Roller coaster

Time flies. Wow, that phrase really defines my life right now. I'm about to start my 7th week of living and working in Dubai. Of course I planned to post regular updates about all of the exciting things I have been doing, people I have been meeting, and most importantly......food I have been eating (duh)! Then I realized that waking up at 4 or 5 in the morning, studying, and dealing with general situations in life that my angelic parents used to handle, leaves little to no room for writing about my new life. 

The good news is that I've managed to catch a small break, so now I'm scrambling to summarize everything I've been wanting to share. I'm thinking that a good place to start is with the title. Why roller coaster? Well because that is exactly what this whole experience has been for me. Before I arrived in Dubai I was on a high about getting here... but I was so focused on getting here that I didn't really consider what was going to happen when I actually GOT here. As you can imagine I had a minor (major) meltdown in classical Jessica style. Thankfully, this unsure, unconfident and frightened feeling disappeared within the first 2 weeks and now the roller coaster is moving really really really quickly with lots of ups, downs, loops and twirls along the way.

My most favourite part of my experience so far has been the amazing people I have met along the way. I can honestly say that I have made some lifelong friends since I've been here. Not much else to say on that.. my batchmates are awesome, my trainers have been outstanding and most of the people I've encountered in general are so very nice. Obviously there are some exceptions to the rule, but there must be in order to keep things interesting :) I haveeeee to shout out my lovely Costa people. Costa is a cafe/restaurant that we have at training college and I go there so often (cough like many times a day cough) that the people working there call me Miss Jessica!

The training has been one of the most intense things I have ever been through. I have so much respect for my batchmates whose first language is not English. They are truly stars! Let's just say the rate at which information is presented to us, along with the new terminology makes things quite difficult, which is why I'm so so so so so so thankful for the wonderful trainers and the amazingness that is my batch. It really helps with the whole waking up before the crack of dawn every day thing I have going  on! A few situations that we have been trained to handle on board are turbulence, decompression, planned emergency evacuation/ditching, unplanned emergency evacuation/ditching, fires on board, medical emergencies, disruptive passengers, child birth on board, how to handle a hijacking situation and how to perform basic life support (CPR) - to name a few.

Dubai is a really nice place. When you Google search it, all you will see is skyscrapers, fancy cars, artificial islands, and the Burj Al Arab. All of this is totally amazing and it is the first thing you will want to experience when you come to this place. One of my South African friends and I always say that everything in Dubai is so "grand"... literally everything. If you go to Tim Hortons in Dubai Mall its like the fanciest Tim Hortons ever. But there is so much more to Dubai than the skyscrapers! There are the souks, the beautifulllll mosques, the abra rides, the majilis, arabic coffee and ah-may-zing dates, food from all over the world, and I have to mention this...lots and lots of taxis. There are so many options when it comes to things to do here.. I really do think that there is something for everyone. Also as a side note, Dubai has a very obvious smell.. I call it the Dubai Smell (through long creative thinking). Sometimes I think its gross and other times I don't mind it but I'm pretty sure that like with everything else, I will be used to it soon. 

I'm supposed to finish training in about 2 weeks and then my life is going to change again. Sometimes (almost always) I still can't believe that I am actually here. I didn't want to make the post toooo long, so I hope that I didn't do that and I hope that I can make the time to update this more regularly. If you read all of my babbling until the end you are AWESOME (!!) and I hope you have a nice day/night/evening/morning/afternoon (time difference problems).

XO

Reverse Inspiration

I have been MIA, main reason being that I've been swamped with school in an unreal way. I like to give the things that I care about my all, so in giving school my all, I can't find the time to give my baby blog my 100 (and 10), so I just put it on the back burner till I have time to do a proper post. This got me thinking about deeper things because I am guilty as charged when it comes to over-analysing e v e r ything! 

Anyway, I decided that I wanted to write a little something about quitting. Hence the title, since quitting isn't really inspirational and we are never really encouraged to quit. But some experiences that I had earlier this year taught me that sometimes quitting/giving up can be an option, no matter how much you'd like to think that you are the furthest thing from a quitter.

To make a looong story short, I entered a competition for all the wrong reasons and after some time, I knew that I was not enjoying it in the way that I should be. We were always reminded to "have fun!" with everything that came with this experience and I couldn't help but cringe every time I heard those words because I was having anything but fun. This was no one's fault but my own, because I had gotten myself into something that I knew I couldn't handle, but still took on, because I figured that it couldn't be thaaaaat bad.

When I realised that I was turning into the kind of person that no one wanted to be around I knew it was time to do the one thing I pride myself on never doing: quit. It was the kind of decision that took a long time to make, but I knew what the final verdict would be from the time I started weighing the options, the problem was that I had to face the fact that this was the verdict. It didn't help that I would disappoint a lot of people in the process, but I knew that I had to put myself first in this particular situation. 

So I have written this post to say that sometimes quitting can be good. Sometimes, as a person, you are in a circumstance/situation/competition that isn't for you, and deep down you know how much happier and complete you would be without it. It is in those situations that quitting isn't so bad and you can just be thankful for the learning experience of the whole thing. Life is too precious and fragile to do things that you really don't have to do for reasons that aren't even good ones to begin with. Do what makes you happy, it really is that simple.

“Quitting is not giving up, it's choosing to focus your attention on something more important. Quitting is not losing confidence, it's realizing that there are more valuable ways you can spend your time. Quitting is not making excuses, it's learning to be more productive, efficient and effective instead. Quitting is letting go of things (or people) that are sucking the life out of you so you can do more things that will bring you strength.” 

- Osayi Osar-Empokae, Impossible Is Stupid

Some Pretty Amazing Cinnamon Rolls

This post is long overdue and I'm sorrrryy! But I promise the wait has been worth it and this is why:

"Any word I use would be an understatement because that's how good they were…too good for words!" 

Some people don't like being in the kitchen.............................................well, I think you're cray but I also respect that everyone is different :-). For me, cooking/baking is relaxing and almost therapeutic. I love when things come out just right and when something doesn't, I just rack it up as a learning experience and try again. 

You know those kind've people that will slave all day in the kitchen and then when its time to eat all of the yummy stuff, they just don't feel to? Yeah, I'm not one of "them" in any way…at all…like ever. Well, the first time I made these I turned into one of "them". When the cinnamon rolls were ready, I didn't even try the icing! Instead of eating 3 like I usually would, (for quality control purposes of course) I just took them to the lime - Caribbean slang for get together/hang out - that I was going to unknowing of how good/bad/ugly they were.

Thankfully they were great (!!!!!) and I have made them a couple of times since and I hope that if you try to make them you enjoy the long process as much as I do and that your tasters are as impressed as mine were.

So I just said that this is a process and it is definitely that, not a difficult one, but still a process nonetheless. So if you don't have about 4 hours to spare then you should probably save making them for when you do have that kind of time. Rushing and cooking is not a good combination and only results in a bad mood when you inevitably make silly mistakes.

So here you go. Cinnamon Rolls that I got from Sweetopolita. She called them "Cinnabon-Style Gourmet Cinnamon Buns". I didn't change much if anything at all but I want to go through the steps with photos because visuals make everything seem a little more possible. I know, I'm the best :D.

Ingredients

Dough

1 (7g) package of instant dry yeast

1 cup whole milk, warm (not boiling hot!)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup margarine (I use Sunflower)

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup bread flour (I use Waitrose)

Filling

1 cup packed light brown sugar

3 - 4 tablespoons of cinnamon (depends on how cinnamon-y you like it)

1/3 cup margarine, softened

Frosting

1/2 cup cream cheese (used both Philadelphia and IGA - both worked fine), softened 30 mins

1/2 cup margarine, softened 30 mins

1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups icing sugar sifted (depends how sweet you like it)

I teaspoon vanilla flavour

1/8 teaspoon lemon flavour

Instructions

The first thing you're going to do is get 1 cup of milk and put it in the microwave for about 30-35 seconds, when you touch the milk it shouldn't burn you but it should definitely be warm. 

Pour the milk in a large bowl and add the yeast. This is what its going to look like when you give it a stir:

After about 5 minutes it should look like this:

Next up you add the sugar, margarine, eggs and salt. Mix it up until it looks like this:

(Not very appetizing at all)

Now you're going to add the flour. I sieve my flour while I add it because it will make the finished products even more light at fluffy. When everything is combined, dust your hands with some flour and knead the dough into a large ball.

Remember you're just bringing the dough together. You do not want to overwork it. Now this is the part where you cover the dough and let it rise for about an hour. This hour is a great opportunity to clean up a little and check Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and your phone. Oh and its also a good time to prepare the filling. To do this you just combine the brown sugar and cinnamon until it looks like this:

When the hour is up and your dough has gotten a little bigger its time to get rolling! Roll your dough into a big rectangle on a lightly floured surface. It should be about 1/4 inch thick (approximately). Be patient when rolling the dough and really try to maintain the rectangular shape. It can be kind of frustrating at times but once again, beee patient!

When you've finished rolling the dough its time to start assembling the rolls! The first thing you're going to do is spread 1/3 cup of softened margarine over the surface of the dough. Then, sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture on top, leaving about 1 inch untouched around the edges.

Gently roll the dough and make sure its tight!

Get a sharp knife and slice the large cinnamon roll into pieces that are about 2 inches long. You should get about 10-12 rolls based on how your big rectangle came out. Place these on a prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart and let them rise for another hour.

While the cinnamon rolls are rising, you can make the icing! 

In a medium sized bowl, using a hand mixer, blend the cream cheese and margarine for 6 minutes on a low speed. Change the speed from low to medium-high and blend for another 10 minutes. This is REALLY boring and I usually put some headphones in and listen to some music until its over.

Next your'e going to add 1 cup of the icing sugar and mix for 1 minute on a low speed. Add the remaining icing sugar and  mix for another minute. Add the vanilla and lemon flavours and mix for one more minute on a medium-high speed.

Transfer the icing to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least half hour before using.

Now your rolls have finished rising and the end is near!! Place the prepared cookie sheet in an oven at 400 degrees F and bake for 10 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown. 

Let the rolls cool on a cooling rack for a few minutes and top with some icing and enjoy!

The Little Things

Sometimes life seems dull. The keyword in that sentence is "seems" because even when things aren't as glamourous and fabulous as we'd like, I'm sure you can still look back on each and every day and pick a moment, an event, a conversation or something else that made you smile.

The reason why I said (typed?) what I just did is because recently, life has been feeling pretty dull. But I want to show you some little moments since my last post that were not dull at all, as small as some of them may have been.

Sunset
For me, glancing at a beautiful sunset or sitting and watching the whole thing if I have time can really make my day. Sunsets can be sooo beautiful and the minutes right after the sun has set are even better. When everyone starts turning on their outside lights and its dark, but not so dark and the sky is about a gazillion colours. Yep, you know what I mean, I think its breathtaking.

We also went to Naru on the South Coast recently and the sushi was amazing as always, and after much debate, we had the donuts which were so worth it (as always).. maybe one day we will forget the debate and just embrace the gluttony from the start. 

Baking always makes me smile, some people can't relate but those that can... go you!

(This recipe coming soon)

And finallyyyyy, selfies are always fun.

So there you have it. A few small moments that weren't so dull after all. I hope that after reading this you feel inspired to think about your "Little Things".

How do ya like your eggs?

Hellooo beautiful readers, its Friday, Friday gotta get down on Fridaaaay. Yes, I'm quoting Rebecca Black for the sole purpose of getting that song stuck in your head, you can thank me later.

Today is a very special day and that's because its my first ever recipe post! Now, anyone who knows me knows that I am a shameless foodie and if you don't eat your food, I will (unless it has pickles). 

What I'm sharing with you today is something I tasted a few years ago and loved, and then more recently I started making my own version when I decided that it was time to start putting a bigger effort into healthy eating. My sisters request this all the time, even Shannon who could vie for the title: Pickiest Eater of All Time.

This recipe is really, really simple and it can be varied any way that you like based on what you feel for or what you have inna ya kitchen. So, without further ado, I present.. BAKED EGGS! (Stop making that face, they are actually really yummy).

Here's what you will need to serve about 3-4 people.

Ingredients:

6-8 eggs 
1 head of broccoli, chopped
1 small-medium sized onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, sliced finely
1 medium-sized tomato, diced 
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/2 sweet pepper (any colour you like), diced
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated 
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
3 slices of packaged ham, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter (for the pan)

*These measurements do not have to be exact, its really about what you like and/or what you have. Sometimes when I have left over baked chicken I'll chop up 1 or 2 pieces and add that instead of the ham. And whenever I have fresh mushrooms I throw some in as well.

Method:

Pretty oven 350 degrees F 

Chop, dice and slice your broccoli, onion, garlic, sweet pepper, tomato and ham (and anything else you want to add that needs chopping, dicing or slicing), and grate your cheese.

Melt some butter in your non-stick frying pan and add the broccoli, onions and garlic. Let this cook for about 5 minutes at a medium-high heat. At this point I add some salt and pepper to the ingredients in the pan.

Next, add the sweet pepper to the pan, mix the tomato and the tomato sauce together and add that too along with the sliced ham. 

Sprinkle the cheese on top of everything.

Now its time to add the eggs! Turn the heat to low and get a bowl. Crack the first egg in the bowl and be veryyyy careful not to break the yolk (this has no effect on taste but come on, I know you want your finished dish to be pretty). I usually add the first egg to the middle of the frying pan and the other five in a circle around it. You can do whatever you like.

When you've added all your eggs and salt and peppered them you can put your frying pan in the oven (make sure its safe to go in the oven!!) for 15 - 20 minutes.

And voila! Baked eggs!

These can be eaten at any time of the day really and they are pretty healthy too. Hope that you enjoy them!

Cuzz it up!

Today I had a Cuzz Cutter...yet another food gem that you can only find in Barbados. "Cuzz Cafe" is situated on the south coast of Barbados on Pebbles beach. It is very popular among locals and tourists alike and has been put on the list "101 Best Places to Eat Around the World". One of the chefs who was involved in the selection said: "It's a fish shack with a line out the door. From a cook's point of view, everything is wrong with their sandwiches, like the cheese on them, but they're so delicious." (Marcus Samuelsson, New York). I'd say that's a pretty accurate statement.

This "restaurant" does not really have a menu on display, but if you squint your eyes and look really closely into the shack, you can see a piece of paper with the menu options jotted down on it. The best thing to do is ask. You can get:
- Fish, cheese, and a fried egg
- Fish and cheese
- Fish and a friend egg
- 2 friend eggs and bacon
- Fried egg and cheese
- Cheese
- Fried egg

Cuzz is super affordable, the price of a cheese cutter (aka the world famous Bajan "cheese on bread") is 3 BBD and if you get everything it will be $11.

I opted for the whole 9 yards with the fried egg, cheese and fish cutter. It was delicious and really fresh!

Obviously if you go to Cuzz for lunch you are obligated to eat your sandwich on the beautiful Pebbles beach which is a few steps away, just sayin' :).

Not your average fast food joint

Barbados has amazing food at every level: from street food to fine dining there are so many delicious options. These options are (not always, but usually) small, modest and sometimes hard to find. Yesterday I had a late lunch at one of my favourite places. Situated in Eagle Hall, Bridgetown is an extremely popular small bar & rotisserie amongst Bajans. It's called R.A. Mapp (Mapp's for short) and the menu is very simple: rotisserie chicken and chips. You also have the option of tossed salad, macaroni salad or coleslaw but the chicken and chips are the stars of the show and the sweetness is definitely in the sauce. If you haven't had Mapps you haven't lived. Yes, it is really that good. 

Sidenote: If you are reading this and you aren't from Barbados I just want to clear up that we call fries/french fries, chips.

So whats the process when you arrive? Well when its not busy, which is a rare occurrence, you can just walk right up to the counter and place your order. But the words "Mapp's" and "busy" go hand in hand and they have a procedure for everyone to follow. If you aren't a regular it may all seem kind of strange especially since there are no instructions as to what to do. Lucky for you I was paying close attention yesterday so now I'm an expert! 

Ordering at Mapps:

1. Take a number

2. Wait for one of the ladies working to call your number

3. When your hear your number, shout your order

4. The lady will then write down your order on a plastic bag and she or another lady will go get it

5. When your food is ready they put it in the bag and you pay 

If the wait is long like it was yesterday you can enjoy a drink or run across the street and take photos for your blog (I may or may not be be guilty of the latter). 

Mapps has taken something so simple (rotisserie chicken and chips) and perfected it. The food is always fresh, full of the amazing sauce, and generally wonderful. If you haven't had  it make an effort to go because it will not disappoint. I have not tried the salad options but I have heard rave reviews about the coleslaw. Will have to try it next time!