Measuring Cups, Optional

No Bake Cake Pops

categories: 500 Calories or Less, Desserts, Posts, Recipes

Cake Pops have been the craze for quite a while. I love the simplicity of a bite-sized cake dipped in chocolate. What I don’t like is spending unnecessary hours in the kitchen making cake pops from scratch. Don’t get me wrong, one of my best friends, a master baker – we’ll call her Fiza – makes cake pops to die for. Fiza honestly makes the most deliciously delectable desserts. She puts her heart and soul into it and they always turn out great. She will be humble and tell you she’s not that good, but I promise you, once you taste Fiza’s baking you will never want store-bought again. (more…)

Parmesan Popovers

categories: 500 Calories or Less, Appetizers, Breads, Posts, Recipes

Thanksgiving at the Fayyad household is an occasion not to be missed. Excluding a couple years – I can count them on one hand – Thanksgiving has always been held at my parents’ house. Preparation begins around 6am, when my mom becomes one with the turkey and trimmings. She might as well block off the kitchen and put up a “DO NOT ENTER” sign.

Mom’s hard work is far from unappreciated. No one does thanksgiving like momma Debs. The “Thank you’s” begin when the food is set out and end when everyone leaves. We generally have so much food, we have to set it out buffet style, and have leftovers for days. It’s all about family – aunts, uncles, cousins and cousins’ kids. So you can just imagine that even though I’m way over 21, I’m still required to sit at “the kids table.” (more…)

Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake

categories: Desserts, Posts, Recipes

The leaves have turned, it’s gotten pretty chilly and not to mention we had some snow flurries over the weekend. It can only mean one thing; Thanksgiving is right around the corner.

While some only remember to be thankful around the winter Holidays, I’ve been keeping up with counting my blessings year-round. And this year, I have so much to be thankful for. In Arabic, we say Hamdellah [الحمد لله] which means Thank God, My list may be a bit long, but some of the major things I’m thankful for are: (more…)

Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits and the Secret Behind My Curls

categories: 500 Calories or Less, Desserts, Posts, Recipes

Completely unrelated to cooking, I’ve gotten several questions from my friends and followers about how I get my hair to curl so well. I’d love to say I get it done at the salon everyday but that’s far from the truth. Honestly, once I figured out how to do my hair at home, I prefer doing it myself than having a salon touch it. My biggest frustration is when they concentrate on getting my bangs perfectly placed and I end up with over-hair sprayed strings hanging down the side of my face. (more…)

Ghraybeh [Arabic Butter Cookies]

categories: Arabic Food Made Easy, Desserts, Posts, Recipes

One of my favorite Arabic sweets is Ghraybeh [غريبة], with all of its sugary, buttery goodness. Honestly, the best ones I’ve tasted are the ones in Amman that come in a little “s” shape. I can devour an entire box in one sitting — they’re that good. Shatila comes in at a close second with their ghraybeh, except for the fact that each piece is massive, and they (sadly) post the calorie content of each piece, making it impossible to eat more than one without feeling guilty. Oh, the struggles of not being skinny. (more…)

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

categories: 500 Calories or Less, Appetizers, Posts, Recipes

It’s pumpkin season. Not that it wasn’t already made obvious by the Halloween and pumpkin decorations all over the Metro DC area. I’ve finally given in, and treated myself to a pumpkin spice latte (tall, skinny). It’s insane how into pumpkins we are around here! And yet, October would not be complete without a trip to the pumpkin farm. I haven’t been out to the pumpkin farm since I was a kid … and let me tell you, you are never too old to enjoy the hay rides, the face paint, the slides and the hot apple cider. Even in my late 20s, I’m transformed into a small child the minute I get near the pumpkin farm — go figure! (more…)