Year of the Tiger!!!

 HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

Plaza 66, Shanghai
Selected by Shanghaiist (Chinese New Year in Shanghai)

One day, I want to be in China to celebrate. I bet it's so exciting and full of life!

Hehe, I love fluffy articles like this ("In Hong Kong, Love's at War With Tradition Valentine's Day, New Year Clash; Moms' Heartburn") in the WSJ.

"For Benny Li, a popular Hong Kong television and newspaper commentator, there's little room for compromise. "For Chinese people, the Lunar New Year is the most important event of the year," he says, calling Western holidays like Mother's Day, Father's Day and Valentine's Day "merely artificial creations."

Haha Benny tells it like it is.

Cake and Wreath

Recently, several of my best friends (Fay included) and I made a cake for my birthday. They are all very gifted in the kitchen and here is what we made:

It's

triple layer white cake

with

layers of raspberry preserves

and

vanilla frosting

garnished with

strawberries.

Today, my family and I went to purchase a Christmas tree... and I made a wreath with the tree trimmings:

Isn't it darling!!!

Ginger crinkles grace a LCV's friend and Homesick Texan

So delicious!

Thanks to Fay and Georgina's friend (you know who you are) for making this recipe this weekend and making my life sweeter. I'm baking them right now and they smell absolutely amazing!

We also discussed how oftentimes, recipes don't call for enough salt, especially in cookies. You need something to balance out the sweetness--these cookies are perfect if you agree.

And why wouldn't you? Maybe my palate is more salt-sensitive? Or I just like salt more than other people? Don't most recipes need more salt (save for Ina Garten?)