Happy 牛 Year

My friend forward this to me, I would like to forward it to you.
May the “moo moo” year shower you with abundant wealth, prosperity and happiness! Have a blessed Lunar New Year.

How to clean sea cucumber

When I was young, I dont like to eat sea cucumber, because the shape look very disgusting. But now is my favorite dish especially during CNY, my monther cook a very yummy Pork Knuckle with sea cucumber. Last Year I learned from her on how to prepare this dish, this year I learned from her on how to clean the sea cucumber (Last year my mum clean for me because I'm busy in work, this year no reason not to learn since I had retired from work.
From my mother several trial and error, she has came out with a simple way to clean the sea cucumber.
I would happy to share with you this simple steps rather you go through the hard way to learn it:-

Day 1:-

a. In the moning, wash the dried sea cucumber and soak in clean water till night.

















b. At night, bring to boil for several minutes, turn off the heat, cover the pot and allow to soak for overnight.

















Day 2:-

a. In the morning, the sea cucumber has turn soft.
















b. Start to clean it, use scissor to cut and wash inside well.






























c. Clean sea cucumbers (it took me 2 hours to clean it, not an easy job !!!)

d. Cut few slides of ginger, add into sea cucumber and bring to boil again ( to get rid of the smell). Once done, you can start to use this clean sea cucumber to cook or you may want to pack into container and keep in the frozen area in the fridge for future use.

p/s If you noticed some of the sea cucumber hard to clean, bring to boil and soak it again. And these steps are applicable to small size of sea cucumbers, it may not work well for those big size of sea cucumber.

Pineapple Tarts

I use the ready made pineapple jam to prepare pineapple tarts, which I bought it from nearby bakery shop. This way really cut short the time to prepare pineapple tarts.

Half kg of ready made pineapple jam can get about 200pcs of pineapple tarts.

1) Ready made pineapple jam

2) In the process of preparing pineapple tarts

3) Fresh pineapple tarts out from oven

4) Packing into container

Pumpkin noodle

Yesterday, I so overwhelmed with 温馨小屋 all the way from Banting came to see me in Klang and brought me two packets of pumpkin noodles( http://felvinc.blogspot.com/2008/10/blog-post_28.html). At the same time, she tried the "prawn mee" which I published earlier. This is my first time in my life knowing a friend from the Blog world.....


Thanks 温馨小屋 and glad to know you.



1) Gifts from 温馨小屋

















2) I immediate cook the noodle and the taste was very good.

















3) In return, I gave her a small container of "Crispy seaweed".

Crispy seaweed

My sister taught me this easy to prepare CNY cookie, crispy and nice, sharing with you the simple steps:-

1) Prepare egg















2) Spread egg on the spring roll skin( use the big square size)
















3) Place seaweed (normal square size) on top of spring roll skin, and gently press both sheets to get it stick together.















4) Cut into rectangular size

















5) Heat oil and deep fry until crspy

















6) Finished Product -Crispy seaweed

Bamboo tree

These photos were taken from my garden, I like this kind of bamboo tree, green and refreshing. One thing I don't like is need to collect the dried leaves very often, luckily my maid is helping me to take care this job right now, otherwise....

Chicken Rendang

My way of chicken Rendang is healthy version, no coconut milk and "kerisik" , I just add evaporated creamer, the taste still remain good even w/o coconut, i think partly due to i use all fresh herb ingredients.

This is the only dish that keep requested by my husband, so you can imagine it is how good, hahaha...

Chinese Pussy Willows

During Chinese New Year, usually we will get one bunch of Chinese Pussy Willows to decorate our house, it is one of those things that you get once a year and it is very much like a Christmas tree.

This is 3rd times I use the same bunch of pussy willows to decorate my house. Below are the ways that to use the same bunch of pussy willows for 3 years !!!

1st year - of course, the fresh and nice pussy willows.

2nd year - remove all the dried cotton-like flowers and leaves, spray the dried plant with paint "Gold" color.

3rd year (this year)- use back the same "Gold" dried plant and decorate with plastic pussy willows, pictures shown as below.

This is a creative and cheapest way to decorate your house during CNY.

Coffee Shop - Chong Foh

This is another my favorite coffee shop (Chong Foh) for breakfast. They have best coffee 'kaw' and roti kahwin (very nice kaya, they own made kaya). Fried Kuay Teow, dried curry mee, Wan Tan Mee, popiah and etc are also available. This coffee shop is quite packed especially during breakfast time.

1) Coffee O 'kaw'














2) Usually husband and I like to order this Kuay Teow soup















3) Roti Kahwin ( own made kaya)















4) You can even bring home the bread and kaya

5) Shop

Nasi Lemak

Ever since my husband admitted hospital due to stomach problem, I didn't cook nasi lemak till now. Since he is recover now and he requested to have chicken curry, so I cook nasi lemak again.
Due to last minutes request and am too lazy to prepare all the herb ingrediants, so I use the ready made curry sauce ( this brand is not bad, easy and convenience). But my husband tasted the chicken curry, he still prefer my own made curry sauce....

Fried Fish

This is a simple way to prepare fish and yet it is delicious, best to serve with limau kasturi.

Fish ball and vegetables

I put a lot of fish balls in this dish, kids don't like the vege but they like fish balls. So, they eat fish ball and I eat vege, no wastage.

I have won Awana Rediscover Freedom with Blogs contest

Wah, My new year start with good luck, I just won Awana Rediscover Freedom with Blogs contest (http://www.awana.com.my/en/blogcontest/winners01.htm).

I entered this contest just by coincidence, someone left the message in my blog after I published the Awana Terengganu update.

Anyway, don't think I'm able to collect the prize from KL, a bit distance from Klang, I think I will just let it forfeited. Hopefully the organiser can post it to the winners.....

Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken

This grilled chicken was prepared after the Christmas, my daughter keep requested for it.
It consist of grilled chicken drumstick ( lemon herb), grilled carrot and brocolli, potato french fries and pan fried mushroom (forgot the name of the mushroom, but the taste was very good).