Category: DIY & Tutorials

Cheap and Easy Pac Man Pinata
Alliyah Dawud
July 23, 2019

When the youngest wanted an 80s party I nearly fall off my chair. Child you are really an old soul. But let’s be honest the 80s were amazing.

Pinatas are big business. You see them all over the place and if you look on Etsy you can get some pretty amazing ones.

I tried to make on with a giant balloon and paper mache-EPIC fail! So I moved onto plan B.

A paper lantern Pac Man Pinata.

This really is an easy as pie type of crafting project. I actually had some leftover paper lanterns in the loft as well as yellow plastic table cloths we used last year for Hiffys Rapunzel party which I ‘fringed’ and used to decorate the Pac Man. I then made two eyes….and Pac Man was born.

To replicate our Pinata you will need:

One paper lantern (I used a medium sized one-20 cm). You can pick one up at a Pound store (cost: £1.00)
1 rectangualr plastic table cloth in yellow-£1.65 off eBay
Cellotape
Scissors
Fringing scissors-I bought a pair of ‘security scissors’ which are used to shred addresses etc on paperwork before throwing them in the recycling. You can pick up a pair for £2.99 including postage on eBay.
Piece of stern card (mine was A5 and I trimmed it down a bit)
Duct tape (if you have it; which I did).
Some strong string/rope to hang the Pinata
Stuff to place inside the Pinata.
A stick and mask to smack it with (we got ours from Tesco for £2.00)
Fillers: we used a large bag of party fillers from Wilkos and a large bag of sweets that cost £4.99 from Home Bargains. We actually had leftover sweets which I re-use for another Pinata.

The how to:

1) Set up your lantern. Cut HALF the table cloth into 8 cm strips. The length doesn’t matter as much as the width.
2) using the fringing scissors cut into the strips and create your lovely fringe.
3) Place the card carefully into the lantern. Using the duct tape secure into the bottom of the lantern. Ensure it’s completely secure. You can also stick some tape to the outside too to give it extra protection.
4) Now starting at the bottom and cellotape strips of the fringe to the lantern. I cellotaped them in ‘rows’ to ensure all the lantern was covered. This method worked for me.
5) Repeat until you cover the lantern.
6) Glue on the eyes.
7) Now add your goodies to the Pinata. I used a bag of party favours and a large bag of sweets that cost £4.99. This still made my Pinata cheaper than the ones on Etsy.
8) Attach the string or rope to the Pinata and tie it to something secure.
9) Your Pinata is ready to go.

Alliyahs awesome (bulk) Pakora Mix
Alliyah Dawud
May 6, 2019

My bulk Pakora mix

Ramadan Kareem by lovely folk!

For many Asians Pakoras are an essential foodie item on the Ramadan schedule. I’ll admit that as a child I associated these golden nuggets of yumminess with the holy month.

This Ramadan I will be posting recipes I find easy, economical and a bit different to the standard Ramadan feasts we are so used to. And as someone who tries to make healthy eating a part of family life I want to provide recipes I use at home and have tweaked to make them slightly better than the mainstream counterparts. I also like the idea of ‘freestyling’ in the kitchen so I sometimes don’t have exact weights for ingredients just like the average Mama won’t whilst cooking to feed her brood.

I’ll also post shorter articles during the blessed month too. Feel free as always to share the blog posts with your nearest, dearest and folk who love food!

Nowadays I enjoy Pakoras when I want however I know many that spend hours preparing the gram flour mix during the month of Ramadan.

I’m here to suggest that you mix it all in bulk…and cut your work load. Literally!

I make a big batch of Pakora mix to save time and also money. Pre-mixed boxes work out more expensive. The only real convenience they bring to the kitchen is the fact all the spices have been added. That’s it.

Here is my recipe for my Pakora Mix. I’ve made up batches and used them over 2 months so I’ve had no problems at all. I’ve listed the spices I use as standard.

I don’t actually add ‘chili’ in the form of Chili Powder until I’m making a batch of Pakoras. This works for me as I don’t give my daughters lots of chili.

If you are avoiding salt then by all means adjust the recipe to reflect that.

To make a huge batch of Alliyahs Pakora Mix you will need:

4 cups of Gram Flour (that’s chickpea flour aka Basan) sifted into a large bowl
1 TBSP baking powder-sifted into the bowl
2 TBSP salt
1 TBSP dried coriander leaves (heaped)
2 TBSP coriander powder (heaped)
2 TBSP cumin powder (heaped)
2 TBSP carom seeds-whole (heaped)
1 TBSP garam masala powder (heaped)

1) If you haven’t already done it sift the basan (gram flour) and baking powder into a large bowl.
2) Add the spices and stir to eventually distribute the ingredients.
3) Decant the mix into a airtight container.
Your mix is ready to use.

I usually make a test batch of Pakoras so I know if I need to add more spices.

NOTE: to make the Pakora mixture I add 2 TBSP of coriander leaves (finely chopped up) to the mixture.

To use the mix:
There’s two ways I use this mix.

1) Make a thick paste (it should coat the back of a wooden spoon) and dip in your favourite vegetables and deep fry until golden brown.

2) Cut up your vegetables and add 3 tablespoons of the mix. Add a little water and mix to coat the vegetables and create a sticky mix. If the mixture is too gloopy add a bit of water. If you cannot see the Pakora mix and the vegetables are not coated add more mix. It’s a bit of trial and error depending on how much vegetables you are using.

Don’t forget to add some chili powder if you need something a bit more spicy.

Enjoy your Pakoras! What do you usually serve with yours? Drop us a message below.

Salted Caramel Popcorn
Stylemesisteradmin
December 14, 2018

 

 

Salted Caramel Popcorn

I cannot be the only one that looks for ways to add the magic of Ramadan and Eid to the lives of those around us. I also cannot be the only Mama who looks for ways for her children to share this blessed and magical time with their friends and Teachers either.

As my girls get older they are noticing more and more that a lot of attention is given on a global scale to Christmas. They also notice that gift giving/baked goods and other little items are distributed a lot during the festive period.

So this year I put a bit of effort into my children’s light Dawah on the playground. That’s right; I classed this project as Dawah. Because even though there isn’t any spoken words to this we are paving the way for conversation. And we are also spreading kindness. Dawah in my book doesn’t have to be about preaching. It’s also about creating opportunities to discuss things.

So why am I posting this recipe so close to Christmas? Well I don’t see any reason why you cannot distribute these cones for Christmas too.

So to make 12 cones of pure yumminess (that took me about an hour and a half to actually do) you will need:

Ingredients:

500 grams popping corn (plan stuff available in most supermarkets and is actually quite cheap)
4 TBSP oil (sunflower works-no need to go fancy)

For the caramel:

600 grams sugar (I used a mixture of what I had in the house-which was soft light and dark brown sugars)
550 grams of butter (feel free to use salted)
Sea salt (crushed) to taste.
4 TBSP honey
4 TBSP double cream

To wrap up:
12 x cellophane cone bags (I purchased these in a set of 50 as I have other projects coming up)
12 x wire twists to fasten the cones
Stickers (optional-we bought Eid Mubarak stickers off eBay. I’ll be using personalised ones for the Christmas cones we are distributing too).

Equipment:
2 large baking sheets (or 3 smaller ones). Line with greaseproof paper. I prefer to use the sheets that are used to make tray bakes etc as they have high sides which prevents popcorn falling off.

1) You need to start by popping the corn. I popped the corn in batches. I placed 2 TBSP of oil in a large pan and heated in a large pan and add 150 grams of corn. Give it a quick shake and place the lid on. Now is the fun part. You need to listen to the corn pop. This takes around 5/6 minutes. Give the pan a shake (carefully as it will be hot!) during the 5/6 minutes to stop the popcorn burning. Once the speed of the corn literally dies down (again around 5/6 minutes in). Turn the heat off. Give the pan a shake. Do not remove the lid just yet in case you get hit by a stray popped corn.

2) Repeat step 1 until all the popcorn is popped. Remove any cernals that haven’t popped (chipped teeth are not in vogue). Place the popcorn to one side. Now make the caramel.

3) As there’s a lot of popcorn I make the caramel in TWO batches. I find this the best way to control the situation.

Heat half the butter and half the sugar in a medium pan. Stir the mixture to prevent it burning.

Cook over a medium heat until the caramel is formed. Now by this I mean you’ll literally see a sticky, brown liquid lava in the pan. Now add 2 TBSP of honey and stir in. Reduce the heat to prevent burning. Now add the double cream and stir until combined. Allow to bubble for a minute. Turn the heat off. Allow to cool for a few minutes. It will still be hot and you need to be careful not to scald yourself as hot sugar is dangerous.

4) Now comes the messy yet slightly dangerous part. You need to add half the popcorn to the caramel. Stir well to cover as much of the popcorn as possible. Now divide up the mixture onto the trays and spread evenly. Sprinkle on salt to your taste.

5) Bake in an oven at 170 for 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and allow to cool completely. Don’t worry if you peak at the popcorn whilst it’s warm and the mixture looks like it’s melted. Once its stone cold it’s set and will be yum. Hold the vision; trust the process. Always.

Now repeat the above steps to make another batch of caramel/caramel popcorn.

Once the popcorn is cold you may wish to break up the clusters to bag them up. That’s fine. Place in the bags and fasten. Add labels/stickers as you wish.

Any leftover popcorn will keep well for up to 4 days in a ziplock bag/airtight container.

Distribute with pride.

Enjoy.

Note: this popcorn is high in calories and sugar. In case you were wondering.

Mini Guide to Meal Planning
Stylemesisteradmin
November 12, 2018

Meal planning made easy!

No really; you don’t have to be Martha Stewart of Nigella to carry out successful meal planning.

I bet a lot of you have thought of meal planning and may have even done it and FAILED because of many factors. Some of the main factors that lead to epic maiden voyage failure include:

1) Not considering what your family (and you!) actually enjoy eating
2) Not considering time restraints
3) Not considering budgets
4) Not considering how difficult it maybe to get hold of ‘exotic’ ingredients
5) Not considering fridge and freezer space
6) Not considering family life on the days you are planning meals
7) Not considering the equipment you have at hand
8) Not considering how expensive some pieces of equipment maybe to purchase for a recipe you may not even like

….I could continue but I think I’ve considered the majority of you.

I know exactly how easy it can be to get carried away on pinterest an pin hundreds of lentil meatless balls recipes to a board to try when your family cannot stand lentils. I’ve been there; and that’s why today I will try to demistify meal planning and make it something you CAN do and be successful at.

Let’s dive straight in.

1) BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET
We need to keep this real y’all. How much do you have to spend a week/month. If you have a monthly budget break it down into 4 to see how much you have per week.
TIP: if you really are unaware of food prices log onto a Superstore website and look up prices on the items you’ll be using e.g. meat, pasta, yogurts. I always start by looking at the essential items.

2) How much time do you REALLY have to prepare and cook meals? Do you have a couple hours on a Sunday to prepare for the week ahead? Do you have a block once a month to make a couple of meals you an freeze? Be realistic. We all have lives. You cannot be super wifey, super mama and work long hours and cook organic vegetable lasagna with homemade pasta sheets every day.

NOTE: If you planned to do a bulk preparation session PUT IT IN YOUR DIARY NOW.

So be realistic; go through your diary/plans and look at what time you have on your hands. If your main aim is to eat healthier and you are struggling with time you need to consider freeing up time in your life; after all health is something we cannot put a price tag on.

3) What do you actually enjoy eating? What are your favourite meals? Where do you enjoy eating out?

Make a list of your favourite meals (even the naughtier ones that would give your Doctor a shock).

4) What equipment do you have (or can borrow)?
Do you have a Slow cooker? Maybe a pressure cooker? A panini maker collecting dust?

5) How much fridge and freezer space do you have? Can you brown meat/mince etc for a few days in advance or will you struggle to fit yogurt and milk in?

6) Look up recipes you’ll be using based on the food you enjoy. You may have recipe books. You could also pop into your local Library to borrow some books. Or use the internet.

7) Find a meal planner that works for you. I created my own which has enough space for me to jot down if we’ve got a busy day that day so I don’t over commit to cooking that day.
I keep my Family Calendar on the table as I plan my meals; this helps majorly because I can also see if I need to prepare lunches etc too (which I often use leftovers for).

Note: NOT all the meals I cook are from recipe books. Some are meals I’ve grown up on or use weekly.
You don’t need to try new recipes every single night! That’s going to stress you even more.
If you are an expermental cook set aside maybe two nights a month to try something new. I would ensure you either have leftovers from the night before or a simple meal alternative incase the meal doesn’t go to plan (so maybe the night after a Roast meal. That way you can use leftover roast chicken in tortilla wraps and make cheese and chicken quesadillas and serve them with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream).

Now the fun bit: plan out your meals. I try to make life easier by having rough outlines to what I am aiming to cook on a weekly basis based on what the family eat so I have sub-categories:

Once a week pizza (frozen)
Once a week Pasta dish
Once a week Mince based meal
Once a week Chicken based meal
Once a week Roast chicken meal (with/without all the sides depending on what we fancy)
Once a week fish option
One a week vegetable/lentil based meal

Now some weeks I don’t cook a meal from all those categories but we try our best to vary our diets as it’s important to not get bored with meals and to get as many vitamins, protein etc as recommended.

Some meals cross over more than one category for example:
Chili con carne ‘Shepard’s pie’-it contains mince and a hearty dose of vegetables in the carrot and root vegetable topping. It also contains red kidney beans (lentils=extra protein).

Desi style keema pasta bake: contains pasta and mince chicken. So it’s a pasta dish, contains chicken which is mince.

Notes:
I don’t usually plan lunches UNLESS it’s the holidays as we’re usually busy and I get bored of sandwiches everyday.
I also increase food budgets in holidays because you have extra people around at lunch time.
I also reassess time restraints in holiday lunch planning.

8) Do you shopping after checking what you have in that you will be using.

9) PRINT out your meal plan and keep one on the fridge, one on the family notice board (if you use one) and once in your planner. Whilst you are getting used to meal planning you can do with having gentle reminders.

10) And for the big event itself: get cooking based on your Meal Plan.

What happens next?

Firstly, don’t panic if things don’t go to plan at first. You may have glitches and that’s fine!

Have back up meal ideas if you are trying something you are not sure will go down well with the family (I offer my children toast, beans on toast, spaghetti on toast etc as alternatives to anything they get to fussy with).

NOTE down which meals worked best and which DIDN’T. It’s absolutely fine to cook the same meal a few times a month. It’s also fine to rule out certain dishes too.

Extra useful TIP: I made a list of 7 meals by children and I enjoy and I always include them on the plan. ALWAYS. I also have a Pizza meal night which is Friday’s. I use frozen pizza and that takes away another 3/4 meals a month. That helps me a lot and my girls get their treat too (whilst watching a movie).

Give yourself a pat on the back because getting used to meal planning at first can be very stressful!

I hope that’s helped you somehow: I wish someone had explained to me the basics of meal planning when I first started planning meals and also pointed out that I didn’t have to try something new everyday; and I don’t have to cook anything we don’t enjoy (if your choice is based on nutritious value look for an alterative because in all honesty meal time struggles are not worth the energy lost).

Gratitude is attitude (start a Gratitude jar)
Stylemesisteradmin
November 5, 2018

Gratitude Jar

This world. It’s great isn’t it. We have all the mod cons. All the stuff our ancestors could never have imagined. All these opportunities we receive, all the love, the recoveries from illnesses….the blessings we have. We often forget them. It’s human nature (unless you actively rewire your brain) to concentrate on negatives rather than positives. Call it society. Call it normal. Whatever you want to class it as it’s an active block in your life.

My personal journey with GRATITUDE is I keep a gratitude diary. I fill out the diary with three things I am thankful for everyday. I’ve been doing this for a while now. It’s been a part of my own personal developmental journey. You see until you can see what the good stuff in your life is you cannot dispel the negative. Your thought process needs to move to positives. You need to concentrate on the good. The light. And then multiply them.

It’s Laws of Attraction. Like attracts like. You think about the good, you concentrate on the good. You focus on the good.

You then manifest MORE of the same/similar.

We’ve all had negative experiences where we’ve got out of bed and the day has started rough. We’ve muttered ‘flippin’ great’ and the next thing you know you’ve poured coffee down your white shirt, your toast is burnt, your car engine has overheated and you are late for your annual review. You then have to combat the rush hour traffic on public transport. You open your post and there’s an invite to your exes Wedding. Because at the start of a less than happy day things started a rough and we were like “what else can go WRONG” and the universe answers your vibes that you are sending out in the way you are manifesting via your attitude.

So to increase goodness we concentrate on GOOD VIBES ONLY.

As a Muslim gratitude is attitude. We’re taught to be thankful for the blessings and also count the lessons. And what doesn’t kill is it teaching something to us and we need to grow from it.

Rather than allow my daughters to get into the habit of concentrating on the negative I’ve introduced a Gratitude Jar into the weekly family activities. The idea is to get everyone in the family to think of at least one thing they are grateful for over the week and write it down. We then place it in the jar. Then when the year is done we will read our slips and put them in an envelop for future reference.

The idea is to get into the habits of expressing gratitude and acknowledging the good in life. It’s also a way of reflecting on our lives (I’m a firm believer in reflection to improve ourselves). And the more we thankful the more we attract of the same good stuff.

It’s a great activity to do as a family and it costs next to nothing to do.

Materials needed:

Paper (we use coloured craft paper. We’ve got A4 size mixed colours. The pack cost £4.00 and will last us more than a year.
A jar-I upcycled a jar by writing on it a verse from the Holy Quran

(If you are grateful I will give you more 14:7).

We use various pens to write out our slips.

And apart from that you don’t need anything else.

So go on; increase your gratitude as a family and see how the positive attitude brings in more positive vibes for you all.