Pics

Alina tried on Grandma's glasses

Then Ania did.

The girls got a new bunk bed (very fun!!)... last night Alina was reading books to Ania up there. The idea was that one would sleep on top bunk and the other on bottom (because they like to sleep in the same room), but they decided it's best if they both sleep on the top bunk together.

Thanksgiving

The big picture

The eaters

And, the little pictures.
Turkey
Frog eye

Spinach

Eating Aunt Jo's popcorn balls

Choke!

Ania's birthday party

Here you go, Rhoda! :)

Ania did the finishing touches on her hair.

Josh the party animal...

Time for cake! Finally, everyone gets to say happy birthday to her. She had been asking about this since her birthday (a week earlier)...
Blowing out the candles

Josh and Alina playing video games

Grandpa and Alina playing air hockey

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know it's a little late, but this is my passive aggressive way of asking where are the pictures from your Thanksgivings? And Ania's birthday party? And any pictures of Katie, Mary and V? And any other fun things you have been doing. I'm tired of looking at acheke.

IMG00041.jpg

This is my favorite acheke at Maison de la Femme.

IMG00040.jpg

Duck with mango sauce in the capital. It was good but very expensive. $9. More than I make in a day.

Halloween and Ania's birthday

Here are some pictures from Halloween. I forgot to get a picture of the back of Ania's costume, but it was really stinkin cute. (Ha :)) Alina decided that she should wear a princess crown with her bumblebee outfit. I mean, why not?
Skunks like to suck their thumbs too!

Ania wanted to wait for a friend to get her cast off for her birthday party (she got it off this week), so on her actual birthday we went to Chuck E Cheese, and the real birthday party will be this weekend. Here are some pics from Chuck E Cheese's:

She actually started screaming (in fright, not excitement) when she saw Chuck E Cheese.
Alina is very brave.

Acheke.jpg

This isn't my normal acheke. Usually it is served with fish and fresh tomatoes. They tried to be fancy but I like it they regular way.

The Missing Pfood Posts

Burkina Faso is not Italy.

They have two dishes, though, that make you dream of the land yonder. I present Burkina's version of macaroni.

Above is what happens when I try to cook. :) The recipe is as follows:

Boil 400g macaroni
Drain water
Add 2 cans of sardines in oil, undrained
Add a couple tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
Share with the children next door whose parents left them home alone all day with no food.

Let me tell you this. While you might not think this looks delicious, they were happy as anything to have this. They LOVE sardines here. So this was a real treat.

Macaroni Two

This was lunch yesterday. They cook it in a huge pot. What is curious though, is they measure the water so they don't have to drain anything. When they have seen how I make macaroni, they tell me I waste too much water. This is their recipe, as far as I can tell.

Add 3 cups oil (palm) to the pot (maybe 3 cups is an exaggeration, but it's a lot)
To this, add tomato paste and onions
Fry the fish
Remove fish
Add water to the tomato/onion oil and bring to boil
Add pasta and cook till mushy
Serve

Tô

This is the Burkinabe national dish. They love it like we love hamburgers, or in keeping with the Italian theme, Italians love pizza. They can't get enough of it. Many people eat it everyday, twice a day. They make a big pot of it and eat it at night and then eat what's left for breakfast the next day. They LOVE it. I read a description that it's like polenta in Italy. I do believe you could get shot for telling an Italian that, but what do I know about Italians?

The preparation is to first pound the corn or wheat into flour. They do that by hand. I'll have to get a photo. You can imagine. Then you cook it over the fire till it becomes thick with a to stick. Most people have a special tô stick. I'll also have to get a picture of that. It's basically a branch from a tree that has 3 smaller branches coming off the stirring end. Similar to a whisk. They then ladle it out with a special gourd spoon so that it makes the little patties you see here and let it cool.

I don't know what sauce this was. The 12 year old girl next door made it. It was kind of spicy, had meat and was pretty good. I think there was also soumbala. That is a taste I'm getting used to. I was thinking of trying to bring some home so you could taste it. At first I really didn't like it. It has a very strange smell and taste.

Last night the mom next door cooked. She said she was sorry there wasn't any meat or fish in the sauce. But I think it's very nice she shares. Especially since I never cook so I don't share with here.

Anyway, she made this sauce. I have no idea what it was. In some bites I thought I tasted a little peanut butter. But then I also thought maybe it was okra. No idea.

They also eat this with their hands. I have no idea how. I eat it with a spoon.

For lunch I hope to get my favorite dish, acheke. Acheke is like couscous. It is made from the cassava root. And my phone is charging so I'll be able to post. See you in a couple hours!

Tuesday's lunch

Ignam with tomato sauce and a little fish.

Pork

This is a treat they make in a mud oven. Then its in a local beer sauce with tomatoes, onions and hot peppers. It's good if they don't give you a plate of fat and/or bones. Today it's full of meat and good.

Looking forward to Thanksgiving

This is the bird I'm going to eat. And yes. I'm still hungry after that holiday feast. And for breakfast I found a care package treat. A granola bar!

IMG00031.jpg

Chicken. I ate 2 pieces before I emembered the photo.

Tabasky

Starts with salad and something that's like pork rinds. But not obviously. Shrimp crackers.

dinner from my neighbor.jpg

My neighbor brought me dinner tonight which was very nice. Sometimes she does that. If she doesn't I eat candy or crackers for dinner. Or I don't eat because cooking with no fridge and no sink is no fun. This is ignam. I think that's how its spelled. It's a huge root vegetable about as fat as a football and about 3/4 the length of your arm. It's very hairy and has to be peeled. If you don't peel it properly you get a funny taste in the back of your throat. This was in some sort of tomato broth.

Unfortunately my battery is too low to send this tonight. I'm thinking of getting another one (battery that is) for back up. For some reason my solar charger and BlackBerry don't get along.

In other food news this weekend is Tabasky so you will get to see holiday food on Sunday! What luck to have picked this project this week.

Lunch

Rice with fish. A tail. I eat it with a spoon. They eat with their hands.

Pfood in Apfrica

I was talking to Molli and decided it would be pfun if pfor a week I posted the pfood I ate. This is breakfast. Everyday I eat the same thing. Oatmeal with honey and powdered milk. I drink either coffee (like today from my Pfrench press) or tea. I also take my malaria pill and daily vitamin. See you at lunch!