Being a Couple is a Quest.
Marriage is then a Conquest.
Senin, 24 Desember 2007
Merry Christmas 2007
First of all, I wish everyone Very Happy Merry Christmas!!!
This year... 2007... I got myself my very own Christmas presents... Nope, I didn't get any presents from anyone. It's the thought of the heart in giving. I like small and unique... No, not antiques. :P I saw this pair, 1 big n 1 small. Do you know what is it? I don't think you'd know too. Hahaha... I at first also don't know. So, I went asked the sales lady (a shop in Orchard road, Singapore. She said it's Koala. It's only left this pair and I bought it. It's made by Centex.
Besides koala that I've bought, I've also bought 3 more presents. The blue stick is a kaleidoscope horoscope. Mine is Pisces. Bought in Singapore too. In Bugis Junction. I've also bought it for my sisters too. The green chain is also bought from there with my english name. The red sock is bought at KLCC as I was also buying for my sisters and brothers.
So this year, all of my siblings has more than 1 presents wrapped as 1 for each person. Well, except for my married little bro and his wife, which I gave a piggy bank with oink oink sound when a coin is dropped. It's for savings and more offsprings. Haha... He's gonna kill me. His 2 daughters also got presents which I wrapped separately. I've used 3 types of wrappers too. Red, Green and Silver. Not those plain types though. Lastly tied with red ribbon. Looks nice.
Jumat, 21 Desember 2007
The Winter Solstice 冬至
Another year has come. Today Sat 22nd Dec is The Winter Solstice day or Dong Zhi 冬至. Chinese fesitval dishes usually have auspicious and meaningful names and the tang yuan 汤圆 is no different. The Chinese word tang 汤 (meaning 'soup') sounds like tuan which means reunion, while yuan 圆 means round, signifying "yuan man" (complete / 圆满 ). The entire phrase tang yuan 汤圆 therefore symbolises "tuan yuan" (family reunion / 团圆 ), and eating tang yuan on Dong Zhi 冬至 represents family reunion and harmony, and also signifies family unity and family prosperity.
This year I've made Tang Yuan better compared to last year. It's the 2nd year I made myself. Previously, mum and us siblings will do. Time has changed. So this year, I know a better way to do it nicer and rounder. I start from 7am till 930am. Takes long time eh. Cos I like to do it nice this time.
I bought 2 packs of this where there's 5 colors inside. Red, white, green, orange and yellow. But they are hard and not nice looking. I've also bought ginger and 1 big stalk of pandan leaves.
So I separate them by colors and then crushed them. Add water and make the dough again. When too watery or too soft, add little by little glutinous flour. When rolling it, add a little bit of flour first before rolling. It won't stick with the rest and makes it looks more rounder. So it turns out nice or not? It's not so round yet cos later only make it round when put inside the boiling water.
These are the 5 colors after remaking them. Notice I put flour under them? Cos later I can use it to roll again and also they don't stick together. Do the lightest color 1st otherwise the darker color which sticks to your hand will get transfer to the lighter ones.
This 2 packs I bought from Carrefour cos I wan this year to have fillings. It's red bean in the purple packet and Black Sesame on the green pack. I think it cost about RM2.99 a pack.
This is the end product after 2.5 hrs making it. I'm really pleased as it tastes good and looks good too. The big red ones are not red. Looks more Pink! Kakaka... So means it's 6 colors!
Below is the recipe but I've made some changes. I had 3 pots. 1 pot for boiling water with added sugar. This pot is used first to put them inside. When they float, let them float awhile and then transfer them to another pot of normal water. Let them sink down but not too long. Say 5 mins at sinking level. I let all the 5 colors sink and then transfer them to the last pot which is boiling with ginger and pandan leaves and sugar. I used 7 big teaspoons of sugar for a big pot.
At 1st I do the bigger whites and the bigger reds which is without fillings. Do the above paragraph. Then do the smaller 5 colors. Lastly I do those with fillings cos I don't want the fillings to remain too long as it will break the fillings out.
Recipe (From somewhere)
1. 500g of ready-mix glutinous rice dough (can be bought from market during the festival time)
2. 4 bowl of water (250ml x 4 = 1litre)
3. 130gm of dark brown sugar
4. 1 stalk of pandan leaves
1. Boil 1 litre of water with pandan leaves in a pot until you can smell of pandan leave fragrant with brown sugar, red date and dried longan meat, remove pandan leave then off the fire.
2. Boil 1 litre of water then once it boil reduce to low fire. Prepare some glutinous rice flour for dusting, take out the ready-mix glutinous rice dough, separate the red colour from the white.
3. Cover the red colour dough while you rolling the white dough. Then use water to wet your hands then knead the white dough into well mix, then roll into a long shape. Then divide into 2 small portion, while rolling the balls, the rest of the portion must be kept covered. Use your wet palm to roll them into small balls.
4. Dust your tray with some glutinous rice flour, then put the well roll ball into the tray and cover it. This is to prevent the ball from getting dry thru room temperature. Then proceed to do the red colour dough, knead them with wet hands until they are sticky then divide into small portions, then start to roll into small balls.
5. Once you finished rolling all the ball, put them into tray, you have turn on fire to boil the pot of water. Once you see bubbles, drop in your white ball slowly let it cooked. Prepare a pot of tap water. Then you see the white ball floated up, scoop them up and put into the pot of tap water. Then stir the ball a while. This is to prevent the ball from stick to each other later on. Do the same for the red colour ball too.
6. Then turn on the fire for the pandan leave syrup pot, and let it boil, then drain dry the ball from the pot of tap water and put them into the syrup pot. At this time, you may also add in the red colour balls too, then let them cook until you see all the ball floated up, off fire.
This year I've made Tang Yuan better compared to last year. It's the 2nd year I made myself. Previously, mum and us siblings will do. Time has changed. So this year, I know a better way to do it nicer and rounder. I start from 7am till 930am. Takes long time eh. Cos I like to do it nice this time.
I bought 2 packs of this where there's 5 colors inside. Red, white, green, orange and yellow. But they are hard and not nice looking. I've also bought ginger and 1 big stalk of pandan leaves.
So I separate them by colors and then crushed them. Add water and make the dough again. When too watery or too soft, add little by little glutinous flour. When rolling it, add a little bit of flour first before rolling. It won't stick with the rest and makes it looks more rounder. So it turns out nice or not? It's not so round yet cos later only make it round when put inside the boiling water.
These are the 5 colors after remaking them. Notice I put flour under them? Cos later I can use it to roll again and also they don't stick together. Do the lightest color 1st otherwise the darker color which sticks to your hand will get transfer to the lighter ones.
This 2 packs I bought from Carrefour cos I wan this year to have fillings. It's red bean in the purple packet and Black Sesame on the green pack. I think it cost about RM2.99 a pack.
This is the end product after 2.5 hrs making it. I'm really pleased as it tastes good and looks good too. The big red ones are not red. Looks more Pink! Kakaka... So means it's 6 colors!
Below is the recipe but I've made some changes. I had 3 pots. 1 pot for boiling water with added sugar. This pot is used first to put them inside. When they float, let them float awhile and then transfer them to another pot of normal water. Let them sink down but not too long. Say 5 mins at sinking level. I let all the 5 colors sink and then transfer them to the last pot which is boiling with ginger and pandan leaves and sugar. I used 7 big teaspoons of sugar for a big pot.
At 1st I do the bigger whites and the bigger reds which is without fillings. Do the above paragraph. Then do the smaller 5 colors. Lastly I do those with fillings cos I don't want the fillings to remain too long as it will break the fillings out.
Recipe (From somewhere)
1. 500g of ready-mix glutinous rice dough (can be bought from market during the festival time)
2. 4 bowl of water (250ml x 4 = 1litre)
3. 130gm of dark brown sugar
4. 1 stalk of pandan leaves
1. Boil 1 litre of water with pandan leaves in a pot until you can smell of pandan leave fragrant with brown sugar, red date and dried longan meat, remove pandan leave then off the fire.
2. Boil 1 litre of water then once it boil reduce to low fire. Prepare some glutinous rice flour for dusting, take out the ready-mix glutinous rice dough, separate the red colour from the white.
3. Cover the red colour dough while you rolling the white dough. Then use water to wet your hands then knead the white dough into well mix, then roll into a long shape. Then divide into 2 small portion, while rolling the balls, the rest of the portion must be kept covered. Use your wet palm to roll them into small balls.
4. Dust your tray with some glutinous rice flour, then put the well roll ball into the tray and cover it. This is to prevent the ball from getting dry thru room temperature. Then proceed to do the red colour dough, knead them with wet hands until they are sticky then divide into small portions, then start to roll into small balls.
5. Once you finished rolling all the ball, put them into tray, you have turn on fire to boil the pot of water. Once you see bubbles, drop in your white ball slowly let it cooked. Prepare a pot of tap water. Then you see the white ball floated up, scoop them up and put into the pot of tap water. Then stir the ball a while. This is to prevent the ball from stick to each other later on. Do the same for the red colour ball too.
6. Then turn on the fire for the pandan leave syrup pot, and let it boil, then drain dry the ball from the pot of tap water and put them into the syrup pot. At this time, you may also add in the red colour balls too, then let them cook until you see all the ball floated up, off fire.
Rabu, 19 Desember 2007
Psychology of color
Color is such an important element in our lives. It has been a part of the natural world since the beginning of time, yet we continue to be fascinated by the mysterious nature of this subject. Our personalities can be reflected in our color choices. Warm colors are red, orange, and yellow. These warm colors evoke emotions ranging from feelings of warmth and comfort to feelings of anger and hostility. Cool colors are blue, purple, and green. These colors are often described as calm, but can also call to mind feelings of sadness or indifference.
Rabu, 05 Desember 2007
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