Instagram Worthy Breakfast /Life Logos

Asalamualikum Lovvies I hope you are all well and fine

In my plaid night trousers sitting with a rather heavy laptop on my err lap I’m totally DRAINED out, Thanks girls. At 10;34 pm on a Saturday night I would like to think my day so far has been rather productive if I may say so myself. For me today the day began at 9:3 when my Mom called from the bottom of the stairs for me to get my brother ready for Sunday school, Yup SUNDAY school. So me and my sister went halfies I did the clothes and she did the shower. SO after that my mom began teaching and I TRIED to get back into bed but couldn’t so I made my way downstairs and made myself breakfast. On the weekends is normally where I have the time to make myself quite a nice breakfast, as you can tell by all the Instagram breakfast selfies I‘ve been taking. So I prepared the garlic spread seasoning for my toast, it’s this AH-mazing blend of dried garlic and an mix of very nutty tasting herbs. You basically just mix this ‘powder’ into some margarine in a small bowl and then just spread it over your bread, when I can’t be arsed to do that i just spread margarine on top of my toast and then just spread on the seasoning haha.    

 And I NEVER stick the toaster on until I’ve don’t my beans and my egg is half fried because I HATE cold toast ergh, especially cold garlic toast! I just stick my tinned beans in a small sauce pan and pop in a small teaspoon of margarine and let it melt in there. This was actually something that growing up I saw my one of my really good friends sister doing as she made us lunch or breakfast after I had stayed the night for a sleepover. So picking up that little trick it’s now become a staple thing do with beans, they just taste so much better and the butter really does make the sauce richer. When frying my egg I do add something which may seem really strange to you but it’s just a very cultural way to fry a simple egg and give it a twist. I normally don’t fry my egg like this for breakfast because it feels too heavy with spices in the morning. Whilst frying the egg we normally just add a dash of coriander powder, chilli powder and black pepper. 

But as I said I prefer not to make it like this in the mornings as its just too overpowering with the toast. With Breakfast finished I did a spot of cleaning downstairs and also in my bedroom, a rather tiny spot. At five O’ clock all the girls from school had organised a casual meetup to eat out and then head to a thee most beautiful vintage themed cafe for a late dessert. We planned to meet up at a burger place called Buba Joes and i ended up having a cheese burger meal, I was o immersed in conversation with these dear people I totally didn’t process the fact that my burger had gherkins in it and I seriously hate the taste of gherkins in cheeseburgers. But thee highlight of the evening was this beautiful cafe which was literally down the road from the burger place. When we stepped in all seven of us just looked around in awe. This cafe is not big it’s a small comfy vintage themed worn down ‘shack’ thing. Oh I was in love, and I’m sure you would be too!

Unfortunately it is no longer Saturday, fatigue took the better of me and it is now 9:59 and I am sitting with the same lap top but now I would like to think I have finished this blogpost after much procrastination. I must now edit out any mistake, which I assure you there will be many even after I have checked and rechecked! I’ll be sure to add some picture but i will do a separate blogpsot of the cafe next hopefully.

Mmmmmm Take Me Back

The gorgeous seating

                                                   

                                                   Till Next Time -M

A Nerd Went Thrifting /Life Logos

Aloha Lovvies.

I hope your all well and fine.

Book Thrifting. Photo cred to 'God and Coffee'

 

A afternoons ago one of my very good friends invited me to go shopping with her and her cousin and that inspired this Blog post. Why it inspired me was because this friend of mine shares One thing with me. And let me just put that thing out there, AS a girl this may be a Shock Horror to some but I HATE shopping. Sorry. Let me repeat. I detest Shopping. I hate it hate it hate it. Oh Gosh the whole process, just the whole looking at the racks of clothes and just ‘cruising’ in the shops, I, I just CAN’T deal with it! I think it’s just mostly about how ‘over conscious’ I am about stupid things. It’s totally normal for people to just walk into shops, look at the clothes on the racks and maybe hold up a top against them to see how it looks. That just does Not register with me. For some unknown reason i feel so uncomfortable doing all of the above. I might find something that I like and if I go close to it to look at it I’d just quickly pick it up and then put it straight down again. SO to conclude this confession of a paragraph, just cannot shop.

But let’s move swiftly onto the main point of this post and that is my love for shopping of one thing, and only one thing and that is BOOKS. Yep, hands down I’m a huge NERD. But shopping for books is just so much better than shopping for clothes, No one’s going to think you’re a freak for squatting down to look at the books or if you’re picking up every other book to read the blurb. And you can never feel bad after getting too much books. But even though I love books so much I can’t help but sometimes think that a popular hardback book can be so overpriced. £18.99 is waay too much.

So who said thrift shops are just for clothes. There shopping centre which we a were planning on going has quite a big thrift shop which was mostly full of books and clutter but when I returned there the other day they had renovated and they had much more clothes and unfortunately much less books. That literally used to be the shop I used to beg my Mom to take me to ever time we went shopping together and I always come out with a bag full as the pricing is ridiculously cheap.

So I thought to do a review on each of these books because honestly a paragraph would not suffice! I will honestly treasure these books forever. Most of the books that I brought I had never heard or read of any of the authors, but even so they were ALL such amazing reads. Like one of the book I read was called Waiting and the style of writing gripped me straightaway even though it was published just a year after I was born. There were so many morals and emotions in that book. It honestly left me feeling upset to leave the fierce character of Manna Wu which I saw crumble through, as well as the perfect buttoned up feelings of General Lin unravel. And it honestly melted my heart seeing Shuya's happiness radiate through her as her unloving husband of many years finally falls in love with her. Tune into my next blog to read more about this novel and to find out the Author of this Novel too.

                                                                Till Next Time - M

Baking with the little'un /Life Logos

 



Hello Lovvies


 

I hope you are all well-fed and fine. Summer for me, revolves ENTIRELY around food. The aromatic smells of a homemade pizza's baking in the oven, the metal clang of the spoon stirring a glass jug of iced lemonade-these are the smells summer brings. But the best of all is that of freshly baked-Anything. Absolutely anything baking in the oven just makes me so Happy-HAHA  So with Summer as the perfect excuse to bake, me and the my cheeky little brother decided to bake some cupcakes. We went for just regular mini Victorian Sponge cakes which took double the time it usually would as I had to perfect all the shots I took. Obviously testing Junaid’s patience as there was quite of lot shots I had to take before getting the perfect ones and in the end I wasn’t even happy with them. Here is the method and the ingredients which we used with added photos ‘cause WHY NAT

INGREDIENTS

·        250g margarine

·        250g Caster Sugar

·        3 Medium eggs

·        3 tsp. Vanilla essence

·        250g Self Raising Flour

 

 

METHOD

·        Preheat the oven to 180C.

·        Pour the Vanilla essence into the 3 medium beaten eggs.

·        In a separate bowl whisk the butter and sugar together in a bowl until fluffy and pale.

·        Slowly add in the Vanilla infused beaten eggs.

·        Fold in the flour using a spatula until the ingredients are fully mixed together and have a smooth consistency.

·        Pour the mix into small cupcake cases.

·        Bake for 25-30 minutes until a fork inserted comes out clean.

 

 

 

After the cupcakes have baked in the oven for as long as they needed to I let Junaid take over and Go Crazy with the Cupcakes! and after a little assistance this was his final result.

 

 

 

 

    P.S: All photos were taken by me on my Canon sx170. Let me know what you think of this blogpost on Instagram   

 

 

 

                                             Till Next Time xxx

 

 

 

 

 

The rural city of Alanya /Life Logos

Hello Lovvies

 

I Hope you are all well and fine enjoying the ‘glorious’ bipolar British weather. Well recently I visited the breathtaking country of Turkey, which I also mentioned in my previous blog post. This holiday was supposed to be a timeout a sort of break for us to relax, due to a Family business which all of us are very actively involved with we’ve had almost no time to even stop a minute for a breather. So the location my Uncle had chosen for us in Turkey was a quiet spot somewhere in the middle of a vast mountainous area, literally. Haha

The area where our villa was located was just along the edge of the city- Alanya. Way up high from our villa the scenery was amazing as well as the unbreakable serenity which seemed to surround the particular area around us. There was not a single noise you would hear except the call to prayer at its five prescribed times which was so beautifully read one would just stop in utter silence and listen to the words ringing throughout the whole area..The two neighbouring villas next to us were relatively empty except for the regular clean ups. The Villa itself felt so grand there is not a single fault I can pick out from it. The thing which surprised me most was how clean it actually was. The granite flooring was not at all ‘scummy’ as I would have expected it, the kitchen was sparkling and the beds have new clean sheet a extra pillows too. I’d say after the long journey TO the Villa it was a relief to see all this.

Our Villa

To GET to the city of Alanya from way up in our villa was a mission to say the least. In the sweltering heat of Turkey we had to walk a good brisk 45 minute walk down the mountains to reach Alanya. It was literally walking on the edge, one more step right and I’d be flying down the mountains.

 

The view from our VIlla. A whole hotel resort was set on top of a mountain

The City of Alanya was just what we needed, a sweet peaceful rural city with a beautiful beach running all along the edge of the city, perfect for a bike ride with a couple of ice creams. There were many cute little outdoor cafes for you to just sit outside and have your desserts under the shade. Little shops like this were just dotted about all around the city making any walk a pleasant one. The Locals Of Course were mostly muslims and they were so welcoming. Everytime we entered a shop we’d be greeted with ‘Marhaba’ which means welcome.

The beautiful city of Alanya

Oh writing this blog just makes me feel so nostalgic about that city! InshaAllah its a place that i would love to vist again but a more Islamic side of turkey to see the true Islamic culture on that end. I hope you’ve enjoyed the photos that i have added along each was taken by me on my Canon sx170.

London to Antalya to Alanya /Life Logos

     Hello Lovvies❤️ I hope your all well!              
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
As summer is practically here even though the British weather is depicting otherwise im in full throttle vacation mode.eek. InshAllah (If God Wills) we have booked a Family holiday to Turkey-Antalya. A metre outside Birmingham would be enough to get me eeeking* in excitement but this is ANOTHER country one i have not been to before either. After 5 years this is the first time I'm going on Holiday with my Father and its the first time Im going on holiday with my Uncle-that alone has got me so excited i have to contain myself not to write EEEK fifty hundred thousand million times. (Exaggeration? Again its depicting my excitement)                



Antalya

                                                                                                                                                                                                                           What
What has got me so excited about this holiday is that its very different to any schedule we've followed before. We had booked our flight from London Gatwick Airport, which meant a three and a half hour drive. Our flight then landed in Antalya and from there we collected a car which we have booked out and from there we met our driver. The Driver was an amazing man Alhamdulillah, he helped us out so much whole heartedly.  The driver firstly opted to drive us to the nearest Petrol Station and helped us to sort out all our documentation there. By this time we had all been awake since 5:30 most of us hadn't had breakfast and our thirst was begging to be quenched. So we asked the man where a good place to eat would be he told us it was in fact a minute walk from the petrol station. So Daddy parked the car and we all walked in. By this time the driver should have already gone but he insisted he aid us in choosing our food. He helped sort out our rather large table of Eight.                                                                                                                                                             

 The restaurant we ate in had very good service i would say. Even with the wrought iron language barrier present they still helped us to choose our food and anything else we need. As soon as we sat down both my younger brothers pounced on the Cold bottled water. The food we had was Gorgeous there was this metre long wooden flat tray of some sort ( Arabs would know) on which was two pieces of bread with divine toppings. One was chicken with some sort of cheese and the other was just cheese,Halloumi I think. Mid way through the meal my younger brother felt sick and continually felt sick till we reached the car. I think he must drunk some local water which might have made his stomach a bit upset. But now were on our way to Alanya which is a solid two hour journey from Antalya. The most exciting bit is were not staying in a hotel. How the hell is that exciting Malik i hear you ask? Well thats because instead we have booked our our own private villa !  This calls for an eek. Well we havent got there yet so i just pray that everything is as expected and there are no bed bugs. Burgh. So inshAllah (Godwilling) everything works out and i hopefully have only good things to blog about.
                                                    Till Next Time xxx

Beauty in the woods /Life Logos

Our Path! SubhanAllah

Good Evening Lovvies

So recently I ventured on a Trek into the Woods of Cannock Chase and Licky Hills to be surrounded by the beauty of the Autumnal/Spring weather at its utmost. I was into totally taken aback by the magnificent changes which had possessed nature. The trees were spiralling towards the sun, thirsty once again for the sunlight. Whilst the regular birds shyly creep back into their bare wooden homes. The grass is green. Each blade dripping with the fresh raindrops the clouds descend. Dried up Rivers once again fill up reflecting the beauty of a clear bubblegum blue sky. I simply could not help myself. I was a-clicking and a-snapping at every little gem I saw! Of course much to the annoyance of my group and teacher! At one point I was questioned sarcastically “Oh there’s Malik (‘tis the name I am summoned by) taking another picture of a bare tree” I fought my case back Of Course, because after all ‘Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder’ and the perfection of Allah’s creation was too much to keep to myself so I obviously took some pictures...well quite a lot....almost 300.  *head lowered in shame*  The second time I’ve confessed this fact, I Just Couldn’t Help Myself! And when you have a gorgeous camera can you really help yourself....Yep that’s what I thought.

These are just a few pictures that I had taken some were quite quick snap shots because the group was getting quite annoyed at my constant stopping an oooing and aahing. But some of the pictures I took my time focussing and getting the best angles possible. I think I managed to capture only a fraction of its true essence because no lens is better than the eye Allah has provided for us. SubhanAllah is the only word which can truly describe it.

This was almost about 25 minutes into our walk. It was raining the day before so ground was pretty muddy.

This was literally taken when my friends were ready to kill! This image is super zoomed in so where we were standing from you couldn't really see anything so they were all like "What is she even taking a picture of ?" But don't the angles compliment the picture creating a sense of horror. *cackle*

This picture is one of the only ones which is edited. It looks so awesome and vintage'ee.

We had been waling for quite some time along a stream which we could see on the map and hear but couldn't actually see it. The gushing of the water was pretty loud too.

All these pictures were taken by me using my gorgeous camera.
Which is a Canon SX170
Zoom Lens: 16x15
16 Megapixels

I would really appreciate it, if these photo's were not used without my permission and if were used my permission would be asked.

Goodnight Lovvvies 

Three Beginnings... /Life Logos

Three new beginnings you are about to witness...
Step right in...

There are many trials we have all endured whilst starting our new beginning. Some strive and make it through whilst others try hard and eventually give up. Hence left with an indelible regret of not pushing themselves towards their passions. There are many who have started these journeys but few have completed them reaching their destination. We will never realise the reality of the hardships some may face in order to get to where they are today. We will only realise once we have experienced other’s journeys...

The girl’s lucky pen dances over the smooth creases on the paper. A close observer would notice the sparkle in her eyes as her thoughts conjured, her hands making the pen dance faster. She loved the tales which flowed out through the tip of the pen, but they were never perfect, or so she thought. But today the dance was halted to a stop, for there was no sparkle in the eyes of the beholder. She sat there, her eyes fixated on a small dot on the paper. Her eyes blank. At times like this the creeping insecurities would have their turn to dance not one the paper, but instead in the girl's head. And with a thud the pen will fall and with a shove, the paper in the back of the draw. This was the doubt of a novelist in the making...

The boy’s hands flutter over the endless wires and screws that lay on a plank of wood. His strong hands grasped the pliers fixing the wires in place. He fitted in the microchips which he connected to a million wires even with the miniscule perimeter it allowed. His eyes shone as he painted the metal body of the cycle. His hands stroked the wiring done underneath. He anticipated one thing only now, to see whether he had infused life into this machine or not. It took practise and understanding to reach this stage. He closed his, clicking the switch, waiting for the robot to come to life. It did not. That was his final attempt. He cast the machinery aside wishing he had studied a little harder and gone to oxford, instead of being stuck in his shed creating useless machines. This was the last step in the journey of a ‘would be’ engineer.

The music blares, her body hypnotised by the rhythm. Her hips swayed in sync with beat. Her golden curls bounced on her shoulders as she let the music control her. All the emotions, all the rage which had been building up inside her she danced away. She closed her tear filled eyes, her father’s voice booming in her ears. His stubborn rejection to learn the thing she loved most. She decided she couldn’t care anymore. She would go for it. No matter how many sticks and stones were thrown at her she would dance. Then someday, many years later her father would seen her dancing and only then will he feel proud. Realising all the hardships he had put his daughter had only made her stronger. For it was he who had once said “what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger, even if it does very nearly kill” She smiled grimly at the irony of his statement. This was the rejection of a dancer in the making...

The many trials we all endure whilst staring are new beginnings may lead us to try harder or, to give up. With the New Year almost upon us it is the time to make a change. Those ideas that have been lingering in the back of our minds can now, finally come to life. But it is up to us to either endeavour towards them or give up. So make 2014 a different year for you.

                                   GO out there do something crazy. PROVE everyone wrong.

But don’t let the hurdle take you down. So good luck and see you next time.

Bye Lovvies