Gung Hay Fat Choi!!

Happy Chinese New Year!! It is the year of the Rabbit which is my sister, Evelyn's year.

With my other sister,Kathy in Florida, the family is not celebrating until she returns next week. So it was a typical Thursday for me. No start of year vegetarian meal of Buddist Delight but instead oatmeal with bananas. As I was checking through my emails and Facebook postings, my doorbell rings. It was UPS and I wasn't expecting any deliveries and certainly not the huge and heavy carton I received. Looking at the sender gave no clues. When I opened the box, this is what I pulled out:

(Calm down, Kathy!!)





O-M-G!!!! What the heck was this? There was a card attached to advised me of the opening of Aldi's in my neighborhood on Feb 18th., something Kathy just told me yesterday! And a "sampling" of their products...WOW! Obviously this is from my participation of the panel I was on last May. The funny thing is I was just on another focus panel this past Monday. It was regarding cellphones and although I didn't get a "sample" cellphone...I did win an extra $25 in a raffle. I LOVE these focus panel groups!!

I am way past the age of getting Hung Pao's - (red envelopes) which I do admit I miss very much. But I'll say this is a pretty good substitution!! :-)

Wishing everyone happiness and prosperity!

Global Warming? Where?

Enough is enough but knowing it's not even the end of January makes it very depressing. There's more to come. Boo-Hoo

My Neighborhood:

Lucky Year - Lucky Girl

Last week Winnie invited me to an annual event that happens in her family. Her father’s restaurant, Noodletown holds an “End of Year” banquet for the staff. They used to have the dinner at Noodletown but all the employees worked it and that didn't seem fair. About eight years ago, her father suggested reserving a restaurant and this way, everyone was free to enjoy. And in my good fortune, so did I! I hadn't been to a Chinese banquet in ages and it was a wonderful treat for me. Some different dishes from what I remembered, I totally savored and partook. In other words…I ate and ate and ate!

In order of appearance:

Lobster Salad to start(The"eyes'of the lobster lit up!)

Conch with"Hair Moss"

Fried Tofu & sugar snap peas and something unknown

My bowl of Shark's fin soup with red vinegar

Chinese Roast Chicken

Abalone

Crispy Fried T-Bone Steak

Sea Bass with ginger and scallion

Fried Rice & Longevity Noodles

As we waited for the end of dinner “sweet soup”, the wait staff gave us plates and forks. Obviously soup was not next. Instead, a platter of sliced oranges and what I thought were miniature plums were set on the table. The miniature plums were huge cherries! Both fruits were sweet and delicious and I'm not really a fruit person. Next came mini “faat go tay” the “prosperity” steamed Chinese cupcakes. After that, a platter of steam jelly-rolled cakes filled with a sweet cream. Then the sweet soup but unfortunately it wasn't the red bean Winnie anticipated but the other clear sweet soup made with snow ear fungus.

Orange slices and cherry (it went fast!)

Prosperity Cupcakes(Fat Go Tay)

Jelly-roll steamed cake

I was given the much envied doggie bag of chicken, noodles and fried rice. And on top of that, a “hung bao” that was very generous!

So let’s see. I trekked from Queens to Chinatown on a snowy day. The subway was fine - I had a seat and read my book. I got wined (literally) and dined. Given food for the next few days and money. Was surrounded by excellent company. And made it back home in under an hour. Oh…and when I was leaving and said my goodbye to Winnie's father - he said for me to let Winnie know anytime I wanted him to cook for me!

Who’s starting out her Chinese New Year in an exceptional manner??
Thank you, Winnie!! :-)

Growing Up!

Today is my niece, Miranda’s 12th birthday. Twelve years ago, I was vacationing in Club Med in Mexico. It was an adults-only resort and I had a blast! No TV and more importantly - no phone so I didn’t know Evelyn had given birth to her second child. Kathy & I were hoping for a January 18th birth date. Kristina’s is Nov 19th and Nikki’s - March 17th…it was freaky and wonderful that Miranda would land smack in between them…month and date!

With her birthday coming up, I asked her mother for any gift ideas. Since Miranda’s successful back surgery, she had been on a clothes shopping binge and apparently gift cards to clothing stores would be appreciated. They had shopped at the Gap & H&M and wanted new ideas.

Thinking of “tweens’ I suggested Aeropostale, Forever 21 and Uniqlo. But in the end, both Evelyn and I agreed on Macy’s! Growing up in Chinatown, Macy’s was our “go-to” store. I knew it like the back of my hand even though it is the largest department store in the world. But to me, it was just.."Macy’s."
We did our “first day of school” clothing shopping…Xmas shopping - birthday shopping - everyday shopping - all there.

A few memorable shopping trips: With Winnie when we both purchased the trendy swing jacket. Mine was in dusty pink and I wore it a lot. I still remember seeing it in the Junior’s Dept. on the first floor and my color was hanging way up high - catching my eye immediately. The second was a fur-collar maroon leather jacket. I was 16 years old and I fell in love with it but it cost $140. A lot at the time. The whole family was shopping for new winter wear. It fit like a glove and in the end, my dad insisted I get it. My mom wasn’t too happy but I certainly was and wore that jacket until the lining ripped. My boyfriend at the time purchased a maroon leather jacket to match me!

I told Evelyn she needed to take Miranda to the Herald Square store. It’s an experience and it will be great invoking old and making new...memories.

I wanted to send one of my home-made birthday cards to Miranda and was going to choose from my “collection” but last week, while ready to fall asleep and knowing about her shopping sprees - a design came to me. The results: Think Color-forms…Paper Dolls...the “uggs”…scarf…leggings, shopping bags…all separate pieces….so much fun!

Happy Birthday & Happy Shopping- Miranda Girl…Love you!!

Diggin' It

The second storm in NYC gave us 8-10 inches overnight. I went outside to take a look and saw my car buried. It is much better to clean a car off when the snow is soft & fluffy as opposed to scraping off ice. So I went to work and got my exercise in for the day. It took about an hour but I was happy with my efforts. Not many people were walking or driving but a very nice young gentleman, passing by, asked if I needed any help in digging out. Enforces the goodness of people. :-)


My street

CAR BEFORE


CAR AFTER

Spunto

Nikki treated me to Spunto's pizza - a reward for helping her move her Xmas bounty from Brooklyn to her apartment. I was able to park in front of the place on Carmine Street and Nikki did the honor of ordering.


Photo taken from my car

She opted for the 9" personal pie of "Shroomtown" - marinara sauce & cheese, portobello, shitake, button mushrooms & white truffle oil

and the 16" "Salsiccia Dolce" marinara sauce and cheese, sweet italian sausage, caramelized onions, & fresh basil".
(My favorite)


Made with a very thin crust the two pizzas had very different tastes. The mushroom pie was very flavorful and savory. The sausage one was crisp, sweet and salty - it was heaven and I knew I would start craving it days later....but I am
already craving it. :-)

Xmas on New Year's

The Leong Girls started the New Year celebrating last year's Christmas! Due to the Blizzard of 2010, we had to postpone our Xmas dinner until today...1-1-11. It felt like it was never going to happen but thankfully it did...and we had a great time...filled, as always, with alot of laughs!!


My Favorite Girls


My Favorite of My Favorites




Sitting down ready to eat


Spiral Ham

Also sweet potatoes, string beans, potato pancakes made by my mom. Mashed potatoes with gravy magically produced by Kathy...who possibly can turn water into wine but she won't since she doesn't drink!


Red Velvet Cake & Chocolate "Present" Cake


Doughnut Holes made by Miranda

Time for the opening of gifts:

Miranda waiting patiently with her bounty

Happy with her gift


Kris with a scarf knitted by Evelyn


Apparently Kathy loves her tea


Nikki and her scarf made by Evelyn

New red PJ's

Basket of Goodies


HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!