Fun in Kuantan

Went for a 3 day 2 night holiday in Kuantan on the 2nd day of Chinese New Year, all 7 of us in 1 car...hubby, our 2 kids, parents-in-law and hubby's sis.

Left KL about 10.30 am and arrived in Kuantan for lunch. Most of the Chinese restaurants and coffe shops were still closed for the Chinese New Year, so we ended up at the place we KL folks are most familar with...a fastfood outlet at a shopping mall. Ate at the KFC in Berjaya Megamall.

Discovered a lovely recreational park called Taman Gelora, within walking distance of where we were staying. It is a park with a lake situated beside the sea, so the cool sea breeze was a welcome change from the heat we had been experiencing in KL. It has a jogging track, exercise equipment, some tennis courts, a children's playground and ponds full of water lilies. There are also lots of very large trees that provided shade from the sun...really a lovely place for the family.

For dinner we went to a halal Chinese seafood restaurant called Pak Su, which is rather popular, judging from the crowd. The food is nice...and we were so hungry that we gobbled it all up before remembering to take photos of it for my blog.

After dinner we went to the pasar malam at Teluk Chempedak beach. I am not a fan of Crocs but I couldn't resist this cute pair...nowadays it's getting more and more difficult to tell the imitation Crocs from the genuine ones. Bought it for RM25.

The next day we went to the East Coast Mall for a bit of shoppping. I managed to get some good bargains because of the sale...a pair of jeans for RM20 plus (original price RM109), 2 branded T-shirts for RM40 plus and a dress for RM25 (big grins). Went back to Berjaya Megamall for some bowling fun. We bowled 'so well' that the machine overheated (twice!) and after waiting a long while for the technicians to do repairs, we were allowed to change lanes and start over!

The following day we had a simple breakfast of eggtarts and char siew pau that we bought from a mobile bakery (a van with 2 built-in gas ovens!) and left for a 1-night stay at Genting View Resort.

Happy Chinese New Year/Valentine's Day

Had a scrumptious steamboat reunion dinner. Mum-in-law prepared so much food that everyone ate until we were full and there was still a lot of food leftover.

It's almost midnight...am sitting at my computer desk watching non-stop colourful fireworks through my bedroom window. (lots of wealthy people staying on a nearby hill) The air is still and the temperature a sweltering 33.9 degrees Celsius...thank God for air-conditioning!

Yes, the Chinese New Year celebrations are beginning and will continue for another 2 weeks...giving and receving angpows, eating, visiting friends and relatives...eating...and more eating...haha.

Stepped on the bathroom scales just now...I can fit into my new dress after all...YES!! All the exercise I had been doing for the past 3 weeks have paid off! (big happy grin)

Here's wishing everyone Xin Nian Kuai Le, and Happy Valentine's Day as well!

My Blog Signature

Found this very helpful blog called MOMS WHO BLOG at http://momswhoblog.blogspot.com/ where blogger Amy shares lots of information on how to spruce up a blog.

Today I created my very own signature after reading her post HOW TO ADD SIGNATURE TO YOUR POSTS,FOR BLOGGER at http://momswhoblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/how-to-add-signature-to-your-posts-for.html

and tadaaa...!

...nice?

In The Mood To Bake

I haven't been baking Chinese New Year cookies for a few years now. Every year I would just buy them from the supermarket or order them through my mom-in-law who knows some ladies selling homemade cookies. The other day I checked the prices of cookies and everything costs a few Ringgit more than they did last year...a medium sized container of pineapple jam tarts now costs RM30...so I thought why not save some money and bake some myself instead.

I dug out my trusty ol' cookbook from the shelf, looked up the pineapple tart recipe and set off to buy the ingredients. When hubby came home that day, Miss PreTeen told him that mommy bought a gigantic pineapple. Yes, I was going to make my tarts from scratch...no using the pre-made pineapple paste that are widely sold in the supermarkets and bake-ware shops! (so ambitous of me!)

After slaving over the stove for about an hour stirring and stirring the pineapple puree and sugar until my arm ached...I now remember why I had not baked pineapple jam tart in years....

Roped in Miss PreTeen to help me with the dough, which she gladly did...all the while sniffing the freshly made pineapple jam and commenting how great it smelled. As soon as the tarts were out of the oven, she was only too eager to take a bite.

Looks like my tarts will not last till Chinese New Year...hubby and PreTeen have been munching them....

Some People...

I just don't get it....this is a box for donated items. There is a phone number in very large print on the box for people to call if they want to donate large items, for example furniture... and yet this is what happens...tsk tsk tsk!