Arab Eyebrows....You Look Mahvelous

I got my eyebrows done at a salon the other day by a Moroccan stylist. I've been ogling the local ladies eyebrows for two years now, and it was time. You know the kind of brow I speak of. They are part eyebrow, part eyebrow er...color. They are shaped perfectly, with frightening geometrical precision. They are dark, bold, and uncompromising. Elizabeth Taylor rocked these eyebrows back in the day. And who doesn't love la Liz?

I don't look like me anymore. I look strong and uncompromising. Perhaps a tad irritated. Gone are the wishy washy, misshapen brows I've sported all my adult life. Because, people, I cannot pluck, wax, or thread a symmetrical eyebrow to save my soul. To ready myself for this transformation, I grew my brows for months, with nary a pluck. Oddly nobody noticed any difference. Go figure.

Tuesday, THE DAY, came, and those Arabic ladies consulted over my face, talking and gesturing and poking here and there with a stylus. Then the pain. Waxing. Plucking to the nth degree with even the finest baby hair pulled that didn't fit the plan. I clenched my toes and my teeth and endured. I pleaded with her not to thread anything, and she agreed. Probably because the last time she did it, tears ran down my face and I whimpered like a kicked puppy.

When she finished whipping my brow hairs into shape, the oh so careful tinting began. She, bless her heart, took thirty minutes to carefully craft the perfect Arab lady brow (for a reasonable price, just in case you dream of the perfect look for yourself as well). The manager of the salon came in periodically to judge whether or not they'd achieved just the right look. When it was all finished, I was unrecognizable. Bold, dramatic, dark...browskin. Because my skin didn't take the color totally THE FIRST TIME I had to make a run to Rania for a brow pencil. Now twice a day I lovingly pencil in the lines, just like in a coloring book. Yes, sometimes I feel faintly ridiculous. Back home, eyebrows like these are not associated with Elizabeth Taylor anymore, but corpulent trailer park denizens who sell crack cocaine with their twelve year old sons for Allens coffee brandy money and filterless Camels.

But here, oh here in Salalah, I am now de rigieur. My husband (also an Arab) loves them. I have to wear excessive amounts of eyeshadow to pull off the look. Small price to pay I say. Heck, I may even go buy some false eyelashes! It's still a shock though when I look in the mirror and see that slightly weird tinted eyebrow. No matter...I just go fetch my new pencil and color em in. Next Tuesday, I will hop it back in for my now weekly eyebrow tint. Life can be full of simple pleasures here in lala land can't it? Just try not to look too startled next time you see me. I might strike you with my hookah wand.

Teehee. Erm...they really aren't crooked. It's the cam. Or how I'm holding my head. Really.

Now to the cake. I made the Salted Caramel Pineapple blah blah again because my Mehdi really liked that one, and he only got one piece. Because I have set myself free from the tyranny of "the list" (hardly anyone voted so I just decided by my ownself to bake whatever cake I darn well please), I made this:

Well, this is their cake. 

Brown Sugar Cake with Buttery Brown Sugar Sauce

(honestly they could have said caramel)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 cup butter, softened

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

¾ cup milk

Sauce

1 cup butter

½ cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon light corn syrup (can’t find any here…I don’t bother with it)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease bottom and side of 12-cup fluted tube cake pan or 10-inch angel food (tube cake) pan with shortening; lightly flour. In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, the granulated sugar and softened butter with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed about 5 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally, until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat in flour mixture alternately with 3/4 cup milk on low speed until smooth. Pour into pan.

Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, heat sauce ingredients except vanilla to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Serve warm sauce with cake.

My cake. I can't cut it for y'all because I sold it for 5 omr! woot woot

This weekend is my first anniversay with my awesome husband. Let's see if I can squeeze in a couple cakes.

Love,

Felicia El Aid