Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

 This ice cream is deliciously satisfying, has the perfect texture and is ridiculously simple to make (if you have an ice cream maker). It tastes better than any store bought vanilla ice cream, and I have yet to find someone who doesn't love it!

Ingredients:

2 cups whipping cream
2 cups milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp vanilla
a pinch of salt

Directions:

1) Mix all ingredients until completely smooth.

2) Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's directions. I use a Kitchen Aid attachment.

3) Transfer to a container. One batch fits well in an 8x8 Pyrex pan. Freeze for several hours or overnight until it firms up.

4) Scoop into bowls and enjoy! :-)

*  A double batch of this ice cream fills a 9x13 Pyrex pan. Make it a couple of days ahead of time to feed a crowd. If your ice cream maker is small, make a single batch and spread it in the pan, then layer the second batch on top.

Apple Cake Recipe

This apple cake is warm and comforting with just the right amount of crunch and sweetness in every bite. The apple and cinnamon overtones in it make it reminiscent of apple pie. It tastes amazing paired with vanilla ice cream, it's extremely easy to make, and it feeds a crowd. To make it a day ahead, leave it loosely covered overnight and reheat it in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Ingredients:

Cake:

2/3 cup melted butter

1 cup honey

1/2 cup apple sauce

2 eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more to swirl on top

2 cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour

4 cups cored and chopped apples

Toppings:

1 cup crushed almonds

1/4 cup melted butter

1 tsp cinnamon

1-2 tbsp coconut sugar

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9×13 pyrex pan.

2) In a large bowl, beat the butter and honey together together with a whisk.

3) Add the apple sauce, eggs and vanilla. Beat well.

4) Add the baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix well.

5) Add the whole wheat flour and mix until just combined.

6) Stir in the chopped apples.

7) Pour the batter into the greased pan.

8) Sprinkle crushed almonds on the surface and press down.

9) Mix the butter and and cinnamon and drizzle all over the cake.

10) Sprinkle coconut sugar all over the cake.

11) Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

* To make this recipe in an 8x8 pan, cut all the ingredients in half and reduce baking soda to 1 tsp.

Stress, Anxiety and Moses

The adrenaline rushed through my body. My stomach was in knots; it felt like i was about to get an ulcer. My palms were cold but sweaty. They were trembling so much I sat on them to hide the shaking. My knees were shaking uncontrollably. My breaths were short and choppy. 

“Ya Allah, please make it end!” I thought in my mind.

These were my thoughts during any large tests I had to take during my memorization of the Qur’an. My teacher gave us skip tests. That means, she would start an ayah (or portion of an ayah), and we had to continue from wherever she left off. Just the thought of taking one of these tests would stress me out immensely.

After one particular test, I showed my teacher my trembling hands. “This is what happens when you test me,” I explained to her.

“Are you afraid of me?” my teacher asked me.

“No,” I responded. 

One would assume I had a super strict teacher, and that’s what stressed me out. In actuality, I’ve never been afraid of her. She’s like a hard candy with a gooey center. I love making that comparison about her, because she always pretends like she’s a strict teacher. In fact, she’s one of the softest and kindest hearted people I know.

So what caused this extreme anxiety and stress? I realized that it may have been the content of what I was studying—the importance of the material I was attempting to place in my heart, mind and ultimately my actions. These words, which I was and am still attempting to internalize and live by, are none other than the words of Ar-Rahman.

Had We sent down this Quran on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rending asunder by the fear of Allah. Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect. (Hashr: 21)

What I finally realized right before my final test for the Quran, is that Allah is the only one who can calm me down. As I waited for my teacher to start testing me, I repeatedly recited the du’a that Moses made to Allah.

[Moses] said, "My Lord, expand for me my breast. And ease for me my task. And untie the knot from my tongue. That they may understand my speech.” (Ta Ha: 25-28)

Although my nervousness wasn’t completely eliminated, I definitely felt the calmest I’ve ever been during a test, and my recitation was slow and controlled. So next time you’re freaking out before reciting, or talking, recite the du’a that Moses made, and let Allah calm you down.

IKEA Hack - Family Room Shelf DIY

This shelf unit is sturdy and sleek with just the right amount of natural texture. It’s incredibly simple to make, and relatively inexpensive at around $100 for a significant amount of space. I hacked the IKEA MULIG shelves, because they’re tall, strong and made of black metal—We have a lot of black metal accents as well as natural fibers in our family room. Even though these shelves are actually designed for the garage, the addition of sisal rope on either side makes them belong perfectly our family room. For our particular needs, our completed shelves had to:

1. Be strong enough to fit all of the kids’ heavy encyclopedias and workbooks. Since the kids are homeschooled in the family room most of the time, they need space for their materials.
2. Be large enough to fit all the books, toys, games, and their ceramic works of art. The previous shelf unit was brimming over with too much stuff.
3. Be tall enough to keep important books and delicate items out of reach of younger visiting cousins and friends. The top shelf in the previous unit was too low.
4. Eliminate the sliding of books down the sides of the shelves—We had that issue with the previous shelves because of a significant gap between the shelf bottom and shelf side.
5. Be stylish enough to fit in our family room!

This DIY can be done with as many shelf units as you need for your space, and with any shelf unit without sides—not just the MULIG. Simply wrap rope around both ends of the completed shelf unit, secure with a knot at each end of the rope, and adhere with super glue!

Materials:

2 IKEA MULIG shelf units ~ $40 each — Or any other shelf unit without sides

2 spools of 1/4 in. by 100 ft. sisal rope ~ $10 each — Or any other thickness of rope you prefer

Clear Gorilla Super Glue ~ $5 — Or any other super strong glue

Steps:

1) Assemble the MULIG shelves (or other shelf unit) as directed.

2) Remove the packaging from one spool of rope. Tie a knot around the top bar of one side of the shelf. Tightly wrap the rope around the side of the the shelf, going up or down with each loop until you reach the bottom of the shelf. You can choose a fixed pattern, or you can go for a more random look. I decided on the random look for our family room.

3) Once you like the look of the rope on the side, tie a knot to secure the bottom end of the rope. You can either cut the leftover rope, or you can tie it around the bottom of the back part of the shelf so it is not visible from the front. I chose to tie it rather than cut it.

4) Repeat on the other side of your set of shelves.

5) Apply super glue to the knots and other areas of the rope which might slip.

6) Secure the shelves to the wall using screws.

7) Decorate your shelves with books, plants, and anything else your heart desires!

It’s Not About You

“I wish I could memorize the Quran, but I have kids.”

“I wish I could memorize the Quran, but I have a full time job.”

“I wish I could memorize the Quran, but I homeschool.”

“I wish I could memorize the Quran, but I’m so busy right now.”

I often hear people express interest in memorization of the Qur’an, only to follow with a reason for why they are unable to do it in their current situation. I completely understand where they’re coming from. Before I started my journey (and most of the time during my journey) of memorization, I felt the same way. Logically, one would think that such a colossal endeavor would require an immense amount of time that someone who has countless responsibilities would be unable to accomplish…Or that someone who memorizes the Qur’an has special powers. :-)

What changed my thinking, however, is when I used to look at my sister in law when she was memorizing. She had 3 kids (while I had 2) who she homeschooled; she spent a lot of time with my brother (since she’s a good wife); she was a good daughter in law to my parents (who lived with her), she hosted homeschool classes in her home, and she was one of the founders of the Muslim Homeschool Network. Logically, she did not have enough time to memorize the Quran. There just weren’t enough hours in a day for her to fulfill all of her responsibilities while still having enough time to review old, review recent memorization, and memorize a new page. It was impossible.

But she did it.

How? How did she accomplish the impossible? Simple. It wasn’t about her. That’s the thing we often forget. When we decide to memorize the Quran, we’re asking Allah to make us an instrument in the preservation of the Qur’an. All we have to do is put in the effort; the rest is up to Allah. He is the one who makes it happen. So yes, she did put in effort, and she logically did not have enough time, but Allah placed barakah in her time and in her efforts. I witnessed this barakah.

So next time you want to accomplish something and Shaitaan uses an excuse to try to convince you that you can’t do it, remind yourself: It’s not about you. Allah can make it happen.

Banana Bread Recipe

Banana bread is a family favorite in my home. My husband loves it with his tea, and my kids love to munch on it throughout the day. This banana bread is delectably soft and moist, with tones of warm cinnamon-coconut sweetness and just the right amount of crunch in every bite. Full of wholesome goodness, it is made with whole wheat flour and coconut oil, sweetened with honey, and topped with crushed almonds and shredded coconut. 

Ingredients:

⅓ cup melted coconut oil

½ cup honey

1/2 cup apple sauce

2-3 large bananas

¼ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more to swirl on top

1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour

Optional toppings: ½ cup crushed or sliced almonds, shredded coconut, etc.

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9×9 inch square pan.

2) In a large bowl, beat the oil and honey together together with a whisk.

3) Add the apple sauce and beat well.

4) Mash 1 cup of bananas and add to the bowl along with milk and vanilla. Whisk.

5) Add the baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix well.

6) Add the whole wheat flour and mix until just combined. Some lumps are ok.

7) Pour the batter into the greased pan. Sprinkle all over with cinnamon. To get a swirled effect, run the tip of knife across the batter in a zig-zag pattern.

8) Sprinkle toppings evenly on the surface. Our favorite is 1/2 cup almonds followed by shredded coconut. Gently pat down the toppings.

9) Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

* Adapted from this recipe by Cookie and Kate.

Old Du'as Die Hard

“Why do you want to memorize the Qur’an?” she asked me.

I looked at her, puzzled. I had asked her to come over and wanted to get some advice from her, since she was a veteran homeschooler. I was feeling guilty about spending less time with the kids and more time on my memorization of the Qur’an during the following year.

The question was valid, because I had a lot on my plate. I was married. I had 3 kids—8, 5 and almost 2 years old. I was homeschooling the elder 2. I lived with my in laws and had a busy social life. My own side of the family lived close by.


Why did I have such an strong desire to memorize the Qur’an for as long as I could remember? I had never stopped to think about. Yes, I knew I wanted to memorize the Qur’an because I wanted the Words of Allah in my heart, mind and actions. But why was this desire so intense—extreme even?

Then it hit me. This unshakable need to memorize the Qur’an was actually a result of my mother’s du’a. Since before my mother had children, before she was even married, my mother has always made du’a for her offspring to be huffadh—those who memorized the Qur’an.

What we sometimes forget, is that the answer to a du’a can come in different forms: 

1) Allah answers the du’a the way we asked.

However, this could happen right away, or after a while. “The du’aa’ of any one of you will be answered so long as he is not impatient and says, ‘I made du’aa’ but it was not answered.’” Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim. We have to remember that Allah knows everything, so He knows the best time for us to get what we asked for.

2) Allah stops something bad from happening to us.

3) The du’a is saved for us for the Hereafter.

If you think about it, these are all amazing scenarios. We can get whatever we asked for, we can be saved from something bad, or we can have our du’as as good deeds in the Hereafter. All of this, just from asking Allah. So make du’a! You have nothing to lose!

Hot Cocoa Recipe

My kids and I have always loved hot cocoa, but we try to avoid processed sugar. I knew I could prepare hot cocoa for them which was delicious enough to satisfy them, but still nutritious enough for me to feel happy about it. This hot cocoa is rich, creamy, chocolatey, lusciously soothing, and ridiculously simple to make. 

Ingredients:

3 cups milk

3-6 medjool dates

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 

Directions:

1) Blend all the ingredients in a high speed blender on the soup setting until smooth and hot. Taste and add dates or cocoa powder as needed.

2) Ladle into mugs and enjoy!

* If you don't have a high speed blender, transfer the mixture to a pot and heat to desired temperature. Keep stirring to ensure none is stuck to the bottom. Return to the blender to get a smooth consistency.

Baked Salmon Recipe

Baked salmon is one of my favorite weekly dishes. It is juicy, simple, easy, and light. It only requires a few ingredients but packs a ton of flavor. My family loves it paired with rice and salad.

Ingredients:

1 to 1.5 lb Salmon Fillet

1 tbsp paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil

juice of 1 lime or lemon

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 serrano pepper finely sliced

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2) In a small bowl, mix paprika, cayenne, garlic powder and salt. Set aside.

3) Rub olive oil all in a 9 x 13 pyrex pan. Place salmon skin side down. Rub olive oil all over the top of the salmon.

4) Sprinkle dry spices all over the salmon. Top with minced garlic and serrano pepper slices. Drizzle lime juice all over.

7) Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let sit for 2 minutes before serving.

Bismillah

Indeed actions are by intentions. May Allah purify our intentions and guide us to the best of actions.