My 1st Bloggers Gathering

When I started blogging, my intention was just purely to record down all my baking for future references. However after starting to visit other blogs and seeing the close relationship between some of the bloggers, not that they know each other in person but through leaving messages in each other blog frequently that started the friendship. I was amazed by such friendship and hope I can be one of them (perhaps cos I never have penpal b4 so such virtual friendship is so new and interesting to me :P) and also because I am always impress by their baking/cooking that wanna give my compliments that I started to leave messages. This is such good experience after receiving response and feel that you know the bloggers well and treated them as friends. I will feel lost if I didn't get to visit their blogs for a few days, I will miss them if they didn't have new post for a period of time.

When I 1st read about the bloggers gathering in Kuala Lumpur during early this year, I was envy and thinking how nice if I can be one of them. Never that I know this could happened, all thanks to Pei Lin of Dodol and Mochi. If not cos of her, I think this blogger gathering might not be happened so soon. When she planned to visit Singapore during National Day period, she started to organize this gathering. The response was so good, most of us immediately agreed with this meet up.


And for me, I was very looking forward to this event. Even my sister inlaw had planned a short holiday trip that she invited us to join in, I immediately told dear husband that I cannot make it as I MUST attend this blogger gathering :P.

Although I was very look forward to this gathering but I still have worry deep in me cos I have a shy character that not chatty at all towards "stranger". I was afraid myself or others might feel awkward due to my quietness and hard to break the ice. Some might say hey, how can be possible that you are shy since your job need to meet a lot of people. Yes, for job, I have no choice as since company pay me, I have to do a good job so I will force myself to mingle around even with strangers. But in personal, I just wanna be my true self. Even towards friends, I can be chatty and yak non-stop but sometimes I can be very quiet to be an audience just sitting there listening to others.

However, this gathering ended up to be beyond what I can imagine. Although this was the 1st time we met up with each others for most of us (some have met and known each other for years) but it seem like meeting up with long-time friends that we were chatting non-stop. It is so amazing that we have so much to yak and the topics cover are so broad, not just about baking and cooking. Of course for such gathering with most of us are women, we gossiping a lot too hahaha...

Too bad that I need to leave earlier at 3.35pm to send dear daughter to her 1st swimming class, I almost wanted to just let dear husband do the job. When I was in the cab, I already missing so much about the gathering. I reached the swimming pool 10 mins earlier than expected time since I was able to hail a cab immediately when I left Edith house, I was still thinking that I should leave her house at 3.45pm instead so I can have 10 mins more spending with my new friends :P.

Yes, the gathering was not in one of the restaurant. So nice of Edith from Precious Moment that she suggested to host the event in her place. This is a potluck party that each of us suppose to bring one homemade dish to the event. I had headache to decide what to bring to the party since I am not good at cooking so I better dun torture their stomach :P. Some of the bloggers decided fast on what food to bring and that helped on my decision, to make cold dessert.


I intended to make Mango Pamelo Sago dessert since I saw a lot of mangoes recently but I had worry that I might not be able to get pamelo. Little did I know that I was able to get pamelo easily but it was mangoes that gave me hard time. I was not available during weekday so I planned to buy the ingredients on Saturday that I can prepare the dessert in the night after I come back from my mother's place.

I was not able to get the mangoes at NTUC supermarket and fruits store nearby my mum's place. So nice of my buddy who stay upstair of my mum, she and her husband drove me around to hunt for mangoes. We were so surprised that there were mangoes everywhere 2 weeks ago but for now, I have difficulty finding mangoes. Finally, I got the mangoes from Giant. Though the mangoes cost has gone so much higher than 2 weeks ago, I still grabbed 4 giant mangoes.


However, when I was preparing to make the dessert then I realised the mangoes are not ripe enough and was hard and sour. I was so upset, since it was so late at night that I am not able to go shop for backup plan :(. I just threw everything aside and visited blogs to release my stress. I saw the new posting from Baker Tan of Baking Library and Jane of Passionate about Baking on the food that they are bringing, I left message to them and shared my stress. Thanks to Baker Tan that he was still online and he suggested to make sour mango salad instead.

Although I had used the sour mangoes to make salad, but I still wanted to make the mango pamelo sago dessert so I decided I shall go hunt for mangoes again the next morning. I made peach flavour konnyaku jelly as well so at least I have 2 dishes to bring to the party.


I was lucky to get the ripe mangoes on Sunday morning at my 2nd stop of hunting. My whole morning just non stop rushing for all the chores, send dear daughter to her Chinese class, hunt for mangoes, fetch her back, made the dessert. I dun even have time to sit down taking a breath, no time for my breakfast as well. My dessert was ready only just before the time that I need to leave my house to Edith's place. Phew... luckily still manage to churn out the dessert on time :).

Pei Lin, thanks for organised this gathering and Edith, thanks for lending out your beautiful place. And my blogger friends, thanks for making this a success and fruitful gathering, I truely enjoy this yakking and makan session so much and is really honour to know all of you in person.

The food that you had prepared, simply delicious. I was hoping that I have bigger stomach so that I can indulge more, even I was so full but I still managed to taste all the food. I told dear husband that I had a buffet spread that even tasted so much better than 5 star hotel.

Edith @ Precious Moments : beverages & bandung drink
Shirley @ Kokken69 : mee rebus
Pei-Lin @ Dodol & Mochi : durian tart & chocolate chips cookies
Zhuoyuan (Baker Tan) @ Baking Library : assorted chocolate truffles
Josephine @ Sugar & Everything Nice : curry chicken
Yan Ee @ Sweeter Side of Life : wholemeal sandwiches & wholemeal cookies
Jane @ Passionate About Baking : almond cream (& mixed nuts for us to bring back)
Bee Bee @ Honey Bee Sweets : ban kuang kueh
Grace @ Kitchen Corner : mini burger & blueberry bakewell tarts
Aimei @ My Baking Cottage : Pork-floss Swiss roll (& cookies goodie bag for us to bring back)
You Fei @ Loving Baking : as she can made it to attend only last min so she didn't prepare food

I have missed out photographed some of the food e.g. almond cream and ban kuang kueh, even the mango pamelo sago dessert and konnyaku jelly that I made, please hop over the above blogs for more photos. We were so busy chatting and eating that we also forgot to take a group photo too! Hope we won't miss out again during our next gathering :).




Mango Pamelo Sago Dessert

Recipe adapted from Happy Home Baker but I triple up the ingredients which basically can serve about 20 bowls and more.

Ingredients:
300g sago pearls (I only used up 3/4 of the cooked sago)
450g mango puree (I used more than that but I didn't weigh exactly)
4 fresh big mango, peeled and diced
3/4 fresh pomelo, peeled and separated
600 ml fresh milk
750 ml evaporated milk
150g white granulated sugar (I cut down about 60%)
600 ml marigold mango juice (original recipe used water)
500g ice cubes

Method:
1. To make the mango puree, remove the flesh of mangoes and blend it in a blender. If you do not have a blender, simply mash the mango (use very soft and ripened mango) with a fork.
2. Soak sago pearls in water for 5 mins, drain and set aside. Place about 2 litres of water in a large pot and bring it to a full boil. Add the sago pearls and cook until translucent (about 5 ~ 10mins). Keep the water at a rolling boil all the time, stirring occasionally to prevent the pearls from setting to the bottom of the pot. Remove from heat, cover the pot and set aside for about 5 mins. Drain and rinse the sago pearls under running water until cool (this helps to remove any excess starch), drain and set aside.
3. Mix fresh milk, evaporated milk, sugar in a pot. Heat over low heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the ice cubes. When the ice cubes are melted, add in fresh milk, mango juice and mango puree. Stir to combine. Mix in the sago pearls.
4. Allow the mixture to cool completely and chill it in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
5. Serve with diced mango and pomelo.