Easter Monday home-cook day ...

Note: This was supposed to be last Monday's entry... but the pictures came late.

Spending a day off resting at home with lil Carissa on Easter Monday because I had to work over the weekend and I miss the late mornings with her. This is me trying to compensate for those precious moments. Babies grow up very fast, I know, so I don't wanna miss out -- at least trying my best not to -- on her day-to-day development.

Ah. Since it's rest day, I had a bit of time and energy to visit the kitchen. So here's Easter Monday dinner! Simple dish of dad's organic ayam kampung cooked with terung asam. I'm not sure if the term 'spring chicken' is the translation for 'ayam kampung' but as a way of explanation, my dad has a small chicken farm which he tends to every day as a hobby. Ok maybe 'farm' sounds too big... chicken coop then. He bred them organically, more for the meat, so I'd say they're lean, mean and very healthy. Dad's chicken meat supply never runs out, halleluyah for the family.

Sup Ayam Kampung Terung Asam
The What:
- A quarter of a spring chicken or ayam kampung (I select the best parts)
- Half of a terung asam (because the one I had was big in size)
- a stalk of lemon grass
- onion and garlic (blend or crushed)
- dry chilli (blend or crushed)
- fresh bird's eye chilli or cili padi
- Maggie chicken stock cube
- a young turmeric leaf
- 150ml water

The How To:
- Easy lah. Throw everything in a pot, and cook over slow fire.
- Ayam kampung meat is known to be a bit tough so simmer until tender for 30 - 45 minutes
- You may taste the seasoning every now and then to see if the broth is nicely flavored and if the meat is tender enough.
- If you prefer, you can always exchange the turmeric leaf with coriander leaf, although it probably won't taste as exotic.
- No oil is used in this cooking. What you see came from the chicken... =)
- When it's done, just scoop and serve hot with a plate of steamed rice. Simple right?

There you go... Voila! A simple anybody-can-cook meal. 

Easy peasy chicken soup...

I'm a budak kampung and so I kinda like my plate of rice submerged with the glorious spicy hot broth, the more banjir (er... flooded) the better.

Flooded...

HAPPY BELATED EASTER EVERYONE!

And it's April!

Hah. Only managed one post last March. See if I can do better this month.

As a working mom and wife, I can say I have my hands full but there's never a dull moment. Like every new mom, I look forward every day to come home to my gurgling wide-eye infant and my strong loving man. They are like the bane of my existence. When things go crazy at work, I find my thoughts go back to my little family at home. When my spirit is low, I scroll down at photos of my little miracle to get an instant boost. When I feel tired of all the routine, her big innocent eyes will remind me that I have to keep moving on... for her, for my family, for those I come home to at the end of every day.

Does it happen to anyone else I wonder?

Anyway... lately I realized my posts have been a lot about personal journey and recounts. I think I have become a boring writer that I feared to be. Even my words are becoming jumbled up and my vocabularies limited to motherhood, babies, happiness, etc. I know I like reading deep emotional writings that most people can relate to, but I guess I graduated from that along with my single life. And it isn't something I want to complain at all about because everybody deserves a happy ever after.

I don't know where I'm going with this post right now either, but I just want to state that I have changed. Or more like, my state of mind has. And I like it that way.

P/s: An excuse to explain why I write such boring empty posts these days.

Happy Easter Monday everyone!

Yesterday's quick breakie of Hot Cross Bun from Caffe Cino, Kuching Hilton...