1.Wash and dry the dates. Make a clean cut to open the date and remove any pits.
2.Stuff each date with 3 whole almonds and close it gently with your fingers.
3.On a plate or platter, arrange the dates nicely in a row. Dollup the creme fraiche on top of each one. Finish with lemon or orange zest and chopped pistachios.
Ramadan Mubarak from our family to yours! We are especially excited this year as our little guy is actively involved in all that we do.
Please remember us in your prayers. May Allah accept all our fasts and worship in this blessed month, may he surround us with good company, may our homes be filled with barakah and righteous gatherings, Ameen.
Tips on how to "Tarawee it" with your little ones.
Here is tutorial on how to make your own Ramadan Banner.
With Ramadan just around the corner my little head has been buzzing with ideas to make it especially fun and exciting for my little guy. Of course, I want most of our time to go towards worship so here are ways to plan in advance:
1) Cook ahead of time. Some sisters have talked about pre-making foods like samosas and freezing them until needed.
2) Keep it simple. No need to stuff your face with an unhealthy menu. Keep it healthy and simple, this will only aid your body in detoxing while you are fasting.
3) Do your Eid shopping ahead of time. No one wants to be browsing the malls when they could be getting in some extra worship, especially during the last 10 nights.
4) If you are not fasting this year (because your nursing or your expecting) consider reading the quran from cover to cover. A simple method is 4 pages after each salaat, 4 x 5 = 20 pages, 20 pages= 1 juzz of the quran. I read this some where and loved how simple it was!
5) Consider hosting a potluck iftaar, this way everyone can still keep their routine of extra ibadaat up
6) Encourage yourselves and your children to wrap presents or save their money to give as a charity to those who are in need.
7) Have family circle time a few days a week, during a time that suits you best. Consider fun, islamically educational activities to do together. Here are some resources I plan on using during our circle time:
8) Decorate every room in your house! Lights, banners, balloons and other decorations. Remember you want your child to know Ramadan and Eid are very special holidays for Muslims just like other non-Muslim holidays are for the other children they know.
9) Make a "Welcome Ramadan" banner collectively as a family.
10) Swap your child's regular books for Ramadan/Eid themed books.
To summarize Leena in five words: Fearless. Stubborn. Adventurous. Genius. Adorable.
She knows exactly how to get what she wants (we're powerless against her smile and sweet pleading voice). Yes, she may be addicted to milk and ice cream, and yes, she may be a tiny bit obsessed with Barney and Nick Jr, and yes, her tantrums are ridiculous.... but she's still perfect Mashallah. She's not even two and she knows her ABC's, her 123's (up to like 15!), her shapes, colors and animals. She continues to amaze me every day with all the new words she's learning and how fast she picks things up.
I would say she is a pretty well rounded toddler - TV is a big part of her life but so is playing outside, coloring, reading (and sometimes eating) books and she's awesome at puzzles. She loves her family and we love her! Masha'allah, she's the greatest blessing in our lives.
Mashallah, Leena has beauty and the brains to match. I can't get over her adorable loopy curls! Her smile is absolutely contagious. I loved hearing all about the variety of her activities and how quickly she Mashallah picks things up. It's amazing how smart our little ones are! May Allah protect her, preserve her memory, growing skills and ability to learn new things and may he always keep her under his protection and care. Ameen.
If you have a photo you would like to share, along with some words of positive encouragement, please email alif2yaa@gmail.com
Several of you have asked me about Sunscreens. Both Badger and Green Beaver have great natural products that are safe to use on the skin. I love that neither of the products use artificial fragrances or chemicals. Instead they use natural essential oils which actually help moisturizing the skin. We use the Green Beaver sunblock and it contains Jojoba oil. Jojoba oil contains healing properties to help treat skin disorders, eczema and acne. This is just an example of why the natural choice is always the better the choice. Not only are you protecting your skin, you are preserving it Inshallah.
