And you’re wondering what could I possibly doing that is new, right?
More pictures of dates and fried stuff?
An artistic shot of a glass of water?

Well I intend to host my very first Iftar.

I’m going to give people food to break fast.

Now my mom is not very happy about this.
She may not like the menu either.

But I had a plan…for how I could cook everything…bake bake bake…I really need a second oven…

However I was saved. I am outsourcing the meat and one side.

I am making one side and salad (well I informed my sister in law that she is making the salad).

I’m excited and petrified at the same time.

Wsh me luck!

We have no kitchen however.
Renovation is still going strong…*sigh*

I have no energy to bake even if it is pointed out to me that other people work over an hour’s drive from home and still have a life.

I still plot baking but unless it’s pizza it probably doesn’t happen.

Now to add to the burden, we started our downstairs renovations together with upstairs bathroom which just finished tile and looks awesome through the muck..

So we’re downstairs while lower roof is changing, new walls are added and support columns reinforced or replaced.

First casualty: they took down the garage roof and the lights there are connected to kitchen lights, main bath, back porch (as all these additions were done together I guess). No overheads but most outlets have juice.

Second casualty: in widening kitchen/breakfast table area, constructing new wall, we disconnected the washer and dryer last week. We went by my brother’s in-laws to wash on Saturday.

Third: the stove/oven was disconnected on Friday.

We are accepting food donations.

We did connect mom’s table top 2/3 burner stove so all is not lost. We could bake in the toaster oven I guess.

High points: as soon as the plumbers come and hook up our upstairs bathroom and we clean upstairs we can move back. Yay!

The house is half painted a lovely colour we all like and kudos to me for picking it and standing my ground.

KITCHEN RENO!

A world of possibilities.

We can have everything.

*sigh*

Or too many possibilities and mom and I are going crazy ;-)

Lots of different kinds.

So today I pulled out the ginger and the lavender bars for mom and me to sample.

The ginger was nice, kind of rich. I didn’t taste the ginger so much but mom did.

So next one block each of lavender. When I finally managed to open that packaging well for sure I could smell it.

But oh no one little block with all that lavender … Like eating powder/powder/cream. I wanted to spit it out and it was just one tiny little square.

We had to run to get something to blank out the taste. The mixed caraibe bar was nice.

But ew what to do with the lavender!

Our family is going.
Two trips.
There might be an earlier return trip.

I don’t think I’ve ever been to Toco!

Niece’s Eid Dinner: Multi-grain Cheerios, originally uploaded by Lilandra.

:-)

Eid Breakfast: SAHINA!, originally uploaded by Lilandra.

Finally.
We got a good pocket of internet and tada!

Nobody wants my pictures to upload, neither flickr nor my website.
How funny.

I had sahina.
It was pretty.
Awesome chutney.

And there was sawaine.

That is all.

And my brother and his family are home!
Woohoo.

(No internet for two days!)

Chennette has given a nice talk about ‘Ids away from home. Hers sound nice. I think my accomplishments were making a nice SMALL kibbe and a biryani into which the salt shaker fell. I can’t remember how the biryani tasted but the kibbe was GOOD and I wished I had more meat and had made more.

Oh, we have kibbe and lamb.
Mom says we will make biryani when Chennette comes Saturday.
It does seem like we’re putting off a lot of things for when Chennette comes on Saturday….hmmmm

And from there, I got to the press release on TDC’s website. Okay so you’re thinking why didn’t I go there in the first place? Well they didn’t link me to there did they?

I wish they could keep track of their multiple websites.

Previous posts:
Taste T&T 2010 Hits the Road
Further Thoughts

(Ramadan post coming soon…I have pictures of food! But I haven’t looked at them yet…doubtful as to their quality. But our masjid has at least 3 more iftars! woohoo!)

It occurs to me the workshop is on September 2nd and 3rd.
Bear in mind, so you don’t attribute anything to sour grapes, I have no expectation of being invited.

But, that’s during Ramadhan. You know fasting?
But I guess muslims only account for about 6% (or something like that) of the population.
And of that, who knows how many fast, right?
So, maybe muslims not really invited.
Maybe after all, we’ve not really contributed to what’s made Trinbagonian food so unique…so good.
So fasting muslims don’t need to be invited to the workshop at all!

And then the first Sunday lunch is on September 12th.
Well, let me tell you, Eid-ul-Fitr is most likely September 10th or maybe the 11th.
Will I really be able to convince my tired parents and other muslim family to drive up to Toco the next day?

Well, Chennette might be here for that weekend.

ETA: This link has two links to T&T websites, neither of which work.
What a release.

Taste T&T 2010: Many Flavours ONE FESTIVAL

Wow!
And I wonder to myself when is it?
How often do I pick up the physical newspaper and read it?

Have other people heard about it and not me? But I do check Twitter. Chennette keeps track of local food blogs better than me…

Anywayz, details for those who might not have seen it (someone tell me how long they running these ads because if it is only today then seriously need new committee real bad…if beginning of August…still need one).

It is in two parts all to discover what makes our food unique.

On September 2nd and 3rd is the Taste T&T 2010 Workshop (by Invitation Only) where local and international chefs will analyze our dishes.

Then they will continue on for a series of Sundays in the “villages that made our trademark dishes famous”. Come for Sunday Lunch (10am to 5pm)

• Toco Sea Food, 12th September @ Toco Regional Complex Grounds.
  Special Prize for Best Seafood Broth
• Tunapuna Creole Food, 19th September @ Honeymoon Recreational Ground.
  Special Prize for Best Curry Duck
• Debe East Indian Delights, 26th September @ Venue to be determined.
  Special Prize for Best Doubles

ADMISSION FREE

Did I just give TDC a free ad?? :)
(ha! not much people read this)

Well they said for further information call head office or go to the website gotrinidadandtobago.com but I didn’t see anything listed there for current Taste…SURPRISE! (not!)

Not sure I want to go.
But want to go. Not sure about Chennette’s plans.
It’s very annoying…have they been planning this long?

Unfortunately, I’m not all that confident. Maybe it’s this little inferiority feeling…

A couple days ago I screwed up my courage and read for mom who was like, what? you’re not reading that bad.
Then I read for my brother.

I’m told I get more blessings struggling than those who are very fluent.

I always hope to carry on the quantity of reading I do in Ramadan out of Ramadan.

Software plug: On that subject, I use Zekr. It’s Open source Qur’an software.
The best thing about it is it works on Windows, Mac OSX and Linux (well I hope all Linux). It can display the Arabic with the transliteration with the translation, or alone. And you can add recitations (or use the online ones) and play each verse one at a time so you can read along with the recitation. I made sure all my family have it.

I must add that the audio doesn’t work on Linux PPC. I think it needs Java… But it still works nicely as a Qur’an.

Okay, I still use my hard copy qur’an because the script is *nice* and big, but I really need to get one of those colour-coded tajweed Qur’ans…it would help a lot more when I don’t have my computer.

I think we are onto our 10th fast…and
THERE IS AN IFTAR IN THE MASJID TONIGHT
Yay!
Pictures? :)

Now my brother is home for this Ramadan and as you know Chennette is in Guyana with our other sister so…there are enough people in Guyana to make the things we like too.

Chennette craves macaroni pie…posts pictures of macaroni pie. Well yesterday mom baked lamb in bbq sauce and I made macaroni pie. I also made a macaroni pie with beef that went into the freezer, a meal to be baked for another day.

She made googni (boil and fry blackeye with onions and whatever else) and next day mom makes it.

We make aloo pie and channa and cucumber chutney she says hmm maybe I want that instead of pizza.

And I think, hmm, how long has my brother been home and I haven’t made any pizza?

Last night, she chirps that

you can’t make style on us @empresslilandra WE making Aloo Pies tomorrow for #iftar! http://bit.ly/aOpPiU #Ramadan #Caribbeancooks

What else is in the lineup?

So, I guess, in a way, we are celebrating Ramadan together.

:-)

Hmm…I wonder if she’ll feel for non-stuffed but fried beef kibbe with tahini?

Fried Kibbe, originally uploaded by Lilandra.

It looks kinda like felafel, doesn’t it? :)

Well, I missed a day of posting, so now we’ve had 9 Tarawih and I started my 9th fast.

Hey, a week of Tarawih prayers are done!
And Alhamdulillah I managed to make it to the masjid every night for it, although I think I was falling asleep last night.

Water has finally come last night and hopefully it stays to fill up our tanks.

We got sahina to break fast from our neighbours but otherwise, yesterday was a day of leftovers.

I really want Chennette’s pizza, googni.
I also might have to make Golden Wheat Carrot Cake and for some reason am considering trying homemade pastrami (because where would I get halaal pastrami in Trinidad?)

So after Tarawih, it settled. We moved the old fridge out into the porch. We moved the new fridge into position and plugged it on and I wiped the insides with hot water. Filled the ice trays and went to sleep.

(okay a bit more involved than that. We had to take out the doors from the old fridge, so empty the doors, twist around back door, fiddle with new fridge feet…let people run around and not fall asleep after).

Happily when we woke up for suhur, the ice was frozen.
Of course the old fridge said the temperature was 38F after months when it couldn’t go below 45F and I think recommended is 40F at most. Our electronics are infamous for being jealous.

Hopefully someone will buy it even knowing it needs some work. I can’t deal with two fridges again!

And for iftar yesterday…
Well mom (with my help) made aloo pies, curry channa with cucumber chutney while we waited for the fridge to arrive. That was dinner for me too. And iftar.

Aloo Pie, Channa and Cucumber Chutney, originally uploaded by Lilandra.

Hmmm…

Well, I’m tired and have many pictures to go through but I will post a link to Chennette’s recipe with picture. I need to sleep so I can do more stuff tomorrow…:)

Today: 6th Ramadan.
Last night: 6th Tarawih
This morning: 6th Suhur

We’ve almost done a week of fasting. Wow time flies!

Oh mom made pholourie from a pack.
Instant pholourie, just add water.
(And fry…we need a long handle spoon…)
Yes, we take short cuts too, especially during Ramadan :)

But in case you want to know how to make your own, you can check out Trinigourmet’s website :) (I only found out earlier today she’s a saveur site we love…!)
Neither Chennette nor I seems to have posted a recipe.

I’m trying to read Qur’an every day and managing…
But I’m really Slooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow.

Today is the 5th of Ramadan. Last night we prayed the 5th Tarawih. This morning, we had our 5th Suhur and we are currently keeping the 5th fast.

So, to makeup for this…*sob* *sob*

Dad passed, saw cassava, couldn’t resist, bought loads, mom cooked it, sent half to the masjid…and tada!

Today is the 4th of Ramadan. Last night we prayed the 4th Tarawih. This morning, we had our 4th Suhur and we are currently keeping the 4th fast.

One of my childhood friends is visiting her family from abroad. She wants her children to grow up how we did, playing on the road, between the houses and in the masjid during Ramadan. She remembers the big gang of us, all walking to the masjid and back…the race to finish the Tarawih prayers in a half hour when the younger boys lead (ahem! We start Isha (night prayer) at 7:50pm so Tarawih at around 8:00pm and my brother finishes at…9:20pm…so at least one young boy grow up).

I miss those days too. The communal iftars (breaking of the fast) and dinners. (I guess this is a real subject for another post…in my grandfather’s lifetime, after and now).

Now we don’t have that much people and young people coming so really it’s just the brothers and maybe a couple sisters who go for Maghrib (sunset prayer). At sunset, one breaks the fast and then prays Maghrib. (I am told, if you are Shia, you break the fast when it’s completely dark…maybe half-hour after Maghrib prayer. We break when the sun starts setting, the colours start changing).

My mom and I don’t go to the masjid for Iftar and Maghrib. We don’t have the energy.

So at the masjid, it’s just a little iftar with whatever people bring, be it just dates, water, soft drink or whatnot (my brother carried a danish ring yesterday…special grocery trip…yes we love Entenmann’s, we saw it, we bought it, he decided to go the next day to buy another to carry to the masjid…how often do you see Entenmann’s in Trinidad at a reasonable price?).

Then after they pray Maghrib, they all trek back home to eat and then we return for Isha and Tarawih. Maghrib time is about 6:26pm and by the end of Ramadan it will be about 6:11pm. We try not to overeat between Maghrib and Isha because then we will be rather sleepy and sluggish and it will be harder to make it through the Tarawih prayers. Ha! I mightn’t even make it to the masjid. And we’re washing all the wares *after* Tarawih. Note, this is my family. Who knows what other people do.

But my brother and his family got invited to an Iftar in a neighbouring masjid. Maybe I can give my sister-in-law mom’s point-and-shoot camera to take some pictures of the food…hehehe. Also, I heard tell of someone wanting to have an Iftar in our masjid…so there’s hope. EXCITEMENT! I still hate washing dishes.

Oh, you’re wondering what we do for dinner. Well it depends. Friday and Saturday there is neighbourhood barbeque on sale so yesterday, we bought four boxes and had them not boxed, but each food separate…I think there is still quite a lot left. Thursday mom cooked fry aloo and bodi (separate) in the morning and when we went grocery (the first time we bought the Entenmann’s) we bought panini bread (?) which looked like sada so we could save on the cooking. So tonight, we will probably have leftovers..:-)

Today is the 3rd of Ramadan. Last night we prayed the 3rd Tarawih. This morning, we had our 3rd Suhur and we are currently keeping the 3rd fast.

We shall start fasting tomorrow and the first Tarawih (special night prayer during Ramadan) will be tonight.

So it’s Ramadan and now … countdown until Eid?

We have a whiteboard in our house. A month ago I wrote up three categories, snacks, sweets and food and filled in one bit. My sister-in-law filled in one thing and off we went.

Sadly no food appeared on the list…until my mom added kibbe :)

Still no other food options…

Ah, well, I wonder what we’ll make.

And, yes Ramadan is more than food at the end of the month and food at sunset but for now the frivolous (even though I hope to have a very devout Ramadan and make it to the masjid every night for Tarawih!)

Laterz :)