Who's Been Here
Semi Monthly Dishcloth KAL
Other Stuff
Nasty Little Sandwiches (aka Ham Delights)
About 20 years ago (boy am I old!) I was standing behind my neice MJP (aka George) in the ubiquitous family buffet line and heard her tell her friend Zinny "Don't get any of those nasty little sandwiches".
I just stood there, grinned and told her thanks...knowing others loved them and it meant more for me! Needless to say now George loves them too (or at least she says she does).
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My New Friend
If you would like a friend in Africa too check out H3O.org
!
Josephine is the economic pillar of her family and has a big heart. She is 45 years old, married to Kutai and they have six children who still live in the family
homestead. Josephine and Katau also take care of three children orphaned through HIV/AIDS.
Josephine has ...
Homemade Yogurt
Not many things are better for you than real homemade yogurt. In my humble opinion it goes further in keeping the doctor away the the ubiquitous apple. It regulates digestion, provides calcium and vitamin D for all of us including the lactose intolerant, regulates high blood pressure...
I could go on but I will leave it to the experts at WebMD.
Here is the recipe courtesy of my mother-in-law, Kenar; a good friend, Ziba; and considerable trial and error. I have added the usual link to the pdf file.
Homemade Yogurt
Origin: Kenar B, Ziba K, Me
Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 12 hours Servings: 6
Shopping List Orig. Size Prep Directions:
Whole or 2% Milk 1 quart(s)
Plain Yogurt (starter) 2 tbls Must be fresh!
Directions:
1 Warm the milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it begins to bubble around the edge of the saucepan and the milk is steaming a bit.
2 Pour the warm milk into a large bowl to cool until you can keep your pinky finger in the milk for 20 seconds (110 to 115 degrees on a candy thermometer)
3 Add the plain yogurt to a small bowl and stir in some of the milk. Stir until it is well blended.
4 Mix the starter very well into the large bowl full of warm milk.
5 Cover with a heavy towel and keep in a warm place 6 to 8 hours or overnight. (I put mine in the attic in the summer or preheat the oven to 200 without the yogurt in the oven then turn the oven off. Place the yogurt in the oven overnight).
6 In the morning cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours before serving.
7 I like my yogurt really thick so I place a doubled twice (thickness of 4 layers) cheesecloth in a colander with feet. I pour the yogurt into the cheesecloth, put several paper towels on top and place a plate on top of this. I put the whole conglomeration in a large bowl and allow it to drain all day. The liquid that drains is mostly lactose...this is why folks that are lactose intolerant can enjoy yogurt.
Asian Slaw
This is so simple and convenient. The browning of the nuts and noodles could be done days in advance. You can serve immediately but it is better if it sits in the fridge a while. I’ve let it sit overnight many times and actually like it ...<< MORE >>
A New Southerner
This post is for John of Intercrew Systems. We met John and the Intercrew crew at our first trade show in 2006(?). They were our booth neighbors in Minneapolis and we have made a point of checking in with each other each year. This year John gave us the address for a fabulous Korean restaurant, Shik Do Rak near the show. Due to time constraints I didn't get to go with J but the hubby and I checked it out later that weekend.
John mentioned that he really likes grits...then he mentioned instant. Ohhhh No....these words do NOT belong in the same sentence unless there is a NO or NEVER involved. John also has a new baby girl...so I had to make sure this little one is not corrupted by these fake grits.
I mean look at that face! We cannot risk her ruination!
I like real grits...the kind stone ground at a mill, preferably from popcorn but regular works too. I get them from the Trade Mill in Tennessee. The former family mill no longer grinds grits so I feel no guilt.
Regular grits will work too just NOT the instant. These will be smoother and creamier than stone ground grits but they lack that nutty flavor and texture...and they are missing the nutrients of the whole grain.
This is enough to for a hearty portion for four. I usually transfer to the crock pot after the 'main cooking' is done and let then simmer all day in the cooler weather. We eat as we want some.
And without further ado...the proper way to make grits...
GRITS...the right way
Prep Time: 10 minutes Until ready to Serve: 40 minutes Serves: 4 HUNGRY people
If you plan to use a Crockpot at the end I suggest plugging it in now on high to melt the butter and preheat the crock.
Ingredients:
1 cup grits (NEVER Instant)
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups water
½ cup butter (1 stick)
¼ cup half n half
Salt and pepper to your taste
Various fixin’s as desired: Cheese, bacon, country ham, peppers, shrimp, etc
Directions:
Bring the water and salt to a full boil. Gradually add the grits, stirring constantly. Stir for about 5 minutes for the Quick Cook Grits (NOT INSTANT) or 7 minutes for the stone ground (or for other country cooks… until it seems there is no extra standing water).
Add the half n half and butter (unless the butter is in the crockpot). Stir well.
At this point turn the heat to a simmer or transfer to a preheated Crockpot. Turn the Crockpot down to low. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Crock Pot Notes:
The neat thing about doing it in the crock pot is if you eat some for breakfast and leave the rest until lunch it makes a tadik crust. We say this is Persian meets Southern Cuisine…perfect for us.
This will work well in the 3 Qt (Medium size) Crockpot and you can increase the recipe by 50% (1/1/2 cups grits) and this size will still work. If you want to use the smaller Crockpot that is built for two, cut the recipe in half.
Audiobooks
NetLibrary is one freebie source. Overdrive is the other.
These are both available through the Public Library of Charlotte-Mecklenburg County. All you need is a library card and your PIN (most likely the last four digits of your phone number).
For my friends and family back home Catawba County is a member of North Carolina Digital Library which also uses Overdrive. Same requirements; you need a library card and PIN...I have no idea what your PIN will be though, you will need to check with the library.
Audible is the not free source and I use that for books that I can't find at all or can't find in the unabridged format from the freebie sources.
Whatever I currently have loaded on my MP3 player is listed in the sidebar. Rules for me are no listening unless I am walking or cleaning house or gardening or stuck on an airplane (not so often nowadays).
On a personal vent kind of note (so you may want to stop reading now): Tomorrow may be my last blood test. If I fail it I am out of the Onward Study. This sucks! The Cladribine is doing exactly what it is supposed to...suppressing my lymphocyte count but it's doing it a little too well.
The 'non-toxic' lower limit is 1. They will allow me to continue in the trial if I am a 0.8 by tomorrow. I guess that 'non-toxic' limit isn't too hard and fast huh? As of two weeks ago I was still just a 0.5. Last round I came up 0.1 each week for a total gain in between tests of 0.2. This round seems the same since test before last I was 0.3.
My neighbor, M (a neurological nurse...rather handy to have around, don't you think) found information about what causes HIGH lymphocyte count so I did what I could to send things into overdrive. If I get kicked out then it was what God knew was best.
But I have to wait 2-3 days to know the results!! ...dad-gum-it I am not at all good at giving up control to Him!
Food Friday - Pudding Pops
She made a gorgeous handkerchief for my wedding from antique silk (200 years old..no kidding!) and Armenian Lace (150 years old) in honor of Rafik's heritage. This picture does it no justice. I pulled it out of it's nice safe place to photograph.
As a matter of fact, when I was little (back when Jesus was a baby) my family used to joke that the Jello people were following her around and copying her ideas. She made the cake with Jello poured into it long before it was ever released in a magazine.
She made up this recipe and has been making these since before Bill Cosby. You can substitute 1/2 cup heavy bream and 2 cups milk if you don't have half n' half around...or for a low fat version you MAY try just milk. I never have tried that and have no intention of doing so at this time. From experience I can tell you that the Pistachio pops are excellent!
in pdf form
Prep Time: 2 min Freeze Time: 5 hours Servings: 8
Pudding of Desired Flavor 1 small pkg
Powdered Sugar 1/2 cup
Half and Half 2 1/2 cup
Directions:
Mix all together
Pour into 8 Popsicle molds
Freeze
I Have a Friend in Africa
David Mbiti Kimongo 
David is 70-years old. He and his wife, Helen, are both entrepreneurs who sell to the local market. David is a baker, who bakes bread and makes cakes for special occasions. His wife sells vegetables at the Kyevaluki market.
Demand is rising for David's special cakes and his bread, but David needs funds to buy the ingredients needed to increase the production of his bakery items. With the high-cost of fuel, David is also challenged with being able to transport the items to market in a cost effective manner.
Loan Purpose:
With the help of a loan from h3o, David hopes to open a shop where he can sell his baked goods, along with his wife's vegetables, so that costly trips to the market are not necessary.
I am so proud of my friend. I loaned him a measly $25 and he has already paid back $10.42. There is something about that 2¢ that is precious to me. It symbolozes his struggle and his honesty.
I met David through H30 (Humans Helping Humans). This organization allows you to make micro-loans to a person of your choosing to use to become more self-sufficient in a developing country. The clients are all screened through various organizations. David came through penKenya.org (PEN stands for Poverty Eradication Network).
After you make a loan you have the option of reinvesting or getting your money back. EVERY penny goes to the loan. You can make a donation to admin fees if you like but it is optional.
Take a moment and check out the site if you are interested I know I got $1,000,000 worth of smile from seeing that 2¢ !!!
Hump Day Break
Enjoy! ...<< MORE >>
