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Christmas Eve

24 Dec

I cannot believe it’s Christmas Eve already and tonight’s the big family Christmas dinner at my only sibling’s house. This also means we have three days left with M1 before she returns to university.

Every year over at the Lee household, they would roast a turkey which has become a tradition in our family to dine on during Christmas, and I would supply the sides, the salad and hams, along with the wine. Mom would bake dinner rolls.

It will be a merry time with everyone around – the boisterous eating, chatting and laughing; followed by the present opening occasion and you can see everyone ooh-ing and ahh-ing at their presents. But it will also be a special time as M1 spends time with the whole family when she was not supposed to be back now but Summer next year. Oh well, plans change. 

Three more days… let’s make it memorable.

I Did It!

22 Dec

As per my previous years, I always waited until the last minute to complete my Christmas shopping. This year, I did it again, completing my list yesterday and three days before Christmas Eve.

But it was a good outing with the girls. They bought their necessaries and I did too. And after the shopping, we had a good dinner with Mom to continue the ‘to eat’ list for M1.

The restaurant looked like a Mom and Pop shop and the shop owner was a grouchy old man who mumbled half the time and had to keep repeating himself when we couldn’t hear him. And this made him more grouchy. 

The main item that we went for, Hokkien Mee, was sold out that evening. Shucks! We had to make do with the other choices which were just as good. We had two noodles, a standard veg, ribs and mantis prawn. Needless to say, they were all good.

You could say our usual Saturday evening dinners with Mom was brought forward to Monday. But we will go back to the place to try their Hokkien Mee another time.

 

Claypot Loh Shi Fun


  

Vege

Red Wine Pork Ribs

Wet Butter Mantis Prawn

 

Cantonese Yin Yong

 
  

A Little Bit of Everything

21 Dec

Saturday was a little bit of everything. We had a leisurely breakfast, then we walked along the beach enjoying the breeze and watching the busy activities. As we strolled along, we discovered a pod-like jelly creature, which we initially thought was a jellyfish pod carrying eggs. How ignorant we were.

Accordingly to the local chap who came up to us and educated us on this creature, it is not a jellyfish but something else, and it’s not poisonous but edible! One should just gut its innards out and then throw it into a Kerabu salad. Hmm… Interesting but I don’t think I will be adventurous enough to try this. Furthermore it’s a little too slimy for my liking.

After the stroll, we went back to our room and packed, getting ready to check out. As much as we enjoy Penang, it’s time to say goodbye. But not before making a stop at Kuantan Road to buy some ‘Beh Teh Saw’ biscuits and then to Sunshine Farlim Mall for another biscuit purchase. 

We decided to have an Assam Laksa, Chee Cheong Fun and Chendol lunch before we left the island. After all, these have yet to be checked off the ‘to eat’ list.

By two, we left the island and headed further North to visit hubby’s parents. We had a good dinner with his parents that evening since it’s hubby’s birthday and it’s been awhile since he last celebrated this occasion with his parents.

By Sunday, we had to make our way back home, detouring to Ipoh again – this time to buy a Salted Baked Chicken for dinner. The drive was rather tiring because traffic was quite heavy along certain stretches and it rained every now and then. Traffic on the highway will get worse as Christmas draws closer with loads of holiday makers on the road.

It has been a whirlwind week with M1 back; we’ve literally covered from South to North of the Peninsular. This week, we are staying put in town to finish my Christmas shopping and to fulfill M1’s checklist of ‘food to eat’, ‘people to see’ and ‘things to buy’ before she returns to university.

Yes, it’s a short time we have with her but better to have something than nothing at all.

  

Incoming para-sail!

   

Check those innards out!

  

All line up please

 

 

Everything was so good!

 
 

Brinjal, Tofu, Steam Fish, Chicken & Veg

 

The Sun is Out!

21 Dec

It’s a good start to the day as after breakfast, I lounged by the poolside with the sun beating down. Let’s see how long I can endure baking under the sun while the girls went exploring along the beach. So did my tan even out? Nope. It got too hot!

A very lazy day, hubby and I went for a massage too while the girls just hung out by the pool after their beach stroll. Without any solid plans, we just chilled and then had lunch at The Bungalow again because we were not in the mood to drive out. We had the Lone Pine Sandwich, a Chun Piah (like a giant chimichanga), Inchi Kabin and of course, a nice cold beer.

By mid-afternoon, we decided to venture beyond the Ferringhi area. Perhaps some shopping and eventually dinner! I anticipate street food and definitely looking forward to it.

We ended up at Sg Pinang Food Court, meeting up hubby’s sister and her family. It was a good catch up time although we saw her not too long ago during the wedding several weeks back.

As far as food was concerned, more items were checked off M1’s list as tonight, we covered Char Kueh Teow, Prawn Mee, Chicken Wings, BBQ Stingray, Grilled Squid and Lobak. Burp…

All in all it’s a good end to the day. Tomorrow we leave Penang and head further north to visit Hubby’s parents.

   
   

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Eat Again!

17 Dec

It is literally a gastronomic adventure. We detoured to Ipoh for their famed Chicken and Beansprouts Kueh Teow. Stopping at Restaurant Lou Wong, which we did several months back when we came to Ipoh for golf, we can never be tired of this combination. Ipoh has the best beansprouts!

Coupled with Fish Ball soup and Chicken Feet, all I can say is burp!

As we make our way slowly into the island, just catching the rush hour traffic, the warm sun greeted us. I am simply dreaming to be by the poolside with a cold beer in my hand. Mmm…

Lunch in Ipoh

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A Food Trip

17 Dec

Singapore was exhausting, filled with lots of walking, eating and very little shopping but we had a good time. We left the island on Tuesday to come home, having a huge Nasi Lemak for breakfast to kickstart the journey. And we had a lunch stop at Tangkak for beef noodles after an hour or so into the drive. When we were arrived home by six, a good rest to recharge and we were out again at the mall for some shopping and dinner; choice of porridge this time, with Kung Po Frog, Fu Chok and a side of vegetables.

I know my scale in the bathroom is just fuming at me, with all this intake. So to kill the guilt, we actually had a gym session last night to work off the Roti Bom breakfast and Steam Chicken, Siew Yoke, Char Siew Rice/Noodles lunch. As there’s less walking somehow when we are back home, a more conscious effort is needed to burn all those calories.

But it doesn’t stop here! Surprise… Surprise…

We head up north to Penang today for more foodie adventure and hopefully some sun. It rained the whole time we were in Singapore. A good tan would be nice especially with all my uneven golf tan lines but I suspect we are all looking forward to the food more than the sun. With a planned lunch stop at Ipoh, it will indeed be a gastronomic trip!

 

Biggest Nasi Lemak pack in Singapore!

  

Claypot Beef and Beef Koay Teow

  

Porridge time at One U, LG Level

  

Very good Siew Yoke in SS2, PJ

 

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What to Do in Singapore

15 Dec

It has been a precious family time together in Singapore doing what we normally do: eat, shop and enjoy the attractions. 

It used to be we would take in the zoo or Night Safari (when the girls were much younger) or simply enjoying Orchard Road for its shopping and Christmas decor, this time it’s different. With the new Gardens by the Bay, we spent quite a fair bit of time at this new attraction.

Not to mention, the food that we savored, all for M1’s sake, nothing was holding us back. Not even the daily rain. I remember when I first came back from college for my holidays, Mom and Dad would indulge me when it came to food. Likewise, we are doing the same now as parents for my firstborn.

The list is rather long to check off but we are managing. Although we leave Singapore today, it is with fond memories that the last three days has been wonderful as far as food was concerned.

 

Food court in Bugis Junction for dinner

      

Gardens by the Bay

 

 

Parma Ham pizza and Bento box dessert for lunch

 

Choices for dinner at Satay by the Bay

   

Mee Hoon Koay and Singapore Laksa for breakfast

 
    
 

I’m So Excited

11 Dec

It’s so cliché to say how fast time flies but it’s true. Tomorrow my M1 returns from the USA for her Christmas holidays! Whee… and when she comes back, she has gotten this whole lot of Oreos for us! Double whee…

We will of course be tracking her flight and arrival. It will be an anxious time especially when she has that connecting flight to take at Narita International Airport with just a 50 minute gap. I don’t want to dwell on this and just hope no delays in between.

Can’t wait for the moment when the family gets to hug her again. And all that glorious Oreo… Wheee…. 

 

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Oreo Galore

10 Dec

We were at our neighborhood grocery store one evening and came across U.S. imported Oreos. Not the usual flavors, being mint and lemon, both M2 and I oohed and aahed over them. But we didn’t buy them because they were priced rather exorbitantly.

We asked M1 about the same flavors and she shared her neighborhood grocery store’s display with us.

Ooooh….

    

Can’t Have It All

23 Nov

Kuching was enjoyable but one can’t have it all nice and comfy. On Day 1, we had rain and soggy conditions on the fairways when we played at Kelab Golf Sarawak (KGS); on Day 2, we had lovely cloudy conditions at Damai Golf and Country Club and beautiful seaside surrounding to bask in and on the last day, it was scorching hot at Samarahan Country Club. And during the trip, we have to wake up at the usual 5.00am every morning; in fact on the day when we departed, I had only two hours of sleep while some of the others did not even sleep!

All three days, the hosts from all the three clubs were amazing. They took care of all of us and made the golf outings most enjoyable. Each of the courses had their own challenges and we also had the weather factor. The camaraderie was good and the golf fun.

Amazingly, I came back a nett winner on the first day. Our host was most gracious to give prizes to both clubs, for men and women categories – gross and nett best players. I seem to do well when I am in KGS as this is my second win on my second visit. But the same can’t be said for my game on day two and three. Put it this way, with three different weather conditions, I played as varied as the weather. 

Food wise, I ate so much, I could feel my waistline expanding and true enough when I got home last night, it was a horrible moment standing on the scale. Super sigh. When you think you cannot eat anymore, something nice is served up and it’s not nice to decline.

Well, it’s back to reality. Can’t have it all.

 

Day 1 at KGS


 

Day 2 at Damai


 

Day 2 dinner

 

Day 2 supper

  
 

Day 3 at Samarahan