Oh joy! I really don’t remember when was the last time I actually had a weekend absolutely free – and by that, I mean no appointments, no Rangers, no house chores… essentially just a blot-free calendar.

Taking advantage of the free weekend which incidentally coincides with Terence’s birthday, we found ourselves in Malacca. Checking into Cyclamen Cottage, an old-fashioned town house refurbished and restored to accommodate 11 guest rooms was idyllic. Located just 5 mins from Jonker Street where the buzz is, this is an ideal find as we were hoping for some peace and quiet.

Armed with trip advisor best finds on where to eat and what to see, we roamed the streets like how we would in another country or city. We visited most of the art galleries along Jalan Tun Cheng Lock, surveyed antiques stores inspecting every tiny relic, chatted up with some locals and found some interesting stories of life, history and the phases of development Malacca has gone through.

We walked Jonker Street after dinner and were mesmerized at how different the night market is from the ones in Petaling Jaya. Different delicacies and sweets laid out for the those with an eager taste bud, fridge magnets shouting Malacca’s quintessential notables like plastic durian cendol  and red wooden strappy clogs and pretty lanterns as deco.

Fortuitously stumbling into Hajjah Mona Assam Pedas, we were spelled into having our first dinner of fish bathing in red hot assam pedas gravy. Sweat broke out freely but who’s to bother when the whole restaurant sweats with you?!

The next day we uncovered this hidden gem called Baba Charlie a haven for homemade Nyonya kuih. We paid at visit to No.72, Lorong Pantai Tengkera 2C (about 2 mins drive from Jonker along Jalan Tun Cheng Lock).  The house exterior actually looks like a mega-sized kitchen with trays, pots, kuali’s and kitchen utensils spread out. I started to doubt if I got the right place, but as soon as I stepped into the house, my doubts melted away. A colourful patchwork of delectable kuih’s filled the table and I was transported back to my childhood days when my grandmother tagged me along on her market sprees.

We also found another obscure stall that sells Putu Piring (a light fluffy dough cake filled with palm sugar nodules that burst in your mouth as soon as you bit into it). Incidentally this home/stall is also located along Jalan Tenkera at No.252 (next to the Sports Toto shop). It opens only in the evening from about 7pm till late. The putu pirings cost 80c each. A bit pricey just for dough and sugar but definitely worth the try!

And for tea, we had Nyonya Laksa and Popiah at Poh Piah Lwee located at the intersection between Jonker Street and Tun Cheng Lock. The small shop often goes unnoticed as tourists bypass it to get to the buzz at Jonker. The laksa soup is velvety with a mild piquant taste stirring our appetite for more – but we resisted. The popiah although tasty, didn’t really stir me for more as I found out that the secret ingredient for its fantastic flavor are small pieces of fried lard hidden between the veggie fold.

Soon after we returned from Malacca, our bodies cried out for justice and we hit Gasing Hill for a power pack exercise regime to avoid the pending food guilt.

July seems to be a month of celebrations, festivities, homecomings and farewells. Usually what that means is that there’ll be a feast! An ongoing, perpetual feast for this month particularly. Dinner parties, tea parties and lazy weekend lunches… It’s a dinner party at ours last night and we made homemade pizzas and chicken wings. Decked with salami, ham, bell peppers, olives, onions and garlic (yes garlic!), the Italian pancakes oozed over with mozzarella cheese and filled our kitchen with tantalizing aroma!

This no-brainer recipe was shared to me by Lee Yen when I was there in June bunking over at the Singapore apartment. Since good food is for all, here’s the recipe:

The Dough
175g plain white flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp yeast
½ tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
120ml warm water

How? Mix all ingredients together and knead (with love and soft piping music in air). Leave to rise for 1 hr. Roll our dough, spread tomato base and sprinkle with anything your heart desires! 230c in the oven and Walla – you’ve made yourself an Italian chef!

Every year when Mother’s Day arrives, shoppers go berserk buying gifts, florists jack up their prices to  exorbitant rates, restaurants serve nothing but mother’s day set menus at plus plus plus price, but I  still love the fact that celebrations like this brings families together.

This year we had the privilege of hosting dinner at our place. Chef Terence ruled the kitchen again this time glazing the oven with honey coated ribs and pasta on the side. Ms. Salad Queen (yours truly) tossed up a Caesar salad, Mommy Ooi brought fish fritters and mash potatoes and Mommy dearest brought desserts.

Fellowship was wonderful, food was rib-a-licking-good and though our dining table extended from wall to wall, we managed to sit 12 people around the table! My personal highlight was having my grandmother there. She turns 89 this November and I am just utterly grateful that God has given her good health all these years and the ability to enjoy occasions like this. Granny has been my pillar of strength and though of recent years her memory has diminish somewhat, I know deep within that she still remembers the precious times we’ve shared. She was my fashion consultant after shopping sprees, watching me parade in my new clothes. When her legs used to be stronger, granny was my walking partner as we diligently and religiously woke up every morning breezing through our usual route. I dearly cherish the times when we would talk each other in the dark until one of us falls asleep (usually she’d beat me to dreamland). And now after I moved out, it is bitter sweet to see granny grow old. She has her stubborn streaks at times and we have to be extra patient with her. It’s part and parcel of aging. Trying to understand her constraints and loving her all the same makes our relationship a lot richer. She’s such a gem and will always be. I would not be who I am if not for the seeds she’s sown in my life.

Such a lot to be thankful about, from now on I not only have one mother to celebrate with, I have three – mom, mom-in-law and granny. My relationship with mom has evolved much over the years. We’ve recognized each other’s temperaments and antics and learnt to communicate around it. We’ve become stronger allies in sharing and supporting one another. We’ve learnt that once a mother and daughter finds a confidante in each other, it can only grow stronger as time goes by. I’ve also learnt that no matter how close I live to my family, I will always miss them, especially mom’s morning kisses and her constant embrace.

All in all, life is a lot richer with a mom-in-law at arm’s reach. I see her tirelessly caring for her family without a word of complaint. Any request is never too difficult to meet. I constantly marvel at the way she juggles between work and the kitchen, cooking top class meals for the family. Her gift of hospitality and mastery at the wok is something I desperately want to glean from. Our relationship too has evolved over the recent years. From being mere acquaintances to someone I’m contented calling mom. I’m truly blessed with a wonderful mom-in-law in whom I’m comfortable being myself and sharing my experiences with.

Blessed beyond words, my moms mean the world to me…