Just started

Today is Sunday and it is also Mother's Day. Wishing every mothers "Happy Mother's Day".

I got this carnation from Jan yesterday. She had a gathering with few friends in a friend's house. The friend's mum happened to be a florist cum hamper maker so she gave out carnation to the kids who came to her house to rehearse on one school project. 

The 1-week school holiday has come to the end; kids are back to school tomorrow. When the holiday was just started, the kids were very happy to take a break from schools (the mum as well) while hubby took the remaining days leave to spend time with us before going for fishing trip from 6 to 8 May. It was a nice break for everyone. 

Thanks to my mil who has been helping me to cook lunch, so I did not need to rush in the kitchen while sending and picking the kids. Glad to have an extra helping hand around the house.

Only when hubby is around, then I would have the excuse to dine out with him. Sometimes my mil and Jay would follow but most of the time, it would be only me and hubby. Even on weekend, the kids and mil rarely want to go out unless necessary. 

Like for instance, last Saturday it was only me and hubby. We went out pretty late that morning, after 8am.  Jan and Jay had Red Cresent online meeting at 9am, so they took some packed croissants before the meeting. 

Hubby and I went to Xing Xing Wang Cafe in Stapok road. As expected the place was crowded but we managed to find a vacant table. It was the last day for MySejahtera scanning before 1 May. Anyway, I diligently scanning for both of us before entering the premises.

Kueh chap was our breakfast choice. Hubby usually goes for the American breakfast like what he had few days prior but that Saturday morning he opted for mixed Kueh Chap with the kueh while he ordered lean meat, pork belly, pig's ear and beancurd with kueh for my bowl. And a bowl of yue tiaw to go with our Kueh Chap. We never tasted yue tiaw in Kueh Chap before, as we don't remember any places serving with yue tiaw. So, it was a good first taste of yue tiaw in our broth. The salty broth was absorbed by the fried yue tiaw, which was actually good. 

Two tables

A cousin of hubby drove from Sibu to Kuching last Saturday with his family of four.  We didn't get to meet up till the next day.

They stayed in their Kuching apartment in 3rd Mile, so it wasn't that far from our place. We suggested a dinner date cum meet up at Shang Tang, where we had our steamboat last month. 

12 of us, so we booked a private room with 2 tables in it. 999 was our private room's number. They have karaoke system in the room, my kids were busy choosing songs to listen to but no one was singing.

We were the first to arrive around 530pm, after picked up one of hubby's niece who arrived from Sibu few days prior to work. Hubby's cousin and his family and a male friend (also from Sibu), arrived soon after. 

The kids were on one table while adults on another table. We ordered different dishes for the kid's table. 6 dishes for 5 of them. 

Fried noodle 

Fried rice

Fried mantau with sweet milk

Stir fried long beans 

Sweet and sour pork

Dong po rou (braised pork in red sauce)

As for the adult table, we also had dong po rou. Other dishes as follow:

Sweet spareribs

Spicy stir fried long beans

Savoury black fungus

Spinach with peanuts

Baked pumpkin with egg yolk (I liked this!!)

Smoked porchetta (appetizing especially with its dipping sauce)

Steamed silky egg

Spiced lamb (too flavourful and spicy for me)

Our dinner ended after 8pm, with lots of food and catching up. The kids also mingled well, after a short phone game and video watching. We had an early sleep that night as we planned on having breakfast and tour together the next day.

Miscellaneous Picture #105: her birthday

Random shot of my girl's birthday last Thursday. All was food. My girl is turning into a foodie (like me!!! Lol). 

Made her a chicken mee suah soup for breakfast

A shot before having her warm, comforting birthday breakfast

Special request - fish n chip from Chicago 7 for dinner (photo credit: FoodPanda)

A birthday cake (American chocolate) for her sweet 16 birthday

My chocolate loving girl received lots of chocolates this year. These are some of them in the fridge.

Her favourite

We had an early birthday lunch for Jan last Sunday after church. Since her actual day fell on a Thursday, we decided to do it earlier when everyone was around on the weekend. 

When asked what she liked for lunch, she went for her favourite cuisine, namely Japanese!! Our venue was Zu Sakuraitei in Jalan Tun Jugah. Our previous visit was on Mother's Day few years ago. 

My 16 years old girl opted for her favourite unagi don. Her grandma also had the same dish. Both unagi don were served first. 

I also had fish for my lunch but I went for salmon teriyaki bento. 

The boys had ramen. Jay chosen spicy chicken ramen, which I didn't managed to snap but it was slightly spicy, according to him. Anyhow he finished the whole bowl. Jamie had the non spicy version, the chicken teriyaki ramen. He finished most of the ramen and few bites of the chicken, while we took care of the rest in the bowl. 

Hubby didn't ordered any set for himself. A bit of this and that for him and he was full. Chawanmushi and this sushi platter for sharing around the table. 

Our delightful lunch was RM264 plus drinks. 

After our lunch, we went to get her a birthday present. For her sweet 16, her grandma and aunt sponsored and bought her a new notebook!! RM2788 for this ASUS notebook. 

Kids!! How lucky they are!!! They get expensive present on their special days!! When I was small, I would be crying with joy and be contented when my parents bought me a birthday cake to celebrate on my birthday!! 😅Notebook was my mil's idea as she knew my girl complained on her old, slow notebook. So, she and my SIL decided to buy Jan a new notebook!! If you want to know what was Jan's biggest present, it was on her 9th birthday!!

My sweet girl

It is my eldest child's birthday today. 16 years ago, she was born in Normah Hospital Kuching. Weighing around 3.58kg, she was the apple of our eyes. Everyone adored and loved her. 

Now 16 years on, she has grown into a young, sweet girl. Time really flies!! 

A simple minded girl, with cheerful and likeable personality. She loves to sketch, play pianos and online games. She isn't that choosy when come to food but she loves Japanese and Western cuisine. Her favourite food right now is American breakfast!! 

Happy sweet 16th birthday, Jan!! May God bless you with greatness, health, peace and many wonderful blessing.

Tasted better

Hubby and I went to this food court for breakfast after dropped my car for servicing on a Saturday. 

Not packed, which we liked as the place could be very crowded and long wait on weekends. Maybe it was a long 4-days weekend (with Good Friday as a public holiday and some schools were off on Easter Monday), so the reason for being quiet even though it is almost 9am then. 

I went for the kolo mee stall; ordered my breakfast and takeaway for my mil and kids. 

Seafood noodle for me!! Tasted it's noodle in the past, and I had to admit that the stall has improved much and the noodle has tasted better with time. 

Price was around RM7 or RM8, I forgot the exact price. The noodle texture was just nice for me. Fish slices and peeled prawns were fresh. 

My man went for the beef noodle stall. RM12 for his beef noodle. 

It was alright according to him, he tasted better in other place. 

Our assortment of kueh

Other than kolo mee that we tapaued, we also patronised the kuih stall and bought some kuih and dessert home. 

Guilinggao, taufufa and lek tau suan

Free

Good Friday fell on 15th April. A public holiday here. 

Hubby and I dropped by here for breakfast. No customers at that time. 

We decided to have breakfast from the kolo mee stall. Char siew mee for me while hubby went for the pork belly mee. 

Kolo mee RM4.50

Like our previous visit, we waited for the economy rice to be ready so we could buy the dishes for lunch. While we were enjoying our breakfast, the coffee shop taukey (who operating and cooking the dishes for economy rice stall) brought us these free treat. 

Fried fishes, I don't know the name but in Hokkien, it is called "hung boi" (red tail). 3 of the fried fishes but hubby took one before I snapped a shot of them. 

And a piece of the sweet, sticky chicken. Hot as just out from the hot wok!! 

We bought few dishes from him before headed home. We spent our Good Friday at home, spring cleaning and fixing new cabinets. 

These 2 knew how to install cabinets as they helped to do few in the past. So we left the fixing job to both of them. 

And just as they done installing 2 cabinets, we got visitors to our house. My parents brought my Singaporean uncle and aunt for a visit. It has been more than 2 years since I met my uncle and aunt. So nice to catch up with them after so long.  They came over for Ching Ming and visit an ailing uncle. 

And we gave my parents and uncle and aunt some of Sarawak local rice before they went back. Coincident that my hubby brought some home from Sri Aman the day before, and planned to pass over to my parents ourselves.