Jordanian Cuisine

30% of Jordanians over the age of 25 are diabetic. It's easy to see why:

1) Nobody exercises because everybody smokes. 

2) Schwerma.

3) Falafel.

4) The infamous Arab sweet tooth. Pastries with enough syrup, butter, sugar, and dough to send even Tony Horton into cardiac arrest.

I had some yogurt for breakfast in this morning, which is all I could bring myself to eat until dinner. I mean, I like schwerma and falafel--but I'm already sick of the "cement stomach" phenomenon that inevitably follows their consumption.

I think it's funny that I'm taking issue with the unhealthy food here because I'M the girl who lived on Sprinkles cupcakes, oatmeal creme pies, and toasted bagels with delicious, full-fat cream cheese all summer. In yet another testament how much I value independence, I enjoy unhealthy foods when I choose to eat them. But when they're my only viable option, I choose something even less appealing--starvation--simply for the sake of making a choice! What's that Amman? No fresh salads or all-fruit smoothies in the food court? FINE. WATCH ME GO HUNGRY. WATCH.

Imagine my joy when I came home and discovered Brock had made fajitas for dinner. Lean steak, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, lettuce . . . come to mama. It was a home-run on the Brock front. Which is good, because he struck out last week when trying to buy milk.

"Honey, this carton doesn't have the Arabic word for 'milk' on it."

"Huh? It was in the refrigerated section and has a cow on it."

"Yeah, but it's not milk."

"Then what is it?"

"The Arabic says shabeebeh."

"Really? Lemme taste."

***

Turns out shabeebeh is a mixture of yogurt water and salt.

That facial reaction was fun to watch.