Two Eggs in a Day

All praise be to Allah SWT husband just found two eggs in the chicken coop!

One of them has a small crack while the other has no damages.

Looks like egg production is going up!

Australia's Lamingtons

I've just baked and prepared Australia's national cake - Lamingtons.

All praise be to Allah SWT I found the recipe here.

Even husband gave two thumbs up for this delicious cake.

Ingredients:

4 eggs
¾ cup of castor sugar
2/3 cup of plain flour
1/3 cup of cornflour
1 teaspoon of baking powder

Chocolate Icing
500 grams / 1 lb of icing sugar
1/3 cup of cocoa
15 grams / ½ oz of butter
½ cup of milk
Dessicated Cooconut

Method:

Preheat oven to 170°C, 340°F or gas mark 3½.

Break the eggs into a mixing bowl and beat with an electric beater until thick and creamy (around 5 to 8 minutes).

When you run a spoon through the mixture, the mark shouldn't disappear.

Gradually beat in the sugar until fully dissolved.

Sift the dry ingredients repeatedly into a separate bowl to ensure that they are thoroughly mixed.

Lightly and quickly fold the dry ingredients in with the eggs and sugar using a metal spoon ensuring that the airy sponge mixture is not broken down, but also that the flour is properly mixed in.

Pour into a well-greased and lined square cake tin.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The cake is cooked when it shrinks slightly away from the side of the tin.

Turn out of tin onto a cake rack immediately.

Chocolate Lamingtons

Melt the butter in a saucepan and remove from the heat.

Sift the icing sugar and cocoa into the saucepan, add the milk and mix through.

Cut the sponge cake into 1 inch/4 cm squares.

Spear each square with a 2-pronged meat fork (or toothpicks) and dip into the icing mix.

Roll in coconut.

A Political Scandal

On last night's '20/20', I watched the program about how a United States senator, John Edwards, kept telling lies to deny his affair and how his subordinate, Andrew Young, covered up the lies with generous support from political donors.

'When presidential contender John Edwards decided he had to hide his mistress and her pregnancy from his wife -- and from the voters -- he concocted an elaborate scheme to keep the scandal a secret, according to the once-loyal aide who helped smuggle the woman through a series of luxurious hideaways. Wealthy benefactors were called on and their sizable contributions funded the lavish life on the lam. ' - Extract from ABCNews.com

I am really disappointed in this senator's conduct in his personal affair. When he campaigned to run for U.S. Vice President with John Kerry in 2004, and for U.S. Presidency in 2008, he came across as someone who would take care of his family and work hard to rebuild this country's economy. On screen and in front of the media, he looked like a honest and loyal person who would not betray his wife and children. At that time, I thought he would make a great president for this country.

After watching this program, I don't think I will buy a copy of Andrew Young's book 'The Politician' about John Edward's affair. I have had enough from watching '20/20'.

The only victims in this scandal are the Edwards' two young children and the Young's three young children who have to live with the impact of the lies on their lives. I just hope that there will not be any negative effect from this cover up on the children from both families, Allah SWT willing.

A Lovely Chinese New Year Card

My dear sister made this lovely CNY card for us. Thanks a bunch, gal!

Maybe she'll send a big 'Ang Bao' for my daughter too... (hint, hint.)

Yummy Goodies

All praise be to Allah SWT yesterday Sr. Ume delivered Pineapple Tarts and Onde Onde that K. Izan made for me.

Pineapple Tart

Onde Onde

All of us enjoyed these delicious goodies. Now my dear sister cannot wait to get her hands on these yummy Pineapple Tarts.

Another Cracked Egg

Left: Cracked egg collected today; Right: Yesterday's egg

This morning's temperature is in the upper 20 degree F, so I went to check the chicken's water container. Sure enough, the water iced over and so I poured hot water to melt the ice.

I thought we could get an egg tomorrow, but I found one in the chicken coop. Although it was cracked, I am glad the we got one today. My dear sister suggested that I get the ladies to wear diapers to see which one is the laying hen. Well, thanks but no thanks... I think I'll pass on this suggestion.

By the way, husband ate the two eggs that we collected earlier this week, and he said they tasted good.

An Unexpected Egg!

It has been raining since last night until now, so I didn't expect to find an egg today.

All praise be to Allah SWT, one of the ladies laid an egg in the chicken coop! I just went to make sure the ladies have sufficient food and clean place to rest, and was surprised to see an egg.

I think if this pattern continues we will have one egg on alternate days, Allah SWT willing!

Recipe: Happiness Cake

This excellent recipe was seen here.

Ingredients:

1 cup good thoughts

1 cup kind deeds

1 cup well-beaten faults

1 cup consideration for others

2 cups sacrifice

3 plus cups forgiveness

Method:

Preheat oven to 98.6 degrees F.

Mix thoroughly

Add:Tears of joy, sorrow and sympathy

Flavor with love and kindly service

Fold in 4 cups prayer and faith

Blend well

Fold into daily life

Bake well with the warmth of human kindness and serve with a smile any time

It will satisfy the hunger of starved souls.

Recipe: Pineapple Tart

I just asked a Malaysian auntie to make Pineapple Tart for me as I am craving for them.

I also found the recipe from a Singaporean, Cheryl Tan, on the Wall Street Journal web site. Along with the recipe is how she grew up eating this dessert made by her grandmother.

Pineapple Tart (Yields about 100 tarts)

For the jam:

4 pineapples
at least ½ kilogram sugar (at least 2 ½ cups, depending on desired sweetness)
2 to 3 pandan leaves* knotted together
1 long cinnamon stick, broken in two

• Peel the pineapples, dig out the eyes and chop into chunks. Run the chunks through a juicer. Place the pulp in a large wok or pot with a large surface area and heat on the stove. Add the juice until the mixture has the consistency of porridge or grits; add the knotted pandan leaves and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil and keep it there for a total of three hours, stirring often. Halfway through, taste the jam, and add sugar by the half cup until it is as sweet as you desire. (Note: The amount of sugar needed will vary greatly depending on how ripe the pineapples are.)
• The jam is done when the pineapple mixture has changed color from bright yellow to brownish ochre and most of the liquid has evaporated, leaving a dense but moist jam.

*Pandan leaves, also called screwpine, can be found frozen in some Asian grocery stores. They are available fresh at http://grocerythai.com/pandan-leaf-p-769.html and http://www.templeofthai.com/food/fresh/pandanusleaf-1000000274.php

For the pastry:

375 grams salted butter (3 sticks plus 2 ½ Tablespoons) at room temperature
600 grams flour (about 4 ¾ cups)
4 egg yolks, plus 1 yolk for brushing onto pastry

• With a mixer on low speed, combine the butter, flour and four egg yolks, mixing for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Place dough in a cookie press fitted with a disc featuring a circle of diamonds. Press cookies out onto greased baking sheets. Form small balls of dough and press each one into the hollow of a cookie, forming the base of the tart.
• Beat the remaining egg yolk with ½ teaspoon of water. Brush the rim of each tart generously. Take a scant teaspoon of pineapple jam (more or less, as desired) and form a ball, then press into the hollow of each tart. Pat the sides of the jam to create a small dome.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees, until golden brown. Remove cookies from sheets and cool on a rack.

The Stubborn Hen

One of the ladies will not take NO for an answer.

When she sees me in the backyard, she would crackle non-stop as if to share gossips from the chicken coop.

She has been 'pestering' me to let her run free in the backyard, even though she KNOWS that our neighbor's cat may drop by for a visit any time.

She has also been trying to sneak out of the chicken coop every time I open the door. This morning I had to use a bamboo cane to chase her back because she is just too fast for me to catch.

I guess I will have to learn to communicate better with this little stubborn hen to get my message through.

Quiz: Get to know yourself better

Just did this quiz on this web site. Hmmm..... interesting.....

Your view on yourself:

You are down-to-earth and people like you because you are so straightforward. You are an efficient problem solver because you will listen to both sides of an argument before making a decision that usually appeals to both parties.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:

You are not looking merely for a girl/boyfriend - you are looking for your life partner. Perhaps you should be more open-minded about who you spend time with. The person you are looking for might hide their charm under their exterior.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:

You prefer to get to know a person very well before deciding whether you will commit to the relationship.

The seriousness of your love:

You like to flirt and behave seductively. The opposite sex finds this very attractive, and that's why you'll always have admirers hanging off your arms. But how serious are you about choosing someone to be in a relationship with?

Your views on education

Education is very important in life. You want to study hard and learn as much as you can.

The right job for you:

You have plenty of dream jobs but have little chance of doing any of them if you don't focus on something in particular. You need to choose something and go for it to be happy and achieve success.

How do you view success:

Success in your career is not the most important thing in life. You are content with what you have and think that being with someone you love is more than spending all of your precious time just working.

What are you most afraid of:

You are afraid of things that you cannot control. Sometimes you show your anger to cover up how you feel.

Who is your true self:

You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve.

Starting Seeds Indoor

On Monday, daughter and I planted tomato and cucumber seeds in this seed starter kit. She had lots of fun sprinkling the seeds with water.

Yesterday I brought daughter to Calloway's Nursery to get 3 pots of pansies (in small round pots) and a peppermint (in square pot). I transported the rosemary to a bigger pot because the roots were wrapped around the previous smaller pot.

I also bought these seeds from Calloway's Nursery for husband to grow outdoor in March. I am hoping that he will be able to grow broccolies, cantaloupes and heirloom tomatoes successfully this year, Allah SWT willing.

With spring just two more months away, this year will be an exciting gardening season for us.

Cracked Egg

Husband found a cracked egg (pictured left below) around late morning today. It is slightly bigger than the one that I found two days ago. He does not know which chicken laid it and which one cracked it.

I just hope that none of the ladies has tasted the egg inside or else they could crack every single egg that they lay.

Homemade Cambodian Style Sausage

Last weekend, husband made a batch of Cambodian Style Sausage.

Grilled sausages seasoned with lime juice and fish sauce for lunch.

Sausages hang to dry for three days.

The main ingredients for this sausage are ground beef, beef fat, cooked rice, minced garlic, salt and beef intestines.

Although I would love to eat it, I just couldn't bring myself to bear the smell of grilled sausage. All praise be to Allah SWT husband made more and keep them in the freezer for us to enjoy later.

Unwelcome Guest in the Chicken Coop

This is the neighbor's cat that has been visiting the chickens lately.

Although I would love to keep it around, it has been making the ladies nervous. I hope there is a solution to keep the chickens out of the cat's reach.

New Chicken Coop

I have been bugging husband to rebuild the chicken coop for easier access and cleaning, so yesterday he teared down the old chicken coop and built a new one. Even though he was still recovering from a cold, he was able to finish this project in 6 hours.

Old chicken coop.

New chicken coop.

Aluminum sheet: entrance to the chicken coop.

Ladies taking their time to explore their new spacious coop.

These two ladies actually flew onto the ramp to check out the view.

All praise be to Allah SWT and thanks to husband's hard work, now it will be much easier to get into the chicken coop. I just hope to make it cat-proof as soon as possible.

Our First Fresh Egg!

I just chased a neighbor's cat out from the new chicken coop, and guess what I found? An egg! All praise be to Allah SWT!

Left: Our chicken egg; Right: Store bought organic free range egg

I honestly do not know which of the lovely ladies is responsible for this egg, but I am so happy to see it!
I'm so looking forward to finding more eggs soon, Allah SWT willing!

Why is our supplication not answered?

Received via homeschooling mailing list.

It was said to Ibraaheem ibn Adham: Why is it that we supplicate but receive no response?

He said because you know Allaah SWT but you do not obey Him,

and you know the Messenger SAW but you do not follow his Sunnah,

and you know the Qur’aan but you do not act in accordance with it,

and you eat from the blessings of Allaah SWT but you do not give thanks for them,

and you know Paradise but you do not seek it,

and you know Hell but you do not flee from it,

and you know the Shaytaan but you do not fight him rather you agree with him,

and you know death but you do not prepare for it,

and you have buried the dead but you do not learn a lesson from that,

and you ignore your own faults and are preoccupied with other people’s faults.

Tafseer al-Qurtubee (2/312).

May Allah SWT make us of those who love and fear Him, and keep us on the Straight Path, yarubilalameen.

If Allah brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
Happy moments, praise Allah SWT.
Difficult moments, seek Allah SWT.
Quiet moments, worship Allah SWT.
Painful moments, trust Allah SWT.
Every moment, thank Allah SWT.

Backyard Bird Feeder

I received a bird feeder from Sr. Eram last week, and I have been adding bird seeds to the feeder almost everyday.

Since last Saturday the weather has been really nice. We have been enjoying temperatures in the 60s and 70s, so I have been having lunch with daughter in the backyard while we watch small songbirds enjoying the seeds.

I feel so blessed to have this lovely opportunity to enjoy the company of wildlife in the backyard with daughter. All praise be to Allah SWT I hope daughter will remember how she enjoys listening to the songbirds as she grows up.

Recipe: Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup 'Pho'

When we got married years ago, husband prepared a Cambodian/Vietnamese style beef soup that got me hooked. The soup gets better the day after and taste so good with fresh thin rice noodle.

All praise be to Allah SWT I found this recipe for the Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup.

THE BROTH
2 onions, halved
4″ nub of ginger, halved lengthwise
5-6 lbs of good beef bones, preferably leg and knuckle
1 lb of beef meat – chuck, brisket, rump, cut into large slices [optional]
6 quarts of water
1 package of Pho Spices [1 cinnamon stick, 1 tbl coriander seeds, 1 tbl fennel seeds, 5 star anise, 1 cardamom pod, 6 whole cloves - in mesh bag]
1 1/2 tbl salt
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 inch chunk of yellow rock sugar (about 1 oz) – or 1oz of regular sugar

THE BOWLS
2 lbs rice noodles (dried or fresh)
cooked beef from the broth
1/2 lb flank, london broil, sirloin or eye of round, sliced as thin as possible.
big handful of each: mint, cilantro, basil
2 limes, cut into wedges
2-3 chili peppers, sliced
2 big handfuls of bean sprouts
Hoisin sauce
Cock sauce (Sriracha)

Char: Turn your broiler on high and move rack to the highest spot. Place ginger and onions on baking sheet. Brush just a bit of cooking oil on the cut side of each. Broil on high until ginger and onions begin to char. Turn over and continue to char. This should take a total of 10-15 minutes.

Parboil the bones: Fill large pot (12-qt capacity) with cool water. Boil water, and then add the bones, keeping the heat on high. Boil vigorously for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse the bones and rinse out the pot. Refill pot with bones and 6 qts of cool water. Bring to boil over high heat and lower to simmer. Using a ladle or a fine mesh strainer, remove any scum that rises to the top.

Boil broth: Add ginger, onion, spice packet, beef, sugar, fish sauce, salt and simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the beef meat and set aside (you’ll be eating this meat later in the bowls) Continue simmering for another 1 1/2 hours. Strain broth and return the broth to the pot. Taste broth and adjust seasoning – if you want a little more flavor, add a few dashes more of fish sauce, large pinch of salt and a small nugget of rock sugar (or large pinch of regular sugar).

Prepare noodles & meat: Slice your flank/london broil/sirloin as thin as possible – try freezing for 15 minutes prior to slicing to make it easier. Remember the cooked beef meat that was part of your broth? Cut or shred the meat and set aside. Arrange all other ingredients on a platter for the table. Your guests will “assemble” their own bowls. Follow the directions on your package of noodles – there are many different sizes and widths of rice noodles, so make sure you read the directions. For some fresh rice noodles, just a quick 5 second blanch in hot water is all that’s needed. The package that I purchased (above) – needed about 45 seconds in boiling water.

Ladling: Bring your broth back to a boil. Line up your soup bowls next to the stove. Fill each bowl with rice noodles, shredded cooked beef and raw meat slices. As soon as the broth comes back to a boil, ladle into each bowl. the hot broth will cook your raw beef slices. Serve immediately. Guests can garnish their own bowls as they wish.

Recipe: Bak Kut Teh - Halal Version

I have been craving for the Singapore/Malaysia Chinese soup 'Bak Kut Teh' which means meat, bone and tea. This soup is usually eaten with Chinese Olong tea to eliminate the oily taste of the soup.

I remember reading about the humble beginning of this soup. In the early days when Chinese immigrants first arrived in Singapore and Malaysia, food vendors would boil a small amount of meat and bones, usually pork, with spice and herbs in a big pot of water. Poor immigrant workers on their way to work would stop by these food vendors, conveniently located along walkways, and order a bowl of soup with rice. This simple dish may not fill the stomach of the workers, but it was enough to keep them going for the day.

Usually I would use a pre-packed Bak Kut Teh spice from Malaysia to prepare the soup. But since I did not have any in my pantry, I used a recipe from the book 'Nan Yang Xiao Chi: Local Delights' to make the soup. All praise be to Allah SWT the soup taste so good!

Ingredient 1:
1kg spareribs/beef with bones

Ingredients 2:
60g fragrant solomon seal (yu zhu)
60g red dates, pitted
30g black peppercorns
2 whole star anise (ba jiao)
20g cinnamon bark (gui pi)
5g preserved mandarin orange peel (chen pi)
250g whole garlic
3500ml water

Seasoning:
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2tbsp salt

Method:
1. Rinse meat with bones clean. Boil for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Put all ingredients 2 in a cloth bag. Seal tight.
3. Boil bag of ingredients in 35000ml water over moderate heat for 1 hour. Add meat with bones and continue boiling for another 1 hour, or meat becomes tender but still attached to the bones.
4. Remove bag of ingredients and stir in seasoning. Serve Bak Kut Teh with fresh chilli, dark soy sauce and plain rice.

Poem: I Took His Hand and Followed

I found this poem here and really like it!

I Took His Hand and Followed
Mrs. Roy L. Peifer

My dishes went unwashed today,

I didn't make the bed,

I took his hand and followed

Where his eager footsteps led.

Oh yes, we went adventuring,

My little son and I...

Exploring all the great outdoors

Beneath the summer sky

We waded in a crystal stream,

We wandered through a wood...

My kitchen wasn't swept today

But life was gay and good.

We found a cool, sun-dappled glade

And now my small son knows

How Mother Bunny hides her nest,

Where jack-in-the-pulpit grows.

We watched a robin feed her young,

We climbed a sunlit hill...

Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,

We plucked a daffodil.

That my house was neglected,

That I didn't brush the stairs,

In twenty years, no one on earth

Will know, or even care.

But that I've helped my little boy

To noble manhood grow,

In twenty years, the whole wide world

May look and see and know.

Video: 明天會更好

明天會更好

（蔡　琴）輕輕敲醒沉睡的心靈　慢慢張開你的眼睛
（余　天）看那忙碌的世界是否依然孤獨地轉個不停
（蘇　芮）春風不解風情　吹動少年的心
（潘越雲）讓昨日臉上的淚痕　隨記憶風乾了

（甄　妮）抬頭尋找天空的翅膀　候鳥出現牠的影跡
（李建復）帶來遠處的飢荒無情的戰火依然存在的消息
（林慧萍）玉山白雪飄零　燃燒少年的心
（王芷蕾）使真情溶化成音符　傾訴遙遠的祝福

（黃鶯鶯）唱出你的熱情　伸出你雙手
　　　　　讓我擁抱著你的夢　讓我擁有你真心的面孔
（洪榮宏）讓我們的笑容　充滿著青春的驕傲
　　　　　為明天獻出虔誠的祈禱

（陳淑樺）誰能不顧自己的家園　拋開記憶中的童年
（金智娟）誰能忍心看他昨日的憂愁　帶走我們的笑容
（王夢麟）青春不解紅塵　胭脂沾染了灰
（李佩菁）讓久違不見的淚水　滋潤了你的面容
（費玉清）唱出你的熱情　伸出你雙手
　　　　　讓我擁抱著你的夢　讓我擁有你真心的面孔
　　　　　讓我們的笑容　充滿著青春的驕傲
　　　　　為明天獻出虔誠的祈禱

（齊　豫）輕輕敲醒沉睡的心靈　慢慢張開你的眼睛
（鄭　怡）看那忙碌的世界是否依然孤獨地轉個不停
（江　蕙）日出喚醒清晨　大地光彩重生
（楊　林）讓和風拂出的音響　譜成生命的樂章

（合　唱）唱出你的熱情　伸出你雙手
　　　　　讓我擁抱著你的夢　讓我擁有你真心的面孔
　　　　　讓我們的笑容　充滿著青春的驕傲
　　　　　讓我們期待明天會更好

（蘇　芮）唱出你的熱情　伸出你雙手
　　　　　讓我擁抱著你的夢　讓我擁有你真心的面孔
　　　　　讓我們的笑容　充滿著青春的驕傲
　　　　　讓我們期待明天會更好（齊秦和聲）

（余　天）唱出你的熱情　伸出你雙手
　　　　　讓我擁抱著你的夢　讓我擁有你真心的面孔
　　　　　讓我們的笑容　充滿著青春的驕傲
　　　　　讓我們期待明天會更好（蘇芮和聲）

（合　唱）唱出你的熱情　伸出你雙手
　　　　　讓我擁抱著你的夢　讓我擁有你真心的面孔
　　　　　讓我們的笑容　充滿著青春的驕傲
　　　　　讓我們期待明天會更好

Video: 徐小鳳 - 順流逆流

One of my favorite female Cantonese singers.

順流逆流 - 徐小鳳
曲︰蔡國權
詞︰蔡國權

不知道在那天邊可會有盡頭 (I don't know if there is an end in this world)
只知道逝去光陰不會再回頭 (I only know time will not come back)
每一串淚水　伴每一個夢想 (Each trail of tears, accompanies each dream)
不知不覺全溜走 (Without knowing it, they all flow away)

＊不經意在這圈中轉到這年頭 (Not aware that life has come full cycle)
只感到在這圈中經過順逆流 (Just feel that the circle of life went through smooth and rough ride)
每顆冷酷眼光　共每聲友善笑聲 (Each cold stare, and each friendly laughter)
默然一一嘗透 (I silently experience them all)

＃幾多艱苦當天我默默接受 (So much hardship I silently accept)
幾多辛酸也未放手 (So much pain I have not let go)
故意挑剔今天我不在乎 (Difficulty challenges today I don't care)
只跟心中意願去走 (Only want to follow my wishes)

＋不相信未作犧牲竟先可擁有 (I don't believe no sacrifices to have it all)
只相信是靠雙手找到我慾求 (Only believe through hard work to find my desires)
每一串汗水換每一個成就 (Each trail of sweat exchange for each success)
從來得失我睇透 (Gain and lost do not bother me)

Video: 劉家昌 - 我找到自己

One of my favorite Chinese oldies.

劉家昌 - 我找到自己

我往那種去 才能找到自己 (Where do I go, to find myself)
過去已成回憶 我迷失在痛苦裡 (The past becomes a memory, and I am lost in misery)
我往那裡去 才能找到自己 (Where do I go, to find myself)
過去讓它過去 我不再迷失這裡 (Let the past go, I'm no longer lost here)
我再不要彷徨痴迷 我再不要黯然無依 (I don't want to be lost, and I don't want to be dependent)
啊~我找到失落的過去 (Ah... I found the disappointment in my past)

Bar Keeper's Friend - best cleaning product ever!

After reading about the amazing cleaning product, Bar Keeper's Friend on ApartmentTherapy.com, I have been looking high and low at major supermarkets.

All praise be to Allah SWT, I finally found it at a Target store in Irving.

Last night I used it to clean the bottom of my pot that was really dirty, and I am still amazed at the ease of using this cleaning product to get rid of the dark stain.

The best thing is this is a naturally non-toxic product. I am definitely recommending this to my family and friends!

Recipe: Coconut Jelly

This morning my dear sister made some coconut jelly for her family, so I got inspired to look for the recipe.

All praise be to Allah SWT, I found it here.

Coconut Jelly

Ingredients
* 4 teaspoons agar-agar, powder or 4 tablespoon agar-agar flakes
* 2 (14 ounce) cans coconut milk
* 2 cups water
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1/2 cup sugar

Directions
1.Bring water to a boil.
2.Mix agar agar with cold water before adding to boiling water.
3.Mix agar agar solution in boiling water.
4.Let cook for 5 minutes.
5.Add sugar and cook till dissolved.
6.Add coconut milk and vanilla.
7.Cook 5 minutes.
8.Pour in dish and cool in refrigerator.
9.It will form two layer( a clear layer and a white layer).

Frigid Cold Temperature!

This morning the temperature dipped to 17 degree F, so I asked husband to check on the chickens.

Water in the water container was frozen solid, so husband used a hand shovel to break the ice, and pour hot water into the container. As soon as the ladies see fresh water, they came and drank from the container.

I added fresh feed into their food container yesterday, so I think they will have enough food for the next three days.

So far they seem pretty okay with the cold temperature. Now they are out sunbathing in the chicken run. Allah SWT willing the temperature will get above freezing point this weekend, then the ladies will be happier. We'll also need to buy more chicken feed soon as the existing amount will last another week or so only.

Rewards for mothers who nursed their children

Here are two Islamic sayings of the rewards of mothers who nurse their children:

Tabarani relates in his Mu'jam al-Awsat:

Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated: Salamah, the wet nurse of Ibrahim, the son of the Prophet, peace of and blessings of Allah upon him, said, "O Messenger of Allah. You give tidings of all the good to the men and you don't give tidings to the women." He said, "Did your female companions induce you to [ask] this?" She said, "Yes." He said, "Will one of you not be pleased that when she is pregnant from her husband and he is pleased with her that she has a reward like the reward of the one who fasts and prays in the way of Allah? Then when she is in labor, none of the people of the heavens or the earth know what is hidden for her of [pleasures,] soothing to her eyes. And when she delivers, no mouthful of milk flows from her nor a [child's] suck except that she has a reward with every mouthful and with every suck.
And if [her child] keeps her awake during the night, she has a reward similar to the reward of freeing seventy slaves for the sake of Allah."

Sa'eed ibn al-Jubayr narrated on the authority of Ibn Umar, (may Allah be well pleased with father and son), saying, "I believe he [i.e. Ibn 'Umar] raised it to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and give him peace,

"A woman in her pregnancy to the time of her delivery to the time of her weaning is like a soldier in the way of Allah."

Source: SunniPath.com

Letter of the Day: T!

Yesterday while cleaning daughter's room, I found these color pencils being arranged into several alphabet letter Ts.


I notice that daughter has been learning to write the alphabet letter T recently, and I am just amazed at how she managed to do this on her own.

Recipe: Easy Baked Eggs

I'm crazy about baked eggs now that I learned how to make this simple and delicious dish. I got this recipe from Ina Garten's 'Barefoot Contessa' on Food Network.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbps milk/cream
3 eggs
1/4 cup cheese (I used Monterrey Jack Cheese)

Directions:
1. Preset convention oven to 350 degree F.
2. Heat butter and cream in a ceremic baking dish in the oven for 5 minutes.
3. Add eggs into the dish.
4. Sprinkle crumbled cheese evenly on eggs. Bake for another 5-10 minutes until eggs are set.
5. Garnish with finely chopped parsley/cilantro and season with freshly ground pepper.

Snow Day!

It snowed quite heavily on Dec 24th, and the snow did not melt until Dec 26th.

Husband and daughter built a snowman on the front yard, but I think it looked more like a mushroom... hmmm....


The chicken coop was covered entirely in snow, and the ladies were not very happy about it. Husband checked their water container to make sure no ice was formed. I gave them extra food ration to help them cope with the cold weather.

Since it is rare for Texas to get this type of snowfall, daughter and husband had fun getting into a snow fight in the backyard. I had fun watching the neighbors' kids fighting out on their front yard.