Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Salams Everyone!



Sorry for the lack of posts. Lately i've been applying to my masters and it's been taking up most of my time. Alhamdulilah (All praise due to Allah) i'm almost done, just need to fine tune some stuff and i'll be back to blogging : ). For those of you who are in school/finished school, good job.. keep it up. 

Knowledge is a life long journey, i believe one should never stop learning. This could be anything, like learning a new language, new hobby, memorizing quran, etc. Whatever it is, never stop feeding your mind. The amount of information we have accessible at our finger tips is endless. You can download ebooks, audio tapes, videos, etc. You can learn so much with just some self discipline. 

Self discipline=Success

I remember during the summer while taking an Arabic course, there was a particular Chinese girl who sat at the front of the class. From the first day i noticed how keen she was on learning. She was always on time, always ready to ask questions, and ready for any challenges that came her way. Out of a class of around 40 students, 80% already knew how to read and write Arabic, however, this girl didn't know a single letter coming into the class and by the end of the course she could speak basic conversational arabic, aswell as write perfectly. One day i sat with her in class and asked her why she took Arabic. She told me she wanted to teach herself how to be more self-disiplined. Subhanallah, can you imagine that?




I don't believe in new years resolutions, however, i've been really reflecting on life and i've decided i need to make some changes. Allah (swt) has given us a finite amount of hours during the day to accomplish so much. Most of this take this time for granted, and it's time we stop being lazy and make use of this time before it's too late!

Friday, December 2, 2011

The Iron Chef - Pathways



            Yesterday, i went on a staff retreat with my coworkers to the FoodShare kitchen for an Iron Chef challenge. We were divided in groups and given either chicken, seafood or tofu. My group ended up with seafood so we made salmon with mango salsa!

My team won on a score of presentation, originality, team work and taste. All in all, it was great fun and a good team building exercise. 

Go PATHWAYS!!!!


Little boat made by carving out a zucchini,  filled in with the mango salsa. With a zucchini puree. 

Final dish (winning dish)

Final dish





Dishes from the other team members:

Tofu team.

Chicken team

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Young Developing Artist Of The Month






          Nida Khan, is a young aspiring fashion designer currently
studying at Ryerson University. She's in love with the 80s, and dislikes the new generation of fashion. She's a classy chick, always in style, and knows how to arrive fashionably late (literally).


She can be contacted through facebook. Check out her amazing designs!




Strapless Sweetheart

Strapless Sweetheart
Strapless Sweatheart: A strapless, satin sweetheart neckline bodice with a pleated A-line skirt stitched across the waistline band and additional layers of contrasting fabric. Featuring pockets each side.


80's floral

80's floral

80s floral

80's Floral: 8-'s inspired, full puff sleeved pencil dress, situated slightly above knee length with a pleated pencil skirt and slit. Features pockets on both sides and golden black zipper in centre back.

Geek Chic
Geek Chic
Geek Chic: Loose fitted harem trousers with pleated silhouette on both centre front and centre side; Features a    zipper in the trouser front closure and a silver floral button for a complete finish. 









spring breeze material


Spring breeze

Spring breeze

Spring breeze: a high-waisted full length skirt for the perfect windy day! Features pockets and fitted waistband. 

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Pancakes Anyone?

I love breakfast foods. I can have breakfast foods any time of the day, literally. I enjoy waking up every morning to a nice wholesome breakfast to kickstart my day. I usually have something hot (tea, Cofee) along with my food choice, aswell as some fruits on the side.  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for a reason!

My next couple of blogs will be dedicated to the foods i have for breakfast!



This is yesterday's breakfast.. yummmmm







Bon Appetit!







This Weeks Read:


 Patient and Gratitude- By Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah


S/O to the person who gave me this book, you know who you are. Thank you.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Restaurant Review: Big Smoke Burger aka Craft Burger

Last night i got to visit a burger spot in the heart of downtown. The first thing that stood out to me once i entered the "Big Smoke Burger" was the clean lines and industrial themed decor. We eat with our eyes, so leave it to a well designed restaurant to begin the feast!

I ordered a cheeseburger and milkshake. The cheeseburger came with smoked canadian cheddar cheese which tasted somewhat like regular cheddar cheese, but a hint of smokiness.  Although, i forgot to ask for a well done burger, and instead received a medium rare burger... i must say it wasn't as bad as i thought. The burger was moist, juicy and succulent. It reminded me of Hero Burger. I say they both are in the top of my books for the best burgers in T.O.

Big smoke burger offers a wide variety of toppings, from caramelized onions, rosemary mayo, to horseradish!

All in all, it was a nice restaurant and i would go back to try some of their other speciality burgers. Maybe the lamb burger!



Big Smoke Burger


New Name (old name was Craft Burger)

Dine T.O. Award














Big Smoke Burger Menu:

http://bigsmokeburger.com/index.php?Page=Menu



Check it out, and let me know what you think!

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Opera Gallery



Opera Gallery is in the heart of SOHO, NYC. It shows the works of artists around the world, from 40 different countries. I absolutely loved the artwork they had on display.  I love everything abstract. From abstract sculpture/painting to abstract food!

Maybe one day my work will be up there!





 








Opera Gallery Website

http://www.operagallery.com/art-gallery/gallery.aspx?g=3

Williamsburg Bridge

Our journey one night down the Williamsburg Bridge

Talk about being brave. Two friends and I walked down the deserted Williamsburg bridge connecting Brooklyn to lower manhattan during midnight!


It was a very long walk, about 7,308 feet! However, the graffiti and the view made it all worth the while. We could see the brooklyn bridge, the empire state building, as well as the skyline of new york. 



The start of our journey....


All of the ABOVE!










The subway goes right through the bridge









Empire state building




All in all it was an enjoyable experience and i would do it again,  if you guys ever hit up new york, make sure you walk through this bridge, you wont regret it!