Goodbye to Starbucks and all that!

At least for me.

This is a great place to read the three newspapers, Arab Times, Kuwait Times and Al Watan. But it is impractical to go there everyday and the newspapers do come out everyday. What to do--I am a news junkie. Starbucks over here is new and more expensive than in the USA. Us expats have to pay more because of who we are! And it is not nearly as good as what you can get in the USA. We have local bakeries and during the last two years I have tried almost all of their offers. Usually sharing with a friend to control the calories or having a little crumb in a tiny paper cuplet at their coffee seminars. Cheesecakes are good in any country but the brownies and chocolate cakes are no match for stateside treats. I will say good bye to those starbucks extras for sure, will order only a short cup of daily coffee with a touch of cinnamon (short not listed on the menu, guys, but they have it) and definitely not any white flour or sugar things. The only exception will be the dark chocolate expresso coffee beans. Maybe once a year.....maybe. At least they dont give me heartburn like those zataar croissants do. In case you dont know what zataar is a lovely combination of spices from wikipedia:

Spice mixture
Za'atar is generally prepared using ground dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, or some combination thereof, mixed with toasted sesame seeds, and salt.[4] Some varieties may add savory, cumin, coriander[5] or fennel seed. A Lebanese variety of Za'atar usually contains sumac berries, and has a distinct dark red color.

It is fabulous. Sometimes eaten for breakfast as a dip using olive oil and bread. Havent done it this way, though.