How I improvised with McQueen!

Another day in Riyadh - I'm late for a meeting over in the Diplomatic Quarter ( The DQ) - its about 45 mins from where i live... I rush out of the house clutching my handbag, breakfast and abaya.... 20 minutes later I realised I had no headscarf...

Luckily i was wearing my gorgeous Alexander McQueen Black/white Skulls scarf .... in Saudi every female must wear an abaya outside their house or compound and have a headscarf - a lot of Western Ladies choose not to wear the headscarf on their heads but just around their neck and mostly this is quite acceptable

So I had my meeting in the DQ ( no abayas have to be worn here!) and then jumped back in the car to head to one of the shopping Malls to return some items purchased 2 days before ( No changing rooms in Saudi in most stores so you can't try anything on and have 3 days to return for a full refund...).

I started off with the scarf around my neck

and ended up wearing it over my head - how versatile is McQueen!!

Available in loads of colour ways - I'm loving the pink from Matches Perfect for summer!

SAND

I love the beach and could happily spend everyday there for ever - I don't mind the sand at all BUT the sand in the desert is so not nice

For the past week the weather has been totally pants - every day the sky is sand colour, no sun and baking hot - then the wind picks up and the sand is everywhere...

All of this sand on the verandah was in a 12 hour period - the workers here are given those funny little masks to wear  - it gets right into your lungs YUCK i never though I would say this but I HATE (desert) SAND!

This is the view across the desert from our roof - usual you can see sand and desert for miles but yesterday evening it was just misty with sand.

Before I arrive out here a friend told me not to expect to get a suntan living in Riyadh - I thought he was bonkers but didn't question him as he'd lived out here for years - he warned me that most days in the Summertime were sandy ...silly me didn't believe him - but he is right. On sandy days ( of which there have been many recently) we don't see the sun at all !

I am so looking forward to returning to Europe for the Summer in 2 weeks to see greenery, blue skies, wind swept beaches and probably some rain!!

Here are some memories of last summer in England...

Beautiful Lavender in our garden attracting all the bees!

A lovely Summer's day - see how green!

I can't wait to come home!!

Just in case I was being a little unfair on Riyadh - winter skies here are fabulous!!!

Kingdom Tower in the Sunshine ( without sand or filter!)

Peanut Butter

It is well known to my family and friends that I LOVE peanut butter and anything to do with peanut butter.  At home we always have a selection in the cupboards - some for cooking some for eating with Gluten free toast and some for eating from a spoon!!

These are the current occupiers....

I found some amazing recipes from another serious peanut butter addict ( also called Sam!) have a look at her blog here - Iamintothis.com there's even a recipe for your own peanut butter - Next on my list!!

I said I would post my recipe for Peanut Butter Blondies ( I bought a packet of these in Wholefoods in London last time I was home and HAD to make some!!) Everytime I make them I mean to take some photos but I get too carried away!  Vijay my fabulous cook makes them every time I go back to London so I can take a batch for the kids - they really are so yummy AND most importantly GLUTEN FREE ( I am a coeliac)

So here's the recipe but no pics!

Gluten Free White Chocolate & Peanut Butter Blondies
125g of Gluten Free Flour ( I recommend Doves Farm)
1 tspoon GF baking powder
100g Butter ( I like unsalted..)
150g Crunchy Peanut butter
175g light brown sugar ( muscavado makes it very fudge like!)
1 egg, beaten
1 tspoon vanilla extract
75g Good quality white Chocolate ( If you live in Saudi - Carrefour's own brand is best!!)\

1. Preheat oven 170c/Gas Mark 3
2. Butter 20 x 20 cm square tin and line with Grease proof paper
3. Sift GF Flour and GF baking powder into bowl
4. Seperate Large bowl cream the butter, peanut butter until soft - add the brown sugar, beaten egg and vanilla extract. Beat together until well mixed.
5. Add the flour mix and chopped up white chocolate. Mix into a dough
6. Spread evenly into the greased tin and bake for approx 25 mins - the top should be brown and inside should be soft!!

EAT slowly!!


Another top peanut butter recipe has to be the The Londoner's Peanut Butter Jelly Bars have a look HERE  They really are scrummy and so easy - my daughter makes these when she wants me to take her shopping!!! I use The Londoner's recipes frequently.. see another blog post HERE on chocolate!

Now feeling very Hungry!!

Help Required ...Pilates Classes?

So my lovely pilates teacher Cynthia is away from Riyadh on a course for 10 days and I am at a loss without my 3-4 classes a week (especially as DH is travelling) and there seems to be nothing but sandstorms and windy hot days...

Even a sun lounger ended up in the pool yesterday

So I have been searching for other Pilates studios and /or classes and have come up with very little. So Sunday I went to Stability Ball class in my local gym ( I now remember how unco-ordinated I can be!) It was fun so I will go again next week. Yesterday I tried Aqua-fit - HILARIOUS I really am so un co-ordinated ....or maybe it just takes me a while to understand HOW to do the exercise. Anyway I really enjoyed the hour long class ( only 3 ladies in the class!) and we laughed a lot until we had to walk home in the dark in the sandstorm!

Today I will do a few POPSugar workouts I have been saving up! If you haven't found Popsugar Fitness yet have a look here they have concentrated intense 10 minute workouts for different parts of the body on their website - their arms with weights is great and one of my faves ....

If anyone knows of good Pilates teachers/classes in Riyadh or North Norfolk ( for the summer!) PLEASE email me!

Its been a while

So the children have been here for half term - the thought of 8 days with them was just lovely!

We anxiously waited for them at the airport - they kept changing their gate number - I'm still nervous when they fly solo!!

It really is just so FAB when you see them emerging from the aircraft - we have the most wonderful "fixer" / broker who always smoothes our entrance/exit into Riyadh and the children were whisked into VIP lounge and into the car within 10 minutes of the flight parking!

We had so much planned - including every morning devoted to revision for their school exams  the week they returned to school... also a quick trip with them to Bahrain for a little bit of the seaside...Best laid plans and all that....

M was sick for 6 of the 8 days she was here :( so we didn't do much as she couldn't leave the house!!

She did however have a couple of days revising...

I just hope their mext trip is illness free - Riyadh is so dusty and hot just now the sand gets into your lungs and easily makes you sick - she lost 7lbs whilst she was here ( and she doesn't have 7lbs extra on her!!) so will needing feeding up over the summer hold which are being spent in Europe as Riyadh will hot 50 degrees C (122deg F) soon and that really is just TOO HOT!

Darling Boy knew how sad I was when they had to leave ( DH flew to London with them so I was left all alone in Riyadh)... I went to bed  that night very sad and very tired ( 2am) to see this on my bedroom mirror....