Ipoh Nga Choy Kei

Sometimes, I really miss our hometown's speciality. We were so used to having weekly supper at the crowded stall under the tree along Cowan St. for the delicious and mouth watering steam chicken and beansprouts. Somehow, that towkay managed to stir up this dish of simple delicacy to an extremely delightful taste and aroma that it would make a sleepless night if we missed one week of supper of that. Well, maybe not to that level, but yes, it did made us remember to revisit them time and again.

People not from that sleepy town, wouldn't understand what the fuss is about. After all, it's just a dish of steam chicken and another separate dish of beansprouts. What's so special about it anyway?

We heard sayings that the town has a steady stream to provide endless good quality water which made the beansprouts crunchy and sweet, the kuay teow smooth and soft, the chicks nice and tender, and the pretty girls with good complexion. I am so proud to be an Ipoh girl! :)

Anyway, nowadays we have chicken rice everywhere. I love to make it for my family at home too. Simple to cook, nice to eat. Who wants to try my version of chicken rice from the sample given here?

Honeydew sago in coconut milk

I spotted honeydew in my fridge.. so, yummy, I'm gonna make my favorite dessert, honeydew sago in coconut milk to savour. I could feel my saliva drooling already. I went to get coconut and sago, should be needing some pandan leaves too, sure smells nicer with those. But... it's just out of the way right now.

It's very easy to make, and it makes a nice cooling dessert for the family. Something different than just eating the fruits by themselves.

The process of making it is truly simple..
1. Pour a cup of water into the grated coconut, sieve and discard the coconut.
2. Boil the coconut milk with rock sugar (with the pandan leaves, if you have)
3. Boil the sago in another pot until it turns transparent. Sieve and rinse with cold water.
4. Cut the honeydew in squares
5. Chill the coconut milk and sago.
6. When served, add fruit flavoured fresh milk (or fresh milk + fruit juice), sago and honeydew into the coconut milk. (Putting in other variety of fruits cubes can be fun too, like papaya, banana or coconut strips)

So easy, right? Don't worry, you won't get diarrhea from it, it's tried and tested. I was fine hours after savouring it, apart from longing for more!




How do you think? Looks good?



But hey! This isn't honeydew. It's rockmelon. My hubby won't buy rockmelon for all I know, 'cos it's too expensive. Who in the world put rockmelon in my fridge??

Anyway, it tastes just as good, or maybe I'm not a fussy fella.

Happy birthday, my darling

The birth of the first newborn is always the NO. 1 (NUMBER ONE!) most special moment in anyone's life. Far more precious than getting exam's results, or graduating, or getting married or any other else, for whatever that matters.

I was being operated for my first child's birth, as the doctor advised for the pregnancy complication I was facing. I hadn't been so scared in my whole life, and all I asked from his father was to be there before I might even die in the process and never see him or my baby at all. He really disappoint me arriving 10 mins AFTER I was pushed into the labor ward, and the reason was he had to eat his breakfast. Yeah, how can I ask him to skip his all important meal of the day, right?

Well, then the whole thing was done before I realised it. Imagine that... somebody cut you up and you don't even feel a thing! Not even a slightest pain! But of course, the pain would come later. The unbearable pain! Well, then, that's for me to worry later. When I woke up, I just wanted to see how my baby looked like and if he had proper physical development. This is how he is.. the most wonderful thing I've ever seen in my life (well, then, I think it's basically what every new mommy thinks during "those" moments).



When I came out from the ward, my hubby said the sweetest words my ears ever heard .... "Ini isteri saya?". And as if the nurse wasn't convincing, he added "Betul ke?"

He not knowing the baby's gender yet, asked me what we had produced. I said I wasn't telling, so he proceeded to ask the nurse beside me. The nurse gave a weird look and told him "Tanya-la isteri kamu", he said "Dia tak bagi tau saya". She gave a wry smile "Huh?".

Only when we were back in the room, he figured out it's a boy when the nurses "unwrapped" the baby to clean him up. He was so delighted, his wish came true.




The days after were pretty monotonous.. we learning being parents, and I was driven on a post natal emotions roller coaster ride. Damn not easy handling a baby. You can see his dad wasn't being very patient already in that picture there.



OMIGOD!! How terrible I looked! No wonder my own hubby asked those words "Ini isteri saya?" Can't blame him much, hoh?





Actually, he wasn't strangling his own son there la.. He was trying hard to burp him after a feed. First timer being a daddy, he wasn't used to handling a fragile little human being in his hands. But daddy is a hero, not afraid of changing nappies with dirty poos and pees, and getting his milk ready when he's hungry.



Fast forward to years later to the present day...

See how big he has grown. Today, we celebrate his birthday with his friends in school, as with other birthday children in June.



He has to do a "presentation" of his younger days and what he can achieved at what age. Boy! That was more stressful for me preparing his presentation notes!



All the food the preschool prepared for the little party which they do every month. It's a wonder how well behaved the children were when taking the food from the table, I think at times adults need to learn from the children too.



Then, at night, we had a small celebration again at home with family. It's Ern ern's 1st birthday on the next day too, and it is a good opportunity to celebrate their birthdays together. I made grilled chicken wings, spaghetti with minced pork in sauce, fishballs, tuna sandwiches, mango pudding and broccoli salad for the occasion. Jen Mei brought the nice black forest cake for us to sink our teeth into.







No doubt it's a special moment for the mommies to celebrate their each birthdays every passing year.



Happy birthday, my dear son! Mommy promise another spectacular birthday next year for you!