Getting Ready For CNY 2012

Other than spring cleaning and buying new year clothes for CNY, there are plenty of other things to settle before the eve of new year.

Yearly affair of preparing Chinese Leek, which symbolize plenty of $ for us to count.

Bunch of bananas to bring wealth.

My all time favourite pineapple tarts and...

a huge basket of tidbits to much and eat during the festival! haha.. very likely to put on weight during these few days.

A gift box for Tabby and family while I go visiting during CNY.

Wow... loads of 好料 inside! Happy Lunar New Year!

龙年行大运!

It's Chinese Lunar New Year and wishes everyone 恭喜发财，万事如意

It's year of the dragon and here's a description of people who are born in the year of Dragon.

A pair of adorable dragon coin bank for good luck purpose!

Cake Making Workshop~Fig Cake

A challenging cake which requires some skills and long baking time. Love the combination of figs and walnut soaked with orange juice.

Yummy~licious fig cake with a crispy pastry surrounding it.

The cake b4 baking.

Freshly out from the oven.

Let it cool and dust with some icing sugar b4 slicing it.

Cake Making Workshop ~Almond Butter Loaf

The Almond Butter Loaf seems more like a bread as the base is a rolled out bread dough. Initially I tot this is supposed to be a butter cake recipe. The finished product turns out well and when the bread is being eaten the next day, it's still soft.

A beautiful tray of almond butter loaf freshly from the oven.

Poke some holes on the nicely rolled out dough...

Pipe some butter cream on top...

Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and almond flakes and hope till brown.

Dust with icing sugar and enjoy!

Weekend Fun @ Tabby's Place

We decided to have our gathering at Tabby's place again and this time round, Vanessa and her kids will be joining us as well. It's been a long time since the kids last joined us for fun, and we've planned lots of games to play. Guess, my job was to entertain the kids ba! Lolz...

Played scissor paper stone game with the kids and the forfeit was that loser has to be drawn by the winner with marker pen.
See, we had fun playing and can see who's the loser! Lolz....

Airing the glasses for tiramisu while preparing for the other ingredients.

Mini sponge cakes were used instead of sponge fingers. I love tiramisu but hates sponge fingers, especially the 'pok pok' texture of the fngers after being soaked in rum. I would prefer sponge cakes texture which are light and fully absorbed the rum.

Everything is ready for us to assemble.

Here are our finished products.....

A round of applause for the ladies who've done well. I shall chill our desserts in the fridge while we prepare dinner.

Some finger food for the kids....

Fried yee fu noodles for dinner.

Some halal steamed siew mai and har gao.

Time to serve dessert! We made a few kids version (without rum) for the little ones and...

Abriel loves it. See, he's enjoying it.

Minus Fat Extra

I seriously need this! Been eating and eating without control recently and seems to put on weight. What's the problem with me? Where's my determination to resist sinful food?! Haiz...

Came across this minus fat which is on promotion and decided to give it a try. Shall test and for a week and see the result.

Cake Making Workshop~Chocolate Gugelhupf

Chocolate Gugelhupf! Juz by hearing the name makes u wanna find out more on how the cake is being prepared and tends to imagine the presentation of the cake and here it is...

Looks so tempting after glazing the cake!

Freshly out from the oven

Nicely baked with plentiful of currants, dried fruits and lemon rinds. Lovey!

Cake Making Workshop ~Balmoral Loaf

Way before my blog was born, i attended some cakes making class from CC and 1 of my fav 'lao shi' is Mrs Loh. This time round, she has a few classes and as Tabby was unable to attend, I was told to replace her for a few classes. So excited, going back to class again!

These are the varieties of cakes which i will be learning for this workshop. Looking forward to every Tuesday's class.

Here's the Balmoral Loaf. Looks like porcupine isn't it?

While 'dolling up' the cake

Here's my share! I can't wait to eat it! :-P

梅菜扣肉粽子

Tomorrow will be Dragon Boat Festival and glutinous rice dumplings has been in high demand these days. They are soo... expensive and we Chinese need to make offerings on this day and we decided to wrap some glutinous rice dumplings instead of buying.

I wanted to make 梅菜扣肉粽子since last year but been so bz and i skipped the idea. Since this year i have the free tine and planned early, bought all the necessary stuff early.

Pipping hot glutinous rice dumplings out from the pot!

Ingredients;
Glutinous rice, washed and drained
Salt
梅菜肉fillings
Bamboo leaves
Strings for tying

梅菜肉fillings;
Pork belly
1 bowl 梅菜
Garlic
Shallots
Star anise
Oyster sauce
Dark soy sauce
Ground cinnamon
Salt
Sugar
-梅菜 has to be cook b4 frying. Chopped 梅菜 and boil with garlic and lard for 2-3 hours till softened. This can be done the day b4.
-Pan fry pork belly till lightly browned on a heated non-stick frying pan to remove the fats.
-Remove and set aside.
-Fry garlic and shallots in oil till fragrant, add star anis.
-Return meat to wok, fry for 2 mins and season to taste.
-Add 梅菜, continue to fry for a min, drained and let cool.
-Ready for wrapping.

Method;
-Overlap 1 piece of bamboo leave over the other, fold into cone shape.
-Place 1 tablespoonful of glutinous rice into the cone, top with 2 tbsp - 3 tbsp of fillings, top with glutinous rice.
-Hold the bamboo leaves firmly, fold over and shape into a pyramid.
-Hold tight and tie with stings.
-Continue until complete.
-Cook in boiling water for 2 hours, drained and serve.
-Enjoy!

There followings are steps demo by mum;

Glutinous rice mixture and 梅菜扣肉 fillings

With rice and fillings

Tie tightly with strings

Pipping hot glutinous rice dumplings

Cut off 1 from the bunch to check if it's ready

Golden pyramid....

印度姑娘~Ekina

Aunty Sarah invited a priest to bless her house on Sunday morning and i was invited for the praying session followed by breakfast in her house. This is a good chance for me to know more about other culture and after the session, i was given door gifts as well.

The return gift which Aunty Sarah got for all ladies.

Hair gear made up of jasmine flowers. Nice?

And the blessings which Aunty Sarah gave as she put the dots on my forehead.

I'm very happy with my new look and many of my frens tot i converted! Lolz...

Happy 19th B-day Adam!

It's my bro Adam's b-day today and he's 19! Brought him to JB to have fun yesterday and only came back to Singapore this morning at 3am! Steady rite? No matter how tired, i still need to be present at work cuz i'm always take pride in my work.
Lucky mum prepare some of Adam's favourite food while I only bought the cakes and sardine puffs. Thus, i assemble a snack platters for Adam.

A snack platter for specially for Adam. With his favourite snacks like crispy prawns fritters, golden fragrance chicken, mini sardine puffs.

Chocolate Truffle Cake from Prima Deli

Cute pose by the B-day boy!