During my travel to Australia last December I came across some wonderful recipes – incredible tastes mixed with unmatched freshness. Having tried breakfast in so many places over three weeks, this is a recipe of one of my favourite breakfast dishes- Shakshouka. Let your Mum sleep in and ask your Dad to help you prepare and serve in bed.Ingredients:• 1 Tbs olive oil• 1 onion sliced• 2 capsicums (green, yellow or red) chopped• 1 teaspoon paprika• A pinch of dried chili flakes• 4 ripe tomatoes, chopped• 2 eggsMethod of preparation:Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and…
Author: Doha Family
University planning can be confusing, especially when your family lives abroad.Which country will your student pursue their post-secondary studies? Will he or she be required to take specific exams in order to gain acceptance to their top choices? Who should you ask when you have questions about campus life? With so many questions, it is key for expat students to think about their university aspirations well before their final year of secondary school. Here are a few tips to get you and your student started.Tip 1: Don’t be afraid to get information earlyOne of the benefits of being a third…
Lessons in QatarEver watch a toddler with a rattle, toy drum or household utensil and spoon? As he or she joyfully produces his or her own “music” in this display of latent musical talent, important neural connections are being made in the brain. Decades of research show that these brain exercises provide numerous long-term educational, social and physical benefits including:Improved memoryIncreased ability to think and reasonEnhanced concentrationBetter listening skills, which aid in speech and language learningImproved coordinationStress relief and coping abilitiesImproved time management and organisational skillsA stronger ability to work well in groupsEnhanced social skills and responsibilityTenacity and disciplineA sense of fulfilment and achievementThere are several options for learning music from enrolling…
I’m convinced there’s a university-ranking list for just about everything at this point. There are the exhaustive Princeton Review rankings that include everything from the most politically aware students to the top party schools. According to NerdWallet, if you want to become a billionaire, you have a better chance if you attend one of the schools on their “Best Schools of Becoming a Billionaire” list. Forbes, being a business publication, decided to go a different route and focus on the rate of investment in choosing its top 100 colleges.For the first time ever, Money magazine jumped into the game and named their list of “Best Colleges for Your…
According to the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics, Qatar’s population surged ahead at a rate of 7.48% between October 2013 and October 2014 and is predicted to grow even further. With the drive for an increase in intellectual capital in the region and the influx of foreign workers to Qatar’s shores, the pressure to provide high quality education in Doha is increasing. However, navigating the options available for arriving expats can be difficult and steeped with barriers such as long waiting lists and some exceptionally high tuition fees. To allow you to make your own decisions on this very…
It’s almost summer. You can see the holiday just ahead, shimmering like a mirage. You can nearly reach out and touch it. You’re headed for home, a tropical island, the narrow cobbled streets of Prague, the quiet countryside, the bustle of Cairo or Manhattan, or the futuristic sheen of Japan. It’s going to be great. You’ve planned and packed and considered every option. You’re impeccably well organised, so you’ve already banked those frequent flyer miles and selected low-sodium Asian meals for the airplane.But what about your nanny? What’s she going to do all summer? Are you going to take her…
First my disclaimer: it seems there are as many ways to prepare machbous as there are people who cook it. I created this recipe after reading a dozen different recipes, then picking and choosing the methods and ingredients I felt would go well together. If you run into a cook from the Gulf States and he or she has a different way of preparing it, I encourage you to take notes, maybe spy on him or her in the kitchen and let me know what you learn!BezarThis Arabic mixture of spices is called bezar, and every cook has a unique…
or teens, driving affords a freedom akin to a bird learning to fly. For parents, however welcome it may be to give up their parental-chauffeur responsibility, a newly licenced teen can be its own source of anxiety—even more so in Qatar, with its reputation for reckless drivers and erratic traffic patterns.“I was nervous and afraid on my first day because the instructor made me drive,” recalls Amani Siam. “From what I heard, normally the instructor drove on the first day, not the student.” Adding to her apprehension, the lessons took place at night, but luckily her first experiences navigating roundabouts…
Preparing food with little ones can be downright chaotic. In my family, it’s battle-like with plastic spatulas for weapons. If I walk out of the kitchen and return one minute and fourteen seconds later, I am greeted with a shower of flour and a pelting of melted butter. It’s as if the mini-chefs opened a gargantuan bag of icing sugar in front of a heavy-duty fan and aimed it at every teeny-tiny corner of the kitchen. Gleefully. In the end, though, I want my girls to be independent and comfortable in the kitchen. Everyone benefits from having children who can…
Cold weather just calls for nourishing comfort food and delicious baked goods. Wintry seasonal vegetables such as turnips, potatoes and pumpkins and fruits such as apples, blueberries and blackberries spring to mind. As the temperature drops in Qatar, there’s an air of excitement that the cooler season brings. Clear blue skies and chilly days make it perfect to venture outside for barbecues, picnics and play dates. When people think of spice, it usually conjures up images of hot and feisty curries that can bring tears to your eyes.But spices do not have to pack a heated punch! Think of sweet…