Hanisa's INNOCENT breakfast.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, says everyone. 

And although I am not really a fan of breakfast, I'm now trying to pay heed to this piece of advice to avoid overeating during lunch, which I think has been the root of all evil to my "mysterious" weight gain. 

Please don't roll your eyes. I get enough of that from my husband. And despite all that, I'm still kind of obsessed with getting back my pre-marriage figure. *rolls eyes at myself*.

For a while (during Ramadan), I felt like my old self again. But as delusional as I am that I'd be able to maintain that kind of body without having to do much (just like old times, aahhh...), I knew that after I was done with puasa 6 (puasa 8 in my case)... I'd have a tough time resisting all the lemang and kuah kacang during open houses and open offices because surely, with everything being open, the only appropriate thing to do would be to open my mouth too, correct?

Correct. 

So to make myself feel better... I continued with my exercise sessions on my "treadmill", although my brother says that they are done in futility.

I started eating breakfast so that I won't be starving by the time lunch hour comes. 

I also started reading more health articles, which categorises my lifestyle as SEDENTARY, which I'm going to quit trying to change because I can't think of any solution that would work in everyone's favour for now.

And since my lifestyle is sedentary, I've decided to START COUNTING MY CALORIES, yey! (oh, yey?). For me to reach my goal weight (47kg BAHAHAHAHA), I can only consume 1000 calories per day (as set by myself)!

To track my progress, I downloaded a few apps on my phone. Problem is... these apps were not developed by locals, thus they (obviously) do not list the foods we Malaysians normally eat in the appropriate portion sizes. 

So, I kept one mobile app just to keep track of my daily food consumption (malas nak kira sendiri) and searched on the internet for the calories of the food and drinks that Malaysians normally consume. (click here for a start)

Since I now begin my day with breakfast (pats self on back)... that obviously became one of the first few things that I searched for. 

And? Surprise, surprise. 1/3 of my daily calorie allowance gone with this one INNOCENT meal - 

calorie count
Neslo (1 pack of Nescafe 3 in 1 with 3 spoons of milo) - 185 (like OHMYGOD kan?)
Gardenia wholemeal bread (2 pieces) - 146
Total - 331

Since nasi lemak telur mata is a staple for breakfast here in Malaysia and I obviously love it to the max, I looked it up too.

calorie count
Nasi lemak telur mata ayam - 669

I JUST DIED. 

Here's to sticking to my very innocent breakfast, I guess?

T__________________________T,,,,,

mamahood 101: get creative!

I don't think that kids are manipulative by nature, but I DO think that they're highly EXPERIMENTAL in which they live the first few years of their lives based on the concept of "cause and effect".

In that department, Luqman is of course, no exception. 

Where no danger is involved, I normally let him push the envelope a little further to let him see the whole consequence of his actions. 

But where his safety is at stake... I normally have to go to the extremes before he even gets to try his luck.

Yesterday, when I picked him up from school... he told me he wanted to sit in the "Kuski", which means that he didn't want to sit in his own carseat (yes, after all this while we're still struggling in this department). I didn't have the energy to negotiate plus it's actually a non-negotiable item in our list, especially when I'm travelling with him alone in the car. So, I told him that I wanted him to sit in his "Superboy Seat", which of course, he defiantly said NO to. 

He ran to the car thinking he beat me to it.

He touched the door to the front passenger seat...

 .

 .

 .

AND...

 I 

PRESSED 

THE 

PANIC BUTTON 

ON MY CAR ALARM!

TWICE!

Guess who was panicked by this?

HAHAHAHA.

(I'm so mean)

And when he finally touched the door to the rear passenger seat, where his Superboy Seat is... I pressed the other (correct) button to unlock the car. 

"Ha, baru betul..." said Luqman, who then unhesitatingly climbed into his carseat, ever willing to be strapped.

Phew! Lesson learnt! Mamahood 101 sangat!

Puts shades on, flips tudung.

*EVIL GRIN*

each (wo)man for himself.

Recently, someone told me a story about a couple; husband and wife. 

One day, the husband told the wife that he wasn't pleased with the fact that she wasn't reciting the Quran as often as he'd like her to, so the wife told him that with all the office work and house work she had to deal with, she was trying the best that she could... 

She also humbly requested for him to remember her in his prayers and told him of her hopes of sharing his good deeds (pahala) so that she too could go to heaven. 

He wasn't too happy with the idea of sharing his pahala with his wife and told it straight to her face. To put it bluntly, her humble request was declined. 

At that point, I was flabbergasted. The only thing I managed to say was, "Seriously?"... while I thought of what I would do if I were to suffer the same fate, which to be honest... I have no idea. 

I know that this world is coming to an end, but I honestly didn't think we would all come to this end; where it's each man for himself, even between husband and wife? *gasp*

And in this case, I do think that the quote below is pretty apt -

"Some guys might think it’s a waste of their time to do these house chores. What about her time? Is your time more valuable than hers? If you think you’re tired, then what state do you think she’s in after she spent the whole day cleaning up the house and preparing the meals?

Don’t get me started on working wives. They do twice the work, with half the appreciation."

Source: Isnalanterns.

 So, to all brothers out there, if you're not willing to share your pahala with your wife, I beg you... let her spare some of her time to make pahala of her own. 

I hope to never encounter this kind of insolence ever in my life and hope that whatever time I expend in caring for my family would be able to carry me to even the lowest of heavens. 

And I definitely hope the same for all my sisters out there. 

welcome home.

About a month ago, I received a text during sahur about an aircraft. 

Since it was so early in the morning, the only thing that caught my eye was the number 7.

"It (370) has been found?", I remember asking my husband.

And we both rubbed our eyes again and saw that it was a different aircraft in the news. 

I remember how we both ate our sahur in silence. Could be because we were sleepy but for me at least... I couldn't fathom the whole situation. I never in a million years thought that Malaysia would become a "target" because as far as I know, we have no enemies. 

Or do we?

The weeks that ensued saw me reading each and every theory, news and article on the fallen MH17. And how they started recovering bodies from the site. And how they started the identification process. And how they arranged for the homecoming.

And today, they are finally home. 

None of us have ever imagined that this calamity would befallen such a small nation like us. 

And yes, the only certainty in life is death but I don't think any of us think that we would lose a family member THAT way. 

I think this year has been a tough year for Malaysia as a whole. And though I'm not superstitious, I do believe that we could all learn a thing or two out of these ordeals. 

Treat everyday like it's your last. 

 

Love like you can never love again tomorrow. 

Because you don't know if tomorrow never comes. 

Next thing we know, we're all headed for "home".

Innalilillahiwainnailaihirojiun.

From Him we come, to Him we return.

Yang pasti itu Mati. 

*terkesan*

be apart to stay together.

I don't know about other married women, but for me... having some time apart from my husband keeps me sane AND keeps us together. While some people love being attached at the hip, I do enjoy the occasional solitary drive, going to work at different offices in different cars, and of course, time off (physically) from being a couple. 

And since the last "time off" I had was some time in January (I think), I made sure that I gave ample advanced notice about this time's time off so that everyone would be able to plan their time around me, for once. 

Plus, since these "time offs" come far and few in between, I made sure to choose the time off well.

And I chose to spend time with them; my sisters from another mother at a venue just 3 minutes from home - Maritime Club Putrajaya. Bahahahahaahhaha! But, still, 3 minutes away from home for half a day really made me happy!

8 of us came, which to me is no small feat considering the fact that the venue is in Putrajaya (where nobody wants to come to sobs), but these amazing girls came! Alhamdulillah. 8 TAPI meriah, hurrah! Pic Credits to Ayeem for this one.

One of the games we played on that day is one of my own creation. I call it Nipple Confusion.  

What you need? Your kid's bottles (of all kinds. I had Medela, Mom's Little One's, Pigeon, Anakku, Avent, Tommee Tippee, Tollyjoy), kitchen roll, marker pen and some tape.  

Method: Wrap the bottles in kitchen roll, and try as best as you can to cover the bottles so that no one can see which brand is which. Mix the bottle caps around if they fit. Mark the bottles with numbers or alphabets. Give some clue to the name of the bottles used. And prepare the game sheet as in the second picture.

Rules:  The bottle caps cannot be opened. And Googling is allowed. The one with the most correct answers will be crowned the winner! One of the girls got all correct, okay! And she's the one without a kid! Goes to show how much you get from extensive research. With this game... the girls got some education as to what nipple confusion (really) is and why it's important to know the different types of bottles. Trust the lawyer to come up with games. Bahahahaa. Oh by the way, pic credits to Ayeem for the second pic.

You know how first time moms tend to overbuy everything? Well, yes, I was one of those moms too. In fact, I sometimes still overdo everything, like packing Luqman's clothes for instance, but it doesn't matter (I think). Have extras, give them away. I still had these small sized diapers (still in good condition, of course. I checked), which I have been meaning to give away. But every time I go and visit a newborn, I forget the diapers!

On Sunday, I was determined to give them to my good friend Aleng for her baby. And what better way to give them away other than through a game! This isn't a novel game and you can find ideas on how to play everywhere on Pinterest. You just need a pack of diapers, marker pens or sharpies, some crazy friends and a fancy box to give them away!

Once I told the girls that they can Google for ideas, everyone went crazy with the messages! Some of them sweet and some of them really, really funny, okay!

At the end of the day, everyone had loads of fun and really enjoyed their Sunday.

Here's to hoping for a save delivery and recovery for the mommy-to-be and that a healthy baby will be born. In sha Allah.

May Allah bless.

Oh, by the way, I do believe that even with friends, you do need some time apart to stay together. In fact, I believe that the measure of a good friend is not how often you meet up, but rather how seamlessly you get along when you do see each other even after a long time apart.

Semoga kita terus menjadi kawan sampai tua bangka, okay girls!

♥

chatterbox.

I've never really minded milestones or unlocking of achievements where my child is concerned, so long as he is healthy and growing wonderfully, and with that, I try my best not to compare him with children of his age. 

But sometimes, I DO worry because after all, I am all in all a mother. 

Sometimes, I talk to other parents about my concerns and then they tell me to ask Luqman about those concerns since we're close and that means that he would gladly open up if I asked. 

I then say my thanks to those other parents and part with them even more worried than I was before because when I do ask Luqman things like "How was school?" or "Luqman buat apa hari ni?" or "Ada orang pukul/gigit/cubit tak hari ni?", he still replies with gibberish (at least to my ears...). 

And then I start wondering if there's something wrong with him since he can't really answer any of my questions coherently and whether he has a speech problem or whether he is behind his peers in certain areas...

So much for not worrying and not comparing, eh?

But this Raya... Masya Allah, banyaknya dia cakap!

As of today, Luqman can say, among other things - 

"Eh, apa tu ni?"

(curious about everything and confused whether to ask tu or ni! hahahaha...)

  "Ala, Mama, pis (please) la!!!"

(when I refuse to let him nurse from me (yes, he's still on the B!)...)

"EH, INI UMAN KUNYA (punya)!!!"

(when anybody tries to touch whatever it is he deems as his!)

and the latest revelation which happened just last weekend...

I was shopping for groceries and Luqman was really thirsty so my husband bought him (and himself) some juice. 

In the car, Luqman was devouring the juice with all his heart when my husband asked for some juice from him. Reluctant at first (obviously "eh, ini Uman kunya" came into the picture) he finally relented when Daddy said please.

My husband then said,

"Ala, dah nak habis dah? Tak ajak Daddy minum pun!"

To which Luqman replied,

"Ada satu lagi.",

dengan muka dan tone suara seposen.

He must have seen the other box of juice my husband bought and assumed that it was his as well, but "ada satu lagi???". SIAPA AJAR DIA NI! HAHAHAHAHA. 

Anak, oh anak! You are so worth it. Alhamdulillah.

(clearly, whatever he was talking about before was gibberish only to my ears. from whatever little experience I have, if you want to improve your child's ability in speech, please do talk to him/her (not in pelat language ye please!) even if their replies are non-coherent. in time, it will pay off, in sha Allah!)

;)

budaya menunggu...

Menunggu apa? 

Menunggu open house baru nak pergi melawat.

I don't know when this culture began but has for some reason become a well-accepted one. 

This year, I was all set on changing that culture and practice. I believe that you shouldn't wait for invitations for houses to be "open". It's Raya so houses should be open all the time (with certain limitations, of course). As it is, our time with family is now limited to only weekends and festivities and now this; having to wait until you're invited to go to some aunt's our uncle's or relative's house before you can actually visit? 

Absurd, I say!

So this year, at every opportunity I got, I visited friends and families alike. Not exactly easy with an overly active toddler in hand, whose timing and mood is pretty unpredictable most of the time, but do-able all the same.

And with that, this year's Raya has become one of the most enjoyable ones I've had in the longest time (actually since I started to not get the green sampuls for myself, boohoo!). 

But in all seriousness, there's just something about visiting some other person's house (not during an open house), which promotes a certain closeness and forges a bond between the guest and host. 

When you visit a person or family (not during an open house), they are in their (for lack of better word) "rawest" form; they are probably in their casual clothes and they'll probably serve whatever it is they were planning to have for dinner or tea or lunch. And frankly, for the one visiting, it doesn't really matter (for me at least) because the whole point of the visit was to keep in touch, to inquire about each others' well being, to catch up and to make sure that silaturrahim tidak terputus. 

So, go! 

Visit your aunts and uncles and relatives and friends. Be mindful of your manners, never overstay your welcome and always be sure to be grateful for their efforts in trying to make you feel at home.  

Likewise, open up your houses to children. Let your relatives and neighbours come over. Get the satisfaction of seeing them sprawled on your living room carpet after a lovely homemade meal that you cooked, biarlah ikan goreng dan sayur rebus sahaja sekalipun. 

And pray and hope that in the event we predecease our husband and children, they would have more than just their family members' houses to call a place their home.

1435, Syawal

Hello, August.

Sedar tak sedar, kan? Time sure does fly. Phew!

Selamat Hari Raya to everyone out there! Maaf zahir dan batin. Kosong-kosong okay?

How's it been for everyone? 

For us, it's been very low key and simple.

First day of Raya in Melaka this year and it was full quorum at Mak's house so although low key, it was plenty meriah!

No doubt I was sad that Ramadan passed by so fast, but having a child of my own has definitely tipped the scales on the "Excitement Scale" of Raya, especially so this year. Luqman is now at that age where he's able to comprehend most things and he's quite receptive towards our emotions so we're always trying our best to make sure we're happy all the time to give Luqman the spillover effect of our happiness. 

Seems to be working, so I think it's kind of safe to say that we're having quite the time of our lives so far. 

xxx

When people say that "rezeki bertambah bila kahwin", I always agree. No doubt there were times that even we faced financial crises of our own, but I always remind myself that rezeki doesn't always come in monetary form.

For me, among the "rezeki" Allah gave me when I married my husband is that I got myself a new set of grandparents.

Lain tau ada atuk and nenek ni. After my Atuk's passing, my family has been very different. We are no longer stuck to each other like superglue and we've just lost reason to meet up because I guess it's easier to plan our ways separately these days? Plus, everyone's been superbly busy, so it's been really difficult for us to get together. *Sigh*

So, when I married my husband, maka merasa lah dapat atuk and nenek semula and duduk rumah kampung dan berebut siapa dapat mandi dulu all over again, which is awesome! The fact that nenek is a great cook and spoils me (and everybody else) with endless supply of food all day long, every day while we were there is a huge, huge bonus too!

Serious berbeza perasaan tu bila beraya dekat kampung. And amat berbeza perasaan itu bila ada orang tua yang manjakan kita tahap tak ingat dunia.

Dengan itu, tak pastilah how many kilos have been added to my weight as good food has been very hard to resist!

>.<

xxx
 

City Boy meets Kampung.

Since Luqman is in that curious and inquisitorial stage of his life, the kampung experience was a timely one for him. Every day, he would look out the door and stare in amazement at the chickens nenek rears in her lawn. And then, he would mock the chicken and tell me to chase after them just to see them "fly".

Since he's always on the go, his appetite improved immensely too, which is good news for us!  

The only bad news for this Raya is that...

We don't have a decent family photo.

Which if you've read my previous post, you'd know why.

*Sigh* Penat Mama cari sampin cantik dan alter untuk kamu, tahu!

This year, I've clearly failed! Tahun depan berbeza, in sha Allah!

closest to decent that we have.

xxx

Well, anyways, with only 2 days left til my Raya leave ends, I'm going to get going now because there's just so little time, so much to do!

Selamat Hari Raya to all out there! I hope you're all having loads of fun too!

fashion (non)sense.

I responded "Yes" for an office buka puasa which was held yesterday since about 2 weeks ago after getting the greenlight from my husband. 

So naturally, after getting home from work yesterday, I didn't prepare anything to eat at all. The plan was that we would break fast, pray and leave the house right after. Simple. 

Some time before we left though, my husband asked me what would be appropriate for him to wear to the function. Masa itu barulah teringat that I needed to prepare Luqman's clothes as well. 

Knowing how much Luqman idolizes his Daddy, I took out their matching baju melayus and while I was doing that, Luqman saw one of his old Upin Ipin t-shirts and insisted that he be allowed to wear it. 

Normally, I don't mind him picking out his own clothes, no matter how mismatched or horrible they are. I've read before that it is one of the ways toddlers express themselves and it is also one of the many ways they'll learn about appropriateness (or lack of) and I'm all for learning through real life lessons. But yesterday wasn't any normal day, so I really wasn't big about him having inappropriate fashion (non)sense just as we were about to attend an office event! 

Be that as it may, after much coaxing to no avail, we allowed him to leave the house clad in his midriff baring t-shirt, diapers and no pants. Yes, I repeat, NO. PANTS. 

(fortunately (for Luqman), no photo either)

In the car, we tried coaxing him again, with no such luck. Outside the car, we taunted and mocked him, but still... no such luck. So, we gave up trying and decided that he had to learn the hard way i.e. through peer pressure from meeting friends of his own age (who we hoped had some decent pants on).

You know what happened?

He sat at the table... dan buat muka seposen. On top of that, he refused the food I fed him and threw everything out the moment it reached his mouth. Knowing that that situation had the potential to develop into a full-blown tantrum, my husband picked him up and told me, "Let's leave", which we did. 

At this point, we hadn't eaten anything substantial or filling, we were hungry and angry and our patience was running low. I noticed that we began snapping at each other although we both knew that whatever it was that took place last night was due to no fault of our own. 

When we got home, we expected Luqman to further throw a tantrum of some sort or you know, like totally zonk out from fatigue or something... just to make sense out of the whole thing... but he just sat happily in front of the TV eating the sunny side up I prepared for him, and asking for more food, crackers and drinks. He even let us both eat dinner in peace (thank God I prepared some food for sahur earlier).  

Til now, his reasons for refusing to wear his baju melayu and not wanting to wear his pants are still very much lost on us. At times like this, I find myself conflicted with all kinds of emotions; between wanting to let the inner mom in me emerge and let my child express himself to his heart's content while also wanting to teach my son that some level of propriety is required in certain situations like last night, for instance.

I honestly don't know at which point in his and my life that I should expect a certain level of understanding of these kind of proprieties.. but if you see our Raya family portrait with one of us (obviously not my husband or I) either not wearing pants or not clad in his traditional baju melayu... you'd know that I (for the time being) have failed to educate my son just yet.

And to think that when I saw this, I thought that I've seen the worst.

fashion (non)sense.

*Sigh*

quality time with Luqman.

I can't remember the last time I was on leave (okay tipu, of course I remember sebab lama sangat tak cuti) so I was really looking forward to that long weekend ahead. But instead of fighting over a day off with everybody else for Monday leave, I applied for Friday (11th) instead. For the most part, it was actually upon my husband's request since he had meetings in Melaka and so, to kill 2 birds with 1 stone, it was only logical that I took leave so that we could go back straight to his parents' house after he was done. 

And since we had Luqman, we have never been out to town for our 3 J activities (ye lah balik kampung mesti lah atuk nenek nak main dengan cucu and you all know how clingy I am hehe), so I took that opportunity to spend some quality time with my boy. I knew that my husband initially had reservations about me going to town alone, taking a road I am not familiar with (I never drive myself in Melaka), but I convinced him I had Waze (SUCH A LIFESAVER!!!) and took off the moment I got his blessing (and before he changed his mind). 

 To be honest, I was kind of scared too, but I trusted myself to be extra careful and extra vigilant especially in the presence of my child and so, I followed Waze's directions exactly (kind of) and since it was really early (10 a.m. kind of early), I was spoilt for choice on where I should park my car. Finally decided to park at the open space cark park at Mahkota Parade (smart move, only had to pay RM3 when I left at 2.10 or so) and we started trolling the streets together. 

I thought I wouldn't be able to enjoy myself much with a toddler.... but boy was I wrong!

Although Luqman loves to be cuddled and carried all the time (God bless my arms, he's about 13 kilos!), he behaved really well (despite waking up at like 7) and was very appreciative of this new surroundings that we were in. I even managed to bring him shopping at H&M, where we also got some education about animals (the boys' shorts there are just too cute!) and how to properly place items back where they came from, as the place was practically empty on that day. 

After our shopping trip, I brought him to my next destination (which I had looked up beforehand) - Kiddyland, which is akin to Gymboree or JKids (I think? sorry never been to either).

When we reached Kiddyland... there was only one other "couple", a daddy and his daughter, who also left shortly after we arrived, so Luqman and I were basically like kings of the world! We, yes WE had so, so, so much fun! At one point, not only did I have to sit on the slide... I also went down the slide TOGETHER with him! And while I'm normally (naturally) paranoid about letting him get on a bouncy castle, on that day, I showed him how it was done and he was so excited to see me jumping up and down like a monkey. In retrospect, I'm not sure who had more fun that day, really... Hehehe. And all that for just RM15 (which is entry for about an hour. It's RM6 per 20 mins)

I posted a photo of us and one of my friends asked me whether I wasn't scared of the germs... and frankly? I was CRINGING! Not that it was overly dirty or filthy but just knowing that some other kids have played there and that they might have drooled or nibbled or whatever just made me like... (okay I'll stop now). Just to make myself feel better, Luqman (and I) got a good scrubbing at the washroom after. 

And since Luqman refused breakfast, I knew he was famished, so I brought him to KFC Mahkota Parade (where I got some stares, but it's okay). Managed to feed him 1/2 a piece chicken, about 1/4 bowl of rice and 1/3 glass of milo and then we (well, he at least) was pumped up and ready to troll the malls again.

One of the other things on my agenda was to get Luqman a pair of sandals. He's outgrown his in record breaking time (6 months!) and though he has a pair of shoes, he didn't have any open toe sandals for casual use and playing etc. We searched and searched and finally found Parkson, where we saw Thomas and Friends flip flops. Big mistake because he loves Thomas but there wasn't any in his size plus I wasn't keen on letting him wear flip flops anyways..

But since Luqman has a Mama with "Jimat" and "Don't Give Up" as her middle name... he finally got Thomas and Friends sandals at a bargain. Mama bought him 2; one in a bigger size (just in case) for just RM50 (for both)!!! I don't have it pictured because the boy wanted to wear it immediately (expected) and he can't sit still for even one second (expected also) so I'll post it another time, I guess. 

After that, someone was getting restless and very sleepy and I decided that it was time to head back to my husband's meeting venue. Again, Waze was my lifesaver. 

When we reached the venue... my husband wasn't done yet and I didn't want to bug him, so I switched the aircond off, pulled down the windows and decided to get some shut eye as well... just about 10 minutes into that "arrangement"... Mr. Tak Tahan Panas WOKE UP and demanded that I pick him up from the carseat to sleep with me! Sigh, poor things; my arms. But nonetheless, despite the hot weather (with intermittent showers, thank God!), we both got quite a good sleep.

When he woke up... he obviously didn't appreciate being all idle, but there wasn't much we could do since it was drizzling and my husband hadn't yet finished the meeting by then. So, what does a borderline tech averse mom do to entertain her child? She sings. She sings Thomas and Friends Theme song close to 50 times (I am NOT KIDDING) until her child gets all fed-up and annoyed at her and demands that she sings one of Frozen's songs pula. And sing, she did. 

= ________________________ ="

Not sure what the passers-by thought but it's okay as long as my kid's happy. Hehe.

FINALLY, after we heard azan Asar, my husband texted me (well, I texted him "Hello" first) and he then told me that he was almost done and that I could come pick him up where I dropped him off. If only he knew that we've been there since like 2 hours ago HAHAHAHAHA.

We then went back to my in-laws' place with our boy sitting on my lap, looking absolutely content. 

And that, ladies and gents, was just the beginning of my very, very good weekend. 

my go-to recipe(s).

I'm pretty sure those who cook have a go-to recipe, right? Someone's coming for dinner? Or lunch? Or any other time of the day? Have no fear because "go-to" is there to save the day! While some people are comfortable cooking dishes like nasi lemak, ayam goreng and gulai in big batches for big crowds, I haven't had the same luck getting those things right, especially the ayam goreng (even just for my husband). Yes, you heard me right, alright; even after all these years of cooking, no matter what I do, I can't seem to make ayam goreng with utmost perfection.

So, having said that, what is my GO-TO? 

Butter chicken, that's what! 

I actually adapted the recipe from a butter prawn recipe, but since I found it, I think I've made butter chicken more times than I've made butter prawn!

Hehe. 

Well, anyway. Yesterday I planned on cooking chicken for buka puasa. Having a go-to recipe is wonderful but it was only 11 days into Ramadan and we already had butter chicken sometime in the first week, so I definitely couldn't (well, I could, but wouldn't) repeat the same recipe. 

Had to troll the internet for some other chicken recipes when I saw a really simple recipe for garlic-herb roast.

It was perfect (for me!) because it requires so few ingredients (all of which I have), it is super simple to prepare and I didn't need to use the stove (bad luck with ayam goreng, remember?), plus I didn't want to use the stove anyway since I had some laundry hanging to dry outside. And, most importantly, it's different from the roast that we normally have (you know, soy sauce, honey etc., which we just had the day before!).

Wrote the recipe down (walaupun simple, tapi first time buat) and visualised (and hoped) that it would turn out alright. 

Ting ting. Husband messages me at around 5 p.m.,

"Buka apa hari ni ye?"

"Chicken", was my simple reply. Didn't want to get his hopes up too high. Hehe. 

So, how did it turn out?

Wonderful (if I may say so myself)!

Initially planned to save some for sahur as well but none made it past 8 p.m., dalam kata lain... habis semuanya! 

And because it was a good recipe, I'm thinking that this could be my other "go-to" too!

xxx

Now, on to the recipe(s):

Butter chicken:

Ingredients:

1. chicken - I normally use about 3 chicken keels, cut into smaller pieces

2. 3 tablespoons butter - I also save some oil from frying the chicken to mix with the butter

3. 6 birds eyes chillies (cili api) - I use cili kering, in larger quantity to keep the heat down (you may adjust to your liking)

4. 3 sprigs curry leaves - Tip: if you have fresh ones, leave them to dehydrate in the fridge and take them off the stem and store in a bottle. Keep refrigerated. These days, I have a constant supply.

5. 3 cloves garlic - I normally use about 5-6 because I love the taste

6. 1/2 teaspoon salt

7. 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

8. 6 tablespoon grated coconut (dry fry until fragrant) - I use a packet of santan serbuk mixed with 200 ml of water. Alternatively, you can use susu sejat if you don't like the taste of coconut.

Method:

1. Shallow fry chicken and set aside.

2. Melt butter, add chillies, curry leaves, garlic, salt. Fry for about 2 mins or until fragrant. If using santan or susu sejat, put in at this point.

3. Add prawns, sugar, soy sauce. If using grated coconut, add in at this point. Cook over high heat.

And wallah! Siap! Best served with steamed rice and salads of your choice. 

Garlic-herb Roast

Ingredients:

1. 2 tablespoons olive oil

2. 6 garlic cloves

3. 1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice - I tried with vinegar yesterday

4. 3 tablespoon fresh thyme - I used dried thyme

5. Coarse salt - I used normal salt 

6. black pepper - about 2 tablespoon also

7. chicken cutlets - I had about 5-6 yesteday, but I think this recipe was meant for 10 cutlets

Method:

1. With pestle and mortar (kalau malas silalah pakai blender), crush the garlic and pepper together. 

2. Put in olive oil, vinegar and thyme.

3. Marinate the chicken for 10-30 mins.

4. Preheat oven at 250 degrees celcius - Tip: when the oven is slightly heated, take your roasting pan and place it in the oven to be preheated too. I do quite alot of roasting and I find that doing this really helps to get a perfect roast. 

5. Take out the preheated roast pan and place chicken on it. Also put in all the access marinade together with the chicken.

6. Reduce oven temperature to 220 degrees and put chicken in - it'll be ready in about 40-60 minutes or so.

And wallah! Siap! In my opinion, this goes really well with breads. We had it with pita yesterday, with salads. Tip: the drippings from the roast can be used as salad dressing and gravy for the chicken. Sedap gila! Alternatively, while waiting for the chicken to cook, you can prepare some salsa. We had left-over salsa with our meal last night :)

xxx

Happy trying, everyone!

Who knows, maybe my go-to will become your go-to, too? ;)