A new year is coming again. In three days’ time.
It’s been a blessed year. 2018, that is. I decided to let everything go and take things in my own stride. I finally took the plunge and even though work was still busy and never-ending, I managed to accomplish more things that I’ve always been wanting to do and I did it. The air-conditioning was finally replaced with a new set, the new blinds went up, the little one’s room was reconfigured to accommodate his new table and mattress, and the walls were finally repainted to hide the scars.
I’m also glad that the extra time I took off work gave me the opportunity to search for a new childcare option for the little one. There were a lot more engagement between the teachers and the parents and more activities designed for children. I could see what he’s doing in school and he is behaving in a more socially manner, not so awkward as before and seemingly more outspoken now. Chatty, and definitely more daring and adventurous. I also spent a lot more time with him this year than I’ve ever had in the past three years or so and bonded a lot with him, finding things for us to do together and trying to teach him new things and skills. This precious time spent together has allowed us to bond a lot, though I must say it’s tiring at times. Tiring, but definitely worth more than anything else.
And I finally had the chance to bring my parents overseas for a holiday trip, with just me, my husband, the little one. It was challenging in all ways, and at times frustrating, but I did what I’ve always wanted to do and am glad that I’ve had this opportunity in life to pamper them in some ways that they’ve never experienced before. Honestly, I’m not so sure how much they liked the food and the experience, but I hope it would stay with them as a nice memory.
And now, I need to prepare myself for a very busy 2019 ahead because the schedule at work already seems crazy and impossible. I’m rather apprehensive about how much time I could afford with my family, but I’m definitely going to try my best because this is what’s going to stay with me for the rest of my life – sweet memories of things that we do together as a family, not just with my kiddo but also with my husband and parents. Time spent together can never be enough – it’s what I will need to keep reminding myself throughout the new year.
Which brings me to the significance of this recipe that I’ve put up here in my blog this week to mark the last week of the year. Muah chee – it’s a childhood snack that I usually eat with my family and friends when we visit the pasar malams in the past (back in the days when flea markets were still aplenty). My niece gave me the idea to make this snack using the microwave oven, and demonstrated how this could be done at my parents’ place. It’s a great snack to have at a gathering to share around. One usually serves this with a few toothpicks so that everybody could have a share of it. And the best thing of all is that you can never get this dish wrong. It’s really as easy as ABC.
Ingredients:
- Glutinous rice flour: 1 cup
- Sugar (optional): 1 tbsp
- Salt: 1/4 tsp
- Water: 1 cup
- Oil: 1 tbsp
- Peanut crumb with sugar: 2 cups
Method:
- Combine glutinous rice flour, sugar, salt, water and oil in a bowl. Stir till evenly combined.
- Microwave on high for 5min, stirring once every minute.
- Pour peanut crumbs onto a serving tray. Scoop dough out and place onto crumbs. Cut into slices with a pair of scissors and coat with crumbs to serve.
Disclaimer:
- Though this recipe is commonly found on many websites, my teachers – my thirteen-year-old niece and her mum (my sister-in-law) are the ones who first taught me that this could be done using the microwave and who demonstrated the steps in this recipe so that I could repeat the steps confidently at home.
Serving:
4 persons as a snack
