The weather is finally getting beautiful here in DC, which only means one thing… Cherry Blossoms. A gift from the Japanese in 1912 as a token of friendship between the two countries, these beautiful flowers bloom for only as long as 14 days, usually around the end of March/beginning of April. Since my birthday falls on April 4, and I’ve grown up in the DC area, I am absolutely convinced that they bloom just for me! (more…)
Yes, I’m that person that complains and complains about the weather. But rightfully so, I think, since this has been one of the most brutal, coldest winters I’ve ever experienced in the DC area.
I’m over heavy winter coats, and slushy snow. I’m over the fear of sliding on ice during my morning commute to work, before the sun rises. I’ve worn my boots, and cute winter outfits and I’m ready for some warmer weather. 50 F just doesn’t cut it. I’m so ready to fire up the outdoor grill and try out some new recipes. So despite the fact that there’s still snow out, I’ve decided to create my very own indoor BBQ, complete with my favorite summertime dessert; smores! (more…)
Knafeh, a Middle Eastern pastry stuffed with sweet cheese and drenched in sugary syrup, is native to Nablus, Palestine. I haven’t had the pleasure of eating knafeh Nabulsiyeh but I’ve heard it’s the best! The closest I’ve come to amazing knafeh is Habeeba’s knafeh in Amman.
The debate continues over which one is better, خشنة khishneh (coarse) or ناعمة na3meh (fine). My personal favorite is Khishneh. I cannot tell you how excited I was to find out a sweet shop opened up in Northern Virginia offering freshly made knafeh. Jenin Pastry lets you choose between khishneh and na3meh and even delivers for parties! (more…)
Cake Pops have been the craze for quite a while. I love the simplicity of a bite-sized cake dipped in chocolate. What I don’t like is spending unnecessary hours in the kitchen making cake pops from scratch. Don’t get me wrong, one of my best friends, a master baker – we’ll call her Fiza – makes cake pops to die for. Fiza honestly makes the most deliciously delectable desserts. She puts her heart and soul into it and they always turn out great. She will be humble and tell you she’s not that good, but I promise you, once you taste Fiza’s baking you will never want store-bought again. (more…)
The leaves have turned, it’s gotten pretty chilly and not to mention we had some snow flurries over the weekend. It can only mean one thing; Thanksgiving is right around the corner.
While some only remember to be thankful around the winter Holidays, I’ve been keeping up with counting my blessings year-round. And this year, I have so much to be thankful for. In Arabic, we say Hamdellah [الحمد لله] which means Thank God, My list may be a bit long, but some of the major things I’m thankful for are: (more…)
Completely unrelated to cooking, I’ve gotten several questions from my friends and followers about how I get my hair to curl so well. I’d love to say I get it done at the salon everyday but that’s far from the truth. Honestly, once I figured out how to do my hair at home, I prefer doing it myself than having a salon touch it. My biggest frustration is when they concentrate on getting my bangs perfectly placed and I end up with over-hair sprayed strings hanging down the side of my face. (more…)
