Scrub away pollution

A study published last week, in a peer reviewed journal Marine Pollution Bulletin, showed that the great lakes in North America are being polluted by tiny beads of plastic. The beads are showing up in floating clusters in the water, on the beaches and are being ingested by fish.

These beads are commonly used in skincare products like face wash and exfoliating scrubs. Washing our faces shouldn't be an act of pollution. Especially since there are alternatives available in the market that use natural products like apricot and walnut shells or cocoa beans. Better yet make your own scrub in five minutes with material available in your kitchen.

White sugar, brown sugar, sea salt and regular table salt are all great exfoliants. Brown sugar crystals are small in size and softer so they are more suitable for the delicate facial skin. Sugar is full of glycolic acid that helps condition and moisturize the skin on its own. White sugar and salt can be used for skin and coarse sea salt is great for feet. Give them a try, lets do our part in keeping the plastic pollutants out of our fresh water resources.

Brown Sugar and Honey Facial Scrub:

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar
 1/2 cup honey
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. grated ginger

Method

1. Grate fresh ginger, and squeeze fresh lemon juice.
2. Mix all ingredients together and place in a jar.
3. Use the scrub on dry skin before washing.
4. In winter you can substitute half the honey with olive or almond oil.

The scrub can be kept in an airtight jar for several days, just use a spoon or spatula to take it out.

Citrus Salt Body Polish:

Ingredients

1/2 cup sea salt
1/2 cup sweet almond oil
(can substitute light olive oil)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon orange zest

Method

1. Combine all the ingredients in a dry bowl.

2. Pour mixture into an airtight container and store in a cool dry place.

3. After cleaning the skin, just before exiting, apply Citrus Salt Body Polish to body in a firm circular scrubbing motion with hands or a soft washcloth. Rinse off the mixture and pat body dry with a clean towel.

Recipe courtesy of Paula Dean

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A New Superhero

A red cape, shape shifting powers, a sidekick and a name like Captain Marvel. All ingredients of a new comic book superhero, all accept the fact that Captain Marvel is actually Kamala Khan, a teenage Muslim girl from New Jersey.

Are we ready for Ms. Marvel? I know I am. Growing up I always felt the lack of female superheros in comic books and consequently in movies based on comic books. I would love to get the comic book for my daughter and see the character develop.



Just like the Ms Amanat I am weary of an onslaught of negative comments from Muslims and non-Muslims alike. As a Muslim-American mom trying to raise a Muslim-American daughter I say bring it on!

You can read the article here.

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Creativity

I am a working mother of two with a demanding career. Creativity is my escape from the riggers of my every day life. Creating hand made jewelry and painting are forms of meditation for me, I do it to relax and unwind. For years I have been creating gifts for my friends and family and now decided to share with others. 

I love to create pretty things in lovely colors and designs. My personal style is eclectic, elegant, vintage with a touch of whimsy. My designs are inspired by seasons, moods and my surroundings. Some of the jewelry featured on this blog is available for  purchase on my etsy store RozenDesigns.

It's a typical fall day with grey sky, colorful foliage and cool crisp air. Here is a piece I created, inspired by the beautiful rich fall colors. 

 

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Pumpkins

This time of the year it is probably not the most original topic but how can you ignore pumpkins in October. I am very reluctant to buy pumpkins for cooking because I find it very hard to peel and cut. Yesterday my dear husband talked me into buying a medium size pumpkin. So I found myself with 10 lbs of orange goodness and scrambling for recopies to use-up all 10 lbs.

After my husband and I spent almost an hour cutting and peeling I started wondering if there is an easier way of doing it. Turns out there is, here it is you to try.

Cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and all the stringy stuff, lay out both the sides on a tin-foil lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F until soft, about 45 min to an hour depending on the size. Let it cool and scoop out with an ice cream scoop. Left overs can be frozen for later use.

So far I have tried pumpkin soup and pumpkin with lamb cooked Pakistani style and Pumpkin Halwa. Here is the pumpkin soup recipe for you to try and I'll share the pumpkin and lamb  and Halwa recipe soon. Let me know how it turns out, mine was not very orange. I think my pumpkin was too pale in color :)

INGREDIENTS

•      4 Tbsp unsalted butter
•      1 medium onion, chopped
•      1 teaspoons minced garlic
•      1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
•      Salt to taste
•      1/4 teaspoon ground all-spice  (garam masala)
•      Pinch ground cumin 
•      6 cups of chopped roasted pumpkin
•      5 cups of chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian option)
•      2 cups of milk
•      1/2 cup brown sugar
•      1 chopped chipottle pepper in adobo sauce (optional)

METHOD

1 Melt butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add spices and stir for a minute more.

2 Add pumpkin and 5 cups of chicken broth; blend well. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

3 Transfer soup, in batches, to a blender or food processor. Cover tightly and blend until smooth. Return soup to saucepan.

4 With the soup on low heat, add brown sugar and mix. Slowly add milk while stirring to incorporate. If a little too spicy, add more milk to cool it down. You might want to add a teaspoon of salt.

Serve in individual bowls. Sprinkle the top of each with toasted pumpkin seeds or roasted kernels of corn.

This is what your soup is supposed to look like, off-course mine looked nothing like it but tasted great. Give it a try and share your results, maybe even post some pictures of how it turned out.

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My first tumble

I would like to dedicate my first blog post to some amazing girls in my life. This one is for all of you girls. My sister, sisters in-law, cousins, friends, co-workers and my beautiful daughter.

My blog is called stumbling through because I feel like I'm stumbling through life, trying to find my way. On the way if I can guide anyone else, that would be an added bonus.

I want to have a conversation and I hope you can join...

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