whats that I smell? :))

I always had a dream that once I get married and have my own place that wewould wake up and smell fatayar in the oven :)

Simple! and perfect recipe made my simple yummy dream come true!

Woke up today morning smelling the dough in the oven, excited for fresh zaatar fatayer. and I love how my daughter wakes up and after washing up she says "I smell fatayer" "My Favorite!" it makes breakfast special and makes her lunch box satisfying.




Now having it at work with olives and mint tea :)




*for recipe look back, older posts “pizza dough, cheese balls”

Reading time!

"Read Read Read Read we are Pirates who love to Read!" Elmo and the Bookaneers.

Elmo made reading even more fun, now my little one wants to be a bookaneer. When its reading time we have to sing this song while she chooses 3 books (cuz she is 3 years old ;p) and usually they are the same every time!



Its fun! educational and great quality time that only a parent can do ;)

Fairy ... Fairy ... how many are they?

I keep on using the "Fairy" when am stuck in my parenting. seriously its not easy! And it’s really hard to be judged! But you just keep on trying in different ways to reach to your little kids mind, not easy cause kids are smart and succeed in having things done their way not our way! Sounds funny really and actually it sounds like I have no control over her but that’s not true!




I first used the fairy technique when I was potty training and it was amazing! I mean it PERFECT I would recommend it to anyone who is struggling. The thing is kids get used to the fact that the parent buys and takes care of all their issues but when there is this beautiful image of an angelic fairy helping children to grow up and use the toilet and rewarding them was the highlight of my daughter’s achievement.


I kept on using that method and it was working, I didn’t reward her every time she went using the toilet but it depends on the end of the day, before bedtime if she tried her best she would get rewarded (from the fairy of coarse) with the simple things that she adores, at that time it was jelly beans, coming in small counted amounts of the colors that she likes placed in a certain place from the Fairy. Fairies simply help little boys and girls to go the toilet.
So that worked great thank god! I always and still do say that accidents sometimes happen and that we should try harder next time and that its fine. Always encourage and you’ll see, they just need to believe in their new powers.


Now there is the “sleeping fairy” and the sleeping fairy started lets say about last summer and that’s quiet a while, hoping that she sleeps in her bed alone without me next to her. (Still in the process, trying to succeed)
It started when I bought her a new big bed and fixed her room with colors that she likes and started the process of explaining the cause and answering all the “whys” that a child her age can possibly think of. Then it just came up to me again! Using the magic of the fairy, explaining that when kids sleep in their big beds till early in the morning the fairy brings them a fancy gift, and I did that numerous of times! Worked for a couple of times and I believe coincidence played a big role at those times.
So with time the fairy thing passed and every night shed cry and call me and Id have to go and sleep the rest of the night with her in her own bed instead of mine. She did it her way and not mine ;(


The funny part she missed the fairy. She actually asked me last night “why the fairy doesn’t bring me any jelllllyyyy beans or gifts anymore?’ so I laughed saying: “mama maybe because your not trying your best to sleep alone in your bed like big girls”
She wants jellybeans she’s craving for it! And she did it, she slept the night for a cause, the need of jellybeans. As promised I had the jelly beans ready from the stash that I keep away, on her table saying “LOOK the fairy got you something open it!” with full excitement she said “eee cuz am a big girl now”


One good night sleep with no interruptions was missed! I want more!!!

School Mornings

Mama Today fi school?

The innocent question that has to be asked everyday! and when I answer "no its a weekend" shed smile with relief!

Every morning my daughter has to sleep in, as if she needs those extra minutes, she’s in her deep sleep that makes me feel guilty to wake her up! but on the other hand, weekends she wakes up super early! meaning 6ish am, happy and excited to start her day (weird :S)

Anyway! I actually found a way to change her into her school clothes in a couple of minutes without the need of begging, manipulating or rewarding. Simply changing her into her school clothes while she is still lying lazily in her bed.

Its perfect! she’s dressed! done! then we play a tiny game of racing who will wash and brush first before the water runs out! (my daughter believes now that the water will run out and finish if we keep it running for a long time!) and its true they have to learn how to save water!

Tarrraaa! Done in exactly 20min, she’s in the car before me (still racing lol) having her breakfast in her car seat :))

Now the traffic that I have to deal with and I have no solution for that!

Shes drawing not scribbling but drawing! Yaaay!

I'm so happy I can't believe my eyes! At last my daughter is drawing seriously making sense of those scribbles. Yaaaaay! >Walking around with a marker insisting to draw tattoos on our hands




Makes any sense? ;p

Girls gathering fun! (toddlers)

Today is Thursday! And my 3 year old daughter usually has her friends over after school, and I'm left planning the events and activities of the play date :) I do encourage her to give me some ideas of what she would like to do and we have the "how about ...." conversation. something I do enjoy very much and put a lot of thought and effort to have them fully entertained not having the chance to feel bored and whine cause I can't stand that! And what is the point of having kids over and not ready to be entertained!

1st activity

So as a start for my little ones to loosen up and release any unwanted shyness bottled inside of them, start finger painting every child loves the cold gewy mess it makes. I usually have them sitting down on cushions on the floor with a very low table and have scraps of old plain fabric cut into squares, then have them finger paint what ever they'd like :) (later all the kids can take them as giveaways).

2nd activity

Browsing around in IKEA I found the cutest colorful tin plant buckets, very small. Loved them! I couldn't resist them so I went ahead and bought 5 different colors, then went ahead and bought 5 small flower plants and we are going to do planting in my small patio. But first I’m going to have them decorate the pots with glitter, ribbons, stickers, paint …etc letting their little minds get creative. Sounds fun to me! Dirt and mess with their hands, I'm sure that would be fun for all of us!

3rd activity

Here I need a break, and they need to play together alone, the one thing they enjoy doing always is playing loud music and dancing creatively, they come up with the most hilarious moves! Shake shake shake ;p

Finally dinner has to be fun! Always have them prepare the dinner themselves including help from a grownup. Pizzas! Fresh homemade dough should be prepared overnight and have them do the job :)) it counts as an activity.

Simple Pizza Dough ;)

Ingredients:




1 Kilo brown flour

8 tablespoons powder milk

6 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons yeast

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cooking oil

1 cup water




Directions




In a large bowl, combine the flour, powder milk, salt, white sugar, yeast, baking powder, and water; stir well to combine. Knead the dough with your hands pushing and folding. Knead just long enough for the dough to take in a little more flour, and until it no longer sticking to your hands.Cover and rise until doubled in volume, at least 8 hours in a warm room, for best results leave over night.







Turn dough out onto a well floured surface. Form dough into a round and roll out into a pizza crust shape. Cover with your favorite sauce and toppings and bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.




YOU cant be FUN and not serve SWEETS! when you have KIDS over!! always be prepared either with cookies, decorating cupcakes and eating them as an activity (wont be doing that today) ice cream, or simply marshmallows anything ;p haven’t decided yet!




I usually have the kids get their pj's so we all end the night nice and clean ready to go home straight to bed, and besides the process of them all changing and washing up is fun for them. They all sit nest to each other all five in their cute pjs all clean and tired watching "Peppa Pig" is like the last treat of the day :)




Ahhhhhhh long day ahead! Hope I don’t fall asleep while putting my daughter to sleep, I have a very bad habit of doing so lol.

Dear cookwithmeq8,

Hope you like the recipe !!


Ingredients