CNY 2014 ~ some random pics

Min's Chinese Writing Competition before the new year.

Zhen & her classmates Chinese Calligraphy competition before the new year.

Marketing on the eve of CNY, Zhen saw a special pineapple.

A close-up of the pineapple.

3rd day of CNY.  Lunch Dana at Vihara Buddha Gotama with the children
and an AFS foreign exchange student from Colorado, US.

4th day of CNY, visiting hubby's grandma, the kids' great-grandma.

CNY 2014 ~ vegetarian dishes on the 1st day of Chinese New Year

It is the 1st day of Chinese New Year and our family observes a full day vegetarian diet, since years ago.  My sister-in-law, the chef of the house, cooked all these dishes.  Only one, the 'Loh Hon Chai' (羅漢齋) is done by me.

heart-shaped steamed banana cake

Valentine Day's round the corner.  How about some heart-shaped cupcakes?

After placing liners in a regular cupcake tin, place a marble or small ball of aluminum foil in each well between the liner and the tin to create a heart-shaped indent.  Fill it up with batter and starts baking/steaming your cake.

Happy Valentine's!

apple chips

Recipe courtesy of sally's baking addiction

糖水 dessert - tāng ​yuán (汤圆)

Winter Solstice (冬至) is here and we tried out this Granite Tāng Yuán (石头汤圆) from Table For 2..... or More.

As I can't get bamboo charcoal powder, I substitute it with green tea powder instead.  My girls have much FUN as they get to "help" out in making the tāng ​yuán.