Something I've been wanting to try

Actually, it’s two things: 

 

I’ve been wanting to figure out how I can do blog posts via email, so that when I’m in the village, or wherever, it will be easy to keep updating.

 

Also, I’ve been really wanting to try making chocolate éclairs/ cream puffs/ whatever they’re called.  We had a game night on Friday with two other couples and so I offered to bring a snack, because I wanted to try this new recipe out, and then we wouldn’t end up eating them all ourselves.  I think they turned out yummy.  I might try cooking the dough for a couple minutes longer, as I thought it could be a bit lighter/fluffier, but everyone really enjoyed them!

 

I love trying new recipes. =)

Birthday Season Has Begun!

Today we got to celebrate Nathan's 7th birthday!  His actual birthday isn't for another almost 2 weeks, but since we'll be flying out to the village on his actual birthday, we did it a little early.

I went with simple this year... balloons on cupcakes

Our original plan was to have an outside party, complete with a slip n slide.  But the weather lately has been miserable.  It's really like dry season forgot to show up this year.  It's been cold, and pouring and super muddy lately.  So it just would not have been a pleasant day to play in the water.

Thankfully, Matt was able to quickly create a super fun scavanger hunt for the kids.  We played musical chairs, played with balloons, and had cupcakes and ice cream.  Then they went for their scavanger hunt and discovered a bag of candy waiting for them on our front steps.  Then they just got to play around for a while.

Racing around, following the clues of the hunt

At the end of the scavanger hunt, with their treasure!

Aren't they cute?

At times like these.......

I really don't like the lifestyle we live.  In fact, I might actually downright hate certain aspects of it.

This week I had to say goodbye to a very dear friend, for a good year or so.  Next week, the week of school ending/Graduation, has actually been named:  Cry Week.  I think it originally came to be called this, due to all the teens, primarily graduating seniors, who were leaving back to countries all over the world for college, and who didn't know if and when they would ever see eachother again.  But it's appropriate for how we adults feel too.  Starting next week, the mass exodus from PNG begins.  And this year seems way worse than any others in my 8-ish years in PNG.  Somehow, a huge chunk of my closest friends have, or will be leaving for furlough... usually just about 1 year in length, sometimes more.  I believe I heard that this year some 42 family units will be leaving on furlough, or finish (permanantly leaving PNG).  Our friends here are truely like our family... we spend holidays together, we help eachother thru hard times, we play together.  So it's always painful when suddenly they are gone for a whole year or more.  Yeah, I know there is email and facebook and blogs and such, but it's not the same.

If we're lucky, the furlough only lasts a year, and then they are back.  But many times (and it's happened to us several times already), furloughs fall at just the wrong time, and so we take our year furlough, and just as we get back (or just before), dear, close friends leave for their furlough, and suddenly, we have two full years of not seeing dear friends.  It's not easy to be always saying goodbye. =(

But for now, things are starting to feel lonely, and empty.  Two of my closest friends, that I spend the most time with, are gone now, and several more are leaving in the next 2 weeks.  Thankfully, one friend did just return from furlough, and another very good friend will be back by the time we get back from the village.  So while 10 or so good friends leave, at least I'll have a couple come back!

A New Favorite

I love trying new recipes.  I love reading recipes, just for fun.  Demented, huh?  Matt often wonders why I stress over planning meals.  He would be fine if every Monday was spagetti, every Tuesday was burritos, every Wednesday was hamburgers, etc.  And as much as I enjoy those things, I just plain get bored with cooking the same things over and over.  I like to try new things, or new variations on old things.  So I really love the TOH magazine subscription my Mom has been giving me for the past few years.  Some magazines I get a few new recipes or ideas from, some I get a lot.  And some have been added to my "favorites:  make regularly" list.

In my most recent mag, I found a recipe for Tomato-Herb Focaccia that I wanted to try.  So I made it for our Easter get-together.  Oh my goodness, it was so good!!!  And it smells incredible, even while just mixing it. =)  It has definitely become a new favorite.  I've only made it twice now, but it's one of those I'm tempted to make weekly, just because it is so yummy!

So, I thought I'd share it with you:


Tomato Herb Focaccia (from TOH)

1 pkg (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp each: dried oregano, thyme and rosemary
1/2 tsp dried basil
dash pepper
2 to 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzerella cheese
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add 1 Tbsp oil, salt, sugar, garlic powder, herbs, pepper and 1 1/2 cups flour.  Beat until smooth.  Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.  Placed in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down.  Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.  Shape into a 9 x 13 inch rectangle; place on a greased baking sheet.  Cove and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.  With fingertips, make several dimples over top of dough.
Brush dough with 1 Tbsp oil; arrange tomatos over the top.  Sprinkle with cheeses.  Bake at 400* for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove to a wire rack.

Enjoy! =)

Easter 2011

Ok, so I know I'm a little behind, but better late than never, right?
For Easter we got together with Kate and Phil, who are good friends of ours.
Our original plan was to have a nice Easter lunch after church, and the kids would have an egg hunt.  However both Justin and Julianne came down sick on Saturday.  They were doing better by Sunday morning, but we kept them both home from church.  Then, to give Justin and Julianne some more time to make sure they were over whatever it was that they had, we postponed our Easter meal until the evening.  But it turned out to be a nice evening with friends.  The kids enjoyed their Easter egg hunt, and it was nice to just hang out with dear friends.
(all pictures courtesy of Phil, as we forgot our camera!)

Determined to not crack a smile for the camera!

Easter dinner with Simeon and Joshua

Bread

Today was a bread-making day.  I had lots of things I wanted/needed to make.  So while the kids played playdough for a while, I mixed up my cinnamon raisin bagels and strawberry muffins.  Then I made a bunch of crescent rolls for dinner.

Keeping busy while I baked

But after a while of playing playdough, they wanted to come 'help'

Blessings

I'm so thankful for these little ones!  Sometimes they exasperate me.  Sometimes they annoy me with their fighting or bad attitudes.  Sometimes they make me practically roll on the floor from laughter.  They exhaust me.  They motivate me.  But I wouldn't give up one minute of the time I have with them.