Unwelcomed Surprises: A Week in the Life of a Mom

This week has been another whirlwind of unexpected events for our family. It started with Alycia’s unplanned visit to SJMC to see her hand and microsurgery doctor. She had developed a cluster of blisters on her post-operated finger, though thankfully, they weren’t on the operated part of her finger but rather on the lower part. After examining the finger, the doctor referred her to a dermatologist, who reassured her that the issue wasn’t serious. She was prescribed a topical cream, and the cost of the bill was RM203, which, unfortunately, isn’t claimable from insurance.

Just when I thought we could put Alycia’s finger issue behind us, Sherilyn had a sudden allergic reaction after eating prawns. Sherilyn’s strange allergy to prawns has always puzzled us. Most of the time, she’s perfectly fine after eating them, but once in a while, she develops hives, as she did this week. We suspect she’s allergic to the chemicals used in certain prawns, as this reaction doesn’t always happen. 

That night, her dad had to rush her to the Accident & Emergency department at our neighborhood hospital, past midnight, to get anti-allergy medication and steroids intravenously. She now has to take oral steroids for a week, but being the resilient girl she is, Sherilyn went right back to university the next day.

Last year Sherilyn was warded in the same hospital for a night to treat a severe allergy after eating prawns.  After the latest hives incident, I told Sherilyn that she should steer clear of eating prawns to avoid another unwanted allergy flareup.

Reflecting on this year, it seems like life has been filled with one unwelcome surprise after another. From Alycia’s freak kitchen accident in June to these health scares, it feels like we’ve been on a rollercoaster. Yet, I’m grateful that nothing major has happened—aside from Alycia’s accident, which we’ve slowly overcome.

As the year draws to a close, I’m hopeful for smoother, more peaceful days ahead. The unpredictability of life has tested us, but it’s also made us stronger. 

Mutton rendang, mixed veggies, and Ayam Masak Merah from Catermate for our lunch and dinner on one of the days earlier this week.

Thai fish cakes and mutton rendang.

Nasi Minyak with fried shallots.

Camera Crumbs - Round Up Of The Week

My Tennis Elbow right arm has little progress in healing, making it challenging to perform household chores, cook, and lift heavy items.  Consequently, my cooking routines have been simplified. I’ve primarily relied on the air fryer and toaster oven for meal preparations. Thankfully, we’ve had a steady supply of food from hubby’s central kitchen, which has been a lifesaver, reducing the need for extensive cooking.

I suspect that the pain could be a side effect of Atorvastatin. Last month, my cardiologist prescribed me this statin at 20mg per day to bring down my cholesterol levels. I have familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). My two younger daughters have FH too, which was discovered during blood tests when they were hospitalized for other conditions.

FH is an inherited disorder that makes it harder for your body to remove low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol from your blood.

No matter how hard I control my diet, exercise, and stay away from foods with high cholesterol, my blood cholesterol reading is still very high.

Familial hypercholesterolemia can affect anyone whose family carries the genetic mutation. The biggest problem with FH is that more than 90% of people who have it haven’t been diagnosed, which means you should pay careful attention to your family history.

About a month into taking Atorvastatin, I started to have pain in my right elbow bone. I later found out that I have a condition called Tennis Elbow.  Later, I started to have aches in my right hip and buttock. My doctor has advised me to take a 4-week layoff from Atorvastatin to see if the pains and aches in my right hand and hip will go away. 

My lunch usually consists of salad, with food from hubby's kitchen:

Chicken and beef satay with satay sauce, Mackerel fish cooked Indonesian style, Sayur Lodeh (Indonesian vegetable stew in coconut milk) in a bed of salad.
Dessert - yummy kuih.

Sambal Sotong, Sayur Lodeh with tempeh and cabbage, and Ayam Masak Merah in a bed of Mizuna salad.

Meehoon Siam, Sambal Sotong and Ayam Masak Merah.

One-tray-grill - green curry chicken thigh with green and yellow bell pepper, Shimeji mushrooms, sweet potato, chopped garlic, and onions, drizzled with olive oil, and seasoned with black pepper, cajun spice, smoked paprika, and garlic powder.
To reduce washing and hurting my tennis elbow arm, I bought disposable aluminum trays for my grills.

21 March 2024 ~ Random Updates from the Family Front

On Monday this week, my two older girls, Alycia and Sherilyn, found themselves donning a new hat as servers at a mega event held at the iconic Sepang International Circuit. The occasion? The much-anticipated launch of the Infinix Note 40 Series mobile phone, an event that drew guests from across the globe. With the hubby, the caterer, needing extra hands to ensure the event ran smoothly, Alycia and Sherilyn stepped up to the plate, leveraging their experience from working part-time at a café on weekends.  Fortunately, Alycia had no class on that day and Sherilyn is currently on a semester break.

Sherilyn at her dad's central kitchen. It was a very busy day for all his staff.

While rubbing shoulders with international guests and media was undoubtedly a highlight, the real thrill came towards the end of the evening. Picture this: drifting on a sports car around the F1 circuit under the starlit sky. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that left Alycia and Sherilyn exhilarated and buzzing with excitement. They also got to bring home each an Infinix power bank as a door gift.

Despite the late night, Sherilyn wasted no time in seizing the next opportunity for adventure.  The following day, she got up early to embark on a road trip with her college mates to Penang. Despite a late night and an unpacked luggage bag, she quickly prepped sushi for brunch for herself and her friends, to snack on in the car. They planned not to stop for lunch so that they could reach Penang earlier. One of her friends drove the car. As I type this post, Sherilyn is making her way back to KL after a memorable two-night stay at an Air BNB condo, filled with laughter, exploration, and the joys of youth.

Delicious assorted sushi, prepped by chef Sherilyn. 

100 Plus canned drinks for her friends.

As a parent, witnessing my daughters embrace these moments of joy and discovery fills my heart with pride and gratitude. From serving at a prestigious event to embarking on spontaneous road trips and overseas holidays, they are truly making the most of their college and university years... before they enter the workforce.

Our Meals

We've not really cooked for more than two weeks. Even though the mil came back from New Zealand two weeks ago, she's been under the weather. With so many celebrations, weddings, and SIL from Hong Kong still in KL, we have no chance to cook. I had to give away all the organic veggies that I bought to Maria before they turned bad. We also have food from hubby's kitchen almost daily. I'm not complaining, in fact, I'm SO glad that we don't have to cook coz cooking is just not my jam. I don't mind cooking but the cleaning up just turns me off 😝.  I rather spend the one hour jogging outside vs. cooking and washing and getting all stressed up over it. 

These are some of the excess food from hubby's kitchen for us recently:

Sushi platter.

Chicken bolognese with colorful spiral pasta.

Chicken and beef satay.

Carrot cake with frosting. These are not too sweet and very yummy.

Clockwise from top left: Vegetarian Mee Siam (very aromatic with lots of fresh herbs), blanched broccoli and baby corn (cooked at home), Ayam Goreng Berempah (fried chicken thighs with spices) and Nasi Lemak.

On most days, all I need to place on the dining table is a veggie dish, which I usually blanch and season with olive oil or grape seed oil and soy sauce, or just make a one-pot chicken soup or miso soup with lots of veggies, meat, and meatballs.

As some of hubby's overseas relatives are still in KL, we're going to De.Wan 1958 by Chef Wan for lunch tomorrow. So looking forward to Chef Wan's food again, though many of his popular dishes are pretty similar to what hubby's chef whips up every day.

Another Week of Delectable Delights from Hubby's Central Kitchen

As I reflect on the past week, it's hard not to feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the food that graced our dining table. In what can only be described as another 'good week' in my books, I found myself happily spared from the demands of the kitchen. The reason? An abundance of delectable dishes is generously provided by my husband's central kitchen, which has been abuzz with activity due to various functions. From aromatic Malay classics to tantalizing Indonesian and Indian flavors, our week has been a celebration of diverse tastes and hassle-free meals.

The culinary adventure commenced with the enticing aroma of Ikan Masak Cili, a succulent fried mackerel drenched in a zesty fresh chili sauce. This dish alone set the tone for a week filled with mouthwatering surprises. Each day brought forth a tantalizing array of Malay favorites, including the rich and aromatic Chicken Rendang, the fiery kick of Fried Egg Sambal, and the savory delights of Brinjal Sambal and Prawn Sambal.

Ikan Masak Gulai, Brinjal Sambal, Egg Sambal and Chili Prawns.

Indian fish curry with veggies and chicken rendang.

The central kitchen's offerings didn't stop there; they extended to the sumptuous Ikan Masak Gulai, where mackerel swam gracefully in a coconut milk curry and the aromatic allure of Indian Curry Fish. Bakwan (my favorite), a delightful Indonesian creation featuring vegetable fritters, added a crispy and savory touch to our dining experience.

This unassuming brinjal dish is super yummy, as good as the Terung Sambal that we ate at De.Wan 1958 by Chef Wan recently.

Fried mackerel with fresh chili, braised potato chicken and Telur Dadar.

Fish from our house freezer, which I brought to hubby's kitchen and asked his staff to fry.

 The MIL bought the packet of fish just before she left for Auckland and since she's coming back soon, I better clear this from the freezer, lest she thinks that I never cook the whole time that she's away 😐. The fried fish were super crispy, so crispy that even the bones were edible. 

The convenience of having the central kitchen take charge of our meals not only offered respite from the daily chore of cooking but also allowed us to savor the authentic flavors cooked by hubby’s staff. As I revel in the joys of hassle-free dining, I can't help but hope that this trend continues. The prospect of receiving delectable meals from hubby's kitchen on a regular basis is, undoubtedly, a culinary luxury as it allows me to step back from the kitchen. 

Safe Deposit Box Key Mystery

I wanted to snap a picture of an important document kept in my bank's Safe Deposit Box but the SDB key wasn't with me. Before my mil left for New Zealand, I gave her the key as she wanted to keep her stuff in the SDB but she hasn't returned the key to me yet. 

But I wasn't 100% sure if the key was with the mil. She could have returned it to me and I misplaced it.  That happened about 1.5 months ago. I started to go into panic mode!

I couldn't call the mil right away to ask her the whereabouts of the key as she was five hours ahead of us and it was 2am in Auckland. I WhatsApp-ed one of the bank staff to ask him about the procedures but he had already resigned from the bank. I Googled to find out what the procedures are for getting a key replaced. The answer I got sent me into a more panicked state of mind.  You cannot get your lost key replaced. The entire SDB lock has to be replaced with a brand-new one. A locksmith has to be engaged to hack the SDB. All the costs have to be borne by the SDB holder, ranging from RM300 - RM500!  I couldn't imagine money flying away like that, just like how hubby had to pay RM1k to get Alycia's iPad repaired when she carelessly slammed the car door on her iPad recently.

I sent a voice message to the MIL before going to bed. The next morning, she Whatsapp-ed me to tell me that the key was still with her and told me where she had hidden it. What a relief!! 😅😅

Last week we had food from hubby's kitchen again, on an almost daily basis. I'm the happiest as this means fewer chores for me in the kitchen 😊

Sambal prawns.

Mee Siam

Chicken Kuzi (my favorite), cooked using a wide variety of spices, ghee, and Koukakis Greek yogurt (imported from Greece). The Greek yogurt gives this dish a very creamy texture.

Mixed veggies, Thai fishcakes, Telur Dadar (omelet), and Kuih Koci.

Cut honeydew.

Wednesday, 10 November 2021

I think Haru's surgical wound is slightly infected as we saw whitish liquid seeping out. We had to stick a post-op plaster on her wound and put her on the post-op suit again, which she protested with growls and quivering bleats. My poor baby. 

Tomorrow I will bring Haru to the clinic for the vet to examine the wound. Cass has a one-hour break in between classes at 11-ish a.m. and we'll make a quick trip to the vet's.  Hopefully all is well with her. I really don't want her to be on oral antibiotics again or worse, something more invasive 🙏

In her favorite 'roast turkey' position. 

Work in progress at hubby's central kitchen, Catermate ~ prepping bento boxes for a corporate client's event today.  We had the same food for lunch today, comprising of Nasi Jagung (sweet corn rice), mutton kurma, bak choy with garlic and sauteed turmeric chicken tenders with veggies.

Tuesday, 20 July 2021 Lunch

Our teenage chef cooked Rabokki for lunch today.  The Tteok (rice cakes) was made from scratch using simple and cheap pantry ingredients like rice flour, glutinous rice flour and sesame oil.  Besides the egg  in the gochujang sauce, I don't really fancy Tteokbokki.  I'm not a fan of starchy foods. While the girls dug into their lip-smacking Rabokki and chewy tteok, I was content with my healthy low fat sugar-free Greek yoghurt with nuts and Serawa Durian (durian kaya) that hubby made at his central kitchen 😬

A sucker for everything challenging and difficult.  If the dish is not complicated, she wouldn't cook it.  I'm just the polar opposite!  Why want to make your life complicated? 😐 

This girl loves cooking anything that involves kneading dough!  Playdough used to be her favorite toy as a toddler.

I'm totally content with my low fat Greek yoghurt with durian kaya (Serawa Durian) that hubs made. This lockdown, he has mastered the art of cooking Malay food and delicacies 💪👏👏

Durians For Breakfast and Lunch Again!

These days I look forward to hubby coming home. Not that I miss him but I look forward to the durians that he brings home 😁.  He helps his best friend sell durians online and he gets free durians almost everyday.  

This was my breakfast yesterday morning - Musang King, Tekka, Phoenix and Red Prawn durians.  Some of the durian seeds that you see here were rejected ones, nonetheless they were still SO GOOD!!  They only sell 100% perfect durians to their customers who can pre-order everyday during the season season. Instead of discarding these still good but not 100% perfect durians, hubs brings them home for us humble folks to savour.

I can eat 10 seeds at one go but the health freak in me stops me from doing it.  I eat 3-4 seeds a day and drink matcha and sugar-free lemon juice everyday to prevent heatiness.  Exercising and sweating helps to cool down my body and I swear by it. Thus, I jog and brisk walk from 10 to 10:40 a.m. everyday to soak in the goodness of the sun and to sweat it out to get my dose of serotonin.

Yesterday hubs brought back Serawa Durian from his shop.  This morning I had low fat Greek yoghurt with Serawa Durian for brunch and it kept me full the whole day.  I then had an early dinner of Nasi Lemak and chicken rendang (from hubby's shop) at 4:30 p.m..  I have been eating my dinners at around 4:30 - 5:00 p.m. for the past two years as part of my Intermittent Fasting (IF) practice.

Never heard of this combination - durian kaya with sugar-free Greek yoghurt? Try it and I'll wager that you'll love it 😬

If you'd like to try Durian King 70 Musang King durians and Catermate's Serawa Durian, you can place your order via Whatsapp here - wa.me/60198981881

Sunday, 27 June 2021 ~ Extension of Full Lockdown

So my hunch was spot on. The full lockdown is extended, as announced by our PM today 😥.   The full lockdown can only be lifted on condition that the number of Covid cases dip to 4,000 and below and 10% of the population is fully vaccinated.  As of today, our country recorded 5,586 cases.  I am writing this down in my blog because I wish that a year from now, the world will be free from this dreadful pandemic; and when I read this post a year on, I will remember how my sentiments were at the height of the pandemic and cherish our post-Covid days even more.  

Everyday throughout the lockdown, I wake up hoping for a better day but the new day is no better than the previous one and sometimes the new day is worse than the previous few. There doesn't seem to be any improvement in the Covid situation in our country. Hubby's catering business has been hit hard and will continue to be affected until and unless social gatherings are allowed again. Will it ever be allowed? Yes the PM stated that all social and economic sectors will be reopened in the final phase of the recovery plan. This will only happen when the country records zero to single digit cases. That seems very far fetched now, with the emergence of new variants of viruses, anti-vaxxers and stubborn people who refuse to follow SOPs.  This war that we're in now has caused tremendous hardship to many people. More businesses will be shuttered in the days and weeks to come during this full lockdown. Many times, I feel like there's no light at the end of the tunnel. The past 1.5 years feels like a nightmare that wouldn't end.

I have a long list of things to ask from God everyday - good health for me and my loved ones, for hubby's catering business to be able to hang on and not shutter, for his business to be able to recover and rebound fully one day, for my daughters to study hard though it's hard for them to feel motivated after 1.5 years of online learning and for this pandemic to be brought under control so that our lives can return to at least 90% normal soon.

If you're feeling tired of having to cook 3 meals every single day, don't beat yourself up. Do give Catermate a try. They serve halal food (Malay, Indonesian, Western and Chinese) and deliver throughout the Klang Valley. 

I'm already feeling the brunt of having to clean up the kitchen 3x a day since the start of the MCO last year and it's worse now as Maria our part-time helper has stopped coming to our house temporarily until the Covid situation improves. We're ordering food at least three times a week and I just don't care anymore if the food is less than healthy. My sanity comes first 😐

Lamb shank curry from Catermate. I dunked sourdough bread and sourdough pancakes into the thick curry sauce and had it for dinner yesterday. 

Gyuniku/beef Curry and Tori Katsu that I ordered from a home-based seller in our Taman last week. The seller and I now support each other - I order her food and she orders from hubby's shop 😁

Friday, 11 June 2021

I was at hubby's central kitchen to help him with the photography for the past two days. I was donning on my face mask and suffocating, with bullets of sweat dripping down my face while coughing in his kitchen. The culprit was this super duper huge commercial wok filled with dried chilies boiling. And also a huge industrial oven in use at the same time.  Can you imagine how suffocating and choking it is to inhale the hot and spicy smoke in the hot kitchen that feels like a sauna everyday? 

This is how much dried chilies are used to cook one batch of sambal and this is done several times a week. Everyone in the kitchen including hubs has to bear with the chilies, onions and spices bubbling in the wok, inhaling the tear-jerking yet aromatic smoke emitting from the wok, while donning on face masks.  I couldn't wait to run out of his kitchen and back into my car to remove my mask to breathe in some cool air from the air-cond 😅😷   

Sambal for Catermate's best seller Nasi Lemak is made from scratch.

The compensation for helping him with the photography is of course food.  I almost never leave his kitchen empty handed.  For the past two days, we had kuih (which is my ultimate kryptonite) which we will never get enough of and fried chicken, which is everyone's favorite!

We've been having Western chicken chop and Hainanese chicken chop from hubby's kitchen almost everyday the entire week last week till we want to take a break from chicken for a week now 😂

Random Updates ~ 7 June 2021

Alycia received her 2nd pay check last week. Though it's only a small amount as she worked for only  two weeks at the international pre-school last month, she was nonetheless still very thankful and happy.   Yesterday she treated her sisters and me to milk tea from Tealive, delivered to us via Grab.  After receiving her first pay check last month, Alycia gave me RM100 and bought cakes  to treat everyone at home.

With the pandemic at its peak now, Alycia will not be looking for another temporary job anytime soon. She has 3 more months before she goes to college and life for her now is really relaxed and stress-free.  Lights are only turned off way past 1am and she gets up some 10-12 hours later, after which she lollygags at home waiting for all her meals!!  Oh how I miss those carefree, stress-free easy life without any commitment. I wonder if I will ever get to live like this again? 😜

I am missing our pre-Covid19 days very very much. The weekly mall shopping, the monthly shopping for clothes or shoes, the weekly splurges at cafes and restaurants, the daily coffee shop and kopitiam brunch sessions with hubs, Sunday church, gatherings with friends, reunion with my family members and siblings in Ipoh, traveling and much more. Gawd, I'm missing Ipoh so much.  Again I'm wondering when we can ever do this again 😓 

This is our Sunday dinner yesterday -- Hainanese chicken chop from hubby's central kitchen, Catermate.  

Chicken chop and Nasi Lemak will likely be our lunch tomorrow as there's a bulk order for chicken chop and Nasi Lemak tomorrow for a customer's Zoom Meeting lunch with all her staff.  

Though we've all been eating the same kind of dishes from hubby's shop almost daily throughout the MCO for the last 1.5 years, I have no complaints. As long as we don't have to cook at home and clean up a greasy kitchen and floor, everyone is happy. The girl who's on dirty dishes duty will be the happiest too 😁. Win win for everyone.