In Search Of A Cake To Bash

I am totally bushed from running all over town looking for a plain vanilla sponge cake covered with plain white fresh cream cream for Grandson to bash on his first birthday.

Nowadays people are so sophisticated that the plain vanilla sponge cake has been shunted off the shelf in almost all the cake shops I went to. Taking its place are its more glamorous and well-dressed cousins such as the Tiramisu, Black Forest, Cheescake, Opera, etc.  

Somehow the chocolate sponge cake managed to hold on to its tenuous distinction of being the standard no-frills birthday cake in one or two shops. Maybe that's because it is not as plain as its vanilla sister. 

In one shop, when I insisted on a half kilogram plain vanilla sponge cake, I was told that I must pre-order and that the minimum size for the cake must be 1 kg. Is the demand for plain vanilla sponge that low that it is no longer feasible for the bakery to make a half kilogram cake?

Thank God! I eventually found a shop selling mini sponge cakes at RM12 each but they have all been decorated. The least decorated one was a chocolate sponge cake with plain white fresh cream and a few cherries for decoration which we could remove to leave a plain white cake. 

It was a dilemma for me. Chocolate inside and plain white on the outside after we have discarded the cherries, or vanilla cake inside with fresh cream and some colourful decorations on the outside?

When Grandma is undecided, ask the Mommy. So, after consultation and a FaceTime session with 'bee, she decided on a plain vanilla sponge cake with some decorations that are quite appropriate for a little boy's first birthday cake. 

Finally, Grandson has a cake to bash on his birthday. :) 

At this point in time, I don't think I will have the energy to do this for my other grandchildren on their first birthdays. Despite the daunting thought, I know I will do it for all my grandchildren as long as the Lord enables me to. After all, that's what Grandmothers are for.  

After all the trouble I went to I cannot resist giving you a sneak peek of the cutest cake ever. Although it looks big in this cropped partial shot, the whole cake could actually fit into the palm of my hands!

Bits of My Mom

Last night, we went for dinner with Grandson. To my delight he was all smiles when he came into the car. He was even smiling when he was having his feed.

How my heart melts when he smiles!

Again it struck me how his features resemble my mother's whenever he smiles. And I'm not the only one to say this.

It’s nice to see bits of her in Caden.

My mom

Cafe Hopping

Jewel is back for the holidays so we had a night out cafe hopping along Green Hall Road.

We had dinner at Kaffa and then adjourned to another cafe further up the road (cannot remember the name) for Crepe Mille cakes and drinks.

Baby Brother and I with our desserts in the foreground; bottom fr left to right, BBQ Ribs, Portobello Mushroom Pasta and some Philly Cheese Sandwich with something something

I took photos of Baby Sis and Jewel but not with my camera. Hence no photos of them.

Our table at Kaffa

I think I've seen a red tv like this before

Darth Vader was hiding in the corner

I would love to play with this!

My 3rd Birthday Cake

...was extra-special because it was made with lovely, loving hands. It was also the first time that my 'Bee made a birthday cake for me. What a memorable moment!

Chocolate Cake with Mint Chocolate Glaze

See the beautiful cake and how beautifully she has decorated it? My 'Bee may be an amateur but her skill is definitely much better than those people at Secret Recipe, Straits Quay, who almost ruined my birthday cake last year. 

They sell cakes and they couldn't even pipe a proper message much less decorate the cake with flowers and leaves. How absurd is that? Is it any wonder that I no longer order my birthday cakes from them? 

But now that there is such a talented a cake decorator in our midst what I'll do is order my Macadamia White Chocolate Cake and get 'Bee to decorate it for me. What a great idea! 

Yoo hoo! I'm so looking forward to my favourite Macadamia White Chocolate Cake for next year's birthday party. 

Birthday Party at Kebaya on 2 August 2013

I must say a big " THANK YOU" to Baby Sis for planning such a lovely (and early) birthday party for me at Kebaya, 7 Terraces.

From left to right: Dr Peter "Dragon" Ong, Soo Fun, me, Baby Sis & Jewel

We were delighted to receive a complimentary bottle of red wine from Chris Ong, the proprietor. We think it's because we took the trouble to dress up in our kebayas to match the name of his restaurant, Kebaya.

Birthday girl enjoying her glass of wine

And the pianist was playing throughout dinner and so we had wine, women and song...what a combination!

Then came the food. For starters we had Ban Xeo and Otak-Otak in Puff Pastry.

I think that it was such a splendid idea to just bake the fish in pastry and serve it with the Otak-Otak sauce as accompaniment. The result was fantastic!

For the man meal we had rice served with (clockwise from top left) Sambal Goreng, Vegetable Tempura, Veal in Red Curry and Sashimi Grade Scallops Gado-Gado Style.

The veal was beautifully cooked to perfection and complimented with crunchy bamboo shoots. And the Gado-Gado was superb. These two were the specialty dishes for the night and we had no regrets opting for them over the regular dishes on the menu.

And for dessert we had (clockwise from left) Blue Tang Yuen, Gula Melaka Mousse and Passion Fruit Panna Cotta.

We stuck a candle on the Gula Melaka Mousse and, voila!, it was transformed into my birthday cake.

My first birthday cake this year. Isn't it pretty?

A photo before we sang "Happy birthday"

Another photo with Baby Sis and Jewel

At the end of dinner we has another surprise. A mysterious someone (dunno who) had already settled the bill. What a blessing! Thank you, Lord!

That's my first birthday party for this year. Looking forward to birthday party no. 2. 

Note: A special big THANK YOU to Soo Fun for the use of her photos. 

To Make Passport

This conversation ensued as we left home this morning.

Me: Do you know what we need to make passport?

Hubby: Photo, old passport and IC!

Me: Wah! So clever. Do we have all that?

Hubby: All with you ma. The most important thing is me.

Me: Have you prepared payment?

Hubby: Huh? Need money meh?

Me: Of course la! You think the government will give you passport for free ar?

Hubby: Can use credit card ar?

Me: Dunno but I have the cash. I have to prepare everything. What are you going to do without me?

Hubby: Don't make passport lo. I also don't go anywhere.

@_@

Because I Have A Sister

...I always have a friend.

She has known me for the longest time. We have history and because of that she understands where my insecurities are coming from and my idiosyncrasies make sense to her. She has seen me at my worst and still thinks the best of me.

I'm so blessed.

Six Months Old Today

Happy six-month old day Caden!

Caden, Por Por's prayer is for Lu. 2:52 to be realised in your life.

I love, love, love you so much and I want to shower you with lots of hugs and kisses but I will have to settle for many missing-yous and proxy hugs and kisses through your mommy.

Till I see you again.....

Love,
Por Por

Two Sisters Went To Play

It was supposed to be a Mary Kay experience but it's playtime for us!

Mother's Day 2013

Mother's Day this year has been extra special for me.

First of all, it is 'Bee's first Mother's Day as a new mom. I don't know about her but I was overwhelmed by a wealth of emotions the first time I celebrated Mother's Day as a mother.

Secondly, today is also my first Mother's Day as a grandmother and I was privileged to receive a bouquet from the church!

A simple bouquet for a new grandmother

What a nice change it was from giving bouquets to the oldest grandmother or the mother with the most children. With those criteria the results are so predictable and we always end up with the same people "qualifying" for the gifts every year.

The third thing I am thankful for was having lunch with 'Bee, grandson, son-in-law and his parents. The significance of Mother's Day is greatly diminished without the presence of loved ones who make the day meaningful.

And fourthly, I really like the gift the church gave the mothers this year.

An umbrella is definitely more practical and less perishable than the potted plant we received last year. The poor plant did not survive long under my lack of care.

Guess Who Went To The Polls

Besides Hubby, 'Bee and me, Grandson came along too!

See the little footie and the chubby toes! Geram nye!

Grandson had to come along because he's a fully breast-fed baby and we weren't sure how long the whole process would take. 

We were told to turn early on polling day so we dutifully presented ourselves at Hun Bin School at 9am. Normally we would have a leisurely breakfast before making our way to cast our votes around noon or later. There would be very few people around that time. 

By the time we arrived we found a huge crowd milling around the school at 9am. Everyone was very kiasu this year. 

Hubby and I were in Saluran 3 whereas 'Bee was in Saluran 5 so we had to separate. The wait for our turn to vote was almost an hour and the sun was beating down on all of us lined up along the corridors. Hubby and I were hot and sweaty by the time we finished even though we were armed with an umbrella and a fan. Once we had finished our duty as a citizen we immediately went over to Saluran 5. 

We found Grandson fast asleep and 'Bee just getting ready to step into the voting room so she passed him to us.

We are so proud of the little fella. He cooperated fully to enable his mom to vote...didn't cry at all despite the discomfort from the heat and the long wait. 

I'm A Glam-Mother!

Friends have been asking me how life as a grandmother is like. I really don't know how to answer that question because I have not done any grandmotherly things other than buying my grandson clothes, socks, shoes and a bib!

Baby clothes are so cute. Just take a look at this...

or this.

Aren't they simply irresistible?

Okay! That's enough gushing over baby clothes.

The reason for my lack of opportunity to do any grandmotherly stuff is mainly because our times with our grandson are much too few and far between. Those precious moments are spent enjoying him, watching him, adoring him and trying to commit as much of him to memory as we possibly can. 

At our age there is only that much we can commit to memory and so I thank God for the iPhone. Hubby and I cannot take enough photos or videos of him. It sounds so silly but I review his photos and videos on a daily basis! People looking at me will see a crazy woman smiling and gazing adoringly at her phone but happy is the day and happy is the heart of this grandmother whenever I receive new updated photos or videos of our Grandson.

Photos and videos are really no substitute for having our little prince, our champ, our No. 1 (grandson that is; must qualify or my 'Bee will be offended that someone has usurped her position in my heart) with us but the photos and especially the videos, are better than nothing.

So what do I do since I am not tied down by by any grandmotherly duties? Why not be a Glam-Mother instead!

Believe it or not, these photos were taken the day my grandson was born!

On the day Grandson was born, which happened to be a Sunday, we visited 'Bee before we went to church. After church we were told that she was already in the delivery suite. No visitors were allowed so we went home and waited. 

When there was still no news in the late afternoon I decided to keep the appointment for a makeup and photoshoot session I had registered for. I was prepared to rush off half-way if necessary but Grandson took his time and so I managed to complete the whole session. 

Looks like I'm meant to be a Glam-Mother! But you know what, I would trade all the glamour for more time doing grandmotherly stuff with Grandson. He is growing up so fast. I hope he knows he has a Kung Kung and Por Por who love him very, very much even though we are not around to watch him grow. 

A Gift For Our Jewel

After a three year wait our God-daughter finally has a study bible to call her own.

When Baby Sis asked me to recommend a good study Bible for Jewel it was the perfect opportunity for us, her god-parents, to buy her the perfect belated 21st birthday gift.

Baby Sis and I took her to choose her bible and she finally settled on the Holman Christian Study Bible. It's a good choice.

Jewel enjoying her study bible. Don't you just love her expression?

Of course, the god-father, being god-father, has to be difficult. He rejected the photos Baby Sis sent and insisted on one showing her face and the front cover of the bible. So this photo is especially to pacify the god-father.

Lovely Night Out With My Lovelies

First we went in search of thin crust pizza for Jewel and found it at Lunarich. The pizza was fantastic although it was pretty pricey. Baby Sis paid more than RM40 for the one pizza we ordered.

We decided that we should bring Baby Brother here on our next sibling night out because they have pizzas that are suitable for vegetarians. I'm bringing Hubby here 'cos they have tenderloin steak. Or we could go to Angus House for Japanese chargrilled steak

Baby Sis and Jewel with the pizza taking centre stage

We wanted to sit inside but I felt that the tables and chairs were placed too close together and with military precision. They look as if someone had measured the space between the tables to make sure that they were the same distance apart and at right angles with one another.

I wasn't the only one who felt that way. When we compared notes on our unanimous decision to sit outside, it was due to the same reason.

We actually planned to take in the lights at Kek Lok Si after dinner but changed our minds when we saw the jam at Jalan Air Itam. Instead we went for mille crepe cake and coffee at Humble Beginnings at Straits Quay.

Then I received a delightful surprise when they sent me home. Jewel presented me with a lovely set of kerosang to wear with baju panjang. It's a thank you gift from her and Joshua for my taking care of their mom while they were away.

What a timely gift! We're wearing baju panjang for our performance on Chap Goh Meh and I needed a pair of kerosang.

Thank you Jewel and Joshua!

S'nar Ee's 90th Birthday

Last night, 70 relatives congregated at Michael Chow's home in USJ, Subang Jaya, to celebrate his mom's 90th birthday.

It was a splendid idea to have a buffet at home instead of going to the restaurant. We had a wonderful time catching up with the latest news among family members and, even though we were all behind closed doors in the air conditioned house, we were so noisy that the ruckus we raised could be heard from the end of the road.

The minute we arrived, the cousins asked two things of us. First of all, they wanted to know the location of the shop where we had the special pau with crispy filling on our foodie trip to Alor Star.

But how did they know about the special pau? Because all of them are on Facebook! Bearing in mind that all of us are in our fifties and sixties, we have really kept up with the times.

Next, after the food question had been settled, they clamoured to see photos of our grandson. There were so many oos and ahs over how handsome he is, his to-die-for dimples, how big he is for his age and his "stylo" hair.

Showing off Grandson's photos and bragging about him being able to turn at 20 days

Our photo with the birthday girl

Hubby giving an angpow to S'nar Ee

Hubby always has a soft spot for this aunt who took care of him when he was a child. And despite bouts of forgetfulness, she always remembers him. Whenever he tells her who he is she would always respond, "I took care of you!"

Her "Thank you" for the angpow Hubby gave her was loud and clear but we really cheered when she said, "Thank you very much!" after Big Sis Elaine presented her with an angpow.

Then Hubby decided to show some of the old family photos and that put everyone in a flurry again. It was so funny to see them try to identify who is who in the old photos.

What are they doing talking behind my back? Can't I eat in peace?

It was a lovely get-together and I'm looking forward to the next one 'cos we're planning to incorporate a foodie trip to Tanjong Tualang for seafood!

New Beginnings

Sunday, 30th December 2012, was the 16th anniversary celebration of Harvest Christian Centre. The theme was New Beginnings and it was timely that the event also saw the launch of the EP "New Beginnings" featuring 5 tracks composed and sung by Edwin Song (our nephew), Grace Goh (his wife) and Ruth Chuah, the Senior Pastor's daughter.

We were so privileged to have been invited to share in their joy. Surely this marks the beginning of greater things that God has in store for the budding composers and singers and for the church as well.

Congratulations Grace, Ruth and Edwin!

IWA Christmas Morning at E&O Hotel

Last Monday (10/12/12) Lillian gave me a treat to the IWA Christmas lunch held at E&O Hotel.

The IWA choir carolling in the foyer

Baby Sis, as usual, must dress to the theme. So that morning she raided one of her Christmas trees and made herself a crazy hat that won her first prize

Be my guest!

Turkey with cranberry sauce served with the most delicious chestnut stuffing ever, lasagna and other dishes that I cannot remember

Mini-mince pies, Christmas pudding and cookies...sweet endings to a wonderful lunch

First Reunion Dinner for CNY 2013

We had an early CNY reunion dinner tonight to coincide with my sis-in-law's and also Terence's family's visit to Penang and all of us received our first angpows for CNY.

Yes, my sis-in-law being the eldest in the family distributes angpows to everyone, even those who are married. Besides my paternal aunt, she is the only one who practices this unusual custom.

Of course we're not complaining 'cos people like us who have long been disqualified from receiving angpows also untung!

Our first angpows for CNY 2013

The Countdown Begins

Weekly Christmas With the Community (CWC) meetings have begun since last week.

Practice for CWC Nyonya dance has commenced since last Sunday with many more practices to go.

9/12 Wedding at Alor Setar.

10/12 Family from overseas arriving!

11/12 - IWA Christmas breakfast at E&O Hotel
- Deadline to put presents under the Christmas tree for office exchange of gifts.
- Early family CNY reunion dinner.

12/12 Lunch

13/12 Lunch

15/12 Combined Cell Christmas celebration with Fettes Park cell.

18/12 Office Christmas celebration. We open our presents!

22/12 Christmas With The Community.

25/12 Christmas

31/12 Watchnite

See the list above I also panchet di. But first there's this list below to work on ASAP.

Birthday Celebrations 2012 - Part 4...Lunch at Suffolk House

Believe it or not, I've not finished celebrating my birthday. Or rather my birthday wishes are still being fulfilled.
I really wanted to celebrate my birthday at Suffolk House this year but due to unfavourable circumstances that idea was shelved. Since it is most satisfying when wishes do come true, I set about planning a small celebration at Suffolk House. The perfect opportunity presented itself when our precious Jewel of India came back and so we had a mini-joint-birthday celebration for the two of us on Saturday, 8 September 2012.

As usual when we celebrate we must celebrate in style. A theme for the party is mandatory and we decided that the theme for the day was green.

The 3 ladies in various shades of green.

Suffolk House is a really beautiful place but where the food is concern, there is nothing spectacular taste-wise and the portions were very tiny – so not worth the price we paid. To be honest, most people would leave the table half-full (I did) and anyone with a healthy appetite would still be hungry after the meal.

Super tiny serving of salad...a few leaves enough for 2 mouthfuls

A miniscule portion of Atlantic Salmon for my main dish

With such teeny-weeny portions, lunch was over all too soon and it was time for dessert.

Me and my dessert

Then after lunch Hubby and I had the most pleasant surprise. We received presents from India!

Our budding dentist gave us sweets!

First came the Tic Tacs in these mini bottles. Apparently the Indians like miniaturised items so it is common to find mini versions of things like Pond's Cold Cream etc there. 

Then came the personal presents. A notebook for me. Don't you just love the cute cartoons on the cover?

The Front Cover of the notebook

The Back Cover of the notebook

And that's not all. The best is yet to come.

Lovely pieces of material in the most gorgeous colours with a shawl to match!

Then it is Hubby's turn. Jewel bought this pair of shorts for her Khai Yeh to wear when he plays badminton. It is full of cute and colourful Vespas! So pretty that she bought one for herself too and they are going to wear them together one of these days.

Hubby is happy with his gift

To our shame we did not have any presents for our god-daughter. :( We just fed her.

Now I am planning for my last birthday wish to come true. Dinner at David Brown!