Torch Ginger Flower
Bunga Kantan / Torch Ginger Flower Torch ginger is a species of herbaceous perennial plant. The ginger flower’s botanical name is Etlingera elatior. It is also known as torch ginger, [...]
How to support your aging parents when you live far away from them – part 2
This is a topic that I know many migrant families will face, especially for those living far away from their loved ones. It is one that I myself am currently [...]
Let’s talk about five spices
A five spice mix is widely used in Asian cuisine, especially as a marinade for meat, such as pork. This mix is perfect as a dry rub for meat such [...]
A double boiler from my family home in Penang
A double boiler from my family home in Penang I inherited this boiler from my family in Penang. I can't actually remember whether I brought it over or my mum [...]
Happy Chinese New Year 2019
Chinese New Year 2019 5th February 209 The year of the PIG! February 5th 2019 is Chinese New Year; For Chinese, those in China and in ethnic communities around the [...]
Chinese New Year and the symbolism of the Steamboat
A steamboat dinner or reunion meal for my family is traditionally held on Chinese New Year's Eve. It is one of the most important meals for family members as they [...]
Connections and Traditions
Re-posted from blog post dated 12th February 2013 Today is the third day of Chinese New Year. There were so many greetings being sent through Facebook, New Year cards, e-mails [...]
5 common Chinese New Year rituals that we still practice
Chinese New Year is commonly known a Spring Festival. For Chinese, those in China and in ethnic communities around the world, the lunar new year is the most important and [...]
The rituals of giving and receiving red packets during Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year (1st of the lunar calendar, i.e. 5th February 2019) is just around the corner, and everyone is gearing up for the most important celebration in the Chinese [...]
Australia Day
The tradition of having Australia Day as a national holiday on 26 January is a recent one. Not until 1935 did all the Australian states and territories use that name [...]
Barley Drink
Barley drink or water - Perfect antidote for the hot hot weather that we were experiencing the past few days in Sydney. In my household, when the weather is hot [...]
Are card and letter writing still relevant in today’s society?
Are card and letter writing still relevant in today’s society? How often do you write letters to your friends and families? Do your children still use pen and paper to [...]
Reconnect to yourself – through food
I wrote about The Benefits of Connecting with Self, and today, I am sharing one of the many ways we can reconnect with ourself – through food. Food can play an [...]
Electronic gadgets in our modern day family environment
Since I wrote about social media and kids a few years ago, in addition to the electronic games, gadgets and computer, so many new things have evolved – tablets and smart phones [...]
Modern Day Electronic Gadgets and Your Children – Friends or Foe?
I have talked about the advantages of modern day electronic gadgets and their roles in family dynamics, so today let’s explore their roles in your children’s lives. When I was running [...]
The simple pleasures of life that are most powerful
My photo: I took this picture while on the plane heading back to Sydney from Penang. The sun was just rising; you could see thick layers of clouds just within [...]
With a blink of an eye
With a blink of an eye, my son celebrated his 21st birthday yesterday. I still remember the day he was born, the day he started preschool, primary school, high school and [...]
Adults and play – is it important?
In the last blog, we talked about play. PLAY is the language every child knows and is vital for children’s development. How about Adults? Is play just as important for adults as [...]
Don’t forget to have FUN!
Few weeks ago I attended yet another’s friend’s 50th birthday party. It was well planned, the food was delicious and most of all, everyone had a great time reconnecting with each [...]
Being in a new environment, and opportunity to grow?
What can you learn by being in a new environment? I can't help it; I know… I was planning to take some time off to blog about GoKids | GoParents [...]
Self Care is NOT selfish!
I was on the phone with a friend few mornings back, working out arrangements on how to pass some past exam papers to one of her sons. From our conversation, [...]
Gratitude Journal
Happy new year. I hope you had a wonderful break with your family. How about we do something really really simple today… reminding yourself how blessed we have been… how [...]
Be the example you want to see in your children
What values do you want to instill in your children? What beliefs and philosophies in life do you want to share and impart to your children? What about family traditions? Culture? What would you like your [...]
A gentle reminder of a daily ritual of mindfulness
It is 5.am… I am enjoying the quietness in my study, looking out at the trees and enjoying the sound of the rain. I’m sipping my coffee and listening to [...]
Connect and bond with your children through meaningful interactions – Involve them!
I still whole heartedly believe that children can learn so much from HOME, play and interacting with people they love and trust. They learn through being hands on, i.e. helping you [...]
Your House Is Your Home
Your house is your home I first heard this phrase 'Your house is your home' in an Australia comedy – The Castle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4EmJSjS-sY. If you have not seen this movie, I [...]
If you have not done grocery shopping with your children in a while, this may a good reason to start again
Connect, Learn and have FUN grocery shopping with your children. I was grocery shopping with my son on the weekend and he mentioned that the pricing on some items on [...]
How to parent without the help of extended families
Parenting is already hard enough, let alone if you have to do it on your own or without an extended family to support you. When my husband (Patrick) and I [...]
Connect and have fun with your extended family
Having some quality time with my aunty and mum When we talk about creating connections with children and family, it is about sharing experiences together. This means making time to [...]
Treat Parenting as a relationship
The parenting paradigm that I grew up in during the 1960s and 70s was the traditional parenting style, which was based on conditional love. It emphasised punishment, fear, control, criticism, [...]
How to connect with loved ones despite being busy
Make time for the people that you love! Just the other day I tried calling an elderly lady (Aunt Cathy) in Adelaide, and I was told that she had recently [...]
Don’t wait until special occasion before we connect again
Portrait of a group of male mature friends sitting together on bench by the ocean - Outdoor Don't wait until another special occasion before we connect with family [...]
Nyonya Curry Chicken
Authentic Malaysian dishes made simple with readymade pastes Curry Chicken is a unique “Nyonya” cuisine as developed using typical Malay spices. Besides the usual steamed white rice, this dish is [...]
Chicken Rendang
Rendang is traditionally prepared by the Malaysian and Indonesian community during festive occasions such as traditional ceremonies. Rendang is rich in spices. Along with the main meat ingredient, rendang uses [...]
Every dish has a story, what’s yours?
Have you ever tasted a dish and feel nostalgia and sentimental about it? Possibly remembering how you enjoyed this particular dish with your family or friends? Or when reading a recipe [...]
Wishing you a wonderful New Year 2019
Just a short message to wish all of you a Happy New Year 2019! Thank you for all your support throughout the year. I hope you are enjoying your end-of-year [...]
Wishing you and family a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year
Christmas time is a time to re-connect with your family and friends, re-evaluate your priorities and make time for what is important in your lives. I would like to take [...]
Glutinous Rice Balls (kuih Ee)
Glutinous Rice Balls Making Kuih Ee (Tang Yuan or 汤圆), or in English - Glutinous Rice Balls, was one of the highlights of the many festivities we celebrate [...]
In loving memory of my beloved mah mah
My grandmother (Mah-Mah) on her 100th birthday tea ceremony celebration The one in red is me receiving a red packet from my grandmother. I was talking to my mum yesterday [...]
How to host a Tok Panjang when you are time challenged?
In another words, what Nyonya dishes will you be serving on your long table and you don't have much time to cook those dishes? First, let me explain a little [...]
Reconnecting to Family, Culture and Heritage through childhood dishes
The easiest way to share your culture and heritage with younger generations is through the cuisine you grew up with. I wrote about why it is important to embrace our [...]
Why it is important to embrace your culture and heritage with love?
"If you don't know your roots, you are like a leaf that does not know you are part of a tree". Source: The Little Nyonya drama series I told myself [...]
5 things I learned from online grocery shopping
Seriously... I have never attempted to do my grocery shopping online. Yes, I believe I am the old fashion grocery shopper; I like to look, touch and feel the fresh [...]
Is there such a thing like a perfect Assam Laksa?
The reason for today's blog post is because I had been talking a lot about Assam Laksa for the past few days with friends and families. And I ended cooking [...]
Assam Curry Fish in under 30 minutes
Back to the meals that I cooked for our overseas guests – for the first night, we had steamboat with the family, where all the fresh ingredients were prepared prior and we added several [...]
Taste of Home – A pleasant memory of my childhood
Source: Ages Ago, Penang I had the chance to visit this eatery - Ages Ago in Penang, and the photos on the wall caught my attention. The words on this [...]
You are not just a home cook!
I was having a conversation with a customer, telling her that I look forward to her feedback about the products she bought and possibly sharing few photos as well. I [...]
Roast Pork
I grew up with this Penang famous Pok Oy Thong mixed spice - which is made up of finely ground cinnamon, aniseed, star anise, lime peel, cloves, coriander seeds, nutmeg, rice [...]
You can’t cook no more!
Yes! You can COOK! Just a few days ago, a friend told me that she could not cook. No matter how I assured her that she could, , she kept [...]
Nyonya Cuisine Made Simple! Cooking Class Survey
Nyonya Cuisine Made Simple! Cooking Class Survey Have you heard? I am planning to create an exclusive live cooking class!!!! and would love your feedback. The theme is Nyonya Cuisine [...]
3 advantages of home cooking with your family
Food is not only a way to connect with your family and friends, it is also the essence of who you are! It is about reconnecting to you culture, your traditions and sharing them with your [...]
Parenting in a new culture and the opportunity for stronger bonding and connections
Parenting in a new culture and the opportunity for stronger bonding and connections As parents, irrespective of our background or culture, our primary goal is to have great relationships with [...]
You are just a click or a card away from your loved ones
You are just a click or a card away from your loved ones In my last blog post, I wrote about making time to connect with your loved ones, especially [...]
When you have the time, they may not have the time for you!
Make every minute of your life count Do you remember the time growing up with your cousins, aunties and all your extended families? Can you recall the fun time you [...]
Bring Out The Puzzle
Let’s talk about the Jigsaw Puzzle – recently I took out a 1000 piece puzzle and started to assemble the pieces. I enjoyed it especially when I needed to relax [...]
Happy Mother’s Day!
Mother’s day is a day to honour all the mums, step mum, grandmothers and all foster mums and the influences of mums all over the world. Will you be having [...]
Thank you for the wonderful shared memories
My children learning how to make gyoza (Japanese dumling) with my cousin in Japan I have to apologise for not keeping in touch for the past 2 weeks. It was [...]
Penang Assam Laksa
One of my many favourites - Penang Assam Laksa Penang Assam Laksa ranked at number 7 on World’s 50 Most Delicious Food compiled by CNN Go in 2011. In Penang, we [...]
Five fun interactive activities that create connections during the school holidays
School Holidays… Just relax and breath… School holidays – the best time of the year! That's my experience. It is a great time to relax, lay around the house and [...]
United With Shine! the Journey
I am going to take this opportunity to thank you for your support with the launch of my first book - United We Shine!. It was definitely a surreal experience [...]
United We Shine! Parenting In A New Culture – Opportunities For Growth and Deeper Connection
Nyonyalicious store - pdf format Amazon: https://amzn.to/2M5vcvh (Kindle version) I would like to share something really exciting with you today ... Over the past few years I had been thinking of [...]
Make every opportunity to connect and bond with overseas relatives count
Building relationships and bonding with relatives - Make every opportunity to connect and bond count. I have just communicated with my relatives overseas about planning our travel itineraries for the [...]
Maths for young children
What is maths? According to Wikipedia, “ it is the study of quantity, structure, space and change”. Sounds complicate? Actually it is not! You see, maths is alive! It is being applied every [...]
Pulut Inti
Peranakan Kuih - Pulut Inti made simple with Butterfly Pea Powder Putut Inti is a sweet dessert of steamed glutinous rice with coconut milk and topped with palm sugar infused [...]
Hang in there… It will get better
Hang in there.... It will get better! I was with a friend yesterday, who shared with me about an unwell child and being here without family support. This reminded me [...]
The Amazing Butterfly Pea Flower and the Peranakan Heritage
Growing up in a Penang peranakan family, we use this amazing butterfly pea flower for our nonya kiuh, such as pulut inti and pulut tai tai (surprisingly not many other [...]
3 fun and easy ways to use the Little Nonya Hainanese chicken rice mix
The Little Nonya Hainanese Chicken rice mix is one of our most popular pastes in our range - and I can tell you why...It is authentic in taste! If you [...]
Gardening with kids – one perspective from a non-gardening enthusiast
Personally, coming from an Asian family, my love for gardening is not that great. However, my brother and mother would not support this view as both of them love their [...]
Parenting is – a partnership
Parenting is a Partnership!! I spoke about this topic previously. Yet it is such an important topic, and I would like to re-address it. Why do I say parenting is [...]
Strengthen your relationships with your children through your childhood dishes
Strengthen your relationships with your children through your childhood dishes What is your favourite childhood dish or food memory? Why is it so special? Last week I talked very briefly [...]
The significance of Tok Panjang in today’s society
Tok Panjang setting courtesy of PAA NSW Tok Panjang Chinese New Year Dinner While helping to plan for the Peranakan Association Chinese New Year dinner, I was asked about Tok [...]
What are your reasons for travelling back to your birth country?
This whole week is all about Chinese New Year and family connections. Throughout the week, we had many wonderful conversations, chatting with relatives through phone and social media. One of [...]
Want a better relationship with your children? Try this…
Sharing your childhood dishes with your children is one of the many ways to build better relationships with them As parents, especially migrant parents, one of the many challenges is [...]
Why are Traditions and Cultures Important to Families?
Your Traditions and Your Values – sharing cultures February 16th 2018 is Chinese New Year; it is also known as the spring festival or lunar new year. It goes for [...]
Why letter writing is beneficial for your well being?
The benefits of hand written letters or cards I love receiving physical cards and letters, especially from friends and relatives living all over the world. Don't you? However nowadays, with [...]
How to build trust with your children?
The most effective way to inspire and influence your children How do you impart your knowledge to or inspire your children? How do you instill values on to your children? [...]
Beans and carrot omelette
Mixed vegetable omelette What to pack for school lunches...? This may be one of the many creative challenges parents will be figuring out every school day. When my children were [...]
Chicken fried rice
Chicken fried rice using leftover soy sauce chicken I was brought up with the philosophy of "no wastage" of food: finish not only everything on my plate, but never throw [...]