Valentine's Day & Chinese New Year 2010

This year we have a double celebration on the same day - Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year.

Mixed roses from hubby, Adrian :)

My favorite Ty-monkey, George advertising more goodies from Adrian

Yummo!

Thank you Adrian :)

Valentine's Day flowers for Mom :)

Chinese New Year's Eve Dinner

Mom, Adrian & I sat down this evening to a simple yet delicious CNY's eve dinner. This is the first time Mom is away from home (=Kuching) but we are just delighted and happy to have her here with us in New Jersey. My poor Daddy had to cook his own reunion dinner (really, I'm not kidding) with my brother and grandparents :(

Mom's cooking...

Spicy sweet and sour crabs (I haven't eaten this in years!!!)

Mixed vegetable

Mom & myself

Mom & Adrian - note the grin on Adrian's face (hint: his favorite dish in right in front of him)


"Gong Xi Fa Cai"
May the Year of the Tiger bring everyone happiness, peace & prosperity!

Happy Birthday!


Alex turned 4 on April 1st. We celebrated his special day at the Wiggles and Giggles Funplex at East Hanover, NJ. It was an afternoon of fun for the tiny tots, and for the adults too, who were bemused and amused by their antics :)

Alex and his dad, Allan

Going up & down, through the tunnel, etc.

Super-cute gal, Alexis who just turned 1

Alex going down the slide face first. "Shouldn't it be the other way round?" thought Alexis.

Here comes the cake. Yeah!!!

I have cake on my face and drool on my chin. Boy, this cake is DELICIOUS!

Valentine's Day 2009

I came home from work two Friday's ago and found a lovely surprise on the coffee table :)

And, hand-dipped chocolate strawberries from Edible Arrangements :)))

THANK YOU Adrian for being such a thoughtful and wonderful husband. Te quiero con todo mi corazón!

Happy Birthday Mr. President

G.S. Williamstown's portrait of George Washington taken from the web

G.W. would be 277 years old if he was alive today. This weekend, there were celebrations all over N.J. Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperative. It started raining around 11 a.m. and was drizzling on and off the entire afternoon.

Here are some photos taken at Dey Mansion in conjunction of G.W.'s birthday. I hope you'll find them enjoyable as we had taking them :)

What went on indoors...

Cooking inside the "Militia Office"

Crafts inside Dey Mansion

Period musicians in Dey Mansion

Some outdoor action...

Militias engaging in guerilla warfare

Advancing their attack on the Red Coats

Red Coats firing shots at the Militias

Another Militia

Honoring G.W. with a gun salute. Hip, Hip, Huzzah!

Curtain call from the re-enactors

A traveling merchant and his wares. Say what's in the cart?

Well, a bit of this and that. Stuff soldiers would buy like spoons, fur hats, blankets, etc.

Year of the Ox

"Gong Xi Fa Cai, Nien Nien Yu Yi!"

Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving 2008 - The Empire State Building in happy, fall colors

Another year, another Thanksgiving. This year, I gave my apron the day off. While my apron hung quietly at home, we headed over to Pointin Still at Main Street, Hackensack for an Irish Thanksgiving dinner.

Also, we thought we might as well do something different and lay off turkey-lurkey until we go home for X'mas this year. So, who made our Thanksgiving meal instead? Chicken Little and Porky ;)

Chicken Kilarney - the Jalapeno, whiskey cream sauce was perfect

Broiled Virginia Ham with glaced fruits - very delicious! Highly recommended.

The down side: I think these 2 dishes are only available on Thanksgiving Day :(

For dessert, we shared a slice of Bailey's Irish Cream Cake :) To our surprise, the sweetness was just right!

Overall, Pointin Still was an excellent choice for our Thanksgiving Dinner.

Halloween Fever

Earlier this evening, we went for a drive around Hackensack and found a street of houses that were dead serious about Halloween! If you pass by Clinton Place and Prospect Avenue, you'll find curious people like us enjoying these over-the-top Halloween decorations.

This is our favorite house

Love the sign!

Zombie mannequins

Monsters by the window

Brilliant name for a ghoulish band - Dead Beats :)

Cemetery theme + skulls and bones on the front lawn

Another cemetery

Something more kid-friendly

Take a look at this house and the orbs surrounding it! I bet the spirits are loving it, too.

Back to Blogging

Guilty! I've not completed the road trip to Williamsburg posts and have been absent for more than a month from blogging. Work has been hectic and year end demands are looming. There are 2 more events that need to be worked out and coordinated before I can take my long awaited vacation back to Malaysia.

Oh, about that, MAS air fares to Malaysia has increased significantly. Well, by a freaking $600 smackaroos. When I looked at the breakdown, I was surprised that we have to pay fees for passing by Guam. Guam?! We're not even flying that direction! Of course, that's not the chunk of it. The biggest goes to - MISCELLANEOUS charges. This universal term used by businesses everywhere to gouge prices at the expense of customers e.g. fuel/gas charges, more $ into the pockets of crony suppliers, etc.

By the way, did you know that MAS also charge customers "passenger service" fees? If we are already paying tax on the ticket, does this mean that the $15 are tips for the flight attendants? Do their employees really get a cut out of it or is this another quick buck for the airline executives? In short, there are too many shady charges. Unfortunately, MAS still has the best flight connection to Kuching, so our hands are tied. *sigh*

Anyway, back to more interesting things in Serenity's Jersey Life...

First of all - "HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADRIAN!"

The lovely Fraisier birthday cake from Financier - with a hint of Grand Marnier!

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Celebrated Adrian's 35th. birthday last weekend with a brunch at Blue Smoke's, 27th. Street, New York City

Blue Smoke is a barbecue joint/jazz bar. They are live jazz bands on Mondays and whenever they feel like it. Sunday is the antithesis, just perfect for families and burnt-out-from-work folks like us. Hmm...

The interior

Bar sitting section for the lonesome

Dining area for those who brought company

Humongous stars - definitely won't be caught underneath it unless you wanna risk getting stabbed by those pointed tips!

Appetizer - BBQ Mussels. Tangy, lots of zing to it. Sauce has BBQ bits ;)

Table and meal

Host with beefed up muscles and accentuated southern drawl sat us next to the little garden by the window. Nice but look at the condiments and sauces below.

I love the one which read "Magic Dust". My favorite is Kansas City BBQ Sauce. Magic Dust is a Texan rub. It's ok, but I'm not partial towards the drier type BBQ. Saucy is my style.

Adrian's choice: Rib Sampler for one - Memphis Baby Backs, Kansas City Spareribs and Texas Beef Ribs

Serenity's choice: Breaded toast with fresh berries and maple syrup.

Let's just say, ribs for brunch is just too much for me. Anyway, the day isn't about me. It's Adrian's birthday. He can have his cake and ribs and eat them to his heart's content!