Mini Liew: February 2012

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Unboxing LANTRONIX xPrintServer

Date: Feb 29, 2012

Wow, this is probably the first blog that I have done on Feb 29, which happen every four year.

I have a new toy yesterday. This is the LANTRONIX xPrintServer. I pre-ordered this back in January, and they finally manufacture it, and sent it over. Of course, I have to asked Borderlinx to book in the pre-order, and then, it got sent to my Borderlinx US address.

What is it, exactly? It is NOT A PRINTER. It is a black box that connects to your LAN, (same switch or hub with your printer). And this black box will turn your old printer into Apple's Air Print capabled printer. And yes, you do not need a PC or iMac on your network to do printing from your iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. You can print anything and sent it to the printer right from your finger tips (iOS devices).

It looks like this.

Very simple and zen design. Only one power point and one network port.

It comes with interchangeable power plugs.

Simply slides the 3 pin plug into the 2 pin plug.

Cool. First time see people do it this way.

Included RJ45 cable.

Very easy. Just plug it into the network switch that is preferred on the same switch with the printer. And the Auto Discovery will do its job.

Very simple instruction manual.

Let's try it. I plug it into the network switch. And the "X" is flashing. That means, it is searhing for the printer. When it found a printer, it will auto add it. And the "X" is slowly glowing.

See... "X" is glowing...

From the iPhone, open the "Send To" button. The third button below at the bottom.

Select PRINT.

"Select Printer"

Woohoooo.... Printer is shown there...

Select the printer you want to print to.

and it will start to print.

Sending the print job.

And your print out is there.

WOW. My old HP printer is now Air Print capable on my network!

I am not sure when it will come to Singapore. But it is sure a good device to have!

Cook with Ken: Chicken Rice

Date: Feb 28, 2012

Once you grasp the idea of a certain cooking method, it is time to be creative. You can create many dishes out of your own. Here we recap how to use a rice cooker to cook the different rice you like.

http://miniliew.blogspot.com/2012/02/cook-with-ken-my-chinese-pork-belly.html

http://miniliew.blogspot.com/2011/02/making-of-liew-kee-lap-cheong-chicken.html

This time, I used the following ingredients...

1. Two types of Japanese Mushrooms...

Wash it and cut away the roots...

2. Bean sprouts. My domestic helper suppsoe to cook bean sprouts, so I asked her not to cook, and intercepted the ingredients.

3. Salted Fish. Also another ingredients I intercepted from my domestic helper. hahha

Cut into pieces.

4. Nice Japanese big onions.

5. Garlic & Ginger. Dice it.

Ginger.

6. Chicken.

7. Chinese sausages.

That's it!

Steps to cook

A. Heat the wok.

B. Put oil in. I added some sesame oil in too, to make it more fragrant.

C. Slow stir the onion, ginger and garlic.

D. Add in chicken. Stir fry. Until chicken meat turn white, add in chinese sausages. Add in the veggie. And then the mushroom.

E. Add in some of your favorite sauces. Oyster sauces also can. Keep on stir fry.

F. Add The rice. Keep stir fry. Add salt and white pepper. Almost forget, the rice, you got to wash a bit, soak it in water for a while. And the remove the water, and throw all the rice into the wok. Stir fry. I used 2 cup of rice.

G. Add 2 cup of water (same cup size as rice). Pad the rice and ingredient firmly into the rice cooker and add the water.

H. Cook the rice in the electic rice cooker. Once cook, then, stir it and press recook again. This is to cook and burnt the bottom part of the rice. The second time when you press "Cook" button, this will cook much faster.

There you go, my Mushroom Bean Sprout Salted Fish Chinese Sausage Chicken Rice (MBSSFCSCR). Taste very nice. Sweet.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

A Trip to Aero-Green Farm

Date: Feb 24, 2012

Kay Kay is in N1, and as a parent, I still have the privilleage to tag along in his field trips. Especially, with Jay Jay in K2, I also get to have some fun with Jay Jay's classmates too.

This time, we are going to the Aero-Green Farm at Lum Chu Kang.

Oh, first time I see my son holding hands with a girl.

Oh, it's Carina "NaNa".

And what are they talking about? "Why you not wearing Lorna Whiston's School PE Uniform?" and NaNa seems trying to explain...

Very excited going on to the bus.

Look! Who's there already, its Conrad!

Kay Kay also very well behave this time.

Hey, it's NaNa again!

Let the tour begin... Kay Kay walking on his own. Oh Well, almost every month we spent 1-3 trips to Lim Chu Kang, and I think Kay Kay is very familiar with all these plants and so on... hahaha