By now if you’ve been following me in the past few months you’ll know I’ve been blessed to discover some of the best, most delicious and high quality olive oil – and it comes from Turkey! Zeytin olive oil is new to the American market, but it comes from the ancient land of Turkey in and around the Mugla (southern Aegean) region. Check out my interview with Zeytin Co-Founder Ahat Caskurlu below. It’s a really interesting look into how olives are chosen and processed for oil and why this Turkish olive oil is an award-winning brand! *UPDATE: giveaway is now expired.
As part of our Eid ul Adha celebrations, Zeytin is giving away three 2-pack bundles (500 ml) of their olive oil to U.S. based audience members. One bottle is organic extra virgin olive oil (buttery and smooth) and the other is extra virgin olive oil (rich and fruity). Just watch our video above and leave a relevant comment about it below to be entered.
I have so many cookbooks in my culinary library, which has helped shape my cooking and my inspiration for many meals over the years. In recent years, however, I’ve been trying to dig deeper into Turkish cooking, particularly Ottoman Empire recipes and culinary techniques. Plus, I really love all the design elements in the books I do have, so they’re often really pretty to look at. More on that in a later post…
THIS book that I’m about to tell you about, however, has really topped them ALL. It is so beautiful you can keep it as a coffee table book even if you’re not into cooking: Adventures in Turkish Eating: Anatolia is a new cookbook by Somer Sivrioglu & David Dale that I want all of you to know about and love. It’s also something fun and delightful to look at and to read while hunkering down during this global pandemic of the Coronavirus, which has caught all of us totally off guard. Doesn’t that make life a little more pleasant during these challenging times?
Why is this book special enough to be mentioned here? First of all, its cover is pure artistic design, taken straight from Turkish ceramic textiles. It will look beautiful somewhere very visible in your home, not stuffed away in a library shelf, but on a side table, a coffee table- somewhere people will pick it up and read – because I assure you they will.
Other than recipes, you’ll also find “Essentials: History, Ingredients, & Techniques” at the beginning of the book. After the recipes, there are restaurant suggestions at the end of the book, which is awesome because so many people are always asking me where to get the best food in Istanbul, which I’m still learning myself!
A list of the favorite recipes I want to try because they sound interesting and I’ve not seen them in too many places like restaurants or even in homes here are:
Ali Nazik The Gentle Kebap Lamb and Smoked Eggplant, p. 121
Komurde Ahtapot (Mediterranean Grilled Octopus), p. 200
Pestil (Grape Leather Stuffed with Walnuts), p. 61
Keskul (Palace Pudding), p. 250
After the recipes, there are restaurant suggestions at the end of the book, which is awesome because so many people are always asking me where to get the best food in Istanbul- which I’m still learning myself!
We’re giving away one copy of this book to my readers in the United States, the UK or Australia. If you have a mailing address in any of these countries, please feel free to enter this giveaway by adding your relevant comment to this post. Entries from the US, UK, Canada, and Australia are welcome. Giveaway ends March 30, 2020.
Can’t wait to get the book? Order it now on Amazon:
Sprinjene is giving away one of each of their three kids toothpastes, all of which are certified-halal and free of any gluten or animal products. They come in three delicious varieties: watermelon, apple-mint and vanilla.
What I love about them is what they don’t have: no preservatives, dyes, artificial sweeteners or that harsh “SLS” or sodium lauryl sulfate.
Each of these products is also available to purchase here.
Are your kids fussy about toothpaste flavors? Do you have a hard time getting them to brush regularly? Are you confused about what’s in other toothpaste products on the market now?
We have an exciting new giveaway for TWO new SprinJene Halal Toothpaste Products, available in our new online store, My Halal Market: Adult Sensitivity varieties for Cavity Protection and Flouride Free. They are halal-certified, so you don’t have to worry about any funny stuff in your toothpaste, including those pork-based gelatins that are definitely not in there. And, my favorite part is that many of their varieties include Black Seed Oil (Nigella Sativa), which is an all-natural (and prophetic ingredient) that is very good for dental health.
Leave a comment below as to what you like in your toothpaste, whether or not you knew about the how or why toothpaste should be Halal and you will be automatically entered into our giveaway. Read our contest giveaways here. Giveaway ends March 10, 2018, CST. To see more Sprinjene varieties, including their halal toothpaste for children, visit My Halal Market and get yours now!
Zeal Nest and Store Measuring Set | My Halal Market
I liked the products so much that I chose them to be Vendors in our new online marketplace, My Halal Market. I love the fact that the non-stick silicone is super easy to clean, that the products are ‘smart’ meaning that they’re the kinds of things I wish someone had invented so while I’m using them I feel as though someone very well-versed with the challenges every home cook faces is behind their intuitive design.
Zeal Air Tight Push to Seal Silicone Classic Pot Lid | My Halal Market
If you live in a small space, especially, these products are really smart and a super life and space saver because many of the items are pliable enough that they can fit nicely into small storage like side cabinets- these pot lids above and below are perfect examples of that.
Zeal Air Tight Push to Seal Silicone Classic Pot Lid | My Halal Market
And for time saving tools, they win big on the garlic press. How many of you don’t use the garlic press you do have because it’s simply so inefficient by being so hard to clean those garlic remnants out of the small holes after you’ve pressed it?
Zeal Easy Clean Garlic Press | My Halal Market
Last but not least, the silicon gloves and cute and colorful measuring spoons are two of the most-used items in my kitchen now. I’ve tried the majority of these products in my kitchen for many months now and even though I consider myself a kitchen gadget minimalist, I have learned to choose my products wisely by choosing only those that work well, work smart and actually help me in the kitchen, not just sit there and look cute (although these give your kitchen a lovely pop of fun color!).
Zeal Steam Stop Waterproof Silicone Oven Glove – Text Pattern | My Halal Market
ZEAL is giving away each of the products below to five randomly-selected winners. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post about the products in the section below. Those with United States or Canada postal addresses (no PO Boxes) are eligible to apply only. Please read our giveaway guidelines before entering, as entering indicates that you have read, understood and agreed with our terms.
And don’t forget to share this giveaway with your family and friends, too!
Giveaway deadline to enter is Tuesday, November 14, 2017 @12:01 AM CST.
To learn more about Zeal’s products in detail, check out my FB Live video about them here:
It’s never too early to get prepared for Ramadan, cooking ideas and inspiration included. This year, I want everyone to start thinking way ahead of time about eating healthier, making dishes simpler, using local and fresh foods as much as possible and even consider growing as many of the ingredients as you can. Are you up for the challenge?
We’ll talk more about that soon, insha’Allah. For now, you can take a peek inside my cookbook, Summer Ramadan Cooking, and hopefully get inspired to make fresh, tasty and super quick meals for your family and friends and of course, for yourself.
About the giveaway:
I’m giving away one digital copy (a downloadable PDF version) valued at $14.99 USD that you can use to print out and save and start planning your Ramadan menus ahead of schedule and focus on what’s truly important in the blessed month of Ramadan. If you have no idea what Ramadan is about and simply want to know and understand the rituals of fasting and eating at this sacred time for Muslims around the world, this book will inform you about that, too. In need of resources of where to source halal products, specialty products for Ramadan and Eid? It’s in there, too.
To enter, simply leave a comment about what you do around this time of year to get prepared for Ramadan- mentally, physically, domestically, spiritually, whatever it is and then some. I want to hear from you! We’ll choose one randomly-selected winner to receive the download.
Giveaway ends on Sunday, March 28 2015 at 12:01 AM CST. Please read the MHK Giveaway Guidelines to enter.
[highlight color=”yellow”]UPDATE: Congratulations, Erika (ph*******@*xx.xxx), you’ve won! Please respond to our email inquiry within 48 hours to claim your giveaway.[/highlight]
They are halal-certified, so you don’t have to worry about any funny stuff in your toothpaste, including those pork-based gelatins that are definitely not in there. And, my favorite part is that many of their varieties include Black Seed Oil (Nigella Sativa), which is an all-natural (and prophetic ingredient) that is very good for dental health. 
To see more Sprinjene varieties, including their halal toothpaste for children, visit 
