My New Favorite Recipe

I'm not a master of breads, but I have had to learn to make it since we are here. After many loaves of typical  white bread, I was happy to have my dear friend, Ada, share this sourdough recipe with me! Its absolutely easy, it only has 4 ingredients, and it is a cinch to mix up.

In a glass or plastic bowl, use a wooden or plastic spoon to mix:

3 cups warm water

1 1/2 TBSP salt

1 1/2 TBSP yeast

6 cups flour

Stir til dough is evenly wet with no dry spots. Cover the container LIGHTLY (It has to be able to "burp") and let it sit overnight. This can then be chilled for up to 2 weeks. The longer you let it sit, the more fermented it becomes, and so more "sourdough". So far I have mixed mine up in the evening, then made a loaf for breakfast, and another for supper. Its to good to let it sit around longer:)

When you are ready to make it, use only water to handle the dough. It will be kinda sloppy like, but just wet your hands and take about 1/2 the dough out to make a round loaf. I put cornmeal in the bottom of a cast iron skillet, and plop it in there. Let it sit for 20 minutes, then come back and turn the oven on to 450. Put three slashes across the dough with a scissors or knife, then set timer for another 20 minutes. At this point you can sprinkle any kind of seasoning on it that you want. I used oregano, basil, and parmeson cheese, but you can do whatever.

When the 20 minutes are up, bake it for about 15-20 minutes. I just kinda watch it.

Happy  Breadmaking!!

The Dorcas Center

The Dorcas Center sits right across the drive from our house. I can see the ladies enter the front door from my kitchen window, as they go in to put in another day of sewing. Its a friendly place... a great opportunity for me to practice my language skills, and to have a good laugh over jokes.
This place provides work for several community ladies, weather they come to work here, or take piece work to their homes and sew there. Here, you can buy beautiful rugs, dresses, skirts, short pants for little boys, shirts, head coverings, bags of different styles,  diapers, burpclothes, curtains (which they use in their doorways) and other things.

Miss Janella oversees the workers and the projects they do.

She comes up with new bag designs and tries to keep everyone supplied with what they need as far as material and work. She does a GREAT job! 

This side of the center is where groups come in and are helped with cutting out blocks for comforts.

Some of the workers. They are thankful for their job!  Some of them have a lot of potential for more detailed sewing, if they were given some instruction and guidance.  

Just a few of the "carpets" they make. Some are bought locally, some are sent to other missions for where they are sold, and some go to the states and sold at benefit actions. These are made with double knit fabric, which we find challenging to get ahold of. If anyone knows of a good source, with reasonable prices, let us know!!

Thank you for touring the Dorcas Center with me today:)

Sometimes a monkey needs a smaller cage......

Here is my monkey. My climber since he walked, and a lover of all things boy. He

-following the big boys (esp since he is the only little boy) .

-Seeing how many steps he can jump off of,

-climbing the rails,

-riding a skateboard til he's going to fast, then jumping off (sometimes landing on his feet, sometimes on the ground)

--these are things that Jorden loves--

and that means he looks like this sometimes.

banged up and bruised.

But its doesn't stop him!

But on Sunday, he really did it. Playing ball with the big boys, he ran after a ball and fell down over a small wall and hit his head on a little rock.

Four stitches later and he was good to go. The next day he was running , jumping, and climbing.

Only now this mama has made his world a little smaller; put some extra precautionary boundaries in place. I know we can only protect so much, and that I need to trust God, but I think Jorden takes trust to a new level:)

fresh Toasted Coconut anyone?

I've been realizing how I pulled cereal off our store shelves, without a thought of just how easy it was .  Now, even tho we get into PAP occasionally, cereal is expensive and not always available.

Granola is better anyway:) Just  takes a little more work.

I was able to get about 8 coconuts from the market, and here is the process:

1. slam the coconut onto the concrete to break them apart

2. remove the meat from the shell

3. grate the meats

4. Toast the grated coconut

Add to granola, no bake cookies, natural snacks, etc etc.  

raw... toasted

                        My littles are enjoying learning to help with the
                            laundry and the wringer washer. I love their
                              willingness to learn and do new things.

School in La-Baleine

We are blessed to have a little school on the ground level of our house. Miss Karen, a teacher of 20+ years, has made school a fun and wonderful place for our three oldest.

I had a picture of Josh, but I have had a terrible time with internet and loading pictures, so I finally decided to go with what I have.

At 8:25 every school morning, Zoey, Josh, and Abby get their backpacks and head  to the schoolroom. I see them again at 10:15, when they come up to get a snack, and have recess.

They also come up for lunch from 11:30-12:15.

School lets out at 3.

They all have their individual studies, but every day they have gym with Patrick and  Colin, and on Fridays they have art together.

To keep school more "official" and not so casual, they wear uniforms; the girls these checkered dresses, and Josh a gray shirt. Every school child in Haiti wears a uniform, so this is one way we can identify with them, too.

What a blessing and gift, to have a teacher who LOVES to teach, and for the ability to have a little schoolroom. It has been a

blessing for all of us. We are so thankful for the way it brings stability and routine into our days, as well as the academic input they receive.

Cheers to Joshua Becker again!

I think Joshua has wonderful thoughts on the is subject; some of the best! 

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