Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah Home made cheese, yum! In a large pot, bring 1/2 gallon of whole milk just to a boil. Right as it is beginning to boil, add 1/2 cup of whole milk natural yogurt. Stir with a whisk, then add the juice of one lemon. Turn off heat and allow to curdle for one minute, stirring. Drain through cheesecloth for about twenty minutes, reserving the whey (liquid) for use in soups. Break apart the... Read more

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah I make my fuul from scratch, though I do try to keep a can or two around for emergencies! I buy a big two-pound bag of dried fuul (small brown fava beans) and make a huge batch all at once. Rinse the beans, then soak at least overnight in plenty of water. Drain and rinse, then put in a pot with water to cover. Cook until tender, adding a bit of additional water... Read more

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah I make my own pita bread, as I find store-bought to be tough and dry by comparison. I serve this with fuul or use the dough to make zaatar. For this recipe, I use a Kitchenaid stand mixer with mixing hook and dough hook, measuring cups and spoons, a dough cutter, a rolling pin, and cookie sheets. In the bowl of my mixer, I place one cup of all-purpose flour, one tablespoon sugar,... Read more

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah Sherif and his father arrived safely from Egypt, alhamdulillah. They came in around ten at night. Jazaak Allah Khair to the Imaam for bringing them from the airport! Abdallah, my father-in-law, looks okay. He has weakness from the stroke and he’s unsteady and his speech is a bit slurred, but he is not bedridden and his mind is okay, alhamdulillah. Sherif has three different BAGS of medicine for him, so the first order... Read more

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah The new stories are coming hard and fast now. Every day, every single day, there is a story about a mass killing. Many of the stories have similar details; Dad is in debt, loses his job or can’t sell a house, so he kills his wife and children and then kills himself. The latest story on CNN was about a guy who was in debt to the tune of almost half a million... Read more

My mind is almost in vapor lock. Too many things to do, not enough time, money tight as always. Sherif is in Egypt at the moment, preparing to bring his father back to stay with us. It must be pretty stressful over there; he hasn’t even called me yet to tell me he’s there, but since there are no news reports of planes diappearing into a Bermuda Pyramid, I have to assume he made it okay. There is still a... Read more

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah A wise man buys a gift for his wife because it is something she wants to have, not because it is something he wants to give her. Men give gifts all the time. They give women flowers, jewelry, candy, lingerie. Of course, with the lingerie, there is a lot of self-interest at work. If I were going to buy something to sleep in for myself, it would be something ugly, flannel, and comfortable.... Read more

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah So I’m trying to eat less, to manage my intake and not eat a bunch of between meal meals. I’ve been twittering every single thing I eat. I don’t put down portions or calories because that’s just too organized for me, but I’ve been faithful in writing down everything. This evening, I made banana smoothies for everyone when Abdel Hamid and I returned from his Tae Kwon Do. Milk, frozen bananas, protein powder.... Read more

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah. It’s past nine, the kids should be in bed, but I let them stay up late so they could be up when Daddy got home. He doesn’t usually work this late so I held dinner too late, I think . Ah, well, everyone is fed and Abdel Hamid is cleaning the table. The dining room is his responsibility, from table to floor. He has to clean the table, clear it, put away food,... Read more

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah I joined Second Life a few months ago, and I have to say I am addicted. I created an avatar named Noorah Haalan. She is Muslim also and wears the abaya and hijab. You can go to SL and be the same as you are in real life, only moreso, or you can go to SL to create a completely different persona who doesn’t necessarily share your values or lifestyle. SL is much... Read more