What Brownies Taste Like at My House

My sweet dreamer, my oldest daughter, has really been finding her way around the kitchen these past couple of weeks.  Bless her heart, she's not very attuned to details, so I was rightfully worried when she asked to make her first batch of brownies.  She did great, and it was a little more work than when my son started to bake cookies, but she is over the moon with her accomplishments, masha'Allah, and I'm so proud of her.  Here is the recipe we've been making brownies with for some time.  It's a toss up between this one and some other one I can't find, but we do like these a lot.  They just don't taste so good after the second or third day, but they're not given that many hours to sit around in this house.

1 1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
2 eggs
2 Tbsp water
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease 8*8 baking pan although 9*13 will work.  Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a small bown and set aside.  In a saucepan, melt butter and chocolate squares over low heat, stirring occasionally.  Once melted, remove from heat and add sugar, eggs, water, and vanilla.  Stir vigorously until well mixed.  Stir in dry ingredients.  Fold in nuts if desired.  Bake 18-22 minutes.  Cool and serve!

White Chili Recipe

Assalamu alaikom

I tried something new this week in food.  I'm the type who will eat just about anything and don't turn my nose at anything, but when I heard the words "white" and "chili" in the same sentence it made me turn "green".  That was about two years ago. 

Last week I read a recipe online for white chili, and I guess I had a change of heart or something because I felt like giving it a shot.  I just had to make sure not to mentally categorize it with "real" chili which is red, not white, and is made with BEEF, and not with chicken.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and will make it again!  One tip: it calls for a quart of cream.  Since I knew I'd be eating from it over 3 days or so, I didn't add the cream on the day I made the soup.  It wouldn't taste good getting heated, chilled, and reheated, so I just added a little bit of cream daily each time I took a portion out to reheat for lunch.  Also, I used much less than a quart of cream... and that's a good thing, no matter how good cream is!

White Chili
1 large jar white northern beans (or 2 regular sized cans)
1 quart chicken stock
2 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celergy
1 4oz jar diced green chilies ( I didn't use these)
1 1/3 Tbsp. minced garlic ( I used about 5 cloves... who needs to count in TBSPs!)
1 1/2 Tbsp. cumin
1/2 - 1 tsp. cayenne pepper depending on how hot you like it
1 quart cream
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion, celery, and garlic in 2 Tbsp oil.  Add beans, stock, and spices. Simmer 1/2 hour- 1 hour.  Add chicken.  Add cream and heat through just before serving.  Serve with shredded cheese on top if desired.

Sorry, no picture... maybe another time!

Menu's up

I have a tentative idea of what we'll be eating this week:

Lunches:
~I'm making a couple of extra loaves of bread, slicing them, and putting them in the freezer so that we can get back into having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch!  I know, that's not very exciting, but we haven't eaten those in months and months, so I hope they'll be a happy change. 
~ Baked macaroni and cheese (new recipe I'm waiting to try)
~ leftovers or something from the freezer
~ tacos if necessary

Dinner:
Sunday: Tenderloin steak, roasted veggies
Monday: Making a pot of White Chili for the first time, some leftover steak for the skeptics
Tuesday: Probably more white chili for me, feel like frying some chicken thighs, more roasted veggies
Wednesday: Taco soup, steamed broccoli
Thursday: Soup, not sure.. I have a lot of broccoli and potatoes, so probably that.
Friday: Meatballs in a tray with veggies and tomato sauce, side of rice

Insha'Allah, that's the plan.

Home activites for your kids

Does the thought of having your kids home for two weeks without school give you a little stress?  Do you wonder what you'll do with them, or more specifically, what they'll do with you?? Just kidding, hopefully they'll do nothing with you but fill your heart with love :D

My philosophy is that you as a parent don't need to resort to song and dance to entertain your children, rather you just want to provide a few things to jump start their imaginations and love for play that is already there.  They're kids after all!  (and by song and dance I'm talking about going to places where you have to pay and pay and pay out the nose for a few hours of 'entertainment')

Here are a few ideas that have worked for me that I hope might be useful for you or might give you an idea for something else you have handy. 

1.  Have some art supplies handy and structure the time they can use it if the mess stresses you out.  There are washable finger paints that are easy to wipe off of any table surface.  I've bought some inexpensive newsprint tablets of paper that the little ones can use as much as they want.  No fancy thick art paper, just a thinner type called newsprint.  There is a little plastic tub (with lid) hidden in one of my kitchen cabinets full of paint brushes, washable finger paints, a couple of trays of watercolors, and reused cans that I've saved from cooking to act as water cans.  Older kids know that they have to leave NO TRACE of their activity if I'm going to let them do it again, so they make sure to clean up really well.

2. Homemade Playdo (or the store bought type)  We set up at the kitchen table and use rolling pins, wooden utensils (like salad mixers, wooden fork), plastic characters from other toys (we some old Dora and Diego figures), and plastic toys like trees, animals, and other things you might have already.  You could make a jungle theme or any theme you want and set out the accessories that will give them a spark to work with.
Recipe for Homemade Playdo
5 cups flour
1 cup salt
2 T Alum (white spice you can find in grocery store)
1/4 cup oil
4 cups boiling water

Stir all together in a large mixing bowl.  You can separate the dough into smaller bowl and add food coloring.  Store in sealed plastic bags to keep fresh and moist.

3.  Have a sensory box.  The idea is to fill a container with dry materials that the little ones can sink their hands into and play in.  At preschools I've seen them at the kids' waist level so that they can walk up to the long table that is filled with sand or pebbles, rice, or soapy water at times.  Kids love to touch and move these things between their fingers.  At home, I found a tub that I could reuse and filled it with dry rice and green lentils.  Just yesterday I switched it out and filled it with different types of dry beans.  I used large white beans, black beans, red beans, pinto beans, and black-eyed peas.  Again, the big kids know to clean up completely, but for the toddler, well, I just brace myself and have the vacuum cleaner handy for when she's done.  I have used a beach blanket before for them so play on so that I could more easily shake out or throw away what got scattered out of the box.

Here is the updated box I just set up today and like more:

4.  Make fruit popsicles.  Ok, I know it's cold enough outside, but this is a quick and easy kitchen activity if you have anyone who is itching to make his/her own treat.  We poured our blend into these little containers that Nana gave us, but you can use ice cube trays if you want, too.

Recipe for fruit popsicles
1 cup frozen sliced bananas (it's ok if they're not frozen)

1 cup frozen strawberries, raspberries, sliced peaches or other fruit (we used the frozen tropical mix from Costco)

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract (i'd use a little less)

¼ to ½ cup milk (dairy, soy, rice, almond, or coconut)
In a food processor, pulse fruit until coarsely chopped. I used my blender, not food processor.
Add milk a little at a time through top of processor, and puree until creamy.
Serve immediately, or freeze in individual-size containers for later.
Yield: 4 servings
Recipe is courtesy of: http://www.mothering.com/recipes/better-ice-cream

5.  Free up the garage.  Ours has tools and toys around the perimeter b/c my husband parks his car inside.  When it's too cold or wet to play outside we just move his car out and play in there.  Sure, it's not huge, but for most kids it is plenty of room to play ball, ride scooters/trikes, jump on a small trampoline, or just to run and play.  I've even taken one of the space heaters to warm it up a little more in there on the really cold days.

6.   Have some quiet activities on hand. 
a) The most obvious one is books from the library.  Why don't all of you sit on the couch with a few piles of books and just sit down and relax for an hour?  Make some hot tea or hot chocolate and enjoy reading together.
b) Remember playing Mad Libs as a kid?  I just ordered two books and they're a HIT!!
http://www.amazon.com/Super-Silly-Mad-Libs-Junior/dp/0843107588/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1324133457&sr=8-4
c) Latch hook kits.  Definitely for ages 8 and up.  Maybe even 9 or 10 and up.  Don't tell anyone, but my son is really into the one I got him.  It's a picture of a pirate ship.  He's loving it.  What a great quiet, focusing, and productive activity!
http://www.amazon.com/Caron-Wonderart-Latch-Hook-Kit/dp/B0017WEDA8/ref=sr_1_10?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1324133546&sr=1-10

I left out some big things like arts and crafts (glue, construction paper, etc..), scrapbooking, and bead activites b/c I figured those were obvious enough if you already have them at home. 

Alrighty, that's about all I have for now!

something *I* have learned from homeschooling

I've had the opportunity twice this past week to talk about why I chose to homeschool the children.  (it just so happens that two people asked me why/how I do it)  Now that I've been doing it a little over a year I've almost forgotton about those initial feelings that lead me to explore it in the first place!  When I think back to those few weeks in the spring of 2010 when I started this journey, the initial reasons are still there and valid, but I've gained dozens more reasons to keept it going.

I couldn't believe how things were changing for the better during those first few weeks.  I mean, all the little extra perks were piling up, and I was just all giddy with our new lifestyle.  I'm talking about the bonus of the kids seeing their dad an extra few minutes a day b/c they're not being rushed out the door.  The bonus of them occasionally eating a hot meal for lunch rather than their packed lunches.  The opportunity for them to do some simple chores in the morning their not being totally exhausted by the time they get done with school for the day.  We slowly shifted from our old routine to a new one that was much more laid back and kind of with a natural flow. 

I get the opportunity to be there to shape their views on key character issues.  I am providing them with quality literature that is well written and with good characters/stories.  When tough situations arise, we are all there to talk about how we would respond. 

To get to do all of this, though, it does take effort of course.  Nothing can be successful without putting your all into it.  You can't do something like this halfway.  And that brings me to one of the more significant replies I've come to give those who question me, because they inevitabley tell me they couldn't possibly do it and that they don't have the patience that I must have.   I often stop them and tell them that I, too, used to think that of others who homeschooled.  I tell them that not only has it built character in the children, but that it built character in me.  This change in lifestlyle has positively affected me.  I wasn't expecting it, really, and it took me answering questions of curious friends to realize that I did change.  I had to.  I had to change in my heart how I saw my children.  I prayed about it, asked for help, and put my best foot forward.  Now, months later, I can say that I have changed, and I think I am a better mom for it.  Alhamdulilaah, Allah is capable of all things, and He can provide for us from places we cannot imagine.  And that's the other thing I like to share with moms who consider homeschooling.  Make your intentions for seeking the pleasure of Allah, and He will provide for you and make you a way.  (and I'm not saying that homeschooling is the only way for Allah to make a way for you to be a good mom!!! just saying how with my intentions for homeschooling along with prayer, I've come a long way)

The struggles haven't been too hard.  I've managed my schedule so that I do some outings on my own once my husband is home.  It's when he's travelling out of town that I feel the full force of not having any time to run errands alone.  I don't even mind being home with the kids, it's when I need something from out of the house that I run into trouble.  I'm used to taking my kids with me everywhere, but the older ones don't have as much patience as they used to, and that's where I'm running into the most trouble!  In a year or two, though I'll be able to leave more of them home alone, insha'Allah.  I'm so thankful that I'm with them while they grow up.  I hope and pray that this will benefit them as they grow.

I've changed my settings

Hey everyone,

I am going to try this out again where your comments will get published immediately rather than await moderation.  For a while I was getting a lot of random spam comments, so I'm just going to try it out again.

So if that was ever holding you back, go ahead and leave comments!

Thanks,

Zein

Kitchen happenings and Meal Plan

Assalamu alaikom, hey everyone!

As usual I've spent a big part of Sunday in the kitchen.  It's kind of my thing.  I like to get a lot of prep work done for the week, and I try to make stuff I can put in the freezer whether it's muffins, sauces, or soups.  It really helps ease the stress during the week, and alhamdullah, I like having homemade foods available over needing to eat out or to buy packaged food.

Today I planned the main meals for the next few days, and I managed to get a huge pot of spaghetti sauce simmered and divided into two bags for the freezer.  I plan to use some of that for a lasagne next week. 

Using the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day method, I've baked four loaves of whole wheat bread and frozen two (boy, we can eat through a whole loaf fast here at breakfast).  I'm trying a new recipe using flaxseed with whole wheat, so I'm excited to see how it goes over. It's so much healthier than baking bread with plain white bread. 

I also tried out a tomato basil soup that is the La Madeleine recipe.  Yum.  We'll have some of that leftover for the next day, maybe two.  So.... the rough plan for the week:

Monday:  Salad, Brussels sprouts, roasted leg of lamb, roasted fingerling potatoes
Tuesday: leftovers hopefully
Wednesday: Salad, lasagne, homemade bread
Thursday: leftovers
Friday:  Shakrieh (rice, cooked yogurt with stewed beef cubes)

Lunches:
Tuna
Pasta
Homemade pizza
Fish Sticks

Have a great week everyone! We had a whole week off last week and enjoyed every minute of it, alhamdulillaah.  Looking forward to getting back into the swing of things (well, sorta)!
From a recent trip to the Dallas Arboretum:

fresh air and love

Assalamu alaikom and hello everyone,

A few years ago when I lived in WA state, a dear sister in Islam who used to lead our Friday night ladies' group would joke about the classic 'what's for dinner' dilema we all faced daily.  One time she joked about telling her husband something like "and what do you think we're going to have for dinner, fresh air and love?".  It cracked me up so much back then and I still chuckle when I remember our conversation. It was just funny how she said it.

Well, if fresh air and love is all it took to survive, then I could've made it all last week without breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  My family and I left our little home tucked in the concrete jungle here in TX and headed to visit my mom in her small town in Mississippi.  I prepped for a day or two getting laundry ready, tidying up the house, and sorting through the food in the fridge.  I lined up what we were going to take to Mom, did last minute shopping, and packed up the kids' clothes, shoes, jackets, and car activities (you should look at http://www.momsminivan.com/ if you ever go on a car trip with kids by the way).

What welcomed us in Oxford, MS, were sounds and sights of nature that I don't see where I live.  Large, old trees are scattered here and there.  Masha'Allah, birds actually sing and make noises often.  Homes have different types of flowering shrubberies and other types of plants around the property, and not in little manicured designs like at our houses here.  Because the town in small, we walked to many of our errands and appointments.  In doing that we'd run into friends and people we knew.  We spoke to other people who were also walking around.  What a nice feeling!  One day we walked through a wooded area for about an hour, and I was so happy breathing in fresh air, rustling the leaves that had already fallen, and walking with my kids in an area where all we could see were trees.

We picked pecans off the ground.  A large pecan tree behind my mom's house sure was giving us a lot of nuts this year.  My kids kept running outside to collect what new ones had fallen at least twice a day.  We filled up a rather large bowl (more like a vat) full.  The best part was cracking those pecans with the nutcracker that my late grandfather used at his home.  My mom has it, and it is mounted on a plank of wood. I wish I had taken a picture of it, but I don't have one right now.  I only took one picture of my son using it, so that'll have to do to give you an idea.

Since we passed through Memphis on our way, I decided to spend the night there and take a little sightseeing boat tour on the Mississippi River the following day.  The tour was about an hour and a half and we learned all about barges, tows, and life on the river in general.  It was really neat.

Back in Oxford, MS, though we shared a great week with my mom and her husband not only outdoors but inside the house as well.  My children played with many treasures they found in the basement (in treasure boxes as they called the old trunks stored down there).  They baked with their grandmother, played cards with each other, and watched football with Dave.  We had a relaxing week, alhamdulillaah, all praise to God.  It felt like a relief after some long weeks of feeling closed in. 

Crispy Kale!

I'm sure you've heard about how good kale is supposed to be for us with its calcium and super nutrients.  It's not a leaf I buy.  It's very thick and curly.  I'm just scared of it, to be honest.  I haven't seen it used in a recipe where I've thought it would be something we'd eat.  Until now.

I was watching the show Parenthood last week, and it was in the show twice!  Kale was in the show two times.  I grabbed one bunch at the store yesterday, and I fixed 'em up nice and crispy just a little while ago.  So so good.  I'll definitely make it again, insha'Allah.

Here's a pretty straight forward recipe from allrecipes: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/baked-kale-chips/detail.aspx

Try it out! Tip: you don't need too much oil or too much salt!! Yikes.  A little goes a long way.

Hajj Lapbook

Assalamu alaikom everyone,

Note: Eid ul Adha is in two days, Hajj starts today, and we've been working on this project for two weeks.  I know it won't be very useful for any Muslim families right now, but hopefully it will give you some ideas for next Eid. 

In the Land of Homeschool there is something called Lapbooking.  I had never heard of it before I started homeschooling, and it took quite a bit of clicking around for me to understand what it is.  Once I figured it out, I figured it wasn't anything I'd be doing often.  See, it's a super creative and labor intensive project involving cutting, pasting, coloring, and folding.  You create a large lapbook (usually made out of two manila folders pasted together) that has smaller flipbooks, pockets, accordian books, and other media inside of it to represent a whole unit, book, or topic.  You take your time building the little parts (by reading and learning about them), and finally you have a keepsake of everything you've learned. 

My beef with the lapbook is that it looks like a project that older elementary kids wouldn't enjoy, but the work necessary to produce one is too advanced for a young elementary student to do independently.  Enter Mom. 

Well, a few weeks ago I was cruising the net, looking to some of my favorite bloggers for a good way to make a unit for Hajj and Eid.  Wouldn't ya know, it was a lapbook that really drew my attention.  I decided to go for it mostly b/c I wanted something fun and that would hold their attention continually for two weeks on this subject.  We read from a book I have on Hajj that bought a couple of years ago.  We also spent time talking about the little aspects that are represented in the lapbook.  Some of them were really easy for my 4th and 5th graders.  There were sections about the Animals for Slaughter and the Colors of Hajj.  Not exciting for the older kids, but I had them write the names of the animals and the names of the colors in Arabic on the cut-out cards.  We also added a few little speech bubbles with writing in Arabic for "Allahu Akbar", "SubhanAllah", "Alhamdulillaah", and "La Ilaaha Il Allah".  That was good practice for them, and it was something they could paste on their book.

I got all the help from http://imanshomeschool.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/hajj-mini-lapbook/ and from the original source: http://ummabdulbasir.wordpress.com/2010/01/17/hajj-lapbook-updated/

Here are the finished products from my three.

You can kind of tell which one belongs to the boy, which one belongs to the youngest one, and which one is made from the artistic child!  For a first attempt, I'm happy with the outcomes.  The ones on the links above my pictures look much nicer, but that's ok with me :D  I'm just glad we got it done.

Happy Eid!