The Paiza Mansions of The Plaza Hotel, Macau - Part 2 of Hong Kong, Macau and Australia Trip

After a few short days of stay in Australia, we headed back to Hong Kong and stayed a few days before we went to Macau.  After the 15 hours flight from Los Angeles to Hong Kong, and 9 hours flight from Hong Kong to Australia (and back), I truly appreciate the close proximity between Macau and Hong Kong (just an hour of ferry ride.).  It was a Portuguese colony, and both the first and last European colony in China.  Did you know that Macau is also known as Oriental Las Vegas? 



During our stay in Macau, we had the luxury to stay at The Paiza Mansions of The Plaza, Macau.  Many thanks to my brother-in-law for hooking us up! Within the mansion, there were two master bedrooms, a karaoke room, a massage room, a kitchen, a coffee bar, a living room and a dining area.  I really like the Contemporary interior designs of our room.  As soon as I walked into the bathroom, I felt in love with the huge bath tub and the Modern Rain showerhead instantly!  I can easily get used to the Bvlgari amenities too.



To fully enjoy the mansion, we called in room service the next day for brunch so we can relax and spend more time in the suite.
 

Just some simple Dim Sum and they were wonderful.

  Siu Mai (Chinese dumpling)

  Cha Siu Bao (BBQ Pork Buns)

   Har Gow (Shrimp dumpling)

The video below is a virtual tour of the mansion.  My husband took the liberty to film this video.  Some shots might be too up close and caused the out of focus.  (Warning: If you already had a few drinks, you might feel a little dizzy watching it!)  Please enjoy!

In the afternoon, we went to some sight seeing locations before heading to our buffet dinner.   There were street food venders all over the place.  This particular one sells all kinds of meat balls and fish balls, very typical street food/snacks in Hong Kong and Macau.



The meat balls were all on skewers for easy handling.  No containers needed and they are fun to eat. 

 
Another vender was selling all kinds of drinks, ranging from herbal tea, fruit juice, coffee, and bubble tea drinks(pearl milk tea).



The picture below shown another vender selling Portuguese Egg Tarts.  If you remember my Mini Egg Tart Post, these were just another variety of egg tarts.  These Portuguese egg tarts were evolved from "pastel de nata", a traditional Portuguese custard pastry that consists of custard in a crème brûlée-like consistency caramelized in a puff pastry case.  They were a must try pastry in Macau. 



Farewell Macau, but not for long.  We definitely will be back some day.

 Ruins of St. Paul’s (大三巴牌坊)

In the next post, I will reveal our Hong Kong adventure, plus a Giveaway.  Stay tuned and don’t miss out on that.  For now, I need a sweet dream…hopefully, I’ll revisit the Paiza Mansion again in my dreams!

Hong Kong, Macau, and Australia Trip--Part 1

It’s the first time my husband and I travelled internationally with the kids.  Yes, and we decided to go all the way to the other side of the globe.  One Country, and Two Special Administrative Regions (of China) all in one trip: Hone Kong, Australia, and Macau.  Friends and relatives called us crazy, brave, and crazy.  Did I say crazy?  It was an unforgettable trip, filled with fun, love, food, exhaustion, jet lag, new experiences and wonderful memories!  I need some time to take them all in! 

First, we arrived in Hong Kong after a 15 hours flight.  During the flight, I have my 1 and a half year old sitting and sleeping on my lap most of the time.  I thought I was going to lose my legs!  LOL  Then, we flew to Australia after 1 day.  Another 9 hours flight while we were still having jet lag!  See how much fun we’re having already?  Anyhow, we arrived safe and sound, and blood is still flowing to my legs!
 


The main purpose to visit Australia was to visit my Grandmother, my Aunts and Uncles.  Finally, the kids got to meet their Great Grandma, Grand Aunts and Grand Uncles for the very first time!  Although our stay was rather short, we had the most amazing time together.  We shared, we talked, we laughed; it was wonderful and heart warming.  It was nice to see my cousin after all these years too.  Now, she’s all grown up and a mother of two as well.  Boy, time flies!

I just want to take this opportunity to thank my Aunt and Uncle again for their hospitality.  Thank you for preparing everything for our stay and letting us make a mess at your house (I swear it was my husband, not the kids)!  We had the most wonderful time there. 

The picture above was taken at my Aunt’s backyard.  A beautiful Chayote that she planted.  I think it’s time to harvest!  


Picture above is an 80+ year old parrot, aka my Uncle’s girlfriend.  My husband gave her the nick name “ViewSonic”!  Like all women, she talks a lot!  Isn’t she beautiful? 

When we were in Australia, we visited the Easter Show in the Olympic Stadium.  The Easter Show comprises of an agricultural show, an amusement park and a fair that showcased livestock and produce.  This comprehensive fair has many competitions including arts and crafts, photography and cookery, as well as tests of strength and skill such as wood chopping. The Show also has shopping, restaurants, commercial stands and exhibits, a horticultural display, and a national accredited conformation dog show and cat show. 



Pictures above and below are food venders exhibits.  Many of them were giving out samples too.  :P  Yum…   





The pictures above and below are the agricultural displays from different districts.  These displays are made out of fresh produces!  Aren’t they amazing?  I was so amazed at the craftsmanship and artistic talents of those who created these masterpieces. 



We sampled some wine, cheese, bread, and desserts.  Then, we headed to the seafood vender and ordered a dozen of oysters and called that lunch.  



The Easter Show was huge and we didn’t even have enough time to visit all the exhibits.  It was a wonderful experience.

Australia is a beautiful country and we wished we could spend more time exploring Sydney and the surrounding cities.  Well, maybe next time... in the near future.  Goodbye Australia!  We’ll miss you.

Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge
(Click on the picture for a larger view)

Up next I will post our experiences in Macau, stay tuned.  Thank you for stopping by today and hope to see you again soon.





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Espresso Cookies

As some of you might know, I’ve just returned from my visit to Hong Kong, Macau, and Australia.  Yes, 3 countries in a short period of time, with 2 young kids.  You can imagine how crazy things can get.  Fortunately, it’s better than what I expected.  Phew….While we are still trying to over come the jet leg, these espresso cookies come to the rescue.  They are easy enough to prepare on a busy day (the day after I unpacked 6 suitcases and in between 10 loads of laundries).  I needed these cookies to keep me going!



These espresso cookies are espresso-e, chocolaty and buttery.  The texture is soft and crumbly, like shortbreads.  If you are a coffee/espresso lover, you’ll definitely love these cookies.  Best of all, they’re super easy to make and my kids also helped out in rolling out the dough.  Just one warning, be careful not to finish the dough before baking!  As it’s an eggless recipe, feel free to taste the dough for quality control! hehehe  ;) 

Let me keep this post sweet and short.  I’ll post some pictures on my next post about the trip.  Stay tuned.

Winners of the two leaves and a bud Tea Samplers Giveaway

Thank you everyone for participating in the two leaves and a bud Tea Samplers Giveaway. 



Here’s the announcement you’ve all been waiting for and the winners are:

1) Chels who said...”I am following two leave and a bud on Fb, Entry 2”

2) Gale who said..."I'd love to try the Alpine Berry, though the Pomi-berry and Orange Sencha sound good too!
ecarian at yahoo dot com”


Chels and Gale will each receive a box of the two leaves and a bud Complete Sachet Sampler as shown in the picture above. 

Thank you again for all of your supports and stay tuned for the next giveaway in the near future.  Have a wonderful weekend.

Spinach, Brie and Prosciutto Tart with Pecan Crust

Every once in a while, I love to enjoy a Sunday Brunch Buffet with my family.  The Golf Club House where my hubby and I tied the knot (years ago) offers a fabulous Live Jazz Sunday Champagne Bruch.  The quality of the food is great and the price is reasonable.  It’s only a few blocks away from where we live now.  The problem is, I tend to eat a lot more than I should at the buffet!  Don’t you want to try a little bit of everything they offer?  Well, even with a small bite of every dish, it’s still over my calories intake limits, especially with a few glasses of mimosas!  Yeah, although mimosa is in liquid form, it’s not calorie free (like how I wish).  What’s the solution?  Dine at home of course.     



So, what’s for brunch this weekend?  Spinach, Brie and Prosciutto Tart with Pecan Crust!  It’s really easy to prepare and you can pre-bake the crust the day before so you can still sleep-in on the day you want to make the tart.  Plus, you get to relax and dine in at home.  No need to get up early, dress up, fix your hair and get the kids ready…etc.  You can enjoy a lovely brunch in your robe and slippers!  Ha! I bet the buffet can’t beat that!   ;)  Not to mention, it’s way cheaper than dining out. 



Are you sold on this idea yet?  I hope you are because I’m really happy that I did.  This Spinach-Brie and Prosciutto Tart with Pecan Crust was amazing.  As I was taking pictures soon after the tart came out of the oven, I couldn’t help but noticed the wonderful aromas from it.  The texture of the pecan crust was crumbly with a nice crunch from the edges.  The flavor of the crust was buttery and nutty with a hint of sweetness.  The shallots was mild in onion flavor and complimented well with other ingredients without over powdering other flavors.  The custard was velvety and the salty prosciutto on top added a nice crunch.  The creamy brie on top melted beautifully and added a sophisticated cheese flavor.  I would definitely make this again, and again.