The Mother of One

Pathetic attempts at blogging

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:59:00 +0000

Looks like my poor little blog is getting more neglected as each week passes. I don't know what it is, but I've never been able to get into blogging like I wanted to.

I've been notified by CNCZ that I need a new blog post because the last one makes her bawl. Well, this is for you my fellow married to a crazy algerian sister :)

Deciding whether or not to share this with the world has been difficult. I wasn't sure if it was too soon, but here goes nothing....I'm pregnant!!!! Yup, I'm gonna have another stinky little half american, half algerian baby. I hesitated to share this with you all because in these 5 months I've already been pregnant, misscarried and pregnant again. I'm so afraid that I will somehow mess things up by sharing so please send a big mashaAllah and lots of prayers our way.

My hormone levels seem to be extremely high. I am sick to my stomach and throwing up all hours of the night and day. I'm exhausted, and I've lost about 6lbs. I normally would be super excited about the weight loss, but I'm just so hungry. Too bad for me because I can't seem to keep anything down.

We obviously haven't told Abdurrahman that we're going to have a baby, but he knows somehow. Any time I complain about being sick, he tells me it's that baby in my stomach that is making me sick. He says he's a genius and his brain told him about the baby. MashaAllah I guess he is.

I think he's going to be a great big brother. He's waited so long for this, and I'm super excited for him.....and for us. It's another step towards normalcy and towards putting this awful nightmare behind us.

OH....I haven't shared this news with my entire family or friends so if anyone I know in real life reads this please do not mention this to anyone yet.

Where to start?

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:46:00 +0000

I want to start by thanking everone for their kind words and well wishes. I hope that you all had a blessed Ramadhan and Eid.

As you all probably expected, I haven't had much time for my dear little blog. What's new, right?

We are working hard to become a family again and meshing our lives together after such a long difficult time apart. It's not always easy, but this was expected. However, it sure does feel great when things go right. We're still ironing out all of the kinks.

Little things like smelling my husband's cologne when I walk in the door from work just grab me...it travels throughout the house. While my two men are still asleep in their beds, I inhale the cologne before crawling into a my not so big not so lonely bed. I find myself staring at him constantly, smothering him with hugs and kisses, asking him to look at recipes with me or test the food that I am cooking. Small everyday things that people take for granted that I had forcibly taken from my family over two and half years ago.

I find myself sitting on the sofa thinking about random things. When was that? Was he here when it happened? Was it before he left of after? It's all a blur. I have shed more tears in the two months since he has returned than I shed the entire time that he was gone. I cried for the loss of moments that we can never recapture. It's amazing how my husband left this little 3 year old baby and returned to a 6 year old man...he's a big boy now. He's loving having his baba back home. I have seen such positive changes in his attitude, behavior and demeanor in such a short period of time.

Please continue to pray for our family as we transition into this new chapter of our lives together.

I almost forgot to add that Abdu had his annual cardiology checkup a few weeks ago. Abdu's doctors played a huge part in the return of my husband, and the last appointment my husband attended was in 2006. The doctor was just so pleased to see my husband. She offered a congratulations and was happy that she could help. She noted many positive changes in Abdu's demeanor before giving us the great news ever. He had a CT scan and echocardiogram earlier in the day. She informed us that his heart has improved over last year in every possible way. All of his abnormal numbers have lessened. What this means is that although his aorta and valves are not normal, he is on the low end of abnormal....VERY MILD. Now instead of an annual check-up he can wait for two years. We couldn't be more happy!

I can't hold it in any longer

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:38:00 +0000

My husband is coming home tomorrow inshaAllah. I wanted to wait. I didn't want to spoil it. I just can't hold it in any longer though. I had to share our good news.

Alhamdulillah our family is finally being reunited after 27 long months of harship and suffering.

May Allah bring us safely together in love, peace, and happiness. May he never let us forget the suffering that we endured. May he reward us for our effforts and forgive us our shortcomings. Ameen.

Travelling

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 13:39:00 +0000

On a bus. 10 hours. Through the desert. Back to Algiers. More time with his family. Goodbyes. Tears. On a plane. Back to me. Finally!

He'll be home soon. I can't say when, but it will be within the next few weeks inshaAllah. We're not telling anyone here the exact day of his arrival because we need to spend some time together before Abdu comes home and before the visitors start. You know how the muslims are with their visiting and their congratulations...

I suppose I'll be back to update when he has landed. See you all soon :)

Takeoff

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:19:00 +0000

Visa FINALLY in hand. Tickets Purchased. Shopping underway. Landing on.....wouldn't you like to know?!?!

Quick Update

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 19:25:00 +0000

I just wanted to let everyone know that my husband is not here yet... He went to the U.S. Embassy in Algiers yesterday to turn in his passport. He will pick it up, with visa, in 8 days. InshaAllah he will be flying out the middle to end of July.

I have so many things to do to prepare for his arrival, but I'll let you know when I have an exact date. As always, please keep us in your prayers. Make duaa for him to have a safe trip and a relatively easy time getting through U.S. customs. I know they will let him in inshaAllah. I just don't want him to be there too long.

Almost forgot. Abdurrahman is spending an extended vacation with my parents. They will get to spend some quailty Abdu time while I rest and prepare for my husband's arrival. I'll be back soon with details. Thanks again for thinking about us.

The Reason

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Sat, 02 May 2009 15:38:00 +0000

I've been on a sort of high all week, and I've barely slept. I find myself smiling for no reason at all. I still can't believe that in a few short months my husband will be home and we will be able to finally pick up where things left off two years ago. I had begun to lose hope in the last month or so. I reached a point of such desperation that I began telling everyone that I didn't think my husband would ever come home again. This approval came just when I needed it the most, and I'm so thankful for it.

Many people have asked me why my husband couldn't return to the U.S. or why was it taking so long. Others treated me as if I had done something wrong. I must have done something wrong if I, a U.S. citizen, couldn't get my spouse status in this country. Those words hurt the most because what people don't know is that I have been fighting for him for over six(6) years.

I cannot give you the entire history of what happened to him in Algeria, beginning in 1991, or what happened after he left in 1995. I can tell you that he entered the U.S. in 1999 with fraudulent documents in order to apply for political asylum. He applied for asylum within a number of months, was granted legal work authorization, and his case continued for 5 years.

We married in 2002 while his asylum was pending and I filed a petition for alien relative in February 2003. In June 2005 his asylum was denied and we appealed to the Bureau of Immigration Appeals. While that appeal was pending, our alien relative petition was approved 2.5 years after filing. Because of the type of visa he used to enter the country, he was not allowed to adjust status here to get his green card.

In late 2005 his appeal was denied, and we prepared for filing with the 8th circuit federal court of appeals. We went on with our lives. My husband continuted working legally and I graduated from college. I began working and three months later, while our 8th circuit appeal was pending, we received a notice to appear at the local immigration office. I'd written about this experience before so I will not go into details here, but that day my husband was taken into custody of immigration officials. He spent 106 days in a county jail before ultimately being sent back to Algeria.

This is where things really become complicated. Upon his departure from the U.S., he received a lifetime inadmissibility for his fraudulent entry. Had his asylum been approved, this would have been forgiven. It's a common form of entry for those who fear for their lives because they have no other way. This meant that he was banned from the U.S. for life.

In the first months of his detention/removal, we were preparing for our interview at the U.S. embassy in Algeria. For nearly a year our interview was not scheduled because he had difficulty obtaining a police clearance certificate. We finally received that certificate when I was in Algeria visiting him for the first time last year, and his interview was scheduled for July 12, 2008.

At his interview, when most intending immigrants would be issued a visa, he was denied because of his lifetime inadmissibility. We were already aware that this would happen and prepared to file to waive his inadmissibilities. One for the fraudulent entry/visa overstay and another for the deportation. We turned in a 100+ page packet prepared by our lawyer outlining the extreme hardship we would face if my husband were not allowed to re-enter the country. One would think it only makes sense that a married couple would need to live together but that is not the case.

The paperwork was turned in that day in July and forwarded over to the Department of Homeland Security in Rome. It took 3 months for his paperwork to be forwarded because of lengthy background checks. It was received in Rome in October 2008 and we began to wait again.

Finally, just his week, we were notified that we had been approved. Most people have absolutely no understanding of the complexities of immigration law in this country. A great injustice has been done to my family in the last two years, but thankfully this is almost behind us now. My husband can return to being a husband again. He can return to taking care of his son who needs him greatly. Abdu will never have to be in the hospital again without his father by his side. We will be a family again.

I urge you all to please consider supporting American families United to help others in similar situations.

The answer we've been waiting for

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:29:00 +0000

This past Saturday, I marked the two year anniversary of my husband's departure. My family and friends have faithfully stood by my side, and they held my hand that day to help me get through it.

All of our prayers have finally been answered. Today, I found out that my husband has been approved! I can't say anything. I've been screaming, crying, jumping, praying, and thanking Allah with every single breath.

I have happiness and a sense of peace inside of me that I haven't felt in a long time. I've had dreams about this day. How would we find out? How would my husband react? He was actually the one to call and tell me. I fell to the floor crying upon hearing the sweetest words, "Honey, we're approved." He sounds so relieved. I can hear it in his voice.

First and foremost, all praise and thanks to Allah for reuniting my family. Thanks to everyone, all of my brothers and sisters, in the real and blogging worlds. Your thoughts, prayes, and kind words have gotten me through this trial. May Allah reward you all greatly for what you have offered us. Ameen.

Time

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 00:08:00 +0000

Isn't it amazing how quickly time passes? At this time last year, I was enjoying a glorious two weeks with my husband. I was able to meet my extended family for the first time. I was able to explore everything that is Algeria. I was able to be a wife again. My son was able to have his father again. We were a family.

So much can change in a year, and yet so much is still the same. I am a wife. My son does have a father. We are a family. Just a different family. A family separated by an ocean, but still going strong.

Conversations

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 16:36:00 +0000

Me: Habibi I'm getting soooooo OLD!

Husband: huh???

Me: You know I will be 28 in two months. Why do I have to get old?

Husband: you know you still look 21 don't you

Me: What do you want from me?

Husband: So, uh... What are you and Abdu doing today?

HAHAHAHAHA I can't even take a dang compliment anymore. If he doesn't say nice things I'm all over him. If he says something nice, I think he has an ulterior motive. He just can't win and he knows it.

BTW I was just barely 21 when we got married and at that time people thought I was 17.

I don't know what's wrong with me lately. I know that I"m not old, but I feel like in the last two years I've aged a lifetime. I've got to start taking care of my skin or I'll look like an old bag in a few years.

I'm busy in the kitchen today so hopefully I"ll have a new recipe post(with pictures) real soon.

Meme

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:56:00 +0000

This is a fun one I saw over at DP's spot. Here we go!

What are your middle names? Mine is Lynn and my husband obviously doesn't have one. Is this an Algerian thing DP?

How long have you been together? we were married on August 1, 2002. We're getting close to 7 years. WOW!! mashaAllah I was a wee little baby when we got married.

How long did you know each other before you started dating? We didn't date.

How old are each of you? He's 37 and I'm 27. I like to complain about the funky 40 year old arab dudes marrying 25 year olds. For some reason it's different and acceptable that my husband is a cradle robber. For them...not so much.

Whose siblings do you see the most? Neither. My sister is an undercover crack head. I swear. My husband's relatives are in Algeria. At the moment, I would say that he sees his siblings fairly often..like every day. I haven't seen my sister in 2.5 years.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? This dang separation. Alhamdulillah our marriage has been protected throughout this ordeal. If it had happened earlier on in our marriage I am not sure if we would have survived it. It's so hard to keep up a relationship when you're living an ocean away.

Did you go to the same school? Not even close.

Are you from the same home town? Again....not even close.

Who is smarter? I have more book smarts than he does, but he definitely has more street smarts and experience. I'm not saying he is dumb. MashaAllah he's a smart guy, but he just didn't have the opportunity to reach his potential with schooling because of the political situation in Algeria b4 he left.

Who is the most sensitive? Me. I've only seen my husband cry 3 times in our marriage: death of his grandmother, Abdu's open heart surgery, and the day he was taken into immigration custody. All miserable days, but well worth the tears. I wouldn't know what to do if he blubbered all the time like some men. This house couldn't handle it because I cry enough for the both of us.

Where do you eat out most as a couple? In true Algerian fashion, dude prefers to eat at home. we have a few favorite dining out spots that we really enjoy. Usually, if it's not one of those places, he complains that my food at home is much better and it didn't cost $60.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? I wouldn't call it travelling, but we drove a u-haul truck from New Orleans to where we are now living which is just over 1400 miles.

Who has the craziest exes? neither

Who has the worst temper? me. I've got major attitude.

Whoe does the most cooking? Me for sore.

Who is the neat-freak? I'll clean but I can't organize a thing. My husband is more into the organizing. He's got great ideas about how to keep the house clean, but sucky implementation of those ideas.

Who is more stubborn? him

Who hogs the bed? We stick to our respective sides pretty well.

Who wakes up earlier? Me. I'm always cooking breakfast and making coffee while he's lounging in the bed for another 40 minutes.

Where was your first date? We went with another couple to a greek restaurant.

Who is more jealous? Me, but he has his moments.

How long did it take to get serious? not very long

Who eats more? He does.

Who does the laundry? Both.

Who’s better with the computer? me

Who drives when you are together? He does because I do enough driving when he isn't home.

****Sorry for not posing the shrimp picture. I just purchased some more shrimp. I will attempt to charge my battery so I can take a picture. This has become one of our favorite dishes and we eat at it a least every other week.

Shrimp Scampi and Rice

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 01:46:00 +0000

All types of seafood were abundant and regularly on our table growing up. My mom wasn't much of a cook but she often cooked sauteed shrimp and rice for us. Her version was simple and contained instant rice. Although I have fond memories of my mother's dish, my version is much better.

Shrimp Scampi and Rice

1/2 lb fresh gulf shrimp, shells removed and deveined
1 onion, diced
small pinch saffron threads, about 1/8-1/4 tsp
1 C basmati rice
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed into a paste with a small amount of salt
1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 C clam juice
1 1/2 C prepared chicken stock

Cut cleaned shrimp into small pieces. If using large shrimp, they should be cut into 2-3 pieces.

In a large saucepan, melt butter and olive oil over a medium heat. Saute onions with saffron, parsley flakes and a small amount of salt until translucent. Add crushed garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer.

Add basmati rice and stir to coat with butter. Add desired amount of salt and pepper. Pour clam juice and chiken stock into the saucepan. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Add shrimp pieces and stir. Cover and lower heat to lowest setting.

After 20 minutes, remove from heat and allow to sit covered for 10 more minutes. Fluff rice with a fork. Serve with fresh steamed broccoli.

This was delicious. Abdu enjoyed it so much that he had seconds.

*picture coming tomorrow. I was so hungry that we ate without taking a photo. I"ll try to snap a pic when we're eating leftovers.

Babies

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:55:00 +0000

Can I tell you just how much I want one of them?

There was a time, not too long ago, when I thought I didn't want anymore children. Babies are difficult. No sleep. Crying. No sleep. Feeding. No sleep. Changing. No sleep. Did I mention no sleep? I still want though.
I will be happy if Abdurrahman is all that Allah has written for us, but why can't I just have another one...like right now.

InshaAllah......soon.

In other news, my husbands case status has been updated from pending to ready for adjudication. Slowly but surely we are moving forward. Allah has given us strength through this long and difficult journey and I have no doubt he can get us through to the end...inshaAllah with a positive outcome.

Looks like I"ve been tagged

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 22:34:00 +0000

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago
1. I was 17
2. I was a senior in high school
3. I was still living in my home state
4. I was preparing for college
5. Working at my first job

5 Snacks I Like
1. cheese
2. apples
3. strawberries
4. yogurt
5. chocolate

5 things I would do if I was a (multi-)millionaire
1. Purchase a home in the US and in Algeria
2. Purchase apartments for my husband's brothers and sister so they can get married
3. Send my child(ren) to college
4. Help those in need in my community
5. Pay my parents bills so that they can retire comfortably.

5 places I have lived ( for various lengths of times)
various locations in two different states in the US

5 Jobs I have had
1. pizza shop my senior year of high school
2. Picking my brother up from the bus every day and watching him during the summer-he has downs syndrome and i did this since I was in middle school
3. restaurant
4. mom/wife
5. Histotechnologist-current

5 people i tag

Lessons from a 5 year old

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:52:00 +0000

This conversation took place between my son and I in the elevator last night.

Abdu- Mommy you know we have to reuse paper?

Me-What?

Abdu- Yes we have to reuse paper. Write on both sides.

Me- Did your teacher tell you that?

Abdu- NO! MOM! I told me that...

Me-okay, so where did you learn that from?

Abdu- Mommmmm! I have a good brain. I'm a genius.

MashaAllah. I don't know where he gets this stuff from, but most of us could learn a lot from the five year olds in our life.

Since we all like to eat...

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 01:15:00 +0000

This is a really yummy dish that is very popular throughout Algeria. I'm sure everyone has their own version. This is mine. I apologize about the quality of the picture. The lighting is very bad in my kitchen.

TAJIN ZITOUN

Chicken legs or thighs, skin removed
1 onion diced
cinnamon
thyme, dried
1 jar manzanilla green olives, drained
carrots, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
butter
light and dark olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Clean and pat dry chicken. Cook chicken and onions with cinnamon and thyme in light olive oil on a medium high heat until pink color is gone and onions are tender. About 5-7 minutes. Stir often and be careful not to burn chicken or onions. Season with salt and pepper and add enough water to just cover chicken. Add a few tablesppons of butter. Brint to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook until chicken is no longer pink.

Remove chicken from pot and add sliced carrots. Bring back to a boil and cook for about 3-5 minutes to soften carrots. You want them to still have some bite. Do not overcook because they will further cook in the oven.

Lightly cover the bottom of an oven=proof baking dish with good quality dark extra virgin olive oil. Arrange chicken in the dish adding the drained olives. Pour carrots and sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with more thym, rubbing it between your fingers to break it down, and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Bake uncovered in a preheated oven until chicken is lightly browned on top.

Delicious served with warm pita bread and grilled vegetable salad. If you're really in the cooking mood, try serving with homemade french fries tossed with finely chopped parsley and onions.

Bon Appetit!

Update tomorrow

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 07:19:00 +0000

how's that for a post? You might even get a recipe with pics. Who knows! I'll see ya'll then.

I've been commanded to update

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 18:13:00 +0000

A fellow blogger friend of mine, Rainbow in the Grey Sky, has ordered me to update my blog. Can you imagine that? I always do what I'm told. So, here I am updating my blog. She better be happy because I don't take orders from anyone. Thanks for the encouragement. Lately, I haven't known what to say. It feels like my blog has become a place to whine about my sadness and many times I forget how blessed I really am.

How would you all like some good news? I'm about to give you some. It's BIG news too. alhamdulillah. My husband's paperwork finally has been recieved at the U.S. embassy in Rome. A decison on his case will be made there and we can expect an answer in 180 days inshaAllah. The received the paperwork some time in October which means we could hear something by April.

We had to contact our congressman to get some answers, but alhamdulillah we are pleased with the answer we received. Last saturday marked 18 months since my husband has been gone. On Monday we got the good news. I was feeling like I could not take another day and then this happened. Subhanallah every time I think I can't take it anymore, something happens to give me strength. Something to give me faith and to help me hold on a little bit longer.

My husband's first reaction was pure happiness. He can't believe that in just 6 months he could actually be home with us again. InshaAllah he will be. We know, logically, that it could take longer but we are just hoping and praying for a speedy approval.

Please sisters continue to make duaa for my family. Ask Allah to have our petition approved and have us reunited as soon as possible.

For now

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 13:46:00 +0000

For now, I'm just hoping for a nice weekend inshaAllah. Eid was.......horrible. I had to work the night before and Abdu had school early in the morning. We had a nice lunch after school was over, and I slept most of the day. I don't have much motivation to get out and visit with people. Honsetly, I don't care about anyone else. I just want my husband, but I'll try not to think about that too much right now.

I'm hoping to get out of the house with the kid today. Right now I'm making tiramisu and for dinner we will have moussaka and breadsticks. Weekends pretty much revolve around food in this house. It keeps me busy and ensures that we have nice things to eat during the week.

I hope everyone had a nice Eid and enjoys the weekend.

Eid Mubarak!

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:48:00 +0000

I hope that everyone enjoys their Eid. I pray that everyone's efforts in the month of Ramadhan were accepted.

I spent so much time making these sweets that I didn't sleep. I worked my night shift and came home and crashed this morning. I didn't even make it to the prayer :( Abdu got off of the schoolbus and we went to have a nice lunch. InshaAllah we are about to take a nap, but I didn't want to keep you in suspense any longer.

Here are my Eid Sweets....M'chawek, Vanilla Almond cookies, and Almond and Orange blossom cake.

Don't worry there were plenty more than this. My co-workers enjoyed the cookies and especially enoyed the M'chawek. They were surprised how quicly Ramadhan went and were thankful for the dessert.

Busy. Busy. BUSY!

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 20:42:00 +0000

I'm in the kitchen today preparing sweets for Eid. Expect pictures real soon.

UGGGGHHHH.....I"ve been tagged

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:33:00 +0000

Just kidding.

Rainbow in the Grey Sky has tagged me. I wasn't number one, but I guess she didn't want to upset anyone's feelings so she had to keep me down at the bottom of the list. It's okay. I know she was just protecting everyone else's feelings. Right?!!?

Here's the deal: Tag 5 people whose blogs you read and you often think about. Easy enough, but how do I pick just five. Let's see what I can come up with.

1.Organica-she is my best friend in the whole world. I miss her terribly and that little teaser she just gave me wasn't enough. I often think about her future, where she has come from in the last 3 years, and her sucess so far. She is strong beyond belief. I hope and pray for her happiness always.

2.Rainbow in the Grey sky-my tagger. my cooking buddy. my fellow married to an algerian sister. I often wonder how in the world you lived in Algeria for 3 years without your husband. I hope that you are adjusting well to life back in London and back together as a family.

3. The Pioneer Woman-that lady cracks me up and fattens me up. One word...BUTTER. You go visit her and you'll see what I'm talking about. I'm always waiting for the day she announces the upcoming arrival of a new little punk to her bunch. Hey, P-dub are there any other ways you can think of to use butter? Wait, I'm not sure I want to know :)

4. Stranger in this Dunyah- Another Brit married t an Algerian. Where do we find all of you??? Anyhoo, she lives in the bustling metropolis that is Riyadh. Will I get to meet her? Someday, maybe. Hopefully.

5. Safa- I always always always think about you. I have been reading your blog for a LONG time. So long that I feel like I know you personally. I always think about how you are adjusting to being a single mom. I think you are doing an amazing job.

As promised

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 09:16:00 +0000

This Ramadhan, like last year, has been a hectic one. My little one started kindergarten on the first day of Ramadhan. It's hard to believe that two weeks has passed by already. Two weeks with nothing really special happening. Abdu and I are just existing in our own way. We are getting used to his school routine, and I am attempting to fit in some free time for worship. At the moment, my goal is to read Qur'an a few times a week, pray the sunnah prayers, and make it to tarawih prayers on Saturday nights. I would also like to go over the small chapters of the Qur'an that I have forgotten. I find that they come back easily mashaAllah, but I have to work at it.

I haven't watched television in almost 2 months. It wasn't a choice but something that happened by chance. It broke in July and I haven't bothered to fix it. I didn't have much time to watch anyway, but now I have that little bit of extra time to do other things. MashaAllah it has been an unexpected blessing.

My son and I have been doing our best to have a nice iftar every day. I'm cooking some of his favorites and some new dishes too. I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but this Algerian kid of mine sure does. I watch his sugars very closely because he is an active boy. We enjoyed making

this one together.

White Chocolate Fruit Tart adapted from Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup of butter, softened( 1 1/2 sticks unsalted)

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

FILLING
10(ounces) white chocolate chips, melted and cooled(can use vanilla chips as well)

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1(8oz) package philadelphia cream cheese, softened(in ME they come in 250gm containers)

fresh strawberries

1 kiwi

1 peach, thinly sliced

raspberries

GLAZE

strawberry jam

DIRECTIONS

In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour; mix well. Press into an ungreased 11-in. tart pan with removable bottom or 12-in. pizza pan with sides. Bake at 300 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

For filling, in a small mixing bowl, beat melted chips and cream. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth. Spread over crust. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/2 cup juice; set juice aside. Arrange the pineapple, strawberries, oranges and kiwi over filling.

For glaze, pulse strawberry jam in a food processor to break up any fruit chunks. When jam is smooth cook in a small nonreactive saucepan over medium low heat. The jam will become thinner and almost translucent. Remove from heat and using a pastry cover fruit with "glaze." The glaze will help to keep the color of the fruit. Refrigerate for 1 houre before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

I thought this dessert was quite good. The crust tastes like one of those walker shortbread cookies, but the filling is too rich for my taste. I had two small pieces in about 4 days and took the rest for my co-workers.

NOTE: I used an 11 inch tart pan with removable bottom. It slides out of the pan easily and has a beautiful crust. In my pictures, the tart is sitting on the removable bottom of the pan. I didn't want you thinking it was sitting on the counter.

BON APPETIT!

Evacuations...again

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 20:07:00 +0000

I was planning a thoughtful post in remembrance of Hurricane Katrina, but instead I'm writing about the terror that will be Hurricane Gustav. I'm almost in shock, but I remembered this is the gulf coast we're talking about. I lived through Hurricane Andrew and numerous other hurricanes and tropical stroms. Until Katrina, I didn't pay much attention to hurricanes. My family NEVER evacuated. We boarded up the windows and made sure we had plenty of supplies. During Andrew, I remember sleeping on the floor of my parents' bedroom thinking that this would be the night I died. The thing that I remember most from the other storms was the heat when the power went out. You can only be so comfortable in 90+ degree weather with stifling heat. I always sat in my house sweating while my little brother had his tv, games, and a fan hooked up to a generator. The little brat. He has downs syndrom and my parents were concerned most about keeping him calm and comfortable. Today, in order to keep him calm and comfortable they evacuate. They began evacuating the year before Katrina because he just became too scared and since Katrina they do not mess around. They left Saturday afternoon and headed east to Alabama. My mom, dad, brother and 13 year old neice settled their motorhome at a campground in AL only to leave 12 hours later because storm surges were a threat there too. They have made their way into the northern part of Alabama and will, hopefully, be able to stay there.

My sister and her husband have refused to evacuate. They live in the lower part of our parish(aka county to most americans) nearer to the Gulf of Mexico and on LOW LOW ground. Her husband went to get a boat. How stupid is that? Seriously, if you think you may need a boat then you need to leave. My 76 year old grandmother has also refused to leave. She would not go with anyone in the family, but they were finally able to convince her to stay at my parents house. My parents live outside a flood zone on high ground next to the river. If she won't leave New Orleans we at least feel better that she is there. Not confident that she is safe...just better. One of my uncles has decided to stay behind with her. I hope that they are safe.

I pray for my family's safety and for their property to be spared. I also pray for all those who are in the path of this killer storm.

Getting ready for Kindergarten

noreply@blogger.com (UmmAbdurRahman) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:41:00 +0000

My little man is growing up. He makes his bed and picks up toys in his room. He enjoys pouring his own drink and getting dressed. Now, he's picking out school supplies for kindergarten.

This morning we visited his school to finish some last minute paperwork. The school's principal was there and gave Abdu a little pop quiz. He counted from 1-10 and backwards from 10-1 and said his ABC's. MashaAllah, Abdu had a huge smile on his face when the principal told him how good he did. Abdu wanted to get out a pencil and start writing, but we had things to do. After we finished, we took a walk around the school building. When we walked passed the kindergarten classroom, I reminded him that he has to listen to the teacher and raises his hand when he wants to ask a question. He shouldn't hit or kiss people at school. Kisses are for mama and baba only. When we reached the bathroom, I showed him where the boy's room was. I took extra time to explain to him that he goes in the "man's room" and not the ladies. For his whole life I've taken him into the ladies room with me so it's a bit hard getting him to understand that he doesnt go in there at school. We took a look in the library and he told me that he is going to read all of those books. Overall, I'm satisfied with the school so far. We'll see how it goes in two weeks when he starts.

Just make duaa for my little man to transition well into the school environment. May Allah protect him. ameen.