January's country focus- TANZANIA

I decided to introduce the girls to foods from different cultures. I am, also, teaching them a little about whichever country we are eating the food of. This month was Tanzania. I chose Tanzania because one of our sponsored children lives there. He is pictured in the blog right before this one. With the riots in Kenya, it seemed fitting to start with Africa. Tanzania is the neighbor to the south of Kenya. The foods that I made are prepared in Tanzania, but they are, also, prepared in other countries in East Africa (such as Kenya & Uganda).

I am providing 3 recipes, in case anyone is interested in tasting these delicious dishes.



Futari ya Ndizi (food ranking ***)
you need:
7 green bananas (not plantains)
1 can coconut milk
2 tsp Cardamon (spice)
1 tsp butter

Put butter, coconut milk, and cardamon in a pan big enough to hold the 7 bananas (but do not put the bananas in yet). Heat and stir until it comes to a boil. Cut bananas in thirds & put into boiling mixture. Lower the heat to low and cover. Simmer until cooked (about 5 to 10 minutes), stirring occasionally. Serve warm.

Samosa (food ranking ****)
you need:
1 lb ground beef, pork or chicken
3 tbsp crushed garlic
1 1/2 tsp whole Anise seeds
salt
vegetable oil for frying
1 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
60 wonton wrappers (1 package)
flour

cook the ground meat until brown. add salt, garlic, anise, cumin and cilantro until garlic is cooked. let cool. put half of the wonton wrappers down on floured counter. mix 1/4 flour with a small amount of water to make a paste. brush the flour paste around the edges of the wonton wrappers. put meat mixture in the middle of the wonton. put another wonton wrapper on top of that one to make a sandwich out of the meat mixture. Use the flour paste to fill in any gaps in the two wontons. Heat 1 inch oil in fry pan. Once the oil is hot, place the filled wontons into the oil. Turn once. They cook very fast, so you will turn them after a few seconds. Let cool.

Mkate wa iriki (Cardamon Bread- food ranking ****)
you need:
1 dry yeast packet (or 2 1/4 tsp dry yeast)
1/2 cup warm water
1tsp sugar
1tsp ground Cardamon
3 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp oil

mix 1 tsp sugar and yeast in warm water. cover with plastic wrap and let rise. add sugar, oil, cardamon, and coconut milk. add flour little by little and mix by hand. knead dough for 10 minutes on a floured counter. put dough in an oiled bowl. cover with a cloth and let rise. once it has doubled in size, knead the dough again for 2 minutes. place the dough into a loaf baking dish. let rise until it is above the rim of the pan. preheat oven to 350, and bake for 30 minutes.

Doctor's visit misery

Here is what the front of my hair looks like.

Today Morgan had her one year check up. She is now into the 19 pound category. She was 19.05 pounds. The poor baby had to get 5 shots!!! It was horrible!!! She is still acting clingy 8 hours after the visit. She is not quite herself. We have, also, had to take her OFF of whole milk. We just started her on whole milk 2 weeks ago, but she is not able to handle the fat content. The doctor suggested that we switch to 2 % milk, and see if she gets better. If she doesn't get better, we will have to give her the second step formula that companies make for toddlers. I hope she can tolerate the milk! Other than that, she is right on target for everything. She even has two more teeth- for a total of 6!!!
We went to Jaden's old school after the doctor's visit. Everyone was so excited to see them. Jaden's three teachers from the baby room were there. They had never met Morgan, so it was an "oooooohhhhh, aaaaaawwwwww" moment. Of all of the kids that Jaden went to school with as a baby, there is only one left (and it is the owner's grandbaby), so she wasn't able to see her former school mates. Morgan enjoyed seeing all of the babies. She even got up in a high chair and had a cracker with them.
We headed home at 1 PM, and the girls fell right to sleep in the car. Jaden slept for 3 hours, and Morgan slept for 3 1/2 (so, I guess they were pretty worn out).

Count your blessings

Morgan at almost 3 months old

Jaden at the same age

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.
If you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer healing touch.
If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you, and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.
Have a good day, count your blessings, and pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are.

The booty shop

Rebekah and Jaden before getting their hair done

Rebekah getting braids put in

I thought a phone conversation with Daddy would calm
Jaden down, but it didn't seem to help.

Jaden just got her hair flat-ironed.

This is my "do". I got mocha brown low
lights and light blonde highlights.

Jaden, Rebekah and I went to the beauty shop today. Jaden hates getting her hair done. I thought that having Rebekah there would help, but she cried the whole time. She seems to like how it turned out, but she just doesn't like what it takes to get it that way. I was intending to cut about 4 inches off of my hair- instead, I settled for 2 inches. I'll do more next time. Then, of course, I got the color, too. We went to the beauty school 40 miles away because we know one of the hair dresser students there. All three of us got our hair done for a total of $55!!!

I'll put in a front view picture of my hair after I get some sleep. It has been a long day. I got up at 4:30 AM. We left the house at 8 AM, and we didn't get home until 3 PM... So, I need to take a nap. I'll put in another picture of Jaden's hair, too because I have it in a pony tail now. Now, I am going to sleep!!!

This is what's up

These are pictures from when we visited the grandparents in the southern part of the state. The bottom two pictures are at Grandma Alice and Grandpa Bonnie's house. They watched the girls while LeCount and I did two mystery shops. When we got back to their house, both of the girls were down for their naps. The stack of blankets that Morgan is standing on was her bed, and Jaden was asleep on the couch (as you can see). They had so much fun. They ate a lot of food and drank kool-aid. We don't give them Kool-aid at home because I am afraid of the stains, but it was funny to see Jaden's Kool-aid moustache. That is what the top picture is a picture of.

Anyway, I am restless. I get this way sometimes. I feel like I need to get out of the house. Most things are closed this time of night, and it is very cold outside. I really wish I had something to get up and do outside of the house. When I feel this way, I usually take Jaden somewhere to play, but it is already 7:30 PM on a Sunday night- most people are in their homes getting ready to start a new work week.

Job offer

After so much job hunting, I thought I had found the perfect job at the Public Library (part-time). I found out yesterday that they chose someone else. Today I had another interview, and this time I was offered a job working at home for 1800 flowers. I guess I should be happy, but I am disappointed. The job is part-time seasonal. I will train for 10 days (4 hours a day), and then, work February 10th-18th (8 hour shifts). That will be the end of it. They said that there is a possibility that I may be chosen for the same schedule around Mother's Day, but it is not guaranteed. The next is a big "if"- If I am chosen to stay on with them (they told me that they are already fully staffed right now, but maybe in the future), I would get 6 to 10 hours a week. Ouch!!! So, that is what I have going on right now.

The pictures above are some pictures I took today in in our small city, by the way.

Our mystery shopping has slowed almost to a halt. I am looking everywhere for more shops, but it gets slow at the end of the month. Hopefully, we will get some more shops soon.

LeCount is going to a temporary agency in town on Monday to see if he can get a temp to hire position somewhere close to home.

Nasty driving weather

The weather has been yucky all week. I was really hoping it would clear up before we headed back home, but no luck. It rained the whole way, and it stayed at 36 degrees. As you can see, the girls get to sit right next to each other now- facing the same direction. I set them up with Lady and the Tramp II. They watched that movie 5 times during our trip!!

Dancing to gospel music

On Thursday night, we watched Tyler Perry's play "I Can Do Bad All By Myself". At the end of the play, all of the characters get together to sign a gospel song. Morgan was dancing like crazy, so I ran to get my camera. By the time I turned the camera on, Jaden was doing most of the dancing. I don't know where they got their moves from. Hahahahahaha!!!

Sometimes you are just really thirsty

We went to see LeCount's half of the family this week. We had a great time. We just got back a few minutes ago, and of course, it is crazy in here- 5 loads of laundry to do, unpacking, shopping, etc. I am just going to have to upload the pictures and videos a little at a time, as I get time. This was a very funny video (in my opinion), so I thought I would share this first. Grandma Frances was having a nice cold drink, and Morgan wanted some- and then, wanted more and more... Enjoy!

Indoor Indy 500

Morgan got a trike for her birthday (with the combination of cash & gift card she received from Uncle Ray, Aunt Sally, Andrea, and Grandma Mary). Jaden and Morgan have been riding through the house all morning.

Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I was looking at different things about Dr. King this morning, and I came across these quotes on MSN. We have all heard the the parts of his "I Have a Dream" speech, but he was so great with words. There are great quotes out there that I had never heard, so here is MSN's ten quotes:

1. He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. -- "Stride Toward Freedom," 1958.
2. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. -- "Strength to Love," 1963.
3. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. -- "Letter from Birmingham Jail," April 16, 1963.
4. Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. -- "Strength to Love," 1963.
5. Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor. -- "Letter from Birmingham Jail," April 16, 1963.
6. The means by which we live have outdistanced the ends for which we live. Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men. -- "Strength to Love," 1963.
7. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. -- "Letter from Birmingham Jail," April 16, 1963.
8. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. -- "I Have a Dream," civil rights march on Washington, D.C., August 28, 1963. (Source: The New York Times)
9. Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. It is a weapon unique in history, which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals. -- "Why We Can't Wait," 1964.
10. The security we profess to seek in foreign adventures we will lose in our decaying cities. -- [Referring to U.S. Vietnam policy.] Address at Riverside Church, New York. (Source: History Today, April 1998)

Morgan's 1st Birthday!!!

Well, it isn't officially Morgan's birthday yet, since she won't be one until Tuesday. We had fun celebrating her day, anyway. You can see the contact dermatitis on her face that I talked about in the earlier post. I hate that her birthday pictures have to show her red cheeks, poor baby. We are going to wait until it clears up before we get the professional ones taken.

Anyway, anyone who has ever been to one of Jaden's parties knows that we make birthdays into a big event. We usually invite around 50 people, and it is a way for us all to get together (if only for once a year). We did the same for Morgan, and as it got closer and closer to her party day, more and more people started telling us that they wouldn't be able to make it. Since we don't ask people to RSVP, we never really know how many people will show up. I am glad Morgan is only 1, because I felt bad when we only had 4 people show up (I will go ahead and name these WONDERFUL folks who came out- Grandma Leslie, Grandpa Lyale, Aunt Audra, and Uncle Clay). Of course, Morgan didn't noticed, but Jaden would have. I guess we will start asking for an RSVP, so we can get a better idea for next year. I have to mention, also, Uncle Kevin, who is away at college called us during the party, so that he could be a part of the festivities.

We had a good time chatting, and eating the food (taquitos, tortilla chips, 7 layer dip, caramel popcorn, and cake).

Morgan was happy to be opening presents. She, also, loved all of the attention that she got. She is now worn out, and sound asleep in her bed. I am about to head to bed myself. Good night!

Jaden gets ready for the party

15 minutes before the party was scheduled to begin, Jaden decided to make herself beautiful. Luckily, she picked the regular mascara, and not the waterproof one that was right next to it!!

That sneaky little rascal

Today is the big day- Morgan's 1st birthday party!!! Preparations are underway... but the party will be small. At least half of the people we invited will not be able to make it. Morgan is in her crib resting up for the party. I hope her face looks better by the time the party starts. I had to take her to the doctor yesterday. I wanted to make sure that she doesn't have an ear infection. She has had a runny nose, cough, and has been pulling on her ears... Well, no ear infection, but it's a good thing we took her in because we found out what's wrong with her face. It is red & bumpy. It looked like that last time she had a runny nose, so I figured it was from her nose running while she was sleeping (and making her skin irritated). I sure was shocked when the doctor said that it wasn't from her runny nose... It was from US WIPING her runny nose!!! She is allergic to kleenex!!! Good grief!!! So, when I brought her home, we switched to handkerchiefs. Hopefully, it will clear up soon. Poor baby!!!

These pictures up above are from Thursday. Morgan got real quiet, and I went to check on her. She had gotten down a bowl of crackers that Jaden had left on the table, and she just helped herself. We really have to watch her now. She is into EVERYTHING!!!

A week of Centex

Well, we have had a full week, and it is only Wednesday. We have spent the whole week so far shopping "Centex" properties. On Monday, LeCount did a shop in Prosper (the property that I did about a month ago). On Tuesday, we all went together to do a "couples" shop in Little Elm and Denton. Today, we did a "couples" shop in Addison. Little Elm was the first couples shop that we have ever done for Centex, and it was HARD!!! We failed big time. Every time we shop Centex, we have to use a different name because they enter it into a shared system. In Little Elm, we decided to be John and Jena. Bad idea!!! I called him LeCount on 2 seperate occasions, and I just prayed that she (the consultant) didn't catch my slip up. Then, when the shop was almost over, LeCount called me "Heather" 4 times in a row. Oh, gosh... After we left there, we came up with a new plan. For couples shops, we have to keep our names the same, or it isn't going to work. Now we are Lee and Heather, and we just change the last name. The 2nd couples shop went better, but not perfect... The third shop (the one today) was PERFECT!! We shopped CityHomes (part of the Centex family). They have condos in Addison, and that is a picture of it above along with the floor plan. If you are interested, they go for $400,000 for that 3 bedroom, and the condo association fees are $250 a month. It is definitely made for people that are in to city life. It is in the middle of everything. In fact, there are about 15 restaurants within walking distance, and of course, even more restaurants not far away. That life is not for me, but I have to admit, they did have a nice lay out. Of course, I could probably buy two new 7 bedroom houses in Anna for that price. Hahahahahaha!!!

In love with books

The girls just love to have books read to them. I read a book to Jaden at nap and bedtime. Now, Morgan has wanted to join in, so I read to both of them at bedtime. Last night, after I was done reading them their book, Morgan took this book out to Daddy. She handed him the book so he could read it to her. She usually reads along by jabbering while I read. I hope they are this excited to LEARN how to read!!!

Pictures from Provo, UT

Kevin sent me some pictures of his apartment at BYU, so here they are. For anyone who doesn't know, this is my baby brother- off on his own for the first time- far far far away from home. He is still a teenager, but he will turn 20 on July 4th of this year! We are a whopping 14 years apart.

Days of rest

We have finally been given some days of rest. I am so exhausted from our non-stop days that I don't want to do ANYTHING! We don't have any more shops until Monday. On Monday, LeCount has one shop, and then, that is all that is scheduled until 1/24/08. Of course, I will be checking all of our usual mystery shopping web-sites to see if any assignments come in, and I will sign up for them as I see them.

This next week, we will be dedicating a lot of time to get ready for Morgan's 1st birthday party!! We are doing an Elmo theme, since she fell in love with the "Up, Up Elmo" that she got for Christmas. We are only providing snacks this year- not the all out food feast like usual. It will be a veggie plate and probably the 7 layer dip with tortilla chips... and of course, so cake.

Also, for anyone who is interested, I am starting up a Kids Care Club chapter called "Kids can change the world". We will meet 1 to 3 times a month. It is for kids 3 to 10 years old. Here is the fact sheet: http://www.kidscare.org/files/KCC-Facts-Figures.pdf It teaches kids about charity and volunteering. They do service projects to help the community (i.e. draw pictures for sick kids in the hospital, read to younger children in need such as in the hospital, putting together school supply kits for kids that can't afford them, etc.) I am still waiting on my information to come in the mail, but I am going to try to find a place in McKinney to meet. If you are interested, or know someone who might be, please forward this on to them. It doesn't cost anything but time. I would like to get a group of about 10 kids, but if there are more, that would be even better.

I went to my job interview on Thursday, and everything went well. Now it is just a waiting game. They told me that if I haven't heard anything by 2 weeks, to give HR a call. It is for a part-time job with the City of McKinney at the public library. They want someone who is bilingual because they have an ESL group that comes in on Wednesday nights, so I do have something going for me above other applicants who can not speak Spanish. I will keep everyone posted.

Before I was a Mom

I received this e-mail originally from my mom several months ago. A friend sent it to me again, and I wanted to share it with everyone:

Before I was a Mom I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom -
I had never been puked on.Pooped on. Chewed on. Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts
I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom -
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.
Before I was a Mom -
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love,the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,before I was a Mom.

Child Care Crisis

I found an interesting article that I wanted to pass on. For anyone that is considering becoming a parent, you might want to read this article. If you want to read the whole article, you can find it here http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/HomeMortgageSavings/ChildcareCrisis.aspx?GT1=10826#pageTopAnchor
Here is a portion of it:

Wendy Brauner's rent clocks in at $1,800 a month -- what some might consider a great deal in San Francisco. But don't think Brauner is living the high life. With a son, 3, and another almost 6, she was spending $2,750 a month on child care until her oldest started kindergarten last fall -- nearly 20% of her household income.
"I was writing a check for $17,000 to the preschool and wondered why it sounded so familiar," she says. "Then I realized it was a few hundred off what I paid for my first semester of college at Wellesley. It's just an enormous outlay."
I get that. Even with just one child, child-care costs were a major chunk of my own family's monthly expenses until our daughter, Harper, started kindergarten. The tab never came close to the $3,200 a month we spend for shelter, but that was mostly because, as a freelance writer, I can shuffle my work hours as needed. And that saves money -- a lot of money. In part-time day care, Harper never cost us more than $900 a month. Video: Should one parent just stay at home?
Still, it's a serious budget item. And we're among the lucky ones. The cost of child care in this country is one of those little secrets -- like leaky diapers and colic -- that parents just don't share with friends who are expecting.
Forget about the angst and expense of finding shelter that is safe and warm for your new arrival. I'm talking about the sticker shock of handing over a significant chunk of your paycheck every month just so you are free to work. That $2,750 a month for Brauner? That was after taxes, of course. Map: Average cost of child care
Yes, the federal government grants a tax credit of up to $1,050 per child for up to two children in child care. But that's annual: Brauner ran through it in less than a month.

Here comes the bride

Well, there is some background to these photos, so I guess I will start with that... It started about a year ago. I was sitting on the couch with Jaden, and she was looking at my wedding ring. She said, "Mommy, can I have a ring like yours?" So, I told her that my ring was because I was married to Daddy, and when she gets married, she would get a ring. So, she told me she wanted to get married. I told her that you have to have someone to marry, and I explained that it would be a boy. She told me, "Well, then, I am going to marry Daddy." I said that she couldn't marry Daddy because I was married to him. Then, she thought for a moment and said, "I'm gonna marry Bryson." It was so hilarious because she just thought she would walk up to Bryson and tell him that she was marrying him, and he would give her a ring.

Months passed by, and she would mention it every now and then. Then, last night I told her that Mommy and Daddy had to go to work for a few hours, but Bryson wanted her to go to his house to play. She was so excited... Moments passed and then she said, "Well, Neely (Bryson's Mom) will have to take Bryson and me to Chuck E Cheese." I said, "Why would she have to take you to Chuck E Cheese?" Jaden said, "because, they have rings there and we can get married!!!" I just could not stop laughing...

LeCount & I took Jaden and Morgan over to Neely's house this morning, and I told Neely what Jaden said. When Neely dropped Jaden off at home, she was dressed up in this wedding dress with a ring on her finger!! Here are the pictures of the bride and groom. They spent their wedding day playing play doh. What more could you ask for?