tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16686431264703377112024-03-26T23:37:26.816-07:00Reinventing NadineHello! My name is Nadine and this is my journey of reinventing myself from a single executive from the middle east to a married housewife and mother in the USA. I aspire to make everything from scratch and to be fearless in the kitchen.Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-13818992761509700542016-10-04T09:50:00.000-07:002016-10-04T09:50:47.943-07:00Meat Lasagna: Italian Comfort Food
Meat Lasagna A La Nadine
My meat lasagna is a staple in our monthly food rotation. It is one of those dishes that my family and friends often request when I ask them if there is anything I could bring with me. It can feed a family of four for 2 days or the entire extended family. I also have devised a sequence of cooking that would generate the least amount of dishes to wash. Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-78920887945630825302016-09-27T09:54:00.000-07:002016-09-27T10:23:14.029-07:00Book Review: Bakbook, The Peacock that Has No Color
Peacocks everywhere
Marhaba,
My daughter Alya loves peacocks so much and she spends many hours drawing and painting them. I even got her little peacocks ornaments to hang in her room. In fact, the word Peacock "Tawoos" is the first Arabic word she wrote on her own. Peacocks are beautiful birds that are often associated with vanity. This Arabic book "Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-62900620167808461232016-07-08T10:34:00.001-07:002016-07-08T10:34:25.573-07:00Dandelions Done Right: Hendbeh
Cooked Dandelion Recipe
Marhaba, yes dandelions are the star of my dish. Cooked Dandelions is on my top 10 favorite dishes list. This dish will surprise you because in your mind, dandelions are weeds, a nuisance and not a dish to savor. Traditional Lebanese food is essentially vegetarian because it is built on making use of the crops in different ways and extending their lives beyond one Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-87191450415724401512016-07-01T10:37:00.004-07:002016-07-01T11:38:55.438-07:00Writing Arabic with Kids
Marhaba,
Over the past two months, I showed you how to use the Seasons flashcards and Playdough mat. I am going to sound like a broken record, but please do not underestimate the power of play and exposure when learning a language. You can teach your child at any age and today I will show you how you can use the flashcards and play dough mats to teach them how to write.
We reviewed the Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-89087256632033484542016-06-23T13:12:00.001-07:002016-06-24T10:59:54.100-07:00Msabaha: Arabic Healthy Vegan Fast Food
Msabaha Arabic Vegan Chickpeas in Tahini
Msabaha! Arabic Healthy Vegan Fast Food Under 10 Minutes! This blog post is not a scam, this blog post is not a click bait where I use a clever title to make you click on the post about Msabaha Arabic Healthy Vegan Fast Food and you discover that the content has nothing to do with the title. This is real folk! As I was working on a special project (Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-47443465462520833362016-05-27T08:51:00.000-07:002016-06-23T16:41:24.275-07:00Using Fine Motor Skills in Arabic Learning
Alya using Arabic Playground Seasons Play dough mat
Marhaba
Are you enjoying my weekly posts about teaching kids the Arabic Language? This week I will show you how to use Arabic Playground Seasons Play dough mats while using fine motor skills. Your child will also learn writing and reading. The best part of using these mats is that they are so versatile and especially when Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-78009881332786727772016-05-13T09:59:00.000-07:002016-05-14T09:12:52.021-07:00Seasons Flashcards in Arabic With Arabic Playground
Marhaba! yes, this is hello in Arabic. Did you enjoy my last posts in collaboration with Arabic Playground? If so, please leave a comment on my blog and their page and let us know what do you think? What do you need? Are you using the products? Finally share this information with people who might benefit from it. It took me a long time to find reliable modern products and I really want to Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-42288149206302992782016-04-29T12:45:00.000-07:002016-06-23T16:42:20.742-07:00How to Give your Arabic Playground Flashcards a Professional Look
So you hopped on the Arabic Playground bandwagon! Ahlan wa Sahlan! Welcome! The best thing about downloadable flashcard is unfortunately the exact worst thing. Yes they are downloadable files that you can easily print but they are still easily damaged from constant use. (Yes, once you discover all the fun ways to use them you will end up including them in your daily schedule and you will Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-75574748008205978882016-04-15T17:19:00.000-07:002016-05-06T09:20:55.155-07:00Colors in Arabic: Teaching Your Kids At Any Age
If you read my previous post, you already know that I am going to blog about some products from Arabic Playground that I use to teach my daughter Arabic language. I will give you my honest opinion because I had a very hard time finding good products and when I do, I love to share this information with other parents who are committed to teaching their kids Arabic Language. It is hard enoughNadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-75768239240611721602016-04-11T12:11:00.001-07:002016-04-15T17:20:04.249-07:0010 Things I love About Arabic Playground
My search for resources to teach my daughter Arabic language is an ongoing process and can frankly become obsessive. I have to admit that I spend a sizable chunk of my time looking for new tools and ways to make it as fun and efficient as possible with the highest learning quality. I am a firm believer in learning through play and engaging sensory and motor skills to engrave the information inNadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-38902948575920887142016-02-04T11:48:00.000-08:002016-02-04T13:05:36.493-08:00Fun Organizational Tips
I have been MIA for the longest time, I still struggle with scheduling time to post on my blog. I have so much on my plate at the moment. I have been embroidering like a storm. I am almost done with a custom order, more about that in future posts. I am also in the process of working on something very exciting and unique, however the time is not right yet to announce it. Stay tuned. Moreover, Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-87822692062486521232015-11-09T08:34:00.000-08:002015-11-10T10:19:53.067-08:00Book of The Month: Silent Music A Story of Baghdad
I am starting a new series of posts and it is about books that I read or read with my daughter, Alya. Alya is 6 and she is already quite interested in Arts. She is fascinated by calligraphy and Islamic geometric patterns. I picked up this book at our local library. Needless to say, I was immediately attracted to the cover. We were in a hurry so I did not read the synopsis as I always do Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-22669865170129089282015-10-29T12:34:00.001-07:002015-10-30T10:17:05.219-07:00Some Parental Wisdom
I am not sure if the title of my post today conveys what I am about to blog about. I am not an expert, I am not the rule and I am not judging you. Ok, now that the above is out of the way, I am going to share something that has been on my mind lately. How do we spend the little time we have with our kids. When I am sewing or embroidering, I listen to numerous podcasts with creative people andNadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-18428546603741486112015-10-14T07:51:00.004-07:002015-10-29T19:10:37.342-07:00Fatoosh: The Ultimate Lebanese Salad فتوش
Fatoosh is probably the most known Middle Eastern salad, or is it Tabbouleh? Fattoush is on every menu in any Middle Eastern restaurant in the world; that is if they really have menus. It is also "the main salad" served in the holy month of Ramadan. I think that it is so popular because the ingredients are available in most corners of the world. Fatoosh tastes the best in the summer whenNadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-47930675912598731262015-10-06T09:57:00.002-07:002015-10-29T19:11:21.650-07:00I am Sorry, I have been Cheating
Still cooking and eating
You probably will never read this post because you have abandoned me. I don't blame you, it has been a while since I blogged. I would abandon me. But there is a reason behind it and it is because I have been cheating. Yes cheating with fabric and fiber arts! For the past few years, I have been secretly immersing myself in the wonderful and amazing world of sewing Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-74708693936244549462015-03-16T20:45:00.002-07:002015-10-29T19:11:33.119-07:00Cheetah Fabric Covered Notebook
Alya, my daughter loves animals and she likes to watch the show "Wild Kratts" on PBS. It is a wonderful show about two brothers, the Kratts, who help animals while exposing kids to Biology, Zoology and Ecology. Alya has been fixated for a while on cheetahs and she loves animal prints in general. She has been begging me for a while to use my little zebra notebook that I keep in my Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-26297503695829340062015-03-07T10:47:00.000-08:002016-09-20T10:53:45.744-07:00Zaatar Infused Croutons
Hello there! It has been very busy over here. I mean in my head. I have so much going on and so little to show. Almost all is still in the brainstorming phase and most of those projects are new to me that I have to practically learn new techniques to accomplish them. So much learning is going on at the moment and cooking has taken a sort of back seat in my mental to do list. However, I was Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-13747844925393510182015-02-02T09:33:00.004-08:002015-02-02T09:34:01.420-08:00The Loving Hands: A Literally Handmade Valentine's Day Project
I normally don't like to instill Valentine's day traditions in my household. I previously talked about it here and here; however, Alya was already exposed to it in school and she is supposed to make things for her friends. She actually insists that we also bake cookies. Last year Alya asked me if we can make something for baba (Daddy in Arabic) for Valentine's Day. So we made this Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-62193328536019707132015-01-29T11:00:00.000-08:002015-01-29T14:20:26.647-08:00The Tomato Soup that No One Can Resist
Alya often complains that I don't make her favorite food, which is not true. She is accusing me of neglecting her numerous requests of pizza and tomato soup! "You always make what baba loves!" Needless to say, it is not true. My husband loves everything I make, he even surrendered to my wish to eat more vegetarian dishes. In a nutshell, Alya wants me to make Pizza and tomato soup Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-16023663690719384272014-12-12T10:41:00.000-08:002014-12-12T10:41:14.517-08:00What Happens in Vegas, Doesn't Stay in Vegas
"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas", that is how the saying goes. Las Vegas, as in Sin City, is known for gambling, smoking, partying, getting wasted and doing things that you will regret later. The good thing is that you don't have to tell anyone. In my case, I don't gamble, don't smoke, don't drink alcohol, don't like loud noises and rarely do things unconsciously and regret them later.Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-28876690457870112872014-12-01T09:23:00.003-08:002014-12-01T09:49:56.184-08:00Rainbows and Unicorns Invitations: Alya's 5th Birthday
Do you remember when I told you that I will be posting a tutorial on how I made the invitation cards of Alya's 5th birthday party themed "Unicorns and Rainbows"? probably not, I made this promise four months ago but I do intend to keep my word, so here it is. If you want to read about the birthday party, click here.
When I was thinking about the invitation and how I want to make it I Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-48449931982701413642014-11-03T10:14:00.001-08:002014-11-03T10:15:01.306-08:00Cranberry Beans and Sujuk Shakshouka: A Brunch Dish to Impress
I showed you last week how to make cranberry beans in olive oil which is a vegan Middle Eastern dish, I will show you now how to transform your leftovers (if any) into a wonderful comfort food style brunch dish: cranberry beans and sujuk shakshouka! Sujuk will be used with no shame, sorry my fellow vegans and vegetarians. However, you can still make the dish without the sujuk if you consume Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-74450647978869771002014-10-27T08:34:00.001-07:002014-10-27T08:34:24.686-07:00Cranberry Beans in Olive Oil, Borlotti Beans in Olive Oil, Fasulya Bil Zayt
Cranberry beans or Borlotti beans are similar to Pinto beans in shape but taste different. The pod itself is so beautiful, it is like a mad artist's project; strokes of every shade of fuchsia. The pleasure of looking at them makes up for their high price of 3.99 per pound. I was delighted to find them at my local Middle Eastern Market and scooped up 2 pounds with the intention to make this Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-53546943721461905612014-10-20T11:21:00.004-07:002014-10-20T11:21:58.286-07:00DIY: Cookie Cupcake Topper
This year I decided to actually blog about all Alya's birthday parties. All those tutorials and recipes that I promised you but never really got around to do it. This year is the year of "No tutorial is left behind" and "No unfinished projects".
Cookies are so much fun on their own but they can also be cute cupcake toppers! The best part is that you can use leftover cookie doughNadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668643126470337711.post-22153122687088940572014-10-11T12:16:00.002-07:002014-10-11T12:16:42.959-07:00Tortilla Espanola: Spanish Omelette
I am not a big fan of breakfast. I don't wake up hungry and eager to eat, let alone cook something for me. However, I do know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and I can honestly attest to how I eat more at lunch time when I skip breakfast, thus I do my best to eat something. I normally eat a small Labneh or Cheese sandwiches in the morning, click here for my homemade Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836685146911545824noreply@blogger.com0