My go-to green smoothie

I love starting my mornings with a huge glass of green goodness which consists of a blast of spinach, orange juice, apples and banana. I decided to start including a glass of greens into my diet since my body was low on iron, and this was the best way to boost up the levels without having to take any medication. Spinach (and most other greens such as kale, lettuce, collard greens) contain tons of benefits and are excellent sources of vitamin A and K, magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium and vitamin C.

Just about a week after drinking green smoothies daily, I noticed a huge improvement in my physical and mental wellbeing. My skin was glowing, I felt full of energy and my tiredness that I had felt before, due to lack of iron disappeared.

My family at first were disgusted at the thought of me drinking raw greens, but eventually they gave in, tried it and now they're hooked! There are so many variations to this smoothie, but after trial and error, I've finally found a concussion that tastes best in my opinion!

I really hope you guys give this a try, I assure you it tastes way better than it looks!!

To make one cup:

• a handful of spinach (or any greens of your choice)
• 3/4 cup orange juice 
• 1 apple
• 1/2 a frozen banana (freeze the banana with the skin PEELED!!) 
• 3/4 cup water

And just blitz up all the ingredients!

The easiest fish tacos you'll ever make!

If I could eat these everyday, I would! I finally decided to make these at home and after plenty of servings from different restaurants, I've come up with an easy to follow recipe. If you're not a fan of fish, substitute the fish for chicken strips and add red kidney beans and sweetcorn to the slaw for a twist.

Ingredients:

• 1 packet soft tacos (I bought from M&S)
• 3 pieces of tilapia fillet
• Juice of 1/2 a lime

For the dry rub you’ll need:

• 1 tsp paprika powder
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• Salt and pepper

For the slaw:

• A small chunk of red cabbage 
• 1/4 red onion
• Small handful of fresh coriander
• Juice of half a lime

For the guacamole:

• 2 ripe avocados
• Small handful of fresh coriander
• Juice of half a lemon
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Wash the fish fillets in cold water and place in a glass dish. Top with all the dry rub ingredients and juice of 1/2 a lime. Rub the marinade all over the fish, cover with cling film and place the dish in the fridge while you prepare the rest.
2. Finely chop up the cabbage, coriander and red onion and place in a bowl. Squeeze the juice of half a lime on top and mix throughly. 
3. In a blender, blitz up the guacamole ingredients and place aside.
4. To cook the fish, heat up 1 tsp olive oil in a flat frying pan over a medium low heat and add the fish. Cook for 3-4 minutes on one side and flip over. Cook for another 3 minutes until the fish is cooked through. Place in a bowl and using a fork gently break up the fish. 
5. To assemble the tacos, heat the tacos on a flat pan, add a spoon of fish, guacamole and top with the slaw. Best eaten warm.

Habeebah xxx

Random life hacks and tips.

These life hacks and tips I seriously live by and thought I should share, even though some of them you've probably come across before anyway.

1. My most important advice I've given to myself this year is to drink more water!! And I know it's easier said than done, so what I've been doing recently is filling up a water bottle at night and keeping it at my bedside so that first thing when I wake up in the morning I gulp that water down. There's so many benefits of having water when you wake up, but most importantly, it helps to boost metabolism!

2. If you have trouble sleeping, or getting to sleep at night I advise you keep some lavender oil at your bedside and put a few drops onto your pillow and duvet. Lavender oil helps to induce deep slumber in which the heartbeat slows down and the muscles relax. Other tips to help you sleep better is to avoid electronics at least 30 minutes before you plan to sleep as the artificial light emitted from electronics prevent you from feeling sleepy. Drinking a warm glass of milk, taking a shower/bath or reading a book before bed also help you sleep better.

3. The worst possible thing that can happen is waking up in the morning, looking in the mirror and arghhhhh you've developed a GIGANTIC spot overnight. A trick that works for me every time is drying the spot out with baby powder and then applying Sudocrem on the spot before you sleep.

4. I Recently discovered this life hack and it is genius!! If you want to create your own nose pore strips, take some PVA glue and spread an even layer over your nose and leave on until its completely dry (usually takes between 20-30 minutes). Then comes the best bit, peel off the glue and just run your fingers down your nose. Feel how soft it is!! Also who remembers spreading glue on the back of their hand in primary school, waiting for it to dry and then satisfyingly peeling it off? or was that just me?

5. Having a money saving jar in your room or car is the smartest idea ever! Buy a money tin that is completely sealed (the one's you can only open with a tin opener), and so you will be less tempted to open it before its full.

6. When washing your hands, always wet your hands first before applying soap or hand wash as this will stop them from drying them out. If you apply soap to dry hands, the soap embeds into the pores of the skin and leaves residue that cracks the skin, so always apply soap to wet hands!

Hope these tips were helpful!

Habeebah xxx

Easiest smores ever!

I've seen smores all over Pinterest and Tumblr and always wanted to try it, but thought you can only make them with graham crackers (which you can't find in the UK) around a proper campfire. But I finally found an easy peasy recipe that requires only 3 ingredients! You don't need to be a Mary Berry in the kitchen to figure this out and its such a perfect treat for when your girls come round or family even. Mine are addicted to these already! 

All you need to make these are digestive biscuits, chocolate of your choice (I used classic Dairymilk) and of course marshmallows. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper, lay out half the digestive biscuits and place a few cubes of chocolate on top. Top with 2 marshmallows and place in the oven for a few mins or until the marshmallow turns golden brown. Take out of the oven and place another digestive on top and oh my gosh the marshmallow and chocolate just ooze out. Ahhhhh enjoy!!

Habeebah xxx

Peanut butter Hershey's cookies

Now that January is over, we can all stop kidding ourselves that we'll be carrying on with that whole "new year, new me" thing because we've all established the fact that new years resolutions are made to be broken. Thats the whole point right? So obviously there's no better way to celebrate freedom than these decadent, buttery, crumbly, chocolate topped peanut butter cookies. The chocolate used in this recipe is Hershey's Kisses which I recently discovered can now be bought from most supermarkets like Asda or Sainsbury's.

Ingredients:

• 24 milk chocolate Hershey's Kisses
• 1/4 cup butter at room temperature
• 1/3 cup crunchy or smooth peanut butter 
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 light brown sugar
• 1 medium egg
• splash of milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 180℃. Remove all the wrappers from chocolates.
2. Beat together the butter and peanut butter in a large bowl. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy and pale. 
3. Add the egg, vanilla and milk and beat well.
4. Sift in the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir the mixture well until it resembles a dough. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll them in granulated sugar and place on a greaseproof lined baking tray.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes and cool for 1 minute. Transfer onto a wire rack and place the chocolates on top.

ENJOY!!!!

Habeebah xxx

Hot chocolate season is here!!

Nothing better than spending those chilly winter evenings on the sofa, wrapped up in a blanket with your hands around a warm cup of hot chocolate! Nope, nothing beats that! Every year I have to invent new recipes to satisfy my cravings, and this year is no different. You have to give these a try, seriously you have no idea what you're missing out on!

 Terry's orange hot chocolate.

Ingredients: (makes 2 mugs)

• 2 mugs milk
• 1/2 packet of Terry's orange mini's (85g)
• Whipped squirty cream

Method:

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan. Turn the heat down to low. Add in the chocolate and leave to melt for a minute.
2. Whisk until throughly incorporated and pour into serving mugs.
3. Let it cool for a minute and top with whipped cream and a terry's mini segment.

Yes! It's as easy as that!!!

After Eight mint hot chocolate.

Ingredients: (makes 2 mugs)

• 2 mugs milk
• 6-8 slices After Eight chocolates
• Whipped squirty cream
• 2 candy canes to decorate

Method:

1. Heat up the milk in a saucepan. Turn the heat down to low. Add in the chocolate and leave to melt for a minute.
2. Whisk until throughly incorporated and pour into serving cups. 
3. Let it cool for a minute and top with whipped cream and a candy cane.

Hope you enjoy!

Habeebah xxx

Easy peasy prawn biryani

Do not get intimidated by the title. I can guarantee you saw the word biryani and thought nope, no way! that's not for me. But trust me, this is most definitely the easiest biryani you will ever make! This recipe was originally from Sorted Food which I've tweaked slightly, but check out their website and YouTube channel for amazing simple and delicious recipes.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice (feeds 4-6)
• 1 large onion (diced)
• 5 cloves garlic
• 4 cm piece root ginger
• 1 green chilli (finely sliced)
• 3 tblsp olive oil
• a knob of butter
• 1 handful cashew nuts
• 15 king prawns (de-veined, head off and shelled) (I get mine from Sainsbury's)
• 4 tblsp sultanas

Spices:

• 5 cardamom pods 
• 2 star anise
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp turmeric
• Freshly chopped coriander and red chilli to garnish

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180℃. Sauté the onions, finely sliced garlic and ginger, green chilli, cashews and sultanas in 1 tblsp olive oil for 2 mins.
2. Add spices and prawns. Turn the heat to a medium low and cook for 3-5 mins until the prawns turn pink. (If using ready cooked prawns, 1-2 mins is fine)
3. Cook rice in salted water for 12 mins and drain.
4. Add a knob of butter to prawns, rest of the olive oil, half of chopped coriander and cook for a further 5 mins. Season with salt according to taste.
5. Place a layer of rice at the bottom of the dish. Next top with some of the prawns mixture. Repeat layers and then cover with foil. 
6. Place in the oven for 15 mins and garnish with coriander, chilli and caramelised onions. 

Caramelised onions:

1. Finely chop 1 red onion and sauté in a pan with 1 tblsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and a dash of lime juice. Let the onions cook on a low heat until translucent.

Hope you guys try this out, send me pics if you do!

Habeeebah xxx

Spiced pumpkin and oatmeal cookies

I can't believe its been more than a month since I last posted on here. I've been a little busy with university, placement and the endless assignments, whilst trying to savour the couple of weeks I had off for the summer. And in the midst of all this, exam season is slowly creeping up but at least there's some exciting news too. Autumn, my favourite season is nearly here! Can we please all just take a moment with me and be excited for cosy jumpers, early evenings, pumpkin spiced latte, knee high boots, candles, lipstick in all shades of plum, berry and crimson and fuzzy socks. Writing this is just making me feel all warm inside, seriously that's how much I can't wait, and especially when the clocks go back, those walks home back from uni are the best, earphones in, a coconut mocha in one hand and an umbrella in the other. Ahhhhh. So, to get you into the Autumn spirit try out my favourite cookies of all time; spiced pumpkin and oatmeal. They are seriously soft, moist and perfect with a mug of hot chocolate. The canned pumpkin in the recipe is from Americandy which you can buy if you live in Leicester, but if not then try Ocado or Waitrose.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups plain flour 
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter (at room temperature)
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 medium egg
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 tsp vanilla essence/extract
• 2 tsp gingerbread syrup (optional)

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200℃ and line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper. 
2. In a bowl beat together the sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Next add the pumpkin, egg, vanilla and syrup. Beat everything well together.
3. Sieve in the flour and add in oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix well. At this stage add in raisins if desired. 
4. Drop spoonfuls onto the parchment and flatten slightly with the back of a fork. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Transfer onto a wire rack to cool and dust with icing sugar.

Habeebah xxx

June/July favourites

Hey all my amazing readers! Hope you all had a great month and made the most of the blessed month of Ramadhan. Honestly though, how fast did the days fly by? And it won't be long until Ramadhan will be upon us again. Anyway this month has been brilliant after my potential life changing discovery of the Jersey hijaab. As dramatic as it may sound, I'm sat here wondering why it has taken me this long to have these in my life, so, let me break this ingenious invention down for you. You know when you have those days where you wake up in the morning, get your fav cereal out, open the fridge, grab the gallon of milk, about to pour over your cereal...but wait, THERE'S NO MILK LEFT! So now you have 2 options; either go to the corner shop and buy some more or have something else for breakfast. The first option is obviously not going to happen because you know the time it'll take you to go upstairs and put your hijaab on it will probably lunch time by then. And option 2, well urgh I bet you really wanted that cereal didn't you?

Okay, well maybe that situation was a little dramatic but let me assure you that a situation like that is why the Jersey hijaab was invented. Well I think so anyway. You just wrap it round your head and you're good to go! No pins, no mirror, seriously this hijaab is going to stay in place whether you're sweating it out on the tennis court or taking a trip to Alton Towers. (I am a little dramatic aren't I? But do you see my point?!!) The jersey hijaab got yo back!

They've got a great range of colours at Ar-Rahmah gift store on Evington road (if you live in Leicester) or have a look on Inayah.com. There's plenty on there to choose from.

A few more things that need a quick mention is the Seventeen contour kit from Boots. I've been loving this since I'm not a huge fan of contouring (takes too much time) but this does the job real quick! Also another new discovery is the Olive oil aloe shampoo which has magically transformed my hair from dry and damaged to thick, glossy, shiny and visibly healthy. And finally, the Virgin Mojito shower gel from The Body shop which is so refreshing especially if you shower in the morning it really wakes you up and smells good enough to drink!

Hope you found this post useful and let me know if you try any of these products.
Until next time.

Habeebah xxx

A bit too personal?

So this is where things get a little personal and I share with you something that I've been wanting to post for while but just didn't think it was something anyone else cared about. I'd been seeing the various  different brands of the so-called "Teatox" on Instagram and other social media where many people including celebrities had posted their results of the 2 week or 1 month Teatox. I have to admit at first I was surprised to see how much of a difference having tea twice a day for 2 weeks made to your body. So after reading into it I finally decided to give it a go and see what all the hype was about.

The brand I tried was BooTea from Holland and Barrett (14 day) that claims to increase your metabolism and detoxify your body. The pack contains 21 teabags, so you drink one in the morning and one at night every other night. I was quite eager to try it so I had my first mugful after coming home from a night shift. And then this is the part that they don't warn you about on the box. I woke up later that day with the worst possible stomach pains, went to the toilet and lets just say I couldn't go out for the rest of the day since I had the runs. The teabags contain a laxative which I'm guessing is rather strong and starts to work around 8 hours after consuming. I was mad enough to finish the entire 14 days but not consequtive days, I missed a few days in between.

By the 7th day I noticed my belly had become flatter than what it had been at the start and I felt as though my entire body had been cleansed from the inside. And upon completion I was happy with the results, but not sure if I would do it again. One thing to bear in mind is that you cannot start the Teatox without having a balanced diet and taking part in some sort of regular exercise. Those three things combined was the only way in which I gained good results.

So the question is would I recommend it to other people? Well yes obviously! The results are amazing but on the other hand I had to use the bathroom far too often than I wanted to and kept forgetting to brew myself a mug especially in the mornings, only in the evenings did I realise I'd missed the morning one. I'll leave this for you to decide, but it definitely was worth it!

Hope this was helpful to any of you.

Habeebah xxx

Almond and date power shake

This smoothie/shake is seriously the best snack I've come across since Avo-toast and I kid you not you'll be as addicted as I am from that first sip, but thats definitely a good thing because it's packed with all the good things to keep your tummy happy and satisfied. And since Ramadhan is coming up in the next few days it's a perfect 30 second Suhoor idea after all, I know I'm not the only one who wakes up for Suhoor with the intention of eating the entire contents of my fridge, but all I can manage is half a banana and a sip of water. It's packed with potassium from the banana and dates which will help your body retain water and stop you from feeling thirsty. I've also linked an article at the bottom of the page that has tons of Suhoor ideas in case you're stuck on what kind of foods you should eat that help release energy throughout the fasting day.


Ingredients (for 1):

• 1 frozen banana 
• 1 heaped tablespoon almond butter/or peanut butter if you prefer
• 3 Medjool dates
• 1 cup milk 
• Ice (optional)

Method:

1. Whizz up all ingredients in a blender. Enjoy!

Yes it's as simple as that! You can add your own extra ingredients like a protein powder or swap the whole milk for Almond milk but definitely give it a try. You'll thank me later!

Have a blessed Ramadhan and remember the entire Ummah in your duas especially those in need.

What to eat at Suhoor? (Article)

Habeebah xxx

Summer shoe favourites

Okay let's not even talk about the fact that coming up with the idea for this post was just an excuse to buy more shoes that I obviously didn't need. But as they say a girl can never have too many shoes right? I've picked out some of my favourite and most worn styles I've been loving this month. I don't have the most photogenic feet so bear with that but anyway hope it gives you a little inspiration for when you go summer shoe shopping. Enjoy!

1. Chunky sandals Bringing back the 90's feel with a chunky heeled sandal. These are definitely way more comfortable than they look and so practical (after running after a 3 year old all day). I bought these from Primark a few weeks ago and I'm sure they've probably sold out by now but you can purchase similar styles from Asos, River Island, and some gorgeous styles that are currently on sale online at Miss Selfridge.

2. Floral whether it be high heels, flats or pumps a floral print shoe is a must have in your collection as it perks up any plain outfit. Check out Asos and Dorothy Perkins where I bought mine from and they also have matching flats which are perfect for daytime, then dress up your outfit for the evening with high heels in the same print.

3. Birkenstocks - The ugly sandals that turned glamorous overnight as seen on the Olsen twins who are like the queens of fashion! I recently took these on holiday to Portugal along with a few other sandals which I neglected and wore these right from when we reached there to when we got back home. They are so comfortable to travel in and perfect for touristing. Asos have got some great styles but be sure to check Office since they always have a sale on their site.

4. Solilas are the new craze in the shoe world at the moment as I've seen from recent tumblr and instagram posts, naturally I didn't want to miss out. I picked this pair up from Portugal on my recent trip and haven't stopped wearing them since. Day or night Office have got a huge range that you won't be able to resist.

I have to say my absolute favourite style have to be florals this season, can't wait to add a few more to my collection! Shoe shopping is crazy addictive, I've got to the point where I have to justify buying shoes with quotes like "you only live once" just so I don't feel bad after buying them. I hope I'm not the only crazy lady that does that!

Until next time

Habeebah xxx

A week in Algarve

Totally forgot to finish off my holiday post. So where did I leave off? Oh yes we were on our way to Algarve. The journey seemed super long at first but before we knew it, we had reached Albufeira and checked into our gorgeous villa we were going to be staying in.

I was up early the next morning, starving of course, so we headed to the local supermarket called 'Pingo Doce' and came back with a trolleyful of supplies including breakfast. The rest of the day was spent relaxing in the villa including an afternoon swim and later that evening we headed down to the beach which was only a few minutes walk from where we were staying. 

Starting the day off with a filling breakfast and enjoying it on the balcony with the perfect view was definitely one of my highlights of our trip. 

The next couple of days we drove around Algarve visiting the small villages and their amazing beaches and eating delicious food from different cuisines. My favourite place was Praia de Arrifes in Albufeira which was a beautiful coastal area, waves smashing on the rocks, wind blowing through your hair and the familiar smell of fish wafting in the air. We stopped to have a dinner of freshly caught bream, bass, sole and prawns at the nearby restaurant that overlooked this breathtaking view. 

The last day of our stay had arrived and obviously everyone was feeling rather glum but determined to make the most of our last day. I went out shopping since I hadn't bought anything for myself yet and just spent the day eating good food, a final trip down to the beach and ended the day with a movie and snacks at the villa. Then it was time to pack away all our belongings ready for the journey back home the next morning. 

Hope you've enjoyed the holiday posts and its made you want to visit Portugal if you haven't already.

Habeebah xxx