How to: Epic & Easy Breakfast Ideas for Sleepovers

I am coming to you with this post on Thanksgiving Day because we celebrated early this year. We had our family over on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The last of our guests left this morning at five and my immediate family left for travel a couple hours after that. So, just like that, a home that was buzzing with activity and laughter is now completely silent.

It has been raining all day and very little light is coming in through the windows.

But all is well. I have been cleaning up, listening to the sound of water running through the gutters, and staying warm with many cups of green tea.

I want to share with you some of the breakfast ideas I used this week and some that I am saving for the next time we have family over. Now, with all the work that goes into hosting a large group of people and the general priority to give each person the attention they deserve, the last thing I had time for was taking pictures for the blog. So, I will be sharing images from the sources where I got each idea. You can obviously tweak each idea to your own preferences and make it as simple or extravagant as you like. Happy entertaining!

...Oh and Happy Thanksgiving!

No matter what our lives look like, there is ALWAYS something to be grateful for :)

xo Aneela

ONE // The Waffle Bar

This is a really fun idea if you have a lot of kids over. We swapped the waffles for pancakes to save time because our waffle maker only makes one waffle at a time. It worked out great. You could also tweak this spread to create a parfait bar! Get the details for the one pictured below over at One Sweet Appetite.

TWO // Omelet Breakfast Bites

These are so simple, it's actually silly. Essentially, they are made in a cupcake tin by "smushing" tater tots into the base, topping with vegetables, egg and cheese, and popping in the oven. For specific instructions, check out RECIPEBEST.

THREE // 8 Minute Mini Cinnamon Rolls

Fast, easily accessible ingredients, and so adorable! Check out the recipe over at iowa girl eats. 

FOUR // Healthy Mango & Greek Yogurt Smoothie

This is a delicious breakfast smoothie idea that only needs three ingredients! No sugar needed! Check out diyready for this and 18 other healthy smoothie ideas!

FIVE // The Ultimate Bagel Buffet

Last, but certainly not least, bon appetit is the source for everything you need to arrange a beautiful bagel buffet. I just love customizable ideas. They allow guests to be creative and are accommodating to those pick eaters out there ;)

Mehndi Outfit Details + Random Chit Chat

Hey, it is currently 11:40 PM. I don't know why I always feel the need to tell you what time it is. Anyways, I digress. I just got home not too long ago and the insomnia has made a brutal attack. I just know I am not going to be sleepy any time soon even though when I was not at home, I wanted nothing more than to close my eyes.

Today has been the first weekend in a while that I have been in my city. I have been to St. Paul, Minneapolis, Detroit, and Toronto during the past couple of months. I did take pictures in each place with the intention to do short city guides on the blog, but I have to say, when I would get back from each place, I felt overwhelmed by all the tasks that had been postponed during my time away that I could not sit down to blog without going on a guilt trip (pun intended).

Now, that I've completed my ritual of, "Let's mope about why I haven't posted in 2 months", let's move on to the meat. Today I went to a mehndi (Pakistani equivalent of a bachelorette party?). It was nice. There was a surplus of toddlers present. I'm not complaining because those little ones are so much cuter than us adults. What happened to us? Did we actually look like that two decades ago? Sighhh.

So, when I got home and realized Mr. Insomnia had come over like an uninvited dinner guest, I decided I would write a blog post and took a few quick shots of the accessories I wore. I have since changed and have realized that I forgot my rings. Oh well.

I wore one of my mom's outfits from the 90's. I don't know if anyone can relate, but sometimes I get cravings to wear my mom's things. Things that she has worn and loved and does not wear anymore. I get this feeling like I am safe and nothing can hurt me because I am wearing her clothes or her ring or whatever. Please someone back me up here. Am I the only one?

Anyways, so the outfit is made using a special tie-dye technique that is native to a specific area in Pakistan that I cannot recall the name of at this moment. It is done on an ultra soft and supple material and is paired with a shalwar and a chiffon scarf. Since the outfit is fairly simple by Pakistani standards (if you are not South Asian, you will probably think it looks like a Halloween costume), I decided to dress it up HEAVILY with jewelry. I never wear this much stuff, so it felt a bit like playing dress up out of my Kindergarten teacher's toy chest. I was quite pleased with the end result and I believe the outfit looked modest and luxe at the same time.

Here are some photographs of the details. I hope you enjoyed this spontaneous post and I hope you have a wonderful weekend! xo Aneela

Eid Mubarak

I just want to share a quick eid greeting with all of my celebrating readers and a short summary of my day. I hope you all had a great day and were able to connect with family and have good conversations and great food. 

My eid was pretty good. It was kind of dull for most of the day, but I got to sit with my parents later at night for a couple hours which made up for how lonely it was before that. I went to the masjid early to help set up at 8:30 AM and was there until about 1:00 PM. Usually, I stay way longer and just hang out, but not many people came to eid this time and most people left sooner than usual, so there was no one left. After the masjid, I was on my own for most of the day. I went to the mall, but had no luck there. Actually, if you are interested, there were some really great pieces at H&M. I had to leave right after I got there to run an office errand so I only got a couple minutes to look around, but from what I did see, they have some great "hijabi friendly" pieces right now. I saw printed dresses, long blazers, and a good variety of fall colored printed scarves. I will DEFINITELY be going back to have a second look next weekend. Probably not the best idea though because I am currently trying to pare down the amount of clothing in my closet. Shhh.

Anyways, after I got home I just worked on a new project that I am doing on the blog. It is my first collaboration with a company and I am #SOEXCITED. I really want to post it right now and I would if I could, but I have to wait for some final details. Stay tuned because I have a feeling you are going to love the concept! By the way, the project was totally my idea :)

To end, I had a late dinner with my family at around 10:00-ish and then I chatted with my parents until now (11:40 PM) when I am about to sleep after having documented the day. I am also trying to improve my photography skills, so I took a special shot for eid which I will include in this post. Check out that white background actionnnn.

That's all I've got for now, I am absolutely exhausted/ my eyelids are falling. So, Eid Mubarak and good night!

xo Aneela

How to Make Pineapple Upside Down Cake (PHOTO TUTORIAL)

I made pineapple upside down cake yesterday and photographed all the steps to share on the blog in case the results warranted sharing. Well, it turned out to be delicious and my family LOVED it. I served it immediately after taking it out of the oven while the pineapple was hot and gooey in the butter and brown sugar mixture. The cake itself had a “flan-type” consistency because of the pudding I mixed into the cake batter. I would recommend serving while hot, but I have to say, the leftover piece I had for breakfast this morning was ALMOST just as divine.

Also, I don’t own a cast iron skillet, so I used two round cake pans, but I imagine this is the type of cake that would bake really well in a skillet if you have one available.

As you will see, my end product is not the most aesthetically pleasing because for some reason I decided to STACK the cakes and kind of missed the target, but I assure you the taste made up for its looks.

Without further ado, let’s get into how you can make your own pineapple upside down cake! If you end up trying it, let me know. I would love to see your creation!

I hope you enjoy this photo tutorial. It’s a new style I’m trying J

eid mubarak

Today, I and many (I say many because some celebrated yesterday and others will tomorrow depending on the sighting of the moon where they live) other Muslims around the world celebrated Eid-ul Fitr. This is the celebration that commemorates the end of the holy month of fasting a.k.a. Ramadan. To any fellow Muslims reading this, I wish you a heartfelt Eid Mubarak. I pray that all had/will have the opportunity to spend this blessed time with the ones they love.

The end of Ramadan, and especially Eid day brings to me a mix of sentiments. On the one hand, I realize that I will have my pre-Ramadan routine back. But, with the return of that routine, I fear I may lose that increase in spirituality I had worked towards achieving over the past thirty days. So, tonight as I sit here typing away, I resolve to spend these next eleven months preparing for next Ramadan. I want to reach a point where I don't have to feel like I am doing so many extra things to be better during Ramadan. And perhaps, this is the point of Ramadan. Yes, it is a special blessed month. But, apart from the fasting, the remaining practices are things we should be focused on all year long, not just for one month. So, I end with this. I give myself credit for the areas in which I improved this month. And, I resolve to keep these new practices alive, so that I can improve even more next year instead of starting from the same place I did this year.

Now, in the spirit of celebration, let me tell you about my Eid-ul-Fitr 2015.

Last night, my mother, sisters, and I had a chand raat party at our new home. And since I am the sentimental type, I would also like to document that last night also marked our first meal at the new home. We have not moved in yet, but we did our eid prep there just for fun. I did my own nails and henna and I was quite pleased with the results. I painted my nails black and accented them with silver studs. My mother picked up the henna cones for us from the Indian Bazaar and the color came out so nice! I will share some photos at the end of this post.

Eid morning was great as well. I went to bed pretty late the night before, but it was easy to wake up because of the excitement of the day! I woke up at four and thought it was time to get up, but that was just my dad getting ready to drop someone off at the airport all the way in Chicago. So, I actually woke up at six to get ready. I wore a beautiful dress with a lot of delicate embroidery. I was very happy to have gotten it as an early eid gift from an auntie at the masjid, so I could wear it today. I thought that was sweetest gesture and I truly loved the dress on me. I won't be sharing an outfit shot, but you can see some of the embroidery in the henna picture :)

Once we got to the masjid, I got to see everyone all dressed up and wish them a mubarak eid. We exchanged hugs, compliments, and conversations. It really was a lovely day.

In the afternoon, my cousins and sisters played Monopoly at the new house and I just chilled out at home. In the evening I went out to dinner with my parents, siblings, and cousins. We went to my favorite restaurant in the city. It's an Indian place with the best South Asian food I've ever had. I may also be slightly biased because we are good friends with the family who owns the restaurant and they are also the nicest people ever. The food was phenomenal as always. And, as always, we topped off the night with their special chai and mithai (sweets).

All in all, today was a wonderful day because I got to spend it with my "masjid family" and my "family family". The delicious food and beautiful clothes didn't hurt either. And of course, at the end of the day, reflecting on the true meaning of eid is essential. I pray that everyone is happy about eid as I am and that we all derived benefit and blessing during Ramadan this year.

Lastly, I also want to express my gratitude for being able to celebrate eid freely in my country and for being given the resources to celebrate in this way. All Muslims in the world do not have the luxury of amazing food and new/clean clothes to celebrate this day. I have to remember them and be grateful for being one who is afforded these comforts. So, let's enjoy this time with our families, be grateful, and reflect on the holy month that has passed.

Oh and one last time, Eid Mubarak!

xo Aneela

The Look for Less // Tory Burch Espadrilles

Tonight, I come to you bearing good news. Drum-roll please...I found the perfect pair of wedges that could be mistaken for the Adonis wedge espadrilles by Tory Burch by someone who has only casually dabbled into the world of Tory Burch.

So, here's Exhibit A, the Tory Burch's. They retail for $225 and are reduced to $175 currently. A little much for a baller on a budget such as moi. 

image via bloomingdales.com

But, who needs those when there is a VERY similar (and more affordable) pair by Kenneth Cole Reaction out there? Not me! The Kenneth Cole wedges are available on Zappos for a 69 buckaroos! Ummm, sign me up, right?!

image via zappos.com

So I know they don't look exactly alike, but, they have the same elastic detailing that is super comfortable and they are probably easier to wear as they are lower than the Tory Burch's. And, for $69, I'm not complaining.

HOWEVER, sad story, I actually ruined them the first time I wore them last week. I was walking downtown, which I do very rarely so I am not caught up on the unfortunate state of the post-winter pavement. There was about a 2 inch height difference from one sidewalk panel to the next and I very dramatically and ungracefully face planted the ground right in front of Central Library. I banged up my knees pretty badly, but more importantly, I scraped the front of my shoes. I know, so sad...

Whatevs, I'm over it. Still going to be wearing them ALL SUMMER LONG.

I hope you guys liked this look for less. I can do more because I always find items similar to higher end ones that I pine over. I would love to share them here.

Hope you have a beautiful weekend :)

xo Aneela

2015

image source: tableforoneministries.com

Please Note: Yes, I am yet another blogger who has chosen to write (although 12 days late) a piece about the new year. But fear not, I will not put your eyes through the misery of having to read through yet another list of resolutions :)

Well, here we are. Yep, we've survived another year on this planet; all praise belongs to God for that. We are now almost two weeks into 2015 and I’ve been doing some serious thinking these past days about what it means to me that I’ve made it here and how I can thank God for giving me the breath to see the turn of another year. I mean, I consider myself lucky to be here as I think about the horrible things happening around the world and the innocent lives being lost to senseless acts of violence, natural disasters, disease, etc. A recent stand out in my mind is the loss of the angels of the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan which is still a fresh wound in my heart. And, while I believe it is important to grieve and honor those who have left us, I also think it is equally important for all of us to continue living in a way that shows our gratitude for being given another day, another breath.

Not to put down anyone’s lifestyle, but I feel, especially here in the United States, many TV shows, musicians, and other sources of entertainment encourage our youth to waste their best years away in the pursuit of temporary enjoyment like alcohol, drugs, material wealth, etc. The message I see being thrown at us day in and day out is to simply exist for short term fun rather than live to our maximum potential and have concern for our future past Saturday night. Even this year, concerning New Year’s Eve, my university friends’ three major concerns were 1. which smaller subset of friends to party with, 2. what to wear, and 3. which destinations to hit up worth a full night of celebration. And once a night of bar-hopping through the city had ensued, they would decide where to go for late night/early morning pizza, I learned during post-celebratory conversation. 

When I look beyond what seems to be a glittering lifestyle sans a dull moment, something about imagining people who truly have a special place in my heart spending their New Year’s Eve/Day in this way really saddens me because I know that their celebrations won’t do them any good past that one night of enjoyment. It makes me grateful for the way Islam teaches me to spend mine, in prayer and reflection on the past year. I wish that my non-Muslim friends could try out New Year’s Eve our way and see how enjoyable and calming it is. No pressure, no insane expectations to have the best night ever. Just you, God, and the thoughts you share with Him. It really makes for a magical night.

Well, these have been my two cents. I hope I was able to offer something that resonates with you in some way or at least gives you something to think about. 

Here’s to a year of happiness, health, and spiritual advancement! And, as this blog turned 3 years old on December 1^st, I want to thank all you from the bottom of my heart for another great year! Thanks for reading! 

xo Aneela