My nephew, Jonathan marked his first month of arrival. This day also marks the end of confinement period for the mother as she now is allowed to bath (asif!) and wonder out of the house freely. The feeling is something like getting out of jail after 10 years in prison. Really!

Being an Aunty to Baby Jonathan, I got up early in the morning (asif!) wandering in my garden and neighbourhood picking 7 type of flowers. You will know what is it for later.

The Baby was signed up for a medicure session…

… a pedicure pampering….

… and a new hairdo…

…. and of course the beauty centre which is run by none other than MsJessieling get an angpow. Hopefully she will be as fatt as the figure inside there 😉 . The finger nails, toe nails and hair was wrapped individually with a red paper or angpow packet.

Well, the folklore said that the womb is a dirty thing so after being in the womb for the past nine months, the baby is to remove some of the bad luck by shaving or trimming of his hair. But, but, why want to keep bad luck in red paper? *tsk, tsk*

The Baby was then adjourned to the spa for his flower bath.

Placing of mortar pounder will make him as brave as Tarzan and coins is for properity. Well, how about the flower? Errr…. is it so that when Baby Jonathan grew up, he will have a beautiful wife? *tsk, tsk*

Now, he is a clean Baby adorned in his new clothes. We gave the jewelleries a pass since I’m not into the jewellery folklore. All it, a one month old Baby is treated like a King or the Malay saying, “Raja Sehari”.

Moving on to the kitchen, these are the things to be given as gift to relatives & friends announcing the arrival of the new born. The red eggs looked rather spectacular.

The eggs symbolised a new life and red is rather a auspicious colour for chinese.

Ang Koo Kuih or Red Tortoise Cake means longevity and prosperity.

I was told, the tortoise shape (right in the pic) to be given when you had a baby girl. And when you had a baby boy, you have to gave both shapes. In olden days, the round ang ku (left in the pic) is shape into a cylinder.

The typical Foochow family must have Red Wine Mee Suah.

Fyi, this is not cooked by me. I prefered my broth to be rich in red wine and not so dialuted. However, Hokkien family would not miss on the Yellow Festive Rice or Nasi Kunyit which I cooked for the later evening banquet.

That evening, Jonathan was certainly pictured like an “Angel”, very well behaved and only dissapeared twice to his personal bar for feeds.

Looks like everybody get into the “pass-the-baby” game.

This is my blog, ok. So I get to beautify my own picture with The-King-Of-The-Day *ngek.

… with maternal Grandpa

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… with maternal Grandma

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… with paternal Grandma

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… with Da Yi (Eldest Aunty)

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… with Shan Yi (3rd Aunty)

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… with maternal Grand Uncle (Angpow. Yay!)

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… with Church friends

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(Look at his eyes. Looks like mother hor. Look at his hair so thick. Aiyah, such a beautiful genes. The Mother must produce more babies) Those are the things I heard that night. Crappy!

Here he is, end of the day after drifting in and out. Dozing peacefully none than wiser, being the King-Of-The-Day!

Ingredients:

• 400gm Glutinous rice
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt
• 20 white peppercorn
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6 cloves
• 2 pandan leaves, knotted
• 100ml thick coconut milk

Method:

1. Wash and soak glutinous rice in water. Mixed turmeric powder, cinnamon sticks and 1 tablespoon of salt for five hours or more.
2. Drain well the soaked rice, then place in a steamer with peppercorns and pandan leaves and steam for 15 minutes.
3. Remove the steamer and add 1 teaspoon of salt to the coconut milk before mixing it to the rice. Mix well then steam for another 15-20 minutes. Fluff up the rice and continue steaming for another 15 minutes.
4. Remove rice from steamer and set aside to cool.

The result? Mine failed cos I cook them in the rice cooker. Note in mind: STEAM them! No finishing picture too as the photographs turned out VERY unpleasant looking it deem unfit to be posted in jessielingdotcom! At least not to my standard la.

The one being squashed is me when I first started out Yoga in May 07. To gain my flexibility I need an extra helping hand to push myself down towards the floor to open up the hips joint.

It is not painful at all. Really!

And when you have a more flexible body, try doing the forward bending.

This yoga posture increases the flexibility on the hamstring and lower back.

That’s my children. Inspired by my love of Yoga 😀 .

Namaste, everyone!

I felt loved when Lian spread her love to my blog. Thank you so much Lian and I am so sorry to kept your love for so long. Ya, ya, I know I am selfish *sticking-out-tongue*. It’s time for me to spread the Queen’s love to all….

jutz1BlogisanyoneOuttherelittlemissmaycheeserland.comBernardChan.NetChristine
DashesofKamkuey EatFirstThinkLater BabeintheCity Let’sgetWokking! BlaBlaBlaBlaBla Kookyculinary Thefoodpornographer TheLamentsofaBrokenHeartedSilhouette
Danurasana Oliviasy Titoki’sSecretDiary ofduckiesandfroggies

After spreading my love around blogsphere, it is time for me to pass down some awards given to me by BlurMummy. Thank you once again, Sweetie.

The originator of the Nice Matters award states that it is meant for “those that are just nice people, good blog friends, and those that inspire good feelings and inspiration! Those that care about others, that are there to lend support, or those that are just a positive influence in our blogging world!”

SimpleAmerican ifantabulous Yenjai.net Annie’sDoubleTrouble MamasbagofTricks Hishgraphics GiddyTiger BlurMummy theRazzler GroovyOlives Mott’smutterings Chiwiland TheObnoxious5xmom PlanetKambing JustBloggingAround AsZewtAsItGets Dakotaism.com Wuching.com

After listing 36 Bloggers, I still have a handsful of nice people, good blog friends, carrying friends, positive friends out there. It’s impossible for me to list everyone down. So if your name is not here, please don’t get offended ya?

By the way, for all the bloggers that I’ve penned down your name here, please pass your love and awards ya?

Credit: Mermaid’s Haven

Daddy got very mad when Eldest Princess sprained her ankle during an outing in 1-Utama over the weekend. We paid RM15 for the entrance to some children’s indoor playground where every child is required to wear a socks at all time for safety and hygiene purposes.

Now, I was educate by my Mom on the danger of wearing socks around house! Who the h*ll would want to wear a socks in the playground for safety reason? I’m not sure if you have been to 1-U (new wing) Starship Galactica. To cut the story short, this is what my daughter told me when I pick her up 3 hours later with a limping leg:

“I was walking up the stairs and a boy push me from behind. I fell. The next thing I know, I have pain on my ankle.”

Well, I’m not trying to turn my blog into some sympathetic piece. All I can say is, accident do happen anytime at anywhere. We are not there with her when the incident happen. We just take her words as it is not wanting to point finger at anybody (tho my biggest suspect now is the SOCKS!).

We seek medical attention using the Eastern way this time. The Practitioner said she had a tear on the ligament which causes swelling. He wrapped some chinese herbs on daughter’s ankle during our first visit. On our 2nd visit, he massaged the ankle to bla, bla, bla untangled the 3 ligaments. And since the swelling is still there, he wrapped the ankle with the same chinese herbs again. Each visit costs us RM48.00. *bye-bye $$$* I hope she will recovered by this weekend cos she had her Taekwondo grading next weekend. She can’t miss the exam cos the next grading will be next year only. But if her ankle can’t recover by then, we really had no choice but to skip her grading, which I hope will not happen.

Well, the other 2 little rascal wants their foot to be photograph too *rolling eye*.

If I had a time machine, Wuching wants to know which year of my life would I want to go back to.

Well, all I can say is, I love my life now. I hate my yesteryears. I’ve just started to enjoy life a bit compare to previous year. No more worrying for little babies as they are all grown up now. At least I do not have to help them out in simple chores like spoon fed during meal time, bathing (just need more yelling!), picking up after them and so much more. And since children are all growing up, I get to go on holidays without worrying. Isn’t that great?

Financial wise, Hubby is doing a little bit better now. With his recent promotion and new angmoh boss, I do not have to stings on my purchases. Well, after so many years of saving, I deserved some pampering too 😉 .

This year could marked as … Happily Ever After. I just need to keep my finger cross that every other year will be as perfect as today. No more, no less. Just ngam-ngam (just right).

Now, for the tagging of The Time Machine:

1. DrBernardChan
2. East Coast Life
3. Simple-America
4. Pelf-ism
5. iScrapbook

And I was tagged by Simple-America for some Scary Movies. All I can say I am a scardy-cat. No way I’m going to watch horror movies! So far, while watching the 5 minutes preview of Exorcist, The Piano, The Eye or The Ring, most of the time, I had a pillow covering half of my face. lol. Hey, I’ve watch the 5 minutes preview of Pontianak on 1-Utama big screen while waiting for the traffic light to turn green. Those Made-In-Malaysia film is still acceptable. Not that scary.

Anyway, I don’t really have time for TeeVee. Really! Most of the time, the kids will be hogging the TeeVee. What else can I say *sigh…

So, how was your halloween ? Care for some scary movies?

1. Kamkuey
2. Giddy Tigers
3. Albie Wong
4. Jonzz

Being a Foochow, I am ashamed of myself as I speak very little of my mother’s tongue. But if you tell me “nehrekong”, I will be “hui ya ruah”. That’s all I know. *rofl*

Ok. Don’t learn that. Those are very bad! *wipe tears away*

I adhered foochow cooking from my Dad. Mind you, he is a very good cook. During Chinese New Year, he is the one storming up in the kitchen. When I was young, I used to be my Dad’s little kitchen slave helper. I can’t deny I’m a good observer. I observed him all the time especially the ingredients and substitution that he used. It benefits from there. Without A, you can go for B and came out with C 😉

One of the simplier dishes that most Foochow love is smashed tofu soup or tau-hu rong (tau-hu = tofu, rong = soup).

Ingredients:

2 soup bowl of water
4 pieces of Tofu
3 cloves of garlic
Minced chicken/pork
Crab meat/tiny lala (optional)
Chicken granule/stock for seasoning
Tapioca flour
Chives & corriander leaves for garnishing
1 Egg

Method:

Heat oil and saute your garlic till brown. Measure 2 soup bowl of water into wok. Close wok with lid. At the meantime while waiting for the water to boil, smashed tofu using the back of a fork.

Depending on individual. I like mine smashed into very small pieces. If you prefer chunky or bite size tofu, work your way out then.

Washed your tiny lala using a sieves under running water. If you are using crab meat, break them into fine strand.

However, this two are optional ingredients. You may obsolete them if you want.

Marinate your minced chicken/pork with a dash of pepper and soy sauce. Add a tablespoon of tapioca floor to meat before cooking.

Your water should come to a boil by now. Dump in your smashed tofu, tiny lala/crab meat and marinated meat. Stir them so that the meat will break up into tiny pieces again. Cover wok with lid again and bring them to a boiled.

On the other hand, stir approximately 6 tablespoons of tapioca flour into 1/2 bowl of water. Once your soup came to a boil, thickens soup with tapioca mixture. Stop at the consistency that you want. Season with chicken stock/granule. Switch off fire and drizzle egg. Stir soup quickly.

Garnish with chives and corriander leaves before serving.

I cook this soup for my Hokkien in-law to try. The first thing that came out from my Sil’s mouth is, “What happen to the tofu? Why all smashed up?” They love it eventually but I never cook this soup for them again.

God did not promise that life would be easy,
and not filled with some sorrow and pain.
God did not promise that our children would be perfect,
and our lives and jobs always fulfilling.
GOD Never Promised Us An Easy Journey In Life,
Only Safe Arrival – Be strong, Jonathan.

PR = Page Ranking

🙁 jessielingdotcom dropped from 4PR to 3PR.

🙁 My other blog yogajessdotcom jump from 0PR to 3PR.

😥 🙂

Don’t know should be happy or sad.

I need to calm my mind………….. and my soul……………

…………. repeat with me, aummmmm, aummmmmm, aummmmmm…..

I made about 25 cups of dessert for our Alumni’s Pot-luck makan-makan over the weekend.

Ingredients:

2 litres water
250gm sugar
1 packet of Swallow jelly powder
1 can of evaporate milk
1 can of soya milk (using the evaporate milk can as measurement)
1 can of longan in syrup

Method:

1. Mix one packet of Swallow jelly powder and sugar into cooking pot.
2. Pour 2 litres of water into the mixture and boil over low heat. Oh don’t forget to add pandan leaves for the fragrant.
3. Stir occasionally till mixture dissolve and boiled. Turn heat off.
4. Empty 1 can of evaporate milk and 1 can of soya milk into solution.
5. Mix well and pour mixture into cups. Cool them in refigerator if you want to shorten the waiting time.
6. Once the jelly has set, scoop longan over jellies and distribute the syrup evenly. You may find some jellies has only one longan. lol.

Don’t worry if you added too much or too little water. This dessert is meant to eat from the spoon. I love mine very very soft. Almost like taufoo fah.

Excuse the camwhore. We had so much fun during the makan-makan and our dear photographer keep on tempting me with his SLR. Gosh!