A lovely drink and "a leg" into something new

First of all, I want to say Happy Belated Birthday to my blogger/email friend here (thou I have done it there too). I just hopped over from her blog. As I read her post, I felt embarrassed for not being able to give her even a simple birthday card. She has surprised me with a breadmaking book, then followed with Korean tea and recently a sandwich maker when she knew that I do simple bentos for my kids' recess. However, I do not have her mailing address so 沒法回她的多番好意。I will bear in mind, 有心不怕遲........ I am happy she has enjoyed her birthday.

Recently, been visiting the library very very often, almost daily, because the Clementi Library is opened. It has many many many new cookbooks, hobby books and so now I feel that my 6 books a card is not enough. I now have a few food magazine with recipes I want to try and beading magazines with jewelries I want to mimic, so my mind is constantly hoping for long personal time to do what I want but yet my hubby is not around these few weeks (accept weekend where it is enrichment and outdoor time for kids), so I have to go slow. Last weekend I aim to do four tasks but only managed to make the chocolate cupcakes found in a library book and the 糖水 that is found in a travel magazine.

Now I want to share the recipe for this 糖水 since I like it so much. The recipe says served chilled after a meal of sticky, glazed ribs. Sounds good to me, but I know my mother and mother in law would never agree to drinking 糖水 cold.

The picture in the travel magazine is so very tempting. However, what you get to see is what I cooked :).

Pardon the grainy picture, but it is a tasty drink. Here is the recipe.

Longan and Red Date Tong Shui

2 and 1/2 litre water

1 cup dried red dates

1 cup dried longans

100g honey rock sugar

1 cup dried chrysanthemum flowers

1) Bring water to a boil.  Add remaining ingredients and allow the mixture to boil gently for 20 minutes.

2) Set aside to cool, then chill in the refrigerator.  Serve cold, with a generous helping of the delicious aromatics.

Taken from Food and Travel April 2011 issue

Easy isn't it?

Besides cooking the 糖水... I have finally mustered enough courage to do a simple card with my scrapbooking supplies.  Yes, I have not mastered anything and yet 又插一腳 into something so complicated. 我真該打。

The card is for a girl, who is my boy's classmate so I got him to do it with me. We spent quite a lot of time deciding on the papers. He decides over a few choices of layout and get to mix and match from choice of few pieces of papers. I did the cutting for him and the card is assembled. There, the first card. He enjoyed sticking the letterings on his own.

I hope I have more time to indulge in my hobbies.