot of water to boil, add 2 tbs of vinegar, then reduce the fire until the water has only a few bubbles bubbling.
Prepare a bowl of ice water
Stir up a vortex and drop the egg into the center of the vortex. Let it swirl for 2-3mins depending on how fluid you wish your egg yolk to be.
Scoop up the egg and get rid of the wispy egg whites in the water.
Drop it into the ice water until it is cool and plate it.
As we had a lot of cooking to do, the Japanese pancakes had to be eaten instantly, we did the eggs and pan fried the ham first.
Before serving, we poured hot water over the eggs benedict to heat it up.
Cheat Sheet ‘Hollandaise’ Mayonnaise
recipe:
4 egg yolks
1 tbs lemon juice
150g Melted butter
Method:
Use a food processor to blend the 4 yolks and lemon juice together till whitish in colour. Add bit by bit the melted butter and blend. Note: Use only the clarified melted butter (which means the golden liquid portion and Not the whitish cloudy liquid) Then add some salt and pepper into the mixture. Store the sauce in a bowl and cover it with a glad wrap by layering over the sauce as seen below. Place the bowl in room or slightly above room temperature.
The Japanese Pancake was a pleasant surprise, where it’s soft and fluffy texture tasted like sponge cake. This combination with our cut fruits especially grapefruits, made a heavenly delightful breakfast! Drizzle some maple syrup and you’re in 7th heaven.
Click here for Fluffy Japanese Pancakes
Click here for Chocolate Cinnamon Buns original recipe. In this video, since I do not have a mixer machine with dough hook, my sister kneaded the dough herself.
Our celebrations get simpler but cosier as kids invite only few good friends to come and have fun together. Here’s our oversupply from pampering friends who gifted these jewellery sets to E! So here’s a great opportunity to share the beads of joy with friends! Thanks to Xiao Yee, we learnt how to tie the strings she bought with ease without the complication of accessory parts to manage.
It takes a village to raise a child. I thank God for the village He provides in so many relationships extended to us! My encouragement to singles out there, you are all very important members, a strong fabric in your family’s lives. As you pour out and invest your lives into your parents, brothers and sisters and if you have, nieces and nephews, these children grow up to have a great perspective of what a wholesome family life is like. They will not only recognise you as a relative but appreciate you as mentors and close friends whom they can turn to when their parents fall down at times. These children too can teach you a lot about selfless love in the process. : )
I salute all singles out there who truly make such a great impact and difference to the sphere of influence they are in because they choose to invest their time on a cause and be the village to influence our young ones. Thank You for being a part of our lives.
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