G u l n a r i

I made these for dinner this afternoon. Yum! They were made with chickpeas, vital wheat gluten, breadcrumbs, garlic, lemon, and some other seasonings. Perfect with the simple guacamole side and sweet chili sauce. They were fried in olive oil and were crispy and meaty in texture. I'd say this is definitely one of the best alternatives to chicken I've tried so far. Would love to have these in a burger, with some avocado slices and caramelized onions.

Recipe can be found in the Veganomicon. YES that book is my new BFF.

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I haven't been doing much sewing or crafting, simply because I don't feel like it. ^_^ These days I just want to go out, enjoy the sunshine and fresh spring breeze before it turns crazy hot. Pass the strawberry juice! ♥

I think I'm in love. Or lust. ;_; These pumps would just kill with a simple linen tunic. Now imagine that tunic with some very understated tone-on-tone embroidery. O.o!

And these would be perfect with a light flowy skirt for a fresh summer look. I'd aslo wear a ruffly white tunic with plenty of pleats and tucks and ruffles. heeee. And some silver bangles.




Shukr Clothing + Kenneth Cole shoes = Unquestionable Perfection. Time to direct my lustful glances elsewhere before I perish.

A couple years ago I had a a brief stint blogging in Spanish. Then I ran out of things to say and took it down. Today I put it back up! I want to get back into it so... si hablas Español watch that space.

Noches de Aburrimiento
http://azahar-alheli.blogspot.com/

Hey! So a couple weeks ago, while I was working on the swap bag, I also worked on this little dress. Remember that on Jan 1 I made the resolution to make my daughter a dress before May came around. It was supposed to be made with some pink cupcake fabric but... the pattern made me fall asleep (literally) ^_^ and I put it off. I will finish it eventually but not right now. I made this cute little vintage-inspired dress instead. I found the most darling fabric:


Square flowers! Doesn't get any more whimsy than that! It's from the "Little Darlings" collection by Robert Kaufman. Here's the dress:


It's a bit big for her but it's not bad for a first try. ;) I really dig those yellow square buttons. Next time I think I'll skip on the strap tabs. The fussy little miss didn't want to model for some action photos. ^_- Edit to add: Nevermind! She finally let me dress her and was willing to pose for a photo.


It looks like a small dress by itself, but on her, it's rather large. She's a tiny girl. ^_^ She's also wearing her favourite jelly sandals sent by her teenage uncle in Pakistan. He's always finding fun little presents to send her. He's awesome like that. :D


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Here's a really quick little embellishment I did. I found this shirt on sale at Old Navy. Not gingham but almost! It kind of reminds me of a maid's uniform :P You know JLO's uniform from Maid in Manhattan? Yeah like that. To tone down on that look I thought it would be cute to embellish the sleeves with a little jacquard trim.


It looks much cuter and gives it a sort-of vintagey air, but I'm still not crazy about that white collar. Maybe I should try embroidering something on it. Will keep you posted.

P.S. That is not my bed sheet. Hehe.

I'm so pleased to finally reveal the pleated beauty bag I've been working on for the Bend-the-Rules Sewing swap. This puppy kept me really busy for many days but it was so worth it! I almost wanted to keep it for myself but.... blue is not my colour ;) I hope my swap partner likes it. She sounded like very chic and artistic lady so I tried to make it look stylish and tasteful for her. I also tried to be faithful to her colour specifications. It's always fun to make someone a custom-made item. Here it is! ^_^


Here it is seen from a different light:


The bag's fabric is high quality Essex linen and the contrasting panels are quilting cotton from the Annabella collection by Tina Givens.

I embellished the front with freezer paper stencils. I used Farhana's tutorial to help me out with this. The stenciled design on the right (the leaves) is also inspired by a print from the same fabric collection.


For the pocket I used linen backed with fusible interfacing and embellished it with some lovely lace trim. I also stamped the swap name to commemorate the occasion.


I'm so excited to see what my suprise bag will look like! There's already so many gorgeous creations posted on the Bend-the-Rules sewing flickr pool. I wonder which one is mine! I love secret swaps.

Sorry I've been away so long. The freakish April snowfall bothered me so much. I didn't know I could be so affected by weather but I felt very sad for several days. Now that the snow has gone I am cheerful again... like magic. I am so ready to welcome May. It's my favourite month!

I've also been really busy sewing up a pleated linen bag for a swap. I will reveal it tomorrow. I am pleased that this April I kept myself busy with many projects. I've also been playing Super Mario RPG again on my Snes. Utter glee! Best RPG ever made! What am I gonna do when I finish it? I think I need to cave in and get a DS with Pokemon now. I used to be a Pokemon maniac when I was 18. tee hee hee hee. :D

Today I made the most delicious sandwich. I can't believe it turned out so good.


The bread is organic whole-wheat spread with Vegenaise. Inside I put seaweed tofu fried in a little grapeseed oil, seasoned with fresh lemon juice and garlic salt; hickory smoked Tofurky slices; and some tomato with a little salt on top. GOOD LORD. So full of flavour... so filling and nutritious. Every time I make vegan food it turns out so wholesome. you really must try it. Or if you don't want to, at least try Vegenaise. It tastes so much better than real Mayonnaise. Really tasty and creamy. Not weirdtangy like Miracle Whip (yuck!) but well seasoned and perfect with tomatoes. It doesn't taste "fake". ^_^

I finally finished that quilt top I was working on. I did the strips a long time ago but then they just sat in my sewing room for weeks. Every time I looked at them I felt guilty and disorganized. Last night and this morning I mustered up the energy to sew them all together.


Thank GOD that's over with. Honestly I don't enjoy the process. I love the result.... and that's about it! ^_^ Now I need to go buy some nice cotton batting and start quilting it. But that will not happen for a while because this is what the weather is like:


Harsh! Barren! Rotten! X_x It's not normal for this time of year... obviously. But that's the downside to living in unpredictable Alberta. Bah! No way I'm carrying a giant bag of batting and a kid through this snow. I'm not that hardcore about quilting. :D

Here's a couple more things I made last week:


I made this collage with all these pretty scraps that had no further use but I didn't want to throw way. It was very easy to make and it looks really cute on my wall :) It makes me very happy be slowly filling up my bedroom with my own handmade objects.

Then I did more playing with freezer stencils and made my husband a funny t-shirt.


It's from a phrase that Baraka wrote on a blog post a few months ago. My husband is "kind of" an uncle... in the sense that everyone loves him and comes to him for help and advice. But he is not overbearing or annoying. Or old! He appreciated the shirt. ^_^ I also made him one that says "NO COMMENT" (his favourite comment) but I won't be posting that one cause it's old. :D

Last night I was experimenting with freezer paper stencils and some rough cotton scraps. One of the panels turned out really cute; I thought the circles looked like limes. I started to play around with felt, stamps and gingham, and soon after this dainty little bag was born.


I love the way it turned out. :) Very simple and rustic like the pencil roll before it. It is lined with the same dark green gingham as the front panel. Here's a close up:


I made the strap extra long so I could wear it comfortably like a messenger bag. I'm gonna keep this one and wear it with a pretty dark green tunic.

I made couple more things yesterday.

Last night I finished another roll. I made it really long to store a set of nice watercolour pencils I have. I picked the fabric combination to give it a kind of rustic look. I said "kind of". ;D I'm really happy with how it turned out. Can never go wrong with rough cotton and gingham!



Before that I made my little girl another pair of pijama pants. I used this super delicious retro-inspired jelly fabric from Michael Miller. This is probably my most favourite fabric print ever.


She watched the whole process and helped in her own little ways. Hee hee. When I was done she was so excited to try them on and has been wearing them happily ever since. She keeps pointing to the jellies and saying "Khanna! Yummy!"

Sewing can be so therapeutic. I've been feeling a bit depressed lately but making all this stuff has definitely helped me feel better.

This afternoon I became inspired to cook an all-vegan meal. This is what came out:


The burger "patty" is a roasted portobello mushroom. I marinated it in a sauce made of balsamic vinegar, grapeseed oil, herbs and teriyaki sauce, then I roasted it in the oven in its own juices. I dressed the bun with Vegenaise, fresh tomato and romaine lettuce. It was SUBLIME. Oh so juicy. Why eat a fried beef patty when I can get even more pleasure out of a beautiful mushroom? This one is a keeper. I almost can't believe it turned out so good.

The potatoes were roasted in a lemony sauce with pepper and herbs. Again, unbelievably delicious. Best potatoes I ever made. All this is thanks to the Veganomicon. That book is stealing my heart fast.

So happy :) I actually had a good time preparing this food and I feel more encouraged than ever to go veggielicious.

Labels: going veg

Today I made this roll for Wayfarer's Sew-Along. I used the pattern for a crayon roll but made it a little taller to keep all my pens. Every momma of a toddler knows pens are a problem. So now I have this handy and cute place to keep them from disappearing. Yay!


Unrolled:


I used vintage-inspired fabrics cause my mood dictated so. heeee... This was one of the most enjoyable projects ever.

Last week the theme was for pants made from a shirt. I made this simple pair with a very soft cotton t-shirt.


Next time I'll use an XL size shirt because this M one was too small to cover her ankles. I really like how simple it turned out. And so soft! The strawberries add just a tiny touch of sweetness. ;) Took only 1/2 hour to make. This was the only pic I could take because she's a squiggly wiggly lil' worm.

I also wanna show you this cool thing I found at the thrift store. It's so adorable... just missing little pixelated Dutch children. ^_^


April is cramming month! Expect more crafty updates.

Salam! I just wanted to thank y'all for commenting on my veggie post. I'll reply in depth to your comments when baby gives me a spot of tentacle-free time.

Now I just want to refresh your memories. A few months ago I entered two Pay-It-Forward giveaways. One was Surviving's and the other one was Alienbea's. This left me with the responsibility to find six people who would get in on the program. However some commenters expressed hesitation at having to make 3 items ... so! I scrapped the P.I.F. and just turned it into a giveaway. Free handmade gift from me! Actually the gift is free in trust that you may be inspired to perform an act of charity or kindness. (Leena's idea ;)

I have so far 5 people who expressed interest. (Yes you all did! I browsed all my old comments and posts) You can find the list at the bottom of my sidebar. All of you will receive a handmade item from me sometime this summer. I'll ask for your mailing address when it's ready.


DA list be filleded up. U waitz 4 cheezburger now.

I've mentioned before that I want to go back to a vegetarian diet. It's time I started working towards that goal. I'm going to document my gradual progress here. I will take it more seriously that way.

My first step will be to cut out chicken meat. This will not be hard because I rarely eat it. I do like the taste of grilled chicken breast, but after informing myself on the horrific practices in the poultry industry, I am more than willing to give it up. I just can't be part of that anymore. Even if the chicken was slaughtered the halal way, I seriously doubt there was a significant difference on how the chickens were kept and treated during their lives.

If you would like to read about it, here's an article that summarizes the plight of chickens:

http://goveg.com/factoryFarming_chickens.asp


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Things I'm looking forward to:

• Vegan baking
• Coconut milk curries
• Super hearty vegetable soups
• Learning to beautify roasted potatoes and other root vegetables
• Exploring South Indian vegetarian cuisine
• Making vegan ice-cream!

Biggest challenges:

Dairy products - I don't know if I will be able to do this one right now. Dairy products are a huge staple of my family's diet, especially cheese. To give them up would require an entire overhaul of our personal lifestyle and culture. I honestly don't feel ready to do that. Reducing would be a realistic goal. I can definitely see myself replacing cow's milk with soy, rice, or nut milks. I cannot, however, see myself giving up cheddar and cottage cheese, yogurt, or butter. If I ever decide to go vegan this would be the final frontier.

Eggs - This should be the next step after giving up chicken. It will be a difficult challenge. I love eating fried eggs with rice. I always buy "organic, free run" eggs but wonder how much truth there is to that statement. I'll experiment with substitutes and go at this gradually.

Fish - Really love eating salmon and shrimp. But when I go to the grocery store and see the tanks of live fish... overcrowded, some fish swimming sideways, some blind, some diseased or with fight bites all over their bodies, my heart sinks. They may seem insignificant and small, but they are living beings enduring torture. I can see the suffering in their eyes, and it hurts. (I don't care if people think I'm batsh!t crazy for feeling this way) I realize this is a small sample of what may be going on in fish farms. Maybe I'll take a picture of it some time.

Actually after verbalizing all this, fish won't be so hard to give up.

Social eating with other Pakistani families - Enormous hurdle. When I give up red meat (which Inshallah will happen sooner than later) how will I manage at dinnertime with other Pakistani families? It is a big deal for guests to be served meat. Generous aunties always pile my plate with rice and goat curry. I would never want to insult my loving hostesses, and I never want to be perceived as a snotty veggiehadi (haw haw snort). I'm still racking my brain on how to deal with these situations gracefully. More importantly, how will I manage when I visit my in-laws in Pakistan? I really don't want to seem needy, or snobby, or annoying. For now, the plan is to master cooking delicious vegetarian dishes to surprise and charm guests and in-laws.

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Being a Muslim is not even an issue for me. We are commanded by Allah to treat animals with kindness, and in my personal opinion, vegetarianism is right in line with that command. Yes I know meat is halal and recommended, but I just don't feel good about it anymore. I no longer want to be a consumer or supporter of the exploitative meat industry. When I was a teen I did it because of my adherence to the Straight Edge philosophy, but later crumbled in front of a delicious plate of lamb. Now, as a conscious and mature adult, I am making a thoroughly informed and firm choice. If I go now, I will never be coming back [to eating omnivorously].

If you have any thoughts or suggestions, please share them with me!

Here's a cute article I found:

Who Says Muslims Can't Be Vegetarians?

Labels: going veg

When will I come out of this funk? It's killing me. I'm so over winter and its crippling effects. I need sunshine NOW. I need honeysuckle-scented spring air, lemon ice lollies on scorching afternoons, and cheeks burnt red by the July sun. Why do I love strawberries so much?

They remind me of the sweet and simple delights of the spring and summer seasons. How I love to eat a juicy bowl of strawberries, cherries or raspberries while burying my feet in fresh green grass. And if they're sour, I keep a little bowl of sugar by my side. When I finish, my lips and fingertips are messy bright red and my heart is refreshed. On days like that, I really love life. It's simple and pure happiness. When I use strawberry imagery in my crafts I get a little reminder that delicious days like that are possible. :D

Hey guys. Thanks for being patient with me. So. I've been up to not much. My creative mojo is shot these days. I just don't feel like doing stuff. Any kind of stuff. Maybe it's the weird weather or the eerie nonsense going on in my basement. The other night I found a small section of the basement carpet covered in blood spots. I checked and double checked my feet and my daughter's but we absolutely did not have any cuts. Not bleeding from anywhere else either. They look like little rain droplets. I just shrugged it off like I usually do, but when I mentioned it to DH the next day, he started talking about some scary stuff he saw in Pakistan and it bothered me. Bah. I'm still not scared but I just don't wanna go down there. I'll get over it soon enough, because I have a pile of unfinished and upcoming projects that need attention.

What else? I've been playing the BrainLord RPG on my SNES. I played it in highschool but that was a long time ago and I didn't remember anything. hee heee!@)! I enjoy role-playing games so much. I still play Animal Crossing every single morning. When I finish Brainlord I'll go through my Snes Emulator library and wait patiently until Animal Crossing comes out on the Wii. That's when I will purchase one. ;)

One day I really want to do this scene in cross stitch:


It doesn't get any more classic than that! And raccoon Mario! What's not to love? When I was little I thought those cacti were dancing boogers. I could listen to that stage's song for hours. You remember it right? ;)



There's this awesome, awesome software called PM Stitch Creator that will take any picture and turn it into a cross stitch pattern, complete with a custom guide that will tell you what brand and colours of floss you will need. How kick ass is that?! Definitely something I will use for making cross-stitch pictures from video game screens ;) The only reason I'm attracted to this craft is because it looks like pixel art, and that provides endless geeky possibilities. Yay!

The other day was my birthday and we had a pretty low key celebration. We went to a thrift store and I treated myself with my favourite cupcakes - strawberry with white chocolate buttercream. I really can't be bothered frosting my cupcakes all fancy because I want to eat them as soon as possible. :D They were just wonderful.


What else? Here is the quilt I'm going to make, all cherry-coloured and sweet.


That's just the little squares arranged loosely. I've sewn up all the strips but now I need to attach them all together to make the quilt top. Not sure how I will quilt it yet... Following the square shape or diagonally? I need to consult a book for some tips. I'll post pictures of the progress as it happens. I want to stuff it with some organic cotton batting. We'll see how it goes!

Anyway... I was looking for pics of Raccoon Mario and found this:



Delightfully disturbing! :D

Sorry about the indecisive douchebaggery. I miss talking with my friends. XD haha.