Our outing plan

We finally dare to bring the kids out last Saturday for breakfast and grocery shopping. It has been more than 3 months since we went out together as a family and did things together.

Schools are opening on 15th for Jan and Jay while Jamie only get to start on 23rd July, a day after Sarawak's Day.

Of course they were thrilled to go out but cautious at the same time. The youngest kept asking questions on how safe it is, when to put on mask etc. After a while, they were at ease and forget about it except remembering to put on their masks!

The next day, we promised them to bring them out for an outing. No where far, just a drive to Telaga Air for lunch and sight-seeing.

Along the way, the beautiful Matang hill accompanied us. The road to Telaga Air was narrow but the scenery was lovely.

Few coconut shake stalls as we were nearer to the village but we did not make a stop as the long queue at the roadside wasn't enticing.

Less than an hour drive, we reached the Telaga Air Village. However the village was packed with cars and people. Definitely no social distancing over here.

As it was a small village, the road was narrow and we couldn't find any parking. After driving around for quite sometime, we abandoned our lunch plan. Initially we wanted to go to this well known D'white Station for lunch. We did came back another day for that. Will blog on it! 

As for our lunch that day, we drove back and to Sungai Maong for a Chinese economy rice. Fast and cheap. After all the driving, we were too hungry to think anymore. Lol. 

Up early

It was last Tuesday. Nice and cold morning as it rained the night before. Hubby and I were up early that morning, so we had a breakfast day in our usual coffee shop. Y. Y. Cafe.

Our breakfast choice was these noodles from the fried stall. 

I love the tomato crispy noodle from this stall. Never fail to impress my tastebuds. 

This plate of fried noodle in egg gravy was my hubby's breakfast; his favourite from this stall. He loves the wok hei of the noodle. 

The kueh stall started to opened when we were about to leave. I managed to buy 2 ham chee peng from the stall. My snack later in the afternoon. 

Cooling

Weather has been hot lately especially in the morning but we did have thunderstorm or heavy rain with gush of wind late afternoon towards the evening. 

Not long ago, I used up this can of sea coconut in honey syrup from our CNY happer. 

Ali Shan brand from Thailand!! I love sea coconut. I used to order that dessert when I ate at the Hock Hai hawker centre. But that was ages ago and I wonder whether that drink stall that sells the sea coconut dessert is still open or not. 

To accompany the sea coconut, I added longan and red dates. No sugar added since I used some of the honey syrup. 

Basically just drain the longan from a can of longan. Washed and deseed 2 red dates. In a pot, add in the sea coconut, half honey syrup, about 1 cup of water, longan and red dates. Boiled till sea coconut has soften. 

I liked it to be served chill. Cooling dessert on any warm day!! 

New flavours

The adventurous me have been tasting new flavours for the past weeks. Blamed on the social media which ignited my curiosity. 

New stuff that I tasted recently. 

Boba ice-cream!! I found these last 2 sticks in Emart last Saturday. 

I actually quite liked this ice-cream more than the real boba tea. Not overly sweet, based on my sweetness chart. 

The tapioca balls were chewy but not hard and the milk tea was nice. I wouldn't mind buy more to stock up in my freezer. Pretty hard to buy in Kuching. 

Last week, while hunting for the boba ice-cream in nearby 7-11 store, I found these sweeties. No boba but at least I found the Magnum cherry blossom ice-cream which I also wanted to try. 

The taro and sweet potato sticks were for emergency or treats for the kids, and yours truly immediately tasted the cherry blossom flavour once reached home!! 

Rather sweet but not too sweet. Somehow I felt like I tasted sugar lump in the pink ice-cream. There was some fruit pieces in it so there was a texture to every bite.

The white almond flavour was my lesst favourite. Although I like the almond bits, but it was sweet. 

Enough of ice-cream for now!!! 

Our local bakery brand, Taka recently released this new bun, named Garlic Bom Bibi. Very garlicky in taste and the cheese accompanied the taste so well. RM4.50 each, or RM10 for 3 buns.

Hubby's ex-colleague from Sri Aman gave us some tasty buns last Friday. Not sure where she bought them but they were so good!! Soft and delectable. We had them for breakfast the next day. 

Fried first

A simple recipe that I would like to share with you. 

Stir fried meat mince with sliced potatoes. Everyone's favourite. 

I would slice the washed potatoes and then sprinkle salt to them. After that, I would fry them in hot oil. My kids would steal few slices most of the time, before I managed to stop them from eating all. 

Ingredients:

Minced  meat, marinated with light soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt and pepper

4 potatoes, washed and sliced

Salt and pepper

4 tbsp water

Chopped spring onion for garnish

Cooking oil

Methods:

1. In hot oil, fry the sliced potatoes by batch. Drain the oil.

2. In a pan, heat up fee tbsp cooking oil. Then add in the minced meat and break it with spatula. Then add in the fried potatoes and mix all together.

3. Sprinkle some salt and pepper. 

4. Dish out and garnish with chopped spring onion. 

Missed it

It has been a long time since we came here for breakfast. Sin Lian Shin, Green Road!!

Kuching people would know this old, famous kolo mee shop. Business was as good as before but more tapau orders as we saw packs of kolo mee on the table when hubby and I were there last Sunday. People ordered takeaway more, some still cautious and try to be safe during this challenging time. However all tables are occupied and everyone was patient waiting for their noodle.

Used to have 2 kolo mee stalls doing the cooking on weekends but last Sunday, only one stall was opened so we had to wait quite long for our breakfast.

I couldn't remember the last time I was here, maybe last year. Been there few times when I worked at my dad's shop 2 years ago. I walked over with my dad for brunch. Or on the way to church, we did patronised the shop few times. But that was ages ago.

My usual drink on Sunday, teh c peng. How I missed it!!

Our food came after almost an hour of ordering. I know, a long wait but we didn't mind. Not so hungry, so we didn't mind the wait.

Kolo mee!! Tasty as before. That old-school taste.  We also had its kiaw th'ng (dumplings soup).

And we  finished our food under 15 minutes!! Must be the tummy was rumbling by the time the food came, more people came in to tapau and dine in and the warm morning sun and temperature. 

By the time we were home, it was after 10am!! The kids were having the kolo mee for brunch! 

Dumpling

It is that time of the year again. Dumpling  festival or Dragon Boat Festival.

Actual date is today but we pre-ordered Nyonya chang from a friend's mum last week. 100 pieces (RM2.50 each). Collected last Wednesday and my man delivered 40 dumplings to my dad's shop and sis' house the next day. 

Some for hubby's friends and the rest, we keep and eat at home.

In the past, we ordered from our friend and the mum only takes order on this special festival. No longer young so she hardly make many or frequently.

Her bak chang still tastes good. Soft glutinous rice and tasty meat filling, all for RM2.50 each. Not so big, so I could take 2 dumplings at one time.

Everyone enjoyed them a lot.

We were having dumplings for the past week and still, we have some to enjoy today.

A friend gave us some Hakka chang and I heated them up for breakfast.

I liked them, filled with peanuts and salted egg yolk other than meats, dried prawns and mushrooms. Brought back some of my childhood memories. ^^

Happy Dragon Boat Festival!!