A new start

So I'm in Beirut now, and I still haven't posted my long post. Man, I have no word.

Well...

That only means I will be posting more for this location, and add to that the fact that I still have some things to post about Palestine.

That should make things a little more exciting for you guys.

In the meantime, have some Labaneh! It has been the discovery of the past month for me. Hmmmm it's amazing - and I still get some here in LEB.

Description:
Amazing, tastes like goat cheese !



Labaneh is yogurt cheese, a wonderful invention for everything from pasta to sandwich spread. It takes a minimum of 8 hours to drain the yogurt, transforming it into cheese, and the cheese can be refrigerated for several days. More than once, it has taken 2 days for the yogurt to drain to the desired thickness, so plan accordingly. Minimal time for preparing the yogurt cheese is included in the cook time.

Ingredients:
2 cups nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 clove garlic (optional)

Directions:
1. Line a strainer with 2 layers of cheesecloth; place the strainer over a bowl and pour the yogurt into the strainer; set aside at room temperature for at least 8 hours or until very, very thick.

2. If using the garlic, push it through a garlic press and stir into the thickened labaneh.

3. Refrigerate.


Thanks for you patience,

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

The West Bank

My pictures in the West Bank

It's been a bit of a rocky ride. I do have a long post I want to put up - I'm still working on it. In the meantime, have a look at the West Bank, this much contested area of Palestine.

It's hauntingly beautiful, even though I don't think I've been quite able to render it.


The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Melancholy

Someone told me recently that melancholy is being happy to be sad, a relished chagrin. Mayhap. Then if it is, I am not melancholic - I am merely sad, and nostalgic.

Naya left today. We promised each other to meet again, in her country or in mine, or maybe even in another one which hasn't yet been decided. Yet, I am sad,because it is rather possible I may never see her again.

Sisters in arms, that is what we were. She and I have worked in Aceh, in Burundi, twice in Haiti, now here in Palestine, and she is no longer one of the troopers who do this job. With her gone, I lost a friend, a co-worker, a confidante. I trusted her (I still do) more than anyone I worked with.

Now, I am lonely and lonesome - and uninterested in socializing for it.

I am brooding, and it is no where close to fun.

PS. Sorry I haven't updated as much as usual. Pix on Flickr to make y'all forgive me. See the link on the side bar.

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !