Danderma's Blog, page 84

The First Ramadan Ghabga

Yesterday we hosted the first Ramadan ghabga in our new apartment and we had so much fun! There is nothing better than a cosey home gathering with good food, good company, and laughter. The best thing is that it didn’t take much effort at all, just place an order from 6alabat.com after futoor, set the table, and voila! Now, to document my first Ramadan 2012 ghabga, first, the table setting…

Fresh flowers and burning candles.

Table essentials: hot fresh bread and condiments.

Appetizers, familiar comfort food as per my husband’s request. Nothing too fancy.

Drinks: cold, traditional, and Ramadan favorites.

Trying to be a bit healthy with some salads…

The mains…

Best part of the ghabga: digging in, joy, laughter, and the clinking of utensils against plates.

Tea & Desserts time!

Kanafa which was brought by our guests and was very tasty and welcome.

We had a great time last night throwing our first ghabga! I need to work on ghabga preparation timings but I cannot wait to throw my second one soon

Video: The Kuwaiti Section in King Fahad Academy During the 1990 Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait

Given that we are all watching with great passion Saher el Lail 3, I thought I would share with you this documentary shot in London during the 1990 Iraqi invasion on Kuwait of the Kuwaiti School Section in King Fahad’s Academy.

This is a rare video and many of the students and the teachers appear in the video. I hope you guys, whether you were in London, Kuwait, or students in the Academy, like it… Enjoy and 3ashat el Kuwait 7urra Abya!

Watching Ramadan TV on Your iPad with Shahid.Net

One of the Ramadan 2012 serieses I’m watching comes at the time where I’m suppose to be out in the evening visiting relatives or running errands. So the other day I was reading Jacquie’s post (link) regarding Shahid.Net’s iPad application that enables you to view episodes of the Ramadan serieses shown on MBC on your iPad. I decided to give it a try.

The application downloaded in a blink and is very easy to navigate and use. It was late at night, around 1 AM, and I wanted to watch Kannat el Shamiya’s episode. I thought to myself that instead of watching it on my iPad I’d watch it on my Apple TV so when the video streamed it showed directly to my TV.

The quality of the video is a tad degraded but its not that big deal. You have to wait for the video to stream, then go through ads -yes, Zain ads- then wait a bit as the video stalls in some points.

For the first 25 minutes the video ran almost smoothly with only two Zain ads. Then one of the ads made the entire video stall and I had to reload the entire applicataion, only to find out that even if I fast forwarded the video to minute 25, I’d still have to watch those ads again, twice. Then at minute 31 the entire application decided to not run anything, and then I restarted the thing, fast forwarded the episode, and saw the same Zain ad  two more times in the process, which made the total number of times I’ve seen that bloody ad 6 times!

Then at minute 33, and it was now 2:30 AM, the video just wouldn’t move on so I gave up. I suppose they have a lot of traffic and the way the ads just halt the video and start on their own would be confusing to users. I know I won’t be using the app again soon since I can watch the same episode on Youtube uninterrupted but it is quite a good idea to provide the episodes for the viewers on Demand.

To download the app click here (link). You might have better luck watching with it than I did.

Mishref Co-Op Ramadan Gift Box

As my husband is registered in Mishref Co-Op he has been there earlier this month to pick up his Ramadan Gift. I have to say they outdid themselves this time, the big box they gave uscontains almost every basic ingredient a Kuwaiti household needs to cook during the holy month!

All Ramadan favorite drinks, tomato paste, a home freshener, every single spice you can think of!

Every single dry grain you can think of as well along with packing supplies, dates, and kleenex.

This year Mishref Co-Op have really outdone themselves. I remember they started giving away these huge Ramadan gift boxes in 2010 (post). I wonder what they will give us next year insha2 Allah?

What about your Co-Op? What did they give you as a Ramadan gift?

SimSimi’s Opinion of Kuwaiti Bloggers!

One lazy Pre-Ramadan Friday morning, right after breakfast, I was thinking to myself if I asked SimSimi the naughty bot (post) about Kuwaiti blogs, would he say something about them? I did! Check out my conversation starting from the top… First, he praises me, then he thinks that the best blogger in Kuwait is Pink Girl. He thinks Ansam is naughty, a bit of the pot calling the kettle black I’d say, mo SimSimi? Whose the naughty one here?

He seems to know Frankom‘s blue template, likes 7aji Dude and thinks they are right on trend, but somehow doesn’t like Elderwaza much! Sorry guys :p

He knows Mishary, His & Hers’ baby boy! He knows Um 3zooz has a gelato business and wants to find her freezer. He also makes the common mistake of mixing between Triple F and Triple Sisters blog :p

Now this is funny, he called Jacqui the Apple lady and he, erm, teased Banana Q8 a bit. I don’t know what he means that Swera‘s blog “matches”? Maybe because she’s crazy yet wise so he thinks inah its true?

 Most of the other blogs I asked about he’d only reply Pink Girl Pink Girl :p Dear fellow bloggers, you may want to talk to SimSimi and set the record straight with him, the little rude dude is hilarious

Al-Noury’s Ramadan Gift

One of the quirkiest most creative gifts I’ve received this Ramadan was the one I had received from my friend and fellow blogger Al-Noury! A wrapped up tray with teeny pots and stuff!

The tray looks like something out of a barooy game! Everything in miniature, including the Vimto bottle! How Cute! Barooy by the way is the Kuwaiti name for the childhood game “Make believe”.

Underneath the miniature lids were Samsamiya, Halwa, Muhallabiya, and Ghraiba! All traditional and much beloved Kuwaiti desserts!

And last but not least this much appreciated booklet of Ramadan related stories, rules, and regulations, adding a religious touch to the gift, it is Ramadan after all

How cute is that?

Al-Noury, your Ramadan barooy like noq9a is astonishing! I had so much fun opening it up and I loved every single pot, every sequin on a pot, and every miniature thing especially THE VIMTO! Thank you so much sweetheart and Mbarak 3leech el Shahar :*

Shaikha’s Ramadan Gift

My friend Shaikha had a surprise for me two days before Ramadan. She sent me a white bag filled with 3 things that made my day.

Shaikha’s gift was a hybrid between a Ramadan Gift and a visit to Mecca for omra rituals souvenir. First, there was a copy of the holy Quran covered with a very soft and cute fabric cover in a perfect size to read from during Ramadan.

This little green TV from our childhood which everyone who came from Mecca brought back! You look into the back of the TV and images from Mecca flip as you squeeze the button below. Nostalgic and very cute!

Three cookies, one more cute and delicious than the other! They are frankly too beautiful to eat!

ZamZam holy water which is much appreciated 365 days a year plus a pouch of digestive aiding tea bags in a nicely packaged fabric pouch!

And a nice Ramadan greeting card with the cutest message ever! I love cards by the way! Dearest Shaikha, your gift is one of the most memorable gifts I’ve ever gotten. The thought behind it was what made it so special plus the TV! The Quran, The Zamzam water, all very precious indeed. Thank you very much and Mbarak 3leech el Shahar :*

f2o’s Mahbooba Cartoon

Its no secret that I am a big fan of Fatima Al-Othman and her amazing designs “f2o Designs“. I love them so much I’ve had her illustrate my cherished Dathra and her two -and insha2 Allah third- book covers (post). Most of us have seen Quality Net’s hilarious Ramadan Ad where the Indian dude rescues his sweetheart in a flash. Guess what f2o did yesterday? She illustrated the funny dude who screams Mahbooba! Here is the ad if you haven’t seen it already!

The resemblance is uncanny and its spot on! I personally would love to have a Mahbooba lover dude memorabilia to remind me of Ramadan 2012 and that’s exactly what f2o is going to do! If you are a fan of the Ad already, follow f2o on instagram (@f2oDesigns) or her website (link) and keep an eye on the Mahbooba lover dude cartoon on T-shirts, mugs, and glasses soon! Cute!!!

Love you f2o, keep up the good work girl :*

What do you think? Isn’t the cartoon hilarious? Will you be purchasing a Mahbooba cartoon T-Shirt?

Review: Dallah Kuwaiti Bakery

Imagine someone whose taste buds you trust, you know when they say that someone tastes good, then it does indeed taste good. When they don’t like something, then it will turn out horrible? Imagine then that this someone decides to open up a traditional Kuwaiti desserts with a contemporary touch business, and send you two bags as the first blogger to try.

The someone is my fellow bloggers Eb6ainiya and they have just opened up a new business by the name of Dallah, which means coffee flask in Kuwaiti. On the first day of Ramadan they sent me to well designed sturdy beige bags with Dallah logo on them with three of their best desserts.

The combination of colors and the logo are very calm and to the point resulting in an elegant branding, no khabba or loya, just like their desserts. I like it.

The first item I received was a box of the Kuwaiti biscuits “Baith el Qe6a”. Oval shaped and dusted with icing sugar, hence the name baith -which means eggs-.

Baith elQe6a, or the Kuwaiti biscuits, were soft, crumbly, and just the right amount of sweets. I cannot remember the last time I had these, especially not from a new Kuwaiti bakery. Its the perfect beverage treat and Dallah’s ones are made the way they should be. I actually received a message from a friend right after I posted their picture on Instagram asking me if she can order it in big quantities to take to her family gathering.

The next item was their Cardamom and Pistachio cake. It comes cut into into 3 bite long rectangular pieces and dusted with powdered sugar -which melted by the time it arrived to me, it is 50 C outside after all!-.

Those are not traditional per say but they have a traditional side and are quite soft and feathery. The kind of cake that, when you take a bite, melts into your mouth and leaves a nice collection of delicious spices all around as you enjoy the soft sweet texture. Yum!

The third item I received, the Pièce de résistance, was what’s inside this traditional tin bowl. Care to venture a guess?

Something I adore, something my late grandmother Edida Allah yer7amha made when I was young. My own tasting the ratatouille and travel back in time moment. My eyes are watering as I type this right now…

Its a tin of Elba! One of my favorite Kuwaiti desserts which is making quite a comeback in 2012! Elba is Kuwaiti’s answer to Crème caramel but infused with plenty of Cardamom and Saffron and traditionally made with cows milk from a cow that had just given birth -god knows why-.

The fiery red tint of the Elba is caused by the use of plenty of saffron. Not any saffron mind me, quality Spanish saffron and freshly ground Indian cardamom. You cannot go stingy with your spices when making the Elba, it would show because it had plenty of eggs in its making and if you don’t use enough fresh quality spices all you’d be tasting is raw eggs.

The texture of the Elba is velvety smooth. Dallah have added their own touch to the elba by adding 7abbat el baraka -Black Seed- which adds a nice savory contrast to the sweetness of the Elba.

I can have Elba everyday of my life and never get enough. Whenever I take a spoonful I remember my late Edida Allah yr7amha. I haven’t tasted an Elba ever since she got sick and stopped making them in the mid nineties, thank god people are eating Elba again and Dallah’s Elba is good, really good.

Guess what I found in my bag? Not one, but THREE loyalty cards from Dallah! They knew I loved loyalty cards and they made sure I had three available! Way to go guys, thank you!

One thing they didn’t get to send me was their Coffee Dallah which I was supposed to review but they had complications given that they had just started up. I cannot wait to have Dallahs coffee with more of Dallahs delicious desserts. If you only knew what they had in store, desserts wise, you wouldn’t be able to wait yourself.

Dallah will have their own store in Kaifan Co-op’s first floor where you can stop by and purchase your fresh Arabian coffee brewed on the spot with your Cardamom, Saffron, Ginger, or Mesmar -clove I think its called-. They will also have an extra special ingredient that they’d have to travel for and get which I cannot wait for them to unveil.

Custom orders for gatherings is welcome with a two days notice. Sugar free and gluten free dessert items are being planned as well, they will not be forgotten, but they’d have to officially open first. Dessert items that include (Nuttella with sea salt) are in the works but I cannot reveal anything yet and I cannot wait for it either

To order from Dallah right now or for more information, you can call them on 99989824, email them on DallahKuwait@yahoo.com, follow them on Twitter on (@Dallah), or follow them and their delicious pictures on Instagram on (@DallahKuwait). Thank you very much guys for sending me your goodies to try, Mbarak 3lekom el shahar o emwafqeen insha2 Allah.

What are you Watching this Ramadan?

Did you cry watching Saher 3′s episode yesterday?

Masha2 Allah today is the 5th day of Ramadan! Days do fly fast indeed. By today most of us have said our hellos and its time to settle down and enjoy a few Ramadan nights, outings, ghabga’s, and guilty calorie fueled pigging sessions in front of the TV.

What are you watching this year? Actually watching? Well, I’d have to say I was disappointed by the selection available. Nothing is drastically new. Of course the number one most watched series during Ramadan is Saher 3 which talks about the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait period. Yesterday Kuwaitis watching around the world cried their eyes out in the invasion’s episode. I’m so happy someone have decided to document this period in a series at last.

Chanayen ElShamiya is another one I’m watching. Its very nice and funny, I loved the oldies day and how they portrayed them, however the plot line is a bit off right out of a Bollywood movie and we still didn’t see who is channat elshamiya. Will be watching.

I miss the funny Egyptian dramas from Noor Al-Sherif and Yahya Al-Fakharani. There is however Ferqat Naji Attallah by Adel Imam which is his first TV appearance since before I was born. I have to say I am enjoying him and his antics on daily TV during Ramadan. However, the series does remind me of the A-Team in many aspects.

The fourth series I’m watching is Khadimat Elqoom. I’ve loved Huda 7sain ever since I was a child going to see her plays in the 80s. I also love her acting as an evil controlling woman, it suits her. Still, the series is a bit too much and too pretentious so I’m watching it on and off.

Its notable to say that MANY actors are looking good and lost a ton of weight, like Elham Al-Fadhalah for example masha2 Allah. Also, the little fat NBK kid appears in every other series masha2 Allah. Plus, there are many new actors who can barely talk scattered around the different series, too many if I may say so myself.

By the way, spare me the lecture of Ramadan is for prayers only and not for watching TV please. If you have time to read blog posts then you definitly have time to watch TV. There are 24 hours of the day after.

So what are you watching? What do you think? Did you cry watching Saher 3 yesterday?