I love this idea, even though we never got around to buying a crib for the little boy! It’s reposted from A Little Learning for Two, a blog about raising two kids on a small budget in a small apartment.
Khmum Ang (Bee larvae cake)
This is a bee larvae cake, a dish from the ever-popular Sovanna restaurant (No 2C St 21, just south of Sihanouk Blvd). It’s steamed with spices in banana leaves, and picked at like a snack. We had a friend visiting Cambodia who wanted to sample Khmer cuisine, and what better way to do that than to get a big group together so you can toss something like this into the meal mix? ;-) It has a gummy sort of texture, and the larvae pop like a pocket when you bite down on them. It’s got a nutty taste, a little sweet, with a hint of honey. No one disliked it, though it won’t be something we will normally order. Photo from Keith Kelly.
from Diapers to Durians
…speaking of pungent fruits.. It isn’t durian season, but Thai varieties are available all year so we can get them here. I had a craving for it a few weeks ago and the little boy got in on the fun. Yep, he’s had a taste and seems to like it.
a first Christmas for the little boy
it’s a nice little rendering from the folks over at House32, no?
Plai kvet for the intrepid palate
Pronounced plaiii-kwut!, these fruit are hard like rocks on the outside. They’re eaten whether or not they’re ripe. Our nanny Sopheap brought us some and they were so ripe they fragranced the entire house with a pungence the way durian and jackfruit do. It’s the kind of smell where it depends on your mood and health whether the pungence is acceptable! [Read more…] about Plai kvet for the intrepid palate
Toys for tots
We always have a ready list of items to look for on our travels, that we can’t find or don’t have a wide selection of in Cambodia. Toys were on that list this year. While home we looked for toys that’ll engage the little boy’s imagination longer than the immediate learning phase. And I’m not a fan of the plastic battery-operated trinkets with obnoxious bright lights and noise. I remember the toys from when I was a kid which had a lot to do with being creative – like blocks, tinker toys or legos. So one of our great finds is this Zany Zoo wooden activity cube. It’s sturdy and bottom-heavy (at 9kg/19lb this little boy can pull himself up on it without tipping it over), thoughtfully designed (rounded corners, bright colors, dense with a variety of activities), and very attractive. And I love the rest of the B. line of toys – great philosophy, great designs, lovely products.
We cabin-checked this toy through all flights from New Orleans to NYC to Phnom Penh. Thankfully all the flight attendants and crew were very accommodating.
That said, there are actually some options in Phnom Penh for quality toys. [Read more…] about Toys for tots