Sunday 17 August 2014

ScrummyBox + Stormy Sundays + Cupcake Mania: August 9 - August 15 2014

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful







This week, following the sudden death of a family friend, I was reminded as to how fragile and temporary this life is. The world glitters and tempts us in many different ways, so much so that we begin to think it will remain forever. And, then something happens which shatters our illusion bringing us crashing to the ground. 
40:39
O my people, this worldly life is only temporary enjoyment, and indeed, the Hereafter - that is the home of permanent settlement.
(Surah Ghafir, Verse 39)
When that something does happen, let it have a positive impact on your life, and let it bring change in the best possible way.


The little things that have made me happy this week include:

Sunny Saturday walks // Baking a lot of cupcakes and using my new mixer // Sunday morning storms // Baking a Swiss Roll with my mum for Sunday tea // Driving // My August ScrummyBox arriving // Gifts from an old friend and her younger sister // Baking a Rosemary Yoghurt Loaf with fresh rosemary grown in the garden // Hot samosas // Edible cookie dough // Eating cupcakes with my nieces - nobody can show as much joy // Seeing my brand new niece - such a calm and sweet baby mashallah.


 Saturday: The weekend began with Scrambled Eggs and Beans.
A new book I bought - it's really good!
I finally got a chance to use my new mixer. We already have a stand mixer but we needed a hand mixer too!
Here are the ingredients for a Lemon Curd - lemons, eggs, butter and sugar.
Lemon curd is so simple to make at home - whether you want to spread it over hot toast or fill a Swiss roll  with it!
The first recipe I baked from the book was Vanilla Cupcakes.
A good vanilla cupcake in all its simplicity is hard to beat.
While the cakes baked ..
.. we ate a lunch of leftover spicy noodles and crunchy fish.
To top the cupcakes, I decided on Chocolate Buttercream.
It was also an excuse to whip out my new toy!
Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream
My mum made a dinner of Chicken Kebabs using this recipe!
 Sunday: Potato Pancakes for brunch - not had them for a while!
For Sunday tea, following my mother's request, I baked a Lemon Swiss Roll!
It was the perfect antidote to the incredibly stormy weather we had here. It rained heavily for most of the day, the wind howled and blew. It felt like November rather than August.
Hot Indian tea and a slice of Lemon Swiss Roll  was definitely in order.
Dinner was a sandwich with the leftover kebabs along with sliced cucumber and tomato.
Monday: My August ScrummyBox arrived today!
The box was crammed with lots of snacks - snacks that you don't have to feel guilty about eating because they're all natural, healthy and vegan.
Pineapple and Mango Fruit Crisps
Chocolate Coconut Milk 
Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Cookies 
:)
Apple and Banana Fruit Snack 
Berry Granola Bar - I tasted this and it was quite good. Not too sweet but very filling!
Spicy Seed Mix - these were so good. I love anything savoury and smoky so they were right up my street. And, it doesn't feel like you're eating seeds!
Thumbs Up Candy Bar - this was my favourite so far. Think a Crunchie bar, but instead of a honeycomb centre, this had a crispy peanut butter one! 
And, a badge!
All in all, it was good. Still need to decide whether I will be ordering a September box though.
Lunch was leftover pizza.
For dinner, Mum made a Lamb Meatball Curry.
She served with boiled rice and sliced cucumbers. It was spicy and full of flavour.
Tuesday: Lunch was Tuna Mayo Sandwiches with Cucumber.
One minute, the sky was blue and the sun blazed down onto the lawn ..
... and the next, the heavens opened and rain poured down.
I had to venture out into the evening garden to pick fresh rosemary.
I used it to bake a Gluten-Free Rosemary and Yoghurt Loaf for my aunt and cousin.
For dinner, I had Lamb Meatball Curry, Daal and Boiled Rice with Sliced Cucumbers. I've been loving cucumbers recently!
One of the best pickles to go with Daal is Carrot Pickle.
I've always loved carrot pickle - I would always pick the carrots out of the mixed pickle.
Mum had Daal with Roti. She tore the roti up and soaked it in the Daal - really yummy!
 Wednesday: The day began with me icing the cooled Rosemary and Yoghurt Loaves.
The glaze was made with yoghurt, icing sugar and honey.
The glaze wasn't as thick as I would have liked it but it worked out and tasted good!
Sliced and with a cup of hot tea, it was perfect.
At lunch, my aunt fried up Lamb Samosas.
And, my cousin whipped up a quick, spicy yoghurt dipping sauce to go with them. 
When I arrived home, there was a package waiting for me. It was a gift from an old friend and her younger sister - this adorable recipe journal! I'm so excited to fill it in - nothing beats a handwritten recipe!
It was such a thoughtful gift and I cannot thank them enough. May Allah give them both all the happiness and blessings in this world and the next - Ameen!
Snacking on a bowl of Scottish strawberries!
We are obsessed with sweetcorn in our house at the moment - we buy them like this and they taste so good!
My dad bought this delicious cheese spread. It is so tasty and reminds me ...

 .. of a jalapeno cheese spread that we ate whilst on Hajj, except it has no jalapenos in it.
And, any jar that comes decorated with daisies must be good!


Spread onto wholemeal crackers, the cheese spread was delicious!

I started to make the edible cookie dough for a few cupcakes that I was baking.
Cookie dough must have chocolate in it!
It was mixed and then frozen!
For dinner, we made Marmalade Glazed Chicken. You can get the full recipe here!
The marinade was made of orange marmalade, mustard, green chillies, orange juice, garlic, salt and pepper. 
The chicken was mixed with the marinade and then roasted with orange slices. We served it with this coleslaw and baked potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper. 
Butter was being burnt for the cupcakes. Yes, burnt!
The cupcakes were baked and left to cool overnight.
Thursday: The day began with a mountain of icing sugar.
Vanilla buttercream was put into a piping bag .. 
.. and the piping began! 
I am no expert with a piping bag at all. My method is to pray, get started and hope they look half-decent!
The cupcakes were topped with a piece of cookie dough, and they were ready to go! I will be sharing this recipe soon, inshallah!
Update: Here is the recipe.
Nobody shows as much excitement than children especially when they are eating cupcakes!
The beautiful plants and flowers in my aunts garden just had to be photographed. 
Milk being infused with cardamoms ready for the next batch of cupcakes.
Egg Mayo Sandwiches with Sliced Cucumber for dinner! It's the simple things in life!
Cardamom cake batter being made!
Friday: The day began with lots of butter ready for the white chocolate buttercream.
And, here is the finished buttercream!
Cardamom and White Chocolate Cupcakes
Ready to go!
I met my new niece on Friday - she is such a sweet and calm baby, mashallah!
Later in the evening, my aunt sent over her Chicken Pulao!

Recipes Posted This Week:


Lemon Swiss Roll - a light lemon sponge filled with whipped cream and homemade lemon curd!


Sticky Chicken Veggie Bake - a one tray roast flavoured with store cupboard ingredients!

I hope you all have a beautiful week, filled with blessings and little moments that make you smile! Keep me in your prayers!

Wasalaam!


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