bbq pulled chicken sandwich

before my birthday i spent hours trying to get inspired on what the hell to do good news is that i stumbled upon Jeanne Winters blog and a 30th birthday post that included bbq pulled chicken sandwiches so i immediately saved it to my favorites. the image and idea of any pulled meat sandwich sounded so good that i had to give it a try.  however you can't have a pulled chicken sandwich without coleslaw, so my friend julia child gave me a helping hand, if you have a recipe for coleslaw please send this way.  it also reminded me of our life in Texas and all of our friends.  and august would be the perfect time to test it out, don't worry friends i will make it again and we can have a southern comfort food night. 

i wish i had made this years ago it is so so simple just takes time. 


1. take a large glass or metal pan and coat the bottom with your favorite BBQ sauce (we are limited so used KC Masterpiece but if you can get one from our favorite bbq spot or make your own)

2. salt and pepper the boneless skinless chicken breast and place in the dish

3. use the rest of the bbq sauce and coat the chicken
OPTIONAL: i like my food spicy so i zested 2 jalapenos over the chicken and it gave the sauce a little punch

4. DOHA: set oven to the conventioanl oven on 100celsius and cook for 5 hours
    US - put chicken in oven on 225 for 5 hours

5. take the chicken out and shredded with two forks than place back in the same dish and cook for another hour. 

while the chicken is cooking you can make the slaw, i referred to The Way to Cook by Julia Child to guide but in the end i made it my own, the market here was out of yellow onions and bell peppers, oh doha

4 cups of cabbage
2/3 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced green onion
1 peeled, seeded, and diced cucumber

Seasoning:
2 tbls Dijon mustard
2 tbls cider (or white) vinegar
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ground bay leaf (does not exist in doha so just crush it really well)
salt and pepper

1/3 cup sour cream with 1/3 cup mayo

1. mix all the veggies in a large bowl

2. mix the seasoning ingredients together in a small bowl than add the sour cream-mayo mixture together by hand making sure it is not over whipped

3. add it to the large bowl with the veggies and hand toss really well. 

4. cover and let stand for 30 minutes.  you may want to add more dijon, pepper or salt depending on how you like it. 





THE END: grab a plate, a slice of watermelon, a cold cider, a fresh baked roll, pile on the meat add some slaw and enjoy.

~xoxo mo

ramadan kareem

Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, lasting up to 31 days, and is the holiest month for Muslims.  during Ramadan the Qur'an was shown to Muhammad.   it is a time for self-examination, to cleanse the body, rejuvenating the soul, and connecting with God.  one is to refrain from drinking, eating, smoking and sex during daylight hours.  at night you can indulge.  most nights are spent friends and family to share a meal and to give gifts.  it is also a time to give back, one must volunteer and help those in need.  one night at the mall the children dressed up in traditional clothing and went from shop to shop getting sweets. 

some non-Muslims find this holiday a large inconvenience because it affects you, restaurants are closed, limited shopping hours, a longer list of  'don'ts' that if not followed will have consequences, and most of the people i had met would not be here.  so here were my challenges:

challenge #1  - find friends who will be here    
      in April the wednesday group i was introduced too consisted of about 15 women for august it is the three musketeers - Lisa, Eva, and I.  we have manged to meet each week and what is suppose to be a few hours turns into all day. 

challenge #2 - find out what is open and what time
      each hotel has 1 restaurant that is open - a buffet that is hidden with wooden screens
      the malls / most shops not in the mall are open sunday to thursday: 10am-12:30pm and 8pm-1am 
                                  friday: 8pm-am and saturday 10am-midnight
      the market has its normal hours - it is okay to buy food and drinks just don't eat it in public
      the pearl (where we live) is open from 8pm-1am everyday for august
    
   dressing here became a concern because it is important to respect the people here and the holiday so expats are asked to dress conservative.  but what does that mean, try to cover your elbows and knees, nothing tight and no tank tops, so a sweater and leggings at all times. :)

challenge #3- DO IT
    the ladies and i met at Eva's for some lunch and we were going to discuss what we had found on Ramadan on the internet.  there is so much more to it than what i have shared so if you have the time then i would hit the google search engine and explore.  the next day we decided on the fabric souq and local arts n crafts store.  i am in love with the arts n crafts store they have everything: paper, ribbon, hair clips, trim, fabric, feathers, crystals, yarn, thread, buttons, gift wrap, jewelry making items, and it is all super reasonable.  with too much time in this store and exploring the fabric shops we came into the problem of, its 12:15 and people are about to leave so we grabbed a taxi headed to the ramada hotel for an afternoon lunch.

    i was also introduced to the gold souq, a market of gold, diamonds, rubies, if it is bling than they have it.  we came across a store that would clean our rings, so they took us up stairs and we found where they make the jewelry.  everything in the shop is made by hand, you can bring a picture in or design it your self.  the manager explained what each person was making and how, some of the machinery is from the 1800's, crazy cool.  the craftsmen were second and third generation, this is all that they know and their work was beautiful.  i will be back. 

    jewelry making 101- lisa took me to one of her jewelry making classes.  lisa makes some of the coolest things. i am hooked, and will be returning this week for some more fun. last week i made two necklaces and a friend, turns out one of the girls in the class is also my neighbor.  small world. 


so thats has been my month so far.  sorry no pics, but i will post some tomorrow of my other hobby - cooking ... ah.. its time for dinner here.

~xoxo mo

hola 30

adios 20 hola 30. we kicked off the birthday week with champagne brunch at the ritz.  so the gold tube in the cake was a sparkler, sorry we didn't get a picture of it but once we realized the cake was for our table it was too late.  

so i am still getting use to having a camera on hand at all times so i can update this blog and of course i didn't take any other pics for the rest of the week.  but it was calm with a few dinners out on the town.  and it we wrapped up the week with a party at home.    i charged the camera and took pictures of the set up but forgot to take pictures of the party.  our friends made the day special and it felt like our normal family birthday parties.

most of the family parties are at Uncle Mark and Aunt Debbie's, and a few smaller ones have been at my Mom's or Papa's house, this was the first time Brian and I have held one.  i have a great great appreciation for all the hard work that my Uncle Mark and Aunt Debbie do.  for dinner we made spanish rice, beans, flour tortillas, jerk chicken, lime and cilantro chicken, and bbq chicken.  and no party is complete without fresh guacamole and ranch dip with ruffles, my tribute to Aunt Debbie.  i would have made a red velvet cake but finding cream cheese is mission impossible so i opted for confetti cake (yes crystal) and aunt helen's jello.  the bar was opened all night and the drama of beer pong made for a great night. 


flowers from my dad, mom, bryan, jen, nana, memphis, and spooky



flowers from brian

the best suprise of the day -
    Brian left for work like usual and 15 minutes later the doorbell rang and there he was with a bouquets of flowers, a bag of presents, and a bottle of champagne.  he had taken the day off.  so we spent the day drinking champagnea, opening cards from family and friends back home, and getting ready for the party.  i am a very lucky girl! 

THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY DOHA FAMILY FOR MAKING THIS DAY FANTASTIC AND TO EVERYONE BACK HOME FOR ALL THE WISHES AND LOVE. 

~xoxo mo

museum of Islamic art

my friend susan is taking a class from Oxford University on Islamic art and architecture, for her final essay she needed to go and re-examine a few ceramic pieces from the collection at the museum in doha.  so Eva and i decided to tag along. 
 

Eva and I



Susan and Eva



the museum houses artworks dating from the 7th to the 19th century showcasing the full scope of Islamic art.  it is a magical place and allows you to better understand the religion and the people.   we only made it through one floor which included manuscripts, ceramics, textiles, jewelry, tapestry, and tools.  we are waiting until after Ramadan to go back to finish the rest.  Susan's class paid off as she was there to help answer questions on a few pieces. 



Easthware bowl with blue script. Iran. 9th century. 



Burzuy Presents 'Kalilah wa Dimnah' to King Nushirvan

 

Illustration from a Shahnama belonging to Shah Tahmasp Attributed to Aqa Mirak




Iran (Tabriz) c. 1523-1535.





Qur'an Page. ca750-800. North Africa or Near East


next is one of the most famous Qur'ans, here is a page from the Blue Qur'an.  it is written in kufic script on blue vellum in gold.  most of the Blue Qur'an is housed in Tunis with one page in Doha and several others in Europe and Asia, not sure if any are in the States.   

9th-10th century. North Africa or Southern Spain


some extras from the collection:

  

Emerald with Rubies



tile



velvet tapestry

 

Iran. 9th-10th century

 

tile. central asia. 1380.

there is too much to see so if you have time i suggest surfing Museum of Islamic Art

~xoxo mo

it's July

okay. okay. i am still behind so here is a quick recap of July.  Enjoy!

while furniture shopping we came across this bicycle desk i couldn't resist a quick photo op. 

a nice cool summer night - 108

shhh i'm pouring

last breakfast for the month

~xoxo mo

time to head back

before we knew it, it was time to take crystal to the airport so she could return to the family.  and for her to take Memphis back to California.  we tried to make his life out here the best it could be but he wasn't happy and the poor little guy was so stressed and unhappy that he started to grow warts.  so his uncle cris and aunt bethany picked him up in San Francisco.  what was only a few days turned into a month and Memphis has loved being with his big sister Spooky, hanging in his park, and making some new friends in oak-town.

 

last family photo until December



get ready USA



home sweet home



let's play Spooky



my favorite person

 

looking sexy after a trip to the spa



relaxing at the park



the rest of the month was pretty hard on us, life without Memphis and Spooky is a little sad but we are now pet sitting for friends and neighbors.  and getting photos from Bethany and Cris are the highlight of the day.  Memphis had one more trip, he is back in Fresno enjoying life at Nanna and PopPops house, ruling daycare at Petsmart, and hanging out with the family. 



~xoxo mo

back to doha

dubai is our Las Vegas a place to escape and have a good time; shop, eat, drink, and so much to see.  but it is time to go back home and back to our son Memphis.  he had his own vacation and spent the weekend with the boys, Manny, Vic, and Mark. 

so proud

doha here we come

gin & tonic to go...awesome

now it's time to relax and to enjoy a few more days before crystal heads back to the states. 

~xoxo mo