Friday, March 12, 2010

Of sleeping (or lack of it) and cooking (breakfast, that is)...

Salams and Hi! :)

I'm just taking a break from going through my students' dissertations. My head is starting to pound, and the fact that I'm finding it more and more difficult to read small prints nowadays is not really helping. Must make a point to get bifocal glasses soon. THAT, and the fact that I get so sleepy easily, too! Signs of old age.

But, I guess that, i.e. being sleepy, is not really caused by old age (I'm in denial. I know. So, shoot me). I know for a fact that THAT is definitely due to lack of sleep. I've been getting only between 5-6 hours of sleep for most nights for the last 3 months or so. This may be quite normal for some. However, for my standard, that's way too short a time for my beauty sleep.

I used to get between 7-8 hours of sleep (when I had a maid once upon a time) simply because I didn't have to do the ironing and tidying and clearing up the kitchen after dinner (and sometimes supper). And I only woke up around 6:45a.m every morning when Ayah and the kids would leave for work/school because Bibik Dar would take care of breakfast and their bekal, etc. Heck, sometimes I would be sleeping throughout and didn't even get to say my "Bye-byes" and "Muah-muahs" to them before they left. I know...Bad Wifey...Bad Mommy... :(

I don't really mind sleeping late. It's the waking up early which I have issues with. Well, at least I HAD issues with it initially. I've gotten used to it, and I've realized that it's not too bad once your body and half-awake brain get used to it.

The thing is, I would set my alarm at 5:45a.m every morning. BUT, somehow or rather, I would wake up even before the alarm goes off, and normally when I open my eyes in the morning, it would be 5:30a.m or earlier. How annoying is that?!

And I also have another issue. Every morning, I would be screaming to myself (in my heart, that is)- "What are you cooking for breakfast, woman?!!" And it doesn't help when the FIRST thing Hilman asks when he comes down every morning is, "Mommy what are you cooking for today's breakfast?"

You see, Hilman never fails to take his breakfast. He would just eat whatever it is that I serve on the table. No questions asked. No complaints. As long as there's food. He's a happy camper :)

Hanna and Hasya, on the other hand, rarely take their breakfast. They will only do so if the food I prepare berkenan di hati, and depending on their moods. Normally, their usual excuse would be, "Still kenyang from last night's dinner la, Mommy..." (??!!)

As for Ayah, he never fails to take his breakfast, too, but, he doesn't really take much sometimes because, every morning he would have a B&B session(*) with his friend, Dr. So*ha*dy at TMC.

But, when I prepare breakfast, I would prepare for everyone, including for Zaidi - the driver. So, you can imagine the amount of food I have to finish when the girls decide that they don't want to eat. (But, sometimes I would get them to bring the food as bekal).

Anyway, here are some of the items on the breakfast menu that I normally prepare - depending on how rajin or how malas I am in the morning. And you guys will definitely know which ones fall under which category for sure by looking at the list.

Nasi Goreng
Mee Hoon Goreng
Kuey Teow Goreng
Maggi Goreng
Cereals with Cold Milk
Half-boiled Eggs with Bread/Toasts
Dim Sums and/or Pau (instant punyer, okay? Just steam them up ;))
French Toasts
Campbell/Heinz Soups with Bread
Tuna Kepit :)
Egg Kepit :)
Omellette
Nuggets with Sunny Side Up
Boiled Sausages with Scrambled Eggs
Burgers
Hotdogs

And oh ya, this morning, for the first time, I made Kuey Teow Soup :)

Usually, I would finish cooking/preparing breakfast by 6:15a.m, and Hilman would be the first one to come down to eat, and by 6:45a.m everybody would have finished eating (if they eat, that is!) and left for shool/work.

And of course, how much work is involved for me in washing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen after that very much depends on what I cook for breakfast lah, kan? Sometimes, I have to wash a few periuk belanga and kuali segala and kitchen utensils, on top of the pinggan-mangkuk, etc. Letih weh...

Truth be told, I've run out of ideas as to what else I can prepare in the morning. Please, please, please... I need more ideas for my breakfast menu, please. The easier it is to make, the better. The less utensils used EVEN BETTER! Hehehe! :)

What do YOU guys prepare/have for breakfast at home normally, ya? All suggestions are welcome, and very much appreciated ;)

Thanks, y'all ;)

And I only wished that I was one who could take afternoon naps easily, so that I could make up for all those hours of sleep lost, especially on long Friday afternoon lunch-breaks like today. But, alas, when it comes to this, my body and my brain don't seem to be able to work out a new routine which includes afternoon naps for me to follow and get used to :(

Sigh. Nasib badan...(dan otak...) :(

25 comments:

Amy said...

For a lazy housewife with no kids like me, my breakfast list is just a quarter of your list la kak. Hihi, not much of a help there, kan? Sama laaaa, kadang2 rasa nak tido je lunch break yg panjang camni tapi tak tido-tido pun!

I have this habit of getting up around 4am just to go to the loo. My ayah used to wake me and my sister up masa kitaorg kecik so as to make sure kitaorg tak kencing atas tilam. So i guess, dah jadik habit, sbb Zul can sleep without having to wake up to go to the loo. So, nor mally lepas pegi loo, I'll check my handphone to see what is the time and it annoy me to hell if it's 6am coz my alarm goes off at 6.05am. Nevertheless, I still sambung baring and pejam mata sbb sayangkan 5 minit tu haha. More often than not usually lepas pegi loo tu, sambil check handphone mesti cakap 'Please, please let it be 3am so that I have more time to sleep lagi' Hihii.

Kak Ezza@makcik Blogger said...

shana....

Akak yang tak kerja pun tak da list macam u ni...patut lah u penat sangat..make it simple laa..
Jangan stress sangat pasal sarapan pagi ni sebab kalau ambil yang ringan saja pun ok...Perut pun tak meragam kalau isi yang berat berat...

Satu lagi..cuba lah ubi rebus ke cicah denagn sambal tumis malam tadi or cicah ngan kelapa /gula..goreng cekodok ikan bilis ker(prepape waktu malam dan masuk dalam fridge)cekodok susu ke....roti telur ke...or roti cicah susu pekat...hehehe...biskut lemak cicah air teh...hahaha..
dulu abah akak suka kukus roti lepas tu sapu kaya dan planta...ok per....
U pun kena tido awal shana..kalau tak..banyak lah cik wringkles tu kat mata....jangan marah..makcik ni dah membebel dah....

D.N.A.S said...

Kak Shana, kesiannya you....I have a few suggestions for you.

1. Tell your students to use bigger fonts (preferably Arial 12) with double spacing between lines in their dissertations. That'll be better for your eyes although more papers will be wasted.

2. Breakfast menu:
a. lempeng with sambal tumis ikan bilis (can prepare sambal the night before).
b. cucur with ikan bilis, bawang, carrot, potato, daun kuchai etc..
c. wholemeal bread with mushroom soup (especially bila ada leftover soup)
d. Pancake with maple syrup (I suka Pillsbury..)

I'm collecting simple recipes for dinner. Kalau ada idea, share with me ya?

Spena said...

Kak!! I think you are a superwoman. With the list of breakfast menu you already have, that sounds like the hotel buffet line dah!! banyak tu.i think utk mengelak fenin kepala, the nasi goreng can be divided into a few categories: kampung, cina, bilis, american..etc.. maybe bubur ayam like the chinese love also is an option. have different choices of cereals at home.
You are excellent sist. I think if rumah orang lain, most time cuma ada bread and cereals ;-)

Gylle said...

Hehehehe Shana - tergerak nak skodeng your blog. A suggestion from owner of a stovetop yang boleh dibuat cermin (lahai x berasap ler gamaknya). Nasi lemak - x payah periuk belanga / utensils what-so-ever. U need a car to drive around the corner tho ;-).

Unknown said...

A few tips from me.Masa I tak ada maid I beli slow cooker.So malam cempak2 esok jadi soup..so soup with bread for breakfast and the left over will be for lunch and dinner and kalau ada left over masuk kan sayur.

The slow cooker juga boleh masak kari dan lauk beriani muar.

Ideas for breakfast

instant roti canai with sardin
baked beans with toast
spagetti bollonese
mee hoon soup..soup from slow cooker.

Machines that can help for people without maid.

slow cooker
robotic vacum cleaner
dryer

I used to cook a lot and freezekan.So masa masa terdesak I got cook food in the fridge.

Ummi365 said...

Shana, I am lucky seba the children can take bread. normally i buy pandan, chocolate, blueberry.. kalau heavy2 ni memang tak boleh masuk before 7am.

this year sorang je sekolah pagi so senang sikitlah. normally after sending abang to school, i will stop by the stall beli, kuih muih untuk yang sekolah petang, and kalau i tak masak lunch for them, i just buy nasi lemak, mihun goreng for them to take before going to school. any left over of kuih in the morning, abang will habiskan when he comes home in the afternoon. that way i tak delah jadi tong sampahkan. hehehe...

i know how you feel as i am without a maid for more than a year already.

betul kata kak ezza jgn pening sgt because the thinking itself tire yourself.

Anonymous said...

nak tolong tambah your list..

Baked beans (canned food- he he) and telur mata kerbau..

Anonymous said...

Salam,

We have always been bread/cereal eaters. And recently the kids have been taking bagels in the morning. The breakfast you prepare sounds so heavy to be taken in the morning? Do the kids get sleepy in school later from kekenyangan? We only reserve heavy breakfasts as weekend treats. But I do salute you for the time and energy you invest to whip up those stuff every morning. I would have gone nuts a lot time ago. Aren't your kids lucky for such a dedicated mother.

bella said...

Kak Shana, woww...your bfast list is soooo elaborate...when I was growing up, we only had those for weekends and Mak is a home minister...coz, pagi2 mmg tak boleh masuk yang berat2...we only had roti and jam, kdg2 dapat la, cicah sardin, or telur hancur,or kuah kari semalam or asam pedas semalam which was great, sebab not that heavy. btw, nowadays, dah ada byk jual frozen bagels, if your kids like those, buy some cream cheese(i buy Kiri cheese), jams, etc...and then voila, a new bfast menu.or those buns kat those bread shops or donuts...Kak I think, don't externuate yourself Kak...take care...

IBU said...

salam fren

I must make sure Saba & the kids don't read this particular post. Oii.... else they start demanding similar breakfast menu...pengsan la... (bukan I yg pengsan....bibi yg pengsan.... hehehehe!!!!)

p/s Ermm...best nya kalau jadi ur neighbour.... boleh jenguk2 kat tingkat for bfast ek?!

Faisal R said...

legendary wanna kuey teow goreng pada pagi hari is oneeeee goooddd wayyy to start d day =D

Daphne Ling said...

Hi Kak Shana,

Yoghurt mixed with Muesli/oats with a dash of Lemon-juice with Banana or Apple Slices or Blueberries or whatever fruits suit your fancy.

Whip them up in a big fat bowl, separate them into containers, and put them into the fridge. Siapa nak makan, ambik one container.

As long as you don't touch or play with it, one week can last.

Anonymous said...

Hi!Shana!Shana! its just you, you akan do your best for people you love, dolu dolu prepare all kind of food for us, so its not strange at all for you to have that list of menu for your family....its just you... just dont let bulan, saba, shidee, rauf etc tengok list tu.....he!he!

elviza said...

Wan Shana,


Pls, pls, pls, plssssssss for the love the god, apply for a new maid already! So kesian baca posting ni :-(

wanshana said...

Amy,

Tension kan bila terjaga sebelum sepatutnya - especially memang kita dah sememangnya deprived of sleep, kan?!

Good training by your Ayah. My Abah pulak trained us to go to the toilet to do both big and small business before we mandi pagi. Until now, within half an hour after waking up, I'll be in the smallest room in the house - without fail :) Senang hidup!

-------------------------

Kak Ezza,

Thank you for your suggestions, Kak! Semalam I buat cokodok pisang for breakfast :) (but still kena buat Tuna Kepit (i.e tosted sandwich 4 keping coz' Hilman requested for it)

Ubi rebus tu if for me, memang sangat okay. Tapi, bebudak and bapak budak ni kureng sikitlah... Roti kukus tu, kalau roti yang tebal tu memang kaaaw, kan? Tapi, guna roti biasa Gardenia tu okay tak?

wanshana said...

Dayang,

If my students use font size 20 pun tak jalan kot...Hehehe!

Thanks for the suggestions, dear. I totally forgot about pancakes! My bibik dulu rajin jugak buat pancakes for breakfast coz' antara yang paling senang. Got myself the pancake mix and the syrup last weekend (Pillsbury, of course!) and we had pancakes on Monday :)

Bread with soups pun is actually on my normal breakfast menu (untuk hari-hari malas) Open can, pour contents into pot, add water, simmer to boil, put in bowl, Cicah roti. Siap :)

-------------------------

Spena,

Thanks for your suggestions. Now, Bubur and aneka nasi goreng will be on my list jugak :) My kids love Corned Beef Fried Rice (ikut recipe SD and Meen), tapi I tak sempat lagi pi cari Corned Beef kat Tesco.

Another thing, I'm not sure if it was you or Nurun's sister who made this bread top up with pasta sauce and cheese when we visited her and Adi in Middlesborough in 2004 dulu? Bila baca your comment, I terus teringat that dish, Simple but sedap :)

Anonymous said...

1. pancakes. buy the instant batter, mix in advance and keep inside a tupperware in the fridge. use when required.

2. instant roti canai with leftover curry or sambal. doesnt even have to isi anymore, kuah pun cukup.

3. buy salami timbang kat c4 and assemble own sandwhich, sliced cheese, tomatoes and mayo with salad are a good combo. light and less oil in the morning.

4. baked beans and sausages on toast. the girls would never say no!

5. muesli mixed with the kids fax cereals and broken chocolate chip cookies with milk. Yums!

The point is to make it fast, less menumis in the morning and less oily.

wanshana said...

Gylle,

Hmmmm...Thanks! Good idea, but tak berani nak keluar pepagi gi cari nasi lemak. I guess kat Nasi Kandar Sedap ada kot, but not that early in the morning? I would have to go and beli before 6:15a.m coz' that's when everybody comes down for breakfast (and alang-alang kalau gi NSK, might as well tapau roti canai, thosai segala, ye dak? Hehehe!

----------------------

Suria,

Thanks for the suggestions and tips. Very useful indeed - especially on preparing the soup/stew in the slow cooker to be eaten with bread and also beehoon/noodles, etc :) I have a slow cooker, but, can count with jari sebelah tangan how many times I've actually used it! Time to take it out of the box :)

I pun selalu masak bebanyak and freeze them for emergency consumption (i.e. bila no time to cook), but normally to be eaten for diiner on weekdays :) Very convenient!

Thanks again, Suria :)

wanshana said...

Ummi,

Thanks :) Bread is a good idea, but, anak-anak I ni kureng sikit when it comes to bread for breakfast. The only times they take bread/buns would be when we're travelling :(

As for me, all three kids sekolah pagi, so in a way it's quite convenient - buat breakfast for everybody, get it over and done with, lepas suboh boleh tido balik. I don't really have to worry about lunch coz' most of the times they would have lunch at my MIL's after school :)

Thanks again, dear :)

-------------------------------

Anonymous @ 8:47p.m (March 14)

Thank you for the suggestions :) Yes, I do whip up (chewah! Macamlah susah sangat, kan?! Hehehe) telur mata kobau every now and then, but the kids prefer omellette or scrambled eggs. And UNfortunately - only Ayah likes baked beans in this household. So, if ever I prepare baked beans, he'll be the only taker. And just to share - he loves baked beans eaten with deep fried bread (but tak leh makan selalu! Sangat tidak sihat;))

Thank you again!

wanshana said...

Salam Anonymous @ 11:13 (March 15)

Thank you! Bagels sounds good :) I've never really bought bagels before. Do you mind sharing on where to get them easily, please? (we live in Sri Dsara)and what do you eat them with, please?

So far, kids have not really complained of feeling sleepy in school. I guess because they don't really take huge portions for breakfast. Yes, beehoon, fried rice, etc., do sound a bit too heavy for too early in the morning, but they only take very small portions :)(except for Hilman who sometimes eat breakfast like he's eating dinner! Hehehe!) And sometimes they would bring the balance as bekal for recess :)

Thanks again :)

--------------------------

Bella,

Thank you for the suggestions! Another bagels suggestion, I see :) Where do you get your frozen bagels, ya, Belle? Must be di kawasan sewaktu dengan I considering we're literally jiran balik bukit ajer, kan? ;)

Oooohhh, roti cicah kari and asam pedas is SOOOO orang utara, kan? I also love having roti with all sorts of kuah. Unfortunately, it's not a hit with Tuan Doktor and the kids :( Kalau I nak makan sorang-sorang, boleh lah...Hehehe!

Thanks again, dear. You take care, too!

wanshana said...

Salams Ibu,

I'm sure Bibik lagi terrer when it comes to whipping up breakfast :) Sure siap dengan teh tarik sekali every morning. Hehehe!

Wanna be neighbours? Errr...can't afford your area, but there are a few units available in BJ if you want to move nearer to us nanti. No problem - boleh buat service masuk tingkat... ;)

-----------------------

Ahmad Patai,

Hehehe...Thanks. Tapi takleh lawan dengan your Mama's Kari Ikan and Sambai Tomeh ;)

*Hmmm...Dah lama tak Pot Luck kat Keramat, kan? Must organize one very soon!

wanshana said...

Hi Daphne!

Thank you for the suggestions! So very the healthy one :)

That will go down very well with Hanna (who's becoming more conscious of her food intake now - being at that age when even weighing 50kg is considered as being obese! Sigh...)

I think I'll just let her have fun mixing whatever ingredients she wants in it :)

Thanks again, dear. Take care!

-----------------------

Hi Yus!

Hehehe... No lah. I memang suka masak and have friends over for makan-makan. Speaking of which, bila lah nak jumpa you all ni? Do let us know when you guys are free, okay? Should come over lepak-lepak at our place :)

Salams to Bulan and hugs to Nadila :)

wanshana said...

Hi Elviza!

Hehehe...Yes, I have a maid who's on a trial basis at the moment. Workwise okay, but attitude ada musykil sikit :) But, I guess I will have to just take the positive points, right? Life has been so much easier and smoother for me for the last 10 days since she started working with us. Syukur alhamdulillah :)

But, I've decided that I would continue with preparing breakfasts every morning myself. I've been doing it for the last 4 months. No harm in continuing with it, especially when I don't have to basuh pinggan mangkuk periuk belanga after that :)

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Dear Anonymous @ 1:16pm (25 March),

Thank you for all the suggestions :)

Yes - I've taken note of pancakes (in fact just had them on Monday), and also the roti canai instant. Have a few pieces in the freezer right at this moment. But kids prefer roti canai with susu pekat :) Beans on toast - might appeal to Ayah, but not the kids, unfortunately :( And briliant ideas for the sandwich fillings! Thanks :)

I know what you mean about trying to kurangkan menumis, etc, and that's why one of my favourite breakfast menu are dimsums! They're not just yummy, but healthy, too. And of course they come straight from the packet, and go straight into the steamer. Ready in 10 minutes :)

Cheers!

DeeDee said...

kak Shana,

I lafffff hashbrown.
And since dah nak bukak semula slow cooker dari kotak, buat la porridge. Chicken ke fish ke etc. And all other "toppings" tu can prepare the night before.

**tabik** for putting so much effort for bfast. Like IBU, I also doa jangan la org2 kat rumah tu baca your menu. Tegolek dog i nanti