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Thursday, August 8, 2013

In my neck of the woods we have sushi

We just celebrated the end of Ramadan with the holiday Eid. Ramadan is a month of fasting that Muslims observe, we do not eat or drink from sunrise till sundown. Everyday my family and I would go to the mosque, and sometimes you just need a break from food there. We all decided to head to Burr Ridge and try out Wok 'N Fire. My brother and I were really craving some sushi.



Very yummy house made ginger ale.

T did not take picture taking seriously.



The sushi here is really good. My fiancee and I have become sushi fiends this past year and have learned lots about it. This is definitely some very well made sushi. We were all so hungry and excited to eat that I completely forgot to take a picture before we tuck in.

We also ordered two noodle dishes to try. One was a salmon dish and the other was a steak pad thai dish. These were also very good. Luckily I remembered to snap a picture before we devoured it.

It was a great night out with the family. Unfortunately our dad could not make it since he has a lot of commitment with the mosque, so it's nearly impossible for him to miss a day during Ramadan. I would definitely recommend visiting Wok 'N Fire. Their food is great and the atmosphere is interesting. Upon entering you are faced with a huge Buddha statue and lots of coloured lights. My nephew was very amused and interested by the colour changing of the lights. The service was great as well. It was nice to have a break from the mosque and have a nice meal with the family. It was also a late birthday celebration for my brother in law, Tasneem's husband. 

~M


Saturday, August 3, 2013

Trading Places

President Obama Visits London - May 24, 2011
photo by JR P
On Saturday my little family will be going to England. There are some big events happening in my hubby's family so we decided to cross the pond so we could be there for them. Once, I used to go to England as often as I could; but now this will be my first trip there in a couple years. Maria's in a bit of a tiff that I am going there for a visit while she is here but I am sure that we will go for many more visits in the future.

This will be my hubby's first trip back to Manchester after moving here and he is ecstatic. I am excited to be going to spend time with friends and family. And looking forward to having a vacation right before the hectic goings-on of Maria's wedding. However, I am also nervous about flying with my wriggly baby. I am afraid of being one of those parents you bemoan being on the same flight with because their children are so upset. Wish us luck!

~T

p.s. Follow me on Instagram to see pics of the vacation

Friday, August 2, 2013

It's my Ishtyle: Real Housewives in Woodridge






Would you look at that, we have the same smile.


I love window shopping for pretty aprons. However, I rarely ever buy them. Especially the hostess aprons that I am not really sure I would ever actually use because I would be too afraid of dirtying them. Maria and I went shopping a few weeks ago and she mentioned that she was looking for a good hostess apron. So then we spent a bit of time seeing if we could find one she liked but to no avail.

A little whole after that I found out that Martyn George was closing up their brick and mortar shop and migrating to online only so they were having an inventory sale. I went with the intention of buying gifts for my husbands family but walked out with a gift for myself and Maria...funny how that happens.

Matching aprons




On Maria: dress - Forever21, bracelet - made by our brother, apron - thrifted from George Martyn
On Tasneem: dress - thrifted from our mother's closet, bracelet - Kate Spade, hair flower - Accessorize, apron - thrifted from George Martyn

Sunday Bliss

Sunday is the day we slow down and really appreciate what is around us.  When we catch up with ourselves after a busy week.

Cooking Countesses: Mango Banana Smoothie

Drink up!
It had been my intention to bake a banana chocolate chip cake with chocolate buttercream frosting. I have recently been all about baking cakes for no apparent reason. However, the weather had other plans. Turning on the oven in the middle of a heat wave when your air conditioner doesn't work and your sister thinks you are a hillbilly family because you roam around in your underwear is just so unappealing.

The ingredients


But, I had bananas I had been saving for my cake. They were perfect mushy brownness. Then I remembered I recently bought chia seeds and mango, and Maria reminded me that quick things are always best during Ramadan. So an idea was born. This makes a delightfully thick shake that fills you up and makes sure you get all sorts of good nutrients. I suppose you could thin it out by adding more milk but we like spoonable shakes around here.

~T

Toss it all into the blender



Mango Banana Smoothie (makes 1 jug: 5-6 glasses)

1 1/2 cups greek yogurt
2 tbsp chia seeds
4 medium ripe bananas
1 mango
1 tbsp elderflower syrup
1/2 cup milk

1. Toss all the ingredients into a blender.
2. Pulse for a minute and then shake the canister so the liquid settles on the bottom
3. Blend for 3-5 minutes until the mango chunks disappear
5. optional: add sugar to taste (we thought it was sweet enough on its own)
4. Let sit for about 30 mins so the chia seeds have a chance to soak up some of the liquid to really thicken the shake 
6.  Enjoy!

My baby is a fan of this smoothie