Monday, April 28, 2008

Does this picture make you hungry?

Does this picture make you hungry?
Stuffed grape leaves seem to be everyone's favorite around here. I love them too, but making them for a family of 7 takes me all day. I do enjoy spending an hour or so picking the leaves in the morning. They are so fresh and green in the spring. This picture is from about a week ago, when they were still way over my head.
Spring ended fast this year. It was in the upper 90's Fahrenheit (36C) a few days ago. Most of the pretty wildflowers have finished.
When I lived in Pennsylvania, I remember Queen Anne's Lace blooming in the late summer, but here it blooms early, because it may not rain again until fall. If it does, it will only be a little. I already miss the rain.

5 comments:

Umm Ibrahim said...

Masha'Allah I am sure the waraq inab tastes way better made with fresh leaves rather than the ones in brine!
As for the rain... missing it too! I think it rained something like... twice here in Riyadh this year! Maybe three times but really nothing to shout about. Dh was in Austria and couple of weeks ago and loving the rain and I was jealous, lol!

Um Nour/Hollie Moore said...

Assalm alykom Carol:

I love the blog. The flowers are breath taking. I loove flowers and am always camera ready to snap a picture of a beautiful flower. With all the madness there, it is nice to see you stop and smell the roses! May Allah make things easy on you and your family. I added you to my favorites and it is nice to see your words around again.

Um Nour

Susie of Arabia said...

Wow! I don't think I have ever had FRESH grape leaves! They look so beautiful - do they grow right in your yard? How cool! Making them can be so tedious, but they are so worth it.
Not a drop of rain here in Jeddah until 4 months after my arrival, and even then, the "rainy" season was pitiful, after living in Florida for so many years!

UmmFarouq said...

Love the waraq aynab, hate making them, but once I get going on them I'm glad I did it; I just need a 'rolling buddy;' hate doing it alone.

Yours are lovely! MashaAllah. Our daliah is only 4 years old so we're still newbies.

alajnabiya said...

Assalaamu 'alaikum,

Stranger in this dunya: Yes, the fresh is always best. I think the commercially preserved ones always tasted odd, salty. Rain twice a year? I am so totally not made for life in Saudia! I couldn't stand the heat and lack of greenery. It's too brown here.

Um Nour: Ahalan wa sahalan, and thanks for the du'a. Stopping to smell the roses isn't just an idle pastime, it's my way of trying to hold on to my sanity. That's also why I am trying to blog. I've missed talking to you too.

Susie: That's my front yard in the second picture, plus there are grape vines around the back and sides of the house. We rent the house and land though, so it's not really ours.

Umm Farouq: I hate doing them alone too, but my daughters are always so busy these days. But I really need help because my fingers are slow and clutzy.