Gong Xi Fa Cai, everyone!
It's that time of year again where we stuff our faces with all possible shapes, flavors and colors of cookies and cakes! Wait .... isn't that an all year affair?
What did you expect from a non-traditional?
We even had our reunion dinner on the eve of the eve of Chinese New Year. That's how non-traditional we are. We aren't turning our backs on our culture and heritage ... oh no, definitely not. Abolish the thought. Just maybe a little eccentric.
Tomorrow's the big day. The first day of the Chinese New Year. Where everyone goes to their senior relatives' homes to give good wishes and gifts and leave with good wishes and gifts. Yes, it's a never ending process. I give, you give, we all give ... now if only my jeans would give a little.
On the 2nd day, the whole process continues with visits to friends'. I give, you give, we all give. Now if only my skirt would give a little.
The gap between last Christmas and this Chinese New Year is rather close this time around. So baking of homemade goodies for the ceremonial "I give you give" is at a minimal... for me, anyway.
I've made the ever traditional Pineapple Tartlets and the not so traditional Chocolate Chip Cookies and Food For The Gods and some Almond Squares which I didn't have time to take some shots of ... yet. There'll be another batch up soon and I'll be sure to get some pictures and post about them.
So, in the meantime, take a gander at this:
this:
and this:
and then tell me why my jeans won't give?
"Now if only my skirt would give a little" - Hahaha :D Beautiful little baked goods, Ping - Happy Chinese New Year. I'm very jealous of you with all those little cakes right now :D Speaking of which - those 4 Cs Cheesecakes of yours are still on my list of things to make... looking forward to those :D
ReplyDeleteThanks, Charles. Don't be jealous ... make some! Oh, yes, you really have to make the 4Cs bars. Make sure you get yourself some baggy jeans before that :D
DeleteHappy Chinese New Year!
ReplyDeleteThe tartlets look gorgeous, I still want to make that jam (and the tartlets, but for those I need a sheet), and the traditional celebrations sound like fun, but also somewhat exhausting! As to the jeans... oh, I wish they really, really would! :D
Thanks, V. Yeah, it's super exhausting. I'm already exhausted and today's just the first day. It's a great time to catch up with old friends and cousins tho. You know, you can just make thumbprint-styled cookies with the same recipe if you don't have tartlet tins.
DeleteUuuu, that sounds like an idea to be tried and soon - the tall&handsome has been stressed out by work and nothing helps with that as well as cookies. And well, maybe some boozed-up coffee to eat them with!
Deletenice recipe
ReplyDeleteAarthi
http://yummytummy-aarthi.blogspot.com/
Thanks.
DeleteThank you for your kind words of sympathy.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year! Your delicious treats make me wish I was Chinese! Wait, I can still make these even if I'm not! Enjoy your celebrations, my friend.
Thank you, Lizzy. Haha! Yes, that's the best thing about being in cyberspace ... you can always pretend to be Chinese. :D
DeleteThose pineapple tarlets are to die for! And I totally get the jeans comment...I was noticing that my week of bad eating has caught up with me. To the gym today!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Oh yes, the gym ... what's that again? ;)
DeleteI agree with you that this year's CNY is so close to last year's Christmas. Just haven't got time to shape up then I've to make more cookies (to give, to try and to eat) ! Next year will be better as there will be a double month for April in the lunar calendar.
ReplyDeleteHello, Veronica. It's hard not to get into the baking mood either with so many beautiful and tempting posts for the CNY ... like yours!
DeleteHappy new year.
ReplyDeleteEating treats is an all year affair for sure but some go overdrive, and guilt free. Its the bonus season, take full advantage since its quite short. Jeans, skirts etc all need a bit of stretching from time to time., no harm in that:)
Thank you. Welcome back ... not that you've been gone too long, but welcome back just the same. Thanks for making me feel not so guilty. Now I wish my jeans and skirt could hear you :P
DeleteHappy Chinese New Year :)! All of your recent sweets look delicious, and especially the Tartlets!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Amy!
DeleteYour post made me smile :) :) Happy Chinese New Year to you! :D And about the jeans - I hear you! :D those little tarts look so yummy! I hope you have a wonderful day...
ReplyDeleteThank you! Glad to have made you smile. Have a great week!
DeleteDelicious! Happy new Year!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ann!
DeleteGong Xi Fa Cai! Happy New Year, my dear friend, Ping!
ReplyDeleteYou are just too funny...I give, you give, we all give! I would love to have you give me the scrumptious little pineapple tart, and I will give you my biscuits that I made...better yet, I would love to show you how to make it in person, if you come to visit your (brother?) in Florida!
Glad that I'm not near all these sweets, although I would love to be part of your CNY celebration!
Huggss,
Thank you, Elisabeth. Oh, how I look forward to the day I visit my brother. Soon, soon ... I hope. I would so love to meet up with you, and perhaps make a mess in the kitchen together and a nice cup of coffee after ... after cleaning up, of course, heh. Hugs back!
DeleteHappy New Year, Ping! Definitely the best way to start it is with as much humour as you have! Your jeans problem reminds me of every year Christmas... All the sweets look gorgeous, but I htink my preference goes for pineapple tartlets. Strangely, I haven't made any pineapple jam this year...
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sissi! Glad you enjoyed reading that. I've found out that pineapple jam freezes very well. I make a big batch, freeze some and whenever I get the craving, I just whip up some pastry and then go get another pair of jeans. :D
DeleteI have never frozen jam... I preserve pineapple jams every year, but haven't made any this Winter. I have noticed preserving is not popular/traditional in Asia, while in Europe in my mum's generation every family had lots of home-made preserves (especially jams, which are the easiest). Now people make less preserves, sadly...
DeleteYeah, I guess preserves are more popular during the days of no refrigeration. The Asians do have preserves but not much of fruits but eggs, vegetables and condiments for cooking.
DeleteHappy New Year! Enjoy yourself, eat and don't worry about the jeans until February...oh wait! there are Valentines treats in February...June sounds like a good month to worry about jeans. Nothing exciting ever happens in June.
ReplyDeleteJUNE?!!?! I think I'd better start looking for jeans with elastic tops ... or maybe those maternity ones :D
DeleteHappy New Year to you! I am fortunate enough to have Vietnamese co-workers that share their celebration with me, and I very much love the Lunar new year. Plus I was told as a rat this coming year should hold many good things for me, too.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kiri. I'm glad you get to celebrate this tradition and that this year is good for you. Accordingly, it isn't too great for me but I don't really believe too much of that ... I'll make it work for me :D
DeleteHappy New Year my friend.xx
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kim.
DeleteWishing you and your family a roaring success, great health, peace, harmony and a compassionate spirit as we welcome the year of the dragon! Gong Xi Fa Cai!
ReplyDeleteHere's wishing you all the good stuff too! :D Gong Xi Fa Cai!!
DeleteHI, I found your blog through Charles' tag. Yes, I often wonder how the Chinese make it through the New Year without having to go up a couple of sizes in clothing. So much feasting! But it seems such a wonderful celebration and I'd love to participate.
ReplyDeleteHello. Haha! That's the reason everyone gets new clothes for the new year ... naw, just kidding. I do hope you get a chance to experience this some day. It's pretty festive and goes on for 15 days! The 1st, 7th and 15th days being the important days. Hey, thanks for coming by.
DeleteHappy Chinese New Year!
ReplyDeleteThose pineapple filled cookies are so lovely!
Thank you, Angie. Happy Chinese New Year to you too!
DeleteWishing you a great New Year...good health and prosperity to you and your family. It seems we all need two sizes of clothing, regular for most of the year and larger for after the holidays. I just say it must be the dryer shrinking things. Haha.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, Karen. Haha! True, but most times it doesn't get back to regular size :D Good idea to blame it on the dryer.
DeleteMmmm So Juicy And Delicious
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteHa! That is a concern, those tight jeans have a mind of their own :) and I like a little eccentric! You make me smile! Happy Chinese New Year, Gong Xi Fa Cai
ReplyDeleteThanks Lyndsey! Haha! I need to re-train those jeans.
DeleteWho needs jeans when you can have tarts!??!?!!? :D
ReplyDeleteHaha! No jeans then ... gotta invest in some muumuus!
DeleteGong Xi Fa Cai to you and your family! They look very delicious and I can understand what you meant that CNY is a jeans buster! And that's why we can only have this celebration once a year...so that for the rest of year, we can fit into our jeans.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Zoe. And all the best of the season to you and yours as well.
DeleteHaha! If only it happens that way ... trouble with me is that I can't shrink back after expanding! You know, people should actually shop for new clothes AFTER CNY and not before ... makes more sense.
Hi Ping:
ReplyDeleteJust want to wish you gong xi fa cai, healthy and happy dragon year. Cook healthy eat healthy!
since I came back and join back working field, it has been a while not active in food blogging, anyway will try to catch up more.
Great recipes.
Hi Yin! It's so nice to see you again. I'd thought you've given up on blogging ... my "si fu" in local cakes and cookies and Chinese dishes. Made me worried for awhile.
DeleteGood to know you're around.
Gong Xi Fa Cai to you too!
I am so glad I saw this post after CNY, otherwise I will be very "thick skin" to ask you for your pineapples tarts! Having said that, got any left ar? hehe
ReplyDeleteTechnically it is still CNY, so ask away! But, sorry, none left :D
DeleteBut I still have the jam so it's not a problem to make some. When we meet, remind me about this a few days before and I'll make some. I just hope it'll pass your high standards.