Food Talk... Again

Here I am again with more about our meals.

This week we ate:

Guac Cheddar Burger with sauteed mushrooms on sour dough bread.

Whenever I'm at a loss for what to cook up, I turn to burgers. There's no going wrong there.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb ground beef (for 2 quarter pound burgers, you can adjust to your preference)

salt pepper to preference

1 tsp garlic minced

1 avocado

one small chopped onion

one small diced tomato

1/2 cup of fresh chopped cilantro

1/2  a lime

handful of mushrooms

two slices cheddar cheese

Prep: I mixed ground beef with salt pepper (1 tsp each), garlic half of the chopped onions and diced tomatoes and made them into patties. Then using 1 tablespoon grape-seed oil I pan fried the burgers on medium heat. Once you're burgers are done in the remaining oil you can lightly saute the mushrooms, it makes them juicy and flavorful! 

For the Guac: Using a fork mash up the avocado add salt pepper to taste and the remaining chopped onions and diced tomatoes, cilantro and lime juice (can sub with lemon juice too). 

Spread the guac on toasted bread and top with with cheese. Such a yummy easy dinner recipe. Start to finish maybe 30 mins? 

yummy goodness!

Its been three weeks since we've moved here and that meant three weeks since I had mom's home cooking. I was so lucky to have spent my last month in NJ living at my parents place. I thoroughly enjoyed mom's amazing dishes during Ramadan iftars. I was seriously missing some good ol' fashion Pakistani food so I turned to the most basic comfort food. 

Kali Daal Chawal (Brown Lentils and Rice) 

I could tell you how I did it, but this website does it better (I don't use tomatoes, rest is the same). 

I also made a basic Chicken salan that my mom taught me in the early years of marriage. Its a standard Pakistani curry almost always cooked the same way. Here are two recipes I like: One and Two

For snacks I've been trying to give the picky toddler some fruits since he's pretty much never eats fruits or veggies unless I hide them. Strangely enough he even prefers veggies to fruits! Anyway, I'm experimenting with my personal favorite snack, Nutella. I've learned that if I top a little Nutella on anything, Ali is willing to try it. So this week we celebrated that by snacking on raspberries, sliced bananas, peaches and whole wheat pretzels.

I'm also working on getting him to eat healthy snacks like hummus and carrots. Still a work in progress. 

Happy Friday!

It's finally here! This was a tough/tiring week with the hubs gone out of state for a work trip. Ali and I missed him a lot. It was a bit scary being home alone in a new place too, and Ali's elmo toys randomly singing in the middle of the night didn't help that either!! Needless to say, we're thrilled he's back now and we have some fun activities planned for the weekend with a pool party and a trip to the zoo being a few of the highlights. Hope everyone has a great weekend :)

Also, I found this great new app for FREE at the App Store called Rhonna Designs.  

Thought I'd give you a view of what it looks like when I step out of my place:

This little guy and his buddies love hanging around outside our door. We call him Kermie. Or maybe just I do.

Since it rains almost daily here, we see a lot of rainbows. It's hard to tell but this was a double rainbow, my first time seeing one!

In this moment, I have it all.

Meet Florida's most adorable gator

I'm sitting at a cafe/kids' jungle gym as I write.

It goes without saying this is pretty much what I always imagined "stay at home mom life" to be.

Today: I prepared breakfast and cleaned while Ali watched Word World. Then after lunch there was every mother's savior: Nap time, where I cooked dinner as well as had a much needed phone call with the bestie about potty training and preschool. Post nap we headed to the library for an afternoon of story time and arts/crafts. And because I know my child has insane energy to burn, I found out about Family Night at an indoor jungle gym, Monkey Bizznizz. $5 to play from 5 pm til close.

We've been here two hours and I don't see any signs of Ali's energy running out. This place is great and what a fantastic idea! Parents get to have coffee/snacks and stare at their phone without whining in the background. Meanwhile, kids tumble, slide, jump, climb and do everything but stare at a screen for hours. Best $5 ever spent! 

Earlier this week a friend posted an article on Facebook about the concept of 'having it all' and how society has brainwashed women into thinking that we must have it all while also warping our definition of what it means. It got me thinking about the fact that I left a pretty promising career to be doing this. No pay, managing finances to live/save off one income, not to mention diaper duty (soon to be potty training duty, which Ali seems more ready for than I am!), booboo kissing, cheering him on to climb higher or celebrating his little victories.

Some days its really exhausting and everyday is harder than a day at a 'real job'. Yesterday I found Spider-Man stickers on the bum of my sweatpants (who knows how many ppl I met or stores I went to where no one thought to tell me!) and today I had to smudge finger-paint off my new KS purse (thank god for washable paint). Both those instances made me smile. It meant my son was exploring and growing; and most importantly I was there to be a part of it. I know people without kids don't get it, they and sometimes even we parents see children as a hindrance from 'living it up' or 'having it all'. But, I still remember not too long ago (1.5 months to be exact) sitting behind a desk staring at my kid's pictures on my phone as I ate lunch feeling depressed about missing out on his childhood. I had many things then, but I felt I didn't 'have it all'.  

I'm not knocking down working moms, I was one for 2.5 years. I have tremendous respect for women who continue to succeed with a career and duties of motherhood. And I know there are days you feel like everything is balancing just right and days where nothing is. I made a decision to leave work and spend time with my toddler, because I realized that for me, doing both simultaneously did not make me happy. And right now, that's a decision I'm SO glad I made. Tomorrow my thoughts may change or maybe I won't have the opportunity and choice not to work, so today I'm swimming in SAHM's blissful pool. This is what I define as a job I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. I truly love the feeling that I'm not missing a single moment of watching him grow up; tantrums,tears and all.

So now for your viewing pleasure, the memories we made this week:

Favorite exhibit at Glazer's Childrens Museum

Cutest cashier Publix ever saw!

Sliding down the big boy jungle gym

Weekly Wednesday morning balloon and face painting at the mall

Tough guy coming through!

Life lately

           

It's been two weeks since we moved in. Now I realize what 'settling in' really means. It involves unpacking endless amounts of boxes, hours of organizing/sorting/cleaning only to break for eating ramen noodles until you make a real grocery trip.

Sort of still feels like we are on an extended vacation away from home, but as more nails are put into the walls and more lamps are added to rooms it actually somehow starts to feel like 'home'..I guess.

We still have a lot more to do; we're still sleeping on a mattress on the floor until I can figure out which box has the brackets to assemble our bed. 

One bit of good news is that Ali's room is all set up and my big boy 2.5 year old is sleeping all through the night (most nights) in his own room! Major mashAllah to that. 

So without further delay, here is how life looks lately: 

Before shot of my kitchen.. still a work in progress but we did finally buy groceries yay!

Before shot of Ali's room

And after

that bike is Ali's current obsession

made a first obligatory trip to Ikea and got some cute decor for the 'big boy room'

Bought Groupons for a halal restaurant, Tazza Cafe we've been to twice already! That Louisiana pasta was dee-licious!

 Took Ali to a really nice children's museum in downtown Tampa. He absolutely loved it and my Grouponing found a deal on getting annual membership so lots more trips back here soon!

Right outside the museum is this great park with a lovely view, splash pad and a big playground. 

discovered that 'SAHM' duties require coffee and since I hate the taste, this dollar store find makes it something I look forward to each morning. 

Spent time poolside right across from our apartment..can't say I mind free amenities!

Enjoyed the evening summer activities at Clearwater beach: street performers, craft stands and a gorgeous view of sunset.

Free movies at the beach all year! Ali wasn't a big fan of Babe so we didn't stick around very long.

Attended a massive Food Truck festival, sounded ideal in our minds but in extreme heat/humid weather hour long lines got tiring real fast. 

The best part: rock shrimp tacos and truffle fries at this Portuguese truck BemBom. seriously spicy and amazing.

Planned a trip out to Downtown Disney since it's free and would've been nice as Ali's first Disney experience. He fell asleep in the car and we didn't get to Orlando til 9 pm so we went to the outlet malls instead, so whenAli awoke to ask about Disney, we showed him the next best thing. Disney Store. He loved it. Win Win.

Wajih's coworker threw his daughter a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese, another 'first' for Ali. Poor kid didn't know how to contain himself, he was so excited by all the rides and games he would run off to the next one before I'd even drop a token in one.  So it wasn't entirely my fault that I used up all his tokens at whack a mole by myself. 

Started adding some room decor and my mom's beautiful Islamic calligraphy art was the first thing up! 

And the part that makes my days complete:

Food talk

SAHMhood has brought me to the one thing I love most: Food.

The first week we got here there wasn't much in the fridge to welcome us. Hubs had been living off canned sardine sandwiches (SO disgusting I have no idea how he can tolerate the stench let alone ENJOY it!) and ramen noodles. So, the first night he made me his 'gourmet' version of shrimp ramen noodles. It was great, but eventually I needed real food.

The second night did get better, we have some pretty amazing neighbors (parents of a friend) who sent over homemade biryani which definitely hit the spot. Once we ran out I started cooking. And it hasn't quite ended.

Here's what was on our plates this week:

Colorful breakfast of all my favorite fruits. We found this delicious Peach Butter at a rest stop in Georgia. It claims to be from a local farm, regardless it tastes amazing when drizzled on top of fruits.

I do love my friend Pinterest for all the overeating it inspires. I find most my recipes there, but they all end up altered as I have trouble following directions.
This is Spinach stuffed chicken in a garlic sauce topped with sauteed mushrooms over egg noodles.
My alteration: I seasoned the chicken like a blacken chicken recipe (tons of cayenne and paprika, hint of basil and thyme) and added cheddar cheese

Another breakfast favorite: spinach and broccoli omelette topped with grilled shrimp and cheddar cheese 

  This here is Stuffed Eggplant.  Yes I have an obsession with foods that have the word "stuffed" in them and also with cheese topping on everythingggg.

my alterations: no breadcrumbs or parmesan cheese (because we didn't have any), add in cumin powder, coriander powder, cayenne pepper to the ground beef , not necessary but I added in diced mushrooms and tomatoes to the mix too.  I love me a side of sliced avocado just because. 

Hope you enjoyed the pictures! :)

A new chapter

But what do you do, if that last chapter is unforgettable? 

Earlier this summer I was given the chance to reflect on myself as a child. I found one thing that's been with me always is a strong love for writing. This love stems from a part of me I call The Storyteller. 

The girl who has tons to say because she loves to share experiences with others. Sharing stories helps us relate to one another, to realize that we're all really fighting the same battles, despite different faces and different experiences, inwardly our souls are all the same.

We all have a pretty tough time with change, and an even tougher time tackling closure. I've had to do both this summer. 

In my last week in NJ my Nani (mom's mom) passed away. It wasn't a total surprise, but she was healthy just a few weeks/month earlier so it did hit us hard. Why it really hit us all was, because Nani's always been such a central part of our family. Nothing brought her more joy than all her kids and grand kids all in one place, happy together.

My husband shared some simple yet wonderful words with my sisters and me to make us realize how so much is passed on from generation to generation.

'Nana and Nani were the glue that bonded your wonderful khandaan (extended family) together and now you have their memories with which to uphold that bond. Mom is a true embodiment of what Nani has passed down, her nature, her joyous personality and her 'Spartan Warrior' attitude. All of you sisters have a piece of her in you so treasure that and hope to pass on some of that to the next generation.' 

I see it now. One major part of my Nani's personality that anyone can tell you is she made friends effortlessly everywhere she went, never hesitating to help someone even if it was to share tips/stories and fun chatter. Thats just how my mom is, and I suppose thats where my storyteller/extrovert side comes from too.

Thinking of all this, another trait of my mom's that I've inherited is our emotional strength.  A general image of women always shows that we cry easily, that we weakly succumb to our emotions. Not my mom and I. We focus all our energy on what needs to get done and find every means possible to avoid confrontation with how deeply our emotions affect us. I don't like crying publicly, it doesn't mean I'm not scared sad or anxious, I just don't find it productive to spend time crying about something I can't change. Some of my most productive hours are when I'm feeling upset, in fact this entire summer was more productive than many past years have been! 

So the days now when I miss home, mom, Nani, sisters, friends and everything that's familiar to me, I remind myself of the tools my past has given me; a positive upbeat spirit that keeps on keeping on. 

I know I'll make new friends in due time, Nani wouldn't have it any other way. And I know when nostalgia is striking hard I'll find loads of laundry and dirty dishes that need to be tended to. 

The 19 hr drive down from NJ to FL had many moments where I was quiet in my glum thoughts of an amazing past chapter. Most people leave their hometown when they first start college or get married, yet here Iam doing it 5 years into marriage and 2.5 into motherhood. But a part of me was still not ready to let go. Then, we stopped somewhere in Georgia and I got my first real taste of southern sweet tea, it came with some free advice I couldn't help but think my Nani was sharing with me:

Finding Me.

One of the personal goals I had set for myself recently was to get more in touch with my inner self. Marriage, motherhood, a job; they all sort of cloud us with daily responsibilities and as much as that self defines our being so does the self that existed prior to all those roles/duties.

Back at the end of June, in my attempt to rid our place of unnecessary items, I convinced my mom to also empty out her attic so we could do a joint garage sale.The best thing to come out of the sale was that we found many old items brimmed with precious memories.

I felt like a treasure hunter who had uncovered a goldmine in those boxes and boxes of old pictures, flooding back memories of my cheerful childhood. I found old scrapbooks and slam books from middle school, stirring up memories of 7th grade where my best friends and I would pass back and forth a composition book filled with our daily woes. Woes that seem so silly now. The irony will never escape me of how we came upon that past which so quietly sat up in the attic for years, just in time for me to say goodbye. All owed to that useless garage sale, how I owe it so much.

My sister also found my old school agenda books and told me I had a creepy obsession with documenting every single day of my life. Literally, I would write down what we did everyday throughout the summer. I had been doing this on and off since I probably learned how to write in 1st-2nd grade.

It made me realize that I'm someone who truly cherishes memories a lot. I love writing them down, even the daily mundane things we did as a way to capture it. To me, the 'now' was so special I was certain I would come back to it one day in the future and be thankful for everything I wrote down. We all love to glorify the past, in our mind it becomes nothing short of rosy. Memories of high school days, college life and those early years of marriage pre-parenthood; thinking back to those times we're left with a glazed look and a nostalgic grin. What I'm realizing now is that my past, these past 18 years of life in this town has truly been a memory that I will not over glorify, it is a memory I cannot cherish enough!

It's time to say goodbye to a massive chapter in my Life book. Our apartment has been emptied, keys turned over.  Meanwhile, mail has already started arriving at our new address and boxes have been moved in eagerly awaiting their owners. For the past two months I haven't allowed myself to be consumed with the reality of how quickly this chapter was ending. I couldn't deal with it, I had an apartment to pack up, full time job to perform, movers to contact, and a two year old to appease among all these changes. Now, with my IPhone reminder telling me we have 5 days 7 hours and 45 mins until we officially leave NJ I have decided to allow myself to feel reality. 

I'm leaving behind not just my family and close friends who I will severely struggle to live without, I'm leaving behind everything I've ever known. Everything that made me who I am. I'm grateful to have had the past few months to appreciate these 'good old times', to be given the opportunity for closure and experience immense love from so many of the amazing people I am fortunate to call my own. As I  wonder what this next chapter has in store for us, my heart aches for all that I leave behind.

 I know I will march on and so will this place without me. While we will go on living and doing what we do,  I also know both of us will never be the same. Our past is forever intertwined, and so are we.

All images via Google