My Ramadan Table

After the meal fruit( grapes are from my garden )



Ramadan 2nd day




Table setting before (one of my daughters got me this )






The above are some of the spices that I use in my versatile,multicultural recipes .
This is the link for usage of the common spices.

I would like to share with you,my table for the 30 days of Ramadan...


Simplicity is the name of the game!I try to organise myself so that nothing goes to waste. When food isn't eaten I simply use my magic wand and re-create another dish with it the following day-making it even taste better !
My first day of the holy month of Ramadan I made rishtet keskas in abundance to give away to friends and family...

Ramadan Day 1:
Libyan Sharba(lamb)
Rishtet Keskas,
Green Salad(Lettuce)
Arabic Salad ,
Burick (with Keemma-ground meat)
Foul Imdemes
Baba Ghanouj

*Had a problem with my camera -so sorry no pics of the 1st day !
and I will not use copyright restriction or my name on my pics you may use them as needed

Ramadan Day 2 :
Libyan Sharba (lamb)
Burick (Keema)
Green Salad
Arabic Salad
Baba Ghanouj
Foul Imdemes
Rice Pilaf
Chicken Breasts (a la king )
Fruit
Turkish Coffee (from Anglo's Mum Bless her )
Backlawa(homemade- we make it the night of Ramadan ,lasts all month)

Ramadan Rantings Libyan Style !

Ramadan Libyan Style!

Ramadan is supposedly the month of forgiveness, good deeds, prayers, soul searching, reciting our beloved Koran ,feeling the hunger of the poor when fasting…
But in Libya, it is a completely different story! It saddens me that when I see crowds of people who shop for an enormous amount of food which will then go to waste due to fasting thus cooking more than required.,Household items are bought; from carpets to kitchenware, ovens, refrigerators.

It is all a show of copy cat functions at its best. Neighbors, family, relatives distance ones and near, all speak the same lingua that of an imaginary checklist in which the more checked items the more experienced and respectful a person will be judged and valued.
This is a Libyan DNA issue. It’s in our people’s blood and it gets worse come Ramadan every year.

The fasting month should also be one to feel the need of the hungry and upon breaking the fast consume little food so as to concentrate the prayers not feeling bloated with a look of being 7 months pregnant. This is the case for the average Libyan woman or man in general.

Food is the main topic of the day. All that is shared is the food. Neighbors share. Food is placed at nearly all mosques for the poor and needy to have great food to enjoy, here again also goes to waste due to lack of organisation.

I went shopping and told a friend who said I was “brave”,in doing so,this the latter was what I experienced and interested me, that of something I’d never seen before due to the fact of having no idea where all these people had derived from. Most were Libyans obviously. So I’d chat some up just out of curiosity where they were from as their faces were by no chance familiar. Sure enough I was correct. They came from the outskirts of Tripoli – from as far as Zuara.

So the first part of Ramadan’s mainly focus is the food, new recipes are experienced from the famous “Fatafeet Chanel “being the latest craze in town! Even at the Taraweeh Prayers recipes are exchanged between a prayer and another. At times the imam would have to shout out to the women to plainly be “be quiet”.

Every time I’d want to go to the mosque for the prayers to find myself starting to never go back again the cause being :the recipes and chit chat being whispered from woman to woman. This upsets me causing me to lose concentration thus alternation my focus on what is being gossiped or criticized!

Many young ladies go the mosques during the holy month of Ramadan to be seen and asked for. The mother isn’t approached, only the daughter is; if she fits the groom’s future wife which is usually white and tall, to which I find sickening as the bride is looked upon as a fridge!

Such mentalities need to be changed for us to become more organized and literate of what is expectations we are to have not only as Muslims but as decent open minded humans who value life and what is given us for appreciation to take place.

The last days of Ramadan are spent with the buying (yes, buying again) of the “Eid” clothes. Now we switch to the “shopping of clothes revolt”. A revolt it is if you could see what families go through to get the right outfit for all members of their family.The screaming kids with their no end tantrums who should be in bed as its way past their bedtimes! Libyans just love crowds and starring (fanassing).The more crowded the better .
Pushing ,pulling and grabbing everything in sight..

True enjoyment is derived from having spent so much time for specific good/foods in question.
When my kids were young I’d always organize myself so I’d not need to buy any clothes in Ramadan as I’d have made due with buying 3 – 6 months prior to the holy month.

Creativity what is that? There’s just no place for it for we are copy cats of one another – nothing more, nothing less.

With this last note I end and please dear reader ,do not take my post personally for I am a true Libyan who criticizes positively for better awareness of this crazy attitude of ours.

May Allah help us through this holy month of Ramadan in being safe as well the latter due to the fasting and late nights thus minimum sleep leading to accidents which quite often at times are fatal....
………
When one fasts one becomes alive and laziness decreases .An alertness to all that surrounds is also noticed, even the sense of smell is awakened as aromas are triggered from a distance though we may be smokers or caffeine addicts.
Fasting is by no means to blame for the fatal accidents that occur during the holy month of Ramadan. But late nights, lack of sleep and an over indulgence of food are the sole reasons which trigger the many deaths which occur during this holy month. From the last research done into death caused by car accidents Libya came second in the world, first was Saudi Arabia!

Again I wish all Muslims in the world a safe, happy, and healthy Ramadan filled with great blessings in hope that our prayers be answered.

Itching , scratching allergy?? ,duh ???

I have developed an itch on my limbs and have been scratching on and off at times till I can no longer and I bruise myself and think my gorgeous arms will o longer be a pice to look at . Realizing that I stop only to commence as the itch starts to get to me again.

This has been going on for several weeks now.. Some told me it’s a “3ein “( devil’s/bad eye )due to marrying of three daughters in less than two years . It sounds as if it’s a mission accomplished and Im now labeled a successful lady !Anyways to get back to my itch which is a weird thing to share ,but I want to in case somebody is suffering from the same symptoms ..

The first question asked from relatives and friends is : “have you seen the doctors??”to which my reply is;”seen them?I practically live with them”! . I’ve been to numerous doctors on the advice of the newest in town who as is said here in Tripoli: “just came back from Germany , England, USA etc.this means the fresher and newer ones (doctors) are the best unlike our experienced docs who just continue to do things as they did when first they graduated doing what little they can due to having lost credibility in the Medical System.

At first my so called rash was diagnosed as being a virus ! hmm from where I’d ask ( I think all doctors in the Tripoli area will soon black list me if not done so already for the too many questions I ask. It is my right to ask and for them to answer, I will not stop asking . I love to be informed ,so before my visits I do my research to have my questions ready and shoot .

Until now I have used antibiotics, creams, gels, disinfecting germ killing body shampoos which made feel sicker still as I felt like a moving hospital. The scent and taste of the medication was also coming up to my throat and a burning sensation leaving me feeling as if Id eating a lot of greasy fried food.Take Alka Seltzer ( West ) or the similar local version ENO.Could I stop the medication ?

No, doctors orders were to complete the course! Humbug ! Ahh I forgot to mention with the medication loosing its effect the irritation and need for scratching would start over and wherever Id be questioned asking what my problem was while they too scratched obviously what goes around comes around as they say hehehehehehe!
Gosh I must be contagious ! packing up my suitcase and headed to Tunis for yet another diagnosis – will be back soon if not pass this on hehehehehe

I am blessed to have such a great sense of humour which inherited from my deceased father.Wonder when I’ll join him? hmmm

Happiness is .....

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
Dance as though no one is watching you.
Love as though you have never been hurt before.
Sing as though no one can hear you.
Live as though heaven is on earth.




For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin -- real life.
But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first,
some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid.
At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.
This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness.
Happiness is the way.
So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one.
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

The Libya Great Wall- down ?

MOV05201
Originally uploaded by desertrose5505

This was taken yesteday afternoon ,Wednesday,9th June 2010 while I was driving back to work . Its a wall that has sarcastically been compared to the Great Wall of China ....

Will it be replaced by another more costly structured wall or will we have the beautiful view to enjoy ??

One does wonder as in Libya with all the demolition going on one never knows what to expect ,which makes living in Libya quite surprisingly interesting.....
.

To my daughter on her wedding day ....

There she sits before her mirror
Full of excitement, her face flushed
Today will be her day; she will never know
How much I hurt, how scared I am
Of the void she will leave behind

Will she forget me? I'll be replaced
By someone new, someone who makes her heart
Dance in her chest, a drumbeat
Will he, can he protect her as I've done?
I have no choice but to trust...

I see the with an almost-rage
An unfounded, illogical jealousy, an anger
For what he is taking from me
I am selfish. She is my joy, my life
I would die for her

Today I will. A thousand times.

Then she turns to look at me
In her beautiful face I see worry
For me? She sees the watery eyes
She knows. Of course, she knows
She comes to me

And with the smallest kiss, the subtle smile
All is well. She is still mine.
She will always be mine
In a different and wonderful way.
She is a part of me

She will move on, she will give others joy
And I am comforted knowing her goodness
Will be shared by everyone she touches
And I am fine, and proud, when I take her hand
To give her to her love, her new life

I swell with almost unbearable pride
To have created something so perfect!
She was never mine to keep, this supreme being
Imperfect to me. Shining, golden, priceless...
My sweetlove

And there he goes, that handsome, kind man
With his new bride, my daughter, my soul
Does he know what has been passed to him?
He could not know, not yet
But time will show him, he will realize

Someday, it will be his turn
He will have to pass her essence on
In his daughter, my granddaughter
Will he weep? With loss, with anger?

Will he sit alone in his daughter's room
Filled with love, and happiness...sadness?
No, content. A deep breath will help him stand
As I do now, and I walk with trembling lips
And chin held high. I leave this room.

I close the door.

Being in love versus loved ?

An old article I wrote some time ago...

What would you pick if you had the chance? An unrequited love, or look elsewhere until you find your soul mate?

Finding a soul mate is a very difficult endeavour especially for us Libyans. For you never really know what you’ve gotten yourself into until its most probably too late. Finding a partner is difficult, let alone a soul mate, something unimaginable in our Libyan world full of pretense and good manners until, you become somebody’s prey to feast on. As control freaks are never in short demand but always on the rise even at this day and age.

We are continuously divided between two worlds that of the western, and our cultural religious one. Trying desperately to not clash in one’s own culture, for fear of losing respect, and dignity in our little world of so called decency, so when hopelessly in love, a usually well kept hidden taboo topic which is left undiscussed in many families unless marriage plans were being targeted, one would not fully feel the living spirit of insanity, let alone the obvious roller coaster ride! So shouting out to the world of one being in love is unquestionably out.

The internet has opened up many channels to couples looking for a partner and hopefully ending up with. But the lies that are told are something unbelievable as many Libyans due to being away from the world ,under sanctions for many years are very gullible people and unaware of the mischief that lies outside their world . Some people I know have found their partners through the internet and are quite happily married, never mentioning what they went through to get there. And if you were to mention, how they met, the question would always be answered according to who is doing the asking, i.e. open minded persons would get the truth: the internet, while others, who are hypocrites and pretend to hold on to certain values a response would be: of a family member, a sister’s teacher or neighbour's friend, endless stories to feed the ignorant of the fact… bla bla bla…

Getting back to our topic as I have the tendency to go elsewhere with my thoughts, i.e. of being in love or being loved and what choice would one make if the chance came up…….
Well in this case there are more than two sides to a coin here...
Let’s look at the word love;

Love: 1) a very strong, emotional and sexual feeling for someone. 2) feeling of liking and caring.3) somebody /something you love.4) a kind person 5) used at the end of a letter 6) used for talking with somebody.7) no points in tennis

Being madly in love, unrequited love, unconditional love, here insanity plays a huge role and it’s usually a roller coaster ride, if one is willing to take the trip!

Also it could be said or used by friends, family members or partners, as mentioned above and Ah yes tennis anyone? I wonder whoever gave this word to tennis duh!??


For Valentines Day , I went out and bought myself a box of chocolates and a dozen red roses . Weird? You might think, I wouldn’t say so. Spoiling myself? Again no. Loving my existence, aha that’s it. This is the meaning our dictionary forgot to mention, and where would one be if one expects to be given love from anyone? Love of oneself should come first.

As I ate the chocolates ,one by one, devouring each individually and smelling my roses I felt I was in heaven for brief moments imagining myself on an a deserted island Ahhhh….a vision of a beautiful sandy beach and clear sparkling sea lying carelessly in a hammock under the shade of palm trees. Suddenly a ringing tone hit my head and a reality check was in order, as the phone rang and another problem had to be solved….

All in all in seems that we might as well do without the insanity so as to not have to blame the beautiful word, (love), in being the culprit. Think about it, and do love yourself… and live everyday as though it were your last…….cause one never knows…..when we’d hitch on to the no return trip!

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