Christmas Party

Today we have 2 Christmas functions to attend. One is to MIL house for Christmas dinner and another one is to Ah Mah's house for attending a Christmas Party hosted by Uncle HH and Aunty SH. I very much loves to attend the one in Ah Mah's house reason being the Christmas dinner in my MIL's house would be a boring one for me.

My little Le-Ann still sick and have not fully recover yet. I was thinking to do more baking to bring back to Ah Mah's house but end up did a quick Choco Cupcakes with some buttercream decoration on top of it. While the kids taking their nap in the room I quickly sneak down to the kitchen to start my job.

So these are the results of my Choco Cupcakes.

Buttercream icing with Christmas feel of decoration. Red and green and white buttercream icing suits the Christmas mood.

I still find it is hard to decorate the cupcakes with buttercream icing. It is so messy and I just hate the greasy buttercream stuck on my hand, my finger, my table and everywhere. Perhaps next time I should do it with fondant or else attend a cupcakes decorating class to master the pipping skills.

Among all, I still loves this Christmas tree that I did. It is the best and I love it so much.

Aiyorrr... some of it is so ugly leh and short of 2 cupcakes to fill up the box

Halfway decorating the cupcakes both my kids came down and wanted to disturb me. I don't even want to bother them and let them play in the kitchen and I am so concentrating on the buttercream icing. And..... I don't even know both of them took the cupcakes and eat it quietly at the corner of my kitchen. Only after that I realized...... short of 2 cupcakes and......

the crumbs on the floor

I send the cupcakes back to Ah Mah's house first and then head on to MIL's house for dinner and then went back to Ah Mah's house again to join the crowd. It was almost 9.30 pm and sigh :(.... half of my cousins preparing to go back and kept asking me why I am so late. Aiyoh.... need to explain meh, all of them know what, my PIL are Catholic so got to attend Christmas dinner at home lor.

When we reached Ah Mah's house, we are just in time for the kids to open their Christmas presents from Uncle HH and Aunty SH and also from Sis.

Back to my cupcakes, my dear cousins ... the Kwan's siblings was telling me ....

K's siblings : Aiyah, Khoon Cheh you miss your star moment la.
Me : Huh, why ah?
K's siblings : Wah, once we open up the box, all of your cousins asked who make the beautiful cupcakes.Everyone is like very surprised you did that. Wah here and there.
Me : Huh, yes meh..... (alamak malu only, looks nice but dont' know taste good or not. But one thing I know is that they start scrapping off the buttercream icing before they eat it. Too sweet! )

Wow, so much presents to open.

These are what both of them get... Mickey's food containers, Organic Chocolate and Animals biscuits, Colouring books and Colour pencils, Polo Ralph Lauren's dress for Le-Ann and a pirate T-Shirt for Ee-Thern.

K's siblings was telling me... my Le-Ann's undiscovered talent. Look the way she colour the Snow White. Me as her mommy, I really don't know that she can colour so well at her age. Looks like I got to buy more colouring books for her.

We left Ah Mah's house at almost 11 pm and the kids refused to go back so they love their Tai Mah's house so much and inside the car both of them telling me " Mommy, tomolo we go Tai Mah's house again " !

Ah Mah 91st Birthday Celebration

We just reached home from Ah Mah's house. It is almost 11 pm and both Le-Ann and Ee-Thern soundly asleep in their car seat. Little girl didn't sleep at all this afternoon and still can stand till just now. Where else little boy, slept for 3 hours in the afternoon and at Ah Mah's house is full with energetic playing with fellow cousins.

Today we celebrated Ah Mah's 91st Birthday and it is another big makan feast at home. Last year we get a caterer to do the catering at home. But this year we suggested the same arrangement again but again there are few aunties 'ah chi ah chor' complainting foods is not good, caterer is expensive, bla, bla, bla...... End up Dad suggested every family pool RM100 and he will make arrangement to prepare the foods. My Dad is a good cook and trying to be SUPERHERO hence he cook some and some he get my aunt to buy. Walaueh.... end up I think too much food. Few of my cousin sis, bring some food also end up 2 person bring the same food. (** shake head** )

Sis called me up yesterday and telling me no one is preparing dessert and she asked me to make some back. Searching around what to make and end up I make 'Seri Muka' after my 1st attempt to make 'Kuih Jagung' failed yesterday night. This morning woke up early and started making the 'Kuih Seri Muka' and get the recipe from the here.

Don't know why the top layer is not smooth. Can someone please tell me why? Those selling in pasar malam, why the top surface is so smooth and nice and so, so, so even.

Also makes some Butter Cupcakes yesterday night and did the frosting with buttercream icing this afternoon.

The frosting is still not perfect and I just hate buttercream icing cos it is so sweet. Get this design idea from Flickr photos. I only play around with 2 colours which is yellow and pink cos I don't want to wash so many bowls.

The wording on the cupcake is 'SAU' which means LONGEVITY.

Ee-Thern boy woke up at 4 pm and once he finished his milk, I started to pack all their cloths and other stuff into the car. Also took along his bicycle so that he can cycle around in Ah Mah's house. We left to Ah Mah's house at about 4.30 pm and to my surprised I am the first one to reach there. I was thinking want to help Dad with the cooking, aik .... no body yet. Sis called me up and apparantly there is a bad jam in KL and she is stuck for 3 hours from KL to Kajang.

Both of them once reached Ah Mah's house started to cycle at the back of the house with Anson and Eason.

I am too busy chit chatting with fellow cousin sis and haven't see them for a long time since CNY. So kepoh around here and there with them and totally forgot to snap the food shots. Dad cook fried chicken, fried wantan, fried prawns, yong tau foo, stewed mushroom, sambal sotong, and he ordered from his friend pork ribs curry, fried longevity noodles and also steamed glutinious rice. He get Aunty AC to order 4 roasted duck and also some siew yoke. Mom ordered currypuff from her Malay neighbour and Sis make jellies, me make Kuih Seri Muka and cousin sis, KC also bring a full plate of Malay kuih muih. So I think end up toooo muchhhhh foodddd.. and got to 'tar pau' after the party.

My Dad more 'keng'... can make Ais Kacang for all of us. The 4 maids at home helped him with the Ais Kacang.

Its cake cutting time and all the kids surrounded my their Tai Mah. This old lady, already 90 years old and in Chinese it is 91 years old and yet still so strong except that she can't walk anymore. My Ah Mah, is always my favourite grandma, who take care and brought me up since I am a baby till the day I get married.

Both Le-Ann and Ee-Thern only attack the icing on the cupcakes and throw away the cakes after they lick the icing. Ish.... geramnya! Look at both of them, play till the whole head is so wet and sweating all around.

Took bath for them and little girl eyes is almost half close but little boy still can play around with Ei Faye Ah Yi's NIKE Shoes. Hahaha.. he looks like Ronald McDonalds hor... with the big shoes!

Happy Mother's Day

Yesterday hubby Suki had an early Mother's Day celebration for me. Couldn't imagine that me myself a mother of two now. Nothing special we just go out to have our dinner at a nearby restaurant. Then my 2 good 'ci mui' Michelle and Eve, called me up for dinner so we have our dinner together lor. Wah... restaurant is full with people and got to wait so long until Le-Ann and Ee-Thern 'beh tahan' liao. This 2 kids really create a havoc in the restaurant !

Today we have a pot luck Mother's Day celebration in Ah Ma's house. Sis called me up on Friday asking me what to cook. I told her I am so busy this week some more ask me to cook. So I will make something simple .... Fruits Konyakku Jelly and Butter Cupcake with frosting.

I thought is easy to frost the cupcake but not as easy as you think. Really got to be patient with the buttercream and me so messy in handling the buttercream. Still could not master the skills yet. I think I must go and sign up a course on how to decorate a cake. But not cheap oh ... I enquire before and it is about RM2,000 plus using the Wilton Method but wait till I am free then I will definately take up this course.

To all the mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day !

Decorated Choco Muffin

Hi, I am back again with the decorated choco muffin. It is not easy though to frost the icing on the muffin. Must got a lot of patience to do it. No wonder those that Cuppacake selling is so expensive.....

Here is my version of decorated cupcake.

The Choco Muffin is ready to be frosted. I actually cut off the to p part of the muffin so that it is at same level.

Frosted muffin with vanilla buttercream icing.

Mixed 1/3 of the vanilla buttercream icing with your desired colour.

Start decorating

Ta.....Da..... A decorated muffin with heart shape sugar

Decorated muffin with silvered sugar




Done

The buttercream didn't really survived. After a while it melted and I quickly keep it in the fridge. I was wondering what is the culprit behind and get to my computer and start searching in the baking forumer site and finally found it. Its the icing sugar.

The recipe require 4 cups of icing sugar which is 1 kg and I actually halved it cos it is too sweet. Buttercream require more icing sugar because it needs a stiff consistency to shape the design on the cupcake and furthermore the shape will last longer. So now I know, why the cake that I purchased from Doreena's sister is so sweet especially the icing on top of the cake.

So fellow cousins and friends who read my blog, do you think my cupcake can sell ah ? Must look for a part time job to earn more money liao! ' LOL'

Choco Muffin & Buttered Fish Fillet

While my kids taking their afternoon nap, I went to my kitchen and my itchy hand feel like baking some 'Choco Muffin'. Well, after so many donkey years I didn't bake, finally I did it today. The muffin turns out well and must try another round not to fill the batter until so full in the muffin cup. While baking the muffin 'fatt' until like 'fatt kou'. Wah, my Suki say I still got some skills on baking. For one recipe I get about 15 muffins and I am going to do some buttercream frosting on the surface tonight. Actually is a surprise for my Suki, cos his birthday is on the 16th April'07. Will post more pictures of the decorated muffin when it is done. Hopefully, I can pass with the buttercream frosting.

My first bake of the year, Choco Muffin

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After the baking off course is dinner time. I've planned to cook Buttered Fish Fillet since I have a piece of frozen dory fish in the freezer. The recipe seems easy to me but it is a bit of oily cos it require butter and evaporated milk. The dory fish is cut into small pieces and I have marinated it for 1/2 an hour with McCormick Season & Fry ( Original Flavour ) before I fry it.

Try this, I bet you will cook it for a second time.

Ingredients :

500gm Dory fish fillet, sliced

2 tbsp butter

1/2 can evaporated milk

2 sprigs curry leaves

1 tsp chopped chilli padi

1 tsp sugar

1 paket McCormick Season & Fry ( Original Flavour )

Method :

1. Combine fish fillet with McCormick Season & Fry and marinade for 1/2 an hour.

2. Heat up oil and deep fry the fish fillet until golden brown. Dish and drain aside.

3. Melt butter in a wok and pour in evaporated milk and stir fry at low heat until dry and granules is formed.

4. Then add in sugar, curry leaves and chilli padi and stir fry till fragrant.

5. Add in fish fillet. Mix well and dish up.

The ingredients

Fried the fish fillet till golden brown

Butter & Evaporated milk, stir fry at low heat

Add in sugar, curry leaves and chilli padi. Stir fry till fragrant

Yummy, Buttered Fish Fillet