Family Manual

🍳 Breakfast & Recipes

These are our standard recipes. Simple but must be done right.

Scrambled eggs
Step 1 - Mix
Crack 10 eggs into a bowl. Add 1/3 teaspoon of salt. Beat hard with a fork until fully mixed
Step 2 - Heat
Put 3 spoons of ghee (or tallow) in the pan. Heat on medium
Step 3 - Cook
Pour in the egg mixture. Stir gently with a wooden spatula. Cook to medium - not well done. Eggs should still be slightly soft and moist
Mix the salt INTO the eggs before adding to the pan - not after. Use the wooden spatula only, never metal on the pan.
Liv's yogurt bottle (yogurt + milk + honey)
Every Liv bottle is filled to the 7oz line: yogurt, a small splash of milk to thin it out, and 1 tbsp of honey (15-20g).
🥣 Batch quantities

We make this in a batch and refill bottles from the bowl. The reference photo shows a typical batch:

  • 1.8 kg yogurt (Yolida Natural / low-fat set yogurt)
  • 1 cup of milk (~240ml)
  • ~180g honey (about 12 tbsp)
Yogurt batch ingredients on the counter: jar of Yolida yogurt, cup of milk, cup of honey, empty Liv bottle showing the 7oz line
Reference: yogurt jar, 1 cup milk, ~180g honey, Liv's bottle (7oz line visible)
📋 Steps
Step 1 - Dissolve the honey
Pour the honey into a bowl with a small amount of the milk. Use a fork to mash and dissolve until smooth — this stops the honey from sinking to the bottom in lumps.
Step 2 - Add yogurt and rest of milk
Add the 1.8 kg of yogurt and the rest of the milk into the same bowl. Mix everything well until uniform and pourable.
Step 3 - Fill the bottles
Fill every available Liv bottle to the 7oz line — no more, no less.
Step 4 - Store the rest
Cover the bowl and put the leftover mix in the fridge. Use it to refill bottles later in the day.
Always dissolve the honey in milk FIRST. If you add honey straight into yogurt it will clump and settle at the bottom of the bottle.
Cutting fruits

Cut fresh fruit into small, age-appropriate pieces. Refer to the Fruit & Produce Washing section for which fruits need a baking soda wash.

Fresh Fish (Ninja Grill)
We buy fish that is HIGH in Omega-3 and LOW in toxins (mercury, heavy metals). Never buy frozen — only fresh, caught that day.
🛒 Shopping List — Show This at the Market
Best choice — buy this first
ปลาทู — Pla Tu
Short-bodied mackerel. The Omega-3 king. Small, very fatty, best for daily meals.
📏 Quantity: 4-6 fish per serving (small fish). Ask for whole, scored.
💰 Approx: ฿50-100 per kg
Great choice — high Omega-3, bigger cut
ปลาอินทรีย์ — Pla Insee
Spanish mackerel / king mackerel. Richer flavor, larger fish.
📏 Quantity: 1-2 steaks per person (ask for horizontal steaks, ~2cm thick). 300-500g per person.
💰 Approx: ฿150-300 per kg
Good choice — leaner, very clean
ปลากะพงขาว — Pla Kapong Khao
White snapper / sea bass. Lowest toxin risk, very versatile.
📏 Quantity: 1 whole fish (~600-800g) for 2 people, or 1-2 fillets per person.
💰 Approx: ฿200-400 per kg
IMPORTANT — How to ask the fishmonger to cut: Keep the head and tail, but fillet the body. Package the fillet and the body (head+tail) separately. We want both parts — head/tail for soup/stock, fillet for grilling.
🐟 How to say at the market:
ขอปลาทูสด — Kŏr Pla Tu Sòt — "I want fresh Pla Tu"
ขอปลาอินทรีย์หั่น เป็นชิ้นสเต็ก — Kŏr Pla Insee Hân, pen chún steak — "Cut Pla Insee into steaks"
ขอดูทั้งตัว — Kŏr doo túng dtua — "Show me the whole fish"
ทำให้สะอาด บั้งหนังด้วย — Tam hâ sà-àat, bâng nĕung duây — "Clean it and score the skin"
✅ Freshness Checklist
Eyes: Clear, bright, bulging
Gills: Bright red or pink, moist
Flesh: Firm — springs back when pressed
Smell: Clean ocean smell
Eyes: Cloudy, sunken, milky
Gills: Brown or grey, dry
Flesh: Soft, mushy, leaves indent
Smell: Strong fishy or ammonia
📍 Where to Buy
Currently: buy fish only at Makro — chain supermarket. Other options listed below for future reference.
  • Makro — our current fish source. Chain supermarket with reliable quality and variety.
  • Thong Sala Fresh Market (future option).
  • Chaloklum Pier (future option).
  • Lek's Seafood (future option).
🍳 Cooking — Ninja Grill XL
Fish goes in the fridge IMMEDIATELY after shopping — no plastic wrapping. Use glass containers or cover with a plate. Cook within 24 hours.
White Snapper Grilled (Ninja Grill XL)
I. Preparation
  • Dryness is key: Pat skin and flesh bone-dry with paper towels
  • Score the skin: 3-4 shallow diagonal cuts. Prevents curling and helps fat render
  • Salt immediately before placing on the grill — not earlier (makes skin soggy)
II. Ninja Grill XL — Fillet Method
  • Select GRILL → MED (230°C / 450°F)
  • Preheat fully — wait for beep and "Add Food" message
  • Insert Smart Probe horizontally into thickest part of fillet
  • Set target internal temp to 52°C (125°F)
  • Place fillets skin-side down. Close lid. Do NOT flip — cyclonic air cooks the top
  • Rest 3-5 minutes after beeping — temp rises to perfect ~57°C (135°F)
If cooking WHOLE (non-fillet)
  • Stuff cavity with salt and a bit of butter/tallow
  • Insert probe into thickest part of shoulder (above spine). Don't touch bone
  • Flip halfway through — when probe reaches ~30°C (85°F)
  • Whole fish: 15-20 minutes. Fillets: ~7-10 minutes
III. Ninja XL First-Timer Quick Start
1. Plug in & Power
Turn dial/button to GRILL
2. Set Temp
Use arrow/dial to hit MED
3. Plug in Probe
Insert probe into side of machine, then into meat. Set target temp 52°C on display
4. Wait for "Add Food"
Do NOT put fish in during preheating. Only open lid when machine tells you. Close lid with food inside — timer starts automatically
  • Don't salt early — makes skin soggy
  • Use the Probe — only way to prevent a large fish from turning into dry chalk
  • Skin down first — protects delicate meat and gives crunch

For other fish: Pla Tu — whole, scored, MAX 260°C, 5-7 min per side. Pla Insee steaks — HI, 4 min per side.