SALAM SYAWAL, EVERYONE!

Salam Syawal, everyone!!

Yes, Chef Baini is back after a long, long Ramadhan rest! Resting from blogging that is! Ramadhan was a busy, busy month as Chef Baini went back to her business roots to make Raya cookies and goodies!

Chef Baini used to do Raya Hampers too,  but that was a long, long time ago! Nevertheless, Chef decided to take a complete break during the 1st week of Syawal to enjoy as much time with her family, just like everyone else!

So now, Chef Baini is back with an all-new look to the blog! And insya'allah, if all goes well, Chef Baini plans to open her on-line baking shop by sometime next year! Ha-ha!That's pretty nebulous, but we've all got to have a vision for ourselves! Then comes the planning, implementation, management and administration! 

However, that isn't the subject of today's blog! We are getting a little but ahead of ourselves here! Probably Chef Baini is a little over-excited on the ideas that have been germinating in her head for the past 5 weeks!

Chef wants to post a few pictures of her Raya 

(or Eid, to all of Chef's international friends) experience 2010 with you.

Here are my two children, Ariff and Jannah...in the Raya togs of their choice...

And this big lug is The Babams, Chef's husband...

Poor Babams...he's suffering from a sinus infection and bronchitis...

making his eyes puffy and watery all the time...However, it did not

stop him from sampling as much Raya food that was put before him during

the Raya rounds at friends and relatives' houses! What a brave man!

You have to be brave to uncle this bunch! These are not the Brady Bunch, they are the Babams' Bunch! It's his motley crew of nephews who livens up any house they visit; Raya time or at any other time of the year!

Raya posing pictures are a must for the family album. When it comes to posing, Jannah and Milla (Chef Baini's niece) are naturals! They love to pose, especially in new togs!

Naturally also, they both want solo pics! Little glamourpusses!

Here's one of Milla on one of the many kiddie rides at the concourse level of the Suria Mall KLCC (Kuala Lumpur City Centre)...this was only yesterday...

One grand tradition of Chef Baini's family is that we always host a Raya dinner for our neighbour of 38 years and counting, the Chong family! They have been by our side through thick and thin, even though Mr. Chong (Uncle Chong, as Chef Baini and family fondly called him) passed away last year at a grand age of 90 years.

This tradition continues to the current generation who is also training the next generation...you can see Jannah playing host to her 'aunties'...

And of course, the Mr. Chong's grandchildren, about the same age as Ariff and Jannah, are now regular attendees of this annual event!

Finally, here we have Siew Yong, or Ah Kim as she is known to Chef and family, taking centre seat at the table! Godmother to Ariff and Jannah, loyal neighbour and trusted friend of Chef and her sisters. To the left is Ah Leng while on the right is Ah Yin. Altogether, Ah Kim has 9 other siblings.

Well, that's all for today, friends! Chef and family hope that you enjoyed reading today's blog. It's times like these that we stop to breathe the roses, especially those that we sow with our hands! Then should we get a little cut now and then from the thorns that lay in the way, just tell yourself, its worth it!

Love as always,

Chef Baini.

P.S. Class begins again on October 9, 2010.