"...poems by heart"

“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.”  ― Rainer Maria Rilk

I love late Spring. I was born then, knowingly, of course. No other season does one wholly appreciate warm weather than that of late Spring (unless you don't have four distinct seasons). Though, by the middle of Summer, gratitude is rapidly wilted. I've been taking advantage of these days as much as work stingily permits, and spending them outdoors with my family and friends. I don't usually have my camera with me, but here are a few shots. I went to downtown Annapolis a couple of times, more Philly, and spending time locally, too. Annapolis had delicious seafood (Subhanallah to the fresh crab cakes) and a sweet, cozy downtown with lots of charming yet overpriced boutiques. There were good-postured boys in white Navy uniforms everywhere and all seemed to know each other, so our large group of Muslim ladies were definitely attention-gathering (as per usual). Cute and friendly town, I'm surprised I had never went earlier! 

Sheerin; keeping it classic with a basic blazer, maxi dress, and clutch. I have a thin mint green oversize blouse with boyfriend jeans and classic strappy leather sandals by Nine West (really into that old lady look these days) with a casual bag by Etienne Aigner (that I bought on Ebay of course). The thick black and white striped hijab is from H&M.

-A

Kale & Goat Cheese

Salaam y'all,

It's been a little while since our last food post but alhamdulillah, I'm done with my first year and now I have some time to straight up cheeell so ya know... that's what I've been doing. I wanted to do a quick post on some of my latest summer obsessions: Kale and goat cheese (chèvre, for the french & fancy).

Unless you've been totally AWOL, you've probably already been made privy to the superfood that is Kale, mA. Personally, my go-to with kale is kale chips - a recipe that is essentially foolproof. Literally all you have to do is dry the leaves, rip into pieces, and bake on a sheet for about 10 minutes. Just drizzle some olive oil on top and season with some salt and anything else you please. I love using garlic salt or adding some lime juice and chili powder for a little kick.

Kale is also really good sauteed- just add some olive oil, garlic, and onions in a pan along with kale leaves and good for about 10 minutes. Once its soft, add tomatoes (preferably fresh - canned works too for the economical). Sauteed kale pairs very nicely with cannellini beans so if you have them, don't be shy. It makes for a delicious and healthy meal that you can serve over whole-wheat pasta.

I become a huge smoothie fiend over the summer and kale is incredibly versatile and you can add it to all kinds of smoothies. You can add it to all kinds of fruits- I love blueberry-kale with yogurt or almond milk and a little honey. Strawberries, pineapple-ginger, Orange-banana, all paired with kale are also delicious. Or mango-pineapple. The list goes on, as you can see.

Finally, sauteed kale paired with walnut and goat cheese is seriously a stunningly beautiful combination. I made some pastries out of phyllo dough stuffed with kale, onion, garlic, walnut with goat cheese, baked for about 25 minutes. Gorgeous. Goat cheese with strawberries, cinnamon, and honey is also quite satisfying. Do try!

- S