We Are The Littles

So, one of the fellers that works for me has a US visa that expires in March. He came last time I was here and asked if he could go back to the good’ol USA for more training before his visa expired. It’s very difficult for Nigerians to get US visas and they LOVE going to the States. Anyway, we put together a training schedule, I got his rooms and transportation booked, and away he went.

Now he’s back and happier than ever. So happy that he brought me a gift! It’s a
Curve gift set by Liz Claiborne.  It has body wash, cologne, & deodorant. I asked him if he was trying to tell me that I was smelly. He wasn’t.

In more exciting new, the new 24 Jack Bauer Power Double Hour movie prequel is on this Sunday night. I have my DVR set to record every blissful minute. Unfortunately I won’t get to watch it until I get home. The trailer is below for your viewing pleasure and is much better than the one I posted a while back. This one looks more like a John Rambo movie than your typical Jack Bauer affair. Oh, and it takes place in Afreeka. A place I’ve been a time or two.

Ok, so my plan was to get home with this newspaper, scan a few select articles, and upload them for all to enjoy. They’re not very enjoyable though. Interesting, yes. Entertaining, maybe if your strange like me. Anyway, the power pack for our work scanner at the apartment here has gone awol. I can’t use my travel scanner because I would have to cut the articles out & the newspaper belongs to another guy here and who is saving it since it’s rather outlandish.

The headline above is one story that is told in the first three clippings below. The fourth clipping is the second story and the last clipping is the third. Click the pics below in order to read the full articles.

Now you all really have to give us some credit for a truly original blog. You never know what you’ll find here. It could be crazy Nigerian newspaper articles, or maybe Carolina’s Culinary Creations, pictures of the young’ns acting goofy, political rants, and the occasional Gabe’s latest Gadgets post. Yes, we are mildly creative. Later.

Sorry, I still don’t have any exciting news to share. Just another day in Nigeria. This morning went by nice and smooth. I was busy, but not too busy. Then one o’clock rolls around and all hell breaks loose. I didn’t have enough hands, phones, or computers to keep up. The madness finally ended about 4:15pm. By then I was worn out.

In other news, my tiny little netbook computer got a virus. I NEVER get those on my machines! However, I broke my code and used a thumbdrive from one of the mud engineers because I’d all ready shut down my work computer. Bad idea and I know better. Every single machine, memory stick, CD, hard drive, you name in our office and in the field are infected with a million viruses. I finally got rid of the stupid thing yesterday and now it’s running fine again.

I took a video on the way to work this morning. It has no entertainment value what-so-ever but I guess a crappy video is better than no video at all. This area is always congested with thousands of people buying who knows what. I call it the Port Harcourt Wal-Mart. I also took a picture of one the tanks that is being built in our yard at work. The picture was taken the day after the election. No, I’m not getting on my soapbox again! Just showing you who the Nigerians were rooting for. Big surprise.

Last but not least… It’s holiday time in Nigeria just like it is everywhere else in the world. In order to continue doing business in this wonderful place we have to give gifts to the communities. Otherwise they’ll hijack our trucks more than they all ready do and make life even worse. The particular community in the letter below just finished threatening to storm the base and shut us down… Violently! Luckily the powers that be came to a an agreement with these people and we continued business as usual. However, it’s time for their end of year celebration and we have to provide them with:

1. 5 Live Cows
2. 20 Live Goats
3. 100 Bags of Rice
4. 5 Cartons of Assorted Hot Drinks / Spirits
5. 10 Crates of Minerals and 5 Crates of Malt Drinks

It’s the cost of doing business I guess. I cropped the letter because I don’t want these volatile folks coming after me! The big red machete in the middle probably still gives it away though. We’re not giving them everything they want. The goats and drinks aren’t happening.

Oh, and did I mention that Gabby rolled over for the first time on 11/17/08? MBM put her to sleep on her tummy and when she went to check on her she’d done flipped over to her back! She has yet to do it again.

From Arborio Rice Pudding

In order to get into the mood to write this blog, I put cinnamon sticks to simmer on the stove. I just love that smell. Later, when I am done with the homemade potpourri, I will add some milk to it and a touch of sugar, then I will have a drink known as Canela, which means cinnamon in Spanish. See, whimsical, yet practical, just as our dish was for this TWD challenge presented by Isabelle. Thanks, Isabelle, for hosting this simple, but tasty treat test.
Okay, so this was my first experience using Arborio rice. I found it at our local World Market. It was a reasonable price, especially when you consider a little goes a long way. That is my kind of deal. I did not have any issues with this recipe. It thickened up nicely for me. It was very similar to the Mexican Rice Pudding we make with traditional long grain rice, except it uses whole milk, instead of condensed and it is served cold, not hot like ours with cinnamon. One of my favorite memories from home, my grandma making us this dish in the mornings. I prefer Vanilla Rice Pudding over the chocolate, which will shock most people who know me to be a Chocofiend. I chilled and served the pudding in individual ramekins. Then, I topped it with whipped cream and a sprinkle of raspberry flavored cocoa, served with limone glazed biscotti, and garnished with a cinammon stick.
I am so excited! I was finally introduced as a new baker on the TWD homepage. I thought they had forgotten about me. I guess not.
Be sure to visit the site and look at the many blogs. I warn you, many will make you hungry and inspired!

Next up: Thanksgiving Twofer Pie

From 3MChoCCakeCup

Yes, hard to believe, but it is true. My hubby,in his never-dying support for my hobbies, found this recipe to pass along to me. This recipe was featured on Lifehacker and called for a “throw together stuff from your pantry for when you need a choco-fix”- chocolate cake made in a microwave. I had heard of something similar a while back, but it called for a regular cake mix instead. Either way, today I decided to give the quirky recipe a try. I really wanted to video the whole 3-minute (and 30 second) adventure, but since I used a ginormous coffee cup, you never could see the cake rise in the video. Oh, well.
Okay, so the cake did turn out like the Lifehacker demo. It did taste gummy and like a cheap brownie cake. I souped it up,though. I am talking a little butterscotch pudding, chocolate syrup, and powdered sugar (I ran out of whipped cream!). It managed not to taste so bad after all that, but so would cardboard. So would I eat this if I were fiending for chocolate in a desperate situation? Probably not. That is what cars and stores are for. Will I play with it some more? Uh, yes. It is me after all we are talking about. I will probably even try to Weight Watcher it. I also think I will add a flavored hot chocolate mix, like raspberry, for extra sweetness. The possibilities are endless, at least in my world.
This was fun to do. Better than laundry! There are some tips the Food Hacks give, like adding chocolate chips in the mix. I also like the idea of making it into a gift, a cup with the recipe and dry ingredients in it. Clever. If you read on further in the online article, you will find similar quirky recipes, like kneadless bread, and other jazzy comments about this microwaved cake. I especially like the one that says, “Only a stoner could have come up with this”. Ganja Blue, I agree!
Bon Apetit, everyone! And thanks to my man for helping me live THE dream-(p.s. don’t forget to scroll down and read my man’s post)

Okay, so last night the kids and I used our imagination and had “Fancy Restaurant” Night. Even though, it was not that fancy, it was still fun to do with the kids. I will not say it did not have its moments. Unlike a real fancy restaurant, I had interruptions from the kids in and out of the kitchen and a demanding infant, so my Rachael Ray inspired 30-minute meal took more like one hour and a half. True to the cooperation of a baby, Gabby fell asleep before mealtime, so she did take not take part in this first event.

The menu was as follows:

App (somthing I threw together with the kids in mind)
Tortilla strips crisped with olive oil topped with diced grilled chix and bacon with cilantro lime salsa and lightly melted fresh mozarella tossed with olive oil and grilled tomatoes

Main Course
Turkey Thyme Meatloaf Patties with Mashed Sweet Potatoes (Everyday with Rachael Ray, November edition, pg. 106)

Dessert
Fresh Strawberries with cream lightly sprinkled with cocoa and drizzled chocolate, accompanied with glazed lemon biscotti.

Drinks
Sparkling Apple Cider

Of course, I have short cuts I will take next time to make the same meal, with a similar taste, without so many steps and ingredients. This meal would only take 30 minutes with no interruptions, prepped ingredients, and experience. However, the meal itself was very delicious and the whole house smelled of Thanksgiving. Another tip, next time, I will probably add dried cranberries to the sauce.
Of course, the critics had their say. The boys appreciated the attempt, but would prefer no onions next time. Other than that, they liked it.

As you can tell by the pics, Savannah really liked the meal. This means a lot, because she normally does not like Meatloaf. My secret, I left out the ketchup the recipe called for to take away some of the “meatloaf” taste. I also added in soy sauce with the Worcestershire sauce to add some sweetness to the dish. Since Savannah helped me with the prepping of some of the food, she found out the hard way, that sweet potatoes can be difficult to peel and cut. The secret, nuke four good sized ones for about ten minutes on high in your microwave. Then, you are in business. Another shortcut, buy canned and go from there. I think this is what the magazine must have done or used a different variety, such as a real YAM, because I did not achieve the same brick color as is expected by using the fresh sweet pots.

Okay, there are a few more shortcuts I could add, but it would make this blog too long. The kids did a great job playing along with mom and getting themselves all dudded up for the occasion. Next to Gabe, they are my favorite culinary guinea pigs! My friends come in a close second.

Don’t forget to scroll down and look at Gabe’s Culinary Creation and our Halloween Pics!

Okay, here are the pics from last night’s Halloween happening. Not much went on. The boys were grounded from trick o treatin’ and had to stay indoors to help pass out candy. They did a great cheerful job. Savannah helped me decorate outdoors and the cupcakes. Both were a lot of fun.  Even though we did not go trick o treatin’ we did manage to get dressed up. Gabby had a total of four costume changes, being the lil’ diva that she is.  We did watch some light scary movies, The Corpse Bride and Jaws.  It was a pretty tame night. Hardly any trick o treaters. Did anyone else get an unbelievable amount of high schoolers at their door? I mean I am a believer in being youthful and all, but 6-foot high school boys with “OMG”-girlfriends should really stick to their own crowd!  Although, I guess trick o treatin’ could be a creative, cheap date and it is better than drinking and driving! Okay, I have second thoughts. Maybe it is not so bad after all.

Speaking of teenage boys, Savannah’s sweetie surprised her again this week with flowers AND and an Easy Bake Oven.  He delivered the oven in a cute way by leaving it at the door and brought trick o treatin’ to her, or maybe he was just too scared to face me! Either way, I am so jealous. I have always wanted an Easy Bake oven. I think we will use it tonight or tomorrow.

Okay, well after an already busy day with still a lot more to go, I think I am going to go take a nap with hairball.  Tonight, the kids and I are having “Fancy Restaurant” night at home. Something new and CHEESY I thought we could try.  We are all going to get kinda dressed up (even Gabby) and eat at the rarely used formal dining room table.

Ahhhh, memories. Yesterday, the kids and I made a stop at the pumpkin patch on our way home from picking up the Princess from school.  You know it was spur of the moment, cause I have no make up on and we are not dressed in cute fall outfits. You will not believe the kids we saw all decked out with their parents posing them and taking pictures with professional camera gear. We were just there, us, casual, with my little trusty ole camera.  Next year, we will be prepared, expensive camera and costumes and all!

In true “lets-ruin-mom’s- let’s- make-a- happy-memory-moment” form, the boys managed not to pick out a pumpkin. They were dragged from photo op to photo op, followed grudgingly by their older sis, who felt she was not dressed right for the occasion. Gabby might have followed suit, but she is just a baby and oblivious to everything except when she is going to get fed! Thank goodness she was full.  So while I was inquiring about the price of the pumpkin the boys picked out, a less frugal family grabbed the pumpkin the boys wanted, pouting ensued, and no alternate pumpkin was chosen! So, I managed to get fall pictures for free and did not get stuck with a pumpkin bill. All in all not a bad moment, but not much of a Kodak one, either!

Here are the pictures the kids obligingly took. Hope you enjoy. Please forgive my exhausted,homely look. I hope you will all understand, especially since I have made huge strides by letting these pics be posted. Hope my loving hubby appreciates it.

After note: Justin did find a fake ear of fall corn on the ground and brought it home, actually snuck it home. He told me it must have been free since it was on the ground. I hope we are safe, since the pumpkin patch was at a church! Susan K, if you are reading this, please do not tell your congregation!

I don’t think the tiny scorpions we used to find in Oklahoma would stand much of a chance next to this bad boy. Some of the guys found it on one of the trucks that came down from Northern Nigeria to deliver some stuff. No Q.o.U., they didn’t kill it. It was dead when they found it. I’m glad they don’t have critters like this where I’m at. Can you imagine stepping on one of these on your way to the bathroom in the middle of the night!!!??? Talk about a rude awakening.

In other news… There are some great new pictures over on Gabby’s Virtual Baby Book. MBM took the best one yet and it’s up for all to see. Go have a gander.

Good night.

From POTD's

Friday night, Savannah and I started decorating three cakes needed for the neighborhood’s Fall Festival and a birthday party. Now, let me start off by saying that she is naturally gifted at such things. I,however, am not. It takes  me classes. It takes her just one demo, then she takes off and running with it! I admire her natural talent.
Here are the pictures of the cakes. Savannah did the Casper Cake from beginning to end. She baked, carved, crumb coated, and decorated it. Next time, I will have her make the buttercream frosting and colors. I did the Smiling Jack o’Latern one in a cake mold pan. We both tackled the Spiderman Cake. This was a challenging cake. It was for my good friends’ little boy’s second birthday party. I had several ideas for this cake. I even bought the small Wilton Spiderman cake pan.  I ended up not using it and tried a varied version of a demo I saw on Youtube. I was in a bind though. I could not find a cake box and board big enough to present the cake. The board is used for extra space to add borders to a decorated cake, as well as, carry the cake on. I was unable to add bottom borders to my cake without risking smashing the cake from lifting. Once again, I was upset with Hobby Lobby for not carrying boxes and boards big enough for the cake pans they sell.   I also do not have a strong free-hand style, so I struggled with decorating Spiderman. Next time, I will try using fondant for him. I have never used it, but for a small scale project, buying it from the store would be okay. Luckily, my daughter had a great free-hand, so she finished the details for me and even did the writing! I also placed the cake on an over-sized clear cutting board. Not only did it help carry the cake, but it was so easy to cut the cake on. The cake was a big hit. Not one crumb was left. I will have to get with my neighbor to see how our Fall Festival cakes fared at the cake walk.
Let me also give Duncan Hines a shout out! They really do have the superior cake mix above all the other commercial mixes.
Okay, I am over and out.