Bubur Nasi @ Kanji

Photo was copied from Warna Warni Kehidupan......sorry i could not snap one of my own as the porridge was served and eaten before the photo session.....maklum time sahur mana dan nak amik gambar.

salam. This time i would like to share my new passion...preparing this bubuq nasi@ kanji for sahur. I did not know what and how i got this idea but a long time ago ( when i was in primary school) my lunch would be this and this...everyday without fail. My late Mak would cook this for me and i never had enough of it.

Somehow, when i grew up, i forgot about this, how it tasted and how my Mom made this. But i still remember the ingredients and only after my Mom passed away ( today marks 3 months of her demise) i started thinking about this dish, how delicious it tastes and how easy to make this.

So, when i did my fasting during Shaaban,...ganti posa la tu.....i tried to make this and syukur, it tasted just like my Mom's......even my children found this tasty. so from that day, i would prepare this whenever i could not find anything satiable  to be served. The ingredients keep improving day by day and now i can say that i have got the hang of it.

Now it will be our favourite during imsak....easy for me to make and easy for them to digest....plus some soup and fried anchovies or telur asin....clear....only abah does not like it so, as a loyal wife...i would prepare rice and stuffs for him But since my children like this, i would make sure i have this on our kitchen table every day.

Today, i will go to town and get this periuk nasi utk porridge.....this will certainly make job easier and faster.

Preparing this kanji certainly makes the memory of may Mak lingers forever. TQ very much Mak.

Kuih Raya Zaman Dulu

Alkisah pagi tadi umi dengar sinarfm dok cerita pasai kuih raya, terus umi terkenang kisah kuih raya zaman umi kecik dulu. Yg rajin buat kuih ialah my late sis, or fondly called Cik....(Moga aruah ditempatkan bersama org2 beriman)...umi banyak belajar dari dia, tapi sampai la masih tak pandai...maklum zaman dulu, tugas umi cuma rasa kuih, boh kuih dalam balang dan basuh tudung periuk(dulu ta pakai tray macam la)

Yang umi teringat sangat ialah kuih semperit yg sedap lembut di makan, tak terkira cantiknya seperti dahlia, dan kismis merahnya yg comel tertenggek atas biskut tu. Cik akan setia menekan acuan semperit tu, sampai merah jari...umi cuma tengok, jangan harap dia nak bagi buat...kalau herot sikit saja terus dia buang dan tekan lagi dan lagi.....umi asyik membelek aje.....yang paling best..umi dok minta la bagi hangus sikit sebab umi boleh makan hehehe...maklum dulu x berapa kerap posa ni....

Umi juga terkenang-kenang biskut pasir.....awat nama dia camtu...tak kotor ke?....aish mana kotor......cara nak buat di camni...adunan di masukkan dalam acuan panjang,bulat dan ditekan keluar sedikit ...then di potong dengan benang yang diregang di bawah kerusi.....jadilah bentuk permukaan atas yang berolak2 seperti pasir....sodap oi......kalau la mana ada kesabaran nak buat gitu...silap2 amik benang lilit tengkuk hehehe....

Satu lagi yang umi tak leh lupa ialah biskut kapal @ biskut buah yg diletak dalam acuan bentuk kapal/daun. di tekan dan di tekap atas tudung periuk....sedapnye....manis dgn rasa mixed fruits.......favourite umi ni...sekarang umi ada nampak acuan di kedai tapi tak terbeli la pulak..sebab umi rasa tak terbuat......

Aruah juga pandai buat kuih siput atau lebih dikenali sebagai pagoda....jgn tanya awat namanya macam jenama singlet lelaki....masa tu tak teringat nak tanya awat depa pangge pagoda....tapi yg umi tau....cik akan potong pastri tu di atas papan kuda kayu....hai hampa tau ke papan kuda ni? ala...tempat pesiang bawang tu. dulu mana ada yang plastik cutting board.....resepi aruah umi ingat sampai la. dan ianya menjadi kuih tradisi keluarga kami sekarang. semua anak2 akan bekerjasama macam wonderpet utk menyiapkan kuih yang kami pangge kuih gunting...kami dah upgrade bagi mudah ....so setiap orang akan gunting pastri...sudah pasti bentuk yang keluar berbagai-bagai......not to worry sebab kami tak pernah hidangpun kat sapa2...for our mouths only........

Akhir sekali....kuih baulu.....adoi siksanya nak buat kuih ni.....aruah pak akan guna plastik yg dicantumkan dan buat sebagai dinding sekeliling tiang rumah.....sebab kami pakai api kayu api.....asapnya tak payah nak cerita la........tapi harumnya baulu ni dapat di hidu seentero kampung...umi ditugaskan menimbok telur itik....mana ada pakai mixer fren.....tanganla yg jadi whiskers nye....lenguh tangan x leh cerita la......adunan dia x leh dibiarkan dalam keadaan lalai....kena aktif selalu so kena pukui selalu la namapknya.....rasa serik nak tolong tapi kalau tak tolong, lagi lambat siap kan. walau bagaimanapun umi tak berapa suka makan kuih ni.ntah rasa camna tak tau.....yg umi suka cuma amik kulit telur dan buat hiasan di sekeliling pokok bunga.......

Eh ada satu lagi....ni buah tangan aruah mak pulak. Agar-agar kering yg disediakan seawal ramadhan. tugas umi and aruah pak ialah menjaga aga2 ni di jemuran....jangan bagi kena hujan, jangan bagi ayam itik makan....tapi dalam diam umi amik curi makan sikit....ala yang kemik2 aja....tapi terus terang umi habar mai....agar2 kering mak special....manis2 buah dan berwarna warni lagi....nampak putih bunga gula bila kita makan.....mana nak jumpa la ni cam tu.....adoh teringatnya kat aruah mak. Moga Allah Menempatkan semua ahli keluarga umi yang dah mendahului kita......apapun kenangan kuih raya .....amat syahdu dan mekar diingatanku.......

Telekung dan Sejadah

Syukur dah terlaksana hajat utk membuat sedekah sejadah dan telekung atas nama aruah ibubapa. Umi letak di surau RnR, supermarket dan masjid. Umi amat berharap banyak lagi yg dapat umi beli dan jariahkan sekerap mungkin. Umi sedar, bilamana mak dan pak dah meninggal, tiada apa lagi amalan mereka kecuali doa dan hadiah yang anak2 berikan selagi mereka masih berupaya....semestinya berupaya...kerana hanya itulah yang dapat membantu aruah di alam barzakh.....bayangkan kalau anak2 buat tak kisah pabila ibubapa dah meninggal...sedih amat sedih....mungkin itu juga akan terjadi apabila kita meninggal kelak....nauzubillah.

Jum kita sama-sama muhasabah diri....kalau kita sayangkan ibubapa, marilah kita sama2 membantu mereka dengan berdoa dan berbuat segala kebaikan dan pahalanya disedekahkan kepada ibubapa. Bukan payah kan.

Syukur...Along Dah Sampai Pun

 Thursday, after the children came home from school, we started our journey, leaving Alin and Ayish with mak ( i felt like turning and fetched them) but fasting days would be challenging to them. So off we went, with Bob at the wheel, since abah was strike with gout again.  At 7 pm, we arrived at Sg Perak RnR....iftar there...ntah apa umi makan.....but the tummy was hungry so we were happy with what we had.

 Abah.....thinking about alin n ayish kot.....we continued and finally reached My world hotel in S. Alam at about 12.....adoi lapar giler oi....they fetched akak and bought some rice n fried chicken for sahur. In a small ( so called family room), we hit the bed, too tired to think about the comfort. Sahur time, Along called, saying that his flight from Abu Dhabi was delayed. the supposed 2pm landing was rescheduled to 7pm........camna ni

 Don't worry...we know how to kill the time. Plaza Alam Central was always ready to see us....bowling they went...and shopping i did....ada nampak itu handbag baru??????Shopping while fasting is no small matter tau. Dragging our tired feet, we spent a few hours there and left for KLIA at about 4.

 Upon arriving, we found out that the plane would only touch down at 7.50pm.....we waited again. Luckily easy access to wifi kept us busy for a while....akak managed to study for her final exam the next day.....

 Bergaya macam nak naik flight...tapi waiting je.....en Sham was always busy with his work...and work....

 Iftar....at KFC......makan pun gopoh2 aje.....

 Uncle Sanders smilingly waited for us there......

 What to do? amik gambaq banyak2 le......baik zikir kan....

 After waiting until 9 pm.....after straining our necks searching for along, finally, this skinny figure emerged with his friend.....syukur..anak umi dah sampai......the same smile, the same over-worn sweater, the same simple Along......

 Dan lagi helping a mak chik who was worried when her daughter did not arrive yet........

Finally, we pushed the trolley and got ready to leave for Kedah. The trip back took us 9 hours...with many stops...many food and many stories exchanged. Listening to their banters about their childhood stories their gadgets terms made me feel so jaded hehe.....Thank you Bob for driving us home...abah n umi sekali sekala aje....along..masih jetlag...eman..masih tak tau jalan, atih dah tidur.... what ever it is, alhamdulillah, we arrived at 6.30 am.....by 11 am....alin and ayish were fetched..... n got their robot and clay games.......

Kenangan Ramadhan Datang Lagi

Syukur hari ini bermula kita semua berpuasa or posa sempena kedatangan ramadhan mubarak. Umi dah bangun seawal 4 pagi utk siap soq. Ala.....nasi goreng besa dgn ayam drummet. ada gulai ayam kampong tapi x popular dgn anak2. Depa tenyeh,suap, gonyeh, telan....maklum belum leh adapt to makan awai pagi. yg depa besa makan lewat malam.....kesian ayish cuma minum susu.....

Teringat umi masa kecik dulu, posa lebih kurang aje. mak pun x berapa paksa macam dia suruh semayang. tugas umi dulu ialah pi berantaq kuih sperti buah melaka, pulut udang, tepung bungkuih dan bengkang tepung. hantaq la ke rumah kak dan mak sedara. pastu dapat balik kuih yg depa bagi. Baguih amalan ni. buat sejenih dapat balik 3, 4 jenih. La kalau nak byk jenih, kita kena tunjuk banyak gerai sikit kan.

Yang paling umi tunggu dulu ialah org yg mai juai ais bantal. sekupang satu. dia boh dalam guni padi, salut dengan sekam padi, dia bwa dengan gerek keliling kampung. maklum dulu mana ada peti aih. Then, pakndak, cik ani dan umi akan jalan p kedai runcit tok jang beli air menet. ( lemonade)...sebotoi 15 duit....heaven tu dpt minum air buih2 rasa lemon tu.....la ada la juga kat restoran tertentu......

Kalau time petang, umi dok tengok abang2 main soley...ada main tuju2 guna bola tennis(ntah depa dapt dari mana). ada sebijipun cukup la...satu kampung leh main. kkdg depa main badminton depan laman rumah.

waktu asar lak, umi suka dengar aruah tokwan baca quran. mendayu2 bunyinya. kan time bulan posa kita disuruh bykkan tilawah.

Masa  solat tarawih, kat surau kampong je.tapi umi pi main aci ligan saje,bukan solat pun. teruk betoi. syukur la ni org dah banyak sedaq akan kelebihan tarawih ni......itulah sedikit sebanyak kenangan posa time kecik2 dulu.......the best.....

Mesir Bergolak Lagi.

Risau. Bimbang.Takut....semuanya ada dalam fikiran umi bila melihat berita sebegini di tv. Adakah kejadian 3 tahun dulu akan berulang lagi? Mesir akan huru-hara lagi? Bulan Ramadhan yg mulia akan tiba. tak berhentikah mereka kerana menghormati keberkatan bulan ini? 

Bilamana melihat kejadian seperti ini berlaku,dan Along berada di sana, tersepit dalam kegelutan manusia berperang kerana kuasa, keperayaan dan daulat negara, umi teringat semasa umi belajar di Kanada dulu. Aruah tok dan wan tak pernah miss menonton berita selama 4 tahun umi di sana. Setiap berita berkenaan negara itu akan menjadi berita penting bagi mereka. kemalangan, ribut salji, apa saja akan membuatkan mereka susahati walaupun sebenarnya tempat kejadian adalah beribu batu jauhnya dari tempat umi belajar.

Sekarang umi faham perasaan mereka. jauh tak bermakna tak terlibat. Itulah yang sedang umi fikirkan sekarang. Along dah berada di tahun akhir. Peperiksaan dah dekat. Keadaan masih tak selamat. Kelas di buka mengikut keadaan. Memang perit.

Namun, umi berpegang kepada ketentuan Allah. Umi berdoa agar keselamatan rakyat mesir dan semua rakyat Malaysia selamat. Allah jua yang Maha Mengetahui apa yang akan berlaku. Kita hanya mampu berdoa.

Bersalahkah Umi?

 Okay, i admit i have been neglecting my plants...not purposely though...i was quite busy, actually very busy. So this plant, ntah apa nama dia, grow and bloom proudly projecting the whitish n yellowish flowers.

 A few species that i combined are also healthy despite my negligence. depa faham agaknya ye kesibukan umi.

 Ati-ati that i got from Liza Ibun started to multiply. actually only 5 species left as the others died due to over fertilized. Mau dak. baru nak tumbuh daun, umi dah tabur baja....marah n merajuk la.

 This corner really needs some improvement. i know, i will plant kerak nasi that i got from Chun Man a few days ago.....nantilah ye.

 Zoom angle, memang la nampak subur membesar kan.

 Hehe.. the supposedly fish-rearing container was transformed into a miniature garden. Memang nampak sangat umi malas....ampun....

 Even though without proper care, this rose would still showcase its beauty.....thank you very much.

 Another isolated corner that i rarely touch...all grow on their own....suburla pulak si keladi putih tu.

 Isn't this a nice photogenic shot? Ros kampung yg tak jemu2 berbunga walaupun tidak dijaga rapi.

 Tada.....the fish fond that i had changed into a seeding container. ada bluebell, japanese roses yg insyaallah akan memenuhi tanah dgn bunga bila syawal menjelang kelak.

What a sad sight!. the grasses and weeds cover these small roses.....mana dan nak cabut ....sorry sangat2. walaupun umi sedar pokok juga hidup dan memerlukan penjagaan rapi, umi tak sempat sgt2.....ntahlah.....

Please God Accept My Prayers

Life is nothing if you are not challenged. It would be dull if you are not tested. It looks so mundane if you do the routine all day long. Well, my life is certainly colorful. i might look calm and composed but only Allah Knows how worried i feel when my children are facing the dreaded examinations and the uncertain days ahead. I can only offer my prayers, hopping ish..hoping that all of them are doing fine. 

First, Along is going through the final phase in his studies in Egypt. and the bad news is that that country is experiencing a bleak future as the rakyats are into street riots, forcing the president to step down as they claim that he is not doing enough for the country. Tahrir Square is the centre of their spring and this definitely causes sleepless nights for me. The last experience 2 years ago is enough to make me shivers in vain. I really hope things will turn for the better for all of them in Egypt.

Then, Akak is now battling her third year final exam. The subjects become a  lot harder, more challenging and more nerve-wrecking. I can only offer my prayers, motivate her, give her hopes, strengthen her spirit. The distance will never deter me from getting close to her. All the best, Akak.

Bob, the only one at home, is helping me looking after the brothers n sisters. syukur he passed his second year exam and now taking over the household chores. Buying lunch, sending siblings and keeping them save.

This is an understood agreement in our family and syukur everyone is fine with it.

Atih, in Perak is also struggling with her first year examination. I pray she will take things seriously even though she always says that the course is hard. Try and try and never give up Atih. Umi and abah are praying for your success. Your return for ramadhan is such a comforting wait.

Now, Eman is adapting his life in KMK. The first month was a challenge and now he is doing ok. My hope is that he will excel in his studies and score the best results in UPS and PSPM. He comes home every weekend and that should be a break for him. 

Then, there is Adik who is sitting for PMR. Well, i cannot say much about her. She will do fine, insyaallah. Bob is guiding her with the subjects so hopefully things will turn out for the better. Go for it, Adik.

Alin, well Alin is Alin. Taking things easily and nothing worries her much. Life is life. Ayish, with his interest in PSP does make me worried. So far, all his homework is done and taken care of. ......

Well, taking care of 8 children is no easy task. But, insyaallah, things will be fine. I am at Allah's Mercy.