Butterlicious Butter Cookies

24 September 2009, Thursday (5 Syawal)

Despite being extremely exhausted as we had been out the entire day doing errands and banking transactions (the only time I could do all these is when my hubby is on leave), Ina (my little princess) and I decided to bake cookies after maghrib prayers.

It was actually more of Ina's urging and the fact that I had just bought a biscuit pump earlier today, rather than anything else that had motivated me to agree to bake.

Ina stood next to me when I mixed all the ingredients (flour, corn flour, caster sugar, egg, vanilla essence, salt, and butter) to make buttercious butter cookies (my children's favourite).  When I was mixing the ingredients, Ina had helped me to grease the cooking tray with butter.

 

 

 

 

Right after it's nicely mixed, I had passed Ina the biscuit pump to pump the butter cookies.  And less than 2 hours later, we had 4 containers-full of oven-fresh butter cookies. Ina was so delighted as she did not realise that baking is that easy.

And soon after the cookies were baked, my hubby, Ina, and my three boys did not wait a moment longer to savour the "hot-from-the-oven" butter cookies and wiped out one container that night itself.  Hmmmmmm..... that's what I'd call yummy, delicious butterlicious butter cookies.

Ina had planned to take back at least one container to UTM, Johor and I pray there'll be some left for her to take back....

As I'm now a full time home maker, I will have plenty of time to bake.  Perhaps, my kids will now have year-round home-made cookies, rather than having to wait for the next Raya in 2010.  Only time will tell, coz these days my passion is really blogging...........

My Life-Long Dream To Perform The Pilgrimage

24 September 2009, Thursday (5 Syawal)

Today, I feel really great.  I'm 10% done to fulfill my lifelong dream of performing the haj.  After numerous obstacles in the past, both my husband I finally managed to go to the Tabung Haji office in Jalan TAR to register ourselves as prospective pilgrims.

Only those who have the strong urge and true calling from God, I think, will know the sweet and wonderful feeling of making that first attempt to go through the ritual which is one of the five pillars in Islam.

Haj is one of the requirements of Islam. It is an exercise in mental, physical and spiritual endurance that is exclusive to Islam. Not many religions can boast of a ritual as complete as Haj, which is a lifestyle by itself.

Haj is meant to show a deep, spiritual bond between the Almighty and the person performing Haj. At the same time, there is a strong practical aspect in which each Muslim interacts with thousands of people around him. 

During Haj, a person has to abstain from many worldly activities and concentrate single-mindedly on the purpose of being present to the bidding of God.

Islam teaches us to live together and care for each other. In Haj, Muslims of diverse ethnic origins come together for one purpose - to submit to the will of Allah. 

No person is distinct from the other by caste, creed, color, race or sect. Every man wears two pieces of unstitched cloth at Haj so there is no indication of status or wealth. Islam preaches equality among humans, and one sees this in effect at Haj.

Haj, therefore, is an act of worship that reinvigorates us, filling us with a new Islamic spirit and vigor. It is meant to show the solidarity of Islam, and strengthen the filial bond cemented by one faith.

Haj is performed by millions of Muslims at the same time, so they require patience, perseverance and a strong faith.

I'm looking forward to the day when I can start attending classes for prospective pilgrims and indeed am looking forward to the day when I can have my first look at the Ka'aba which will emblazon across my heart and mind. 

Performance of Haj, I hope will change my outlook on life. I pray that it will give me wonderful insight into my soul and also strengthen my acute awareness of the world around me. 

I pray fervently to Allah to grant my wish to perform the pilgrimage, hopefully by next year.  Insyallah.

My Family's Love Affair with the Sweet, Tantalizing and Creamy Cendol

22 September 2009, Tuesday (3 Syawal)

I for one am not really into Cendol as I don't really appreciate anything which is sweet.  But that morning, the 3rd day of Syawal, after we had checked out of our hotel, enroute to KL, and after much whining from my eldest son, Khairul to eat Cendol, we had scoured the town for Cendol.

And finally found a stall which was opened.  The stall sat directly opposite the Stadhuys, in Malacca, very strategic, and was brimming with patrons.

And once we were seated, we started to order a bowl of Cendol each. I think the mamak was amused with our orders. You would be too when you look at our orders:

1/ Amir's (my husband's) and Khairil's -Cendol Taruh Semua with Pulut

2/ Yours Truly - Cendol Taruh Semua with Pulut, and...... Extra Kacang

3/ Khairul's and Khairi's - Cendol - Without Kacang

4/ Khairina - Cendol with Pulut, without Kacang

Mind boggling!!! Thank God, the Cendol seller was very adept at his trade and all our orders came spot-on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 And the satisfied look on Khairina's face described it all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After savouring the yummy first bowl, most of us ordered a second helping, and some even had a third. And that was the start of my love affair with one of the best Cendols I had ever tasted.

 

Happy and Satisfied Faces All Around

Just look at the empty bowls!!!
And Khairul and Khairina even ordered an extra

Ice Kacang each (shaved ice)

 

And the bemused mamak had a tough time recollecting what what we had as he had not jotted down our orders earlier.  I reckoned most of the time, he just commited the orders to memory as the orders were a few each time.

 

 

And while waiting for the mamak to calculate our total orders, Khairi had taken the opportunity to order a third bowl!!!Can you beat that???

  

 And look at my husband's contented face!

 

And imagine!!! The mamak had to resort to using a calculator just to calculate our total orders of Cendol!!!

 

 

 

 And this is the effect of Cendol on my husband. Just look how tipsy and "drunk" he was with Cendol!!

And more hilarious antics and "poses" from my husband.  Oh... imagine... what Cendol can do to you!!! Sorry Sayang, I've to expose the other side of you!!!! He..he..he..he............ I couldn't help it.  coz you really look a sight!!!