Ice Cream Making Tips & Tricks

We have been making homemade ice cream for years now. I love the fact that I can make any flavor I like, reduce the amount of sugar, and the fact that it doesn't have additives. 

We use Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. First time my then curious toddler see how the machine works:

We made a lot of ice cream and create lot of memory with the ice cream machines over the years

Some tips and tricks I learned on Ice Cream Making: {so that you don't make the same mistakes I did}:

1. For the heavy cream: Do NOT use the ultra-pasteurized one {like the one normally sold in most grocery stores. I also don't like the one that Costco sells}. I got mine either from Trader Joe's or Wholefoods. 
2. Use digital scale for more exact measurement of weight: and 
   
   
   use measuring cup to measure the liquid: 

Camping Menu Ideas

Our family love camping. I never thought I would say it but the benefits truly outweigh the inconveniences. I started to really enjoy camping after we start sleeping inside the van instead of in the tent. After a few camping trips, we have a list of regular camping menu ideas. I thought I put it here for future reference or in case anyone need it.

Indonesian Corn Fritters a.k.a. Bakwan Jagung

Growing up, my grandma cook this appetizer often for lunch or dinner. Unlike American's corn fritters, this Indonesian version is more on the crispy and savory  rather than chewy and sweet.

On the past, I tried cooking with canned corn, using the usual "approximate" recipe and it didn't turn out so well. I am tempted to cook this again after seeing my friend's picture of the dish on Instagram and she told me she was using real fresh corn so I gave this dish another try after finding fresh corn from Trader Joe's. It tasted so much better than my previous attempts but still didn't taste like my grandma's corn fritters. Since she passed away already, I asked my aunts thankfully they know exactly what's the missing ingredient: ground kempferia galanga (Indonesian: "kencur").
So I gave it another try:

Place all the ingredients, except the oil in a mixing bowl

Siomay Jambi

I fell in love with Siomay Jambi when my mother in law first brought it from Jambi, a small town in Indonesia where hubby grew up. The inside is mainly veggies and ground pork with little bit flour, which make it less filling than the more popular Siomay Bandung. 

Soothing drink for cold

Whenever we are down with cough, sore throat, and congestion, my dad often reminded us to consume honey and lemon to soothe the pain. My friend, Carolina advised us to drink Chrysanthemum Tea as natural coolant while another friend suggested ginger drink and lo han kuo drink. I found all of the ingredients in the Asian Supermarket except for the raw honey, which I either buy at Costco of the farmer's market.  Here is my go to drink recipe to combat cold: