Author: eaumaison (Page 100 of 207)

Making Chi Chi Dango

Later today Jack strapped on his apron alongside with me to make another mochiko-based treat.  Chi Chi Dango is a Hawaiian treat that we made using this recipe.  Now here’s a step by step with lots of photos!
Dump a box of mochiko in a big bowl.
All of it.
Add sugar.
Add baking powder.
Stir.
Practice some words.
Pause to each a red bean mochi.
Add water.
Add a can of coconut milk.
Measure and add vanilla.
While one person whisks…
The other sings “Head Shoulders Knees and Toes!”
Butter a casserole dish.
Add the final ingredient: food coloring.  First he picked green.
He saw how fun it was to make colors.
So he insisted on blue too.  He wanted yellow next but I said two is enough.
Mix and pour.
Keep pouring!
Get it all!
Cover with tin foil.
Put in the oven at 350 for one hour, and say “Bake More?”
After baking it has to cool completely before being cut and rolled in potato starch, kind of like homemade marshmallows.  I did this after Jack’s bedtime. 
Two kinds of mochi packed for Ben to take to work. 

Making Mochi

I have not found a source in Denver for fresh mochi.  So I made my own!

 I’ll consider this attempt and experiment.  The results will not convert anyone to loving mochi.  But I think I can improve upon it.

I used a combination of these two recipes. 

  • Boil 1 cup water with 1/4 cup sugar
  • Add 3 drops red food coloring (which was too much, see below)
  • Dump in 1 cup mochiko flour
  • Stir like crazy
  • Dump onto prepared cutting board (potato starch all over it)
  • Tear off pieces, pinch around filling, roll in starch

It took minutes to make!  So easy, so tempting to try again already. 

I used canned An (sweetened red bean paste) and froze it to make portioning and wrapping easier.  Apparently Jack will eat spoonful after spoonful of An.  Weirdo. 

However, I’m glad I waited until nap time to make this.  The dough is warm-to-hot and you have to work fast.  Also, with no baking step, it’s extra important that no dirty little hands get in the dough. 

I got the ingredients at Viet-Hoa, an Asian grocery store on Alameda.  

Next time:

  • Less food coloring. 1-2 drops is plenty.
  • Flavor the dough.  I wonder how they make strawberry in the bakery?
  • Figure out the best filling to wrap ratio.
  • Vary the filling.  Chocolate? Nutella? Fruit? Maybe use these instructions with pistachios?

Perks of having a nanny

We come home after long hours to a happy, rested, entertained boy.

 The house is tidy, the floors are cleared.   Jack’s play area is even organized.

The lasagna we left is cooked and cooling on counter.

The dog is walked and content.

Oh, and dishes are done.

It’s much, much better than a daycare would have been.

PLUS! All of that happened while Jack works through ANOTHER cold. (I blame this one on the flu shot he got Friday.)

Need I remind you that a daycare would not have taken him today, necessitating one of us missing work?

So much better with a nanny.

Building a Truck

The safety glasses came for this project.  Ben was at Lowes and they were having a free kids project.  Jack was a little wary and close to his naptime, but the store let him take home all this gear for free!  Today Ben and Jack built the truck:

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