Chinese New Year Goodies

Here are the CNY cupcakes I did on the eve of CNY. The kids and cousins at home loves cupcakes. I am trying to used up the fondant at home and wouldn't want to keep it anymore. Trying to do something simple and used the fondant to do the small mini tangerine, the gold and also the cow. Anyway, no one eat the fondant and too bad they scrap it off and threw it away. Sigh :(

Dearie Suki loves pineapple tarts and my CNY will not be complete without the pineapple tarts. This is my only baking for this year, didn't do much because I am rather busy in cooking. Love the texture of the tarts pastry. It is really melt in the mouth type. So yummy!

Merry Christmas

We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
And a happy new year!

My in laws are Catholic and every year we will be at their place for Christmas. The kids are happy to be there too because they love to play with their big Suk Suk and Ku Cheh. This year we didn't put our Christmas tree up because Dearie Suki has been busy for the past few weeks before Christmas and furthermore the Christmas is put too high up in the store room. I couldn't managed to get it by myself. The kids are a bit dissapointed when I told them there will be no Christmas tree at home but then there will be one at their Mah Mah's house.

The kids are happy when they saw the Christmas tree at Mah Mah's house. Both of them has been playing with the Christmas ornaments on the tree and their poor Ku Cheh have to put all up again once we went back home. Hahaha...

Merry Christmas to all of you!

Selamat Hari Raya

The housing area I am staying now is so quiet on a Raya Eve. My neighbours are mainly Malays who are working in the goverment offices in Putrajaya, some of them are lecturers and professors in UPM and some of them are masters students. Last night when I peeped out from my room's windows, all of them sudah balik kampung for the Raya celebration. It is really quiet and as though I am staying in a ghost town. But good things is there is no traffic jam and it tooks me only 20 minutes to reach the office this morning.

Tonight I must stop by at the Pak Cik's lemang stall outside my house to get myself some lemang and rendang ayam for tomorrow breakfast. Yum, yum... my saliva is already drooling.

To all Malay bloggers and readers to my blog, Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir Batin.

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 " !

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Wishing All Of You A Very .....

Enjoy Your Holidays !

Winter Solstice Festival

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...

Happy Mid Autumn Festival

Mid Autumn Festival falls on today, 25th September'07 and in the Chinese Calendar it is August 15th. Also today is my little Ee-Thern's birthday but we didn't do any celebration for him cos we are having prayers at home. Little Ee-Thern only get 2 red, hard boiled eggs from me this morning.

This morning woke up very, very early to steam one Kampung Chicken for prayers at the altar. I am not good in praying and all this is done by my Dearie Suki. Tonight dinner, we have 'Ping Pong Chicken Rice' since we have one whole steamed Kampung Chicken. As for the rice, I sautee some garlic with butter till fragrant. Then add in rice approximately 1 cup of long grain rice, and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add in about 1 1/2 cup of chicken stock, some salt and pandan leaves. Transfer the rice into rice cooker. Once the rice is cooked, use a ladle to scoop the rice and shape into a ball. I fried some ginger to go with the chicken rice and drizzle some oyster sauce on top of the chicken.

I was wondering who invented this 'Ping Pong Chicken Rice. Why Ping Pong ? I only had 1 Ping Pong Rice and Dearie Suki had 3 Ping Pong Rice.

After dinner the kids and Dearie Suki were playing lantern at the car porch while I am busy in the kitchen washing the plates and mopping the floor. Ee-Thern and Le-Ann is making so much noises outside even me in the kitchen can hear their voice. I bet they must be enjoying their time playing lantern with Daddy.

Last 2 days, tried making some Mini Peng Pei Mooncake with White Lotus Paste. Dear Sukie help me out and we only did 12 minis peng pei mooncake. I am not a great fan for mooncake cos I find that it is far too sweet for me. Supposed to give some to his friends but end up not enough and still have 1/2 container of lotus paste in the fridge. Going to make again these few days hopefully I can find time to do it. To my Dearie Suki friend, PK, I still owe you a box of mooncake.

Following are pictures taken at Ah Mah's house last Saturday night when all of us went back to play lantern.

Another Mid Autumn festival is gone and the next coming one is Winter Solstice festival in December'07 . Why time passes so fast and very soon we are going eat 'Tong Yuen'.

Hungry Ghost Festival

Today is a hot sunny Sunday morning. Little Ee-Thern woke up at 9 am while Le-Ann woke up as early as 7 am. Me too tired and sleep till Ee-Thern woke me up. Today I planned to bring the kids fo a haircut as I cannot stand Ee-Thern's hair. So long liao. While waiting to go, the kids yelling at me and ask me to go out and see aeroplane and I was wondering why they are so excited. They saw few fighther jet on the air and I think they must be rehearsing for the coming Merdeka Parade. My Ee-Thern boy got so exicited jumping up and down ask me to have a look at it.

After they finished their milk, I get the maid to pack their stuffs and not going to take bath for them until after they cut their hair. I used to bring both to the hair salon in South City Plaza for a hair cut and OMG... per person is RM12. End up I bring them back to Kajang to a hair salon operated from house and only cost RM4 per person. Luckily both of them sit down quietly and let the aunty cut their hair. Done! We head back to Ah Mah's house and we are the earliest. Mom, dad and sis is not back yet.

Both of them play around with Faye Yiyi and then take ther bath. Mom and dad came back at 11 am and 'piling palang' started to cook in the kitchen. I ask mom why cook so many foods and she said today is the Hungry Ghost Festival ( in Chinese Calendar is 14th July ) and we have prayer at Ah Mah's house. As usual mom and dad and Aunty SH will prepare all the stuffs for prayers.

Mom make some Yam Cake back and ask me to try. Once open, oh gosh... Mom's food presentation is real bad. I was complaining to her why can't she cut the yam cake nicely and arrange neatly on a nice container and have some garnishing on top like chopped spring onion and red chilli rather than everything chuck into the container. Then she started to scold me...'If want to eat don't complaint so much'. I kept quiet and eat her yam cake cos in morning didn't take breakfast. So no choice got to eat her yam cake. Actually her yam cake is nice but only bad in presentation. I started to snap some pictures and she ask why I do that. I happily told her I wanted to show the whole world how ugly is her yam cake. Hahaha....I quickly cabut and change topic with her.

Dad wanted to make some fried wantan and Mom prepared the fish paste + minced pork + minced prawn for the filling. I was helping mom to wrap the wantan into triangular shape and I realized mom like to nag so much. Maybe old people is like this. Then here comes my KPC Le-Ann wanted to help PoPo to wrap the wantan.

This is yummy. I love it so much. Keep eating non-stop with chilli sauce.

Today is just like a big 'makan' feast in Ah Mah's house. Dad cook all these for prayers. Clockwise from top left we have Fried Tanghoon ( its my late Ah Kong's favourite), Mixed Vegetables with Prawns ( don't know why whenver we have prayers, dad will cook this boring dish), Black Pepper Pig's Stomach Soup with Mushroom, and Steamed Kampung Chicken.

This fish is nice. Dad said is Ikan Terubuk and its from Sarawak. I don't whether is Uncle HH bought this or Dad. Anyway the flesh is nice but full with small bones. Dad steamed it with tauchoo and added in some chilli padi.

After all lunch, I went back early cos Le-Ann is having her Yamaha Music Kid's concert in the evening. At the concert it is a big dissapointment for me. She 'chicken out' and refuse to go on the stage to perform and sing with other kids. After so many months of bringing her to the music class, all the efforts that I put in on her and this is what I get from her... "Mommy I don't want to go MUSIC School". Sigh. Is she too young for this? I really don't know. Now I understand how a parent felt when your kids tell you this. Same goes to me when I am young, I told my dad I got no interest in PIANO but 'die die' he want me to finish up to Grade 8. Finally I did it just to fulfil his wish but deep inside of me, I got no interest for music. I hope my little Le-Ann will not be like me!