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This Ramadan, let's remove our inner and outer obstacles to spiritual success.
*At the inner level, let's start by ditching any feelings of guilt,competition or jealousy we may have for other sisters. You know who I'm talking about: the ones who can whip up a five-course Iftar plus dinner faster than you can say "what should I make for supper tonight?"The ones who can hold a full-time job, ferry their kids to extra-curricular activities and still **hold grand Iftar parties at their homes.*
Now we're ready to do something about the biggest outer obstacle to spiritual success every Ramadan: our families. We love them and yes, their demands for food high in fat, salt and sugar can be indulged once in a while in Ramadan. But doing this every Iftar seems to defeat the purpose of fasting in the first place. Remember, it's about self-control, even after we're allowed to eat.
Here is an eight-step plan to help you gain more time in Ramadan for spiritual success:
1. Call a family meeting-today. We've got barely a week until Ramadan begins. Choose a day and time when everyone can be present.
2. Serve a sample Iftar menu at the meeting (I'll explain why in point 3)
3. Start off the meeting with the food. Then once everyone is comfortable, explain very kindly that you will only be making this food five times this Ramadan: once a week and once when guests are invited over.
4. When the news has sunk in, explain further to your family that you would like Ramadan to be a time for becoming closer to Allah. You cannot do this if you have to spend most of your time cooking and cleaning up after everyone. Be firm but polite.
5. Discuss the Ramadan meal plan. Ask everyone to share what kind of dishes they would like to eat that are healthy.
6. Once all the ideas are in, establish a cooking and cleaning schedule so that everyone pitches in. Explain that while you will still be doing the main cooking, other family members will have to help either with pre-Iftar
arrangements (setting table, calling everyone, etc.) or post-Iftar ones (washing dishes/loading dishwasher, wiping counters, sweeping, etc.). A sample form you can use is herehttp://soundvision. com/ramadan/ chore.asp
7. Enforce the schedule by rewarding children. For younger kids, a chore chart with a sticker for each day of help offered could work, as well as a small toy or gift at the end of every successful two-week period. For older kids, you could promise to spend a whole day with them doing something they enjoy after Ramadan or extend a privilege they have (e.g. access to the car if they drive).
8. For husbands, express your appreciation verbally by saying thank you and explaining how the extra help is a real spiritual boost.
If this plan is successfully implemented, you can extend it to the rest of the year, thereby gaining more time to focus on your spiritual needs. But even if you get more time on your prayer mat than over your stove just one
month out of the year, the one where our good deeds count for more, it'll be worth the effort.
SIS LILY
Since we've been living in LA, the cultural influence of breaking iftar with a table full of food does not affect us anymore. For us, fasting is very similar to just skipping lunch. So for sahur, we eat breakfast. Oatmeal/Toast/ Eggs/Waffles/ Cereals, and then for iftar, its dinner as usual. Rice with about two dishes, one of them a vege dish. After terawih, we eat dessert, usually fruits or ice cream. So in terms of menu, Ramadhan doesn't really change anything. I just find it refreshing that I don't have to spend much time thinking and preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner, and can focus on reflecting on the soul within.
SIS RINA
Was thinking of the same thing after one sister shared her experience of fasting in Mekah..
She mentioned that some Arab families and her guests there actually pre-cooked the ramadhaan meal before Ramadhan.. they cooked and freeze the food for the month, so taht the ladies expecially, dont have to spend time coooking only, but can also focus reading Quran. i myself admit to NOT having the time to complete reading the 30 juzuk Quran during ramadhan, when actually semua amalan kita berlipat kali ganda masa bulan puasa..
SIS FINAZ
Lepas baca semua email Mama cuba plan a few things untuk persiapan Ramadhan kali ini. Seperti tahun-tahun yang lepas, untuk berbuka biasa Mama dan Mr Hubby biasanya makan simple-simple je seperti kurma (compulsory) , minuman panas dan sejenis makanan ala carte (bihun goreng, bihun sup, yong tau fu, nasi ayam etc). Kalau sempat jengah ke pasar Ramadhan beli sedikit kuih. Memang sangat jarang makan nasi untuk berbuka tapi untuk sahur kami akan makan NASI BERLAUK yang di masak sendiri. Mr Hubby tak kisah walaupun lauknya simple seperti telur goreng masak kicap asalkan homemade dish. Tahun ini jugak Aqil dan Dini dah masuk kategori toddler yang SANGAT BERSELERA MAKAN. Jadi Mama memang kena plan betul-betul menu untuk meal mereka siang hari di hujung minggu sebab anak-anak Mama ni especially Aqil kalau lapar je dia akan berbunyi tak berhenti-henti. Antara plan Mama : (sebagai my checklist)
1) Siapkan chicken, anchoives and vegetable stock untuk dibekukan.
Hujung minggu untuk Aqil dan Dini boleh buat pasta soup (alhamdulillah both of them sangat suka makan mee dan pasta). Boleh juga rebus beras dan kemudian tuang stock untuk jadikan bubur nasi. Untuk bersahur penyediaan stock juga mudahkan Mama nak buat sup sayur. Potong sayur-sayur yang cepat masak (bayam, sawi, carrot, bracolli ) dan campur dalam stock. Boleh juga pecahkan telur untuk sumber protein.
2) Siapkan sambal yang siap ditumis dan bekukan. Masukkan dalam Tupperware kecil-kecil untuk mudah defrost untuk sekali masakan.
Sambal ni boleh divariasikan untuk masak ala carte semasa berbuka atau masa sahur. Boleh buat penumis untuk bihun dan mee goreng, ikan masak sambal, sambal ikan bilis, sambal udang dan sebagainya.
3) Siapkan pre-cooked kari dan masak kurma
Nak masak just tambah ayam, kentang dan santan. Takdela sibuk nak menumis pagi-pagi buta. Boleh juga buat lauk kids di siang hari.
4) Beli/ siapkan frozen kuih.
Frozen kuih ni buat standby kali teringin nak makan kuih masa berbuka tapi tak sempat atau terlalu penat nak cari parking untuk singgah pasar Ramadhan. Mama rasa frozen kuih ni memang dah banyak jual kat mana-mana. Kat petronas pun tengok ada jual frozen karipap. Tapi tak semua ngan dengan selera Mama. Setakat ni tempat yang Mama selalu beli (dan ngan dengan selera Mama and Mr Hubby) ialah satu tempat di Bangi. Ada frozen donut, karipap daging yang sedap dan kuih koci yang lemak manis. InsyaAllah kalau sempat Mama bercadang nak buat frozen mini murtabak yang dipelajari dari Mak (my mother in law). Dah lama Mama tak buat mini murtabak ni sejak ada dua budak kecik yang SANGAT RAJIN nak menolong di dapur.
5) Beli serunding ayam/ikan/daging
Serunding ni selalu jadi lauk emergency kalau terlewat bangun untuk sahur sebab Dini asyik nak bergayut Makan dengan nasi panas je dah cukup untuk buka selera.
6) Buat oatmeal with fruits and nuts banyak-banyak dan simpan stok susu kotak
Again as emergency meal during sahur. Kami pernah bangun sahur takde elektrik (ada gangguan sebab malam tu hujan lebat). Nak masak nasi pun tak boleh.
Untuk persiapan raya tak ada yang penting sangat. Tahun ni memang tak de sibuk nak tempah langsir sebab baru buat langsir masa masuk rumah September tahun lepas. Baju raya Mama dan kids semua dah siap dibeli (Mama jenis beli baju yang siap dijahit). Tinggal baju Mr Hubby tunggu Parkson start jual baju Melayu (Mr Hubby pun suka beli baju siap) . Bulan puasa ni tak nak fikir pasal shopping-shopping baju. Biarpun ada orang kata l shopping time Ramadhan nanti baju designnya lebih cantik dan terbaru tapi sejak jadi MAMA ni bab persiapan sendiri tak berapa penting. Asalkan ada baju.
Tahun ni jugak kalau boleh nak buat biskut sendiri. Tapi nak buat yang simple-simple 3 jenis (Choc chip, honey conrnflakes dan biskut arab). Mama ni memang malas sikit buat biskut sebab MALAS nak terap dan tunggu lama-lama depan oven. I prefer to bake cake. Senang dan cepat. Mungkin kat Semenanjung ni budaya kita more tu biskut. Teringat masa study dulu my friend dari Sarawak balik ke hostel bawak berjenis-jenis kek sebab kat sana they all lebih kepada kek. Tak banyak buat biskut. Sebab tu Mama pun plan nak beli premix moist choc cake and cheese cake di BAGUS. Tetamu datang boleh hidang kek.
Setakat ni baru itu yang ada dalam checklist Mama. Akan sentiasa diupdate bila idea datang.
Dah lama tak letak gambar Aqil dan Dini. Latest pic of them. Aqil tolong sikatkan rambut adik Dini pagi-pagi sebelum ke nurseri. Muka Aqil serius habis.
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