Eid Mubarak!

Rania and I in front of the Eid banner

On Sunday my family, along with millions of other Muslims around the world, celebrated Eid-al-Adha. This holiday was always celebrated, in my home, with prayer and family. When my husband and I first got married, Eid was low-key. Prayers, then lunch with friends or at a restaurant. Now that Rania is getting older, I want to make Eid festive for her, the way my mother did for me as a child. I always woke up to a huge stack of wrapped presents. We had sheer kurma, a milk and vermicelli mixture, and went for prayers. We always visited lots of friends and families. I want to create new traditions and memories for Rania and our little family. I always  wanted to be true to our old traditions. I started by making my mother's amazing sheer kurma, the recipe for which is posted below. I decorated the house with shiny silver garland and a homemade banner. I even made some Eid cookies. Rania received a stack of gifts from us and her grandparents. It was a lovely and memorable day. How are you teaching your little one about the holidays?


Sheer Kurma
Serves 8-10

2 tbsp butter
1/2 small packet of vermicelli (available at your local Indian store)
3 tbsp water
1/4 cup of pistachios
5 cups of milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup raisins

Melt butter and fry the vermicelli briefly. Add the water and pistachios. Stir to combine, allow to cook for five minutes. Remove from the heat.

In a separate pot, combine milk and sugar. Warm over low heat. Add vermicelli and raisins. Bring to a boil briefly. Then turn off the heat and let cool. This dish can be served warm or cold. It's yummy either way!