Why I celebrate Valentine’s Day (as a Muslim Mama).
Alliyah Dawud
February 11, 2019

Admit it; if you are a Muslim reading this you are likely to be judging me for straying from my Islamic teachings. If you are not Muslim then you will be intrigued to why this is a big deal. Either way you will be curious.

And that’s fine.

You see around the first week of January of the year shops go from OTT Santa’s grotto to OTT Cupids joint. Everything goes red and pink. It’s all about love. Love. Love. Cards for your boyfriend, girlfriend, wifey, husband, mistress….the last one shocked you right. But you get the picture. It’s celebrating a relationship; a union.

In my opinion it’s not celebrating love or an unbreakable bond. Because the way I celebrate it is exactly that. Celebrating the bond that is undeniably stronger than many many marriages out there: a parent and their child.

A few years ago I saw a video on social media where the Father was getting upset over the fact both his sons were Mamas boys. He went as far as saying when he had a daughter she’d be his Princess and they’d be hitting the high road. The passion he had for that unique, strong natural bond was simply awesome. And that got me thinking.

If Valentines is all about hearts then why is a parents strongest love link not celebrated more?

I mean I’m not saying your marriage or relationship is weak guys but let’s be honest.

The chances are the first time you looked at your child you swore you’d kill anyone that hurt then.

Looking at your partner brings out a different form of loyalty; and if they are the Father of your child then the bond is intensified by DNA (as long as the relationship is actually in working order).

But both bring out different reactions, emotions and love in us.

So I have been celebrating Valentines Day with my children.

I buy them cards, chocolates, small gifts and focus on LOVE.

They need to know I love them. Unconditionally. And whilst everyone is going crazy over red and pink and large overpriced bouquets I want the girls to understand they are loved; and just because someone of the opposite sex hasn’t given them a card it doesn’t mean anything. Because being popular means nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Having an unlimited supply of love does.

To my Muslim readers reading this and saying that I am giving into the Western Media and bowing down to commercialism that’s your opinion. That doesn’t make you right or wrong. My own intent is my own.

So guys when you are looking for a card for your spouse etc why not send a card to your friend, your parents, and your children. Spread the love; be the love. Shine bright.

Slow Cooker Taco Soup
Alliyah Dawud
February 8, 2019

I love my Slow Cooker (crockpot). I use it on the regular…even in the hotter months as it doesn’t heat up the kitchen.

I love tacos….and also easy family meals where you don’t need to weigh out ingredients. So here I present to you my Taco Soup…which tastes soooooo good. And no two bowls are the same when you pimp it up with various toppings.

Makes enough for 6 large bowls. I’ve successfully frozen leftovers too.

Ingredients:

SOUP:
500 grams browned mince (or raw mince)
2 small onions diced finely
1 400 gram tin chopped tomatoes
200 ml water
1 tbsp salt (or less depending on your dietary requirements)
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp dried mexican oregano (or standard oregano)
2 tbsp fresh coriander chopped finely
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika (or standard paprika)

Add the following 30 minutes before serving:
1 400 gram red kidney beans drained
1 400 gram white kidney beans drained

To thicken the soup:
1 tbsp cornstarch

Optional items:
1 whole chipolote chili
Liquid smoke

Garnishes/toppings (mix and match as you please):

Soured cream or low fat yogurt
Grated cheddar cheese
Crushed up taco shells
Crushed up torilla chips
Lemon or lime wedges
Tomatoes chopped finely (I like using cherry tomatoes as they are sweeter but that’s optional normal tomatoes will also work)
Red onion-finely chopped
Jalepeno pepper slices
Fresh coriander leaves-chopped finely
For extra heat fresh chili finely chopped

1) Place all the ingredients listed under soup in your Slow Cooker. Turn the Slow Cooker on to a high. Cook for 3 hours.
2) Now add the drained kidney beans. Stir through. Add two tablespoons of water to the cornstarch and mix. Add the mixture to the soup and stir. This will thicken the soup up for you. If you don’t like thicker soups just skip this step!
3) Place the lid back on and leave for another 25-30 minutes. Turn off and remove lid if you don’t want the beans to ‘cook’ further.
4) Ladle into bowls and serve garnished as you wish. I make a ‘toppings bar’ and allow everyone to personalise their own soup.
5) Leftovers will keep for 48 hours easily in the fridge. Can also be successfully frozen (use within a month).

90 days left until the start of Ramadan.
Stylemesisteradmin
February 5, 2019

It’s funny how time flies isn’t it? The idea behind this countdown isn’t to scare you but rather eliminate that OMG Ramadan starts tomorrow feeling.

So with three months to go…here’s my list of suggestions to get on with.

Health:
Have you been meaning to boost your vitamins? Or are you lacking a certain mineral? Now is the time to invest in them so your body has time to adjust to them and reap the benefits.
Tip: do your own research into Black Seed Oil. It’s an amazing product and I think doing your own research will benefit you long term.

Sleeping problems? Speak to your GP now and see what options you have to help with the problem.

Smoker? Start looking at cutting back or better still quitting.

Spirituality:
The busiest time of the year for the hub of our community (the Masjid) is Ramadan. Why not give it an MOT beforehand? Does the Masjid need paintwork? Does the driveway need patching up? Look at the tasks now and get a group together to get work done before the Holy month. You will feel a lot of satisfaction especially on the first night of prayers when Masjid goers comment on how the Masjid is glowing.

Community:
If you live in the West it’s nice to let the community know about Ramadan. Its also good to let elderly in the area be aware of the Holy month and how footfall will increase especially at night. Seeing groups of people you usually do not see can be a worry for elderly people so it’s courtesy let them know the prayer time table.

Tip: if the Masjid route falls on an area with a high elderly population why not get leaflets printed at the masjid to explain Ramadan and offer to assist the elderly with chores, shopping etc? As Ramadan falls in hotter months this can also be a worry for elderly (dehydration is a common problem). Some won’t open windows (in particular of bungalows) in fear of thefts. Be community minded. This is a type of dawah we can all adopt.

Contact your local Police Station and let them know Taraweeh times so that if there is any offers on patrol around that time they can be seen around the Masjid which helps build stronger community links for the younger generations.

Clean up your neighbourhood. Organise a litter pick or get involved with one. Take pride in your area.

Work:
Let your boss know when Ramadan is and see what can be done about making life a bit less strainuous without affecting business. This could be leaving earlier if you skip lunch break or working different shifts. But you won’t know what is available until you ask your boss.

College/University/Schools:
Inform everyone about Ramadan and when it will be and end. If you have children at School ask for key dates for the diary and adjust your dairy to reflect this.

Tip: Only book things into your diary during Ramadan that you cannot avoid. A long fast, hot weather and working life will result in general lack of energy.

Family:
Even if your children are too young to fast start preparing them for the blessed month. Let them know that Ramadan is coming and you’ll be coming together as a family to celebrate.

And that’s my list! What do you guys do to prepare for the Holy month?

Drop your comments below.

My top ways of keeping children busy whilst Traveling
Alliyah Dawud
February 4, 2019

My best friends live around 3.5 hours away from me by train. We change trains a few times (usually 3 times each way) to get to our destinations and the journey can be tiresome (and boring for the girls) so I try to keep them as busy as possible on the journey. Here are my TOP ways.

Important stuff to NOTE:

Travel Sickness is REAL
factor in travel sickness guys. We always wear anti sickness bands and try to sit near the toilets ‘just in case’. We also carry extra bags in case of sickness too.
You can pick up anti sickness bands for around £3.50 per pair on eBay. Worth their weight in gold; in GOLD.

Book in advance if you CAN:
It saves mad rushes in the morning. I prefer to buy my tickets in advance and I usually pick them up in advance too. I don’t like using an App if I’m travelling the girls as I don’t want tears (of my own) if I lose internet connection or something else.

Wifi on some trains is FREE. On others they will charge you. I’ve yet to meet a stable Wifi connection that was fast and signals often ‘drop’ on trains so I do not rely on any form of entertainment that is linked to that to save myself the headache of having the girls complain about ‘it not working’.

Hydration!
Oh and don’t forget water to remain hydrated. In hot weather I actually freeze disposable bottles with water in which helps keep water cool. If you do this wrap them in a teatowel before placing them in your bag.
I prefer disposable bottles for travel as it’s one less thing to worry about (e.g. I don’t want tears from a favourite bottle being left of the train).

But I don’t need the TOILET:
We’ve all heard this haven’t we? I get the girls to take a tinkle in each station we stop at. We usually find our platform first and then go to the bathroom.

How I keep my sanity on train rides…

Firstly I don’t allow the use of tablets. The internet cost on Virgin trains is high and if you are streaming videos its slow and well; expensive. So I encourage screen-free activities.

I break down activities depending on how long that ‘leg’ of the journey is.

To make the journey fun we pack a Breakfast picnic. That’s correct guys a picnic for breakfast. Bare in mind the first train we board is usually around 7AM.

Breakfast Picnic on the Train (it’s a part of the adventure)

I prepare breakfast wraps (egg, spinach, cheese etc), sausages and hash browns the night before. I then warm them up in the morning and wrap them in foil and pack them up in the morning. We also take ketchup sachets and juice boxes to make life easier. Wet wipes help to clean fingers (and the table) post breakfast too.
I also pack some cereal bars too (which we usually avoid because of the high sugar. They do however make a convienent snack on trains).

Two of their favourite Barbies can come along for the ride….
The girls pack two of their favourites Barbie dolls EACH minus any small accessories to avoid tears when things get lost. The girls understand the rule and it’s easier all around when there’s minimal toys to worry about.

Music….
My girls really are their Mothers daughters and love music. I have created around a 2 hour playlist of their favourite songs (Bieber, Taylor, Little Mix etc) and have it on an old fashioned Mp3 player. I also have a headphone splitter I connect to it to save tears on whose ‘go it is’. The girls then have the option to listen to a few songs. I purchase cheap headphones for the journey (from Poundland in the UK) so if they do get lost it’s no big deal.

Snacks….
Food and drink on trains costs a lot…I mean I found the prices on Ryan Air to be reasonable but Virgin Trains when you are travelling with kids?! We calculate how long we’ll be on the train and pack around one snack per half an hour. Snacks can include small chocolate bars, crisps, fruit, crackers etc.
I also pack a lunch style box with olives, cheese cubes and crackers for them to graze on (which helps to keep sugar intake in moderation).
I also pack a few extra bits ‘just in case’.
TIP: places like Tesco do ‘long life’ packed croissants. They work out well for journeys too.

Activity/Colouring books
I generally pack 2 each of these for the girls (And they are usually new so it’s like a gift). I get a set of pencils from poundland (so if they do get lost again no tears). These are great for children who need a bit of variety.

Travel board games (which are either magnetic or have no parts to lose e.g. Guess who).
My girls love board games (so do I!) so this is one of our favourite ways to keep the girls entertained for at least half an hour. We pack travel Guess Who and a 4 in 1 magnetic draughts/ludo/chess/snakes and ladders too.
You can pick these up on Amazon for around £5.00 each (the magnetic board game that’s a 4 in 1 is a REAL bargain even if you only play ludo and snakes and ladders).

And that’s about it…what do you do to keep children busy while you travel? Drop your tips below.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Alliyah Dawud
February 1, 2019

This impressive cake is actually really simple to knock up.

It makes a nice impressive teatime treat. If you are serving this cake in Autumn or Winter don’t forget lashings of custard drools.

I’ve seen many recipes call for coconut but in all honesty I love this version so much I didn’t notice the lack of it….

Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter (for the caramelised pineapple)
1/2 pineapple peeled and sliced (or cubed)
50 grams soft dark brown sugar
2 tbsp double cream

For the sponge:
125 grams butter
200 grams castor sugar
3 eggs beaten
90 grams self raising flour
75 grams plain flour
60 ml milk (OR 4 tablespoons)

1) Preheat the oven to 160c. Line a 20 cm round cake tin
2) Take a large pan and place it on medium heat. Add the 1 tbsp butter and allow to melt. All the pineapple and cook for 2 minutes or until the pineapple becomes a light brown colour.
3) Add the dark brown sugar. Stir and allow to dissolve (keep stirring). Add the double cream and stir in. Bring to a light boil then turn it off.
4) Carefully pour the pineapple mix into the cake tin. Be very careful as hot sugar can burn. I speak from experience.
5) Now we need to make sponge. Beat the sugar and 125 grams butter together. Add the egg mixture in three lots beating in every time. Don’t worry if it looks a bit curdled this will change when the flour goes in.
6) Add the flours and stir in. Add the milk and stir to combine.
7) Pour the smoothe batter mix over the pineapple mixture.
8) Bake the cake on the central shelf for 45 minutes. Insert a skewer/cake tester at the centre of the cake. If the cake is done the skewer will be clear. You need to poke the sponge not the pineapple.
9) Leave the cake to cool for 15 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool further. Or alternatively allow to cool for 15 minutes and then transfer to serving plate.
10) Serve with lashings of cream, a scoop of ice-cream, or custard. Or just as is. A great classic.