For the sweet tooth!

It's safe to say that I love dinner parties, whether that's hosting or attending and every Ramadan we host a family iftar that I always look forward to (because of food obv!). 

My mum and I are both sweet lovers and we love trying out new dishes and getting creative with what we've got. This year was no different and I thought it'd be a great way to blog about something completely different to literature! I've included a couple of quick recipes, some of which you might've heard of!

So if you want ideas for any upcoming iftar parties or even eid then stay tuned! 

Date balls coated in nuts

Again, another one which speaks for itself. This is one of my mother's invention and definitely grabs the attention from everything on the dinner table. 

You'll need: 

- Date 

- Nuts of choice 

Quick 'How to': 

- Blend dates in a blender

- Form bite-size balls 

- Crush nuts of choice 

-Coat balls in crushed nuts 

and voila! 

A great substitue for plain dates. 

Oreo truffles

I experimented with this recipe last Ramadan when I first saw it on Mybigfathalalblog, whose blog I am still obsessed with! So I thought I'd give it go and they turned out so well, my brother finished it overnight and everybody else loved it too. So like any good chef, I had to give myself a pat on the back!

These would definitely be a hit if you like creamy gooey sweet things because it is all of that and more! 

What you'll need:

- Oreo's, of the desired quantity, I used 2 packets and made roughly 15 balls. You could use 2 packets and make 20 depending on the size of the balls you prefer! 

- Cream cheese, 3/4 of the tub is plenty of cream cheese for 2 packets of Oreos. 

- Milk chocolate, one packet of dairy milk was enough to cover the amount made

Quick 'How to': 

- Crush Oreos

- Add cream cheese

- Mix and make balls of your preferred size 

- Freeze 

- Take out 1-2 hours before serving and coat in milk chocolate 

- Garnish with shredded chocolate pieces and freeze again

- Serve   

Chocolate coated strawberries 

These are pretty self-explanatory, fresh strawberries dipped in milk chocolate and voila! These were gone by the end of the night (mostly by me), and rightly so who doesn't love strawberries and who doesn't love chocolate? 

Fruit fix: check 

Sweet fix: check 

These would definitely be a hit for any dinner party as a dessert!

Another staple item which we love to make for iftar parties are dates filled with fresh whipped cream, I've seen my mum make it ever since I can remember and it has forever been my favorite. 

Which of these have you made?! I would love to know!  

                                                                   

Exam season productivity

So I went on a bit of a hiatus as I had a million assignments thrown at me left right and centre including the most dreaded one, Dissertation! *Dun Dun Dun*

But since we're in exam season, I thought I would do a bit of a different post sharing my trial and errors regarding exam prep and how to stay sane while doing so. Exam season is a bit of a daunting one and if you're anything like me, you most likely panic at the smallest thing during this particular time and rightly so, so if you want to read how I stay (try to) sane during the last few weeks before exams then continue reading!

Plan!

This one might be an obvious one, however even if you're not someone who likes to plan or stick to plans, still plan! (Plan Counter: 4)

It is so important to make sure your mind is not cluttered with millions of thoughts including trying to figure out which topics to cover on which particular day, it saves you SO much time. It especially helps me calculate how much time I have left and how I can then divide the time accordingly to cover as much content as possible. It also allows you to incorporate exam practice into your schedule as you go along, it's highly important!

What the coming week for me (hopefully) looks like:

(All tasks in red I hope to complete during the day, while all in green are what would get me ahead in my schedule if I have enough time to complete them!)

Having said that, please don't panic if you're not able to tick through everything on your to-do list for the day. I can not tell you how many times I've had to put a cross next to a lecture I was suppose to cover, or paragraph I had to write because let's face it, sometimes life gets in the way and you just have to watch that one or ten episodes Grey's anatomy.

Keep a margin, choose a few tasks that you must get done before you go to sleep, and margin out what you'd like to get done to get ahead for the day so that if you've not been distracted by the endless episodes of whatever show you must watch (Sarcasm intended) then you can go to bed with a content feeling of doing more than you had planned and gotten ahead of yourself.

Move Around!




If you're not able to get to the gym every day, it's ok! Try to incorporate some movement every 1-2 hours, do a little dance, do some stretches, clean your room, move around a little. If you revise/work on your laptop/computer make sure to do some eye exercises every 45 minutes to an hour and maybe even shut them for 5-10 minutes, it greatly helps to recharge them while also preventing too much damage.

Clear workspace!

I can not stress enough how important it is to work in a clean and decluttered environment. Even if you're not a clean freak, do clear your workspace especially.

Ensure there is enough light and air in the room you study in!

If you study at the library, do so in the quiet area and if you study at home, do not study on your bed if you can! Being able to study productively on the bed is a myth.

Stay Hydrated!

This is an obvious one, but a highly important one that I myself sometimes struggle with. Choose a bottle size you are comfortable with, if you can't get through 1 liter of water every hour don't be disheartened, everybody is different. Try and refill the bottle every 2 hours so you can get through a couple during the day especially if you choose to go for a relatively smaller sized water bottle. Also, invest in a cute bottle, that is sometimes the motivation we need!

Fuel!

Make sure you eat a good meal before you sit down to revise, make it be healthy but also filling. Do not work while you eat, rather use this time to focus your mind on your plans for the day! Also do not indulge in distractions (social media, Netflix etc.) while you eat, because believe me once you start you will only find excuses to carry on.

Distractions!

Again, an obvious one yet we are all guilty of this including myself. If you feel you are not able to resist the temptation then use precautions.

Hand your phone to someone in your house who will make sure you won't be distracted

Use apps to lock your social media accounts for a certain amount of time (I am still on a hunt for a good social media blocking app so all recommendations are welcome.) One that has come to my attention is the Forest app, which plants trees while you work. A cute initiative and keeps you away from your phone until your tree is planted.

So there they are, my fair share of trials and errors. Most of these I am trying still trying to implement every day myself

I hope this read was somewhat helpful and happy studying! :D

December book haul

I'm back with another book post already! Don't say I didn't warn you!

So, I have a confession to make...

I am a stress shopper (dun dun dun). And not just any stress shopper, I am a stress online book shopper (yes I know that is not an actual phrase). Book shopping is my kind of retail therapy and honestly makes me feel so good.

Now I may have gotten carried away and bought a little too many during December because let me tell you guys, the third year of university is hard and stressful! It's essentially the workload of the first two years combined with a million other small things which determine your final grade. Talk about pressure *rolls eyes*. So to make myself feel a little better I decided to splurge some money and treat myself and what better way to do it then by doing a haul!

I will try and make this a regular section on my blog and post a new haul every other month.

So grab a cuppa and let's start...

1) Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I have heard about this novel countless times and just never picked it up. The final push for me was the review by Jess from sunbeamsjess (she's amazing, do check her blog out), I just couldn't help but place it in my basket.

The story follows two characters by the name of Ifemelu and Obinze who are young and deeply in love but are forced to depart military-ruled Nigeria to two different corners of the world. While Ifemelu heads to New Jersey USA, Obinze due to being denied entry into the USA heads to London. 15 years post departure they reunite in their beloved land and continue from where they had left off.

2) A Thousand splendid suns by Khaled Hosseini  

Ahh, the mother of all books. One of my favorites from my school years but can you believe I never owned a copy?!

This would definitely be a re-read for me and I actually cannot wait!

If you've not read this (have you been living under a rock??), here's a short summary...

The story is set in Afghanistan spanning the years between the 1960's and 2000's and follows a young girl by the name of Maryam for most of the novel. Maryam is the illegitimate child of a wealthy cinema owner and his maid Nana and faces a difficult childhood and an even harsher adulthood due to this label. Alternatively, Laila born almost a generation later is shown to have a more advantaged youth, however, when their stories intersect we see a mother-daughter bond blossom.

3) Destiny Disrupted by Tamim Ansari

So as I shared on my Instagram (follow me if you aren't! :D), one of my goals this year is to read more history, so when I came across Destiny Disrupted I was intrigued to find out what this particular piece of literature holds.

This one is going to be a difficult to summarise so here's the synopsis:

"We in the west share a common narrative of world history. But our story largely omits a whole civilization whose citizens shared an entirely different narrative for a thousand years.In Destiny Disrupted, Tamim Ansary tells the rich story of world history as the Islamic world saw it, from the time of Mohammed to the fall of the Ottoman Empire and beyond. He clarifies why our civilizations grew up oblivious to each other, what happened when they intersected, and how the Islamic world was affected by its slow recognition that Europe—a place it long perceived as primitive and disorganized—had somehow hijacked destiny." -Goodreads 

Does that not sound so intriguing?! I think I might pick this novel up during Ramadan, It would be the perfect time to read a novel in such context!

4) The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri 

Again, this was one of the novels I was hesitating picking up because of how close to home I expect it will hit, but 2018 is about pushing myself out of my comfort zone in terms of a lot of things, literature being one of them, and here it is in my haul!

The Namesake follows Gogol, a first-generation South-Asian British citizen who is divided between two cultures and unsure of what to call his own. Interestingly the story revolves around Gogol coming to terms with his name and reasoning behind it and eventually coming to understand his father's reasonings of naming him, Gogol. 

5) The underground railroad by Colson Whitehead 

The underground railroad had been raved about in the book community on Instagram and elsewhere so I did the sensible thing and bought myself a copy. 

The main theme of this novel is slavery, which is a topic I want to educate myself on to better understand the history of the 'greatest nations of the world'. Bearing in mind the last time I studied the history of slavery was even before GCSE (disappointing I know), this seemed to be a good point to start with.

From the countless reviews, I managed to write up a short summary. 

The story follows Cora, a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia and Caesar, a recent arrival from Virginia. We follow their journey as they discover and make their way across the underground railroad which is anything but a mere metaphor. 

6) The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

The one I'm most looking forward to is Nightingale! Why have I not read this yet you may ask? I ask myself the same questions *hides behind screen* 

But having read so much about this novel, it was a definite pick for my 2018 TBR list! 

The Nightingale, based during world war II, shares the horrific situations during the time period in the French region in particular. The story follows two courageous sisters who despite living in such fearful time, become the pillar of support and hope for so many in need.

I am all for hope and a positive look towards everything this year, so The Nightingale is most likely the very first novel I pick up after I finish my current read. 

7) River of time by Jon Swain 

This one was definitely an impulse buy because it's not one I had heard of before. I came across it when watching other book recommendation videos/blogs (please tell me I am not the only one who does that in their free time?!). Honestly, I couldn't find a reason to not click buy, since I am trying to read more history. 

River of time is essentially a story based on Vietnam. It is told from the perspective of Jon Swain who during the years of 1970 & 1975 experienced the Vietnamese war first hand and accounts his experience and how it changed his perspective on life, through his novel. 

Well, here we are! I really should cut down on my impulse book buys but it makes my heart happy and 2018 is all about taking care of my own happiness so sod it! 

I hope you enjoyed that because boy that was a long one *wipes a bead of sweat*

Have you guys read any of the above? Do let me know your thoughts!

-A

Favourite Reads of 2017!

In all honesty, I'm still a little in shock by the fact that it is 2018 already! I mean where did the year even go *crying emoji*. It's safe to say that 2017 was a bit of a rollercoaster with both good and bad moments but it's over now and it's onwards and upwards from here (God willing).

So as you will realize if you stick with me in my blogging journey is that I have a bit of an obsession with books and reading in general. In all honesty, reading is such a privilege that we all should take upon ourselves to educate us further.

I thought I'd share with you some of my favorites books I read in 2017. I'll tell you my thoughts on them but be warned I am not a literary writer, I am just here to share my own opinion and give you guys some good recommendations that I have had the pleasure to read.

Let's start with one of the first books I picked up last year

1) The forty rules of love by Elif Shafaq

What do I say about this apart from the fact that it is a stunning piece of literature! So beautifully written and captures your attention from the very first page. The novel follows the parallel narrative of two characters, Ella and Shamz of Tabriz. Ella's narrative is written in present and follows her as she sets to become something of her self. She works for a literary agency and coincidently the first novel she is assigned to is 'Sweet blasphemy' written by an individual by the name of Aziz Zahra. Over the course of the novel, Ella and Aziz develop a strong bond to the point where Ella is ready to leave her life behind for someone she has never met. In the parallel narrative, Shamz of Tabriz is portrayed as wandering dervish who's aim throughout the novel is to find his companion who's glimpse he sees through his visions which foreplay his death in the novel.

My most favorite parts of the novel hands down have to be the unfolding of the 40 rules of love. The different points at which all rules are incorporated in the novels make the reader really ponder upon them individually.

One of my favorite ones include:

"If you want to change the way others treat you, you should first change the way you treat yourself. Unless you learn to love yourself, fully and sincerely, there is no way you can be loved. Once you achieve that stage, however, be thankful for every thorn that others might through at you"

2) Since you've been gone by Morgan Matson

When I first picked up this novel I was excited to read a story which wasn't necessarily 'romantic' and I wasn't disappointed. I was most excited about reading this book with my best friend because we are cheesy like that!

The story follows the main protagonist Emily who spends her summer ticking off the list of challenges her best friend Sloane has set her in the hope that it would lead her to her best friend who had disappeared out of the blue at the beginning of the novel. In all honesty, the book was a little hard to get into but I was determined to push past this and I'm glad that I did because I really enjoyed it. Character development is a strong point of the novel as we see Emily grow as a person and come out of her bubble that she had been in while Sloane was still present in her life to become a more confident individual who is able to speak up for herself rather than expecting someone else to do it for her which personally for me a strong point of the novel.

3) Every last word by Tamara Ireland Stone  

When I first picked this book up I wasn't expecting much of it regardless of the countless reviews I had read before purchasing. But can we just reiterate the phrase 'never judge a book by its cover', because it certainly applies here. The book focuses on the issue of mental health as its main theme which is a subject I have previously hesitated in picking up simply because I get very deeply attached to my books hence at that period of my life I figured I would take it too personally. However, that certainly wasn't the case and I am extremely glad I picked it up.

The story follows the main character by the name of Samantha who is a part of the 'popular group' in high school (we've all read countless stories regarding those eh?). However, she isn't completely honest and comfortable with her current group of friends to share her deepest secret. It's only when she discovers and becomes a part of the secret poetry group set up by the misfits of the high-school does she truly begin to feel that she belongs.

There is a huge plot-twist towards the end of the book that left me with goosebumps (and I am certainly not exaggerating here!). If you've read the book you will know what I mean!

4) The art of hearing heartbeats by Jan-Philip Sendker

This is a beautiful story of two individuals who are physically impaired and learn to rely on each other to support one another through the difficult life that lays ahead of them. It's both heartbreaking and inspirational at the same time and left me in tears towards the end!

The story is told retrospectively and follows the two main characters Tin Win and Mi Mi who are childhood sweethearts who eventually are unwillingly forced to go separate ways. Tin Win who is blind at the start of the story goes on to become one of New York's top lawyers. His life, however, was still hollow due to the absence of the one person who loved him when no one else did. As readers, we follow Tin Win's story from the very beginning to the very end and experience all the love, heartbreak, sadness and relief that he experiences from start until the end.

A definite read for those who have read and enjoyed Forty rules of love. Personally, for me, both books gave such a similar vibe of hope which was refreshing to read.


5) Everything I never told you by Celeste Ng 

This story is still very close to my heart because I can relate to so many of the characters in the book. The novel follows the story of a Chinese-American family set in the 1970's, their middle daughter Lydia is dead. We follow most of the story retrospectively as the family tries to understand and come to terms with the fact that their favorite child is no more. Where did the parents go wrong, what caused it, who is to blame? Honestly, everything I never told you is a heart-wrenching story which allows an insight into the minds of people who despite being born in a land, cannot call it their own simply because of the way they look.

For those of you who only read/prefer to read stories with a happy ending, this one might not be for you. Although I understand that reading is an escape and so reading more positive books should be essential, it is equally as important to read to educate ourselves to understand better all that is happening around the world. And so books such as Everything I never told you and many more of the same context and message should be more widely acknowledged!  

I am going to be honest and say it was hard to narrow the list down to a mere 5 books from all the ones I have read over the past year, however, if I was to choose any that I would definitely re-read than these would be it without a doubt.

I hope you enjoyed this! As I said before I am still rusty in my writing so forgive me if it sounded repetitive or rehearsed, I hope my blog will help me improve my writing a lot more. I certainly plan to do a lot more book related posts so do read and leave me your favorite book/books of 2017 in the comments below, I would love to read and add more to my ever-growing collection.

-A