Store Desserts to make at home

Two of my favourite desserts that I always buy at the store were featured in two different magazines, so I thought I'd share them. Its always good to make your own since its fresher and healthier and your store might run out!
From Chatelaine magazine I found Streusel Crunch Blueberry Muffins. From Taste of Home I found Instant Chocolate Pastries.

Plastic Planet

A couple of nights ago we watched Plastic Planet. We know we are surrounded by plastic but do we know the effects? We learned that plastic is in our blood streams and that it is causing infertility. We learned yet again about how it is hurting wildlife ie birds feeding bits of plastic to their babies and about them dying from it.  We learned about how it is having an effect on the ratio of girls to boys which I did know before and can witness right before my eyes. Plastic is everywhere and part of everything. In the show they told people to take out all the plastic stuff they have outside to see how much they have. People were surprised at how much they had even in 3rd world countries. This documentary is very eye-opening. Sit down with your family and be educated and informed. Great for discussions afterwards.

Dresses as jilbabs.

I know its a bit unorthodox but with this summer heat I've decided to wear dresses as jilbabs. These 100% cotton dresses are perfect as they are lightweight and cool. Choose them in light colours and you are even cooler. People wear abayas as their top layer so its pretty much the same thing. In fact most abayas are even thinner than dresses. Anyone else use dresses as an option in the summer? Here and here are two new ones I've added to my wardrobe. Shukr has added some new jilbabs too. I'm pleased that they are making thier jilbabs a lot more edgy now. If you like what you see, click on my shukr ad on the right side of my blog to order. :)

Friday Nasihah - Righteous Stones, Voluntary Deeds, Clear Expectations

Living The Quran Righteous Stones Al Baqara (The Cow) - Chapter 2: Verse 74 (partial) '... and verily of stones there are some from which gush forth rivers, and verily there are of them some that cleave asunder and water issueth therefrom, and verily there are of them some that fall down in awe of Allah ...' The above is a beautiful description, in parable, of three grades of a righteous people: a) those who do universal good, such as the Prophets (like big rivers in their beneficence.) b) those whose outlook is not so broad, yet who do immense service within their limited sphere, such as the saints (awliya) and martyrs (shuhada) (like smaller streams and rivulets); and, c) those who are true and faithful at least to their own selves; the general community of the faithful (like stones which are impressionable) Compiled From: "The Glorious Qur'an: Text, Translation & Commentary" - Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Understanding the Prophet's Life Voluntary Deeds On the authority of Abu Huraira who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Allah the Almighty has said, 'My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him.'" [Bukhari] Allah, the Creator and Fashioner of humans, has obligated certain deeds. Those are deeds that are needed by all humans for the purification of their souls. Beyond those deeds, though, Allah has left the door wide open for individuals to concentrate on those deeds that they are most inclined to. For example, some people are dedicated to their voluntary prayers. Other may be attracted to fasting, charity or the pilgrimage. There are others who are more inclined to doing good toward others. They perform the obligatory deeds and then beyond that they spend their time tending to others' needs. When these people tend to those matters, they become the key by which they come closer to Allah and enter Paradise. This reality is all by the mercy of Allah. Beyond the obligatory deeds, people are free to pursue those good voluntary deeds that they are most attracted to. There are so many areas of voluntary deeds that it seems inconceivable that a person could not find some voluntary deed or deeds that she would like to perform in order to get closer to Allah. Allah's path to paradise is wide enough to accommodate all of those different leanings. However, this is all dependent on the individual first fulfilling, in general, the obligatory deeds. Compiled From: "Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi" - Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo, pp. 1408-1409

Blindspot! Clear Expectations How often have you seen someone get hurt because another person led them on? Our tendency is to want to flatter and please others, and, as a result, we often set unclear or unrealistic expectations. To please your dad at the moment, you might say, "Sure, Dad, I can help you fix up the car this weekend." But, realistically, you're booked the entire weekend and don't have a second. In the end, you disappoint your dad. You would have been better off being realistic up front. To develop trust we need to avoid sending vague messages or implying something that is not true or not likely to happen. Whenever you get into a new job, relationship, or setting, you're better off taking the time to lay all expectations out on the table so that everyone is on the same page. So many withdrawals are made because one party assumes one thing and another party assumes something else. Build trust through telling it like it is and laying out clear expectations right up front. Compiled From: "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens" - Sean Covey, pp. 142-143 ******************** I'm really loving the volutary deeds part. I love to dawah. Most people choose sunnah prayers. Me not so much. We all are inclined to what attracts us.

Of Hockey and Hijab - an interview with Sheema Khan

This month's book club choice is Of Hockey and Hijab. Here is a little taste of it.

Two Mennonite Novels

Irma Voth: A Novel  This post is for my Mennonite turned Muslim friend. I saw these two novels; Irma Voth and A Complicated Kindness, featured in Chatelaine and thought of her. Do I have any other Mennonite readers or former ones? Nevertheless these look like interesting books for anyone to read.

Learn French Together

This is another activity set the school let us borrow. It comes with 3 books which you use to follow along with the cd set. Each page teaches new simple vocabulary and there are activities to do on each page if you choose to like making an alphabet soup or a maracca. Dd4 easily followed along and enjoyed it.

New Stripes

On the weekend ds2 and ds3 were tested and recieved their blue stripes on thier green belts. Next step is blue belts. Dd3 and ds4 have dropped out for the time being but I hope they come back. Dd4 comes once in a blue moon so not enough to get more stripes on her white belt. Ds5 doesn't come anymore. As for me I wish I could have tested for my yellow belt but with my leg problems not to mention my broken toe it was out of the question.

Wedding Essence

Did you know Sketched Soul's mom makes cakes? They look so professional and yummy! If you are in the GTA and need a cake then check out this site.  I could eat the chocolate icing cupcake off the screen!  She even made a mosque cake. Sketched Soul makes knitted cupcakes that can be used to store your hijab pins or needles. So cute! I first saw them at RIS and recently gave one to my arabic teacher as a gift. She sells them on her etsy shop but none are available currently. Convo her to make some for you but if you are really hungry contact her mom. :)

Al-Quaida Cake

Long before Sept 11. everyone knew that Al-quaida meant the little booklet muslims used to learn how to read the Quran. Since my arabic teacher is going away for a few months I decided to make a cake in her honour; an al-quaida cake. I used the book pan from Wilton and tip number 5 for the arabic letters. It takes 3 cakes to fill this pan! Everyone liked it and it was a really fun project to make and share!

Sura Al-Kahf

Friday is the day to recite sura al-kahf. Do you know it? Do you recite it? You can download a copy here for only 89 cents. :)

Friday Nasihah - Forever Young

Living The Quran Forever Young Al Kahf (The Cave) - Chapter 18: Verse 10 'When the young men took refuge in the cave and said: "Our Lord! Grant us mercy form Your Presence and arrange for us in your affair what is right and good!"' The word used to mean young (fata) in this verse has a special meaning and usage in Islamic literature. Its definitive form futuwwah, meaning youth and chivalry, is a composite of virtues, such as energy, revolutionary vigour, heroism, generosity, modesty, chastity, trustworthiness, loyalty, mercifulness, knowledge, humility, and piety. Futuwwah also signifies a selfless character that enjoys helping others, wishing no one any harm. It is an important, indispensable dimension of good conduct and a significant aspect of humanity. Derived from fata meaning young man, futuwwah has become a symbol of rebellion against all kinds of evil and of sincere servanthood to God as the way to attain true freedom. Some have summed up the descriptions made for futuwwah in the following cardinal virtues, in addition to those mentioned above: Forgiving when one is able to punish. Preserving mildness and acting mildly and gently when one is angry. Wishing well for all, including one's enemies, and doing good. Always being considerate of the well-being and happiness of others first, even when one is needy. The signs of one being a fata (young, chivalrous one) are that their spirit, which was created with the potential to accept Divine Oneness and Islam, has utmost conviction of Divine Oneness and urges them to live according to the requirements of this conviction, and that, without being captivated by carnal or bodily desires, they live a pure, spiritual life, always aiming to please God in all acts, thoughts, and feelings. It is not possible for one who cannot be saved from the temptations of their carnal soul, from Satan, from bodily appetites, and from a love of the world or attachment to worldly life, to climb up toward the peak of futuwwah. Compiled From: "The Quran: Annotated Interpretation in Modern English" - Ali Unal, pp. 601

Understanding the Prophet's Life Jihad Of The Eyes Many of us may wonder what’s wrong with lustfully staring at the attractive features of another person? Perhaps one saying of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) sums it all: “The furtive glance is one of the poisoned arrows of Satan, on him be God's curse. Whoever forsakes it for the fear of Allah, will receive from Him (Great and Gracious is He) a faith, the sweetness of which he will find within his heart.” (al-Haakim.) A Muslim is decent and pure. This means all of his or her body must be decent and pure. A natural consequence of this is lowering the gaze. Looking at another man or woman in an indecent manner is following in Satan's footsteps. It all begins with a lustful glance. Such a glance leads to lustful talk and flirting, then meeting…and we are all aware of what comes next. Let us stop Satan in his tracks and lower our gaze. Let us start today, during these hot summer months. Yes, it is very difficult and it takes discipline and faith. Yet, whenever we struggle to please Allah, He will reward us several times over in this life and the next. It is truly a Jihad. But, it is a Jihad worth undertaking, and we will be all the better for it. Compiled From: "The Jihad of the eyes - start today!" - Hesham Hassaballa "Watch Out for The Arrow" - Young Muslims Publications

Blindspot! Foreboding There are two types of foreboding (tatayyur). One is based on normative experience observing things that consistently happen. For example, getting near a cobra usually results in it striking its victims. So when you see a cobra, get out of the way. There is no superstition in that. But it differs completely from some practices like avoiding walking under a ladder, staying clear of a black cat, and the culture that has evolved around the number 13 and its association with bad luck. These superstitions emanate from having a bad opinion of God, not recognizing His power and authority in the world, and attributing power to inanimate objects and delving into other similar practices. These superstitions are explicitly forbidden in Islam. While these practices have taken an aura of innocence and light humour, they are nonetheless connected to their pagan and idolatrous ancestry. The way to cure this trap of superstition is for one to simply persist in what he was doing when confronted with something viewed as a bad omen. Altering one's course of action because of some perceived omen is admitting that the superstition has power. Compiled From: "Purification of The Heart" - Hamza Yusuf, pp. 91, 92