Hash Browns ~ Nom Nom !

This post was originally written during Ramadhan when I was still in the Netherlands! ~


Yes.. It's all about food, when I have enough time to be creative!!
& Since it's Ramadhan, and my brother and I are far from home, it's my duty to cook him yummy things, though they might not be anything like my mom's -may god bless her and give her long life-  food.

I'm a potato lover! Therefore, today I've tried making hash browns.. 



Ingredients:

- 10 small potatoes [ that's what I've found here.]
- 1 onion 
- mozzarella cheese
- salt & pepper
- 2 eggs
- oil

How to make it:

- peal the potato skin, and grate it. 
[ the potato will be all watery, try to dry it out, in my case, i used tissues and tries to dry them, they didn't dry off completely, but it kinda worked!]
- chop the onion.

- heat the pan, one table spoon of oil should be enough.

- put the chopped onions and the pealed\grated potatoes in one bowl, add the eggs, salt and pepper then mix them.
- take small portion of the mixture you have [3-4 normal spoons] and place it on the pan, let it cook for 2-3 minutes, then flip it.


you should have something like this in the end.

The first picture looks like pancake, I like the second one more I guess.
You can make it look the way you want it.


Bon Appetite potato lovers!

xo

How to make tacos

NomNomNomNom..

I'm picky when it comes to food. Been craving for tacos since ages,, 
& since I live in Deventer, there aren't much restaurants here with different types of food, as well as Halal [ like Enschede, I was happy there, food wise!].


Let's start with the ingredients:

- minced meat
- taco shells
- cumin
- onions [chopped]
- 1 cup of water
- red chili pepper
- black pepper
- Oil
- tomato paste
- Garlic paste [or powder]
- mozzarella cheese
- Lettuce 
- black olive
- corn [ I haven't used it this time but it shall give a good taste!]
- Taco sauce [ there is a green one and red one, I used the red :P and it's spicy ]

Now, here is a thing about me, I always use very little oil, health-wise issues! So I'd advise you to use little as there is no need for a lot of it, stay healthy!! 
But off course, you're the chef in your kitchen, so it's up to you!

The way to prepare it:
- Heat the oil on a big pan, then add the chopped onions.
- Add the chili powder, cumin, black pepper, garlic paste\powder and mix them with the onions [2-3 minutes]
- Add the beaf [ minced meat]
I didn't have minced meat, so I used another type of beef, it just tastes good when cooked well anyway!]
- add half cup of water, and keep mixing. [4-5 minutes]
- After a while add some tomato paste to give it a good flavor
Keep cooking, and you shall know when it's ready.. it will smell good and you can taste it to know it's ready!

The presentation:

1- Place the lettuce in the taco shell

2-  Place the meat next

3- Add the taco sauce on top

4- Then add the Mozzarella

 
5- finally Olive, and corn

You should have in the end something like the picture on the top of the page!
This was my very first attempt, it wasn't perfect, but it was YUMMMYY!
Bon appetite !!

Blessed Ramadhan,,,

xo

Ramadhan is knocking our doors!

The title is a literal translation of the quote in Arabic, and I love it!
I remember that saying in Arabic, as kids.. We really thought Ramadhan is a person who's going to visit us.
 The month is so spiritual I love everything about it. Everything suddenly has a different flavor, everything somehow feels different when it's all the same!
Thank god [al-hamdulillah] we're alive, to live another holly month and accomplish what we couldn't previously, and try to be better people!


To those who don't know what Ramadhan is:

it's a holly month to muslims, where we have to fast from certain timing to a certain timing, fast from sins, food, and drink.
Let's say in Oman, the morning prayer is somewhere at 4.30-5.00 AM, so that's when fasting starts, and then it's broken by 18.30-19.00 when the maghrib prayer comes to time.
I would recommend [ foreigners] to try living Ramadhan in an Arabic [or a muslim country in that case] country, and you'll know what I mean!

My message to everyone out there:
I have been seeing tweets prior to Ramadhan with people writing stuff like;
' now that certain person would pretend to be religious just because it's ramadhan'
'the religious messages would be sent from this person, when did s\he become religious?'
and such tweets, messages, Facebook statuses etc..

I'd kindly ask you to stop such actions, and ask people around you to stop such messages as well. 
It's a holly month, you get double the blessings you get in normal days, so why not encourage everyone to do good deeds instead of making fun of them. 
Who knows? Maybe those people who 'suddenly' turn religious in Ramadhan are slowly trying to get in to the right track? The right path?
Instead of mocking them and making fun of them, show them appreciation.
After all, we have to agree that the judgement is for god, so quit the mocking and the joking and help others into being better people.
Reminder: Our religion is all about peace, love and care. So kindly, stop giving others' bad image about us.

Some people would argue: no, it's all the same. They're all good for one month and then they're back to old habits.
Again, you're not the one to judge here, we make mistakes and flaws, we sometimes lose the right track but you never know that sudden change in heart that happens during the month, maybe not this year, maybe not next year, but some 'year' that will change, wouldn't it?

Think about what I wrote, and spread the word.


xo

Food problems, abroad!

I love the idea of studying\living abroad, it's the best thing anyone could ever experience. [ of course, only if you're responsible enough.. otherwise you won't survive, and believe me, life out here in reality isn't anything like what they show on movies\tv ]
However, there is always this one problem.. FOOD!
Back home, I was used to getting food served for me, I didn't have to think of what should be cooked today, how, when, if we have the ingredients to cook the meal, and now; this responsibility is on my head. sigh.

I miss my mom's cooking.. I promise I won't complain again about any food that's made at home, take me back, I want to eat what mom cooks!

It's not a problem for me specifically, I LOVE pasta and mashed potato, and believe me when I say : I eat pasta almost 4 times a week and still crave for it. Same goes with any potato dish. I have no complains in that.. but then again, when you have a visitor\family member etc.. they don't prefer what you prefer.
ALSO, all these yummy food pictures online my friends keep posting [since taking a picture of your food before eating it is an essential thing to do nowadays] I keep craving for other things.
I'm too lazy to cook, that's the truth about me [but it has nothing to do with my love for pasta and potato!]

I was thinking, if someone volunteered to cook 'healthy' food for students abroad with a good price monthly, wouldn't that be profitable for the person, and a good deal for the student? People, spread the word? Easy money!!
In Oman the food is affordable from restaurants and such, but abroad ordering from out everyday is both; unhealthy & costly.
If someone offered to cook me at least one meal [coz I only eat one mean] here I'd go for it, but on a condition that it shall be healthy and non oily. [yup, because of my diabetes condition!]

okay, gotta cook! 
bye for now
xo

Hair conditioner

I've always enjoyed having short hair- It's a fact!

But for almost 2-3 years I've let my hair grow, the tragedy was; it kept falling like crazy. It drove me insane. Its normal for hair to fall of but not as much as my hair did. I finally decided to cut it hoping it would fall less (also, for the sake of changing).

For a period of time it stopped falling off, and it made me happy. However I started regretting somehow cutting it, it happens every now and then. 

Anyhow, it started falling again, which made me wonder, why?

I had my doubts always on the conditioner.. But this time there was no doubts, it is true, the conditioner is doing that to my hair.

I used to use Pantene for a while (shampoo only)

I don't recall any problems with my hair, I think it kept my hair fresh.

Then my mom suggested L'OREAL total hair repair

It was even better than Pantene somehow, made my hair even fresher with really good scent..

When I cut my hair, the only difference was that my conditioner was finished so I didn't use any conditioner, as a result my hair was fine for a period of time, but last week I started using the conditioner again and my hair got all messed up again and started to fall off like crazy once more!

I recall using different conditioners earlier when I was 16\17 the ones with fruit essence, and since then I've been having trouble with conditioners. =\

It also makes my hair oily in like a short while. 

It makes me sad because the conditioner gave me a good feeling about my hair, as well as I didn't find difficulties with styling my hair, it kept it from being so dry.

I guess no more hair conditioner for me. 

It's time to change shampoo again because to be honest, I don't find any use of this shampoo without it's conditioner. 

pff..

#FirstWorldProblems 

xo

FortaRock 2014 THE Netherlands

I can finally say that I've been to a real concert!
Okay, so FortaRock might isn't really my kind of thing but I've been dragged to go -along with my friends- to it, the bands playing were all metal bands and well.. People I don't know or enjoy their music, except for skillet, I love them!!!

I went there, dressed all black kinda gothic? Meh.. I think I dressed up just normal =D but the dark shade of the lipstick did give its effect to the whole thing.

31st of May 2014, in Nijmegen ... The FortaRock Iron maiden concert took its place. 
12 hours of music. 
12 afternoon till 12 midnight
  ... and there we were.

The bands that played on that day were:
- Iron maiden
- Slayer
- Anthrax
- Dimmu Borgir
- Alter Bridge
- Graveyard
- Gojira
- Deafheaven
- Sabaton
- Behemoth
- Trivium
- Ghost
- Carcass
- Vandenberg's moonkings
- Skillet
- Blood ceremony
- The charm the fury

Right.. And again, I only knew skillet :')

It was in a park, there were 3 stages as you can see in the picture; The main stage, Monster energy stage and Jagermeister stage (in a tent!) 



 And it was crowded, there were those with costume which actually looked nice on some, really funny on others.
I was the only girl with Hijab on.. literally. Minority of the people stared at me which made me feel weird somehow, but soon the majority greeted me. Some people asked to take picture with me Felt like a celebrity.. yay me!
Every now and then people greeted me.. they were really nice. I had several conversations with most who warmly welcomed me and said that it's good to have me here. wow. I liked the fact that it wasn't so racist, but filled with smiles and greetings, made me feel happy.

The memories of that day makes me giggle, it was so much fun.

Here's a video of Skillet's entrance, and the first song *goosebumps*

note: the video isn't taken by me, the one i took from my phone isn't really long or so clear!! 

well, as I mentioned I knew no band but I ended up singing almost everything coz no one cares when you're in the crowd, everyone are singing their own version!!

I loved the Iron maiden performance, it was more like a play! Everytime new background new clothes new statue!! 
People were crazy - no mosh pit whoa thank god coz it scared me* their music wasn't scary like the other bands ahahaha and by scary I mean those who scream, yup I don't like these kinds of songs!
I sang my lungs out, it was amazing!! 


One of the best days ever!!


xoxo 

My 21st Birthday!

Long time no blog, I know. Missed me? I'm sure you did.

I'll blog about a sweet memory of an event that happened recently; my birthday party!
Yes, I'm one of those people who get really excited about birthdays, it's a big deal.. It's a once a year kind of thing so you shall celebrate it. Celebrate the fact that you made it to another year successfully.

The first year when I came to the Netherlands, my birthday was kind'f a normal day no biggie, and the year after -which is last year- I went to Oman and had a pretty celebration with my family, but this year I thought... time for a big fancy party! To be honest, with all the chaos of studies and the tension I needed a different kind of break.. I needed the way we celebrate at home kind of a party, and so that's what I did.

Finding a party hall was the tough part of it all. Couldn't host the party at my place because I invited so many people. After an extensive search for a hall, I finally decided to throw the party at the international house in Deventer, which is utterly large and a legitimate place for a party!

The party was on Thurday [8th of May] and I had classes to attend, after the classes went to pick my friend from the station, it was raining badly [that's one thing about the Netherlands, it's sunny 5 minutes then it starts raining, and it goes on like that] went to the city center to find a balloon shop because, I had to have some of those helium balloons, they look pretty and I'm weak when it comes to pretty stuff.

The dress code was : Black, fancy. [to everyone] but since I'm the princess of the party I wore white-red Moroccan style dress, which added the Arabic flavor.

Went to the hall, decorated the place. 
People came over, talking here and there.. Socializing.
The cake was the best part of course, here take a look :-

[ After the party of course so much was left because I'm greedy xD - i kid- and I had the cake on breakfast for 3 days and was happy about it, haven't done that in ages!]

My Omani friends made my foreign friends dance Balochi and it was hilariously amazing how they all just went in dancing as if they know it, pretty impressing.

There was a part where everyone inhaled the helium balloons and had funny voices. I have my own balloon story which happened and was epic [ I think the story of the week?] which I would keep to myself and to those who were in the party, because .. you need some suspense and you need to feel sorry for not being at my party. [ Mean maybe? dunno, but if you ask me I will tell you the story I just don't want to publish it here ;) ] Also, since my party was drama-free this was a tiny itty bitty drama-like situation but thoroughly funny. [Thanks Stefan!]

My personal favorite part was the day after.. Because this is what I had to deal with:- 

Who would not like that?
right?
right?

Looking forward for the next birthday party!!

But first... let me enjoy being 21 [u thought i'd say let me take a selfie huh? huehue]  =D

xo