#I’m pretty sure this is a traditionally Arabic food

[magp1e-starl1ght]

me n my mom Attempted to make manakeesh/cheese breads but REALLY fucked up and kinda invented a whole new bread

but it’s actually really fuckin good and it’s got like crispy cheesy outside and light fluffy inside and I’ve already eaten like half of them

So

bone atrophy

[pizza-soup]

Slowly I’ve been getting better. The pain when I walk on my foot is now just a dull ache, still gotta take it easy with standing or walking too much. My mom suggested I go to the bathhouse, as it might help ease the remaining strain out. I think she just wants to soak. We’ll see. The weather’s been raining or snowing for three days now. I have no idea what the roads are like, and if it gets too heavy I don’t want to run the risk they close the road back to Los Alamos and we get stuck staying in the hotel for the night or having to drive all the way to Santa Fe to get to the second entrance into town..if that’s not snowed in too. (This is one thing I hate about LA, it’s so hidden and hard to get into).

I had a great Thanksgiving, it was peaceful and fun, as well as quite the cultural exchange. My mom’s Arabic foods were well received by my dad’s sister, especially the kousa mahshi, a squash -traditionally a zucchini- stuffed with spiced rice and meat. Squash is an already a very familiar indigenous food, so it become a huge favorite. My mom never had rabbit meat before, especially in a slow cooked stew. She loved the flavors of it, it was really hearty. We also made our California favorites like clam chowder from scratch, lumpias, seaweed salad and seafood hotpot, and southwest desserts like empanadas and rice pudding. Because the snow was falling, we couldn’t roast sweet potatoes outside like we did last year, so we roasted them in my fireplace. XDD We watched some movies, shared some scary stories that I really need to write down and share, then we all just fell asleep one by one in the living room.

This morning my mom brought up the issue with my late great aunt’s empty home, and turns out, my dad’s sister’s daughter and her husband are looking for a bigger place. They have a 2nd baby on the way, and their one bedroom trailer just isn’t going to cut it for a family of four, and with rent in the trailer park rising, it’s getting tight on cash. They’re barely surviving. My mom offered to rent out her aunt’s home. It’s just sitting there. It’s a beautiful residence in a very safe and quiet area, has a lot of land and access to town/jobs is just 20 minutes away. There’s stores hiring right now for the holidays. Not sure how much the rent will be, but my mom’s willing to work with their budget. She’s even willing to let them stay December for free. She just wants someone in that house, not because there’s any crime, but that it shouldn’t be abandoned. I think this is sentimental on her part. So far over the phone, they seem very interested.

I also did some Black Friday shopping on Amazon, ordered some really nice art supplies I’ve had lingering on my wishlist. I got the Boku Undo E-Sumi paint set, Marbling Suminagashi Dye ink set and Derwent Graphitint pencils. All of these will be early Christmas presents. I bought my brother a Nintendo Giftcard, since he’s still unsure what he wants, and got my mom a really nice colored pastel set from General’s, since she’s trying to branch out from charcoal. My mom’s also busy crocheting a baby blanket for my dad’s sister’s daughter, it’ll be a great gift since the baby is coming in December, if she has time, she’ll make a little hat. My aunt is very interested in learning crochet and lace making, something my mom’s been doing since she was 17.

I’m really glad my dad’s family keeps in touch with in-laws, they’re very different in that regard to my mom’s family, who pretty much disown in-laws after a death. I really do want my mom to feel like she has family still even if they’re not related since she’s cut ties with her own out of abuse. It also helps keep my dad alive for her, hearing stories about him, they love talking about him, and so do we.

[snsmissionaries]

2/6/19 -- Sister Nicole Ritman, Spain, Madrid Mission

The Story of Sany/I'm Officially a Cultured Citizen

Subject Line: This email will have two parts! The first is the story of our amiga Sany, who got baptized last Sunday, shared with permission. The second is just about my week.

 The Story of Sany

 Right about when I got to Málaga, we got a text from one of the members saying she had a friend we could go visit. She'd been going through some rough times, and so a few weeks back their other friend gave her a Libro de Mormón and just said "Sany, you mean a lot to me and I know you are going through a hard time. I'm giving this to you because this is what brings me comfort when I'm not feeling good and so I wanted to share it with you because you know I'd do anything to make you feel better and this is something that's important to me. You don't have to read it if you don't want, but I know it can help you." Sany started reading and once she told them she liked it, they invited us to teach her more. I don't know if you all remember, but like a month back I said that we had a first lesson with someone and I'd never seen someone change so much in just one lesson? Well that was Sany! Everytime we taught her, she was so committed to really studying and learning. She applied what she was learning to what she already knew and what she found the guide to the scriptures even though we hadn't showed her yet and looked it up there. She did the 21 day challenge of the Libro de Mormón diligently and really followed the commitments we extended. I don't think we ever had to extend a commitment twice and some she was already doing before we could extend (like starting on Ven Seguime as soon as she finished the 21 day desafío). 

A miracle that happened with Sany was that she lives here and has two daughters living in the Dominican Republic. Well one day Sany told us "I just found out that the church my daughter goes to is the same one! I didn't remember the name but she told me she told me three years back when her boyfriend introduced her to the church and got baptized. She's going on a mission in a few months and is getting ready to go to the temple." Well we were speechless. I'm not making it sound as surprising as it was, but seriously the member we had in the cita and both if us were like" what??!". It's so crazy how they found the church independent of another and gained their own testimonies and now are working to go to the temple together. I wish the missionaries that baptized her daughter would know this extension of the story! 

What I was most impressed with was that most people who work as internas (live-in caretakers for a senior) don't come to church because they work. Well Sany took her work to church. (I'm sure not everyone could but this was her solution). She would get up super early to get both the Señora and herself ready and would carry the wheelchair down the flights of stairs and push her all the way up the giant hill. We'd help her and the Señora loved going out for a stroll, yelling "venga, vamos, rápido! Rápido!" No quiero llegar tarde!" until I was practically running. Going down the hill is almost harder because you have to pull it from not speeding down into traffic. Good times jaja. The day of the baptism, she got permission to get off a few hours earlier to go to church and drop off the Señora. She was so excited! But then this Sunday she got super sick. :/ Good thing we had the baptism last week. 

 I'm Officially a Cultured Citizen 

 So I'll start this part of with a sad story. Three days after the baptism, we got a text saying the man who had baptized Sany had passed away. We hardly believed it, but we asked the Elders and the pres de Sociedad de Socorro and the Elders confirmed the text was talking about him. 

We actually were on our way to a cita with Sany so we gave her the sad news and she was so sad because she was so grateful to him for being a part of her step on the convenant path. We had a good discussion about life and death and the plan of salvation and I was feeling pretty reflective and pensive. 

Then, we leave the cita and see that the pres texted us. And guess what--it's turns out that he's not actually dead! He's not dead its his brother in law! Still sad for his family, but man alive we were so embarrassed. What a big fat fail. Probably the biggest one I'll ever have on the mission. I reread the original text and totally not our fault--it was written in a way that didn't clarify who they were talking about. But literally it was so crazy because lemme tell you it's a weird feeling to find out someone passed but it's a weirder feeling to find out that PSYCH they haven't. Like a TV show in real life except the jokes on you because you have to text the mission office and say "nevermind- we don't actually have to know what happens when we need a signature on the baptismal record of someone who's dead." I'm sure they think we're crazy jaja. And then when we texted Sany all she said was "ahhhh- vale." Luckily she hadn't brought it up since. I'm also glad we found out before Sunday when he would've walked into church alive and all three of us faint of shock. 

 So I chose the header because I felt like it has been a very *cultural* week! Yesterday, we went over for almuerzo with a Tibetan Man and his Moroccan wife and had cous-cous. Literally one of the best things that's ever entered my mouth! Basically you boil a bunch of tasty vegetables and pumpkin and halal beef and spices like cinnamon in a pot for an hour, and then pour it over a giant thing of cous-cous (tiny ball-shaped grain) and pour the broth, gravy all over. We were so close to finishing but we had a slice of pumpkin and some cabbage left. They gave us plates to help us eat the meat, but they wouldn't let us portion it out. We all used our spoons and ate from the same giant platter. They also wouldn't let us drink cold water until after the hot food because I guess mixing cold and hot is bad for your stomach. I suppose that's why they traditionally drink tea at meals, but since we politely refused the tea 50 times no lie (the wife didn't understand until I said it wasn't halal for us jaja and even after the husband would sip his tea and say "oh how delicious! Oh how healthy! Made with 5 herbs!" and made us smell it because we wouldn't sip it lol), we had mint infusion, which is just a fresh mint sprig with hot water poured on top and a little spoon of sugar. It was so good we bought fresh mint today to make it again! Maybe it won't be the same because we don't have the fancy Arab teapot they used to heat the water jk. Definitely an eating cita I'll never forget. 

 Then for Pday today I felt extra cultural because we went to the interactive music museum and saw instruments from all over the world! We stayed in the room with the piano, guitars and cello the longest and all played songs together. (OK in reality I tinkered a tune  while Hermana Zito played the cello. It's her major at BYU and it was worth my museum entry fee to hear her play lol We would all request songs and if she had the tune in her head she could just play it). I also loved the rooms where you jam out to crazy world instruments like the zither, the nose flute, double-guitars and even an ancient harp thing made from a human skull. (you pressed buttons to hear sounds of the instruments you weren't allowed to play). There was also a gladd floor with a medieval wall they uncovered and put a museum time capsule for 2033. I'll be back when they open that! 

 After we went to an Italian restaurant because H Mecca said it looked close to authentic. She ordered in Italian and chatted with the waiter and told us what to order. I felt a little less fake with her lol. We got gnocchi and margherita pizza and the other Hermanas got pasta carbonara which I tried and was probably the best. She gave it a 9/10 for authenticity so I figured that's as close as I'll get until I go visit her in Italy. 

 Then as we were walking back some guy stopped me (somehow he didn't notice the other Hermanas-just me) and in English (was Spanish but was determined to use only English) said "are you from the Mormon church? I love that church! I studied with the boys in Granada. I want to learn again." Hope he's cool and not creepy so I'll keep you updated if he ends up being cool! 

 Also something special about today is a finally debuted my pants! Hermana Mecca did too. Some pics mine don't look too flattering but they're not that bad in real life I promise. I didn't realize how cold my legs were all the time until I wore my pants! 

 Sometimes it's frustrating when you think of everything you should be doing as a missionary that you're not or you try to do but noon shows up (cough cough people who told us they would come to the capacitación H Mecca and I planned and didn't) but the mission is about learning to deal with daily disappointment and trying to find the little adventures. Like when we found a gorgeous historic Barrio in the foothills and the wind was blowing too much for wearing a skirt and it was too confusing to find a single address we wanted to pass by, but it was so gorgeous and so Spanish we weren't even mad jaja. And tip: if you ever accidentally offend a member, they will be appeased with brownies. I'm telling you brownies are the secret here! Convinced!!! 

 Os quiero, 

 Hermana Ritman 

 Contact Information

email: nicole.ritman@myldsmail.net

 Sister Nicole Ritman

Madrid Spain Mission

Avenida de Tenerife, 11

28703 San Sebastian de los Reyes

Madrid, Espana

 Malaga Week 8

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ULpL71c36qcwtFw28

[fadingfartconnoisseur]

Staying at L’Ma Lodge in Morocco

Skoura Valley still has that old-world romance and remains the perfect destination for road-weary travelers looking to unwind and get away from the world.

After a couple nights of glamping in the Sahara desert, we found refuge at L’Ma Lodge– an oasis tucked inside a massive palm grove.

On my latest Moroccan sojourn, I took a detour to check out this gorgeous region and L’Ma Lodge.

Getting to L’Ma Lodge

L’Ma Lodge in Skoura Valley is located between Marrakech and the Algerian border. It’s a four-and-half-hour drive from Marrakech, which is the nearest major city. Most people will stop in the Skoura Valley on their way to of from the Sahara desert.

There are some beautiful sights on the way, and it really gives you a sense of what the country is like outside of the more metropolitan north.

READ MORE: Morocco’s Sahara Desert Glamping Guide

The L’Ma Lodge Hotel

L’Ma means water in Arabic, and it’s an apt name for this lush garden property set in the depths of the desert. The lodge is traditionally built adobe and is set amid the palm groves and fruit trees of Skoura.

The main house, the Maison, features a cozy common living area with lounges, a fireplace, and a terrace. Outside, there is a free-form pool that’s perfect to cool off on during a steamy Moroccan afternoon or lounge beside while you take in the view.

The Rooms at L’Ma Lodge

The intimate Riad at L’Ma Lodge features four bedrooms and three suites. Each room overlooks the olive and fruit trees with the Atlas Mountains in the distance. While it’s a quaint spot, L’Ma Lodge offers all the mod cons like powerful Wi-Fi and air conditioning.

There’s also a traditional Moroccan rooftop terrace to spread out on when you need to get some sun.

The Food at L’Ma Lodge

You definitely won’t want to skip breakfast here! L’Ma offers fresh fruit from its garden along with homemade breads and jams.

For lunch and dinner, you’ll find a good blend of Moroccan and Mediterranean cuisine, so there is something for pretty much everyone. The hotel also caters to any and every type of dietary requirement; all you have to do is give the staff a heads up.

Every meal features fresh Moroccan herbs that are picked daily from the garden. The lodge also brings in its own dates and pomegranates, and everything is ultra fresh and local.

READ MORE: Traditional Foods to Try in Morocco

Activities at L’Ma Lodge

L’Ma Lodge will keep you busy. It offers an incredibly diverse calendar of activities so you can have a blast without even leaving the hotel.

Even if you have time for only one thing, I highly recommend getting to the kitchen for the expert cooking classes. I’m obsessed with Moroccan food—and I’m sure you will be too after checking out this class; it’s the ultimate souvenir.

Another great way to learn something new and soak in the culture is with one of the Arabic language sessions at the lodge.

Treat yourself to a henna session. Or, if you have a competitive streak, head to the boules ground or grab one of the board games.

When you want to unwind, check out the in-house library or the mini studio, which has a guitar and piano. And, whatever you do, look into the day trips. On Mondays, you can visit a local souk (traditional market) and browse for a while; then plan a full day or more to explore the region.

L’Ma is in the heart of a stunning area and it offers excursions to Rose Valley, the almond trees, Dades, and Draa Valley, which means you can really see the best of Morocco from here.

More Information

Hotel: L’Ma Lodge

Location: Skoura Valley, Morocco

Accommodation: Boutique

Price Range: $$

    Shop my Moroccan Style Essentials!

READ NEXT: Itinerary for Two Weeks in Morocco

  Read More

The Ultimate Guide to Traveling by Train in Morocco

Traditional Foods to Try in Morocco

20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit Morocco

Morocco’s Sahara Desert Glamping Guide

The Ultimate Guide to Moving to Morocco

Staying at La Mamounia in Marrakech

Staying at Riad Yasmine in Marrakech

What to Wear in Morocco as a Female Traveler

Spending 24 Hours in Fes, Morocco

The Ultimate Chefchaouen Travel Guide

The Solo Female Traveler’s Guide to Marrakech

The Ultimate Marrakech Travel Guide

What to Pack for a Trip to Morocco

Morocco Outfit Inspiration

Itinerary for Two Weeks in Morocco

Staying at L’Ma Lodge in Morocco is a post from: The Blonde Abroad

via Travel Blogs http://ift.tt/2wWAv7Z

[veganmideats]

Recipe: Hummus 3 Ways

When I was younger, I couldn’t understand everyone’s love of hummus. To me, it was unappealing- a thick, sour paste that emerged from a can or tub, cold. It wasn’t until university when I lived down the street from the Hummus Place (RIP), an Israeli-owned restaurant, that I got it. They served their hummus warm, full of tahini, with optional toppings.

Does that mean hummus is an Israeli dish in origin? Most evidence points to no (and I’ll get to that in a second), but what that experience showed me is that something got lost in hummus’ translation to “American.” Even in Turkey,  the best hummus is found in areas that border Arab countries (or in Arab-owned restaurants).

Like most Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food, most of us like to claim this one as our own. Some food for thought. The word hummus means chickpea in Arabic. The exact name of the dish in Arabic is hummus bin tahini (chickpeas with tahini).  I have found the argument that Plato and Socrates mentioned hummus in their writings. Even though hummus has a strong association with Greek food in the US, I’ve read enough travel anecdotes about not being able to find the dip in the country itself to be suspicious of any claims (also it seems the Greek word for hummus is...hummus).

The most widely accepted theory seems to be that hummus originated in Egypt, as it is referenced as early as the 13th century, but that recipe did not contain more than beans or tahini. Chickpeas have been eaten in the Middle East for 10,000 years and tahini for 4,500. Garlic was available to them, but lemons didn’t arrive for a little bit. Basically, we know two things:

This dish is OLD.

It’s delicious.

I think you’re probably ready for a recipe now…

Hummus is incredibly easy to make. The topping options I’ve given are also incredibly simple. The caveat? This takes time to make. A lot of that time is sitting around waiting for things to soak, marinate, or cook, but it’s still time. It will be hard to go back to store bought hummus after this, though, and you won’t mind the pre-planning.

A note: I love legumes. They don't love me (And now everyone I know-and don’t know-knows it!). This hummus is specially designed to be as easy to digest as possible.   

The seasonings in this recipe are more of a guide. If you like your hummus more garlicky, add more. More lemony? No problem! You can even add some lemon zest! Thinner, thicker? That's up to you, baby.

Ingredients:

Chickpeas (garbanzos), 1 cup, dry*

Reserved cooking water, 1/3-1/2 cup*

Tahini, 1/4 cup

Olive oil, 1-2 tablespoons

Lemons, 1-2

Garlic, 3-5 cloves

Salt, 1 teaspoon (or more to taste)

Turmeric root (optional)

* I recommend cooking your own chickpeas. I truly do. But, if you absolutely can't, you need about three cups canned. Warm them, and their water, on the stove, before making hummus.

* Save whatever cooking water you don't use. Aquafaba is vegan gold!

1.  Rinse your chickpeas and soak them for 24 hours. This shortens cooking time and helps with digestion. Change out the water at least once.

2. Drain and rinse your chickpeas.

3. I add a piece of (peeled) fresh turmeric root to 'peas while they cook. It's optional and you could also add turmeric powder. Again, this is to aid  digestion.

4. Cover the 'peas with water and cook 'til mushy. This will give your hummus the smooth consistency you desire AND, surprise, surprise aids digestion.

5. Drain your chickpeas, but reserve the water.

6. Here's the fun part: removing the skin off all those golden suckers. I try to work quickly so that my 'peas and cooking liquid are still warm by the time I get to hummus assembly. It may seem tedious, but this step will give your hummus that silky smooth texture you're craving (and help you avoid tummy cramps).

7. Now, the order in which you do things next depends on the size of your food processor. If you have a big one, you can toss in:

the 'peas,

turmeric (if you used fresh root),

1/3 cup of the cooking water,

the tahini, one tablespoon of olive oil,

juice of one lemon,

three cloves of garlic,

and salt.

Blend. Taste it and adjust if necessary.

If you have a small processor, like I did, you'll need to add things step by step, which is fine, too!

8. That’s it! One whole day later...you’re done! You can serve your hummus like this...

or try one (or all) of the toppings below:

Toasted pine nuts:

Popular in the West Bank, Palestine. 

Please take a moment to Google the politicization of pine trees in Palestine. The recipe can wait.

Instructions:

Toast pine nuts in a skillet (dry or not)  until golden and sprinkle over hummus. Drizzle with olive oil.

Eggplant Pastirma:

Pastirma (or basturma) is a cured meat, which is popular throughout the Middle East into Eastern Europe. It’s believed to either have been invented in Armenia or  by Central Asian nomadic Turks. Pastirma is a variation on the Turkish word bastrima, which means to press, as pressing the meat is an important part of the original recipe.  Think of my version of a spin on eggplant bacon.

Pastirma is a popular hummus topping in Turkey. It’s often fried in butter or olive oil and poured on top.

Ingredients:

Eggplant, 1 large

Wet:

Date syrup, 1 tablespoon

Soy Sauce (or Tamari), 1 tablespoon

Liquid Smoke, 1 teaspoon

Garlic, 2 cloves

Dry:

Onion powder, ½ teaspoon

Garlic powder, ½  teaspoon

Allspice, ½ teaspoon

Smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon

Chili powder, 1 teaspoon (I used aji amarillo; cayenne would do nicely)

Fenugreek, 1 teaspoon

Cumin seed, 1 teaspoon

Black pepper, ¼  teaspoon (or more, to taste)

Salt, ¼  teaspoon (or more, to taste)

1. Slice your eggplant into bacon-size strips

2. Mix your liquids, either in a bowl or plastic zip-top bag.

3. Mix your spices.

4. Add all ingredients to zip-top bag, roll tightly

5. Place zip-top bag inside another zip-top bag and close with two rubber bands.

6. Refrigerate 12 hours.

7. Place flat on parchment paper.

8. Set oven to 350 ° F (180 °C) and bake for 30 min

9. Lower heat to 300 °F   (150 °C  ) and check every 30 until desired crispiness. My Latest batch baked for 1.5 hours total.

10. Let cool.  Eat as is or...

11. To serve on hummus, break into pieces and fry up with olive oil and sprinkle onto hummus. Drizzle with more olive oil, if you desire.

Duqqa

An Egyptian nut and spice blend.

I'm not sure that duqqa is ever traditionally served with hummus. But it makes a pretty delicious topping, so I'm taking my liberties…

The name duqqa comes from the Egyptian Arabic word “to crush/pound,” which you know, sans food processor...The nuts and seeds in this recipe vary recipe to recipe, person to person, or availability. Feel free to play around! Peanuts and mint are a popular choice in Egypt. Chickpeas could be a nice addition as well. Play around, see what you like.

Ingredients:

Almond, ¼ cup

Hazelnut, ½ cup

Pistachio, ¼ cup

Sesame, ¼ cup

Black sesame, 1 tbs

Cumin seed, ¼ cup

Coriander seed, ⅓ cup

Anise, 1 teaspoon

Salt, 1 teaspoon (or more, to taste)

Black pepper, 1 teaspoon

Aleppo pepper, 1 teaspoon

Za’atar (or Thyme), 1 teaspoon

1.  Toast almonds and hazelnuts in the oven 350 (180) for 5-10 min. Let cool. 

2. Toast sesame and pistachio in a skillet until sesame are golden. Let cool.

3. Take your whole spices and toast them in the skillet until fragrant. Let cool.

4. Coarsely chop hazelnut and almond in a food processor.

5. Add sesame, pistachio, and whole spices, and chop until fine.

6. Transfer to a bowl and add the other spices.

7. Duqqa is delicious mixed with olive oil and served with bread, a nice crust for veggies, tofu, seitan. I can eat it by the spoonful. Store it in the fridge or in an airtight container.

8. As a hummus topping, I've sprinkled a generous helping and drizzled with olive oil.

Enjoy. You’ve earned it.