Nutty chocochino

I know I said I'd share more baking recipes and tips but somehow I just don't get down to it. I had every intention to share a cake recipe this week,complete with step by step pictures,but I missed a pic at a crucial stage and hence that post will have to be postponed until i bake that cake again, Sigh. Anyway I decided to sort of make- up for it with a quick ,delicious milkshake recipe that I created today.

Ingredients :

2 cups of milk
2tsp coffee
2T choc syrup
4 scoops of vanilla ice cream
4 almonds
Sugar to taste

Method :

Blend all of the above together until smooth and creamy. To serve ,drizzle choc sauce in a glass. Pour in the milkshake and decorate with choc shavings or sliced almonds.

If you're not a fan of crunch,simply omit the almonds.

Now go impress someone with your crazy blender skills :P

Until you read again
Ma'assalaam

A sister's love

I was invited to a supper earlier in the evening and something I saw there gave me a 'blogspiration' .It was an absolutely adorable, kind, heart warming, make-you-wanna-get-emotional gesture,that has got me blogging at 00:28 AM.

The supper was a garden buffet so most of the guests were seated outside. When we got there the weather was warm but as the evening progressed a chill crept in. I noticed two sisters who were seated a short distance from me ,one of whom looked to be about 9 and the other around 5. So anyway,when it got cold the older sister held her younger sister on her lap ,and wrapped her up in the cape-like garment she was wearing. She cuddled her and kept her warm until their parents were ready to leave. I just stopped and watched them. I was so enchanted by this utterly sweet gesture but no,i was not entirely surprised. Coz I know what my sisters do for me and what they have always done for me. That's a sister's love. Its as simple as that.

May Allah forever keep our sisterly bonds strong and reunite us with our sisters (and all other family members) in Jannah! Aameen!

*blogspiration - that's my new word,meaning the impetus behind a blog post. Add it to your dictionary (it's in my fictionary)
*fictionary - a collection of words that do not exist (but which I choose to use anyway)

Until you read again
Ma'assalaam

Don't inflict your history upon someone else

I read Jodi Picoult's 'The Storyteller' this past weekend and it turned out to be one of those haunting reads.Brilliant,no doubt, but haunting in that the characters stay with you long after you've closed the book. It largely centers around the Holocaust ,so it was with a sense of disillusionment that I realised just how horrifically history is repeating itself. Except now ,the Jews are the Nazi's.

What Hitler and his army did was vile,repulsive and downright atrocious. And that's exactly the direction the zionists in Palestine are headed. I struggled to grasp how a nation who was once oppressed ,now effortlessly inflicts similar torture upon another nation. But then I reminded myself that this is so commonplace amongst individuals as well. The man who cursed his drunkard father ,could scarcely remain sober later on in his life. The girl who was repeatedly beaten up by her parents ,turned on her own children eventually. The kid who couldn't hold his own against the bullies in the playground ,abused his subordinates in the workplace. See where I'm going with this? It sometimes happens that we become the very thing we had previously put up a resistance against. In some people the effect of habit could be marginal, but in others it could determine their entire character or behaviour.

I personally don't think that ones behaviour can be excused based on exposure to the same in the past. We have intellect and reason and we should employ these to make sound decisions and choices. The past and what we have been through ,if negative, should serve to motivate us to improve ourselves and try to steer away from that negativity. It is so disheartening knowing we can inflict the same damage upon others ,knowing full well what that torment and suffering feels like.

We are not animals.As laughable as that reminder may seem it is precisely what some people need to hear. If you have been abused,mistreated,teased and ridiculed make sure you protect others from the same. Evil is not inherited, it is something that takes choices to get to. May the Almighty guide us to choose the correct path every time,and if we slip may He return us to His path!Aameen

Until you read again
Ma'assalaam

in my fathers ' finger-steps '

Okay,so that last word in my title does not exist,but i could not find an apt enough word.My father is an amazing photographer whose collection probably spans well over twenty thousand. He however has not published any of his work.My sister has recently taken up photography as a hobby but i do hope that she does not follow my father in that regard(not publishing her work). Tho new in the field , she already shows promise and i would love to see her work on public platforms. Let me treat you to some of her flashes of brilliance.




Until you read again
Ma'assalaam

Regret keeps your feet on the ground

Some of you might have read this as I wrote it a while ago, so here's a reminder for you and a helping of food for thought for the new readers.

Have you ever woken up one morning completely content with who you are.Pleased with your present behaviour ,at ease that your past is where it is,and positive that your future has only the best in store for you.Whilst being hopeful is most often a good thng,too much of it can be dangerous. Especially when that hope makes us complacent.The reality is that we need the element of regret 2 keep us grounded. Here's my take on why.
Regret by definition refers to the act of repentence or to feel remorseful.So,if we happen to remove that from our lives we would be a band of unfeeling barbarians, unconcernd with our mistakes or with change. In essence,if we do not regret,we do not repent. And if we do not repent, I shudder to think of our final abode..

In keeping this brief ,let us all resolve today to ammend our ways and do good deeds seeking the pleasure of Allah.In that way we need not spend all of our time regretting.Rather,let us maintain that balance between hope and fear and InshaAllah on the Day of Judgement we wont be swimming in a sea of regret!!

Until you read again
Ma'assalaam

Brides like us...

My mum is a caterer and on numerous occasions she's told us about the bridezillas she has had the ' pleasure' of encountering.I have also seen firsthand how some brides behave ,fussing ,moaning and antagonizing others over the smallest details. Sure, as a bride,it is your day but that does not mean you have to go in full on diva mode being nasty and arrogant to others. So here's a tribute to the brides with grace and respect ,who understand that beauty is not just in their make- up, dresses and hall decor but most importantly in how you carry yourself.

From a young age,my sisters, a few of my cousins ,nieces and I have meshed really well.thinking back on the type of brides we were its easy to see why we've had that bond. It all began with S a few years ago. The night before her wedding she had mehndi ( henna) on her arms and legs but insisted on making our beds as we were her guests at her home. Thereafter was Z, who helped with her entire reception,and I mean ENTIRE.She had a hand( well both hands) in it from start to finish,she planned,she cooked,set tables,she even cleaned up! She had no professional make up or hairstyling done ,but she was gorgeous and dressed in like 15 minutes. Then came J whose wedding was planned in under 24 hours.A simple,no fuss evening was spent at her home and she was so loving and grateful to all those who helped pull it off. I was next in line, tho I don't remember much I do remember my aunts scolding me as I was decorating cupcakes that morning instead of going to get dressed. My sister says she remembers my entourage of lil girls (my nieces) and how thrilled they were ,milling around me all morning.Next to wed was F. The night before her wedding she played games with the rest of us 'nazm chairs' and thunee to be precise.At the Walima She welcomed her guests personally and continued to mingle throughout the day. She also hugged and thanked each of my mums workers which is something I haven't seen before. Last of the wedded was A. She too mingled with her guests and had no separate table or stage. I recall her kneeling down at one point ,with no mind paid to her dress,whilst she chatted to a guest seated at a table. There are a few more left in line to get married and I have no doubt that they too will be undemanding brides.

Your wedding day should be one filled with love ,light and happiness. Don't mar it by being petty and catty. Behave respectfully and let it be a day that you and others remember fondly.

Belated but special mention to Z who gave me the idea for this blog.


Until you read again
Ma'assalaam

No humor in death

The day after my last blog post ,the paralympian Oscar Pistorious killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his home. Tho details are still sketchy regarding the truth of what happened ,it somehow felt so surreal hearing the news that morning. Whichever angle you look at it ,this tragedy spoke volumes about the type of society we live in.

Most people seem to have an opinion of what happened that morning, I am still 'sitting on the fence'.I do however,take a strong stance against the jokes circulating in regards to the killing.I find nothing remotely funny about death and paraplegia. In this case, a woman is gone, her chance at this life is gone ,a family's loved one is gone. There is no excuse for being insensitive to the loss of life or ridiculing of people with disabilities based on the yet to be confirmed actions of an individual.
Regardless of whether the victim was Muslim or not,our Deen is one of mercy and it demands us to show respect and compassion.
" The one who doesn’t show mercy on the people, Allah will not show mercy to him." (Tirmidhi)

Tragedies like these should serve to remind us that as humans we are not infallible and that we should constantly make Dua ( pray) that Allah saves us from the same. We are all to leave this world and we have no clue when and how it will happen. May the Almighty be most pleased with us on that day! Aameen.

Until you read again
Ma'assalaam