Danderma's Blog, page 54

f2o Designs Creative Competition Starts Today

What are you doing this Saturday? Care to do something fun and participate in a nice competition? One of my favourite Kuwaiti designers Fatima Al-Othman owner of f2o designs decided to come up with a fun competition. She announced it on Instagram and the competition is not your usual upload a pictures then beg around for likes kinda competition. The participating pictures will be judged and the winner would deserve it based on his or her creativity rather than the ability to pest instagrammers into gathering the most number of likes.

If you are interested in participating, you don’t even need to have an Instagram account. All you have to do is go to the f2o shop in Burj Jassim, Kuwait City and take a funny and creative picture. Email that picture to f2o@f2odesigns.com and you are all set! The competition starts today Saturday 30 March and Ends Monday 8 April so grab a camera and head to f2o’s shop and unleash the funny creative person you are!

For more information you can contact check f2o’s website (link), follow her on Twitter (@f2oDesigns), or on instagram (@f2oDesigns).

Scoop a Cone’s New Alphonso Mango Gelato

Since my blog’s name means ice cream its only natural that I love everything ice cream related. Therefore, when Scoop a Cone informed me they are officially opening up their new branch in Dasma area with a gelato serving drive-thru gelato with a seasonal new gelato flavour I knew I had to go and try it and I am happy I did!

The new scoop a cone branch is also the nearest one to Kuwait City and is located in Dasma’s Area 5 Co-op branch. The best thing about it in my opinion is the drive-thru! Which is also bad news for me given insatiable appetite for ice cream.

The branch is also a nice place to have a quick bite. They serve gelato in all types and concoctions plus they also serve drinks, beverages, and sandwiches. They have a pleasant outdoors seating area as well.

As for the special limited edition gelato flavour, guess what it is? Alphonso mango! I adore Alphonso mangoes, I love gelato, so an Alphonso mango gelato is not something I can resist!

There is the Alphonso mango gelato and the Alphonso Mango frozen yogurt. There are also the little gelato bonbons and gelato sticks in Alphonso mango flavour encased with alphonso mango coating. Also, I know its a matter of taste but the Alphonso mango gelato tastes better than the Alphonso mango frozen yogurt.

The bonbons are for sure my absolute favourite. Small in size, big in taste, and totally addictive! 

Thank you Scoop a cone for your invitation and congratulation on the opening of Dasma branch. Keep up the good work. The Alphonso mango gelato flavour is available in Al-Dasma branch for now and will be available in all their other branches starting Monday 1 April 2013. If you are a mango and a gelato fan, you don’t want to miss it.

For more information and to order the bonbons you can call Scoop a Cone on 23930607, check their website (link), check their facebook page (link), or follow them on instagram (@Scoop-a-cone).

Dinner at Figs by Todd’s English in the Avenues

Last week I received a very creative invitation from Figs by Todd English to attend the soft opening dinner in their newest and second branch located in the Avenues mall. The invitation was a wooden board with my blog’s name on it, nice!

The new Figs branch is located in the grand Avenues just across the Grand Avenues walkway from The Cheesecake Factory. We arrived early and had a chance to take pictures of the place before it filled up. Dark, soft lighting, and the blue Grand Avenues lights streaming in from the top-to-bottom window.

 

The new Figs branch is totally different than their first branch in 360 Mall. For one thing, its more cosey and intimate. The tables of four had a couch like seater that was very comfortable. However the plush oversized chairs were annoying and extremely bulky, they blocked the cooridors of the restaurant between tables. Speaking of tables, each table had a black vase with a purple flower.

The open plan kitchen is located in the back of figs and while you dine you can see the  wood-burning pizza oven burning away, like a big fireplace.

As we were scanning the menu to choose our dishes we got the complimentary bread with a bowl of olives in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

After placing our orders we got the drinks. If you love mojitos then Figs is the place to try them. They have a killer watermelon mojito. Also ordered was a cocktail with lychees that I forgot its name. I must carry a notepad with from now on.

Next to arrive at the table were the appetizers. The beetroot salad looked so good, we almost didn’t want to eat it and ruin the presentation.

   The chicken pastarami & Avocado Apple Salad.

The Shrimp Fritti with roasted corn raita on top of a creamy avocado ranch. This dish didn’t stay on the table for long.

A complimentary dish from the chef which, sadly, I wasn’t there when they brought it so I don’t know what it is exactly. More I think it was stuffed meat balls or waguy meatballs? However, it was another excellent dish that was gone in 60 seconds.

You can’t dine at Figs without having a wood-oven baked pizza! The shavings on top are parmesan shavings and not onions by the way.

And this is my favorite dish of the night. It is an appetizer all right but the portion is more than enough. Macaroni Simone: macaroni pasta in four cheese cream with peas baked with garlicy bread crumbs on top.

How cheesy was it? CHEESY!

Cheese strings going up all way…

Finally a bite set free… YUM!

The main dish we ordered that night was the veal, cooked to perfection and served on top of mashed potato with vegetables, topped with spinach, then drenched in gravy sauce. If you are a meat lover you must try it.

The night went smoothly and the atmosphere was vibrant and jolly. We had a great time and there is nothing to complain about -aside from the chairs-. The only hiccup was that our waiter kept asking while we had the appetizers wether to bring out the veal now then when we did say yes it took half an hour to bring it out but it was a hectic and very busy night with dishes flying out of the kitchen. We didn’t mind the wait at all.

Before we left Laila from Ghalia Technology handed us a big heavy box as a giveaway. Inside? A Todd English’s cookbook and a stylish pepper mill. Now that’s what I call an excellent giveaway! I loved books and I adore cookbooks and after such a succlent meal I’d love to flip through Todd English’s cookbook, there’s even a recipe for a mango mojito!

Thank you Laila and Ghalia Technology for an amazing night and the lovely giveaway. The night went very smoothly and we had an excellent time. So good, we didn’t want to leave!

Figs by Todd English newest branch will be opening for the public in the Avenues by next week. Figs first branch is located in the second floor of 360 Mall. For more information you can give them a call at +(965)-25309559, follow them on Twitter (@FigsKuwait), or Instagram (@FigsKuwait).

10 Steps that Helped Me Sleep at Night

In the summer of 2011 I became an insomniac. I’ve battled forever with my Alarm clock, the snooze button became my best friend and I was always waking up too late. My having a late start the first thing in the morning cast an unwelcome hue of irritation on the remainder of my day which made me both jittery and unhappy. I’ve tried my best to fix my sleeping patterns trying various things, I’ve even published a post asking for help (here) and I can finally say I’m now able to sleep at night, no pills and no potions necessary. My solution works for me and might not work for everyone and there are a bunch of factors involved but here it is, I hope this helps.

1- Lose the coffee: Being a heavy coffee drinker I used to drink a big fat cup of coffee then go to sleep back in the day. Sadly, I seem to have used up my supply of caffeine-enduring cells and now its time to act responsibly. I switched to decaf and found that even with decaf coffee I cannot sleep. With some trial and error, I realised the cut off time for my coffee drinking should be at 12:30 – 1 P.M. If I drink anything after, especially turkish coffee, I won’t be able to sleep. Tea however is still fine all day long which I’m thankful for.

2- Have an early light dinner: if I eat a heavy dinner I won’t be able to sleep properly and I will have a harder time waking up in the morning. My dinner should be done with two hours before my bedtime. Interestingly, I discovered that if I don’t eat bread/pasta/rice/potatoes for dinner, I wake up much easier in the morning! That’s something to ponder…

3- Set a bedtime, and cherish it: You need to sleep for six hours so you’d wake up normally. Start with the time you need to wakeup, take an hour more for bedtime rituals, and you will have a bedtime or a cut-off time for all other activities that keep you awake.

4- No bedtime reading: In my youth I used to read until I fell asleep. I discovered that on the nights I read something in bed, I don’t fall asleep and if I do, I can’t wake up. Probably because while I’m reading my mind is working on high gear and I need my mind to doze off. No more bedtime reading during the weekdays

5- No instagram, whatsapp, or Twitter: For some reason I noticed that all the social media action happens the moment I’m about to fall asleep! Either a fight or a juicy piece of news that everyone needs to discuss. Apparently I live in a community of insomniacs! Anyway, an hour before my bedtime I simply turn off my iPhone. Everything can wait till morning, I need my sleep.

6- No TV either: Why is it that the best of TV is only aired after ten? The best movies or the interesting talk shows? I’m not sure but I’ve gotten into the habit of switching off the TV, no questions asked, when its my bedtime. A good show will be shown again tomorrow or, if not, you can always record it. My sleep is more important than TV.

7- Bedtime Rituals: You should have a bedtime rituals and perform them routinely. It differs from one person to the next but mine include brushing my teeth, taking off my lenses, switching all unused electric outlets off, and using moisterizers to battle old age signs.

 8- Fresh clean sheets and fluffy scented pillows: There is nothing like slipping into a well made bed with clean cold soft sheets, when you are all tucked in snugly you take a whiff and smell the scents that make you happy -mine are rosewater and oud- you will feel a big surge of happiness. Its time to enjoy your sleep.

9- Listen to soothing sounds: When I’m all done with my bed rituals, I switch off the light and use my sound generating machine from OSIM (post). My favorites are the ocean waves or the thunderstorm sounds. I keep it playing for half an hour as I drift-off into a peaceful relaxing sleep. My sleep quality has improved greatly with this step. You can buy the machine at OSIM store in the Grand Avenues or you can download an app or put anything else you think will help.

10- The Sleep Cycle app:  This app on my iPhone was an enormous help in the days when my sleeping patterns were all over the place. It chooses the best time to wake you up by calculating your sleep phases rather than just wake you up at a given time and calculated the quality of your sleep and how long did you spend in bed. It also wakes you up with your favorite songs and currently its the Song of the Lonely mountain from the hobbit The app is my savior and I highly recommend you start with it. You can find it here (link).

Try these steps together and by god’s will they will work. I’ve been sleeping and waking up normally for a couple of months straight now and I’ve never been happier or calmer. I wake up feeling my life is in order again and I can begin to take control,  I might even be going on a diet soon. Sleeping right felt like the first puzzle piece falling in place to the rest of the map of my life, you deserve to feel that serene goodness as well.

This post is dedicated to all my former fellow insomniacs, especially Chill Pill Box and Doona

Would you Donate an Organ to Save a Life?

The other day I came about an ad for a campaign regarding organ donations in Kuwait. The concept is not new per say, only much less approached and talked about in our society. In terms of organ donation it’s common to see loving family members donate kidney’s or perhaps bone marrow to a matching sick member in need. Blood donations are also done easily, but what about other organ donations?

Abroad there are cards people can fill when they want their organs to be donated after they pass away and it happens all the time. It’s a bit creepy and ominous when thinking about it, but it might eventually save someone’s life. Some people would dismiss the thought entirely, saying it’s not permitted in Islam but in Islam its permitted in certain cases and conditions by most scholars. What remains is, would a living healthy person want to think about or allow a piece of their body to live on, then eventually buried with someone else, after they pass away?

I’ve heard about heart transplant patients who, after getting a new heart have had craving for certain dishes or, no pun intended here, had a change of heart and began feeling differently about things, loving them or craving them or something. I don’t even know if heart transplants were ever done in Kuwait or if it goes with the Kuwaiti law but that’s besides the point. There actually exists an organization, The Kuwait Transplant Society (link), that deals with organ donations and they state in their ads that there are 4360 individuals in Kuwait who own organ donation cards. Quiet a lot I’d say, I only know one Kuwaiti person with such a card.

The question that remains here is, would you want to donate an organ to save a life, and why?

Blast from the Past: The Goonies on MSX

The Goonies game on MSX was one of my favorite and most special games back in the 80′s. One reason being was that I actually did complete the game back then and it might just be the very first game I’ve ever completed! The Goonies was based on a very popular 80′s movie by the same name everyone I know from my peers used to rave about it. When I played the game I didn’t know it was about the movie and I never got the chance to see the movie until the mid ninties, I saw it once and I can barely remember anything about it.

One special thing about the game was when you were given a keyword at the end of each stage -there are seven- and you can enter that keyword to start from the stage it belongs to rather than play the game from the beginning every single time. When the game first starts you press CTRL+K and you are asked for the keyword. Mr SLOTH was the keyword to start the second stage of the game.

In each stage you had to collect keys and use them to unlock green prison doors to retrieve one of your seven siblings while trying to dodge lethal skeletons, jumping skulls, and colored villains that took a shot at you or sang something and their sound waves went after you. You also had to wait for the water from waterfalls and faulty pipes to stop running or else you’d get hurt.

When all seven of your brothers are collected you will find that the big blue door with a danger sign on is open and waiting to take you to the next stage with the next keyword. Of course before you start the stage a theif comes and hits you then steals away your seven brothers again and its up to you to save them one more time.

Do you remember the Goonies? Where you a fan of either the movie or the game?

The East India Company Store

 

I received an email from the owner of the recently opened East India Company store inviting me to visit the store located in new Mall section of the Avenues for a tour. I was in the Avenues last weekend and happened to pass by so I took a few pictures for this post. The place is spacious and chockfull of tea items like loose tea leaves, tea bags, tea strainers, gorgeous tea and coffee cups and pots and thing to accompany your tea like cheese crackers, chocolate, coffee, dried fruits dipped in chocolate, herbs, and most importantly gift box sets filled with tea goodies. Please note that the store operates a no personal photography policy within just in case you wanted to take a few pictures when you visit.

Thank you Ms. Rawan Al-Mousherji for the invitation, the store is lovely. Wish you the best of luck and keep up the good work. The East India Company Store is located in the new Mall section of the Avenues Mall right across from Kidzania and illy Cafe. For more informatin you can check their instagram account (@eicfinefoodskw)

Lush Cosmetics Store in the Avenues

If you’ve been following my blog for a while you’d know I’m in love with British cosmetics brand Lush. I’ve posted about them more than once before and I always make sure I come back from the UK laden with their fresh handmade, vegetarian, natural, ethical, colourful, fun, and deliciously fragrant products.

I received an invitation from Lush last week inviting me to their official store opening in the Avenues taking place today evening under the patronage of his excellency the British ambassador to Kuwait Mr. Frank Baker. The invitation, like the Lush store itself, was quiet fragrant and gathered in a signature Lush knot-wrap -or a bogsha as we call it in Kuwait- with my blog name Danderma written with beautiful Arabian calligraphy on the card attached.

Since Lush’s official store opening is today evening and I sadly I won’t be able to make it, I went to the Avenues yesterday and took my time taking pictures of the store and the available products. Lush have been open in Kuwait for a few years now but the store they had was a tiny one in 360 mall but the new Avenue’s branch is bigger and more spacious  which in turn means they’ve began stocking more products especially their handmade fresh products.

Lush’s new store that is opening tonight is located in the first floor of the new Mall section in the Avenues Mall, right across from the entrance of Ihop. You can reach your destination with your eyes closed for you can smell Lush’s products a mile away. The scents are heavenly!

The first thing you see as you enter is this big basin laden with ice and displaying their “fresh” products. Those products must be made locally and have a short-life span but they are the best. I have a friend who swears by their fresh facial masks.

In this store Lush are stocking the Shower Jells! They are soaps in the form of jell that you can freeze and then when its time to take a shower you take it out of the freezer and use it like soap. Imagining returning home in the summer to take a bath with a freezing bar of soap! However, they only stock one kind of soap. In the UK they have many different kinds with different scents.

Lush Kuwait are also stocking the toothy tabs! I’ve written about them before (post) they are basically little tablets you can crush and use like toothpaste to clean your teeth, perfect for travelling and cleaning your teeth on the go. I’m glad they are available in Kuwait now!

Next are the bubble bars and fizzy bubble bombs section. Bubble bars are, well, bars you use in the bath tub to create fragrant bubble baths. Lush are stocking their new easter products like the carrot bubble bars -they don’t smell like carrot, not even close- and the roses and the candy-like one and many more.

Next are the shampoo bars. These are my husband’s favourites since he has a very sensitive scalp and can’t use any shampoo while Lush’s shampoo bars are made with natural ingredients and suit his sensitive scalp very well. There are tiny tin boxes for the bars and you can keep them while being used in those tins and they are also perfect for travelling. My husband’s favourites are the Godiva with jasmine and the New with rosemary and peppermint.

If you are a fan of henna you must try Lush’s. Its natural and comes in different a bar-like form and in different colours and is very easy to use.

Lush’s massage bars are also available and I highly recommend them. Especially the heart shaped one that smells like sweet buttery chocolate. They are quite slippery though but perfect for sore muscles especially after a long day shopping and carrying bags.

Lush also stocks the “Gorilla Perfumes”. A line of different perfumes with different fragrances in various forms.

More cosmetics like lip balms, lip scrubs, and makeup. My favourite lip scrub the Bubblegum Sugar lip scrub that is actually edible wasn’t available though (post).

The soaps section. Big slaps of freshly made vegetarian-friendly soap that are cut in different sizes and shapes.

My personal favourite is “Honey I washed the Kids”. It smells like milk and honey and is totally gorgeous.  The also have a green Sultana of soap that’s from the new Easter collection that I haven’t tried before.

Behind the cash register in Lush you will find several satin scarves in different colours and patterns that you can use to wrap a gift in a bogsha just like the one I received.

Lush also have quite a few attractive looking gift boxes in different sizes and colours pre-filled with products and all wrapped up to give away as gifts. If you are in the UK they’d make the perfect souvenir to bring back home if they can survive the plane ride back that is but now they are here and they are lovely! You can buy a gift for a Lush lover or small ones as party giveaways for example.

Before you leave Lush don’t forget to take a copy of the “Lush Times”. A newspaper-like newsletter filled with the latest news about Lush’s products. I usually take one on my first day of arrival in London and I flip through it, taking note of what’s new and what do I want to buy when I’m next in store. I wonder if they have one in English though as the one I’ve seen is in Arabic.

Thank you Lush Kuwait for sending me the fragrant invitation. I’m a huge fan and I’m glad to see you’ve opened up a much bigger branch with more products. Congratulations on your newest branch opening and keep up the good work!

Lush Kuwait is located in the first floor of the new Avenues Mall across from Ihop and in the basement of 360 Mall. For more information you can check their website (link), follow them on twitter (@LushKuwait) or Instagram (@LushKuwait).

Therse are More of my Favorite Things…

Another Sunday is here and again I’m longing for my beautiful weekend with my few hours of peace and quiet. Why does time fly when you want to savor it, and crawl like a snail when you want to get something over with? I wish the time would come when humanity would realize that a three-day weekend is the ultimate solution to the weekend blues. Imagine having three days of peace and quiet every single week?

Last Friday afternoon I was all alone in the house, the sun light was streaming in through the curtains,  birds were chirping outside, I was a bit nostalgic to my favorite drink as a kid so I made myself a cup of Nescafe with skimmed milk in my 20-years-old favorite mug. I sliced up a red glowing royal gala apple, I love love LOVE apples and of all the apples I enjoy royal gala the most. I had a new book, Cashmere by local author Mishari Al-Obaid, that was highly recommended to be by fellow writers whose taste I trust.

In that afternoon, I was happy and calm. The world around me reduced to me and my favorite things only. I look at my favorite mug and it holds the happy days of my past. I bite into a slice of apple, the crunch of which reminds me I’m trying to keep my future doctors-free. Then I flip the pages of the book and I enjoy living in the present of someone else. My current present doesn’t even come close to that moment but still, if it weren’t for the moments of stress, we wouldn’t feel the value of the moments of calm now would we?

Just so you know, my dear reader, that these posts are mainly for me. To remind me of the things that brought calm to me in the years to come. I often look back through my blog archives and remember things I used to do that made me happy and calm but are long forgotten especially when I’m sad or anxious. This blog, after all, is my very digital journal and timeline. Have a blessed week and may the weekend be here faster than a blink.

Breakfast at Brown Tomato

Brown Tomato restaurant in Al-Hamra Tower were kind enough to invite us to taste their breakfast and brunch menu last weekend. I love Brown Tomato and I enjoy dining there so when I heard they are serving breakfast I couldn’t wait to see what they had to offer.

Brown Tomato start serving breakfast at 10 A.M. which is just perfect. You don’t have to wake up too early to guarantee yourself a table. At 10 when we arrived the mall was quiet and we took out time choosing a table. Diners didn’t start arriving until 10:30 A.M. which meant we had the place to ourselves for half an hour and it was very calm.

The menu wasn’t very big, a few egg dishes with french toast, a sandwich or two, and pancakes. However, there were plenty of drinks to choose from plus the desserts looked amazing! Sadly we were too full to have dessert after breakfast but we will go back one day especially for them.

Waiting for our order…

Our drinks arrived first, Cappuccino.

Double espresso.

Salted caramel mocha. It was excellent and frothy with the just about the right salty kick.

The Kuwaiti style tea with milk (chai 7leeb). It comes in a white flask and you pore yourself your drink as you wish.

How was it? Personally I thought the taste of tea was barely there plus the milk wasn’t spiced so it was more like drinking warm milk. I’d love it more if it had cardamom and rationed with a stronger tea but people differ in how they like their tea so if you like more milk less tea you’d like it. If not then don’t order it or ask for more teabags to be added in.

Orange juice. It was good and fresh and served in a little jug. 

It took a while for our breakfast dishes to arrive, we almost finished our drinks, but they were worth the wait. First to arrive was the Grilled Halloumi Panini which was EXCELLENT! It had some sweet and sour pomegranate like spread inside which gave it a very delicious kick. This one I highly recommend. I’d order it for breakfast at work if I could.

The egg pizza which was the only pizza in the brunch menu. A margarita with a sunny side egg cracked in the middle. I’m not really a fan of sunny side up eggs but my dining companions enjoyed it very much.

My order was scrambled eggs. In the menu they come scrambled with Halloumi cheese but I asked for mine without cheese. They were excellent!

Scrambled just right, creamy, not quite runny yet not quite set, resting on slices of grilled thick white toast. If you are a fan of scrambled eggs you must try this dish.

Next came the Italian omelette stuffed with pesto, sundried tomatoes, caramelised onions, and cherry tomatoes. It was good but there are maybe four or more eggs in the dish and its huge! Definitely a dish to share with the rest of the table or for someone with a massive appetite.

The French toast was good and gooey. A bit on the hard side but still good. The portion wasn’t also very big thankfully, just one slice of toast.

We also ordered the Bu Hamad pancakes. They are small pancakes that come bathed in Nutella chocolate and bananas. They look divine!

I enjoyed the sauce and the bananas but I didn’t enjoy the pancakes much. They felt a bit dry and too thick for a pancake. More like soft short bread than pancakes but my dining companions loved them.

All in all we had a scrumptious breakfast and we were full until evening time! I will be definitely going back for breakfast. The brunch and breakfast menu are still in the testing phase and the service is a bit on the slow side but it is available all right from 10 A.M. till 1 P.M. and you can pass by and try it yourself. Thank you Brown Tomato for the invitation and warm hospitality.

Brown Tomato is located in the basement of Al-Hamra Tower in Kuwait City. For more information you can contact them by calling 22270214 or following them on instagram (@brown_tomato)