Cooking With Love

Some love to cook, some are compelled to cook, some are lazy to cook.  So tell me, which category do you fall in?  When I was little, I was asked to help my mom to do cooking for the very lame reason - I'm the eldest and only daughter in the family.  Sometimes I feel life is unfair being born the only girl. Kitchen work has become a responsibility then and a bigger one now. However, I've grown to love cooking in the late years. I love to cook for my loved ones, especially my little brother who enjoys eating home made meals. I had never thought that one day I will be frequently and constantly until today but because the people I cook for enjoy the food, I became even more passionate in cooking.  These days I cook with love and sincerity.  I seriously think the love and sincerity is important in cooking because those are the two most important ingredients to add in order to produce tasty meals.

So dear friends...cook with LOVE and SINCERITY, and you'll find satisfaction in your soul just by looking at your loved ones enjoying the food you cook.  :-)

Kuih Cara

Ini al-kisah bagaimana Kak Long mula membuat kuih cara berlauk dan terus membuatnya sehingga kini. Bulan Ramadhan tahun 2009, pada satu hujung minggu, adik akak, Aman dan isterinya berbuka puasa di rumah mak dan ayah  Teringat pula...rumah lama di Damansara dahulu.  Aman suka makan kuih cara berlauk, maka pada hari tersebut dia dan isterinya pergi ke bazar Ramadhan Kelana Jaya. Menjelang waktu berbuka puasa kami menghidang kuih muih yang dibeli bersama2 juadah berbuka puasa yang dimasak. Bila azan berkumandang kami pun mulalah la merasa semua kuih2 yang dibeli itu...rupa2nya kuih cara berlauk yang Aman dan Noreen beli tu dah basi!  Sakitnya la hati Kak Long bila memikirkannya.  Kalau nak menjual, jual la makanan yang dimasak dengan elok. Ini tidak...duit orang diambil, tapi makanan yang dijual sudah basi.  Apakah???

Esoknya, atas rasa tidak puas hati, Kak Long nekad nak cuba buat kuih cara berlauk sendiri. Adunan sudah dibuat, tapi acuannya pula tiada.  Takpe...be creative...guna muffin tin. Tu diaaa.... punya la besar kuih2 tu jadinya. Nak letak gambar dah takde pulak dalam simpanan... Kalau ada nanti Kak Long post di blog ni ye. Puas hati makan bersama ahli2 keluarga yang lain.  Since that day, Kak Long cuba dan cuba lagi membuat kuih cara berlauk ni sehingga perfect pada standard Kak Long.  Mak suka kuih cara manis, jadi ada juga la Kak Long buat. Sekarang ini dari masa ke semasa bila teringin makan kuih cara ni, Kak Long akan buat sendiri. No more buying them at the bazar Ramadhan.  Inilah hasil air tangan Kak Long membuat kuih2 cara berlauk dan manis.

Kuih Cara Berlauk Daging

Kuih Cara Manis

Hujan Rahmat

Salam pagi Jumaat untuk semua.  Kita sebagai manusia memanglah tidak sempurna.  Ada saja yang tak berpuas hati. Beberapa minggu lepas, musim hujan.  Semua mengeluh kerana setiap hari hujan lebat, aktiviti harian agak terganggu dek kerana hujan lebat.  Seminggu ini pula, cuaca amat panas...pun kita mengeluh kerana  panas, dahaga, migraine dan sebagainya.  Kak Long rasa  kita sepatutnya bersyukur tak kira hujan atau panas. Kedua-duanya rahmat dari Allah...manfaatkanlah rahmat yang Allah beri kepada kita. Sememangnya dua tiga hari ini terasa bahang matahari walau pun awan menebal namun tidak pula hujan turun membasahi bumi.  Mungkin awan sedang berkumpul untuk turun sebagai hujan di minggu yang lain.  Pagi ini, pagi Jumaat yang mulia ini, dengan kuasa Allah, turun juga hujan dengan selebat2nya.  Hujan rahmat...walau pun seketika cuma, dalam 10 minit tetapi memadai membasahi bumi yang sedang "dehydrated" ini.  Semoga hari Jumaat ini menjadi hari yang produktif bagi kita semua.

Jar of Hearts

I love this song, first for its title, second for it's melody. Just wanna share it with whoever reads my blog.  Siapa2 yang terasa lagu ni kena sangat ngan pengalaman dirinya, silalah menghayati the lyrics. As for me, I just like the melody. Do enjoy this! I'm sharing the clip which lets you sing-along.

Jar of Hearts

Revival

Hello again everyone.  I feel like it has been too long I've abandoned this blog of mine.  Knowing that my aunt has started her own blog, I am pulled towards reviving my own.  So, here goes... from today onwards, I will try to spend time uploading entries to this so-called brand new blog of mine.  

I want to share my daily experiences with my friends...(ada ke kawan2?), and by writing in here I can probably dispose some burden off my chest...and that, I will do.  

Jaundice...go away from my nephew!

Today I woke up early as usual but headed straight to shower.  I did not brew Bill's hot drink as I usually do.  I wanted to be at Putra Avenue early.  Using the Sg Buloh road, it took me about 45 minutes to reach there.  There I was, and there's my tiny tot, Luqman sleeping on his Mak Tok's large bed.  I woke him up with kisses, but didn't seem to yield to my disturbing him. I gazed at him...such a beautiful baby.  I'm love-strucked by this little one.

Mak Tok woke him up and bathed him.  My...he's such a strong little boy, when my mom put him in his long-bath, he was standing on his feet and walking!  We just giggled looking at his scene.  The reason I am here, at Putra Avenue is that I have to drive Mak and Luqman to Pusat Kesihatan (Poliklinik Kerajaan) in Puchong.  Owh gosh...there were a POOL of people from all ages there.  I started to have this headache having so many people around me and with that noise everywhere. I held Luqman in my arms while waiting for his turn to take some blood sample to be tested to determine the jaundice level.  They took his blood from his foot, Mak said.  I couldn't bear looking at that being done to him, so I let Mak carry him inside.  Later when that was done, I took the blood drawn from his tiny foot to the lab and waited for the result.  It has gone down from 14.9mg to 14.2 but I wasn't satisfied.  Then we waited for his turn to be consulted by the doctor.  I held him again...Luqman is such a good boy, he just slept from the moment he was brought inside the car until his blood sample was drawn and till we brought him to the doctor.  But he was perspiring, I think his head felt a bit warm.  Temperature, I suppose? I remember to ask the doctor to check on his temperature. Just a little bit more than the usual, but doctor said he's okay.

Sitting at the Government Polyclinic, holding my little nephew in my arms, I feel "sympathy" for him.  Why does he have to be in the middle of the noisy crowd to have his blood drawn for analysis, and then to wait to be consulted by a doctor.  Sweat trickling down his head and neck...ishhh...but he was such a good boy! He didn't throw tantrums at the clinic.

Home, after almost 2 hours, I laid on the bed with him next to me, staring at his adorable face, eyelids still glued.  Silently I thought...how could I not love this baby lying next to me?  Hahaha...gosh...so this is how it feels to have a baby eh?  Learned a few things today, and I now understand even better on a mother-baby bond.

Luqman, Mama Long pray for you to get well pronto.  Then we'll play again...get well little one! I love you SOOOO much!!  See you again this weekend.

Keep Walking My Days

My baby nephew is 3days new by today.  His daddy has not decided yet on how long his baby's name will be.  I am so mesmerized these few days, despite some disturbing thoughts.  I managed to push away those negative thoughts.  I didn't want the joy to be jeopardized by unwanted things.

My daily routine is rather deflected these few days.  I have been following my parents to the hospital for a couple of days already.  An enormous time is spent on the road, and lethargy sips into our bodies.  I know Ayah & Mak are very tired going here and there these few days, but as parents and now grandparents; they'll do anything.  Understood.  I feel the same way actually.

I snapped some photos of my nephew but I like this one very much, coz I am in red and I look so big and he's so little! Hehehe....

Kenangan2 dengan Luqman - 1 day old.

I also love some photos of my parents taken with Baby Luqman...they look so joyful and enthusiastic.  Ye la kan... happy sebab dapat cucu sulung.

He's just soooo adorable! Aduhai...I think I can melt if he can talk and ask me for anything.  Nasib baik la he's so infant and can't do all that just yet.

I feel so happy for everyone, especially Mak & Ayah.  I can feel the "happy aura" they're carrying along with them these few days.  Luqman has yet to meet his Papa Boy and Uncle Bill, and yet to meet all his uncles and aunties and grandparents from his mummy's side of the family.  Soon, Insya'Allah.

Looking at my parents, I am just happy that they're happy.  I can't give them a grandchild...but it's okay...now they have one from my brother...and another one on the way later at year end.  For as long as they're happy, that's the most important thing for me.  As for myself, I'll be that proud Mama Long of the eldest nephew.  Soon, there will be another one.  In the years to come... more in number.  I am contented.  No more questions...what I feel is my right to feel.  No one is to question how I really feel. All I can say now is that I AM HAPPY with the way things are.  As is. Period.  *smile*