Birthday Celebrations

It has been a month of birthday celebrations. My daughter, SweetTeen, turned 15. Then my dad-in-law had a large-scale celebration for his 76th birthday - invited all his relatives and close friends. My mom also turned 76, and just a few days ago my son, CoolTeen, turned 19. I suppose I would have to give him another nickname next year when he's no longer a teenager.

Just a quick recap of the birthday cakes that we had this year....

SweetTeen loves stars,
so I made fondant stars for her chocolate cake

Dad-in-law's pandan layered cake. Can't take
any credit for this because I ordered it from a bakery.
Love the fresh cream chinese peaches - a symbol
for longevity

My mom's chocolate mousse cake, also bought
from a bakery. See the difference between professional
and amateur bakers? :)

CoolTeen's snare drum cake. It looks simple
but the fondant decorations
took me the whole afternoon to create.
Now I remember why I seldom make fondant cakes!

CoolTeen received a rather creative present from one of his friends who knew that he liked Milo...

The whole box with the logo on the cover
was homemade - a treasure chest of Milo bars
and 3-in-1 Milo powder!

A friend of mine posted this video on Facebook this morning and I was amazed at how much I could identify with it. This is Katrina Kenison reading from a chapter from the book 'The Gift Of An Ordinary Day'. It reminds me to appreciate my children every single day, for they are truly precious gifts.
Warning: tissues needed!

Aloe Vera Dessert

We were with some friends sometime before the Chinese New Year, when someone mentioned that he always gets aloe vera leaves from his grandma's garden in Malacca to make tong sui (Cantonese for a sweet soupy dessert). He offered to bring some back for me since I always enjoy a bowl of chilled tong sui on a hot,humid day.

The aloe vera leaves were HUGE, bigger
than any that I've seen. I suppose the soil
in Malacca must be rich in nutrients!

Cut off the side thorns then slice off the skin
 with a vegetable peeler

Slice open the leaf, then cut into strips

Cut the fleshy pulp loose from the skin

Cut the flesh into bite-size cubes

Throw it into a large pot, add water and red dates.
Boil, then add sugar according to taste.

And there you have it, a simple and tasty dessert that's good for the skin :)

Money & Happiness?

I saw this on Facebook today and I think if everyone truly understands the correlation between money and happiness, this world would be a better place.
The video is a little long but worth your time watching it :)