Jen Maan in Amman

Christmas in Amman in April

Summer weather has finally hit Amman, making my days much happier and enjoyable. I’m still constantly searching for things to keep me busy but given my sorry lack of crafting supplies, I’m limited to what I have on hand, which isn’t much other than felt left over from my calaveras phase. I searched online for felt ornament inspiration and found a treasure trove of ornaments to recreate.

In five days, I’ve managed to crank out an ornament each day. Here’s the menagerie so far:

This is my first one and still my favorite. You can pay to download the pattern from this blog: http://rosylittlethings.com, or you can make up your own template, like I did, adjusting the coat to your tastes. (I didn’t have any little buttons like the inspiration piece, but I did have small pearl beads. I’m loving the little wire hangar that I fashioned out of floral wire).

Here’s the second one. Again, the inspiration came from the same site as above (http://rosylittlethings.com). It’s a deer in case you couldn’t tell–the upper right black dot is an eye and the dot below the eye to the left is a nose. After I finished it, I asked Raj what he thought, “Oh, it’s an elephant!” was his reaction. (Not what I was looking for!) I admit, the perspective of the eye and nose are a tad confusing at first glance, but once you see the face, you get it.

Moving onto ornament number three, it’s a polar bear and the inspiration? You guessed it, the same rosylittlethings.com. He’s cute, but not my favorite. I think he turned out too small.

I was especially proud of this one…that is until Raj’s inquiry, “Is that a donkey?” In case you can’t tell, this is no donkey, but a schnauzer (like our dog, Shanti). I really liked the eyebrows, but Raj said the eyes were “too small.” (I should know by now not to solicit opinions). I found inspiration for just about every dog breed except schnauzers, so I was forced to create a template for this one on my own.

The final ornament, a Matryoshka doll (Russian nesting doll), I found on a blog, My Sparkle, http://mysparkle.blogspot.com/2010/11/matryoshka-doll-ornament.html. Complete instructions and a pattern are on the blog, free. I love how she turned out.

Since we didn’t really celebrate Christmas properly this year (we were in Egypt and our Christmas tree was left behind in storage), I’m anticipating a HUGE Christmas next year to make up for the lost celebration (along with ALL of the other holidays that we didn’t get to celebrate like Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving…).

Baking

Retro Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Cocoa Frosting

Retro Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Icing (from The Back in the Day Cookbook)

[The recipe calls for a chocolate cream cheese icing but I’m using a lower fat recipe from my favorite Penzeys cocoa cake]

Cupcakes:

2 c cake flour
1 1/3 c sugar
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t fine sea salt
2 eggs separated
1 large egg white
1/4 t cream of tartar
3/4 c buttermilk
1/3 c canola oil
1 t vanilla extract
1 c mashed ripe banana (about 2 1/2 large)
1/2 c chocolate chips (I used mini)

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until frothy. Add 1/3 c sugar and whip until soft peaks form. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk cake flour, 1 c sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add half of the buttermilk, the oil, vanilla, and the mashed bananas. Whisk or stir for 1-2 minutes. Add the egg yolks and the rest of the buttermilk, stirring until just combined. Gently fold in the beaten egg whites and chocolate chips.

Line 24 cupcake liners in pans. Use an ice cream scoop and fill about 3/4 way to the top. I had extra batter so made a mini 1 layer cake. You probably have enough batter for 6 more cupcakes, but I didn’t feel like waiting for my pans. Bake at 350 for about 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes.

Penzeys Cocoa Icing:

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup cocoa powder
dash salt
6-8 cups powdered sugar (I only used about 3 cups)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2-3 tbl. hot water

For the icing, cream together the butter and cocoa powder until fluffy. Add dash of salt. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating well. Add the vanilla extract and mix well. Add just enough water to reach your desired consistency. Frost cupcakes.

Living in Amman

Running at the Lowest Place on Earth

Running in Amman is a challenge. Prior to moving here, I ran outside almost everyday, along a beautifully maintained path that paralleled the Potomac River. Here, I can’t really run outside. Sure, I could run with a group that runs on Friday mornings, but then I’m not a social runner (it takes ALL of my concentration and focus just to run, so conversations are out of the question). For me, running in Amman is limited to running on a treadmill. It’s not that bad, but training on a treadmill is difficult, to say the least.

I ran a half marathon (only my second) last Friday down at the Dead Sea. Raj dropped me off at Sport City at 5:00 AM. I boarded a bus at 6:00, and the race began at 7:40. The organization of the race was fabulous, the route was beautiful, and the weather couldn’t have been better! Where else but Jordan will you be able to run alongside camels and donkeys or see goats and sheep across the road?

The plan was to meet Raj at the finish line and then go to one of the hotels to spend the day away floating in the Dead Sea, but that didn’t happen. I ended up telling Raj not to meet me, afraid that the hotels would be booked to capacity thus making my Dead Sea soak a bit too crowded. We’ll be making up for the lost soak in an upcoming weekend when it’s less crowded and when my muscles aren’t as exhausted as they were at the run’s completion. All in all it was a great run (even though the race results aren’t up yet), well worth the hours of monotonous training on the treadmill!

Taken just a week before the race at the Dead Sea with friends

Baking

Easter Bunny Buns and Orange Rolls

In Jordan, we get to celebrate TWO Easters, Western (Catholic and Protestant) Easter (last Sunday, April 8th) and Greek Orthodox Easter (April 15th). I didn’t do much for Easter, Part I, so I plan on making these adorable Bunny Buns for Easter Part II, this upcoming Sunday (thanks to my sister for emailing me the pics and recipe).

Easter Bunny Buns and Orange Rolls

1 package active dry yeast
1/4 c warm water
1 c milk, warmed but not boiling
5 1/2 cups flour
1/3 c sugar
1/2 c butter
1 t salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c orange juice
2 T grated orange zest

Glaze: 2 c powdered sugar, 1/4 c milk or water, 1 t softened butter, splash of orange juice and vanilla extract

Sprinkle yeast in warm water, set aside.

In another bowl mix milk, softened butter, sugar and salt. Cool until lukewarm, then add eggs, water with yeast, orange juice and orange zest.

Stir in flour a few cups at a time to make a soft dough. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Put in Kitchen Aid and use dough hook to knead for 5-10 minutes. Alternately this can be done by hand on a lightly floured board. When it is smooth and elastic, place in a large greased bowl. Turn to coat the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and put in a warm place. Let rise for 2 hours or until double in size. Punch down dough and let stand for 10 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle 1/2 inch thick about 30 by 10 inches. Cut dough in half if making rolls and bunnies, otherwise make all into bunnies.

For the bunny half, use a pizza cutter to cut about 14 one half-inch strips. Save one strip to roll into circles for the bunnies’ tummies.

Roll strips between hands into rounded snake shapes.

Place one long piece of dough onto a foil or Silpat lined baking sheet. Place one end of the strip over the other to make a loop; bring the end that is underneath up and cross it over with the other end. Place a ball of dough on top of the bottom loop.

Cover bunnies and let rise in a warm place 45-60 minutes until nearly double in size. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.

For glaze, stir together glaze ingredients and frost while still warm. I use mini chocolate chip eyes, an upside down heart sprinkle for a nose and 4 sprinkles for whiskers.

Orange Marmalade Rolls:

Makes about 17

Grease 2 disposable cake pans

Use the other half of bunny dough. It should be rolled out thin about 30 by 10 inches. Coat the dough with about 3 tablespoons of melted butter. Spread about 1/4 cup of orange marmalade. I used homemade Clementine marmalade. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup light brown sugar all over. Roll the long side towards you. Pinch the seams together. I use a pastry cutter to divide the log in half. I then cut each half into about 7-8 pinwheels. Arrange the rolls cut side down in the greased pans. Allow rolls to rise before baking. Bake at 375 for 17-20 minutes. Take out when golden brown and frost with the powdered sugar glaze.

Adults and children alike will be very glad that you made these orange yeast wonders for them 🙂

Travels

Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, Over the Wall

We finished lunch in Jerusalem, boarded another bus (seven vans/buses throughout the day) that whisked us out of Jerusalem towards Bethlehem to the Church of the Nativity, the last stop of the day.

In case you didn’t know, Bethlehem is in the West Bank, meaning our guide, an Israeli citizen, was unable to escort us across the border (think border crossing into Mexico) because of his passport (no entry for Israeli’s). (On the way out of Bethlehem, we had to go through immigration and had to show our passports for exit back into Jerusalem). At the border (a massive separation wall), our tour group was handed off to a Palestinian tour guide who walked us though a never ending, snaking corridor that led out onto the other side of the imposing wall. From here we hopped into yet another van, which eventually dropped us off at the Church of the Nativity, the birth place of Jesus.

Entrance to Main Hall of the Church of the Nativity

The 5 cross 'Jerusalem Cross' or 'Crusaders Cross' representing the five wounds of Jesus

From the outside, the church looks more like a medieval fortress. The entrance to the church (called the Door of Humility), once grand, was lowered by Crusaders to prevent mounted horsemen from entering, so you have to stoop down to enter.

Once inside, the church is light and spacious. There are fragments of mosaics flanking the walls and in the center of the church on the floor are lifted-up wooden panels revealing the church’s original 4th-century mosaic floors.

The line to get into the Grotto of the Nativity was massive so our tour guide did some fancy finagling and got us all front of the line passes (on the sly) much to the chagrin of those who had waited (patiently) in line. (I’d be mad too if I was them). The “exact” spot that marks the birth of Jesus (and the cause of the massive line) is marked by a fourteen-pointed star (this star also boasts the dubious honor of being the cause of the Crimean War). We missed the Chapel of the Manger (where Christ was laid) and the Altar of the Adoration of the Magi (where the Wise Men are believed to have adored the infant Jesus) somewhere down in this same vicinity, but line cutters can’t be choosers (or get too greedy). We were given seconds to see and snap shots and told to surface as quickly as possible (hence, the pictures are a little fuzzy).

A small door in the main church leads to an adjoining courtyard and (Roman Catholic) Church of Saint Catherine (built in 1881). This is the church where Christmas Eve Midnight Mass is televised throughout the world.

Mass going on in the Church of St. Catherine

This was the conclusion of our tour of the Church of the Nativity. We got back into a van and were escorted once again to do more shopping at another ‘certified’ shop. Raj was able to work his haggling-magic one last time, enabling us to purchase some beautifully hand-carved olive wood serving bowls.

Travels

Jerusalem Syndrome

Our tour guide/comedienne wryly dismissed the feverish singing, prostrating, and otherwise excessive displays of religious fervor that we witnessed throughout the day as ‘Jerusalem Syndrome.’ I can see where one might become afflicted with such a syndrome given Jerusalem’s historical, biblical and cultural significance. In fact, I felt a twinge of it this day while traipsing the Via Dolorosa, walking the ‘Path of the Cross,’ contextualizing the Stations of the Cross as a physical route rather than merely text read during the Lenten season. Regardless of your religious views or beliefs, visiting these sites is powerful and awe-inspiring.

We toured a lot in a short amount of time, making it difficult to digest each landmark, marker, and site, yet a trip like this is something that will stay with me through the years, increasing my appreciation of the privilege of having visited such an important place.

I’ll cut to the chase and give you a photographic chronology of what we saw along with each site’s significance, in case you’re interested.

Mt. Scopus: First stop on the tour was Mt. Scopus, offering great views of the area.

The Mount of Olives (about three minutes by van from Mt. Scopus): Here there’s a great view of the whole of Jerusalem, especially the Temple Mount. Below the crest of the hill is the Mount of Olives Jewish cemetery (the biggest and oldest in the world). To the right of hill where we stood to take pictures, is the Grotto of Gethsemane, the spot where the disciples rested while Jesus prayed, and where Judas kissed him.

Gethsemane to the right (the grassy area)

The Wailing Wall: The main attraction in the Jewish Quarter is the ancient retaining wall of the Temple Mount. The men’s side is HUGE, about three times that of the women’s side. People write prayers, thoughts, hopes, etc. on small slips of paper and place them in crevices in the wall. Raj wrote something down (he wouldn’t tell me what; it’s secret) and placed it into the wall on the men’s side.

Walking toward the Temple Mount to the Wailing Wall

Via Dolorosa: The “Way of the Cross” is the path taken by Jesus to his crucifixion. Along this route are nine stations of the cross (the 10th-14th being inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre); Our guide pointed out three, each with a small chapel attached. As you can see from the pictures, there are lots of great shopping opportunities for a philistine, like myself to become easily distracted. It was difficult racing after the guide when I wanted to stop and have Raj bargain for me. We were assured that there would be shopping…just not yet.

Walking along the Via Dolorosa (a modern-day shopping bazaar)

Walking upstream as people are on their way to mosque

Church of the Holy Sepulchre: This is the church generally ascribed as the site of Christ’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. Within this church are the last five Stations of the Cross. (10th: Jesus was stripped of his clothes; 11th: He was nailed to the cross; 12th: Where he died on the cross; 13th: Where his body was removed from the cross; 14th: His tomb; The 10th-13th stations are all on the Hill of Calvary (a quick right as you enter the church and up about 20 narrow steps), the final one (down the step and into the center of the church), the tomb, is the centerpiece of the church.)

The "Immovable Ladder" above the entrance. (It's been here since before 1852 and is related to an Armenian and Greek dispute over the ownerships of the ledge and windows. It cannot be removed until the dispute is resolved, despite the fact that the ladder has since rotted and must be replaced.)

Entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

On the Hill of Calvary, the Altar of Crucifixion??? I'm not sure. Too many people were here to linger.

The Stone of Anointing, where Jesus is said to have been anointed before burial

FINALLY, a shopping break: As promised, we were escorted to our first shopping break, a shop that was certified in something–not quite sure what (everything bought came with a certificate of authenticity). Raj was in good form this day, prepared to bargain. Here are the fruits of his labor.

…and all of this was before lunch. After lunch we were headed for part two, Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity.

Travels

“Jerusalem Prays, Tel Aviv Plays”

View from Savoy Hotel balcony overlooking the Mediterranean Sea

View in the opposite direction from hotel

The saying “Jerusalem prays, Tel Aviv plays” seems to be an apt description after our weekend away in Israel. We spent two nights in Tel Aviv with some friends of ours visiting from the States, enjoying beautiful weather, great accommodations and excellent food, in a relaxed beach atmosphere, in between sightseeing in Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

I love visiting open air markets which provide a glimpse and taste of the local flavor. We stumbled upon the market (Carmel Market, open sunrise to sunset) while driving en route to the hotel, serendipitously a few blocks away from our hotel. The market sells everything from clothing, knockoff designer purses, knick knacks, to fruit, vegetables, fresh fish and chickens. We picked up some Israeli wine along with chicken schwarma, olives, cheese, bread, and halva (a new obsession of mine–ground up sesame seeds and sugar, some with chocolate, or pistachios, along with countless other varieties. It’s a dessert with an interesting texture), which made for a great meal on our first night.

Crafting

Blizzard Crafting–Spring Calaveras Garland

Two weekends ago, Raj and I were trapped in the house for an ENTIRE weekend. Suffering from a serious case of cabin fever with nothing to do, nowhere to go and an empty larder, I searched high and low for something/anything to make. Here’s what I came up with…a springtime garland of calaveras.

Here are some pictures of the BLIZZARD. Perhaps the word blizzard is a tad hyperbolic, but there was snow on the ground for two days–a blizzard by Jordan standards.

Back to crafting. Calaveras (skulls, more specifically, Day of the Dead sugar skulls) make great decorations year round, right? I think they do, but know many others think that skulls are creepy, best relegated to Halloween decor. Regardless of your take on skulls as decor, I have TOO many hanging around our house in Amman (does this reflect my state of mind?) so I made these lovelies with the intention of giving them away to my sister who complimented the Valentine’s Day one’s.

Let’s take a moment to acknowledge what a NICE and GENEROUS sister I am. Remember the handmade doll that I bought for Nicole in Petra? (See picture below.) In response to comments that the doll on the left (the less cute of the two) should go to my sister, Nicole (known as NTP on comments) posted, “Why don’t you ask (your commentors) who the nicer sister is?” Sounds kind of snippy, huh? Maybe she doesn’t deserve the doll OR the garland? It’s so difficult being the younger, prettier, nicer sister…(j/k…a little).

The doll from Petra en route to Nicole (aka the less cute doll).

Unlike the Valentine’s Day garland, this garland is made entirely of female skulls (not a moustached one in the bunch) in softer hues of felt (due in part to the fact that I was running low on black floss and ran out of black felt). I’d like to keep this strand as well as the doll; I mean they’re both part of a collection now, but in keeping with the generous sister that I am, I’ll part with both.

Eating, Living in Amman, Travels

A View Fit for a King–Dead Sea Panoramic Center

Last week we had a blizzard (ALL weekend long); this week a heat wave. Last week we hibernated, ate too much and complained about our luck–the weather in DC was WAY warmer than here in the DESERT; this week we promised ourselves that we would get OUT of the house and enjoy Jordan. We hashed a plan last Saturday, in the midst of the blizzard (after checking out the upcoming forecast–it said it was going to be sunny and hot) and decided to hike the Soapmaker’s Trail in Ajloun. What I love about this trail is that at the end of it–and it’s only a two-hour hike–there’s a soap factory AND gift store (part of RSCN’s (Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature) efforts to help support the local economy). So you’re basically hiking to a store. Love it!

We packed our daypack with water and trail mix and were all set to leave until we searched for directions. Upon searching, we noticed that the trails in Ajloun DO NOT open until April 1st. We called to make sure this was right and were told ‘inshallah, we will open April 1.”

In front of the entrance to museum and stores

Plan B. We decided to go to another RSCN location–the Dead Sea Panoramic Complex. As the RSCN website describes it:

“Perched at the edge of the Zara mountain range, between Ma’in hot springs and the Dead Sea basin, the Dead Sea Panoramic Complex offers some of the most spectacular views in the Kingdom. From the observation terrace you can absorb breathtaking vistas over the Jordan Rift Valley and Dead Sea basin and you can dine in style watching sunrise or sunset over the mountains of the Holy Land. There is also a large and fascinating museum devoted to the natural and cultural history of the Dead Sea, a Nature Shop and a range of other attractions and activities suitable for both adults and children.”

The place is stunning–both architecturally and view-wise. It would be a perfect venue for a wedding with the views and the restaurant…but I don’t know anyone getting married, so nevermind. Best of all–there was hardly ANYONE else there, so we had the restaurant almost exclusively to ourselves.

The restaurant, “Arabic style with a hint of Lebanese” is operated by Evason Ma’in Hot Springs (a neighboring hotel/resort that we haven’t stayed at…yet). The food was amazing! Generally I stick to my favorites, shish tawouk or mixed grill, but feeling a bit crazy (perhaps from all of the glorious sunshine), I ordered something new–musakhkhan (chicken seasoned with sumac, an abundant amount of onions and served on top of pita that soaks up all of the chicken juices and oniony flavors). It was served on a hot griddle placed on a wood serving piece (similar to Mexican fajitas). [I wasn’t sure what sumac was, so I looked it up–it’s a spice made from the ground dried berries of a bush that grows wild throughout the Middle East. Sumac has a sour and vaguely lemony taste.] We also ordered a cold mezza–hummos Beiruty–chickpeas, tahini, hot paprika, parsley, and fava beans.

The Panoramic center has a lovely museum and TWO stores: one is a Rivage, Dead Sea product store–you can buy these product anywhere, AND the RSCN store. I love RSCN products–the teas, soaps, jewelry…too many choices so I got overwhelmed and bought nothing. I’m saving my money for the day when we hike the Soap Maker’s Trail and end at the soap factory that sells the soaps that are sold at stores like the Panoramic Center.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Travels

Exploring the Other Side of the Dead Sea–Masada

Masada is the single-most visited archaeological site in Israel. It’s a massive fortress built on top of a rugged rocky crag towering over the Dead Sea. Jonathan the Maccabee first built a fortress here in 150 BC and it was later enlarged by Herod the Great. Masada is best known for its role in the Jewish War (66-70 AD) when it was an outpost of Jewish resistance against the Romans.

Most visitors here make the pilgrimage to watch the sunrise. We couldn’t book a hotel near enough to make this possible, so we summited in the mid-morning sun, which was fine because it was a great day for it–not too hot. (There’s only one hotel/hostel inside the National Park. If you can’t book a room here, the closest option is about thirty minutes away. Warning: stay away from the Oasis Hotel!). There are three routes to the top of Masada: a cable car (similar to Palm Sprigs’ tram), the Snake Path and the Roman Path. We wanted to hike/walk and took the Snake Path, which was a relatively easy hike that switch-backs up the mountainside along a well maintained trail. It took us a leisurely hour with plenty of water and photo breaks to make it to the top (although I imagine that if you’re hiking in the summer, it has to be much more difficult).

Once you arrive to the top, you are immediately rewarded with stunning 360 degree views of the Dead Sea, the surrounding valley and the remains of the fortress and Herod’s fabulous palace clinging to the edge of the cliff.

The lower terrace of Herod's Northern Palace

In the lower terrace of the Northern Palace

Once you descend, the visitor center is a great place to grab lunch (with an accompanying glass of wine) and to shop–they have a great selection of Dead Sea products and foodstuffs, i.e. honey, wine, spices, teas…(Sorry Nicole, I didn’t buy you anything, nor did I buy myself anything. I was too tired from the hike to shop).

This slideshow requires JavaScript.