Lily’s Blog, Dragon Absconded!
Baking Until I Drop

Mango Chutney at My Masjid’s Iftar, originally uploaded by Lilandra.

Saturday 13 September:

After I couldn’t sleep the day before, I decided to peruse my cookbooks. If you remember the last time I tried to make pancakes for my family for suhur, NOBODY FASTED!

Now, I did see a recipe for Feathery Banana Pancakes in Lisa Yockelson’s Baking by Flavour, but Chennette was at home. And there were some suspicions about whether she can eat bananas or not. Also, I can’t remember if there were any bananas.

Also, since I was thinking of making this for Suhur, I didn’t want this oh sooo complicated.

But I couldn’t sleep and it was 2 am when I started looking at cookbooks and I was to get up at 4 am so did it matter?
Hmm
I could go downstairs *now* and collect all the ingredients and just pre-prep them. So down I went with Alton Brown’s baking book in hand to make buttermilk.

Continue reading Iftar at my Masjid (12th) and the next day

Bamboo Masjid, originally uploaded by Lilandra.

Yesterday, Chennette came in about 7:30 pm to overnight. So after ruminating on many plans, as follows

1. Mom and I drive up after we break fast and eat something (maybe), at around 6:30 to pick her up and she drives back.
2. Mom and I drive up and break fast at the airport and wait leisurely for her to arrive.
3. Mom and I drive up in time to pray and break fast at Bamboo Masjid. If we’re so lucky and they have dinner ooo! Otherwise, proceed to the airport and wait for her.

Dad ended up going with us. We packed dates and four bottles of water and drove up to reach Bamboo to break fast and pray.

Continue reading Iftar at the Airport again (11th fast)

Masjid at Night, originally uploaded by Lilandra.

Oooo
I fasted today!
And.
I went out.
Yes.
Recluse that I am…went out to socialize.
After muttering about not knowing anybody etc etc (silly me! it’s an event…you come whatever).
Bump into one undergrad friend who I haven’t seen in aeons and two more appear behind her/me who I’ve seen in about a year.

*sigh*

Being the daughter of an Imam has some…negatives, shall we say.

In Ramadan, there is a special night prayer. It’s optional but very beneficial. After Isha (the last prayer of the night), but before Witr (an optional but strongly strongly strongly encouraged prayer that’s done after Isha), one prays Tarawih. The prophet used to pray eight rakaat (it’s how we count how much times we go up/down etc) in twos. I think it might have been Umar who started praying 20 in twos (I can’t recall. I could search. I’m dead beat and have another search lined up).

There is a hadith that says whoever prays Isha, Tarawih and Witr all with the Imam it is as if they prayed all night long. So, Ramadan is more than just not eating. There’s a lot of blessings and forgiveness and prayers to be had if you make the time. I’m trying my best this year to pray all I can.
Continue reading 10th Fast and 11th Tarawih: Oh my! More on Tarawih than you want to know!

Peter Reinhart’s Lavash, originally uploaded by Lilandra.

Surprise surprise.
I didn’t fast today.

It was decided that yesterday I wasn’t well so I’d better take the day off.

But tomorrow (in 3.5 hrs), I shall be fasting, Insha Allah.

I’m not sure what they had for Suhur.

Continue reading Ramadan 9 and Iftar on Ramadan 10: Lavash and Cupcakes

Although I had some notion that I would be able to fast today, I didn’t wake up (I’m not stupid. I wasn’t looking for no boof!) and nobody woke me up (I had a mild hope that somebody would come and check to see if I was feeling up to fasting).

I had plans.
I planned that I would spend the day in even more dhikr (remembrance of Allah swt), that I would read more Qur’an.

And as is with most plans, the don’t pan out.

I guess they’re right about fasting making you do more. When you’re not, you kinda let things slide…It’s like the ultimate tie a string around your finger so you don’t forget to do something. And it’s not hard to remember what that something is.

Continue reading Ramadan 8

Let’s recap the last two days.

I think I’m going to do this by theme, except to note that current came back at about 12:20 am this morning and also inform you about the excitement that was going to be yesterday’s post: Iftar at the Airport!.

Very sorry to disappoint…but such excitement and…disappointment.

Continue reading The last two days: Iftar at the airport and stress!

No electricity.

Gah such excitement. Let’s just think of today as a frankenstein version of yesterday (until I’m able to come online and post properly) with similar food eaten etc.

Instead, let’s ponder which do we prefer to do without, running water or electricity (because that’s what it’s like here currently)?

All I can say is Alhamdulillah for UPS.