Marble Art

With all the rainy weather this week we had to find creative ways to enjoy the indoors. This was a super easy project. I already had the materials at home so it was convenient.

You will need an empty cardbord box. I used the box we had from file folders.

I used some fabric paints because I like the 3D effect they give.

Squirt a generous amount of paint and throw in different sized marbles.

Give the marbles a good shake and move them vertically and horizontally.

Tadaaa here is the finished product!



Spelt Pancakes

Tired of the same old buttermilk pancake mix? Well do I ever have a recipe for you! These were by far one of the most delicious pancakes I have ever had. I am getting hungry just thinking about them.

In our home we are wheat free. This is of course for many different reasons. The main reason being that wheat is one of the hardest grains to digest. If your looking to go to the loo after every meal like we are supposed too- you will quickly learn that wheat is not your friend!

I like to change it up and use a variety of different flours. The recipe for these delicious pancakes requires spelt flour. What? Your not familiar with spelt. Don't worry your like the million of Canadians and Americans who eat only white or wheat flour. The reason you have no idea of altnerative flours is because your grocery store probably has a tiny shelf with the spelt flour on the very bottom. Conveniently away from all the major and highly processed brands which are placed front and center.

If you look a little harder you might find a variety of different flours. Brown rice flour, amaranth flour, spelt flour, millet flour... just to name a few.

So what's so great about spelt? Well for starters its full with hearty nutrients. Fiber, niacin(B3), protein and lots of manganese, a key mineral in our bodies found in a minimal amount. Like wheat spelt is not a stored grain. Which means it is free from the effects of grains in storage. In short, by eating spelt you can avoid the long term effects like mold in your flour bag.

Sweetened with agave, this recipe is much lower on the glycemic index than those sweetened with processed white sugar. Of course you want to top the pancakes with some real whole goodness maple syrup and not with Aunt Jemima's poison in a bottle. You know the stuff we all grew up eating? Real maple syrup is packed with almost every mineral known to man. Aunt Jemima's  not so much. It actually contains NO maple syrup at all! Well isn't that a fun fact!? If your still in denial, click here to read all about it.

I present to you- a healthy, yummy, craving right now alternative:

1 cup organic light spelt flour


2 tbsp aluminum free baking powder

1/8 tsp sea salt
1 cup coconut, rice or almond milk. I use coconut (the unsweetened kind)
1 tbsp agave syrup. I use RAW agave.

2 tbsp grapeseed oil.
1 1/2 tsp pure alcohol free vanilla

coconut oil for the pan

Method:
Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in separate bowl. Combine both. Put the batter aside for 5 minutes and let rise. Prepare a pan with 1/4 tsp coconut oil on low-med heat. Gently spoon in batter without mixing. Cook for 2-3 minutes, flip and repeat.

We also dressed these up for dessert. Throw a scoop of coconut ice cream, maple syrup and some dairy free choco chips!

Fun Fridays!

Friday is here and I am excited for the weekend. We are hoping to get some fresh air and sunshine at the Royal Botanical Gardens.

We have really been taking advantage of being outdoors lately. This is the BEST recipe for a fulfilled child. My son sleeps better, has less energy to throw tantrums or hyper monkey jumping horseplay- that's what I call it,  has a huge appetite and is in love with Nature.  

Our home is filled with his "treasures" in all shapes, sizes and colors. We have a growing rock collection and a variety of branches and sticks. Best of all this has cost me nothing! You would be surprised how these simple things entertain your child for hours.

Last week, my extended family and I went to Webster Falls. We had a blast. Of course there was a series of different reactions to the hike. One of my cousins said her legs felt like rubber. The other said her entire body was sore. For the rest of us it was pretty refreshing. We were exhausted but when we hiked down to the falls it was like we were suddenly re-energized, Alhumdulillah!

Happy Friday and in the mean time, do not forget to sign up for my upcoming workshop here only 3 spots left!

Who wants to jump in?!

 Webster Falls- loved the sound of the water!

Zaki with my cousin Rayyan

Surprise!

Happy Friday to you all.


I have some good news to share with all of you. It's not what you are thinking... keep guessing ;)

I have joined the team at PureBalance Wellness Center as the Doula! You can check out their facebook page here

Click here to see my Bio and Services 

Handmade Goodness!

With Ramadan approaching soon I am really looking for some crafty ideas to make as Eid gifts. In the past, I have tried to stay true to this by baking goodies for the men in my family. The last few years, I baked sugar cookies and purchased some cute containers from Michael's. I have to admit, with each passing year I am totally stumped about what to get for my guy cousins.

This year I will continue on the tradition but extend it to my other family as well. There is so much love, effort and positive energy that goes into a handmade gift. I like to visualize the person whom I am making the gift and send good vibes and blessings their way.

People often make the assumption that handmade gifts should only always be economical but they forget the time that goes into it and the cost of quality materials.

That being said it can still be really economical to make a gift, card or baked goods!

Here are some quick ideas you can put together for your loved ones:

A scarf I made for my younger cousin. Love the color!

Add some hand made deco to any room for a pop of color. I made this for my cousin, the colors represent her husbands college football team. 

My little Artisan personally working on a series of handmade eid gifts for our family.

Don't feel like much of a crafter? Looking for creative energy? Find yourself lost in the handmade dream world of Etsy. 

You can always purchase a handmade gift made by someone else. If your not sure where to start... let me introduce you to a friend of mine, hand crafter, artist, crotchet lady, photographer, Super Mama extraordinaire- Sarah! Sarah just made adorable shoes for her little one. This totally melted my heart, handmade shoes by mama- what could be sweeter than that?!

She even makes custom art! Eid gifts galore- Imagine custom artwork for your husbands office or artwork to adorn your hallways and living room. Drooooool!

Click here for her Blog 

Click here for her Facebook Page