Gong Xi Fa Cai

 

Happy Chinese New Year! May the year of the water dragon bring us all luck, prosperity and good health! This year we are at our new home celebrating chinese new year for the first time here. I havent even finished blogging about Christmas and what do you know, it is already Chinese New Year! A couple of days after Christmas I had the tree put away and a sprinkling of red replaces the decoration in our house for the month of January.

The house has lately also been smelling of baked new year's goods and other treats. I haven't done baking for new year's for the longest time, and this year I am starting again with hubby's request, starting with some pineapple tarts. I even attempted homemade nian gao and braised shiitake mushrooms! We live in a very multicultural street and we have been so lucky to have had all sorts of treats given to us "for chinese new year!". Some interesting items included sweet indian dumplings( I forgot what they were called), deep fried and then soaked in a sweet sugar syrup. Just before we sat down for our reunion dinner, yet another knock on our door opens up to the sight of freshly steamed giant buns with red dates slotted into them, check that out!

We were away last year and the rest of the family here had an almost non existent chinese new year celebration (they had fish and chips for their reunion dinner! And leftovers for the first day haha!). So this year, we had everyone over our place and placed a feast in front of them. It is tradition back in Singapore to have steamboat for reunion dinner at my parents' house, so I do the same at mine. If we can have a steaming hot pot in Singapore's tropical weather, we can most certainly do the same in 34 degree heat in melbourne!

I can certainly no chef, I have never cooked the traditional dishes for the festive occasion before attempting the braised shiitake mushrooms, so hooray for the steamboat because all I had to do was buy the ingredients and away we feast! But the very aspiring and competent chef of my father in law, made a magnificent Lou Hei (a traditional Singaporean chinese new year salad -very apt!). It was so yummy! Third day into the new year we've already done it twice! Kayden got right into the tossing! He had his little spoon instead of chopsticks and was also flicking the salad into the air! He even stood on the table so he can do it higher than everyone else hah! We clinked our glasses and swished the meats into the simmering pot, sweating the night away! But hey it was a great dinner!

As the new year begins, we reflect on how much things and people have changed, Especially how much our little man has grown and really starting to develop his own personality. He now understands almost everything we say and sound his own opinions even when eavesdropping on the adults! A year ago, at new year's he was only still a babbling baby, scooting around on all fours! Now, on the first day of new year, with his hands clasped together, he tells us "Gong Xi Gong Xi!". But, only if you have a red packet in your hand ready to hand it to him! The cheeky little thing! He already knows the value of money! (He knows it gets him strawberries at the supermarket - "Pay! Eat!").

I hope you are all having a great start to the year so far!