Confinement Nanny

Workload of a CN (confinement nanny) is like a mountain! Taking care of baby 24/7, providing three to five meals a day for PL (Postpartum lady), the family also assume CN to also taking care of their house chores. 

One of unreasonable thing is PL making CN to hand wash her clothing, or baby’s clothing and towels, why would they want to make CN so tiring? CN’s duty is to take well care of baby even midnight feedings and cooking balance diet meals for PL, this washing job can be done by washing machine, letting CN to have enough rest and energy to focus on baby and PL. If CN finishes her work, she could do whatever she wants or rest. 

I have heard from my PL telling me that her friends who gave birth in the same week with her, they also hiring a CN, they complained about their CN spent too much time in kitchen and when baby is crying, CN didn’t rush to the baby, this sounds like the CN not fulfilling her duty, later my PL told me that actually her friend is living in landed property, baby is in first floor, nanny is in ground floor kitchen, making it a common sense, or making it to be rather rational mind, my PL told her friend and said: “Do you know the food you are eating is not a instant food, a lot of preparation needed, if she is preparing food, you as a mother staying next door to the baby, aren’t you supposed to take care of your own baby? I would rather let my CN prepare food without disturbances, how to half-cook and attend to the baby?” 

Many unreasonable incidents that you couldn’t imagine, I told my PL about a colleague in another household on duty, the family didn’t even buy veggie for her to eat, saying that veggie is expensive, making my colleague’s daily meal is fried egg and rice! 

How could this happened in the world now? CN is not slave, she is there in your house to help up and allowing PL to have good recovery. 

Please don’t align the work of a CN to a domestic maid. 

Services provided by A confinement Nanny

24 Hour Baby Care

Aunty will help to cover baby care shift through the night so you can get some well deserved rest

Confinement Food

Aunty will prepare confinement food for both you and your baby. Food for daddy can be arranged too.

Confinement Bath

Aunty will prepare confinement bathing herbs for you to wash up.

Laundry for Mom + Baby

Aunty will help do washing, handing and folding for both you and your baby. (Baby’s clothes will be handwashed).

Pro Breastfeeding

Aunty will guide you on techniques and methods to best nurse your newborn.

Confinement Herbal Tonics

Aunty will prepare and brew herbal tonics and red dates tea for your body to recover speedily.

Please don’t make your CN do house chores! Give her good food, and she will take good care for baby and you. 

Cooking three meals a day

I used to admire Marcia the full time housewife who are able to cook three meals everyday, and spoke to myself I will never know how to do it, cooking Chinese food is a difficult thing too do.

All I did was cooking one meal during MCO time, the best is chicken chop, or noodle soup and never had to cook rice, the rest of my time were just baking…

When I became a confinement nanny, not given enough time to worry about this cooking skill, I had to do it, and learning to do it, not that I worried about, cooking isn’t difficult at all, I was thinking too much back then, now? I just need to open fridge stare at the ingredients and I know what to cook and how to cook. 

My postpartum lady given me a lots of grace to allowing me spending as much time as I want in term of preparing food for herself, as my cooking is too delicious to her and hubby. 

Cooking three meals a day is not a dream anymore, I just can do it! 

Amazing Day!

They, mama and papa were very amazed that I speak fluent English, and knowing to use many gadgets and have many smart ideas, papa asked what did I do in Malaysia, My brain squeezes and my mind thinking in a swift of time to wanting to give any answer…. 

Suddenly I remembered I was a Thermomix agent, so I told them I was a direct sales agent of Thermomix, they were amazed again because I own a Thermomix! Urrrrr, ya, I gave cooking classes too! 

They: “What? You teach people to cook? No wonder you can cook so well!”

I haven’t told them I also teach piano and violin, I think their jaws will drop that they actually hiring a music teacher as their confinement lady. Hahahaha

Later, papa found out why is my English so good, as I was reading Bible. 😂 😆

To becoming a confinement nanny

It was a swift decision that I made in early July, as soon as the grade 8 student finished practical exam on 1st Aug, I went down to JB to start the course of learning to becoming a confinement nanny. 

The course is provided by Star confinement nanny service ptd ltd. Accommodation and food provided, I need to just put RM300 as refundable deposit and it will be refunded as soon as I finished three jobs. 

Content of the course includes basic knowledge of TCM some herbs and its benefits, theory and practical of baby care, dos and don’ts, some tips of quick cooking, and tips to take care of ourselves as we work 24/7 for straight 28 days at least. 

Today is 12th September, I am on duty for second job assigned, a young couple with a baby girl, they are very friendly and helpful, always make sure I have enough of sleep and rest, as they said only I have good rest can take good care of the baby, this is very true. Some nanny didn’t have good rest, they will have issue focusing and caring for babies which also endanger the vulnerable lives.

They wash my clothes together in washing machine, making sure I don’t waste unnecessary energy, they feed me some good snacks and food whenever they bought food for themselves, I will always have my share. 

Such a pleasant family, a very good start for me. Very hopeful meeting more of these awesome people in future. 

Next Journey

 Ever since I made a decision to work as confinement lady in Singapore, I have no doubt and worry at all, it is such a privilege chance to pick up new knowledge and skill, I have no reason why not to take up this opportunity. 

Many people asked what about your music teaching career? I told them, this knowledge, experience and skill are not going to disappear, I can always come back to continue what I am doing now, but age is catching up, people wouldn't want to hire an old lady for confinement job, you need energy, you need healthy mind and body to fulfil this important duty in postpartum period. 

To take up the challenge when my age still considering "young" in 2nd half of my life. I always wanted to be a missionary, this opportunity comes in the right time, training myself to be able to survive in any circumstances - meaning in any type of household, haha you knew it, one type of rice feeding hundreds type of people. Relationship and communication are complicated lessons to learn. 

Another two days, I am off to Johor Senai for training, I have no idea of what kind of subjects, however will try to update in the blog. 

I have gone through some checking over two confinement service companies, the reason I decide to choose the one I am attending simply because the commission they give to confinement lady is higher, and many extra commission is stated clearly in the conditions, no hanky panky. The first company is the largest no doubt, but the benefits are limited and lesser. 

From the beginning of July, broadcast my decision and start collecting informations and learning baby care, mother care, confinement herbs and confinement dishes, I was amazed how important to have right knowledge of postpartum care, I wish to give my best to help babies and mothers to have a good and enjoyable 28 days with me, and be blessed with the knowledge and care that I am about to give to them. 

Here are some food that I prepared so far... You may also follow instagram for more idea of confinement food - click here  Jane Lee or Youtube channel of some recipes Jane Lee Youtube

Feel free to contact me for information of how to be come a confinement lady in Singapore, I am more than happy to share with you of my journey. 

May the Lord continue to guide and lead me to the right and prosperous path, grant me wisdom and knowledge, bless me with happy and good health. Looking forward to Confinement Lady chapter.

Also looking forward to continue to serve The Lord in daily basis.  

No-Knead Sourdough

 When I started baking sourdough it was many years ago, followed old-school recipes, and most of them from cold weather country, I remembered the first time cultivated the sourdough starter, followed what their way was to wait 12 days, but unfortunately gnats growing on the 7th day.... all sorts of experiences. 

The sourdough breads were baked during that time really sour! Haha, Gabriel and I were trained to take these type of sour-sourdough. 

In these few years, lot more Asian sourdough bakers sharing their professional knowledge of baking sourdough now day, many Youtube videos were shared, many methods were used, and even Hong Kong Actress Momo shared sourdough tutorial videos in Momoment channel, she is a certified baker and chef that was trained in France. Many knowledges and techniques that she shared were precious to us, if you could understand Cantonese, this is a good channel to follow. 

Baking sourdough is like what Momo said: "条条大道通Sourdough, ALL ROADS LEAD TO SOURDOUGH", and it is true, you may come to many methods, this baker shared this, and that baker shared otherwise, if a baker shared you must do this and that, then.... don't believe it, because it is not true. 

I would said, just adapt a method that you feel comfortable and easier to suit your living lifestyle. 

A friend of mine Joe, fell in love of baking during Covid-19 MCO, and she shared one video that is by

Culinary Exploration

Easy Homemade Sourdough Bread | A Basic No Knead Recipe That Gives Amazing Results Every Time

I followed the way but using Thermomix to knead everything in 1.30 minutes, and it works!!! 

The recipe makes neat dough compares to high hydration dough.

All you need to do, is shaping and wait. Here you go, it oven spring properly! (Even though no ear,  I don't really care about it, as long as I could bake two or four loaves in one go without me investing on other useless and expensive tools.)

They still look sexy!

Sun bed-ing...

Here is the recipe:

No-Knead Sourdough Recipe 

Ingredients 

128g Active starter (100% hydration) 

247g Water

375g Flour (I am using Super Melanger Japanese bread flour for all sourdough recipes)

12g Sea salt (You may reduced to 6g-8g)

Banneton Proofing Basket size: 25cm x 15cm x 8cm

Thermomix user, just put all ingredients in TM bowl, knead 1.30 minutes.

Feeding starter:( to divide 128g in three part, each part would be 42.6, therefore 42.6g starter: 42.6g water: 42.6g flour)

Usually I just round up to 45g:45g:45g, you know.... those stick onto the glass or spoon, just spare them. 

1) Assume you are already a baker, just fold and roll the dough on a flour free working top, make into a tight ball, store in a container for 4 hours.

2) Open the container, first dust some flour on the surface of the dough, and some on the working table top, turn the container over to slip off the dough, just pull the corner of the dough and fold into a square dough, then using the sticky working top (by this time the working top should be flourless.) push and pull to seal the bottom at the same time to pull the surface of the dough tight, make into oblong shape, keep in banneton basket, wrap with plastic bag, keep in fridge for cold retard. 

Bake in the next morning, I am using SSODD SA60L-1A oven, my setting for two loaves is:

1) 260°C 3 minutes, spraying 5 seconds in every 30 seconds. 

2) 230°C 12 minutes, spraying 5 seconds in every 30 seconds for the first 3 minutes. Total up 6 minutes of spraying. 

3) 50°C 10 minutes, just using the heat already in the oven to dry out moist in the bread. 

4) 170°C 8 minutes, crust the skin

5) 180°C 7 minutes, just make it a little burnt and crispy crust. 

SSODD SA60L-1A for Sourdough?

 I have seen bakers baking sourdough by using Innofood V88 and Unox convection oven, ever since I bought this oven the main objective is to be able to bake sourdough with ear, without having me to spend another thousands on dutch oven and pizza stone or other gadgets... 

And so I tried and tried, although the sourdough I have baked mostly tasted awesome and great, some chewy recipes, some sourish recipes, and some soft and thin crust recipes, the texture were great, just not able to have ear as what home bakers are looking for at now, me too... am one of them. 

I almost gave up since already been trying almost a month. The spray function in SSODD works only for 5 seconds, anytime more than that it will flood the oven. And talked to Ms Gan about this issue, and she advised not to press more than 5 seconds, I was so upset.... 

Not when I found out in fact Innofood V88 oven need to manually injecting steam too, every minute, press one time, that inspired me. And so I decided to go for a try, tried once, failed, failed as in the sourdough didn't have ear but well baked. Second trial, failed, I tried to figure it out by examine the way I prepare and the temperature of the setting..... The oven spring not as good as what I expected. 

This morning, I tried the recipe Honey Oat Whole Meal Sourdough, the first dough using normal Japanese bread flour, the second dough I am using Super Melanger Japanese flour, and I need to tell you this really make the difference! Super Melanger flour can hold the dough so well, so clean, it does make everything easier for you. 

Anyhow this blog is talk about SSODD oven setting for sourdough. 

My found is: 

1) Preheat with baking sheet placed on a level above middle deck. (Keep it high so that the bread will have to soak in the steam. ( I put add-on bar in between the 2nd and 3rd deck) I think I should try on 2nd deck in next baking.

2) Need to create a lot of steam, hence the initial temperature is 260°C for 1 minute, spray during preheat when temperature oven is ready after preheat, usually took about 10 minutes, don't bake it yet, let it continue preheating, at this moment, you press spray for 5 - 6 seconds, a few time in the interval of 30 seconds, let it be 2 minutes long. Then start baking. 

3) After the door open and close, temperature will drop, steam runs away, spray immediately after the door is close, oven temperature still set in 260°C for 1 minute, press 5 -6 seconds in the interval of 30 seconds. After one minute, oven temperature back to 230°C, however, is still good to create steam, although it will a little flood in the base, but I can accept the fact that it will. haha. cheers!

First dough, oven spring well, but the scoring was rather shallow, hence it didn't perform well to create an ear. The oven setting was rather high in fan speed (fan speed 30), that makes the crust form too early. 

The second dough, that one using Super Melanger Bread Flour.

With slight changes on the fan speed, awesome! I was overwhelmed by this outcome. The bread was beautifully baked!

Thin crust, soft bread, I prefer not to bake until it is burnt and hard, my habit of taking sourdough, always like to reheat and toast it until crispy, I am totally falling in love with it! The bread can make someone falling in love, my friend Shirley kept on telling me that she doesn't like sourdough bread, not nice, hard and chewy.... and sourish...

I took this bread, and sliced it in front of her, in the mean time she kept telling friends around us, she doesn't like sourdough bread, she has a air fryer, how to use air fryer to toast a sourdough bread, just set 150°C 3 minutes, this will come out just crispy. I saw her took the first byte with butter, her eyes turned big!! And said she can't believe it that the sourdough can taste so good!!

I love sourdough breads, there are many different recipes, some like it sour, like it hard, and like it chewy, some love it soft and less sour. You may choose the type you love!

The left is using Normal Japanese Flour
Right: Super Melanger Japanese Flour

Top: Normal Japanese Flour
Bottom: Super Melanger Japanese Flour

Just sexy

I have also prepared a short Youtube tutorial.

SSODD SA60-1A program setting

 Here is a simple steps on how to set program on SSODD SA60-1A combat oven.

This feature is very useful to me, as when I bake, I would like to change temperature to achieve best texture bread from it. For example baking cinnamon rolls, I would like to bake it at 155°C for 11 minutes, and 170°C for 4 minutes for a golden colour crunchy crust, yet softer bread inside it. 

That is very great feature that you must make good use of it. 

这个烤箱拥有程序储存技能，一个非常好用的功能特性，在烘烤面包或者蛋糕的时候，假如能够有效的控制温度，风速与时间，那么烤出来的成品一定会让你心花怒放！

比如说我在烤肉桂卷 155°C 11分钟，然后再调温度至170°C 4 分钟，这样我就能有脆皮松软的面包。

Here is the chart that I have made for How to program setting in SSODD SA60L-1A Combat oven.  SSODD 烤箱 程序设置储存教程。

SSODD SA60-1A Oven

 The new oven that I invested with, SSODD 60 litre, steam injection and a convection oven, something so new to me, that I am like a newbie in baking. 

This oven is awesome, as the temperature and fan speed did help to distribute heat evenly, that I get the best cream cheese buns, cinnamon rolls, baking a few trays at once.., the result is they are super super fluffy!

The best cinnamon rolls I have ever baked. 

The only difficulty I have is on sourdough bread. Fist attempt, temperature too high and however they look super sexy though. 

And later, with some adjusted, I would prefer softer and thiner crust. 

Every baking is an experiment to me, different settings. 

SSODD SA60-1A 

It has program setting, I am playing with it this week. Will come out an introduction and steps to do it in new post. 

Sourdough with atta flour

 

75% hydration Sourdough Bread

380g water 

350g Bread Flour

150g Atta Flour

100g Sourdough Starter (20% of total flour )

1/2 tsp Salt

Feed sourdough starter a night before

sourdough starter 1:5:5 

10g sourdough starter : 50g water : 50g Bread Flour 

Mix Flour and water together knead thoroughly, rest 60 minutes for autolysis.

Mix in sourdough starter and salt, knead about 5 minutes until they are incorporated.

Rest for 1 hour, then 1st folding.

Rest for 1 hour, then 2nd folding.

Rest for 1 hour, then 3rd folding.

Rest for 1 hour, then 4th folding, and shape it, rest in oblong banneton.

Rest for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 240°C for 30 minutes, letting a tray and steel cover in the oven. Prepare a tray on the lower rack for hot water. Prepare a pot of hot water. 

Remove the hot tray from oven, sprinkle rice flour on the surface, transfer sourdough to hot tray 

sprinkle rice flour on the surface of sourdough, scorch the bread with a blade.

Place it back to oven, spray a lot of water inside the steal cover, cover sourdough. Pour hot water into the lower tray. Bake for 40 minutes.