Of Refugees and Blessings

A Review of Fleeing Herod: A Journey Through Coptic Egypt with the Holy Family
by Phoebe Farag Mikhail

My two year old daughter's favorite song these days is a catchy Arabic hymn sung by the Heart of David Choir in Egypt that, roughly translated, goes "A long time ago/A refugee came to you oh Egypt/A young boy and his family/He blessed your land/He blessed your people/Till your heart was satisfied with His blessings." On June 1, 2014, the Coptic Orthodox Church will be commemorating the feast of the entry of the Holy Family - Jesus Christ, His Mother Mary, and Joseph the Carpenter - into Egypt, a visit acknowledged and celebrated not just by all Christians, but by all Egyptians.

The fascinating book by James Cowan, Fleeing Herod: A Journey Through Coptic Egypt with the Holy Family revisits the ancient story of the Holy Family's flight into Egypt through Cowan's literal tracing of their legendary path. The Bible gives us a few verses of the angel's instructions to Joseph to take Mary and the infant Jesus to Egypt to flee the edict of Herod to kill all Hebrew children under the age of 3, fearing for his own throne. Tradition, history, and archeology provide us more details on their journey, and Cowan revisits all of these in this colorful travel memoir.


I read Fleeing Herod slowly, not because it was a slow read, but because each chapter offered so much to think about. In addition to Cowan's vibrant descriptions of his journey and of each place he visited, he describes the religious significance of each site to the ancient Egyptians at the time, as well as the tensions and fears the Holy Family must have felt with the daily dangers of thieves and bandits on the road, and Herod's soldiers and spies at their tails.

Most interesting to me were the conversations that Cowan chronicles with all of his hosts along the way - sometimes conversations about the holy site itself, but most often conversations about faith that cause Cowan himself to undergo his own personal transformation. By the time he reaches Mount Qussqam at Al-Muharraq, where the Holy Family lived for at least six months before making their way back down the Nile and on to Nazareth, Cowan writes, "I had spent so many weeks on the road re-creating the world of the Holy Family in Egypt. Their journey was a prototype for the one I was making in my head. Every crisis along the way was a spiritual crisis for me,as it had been for them" (p. 225).  The following is an excerpt from a pivotal conversation he later has at Deir al Muharraq with a monk named Father Angelus:

"The Holy Family came to Mount Qussqam because of a prophecy," Father Angelus went on. "God wanted to test his son by placing him in the most arid spot on earth. This was no act of politeness. His son had to be tested, even as a child. We do this with our own children, do we not? The Holy Father is no different: the baby Jesus had to be honed by fire. Otherwise, how could he begin to cut out the evil that was rampant in the world?"
"I have no idea, Father," I admitted.
"Suffering is the only antidote to the poison of the easy life. Mary knew this to be so, as did Joseph. They were like doctors; they administered herbs to their child. He needed to be made resistant to all the slings and arrows of the world. He needed to be made strong  in order to prepare himself for the difficulties that lay ahead. The crucifixion was never going to be a--how do you say it? A cake path?"
"A cakewalk, Father," I said.
"Call it what you will, yes. It takes more than a stroll in a garden to find courage enough to be crucified. Egypt made Jesus the man he became, I am certain of that."
"How can you be so sure, Father?" I ventured.
Father Angelus looked at me. I could feel his eyes boring into me.
"Because," he began, "Egypt is the eternal fire of humanity. It is here that every conceivable thought that has ever been has been properly tested" (pp. 230-231).

The Holy Family entered Egypt as refugees - and as Cowan beautifully takes us through their trip historically, mythologically, and spiritually - we learn how Egypt changed them, how they changed Egypt, and how Egypt became filled with their blessings. Although I have visited many of the sites Cowan writes about, it is my dream to visit all of them on a pilgrimage such as this. If I do, I will certainly take this book along with me.

Baking, Giving and Learning with Kids

By Phoebe Farag Mikhail

We had new neighbors, and I wanted to welcome them with homemade cookies. But I was also having a carpal tunnel syndrome flare up, and could not stir batter without my hands going numb.

A week later and a four-toddler play date, and I had a big box of cookies to give, plus plenty to nibble on at home, too. Baking with my kids is becoming my new favorite pastime.

The last time I baked so many cookies, it was last Christmas, and I made a batch for everyone on our block. My toddler came with me to distribute them, permanently associating baking cookies with giving gifts. So there was very little protest when I removed over half of the cookies he (and three other toddlers) had creamed, mixed, and folded into a box to give away to the neighbors. They were not just giving away their sweets, they were giving away their time and effort – and they were ok with that.

There are other benefits to baking with kids. They can learn so much through baking – reading, counting, fractions, telling time – and even science lessons about how cakes rise and why eggs (or fruit) keep cookies together. 

But when one of our elderly neighbors said hello to my son, and he asked me later if we could bake cookies to give to her, I knew the lesson in giving was the most important one he got from baking together. 

Baking with my toddler has lessons for me, too—lessons that can be applied not just to parents, but also to teamwork and organizations. Toddlers stirring sugar and flour and butter and cocoa and eggs will spill some of it. They will lick their raw egg batter covered fingers. They will dump all the buttermilk into the flour mixture instead of alternating between the two. They will create cookies shaped like trapezoids and blobs. Here are the lessons I have learned from this:

1- Patience, flexibility, and forgiveness. It took me longer to bake when my helpers were much smaller than me and needed step by step instructions. Yelling at them when they spill some flour or lick the batter took away from the fun of the process and risked losing them as kitchen helpers in the future. Besides, I’ve spilled stuff too while baking – so let me take the "plank" out of my own eye first!

My son stirring batter. (c) Phoebe Farag Mikhail, 2013

2- There is a cost to not including the kids – they will need attention anyway, so if I did all the baking myself, I would have been constantly interrupted by their needs and demands, and spent the time fighting them off instead of working together. 

3- The perfect is the enemy of the good. What is perfect, anyway? Cookies shaped like blobs taste just as good as perfectly round cookies. Who cares? My neighbors loved the cookies, and it turned out they had a little boy my son's age, who was so excited to eat cookies made in part by his toddler neighbor.

On our next rainy or snowy day, I’m baking these cookies with my toddler.

What have you learned from doing things with children lately?

My Top Websites for (Reliable, Accurate, Thoughtful) Information and Analysis on Egypt and the Middle East

by Phoebe Farag Mikhail

Egypt's Tahrir Square on July 3, 2013, celebrating the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi.

As the US and Western-based media (CNN, ABC, BBC, the Guardian, etc.) finally got around to covering Egypt’s historic 2013 revolution that culminated in the impeachment of its president, many of us who follow the events in the region closely knew for weeks that a major political confrontation was brewing. The unfortunate reality is that even when the major western media outlets did start to cover the events in Egypt more extensively (after June 30^th marked what may be the largest single political demonstration in recorded history), the analysis is still skewed as they view the events in Egypt through the lens of people living in an established democracy and erroneously frame the events as a military coup. Few want to acknowledge the collective action of millions of Egyptians, and very few are grasping the complexities of the Egyptian situation. There are, however, several resources available, in English, for those who are interested in astute and culturally-versed analysis of the ongoing events. These are the ones I usually check:

Mada Masr (http://madamasr.com/)
Before its parent company shut it down, citing economic reasons, Egypt Independent was the best independent English language news and opinion outlet coming out of Egypt. Thankfully, its editorial team regrouped and created Mada Masr. Most of its writers live in Egypt.

Jadaliyya (www.jadaliyya.com)
This portal provides news and views for all of the Middle East, and provides content in English and Arabic. Some articles are long, but worth it – these issues cannot be covered in sound bytes, and they are rarely black and white. Most of the writers live, or have lived extensively, where they write, and it covers culture and politics. The Egypt portal is http://egypt.jadaliyya.com.

EgyptSource (http://www.acus.org/egyptsource)
The Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East runs a blog on Egypt with many contributors, as well as a news feed with live updates on the current events. Its editors and contributors all have extensive experience in and on Egypt.

The Arabist (http://arabist.net/)
This blog, mainly run by a journalist with a heavy focus on Egypt, is particularly useful in its gathering of relevant articles in English and translating portions of Arabic news as well for those of us with limited Arabic reading proficiency. 

Muftah (http://muftah.org/)

I've only recently been introduced to Muftah and find its articles very thought provoking. It's a resource for analysis moreso than news, and covers the region "from Morocco to Pakistan." The Egypt page is: http://muftah.org/?category_name=egypt.

Al-Monitor (http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/home.html)
This site covers the region and does not have a specific Egypt portal, but does often share thoughtful analysis of major events in Egypt.

Al-Jazeera was initially hailed for its coverage of the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions in 2011, but remained just as silent as Western media on the June 30^th 2013 events, betraying a clear bias due to its funding from Qatar. There are some good articles written by its analysts on the English language website, however.

I am also particularly appreciative of The Daily Beast (www.thedailybeast.com, home of Newsweek) coverage and analysis, which has also refused to use the common clichés plaguing most other Western news media, focusing not on rising gas prices but on the true concerns of the people of Egypt.

What are you favorite outlets? Please share them in the comments below.

Discovering My Town’s Treasures

By Phoebe Farag Mikhail

When I moved to the town I live in, a part of me was overwhelmed – the unpacking, the maintenance of a home, the unfamiliarity of a new locale. But a part of me was also excited to discover my new location and what it has to offer.  With many of us taking “staycations” instead of spending extra money to travel for vacations, it’s all the more important to get to know our towns. More than a year later, I’m still happily discovering, but here is how I’m learning so far:

1- I take walks with my kids (and wish I could do this more). One walk in April led us to a street lined cherry blossom trees – just when I was feeling nostalgic about them during my days in Washington, DC. We also found a beautiful school playground that is open to the public when school is out.

2- I chat with my neighbors. Walks, especially when the weather is good, lead to introductions to neighbors also enjoying the weather. Young children end up either starting the conversations, or are conversation starters. Neighbors help share the history and demography of the neighborhood. During those chats I discovered a local farm that offers pony rides for children in the fall, and that my town has a large Syrian population.

3- I visit the main streets. Despite the proximity of three huge malls to my area, the main streets are not dead. I discovered a fantastic Middle Eastern grocer (owned, of course, by a friendly Syrian woman) this way, an ice cream parlor, our local hardware store, a charity thrift shop reminiscent of London’s ubiquitous (and absolutely awesome) charity stores, a huge dollar store, and a coffee shop where the owners post inspirational quotes for people to read as they stand in line, waiting for their coffee.  

http://www.downtownayden.org/four-point-approach.html

4- I read the local newspaper that reports on my town. These newspapers often include information on the local weekly farmer’s market, events in the area, and local government and politics that directly affect us. I learned about children’s events sponsored by local churches through the local paper, and about the town-wide garage sale.

5- I visit the local public library. Public libraries are, thankfully, still very important to communities. At the library I’ve not only participated in library events, but also pick up the free local monthly magazines that provide events calendars, reviews of local restaurants, and other town tidbits. In one of those magazines, I learned about my local MOPS group, in another I found out about the annual touch-a-truck event for my toddler, and in another, I discovered a castle and waterfall that are only 20 minutes away!

6- I sign up for local blogs and newsletters. An internet search on my county and my town, as well as links and bloggers mentioned in the magazines I mentioned in #5, have helped me find numerous bloggers and websites that regularly post about events and happenings in my area. These post great reviews through their own experiences about area sites like museums and parks, giving me information I need to plan for those outings (like whether food is allowed, if strollers are allowed, etc.).

7- I sign up for local coupon sites. Sites like AmazonLocal, Plum District, LivingSocial and Groupon all share deals on local businesses based on zip code. With these I’ve found out about (and gotten great deals on) kids art classes, kids cooking classes, local indoor gyms, and other nearby services I would have otherwise not heard about. 

How have you discovered your town’s treasures? Please share your adventures in the comments:

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies (and a Few Food Blogs)

By Phoebe Farag Mikhail

Vegan chocolate chip cookies: Pumpkin variation

No, this is not a food blog – but when I made these cookies last week, I could not help but share them. Food blogs, after all, are what introduced me to the blogging world. They’re like our surrogate parents and grandparents when neither are available to call for a recipe. They also form these wonderful online communities as people share recipes, meal ideas, and valuable information about food in general. I love food bloggers that not only share recipes, but also teach me new things. The first food blogger I started following is Heba Saleh’s My Life in a Pyramid. Her blog not only includes exciting, healthy recipes (like this creamy 10 minute chocolate pudding with avocados), but also shares valuable information about organic and healthy eating.

Cooking and baking can be processes of reflection and community. I have a friend who meditates on how the process of baking her holiday sugar cookies reflects her faith as she bakes, and has shared these reflections with me in addition to a delicious box of cookies. The holidays in particular bring about the communal aspect of food, not just because we gather together to enjoy our meals and share our sweets, but also because we are often cooking and baking traditional recipes from generations before us, linking us not just to each other, but to our pasts. 

This is why I love MidEats, a blog full of amazing recipes, instructions, and histories for traditional Middle Eastern foods, some with variations to make them more healthful, such as this healthier Egyptian Koshary recipe. Faith Gorsky also shares some amazing Middle Eastern and fusion recipes on An Edible Mosaic, such as this pumpkin and cheese spiced bread. Eating healthy can get expensive, which is why I follow Stacy Makes Cents, who posts about eating good food on a budget, as well as other ways of saving money. I love her slow-cooker recipes, such as (believe it or not), this Crock-Pot Honey Spiced Latte.

Vegan cookies: Double chocolate pumpkin

 Now, the recipe, which I got from Eating Bird Food, at http://www.eatingbirdfood.com/2012/09/vegan-pumpkin-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies/. I made them first exactly as the recipe described, and I found them tasty but a little bit too chewy. My toddler did not like them much the first time, but loved them at the second, third, and fourth try (described below). My husband preferred the banana variation.

Vegan chocolate chip cookies: banana variation

The best part about this recipe are its healthy ingredients: pumpkin (or banana), ground flaxseed, coconut oil, old-fashioned oats, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, chocolate chips – all of these foods have wonderful health properties. I’ve linked them to some articles and blog posts that further describe their benefits. These cookies are not a health food, but because the recipe includes whole grains and fruit, one or two are quite satisfying. So you’ll enjoy a treat and yet not wipe out the whole cookie jar. The second best part is that they are very easy to make. My toddler helped me bake them. Tell me what you think!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup of whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat, but you can use all purpose flour as well)

½ cup old fashioned oats (3/4 cup if you are using the banana variation)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon sea salt (if you do not have any, a little bit less table salt will do)

Pinch of ground nutmeg

4 tablespoons cocoa powder (for double chocolate version)

¾ cup of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling. If using the banana variation, use ¾ cups mashed bananas)

1 cup sugar (3/4 cup for the banana variation)(I used organic, pure cane sugar. I don’t suggest using a liquid form of sugar like maple syrup or molasses – the cookies were too gooey when I tried them that way)

¼ cup extra virgin coconut oil, melted (add extra if using the double chocolate pumpkin variation)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup (or more) vegan chocolate chips

Instructions

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

2.       Stir together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cocoa powder for double chocolate pumpkin variation)

3.       Mix together wet ingredients (pumpkin, coconut oil, flaxseed and vanilla) in a separate mixing bowl.

4.       Combine wet and dry ingredients.

5.       Stir in chocolate chips and mix well.

6.       Drop rounded tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet (or roll them with your hands if you are baking the pumpkin or double chocolate pumpkin variation)

7.       Bake for 25-30 minutes (oven times will vary)

8.       Completely cool before eating.