Holiday Meatballs

2 pounds ground beef
1 package onion soup mix
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon Worcestshire sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all the ingredients..and shape into about 50 small meatballs. Cook for 30 minutes at 325 degrees.

Dipping Sauce:
One..(12 ounce) jar grape jelly
One (12 ounce) jar chili sauce

Combine and heat on low till jelly melts..add meatballs, stir and heat for 5 minutes....

Chinese Noodle Candies

1/2 cup peanut butter
One (6 ounce) pkg. caramel tidbits
3 cups mini marshmallows
1 can Chinese noodles
1 small can Planters Cocktail peanuts
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Dissolve peanut butter and caramel chips. Pour over other ingredients,,,Pour into a buttered pan and chill.

Martha Washington Balls Candy

2 boxes powdered sugar
1 stick butter, melted
1 can Eagle Brand Milk
1 can coconut
2 cups chopped pecans

1 bar paraffin
Two (6 ounce) pkgs. of chocolate chips

Mix first five ingredients together. Shape into small balls..let set for 1 hour to dry. In a double boiler, mely papaffin and chocolate chips together. With a toothpick ot a small skewer, dip balls in chocolate. Place on wax paper until chocolate sets up.

Millionaires Candy

One (14 ounce) pkg, caramel candies
3 to 4 Tablespoons of milk
2 cups chopped pecans
1/4 bar paraffin
One (12 ounce) pkg. chocolate chips
Buttered wax paper set on cookie sheet
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Melt caramels in milk over low heat; add pecans. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto buttered waxed paper. Chill. Melt paraffin and chocolate chips in top of double boiler. Dip candy into chocolate mix and return to buttered waxed paper set on cookie sheet...Chill..

1 1/2 cups very cold heavy cream
3 Tablespoons sifted confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pour the cream into a very well chilled bowl. Whip the cream until it begins to mound very lightly, Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and stir. Stir in the vanilla extract. Keep beating until gentle,
floppy peaks are formed. The whipped cream should hold it's shape softly in a spoon.
Note****
This whipped cream goes well with any fruit or berry pie..or any pie with chocolate or pecans.

Vanilla-Flavored Sugar

To make a batch of vanilla flavored sugar.....,measure 6 cups of granulated sugar into a large jar with lid or any sturdy container with a lid. Slit two vanilla beans down the side to get to the tiny seeds inside. Bury the vanilla beans down into the sugar, cover the jar with it's lid and store in a cool dry place. Let the sugar set for about a week, shake the jar to evenly distribute the flavor whenever you think of it. The sugar is now ready for use whenever you need vanilla sugar. The sugar can be replenished once with the same vanilla beans. Just use the 6 cups of sugar and do as before. You should be able to use the same vanilla beans three times..
After the three times of flavoring the sugar..if you can pulverize the beans finely..you can flavor cakes, pies..custards, etc. with the vanilla powder. About 1/4 teaspoon of the pulverized vanilla bean powder is equal to two teaspoons pure vanilla extract.
* Note.... Thank you Jana for this information. I know during the coming holiday season, we may all find this useful.
*** This would also make a great small tuck in gift with a kitchen gift basket..to include a small cork sealed jar of vanilla sugar. Hmmmmm, that's not a bad idea..

Stir-Fry Sauce

1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon water
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup peanut oil
4 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Combine water and cornstarch together till smooth. Add the remaining ingredients together in a saucepan,and whisk together. Bring to a boil. While you're stirring, add the cornstarch mixture and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Cool to room temperature and pour into container. Refrigerate for from 8 hours to overnight to allow the flavors to blend. If this is jarred and given as a gift, make sure to send along serving instructions....
Makes about 2 1/2 cups sauce
To Use: Stir about 2 to 4 Tablespoons sauce into about 4 cups stir-fried meat and vegetables.

Hot Pepper Catsup

One 12 ounce can tomato paste
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons chopped chives
1 Tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon celery salt

In a large bowl, whisk all the ingredients together. Cover and chill from 8 hours to overnight to allow the flavors to blend. Store covered in refrigerator...
Makes about 2 cups

Cranberry Catsup

One 16 ounce can jellied cranberry sauce3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons dround ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 Tablespoon flour
2 Tablespoons hot water

Over medium heat, combine first 7 ingredients in a saucepan.Bring them to a boil. In a small bowl, combine the flour and hot water, and stir together to make a very smooth paste. Add flour paste mixture to cranberry mixture, stirring until mixture thickens. Remove from heat,...cover and chill from 8 hours to overnight so that the flavors might blend well together. Refrigerate in an airtight container. Serve with meats, cream cheese and crackers..or for a real treat, on a turkey sandwich...
Makes about 2 1/2 cups

White Chocolate Popcorn

5 packages Extra Butter Microwave Popcorn
1 package white Almond Bark
Pecans or Peanuts..are optional
An extra large mixing bowl
Aluminum Foil

Pop the popcorn according to package directions. Pour into the large mixing bowl, picking out the unpopped kernels. Melt the almond bark according to package directions. Pour over popped popcorn and stir till all the popcorn is coated. You can add the peanuts and or pecans to the popped popcorn beflore the melted almond bark is poured over..just be sure that all is mixed well..then pour. Mix the coating,the popcorn and the nuts thoroly. Spread out on the alunimum foil as thin as you can. Let dry 35 to 40 minutes.

Quick "Chili" for Chili Dogs

2 pounds ground beef
3 small onions, chopped
3 cups water
1 can (12 ounces) tomato paste
5 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons rubbed sage
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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In a large skillet, cook beef and onions till beef is browned and onions are tender..drain. Stir in water,tomato paste and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stir occasionally,
Ready to be served over hot dogs....., spread hot dog bun with mustard,add wennier hot dog, add the chili......sprinkle with onion and cheese...serve...

Scalloped Potatoes

1 1/2 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and sliced
4 small onions, peeled and sliced
8 to 10 slices of bacon, crumbled

melt butter, and stir in flour and salt till smooth. Slowly add the milk..bring to a boil, cook and stir till thickened.
In a greased 2 to 4 quart casserole or baking dish, layer the potatoes and onions. Pour the white sauce over the top. Cover and bake 65 to 75 minutes or till potatoes are tender. When done..sprinkle the crumbled bacon over top before serving..

Roasted Asparagus

2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed
1/2 cup melted butter
3 or 4 chopped green onions
1/2 teaspoon salt

Place asparagus in a shallow baking dish coated with non stick cooking spray. Combine the butter and green onions..spoon over the asparagus. Sprinkle with salt and bake at 425 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
** Note: I absolutely love roasted asparagus and probably could sit and munch this as a snack,...
you should probably plan on making a bit extra..this is so good.

Pecan Fruit Cake

This is a light, almost fluffy fruit cake unlike most which require time to mellow. This can be served the day after it's baked.

3 cups sugar
1 pound butter..(must be butter)
7 eggs, separated
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon flavoring
5 cups sifted cake flour
1 Tablespoon soda
7 Tablespoons orange juice, warmed, not hot
1 pound candied pineapple diced
1/2 pound candied cherries, halved
1 pound pecan halves

Cream together sugar, butter, egg yolks and lemon flavoring. Stir in 3 cups of cake flour and add soda dissolved in orange juice. Toss candied fruits and the nuts with remaining 2 cups cake flour to keep fruit from sticking. Add to creamed mixture. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold, ( do not stir ) into batter. Pour batter into three to four 8" loaf pans which have been lined with waxed paper. Place foil over and under loaf pans while baking at 250 degrees for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Bake on middle grate that has been covered with good foil. Put 2 pie pan on shelf below cake with water in for moisture.
**
Note: This is supposed to be an old family recipe from the 1950's

Sugar Free Pumpkin Pie

One ...16 ounce can pumpkin
One... 12 ounce can evaporated milk
3 eggs
3/4 cups Splenda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix together, pour into unbaked pie shell..and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, the turn oven to 350 degrees and bake for 40 minutes.
**Note...
I always cover the outer rims of pieshell with thin strips of foil, so piecrust doesn't brown too much or even burn..

Holiday Cherry Ritz Cracker Cobbler

1 tube Ritz crackers
One .. 21 ounce Cherry Pie Filling
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a glass Pyrex round baking dish, spray the bottom and sides with cooking spray. (You can also use a square decorative baking dish, if you desire). Set that aside.
In mixing bowl, mix the butter,sugar,cinnamon and nutmeg. Blend well.
Next,crush the Ritz crackers by hand, and blend them into butter mixture.
Next,add the pie filling and blend all the ingredients until well mixed.
Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or until center is set.
When cooled slightly, serve with French Vanilla ice cream or whipping cream or whipped topping.
Serves 6..
**Note:
This recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9x13" dish for larger crowds.

Jade Agar Agar

Hahaha, does these agar agar looked like jade?

I tried making them in different colours.

The moulds are actually used to make moon cake agar agar.

For recipes of the agar agar, you can view my previous post on chendol agar agar in here.

Macaroni Salad Dressing

This is almost too simple and very good....

Cook, drain and cool macaroni.
Meanwhile, mix 1/2 cup mayonaise, 2 teaspoons sugar, 2 teaspoons vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon mustard.
Mix dressing well and pour over cooled macaroin. Mix all together and chill well before serving..

Bok Choy

This is easy.
Just blanch the bak choy in boiling water and a few drops of oil till the leaves almost withered or to the texture of your choice.
Arrange the bak choy on dish.
Next deep fried some white baits till golden brown and set aside.
For sauce, boiled 1 tbsp of oyster sauce and 1 tbsp of water (more if like more gravy) and pour over vegetables and topped with the fried white baits.

For fried white baits, freeze them first then take a handful of them and have a quick wash on them and deepfried them till golden but not burnt.

Baked Prime Ribs

I used Prime Ribs and cut them into smaller pieces for easy chewing.
Marianted them with 4 tbsp of hoisin sauce, 4 tbsp of ketchup and 1 tbsp of honey for at least half a day.

Before Baking

Baked them at 180 degrees celsius for about 1 and half hour or less depending how soft you want your ribs to be.

After baking

It tasted so good and soft. (Sorry I did not decorate my dish...lol)

Yummmmmmmmmmmm .... Side Salad

This is but a simple,easy side salad for any cookout, or bar=b-q. I just made this to go with a
tuna salad and it went alongside well. (Tis better with bar-b-q ribs tho :). The veggies almost "pickle", but stay crispy,crunchy and go especially well with bar-b-q..
Salad takes but a few ingredients..perhaps you can think of a few more that would "pickle" well.
I used celery, green bell pepper, sweet Texas onion,cucumber....and Roma tomatoes....and....
Kroger's Zesty Italian dressing. I've tried with other dressings and it's just not as good.
The dressing has quite a bit of oil on top..sp before you shake dressing to add, I poured off half the oil on top....
Shake the dressing really well...The oil,vinegar and all those wonderful spices and garlic are already there..so shake well....
Pour over....cover and let chill for just a short while. Salad is ready to eat almost immediately...
and best of all, the veggies will stay crispy. Yummmmmmm
I sure hope you enjoy this little salad. I think during the summer, you will serve it often..
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Second Yummmmmmmm "pickled" Salad

This salad is served at our local bar-b-q place, is crispy, crunchy and is my favorite salad with their ribs. I tried and tried to make this simple salad..and yet, something was just not quite right. Finally Danny took pity on me and told me how to make. It is so simple..... two ingredients for the pickling liquid!!!!! Sugar and Vinegar in equal parts..that's it !!! I thought, yeah..right. *sighs...it was right !!!!!!!!!!
The salad consists of:
cucumbers, sliced
sweet onions, sliced
a bit of bell pepper, pimento....and a bit of tomato..
Layer all the ingredients in a deep bowl, or in my case..for a large cookout, I use a gallon jar.
Take equal parts of vinegar and sugar.....no matter how little or how much, just equal parts. Stir till the sugar is dissolved.....and pour over the veggies. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours for absolute best flavor. No cheating..24 hours..
Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Fried Rice Topped with Crispy Silver Fish

The secret to crispy silver fish is to put them in the freezer.

Whenever you wanted to fry some, take them out from the freezer and with a quick rinse of water, deep fried them in very hot oil till crispy golden brown. They are very cruchy.

Fried some overnight rice and add your favourite ingredients with taste of light soya sauce and sesame oil and beaten egg. Fried them till fluffy and topped with the crispy silver fish...yummy.

Scallops wrapped in yam(taro) mini basket

I ate this during mother's day lunch and I like it so much. I hope to find the recipe for this.

Inside is scallop and they are wrapped in mini yam/taro basket. Yummy. They are dipped in some honey sauce which I do not liked, I dipped them in chilli sauce.

Easter Eggs

For easter, I making some eggs from konnyaku jelly. Originally wanted to make them from agar agar but decided to try something different.

Boil some konnyaku jelly and pour into empty egg shell and put in some slices of peaches into it.

You can see the fruit through the transparent egg. It is quite fun and interesting.

I also make some with the assorted mould for the konnyaku jelly.

For recipe you can view my earlier post in here.

Broccoli..... Tip of the Day

* When you buy broccoli, look for bunches that are a rich, dark green in color...with tightly closed green buds. Over-aged broccoli is lighter in color, the buds are yellowish in color, open and may even show small yellow flowers. This is tougher, stronger in taste and has much less flavor than young broccoli.
1.
1 bunch of broccoli (will be about 1 1/2 pounds) will serve 4 people.
2.
If you cut the broccoli into 3" length flowerettes, it will cook quicker and stay greener. Cook the stalks also, but first peel off the thick skin. *NOTE: I like the stalks better than than flowerettes.
3,
If stalks are very thick, eithe split them lengthwise up to the buds or cut them into cubes and cook with flowerettes.
4.
be careful of overcooking broccoli...it should be slightly crisp.

Bread Crumbs .... Tip of the Day

1.
1 pound of bread will yield about 9 cups of soft bread crumbs
2.
1 slice if fresh bread broken into soft crumbs will yield about 2/3 cups, slightly packed
3.
1 slice of toast or dried bread will yield 1/2 cup of fine crumbs
4.
2 ozs. of dried bread,crushed,will yield about 3/4 cup fairly fine crumbs
5.
To make fresh (soft) bread crumbs, cut off the crusts of day old white bread and crumble the bread gently. Then rub through a very coarse strainer...
6.
to make fine crumbs from dried bread, use either stale bread or white bread toasted lightly and allowed to dry at room temperature or in a very low oven until all moisture is gone. Cover the bread with a dishtowel and either roll hard with a rolling pin or hit lightly with a hammer. You can also break up the pieces and put in a blender. If you suspect they're not quite dry, spread them shallowly on a cookie sheet in a 250 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Store in well sealed jars. They'll keep their flavor for several months, especially if they're refrigerated.
7.
for buttered crumbs, toss soft bread crumbs in melted butter (about 1 tablespoon butter to 1 cup soft bread crumbs). You can also add 2 tablespoons melted butter to 1 cup dry bread crumbs,
these are very good, but different than soft buttered crumbs.
8.
add dried herb, seasonings ot grated cheese to homemade bread crumbs, and you'll always have seasoned crumbs ready to use. at a tiny fraction of what you'd have to pay for them.
9.
try putting prepared bread stuffing in your blender and using it for breading chops.
10.
if you're running low on flour, substitute very fine bread crumbs, plain or roasted, for all or part of the flour in cookies.... they'll taste a little like macaroons. Add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and they will taste like macaroons.....
11.
very fine bread crumbs used in place of flour are particularly good in a hearty cake like applesauce or nut cake.
12.
fine dry bread crumbs make a good thickener for creamed sauces in casserole dishes. Use them whenever you like a roasted flavor in sauces....

Biscuits .... Tip of the Day

1.
You'll turn out the best biscuits if you mix the dough only a short time.... Just long enough to moisten the ingredients.
2.
Biscuit dough should be handled as little as possible to keep the fat from melting.. Tenderness and flakiness depend on finely cut cold fat mixed with flour (this is also true of pie crust).
3.
Biscuits will be crisp on the outside and flaky in the center if yo roll the dough thin and fold it over once before cutting biscuits from it. They'll also split open easily when time to butter them.
4.
A quick and easy way to make doughnuts: cut the centers from refrigerator biscuits, then drop the biscuits into hot fat..as you would doughnuts. They can then be rolled in sugar or cinnamon sugar while still hot from the deep fryer. *Note: havent made these in ages, but they sure sound good.

Beer .... Tip Of the Day

1.
When boiling shrimp, try using beer for the cooking liquid. Season as you wish..but fon't overcook. The flavor is wonderful...reminiscent of lobster.
2.
Use beer in place of water or stock to make an excellant beef stew. This is what is called a carbonnade.

A Few Beef Cuts .... Tip of the Day

Beef Cuts:

It help a lot, when you go to buy groceries, to know the different kinds of beef cuts..and the best manner for cooking...... this will be an alphabetical order:



1. Arm Steak: requires rather long, slow cooking.

2. Blade Steak: same as for arm steak

3. Brisket: flavorful, but rather tough. Used mainly for pot roasts and braising.

4. Chuck Steak: Used mainly for braising and stewing.. or grinding into hamburger

5. Club Steak: Very tender and juicy steak..for grilling indoors or out..

To braise:
When braising meats, use a heavy pot just large enough to hold the food to be cooked. Never put in more liquid than will come halfway up the food. Too big a pot (and consquently too much liquid) will boil or poach the food, giving it an entirely different taste.

Chicken Pot Pie * Made Simple

Source: Chuck

Note* The full recipe make a large amount of pot pie. This was done for a crowd, so you may want to halve the recipe.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees:
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2....(1 pound packages)defrosted frozen vegetables of your choice.
3 jars chicken or turkey gravy from the store
3 cups Bisquick
1 1/2 cups milk
......................
Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces..cook in small amount of olive oil till done and browned a bit. Add the defrosted veggies and let saute in skillet for a minute to get some added flavor. Put the chicken and vegetables in a pan large enough to hold all ingredients comfortably. Add one jar of the gravy to the pan you've just removed chicken and veggies from..deglaze the pan with the gravy. Pour that gravy along with the other 2 jars...over the top of the chicken and veggies.
Make the biscuit dough..(mixture should be a bit thinner than regular biscuit dough)
and pour over the top of the chicken, veggies and gravy. Cook till biscuit top is done and well browned.
NOTE: * Also turkey or beef may be used. Just substitute the correct gravy to go with the meat or poultry. Chuck says that he now prefers the turkey gravy with the chicken.
I don't care for pot pie, but this one I like. The chicken is browned and flavorful, and the veggies he uses almost always has asparagus, brocolli...sugar snap peas..etc...not the usual mushy veggies.

Banana wrapped in spring roll skin

This is so yummy and delicious. I saw this recipe in the internet from many bloggers.

Cut the banana into half and add some brown sugar and wrapped them in spring roll wrappers/popiah skin.

The top two are with brown sugar while the other two are without.

The results - it tasted so good whether there is brown sugar or not. YUMMY! The skin is so cripsy and when you bite into it, you tasted the goodness of the banana.

DIY Mango Ice Cream

Hahaha it looked so easy with the DIY ice cream.

I decorated the ice cream with crushed nuts and coloured rice.

Recipes are from this video.

Sweet and Sour Minced Pork with Pineapple cubes

Ingredients
300 gm minced pork (seasoned in light soya sauce and sesame oil)
carrots
green pepper (optional)-did not use cause hubby and sons dont like
pineapple cubes (if pineapple cubes are from can, can add some pineapple juice in too)
1/2 cup cornflour (est)
1/2 cup water (est)
4 to 5 tbsp of ketchup
1/2 tbsp vinegar
1/2 tbsp sugar or to taste
1 beaten egg

Method
Marinate minced pork with few drops of light soya sauce and sesame oil.
Add beaten egg and mix well.
Add corn flour and mix well.
Spoon mixture one by one into oil and deep fry till golden brown.
Set aside.
In a wok, add some oil and throw in carrot and green pepper.
Add ketchup, vinegar, sugar, water and mix well.
Throw pork back into sauce together with pineapple cubes and mix well.
Let pork absorb the sauce till almost dry but mine has more gravy cause kids like the gravy with rice.
Serve hot.
Yummy

Steam tofu with minced shrimps and oyster sauce

This is so simple and yummy. I love tofu.

Steam 1 box of silken tofu and drain water away.

Minced some prawns and stir fry with little oil.

Add 1 tbsp of oyster sauce and mix well.

Add cornflour solution (2 tbsp of water and 1 tsp of cornflour) and mix well.

Pour over tofu and garnished with some spring onions and serve hot. Yummy

BBQ Chicken Wings

This is so yummy.

Marinate chicken wings with same amount of light soya sauce, dark soya sauce, oyster sauce and honey. Add sugar to taste (optional).

Baked the chicken wings for about 1 hour at 180 degrees celsius and turned the wings every 20 minutes or so for even baking and blast them occasionally. This is my version, you can improved your version.

You can BBQ them too.

Firm Tofu/Tau Kwa

This is so simple and yummy.

Cut the firm tofu/tau kwa into cubes and mixed them with some curry powder. Dust the firm tofu with cornflour and deep fry till golden brown. Yummy..........

Dried Mee Siam

This is my second attempt in frying dried mee siam. This time I decorated and garnished it nicely...lol. You can see my first attempt in here.

Fun Biscuits

This is just for fun. Use your favourite biscuits, melt some butter and pour over the biscuits in a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 180 degrees celsius for about 5 minutes.

Then sprinkle some chocolate/coloured rice chips over them and baked another 5 to 10 minutes.

Note: Not suitable for people who have diabetics or those who cannot take sweet stuff.

Attractive for kids.

Valentine's Drinks for Fun

Ok, Valentine's Day might be over but we can still be loving other days beside valentine's day. :) This is just some fun drinks.

Pour some coke/pepsi/syrup into heart shaped mould and put into freezer.

Use them as ices.

Pour your favourite drinks. No prize for guessing the "His" and "Hers" Valentine's Day Drinks. :)

Cornbread .... Tip Of the Day

#1.....try mixing 1/3 cup crumbled, crisp cooked bacon into a corn bread batter before you pour it into the baking pan.

#2.....corn bread won't stick to the baking pan if you grease the pan and sprinkle it well with fine cornmeal.

#3.....don't bake corn bread in a pan tha's too thin or the outside will be overdone before the inside has baked.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to all.

I use some pink syrup to make heart shaped ice.

Pour some syrup together with the pink heart ice. So this is my valentine's day contribution. Plan to do some heart shape cookies but this migraine really put me off doing so much things.

Durian Pancake

Durian is the king of fruit. But not many like the taste and smell of the king of fruit, I have no idea why but I know I love durian very much.....yummy.

My durian pancake...yummy, finally got it after queueing for a while to purchase it...lol.

A short video to show you how they made the pancake.

Assorted agar agar and chendol agar agar

These are the agar agar that I made for chinese new year. :)

The green ones are chendol agar agar which I had posted before and the centre heart shaped agar agar are made with mandarin oranges while the rest are agar agar with coconut milk.

Traditional Chinese Teapots

I have to share these photos with you all. These are very traditional chinese teapots used long time ago. Now they are making a comeback. These teapots remind me of my childhood, used to see them in my late grandmother's house.

Blackberry and Cherry Dump Cakes

Source" Recipe, actual cake making and photos are courtesy of my son, Chuck....

Below is a portion of one of the desserts we made at Christmas. This one is Dump Cake..and better still, this one was blackberry. We also did a cherry one...yummmmm

You will need: (as shown below)
One 5 pound size loaf pan
2 cans ready made canned pie filling..of your choice
One large (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple
1 box yellow cake mix
3 to 4 sticks of butter..YES!! 3 to 4 sticks of butter
And a note: DO NOT STIR THE INGREDIENTS !!!!!! STIR NOTHING TOGETHER !!!!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Into the 5 pound loaf pan,add the 2 cans of pie filling, smooth out, don't stir

next add: the undrained pineapple, smooth..don't stir

Next add: the dry cake mix, crumble over.smooth over,don't stir

Next add the butter, at least 3 sticks..cut in pats and lay all over top of cake mix

Layer butter, DON"T STIR..and put into oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes...until a light golden brown all over top. Ours took 50 minutes.

Chicken and Dumplings

Source:
Old Church Cookbook

1 hen
2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon shortening or butter
2/3 cups(scant) milk

Cook hen in water to cover till very tender.Sift flour, salt and baking powder; cut in shortening. Stir in milk. Divide dough into two parts and roll out on floured board.Cut into strips 2" wide. Add to boiling chicken broth. Place several pieces of dough on top of chicken. Cover and cook till broth boils up over chicken. Repeat till all dough is used. Cook 20 to 30 minutes.
Serves 6
NOTE: Watch after dumplings are added to make sure does not boil over

Recipe of prawn toast

I have few pieces of bread so I decided to cook them with some prawns(shelled and devein).

I minced some prawns with onions and marinated with sesame oil.

Cut the crust off the bread and cut them into triangle shapes. Spread them with the prawns mixture and deep fry them prawn side down for about 2 minutes and turn them over and fry for about 30 seconds (dont let the toast burn).

Remove and drain them before serving.

Judie's Coconut Macaroon Pie

Source: Beaurino..Judie

Coconut Maccaroon Pie

1 STICK MELTED BUTTER
1 1/2 C. SUGAR
3 EGGS,BEATEN
1 TSP. VANILLA
1 TBSP WHITE VINAGER
1 C. COCONUT

MIX TOGETHER, POUR INTO UNBAKED CRUST.
BAKE 350* FOR 1 HOUR

REALLY YUMMY

Quick & Easy Pot Roast

One 3 pound brisket
1 cup catsup
1 package dry onion soup mix

Place brisket of foil, coat with catsup and then sprinkle with the dry onion soup mix. Wrap in foil and place on baking sheet. Cook at 350 degrees for 2 1/2 hours...

Coconut Cream Pie

Note: ** This is a good one..
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup flour
2 1/4 cups rich milk
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
3/4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup coconut

Mix sugar, salt, cornstarch and flour in a saucepan. Slowly stir in milk. Boil 1 minute, over medium heat...stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir half of mixture into egg yolks, then blend into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil 1 more minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Blend in vanilla and butter. Cool. Fold in 3/4 cup coconut into the cooled filling just before pouring into pie shell. Chill about 2 hours. Just before serving,top with whipped cream topping...sprinkle 1/4 cup coconut over whipped cream topping..

Boiled Custard

Source:
Fannie Farmer Boston Cooking School Cookbook,1918
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2 cups scalded milk
1/4 cup sugar
yolks 3 eggs
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat eggs slightly,add sugar and salt while adding gradually hot milk.
Cook in double boiler, continue stirring until mixture thickens and a coating is formed on the spoon, strain immediately; chill and flavor.
If cooked too long, the custard will curdle; should this happen, by using an egg beater it may be restored to a smooth consistency, but custard will not be as thick.
Eggs should be beaten slightly for custard, that it may be of smooth, thick consistency.
To prevent scum from forming,cover with a perforated tin.
When eggs are scarce, use yolks two eggs and one-half tablespoon cornstarch.

White Chocolate Popcorn

5 bags extra butter microwave popcorn
1 package white almond bark
peanuts or pecans are optional
an extra large mixing bowl
aluminum foil

Pop the corn according to package direstions. Pour into extra large mixing bowl, pick out as many unpopped kernels as you can.
Melt the almond bark as package directs...and pour over popped corn, Stir till all popcorn is coated. You can add the peanuts or pecans to the popcorn mixture BEFORE pouring the chocolate over if you wish. Be sure to mix thoroly. Spreak out on aluminum foil as thin as you can..let dry 30 to 45 minutes,
Bag into large ziploc freezer bags, or any airtight container..

Simple & Easy Cranberry Orange Relish

4 cups fresh cranberries
2 unpeeled oranges, quartered
2 cups sugar
Wash the cranberries and drain. Removed seeds from oranges. Grind the cranberries and oranges together and stir in the sugar. Stir well and chill..

Cracked Egg Tip

If an eggshell cracks during cooking, add a small quanity of vinegar to the cooking water..to prevent egg white from seeping through the shell..

Homemade Chili Sauce .... Money Saving Tip of the Day

Blend an economical homemade chili sauce for bar`b`q or salad making from the following:
1/2 teaspoon instant minced onion, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and 1 cup catsup.