Thursday, November 20, 2014

Candy Crush Salalah

If you play Candy Crush, there are people out there who want to strangle you. Yeah, you.

I'm not sure if this game has taken over life in America, but it certainly dominates the adult world here in Salalah. Eating at a restaurant and no one at the table is talking? People looking at their mobiles? Yeah...they're playing Candy Crush. Me? I've been on level 87 for over a year. I just couldn't take it anymore. The stress of getting stuck on a level, the braggadocio among "crushers" (my name for them) as they state what level they have achieved, and the scornful laugh of others who eschew the whole thing just became, well, not fun.

Wives gesture at their husbands now as the man sits glued to his phone and just says to others, "Candy Crush." People kind of laugh with understanding. If they are also married to a crusher, they understand that she has become worse than a golf widow. Candy widows? Yeah, Salalah is full of them.

According to the Guardian, Candy Crush is played by about 93 million people, more than a billion times a day. What! Why? Ok, it's free. It doesn't take massive amounts of time. I know it feels like it takes up loads of your crusher's time, especially if you are a crusher widow, but it really doesn't. Just look at the hours hardcore gamers spend locked in front of a computer or television screen, doing all that fancy multi-player alien killing stuff, and you will see that the five lives given by King enterprises doesn't take much time at all. And most people won't pay for extra lives. So relax. Truly it could be worse.

It could also be better people. Not to get all preachy, but the world is cold enough without all of us spending time around a table glued to our smart phones. My daughters don't do it. The Nintendo their grandmother gave them spent most of the time on top of the refrigerator. There was a handheld Nintendo thingie kicking around the house for awhile, but since I didn't allow them to hit the crack pipe of gaming at the beginning, none of these things actually "stuck" with my kiddos. Not to get all superior on you all, but I made them pick up a book. Or go play outside. Weird, old fashioned things like that.

So yes, keep playing Candy Crush oh lala land peeps. But put your dang mobile down tonight when you have dinner with your mates and talk. Even if it is just to swap Candy Crush hints. I won't listen though, cause I am too busy playing Farm Heroes.


Today's cake was a Cinnamon Roll Cake. I wanted to make my friend something that would lend itself to a caramel sauce, something he likes a lot. It didn't work out very well, and I don't recommend this recipe. I really don't think it was me this time either. This cake is just...too heavy. meh


Their cake. 

1 1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
4 T butter, melted
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 T flour
1 T cinnamon
2/3 cups nuts (optional)
Glaze
Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
5 T milk
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
With an electric mixer or stand-up mixer, mix 3 cups flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Once combined well, slowly stir in 4 T melted butter. Pour batter into a greased 9×13″ baking pan.

In a large bowl, mix the 2 sticks of softened butter, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons  flour, cinnamon, and nuts until well combined. Drop evenly over cake batter by the tablespoon and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center. Place powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over warm cake. Serve warm (we like it straight out of the oven) or at room temperature.

I don't have a picture of my cake yet. Probably a good thing. I delivered the cake before taking a pic. But hey...if he send me one, I shall post it!


Seriously? Got the pic! At least they are eating it. But that is another fugly cake.

Love,

Felicia El Aid

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