2nd day...good old-fashioned bbq

Sing :
'On the second day of new year, I tried to make cupcakes;
All for a good cause
Pretty little cupcakes
All for a charity home..'

With the cupcake frenzy going around (and fetching a good price too), I wanted to see what the fuss was all about.
So I went all bonkers as I mixed all sorts of stuff into my cupcakes...walnuts, cashews, he-bi (dried prawns), fried onions, orange peel, cheese,...lookie pic below!
*with halo over my head* : If this first 'project' was successful, I was hoping to bake batches of them for a charity home.
The end result!

wait, where's the topping...
With chocolate-orange glaze on top.
Pretty lady - my brother's creation
Come night time, we had a simple and quick BBQ in our garden.
Jason, the chief cook
Mmmm... yummy (burnt) chicken wings
What's left after discarding the burnt parts.
BBQ fish with the perfect 'sambal' tastes superb
Delicious mutton marinated with honey, herbs, salt and pepper...best eaten with mint sauce and mustard
Irene and I

1st Day... dear cousin how big you've grown

The first day of cny was a day where my cousins from Singapore paid us a visit. With both my parents being the eldest of 7 siblings each, it was only respectful that the younger ones came to our house to spread auspicious wishes.

Yes, I only see them once a year (sadly) and it never ceases to amaze me to see how much taller, bigger, prettier, chubbier, wiser, etc.. they've grown each year. Most of them (still in their teens) are even taller than me now!

To me, it was yet another annual affair of putting out the welcome mat and slapping on the biggest smile in pretence of looking like the happiest being on the planet to see your favourite dearest relative has come to visit...*sheepish grin*
By no means am I a party pooper, but don't you think most families from afar meet up during the festivities in favour of the grandparents mainly? Come on people, even if the ah-kongs and poh-pohs or ah-yehs and ma-mas are no longer here, it doesn't take too much effort to meet up once a year (only) just to relive that family bond that is the root of the entire life you have built around you. Blood is always thicker than water.
Not only we're the visited ones, we play visitor too.
This is Irene (my SIL) with my mum. She's a Singaporean and ain't she HOT.
One of the best chai (vegetarian) lunch cooked by first aunty.
A sweet treat of lotus seed, white fungus, kei chi (wolfberry) and ginkgo nuts. I like.
My 18-year old cousin, Sarah and I. She just enrolled into MMU after failing in her strike towards her parents to further her studies in KL. Poor thing. Heee.
This is my brother Victor and wifey Irene.
Sarah and my mum who has taken care of her ever since she was a new-born.
Showing some brotherly love with a piece of nga-ku (arrow root biscuit)
This was my favourite bowl of cny cookies. Every single piece was sinfully delicious!
And this was Aunty Lucy who made them.
Strawberry flavoured mushroom cookie. Isn't this a cutie?
Golden fried crispy Yam strips. Another of Aunty Lucy's masterpiece as it is most difficult to make.
Me and cousin Alicia also found time to reminiscence on old family photographs...
...and I mean really old photos.
This is taken with my mum's side of the family in March 1979.
My mum is the one seated second from left cradling who else but little siu~V.
Now you know my age! Heee.
Alicia's 2 other sisters, Josephine and Cathleen.
I'm closest to the 3 of them and funny, it was through them that I learnt the tad bit of Hokkien (despite my mum being a Hokkien). So you see, wo eh sai kong tam pok tam pok.
Yet another round of lou-sang...Just look at the amount of salmon we used. That's the advantage of making our own home-made yee-sang.
Everyone, grab a pair of chopsticks!
and say YEEEEEEE-sang!
My 83-year old grandma. Ada resemblance tak? :-)

Eve...coming home , no longer alone

Friday pm - After traveling on the highway for a little less than an hour (!), I was finally home! This cake too arrived at its destination in one piece, 'cept for a 'lil smudge of the icing. Nevermind nevermind, still tasted heavenly...that is if you're a durian-enthusiast. My sis bought this from Australian Cake House somewhere along Jln Imbi. Wherever do they find the durians at this time of the year eh?
Is your mouth watering looking at those creamy fleshy bits of sweet intoxicating durian?
This is what we Chi call nin-gou / sticky cake (made from sweet glutinous rice). Nope, this does not look like your typical nin-gou coz this is the Foochow version. And trust me, all the bits of yam, red dates and nuts embedded in it makes good exercise for one's jaw.
Especially when you deep-fry them. I know they really look like fried egg with long beans but they're not. The green bits are not long beans but spring onion.
Eating this means you'll be making progress (good ones i hope) this new year. I've eaten my share so let's move it, siu V! =.=
errk?.... watda....
huh...........................
is that like THE cutest F1 driver's cap i'm seeing??
Is it mine ... is it mine?!
Make it MINE!!
Having fun with KiMi!
If the cap fits, WEAR IT!
haha i'm not even going to show you the Ferrari logo on the other side of MY cap
Sssshh dun tell anyone I'm keeping this.
This is my new SuPeR cOOL T from HRC Paris.
'All You Need Is Rock' indeed. Plus, check out those imprinted white 'stains/ drips/ dots/ whatever' on the T. Now when I add real stains on it, I'm telling people it's a work of art.
I'm not showing you how my fat-face looks in it though. =.^
(I've gained 2 kilos by the time I'm writing this......ergh!)
This is Dad dismantling my old study table. For firewood, Dad?
Can you believe this was the desk I used to fall asleep on, drooling all over my books and assignments?
This was the desk that played an important role in getting me my As and Bs and Cs and Ds (ok, I wasn't THAT bad).
This is how Mum stands everytime she works in the kitchen.
She takes after the stork and claims it's to allow each leg to rest at one time or another.
Thank God she doesn't do the same with her hands.
Mum has been working real hard, round-the-clock to feed us all so thank you Mum!!
For the reunion lunch...
and dinner.
One of Mum's best dishes, also as requested by her 3 kiddos for the reunion....Chicken Curry! With lotsa lotsa lotsa potatoes.
This was the most expensive dish we had...Shark's Fin Soup.
It was home-made 'cept for the raw shark's fin, crab meat and scallops.
There were easily 3 spoonsful of shark's fin meat (not strands like in the restaurants, but real chunks of fin) in my bowl alone! Sccccrrrrumptious!
On the other hand, I'm also filled with guilt as I am against hunting of sharks for their fins.
Aww man..life ain't easy.
Another fiery pot of treasure.
Braised Chicken Feet, Pork, Sea Cucumber and Mushrooms with Dry Chillies to spice it up!
Damn this was good.
The '4Cs' Salad of cabbage, celery, carrots and cherry tomatoes done up by Irene and I.
Ok, probably just Irene since all I did was toss the greens with a readymade bottle of Italian dressing. heee.
Why bother dressing up and going out to a fancy restaurant on the eve, when we can dress down (or not dress at all) and enjoy dinner at our own pace in the comfort of our own home?
Mum is obviously too engrossed with her satay .

Come midnight, the cows are coming home....