RootTech Connect - Did you jump on?

 These last three days have been fabulous being able to jump on to RootTech Connect and listen to different podcasts about and for genealogy. When I have time between errands and chores, I've been able to connect with cousins and be energized by all the possibilities that are associated with searching for who we came from and what their stories are and why our stories will be important in a later generation. There is a very interesting segment on DNA and what our connection to the wider world and events can mean. The technologies to make our lives richer and fuller are stunning!

There is a whole segment that helps us connect with our cousins from around the world. I've "met" a young man off a mission who knew two of my really good friends who were his mission president and wife, a mother and daughter who collect recipes from relatives all over the world, a very knowledgeable genealogist of over 20 years, a cousin from Missouri with the same name, cousins who have visited Ghana a little earlier, and a cousin who wants to start a Facebook page for a mini-reunion. Who knows who I will meet next?!

For my cousins looking for recipes.....I seem to have a lot about food on this blog! Feel free to pick any of these recipes:) I can't say I have specific family favorites, though I tend to make things that one of my children comment favorably on. The cabbage stew was commented on favorably here in Ghana.

Lately, the missionaries in Ghana have commented on hot rolls brought over.  Here is my basic bread recipe (from California) that I make into rolls, bread, pizza crust, or whatever, that is simple. 

Water - depends how much you bread you want - 3 cups is normal -  six cups gets unwieldy unless you have an industrial mixer.

Oil - you need about 2 Tablespoons per cup unless you want a softer bread, add a little more, crustier bread use less or none at all.

Sugar - I always use honey, about a heaping serving spoon. More or less depending on your final product. You can use white, brown sugar, agave, or any other sweetener - the sugar makes the yeast grow. Use more for sweet rolls, less for pizza

Salt - just enough to make bread interesting - approximately 1/4 teaspoon per cup of water - I usually thrown in a teaspoon and a half for six cups of flour.

Yeast - if using a packet, one packet (for 3 cups of water)- if using from a bottle of loose yeast about a heaping tablespoon for 3 cups of water. There are so many different possibilities of yeast!

Flour - Approximately two cups per cup of water - more or less

Directions:

In a nice big bowl add warm water (3 cups), then add honey, oil, salt, and yeast give it a stir (this is where I make sure my yeast starts to bubble - no bubbles dead yeast, start over). The instant the yeast starts to bubble I throw in half the flour (about 3 cups) and make sure everything is thoroughly mixed up. Then I'll add two more cups of flour and mix up with my hands, I leave a bowl of flour at the side to mix in as needed. 

The more you work the dough the smoother the texture is at the finish. (This is great for aggravating times and can work out a lot of aggression as you ponder what you are going to do.) I add flour until the wet shine is gone. It is okay if the dough is sticky, but doesn't taste as great if the dough is really stiff. 

When the dough has elasticity - smoothness, scrape it into a ball, wash your hands and add a little oil on top. I cover with a damp cloth sometimes. Let the dough rise till double in bulk. If you poke a hole and the hole retains its shape it's done.

Shape into whatever you want using flour to keep stickiness down: rolls, bread pan, braid, three balls in each muffin tin, as pizza crust, etc. Parchment or baking paper is really great to line baking sheets, bread pans, etc. Or you can grease, oil, butter or spray your pans. 

Let rise at least 20 minutes or more (maybe till double again) - I usually preheat the oven during this time. 350 to 375 degrees. Rolls - higher heat less time, bread lower heat more time. The more dense the lower heat and more time than the lighter items. I cook rolls about 8 to 12 minutes depending on size. The bread can be 20 to 35 minutes depending on the size of the loaf pan. Pizza bread dough can be baked 5 or 10 minutes after shaping - add ingredients on top and bake.

Have fun!

Sure glad my oven is temperature controlled!

Cooking with Juliet - watching

 I asked Juliet to come over again, she asked if I wanted to make groundnut soup. I thought that sounded interesting and said yes. When she told me I needed peanut butter (ah hah, ground nut!) and I then explained that Jeffrey couldn't eat any nuts, so she said she'd make him his own stew. Perfect. On Tuesday we met at the Area Office where Brother Dumevi met us then dropped me off to my apartment while they went on to the market to buy ingredients. I had asked Juliet for extra peanut butter because I make cookies for the Elders every Saturday when they come over to talk with Jeffrey.

If you want to make groundnut soup, here is a recipe or here, I know I didn't catch everything Juliet did.

Here is a recipe for cabbage stew or here.

Juliet and Brother Dumevi

They bought lots of ingredients for two different meals - soup and stew

First she prepped the chicken. She didn't like the fact that it still had some small feather on it, so she burned them off, plucked them out, then washed and cut up the parts into smaller pieces to fit the pan.

Juliet added onions, garlic, ginger, and maybe salt and other spices and let the chicken boil.

   Then the Kaco (dried fish, it is preserved in salt so you boil it to get the salt out and soften it) was put on to boil until it softened.

Also a large pan of water was set to boil, and then broken rice was added. 

Juliet washed all of her rice before she put it in the boiling water.

I am not sure what type of rice this was except white, but when it is all cooked it was VERY sticky.Now that all the pans are bubbling away, it is time to prepare and wash some of the other ingredients.

Juliet peels off the skin and bones of the smoked fish.

I had to ask Brother Dumevi later, but I think he said the bigger fish was smoked salmon and the small smoked fish were herring. I just know when I got a small taste they both were good, not overly fishy just nice.

Juliet took some of the chicken out to reserve it for the cabbage stew. 

Next she got out my largest pot and put peanut butter...

And tomato paste with a little water

I thought it was a very different combination.

She  mixed it all together and put it on to cook.

Since Juliet supplies all of my peanut butter, I only have fresh ground.

Then she started adding things.

She chopped up onions and these bitty peppers. I do not know exactly what kind of pepper but they are hot. She blended the all up together and stirred them into the pot of peanut sauce.

While that all simmered and cooked......

Juliet chopped up vegetables for the cabbage stew

She is obviously very experienced and had this quick chopping motion that is a blur. Maybe I will video her next time...

She kept her mind on two things at once and would drop things in the peanut sauce while coming back to the vegetables.

She put the Kaco in with the peanut butter, tomato paste, water, onions, peppers (I wonder if I left anything out so far.....)

Back she came to chopping up the carrots and bell peppers for the cabbage stew.

She kept an eye out on her rice as she wanted it just right.

I think she is a south paw and doesn't use a chopping board very much. She has this cool motion in her hand that doesn't go through to the palm and she flips whatever vegetable over and drops all but the last little bit in the bowl or on the mat.

Next in the groundnut soup she ladles in the chicken pieces.

She adds the washed smoked salmon head to the soup.

Then she carefully peels the skin off the rest of the smoked fishes and picks out the skeleton and bones of each fish. Then she rinses the fish off and puts it in her groundnut soup base.

The pot is boiling and all the different smells are filling the kitchen.

Juliet had these special bags that only have one corner. She opens the little "bag" up and put a big dollop of rice then squishes it into the corner of the bag and swirls it up. The rice is almost condensed into a ball.  She said to 'pinch' it off and scoop it in the soup.

I probably need to watch someone do that as I'm not quite sure what she means.

Juliet added garden eggs (a type of small eggplant - not purple but yellow) to the soup and tested it for flavor. She added some ginger, garlic, and some of the small peppers but whole this time.

She would test it out for thickness and was looking for a certain taste and consistency. I can't remember where, but I know she added the chicken water that had cooked the chicken earlier.

Juliet would test the soup with the back of her spoon. She would let it drop into the pot and also take a finger and swipe a taste. 

While the groundnut soup was simmering away, occasionally spurting up in small geysers, she turned her attention to the cabbage soup.

She fried the reserved chicken with onions and probably some spices like garlic and ginger. Then took the chicken out.

She blended up some onions and one small pepper as Jeffrey doesn't like things too spicy. She added the blended onions to the oil that the chicken had fried in.

Next she added tomato paste and water, then started putting vegetables in with the tomatoes and onions.

Then she let it all simmer together.

After it has simmered a bit, she added the cabbage and some whole sliced onions and garden eggs, and bell pepper.

And at the very last she added the fried chicken.

Yum, yum. I really liked this stew even though an accident happened and after the stew was done the burner got turned back on and it burned the bottom. The top main part was excellent!!

Meanwhile the groundnut soup simmered merrily on until Juliet proclaimed it done.

Juliet and I bagged up the dinners, two for Brother Dumevi and one for Juliet. Jeffrey had the cabbage stew and Juliet made sure some of my favorite fish was in my portion of the groundnut soup. Luckily somebody else got the head of the salmon.

Oh, I just remembered! The lady at the desk downstairs said she liked groundnut soup when I got chatting and telling her about my adventures. So, Juliet packed her up a portion too, and took it down to her when she went in the taxi with Elder Dumevi to get home.

Next month...probably Garden Egg Stew.

New View

 On Monday, Gerald Edgar a man I have only met on zoom, gave a spiritual thought that is squirreling away in  my mind.

He quoted Doctrine and Covenants 15 & 16:6 "...of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people..." He wanted to know of how that is of relevance to us? How do you declare repentance unto people? The Bible dictionary has this description of repentance: "...denotes a change of mind, a fresh view about God, about oneself, and about the world."  Brother Edgar said that was something he could work with. He could talk to people about a new view of God, a new view of himself, or a new view of the world. He could be an example of goodness and he could testify of Christ. 

I've been thinking a lot about the fact that in our family we all have such different views. One son posted a study he had done on some scriptures he was thinking about. His brothers, dad, and uncle chimed in and then the daughter-in-laws all had some very pertinent views. Then a year later one of my daughter-in-laws came up with a question that got immediate results from other daughter-in-laws and the emails were off and running!  When we combine these different factors and view points, I think we come a lot closer to the center of truth. My violet colored lens will see differently than a rose, blue, or yellow tinted glasses. I am always surprised when someone shows me what is right in front of my eyes that I overlooked or never noticed. 

To be aware that we need to seek out a new view of God and share that with another person is doable.

Being in my Happy Place

When I am creating something, I am in my happy place. If it can actually be of benefit - that is a bonus.

On Sunday it just happen to be pillowcases. I have a quilt that my mind is looking for ways to create. I'm still thinking what I want it to look like.

But Sunday was just for simple. I made pillowcases - three easy seams. Presto - you have something useful. 

 

Celebrate the Birthday

 On Saturday, we got a call from the Despains. Sherri said that her husband's birthday was on Sunday but they wanted to go out to eat with friends that night at the Polo Club restaurant. 

Don and Sherri Despain making menu choices.

Chris and Karen Shepherd

Lyle and Cricket Parry

Jeralie and Scott Hymas

The Hymas brought a friend Kate with them. Kate is from the UK and has been working here since November. She is alone so Jeralie took her to the Dubois market in the morning and then out to eat with the Despains for Don's birthday!

The food is excellent in looks, quality and taste.

It is exciting to watch the action out on the field. The horses look small until they are next to our side.

So far the ball has never gone out toward any of us.

Eating good food, talking with friends, watching an exciting game all as the sun gets ready to set. A great way to celebrate a birthday.

Of course we all had to sing and make some noise!

Fun time was had by all. I'm looking forward to another birthday.

Yummy fun

Cooking with Friends

Anita, Linda Ann, Lorinda, Sharon (Sorry Esther couldn't make it. 

Lorinda Belnap made pie crusts before we arrived

 Anita Otoo, Sharon Kwaw, (also Esther Abuyeh), and I from the OGC office were all invited to come to a cooking class/demonstration at Lorinda Belnap's home. We made quiche!

Anita grating cheese

When I got to her home, Sharon and Anita were busy chopping up ingredients so I took pictures before helping out.....kinda. Mostly I just took pictures. We were serenaded by Nathan and Rebecca Belnap on the piano. Nathan will soon give a concert - I sure hope I can be there to hear it.

Sharon chopping up onion into itty bitty pieces

Ingredients were all assembled, Salt, pepper, onions, ham, bell peppers, thawed spinach with water squished out, cream, milk, cheeses and eggs.

Anita assembled one pie

Sharon assembled another quiche

4 eggs, 1/2 cup of cream and 1/2 cup of whole milk beat up together.

Lorinda divvied up the cream and told the ladies how much of the ingredients were needed for each pie.

3/4 a cup of ham or more, about a 1/4 cup of yellow bells, a generous handful of onions, 
1/2 a package of spinach each, salt and pepper. Then lots of cheese - sorry I didn't watch the amounts.

Anita's pie almost complete

Sharon adding finishing touches

Then while the pies were in the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour at 350 degrees, Lorinda introduced the art of the pie crust, so everyone would have the full experience of making a quiche.

Sharon cutting in the Crisco and flour

A pastry blender and knife and fork were both used.

Anita adding in the water that had ice floating in it.

Lorinda demonstrating how she rolls it into a ball and squishes it flat before rolling.

Anita rolls her dough out flat

Then folds it over to set into the pie dish.

Sharon was very meticulous and learned the art of the rippled crust.

She made sure each side was exact.

She even checked the thicknesses so the pie would not burn too fast on the edges.

One pie is weighted just as you would do for quiche.

The other was 'forked' to vent for air pockets while cooking.

Lorinda put milk and a pudding mix together and whisked it up while it cooked and we chatted.

Cook and Serve pudding mix

Meanwhile......delicious aromas were wafting out of the oven.

The quiche was just right. It rose and it sank just a little - nice!

Lorinda cut each of us generous slices, gave us something to drink while the two pie crusts in the oven were cooking. Yummy deliciousness! It is nice to be with friends making a great treat.

Pie crust cooking......until the heat was turned up and they got a little golden

Lorinda pulled the pie shells out of the oven. The coin crust was perfectly flat on the bottom, the forked crust was only a little bumpy. Both took their time getting brown because the oven had been lowered to a quiche cooking temperature, but quickly got done with the temperature at a higher heat. Most recipes say 375 degrees some are 400 - 425 degrees. Probably depends on the oven. 

I walked home while Anita and Sharon went back to work at the Area office. Lorinda waited for the pie crusts to cool then she added sliced bananas and the pudding mix with whipped cream on top. She brought it over to the office, - sorry no picture. Jeffrey said it was delicious!