Catching Up....

I haven't posted anything lately. It's probably due to life being a bit busy and it just keep getting busier. I took this weekend to catch up on my communication with the rest of the world. I decided I should post some blogs to fill in everyone on life here.

June started with time away. I took a personal retreat to relax and enjoy some 27/7 A/C. It was lovely. It also proved to be good for my back. I so need a good western style mattress. I indulged myself on the most recent Grey's Anatomy Season (5, I think). I watched all 24 hours straight through. It was great! Then I enjoyed sleeping a lot, eating some of my favorite foods, and reading some great books. It was just what I needed and was well over due.

After that 3-day retreat I headed off with my company for a weekend of getting to know each other. It was great to do this because not all of us are in the same place and I met several people I had only heard of at this point. We also got to share resources and collaborate on ideas.

After returning, I had to focus on the ABC book I've been working on. It had to be done and formatted into the computer in order for it to be edited and proofed for print by July. I was expecting my first visitor and knew I had to get it done before she arrived. In addition to the book I planned my lessons through Christmas for my English classes. I felt pretty accomplished.

I also fit in a week of language camp. I have officially transitioned from the survival level to the functional level. I'm not quite functioning just yet. This means I start looking at grammar and how all the things I've learned so far fit together and work in hopes of creating my own sentences and not just memorizing phrases.

Then my friend came to visit and we went a friend's wedding. That will be my next blog entry. Now I am recovering from the visit and wedding. I have to go to work and start on a very interesting project...yet another blog entry to come.

I have crashed beautifully into my 6th month. As I listen to my play list entitled "Home" I must agree with the song playing..."Life ain't always beautiful but it's a beautiful ride."

Recipe Contest Winners!!!

I’m a little late posting this. I don't have a calendar with the American holidays on it. I just had the last weekend in May stuck in my head as being Memorial Day...oops! I didn't realize that next Monday was June already.

I had several people send me some delicious recipes for the contest. I just couldn’t choose just one winner.

The first winner is.....

Melanie Russell

Her recipe was so simple yet incredibly yummy and versatile. It has already inspired other dishes. Here is her wonderful recipe:

Pan Seared Chicken

Ingredients:

· Chicken Breast(s)

· Garlic

· Salt

· Pepper

· Basil

· Zucchini and Broccoli (or veggies of choice)

· Tomatoes

· Rice

· Cooking Oil

Directions:

1. Cube chicken into bite sized pieces

2. Chop veggies

3. Prepare rice (however that may be)

4. Pour 1 TBS of oil into 2 different pans.

5. In one pan add the chicken, 1 tsp salt, pinch of pepper, 1tsp basil, 1 tsp garlic and cook till chicken is golden brown

6. In the other pan add veggies and 1tsp salt, pinch of pepper, 1tsp basil, 1tsp garlic, and tomatoes and sauté.

7. Serve over rice

The second winner is...

Alisha Barker

I enjoyed the adventure of using local fruit. Her recipe was exotic and very appropriate for my location. Here is her recipe.

Pork (or chicken) w/ Lychees

Ingredients:

• 1 TBSP oil
• 2 lb pork cut in 1" cubes (you could use chicken too)
• 20 oz. of Lychees 1/4 cup soy sauce ( I think it would still be good even if you can't eat or find this)
• 1/4 cup rice wine
• 1 whole star anise
• 1 small dried chili
• 2 cloves garlic peeled and flattened
• 1 slice flattened ginger
• 2 TBSP cornstarch
• 2 TBSP water

Directions:

Heat oil; add pork & brown; Mix soy sauce, wine, and spices simmer covered for 25 minutes. Add lychees and simmer 10 more minutes. Dissolve cornstarch in water. Add to skillet and stir until thick. Serve over rice and/or with a side of veggies.

The third winner is...

Gale Langley

She gave me two excellent recipes (one is actually from her mom). I loved them both and made them on Election Day. Here they are:

Chunky Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb potatoes peeled and cubed
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 tbsp flour
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese shredded

Directions:

1. In large saucepan combine potatoes and water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Set potatoes and reserved liquid aside.

2. In the same pan cook onion in butter until tender, stirring often. Stir in flour, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir over medium-low heat 1 minute.

3. Gradually stir in milk and reserved cooking liquid. Cook and stir over medium heat until boiling. Boil 1 minute.

4. Stir in potatoes and cheese. Cook and stir over low heat until heated through and cheese melts.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons flour
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
• a small splash of vanilla extract
• 1 large coffee mug

Directions:

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes on high. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

There are two honorable mentions. They are....

Phyllis Merritt

and

Lydia Tate

Each of these ladies will soon be receiving a special gift from the Motherland. Thank you all who participated. I enjoyed trying your recipes. Just because the contest is over doesn’t mean the recipe exchange has to stop. I hope to post recipes from here from time to time. If you come across a good recipe, please don’t hesitate to send it my way.

Happy Cooking!

Goodies from Home

OMG! was my first thought when I saw the package. I wasn't expecting that big of a box. Knowing the friends who sent it I knew that every cubic inch was stuffed. This is what I found once I busted the box open...


This is everything set out on the coffee table.


You can get pasta here but it is expensive. This package will last me awhile and save me lots of Rupees ($$$$$).





The vanilla and cinnamon taste very different here. I tried to make a chocolate cake which called for vanilla. It tasted ok but the vanilla here made it have a dry taste. I don't have to tell you that's not how I want my cake to taste. The cinnamon is very bitter. I think because it is raw and unprocessed. The different soil can also change the taste of things. This is easier to use than having to make powder from the sticks.



These are the other spices and mixes I found in the box. The tea and lemonade mixes cannot be bought here but they will help me drink the liters of water I need to drink to stay hydrated. I haven't seen pudding mixes but I have seen jello mixes and the price was about $5 a box. I can't wait to make some tacos or enchiladas for my friends. Of course, they will be made out of chicken or mutton. The Mongolian spice mix will be used to make some great Mongolian Chicken. Yummy! My friend remembered (or is psychic) that Mongolian B**f is one of my favorite dishes. The B-word is not used here.



This may seem silly but they don't have saltines here. I never thought I would miss something this simple but I do especially when my tummy isn't feeling well. Thanks for taking the suggestion from my Facebook status=) After the cookies I think this is the item I wanted to open and eat first....so strange but true.


My friend is a tea freak as much as I am. This is one of my favorites. Yes, if you know me you know I love the tea here. One of the reasons I loved it was because it was a nice treat. Now I drink it all the time. I have to go to specialty shops or cafes to find other types of tea. I do enjoy that but being able to enjoy it at home is a great perk.


Do I even need to explain this! It's simply about comfort (and I'm a lazy cook).

Here are some special treats that didn't quite survive the journey. The Reese's Pieces will be edible after a period in the fridge. The Cadbury Creme Eggs I think will be appreciated in thought alone. Not sure time in the fridge will make much of a difference. Thanks for trying. It will reach 127 degrees F this week. Chocolate casualties are common during this season.





This warms my heart. It might seem silly but cooking is very laborious here. There are just some days you want to make something quick and simple. These flavors would be hard to create here. They simply taste like home to me.


This is the Bomb Baby! This Rocks so much I can't even explain. I love cereal. Love it. I eat it for dinner often back in the States. I love having variety in my cereal. This is so American of me and I'm not ashamed. A small box of cereal here costs about $6.



YEAH!!!! Cheese biscuits like the ones served at Red Lobster, Blueberry Muffin Mix, and Corn Bread, Baby....That's what I'm talking about. As soon as I move into my new place I will buy an oven and start baking! Can't get berries here. Actually, you can. There's this soft served yogurt place that just opened. You get to select 2 regular fruit and one exotic fruit to go on top of your yogurt. The regular fruit is what we would call exotic back home...mangoes, kiwi, papaya, and other things like that. Exotic fruits here include blueberries and grapes. I love berries and miss them so much. I went to a couple's house this past weekend for tea. They bring dried blueberries and cranberries with them from Canada. They were able to serve me blueberry-cranberry muffins. This was considered a special and rare treat.


Other things that you might spot in the coffee table shot are cookies (Oreos, Chips Ahoy!, Nutter Butter), tuna, M&Ms (they melt in your mouth not in your hands...thank goodness for their hard candy coating=), other candies, and breakfast bars. The cookies you can get here but yet again they are imported so the price is at least doubled if not 5x more than in the States. Same for tuna and M&Ms. The other candy can't be bought here. The breakfast bars will be great for me to eat for breakfast on my early mornings (when I teach at the Japanese School).

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I know I could survive without these things but the love and care that prompted my friends to do this is what's meaningful to me. When they asked me if they could do this I never imagined all of this. I should of because of who they are.