HFMD

It’s nature’s way of telling me to slow down. We have had a glorious Chinese New Year in our new place. Far merrier than Christmas and it was due to all the relos flying in from all corners of the world.

I have had so much fun with a house full of children that the worries that come with overexcited children who are pumped full of sugar and lack sleep completely slipped our mind. The kids governed themselves and there were so many of them we often forgot at least one.

That week we had as usual a tumultuous reunion meal as an entire complete family and there were the usual condiments- tears, fights and tantrums. Thankfully no nudity and exposed nappies this time around but with five under ten it is almost impossible to guarantee that wouldn’t have been the case. We followed up with a lovely photo shoot taking inspiration from some famous family portraits. And then they trickled off to the airports, Heathrow, Gatwick... one by one our household of eleven reduced and the laughter diminished. I loved the jokes, digs and the stolen moments between the couples.

Amongst it all the littles demanded more of me. Fully worried they would be lost amongst the chaos, I had to give them even more attention than my usual. More cuddles, more laptime, more bedtime stories and more ‘Haks’ as my toddler would say with arms tightly wrapped around my neck. It is a humble moment. As I stoop bent down and she tips her toes to reach our embrace.

This CNY has been fraught with illness, death and worries in my Malaysian family and our little English haven has seemed quite cheery in comparison despite the cold and the unanswered rumination as to whether this could be our last time having everyone together.

I know I said I’ve had my last. And I know I really don’t think I could mentally and physically survive a third newborn, but I see my friends on social media in their pregnancy announcements of their third children and something about keeping up with the Jones tug at me regardless.

This household will be full of angst shortly though and the worries that come with raising wilful moody teenage girls will not escape us I am sure. Till then, it’s all I can bear to entertain. My Home, Family, Mothers and Dads journey has only just begun really as I let my toddler lie on me a little while longer, drifting away to reprieve from the multiple sores and ulcers on her hands, feet and mouth.






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What makes a Happy Chinese New Year?

The last week has been exhaustingly mundane. No instagrammable activities to get excited over, just a load of ticking timebomb tantrums from the toddler and me willing time to go faster because I wish for the indulgent and friendly Chinese New Year celebrations to be upon us.

This year I've planned for four gatherings over two weekends. Two outside and two hosted in our humble flat. Mr HEA grumbles at the enormity of it all. He would be perfectly happy cuddled up on the couch in slippers and his flannel pyjamas proudly relishing in his role of Asian Dad. Christmas is after all just one day or one long weekend if you were like us. But CNY is fifteen days. Most years he swears I make things up as I go along. He thinks the seventh day people's birthday, the Chinese Valentine's Day and the reunion dinner on the eve are just my gimmicks to get more presents or excuses to eat more Chinese foods that he isn't interested in. How Banana (yellow on the outside, white on the inside in case you hadn't heard the term before) is my man!

I roll up my sleeves as I roll flat the meat for my Ba Kwa determined that my LO will be educated on the right things about our heritage. I am pleased to see her nursery embracing the holiday. She comes home daily with red glitter all over as they collage roosters and make paper dragon lanterns for CNY celebrations. I dropped her off today with a lion dance puppet for Circle time hoping that the children will benefit from the authentic prop whilst singing their Chinese New Year songs ( to the tune of Mary had a little lamb though??!!?)

I think when she is older I'll rope her into the preparations but for now, I am keeping it simple and opting for store bought alternatives where possible.

Gathering 1: opted for Hotpot so it's BYO things that my guests love to eat but all I'd have to do would be to make the stock, get the dipping sauces, drinks, as well as stuff I'd like to eat ( prep prawns of course as that's my fav), and prepare the Yee Sang salad and desserts (sugee cookies, fruit platter).









Gathering 2: Planning a sit down dinner but I'll likely buy the following:
Peking Duck (M&S does a really good pop into the oven version)
Spring rolls (Frozen ones from freezer section of Asian shop)
Make:
Noodles
Radish cake
Yee Sang
Siew mai
Ba Kwa
CNY cookies









It is important that my little girl learns about the things we celebrate as Chinese. I feel my grandma in me as I think this but unlike my teenage self, I am proud to feel that. I no longer abhor my Malaysian Chinese heritage as I now have come to embrace the unique ways this melting pot London society come together. Everyone is celebrated here. So I smile to myself as the staff in our local Asian shop is inundated by questions from the Causasian folk trying to interpret the Chinese instructions for how to steam frozen dumplings for CNY, once more whilst I lovingly wrap each Siew Mai at home trying to swat away the curious toddler's fingers from the raw mince filling. Chinese Spring is in the air. That's all that matters.


















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Chinese New Year back home

Finally recovered from a whirlwind of a weekend celebrating Chinese New Year at home. Was the weekend worth it? YES! Could it be longer? YES! Could I do it all over again? Maybe not, it'll be longer next time, I promise myself.
It's just too emotional to take these trips for such a short amount of time and Chinese New Year especially with all my family around, it's too hard to say goodbye.

It was nice being home. Surrounded by all things familiar and all friendly and accepting faces. To sit by the waterfall my dad built and ponder about life in the midst of all that serenity.

Our garden at home

This is KL in all its CNY grandeur:

Chinese New Year in KL

Of course all Chinese New Year really revolves around is the feasting with closed ones and the Reunion Dinner is the most significant practice of the entire holiday, signifying that if the family is reunited this night, then they will be united for the entire year. And my Grandmother especially treasures this, because she believes that since we have all the twelve symbols of the Chinese Zodiac in our family, come what may, as long as we remain as one body, we can overcome any misfortune.

Reunion Dinner courses: Layered pork belly slices with yam, Braised Sea cucumber and mushroom, Pork stomach pepper soup, Steamed Chinese Sausage and Fried Chicken. there were also steamed chicken and fish that didn't quite make it into this pic.

Feasting also extends to gorging on the snacks amidst the idyllic chatter. CNY is the only time when no one is working and therefore have time to catch up.

All the CNY cookies, nuts and munchies that are purchased especially for the festivities

Most good dishes served at CNY holds its own auspicious significance. this dish has featured on my blog before but it carries the meaning of success and climbing higher up in the year.

Home Made Yee Sang

This dish means longevity and the village where my family originated from in China all those years ago is known to make the best longevity noodles, al dente and well seasoned.

Most important first meal of the CNY: Longevity noodles

My family always makes sure my favourite home made meals are prepared when I am back, even if it wasn't quite the seasons for them:

Handmade Pan Mee(Black sesame flavored for a wholesome twist) with Yong Tau Fu

Rice dumplings which I hadn't eaten for yonks!

So, after being so spoiled and fed at home, I come back to a day of fasting on Ash Wednesday. And my parcel from Asos as planned. I was swimming in the dress, which I didn't expect. So off back it went. Sighs. It's back to trawling for dresses again.

Second day of New Year

Only because I did go out again for yummy foods I will do a second CNY day post. They believe that how you spend CNY symbolizes what the year ahead has in store for you. Me likey so far. A great night out wining and dining with beautifully created foods and impeccable service at Coast at Darling Harbour.



Southern calamari, smoked eggplant, chilli, preserved lemon and oregano







Fish of the day: swordfish with preserved artichokes, lemon, chilli and mint





Grilled whole rainbow trout, olive, tomato







Grappa pannacotta, amarena cherries and cherry sorbet

Bitter chocolate torte and cardamom gelato

Rubs tummy with delight, massages tired laugh lines from yet another lovingly fun trip out with ma gurls!





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On the first day of New Year

The food we went to eat...

At Darling Habour's temple for lunch:




We got given fortune cookies. Did you know that when you read fortunes, you are meant to add 'in bed' at the end of it? Mine said,"progress comes after discontent and upheaval in bed" Hmmm....




Double happiness in the form of two sago puddings topped with strawberry sorbets.





Round two of Yee Sang, more of that Chinese new year dish at dinner!




Salt and pepper goodness!




Guinness prawns:




Kangkong belacan: a traditional Malaysian vegetable that has soft silky leaves with a crunchy stem, stir fried with fragrant shrimp paste.




Assam fish: fish fried and then layered in a sweet and spicy tamarind sauce with a mix of pineapple, okra, onion and capsicum.




Happy Chinese new year to everyone! It'll be difficult to keep this up for all fifteen days of the celebrations but I will try my best to document all the goodness!



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Happy Chinese New Year peeps!

As a married woman this year, it was my first year celebrating with my in-laws. Every other year we eat dinner together anyways if I am not in KL, but this year warranted that I put in a little more effort into CNY dinner.

So I got out my grater and put together this lovely popular sashimi salad that is very popular in South east Asia during CNY. It is an auspicious dish tossed with blessings and good wishes, eaten with delight and for prosperity in the year to come.

I sought inspiration from Not-quite-nigella for this home made variation. Luckily I managed to find pomelos in the Asian grocer's and I dismissed the use of plum sauce in favor of NQN's suggestion of apricot jam. So here are the results of an excessive grating session of carrot, radish and cucumber:







The family totally loved it! My bro didn't believe I had made it myself. And to be quite frank I couldn't help the wave of emotions as I taste-tested the sauce of apricot jam and sesame oil and realized I had gotten that childhood memory spot on.






Have a lovely dragon year ahead of ya all!


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