RamblingMoo

This year we had our reunion dinner back in my hometown near Ipoh, a small town name Tanjung Tualang. 30 years ago, this town will be bustling with festive mood during CNY with bright tungsten lights lighting up shops and houses but now you won’t beable to spot any. Instead of bright lights, now there are scores of lighted signboards offering seafood and other delicacies.You must be wondering why in the middle of nowhere, there are scores of seafood restaurants mushrooming?

Well, after the ’80s, this place practically ‘die-ed’ with most youngsters leaving this once  popular mining town to other big cities as the price of tin ore (bijih timah) has dropped drastically leaving many people jobless.

Then somewhere in the ’90s, something unexpectedly brought life back to this town. All thanks to these…

.

.

Continue Reading »

From most of the news clippings I read in the past days leading to the Lunar New Year, they (those Feng Shui Masters) said that this year of the OX will be very favorable to those born in the year of OX. Since I am born under this sign, no matter what I still have to believe a little mah!

Well, tell me if I am truly lucky…

Just a day before the eve of CNY, it was a scorching hot day here on this tiny island… well, the weather was always like that here and this year is no exception. I was busy as my MIL was fussing around saying the house was not clean enough (she never fret if it is not CNY and she don’t clean the house if it is not CNY too). Therefore, I was dragged to clean those places (stress like these are better than the best diet pills!!) which I have already cleaned long before but the dust don’t seems to go away… After which, I have to continue my baking project as I was supposed to bake some cupcakes for our reunion dinner in Ipoh which I had estimated to be completed before the end of the day (with all the decors up).

And you know what? Fate took a cruel twist…

Since it is CNY, we ‘REALLY’ stock up. Our fridge was filled to the brim with no breathing space… practically. Thanks to my MIL who always buy extra stuff as she has forgotten that she has already bought them like weeks ago and continue to stuff the fridge… our fridge was one of those 320 liters ones so you can imagine. Then my kiasu PiggyBeng also went and stock up on his beloved fish fillets and pork ribs (yeah he is extremely kiamsiap kiasu) which he felt the price will be jacked up during CNY and that ultimately filled up the freezer too.

Then in the afternoon, he wanted to cook some curry fish head so he went to dig the fish head out and everything started to fall out! And in anger he chuck the packets of fish and pork back into the tiny freezer, there was a load crack sound. PiggyBeng broke something… which he did not realized at first.

Then I wanted to get some ice out from the freezer and I could see water droplets building up… which means the air is no longer cold and all the ice are melting too! Red alert!! We can’t afford to have our fridge to break down so close to CNY!!! At that time it was already close to 4pm! Being a Saturday, I was very worried that if we can’t get the fridge fix on the spot, all our stuff will go bad and if we want to get a new one, will they deliver to us within hours of purchase so that we can still salvage all our raw food?

I tell you… my face was as black as the black beans that instant! Knowing that I was already so tired and my cupcake project was half way done and taking time off to search for a new fridge will eat into my time… I was cursing..

So, we still went ahead to hunt for a fridge since we knew we won’t be able to fix it soon enough and this could be a good chance to get a bigger fridge… Yeah! (In actual fact, I was feeling a little jubilant inside) We went straight to Far Lim as there were a few electrical shops. On the way, my kiamsiap PiggyBeng was reluctant to get a bigger fridge as he complaint that if we do get a bigger one we I will continue to stuff the fridge too.

Then after inspecting 4 shops and looking at all the available models and compared the sizes and the prices we finally decided to get this….

.

.

According to the salesman, this is one of SHARP’s latest model and the doors are made of stainless steel. The price tag… RM2100 for a 480 liters after all the discounts and blah… blah.. blah. PiggyBeng did not budgeted that much (he was only willing to part less than RM1800). Then I told him that only a few hundred difference and we can get a better and bigger one and at the end what actually sell was that this model is energy saving… which means in the long run we spend lesser for our electrical bills…. something which we yet to find out though…

The only disadvantage is, we won’t be able to have a brand new one since they have already closed their store and if we want immediate delivery, we have to take the display unit. OK, beggar can’t be chooser right??? Even though we have to pay that amount of $$$. Anyway, we were thankful that we can have the fridge within 2 hours of our purchase. *phew*

So, tell me, am I having a unlucky or lucky streak?

Oh yeah, we bought from LSS (a local establishment) and they always have some kind of lucky draw once or twice a year at their warehouse in Batu Maung. Who knows if we could win something from the draw later hor?

Last but not least…

Wishing all RamblingMoo.com’s readers a…

.

Happy and Prosperous Niu Year!

3 more days to go and we will be celebrating the Lunar New Year. This year is exceptionally important to me as I will be in my 3rd cycle… yeah…. the Moo-Moo year! *bleah~*

Most of my days are packed with lots of activities besides the normal cooking and cupcake orders. I have to run extra trips to the supermarket as well as the baking supplies shop to get my stuff. Last year I only bake pineapple tarts and almond cookies but this year, I am a little more ambitious… I baked more cookies than the years before!

.

.

These are only some of the cookies tubs… I have more than double the amount!

.

The first item that heated my oven are these yummilicious cornflakes almond bites…

.

.

I tell you… they are very addictive!!!! Once you started you can’t stop that kind!

Then I tried these green peas cookies which was highly recommended by the lady boss of the baking supplies shop…

.

.

Then some of these melt in your mouth peanut cookies…

.

.

And the best thus far are these melt in your mouth with a crunch whole almond cookies…

.

.

*slurps~*

Well… when all the cookies are done I have other stuff to do as well….

*splish, splash~*

.

.

Made these fishies from old CNY greeting cards… recycle in an artistic way….

See how they swim up our wall…

.

.

So… with all the above kicking in… can you not feel the festive vibes??? Though my SIL and her family will not be home this year, we still have to prepare all the festive things as relatives will come and visit us. However, this year will also be a little different as we (PiggyBeng, Darrius and myself) will be down in Ipoh to have our reunion dinner with my parents and all my uncles and their family… it is going to be FUN!

Dinner will be at one of the famous Big Head Prawns restaurant in Tanjong Tualang… my hometown! *double slurp~*

Last weekend PiggyBeng bought a huge bag of lala (clamps) from the wet market so we had lala for lunch since we want to eat them fresh. PiggyBeng was thoughtful enough to cook 2 different dishe, one which is non spicy and another which is very spicy.

All this while, Darrius never like lala probably of their textures. The last few times I fed him he spitted them out after a few bites. However, this time PiggyBeng mananged to brain washed him to try some and guess what? He started to like them!!!

.

.

All because he gets to eat it from the shell by himself!

Can you see the sauce tickling down his hand??? Like eat until so ’shiok’ liddat!

Oh yeah, the big bowl with the empty shells there are by PiggyBeng, not Darrius hor!

Time certainly flies and I have been so busy (with what I have yet to figure out!) that I have not write a decent post for days! tsk tsk tsk Yeah, shame on me! *bleah~* I have been busy with some cupcake orders as usual, setting up my new Bento blog as well as baking some CNY cookies when time permits.

It has been a while since I last met up with any one in Penang except those who came up to this little island for holiday. In fact I have yet to post about our little outing with Jazzmint and her family when they were here last October/November!

Anyway, KittyCat and Lucas came back from Xiamen for Christmas and Chinese New Year so it is a must to meet up with them before they fly off to Kuching to her in-laws’ place for CNY. We have wanted to meet up after Christmas but KittyCat has too many personal matters to settle so we only managed to meet up after the new year.

Our first meeting was at Paddington House of Pancakes in QBM 2 weeks back. That was my first time dining at that place. Will blog about that place later. Thanks to KittyCat for the lunch.

KittyCat and Lucas has been away for almost 6 months as our last meeting was back in July.  Can’t believe it has been that long! However, the two boys can still recognise each other after such long time! With Darrius only speak English and Lucas a mix of English, Hokkien and Mandarin, they have no problems playing together while their mommies trying to catch up and some gossiping!

 .

.

Then we met again last week before they have to leave for Kuching on Monday. This time we went to Chilis in Gurney Plaza. That was my 3rd time there with Darrius in 3 consecutive week! Wanted to go elsewhere but KittyCat said she yearns for Western food as they are quite costly in China so I obliged.

.

.

With one chatterbox and one Mr Suave, we have quite a handful that day. In fact we are the noisiest table in the restaurant! With Darrius and his screams and cries and Lucas doing his Mr. Elastic stunts, both the mommies almost went bonkers! Luckily we survived the lunch!

.

Lucas is so cute with his ‘peace’ sign!

Don’t ever ask me about any new year resolutions as I have none! The only thing that I can think of as my resolution is to lose more weight or more fat and since I’ve never been able to achieve that I sort of dump it in a way… though it has been weighing on my mind.

Christmas and new year came and gone and soon it will be Chinese New Year but still I have done nothing about my weight. Rather, I have been snacking heavily! Tell me how???

Do you think by having an elliptical at home will motivate me? There’s no way I can spend an hour in the gym since I don’t have anyone to help me with Darrius during the day.

I am not a gadget junkie like when I was in the corporate world. Ever since I became a stay at home mom, I don’t quite need all these fancy accessories. However, in the past two years, things has somehow changed a little especially after I used my blogs to bring in some pocket money.

The opportunities of writing reviews has given me the chance of owing some of the tech gadgets which I have never thought I will need. Then came along some lucky draws which also given me tech stuff which I never thought I will use. Anyhow, I still keep most of them as momentous.

But there is one thing that I seriously think I needed but I can never get my hands on one simply because my ‘kiam-siap’ (stingy) hubby do not believe in ‘fancy’ stuff even though I told him I will pay for it myself.

I am contemplating of getting a DSLR since I like to have nice close up shots for my photos in my recipes, bento and cupcakes blogs. PiggyBeng said I don’t need one since my current Canon Powershot is good enough.

Well, guess I still need to brain wash him again or probably I should really try my luck in the lottery so if I win a million dollar, a few thousand is no longer significant! *bleah~*

Hmmm…. I am wondering how many of you know that some of the beach hotels here in Penang are offering horseback riding? Well, I guess not many of us since most of us ordinary Malaysians will never thought of going for horseback riding when holidaying in Penang!

My cousin and her boyfriend from Perth came for a vacation last month and being the host, I told them about what they can do when they are here. For youngsters like them, I knew they will go wild with those sea sport available by the hotel they are staying besides those sight seeing stuff any normal foreign tourists would do.

I even told them that there were horseback riding if they can’t find any other things to do… However, I was not too sure if they need to get any horse supplies on their own for that. Anyway, the timing was not too good on that week they arrived as it rained on most of the days they were here…

A few months back when PiggyBeng told me we have to make a trip overseas before June this year, I was delirious. However, my excitement was a short lived one as news of the crumpling economy soon greeted us. We have initially planned to visit either New York City or outer France as PiggyBeng who has already been to New York a few times prefers the beautiful country side in France as compared to the busy streets in New York City. For me, I would like to see New York City since I’ve never been there.

In fact I already went to check out on some of the travel sides on what is there to see if we do go to New York. It would have been fun to check out Statue of Liberty and the Ground Zero where the World Trade Center Twin Tower once stood. Also, it would be very interesting to check out Wall Street on one of those Charter Bus Rental NYC after reading so much about this busiest financial hub in the world.

Besides that, I’ve even planned to visit an old college housemate who is working and living in New York City now. I’ve anticipated all the fun as he is currently working with a high end fashion house on Fifth Avenue. Imagine if the time is right I can even get to be invited to watch a fashion show with some top model!

Well, too bad all these will not going to happen now. In fact, the worst news came yesterday that there will be a freeze in increment for this year and if by the 3rd quarter and if there is still no signs of recovery from the economy, there will even be job cut!

Some of you know that I used to get so stressed up when Darrius sticks to me like super glue. Well, he still do (most of the time when he’s awake) but I think he is not as sticky as before…. especially comes bed time.

Finally he is able to sleep without having me next to him. Yeah! After months of training and all the stress plus getting scolded by PiggyBeng, I am proud to say that Darrius can go to sleep by himself now without having me in the room.

It all started about 2 weeks ago. I will make him his milk and after he finished, I will then change him into his pj. He will climb up the staircase himself and go into the room to join his daddy who is an early sleeper. Then I waited for his cries (once he cry I will have to go up and pretend to sleep in the room) and if there’s no noise means he is fine and I can continue to stay downstairs to do my work (like now).

Just now while I was changing him I told him to be a good boy and sleep by himself as mommy has work to do and he nodded his head before climbing the staircase happily.

My baby is growing up! *sob*