LOOK OUT RACHEL RAY!

So tonight my friend and I got together for week two of cooking and a new recipe!  And I must say, we truly outdid ourselves this evening!!! The menu for tonight?

West African Peanut Soup
Warm Naan w/hummus

A delightfully tasty and vegetarian friendly meal!  Here's the easy and amazing recipe!

Ingredients:
2 c. chopped onion
1Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cayenne (although we found this to still be very spicy so you may want to use a little less if you don't like spicy)
1 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger root
1 c chopped carrots
2 c shopped sweet potatoes
4 c vegetable stock or water
2 c tomato juice
1 c smooth/creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp sugar
1 c chopped scallions or chives

To Cook:
1. Saute onions in oil until translucent and stir in cayenne and ginger.  Add carrots and saute a couple more minutes.  Mix potatoes and stock/water and bring to boil.  Then simmer for 15 min. until veggies are tender.
2. In blender or food processor puree veggies w/cooking liquid and tomato juice.  Return to soup pot and stir in peanut butter till smooth.  Taste and add sugar if necessary.
3. Reheat gently add more stock or water for thinner soup
4. Serve topped w/chopped scallions or chives

For the Naan just follow the directions on the package to warm it up...we just tore it in pieces Indian style and dipped it in our soup and also in the hummus.  It was delicious!!! And SO EASY!!! We have decided that soup is definitely the place to start if you are new to cooking, it's really hard to mess up!  So anyway, try it and enjoy, trust me you'll want to keep this recipe around!  It's the perfect blend of sweet and spicy.

Bon appetite!

More Tales from the Lives of Babes

I thank God every day for guiding me to the calling of elementary education.  As much as I get bogged down by my grad. school program, I really do love it, and I love teaching!  I LOVE working with kids!  Today was my first day back in my classroom since the holiday break and the moment I walked in the door, I got completely smothered in hugs!  (I literally couldn't even move my arms to hug them back, they had me pinned lol!)  The whole day the children kept coming up to me to tell me stories and to ask me where I had been and tell me that they missed me.  I realized that I had really missed them.  They really are such a joy.

Later today I stopped at a local Wendy's to grab myself a bite to eat before heading to class for the night, and this little girl probably around 6 or 7 years old totally astounded me.  The establishment I was in was in a slightly sketchy part of town, and I was a little nervous about the characters I observed there.  This little girl, who was there with her grandmother wanted some ketchup.  Well the pumps were out of ketchup and so her grandma just told her she would have to make due (she didn't think to go up and ask at the counter).  Anyway...this little squirt was DETERMINED to get some more ketchup (sounds like me lol) so she walks straight up to these two (I would consider) shady looking fellows sitting at the table behind her, against her grandmother's urgings not to bother them, and she asks if they have any spare ketchup she might have.  Her grandmother is getting more upset, and begins to apologize to the men as she pleads with her granddaughter to stop bothering these men.  The man then responded "She's not bothering us," to the grandmother and then turned to the little girl, "You want some ketchup?" she nodded.  He took her up to the counter and called one of his buddies who was working in the back and promptly got this little girl a pile of ketchup packets!  Then the man guided her back over to the table and made sure she was all set...the little girl continued to try to talk to the man, and her grandmother continued to fuss at her to stop bothering them and the man kept insisting she was fine and told her they were headed back to work, politely said good bye and went on their way back across the street.  But this girl just totally amazed me, because what I witnessed totally called to attention my judging mentality.  I was shocked at myself!  And then I just sat and wondered...when did I/when did we lose that innocence?  That belief in the good in everyone?  I hope that little girl never loses her spark, and she always reaches out to everyone without reserve.  I hope to be more like that little girl.

Anyway...those are just some tales from the lives of babes for the day. Ciao!

Sure Hate to Breakdown Here...

So before I get cracking on the homework load I still have ahead of me for the night, I realized I hadn't really updated this in a couple of days and I feel terrible for my neglect.  So what better way to procrastinate and make myself feel better than to update all of my lovely friends about the week's events.

OK, so remember how I told you all I have resolved now to try a new recipe every week.  Well I started this past weekend with that.  Along with one of my gals we cooked dinner on Saturday before heading out to a basketball game.  The challenge...chicken marsala...with mashed potatoes!  So the two of us in the kitchen together is quite a show...and I mean a hilarious show lol.  She didn't really plan ahead in terms of pulling out the chicken to thaw...so that held up the process for a bit as we did everything we could between running it under hot water, and defrosting it in the microwave...and these were the thickest chicken breasts in the world!!! They took FOREVER to thaw.  Also...apparently the chicken needs to be thin for chicken marsala...but we couldn't find a meat pounder and by the time we actually were able to cook the chicken we were too impatient to worry about it.  Also, we didn't really pay attention to how many potatoes we had to use and how much the recipe called for, so we used a small container of potatoes...but apparently that wasn't enough...and our mashed potatoes were closer to liquidy potatoes...fortunately though because they had to sit for a while whilst we waited on the chicken the potatoes thickened up a bit.  Over all the meal wasn't half bad!  It was edible...smelled good...and even tasted good (it tasted better than it looked lol).  We'll work on presentation later!  So recipe #1 I'd say was a success. Although we did realize after the fact that normally chicken marsala is prepared/served over noodles....details, details!  I think next we'll try to tackle a west african peanut soup I want to try!  Any recipe suggestions are welcome and desired!

In other news...the past two days have been pure shambles!  Yesterday morning my vehicle decided just after leaving my house that it wanted to stop working....took it to the local garage last night....later last night I discovered some suspicious activity with my bank account...this morning had to deal with the banking issue...and then learned that the local garage couldn't figure out what was wrong with my car and that it needed to go to the dealership (my day just keeps getting better!) on the way to the garage to get the car mom decides it would be a great time to yell at me about the "filthiness" of my car... go to the garage to pick up the car and try and drive it to the dealership...the guys can't even get the car to start (which wasn't the problem before)....it had to be towed....fortunately the later of my two classes today was canceled so that was a bit of stress relief. Go to the gym after my one class...my ID card/finger print won't work to let me in = last straw for me today...I turn and look at the guy at the counter and he became the turning point in my day.  He was friendly and said "What's wrong? You have that face like something is seriously wrong." I proceeded to tell him that I had been having the absolute worst day ever and that now my card wasn't working and it was the last straw for me...he asked me if I had had problems before and then took my card did something with the computer gave it back to me and said, "OK, here's what's gonna happen...you're going to swipe your card and do your finger print this time and it's going to work, and you're going to have a great work out, and a great rest of the day! OK? Let's try." And low and behold the card worked...my workout was...well...a workout (I still hate working out)...Get home from the gym after class to find that the car had some sort of software malfunction in the computer system...the part alone would cost $900 not including labor...good news is, it fell under warranty!!!  So then mom and I head to the dealership to pick it up and having not eaten all day I grab myself a pack of crackers on my way out the door...while driving mom perfectly times a lecture on my poor eating choices and how eating that pack of crackers just undid everything i did at the gym...I lost it with her and pointed out her absolutely terrible timing.  I feel like it's a stress relief thing for her...if she can find something to yell at someone else about or nag about...then she can release some of her personal tension.

Anyway...so the diva-mobile is back in action now and this storm seems to have passed.  In other news, I have a preliminary screening interview with a local school district here next week!!!  YAY!!! OMG, here comes the real world!

Anyway...I suppose I have procrastinated long enough at this point.  More stories to come I'm sure!

Adios Costa Rica

Day 7: Jan. 15, 2010

Today is our travel and tour day.  We have a 6 hour trip to make back to San Jose today and an early flight Saturday morning.  The plan for today: sleep in the van (if at all possible with these terrifying and highly uncomfortable roads), zipline canopy tour, some souvenir shopping, and dinner at the Grumbles once we make it to San Jose.

I still wish we had one more day with the kids...but alas...we must go.

OK, so the zipline canopy tour initially really had me freaked out.  Not because it's high, not because I was going to be hanging by a harness and a cable (working at Busch Gardens has developed an innate sense of trust in me for machinery...), no, I was terrified at the idea that we would be traipsing about in the wild of Costa Rica...and I could only imagine what snakes, spiders, or other critters I might encounter.  (That was truly my biggest fear!)  But I told myself...I'm never going to have this opportunity again and what would I tell people back home if I bailed on this once in a lifetime opportunity over a silly little fear of critters that I may or may not run into...so I decided to just do it!  Once I got there and got all harnessed up I was starting to feel a little better...granted having to hear the whole liability statement thing read to me and then signing it was a bit intimidating.  Then our guide started hiking us up a trail, and we landed at the first platform on a cliff just behind the welcome center.  The view was incredible and suddenly I realized we were going to be climbing trees and roughing it the way I imagined...and all of a sudden I was totally excited!!!  With our group on this adventure was also a family of four that had gotten of their cruise ship for the day to have some adventures at port.  I was probably somewhere in the middle of our group in terms of going.  Actually, I think the scariest part is standing on the ledge while the guide hooks you up to the cables...there's a brief moment during the hooking up process when you're really not connected to anything and yet the guide is kinda tugging at you and the cables to get everything hooked up and if you were to slip or get tugged or pushed just a little too much...you'd be off the side of that cliff...at least that's how it looked.  But once you're all hooked up and you get the go ahead...you're off and it is a BLAST!!!!  The first zipline, I was too worried about doing things right to really pay attention to the view all that much, but man after that one...I just enjoyed the ride and it was awesome.  Also, a significant lesson learned on the very first zipline, NEVER put any part of your hand down on the cable that does not have leather protecting it!!!! They give you these work gloves, and the glove that goes on your strong hand has leather covering the palm and thumb...this is the only part you EVER use to touch the cable and break yourself while ziplining! On the very first one, I started to spin a little bit and it scared me and I just carelessly put my finger down to try and stop the spin from happening, and in about two seconds, my finger was on fire, and a hole had been burned through the glove.  I got a nice little blister as a souvenir.  So, folks, listen to your friend here...don't ever touch the cable!

Anyway we did a course of 8 ziplines and it was awesome.  The family we were with also gave us our first wind of the tragic events that occurred in Haiti.  We were shocked, a) at the situation and b) at the thought of just how cut off we were the whole week, we had been clueless!  And even this update didn't really give us any idea of how serious it was, most of us didn't really understand until we got to San Jose and were able to use a vonage phone to call home.  I know my mom gave me a lot of details about it right away, and I definitely had no idea of how bad it was till I talked to her. Unbelievable!

Anyway, back to the zipline tour...the guides on the tour were really friendly, and they gave us a couple pointers on some local catch phrases and terminology.  Additionally, one of the guys had a phone with a music player on it...and we found ourselves jamming up in the trees to "I got a feelin....woohoo....that tonight's gonna be a good night!....Tonight's gonna be a good night....Tonight's gonna be a good good night!" SO much fun!!!

Once we finished the ziplines, a truck was waiting to driving us back up to the welcome center...we crammed in like sardines and road back up to the center.  On the way back we saw about three iguanas...they really are everywhere.

Back on the road...at some point we crossed some bridge over some shallow water with some sandbars where crocodiles were sunbathing (my first time ever seeing those creatures in the wild).  Eventually we ended up in the town of Sarchi.  This town is a bright and colorful area, host to the emblematic painted oxen cart.  (I'm not really sure of the story there...BUT) These HUGE painted oxen carts are EVERYWHERE!  And they are beautiful!  We got to go shopping at this shop/factory where we could watch them hand paint the carts...it was pretty cool, and beautiful!  So we spent an hour or so there around the shops picking up souvenirs and thank you gifts for our sponsors.  Then, back on the road for the last leg of our journey to San Jose.  When we arrived in San Jose, I was never more glad to get out of the car in my life!!! The roads and locals driving scared the daylights out of me in addition to making me sick (and I rarely feel motion sick...so it was BAD!)  Our accommodations for the evening, the baptist missions guest house a block away from the Grumbles house.  We were so excited to be in this place.  Set up with tons of beds and hot showers!  Computers with internet and a vonage phone to call home on!  It was paradise lol!  We all got sorted and I was able to shoot a few e-mails and call the rents before we walked around the block to the Grumbles for dinner where I had the best tortilla chips I've EVER tasted!  I wanted to take tons of them home with me.  Anyway, after dinner the Grumbles took us out for ice cream, banana ice cream dipped in chocolate for me, YUM!!!  Then it was back to the guest house...for my first even lukewarm shower in a week and bed...up at 4 to be outside ready with suitcases at 4:30am...

It has been an adventure for sure...but I am excited to go home.  Oh yeah, I forgot to mention this...but we stopped off at Jurassic Park too!!! Check it out!

 

So that wraps up Costa Rica.  Last night, at the BCM house, we had sharing time for all the team members who went on the Costa Rica trip.  Someone put together a slide show, it was a compilation of pictures from everyone and I just couldn't hold it together...I couldn't help but cry, I really miss those kids, and just having all those flashbacks really got to me.  I don't know if I will ever get to go back, but I certainly hope I get the chance one day.

Sad Goodbyes

Day 6: January 14, 2010

Today is the final day we work with the families in Ceibas.  We told the stories of Jesus' last supper, trial, crucifixion and resurrection.  The children were actually quite attentive today...hooray for God defeating distractions!  Little Kristel ran into Jeffrey's arms as he was speaking.  When I rose to tell the story of the crucifixion, little Neilin stayed in my arms the entire time (she was sitting in my lap and when I stood to go tell the story she wouldn't let me put her down) and her sister Alondra stood beside us.  It reminded me of when Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kindgdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19:14)

A few of the neighborhood women that had been attending with the children in the mornings accepted Christ this afternoon and we made our way again to La Playa Blanca to Baptize a woman named Maria who has also stepped up and offered for her house to be used as the foundation to start the church in the neighborhood of Ceibas.  It was a delightful occasion in which we all celebrated in worship and fellowship.

For lunch today we had Chinese food in town...in Costa Rica, when you order sweet and sour chicken...they bring you an entire fried chicken covered in sweet n' sour sauce with veggies!!! I was sure glad Marcos told us to plan on splitting meals at that restaurant.

I am sad that tonight is our last night to spend with the families and children here.  Many of the children were asking when we were going back to the United States, and when we were coming back to see them (which broke my heart)...they asked if I liked it there and of course I loved it, and they told me they would build me a house out in the field so I could live there (which melted my heart).  It is my prayer that many seeds have been planted, hearts have been opened, and lives have been changed.  I'm grateful for new brothers and sister in Christ, and prayerful for those still on the fence, please continue to pray for the men in that community...that they would not be able to ignore God.

I'm so grateful to have been chosen as an instrument of God on this trip, grateful for the opportunity to know these people, and to love them.

ADIOS!!!

Side note!

OK!  So this has nothing to do with Costa Rica, but I HAD to talk about it.  First off, I have REALLY missed all my gals from the Elementary Ed. program!  As much as I hate having to be back in classes, I have already had a lot of laughs since I've been back with these ladies.  Girls, you know who you are and I LOVE YOU!!!

Anyway, so funny stories from today that I really had to share.  SO I'm on my way to class and just before I get to the parking deck I feel my phone vibrating.  I fish around in my pocket for the phone and find one of my girls from the program who is supposed to be joining me in class on the other line...she's in freak out mode.  "Addison, I locked myself out of my house!  My car keys are in there, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!"  And I'm thinking...oh geez, here we go again lol (she does this sort of thing moderately frequently lol)  So I offer to drive over and pick her up that way both of us will only be a couple minutes late rather than her missing class.  She had all of her stuff with her including her gym bag to hit up the gym with me after class (she's going to be a doll and make sure I go to the gym with her 5 days a week!)

So yeah...I pick her up we go to class...life's fine...we're going to go to the gym together and I'll take her home afterward, and her roommates will be home with dinner ready and everything will be fine.  Well we get to the locker room and start changing into our gym clothes when low and behold, what is she missing?!?!?! Her pants!!!  She had completely forgotten to pack pants to work out in and she was in jeans...hahaha so the poor gal ended up hanging out reading a magazine while I forced myself through a 30 min workout.  Anyway I was dying laughing in the locker room about that one.  She just had a special day today.

So anyway...we get back to her place and her housemates had invited me to stay for dinner and you don't have to ask me twice when there's food involved so I had dinner there.  Well...we forgot to turn off the stove after we had all served ourselves...burnt the rest of the soup to death...stunk up the house and had to open all the windows and doors to let out all the smoke and smell...oh and come to find out, her roommate today had forgotten her wallet when she desperately needed to get gas and was about 45 min away from home!  So it was just a bad day for the ladies of that household over all.  Of course we were all laughing it up over the whole thing while eating and watching SuperBad...(which I LOVE!) I mean...what else can you do besides laugh?  What a day!  And tomorrow is a new day!  I'm going to try out a new recipe tomorrow for the first time..we'll see how I do...if it's good I may have to share it with all of you.

Anyway...today's been a great day!  Thank God for providing me with the most incredible friends in the world!  I love you all!!

MUAH!

And another day goes by...

OK, before I get started picking up with another delightful day in Costa Rica, I just have to say that I REALLY hate the first month of a semester at school...because my bank account always drops dramatically that month b/t paying off tuition and fees, and buying books...plus I just had to register for the VCLA and the VRA (the last two exams I have to take in order to get my teaching license...)and both of those cost over $100 each...UGH!!!  I can't wait to not be a student anymore!

In other news, I have completed two preliminary online applications for both York County Schools and Department of Defense Education Activities (DoDEA)! OMG I can't believe it's time for that already.  I guess this weekend I should get cracking on the other school districts I am interested in.

OK back on track with Costa Rica now lol.

Day 5: January 13, 2010

My girls! Sisters Alondra y Neilin

Today has been exhausting, yet pretty good.  The kids are getting more pushy though!  It can really wear me out....They are ALWAYS asking for our cameras, gum, candy, water....you get the idea.  I feel like I can't even reach into my bag without a swarm of children around me saying "Camera! Camera! Photo! Photo! Tienes chicla? Tienes agua?"  One of the older boys was even bold enough to simply grab my water bottle out of my bag without asking and drink the entire thing...I would have given it to him but it made me a little uncomfortable that he thought it was OK to just reach in and take it.  With all of this interest in our stuff, I am a little worried that we're now more of a distraction than a message.  And even if it's not about our stuff, the kids would rather sit and talk to us than listen to the stories now...and in the evenings the kids are so busy trying to talk with us, get things from us, or play with us that they are obviously not paying attention and they are distracting the adults.  My prayer has turned into asking "God, defeat these distractions!"

<-- Marielle just as she's taking my camera...she ran off with it taking random pictures all over the neighborhood.

One of the random pictures she took that I actually kinda like...--->

Telling her to give me my camera back!!!

I got it back and all's well!  Me and the little munchkin!

Iguana outside our room!

We had our second afternoon session with the girls, and this time spoke on how we are each made in God's image and how keeping that in perspective we need to be building each other up and encouraging other members of God's creation.  We had them write "warm fuzzies" (encouraging notes) to each other and some of them wrote some to members of our team.  We also gave away a few prizes like jewelry and nail polish.

Girls writing warm fuzzies -->

Tomorrow is our last day doing ministry in the neighborhood of Ceibas and the big question that hangs in my mind is...have we done enough?  Have I done enough?  Can anyone ever do enough?  I don't feel ready to leave this place or the work we've been doing here.

Kristel!!!  The little monkey of the bunch.  Favorite Kristel quote: "Tienes chicla?...[no]...Chocolate?...[no]....Agua?" And as always instead of calling your name to get your attention she swats at you while screaming "Aah!"

Well...before I wrap this up I also wanted to note that one of my friends had the great idea of me trying a new recipe every week as a part of my whole New Year's resolution to try something new once a week...so I'm open to recipe ideas although I do have tons of recipes that I haven't touched yet.

Anyway, ciao for now! Hasta manana!