Mother Nature is Medicine

Mother Nature is Medicine
MOTHER NATURE IS MEDICINE. The Creator has given us everything that we need. It is all here on this Earth and in the Universe. It can be found in the Earth, in the Sky, in the Waters, in the Air. Often times, we, as humans, tend to view nature as something that is "apart" from ourselves. We talk of spending time "in nature." We, in a sense, distance ourselves. In reality, we ARE "a - part" as well. The Great Spirit put us here and blessed us and our ancestors with this beautiful earth. Embracing the Creator and the natural blessings is food & nourishment for the body, mind, and soul. Nature is medicine. ~Peace and Blessings~

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Easy Peesy Sweet Potato Fries





Here is something that I made last summer, but will fit well with the Winter months also!


Ingredients:

3-4 Sweet Potatoes
Canola Oil
[Optional: Salt, Seasoned Salt, or Creole Seasoning]

Directions:

- Peel Sweet Potatoes
- Rinse Potatoes
- Slice into strips, desired thickness
- Heat oil in pan on medium heat
- Cook sweet potatoes till tender and until golden on some parts
- Drain excess oil from potatoes on paper towels

Tastes great as it is - sweet and tasty! Doesn't need salt!
If you're the kind that loves seasoning as much as I do, I suggest Lawry's Seasoned Salt or Tony Chacher's Original Creole Seasoning. Or just use plain grounded salt.

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Nouvel An!

I may not have said before, but I study French (among other languages...) and to make a longer story short, things have kept popping up in my life that relate to French or France in some way, which is something that I have realized over the past few years, even looking back to my childhood, I've seen French. And consciously or unconsciously, I have incorporated some of French culture into my life. So for this new year, I decided to start it off in French, with some sort of bread/pastry for breakfast with hot tea (not coffee for me because I don't drink much coffee at all). I still enjoy my big and hearty American breakfast and my "French" breakfast was not anything new to me, but it's just something else that I wanted to do, for my first breakfast of the new year!


Caramel Apple Rooibos tea with natural sugar and cream with a warm Apple crescent roll.
Radio City Music Hall mug that I got for my birthday last year in New York City!  

And one other activity to start my new day of my new year - running! Yes, running in the brisk chill air (coughing, runny nose - hey, I'm used to running in hotter weather or in the air conditioned gym) and cardio as well, breathing in the peacefulness of God's light and grace! 

Would you like to know my fortune for the new year? My family's tradition of Chinese food every New Years' Eve.


Bismillah! A wonderful New Year!

Bismillah! A wonderful New Year!
I am excited for this new year. Usually, the end of a year is almost nostalgic and bittersweet, somewhat sad, but for 2014, I was only looking ahead with wonder and looking back with smiles. It is not because 2014 was the all-around best year, it was a good year however because me and my family and dear friends made it with our health, love, peace, and blessings, praise be to Allah (swt). The nostalgia of previous years was also not because those years were sad or depressing. Perhaps this feeling is from the strengthening of spirituality the past few(many?..) months, SubhanAllah. Either way, I am positive, optimistic, all the goodness that makes me look forward to this new year.

One of the great things about New Years' is that it is just another chance to fulfill any resolutions that you may have. I used to be on full support for the tradition of making New Years' resolutions, but over the past couple years I realized that, for me personally, making lifestyle changes or enhancing my way of living that benefits me and those around me seemed to be something more substantial and beneficial than "resolutions" that always seem to have a time limit to them. If you don't fulfill one or all of your resolutions by the end of the year, are you not resolved or do you feel incomplete that you did not complete one of your new years' goals? I know I have felt that way sometimes by the end of the year, but what made me feel a little better is if I continue the best I can to fulfill that "resolution", realizing that perhaps it would make more sense to incorporate some resolutions into my life for good. I still make some resolutions, but some of them are more like lifestyle/way of living. I want to be more proactive in my overall health and my wellness. I've improved my fitness routine/physical activity this past year which was an amazing and fulfilling thing for me. I want to seek to live with only accepting positive energy around me and to stay away from things or people that only bring negativity in my life. I have released certain burdens off of my soul and given them over to God which has given me so much more joy. I also want to make more time to delve into my creative side, to be my true authentic self, something that is extremely important to me. Music, my great passion, and art, yes that it is! Spiritual joy is on the top of my list. This I can achieve from God's mercy and grace, prayer, meditating on God, and submitting to His will which will brighten my spirit with His light.
Bismillah!