Mid Autumn Festival

How did you spend last evening? We celebrated 2 of my cousins' birthdays. Since they both fall in the month of September, we decided to kill two birds with a stone. We had an early dinner at Billy Bomber's at Central and then took a stroll along Clarke Quay with the little ones holding their lanterns and then it turned into a sparkler affair. This attracted the attention of the throngs of photographers present there with their very busy cameras capturing the special moments and antics of the little kids with their sparklers. Gosh, I just had to stay out of the limelight.

Along the riverside were all these beautiful zodiac lanterns as well as some big lantern floats in the river. It was indeed a perfect day to take a ride in the ferries plying the river.

This was the lantern that she picked out for herself this year. However, she got fearful of the burning candle and mummy ended up having to hold it. Next year, we'll get the butterfly one which has a much wider neck so that it's safer to carry. It didn't help that it was rather breezy and the candle was flickering a tad too much.

This single piece of plain lotus paste mooncake cost me a mad whopping $12.63! Little girl wanted it after doing the taste test at Ngee Ann City mooncake fest. We'll savour every little crumb. %)

More mooncakes

I started making some mooncakes on my own last week and yesterday as well. The first batch was for some friends and this batch is more for family. In my first batch, I followed the recipe exactly but it resulted in a rather soft skin, so for yesterday's, I did one and a half times the recipe and added the water gradually till I got the consistency I was happy with. It resulted in a firmer skin which was perfect.

I started by sifting the flour and sugar and mixed in the shortening till it resembled breadcrumbs. I hate handling shortening as it is too oily, so what I did was to use a butter knife and slowly cut it up. :) I then added water till it combined into a dough. It usually is a little sticky at this stage so you have to let it rest. You can use your favourite recipe but make sure you add the water slowly and not all at once. This is where my recipe originates, but as I do not have permission from the owner, I can only link it.

While the dough was resting, I measured out the filling and shaped them into little balls. It is optional to add melon seeds, etc. I chose the white lotus paste as I was told by the guy in Phoon Huat that it isn't too sweet. Lotus paste also happens to be my favourite filling. I wish I could have gotten the pandan paste as that too is one of my favs, but I wasn't planning to make that many mooncakes so it would have been a waste.

After having rested the dough, I divided them into 6 balls and added colouring to get the shades I liked. The last ball had Oreo crumbs added to it so that explains why it is black.

These 2 batches below were from last week. The colours are more pastel which I liked.

However, having looked back at the previous ones done at Cranberry's, I opted to add more colour this time round so they would look more vibrant.

This is what the inside looks like. Am happy that it's a great combo of thin skin and the right amount of filling.

A date made a year ago...

Plain lotus and some with red bean and a little piece of Oreo hidden within...

Red wine and cranberry snow skin...

The mooncake festival is just round the corner, in approximately 2 weeks' time. Last year at this time, I had only started blogging not long, and was introduced to a whole new world out here on blogger. I've learned a lot in this short time, and marveled at all the wonderful food creations people around the world come up with. There are so many so many talented bakers and cooks out there who don't even do it professionally. Where I used to only bake once in a few months, I suddenly got caught into this baking frenzy with recipes popping up everywhere, some so interesting I just couldn't wait to try them out. It was during this time that I discovered so many people actually made mooncakes at home. I was intrigued. Curiosity got the better of me, and I actually tried it out. Alas, I was unsuccessful. One lady in particular caught my attention and she is none other than Cranberry. I love to drool over her beautiful bakes. She is very talented and when I casually mentioned that maybe she could teach me to make those beautiful snow skin mooncakes, she agreed and we made a date for this year. Time sure does fly by so fast, don't you agree? I can't believe one year has passed.

The mooncakes turned out great and we had lots of fun making them, princess included. J is so super patient with her and allowed her to play with the flour. Mummy couldn't help telling her to stop it and not mess up the place. Hehe. It was really wonderful of her to open up her home to us and let us learn from her. Thanks very much, J. I do so appreciate it.

Not just that, she even made us lovely peach and mango marshmallow cakes. Wow, that was a surprise, but I do so loved it. It wasn't sweet at all and the biscuit base really complimented the marshmallow and fruits. Yum! It's the one thing I've seen countless times on her blog and often wondered what this marshmallow cake is. Now I know and have tasted. :)

Here's the one we brought home. :)

Poor girl's ill

My poor little girl is ill. :( Initially I thought it was from the hula hooping she was doing all day yesterday from trying to get her tummy small (as told to her by Auntie P who visited yesterday, haha). I know I practise it but I don't advocate it for children about this losing weight and raising their self-confidence bit. Well, of course she's not fat, and I was mad at dad a few weeks' ago when he said it to her that she had put on weight? Hang on there! I told him off. She's only 6, why are you giving her a complex? I don't care if she's 6 or 16, I don't want her growing up and feeling insecure about her body. Does thin necessarily = healthy? I'm not talking about obesity here. I remembered he said it too, to my goddaughter a few years ago. She wouldn't have been more than 9. I was very shocked when she started P1 and was told to go on the TAF club programme (if you haven't already noticed, TAF stands for Trim And Fit, but it's also FAT spelt backwards). There was no way there was even an ounce of fat on her skinny 7-yr-old body (that was before she started putting on a little weight).

Back to the topic at hand. Well, poor little one said she had a tummy ache this morning and even while at ballet class, she wasn't feeling too well. Whenever they had a little break, she always sat down while they were still supposed to be standing and practising. She even asked to be excused so she could take a rest. She didn't have an appetite for lunch so she skipped that, and even for dinner, she had a few maki. Poor girl. She asked to go home immediately after dinner and even though she slept 3hrs in the day, she went to bed at 10pm. I hope she gets well soon as it's very seldom that she's ill like this and out of sorts. As I was saying, it probably couldn't have been the hula hooping she was doing all day else how to explain the lack of appetite? She might have caught some bug but thank goodness, there's no fever or anything else.

Just wanted to share the mooncake pastry fish that I love and bring back some memories for some. I remember grandma used to come home with those little piggies in the baskets, how cute they were. They can still be found each time the Mooncake Festival comes along. Is it because I'm bigger now that I find the little piggies have shrunk? Well, I'm glad I found this fish (carp?) at a market stall and the owner sells them every year at this time. They cost only 60cents each and are real value for money. Just this afternoon, I saw a fish a third the size of this and it cost $1.50. These plain pastries are great for kids as most (like mine for e.g.) do not like the lotus pastes in them. Children are such purists. How's your mooncake preparations coming along? I know this is the time that most bloggers will be busy churning out mooncakes. Can't wait to see what the offers are this year. :)

St Patrick's Day!

Happy Paddy's Day to all Irish!

Due to conflicts with Holy Week, which began yesterday, this year's St Patrick's Day masses had been brought forward 2 days, although it doesn't affect the celebrations today in Dublin.

There was a celebration in Singapore and it's been going on the 3rd year now. We caught the one last year down by Boat Quay but we weren't there for the one yesterday.

These were pictures taken in 2007.

Chap Gor Mi or Yuan Xiao Jie

Thursday was the last or 15th day of the Chinese New Year celebrations. How fast times flies. First we were all busy baking, cooking, feasting and in just a blink of an eye, it's gone. Till next year rolls along. I feel so free and light since all festivities have come to a standstill for me, and also having stopped all enrichment classes in preparation for the ballet exams in approximately 2-1/2 weeks' time. Yikes! Shudder!

Before long, it'll be time for the Primary One Registration. Thank goodness that one is not a headache.

For sis - we had dinner in KB and this is what pa cooked up. This fish has C's (LCOM) name on it. Hahaha!

Prawns in black sauce. Hey sis, notice he didn't peel them for us? You are the special one.

There's another dish of chicken, from the nasi padang stall, which he bought for your (sis') birthday dinner so I won't show it again here.

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Princess and I had dinner at Swensen's last evening and this is what she ordered. Ham & cheese burgers with alphabet hash browns and corn. She polished off everything on the plate. The burgers were tiny and for an adult, maybe gone in 2-3 bites. Haha. I got the kitchen to not grill the buns as they usually do. I don't like all the grease on them so they baked them instead, which is a much healthier choice.

I wasn't impressed with my dinner which was some grilled fish with yellow rice and raisins so I didn't bother even taking a photo of it. :P

Do most people celebrate the end of CNY? I know not many people do.

3rd day dinner

Yu Sheng

Guess the hands game. Haha!

Chicken & Pork Satay

Sharks' Fin Soup - Unfortunately, today's soup was short of salt. Was way too bland.

Clockwise - Sweet & Sour Pork, Omelette, Herbal Chicken

Steamed Fish

Stir Fried Spinach

Dear Sis,

We had dinner with Ah Ma and mum's side of the family early this evening. Missed you there, though. The kids of course, were only interested in the playground, i.e. the three younger ones, but they were made to finish their food before they were let off. The two older ones, V & C, have become very matured young ladies, who do not enjoy those activities anymore. As usual there were fights and all when they play together and quite a few tears. Haha!

Jie

First Day - For dear sis

Chinese New Year lasts 15 days. The celebrations usually begin on the eve of Lunar New Year where the family gathers for a reunion dinner. It's also the time when family members who are away come home to meet up and catch up on lost time. The entire 15 days consist of lots of visits to families, relatives, and friends' houses, where we feast. It's also the time when little ones happily play and lose track of time while the parents close an eye and let them be. The happiest ones are the little kids who collects lots of ang pows (red packets filled with money) but the sad ones I guess are we married adults who have to part with ours. Lol. But I guess whatever you give out somehow comes back to you but the one who really benefits is junior as it will all go to their bank accounts. Haha.

The first day is usually celebrated with family, visiting grandparents, parents, relatives such as aunts, uncles, etc then when all family is done usually by the second day (if your family is small), the rest of the new year is spent with friends and having a fun time.

So this post is for dear sis who can't be home with us this year, and also for those of you who are not home, that includes daphne too. I do pity you gals as it's really sad to not be able to partake of the festivities and gather with the family. Worst is being in your part of the world where Chinese are the minority and there is no atmosphere to soak in, so much so that dear sis, you, forgot that it was even CNY. :( How sad.

Well, this is to share with you the food that we had today and also your favourite prawns, etc. Enjoy them. :) Look on the bright side, at least your waist won't be expanding. :P

Sis - Please click on photos to see the words.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

My family and I would like to wish all a very Happy Lunar New Year, filled with prosperity & good health. Have a great time visiting relatives and friends and collect lots of ang pows!

Chinatown - Non halal

Planned to meet up with P to go Ikea this morning. However, something came up for her at the last minute, and I was all ready by 8.20am, with a rumbling tummy, so decided to try out this porridge stall in Chinatown, which I would have to pass by, on the way to Alexandra. It's very famous and always crowded. But too embarrassed to whip out the camera, hehe, so took photos with mobile phone instead which explains why the photos are very small. :P It's really cute the way they serve it with a pair of chopsticks, but there are many varieties of porridge to choose from, and the chopsticks will come in handy for some. They also sell raw fish salad which goes very well with a steaming bowl of porridge. I also saw some pigs' intestines stew which looked nice on the photo but I can't eat innards.

Love the chunky bits of century egg in my minced meat porridge.

This coffee shop can be found on the corner of Keong Saik Street facing main Chinatown, right beside CK Departmental Store. Sorry I do not have the exact address. The name of the stall is Tiong Shian Porridge.

I also managed to snap some photos of Chinese New Year decorations and some foodstuff. Love all the red. So auspicious-looking. It's really weird, though, that although we're welcoming the Year of the Rat, that Mickey and Co are involved in the celebrations. All the hanging decorations for the home are designed with Mickey in mind. Also, what does Pooh, Tigger, and the Ducks got to do with it? Haha. I wonder if royalty has to be paid to Disney to use these characters.

Ooo... yummy bakes.

Love the colours at this stall which is there every new year.