Ameena's Ramadhan Diary - Lets start this rejab..for a more meaningful ramadhan.

I am thanking my old friend whom I first met when doing my degree in UK. She was In Bradford then, but we had several meetings during the MISG-ABIM gathering back then..  Last 2 years, I accidently met her and she gave me this book.

yesterday, I stumbled upon this book again. I rarely had the time to read nowdays..not that I am busy as an office accountant etc..  but just busy attending to my kids'..nooo..  perhaps busy worrying..  ha..ha...not good huh!..  well, just thinking for some plannings for this coming ramadhan..

(It is Rejab already..and my work on the AL kausar Musollah's bulletin is still way to go.. Oh Allah, pls give me guidance to finish it by this weekend....and we are travelling to East..  my eldest is going to pursue her studies there... and you bet, she's doing Accounting!!..)

And pls, dear readers, if u have the time and if you must, pls get a hold of this book : 

Summary: Junior Marketing Executive Ameena is determined to make this upcoming Ramadan a real success - easier said than done with demanding job and siblings that regularly test her patience. But good advice from a sheikh, support from her friends and a strong plan, she's certainly on the right track to getting what she wants out of the Holy month. Ameena's ramadan Diary starts in late Rajab as Ameena begins her preparation for Ramadan. Every day before, during and after Ramadan, Ameena writes her diary entries taking you through everything from family related matters to do's and don'ts of worship. Packed full of practical hints and tips and inspiring quotes from the Qur'an and hadith, Ameena's Ramadan Diary is the perfect companion for anybody who is looking to make the most out of Ramadan

Lets start this Rejab... see you!!

Ramadhan 2012 : is just around the corner...

Entering Rejab, in a few days' time... I am shivering inside...for the things that had happened last year.. Ya rabb, make it easier this time....pls!! ya rabb, sampaikanlah kami ke ramadhan... Owh ho.. I had missed many events.... from last march 2012... not sure whether time is not such a constraint..or i am just plain 'lazy'....

Ramadhan : 2011 & Food venture.

I had wanted to write on the above, few months ago... but i guess..the fatigue got over me.. but before long, this posting is sincerely me. I am not perfect nor trying to present the better of me.. basically for my kids to note that, if and if, we ought to, food business is easy...with proper planning, excellent time management, available resource..we cd do it!!

Last ramadhan saw me and kids, first time, engaged in a heavy food production business..
Do we have enough : resources? labour? capital? marketable place? business etiquete? customer handling? cashier?.. bla..bla...

I must admit, its going to be hectic..but we dont really have much choice, then!!!

I vividly remembered how i had helped my mum at her stall... pheww..that was yearsss ago... by hook or by crook..something have to be done.. we need cash!!! so we decided to sell kueh berbuka posa...   say what?

First: get some capital..tq to my big brother..eem..kemudian bayor le bang!..and My other brother for taking orders of kue raya..same to my sister, ieja too... (Again.. I wish I cd hug my mum...and my dad..Alfatihah...)
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Apa yang nak dijual?

1..main dish for the day - choose one :either lontong, laksa, mee kari, roti jala
2. side dish - either mee goreng, bihun goreng, kue teow goreng, nasi goreng, makaroni goreng
3. sambal tumis to accompany with side dish
4. agar2 gula melaka/ agar2 plangi
5. egg caramel/ cream puff
6. kue sagu/ lepat pisang/apam ayu/cekodok pisang
7. buah melaka/kue cara manis/kue ketayap
8. kue cara berlauk/cucur badak
9. karipap
10. donat/keria
11. sandwich sardin goreng/puff sardin gulung/donat pedas (burger malaysia)
12.popiah goreng/tahu sumbat/cucur udang
13.kue bom/seri muka/kueh kasturi/kue koleh kacang
14. Sandwich sardin/sandwich telor

Amboi...tingginya cita2...boleh buat dak?  wanna know how on earth cd I think of those list..my late mum used to do that.. the difference is, she cook better than me.. until now, saya tak pandai buat koleh kacang, kuh lapis, kue seri muka, kue bakar....oh my...
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Imagine, there'd be about 14 dishes to be ready by 430 every day before breaking fast..Ramadhan time......euuww...sapa nak tolong...?? in between, my little man wd certainly crave for attention.. Allah has helped us went through those moments.. We did..My day wd start as early as 5 am..prepared sahur, woke up my family members...did some ritualss...kids off to school..I did laundry, hanged clothes..prepare all sorts of jelly (agar/caramel  etc as they needed to be  refrigerated!!), prepare fillings:- for karipap, popiah, cucur badak & kue ketayap.... while waiting for those to cool down..I woke up M5.kasi dia mandi, kasi dia sus and.off we went to groceries shop to buy some other ingrredients.. oopss..sebelum pi kedai... uli kulit karipap, uli kulit cucur badak/keria, prepare tepung untuk: cucur pisang, kue cara, all put aside..
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Once balik kedai....kerja2 membuat kueh& main dish ermula...1000 am until 400. M2 shall helped me with angkat jemuran when she came back from school..m3&m4 wd iron their own clothes, m2 also helped me with tahu sumbat and sandwishes. While m5, wd entertaine himself with whatever toys, tv shows..or main tepung sekali ngan mama..
By 430, all kues must be readied..masuk dlm car boot. oopss..jgn lupa plastik kue, alas meja, payung, air basuh tangan, bekas duit shiling, buat susu utk m5. Solat asar..and drove ke tempat jualan/bazar ramadahn..

The challenges were actually in preparing the kues..to meet the time, i.e 430, to buka meja dan buka payung...and also..melayan kerenah pelanggan...pheww.. but we made it... At least by the end of the day, we have food on the table untuk buka puasa!!!..extra cash to buy m5 susu and pampers.. I had to do it for the sake of my kids..Hubby's office cash flow was terrible!!
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We had made it..some pictures:-

me and m2, religiously stood by me...

part of agar2 pelangi

agar2 bandung

Kue cara manis

left over : karipap, sandwich gulung goreng, cream puff

tahu sumbat

 A week before Aidil fitri, I had stopped the bazar ramadhan affair and started with biskut raya and kek lapis...  pulak..took orders...mula2 suke..sebab ade banyak demand...after few days...  macam nak menangis tak berlagu.. I cried to myself!

clockwise: biskut badam, mama cerries, cornflakes madu, kueh tat, biskut sapi, biskut makmur

kek lapis batik sarawak

my speciality : roll ketupat

my other speciality too: traditional tat

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Alhamdulillah... sememangnya penat..tapi berbaloi2..

And I shed 5 kilos....   Perasan slim dah!

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And lately, my kids keep asking: " Mama, lama dah mama tak masak2 buat kueh dan kek segala..."

And I smiled.....  entah phobia..entah ape...  rase mcm nak rehaaaaaattttt panjang....

If all these fit the theory of Economics, i.e Law of Diminishing utility...  than I have fallen into this category..

 ( one wd stop doing her norm, if one get bored.. for eg...hari2 makan telo goreng...masuk seminggu..emm..dah tak tertelan....lebih kurang cam tu lah!)

But if and if, situation permits again..or rather, i have  no other choice.then..I'll be back... Some neighbours already asking:" Eh maz, tak berniaga lagi?"...  

I just smile sheepishly...

taken last day of my bazar ramadhan affair... atas riba is M5..orang posa..dia sibuk nak makan...p/s: I think i look extremely exhausted..

On another note; saya cuba menyelami perassan arwah emak....  penat je berjualan di gerai... and I still remember mak advising me: Ta, tak payahlah nak berniaga gerai cam mak..penat!.....study smart..and get a job...  But I ended up as I am today....

Adios amigos.. After 2nd raya..Saya jatuh demam..dan habihkan masa, qada' tido...  mujurlah anak2 faham... I love you all my darlings!!

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message to my kids; life sometimes isn't easy...  life is a test..we must survive.. ade berani?

p/s: I had learnt cooking from my late mum..  wd my kids be able to grasp the skills?...

Those were the days..when I really cook...  and I think age factor shall slower me down...

I had lost the energy.. I remain. 

Double storey and how much cd one yell!!

Long has gone days when one could actually listen to the yells of one's neighbour unless he really is the 'peeping tom's species..Oh, Please..God, please forbid me from falling into that category!!

Nearly 100% of my childhood , for as long as I could remember, was I have to put up with the 'unease' feeling whenever my late mum screamed at us...out of her lungss...music to my ears..especially in the morning and evening..Err..sape suruh lambat siap!!..Nanti lori datang, tak payah pergi sekolah..siap korang!!!

But now, I strangely feel that history could not repeat by itself..by the design of my home, I find it extremely difficult to call out for my kids..either they shut the door behind them, pluging their ears with the stereo..or simply..I cannot yell out as loud as a lioness anymore...Or...I malu with the next jiran?....Hence, waking up my kids for 'sahur' is painstakingly tough..Tedious too, especially now when I have to repeatedly remind them: " Cepat!cepat!!!20mins before the school's van arrive!!Belum makan lagi ni!!!..How come, my favourite vocab these days are ...cepat..cepat!!!.

ANd I wonder If any of my kids would love to the orchestra I am playing..Well, girls...I am the lioness of the house..U know Ur daddy is the 'cool' type with lots of gold in his mouth.( ANd the malay proverb translate : Seperti ada emas dalam mulut!!!).Ooppss..sorry Abg!!..But again, I am sure, they shall miss my chaotic + panicky mum.. I am the twitter too!..and they know what it means when the bird stop singing, instead !!

I guess, MY dear Mr Land lord, would you like to consider, installing some kind of interface..or rather inter com!!!.. I am tired of yelling!!..Or Hello kids..I shall not yell anymore..and whomever are late...let them be..either u go to school by bus..or never at all..and stand my 'lioness' the whole day...and even during RAmadhan..pls let me suggest....everybody sleep downstair, Boleh tak!!!..Mummy is losing her voice..and also...please clean up the kitchen too..please!.please!!