Homemade Christmas

It amazes me how adaptable kids can be, and what great ideas they can come up with. Since we're still "stuck" in South Africa, we borrowed Grandma's Christmas tree and the kids decorated it with paper ornaments. They've had so much fun and all it took was paper, pencils and a bit of glitter! We'll also getting ready to decorate sugar cookies later today. And we heard from the mechanic who said our car will be ready by the end of the week, so we're planning to head home on Monday!

It's hard to believe that another year is almost over. Thanks for following our lives through this blog, for your comments, email, prayers, and encouragement. And if you're in the mood for baking something home made, try the wonderful recipe below for a South African Pumpkin Pie.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

Lisa



South Africans eat pumpkin as a vegetable, not a sweet desert. Restaurants often serve it as a creamy side dish that's similar to mashed potatoes. This recipe is thicker and in South Africa, made with fresh pumpkin, never from a can. Thanks to my wonderful friend, Gizela for passing on the recipe!

4 Cups cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup margarine

Mix together and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

A Taste of Africa

I’m sure I’ve mentioned before that I love trying dishes from all over the world. Roclette from France, Fufu from Togo, Curry from India, Gali Sisi from Ghana, and oh, I know I’ve mentioned my favorite Mexican!

Here’s a recipe I first made about fifteen odd years ago, over an open fire at a missions camp in Texas, for about 50 plus kids. (That in itself is another story.)



Yassa au Poulet --or Marinated chicken in a lemon and onion sauce.

MARINATE

2 Cups chopped onions
2 T chopped garlic
1 ½ t chopped fresh chilies
½ t ground ginger
1 t pepper
1 T salt
1 C lemon juice
1 ½ C water
1 T oil

Pour ingredients into a zip lock bag along with a cut up 2 ½ to 3 pound chicken. Marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Heat 4 T of oil in a heavy skillet. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat the pieces dry. Brown the chicken in the hot oil, turning them frequently. As they brown, transfer the chicken pieces to a plate.

Pour off all but 2 T of the oil and remove the pan from the heat. Strain the marinade through a sieve and remove all excess liquid (save). Heat the oil in the skillet and add the solid contents from the sieve. Cook while stirring for about 5 minutes or until the onions are soft.

Return chicken, ½ cup of the liquid marinate, and ¼ cup of water to the pan. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce heat to low. Partially cover the pan and let simmer for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

Serve with hot rice.

Check back for more mouthwatering recipes!

Blessings,

Lisa