Baking Powder!!

And here goes another man into the Kitchen!! 


I must start by saying one of my good friends named Z, is responsible for awakening a passion for the kitchen and not just the plate! He's a self made amateur cook, producing amazing platters.


Today, my love pulled me into the kitchen to bake some Madeleines!! 


The preparation is pretty easy, some baking powder, some flour, some vanilla, some butter some lemon zest and egggggs :D 


Voila the result below!! 

 Bon Appetit! yes they tasted like heavenly clouds!


@Alexi13


Follow me on Twitter.com/Alexi13


That's my Madeleine of the day

Christmas, my favorite part of the year!

With the heat wave that took over Lebanon and postponed our winter season, we were really starting to wonder if a lebanese cold christmas would stay part of our past memories.

Thank God, fresh days and some rain is starting to appear and a storm is scheduled this weekend/beginning of next week. What better time to set up the Christmas tree?

I love it ! I love it! I love it!

As you can see the details in
our choices.

With our years spent in Africa and some christmas celebrations in France, decorating the christmas tree, setting up the cave where Jesus had been born, organizing the Christmas supper and being woken up at 6AM by my Mother to open the presents on the 25th are unmovable traditions in our house.

Although we are not Christians, this is one of our favorite moments of the year and our parents educated us in a way to be sure of our beliefs but also to  respect, recognize and learn about the other religions.

I'm currently 20 years old and my Mother won't stop waking me up to open the presents even if I beg her not to.

In a way, I'm thankful for these traditions because they give us sort of reasons to get closer, share joyful moments and take a break from the outside world.

A small simplification of the cave where
Jesus was born.

I think these events are important for one to remember how important it is to spread love and be grateful to what we've got.

Today, we spent three hours and a half to finish up setting the Christmas tree. My mother is very picky and we change it every year.

So here is the final result!

The final result :D!

That's one of my buttermints for the Christmas season coming up!

@LaSahely

Follow me: Twitter.com/LaSahely

A Slice of Heaven

This year i spent the Eid break in the UAE, in Dubai more specifically. I had the company of close family visiting and was responsible for activities :D 


For the first time i was able to enjoy all the various good restaurants in Dubai, the good fun to be had with family and all.


The biggest surprise for us all was our visit to Jumeirah's Bab el Shams Resort and Spa !!! 


We planned to arrive there before sunset to watch it from their very very cosy Al-Sarab cafe! it is built like an old fort top with a gorgeous outdoor chimney! the couches and arabic majlis seating are very comfy, the service impeccable and the weather a blissful collection of breezes! 


Unfortunately we left a tad late for the 45 mins drive from the hotel, but we were still treated to majestic sand dunes sun kissed by the sunset through the drive.. The magic kept on goin till we reached and sat in the cafe, with the gorgeous sky colored by a palette of orange, yellow, purple and dark blues !! The sight is truly to die for!! 

Trusty Nikon D5000

The Resort is exquisite with its architecture, reminiscent of the Bedouin times, with a simplistic modern twist, the pictures speak for themselves !! The resort's serene feel is just accentuated by its isolated position in the middle of sand dunes, away from all the busy feel and state of bustling Dubai !! 

Next stop, is a short 3 mins buggy ride outside the main resort building deep into the sand dunes into the Hadheera (The Barn)
The place is basically a reconstruction of a an old times barn. It is used as a great place for a good night time!!!  the menu for entertainment consists of an arabic singer at first (not bad), a Tannoura dancer with his face painted in green (guess its a morrocan thingy), well he was a star with his performance and interaction with the crowd, moving around the place and dancing for almost every table! The dabkeh band was a hit as well, and there is an oriental dancer, but we missed it since the kids were too tired to stay up, but according to the pics we saw of her, she haawwttt!!! 


The place is well designed, with very nice seating, allowing you to see the stage wherever you are, i advise sittin on the sides with the nice couches and majlis areas instead of the classic chairs before the main stage.


The place has a buffet system, but a veryyyy well organised one, with food station scattered around instead of a single line of food... there are almost no cues to get your food, and the waiters can even serve you a collection of the available num num !!!  the meat and chicken kababs are yummmyyy and so are the freshly boiled crabs and steaks!! 


There is also a heritage village within the location, where you have a rebuilt village type of setting, with wax figurines depicting the lifestyle of bedouins from their homes to their habits and professions of carpentry, fishing and barbers... moreover you have the typical camel rides, pony rides, horse rides and falcon posing!!! 


The place is a must see and a great weekend getaway if you are living in Dubai !!! 


@Alexi13


Follow me on Twitter.com/Alexi13