Jujey's Blog

The end of the road

2010-04-03T08:15:00.000+02:00

So yesterday we spent the whole day at the beach, we came home, and got ready and headed out to the mall, all of us were extremely hungry...since it had been about 7 hrs since we ate. Anyways so we are in the mall, and since it is a new mall, there are only a few places that have opened up in the food court...mcdonalds and some chinese place. So we took the kids to eat mcdonalds, which i didn't really want to do, but given the fact they were getting so fussy, and my little one was screaming, I gave in, and said ok...mcdonald's it is. I let my husband order for me, since he knows what i like, and moments later, i am chomping down on a mc royale hamburger. After about 5 bites.....it hit me like a ton of bricks, and i yelled out.........OMG i'm vegetarian and I am eating a hamburger. My husband and our friends laugh at me, so i said screw it i am so hungry, and i am in desperate need, so i took another few bites, and then i started not to feel well.....i put dowm the hamburger,and said, ok that's enough for me.

When i was eating the burger, i wasn't eating it b/c it tasted good, I was just eating to fill my hunger gap, so I didn't even realize the taste.

Ok so I thought today, I will just go back to eating meats, since we were doing a BBQ. And this is where it hit me hard....the chicken and meat did nothing for me at all..........i didn't even want to continue eating. So to make a long story short, I really enjoyed being a vegetarian, it made me feel good, so, I think I am going to continue on my vegetarian quest!! well at least for the time being, who knows i may change my mind at the next BBQ. Wish me luck

Day 7,8,9,10 - Vegetarian

2010-03-17T14:04:00.000+02:00

Well as u can see, i chickened out from going vegan......and i have just continued to stay vegetarian instead. I still have no meat cravings....which is great!! Still haven't committed to this vegetarian lifestyle yet.....but I will keep it up for at least this month inshallah.

I'll give u updates on my progress.

Day 5 & 6 - Vegetarian

2010-03-14T07:59:00.000+02:00

Ok all I can say is that my poops are just wonderful!!! what a difference from 1 week ago. Not sure if i lost any weight, that wasn't my concern, but health wise I feel great!!!

I've been eating whole wheat pasta, salads, eggs, fruits, and lots of veggies.....and I can honestly say that I would love to stay a vegetarian...I'll keep on going....so we'll see how long I can last. As for starting Vegan tomorrow, don't know if i can do it.....i really just don't want to...i don't want to give up dairy and eggs....and it is soooooooooo hard here to find foods, unlike North America. But I will give it a try for 1 day.

Anyways gotta go and make myself some breakfast! Have a great day

Day 4 - Vegetarian

2010-03-11T11:02:00.000+02:00

Not much going on.......same thing......no cravings still.......this is a good thing.....but i just keep thinking about next week.....it frightens me.....VEGAN!! we don't even have tofu or soy here, so I am like what the heck am i going to eat for 1 week. I am so not looking foward to it, and I think I am going to backout!!! But we'll try it for at least 1 day.

So I was watching this video on youtube about sugar....some jorge guy and dr. oz were talking, and they said, we need to limit our sugar intake to 15 grams a day.....u know how hard that is when i think 1 apple has like 10 grams of natural sugar. I guess the less sugar u have, the faster it will help u reduce ur bellyfat. It was quite interesting.

Anyways.....going to make me something to eat that has mushrooms in it.

Day 3 - Vegetarian

2010-03-09T18:36:00.001+02:00

Lentils anyone?

K today was awesome, alhamdulilal!! For breakfast I made an avocado spread with some tomatoes, olives, and cheese.....ate it with whole wheat crackers......it was so delicious!!! And for lunch and dinner, I made a lebanese dish called mujudera, which is basically just lentils, burgul, and onions. I ate it with some plain yogurt, and ended up having it for both lunch and dinner, b/c it was just so yummy!!

I went to the grocery store today, and i loaded my 2 carts up with all fruits, veggies and whole grains. I'll be happy to let u also know my grocery bill was way less than normal, when i buy meat and chicken. Anyways, when I got home, I got all of my veggies and some fruit, cut them up in snack size pieces, put them in some tupperware, and then in the fridge for easy access.

Just a side note, did u know that lentils are one of the highest sources of antioxidants found in winter growing legumes. And since lentils have such high levels of fiber, it increases the size of your poop, which speed the journey of waste products through the gut...which is great for constipation. Also fiber-rich foods are more filling than other foods, so people tend to eat less. Just an FYI.

Honestly I still have tons of energy, and not craving any meats at all, and literally enjoying this change in my life.

Day 2 - Vegetarian

2010-03-08T21:16:00.000+02:00

When Alicia Silverstone was on Oprah, she said that since she became vegan, she has been having amazing poops, and sleeping like a baby. I gotta say, for 2 days I have been having the deespest and most satisfying sleeps. As for poops...hahahha, do u really want to hear? Well lets say I am taking iron pills, so they aren't the golden brown and S shaped as Dr. Oz says they should be, but I think I am getting there.......ewwwwwwwww gross, i can't believe i just talked about that. hehehe.

Anyways, day 2 was great. I think it is getting easier. I am not as hungry,and my energy level is unbelievable!! I have no desire or cravings for meat or chicken, which i am so suprised.

Today, I had the usual, eggs in the morning, then some minestroni soup, grilled sweet potatoes, some banana bread, fruit, and that's about it. It wasn't a lot of food, but I have to say that I am not hungry. Oh and i had a grilled cheese sandwhich.

Last night i watched some really interesting vegan videos on youtube. There was one with Woody Harleson when he was on Jimmey Kimmel, and he said that he is vegan now, but didn't mean to be, he just wanted to change his diet for a bit, just to get more energy, b/c everytime after he ate a steak, all he would do is fall asleep. So I guess that once he tried going vegan, he never turned back, and saying he has never had so much energy in his life. And watched some other video's that were extrememly interesting.

U guys gotta give this vegetarian thing a try.......never felt better!!!

Day 1 - Vegetarian

2010-03-07T20:31:00.001+02:00

Ok so today was my offical start date for going vegetarian for 1 week. Honestly it didn't even phase me, and I didn't have any cravings for chicken or meat. I did though read that some vegetarians still eat eggs and fish, so this morning i had an egg sandwhich. I had soup for lunch with some carrot and celery sticks, and a piece of banana bread, that I made with no sugar or butter, and substituted it for applesauce and honey. For dinner, i made some roasted sweet potatoes and another bowl of soup. For snacks I had nuts, popcorn and fruit.

I opted out for using any butter, and instead i am using a tsp of olive oil for frying eggs. I still feel kinda guilty eating eggs......i dunno, i think if u are a real vegetarian, then you shouldn't eat eggs or fish. But hey I have to gradually get into this....since next week i am going Vegan, where I can't have any dairy products, or anything that comes from animals. That week will be quite interesting.

All in all, today was easy, I had lots of energy, and enjoyed everything I ate. Wonder what I will be saying when the middle of the week hits.....we'll see :)

Vegetarian and Vegan

2010-03-05T08:21:00.000+02:00

So last week I was watching oprah, and it was all about food. It was so interesting, and they were talking about being vegan, and how it hepls ur overall skin, health, how much better ur poops are, etc. So I have decided to do an experiment and try this out for myself. This Sunday Inshallah, I am going to go Vegetarian for 1 week, and then the second week I am going to try to go Vegan. I am sure that I can do Vegetarian no problem, b/c I can still have dairy products, fish and eggs, but once I have to go Vegan, I am going to have a hard hard hard time. I don't know what I will eat, since here in Egypt, we don't have many options like the peeps in North America.

So for the next 2 weeks, i will keeps u folks updated inshallah on a daily basis, to tell u how I feel, what I ate, etc. Now my only problem is trying to come up with some recipe ideas.....going to hit the grocery store today or tomorrow....so wish me luck.

Mona gave me a head start.........she was so sweet and bought me this cute soup bowl, since she knows I will be consuming lots of soup during these 2 weeks!! Thanks woman!!! u are the bestest.

K so I will let u guys know how everything goes......pray for me to have strength to do this!! 2 weeks of no chicken and meat........OMG i may go nuts!!! if any of u have any good vegetarian or vegan recipes...send them to me :)

I don't like Mona anymore!

2010-02-28T11:52:00.000+02:00

hahhaha, ok yesterday my dear dear dear friend met me.....and she brought me a little gift..........guess what it was, and guess why i don't like her now????? yes....the most delicious chocolate bar with hazelnuts from Europe!!! omg it was sooooooooooooo good, i almost ate all of it!!! It just melts in ur mouth that is how creamy it is!!! so much for my eating healthy kick I was on.... thanks mona....hehehheheh, and yes I secretly do love u still!! ur the bestest!!

7 Things!

2010-02-14T17:47:00.000+02:00

So Mona tagged me in this thing....u have to list 7 things that u love...and ppl may not know about u. I am such a procrastinator and I haven't had time do to this, even though she sent it to me like 2 weeks ago.

Ok so here we go......I guess we will start with #7

#7 Gardening

yup love it, but not that good at!!!

#6 Pathwords

Yes Mona has got me addicted, and I can't seem to get over 830 points.....mona is beating me like by 140 uuuuuuuurgh!! (yes I stole this pic from ur blog Mona....hehehe)

#5 Cleaning the Kitchen

Yes I am anal......I love to clean my kitchen, and get full satisfaction when it is all cleaned.

#4 Paint With Water

Didn't u just love those books when u were a kid....all u had to do was dip ur paint brush in water and the paper will magically turn to a different colour??? That was my fav, and still is!!

#3 Searching for Challenging Recipes

I don't just like to search for recipes, but I love to search for challenging ones.....like making ur own mars bar...or how to debone a whole chicken, with it still looking whole!

#2 Talking to Mona!!!

ahhhhhhhhh isn't she so pretty in this pic???

#1 Cooking / Baking!!

U guessed it.........this my most fav thing to do in the world......i guess it is something that everyone knows......but who cares......i am still adding this to my list!!!

New Look!!

2010-02-11T16:37:00.000+02:00

So what do u guys think? Better layout than before? Thanks to Mona for all the help!! I am sure it won't be long until i change my template again!

Love it!!

2010-02-08T08:49:00.000+02:00

Ok is this not the cutest thing ever....with the funniest saying!!

HA HA HA!!

Going Template Crazy!

2010-02-05T21:54:00.000+02:00

Ok so I am trying to find a new template for my blog............and everyone I find, I hate..........so for now I am keeping this pretty pink flower one, until I find the right one, since no one liked my sparkly one...hahhahah.

Ok so help me find a new template...........I am starting to think there is not one out there that I am ever going to like!!

On a personal note....M and I had great food today!!! Check out the my recipe blog to find the yummiest recipes out there!!

The Moon!

2010-01-28T14:05:00.000+02:00

So last night, we decided to do a bonfire, my son comes running in the house and says "mom, mom hurry and get ur camera, there is this circle, like a halo around the moon". So I rush to get my camera and ran outside, and to my suprise, it actually did look like a large halo around the moon. It was subhanallah the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I took a pic of it, but not sure if u can really see in the pic, it is very faint.

Ok u can't even tell in this pic i took, but look below, i found a pic on the net of exactly how the moon looked last night.

Subhanallah how beautiful eh!!! And u wanna know why this happens? I googled it and this is what I found out...Rings around the moon are caused when moonlight passes through thin clouds of ice crystals high in Earth's atmosphere. As moonlight passes through the ice crystals, it is bent in a way similar to light passing through a lens. The shape of the ice crystals causes the moonlight to be focused into a ring. This is similar to the way water droplets in the lower atmosphere can bend sunlight to create a rainbow.

Good enough lesson for u today? hehehhe.

Post For Mona

2010-01-26T15:33:00.000+02:00

This post is espeially for u Mona!!

Mona has been ~~harrassing~~ asking me to take out all of my hijabs, so the next time she sees me, I will be wearing a nice colourful one, rather than my usual black ones. Ok so Mona, I took out the suitcase, I looked at all my hijabs, I found a black one that i was missing, i folded them nicely back up, and stored them away again!!! Hahahhaha, I dunno why I think I look horrible with colourful ones on, I just have to experiment one day with them, and I am sure I will change my mind. I think I look like a funeral attendent with black on, when I look at pics of myself with black on, I am like eeeeeeeeww how morbid!

Anyyyyyyyyways, this pic is for u Mona, to show u how many colourful hijabs I have.

And this is about 1/4 of the hijabs I have......i have tons!!!

Oh and totally off topic, look at this beautful pic I took of a rose that is in my backyard! Subhanallah!!

Oh and check out my other blog http://www.creativecookinggals.blogspot.com/ , I just posted a recipe for an amazing chocolate cake!!

Enough rambling.......time to go make dinner!! Have a great day!!

She Finds Sea Shells on the Sea Shore!

2010-01-22T13:28:00.000+02:00

So after the big storm we had the other day....my kids and I decided to go take a walk on the beach. I have never seen the beach so clean in my life. U see most ppl here in Egypt don't know how to throw anything in the gargabe bin, and like to decorate the ground instead, leaving for such a beautiful view (cough cough). The storm washed away all the dirt, and the rain was so hard, that it even chipped off the paint on some of the villa's here. Anyways while we were walking along the beach, we found the most beautiful shells, and coral, I took a pic of them so u can see.

Have u ever seen such amazing (subhanallah) shells....they have like a flower imprinted on it!! They are paper thin though and break so easily! I need to make something with them...any ideas??

Template Under Construction!

2010-01-19T22:14:00.000+02:00

Hey guys.....just wanna let u know i am trying to get this website looking good....so spare with me for a bit!!

have a great day!!!

Rain!!

2010-01-18T08:06:00.002+02:00

So I have been in hurghada for about 6 months and yet to see it rain, until yesterday!!! We live on the beach, so it got pretty intense. We ended up sitting outside on the patio as the rain came down! The kids had fun, but were scared b/c of the thunder.

I tried to take a pic of the lightning, but I was not fast enough, but this pic that I found on the net, looks like what I saw last night, but this pic is a lot prettier, our water wasn't this calm, it was so windy!

Don't u love waking up after a night of rain? Doesn't it make u want to stay in bed all day? I looooooove that feeling, but I wasn't able to do that, b/c I had to get my kids ready for school....and guess what???????? Just b/c it rained, they cancelled school!! hahhha. Man we could have 20 feet of snow in Canada, and we will still have to go to school!! Kids are happy, and as I write this they are outside jumping in the puddles!!! Oh well they get to be kids, and mama loses her alone time today!! hehehe

Check out this pic of my insane kids at 7:30 AM, screaming with delight!!! My poor neighbours!

New Layout!

2010-01-12T09:49:00.000+02:00

Ok well I have been searching for the past 2 days for a new layout for my blog.......and i haven't found something that has caught my eye.......so for the next little bit, u might see a different layout each day.....until i find one that i really like.
what do u think of this cupcake one?????? it's cute, but it's not the one. we'll see!!

have a great day!!

What a shame!

2010-01-07T08:29:00.000+02:00

I had to share this with someone, b/c everytime i see this villa, which is everyday, b/c it is right on the beach, i get so frustrated, who the heck in their right mind would leave this villa like this, and not take care of it at all......what a shame!!!
It is huge, 7 bedrooms, millions of bathrooms, a pool and located right on the beach......i think it is selling for about 2 million LE, which is like $360,000 US. For the location, and the size, that is a great deal!!! i always sit there and think it is mine and how i would decorate it. Take a look

And this is their view....right on the red sea!!

They also have land to the side of the house too, and huge driveway.......whoever buys it is going to have to do major renovations!!! But u should see what they look like when they are fixed up, they look gorgeous! Anyone want to buy this for me for my next birthday???

I'm a Thief!!

2010-01-07T08:13:00.000+02:00

Ok well I couldn't resist, i had to get one of those yellow flowers. I haven't seen my neighbours in about a month, they are from Germany, so I figured they are not here, and I thought to myself.......hmmmmmmm i don't think they will miss just one little bunch, especially since they are not here to enjoy it, and it will probably die before they get back. So the thief I am, cut off a bunch of flowers and now they are sitting on my kitchen table..........they look sooooooooooooooooo beautiful! and smell amazing mashallah!

how could i resist??????????? could u???

I Got Camera Happy!!

2010-01-04T14:02:00.001+02:00

My Morning Walk

So I got a little camera happy this morning on my walk with my daughter. I just couldn't resist taking pics of the beautiful flowers. Take a look, subhanallah how beautiful the colours are!!

This one is my fav...my neighbour has this huge tree in their backyard, and I am dying to cut a bunch off and put them in a vase in my house, but not sure if they would like me doing that....maybe when they r out, i will sneak over...hehehe (evil laugh)

Here's another pic just to show u how tall this tree is...never seen a tree this tall with such beautiful flowers

Beautiful eh!!!

My kids always pick these flowers and put them in their hair, so cute!

My fav....jasmine!! It smells so wonderful!

These are some flowers in my backyard, so vibrant!!

This is my jasmine tree in my backyard.....they look kind of sad...but they still smell amazing!

This is a view from my backyard as well...u can see a spider web on the right.

Here in Hurghada all u see is sun, subhanallah how perfect it is! 90% of the time the sky looks like this.

Subhanallah!

2009-12-31T10:55:00.000+02:00

Every morning when I look out my window, I am breathless, b/c of the beautiful scenery! I usually take my 2 year old old each morning for a walk along the beach. It is so calm and peaceful, and really just makes one think of how great Allah is, and how he created this amazing world in 6 days, and that we are nothing compared to Him. Take a look at some of these pics I took the other day when we were at the beach, u can't really see the true colours, but I just want to give u a glimpse what I see every morning when I wake up.

During this time of year, you won't find anyone around, it is so peaceful...

The water is so clear mashallah!

Look at all the different shades of blue!

Here's a pic of my jungle in the bakyard....we actually had banana's growing, until the ants ate them!

Even though I hate Egypt a lot, waking up to this every morning, puts a smile on my face, and makes me say alhamdulilal for everything that Allah has given me, and makes living in Egypt that much more tolerable!

Food is........

2009-12-30T07:58:00.000+02:00

Food is love don't ya think??? When u bite into something that is just so yummy...doesn't it just satisfy every thing in u?? This is Love.......

My Sister's Awesome Carrot Cake

2009-12-26T21:08:00.000+02:00

Salam,

Ok well I already posted this on my other blog www.creativecookinggals.blogspot.com , but I just needed to share this, b/c it was that good. I made my sister's carrot cake today...and it turned out just amazing!!

Here's a pic of the final masterpiece. And check out the other blog for more pics and the recipe

Omg The Cutest Thing Ever!!!

2009-12-25T12:07:00.002+02:00

M's Day Over My House

2009-12-24T21:29:00.001+02:00

Well today my friend M and her kids came over to my house....and what a day it was!! First of all.....let's just describe the scene.......8 kids all under the age of 11, a cat, and 2 mom's. U think with the PS3, Nintendo Wii, XBox...the kids would be occupied........but no no no, what did they do for about 1 - 2 hours.....fight over the cat, and who was going to hold it next. So we ended up kicking the kids outside to play, while M and I made cupcakes. I had this recipe that I have had for a while, but never had the chance to try it. The recipe is called...Cake Mix ...and it is suppose to taste exactly like the Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines Cake Mixes that u find in the grocery store. Ok they wern't bad, but they were nothing like Betty's. It needed about 3 more tablespoons of cocoa powder, to give it that dark chocolately flavor, so out of 5, I would give it about a 3. We let the kids decorate them with icing and sprinkles, and they ate them up so fast, they became even more hyper, so we kicked them outside again. In the meantime, I got my turkey ready to put in the oven, and then we all headed out to the beach (the beach is about a 1 minute walk from my house). It's not beach weather here right now, even though it is about 20 degrees in the afternoon, but the kids rolled up their pant legs and ran in the water......ya we didn't stay too long at the beach, since they were getting soaked, after we told them a million times not to get wet. Then we walked over to the park behind my house so they could dry in the sun, and instead they were picking flowers and made a complete mess of the fountain area........kids man!! But all in all we had a great day. Can't wait to do it again M......inshallah I'll pick u up tomorrow or Saturday and we'll hit the grocery store.......oh what fun...hahhaha. Oh btw.....did i tell u that friend M is an x-mas song fanatic....tis the season!! hehhehe. Imgaine...2 hijabi's singing xmas carols while making cupcakes...how religious of us!! hahaha.

Here's the cupcakes that we made....we didn't frost them yet...they were not very chocolately...but not bad

Here's a pic of them after the kids got their hands on them and decorated them

Another pic of the kid's masterpieces

The 2 dudes devouring their cupcakes

Yum Yum Yum...

The kids having fun at the beach

They made a complete mess with these flowers at the park...poor M cleaned it all up

Did I miss anything that we did today M???

Tajweed!

2009-12-22T09:32:00.000+02:00

Well yesterday I started my first lessons online taking Tajweed classes. http://www.quranfirst.com/ offers live classes, using skype. My friend has been doing this for over a year now, and mashallah is just amazing at reading the Quran now. So I decided to give it a try, and it is really good, I was impressed. If any of u guys want to start taking classes, let me know and i will let my teacher know and she can contact u.

On my own

2009-12-20T19:56:00.000+02:00

Salam,

Well I am on my own with this blog........so I guess I will just use it to ramble on and on about things that happen in my daily life. Hmmm where to start...well I was in no mood at all to cook today....i just made spagetti and some fries....i know not a really healthy meal, but i just wanted something fast that i could do, so i can relax early.
My husband came home last week with a kitten for the kids, and as I am sitting here, my kids are making the cat go wacko....poor kitten it is jumping all over the place......oh well it keeps the brats occupied.
Anyways I'll start to post more interesting things soon......it will probably be mostly about my cooking adventures, since that is my passion.
Have a great day!!
Don't forget to check out http://www.creativecookinggals.blogspot.com/

New Website!

2009-12-18T16:48:00.000+02:00

Salam gals,

Well I created a new blog for our cooking group with a name that recognizes us:

http://www.creativecookinggals.blogspot.com/

Pls check this site out for all of our wonderful recipes, and I will continue with this one (jujey.blogspot) for my personal one.

Have a great day.

And don't worry soon I will change the layout of this personal one, so it is different from the cooking gals ones.

My Big Flop!!

2009-12-17T21:35:00.000+02:00

All I can say is what a ~~great~~ horrible day!! First of all I wake up, and I still have no gas for my oven, so can't make any food, luckily I have a sandwhich maker, that I was able to make some eggs on for the kids. By 1:00pm the gas company finally came, and I was up and running again. U gotta remember I'm living in Egypt, I don't have a gas line, I have a tank, and have to wait for the gas company to make it's rounds everyday, so I can get my tank replaced. Anyways, I thought that I would take the kids out for a bit before I have to start making dinner. I'm thinking I will be home by 4:30 to prep for dinner, but with my luck, after I hit the grocery store, my car battery died!! So there is little old me, standing in the parking lot of the grocery store, with the jumper cables in my hands, not knowing how the heck to say...."can u give me a boost" in Arabic. Luckily this really nice guy came to my rescue, and even better than that, he spoke English...Phewwwww!! Mind you, I can get by in Arabic no prob, but some things like this were never taught to us in Arabic 101. Poor guy tried for like 15 minutes to jump start my mini van, and wouldn't work, b/c his battery was much smaller than mine. So there I sat again alone in the parking lot with the jumper cables in my hands, looking so pathetic, when this nice man with a huge van came along and was able to start my car for me.
By this time it is 6pm, kids are cranky, I get home, and all of us are starving.....so I decided to make some chicken roll ups, and 2 different kinds of rice, one plain for the kids, and the other one spicey for my hubby. Now ask Sarra, I am awesome at making rice, but for some reason today was not my day, I burnt the rice for the kids, and the spicey rice was not cooked right, even though i cooked it for so long, it tasted as though it was not done.....and the chicken roll ups were too spicey (but they were still really good).
I am not even going to post the recipe for anything I made tonight, b/c it was a complete FLOP!! But I am going to post the pics, b/c my oh sooooooo darling husband thinks he knows how to decorate, and took it upon himself to decorate his own plate, and insisted that I add it on this website, so he can show that he can decorate and take better pics than me! hahahahha. Ok gals so u tell me, who is better, my husband or me???

MY PICS (2 of them)

MY HUSBAND'S PIC (below)

RANA'S ZUCCHINI BREAD!

2009-12-17T20:56:00.000+02:00

Last week, Raquel sent out this recipe for Zucchini Bread, and once Rana saw this, she knew she had to make it! Usually the recipes that Raquel sends out, are right on the money!! Now I am dying to make it, so I think it will be on my agenda for tomorrow! Rana these pics look so amazing!

From Rana:
I made the Zucchini Bread (that Raquel sent out), its awesome! The only changes I made were omit the raisins and I made it in a large pyrex instead of 2 bread pans.

ZUCCHINI BREAD WITH CINNAMON SUGAR TOPPING

3 beaten eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 cups shredded zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup golden raisins (I omitted raisins)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Prepare two loaf pans with cooking spray.
Mix the eggs, vegetable oil, sugar, zucchini, and vanilla extract together in a large bowl; add the raisins. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Whisk the flour mixture into the zucchini mixture, stirring until almost all the lumps are gone. Divide the batter between the two prepared loaf pans.
Whisk the flour mixture into the zucchini mixture, stirring until almost all the lumps are gone. Divide the batter between the two prepared loaf pans, and sprinkle the tops with the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

RANA'S TIRAMISU LAYER CAKE!

2009-12-16T10:51:00.001+02:00

Last year I found this recipe, so decided to give it a try, even though my DH and I do not like coffee, and it turned out amazing. I sent the recipe to the group, and our beautiful Rana, tried it and sent me a pic of her version. Might I say Rana, ur pic looks amazing!! I love it! You did an amazing job on it!! Hope it tasted as good as it looks.

RANA'S TIRAMISU LAYER CAKE

CAKE:
1 (18.25 ounce) package moist white cake mix
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
1/4 cup coffee
1 tablespoon coffee flavored liqueur

FILLING:
1 (8 ounce) container mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons coffee flavored liqueur

FROSTING:
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons coffee flavored liqueur

GARNISH:
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 (9 inch) pans.
Prepare the cake mix according to package directions. Divide batter between 2 pans. Stir instant coffee into 1 of the cake batter pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. In a measuring cup, combine brewed coffee and 1 tablespoon coffee liqueur; set aside.
To make the filling: In a small bowl, using an electric mixer set on low speed, combine mascarpone, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur beat just until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
To make the frosting: In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, beat the cream, 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur until stiff. Fold 1/2 cup of cream mixture into filling mixture.
To assemble the cake: Place one plain cake layer on a serving plate. Using a thin skewer, poke holes in cake, about 1 inch apart. Pour half of reserved coffee mixture over cake, then spread with the filling mixture. Top with coffee-flavored cake layer; poke holes in cake. Pour the other half of the coffee mixture over the second layer. Spread sides and top of cake with frosting. Place cocoa in a sieve and lightly dust top of cake. Garnish with chocolate curls. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.
To make the chocolate curls, use a vegetable peeler and run it down the edge of the chocolate bar.

The Most Delicious Caramel Bars!

2009-12-15T08:55:00.000+02:00

OK last year I found this recipe, and I always wanted to make it, but I could never find caramel's, and when I did, I ended up using them for this cheesecake, that totally did not taste anywhere as good as these. Just the other day I found caramel's here and I said ok, definately I am going to make these no matter what. My sister, Fatima M tried them and said they were delicious, so I had to give them a try. I made the recipe as said, but made a few alterations. Gotta get these out of my kitchen fast, they are so good, and keep on calling "Jujey, Jujey....come and eat me". My DH is starting to get a belly....hence we both worked out on the Wii last night for 1 hour!! Gotta stooooooooop baking!!

CARAMEL BARS
32 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
5 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats, blended until fine
1/4 cup pecans, blended until fine
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt together the caramels and heavy cream, stirring occasionally until smooth.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats, pecans, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Stir in the melted butter until well blended. Press Half of the mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Reserve the rest.
Bake the crust for 8 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Pour the caramel mixture over the top and then crumble the remaining crust mixture over everything (press down)
Return to the oven and bake for an additional 12 minutes, or until the top is lightly toasted. Cut into squares while it is still warm.

Raquel's Meatloaf!

2009-12-15T08:40:00.000+02:00

Since I was a child I have hated meatloaf, and vowed to never put it in my mouth again. A few days ago Raquel sent out her recipe for Meatloaf, so I said what the heck, lets give it a try and to my suprise it was pretty good, all it need was some mashed potatoes beside it to complete it.

RAQUEL'S HOMEMADE MEATLOAF

Serves 8 to 10.

4 slices white bread, torn into pieces
2 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into eighths
2 cloves garlic
2 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 large egg
1 cup ketchup
3 teaspoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place bread in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade; pulse until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a medium bowl, and add ground beef.
Place onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and parsley in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade; pulse until fine. Add to meat mixture, using hands to mix well. Add egg, 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 teaspoons dry mustard, salt, and pepper; use hands to combine thoroughly. Place in an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pan.
Combine remaining 1/2 cup ketchup, remaining teaspoon dry mustard, and brown sugar in a bowl; stir until smooth.
Brush mixture over meatloaf; place in the oven with a baking pan set on the rack below to catch drippings. Cook until a meat thermometer inserted in the center reads 160 degrees, about 90 minutes. If top gets too dark, cover with foil, and continue cooking.

Tomato Basil Soup

2009-12-15T08:20:00.000+02:00

Ooooooooh my my my!! Soooooooo yumm-e!! So I was at the grocery store the other day, and bought this nice bag of fresh beautiful basil, and what is the best thing that u can make with basil...........tomato basil soup!! I didn't follow a recipe, I just put things together and volia...yummy yummy soup. So easy to make!!

TOMATO BASIL SOUP

1 onion chopped

2 cloves garlic crushed

1 tbsp of oilve oil

1 can of crushed tomatoes

1 cup milk

1 cup chicken stock

1 big handful of chopped basil

salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions and garlic in oil until tender.
Add tomatoes, milk, chicken stock, basil, salt and pepper
With a hand blender, blend all ingredients together, and let simmer for 30 - 45 minutes.
Serve with bread

Cinnabons!!!

2009-12-15T08:06:00.000+02:00

Ok for years I have been making these cinnabon's from allrecipes. I don't change a thing in the recipe, since it is great just the way it is. They are so easy to make, and much much cheaper than going to buy them at their store.

BREAK UR DIET CINNABON

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup butter, melted
4 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Mix yeast and warm milk and sugar, allow to proof for 10 min.
Add in flour, eggs, butter and salt, kneed until dough is soft. Cover until dough has doubled.
After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Salsa Chicken with Spanish Rice!

2009-12-14T09:11:00.002+02:00

Months ago, our dear Raya, sent out this Salsa Chicken Recipe. Many people from the group tried it and said it was just delicious, so I had to give it a try. Here's the recipe, I also made some Spanish Rice beside it, which also was so YUMMMY!

Thanks Raya for the recipe........seems like everyone wants to vote for it being the recipe of the year! haha

The top pics are from Sarra......don't they look awesome!! She took the pic in her kitchen, just using natural sunlight!! looks so delicious Sar!! And the pic below is mine that I took using my kids Dora the Explorer Plate...Omg, I need new dishes and I need to learn how to take better pics!! That's it I am going to learn how to take pics, all of my pics are with my 4 brats around me, so I am always in a rush, and never have time to make them look pretty.

RAYA'S AWARD WINNING SALSA CHICKEN

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 teaspoons taco seasoning mix
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C)
Place chicken breasts in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle taco seasoning on both sides of chicken breasts, and pour salsa over all.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is tender and juicy and its juices run clear.
Sprinkle chicken evenly with cheese, and continue baking for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with sour cream if desired, and serve. I didn't have any sour cream :(

SPANISH RICE

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked white rice
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 1/4 cups chicken stock
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes
green chili's to taste (I added 1/2 of one)
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt

Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic, and bell pepper until tender. Add rice and brown.
Stir in chicken stock, tomatoes and green chili's. Season with cumin and salt. Cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed.

Mona Z's Yummy Granola Bars

2009-12-14T08:17:00.002+02:00

Ok like I want to eat the picture of them, they look amazing!! Here's a recipe from my friend Mona Z.

From Mona Z:

I made these Granola Bars last night and they came out so delicous. They are chock full of oats, walnuts, chocolate chips, raisins and sunflower seeds.

Here's the recipe, from good old RecipeZaar. They're called Triple Threat Oatmeal Bars. The recipe called for coconut but I put chocolate chips instead. Healthy, huh? They're still a pretty hearty snack and the kids and my mom loved them!

MONA Z'S GRANOLA BARS

1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped,toasted
3/4 cup golden raisin
3/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 325F.
Butter 10 X 14 inch cookie sheet and line with parchment paper.
Cream butter and brown sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs 1 at a time.
Beat in milk and vanilla.
Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl.
Add to butter mixture and stir until just combined.
Mix in oats, walnuts, raisins and coconut (dough will be very stiff).
Press dough evenly into prepared pan.
Bake until top is golden-brown, about 15 minutes.
Cool in pan on rack 5 minutes.
Turn out and peel off parchment paper.
Cool and cut into bars.

Hoda's Healthy & Delicious Peanut Butter Cookies‏

2009-12-13T07:59:00.000+02:00

WOW! These cookies look amazing!! And great thing is that u won't feel so guilty eating them! Great Job Hoda!!

From Hoda:

Assalamu 'Alaikum ladies,

With all that talk about peanut butter cookies last month I was on a mission to find a healthy recipe. I ended up just finding a recipe in my Better Homes Cookbook and alternating/modifying the ingredients to come up with something healthier. As as a side note, regular peanut butter, like the Jiff's or Kraft etc has tonssss of preservatives added to it. When you compare the ingredients of the regular peanut butter and Natural butter you'll see the difference. Natural PB just has peanuts and sometimes salt as the ingredients, where the other stuff is loaded with plain old junk. And the best part is the Natural stuff tastes A LOT better.

HODA'S HEALTHY PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

1/2 Cup butter softened
1/2 Cup peanut butter
2/3 Cup honey
1 egg
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups of flour

Mix all the ingredients except for the flower together (using a spoon). Once the butter has mixed in somewhat with the other ingredients use a blender to blend all the ingredients together. Blend until you see consistency in the batch. Gradually add the flour. Make little balls and flatten with a fork (makes a nice design too ;)) then bake for 12-14 min at 350. Cookies will almost look like they're not done, but once they cool taking them out at this time is what will keep them soft.

Enjoy!

Nej's Apple Pie!

2009-12-13T07:50:00.000+02:00

Good Morning gals....here's a great dessert from Nej! Looks amazing, u did a beautiful job with the pie crust nej!!!

From Nej:
I got this from allrecipes too. It's "Apple Pie by Grandma Ople." I changed a few things. The pie crust recipe is from my Better Homes and Garden Cookbook. It was one of the best apple pies I've had.

NEJ'S APPLE PIE

Pie Crust:
2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup shortening (I use Crisco)
6-7 tbsp cold water
1/2 tsp salt

Stir together flour & salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening till pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of the water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to side of bowl. Repeat 1 tbsp at a time until the odugh is moistened. Divide in half. Form each half into a ball.
On lightly floured surface, flatten 1 dough ball. Rooll from center to edges into 12 inch circle. To transfer pastry, wrap it around the rolling pin; unroll into a 9 inch pie plate. Roll remaining dough as above. Cut slits to allow steam to escape. Place remaining pastry on filling; trim under bottom pastry. Crimp edge as desired. (I sometimes do cut out shapes on the top layer instead of pricking it).

Grandma Ople's filling:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced (I used golden delicious)
2 Tbsp Cinnamon (This recipe does not call for it, but apple pie without cinnamon is like apple pie without vanilla ice cream)

Preheat oven to 425 F (220C). Melt the better in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with lattice work of crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off. (NOTE: I poured the liquid over the apples and then put the top crust over it).
Bake 15 min in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350F (175 C). Continue baking for 35-45 min, until apples are soft.

Yummy Chocolate Cake

2009-12-11T13:50:00.001+02:00

Last night I was in the mood for baking something cute. When I was in Canada recently, I bought this silicon baking mold, that makes these tiny rectangle shapes, they are suppose to be used for brownies, but I made this awesome chocolate cake that I found on the web, but again, I ended up changing a few things, to see how I could spice it up........the result.....yummmmmmmmo in my tummmmmmo!!

CHOCOLATE CAKE

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp butter
1 cup water
6 tbsp cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1.5 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 pan.
Beat sugars and butter together until fluffy.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract and baking soda. Pour in milk, water and eggs. Add sugar/butter mixture. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Frost with Buttercream Frosting.

Note: I only baked it for 15 minutes, since I was using a small tray.

Chocolate Chip Cooooookies!

2009-12-10T09:37:00.002+02:00

Well what can I say, these cookies are delicious. For years, I have been using a certain chocolate chip recipe from allrecipes that has like 3000 ratings, and I always thought nothing could beat it, but I was mistaken. I found my families new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe!! DELICIOUS!!!
(by the way, I know my plates are pathetic...soon I am going to go out and buy some nice plates, so my pics will do justice to the taste of the food)

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
6 tablespoons white sugar
2 eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 bag chocolate chips (I used a chopped up Dairy Milk Bar)

Preheat an oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
Gently mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with a fork in a bowl. Beat the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla with the last egg. Mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips; mixing just enough to evenly combine.
Divide the dough into 24 3-tablespoon-sized balls. Flatten the balls to about 1/4-inch thick onto a baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are golden, 15 to 17 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet until the centers begin to set, about 20 minutes.

Spaghetti Bolognese

2009-12-08T21:31:00.000+02:00

So for many many years I have been trying to find a great meat sauce recipe, but everyone that I have tried just didn't seem to have that authentic Italian taste....until yesterday. I found this recipe online, but altered it a little, and the outcome was fantastic!!

SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion diced
1/2 cup diced carrots
5 cloves of garlic minced
1 can of mushroom (if u have fresh even better!)
1 lb of ground beef
1/4 cup of apple juice
1 can of crushed tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup of chicken stock
salt, pepper, chili powder and thyme to taste

Heat oil, and brown onions, garlic, carrots, ground beef, mushrooms.
Season with salt, pepper, and chili powder
De glaze pot with apple juice
Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken stock
Add more salt, pepper, chili powder, and thyme to your liking
Simmer for 2-3 hours
Serve over Spaghetti Noodles

My First Blog

2009-12-05T23:03:00.000+02:00

Well today is my official first day to sit down and start blogging, after many attempts by a certain someone (who's name begins with the letter M), to make me start my own blog. Ok so for weeks now I was thinking of what I should blog about....M and I came up with some ideas but nothing clicked with me.....but then I started thinking...hmmmmmm what do I love to talk about, and do each and everyday.......COOK and BAKE!!! For the past year I have had this yahoo group called Cooking Gals, where we send out recipes and cooking tips to one another, with a designated theme for each month. So I thought, what a great idea if i set up this blog where we can post a pic of our recipes, and share some insider tips. Cooking Gals this is for u guys, and M this is ur fault I started this blog......u got me addicted!!! tsk tsk!

OK so here we goooooo.......my first recipe!!

OLD FASHION POUND CAKE

Found this recipe on allrecipes, but I changed it a little, since I didn't have some of the ingredients listed...oh my.....what a delicious cake!! I'm even going to be sooooo nice enough to attach a photo of a piece of cake that I served to my DH.

1/2 cup cream cheese

1 cup butter

2 1/2 cups white sugar

5 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 cups flour

Preheat oven to 300, lightly grease a bundt pan
Cream together cream cheese, butter, sugar until fluffy
Add eggs 1 at a time, and then add vanilla extract
Add salt, flour and baking powder, alternately with the milk
Bake for 1 - 1.5 hours.