Archive for Busy Baby Mama

Heavenly Banana Pops Recipe

Busy Baby Mama blogs

Here comes the sun…and the 101 playdates I have to plan for my children. In search of some fun summer recipes (not too time consuming and easy on the ingredients),  I found this one. My kids really enjoy it and it’s so easy to make….and did I forget to mention it’s healthy?

Chocolate Banana Pops

I lay out a plastic table cloth and invite all the kids over to the table to make their own Chocolate Banana Pops to decorate and have later.  It gives them a constructive activity to do before they run off to play in the sun and sprinklers. When they return, I serve them with  some milk…

But did you know that bananas are also mentioned in the Qur’an as one of the fruits of Paradise? When you are making this recipe with the kids, don’t forget to mention these facts:


Although the bananas in paradise are far more superior to the ones on earth, I have to say you still get a lot of healthy bites out of this yellow fruit.

Bananas are especially recommended for fever, digestive system disorders, cramps, and muscle slackness.It also is known to decrease blood pressure and are used to treat allergies.

Sometimes it is hard to convince the junk food generation the importance of having banana rich in potassium and Vitamin B, however I was on a hunt to find a recipe quite so tasty that even the sweet tooth toddler will come for seconds…

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Joy of Jummah

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Make each Friday a day of Eid. Let it be more special than any other day of the week.

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I remember growing up and watching my grandpa prepare for Friday starting the day before. On Thursday, he would decide what he was going to wear, and he would check his gas tank to see if it was full and ready to go! On Friday morning, he would iron out his clothes neatly pressing them with perfect creases (his clothes were usually taken care of by our house keeper, but he insisted on taking care of his Friday clothes himself). Playing the Quran in the background, he would get his things ready before the shower; polishing his sandals and making sure they were clean, placing crisp money notes in his vest to place in the sadaqa boxes and in the hands of the needy, choosing his socks with pleasure (only the best looking ones will do for Friday!), he even brushed his furry-looking Jummah cap to give it a special shine! He would have a buzz around him…that was pretty contagious!

Each Friday when I awoke, I knew it was a special day, because I could smell the fresh smell of Itar (natural perfume) on his clothes in the air, and the Quran playing in the background. I knew it was a day to be excited about. He would make sure we all were dressed to our peak, personally brushing our hair and especially making sure my brother’s hairdo was one that he approved of, often combing his gelled hair all the way to the side before placing his cap on. I would let out a giggle watching my brother’s face squirm when my grandfather would carefully slick all his hair neatly to the side imitating his own! He would then get all of us little ones to hop into the car with him and arrive at the masjid at least an hour before prayer time.

He would visit all the needy and poor lined up by the masjid walls (they all seemed to know him quite well), and hand us the money to give to them. We would watch him say salaam to all the masjid goers, make some small talk and catch up with everyone. Once inside he would find us all a place in the first row and sit down, make dua and read Quran.

After the prayer, we would pass by a bakery down the street, and he would always stop there and buy us pastries and sweets (yes, only this day were we allowed to have our dessert before our meal!) We would return home to find a delicious meal laid out on the table prepared by my mother. These were the memories I had growing up….they are not so difficult to emulate for our own children and help them learn that Friday is a great day for us Muslims!

Here are some more ideas, I found doing this with my children every Friday, made them look forward to this Jummah day.



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Grow Mama Grow…

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Mothers, are you looking for an online support community? Well, here’s my pick.

GrowMamaGrow is an online community of American Muslim mothers and young women. The project provides a supportive, friendly, and non-judgmental space for women to share experiences, support one another, grow in their spirituality, and inspire each other. Aren’t we all looking for a place like this?

Their blog is updated twice a week with fresh, original reflections on everything from spirituality to peanut butter by everyday mothers like you. Visit the GrowMama Blog on the main page for inspirational posts on a wide range of topics…or even contribute your experiences and ideas. Browse through the archives or the resource center for readings on parenting, self-awareness, relationships, organizing, and health. The GrowMama discussion board is the “kitchen table” of their site, where real women share life experiences, discover friendships, and support each other.  Click on the image below to go to their website. Enjoy!

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Earth Day Special: Going Grocery Shopping With My Green Bag!

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An entire week of spring break, what do I do with my kids at home!? It’s enough that I have to go shopping to 5 different places, and stay on top of my cooking plans, and then there is laundry too… OK – let me get myself together. Yes, my kids are home. And no, I will not let them watch TV all day. It so happens that Earth Day is on Friday this week! So with a fresh plan in my head,  I decide to spend each day doing a simple craft and some activities that take less than 30 minutes to do, around the Earth Day theme. I’m too busy to blog about all of them, but I will share with you one of my favorite craft projects. We made  recycle shopping bags, and here’s how:

1.  Get a plain cloth bag from any dollar store for each child in the family. I found some at the Dollar Tree. I like these ones more than the common canvas bag, because they are already very colorful.

2. Buy fabric paints from any craft store. The ones in tubes are better for young children. You can also use fabric markers.

3. Come up with a catchy title to put in the middle of the bag.  Ours said “Islam helps Me To Grow!” and  “Islam teaches us 2B Green!

4. Either your child or you can write the title on the bag.

5. Have your child design and sketch on the bag with a pencil.

6. Have them fill it in with color, and add embellishments like rhinestones, ribbons, and buttons.

7. Make a few, and your kids might want to go grocery shopping with you to show off their new recycle bags!

Oh did I tell you they make  great gifts! :)

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DeeN’ Donuts

Busy Baby Mama blogs

Move over Dunkin! Here come DeeN’ Donuts. Chef Musa is busy in the kitchen again teaching his toddler sister ‘Princess Jannah’ the arabic alphabet in this fun activity. After discovering that the hot chocolate and Bavarian cream donuts at Dunkin Donuts will cost him one third of his weekly salary, he opted to create his own and in the process- he ended up making them into arabic letters. The recipe only calls for 2 ingredients! Watch recipe video below. He made the ‘haa’ perfectly…but when fried, it turned into ‘meem’. His sister enjoy making the nukhtas (small dots)-which he told her were like baby ‘munchkins’. He also enjoyed dusting them with confectioner’s sugar as well just like the real thing. However, his sister was not convinced that they could taste as good as “Dunkin”, poked them suspiciously until he melted some chocolate frosting in the microwave and glazed the top and added the sprinkles. The ‘princess’ gave the nod of approval as she crunched on the letter ‘taw’, and washed it down with a glass of organic milk. She took the rest of the alphabet donuts to share her sweet knowledge with her class friends!

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Ramadan Deeds Reap Sweet Rewards

Busy Baby Mama blogs:
Here’s a neat Ramadan activity I did this month with my
toddler.
I printed this Calendar template to help my child keep
track of the days of Ramadan. Before each Iftar, we
would head to our little “Ramadan Wall”. We would count
how many days of Ramadan have passed, and how many days
are left for Eid (while buidling some excitement in the
process!) I found that after nearly a month now, my
child’s number skills have improved drastically!
Then my child and I created our very own Good Deeds Jar
to encourage some good deeds being done by even the
littlest member in the house. My child learned the meaning of good deeds and the importance to do more during this special month. I used 2 jars for this
project. One held the strips of paper that contained the
good deed tasks to be performed by my child, and the
other held little incentives or prizes for my child to
look forward to after the good deed was performed.
It’ll take less than an hour to make, and you spend 5
minutes a day just having your child dip her hand in the
Good Deeds jar, and complete a simple task like ” Fast
for an hour”, “Give sadaqa”, “clean your toys”, and so
on! This activity allows your child to understand and realize what kind of good deeds a Muslim is expected to perform and how Allah will reward him with something better Insh’Allah in the Hereafter.
After each good deed is completed, my child would track
her performance by pasting the colorful squares onto the
masjid template, that you can download and print. As the
masjid starts filling up with colorful squares, your
child will start to feel excited over her
accomplishments this month!
For my wall: I downloaded Artsy Ummi’s Ramadan borders that I printed here. I bought Artskills letters for about $5.00 from Rite Aid and some foam stickers for 99 cents. My child enjoyed pasting the stickers on the posters and jars.
Over all, this activity was quite a success as it kept my young toddler loving and remembering Ramadan daily. Every day she dips her hand in the Good Deeds jar, and finds out what her next task is. The best part about it is when she gets to dip her hands in the “Rewards Jar” and gets her sweet treat!

busymamababyBusy Baby Mama blogs

Here’s a neat Ramadan activity I am doing this month with my toddler…

I printed this Ramadan Calendar template to help my child keep track of the days of Ramadan.  Before each Iftar, we head to our little “Ramadan Wall”. We count how many days of Ramadan have passed, and how many days are left for Eid (while building some excitement in the process!) I found that after nearly a month now, my child’s number skills have improved drastically!

Ramadan-Countdown

Then my child and I created our very own Good Deeds Jar to encourage some good deeds being done by even the littlest member of the house. My child learned the meaning of good deeds and the importance to do more during this special month. I used 2 jars for this project, one held the strips of paper that contained the good deed tasks to be performed by my child, and the other held little incentives or prizes for my child to look forward to after the good deed was performed, like little party favors, toys, stickers or even some candy.

good-deeds-and-reward-jars

It’ll take less than an hour to make, and you spend 5 minutes a day just having your child dip her hand in the Good Deeds jar, and complete a simple task such as ” Fast for an hour”, “Give Sadaqa”, “Clean your toys”, and so on! This activity allows your child to understand and realize what kind of good deeds a Muslim is expected to perform and how Allah is “saving” all our rewards to present us with when we meet Him Insh’Allah :)

good-deeds-template

After each good deed is completed, my child would track her performance by pasting the colorful squares onto the masjid template, that you can download and print. Ramadan Good Deed Chart- DOWNLOAD HERE. As the masjid starts filling up with colorful squares, your child will start to feel excited over her accomplishments this month!

IMG_1008

For my wall: I downloaded Artsy Ummi’s Ramadan borders from here. I bought Artskills letters for about $5.00 from Rite Aid and some foam stickers for 99 cents. My child enjoyed peeling and pasting the stickers on the posters and jars.

Over all, this activity is quite a success as it kept my young toddler loving and remembering Ramadan daily. Every day she dips her hand in the Good Deeds jar, and finds out what her next task is. The best part about it is when she gets to dip her hands in the “Rewards Jar” and gets her sweet treat!

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Islamic Summer Camp in NY!

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The blessed Messenger, peace be upon him, has always emphasized the importance of exercise for children and adults. He encouraged parents to teach their children sports, especially archery, swimming, and horseback riding. The Prophet himself was engaged in sporting events such as racing and wrestling.

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The summer is a perfect time to have our children get involved in physical activities and still “score” some blessings. One of the most wonderful summer camp opportunities for Muslim boys and girls is in Monticello, New York. The director, Jasmina Zekic, has spearheaded this project to give the youth in New York an opportunity to experience Allah’s infinite beauty of nature, enjoy the sport activities freely, and foster Muslim brotherhood and sisterhood.

endofcamp

Although the camp is located in the reserve country side of Monticello, New York near Catskill Mountain, the parents have access to hassle free transportation where in they drop the children off at the Brooklyn site, and then the friendly staff will take care of the rest.

Islamic games Emir Muhamed

The camp opened in the first weekend of June. And if you are interested, you can sign up for either the weekend camp or the 5 Days Camp. The programs have dates that are designated for boys and for girls.  The Program is a great opportunity for parents that are concerned to place their children in a safe Islamic environment. This camp will give Muslim children everything a parent wishes for their child to have during the summer. The schedule is packed with a lot of learning activities, science experiments, arts and crafts and best of all they spend time learning the Quran and studying Islam too. Fun activities at the camp swimming lessons, rafting on the famous Delaware River Rapids, sleeping in the tents, taking boat rides on the lake, and hiking in the beautiful Catskill Mountains. Sports activities will include basketball, soccer, volley archery, tennis, biking, and horseback riding.

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At the camp, kids will be active from the early morning starting with Fajr prayer all the way till Ishaa prayer. In between prayers they will have hands-on activities as well as sports activities that the kids will not become weary of the Islamic obligation. Quran and Islamic Studies will be conducted by Shaikh Mohamed who was born and raised in Egypt. He is a graduate of Al-Ahzar University in Tafsir of the Quran and is also a hafidh of the Quran. He currently serves the Muslim community of Monticello, in the newly made beautiful Bosnian Masjid that is within walking distance of the camp site. During their time at the camp, the kids will perform their five daily prayers together and they will learn to inculcate Islamic behavior.

jasminindiskdelivere087

This program of learning and fun can absolutely change the way Muslim children see the world and their place in it. Kids will learn the importance of personal responsibility, the value of goal-setting, the spirit of teamwork, and the thrill of accomplishment.  Go here for more information.

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Qurbani Recipe Journal for Kids

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Busy Baby Mama talks with Chef Musa, an 11 year old Hafiz student who loves to cook. If he’s not busy memorizing the Quran, he’s in the kitchen memorizing a new recipe to place in his Halal and Healthy Cook Book Journal.

This busy Hajj season was filled with interesting Qurbani meals from around the world as Musa’s family visited friends and family from various countries and shared exotic Eid meals. This sparked an idea in Musa. After looking at his family’s own Qurbani meat, he contemplated on a possible meal plan. How could he cook an all-in-one meal while he fed a maximum number of people? There was the classic Mogul Biryani from India to choose from, or a quick crock pot meal such as the traditional Beef Chap Stew with Joloff Rice from Africa. He finally decided to opt for the Turkish Kebab with green and red peppers.

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His mother helped him pull out the correct ingredients for the recipe from the refridgerator, and he got straight to work. He had to put everything together in 30 minutes before he rushed off to study for his test.

Here is Chef Musa’s recommended recipe. He saves all his recipes in his Recipe Journal which he creates online from a website called www.smilebox.com. The website offers free options that can be used to email friends and family or it allows you to become a member and download & print to make a family cooking album.

Enjoy!

Click to play this Smilebox recipe: Qurbani Kebab
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Warm Apple Walnut Bread

Sr Alif inspired us to think of what fall activities we could do to avoid the temptation of Halloween night. So we asked all the busy ladies what they were up to this week.  Here is what Busy Baby Mama has to share….
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After we return from the apple orchard and have spent a day picking only the best looking apples, the kids can’t wait to get home and make their favorite apple recipe. This year, we have kept apple picking for Halloween day as it falls on the weekend.
Because I wanted to share my family’s favorite apple recipe with you, I bought apples from the store to get started….we’ll end up making more of this recipe when we actually go apple picking this weekend Inshallah.
I got this recipe from Iqra, a wonderful friend who is an amazing baker. Mashallah. She has baked for charity and has amazing goodies up for sale on masjid events. She loves turning any recipe into a healthy one…and I love her so much for that!
When I first made this, my daughter (who hates apples might I add) ate so much of it that I had to make two extra batches the very next day (hehehe I added extra apples in my second batch- I just chopped them up into tiny pieces so the extra bits go undetected!). Hope you enjoy!!! ?
Apple Walnut Bread Recipe Template Download

Sr Alif inspired us to think of what fall activities we could do to avoid the temptation of Halloween night. So we asked all the busy ladies what they were up to this week.  Here is what Busy Baby Mama had to share….

girl-in-the-apple-orchard

busymamababyBusy Baby Mama blogs

After we return from the apple orchard and have spent a day picking only the best looking apples, the kids can’t wait to get home and make their favorite apple recipe. This year, we have kept apple picking for Halloween day as it falls on the weekend.

Because I wanted to share my family’s favorite apple recipe with you, I bought apples from the store to get started….we’ll end up making more of this recipe when we actually go apple picking this weekend Inshallah. I got this recipe from Iqra, a wonderful friend who is an amazing baker. Mashallah. She has baked for charity and has amazing goodies up for sale on masjid events. She loves turning any recipe into a healthy one…and I love her so much for that!

apple walnut bread 001apple walnut bread 026

When I first made this, my daughter (who hates apples -SIGH!) ate so much of it that I leaped right back into the kitchen to make two extra batches right away (hehehe I added extra apples in my second batch- I just chopped them up into extremely tiny pieces so the extra bits went undetected. GRIN*).  Click on the link below to download the recipe. Happy baking!!! :)

Apple Walnut Bread Recipe Download Here. Hope you enjoy it!

red-apples-bushel

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Eid Cookies for Everyone!

busymamababyBusy Baby Mama blogs

I wanted to make yummy cookies for all our kind neighbors for Eid this year. What better way to get my child involved, excited, busy…and do a bit of dawa while at it! I found this website…I wish I could have found more interesting shapes that were Islamic related. But here is what’s out there:

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http://www.astrolabe.com/eid-cookie-cutters-set-of-6.html

While I prepare lots of cookie dough…you check this link out!

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