San Diego Zoo Safari Park

My husband and I love animals, usually I don't like zoos because they are sad places and I'm totally against the idea of animals in cages, I think it's barbaric and inhuman. However, I'm always happy to go to a good zoo that cares about animals.

Last February we went to San Diego zoo and I was so impressed not just because it's located in very beautiful spot, there weren't any cages, the animals had a big space to move around and play and the workers seemed to be enjoying their jobs. And they donate some of the money to safe the wild life in Africa. What a great message.





For the first time I see elephants have a big space.


The rare white rhino.





We had a great day there, I wish I could work there.



Photos: Ian Porell

Oz the Great and Powerful Review

The wizard of Oz 1939 is one of my all time favorite movie, I grew up watching that movie and I loved the Oz world. When I heard of the new movie release I had to watch it. Yesterday I went to the cinema and watched the movie with friends.
Oz the Great and Powerful had such an amazing visual effects. However, the movie had some plot holes and I still like the original The Wizard of Oz much more.

Here are some of the plot holes:
1- With the first glance at Evanora I knew she is wicked. How did I know, her dress said it all.
2- Evanora convinced Oz that Glinda is evil and must be destroyed. Oz goes with Finely and china girl to the dark forest, they met Glinda and they were afraid of her but once she showed her face they weren't afraid anymore. Glinda told them she is the good witch and they believed her right the way. And Oz and her company didn't think she might be lying. All of this because Glinda had the power of the beautiful face. As Disney always said beautiful people are good.
3- Rachel Weisz who played Evanora the wicked. Evanora hated Glinda because Glinda is beautiful and the director didn't know how beautiful Rachel Weisz is.
4- Evanora deceived her sister Theodora for many years and the good sister didn't know the wicked one is in fact her sister Evanora. Theodora had a broken heart and decided to be evil with no reason. right before Theodora turned to the green evil witch she knew that Evanora is evil and lied about pretty much everything and yet she chose to be evil anyway.
5- After Theodora became evil I really thought her heart died or she doesn't feel anything anymore but at the very end "I Hate You." Theodora said to Oz. That's mean she still having some feelings in her heart.
6- Evanora and Glinda fought, Glinda won and we got to see Evanora true face which of course was a typical ugly and old witch face. If Evanora that old how come her sister Theodora didn't know about it?
7- Glinda is so good she even let the witches go free without thinking that the witches will come back to Oz someday and kill everyone.

Those are the holes that I could remember. Oz the Great and Powerful worth the watch anyway.

Disneyland the happiest place in the world

Disneyland was one of the places I've always dreamed of visiting, last February my husband and I went to California and it was my first time in America. One of the top things on my list was Disneyland of course.

I was very happy I was like a child I kept running and riding all of the rides. Disneyland is the happiest place in the world as they promised. The only thing I didn't like there was the ticket price for children. My husband and I are adult and we could afford the adult tickets prices but how about children who dream of going to Disney but can't afford the ticket?



Had my first American "American" dish. Beef gumbo and it was amazing.


The hunted house was one of my favorite things there. It's very cool.



More stories about my trip coming soon.

Cumin and Cheese Bites

As always I’m posting a new fast and easy snack recipe. It doesn’t cost much and it doesn’t take a long time.

5-10 pieces

Ingredients
1- One cup of high quality flour.
2- Two eggs.
3- 30g of butter. I used one tablespoon of butter.
4- One tablespoon of instant dry yeast.
5- Half a teaspoon of sugar.
6- Half a teaspoon of salt.
7- Three tablespoon of cumin powder.
8- One tablespoon of cumin seed.
9- Some mozzarella cheese.
10- A cup of warm water.
11- A few spoons of milk.

Preparations
1- Bring a deep bowl and mix the flour, one egg, butter, yeast, sugar and cumin.
2- After mixing the ingredients well add some water to make the dough. You can use your hand or a mixer. I use my hands.
3- Keep mixing the dough with your hand and you can add more water if needed.
4- Add the salt to the dough and mix again.
5- After a few minutes you’ll notice that the dough feels smooth and doesn’t stick to your hand.
6- Bring the board and put some flour on the surface and put the dough on it and cover it with a clean kitchen towel.
7- Let it sit for 20 minutes.
8- You may use a rolling pin to roll the dough thin.
9- Use a knife and cut to into small pieces.
10- Put some cheese inside the piece and fold it.
11- Beat an egg in a different bowl and mix it with milk.
12- Use a kitchen brush and grease the top of the bites.
13- Add mozzarella cheese or cumin seed on the top of them.
14- Leave it for ten minutes.
15- Put it in a preheated oven 220c .
16- The cooking time 10-12 minutes.

I’m using an electric oven.

Baked Mashed Potatoes With Beef

Another delicious Egyptian dish, and it’s one of the many different ways to cook beef and potatoes.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1- 4-6 medium sized potatoes.
2- 300g of ground beef.
3- One onion.
4- One teaspoon of salt.
5- Two teaspoon of black pepper.
6- One egg.
7- One tablespoon of butter.
8- Few spoons of oil.

Preparations:
1- Boil the potatoes in a deep pot.
2- Use a different deep pot to cook the beef.
3- Cut the onion to small pieces.
4- Grease the pot and add the onion.
5- Fry and stir the onion for a few minutes until it gets golden.
6- Add the ground beef and stir well.
7- When all of the beef is brown add a small cup of water.
8- Add salt and black pepper to the beef. And leave 20-30 minutes to be done. Don’t forget to check on it.
9- After the potatoes are done, peel them and mash them.
10- Bring an oven tray and melt the butter in it to grease the bottom.
11- Put half of the potatoes on the bottom, then the beef in the middle and put the other half on the top.
12- beat an egg and add a teaspoon of black pepper.
13- put the egg on the top of the potatoes to give it golden color.
14- put the potatoes in a preheated oven 250 C.
The cooking time is from 20 to 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. I’m using an electric oven.

Snowman

It snowed a lot today, my husband and I made this cute snowman. Eyes and nose made from cookies and hair from pine needles. It was a lot of fun.

The Best Christmas Gift - Gir From Zim

I'm married to one of the most talented men. Last Christmas my husband made a model of Gir from Invader Zim and gave it to me.

Gir is my favorite character in the show so my husband made it of paper mache, wires, tin foil and spray paint. Isn’t it great?