HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR EVERYBODY! This is the 3rd year where Morris is celebrating Chinese New Year. Started the first year being in my arms and the year after where he run around curious about everything. This year, he socializes more where he invites his cousins to join in mini games like “London bridge is falling down”. So adorable!
his outfit for school's celebration
We started the eve with the boyfriend and papaTan to fetch me off work so that I can rush home to make steamboat for the eve’s dinner. Some last-minute marketing for fresh groceries and it was crazy at the Sheng Siong down my block. Because of 2 days closure, the supermarket was selling fresh groceries at a steal since they are perishable. I managed to grab 2kg of clams at $2, 3 peaches at $1.50, 1 bunch of asparagus at $1 @_@
 |   |
We invited GrandparentsKWAN over for Reunion dinner this year. Our usual steamboat session prepared all by myself. Something special goes to the beancurd ring roll, Saba prawn as well as the korobuta pork & wagyu shabu slices! These shabu slices from don don donki were awesome! Will definitely head there again to grab the meat if I want to make steamboat or bbq again.
新年初一 ~ CHINESE NEW YEAR DAY 1
新年初一 ~ CHINESE NEW YEAR DAY 1 BREAKFAST!
Woke up at 7.30 am on 初一 to make breakfast for the family. One of our culture where we always start Chinese New Year’s daily breakfast with scrumptious food spread to kickstart the day. It will also fill our stomach before we head off for visiting sessions. First stop of visiting to GrandparentsTAN ‘s house before we head off together to GreadGrandFather’s house.
My OOTD for 初一 : Lularoe Amelia Dress with JuJuBe DSS be set large piece.
My OOTD for 初一 : Lularoe Amelia Dress with JuJuBe DSS be set large piece.
 |  |
GrandfatherTAN prepared for lunch.
  |   |
We ended the visiting around 3-4pm before I head home to prepare the PEN CAI 盆菜for 初一’s dinner. PEN CAI is a traditional one-pot Chinese dish from Cantonese origin which has become very poplar dish in Singapore for Chinese New Year. There are plenty of layers of ingredients which are cooked separately before layered and filled with an assortment of seafood delicacies such as abalones and scallops. This signifies abundance and richness in the coming year. 😊
Auspicious symbolisms of Pen Cai ingredients:
Prepared the following ingredients that layered up within 1 delicious pot:
Auspicious symbolisms of Pen Cai ingredients:
- Fat choy (dried moss) sounds like “fatt choi” (striking it rich)
- Prawns (sounds like “ha” in Cantonese) symbolizing laughter (笑 “哈哈”) and happiness
- Green ingredients (broccoli): 青春常驻 (perpetual youthfulness)
- Red items (carrot and wolfberries): 鸿运当头 (good fortune)
- Abalone: 年年’包’有余 (increasing abundance). They also looked like ingots (ancient China currency symbolizing wealth)
- Golden ingredients (scallops, tau kee, fish maw, tau kwa): 翩地黄金 (abundant wealth)
- Carrots cut to flower shapes: 花开富贵 (blooming success).
Prepared the following ingredients that layered up within 1 delicious pot:
- Cabbage
- Fish maw
- Beancurd skin
- Yam
- Mushroom
- Duck
- Roasted Pork
- Scallop
- Dried Scallop
- Abalone
- Sea Cucumber
- Saba Prawn
- Broccoli
- Carrot
Karine's version of 盆菜.
Mahjong session after dinner is a MUST for our Chinese new year celebration
新年初二 ~ CHINESE NEW YEAR DAY 2
On 初二, we will always prepare our breakfast early so that we can 开年。We are having Braised Mushroom with roasted pork, dry oysters and lettuce as well as pig stomach soup (焖冬菇， 猪肚汤). My Pressure cooker were extremely useful when we need to braise and simmer dishes. Most importantly, we do not need to monitor unlike cooking over stove.
Many will ask me what does 开年means, 开年开个好意头，全年顺顺利利。“鸡”与“界”方言同音，谐音寓意“好世界”，即兴旺发达;开年的汤圆不同于元宵节汤圆的团圆意义，而是水开汤圆浮起，取“发”的意头;桔子谐音吉利。
Many will ask me what does 开年means, 开年开个好意头，全年顺顺利利。“鸡”与“界”方言同音，谐音寓意“好世界”，即兴旺发达;开年的汤圆不同于元宵节汤圆的团圆意义，而是水开汤圆浮起，取“发”的意头;桔子谐音吉利。
 焖冬菇 |  猪肚汤 |
 |  |
We will usually visit papaTan’s sibling house for dinner session during 初二 but this time round we decided to head back to GrandparentsTAN’s house instead. This will be the last CNY reunion session at their place since they will be shifting house already. We had dinner at the Indian Muslim stall before heading home for more Mahjong sessions.
