Selamat Hari Raya everybody!
So the long hari raya weekend came and ended.
1st day was great! Since walking now is so painful, i'm exempted from visitations except to important ones like PILs', BIL's and Grandaunt's and I ate to my heart's content (w/o guilt)! No coming back home at 1-2am or dozing off at someone's sofa. But I swear Peanut and I each put on 1kg each! Like no kidding, it felt like she's grown much bigger over the weekend thanks to Ketupat, sambal goreng pengantin, sambal sotong and gassy drinks.. Heh.
2nd day was totally unexpected. Being the younger generation, our house will normally fill with visitors 2nd or 3rd week of raya because everyone's bz visiting the elders 1st. But OMG, this year they ambushed our place on 2nd day and Wan only informed me 1.5hrs before the 1st batch arrived! I was running around like a headless chicken of course, cleaning the house, cooking and getting myself ready. In all we had 3 batches of relatives streaming in and out. Each in a group of 6-12 pax.
3rd day was a tad quiet except for our late night visitors, Wan and I managed to get some rest and did our monthly grocery shopping at Giant.
And now I have a gut feeling im expecting more visitors in days to come!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Starting of a Family: Cravings
I was suffering from major indigestion back during my 1st & 2nd trimesters so basically spicy food was a no-no for me. Now that my indigestion is slowly wavering off, my gawd, all i want to eat is lots and lots of sambal! I kid u not! And not just any sambal. I'm craving for my late grandmother's sambal recipes. I even called up my aunty for her recipes. And since i'm feeling ultra generous today, let me share my favourites. And thank God for blessing me the talent to cook. I like to think i inherit it from grandma.
ps: kindly note that e pics below are not moi's! I'm too excited to eat to snap any photos. These are nicked off from the net. Just to give u a rough idea how the dish looks like.
Ikan Bawal Sambal Terutup
1 tsp ginger/garlic paste mix
1 red onion
4 tbsp chili paste
Abt 1 cm galangal (lengkuas)
1 lemongrass
Blend the above with 1/2 cup water
Heat up cooking oil. Saute the above blended items
Pour in abt 2 tbsp asam water (asam dunked into some water)
Put in 2 tbsp fish curry powder (preferably Babas brand)
1/2 tsp salt and 2 tbsp sugar
stir around until sambal looks fried and dried enough.
1 promfret (or any fish u like) marinated with salt and tumeric powder
Slice the side belly of the fish (on both sides) and squeeze in about 1 tsp of sambal
Fry the fish. Do note that your oil from frying might turn a bit balck due to the sambal
Once fish is done, take it out of the pan and pour the rest of the sambal on top of the fish
Serve with rice.
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Sambal Belacan
3 red chilis
1 green chili
10 cili padi (more or less up to u)
Belacan abt the size of a 20 cents coin
freshly squeezed lime juice & lime zest
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Mint leaves (optional)
Toast in the belacan and chilis into your pan and sautee (no need to use oil).
Once chilis look withered, pour these into a mortar & pestle (batu lesung) with the rest of the ingredients and pound into a paste.
ps: kindly note that e pics below are not moi's! I'm too excited to eat to snap any photos. These are nicked off from the net. Just to give u a rough idea how the dish looks like.
Ikan Bawal Sambal Terutup
1 tsp ginger/garlic paste mix
1 red onion
4 tbsp chili paste
Abt 1 cm galangal (lengkuas)
1 lemongrass
Blend the above with 1/2 cup water
Heat up cooking oil. Saute the above blended items
Pour in abt 2 tbsp asam water (asam dunked into some water)
Put in 2 tbsp fish curry powder (preferably Babas brand)
1/2 tsp salt and 2 tbsp sugar
stir around until sambal looks fried and dried enough.
1 promfret (or any fish u like) marinated with salt and tumeric powder
Slice the side belly of the fish (on both sides) and squeeze in about 1 tsp of sambal
Fry the fish. Do note that your oil from frying might turn a bit balck due to the sambal
Once fish is done, take it out of the pan and pour the rest of the sambal on top of the fish
Serve with rice.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sambal Belacan
3 red chilis
1 green chili
10 cili padi (more or less up to u)
Belacan abt the size of a 20 cents coin
freshly squeezed lime juice & lime zest
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Mint leaves (optional)
Toast in the belacan and chilis into your pan and sautee (no need to use oil).
Once chilis look withered, pour these into a mortar & pestle (batu lesung) with the rest of the ingredients and pound into a paste.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Starting of a Family - 8th Month updates
Went for my 32 weeks checkup yesterday, and Alhamdullilah my prayers during this holy month has been granted. I somehow magically managed not to put on weight since 4 weeks ago but more amazingly, Peanut has gained 1 kg since, meaning whatever I eat all went straight to her! Good job Peanut! Mommy's so proud of u!
She's 2.2kg now and measuring 2 weeks ahead (like a 34 weeks baby). Also gynae no longer tells me she's of 'average size and growing on track'. Finally our Peanut is considered big for her gestational age.
And like I suspected she's now stuck in the middle of my tummy with head down and legs up. These days she has learnt to punch and kick me at the same time. I will feel 2 little nudges on my lower left and right abdomen and 1 simultaneous big kick at the top of my tummy. And sometimes I can feel 2 cute legs trying to bicycle kick my arms away everytime I rest my arms at the top of my tummy..hehe.
But more importantly, she's facing down which is essential for baby's exit via natural birth. However her head is not engaged yet, meaning if she's really naughty, she can still do a somersault in there. Oh pls don't baby..
She's 2.2kg now and measuring 2 weeks ahead (like a 34 weeks baby). Also gynae no longer tells me she's of 'average size and growing on track'. Finally our Peanut is considered big for her gestational age.
And like I suspected she's now stuck in the middle of my tummy with head down and legs up. These days she has learnt to punch and kick me at the same time. I will feel 2 little nudges on my lower left and right abdomen and 1 simultaneous big kick at the top of my tummy. And sometimes I can feel 2 cute legs trying to bicycle kick my arms away everytime I rest my arms at the top of my tummy..hehe.
But more importantly, she's facing down which is essential for baby's exit via natural birth. However her head is not engaged yet, meaning if she's really naughty, she can still do a somersault in there. Oh pls don't baby..
Monday, August 16, 2010
The Starting of a Family: 8th Month - Fasting
Today's the 6th day of Ramadhan and I'm proud to say I've successfully fasted 5/6 days. I broke my fast halfway on the 2nd day because I felt so nauseous which later I discovered was due to lack of carbo intake during sahur. Yes I can no longer escape sahur or just make do with bread or cereals. I need hardcore food to keep me and baby happy thruout the day.
I really hope this fasting month would do some good to my weight. Gynae gave me much flack for putting on more weight than I should. Since I'm big, technically I'm allowed to gain 10kg max during pregnancy. But last visit, I've already hit the 9 kg mark :( I so envy other mommies who put on v little yet their babies grew bigger than average. Peanut is just slightly heavier than average so it's pretty evident most of the food goes to me. Well I'm still pleased she's growing on track tho there are times I wish she's bigger so that she can come out earlier :p Selfish I know.. Hehe
Anyway talking abt fasting, i went online to an overseas pregnancy forum and this lady started a thread that says.. "Wish me Gd Luck! It's Ramadhan tomorrow!" She's 38 weeks pregnant and fasting. Poor thing, instead of getting well wishes many non-muslims started bombarding the thread on how she's mad and putting her baby at risk..blah, blah, blah. I of course, can't just sit and watch and defended this lady. Yeah actually even my boss gave me this disapproving look when she found out I'm fasting.
In Islam, pregnant ladies are exempted from fasting but many do so because they feel they can and of course, there's the payback we have to do after Ramadhan for the no of days we missed fasting.. Too much hassle, i say. But then again, it's YOUR own body isn't it? You should know your limits. If you think you can't fast, then don't. As simple as that. Pfft~ it's funny how ppl think they can die without food or drinks for a couple of hours.
My colleague recently gave birth on the 2nd day of Ramadhan and she fasted till her waterbag broke. It was a few hours till the actualy delivery so she had food and drinks in between and had no prob pushing. Baby came out fine and dandy.
I did my research online. The baby will take up whatever reserves are in the mother, and with a good blood flow from the placenta, the baby will thrive no matter how little the mother eats. An example given was how one Indonesian pregnant lady had no food or drinks for 5 days during the tsunami and God willing her baby survived.. Amazing.
Anyway, think of it this way.. we're still eating 3 meals but at different times of the day (or night). We eat immediately before fasting starts at 5.40am, and I have my hot milo plus anything carbo, be it noodles, rice, paste, a couple of bread etc. We break fast at 7.15pm and immediately have our dinner. And then after prayers at around 9pm, I'll usually eat again. So there, I still have my 3 meals just not during the conventional times.
Anyway, I feel blessed to be pregnant during this holy month. In my own words, I likened it to the Great Singapore Sale. It's the month where every good deeds will be multiplied by a 1000. and prayers will be answered. Quoted from sliceoflemon.com
I really hope this fasting month would do some good to my weight. Gynae gave me much flack for putting on more weight than I should. Since I'm big, technically I'm allowed to gain 10kg max during pregnancy. But last visit, I've already hit the 9 kg mark :( I so envy other mommies who put on v little yet their babies grew bigger than average. Peanut is just slightly heavier than average so it's pretty evident most of the food goes to me. Well I'm still pleased she's growing on track tho there are times I wish she's bigger so that she can come out earlier :p Selfish I know.. Hehe
Anyway talking abt fasting, i went online to an overseas pregnancy forum and this lady started a thread that says.. "Wish me Gd Luck! It's Ramadhan tomorrow!" She's 38 weeks pregnant and fasting. Poor thing, instead of getting well wishes many non-muslims started bombarding the thread on how she's mad and putting her baby at risk..blah, blah, blah. I of course, can't just sit and watch and defended this lady. Yeah actually even my boss gave me this disapproving look when she found out I'm fasting.
In Islam, pregnant ladies are exempted from fasting but many do so because they feel they can and of course, there's the payback we have to do after Ramadhan for the no of days we missed fasting.. Too much hassle, i say. But then again, it's YOUR own body isn't it? You should know your limits. If you think you can't fast, then don't. As simple as that. Pfft~ it's funny how ppl think they can die without food or drinks for a couple of hours.
My colleague recently gave birth on the 2nd day of Ramadhan and she fasted till her waterbag broke. It was a few hours till the actualy delivery so she had food and drinks in between and had no prob pushing. Baby came out fine and dandy.
I did my research online. The baby will take up whatever reserves are in the mother, and with a good blood flow from the placenta, the baby will thrive no matter how little the mother eats. An example given was how one Indonesian pregnant lady had no food or drinks for 5 days during the tsunami and God willing her baby survived.. Amazing.
Anyway, think of it this way.. we're still eating 3 meals but at different times of the day (or night). We eat immediately before fasting starts at 5.40am, and I have my hot milo plus anything carbo, be it noodles, rice, paste, a couple of bread etc. We break fast at 7.15pm and immediately have our dinner. And then after prayers at around 9pm, I'll usually eat again. So there, I still have my 3 meals just not during the conventional times.
Anyway, I feel blessed to be pregnant during this holy month. In my own words, I likened it to the Great Singapore Sale. It's the month where every good deeds will be multiplied by a 1000. and prayers will be answered. Quoted from sliceoflemon.com
“Think of it this way. It’s like going to the mall and realizing that every store you love just put all their stuff out into the walkway and told you it was free. Wouldn’t you take something? Everything? It’s like that’s what God did. He said we could have whatever we wanted during this month, so not taking advantage of seeking His forgiveness, and praying to Him for all the things we want is like walking by all that free stuff. You only have a certain period of time to pick anything you want, and yeah, you could always go back to the mall and find some great sale, but it will never be like when everything was free.”So yes, I ask nothing more from God that baby will be born healthy, will grow up to be a smart, obedient and well-behaved kid and that I'll have a smooth delivery. Amin.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
The Starting of a Family : 8th Month - Nesting?
This being my 1st pregnancy, obviously I have no idea what to expect. So when someone told me to 'finish your baby shopping by 2nd trimester", I did… haha. With the exception of the playpen which came only last week, everything else including tiny weeny details like diapers, baby lotion, cotton balls were purchased during 2nd trimester. Luckily I heed that fella's advice coz honestly, my feet hurts and swell so bad when I walk too much now :(
And last weekend, being the last weekend before Ramadhan cum 3 full days at home due to PH, Wan and I took the opportunity to clean up the spare bedroom and transform it into Peanut's pink nursery.. Hehe.
I'm so relieved that we're pretty much settled and all I'm left with now is washing baby's clothes and packing my hospital bag. I didn't think I was a nutter for doing all these until a friend pointed out to me.. 'wah u're nesting so early ah?!"
Huh..nesting? Actually I just want to get things done before the fasting month coz I won't have much energy to do spring cleaning then. But like this friend pointed out, I still have a month after hari raya to get things sorted, so why so kancheong now?
Oh gawd, now I'm just thinking is this really nesting? Is Peanut coming sooner than expected?
*hyperventilate, hyperventilate*
And last weekend, being the last weekend before Ramadhan cum 3 full days at home due to PH, Wan and I took the opportunity to clean up the spare bedroom and transform it into Peanut's pink nursery.. Hehe.
I'm so relieved that we're pretty much settled and all I'm left with now is washing baby's clothes and packing my hospital bag. I didn't think I was a nutter for doing all these until a friend pointed out to me.. 'wah u're nesting so early ah?!"
Huh..nesting? Actually I just want to get things done before the fasting month coz I won't have much energy to do spring cleaning then. But like this friend pointed out, I still have a month after hari raya to get things sorted, so why so kancheong now?
Oh gawd, now I'm just thinking is this really nesting? Is Peanut coming sooner than expected?
*hyperventilate, hyperventilate*
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