Posterous theme by Cory Watilo

Trial Run #2

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Apparently I will not be moonlighting as a food photographer.  It looks much better in person.

My mom cooks.  She loves a culinary challenge.  So, the impending arrival of Baby A, has inspired her to practice cooking African recipes.  A month or two ago she told me she made a stew for her and my dad.  I heard about it for weeks - they both loved it.  Since then, I've made a couple versions.  In fact, I remember making a tofu one many years ago, during the vegetarian period, or as I now consider it -  the decade that justifies present and future gluttony. 

The women in my family do not follow recipes.  This is one of the recipes I read, I sort of followed it.  It came from http://www.123easyaspie.com/recipes/2802/Senegalese+Chicken+Soup some of my adjustments are italicized.

Senegalese Chicken Soup

- 1 onion (lg diced)
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic (chopped )
- 6 tablespoon curry powder
- 2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoon coriander (ground )
- 5 cup chicken ( broth)
- 2 cup tomato ( puree)
- 2 cup tomato (crushed plum )
- (Salt and pepper; to taste)
- 1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth )
- 1 pound chicken ( white meat; diced)
- 1 cup green onion (thinly sliced )
- (Chopped peanuts and cilantro; for garnish)

Directions:

Cook onions in olive oil until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook two minutes. Add curry powder, cayenne and coriander and fry for an additional two minutes. If dry, add a small quantity of olive oil until moist (or chicken broth). Add chicken broth and scrape bottom very well with wooden spoon. Add tomato puree, crushed plum tomatoes, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes. Stir often and scrape bottom every few minutes. Do not boil. Combine peanut butter and 1/2 of soup in blender or food processor and puree, adding small quantities of broth as necessary if too thick. I didn't do this because it seemed like a hassle – I had a chunkier soup. When smooth, add puree to remaining soup and stir well. If soup seems too thick, add broth to taste. Cook chicken in boiling water until done (I cooked it in the chicken broth earlier)(about 15 to 20 minutes). Drain and add to soup. Add green onions to soup, cook 5 minutes more and serve. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and cilantro for garnish.

In my first try, I cubed a couple of sweet potatoes, that was really good.

I am tempted to add coconut milk sometime soon.

Makes 6 Servings

One Lucky Baby

A family friend, Mrs. F., made this sweater for my baby.  I cannot get over its perfectness.  The pattern, the purple buttons, the little sleeves, and the pink.  It's so special.  One of those things we'll keep forever.  But, Mrs. F. is pretty special.  We used to run together early in the cold mornings of New England.  Well, perhaps we jogged.  Anyone who elects to spend predawn time with an adolescent should get some sort of enormous medal.  I've been pretty lucky to know Mrs. F., and her daughter too - one of those people that helps you put a finger on a course your life will take.  I am full of gratitude.

Sweater

Waiting Pains

I opted out of the birthing route.  I thought I was getting away with something: "Look, I'm expecting a baby in a couple of months AND I am enjoying this Pinot Noir!" No doctors' appointments.  No scary classes about how to squeeze a live human being out of my 5'3" frame.  Pickles and ice cream have retained their separate purity.  I believed I chose the less painful route.  But right now, I sure could use one of those Lamaze classes where they teach you how to breathe.  And an epidural. No one told me how excruciating these months would be.  Or they did, but I chose not to listen. 

I'll take responsibility for my own ignorance. though a heads' up from the social worker might have been nice.  I first saw my daughter's face about seven months ago.  Given the lightening speed with which children grow, particularly ones who previously may have been a bit malnourished, she looks like 18 months have passed, not seven.  And she's done that without me.  The silver lining is that she is growing; she looks to be receiving love.  She is hearing, and learning I suppose, the local language, and maybe will pick it up easily later in life.  But who will tell her about her early milestones?  Who will tell her what her first word was?  What the baby in Baby A found funny?  Even though she is with others, it seems to me that she is alone.  And that breaks my heart.

I can no longer calculate a possible arrival date.  I expected her to be here now.  When people ask me for news (as they do every day)(which, despite my angst, leaves me floored by the amount of interest and care people have for us), I am left speechless.  I just don't know.  And at this point, I have know idea why.

What I do know:

  1. The adoption agency billed me for another month of care for my baby.  Just a bill, no email or call saying there will be another month...  However, when I had only paid half of a $16,000 bill, I did get a personal email.  It said something like, "We would hate it if failure to remain current on your account delayed your child's arrival."  Real humanitarians, huh?
  2. The US Embassy wants to get more involved in all adoptions.  Not necessarily a bad thing, if it is an honest effort to prevent/reduce/eliminate corruption.  However, more involved = additional months.
  3. Other families in the same program, who were matched after me, have been united.

So, my list of knowns is quite short.  What I don't know is both shorter and more expansive.

What I don't know:

  1. WHEN I CAN GO GET MY BABY.

Family just happens. I guess.

Charles is my partner, but I am the one adopting the baby.  We haven't quite figured out what the relationship between his two boys and the baby will be.  Turns out, they had been doing the thinking. 

One asked: Will she be our sister?

Charles: Legally, she will not be your sister.

The other: But the cool thing is that she will think of us as her brothers!

I tear up every time I play this conversation in my head.  This baby has already taught me so much about people's capacity for love.

A Family Read-Along

While at work today, I received a care package to squeeze into an already stuffed care package (child's black with metallic silver star pattern backpack)(see photo in prior post).  It contained a doll my grandmother knitted, clothes, toys, and a very special book.  For Christmas I had given my parents a recordable copy of Guess How Much I Love You.  The plan was for them to record it.  We would bring it to Africa so that by the time she arrives in the States, she knows their voices a bit.  Alas, all of our delays.  My parents, my sister, and my little nephews worked together to record the story.  It is so beautiful.  It's the one thing (well, maybe in addition to the backpack with silver stars) that I have sent that I would love to be able to bring home.  You hear love as they read the story. 

Grandma's knitted doll didn't make the cut.  She's here with me.  Waiting.

147 Million Orphans

I am not sure exactly how many orphans there are in the world right now.  Some organizations count an orphan as a vulnerable child - a child without two living parents.  Sometimes, they are just hard to count.  Whatever the number is, there are too many people growing up without proper care.  147 Million Orphans is an organization that fund raises for orphan care.  It also gives some of its proceeds to families raising money to adopt.  They sell bags, T-shirts, mugs, and hats.  They also have jewelry made in Uganda, Haiti, and Honduras.

We have exchanged a few emails.  The women who run 147 Million Orphans are adoptive moms themselves.  They have been super nice.  They understand this waiting time well and have expressed great compassion.  Check them, and their work, out, click on the photo below.