Happy Mother's Day II

Hello, everybody!

I'm Hong Yi, Terri's eldest punk kid. You know, the one who aims to be the next Nigella. This Mother's Day, I've decided that instead of calling her and wishing her (which is what I usually do since studying abroad), I should do something different, like hijacking her blog and writing up a surprise post for and about her.

Oh, hi Mom! Thanks for entrusting me with your password...hehe! :D

Mommy, I read your post about how much you loved the mauve-pink tulips that Auntie Yolanda gave you, all the way from Holland. When I read that, I just wanted so much to get you a bunch from the nearby florist and see your face light up when I hand them to you. I can't because we're oceans apart [Richard Marx song playing in the background]. And it's times like this when I truly miss you and wish I were back home with you.

I went to a couple of florists today and they were overflowing with gorgeous flowers! I bet you'd be oohing and aahing in admiration if you were here. They're really expensive though, these people have bump up the prices so much, graaah!! I wanted to buy a bunch of pink tulips but they were $20, instead of the usual $7.50!!! Poor intern like me cannot afford : (

Florist in Harbour City, Hong Kong

So instead of tulips, I bought pink gerberas because they were much much cheaper. I placed them in some pots and sat them on the balcony, overlooking the city. Flowers always remind me of you...simply 'coz you've always loved them so much!

Happy Mother's Day, Mommy...all the way from wet, cold Melbourne!

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And Mommy, to demonstrate how much I love you and miss you, I WILL prove it to you, in the presence of all your readers, by swallowing some soil. Yes...SOIL! Dark and fertile australian soil! Someone should really get me to be on Ripley's Believe It or Not!

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See what I'd go through for you. Hmmmf.

Okay, I shall stop scaring you all! This is another uber cool dessert I'm going to teach you (credits to Ree!) and it's bound to fascinate everyone!!! And you'll love preparing it because it's enjoyable and making it is easy-peasy lemon-squeezy! See Mommy, I wrote a recipe post for you so you can take a li'l break from posting!

What you'll need from the pantry: a few straws, gummy worms (I don't want to call them snakes coz Mom and I both HATE 'em!), cake, oreos, a tub of ice cream. Oh yes, and some flower pots too (I used porcelain ones instead of clay pots, coz I figured out it's too weird eating out of clay pots!)!

First up - chop up your cake! I used Sara Lee's orange poppy-seed cake, which tasted so-so. I couldn't find ready-made butter cake in Safeway (or Woolies for some of you)!

Next, fit a few slices of the cake onto the bottom of your pot. Don't be afraid to press them so that they fit nicely.

Then, get a straw and cut it to about the height of the pot.


Oooh yeah, ice-cream in cold cold Melbourne! Brrr!


Slap it into your pot and make sure it don't clog up your straw! Get a few more spoonfuls and fill the pot up...but remember to leave some space for the oreos (soil)!


At this stage, you can throw in the 'earthworms'. How adorable is this dessert?! *faints*


Then, smooth out the ice-cream. If you're doing this in the tropics, chances are that the ice cream's melting like mad and you're wondering why on earth you're doing this 'coz it's getting so messy. Don't fret - you can always pop this into your freezer and take them out for the next step.


See this? Do you know what you're supposed to do when you see this?!


YOU LICK IT!

Oh yeah let's jiggle our bellies together, baby!


After that, you get your oreos out and crush them using a food processor. But if you're a poor, financially independant student intern like me and can't afford a blender, you can always make do with a ziploc bag!

Crush them with your hands, with a pounder, with a rolling pin, whatever. As long as it looks like topsoil and you're happy.

I'm happy! :D

Now this is the fun bit!!! It's kinda feels like when you're plopping a cherry on top of a cake. :)
Using a spoon, carefully distribute the 'soil' on top of your ice-cream. I like to put a lot on, because I love Oreos!

Ohh don't that look like rich soil?! Once you're done, get your flowers and stick them into the straw and they're ready to be served!

Ta-da!

I had a kick out of seeing how some of my friends' delight turned into horror when I tried to swallow down the soil...seriously, do it! It's hilarious!!! One of my friends jumped and held on tightly to her hubby when I told her that there were earthworms inside...haha!

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this...and I hope you're not too mad about me intruding your blog account, Mama :) I love you and you mean the world to me. Thank you for all the joys and the tears, for all the nights you've sat up with me, for all the prayers for me, for pointing me towards the Lord, for all the advice and knowledge (and nagging!), for all the yummy food you've made for me and even the beauty tricks you've taught me, for molding me, guiding me to be the person I am today. Thank you so much for your love.


Yering Station winery

Mommy...
I thank my God every time I remember you. - Philipians 1:3

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ps: Photos above were taken with my small tattered Canon Ixus 40, hence the grainy-ness of some photos. It's quite frustrating and does no justice. Wish I had an SLR to take better ones *hint hint*!

pps: Mommy, call me when you read this! :)

ppps: Two other women I should call - my grannies! Monet's water lilies always remind me of my paternal granny

Monet's Water Lilies displayed at Musée de Orsay, Paris. 2006.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms reading this! And remember to call yours too! :)