The Holiday Feast Recap

Just a quick recap to show you part of our holiday feast.  I know, I can’t help it but to post the picture of the dessert first.  I made this festive Bûche de Noël au chocolat (Chocolate Yule Log) again this year.  Click here for the recipe and pictorial if you’re interested.  I also made the Vanilla Meringue Mushrooms (cookies) for decorations as well.  Please click here for the recipe and pictorial.  



The Roasted Shrimps with Asparagus and Avocados were specially prepared for my Son.  That was his favorite dish of all time.  I made a simple Meyer Lemon and Herb dressing that serve on the side.  Click here for the recipe. We also had creamed corn, tuna sashimi, Chinese sticky rice, and tuna poke as side dishes.  Unfortunately, we were all too busy chatting, eating, drinking and having fun.  I almost didn’t have a chance to take picture of our scrumptious entrée, the Mustard crusted Prime Rib Roast!  It was so tender, so moist, flavorful and perfectly medium rare (which is my family's preferred "done-ness" for prime ribs.)



Here’s a picture of the Prime Rib taken after carving.  And of course, I forgot to take picture with the Au Jus.  I definitely will make this Prime Rib Roast again.  I’ll share the recipe next time, I promise.  That way, I have an excuse to make it soon again. 



Hope you all had a wonderful holiday celebration with your family and loved ones. 

Sparkling Watermelon Bubbles — with Carving Pictorial

The very first time I carved a watermelon and made this Sparkling Watermelon Bubbles was back in my college years. Oh well, that was many, many years ago…ahem…Those were the good old days. It was always fun to make and serve this Sparkling Watermelon Bubbles at parties. With this watermelon basket as a centerpiece, you can expect to get all the “ohhs and ahhs” from your guests. The recipe was slightly different back then. The “sparkling” ingredient was wine coolers instead of the sparkling white grape juice that I used in this recipe. Why did I switch the wine cooler out and use sparkling grape juice this time? Because my kids adore watermelons! With this kid-friendly version, everybody can enjoy this wonderful treat.



So, when Kitchen PLAY invited me to participate in this month’s Progressive Party to create a watermelon dessert recipe, I was really excited and couldn’t wait to get started. My kids were on their winter breaks and they were just as excited when they saw the fridge filled with watermelons. My kids ask for watermelons all the time, even in the winter. Good thing is that watermelons are available all year-round, typically as a mini-watermelon, or pre-cut melon as found in the produce aisle. I love using the mini ones as they are usually sweeter. Plus, they are perfect for carving into these lovely baskets (I’ll show you the step-by-step pictorial in just a second).  




I love serving these Sparkling Watermelon Bubbles to my kids. Not only are they refreshing and delicious, but they are packed with nutrients that your body needs. Did you know watermelon is 92% water? Oh yeah, with the dry weather during the winter, you can feel good about filling up, as it hydrates while satiating your appetite. Watermelon is a multivitamin unto itself; it is packed with lots of Vitamins A, B6 and C. For more information about health and nutrition on watermelons, feel free to visit Watermelon.Org.




Are you ready to learn how to carve this watermelon basket? It’s way easier than it looks. Before you get started, I have two important tips for you. Tip number one: have a sturdy and stable cutting board. Place a damp paper towel underneath the cutting board to prevent your board from sliding around when you carve. Tip number two: use a very sharp knife for carving. It’s much safer when your knife is sharp so it cuts through the skin of the watermelon with ease.
So, here’s what I did.

1) Slice 1/4-inch off the bottom of the watermelon to provide a stable base.

2) Cut vertically from the top, 1-inch to the right from the center of the melon until you reach half way of the melon.

3) Cut horizontally in the middle of the melon until you reach the corners of the vertical cut.

4) This slice of watermelon should come off easily, set it aside. (You can slice this piece into 1/2-inch thick slices and out flesh into star shapes ones with a cookie cutter, see pictorial #8 below)



5) Do the same on the other side of the watermelon to create the “handle” of the basket.

6) Scoop out the flesh with a melon-baller, be careful not to scrape too deep on the bottom as part of the skin was cut off as the base.

7) Make zig-zag cuts with a paring knife, all the way through the rind and on the handle.

8) Use a cookie cutter to cut out other fun shapes.



It’s fun and easy, right? I hope you enjoy today’s pictorial.

25 Science-Backed Health Benefits of Watermelon

Lemon zest and lemon juice really brighten up the flavor of this dessert. The basil adds a nice zing and depth of flavor to the melons. When I bit into one of these melon bubbles, it burst in my mouth because of the sparkling grape juice it absorbed. It’s so much fun to eat.



I hope you’re inspired to get your own watermelon and carve something fun. Give this recipe a try; I’m sure you’ll love it as much as my family does.





Join Kitchen PLAY, the National Watermelon Promotion Board and some of your favorite food bloggers for a Twitter Party on January 22 at 7 PM ET where we’ll be chatting about this tasty, nutritious and versatile fruit, and testing our watermelon knowledge.  You’ll also be eligible to win great watermelon prizes, so RSVP for the Twitter Party here!
Also, beginning today, read all 6 posts at Kitchen PLAY sponsored by Watermelon for clues. Each post contains an "watermelon fact" that may appear as a trivia question during the Twitter Party.

Tuesday, January 22

7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PST

Follow the hashtag #All4Watermelon

Disclaimer:  This is a sponsored post by the Watermelon.org and Kitchen PLAY.  As always, all opinions are 100% my own. 

Triple Chocolate Pavlova—And a Happy New Year!

Can you believe 2012 is really coming to an end?  Seriously, I can’t believe time flies by so quickly either.  There’s a Chinese saying that it couldn’t be more true, “you lost track of the time when you’re having fun!”  (快樂不知時日過) I’ve had a very fun, yet busy December, especially when the kids were off from school for their Winter breaks.  It’s always nice to spend more time with them though.


A while ago, I shared with you the Triple Berry Mini Pavlova.  Since not everyone likes berries as much as my kids do in our house, I’ve created these Triple Chocolate Pavlova so everyone can indulge in some decadent desserts this New Year. 



I adore Pavlova!  It’s decadent, looks grand on a plate, but super easy to prepare.  I love the different layers of textures in one single dessert.  Crunchy meringue cookie on the bottom that’s super chocolate-y, top with a layer of smooth and creamy whipped cream with a hint of vanilla, then drizzled with the warm and decadent chocolate sauce and finally, sprinkled with chocolate shavings.  Best of all, you can have all the components ready a day in advance and simply put them together when you’re ready to serve.  

 This Triple Chocolate Pavlova is the best way to ring in the New Year or as a sweet ending to your New Year’s dinner.  Give this a try and I’m sure you’ll be in love as well.  I think I might like this Chocolate version a bit more than the traditional Pavlova too.



I hope you all had a wonderful 2012.  Wish you and your loved ones a healthy and prosperous 2013!  Cheers!

Wishing You All a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

Last weekend, we took the kids to Big Bear Mountain to experience an early White Christmas.  The kids had been asking to see the snow since July!  I’m so glad that the weather didn’t disappoint us. 



If you’re living rather closed by, the Big Bear Lake area is a great place to visit to ski, play the tire sled, or just to hang out and enjoy the lovely views.  It was a good two hours drive for us from our place and totally worth it.  You might want to have the snow chains for your tires ready before you go though.  One the day we went, there were check-points half way up the hills to make sure you’ve got the snow chains on before you can go any further.  Some helpful workers were there on stand-by to help you put on the snow chains with a fee, that is if you already have the chains.



It was our kids’ first time to play in the snow and they loved it.  They couldn’t help themselves but to fall into the fluffy and powdery snow on purpose.  They are so much fun to watch.  Just make sure to dress warmly when you visit.  That’s all.



It felt a lot cooler than 28 degree F though, especially in the snow!



We made it a day trip and left the area right before Sunset.  Seems like everyone was leaving at around the same time.  But it was no big deal in getting stuck a little in traffic.  It was such a nice view on the way down the hill as well.




This weekend, we took the kids to Disneyland trying to take more Christmas pictures.  Well, I guess I won’t be back next year around this time of the year and you’ll see why from the picture below. 



It was a different kind of traffic jam!  We could hardly take any decent pictures with the kids.  Oh well.  But it was nice to see the spectacular Christmas decorations of the castles and beautiful fire works.



Thank you for stopping by today!  Wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

Frozen Raspberry Sparkle

This Frozen Raspberry Sparkle is the official Holiday cocktail in my house.  You’ve guessed it right!  Yes, I am the one who made it official.  Why not?  I’m sure we all can use a cocktail in between all these crazy holiday shopping and baking chaos.  Besides, it’s a festive and beautiful drink that you can serve during the holiday gatherings.  Best of all, it’s super easy to prepare.



I love the frosted look of these frozen raspberries.  They are just so pretty to look at.  I freeze up some extras and they made a wonderful snack on their own.  Plus a few of them in your drink will keep your cocktail nice and chilled without diluting your drink with the ice.  Pretty cool, huh? 




I can’t believe Christmas will be here in less than a week!  So, how far are you with the holiday shopping and preparation?  Are you all prepared, almost done, half way through, or haven’t even started yet?  I think I belong to the 'almost done' group, I guess.  I would love to hear from you.





Please drink responsibly.  Health and General Disclaimers.