The important cultural during Chinese New Year, Hong Bao!!

Wow! I haven't write for a while, and my english is getting bad again, sorry all!
It will be Chinese New Year in 2 weeks, people are busy for preparing food, new clothing etc. At the moment, the weather is pretty cold  and windy in Taiwan, but mostly family in Taiwan still busy with clean up the house and try to have a comfortable Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year also a day for family get together, many Taiwanese left the hometown and work in different city, but usually try to spend time with family during Chinese New Year. Kids usually expecting the Chinese New Years Eve, because the adults who have ability to make money have to pack momey in red envelope as a gift to kid, but also to the parents. Red envelope in Chinese is Hong Bao, it's a part of Chinese cultural, just like westerner give gifts to each other in important days, Chinese usually pack Hong Bao money replace gift, after all, cash could pay for anything that you really need. Not only druing Chinese New Year, taiwanese also pack Hong Bao money as gift in wedding, birthday or any special day for bring a good sign. No matter what's the Hong Bao money for, red is the lucky color in Chinese cultural, that's for sure.

Red Beans Soup, the popular hot sweet in Taiwan during winter.

Taiwanese love to have some hot sweet during winter because it could warms body normally. There are many choices of hot sweet, such as hot Tofu pudding, Red beans soup, and I'm actually a fan of Red beans soup. As the article about the Rice balls before, we add rice balls to the red beans soup in Taiwan, but there are still many different ingredients that you could try with Red beans soup.

Taro balls and Sweet potato balls also taste good with Red beans soup, and it's really easy to make it in your own kitchen. Why I made it by myself but not just buy it in traditional  market, here is a story I want to share. My daughter is 14 months old, she started to have sweet potato rice soup when she was 9 months old, so there always sweet potatoes in the fridge for her. But a month ago, she suddenly doesn't like sweet potato rice soup anymore, and there are still many in the fridge, thereupon I tried to make the sweet potato balls. It's really easy to make, just need to mix sweet potato starch, potato starch and sweet potato or taro and knead it as a dough, the cut it to the small pieces. When you want to have some Red beans soup, just need to boil it until the sweet potato balls floating on the boiling water it means the sweet potato balls are well done, the add into the Red beans soup.

If you think it's easy to make it by yourself and also like the sweet potato balls with Red beans soup, maybe you can try to do it in your kitchen, it will be a perfect hot sweet for your children in the cold winter!!

In My Kitchen

People who know me might think I am not a "wife type" woman, what I meant is they don't think I can cook, but I love cooking!! I am not saying I am an amazing chef, but I am not afraid to try out new recipe and always make a little difference.
I used to cook Chinese dishes for my Aussie husband, you know, numbers of westerner are crush on Chinese dishes such as sweet and sour pork, so and my husband. Chinese take away shops or restaurants are easy to find in Australia, but some are expensive or doesn't taste good at all, that's why I would rather to cook by myself. Cooking is not just follow the recipe, I know you might think it's funny, but yes, you have to follow your heart to cook.
From now, I'll try to share some recipes with blogger who have interested in Taiwanese or Chinese food, maybe you could try out in kitchen as well.