So I know you are thinking – what has moon cakes got to do with  personalized gifts right?  Well, during our 11th Anniversary of the store – i had suggested to PB to give out moon cakes as personalized gifts to our regular customers – with the words – Gator Byte written on it.  Not only can we let our regular customers – experience my culture – my food from back home – but it is something really unique right?  I’m sure most of our customers can appreciate it – afterall – they are pretty cool customers we have here.   Alas, I had contacted many moon cakes shop but no one would do it for me – bummer!    So we ended up getting other personalized gifts for our regulars – but that would be another story for another day.

So where did I get the moon cake ?  since no one here would make any for me?  I had called Jenn from Toronto if she knew how to choose moon cakes – but she wasn’t quite sure – but would gladly get me some.  Chloe’s godmother would send me some too – but you and I know – shipping can kill and by the time it reaches here – I don’t know if it would still be good or not – plus mails can get lost here – like the Hokkaido package she sent for Chloe and never arrived.  So I checked with the Zhu’s from New Century Restaurant – and Yen the wife – said – “YES!”  I’ll give you some.  So yesterday – she came with a box of it !!!!! woohoo!!! but i can’t eat all of it – you all know why right?  Yes!  darn my diabetes!  But she insisted on giving me the box – so generous and so kind eh.  I don’t know what i did to deserve such good friends – I am grateful lah!

It even came with a gift box – so awesome right?

2 eggs some more!!!!  mannnn!!!  1000 calories !!!!

So how did it taste?  heaven!!! but i can only eat a little at a time – if i kept all the pieces – it would take me a year to finish – so I’m gonna have to share it – maybe with chloe’s teachers?  or the Leblanc’s or another family who have adopted a chinese kid ?  I don’t really know yet – but I would think about it this weekend.  What do you think?  who should i share the rest of the moon cakes with?  Puffer fish?

We attended Boston’s birthday a few weeks ago – and as expected – we knew he was going to get a fabulous cake.  Why?  because he has a great aunt who is very creative and awesome with baking cake.  Boston and his daddy love hockey – but I’m sure you already know just by looking at the cake.  But the cake is a really good cake – not the same as the ones – you buy from our local store.  Chloe’s grampie loved the cake that Boston’s aunt did for him on his birthday.

So if you are from Y-town and need a special cake made – you can call me and i’ll get you connected with Boston’s aunt.  Afterall, home made cakes are the best – and even PB thinks they are awesome cake – and if you know PB – he is an expert when cake is concern.

I don’t know about other Asians but I sure loved this since i was a kid – I tried to asked PB to try it – but he wouldn’t – neither would Chloe.  So i was able to eat them all – yum yum!  you can’t get this locally – bummer! it was Jenn from Toronto who had sent it to me about a month ago.  I couldn’t resist it – Jenn had sent – two different ones – but this one is the better pack – nice and chewy – the other one was quite hard to chew.   I had to restrain myself from finishing the whole pack all at once – only eat a few pieces a day – because – I’m on a strict health diet.   But thanks Jenn – for being so awesome and thoughtful.

I’ve been approached by Food Network Canada to share this awesome contest with Canadian residents!  From now to September 10, Food Network Canada will be giving away to readers and fans of this blog – a chance to win $250 William Sonoma Gift Card or 1 of 4 prize package from FoodNetwork.  Just think of all the culinary delights the lucky winner can whip up with their new cooking and baking arsenal!  And when you win and splurging on that $170 Panini presser – it won’t seems like too much of a guilty treat!   Just click o the above icon – to bring you to the contest! Good luck everyone!

Blogging mummies are a awesome group of people – not only are they smart and hardworking – they are very creative and have a good business sense.  Thru’ blogging – I’ve met so many of these wonderful people and some are selling wholesale lingerie , handmade jeweleries and some are into kid’s stuff.  Another blogger that I know sell bento sets too.  These group of ladies are indeed very talented and enterprising.    Mom’s Little Treasure – is someone that I’ve ordered handmade bracelets from – as presents to friends from all over the world.    Another very talented mummy is Sasha whom I’ve known for a very , very long time -  she is also a Sewing Monster!  love all her creations – all made with love. But Sasha and Dinah are not the only creative and enterprising beautiful mommies – there are many more out there – who are so awesome with their hands.  So folks – show some support and even though they are  in Asia – these ladies can definitely make arrangement to have their lovely handmade stuff mail to you.

A Sneak Peek Of Episode One

Haha! no no ! i’m not being crazy – but if you know me – you will know I’m quite the procrastinator – you can check with Lina – she would tell you – hahha!!   And i do try to start early each year – even Chloe’s birthday will be celebrated a month earlier this year – because we get really busy at the store during Christmas – plus the weather does not permit us to do a lot during Christmas time.  So this year – whenever there is a sale on – I will do my shopping because electronics like MP3 players , ipods and  game systems are expensive.  But during a sale – you can get up to 30% off and that’s a lot of savings especially if you have nieces and nephews that loves their gadgets.

It was easier to get them gifts when they were kids – but now that they are in their teens – they want gadgets and not just any ordinary ones – they want need gadgets that can play music and watch a video on their MP3 players.  Ipods are very popular with teens too – and DS lite are also things I am looking for this Christmas.   So if you know of any sale going on – online or offline – let me know eh.  I want to get my Christmas gift out on time this year.  Wish me luck eh!

Drooling yet? Thanks to Jenn from Toronto ! it was an awesome dinner!   But i’m on a very strict diet leh !  so i felt so sinful – but never mind i told myself – i would eat now and do lots of step aerobics later – hahahah!!  But Jenn was very sweet – and I’m grateful for her thoughtfulness – in my later posts – i will let you all know what else she bought in the 10Kg box.  In the meantime – you all can hop over to Jenn’s food blog – www.passion4food.ca - and say hello to her.

Not home-made by me – silly!  i’m not so smart and clever with baking – but the ang mohs – i tell you they can bake a storm and everything done from scratch!  envy right?  Anyhow this were cheesecake made by one of PB’s relative during a BBQ  a few weeks ago.  You see Chloe’s second cousin from Ontario was in town – so we all went up to Briar’s Lake to meet up with them and had a lovely time.  But the cheesecake – was so yummy – i had to ask for some to bring home and it sure didn’t disappoint – although Aunt Renette was too generous and gave me too much.  Pity i didn’t managed to finish the cheesecake – but I did eat a good half of what i brought home.  More on the BBQ in the next post – in the meantime – you all can drool on the cheesecake – very rich and very smooth – melted in my mouth.

I don’t know if you noticed this but bloggers are not only good with food and eating them nor cooking them nor just sharing with you good restaurants and nooks – but they are   also a group of very tech savvy individuals.  Why do i say that?   – because amongst us bloggers – i found some who are great at online auction and able to get the best items – one can never find in ordinary stores.  Another food blogger i met recently is very artistic – and can draw and design websites.  Plus bloggers are great at introducing their online friends and businesses for them – from parent’s workshop to handmade stuff – the amount of business generated for these individual online entrepreneur is immensely successful.    So don’t under-estimate a blogger – because like some famous blogger said – they can make you or break you – i quote and unquote.  The online presence is much, much greater than you think – in fact – I myself am so proud of blogging – i am doing a t-shirt to be worn to identify myself as a blogger.  What say you?