Category: Featured

How to BRAIN DUMP
Alliyah Dawud
October 11, 2017

Decluttering your BRAIN aka having a Brain dump

Okay so vulgar name aside if you are anything like me and have hundreds of thoughts going on in your head this could be your knight in glamourous shining armour (if you need saving that is).

So the idea behind a brain dump is to get back to basics and translate everything buzzing around in your head onto paper. In a world run by technology we are pretty much getting back to basics.

So what you do is you take a piece of paper (I use A4) and set a stop clock to give me 15 minutes. I then ignore the world an and write down everything that pops into mind. The theory is that if it’s popping into your head it needs to come out.

So you write down everything. It would be names, feelings, things you need to do. Things you’ve been putting off. EVERYTHING.

Once the 15 minutes is up you have two options:

1) leave the brain dump and come back to it later (in the evening/next day/next week)

2) create FOUR lists:
Must prioritise (e.g. Doctors appointments, Gas heater servicing, updating contact details with Schools, insurance renewals etc)
Things that must be done within a set timeframe (I usually give myself 4-6 weeks for this depending on how many things are on the list). This could be things like getting quotes for a gardening job, having winter things dry cleaned for storage etc. Things that need doing but if they are delayed they won’t have huge consiquences.
Things that can go on your Master To Do List (see article here on this List).
EMOTIONAL/Personal: feelings/conversations that need to be had etc all go on this list.

3) Now go through these lists. Ask yourself the following questions:

Do you really need to do all these tasks yourself?
Can you delegate them?
Have you taken on more than you can cope with (note this down and don’t repeat this to just torture your soul).
Which tasks can you do the quickest to get your progress flowing.

Remove anything from the lists that you delegate out or shouldn’t really be on there. Be ruthless baby. Time is money.

3) Now you have to work through these lists. Be realistic with time frames. If you don’t give yourself time frames that are manageable you are setting yourself up for failure. Don’t torture yourself.

4) Come back to the lists when you are organising your week to see which tasks can be completed.

5) Repeat the brain dump as and when required. Treat this as a regular exercise that helps with your brain decluttering. Your lists may never be empty but this helps put things into perspective.

Have you tried Brain Dumping? How did you find it? Is it something you do on a regular basis to keep life organised? Share your pearls of wisdom below.

 

Love,

 

Alliyah

Indian Gooseberry & Coconut oil Hair Mask
Stylemesisteradmin
October 10, 2017

Amla (Indian gooseberry) and Coconut oil hair mask

Life throws us many curve balls and losing hair seems to be a major one. Stress, genes, life…whatever the reason hair loss (or thinning of hair) is no joke for anyone. My hair thinned out so much post Heart Attack. But at the time with all that was going on in my life fixing it wasn’t my to do list.

Fast forward and now I’m a happy vitamin popping hijabi with a healthier outlook on life. Recently I was on Pinterest and had a look at DIY hair masks that could potentially encourage hair growth. I found a new masks made with Amla (Indian gooseberry) and coconut oil. After a bit of research I mixed up the following hair pack.

I recommend you use this TWICE a week to see a visible difference.

For an extra boost do the following:

Take one tablespoon of Amla oil with 4 drops of rosemary essential oil and massage it into the scalp. Leave for 6/8 hours (overnight). Massage it well into the scalp to stimulate hair growth. Now if you’ve massaged the oil well into the scalp you shouldn’t really need to wrap your hair to prevent the oil transferring onto your pillow. However it’s always best to be safe than sorry so either place an old towel on your pillow or use a shower hat or twisty turban hair towel on your hair.
The following morning apply the hair pack to your hair. Leave for 2 hours and wash.

This pack is enough for shoulder length hair. Remember that we are concentrating on the scalp because that’s where the magic happens.

I adjusted the basic ingredients I saw listed online and have explained why:

Coconut oil (a fantastic natural hair conditioner)
2 TBSP

Amla (Indian gooseberry powder). This is used to stimulate hair growth and encourage stronger hair. You can purchase this at most Indian supermarkets or at a stretch you can purchase it online via eBay.
2 TBSP

Rosemary essential oil: this oil is great for stimulating the scalp to kick in hair growth. Don’t overdo it.
5 drops

Kapoor Kachli Powder (also known as spiked ginger lily) is a type of root; similar to ginger. It smells nice, and also stimulates hair growth. I added this to boost the Amla powders power. This is also available at Indian Supermarkets or again online.
1 TSBP

Preparation:
1) Melt the coconut oil to help combine the ingredients. I zapped it in the microwave to save time. Always use a suitable container and be careful handling hot fats.
2) Add the Amla and Kapoor Kachli powders to the coconut oils and stir well. Add the rosemary oil. Stir further.
3) Now apply to your scalp. It may get messy so protect your clothes. Ensure to cover al the scalp as much as you can. Apply left over pack to your hair. Now leave on your hair for 2 hours.
4) After 2 hours give your scalp a quick massage and wash your hair as usual with your chosen shampoo and conditioner.

NOTE: It took me three lots of shampoo to remove this pack from my hair. It’s worth noting this so you know to give yourself extra time in the shower.
EXTRA NOTE: This pack will make your shower slippery! Be cautious!

Why do you need to condition as normal?
Post hair pack my hair didn’t feel conditioned at all. This hair pack in my opinion is about stimulating hair growth, and grow healthy strong hair. It’s not about instant, visible results.

What results have I seen so hair?
I’ve only used this mask a few times. However this is about hair growth and stimulation. You won’t be able to see results in a few uses. This is more of a long term investment of time and effort.

Cost of hair pack:
Amla powder (100 grams) : £1.99
Kalchi powder (50 grams) : £1.99
Coconut oil (125ml): £2.49
Rosemary essential oil (10ml): £1.64

These ingredients are enough to make at least 10-12 packs.

So if you make 10 that’s £0.81 pence per treatment
And if you manage 12 that’s £0.68 pence per treatment

I’ll be applying this pack to my hair twice a week.

I’ll be updating this article around:
End of December 2017 (three months of applying the pack)
End of March 2018 (six months of applying the pack)

Can this pack be used on children?
I wouldn’t recommend this for any child under 4. I’d also recommend you start off children with scalp massages using hair oils.

Any other info:
If you think you maybe allergic to any of the ingredients always do a test patch first.

If you cannot find Kalchi powder just replace it with another spoon of Amla powder.

You may need to shampoo a few times to remove this concoction off your hair; you have been warned!

Have you tried this treatment? How did you find it? Or maybe you have your own recipe you want to share with below? We would love to hear from you.

 

Love,

 

Alliyah

Chutney wahle Murghi kaleji
Stylemesisteradmin
March 19, 2016

 

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Chicken livers in chutney

We know I love cooking. We also know sometimes it’s impossible to dedicate hours to slaving over a stovetop to prepare a quick meal.

Livers are a great frugal ingredient. They are also full of iron which so many folk currently don’t get enough of. And the best bit is they cook so quickly and can be kept in the deep freezer for a quick meal.

My current favourite ways of eating livers is either this way or in a quick pasta sauce (recipe coming soon!).

NOTE: a splatter guard is useful ( or a lid of some kind) as the livers splatter a lot.

To serve 4 people for lunch you will need:

500 grams of chicken livers, trimmed of fat, washed and dried (this makes nice generous portions you could half this for a lighter meal).

1 and 1/2 TBSP vegetable oil

1 TBSP salt

1 TSP freshly ground black pepper

1 bunch of coriander (approximately 60-80 grams) stalks and all. Washed and roughly chopped

30 grams of mint leaves washed and roughly chopped

6 green chilies (for medium spice) or less for those who don’t really dig chili. Increase to 10 if like me you need a chili hit

Juice of 1 lime

To serve: Tandoori Rotis (other flat breads)

Optional extras to serve:

Sliced green chilies

1 TBSP coriander leaves chopped

1 lime quartered

1) Firstly make the chutney. I make it in a food processor (the jug variety or mini food processors). Place the mint, coriander and chilies in the processor. Whiz with 2 TBSP cold water. Add the lime and blitz until you have a rough paste.

2) Heat the oil in a large pan on a medium heat. Add the livers and fry until the livers are cooked. This for me took 5 minutes on a medium heat.

3) Add salt and pepper and the chutney. Stir and ensure all the livers are covered in the chutney. Turn the heat off. Leave to rest for a minute and serve.

I like to serve this quick meal on tandoori roti (store bought). But you can serve it with any type of flatbread you like.

Enjoy!

 

So my first #OOTD Outfit of the Day.
Stylemesisteradmin
March 17, 2016

So I really dislike being in front of the camera and my nearest and dearest will tell you why. It’s because I’m a photographer by heart. Let me stand behind it and I can happily snap for days. Tell me to stand in front of it and I get tired.

So although you will get the #outfitoftheday posts (because I’m good like that) don’t expect too many.

So what am I wearing?

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I’m quite into Mod Style. So I went a bit Arabian Rock Chick with this look.

Lace Hijab is from Heart Hijab

Statement Necklace was purchased a while ago from GildedOffical who can be found on #Instagram

The fringed cropped Biker Jacket is from #fashionbox. Bought via, would you believe Asda!

The tee though. That’s were my heart is in this outfit. It’s from Fajr Army and this link will take you straight there.

The tee says Maktub which is Arabic for It’s written. Quite fitting considering the path of my life right now.

Lipstick is from Makeup Revolution and the colour is called Lady. It cost £1.00 and actually lasts a good few hours.

Skirt (which cannot be seen) is from eBay.

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These lovely lovely shoes were purchased from Tesco. Just shows you can sometimes find shoes you would happily marry whilst going to get your weekly groceries.

Foot chain/anklet is from eBay and cost £1.00.

And that’s all folks!

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Stay blessed and Safe. xo

Full of Eastern Promise….Turkish Delight Brownies
Stylemesisteradmin
March 17, 2016

I’m a sucker for rose. I use Rose water as part of my beauty regime (including soaking cotton pads in it and placing them on my eyes to cool them) as well as using it in face masks. I use rose petals to prettify my food.  Fresh white roses look stunning in vases around the house. The heady fragrance of them transports me to Summer which is my favourite season (along with Spring).

Here I’ve used cocoa powder and not cocoa solids. This in my opinion makes this recipe more economical and a good standby recipe for when you want to bake but don’t have the desire to go to the store to buy chocolate. I mean that would be a fantastic shopping list but still….

Now onto Turkish Delight. Full of Eastern promise and boy does it deliver. The jewelled colour against the chocolate and that fragrance. It makes me happy. And loved.

So without going on too much I present to you my gooey, chocolately and slightly sticky Turkish Delight brownies.

I added an extra kick of rose flavouring by adding swirls of rose jam (Gul Recili) to the brownie before I baked it. This is completely optional.

I also used rose petals (food grade) to decorate the completed Brownie.

These beauties keep well for a five days. You can even blitz them in the microwave for 20 seconds to enjoy them warm. Suitable for home freezing too.

Best served with plenty of ice cream and chocolate sauce (drools).

To make 12 brownies (one 20 cm square pan) you will need:

150 grams butter

300 grams sugar (for a less sweeter version you can use 250 grams)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla flavouring

90 grams plain flour

80 grams cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

100 gram Turkish Delight chocolate chopped

Optional extras:

5 tsp rose jam (available readily at Middle Eastern food stores)

1 tsp rose petals

To serve:

Vanilla ice cream

Chocolate sauce

Grease a 20 cm square pan. I used 1 cal coconut oil spray. Use what works for your dietary needs. Preheat the oven to 170 c.

1) Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat together.

2) Sift in the flour, cocoa and add salt. Stir to combine.

3) And the Turkish Delight and stir to evenly distribute the chocolate throughout the mixture.

5) Tip the mixture into the greased pan. Spread evenly.

4) If you are using the rose jam add teaspoons of it and swirl into the mixture.

5) Place the pan in the middle of the oven and bake for 40 minutes. I generally check the brownie after 35 minutes. If the brownie is set around the edges but is still wobbly in the centre it’s done. Take it out of the oven and allow to cool.

Don’t worry if there’s cracks on the surface of the Brownie this is normal.

Once the Brownie has cooled cut into squares and serve.

I generally like to warm up the brownie (for 15 seconds in the microwave) and add a scoop of ice cream with a drizzle of chocolate sauce and some rose petals. Yum. Enjoy your little taste of the East.