Ramadan Reward Calendar Craft - part 1

Assalamu Alaikum everyone!

Last year we made a Ramadan Treat Box for Sumayyah. This year we wanted to do something similar and have come up with an idea for a Ramadan Reward Calendar in the shape of a masjid. Insha'Allah, we will do a second part to this post once we have finished.

For this craft project you will need:-

Thick black felt (21x35 inches)

Thin felt or fabric (3 different colours)

Yardstick

Fabric scissors

Fabric chalk

Ruler

Pencil

Embroidery thread

Needle

Firstly, you will need to mark your thick black felt with the fabric chalk. The width should be 21 inches and the length 25 inches.

Add 10 more inches to the length making the total length 35 inches long. The extra inches at the top are for the masjid's dome and minarets.

Once you have marked the dome and minarets, you can then cut out the masjid.

Now you will need to make the windows. The windows should be 3 by 3 inches and you will need 29 of them.

We cut up 10 yellow, 10 beige and 9 pink windows.

When you are done you can place them all in order as shown below.

Then you can cut out the door. The measurements should be 4 by 5 inches.

Now thread your needle and begin sewing the pockets. You will need a big strong needle and a lot of patience!

Sew the sides and bottoms leaving the top part open so you can place the 'rewards' in them later.

We made our door pink and sewed a line down the middle of it to make it look a little more realistic.

That was all we were able to do for now.

Masha'Allah, we are happy with the result so far, but there is still so much more we want to do. Hopefully we will post the completed project soon, insha'Allah. Until then.

Love and Wassalam,



Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Recipe

Assalamu Alaikum!

Today we wanted to share this recipe that we have only recently come up with. It was our mother's idea to add peppermint extract to the cookies and they turned out delicious, masha'Allah! We hope you give it a try, insha'Allah, and let us know what you think.

Ingredients:-

125g softened butter

150g caster sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

150g plain flour

35g cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. bicarbonate of soda

50g cooking chocolate

For most recipes we use a large mixing bowl and a wooden spoon, but for this one we used our patisserie.

In it we beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Then we added the beaten egg and the peppermint extract and mixed until smooth. Next we sifted in the flour, cocoa and soda and beat until well mixed.

Finally, we stirred in some chocolate pieces.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius, 350 degrees Fahrenheit, Gas Mark 4. Line two large baking trays with baking sheets.

Roll out 25-30 even-sized balls and place them a couple of inches apart. You can flatten them slightly with your fingertips.

Then we baked them on a medium shelf for 10-12 minutes.

Wait five minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

We hope you liked this post and we will see you next Friday, insha'Allah.

Love and Wassalam,

Islamic Books for Kids

Assalamu Alaikum!

We weren't sure what to post today until I saw this post on Maimoonah's Radiant Space. We liked it and thought it would be a good idea to recommend some Islamic books for kids. Also, since our favourite time of year (Ramadan of course!) is only a month away, it would give people time to get the books, if they wanted to.

1. Just For Kids Quran Stories

By: Saniyasnain Khan

This is a collection of twelve stories from the Quran. They are written in simple English and are easy for kids to understand.

The illustrations are beautiful and are likely to keep even very young children entertained. At the end of the book there is a page to tell you which Surahs to find each story in.

2. Hudhayfa Learns About Allah

By: Umm An Nu'man

This book was a great favourite of ours growing up. The story is about a boy who asks his mother "Who is Allah?" at bedtime. The story is told mostly in rhymes and half-rhymes which makes it fun and interesting. The illustrations are also a big part of the book's appeal to kids, masha'Allah. It makes a great bedtime story and I would recommend it for children... under 10? We are much older than that and still enjoy flipping through this story! 

3. The Du'a of Faizah

By: Umm An Nu'man

This book is also written by the same author and illustrated by the same artist. This time the story is about a girl named Faizah who wants to grow a flower like her father does in their garden. But when her flower simply refuses to grow she prays and makes du'a hoping that it will soon, insha'Allah. The illustrations are lovely, masha'Allah and I would recommend it for children ages 7+.

4. Stories from the Quran

By: Dalia Salaam

This is a series of six books with twelve stories from the Quran. We have had this series ever since I can remember so maybe around 15 years or so!

I actually can't find the books online except for an audio version. I feel it isn't quite the same, however, without the illustrations. They are very well done, masha'Allah.

5. Eid and Ramadan Songs

By: Fawzia Gillani Williams

This book is a collection of poems and songs that teach about Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Adha and Ramadan. The illustrations are pretty and colourful and the poems are simple.

It would make a nice gift for Ramadan or Eid.

Well, that's all. We hope you liked the post. See you soon, insha'Allah.

Love and Wassalam,

Hanifah