OLD SCHOOL STYLE DECORATED CAKES.

4/11/2017
SATURDAY

Blueberry cupcakes with pink Swiss Meringue buttercream for a little princess

Drop us a line if you want to order any cakes...The Three Sisters Bake

Since I made extra buttercream, decided to play with it. Quickly baked a plain chocolate and vanilla sponge cakes and this is where the fun started....  

using my limited stock of icing tips.. 

Perfect  tea-time with a cup of Earl Grey tea..

This is the old-school style decorating cakes.  Those were the days when these type of cakes were normally given away during the gift exchange ceremony prior to the Chinese wedding. I think back then these were oily butter cakes.   Here we have made it healthier - sponge cakes and not so sweet icing. 

  

GUANGZHOU-ZHANGJIAJIE TRIP 2017# 4

31/8/2017

Early morning walk around the neighbourhood of the hotel...can see the locals enjoying their morning...

Breakfast @ Hongkong style cafe... popular Polo Buns.... and we were given gloves to eat them... 

How can we miss this... our must have Cantonese style Rice Dumplings.... 

All time favourite ...more Beef noodles... yet to find  yummy ones like this in KL. 

After breakfast, its time again to go free and easy.  While the couples still wanted to go shopping for souvenirs for the young ones, the 3  of us decided to go sight-seeing because we saw the hop-on-hop off bus depot outside the hotel.  It costs us each RMB30 only.  It was relaxing to watch as the air-con bus took us around the popular tourist sites, most of which we did not stop until we reached this....  

yes, our Chan Clan Ancestral Hall.... 

watching one of the artist drawing with his bare hands...

the intricate craving still amazes....

including this... its one whole piece of wood and craving within the crab cage too...truly super amazing...

Not forgetting the beautiful stone decorations on top of the halls...each telling their own story. 

the famous giant ink stone... 

one last step... 

Dessert time and afternoon tea at another Hongkong style cafe in Beijing Road..

Big bowl of ice with condiments to cool us 

We went back to the hotel for a quick shower (it was hot weather!)  before our cousins came to pick us up for dinner @ a village restaurant.   They call it the "Wai village".   Food is "cheap"  and I meant the price according to my cousin's friend who booked the tables and food for us... average price around RMB25 per plate! 

I had the chance to witness the chef cooking his signature dish at this restaurant... 

Braised goose with Chinese wine... oen whole bottle of the above wine is used.  The dish is cook in a wok at the table and you watch as the wine quickly caught the fire and flambe the meat..quite a show 

The clear soup for hours of boiling... dried radish with pork bones... yummy.

This was how the dishes were presented... large platters.. roasted duck and the pork ribs were so delicious, falling off the bones!

Specially made by the chef.... the container of sambal chillies knowing that we are Malaysians! 

Obviously the chef himself always frequent Kuala Lumpur. 

So much food that we could not finish..

Looking out of the hotel window, saying goodbye Guangzhou

One last photo of the Tianmen...precious memories..

THE FOUR THINGS THAT MATTERS MOST

28/10/2017
SATURDAY

Do you listen with total attention?

I truly find Chinese characters amazing...the different/components strokes in just one word can define/explain the word so well.  As explain in the word itself (Listen):  not only to hear but with (eyes) to see, (one) undivided attention, (heart) to feel (Ear) to hear and (king) - to regard the person speaking as important.  

A talk given by Dr. Khoo Boon Hock  @ Kasih Hospis Centre, PJ. 

A entertaining, enlightening  and empowering talk. As my nephew started his first year of medical studies at University of Malaya, I encourage him to join us for this talk.  Dr Khoo  also share some anecdotes from his medical days and also tips to be a successful medical student... dress smartly and be neat and tidy... no hair falling over when you examine the patient! D: 

The four magical phrases to change your life and relationship with family and friends.

The benefits of saying these four sentences ... 

At the end of the talk, we were encouraged to say this prayer of forgiveness.

Before the talk, we took our lunch at Strangers@47 in Section 17, Petaling Jaya. 

Nasi Lemak Crepe by Strangers@47

bits of fried chicken inside with rice and condiments of regular nasi lemak.

Hojicha Latte - this is roasted tea which has higher levels of antioxidants and lower caffeine levels. Love the earthy aroma and only wished its a bigger cup of tea!

Lethal Shrooms.. crepe with mushroom fillings and tomato relish and balsamic vinegar ...yummy. 

Downunder....

my little darling Alexa getting her first haircut 

Father and Daughter outfits over the weekend  

Ingredients for the quiche for the weekend..leeks, grated parmesan cheese, milk/eggs mixture and crispy bacon. 

Voila.... golden cheesy goodness. 

GUANGZHOU-ZHANGJIAJIE TRIP 2017 # 3

30/8/2017

Back in Guangzhou

Delicious Wanton mee ... shop with years of history.

We stayed at the Hotel Lido around the popular Beijing Road. Today was a free and easy day for us and its shopping day as around this area are plenty of shops and eateries.  

  

my brother KK was the "tour guide" here. 

street across the hotel.

The Chinese saying "eat in Guangzhou" definitely rings true... the Cantonese style cuisine is very suitable to us and can  soon felt our waistline growing as well..

At night we met up again with our cousins and KK's friend who invited us to his favourite restaurant for dinner, too much food and  here are just a few of them...

Roasted Goose.... 

crispy Roasted Pork 

some sort of buns ...very yummy... 

Braised pig's intestines.... 

salt and pepper prawns..

steamed luffa with minced garlic and clams..

His friend just resides behind this restaurant and they practically eat here almost everyday!