Pomegranates!

Oh how I love pomegranates! They are so sweet and such a treat to eat.  Lately though I've been reading all about the health benefits of this amazing fruit and it seems like the benefits are endless. 
This miracle fruit is mentioned in the Quran to be one of the fruits in heaven. Also, according to some research that I've done it's also mentioned in the Bible as a fruit that grows in the gardens of Eden.  Isn't that amazing?!
I've also come across some information that suggests that the peals are actually more nutritious then the insides! So I was on a mission to benefit from the peels as well.  I read that some may just boil the peels to make a tea and some also just dry the peels to make a powder to add to teas, food, and cakes or cookies. So I decided to dry up the peels. 

And here's how I did it:
Spread the peels in a cookie sheet
Place in oven on 150 degrees or warm and leave for as long as possible.
Turn over and repeat till all is hard and dry.
Grind to a powder mix using coffee grinder.

Of course the hubby, I, and the girls devoured the insides in a couple of days (I like to peel them all and keep in the fridge) and I can't wait to use my peels later.
Tip: to make sure all the white "stuff" is gone just fill the bowl with water and let the "stuff" float as you get rid of it.

Do you like pomegranates too?! They just make me happy :)

xoxo,
May

Jars, Bottles, & Anyting Glass

Those who know me know that I hate when edible goods or crafting items come in plastic bags or containers and stay there.  So I'm a big fan of re-purposing food jars and bottles (I don't drink and these bottles had sparkling juices in them).  I love how they look in the kitchen and how they're see through and work as an exhibit for the stuff that's in them.  In this photo is a whole bunch of bottles and jars getting a good soaking.

This is what I do to clean these babies up:

• Soak in warm soapy water for a couple of hours (or longer if you can).  This will most likely get them clean.
• If there's stubborn labels and glue then rub with Goo B Gone (I've used it but God knows what's in it so this time I used coconut oil that smells ooohhh so yummy)
• Scrub with some steel wool or crumbled up foil like I did.
• Run them in the dishwasher for a good final clean.
• Fill with yummies or crafty supplies and enjoy.

I had also bought some fresh mint that day to dry up.  I put it in my black tea for an added great taste and aroma.  In the winter I usually wash the mint and strain thoroughly and put on a cotton pillow case on top of a heating vent.  But since I don't have the heat on these days I put the oven on 150 degrees and place the mint in the oven for a couple of hours until almost dry.  You don't want to go any warmer than this to keep the mint from actually cooking and loosing it's nutritious value.  Then leave in the oven for another day until none of the leaves are moist. 

Here's my yummy mint on my vintage aluminum tray! 

Here's some of my bottles and jars in action loaded with (from the left):

Popcorn - Mint (from above) - Oil - Turmeric - Sage

If you look outside the glass on the top right of the photo you'll notice to small planters outside.  One is Thyme and the other is Oregano.  I love adding those two to homemade breads. 

Here's another angle. 
If you're wondering what are these plants in the back in the carton, they are Lavender (which is now planted in a nice looking planter) and Marigold (to add to salads).

That's it for this post:  Now tell me:

Do you repupose glass containers?

What's your favorite things to put in them?

Till next time,

Mayuya

Dragon Fruit, Miracle Fruit?

Hello People! Hope this post finds you in good health!
Ok so I saw this really cool looking fruit at the supermarket and didn't know what it was of corse.  My husband insisted that we buy one and open it up and try it out.  I hesitated but he insisted saying "you never know where the cure for any ailment is, maybe this is has some healing powers, keep an open mind and lets just try it".  This is typical of my husband and that's what's so cool about him, always willing to try something new.  So we take this strange thing home and I cut the top off as if I actually know what I'm doing and I come to see thousands of black seeds floating in the white.  Kind of looked like a white kiwi.  We tasted it and it was so good and really sweet.  So I go online and do some research about it and come to find out it is a miracle fruit from the cacti family.  It's 80% water and great for diabetics because it's really low in carbs.  Full of vitamin C, great for blood pressure and the benefits just keep on going on.  If it wasn't for my husband I wouldn't be introduced to such an amazing fruit.  So I'm thanking him.  I love the dragon fruit when it's right out of the fridge and super cold.  I told my family about it and am telling you so that for those that don't know it can go and try to try it.  Enjoy!

1st Day of Ramadan!

So yesterday was the 1st day of Ramadan and even though I'm 8 months preggo I decided to try to fast anyway.  I made it perfectly fine through the first day, it wasn't bad at all (Thank God for Air Conditioning).  But with a lot of fasting and a lot of time on your hands comes a lot of preparing yummies as if you'll actually eat everything after breaking the fast (the eyes are usually hungrier than you really are).  Anyway, so in the morning I decided to make Baklava and let me tell you that it did turn out pretty yummy.  What I love about Baklava is that there's no real rules, meaning you can use your favorite nuts in the reciepe and your desired amount.  I love walnuts so that's what I used, I must say though that the hardest part is making the syrup and making sure it's not too watery or too thick.  Here's some visuals to get your mouth watering.

Enjoy!

Yummy! Halal! and Gummy!

I know I've been away from blogging for a long time but life has been so busy and hectic.  I'm trying to get things under control before this baby arrives! A lot has been going on though and I just recently celebrated my 2nd wedding anniversary (July 18th) and went on a dinner cruise and had a lot of fun. I also went to NJ to visit family before that and went to the beach and had a lot of fun there too, my little "monsterette" was so afraid of the water and sand though.  I took lots of pictures and just need to find the time to upload and share them. 
Anyway, lets get to the point of this post which is actually really exciting for me.  So recently I was out with my husband and he spotted some gummy colas that were gelatin free or at least that's what he thought.  I got excited and was about to eat them until I read the infamous word "GELATIN" on it.  I pointed it out and he was just as disappointed as I was.  Most of the gelatin products on the market come from pork and being Muslim that means we can't enjoy and savor these gummy treats.  Anyway, I went online and searched for some halal products but couldn't find anything worth ordering.  Then I finally decided to checkout the Haribo website since I see their products all the time and everywhere.  Of course I was disappointed to find out from there website that the source of their gelatin is pork.  There was a light at the end of the tunnel though, they specifically mentioned that all of there products that are made in their Turkish facilities are from a 100% certified halal beef gelatin. YAY! I thought to myself!You couldn't order products from specific countries though, you just had to go ahead and order the product and then find out where it was made.  I wasn't going to risk ordering anything.  So from then on every time I'd see a Haribo product I'd flip it over and look at where it was made and yesterday i finally found 3 pounds of gummy bears that were guess what? yes! made in Turkey.  I happily grabbed them and am about to empty them in a pretty jar and place on my dining room table so that I can visually enjoy them as well as eat them all up!

Photo Credit: Haribo Website



Hope this post makes you happy as much as it made me! :)Sleep Tight and don't let the gummy bears bite!