10 September, 2009

Annual Hot Air Balloon in Springs


Colorado Balloon Classic is an annual family event and held on each Labor Day weekend.Last year we didn't managed to attend this event because SB & I went to New York & New Jersey for holidays :) Therefore, we decided not to travel out from Springs and wish to witness this grand event as this was our last chance.

The event is held in Memorial Park off Pikes Peak Avenue . Mass ascensions with over 100 balloons are scheduled for Saturday, Sunday and Monday mornings 7 am with a Balloon Glow scheduled for Saturday and Sunday evenings at 8pm.

SB & I woke up very early just to ensure we arrived the park before 6.30am so that we able to see how the balloon filled :)
The place was crowded. However the mass ascension was cancel that morning, but they filled up their balloons.
In the evening they have the balloon glow, we went on the second day, it was cancelled :(
Neverthelest we were happy to experience the atmosphere of many big balloons on the field.

The place was crowded with peoples even before sunrise.


Fillig up the energizer bunny balloon.

Noah's Ark balloon. This one is unique

Booth selling souviniers

View of energizer bunny balloon from bottom


Happening crowd in the morning.

Eat more chickin'

Colorful balloons

76 balloon, my year of birth :)


SB and me :)

09 September, 2009

1st BBQ In Summer


I never try BBQ during summer and I always wanted to do so.
Finally I had a chance because our friend, Eric finally bought a BBQ grill. Last weekend we had our 1st BBQ at his house and we did enjoyed the day because of the nice scenery facing Garden's of The Gods with cool weather, good foods and wonderful company around :)


Eric and I were the cook of the day :)


We had sausages, chickens, fish, bacon and yellow corn for the day ...


The weather was so cool that I need another blanket for protection :)


Soo Beng and Min Jie enjoying themselves drinking and chit chatting while waiting for me & Eric to prepare the food


Min Jie


Chicken!!! Looks great and yummy, right ???


07 September, 2009

Celine Dion Concert

26 February 2009 ( Back Post )
I never thought I would get the chance to experience a superstar's concert. What more Celine Dion! This is amazing!

Long " Q " at Pepsi Centre to get into the hall. We were feeling cool outside because it was winter!!!

Finally got our seat :) The hall was fully packed!!!

Opening by Gordy Brown and he was a good joker :)

Nice photo album, the person sitting infront of us is viewing it.

Finally saw Celine! She's looks great!

Her voice was amazing and wonderful!

This was a great concert and memorable day for me.

06 September, 2009

2009 Chinese New Year Celebration

26 January 2009 ( Back Post )

My 1st and last Chinese New Year Celebration in United States.

We were so happy attending open house organized for Singaporean and Malaysian in Springs.

From left: SB, Ian, Lisa, Sherley, Tom and myself

New Year Eve : Timsum breakfast at Denver with MJ, Eric and Wai Seong.We were so lucky to meet these 4 - 5 beautiful Lion Dance.More happening then Malaysia , right?


I organized an little reunion steamboat dinner with friends.
We had all the great foods :)

Tada!!! Entertainment time...everyone so happily playing cards !

While they were gambling, I played with all these cute kids.


Cute couple!!!

SB likes to play with Michell. I guess he love BB gal :)

1st angpow given away for our 1st year of married.

Bell Pepper Chicken With Lemon Juice


Ingredients:-
  • 2 pieces of boneless chicken thigh/ 1 chicken breast ( cut into small pieces )
  • 1/4 green bell pepper ( sliced )
  • 1/4 red bell pepper ( sliced )
  • 5 gloves garlic ( finely chopped )
  • 1/2 gloves small onion ( cut into small pieces )
  • Salt to taste ( follow your taste )
  • Dash of white Pepper
  • Lemon Juice to taste ( follow your taste )
Steps:-
  1. Heat the wok with cooking oil and saute the garlic and onion until fragrance.
  2. Add in chicken, salt and pepper. Stir well until the chicken cooked.
  3. Add in bell pepper and cook until the vegetables getting soft.
  4. Add in lemon juice.
  5. Taste the gravy. You can add in more lemon juice or salt until you get the desired taste.
  6. Dish out and serve.

05 September, 2009

Lotus Root Soup

Ingredients:-
  • 1 -2 fresh lotus root
  • 10 -15 pieces of red dates
  • 1 piece of dried cuttlefish/ 5 dried oyster/ 1/2 cup of dried anchovy( Dried cuttlefish is preferred )
  • 2 pieces of pork ribs
  • 1/4 cup raw Spanish nuts
  • Salt to taste

Steps:-
  1. Wash the lotus roots and making sure there is no soil in the holes.
  2. Cut the lotus root into slices.
  3. Clean the raw Spanish nuts and removed the skin.
  4. Parboil the pork ribs for 2 minutes. Drain and wash with cool water.
  5. Put all ingredients into your slow cooker and slow cook for 5-8 hours or overnight.
  6. Add in salt follow your taste.

04 September, 2009

Soy Sauce Chicken + Chicken Rice + Chili Garlic Sauce

I missed Chicken Rice very much especially the roasted chicken rice. Therefore I decided to make my own for lunch. But the chicken isn't the same as I did Soy Sauce Chicken instead of the roasted chicken or Hainanese Chicken.

Ingredients for Soy Sauce Chicken :-

  • 2 thigh + 1 chicken breast
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 tsp light soy sauce
  • 5 pieces star anise
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 inch old ginger ( sliced )
  • 6 cloves garlic ( finely chopped )
  • Salt to taste
Steps:-
  1. Boil the chicken for 20 minutes or until cooked. Removed the chicken and set aside to cool.
  2. Retain broth for use on rice and chili sauce.
  3. Boil 1 cup of water with light soy sauce, star anise, Cinnamon stick, garlic and ginger at high heat.
  4. When sauce rolling boil, add in brown sugar and chicken then reduce the heat to medium.
  5. Let the chicken simmer in the soy sauce for 45 minutes or until the gravy nearly dry.
  6. Turn off the heat and prepare to serve with rice.

Ingredients for Hainanese Style Chicken Rice:-

  • 2 cups rice ( washed )
  • 2 tsp oil preferably oil from frying chicken/ cooking oil ( I used oil from frying turmeric chicken )
  • 1-2 inch ginger ( finely chopped )
  • 5 cloves garlic ( finely chopped )
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 chicken broth or more ( reserved from chicken that boiled )
  • 2 Pandan leaves
Steps:-
  1. Heat the wok with oil and then saute the ginger and garlic until light brown.
  2. Add in rice and 2 tbsp water. Stir well until rice is coated with the oil.
  3. Pour the rice mixture into rice cooker and add in pandan leaves and chicken broth.
  4. Ensure the chicken broth enought just to cover the rice.
  5. Cook as usual you cook the normal rice.
  6. When the rice is ready, check the rice whether is too hard. If yes, you can add some chicken broth into it but not too many and re-cook.
  7. Ready to serve with the chicken.

Ingredients for Chili Garlic Sauce:-

  • 10 Red Chili ( I replaced with 5 Dried chili )
  • 1 inch ginger
  • 4 garlic gloves
  • 2 tbsp chicken broth ( reserved from the chicken that boiled )
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • 1/4 tsp sugar ( or more )
  • Dash of salt to taste
Step:-
  1. Just blend all ingredients in the blender.

03 September, 2009

Teochew Style Steam Fish


Ingredients:-
  • 1 Chinese Pomfret ( Tau Dai Cheong )
  • 1/2 gloves small onion ( sliced )
  • 3 gloves garlic ( finely chopped )
  • 2 inch ginger ( sliced )
  • 2 spring onion ( cut into 4 inch each )
  • 2 tomatoes ( cut into 4 pieces each )
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/3 tsp salt ( more or less )
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • 2 dried Chinese Mushroom ( soaked and sliced )
  • Pinch of Tamarind/ Assam Jawa ( Optional : replace by plum or salted vegetable )
  • Pinch of white pepper
  • 2 dried chili ( soak and cut into small pieces ) / 2 Jalapeno Chili/ 2 Chili Paddy
  • 1/4 cup water

Steps:-

  1. Clean the fish and prepare all the ingredients as mentioned.
  2. Marinate the fish with salt and white pepper. Put inside the steaming plate.
  3. Pour the rest of the ingredients into the steaming plate.
  4. Heat up the steamer to high heat.
  5. Steam the fish for 15 minutes or until cooked.

Ready to serve warm with white rice :)

02 September, 2009

Kuih Koci

Ingredients:-
  • 300g glutinous rice flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 6-8 pandan leaves juice ( blend with 1 cups coconut milk )
  • 1 cup coconut milk ( blend with pandan leaves )
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk ( more or less )
  • 16 pcs 6" x 8" banana leaves ( soak in hot water and clean it )
Filling:-
  • 300g fresh grated coconut
  • 130g palm sugar
  • 4 tbsp water
  • 1 pandan leave
  • 2 tsp of cornstarch + 2 tbsp water

Methods:-
Fillings:
  1. Cook palm sugar and water until sugar really dissolved.
  2. Add in pandan leave and grated coconut and stir cook until the mixture nearly dry.
  3. Add in cornstarch mixture and still well until thicken.
  4. Dish out and let it cool.
Dough:
  1. Mix flour, salt and coconut milk. Knead well.
  2. If the mixture too dry, add in a bit coconut milk and if too wet, add additional flour.
To Make Kuih:
  1. Pinch a small piece of dough and roll into a ball and then flatten the dough.
  2. Add in 1 tbsp of filling in the center and gather up the edges to seal the filling inside.
  3. Then, grease the banana leaves with cooking oil.
  4. Fold it into corn shape ( oiled is inside ), place dough ball into it and push gently to fill the tip of cone as much as possible.
  5. Fold the edges over the base to close.
  6. Steam for 15 minutes in slow boiling water.
  7. Cool before serve.

I would like to thanks my hubby for helping me in doing all the dough :)

01 September, 2009

Bell Pepper Chicken

Ingredients:-
  • 3 skinless boneless chicken breast ( I replaced with 1 boneless thigh and 3 slices of chicken breast )
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce ( 1 tbsp for marinate and 1 tbsp for cooking )
  • 3 tbsp ketchup ( 1 tbsp for marinate and 2 tbsp for cooking )
  • 1-2 inch ginger ( sliced )
  • 1/2 bulb garlic ( finely chopped )
  • 2 green onion ( cut into 1 inch pieces )
  • 1 medium red pepper ( cut into small pieces )
  • 1 medium green pepper ( cut into small pieces )
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil

Steps:-
  1. Marinate the chicken with 1 tbsp light soy sauce and 1 tbsp ketchup for 1/2 hour.
  2. Heat the wok with cooking oil and saute the garlic and ginger until fragrance or golden brown.
  3. Add in chicken, 1 tbsp of light soy sauce and 2 tbsp of ketchup. Stir well until the chicken cooked.
  4. Add in red pepper, green pepper and 1/2 tsp sugar to taste. Stir until the pepper become soft.
  5. Add in green onion. At this stage, you can add additional light soy sauce follow your taste.
  6. Stir for a while and dish out.