Yikes! I haven't posted in yonks!!! make that beyond yonks!!! :P I think this was the longest I've gone not posting... it almost feels alien to be typing an entry....
I've been understandably busy...*pats self on shoulder* Afterall, it's Chinese New Year. :D We have been happily busy with baking.....This year, I learned two new New Year goodies recipes (besides our usual wonderful pineapple tarts.) Amond cookies we learned at ladies fellowship. (Thanks Mrs Sng for teaching! ) And I decided to try kueh baulu this year too. I love eating them, that's why. I went the trial and error method and tried some recipes that I found on the internet. 4 ingredients: eggs, flour, sugar, baking powder. But the proportion to which they are mixed makes a world of difference. Hence many different recipes with different proportions. Which to choose? eeney meeeny miiinae mo.
The first one turned out too eggy. The next one was too much baking powder... and so on. In all, I wasted 16 eggs, much time testing, tweaking, till I got one that I was half satisfied with. (Though I still feel it is too heavy in texture.) Then again, I think my food standard has risen. :p
As usual, my sis' family came over for the annual pineapple tart bake-a-thon.
Factory, more like. This year, BIL got in on the rolling and portioning action. lol... but a good pineapple tart consists of quality jam and lovely, buttery pastry. My dear sis spent whole nights cooking the grated pineapples into jam. That really makes a whole lot of difference than store bought ones.
It's all good fun working together and chatting... all part of the festivities.
Besides helping with the baking (like rolling the almond cookies into perfect rounds, they love that job!) my kiddos were busy helping to decorate the house with their bunny creations. It's the Year of the Rabbit!
This is our goodies corner! With the children's ang pao rabbits at the top there. And I love going to the orchid farm to get bouquets of orchids for new year.
I'm so thankful, this year, with God's enabling help and my mom to guide me, I managed to sew jie jie mei mei dresses for my two little girls. It is indeed such a joy to dress them in my own handiwork!
My first bodice, sleeves and zipper! :D Keep pushing on and learning new things!
We started feasting even before reunion dinner, with a mega reunion dinner with my husband's paternal side of the family. His father has eight brothers and one sister (and people these days say a family with 5 children in large???) So that makes for a LOT of cousins and nephews and nieces!!
And one can imagine that a family dinner this large can be quite a rowdy affair! And they are Hokkien to boot! We had really good food....
We had sucking piglet! The kids (and I) were somewhat horrified to find the teeth still intact....
But... suckling piglet was nonetheless mmmm mmm yummy!
*crunch crunch*
And they were roasted on site:
Oh yeah...
We had the usual Chinese New Year dish, fish maw soup. The children asked what's this?? and papa said Sponge Bob. lol
So we ate Sponge Bob for dinner.
And we also had the now politically incorrect Shark's Fin Soup!
I really shouldn't say this but it was yummy.
So the main part of CNY celebrations have come and gone. We've got some more visitations to do and some more guests to receive but I think the main part is over.... I thank God for a new year and a promising start. Haha, still starting 2011 homeschooling wise. haven't quite got into the swing of school things and then this break to break the whatever momentum we were gathering.... But it's ok. We go by life's rhythmn. Not the School's. :)
HUAT AH! I'm posting a vid of the Ong Clan lao yu sheng. This is a kind of new year salad which I will allow wiki to explain, for obvious or not so obvious reasons...Listen to the song in the background. It's talking about the god of fortune or prosperity coming to your house to visit you. Somewhere in there, I said I'd be afraid (coz he dresses kinda wierd.)
Again, there is no true propserity unless the God who gives all good things blesses you!
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Looks like you guys had so much fun. I love the pineapple tart bake a thon. i think that kind of holiday spirit is slowly diminishing as more people are into the buy ready made stuff. The dress looks lovely. Gosh Suwei! I cannot imagine between homeschooling, housechores etc you still have the time and energy to sew! You are a SUPERWOMAN alright!
Posted by: Suri Mc | February 08, 2011 at 03:43 AM
hi Suri, yes, I hadn't really thought about the part that we miss out when we buy ready made.
Suri, this Superwoman lives in a tornado swept house. lol... well, SOMETHING's gotta give!!! :p
Posted by: Suwei | February 08, 2011 at 01:34 PM