Urban Chicken Coop

As we were delivering baskets, we parked next to this "farm". I've seen some chicken coops in my time, but never in the middle of such a dense population. I'm sure the neighbors love it.

Baskets of Blessings

Together with some friends we delivered food baskets to some less fortunate. This is some of the prep work before we delivered them. It never ceases to amaze me how those who live with less are big on hospitality. Every home we visited offered us tea, sweets, and conversation we barely understood. We were definitely blessed.

Official Christmas Picture

One of the malls in town has a life-size snow globe you can walk into and take a picture. Here are the kids in a Santa snow globe! The mall also has a life-size hot air balloon in the atrium, and there are Santas in it, so Mike and I have our official Christmas photo by the hot air balloon Santas.

70's country music...it's baaaaack

Today I was at a large grocery chain, and I couldn't believe my ears. They were playing Kenny Rogers & Dottie West. I immediately had flashbacks to my mom's 8-track player and my sister and me singing all the songs. That was one of my favorite 8-tracks! (Hey Wont' You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song, Let It Be Me, 'Til I Can Make It On My Own, You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling. I was lingering in the store because I was enjoying the music! I must really be experiencing culture shock to be hanging on to every song just hoping and praying it's another Kenny Rogers & Dottie West duet. The first song I heard playing in the store was She Believes in Me. The next song they played was Coward of the County. I seriously slowed my pace so I could hear the whole song. The CD switched gears from Kenny Rogers and went to Just Call Me Angel of the Morning, Angel. Another country oldie. The song Feelings followed that one. When Willie Nelson came on next, I was in the check out lane. I guess it was a Sunshine Country Hits of the 70's CD. The scary part is after I left the store I was craving more country oldies. I may go to itunes and download Kenny Rogers and Dottie West. Mike's gonna love that. Maybe I'll surprise him and have candlelight dinner with Kenny/Dottie serenading us. I'll even feather my hair.

Why in the world would country hits from the 70's even be remotely popular here???

I'm Five Years Old!

Yesterday Lisa and I were getting ready to leave, so I told Emma to get her shoes on because we were going shopping at the open-air market. She said she did not want to go right now. I told her we needed to go now because Daddy had to go to language class after we shopped.

Still not quite ready, she told me, "I can stay here." I reminded her, "Emma, no one will be here with you. You need to go with us." Still not wanting to leave, Lisa asked her to get ready and she promptly told Lisa she did not want to leave yet either. When Lisa told her she need to go with us, she blurted out as only Emma can, "But Mom, I'm 5 years old now!" The exchange mad me laugh and also got me thinking about what else we should allow: staying home, keys to the car, checking account and ATM card, American Express card, etc?

So, we are now taking suggestions from YOU on what else she should be able to do now that she is 5 years old!!

Kids' Feet

Note to self: If kids get their shoes muddy and you have to scrub them clean and you want them to dry out before the morning... if you place the shoes on the radiator to dry, the room will begin to smell like kids' feet.

Birthday Princess

Emma got a new dress for her birthday. It's actually handmade, and I paid $25 for it. It's her "princess dress" and she wants to wear it every day. So here she is in front of our Christmas tree (with the lovely fish tank in the background) as the birthday princess.

Tuna Plus

I bought a can of tuna at the store, and when I opened it up to my surprise it had some extras in it. I spied with my little eyes a bay leaf, some sliced black olives, and little round green things (I think they're peas, but I was afraid to try). The tuna actually had a pretty good flavor, but I doused the extra flavor w/ mayo, mustard, pickles, and hard-boiled eggs. This isn't the only canned food I've opened that has given extras. Green beans always have a whole tomato in the can. So it's always fun to open a can and see the extras.

"hip" musical chairs

Emma had a birthday party at her preschool. We had American chocolate cupcakes with chocolate icing (which were a hit), and then the kids played a few games. They played hot potato, which Emma won hands down (with quite a bit of help from the teacher). During hot potato, they played some contemporary music from this country. Then, the kids played musical chairs.

My baby played musical chairs to Hips Don't Lie. At first I thought it was a national song, but when I heard the English and the phrase "hips don't lie" I thought uh-uhhh. The basic rules for musical chairs is to dance like crazy and when the music stops get a chair. All to the tune of Hips Don't Lie. I have a short video segment to prove it. I had to make it short so that the lyrics did not make my blog offensive.

So here you go...a bunch of 4 and 5 year olds playing musical chairs to Hips Don't Lie. America exports some crazy stuff.


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"May your exercise come easily, aunt!"

There's a nice little park fairly close to our house, and I went there with Abby and Annie this morning. It has a walking track (I'm guessing 16 laps would be a mile) and some weather-resistant exercise equipment. The exercise equipment has no resistance on it, but you'll find them in most parks in this city. I'll take some pictures sometime because it's quite interesting. There's also some playground equipment and a basketball court on the inside of the walking track, so I can keep a good eye on the kids if they're with me.

The playgrounds here have equipment that's been outlawed in the states. Remember the "wheel of death" on our childhood playgrounds that was later outlawed? We'd spin til we were sick and then we'd keep spinning. They have that at this park, so the girls played on it most of the time. How can they do that and not get sick???

As the girls were spinning, I was walking/jogging around the track. There were 2 boys on the swings. Everytime I passed the swings, they would sing songs loudly to be silly and to get my attention. The fourth time I passed them, one yelled, "May it come easily, Aunt!" (referring to my exercise). I loved it! I spoke to them, and then every time I passed they would try the few English words they knew. The next lap was "hello." The next lap was the Happy Birthday song. They were cute boys.

I love how in this culture I am addressed as "aunt" or "big sister". Children on the street will call me "aunt". When I go to the bazaar and a vendor wants to get my attention, he'll yell, "big sister". I think it's an endearing quality of the culture.

Beauty Lice

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Last night Abby complained that her scalp itched. My first thought was LICE. I searched her hair and saw nothing, so I figured it was dandruff. I was going to douse her hair with vinegar next time we washed it, and that would give her some relief from dandruff. However, this morning she complained again about the itchy scalp and wanted to do the vinegar treatment before she went to school. As I looked through her hair with more thoroughness (Annie's song inspired me), I noticed a few lice nits in that silky blonde hair. Since the pharmacies don't open until mid-morning, I decided to apply the homemade lice treatment. Based on advice from EXPERTS on the internet , here's what I did: 1) doused her dry hair with a ton of mayonaise 2) wrapped her hair about 10 times with saran wrap 3) let it soak for about 5 hours 4) rinsed it out in the tub with 2 applications of dishwashing detergent and 1 application of regular shampoo 5) combed through to remove nits (I found about 10) 6) blew her hair dry on the hottest setting 7) ran my curling iron through every strand of hair

Abby was in a great mood during all the treatments. She explained on video about her new beauty treatment. I'll have to admit, her hair has a new silky sheen to it. Hopefully all the nits are gone and no one else will be infested.

I've done all the laundry and disinfected all the rooms of the house. One load of laundry in the washing machine takes about 1 1/2 - 2 hours to complete. Plus, the capacity of the washing machine is not very big. So it has been a long process of washing clothes, with many more to do!

Our first experience with lice was about 3 1/2 years ago in the states. Emma was a toddler, and when I gave her a bath I noticed bugs crawling in her hair. I honestly thought they were ants feasting on applesauce or other sticky stuff in her hair. However, these were not your normal ants, so I called a friend who worked in the public school system, and she came over and verified that we were dealing with lice. That was 9:00 p.m.

Being a first-time-dealing-with-lice mom, I was grossed out. I went into psycho-cleaning mode. I was overwhelmed at the cleaning task ahead, and it was getting late into the evening. Two teenage girls, Amy and Dana, came to my house and helped me disinfect everything. Anytime people say teenagers are lazy, good-for-nothings, I gladly tell about the two teens who fervently worked into the wee hours helping dininfect my lice-ridden house! My neighbor/friend Libby came over and worked through my hair with a nit comb while we watched David Letterman. I rather enjoyed the combing experience because I thought it felt great. I bought every pesticide known to man, and I must've spent $75 in medical shampoos, aerosal sprays, etc.

When today's news of lice hit, it really didn't stress me out. This time around I'm trying the mayonaise treatment. By doing so, I'll save money and time. I'll let you know if it gets all those varmits!

Thoroughness, Dependability, and Determination

The kids are learning songs about different character traits at school. Annie gets the songs stuck in her head and sings them at home. I recorded her singing the songs about thoroughness, dependability, and determination. Be inspired!



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No more plastic

When we first moved here, we had to buy almost everything to furnish a home. It was amazing how quickly the money went, and by the time it came to buy dishes our budget would only allow plastic. We bought some blue and yellow plastic dishes, and they've been quite handy. However, in this culture serving a guest on plastic would be insulting. We borrowed some white dishes from a friend so we could serve guests, eventually hoping to get some nice dishes.


Well, that day finally came! A group of friends from the states pitched in and sent us money to buy some dishes! We are so incredibly blessed! I went shopping with a friend and found a really nice set of china that can withstand limitless trips to the dishwasher. Also, these dishes are made in this country, so when one breaks, I can easily get it replaced.


I posted this blog to show off my new dishes. Thanks to all those friends who pitched in so we can serve ourselves and our guests on something other than plastic! And a big thanks to Tiffany who walked the narrow streets and crowded shops to get me the best deal on china!

ambiance

I recently went to this quaint little restaurant on the second floor of a building in the oldest part of town. After walking the cobblestone streets, a friend and I picked this one little cafe. We had to walk up a rickety metal spiral staircase to get to the floor with the cafe. The cafe was heated with coal, and our table was right beside the coal-burning stove. We had a beautiful view of the city, and the ambiance of the music, antique chairs, and traditional furniture made this an all-around awesome experience. There was a lady in the corner rolling out fresh dough for the meals. This was a mom-n-pop place, and it's the best national food I've had since we've been here. They served us an appetizer "on the house", and it was rice/spices wrapped in grape leaves. They were the best I've had! I can't wait to go back!

Chestnuts Roasting on Open Fire

I've sung the song all my life, and I finally got to taste a chestnut that had been roasting on a open fire. In case you're wondering what they taste like, check out the picture below of the reaction of our girls and some friends after they tasted the roasted chestnut.

Roasted chestnuts are sold on the street corners this time of year. I will try to describe the taste: warm sawdust held together by sesame paste. Mike just saw that description, and he said, "I don't know if it was that good!"

Sometimes it's just better to live in ignorance. So as you sing The Christmas Song about the chestnuts, Jack Frost, and yuletide carols, imagine that chestnuts roasting on an open fire are a wonderful delicacy. You'll never know what you're missing.

What's Your Story?

What a difference a year makes! One year ago today, I woke up unemployed. December 3rd was the last day at my last job. It was the hardest decision we have ever made. We knew, even if only a tiny fraction of the reality, how this decision would change our lives forever. We knew it would also make life different for family and friends. It is wild to think of all that has transpired since. We have seen spiritual, financial, emotional, relational and physical mountains MOVED!! We have been on a family roller coaster as we have all said goodbyes, hellos and tried to learn a new language and culture. Yes, we are still on it! At times, it feels like we are headed ssslllooowwwllllyyyyy up the hill; at other times, we feel like it is 120 mph downhill...and picking up speed!

Through it all, we have learned much. I do not have time to write it all, nor do you have time to read it. Let me summarize it in one simple verse from 1 Thes. 5:24, "Faithful is He who calls you, and He will bring it to pass." That's my story...and I'm sticking to it! So, what's your story?

Birthday Kisses

At Emma's preschool one of her classmates had a birthday. This was our first time to experience a birthday party at preschool, and I was excited that the teacher welcomed me to come. We had the cake, cookies, and juice boxes. Then, they played several versions of musical chairs. Lastly they made a special chair for the birthday child. One at a time, each student was called to give the birthday boy the heart that he/she colored and each child said, "Happy Birthday"(see above picture). After he received the heart, the child kissed the birthday boy on the cheek. Then, the birthday boy gave his friend a goody bag and the child responded with "Thank you." Next. Same scenario. Next. They all knew the drill. Emma was dreading it. She whispered to me, "I don't want to kiss him." The time was quickly drawing near for the teacher to call Emma's name.

Emma was the very last one to be called. I had been coaching her on what to do. I agreed to walk to the birthday boy with her...all eyes on us. We got up there, and Emma refused to kiss the birthday boy. She handed him her heart, but she was not going to kiss him. And Emma can stand her ground. He was stunned. Every other child in class had kissed his sweet little face. He even knew how to turn his cheek to help out each little friend. He had his precious cheek turned for her, but no smackeroo. I leaned down and kissed his face and told him Happy Birthday. He handed Emma a present, and she was still in her mode, and she was too shy to say thank you. I told him thank you. Above is a picture of Emma and the birthday boy she refused to kiss. Below is an interview with Emma about the episode.

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Final Thanksgiving Act

The last thing we did on Thanksgiving was watch NFL football! At the Wii house, there's also a satellite tv that has a Fox Sports channel. We watched the Lion/Packers play football. It felt like an all-American Thanksgiving. This is a picture of David and a friend enjoying the football game.

Wii boxed after the meal

After we had desserts, we broke out the Wii. It's an interactive video gaming system that allows the player to control the moves with his/her body. We started a round of boxing, and this little petite friend from South Carolina who's not aggressive at all said she'd be willing to box someone. Knowing she'd be such an easy target, I volunteered to get in the ring with her. Well, after the match she confessed to me that she has a kick-boxing DVD. She conveniently left out those details before I Wii-ed her in boxing. We had a group of wild Americans cheering us on, and all were impressed at how the 'lil South Carolinan whipped up on me. I got a knock-out punch in the third round. Here's a picture of us boxing with Wii. As you can tell, I'm dodging a punch and her right hook was so fast she's just a BLUR in the picture. I know never to mess with this gal again. I will always stay on her good side.

Thanksgiving Meal

For our first Thanksgiving overseas, we celebrated with 27 other American folks. Because of the numbers, we split into two groups for the main meal and then all gathered for dessert. Though we're very much aware of our foreign status here, it felt a lot like home at the dinner table. Some items on our table were purchased in our country: turkey, bread dressing, cornbread dressing (though the cornmeal was from America), corn, strawberry pretzel salad, mashed potatoes, and homemade rolls (there are no other kind in this country). Other special items were brought to us by a friend from America who put them in her suitcase and delivered them to our home. These items included ham, cranberry sauce, ingredients for green bean casserole, and ingredients for sweet potato casserole. The meal was fantastic, and we did the all-American over-eating. After the meal was complete, the boys went outside to play football, the younger girls played dress up, and the older girls sang songs. The adults sat around on the couches and did impersonations, talked about how we ate too much, and wondered what was for dessert.

For our progressive Thanksgiving dinner, we went to another house and became a group of 33. We had American coffee, pecan pie (pecans brought in from US), pumpkin pie (not from a can), Derby pie (the KY addition...without the bourbon), chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin candy corn (brought in from the US), apple cake, and cider on the stovetop. It was good to celebrate such food and special time with our overseas family.

Who's Luis?

Annie has a new favorite necklace. It's a silver charm of Luis.

Luis is Payton's old best friend from America. Now that she and Annie are buddies, Payton gave Annie the "Luis charm". So Annie wears the necklace of Payton's former best friend and loves it!

I crack up every time I see her wearing it.

Frogger wannabe

This is the froggy that didn't live up to Frogger who could cross the most perilous road. It's also the prized item my children found several weeks ago on the street and brought to the house. To my surprise, it was still on the balcony when I returned from the states. Abby was going to mail it to a friend in America, but we haven't gotten around to it yet. This froggy is flatter than a pancake, and the kids put it on a plastic plate since I got on them about touching it with their hands.

Turn Down the Air

I'm back to blogging after a long hiatus. However, I will have to say I have friends who have taken a 1 1/2 year hiatus from blogging, so just a few weeks isn't too bad! This past month, Mike and I have spent a total of 25 days in the states due to various family concerns. The time with family was invaluable, but it's very good to be back as a family and back into the groove of overseas living.

While in Kentucky one of my most precious memories is taking my mom for a ride in a convertible. I was borrowing my father-in-law's car, who is restricted from driving due to his recent heart surgery. It was mid-November in Kentucky, and we had unusually warm weather the day I visited with my mom. Since I didn't think I'd be taking the top down in mid-November, my father-in-law never gave me instructions on how to do it. But as it warmed up, I was sitting in the car reading the owner's manual on how to get the top down. After figuring out I had to do a maneuver in the trunk, I was good to go.

My mother is in the mid-stages of Alzheimer's Disease and is in an assisted living. The progress with Alzheimer's has taken its toll on her sweet mind and body, but she continues to be in good spirits most of the time. I felt a drive along the lake with the fall leaves in peak season was in order. So I got mom settled in the convertible and put in my Elvis Greatest Hits CD. We cruised to Hound Dog, Heartbreak Hotel, All Shook Up, Love Me Tender, and all the other timeless classics. My mom thoroughly enjoyed the music and the ride. We stopped by the lake and I got a picture of her. She looked really precious in the convertible.

On the way back it started to cool down a little, and I got a kick every time my mom asked me to turn down the air. I just stuck my hands in the air and told mom to look up. She'd laugh, and then she'd ask me to turn down the air 5 minutes later. We finally turned down the air when we pulled into the parking lot of her assisted living. I put the roof back on the car, and that fixed the air problem.

David: W's, L's and Life!

This past weekend finished up the fall soccer season for David. Playing every position but goalie, he had a great time with friends and a great coach who constantly encouraged and taught them (BTW - he is a colonel at the base where David plays. HUA, Uncle Jon!!). In the last 3 weeks, we saw David score a goal each game and get pretty animated! He saved his best for last as his goal on Saturday gave his team a 2-1 victory and preserved their undefeated season.

I hope this does not sound like parental bragging, but David has persevered through numerous horrible seasons. In every sport, he has played on teams that were on the other side of not winning a game all season. This is the first time to be on the "other side". But, much to my surprise, David gets it!!

When we were talking about the game and his winning goal, he said, "Yeah, but I'd rather be on a team that tries their hardest and loses all their games than on a team that wins all their games but doesn't really try." You see, David's team had a guy who is really good and scored quite often. David felt like his team depended on this guy to score and didn't give their best effort. His little heart felt for the other team who didn't win all season but tried their best every week, probably because he remembers exactly what it feels like to be on that kind of team.....this is my son, in whom I am well pleased.

The Sign

Last weekend, Lisa and I went out to a very nice restaurant to celebrate being together and our old Kentucky home finally selling! After eating at a great little restaurant, we walked around to take in some sights and sounds in a new part of town. At the end of the evening, as we were walking back, we passed by a lady who was closing up a small store. She was having trouble getting the door to close. She was slamming and pulling harder and harder. On the 4th or 5th slam, the sign above the door actually FELL off the building and hit her in the head. She was not very happy but thankfully was OK.

I knew it had been a few weeks since we had been on a date, but I don't remember seeing that before!! Maybe it was a "sign" that we should go out more often. (Rim shot please!!) If you have any strange date experiences, please email and we will post the winning story on our blog (with your permission). And, yes, we can change the names to protect the innocent!!

The Suitcase

With 5 anxious people waiting for me to walk through the door, I knew my first task would be unpacking a few gifts for each one. Lisa was smart enough to ask some kind family & friends to shop so I wouldn't have to while with my dad. My sister, Angie, was kind enough to shop for some groceries.

I, however, was NOT smart enough to put the grits in a plastic bag before putting it into my suitcase! Actually, it was 2 containers like the one in the picture (though not the Donald Duck brand). Upon opening the suitcase, I had a big surprise: grits were everywhere!!

Have you ever been to the beach and then kept finding sand for like 6 weeks AFTER you returned??? Well, the same principle applies with grits. ~~ On the positive side: a friend told me to be thankful they did not open my suitcase in any of the airports because my grits would have looked like a certain illegal substance and I might have missed alot more than a flight!

The Flight Home

Last Thursday as I flew out of New York City, I knew we were in for a long wait when we were served snacks and drinks BEFORE we left the ground. After about 2 hours, we finally were in the air. The only problem was the fact that I only had 1 hour to connect in Istanbul with my flight home. For you G'town alum: As Dr. Seay, aka "The Far Side" scientist-look-a-like, would remind us, "And the plot thickens!"

As feared, I missed the connecting flight and waited for 2 hours until the next flight finally brought me home. On the bright side - all my luggage made it safely and at the same time. BTW - If someone would like to do some research, I am curious if JFK Airport has the worst record for on-time flights. If there is an airport worse than JFK, please tell me so I can avoid it at all costs!!

Annie learned to braid

The fun thing about having girls is doing fun stuff with their hair. The scary part is when they're old enough to do fun stuff to your hair.

You scavenger!

She really did spend the first 7 years of her life in Kentucky.

Twitches II

Here's a picture of the beloved kitty. In Emma's words, "This is our cat, but it doesn't live in our house, but we get to play with it on our balcony." So we "kind of" have a cat. The girls stuff it in their jackets and bring it up to the apartment. It mostly stays on the balcony with an occasional visit to the kitchen. The picture below was taken the day we discovered her. Annie sat in this position for over 2 hours letting the kitty sleep on her. It's amazing that her legs still function properly.

Twitches

Yesterday when we went to the van, an itty bitty black kitty ran out from under it as we approached. This is the smallest kitten we've seen here, so of course we had to follow it and try to hold it. The sweet little thing let us hold it, but since we were in a hurry we were not able to play with it long. When we got home, Annie begged to find and play with the kitten.

She easily found the kitten and played with it for four hours. For most of the time, Annie just sat there and let the kitten sleep on her. I was surprised at how content Annie was to sit for hours just holding this kitten. At one point I was concerned for the circulation to her legs becasue she was sitting in a kneeling position for a very long time, but Annie didn't want to move because she didn't want to disturb the kitten. When the kitten was awake, another stray cat hissed at it (either jealousy or to show who's boss). Annie got the big cat to scat. She played with the kitten's ears, and they twitched when she touched them, so she named the kitten Twitches. The girls made 2 runs to the kitchen to give the kitty warm milk. Also, there were some boys walking by who made fun of the kitten. Most nationals view strays as a nuisance, so they are treated unkindly. When Annie finally came in, she asked if the kitten could spend the night in our house, and I had to tell her no (Mike has horrible allergies). But I assured her she could play with the kitten whenever she saw it outside.

This morning we headed out fairly early, and the kitten let us play with it again. We could not stay and play, but I told the girls they could play with the kitten for most of the afternoon. So all morning while we were out they were dreaming of playing with this kitten.

Today is a cold and rainy fall day. It's a horrible day to play outside on the street. Since I promised the girls they could play with the kitten, I told them they could bring the kitten to our balcony and play if they promised to keep the kitten on our balcony. They enthusiastically promised. While I prepared lunch they got the balcony ready. They made a box with a bath towel in it for a place to rest. They prepared a milk bowl and a food bowl. They ate their lunch as fast as they could and headed on the quest for Twitches.

The girls went down in the cold, drizzly rain to find Twitches. They saw the kitten, and it ran under a car. As they approached the car, the kitten climbed to a place they couldn't reach. They tried to coerce the kitten, but to no avail. After 10 minutes I had them come inside because the rain was coming down harder. Since that time, they have made 4 trips to the street in search of the kitten. Each time they return downcast because they can't find Twitches.

If Twitches knew what awaited her on our balcony, I'm confident she'd seek out the girls. But for now the girls seek her out. The girls have prepared a place with hopes that they'll get to bring her up to our balcony one day. They have love and concern for the kitten, but because of how the kitten's been treated by other humans, she has an unhealthy fear of the girls. Our girls long to feed the kitten, and we bought the finest kitten food on the market waiting for her. Tonight I suppose she'll dine on the scraps in the garbage because it's all she knows.

As you can imagine, there are a lot of applications you can make with this story of the stray kitten. Hopefully we will win the trust of Twitches so we can love and care for her in some small way.

Splish Splash!!!!

After finishing language school yesterday afternoon, I needed to walk to an office to pick up some papers. After almost an hour of asking people where this office was, I finally realized I needed to cross the street and catch the bus to another neighborhood. (Cultural Lesson of the Day: everyone WILL give you directions even if they have no earthly idea where you are going. This is part of the local charm and hospitality!)

As I attempted to cross, I waited on the lines in the middle of the street. While waiting for traffic to clear, 3 cars passed by and promptly drenched me from the stomach down!! I felt like I was in the middle of a cartoon or a movie scene. (Can anyone remember any good movie scenes?? Help me out if you do!) It was actually funny to me, though a little cold as it was windy and rainy. After crossing, I noticed people crossing to the other side where I had just come from...and they were getting splashed on the back side!! As they say, don't feel too bad because someone else always has it worse than you. BTW - I did find the office and get the papers I needed, so it was worth every last drop of water I brought home with me.

Toaster Pastry recipe

Due to popular demand, I am now posting the recipe for the toaster pastries. It takes about 2 hours to make, so know it's a fairly lengthy process. However, kids really enjoy helping. They're not as good as the original Kellogg's, but it's the next best thing when you live overseas!

TOASTER PASTRIES

Pastry:
8 T. unsalted butter
1 c. sugar
1 lg. egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar (optional)(I didn’t put this in ‘cause I don’t have it, and it was fine)
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ c. milk

Fruit Filling:
1 ¼ c. jam
¼ c. flour

Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Filling:
6 T. soft butter
3 T. flour
¾ c. light brown sugar
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt

Frosting:
2 ½ T. water or milk
1 ¼ c. powdered sugar
Colored sprinkles for decoration


Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add egg and vanilla and beat well.
Blend flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in small bowl. Alternately add flour mixture and the milk to butter mixture, beating the dough until it’s well blended. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for several hours, or overnight. (Mine chilled for 10 min…didn’t have time)
Before removing from refrigerator, prepare fillings. Mix jam and flour together. Mix all brown sugar ingredients until smooth.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Divide dough into quarters. Roll out each piece separately on lightly floured work surface. 12-8 inch rectangle, 1/16 inch thick. Cut into 8 3x4 inch pieces.
Place on lightly greased baking sheet. With a pastry brush or your finger, lightly moisten the outside edge of each rectangle. Spread slightly more than 1 T. of filling onto each rectangle, leaving about a 1/8 inch border all the way around.
Place tops of top of bottoms. Seal each tart with fork dipped into flour. Prick top of each tart 10-12 times with toothpick.
Bake 18-20 minutes until lightly golden brown. Transfer to rack to cool
Frost and sprinkle.

Best eaten within a day or two of when they’re made.

Enjoy!

The BAN Has Been Lifted!

Yes, the time has come to lift the BAN! I am still in shock that I called for a ban to begin with, but we were overrun with generous family and friends sending Twizzlers. But, NO MORE!! The candy has been ocnsumed by happy mouths from all over the country. Thus, the time has come to restart the distribution to the greatest candy ever created. Remember, Twizzlers makes mouths happy! My happy mouth thanks you in advance!

Annie's bob

Here's Annie with one of her bestest buddies from school. From the picture on the left, I'm sure you can see why they get along so well. Annie has been asking for a week to get her hair cut just like her friend's hair. Today was the day, and Annie once again has bangs. They now have identical haircuts. She's got the pixie (or bob) goin' on.

Somerset All Star

Check out Abby in the 80's retro shirt! It's an infamous Somerset softball all-stars shirt I wore in the 5th grade. I found it at my mom's house years ago and took it. Little did I know it would be one of Abby's favorite shirts to wear because of how retro it is. Wait til she sees my legwarmers, banana clip, stirrups, and jelly shoes. I'll tease her hair really good, and she'll be stylin'.

Fish heads

The other day I was at an open-air market with a national friend. She told me she wanted fish for dinner, so we headed towards a fish section. At the fish markets, you see all the fish sitting on ice and you pick your fish. I told my friend that we Americans are kind of weird, and we like our fish cleaned, without bones and just the meat. She told me that the fish market would clean my fish for free. We haven't had fish in over 6 months, so this sounded great to me. I picked out the same fish my friend picked out, and we went to the back to get them cleaned. While in the back, Emma stood there holding her nose the entire time. Their version of cleaning was to slit the belly and empty the guts. Done. I still got the head and tail. On the way home, I again told my friend how weird we Americans are. We don't like to eat food that can look at us. She said it is a very respectful thing to serve guests fish with the head still attached. After I got home I chopped off the head and tail. I wasn't serving it to any guests. Some of my American friends here are too grossed out to buy fish; I guess growing up on Lake Cumberland is paying off. However, I have no idea what fish I bought, though I'm pretty positive it's a saltwater fish. If it's not on a Red Lobster menu or out of a Kentucky lake, I'm clueless on fish. So, for those fishermen out there, take a look at these fish. What did I buy?

great birthday gift

David recently went to a birthday party for another American boy. It was a baseball party, and all the boys enjoyed playing baseball in a place that is foreign to this all-American pastime. When it came to the gift opening, the birthday boy received 3 12-packs of Dr. Pepper. It was from a family that has privileges on the American military base. All the American boys (and parents) were ooh-ing and aah-ing over the Dr. Pepper. David took note of who gave the gift and told me he wanted to invite that kid to his party.