团圆 – Dining together as a family

Much as we bemoan the cut-throat prices of fresh food and ridiculous chop-carrot-head prices of CNY set menus at restaurants during this season, eating the reunion meal together as a family is a tradition to keep.

Whether we take on the exhausting task of cooking up a storm at home, or bear exorbitant expenses in a nice restaurant outside, guess the important thing is having that meal together to mark the season.

This year, we were very blessed that our helper and my MIL helped to put together this amazing meal for the immediate family. What a feast for the 10 of us!

The hubs’ maternal uncles and aunts cooked up this storm below. Really delicious homemade delicacies.

And our annual traditional PeraMakan meal, in take-out form at the hubs’ grandma’s home, since she is now bedridden. Thanks to Aunty C for cooking a number of additional dishes too – the curry and mushrooms were so yummy. Durian penyat for dessert was a real treat too.

There were also a few other meals with my parents, my mum’s extended family, and my dad’s extended family. Don’t have photos of all the food then, so here’s a collage of all the Yu Sheng we had at those meals instead!

Whether our families are big or small, let’s cherish the relatives we have.  We don’t choose our relatives, and there might be complicated or difficult relationships at times, but for better or worse, they are tied to us by blood, and that’s something that doesn’t change.  Happy Lunar New Year, one and all.