Mothers' Day 2012

Heeeeeeyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....

OK I know the title of this post says Mothers' Day 2012, and I am fully aware that it is already 10 days past said day... But I just wanted to share our (me & my mom's) Mothers Day dinner experience last May 13, 2012.

My sisters & I decided to reserve a table at TGI Friday's at Subang Parade for 8pm that Sunday. We decided on TGIF because they had this Mothers Day promotion that says that Moms will receive a Beauty Pack of Goodies with every purchase of an entree. My eyes immediately lit up when I saw that this Beauty Pack will consist of goodies from The Body Shop, Yves Rocher, Kose & Skinlab. Sounds preddy awesome to me, esp since I'm a mom too... hehe.

Pic courtesy of www.fridays.com.my

So we booked our table about a week ahead via the TGI Friday's website, as per their instruction, and waited for their confirmation. About 4 days went by, and still no response whatsoever. I was getting antsy, so I called them to make sure they have my reservation, to which they confirmed with some lame excuse about not responding to the online booking sooner [Minus Point One]. I even asked if there would be at least 2 Beauty Packs for us at 8m, coz the ad did say While Stocks Lasts. The person I spoke to reassured me that there shouldn't be a problem as our reservation was quite early in the night, and they have already allocated half the packs for the dinner patrons to be fair. He even said he would put aside 2 packs for us just in case.

Come D-Day, my sisters brought Mom to TGI Friday's Subang Parade, reaching there on time for our reservation. Me, Mr. Hubster and the kids were running abit late coz we were coming from our niece's birthday party in Banting. When we got there, we saw that TGIF was already full to the brim with patrons. Mom and my sisters have already ordered and were waiting for their entrees. After lotsa hugs and kisses, we settled down to order. When the waitress came to take our order, I asked about the beauty pack, since I was ordering a rather large entree for myself. To my dismay, she said that the packs were all gone [Minus Point Two]. I explained that our table was a reserved table, and the fact that their staff had actually assured us of 2 packs, but she insisted that there were no more packs left, and that she would check with the manager regarding the issue. As she trotted off, my sister told me that they said the same thing when they ordered, too. That was exactly on the time we booked, so by right there shouldn't be any issue about us arriving late (and thus resulting in no goodie bags).

My order came: Championship BBQ Beef Ribs. And whatta championship size it was! The plate was more like a mini-tray, and there were about 4-5 pieces of fist-sized meat on it. It was also served with crispy fries, onion rings and a side of apple coleslaw. Hubby ordered the Almond Crusted Chicken Salad, which was preddy huge too. Deena ordered the (free!) Kid's Spaghetti while we ordered (free!) Mac & Cheese Bites for Delea which WE happily ate since Delea can't have processed cheese yet hehehe :P

Championship BBQ Beef Ribs @ TGI Friday's

My verdict? Well, to be quite honest, it's not the best BBQ ribs I've had, but it's preddy decent in my books. The size was impressive, but the meat was a tad dry for my taste. TGI Friday's ribs were not served with a whole set of sauces like Tony Romas (which is where I had the best ribs so far), where the waiters would even give a sampling demonstration of the various sauces. The Championship BBQ Beef Ribs also came with a championship pricetag, approximately RM10 more than Tony Romas'. But I guess the price is for the size of the meal... coz their ribs are definitely bigger than Roma Ribs. The fries and onion rings were okay, and the apple coleslaw was yummy. Definitely have to try my hand at it someday. What I liked about my dish is the fact that even when the meat had cooled down, it was still crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. I had no problems finishing my plate, despite the size.. hehe. Or maybe I was just famished?? :P

When everybody was done with their meal, we took out the dessert we brought: My homemade Red Velvet Cupcakes, baked with love for my Mama. Why buy when you can make your own, right? I even piped in some letterings especially for the occasion. After much food, desserts and laughter, we took some photos to commemorate the evening. Some of the friendly waiters and waitresses even joined us for our little photoshoot. I guess Mr. Hubster's gargantuan camera has equally massive appeal :P

  

After all the fun, and before Deena starts to jump from table to table, we decided to push off. When we asked for the bill, we hoped the manager would come over to smooth out the Beauty Pack issue. Of course, he didn't. We actually had to call the waiter that we spoke to earlier about it to remind him [Minus Point Three]. Finally, the manager came over to see us. He apologized for the confusion, and explained that the packs were mostly taken up by walk-in patrons who had come in earlier, therefore resulting in the insufficient packs. We voiced our dissatisfaction, of course. We reserved our table ONE WEEK ahead, and yet the packs were given away freely to walk-in patrons?? Where's the justice in that? When the manager said that the walk-ins were also their patrons [Minus Point Four], I got abit miffed. Even if they're your patrons, shouldn't you give priority to those who booked ahead? And its not like we didn't say we were celebrating Mothers' Day... We suggested that they look into their booking system coz frankly, it leaves much to be desired. As much as their crew was great and friendly, and their food service was efficient, they really need to brush up their patron-management skills, especially come special occasions and promotions such as this. As a conciliation effort, the manager gave us a free appetizer voucher. Although the goodwill gesture is appreciated, I really do hope they improve their services. It would be such a waste to have all the good food, friendly crew and fun environment be ruined with a below par booking system.

All in all, it was a fun night, despite not getting the Beauty Pack for Mothers Day. What mattered was that everybody had a good meal, we spent quality time with each other and shared bucketfuls of laughter. The Beauty Pack is not nearly as valuable as the good time we had together. Would I go back to TGI Friday? Hmmm.. Walk-in... MAYBE. But I doubt that I would make a reservation there in the near future...

Everyday I thank Allah for being blessed with my two angels...

Oh and by the way, my eldest, Deena made me a bouquet of flowers for Mothers' Day! Arranged it herself, with the help of her teachers... hehe. The best Mothers' Day gift from her yet! As for MY mom, we bought her a bouquet of fresh flowers too! Had the pretty gerberas delivered to her the next morning as a surprise... So happy she loved it! :)

Till next entry... ciao!

HaZe: 2012 Edition

Hello all!

[Dusts cobwebs & blows an inch-thick crust of dust]

Yeah, I know... It's been a while. A month short of a year since my last entry, hence the expected "cobwebs". Yes, I know I keep promising to update my blog as often as possible, but let's face it: Life Happens. And for the past 11 months, that was exactly what happened. LIFE. So here's the long and the short of the past months:

:: 27 July 2011 ::

Delea in the first few weeks of life... :)

We welcomed our 2nd princess into the world. We decided to name her Nurwafa Adelea, even before we found out we were expecting another girl. Although almost everyone predicted that the baby would be a boy (judging from my protruding tummy shape), in the end, my eldest's predictions came true -- she was getting a baby sister. In fact, I think she has a special connection to her sister from the get go: She told me I had a baby in my tummy BEFORE I even bought the pregnancy test kit, and when asked if the baby I was carrying is a brother or a sister, she would always, 100% confident and sure of herself, say: GIRL!

The bond between my 2 girls continue to amaze me. To this day, even when Baby Delea fusses or cries, whenever her sister comes along and talks, sing or dance to her (yeah my eldest is the "entertainer" of the family ;P), she would automatically stop fussing and smile. Deena basically trumps me in terms of grabbing Delea's attention, except for feeding time at least. I admit, sometimes I get abit jealous, but I am truly thankful that Deena is taking the elder-sisterhood in stride and loves her little sister to bits. You can just tell from looking at them play together, how much they love each other. I just hope it stays that way till they're old and gray, especially when hubby & I are no longer on this earth for them.

OK enough sappy stuff. Talking about my girls always gets me all emotional.. hehe. Onwards then!

:: August 2011 ::

Ah.. the dreaded confinement period. What's not to dread? Daily intakes of ginger-infused fish dishes and raw leafy ulams sans the much-needed sambal (yeah I'm a hardcore chilli-addict :P) after a full 9 months of yummy, rich food bingeing... Not fun, lemme tell ya. But honestly, it wasn't as horrible this time around. For one thing, I already know what to expect from past experience, so I was mentally prepared for the worst of sleepless nights and physical discomfort. Secondly, Baby Delea wasn't as fussy as Deena was as a baby. Don't get me wrong, she cries, nay, screams just as loud as her big sister did but I guess she's alot more calmer in comparison. Or perhaps, I'm the one who is calmer this time around. :P

Last, but certainly not least, was the fact that for 90% of the first 2 most crucial weeks within the confinement period, my hubby took care of me and the kids. He cooked my confinement dishes himself, from scratch (which tasted better than all the confinement ladies' & makcik2s' dishes put together) just because he knew my tastes THAT well. Sure, they might not be Jamie Oliver-esque or anything, but its the thought and effort that makes it all the more delish. He distracted Deena when it mattered the most -- when I had to fully concentrate on Baby Delea's needs. And on rare occasions, when the constant disrupted sleep at night got the best of me, he pitched in. I know not many women can brag about this, and so I feel very privileged to have had this great experience. No pressure on all the dads out there, ya!

Grilled black pepper tenggiri & baked asparagus in lemon butter sauce by Chef Hubby

That being said, Allah is great and just. He gave me a chance to repay my hubby's kindness and love within the same month. Halfway through my confinement period, Hubby suddenly experienced some serious abdominal pain. He was literally rolling around on the floor in agony, and I was equally miserable coz I didn't know how to help him, and I couldn't take him to the hospital. Indefinitely, he was admitted in KJMC, and had to undergo an open cholecystectomy. So there I was, semi-healed from childbirth and fully garbed in thick socks and warm clothes, lugging around a newborn and a hyper 3 -yr old to the hospital and back. I think I nearly gave my parents and in-laws a coronary when I told them I'd be driving myself to and fro... haha :P Even Hubby gave up trying to tell me to stay home, I was THAT stubborn. Alhamdulillah he recovered quickly, and so did I. I'd like to think this trying time brought us closer together, and we are more appreciative towards each other since then.

 

:: October 2011 ::

Alas, my R&R time ended, and duties at the office beckoned. 60 days maternity leave flew by in a blink of an eye, and there I was, looking at 3 months' worth of backdated research work AND the added task of pumping milk for my babe. Make no mistake, it IS a full-time job, and it takes full commitment (and loads of storage space in your freezer :P) to commit to this, but I'm determined to fully breastfeed Delea for at least a year, or at the very least, till it's sufficient for her needs. Breastmilk is, after all, the best food for your baby and despite the odds, I want the best for my girl, even if it means stuffing lunch down my throat in 15 minutes everyday. Hey, it might even help me lose weight faster haha. Idealism or wishful thinking? Only those who've seen me in the flesh can tell ;)

One happy and a wee bit unorthodox family... we wouldn't want it any other way!

So that's preddy much the major life-altering moments that went down the past year, in a huge, gigantic nutshell. Hopefully I'll be able to update more in future, without relapsing into my annual-blogging-habit :P So till next time, ciao!