Little Bit of Last Week's Reality and Our Crack at the Creamiest, Crispiest Crab Rangoon! 🦀

Okay, meh nak citer. You know those dishes that look dead easy but have a sneaky little learning curve  tahap *KBKK? For us, that's been the glorious Crab Rangoon. 

(*KBKK stand for Kemahiran Berfikir Secara Kritis dan Kreatif). 

I first stumbled upon these little pockets of joy on reels and Anuar Zain Khairul Aming's page last time. There's just something ridiculously addictive about that first CRUNCH followed by the super creamy filling. Seriously, try stopping at just one – I dare ya!

This past week has been a bit of a rollercoaster, up and down, to be honest. You know, the usual parenting gig – celebrating the sweet moments and navigating the hmm... well, the less sweet ones. Speaking of less sweet, my eldest, Adam, had his Ustazah call. Apparently, books have been MIA and homework untouched. With his SDEA exams looming, my heart did a little anxious flutter. You know that feeling, right? You pour your heart into making sure they have everything they need, and then… this. I had that "Apa yang kurang Ibu tak bagi lagi?" moment, the one that ties your stomach in knots. I kept it casual with Adam, just asking why. Being ketua kelas, you'd think responsibility would be his middle name, but ah, boys~ 🙄 Silence was his answer, so I had to lay down the law: another call, and he's "sure kena" big time. First and final warning. Wish me kesabaran yang berterusan, tuan puan.

Then there's Iman, my sweet shadow. Teachers' Day gifts for me? Check! Generally a lovely kid. Except… the volume! This boy can rival a jet engine macam turbine when his brothers aren't up to his hygiene standards ("Tak mandi bersih!", "Tak gosok gigi!"). Honestly, the lecturing duties are overflowing here. Ibu's got her own battles, you know? He's slowly morphing into the "parent of the house" sometimes, and yeah, I'll wear that "guilty as charged" badge.

And oh, Fateh. My dramatic one. Saturday morning was the usual multi-drop-off madness: Adam and Iman to archery (far!), Yusuf to kelas jawi (also far!), and Fateh to football practice (you guessed it, far!). We were already running late, thanks to the classic sibling squabbles, and "where's my cap? where's my bag?" sesh. My new parenting mantra? 

"Lambat, tinggal!" 

And I did. Left him at the gate. Cue the waterworks: "Semua tinggal Fateh! Semua tak sayang Fateh! Nak Fateh mati je!" 

Well seriously Bro? I had to keep a straight face, finished the other drop-offs, and treated myself to a peaceful Burger King breakfast while watching Fateh on CCTV. Fast forward to crab rangoon making time later that day, and suddenly he's all sunshine and thank-yous for the lavender tissue I bought him last week. Tibber. 🙄

Amidst the week's dramas, there's always comfort in the kitchen. Wanna know what goes into our family's current obsession? Here's the lowdown:

1. As much of those imitation filament crab sticks as our hearts desire (usually around 6 (big one), but who's counting?)
2. A whole block (250g) of creamy, dreamy cream cheese
3. A little sprinkle magic of garlic powder, onion powder, black or white pepper, sesame oil, and a dash of our trusty Maggi Cukup Rasa.
4. Now for my sneaky mom trick: finely blended carrots! The boys don't even notice, and it's a little veggie boost. Sometimes I even toss in some corn (because why not?) and a bit of chopped daun bawang for that fresh touch.

We just mush it all together, and then the folding frenzy begins. We've tried triangles, little purses – you name it macam-macam ada. It's like origami, but the edible kind. Remember what I said about learning curves? Folding these bad boys takes skill eh. Too much filling and poof, they're exploding in the oil. Air bubbles? Prepare for uneven cooking and filling escapees. We've had our fair share of uniquely shaped (and sometimes leaky) rangoon thanks to enthusiastic little helpers.

And let's not forget Yusuf; my budding entrepreneur. His teacher called about his origami business – selling them for RM1 a pop to his friends. While a part of me admires the hustle (gotta respect the businessman!), another part understands the teacher's perspective, especially since her own kids were customers! So, a little "ganti rugi" (compensation) was paid, I double the amount, just to smooth things over. But honestly, Yusuf, you're a natural! Just maybe diversify your clientele beyond your teacher's kids! HAHAHAHA.

And the grand finale of our weekend kitchen therapy? Dunking these golden beauties into a generous pool of Mae Pranom sweet chili Thai sauce. Seriously, that sauce is the MVP. It's the perfect sweet and spicy kick to balance the creamy, crunchy goodness.

Honestly, the best part of making these isn't just the eating (though that's a close second!). It's the moments in between the week's dramas, the laughter (and sometimes exasperated sighs!) in the kitchen, and the little victories. The moment a perfectly sealed rangoon emerges from the oil, golden and crispy – that's a tiny triumph worth celebrating with a high-five (and maybe an extra rangoon!).

So, if you're looking for a fun weekend kitchen project that also serves as a great distraction from the everyday parenting rollercoaster, give these crab rangoon a go! Just be prepared for a little folding chaos along the way – it just adds to the charm and the stories ;) Toodaloo~