marmite et ponpon

Napkin folding heart

Posted on February 13, 2017 | Leave a comment

Dress up your table with a flair, and make this valentine meal a memorable one.

Beauty is in details, one small decorative element can add all the glamour needed, for a romantic ambiance . To fold a napkin into heart, will only take 2 minutes of your time. Follow the step by step tutorial scheme:

So easy! You don’t need to be an origami master to energize your valentine table with this beautiful heart. With a will and passion everything can be done, and the most important is your personal touch that makes the occasion memorable.

Choose the paper napkin color to suit the mood you are creating. You can use towel as well, but to have a perfect outcome you need to iron the folds to keep them pressed.

I hope you all get an unforgettable Valentine, pink in your love, white in your heart and gold in your pocket 😉 euhhhh or diamond….

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Expressing love and gratitude

Posted on February 12, 2017 | Leave a comment

This is the third year in a row we enjoy this beautiful game of love. This year we revisited it as per Nady’s request, who is so proud and happy of what we love and appreciate in him.

The beautiful part of this game this year is that he was teaching his youngest brother the rules of it and he was expressing his recognition to us (mom, dad and brother) through words that were my daily serotonin and immunity dose; lets say i was waiting impatiently for his heart everyday. Trust me you never expect the attention to details and the quantity of emotions kids can express. And yes the recognition to the smallest things you do to them!

It’s so important to tell your children “I love you” everyday. Knowing that they are loved unconditionally, develops their secure attachment to you. Strong closeness to the family will lead no doubt to positive relationships in adulthood and high self esteem.

So the aim of this game is to put the reasons i love him (mainly appreciating the good things he does and expressing my big love and pride) in written words on cutout hearts to celebrate love.

As i always say, many of you stopped celebrating valentines for how commercial it became. Don’t lose faith in this beautiful occasion and teach your children about love in deep and expressive ways.

This year we are hanging the hearts as a garland. Last year we did a frame of love, and the year before it was a wheel of love. You can click on the hyper link to review them.

If you like this game and wanted to do it with your kids, click here, to download the file of hearts to use. Enjoy writing on the hearts the many and endless reasons why you love your children and husband/wife too 😉 It’s not just for kids! Do it to your significant other and let love flourishes in your hearts and homes! You can do it over a week until valentines day comes or even extend it as much as you want to enjoy.

Don’t forget that love is not only words, it should be followed by actions, and the most important the presence. Be present for your kids, in love, protection and service. Happy valentines xx

My PRECIOUS part of me

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Sup up your sandwich 4 – Italian sub

Posted on February 8, 2017 | Leave a comment

Many of you find no time to cook dinner after long days at work, with kids or simply not fan of cooking. Sandwiches come to rescue the situation and satisfy your cravings; You can sup up any simple sandwich to become a consistent delicious meal. Not just that, it’s a pleasure to the eye also with all these colors blend.

All you need is the right and a smarter choice of pairing your sandwich ingredients. Today’s fourth option of sandwich makeover is Italian sub.

Italian bread (or sub bread)
Swiss cheese slices
Salami, i chose the one with cracked peppers
Turkey breast slices, i chose it smoked with herbs
Lettuce, green leaf type
Tomato slices
Pickles (cornichon)
Onion
Mayo – ketchup sauce

To build up your sandwich start by

a layer of Swiss cheese, i used emmental slices, heat it in the oven to melt (optional)
then a layer of turkey, as i mentioned above, i used the smoked one with herbs
followed by salami, i like the one that comes with cracked pepper,
onion, cut them rondelles shape
lettuce, i used the green leaf one
tomato slices, you can take a bit of its juice and seeds if you find it a lot juicy
and pickles, homemade cornichons prepared by my mum
Finally mix 1 tbsp of mayo with 1/2 tbsp of ketchup to spread it on the top layer of the bread to seal the deal.

You can serve it immediately or warm it a bit in the oven if you like the bread a bit crispy. With a side salad it makes a nice meal.

I am sure this sandwich is going to be on your to do list, it’s one of my favorite full of flavors awe sub. You can make your own, adding black olives, green peppers or removing onion if they aren’t your thing! Feel free to add or omit as per your taste.

If you like the idea of the sandwich makeovers, stay tuned for the next post with another delicious, quick and healthy choices.

Don’t forget to give it some likes and shares to spread the joy. Like marmite et ponpon facebook page and follow on twitter. More posts are yet to come.

A heart warming broccoli cheese soup

Posted on January 31, 2017 | 1 comment

So full of flavors and warming the heart, exactly what i needed today! The weather is going crazy here (doha), calling for a hearty soup to tame the cold!

It’s an absolutely perfect comfort food, if you like soup, you’ll be rewarded with the best, creamiest and richest one.

-“What’s that amazing smell?”. It’s broccoli and cheddar cheese hun.

It’s an easy soup to make and is ready in half an hour. To serve 4 generous portions you will need:

50g butter
1 medium onion finely diced 0r 1/2 cup
1 large carrot chopped (small pieces) or 2/3 cup
1 tsp garlic salt\ powder
1/4 cup flour
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 liter or 2 cups milk
1 medium head of broccoli florets chopped
225g or 1 cup of freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
salt and black pepper to taste

Heat the butter until melted. Add onion and carrots and saute until onion is translucent and fragrant (about 3-4 minutes). Stir in the garlic salt and flour and saute for another minute. Whisk in the vegetable broth, (you can use chicken broth also but i liked to keep it vegetarian) and milk. Combine well before adding the broccoli florets. Don’t cut them too small, keep some as medium chunks. When the soup reaches a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until broccoli is cooked. Use salt responsibly as the stock and the cheese will do the job. Stir in the freshly grated cheddar, i said freshly grated because the ready grated ones that comes in bags are coated and doesn’t melt easily. Whisk until cheese is completely melt (2-3 minutes) and serve immediately.

Even people who don’t like broccoli will love it when bathing in a creamy and cheesy broth. It doesn’t just warm your body but your soul too!

There’s a few optional spices, that makes it not taste boring, like paprika or mustard powder, they’re not mandatory if you don’t keep them on hand, but they do add extra depth of flavor. I wanted to serve my children so i kept it mild.

Don’t forget to give it some likes and shares to spread the joy. Like marmite et ponpon facebook page and follow on twitter. More posts are yet to come.

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Posted in appetizers & salads

Tagged broccoli, broth, carrots, cheddar cheese, comfort food, cream, doha, easy, food blog, food blogger, food photography, food porn, hearty soup, jaymmy, lebanon, marmite et ponpon, milk, no fail, qatar, quick, recipe, soup

Sup up your sandwich 3 – crab orange

Posted on January 26, 2017 | 1 comment

All you need is the right and a smarter choice of pairing your sandwich ingredients. Today’s i third option of sandwich makeover is crab and orange. You will need (yields two sandwiches):

8-10 crab sticks shredded
1 ripe avocado
1 small orange
rocket leaves (a bunch of 14-16 leaves)
capers (around 1 tbsp) – optional
bread of your choice (mine is multi cereal bun)
mayo citrus dressing

Start with a coat of the dressing on the bun, actually the two halves of the bun, this way the bread absorb the dressing and it won’t fall off making a mess while eating. To prepare this sauce mix:

juice of a lemon
2 tbsp juice of orange (half an orange almost)
1 tsp brown sugar, let it melt in the citrus mix
3 tbsp mayo

back to the sandwich, add the shredded crab sticks and one round slice of orange. Orange is a nice fruit for a tangy flavor that goes really heavenly with the crab and the buttery avocado. Avocados are high in fat, but 64% of it, is the heart healthy monounsaturated. They also offer good nutrients like vitamin E and potassium. Then 7-8 rocket leaves, this very low in calories vegetable; 100 g of fresh leaves hold just 25 calories. Nonetheless, it has many vital phytochemicals, anti-oxidants, vitamins, and minerals that may immensely benefit your health. Finally capers (optional), the small pickled flower buds imparting big and bold taste, to add a vibrant flavor to your sandwich, only if you’re fan of the taste.

If you like the idea of the sandwich makeovers, stay tuned for the next post with another delicious, quick and healthy choices.

Don’t forget to give it some likes and shares to spread the joy. Like marmite et ponpon facebook page and follow on twitter. More posts are yet to come.