9 days to Chinese New Year! We are counting down and here are some bargains to get you ready for a weekend of festivities, parties and visiting friends and family.
(1) Clothes
In Chinese culture, it is always traditional to wear new clothes to welcome the new year in. So this is the perfect excuse for you to start shopping, and add classics to your wardrobe which will see you through the year. Here are some fashion deals we’ve picked up for you:
Forever 21, Knotted Maxi Dress
Price: $24.80 USD, Now $7.42 USD
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Ralph Lauren Black Label Denim, Five-Pocket Moleskin Slim Jeans
Price: $295 USD, Now $99 USD
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(2) Bags
Another of our favourite customs during Chinese New Year is the custom of collecting ‘hong paos’- literally meaning red packets. These red envelopes are filled with a token sum of cash (well sometimes, it might just mean a gold chocolate coin), and given to singles and kids by family members and friends who are married. So in anticipation of collecting all your red packets, and to celebrate single-hood, we suggest you get prepared with these awesome bag deals.
Coach Online Exclusive Bleeker Small Cooper Satchel
Price: $248 USD
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(3) Shoes
Visiting other people’s homes is another must during Chinese New Year. With all that trotting about, comfy shoes are a must. So pretty ballet flats or jewelled sandals for the ladies, and smart loafers for the boys.
Nine West Cool Dude Ballet Flats
Price: $79 USD, Now $39.99
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Vans OG Style 36 LX
Price: $75 USD, Now $39
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(4) Makeup
Ah, irresistible stuff. We love giving the ladies a reason to dress up and pretty themselves up as they go from party to party this festive season. Here are some tools of the trade to get you ready!
Stila Bring on the Night Makeup Set
Price: $104 USD, Now $35 USD
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Too Faced Glamour To Go Palette
Price: $22 USD, Now $18 USD
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(5) Home
With all the visitors you’re expecting during the Chinese New Year weekend, getting heavy-duty but pretty homeware is a must. These are some top picks to help you win the hostess of the year award.
Big Mouth Toys Red Cup Shots (Reusable shot glasses x 4)
Price: $10.99 USD, $9.22 USD
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Bed, Bath & Beyond, 4 Circleware Moondance 2-Ounce Shot Glass Set
Price: $9.99 USD
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Recipe Sharing Time:
To end this blog post, we wanted to share with you a specially chosen recipe that brings back happy childhood memories of freshly baked pineapple goodness every Chinese New Year. Pineapple tarts are soft crumbly pastries that are topped with fresh moist pineapple jam. Delectable to taste, and a must-try.
Ingredients
533g of grated or crushed pineapple flesh (from 3 x 440g tins of Golden Circle crushed pineapple in juice, drained well)
250g of caster sugar (adjust to your taste but reduce the sugar if you’re using tinned pineapples in syrup)
4 cloves
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
juice of half a lime
2 tsp of glucose syrup (optional)
1 – 1.5 tsp of plain flour (optional)
Method
In a heavy based saucepan, bring all the ingredients to a boil, stirring frequently to combine and dissolve sugar.
Reduce heat to low and stir regularly for about 30 minutes until pineapple jam is dry. At this stage you can add the glucose syrup and mix to combine. If you’re using flour, sprinkle it in now and continue to cook.
Make sure you stir it frequently as the bottom will burn easily. Once it’s thick and jammy, take it off the heat, remove the cinnamon, cloves and star anise and allow to cool completely.
Pastry
8 oz plain flour (about 226g)
5 oz unsalted butter, chopped (about 145g)
1 egg
1 Tbl cold water
pinch of salt (skip it if you’re using salted butter)
In a food processor, blitz together the flour and butter until it resembles bread crumbs.
Add the egg and cold water and blitz until it comes together (if it’s dry add a little more cold water until it just binds).
Bring it together and shape into a disc (do not knead too much). Wrap it in clingwrap and refrigerate for an hour.
To Assemble Tarts
Preheat oven to 180°C. Using your hands roll out teaspoons of pineapple jams into balls and place aside.
Roll out the pastry dough to a 0.5cm thickness between two sheets of non stick paper. Remove the top sheet of paper and use your pineapple tart mold to cut out shapes or alternatively use a small round or fluted cutter to cut out your biscuits and use your thumb to make a dent in the middle. Remove excess dough and slide the baking paper with the pastry onto your baking sheet.
Place the molded balls of pineapple jam into the dent in each biscuit and bake for 15-20 mins until the pastry is slightly golden. Transfer to wire rack and allow to cool completely.
Note: If you would like a more golden hue to the pastry, brush tarts with a little beaten egg before baking. Alternatively you could always cut out think strips of pastry to decorate your tarts in a lattice style (I prefer more jam to pastry and less work so I always skip this step… lazy me!).
Store tarts in airtight containers.
Recipe and image credited to: Citrus and Candy
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