I have been trying to write a post for the past few weeks but to be honest, with everything that has been going on with the world lately, words have proven themselves to be quite elusive in the face of the overwhelming events.

If you follow the worldwide news you will have an idea about what has been going on in this corner of the world (I won’t blame you if you’ve had enough of the news in all its shapes and forms by now, so I will sum up what has been happening in Jordan for you.) Mid-March, schools and universities were shut down, students were asked to continue the academic year online and people were asked to stay home and practice social distancing as much as possible.

One week later, the defence law was put into action (something similar to martial laws) and a nationwide lockdown was announced. No flights, no coming in or leaving the country, no travelling between cities, no public transportation or private cars were allowed on the street and the armed forces were deployed to patrol all major cities. Every Friday was a completely curfew and sometimes the curfew would be extended to last for days.
The lockdown lasted for 8 weeks, 8 long weeks! and to be honest, it has been a surreal experience to go through it all. The news, the curfew , the panic, the jokes and memes, the unnerving silence that took over the city, the moments of hope and those of despair, the sleepless nights followed by early mornings spent listening to birds you’ve never heard before because their songs were drowned by the noise of the city. The long talks with the kids at 1 am because they were too worried to sleep, the daily dose of memes and funny videos to get through it all, the hours spent on online classes, homework and exams every day (yes we had online exams throughout the lockdown all the way up to online finals that ended 2 days ago!) it has been a real emotional roller coaster to say the least!

Two weeks ago we were finally allowed to use cars again after weeks of being asked to walk everywhere as the government begins to ease the lockdown. Life is slowly coming back to the city as different sectors are allowed to go back to work, yet it is still a slow and cautious process.

Do tell me, how have you been dealing with everything that has been happening in the world? how has this whole global pandemic been where you are?

Cucumber and soup are two words that many don’t think of in the same sentence but I am here to tell you that if you have not tried a warm cucumber and herb soup then you are seriously messing out!

This soup is delicate and refreshing, kind of like a gentle spring breeze. It is also a great way to use up extra cucmbers that you forgot about in the fridge 🙂

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
10 Lebanese cucumbers chopped (about 5 cups)
1 litre water
1 litre milk
4 to 6 tablespoons quick-cooking oats/ oat flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
1 tablespoon dried mint
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon salt

In a pot add the oil and chopped onions and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes
Add the cucumbers and stir for 5 to 7 minutes
Add the oat four and stir for 2 to 3 minutes
Add the water and milk and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes then take off the heat
Add the garlic powder, herbs, allspice and salt and puree the soup using a hand held blender or in a food processor (if using a food processor, please do it in batches and allow the soup to cool down a little before attempting to blend it)