The First Ramadan Ghabga
http://bfnionizers.com/product/vmb-vinyl-three-layer-foam-back-esd-table-mat/ By danderma | July 26, 2012
Yesterday we hosted the first Ramadan ghabga in our new apartment and we had so much fun! There is nothing better than a cosey home gathering with good food, good company, and laughter. The best thing is that it didn’t take much effort at all, just place Read more »
Insha2 Allah this time next week, it will be Ramadan, and we would all be thirsty and many many of us will be dreaming of drinking an icy cold glass of Vimto. I am not a Vimto addict like my fellow Kuwaitis, I drink it bel sena 7sena, but my husband is a big Vimto fan and every year he brings home two bottles to drink during Ramadan and we make one pitcher and it wouldn’t taste good and we would let it gather dust on the kitchen counter.
Yes, I confess, I don’t know how to make a good glass -or pitcher- of Vimto. Are you a Vimto fan? Do you love Vimto in Ramadan only or all year round? and would you please teach me how to make Vimto? Much obliged!
This is not a recipe per say, and its not even mine. My husband has the tendencie to go bersek at the fruit & vegetables section in the Co-op and buy things in bulk then we would be stuck. So we were contemplating what to do with one of the huge Honeydew Read more »
We had guests over for dinner yesterday and I had a very short notice to prepare for it. I usually like to have 10+ days in order to pour over the menu and make my selection and purchase whatever is necessary. However, the food business is established in a way that you can have a feast on your table without leaving your seat and I did just that!
So lets see, there were of course fresh flowers arranged around the vases in the apartment.
Setting the table. Place mats, table runner, napkin holder.
Arrange the plates.
Wrap the utensils up.
Voila, the table is set!
Add some table decoration, candles and flowers.
Condiments i.e. Salt, Pepper, and Red Chili flakes grinders.
A bread basket with freshly bought and sliced bread is a must!
Drinks. Frosty cold drinks.
Salads.
The balls are breaded goat cheese over greens.
Some of the appetizers.
Next the main dishes.
Dinner is served.
We took our time eating dinner, talking and laughing and enjoying our meal. I love dinner gatherings and sitting to a table full of good food and good company. After we were done it was desserts time!
It didn’t go all smoothly as planned. My salads were missing the extra ingredients I had ordered. The trifles had fallen down during the commute and were ruined -they weren’t the ones I ordered in the first place-. The finger food order was a bit messed up but in the end I think it all came together fine! Phew!
We had a blast yesterday at home! I love dinner parties <3
Last week I wrote about the newest burger join in Kuwait Hashtag burger (post). The thing is being a vegetarian I didn’t try the burgers of course but Read more »
In a dark alley right besides Solo Pizza Neapolitan sits a little burger joint sporting a very hip identity of not having a name or a sign on the door, the name is Read more »
Love Ikea? Admire their beautiful kitchens? Thinking of getting yourself one? Read this before you do.
A few years ago when I moved to my old apartment I had gone to Ikea and gotten the best service ever in fitting a small kitchen. I loved my kitchen so much I had to move it with me to my new apartment -which had no kitchen-. So an entire month ago I went to Ikea and asked them to move it for me and fill in the gaps since my new kitchen is much bigger than my old one.
To my surprise they refused. First, they won’t move my old kitchen. Second, they didn’t want to give me extra cupboards. They wanted me to throw my perfectly fine brand new old kitchen away and build a new one from scratch. I put my foot down and said that I will move my own kitchen and you will help me complete it, so they said OK then but 1- You will have to pay extra to put together the old and new kitchen -I said OK- and 2- You will have to wait a month since the new cupboard doors and the new water faucett are not available in Kuwait and they will arrive by 10th of March so they will deliver them then.
We me oved with our old kitchen.We lived for an entire month kitchenless. All we could do is boil water in our kettle! We waited patiently for the call on the 10th of March informing us that the kitchen doors are back in Kuwait. We paid the extra they asked for. We got a call that they were coming yesterday at 8 am to install the kitchen.
My husband and I both work, my husband asked them to come at 11 am instead since at least he could excuse himself and get out of work then and they said they will come at 11. 11 am Monday came and went and no one showed up. 12:30 am came and went and no one showed up. Between 12 and 12:30 I called Ikea’s delivery department endlessly only to finally have someone answer me and tell me they will be there in 15 minutes.
So over one and a half hours late and when my husband asked them why they were that late, they said “we told you we would come at 8 and you refused”. It was my husband’s mistake then. Nice start!
They at first refuse to put up the old kitchen even though we paid them to. Then they wouldn’t make a whole in the new kitchen worktop so the wires of the washing machine could connect to the electric socket right above it -we don’t know what to do now frankly-. Then they make a fuss about putting up the cupboards above the oven. Would you please look at that? Have you ever seen anyone install cupboards this way before? What are these dangling slabs of wood!?
Wait there’s more! Now when the new sink and new faucett were to be installed, they said 1- They are missing screws only available through Ikea and 2- they are not responsible for connecting the sink to the water supply! They left us with missing screws we cannot get anywhere else and a gaping hole in the sink they!
and the highlight of the day? Half of the cupboards we ordered, the cupboards we waited a MONTH so their doors would arrive to Kuwait, are still missing their doors because “they didn’t arrive yet!”!!! So why did we wait all this time? Why did you call us and come to install a kitchen halfheartedly when you are missing the cupboards doors AND the sink screws?
The Ikea guys left us with a half installed kitchen, a 17 cm gap between cupboards they would do absolutely nothing about, a non functioning sink, a non functioning washing machine with no way to operate it via electricity, and no cupboard doors! We will still have to wait for god knows how long until the kitchen is complete. We will still have to rely on 6alabat to have 3 square meals a day. We are still hungry all the time.
Needless to say the delivery men were very rude AND complained to each other about my poor husband as he asked them to complete their work in Indian. Just because you speak a language he doesn’t doesn’t mean he cannot tell you are complaining about him. They left him very angry and upset. So upset in fact he couldn’t sleep all night because he was still seething with anger!
What happened Ikea? When did your after sale service and your delivery become so unbelievably bad? You used to have an amazing delivery and installation service! I love Ikea, I always did and I always will. But this? This is unacceptable. Never again I am going to buy something that needs installation from them.
I’ve recently got my hands on a new product from the UK’s markets: Cadbury Chocolate Flavored Philadelphia Cheese!
At first I thought: Cadbury and Philadelphia cheese? Yuck! Of course I did not even think of trying it but my husband bravely took a slice of toast and spread it with a dollop of the concoction. He loved it so I had to try and see for myself.
It is not too weird, not as weird as I thought it would be. It doesn’t taste like philadelphia and it doesn’t taste like Nuttela. I am not a fan of Nuttella at all because of the sugar hazelnut sa7na but the Cadbury Philadelphia doesn’t have a sa7na flavor and is not too sweet. Its more like Nuttella for grown ups. Very creamy, sweet enough but not too sweet, and has the slightest tang aftertaste, very slight but its not a bad one, makes it a bit different. If anything it reminded me a lot of Lorenzo’s famous chocolate cheesecake.
It comes in small packets for you to try first. It doesn’t work well with fruit dipped inside so its best used with toast or in making cakes. I would recommend it.
My Bu Tootee’s birthday falls right before the National Day & Liberation Day celebrations. This year however he wanted me to bake him a cake but since we still have no kitchen he refused to have a cake from any where else! Nevertheless I wasn’t going to let his birthday pass without anything so I got him a cookie -he cannot resist cookies and biscuits- and a box of mini cupcakes decorated like Kuwaiti Flags from little treats. Its not only his birthday we are celebrating after all!
Maskeen when he saw the cupcakes and the cookies he was so happy! No birthday is a birthday without some sort of cake! The candle I used was supposed to be letting sparks out but it failed and barely a spark was there 
Happy birthday my Bu Tootee o 3oqbal 100000 senna :*
A while back and while I was still in the UK I learned that f2o was selling hoodies! If you know me you would know that I am crazy about 3 things; Denim Jackets, T-Shirts, and Hoodies! I can never have enough of those three. Its like an addiction. A hoodie from f2o? A MUST HAVE! So I contacted the owner and told her I want one in fear of it being Read more »
A few years back as I had just finished my tea at the Yellow Cafe in Selfridges I saw a small ice cream place that was set up right opposite the Yellow Cafe. At first glance you wouldn’t think its an ice cream place as its styled in a funky gothic style with black and neon interiors with skulls.
We were too full by then to try it and it was out last day in London. By the time I went back next year it was long gone and I’ve since regretted not trying it. I heard so much about it so when I knew it had just opened in Covent Garden market I had to stop there.
We sat down inside a black painted dining area with neon lights blazing and funky music blazing. Black plastic chairs and a purple neon blinking and reflecting shadows over every black surface. Very modern and very different.
The chili hot chocolate was topped with mounds and mounds of whipped cream! They just wouldn’t end. The hot chocolate was very good though. Really really good.
What did I order? A cup with three scoops: Madagascan Vanilla, Dark chocolate & Orange, and Fererro Roche! Topped with chocolate sauce and caramelized hazelnut <3
Close up…
Was it good? I loved it. The Fererro Rochet and the dark chocolate and orange especially. The vanilla was just blah and tasteless.
The ice cream was good and not on the heavy side at all. I wished there were more varieties and different options or toppings for the ice creams like bananas for example. 7safa mako.
The girls at the table next to us had ordered the doughnut deal and the ice cream sandwich. I managed to “discreetly” snap photos of their dishes.
O this is what’s left of my order :p
Our bill came out to about £17 without service charge or tip. After we were done we checked out the take away section which continues merchandise for sale like T-Shirts and pins plus their ice cream flavors too.
We enjoyed our time very much. Their ice cream is good too. Not as good as the gelato found in Italy but it is satisfactory good. They have a fondue for two that I’d love to try the next time I am there.
The place is new, different, stylish, and hip. It is also worth noting that The Icecreamist is the ice cream boutique that came with a “Baby Gaga” ice cream which was made from human breast milk G63. The ice cream flavor was very controversial and they tried to ban it but to no avail. After its release Lady Gaga also filed a law suit against the icecreamist demanding a name change. She won, the name was changed to Baby Gogo. It is no longer on the menu by the way fa don’t worry.
The icecreamist is located in Covent Garden’s market. For more information you can visit their website (link).
Our friend Meshary was in 52 Degrees the other day and took some pictures of the newest items they have in stock for me. I Read more »
My husband’s friend was recently in Dubai when he saw the new Nespresso capsule flavors so he very generously brought my husband all three new Read more »
We went a few days back to Milk Cafe after we heard so many positive reviews about it. It looked like a good spot to have breakfast -the name is Milk after all-. When I read my fellow Read more »
Remember my post where I asked for help in finding a place to make my Bu Tootee 7ajj giveaways (post)?
I was running out of time and I was in the Avenues the other day with Ansam & Pink Girl having breakfast when we decided to go look for giveaways in either Pierre Marcolini or Dean & Deluca. We went to Read more »
On 10 November there was suddenly a spur of attention regarding the date 11/11/2011 and there was an announcement that the newly completed Burj Al-Hamra will celebrate its completion on that date with a spectacular lights display starting from 7 PM till 12 AM. I predicted that it would be Read more »
Yesterday was a gloomy day. I was blue and sniffing and sad when I was asked if I had ordered a cake? I hadn’t and the driver had already dropped the cake off and left so I went to see the Read more »
A while ago I dropped my Butootee to the airport and watched him pass the gates on his way to 7ajj, leaving me alone with the feeling of someone squeezing my heart until I could no longer breathe.
For a moment there I thought about running after him, clinging to his dishdasha and asking to go with him. Wherever he goes, I go. A blink too late as he disappeared behind the security guards on his way to a spiritual journey he has been aching for since forever.
How I got the courage to pull my feet away and return to my car is beyond me. I felt like crumbling on the airport floor and staying there until next Friday when he comes back. Everywhere I look people are happy, smiling, together, flying away to enjoy the vacation I now regard as a long lonely sentence. Eyes clouding with tears I drove home through the never ending traffic to a cold silent apartment.
Allah ya7fothah o yrj3ah bel salama. May god help my poor lonely heart, I already feel lost and dazed without him
No more posts for the day by the way.
When I was packing my husband’s bags for 7ajj I had this overwhelming feeling of wanting to surprise him with something when he unpacks. I thought about stuffing the No3man dolly but then I was afraid No3man would decide to stay in Mecca and never want to come back. I thought about writing him a love letter, then I immediately remembered WHY I have sworn never to write the man a love letter again. As a matter of fact I have Read more »
Since Bu Tootee is going with a 7amla he must pack his bags and ship them before he travels. Yesterday we finally packed his bags and today he should drop it to the 7amla. I am listing what he -well I to be concise- packed for future reference and for anyone who might need ideas:
Big Bag to be shipped:
1- 3 E7rams. Taken out of their packaging and washed.
2- Shoes: White slippers for e7ram, Bathroom Slippers, Trainers.
3- A full set of underwear for a few days, socks, and Dishdashat noom.
4- A change of clothes for 3 days after e7ram was done. 3 Shirts & 3 Trousers.
5- Toiletries: Scent free toiletry kit (post). An extra bar of scent free soap. An extra bottle of scent free shampoo. Toothpaste, Toothbrush, Shaving Cream, Face Wash, scented toiletries for after 7ajj, perfumes, body wash, and mofraka.
6- A cream for rashes and a heat cream thing for sore muscles.
7- Toilet seat covers, travel wipes, dettol wipes, and that gel you put to kill the germs on your hands.
8- Small packages of kleenex and Ear cotton puds.
9- Pins for e7ram, and a nails and hair grooming kit.
10- Towels
When he goes to the airport he will be wearing one e7ram, the belt, and the e7ram shoes and pulling a handbag. In the handbag which he is taking to the airport he has:
1- A change of clothes: Underwear, socks, tshirt, trousers, and Dishdashat noom.
2- Dettol wipes, travel wipes, kleenex, and toilet seat covers.
3- A first aid mini bag: Panadol, Vitamin C, Limesip, Zirtec, Buscopan, Gaviscon, Plasters, and mini sweets.
4- Chargers for the Galaxy Tab and the Phone.
5- Money, Passport, and 7aj and prayer booklets.
6- Extra set of pins.
I hope we didn’t forget to add anything. Do you have something to add maybe? Or something you or a relative is taking and should be helpful.
The most important thing to buy for a man going to 7ajj is his e7ram. Butootee had already bought 3 normal e7rams but he heard that there is a certain type of e7ram that can hold itself up and doesn’t need a belt or pins. It has velcro strap that is stapled on and sticks together quite nicely.
So we went to Mubarkiya and asked around. The only place that seemed to sell it is an old and well known shop “Al-Mosallam”. There were two kinds one Chinese and one Kuwaiti. One of them sold for 5 KD and the other which we got was for 7.5 KD and we chose it because it closes better. Lets just hope Butootee still gets to go to 7ajj, given that he is flying on Kuwait’s ariways who cancelled all their 7ajj flights
If you are still looking for an extra e7ram you can go and visit Al-Mosallam store in Mubarkiya to get yourself one. Tel: 22431322.
I went to Kuwait’s book fair early this morning. Thankfully it wasn’t very crowded for people were still in their beds when we went. It took us around Read more »
I have a question for you. How many of you after watching a movie pick up their own empty boxes of popcorn and coke and dispose of them in the trash cans outside? Raise you hands please.
Why is it whenever a movie ends, the cinema looks like a war zone? Empty coke cups flying everywhere, smashed popcorn trail all over the place, trash wherever you look. What happened over there, the war of the worlds with hooligans?
Can’t you dispose of your own trash? Can’t your highness just pickup the box of popcorn you munched on and just throw it in the trash can? A very civilized move I must say, because leaving your own trash behind you is nothing short of disrespectful. There are cleaners you say? So what! Can’t you make their job easier by helping them out?
My husband and I collect out trash before we collect our belongings when the movie ends. We carry it all the way with us until we find the poor cleaners with bags open and we put our trash and filth in there. We are still the same people, our dignity is intact and our pride is unscratched. There is nothing wrong in picking up your own trash and disposing of it. Expecting others to do it for you by default is what’s wrong.
Through your trash out people. Be classy and pickup after yourselves. 3n el qalaq 3aib 3lekom!
If you’ve been reading my blog for a long time you would recognize the strange purple pasta above. No I didn’t make it, my beloved husband Butootee made Read more »
I am not really a fan of calzone, my husband is. So whenever we are in a pizzeria he opts to order a calzone while I stick to my pizza. The last time we were in Solo Pizza (post) however he ordered their calzone for the first time and I stole half of his calzone :p I also tweeted about it and the Fahad Diet Ninja wanted to see the inside of it so I promised him a post. Here it Read more »
