Craft Find

I went to the Car boot in search of some crafts and i found this great bag of crafts have a look mashaAllah, all for £2 now that's my bargin of the day!




Some old fashion knitting


Aside from crafts some muslim dolls for dd2 , they are called LEYLA

Some vintage style for Ramandan , soup bowls with a 60's feel.

Tea

Tea: It Does the Body Good
Studies that support the health benefits of tea drinking keep filling the headlines. There’s simply no denying that a daily spot of tea does the body good.

Even though researchers can’t quite agree on every aspect, I’m sold on the fact that a few cups a day will do its best to protect me from heart disease, a stroke, cancer, and more.

What Makes Tea Good for the Body?
Tea contains high levels of antioxidants, some of which are called polyphenols, flavonoids, and catechins, and all of which take on the “free radicals” in the body and prevent them from harming the healthy cells on board.

In other words, sending in antioxidants is disease prevention in its finest form. Antioxidants are ready and waiting not only in teas but also in several fruits.

Are you a tea drinker if so what's your cupa?



here are a few of mine If that were not enough, tea also contains flouride which benefits your teeth and has bacteria killing properties which helps control bad breath and the formation of plaque.
Heart Benefits:
• Study finds tea drinkers have lower blood pressure (Archives of Internal Medicine, 2004).

• Tea may lower cholesterol and protect against heart disease (Journal of Nutrition, 2003).

• Black tea may lower “bad” cholesterol (United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, 2003).

• Tea consumption may help heart disease patients (Circulation: The Journal of the American Heart Association, 2001).

Cancer Prevention:
• Green tea could help stem esophageal cancer. (Harvard Medical School, 2004).

• Green and black tea can slow down the spread of prostate cancer (Center for Human Nutrition at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine, 2004).

• Tea may protect against cancer caused by smoking. (Journal of Nutrition, 2003).

• Green tea and white tea fight colon cancer (Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University study, Carcinogenesis, 2003).

• Hot tea may lower risk of some skin cancers (University of Arizona study, Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention (Vol. 9, No. 7), 2001).

• Green tea consumption may lower stomach cancer risk (University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Public Health study, International Journal of Cancer (Vol. 92: 600-604), 2001).

Hypertension-Reducing Benefits:
• Green and oolong teas reduce risk of hypertension (National Cheng Kung University study, Archives of Internal Medicine, 2004).

Immunity-Boosting Benefits
• Tea believed to boost the body’s defenses (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2003)

Leukemia-Fighting Benefits:
• A green tea component helps kill leukemia cells (Mayo Clinic, 2004).

Alzheimer’s-Fighting Benefits:
• Drinking tea might delay Alzheimer's Disease (Newcastle University's Medicinal Plant Research Centre study, Phytotherapy Research, 2004).

AIDS-Fighting Benefits:
• Tea may play a role as an AIDS fighter (University of Tokyo, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2003).

China Town (London)

We (myself and son) set of late afternoon, we wanted to purchase some items, that I knew will be available in the vast array of West end shops.
Now it has been possibly 4-5 years since my last visit to this particular area and and even longer for China Town.
We got the tube to Marble Arch as I emerged from the underground, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of crowds, so many hundred of people, tourist, locals, suits you name it.
I told my son to hold on to me for dear life and not to panic (this was his first experience of the West end stores)
Now the shop I wanted for a certain item was no longer there! The stores are many of your local High St stores but 10 times bigger, some with 2-3 floors alone.
You can't do them all, it's to tiring, to much ground to cover.
The ques are very long for the tills but do more quickly.
I didn't dare take out the camera in this area, the crowds were to much, I felt disoriented.
What I like about the stores here, there is much more availability in styles, sizes that your high street, My son's size is always sold out and not enough choice on colours.
I noticed a big Clark's and a sale on, I dragged my son in, I saw 3 styles of everyday shoes I liked, I must mention it's comfort first for me. 1 out of 3 were only available in my size, I was please with my buy alhamduillah.



This is what my son opted forfrom Foot Locker

We came across a deepish lilac-ish carpet out on the pavement like the red carpet(celebrity thing), I was thinking OMG what a silly person has decided to carpet the pavement,
with the hoards of people, how will they clean it?
so I followed the carpet trail to find i leading to Selfridges, lailahi!!!!!!!!!!!
What a waste, what a waste of money, maitence and up keep that carpet alone, I am sure I could feed a needy village in West Africa.
We walked from Marble Arch, Bond St, Oxford Circus then we slipped off down Wadour St, a trip down memory lane, one of my old haunts many years ago
As we walked along there towards China Town, I saw Berwick St and it rang a bell and something in my mind was telling me to take a trip down there,
I fought the lil voice and stuck to my route alhamduillah.
I spotted Soho, one of London's red light districts, the peep show, shops and sex aids on sale.
now I understood why, Berwick St was ringing in my mind!
As we entered in to China Town, London, a strong smell of roasted duck blasted right at us, For me China Town was a little bit of a disappointment unless you are dinning there as it's full of restaurants, a few stores selling Chinese grocery's and China made food. There was a H.S.B.C bank, Chinese signs on it to can you spot it in the picture.




dont ask about this one my son was picturing all!

Fruity Snacks

In line with 5 day , the UK healthy option maybe? I made these after seeing something similar on sale at the hospital a few days ago,
so in a bowl, plain flour, yeast, little dash of oil, brown sugar, mixed fruit, and sunflower seeds. Add water to bind and kneed , leave to rise , after kneed again and shape out, place on Baking tray andbrush with milk, bake in a moderatly hot oven.

Lamajun

here is a how they should look

Armenian Pizza (LAHMAJOON)
by Azniv Charkoudian

Dough:
6 cups flour
5 tbsp. shortening
1½ tsp. salt
1 pkg. yeast
3 tbsp. sugar
2 cups warm water

2 lbs. lamb or beef, ground once
2 cups canned tomatoes
2 tsp. salt
pinch of cayenne
pinch of blk. pepper
2 med. onions, finely chopped
½ cup parsley, finely chopped
½ cup green pepper, finely chopped

Dough:
Place yeast and 1 tbsp. sugar in ½ cup water and let stand for a few minutes. Use a dutch oven type pan with cover for kneading dough. Combine 6 cups flour, 1½ tsp. salt, 2 tbsp. sugar, 3 tbsp. shortening, 1½ cups water. Add yeast preparation and knead. Use remaining 2 tbsps. shortening on hand and rub on bottom of pan as you knead dough. This procedure will clean hand and bottom of pan of sticky dough. When dough is smooth, place cover on pan and place pan in oven which has been warmed for only 1 minute. Let stand until dough is double in size (about 2-3 hours).

Meat Filling:
Place all ingredients in bowl and mix well. Place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Rolling out of dough:
Take raised dough and make 12 balls. Now cut each ball in half, making a total of 24 balls. Place balls on tray sprinkled with flour. Let stand 10 minutes.

Roll out each ball to 7" diameter and place on cookie sheet. Place 1½ heaping tablespoons of meat mixture on each rolled dough and spread evenly. Bake in 450o oven. Place tray on bottom shelf for 10 minutes and then move to top shelf for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove from cookie sheet and place, staggered, on a tray to cool. (do not stack) When cold, stack with meat filling facing each other and place in refrigerator. When serving, it can be warmed by placing in a 325o oven for 5 minutes. May also be served cold.

Makes 2 dozen

Stuffed Cabbage

will come back later to post recipe inshaAllah.

serve with natural yougart or cream


1 whole Cabbage
whole cumin
Garlic and ginger minced
Salad, pepper,cumin,curry powder, chilli powder to taste.
handfull of rice pre-soaked
mincedbeef or chicken
1 egg to bind.
Method:-

Boil the whole cabbage in a large pot of water, once soft, drain and leave to cool.
Mean-while, mix the spices & rice in to the minced beef.
Open the leaves and trim the steam-y bit of the cabbage and then put a lump of mincemeat in it and roll it up.
in a pot on the gas, oil and a teaspoon of garlic and ginger minced drop some whole cumin seeds in there and abit of each spice metioned above, add a lil bit of water and once thats boiling lower ur cabbages in to ur pot and simmer. dont not boil.

Look who's sneaking around

Last night about 9.15pm not long after i had put some bread out for the birds that come by in the morning we found this wee fox munching away , so sweet , the picture does not capture its little red face , very cute fox subhanAllah.

My Buns

I wanted a soft brioche feel but a Chelsea bun look. This is what i got

I mixed 500g of plain flour, 1 cup of milk, yeast, salt , 1 egg, 1/4 sugar, 1/2 tea spoon of Allspice and currants. i invented this recipe they came out more like hotcross buns but i should have glazed them with some sugar glaze as they was not sweet enough alhamduillah.

Algerian Coffee Time

Today i fancied KESRA an Algerian flat bread made of semolina and mainly eaten at coffee time or breakfast, I made some but they were not like the ones i have eaten Algeria hummm i wonder where i went wrong but still edible.

Hospitality and Sharing: How the Salaf Lived

Muhammad b. Ziyâd said, “I met [some of] the Salaf. They would live in one building with their families. One of them might receive guests, and the cooking pot of another might be on the fire (with food being cooked). The host would take the pot to serve his guest, and the owner of the pot would find it had gone and would ask, “Who has taken the pot?” The host would reply, “We have taken it for our guest.” The owner would say, “May Allâh bless it for you,” or something similar. Baqîyah (one of the reporters) said, “Muhammad said, ‘And it was the same when they baked bread; and they had only a wall of reeds separating them in those days.’” Baqîyah added, “And I remember seeing such times with Muhammad b. Ziyâd and his friends.””

Al-Bukhârî, Al-Adab Al-Mufrad. Shaykh Al-Albânî (Sahîh Al-Adab Al-Mufrad p268) said this narration’s chain of narration is sahîh

Now i was thinking what a beautiful unity of love and caring and wanting for others what you have for yourselves, mahsaAllah. Sadly i don't seeto much of this even amoungst families, noone has time for one another these years. Sad really as they are loosing blessings.

Save yourselves and your families

Some narrations reported from the Salaf in explanation of what it means to protect oneself and one’s family as mentioned in Al-Tahrîm verse 6:

O you who believe! Protect yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels, stern and severe, and who disobey not the commands they receive from Allâh, but do that which they are commanded. [66:6]

· ‘Alî b. Abî Tâlib – Allah be pleased with him:

Discipline them, teach them.

· Ibn ‘Abbâs – Allah be pleased with them:

Stay obedient to Allâh, stay away from disobeying Allâh and command your families to remember Allâh, and He will save you from the Fire.

· Mujâhid – Allâh have mercy on him:

Fear Allâh and obey him (practice taqwâ) and tell your families to practice taqwâ.

· Qatâdah – Allâh have mercy on him:

A person protects his family by telling them to obey Allâh and forbidding them from disobeying Him. He upholds Allâh’s commandments and helps his family to uphold them. So if you see some disobedience of Allâh you stop them from doing it, and you reprimand them.

Al-Tabarî, Al-Tafsîr, Sûrah Al-Tahrîm

Everything Happens For A Reason

by Leap Of Faith aka Temps

*-Written for a contest.-*


"Everything happens for a reason."
Oh, how the quote expatiates in my mind.
It is what I live by each day -
my life motto; what I deem.

It is the truth as to why things transpire -
the way that they do.
It elucidates life in it's entirety-
whether it be for the better or the worse.

Every heart that gets shattered -
shatters for a reason.
Every tear that is shed -
sheds for a reason.
Every lie that is told -
is told for a reason.

Although life is full of plenty of hassles,
Don't frown when you stumble on them.
Look within yourself and you'll really see-
Everything truly does happen for a reason-
And rather than crying and being sad,
Find the happiness within, and smile.

More frugal delights

Made a dressing of cider vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper gave it a good shake and poured it over some sliced avocado's
Next up after some inspiration form seeking taqwa Chelsea buns drizzled with chocolate yum.
These are Cornish pasties filled with left over minced beef and mint filling from my bread rolls.
Some wholemeal pumpkin seed rolls to go with pumpkin soup inshaAllah. This lot took less than 2hrs to prepare and cook mashaAllah and all done frugally mashaAllah Tabbarak Allah!.

A Desi feel for a rainy day

My parents are from the Jalander city region well mum is and dad from Shakot, Punjabi.
Today i am made Desi foods from the Punjab, India. Now i know my Asian counterparts will have other versions of these very foods but here's mine. Naturally in theme with the frugal cooking month, also easy cheep meals and healthy. inshaAllah. this is SAMIA vermicelli pasta cooked in sweetened milk, cardamons, cinnamon, desiccated coconut and raisins opp forgot the sugar, this is so much a rainy day tea time treat as eaten in the Punjab and here in rainy UK its chucking it down today alhamduiilah. I got some chapati flour from the cash n carry couldn't wait to get home and kneed the dough to produce some chappatis, opps ate all mine sorry couldn't post you pic's, so here are some from the net just to give you an idea. Made yellow dall very nice

Savoury Snails (rolls)

Now this is another version of my rolls http://ummihabibati.blogspot.com/2008_03_21_archive.html#7748153451882032791 the same base dough , just different rolling and shaping , easier i may add, but down side i can't get much filling inside, i did minted minced beef and a few cream cheese and smoked Salmon ones. These are great with soups esp in Ramadan as sister jamila does it Savoury http://jamilascreations.blogspot.com/2007/09/breads-for-day.html
so here are mine

Are we amoungst the SABRINN?

Patience in Islam “SABR”
Each of us goes through life wanting to understand more clearly our metaphysical relationship with Allah. In search of knowledge and wisdom, we broaden our horizons and equip ourselves with the tools to help fulfill this mission. As we strive towards self-actualization, we find ourselves thirsty and eager to learn even more about Islam.
Prophet Job symbolizes the essence of patience. He has been the example for mankind to follow. In Islam, the Arabic term for patience is "sabr." Literally, sabr means to tie down our uncontrolled fears, passions, and weaknesses. There are many characteristics of sabr. For example, it means not only patience but also constancy, endurance, perseverance, self-restraint, forbearance, and steadfastness. The essence of sabr is when people restrain themselves from committing evil, obey Allah's Orders by holding their hearts firm, and refrain from complaining about anything bad that happens to them. The best example of sabr is when people, who are faced with calamity and adversity, hold steadfast in their sabr and place their trust in Allah.

Without sabr, we are like a ship lost at sea never knowing which direction to turn. Sabr is the compass that directs and guides us to the straight path. For Muslims, sabr is proactive and a time to perform. This performance may be the length of time one can persevere even in the face of calamity and difficulty. In Islam, patience is attained through effort. This effort is not automatic; rather, it takes a great deal of concentration and control of one's inner self.

Sabr weeps tears of comfort and finds content in the midst of discontent. Sabr turns bitterness into sweetness. Human endurance is a part of a fabric of virtues which leads to faith. Sabr applies both to the worst of times as well as to the best of times. It is a virtue for all occasions.

Calamities and hardships are means by which Allah tests the purity and seriousness of our faith. Testing is a part of the verification of our faith. Patience is the energetic power of faith. We are tested by the good for-tunes in life as well as by the misfortunes in life. One should not seek calamity or disaster, but if it befalls him he should persevere in his patience to endure this difficulty.

we don't really know what sabr is until we have tasted its sweetness. After a pierod of hardship when you come away happy, not happy outside but happy in the heart as through this hardship you gain, what did you gain some sweetness of faith that is the true sabr. We are tested in life's good times too, hardships can come in the for of good too.

Jam and cream doughnuts

An addition to my doughnuts http://ummihabibati.blogspot.com/2008_04_20_archive.html , i wanted to try something different, so jam and cream and this is what i got! Also when i was out lately i saw a cream doughnut on sale for 99p and i was shocked , too expensive, so i decided to make my own, as when you have a large family and you buying for all its can add up pretty fast and my version more healthy i am sure, Do you like?

Citrus snail rolls

I fancied baking today and some thing filling , i find breads made with semolina are heavy in texture and bite, more filling so in line with my frugal cooking month, i invented these, fusion cooking , i used equal amounts of semolina and plain flour, yeast, milk, an egg, salt and sugar. I grated the rind of an orange about a tablespoon.

I shaped and brushed the rolls with egg and sprinkled them with sesame seeds and aniseed's.
leave them in a warm place to rise before baking.