It's DinnerTime everyone!

This blogs loves mumtrepreneurs, women with initiative and creativity and overall, unique and interesting business concepts that make all of our lives a little easier.

And I have had the pleasure of testing (and enjoying) one of these concepts for the past month:

The idea is simple: four meals per week, delivered to you door. 

With a twist: all ingredients are fresh, local when possible, top of the line... and uncooked. 

So basically, you receive a gigantic box, filled with your grocery shopping for the week, and a set of recipes on how to prepare four delicious meals, using these very ingredients. The recipes are always varied and creative, and each box contains one meat-based, one chicken-based, one fish-based and one vegetarian meal. All doable in, wait for it, thirty minutes only!

Now as a mom of two very young children, with a husband who works long hours and travels a lot, and no nanny, going to the grocery store requires intensive planning, which almost always ends up unattainable. 

So many times, especially when I am stuck at home with one or both kids sick, have I found myself unable to find anything to cook in my fridge.

Also, I quickly run out of ideas on what to cook, so even if I am at the supermarket, I never know what to get or always end up missing ingredients.

Well for a month now, it has never happened!

And that thirty-minute rule is golden! I have no time to waste during the day and being able to complete an entire meal in such a small time is perfect.

Photo: R. Abouzeid

My box is delivered every Sunday and sustains me for a the whole week. We usually go out on weekends, so to be quite exact, it is enough for the five weekdays. I have opted for the 4-people box, but there is also an option for 2 people. And my gluten free friends, rejoice, there also are special boxes for you!

Photo: R. Abouzeid

I will be completely honest, I have skipped some meals. Some recipes I have found to be too "exotic" for my kids (although looking absolutely mouthwatering to me), I have modified or tweaked a little to adjust to my children's taste. 

But what matters to me the most is that never, not once, in that entire month have I found myself unable to cook a meal at home. Every time I walked in my kitchen, I knew there would be enough ingredients for me to follow one of DinnerTime's recipes or improvise something if I felt like it. 

Photo: R. Abouzeid

And that is why, I feel I should share with you this wonderful business concept that will change your life if, like me, you have little time to spend in the kitchen, grocery shopping or browsing the net for new, exciting recipes.

I have had the pleasure to speak with Anette Lind, co-founer of DinnerTime to learn more about this wonderful venture and how it came to life.

Photo: R. Abouzeid

So, who is Anette?

I am from Stockholm, Sweden and moved to Dubai in 2009 when my husband got a job here. We have two kids. I studied Economy and Marketing with professional background and experience in Finance, Marketing and Sales.

I always loved food, to cook yummy meals! And now I am more interested in healthy food, what we actually eat, where it comes from, preferably organic.

Since we found out that our son is gluten and dairy products intolerant, and with an active triathlete husband, we changed the diet completely for the whole family.

Anette Lind

Photo courtesy of DinnerTime

What led you to the DinnerTime concept? How and why did you think of it?

I always had a dream to have my own company, and I have a lot of business ideas. I was on my way to start a business in Stockholm just before we decided to move to Dubai and all the calculations were ready. I came to Dubai and realized that the life here is hectic, people are busy. The mums are busy driving to school, picking up, after school activities, play dates and I thought that this popular Swedish concept would work here: to help all busy people in Dubai to be able to eat home cooked meal without the hassle of grocery shopping, looking for recipes and plan the week.

How many people are part of your crew? Can you tell us who the key players are please?

Kanika is our Chef, Cecilia is the PR and Marketing Manager who joined as a partner and the lady I started the company with, Karin who is our lady in Sweden and handles IT and Customer Service Manager. We recently we hired a lady in Abu Dhabi who will be in charge of that market.

The team
Photo courtesy of DinnerTime

How did this adventure begin and how well was it received by the UAE? 

We started the company in fall 2011 and we deliver all over Dubai, and now soon in Abu Dhabi as well. In the beginning we delivered to friends and the word spread. The challenge was to explain the unique concept that was new to Dubai: that you get the raw ingredients plus the recipes, but you have to cook. But wow, people here in Dubai loved it! It is a really open minded atmosphere here.

How difficult was it to launch your own business? Did it help that you started in the UAE rather than in any other place? 

I took some time to find the right set up, we started up as an off shore company with an local agent. Easy, fast and not so expensive. Since April 2013 we have an LLC company. I think for new ideas and unique concepts Dubai is the right place to start a business in. Open minded, multicultural, positive, growing, developing.


What is the average number of deliveries you make per week? Do you have many regulars (subscribers)? 

Around 200 per week, most are subscribers.


Do you have any plans to expand in the region and beyond? 

Yes, we are starting up in Abu Dhabi. First delivery in April, so exciting! And yes, we have plans to start up in other regions as well.


How do you create menus? Are there specific food groups that are always included?

It is a set menu every week, well balanced diet with food from all different food groups, which makes it healthy but without counting calories. Every week you will get a chicken, fish, meat and vegetarian, pasta or a soup dish. The customer will get 4 dinners, which is 16 meals for a family of 4.


Do you take into account food allergies or diet specificities should you clients request them?

For the gluten intolerant we have the Gluten Free food basket.


How do you come up with the recipes? Do you do testing and tasting before you decide which dishes deserve to be introduced and are there any classics that are always included? 

Our fabulous chef creates the menus according to our manual. All the dishes are test cooked and tasted before presentation. Sometimes we do have classics and the favourite recipes will be presented again, otherwise there are new recipes created every week.


How does DinnerTime operate?

You can order online on our website, by email or phone. We deliver all over Dubai, and soon in Abu Dhabi. Recently we launched our web shop so it is possible to pay online with your credit card or you pay cash on delivery as usual. 


How does DinnerTime differentiate themselves from the local competition? 

We cover the whole everyday week [whereas competition offer a single meal per box]. You get the food basket on Sunday including all the ingredients you need to cook four dinners. The well balanced diet with food from all different food groups makes it healthy without counting calories. With DinnerTime you get the good variation of food and it makes life easier, just decide which recipe you want to cook, open the fridge and start cooking. In 30 minutes you have dinner on the table. You do not have to worry about what is for dinner tonight. The week is covered! Home cooked meal without the hassle of grocery shopping, looking for recipes and plan the week. Simply served with love!



Do you organize special events our readers can attend? 

We do attend different events like the Tavola cooking event recently and we do events at companies who invites us: recently Explorer, different communities, coffee mornings, schools, fairs, markets and other gatherings. The latest was in Times Square, Family's Day Out, Mother and Baby Club on March 21. 


What does the future hold for DinnerTime?

We are growing, we are expanding. Abu Dhabi in April and pretty soon you will see DinnerTime in other regions as well.


In one word, if you were:

A dish: A salad

A color: Green

A shape: A triangle

A song or music composition: Happy

A film: Eat, Pray and Love 

A book or literary piece: The E-Myth

A famous character (real or fictional): Julia Roberts in Eat, Pray and Love

Mamma Mia+Jad

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Piece of Cake!

Number 2 has arrived! 

And he even has a name now: Jad.

Every child brings along new love and new joys. At our household, they also bring cake along. Indeed, Mia got to celebrate her birthday every month until she turned one, and now it is Jad's turn to give mommy yet another excuse for guiltless indulgences!

The rationale being, a newborn's age is recorded by months, and even by weeks during the first month. Makes sense, right? And that is why we had the utmost pleasure of celebrating Jad's One Week Birthday a few days ago. 

This event got me thinking about Mia's first year celebrations and of course, cake.

And cake always takes me back to Mia's 6-Month Birthday which was the first real-fake festivity. After all, many parents do pay attention to this milestone and deem it to be cake-worthy.

But in our case, since all previous months were also as deserving, I decided to make this one extra special by ordering a customized cake inspired by Mia's favorite toys for her Half-Year.

Photo Credit: R. Abouzeid

Following that yummy success, Hubby's first Father's Day was also granted the same special treatment. The key syllable here being "Treat".

Photo Credit: R. Abouzeid

The impressive chef behind those masterpieces is Erum Khalid, a Dubai-based mumtrepreneur from Pakistan who took her love for baking to the next level. And beyond.

That mother of three who is also a full-time KG1 teacher at Wesgreen International School credits her mom for being the inspiration behind her passion for cooking: "My mother used to be a really good cook, but she didn't really bake. I used to watch her cook sometimes, and this is how I got interested. I actually did a small baking course with my aunt 15 years ago, right before I got married. After I got married I moved to the UAE, but didn't really bake for a long time."

What led you to bake for others? 

It started when I tried to bake some cakes for my husband's birthday and also for his cousins. The cakes were appreciated. Then I started searching for recipes, and I discovered the Internet. After I started working at WIS, I liked to take new cakes I had tried to school for feedback. The cakes and bakes were very much appreciated. It was actually my teaching assistant Mehreen who suggested that I should start this as a business.

Photo Credit: 7th Heaven

Where did you learn to bake? 

I learned to bake from the course I did before I got married. The rest I learnt through the internet, YouTube and TV.

How did you discover fondant and where did you learn that art? 

I found out about fondant from TV I think. I saw how beautiful cakes can become using this medium, how lovely flowers and figures can be made. This was something I had not yet tried. So I tried different recipes from the Internet and made my own fondant. Then I eventually moved to store bought fondant because it's easier and less time consuming to use.

Photo Credit: 7th Heaven

How did this adventure begin?

I started baking on an order basis some time in 2010 when I baked a cake for the husband of one of my friends.

How difficult was it to launch your own business?

Well it wasn't very difficult because I didn't really want to start it off on such a large scale anyway because I am still working full time. I was getting orders from school and was satisfied with it.

How do you currently operate? 

I currently operate from home. I have a page on Facebook called 7th Heaven where people can look at the photos and if they are interested in ordering they can either email me or call me, the information is all given on the page. I am also currently listed in the Expat Echo list of home bakers. I don't do deliveries yet; and payment is either in advance or on pick up, depends on the customer.

Photo Credit: 7th Heaven

Are you planning to establish a full-fledge bakery in the future? 

Yes Insha Allah I am planning one, and would love to have the opportunity to set up my own business as a full time venture.

Do you organize special events to promote your services? 

I sometimes have competitions on the other page that I manage: Bakers United. We have competitions and the prizes are usually cakes and cupcakes from 7th Heaven (laughs). I had a special offer on cakes during Eid also. 

Tell us some more about the workshops you organize. 


I started giving classes and workshops because some of my friends requested that I teach them how to make cakes and decorate them. I have classes at home and have conducted a workshop for Mirdif Kids Club at Al Areesh club recently. Whenever I plan classes I post on both 7th Heaven and Bakers United so that people can be informed. 

Photo Credit: 7th Heaven
Step by step illustrated tutorial to create baby shoes in fondant

So you are very active on Facebook!


I have three pages on Facebook! One is of course 7th Heaven which is for commercial purposes where people can order cakes and cupcakes. The other page is Bakers United, which is a place where we share recipes, tips and tricks. I have photo tutorials and step by step albums to help people learn. The other page is just for fun: The Art Of Photography, where people can add their photos, learn how to take photos and just share.

What does the future hold for Erum Khalid? 

Well hopefully I would like to set up my own bakery/cafe sometime in the future if circumstances allow. I would love to make cakes on a regular and full time basis. Lets see!

Photo Credit: 7th Heaven

In one word, if you were: 

A dessert, which would you be? 
Chocolate mousse

A cake filling? 
Dark chocolate ganache

A color? 
Black

A song or music composition?
'Time to say goodbye' Andrea Bocelli

A film?
Masoom (Indian movie)

A famous character (real or fictional)?
Queen Rania

Mamma Mia+Jad

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So Valentine's Day's around the corner

There's no missing it, it's everywhere on the net. Promos, competitions, features, and more and more of Cyber-Cupid love all around.

So Mia's Crew's joining the fun, in our very own way of course. 

Happy Lovey from Mia's Crew

Hubby and I, we don't really do the whole Valentining thing. I think I remember only two occasions when we played love-birds. 

If I am not mistaken, it was our very first Valentine's and hubby came home with roses, balloons and a cake for me, as well as another cake for my mom's birthday which is on February 15. Total sweetness. My mom still has that teddy bear balloon saved at home (so weird how that balloon is still intact, only God Knows what's in it, but I seriously doubt it's air).

The second time was in 2009, and I don't know why but hubby decided to go for the whole shebang and made reservations to spend the weekend at a resort in Fujairah. It was really fun and with all his traveling, we really needed and enjoyed the time together... And the food. Especially the chocolate and strawberry fountain! ;)

I do remember also having dinners out from time to time but nothing very special. Like I said, we don't do the whole Valentining thing. 

But I should probably mention February 2010 because it was ridiculously funny. My cousin was getting engaged on that same day in Zahle, which meant we got all dressed up with full hair and make-up. Well I did, hubby preferred a more natural look. And we were back in Beirut in the evening with nothing to do. So we thought, since I already had my false eye-lashes on, why not go out? Of course, hubby wasn't about to stay in his suit and neither was I! So we changed into our most comfy outfits and walked in Hamra street looking for a restaurant that didn't require prior booking. We ended up at... Crepaway! Ok, if you don't know Crepaway, allow me to just list a couple of its "main competitors" identified on Wikipedia: TGI Fridays, Burger King and McDonalds. I disagree with the last two, but yes, TGI Fridays is the same kind of joint. Not your most romantic place. Not the most "grown-up" for such an evening either. And indeed we were surrounded by highly excited, blushing and giggling teenagers who couldn't be prouder to be out on that special night. Needless to say, my hair, full-make-up and false lashes made some heads turn! Especially when they looked a little lower and realized what I was wearing. And just to give you an idea of how Valentiny we are, the street vendor who sells roses every day in Hamra and who probably waits for this one evening to make the highest sales got all excited when he saw my polished face and impeccable hair. No doubt, he thought finally a couple of grown-up, well-off folks who will buy not one, not two but a dozen roses from me. Well, never fall for appearances! Hubby dismissed him with a laugh, and something along the lines of "we're married, I'm done impressing her" and I agreed with a smiley mouth full of burger. 

Crepaway's placemat

This year, it'll be even trickier since hubby won't be in town at the time. We'll probably make it up when he visits next. 

In any case, we're never really excited about the day since it comes after a series of celebrations, and by February 14, we're already fed up with balloons, gifts and cake. Oops, my bad. Not cake. We are never, ever tired of cake. 

So basically, we start with Mia's birthday on November 29, my brother's birthday on December 20, followed closely by Jesus' birthday on December 24, my parents' anniversary on December 25, then New Year's, my birthday 23 days later and hubby's on January 28. And we're not done yet. Then there's my dad's birthday on February 7 (yes in two days, I know) and my mom's on February 15. So Valentine's kind of gets blurred somewhere in between. 

Teeny note: I love December to February. There's always cake in the fridge!

Well, if you'll be spending Valentine's with your kids too this year, how about some crafts and yummies that everyone could enjoy playing with, making and I promise no baking?

Like I said before, the net is buzzing with all sorts of seasony ideas and here's two I think would be lovely: 

Get messy with some safe and easy Play Dough recipe by Great Moms

• 2 cups of baking soda 
• 1 1/2 cup of water 
• 1 cup of corn starch 
• Optional food coloring

And for your sweet tooth, how about a bunch of Dipped and Decorated Pretzels courtesy of 5 Minutes for Mom?

• Assortment of pretzels
• Microwave candy melts
• Vegetable shortening
• Candy sprinkles 

Source

• Step 1: Gather your favorite pretzel snacks. The large pretzel rods and twists work well for this sweet project but you can definitely dip the small sticks and twists too for a mini treat. 

• Step 2: Candy melts are a great product for a non-chocolate flavor and come ready in fun holiday colors like red, white and pink. When melting the candy, use a microwave-safe bowl and add 2 tablespoons of vegetable shortening to about a cup of candy melts. Microwave the melts in 30 second intervals, stirring each time in between until the melts are smooth and creamy. 

• Step 3: Place a large sheet of wax paper over a hard surface. Dip and cover each pretzel covering about a third of the surface. Tap the pretzel on the side of the bowl to remove excess candy. If your bowl is too small, use a spoon to pour the candy melts over the pretzels (necessary for the rods). 

• Step 4: Place the dipped pretzels on a sheet of wax paper and decorate with your favorite candy sprinkles. 

• Step 5: Let the dipped pretzels harden for about an hour. You can also place them in the fridge for a quick chill. 

• Step 6: Wrap your treats with candy wrappers which you can find at your local craft store. 

Click on Source for complete illustrated recipe

Now I'm usually more of a chocolate gal but these looked too adorable to skip. In any case, chocolovers can always swing by the Holidays recipes and try some of those chocolate-dipped strawberries I love so much.

And of course, don't forget to give away lots and lots of hugs and kisses! After all, the Day of Love wouldn't mean a thing without some warm, cozy and free-of-charge oversized displays of affection ;)


You can start now! Since I've just discovered that today is International Kissing Day. Yes! Apparently it's been trending on Twitter all day and I had no idea until now! So I figured, this is perfect for this post, right? Right. I wonder how we managed to survive all these years Twitterless!

Snapshot of my Twitter "Today is International Kissing Day" page

kisses to all, then!

Mamma Mia

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Season Goodness

It's that time of year again. And we're all getting ready with our wish lists and special requests. I've compiled some references just in case you're looking for suggestions ;)

But this post is not about gifts; it's about festive delicacies. I can see your eyes lit just now. I know, I hear you!

A friend of mine just asked me for a recipe the other day, and it instantly brought me back to our Christmas days (so thank you C. for inspiring this post).

Source

When I was single, we would usually spend Christmas Eve at home, basking in good company, good food and good wine. Sometimes with a little touch of love, we'd turn wine into Sangria. Then, the next day we'd have Christmas lunch with my grand-parents in the North, followed by some visits to relatives and friends.

Since hubby made an honest woman out of me, I've never compromised on Christmas Eve. Not that he minds, his family celebrates on the 25th anyway. But to me, my brother and my sister, Christmas is really that 24th's evening when we have good food, good laughs and put on crazy plays to distribute silly fake gifts we carefully select as jokes.

Then, we usually have lunch at hubby's parents the next day. That's super important to his dad, because it's one of the times when the entire family gathers under his roof and care. Last year, we've had to change that tradition, because Mia was only 26 days old and we weren't about to take her out in the middle of winter. So hubby's family came to our place, which was also very nice.

But as you can see, it's all about dinners, lunches, meals and it seems celebrating Christmas implies really a lot of cooking! Well that's obviously not the only reason for celebrating, or the real spirits of the holidays. However, when people gather in love, they usually enjoy doing so around food. And that's a wonderful opportunity to share, care and give time to your loved ones.

Since we leave the turkey for Christmas lunch, on the 24th we often have Cheese Fondue and a Chocolate fountain or fondant. Should I really comment on that? Nah. Self-flattering foods don't need my accolades. Instead, I'll drop a couple of recipes you way. That will be more useful for everyone ;)

I found an easy Cheese Fondue recipe on the net, which I think would make anyone happy. Take the time to check the entire site, it's worth it. They have a zillion recipes just for fondues!

Source

CHEESE FONDUE 

Ingredients:

• 2 Garlic cloves cut i half
• 250ml (1 cup) of dry white wine
• 225g Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 225g Emmental cheese, shredded
• 15ml (1tbsp) Lemon juice
• 15ml (1tbsp) Cornstarch
• 30ml (2tbsp) Kirsch
• 2ml (1/2tbsp) Nutmeg
• 2ml (1/2tbsp) Paprika

1. Rub the garlic inside the fondue pot then discard.

You should have a little more wine and cheese on hand to adjust the consistency if needed. Add more cheese if it's too liquid, add more wine if it's too thick.

2. Pour the white wine and lemon juice into the pot and turn on the burner.

3. Let the wine and lemon juice warm up without boiling.

4. Reduce heat and add the shredded cheese.

5. With a wooden spoon, mix well and stir regularly.

6. Dilute the cornstarch in the Kirsch, and add remaining ingredients to the pot.

7. Add pepper to taste.

8. If the mixture is too hard, add wine. If the mixture is too soft, add cheese.

9. Dip bite size pieces of bread or vegetables.

10. Let the freshly dipped pieces cool off for a few seconds, then enjoy and repeat but no double-dipping!

Note: Italian or French bread (baguette) makes excellent dippers when cut into small pieces. You can also try mild green or red peppers, zucchini slices, steamed broccoli or cauliflower or whatever else you're in the mood for.

Tip: If you ask your guests to make a figure 8 while dipping, this will ensure that the cheese mixture gets constantly stirred.

Source

And now, for a super-easy dessert which does not require a fountain ;)

CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRIES

Ingredients:

• Good-quality chocolate tablets for pastries
• Large strawberries

I usually work with melted chocolate by instinct. I really couldn't tell how many grams of chocolate you would need for a certain amount of strawberries. I usually keep tablets of dark chocolate in my kitchen, ready to be melted any time we crave some chocolaty home-made sweetness like light chocolate mousse or fruit salad with melted chocolate sauce.

With chocolate strawberries, you can either work with dark chocolate or mix it up a little with some milk but also white chocolate. The method remains the same for all three. I personally only go for dark chocolate when fruits are involved, but why not widen your guests' options by offering three kinds?

Most important tip before you start: wash your strawberries and let them dry well. You don't want to be dipping wet strawberries in your hot chocolate sauce. Also keep the leaves, they'll give a nice green touch to the fruit, and will be useful when you want to dip them. Make sure your strawberries are large enough to allow for half-chocolate-covered, half-red delicacies. They'll look much nicer!

Also have  a baking tray ready, with baking paper.

Source

To melt your chocolate bars, you'll need to make a Bain-Marie. You could also cheat a little and do it in the micro-wave.

Just break your bar into small pieces and place them in a bowl which can sustain heat. Boil water in a pan on high heat, then reduce to low and place your bowl with the chocolate pieces on top of the boiling water. Stir until the sauce is smooth and start dipping the strawberries one at a time. Make sure you only immerse one third or half of the strawberry in the chocolate. Place them on the tray and refrigerate until the chocolate hardens.

If you opt for a micro-wave melt, make sure you check on your chocolate at all times. It should not make bubbles. Just place the bowl in the micro-wave and heat for half a minute. Take out and stir. Then repeat until the chocolate sauce is smooth.

In any case, always check on your dipping bowl while you're working, and make sure you reheat and stir when necessary.


Finally, and because if you're going to have cheese, chocolate and fruits, then you must have wine; here's an easy Sangria recipe just for you:

Sangria by Rouba Abouzeid

SANGRIA

Ingredients:

• 2 bottles of red wine 
• 1 and 1/2 cup of vodka 
• 1 and 1/2 cup of rum 
• 1/2 cup of sugar 
• 1 cup of orange juice 
• 1 can of 7up lemon (or regular 7up) - The 7up can be replaced by bubbly wine or champagne which would definitely boost the taste; also, if instead of using red wine you opt for a rosé, then use bubbly rosé
• 2 peaches 
• 2 lemons 
• 2 limes 
• 4 oranges 
• 2 apples (peeled) 
• 6 strawberries (cut in half) 

If you feel you need more fruits (because the ones you have are small or you feel the mix has too much liquid and not enough fruits for all your guests) feel free to add more pieces of course.

This recipe too is very instinctive to me and I don't have stiff rules about quantities.

Just cut the fruits into big enough cubes so that they can absorb the wine mixture. Refrigerate over night and serve cold.

Sangria by Rouba Abouzeid

Enjoy! ;)

Mamma Mia

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Rot those teeth! (Part 3)

Last night, we celebrated Mia's 7-month birthday. Yes, it's that time of the month already. And I was inspired by the number 7. Not in a Pitt-Spacey kind of way, thank God! No it was more like a Care Bears thing. I was sitting on my couch, just thinking of Mia and the number seven, and "Rainbow" immediately came to mind. Because of its seven colors, obviously. And as I was about the speak the word out loud, I remembered the Care Bears who sort of lived on a rainbow (or something like that) and one of them in particular who had a rainbow on his belly: Cheer Bear. How totally appropriate for a birthday! 

And since I wasn't about to dress Mia in a bear suit which would be insane and borderline murderous in this weather (I'm crazy mamma, yes, but not *that* crazy); I decided to have her wear a Rainbow. What? I'm not *that* sane either!

So I contacted Ruby Tutus on Facebook and placed an order based on the inspired theme above. Rock star theme, might I add. And indeed the result was absolutely fantastic! See for yourself:

Mia's 7-month Tutu is a unique creation by Ruby Tutus

Corrine is the über-sweet mumtrepreneur behind this lovely idea. The concept is simple: anyone can go online, browse through the albums and order any of the featured tutus or request an entirely unique design which is what we did. All the tutus are hand-made by Corrine herself who goes the extra mile (literally) and delivers them by hand. Which was perfect because we got to meet in person and chat a little.

Mia's tutu is made of 7 colors, just like the rainbow on her cake.
Oh yes, there's a cake. With a  rainbow on top (hence the title of this article, duh).

As I was about the order a beautiful cake by our usual home-made pastry chef, Hubby challenged me: "I bet you would do great with those 3D things. After all you love arts and crafts and playing with clay. You're just too lazy, aren't you?"

Challenge accepted! (stupid pride)

So I decided to bake a cake myself.

The request I had initially prepared for our chef was simple: A rainbow cake with an actual 3D rainbow on top of it, and a cute Cheer Bear sitting somewhere and lots and lots of mini marshmallows all around to make the clouds.

I had Googled everything so I could give an accurate description of what I wanted and in the process I discovered that there are two types of rainbow cakes: the one with the clear colors as layers, and the one with  all the colors mixed together:

Source

Source

I had the first kind in mind as it looked like a real rainbow and found out that to make this cake, each layer must be baked independently and then, arranged together into one unified shape. 

So I got all my ingredients in place, including the crucial food coloring which was also going to be necessary when creating the fondant. And I started searching for some Care Bears toys because I wasn't confident about my fondant sculpting skills just yet. 

This will sound redundant really, especially after the infamous Wheat Quest, but I looked everywhere, in vain! I went to Spinneys (Motor City), Carrefour (Mall of the Emirates), Early Learning Center (Motor City) and Baby Shop (Mall of the Emirates)... Nothing. 

Since this wasn't a real necessity, I settled for My Little Poney and a couple of dolls. With the Care Bears in mind, I got a Bear-shaped pan from Spinneys and instead of saving it for another occasion, I decided to try everything now. The purpose being to get as much practice as possible before Mia's one-year (real) birthday.

It turned out to be a ... Hmmm... Let's say a very special cake, which and I'm quoting my sister here, "stings the eyes". I could almost hear her scream in pain through her email as her little pupils burnt with disgust. 

OK, it was not *that* bad but it definitely was not what I had in mind. 

And it nevertheless had one impressive quality: it carried everything I fiercely shoved in it without breaking apart!

Also, I should probably mentioned I did not go for the rainbow cake anymore as the guests who usually attend our fun gathering could not make it that time and we ended up being only two couples. Oh, and the two beautiful babies too. (God I almost forgot there was a 7-months old reason for me to do all this mess!) 

So I settled for a regular orange cake with chocolate ganache; with a top floor chocolate cake with  strawberry ganache. I stuck that rainbow right in the middle and the toys at the top. And of course, I added all my mini marshmallows to create the clouds all around the rainbow.

It did indeed sting the eyes:

Don't ask me what that freaky Zombie-bear (as my friend called it) is doing in the back; I don't know. And don't ask me why I put so many marshmallows on the rainbow; I don't know. And don't ask me why, oh why all these dolls; I don't know!

But what I do know is that the orange cake was yummy. I personally liked it :)Oh and yes, I did use some of my orange food coloring in it just to give it more, Hmmmm.... Panache? ;) 

(as if this masterpiece needed even more colors!! LOL)

If you're wondering where that pink doll went, Mia's BFF Giana took it as a souvenir, which makes this view a little bit kinder on the eye, especially with the big Zombie-bear out of sight ;)

Oh, and if you're interested (thank God, I refrained for this particular cake, it certainly did not need any additions!) here's how you can learn to create a rose with fondant.

This is mostly for you Cynthia ;)

In conclusion, kindly note that there will be a Rot those teeth! (Part 4) because we still have the Snayniyeh to complete.

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Rot those teeth!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4 

       Mamma Mia

Rot those teeth! (Part 1)

Mia's first tooth has made a glorious appearance on June 18, 2011. Well actually, she came with a friend. Yes, it's not one but two first teeth we're celebrating at once. She's so efficient like that, our Mia. Love her!

Of course, this calls for some major celebrating and this time, Mamma Mia is keen on doing everything herself. After all, I need to practice a little bit before our first "real" birthday. So far, we've been ordering cakes each month to celebrate Mia's monthly birthdays, and since her sixth month, we've gotten addicted to those 3D cakes so much, we even had a beautiful one made for our very first Father's Day:

Click on the photo to redirect to the chef who baked that awesome cake

Click here to redirect to this cake's chef

But Mamma Mia has been researching the cutest way to celebrate that first tooth for a while now and we've decided to stick to the traditional "Snayniyeh" which is a Lebanese delicacy made of wheat especially for the occasion. The name comes from the Arabic word "Snayn" which translates to "teeth".

All that would be wonderful if only I could  find some wheat in Dubai! I've looked at Spinneys (Motor City), Carrefour (Mall of the Emirates), Carrefour (Mirdiff City Center), Waitrose (Dubai Mall), Lafayette Gourmet (Dubai Mall) and Choithram (The Greens): Nothing!

So now I have in my house all the ingredients for a magical "Snayniyeh", decorations included, except for the main food!

Ironically, my brother who's currently in Qatar for a project, and who led the "Quest for Wheat" last week, SMS-ed me yesterday just to say, and I quote:

"Found wheat in Carrefour. Ah wait, I'm in Qatar..."

Cute, I know.

But this actually inspired me. Hubby just left for Saudi Arabia today and I instructed him to "Get me some wheat from the Kingdom, or else!" 

Hubby isn't very fond of threats, but he agreed to try, in between meetings of course. And if he can get away from his colleagues; knowing he'd never hear the end of it should they catch him grocery shopping in Saudi for his daughter's first tooth dish. I kind of agreed with him. But for different more crucial reasons. Discretion is key, indeed. His friends may jinx the whole Quest and who knows, even buy the entire Kingdom's wheat  themselves and throw all the precious grains at sea just to play with hubby.

So what's the plan now?
Wait?

Of course not! We've started practicing for the cute decorations. For that I've decided to use fondant since I've become a fan now ;)

I've never taken any cooking or baking class so I had no clue about fondant, where to buy it or how to make it so of course, I went to my best pal, Google, for some basic information.

It turns out various major supermarkets in Dubai do sell ready to use fondant. Yes, that's nice isn't it? Well not so much when they are ALL and I mean ALL out of stock! Seriously, I kid you not.

But that's not as dramatic as the wheat issue. Obviously, unlike wheat which I don't have time to grow from scratch, I can make fondant at home.

There's a plethora of recipes out there and I looked for the easiest one because I didn't want to sink in details and get frustrated with complicated techniques. And thankfully, I found one which works superbly well for a lazy beginner like yours truly:

Basic Fondant Recipe: 

Ingredients:
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) Unsalted Butter
¾ teaspoon Vanilla
¼ teaspoon Salt
2/3 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
5 cups Sifted Confectioners' Sugar (+ 1 cup for work surface) 

Beat butter, vanilla, and salt together until soft.
Add condensed milk slowly and beat until mixture is very light.
Add the confectioners' sugar cup-by-cup.
Dust your work surface with an extra cup of confectioners' sugar.
Turn your fondant mixture out onto the work surface and work the powdered sugar in with your hands.

Copyright© 2006-2010 gingerbread-house-heaven.com All Rights Reserved.
Source

It was really easy to make, and had I not been alone in the kitchen, I would have gladly taken photos of each step. I love you all so much but I was not about to grab my camera with buttery-milky-sugary fingers, so here's what I could do when I had the opportunity to wash my hands in between steps:

Start left and move down to the right:

First I made the mixture which is fairly basic as you can see in the recipe above. Then I poured it on the sugar and started working the sugar in the mixture with my hands. I know the recipe says that I need one cup of sugar for this step but I may have used more butter than instructed. I couldn't find sticks (don't ask, I won't even name the supermarket I went to last night) so I used spreadable butter (which probably didn't help the dough texture) and I had to improvise my 8 tablespoons.

In any case, while researching fondant, I had read that if the mixture is too sticky, add sugar and if it's too dry, add corn syrup. I know there's no corn syrup in that recipe here, but I got some anyway, just in case. Plus, some use it to glue various fondant shapes together so I figured, it's got to be useful at some point.

Once I got a nice dough, I shaped a heart just for you ;)

Then, I proceeded to coloring some portions of my dough. For that, I used regular food coloring that you can find anywhere, even in those insane Dubai supermarkets! Thank God, because that, I wasn't about to learn how to make on Google!

Coloring tips: Make a well at the center of the dough, pour one drop of food coloring in the middle. All cooking sites always advise to be careful and not pour too much coloring at once because it is easy to add and darken the color but it's nearly impossible to go back to a lighter tone.

And so I present to you Mr. Blue & Miss Red which were very useful for the following step.

Since I didn't have a cutter shaped in the form of a tooth (surprising eh? it's well known everyone has some at home) I had to draw it myself with a knife. it turned out to be quite easy actually. Then I inserted two (scary big) blue eyes and a (collagened) mouth and I was set with the sexiest tooth ever!

OK, so it looks a little frightening but this was my very first attempt and I had to get used to shaping that particular dough. Once I got used to it, I went crazy with the shapes and colors! But I'm leaving this for another post because I don't want to spoil the surprise ;)  

So that's it for now; but don't worry, I'll keep you posted on the wheat status ;) As you can see, this post is just the Part 1 of a really interesting adventure, so come back! ;)

--

Rot those teeth!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3
Part 4

 Mamma Mia

......

This morning, I woke up with absolutely nothing to say.

It does not happen too often so I'm trying to understand this unusual and complicated phenomenon...

• I weighed myself and what I saw did not please me but I will not panic or anything. I think that my scale at home is not accurate.
  
• I took my thyroid meds and I am waiting to be able to have breakfast and take my Folic Acid tablet.
  
• I called Hadhoud to remind him of our appointment tomorrow with the gyneco.
  
• I still don't have any morning sickness.
  
• I can't remember what I dreamt last night.
  
• And that's it it seems...

Yesterday, I went to Géant in the evening to buy some groceries for today.

Last Tuesday, I started worrying on my own after receiving the first Newsletter from BabyCenter.com. It contained all the information related to Week 4, including all the pre-natal tests completed to check for genetic or chromosomal anomalies with a special focus on down syndrome.

Of course, I couldn't stop thinking about all that stuff, and although I decided to try and not focus on them and wait for my first pre-natal appointment with the gyneco; I couldn't unread what I had already read or erase the words from my memory.

People who know me well will tell you I am kind of superstitious... even borderline stupid sometimes. I know, I know, I am a university educated young woman who reads, watches TV , surfs the Internet all day and night long and is exposed to information in general. So I should get a grip and stop acting like a Middle-Ages ignorant! But I can't.

After reading about all these stuff, I thought, well any pregnant woman in her fourth week would have received the same Newsletter and although it were my "clicks" that directed me to one page, one test and one disease after the next, anyone could have followed the same online path because anyone would worry and would want to read more about these things; after all that's why these particular terms were links and not just plain words.

Yesterday, as I was shopping at Géant, I see a little girl running around and shouting (happily it seems) for her mommy. She was in front of me and I could see her dad standing at my left, calling her but she wouldn't listen. She was just playing around, jumping up and down, calling her mommy (who didn't seem around which is why her dad was calling her to follow him in the other direction). She must have been 7 or so, but I felt her body language and attitude did not match that age. I don't know why, I just felt there was something wrong so to speak. And then, she turned around and I looked at her face. Honestly, she was the sweetest thing with her little red eye glasses and genuine smile as she ran back to her dad. She had down syndrome.

I know it's silly.
And it doesn't mean a thing.


Turned out I had a lot to say this morning.
How completely naive of me to think I could ever shut up!

Well, I'll see how this day goes because I need to change my state of mind...
Will keep you posted.

♥♥♥♥♫♪♥♥♥♪♫♥♫♪♥♥♥♪♫♥♫♪♥♥♥♪♫♥♫♪♥♥♥♪♫♥♥♥♥

Just had lunch... A very yummy (and faaaaat) lunch to be precise.

Yesterday I got some tender steaks with pepper all around the pieces. I decided to prepare mine in a creative way :-)

So I seasoned it with my amazing sea salts seasonings that I discovered at Spinney's; "The convenient 4-in-1 essential seasonings for everyday use" :-)

My magic touch :-)

1. Cheese and Onion
   Salt, Sugar, Mustard, Cheese Powder, Onion Powder, Anti-caking, HYM, MSG
   
   
   
2. Seaweed Sea Salt
   Coarse Sea Salt, Coriander, Mustard Seeds, Seaweed
   
   
   
3. Sundried Tomato and Garlic (my favorite as you can see; it's almost empty)
   Salt, Sundried Tomatoes, Garlic, Anti-caking Agent
   
   
   
4. Mediterranean
   Salt, Garlic, Majoram, Oreganum, Sundried Olives, Thyme (of course), Lemon Zest
   
   
   
   Just noticed the other still un-opened seasoning set on the bottom row; didn't mean to have it in the frame, but this goes to show just how much I love this seasoning, right? :-)

So going back to my juicy steak!

I heated the pan first, on maximum heat (I love my Tefal, it tells me when it's warm) ; then I lowered the heat to the medium and placed the huge piece of steak in the middle. Yuuum!! I seasoned on both sides (always making sure I use Tongs to turn it so that I don't pierce the meat, and dry it from inside). Then, I poured just a drop of oil on both sides as well and waited for the whole thing to start cooking. Halfway through, I poured Crème Fraîche and a pinch of Ketchup :-P (love ketchup with meat, sue me)... Then, I waited some more and 10 minutes before I removed the meat, I placed a cube of Kiri cheese on top of the steak :-) Yuuuum (bis); then I prepared the plate with another cube of Kiri and a small ball of butter waiting for the steak to sit on them :-) By that time, the Crème Fraîche had well-cooked with the pepper and seasoning and it had thickened.

OK, I know, it doesn't look that yummy, but trust me, the smell (and later I can vouch for the taste) was indeed yummy! Noticed the Kiri on top? :-) That was magical in the mouth!! :-)

Finally, I placed the steak on that bed of Kiri-Butter and ... ate!

Delicious!!

Yeah, OK, you know what, forget about the pix, they really suck and the food looks horrible! But trust me. It was sooooooo good! :-)

Anyway, I'm a very deep person :-P (and modest too :-P) who believes that beauty does not lie in a nice exterior. It's what's inside that matters. Honestly, how many times have you been to weddings or parties where the food looked so damn perfect and mouth-watering and then once you have a taste you really wonder where the flavor went?

Ya. So, my steak. Very flavory ;-)

Now, I think I'm going to go check my closet... Last night I discovered I don't have any more room for my clothes which incidentally were fine before. Yes. You guessed. I kept taking things out and messing the whole closet-system and now it looks like I need an entirely new room (yes I said room) just for my garments!! I'm such a girl!! :-P

So I have some cleaning up to do... And come to think of it, some dishwashing too...

Oh God! I think I'm gonna faint! :-P

See you later! ;-)

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Keeping my cravings tradition alive...
No, no, let me stop you right there: we didn't go to the movies.

Instead, I watched a DVD :-)

Decided to finally have a look at Bosta, the Lebanese movie. I had high expectations considering the previews and feedback that was buzzing around the movie when it first played in theaters. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed.

Yes, there was an amazing cast (which is why I feel even more disappointed, for them rather than at them); and yes, the overall idea of the film seemed exciting: a new, young and modern Dabke (the traditional Lebanese dance) that reflects the new, young and modern generation of Lebanon.

However, the execution lacked depth and even the script was not interesting... Really too bad.

The movie tries to tackle any and all the Lebanese social issues like religion, intersectarian love relationships/marriage(?), homosexuality, social expectations of what a good "future/job" is to parents/family/society Vs what the dreams and needs of the young people, sex (of course, it seems to be a must these days), the importance of marriage especially for women (and lack thereof being viewed as something weird and even sad), a little touch of the war and destruction (which also seems to be a must in Lebanese movies these days) and the ghosts that haunt the ones who survived, the meaning of culture and heritage and conflicts between generations and how they define these meanings, etc.

Unfortunately, none of these topics were tackled in depth. The movie feels like a long list of interests the screenwriter (who is also the director and producer) cares for and wishes to express very quickly and in this one, short 115 minutes. It's really too bad. Had he focused on one main concern and maybe two or three side stories, the film would have been more powerful and would have carried a stronger message (I feel).

I loved Caramel because of the characters. We got to know them. Understand them. Their dreams, their hopes, their fears. Bosta had similar characters from afar (people with deep issues) but we didn't get to really know any of them. They remain far away, two-dimensional and borderline superficial.

Anyway, always good to watch non-mainstream :-)

♥♥♥♥♫♪♥♥♥♪♫♥♫♪♥♥♥♪♫♥♫♪♥♥♥♪♫♥♫♪♥♥♥♪♫♥♥♥♥

Went on our first walk around the lake today :-)

Hadhoud and I decided that we should exercise every evening now and we discovered there is a lake only 5 minutes away from our home (!!!) at The Greens. Somehow we never had to pass near it and we never noticed it!

So we walked (at a fairly high pace) around it twice before returning home. It was a nice 40 minutes during which we didn't stop talking :-) and it's always a pleasure going out of the building... ON FOOT! We passed by our car and didn't even look at it :-P

Overall, the day started on a wrong note but I'm quite happy tonight :-) I think I'll be able to sleep with a smile on my face.

Plus a friend of mine called me today after she read this morning's post and she was so sweet and supportive!! It always feels good to know there are people who actually care about what's happening to you. Well, I know I have plenty of those, but it's the unexpected ones that make your day, and indeed, it was unexpected for me to find out she checked my Blog :-)

Sweet dreams! ;-)