It's going to be a squeaky new year ahead.....

It's the start of a squeaky new year as the Year of the Rat descends upon us.  Could this be Cookie's favourite year? ;)  Well, some of us could end up living like rats (!) this year....fighting for scraps amidst already weakened business conditions (now made worse by the coronavirus outbreak)...or scavenging for food with miserly salaries (that don't seem to go up in tandem with rising prices of goods and services).

A tell-tale sign I noticed was probably just how quiet the shopping malls and supermarkets (even wet markets) were ahead of Chinese New Year (CNY) when I was doing my shopping with literally no queue at the cashiers' counters (even during the week prior to CNY).

A reunion makan at home is obviously the most cost-saving option + the chaotic scenes at restaurants is a deterrent to eat out on the eve of CNY.  I hear of restaurants running two shifts (some even three...yikes!) for CNY eve to maximise profits, so you have to be on time, eat gobble down the food and then leave get chased off discreetly and politely. :D

Similar to last year, we had a reunion at home (in KL) this year so that my mother-in-law could join us from the elderly care facility.  It was a reunion lunch (instead of dinner) as one of my sisters-in-law has a reunion dinner engagement with her husband's family.  So, what dishes can you spot on our reunion table?  I'll let you in on them in another post.

So, after a full lunch, dinner was just the three of us....a simple dinner of braised pork ribs with mushrooms, abalone & dried scallops (which I made earlier for my next door neighbour and hairdresser), nothing elaborate.  I added a minced pork omelette and a plate of stir-fried greens (kai lan) coz we weren't keen on eating the leftovers (of what I cooked for our earlier reunion lunch that day) so soon.

And with every CNY, there'll be some eating in interspersed with some eating out (of course) but that will be another story for another day.

What is CNY without festive snacks, right?  But nope, I didn't bake any, fry any...nor buy any this year.

But before you give me a deserving pat on my back, I couldn't resist the temptation of buying my once-a-year snack...ah, my favourite chicken logo! ^.^  Bak kwa (dried meat) this year retailed at RM115 a kilo (up from RM109 last year...would there be any other outcome than up!).

Unlike last year, the chilli bak kwa this year is vacuum-packed individually.  I don't like this kind of packaging as there's a tendency for the oil to stick between the packaging.  Also, if I were to nitpick, the packaging for each individual piece of bak kwa adds to the overall weight and you tend to lose one piece for every 300g. Not only that, with digital measurement, if the weight goes slightly above your intended purchase weight, you get charged for every single gram that passes your order weight (but they conveniently forget about the extra weight caused by the packaging)! >_<

Even though I don't really need to buy any festive snacks coz, in the spirit of giving and receiving, I'd still end up receiving snacks every year...and this year I got crab stick crackers, mini crispy prawn rolls, bee hive crackers, seaweed crackers, bak kwa, chicken floss, pineapple tarts, cookies and cashew nuts from friends and family.  Let me highlight just two of them.

Homemade bak kwa (and chicken floss) from my neighbour's daughter who returned from Australia for the holidays (made by a friend of hers, not her).

A sister-in-law gifted me this one in very nice packaging with three different types of goodies.  I prefer a variety of goodies in small amounts for obvious reasons...to promote less eating + we won't get sick of eating too much of the same thing.

As for the spirit of giving, I went with gifts of Mandarin oranges this year coz all the snacks weren't very exciting, the same old same old ones.  I saw that Ikea offered a packaged deal for their Mandarins together with a nice-looking basket (at just under RM50), so I opted for them.  I bought all 3 colours of blue, red & white (I kept the blue one for myself).  They're great for storing oranges during CNY and can double up as a carrier for my packed food after that.

At just under RM20, I got these cute-looking packets of Mandarin oranges sold by Aeon.  Each auspicious wu shou lou (bearded man) bears 3 oranges.  Yeah, they may seem more expensive than buying mandarins in boxes but you can't deny that the nice packaging makes them ideal giveaways for CNY.

Also in the spirit of giving and receiving is the tradition of giving and receiving angpows.  So, these were some of the angpow packets that came my way this year.

The best ones were these from Dolly (a clothing brand) in my opinion.  Comes in a packet-of-six where all six designs were different and very colourful too.  Not only that but the print design was embossed on glossy, thick, quality paper.  This one is a keeper (sayang to use it-lah).

Caring chose to go with the rat design...four different rat designs to be precise.  Not particularly a pretty-looking graphic interpretation of rats though.

This one by Affin Hwang (an asset management company), the texture of the packet felt regal, almost silk-like.  Different from the usual paper-type packets for sure.

Ikea also went with the rat design.  The angpow packet design I got turned out to be a different one from what was seen in their print adverts.  Hmmm, strange...a mix-up, perhaps.

OCBC's theme focussed on environment this year with 3 designs calling for the preservation of earth's precious resources.

And in a case of east-meets-west, even Mickey Mouse wants to get into some kung hei fatt choy action.  It was surprising to see even Family Mart giving out angpow packets.

Cookie: Well, I didn't get any angpow this year (or any other year) but I did get a new collar.  You get new clothes, I get new collars.  Let me tilt my head up for you.  Can you see my shiny blue collar with its sparkly green bell?

How do I look? ^_~

What the......??  Yeah, I know this is the year of the rat.....but that doesn't mean I need more rat toys, mommy.

And yes, I do remember rats were my favourite toys when I was little...but I'm all grown up  now...big boy already....and big boys don't play with toys! :P

Haiz, how fast they all grow up!  I remember the time when he would bat and chase the rat (toys) all over the house like it was just yesterday. :'(

A little update: Since going into 'retirement' mode, I've been encouraged by the few first-time comments left by some readers of mine...and of their appreciation for my 'work'.  Knowing that they found my reviews to be useful in some way and their hope for new write-ups (however infrequent) gives me just that little bit of motivation to continue writing even if the posts are few and far between.

Looking back, I've enjoyed the last two months of 'freedom'....of writing when I want, without a prescribed schedule, and putting out 1 - 3 posts a month doesn't seem too burdensome...I think I can manage that.  So I guess I'll continue that way (while still enjoying my 'semi-retirement'...and my coffee) and see how far that takes me.  Looks like I can't stay away from blogging altogether after all! :P  Well, I know of 'someone' who will be thrilled with this arrangement as he's not about to give up on his 15 minutes of fame yet! :D :D

My Container Collection

I'm obsessed with tableware, especially crockery.  Whenever I'm out shopping, the kitchenware section is one of my favourite sections to explore and spend time browsing in.  I would buy (or be tempted to buy) all sorts of crockery.  And I end up with a collection that's more than I'll ever need or can ever use.

Besides crockery, I'm also container-obsessed, I collect hoard containers of all shapes and sizes.  The Tupperware brand is a favourite of mine.  I just love that they come in many sweet pastel colours and I have loads of them (and this isn't all of it!).  Maybe I'll show you my Tupperware collection in detail one day...hehe! ;)  I don't think there's a single household who doesn't own at least one Tupperware.  I still love them but I've stopped buying them already since I've more than I need.

But these days, I'm into freezer-safe glasslock containers and the reason for the shift is because I've started to do food prep and freezing (thanks to a blog I follow)..and for the convenience of reheating, only glass containers will do as they're microwave, oven and dishwasher-safe (not that I have a dishwasher!), also lead and BPA-free.  Great for steaming (via stove top or induction) too.

#1 - Basic Living (Glass Keeper)

My collection started with Basic Living's Glass Keepers...two round (350 ml), two square (475 ml) and two rectangle (400 ml) containers...a modest 6 pieces initially.  Made of borosilicate glass with excellent thermal properties, they can handle heat up to 300°C.  And between the square, round and rectangle containers, I prefer the square ones as they lock much easier than the round ones though the round ones tend to be easier to eat from.  These cost between RM15 - RM18 for one.

#2 - Glasslock (from Korea)

My second addition were these two Glasslock rectangle containers (715 ml).  I was attracted tricked by the Buy 1 Free 1 gimmick at RM39.90.  On hindsight, that's probably a more realistic price for two containers.  I liked these ones the least as they're made of tempered glass and has a lower heat resistance (of 120°C only)...and it didn't say oven-safe.


I don't know what I bought but I got this Glasslock glass for free.  It seems you can microwave this glass, cover and all, but 380 ml is too large a cup/glass of coffee for me.


Maybe I can use it to store/freeze one small portion of soup. :P

#3 - Daiso

Then I got these rectangular ones (400 ml) from Daiso at the spur of the moment as I couldn't get past the awesome price of RM5.90 each.  But cheapest is not necessary the best.  The lids need more effort to lock.  Now I'm even afraid they may not be heat resistant, so I dare not use them in the oven! >_<

#4 - Bros (Click-In)


I needed some with bigger storage and bought these larger containers (800 ml) on offer, value pack of two for RM35.90.  This Bros brand is even more heat resistant at 400°C!


I thought this one with divided compartments (1000 ml) was rather cute and would be great for storing/reheating two separate dishes to be eaten with rice.  So I couldn't resist getting one at RM35.90 also.

#5 - Basic Living (Glass Keeper)


I liked the Basic Living ones the most coz they were of a better quality than the rest, so I went back and got one more large glass container (850 ml), this time at a discount for RM23.50.  These bigger containers are ideal to store bigger portions of food like cooked salads and pasta sauces.

#6 - Jamie Oliver's Storage Collection


And then Aeon ran a promotion for containers redemption.  Of course, I wanted them...who wouldn't...they're, after all, containers that Jamie Oliver lent his name to.  They sold so well that I had to pre-order mine (pay upfront too) and waited 2 whole months (!) for them.


Made from borosilicate glass as well, I redeemed the round (280 ml) and rectangular (470 ml) ones for RM9.90 and RM13.90 each (with the use of stamps).  Jamie Oliver's collection is stylish, top-quality and the classiest of the lot.  Plus this one, the lid (which you can slide open and close) can even be used in the microwave oven.


My collection now boasts of 10 different sizes from the smallest at 280 ml to the largest at 1000 ml.  I think that's quite sufficient for now, don't you?  Hehe! ;)  If I need to add to my collection, it'd be the 350 - 475 ml ones as I find those the most ideal size to store/freeze one portion of food (for me)...and if I need bigger portions, I can always defrost two smaller containers.  And I would choose the Basic Living brand, even though they're the most expensive of the lot, for their quality.

Lately, I've also started to buy/collect these plastic containers when I saw them offered by Aeon.  They're ideal for storing raw food in the freezer which means I no longer need to resort to single-use (or recycled) plastic bags in my freezer anymore.  Using these plastic containers is a lot more hygienic too, not to mention environment-friendly, as they can be washed and reused resulting in less plastic waste.


I like that they come in many sizes and the covers are very easy to open (when frozen) unlike some Tupperware containers.  They cost only RM9.90 for one stack and you get anything from 2 - 5 nos in each stack depending on the size of the containers.


They're available in 6 sizes from as small as 90 ml to 180 ml, 270 ml, 400 ml, 630 ml...to as large as 850 ml...and I got myself 4 sizes.  The smaller containers are great for storing things like minced meat, chicken fillet or prawns.  The larger ones are good for storing say pork ribs or chicken pieces.


I found the smaller containers to be the most useful for my needs.  That way I can defrost just the amount I need to cook and keep the rest fresh by not defrosting the whole lot and refreezing what I'm not able to use (and if I need to cook a bigger quantity, I just defrost an additional container).  It's not ideal to freeze, defrost and refreeze raw food as it leads to contamination.


The containers are made of see-through plastic, so the contents are easily identifiable.  The covers are also designed in such a way which make them stackable on top of one another with ease.  It's space-saving and neat-looking when used in the freezer...and I end up with a much more organised freezer in the process.


And when not in use, they can be neatly stacked away and saves space too in your kitchen cabinet.  I liked them so much I've since added even more to my collection as I found them tremendously useful for my freezer storage purposes (I now have close to 30 pcs..hehe!) whilst eliminating/reducing single-use plastic bags.


So, from glasslock to plastic to Tupperware containers, it's obvious (in my case) that I have one for every purpose.....kekeke! ;D  Now that I've 'invested' in so many glass containers, they must, of course, be put to good use.  They're great for batch-cooking for freezing...and perfect for storing leftovers for reheating too.  Should I show you some of my food prep and freezing? ^_~

My Ang Pow Collection

Ang Pow, red envelopes, red packets....whatever you call them, all of us love giving and receiving them (ok, maybe less giving and more receiving)...hahaha! ^_~

  Traditionally given during Chinese New Year (CNY) and also on special occasions like weddings, birth of a baby, birthdays, graduation or simply to mark a specific celebration.

As with every Chinese New Year, shopping malls, retailers, restaurants and banks would give away these ang pow packets to their customers.  Most of the designs end up being nothing distinctive or spectacular-looking but, once in a while, some really unique and beautiful ones do come my way (I don't purposely go out of my way to seek them out, though I know some people who do).

So, over the years, I've kept some of the nicer ones for my own collection.....

#1 - OCBC

One of my all-time favourite ang pow designs comes from OCBC Bank coz they're usually unlike anything else, one of its kind.  I think they have the prettiest-looking ang pow designs by any bank by far.  OCBC is one of the very few who would print their ang pow packets in 4 designs.

2009 - Potted Flowers & Fruits Design (packets in 4 different colours of red, peach, light & dark pink).

2010 - A family-themed design is befitting any CNY celebration.

Front

Back

Although in some years (2011), they scaled it down to just 2 designs (cost factor?) ^_*


Front

Back

2012 - Four different designs synonymous with CNY (mandarin oranges, tea, flowers & goldfish) but in just one-colour...red.

I collected OCBC's red packets from 2009 - 2012 and then I didn't bother the next 5 years until this year.  I googled their 2013 - 2017 designs and saw that I didn't miss much as those designs were my least-liked (especially the 2014, 2015 & 2017 designs).

Luckily, they got their creative mojo back.  This 2018 tassel design may be their best one yet, minimalistic but elegant :=)


Front


Back

#2 - HSBC


Flower themes is a favourite among many as lotus and cherry blossoms symbolise CNY.

#3 - Stanchart

Stanchart's designs are always timeless and elegant.

#4 - ICBC


Gold (or red) is generally the preferred choice of colour of most ang pow packet designs for its auspicious denotation.

#5 - RBS


I think foreign banks tend to have much better designs (and quality) than local banks...like this one which has a pocket within the red packet.  I think this is the nicest looking design I've come across so far.

#6 - Maybank


For local banks, this one isn't too bad.

#7 - welovecoach.com


I got this from an online store I used to buy branded bags from.  I especially liked the first one where the red packet looked like you're receiving a gift card.

#8 - Pandora


This one is very classy, of course...it has to be, after all, it's Pandora!  I obviously got this in the year that I was busy buying charms to add on to my bracelet...hihihi! ;)

#9 - Caring Pharmacy


Last year's design - Year of the Rooster
(I like the colourful rooster but the other one looks like one fierce rooster) :P


This year's design - Year of the Dog

(ok-lah, the design isn't spectacular but there's this "scan to create a puppy" on the back that's rather cute)

#10 - MH Hotel


Nowadays, we don't often see these types of ang pow packets where the illustration tells a story...like this one of children simply enjoying the festivities.

You know what, I've even come across people selling some of these unused ang pow packets online.  I guess everything has a price...and there's always a quick buck to be made out of anything! O_o

I'll probably continue with this habit of mine to keep some of these nicer-looking ang pow packets for my own collection.  Do you do that too?