Selam's Children's Village

Selam's Children's Village has a wonderful background story.  In the early 1970's a Swedish family living in Ethiopia adopted six Ethiopian children before eventually moving back to Switzerland.  One of the adopted children, when grown, returned to Ethiopia and was so moved by the effects of the famine, started a small orphanage for children who had lost their family to natural disasters.

In 1986, Selam's Children's Village broke ground for a larger orphanage which now houses and takes care of more than 350 children from the ages of 3 months to 18 years.  Most of these children have graduated or will graduate from (when of the appropriate age to attend)  vocational training or education centers provided at Selam's.  The Village not only houses and cares for the children, but when they are old enough, gives them the skills they will need in life to earn a living and help support their families.  It's such an amazing mission, don't you think?

I've been excited to visit and the sun was shining Saturday morning so we used the opportunity to drive to Selam's Children's Village.  We headed straight to the flower nursery on the compound.  It was much more expansive than I had thought.  The rain clouds rolled in as we picked out gorgeous succulents, tiny flower buds, poppies, and more.   The first indoor greenhouse was home to the potted succulents and other plants.  I'm not a garden person so I can't tell one from another. I wish I could.  All I know is everything was green and beautiful.

We were led by two Ethiopian women through the small dirt paths from one green house to another.  The girls were in awe when they saw the large outdoor area with row and rows of flowers.

we brought his purple flower home by Addie's request

one of the sweet women who led us through the nursery and helped us carry our flowers

Addie and Bella were allowed to choose whatever they wanted to plant at home.  All the sales help support the Children's Village.  We got a large flat of flowers, some already potted, and it cost us less than $10.

The grounds were lush and green with a mysterious quality to them as if something magical could happen any moment.  The girls were like little fairies flitting about. It was raining but it made it all the more exciting to explore.

The other wonderful treat at Selam's is the restaurant that serves lunch every day from 12-1:30 PM.  It's a set 5 course meal that changes daily based on fresh ingredients.  We enjoyed fried zucchini, vegetable barley soup, bread, salad, beef with potatoes and vegetables, and finally, coffee ice cream that was frothy and perfect.  The food was wholesome and tasty.  The dining atmosphere was extremely family friendly.

When asked what their favorite part of the trip to Selam's Children's Village was, the girls quickly shouted "the coffee ice cream!" which is to be expected.  I personally liked darting the rain drops running from one green house to the next and capturing all the beauty on camera.  We will be back to Selam's for plants and lunch again! Especially if we get to meet friendly boys like these ones.  We promised them a ball next time we come so we WILL be back.

homemade ice cream

I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker that I've been using for about two years now.  I made a lot of frozen yogurt in Manila because we had access to really great Greek yogurt and it was a healthier dessert for all of us. In Ethiopia we eat so little junk that we indulge in rich full cream ice cream when I can get local whipping cream.  It's absolutely delicious and you should try it, even if it's just once as a pure indulgence.


If you want to get into ice cream making at home, I highly recommend Ben &Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book.  It has great recipes.  But, if you want to save yourself the trouble there is really only one recipe you need to know.  It's the basic sweet cream base.  I use this base over and over.  I memorized it and now I never open the book unless it's to browse for new ideas.

Ben & Jerry's Sweet Cream Base
2 large eggs
2 cups heavy or whipping cream
1 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar

In a bowl whisk eggs until light and fluffy, add 3/4 cup sugar in increments, whisking in between each addition.  Continue whisking eggs and sugar until combined.  Add cream and milk and whisk until combined.

From here, you can take the sweet cream base anywhere.  Two teaspoon of vanilla extract will get you a nice french vanilla.  Or peppermint extract can be the base for chocolate chip mint.  Crushed cookies for cookies-n-cream, malt powder and shaved chocolate, sprinkles, nuts, candy bar chunks, strawberries, toffee bits...the ideas are endless.

One of my favorites is my own version of mint chip.  I add 2 teaspoons of good quality Nielsen-Massey pure peppermint extract to the sweet cream base (McCormick's brand flavoring is fine too but if you are as serious about your mint ice cream as I am, you will want to invest in some of this good quality flavoring-plus it's perfect for holiday peppermint hot chocolate). Shave about 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate with a sharp knife.  Add the shavings to the liquid mixture.  I personally like the shaved chocolate texture better than the frozen chunk of a chocolate chip.

Tips (some things I've learned after making lots of batches of ice cream):

• Use the freshest eggs you can find.  This might mean farm to table eggs from your local market or the best quality you can get at the store.  I'm using Ethiopian eggs and they are great-never had an issue.
• If you decide against the eggs in your ice cream, you can expect to get a less rich and creamy ice cream.  It will not freeze well so you will need to eat it all at the time you make it or else you will have icy ice cream from freezing.  
• If you are really squeamish I'd suggest sticking with a frozen yogurt or sorbet recipe.  Ice cream should be made with eggs for emulsifying the butter fat.  I feel really strongly about this.
• Refrigerate your liquid base mixture for a few hours before putting it in your ice cream maker.  This is key.  The churning process will not freeze room temp liquids properly.  Best to start off as cold as you can.
• For cookies, candies, nuts, or other add-in you will want to add them when the ice cream is mostly done churning in the machine.  Simply pour the add-in in the top and let it slowly mix with the paddle.  
• Freeze your add-ins before adding them or else they will warm your churned ice cream.
• Chocolate chips (or shaved chocolate from the bar) are fine to add to the liquid mixture before hand because they will not melt in the liquid while refrigerating.
• Freeze your ice cream maker's freezer bowl overnight before use.  
• Have the churning paddle inside the freezer bowl before you pour in the liquid mixture.  
• Churn the ice cream for a good 5-10 minutes past when you think it's done.  The more air churned in the more fluffy and divine the texture once frozen.  
• Cool your storage bowl in the freezer so the bowl is cold when you transfer the ice cream. A bowl with a air tight lid is ideal for keeping the ice cream fresh in the freezer for many days.
• Make ice cream the night before you plan to serve for best frozen texture (see fluffy texture in the first photo).  We eat the ice cream the same night I make it all the time,  the texture is more like soft serve and it melts really fast.

mint chip ice cream churning

soft serve version right out of the machine

ice cream after it's had two hours to freeze, overnight is even better.

Meet Tim Riggins and Pepper

I never thought I'd say this, ever...we have cats.  We just picked out not one kitten but two and if I had my druthers we'd bring home all three.

They are going to be outdoor cats living in our outbuilding with the hopes that they will keep the rats away, especially during rainy season.  We get to bring them home in a month when they are done weening from their mother.

Aren't they precious?  Justin and I were happy to see how good the girls were with them. Little girls and kittens go hand and hand.

Addie named this one Pepper

                                                           this is the one we aren't bringing home...yet!

Tim Riggins is the runt and Justin said he had to come home with us after they bonded.  Little Timmy (as Addie has decided to call him) liked to bury his head in the crook of your arm and I admit, it was endearing.  

Ashlynn and Moose

Moose the rocking dog has been with us since Adelaide was about 6 months old.  All three girls have had the pleasure of riding on the big fluffy dog's back.  They often ride two at a time.  Ashlynn Olivia has just recently jumped on.  She knew immediately what to do and started rocking her body back and forth.  Addie rides behind holding her little sister and Ashlynn just nose dives into his fur in pure glee!

If no one is there to lift her on his back she likes to stand and suck on his nose.

Mexican Day

It was the talk of the town that the cafeteria at the embassy changed the menu to include Mexican Day every Thursday. People got really excited. The girls and I met Justin for lunch yesterday to try it out.  There was a choice of cheese or beef enchiladas OR chicken or cheese quesadillas.  All with a side of rice, beans, guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream.

I have lowered my expectations significantly so I thought it was pretty good.  Some people have not and there were lots of complaints about the vegetables in the enchiladas (eggplant and zucchini-which is simply wrong).  Ethiopians cooking American Mexican food isn't going to be a perfect match for anyone's expectation.  I was just glad to have my lunch cooked for me that day.  Someone needs to sit them down and tell them which veggies are OK in Mexican (tomatoes, onions, green chilles, olives), and which are not (green beans and carrots).  Besides that, it was a pretty decent attempt.

The girls enjoyed the damp park afterwards probably more than the meal.

Bella's crack is always showing.  She has no rear or hips to speak of.

Justin and I decided that we are hosting a potluck Mexican night at our house soon so we can have friends over and eat yummy enchiladas.  What's your favorite Mexican food?  I really love pulled pork in my burritos! and guacamole! and tamales! I love it all!

cranberry cream cheese muffins

I'm not a huge muffin fan.  It's only once in a blue moon that I eat a muffin that feels worth the calories.  My daughters like muffins though and have been begging me to make some.  It's an easy baking project for the kids so we went ahead and pulled out a basic sweet muffin recipe and spruced it up.

Kids like surprises so any time you can put something sweet in the middle of something so it's hidden like treasure, they eat it up, literally.

For these muffins we added cranberries to the muffin batter then spooned sweetened cream cheese on top of half the batter so it baked in the middle for a sweet gooey treat when you bite into it.

Recipe
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder for high altitude (2 tsp at low altitude)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg beaten
3 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
dash of vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, line your muffin tin with cupcake liners and spray with nonstick cocking spray. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.  Combine the milk, butter, oil and egg in another bowl  Combine the wet and dry and stir just until combined.  Add 1/2 chopped dried cranberries.

In a separate bowl mix the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla.  Warm a bit in the microwave if it's not smooth.

Place a teaspoon of the muffin batter in the tin then add a dollop of cream cheese in the middle.  Top with another teaspoon of muffin batter.  Bake for 18-22 minutes until slightly brown and the tops are bouncy to touch.

Turns out Adelaide can't stand warm cream cheese so she had to scoop hers out but Arabella loved them.  For not being a muffin lover, I enjoyed mine with coffee this morning.  It's like having a bite of cheesecake in your muffin!

mama's hair salon

I never thought I'd be the mom who'd plunk down my kids and get out my Fiskars.  Much like my own Mother did for my sisters and I while we were young.  But here we are in Ethiopia and I have no plans of taking my kids to the salon for a trim.  I also didn't think I'd be the Mom making field journals and homemade potato chips so there you go.

Band Aid Bean's hair grows like ivy out of control and Addie just likes to be pampered.  Both got cuts the other day.  

shaggy

grooving with her new cut-you didn't think she'd sit still for a photo did you?

I guess this is her hair pose face