Chocolate Cake, Pinterest and Being Happy:14th June - 20th June 2014

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful



Wow, this is my 12th Week in Pictures!




 I've been taking photos everyday for 12 weeks! I must say a big thank you to you guys for all your support and page views. It seems these posts tend to get more views than the actual recipes which I find quite funny since my life isn't very interesting.
Before we move on to this week, I want to share another week in pictures blog post from the blog New York Muffin. After seeing my posts, she has decided to start her own which I'm quite honoured by. If any of you bloggers out there do the same, please let me know - I would love to see them.

I've been hit by a random bout of hay fever this week along with a sore throat which meant that I haven't been able to enjoy the beautiful June weather as much. But, now I'm feeling a lot better, alhamdulillah, and a lot happier. I posted the above quote on my Instagram page today and I hope it helps you in some tiny way, to be happier on this longest day of the year.
One of the ways that helps me be happier is to go out for walks. There is just something about fresh air and nature that makes me really positive. So, if this is something that you don't do, I highly recommend that you start to. Fix a time each day for a little outdoor walking - breathe the air, stop and smell the flowers and get in touch with a little nature! :)



Say (O Muhammad), Travel through the land and observe how He began creation. Then Allah will produce the final creation. Indeed Allah, over all things, is competent.
(Surah Al-Ankabut, Verse 20)

Saturday - Breakfast was a real favourite and treat of mine. This is something that my mum and my grandmother have always made. We call it Mixed Bread but it's really a eggs and bread scrambled together in a pan. I used wholemeal bread, eggs, salt, black pepper, butter. 
Melt a little butter in a pan, and break in the bread. Fry until slightly toasted, and then crack in the eggs. Mix until cooked, and season with salt and pepper. Dig in!

I tried this cheese for the first time. It was pretty nice and strong!

 Lunch time! This was a sandwich made with leftovers from the fridge. 
A seeded panini, sliced grilled chicken, tomato salsa, cheese and onion deli filler, peppery salad leaves, cucumber.

A lovely lunch break along with the Lancashire cheese and these crisps.

I tried out these yoghurts.

I've always seen them in the supermarkets but never picked them up. They're organic, low-fat and bio-live! 

This is the raspberry one but I've also had the rhubarb one since and I can say that both were delicious. Especially the rhubarb. I thought it would be more sour but it was lovely.

 Too much of this has given me a sore throat - especially with ice! :)

 Sunday: My mums recipe for Keema has been the most popular recipe on this blog so far. So, we decided to photograph another version which we will be sharing soon, inshallah.

On Sunday though we had the keema with simple boiled rice.

Monday: I woke up on Monday and finally felt like baking. I've been on a bit of a baking hiatus for a week or two.

But that is officially over!

I baked a really simple Pound Cake.

I baked it for my aunt so used gluten-free flour. Since it's summer, a fresh lemon glaze was the only thing it needed. The recipe is exactly the same as my Pound Cake except I baked it in a normal cake tin and replaced the orange with lemon.

At lunch, I tried this dip.

It tasted really good and would be perfect with tortilla chips.

We had it with Baked Potatoes though.

For dinner, my aunt dropped off her Lamb and Turnip Curry.

Tuesday - After a busy morning, lunch was a quick sandwich.
Wholemeal bread, mayo, cucumber, tomato, Cheddar.

By the evening, my sore throat was in full swing. Hence the emergency Pakistani Tea. 
Water, Tea Bags, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Milk, Sugar all boiled together in a pan.

And, one of these biscuits!

Wednesday: My lovely cousin returned from a trip to Pakistan today.

So a cake was in order.

A chocolate cake! A gluten-free chocolate cake!

With chocolate buttercream! 
Buttercream is the easiest thing in the world to make. It's twice the amount of icing sugar to butter. Add in your flavouring - I used cocoa powder along with a splash of milk and beat until creamy.

My decoration was completely zero though.

It was too late in the day to get out the piping bag.

But I managed a few sprinkles.

:)

Random DIY tip - cover your cake stand with a bowl to avoid any summer flies buzzing over it.

Anyone for a slice?

With tea of course! Although I would have much preferred a coffee.

Thursday - So, I took zero pictures on Thursday. Instead, I thought I'd share a few pics from my boards on Pinterest.

I aspire to one day make meringues like these - inshallah.

Omg, the chocolate icing!

I have a thing for fairy lights.

How cute is this?

Be kind, always.

Friday: We made it! To Friday! Breakfast was made by placing a piece of bread into a pan with butter. Crack on an egg and whisk with a fork. Season with salt, pepper and red chilli powder. Flip over and cook until toasted.

I had a few bananas lying around. So thought I'd whip up a Banoffee Pie.

For dinner, we made a leftovers rice with this sticky glaze.

Chicken, courgettes, red pepper, peas, sweetcorn, spring onions, ginger, garlic, salt, red chilli powder

Add in the sticky glaze along with cooked Basmati rice.

Let it steam for a few minutes, and dinner is ready!

On the blog this week:

Mexican Chicken Chilli Potato Pot - a one pot wonder filled with the flavours of Mexico!

Hope you all have a beautiful and happy week ahead inshallah!

Keep me in your duas, please,

Wasalaam!