Day twenty five of the Batwing Abaya Challenge

Stylemesisteradmin
November 9, 2018

Day 25 of challenge 

Plans: adulting in summer

My outfit contained:

royal blue batwing abaya

denim jacket (cropped)

Nude clutch bag

Nude Sandals

Nude lace hijab

A nice lunch in the sun and good company. Potentially a good contender for a date night!

Don’t forget to like and share the blog and leave any feedback below. Sharing is caring guys.

Look twenty six is up tomorrow guys.

Breakfast from the freezer…Breakfast Burritos

Alliyah Dawud
October 19, 2018
Best Breakfast Ever.

Breakfast Burritos

Hands up if the morning rush has you feeling running around like you are running the country.
When you have lots of responsibilities towards family and loved ones you often neglect yourself. One of my own SELF LOVE things I do is have breakfast. Even if it’s a bowl of yogurt and a banana. But I do it. I also ensure my girls have a breakfast too. It’s the most important meal of the day.

What I like is a bit of variety. Let’s face it breakfast can get boring when it’s the same old cereal.

As we try to get the most out of our Saturdays I limit our Breakfast time to an hour. Its more than enough for us but also helps build our family tradition of having a leisurely breakfast together.

I’m aware of various fast food chains doing breakfasts which is awesome for those days when you need breakfast but may not have the time to cook them (we usually have a fast food breakfast when we visit our friends in Cambridge as it adds to the excitement on the weekend). So what’s the answer to me wanting a warm, instant breakfast that’s not too calorific in comparison to the fast food chains but doesn’t take years to prepare? Freezer Burritos!

Now before you scoff at the monitor/phone screen) here me out. Burritos are an awesome wrap that can be made the way you like them in bulk, frozen and then zapped in the microwave for less than 3 minutes and boom! Hot breakfast.

I love wraps. I also Mexican inspired food which is one of the reasons this is one of my favourite Breakfasts ever.

I churn out 24 breakfasts in 90 minutes which makes this a nice activity to do at the weekends. That’s approximately 4 minutes per breakfast. I think that’s awesome going really.

Slight caution: try not to overload your Burritos or else you won’t be able to roll them up.

So here’s my breakdown of what I put in my Burritos:

Scrambled eggs ( 2 eggs per Burrito)

Spinach (I wilt it down with lemon and a pinch of salt. I usually use frozen spinach and use one block per wrap)

Salsa (store bought. 1 tablespoon per Burrito)

Hash browns (I buy a bag of prepared hash browns for less than a pound in Aldi. I use one hash per wrap. I usually cut it in half. I cook the hash browns in the oven to save time)

Black (turtle) beans (a great way to add protein to the burritos. I use 1 tablespoon per Burrito.

Cheese-grated (I use mature cheddar as I get more flavour her gram. I use one tablespoon per Burrito. YOLO!).

Sausages ( I use lamb sausages and I grill or bake them at the same time as cooking my hash browns)

Sausage patties (If you are a vegetarian Quorn do awesome ones!)

Turkey bacon (as a non pork eater I use Turkey bacon. I also grill them with the sausages. Keep an eye on them and don’t over crisp them).

Crispy potatoes (for children you could even add waffles etc. Cook them in bulk in the oven and voila! Done!).

Sliced fried mushrooms (I fry a load off and use about two tablespoons per Burrito. If you want an extra flavour punch fry in garlic or chili oil)

Baked beans (minus the sauce so I drain them) I use 1 tablespoon per Burrito)

My favourite combinations:

The GREAT British combo: eggs, hash brown, sausage, bacon, beans, mushroom

Cheese, mushrooms, beans & bacon

Hash browns, bacon and cheese

Eggs, black beans, salsa & cheese

Mushroom, bacon, cheese

Beans, cheese & bacon

Just let your imagination run wild.

To make sure your Burritos keep their texture I drain off excess liquids (including fat off the sausages).

Okay what else will you need?

Large Torillas (doh!)
Greaseproof paper
Cling film
Ziploc bags
Marker pen to label your Burritos

And this is what I do:

I use large Tortillas

I create a conveyer belt and place all the cooked things in a line. Yes I do love a bit of organising that gets me going.

I then place the ingredients on the wrap and fold (click here to view an awesome video from…..on how to fold a Burrito!).

I then place the Burrito on greaseproof paper, label them, wrap them in cling film and place them in a ziploc bag.

Why have I not included amounts or recipes?
In all honesty I feel this is a DIY foodie hack you can play around with and personalise. I have included how much of each ingredient I put in my Burritos as an estimation guide for you guys.

To actually enjoy the Burritos. Take them out of the freezer. Remove the cling film and greaseproof paper and wrap in a damp kitchen towel. Blitz in the microwave on high for 3 minutes. Check the Burrito to see if it’s defrosted. If it’s still frozen ensure the kitchen towel is still damp and blitz for a further 2 minutes.

To eat: be careful to not burn yourself with the steam. Serve with a dollop of HP sauce or whichever sauce takes your fancy!

So guys what is your favourite combo? Comment below.

 

Love,

 

Alliyah

My top 10 items for surviving the Winter blues…

Alliyah Dawud
October 15, 2018

Preparing for the Winter BLUES

I try to love and embrace all seasons I really really do! But I do suffer from SAD (Seasonal affective disorder). So basically when it’s cold outside, dark and dreary it gets scary for me. I used to spend the majority of the cold months indoors miserable and feeling low until I discovered I could work towards helping to REDUCE the side affects.

Since then my Winters have improved. A lot.

Here is my Winter survival kit

1) SAD Lamp
Small and compact this lamp is awesome. The colder shorter days result in less daylight which isn’t good for SAD/winter blues sufferers.
I switch it on whilst I’m working (ensuring it’s set to the right level to actually do it’s magic on me). Half an hour a day and it contributes towards happy vibes for me.
Price: available on Amazon from £39.99

2) Vitamin B 12 & Vitamin C
In all honesty I try my best to stay on top my Vitamin intake but it can slip. From September I try my damn hardest to take Vitamin B 12 to ensure my body can fight dreaded Fatigue. It’s a must. I usually feel a burst of energy from a month into taking this suppliament regualary.
I also ensure I take Vitamin C to fight Winter bugs.
*Always consult a specialist before starting a new suppliment*

3) Qi Qong (Life Energy Cultivation) Yoga sessions
Great for balancing you, relaxing you and taking stress away. There’s no pretzel moves…it’s about flow. And it’s awesome.

4) Essential oil roller ball (self blended combinations)
To perk myself up I use essential oil blends. Citrus blends rock and are an instant lift.

5) Meditation
Because if you can think it, you can do it. Meditating clears my thoughts and helps me tune into the source (God) and that is a blessing for me.

6) Prayer beads (tasbeeh)
Dikr (repeating suppliments) calms me no end. It also lifts me. So it’s crutial for me personally to do more of it in the darker months.

7) A brisk walk (no more than 10-15 minutes a day)
Yes it’s cold. But what’s the point of having an awesome coat if I’m not going to ware it? A bit of fresh air is super important for health.

8) Journaling
Noting down how you feel and reflecting on things is a major way of keeping ‘tags’ on yourself. I recommend it to everyone

9) Gratitude Diary
Because believe me when you are feeling ‘down’ it’s easy to forget the blessings. So I ensure I remind myself daily!

10) Manifesting Box
I reread my letters, notes etc to keep focus on my goals. Why? I don’t want to fall off the band wagon, lower my vibes and slow down my life. I keep focus.

 

That’s my list. What’s on yours? Leave your comments below.

 

Love,

Alliyah