The Funnest Age

I really think Sarah is at the funnest age right now! I may have said this before on this blog; I may even have another post with this exact same title from an earlier stage. Some of our good friends, Graham and Ashlei, say that they think every stage with their son is the funnest one yet, and I would have to agree. And, yes, I do know that "funnest" is not grammatically correct, but this is a blog not a thesis, people (Dad)!

Anyway, my camera (yes, my new one that I am always praising) is having some technical difficulties, and I keep forgetting to charge the battery of our video camera, so this post is going to be photo/video-free (sorry Mom and Barb), but full of cute stories from recent days that I just had to post!

Sarah has a really adorable stuffed cow that stays in her bed with her. Unlike "Mr. Bun," who is Sarah's best friend that she'd prefer to keep with her absolutely at all times, "Niu Niu" (local language for little cow) is just a bedtime friend. The other day, though, I realized Sarah had given Niu Niu her own name--Horsey! Sarah is actually really into cows--ahem "horsies"--these days. She frequently brings me books with pictures of cows in them, saying "Mooo mooo! Horsey!" Yes, she is a little confused about her livestock, but who can blame her since where we live is about as far from "rural" as you can get. Plus, its adorable! I promise I will correct her soon, just not too soon. ;)

She calls lunch, "munch." I love it!

She loves apple juice. When she has apple juice in her cup, she runs around the apartment saying, "Apple juice! Apple juice! Apple juice!"

She is learning some of the local language. She can say goodbye, auntie, uncle (general terms of respect for any grown-up), thank you, and apple. Apple is the cutest. It is pronounced "ping guo" but Sarah says "pinkle." I giggle every time. If we can just get her to learn how to say "hello" she's going to become the star of our neighborhood. We're still working on that, though.

She's starting to show interest in learning how to count. Yesterday, we were in a cab coming home from the grocery store, and she was holding up her hands, moving fingers up and down saying, "One. Choo. One. Choo." I showed her how to count to five using my fingers, and she loved it. She asked me to do it again and again. Though when she counts herself, its still just "One. Choo."

Anyway, that's all for now folks. Hopefully, photos and maybe even video will follow soon, once I get my technical act together!

Quesadillas

Prep: 30 min.
Cook: 10 min.
Serves: 4 (with extras)

1 tbsp oil
2 chicken breast, uncooked and diced
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
6 med/large tortillas
2 tbsp oil
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
salsa and sour cream

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in skillet. Saute chicken, onion, green pepper, salsa, garlic salt, pepper, cumin and oregano till chicken is cooked and veggies are tender.
2. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush one side of tortilla with oil, then flip and place about 1/4 cup of chicken filling on one-half of the inside of tortilla (so oil-brushed side is outside). Add 1/4 cup cheese, fold over tortilla and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat, to make 6 quesadillas.
3. Bake in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, or till tortillas are just turning crispy and golden brown. Serve with salsa and sour cream.
   

Paprikash

Kind of like Stroganof, I changed this recipe slightly so I could do it in a slow-cooker, since that is the only way our meat gets tender over here. Had this last night and it was yummy, if not exactly healthly.

Prep: 20 min.
Cook 6.5 hours***
Serves: 6

1-1.5 lb. beef, pork or turkey
salt and pepper
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 med. onion, chopped
2-3 tbsp. tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup chicken broth (or 1 cup water and 2 tsp chicken bouillon)
8 oz. sour cream
2 tbsp. flour
1/4 cup water
3 cups hot cooked noodles (I used penne)
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp parsley (I used dried but fresh would be better)

1. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper, place in slow cooker. Place mushrooms, green pepper and onions on top and around meat in slow-cooker.
2. In a small bowl, combine tomato paste, garlic, marjoram, salt, pepper, and chicken broth. Pour sauce over meat and vegetables.
3. Cook 6 hours on "low." ***My slow-cooker, like all in Asia, is weird. Its "low" setting is somewhere in between an American low and high, so adjust your cooking time according to what you'd normally use for a roast or whatever to cook till fork-tender.
4. Half an hour before serving, start cooking pasta. Remove meat from slow-cooker and shred. Before adding meat back in, stir together sour cream, flour and 1/4 cup water. Stir into sauce in slow cooker. Add shredded meat back to slow cooker, and turn temperature to "high." Cook, stirring occasionally, 30 min or till sauce is bubbly and slightly thickened.
5. Cook pasta till al dente, drain and toss with butter and parsley. Serve with meat sauce on top.