Ethiopian Recipes

Are you ready to clink? Ha! That's click and link.



In the current issue of (my favorite) Cooking Light, Ethiopia is highlighted. How timely, no? The first time that I saw Marcus Samuelsson, I just knew that he was Ethiopian... and after turning some pages, I learned that he indeed is. If you click here, you will go to the website. For ease, some of the Ethiopian recipes are: Fresh Cheese with Herbs, Teff Injera Bread with... Chutney, Lentil Edamame Stew, Red Whole Wheat Penne, Curry-spiced Samosas, Corn Mashed Potatoes, Cucumber Mango Salad, and Harissa.

World AIDS Day

A family from our agency that recently adopted their daughter from Ethiopia had this paragraph of facts about HIV/AIDS on its blog. I thought it important to copy it here. Ethiopia has been affected by HIV/AIDS and so our family will be affected by HIV/AIDS. This now becomes part of our story as well.

In addition, over Thanksgiving, I had a conversation with a friend and this topic arose. So many people don't know enough, so... for your information:

HIV can be contracted vertically from mother to child in utero, during child birth, or by nursing. HIV can be contracted horizonally through blood (sharing needles or razors or other blood to blood contact) or body fluids (sex). HIV canNOT be contracted through saliva. You can NOT get HIV from hugging, kissing, or sharing a toilet seat or a drink, or engaging in typical day-to-day activities. HIV is an extremely fragile virus that begins to die as soon as it leaves the body. Though theoretically possible, HIV has never been spread by a skinned knee or a bloody nose. HIV is a chronic but manageable condition.

With medicines now available, people can live indefinitely with HIV, without ever developing AIDS. Women with HIV can give birth to HIV- babies. Children with HIV are expected to live to old age... a normal life span. HIV is actually MUCH easier managed than Type I Diabetes. Woah!

Thanks for reading and learning.

A Thanksgiving Song?

Following is my post from last Christmas Eve. I thought of it yesterday, on Thanksgiving, because we had Christmas music playing as we helped our friends put up their tree before and after dinner. As soon as I heard the first line of this song, I thought of our adoption. You should click on the link.

So, it's Christmas Eve. Ever since we went to the Third Day Christmas Offerings concert several days ago, I've had a song running through my head. It isn't our situation exactly, but the sentiments are the same. Click here to listen. Hopefully by next Christmas we'll have Toddler Albania Stensberg. It will all be so different then. God, prepare us. You know what we need, even now. Please, prepare us. Please protect our child today. Put angels all around him/her. Thank you.

And, the sentiments are still the same... maybe even more so. It's another Christmas and Baby E. is still not home. Sigh.

Thinking

Writing about Tom's shoes made me think of good causes in general, and I remembered about Bethany's child sponsorship programs. Here is the information about sponsoring a child in Ethiopia. We are all so connected.

A good cause

My sister is a big fan of Tom's shoes and their cause: This year they are concentrating on Ethiopia. To find out more, click on this link, as the one on the picture won't work.

Uncle Matty

Uncle Matty has come to visit for a few days and he brought a gift for our child: the fire fighting book that you see above. Very thoughtful. He is ready to school our kid in fire safety as soon as (s)he arrives... and can understand us. :) Baby E., Uncle Matty already loves you!

Nothing much

It's been some time since I've last posted, mostly because nothing much is happening regarding our adoption... at least that we know of. I mean, our child could be born today, which is huge! But we wouldn't know about it.

Some little things: We have gone to our agency's International Travel workshop. (Our last! We have gone to all of them now, and even some extras. I always liked extra credit as a student, but not so much as a teacher. Anyways...) I read a book called Acres of Hope, which all people should read, in my opinion. And now I'm in the middle of a book about the Ark of the Covenant, which most Ethiopians believe is in their country. Regardless of its whereabouts, it's a good general history. Oh yes, and Rob went to a slideshow presentation on Ethiopia. Our agency had a few visionaries go over for several days and one of them put together a presentation. Rob said that he enjoyed it, making his desire to go over there as soon as possible grow.

So, that is all for now. Waiting for a miracle...