Roz bel Laban

Last night, I had that nagging feeling of being hungry for something, but not quite sure what I was hungry for....I finally decided it was roz bel laban, literally "rice with milk" or rice pudding, which was a frequent dessert of mine while living in Cairo for a semester.  As is often the case, I had not made it myself and wasn't sure it would turn out, but it did :)  

If you want to try it, here's a recipe.  Nice and easy :)

Roz Bel Laban ( Rice Pudding)

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup white rice


1 cups water


1 1/2 cups milk


1/2 cup sugar (adjust to desired sweetness)


1 1/2 t orange blossom water (I just use vanilla in place of the orange blossom water)

Rinse the rice and place it in a saucepan with water.

Cover and simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes.

Add milk, stirring constantly.

When it begins to thicken, add sugar and orange blossom water.

Continue stirring constantly until rice is soft or well done.

Remove from heat and pour into individual bowls.

Cool and serve.  (I love to sprinkle cinnamon on top just before serving)

Enjoy :)

Memories with a cup of coffee

I love Starbucks.  Friends and acquaintances give me a rough time of it, citing a litany of predictable reasons of high prices, snobbery, politics, and corporations. But I enjoy it.  One benefit of a world wide company is the consistency it offers.  Right now, I’m sitting in a Starbucks in Philadelphia, sipping my blissfully sweet, hot caramel latte.  The slogan on the door advertises “Take comfort in rituals.”  And that’s exactly what I’m doing.  Starbucks as become part of my ritual. 

The first time I was in a Starbucks?  Beirut, Lebanon.  I didn’t even drink coffee at that point, but November in Beirut was rainy and wet and I warmed up each night with a hot chocolate from Starbucks.  It made for a great supper with a cheese filled crepe from a street vender. 

My second regular encounter with Starbucks?  Airports.  London, Frankfurt, Los Angeles, Johannesburg, Seattle, Chicago, and Bangkok…You name it, and it was Starbucks. 

I moved onto Colorado for a training program.  On the way to church on cold mornings, guess where my friends and I stopped?  Yep, Starbucks.  Caramel Apple Cider, nice and hot.  It warmed me up and woke me up.

Next location I lived: Beijing.  By this point I drank some coffee, but also lots of green tea and hot chai.  I was in China, after all. 

After a month back at my childhood home in Africa, far away from any coffee shops offering free Wi-Fi, my sister met me at baggage claim at Dulles with a hot caramel latte.  I have a very good sister. 

Now I live in London.  I read once that when you stand on Oxford Street in Central London, there are 155 Starbucks coffee shops within 5 miles of you.  155.  (No, I have not been to them all!)  My friends in London know that if we meet for coffee, I will likely suggest a Starbucks.  It might be on Portobello Road, Notting Hill, Oxford Street, High Street Kensington, or West Hampstead, but it still offers my sweet Caramel Latte.

I’ve also had Starbucks in the Louvre in Paris, ordered it as Esperanza in Madrid, and if I ever it make to my dream cities of Prague, Istanbul, and Venice, then yes, I’ll probably stop at a Starbucks at least once.  

I enjoy the small little coffee shops as well.  I patronize them quite frequently due to my constant chill in cold English winters or damp English springs.   But that doesn’t stop from me from enjoying Starbucks.  I live my life with my family on three continents, my friends on six continents, my belongings mostly packed away in storage, and my memories are very dear to me.  Stepping into a Starbucks in Philadelphia can remind me of those rainy nights on Hamra Street in Beirut or Thanksgiving in Madrid.  I feel at home when I sit down with my laptop, journal, or book.  Those memories are precious to me.  Perhaps I enjoy them as much as the coffee I sip.  But regardless, I’m at Starbucks.  

Birthday girl ;)

My sister's birthday is today!  Yesterday I was able to (partially) surprise her at work with roses from my parents and I.  They were gorgeous and so is she :)

This delay on my visa is not what I want, but it has allowed me to spend a special day with  my sister.  And that is something to always be appreciated.

Research Days

Thank goodness my sister lives close to a fantastic library.  It has meant that while I'm here in the USA, I can continue research!  Here's a little glimpse of where I'm doing my work today  :)

Today my task is looking through 32 years of issues of magazines to begin to verify and reference facts in the museum tour we do in London.  This might take more than just today!

Countries Visited :)

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I love to travel :)  According to this map, I've been to 26 countries and the list won't stop there, I'm sure.  And by the way, I only count countries where I left the airport...layovers don't count :)

A little update on the Birthday List

Goodness, there has been a lot going on and not enough at the same time.  I'm still waiting on the powers that be for my return to London.  It's been good to be here in the USA but I'm missing London.  It's hard to keep waiting and waiting, keeping life on hold indefinitely.  Today I realized that my sister's birthday is coming up and that reminded me of our birthday lists developed this time last year.  Since it's Joy's birthday, that means I'm halfway through the year I have to accomplish my list.  Time for a little evaluation :)  I didn't even remember all of my goals, to be honest!

1. go to Ikea... in Sweden....hasn't happened yet!  A lot of my travel plans will have to be adjusted after being here in the USA for so long...
2. Hillsong concert 
3. participate in a bike race I'm thinking this one might be eliminated...
4. lead the British Museum tour entirely on my own I have one scheduled for when a friend visits in January
5. visit Giant's Causeway in both Ireland and Scotland again, the visa thing....
6. live a month as a non-vegetarian! (That was Joy) whether I like it or not, that is in the process of happening!  It is hard to be a vegetarian when I spend so much time visiting others and eating in homes.  I never want to offend people and not be able to eat what is prepared for me.  As a result, I sometimes just go ahead and eat whatever meat is there as well. 
7. visit the Vatican again, the visa...
8. read a book by Kipling I have a copy of The Jungle Book to start reading soon...I've only ever seen the Disney version so I suppose I should read the original work!
9. memorize a poem working on it :)
10. eat a curry on Brick Lane DONE!  And it was amazing....
11. walk down Abbey Road DONE!  I lived the last six months in London in a neighborhood close to Abbey Road and have spent a fair amount of time catching buses in the area!
12. go to a ballet
13. visit 5 new museums DONE!  My family visited London and I think we went to a million museums!
14. go to the Opera! 
15. have a picnic DONE! Picnics in Hyde Park 
16. do a photo shoot DONE!  Cape Cod and the lovely beach made a good backdrop
17. grow your hair long again DONE!  
18. get it cut by a French hairdresser Now I'm not sure I want to cut it....
19. pick a favorite book set in London, and visit all the spots mentioned...haha...if I get back to London!
20. go to Prague again with the visa...
21. if possible, go to a Keith Urban concert in London!  I don't think he's in London anytime soon...
22. buy a pair of Italian shoes
23. get a henna tattoo DONE thanks to Hepsi :)
24. ride a vespa Almost did, but plans changed
25. tour a chocolate factory in Switzerland :) Someday....
26. continue school!  DONE!  I'm currently taking my second and third courses of the year, one on Synoptic Gospels and one on Discipleship, following my summer course on the Pentateuch.

Well, I've completed or am in process of completing 13 out of 26, with a few that may be impossible for year 26.  Sort of halfway, but we shall see what the next six months holds!  If you have ideas for a few replacements, let me know ;)