What's Cooking?

School has started again after a short winter break, and off to school Afzal went this morning with a full load in his Batman's lunchbox - a small Glad tupperware of spaghetti bolognaise which we had for lunch and dinner the previous day, spaghetti in a zipper bag with an overdose of parmesan cheese that he so loves, four chocolate chip cookies, a small pack of Ranch flavored chips, a cup of jelly and his tumbler of water. And I baked 8 bite-sized tomato and cheese pizza rolls for his breakfast in which he ate 7 (because I ate one) with chocolate milk. And he was still feeling a lil bit hungry. A neighbor called to say that the Dad is sending the kids to school today so Afzal had one hour to linger in the house with tv as his entertainment and feeling a lil bit hungry. I kinda felt like eating mee hoon goreng pedas so in a magical instant, I fried the mee hoon goreng with cili, with added squids. I had my breakfast and Afzal was chipping in as I suap him with the mee hoon. "Enough Afzal, this is so pedas. You might have a stomach ache." "I love pedas" so says Afzal and true enough, he had to go to the loo.

After Afzal left, the house was quiet again. Well, at least I could have full use of the laptop. Oops, did I just sat that? Notty mummy!

There goes my day as I wondered what I should be doing, but I guess, this year I may have a purpose. It is still in germination so until then, until it really comes into fruition, then I may tell the world. For now this morning, I'm happily chatting with a friend in Germany, and my littlest brother in Singapore. Hooray for technology that can bridge people from different universe on one plane! When you're chatting, blogging, surfing, writing or doing some creative work like uploading pictures from your camera or designing a worksheet for your child, time just whizzes by and you realise that you need to cook dinner for your family. Afzal will be home by 4 pm so I must prepare our meals by then. So what shall I cook today? I've taken out the chicken and the leftover squids that I used for my mee hoon goreng ingredients. But I still have not decided what the dishes will be. Arghhh, this is one life of the sahm that just does not fit me - "thinking what to cook". To some, it's a no brainer but to me it's definitely something I have to plan. So I look at this slip of paper I have on the fridge, basically all the food that I have cook before since three weeks ago and I am wondering whether I should just repeat one or try a new recipe. Too much hard work to try a new recipe and I don't have the time, the mood or the ingredients. So I culled whatever I can from the fridge, and voila, I whipped a potful of green curry chicken and squid sambal. That's it. Lovely.

Friday evening, hubby company is hosting a dinner at some seafood restaurant in Fairhope, Daphne, about 45 minutes drive from our home. Hooray again as it means I don't have to cook for that day. At most, I will just make burgers, finger foods or nasi goreng for lunch. These I can handle. But before anyone thinks the seafood is like pari bakar, black pepper crab, sweet sour grouper, kailan or kangkong belacan, you will be so wrong! Seafood is probably boiled or grilled and definitely nothing pedas.

Then next week, it will be the 10th of January, the day of Eid dul Adha, and I am wondering whether I am expected to have a spread of feast. Hubby is working the night shifts on 9th and 10th so maybe he will not bother so much. I will be alone at home on Eid, and will be loyally "laptoping". If I'm in the mood, then maybe I'll cook some dishes that can safely be categorised as "Raya-able". Oh well, we shall see...

Until then.