Happy Chinese New Year to everyone!

Another 4 days to go!! Are you guys ready and prepare to embrace the majestic dragon and usher in the Chinese New Year celebration? This year is a relax year for me as we will be traveling over to the down south, thus not much of preparation need to be done**wipe sweat* I didn't even shop new clothing for myself except the girls...**kids always come first,hor** As for spring cleaning, I just get the part time cleaners to clean the house. I bet those part time cleaners will not earn much from me since I get them to come over once a year only...ahahahahha.

In fact last weekend, we spent most of our time at home knowing the malls will be crowded. Tagging along the kids to shop at this peak season is not a good idea when you have to join in the beeline at every single cashier counter or fitting room. The best is still cuddling a pillow and have a sweet dream on the bed....LOL!! Yes, ever since the girls getting back to school, I got so exhausted ferrying them to school, babysitter house and finally back to home..

Somehow on Sunday, due to laziness, we still make ourselves to the less happening mall to have our dinner...LOL!! Can you guess where this place is? hehehheh. I was busy searching for the dragon? Hello....Where are you, Dragon?

Ooohh..I saw it!! Can you? *giggles**

And a lime tree.......Overall nothing amazed us as it is just a simple deco put up in this mall.

**all pics were taken with my camera phone..sorry, a bit blur*
Don't think I will be able to blog during Chinese New Year since the hometown has no internet connection...but somehow will try my best to opt for one at the nearest place...LOL!!

Wishing all my blog readers to have a...
 Prosperous Chinese New Year and Happy Holidays!!!

The Majestic Rising of Golden Dragon @ Sunway Pyramid

Me and the girls just came back from Sunway Pyramid and this is the first mall we dropped by to check out their Chinese New Year 2012 deco!
**Sunway Pyramid featuring the theme of 'The Majestic Rising**

This year is all about the DRAGON.....and we got to witness a majestic golden dragon at this shopping mall.
Definitely an impressive one and worth for a visit...
Managed to do some shopping with the girls and we got some nice and simple red 'angpow' packets. I personally heart the Skin Food Red Packets. So, which mall are you heading to this weekend?...I am sure many of them will pack with people for they will be shopping for chinese new year ...Awww...it's just another week!!!! Are you getting excited?

Visiting Taipei 101 & Shilin Night Market

Taipei was our last pit stop. Well, coming to Taipei without stopping by Taipei 101 will not conclude my Taipei trip,right? Taipei 101 is just another high end shopping mall just like our KLCC. If you wish to get up to the observation floors, you got to pay a certain amount for the entrance fee**it's not cheap**, which kiam siap people like us did not..We think is better to linger around while admiring at those stunning skyscrapers. Not many pics were taken,when my camera's battery decided to call it a day...

@Taipei 101 ( 台北101) - is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei

After a short tour in the concrete jungle, we were chauffeured to another hotel for our last 2-night stay.
Our room @ Everspring Hotel - the best and comfy room we had throughout our trip...LOL!!

Then we proceeded to the last destination for our last shopping marathon @ Shilin Night Market. Perhaps, it was weekend and the crowd was unbearable.We didn't really get to enjoy ourselves but we still managed to lug back lots of stuffs...Last day!!...An excuse to empty the Taiwan Dollars..ahhahahah

**Candylicious 
**Baked Rice Cookie Explosion --Poof!!!

*XXL Chicken like what we can get at our night market

That night was cooling and we thought it would be nice to have something warm. We then ended up in a quiet alley and spotted a 'Tang Yuan' stall....The ginger soup warm up our body but the balls were rather disappointing..

Varieties of fruits....or you can have a cup of fresh fruit juice.
You should try out white bitter gourd juice...Splendid taste!! Another one you should not miss is Papaya Fruit Milk....**emm...drink more can enlarge boobie?winks**

If you still remember, I mentioned that I ll be bringing some souvenirs back from Taiwan. So, here I am giving out the first.*do stay tune for more** The first commenter to name the place and snack correctly according to the pics, I ll send you the souvenir,ok! * If you have been reading my blog, I am sure the answers are at your fingertips!*

Unexpected Treats from Sibu

Kompia is a Foochow snack that Sibu is well known for and I heard it so much from the famous Sibu foodie blogger, Arthur! Most of the time, his blog will temp us either with kampua noodle or and varieties of kompia. Well, in order to get a nice plate of kampua noodle, we might have to fly over to Sibu. But for kompia, maybe there is a slim chance that someone might bring over to me…ehehehhe.. Yes! My wish was granted!!

It was my greatest privilege that a blogger friend of mine, Annie purposely make an order from Sibu and gets a favor from Arthur to fly over this yummy kompia for us..Thank you so much, Annie and Arthur for the sweet thoughts. I really enjoy the kompia to the max.

**Sibu Kompia with minced pork as stuffing...Nothing can beat a cup of tea or coffee to go with this snack. Geee..I am getting hungry while I am typing this post.


Hmmmm....Apart from kompia, I am wondering how many kilos of rice he actually lugged over... Neway, this generous man is so nice to give me a pack of Bario Rice originated from the Land of the Hornbills. **Bario rice is regarded as the finest and best rice from the highlands of Sarawak by the natives. Gosshh...don't you think I am so lucky to receive this treasure!Winks**  Yet to cook this rice as I am waiting for my current one to finish..Can't wait to have the splendid taste!! **rub rub hands**

Red to welcome the Auspicious Days!

Yet to start with spring cleaning but busy with other stuffs...LOL!! As usual a way to destress is to bake! Since CNY is all about RED, I shall have Red Velvet Cupcakes to welcome the Spring Season.

 *The first attempt was not really a successful one because I am supposedly to put the batter into the oven as quick as possible the moment the fizz vinegar is added into the batter...which I was not fast enough..LOL!! *chicken hand duck feet**. But the second attempt, I managed to do it fast and the cake turns out well.


Red Velvet Cupcakes:

1 1/4 cups (125 grams) sifted cake flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cups (150 grams) granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk
1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring
1/2 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Steps:
1) Preheat oven 175 degrees C and line 12 muffin cups on a wire rack.
2) In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.
3) Beat the butter until soft(about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the egg and beat until incorporated.Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.
4) In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring.
5) With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
6) In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter.
7) Working quickly, divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups.
8) Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
*Recipe adopted from Joy of Baking

Cream Cheese frosting

150g cream cheese, at room temperature
40g butter, at room temperature
70g icing sugar, sifted
1tbsp lemon juices
Finely grated lemon zest from 1 lemon

Steps:
1) Beat cream cheese and butter till light and creamy.
2) Add in icing sugar and mix well on low speed.
3) Add in lemon juices and lemon zest, combine well.
4) Store in fridge for later use.
*from Sonia's blog.

**Red Velvet Cake to welcome Chinese New Year & Valentine's Day**too early mou?

And the next morning, I got up early and prepare for another therapy session...LOL!! Once again, I got invited by Merryn to join her craft class, whereby she will be teaching me on how to make a red packet ball lantern...*Excited... as I will have some CNY Deco in my house..yeepeee!***

*Link to the steps of making this lantern.

So, that's my final output! Nice mou?...Thanks Merryn for teaching and guiding me along to make this beautiful lantern...lotsa of patience needed...Fuhhhhhh!!

iBilik - Malaysia's Largest Room Database

Honeymoon is over for me since my girls resumed their schooling session last week. There's no more relaxing at home in the morning before going to the office as I need to wake up early to prepare pre-packed homecook food for them to bring to kindergarten to eat during recess and to drop them off in the kindergarten while I'm on my way to work.

If you think my job is only to drop them off in their kindergarten in the morning while on my way to work, then you are wrong. I am not only their mother but also their full-time driver. Besides fetching them to school, I also need to fetch them and drop them off to their babysitter during lunchtime and fetch them home after work. You see, I don't have a maid to help me out at home and I don't trust chauffeurs that's being provided by the kindergarten to take care of their traveling while I was at work. That explains why I'm busy as a bee these days. I'm busy juggling my time ferrying my kids around while working.

Some of you asked me wondered how I managed to do all this and if I'm tired. I'm afraid I have no answer on how I managed, but I can tell you that it's definitely tiring to be doing all this. Sometimes, I get so tired to the point I could hardly concentrate on the driving.
A couple of days ago I was so tired to the point that I nearly bang into the back of a taxi while I was on my way to fetch my girls.

I was really relieved that I did not bang into the taxi and I was about to speed away to fetch my girls when I noticed the eye-catching advertisement that's being plastered all over the taxi. It's iBilik.com. I was intrigued, and so, I looked it up after getting home that day.

Apparently the iBilik is a website that listed rooms for rent. Now, that's the first time I hear a website offering rooms for rent in various properties in Malaysia for both short and long period of time. You can find all sort of room for rent in this user-friendly website.I was really surprised to see the information provided in the website. I had no idea that people are offering up rooms in their houses for people to rent during their short stays or a vacations in certain places.

It's definitely a better alternative to renting a hotel or a commercialized homestay as it would be much cheaper. It's perfect for people who is tight on budget while traveling. And it would definitely suit college and university students who wants privacy and rent a room outside instead of staying.
This website is easy to navigate and pretty pleasing on the eyes. The website is really easy to use.You don't have to find rooms that's being listed one by one as you can perform a search in the website itself. All you need to do is type in your room location and renting preference in the search box and a short-listed result will appear within a few seconds for you to consider.

I think if you're looking for a room to rent for whatever purpose, you ought to look up iBilik.com.They probably have something that suits your needs considering that they are Malaysia's largest room database available on the net right at the moment.On a lighter note, if you have a room that you want to rent out, you can also advertise it here in iBilik.com. It's free. All you need to do is register an account with them and login into your account to post your advertisements.

Deep Fried Arrowhead Chips or Ngaku Chips

Well, Christmas celebration is over. We have even toast on 01/01/2012 as to welcome a brand New Year. So, what's coming up next? Tong Tong Chiang!! Yes, Chinese New Year mood is airing and filling up every single corner. How about you? Spring Cleaning done? Maybe too early as the dust can fill up the space very fast,hor?

As for me, nothing much have been done but still lazing around, but guess what? I did something on New Year Eve....ahahaha. Since I have no mood to 'layan' (entertain) anyone on that day...., I might just work and play with my kitchen tools. Early in the morning, off to the wet market to get arrowhead aka 'ngaku' (Cantonese). Yupppp...the mission of frying 'ngaku' chips about to begin..LOL!! My mission would not become a success one, if is not from Mamarazzi's help. Thanks a lot for your help!!

Steps:
1) Peel off the 'ngaku' skin. Slice the bottom part only.
**Do not slice or break the stem as you will need it as a handle when you slice.
2) Bring those little arrowhead to wash.
3) Soak arrowhead in cold water with salt for an hour or two.
4) Drain it and set aside for drying.
5) Heat up a wok of oil with medium heat.
6) Use a slicer to slice the arrowhead which go straight into the wok.
7) Once it turns golden brown, sieve out and drain off the oil on parchment paper.
8) Once it is completely cool down, you can store in your air tight container.

**Frying ngaku as to welcome Year 2012...eheheheh

The yields from 2.5 kg of arrowhead which cost about RM9.**Yupp, price is slightly expensive as i get it from the wet market. You may get it as cheap as 2.99/kg in hypermarket.
**Not going to complain fried 'ngaku' chips is expensive anymore..as it needs lots of sweat..LOL!!

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year 2012. May you have a great start of the dragon year! ALL THE BEST!!

Sunday Morning Market @ Bentong,Pahang

Sunday is the best day to shop at Bentong morning market. Be as early as possible as you want to get the best from the locals.
**Petai

Bentong is famous for GINGER...Most of the elderly like to use Bentong Ginger to cook various dishes especially confinement dishes.Confinement lady will use the skin to boil the water for the mommy who just gives birth when she needs a shower.
**Price of ginger does not come cheap. It cost about RM13 to RM14/kg. That depends on which stall you are visiting.

Apart from ginger, BEANCURD is a must to get from Bentong....Mom bought 3 kg of 'Tau Fu Pok' and the next day she make 'stuffed tau fu pok'....Yummmm....Love it so much especially the softness of the little squarish balls compared to normal ones.

**Fresh and alive fish from the wet market.We should have bring a cooler box earlier.

Hmmm...not sure if the roasted chicken and duck taste good, but it looks pretty enticing.


Durian lover like me will never want to miss the chance of bringing back the King of Fruits. Most of the locals have their own orchards and you will be assuring to get the freshest durian.The seller told us the durian were just picked from his orchard in the wee hours of morning and directly transported over to this market....Awesome right!
**D24 can be as cheap as RM4/kg and some are charging RM6. Still worth of a steal,right? LOL!!

I read from some reviews saying that I should look out for Mokie Home Baked Pastry. Well, I managed to find the little stall which managed by a lady, displaying packs of pastry on the table. One i should bring back home is the pineapple puff. But...it was sold out! Aijor..it's only 8.30am la...so fast meh. I didn't get to taste the so called famous pineapple puff so I opted for kaya puff. Nothing much to shout about,as I think the skin puff is more suitable for pineapple filling because it's soft and rich with butter.

Loosing one of the gems, but I gained another one. One of the best 'Shat Kei Ma' can be found in Bentong.I was soooo darn lucky because the lady told me she left 4 packs inside the box. Apa lagi, sapu all!! (grab all).Within a minutes, another ah sou came to ask for SKM, but she ended up with disappointment... Again, if you want to get all these hidden gems, you got to be early!
**Shat Kei Ma @ RM3.20/pack - my all time favorite snack! Next time you know what to buy for me lor..

My brother said he wanted to make a trip to Bentong this coming weekend...Wohooo...I want to tag along also!! I want to 'sapu' durian!!!!