2021 - my first nonya dumpling wrapping

This is something I wanted to do for the longest time!! As the preparation works is very tedious, so had been thinking and procrastinating for the longest time!!  Finally, come 2021, where am working from home (WFH) most of the time, decided to go ahead & try.  I had learned how to wrap from my grandma times when she would wrap lots of dumplings yearly, and so far, only I managed to learn the wrapping from her.

Since my kids preferred nonya dumplings (cos they do not like those fatty fatty layers of the pork belly, they always preferred the minced meat in nonya dumplings!) and I always only like the sweet dumplings compared to the savory bak zhang!! 

I need to prepare about a week for this, soaking & washing of the dumpling leaves.  Cut & cook the minced meat a day ahead and soaking of the glutinous rice the night before the production!  Alot of cutting & chopping for nonya dumplings, but I think it's worth the afford!

Comes wrapping the next day!!  I like my BLUE rice, the colour must be very dark, so after cooking, the blue will be obvious!  ** pardon my messy kitchen! **

My finished product!! If you can see my digital clock at the back, it took me about 1.5 hours for about 20 dumplings!! This was my first wrapping session, following this, I did 2 more wrappings! Hahaha...  getting so addicted, but since we know the sequence of preparing and wrapping them, it became easier!

After 2-3 hours of cooking, my dumplings are ready to eat!

I can still see my BLUE rice after cooking for 2-3 hours!!  Can see my dumpling is really full with meat! Hahaha... very nice!!  Am very happy with my first dumpling wrapping, tasty & easy!

** For 2022, I had wanted to wrap again, BUT, seriously, I forgot about the dates & had missed it! Hahaha... maybe I should do when AM FREE, huh?? LOL... When I mentioned to my helper, she said, she also thought we will be making it this year, but why still don't see my getting the ingredients for it! Ahahaha... BLUR SOTONG ME!! **

My bakes for birthday! (2019 & 2020)

Hahahaha... another back-dated post!!!

I think I better post these photos to remind myself that I had been doing such a big project back when I were this 'adventurous'!!  The first pull money cake I ordered was very expensive & the cake taste horrible!!  Really, we were really shocked that the cake was hard & tasteless, I guess the cake was baked to hold the shape.

Anyways, I decided to try baking myself, after doing some research online on the pull money mechanism, buying all the necessary things I need to make sure it works! Hahaha...

This is my first creation back in Sep 2019, for my Mother-In-Law's (MIL) birthday, using my red velvet cake recipe.  Doing my own cake topper (the chinese wordings topper, as I cannot find anyone to custom-made it for me!) and ordering the icing sheets with the images I want! Hahaha... 100% custom-made cake!!  But IF I were to get into this business, don't think I can do so many things for an order!  And during that time of the year (Aug), I had a difficult time trying to find all those gold coins & ingots chocolates!! They can be easily bought during our CNY period, but other times of the year, GOOD LUCK! Hahaha...

The 2nd pull money cake I made was for my dad!!  No much customized toppers, mostly 'plug & play' type!  Getting lazier! Hahaha... This time, I baked carrot cake with cream cheese frosting! Nice!  But he had fun pulling out the money, not forgetting to pass to my mum after pulling out!

The last cake I baked, a simple Pumpkin cheesecake was for hubby in Nov 2019!!  We used to order the really nice Pumpkin cheesecakes from TCC, but it is not available now, so after some research online, came up with this cake!!

First ang bao from my 1st born on my 2020 Birthday

See how horrible I am!!  Did not post regularly and happened to see this photo while trying to clear my online storage, cos it is telling me my storage is at 98% full now!! OMG...  

Back in 2020, during the covid peak, before vaccines were available, my 1st born gave me an ang bao for my birthday!!  Appreciate her thoughts, giving me her savings and some lucky stars!! Love her to the moon & back!  So back in 2020, she was only 15... I do not remember giving my parents ang bao for their birthdays during my teenage years! Hahaha...