Well I've been meaning to write for a few days now. Funny how time slips away.
It's Easter Sunday here for the Coptic Christians. And next weekend it is a 4 day holiday weekend for what is something like a national Easter, or more precisely, in ancient times it was when they celebrated the new season. So something like a Spring festival.
:::
Still having issues with the computer and still don't have my photo editing software back, so no pictures yet though I do have some to post. Actually I have older pictures I never posted that I could post but I don't feel like looking through them at the moment.
:::
I had decided that it would be a good idea to make my own shampoo, as I don't like all the smells and chemicals that come with the store bought kind, and so I found a bunch of sites online that talk about using liquid castile soap mixed with water as a basic recipe.
Upon trying to figure out if I could get castile soap here in Egypt and deciding that I probably couldn't, at least not with ease, I did a little further looking and saw that there is even something more basic than that for washing hair.
Baking soda and water.
Seems odd after paying so much for shampoo for so many years, but if you think about it, you use baking soda to clean other things, it absorbs odors and it's not full of irritating chemicals.
In any case, I tried it for the first time a few days ago and will be trying it again insha'Allah. I didn't have a squeeze bottle so it was a bit of a laugh trying to mix the soda with the water, and I ended up, even after stirring the dickens out of it, pouring most of the water first and then having a big clump of baking soda on my head. Which is not so easy to mix around.
I think if I can get a squeeze bottle to mix it up better it should be a little easier to apply.
Also, I've read that apple cider vinegar is good to use as a conditioner, just make sure you rinse it out really well.
This might sound a bit silly but it has become more and more important to me to live as simply as I can.
Although humans didn't live as long in years gone by, they also didn't have all the diseases we have today. At least that's how I see it.
So I try to do without the chemicals and additives and preservatives and all the other manufactured stuff as much as I can, at least when it comes to what I put in or on my body.
And it makes me happy to know that I'm living more natural, and hopefully causing a little less harm to things around me, and also a little less harm to me.
I like knowing that I can find ways to get by without all of the things that so many people rely on without even thinking about it. What happens when people can't access that stuff that they rely on so much?
Anyways, I'm excited about the baking soda shampoo stuff and I may even convince hubby to give it a shot. :D
:::
I decided to sweep the little balcony off of our bedroom the other day. I have a before, during and after picture that I really want to post, but it has to wait til I can edit the pictures.
I had forgotten what color the floor tiles were on the balcony because we are never out there as it's so small. And it was so covered with dust that you couldn't actually see the tiles at all. It was incredible.
When I saw the tiles I was kind of sad that the whole house wasn't done in that tile as it would definitely be easier to coordinate furniture and paint with the tile on the balcony than with the black and salmon tiles we have in the apartment. However, tough luck for me. lol
Anyways, it's nice to know that all that dust is gone. At least for a little while. I keep thinking we should do something with the balcony there but it doesn't get any sun, so if I put some plants they will have to be plants that can live in the shade. And although it would be nice to have a bird bath and feeder, the bath would attract mosquitoes and that's definitely something we don't need more of. And I'm afraid the feeder would attract other pests, which we definitely don't need either. We will see, maybe something will pop into my head.
:::
Elections are coming in Egypt for the president. They are still a while off but it is a big issue. The current president is in his eighties now and I don't think he will remain president after the elections. But there is a fight going on here between the Islamists who are more conservative and their opposition which while they are presumably still Muslim, are much more secular.
I'm not sure what the end result will be for either group getting elected but I guess there will be some upheaval. I'm not sure if it will be safe or not here. Only the future and God know at this point.
Maybe that will be a good time to spend a while living in Kuwait. lol
Monday, March 29, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Chicken and things
Well, I had a rough couple of days earlier this week as my computer had a fit and wouldn't start up. Hubby had to fix it for me and I still don't have a lot of my programs and things.
I was going to post a picture of the nice looking (though small) chicken I roasted, but I don't have my photo editing software back yet, so that will have to wait. However, I can tell you that it looked a whole lot better than it tasted. It was the first time I roasted a chicken, and I think I learned enough about what I did wrong to do better next time.
The dust finally stopped (we had a sort of a dust storm for over a week), though it's been really windy, so in fact, though there is not dust in the air like there was, it's still blowing in the wind as per usual. It's inescapable and you'd think I'd tire of talking about it, but apparently that isn't so just yet. Boring but part of life here.
I don't think that hubby and I will be making the big trip together this summer to the States, I think it will just be me. Wish it could be otherwise but it is what it is. Insha'Allah we will be able to make the trip together at some point.
Still haven't figured out what is wrong with the weird spots on the walls, and I'm afraid to clean at them because I don't want to inhale whatever is bubbling up and flaking off. Really just not sure what to do. Wish there was a reputable person I could call to come take a look at it. However, let's be realistic, this is Egypt. I'm sure there is *someone* here who would really know what was wrong, but the chances of finding that person and knowing that we found that person seem slim. For now it will just remain a constant but slight worry in the back of my head.
I need to find some dirt. I'm sure we could get some at a nursery, and hubby seems to know where one is (or at least was) but it's the getting to the nursery that is the issue. So many things to do and of course hubby is very busy with work and of course I don't go out alone. Anyways, I want to plant the seeds I have and the time seems right but I don't know when it will happen.
Used hubby's aunt's sewing machine while at the in-laws to repair some seams on some of hubby's clothes. It was fine except that the place that she took the machine to get it repaired had oiled it, and the didn't bother to clean it up after so it was messy and stinky. I had to wipe it down before using it, and even after that, the clothes that I repaired smelled like the oil and had to be washed. Still, it was nice to be able to sew something, even if just for a couple of minutes. Can't wait to finally get a machine of my own.
I was going to post a picture of the nice looking (though small) chicken I roasted, but I don't have my photo editing software back yet, so that will have to wait. However, I can tell you that it looked a whole lot better than it tasted. It was the first time I roasted a chicken, and I think I learned enough about what I did wrong to do better next time.
The dust finally stopped (we had a sort of a dust storm for over a week), though it's been really windy, so in fact, though there is not dust in the air like there was, it's still blowing in the wind as per usual. It's inescapable and you'd think I'd tire of talking about it, but apparently that isn't so just yet. Boring but part of life here.
I don't think that hubby and I will be making the big trip together this summer to the States, I think it will just be me. Wish it could be otherwise but it is what it is. Insha'Allah we will be able to make the trip together at some point.
Still haven't figured out what is wrong with the weird spots on the walls, and I'm afraid to clean at them because I don't want to inhale whatever is bubbling up and flaking off. Really just not sure what to do. Wish there was a reputable person I could call to come take a look at it. However, let's be realistic, this is Egypt. I'm sure there is *someone* here who would really know what was wrong, but the chances of finding that person and knowing that we found that person seem slim. For now it will just remain a constant but slight worry in the back of my head.
I need to find some dirt. I'm sure we could get some at a nursery, and hubby seems to know where one is (or at least was) but it's the getting to the nursery that is the issue. So many things to do and of course hubby is very busy with work and of course I don't go out alone. Anyways, I want to plant the seeds I have and the time seems right but I don't know when it will happen.
Used hubby's aunt's sewing machine while at the in-laws to repair some seams on some of hubby's clothes. It was fine except that the place that she took the machine to get it repaired had oiled it, and the didn't bother to clean it up after so it was messy and stinky. I had to wipe it down before using it, and even after that, the clothes that I repaired smelled like the oil and had to be washed. Still, it was nice to be able to sew something, even if just for a couple of minutes. Can't wait to finally get a machine of my own.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
One year gone
Well, technically, since it's after midnight here and officially the 18th, it's been one year since I got on a plane to come to Cairo. I didn't land til the next day, so I guess you could argue it's a day short of a year but let's not argue. lol
I thought I would make some grand post full of musings and conclusions and things of a commemorative sort, but it seems at the moment that I've nothing much in mind to post.
I love it here. I also don't love it here.
I'm still homesick at times, but I know if and when I go visit the States, I'll be homesick for Cairo.
It seems I'm a person divided now, with two homes. Both with pluses and minuses to them.
I'm happy I moved. I'm happy to be living with my husband alhamdulillah.
I'm happy for learning new things and adventuring, even if the adventuring is just going down the street and keeping my eyes open.
I'm not sure where the future is taking hubby and I, but I'm open to and excited for it.
I thought I would make some grand post full of musings and conclusions and things of a commemorative sort, but it seems at the moment that I've nothing much in mind to post.
I love it here. I also don't love it here.
I'm still homesick at times, but I know if and when I go visit the States, I'll be homesick for Cairo.
It seems I'm a person divided now, with two homes. Both with pluses and minuses to them.
I'm happy I moved. I'm happy to be living with my husband alhamdulillah.
I'm happy for learning new things and adventuring, even if the adventuring is just going down the street and keeping my eyes open.
I'm not sure where the future is taking hubby and I, but I'm open to and excited for it.
Friday, March 12, 2010
2%
It's been hot! 102 degrees yesterday. Thank God for air conditioning. lol
Actually I don't really use the a/c during the day, but in the evening we cool the bedroom down, which is nice. During the day, because of the direction of the sun, we actually stay fairly cool compared to outside. Though I do feel the heat when I'm doing anything around the apartment.
It should get a little cooler and then be up and down for a bit until we heat the wall of heat that's called summer.
:::
We were at the grocery store down the street the other day and I was looking in their "baking" section, and I spotted some imitation maple syrup. Pancake syrup but not pure maple.
I'm sure hubby would be okay with it, though I won't eat it myself. We didn't buy any but maybe he will want some when our maple syrup runs out, which it is about to do.
What was really great about this syrup though, was the label.
It stated very plainly and proudly, right on the front, that it contained 2% real maple syrup.
Why would anyone admit to that? lol
I read the ingredients label and the first ingredient is sugar, the second is modified corn something or other, which is just an engineered form of sugar, and some other stuff that I don't particularly want to eat.
Anyways, both hubby and I were amused about the 2%. I wonder if that gets anyone to buy it.
:::
We're still having a lot of dust everyday. It's been over a week now, pretty much non-stop. Some days it's more windy than others, but it's making a lot of mess regardless.
Even with a stopper at the doors, which I don't have yet, none of the window frames fit tight, so the dust just makes itself right at home here.
One good thing about not having any furniture, is that at least it's easier to get the sweeping and mopping done! lol
I think the dust doesn't usually come until April or so, so it appears to be early. Just like the 100 degree hot spell we had in February. Strange days.
:::
It turns out there was a miscommunication about me borrowing hubby's aunt's sewing machine and that what she meant was that I could use it while at my in-laws house, as she was going to leave the machine here in Egypt.
That's not real convenient, seeing as how I'd have to lug anything I want to work on over to the in-laws, and as I am not eager to leave my sewing things there, lug them back home when done for the day.
So, still no machine in sight, though I did get the name of a guy who sells used machines, and I'm sure there is more than one seller in the area, so eventually we will go have a look insha'Allah.
:::
The furniture fair is here in town, I believe it started yesterday, so we will go soon insha'Allah. Hubby thought we might go today, but as it's still warm, he is working today (the traditional day where everyone is off work) and he will take Tuesday off insha'Allah, when the temp is only supposed to be high 60's or low 70's. It will be much nicer to be out when it's not so hot.
I don't think we'll buy anything at the fair, but we can look and take information down for when we are going to buy if we find anything we like.
:::
And hopefully making a trip soon to the larger shopping center, Carrefour, as I want some things that are harder to find at the smaller stores, and if I can find them at Carrefour it will save me having to ask my mom to send over a package, as shipping is expensive.
Alternatively, I might just try to make do with what I can find if I can't get exactly what I'm looking for.
Like baking powder here seems to only be single acting not double acting. I'm not sure how much of a difference it will make when baking. I'd also prefer to get some without aluminum.
And vanilla. Everyone here uses vanillin, which is an artificial flavoring, as that's what is sold here. The liquid vanilla has alcohol in it, which is forbidden in Islam, so I understand not using the liquid kind (and I haven't seen any for sale here), but the kind I brought with me from the States is in powder form and it's just pure vanilla. I think it actually tastes better than the liquid variety, but it does seem to perhaps be a little more expensive.
In any case, I don't like using artificial flavorings in my baking (though I know chocolate chips have vanillin in them), and I would go without before using the artificial stuff.
:::
We found a new restaurant that has the BEST shwarma I've had. Shwarma is a kind of meat sandwich, only usually it's sold as a kind of a wrap. It contains beef or chicken that has been roasting on a spit, and there is usually either tahina spread on the bread first and/or sometimes there are tomatoes or bell peppers mixed in as well. Really tasty.
Anyways I've had a hard time finding a good restaurant for them, as usually they are either loaded with grease or too spicy or have bits of tomato or some other thing. So I was just thrilled about this restaurant and I couldn't stop talking about the shwarma for a while after eating it. lol
I was going to link to their website as they listed it on their wrappers, but I just checked and it seems that it's under construction.
There's actually something really nice about the way they operate the fast food chains here.
They have a central number that you call and they take your order for delivery, and then send the order to the branch that is closest to your location. This is much easier then having to hunt down the number for the nearest branch, especially since they come and go.
And pretty much every restaurant here delivers. All of the fast food places do for sure - KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Hardees, etc. And they deliver on scooters that have what I guess are hot boxes on the back of them, so they just stick the food in and scooter off. lol
Actually I don't really use the a/c during the day, but in the evening we cool the bedroom down, which is nice. During the day, because of the direction of the sun, we actually stay fairly cool compared to outside. Though I do feel the heat when I'm doing anything around the apartment.
It should get a little cooler and then be up and down for a bit until we heat the wall of heat that's called summer.
:::
We were at the grocery store down the street the other day and I was looking in their "baking" section, and I spotted some imitation maple syrup. Pancake syrup but not pure maple.
I'm sure hubby would be okay with it, though I won't eat it myself. We didn't buy any but maybe he will want some when our maple syrup runs out, which it is about to do.
What was really great about this syrup though, was the label.
It stated very plainly and proudly, right on the front, that it contained 2% real maple syrup.
Why would anyone admit to that? lol
I read the ingredients label and the first ingredient is sugar, the second is modified corn something or other, which is just an engineered form of sugar, and some other stuff that I don't particularly want to eat.
Anyways, both hubby and I were amused about the 2%. I wonder if that gets anyone to buy it.
:::
We're still having a lot of dust everyday. It's been over a week now, pretty much non-stop. Some days it's more windy than others, but it's making a lot of mess regardless.
Even with a stopper at the doors, which I don't have yet, none of the window frames fit tight, so the dust just makes itself right at home here.
One good thing about not having any furniture, is that at least it's easier to get the sweeping and mopping done! lol
I think the dust doesn't usually come until April or so, so it appears to be early. Just like the 100 degree hot spell we had in February. Strange days.
:::
It turns out there was a miscommunication about me borrowing hubby's aunt's sewing machine and that what she meant was that I could use it while at my in-laws house, as she was going to leave the machine here in Egypt.
That's not real convenient, seeing as how I'd have to lug anything I want to work on over to the in-laws, and as I am not eager to leave my sewing things there, lug them back home when done for the day.
So, still no machine in sight, though I did get the name of a guy who sells used machines, and I'm sure there is more than one seller in the area, so eventually we will go have a look insha'Allah.
:::
The furniture fair is here in town, I believe it started yesterday, so we will go soon insha'Allah. Hubby thought we might go today, but as it's still warm, he is working today (the traditional day where everyone is off work) and he will take Tuesday off insha'Allah, when the temp is only supposed to be high 60's or low 70's. It will be much nicer to be out when it's not so hot.
I don't think we'll buy anything at the fair, but we can look and take information down for when we are going to buy if we find anything we like.
:::
And hopefully making a trip soon to the larger shopping center, Carrefour, as I want some things that are harder to find at the smaller stores, and if I can find them at Carrefour it will save me having to ask my mom to send over a package, as shipping is expensive.
Alternatively, I might just try to make do with what I can find if I can't get exactly what I'm looking for.
Like baking powder here seems to only be single acting not double acting. I'm not sure how much of a difference it will make when baking. I'd also prefer to get some without aluminum.
And vanilla. Everyone here uses vanillin, which is an artificial flavoring, as that's what is sold here. The liquid vanilla has alcohol in it, which is forbidden in Islam, so I understand not using the liquid kind (and I haven't seen any for sale here), but the kind I brought with me from the States is in powder form and it's just pure vanilla. I think it actually tastes better than the liquid variety, but it does seem to perhaps be a little more expensive.
In any case, I don't like using artificial flavorings in my baking (though I know chocolate chips have vanillin in them), and I would go without before using the artificial stuff.
:::
We found a new restaurant that has the BEST shwarma I've had. Shwarma is a kind of meat sandwich, only usually it's sold as a kind of a wrap. It contains beef or chicken that has been roasting on a spit, and there is usually either tahina spread on the bread first and/or sometimes there are tomatoes or bell peppers mixed in as well. Really tasty.
Anyways I've had a hard time finding a good restaurant for them, as usually they are either loaded with grease or too spicy or have bits of tomato or some other thing. So I was just thrilled about this restaurant and I couldn't stop talking about the shwarma for a while after eating it. lol
I was going to link to their website as they listed it on their wrappers, but I just checked and it seems that it's under construction.
There's actually something really nice about the way they operate the fast food chains here.
They have a central number that you call and they take your order for delivery, and then send the order to the branch that is closest to your location. This is much easier then having to hunt down the number for the nearest branch, especially since they come and go.
And pretty much every restaurant here delivers. All of the fast food places do for sure - KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Hardees, etc. And they deliver on scooters that have what I guess are hot boxes on the back of them, so they just stick the food in and scooter off. lol
Monday, March 8, 2010
Fuul of it
Fuul (a bean dish, kind of the Egyptian version of re-fried beans) is practically a national dish. Actually what makes a national dish anyways?
In any case, it's very filling, nutritious, and cheap. All good reasons to eat it.
Hubby made some last night, and it really is very filling. It's eaten quite often during our fasting month of Ramadan before the fasting begins in the morning, to help keep you full throughout the day.
It's also commonly eaten here for breakfast, as it's cheap and hot and as I said, filling.
Meat is so expensive here and many people just can't afford it at all, so fuul or other items are their "meat".
Hubby makes a mean fuul, I'm not sure if I like his or his mom's better. They are slightly different. Though in either case, I have to ask them to leave off almost all the oil for my portion.
After the fuul is cooked with any combination of salt, pepper, cumin, fennel or other spices, it is mooshed to break up the beans and then you can add lemon and my in laws add oil. I don't like to add too much oil, taking what was a healthy food and making it unhealthy, but that's just my opinion, and I'm pretty picky about food stuff.
So... right now, belly full of fuul. :D
:::
The clogged drain was a bit of a drama. We thought the owner was bringing by a plumber to unclog the drain, and in reality he was bringing by the plumber to have a look and the plumber said some sections of the pipe on the wall outside the building needed to be replaced, and he actually gave the owner a good price, which would be split amongst the tenants, but some of the tenants didn't want to pay, so I'm not sure what's going to happen with that.
In any case, that left us with a backed up pipe.
Hubby tried some liquid stuff and that didn't work. He tried another batch and it still didn't work. He was quite industrious about the whole thing and actually spent a good portion of Friday working on it.
In the end, he did end up unclogging it.
He was rummaging around in the tool bin and I was very "concerned" when I heard what sounded like an electric drill in the bathroom.
Hubby gets some great ideas but holes in pipes is not something I would consider a great idea.
I decided to wait and see what was happening, and when he finally told me he had unclogged the drain and how he did it, I was vastly relieved to hear that he had been using a small blowing machine, like a miniature leaf blower. lol
Anyways, drain unclogged, which is good, because we couldn't shower or do laundry or anything else much in the bathroom. Thankfully the toilet drains out of another pipe and so that wasn't an issue!
:::
Good news on the sewing machine front. Ahmed's mom's sister, who has been here visiting from Kuwait, has a machine here that she is going to let me use.
Apparently she had brought it with her last year at some point while visiting to get it fixed, since it was too expensive to get it fixed in Kuwait.
In the meantime, she had bought herself a new machine to use, and so even after getting her older one fixed the other day, she doesn't really need it.
So, she will let me use it here in Egypt while her new machine is back in Kuwait.
The nice thing is, it's the same brand as the machine that I had in the States that I gave away before moving. I think I mentioned, it's one of the very few things that I really regret not having brought with me. The brand is Husqvarna, and my machine was great for the almost 30 years that I had it. This machine of hubby's aunt is a bit older, I think closer to 50 years? lol But, presumably it works and we will pick it up this week insha'Allah.
:::
We had some oranges to use up and I was finding that with these particular oranges, I didn't like eating them so much, they were too pulpy and pithy and such, too much extra insides.
So I was looking around for a recipe using oranges, and most recipes hardly use any orange at all, unless you're making a tart kind of thing, which was more involved than I wanted to get, but I did find a few recipes for orange syrup!
I thought it would be great, since hubby is always looking for a sauce for anything and everything, and the recipe sounded really simple.
I squeezed the 6 oranges (kind of messy but kind of fun) and got almost 2 cups of juice. The recipe called for 3 cups. Hmmm....
Well, we can adapt right? So I just lowered the amount of sugar accordingly, and mixed the two together and started the heat on the stove.
The sugar dissolved, and I had it at a low boil like the recipe suggested, but even after the recommended amount of cooking time, it didn't seem to be condensing down at all.
I waited almost half hour (recipe stated 15 minutes) before deciding that maybe I just needed to put some more sugar in, and turn up the heat.
So I dumped some more sugar in and turned the heat up.
Wow, well, it did get to boiling more and I kept an eye on it while I did the dishes, stirring it every so often.
It was going fine, and reducing much better, when all of a sudden it went from smelling really great to smelling very wrong!! lol
I quickly took it off the stove and had a look at it. It was seemingly past the stage of syrup and had turned into a sort of caramel/taffy substance. It smelled kind of good, almost like cinnamon, but also kind of strange and different.
I waited til it cooled down some and then made hubby taste it. He said it almost tasted tomatoey. Strange. He asked me to pour some on a couple of the cinnamon rolls I made the other day. But ....oops? I waited a little too long to pour it, and the orange "syrup" had hardened up quite a bit. I had to heat it up to be able to dribble some on.
We'll see if it's worth the oranges or not. In any case, it was a bit of a learning experience.
:::
I also tried to remake the cinnamon rolls using full milk instead of cream, but the dough didn't get quite thick enough to roll, yet it was thicker than a quick bread dough.
I settled on dumping it into a 8 inch square pan and sprinkling the sugar cinnamon on top and hoping it would turn out something edible after being baked.
Well, it was edible, however the texture and consistency was like that of a sponge. Not very appetizing. I mean, imagine biting into a sink sponge, like O-Cello brand sponges, and... ugh? lol
I won't be making that recipe again, but I might continue to look for easy recipes that don't involve cream and or yeast.
:::
Weather forecast for the next 5 days:
Monday 95
Tuesday 96
Wednesday 98
Thursday 102
Friday 95
Although the forecast usually seems to run high, it doesn't always. The temps will go down again before summer really starts, but it looks like it's on its way.
We've also had a lot of dust the past 4 or 5 days. Not good for floors. lol
Oh well.
In any case, it's very filling, nutritious, and cheap. All good reasons to eat it.
Hubby made some last night, and it really is very filling. It's eaten quite often during our fasting month of Ramadan before the fasting begins in the morning, to help keep you full throughout the day.
It's also commonly eaten here for breakfast, as it's cheap and hot and as I said, filling.
Meat is so expensive here and many people just can't afford it at all, so fuul or other items are their "meat".
Hubby makes a mean fuul, I'm not sure if I like his or his mom's better. They are slightly different. Though in either case, I have to ask them to leave off almost all the oil for my portion.
After the fuul is cooked with any combination of salt, pepper, cumin, fennel or other spices, it is mooshed to break up the beans and then you can add lemon and my in laws add oil. I don't like to add too much oil, taking what was a healthy food and making it unhealthy, but that's just my opinion, and I'm pretty picky about food stuff.
So... right now, belly full of fuul. :D
:::
The clogged drain was a bit of a drama. We thought the owner was bringing by a plumber to unclog the drain, and in reality he was bringing by the plumber to have a look and the plumber said some sections of the pipe on the wall outside the building needed to be replaced, and he actually gave the owner a good price, which would be split amongst the tenants, but some of the tenants didn't want to pay, so I'm not sure what's going to happen with that.
In any case, that left us with a backed up pipe.
Hubby tried some liquid stuff and that didn't work. He tried another batch and it still didn't work. He was quite industrious about the whole thing and actually spent a good portion of Friday working on it.
In the end, he did end up unclogging it.
He was rummaging around in the tool bin and I was very "concerned" when I heard what sounded like an electric drill in the bathroom.
Hubby gets some great ideas but holes in pipes is not something I would consider a great idea.
I decided to wait and see what was happening, and when he finally told me he had unclogged the drain and how he did it, I was vastly relieved to hear that he had been using a small blowing machine, like a miniature leaf blower. lol
Anyways, drain unclogged, which is good, because we couldn't shower or do laundry or anything else much in the bathroom. Thankfully the toilet drains out of another pipe and so that wasn't an issue!
:::
Good news on the sewing machine front. Ahmed's mom's sister, who has been here visiting from Kuwait, has a machine here that she is going to let me use.
Apparently she had brought it with her last year at some point while visiting to get it fixed, since it was too expensive to get it fixed in Kuwait.
In the meantime, she had bought herself a new machine to use, and so even after getting her older one fixed the other day, she doesn't really need it.
So, she will let me use it here in Egypt while her new machine is back in Kuwait.
The nice thing is, it's the same brand as the machine that I had in the States that I gave away before moving. I think I mentioned, it's one of the very few things that I really regret not having brought with me. The brand is Husqvarna, and my machine was great for the almost 30 years that I had it. This machine of hubby's aunt is a bit older, I think closer to 50 years? lol But, presumably it works and we will pick it up this week insha'Allah.
:::
We had some oranges to use up and I was finding that with these particular oranges, I didn't like eating them so much, they were too pulpy and pithy and such, too much extra insides.
So I was looking around for a recipe using oranges, and most recipes hardly use any orange at all, unless you're making a tart kind of thing, which was more involved than I wanted to get, but I did find a few recipes for orange syrup!
I thought it would be great, since hubby is always looking for a sauce for anything and everything, and the recipe sounded really simple.
I squeezed the 6 oranges (kind of messy but kind of fun) and got almost 2 cups of juice. The recipe called for 3 cups. Hmmm....
Well, we can adapt right? So I just lowered the amount of sugar accordingly, and mixed the two together and started the heat on the stove.
The sugar dissolved, and I had it at a low boil like the recipe suggested, but even after the recommended amount of cooking time, it didn't seem to be condensing down at all.
I waited almost half hour (recipe stated 15 minutes) before deciding that maybe I just needed to put some more sugar in, and turn up the heat.
So I dumped some more sugar in and turned the heat up.
Wow, well, it did get to boiling more and I kept an eye on it while I did the dishes, stirring it every so often.
It was going fine, and reducing much better, when all of a sudden it went from smelling really great to smelling very wrong!! lol
I quickly took it off the stove and had a look at it. It was seemingly past the stage of syrup and had turned into a sort of caramel/taffy substance. It smelled kind of good, almost like cinnamon, but also kind of strange and different.
I waited til it cooled down some and then made hubby taste it. He said it almost tasted tomatoey. Strange. He asked me to pour some on a couple of the cinnamon rolls I made the other day. But ....oops? I waited a little too long to pour it, and the orange "syrup" had hardened up quite a bit. I had to heat it up to be able to dribble some on.
We'll see if it's worth the oranges or not. In any case, it was a bit of a learning experience.
:::
I also tried to remake the cinnamon rolls using full milk instead of cream, but the dough didn't get quite thick enough to roll, yet it was thicker than a quick bread dough.
I settled on dumping it into a 8 inch square pan and sprinkling the sugar cinnamon on top and hoping it would turn out something edible after being baked.
Well, it was edible, however the texture and consistency was like that of a sponge. Not very appetizing. I mean, imagine biting into a sink sponge, like O-Cello brand sponges, and... ugh? lol
I won't be making that recipe again, but I might continue to look for easy recipes that don't involve cream and or yeast.
:::
Weather forecast for the next 5 days:
Monday 95
Tuesday 96
Wednesday 98
Thursday 102
Friday 95
Although the forecast usually seems to run high, it doesn't always. The temps will go down again before summer really starts, but it looks like it's on its way.
We've also had a lot of dust the past 4 or 5 days. Not good for floors. lol
Oh well.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Secret spy, that's me!
Well, it has been a week since we went to the Mogamma to apply for my 3 year temporary residency visa. They told us to come back in a week and we could pick it up.
We got up early this morning, well, early for us, and headed on down to Tahrir Square, where the Mogamma building is located.
At first hubby thought maybe it was not as crowded because we didn't see many people going inside, and I told him it was probably because everyone was already inside. Guess who was right? :D
Anyways, as we waded in through the crowds, we went to the original window we applied at, and the lady directed us to another window down the hall to get the actual visa.
We went to the second window and the lady there looked through her papers but didn't have one for me, so we headed back towards the first window.
Hubby asked the woman there what was happening as they didn't have my visa, so they looked through some papers and it seems that they didn't get it in yet, that either it hadn't cleared or they just didn't send it yet or something.
I suppose they tell everyone a week because that is usually enough time, so I'm not quite sure what is holding up my visa.
Maybe it's my super secret spy activities.
In any case, a wasted trip and hubby was not happy about that because he has to take time off work for us to go down there. And now we will have to go back. They told us to come back in a week but I think hubby might go down and see if it's ready first before he brings me down as well, since I have to be there to sign something.
In any case, I was a little disappointed not to get it, as I was a bit excited about the whole thing, but in time insha'Allah we will get it.
:::
After leaving the Mogamma building, we walked a short ways to Talaat Harb, which is a main street nearby, and we were looking for a Singer sewing machine store.
Well, we started at the very beginning of the street, number 1, and we were looking for number 39.
This normally wouldn't seem like a very far distance right? Except they don't number things the same here. They number the whole building as one number, not individual stores. So we had to get 39 large buildings down, not 39 stores. lol
We finally found the place, and they only had one model that looked anything near current, and it was overpriced. In addition, it was a very basic model, not exactly what I was looking for, though I might have considered it if the price was decent.
After leaving that store, we went down a street and around a corner or so and hubby knew of another store that had electronic items that also sold sewing machines, so we went inside and found both a Singer and a Brother machine, both of which were somewhat basic models and both of which were also very overpriced.
I'm not sure what the deal is with the pricing. Hubby's aunt just bought a Singer in Kuwait for about 55 dinars, which is according to her about 1000 pounds, which is roughly (I'm not sure the exchange rate right now), 200 dollars. Which I'm okay with paying for a machine.
So, when we visit Kuwait insha'Allah, perhaps I will get one there. I just can't see paying the way too high prices that we have seen here. Or perhaps I will look into getting a used machine, as I'm sure it would be much cheaper. In any case, no sewing machine anytime soon I don't think.
:::
After leaving that store we caught a taxi and headed to the in-laws. We haven't been here in a couple of weeks so we came to visit, though hubby left to go back to work and left me here. lol
I took a short nap and woke and we had a wonderful lunch. My sister in law made a very nice pasta with Alfredo sauce and I will try to get the recipe for the sauce from her. I'm always looking for good sauce recipes since hubby is a major sauce lover. He does not like dry food at all, and I'm normally quite the opposite, I don't like things too sauced or wet. lol
At the moment, before hubby comes back to the in-laws to eat and we leave, he is actually back at our apartment.
We were having a problem with our drain, it was backing up really badly. Hubby bought some drain cleaner for the tub, which was fine and cleared those particular pipes, but then it left the clog just a little further down, so we were still having an issue. Like when I did a load of laundry, instead of the water going straight through the drain, it backed up on the floor, which is fine except it makes a bit of a mess.
So, hubby called the building owner and they were supposed to get a plumber to come yesterday but they had to start unclogging the drain from the bottom floor, or it causes problems for the people below you if you only get yours unclogged.
I guess people weren't home so much yesterday, so today the plumber finally got to our apartment and so hubby had to go over there and keep a watch and see what was going on.
Thankfully, even though we pointed out the drain problem and we were having an issue, the owner is going to try to get every apartment the plumber unclogs to pay for an equal part. Normally when you call the plumber, you pay for it all yourself. So insha'Allah everyone will pay and it won't be such a burden for us. Because who knows where the actual clog started, it could have been two floors down or something.
I hope it will be unclogged by the time we get home though.
:::
Last night I decided to try a recipe I found for cinnamon rolls. It was a simple recipe, no yeast, and they were easy to make and tasted divine. The only problem is that the dairy clogged my sinuses up pretty badly. It called for heavy cream and hubby bought whipping cream. lol
I read up online and found that though not exactly the same, I should be able to sub one for the other in this instance.
I think I will try to make them again using just the full milk and see how that goes.
I also made some orange bars last night. Kind of like lemon bars only with orange. They are a bit sweet for me, I think I prefer the lemon, but I do like the crust. I'm considering making a pan of just the crust for me to munch on. :D
Here is a picture of each.
We got up early this morning, well, early for us, and headed on down to Tahrir Square, where the Mogamma building is located.
At first hubby thought maybe it was not as crowded because we didn't see many people going inside, and I told him it was probably because everyone was already inside. Guess who was right? :D
Anyways, as we waded in through the crowds, we went to the original window we applied at, and the lady directed us to another window down the hall to get the actual visa.
We went to the second window and the lady there looked through her papers but didn't have one for me, so we headed back towards the first window.
Hubby asked the woman there what was happening as they didn't have my visa, so they looked through some papers and it seems that they didn't get it in yet, that either it hadn't cleared or they just didn't send it yet or something.
I suppose they tell everyone a week because that is usually enough time, so I'm not quite sure what is holding up my visa.
Maybe it's my super secret spy activities.
In any case, a wasted trip and hubby was not happy about that because he has to take time off work for us to go down there. And now we will have to go back. They told us to come back in a week but I think hubby might go down and see if it's ready first before he brings me down as well, since I have to be there to sign something.
In any case, I was a little disappointed not to get it, as I was a bit excited about the whole thing, but in time insha'Allah we will get it.
:::
After leaving the Mogamma building, we walked a short ways to Talaat Harb, which is a main street nearby, and we were looking for a Singer sewing machine store.
Well, we started at the very beginning of the street, number 1, and we were looking for number 39.
This normally wouldn't seem like a very far distance right? Except they don't number things the same here. They number the whole building as one number, not individual stores. So we had to get 39 large buildings down, not 39 stores. lol
We finally found the place, and they only had one model that looked anything near current, and it was overpriced. In addition, it was a very basic model, not exactly what I was looking for, though I might have considered it if the price was decent.
After leaving that store, we went down a street and around a corner or so and hubby knew of another store that had electronic items that also sold sewing machines, so we went inside and found both a Singer and a Brother machine, both of which were somewhat basic models and both of which were also very overpriced.
I'm not sure what the deal is with the pricing. Hubby's aunt just bought a Singer in Kuwait for about 55 dinars, which is according to her about 1000 pounds, which is roughly (I'm not sure the exchange rate right now), 200 dollars. Which I'm okay with paying for a machine.
So, when we visit Kuwait insha'Allah, perhaps I will get one there. I just can't see paying the way too high prices that we have seen here. Or perhaps I will look into getting a used machine, as I'm sure it would be much cheaper. In any case, no sewing machine anytime soon I don't think.
:::
After leaving that store we caught a taxi and headed to the in-laws. We haven't been here in a couple of weeks so we came to visit, though hubby left to go back to work and left me here. lol
I took a short nap and woke and we had a wonderful lunch. My sister in law made a very nice pasta with Alfredo sauce and I will try to get the recipe for the sauce from her. I'm always looking for good sauce recipes since hubby is a major sauce lover. He does not like dry food at all, and I'm normally quite the opposite, I don't like things too sauced or wet. lol
At the moment, before hubby comes back to the in-laws to eat and we leave, he is actually back at our apartment.
We were having a problem with our drain, it was backing up really badly. Hubby bought some drain cleaner for the tub, which was fine and cleared those particular pipes, but then it left the clog just a little further down, so we were still having an issue. Like when I did a load of laundry, instead of the water going straight through the drain, it backed up on the floor, which is fine except it makes a bit of a mess.
So, hubby called the building owner and they were supposed to get a plumber to come yesterday but they had to start unclogging the drain from the bottom floor, or it causes problems for the people below you if you only get yours unclogged.
I guess people weren't home so much yesterday, so today the plumber finally got to our apartment and so hubby had to go over there and keep a watch and see what was going on.
Thankfully, even though we pointed out the drain problem and we were having an issue, the owner is going to try to get every apartment the plumber unclogs to pay for an equal part. Normally when you call the plumber, you pay for it all yourself. So insha'Allah everyone will pay and it won't be such a burden for us. Because who knows where the actual clog started, it could have been two floors down or something.
I hope it will be unclogged by the time we get home though.
:::
Last night I decided to try a recipe I found for cinnamon rolls. It was a simple recipe, no yeast, and they were easy to make and tasted divine. The only problem is that the dairy clogged my sinuses up pretty badly. It called for heavy cream and hubby bought whipping cream. lol
I read up online and found that though not exactly the same, I should be able to sub one for the other in this instance.
I think I will try to make them again using just the full milk and see how that goes.
I also made some orange bars last night. Kind of like lemon bars only with orange. They are a bit sweet for me, I think I prefer the lemon, but I do like the crust. I'm considering making a pan of just the crust for me to munch on. :D
Here is a picture of each.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Picture Day!
Remember in school when you had picture day? Well, this is nothing like that.
It's just some pictures of stuff around the apartment, I can't remember all what right now so lets dig through the picture files and see what we have!
Remember, you can click on any photo and it will take you to a larger version of the photo.
:::
Here you can see the lovely spaces under our balcony doors and the windows, which are great at letting massive amounts of dust in. No wonder I have to sweep every couple of days.
:::
I think I missed mentioning that while it was raining and thundering/lightening the other day, it also hailed! Quite unusual for Cairo, and I guess it's been some years since they've had any. This is not a city that is prepared for such a thing I can tell you.
When we were walking downtown that day, in the rain, I saw just a few umbrellas, and there are tons of people walking around. Thankfully I had something I was able to stick over my head so that I wouldn't get quite so wet. Though that didn't stop mud splatters from covering my shoes and the bottom of my pants. Yay for washing machines!
:::
I'm trying to get a handle on the dust here at the apartment, and how I would like to mentally deal with it. As in attitude. Sweeping seems so entirely futile when the dust comes back so fast, and yet I can't just leave the dust either. I'm wondering if the vacuum will get it up better or easier than a broom and so I'm looking forward to that comparison when we get a vacuum.
Still... I can see where resolve would wear down with this volume of dust. I am a clean person. I like things clean. You can have piles of things all over the place, just make sure they're clean piles. lol
So this is definitely a challenge. How can one woman conquer thousands of years of history blowing through the cracks of her house?
It's just some pictures of stuff around the apartment, I can't remember all what right now so lets dig through the picture files and see what we have!
Remember, you can click on any photo and it will take you to a larger version of the photo.
:::
First it seems we have both sides of a 7up bottle, the English side first and then the Arabic side.
Here you can see the lovely spaces under our balcony doors and the windows, which are great at letting massive amounts of dust in. No wonder I have to sweep every couple of days.
Here you can see our current gas tanks. The one on the left is actually hooked up to the stove, which it is sitting next to. I had thought hubby said it was a new tank, but there is nothing new looking about that tank at all, so maybe it got switched out before they brought it up to our apartment. The tank on the right, rather squat looking because I messed with the dimensions on the photo, is our second tank, which we got from the in-laws, which was at one of their other apartments that they don't stay in. It will be nice to have a backup tank. I wish the tanks weren't so dirty and crusty looking though. We actually have a cover on the one in the kitchen but you know what? I still know it's dirty and crusty underneath. lol
Here we have our milk carton. They come in the cartons like juice boxes or soy milk or vegetable/chicken/beef stock. Kind of different than what I'm used to. English on the left, Arabic on the right. And yeah, hubby likes full milk. Thankfully I only use it in cooking, because who can drink that?? Well, aside from hubby that is. lol Actually I think it's quite common here to drink full milk.
Egyptians are crazy about their tea. They drink all sorts but I think the most common is Lipton's yellow label. You will find it everywhere. I guess it's the default.
English on the top of the package, Arabic on the front.
:::
I think I missed mentioning that while it was raining and thundering/lightening the other day, it also hailed! Quite unusual for Cairo, and I guess it's been some years since they've had any. This is not a city that is prepared for such a thing I can tell you.
When we were walking downtown that day, in the rain, I saw just a few umbrellas, and there are tons of people walking around. Thankfully I had something I was able to stick over my head so that I wouldn't get quite so wet. Though that didn't stop mud splatters from covering my shoes and the bottom of my pants. Yay for washing machines!
:::
I'm trying to get a handle on the dust here at the apartment, and how I would like to mentally deal with it. As in attitude. Sweeping seems so entirely futile when the dust comes back so fast, and yet I can't just leave the dust either. I'm wondering if the vacuum will get it up better or easier than a broom and so I'm looking forward to that comparison when we get a vacuum.
Still... I can see where resolve would wear down with this volume of dust. I am a clean person. I like things clean. You can have piles of things all over the place, just make sure they're clean piles. lol
So this is definitely a challenge. How can one woman conquer thousands of years of history blowing through the cracks of her house?
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