Ling In De House

How's your Chinese New Year Celebration?

2012-01-30T16:52:00.003+08:00

Back to daily routine after a long chinese new year break. It was awesome as I had the longest break from work. We headed to the down south a day before the eve so that everyone will be around to have the reunion dinner. Since we were at the south of Peninsular, we took the opportunity to visit Johor Premium Outlets (JPO) which was launched around end of last year.

Johor Premium Outlets is located at the intersection of the North-South Expressway and the Second Link Expressway.
Add:Johor Premium Outlets
Jalan Premium Outlets, Indahpura 81000 Kulaijaya, Johor Darul Takzim, Malaysia.

Featuring designer and name brand outlet stores such as Burberry, Coach, Lacoste, Levis and the list goes on.. At here, you can enjoy savings up to 65% everyday. No kidding as the girls' dad get to buy a suit at 60%+10% off from the Armani store.

The second day of Chinese New Year, we happily returned back to home sweet home as I will always love to celebrate CNY at KL because is much more happening with cousins, uncles and aunts around. On our way returning home, I requested hubs to drop by Malacca as I wanted to get a pair of handmade clogs for Elise from a specialty shop. if you still remember, I did mention this shop before in this post. Yupp....my little cili padi love wearing clogs, and the current ones she is wearing is not that comfy and her little feet has slightly grow bigger..ahahhahaha.Unfortunately, the shop was closed when we reached there...sobs** disappointed to the max.

No clogs, then settle for the nearest eatery and we found Donald & Lily's. Luckily we still manage to find an empty table but limited choices of food.

Given choices of that day were ....Nyonya Curry Laksa

Mee Siam - not sourish enough.

And of course Cendol....If don't have cendol, I will walk out because it was scorching hot outside..ahahhahaha

Donald & Lily's is located at Jonker Street (Off Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock,Melaka). If you can see Case Del Rio, you can easily find this shop.

The happening Jonker Street during Chinese New Year

***Will take a short break from blogging...and shall visit your blog once I am back.

Happy Chinese New Year to everyone!

2012-01-18T10:12:00.005+08:00

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

2012-01-14T00:42:00.002+08:00

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

2012-01-13T12:09:00.001+08:00

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

2012-01-11T11:21:00.000+08:00

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!

2012-01-09T14:06:00.000+08:00

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

2012-01-09T08:19:00.000+08:00

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

2012-01-04T14:21:00.001+08:00

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

2011-12-29T14:45:00.003+08:00

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!!!!

Hooi Kee Wan Tan Mee @ Bentong, Pahang

2011-12-27T16:16:00.004+08:00

BENTONG, a tranquil town located 80km northeast of Kuala Lumpur. Our journey took an hour drive, but we started our journey as early as 7am. **early birds tend to catch the fatty worms,right?** It was not good upon reaching there because the sky became overcast with dark clouds.

Knowing Yuen Kee Kopitiam is famous for the 'Hooi Kee Wan Tan Mee', we quickly stopped by for our morning brekkie. Get yourself prepare with the crowd despite it's only 8am. I thought we were rather early, but we can't just over beat the locals.

Once a Milo kid,always will be! Boss, Milo O Kaw one, please!

**Yuen Kee Kopitiam - with one famous wantan mee stall and one 'Yong Tow Foo' stall, which will never fail to entice the locals and tourists in the wee hours of morning.

Presenting you the famous ' Hooi Kee Wan Tan Mee'. What makes it so popular amongst the locals and even tourists like us? Check #1 Bouncy and Springy noodle.Got! Check #2 No trace of alkaline water.Great! Can't taste any. Check #3 'Pun Fei Sau Char Siew ' (half fat lean char siew) - Nope, instead served in slices of thin and dry layer of lean char siew. Some times, we can omit the fats,right....for the sake of health..LOL!!See, it's still good to go with the bowl of egg noodles.Last but not least, sprinkle some spring onions. I don't mind if they have mustard greens*giggles**

How can Wan Tan Mee without wantan (dumpling)? The wantan skin is as soft as silk, and immediately melted the moment it touched my tongue. As for the filling (shrimp & minced meat)is the perfect paste for wantan and it taste heavenly. I wish to have more of those little 'wantans'.

Don't like the soft and rather slippery version?LOL!! Nevermind, ask for the deep fried wantan. Just need a little bit of mouth exercise to munch the crunchy wantan.
*Deep Fried Wantan...My girls favorite!

Side dish - Braised 'Phoenix Claws'with Mushrooms. I can't remember if I have this dish, as I cannot recall back the taste...tsk..tskk..

Next to the noodle stall, which is also the neighbor is selling 'Yong Tow Foo' like hot cakes. Strongly recommend to try the 'Stuffed Tow Fu Pok'. Which is your favorite ones? Just pick them! As for me, egg plant, bitter gourd and 'tow fu pok' is a MUST...must!! Next time, must bring a big pot to 'tao pao'(take away) the 'yeung liew' back home as dinner..

Swedish Christimas @ IPC Shopping Centre

2011-12-23T10:29:00.001+08:00

I think this will be my last stop at this mall to check out the Christmas Deco for Year 2011, as I will not be around KL this weekend... Sobs** I didn't get to check out Pyramid one. Perhaps I can try my luck tonight? LOL!

Neway, here I was at IPC @ Ikano featuring the theme 'A Swedish Christmas'

Spotted a little Yule Goat - one of the oldest Scandinavian and Northern European Yule and Christmas symbols and traditions.*sourced from Wiki

While the cheeky one busy exploring the Christmas House..and something manage to entice her. The Lantern...Luckily she didn't insist to bring it home.

Wishing everyone to have a Silent and Blissful night.

Merry Christmas to all my blog readers!!

Ling cooks Nasi Lemak....

2011-12-20T13:51:00.000+08:00

Are you a nasi lemak lover? It's a big YES in my family, from the oldest to the youngest. Since everyone in the house love nasi lemak so much, I decided to give my first time to NASI LEMAK...lol!!

**Nasi Lemak @ Coconut Rice is the national dish of Malaysia

What do we have in the nasi lemak>
**Hard Boiled Egg

*Fried anchovies (ikan bilis) and roasted peanut.

*To add some green, we have Cucumber slices

Traditionally, we will have sambal to go with the rice.Hmmm... Since, I wanted to have more Ummmph, that's what I have cooked..
'Sambal Petai'.

Not forgetting the Curry Chicken as a side dish....Aww, making me so hungry right now!

How can we miss out the main chore! The Fragrant Coconut Rice...

**Recipe adopted from Nasi Lemak Lover's Blog.
- 4cups rice (I use Thai fragrant rice too)
- 150ml coconut milk
- 550ml water
- 5pcs pandan leaves (screwpine leaves)
- 1 and 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 ginger, shredded (I crushed it)

Steps:
1. Place washed rice, salt and knotted pandan leaves in an electric rice cooker.
2. Pour coconut milk, water,ginger and salt over the rice and leave to soak for 30mins (make it more fluffy).
3. Cook the rice.Once “cooking” button auto switched to “keep warm” button. Then fluff the rice with a fork or chopsticks.
4. Leave it warm in the rice cooker before serve.

Tadaaa!! I have been eating nasi lemak since small..but this is my first time cooking nasi lemak. Not bad ehh....boleh buka stall?*cough cough**

We visted BYOB Green Concept!!

2011-12-19T11:51:00.007+08:00

I am sure many of you know I am a clean freak. Do you know I can use up to 2 bottles (2L) of Dettol Floor cleaner in a month? That sounds crazy hor? I know! You see, sometimes I think is a waste to throw away the bottles. Not that it will build up more trash, but to add more burden to our mother nature.Come on, how long does it take a plastic bottle to decompose?1000 years? Gosh I think by that time, we will sink in the plastic trash. When I got to know BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle) from Sasha, I started to save up every single plastic bottle I have in my house. I have lots of plastic bottles from floor cleaner, laundry detergent and soft drinks such as 100 plus & Coke.

After a month of collecting those bottles, it's time to make full use of it! I was bugging hubs last week to send me to BYOB to fill up the empty bottles with cleaning agents! It's not easy for us to locate this place especially for those who locate in Klang Valley, but with the help of GPS, we managed to find it.

**Reached the shop in the afternoon and was greeted warmly by the boss.

*pic from BYOB
Menu of the Day? Ahahaha...It's the old school blackboard sign.By the way, it's not limited to these five, in fact there are more. Kindly inquire the friendly boss for more cleaning agents.

I want this floor cleaner...I want this dishwasher...and so n so n so.....**Luckily the boss tarak pening**giggles*

Ok, it's time to refill the empty bottles...

What I have bought?
- Laundry Detergent (4 L)
- Mop Shine (3L)
- Dettol Gel (5L) **as recommended by Sasha
- Clorox Bleach
- NEW! Body Shampoo (Hubs wanted to try this)
- NEW! Refillable ODF (One Drop Fragrance)- 2 bottles @ 4ml each
All these cost me about RM50.Cheap mou?

**Partially of my bottles which have been filled up with cleaning agents.

Last night, I have used Dettol Gel to mop the living hall and kitchen area. Guess, what? When I woke up this morning, the smells of the gel is still there. If you like your house to have sweet smells, you can opt for the Bubble Gum floor cleaner. That will be my next trip!

You may want to check out BYOB in the Facebook.

JiuFen Old Street @ Taipei

2011-12-15T16:03:00.005+08:00

*Warning : Lots of pictures!
Jiufen, another popular tourist spot to shop and enjoy various local snacks. It is a village located within the hills in northeast of Taiwan.
How to get there :
Public : THSR Taipei Station (or TRA Taipei Station) → Taipei MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing Station → Keelung Bus (bound for Jinguashi) to Jiufen (Jioufen)

It is said that long time ago there were only nine families in Jiufen.
**Jiufen Old Street

**Selections of Mochi for you to try before buying.
A street where I get most of the souvenirs. In fact also a place where I spent most of my Taiwan Dollars..LOL!!

Awww...I just can't resist to bring them all home..

Local delicacy....

Look at the huge peanut bar...
Mooncakes.....

With all types of fillings....yam,red bean,green bean and etc....which one you like?

How about a larger version of mooncake and sun biscuit?

Hahhahah...bigger mochi. I think Arthur has tried this,right?

Ooohh..they have 'Yong Tao Foo' - Stuffed Fried Tofu. We had this and it's superb delicious!

Ahahh....before we left, we indulged ourselves with the Taiwan Authentic Dessert...Eheeemmm, this is not SnowFlake,ok! But that's where this dessert is brought in to Malaysia..right?
Aiyaa..should have bring some back and DO-IT-MYSELF.
**Uncooked Taro Ball and Yam Ball. Must be very chewy...not sure if it can be eaten as it is?

Sigh**Too bad, we were just given an hour to wander along this street, which we think is not enough..Hmmm...Come to think of it, lesser time spend at here is also a good thing, as Taiwan $ will not disappear from my pocket so fast...LOL!!

**Determine to backpack here some days, not forgetting to pick a nice inn and stay for the fishing lights. I am sure it will turn out to be a peaceful and relaxing night by showering under the moon light.

Yi Shu Street & West Lake Resortopia - Taiwan

2011-12-14T16:35:00.001+08:00

Our third day itinerary begins with visiting to Yi Shu Street (Street Art)..Yup, everything here seems to be very artistic..LOL! We spent about 15 mins touring the street since all the shops were closed. The shops will open at 4pm till late night.

Our morning became more relaxing when our next stop was another scenic spot, West Lake Resortopia. The resort village is surrounded by European-style flowers gardens which give you an impression as you were in a western country.

Old Cartoon Dream-Seeking Garden (懷舊卡通尋夢園)
Aww...we feel like marching with them too....ehhehehhe

Hmmm..a good place to propose,ehh.. Ring the bell if you say, "Yes, I do!"

By the time we half finished (not even half, i think) touring the beautiful park, brunch is about to serve.We were given 2 choices, beef noodle or curry chicken with rice. You know I don't take beef, so I opted for curry chicken. **The taste of curry is very much different from our local one...but still acceptable.
*Brunch at Vanilla Cafe - Curry Chicken with White Rice

For your information, you need to purchase a ticket prior to enter this recreational park. Neway, it is already included in our tour package.

Friso Pool Party @ Sunway Lagoon - 2011

2011-12-13T14:19:00.001+08:00

When i received an email from Friso for an invitation to FRISO POOL PARTY @ Sunway Lagoon, I was kind of excited and looking forward to bring my girls there. Before that, I asked hubs first if we want to jump on the bandwagon, as we will not guarantee to get the tix. To my suprise, he said YES! He said no harm to give a try, if we dapat, then is good la, if not, we can just purchase the ticket on the day in order not to disappoint the girls.Well, all we need is to bring a pcs of tin foil / barcode attached on the milk powder packaging in exchange for 2 adults and 1 child ticket, BUT is LIMITED to 1000 tickets to be given out on that day. Friso has reminded us to be early, as the tix is on FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS.

I have no problem of waking up the girls since they were so excited and cant wait to have their splashing time in the pool. When we arrived the venue, we were horrified to see the huge crowd and I told hubs we might not get the tix..So prepare to dig out $$ from the pocket.Somehow, I still pull myself to the long queue first! And guess what, we were so lucky to be given the tickets! Yippeee!! By 8.40am, the emcee announced the tickets were fully redeemed *sobs**, despite the long queue was still there. Meaning hundreds of them went home with a big disappointment.*sigh** I think some even purchased the tickets themselves in order not to let their kids down.

**Many of them already started to queue as early as 6.00am, to ensure they will get the tickets!

We had our breakie first**strictly no outside food allow in the theme park except baby food. Note:Your bag will go through strict security check.**

After we have gone through the security checked, we proceeded to the entrance. Respective Friso crews were already waiting for us. Thumb up to Friso Team for this allocation, as we did not get lost along the way in the huge theme park!

To the wild life park...**why ler the peacock refused to show its face.

Get ourselves changed and headed to the pool area. Before we jump into the pool, the kids get to enjoy some games first.

'Milk the Cow'...Alamak..boleh ke nie?

Splashing time!!!

Upon collecting the tix, we were also given meal vouchers. Never expect Friso will provide us a meal too. Neway, thanks to Friso again.

The Sunway Lagoon mascot make the special appearance.

At then end of the day, all of us got 'roasted' under the scorching sun...LOL!! This is not my first time attending an event organized by Friso, in fact the second one. I remember the first one, I have to enter a blog contest in order to get the passes to the event and my blog post won a consolation prize*blushed** - Nuffnang Friso Gold Family Day Out

An Enchanting Christmas Kingdom @ The Curve

2011-12-09T13:42:00.000+08:00

Since it is holiday seasons now, I can escape from the house whenever I want with the kids to check out the happening Christmas Deco in the mall. Our second stop was at The Curve.
**Christmas Kingdom
A live band was performing when I was at the upper level to take some shoots.

**Christmas trees..Which I can proudly announced that our xmas tree at home is up now....But!!!

We need more gifts....**hint*hint**LOL!! Anyway, I yet to get any pressie for the kids and guess what? My elder girl requested a reindeer soft toy as her xmas pressie**pengsan** Hmmm...Why must reindeer, Santa cannot meh?
Christmas Street Market starting from 10am - 10pm. I didnt get to check out the stalls as that nite was drizzling.

Disney Junior : Jake and the Never Land Pirates Party

2011-12-08T14:18:00.001+08:00

In conjunction with Disney Junior launches the new online celebration resources for fun party themes and ideas, last weekend, we were invited to attend Jake and the Never Land Pirates Party.**Especially thanks to Captain Sophia and her crews, Chin Pei & Janet**

Wooow!! Meaning you and your kids can now create your very own themed party! How? Where? Just go to http://www.disneyjunior-asia.com/, click on 'FOR GROWN-UPS' and you are a step closer for the memorable occasion..

The rather concept playground which leads to the venue, Marmalade Cafe @ Publika Solaris Dutamas

**Blogger Registration.
**Chin Pei is kind enough to wear the name tags for the kids. Thanks,Chin Pei!

**Setup almost done.....

While waiting for other families to arrive, we had some refreshments.
**Never Rainbow Milk
**Ahoy Fruit Punch

When all the guests have arrived, Captain Sophia gathered all the families with their cute pirates for a Treasure Hunt Session.
*Clues card - check
*Treasure Chest - check
* Gold Coins - we are supposed to hunt for 5 pcs of gold coins based on the clues given.
Alright!!! Little Pirates under their parents supervision, successfully completed their mission!

Brunch is ready!!

Ooo..Devil Eggs!! No worry, we will sail away with the Mini ship Cheese hotdogs....but before that, must grab some Chicken Drummettes on the go.... =P

Last but not least....One Album for All!

**Yo Ho! Mateys, make sure you tune in to the Jake and The Never Land Pirates series on Disney Junior (Astro Channel 613) every day at 1.00pm & 7.00pm, with a special new holiday episode airing at 1.00pm on Christmas Day, 25th December.

Before I end this post, don't forget to check out the post below for some fun DIY crafts and ideas that Captain Sophia and crews have done for this themed party : 'Jake and the Never Land Pirates Party'.

DISNEY JUNIOR : Create & DIY your very own themed party

2011-12-08T14:00:00.000+08:00

So,are you planning for any party celebration but you still have no ideas in your mind? Fret not!! As mentioned in the earlier post, http://www.disneyjunior-asia.com/ have launched the new online celebration resources for party themes and ideas not long ago.In this website, under the menu 'For Grown-Ups', you and your kids will be discovering exciting yet fun activities, creative craft projects, print-outs and yummy recipes for creating your very own themed party! Sounds good and relieving to you?

Since we just attended the Jake and Never Land Pirates Party, I will show some of the crafts projects which Captain Sophia and her crews have done for this themed party.
DIY your Own Invitation Card!

Downloadable from :
http://www.disneyjunior-asia.com/media/pdf/grown-ups/jake/djr_fam_jnp_treasurechest.pdf

Do-It-Yourself End Products
**Pirate Hat
**Gold Coins

Woots...Treasure Chest to store your gold coins $$

How about some fun yet delicious recipes to serve the guests especially the little ones.

Never Land Palm Tree Veggies adopted from the website.

And what's not the Captain Hook Chocolate Cake. Cool, isn't it?

Hmmm...The Season of Giving is just around the corner. How about a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Christmas Party for the family.

HAPPY DO-IT-YOURSELF!!

A Visit to Padi Fields @ Sekinchan

2011-12-07T14:28:00.002+08:00

Right after our hearty meal at Kundang, dad suggested we pay a visit to a land feel with greens to relax our eyes and mind. Since it was a public holiday and we have no further plans, Hubs agreed to drive us there. So, where is the green field actually? Not sure if you know this little town by the name of Sekinchan? In case you don't, this place is actually a fishing village but it has been more recognized as a famous padi field since it is one of the major rice suppliers in Malaysia.

The small yet beautiful village may be a good choice for those who plan to escape from the hustle bustle city during the weekend.The journey will take approximately one and a half hour drive from Petaling Jaya. The easiest way is to follow NKVE and exit at Sungai Buloh. Then, look out for Kuala Selangor signboard and follow the direction.. After passing by Kuala Selangor and Tanjung Karang, you are about to reach the destination.
**Pieces of Green Padi Fields greets you!

Apart from being popular as the rice bowl of Selangor, the locals here are now venturing into swiftlet nests business. Along the padi fields, you can spot man made swiftlet houses.
**Sekinchan, which literally means “village suitable for plantation” in Chinese
**Can you spot the Swiftlet Man Made Home?

Awesome right?.....Ehhh, you are actually driving beside the padi fields!!The padi is just within your hands reach and the farmers do appreciate your high cooperation...Jangan Petik! Do not Pluck!
Of course, come all the way here, it will not be complete if you don't touch or feel the harvested padi,right? No @@lll *sweat**You can pay a visit to the rice factory. Aparts of getting to buy the local produce white & brown rice, can you see what were my kids doing.....hehehhe.

For those who love seafood, this is one perfect place to satisfy your cravings. The seafood restaurants are just located in front of the fishing jetties. Anyway,we did not as our tummy were still full with the exotic meal and Pa suggested we will have our dinner at Kuala Selangor..

This quaint town also famous for its many fruit orchards with mangoes being one of the main attractions of Sekinchan. On the way back, make sure you drop by the stalls along the road side to get some sweet mangoes. A reason why I was here is to buy the mangoes to make the Mango Sticky Rice.

**The charms from the interesting town,Sekinchan.

....and more from Kuala Selangor.

As suggested earlier, we dropped by Kuala Selangor to have our dinner at Restoran Kuan Hwa Kuala Selangor. Despite it was a weekend cum public holiday, the restaurant was fully booked when we reached there.Nahh... We were lucky enough to get the last empty table..*wipe sweat** The good thing about this restaurant is the serving time is extremely fast although the tables are fully occupied.
**Fried Lala Mee Hoon.

**Deep Fried Mantis Prawn.

**Stir Fried Vege. Oohh...this vege was left untouched because is very 'old', that we have hard time munching it. But other dishes are good!

**Sweet and Sour Crab..Thumb up for this.

How can the sweet and sour gravy without the deep fried bun,right?.

Add : Restoran Kuan Hwa Kuala Selangor
No. 1A Jalan Bagan Sungai Yu,
Pasar Penambang
45000 Kuala Selangor

Thai Mango Sticky Rice

2011-12-02T11:51:00.000+08:00

Ever since, I had tried the Mango Sticky Rice during my trip to Hatyai previously, I have been constantly craving and missing it. There was one time, I came across the night market at Sri Petaling which sell this dessert. I was so delighted to see this stall was selling it. Hence, I bought it in order to satisfy my crave. Well, the dessert does cost a bomb $$. Verdict : Mango not sweet enough. The coconut sauce taste a lil bit weird. Disappointed '=''
Not wanted to give up, I decided to make the dessert myself...*Tie a bandana first..FUHH!!** Thank goodness I saw Sonia's blog, which has the similar mango sticky rice I had at Thai back then. For complete recipe, do refer to the link above.

Ingredients for the sticky rice :-
350g glutinous rice, soaked for 4 hours
220ml coconut milk
1 and 1/4tsp salt
2tbsp sugar
5 screwpine leaves (daun pandan), knotted

Steps:
1. Mix all ingredients in a steaming tray, steam over high heat for 45mins.
2. Discard pandan leaves, fluff up rice and set aside to cool.

**The sticky rice is done.

How can Mango Sticky Rice without sweet mangoes,right. I bought it all the way from Sekinchan, which is famous for its sweet mango. It's soooo sweet. Loving it.

**Sweet 'Honey' & 'Lily' Mangoes from Sekinchan

To prepare thick Coconut sauce
½ cup thick coconut milk
1tsp sugar
1/4tsp salt
Step:
1. Add all ingredients in a saucepan, cook over low heat till thick ( or thicken it by adding 1/2tbsp tapioca flour and 1tbsp water).

Finally,
To assemble mango sticky rice
1. Slice mango and place on top of sticky rice.
2. Top with few spoons of coconut sauce

Yummy...Thai Mango Sticky Rice is done!!!! =P

HAPPY WEEKEND!!

The Hidden Gems @ Kundang

2011-11-30T15:55:00.002+08:00

Not sure if you heard of this little town by the name of Kundang before. Well, it is actually a small village located about 17km from Rawang. In case you dont know, there is an abandoned tin mine, which is better known as Kundang Lake, now has been transformed into a recreational playgrounds especially for motorsports,4WD and fishing enthusiasts.

**Dusk @ Kundang Lake

*pic credited to Superaro

Anyway, we are not trying to challenge the water sports, but to hunt for the hidden gems! We were snooping around for the delicious and cheap foodie here. Hubs said this restaurant is famous for its signature Mongolia Pork Ribs and that's the reason we have ended here. We reached there in the afternoon and the boss told us the pork ribs are not ready yet. But she recommended us to try the Mongolia Pork Knuckle which has the similiar taste too.

The pork knuckle is bring to deep fried which makes the skin so crispy. Lotsa time, I encountered deep fried pork knuckle being overfried, but at here it was perfectly done.The meat is so juicy and succulent. The moment it entered into my mouth, the fats immediately melted.**Goshh...the cholestrol level must have shoot up to the max....**
**Awww....Tantalizing Mongolia Pork Knuckle @ RM25, top up with it's specialty black pepper sauce. A must to have this in-house specialty!! Thumb up for this dish!!

**Tofu @ RM12. I guess it's a must when you have kids around :P

Look at the pure white meat. Assuring a fresh fish they have served us!
***Steamed Tilapia in Nyonya Style @ RM17.50.

Mixture of Chicken Eggs and Duck Eggs @ RM10. I didn't know it can be that delicious. Next time must get some ~~Quak Quack!~~ duck eggs from the wet market.

**Stir Fried Yau Mak (Romaine Lettuce) with Fu Yue (Fermented beancurd paste) @ RM8.

Exotic soup....Awww! Mom said we should give it a try. It's very nutritious and good for the kids. I tell you, Elise had 2 bowls of this @@ll
**Terappin Herbal Soup aka 'Sui Yue Tong' @ RM35.

After a hearty meal, we were served with fruits. It's free =P

This is the address to the restaurant. In case you can't find it, just ask the locals where is the chinese school. The restaurant is just opposite the school.
*Restoran Ng Kim Yap
*Add : 140, Kg Baru Kundang, Rawang
*Close on every Wednesday

Candylicious Xmas @ Tropicana City Mall

2011-11-27T11:27:00.001+08:00

It is good to be in cinema back when the girls have outgrown. But we can no longer watching horror or action movies, in fact we have to go for 'U' rated movies and preferable with animation. Hearing so much of Puss in Boots, we decided to go for this movie last weekend. The movie was awesome and we enjoyed it very much from the beginning till the end.

Ever since I was sick for the past 2 weeks, I have not been stepping into any malls.In fact, I spent more time on the bed and couch. Seriously, the feeling is so nice when these beautiful Christmas deco welcomes you....Awwwwesome!!!

Snowman on the cucpakes......

How can Christmas without a giant and tall Xmas tree,right? Ohh...that reminds me it's time to take out the Xmas tree from the storeroom. Ho!! Ho!!!! It's time to put up our Xmas Tree!!

Gingerbread Man for Sale!!

More yummylicious ornaments....how I wish these are edible.

Time to hunt for Xmas Pressie,already? Or still early.......
After our Meowwwww session, we went to SS2 to 'PAW' for desserts and we thought of KTZ. Unfortunately, it was full house, that we did not want to wait so we headed to nearby dessert house. Despite, it was a big disappointment......I will not be back!!!! LOL!!
*Mo Mo Cha Cha
*Mango Sago

We call it a night........so how was your weekend holiday?

In case you would like to check out some film production classes from accredited online colleges, this may be an option for those who would love to learn more about movies.

Feng Jia Night Market @ Tai Chung

2011-11-25T16:24:00.002+08:00

At night, we will be having some ME time, strolling along the night market. The first night market we visited was Feng Jia Night Market, located in the Xitun district of Tai Chung. It is claimed that Feng Jia night market is the second largest in Taiwan after Shilin Night Market. Is that true? Anyway, we did have a great time eating and shopping here, since it was a weekday and the crowd wasn't that huge.

After we check in this hotel and took a quick shower, then we headed to Feng Jia Night Market.
**Olympic Hotel - www.olympic-hotel.com.tw

Allocated time for the night market by the tour guide was 3 hours. Of course if you want to follow the tour bus back, you may do so. But for us the ladies, 'mana cukup la' (not enough). We hanged out there from 5pm-11pm and took a cab back to the hotel, which cost us about TWD210.

*Small sausage wrapped in Big Sausage** Translation from chinese...kekekkek. OOoo...This is simply delicious, that I placed for another order. Can be quite filling though.

Crispy Chicken Teriyaki - not that nice. Too much of pepper. See omelette? We tried their Hor-Chien. Pretty disappointed...LOL!!

One of our top favourite..Taiwan Egg Cake @ Gee Dan Gao. Must have this when you come to Taiwan night market. Choice of fillings in your little cake, such as chocolate, cheese, custard (thumb up) and buttermilk (another thumb up), or else you prefer to have a normal one?(without filling). I am missing this so badly.
**Gee Dan Gao - Repeated Order x 2 :D

Another local snack you must try is 'Stinky Tofu'. Though I am not a fan of this, but I did try it out. My besties love it that we came back again before we left the night market. The owner of the stall was so delighted to see us, the Leng Luis *cough cough** LOL! and he actually treated us a big bottle of drink...Free Drink!! Such a nice and handsome fella...LOL!!

**Stinky Tofu @ TWD40 for 5 pcs. I love the side dishes, very appetizing :D

White bittergourd!!! We did try out the drink on our last day of trip..LOL!! Superb nice.*Thumb up**
Must try their sweet potato and taro ball. The skin is so crispy and the inner is way too chewy.*Another thumb up*

##*Pig Blood Cake 豬血糕** Ermm....not interested at all. Tour guide told us this is one of the dirtiest snack because the process of making it is kinda nasty when you hear it. That was the saying during the olden days la......LOL!!
##The fluffy bun that stuffed with your choice of ice cream flavour.
## Syrup Fruit Stick....so colourful.

One of the craft shop we stumbled across. They used carton paper box to transform into these beautiful ornaments. Mostly are DIY items.

To quench our thirst, we had Frog Egg. Errmmm...it's actually a jelly drink. You can get it almost everywhere in the night market.

You know what, we actually eat more than drink. Why?That is because it's superb difficult to find a public toilet...**Gosh, if i were to bring my kids to the night market, I guess I need to put them on diaper first @@ll

Homemade Steamed Savoury Glutinous Rice - 'Lo Mai Kai'

2011-11-25T11:19:00.005+08:00

Lo Mai Kai is one my favourite dim sum. I will order this whenever I dine in any dim sum restaurants. I always have this assumption, to know whether the dim sum restaurant is serving delicious dim sum or not, one must try out their 'Lo Mai Kai'. If the LMK fail, I assume the other dim sum will not be as good too..eheheheh.**ok, that's my assumption la..** Price for a LMK today doesn't come cheap. Even in a hawker stall is selling for RM3.50/pcs.

The other day, I came across this blog, My Little Space and saw the recipe of LMK. Since the process of making LMK is not that tedious, why not give a try,right? You can too!!

Ingredients needed: (yield: 8-10 LMK)
1) 2 cups of glutinous rice - clean, soaked for 3 hours ** soaked about 5 hours since it was a working day for me :D**
2) 1 whole chicken breast fillet - sliced
3) 2 sticks Lap Cheong @ Chinese sausage
4) Some shiitake mushroom - around 6pcs, soaked overnight

(A) Seasoning for chicken :
3 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tspn dark soy sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine/shaoxing wine
1 tbsp ginger juice
1 tspn sugar
1/2 tspn white pepper
2 tbsp sesame oil
(combine (A) and mix well with the sliced chicken & mushroom, then set aside)
**I marinated it a night before, have to go work la***

(B) Seasoning for glutinous rice :
3/4 cup water
1/2 tspn Chinese five spice *i ommited this since i dont like it**
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tspn dark soy sauce
2 tspn light soy sauce
1/2 tpsn white pepper
3 tbsp fried garlic oil
1 tspn sesame oil

Steps:
1) Steam the soaked glutinous rice for 30 mins over high heat (without any addition of water).
2)While waiting for the glutinous rice to cook, prepare about 8-10 rice bowls and place in the marinated chicken, lap cheong and mushroom.
3)Once the glutinous rice is cooked,stir in the (B) seasoning mixture.
4)Then fill in each bowl with the cooked glutinous rice.
5) Bring to steam again, for another 30 minutes over high heat.

Then, your Lo Mai Kai is ready to serve....

In fact, those of you who love food and cooking may look into an online culinary arts education via www.GuidetoOnlineSchools.com.