Salam dear sisters. I hope that your second week of Ramadan is going well, inshaAllah.
Ramadan is a great time to reflect and connect with our spirituality. It (like any other time in our lives) come with tests and rewards. A few days ago, my dear friend K received a great gift and an incredible test simultaneously. K is a wonderful friend and sister that many of you know well. She has been trying for years to conceive a child, and finally even though she did not know it- she did, mashaAllah. Unfortunately, she had an ectopic pregnancy, and had to have surgery.

By the grace of Allah...Alhamdullelah, she made it through and she is recovering.  What was a near-death experience has made her realize the fragility of life, because while she lived, she saw another woman die (May she find rest in jannah, ameen). SubhanAllah, my dear sister's faith has not been swayed, instead she is even more strong in her belief that Allah is merciful.

My friend, has always been a rock. She stood by me for many years, as we both hoped for children, and when I lost my son, she was the kindest and most sincere. When Rainbow was born, she was overjoyed. Even though she had her own pain, she would always take the time to check in with me, and ask about my family; she is a true sister in Islam.

I love her and know many others who do as well. I am asking that you make dua for her that she will recover, and inshaAllah, that Allah will bless her with a child, and if nothing else, that she will always be a strong woman of faith.

Thanks ladies.

Salam dear readers, and friends, or both, lol. I hope the first week of fasting has been good inshaAllah.

The post is going to be a little update on Rainbow (who is now 21 months old,mashaAllah), but more focused on nursing, and the difference between Ramadan 2011 & 2012. I'll also touch on something that confused me last year about nursing and reading the Quran (at the same time). Then I 'll finish off by sharing how I educate and interact with Rainbow when he is nursing.

Breastfeeding in the Holy Quran
Breastfeeding is a gift. There are so many benefits (nutritional, Immunological, prevention of asthma and allergies, and even bonding mother and baby) the list is long.
Firstly, I'm not here to tout breastfeeding, or not. Breastfeeding is not always easy, and depending on circumstances, it can be impossible. It is a woman's prerogative if she does it and how long she is able to do it, and it is something that should be decided with her husband.  Breastfeeding is mentioned in the Holy Quran because it is important. It says:

"The mothers shall give such to their offspring for two whole years, if the father desires to complete the term. But he shall bear the cost of their food and clothing on equitable terms. No soul shall have a burden laid on it greater than it can bear. No mother shall be Treated unfairly on account of her child. Nor father on account of his child, an heir shall be chargeable in the same way. If they both decide on weaning, by mutual consent, and after due consultation, there is no blame on them. If ye decide on a foster-mother for your offspring, there is no blame on you, provided ye pay (the mother) what ye offered, on equitable terms. But fear God and know that God sees well what ye do.  (The Noble Quran, 2:233)".

There is no questioning what Allah intends for the mother and the child after reading this verse, however, as with anything in life there are many challenges. In the first week of Rainbow's life he was in the NICU. I was not even allowed to go down to the NICU and see him for the first day. I felt overwhelmed and I was in physical pain, so breastfeeding was the last thing on my mind. On day 3, when the nurse dropped off the breast pump in my room and left I felt defeated- can you believe it? I was already willing to give up. Luckily I didn't have to use it, because I got to go and nurse him, but the pain and fever from engorgement had me set to run for the door (probably would have if I could).

Working moms can have difficulties, especially if they must return to work early post-birth. In Canada, we get a whole year off alhamdullelah, so in my case it was very very easy to nurse Rainbow all day, everyday- believe me-he nurses all day even now.
Some women are unable to produce enough milk to really nourish the baby, and this can be frustrating and painful. Last Ramadan Rainbow was 7/8 months and for some reason I had a milk supply issue. I tried a few things, but subhanAllah, I think it just got better on its own. Anyways, with Allah's help, I did, and 21 months later, I am still doing it. 

Weaning (or) trying to
Weaning has been a bit difficult or me. I have a hard time saying no- so I don't. I think I last all of one day in my weaning efforts. I know that 90% of the time when Rainbow comes to sit on my lap, he is not hungry, but there is only one thought in my head "...he will not be nursing after 2 years, so just let him now...". Okay, this is not the best way to go, I am guilty. Having Rainbow in his own bed, did make a bit of a difference, but guess what? He is now back in our bed since Ramadan, lol.

So Rainbow is 21 months old, and I will go until his birthday, inshaAllah, and I pray that Allah will make weaning very easy when I care to stick to my word.

Can you read the Quran while nursing?
This was a very important question for me last year, as Rainbow was nursing about 20 x a day. In Ramadan I really wanted to read and learn more, and I felt sometimes that I was wasting time (I know it's not good, but that's how I felt). The answer is Yes.  There is no prohibition to recite and or read the Holy Qur'an while nursing. There are however conditions, and this is pretty general- as in performing al salat, you must have a wudhu before you touch the Quran. Allah makes it easy for those who strive in his name.

Things that Rainbow and I do to bond & learn that you can do with your child:
islamic
repeat surahs to him ( he remembers them)
read him stories
let him listen to the adhan (he loves this) and surahs
show him short videos

for bonding
massage his feet (he's so long now, but it used to be easy)
massage his back
massage his hands
brush his hair (very soothing)
massage his scalp
speak to him
sing with/to him
let him mimic you
play games to teach him body parts (head & shoulders etc)
clean his fingernails (lol, probably one of the only times he will let me do it)

Any thoughts or stories on  breastfeeding? How do you bond with your baby/toddler while nursing? 
Any thoughts/stories on weaning an older child?













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Bismillah...

Surah cards are not necessarily related to Ramadan. Years ago, my husband used to write short surahs on sticky notes to help me in my memorization. I could take the sticky notes and stick them to any surface (in a book, or on the wall). As I washed dishes or completed other chores, or ride the train, I would learn with ease.

Surahs are written on the back of doilies and placed in a bowl next to the Quran as  a reminder

About the Surah Cards
I began making surah cards years ago when I needed inspiration to- you guessed it- learn surahs.  Since I am a Read/Write, Visual & Kinetic learner, I often find ways to study or memorized things that involve all of these strategies.

I often carry around little fancy cards with verses written on the back, and study wherever I go- and it has worked so far. Baba has memorized most of the Quran, mashaAllah, but for me it's pretty much baby steps still, so along with reading the Quran in Ramadan, I have taken up the challenge of learning and teaching at least 2 surahs for the month. This year, for the first time, I made Surah Cards with the girls.
There is no right or wrong way to make the cards...as long as the whole family gets involved. The only thing that is important is that young kids don't get a hold of them and throw them or tear them.

Carrying & Disposing of my Cards
I carry my little cards in a small Ziploc bag- I think anything that prevent them from being damaged is fine.
Over the years, I have actually kept all the little note cards that hubby wrote for me, as wells as my own creations. However, there are many ways that you can get rid of them. Find out how to here and here about the rulings of disposing of papers with the name of Allah written on it.

The Menstruating Woman/Girl & Worship (especially in Ramadan)
By now we know that touching the Quran in a no-no when in a state of impurity (ie. menstruation). I have also read some fatwas against reciting verses of the Quran as well. Although many will disagree, I do not follow any specific madhab. Still new to my faith, I have confronted the issue of aligning myself with a certain school of thought, and so far I have not - maybe this is a post for another day. Allaahu Alim! 

Whatever the case, Ramadan is the hardest time for me when it comes to worship and participating in the ritual of fasting in the same way that my husband or other friends do. For example, last week, I wanted to take Rainbow to the mosque. I was almost prepared and then I realized that I could not go. As Ramadan began, I felt out of touch with the spiritual part of it.


Because Surah cards hold partial verses of the Quran memorizing verses can be tricky. The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Only a pure person may touch the Quran.” [Abu Dawud; al-Bayhaqi]. I didn't always have the knowledge about such matters, so while I would not touch the Quran, I touched other material with written verses. Touching pieces of paper with verses written on it in state of impurity (ie. menstruation) is always an issue that comes up in my household. On one hand, it is so easy to forget ( we do make mistakes), and on the other hand, it becomes too easy for a woman to neglect her worship in the 4 or 5 days (in my case up to 11 days sometimes) of menstruation because it seems everything is out of reach.


The fact is that we Muslimahs want to worship, and we just have to find other ways to do so...
Here are some ways that my dear sister Fatemah  passed on to me- to worship and participate. 


A menstruating woman can:
1. Listen to the Quran
2. Attend religious lectures
3. Make dhikr
4. Do Islamic activities with children (&)  or spouse
5. Make dua
6. Volunteer
7. Watch Islamic lectures
8. Gather with sisters and their children for the sake of Allah
9. Reflect on her relationship with Allah

Disclaimer: It goes without saying;  I am NOT a scholar. I seek guidance in all matters, and try to follow the right path. If you have questions about any matter in Islam, you should also search for those answers.
May Allah bless us and reward our intentions.





















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Bismillah...

Here's another Ramadan recipe that is healthy and delicious. This is the kind of recipe that you can use when you are breaking fast with friends and relatives, or if you want to bring a different type of dish to an iftar invite.
This year, instead of the typical Middle Eastern and Jamaican foods that we are used to,  I have sworn to make and try different foods, and already began experimenting a few months back to see if I could actually create these dishes :)

I made a few modifications (highlighted in red), they are personal additions, but not necessary.  Enjoy!

just off the stove

 Source: Martha Stewart

Ingredients

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Bismillah... 


Salam alaikum dear readers and Ramadan Kareem to you. Do you remember my post/Ramadan list here?
Well, one of the things that my family was working on was a "personal dua jar". I didn't always know the importance of dua- in fact, I didn't even know about making dua for the first 2 years after I became a Muslim. 
I also thought after finding out about making dua that you had to make dua in Arabic- silly, I know. If only we Muslim sisters would educate each other on more than just hijab and finding husbands...

I taped some of the slips of paper to leaves that Rainbow picked up outside

Often we go through the daily ritual of prayer, but neglect to truly speak to Allah about what is in and on our hearts.  A dua is a conversation with Allah. Even before we ask, he knows what is on and in our hearts. He speaks no language, but all languages. He neither slumbers nor sleeps- and never grows wary of us. He does not favor rich or poor, young or old; he is merciful and just in all things. Who better to bring our thoughts and hopes to than Allah?!


I searched high and low and found the lovely Zakia Usmani's Ramadan dua list on her blog, alhamdullelah.
It covers everything, mashaAllah. If you are going to share the dua project with your family then having everyone write out about 4 or 5 is better than printing them out from the computer. Why?  Because, as they write, each member of the family will become familiar with the duas. In addition, it's a fun way to get the family together.


Here is her dua list.






































May Allah bless our efforts.

Disclaimer: The purpose of this post is to share our Ramadan activities. You don't have to follow any list or website to make dua.
















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Bismillah...




My husband loves 2 desserts- crème caramel and chocolate cake. I was over the moon when I found the recipe for a creme caramel and chocolate cake. Yes, you heard me, a  crème caramel and chocolate cake in one. I was even happier when I tried it and it worked. Honestly, when I first started making creme caramel I sucked at it. I just couldn't get it to look and feel like I saw in the dessert shops. A little patience and persistence paid off, but the main thing was making it from scratch instead of buying the pre-made package in the store. Of course, having a few packages on hand in case you have to make a quick dessert is not a bad idea.


According to Nady, this cake is from the Mediterranean cuisine. It’s called “kudrit kader”, which means made by a miracle. It got that name because you mix the crème caramel and the cake ingredients in one dish and somehow the crème caramel goes on bottom and the cake goes on top. Delicious.


Ingredients for Sugar Syrup:
¾ cup (145g) sugar


Method for Sugar Syrup:




Ingredients for Crème Caramel:
3 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (230 g) powdered milk
2 cups (470 g) water
1 cup (192 g) sugar


Method for Crème Caramel:



Ingredients for Cake:
3 eggs
½ cup (96 g) sugar
½ cup (105 g) vegetable oil
½ cup (118 g) water
1 cup (90 g) flour
3 teaspoon (11 g) baking powder
3 tablespoon (21 g) cocoa powder/ or 2 tablespoon instant coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Method for Cake:
1. With an electric mixer beat eggs, sugar and vanilla.
2. Add flour and baking powder.
3. Add vegetable oil, water and cocoa. Keep beating until batter well-blended.
4. Add batter on top of sugar and crème caramel mix.
5. In a bigger aluminum cake pan put boiled water , don’t fill it up. Put the smaller aluminum pan that has the batter in the bigger pan. Make sure water doesn’t get to batter.
6. In a preheated oven to 350 degrees F put the pans. Bake between 45 to 60 minutes or if a wooden pick inserted in center should come out with just a few moist crumbs on it.
7. Leave cake to cool. Refrigerate for 4 hours.


On a serving plate turn the cake pan upside down so it would come down on the plate.
Enjoy!
---
Thank you Nady for sharing the recipe :)





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Bismillah...


Ramadan is so close. I am too excited. We've been going over our list, and everyone has something to do. Rainbow knows that there's something going on, but he's just not sure what it is. He has also found a new way to keep us on our toes- tearing down our decorations, lol.

Anyways, I've going through some of my favorite recipes and making Ramadan plans (as you can see from my last post), and I thought I would share a few recipes here. Some of these are recipes are new to me (like the one below), while others are family favorites.
This is my friend B's favorite soup recipe. I haven't tried it yet, but plan to in the second week of Ramadan, inshaAllah.

Here it is:
Source: Bonnie Stern's Essentials of Home Cooking, page 40.

Ingredients
1 TB olive oil
1 TB honey
1 onion, chopped
1 TB lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1  tsp.  salt
1 TB chopped fresh ginger
¼ tsp. pepper
2 tsp. red Thai curry paste
¾ c. coconut milk
6 large carrots, grated or thinly sliced
2 Tb chopped fresh cilantro
4 c. chicken or veggie stock
¼ c. shredded coconut, toasted

Directions
Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven on medium heat.  Add onion, garlic and ginger.  Cook gently until very fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Add curry paste and cook for 30 seconds.

Add carrots, stock, honey, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until carrots are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Puree soup with an immersion blender or in a food processor or blender.  Return to heat.  Add coconut milk and heat for 5 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

In a small bowl, combine cilantro and coconut.   Sprinkle a bit of mixture on each serving.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.


If you try this recipe, let me know how it goes. Do you have any recipes to share?
Happy fasting & eating!






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Salam ladies,


Can you believe Ramadan is almost here? I seriously cannot believe it, and I am running around trying to make preparations, hoping that everything will fall into place before the week ends. The funny thing is that I started Ramadan preparations at the end of May, but other things have gotten in the way of seriously getting things done.

I am trying to get back to blogging here, so inshaAllah I will be posting a lot about Ramadan activities and happenings in my house, and community.

Here's where I'm at...I printed a copy and I am crossing off as I go.


*have family meeting & print out this list for family*
1. get craft supplies to make decos with the kids
2. baking- lots of flour for sweets and snack
3. ramadan menu (weekly) with the girls
4. weekly shopping list
5. ramadan iftar invites- make with girls
6. put together islamic area for quiet reading and reflection
7. teach hassan ramadan songs
8. get dates
9. choose netflix movies carefully
10. try to make instead of buying Eid gifts 
11. empty rest of boxes from basement

1. write out intentions for the month & find way to stick to doing it
2. reflection/dua notes (especially when waking up)- make dua jar
3. which surahs to memorize--make list
4. pray obligatory prayers on time
5. give charity
6. make the recommended Dhikr after every prayer
7. read at least 1 page of the Quran daily to hassan
8. discover & read a new book about Islam & make reading list w/ kids
9. make a list of Islamic movies/videos to watch
10. learn more arabic---teach hassan more arabic by speaking to him in arabic
11. make list for girls (work on list with girls)
12. make a list of places we would like to visit
13. speak to girls about women & fasting
14. watch halal tube
15. repeat short surahs to hassan daily
16. set up efficient system to stay in contact with family abroad
17. take time off work
18. try to be more patient with the kids--ask Allah for guidance in this matter
19. hug girls more and have quiet time

1. visit sisters in community
2. masjid as much as possible
3. keep up with volunteering & giving back to community
4. sponsor an orphan
5. zakat
6. email sisters & send e-cards
7. put together ramadan recipe list & share with friends

1. perform al salat with hubby more
2. walks at sunrise
3. walks at sunset
4. spend time having discussions about islam
5. ask for forgiveness from those around me
6. start fasting mondays & thursdays
7. pray nights of Laitul-Qadr
8. attend islamic lecture
9. tell hubby i love him more



What are your plans?
Do you have any recipes/ Ramadan home decor/ crafty ideas to share?


Please share your thoughts!











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Bismillah...

Hello and Salam alaikum ladies. Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadians.

Some of you know that we were on the quest to find a new "house" to make a home for our family after leaving Toronto. Don't you want to read about it?

Here's my story about the 21 houses that we looked at, the inspiration to put together our new house, and the little tidbits that happened along the way.

Read here.