The Weekend Before Christmas

Almost a wordless post. Have tons of things to do, last minute shopping etc, menu planning for tomorrow (yeah, a bit too late) and I can't find a sprig of rosemary in town.. first time planning for Xmas eve dinner and I'm a bit late...

Anyway, last weekend we were at Si Chuan Dou Hua @ Parkroyal KL to celebrate BIL's bday. Food is excellent, I mean it. Didn't take any pics of food but only of little missy.


All of Parkroyal's Christmas trees are decorated red.. very very nice.


Amber and cheh cheh..



A little bit of reindeer.

Then adjourned to The Loaf at Pavilion for coffee. It's very nice.. probably THE spot in town to feel Christmas now.

Then Amber wanted to get a cake for Pak-Pak (BIL). We were stuffed from dinner, so we got a mini uhu cheese cup tarts and a candle.

A little bit of the pastries we had.. .

Just chilling out, enjoying our coffee while she pranced and danced.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE, TIS THE SEASON OF GIVING, SHARING AND LASTLY.. FEASTING !!!!

These Boots Are Made For Walkin'

These boots are made for walking,
and that's just what they'll do
one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you.

Remember this song ?

Hubs bought Amber a pair of boots from Isetan (hubs bought, not me, although I paid coz I was dead against buying the boots). Amber put it on and walked around, say 'Very nice, just like cheh chehs'

I mean, how crazy can you go to wear boots on hot sunny Malaysia? Moreover this was the last pair and fitted just too well and a micro inch more it'll be too tight. Amber said ' No lar.. not tight lar' and hubs was in a mood to spoil her that day, don't know why.

Well, Amber does has a penchant for shoes and she has way many more pairs than ME :(

I must admit it looks quite nice on Amber and I took a few shots of her in her new boots...

Boots has to match dress... white boots goes well with anything. I can't find any dress for to match it though. So the past 3 weeks, she's been walking around with her boots. I want her to maximize it before it gets too tight.

Goes well with denims too. She looks so matured here :

So, nice or not ? Do, you think she's overdone it ?

BTW, the boots cost RM69 less 50% ... not too expensive.

Now, she's looking forward to 'klik klok' shoes and I think I found one for her...

Face Art

Do you call this face art ? Neh.. painting motifs on face ?

Anyway, we were at Tesco Malacca 2 weeks ago and chanced upon this little kiosk drawing motifs for free, in the spirit of Christmas celebration. Naturally, I jumped at the chance for Amber to have a little treat.

I helped Amber choose a butterfly motif and aitelyu, Amber was still and not moving while the motifs were drawn on her cheeks. Never seen my hyperactive child so 'kwai' and obeying. She's so afraid of the pretty butterfly getting smudged.

Her deft hands were quick on drawing up the butterfly motif.


Nice ?



She was the happiest girl (although this pic doesn't show it).

Then we adjourned for dinner at another place. She kept asking me..
Mama, did I smudge it ? (ooo tong teow wor ??) for the gazzilionth time.

She asked for mirror to check on her butterfly. Lucky I have a compact with me.


Ok, butterfly intact. Happy.

Then....

.
..
...
....
.....


Apply my compact on her face !!!!

Amber, oh Amber !

Christmas Candies

Christmas is a time we indulge. We do not celebrate Christmas religiously, but we celebrate the spirit of Christmas and the good food that comes with the season. My MIL will eagerly wait for Cold Storage to come up with the Christmas goodies kiosk and she'll buy fruit cake, mince pies and Christmas breads. We're lucky to be back last weekend and feasted on the spread.

Without a miss, the grandparents will always look out Christmas candies for the 2 girls. Here's what they got this year :

Guess what ?? She's really fascinated with her loot :



Candy canes ! OMG... Dozen of them !



Too much to eat.. can be used as 'accessories' too...

LOL !

And some more :

Gummies...

Nice hor ?

Amber and Yuen Wen cheh cheh is really lucky to have grandparents pampering them with yummies and goodies. I always tell MIL , it's the grandparent's job to spoil the kids and our job to discipline them.

Dinner @ Chin Huat Live Seafood

Back to my Singapore posts ! Been back for more than a week and I miss my getaway (esp when Amber's been terribly naughty and tantrumental !).

Just before I left for the airport, sis and her family took me to Chin Huat Live Seafood, a quaintly setup tucked in Sunset Way, Clementi, one of the the older residential area in Singapore. We walked there as it's just a short distance from sis' place.

When my sis mentioned Chin Huat, I thought it's some 'tai chow' tucked in the HDB area but I was wrong and I was pleasantly surprised.


Chin Huat Live Seafood. Find them here ...



What surprised me was the decor of the place.

I asked to seat outside, non airconditioned. With cool evening breeze, al fresco dining would be perfect. If I remember clearly, the floorings are of timber platforms too and that made the place really cozy and just plain 'nice'.



Pretty place ? Yes ? No ?
I like their choice of seating indoor or alfresco.



I heard from my sis, this place is good, lots of famous names dine here, including President Nathan.




When I started clicking away, the lady-in-charge ( I think she's the BOSS), Amy Low, asked why I was taking pictures and when I told her it's for my personal blog, she asked me to write good reviews on Chin Huat. I told her honestly, I'll write it as it is. If it's good, it's good.

I have to say at that time, I felt 'overwhelmed' when someone asked me to write a good review about them. Made me felt kinda like an 'important person' ya.

It was almost 7pm and I have a flight to catch at 9.30pm, I was really nervous about missing my flight but sis and BIL kept assuring me we have ample time and service at Chin Huat is fast and snappy

Then ..... within minutes, our first dish arrived

Cereal prawns done to perfection. Not oily at all and crunchy to the bits from head to tail. Prawn flesh remains moist and not overdone. A skill to deep fry to perfection in this manner. Very nice !


Crispy chicken drizzled with fresh calamansi. Another very tasty dish, moist meat and not overdone.

Asparagus with sambal belacan. Yummy.

Mantou, also perfectly done. Crispy outer and not oily at all. Most deep fried mantous I have are usually too oily but this is not. If I could, I should have packed some home !

Braised pork belly 'hoong siew' style with gravy to dip in the mantous.

Nice ? For 5 of us, the servings are generous and enough leftovers for 'tapau'.

This was my last meal at Singapore before I rushed to the airport to board my flight. I would say Chin Huat left a lasting impression with their commendable service and cooking styles (not too oily and salty) - every dish is cooked to perferction. I'd certainly go back there again when I visit sis next year.

So, if you do go Singapore, remember to look out for Chin Huat Live Seafood.

Singapore - Bits and Pieces

Just want to note down a few other bit of my trip :

Toast pizza


My sis made these quick sandwich pizzas for breakfast.

Spread Prego pasta sauce on the sandwich slices. Place sliced Johnsonville Beddar Cheddar sausages and sprinkle with Mozarella then toast. I'm not a pizza person but I like this. Johnsonville sausages are soo tasty and yummy but so pricey here. Sis got them (pack of 6 thick fat sausage) for SGD11.50 at Cold Storage next to her home and guess how much it cost at Cold Storage KL ?

Freaking RM42.50 for the same pack ! After conversion, it's almost double. Such is our shrinking purchasing power. No wonder Ayamas sausage (I hate them) sells like hot cakes at our supermarkets.


Coffee @ Tg Pagar MRT stop (Fun Cafe, Fun Kafe ??)

Can't remember the name of this small cafe, exit at Tg Pagar MRT. I think it's located at basement of OUB Center but I we had this :


Cashew nut toast.



Just plain simple peanut butter toast tossed with crushed cashew nuts, something different. Nice ? Yes !!!

Over rated layer cake.

I tried the famous layer cake from Bengawan Solo. Heard it's so good, I had to try. We went to the Takashimaya outlet and saw this :


Very expensive hor ? The cake was as it is, baked. They didn't cut away the horrible sides.
I like my layer cake to be prim, proper and NEAT.


I took pics.

And then, tho it looks horrible (to me, at least), I had to try.

For SGD1.50, I got a piece ..

Very thin piece



Length of my palm.

Took a bite. Very moist but lacking in aroma and flavour. My guess is they probably grilled it over very high oven temparture and short time to achieve the browning affect at each layer without drying the cake.

Anyway, not bragging but I think my layer cake tastes way better (thanks to Amy Beh !)

Oh! Will You Please Wake Up !

Amber oh Amber.

You refuse to sleep at night and
you refuse to wake up in the morning.

I put you to bed by 10pm,
you'll sing, dance and prance aboout

By 11pm, You sing
.. Ju ni sen re kuai ler... ju ni sen re kuai ler..
Nobody's birthday.. but you keep singing

I say.. stop singing. you don't sleep, 'tantiu' coming !
You say 'Mai ! mai ! mai tantiu.. Amber sleep'

11.30pm, still not sleeping..
You fold the blankets, hop from my bed, to your bed, back and forth

by 12 midnight.. you fall asleep

Gosh ! this happens EVERY NIGHT ! I've told you school's starting in a month and you've gotta learn to sleep early and wake up early. Mama cannot bring a deep asleep Amber to school in pyjamas you know ?



Papa have to carry you out of the house every morning..



See, you are like this... just like a sleepy piggy

Then we plonk you in Boon's car, you are still asleep

Every morning's the same...

More of you in different pyjamas...

Then one day, during school holidays, all the other kids frm Boon's came to fetch you , the VIP sleepyhead.

You were like this :

And all your other 'pang yaus' were seated at the back laughing at you. LOL !!!!

So cute ya ?

Please, Mama don't know how I'll cope next year, when we don't have a maid and we've got to get you ready for school.

Please be good, sleep early and rise early ya ?