As we all know, Chinese New Year is just round the corner!
Everywhere is selling CNY goodies, CNY necessity and playing CNY songs..
In fact, when I was grocery shopping early this month, the supermarket was already playing CNY songs!
Then I thought, "scary!"

I personally like Christmas more than Chinese New Year.
Perhaps because Christmas is in the month of December.

December always emit a holidays, relax mood and I often very much also subconciously wind down with the year end for fun, parties, food gatherings and all. =)

The whole of CNY period, I only care about CNY Eve and 元宵 the most.
This is the day, we make it a point to dine together.
Then there will also have my Mumma's must have festive dishes that all of us enjoy on the dining table.
After the Eve, the following days will be like any normal day to me.
Since 17, I have stopped carrying oranges with a lil red paper bag going from house to house to 拜年！
The traddition of visiting relatives' and friends' homes to gather, giving your best wishes to everyone in this brand new year, eat, joke, catch up and etc.
I am not into it anymore.
Of course, married couples, folks and elderly will also give you "ang baos" aka red packet with any monetary amount of their own wish, to wish you the best in this new year.
I feel odd taking ang baos from anyone. Except from my parents, ah ma, also couple of paternal uncles and maternal aunties. They are elders I am close to and care about.

I stopped this traddition of house visiting because I feel odd taking ang baos and ODD-er having to even say the simplest greeting like "新年快乐" aka Happy New Year during the exchange when it doesn't come right from the bottom of my heart to people I am least close to and hardly see once a year.

So, what do I prepare for CNY? Although, I am not hyped up for this festives?

Firstly, I need to make sure my room is spick and span. Mumma is not gonna help me cos I am grown up!! Haha!!! There shouldn't have any clothings hanging around, lying around. Clean and Neat is what Mumma wants! My folks shake their head sometimes they pass by my room during days my room is a total replica of a Pig Sty.

I am in charge of buying CNY goodies. cos Mumma knows I buy nice goodies and most importantly, all goodies bought must be enjoyed by guests thus they are often whacked meaning no left overs else it's a waste!
Goodies here means like love letters, spicy shrimp rolls, cookies and etc. Simply to put they are merely CNY snacks. 1 carton of tiger beer and stout is also on the list.

They are for Dad!

I will also need to do some marketing for Mumma after finding out what's on the dining table each year. Seafood like fish maw, crab meat, prawns, shark fins and etc, my folks will take care of it.
I usually buy ingredients for the steamboat we have, like Scallops, fish dumplings, japanese scallops, clams and more. These are easier cos it's the usual stuff I have been buying and Mumma trust me in this area. After all, they are mainly frozen food stuff. HAHAHA!! However, I am still Mumma's best helper okay!

The following are some of the stuff I always buy for CNY and they are ingredients for Mumma's festive dishes like steamboat feasts, abalone salad and etc...
For Mumma's CNY festive dishes, here. Those with * asterik are standard dishes!
I am starting to droool now, thinking about it.

These are must have stock up.

For me alone, I especially love clams and razor clams. I use them in my pasta cooking and Mumma adds them in her veggies. I like eating them on it's own. :D This year, I wanna use pacific clams and make a new dish. Gotta make an appetising salad as starter!

The japanese scallops for steamboat.

This is how it looks like when de-froze.

My fav canned food besides tuna!

Another of my fav! Razor clams! Love the clams chewy texture.

Hehe.. Put them in a Tupper and I can eat them on it's own anytime!

Macaroni cheese with tuna chunks and razor clams.

My tom yum stir fry pasta with fish cakes, the clams and sea asparagus.

Baked macaroni with hams, cheese, clams and sea asparagus.