Ramadan is the most blessed months a Muslim can experience. Its a time for contemplation. A time to reflect and change the direction of life. Its a time to give back to charity. It’s a time to get closer to our faith.
Sadly for many sisters its a time where they find themselves chained to the kitchen when they should be reaping the rewards of this awesome month.
For a lot of families food plays a huge part in Ramadan. There’s Sahoor and Iftaars to plan, prepare and cook. Then there’s hosting Iftaars for nearest and dearest (which FYI I haven’t done in a decade). That’s a large chunk of time on a daily basis. By the time you’ve cooked and cleaned up energy levels are at a low and the idea of staying up to repent or pray is near impossible (because half hearted recitation is also a no-no; you want to focus and give it your best).
A couple of years ago I started to batch cook food used in Ramadan and froze it in suitable sized portions. This helped me no end. There was no last minute mad panic in the kitchen. Things ran smoothly; very smoothly.
I then came to the realisation that my issue of balancing the time spent preparing and cooking food with the actual important duties of Ramadan were a problem for a lot of sisters. And if you are reading this and nodding along I have an idea that may help you a lot….
Ladies I present to you the idea of setting up a Ramadan Cookery Circle.
For this idea to work you will need a group of ladies in a similar position to you.
How this works:
Basically you come together with a group of ladies and cook a few recipes in bulk. You then swap portions of the food with others in the circle for food they’ve cooked. And voila; you have instantly increased the amount of food you have for your Ramadan freezer.
Sounds pretty easy doesn’t it? I’ll still talk you through it.
STEP 1:
Gather your friends that will be having the same issue as you during Ramadan together.
STEP 2:
List all the food that you guys know you will be cooking in Ramadan. These foods need to be suitable for freezing.
STEP 3:
List all special dietary requirements including how hot people like spicy foods!
Share recipes (if required) with the group.
STEP 4:
Delegate the recipes out to the group. Agree on how much of each recipe needs to be made.
STEP 5:
Decide when you want the food to be cooked by and where and how the food will be delegated. Will you guys meet up a few days before Ramadan to swap food?
STEP 6:
Take the food home and freeze.
Now that doesn’t seem to be that scary does it?
The idea behind this is you save time by bulk cooking your delegated recipes and then you swap some with the others.
So if there’s 5 of you and you each of you cooked 2 recipes in bulk you are walking away with 10 dishes for your freezer (including what you cook yourself).
Don’t you think that’s awesome?
And the more of you there is there’s potential for less work and more dishes.
In my experience the following are awesome for freezing:
Samosas and rolls
Burrito rolls (great for Breakfasts)
Kebabs/Koftas
Pulaw and Biryani bases
Chutneys
Curry sauces
Meatballs (so pasta sauces, koftas etc).
What else should consider?
How much freezer space you have.
How much time will you need to prepare and cook your dishes in bulk.
Is everyone happy with their delegated dishes.
Do you want to swap dishes or do you want to pay for the ingriedents instead?
The idea of the circle is to cut your time in the kitchen and essentially share cookery skills and invest more time into Ramadan doing things that will be fulfilling.
With Ramadan on it’s way why not share this post with your ladies and see whose willing to sign up to your circle?
Warm milk at bedtime has long been something we associate with a good nights sleep. As a child I would heave at the idea of warm milk so thus never consumed it.
Now I know Golden Milk is a trend….and is of course linked to the Motherland/India.
But for the ones like me that have links to these region we’ve known for a while how good things like ‘haldi’ are for you.
Fast forward to my 30’s and 1 Heart Attack later with a million lifestyle changes and I now understand the enormous blessings a cup of this milk can bring into my life when drank on a regular basis.
I haven’t added coconut oil. I know for many this is a travesty however this is my take on it.
My recipe creates an earthy, golden spicy milk that is like an internal and external therapeutic hug in a mug.
To break down what I have in my milk I’ve written the summary below:
Turmeric-of course it gives it the golden colour but the truth is ‘haldi’ is awesome for Cardiac health and also for those that suffer arthritis.
Ginger- helps regulate sugar levels, helps aid digestion and also boosts your bone health (and offers joint pain relief).
Cinnamon-helps regulate sugar levels, some research shows it can help boost new hair growth, also good at assisting with weight management.
Now let me be real with you. ONE CUP OF GOLDEN MILK won’t cure your problems even if they are listed above. You need to be realistic and combine something like this with a healthy lifestyle. If you are eating 5 doughnuts and 8 bags of chips a day and are expecting a simple cup of golden milk to regulate your sugar levels and help you lose weight you need to get back on your unicorn and leave the planet before reality hits you and you understand some things are self inflicted.
Okay rant over. Lets get down to business. To make a mug of this awesome deliciousness you will need:
350 ml skimmed milk
1 TSP turmeric (I use an organic variety that I also use in my face masks)
1 x 2 cm piece of fresh ginger
1 small stick of cinnamon
Sweetener of your choice
1.Heat the milk in a pan with the spices.
Bring to the boil and reduce the heat. Simmer for 3 minutes.
3) Strain into a mug. If you have a milk frothier you can froth up the milk at this stage.
4) Add sweetener of choice.
5) Enjoy.
The BIG holiday survival guide (As written by the Mama of a 5.5 year old and 8 year old).
NOTE: I am publishing this article just before the Easter Holidays so you have at least SIX weeks to get your butts in gear. I’m nice like that!I’ll be honest with you; I’m pretty much winging this parental business to a T.
And when the big 6 week Summer break hits boy am I panicky and jittery like a coffee addict in Ramadan. After spending a few years being disorganised and crying tears of joy come the beginning of September I came up with a system to keep my sanity. I’m sharing my tips, systems and other bits with you guys below.
First things first: find out as far as you can in advance what the holiday dates are. Get hold of a calendar that has enough space to make notes on. I love the 18 month Gruffalo Calendar which I get off Amazon as there’s a column for each of the ladies in the family. The Book People also do great calendars (and usually cheaper too). Put all key dates on the calendar e.g. Birthdays, holidays or when the children will be visiting the other parent etc.
Work out any budget restraints you have for the holiday period. This is vital to ensure you don’t over promise and under deliver (I usually don’t tell my girls what the plans are until the actual day to stop any over excitement). Make a list of all the activities and places your kids love. If you use social media go onto the companies pages and follow.
Sign up to their offers. A lot of companies send out exclusive offers and its vital to be on the lists to get the information before others. So for example my girls like Trentham Gardens so we follow them on Facebook. They also like Safari Parks so we follow them too. That way we never miss any events or offers.
My girls love the following: Outdoor events Music Films Cooking (& baking)Books Gardens/Parks Theme Parks Theatre Themed events where they can dress up.
History (Museums)Arts and Crafts Currently we are located in a small town in the middle of Birmingham (my hometown) and Manchester (my adopted hometown) called Stoke-on-Trent. This city is also known as The Potteries and has produced more Pottery than anywhere else on the planet.
History buffs will love to know Reginald Mitchell was a local lad (google the Spitfire). There’s some really beautiful gardens around too (Trentham Gardens, Biddulph Grange Gardens) and for Theme Park fanatics (guilty) there’s Alton Towers (also good for history buffs and those that love gardens) and Drayton Manor (where you’ll find Thomas Land).
There’s also loads of natural beauty spots such as Dimmingsdale and Mow Cop Castle ruins. Stafford is less than 20 minutes by train and it has one of the most beautiful spots you have ever seen (Victoria Park).
We have a great Library and Museums that organise regular events for children throughout half term and the big holidays. It’s a blessing that my children love books and crafts too.
Birmingham and Manchester are less than an hour away by train or motorway.
Liverpool is around 1 hour 30 minutes by train.
Blackpool is around the same by train too.
London is less than 2 hours by direct train.
And Rhyl is around 1 hour 45 minutes by train.
All in all we’re quite central to so much. So based on my children’s likes I follow the following on Facebook:
Stoke-on-Trent Libraries
Stoke-on-Trent Museums
Ford Green Hall
Stoke-on-Trent Park services
Stafford Gatehouse Theatre
Alton Towers/Merlin Passes
Birmingham Museums
Manchester Museums
Manchester Parks services
Manchester Arena
Trentham Gardens
National Trust (which covers lots of venues around the area including Biddulph Grange Gardens).
I am also subscribed to the Enjoy Staffordshire website newsletter. Once I know what events are happening I mark them ALL all on my calendar (even ones that clash so I know what is actually happening across the city and beyond).
This is essential. Why? Because events can get cancelled and the great British Summer can be anything but predictable so its always worth having a plan B.I’m then able to see how many potential outings we can have a week. I then look at costs. In some cases it’s cheaper to opt for an annual pass if you plan to visit a venue multiple times.
I then list what I would like a week to IDEALLY look like:
2/3 x outings (some events are on the same day so we may get more out of the actual day)
1 x cooking/baking activity (I gave the girls cookery books aimed at their age ranges and asked them to place sticky notes on the recipes they wished to try. I also use I can cook recipes off the BBC website).
1 x crafting activity (Top tip: if you use Pinterest create a board to pin ideas to so you know what you’ll be doing and what materials you need in ADVANCE).The girls spend one day with their other parent so I need to factor that in. That leaves two days as potentially free for play dates or free play. This schedule works for us; however this much activity may not work for you. Find your balance. Unless we go on a day out activities generally last up to 3 hours (craft sessions at the Museum etc around an hour or 90 minutes tops). Considering the time of the activity I then make a note of if we need packed lunches (or a picnic if the weather is good and there’s a park nearby). I then fill out a weekly summary sheet. This contains the following information:
What activities and events are happening that week Any day trips we are going on (e.g. Stafford Gatehouse) Do need to buy tickets in advance/do we need annual passes etc If we need packed lunches Weather predictions (roughly) Any specialist clothing required What time we need to be ready for Do we need lunches Any materials or ingredients needed for cooking or crafts activities. Any additional notes.
Sounds like a lot of work right?
Well I created an A4 sheet and simply complete that. It took me around 3 hours to plan out the 6 weeks.
BUT it’s now all planned out. It also made it easier in case their Nana had to step in for me (everything is mapped out).
Of course plans can change; for us though it was important to get the bulk of things down and planned for my own sanity.
Post holiday review (what worked and what didn’t): First thing that I want to say is children all mature at different ages. Suddenly the Library and events there were too ‘kid like’ for my oldest which threw a spanner in the works for me as I had a few of their events on our calendar. So that’s something I need to consider next time.
Having the opportunity to try different things and knowing what was happening in the local area proved a huge blessing.
It stopped us from having dull weeks.Next year we will be scheduling visiting friends at home to just watch a movie, go the park etc.
Sometimes it’s the company that matters more than the activity.Children get tired so we ended up spending days doing NOTHING. Just to recharge our batteries. The girls enjoyed free play in the garden.
We found keeping toys in the garden in those outdoor storage trunks helped the girls spend more time outdoors. Our best investment during the holidays was our membership to the National Trust. We bloody love their venues and events they hold.
Crafty stuff always proved popular. We didn’t have many wet days however we had various activities on standby. My system worked for us. I’ll be using this system for holidays (including the one week half terms we get in England and the Easter break).
I thoroughly recommend the Gruffalo Family Planner as it comes with stickers and has plenty of space to write things in.
What do you guys do to stop yourself stressing in the big break?
I love old Skool family meals and for me Shepherds Pie screams not just comfort food but good family grub. Although pies are linked to Autumn and colder days I feel pies are great even in Spring…when the weather is warming up.
Since I can remember I have added tweaks to classics; however I brand them or let folk know that this is a variation of the classic. Perhaps the purest in me couldn’t face classics being destroyed.
Anyhow I love spice. Show me how spicy you like it baby and I’m likely to match it or go large on you.
This is my ‘desi’ aka spicy take on Shepherds Pie. I find a bit of spice helps warm me up super quick in colder months. Of course you could omit the spices and make an awesome classic as it would have been make back in the day pre-Alliyahism.
To serve 4/6
Ingredients:
500 grams mutton mince (Or beef/lamb/sheep whatever you use)
2 medium onions finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic-crushed
1 piece of ginger-whole (you will fish this out before baking)
2 medium carrots peeled and sliced (not too thick as you want them to cook through. You could also finely chop them if you wish)
80 grams peas (I use Petite Pois)
1/2 tin chopped tomatoes
150 ml water
1 tablespoon Rapeseed oil
1 level tablespoon salt
1 level tablespoon cumin
1 level tablespoon coriander seed powder
1 piece of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
For the mash: 750 grams potatoes peeled and cubed Low carb alternative (this is a bit more grainy in texture): 300 grams cauliflower, 200 grams parsnips 250 grams potatoes 4-5 tablespoons milk 1 tablespoon butter (or a little bit more) Salt-to taste
1) Boil the potatoes as you usually would. If you making the low carb version you need to peel and chop up the parsnips and potatoes and boil til tender. Boil or steam the cauliflower separately. Once cooked mashed with the milk, butter and salt.
2) Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and fry until soft. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 2 minutes (watch that the garlic doesn’t burn).
2) Add the spices and stir well. Add the mince once you can smell the spices. Fry for 5 minutes. If you find that the mince is catching onto the bottom of the pan add two tablespoons of water.
3) Add the carrots, water and the tinned tomatoes. Bring the mince up to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes with the lid on. Stir occasionally. If you find that the pie mix is too dry (I find this can happen depending on the quality of the mince) add some extra water. If you end up with too much you can crank up the heat, remove the lid and let the liquid evaporate.
4) Turn the heat off and remove the ginger. Add the peas. Stir well.
5) Place the mince in an ovenproof dish and add the mashed potato. Place in the oven at 160 for 35 minutes.
6) Serve. I serve ours with baked beans and chili sauce.
Leftovers can be frozen. Due to the spices this pie tastes awesome the next day…for the record.
Walk into any kitchenware aisle and you we will find lots of modern day stuff that is….useless. I have boxes full of gadgets and gizmos but as a home cook (or self taught cook) there are some things that I cannot live without.
1) Garlic crusher
Life is too short to peel and crush garlic. I have a trusted crusher I got from ikea many years ago and it’s still going strong.
2) Knife sharpener
Ask any cookery buff and they will tell you that blunt knives are a pain in the neck. To be efficient in the kitchen you need the right tools in perfect condition. And for me sharp knives are essential. No one likes chopping up an onion with something that couldn’t even chop up butter. End of story.
3) Digital scales
If you love baking you need these bad boys. Baking is a science guys; a science! No more estimating weight on the old fashioned scales.
If you don’t like baking but have children I still would recommend you invest in digital scales. If anything you maybe surprised at what a child’s portion of sweets and treats is.
4) Lemon elbow (press)
If you make cocktails, mocktails or bakes with lemon you need a press in your life. You don’t need biceps to get the maximum amount of juice out of a lemon these are awesome. You can also get a lime elbow too do if you like a good mojito you may have a set of these bad boys in your kitchen drawer.
5) Stick blender (With bowl attachment)
I have a range of Food Processors but they are huge and take up a lot of space on the counter. So for quick jobs e.g. making a marinade, soup or sauce I use a stick blender. Quick and easy to clean too. I have one with the bowl attachment which gives me more versatility.
6) Electrical Whisk
If you like frothy coffee drinks this is an essential for your kitchen. I got mine from good old Argos and paid under £10.00 for it. It’s battery operated and makes the best frothy drinks ever.
7) Mallet
Sometimes you just want to cook things quickly…especially meat/chicken. For that reason I have a mallet to flatten out meat. Plus it ‘stretches out’ the fillets which is always good!
8) Box/Triangular grater
Watch those fingers whilst using these. We love cheese so a grater is essential. Grating cheese yourself will save you money compared to pre-grated packs.
9) A range of knives and knife sharpener.
I’m not the only self taught cook that will tell you that sharp knives are a must have item in the kitchen!
10) A good quality Tin Cutter
Goes without saying but seriously you need a Tin opener/Cutter that does what its suppose to do!
What are your TOP kitchen gadgets? Let us know below or share with us on Social Media.
