Garden of Inspirations

~welcome!~

This blog is where I plant my inspirations, ideas, memories and many other stuff and let it grows. I appreciate life, do you? =)

I never knew what I really had in life, but I will try to appreciate it while I can!

My Recipie 101: How to make Tang Yuan


Tang yuan is a dish of glutinous rice balls served in a sweet broth. In Chinese culture, it is traditionally served on Dong Zhi, the winter solstice. By eating tang yuan, you welcome in the winter and become one year older. Hehehehehe!
Tang yuan makes a delicious winter snack and is easy to prepare. Despite its association with mid-winter, it can be enjoyed at any time of year. So here it goes! =)

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup glutinous rice flour
4 ounces water
Brown sugar to taste
Food coloring (optional)
Fresh ginger (optional)
Preparation:

Pour the glutinous rice flour in a bowl and slowly add water until the mixture becomes the texture of dough. You may not need the entire 4 ounces of water to reach the proper consistency. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes. You can divide the dough in half and add food coloring to one half.

Pinch off pieces of the dough and roll it into small balls.

Drop the balls into boiling water and cook them until they float - about 5 to 10 minutes.

While the balls are cooking, prepare a sweet soup by boiling water and adding brown sugar. Fresh ginger can also be added to the soup.

Put the cooked balls into the soup and serve.

Tong Yuan can also be stuffed with a paste made from peanut butter, black sesame seeds, you can also add some M&M chocolates to make it sweeter =)

Hope this helps! haha

Dong Zhi is here again!


This year's Dong Zhi falls on the 22nd December! And It's tomorrow muahahaha~
So what is Dong zhi? I only know I had to eat tang yuan- 汤圆(marble-shaped glutinous rice ball) on this day, so i did a bit of research and here it goes:

The DONG ZHI is based on the solar term of the solar calendar, which is in this case, the 22nd solar term known also as dong zhi. It coincides with December 22 of the Gregorian calendar and perhaps sometimes it falls on the 21st or 23rd December but it was very rare.

Dong Zhi is the thanksgiving of the Chinese calendar. "Dong Zhi" literally means "arrival of winter". Coinciding with the winter solstice, it is an occasion for the family to get together to celebrate the good year they have had. Tang Yuan is cooked and eaten to symbolise unity and harmony within the family.

Dong Zhi occurs 6 weeks before Chinese New Year and would normally fall between 21st Dec to 23rd Dec.

Tang Yuan in chinese sounds like "reunion". Yuan, which means “round” or “a circle”, is also an auspicious word that suggests perfection. And it's very sweet and delicious!

There is also another saying that goes "Chi tang yuan, da yi nian (Eat tang yuan and grow older by a year).” and It means every year when we reunite, we grow older every year and it's fun to eat those tang yuan and remember the old days =)

So, make yourself at home, enjoy eating these delicious Tang Yuan! ^^ Wishing everyone happy Dong Zhi!~!

Shhh! M on vacation!



Hi there, I will be going for a vacation! A journey like no other~ so I won't be online but no worries, I will be back as you know it! =) Tata~

I also updated my playlist hehe~ Hope u liked it XD

~Keep in touch~

Kend

From East to west, with wishes =P


Time to send to the people whom I collected my addresses from- well, time to escape from technology and back to the old,classical and memoriable greeting card sending! Here's the process!

1st......Woot, i didn't know I have lotsa cards!

2nd.....And checking on the address before sealing it~

And yesh! Time to send!
I hope all those greeting cards could reach safety to their mailboxes~ =)

Kend

Sunday cooking trio lolz


Today morning my kakak is not at home, so I need to cook breakfast lolx, here's my photo after cooking, WESTERN style breakfast (Eggs, sausages, Bread and Ham) ! Delicious huh? hehe

Next is lunch, this time my dad cooks! Yum yum! But I forgotten to set my camera and captured it =P But definitely it's delicious!

At night, dinner time- time for my mom to cook! This time is Wet Fried Mee!! And I captured a few photos~
Yeap, my mom loves carrots so, a lot of carrots is added into the mee, yum yum- I miss my mom's cook very much!

This is the reason why I always cook at home....because at my town there is not much restaurants, unlike Kuala Lumpur or Kota Kinabalu, there is not even a Starbucks or any cafe! So, we need to cook at home and make my home looked like a restaurant as possible!
Does it Benefit us? For me, YES!!
1. Save money
2. You automatically learn how to cook
3. Automatically learn now to serve people lolz
4. Know how to decorate the food haha
5. Can eat with everyone
6. Very safe and clean! "Trustable" food lolz

Well, the disadvantages is perhaps....waste time in preparing and cook, dirty yourself and washing the dishes...but still, cooking at home is the best! =)

KEND

A Xmas and a new year present for everyone!


I just taught of an idea! And it was worth it! I am planning on designing 5 sets of "Wallpaper styled 2010 calendar" with all my friends ideas in it! It's challenging but well, it's time for sharing, giving and loving. I will be updating the list here:

And here were the names of those I invited:
Bala, Kim Yen, Joseph, Venetia, Daphne, Catherine, Shu Wen, Mel Choo, Chee Hao, Samuel, Lennie, Charles, Jerry, Victor, Cherish, Cherry, Jenny, .......and many more XD


I hope I could finish everything it before new year 2010! =) wish me luck peeps!

Kend

A treat for the family- Homemade Chicken Rice!


Yes! Dinner is approaching and today's menu is...Chicken Rice! Tapau? Neh, it's home made! So who's the Chef cook today? It's my dad! Yesh, it's a rare event for my mom and my dad cook for us, so this time is my dad who controlled the kitchen~

Servings...
For 6 people...My family of course XD
The ingredients...
Whole chicken, Garlics, Chicken essence, Salt, Kitchup, Pandan leaves, Rice and...yea...many more but lazy hehe...

Secret recipie?"There is no secret recipie, its only you!"(Adapted from Kung Fu Panda..hehe)

Well, okie, enough of typing lolz, now for the photos! Wuuhuu~ Yum yum, have a great time viewing it, and wanted to learn from my dad! hope I mastered it hehehe~


Kend

Xmas tree in the making!


Yesh, it's time for Xmas tree making! In the past, my mom and dad would decorate it for us and the best part is when my dad switched on the Xmas lights and we laugh and dance all night, it's like celebrating for the Xmas tree! Years passed and my dad and mom is growing older...and me and my sis also have grown a little taller (Izzit? hehe) ...now it's the time for us to replace what is once in charged by my dad and mom. The tree making project starts!!

While decorating the Xmas tree.....out of the blue, History Channel have special show!!!And those who didn't know- when there is TV...I will stuck there for hours, I MEANT IT, HOURS or perhaps the whole DAY!!! LOLz...I almost forgotten about the tree but then my sis ws a little angry, so yea...hush hush! work is work haha!!

Some photos captured during Xmas tree making =)

And finally! The tree is finished! XD kekeke~ Thanks to my sis for reminding me and ......I suddenly remembered the old tall tree we once to have and the memories I had with my family when I was still child....tears almost came out but better to cry it in the heart=)
Hope this month would be another GREAT and AWESOME one!

The Xmas batch officially begins~wuuhuu

Kend