{Review} Let’s Jiak Mooncakes - Low Sugar Ones, I Like!

How time flies.  The next joyous and loveliest festival apart from the Lunar New Year is here soon.  Everywhere is bustling with people, admiring the bright lights and the pretty lanterns.

Held on the 15th of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, it is for sure a full moon on that night.  It is a night to gather and in some countries like Korea, it is also a time to give thanks for the harvest.

I remember very vividly that when I was in primary school, my parents will order the traditional mooncakes and we will eat them, together with family and relatives during the period.  As the years progress, many different variations of the mooncakes can be found in the market.  Snow skin mooncakes, alcohol infused mooncakes, ice cream mooncakes, apart from the traditional baked lotus mooncakes.

I much prefer the traditional lotus mooncakes with egg yolks.  The more yolks the merrier!  But, these days, it is mostly just double egg yolks.  Recently, Bing Liang Bakery sent over some of their well-liked mooncakes, new flavours as well as the traditional lotus paste mooncakes.

I like that they have the low sugar variants.  Don’t we agree that mooncakes are overly sweet?  For the older folks who still love the traditional kinds, the low sugar mooncakes are really much better than the usual kind.

It is evident that the low sugar mooncakes are more popular when I brought them out for friends to try because that mooncake was the first to be gone.  There was no overly sweet taste lingering in the mouth after eating a small quarter.

We hardly see durian pure lotus seed paste mooncake in the market.  Mostly durian snow skin mooncakes.  This durian mooncake is not the pure durian mooncakes we see often.  This is a durian lotus paste mooncake.  Not overpowering, with a tinge of durian smell when you cut the mooncake, this is perfect for those who cannot stand durians but yet want to have a taste of durian mooncakes.  This is not extremely sweet as well.  My parents also commented that it was not too sweet.  Phew.

Apart from the lotus paste mooncake, white lotus paste mooncake and durian mooncake, Bing Liang also sells pandan mooncake, red bean mooncake and green tea mooncake.  All 100% handmade with no preservatives, these will be good as gifts.  And most importantly, let’s talk about the cost.  Unlike many places where a box of 4 mooncakes cost more than S$50, the most expensive box of mooncake is only S$50 at Bing Liang.

Comes with a pretty box too!  One can choose the type of mooncakes to go into each box.  Meaning, you can have a choice of 4 different types of mooncakes and have the best of the worlds.

With free delivery for purchases above S$88, there is no need to jostle with the crowd in the malls to get the mooncake fix.  

Still considering?  You can always do a taste test between 2pm and 7pm at:

39A Jln Pemimpin #03-01C Singapore 577183

Look at that thin crust!

Disclosure: Mooncakes are sponsored for the purpose of this review.  All photos and opinions are true to my own unless otherwise stated.  

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What Christmas Means to Our Family

Christmas.

December, presents, gatherings.  That's what Christmas meant to me when I was young.  I had no idea what is the true meaning of Christmas.  Christmas is just another Public Holiday in December and if we do have Christmas gatherings with my extended family, I will receive presents!  That was really how I felt then.

Nothing much has changed.  The only major difference I think would be that I am now more of the giver than a receiver.  :D

I still do not know the exact, real meaning of Christmas.  I think it is a time for gift giving and getting together.  I know Santa Claus is not real, and so are the elves and the be-nice-be-good list.  

So what does Christmas really means to our family?  For we are freethinkers.  

Simply, it means a month of friendship, gatherings and fun, apart from the gift giving.  No need to adhere to a schedule, we turn up at most parties that we are invited to, even on weekdays.  We wander around shopping malls, Universal Studios Singapore and along Orchard Road to catch the lightings and the man-made snow, even on weekdays.

We host parties, with family or friends, at times.

We attend parties at friends'.

Photo Credit : Katty

There are always a few parties that will happen every year.  For those, we definitely make time for.  As it is a time parents catch up with one another and the children play together.  And for any parties that are "newly created", we try to attend too.  For it is also the time when friendships are forged and strengthened.

Photo Credit : Meiling of Universal Scribbles

We started a new tradition - to put up a new Christmas ornament each year.  It started last year with the Lego Christmas bauble.  D started to build his own Lego sets around then and the bauble is to remind us in years to come of when he started using his little fingers to build the set all by himself.  We are starting to wonder what next year's ornament will be!

What does Christmas mean to your family?

This post is part of the blog train, "What Christmas Means to Our Family" hosted by PrayerFull Mum.

Next on the blog train, Mei blogs at Finally Mama about her journey balancing a full time corporate job, a social enterprise for women entrepreneurs (www.crib.com.sg) and most importantly, caring for a multigenerational family of grandparents, hubby and a 4 year old boy.  Read on to find what this special season means to them as they take time to disconnect from the busyness of life and reconnect with what matters. 

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Officially Six!

Happy Birthday, D!  

Officially six, it is the last year of being a preschooler.  The last year in the childcare centre he is in since he was an infant, with some friends known for a good 5 years. #wheredidallthetimego

These days, a celebration in school / childcare center seem to be a norm.  With a cake and goodie bags, sometimes extra food, or even activities like face painting.  

Avengers theme.

Goodie bags for his classmates, customized by Dazzling Favorz - I like it that the characters are in a cute form.  Some children even took the tag as if it is a badge (haha!).  Kids these days are really fortunate with all the customization available.  Parents these days are in a do-not-know-whether-to-laugh-or-cry situation as on one hand, there are endless places to customize a goodie bag if you intend to outsource while on another, it means nothing is impossible, just how much you are willing to fork out and kids these days know what they want.  Whether to give in to their requests is another story altogether.

This year, I decided to give tidbits - yes, you read me right.  For the past years, it was stationery and sometimes a little treat.  Why tidbits this year then?  After almost 5 years of accumulation of stationery, stickers and such, I thought, if the kids are to receive stationery again, it means, more pencils, erasers, note pads that they probably will not finish using.  So, it's food this time and if the kids cannot eat, the parents can - most people eat chips, don't we?

I gave the teachers in the centre some macarons from Joys @ Uptown Sweets.  Teachers eat cakes probably almost every other week and I believe they will grow "scared" of cakes (I will definitely). 

I sent Joys, the owner, a request only on the morning I decided to buy and she quickly came up with the best combination of flavors that she has available.  For buying in bulk, it is not expensive considering I get a variety of flavors.  And because I know baking these little circles is no easy feat (been a long time since I last baked them though), I appreciate them.  Oh, Joys does customization too but I was too last minute. 

Actually, I bought them partly because the boy loves macarons!  :P 

I am pleasantly surprised and impressed that D enjoys his lemon ginger macaron.  Impressed because the baker made it such that the boy did not reject the 'ginger'; surprised that the boy did not say Eeks!

His request for dinner.  He did not insist for a dinner outside.  Just "white pasta" by his mummy dearest, me lah!  Often, I feel and think kids are really very simple - it is the adults that make things complicated.

Recipe from a very talented friend @ TheDomesticGoddessWannabe.
(Serves 3 or 2 Adults, 2 Kids)

Ingredients:
1. 400g linguine (or any other pasta), cooked according to the instructions given by the manufacturer, and drained.
2. 200g streaky bacon, cut 8-10mm thick chunks
3. 6 medium shitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced (I used some portobello mushrooms - that's what I have in the fridge)
4. olive oil
5. 4 egg yolks
6. 10 tablespoons heavy cream
7. about 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
8. Freshly ground pepper
9. Salt, to taste

Instructions:
1. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. In a skillet, add the bacon and a little water.  Cook the bacon until crispy.
3. Add the mushrooms and cook a further 2 minutes.  Set this aside.
4. In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, cream, Parmesan, salt and black pepper.
5. Transfer the pasta into the skillet then add the sauce.
6. Mix to coat the pasta.  The heat from the skillet, bacon, mushrooms and pasta will cook the yolks.
7. Add the remaining Parmesan and mix until combined. Add more black pepper if required.
8. Serve immediately.

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It's Avengers Theme This Year!

My D turns 6 soon.  *Where did all the time go?!*

 

We held a small birthday dinner with close family at a all super heroes place for him on Saturday.  The moment he stepped in, he was grinning from ear to ear.  It was not only him.  Anyone who first came to Hungry Heroes will be turning their heads everywhere, cameras zapping away, admiring the super heroes collection amassed over the last two decades by the owner.

The Ironman mask - courtesy of my nephew.

Located in a 2-storey shophouse, we had our dinner on the 2nd floor as it was more spacious for a total of 19 pax.  The con - the kids kept wanting to go up and down.

The different kinds of chairs, part of the setup of the restaurant that makes it interesting.

Posters and artwork everywhere.

We had lots of light bites, main courses, drinks but I was too busy to take the photos.  E particularly liked the Deep Friend Luncheon Chips (no, I did not spell it wrongly.  Take a look here).  Oh… there are high chairs available on a first-come-first-serve basis.

The Justice is Served which serves 7 - 8 but we think maybe more if there are no big eaters.  The ribs were very tender and a hit, so was the deboned chicken leg.  Consisting ribeye, lamb rack, fillet steak, full rack pork ribs, pulled pork, sausage trio, baked pacific dory, de-boned chicken leg, honey glazed ham, beef stew and meatballers, it is a platter of every meat that is perfect for sharing.  Indeed, it is for the Hungry Heroes.

Nice to Meat You is a slightly smaller platter that is for 2 - 3 with half a rack pork ribs, sirloin, de-boned chicken leg and pulled pork.  I will probably order this again the next time the 4 of us are there.

Phototaking opportunities aplenty.  With his cousin this time.

Swensen's ice cream cake is always a hit.  What's more when there is a Super Heroes theme.  

Happy Birthday my Darling!  Our wish for you - to grow up happy and healthy.  To smile always, love what you have and be thankful.

Laughing so hard with something his cousin said.

I have to admit that my photos did not do justice to how admirable the place is.  You got to take a look yourself, especially if you are a Super Heroes fan.  The food might not be the best, but what is on display will leave you in awe.

No, this is not a sponsored post.  We chose this place as it coincides with the #Avengers theme for the year.

Hungry Heroes Headquarters:
33 Tessensohn Road 
Singapore 217656 

Tel: +65 6295 5401 

Email: meat@hungryheroes.sg
Opening Hours:
Mon–Thu:  4pm-11pm
Fri & Eve of PH:  4pm-12am
Sat:  12pm-12am
Sun & PH:  12pm-11pm

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Happy Chap Goh Meh! And a Black Bean Soup Recipe….

Chap Goh Meh, which is Hokkien for 15th night, marks the end of the Chinese New Year.  It is also know as Yuanxiao Festival (元宵节), the Chinese Valentine's Day.

Many Chinese celebrate the 15 days long Spring Festival by visiting relatives and friends, and indulging in good food - thus you see cans of abalone flying off the shelves because everyone believes in starting the year right.

After many days of good food, I made a Black Bean Soup for the family.  

Black beans, an excellent source of  cholesterol-lowering fiber and being antioxidant-rich, are known to aid in the digestive health and regulate the blood sugar levels in the body amongst others.  There are many ways to cook black beans but we like it in the way of a Chinese soup.

E, enjoying his bowl of black-coloured Black Bean Soup.  Being the fussier and pickier kid between the two, I'm glad he enjoyed it.

Ingredients:

Missing the red dates.  Oops.

- 200g pork ribs

- 3 scallops

- 100 - 150g black beans (rinsed)

- 8 red dates 

- 2.5 litres water

Directions:

1. Pre-soak the black beans in water for about an hour and rinse.

2. Blanch pork ribs in boiling water to remove scum.

3. Place all ingredients in a pot (I use a Tanyu pot) and bring to a boil on high heat for 10 mins.  Lower flame and simmer for an hour. 

4. Season with salt if preferred.

You can read more about the benefits of black beans here:

- WHFoods

- Heal With Food

Merry Christmas!

E: Santa Claus says I am a good boy!

#FacePalm

Happy Anniversary!

Hello!  September is a happy month because we got married in September many years ago!  Haha!

For this year's anniversary, we went for dinner at a very special place.  A one-of-a-kind dining experience.  What's more, it's by a renowned celebrity chef.  Both B and I are fans of Masterchef and some other cooking shows, so imagine our excitement when we decided to dine at Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora, the first female Iron Chef.

We wanted a seat just next to the aquarium but guess we made our reservations too late, 1 day in advance, and thus got the second row seats which were good too!

Our dinner items for the night…

Starter:

Tasting of oysters (warmed oyster tartare, bean sprout & sago; chilled ham cream & smoked paprika; yuzu-soy reduction & purple shiso ice)

 42°C Sous Vide Salmon (salmon mousse, citrus minestrone, ikura & shaved fennel salad)

The highlights of the dinner have got to be the mains. 

Mains:

Seared Hokkaido Scallop (pumpkin bulgur wheat, sea urchin cream, pickled baby fennel, crackling pork skin & apple slaw)

Brine Cured Magret of Duck (yuzu puree, king oyster mushroom, sauteed wakame & pomegranate molasses)

We ended the night with some desserts.

And a must-take photo ;)

Although there are many photo opportunities, to upload on Facebook, sending them to your friends on WatsApp, it's the company that counts.  Take some photos, keep your mobiles and enjoy the lunch or dinner with your dining partner(s).  #firstworldproblems

This dinner at Ocean Restaurant was made possible partly because we had $200 dining vouchers from joining the RWS Invites.  They have different welcome packages  with a $150 annual membership fee. The initial reason why we got the membership was because of the hotel promotions.   However, now that we are pass holders to Universal Studios Singapore, the Invites card is so important because of the privilege of redeeming all day parking with Invites$1.50.  Invites$ are rebates earned at participating outlets.