Happy Mother's Day! Kol sana we enty tayeba Ya Mama!

Mother's Day. The occasion to honor the mother, the best creation of God on Earth, to shower her with all our love, care and warmth. 

Mother - the greatest blessing in the life of any human being. 

Mothers are not rare to find. Good mothers are. Have you ever wondered what goes on to make a good mother?  

 

What makes good mothers? It is a pertinent question whose answer cannot be contained within a few words. Mothers comprise of a bundle of emotions that sometimes defy reason. So this goes out to all the mothers who have kept awake all night with their sick toddlers in their arms, constantly uttering those compassionate words, "It's OK honey, Mommy's here."

For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew school celebrations costumes. And all the mothers who don't.

For those who show up at work with milk stains on their dress and diapers in their handbags.

For those mothers who cannot restrain tears from trickling down their cheeks when they hold their babies for the first time in their arms; and for the mothers who give birth to babies they'll never see...

For the mothers who gave homes to babies and gifted them a family.

For the mothers who yell at their kids who clamor for ice cream before dinner.

For the mothers who defy all odds just to watch her kid perform and repeat to themselves "That's my child!!" (my Mama was never missing from a school celebration or from an exam that I had)

For all the mothers who read good night stories twice a night for a year, and then read it again. "Just one more time."

For the mothers who taught their children to tie the shoelaces even before they started going to school (My mama was doing this for me since I was in the kindergarten :*:*:*).

For the mothers who incontinently turn their heads when they hear the word "Mom", even though they know that their kids are nowhere around.

For the mothers who silently shed tears for their children who have gone astray.

For all those mothers whose heart aches to watch her son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time (Mama was coming behind me just to make sure that I am crossing the street carefully, that I take care and remember what she was teaching me).

For all the mothers of the victims of Egyptian revolution and the mothers of those who were suffering among years without knowing what happen with their missing children.

For the mothers of those martyrs who died 22 years ago in the Revolution from here and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, clinging to their child who just arrived from school, from work and from the manifestations safely .

So, this is meant for all the young and aged mothers, working mothers and housewives, married mothers and the single mothers, those with money and without and for those without whom life would have been insufferable. Wish you a very Happy Mother's Day!!

Why Have Different Types of Cream / Lotion

Even for people who understand the importance of using a cream or lotion on your skin, sometimes they do not understand why you need different *types* of lotion. Why not just make one single lotion and use it on your whole body? 

The key is that different parts of your skin are, in fact different, for many reasons.

First, the skin itself is thicker or thinner. Think of how thick the heel of your foot is - it needs to handle a great deal of weight on it, multiple times a minute. Then compare this to the skin underneath your eye, which is very thin and delicate. To get something to soften your heel, it would need to be quite strong. You would want only the most gentle of lotions near your eye, though. 

Next, there's the fragrance issue. A lotion you use for your hands and feet might be nice with a gentle rose fragrance, to add aromatherapy to your day. However, you wouldn't want something on your face to have fragrance. Right next to your nose, that could get overpowering very quickly. 

There's the clinginess of the lotion. To get something to stick to your feet, where it is being moved around on shoes or the ground often, the lotion needs to be thick and clingy. You're not really worried about "clogging up pores" on your feet - all you care about is making sure the lotion actually STAYS on your feet. On the other hand if the lotion is on your face, you want it to be light. If your face lotion starts clogging pores, zits will result. That would be bad! 

So here are the types of lotions I'd suggest, to start with: 

Eye Lotion

It's amazing how important your eyes are, as far as appearance goes. People tend to look at your eyes when they talk to you. Your eyes are the window to your soul. Your skin around your eyes is VERY delicate. If you rub your eyes or use a lot of make-up, or are out in the sun a lot, that tender skin can weather very quickly. It is very worth it to create a fragrance-free, preservative-free, delicate lotion just for around your eyes. You see a lot of these in stores of course - they can get very expensive. You can make your own for far, far less. When you put it on, put little dabs around the eye and then gently smooth it in. That will minimize rubbing. 

Face Lotion

Face lotion can be a bit thicker than eye lotion. You again want it to be fragrance free and rather light. Your face has pores in it, and if these pores get clogged, it can lead to acne. The key here is to keep your face hydrated, so it is well nourshed and fresh looking - but not to clog anything. 

Hand / Foot Lotion

You want your hand / feet lotion to be thicker than the above two lotions, so it stays on these active parts of your body. You also do not want it to be greasy - you don't want slippery hands or feet! You want it to absorb well and to stay put. It can be "stronger" than anything you would use on your eyes and face - and it can also have fragrance in it. If you use this at night, it can help to put on socks and gloves, to keep it from smearing all over your sheets. 

Body Lotion

The most general lotion falls in the middle somewhere. You don't need it as clingy as the hand / foot lotion, but it can also be stronger than what you put on your eyes and face. This helps to keep your overall body firm, supple and healthy looking.

Toasted Pine Nut Couscous with Garlic Shrimp

A delicious and easy way to prepare shrimp.

Ingredients:

* 1 lb. fresh or frozen large shrimp( I used the 'Easy to peel' kind from my fishmonger)

* 1 Tbsp. olive oil

* 4 cloves garlic, minced

* 1 tsp. dried tarragon, crushed

* 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed

* 1/4 tsp. Old Bay seasoning ( or celery salt )

* 1 5.6 oz. package toasted pine nut couscous mix

* 1 1/4 cups chicken broth

* 2/3 cup sliced green onion

* 1/3 cup lemon juice

* 1/4 cup melted butter

* 1 6-oz. package baby spinach

* Shredded parmesan cheese

 

Instructions:

* Peel, devein and rinse shrimp, and then pat dry. Place shrimp in a large self-sealing plastic bag. Add oil, garlic, tarragon, thyme and Old Bay seasoning and seal bag. Gently turn and 'massage' the bag to coat the shrimp with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

* Prepare the couscous according to the package directions, substituting the chicken broth for the water. Stir the onions into the couscous. Set aside.

* Combine the lemon juice and butter in a bowl, and set aside.

* Saute' the shrimp in a large skillet with the marinade over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until shrimp turns opaque. ( Do not overcook or the shrimp will be tough.) Pour half of the butter over the shrimp.

* To serve, divide the spinach among individual bowls. Spoon the couscous onto the spinach. Arrange the shrimp on the couscous and pour the remaining lemon butter over everything. Sprinkle with shredded parmesan. 

 

 

Fried Eggs with Pastrami (Beed ma'li bi-l-bastirma)

Ingredients:

* 4 1/2 ounces pastrami

* 4-6 eggs

* cooking oil or spray

* salt & pepper

Instructions:

* Remove the coarse rind of the bastirma.* Bastirma becomes very crisp very quickly when heated.  Fry it in the skillet with the cooking oil or spray.  Turn to cook both sides, then add eggs, beaten or whole.  When eggs are set, remove to serving dish and season to taste.  Garnish with fruit or as desired.

* Take care to not overcook the bastirma, as it will turn bitter.

 

Fried Eggs with White Cheese (Beed ma'li gibna beeda)

Ingredients:

* 4-6 slices hard white cheese

* 4-6 eggs

* cooking oil or spray

* salt & pepper

Instructions:

*  Slice the cheese 1/2 inch thick & fry in skillet, turning & frying on both sides.   Remove the cheese to one side of the serving dish, keeping warm.  Break eggs and fry in the same fat.   Serve the eggs alongside the cheese and season with taste. Garnish as desired.

*  Here in Europe, I used fresh cheese from here, which I found at Kaufland, Billa, Carrefour, since Gibna or local Egyptian cheese, is not available here.