Today is
Winter Solstice Festival and we will have
'Tang Yuen' today. I remembered when I was a kid, my Ah Mah will tell me every year when we have 'Tang Yuen' it means we are a year older. According to her this festival is much more important than CNY and usually we will have family dinner together.
Surprisingly this year my MIL didn't ask us back for dinner. Don't know what happen to her or should I should they are 'funny' people. I always tell Dearie Suki, it is important for us to celebrate this important Chinese Festival in order for us to inherit down the Chinese culture to the younger generation. If we don't practice this ourselves, do you think our kids will celebrate in the future and I bet they don't even know what is this all about.
This morning I woke up as early as 6.30 am to open the gate for the part time maid to come in. Since woke up and I can't sleep back, I started to get myself busy in the kitchen. Knead half a packet of glutinous rice flour dough for the 'Tang Yuen' and divided it into 5 portions and mixed with colouring.
We have white, purple, pink, yellow and green.
Little girl woke up and 8.30 am and she is getting much more better today after her vomiting and fever yesterday. I get her to help me in the kitchen. She got so excited of the colourful dough and she helped me to shape it into small balls. While doing this she kept asking me....
Mommy, wat is this?
Mommy, why so many colours one?
Mommy, for wat one?
Mommy, can eat ah?
Mommy, fishball ah?
Mommy, make round round ah?
Wah, so many questions and so hard to answer her what is this all about.
Anyway, I think she enjoyed doing it and alamak... we have uneven round glutinous rice balls. Some big and some small and some even 'penyek' one.
Le-Ann... action only while taking pictures and showing me this is what she has done.
Before : Colourful rice glutinous balls ready to be boiled in hot boiling water.
Boiling : Once float up it is ready.
Done : Ready to be mixed with syrup
Usually, the tang yuen is eat with either sugar syrup or gula melaka syrup but mine is a bit special. If I were to cook the sugar syrup I bet no body will touch it not even me. So... yesterday night I boiled a big pot of herbal tea which consist of dried longan, red dates, rock sugar and also winter melon. I shred the winter melon into thin strips and this are tips from Gert. Wah, the whole pot of herbal tea looks more like a shark fin soup leh. Hihihi....
So here is my version of Tang Yuen.
I mixed it with the
Winter Melon and Longan Herbal Tea. Dearie Suki have 4 bowls of it for prayers and offering at the altar.
or another version ( this is my most favourite )
Mixed the Tang Yuen with chopped coarse peanuts and mixed with some sugar. Just like eating 'Muah Chee'.
While I was busy in the kitchen, the two of them, busy playing with my mixer and the mixer bowl. Aiyor.... my little boy used the mixer bowl and put it on top of his head. So cute....
Then I called mom and asked her whether can I have Roast Chicken without the head and feet for prayer and offering at the altar. My mom taruk me ... how can one, go and make 'Pak Cham Kai', must have head and feet one. If I were to steam the chicken, sure not 'laku' one cos Dearie Suki hate steam chicken and the kids don't like it too.
Aiyor.... at that time how to got to the wet market and buy, sure the chicken seller 'sau tong' d. Anyway I go ahead with it and have it roasted and I think GOD won't punish us for offering the chicken without head and feet. LOL.
I marinated the chicken with McCormick - Lemon Pepper Seasoning, Thyme Leaves, Rosemary Leaves, Black Pepper Cracked, and Sea Salt. Marinate overnight and this morning I roast it in my small oven for almost 1 hour at 160 DC. At the bottom of the tray, I have some cut potato wedges.
Ta ....daa..... We have this Roast Chicken for prayer. Hihihi... the 'Kwai Lou' version.
After prayer, we had the chicken for lunch and carved the chicken meat and have some potatoes to go with it. Since I don't have any brocolli or mixed vegs, I have the Hong Kong Kailan in the fridge and blanched it in hot water and have it with the Roast Chicken.
Half way enjoying my lunch, received a SMS from my good UNI friend - Ai Leen, she has safely delivered a baby boy weighing 3.8kg. Wow, so happy to hear that and some more on 'Tang Yuen festival'!
Tonight, there will be another gathering to attend with my 'ci mui' and few close UNI friends. We are going to FC's house in Sg Buloh for Steamboat dinner. I think I will bring the 2 kids along since they are OK now. Going to enjoy myself tonight cos we are ex-changing Christmas present.
Muahaaa haaaa haaa...