Sawan Masak

I have always loved to cook. A few years back in 2006, a long long time ago now it feels, I lobbied my husband to get me my first oven - a Zanussi ZOE535 Electric Oven/ Grill. Then on, I tried experimenting with recipes especially from the trusted Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson cook books. My family and close friends can vouch for our tried and tested Roast Chicken and how successful that dish is. I have even imparted my knowledge to the rest of the family. Khadra can cook it and just last week, Azrul cooked three birds for my birthday dinner celebrations with the nucleus family. 

Just recently, I had a reason to expand my culinary repertoire. It came in the form of a Kitchen Aid freestanding mixer. I is love. It was on an irresistible promotion, buy the KA mixer at retail price and get the KA heavy duty 4-slice toaster for free. How can one resist?

With that came more experiment. With the help of more Mr. Google, cook books (Nigella lawson's Domestic Goddess is an example) and a lot of tags and recipe hunting on instagram I am proud to share with you some of my success stories. Featured here are the Victoria Sponge cake, Mixed berry pavlova (you better believe it, girlfriend!), Blueberry yogurt cake and Banana pecan muffin (and loaf). Yummers...

 

Instant gratification. Baking is not as hard as it seems, really. I have a lot to share in this respect too. All fueled up by the instant feedback that I get from posting it on Instagram and also looking at my timeline. hihihihihi. Hoping that this won't end up to be one of my HHTA (Hangat-Hangat-Tahi-Ayam) projects though. 

-dillz blogging out-  

Hello there 2012!

It's already March the 6th, 2012. I have turned 37 years old exactly 2 months ago and yet this is my first post in 2012. hahahahahahaha. Pathetic, I know.

Ampun tuanku beribu ampun. Relapse lagi penyakit malas nak berblog saya ni. Sorry lah banyak-banyak tuan-tuan dan puan-puan. In all honesty, I have kind of missed writing my unfiltered ramblings and in fact I do have quite a lot to write about. Just never found the time to. Alasan, I know. But there is some truth to it.

There has been good news and not so good news. But, I guess we live through it, don't we? Such is life. There is also a lot to look forward to this year. Especially in the travels department, Insya Allah. For starters, there's the Bali eco culture trip in the upcoming March school holidays. (we flying off this Saturday, dude!) In June, we already have our cheap cheap air fare to Sydney. TQ Air Asia X. And Insya Allah, looking for a special place to spend our 10th year anniversary in September. Kat mana nak pergi? Masih dalam perancangan. Kalau jadi sok, saya share lah. In any case, I have gone back to the gym in the quest to be slightly fitter and less gemuk by then. hahahahahaha Saya juga telah register untuk Energizer Night Run in April. Yes, I did! hihihihihihi (Jangan excited sangat, 5km Fun Run je)

OK lah dulu. Nanti update lagi.

-dillz blogging out-

Focus! Focus! Focus!

So much to do. So much to do.

There has been quite a lot that has happened this past month, concerning the kids. Especially concerning the kids. As usual, mommy hasn't had time to update, has she? hihihihihihi

It's been pretty hectic at the work front too. I have finally gotten some things finalized and am still gungho with several more projects in hand. Insya Allah. Dipermudahkan. Aminn.. I have also picked up on my reading in the past month. Somehow, I gravitated to malay fiction this time around. Finished reading several #BukuFixi publications - Jerat, Pecah, Kougar, Dendam and Kasino and @elviza's Kerna Terpaksa. In my reading list currently is FauziahAshari's Ombak Rindu and another #BukuFixi Ngeri. :P

At this juncture, most of the kids activities has slowed down somewhat. To date, we have completed:

• Khaleeda's 4th birthday celebrations - this time around she had it at Barbie Store. Beria, I tell you. But, the princess had a great time with the makeovers and catwalk with her friends. :)
  
• Khadra's Kickstart Internal Grading for her rhythmic gymnastics. The grading determined whether she could go up to Grade 1 level from Little Gymnast level.
  
• Khadra completed her School Holiday gymnastics program - with a Russian coach. Woohoo!
  
• Khadra and Khaleeq's TTG final performance for this year, in conjuction with Didance's year end showcase at KLPAC.
  
• Khadra and Khaleeq performed their yearly drama at KLPAC last week, on the 30th November and 1st December 2011. This year's title is T3 = The Equation. The endangered animals in the highlights this year were the tapirs, tenggiling and tembadaus.
  
• Khaleeq undergoing his prelim diagnosis for his condition. Insya Allah, will be concluded by month-end.
• Khaleeda started her mengaji. Yeay!

Till I get more time to type in this space. I'll definitely try to elaborate the above points. With pictures too, if I have the might! Too-da-loo.

-dillz blogging out-

My (con)Current Project (among others)

I have been pretty tied up with all sorts of things lately. This particular project happens to have a deadline, though. Sometime back (prolly 3-4 months back) Ziezi came across a great deal from photobookMalaysia - so I happily joined the bandwagon and bought 5 vouchers for Medium Landscape Imagewrap Hardcover books. hihihihihihi.

Ampun tuanku! 5 photobook to be finished in about 2weeks. Maka, teruslah hamba mengdownload the Photobook Designer software and mess about with it. Firstly, I needed pictures. Scouring my laptop and Azrul's MacBook, we managed to get pictures of la famiglia from as early as 2004. Prior to that dah takde in digital format. I decided that I could start off with our trip to Melbourne then. If my memory serves me right, I was 7months pregnant with Khaleeq and Khadra was just a little 10 months old tot. She had such a straight bop - the days before she acquired her curls.

Here's the sneak peak. Very the raw, I know. This is only the draft. The actual one I decide to check in could very well be very very different. hihihihihi

I hope it turns out well. This is my first attempt, so am not putting too high a hope. Nanti dah dapat hasilnya wa update lagi, orait?

-dillz blogging out-

I'm Serious This Time (I Hope)

People who see me on a regular basis could sometimes (Duh!) tell that I have gained weight. Some would even politely enquire if I was pregnant. On better days, when I successfully camouflage my outfit, I could look slim, even. haha!

I have just announced to the whole world, (OK not quite the whole world. *I'll rephrase that*) all 45 (45 adalah bilangan follower saya. So sweet. Thanks, y'all!) of you that my current weight is 66kg in this previous post in response to Kak Shana's Minus-4 Mission - to lose 4kg by 30th June 2010. And Yes, 66kg is a far cry from where I really wanna be right now. Considering that I maintained a healthy 55kg throughout my university days right up to maybe the year 2008. Even at full-term of my three pregnancies, the heaviest I have ever been was 64kg. So, at 66kg currently and not even pregnant - well, that speaks volume, literally! Add to that the problems I have been having with my asthma lately - shortness of breath, sometimes the coughing got so bad that it translated to a bad fever, even and then there's the once-in-a-blue-moon headaches. So, yeah, I have been mulling about this, "I should really do something about my health / weight" for quite some time now.

I really think the culprit to the state I am now, have been :
1. no execise what so ever for the past 3 years
2. lowered metabolism rate after I stopped breastfeeding Khaleeda
3. unhealthy meals

So, to start off my journey from gemukness to hotness. I have made that first commitment - I signed up at a gym yesterday. Yes, congratulations, ME! :) It is a sign that I am trying to take this seriously, but I know it is a challenge in itself. I know so, simply because I have been down this road before, and true to my Queen of HHTA (Hangat-Hangat Tahi Ayam) title, I failed. Miserably. I signed up on a 3year tenure and out of that time, I probably went to the gym about 8 or 9 times. (All inclusive) So, in my opinion, it is gonna work this time due to these reasons:
1. Do it coz YOU wanna do it.
I want it really bad this time. The motivation and drive are in me. I want to lose the weight and I want to be healthier. (Last time, saya kiasu nak ikut jugak laki pergi gym, padahal bukan nak pergi sangat pun)
2. Choose a gym location that blends well with your current life. Maybe close to your office or close to your home.
The place I chose to go is close by. Bangsar Village II is where my life is. It's close to my home and office. I get all my other ME treatments there - facials, massages, mani/pedi, hair salon. I can almost call it as my third home. (I shall be the 4sq Mayor of BVII, just you wait!) So, this goes well with the plan. Previously, I signed up at a gym near my husband's office and I came up with all sorts of excuses not to go. Jauh la, penat la.. :)~~
3. Commit specific time for gym and try to stick by it.
I am planning to go at least 3 times a week. It would be a combination of before work and after work, depending on my work commitments.
4. Make it part of your life. Fitness is a lifestyle.
Seeing that the gym has Kids Dance and Yoga on Saturdays, I will be having some quality mommy-kiddo time with Khadra and Khaleeq (if he's up for it). They can dance/yoga and I do my workout! That seals one weekend workout for me. Weh-hey!!
5. Get help from a Physical Trainer (PT)
To help me start off in the right directions. I have decided that I shall be engaging in the services of a PT. She could coach me on the right way of doing things to help me achieve my objectives. At least she could really hassle me if I am going off track.
6. Get friends to work out with you.
Some of my friends are interested to join me in this journey. Weh-hey!! If you don't have friends with you, then make some at the gym! :)

Let's just hope that by the end of this all, Dilla Zaghlol = ONE HOT MOMMA!

Fuhhh!!!! hahahahahahaha

Picture from: here

-dillz blogging out-

Whoa!! 66 is my magic number !

66 freaking kilograms!

hahahaha
It could not have been baby fat since I am already 35. I have just come to terms with my current weight. Been avoiding the weighing scale since forever and whenever asked about it I would answer, "60kg" Hah! In your face! Masa kawin dulu 55kg je tau! (OK, granted that that was 8 years ago)

Tu la pasal.. Makan tak hingat. Exercise tak buat.

Just take last night , for example. Went for late dinner with hubby at Warong Uncle Don in Damas. Start makan: 9:40pm. Stop makan:10:30pm. (Makan lambat dah satu hal)

What did I have? 1 cucuk sate. 1 pinggan Mee Sedap. 1 mangkuk bubur nasi with its variety of condiments (Ikan masak tauchu, Kangkung goreng, ikan bilis goreng, telur masin, scrambled egg, etc etc) PLUS 2 glasses of teh ais and 1 glass of orange juice(standard order- tak kurang gula). All in one sitting. Thank you very much.

So, YES! I am answering your challenge wahai Kak Shana for the Minus-4 Mission. By 30th June 2010, I would at least be 62kg. (Hopefully)

-dillz blogging out-

My *one-time* Facial at Lancome Beauty institute

Dan sebenarnya, (Eeh, ter-Yuna pulak) going to facials has not been on top of my priority list and I have been neglecting my face somewhat.

It so happened that at the time I was thinking, "Hey, must do something about my skinlah", I read a review by madam toughcookie on her own experience at this swanky place in BV2. Hmmm... Bangsar Village? My playground tuh.. So, I decided to give it a try.

I had an appointment for a skin analysis and facial at Lancome Beauty Institute on 27 October 2009. So, yes, I guess this cerita is basi already. Tapi, nak jugak cerita. Nak jugak-jugak..

Aaanyways, the first stop was a thorough skin analysis done by the therapist - it was fully computerized with various types of probes to check my hydration level, apparent "age" of my skin, elasticity, firmness, any pigmentation / brown spots, etc.

No surprises, but the verdict was: muka ku teruk sekali. It's dried on the upper dermis but underneath it is very oily -> thus the breakouts that I have been experiencing. There were also brown spots and pigmentation showing as a result of me not using any sunscreen. The only good news is on my ketuaan -> my skin is more bouncy than normal and not many fine lines are showing just yet.

What do you expect, kan? Berapa tahun tak pergi facial and my current skin care regime has been basically reduced to "Do it if you want to and leave it if you don't feel like it" due to my HHTA syndrome. (Yes, please blame it on that disease)

Don't wanna be redundant , so please read the very elaborate review by madam toughcookie on the matter.

Personally, though, I thought:

• I liked the chair. Like a lot. Pretty cool gadget, that.
  
• The extraction did not hurt that much, despite the amount of gunk I had on my face.
  
• I didn't quite like the scents too much - it was too perfume-y (if you get what I mean) for my liking.
  
• Overall rating was OKlah.

A few weeks later, I made an appointment kat Sothys pulak. Nantikan reviewnya pula, ya?
*ala-ala sinetron / daytime soap, ni.. baru nak climax, dia bagi "to be continued" hihihihihihihi*

-dillz blogging out-

Nice to meet you, Time Traveler's Wife

Meet my pile of yet-to-be read books (Abaikan moleskins itu, ye.. Itu project terbengkalai Queen of HHTA) :

Despite the fact that I have yet to khatam the rest, I have added yet another one to it, courtesy of Azrul. (Eh, tetiba*ke sengaja?* lak tak bawak purse hari tu..) Yeay!! Actually , I wanted to add two to the collection, tapi takde stock. But, still.. yeay! nonetheless..

Here it is..

I have heard mixed reviews about it. Those who loved it, loved it dearly and those who hated it, really despised it. So, let's just say that I am intrigued!

Tapinya, entah bilalah nak baca, I don't really know with the bibik-less situation and workpile that has reached my nose. But, let's just be positive about it and Insya Allah, I'll get round to reading it. :)

BTW, anybody knows when this is gonna show on the Malaysian shores?

-dillz blogging out-

Muffin Top! Muffin Top!

Muffins.. Hmmm.. Hmmm.. Hmmm... Don't you love them? I do. Especially those filled with blueberry goodness and chocolate chips. Just yummy.. But not so much when they are of the excessive flesh hanging over your jeans variety.. Yes, ladies, I am talking about those muffin tops.

Picture credits: here , here , here and here

Sad to say that I have one of those.. :)~~~ No, I am not going to put up some pictorial evidence of it. Just believe you me, it's there..

Most days, I just slip on the knee length Crony Envy Long Drawer and the muffin top would go away for a few hours. (Itupun belum bayar kat ibu lagi. hihihihi.. Halal je la mommy, ok?) Once I take it off, there it is once again, just like a loyal dog waiting for its master. *sigh* Sometimes, I use these words of wisdoms to hide them: Tips to lose the muffin tops or 10 ways to stop muffin tops On days that I am not able to, I would have kind(?) friends / acquaintances / strangers ask me how far along am I in my pregnancy.

Picture credit: here

So, I guess it is high time that I did something about it..

Makan-wise:

• Breakfast is limited to cereals and milk - minimize the nasi gorengs, nasi lemaks and what nots. Success rate? Been having Post Breakfast Cereal since Tuesday with Adeeb. Slipped a little today when I had the cereal AND nasi lemak.
• No rice for lunch. Haven't had rice since Tuesday too. (Tapi, evening breaks dah makan burger on Tuesday and half a plate of nasi goreng on Wednesday. How, la?)
• Cut out the sugary stuff in drinks - Now, going with limau ais kosong, watermelon/pineapple/apple juice taknak gula and the lot. Air suam is better.
• The 30-minutes after makan drink ban is still on.
• Need to start fasting (can also ganti my 8 days) by next week.

Exercise-wise:

• Go up the stairs from Level 3 to Level 9 Menara TM on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Success rate: Not too bad, did it on Monday! :)
• Try to jog / walk up and down and up and down Pantai Hillpark at least once a week. Success rate: Walked down - Ran up - Walked down - Ran 1/4 and walked 3/4 up on Thursday! Yeay!
• Squeeze one session at the swimming pool - min 20-short laps. Success rate: The week is not yet over, honey! *snap*snap*

Cukup la tu. Banyak-banyak kang tak terbuat pulak. You know me, the Queen of HHTA..

-dillz blogging out-

Hari Bermalas-malasan

I totally abandoned my spring cleaning project yesterday (told you I was the HHTA Queen)and opted to finish reading New Moon and watched 8 episodes of Gossip Girl Season 2 back-to-back. By the time I was done, it was almost 9pm. Hihihihi..

Thing is, hubby brought back with him 7 DVDs and the malasness continued with a movie marathon. Bibik was tasked with a bowl of Maggi Kari with telur and sawi and the kids were sent to their room to watch cartoon. After 2 movies, Khaleeq came out and said, "Hey, you're not done. Watch more movies.. " Personally, I think he was enjoying this late night TV watching and did not quite want to go to bed just yet.

Verdict? 3 movies in a row. We watched the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2, Burn After Reading and the Housebunny. At about 1.30am, the whole family decided it was time to wrap it up 'coz we'll be spending some quality family time celebrating this New Year in the city. Need to wake up at a decent hour to prepare and pack up.

*Sigh* That spring cleaning would have to wait... (Elokla tu, little miss procrastinator, meet the Queen of HHTA)

-dillz blogging out-

Ramadhan Is Here

Ramadhan is here again and these are the things that I look forward to in the holy month of Ramadhan:

- The sahur time - seems like I have more time at hand since I don't normally sleep after sahur. Very handy when one has to finish up a report or need time blogging and facebooking. Me likey!

- The food, what else? The endless variety of delicacies from the PaRams (short for Pasar Ramadhan) around. Our favourite PaRam spots include the one in front of Masjid Saidina Abu Bakar in Bangsar - look out for the killer Rojak Penang and cendol ; in front of Giant kecik in Kelana Jaya - try the Ikan Bakar Fend and murtabak from Man Bess; in Pantai Dalam - for my favourite cucur udang and of course, in front of Taman Tenaga, Puchong - various dishes from Q-Caterers. Nope, don't go to all of them before breaking fast. Pick one (or two, if you have the time) and go with that! :) (Sorry, Ayoi and Zara.. You all ambik bau je la... heh heh heh)

- The earlier release time of 4:30pm from work. Yeay! More time to melawat kawasan - kawasan PaRam.

- It's been a kind of a tradition for our household to spend at least ONE fasting weekend at my in-law's place in Kubang Kerian. The PaRam at the Kota Bharu stadium is just insane. Sooooo many stalls and soooo many GOOD FOOD! I just can't wait! Oh, we are going to KB this Thursday, y'all!! Yum Yum..

- The Ramadhan buffet madness in Klang Valley. I don't normally go to many, the few that I go to are carefully planned and serves as a catch up session with various groups of childhood friends. ;) (Yes, Amy .. I am talking to you.. Get that IKEA thingy going, girl!)

-Getting our Raya cards out. I believe in the snail mail. It's sooo old school, I know but I love receiving Raya cards too! I still have the list from last year, but if you have changed addresses since, and you wanna get a Raya card from the Azrul clan, drop me your address.

- Time for ibadat. Khadra and Khaleeq are excited to follow us to the mosque for Tarawikh. Khadra was with me at the Tarawikh tonight and she was just doing the motions. Of course, she did complaint that she was sweating la... her head is itchy la... But, at least she kept her telekung on until the last rakaat. Good enough for me.. :) I'm trying to get every Tarawikh night this year. Should also try to read as much Al-Quran verses as possible. I hope this does not turn out to be yet another one of my infamous HHTA plans...

Though my list does not seem to agree, but to me, it's not ALL about the food. Personally, Ramadhan serves as a little check point in my life.

In 2002, I had my first Ramadhan with my new hubby - adapting to a new way of Ramadhan and another place to call kampung. I was at the early stages of my pregnancy with Khadra then.

In 2003 and 2004, our family grew from 2 to 3 to 4. :)

2007 saw me carrying Khaleeda in my tummy while trying to maintain a sane household with Khadra and Khaleeq running around.

This year, my two kids are already big enough to follow us for tarawikh and start on their half-day puasas.

It just got me to thinking, you know.. Will I be there for them next year? Have I done enough? In all honesty, am I actually prepared? In the busy-ness of our day-to-day lives, I hardly ever think about the future. Always trying to resolve the now, firefighting.. The report I have to write, the bug that had the whole family vomitting and having diarrhea, Khadra's field trip, Khaleeq's haircut, Khaleeda's biscuits, Parmi's passport and permit, etc, etc, etc.. It just doesn't end.. Ramadhan gives me the chance to pause and prioritize. Beef up on the insufficients. Make ammends. Be calmer, breathe more..

So, maaf zahir batin and have a blessed Ramadhan y'all.. Make it count , this time round..

-dillz blogging out-

.. and a series of HHTA plans were crafted

I was just minding my own business on one fine Friday morning when my next door cubicle-neighbour came in with his blood profile results. There was a health campaign running at LG1 level whereby a few of the PMCare panel clinics / hospitals set up booths offering tests and checks to gauge our current health conditions. Suffice to say that he sparked my interest, curiosity and a little anxiety to perform the RM5 blood test as well. While I was at it, I also queued up for the BMI / fat profiling, eye test, diabetis and bone density checks. (Phew, that was a mouthful!)

The results?

BMI / fat profiling -

Doing good at the BMI section, had an almost ideal 22.6 and VFAT count of 4 (Normal).

My BMR is at 1291 kcal daily (ie can only have that much intake per day)

Body Fat at 34% (Ouch!) and that entirely explains why people have been wondering whether I am pregnant now. *heh heh heh*

The 'adik' who interpreted the results was so sweet saying;

"Inilah badan yang diidamkan semua wanita (with regards to the BMI), tapi lemak tu , ada lebih sikit. Kakak jangan lah makan lemak ayam tu, ya... But, since you are still breastfeeding, jangan bimbang. Nanti, langsinglah balik... "

Thank you, 'adik'. You're sooo sweet, please..

Eye test -

Perfect eyesight (Alhamdulillah) but highly sensitive to allergents

Diabetis / glucose level test -

5.5, but I just ate 2 hrs prior. So, that's ok.

Bone density check -

Off the chart 113.5. anything above 92 was OK. So, that means I am in Excellent condition, bone density wise.

Blood profile -

will come in this evening..

So, what does this mean for me, personally?

Well, I reacted how I knew best, I suppose. A series of HHTA (it's hangat-hangat tahi ayam, btw for the uninitiated) plans were crafted to immediately address my major issues.

For example, to address my lack of exercise and 'lemak' 'condition' ;

HHTA Plan A : I shall either ; a) swim a minimum of 4 laps, or b) do a 30-minute cardio workout at the pre-paid gym prior to going to work in the morning. (a little ambitious, but CAN be done..)

HHTA Plan B: I shall walk up the stairs from Level 5 up till Level 9 after my breakfast at the office canteen at Level 3. (Yes, it does mean that i shall take the lift from Level 3 up till Level 5, thank you very much and VERY DO-able)

HHTA Plan C : To cut down on the sugary sweet, coloured drinks (especially Teh Ais and NO MORE carbonated drinks) and stick to warm plain water aka 'sky juice'. To only drink 30-minutes after my meals , as opposed to gulping it down every 3 mouthful of food.

Others are still being crafted as I type this.. *heh heh heh*

To make the heat last a little longer, I also got an accomplice in the form of Ms Adeeb "Inul" Mustapha to walk the stairs up with me every damn working morning. *heh heh heh*.. I hope it works (for at least a week!)

-dillz blogging out-

the maiden post

Through Cut aNd Paste technology, presenting the crap I wrote in my friendster profile just a few moments ago.

And I quote"...

Been long since I updated this profile. Since then, the whole family went to Bali -- Tsunami hit Asia -- the new year of 2005 came -- I turned 30 (ouch!) -- my baby boy, Khaleeq got his 'cukur jambul' thingy done -- bla bla bla -- bla bla bla..
I got a work bag for my birthday this year. Aigner, you -- tak nak kalah! ;) Courtesy of hubby, mommy and daddy as well as contributions from my sissys( Ewa - checked, Kirah - checked , Ema - waiting for her scholaship dough) and brother (have not seen anything from him yet)
My hubby set up a blog for me for my birthday too.. He knows how much I enjoy yakking and just ramble non-stop. I'll try to get down and do it sometime soon. Seems that he enjoys reading my thoughts. (Never could stand my nagging, but wants to know what I think about. Strange, eh?) heh heh heh
Children update? Khadra LOOOOVES to sing!!! You can actually figure out some of the lyrics too. She catches the second syllable of every word out loud and as Azrul constantly remarks, she is really CHEAP FUN! We laugh out loud at her antiques. A real DRAMA QUEEN, indeed ( I think she takes up after Ema -- Adik, that's a compliment!) Khaleeq is still complacent and not wanting to turn! He's happy like that .. Oh well, that's that.. AHA! moment -- Maybe I should just start my blog but CNP-ing this entry... Hmmm...

..." End quote.

Hah hah hah! Did just that! ;) Don't get me wrong! I am NOT lazy.. But, what's the point of rewriting everything anyway.. (Excuses, excuses..) At least, I've started BLOGGING!

I need to come up with some form of organization though.. You know, some kind of trademark.. Like how Friends (The now defunct TV Series) name their episodes.. The One With...

Gotta put the thinking hat on...