Danderma's Blog, page 38
July 28, 2013
Man’oushe Saj Trays
Last weekend I had the pleasure of having Man’oushe Saj Trays sent to me for my iftar table. Man’oushe is a Lebanese restaurant and they provided me with four different boxes of saj sandwiches with different condiments in each box. The box is sturdy and the contents are neatly arranged inside on plastic plates and covered with a plastic paper.
The first box had a tabboula salad and a hummus salad alongside the different saj sandwiches.
If I’m not mistaken the san in this tray were chicken fajita, beef fajita, and kebab with tahini saj sandwiches. I didn’t have any of course since I’m a vegetarian but according to my husband these were the flavours.
The second box had pickles and ketchup as condiments plus lots of different chicken saj sandwiches. I think they were the chicken shawarma saj and the chicken mussahab saj.
The third box had potato chips as condiments as well as meat shawarma and chicken mussakhan saj sandwiches.
The last box was the desserts saj, where the thin saj bread was filled with chocolate spread with rice crispies or with nuts and it came with chocolate dip and chocolate sprinkles.
Oozing chocolate…
Quite a delicious spread by Man’oushe I’d say! Loved the idea of saj trays, they’d do very well if you took them to a gathering or a picnic. Taste wise my husband loved them so I guess they must be good. Thank you very much Man’oushe for the saj trays, mubarak 3laikom el shahar o 3asakom min 3owwadah.
To order the saj trays from Man’oushe or for more information you can give them a call on +(965)-23841236, check their website (link), or follow them on instagram (@ManousheQ8).
Hello Our Two New Stray Kittens
It all started during the maghrib prayers time last week. My husband was on his way out to go and pray in the nearby mosque when he heard soft mewing. There was a tiny kitten, mewing at him and licking her lips. He came back inside and told me about the new arrival and so he gave her Kiri cheese and she ate it happily.
We also gave her some water and she drank it and afterwards she was sprawled on our doorway waiting for my husband to come back from the mosque and when he did, she mewed something that seemed like a thank you and moved away.
Only she didn’t really move away. She decided to relocate to her now favourite spot, the window sill. All day long she’d sit there, looking in at us through the window -she sees herself only, the glass is mirror like-, stretching, sleeping, and mewing happily. She is extremely cute and very friendly, she doesn’t run away when you get closer to her at all.
Whenever I open the door she would peek at me and I squeal in delight every single time. She is very cute! My friends were over at my place last Friday and they had a blast playing with her and taking her picture, she is that cute. Her name is Toota, meet Toota our new stray cat everybody! Hi Toota!
Now a few days after finding Toota we found another little kitten, she is dark and looks more like a gigantic rat than a kitten but she was thirsty and a bit aggressive demanding attention.
The thing about Tafeeda, the rat-like kitten, is that she is very selfish. You’d give her something to eat then give Toto but once she sees that Toota has some food she’d leave her own and attack Toto, hissing and stealing away her food. No matter how many times we give her food, she doesn’t want Toota to eat and Toota is very gentle and would mew softly in fear. I had to shoo Tafeeda away to leave Toota in peace.
It seems after a few days of squabbling that Toota and Tafeeda are now friends. They are both the same age although I don’t think they are siblings, my old cats were siblings for sure and always travelled together in a pack and loved each other. These two are enemies but this morning they were hanging out in peace and both mewed and ran after me as I ran to my car in the morning demanding breakfast. My husband got them their breakfast as I was already late for work, but they seem to be making progress with their friendship. Welcome to our doorway, Tafeeda and Toto 
Our Very Own Qerqaia’an
One sure way to get rid of all the qerqaia’an candy lying around the house beckoning for you to come over and feast on it is to give it away on the spot with your very own qerqaia’an! There will be children knocking on your door anyway and they want candy! In my version of the qerqaia’an there are not nuts, lots of chocolates that I personally would eat plus lollipops and candies, and I also add a few bubble maker bottles for the children to play with.
This year we put up a sign stating that there is qerqaia’an, knock on the door -it’s in Arabic- and we did get the neighbourhood kids to come and scream qerqaia’an, shrilly and happily. I actually saw people copying my sign the next day on instagram!
We had a very nice time rationing qerqaia’an and asking the children to sing while we gave away the candy. I do have one fuzzy 8 seconds long video of the children banging on something as they sing for candy. Insha2 Allah next year I will be preparing my camera to post longer videos by god’s will.
It was very fun indeed! I do have a lot of leftover qerqaia’an candy that I don’t know what to do with. Calling up the food gathering charities seem a bit silly when all I have to hand over is candy though. An and wait a minute, do you notice a little thing standing on the window sill behind the qerqaia’an sign? A little white kitten?
The little kitten is toota, our new spoiled stray cat that has arrived at our door step last week and took the windowsill as her own private residence! She will be having her very own post soon
Planet Hollywood’s Qerqaia’an
The last qerqaia’an gift I received for the holy month of Ramadan this year was the one sent to me by Planet Hollywood Restaurant in Kuwait. An acrylic tray decorated with the US flag and filled with Hershey’s chocolates, Planet Hollywood’s memorabilia, and a fresh jasmine flower necklace that is all the rage these days in Kuwait.
Thank you Planet Hollywood Kuwait for the sweet gesture, mubarak 3lekom el shahar o 3asakom min 3owadah.
For more information regarding Planet Hollywood Kuwait you can follow them on Twitter (@PH_Kuw) or instagram (@PH_Kuw),
July 27, 2013
Triangle Restaurant’s Qerqaia’an
Triangle restaurant had their own way of celebrating the occasion of qerqaia’an during the holy month of Ramadan by distributing their own qerqaia’an gifts. I received mine a few days ago, a bucket with my blog’s name in Arabic spray painted in red plus Triangle restaurant’s name and logo in black. The bucket was quite heavy and chock full of goodies.
What’s inside?
Two bottles of juice from the restaurant, pomegranate and blue lagoon.
A good amount of chocolates, many of which are favourites from our 80′s childhood.
And a Ramadan fanoos, which is a colourful lantern used to decorate houses to celebrate the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan. Inside the lantern was an artificial little candle that will light the fanoos without the hazard of burning something down.
Thank you very much Triangle’s restaurant for the lovely qerqaia’an bucket gift! Mubarak 3lekom el shahar o 3asakom min 3owadah
Triangle restaurant is located in Al-Jawhara Tower in Kuwait City, next to Salhiya Fire Station and Ubon restaurant. For more information you can give them a call on 50838483, check their website (link), follow them on Twitter (@TriangleKw) or on Instagram (@TriangleKw).
Baby Yousef’s Qerqaia’an
One of the most elegant and to the point qerqaia’an gifts I’ve received this Ramadan is baby Yousef’s first qerqaia’an distributed by his lovely mother Joumana of The Side Talk blog. The qerqaia’an came in an elegant silver box tied with a golden ribbon and baby Yousef’s name written on the lid in beautiful golden Arabian calligraphy.
Inside the box is a customised heavenly scented perfume bottle with Yousef’s name on it and the year from Saja Perfumes and Swiss Laderach chocolates. A great neat and quite classy gift for a baby’s first qerqaia’an.
Thank you dear Jumana and adorable baby Youssef for the elegant qerqaia’an, 3asakom min 3owwadah insah2 Allah
Ben’s Cookies Ramadan Gift
A few days ago I received a small red tin from Ben’s Cookies branch in Kuwait. Naturally, I found several different types of cookies inside, all freshly baked and melt in your mouth soft. The tag on the tin box said “please use within four days”.
The ones saying hello in the pictures below are the milk chocolate chunk cookie and the double chocolate chunk cookie.
Personally I’m not a big fan of Ben’s Cookies in London, I like them all right and I enjoy eating them but I think their texture is too much cake-like. My husband however adores them and wouldn’t mind eating an entire shop on his own when we are in London. He was happy to confiscate the tin from me. He thinks Ben’s cookies from the Kuwaiti branch taste almost the same as the ones in London and they taste best if they are freshly baked and just out of the over.
Thank you Ben’s Cookies Kuwait for the delicious cookies, Mubarak 3lekom el shahar o 3asakom min 3owadah. Ben’s Cookies in Kuwait are located in the new mall district of The Avenues mall next to Kidzania. For more information and deleveries you can contact them on +(965)-22201222 or follow them on instagram (@BensCookies_Kw).
July 25, 2013
F2o’s Baby Essa Qerqaia’an
On the first night of the Qerqaia’an, which is a traditional celebration during the 13th, 14th, and 15th days of the holy month of Ramadan where children dress up and sing while going from door to door to be given candy, I was drinking my post-iftar tea at home when there was a knock on my door and a little yellow box with a cartoon drawing of little baby Essa, f2o‘s design little baby boy on the lid. It was baby 3awas’s first qerqaia’an!
The box was very colourful and lovely, with baby 3awas’s qerqaia’an graphic printed on fabric and glued on the lid. The qerqaia’an was personalised with my name, how cute!
What’s inside? One more baby 3awas giveaway! A little magnet with his graphic on it, plus very yummy chocolates! I love the selection of chocolates in this qerqaia’an!
Thank you dear f2o and baby 3awas for the lovely and very creative qerqaia’an! 3asakom min 3owadah insah2 Allah
Baby Jana’s Qerqaia’an
On the first night of the Qerqaia’an, which is a traditional celebration during the 13th, 14th, and 15th days of the holy month of Ramadan where children dress up and sing while going from door to door to be given candy, I was drinking my post-iftar tea at home when there was a knock on my door and little darling Jana, the baby of my friend Swera, was there holding her very own cute little flowery yellow qerqaia’an!
The little baby also took my iPhone and began playing with it, her delicate skin all flushed from the heat going out during the summer to deliver her first qerqaia’an. Thank you lovely baby Jana for bringing me joy with your little yellow bucket.
What’s inside baby Jana’s qerqaia’an?
One of the most delicious qerqaia’an selection ever! I love how there is little nut and lots of candies and chocolates that are favourites from our 80′s childhood days! Thank you dear Swera and cute baby Jana for the lovely qerqaia’an, 3asakom min 3owwadah insah2 Allah
Heavenly Pies from The Pastry Shop
It was during the Holy month of Ramadan of last year that I’ve come to taste the scrumptious pies of The Pastry Shop! Excellent pies, with fresh ingredients and a flakey light crust and overall melt-in-your-mouth after the first bite feeling. This year I’ve had the pleasure of being sent more pies from The Pastry Shop, freshly baked and just out of the over, and they’ve been grazing my after iftar tea table ever since their arrival.
The first box I opened had their warm fresh out of the over mini apple pies. I took one whiff and I almost whimpered, for I had hours to go before I could break my fast. Taking those beauties out of their box to photograph them without taking a big fat bite was a test of will power.
How cute are they? With the little flower shaped venting punch on top of the little pie?
And the apple cinnamon sugar filling oozing out?
What makes this apple pie special, all the pastry shop’s pies special for that matter, is how thin and light the crust is, almost crunchy but still with a definite softness to the bite.
Needless to say I enjoyed every bite of my apple pie! Pity I didn’t have vanilla ice cream to dip the apple pie into as I devoured it.
Next came the pecan pies. The pastry shop are well-known for their pecan pies, baked on the very same light crispy pastry based and dusted with icing sugar. You will register how good they are the moment you bite into one.
Next came the strawberry pies, and I usually have them for breakfast but I discard the pie based but in The Pastry Shop’s pies case I’d happily eat them with the base. Their pie bases are flaky and biscuity and very light indeed, they are not to be discarded.
Needless to say the strawberries were luscious and very fresh, like they’ve been picked out the morning the pies were baked!
The next pie, the one we actually fought over, was the Lemon Meringue pie. How good can a pie look? This one was so gorgeous, I felt bad about eating it and destroying the way it looks.
You bite into one and it crumbles away, soft and sweet and tangy. The meringue top has a little bouncy consistency, like it was whipped with marshmallows or something, the end result however is a cloud-soft whipped layer on top of a dollop of gorgeous lemon curd all sitting happily on the light pie base. Yummy!
Last but not least is the one, the only, banana cream pie! I don’t even know where I should start gushing about it, but I love it. I’ve loved it ever since I’ve had the first bite, I’ve loved it after I almost finished my first entire pie, and I’ve loved it all year long, and I still am in love with it and it’s going no where until it’s all finished by yours truly. It’s mine!
If I need a pick-me-up, I’d head with a fork towards the direction of the banana cream pie for sure. Yes, the biscuit crumbs sprinkled on top of the dancing waves of sweet whipped cream are the crumbs of a caramelised lotus biscuit.
All mine… the pastry based is coated in chocolate by the way. All mine
Thank you The Pastry Shop and Chef Yasmeen Al-Abdulghafoor for the endless boxes of delectable pies. Mubarak 3lekom el shahar o 3asakom min 3owadah
If you are looking for a pie, a really good mouthwatering pie, you can contact The Pastry Shop on +(965)-97305858 , email them on thepastryshopkw@gmail.com, like their facebook page (link), follow them on Twitter (@ThePastryShopKw) or on Instagram (@ThePastryShopKw).
