Home made baby foods !

picture source :http://www.freshforkids.com.au/baby_toddler/images/veg_puree.jpg

Since I had my first child my biggest concern always been his health .This is  what every mother wants for her child .I been buying organic products only and been reading a lot on how to raise a healthy child.
When the time came he was ready for solids I didn't know where to start from .There are so many baby foods sold out there and how and which one should I choose ,was a bit confusing ..
Making home foods been really stressful ,because I been using so many tools to make one little plate of food for my baby.I was using blander ,food processor ,masher and so on ,but nothing seamed to work for me ...
By advice of one of my friends I started using simple coffee grinder to make baby puree and trust me it worked great  .I couldn't believe it !!!
Now my kitchen is clean and I really enjoy making baby foods ,because now its so simple and easy ...
This is simple coffee grinder that I use.Just make sure you add little bit water when you mash the foods in it.

I just want to share this with everyone !!!I hope someone can benefit from this , as I benefited from my friend's advice ...

I would like to share these 2 sites that helped me a lot when looking for information on solid foods for baby :

http://www.freshforkids.com.au/baby_toddler/baby_toddler.html
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/

Also ,please share your tips with me ...

I love Banana bread ,but every time I used to make it ,it just would not turn out the way it was supposed to be .Now I found this perfect banana bread recipe ,that really works ,just make sure you are exact in your measurments .I also add raisins or walnuts to my bread

Ingredients


3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Method

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.
I used 9 by 11 inch pan and baked for about 45 min and was perfect

Enjoy!!!

As I previously mentioned one of my favorite hobbies is finding new recipes and cook something new and healthy
Here is a new recipe that I would like to share with you all...
I made it yesterday and I really liked it

Roasted cinnamon chicken

You will need
one whole chicken ,cut into pieces
2 large potatoes
1 onion
2 table spoons of oil
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
half tea spoon of turmeric
coriander (optional)
salt and paper to taste
2 lemons
half a cup of black olives
1 teaspoon of honey
2 and a half cups of water or broth

Take the chicken and coat evenly with cinnamon and turmeric on all sides .Heat the oil in a pan and put the chicken ,put salt and paper and fry the chicken on both sides until golden brown ,about 5-10 min ..
Take the chicken out and spread on the oven proof pan .in the other pan fry the onions until golden brown add 2 cups and a half of hot water or chicken broth and bring it to a boil ...
Pour the stock over the chicken and also put potatoes cut into small pieces ...
Cover with a foil and bake for 40 min in the oven with temperature 375
After 40 min take the pan out and add sliced lemons ,olives and one spoon of honey ,bake uncovered for another 20-30 min ,until the chicken and potatoes are tender
Decorate with coriander leaves when done and serve with a rice or bread

Enjoy !!!!

The cold weather is here and it makes us want to stay cozy in our homes and to get ready for the winter ,with its short days and long nights ...We tend to spend more time with our families and enjoy time together..
In such days its good to try some new recipes and to surprise your family members with a new home made foods ..
I want to share a recipe of my favorite home made food ,that my Mom used to make for us in the cold Russian winter .It is very easy and fast to make .

Home made pancakes

All you need

Kefir(I found in in a grocery store in organic section) (or  you can use soure cream instead) 200 ml

all purpose flour 200 gr

1 egg

can add green onions ,chopped ,or if you want make it sweet add few spoons of sugar instead)

baking soda 1/2 teaspoon

salt 1/2 teaspoon

vegetable oil for frying(5-6 tablespoons )

Make sure you keep adding oil when frying ,so it doesn't burn.

Put kefir first in a bowl and add soda and salt ,then add the egg and a flour ,mix everything together and then add green onions .

Make sure the mixture is not too heavy ,you will use a spoon to put the pancakes to fry It should look like this 

Fry the pancakes on both sides in the hot oil in a low temperature

Enjoy !!! and please leave your comments :)

Preparing for Ramadan

Since Ramadan is almost here I wanted to share some tips to prepare for Ramadan .
First ,think about Ramadan as a special guest that comes only once a year .How do you prepare for your special guest ? You clean up the house ,you prepare the menu ,you prepare best clothes to wear and much more .

Prepare ahead of time

1.Prepare yourself mentally and spiritually.Listen to some lectures daily ,starting from now .

-Make a list of Duas you want to memorize

-Make a list of goals you want to achieve

-Make a list of what do you want to change in yourself and how can you keep these habits with you

-Read from the Seerah books and learn examples from the lives of Sahaba and righteous people 

-For example read about each Companion of the Prophet ,peace be upon him, a day

-After you listen a lecture ,write down a short summary of that lecture

-Do more Tasbeeh and Dhikr

Other preparations

• 2.Clean up your house and get rid of the staff you don't need .See the extra that you have ,and just give it away .Check your closets and check your Hijabs and other clothes ,that you may give away ,but always remember one point ,dont give in Sadaqa something that you wouldn't take  for yourself .
• 3.Get your clothes that you will be wearing for Taraweeh and going to Masjid ready.Choose and iron the Hijabs that you will wear and hang them in one place nicely ,do the same for your abaya and Jilbab...
• The reason I'm mentioning clothes is because most of us women get so busy with what to wear .This is how we are ,let's be honest ,we get busy with our clothes and forget other things ,that's why I'm advising to organize the closet ,so it wont distract you .
• 4.Make a list of who and when you planning to invite
• 5,Do all your Eid shopping before Ramadan starts .Buy the gifts for everyone for Eid ahead of time .Please do not do it in the last ten days of Ramadan .
• 6.Buy what you want to wear for Eid now ,not in the last days
• 7.Think of the food for Suhur .Think of the foods that you can make and freeze
• 8.And last and most important Don't stuck your mind on cooking

Ramadan oat soup

Ramadan is just around the corner and of course we need to be prepared for it .Try to make a list of things you want to do in Ramadan ,try to plan your day ,including your meals .You don't want to be stuck on the kitchen all day ,try to find time for listening good lectures ,reading more and studying Quran more .

Here is a simple recipe that I would like to share .And we just call it Ramadan oat soup ..
Very easy to make and its very healthy and delicious .

Soup :

Heat 2-3 tablespoon oil, add 1/2 small chopped onion and 1/4 tsp. of cumin seeds, when the onion start turning brown add 1/2 cup boneless chicken or mutton ( cut in bite size )(I use grilled chicken or cooked chicken any way you like , add 1 tablespoon ginger and garlic paste. saute for 2 min. add 1/2 tsp cumin powder, salt to taste , black pepper to taste, 1/4 tsp garam masala (all spices mix), 1 chicken cube of maggi, 1/4 tsp chaat masala (optional), tomato paste (2 tomatoes with one cup and half of water mixed in a blander) and simmer till chicken or mutton is tender.

mix 6 -8 tablespoon of oats in 1 cup of water and add this mixture to the soup. cook till it starts boiling, the simmer for 5 min and as much water as you like and let it cook few minutes more .The soup should not be thick or it will not taste good, it will be medium.

Your soup is ready. You can add lemon juice to taste if u like and also green chili sauce .
if u don't get the green chili sauce , u can add coriander chutney if u want. ( or if u get red chili sauce, u can add that to )

:-the chutney or sauce or lemon juice are optional.

Enjoy !!!

Redesigning your baby's nursery

Decorating baby room is always exciting ,especially if it is your first baby ..
There are many complete sets sold for baby rooms .You can buy a bedding set with lots of accessories ,or you can make your own...

Here is something I made for my baby room .I redesign the whole bedding set .
Just added some fabric to the bumper and made a new quilt and also decorated a lamp with matching fabric ..

I hope it can inspire some of you .

This is a fabric that I bought for this set from Joanns fabrics

http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp?CATID=cat2920&PRODID=xprd975440

There is same pattern in Green which I also like

http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp?CATID=cat2920&PRODID=xprd862667

I made the quilt very simple way ,just cut 3 strips the same size and sew them together ,put batting in between and then sew the fabric on the back together with the front .

I made the center square with  lace border ,which I also bought from Joanns

The fabric is 100% cotton and is nice and soft ,your baby will love it !!!

On the ceiling I hanged lanterns made from coloured paper .Babies love colors ,the brighter the better .

  

Here I will show you how to make it and you will have to be creative and decide how to hang them :)

1.Take colored paper and fold it in half

2.Cut half inch stripes through the paper ,leaving half inch at the top

3.It should look like this when you finish

4.Open the paper and glue the edges together and its ready and should look like this

Here are some more baby room inspiration

Tell me what you think about these ideas

My thoughts on motherhood

Being a Mom takes all of our free time .For me as a new Mom its still hard to adjust to time management .
taking care of the house and my little one is something I enjoy doing most ,and of course I have many hobbies that i like to do .
I am a Muslim woman ,who likes to study and read ,crochet and knit ,to sew and to drew ,to cook and to write ,to design and redesign my house ,to do shopping and to meet with friends and much much more .
This is totally opposite to what most people think of us Muslim women as oppressed and uneducated .
Well, I think those people need to educate themselves and we as women need to educate them about who we are ...



Being mother is something that is great rewarded by Allah (one true God) .There is no job in this world that can be greater then being Mom . From the first day I held my baby in my arms ,from that day I love him more and more and he is the treasure of all treasures .
I can't never leave this treasure with babysitter or anyone to do MY job ,because this is mother's job to take care of her child and I'm proud of this job ,this is my career ,this is my life and my reward is with my God,the greatest reward ,more then money can buy ,money come and go ,but reward from Allah( one true God) never ends ...
Then think my sister ,if you want to leave your child with a babysitter ,because you choose a career over motherhood .Do you think someone will be more compassionate with your child ,more then you ? Do you think someone will hug your baby and give him a kiss ,and hold him till he stops crying ,the way you do ?
Do you think someone will care about him when he is playing lonely with his toys ? Do you think someone more then you will care what he is watching on TV ? Do you think someone will clean him the way you do ?
I don't think even most experienced babysitter can give the child the love the a mother does ...



Are you bonding with your child ? Or are you too lazy to breastfeed .This is so common now days just to get rid of baby's needs by giving him/her formula and to give excuse I'm not getting enough milk for him .
And how about co-sleeping with your child .Do not learn from the West to leave your babies in the bed crying until they fall asleep ,this is not the compassion that we are taught in Islam .
Be compassionate ,kiss your child ,hug him and kiss him/her often and learn the beauty of bonding ..
These are just my thoughts on motherhood !



Please leave your comments ! I need to know I'm benefiting someone or not :)



assalam aleikum

Decorating your Living Room !!!

Here are some ideas to update your living room on a budget ...
It depends on the color and design of your room .

The colors I picked are Tan and Red colors ..

Here are beautiful Window Curtains that I found in Wal Mart ,set of two for only$16-17

or these ones ,set of two for only $ 13.00

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Aspen-Window-Panel-Set-of-Two-Natural/10890421


Here is an excellent idea to update your old sofa , a slipcover  for only $45.96 at Wal Mart
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Texture-Solid-Tie-Make-Sofa-Oatmeal/10788867

Cushions

or Cushion covers .

This is my favorite in decorating any room .I love cushions .I make my own also ,if you saw it in my previous post ..

Here are some ideas I have ..

Have you ever thought being creative and making cushions from the place mats ?

Here is a combination I chose  .

I found these placemats in Sears for only$3.99

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_048W439933210001P?mv=rr 

Sew them together and fill with something ,and your cushions are ready !!!

Also there are beautiful cushion covers that I found at Bed Bath and Beyond for only $9.99

You can choose the color and pattern .I chose these ones for my color combination.

  

You can also add different matching accessories ,like matching color candle holders ,or vases 

 http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=17089730&RN=700

And here is your Living room is ready

How do you like this design ,please leave your comments !!! 

Indian Decor for your home

 Indian Decor for your home

These are  cushions that I made for my house .May be it will be an inspiration for some of you .
I took 2 plain pillow cases ,ypu can pick a fabric and make your own .Mine are made of polyester silky fabric
Then in the center I just used Sari fabric ,or you can use your old kurta ,or even a scarf  .I used Indian decor colors for mine ...
Sew the piece of fabric to a center and then tie a thin rope around the pillow and attach the tassel ..
 Here are some pillowcases I found on ebay that look exactly like mine  ,set of 6 

http://cgi.ebay.com/6PC-SATIN-SILKY-PILLOW-CASES-SOLID-BURGUNDY-QUEEN-350TC_W0QQitemZ300391903606QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20100131?IMSfp=TL100131175006r32451

Here is a tassle in Joann.com for only $ 0.99

http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp?CATID=cat3063&PRODID=xprd140281

Then you will have to find the fabric for the center piece .You will not need more then a yard ..
You can match it with this fabric I found in Joann.com,if you like red colors like I do ..

http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp?CATID=cat2143&PRODID=xprd779724
or

http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp?CATID=cat2143&PRODID=xprd943900

Please leave your comments .Do you like this  design ?Would you want to make something like this for your home ?

Gifts from the Sea

Gifts from the Sea

Scour the shore at low tide, or dig out your old seashell collection, and put those finds to good use. These projects allow the shells' natural beauty to shine through, while enhancing everything from a tote bag to your tabletop.

Embellish a Tote Bag

A plain canvas or linen tote bag looks new and fresh with the addition of a few shells along the top edge. Limpet shells, which suggest little cone-shaped hats when found intact, often break in such a way that they become easy-to-sew-on rings like these. You can use any similar shell that strikes your fancy.

Arrange the shells in a design that you like before beginning to sew, then stitch each one into place with upholstery thread, pulling tightly to secure them.

Trade in the usual plastic wrap for one of these easy, elegant bowl covers to protect the food at your next cookout or picnic. Buy linen napkins (or hem some fabric scraps sized large enough to fit over your serving bowls) and attach assorted seashells to weigh down the edges. It's best if the shells already have holes worn into them, but you can use a small drill with a very fine bit if necessary. Then, using upholstery thread, sew a shell onto each corner and one in the middle on each side, finishing the stitch close to the hemline.

 

Scalloped Edges

Add a dainty, decorative flair to pastry by pressing a small, ridged scallop shell into the dough's edges. (Thoroughly clean the shell before beginning.) Try this technique on any type of pastry, from pie crusts to turnovers. It's an especially nice touch if you'll be serving a meal at the beach.










Source:http://www.countryliving.com/crafts/projects/crafting-with-shells-0705

6 Recycled-Sweater Craft

I found this very interesting indeas ...

6 Recycled-Sweater Crafts

Transform worn-out sweaters into clever covers for lampshades, vases, and more with these wallet-friendly projects.

Lamp

Make over a plain pendant shade by cloaking it in wool. First, cut a large sweater in half along a side seam, removing the sleeves. Pull the resulting rectangle of material tightly around the shade so the fabric meets in the back; cut to fit and hot-glue to the shade. Next, trim the sweater lengthwise, leaving an inch of overhang at the top and bottom. Fold the overhang over the shade's edges and secure on the inside with hot glue. For safety, use a low-wattage bulb

Bowls
Keep decorative dishes in stitches: Pull a sweater sleeve over a bowl, lining up the finished cuff with the top rim, and hot-glue. Next, trim the wool so it reaches the bowl's bottom edge and hot-glue in place.

Sconce
For a small fixture with tons of texture, cut a knit swatch to wrap around your shade, adding an extra half inch to the top and bottom. Hot-glue the fabric to the shade so it meets in the back. Tuck the excess material over the top and bottom edges and hot-glue.

Vases
Create a hothouse for any blossom: Slip a sweater sleeve over a jar or bottle, lining up the cuff with either the top or bottom edge, and hot-glue in place. Cut the wool long enough to cover the entire vessel, then secure with more glue.

Bangles
Basic bracelets get dressed for the season in soft yarn (and, if you use jewelry you already own, they cost next to nothing). Just cover a plastic cuff in a strip of chunky knit, then hot-glue in place on the inside.

 Pillow
To make this sham, you'll need an 18-inch square pillow insert and a large sweater, cut into two 19-inch squares. Sew the right sides of the wool together along the edges, leaving the bottom open. Turn right side out and insert the pillow form, then stitch the bottom closed. For the flower, cover a two-inch circle of card stock with a piece of a thin sweater; hot-glue to the circle's back. Next, fold a 3- by 20-inch strip of another sweater in half lengthwise. Glue the edges together, then sew a running stitch down the strip lengthwise along the glued seam. Once you've stitched the entire length, pull the thread to gather the fabric and knot. Hot-glue the gathered edge in a circle to the back of the card stock, then hot-glue a pin-back in the center and affix to the pillow.

 The ideas are taken from http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-home/seasonal-crafts/staticslideshowcl.aspx?cp-documentid=23361974&gt1=32001

Countryliving.com

Which ones are your favorite ? I really like the vases and bowls .

Would you try something like this for your home ?

Please leave your comments