Back dated Bento again. Haven’t been bento’ing much during this school holiday. Energy have been running low every morning.

Daddy’s bento:

Top: Longan with a little carrot in the centre, breakfast ham rolled with carrot sticks and zucchini topped with olive.
Bottom: Fruits cake from Secret Recipe and some rice crackers.

Close up:

If you have the time, pickle the carrot stick and zucchini in a little vinegar, salt and sugar for about 5 minutes. That way, you get a nice crunchy texture.

I am so out of words this morning. The holiday bugs is still hibernating. Welcome back everyone.  *yawn*

Yesterday night on our way home after dropping No.1 at her tuition center, we saw “Santa Clause” giving out sweets presents at a petrol kiosk. The excited Mummy quickly put on the indicator and turn in to the petrol kiosk. It is not about the presents. It is the joy seeing Santa! And only Mummy will do such things. If it were Daddy, possibly he will pretend…

1. not to notice Santa
2. over shoot
3. lie to kids Santa has ran out of presents
4. all of the above

The million dollar question from Baby Princess, “Why does Santa gave us presents, Mummy?”

It took me 2 seconds to answer her this *ahem* *sing*, “Long Time Ago In Bethlehem, So The Holy Bible Says, Mary’s boy child, Jesus Christ was born on Christmas Day. *stop singing* When Jesus Christ was born, the Wise man present gifts to Jesus. So during Christmas Day, we give presents to people we love as an appreciation.”

Baby Princess just kept quiet. Don’t know how much she understand but the crazy Mummy suddenly get the hang of the song and kept singing the same phrase over and over again till we reached home.

Have A Blessed Christmas with good tidings.

I am nuts over cutesy pasta shapes. When I saw this packet of Christmas Tree pastas sold in Cold Storage (Singapore. Sorry folks) I know I have to get them even though they are a bit pricey at S$6.90 (RM16.00).

Make do with what I had in the fridge as I don’t intend to stock up anything in my fridge as after tomorrow, I will be away to Penang to celebrate Christmas with my immediate family members.

Left: Egg Pastas salad with kewpie mayonnaise and celery. I had the baby sweet corn steam with the ham. That way, the baby corn get the flavouring from the ham. Nice! In the flower silicon cup (latest loot from Michael’s, U.S.), we had canned tangerine. No fresh fruits as I am out of them.

I was supposed to make the glutinous rice ball (tang yuen) over the weekend but since I wanted to make peanut filling this year, I get my Mom to buy me the crushed peanut from my hometown and they arrived only on Monday and since I’ll be going away again this weekend, that left me weekdays to make the rice ball so that I can put up in my blog before the actual day that falls on 21st December instead of the usual 22nd December due to some leap year thingy in the chinese lunar calendar. (*phew! finally the full stop!)

And every year, I will need to refer back in my 2006 achieve for the old tales. I was taught by my Mom to make 3 white ping pong sized and 3 red ping pong sized first. Place them on the centre of your plate and now you can start shaping the tiny ones. The 6 ping pong sized tang yuen (glutinous rice ball is too darn long), represent each calendar month of the year. Oh, wait! How come I have 6 large size only? It was supposed to be 12 right? I better called my Mom now.

*toot toot*

*toot toot*

Dotter: Ma, those small tang yuen surrounding the 6 big tang yuen represent what?

Mom: This year is not 6 big. This year you have to make 13 big tang yuen cos this year is leap year got extra one month.

Dotter: I already make 6 big wor.

Mom: You check the chinese calendar la. It’s written in there.

Dotter: So the small one represent what?

Mom: The big ones is the parents and the small…

Dotter: But, but…

Mom: But what!

Dotter: I thought you say the big one represent each calender month of the year?

Mom: Aiyah, can also la. This is Tuan Yuen (family reunion). Like a big family gathering. The small ones represents the children and the grandchildren.

Dotter: Oh!

Mom: You better don’t simply write la. Go check out the book or go ask Lilian Too.

Dotter: Haha!

There ya go. Some folklore on Winter Solstice day. It is a good education for the kids. We will be having another around of tang yuen tonight. The two girls never ate any because they doesn’t like the brown colouring from the brown sugar that I am using and another reason is because they never like ginger. Maybe tonight I’ll cook some plain syrup for them.

But my Boy love it so much! He loves to dipped the tang yuen in the left over crushed peanut that I used for the filling. To make your own filling, roast or pan fried peanut (with skin) on dry pan till crunchy. Keep stirring the peanut throughout the whole cooking process. That may take up about 30 min to 45min hence now you know why I rather buy them from shops. Let them cool completely before removing the skin from the peanut. You can do this while watching tv. This may take you another 20mins. Watch out for the flying flakes! Next, pound them in a mortar. Add coarse sugar in the peanut. NOW YOU KNOW WHY I RATHER BUY THEM FROM SHOPS! It cost about RM2.00 for a small packet of crushed peanut.

I won’t be updating till next Monday. Till then, have a great weekend ahead and Happy Winter Solstice. Don’t let our Chinese customary die. Educate your kids what Winter Solstice is all about (even though my own knowledge is quite limited also. LOL)

The bento I’ve posted up is usually post-dated bento that I’ve made for the family. Since I packed ‘presentable’ lunches for my family members at least 3 times a week but only post up one bento post every week, can you imagine how much bento post is accumulating in my hard drive? The bentos have to wait for their turn to appear in the blogsphere according to dates. Since this Halloween theme bento won’t be making it’s appearance for another 2 weeks, I have to cut the queue cos it is quite embarrassing to post up a Halloween theme somewhere around Christmas. lol.

Top, left to right: Chocolates overload and cakes.
Bottom, left to right: Pumpkin cutout from carrot with nori sheets as the facial details. Strawberries yogurt for more calcium boost and the yogurt act as the dip for the carrot too.

A day before Daddy flew to U.S., I die-die also must put up the Christmas tree even though I really have no time for it. It’s a tradition in my family that the Man of the House will put up the last piece of ornaments, i.e. the tree top. This year, I decided to just go simple with only the tree minus the other decorations like the Christmas socks and the mistletoe. I know. The decoration is not complete without a mistletoe but then, who the heck want to watch us kissing under the mistletoe leh?

And I haven’t been able to do any serious shopping during Daddy’s absence. Hence Daddy is now back barely 5 day, yesterday Sis and me finally caught up with shopping during Jusco Members Day Sale till 1am. Can you beat that!

I’ve got the pressies for all my family members. A total of 27 items. Can you beat that again??? I just need to find time again to wrap them up with pretty papers and ribbons before placing them under the tree. The unwrap presents doesn’t bother me at all. I am more than happy to see the 6 Feet Tree standing in the corner.

In tech world, ROM is known as a class of storage media used in computers and other electronic devices. In its strictest sense, ROM refers only to mask ROM, which is fabricated with the desired data permanently stored in it, and thus can never be modified. However, more modern types such as EPROM and flash EEPROM can be erased and re-programmed multiple times; they are still described as “read-only memory” (ROM) because the reprogramming process is generally infrequent, comparatively slow – Wikipedia

However, my translation of ROM here is known as Registration of Marriage. In it’s strictest sense, ROM refers to two person that was fabricated into one with their desired status permanently stored as ‘Not Available’, and thus can never be modified. However, more modern types of ROM has been erased and re-programmed many times too. In one word ‘divorce’ la.. So now you see the two similarity to both ROM?

Now, back to topic, I covered my Cousin Sister’s ROM over the weekend in Buddhist Mahavihara Temple in Brickfields. Initially, there is only me going as official photographer. To cut the long story short, my Sifu who happens to be Aaron’s Cousin was invited too. And to cut another long story short, if Sifu is there, how can the toudai (student) become the official photographer right? I have to give my Sifu face ma. So I suggested that he take the lead and I shot from belakang (knowing how bad my skill is and not further embarrassed myself!). That is how my Cousin Sis ended up with 2 photographers and lots of uninvited guests (according to them).

Before I was officially given this task by Cousin, she make me promised not to post up her beau.ti.ful face in my blog o.O

So, sorry folks. All you see today is many parts of the body part o.O

Kancheong (nervous). Every couple took about 20mins for the ROM. Man sitting further away is my new cousin-in-law *cough*. Don’t play-play as he works as a motorcycle accident attorneys.

With just a paper and filling up at the dotted line, they are now pronounce as “Man & Wife”. His money is now her money. Her Money is still her money. It’s a tradition, so stick with it *sticking out tongue*

I love the reflection on the table!!!!

Working officially on an assignment with my Sifu, I learnt a few new things again – The manipulation of the external flash. I’ve never done so many twisting (of the flash) in my life before. I think my flash is going to break soon if the ROM session is one hour long.

The couple adjourned to the temple for blessing.

Just fooling around. It takes one imagination to tell. *evil grin*

Even by not looking at their face, we can tell that my cousin is made from lace & ribbon & all things nice….

Lighting up the joss sticks. I failed to create a better bokeh on the lotus candle. Sometimes, things don’t happen as how I wanted them to be. Crappy isn’t it?

Parents of both couple praying for their children. How I know what they are praying wor.

Little Baby busy cruising around. Cute la they way she tippy toe.

Blessing by the monk. Sifu busy at work.

Congratulations to my Cousin & CIL (Cousin-in-law. Wow!)

And that makes me related to my Sifu now? Yikes!!!!

Daddy’s Bento

Left: Steam white rice with furikaki, wakame (green seaweed) is in the blue silicon cup.
Right – top to bottom: Roasted honey chicken, stir fried aubergine (brinjal/eggplant) with minced chicken and sweet tamago.

This  time I over fried the brinjal and lost it’s purple colour.  Bad me.

Close-up on the dishes:

Zucchini  act as food divider plus Daddy love fresh zucchini very much.

For dessert:

The very aromatic with a little tinge of sweet yet sourish all blend together, passion fruits. And I am so wrong again to store Jackfruits with the passion fruits in the same container.  It’s the smell!  To keep them cool, I have them wrapped in insulation bag together with the blue ice gel.

My bento:

Sometimes, I’d prefer to use Lock and Lock bento box for myself  as I don’t need all those decorating and presentation.  But I still end up cutting my zucchini with the cookie cutter.  Vain!

We was at the Paediatrician the other day when Kharlette was sick and at the same time to visit a friend and pass her the personalized baby gifts to her newborn. Kharlette was then asked to stepped on the analog weighing machine – She weights at 15kg.

We used to update our own weight from time to time whenever they are at the Paediatrician.

Since it was free, I asked Carlgene to step on the weighing machine too – 19kg, wow! He has put on 2 kgs.

Now is Mummy’s turn.

Carlgene exclaimed very loudly, “Wah, Mummy, COOOL!!! The needle went so high up!”

O.o

p/s: He was amazed by the fast moving needle.

p/p/s: Sad to say, I’ve putted on 2 kgs 🙁