14th Story

Dentists

2011-12-07T10:52:00.001-08:00

Dentists in the former Soviet Union don't have a positive reputation. From purchased diplomas to procedures designed to make you have to have more procedures - the general advice is that it is better to stay away from them if possible. You just are never quite sure who you can trust. So when my doctor at Dobrobut said I "had" to go to the Dentist to get a certificate saying that I had healthy teeth - I was wary. But I also figured - how much harm can a dentist do if you just go in for a cleaning?

I had also recently joined Groupon UA and they were advertising Ultrasonic Airflow cleaning. When one came up at a dentist in my area I decided to kill two birds with one stone.

Conclusion? I don't think that they can do damage with a cleaning, but I don't have enough dental vocabulary - WOW is that an area where I am REALLY lost. I did get that the dentist thinks I have a cavity - but as it is UNDER a place that was sealed by my dentist to prevent cavities - I'm skeptical and have decided that I'll wait and go to the UK dentist or my trusty US Dentist to have my sealants replaced and the cavity investigated. She also told me they were having a "sale" on fillings. That really confirmed the wait factor :-)

it was also the first time I had had an Ultrasonic airflow cleaning. I did NOT like the cleaning stuff used as it doesn't taste pleasant and burns a bit - but my teeth are clean, sparkly white - more sparkly than the last few cleanings I had (those were in the UK) and I was in and out in 15 minutes with that super clean feeling - so pretty impressive. Also impressive was the groupon price - 145 UAH or 18 dollars - of course this was a sale as it should have been 500 uah (62 usd) In the UK, my last cleanings were 25 gbp - or 32 USD. I think my last US cleaning - was around $80, but that was in 2007, so not to sure on how prices compare there anymore and how much this type of technological cleaning would cost.

china-lish

2011-11-22T03:32:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the bad quality - but we use the box to store the train and I'm not ready to destroy it just to get it to fit on the scanner.

The perfect toasted sandwich

2011-10-28T03:05:00.000-07:00

If I was a photographer foody, there would be a delectable picture here of a sandwich: brown and crispy, the cheese melting and spilling out of the sides, the plate lightly sprinkled with crumbs or maybe the nut and seed mix lining the crust. I am not a foody - nor a photographer - so you will have to trust me that fall and this cold pre-wintery weather is perfect for a toasted cheese sandwich with chutney.

Chutney was made for toasted cheese sandwiches. If you're using a super wonderful fragrant cheese, like stilton or blue - of course, you may want to pass on the chutney. but for anything blander - a mild chedder, american, gouda. Chutney makes that plain-jane sandwich pop. It makes an ordinary snack into a savory treat. I know all this because I had the great fortune of smearing a piece of toast with chutney while in the UK and eating it with cheese. Soon after this, I melted the cheese. The rest was WOW and I can't really ever go back to the way a toasted cheese sandwich tasted before - that crunch of oil, salt, and gooey cheese is just . . . .. flat.

Today is a cold day and I am sitting with a bowl of soup and a toasted sandwich - bemoaning the fact that I barely had the time to make applesauce this year, let alone chutney. Maybe in 2 or 4 years, I'll find the time to pursue "hobbies" again. Until then I will dream of chutney and enjoy it on our stints out of Ukraine.

If you do want to make your own chutney - an excellent recipe one can be found here. But even in the US, you can find chutney in a supermarket.

Diaper bags

2011-08-13T05:31:00.000-07:00

I've been looking at diaper bags on-line recently. The price and style ranges are mind numbing - and for exactly that reason I am loath to buy anything without seeing it in person and really pawing through all the pockets. Video reviews are helpful . . . . but still. I've also decided that the absolute perfect diaper bag has yet to be manufactured for me. I'm hoping that maybe a company when doing product research will randomly stumble upon my post and design my bag - and of course give it to me for free :-) But this is crazy talk. Still, I'm going to link like mad in the random hope it might happen.

My bag would be lightweight like the Fluerville re-run Hanna. It would also be similarly sized to the Hana as well as the Skip Hop Studio and sadly discontinued City Chic. After much measuring and estimating - my ideal bag would be 16 x 10-12 x 6. This sized bag is wide enough to access everything, not too deep to lose everything, and not longer than the bars of my stroller. It would not be overly bulky, but would allow me to carry the essentials for lets say 2 kids and myself with the stroller basket having kid toys in it.

My perfect bag doesn't have insulated compartments. I don't reheat things for Saphira, and fortunately we didn't have to bother with bottles, but frankly I don't want the weight.

In appearance, I also like the Hana in that it is nondescript. It doesn't look too much like a bag, or too much like a fancy purse. Still, I love the idea of the purse bag - the going out to dinner and having a nice bag that is your diaper bag and purse - just like the well organized and super heavy Amymichelle bags.

My bag would come with stroller clips/ties, have good organization pockets, and have a wee clip that could be fastened to your belt loop, or an Ergo strap, to keep it anchored, but not have to switch to a backpack mode as that just looks stupid. If I wanted a backpack, I'd get a backpack. This clip is vital. If you have a bag on your shoulder and you bend forward, the bag flies forward. It doesn't matter the size of the bag, small or large gravity pulls it forward. And if you happen to have a small child in the path of the flying bag . . . . . . Well lets just say I can't imagine why such a clip hasn't been invented yet.

My bag would cost $30, $40 max and would still be quality enough to hold up to sand, crumbs, water, and being banged around. One reason I don't want to buy a bag online is that despite what seem to be very positive designs of the Hana and Studio bags - there also seem to be a goodly number of reviewers who had problem with quality - and well, I can't really return it can I? The cheaper bags, the k-mart, wal-mart variety may work - my ideal may even be out there - but they don't really have reviewers and video bag tours do they? This would be my only bag. I've never liked switching things from bag to bag - the only time I might want something else is when we fly - and then I will just want something Big (cram that 10k in!) - so it would need to be functional and sturdy for everyday use.

I thought about a messenger style bag - it would be handy for Alister to be willing to carry a bag, but when I thought realistically about how often he would need to carry the bag, and if the bag was small and compact, he wouldn't need to carry it anyway. I'm also unconvinced about the organization of the messenger bag. I think I'd really like to see it. Plus, I just want to feel a bit more feminine so an elegant bag is more up my line.

So for now, I found a really cheap bag at the rinok and am making some hack changes to see if I can make it do some of the things I want. Granted, it is a bit smaller than my ideal, but I only have one kid and think I can make it work. Trial run this Sunday - which is the ultimate test since I have to be prepared for a 9:30 - 3pm absence from the house and from any amenities. We'll see.

Double Dog Dare You

2011-08-02T12:32:00.001-07:00

Back on the playground as a mom, I sometimes feel that not much has changed. The kids are running around, flocking to whatever looks interesting, and doing what they see the other kids do. Eventually they'll get older and while they might not immediately do what the other kids do, they will be urged along and dared to do the same or even greater fits of daring. But what I didn't expect is that to some degree, the mothers are still repeating the same pattern themselves. We talk; we chat; we sidle over to the group that seems to be having the most interesting conversation. We find out who is eating what, buying what where, and doing what to counter some behaviour - then we go out and do the same. We make suggestions, receive suggestions and find ourselves under motherly peer-pressure to perform. I double dog dare you.

One mother always come to the playground with her crocheting. She has crocheted three sunbonnets and when last I saw her she was halfway through a child's dress. She also manages to make jewelry. (I wish I could manage to have the dishes washed each night). She is amazing. I mentioned to her that I also crochet and soon found myself in possession of multiple crochet patterns, a book of crochet stitches, and links to an on-line crochet forum.

Now, I do know how to crochet - but I haven't been truly taught. My Aunt Helene taught me how to crochet a basic rag rug and a loopy doily. She taught me without the use of terms or books and the only term I knew was a Chain stitch. Fifteen years later, I made friends with various grannies in Croatia and they made doilies and tablecloths and all sorts of lovely, lovely stuff. They resurrected my past learning and taught me to look at a doily and make a copy. That winter, I spent lots of time huddled under a blanket making little doily copies. Finally, I attempted my first pattern. The pattern was in German. The women spoke Croatian. We looked at the signs and symbols and I managed to get far enough to ask them what to do when I hit a hard spot. I left Croatia in 2005 and in 2008 I finally finished that 10x10 doily. I've since made three baby blankets, 1 rag rug, and a pair of mary jane baby booties. I still can't read a pattern and I still don't know the English, German, or Croatian terms. Without YouTube, I would be lost. Now, I suddenly have a pile of Russian patterns. It's like handing a sheet of music to someone who can only play by ear.

I made some copies of the crochet book patterns and dutifully looked at the websites and magazines. When I returned the book, I told her I made copies and then wondered to myself why?, when will I find time to do it? Most days I feel over booked with Saphira, ministry secretarial duties, church, house, Seminary accounting, editing, the baby book I'm trying to put together, and the long overdue book I'm trying to get together for our nieces and nephews. Still, a few days later, walking home with Saphira I suddenly remembered a little skirt that some friends at church gave to Saphira and which has only been worn once for lack of a shirt that coordinates. I was walking past the market and suddenly charged into it and headed straight to the yarn stall. How many skeins do I need to make a shirt, I asked? And soon found myself in possession of 200 grams of fine cotton yarn and no idea what I was doing.

Too many days of internet research later and this is my goal. We'll soon see if I manage to finish something before winter, before she grows out of it, or how much mischief accepting a double dog dare will get me into.

Made in China

2011-07-08T04:15:00.000-07:00

I don't know how it works in America, esp in the cities - but here the mothers with the children congregate in a park or a playground and let the children play. Sometime there can be as many as 15 toddlers with their parents, strollers, bicycles,and toys in toy running here and there at the accustomed meeting point.

At this age, the children do not play together. They are more interested in what toys the other children brings and normally the children will run up to the newcomer's stroller and peer into the basket, the more badly behaved ones pulling the toys out themselves. The mantras of the mother's include: Don't touch someone else's stroller, don't take things, and nelza - which basically means don't by any means - or a very strong no.

You listen as the mothers yell at their children and you learn the kids', but not the mothers', names. You begin to talk to the mothers who are there often and the ones you like you may learn their names and start arranging to meet. The mother's watch their children, chat, talk on the cell phone, and play interference when needed.

And the children play, bouncing from toy to toy as the fancy strikes them. Balls, strollers, musical animals you pull on a string, clack-clack toys, shape sorter toys, shovels, buckets, trucks, toy phones- an entire toy shop distributed between the stroller baskets and strewn beneath the trees. Most of the toys cheap (balls 50 cents, stroller $5, toy phone $1.25), some of them broken (but the kids don't care), and all of them from China. Many of the toys are the same, because if a parent sees that their child likes something the chances are that they will buy it for their child (it is slightly embarrassing if your child is always after anther child's toy)- but all the same they prefer to play with the other children's toys over their own - until their own toy has been claimed by another child. The best thing about the toys is that they cheap - not all toys - just the ones you see on the street. It doesn't matter if it gets lost or broken or picked up by another kid. One mother says she loves the 10 uah toys because she can buy them and feel like she is getting something for her child and not feel guilty about the money - though the money does eventually add up. And aside from the bicycles - it is often the cheapest toys that the children like most. Plastic shovels, for instance, are wildly popular. Not to dig with necessarily - but just to walk around with.

It is fascinating to watch, and rather enjoyable to be a part of, especially if your child is well fed and rested that day. You learn the latest child rearing gossip - the cheapest diapers, the foods the other children are eating, the rumor that raw carrots will prevent cavities. I'm quite enjoying it.

Photos from the 4th

2011-07-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

Things that go boom

2011-07-05T03:51:00.000-07:00

Fireworks!

My family didn't do fireworks growing up. My dad said it was burning up money. One year I set off fireworks with friends in Prescott, another year in Waitsburg, one year in Kansas at a family reunion, and one year a renter had left some sparklers and a few other things behind and so we lit them in the road and made some gun powder trails with some gunpowder my dad had laying around. That was it. The other years, we either drove around and looked at everyone else's fireworks or went into Walla Walla and spent the day at my aunts and then went to watch the firework show at Pioneer Park.

Yesterday, we bought fireworks. Despite Alister's protest that we would only celebrate November 5th, some friends invited us for a picnic and that was that. There is a firework stand by our house and I've been dying to buy fireworks since I first saw it 4 years ago. So I conferred with our hosts, took up a collection, and bought fireworks. 3 fountains, a pack of flowers, a pack of bugs, 3 salutes, 4 rockets, 2 roman candles. You don't really know what you're getting when you haven't really done fireworks yourself and haven't quite mastered all the explosive vocabulary connected to them. But the seller assured me that it would be pretty. I forgot to ask if it would be loud.

The setting, a residential district in Kiev - is not the normal location for fireworks, and when you are setting them off when no one else is - you are very conscious that they are very, very loud. Especially the bugs - we decided not to set any more of them off after the boom activated a couple of car alarms. And so began a series of fortunately harmless mishaps - One rocket refused to launch - so we had a ground level bloom erupt at our feet. Another rocket flew, but the stick landed on a neighbor's roof. The roman candle tipped over, and sent us all running for cover. After the roman candle, we decided it was best to leave the rest of the fireworks for the family to set off in a field another day. I also concluded that fireworks are most fun for the children who want to light them and that the rest of the time, we are better off going to a show. Alister concluded that my dad was closest to the truth - they just burn up money - and though the fountains, and the 26 salute box were lovely and presented no mishap - I think we've both gotten our fill of fireworks for a long time.

Saphira by the way did fantastic - a bit startled with the boom bug - but she was nestled away in the Ergo and was more sleepy than scared for the rest of the fireworks. We did get her to say oooooh along with us as the fountains burned - but the rest was a bit much though, as I said before, she did not cry.

I don't know what Alister did with the camera, but once I find it I'll post some pictures too.

Pea pods and math problems

2011-06-08T23:57:00.001-07:00

How I wish I had paid more attention in math class!

Fresh peas are in the market now and I bought roughly 210 grams. 140 grams were pods and 70 grams were peas. I paid 20 uah per kilo which I think means the actual peas cost 33 uah per kilo. I can buy frozen peas (usually) in bulk for 24 uah a kilo - which, if my math is correct - means my time and money are better spent in the frozen food section of the grocery store (not to mention the temperature there is nicer now too!!)

Anyone want to proof the math?

Strawberries are about to reach their peak - twice the price over last year but cherries are actually CHEAPER than strawberries - though still more than last year. Don't know what i'll attempt to make or can this year - It is so hot and the days are very, very short with Saphira waking up so early. (I know the sentence doesn't sound logical - but the reality of my days prove it - I think the coffee factor - I don't start waking up until my second cup of coffee has something to do with it.)

A Broken Alarm clock

2011-05-26T10:04:00.000-07:00

Our alarm clock is broken. For the last few weeks, we have been slowly and steadily been awoken by its blast earlier and earlier. Currently we are holding at 5:30. We would love to reset it, but somehow the Saphira clock has no manual. Last night Alister and I resigned ourselves to a no-win situation and went to bed at 9:30. Still bleary eyed, but more rested than the past few days, we all hit the ground running.

The day was lovely - sunny AND cool. And there are fresh strawberries coming into the market and the price has hit the frozen strawberry mark so I feel justified buying them. I bought them from a babushka. They were not the prettiest strawberries at the market, but they were garden grown and it is always nice to help a babushka who is probably living on a $120 a month pension.

They were amazing. I don't know if it was because they were the first fresh strawberries of the season, because they were garden grown, or what, but even the greenish ones were so incredibly sweet.

We also had a fantastic day at the play park. And the park is getting a face-lift. And I have 3 phone numbers, and two more on the back burner. I even have a "little black book" with the mothers' names and children's names and approximate b-days. but more on all this another time.

Am still pretty tired from this alarm clock battle, but today was a fantastic day all the same.

Accidental Cottage Cheese

2011-05-05T08:59:00.000-07:00

I was all set to make Yogurt today but ended up with Cottage Cheese. The culprit was the "fresh" milk I bought in the store. Normally, we buy the long life milk and have it delivered once a month or so with our other stock up on grocery order. Delivery is free if you order about $80 so we can stock up on non-perishables. While this is very convenient - esp as I don't have to carry gallons of milk and a baby around every day - LongLife milk is a bit more expensive, so when I make yogurt I buy it in the "fresh" bags in the grocery store. This milk isn't exactly fresh, it has been processed somehow, but you never know how long it will actually stay good - another reason why we buy the long life as we know it will be good when we open it and will last a day or two in the fridge.

Anyway, I pured my 1.5kilos of milk onto the stove to bring to 200F, tried a spoon, noted it was a tad "off" but thought the boiling would kill anything in it and maybe add to the yogurt flavor process.

While it did kill everything, I will have to try again at yogurt tomorrow, what I got instead was white clumps in yellow water. A quick Internet search (what did they do before google???) confirmed this was cottage cheese, and was edible. And its tasty. The 1.5 kilos of milk produced only 225 grams of cottage cheese or what some may call closer to ricotta as it not the same rubbery curds we get in the states -and 1 liter of whey.

As Whey is incredibly healthy, I'm looking into what to do with it now - but in the meantime, if life gives you sour milk, make cottage cheese :-)

Cakes - Phase four

2011-04-16T13:13:00.000-07:00

One hundred fifty-six cupcakes to frost, Onehundred fifty-six cakes, take some cream and smear it around, One hundred fifty-five cupcakes to frost.

Thanks to the help of three wonderful women - all cupcakes were frosted by 9pm. (Starting at 7 with a break for dinner) Everyone had fun and now the biggest question is how to get them to church in the morning. Not quite all 156 cupcakes will make it - a few have already left his world and several others got put on a plate in the freezer for a friend. But the tally is still over 120.

Whew. Overall it has been fun and a great learning experience - but I think I won't do something like this until Saphira graduates or some big achievement like that. All things in moderation - and this was a bit beyond that border stone.

Cakes - Phase three

2011-04-15T10:48:00.001-07:00

Next step - lots and lots of cupcakes. Three people have come to help. The cake was made using the Hershey Sourcream cake and the Hershey heritage cake - the Sour Cream cake was the overall favorite. Not only was the taste and texture great - the color was amazing. Little bugs were for the babies and made from cottage cheese.

Saphira decided to dig into the big people cake.

Now she found her own lady bug.

Sweet Dreams

2011-04-13T01:02:00.001-07:00

There were just too many good captions to go with this scene that we saw on our walk the other day:

Cakes - phase two

2011-04-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

If you're following along - I'm baking an insane number of cakes and cupcakes for our one-tomorrow daughter. Did I mention I've never done cake decorating before? Frosting yes, decorating no.

Cake status

total batches of cakes baked: 7

Recipes used: 4 (used another Hershey - but it is untested as it is a cake base, not a cupcake)

1 large round cake in freezer

2 rectangle cakes in freezer

22 unfrosted large cupcakes in freezer

8 partially frosted large cupcakes in freezer

over 100 unfrosted mini cupcakes in freezer

Today I did the final baking and did a frosting test run with the Ukrainian dyes.

I also decorated Saphira's Sugar-free sirnik that I colored/sweetened with pureed cherries.

Then I decorated 4 cupcakes and 2 other sirnik "cakes" that I'm going to drop by a friend's tomorrow - her son was also born on the 13th!

All the sirnik bug were made using a silicone "bug" form.

The frosting of the cupcakes is taking as much if not more time than I feared - I think I'll put a call out for Saturday help.

Phase three will be Thursday night when I make the "big" flat cake for the country team meeting - as well as make up 30 hard boiled eggs for deviled eggs. Eek.

Incredible edible eggs

2011-04-12T00:45:00.000-07:00

I normally buy my eggs from the egg wagon on the way home from the supermarket. Okay - so its the back of a truck - but wagon sounds better. My last egg lady (they seem to move around alot - she was my 4th) always made sure to give me the freshest eggs and would even refuse to sell them to me if they weren't fresh enough - all because I had a baby in tow.

This new egg lady has been pushing me to buy Quail eggs. Well, They're cute enough - but I really didn't see the point. A year or so ago when we were in Ivano-frankivska, the woman we stayed with gave her young daughter raw quail eggs in a yogurt type drink every morning - for health and to fight against radiation and several other health benefits that i took with an interested nod and a generous dose of skeptic's salt.

Well, when the egg lady keeps trying to get you to buy something, the least you can do is find out about it. While I couldn't find any totally authoritative source on the internet, I found enough pseudo sources saying similar things that you just have to believe that they are healthier for you than chicken eggs. Actually the item that most caught my attention was that Quail eggs have twice the iron content of a chicken egg packed into their small shell.

Iron is incredibly important for growing babies and as we don't have all the iron enriched (or no-sugar) cereals that there are in other places Saphira's diet is probably a bit low on natural iron - at least according to the iron calculator. And since I can get 10 eggs for 3 uah (I think) - they're a bargain compared to western prices - so i think I'll give them a try. We'll see if it helps us run faster, jump higher, and conquer illness with a single egg.

The Great Cake B ake - or a probable recipe for insanity

2011-04-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

I have these two parts of me - the very direct, keep it organized and simple part and a creative part. The creative part succumbs to odd activities and projects - sometimes ones that never get completed. The organized part often stays too busy too allow the other part to succumb. And sometimes the two parts battle it out. Win-win, win-lose, or lose-lose: I've suffered them all.

Enter Saphira's Birthday. Plan A was to just have a quite song at home with gifts from her family - after all, what does a one-year old who we don't give sugar to need a party for? And then things kept happening - like meeting a mother with a child who has the same birthday, like the country team meeting falling on that weekend, like the newest doorkeeper giving Saphira a treat every time she is on duty and saying she is going to act like a granny since her granny is far away, like the fact that the whole church has been stand-in family for Saphira, like making a photo album and not having the traditional picture of 1st b-day cake smeared all over the place.

Creative side put her foot down and said something had to be done - She decided we needed a big cake and 100 cupcakes to bring to church. She decided on a ladybug theme.

Organizer queen still can't figure out what the big cake is for, and hasn't quite figured out the decorating of all the cupcakes - but she did manage to win out on mini cupcakes instead of big ones (less baking, less frosting, less cost) and after Creative Girl tried making about 30 cupcake liners herself out of parchment paper, she took over that project as well and found a woman to meet her on a street corner and sell her some mini cupcake liners. Now those were a great find.

So far they've both won on the choice of cake - Creative Girl obviously likes variety and Organizer Queen doesn't see the point in baking a lot of cakes unless you discover the best one - so while all the cakes will be chocolate (what other color can you have for a ladybug??) the following recipes (in order of niceness) have been used.

http://www.joyofbaking.com/ChocolateCupcakes.html - method really is everything, they say - while most involved, this recipe gave the best chocolate flavor overall - texture was also different than the others. The top of this cake was matte rather than glossy which was also probably due to method.

http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/4602/Chocolate-Sour-Cream-Cake.aspx (really almost 1st) - very very rich, easier than the 1st recipe, but a bit more pricey with ingredients

and http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/4754/Black-Magic-Cake.aspx - wins on cost and color - but flavor almost tastes boxed :-(

Was going to do a 4th variation - but Organizer Queen missed the fact that she would have to give the mini cupcake tins back when she did and so she didn't have the buttermilk she needed for the other recipe - we settled on a second batch of the sour cream for ease of baking and because there was lots of sour cream.

Would expound on this theme more - but Organizer Queen says that time is ticking and I still have another cake to bake. (If you're wondering - OQ won out on the doing it in advance and putting the cakes in the freezer, will just have to figure out the frosting bit as we come closer to to celebration day/week)

Experiments - or making Yogurt in a Crockpot

2011-03-30T09:38:00.000-07:00

While visiting a Ukrainian mother and talking about food - I mentioned that Saphira adores yogurt. You want her to eat something, you douse it with yogurt. (We joke that she is all set for India). Well, the mother wanted to know if I was making my own.

"No," I said.

"Why," she asked, "or are you lazy?"

I explained I could find sugar-free plain yogurt that was tasty and saw no reason to buy yet another machine to make it. Honestly, I've been quite skeptical of the growing popularity of yogurt makers here in Kiev. Some of my friends have them and when it comes to babies - this is always a question that comes up. Still, this was the first time that I'd been called lazy for it.

"Why do you make yogurt instead of buying it?" I asked.

She explained that it is for the pro-biotic effects - that you get the most good bacteria and that the stuff in the store might not even have anything living in it anyway.

Still not convinced, I nodded.

Fast forward a week when we met up again. Our visit fell over lunch and so she shared some yogurt with us and I shared some of Saphira's cutlets and sirnik with them. Saphira gobbled up the yogurt. I mean, she loves yogurt - but this was obviously something extraordinary. Skeptical as I was, I couldn't deny her response - so the research began.

1) Economic cost of yogurt making: Despite the readily available cheap and yummy yogurt - making it yourself ends up saving you HALF the cost. Even if you factor in the average cost of a machine, you break even around 32 liters - or in about 27 weeks for my household.

2) A little searching and I discovered that I could make yogurt without a machine - in fact I could make it in my crockpot. Now there are recipes out there for making yogurt in a crockpot that really are pretty high maintenance - you have to do all this preheating and wrap a towel around it overnight - blah. I wanted something that was an EQUAL substitute for a yogurt maker - so I read some other ways to make yogurt and here is what I came up with:

Easy Yogurt in a Crockpot

Materials: 1 Crockpot, preferably with a keep warm setting; 1 serving of natural yogurt with live bacteria or a yogurt culture starter, glass jars that fit in your crock pot, At least 1 liter of milk - if you use more you may need to increase the yogurt and starter you use and add more jars, a cooking thermometer that registers temperatures from 80 to 200F

Prep work: You should test your keep warm function the day before to ensure that it won't heat your yogurt too high. I did this by pouring hot water into the crockpot and leaving it on keep warm for a few hours and checking it periodically. I did find that on my crockpot, if left for a long time (3+ hours) the temperature will rise - so I took this into account when making my yogurt.

Instructions:

1) Pour hot water into your crockpot - about half way full - check the temp to ensure it is not higher than 100F - Turn your crockpot on to its lowest setting.

2) Heat your milk on high in the microwave a few minutes - you don't want it to boil but you do want it to reach a temp of around 180 to kill things - check the temp periodically with the thermometer and stir the milk. This process took about 10 minutes. Alternatively you can do this on the stove.

3) Allow milk to cool to 110 - 100F. (I Covered it and put it in the fridge)

4) Mix in your yogurt or yogurt culture

5) Fill your clean jars with milk mixture

6) Place the jars in the crockpot - make sure the water in the crockpot does not get into the yogurt - remove water if necessary

7) insert your thermometer, close the lid and go do your thing - the yogurt should be ready in about 3 hours.

I checked mine periodically to ensure the temperature was fine and turned it off after one hour while we went on a walk. It stayed off the remainder of the time and at 3.5 hours the yogurt was a lovely soft set and mild. Other sites say that a more tart yogurt can be achieved by leaving the yogurt for more time. During the remaining two hours - the temp had dropped 10 degrees - not bad at all since the lid doesn't close fully due to the height of the thermometer!

I'm very pleased with myself - not only can I now say I'm not lazy, but I start saving 50% on yogurt immediately - without buying another machine to clutter up the kitchen!

Ethnic food

2011-03-26T02:55:00.000-07:00

While sushi is readily available in Ukraine - other ethnic food is oddly absent. There are a few Chinese restaurants - and they have good food - but its expensive and one item that is sadly absent are egg rolls.

So I experimented a few weeks ago when ground pork was on speacial and found it really wasn't too hard to make eggrolls - the most formidable obstacle - the wrappers - was overcome by discovering that lavash works perfectly.

A friend also pointed out that I could make bean sprouts from lentils found in the market and as ginger has suddenly become readily available - we cam make some really tasty Chinese food. The rolls turned out so well, that paired with stirfry and fried rice - we're not sure if we'll be dining out for Chinese in Ukraine ever again.

Context

2011-03-22T00:42:00.000-07:00

Sunday, my day of Bible reading catch-up, found me tackling chapters 7 - 15 in Jeremiah. Maybe it was the culmination of 8 chapters of doom and gloom, and the memory that six chapters of doom preceded it, but for the first time I thought “where does the hope of verse 29:11 come in? Probably one of the most quoted and published “comfort verses”, this verse falls after 28 chapters of God telling his people that he would judge them, bring disaster on them, and break them so they could not be repaired. Twenty-eight chapters and suddenly a verse, not isolated, but in a paragraph:

¹⁰ This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. ¹¹For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity.^[a] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

A few thoughts strike me:

1) If I were in Jerusalem and I've been hearing 28 chapters worth of doom and gloom - I'm not sure how I would feel about the phrase "¹¹For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you,"

Everything in me would be saying - what? I've just HEARD you tell me all your plans that you have to HARM me and now you're telling me it will "prosper" me?

In fact, in the context of all that came before, this verse is not comforting UNTIL you consider the paragraph that surrounds it.

2) In the surrounding paragraph we see that 1) God did not abandon his people but rather he goes to them and brings them back. 2) This happens after the people call on God and seek him out 3) God again repeats that when he is sought, he will be found and he will bring them back.

3) The ESV translates verse 11 as “plans for wholeness and not for evil”. I prefer this translation because it points towards the greater context – wholeness developing through suffering, growth from brokenness. It also makes it more difficult to manipulate the verse for a prosperity gospel. “Wholeness” doesn’t mean riches, wealth, or even success – it is deeper than all of this. This translation too reminds me of Paul’s summary of suffering in Romans 5:3 - 5

4) Considering the context of suffering, this verse can only ever be comforting to the Christian who desires his continued sanctification for the glory of God and his ultimate unification with him.

5) The comfort waiting for the Christian in this verse is well summarized by Jeremiah Burroughs in Chapter 3.9 of The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment:

”in all the afflictions, all the evils that befall [a Christian], he can see love, and can enjoy the sweetness of love in his afflictions as well as in his mercies. The truth is that the afflictions of God's people come from the same eternal love that Jesus Christ came from. Jerome said, 'He is a happy man who is beaten when the stroke is a stroke of love.' All God's strokes are strokes of love and mercy, all God's ways are mercy and truth, to those that fear him and love him (Psalm 25:10). The ways of God, the ways of affliction, as well as the ways of prosperity, are mercy and love to him. Grace gives a man an eye, a piercing eye to pierce the counsel of God, those eternal counsels of God for good to him, even in his afflictions; he can see the love of God in every affliction as well as in prosperity.”

This ultimate comfort is not as warm and fuzzy as the greeting card version of an isolated verse written in French script – but it is more enduring. In the end it actually helps us see through present and future sufferings better as we look past them, past our own time and dimension, and see God’s time and God’s vision of wholeness. We benefit not only from the verses that come before chapter 29 – but from knowing the story that comes after – the preservation of the Jews by Esther, the king himself paying for the rebuilding of the temple, the return of the Jews, the recommitment of the people to follow God – and most poignantly the promise and realization of an ultimate rescue through Christ.

Dirt and Danger

2011-03-18T03:08:00.000-07:00

Becoming a parent has taught me that you don't really realize the dirt and dangers surrounding children until you have one and are toddling/ crawling at their level (or dealing with black-kneed pants and socks from running around inside)

I knew there was dirt and garbage on the street, but until I started taking Saphira out of her stroller to toddle on the ends of my fingers, I didn't quite realize how many "no touch" items there were out there . . . . beer bottles, bottle caps, cigarette butts, hypodermic needles . . . . . .

I finally let her tounch a dead and crusty leaf just to have an item that could be explored.

Secondly, after a week of visiting the playground out of the stroller, it is slightly disconcerting that the only adult name I have to show for the encounters with children is that of a probable predator. I'm assuming predator because not only was it an old man without children on the playground, but 1) he approached us 2) he asked us if he could buy us something 3) he gave us his name and asked mine (this has NEVER happened in any conversation with other adults on the playground - strictly kid talk, even obvious things, like my accent, have not been asked about - let alone a name) 4) he said that when we meet again we need to have drinks. Of course,if i'd missed any of those neon signs, there was also the older woman walking by who was also telling me to ignore him, at which point I was already bundling Saphira into the stroller and trying to extract myself.

Maybe its the fact that I grew up in a small, clean, country town with a farm to play on where the most dangerous items were piles of junk and rusty nails (ok - I suppose as a parent these are disturbing too - but I'd rather have a rusty nail over a syringe).

It all just makes you think of what is safe, and where you do let your kids play. S obviously can't play alone yet - but when she can - do I let her go in sand piles and boxes? What could be buried there? It makes me very glad that we've invested in the mud hut and that at least once in awhile we can go out and play in the fresh air and the grass and have nothing more to worry about than bee stings and splinters.

Philosophy

2011-03-07T12:27:00.000-08:00

There are so many philosophies you have to take a stance on when you become a parent.

Feeding, Sleeping, diapering, routines, discipline, potty training, eating, learning - and my latest obsession - footwear.

Saphira has extra wide feet - and I am thankful for all the very thorough measure at home guides - especially at Startrite. And I am also thankful for all the new options in footwear (esp wide footwear) that wasn't there when I was growing up.

So I'm sorting through it - the different brands, the different philosophies, the different ways of getting stuff to Ukraine. And while the philosophy behind baby footwear in Ukraine is very far from our own (barefoot is NOT best here) - There are some options for us. (The idea to ask a shoemaker to custom make something didn't pan out- philosophies and language being the key barriers)

My most interesting find? Neighboring Poland actually invented a super flexible shoe. Maybe we'll have to investigate on a future visa run.

Until then, we managed to find some 1st shoes that were wide enough for Saphira's feet. Now when we go for a walk - she can get out of the stroller to bounce on the end of my fingers while she talks to the pigeons.

The Average Housekeeper

2011-02-21T00:26:00.000-08:00

In grade school, my schoolmates and I laughed at the exploits of one mother who "gasp" mopped her floor everyday. We obviously didn't have mothers who aspired to such overzealous and unnecessary behaviour. Granted, she had no infants or toddlers in the house, but now that I have one, I wish I could manage to mop the kitchen floor each day. Even without adding her dropped food to the occasion, the floor is dirty enough that I just have to grin and bear her crawling on it or find that extra minute to mop it.

I finally bought a "real" broom - so that has improved the chances of it getting mopped considerably. Our old broom was a quaint, traditional bundle of twigs. In order to use it without breaking your back though, you had to be a dwarf. It was that or the vacuum. So i bought a new broom. I now manage to mop the floor at least 4 times a week - which may explain why I'm not blogging quite so often now :- )

No matter what the internet says . . . .

2010-12-23T11:43:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's my fault - I didn't search long enough, hard enough, I didn't use the right term. I failed to find a recipe for peanut brittle that didn't call for corn syrup* - correction - I found one, read the reviews and decided I could use the corn syrup substitution I found here in a regular recipe.

I was so confident, I even doubled the batch.

I never got above 250. This is the temperature where my sugar spontaneously metamorphosed into a bubbling mass of crystals. quickly I added water and brought the temp up again. Poof. Two-hundred and fifty degrees and I have a hardening ball of grainy sugar and nuts. Maybe adding the butter and baking powder would help? Alas, no. This didn't help.

Any ideas of what to do with roughly 5 cups of super sugary peanut clumps. appreciated. My one hopeless thought is to give them as gifts anyways since Ukrainians don't know what peanut brittle is, won't know what I'm giving them anyway and will just accept it as odd clumpy sugary peanuts.

*Corn syrup is similar to golden syrup. Neither has been spotted here.

Observations on Babies in Kiev

2010-12-15T13:05:00.000-08:00

I just remembered a story as I was reading this article and it triggered a bunch of observations on being a parent in Kiev that have been rattling around - so here goes.

I've mentioned before that baby wearing isn't really the thing to do in Ukraine, I've yet to really connect with baby wearers - but from the on-line forums we have similar stories.

On our way to church one

day- I'm wearing Saphira and makeup, and a skirt. I'm standing under the arches at Metro Teatralno, waiting for Alister, who went to talk to a babushka. A woman walks up to me and tries to hand me money (she thinks i'm a beggar because I am carrying my baby in a sling). I didn't take it, obviously - but its interesting all the same.

Now that Saphira is bigger, and its winter and icy, we are using the stroller and not relying on the carrier - for safety and also its not comfortable to carry her on my back over a coat and its cold carrying her in front with my coat open.

A stroller in Kiev is not an easy thing. There are stairs everywhere. We specifically got a lighter stroller so I can, for the most part, heft the stroller (with her in in it) under an arm and plough up the steps or down. Sometimes the stairs have these narrow tracks laid over them for pushing the stroller up. This is also awkward - if you are pushing the stroller increases in weight with the force of gravity and you are at a very steep and awkward angle - I find it much easier to pull it up backwards - but this is still not really "easy".

Most Ukrainian mothers go walking in groups of two. Two women with babies, or sometimes one woman with and a friend without. In this way they take turns helping each other with the stroller or standing outside the grocery store while one goes in and does the shopping and then waits with the babies while the other does the same thing.

When you have a baby - people are more polite and friendly. A Ukrainian friend who just visited the states for the first time observed that one of the strongest contrasts between here and America is that in the US the store clerks talk to you and have whole conversations with you as easy as you please and here - well, lets just say words are at a minimum.

When you have a baby, the clerks talk to you - or at least talk to the child. Clicking and cooing and telling the baby how lovely she is. People in line around you do the same thing. BUT for the most part, the conversation is directed to the baby.

One woman, with another baby who spotted my baby,came over and showed her baby my baby and told her baby how nice my baby was because she wasn't fussing or crying and she should do the same. I smiled and asked the woman how old her child was and the woman acted like I had descended from outer space. Now, i have reviewed the conversation in my mind, and I am convinced that i made no odd grammatical errors - I must have just crossed the politically correct border of conversation because I talked to the mother directly instead of addressing my question through the infant.

Yesterday too, I was standing in line (carrying Saphira) and a man hurried past and bumped into me. This was rather rude, but not unheard of. What was unheard of is that when I finished paying and was getting my stuff together and all balanced, he was standing there waiting and actually apologized and said he had been in a hurry and he was sorry (why he was waiting when he said he was in a hurry??) and then he went off. To get an apology - a real apology - is a rarity - but to have someone wait and give you an apology - that's a regular miracle.

Now that its cold, everyone is asking me (via Saphira) if she has frozen. (ты замерзла?) Obviously, I wouldn't take her out if she was going to freeze - and I'm never quite sure how to respond or what to say. I normally stick with - no she's warm.

Is it worth it?

2010-12-13T12:17:00.000-08:00

So in the States - I wouldn't normally buy organic- it is just way too expensive. Here, it's easy - you just walk up to a babushka in the market and buy whatever she has. Sometimes it is about 10 cents more per kilo but way more attractive than the grocery store produce- plus you are supporting a local granny and its organic - right?

But now in the supermarket they are selling bulk frozen veggies. And they are the same price, even a bit cheaper than the same fresh produce I can buy at the market. They are already clean, already blanched, already frozen . . . is it worth stocking up on the veggies in season and buying guaranteed organic?

These thoughts came to me as I sorted and cleaned a kilo of brussel sprouts. 1st wash them, then you cut off the bottoms, peel of the outer leaves and sort them by size. Then you blanch them for a few minutes, drain them, and pop them in the freezer. It was much more time than I actually had to give to the project so we ended up eating generous helpings of brussel sprouts the next few days as I only got 1/2 a kilo processed and frozen.

While I imagine a time of people leisurely husking corn, snapping beans, and cleaning brussel sprouts, I wonder if what people really did was just eat their food with a lot more "impurities" than what we insist on today (obviously the corn still had to be husked). Even without freezers, they would have had to dry or can or pickle the produce - that is much more time consuming than freezing. And obviously people survived, though admittedly the life expectancy was shorter - but was it due to an improperly cleaned brussel sprout? For this year at least, I'm afraid the grannies will have to find another customer for their sprouts - I just don't have the time or patience for it this year when I can buy them cleaned, blanched and frozen for the same price at the supermarket.

Santa got . . .

2010-12-08T01:25:00.000-08:00

Eaten by our cat - and it wasn't a fight over the milk and cookies.

I stopped by Nova Linia yesterday - I love hardware stores and I was surprisingly able to take care of a lot of Christmas shopping! One thing I found was some gel window clings - I was very excited. okay maybe clings are a bit tacky - but they were a part of my childhood and these ones were cute. Really.

Unfortunately the cat decided to eat it. So all I have to show for it is this picture. In the time it took to take the picture and go into the kitchen to complain to Alister, the cat had finished off the rest of the mustache and was licking his lips in anticipation for more. I had to throw it away except for the snowflakes and a Christmas tree, which I put on the kitchen balcony door. The cat looks up at it longingly, but so far he hasn't found a way to eat them.

It turns out Alister didn't like the cling either - My theory is he coated it in Chicken broth - but so far I have no proof.

Tally of what he ate: 1 christmas tree, 3 snowflakes, entire mustache, 1 eyebrow, the ball from Santa's hat.

Memory Lane

2010-11-27T01:41:00.000-08:00

Every year after Thanksgiving, the PA system in our grade school would crackle with the sound of the Cinnamon Bear. Not only was it a break from school and the normal routine (though older classes didn't always listen or it was part of a "studyhall") but it was a fun story and a fun tradition.

Amazing what you can rediscover over the internet -

The Christmas story of the Cinnamon Bear in MP3

Ukrainian minimum wage

2010-11-26T03:56:00.001-08:00

The Kyiv Post ran an interesting article today on the minimum wage in Ukraine - that covered an experiment run by the Ukrainian National trade Unions forum despite the fact that the "experiment" was flawed - costs vary across Ukraine and so 1 person from 5 different regions doesn't reveal much - it is still interesting. When one considers that the average pension is even lower than the official minimum wage - around $95 a month you can see that the situation can be very desperate for some.

However, one thing the article failed to mention is how people with this money normally "survive"

1) Most students or young adults live with their parents - minimum wage but no rent or utilities. If they have left home, having gone to the city to work often their parents are often sending them products - potatoes, cottage cheese, etc.

2) most people would try to pick up extra jobs and work.

3) for the pensioners - they have their own apartments normally and they don't have to pay for public transportation. They still must pay for utilities and these prices continue to go up as the government can't afford to subsidize them. The costs are still far from the real value.

If you are unlucky enough to not have an apartment and to not have family who can send food or help out -- you do have a very dismal life indeed.

The article was very accurate on the quality of food - the average shopping bag would be cheap meat - like hot dogs, probably some buttermilk (kefir) which would be a meal replacement, and bread. Potatoes and oil are a must.

What I'm bringing to Thanksgiving Dinner

2010-11-23T10:46:00.000-08:00

Here in Kiev, a group of us get together for Thanksgiving dinner. This year is extra special as it will be Saphira's 1st Thanksgiving - she won't remember it, but the glow will engulf her I'm sure.

In addition to some other sides - I'm bringing this delectable pie. I did a test run when apples first came into season in September. It was gone in two days. Just Alister and I. And that was with self-control. This pie is like having pie a la mode without having to buy a pint of ice cream.

I made some variations the first time and this time stuck with them with a few others - mainly lowering the sugar and adding cinnamon and other spices. Also - I use a pat-in-the-pan oil crust instead of a traditional pate brisee. Its faster and fool proof. Still, I recommend you make it first and put it in the freezer as you chop apples as it will help stop the custard from being absorbed.

So here is the recipe with my variations.

Sour Cream Apple Pie with Streusel Topping Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 pie crust - http://www.exit109.com/~mstevens/lrccookb/PATINPAN.htm (leave out the sugar - this crust can be made in the pie crust)

Filling
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Allspice
3 cups peeled, sliced tart apples (about 1 1/4 pounds of slices)

Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Mix together all ingredients (except nuts) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in nuts. Chill until needed in the recipe.

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 400°F.

2 Beat together sour cream, sugar, flour, salt, vanilla, spices and egg (can beat by hand). Add apples, mixing carefully to coat well.

3 Put filling into a pie shell and bake at 400 degrees initially for 25 min.

4 Remove from oven and sprinkle with Cinnamon Crumb Topping. Bake for and additional 20 more minutes.

Let cool for a hour before serving. Serves 8.

In search of . . .

2010-11-12T00:47:00.000-08:00

I was writing directions on Saphira's Schedule in Russian for my Russian class when I was stymied by the word sleepsuit / footed pajamas. Wikipedia was no help - no one has posted a Russian entry for sleepsuits. However - I discovered this link in the English post.

And the idle curiosity question popped into my head - how many adults actually wear footed pajamas? I may have to write the company to find out. I mean, even in the really cold months I'd rather wear socks and longjons rather than footed pajamas.

In the meantime - I thought I would ask here - are you a footed pajama wearing adult? Why? comments welcome.

Me Too!

2010-10-25T06:39:00.000-07:00

We have a very badly behaved cat - and its entirely our fault. He is the most enchanting beggar. It starts with his purr - on full blast, then its the rub up against your legs as you fry the eggs, the gentle head butt to your elbow as you eat or the resigned paw pat to your knee half way through dinner. Yes - he can be pesky, but overall he was just too cute in all of his antics and so we fed him from the table and that is how we got our badly behaved cat who knows the wrath of the spray bottle only exists when it is in our hands and when we are in the room.

Occasionally he has stolen things from the table - once it was a baked potato (plain - Alister put it in his dinner bowl to finish it off after he stole it), occasionally it is the stray brussle sprout or broccoli that we leave on the table as we go off to watch a tv episode after dinner before going back to the work and chores (so cats crave green things sometimes), and of course we always had to guard any defrosting meat and never leave a plate of chicken or beef unattended.

Now that Saphira has started solids - Haggai has expanded his pallet - we made such a big deal of her eating - all the mmmms, yummies, and isn't that good? - got to him as well. He has now decided he eats beets and pumpkin (he continues to enjoy broccoli). When food hits the ground - he's there in a flash and the food is gone. Just wait till we get to meat, then he'll really be in heaven.

Just checking!

Soviet Cartoons

2010-10-20T04:21:00.000-07:00

Just found this on YouTube while I was trying to find some Russian Lullabies. It was in a collection of favorite songs from Soviet Era cartoons. The title is "We are bandits" I think you can figure out the rest yourselves.

Superbly Simple Sweets - part 4

2010-10-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

Last, but not least, we have arrived at the Ukrainian chocolate sausage - I know - the name is not really appealing - but WAIT TILL YOU TRY IT - not only is the recipe delicious as is - there are about a billion differnt variations that you could add.

Julia's Chocolate Sausage (шоколадная колбаса)

200 grams cookie crumbs

100 grams finely chopped walnuts

150 grams melted butter (less than 1 cup)

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

3 Tbsp cocoa

Mix butter, sugar, egg, and cocoa on stove rapidly till frothy and until mixture is hot and steamy (NOT BOILING) keep it like this for about 3 minutes, mixture will thicken slightly. Add cookie crumbs and walnuts. Mix well. Pat into a log (sausage) shape and allow to cool. Slice and serve when solidified.

VARIATIONS

Add a liquor or alcohol to the stove mixture

Press flat in a pan or tupperware + frost with chocolate or mint frosting

Dried fruits - (like cherries) can also be added

Sky is the limit for other variations - enjoy!

Solids!!

2010-10-02T02:25:00.001-07:00

I know you are all waiting for the wonderfully delicous and final saga of Sinfully Simple Sweets with its culmination in Chocolate sausages . . . but you'll just have to wait. I've been busy with highchairs. Can you believe we're almost at the sixth month mark??? Saphira has been interested in what we are eating and drinking for awhile and when we are all at the table - her favorite toys are a spoon and a sippy cup. No food yet, that will come this month - but she so loves playing with the means for food that food itself is going to be fun by my reckoning.

The problem - How to give her a space to eat? Our kitchen is small. Not as small as some - but small enough for something extra to be in the way. Second, not only is our kitchen small, but our table is small, so I wouldn't trust those clip on chairs to support her weight without the whole table tipping over. Third - we don't have chairs with backs, only stools and a bench - neither of which can accomodate a strap on booster.

The contenders:

So, originally I was all sold on the amazingly small Concord Spin. Marketed as the smallest highchair in the world, it has positive reviews with the main complaint being that the tray had no lip to stop items from falling to the floor as easily. We were all sold on it and about to buy it - but fortunately I actually found a physical store and was able to go check it out - small and compact though it is, the Concord is a PAIN in the B to fold up. What is the point of being small if you can't make it small? Not only did I need two hands to collapse it - I could have used a third! The store assistant had to help me at each step because I just couldn't get the darn thing to collapse.

#2 The next smallest item we found in the store and on the internet was the Graco TeaTime it also had positive reviews and the next smallest footprint that we found. It was also handier as the tray had a lip and 3 adjustment settings, where as the concord was basically an airplane tray with a big gap between it and the baby. Most important, I could collapse the Graco one-handed and though it was only a vertical collaps - at 18 cm it was still small and we decided we would just have to store it on the balcony. I was all set to buy it - BUT the store didn't take creditcards, there were no change kiosks AND all the nearby banks were on there lunch break. And I just didn't get around to ordering it from the internet.

#3 - Enter "Accidental" choice number 3 - I had to go meet up with the registration Lawyer to get my passport back and we happened to to meet at the Metro near a place called "children's world" where not only is there a huge children's department store - but tons of other stores and kiosks selling nothing but children's things. It was saturday morning (9am) and most places didn't open till 10, and I had Saphira so I wasn't going to wait around, but there was one Kiosk nearby and I thought - might as well ask . . . At first I only saw the ones that are chairs that stack on top of a table - which theoretically is also great - multifunctional and all that - but it CAN'T fit in our kitchen (at least not if you want to USE the kitchen)- Then she showed it to me - the Geoby Y 280 it is absolutely amazing!!!! not only can you unfold and fold it up with one hand, but it is basically the same dimensions as the concord and only 1 kilo heavier. Not only that, it was cheaper than both of the other options. The only downside is that the tray is fixed, but we'll cope.

So now for some fun - can you spot the highchair?

There it is!

Saphira trys out a spoon - and her new highchair!

Here it is collapsed from a front-on view - at only 6 kilos - we can even take it with us for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner!

Superbly Simple Sweets - part 3

2010-09-07T08:19:00.000-07:00

Part three of my no-bake dessert series

I've never thought it was quite honest to have no-bake cookies and then have a lot of on the stove work. For some reason I think no-bake should be no-cook. So I'm going to be honest with you these Costa Rican Galletas are totally created on the stove top - and you handle them while they are hot - so while they are a no bake cookie, they aren't the coolest option.

I also struggled over what to call these - I first tasted them actually when our Brazilian exchange student made them in 1995 - but it wasn't till I went to Costa Rica in 2000, saw a variation of them made and read a recipe that I remembered them and added them to my own repertoire. Secondly - they aren't really a cookie - they are more of a caramel - but this is what they were called in the Costa Rican cookbook and so this is how I pass it on to you.

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 - 2 cups coconut (if you don't like coconut - leave it out! The Brazilian version uses cocoa powder)

butter - as needed

ice water

In a large saucepan - add 100 grams - or about 1/2 a cup of butter, add the sweetened condensed milk and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to bubble. KEEP STIRRING. If you have a candy thermometer - you are basically going to bring the temperature of the mixture up to soft ball stage. If you can't be bothered - have a cup of ice water handy and occasionally drop portions of the mixture into it and see how it reacts - you want a ball that is still soft and malleable - but not sticky and stingy. Add coconut or cocoa powder and stir. remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. put butter on your hands and quickly form small balls out of the mixture and place it on a parchment lined tray to cool. If you use cocoa instead of coconut - you will need to roll the ball in cocoa powder, ground nuts, or caster sugar, to help it have a bit more substance and retain it's shape. Refrigerate when done and enjoy.

Superbly Simple Sweets - part 2

2010-08-31T08:02:00.000-07:00

And so continues my no-bake recipes. The eastern part of Croatia is well known for its desserts. One, the madgarica, is a small "cake" bar cookie that if made domestically and totally from scratch consists of 7 thin layers of white biscuit and 6 layers of chocolate filling, topped with a dark chocolate "glaze". When made completely from scratch - it is a bit more time consuming but very yummy. This shortcut version was taught to me by one of my grannies. It tastes and looks just as good but is made in a quarter of the time.

Easy Croatian Madgarica

1 or 2 boxes of graham crackers or tea biscuits - preferably square

Chocolate pudding or custard filling - the more chocolaty the better. When you prepare the custard, make it more liquidy than normal (for an extra zip and to add that more homemade touch - try adding a tablespoon of liquor to the mix-works best if you have the stove top pudding mix so the alcohol cooks out).

2 bars (200 grams) dark chocolate

Butter

milk

Prepare the pudding as directed on the box. Take a 9x12 pan and line the bottom with the cookies. Apply a generous portion of the custard and smooth evenly over the cookie layer. repeat this process 4 - 5 times till you reach the top of the pan - you should have at least 4 and maybe 5 layers of cookie and your very last layer will be a cookie layer. If your pudding mix was a stove top mix, put it the pan in the fridge to cool. Take the chocolate bars and melt on the stove in a double boiler, adding a small bit of milk and butter to make the mixture more spreadable. Remove the pan from the fridge and spread the chocolate glaze over the top. To finish- try to spread the chocolate as smooth as possible - or take a fork and make straight lines down the length of the pan. Refrigerate overnight. Cut into thin, finger length pieces and serve.

Superbly Simple Sweets - part 1

2010-08-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

With the heat - and no air conditioning - I decided to make a no-bake lemon cookie recipe that a friend gave me while in Northern Ireland (Thanks M!). I served them with this and the whole meal was easy and a hit. ( I really wanted to make this but Alister said it was too strange for Ukrainian guests - I'm making it tonight for us ;->)

So I decided to share my collection of four super delicious no-bake desserts that I've picked up on my travels. To come: Costa Rican Galletas de Coco, Easy Croatian Madjarica, and Ukrainian Chocolate Sausage.

No-Bake Frosted Lemon Bars - via Northern Ireland

For a 9x12 pan
1/2 cup (100 grams) butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 lemon, juiced and zested (may add more juice and zest if more zip is desired)
1 1/2 cups (250 grams) crushed cookies (Graham crackers, tea biscuits, or animal cookies)
1 cup flaked coconut ** optional - but add more cookies if you leave out

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt together butter and sweetened condensed milk, stirring frequently until smooth. Stir in crushed biscuits, lemon juice and zest, and coconut (if desired); mix well. Press evenly into pan and refrigerate overnight.

Frosting:
1/2 cup (100 grams) butter (softened)
250 grams powdered sugar
lemon juice

Mix powdered sugar and butter together - add lemon juice to make it into a smooth, spreadable consistency - spread on top of cookie bars. Slice and serve. Store in the refrigerator.

Books

2010-08-13T03:02:00.000-07:00

Currently listening to Jamie Ford's Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. You know you're enjoying a book when it sends you to look up the author or some info about the story. (A Golden Age - interestingly another debute book - also sent me seeking info).

Hotel was a very pleasant surprise - some books with a lot of hype are just here today gone tomorrow - I haven't finished this yet - but it seems to surpass that. But - maybe I'm just biased because the story is set in Seattle :- )

Weather Update

2010-08-09T06:23:00.000-07:00

The weather here continues to be hot and awful. We also have smog and smoke - but nothing like what you might be reading about for Moscow. Still, today I woke at 4:30 to a sky that should have been dawning but was instead dense with smoke. We closed all the windows and sweated through the rest of the morning - we learned later that it was from fires in the exclusion zone. Great. The sky still looks gray - but I don't smell smoke anymore and my nose is has stopped sneezing and running - so we opened the windows. i don't know what it will do to any crops - but i'm personally praying for rain just to break the heat and clean all this noxious stuff out of the air.

Pistachio Ice Cream

2010-08-05T05:44:00.000-07:00

During my pregnancy - I didn't really have a lot of cravings. On a normal day I have cravings, so I'm not sure that pregnancy really affected me much in that way. As with most cravings that I have, there actually isn't much I can do about it - as we live in Ukraine - except put it on my list of things to have in back in the states. Currently this includes eating a Reuben sandwich, having a regular roast beef sandwich with Arby's sauce from Arby's and consuming a pint of Ben& Jerry's "Pistachio Pistachio" Ice Cream.

Even during our trip to the UK, i stayed alert and checked out each and every freezer section and Ben & Jerry's ice cream machine we passed in the airport - hoping that Pistachio might be among its number. Alas, it was not to be.

BUT . . . The Ukrainian frozen food company, The 3 Bears, must have cued in

on my craving as they have just released a new flavor - Pistachio. While the flavor is not as richly intense and zingy as the Ben& Jerry's - the ie cream is incredibly creamy and delicious. Three bears was already a winner for their tasty "royal sherbert" (vanilla ice cream with chocolate flakes and your choice of dried cherry or apricot bits) - but adding pistachio makes them a definite winner for pint ice cream. Rud still wins on individual cones - especially their Empire Series featuring the Tortufo and Apricot yogurt cones.

While there aren't really ice cream parlors here - (and the ones that are here feature Italian style ice cream) the prefabricated cones are delicious (always advertising that they are made with real milk (what other type of milk is there???? they never fail to be extra creamy), accessible (every street corner in the summer) - and affordable (less than a dollar for the Empire cones - but a plain vanilla or Chocolate will only put you out 25 cents) Summer in Ukraine is HOT but yummy.

The battle of 95

2010-07-21T01:02:00.000-07:00

The phrase "fighting the heat" has always been one that I've said without thinking. It has just meant that its hot, slightly uncomfortable, that I would of course be happy if it was a bit cooler. I never thought of it as an actual action, of physically "fighting" . . . until this year.

Unlike Alister, I grew up with heat. We had hot summers but they were also dry and dry heat is always more bearable than humidity. We also lived in a house, surrounded by trees and a big swamp cooler that rumbled away on the top floor in summer months and cooled the whole house.

Philadelphia was hot, but in America there are so many places you can go to get out of the heat even if you don't have air conditioning in your home. I was also working the summer I was in Philly - and there was air conditioning at work.

In Kiev, living in an apartment with a baby, there is only so much you can do and you begin to realize that people do die from the heat, especially babies. Suddenly it hits home that you really are fighting the heat. There is no offensive plan in the battle, it is purely defense, and this in and of itself makes you feel a bit hunted.

A warm front has come up from Africa and covered Northern Europe. And the heat is staying. There is no wind, not even a breeze. At night, running a fan in front of the window all night, the temperature in the room didn't even go down a degree. So far we are losing the battle. On Sunday, the lowest temperature in our apartment was 31 degrees (88F) today it has risen to 33 (91F). We have all retreated to the bedroom. Kiev is not a young child friendly place. I can't pack the baby up and go sit in an air conditioned cafe or mall. There are no baby changing stations, no real acceptance of public nursing - at least you never see it. I did nurse publicly once when my mother-in-law was here and we went for coffee, but we got some looks. But even if we did leave the house -how to get from point A to B in the least and coolest amount of time is also a challenge that needs strategic thought.

And so we sit in the bedroom, the ceiling fan running, another fan blowing on high over frozen water bottles, and the cat panting under the bed.

Saphira is miserable. Her activity time now consists of a cold bath, or sponging her with cool water. The heat has succeeded where tiredness and a string of visitors in Northern Ireland didn't - it has made a very unhappy, crying baby. And such a mournful cry. The heat has also put us back on a 2.5 hour routine where as we were almost up to 3.5 hours before. This is normal, apparently, as breastfed babies drink less, but more often, to cope with the heat and get the high water content that they need to manage the heat.

Today we left the house at 7 am and just sat under the trees until 8:30. Already it was getting hot and so we came back to our closed, dark, hot apartment.

The sidewalk in front of our home - normally a busy thoroughfare of activity throughout the day was empty yesterday - not a soul from 9am until after 6:30 pm. The market is only open from 9am until 7 - and so the question is also how to take care of the shopping - fresh veggies and meat - with a small baby in the heat? How to do the shopping in the supermarkets in the evening with a baby who knows it is time to sleep for the night at 7:30? And how to put a baby to bed in the heat when she likes to be swaddled and wakes herself up without it, when the temperatures mean that any added layer of fabric is a torture?

So we sit and strategize our next line of defense in the battle over our apartment.

Traveling with infants

2010-07-18T23:28:00.000-07:00

Well we did it and are none the worse the wear after a day of getting caught up on naps. Saphira now has her first stamps in her passport and can, after completing 4 flight segments, be considered a seasoned flyer.

She did very well - the only time she cried was when she hit her head on a seatbelt while we were trying to get into the seat.

Even Airport security was a breeze as GATWICK had a special line for handicapped people and those traveling with children - so it was 1) shorter, 2) everyone in it had tons of stuff too so we weren't holding anyone up.

The only pain was we were carrying a car seat and they are a bit awkward -especially when juggling luggage! But it was much cheaper to rent the car seat for 1 month ($10) than get it from the car rental company for a week ($45). Ironically, to carry it over on Ryan Air cost $15 - more than the rental, but the combined cost was still less than getting through the car company - so worth the hassle. However, Ryan Air has sunk to least favorite discount airline.

I was very pleased to discover that I didn't pack unnecessarily for Saphira - we used everything!

England and Northern Ireland were blissfully cool and mostly sunny - so it was almost tragic to leave that and return to 35C temps and scorching sun here in Kiev.

2010-06-19T02:38:00.000-07:00

So far - a one time occurance.

Heat Wave

2010-06-14T09:29:00.000-07:00

Alister's Parents have been here the last week and it has been a scorcher - up to 35 C. While they like escaping to sunny spots from NI - this, I think, was a bit much. Our apartment wasn't really the cool sanctuary either as indoor temperatures crested at 30C. There are drawbacks to a 14th floor apartment.

With the Heat bearing down - we took advantage of their presence to install a ceiling fan in a our bedroom. Alister's Dad was invaluable in the installation process and he got a peek at Soviet wiring - no multi-colored wires and a bit of guess work.

The fan - even on its lowest setting - makes a huge difference and will be wonderful through July and August - our typically hottest months.

Our cat, meanwhile, had a close encounter of the "whack" kind. He has been jumping up (to our dismay) on the bedroom wardrobes. We didn't see it, but we heard sounds similar to his jumping followed by a very upset cat running into the hallway and arching his back at our bedroom - his eyes fixed on the fan and his whiskers quivering. None the worse for wear as far as we can tell - it has made him more cautious - he tested the bed gingerly with one paw before jumping up on it and spent the next half hour staring up at the blades going round and round before he decided it was safe enough to stop watching it and at least lay down on the bed. We'll see how long it takes him to try jumping on the wardrobe again - but I hope its taught him his lesson.

Chamomile and other "herbs"

2010-05-26T09:24:00.000-07:00

Its amazing the things you find in your local Apteka (aka drugstore). Sage, for instance, and fennel and many other herbs that we in the States would expect to find in the seasoning aisle of the supermarket are here not used for cooking, but rather for healing. While you can sometimes find the rare small seasoning pack of a more obscure (for here) herb - the vendor has no idea of the tasty meals that await its addition - they know it only for its medicinal properties when used as a tea, gargle, or bath additive. (When asked what I used rosemary for, I told the vendor how tasty it was with scrambled eggs and onion - she looked at me warily).

After returning from Isida, I have been discovering the magical properties of Chamomile. It was actually "prescribed" on the list of things to buy for the baby, right there under fingernail clippers. Needless to say - we didn't buy the chamomile, but a few days passed and the Saphira began to get "spotty" and so we added some tea bags to her bath water as recommended. The redness went away. It has worked on heat rash and infant acne. And, as I looked for home recipes for diaper rash ointment that could be used in cloth diapers, I discovered that chamomile was again high on the ingredient list. At saphira's first pediatrician appointment, she was prescribed Viburcol herbal suppositories which supposedly replicate the effect of infant aspirin as a fever reducer and tranquilizer without any other side effects. (It was supposed to counter any effects of the Hep B shot and I started using it before I found out what it did - she was extra calm - but she is pretty mellow anyway and as there was no fever i discontinued use when I learned what it did exactly).

Today, I've just been prescribed two different anti inflammatory - one a rinse that is apparently commonly used by dentists and the other a cream - both with chamomile extract. Ukrainians commonly know and rely on these home remedies. When Alister was sick with a very sore throat, a friend from church stopped by with a big box of Sage and told him to gargle with it - another woman told us to put it in boiling water and inhale for congestion. You can poo-poo these things as much as you want - but they seem to work and are a heck of a lot cheaper than standard western prescriptions.

Baby Wearing outside the PNW

2010-05-21T04:18:00.000-07:00

Baby wearing is a relatively new phenomenon here in Ukraine. And even that is limited to - mostly around the home and primarily in commercial carriers - such as a baby bjorn or an ergo or something similar. Walking around my neighborhood - you will see strollers. Lots and lots of strollers and prams - but for some things they are just bulky - it is much faster to put the kid in a carrier to run to the store for a quick purchase than have to deal with a stroller. Don't get me wrong - we have a stroller, and will be using it - but especially now while she is small- I'm using a sling.

Slings are sold in Ukraine -but I have never seen one in use. In fact, there is a Ukrainian company that is making them (they sell other "eco" and granola-y products as well that you can't find anywhere else - like organic wood chew toys and diaper liners) and on their website they specifically say that "Our store is quite unusual and the list of our merchandise for young mothers is very unique" -In other words - the baby wearing revolution is far from here.

As I walk around with my sling - I get a lot of stares. As far as I can tell, Ukrainians are in shock that 1) I am carrying a baby out and about so young, and 2) that she is in a sling and not flat on her back in a pram. Aside from the general stares -Ive received 3 polite inquiries from strangers into what I am doing and if it is safe and 1 out right lecture which I walked away from after politely explaining that her back was straight, that she could hear my heart, and that it was comfortable for her.

But, obviously, as a new, conscientious parent, after the 1st inquiry I did do a search and found that most doctors recommend baby wearing - if done correctly. Wikipedia raves about it. In fact, I couldn't find a single site saying pediatricians were against it. On the contrary - I found sites that said it helped head development, hip development, and reduced crying. Sounds like a winner to me. Moreover, the position she takes in the sling is exactly the same position she goes into naturally when I lay her on her stomach or place her on my shoulder.

Here are a few more reasons why we like slings:

1) They are the most affordable way to transport a child from 0 - 2 years (or more if your back holds up!). I made my ring sling for $8. Even on the Ukrainian site - slings cost a fraction of the price of a more "traditional" carrier"

2) Slings are easier to learn how to use than wraps and "carries" are more versitile than "traditional" carriers.

3) Slings can easily be adjusted for mommy and daddy without a headache

4) In Ukraine - w/o carseat laws (and we don't have a car) we feel that having the baby tightly in a sling around mommy or daddy adds a bit of security in a taxi or on a bumpy metro. (Safer than a mother's arms?)

5) The excess fabric on a sling works as a nursing cover

6) The sling is the most lightweight carrier (unless you have a super bulky fabric)

7) The excess fabric works as a sun cover - or a germ cover on the metro - or a cover for sitting on the ground or bench (note - wash sling frequently).

Queen of Spades

2010-05-11T04:46:00.001-07:00

In the week before Saphira arrived, we were on a rush against the clock to do as much as possible with my mom in the city so that her trip wouldn't just be a view from our apartment and the hospital window. We did ok - we got to the Andrew's descent, took her to the village to see the mud hut (she thinks we're crazy), had a quick walk down Kreshatik to Independence square while getting documents translated - and even fit in a trip to the opera.

We went to see Queen of Spades - appropriate in that not only was it a fun trip to the opera - but it was a Russian opera by Tchaikovsky at that.

One thing that strikes you when you go to the opera - even in a language that you can understand - is that you really can't catch too many of the words anyway. I wonder if back in the day when Opera was the main source of entertainment if people were accustomed to catching the words- or if the melody and performance was the main attraction.

The story was great - a typical opera tragedy - but an interesting plot and theme that came from a short story originally written by Pushkin- why it hasn't been drawn on for a Hollywood version is probably only due to the fact that it is Russian.

The only downside to the performance is that the piece is apparently very challenging for the main character as he appears and sings in every scene. Therefore, the only scene that he sang in full voice was the last (apparently the most famous song and scene in the opera)- and that was wonderful - but for most of the opera you could barely make him out. Other than that we had a great time and mom got to see the opera house and attend her first ever opera.

Debute

2010-05-01T06:56:00.000-07:00

Saphira made her public debut into the world at 12 days old when she attended church with us. This may seem a little late by US standards - I made an appearance at 6days old myself - but in Ukraine Babies in public before a month old (except for the daily 2 hour stroll) is unheard of. The risk of germs etc - is too great. On the one hand, its nice, it is one less thing that the mother needs to worry about - on the other hand - how long do they expect me to sit at home? Another side note, people wondered why I wasn't in the hospital a week before my due date waiting for the bay to arrive. It was enough torture waiting at home for the baby to arrive - what am I going to do in the hospital all that time?? Esp if she had been past her due date?

Anyway - everyone loved seeing the baby - but no one asked to hold her (she is too small and germs etc). Everyone was aghast that she had bare legs (she was very warm in the onesie, dress, sweater, and socks - believe me - her legs were not suffering and there WAS a blanket) and the most common comment was - oh she is so small how many "months" is she? once again demonstrating that it is uncommon for a baby to appear in public earlier than 1 month - 40 days after its birth. One woman - when I responded that she was 12 days - took a GIANT step back from us and said we were very brave.

Saphira took it all very well - slept through the entire service and only proceeded to fuss once we got home. We don't know how we managed to get such a nice, mellow baby- but are very thankful for her.

Changes

2010-04-30T06:30:00.000-07:00

Well, as of April 13th, we are a family of three :- )

For anyone considering giving birth in Ukraine, I highly recommend ISIDA. We found the care top notch, cheaper than the equivalent in the US and really above and beyond the call of duty. Most importantly - they were willing to listen to pretty much all of our requests and were slow to do interventions despite the fact that I had a not so normal delivery since my water broke before contractions started. (When we came into the clinic at 1:30am - the doctor looked at me with this "how could you do such a thing" look and said - so are you the one whose water broke?- Which I found humorous, like I can control when my water broke?!) Anyway - we are thrilled and very pleased with the entirety of care we received at ISIDA and recommend them 100%.

My mom has been here to help out - which is a God-send as I don't know what the house would have looked like or what we would have eaten the first 2 weeks. Now, I am slowly able to do things - a load of laundry on my own and dinner were my achievements of yesterday - though I missed having a nap.

1st impressions of parenthood? Well - we were given lots of baby clothes and blankets- and I didn't see how we could possibly use them all. However - over the last three days we have soiled 7 blankets, 1 crib sheet, and 10 baby shirts/onesies etc. I had no idea. I mean 7 blankets!!

The next observation is swaddling. Somehow - in all our blankets - we didn't have one that was really acceptable for an American style swaddle - they were either too small to be effective or too heavy to be comfortable. However- in the hospital - they showed us a different swaddle - a Russian swaddle. After finally obtaining a decent sized swaddle blanket (Thanks Dawn!) I have decided that still the Russian swaddle is not only easier - but more effective. It can be used with both square and rectangular blankets (and a smaller size as well - even the receiving blankets worked for the first two weeks until she started stretching her legs out more) and so can be used as the baby gets bigger if you use a long piece of rectangular fabric. It is easier in that you don't have all this holding of the arms down as you fold fabrics and make little tucks and pleats. The main key is pulling the arms tight and making sure that when you wrap and "tie" the legs, that the arm fabric is trapped underneath the leg wrap.

Unfortunately - I have only found this one video demonstrating the "Russian Swaddle" method - but as I don't have a lot of time right now - and in the interest of spreading the ease of a tightly wrapped swaddle - I am including it.

Wear'n o the green

2010-03-27T02:12:00.000-07:00

So it's not St. Patrick's day - in fact it is 10 days late - But Alister was gone for St. Patrick's Day and though he isn't Irish, he does like St. Patrick (who doesn't) so today we are having green cake.

The cake isn't Irish either - in fact its Japanese, but it is delicious. Even if you do something wrong and it doesn't turn out lovely and fluffy, it will still be delicious - it is just that type of cake.

Sorry - you'll have to use a scale because I haven't converted the measurements from the recipe my Japanese friend gave me.

Green Tea and White Chocolate Cake - or Green Tea Gateau Chocolat

Ingredients

180 - 200 grams white chocolate (about 2 large bars)

100 grams butter (about 1 stick)

2 Tbsp rum (optional - and have never added it)

1/4 cup heavy cream (have substituted skim milk with no ill-effect - but you do lose slightly on richness)

30 grams flour

1 tsp baking powder

30 grams (may add extra) green tea powder (you can grind your own using a coffee grinder - but you want an extra fine grind so that it looks like flour)

3 eggs, separated

30 grams sugar

1) Preheat oven to 350 F

2) Grease and flour a single round cake pan

3) Separate eggs and set whites aside

4) In a Medium saucepan add: Cream, white chocolate, butter, and 30 grams of sugar. Add rum if desired.

5) Cook on low heat while stirring with a whisk until everything is melted and well blended.

6) Temper egg yolks and add to chocolate mixture

7) Add flour, green tea powder, and Baking powder to chocolate mixture and mix well (tip - you can ensure the dry ingredients are more thoroughly mixed by mixing them together separately before adding them to the chocolate mixture)

8) Set mixture aside.

9) Beat egg whites to make meringue, gradually adding remaining 30 grams of sugar. Beat till stiff peaks firm. You may add a dash of salt or cream of tartar to aid in the meringue process.

10) Gently fold half of the meringue into the chocolate mixture

11) Fold in the remaining meringue (doing it in parts helps keep the meringue fluffy while ensuring a thorough mix)

12) Bake at 350 for 30 - 40 minutes - if you don't get the meringue right - your cake will be slightly more compact and more brownie than cake like - Alister actually like it better that way. If you have leftovers - you should store them in the fridge.

The cake is served without icing - but to make it fancier - try drizzling white chocolate on top or serve with ice cream:- )

Spring at last

2010-03-25T04:39:00.000-07:00

Finally - the snow has melted and some days - the sky is even sunny. Even though for now the scenery is still dull and grey (and now a bit muddy!) the thrill of no snow is exhilerating. I no longer cringe with dread with the thought of going outside. Soon the grass will begin to come in and the trees will begin to bloom. I planted basil and rosemarry on the balcony and we'll see if the mint comes back or not - I bout a package of catnip but am debating about planting it - I wonder if Haggai doesn't have enough energy :-)

Yes, spring is finally here - The only thing missing is a box full of baby chics or ducklings :-)

O'Henry

2010-03-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

Alister is in Wales and so I am taking the opportunity to clean, cook and listen to books on tape. Today, I listened to some O'Henry short stories. I loved O'Henry when I was younger -I remember that the stories were engaing and often full of the ironic. Today, listening to them read, I realized for the first time that O'Henry wrote with Rythm and Rhyme. - his stories are definately prose, but his writing has a natural, conversant flavor with enough description and cadence that you can actually hear a rythm and a rhyme as the text is read - I specifically noticed this in the Elsie in Manhattan story - in fact the ending was quite disspointing because the final lines broke the cadence.

It's interesting the things you notice when you hear a text vs. just reading it.

Pet Peeve with a capital B

2010-03-11T13:17:00.000-08:00

In my general writing, I have to admit that I am not a grammar, spelling, or punctuation queen. I know the rules - but when I am just typing something off I fall into the pitfalls of the over-computerized, text message and e-mail generation in which we live - no caps, no spell check, no complete sentences. Still - there is a time and a place for properly punctuated and extrapolated thought.

One of those places should be online articles. I write occasionally for Helium, when I have time and either feel strongly about a particular subject, know enough about it to write a decent article in a short amount of time, or think I know enough about the subject to earn money for it.

In this way, I've ended up with quite a few articles in the Religion and Spirituality Channel. Helium is like a writers co-op - you provide feedback on articles rating them good or bad and the more you rate the more profit share you get. It's in their interest to have you rate articles and so they refer you to articles in channels you have written for - so I see a wide breadth of "Religion and Spirituality"

Which brings me to my Pet Peeve with a capital B

A growing number of people are failing to capitalize Bible.

While it is true that the Bible, when used adjectivally (such as biblical or Julia Child's cookbook is the bible of for French cooking in America) whenever it is used as a noun referring to the Word of God - it should under ALL circumstances be capitalized.

Says who?

Any style guide you refer to

http://www.libraryonline.com/default.asp?pID=48

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/592/1/

More disturbingly, I have also been seeing this trend in some online magazines and newspapers.

I believe this directly reflects society's opinion that the Bible is not the Word of God - in fact, in some feminist theological writing I was recently reviewing to help Alister with his paper - the Author deliberately began using the term Bible as a lowercase word in her later writings, reflecting her own progression in view the Bible as a non-sacred text.

But guess what - no matter what your opinion of the Bible is - to not capitalize it is wrong because it refers to the name of a book, thus making it a proper noun. It would be just as wrong to talk about reading the catcher in the rye, war and peace, or horton hears a who (which, by the way is doubly wrong because not only is it the title of a book, but also contains a 1st name which must be capitalized as well).

So it's Bible - with a capital B

Our winter

2010-02-26T01:58:00.000-08:00

The snow is slowly starting to melt and this is bringing new hazards - falling icicles:
Excerpt from the Kyiv Post :

It’s the season of falling ice, a perilous time in Kyiv - Yuliya Popova

. . . The snowfalls have been more than brief flurries this winter. And the layers of packed snow and ice have brought their own hardship: One person has been killed and thousands have been injured on Kyiv’s slippery streets.

Until the spring thaw, Kyivans are warned to walk as far from buildings as they can and to look up so as to get out of the way of falling icicles and ice blocks.

Kyiv Mayor Leonid Chernovetsky, long thought to be on vacation somewhere warm, even snapped into action. He asked citizens to alert him about dangerous ice-block formations on the city’s roofs and promised to remove them – pronto. . . ." I appeal to all Kyivans not to be indifferent and to call me personally 1551 and report icicles,” he said on Feb 19. . . . ..

For some people, however, this wake-up call came too late. Pensioner Galyna Zinyuk, 78, was one of them. She went out for a walk with her husband on Feb 21 to the Park of Glory in the Pechersk district and was hit by a brick of ice. It dropped from the roof of the National State Transport University and landed right on Zinyuk’s head. According to witness reports, she died on the spot. . . . .City authorities called a few emergency meetings to respond to the icy crisis. “All the dangerous places near buildings should be sealed off with warning tapes, and I particularly request that Kyiv residents walk around such zones,” Chernovetsky said.

Municipal workers followed the orders, cordoning off many pavements with red-and-white tape. Cars parked along curbs took a good share of the remaining walking space, leaving people the choice of venturing under roofs or dodging speeding traffic.

“We receive 30 to 35 people daily,” said Yevhen Kasyan, a doctor in the Shevchenko accident clinic. It’s twice more than last year, he said, and "there are more fractures than before.”

There are still many icicles in the city and, with the weather getting warmer, they would be showering down in the blink of an eye. “If a five-kilo ice block falls from the fourth floor, it hits the ground with the power of more than 75 kilos,” said Nikolayev.

Anxious citizens say it is time for business owners and city officials to do their math and remove the dangerous ice clusters before it is too late.

Proactivity

2010-02-25T12:13:00.000-08:00

Just thought that you should know that the Department of State has reviewed their fees for many of the services – passports, visas, services while abroad – etc. You can review the fees by looking at the PDF here http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=0900006480a8ffe8

In a nutshell, some fees – such as getting a passport are increasing slightly (27% + $20 increase for the security surcharge) while other fees are increasing whole lot (adding pages to your passport because you filled it up with stamps during the 10 years validity period – going from free to $80 – just $30 short of applying for a whole new passport!!)

You can comment on the fees up until March 8^th, 2010!!!!

If you think these fees might affect you, you might review the document above and read their reasoning for changing the fees and comment on areas where you approve or disapprove.

And – if you’re not interested in doing any of that – then you might at least want to consider renewing, refilling, or applying for a passport before the fees increase to save yourself a few bucks.

If you do decide to send comments – they can be submitted by e-mail to fees@state.gov RIN (1400–AC58) should be included in the subject line of the e-mail.

Wishing

2010-02-22T12:51:00.000-08:00

I'm wishing very very hard on the first star to make it through the foggy night that i'll wake up tomorrow and there will be no snow.

I'm wishing vainly, but I'm wishing all the same.

Sunday was beautiful. It was the first day I hadn't worn 2 layers of long-johns. In fact, i was a real rebel and didn't wear any long-johns though i still had two cardigans on over my sweater. We walked out to the metro to church and the sun was shining, the birds were singing and despite the muck and lakes of melting snow - I felt that spring was definitely in the air.
By 6 o'clock the sky was gray and great big snow flakes were falling. The big fluffy kind that don't fall individually, but fall in colonies. Fluffy colonies of snowflakes falling gently to the ground. It could have been pretty - if it had come in December or November and if it hadn't turned into a full fledged exodus of snowflake colonies storming from the sky in uncountable numbers. But just that morning it had smelled like spring - and so the snow, no matter how fluffy just didn't seem pretty.

Our cat enjoyed it tremendously. Big snowflake colonies must look like small birds or bugs to him because he meowed his hunting meow and swished his tail. We even opened the window for him and he managed to catch a few of them - probably wondered how the disappeared so fast and thinking they tasted extra delicious and water flavored.

Today again the sky was bright and sunny - but the temperature had dropped and air didn't quite have the essence of spring - but all the same I am wishing.

Joy

2010-02-12T02:48:00.000-08:00

You might remember my post from December 2008 that described the ignoble process of paying ones bills here in Ukraine.
Well - after a very long shuffle of head honchos within our apartment building, (due to the summer no water fiasco and the revelation that 14 apartments hadn't been paying bills for like 10 years) we have apparently signed on with a larger company that is in charge of tracking payments for utilities and apartment services - AKA Komunalni Service.
At the same time - an online company, Portmone , has been steadily expanding its corporate clients and allowing individuals to pay their bills online.

This month marked the first month where we could pay EVERYTHING - internet, phone, electric, water, and apartment services - online - all for the meager fee of $1.05 for using the service. Well worth it to NOT stand in line for over an hour and having people cut and yell at you or tell you you can't pay because you wrote in the wrong color of ink or didn't do such and such (after standing line for more than an hour).

I was so happy, I literally danced a jig.

A view on homemaking

2010-02-11T01:55:00.000-08:00

Lots of studies have been coming out recently on the actual value of a second income - most saying that the costs incurred by having two people working outside of the home actually exceed the benefits. Interesting - but what about the money spent on the degree and the boredom experienced by many in doing the same thing day in and day out? While I'm not technically a full-fledged homemaker - having plenty of other things that keep me busy and no children (yet) - i still get tired of how a freshly cleaned living room is no longer clean, or a tidy kitchen has suddenly sprouted a mountain of dishes. (How can two people make so many dishes???)

This article from OpenDemocracy is a very different take on homemaking - promoting it as a radical life choice that does a better job of saving the planet, building peace, and creating economic balance than a UN commission. In the article she presents a brief historical overview of the household, showing a transition from a unit of production to a unit of consumption.

More election news

2010-02-09T05:33:00.000-08:00

So the 2nd round of the Presidential elections happened Sunday and true to Ukrainian tradition it won't be the last as it looks like Tymoshenko is going to dispute the elections - despite the fact that the OSCE said that this was a model example of free and fair elections.

As you can see the election split the country in half - with the west voting for Tymoshenko and the East voting for Yanokovych. This is the sharpest election divide yet. Even the Kiev Oblast, which has traditionally been more balanced - had a 70% turnout for Tymoshenko. This doesn't bode well and it will take some delicate politics not to isolate half the country and promote extremism and separatism.

Perks of Eastern Europe

2010-01-27T06:17:00.000-08:00

In 2005, I bought a pair of black boots with heels. My feet are wide, and I've had foot surgery - so I am very picky about the shoes I wear. These looked great and they were super comfortable and so they were winners. Since that time, I've worn them well - so well that I've actually had the heel replaced on them 6 times - which brings me to perk #1 - shoe repair places. Whereas shoe repair in America is hard to come-by and almost the price you paid for your shoe, here your shoe can be good as new for just a few dollars. In the states, my boots would have ended up in a landfill by now and I would have had to buy another pair (true - I probably wouldn't have walked through 6 heels in the states - but that is another issue)

Perk # 2 - Watch repair. Also on virtually every street corner, are watch kiosks. New batteries, an oil job, links, fine tuning, they'll fix it for a few dollars and if he is really good - will even give a you a month or two guarantee on the work.

Perk#3 - Tailors. In every dry cleaner and at least in every neighborhood - you can have your cloths repaired - jeans shortened, zippers replaced, a new variation sewn into those pants to transform them into the latest trend - all for a few dollars. In fact, last year i made a ring sling for a girl in our church who had just had a baby - and I decided to put in different rings - I didn't want to go back and borrow my friends sewing machine again - so i just popped into a tailor - and she replaced the rings for me - in fact - it looked WAY nicer than when I had done it originally.

And then there are the electronic markets where you can take your Tvs, your mobile phones, your lights - anything - and have it fixed. Notice a trend? The perks are that you don't have to go, rush out and buy something new. Yes, sometimes you do - we couldn't find a coffee pot replacement to save our life - but for the most part, you can repair what you have for a reasonable amount. Half the problem in the states is that if you do want to repair something - it costs almost as much as buying it new - so why not buy it new?
But I like my old shoes, and my old watch, and my just the right length jeans perfectly well.

Enterprise

2010-01-21T23:12:00.000-08:00

When I was little, I was a salesman. It started when my sister, 5 years older than me, took me around the neighborhood to help her sell her school chocolates - who can refuse a cute grade-schooler and a lisping toddler? As I got older, not only was I one of the top newspaper sellers for our little corner of the world, but I was also the kid out with a lemonade stand - only it wasn't lemon aid - it had to be something bigger, better, and more unique. So I would persuade my friends to sell marigold seeds, or rocks, or snow-cones.

If I spoke Russian - really spoke Russian - had $1000 free dollars and no job, I would be selling ledoxods - Ice Walkers.

Soon, after writing the post about our icy weather - my unobservant husband spotted an add for these miraculous inventions while reading about the Ukrainian elections. Like yak traks or a similar product they were cheaper than their American counterparts and for just 3 dollars extra, would deliver.

If I spoke Russian - really spoke Russian - I would be doing jumping jacks on the ice in front of the metro entrances and I would sell at least 50 ice walkers a day. You can run on the ice. I can stroll past young men in their prime as they shuffle along like grannies - In heels, in boots, there is no other word but amazing to describe them.

If I were running for Ukrainian president, I would had them out to all the babushka's - the target group that needs them most but would be hardest put to afford them - even though for a working Ukrainian they are quite reasonable - I would consider it a social help investment that's cheaper than buying plows and salt - and definitely less labor intensive than sending out the men with pick axes (really) to chop through the 6 in layer of ice that lies on top of the roads (really - little men out with pick axes chopping at the ice and slowly the market places and the sidewalks in front of the stores that employ them are cleared - the municipal property - bus stops, metros and the like - are still veritable ice rinks.)

Easy to slip on and off, I've found that while i can walk in them in the metro, It's better to slip them off - esp. if I have to transfer. Even if the snow melts tomorrow - This has definitely been the best $13 dollars I've spent in Ukraine.

Another year another election

2010-01-18T01:04:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the 1st round of the presidential election in Ukraine.
No surprises, the two candidates to emerge for the vote were Yanukovich (widely seen as pro-russian and less democratic) and Tymoshenko (populist and pro-west)

What was a surprise was the election itself - maybe it was the crisis - maybe the candidates had other tricks up their sleeves - but their wasn't the flurry of tents and gimmicks that normally abound. However, I did learn, that the majority of excess canidates who were running without a hope - were actually being sponsored by one of the main candidates - The idea being to steal votes from the other candidate and then collect them again in the 2nd round? Anyway - in order to get your name on the list of candidates you need millions of grivnen - so maybe there wasn't the overload of campaign posters and flags - but there was still a lot of money being wasted.
One guy - reportedly sponsored by Yanukovich - officially changed his name to "Protiv Vse" - Or our equivalent of none of the above - clever write in strategy if I do say so myself.

Frightful

2010-01-13T01:01:00.000-08:00

Well - winter seems to be awful all over. This year I guess we have our first "real" Ukrainian winter - ie - the winter everyone thinks we have all the time.
2 weeks of -16C weather that felt colder with windchill, followed by a slight warming up and snow and snow and snow. The first days of snow was great - nice big fluffy things. Then it got nasty with storms taking down trees and driving hard pellets of icy snow.
Streets and sidewalks don't get clean here. The more people walk on a path, the icier and slushier it becomes. Metros and pedestrian underpasses are perilous because you have flights of outdoor cement steps covered in uncleared snow and ice. I've been lucky enough to only slip once (right in front of the apartment) but Alister has fallen several times and I've seen many another person take a tumble as well - one down the flight of metro steps at Beresteska. Just one of those things that reminds you that we are not in a handicapped accessible or old people friendly city.
After that - we had three days of +1C temperatures. This was great, in that it was incredibly warmer. You think that freezing is cold until you have something really cold to compare it to (Am listening now Shackleton's account of his voyage on the Endurance - South - and he says the same - but living in arctic water for so long - they actually thought melting was uncomfortably warm!!! - i'm not at that level of desensitization yet). Anyway - this turned much of the snow and ice into slush and lakes. The drainage in the parking lots don't work because 1) who's job is it actually to clean them, and 2) the grate covers keep getting stolen and so to save the cars from falling into holes - they get filled up with tires, tree branches - and everything else - this obviously doesn't help the drainage.

Now it has frozen again - and all that water - you guessed it - solid ice. And all that slush? Also solid ice - so between slipping along, you get to also stumble over deeply pitted and rutted icy ground.

The only reliable way to travel in this - and really any weather is by metro (if you can make it down the steps) Above ground - you are hard pressed to get a taxi (and they've raised their rates), the tramvays and trolleybuses are sporadic. And wherever the metro doesn't go you use your feet. Boots here are very important. A good winter boot with treads, inner lining, and fashion sense (we are in the capital city - do you think we can just walk around in moon boots?) A good pair is expensive - but worth it as you stay warm and are less likely to fall. A family I knew but it this way - a good pair of winter boots is an investment - we don't have cars and snow tires - we have winter boots - and boy do we use them!

The icewalk near our home.

Fall in Review +Christmas

2009-12-28T01:45:00.000-08:00

I've been rubbish about pictures this fall- so here is our fall and Christmas in review - Enjoy!

If it has it's own commercial . . . . .

2009-12-17T01:49:00.000-08:00

So the Euro 2012 match has been in a state of Limbo the last 2 years - will Ukraine and Poland pull it off or not? Well now it has its own commercial -so it must be happening, right?. Taking bids now for couch and sleeping bag space. 6 min walk from metro - 40 min ride to the arena ; )

Snow

2009-12-12T01:19:00.000-08:00

We got our first snow fall the other day and after 3 more days of trying we finally got a small skiff that has stuck around. Not a layer - very definitely a skiff.

Sorry I don't have anything more interesting to say that that - we just haven't had time - our house isn't even decorated for Christmas yet - but having anticipated this to a degree I arranged a cookie decorating party for January 9th with the girls from Church - I thankful for the long holiday at least.

Alister, however will be gone for most of it - dashing off to the UK for a month of studies. He's actually relieved to be missing the traditional 8 weeks of carols that our church sings - but I don't mind - I was ready to sing Carols in November - but Alister said after Thanksgiving and then after 2 nights of carols he said we couldn't do anymore till the house was decorated. Well - the house is still undecorated so family worship singing hasn't wandered to the Christmas section yet. But I've been listening to my own Holiday stash as i've been tackling editing jobs and house work :- )

For new comers who want to know more about a Ukrainian Christmas - check out last year's post on Christmas music and this general letter.

Fruits of the season

2009-12-05T09:38:00.000-08:00

Okay you supermarket junkies . . . .did you know that now is the season for
Brussle Sprouts
Pomegranates,
Sharon Fruit (persimmons)
Citrus of all sorts
?

While I still haven't really taken a shine to sharon fruit (male or female)- I do love pomegranates. Last year - when i discovered the easy way of cutting them so you and your kitchen don't end up looking like a crime scene - my appetite for them really took off.

I first became interested in them years ago when I first read The Mouse that Roared. My mom was good enough to buy one - but I was unimpressed - it tasted like corn.

Since then, I have gone on to bigger and better pomegranates - and while there is the occasional one that make you wonder how Persephone could have been tempted - on the whole I like them.

To make your experience with pomegranate better
1) cut off the tip top below the crown - while you might hit a few berries it won't be too many.
2) Take you knife and score the sides, like you would an orange peel in 4 or 5 places - you should be able to see white "guides" from when you sliced off the top.
3) Gently pull the pomegranate apart along the scores
- You can now either pick at seeds, or put the fruit upside down in a bowl of water for about ten minutes. This will further loosen the seeds and make them even easier to extract.

Thanksgivng

2009-11-30T03:17:00.000-08:00

Had a wonderful Thanksgiving - here in Kiev - loads of food - loads of friends - and just a great time all over. 6 families participated - and with that many cooks - of course everyone brought their own desert (pumpkin cheesecake, apple, pumpkin, pecan, chocolate pecan pies, and apple crisp) as well- even with a sliver - I think I ended up eating a whole pie. -

Back to the classics

2009-11-25T05:16:00.000-08:00

In my quest for classics - I have just finished listening to a Globe Radio Production of Madame Bovary. If you care about these things, and you might one day read Madame Bovary - be aware that this blog post will contain ***SPOILERS***.

Frankly, I thought it was a waste of time and don't understand why it is a classic. True - the author's voice was very picturesque - but the character - Madame Bovary was not sympethetic in the least. She was revolting with no redeemable thing in her and then her husband - who was nice just pines away and dies for no reason at the end of the book even though he learns what a terrible woman and wife she was. In fact - he is still making excuses for her and even tells one of her lovers that he understands!

I don't mind if a character is abit dodgy - I love Flannery O'Conner's stories and her characters are often quite raw - but the differnce is that they are not beyond redemption -- or they at least realize how rotten they were. Emma - in typicall selfish fashion - realizes she doesn't want to die for no other apparent reason than that it is painful and gruesom and not at all romantic - the crowning dissapointment of all of her dissapointments- unrealistic expectations that were not met.

Simultaneously to Madame Bovary, I am reading Crime and Punishment. How I managed to pick two books about morally revolting people, I 'm not really sure - but so it goes. Even before he commited the murder, I was unsure if I really wanted to read about such a character - and Alister can't remember how it ends but says "his conscious tortures him - so how can he be a complete moral rebrobate" So I haven't gone too far past the murder - but in my opinion, someone who can kill someone simply because he fell into a brooding depression and made it worse by not talking to people or seeking work and all of those other things that get yu out of the world inside of your head - well, I'm just not sure if I want to read about such a character if nothing then comes of it - i.e redemption and sympathy are not achievable.

Food, Inc

2009-11-20T03:29:00.000-08:00

Lately, Alister and I have been watching a lot of documentaries (partly because PBS and the history channel seem to be the only stations that don't foreign IP addresses).

Our latest find was Food, Inc. We had heard about the movie this summer, and after watching King Corn, and Super Size Me - we had it on our list.

It was excellent. The main thing that keeps going over and over in my head is this one scene where an organic farmer is outside butchering and packing chickens. He says that the big chicken factory tried to shut him down by saying his operations were unsanitary (well, we might think - he is outside!) So he had his chicken tested along with one of the supermarket packing plant chickens. His chicken was 1000 times cleaner!!!!!! than the packing pack chicken - and, he made the point, his chicken hasn't been through any chlorine baths.

While this makes me feel tremendously safer about shopping in our outdoor market - it also makes me thankful not to be in the US buying my food. Based on numerous articles I've been reading this past year - I've already told Alister that we can't eat ground beef when we visit the states unless it comes from my Uncle's farm - and now i'm afraid that I really will cave and go "organic" despite the cost. While food is generally more expensive here in Europe - and even while Ukrainian food doesn't have the best reputation in Europe - many things - such as Genetically Modified foods - have been banned. Here in Ukraine, there still are concerns about chickens who have been pumped up with steroids or whatever - people will tell you to buy beef or pork or buy from a babushka - but in general - I don't think there are the huge mega packing houses and meat plants that there are in the states. While a smaller scale may be seen as inefficient - right now i'm thinking "cleaner" and “safer”.
In the UK - Beef and other products are safer still - because of the Mad Cow scare - meat packages in the supermarket must be labelled with the farm from which the animal came - that means no mixed portions of cows from Uruguay, Texas and Timbuktu - You can even select a piece of meat that came from your neighbour down the road.

And that, I think, is pretty darn cool.

Cooking with beets #3

2009-11-15T04:52:00.000-08:00

I had bought some beets at the market the other day but as group was canceled due to quarentine and Alsiter doesn't like the beet salad himself- I needed a way to use them up . We just happened to be having pasta so I grated one up to add to the marinara Sauce.
The color was spectacular - though it did color the noodles a bit magenta - but the result in flavor was unnoticable while adding loads of nutrients.

A success in my book.

3 ingredients short of a sandwich

2009-11-10T04:36:00.000-08:00

I found myself today wishing I could eat a Reuben Sandwich. The delectable, crisp, buttery rye overflowing with melted swiss, sauerkraut, and corned beef - and don't forget the Russian dressing!

Unfortunately - not only are there no places in Kiev that sell reubens (to my knowledge )- but not only can you not buy Russian dressing - but surprisingly Sauerkraut isn't present either. Ok - the un-availability of corned beef isn't a surprise.

Truth be told, I've never made a Reuben myself - I order them on rare occasions - the last one this June with my Mom at the Dayton Bookstore and Brewery. Yum.

So i scour the internet - all things must be able to be made from scratch is my motto - and so they can. If i can track down Prague powder and juniper berries - i can have Corned Beef at my disposal in a mere 10 days. Sauerkraut another 20. I think I can live without the Russian dressing - but then again, there is bound to be a recipe for it or thousand island somewhere on the internet as well. A grocery story in the center sells a beautiful rye - much nicer than the Ukrainian Baton you can buy in the kiosks - and swiss can be bought in any supermarket. If all goes well - I may be sinking my teeth into a Reuben within a month. Maybe I could even open a grill and add Cheesesteaks, Monte Cristos and other purely American inventions to the lineup.

Notes from the Quarentine

2009-11-05T10:58:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow marks 1 week of quarentine. Cinemas have been closed, mass gatherings forbidden, the drugstores - of which there are many all have a booming business - but no masks. While some workplaces have sent employees home on "quarentine work from home" the metro is still packed at rush hour. Some people in masks, but most without.
The latest death toll is at 95.
All this less than two weeks after the Embassy and an article in the Kyiv Post - an English language newspaper - testified that the Ukrainian governement was prepared and that Ukraine might even miss the swine flu all together - who, after all, was traveling to Ukraine during the Economic crisis? Currently, WHO estimates that Ukraine is, and will remain, the worst hit country in Europe with over 12million Ukrainians becoming ill with the virus by next fall.
For now, we are on quarentine.
With apprehension I go to the not bustling market and buy produce, meat, milk - I asked Alister if I should start baking our own bread since it goes through so many hands - but he says that we put it in the toaster and so it should be fine. But here are people without gloves, without sanitary facilities scooping and handling my food - so yes some things are cooked - but what about the nuts? Or the water from the kiosk where the woman handles the cap, the spigot, and touches the neck and lip of the bottle with hands that I cannot garentee but with which I suspect she was eating a few moments before?
You become conscious of coughing, of sniffling, of wheezing and you wonder - how long until I get it?

Talented friends

2009-10-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

A friend from church lost her job in the first wave of the crisis last year (she is a graphic designer) but instead of being stumped - she put her talents to things around her and is now making and designing dog clothing, or at least clothing for a Yorkshire Terrier. She is incredible talented and has basically taught herself to sew and has just started looking at pictures on the internet and making her own. I just had to share one of the incredible people around us (also if you're interested in some custom made clothes for your loyal companion - let us know!)

Dreary Days of Winter

2009-10-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

It is well into fall here and we are waiting for our heat to turn on. 17 people in our apartment haven't been paying bills apparently and so the hot water has been off/sporadic since the end of July and we wonder if the heat will actually come on at all.

Fortunately - Tuesday our apartment became the new home for a brand new water heater. Ah the bliss of a warm water out of a tap rather than a bucket. We are very thankful for our Landlord to buying it without any prodding or begging from us - in fact - up until the last two weeks - we were willing to stick it out till the building resolved the problem (then it started getting very very cold). Now with our little space heater or the oven happily baking squash, or muffins, or anything else i can think of to throw in it - we are quite content.

Cars, traffic and transport

2009-10-14T12:44:00.000-07:00

Alister and I live an 8 minute walk from the metro. We are very thankful for this, because despite the suffocating press of people during rush hour, it is the only transportation that you can get on and know for sure you will reach your destination in a set time period.

An open democracy article highlights the problem of traffic in Moscow. Kiev isn't quite so bad - but it isn't far behind either. If you read the article - not that Moscow has twice as many cars per hectare (10,000 sq meters) than new york. Another interesting tidbit - for some reason a highway would cost 100 million to build there while the same equivilant highway would cost 6 million in the US.

The main problem in Kiev and Moscow and most european cities are the same - you have old, narrow streets that are now being utilized to carry way more traffic than they were designed for and there is no space to expand.

Books and such

2009-10-06T01:37:00.001-07:00

I know, I know. I'm doing a lousy job at posting once a week.
Part of that is because I've been doing some free lance translation and editing and just being kept busy with other things as well.
In the mean time, I've been trying to find time to read/ listen to classics. I just finished Ivanhoe, which I read as a Senior in high school and loved and thought it time to read again. One thing I missed/forgot had no idea of was that King Richard the lion heart was a Norman - ie French - which I found amazing since he was so well loved.
I then decided I really needed to actually KNOW Shakespeare rather than just know of him - and I found this great site that actually has audio recordings of a lot of his plays for free. So this is my new kitchen listening :-) I'm trying to convince Alister to read them with me - but part of the idea of reading is to get AWAY from the computer - and although we can find the scripts easily enough - I don't think we really want to print them out - so i'll have to ask around and see what copies of Shakespeare are floating around in Kiev among my acquaintances.
I was trying to find a free audio of Measure for Measure but with no luck. Anyway - this is play I have heard absolutely nothing about and thought it would be fun to read "Shakespeare's darkest tragedy.
We also watched (from the climax to the end! - talk about a weird place to start) the Merchant of Venice - which was also fantastic and I am determined to read/watch/ listen to the whole thing soon as well. Thankfully - we were able to make out what was going on - listen to a couple of fabulous monologues in the court room scene and use Wikipedia to fill in the blanks. It was especially interesting to read it in light of reading Ivanhoe as well since the theme of prejudice against Jews is obviously a center of both.

Glass Walls

2009-09-16T23:15:00.000-07:00

Normally, I'm the observant one in the family. Sometimes too observant. Yesterday while wandering out of an underground shopping mall towards the metro I turned my head ever so slightly to consider the Coffee & Tea Kiosk to my right with a lovely display of tea pots. (ours is currently handle-less). In my interest in the tea pots, I failed to adequately notice that the "hallway" immediately to the left was the perfectly cleaned, unadorned glass walls of the Apple store. I turned too soon and ran SPLAT into the glass wall.

Momentarily stunned, my eyes focused enough to see the Apple Guy looking up from his computer and staring at me. The two chattering girls behind me had fallen into muffle silence, though that was very soon replaced by rollicking laughter. I, on the other hand, stumbled away from the wall and tried to not limp my way down the real passageway to the metro. I have a bruise on my leg and my eyebrow bone is sore to the touch, and a big imprint of my face was left on the glass. Fortunately, Kiev is a big city, I don't have an Apple, and am not likely to be there, or recognized by any of the witnesses, anytime soon.

A lazy post after a long delay

2009-09-11T03:41:00.000-07:00

It seems like I haven't gotten back into the once a week routine yet of posting since getting back from the states. But - this time I have an excuse :-) We had some good friends of mine from Linfield come for a 10 day visit and I was busy showing them about the contry and the city. If you want a fresh perspective on Ukraine, and also a view of what we did - check out their posts for the begining of September.
Aside from that - it is the same old same old. Group, People, Groceries, House cleaning, Church and the like. Alister did have a brief change of pace as he went to Wales to start his ThM Hooray - things in that department are finally started and underway. One bump in the road is that they changed the due date for the course work (moved it up) and he'll also be teaching a course here in Ukraine mid October and then grading papers - so it'll make it a bit hectic for Alister this fall, but we need a little bit of a challenge.
The weather is starting to turn nippy here and I'll soon need to stock up on apples to make apple sauce and Mince. I promised Alister I would do a Christmas pudding this year so I'll need to make enough for pies and a small pudding.

August Spas

2009-08-21T09:47:00.001-07:00

Last week, Alister and I visited Pecherska Lavra. It was Saturday the 15th, and we were going there to meet up with an old friend of Alister's from his time in Russia. His friend is Orthodox, and he was only in Kiev for the day in order to visit the monastery.

I was glad to go to the Lavra - it is a lovely place and I had seen signs that on the 14th the Medovi Spas would start. I had heard the year before, that this was great thing to go to, you could buy honey, pollen, wax, propolis, and any number or bee-products from all over Ukraine. Literally, Medovi Spas means "Honey Salvation". But I didn't really understand why or what and so I translated it the Honey festival to anyone I mentioned it to.

Thursday was Jablok Spas. Which literally means "Apple Salvation". A Kyiv Post article detailed the holiday and said people brought their apples to the church to be blessed. The apples (not from our village) have begun to be harvested. The beautiful white-fleshed Slava apples with a deliciously tart flavor. Hmm I thought, If ever there was a pagan tradition that the church was trying to "reclaim" this is it. Stamp out the pagan revelry with a staunch fast but a blessing of the harvest as token.

It turns out, that Honey Spas (August 14th) marks the beginning of one of the strictest Orthodox Fasts, Apple Spas falls in the middle on the Feast Day of the Transfiguration Of Jesus Christ - the fast continues BUT on this day you can eat fish. The fast finally ends on Nut Spas - the Feast of The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary (In other words - on the day she supposedly died). In fact, the whole fast was in honor/preparation for her death. At least, it is considerably shorter than Lent which of course is a fast that is in Preparation/Honor of Christ's death and resurrection.

At the Lavra, we sat on the benches on the stone plaza outside of the upper caves. To the left, a long line of people formed, confessing their sins over a Bible to a Priest. Honey vendors lined the road leading to the smaller caves. People crowded about, eating honeycomb, asking for samples, and buying their Honey from what is considered the most holy of places. And there were bees. Swarms of bees around every vender, trying to reclaim the honey that they had worked so hard to make. Bees are such miraculous creatures. To think that God could have made them make not very much honey, so that there would have been only enough for their own needs, but instead a hive can produce so many times more than what they can eat so that we can not only eat the honey, but use the wax, and nibble their pollen and use the propillis to clean our teeth or whatever else it does. But I digress.
But I'm not quite sure what I digress from - My surprise at discovering the meaning of the Spas? The confusion that "Spas" - Salvation would be linked to harvest items - is there confusion - that salvation is from the honey the apples, and the nuts? Or is it a clear reference to Christ - Saviour and gifter of Honey, Apples, and Nuts?

Maybe these are discoveries for another time.

Not so bad to be Ukrainian

2009-08-13T23:17:00.001-07:00

Talking with a young guy we know, he told us of his plans to go to France to study for three years and hopefully longer. What does your mom say? I asked. - Oh - she is thrilled she is pushing me there. In Ukraine, there is no future.

While there are very definitely exceptions, the people who would not leave Ukraine for anything and see the country as a beautiful and productive country, the former opinion is shared by all too many. In fact, the population of Ukraine is shrinking dramaticly because of a desperate imbalance between births, deaths and emigrants.

When we talk to people, often the first two questions people ask us is - Is it better where you are from, and then, with a grimace - have you managed to adjust to all of this in Ukraine. We always answer them that we have adjusted fine, that Ukraine is our home.

Apparently we are not the only ones who have managed to find a bright side even amidst the the grimy backdrop of Ukrainian problems. A recent article in the Moscow Times said that their are 8 reasons why Russians might actually prefer Ukrainian Citizenship. Among the reason listed are low crime, freedom of religion, and more humane military system. While certainly not definitive, or even representative of most Russians (and you'll also find a goodly number of articles about why Ukrainians want to be Russian) the article is interesting for the fact that it does show a definite leaning towards democratic ideals and principles. In fact, one of the reasons that we are selves are here in Ukraine is exactly for the many freedoms that we can enjoy without having a political guard dog growl at our every move. Truly, the main problems Ukraine faces are centered around a lack of transparency and functioning rule of law. But I believe, that as Ukraine grows in maturity, as western projects continue to bear fruit, that slowly but surely Ukraine can transform into a fully functioning society with a future. It isn't, after all so bad to be Ukrainian.

Not much

2009-08-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

Not much going on at the moment - have been doing another intensive Russian class and became a bit deflated when I learned that the military ranking of Russian language is a 7 and Croatian is a three. certainly robs me of a big honking piece of hope that I might ever sound intelligible or intelligent. Blah. On the bright side, I DO understand more than ever, though this is debatable as well because sometimes Alister understands something totally different and it can be several days before we learn who is actually right over the course of events. The problem is he studied more, but sometimes I catch more things, but how to judiciate between two stubborn people who both heard two entirely different things? Of course, there are also the times when I completely misunderstand as well- so that doesn't help much.

The weather has been cooler recently - which is nice on the one had since the apartment does get incredibly hot in warm weather - but on the other hand we have no hot water (standard practice to turn it off for two weeks during the summer to clean out the hot water pipes) and so you just can't warm up. So I've caught a bit of a cold.

Haggai has successfully mastered sitting and shaking on command - but he'll only do it when he knows you have a treat for him. He is also getting craftier and it is getting harder and harder to evict him from the bedroom before we go to sleep. We just hope that our ingenuity continues to increase at the same rate as his.

Differing Histories

2009-07-29T04:11:00.000-07:00

Outside of our window, we can see fireworks almost every weekend. Fireworks are freely available here all year long and people buy them for weddings, birthdays, and other miscellaneous celebrations. Last night, during our firework display, our conversation turned to purchasing fireworks.
At least, when we have kids, I said, we should buy fireworks on the 4th of July.
The 4th of November, Alister said.
Why then?
Guy Fawkes Day, he said.
Sure we can have fireworks then too, I said.
No, just then, he said.
It would be part of the children's history, I answered.
Its a tragic history. There are countries begging to be part of the commonwealth who were never under British Rule. Besides, its ridiculous to buy fireworks on a day that celebrates your rebellion, he said, with just that tone of voice that implied America's independence to be a personal affront.
And what does being part of the common wealth give you? I asked.
Prestige, he said solemnly.
That's no good, I said. Without the revolution we never would have met.
There would have been even more of a chance of our meeting, he countered. I would have been an overseer in the colonies and you would have come to me to get something signed or ask for patronage.

The conversation ended here because I couldn't manage a cohesive sentence through my laughter.

'dem Apples

2009-07-27T03:44:00.000-07:00

We went out to the Dacha this Saturday for the first time in forever. We were greeted by forest of ragweed and thistles as tall as our heads. (Alister is my witness that I am NOT exaggerating). I quickly located our neighbor's (AKA guy we are buying the property from) scythe and got to work clearing a path to the door and to all my trees and plants.
Sadly, my rhubarb, which I had labored so long over and saved from the evil mouse is missing. It was there in April - and I was ecstatic as I thought it had died in the winter. It had 5 healthy leaves and was safely surrounded by bricks to mark it as special. No rhubarb. No bricks. Very odd.
Another oddity is that there are no apples. None. Alright, out of the 3 healthy apple trees on our property, I can count the total number of apples on both of my hands. Natasha, a neighbor who also goes to our church said this is normal. In Ukraine you harvest every other year. Last year there was a bumper crop and this year nothing.
I wonder if I missed some lesson in agricultural absorption as a child growing up on the farm. i remember fruit, apricots, apples, and cherries coming every summer. We never harvested a lot - except form the apple sauce tree in our yard - but we always harvested.
Is this an oddity of Ukraine vs America? My explanation of the lack of apples would be that something happened while the apples were in blossom - I.E. strong rain or frost, But Natasha says that Apples come every other year.
This isn't the only "fruit cycle" in Ukraine. Huckleberries are apparently every three years. Last year was a bumper for them too. If I had known that they wouldn't be as plentiful this year I would have conserved my freezer stash through till this December at least - But before we went stateside I made it a point to use things up to make way for the new harvest. I'm guessing that the walnuts might be cyclical too because our tree also seems to lack a single nut.

I'm finding my knowledge about farming slightly defective.
Among the list of things I wish I knew more about is pruning. I know there are ways to prune to make trees more productive - but how is that exactly - and when do you do it. I did internet searches - but somethings are just better to know from people.
Also - how can I keep misletoe from killing my apple trees? Which is worse - letting the misletoe stay or severely pruning? How densely can trees productively coexist?

Raspberry Goo

2009-07-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

But oh what tasty goo it is.

Raspberry season - so I bought up 2 kilos to make jam. We don't really eat jam - in fact I don't particularly like raspberries - but we missed strawberry season since we were in the States and raspberry jam is a nice thing for lots of different recipes.

I didn't have pectin - and though a friend gave me bag from her stock - I wanted to see what I could do without it. i ruled out Freezer jam because, well, my freezer space is precious and I certainly won't put something in it that we aren't very likely to use up in a hurry. I found this recipe on a blog and Alister sent me this Ukrainian version.

I guesstimated to merge the recipes. A food preservation site said the no-pectin jam should reach a temp of 220F - I figured I might have some problems when no matter how long it boiled - it wouldn't go past 210. I decided to take it off and put it in jars anyway. They sealed (Hurrah!) But they didn't jell. Still, I have a lovely, thick syrup that tastes fabulous. Am making biscuits in the morning to give it a thorough taste test.

10 essentials, quarters, a boat, and machete

2009-07-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

Our summer trip and it was our summer vacation and I put Alister in charge. Sure, I knew about the Pacific Northwest - but I had no idea about backpacking. My one introduction was 2 day trek on our honeymoon and Alister had orchestrated that, which left my knowledge at nill. I did just enough "research" to tentatively tell Alister that his original plan to hike the in Cascades probably wouldn't work.

"There is probably snow there in early June". My work completed I threw out the suggestion of Lake Chelan or somewhere in Oregon.

Three days before our scheduled 9-day hike, Alister had a loop trail routed out through the peaks of the Blue Mountains. While Mt. Misery didn't exactly sound like a good vacation destination, I was happy to have a plan and as long as we were stocked with food – I was more than willing to go wherever Alister pointed.
Two days before our hike – storm clouds began to gather. Friends warned us of a late spring – there might still be snow in them there hills. While this might not trouble some hikers, we had no snow gear and Alister had forgotten his hiking boots in Kiev. Also, we were going to be driving the black beast of a Chrysler, which might not be able to make it up mountain roads to the trailhead if there was still snow.

One day before our hike – we finally get to talk to the forest service and pick up a map of the Wenaha-Tucanon wilderness. The Forrest service told us that most of the trails weren’t open “You can hike them, there might be some logs you have to climb over though.” (HUGE understatement) As for snow – they couldn’t precisely say but believed there to be snow at over 4,500 ft. Most of our projected hike covered ridges above this altitude. We spent the rest of the day trying to figure out a new 9-day trail. We settled on a route- albeit subpar as over half of it was on mountain roads rather than trails.

D-Day – we didn’t make it out on the trail we were still packing and I contracted a migraine.

D-Day (for real)- We make the drive to Troy, Oregon, the lowest elevation trailhead we could find so we knew for sure that the roads would be clear and the car would make it. We started off the trip right with a big burger and fries at Boggan’s Oasis our last civilized meal for the next 9-days. In Troy, there was no sign of snow. None of the natives seemed to know anything about snow (though they did warn us about rattlesnakes). We decide to change our route again and go over some of the peaks as we originally planned. Having forgotten our essential roll of quarters - we make a credit card call to my parents to let them know of the change (the “slightly” more expensive cost of using this service ended up being $28 dollars more than if we had had quarters) We then hop in the car again and head to the HooDoo trailhead and hike the steep, 3.5 mile descent to the Wenaha river. The river was wide. The river was deep. The river was swift. We saw the trail on the other side – but there was no way to get to it. Obviously we forgot that among the 10 essentials, we should have stowed our rubber raft.
Too late to do anything else, we camp on a minute patch of ground by the river and try to sleep amid visions of bears and cougars fishing in the river by moonlight.

Day 2 of our hike. We retrace our steps climbing up the 3.5 mile ascent to the car. Our only comfort is knowing that the bags are 2 cliff bars and 3 cups of Corn chowder lighter. Back in Troy – we realize that we are desperately low on Gas and even if we make it back to our car at the end of the hike – we have little chance of making it to a gas station. We commiserate with the Garbage man and the property managers and work out for gas to be held for our arrival- “a week from today.” And off we start at the heat of the day on a 6.4 mile trek to our next campsite at the Crooked Creek Trail head.

We were beat. The sun on the canyon walls beat down on us mercilessly. Our packs filled with food, water, and everything else bore us down. Neither of us thought we would ever see the end of the trail. Including 3 rests – that hike took us more than 6 hours.

Day 3- we decide to leave a stash of food at the campsite since we will be passing through on our way back to the car. We try to leave the heavy stuff, and maybe it did make a difference. A late, lazy start – but our hips are killing us and after yesterday we just weren’t gung-ho to start.

The problem with hiking is that you never quite know how far you have traveled or how far you have to go to get to your destination. You hope to make it to your destination – but you never know the quality of the trail or the weather or how fast you really will be able to go. Our 3rd campsite ended up being less than 1 mile from our goal. Still it was a good campsite and already 7:30 pm – so we didn’t want to push our luck when we didn’t know how far away we were.

Our hike taught us the importance of reading maps. Our trail took us over lots of streams and creeks. When I say over – I actually mean through because there were no bridges, rocks or limbs spanning the water. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Alister forgot his hiking boots – we never would have brought my Chaco sandals on the trip as a back-up shoe for him. If we hadn’t brought the sandals – we never would have done as well as we did. Needless to say each crossing was an ordeal of taking off our shoes and socks, rolling up our pants, Alister crossing the river and throwing the sandals back over to me so that I could cross as well. Then we had to dry off, put our shoes back on, shoulder our packs, and start off again – only to repeat the process in a mile or two.

Our third day was also slowed by the fact that we saw a rattlesnake at the start of our hike. Rather I saw a rattlesnake. Even though it was curled up almost in the middle of the path, Alister somehow did not see the snake and managed to step over it and not get bitten. I, however, freaked out. The snake did not want to move. I did not want to squeeze past it. While Alister eventually managed to shoo it out of the way with a long stick, it made me super cautious the rest of the hike and I had to push away every bit of underbrush before I would go forward. Since the trail weren’t open, there was a lot of underbrush. As we had forgotten our essential machete – this left us to beat our way through with a stick. This method was so in effective in clearing a trail that we actually lost the trail on the return journey and couldn’t even make out where we had been before (which is why you need the essential compass . . ..) My vigilance was rewarded in that I discovered another snake at the end of our journey – also curled up in the center of the trail, but slightly more willing to slither out of our way. This one even rattled at us.

Day 4 – We camp at an elevation of 4,600 ft. Snow is present in drifts. Alister discovers lots of mushrooms which we think are snow bank brains. :-) We switch sleeping bags for t the night and alister finally believes me that my sleeping bag isn’t much warmer than a summer blanket. Again – we end up camping about 2 miles from our destination target.

Day 5 – Sunday. It rains and we spend the day in camp resting. We are a day behind in our route – but the difficulty of the terrain has really slowed us down. We decide to skip the loop trail and retrace our steps. Tomorrow we’ll leave our bags and do a day hike to the summit ridge at Indian Corral.

Day 6- It is still raining – but Alister thinks the day hike doable during a lull. Five minutes from camp, we come to a river crossing – AND it starts to rain again. I’m cold, wet, and miserable. We agree that I’ll stay in camp and Alister will do his day hike. I get to sleep and manage to start a fire (thanks to essential fire starters I made from paraffin and newspapers). Amazingly, Alister returns with more dry clothing than he started out with and he gets hot coffee, soup and a fire to boot – we are two happy campers – except that I get bit by a tick (and am now on antibiotics for lymes disease).

Day 7 and 8 – There are definite perks to retracing your steps. For example – we didn’t have to puzzle over how to cross the rivers – we already had our crossing strategies for each stream down. We also knew that there was an end in site. Plus, our packs were getting lighter by the day.

Day 9: remember that grueling 6.4 mile hike? With our new fit selves and our lightened packs we made the journey in 2 hours and 15 minutes!! Back on the Wenaha River trail – we saw our first people since we left troy 8 days before – all the rest of the hike had been in perfect solitude. The garbage man remembered us – though Alister had a face full of stubble and we had both lost some weight. Our first stop was Boggan’s Oasis – where we gobbled up a hamburger, fries, and a cherry milkshake – as well as filling up the car with the promised and gas they had set aside for us.

The trip was great – but definitely a learning experience.

2009 Summer Snapshots!

2009-07-04T04:50:00.000-07:00

Our summer adventures (out of country) have come to an end.
We traveled clear across the west, from Philadelphia, to St Louis and Kansas, to McMinnville by plane, took a greyhound to reach Walla Walla and then traveled all over Washington by car and even traversed 50-odd miles of Washington/Oregon by foot. No, the car (amazingly) didn't break down. Rather, Alister and I took 9 days to go backpacking in the Blue Mountains in the Wenaha-Tucanon Wilderness. We capped off our trip to the states with a week-long visit to Seattle to see my sister and her husband and their two adorable children.
With much thankfulness, we arrived back in Ukraine, (with changing visa laws - we weren't sure how it would work), were greeted by a very-glad-to-see-us-again cat and are now fighting jet lag and trying to get our lives back into a normal routine.

Just follow your nose

2009-05-26T08:28:00.000-07:00

Passed through Kansas city yesterday after leaving our Family Reunion in Kansas. Didn't plan on stopping but wanted to drive through the town just to see what it was like. Part way down Broadway - windows up, vent open, the car is filled with the most amazing aroma of coffee. Finally found a place to park and began walking up and down streets to find the source.
Finally discovered a huge white building - the roasting house for Folgers (did you know that they make Dunkin Donuts coffee?)
Unfortunately, since it was memorial day - nothing was open (in the whole city it seemed - but this was esp. tragic) we peered longingly through the windows and basked in the amazing smell of fresh roasted coffee. Coffee aside, Kansas City seemed a neat place.

Getting Old

2009-05-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

Finally finished packing for the trip at 12:30 am and cleaning house for the housesitter.
Woke up to get dressed and catch a taxi to the airport at 3:40 am. A good thing Alister's Alarm worked because mine (set for 3:30am- and yes the taxi had been waiting 5 minutes before we got down so we could have used the 10 minutes) - ended up being set for pm instead of AM. How accurate can you be at that time of morning with only 5 hours of sleep the night before and an action packed day full of preparations before departure?

Flight was great - we booked with KLM who coded the flight to Air France who apparently did a seat share with Ukrainian international. Amazing that the cheapest ticket was available with a company who we didn't even see the entire flight.

We flew to Paris. The flight was not full so Alister and I had a seat between us. Somehow - I can curl onto 1 or 2 seats like I used to. The short haul of luggage (50 lb, 48lb, 18lb, 12 lb, and whatever alister's weighed)- was exhausting - and I didn't even have to carry half of it! Nothing like the trip as a single woman from Osijek to Budapest - by train with 175 lbs of luggage that I lugged about the city by myself. (not recommended - Budapest has no elevators and lots of stairs). But somehow - this packing trip was much more exhausting then all of that. I don't know if it is having to worry about packing for another person - or just getting old.

Had a 4 hour layover in France. Terminal B isn't much to speak of, and wouldn't be a comfortable place to crash in - but Terminal E was luxurious - in fact a but TOO luxurious - The food court had 4 gourmet styled restaurants serving from a cafeteria style layout - a bottle of water cost 2.10 euro and the cheapest thing you could find to eat that was 150g. (a sandwich) cost 5.20 euro. One of the places sold Lebanese food and it was ridiculous what they wanted for a small potion of hummus (3.75) bread (1.75) and a roll of something the size of your pinky was being sold for 2 euro something. A Chinese portion of meat/veggie combo was 5.8 and then another 1.75 was asked for a portion of rice. Portions were not generous but adequate for 1. With no alternative - we got a sandwich and spent the rest of our meal watching the shocked reaction of the other patrons who wandered in - circling the place in disbelief over the prices. You could spot the Business people - they shook their heads at the prices and then filled up their plates with a decent meal anyway. We decided it must be the expense accounts.

Fell asleep in the lounge even after a coffee - woke up unable to feel my right side and with fuzziness engulfing me we stumbled to the gate - only to discover that Alister had not reset his clock so we were an hour early - better than an hour late.

Ever since personal entertainment centers have been installed on Aircraft - flying has become way more comfortable - but even without that i highly recommend AIR FRANCE - they give you a face mask, ear plugs, head phones, a yummy and generous meal - three passes through for beverages and then a "self-serve" invite for the back of the plane - and just excellent service. Fly Air France.

And while complementing France - Alister and I watched a comedy Envoyés très spéciaux on the plane. It was absolutely hilarious. LOL. Its about these journalists who are supposed to report on Iraq but get stuck in Paris - so they pretend they are in Iraq but are broadcasting from Paris. The plot thickens in the relationship between the two journalists - one who unknowingly slept with the other man's wife who then left him the day that he got sent to "Iraq" Clever, original, and just plain great - of especial note is the celebrity fundraising satire.

Busy

2009-05-08T10:29:00.000-07:00

It has been pretty crazy the last few weeks trying to take care of everything before leaving for the states (BTW - We're here! - more on that later)

As if things weren't hectic enough, we decided to follow up an invitation from a reformed church in Ivano Frankovsk (western Ukraine) and go visit and share about our church with them as well. The town was lovely and it was great to hear about their church and learn about the social activities the church and Pastor are involved in (HIV/ AIDS education and anti-prejudice campaigns.

No pictures at the moment but we got to go through the countryside as well - stopping at the Pysanky Museum (where I saw some of my teacher's eggs), trying local cheese, and going through the tourist markets where Yushenko (president Ukraine) shops (at least there was a picture of him at the restaurant). No wonder though - as all the souvenirs really come from western Ukraine and they are WAY cheaper (10-15 uah before bargaining) than in Kiev. Also - here - national costumes were not only in supply - but in abundance and there many differnt styles and patterns that in kiev you just don't see (in kieve its like a standard shirt - one pattern suites all) Not that we bought national costumes - but it was great to see the variety and innovation. We also learned that all these crafts were mostly instigated by the Hutsul people.

Also - I gleaned the most amazing recipe for pickled tomatoes. I know, you are wondering how pickled tomatoes can be amazing - well you have to trust me - once we get back to Ukraine (in tomato season) I will mix up a batch and see if I can duplicate the results and share it with you. (really I just didn't bring the recipe with me)

Easter^2

2009-04-21T17:21:00.000-07:00

Easter we planned to invite lots of people over - but it ended up that this year there weren't really many people who needed a place to go so it was Alister and I and our friend Jura.
Western Easter was Our Palm Sunday and I made Hot Cross Buns. Easter dinner cresendoed with my first ever Black Forest cake. I made only half the cake - but I think I could have gotten by with only making a quarter - the thing is so rich that a "normal" sized piece is a meal in and of itself.

Another Haggai walk

2009-04-21T14:56:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we tried to Haggai on a walk again. The poor thing was scared spitless. Wouldn't even come out of his bag. I think he enjoyes all the smells and the fresh air - just all the sounds were a bit too much. At one point he did try to venture out - but at that very moment a group of people went by on motor bikes and that was the end of that.

Ballet

2009-04-11T01:16:00.000-07:00

We went and saw a ballet the other day.
La Bayadere - or Bayaderka in Russian.
It was fabulous - I liked the servant - one of fakirs - the best. You can see his performance towards the middle end of this youtube clip- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlNEKBf1qsE

The ballet is about a young warrior who falls in love with an Indian temple dancer. Meanwhile the Temple priest is also in love with her - And at the same time one of the Lords is planning that the Young Warrior should marry his daughter. The father and daughter decide that the bayadere must die and the Bayadere chooses to die rather than betray her love to the young warrior and marry the priest. So you have plenty of intrigue. The clip below is of the daughter Gamzatti as she dances at her wedding.

The most interesting thing - reading up on it on Wikipedia is that this is considered one of Russia's most important ballet but because of Soviet times - it didn't "get out" of Russia until the 1960's and even then not all of it got out and parts of the music were lost and other parts modified because western dancers couldn't achieve the poses that the Russian dances could or the western stages weren't as large or spacious as the stage that the Ballet was originally written for. So this ballet has probably more interpretations than your average ballet.

Another interesting thing is that the last scene is sometimes left off. Instead of ending with the underworld revenge and temple collapse, it ends with a dream where The young man sees his dead beloved in the underworld and dances with her a last time. at 2.5 hours - (with pauses) it was a long ballet and so I imagine the original ending would make it very long and difficult for the dancers - they had quite a few jumps that they had to undertake in the score.

Easter is in the air

2009-04-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

Easter is coming. I realized it last week. Not because of big pink bunny rabbits decorating store windows (there aren't any), not because of pastel colored peeps lining the checkout isle (there aren't any) Not even because of a plethora of Easter baskets and Easter candy assulting the buyer entering a store (there aren't any). No, rather I know that Easter is coming because on the street people are selling green onions, a weird leafy vegetable I last wrote about here and radishes. Soon after I noticed the radishes, I also realized that more cake ladies had sprouted on street corners and the other day I saw a man running around with his hands full of woven baskets (but not with Easter bunnies- women will load them with ingredients for easter dinner and take them to the priest to bless on Easter Saturday or Sunday morning).

I decided that now would be the time to begin my quest to find and collect the plastic egg sleeves for decorating eggs. Because Pisanki is very difficult (and you can't eat the eggs) Easter eggs - in the form we know them are still all over the place here - but aside from using colors (very very bright strongs colors) they also have a very wide variety of interesting egg sleeves with traditional designs, paintings from fairy tales, as well as icons. I didn't buy the icons. Last year they sold out really quickly and buy the time I figured out that they might make fun and orignial gifts, they were all gone. So I am congratulating myself for being ahead of the game this year.

Sweet and Sour Chicken for a crowd

2009-03-21T05:32:00.000-07:00

A lot of people have been asking what and how I cook for 20 people when we have group and so I thought the easiest way to answer this once and for all would be to do a post.

Last night, I made sweet and sour chicken (thanks to Alister’s Aunt Violet who served it while we were in N.I and told me the recipe). This combination of things actually only fed 12 (but there was enough chicken left over for probably 2 more portions, plus we only had 3 girls and the guys will tend to keep eating until everything is gone if given the chance as long as everyone else has eaten) Everyone really liked the recipe so it is definitely one I will try again. Probably though – I could have done with another salad. (By the way - other yummy and chicken/ crock pot recipes are appreciated!)

Prices are rounded to the nearest hreevna to give a generous estimate

Item	Cost
3 whole chickens @ 18 uah/kilo	71	I put these in the slow cooker and cook them overnight. The next day I debone them and strain the broth, setting it aside or using it in whatever recipe I’m making at the time. The cat always likes this part because he gets lots and lots of bones
1 850ml can of pineapple chunks	9
350 gr of Peppers purchased and frozen during the summer when they were 10 uah/kilo	4	I make the sauce and then add it to the deboned and diced chicken from the night before. This recipe didn’t need much more cooking so basically I just turned the crock pot on low an hour before group to reheat the chicken thoroughly and make sure everything was hot.
1 cup of vinegar	1
2 onions 3 uah/kilo	1
¼ cup sugar 4 uah/kilo	1
1 tablespoon of Ginger and Vegetable bouillon	1
1 bottle of soy sauce	4
1 kilo of white rice	14
1 grated carrot @ 3.5/kilo	1
A few tablespoons of flour to thicken the sauce	1

1 head of cabbage for salad	3
3 carrots for salad	1
1 packet of mayo	4
1 tablesppon of dill	1
Juice of half a lemon	3
A couple of loaves of bread	10

Total cost of meal	130	= $16.50 at current exchange rate

I always try to buy veggies and things that are in season. The biggest cost is always the meat but so far prices on chicken have stayed stable. The exchange rate is also a big factor – this recipe would have cost $35 dollars if I had made it during the summer – but even at that rate each person would have been fed for less than $3

Lately people have been bringing cookies and stuff for tea and it seems we always have enough of everything.

Back in Kiev

2009-03-19T04:52:00.000-07:00

Well, we spent a couple of weeks in Northern Ireland and England before coming back home on St. Patricks Day - maybe we got the scheduling off - everyone seemed surprised that we would not be in the UK for St Patty's day - but given the riots that took place - not that sad to have missed it really.

We had a great trip - the weather was very spring like - in N.I. It fluctuated between sun one moment and snow or showers the next. Nottingham was covered in Daffodils - so it was a bit of a let down to come back to grey, freezing rain here in Kiev - but spring is just around the corner.

We're now busy getting back into the routine - piles of laundry - group on Friday, office and other misc activities.

On the way home from the airport we talked to the taxi driver about politics - he is thoroughly disgusted with the whole affair - thinks all the politicians should be tarred and feathered and has decided to turn off the news whenever it comes on. What point is there in listening to the news, after all, when there is nothing "new"?

Walking on egg shells

2009-02-23T00:40:00.000-08:00

It was inevitable I suppose - but sad all the same.
Haggai broke 5 of our favorite pysanky. Unfortunately the ugly thanksgiving genre Turkey that I couldn't bring myself to throw away survived - but all of our favorites were cracked or shattered.
It came at a rather bad time too as I was trying to make lots of eggs to take with us to England - and now I feel obligated to replace the patterns that we liked so as not to forget how to do them. This plan hasn't worked very well. The black floral designs I reproduced quickly - but they broke when in the blowing process. The 40 Apron patterns all turned out great - but not the same brilliant pattern. Pysanky are really alot like snow flakes.
Fortunately - none of the goose eggs were broken as that would have been really tragic.

Meanwhile, I gathered a group of people together Saturday and we went to a pysanky master class by Оксана Білоус. She lives close to me and is my supply distributor she also paints pysanky for Yushenko. Anyway, I thought that it would be a good time to try out what sort of toys and tools she has and decide if I want to invest more or not. My wish list of what to buy in America (where things are oddly cheaper) has added up and so my main waffle is to buy or not to buy the electric Kitsak. She makes and sells an electric set of 5 and it is cheaper than the states - at least with current exchange rates - and it is amazing what they do - I finally took the plunge and decided to try an Ivano Franko design which is vitrually impossible for all but the expert with a regular Kitsak. I suceeded - but still have a long way to go. This design took me at least 2 hours!!

oops and Misc.

2009-02-18T23:52:00.000-08:00

For those of you with Blog readers or who daily visit my blog - apologies for the post in Russian. I was posting to the Bible in 47 weeks blog that we are doing with my church - but was in a hurry and Blogger apparently changes the order of which of your blogs are on top in dashboard based on last usage. I would prefer they just keep them alphabetically, but oh well.
Sorry for the confusion.

From our window we can see snow. It has been snowing the last 3 days after a relatively warm week from before. Alister and I are headed to the UK end of next week so am trying to get things together for that.

For Valentines day Alister took me to see Cyrano de Bergerac - it was a modern rendering - or at least a modern set. Gotta say - I may be doing ok with day-to-day Russian - but literary is definitely something else. Thank goodness that I already knew the story and that, well, acting is acting - even on a modern set.

(re)Discovering root vegetables

2009-02-13T07:35:00.000-08:00

Winter is the dreariest time to go shopping for vegetables in Ukraine. While there are supermarkets - most of the fresh veggies look sad - not to mention the fact that they are expensive. Frozen veggies were an option - but with the crisis they seem to be one of the many products that were deemed "unprofitable" and taken off the shelves - OR - the price was raised so high that I won't touch them (400 grams of frozen peas for 22 uah!!! -only when I really want chinese noodle casserole . . .)

The vegetables that are available year around are as follows:
Cabbage: starting out a brilliant pale green - as winter wears on the heads progressively become whiter and whiter. We saw them in the cellar in the village where our hut is - they harvest them, put them in the cellar and then when they are ready to eat/ sell them they take them out and peal away layers of blackened leaves. Thankfully - in the market and I don't have to think about the blackend leaves.
Beets: As mentioned in other posts - they are actually tasty - but you have to think ahead if you want it in salad as you have to boil it - let it cool, peel it, and then prepare it.
Carrots: Definately the cheapest option - I am discovering that carrots don't just have to be carrot sticks. Last week I baked them with parsnips, rosemary and potatoes.
Parsnips: A new one for me - and not to be confused with the parsley root or the diakon raddishes. They really add a some tasty variety and are great boiled up/baked with the carrots. I don't really know about their nutritional value - but I personally rate it higher than the cabbage for appeal. Here, they grate them up and add them to salad or soup. (Which is also what they use the parsely root for - anyone know if you can eat paresly root as a side dish on its own?)