Our first visitors arrive tomorrow, and we are quite thrilled! We are off to the Mara and then to Mombasa. Updates to follow. Hoping to include photos in the near future as well!
Thanks for your comments and emails and FB posts--you have no idea how much they mean!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
16 Years Ago Today...
I met Deron. And my whole life changed. We could never have guessed what the next 16 years would hold on that day we were just meeting. And I could never ,ever have imagined gratitude and thankfulness and joy beyond words such as I feel today.
My cup runneth over.
Truly.
My cup runneth over.
Truly.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Aaron Sanchez, Our Hero (The Recipe and Euphoric Rambling About Said Recipe Post)
Who is Aaron Sanchez, you might ask? And why the hero status? Well, this past Friday we had a goodbye party for our compound neighbors who are off to the Pacific Northwest in the U.S. We knew they'd be leaving come August, but it still came too fast and we are all going to miss them. Thusly, it was necessary to send them off in style and the compound hosted a party with a Latin cooking theme.
There were taco shells that had been purchased in Nairobi; there was salsa and guacamole; there were refried beans, enchiladas and a taco fixings bar and many other yummy, yummy foods. I made a kid version of sangria (alcohol free) and I also made Mexican Brownies. And this where Wonderful, Genius Aaron Sanchez comes in. My brownies were courtesy of a recipe of The Food Network's Aaron Sanchez and they were DELICIOUS--this is a wonderful recipe and that is why he is a hero! (Note: While living here makes me acutely aware of how fortunate we are just to be well fed each day, my taste buds do sometimes crave things we can't get here--like salsa and Mexican foods. Hence the excited post. But please don't think I have lost sight of the reality that we are so lucky to be able to eat all we need!)
It took some doing to secure the cocoa powder. We have exactly one unsweetened cocoa powder option and it is in the drinking cocoa section at Nakumatt rather than the baking section. I initially scoured the baking section and surmised that bar chocolate must be all that was available for baking and thus sadly conceded defeat and headed home with plans to contribute sosmething else to the party. After some asking around, I was told to try the drinking cocoa section for the Cadbury unsweetened cocoa contained therein. It took me two trips to get my ingredients, but Cadbury did right by me with their unsweetened cocoa option and thus we have a happy case of all's well that end's well.
I followed the recipe to the letter, right down to using a wooden spoon, and the result was a really chewy and fudgy and YUMMY brownie. I think this is the only brownie recipe I will ever use again!!! And I certainly won't be going back to the box (even when boxes brownie mixes are again an option).
There is cinnamon and a hint of cayenne pepper (the latter just adds a little warmth to the end of the brownie bite) as an homage to Mexican style chocolate and it is really good and it was REALLY satisfying to be able to bake this here. I have been craving baked goods and cheese lately because they are a bit hard to come by and between this brownie and splurging on Edam cheese at the deli section of Nakumatt, I have had a really, really nice fix!!!
I have included the recipe here, in case my excited ramblings inspire brownie cravings in my readership! :-) Also, so that I can always access it! I suspect that today might include a trip to Nakumatt for more butter so we can make another batch!
Aaron Sanchez's Mexican Brownies
Recipe courtesy Aaron Sanchez for Food Network Magazine
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aaron-sanchezs-mexican-brownies-recipe/index.html
Serves:
18 brownies
Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground Mexican cinnamon (canela)
1/4 teaspoon pequen chili powder or cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Press the paper into the corners of the pan and lightly grease the paper with butter.
Melt the 2 sticks of butter in a nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat; do not boil. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla to the saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
Add the cocoa, flour, cinnamon, chili powder, salt and baking powder and mix until smooth.
Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out fudgy, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack, then use the parchment paper to lift out the brownies before slicing
There were taco shells that had been purchased in Nairobi; there was salsa and guacamole; there were refried beans, enchiladas and a taco fixings bar and many other yummy, yummy foods. I made a kid version of sangria (alcohol free) and I also made Mexican Brownies. And this where Wonderful, Genius Aaron Sanchez comes in. My brownies were courtesy of a recipe of The Food Network's Aaron Sanchez and they were DELICIOUS--this is a wonderful recipe and that is why he is a hero! (Note: While living here makes me acutely aware of how fortunate we are just to be well fed each day, my taste buds do sometimes crave things we can't get here--like salsa and Mexican foods. Hence the excited post. But please don't think I have lost sight of the reality that we are so lucky to be able to eat all we need!)
It took some doing to secure the cocoa powder. We have exactly one unsweetened cocoa powder option and it is in the drinking cocoa section at Nakumatt rather than the baking section. I initially scoured the baking section and surmised that bar chocolate must be all that was available for baking and thus sadly conceded defeat and headed home with plans to contribute sosmething else to the party. After some asking around, I was told to try the drinking cocoa section for the Cadbury unsweetened cocoa contained therein. It took me two trips to get my ingredients, but Cadbury did right by me with their unsweetened cocoa option and thus we have a happy case of all's well that end's well.
I followed the recipe to the letter, right down to using a wooden spoon, and the result was a really chewy and fudgy and YUMMY brownie. I think this is the only brownie recipe I will ever use again!!! And I certainly won't be going back to the box (even when boxes brownie mixes are again an option).
There is cinnamon and a hint of cayenne pepper (the latter just adds a little warmth to the end of the brownie bite) as an homage to Mexican style chocolate and it is really good and it was REALLY satisfying to be able to bake this here. I have been craving baked goods and cheese lately because they are a bit hard to come by and between this brownie and splurging on Edam cheese at the deli section of Nakumatt, I have had a really, really nice fix!!!
I have included the recipe here, in case my excited ramblings inspire brownie cravings in my readership! :-) Also, so that I can always access it! I suspect that today might include a trip to Nakumatt for more butter so we can make another batch!
Aaron Sanchez's Mexican Brownies
Recipe courtesy Aaron Sanchez for Food Network Magazine
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aaron-sanchezs-mexican-brownies-recipe/index.html
Serves:
18 brownies
Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground Mexican cinnamon (canela)
1/4 teaspoon pequen chili powder or cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Press the paper into the corners of the pan and lightly grease the paper with butter.
Melt the 2 sticks of butter in a nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat; do not boil. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla to the saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
Add the cocoa, flour, cinnamon, chili powder, salt and baking powder and mix until smooth.
Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out fudgy, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack, then use the parchment paper to lift out the brownies before slicing
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Life's Little Joys
I woke up just dog tired Saturday. I'd been having insomnia bouts during the week and it all seemed to come crashing down on me Saturday morning. I love my boys and we yearned and prayed for those boys for years, a reality of which I have not lost sight. Still, overflowing thankfulness or no, when sleep deprived, the energy to keep up with those two very active boys can be lacking. And thus Saturday found me a wee bit grumpy.
You know what quells grumpy? Kid cuteness. Grumpy just cannot prevail in the face of kid cuteness. So I am posting this to capture these moments:
You know what quells grumpy? Kid cuteness. Grumpy just cannot prevail in the face of kid cuteness. So I am posting this to capture these moments:
- I was in the (very messy) playroom with the boys and Micah came over to me with his etch-a -sketch and told me he had drawn exactly what we needed to clean up the room. There I beheld a robot vacuum. Micah excitedly pointed out the three wheels on his robot and showed me his two hands and explained that there were two more just like it on the other side. My favorite part? Micah explained that after vacuuming everything up, the robot would then "spit everything out just where it belongs." Upon learning I could not purchase such a robot anywhere, Micah then proceeded to cheerily pick up all his building blocks. Without even being asked.
- As if the robot vacuum were not enough, Micah then came back to me with the etch-a-sketch and he had designed a hidden picture search for me. Because his artistic phase has been abstract (but very intricate to my eye), imagine my surprise to see a very realistic toilet plunger hidden in and amongst other shapes. The cuteness of Micah copying the hidden picture searches he enjoys in his High Five magazines, and the surprise that he can draw such realistic objects, and the amusement that he chose a plunger of all things (and knows what a plunger does) all conspired to chase away any and all grouchiness.
- Tiras can give a big grin and laugh that is just infectious. But what I also love is his look of delight that is not interactive, but just Tiras caught up in the awe and enjoyment of a moment. I was holding him and putting lotion on his back and tummy and he was very interested in the lotion, so I put a tiny dollop on his hand and he gazed down at the lotion on his hand with such a pleased and interested smile. I love that look!
- Another grace note of the day was finding myself in the middle of a cross breeze. Nothing like a gentle lake breeze unexpectedly whispering a bit of cool into the day!
Happy moments. I may not be able to articulate them in a way that does them justice. But I hope they will trigger the memory for me down the road when my kidlets are no longer wee kidlets.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Friday This and That
Note: Adding several images of the boys doing their swim lessons with Teacher Mark in August since I first mentioned their swim lessons in this blog entry. In October, Micah swam by himself for the first time. There is also a video at the end of this post depicting Micah happily going under the water, which was a big breakthrough for him at the time!
*
We are all breathing a big sigh of relief at the peaceful election that occurred here Wednesday. There is an interesting article in the New York Times for any interested in reading a bit more about what has been afoot here. August 4 may prove to be a very historic day for Kenya.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/06/world/africa/06kenya.html?_r=1&ref=africa
Micah started swim lessons this week and really likes his teacher. We started with semi-private hour long lessons with our neighbor and switched it up yesterday to a half hour private lesson for each kidlet. They both did really well with the new format and Micah announced to me yesterday, "Mark's a really good swim teacher." Tiras is scheduled to start his swim lessons next week. He LOVES the water and is ready to dive in even now, so I think swim lessons could prove to be a huge hit with him.
Speaking of Tiras, he is over his diaper changing antics. His energies are now directed to adamant self feeding. It's a messy time, but he is surely determined to get this skill. He also says "thank you" on such a regular basis, which is cute. (He pronounces it: Thike You!) He also said "walk, walk" the other day and headed over to his stroller. I was quick to oblige the request and off we went on a walk outside the compound. So exciting to have him using words. He is really a fun and jolly little kiddo. He thinks it is hilarious to hide from me in the curtains, etc. His other passion is kicking the ball around. Last week, a couple of our daytime guards would kick the ball to him and he would just giggle and run all over dribbling the ball with his feet. Hard to believe he was just CRAWLING when we arrived and now he runs around like he's in the World Cup!
Micah is such a fun and sweet mix of old soul and exuberant kiddo. He loves playing with other kids and I think he is going to really enjoy having school start in September and getting to meet even more peers. He has suddenly started saying "antimals" for animals and airily dismisses my pronunciation corrections with, "Well, that's how I say it." He also made me laugh today when he finished macaroni and cheese at lunch (brought back from Atlanta by Deron and dubbed "Atlantic Macaroni and Cheese" by Micah) and with utter delight and glee said he was going to be chubby like Winnie the Pooh!!! His joy and exuberance is just infectious and I wish I had a video camera running all the time so I could capture that big smile and the dancing eyes.
Deron remains really busy with work, but is out in the field today and always loves getting those opportunities, so the week is ending on a particularly satisfying note for him. As for me, there have been many happy moments this week. Today, I am proud of myself for a) finally breaking down boxes that have been sitting around here for weeks and b) soaking my potatoes in veggie wash so that they will be ready for chopping tonight come dinner preparation. It's the kind of thing I could see myself forgetting to do and then being flustered when I have to slow down the cooking and chopping process to do the more lengthy cleaning prep required over here.
In literary news, I have switched from my 700 page book on Africa to the 550 page book, Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles. I look forward to reading the former down the road, but I just could not resist the book endorsed by Alexander McCall Smith and with a forward by Chinua Achebe. Have so far only read the forward because days somehow are so full and fast here, but am excited to read more. And you gotta figure 1250 pages of history and anecdotes is going to find me no expert, but certainly knowing a lot more than I do now and having some better context for taking in the world around me.
Happy weekend to all and here is a day early celebratory wish to my parents: congratulations on 45 years of marriage!!! Your love for each other is inspiring and you created such a warm and loving home for us! Sending tons and tons of love to you from across the miles, on this special day and always!!! Happy Anniversary and thank you for being such a wonderful blessing!
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/06/world/africa/06kenya.html?_r=1&ref=africa
Micah started swim lessons this week and really likes his teacher. We started with semi-private hour long lessons with our neighbor and switched it up yesterday to a half hour private lesson for each kidlet. They both did really well with the new format and Micah announced to me yesterday, "Mark's a really good swim teacher." Tiras is scheduled to start his swim lessons next week. He LOVES the water and is ready to dive in even now, so I think swim lessons could prove to be a huge hit with him.
Speaking of Tiras, he is over his diaper changing antics. His energies are now directed to adamant self feeding. It's a messy time, but he is surely determined to get this skill. He also says "thank you" on such a regular basis, which is cute. (He pronounces it: Thike You!) He also said "walk, walk" the other day and headed over to his stroller. I was quick to oblige the request and off we went on a walk outside the compound. So exciting to have him using words. He is really a fun and jolly little kiddo. He thinks it is hilarious to hide from me in the curtains, etc. His other passion is kicking the ball around. Last week, a couple of our daytime guards would kick the ball to him and he would just giggle and run all over dribbling the ball with his feet. Hard to believe he was just CRAWLING when we arrived and now he runs around like he's in the World Cup!
Micah is such a fun and sweet mix of old soul and exuberant kiddo. He loves playing with other kids and I think he is going to really enjoy having school start in September and getting to meet even more peers. He has suddenly started saying "antimals" for animals and airily dismisses my pronunciation corrections with, "Well, that's how I say it." He also made me laugh today when he finished macaroni and cheese at lunch (brought back from Atlanta by Deron and dubbed "Atlantic Macaroni and Cheese" by Micah) and with utter delight and glee said he was going to be chubby like Winnie the Pooh!!! His joy and exuberance is just infectious and I wish I had a video camera running all the time so I could capture that big smile and the dancing eyes.
Deron remains really busy with work, but is out in the field today and always loves getting those opportunities, so the week is ending on a particularly satisfying note for him. As for me, there have been many happy moments this week. Today, I am proud of myself for a) finally breaking down boxes that have been sitting around here for weeks and b) soaking my potatoes in veggie wash so that they will be ready for chopping tonight come dinner preparation. It's the kind of thing I could see myself forgetting to do and then being flustered when I have to slow down the cooking and chopping process to do the more lengthy cleaning prep required over here.
In literary news, I have switched from my 700 page book on Africa to the 550 page book, Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles. I look forward to reading the former down the road, but I just could not resist the book endorsed by Alexander McCall Smith and with a forward by Chinua Achebe. Have so far only read the forward because days somehow are so full and fast here, but am excited to read more. And you gotta figure 1250 pages of history and anecdotes is going to find me no expert, but certainly knowing a lot more than I do now and having some better context for taking in the world around me.
Happy weekend to all and here is a day early celebratory wish to my parents: congratulations on 45 years of marriage!!! Your love for each other is inspiring and you created such a warm and loving home for us! Sending tons and tons of love to you from across the miles, on this special day and always!!! Happy Anniversary and thank you for being such a wonderful blessing!
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