My Sophisticated Cats, Sort Of

While we were busy preparing for upcoming Raya celebration, Keket and April were busy trying out their Baju Raya. Hehe.

Keket: Are you serious? Shouldn't I get baju kurung for raya?
Me: Out of stock, sorry. Maybe next year.

Keket: It's not even my size T__T
Me: It was your size when I bought it! Maybe you lost weight during fasting?

April: Thanks kak Ina!
Me: Glad that you like it. It's a new arrival!

April: But I thought I saw a teddy bear wearing the same outfit somewhere...
Me: You were thinking too much!

When I first show the picture of April to my dad, he went, ‘Macam pondan!’. And I was like, ‘What pondan? She’s a girl!’ The thing is, sometimes we forgot that April is a female because she likes to play rough and doesn’t want to be hold. So we think that is the reason why pink stuff looks so awkward on her. Hehe.

I’ll be spending the first day of raya in KL, before going back to my mum’s hometown in Kuala Kangsar in the evening. Just in case, I won’t be able to update this blog, I wanna wish you Selamat Hari Raya 2011 and Happy holiday to all my readers! No matter where you are, I hope you have fun with your family, relative and friends. Have a safe journey alright? 

Ce repas est delicieux!

Have you ever go through a cooking book and all set to try some recipes but ended up making your own recipe? I found this really simple potato gratin recipe in my mum’s Marry Berry’s Complete Cookbook when I was looking for some pasta cream recipe. There are two dishes called Gratin Dauphinois and Potatoes Lyonnaise originally, but I ended up putting those two into one dish. Ce repas est delicieux!

So here is the recipe if you wanna try it out.

1 spoon of butter, extra for greasing

1kg potatoes, thinly sliced

1 large onion, sliced

1 can of button mushroom, sliced

1 box of thicken cream

Salt, black pepper and some oregano

Grated cheese

1.       Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the onion and cook until the onion are softened but not colored. Set aside.

2.       Lightly butter a shallow gratin dish.

3.       Layer the potatoes slightly overlapping and season them with salt, black pepper and oregano.

4.       Sprinkle with onion, mushroom and grated cheese. Pour some of the cream on top of the layer.

5.       Continue layering the potatoes, seasoning, onion, mushroom and cream.

6.       Finish with a neat layer of potatoes and cheese on top of it.

7.       Bake in a pre-heated oven at 190^oC for 1 hour (or until the potatoes are tender and the topping is golden brown). Serve hot.

You can also add some other vegetables like tomato, spinach and eggplant if you like~

So that’s it. Let me know if you have tried it!

p/s: Ce repas est delicieux! means 'this food is delicious' in French~

Salam Ramadan

Peace upon you my dear reader~

Alhamdulillah, it’s the sixth day of Ramadan and I hope that everyone have had an effortlessness experience with the slight changing in your daily routine. Like every year, Ramadan brings me a special feeling of emotional excitement and spiritual passion. It’s the chance I get to bring myself closer to the Allah s.w.t by doing the obligations. This is the month to strengthening my willpower and seeking forgiveness and also the time to reflect myself…

And talking about reflecting myself, last night, I went to perform Tarawih prayer in our small community surau. So being my first time going to community surau, I smiled when I entered the woman’s area. The surau has the usual green and mustard carpet that reminds me of SMAKL’s surau! I almost cry while listening to the zikir before Isya’ prayer. Just how much I missed having to perform prayer in jema’ah like this. Back then, I used to rebel against the school law that make it a compulsory for us to pray at surau for every prayer time. Well, we won’t miss the water till it’s gone right? T__T

Anyway, it’s my first Ramadan since I started this blog. I am truly grateful to be given a chance to go through another Ramadan. I wished to increase my devotion (insyaAllah) to thank Him for all His blessing, although I know it will never be enough to thank Him for the boundless benefaction He had bestowed me with throughout my life. Thank you Allah!

Ramadan Kareem

And so I hope that you guys will have a beautiful Ramadan as well. Don’t let it waste. This might be our last Ramadan - who knows we may be there or not to experience it again next year? So let’s take this opportunity to gain from the special blessings and forgiveness throughout this month. Let's make it the best ever!

Happy fasting everyone!

Image credit: Saihat99@flickr