The Wonderful Benefits of Watermelon!

Watermelon season is nearly here, and in some parts of the country we are already enjoying this juicy, delicious treat. Watermelon is not only a sweet thirst quenching treat, but it brags of many health benefits for us.

Firstly, watermelon has a high content of vitamin C and vitamin A (which contains beta carotene). These two nutrients are considered the strongest anit-oxidants that we can obtain from our food sources. This anti-oxidant duo is beneficial in warding off heart disease, strokes, colon and other cancers, asthma and can possibly eleviate the symptoms of osteo and rheumatoid arthritis.

Something else special that watermelon has to offer is high amounts of the powerful antioxidant known as lycopene. Extensive research has shown that lycopene is a formidable combatant of many forms of cancer. These cancers include prostate cancer, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, lung cancer and colorectal cancers. It is best to eat watermelon along with other foods that are high in lycopene, such as green tea, grapefruit, papaya, grapefruit, quava and mangoes.

The fact that watermelon is high in B vitamins means that it is great as an energy resource. The natural sugars present in watermelon also make it a great snack choice when you need a little pick me up to get you going.

Watermelon is also rich in potassium. Potassium helps to balance out the effects of salt by keeping the blood pressure balanced. Postassium also regulates that heart beat, can possibly help to prevent strokes, and prevent kidney stones and reduce bone loss in from aging.

Subhanallah! All of that benefit in such a tasty gift from Allah! So the next time that you have a big wedge of watermelon, prays Allah for the great benefits of this wonderful fruit.

Another Great Dairy Alternative! Almond Dream Ice Cream

In an attempt to drastically reduce my dairy intake, while continuing to occasionally satisfy my ice cream cravings, I found a pretty good substitute. It comes in a very small container, so for those of us who are trying to shed a few pounds, you wont have to worry about getting too carried away. ;-)

Almond Dream ice cream is put out by the same company that makes Almond Dream (the beverage), Rice Dream (the beverage) and the non dairy frozen dessert, and the Soy Dream line of products as well. I've tasted all of these frozen desserts and I have to say that between the three of these, Almond Dream wins hands down. The Almond Dream dessert comes in a few flavors such as chocolate,vanilla, praline crunch, and cappuccino swirl. By far my favorite flavor is praline crunch. It has the best flavor and reminds me of my favorite ice cream that I used to endulge in at Baskin&Robbins, pralines and cream.

So if you're going dairy free, but really miss your occasional ice cream, treat yourself to Almond Dream frozen desserts. I've tried many ice cream substitutes, such as Rice Dream ice cream and Soy Dream ice cream, however this one is the best one that I've tasted.

You may go to the Almond Dream website to learn more about their products.

Is This Meat Halal? A Bone to Pick with Halal Market and Restaurant Owners.

As everyone probably knows by now, I'm a big advocate of eating halal meat. According to the scholars that I follow all meat that is eaten must be slaughtered in the manner of zabiha. Thus halal meat is synonymous with zabiha meat, and they are one and the same. Having said that, I have to say that I have become all but disenchanted with some of the halal restaurants and meat markets in my area.

Firstly, let me say that I am not accusing any of the restaurant owners here or any where else of intentionally selling meat that is not halal. On the contrary, you should always give your Muslim brother the benefit of the doubt unless you have incriminating proof. However, I will say that I have had some unpleasant dining and shopping experiences that could have been easily avoided if the owners of these establishments had taken some very basic and simple precautions. Here is an actual scenario that has happened to me. Now this was years ago when I was pregnant with my youngest child. I rarely eat lunch meat; it's just not my thing. My husband likes it however, so after work he proceeded on to a well known halal meat market in our area. He called me from the market and asked did I want anything. This time I had a taste for some roast beef so I asked my hubby to bring a small amount back for me. I made myself a sandwich with it and I have to say that I killed it. Weeks later while having a conversation with some of the sisters in my community, I was talking to them about how great the roast beef sandwhich was that I had eaten a few weeks ago. "Roast beef?", my sister questioned me. "Where did you get roast beef from?" I named the market that we were all familiar with and shopped at. "That roast beef isn't halal," they said. I felt as if I would turn green with illness. "What?" "What do you mean it isn't halal." "All of the meat there is halal, isn't it?" I inquired. "No, you have to be careful, because not all of the meat there is halal", my friend and sister explained. "Wow, so how did you guys find out that the roast beef wasn't halal?", I asked. Both of them admitted that they had bought it once or twice themselves, and didn't find out until it was mentioned by someone else, or that they had over heard the butcher telling someone else that it wasn't halal. Ya Allah! There was no sign mentioning that the meat wasn't halal meat, and to add insult to injury the non-halal roast beef was sitting right next to the halal mortadella.

Immediately after having this conversation with the sisters, I called the meat market to speak to the owner. I was pretty upset. I asked him about the roast beef and he admitted that it wasn't halal. I asked him why didn't he have some kind of sign, so that people could distinguish the halal from the unhalal meat? He replied, "that's not necessary, every one knows that the roast beef isn't halal." "Obviously, not everyone knows this, or else my husband who only eats halal meat would not have bought it", I retorted angrily. "What if people come to your market from another city?" I asked. "How on earth are they going to know that your roast beef is not halal, when there is no sign saying otherwise, and it's sitting right next to halal cold cuts?", I argued. Now I know, I know, I probably shouldn't have been so upset, but I was pregnant and very unnerved at the fact that I had digested some unhalal meat at the hands of this person, especially while I was pregnant. So any way to make this long story shorter, I was unable to convince this man to put up a sign, for his meat. He did apologise, Ma'shallah and I've since forgiven the incident. However this sort of thing happens often. I've been in similar situations at other meat markets and restaurants as well.

Scenario goes like this, you've been going to your favorite halal spot ordering a gyro or chicken dinner, and then one time you go there and order what you've always ordered, only to over hear or have a friend tell you, "you know the gyro isn't halal anymore." You're practically in a state of shock! "Since when?", you ask. Then you may get any number of answers, "oh since last month when the owners changed hands, or "yeah they did that about two months ago, he said they were losing money so they had to change things up." "Ya Allah!", you think why couldn't they have at least let every body know this?

In conclusion, I believe as a business person it is your job to keep your customers as happy as possible. Keep things honest and keep your customers informed. I just really have a problem with halal store and restaurant owners flippantly changing up their halal meat products from halal to unhalal, or to be more specific zabiha to non-zabiha meat without informing their customers in a major way. I shouldn't have to hear it through the grapevine, that your meat is no longer halal. It's quite easy to make signs and post them. Then train your butchers to inform every one that there has been a change in the status of the meat. Make your customers happy and they will repay you with continued service, and word of mouth marketing.

My Vegan Birthday...

This past Saturday was my birthday, Ma'shallah. I thank Allah T'allah for allowing me to see another year. I visited the graveyard of my beloved father, and gave some charity on this day to show gratitude to my Lord. And yes I did a little something for myself. Ofcourse since I'm the food business, so to speak, I took great pleasure in going out to eat with the hubby. This is something I used to do alot when we were first married, however I have to admit with a large amount of children, (I have five) I dont make it out as often as I used to.

However, today I decided I definitely want to go out and try some different foods. I was feeling like something meatless today so we went to a local vegan restaurant called Sipz. The dishes there are all vegan. There are lots of mock meat dishes, and the cuisine is Asian, which made this restaurant an attractive choice for me. Also the prices are very reasonable, around $7.00-$9.00 for lunch. My husband and I ordered a variety of dishes as we usually do, in anticipation of trying out all of the dishes.

My husband started it off with a nice cold mixed berry smoothie.





I'd have to say that this was fair. Not great. We asked them not to put sugar in it as a sweetner. They used almond milk and just the fruit. I'd say I probably would have used pure fruit juice and honey sweeten it along with the fruit. It would have given it more of a citrusy kick, rather than the affect of an unsweetened milkshake. I wasn't too fond of the smoothie so I drank my water.


Then we took on an appetizer of mock chicken drumsticks.



These little vegan treats were very tasty! They had alot of crunch, and surprisingly enough they were able to pull off a great imitation of real chicken texture. It was really delicious especially with the sweat and sour sauce that it was served with.


For soup, I ordered the Vietnamese "Beef" Pho. I'd heard so much about Pho that I had to give it a try. I didn't know of any halal restaurants around here that served Pho, so I figured this is the closest I'm going to get to the real thing. I loved it! My husband and I both killed it. It was very flavorful yet the rice noodles made it very light. The little mock beef pieces in the soup tasted good as well. It kinda gave you the satisfaction of eating meat, without the heaviness of eating meat.




Next we got to the main dishes! My husband went with my suggestion of a dish called Thai Pad. It was a delicious and spicy noodle dish with mock chicken, onions, bean sprouts and crushed peanuts. I really loved it! The hubby loved it too!




Next was my dish, the Mongolian "Beef". I've had this dish before on a previous visit, so I kinda wish I'd ordered something different. It was tasty, it had to serve as my meal for the next day however, because I was comfortably full by this point and didnt want to over do it.



So, after lunch the hubby and I went for a nice talk and walk over by the beach, to let our lunch settle. Then over to my place where I ordered my first ever gluten free, vegan cake. It was a lemon coconut cake. Now I've ordered from Stephanies bakery before and her cakes back then were the bomb. I loved her cakes so this is why I chose to come here. However I've never gotten anything gluten free from her before. This cake was okay, not the best nor the worst gluten free dessert I've ever eaten. I shared my cake with family and friends and got mixed reviews on it. I got mostly thumbs down, with a few thumbs up. Eating this cake however, got me curious to see if I could come up with something better. I'll be trying to tweek some recipes, and keeping you posted on my progress.

Over all it was a lovely day. We enjoyed all of the new foods that we tried, with the cake being the least enjoyable, but I didn't mind that much. It has sparked my interest in making my own gluten free cakes and desserts!



Do you have a favorite vegan spot where you live? If so, post it here!

5 Halal Healthy Foods You Need During Pregnancy

So you're expecting a new addition to your family. Your bundle of joy is coming; the light of your eyes. Subhanallah! You want everything to be perfect for your baby, and second only to growing up to be a good Muslim, you want your baby to have good health. When I was planning to have my first baby, I did alot of reading and studying about what needs to be done in preparation. Exercising and eating well, helps to lend to our children having optimum health. Below are 5 of the most healthy halal foods that you can eat for the health of you and your baby.

1. Dates-

During pregnancy most women experience bloating and contipation due to the fact that the enlargement of the uterus causes the other organs to become cramped and smashed. This in turn causes digestion problems and constipation for the pregnant woman. Dates is an excellent remedy for these intestinal annoyances. Moreover, being rich in iron, dates prevent anemia in mother and child. It is also believed that dates impart good memory and intelligence to the developing fetus. As if these benefits weren't enough, it has been noted that dates facilitate child birth by strengthening the uterus. Eat these plain or with peanut butter, or even stuffed with cream cheese, or tahini.

2. Yogurt-

Yogurt is a nutritional power house. It provides both your body and your baby with much needed folic acid, calcium, protein, and probiotics which aid in cleaning the intestinal tract and facilitating food digestion. Eat plain yogurt along side your meals, make in a salad dressing, or eat with fresh fruit, and granola for a healthy snack.


3. Lean Halal Protein Sources-

Firstly if you are going to eat meat, you should make sure your meat is halal. Start your pregnacy off right by eating what is halal, tahir and tayyib. Make sure the meat is zabihah/halal. Protein is a necessary nutrient for your body and your babies body. You don't want yours or your baby's muscle development and maintanance compromised. Also small bits of meat protein will help to keep nausea at bay. Try making or purchasing halal beef, chicken or fish jerky and keeping it stored away for those times when you're feeling less than top notch. This way you wont have to worry about getting up and cooking for yourself. Also great for when you're out and about and need a good boost of protein.
If you're vegetarian no worries; beans, nuts and soy products (especially tempeh) can get you by. However I'd advise at the very least an egg or two or maybe some fish occasionally if you are having severe nausea during pregnancy. Lentils are so nutritious; they're packed with folic acid, protein, and vitamin B6. All key nutrients needed during pregnancy. Nuts will provide vitamin E which is needed for healthy brain development.

4. Broccoli-

Broccoli is nutrient dense with vitamin A, vitamin C and folic acid. Broccoli is great raw with a homemade veggie dip, or chopped up in a tossed salad. Broccoli is also excellent in stir fry dishes, broccoli soup and broccoli casseroles. Broccoli is great for both mommy and baby.

5.Oatmeal-

Oats contain lots of vitamin B, iron and many important minerals. Not to mention that oats help to lower the blood pressure and blood sugar. Many women suffer from high blood pressure or high blood sugar during pregnancy causing toximia or gestational diabetes. Oats can help to reduce the chances of women encountering these health problems. Oats can be made into a delicious hot cereal like porridge, topped with pure maple syrup, fresh fruits, dried fruits, nuts and/or coconut milk to add more nutritional value to it. Also oats can be made into tasty granola, (there's a great recipe for it here on my blog), granola bars, or even a nice gluten free bread.

So, rejoice in your pregnancy! Thikr and read Quran often, to develop you and your babies spiritual well being. And endulge in the good foods that Allah has provided for you so that you both can benefit by having healthy bodies and minds.

Karemah Alhark

The Health Benefits Of Garlic

By Ameera Rahim

For as long as I have been cooking I've enjoyed the taste of garlic. The smell when cooking it, brings such a delight to me and it enhances my meals. Not only does it make foods taste better, it's good for you! I have read to get the most from garlic before cooking it “To maximize the health benefits, you should crush the garlic at room temperature and allow it to sit for about 15 minutes. That triggers an enzyme reaction that boosts the healthy compounds in garlic. “
In the winter time especially, my family uses garlic for it's medicinal purposes. If you didn't know garlic has many benefits.
Studies have shown that a garlic enriched diet may in fact protect people against different cancers, such as breast, prostate and colon cancer. SubhanAllah! Allah has given us many foods and herbs, and we can either treat our foods like medicine and make good use of it, for the sake of our lives and out family's lives. Food, however can also act as a poison and we are often heedless of what we eat and how we eat.

As a breastfeeding mom I have read that babies who taste garlic in the milk, tend to nurse for a longer period of time. When my recent son was born a couple weeks ago, I wanted to make sure that our breastfeeding experience from the beginning would be nutritionally packed and done properly. Wanting to know different foods that would help increase milk, I ran into an article mentioning garlic and talked to people who have tried it. My husband made me a drink that was infused with garlic and yes I can say it is tried and true. Longer nursing helps with the increase in milk supply.

If you happen to have a newborn baby or a slightly older child that you are breastfeeding and they get sick with cold , you would want to intake more immune boosting foods like garlic. With older children, blending garlic and adding it in foods helps. With my older children I make, what I like to call an “Immune Boosting Spaghetti” especially in the winter. We add blended garlic, vegetables and flax seed/ wheat germ and put it in the sauce. The children enjoy it and do not notice they are eating a very immune boosting dish, Alhamdulilah.

Besides garlic being a means to possibly prevent cancer and helps to boost the immune system, it also has anti-fungal properties which studies have shown helps to prevent or eliminate yeast infection.
Also studies have shown it helps with the well being of the heart and promotes healthy blood circulation. Alhamdulilah for the blessings in having a healthy halal and delicious food.

I love to make garlic bread with fresh garlic. Here is a recipe for cheese garlic bread:

Garlic and Cheese Bread In Under an Hour:
Ingredients
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup cheese
2tbs sugar
3 teaspoons of garlic powder or your choice of how many cloves
¾ cup milk
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 egg

1. Mix together the flour, sugar, garlic powder and cheese in a large mixing bowl.
2. Whisk together the vegetable oil with the milk and egg.
3. Stir the wet mix into the dry ingredients.
4. Pour the mix into a greased 1lb loaf pan.
5. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350°F for 50-60 minutes or until a sharp knife inserted near the middle comes out clean

Alhamdulilah garlic bread is good with spaghetti, lasagna, and as a snack. The children love to eat it for lunch, I have to stop them before its all gone! Garlic is something every family should have in their home. I really prefer the garlic cloves instead of the powder, Alhamdulilah I think you can taste it more in your foods. Plus its fresh!

The next time you go grocery shopping dont forget the fresh garlic. Your body will thank you for it!

Goats Milk Anyone!

A couple of weeks ago, I featured almond milk products as an alternative for cow dairy products. Today I'd like to present goat dairy products as a nutritious alternative for those who find cow's dairy to be difficult to digest. I became familiar with goat dairy, approximately twelve years ago when my son Musa began having seizures. That period of time was very interesting for me, as it lead me on a quest for healing foods and improved eating habits. A homeopath told me to give my son lots of "good" fats as it would help to repair the brain trauma that seizures caused. Musa at that time was not only having problems with seizures, but he was very susceptible to respiratory infections as he had experienced a very frightening case pneumonia. All of this and he wasn't even 5 years of age. He was a pretty sickly little kid. However after my visit with the homeopath, and reading a few books, (The Ketogenic Diet, and Nutrition and Physical Degeneration) Musa was on the way to improved health. One of the first things I discovered that I had someone who lived very close to me that was willing to sell their extra milk and I rapidly became her regular customer.

The fat molecules in goats milk are said to be a lot smaller than those of cow's milk, which in turn makes it a lot easier to digest. Many people who are intolerant of lactose, or milk protein find goats milk to be easier to consume.
Some rationalize that a goat is closer to the size (weight) of human beings than cows, so it makes sense to drink from goats and sheep, rather than bovine animals. All theory and speculation aside, for me and my family we saw a huge difference when we laid off of the pastuerized cow dairy and switched to raw goat's milk. We experienced a drastic decline in colds and illness. We were considerably healthier over all. Less colds and illness meant a happier more energetic household. Ofcourse this was not due adding goat's milk exclusively. We changed our diet in other ways as well. But this, I believe was definitely one of the most important changes that we made; right up there with drastically reducing our gluten intake.

Once I tasted goats milk I was in love it, and it quickly became a household staple. Quite honestly I prefer the flavor of good goat's milk to many of the other cow dairy alternatives, however it's just so hard to find a local raw milk supplier these days. Most of the farms that I used to purchase from have given up all but enough goats to supply milk for their own families. Many have said the cost to keep the goats is just too high.

I have recently rediscovered my love for goat's milk, however I've been drinking the pastuerized milk products from a local health food chain. Inshallah I intend to give a call again to see if I can find another raw milk source, soon. I just prefer it because the raw milk still has the active enzymes intact, which allows the dairy to be even more digestible. However the main brand of goat's milk that I have presented in this blog is Redwood Hill Farm. As I mentioned, previously I only drank raw goats milk and I would recommend you to purchase this if you can find a reliable and trustworthy source. You don't just buy raw goat's milk from anybody however. It needs to be purchased from a reputable, clean and healthy farm. But if you can not fnd a good source of raw milk or if it is illegal to purchase and sell raw milk in your state then this company is good. The milk has a wonderful taste and it's not "goaty" tasting. Redwood Hill sells goat's milk, keifer and yogurt. The yogurt I found to be pretty pricy at $2.19 per 8oz. cup, so I only purchase that as an occasional treat. The yogurt is very flavorful and not bland at all. I also enjoy the keifer in smoothies or plain.

I have several companies that I purchase my goat cheese from and there are many types to choose from. I find Trader Joe's to be one of the best suppliers of goat cheese and they have many varieties. Their prices are very reasonable compared to some of the other stores in my area.

Goat dairy still may not be an alternative for those who are severely lactose intolerant. However for those who are only slightly dairy sensitive, goat's milk can be a wonderful alternative which neither sacrifices nutrition, variety, nor flavor.