Homemade pizza

My girls love pizza. I don't know if its due to the fact that they help make it from A to Z but one thing for sure is that getting them involved makes them more excited about eating it.

I've been making this same pizza base since we lived in China in 1997... yikes, now I feel a whole lot older.

Its so simple and so good. It makes 3 pizzas depending on the thickness you want and  freezes well.

Toppings are kept simple for my girls.

A homemade tomato sauce, ham for Olivia, none for Mathilde and mozarella and parmasan cheese with a sprinkling of oregano and fresh basil leaves.

Pizza dough

3 and a half cups of plain flour
1 cup of warm water
1 packet of yeast
pinch of salt
1 tsp sugar
A good drizzle of olive oil

Mix all the ingredients until a dough is formed. If its too dry, add a little more water.Turn onto a floured surface and knead. I must be honest, I don't knead for too long and it always comes out good. If you have a kitchen aid or other mixer with a paddle attachment, feel free to use it.
Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and leave to rise for 3 hours.
And voila , you have it , homemade pizza dough.

Preheat oven to 180° C and bake until bubbly and golden.

You can also substitute the plain flour with wholewheat for a healthier version.

I found these cool kitchen goodies. I love cooking gadgets and in Hong Kong there is no shortage.

Love this silicone sunflower cake mould, I so love sunflowers!!!
And these bright and quirky kiddie or adult, if your a duh like me, chopsticks. The fact that they are attached makes them a whole lot easier to use. My girls loved them. Olivia managed to do it but Mathilde is still too young. She still had fun though, picking up her noodles with her brightly coloured sticks.
These items I picked up at a shop called Pantry Magic here in Hong Kong.

This is why Mathilde loves Pantry Magic soo much... she gets carried around in one of their enormous bags.

Bon appetit.

Aberdeen

No, I'm not referring to the Aberdeen in bonnie old Scotland. We have our own, right here in Hong Kong.
Sure, they are worlds apart in every sense of the word and I guess the only thing they have in common is that they both have the sea.

Abedeen is a short 5 minutes bus ride from our house. I often go just to buy some of the wierd and wonderful fruits they have to offer.
Alex hates going. So I normally prod along alone or with one or two little girls in tow. They love going. There's a stationery shop where Olivia stocks up on glitter, pens, stickers and Mathilde adds to her ever expanding collection of mini Hong Kong buses. All in all everyone walks along happy and I rarely have nagging girls in Aberdeen.

I love their fruit displays. Ok, almost everything is flown in from somewhere but thats how it is here.  I always buy locally where possible but here, its just different. Hong Kong Island is a small island cram-packed with people, buildings and even more people. So the luxury of being able to grow and produce there own fresh produce is limited, if not inexistant.

I picked up these little babies. 3 lucious pineapples for 20 hong kong dollars , just under 2 euros. They are so full of flavour and really sweet. Our whole dining room was filled with a sweet pineapple smell.  

The fruit stalls look ever so pretty. Baskets are hung over head as the locals love giving gift baskets beaming with fruit.

Aberdeen is also famous for its Jumbo Floating Restaurant. It looks like an ancient chinese imperial palace floating on water. Very bright and gaudy with lots of gold. Tourists and locals flock to it.

The little red box, Tiger balm

This is what I picked up today. A tiny, hexagonal jar filled with a herbal smelling pommade. It dates back to the times of Chinese emperors and is now used and sold all over the world - well almost.

I couldn't resist the cute box and thought I'd give it a go considering mosquito and some kind of tiny black bug that bites the living daylights out of me everytime I wait for the bus are on the prowl.

It smells of methol with undertones of clove.

Is good for everything from insect bites, muscular aches and pains, headaches, stuffy nose and...... flatulence!!!!

I kid you not. I laughed out loud to myself when I read it and Olivia asked me why I was laughing? I told her that this could be used for flatulence. She asked what that was? So I said , when you have gas or need to prout - they use that french word. She looked at me puzzled and asked 'yeah, but then where do you rub it?' With a funny grin on her face!!!

And I guess that is a really good question!!! 

Happy Birthday!!

Wednesday was my moms birthday. She turned 58.

We made a red velvet cake with orange cream cheese frosting and it was delicious!

Olivia decorated it and set the table with little plates and napkins with everyones name on - she loves doing thing like this.

Mathilde was in total awe of the cake and all its candles and was saying happy birthday to grandma and grandad.

We got my mom a beautiful chinese style photo frame from Shanghai Tang.
I love this shop.
The frames, quilts, purses, scarves and wash bags make a great, original gift from Hong Kong.
They also have some beautiful clothes for women.
They wrap the gifts in their signature bright coloured paper and place it in an equally stunning bag.

The girls had fun spending the afternoon with their grandparents and I'm more than sure vica versa.

The quest of the missing tooth and everything in between!

Saturday morning while out getting Olivia some new Birkies, another tooth fell out. She was eating a chocolate ( I always tell her too much choco will make her teeth fall out ) and next thing she gets all hysterical. Mathilde just sat there staring at her and a few locals too. Its not her first tooth, so I know the drill. She asks for a tissue and keeps asking me if nothing will get stuck in the new available gap in her mouth.
I assure her that no, everything will be alright and remind her that tonight the tooth fairy will be stopping by our house.
Her reply was, ah good now I can get my magic wand, so I tell her that the tooth fairy doesn't bring gifts as I don't want a dissapointed and toothless little girl in the morning.

Luckily we managed to get her shoes without her thinking too much about it but she didn't want to go for lunch so it was back home to eat.

Later that evening they were playing with the tooth- gross I know -  and Olivia gave it to Mathilde and off she went. A minute later Olivia starts shouting ' where's my tooth?, Where's my tooth? ''
Mathilde answers  'I don't know!'

I think, Oh crap!!

So now the hunt is on for this tiny tooth, it could be anywhere.  The lighting in our house is worse than pathetic and makes the task of finding this tiny, tiny tooth even more of a mission.
Mathilde keeps apologising and saying she didn't mean to do it, it was a mistake but Olivia isn't impressed. So after about 30 minutes, she decides to write a note to the tooth fairy. I tell her that the fairy will proberly find it anyway.

Things are calm but then they both decide to take their flash lights and look again. Next thing Mathilde shouts, I want my bead, I want my bead, so my dad bends down and reaches far under the couch and yes, you guessed it, it was the tooth. Everyone was so happy and Mathilde was so proud that she found her sisters tooth!!

Olivia quickly took it and placed it under her pillow, safe and sound!

I remember when she was a baby and I loved looking at her big gummy smiles. I loved them and actually dreaded the teeth coming as I thought it would change how she looked and those big beaming gums!
Then she got her ever so cute and tiny, whiter that white milk teeth. I loved those too!! Now the cute milk teeth have been replaced by big, gorky teeth that look so out of place in her tiny mouth. But like everything else we get used to seeing them and its as if she's always been like that. Just another sign that my little girl is not so little anymore.

Sunday we went shopping as it was bucketing down. Bought gifts for everyone back in France so atleast that is done.
 The girls were starving, so for lunch we quickly went to Pizza Express in the IFC shopping mall. Its got the beautiful harbour view, it light and airy. The lady askes if we have a reservation, we reply no. She asks if we can be finished for 12:30. Yes of course we can , so she leads us to our table. She brings the girls some lovely books with sticker activities ( a first I've seen in Hong Kong). Already I'm liking this place a lot!!! Taking care of little people is not difficult and they've got it just right.
There's the kiddies menu and what a bargain. A pizza or pasta dish,  a choice of 3 fresh fruit juices, dessert (vanilla ice cream or a slice of choco fudge cake or lots of warm dough balls with a little pot of nuttella to dip) and  a cute baby bambinocinno with a few mini biscuits - cute and tiny, just what little girls love!!
The girls thouroughly enjoyed themselves and ate quite a lot.

We left with 2 happy, full tummied little girls. The next day they wanted to go back, so we'll be returning soon!!

It seems that the rainy season has finally shown its water drenching face , so I guess we'll be spending more time indoors. Luckily we're off soon, to enjoy some sunshine in the south of France.

The final countdown

The countdown to our holiday has officially started.

Olivia has only two weeks left of school, then she's off for a whole 2 months.

Yesterday she had her school play. Yes, I blinked back my tears and smiled with this massive knot in my throat.
They sang, joked, laughed and were just carefree little six year olds.

Last night she spoke to her mamie (her french grandma) and she asked the usual question of what Olivia wants when she arrives.
This is what Olivia asked for

Fois gras (expensive taste this little girl), dried sausage, duck ,quack (she did say that, poor duckies).Cheese and choco.
She loves going back. She goes up to her room and finds all her easter eggs from April that the easter bunny left for her. All her toys from the previous times. New clothes, presents and more kinder choco. Kids paradise.
Then its out into the garden to feast on whatever fruit is hanging on the trees. Normally its cherries, so we just see little legs on tippee toes. Alexs parents try to leave the low ones for when we arrive, that way she has the pleasure of picking them all by herself!
Then its apricots, plums, raspberries, strawberries and figs. No shortage of fresh vitamins during our summer holidays.

Every year on the drive from Toulouse to the inlaws there's signs on the side of the national roads showing of the typical dishes off the region. And when you think of Carcassonne and Castelnaudary, you can only think of Cassoulet.
It's a dish made up of beans, garlic, onions, tomatoes, herbs, pork sausage and confit duck and gizzards. OOOOH. I crave the stuff as soon as I see the big earthenware pot filled to the brim with cassoulet and topped with golden breadcrumbs. Its not exactly a summer dish and not too good on the waistline but its once a year.

Summer time in the region  Langudoc Roussillon rhymes for me with ....
Endless fields of sunflowers, the crik crik of crickets, fresh summer fruits and even fresher garden vegetables. The beautiful landscape, vide greniers  this is quite common. Almost every village has them. Its a bit like the car boot sale. You can find some rare little gems like beautiful wooden chairs and units. Petanque, I love watching the old men playing their favourite game under the trees and having a good old gossip!!
Chilled Rosé and cooked sausage of toulouse done on the grill. Olivia loves the smell of braaied meat. We'll be doing a lot of bbqing.
Fresh baguette with homemade jam and crispy fresh croissants for breakfast ( did I mention I need to seriously start to starve myself!!!) Olivia loves going to the boulangerie in the morning with her papa and asking for her goodies!!

I love watching them go off to the vegetable garden with their little baskets and coming back with them full and big smiles and tales of what they saw and picked. Mathilde loves picking the tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, aubergines. But the high light is when papy takes out his tractor, takes them for a spin and they honk the  horn. He digs over the potatoe patch , then the hunt is on. Tiny ones, funny shaped ones, the biggest one, red ones, brown ones and purple ones, they love potatoe picking!!

Oh, and lets not forget la fete national le 14 July = a great fireworks display at the castle of Carcassonne. Since the age of 3,Olivia goes every year and loves it. The fireworks are amazing and Olivias jaw is on the floor from start to finish. We take a blanket and snacks, she plays with the other kids. its a great ambiance. She gets to stay up late and gets carried back to the car on her papas shoulders. Before we get home, she's fast asleep and having sweet dreams about the enchanted castle!

This year will be Mathildes first fireworks display.

This year is going to be really nice as Mathilde can really appreciate playing outside. She loves being out and mamie and papie have just bought a new climbing frame with swings and a slide, so they are both very eager to go and try it out. I'm sure we'll be having a few bloody lips and grazed knees.  Then there's the pool and not to forget our little Nyala who we love and miss terribly.

Last night we had a picnic down at the bottom of our residence. A few french kids and their moms, we ordered pizza, I made mini ones  and the small asian pork bites just to tie them over. A chilled white wine and some fruit. Alex got home early and the girls wanted to go with him, so I had a good few hours of relaxing and chatting without having to run after Mathilde and make sure she wasn't getting up to any mischief - pure bliss!!

Ca sent les vacances!!!

Nothing like pancakes to get the day started!

This morning, a little earlier than I would have liked, a little girl climbed into bed with me and snuggled under. She's on holiday again for 3 days. So this morning its not the mad rush and asking  ' have you brushed your teeth?  Brush your hair, is your snack in your bag? Get dressed and put your pj's in your room.

Today she requested pancakes with cinnamon and sugar.  Its been a while since I last made pancakes. When I say a while I mean more than 2 weeks. When she was younger pancakes were the only things she would really eat and actually look like she was enjoying it.  Topped with Nutella, cinnamon and sugar, honey , sugar and lemon juice and even spread with Kiri cheese.

So for the past 5 years I haven't hesitated to whip out the pan and mix up a batch of pancake batter. For me its just as easy as pouring some cereal into bowl.

Quite often while I'm cooking her pancakes I think about how 'lucky' she is to have pancakes whenever she requests. When I was younger the only time we really had pancakes was on Shrove Tuesday or pancake day as we called it. My dad would always make them and we only topped them with lemon juice and sugar.
The cinnamon and sugar she got from me from the many school sports days in South Africa, where the pancakes are cooked in front of you and spinkled with a cinnamon and sugar mix and wrapped in a paper napkin.

But as the day evolved, I knew I was going to need a little more that pancakes to get me through it!!!

Mathilde woke up a lot later and didn't want any breakfast. Then the first vomiting session started, and it didn't seem to stop until about lunch time. The anti vomiting meds did nothting, but then again with Mathilde, they never work.
 I phoned her paed and she told me that because of the amount of times she's already vomitted and with the Norovirus doing its rounds, that it would be best to go to the hospital.

They made the necessary arrangements and I just had to go and choose my type of room. They asked me if I wanted a first or second class room?? You only see that here, as they love to show off their social status. I mean, its private, semi-private or ward where I come from.

Once in our room, Mathilde calms down. The nurses put on her numbing cream for when they place the IV. Her paed pops in , checks her out and gives us a special visit. This is why I love this doctor, she always makes herself available to see to my little babies!! Sure she's getting paid for it, but I know that there are many doctors out there who couldn't care less and wouldn't bother.

So after 1 night and 2 days in hospital she's doing much better. Olivia was a home because as always they always get sick when its holidays.
Hubby went to work later and came home early afternoon and my mom stayed with Olivia in the day.

Its always a great relief to have everyone back at home, happy and heathly. There's nothing worse than having your children sick. Wait ...when they have to be admitted to hospital because they are sick is the worst.

I had planned to take the girls on the Star  Ferry on Thursday but after Mathilde started vomitting, I knew that wasn't going to happen. She kept asking to go on the 'Tar perry' as she says, so Saturday we decided to take them across to TST (Tsim Sha Tsui).

We all enjoyed it. A little sea air, some retail theraphy and lunch out. Perfect.

Alex has 3 days off, which is rare. So he's looking forward to spending all his time with his girls.

That night, Olivia skyped her best friend Kyle and they chatted for almost 3 hours. It was if he was here to play only minus all the mess. She had so much fun and so misses him. They are leaving for Miami soon, so Olivia is sad that he won't be coming here.

Now roll on July , when we'll be spending 3 weeks in France. Time for Alex to have some  ever so needed time with me and the girls and just to relax and take in some fresh air.
Oh, and lets not forget....to visit our house .

Allez, vive les vacances!!!!

Spices

Last night while making a prawn,sweet potato and coconut curry, I noticed that we were running low on curry powder. So I thought I'd take a trip to The Indian Provision Store in Causeway Bay.

So today, off we went. Its so hot and humid, so its always a welcome sight to see bus 69X to Causeway Bay. You have to know where this place is to find it as its not exactly in the most frequented place of Hong Kong.
I'd started regretting wearing my long white linen trousers as I approched the shop door. The entrance reminds me of most of the shops in China with the long , segmented sheets of thick plastic acting as a door and giving such a warm welcome.

If its fancy packaging and music playing in the backgroung your looking for, you won't find it here.
But I look past all that because inside its spice paradise and its as cheap as chips!!! Spices are packed into plastic bags and are cram packed on the shelves. They also sell all the different lentils for your dals and 5kg bags of basmati rice. The rice is delicious!


I took a bag of cardamon and curry powder for myself and a few extra things to take back to France in July for Alexs mom. The bags of spices are really big so I just empty them into my empty jars of bonne maman jam. For the 2 bags of curry, 1 bag of tumeric, a bag of cardamon, a bag of whole nutmeg and cinnamon sticks. Oh and a pack of thai aromats.
All this came to the grand total of.... 7 euros - bargain.

At our supermarket up the road, I pay almost that just for two normal size spices.