Ramadan Kareem – Week One

So happy Ramadan everyone!

This is my last Ramadan in the US for the next two years.. quite mind boggling to think about.  I wanted to feel like I was prepared somehow for Ramadan but in all honesty – I wasn’t.

I am no Martha Stewart in hijab so I haven’t spent the last week cooking and squirreling away food in the freezer so that I was set when Ramadan came in.

Instead I was busy enjoying the visit with my aunt and cousin this past week.  I even attended my first baseball game in California this past Friday – The A’s vs The Twins and although the Twins won – it was a great game with two or was it three bats breaking – which was something I saw for the first time at this game.  Is it just me or are bats not made like they use to be?  And the fireworks.. amazing it was Broadway themed so we sang along as the fireworks lit up the night sky.

Then last weekend I ventured in to San Francisco with my family and while my cousin went to a Giant’s game – the Ladies went to Mitchel’s ice cream and had a less than great meal at Cafe Zuni – see the Yelp review for details.

The first week of Ramadan has been a challenge but I have worked my way through them.  The biggest challenges have been having an appetite at Suhoor and having enough energy after the work week to go to Taraweeh.

So far.. I have been eating Organic chocolate chip granola bars, drinking Zico chocolate coconut water and regular water.  I haven’t felt like cooking anything given its just me who is awake and getting ready to fast at 4 in the morning.  I also am usually still full at Suhoor time from dinner! SubhannaAllah

My mom and J her spouse have decided that we would have dinner at home everyday at Iftar time.  I am really happy to have them choose to support me this way during Ramadan.

I have also found with the help of my friend R that simple is best when it comes to breaking your fast.  So cheese, crackers and grapes is a wonderful feast.  I even went out and bought grapes and crackers after that mini iftar.

I also try to stick with foods that are high protein.  This way the energy lasts all day and I don’t get hungry by 11am.

Fajr has been amazingly easy to keep up even with the 40+ hour work week although I did have one Muslim morning fail.. I got up and ate suhoor on Wednesday and then lay on my bed waiting for Fajr to come and fell asleep on my bed. : /  I woke up with my alarm to go to work.. I felt dumb but hey.. it happens right?

I was able to make it out and not get drained by doing Tarweeh on Friday night and using Saturday to recover.

I have also started making my Eid gifts for my friends in between work, prep to leave for the Peace Corps and everything else.

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