Nisf Shabaan 13 June

In the name of Allah, most gracious, most merciful.

Though there are differing juristic opinion of this night, whether it has merit or not or whether the hadith quoted are weak, it is a special night for me and my family where ever we may find ourselves in the world.

As for the verse in the Qur'an, "We sent it down on a blessed night, for We are warning. In that night every affair is wisely decided. [44:2-3] " there is debate whether it be the middle night of Sha'baan or Lailatul Qadr. As for us we gather to praise Allah SWT on all esteemed nights and to recite the Qur'an and to take heed of Allah's warnings and commands. So ja, I thought a quick note and then recital of Surah Yaseen and duah inshaAllah.


Its so amazing every Ruwa when I look at the sky as we drive to masjid, the clouds look like thousands of Malaaikah race each other to the places of barakah. Tonight is no exception, just I am not on my way to masjid, I am sitting here looking out and contemplating this esteemed night, with a sore throat and chest.

I was about 31 years old when I did my first Salaatu Tazbih in a full congregation on a night like this at the Claremont Main Road masjid and it was wonderful Alhamdulilaah and a practice I instilled in myself, on Arafaat and I try hard to perform at least once a month. Sometimes I skip but then re align my intention.

So I look forward to Ramadhan in two weeks time and I make duah for us all. I do hope that Allah bestows blessings on the garden too so enough family and friends can come for spinach and soup greens and salads. A very good friends of ours is starting food garden projects at four mosques during Ramadhan and I hope I call on friends to come and dirty their hands inshaAllah - each one teach one.

Have a Mubarak evening and Ramadhan Kareem.

Plant food and contemplate the awe of your Lord.

Yasmine

 

 

11 June 2014 Madam, ginger goes with everything.

In the name of Allah most gracious most merciful.

I dream of lavender fields at the back of my house, you know like the ones you see on cards and surreal wallpapers – purple for miles and miles and then a small farm house. Unfortunately we don’t have that much space. But I think that’s why Abu is doing so many cuttings for that one day. We have planted about 50 plants all over the property and planted out so many cuttings. I thought that if I ever had a lavender farm I would make lavender oils and soaps and creams and wholesome lavender biscuits, and beehives close by inshaAllah, anything is possible with Allah. So this is our first crop in the vase, don’t laugh. According to literature, I mean Google, one is supposed to cut the blooms of the first crop so the next flush will be magnificent.

With all the sore throats going round I gargle with a sage infusion, dress warmly and get outside to plant ginger, what with the sun shining down on us. I figure with it being so expensive I should plant my own. The Sudanese call it Zanjabil (sp?)The ginger swelled out well and I cut about 17 pieces of rhizome with little growths on them. I started to stuff in name boards because seriously we have some grow bags, not sure what has been planted in them ha ha, surprise! The benefits of ginger are many and I use it in curries, ice teas, infusions for colds. Koeksisters and soetkoek also contain ground dry ginger. But I love it best when glazed to pop into my mouth and also finely diced in chocolate and ginger biscuits. Ginger beer also helps lactating Moms bring on the milk! Oh of course and whole dried ginger in fig and melon preserves.

I noticed that the thyme seeds are handling the cold well and the chamomile is probably out of season thus only a few stand strong. But I am determined and reseeded today with a huge Basmallah and closed them up for the night with black bags. Abu had a rash on his back this afternoon and I squeezed out some bulbinella sap and applied it. The rash is still there but not so angry red and the itching has stopped. See it works.

The cooked beets were delicious, and although I like to make a beet salad with white vinegar and a hot chilli, it tastes by far superior to eat it freshly boiled, peeled  and cut into wedges, tucked into green salad with feta or on its own. The methi has really taken off and I can’t wait to try that methi curry! And the radishes so cute – bright red and tasty.  I poked my finger around the turnips and carrot roots to see whether they are usable yet and I think in about two weeks time, all the veggies in the soup will come from the garden, Thank you Allah.

I have also learnt many lessons with the first crops. Firstly, bad idea to plant the peas at the base of the wigwams. They are so unruly, reaching out their tendrils and half choking everything in reach. They grew so densely that the sun does not reach the other plants in the centre of the wigwams. Even though I tie them up they continue to frolic all over the rest of the vegetables. But they are so lush and beautiful and the crop is rewarding.

 

So the vegetable patch is now a beautiful sight to behold. When we were on Hajj, we met a man called Emaan from Indonesia. We came up from the haram one night and just heard a “Hi”.  Who says Hi in Makkah? Up comes a man with the boat shaped furry fez tilted to the one side of his head, broad smile and introduced himself to us - having worked for the United Nations.

Anyway, long story short, he was relating some stories about his Dad having passed on  at the age of 128 years; outlived 4 wives at different times and many many children and grandchildren. I, of course, “So what was the secret of his longevity?”

“Well”, said he “my father went to bed and the last thing he drank was a cup of lukewarm water, he did the same when he woke up (his drinks were never piping hot or icy cold. In the morning the first thing he did after he washed and prayed was to look out over the greenery of the garden, thus he only started to wear spectacles at the age of 100. I was not surprised because these were practices of the Nabi Muhammad (Peace and blessings upon him). But then Emaan started to describe another secret - maggots fried in garlic butter, I don’t even want to relate the whole wash a chicken and stuff it into a jar until the maggots appear thing. Anyway, I try to do that in the morning, I mean feast mine eyes upon the greenery, because hey I can’t get by without my specs ne, I have to keep something further away than my arm nowadays. Could not even put the thread through the needle this morning.

Ginger is part of the Zingiberaceae family. The MNT Knowledge Center features a collection of articles on the health benefits of popular foods. It highlights the history of ginger, its therapeutic benefits, and some important precautions you should be aware of before taking the herb. Check out the article by Christian Nordqvist at: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265990.php and remember that there is good in most herbs but of course in moderation.

Later

Plant food and use ginger in moderation.

Yasmine

 

 

 

 

 

A berber dessert called Khalbaloos – 10 June 2014

In the name of Allah most gracious, most merciful.

so what's for dinner?

 

Sigh, too many electricity outages over the last few days so little opportunity to blog. Alas, the floors are full off wax drops, so it’s mopping armed with a knife. I am rushing to scrunch in everything for the blog because…wait for it…we received a flyer in the post that the electricity will be off tomorrow from 8.00am to 16.00 for cable re-arrangement! I do wish we could have notice every time the electricity goes off or when it goes on the voltage is so low that we cannot even switch on the kettle. But let’s not moan too much lest they change their minds. InshaAllah I hope that we have better service after this.

Besides all the maneuvers in the dark with candles, these last few days have been fruitful. Alhamdulilaah, on Friday, the iLABS team was on invigilation duty at the Islamic Peace College of SA, exams are in full swing. Students were a bit nervous but settled down after signing in. A very somber environment like this always gives me the giggles. I love exams, always did at school or campus. The last assessments for public speaking was so good - my day was made.

After Jumuah, we went to Salt River - my son got some suedes for winter, I got some rainmac ponchos for R35 each, that meant I could pop in to the hairdresser for a wash and trim. A haircut somehow has the capacity to cheer up one’s day, right? It is such a treat to have someone shampoo and massage one’s scalp, please don’t stop and some good advice from a nimble hairdresser. And then it rained and rained and rained. But that did not stop us from garden work, Alhamdulillah, ons het mos rain ponchos!

Over the weekend, Abu continued planting out strawberries into grow bags but the patch does not diminish. The red sunflowers brace the cold weather quite well and now have six leaves. The two rambling rose cuttings from Waseemah have rooted and were planted out Alhamdulilaah. Yesterday was quite cold and I was averse to gardening, just looking through windows and a quick hurried walk around. Then made soup and baked the ginger snaps that were ready to be baked but without electricity was just sitting there. I really must get a coal stove or one of those beautiful Aga stoves in bright red or green! Or maybe we should just make a “galley” like people do on the street. A tin with some holes in, hot coals and we can stand around it rubbing our hands together and telling jokes.

This morning I thought no, no, the cold makes me ache all over so I started a brusque walk around the property maybe seven times to get warm and energized. Basil and I picked peas and beans and after giving my prize beet as a gift, I pulled out 4 more. I know now why Chinese cabbage is often used as a sacrificial plants, the worms can chew on it but it still thrives. So I picked a plump one to cook “oumense onder die komberse” and the beet will go with it perfectly!
 

Khalbaloos

A friend, Safiyyah came to visit bearing gifts – test-tubes for Abu’s plant cloning and a Berber dessert called Khalbaloos. It’s made of semolina and almonds nuts and it is super syrupy and super delicious with a hot cup of tea - what more can a girl ask for? I am having everyone taste (well just a teeny weeny piecy) because Safiyyah and her husband Kamal intends selling them as Ramadhan treats inshaAllah. I think it will be perfect with Bulgarian yoghurt. I am definitely buying some. And in return I promised Safiyyah to place my Soji recipe on the blog.

But before I write it up a last word about what to cook for dinner. I always consult with my partner Abu what to cook. But (sad face) he complains, “You always ask me what should we have for supper but then you cook something completely different”. I don’t know hey,  most times I just need a sounding board to throw around some ideas. For instance today I consulted, decided yes the cabbage with beetroot salad will be perfect and ended up braising sausage with onions and tomatoes and basil and soft cubes of potatoes with fresh French loaves. Don’t worry Abu maybe I’ll make the cabbage tomorrow or the next. What can I say, I love surprises.

Soji

Pic from food.com

Ingredients

·         2 cups of Tasty wheat

·         250 g butter

·         1 ½ to 2 cups of sugar (depending on sweet tooth)

·         750 ml milk

·         1 small tin of nestle cream

·         1 ½ cups of finely grated carrot

·         1 tsp saffron threads

·         ½ cup water

·         ½ tsp salt

·         20 cardamom pods

·         5 sticks of cinnamon

·         2 handfuls sultanas

·         2 handfuls pistachio or roasted almond slivers

Preparation

Allow butter to melt slowly while adding cinnamon sticks and cardamom (bruise the pods with a rolling pin to unlock aromas).

Add the Tasty wheat and toss around with a tablespoon allowing it to be coated with butter and to brown to a warm gold colour. Then set aside.

In another saucepan bring milk to boil and allow to simmer with grated carrot,stir in the salt and sugar.

Add saffron threads to ½ a cup of boiling and water and nuke for a few seconds until the water is dark orange. (Some people use saffron powder or yellow colouring, I prefer not to colour it artificially because the saffron is not only used for the colour but also for its delicious flavor and taste)

In a biggish saucepan add Tasty wheat mixture, milk mixture and saffron water and stir briskly. Immediately the mixture will thicken like Stuiwe pap, toss in sultanans and nuts and finally stir in the tin of cream. Bring the temperature right down low and cover with baking paper or the paper of the butter slab and place the lid on top. Every few minutes stir vigorously to avoid soji sticking to the base of the pot. Enjoy!

Soji is generally served almost as hors d’oeuvres before the main meal – a small serving in a side plate with maybe some extra nuts for garnish. But this is so delicious that I don’t mind forgoing the meal.

Till the electricity has stabilized!

Plant food and keep warm!

Yasmine

About a blog and a mouse called Hem 5 June 2014

In the name of Allah, Most gracious and Most merciful. Our nourisher, our sustainer and guide.

 

When I decided to do this blog my intentions were manifold. I wanted to entice/inspire to wholesome living, learning, writing, reading, cooking and baking and to capture the organic gardening. I wanted it to be light and playful sometimes, because we take ourselves far too seriously and I wanted it to be real. I wanted to share some things because although in one’s mind everyone should be able to make bollas, there are a lot of close friends and family abroad who need a recipe now and then like just how to make soup or a simple pancake. And also I wanted to showcase the work of an initiative I am a part of called iLABS – Learning across borders. But mainly because I love writing so much - it gives me an audience. So I decided to keep it around only 700 words, which is quick to type what with not always have internet cap.

Today I noticed that I have had 1000 pageviews so far Alhamdulilaah. Not too shabby , ne? Many friends are shy to leave a comment on the blog so I have lots emails, likes, shares and comments now and then. The cherry on top is when someone says – at night after a long day I switch on the computer and read your blog. Someone said that they feel a bit guilty for colouring their beard (please colour it if it makes you feel good). Some say that they it’s too wordy so they everything weekends when school’s out. And I love this one – can I fetch some strawberry plants – that’s an overwhelming yes! So ja, I think I like this and will continue to blog as long as Allah SWT gives me the strength.

Now and then there may be some errors because I misplace my glasses, sometimes in the garden or on a bookstack, tee hee and also because I have to write fast as ideas just jump into my head. My camera work seems to be getting better, thank you Allah but my kids complain a bit and with sarcastic yet tongue in cheek – she’s busy with her blog again. And please do not post personal things about me!!!! Oops! I make the Hunger games hand signal but alas cannot do the whistle.

Well, today I thought I wanted to share our mouse-capades with you, hope no one’s embarassed. But before I do, I did bake the fridge butter biscuits and dipped the sides in dark chocolate that my friend Waseemah left for me. Ta daa!

 

We live on about 4000 sq m of land. On it is a house and many other dwellings, a veg garden and a front garden and lots of tar with grasses at the back. The back wall is low so the neighbour’s dog comes to visit to inspect my day’s work and leaves footprints in the beds and pooh in the pathways. There are smallish grass snakes and birds and of course there will be mice. Two weeks ago I spied a cute little furry thing scurrying in kitchen. Aaah, a mousy! Then it started to get bolder and strutted down the passages at night, dipped into the rooms and did its job scurrying. It’s definitely Hem I laughed finally finding his cheese!

But then I realised it can’t be Hem because I find lots more baby droppings and scrurrying sounds at night. I have to wash out every utensil and plate; close all food things, put away the sugar bowl and so and so forth. “They have got to go! Remember the last time someone left the lid open of the chest, all the Al Hujjaj back copies were turned into confetti”. But what to do. Advice ranged from there is a new tape that their feet will stick to, mousetraps, get a cat, etc. anything but not the poison!

Well, our geyser is still bust so we get hot water in a bucket to wash dishes (from the other dwellings). And the night before last we left the bucket against the wall close to the sink. I must confess right now that I pushed it closer to where I saw the little ones scurrying down and disappear under the cupboard. In the middle of night I heard scurrying and then a scraping noise. The next morning a baby mouse and the female Hem lie there, belly up. I must say I still feel very guilty, forgive me Allah. But I continued to put the bucket there until they were all gone. It’s not a good feeling – death by drowning. Can someone help me find a cat or two kanala!!!

And as I come to the end of writing this blog, it starts to hail, just the size of mouse droppings!

 

Later

Plant food but don’t drown mice

Yasmine

Ps. I also share the recipes because in general people are far too attached to their recipes, they sommer give you the wrong ingredients. It’s a family secret, my foot! Take the recipe, improve on it, spread the joy.
 

 

 

On aging gracefully 4 June

In the name of Allah most gracious most merciful.

At Faldela’s janaazah I made the re-acquaintance of three women over 80 years old. A few weeks ago Aunti Fatim visited also over 80. My only surviving paternal aunt is also over 80.

The fact of the matter is that these women are so serene and content with their lives and fearlessly living in a state of beauty and devotion.  An old friend of our family, Aunty Noya or Ms Brown as her students knew her, was visiting with us maybe 10 years ago. Almost 90 years she asked me to use the bathroom. Politely I asked her if I could fill the bottle of water for her and help her make wudhu? She turned around at the door and said, “the day I cannot make my own istinjaa or wudhu is the day I am dead.”

You know when middle aged people are the roughly the same age as you maybe a bit younger or older, they assume that you are experiencing the same stuff. For example like hot flashes. They explain in grave detail how the heat kind of comes from the head down and wa wa wa wa. You purse you lips in a polite little smile and say uhu uhu uhmm. But your head's going, whaaat!

Well I figured that I am going to embrace getting older. This must be a ni’amah from Allah. I can do all of my ibaadah, no more cramps, I spend less money on things with wings. But I do miss it, the monthlies, like my friend Linda says, it is my body’s clock. And I don’t think I am having hot flashes but I do feel fairly warm sometimes, Ok hot. Like Abu and the kids are asking for extra blankets because they are so cold – I  have that blank look. “it’s right at the top of the cupboard” I holler. I’m thinking “kanala Abu not more blankets!”

I’m the kind to put on socks, get into bed and kick them off. Some people sleep with them on. On chilly rainy winter days I am so wearing a thick coat, leg warmers and a thick scarf. I get to class and as I start the lecture, I start peeling them off! So what are medication are you on, is the next question? Does panados count? I’m hmmm I take something for acid. No seriously I can’t compare clinic notes, alhamdulilaah, at least not yet. And may Allah protect me and keep us all as healthy as possible for as long as possible and when we do become sick give us the Sabr to cope with it.

And then there is the hair. "I see your grey tendrils peeping out, chestnut brown is a good colour" – nudge nudge wink wink. I’m thinking – “I want to grow up to look like one of those Cherokee women with their white long wise plaits.” Right now I embrace the salt and pepper and the random grey in my dark eyebrows – seriously wicked. I put extra olive oil on my skin thats a bit drier now and then. And I am determined to keep busy walking, praying, exercising, dancing, planting, baking, writing, reading – but busy.

Accordin to Lin Yutang on “growing old gracefully”, he says, “ Something of this tenderness towards old age existed already in the primeval consciousness of the Chinese people, a feeling that I can only compare to the western chivalry and feeling of tenderness towards women…A natural man loves his children but a cultured man loves his parents.” I love reading Lin Yutang, listen to this poem:

The tree desires repose but the wind does not stop

The son desires to serve but his parents are all gone

 Of white beards he says: “On the whole, I find grand old men with white beards missing from the American picture. I know that they exist but perhaps they are in a conspiracy to hide themselves from me. …Perhaps it is the safety razor that has done it, a process as deplorable and ignorant as the deforestation of the Chinese hills by ignorant farmers…” ha ha ha that’s funny.

He ends, “And since there is no use fighting against nature, one might just as well grow old gracefully. The symphony of life should end with a grand finale of peace and serenity and comfort and spiritual contentment and not with the crash of a broken drum or cracked cymbals.”

 Later

 Plant food and age gracefully

Yasmine

Nasheed Fever and bulbinella 4 June 2014

In the name of Allah most gracious most merciful

 

Subhaanallah! Now this is rain! Puddles outside,  little drips from the ceiling; cars go by with a whoosh. It does so make me nostalgic for Gauteng summer storms – ominous and spectacular, branches left in its wake, jacaranda petals lying forlorn.

There is a buzz in Schaapkraal - at the school, in my house. It’s the high school Nasheed for boys and girls on 15 June hosted by Discover Islam. Almost like acapella for Muslims – sometimes with a duf. A range of tenors and sopranos, altos and bass enchant the crowd and they go wild. The Artscape tickets for boys have been snapped up and booked out - let’s support the girls and buy tickets via computicket. Between you and me, last year was the first time the girls competed (don’t quote me here) but I heard rumours that the girls performances were better (shhhh).

Yesterday Waseemah came to make some of these banana and dark choc surprises:

 

Shukran Waseemah for showing us how to make it, will publish step by step pics soon inshaAllah.

I don my rain poncho and make my rounds quickly. Some of the pot plants have been slapped around a bit but they will survive. Ha! The cloches I made by cutting in half some 2 l juice bottles to cover small plants are still standing firmly. The bulinella I planted out in separate bakkies stand tall in the rain. They should - they are indigenous, hulle maag ken die Kaapse reen.

Did you know they are medicinal and excellent for small cuts and bruises and insect bites. I just break off a blade of the grass and squeeze out the juice on my finger and apply it. It’s edgy as a border and if you have spaces that needs covering plant them there - its foliage is lush with pretty yellow flowers crane over on thin long necks It is water wise plants and poor soils are fine for them.  See http://www.herbalisthut.com/medicinal-uses-of-the-bulbinella-herb/ for more useful info.

On cold days of course everyone is peckish - so what’s for dinner? Let me think (finger to temple). How about some beans curry to entice all of our senses, with rotis straight from the grid. Some hot achaar and sambal to accompany it. And for dessert? A delectable sago pudding with stewed fruit hmmmm.

Sago pudding

Ingredients

·         ¾ cup soaked sago

·         1 litre of milk

·         1 cup sugar

·         Pinch of salt

·         250 g butter

·         6 jumbo eggs

·         1 dessertspoon custard powder

·         Few sticks of cinnamon

·         9 cardamom pods

·         Grated nutmeg

·         Almond slivers

 

Preparation

Add sago and sugar to milk and while stirring bring to boil in medium saucepan on medium heat

You will notice that the sago has a glassy texture, then remove from heat

Stir in butter, keeping aside a small piece for later

Allow to cool completely, be careful that it does not form a thick layer on top

Stir in eggs one by one and then the custard paste.

Pour into medium, baking pan.

Pop open the cardamom seeds and scatter them randomly

Add a few sticks of cinnamon.

Grate the nutmeg on top and sprinkle with almond slivers

Dot with butter

Bake for 45 min or done at 350^o F. or 180 ^o Celsius

Serve with stewed dried fruit

Cook’s note: Should you prefer to use tapioca, then allow it to soak overnight

Hey, let me be off to clean the house, Abu is invigilating today so little help for Yasmine. And of course I have to make dem butter biscuits, you know, promises, promises.

Till later then

Don’t forget to buy the tickets for the girls’ nasheed competition.

And plant food.

Yasmine

 

2 June pancakes with baked apples on the side

In the name of Allah most gracious most merciful

 

 

 My body feels like after a workout- bushed, sore, strained. In the last few days I have been picking up weights – 2 kg grow bags filled with soil; stretched my back and back legs to the limit – straddling in between plants to tie pea creepers to wigwams; good cardio – spades and spades of soil and compost hoisted into wheel barrow and trotting off to different parts of the garden. And then the washing in between – stretches and bending and running to take it off before the rain and so and so forth. I am quite chaffed with our efforts (Abu more than me) that there are now rows and rows of lavender and granadilla and mulberries trees and lemon trees and chives (both kitchen and wild). We have also divided and replanted an array of grasses.

The methi seeds have popped and so has the cumin. But somehow the fennel is not making an appearance. So who says gardening is for people who don’t like sport? The thing about gardening is the reward of one’s labour. I used to look at skits where farmers pop raw peas in their mouths with a lifted brow. Now I can’t wait to get to the garden to crack open a pod and taste the sweet, sweet fresh peas, encouraging everyone else nogal to try some too.

 

Somehow mushrooms are popping up everywhere, in between the flowers and veggies. I’m not too sure if they are the brown mushroom type or the hallucinatory type, so I just look on from the distance and wonder at the speed that they make their appearance. I found some plump ginger to soak in tonight and plant tomorrow inshaAllah. The sweet potato in jars are rooting well but not a sign of a slip yet. The potatoes continue to grow like weeds and I become impatient to fill in the baths with more soil so their necks can reach up further and more potatoes will be able to form.

The last of the tomatoes are being picked and I can’t decide what to grow in their beds when I clear them out. The red sunflower seedlings are a bit bigger but no sign yet of the artichoke seedlings. The small onions bulbs swell with the rain and their leaves are taller now, red and brown ones as are all the leeks, and spring onions. All aliums (onions plants) assist in keeping pests at bay and are magnificent in spring.

So when the gardening is done and Magrib approaches that feeling of contentment a lot of work done. After supper everyone will feel peckish for something sweet so I have to make a stash of biscuits and putt it in different places. Saturday morning I made some pancakes and Abu tried his hand at baked apples. He took out the cores of 4 apples and stuffed them with soft dates. He made a shallow horizontal slice in the centre around the outside skin to prevent it from bursting. Dotted them with butter and sprinkled it with fine cinnamon. Then he baked it at 220 for about 15 minutes. They were really yummy with pancakes and cream.

I thought to make some fridge butter biscuits in a variety of different tastes (dark choc chunk and cherries); ginger snaps with diced pieces of glazed ginger and honey, some traditional hertsoggies or twee gevreetjies and some expresso choc chunk cookies.

And then I remember my convection oven is tiny maybe 18 biscuits at a time? So for now fridge butter biscuits will have to do:

Fridge butter biscuits

 Ingredients

3 cups of flour

1 cup of icing sugar

300 g butter

 

Method

Cream icing sugar with butter until fluffy.

Add flour one cup at a time.

Work dough into one mass with your fingers.

Divide dough into sections and roll into sausages about 3cm in diameter and about 10 cm long.

Roll in sugar and refrigerate for few hrs or until the next day.

When hardened, cut into one cm slices and bake at 350^o .F until golden brown. Allow to cool in tray.

 

Cook’s note:

This is a basic dough with which you can add chopped nuts, cherries or choc chunks for variation. Or dip a side of the biscuits into melted dark chocolate and almonds

Should the sausages break when you cut them, wait a bit for it to thaw and try again

To heck with butter biscuits, I ended up making bollas with currants, light and fluffy and drenched in cinamony syrup.

Plant food and make bollas instead.

yasmine