Chinese New Year 2017 Part 2

Continue-ing from the previous CNY post, I'm back to update the remaining of the CNY celebration :) 

After all the feasting on CNY eve, the feasting continues! 

#OOTD for Day 1 of CNY. 

Probably the most important day of the lunar Chinese New Year because it's the very first day of the lunar new year. Yay to a new beginning :)

Mr and Mrs Goh wishing everyone a Happy Lunar New Year!

Went back to my parents' place to 'luo hei' first before fetching the family members out for cny visiting :) 

A pic with my niece who turned 2 years old on Day 1 of CNY :) Am glad that she's not that afraid of me but she's actually very shy one haha. 

Yearly affair with the other nieces and nephews.

From the pic can tell they have grown so much over the years which also meant we have aged lol. 

Group Pic 1

Okay my niece is looking really grumpy here lol. And the other kids got kind of distracted too. 

Group Pic 2

This is a much better shot haha whereby everyone is finally looking at the camera properly. 

After the cny visiting, it's back to my parents' place for another round of feasting haha. 

Home cook food by Dad :)

I've always forward to home cook food by him because it's never fails to disappoint me! Yummy food as always :)

Back to my cousin's house for 2nd round of 'gaming' with the kids. They were really excited the whole night. I guess it's also a rare day for them to get together with their own cousins after all they don't normally meet that often too.

That's us playing with them still wide awake even though it'a already late night haha.  

Day 2 of CNY was rest day for us. Finally a proper rest because we have been out since CNY eve.

We have steamboat in our cosy home for dinner that night. Trying to utilize the steamboat machine to the max haha!  

We were out again on CNY Day 3. It was a steamboat gathering with Derp's extended family.

Simple outfit that day. Just wanted to wear something comfy haha! So it's back to my tsum tsum top lol.

Light makeup for the day...

All the food for the steamboat. This is only the first of many rounds. We had it for lunch and then for late dinner too.

Afterwhich, it's time for the yearly affair to 'gamble' on CNY.

So many people involved.

Tutu Kueh did brought me some luck this year :)

Last but not least, a group photo for the attendees that day on CNY Day 3.

This pretty much sums up my CNY Celebration for 2017. 

We are actually another 6-7 months till the next CNY celebration. Time files and as usual looking forward to it even though it means growing old once again. 

But oh well, such gathering with family members are always memorable and priceless. 

Cherish it while it lasts :) 

Chinese New Year 2017 Part 1

It's Chinese New Year once again! This year CNY happened way too early (late Jan) so there weren't actually much time to prepare. Overall, it was a simple CNY for the both of us as the 'break' given to us were just a few days only. Totally dread going back to work thereafter :(

CNY Deco was up 1 month before the actual day. Oh hello 'Chicken' year :) 

No time to waste so better put it up fast if not it will only last for short while and it has to be taken down already.

And I've some chick on my nails to welcome CNY. Thanks to my SIL who helped me do my nails. It has been a yearly affair.

As usual, I went back to my parent's place to make Arrowhead (Chi Ku) chips with my mum. Told her beforehand to reduce the quantity but she still buy alot of them to make it. And somehow, I nagged this to her every year but seems like my message didn't get to her afterall lol.

All of them waiting to be packed into containers.

All packed properly by yours truly :) That's my 'job' every year though.

I still think she make a little way too much, should cut down somemore haha! But this is counted as little compare to the past years. Still feeling blessed to get to eat this every year though. Home made always taste the best :)

This year, I have Matcha Latte cookies to add on to my CNY goodies. So happy to eat Matcha related goodies for CNY. 

Matcha Latte Cookies by Sugar By J :)

I've also ordered the earl grey cookies from them. Definitely something different from the norm. 

They are not as heaty as compared to the the other CNY goodies but still, have to eat in moderation.

Chinese New Year's Eve

It have been a tradition to go to derp's side for reunion lunch first before heading back to my parent's place for reunion dinner. Glad that all these years there isn't any clash in timing and we can have best of both world without missing any of the reunions.

#welfie before heading out for reunion lunch.

#OOTD for the reunion lunch. In white this year :) 

First Luo Hei of the year! Huat ah! 

Before we start to luo hei..or should I say before we start creating a mess..

Time for some family pics before the reunion lunch ends.

Derp's family with Derp's Maternal Grandmother.

All of us present for the reunion lunch :) 

Head back home thereafter to rest before reunion part 2 with my family. It's hard to feel hungry during CNY because there's way too much food to eat and it all started from CNY's eve.

#OOTD for reunion part 2 

Changed into something more comfy and am in my favourite tsum tsum top and matching shoes :) 

Anyway, no need to wear so formal when going back to my parents' place haha. Comfy is more important! 

This year I did not really want my parents to prepare/cook too much food on CNY eve (save the energy for CNY Day 1), I offered to sponsor some add on dishes for the reunion dinner. 

The rice and the cold dish (in the middle) are from Soup Restaurant. They weren't too pricey to begin with but the food was so-so. Nothing to rave about. The rest of the items were prepared by my parents. 

That should be it for CNY Part 1 and I'll be back to update the rest of the Chinese New Year celebration soon! 

CNY 2016 Day 1 and 2

Back to continue where I stop the previous time on CNY, and this will be my last post on CNY 2016. 

Goodies from Mum once again to bless us in this new year.

The yearly custom of having homecook reunion lunch before heading out for CNY visiting. Simply because there's no food and nothing beats comfort food :)

Cabbage with Mushroom and Wolfberries, Stir Fried Pork with Sliced Ginger.

After clearing up, it's time to get ready to dress up nicely and go out to 拜年.

#welfie taken at home.

Tried really hard to include the CNY decor in the background into our photo lol. 

Sending our CNY greetings to all our family and friends. We did this last year too haha!

Time flies and it's the 2nd year we are celebrating Chinese New Year in our home :)

#OOTD for Day 1

Headed to my aunt's place to 拜年. It's the first year my niece join us for CNY visiting haha.

Alright seems like she don't really know what's going on lol

They were all dressed in pink and it was not planned at all. 

Alright behind every scene, it's usually chaotic haha. And seems like the 2 youngest girls have become bff in a short while lol. 

It's my first year giving out the hong baos hence there's photo-taking to commemorate this moment.

My eldest niece

The 2nd eldest niece

Time really flies and all of them are so grown up now! And that would means how much I've aged too :(

Back to my parents' place after visiting my aunt..

Yet another feast waiting for us even though it's much simpler this time. But still the food is way too much for us haha! Indeed the best season to gain fats. 

One more #OOTD taken before we left for home after spending half a day at the west. 

On CNY Day 2, we had a good rest before preparing for the reunion dinner with Derp's immediate family members.

Steamboat in the house!

#welfie with the family members

We used 海底捞's steamboat soupbase for the steamboat. I ordered it from Qoo10 and glad that it came in time for the reunion dinner. It tasted good (even though I've not try the actual 海底捞 steamboat before), but however the MSG level in the soupbase is really high. All of us felt so thirsty after the steamboat dinner though.

Not very sure if the actual 海底捞 taste the same and will only know when we decide to try it. The queue seems to be always long!

This year CNY's celebration is really short (just simply 2 days and everyone is back to work) so there isn't much chance to do more CNY visiting. Hopefully in the coming new year, we will have more chance to do visiting and catching up with our relatives/friends.

CNY Preparation, CNY Reunion 2016

It's CNY once again which means lots of eating and of cause the much deserved rest :) 

Not forgetting all the preparation work that needs to be done to get ready for CNY. No complains afterall it's a one year once event and it's only during CNY we get to have 2 public holidays instead of 1 pathetic day. Oh well, better than no rest at all!

The CNY deco was up 1 month prior to CNY. I reckon the best way to not 'waste' the deco is to have them up as early as possible haha! 

Still love such red and velvet CNY deco and I've used similar one for the previous year too. It doesn't look too old fashion and yet classy at the same time. I'm definitely not one who goes for those loud design when it comes to CNY deco. 

My nails to welcome the monkey year

My nails incorporated 2 cute little monkeys on my thumb nails haha! Other than that it was the usual floral and glitter which I find it most apt for CNY. 

CNY nails done by SIL :) She did my 2015 nails too, You may view it here.

Close up of the nail art.. 

The yearly affair with chi ku chips has never stop even though I've shifted out. I make it a point to head back to my parents' place to help out in making these chi ku chips. Okay it's more like I'm the one who QC the quality, test it and ensuring all is well before I pack them into containers. 

My mum has long washed them clean way before I reached. Mind you, they don't look clean like these when you purchase them from the market. Infact, it's actually covered with soil/mud just like lotus root.

Lots of work need to be done to ensure they are really clean before slicing them up to fry. 

The very first batch :)

And within the next hour of deep frying/seasoning it/cooling it , that's how much chi ku chips were made! 

Nah they weren't for my personal consumption but more of distributing to my friends/colis.

Other than the chi ku chips which were DIY, there were other home made goodies too. 

Last year, I fully utilized the air fryer and made lots of CNY goodies but these year it was just German Cookies and Crab stick snacks.  You may find the recipes with regards to CNY snacks made using air fryer here.

This time round, only the crab stick snacks were made using air fryer and we decide to make German Cookies using the oven instead. 

Waiting patiently..

And here we have, a tub of German Cookies for our consumption.

Btw, I've accidentally poured in the corn flour instead of potato starch and decide to go ahead with it so as to prevent wastage. I only realized it after Derp have mixed finish the dough and getting ready to mould the cookie shape opps! 

But anyway, we couldn't really taste any difference so we decide to keep it instead of throwing it into the bin.

Last but not least, we have to get ready all the Hong Baos for distribution. 

It's our first year so we are kind of enthu even though it will mean taking money out from our own pockets to distribute. It's a one year once event just like why people buy presents for everyone during Xmas so we don't find a need to brood over it that much. #justdoit

And just like any other years, Derp's family side has a early reunion lunch on CNY's eve eve. We only did our spring cleaning on CNY's eve itself before heading back to my parent's place for reunion haha. So much for being last minute.

The CNY #selfie 

#OOTD for the first CNY reunion gathering

Reunion Lunch by Neo Garden Catering at Derp's Uncle's provision shop.

Fresh Luo Hei provided by the restaurant next door. 

As usual group photo..

With Derp's uncles/aunties, cousins and niece :) 

Glad that the number of family members turning up is still going strong. We should keep it going over the many years to come.

On CNY's eve, we managed to sleep in before we finally get down to do the spring cleaning. Back to 娘家 in the evening and a table of sumptuous food await us. 

Homecook food is still the best! 

As much as I will love to have homecook food, I would rather my parents to rest and just go out for reunion dinner but they always find joy in preparing food (be it reunion dinner anot) for us over the years. 

Never did they once complain how troublesome it is to go to the market to shop for ingredients and all the time and effort they spend in making this meal happen. I can only say a parent's love for their kids are always selfless :)

The expensive fish which has really thick and fresh meat bought from the wet market at wee hours by my parents. 

Our own version of 一品锅. 

It's time for Luo hei (again, my 3rd time of the year) once my brother and SIL bought back the 鱼生 to join us. 

Family #welfie before the luo hei

Okay Derp's face was crop away because we didn't have our selfie stick with us and yet we have to squeeze in so many of us haha! 

As you can see, even before the arrival of CNY, I've already stuffed myself with lots of good food lol! More to come over the festive season and will blog about it soon :) Stay tuned :)