The Bedouin Chieftan's Son

This is a story my family loves to tell.  When I was nineteen, my family traveled to Egypt.  I have many stories to tell about this incredible adventure, but when it's 'make fun of Aubrey time,' this is one they love to tell.

My dad and I.

Part of our tour was to visit a Bedouin camp.  Bedouin's are nomadic tribes common in the area we visited.  They served us a meal in an open tent where we sat cross-legged in a large circle.  Tea, always tea, was also served.  I was intrigued that tea in Egypt was always served in a little glass.  There were no handles like I'm used to.  Just a small, narrow glass of piping hot tea.  I would hold it around the very lip with just my fingertips because the water was so hot.


My mom and I before our meal.  I look angry.  I wonder what I was thinking about.

 After the meal, we were given a dance lesson...don't I look super comfortable performing this dance in front of everyone while they smiled and clapped?  No?  Weird. Trust me, you wouldn't either. 

With dance lesson complete (thank goodness), we were shown how to make their traditional flat bread.  I was fortunate enough to receive a hands on tutorial.  They made it look so easy!   I remember that the girl who taught me was very young.  I would guess she was only a young teenager.  She wore a thin silver band on the ring finger of her left hand.  I've always wondered whether that meant she was married, as is our custom, or whether it was just the finger the ring fit on.  There was a different Egyptian girl at a separate place who was surprised that I was so old and not married.  That said, I suppose my flat bread teacher very well may have been married.  I think about her sometimes and wonder about how very different our lives are. 

Anyhow, on to the funny story!  There was a little boy, probably eight or nine years old.  He was apparently the son of the tribe's chief.  He took my hand at one point to take me on a tour of the camels and the rest of the camp.  Naturally, I didn't understand a word he said, but I just smiled and nodded, all the time thinking about how sweet and funny this little boy was.  He followed me around everywhere I went.  I went to sit in the shade...he went to sit in the shade...really, really close to me.  I went to get a drink of water...he went to get a drink of water.  I think you get my drift.  He was obviously smitten.

It turns out that all the while, my dad had the tribe's chief talking him up too.  The chief was negotiating with my dad.  Negotiating my betrothal to his son...awkward!  My dad thought the guy was joking and so therefore joked back and started talking about how many camels it would take for him to give up his only daughter!!!   About the time his conversation was accurately translated to the rest of us, the tour bus was ready to leave.  My new little friend asked for a kiss, which I granted (on the cheek...don't freak out) and then ran onto the bus and huddled down in the back row.  Now, how many girls can say that their father almost (unknowingly, of course) sold them to Egyptian Bedouins?  Thanks for keeping me, Dad.  I know I was pretty sassy.

When I see these photos, it makes me pause and think of the girl with the silver band who smiled a lot and happily made her flat bread.  Just think, that could have been me.

The Advent Calendar

Ah yes, the Halloween bounty still lurks.

The Halloween sugar high just wore off, the Thanksgiving stuffing (pun intended) is barely a memory and here we are already counting down the days until Christmas.

Historically, we don't put up our tree this early.  I'd say it's usually mid-December before the deed is done.  Fortunately, for my children this year we did put it up early.  This means that their mom found the advent calendar from childhood days well before the Christmas countdown. 

What a lovely way to use up all that Halloween candy.  My parents, as I recall, used a lot of Brachs candy.  I remember my brothers and I each getting a piece of candy before bed and then taking turns ringing the bell.

These are fond memories I hope to pass on to my boys. 

I'm not really sure how I ended up with this speical advent calendar.  It's probably because I had children first.  Now that my brothers are starting their families, I suppose I'll have to share.  We worked on that sharing bit a lot when we were younger.  I wonder if I'm any better at it now that I'm a grown-up.  Perhaps we can put it on a rotation...or I can just make two new ones.  We'll see! 

This could easily be made with some ribbon, yarn and felt. 

The top portion of the calendar says:

"Till Santa Comes"

If twenty four whole days

Seems a long time to wait,

Old Santa recommends

This tasty bit of bait.

Just take a piece of candy

Each night when sandman calls,

Shake the bell just once

and leave the rest upon the wall.

If when you've eaten all the sweets

And rung the bell just right,

Go straight to bed and sleep,

"Cause Santa Comes Tonight"

World Travel

My parents never bought me a car or the latest clothes or gadgets. Most times, I had to wait for Christmas or my birthday to get something. Unfortunately, both of those dates fall in December.


I didn’t get everything I wanted and at the time, I’m sure I complained from time to time. However, my parents gave me so much more! Aside from a college education, my folks started taking my two brothers and me on international vacations starting when I was just 13 years old. Not to mention the countless domestice road trips we were treated to.  What a fun childhood I had.  Lucky girl!  I remember us driving a 1989 Dodge Caravan until it finally croaked about 15 years later. I’m pretty sure that was the only new car my parents ever bought. Those vacations cost a pretty penny and I’m so grateful my they chose what was better. Instead of the latest equipment, cars and clothes, I have memories that will last a lifetime. Not only that, but I have a better perspective of the rest of the world. 

When I was 13, we went to China.

At age 15, it was Costa Rica. I started saving my money the day we got home from that vacation because I loved it so much and at age 17, I went back with some family friends.

At age 19, it was exotic Egypt.

When I was 21, my brother and I traveled to England and Whales.

And finally, at age 22, my friend Amy and I went (along with my dad) on a medical mission team to Vietnam to help work in remote clinics and with surgeons repairing childhood cleft palates and lips as well as crossed eyes.

At age 23, I got married and had a honeymoon in Mexico.

At age 24, I had my first baby. Since then, family life has been my adventure. And what an adventure it has been!

Last fall, at age 29, my husband and I finally got our Hawaii vacation. Just the two of us, no kiddos! I wish I still had that tan.

We have dreams of the Mediterranean, Morocco, Italy, Spain, Ireland and so many other places. Once our children our older, we fully intend to take them on international trips as well. My hope is that the vacations are part fun, touristy stuff and part service projects.

We’ll see where we are led.

I have decided to run a new series here on My Oh My. Though food is certainly a major passion of mine, I can’t ignore the passion for travel my parents instilled in me. I’ll be occasionally posting about my various travels and the many fun stories I have to share.

Sweet Potato Casserole

This doesn't have sweet potatoes in it. 

It has yams. 

But somehow, 'yam casserole' doesn't sound as appetizing. The word 'casserole' doesn't really do it justice either.  It's more like a dessert.  I liken it to having breakfast for dinner.  It's fun having pancakes and bacon and syrup at night.  It makes me feel adventurous.  Just like it's fun calling something a casserole that's really more of a tasty treat. So sneaky! 

My mother's sister-in-law gave her this recipe and she passed it on to me yesterday because I needed to make a side dish for our annual Thanksgiving dinner at church.

My dish was placed on the pot luck table right next to the cranberries, but after the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy.  At first pass, I noticed no one was taking any of my casserole.  'Oh no,' I thought to myself.  'There's no way I'm taking that home with me.'  I'd made a double batch.  Fortunately, by the time I got to them in line, half of them were gone and when it was time to leave. the bottom of the pan had been scraped.  Whew! 

Many people commented about how much they liked them.  Here are some examples:
'I don't even like yams and I liked that.'
'I wish those weren't so good, I had three helpings.'
'Awww, they're gone!'

Don't take it from me, folks.  Well...do take it from me, but also take it from the people who ate some last night.  This is a good one!  I know I'm cutting it close, but it turned out so well, I felt compelled to post it in case anyone was looking for some last minute inspiration for this Thursday. 

Unfortunately, photos were kind of an after thought.  Sorry for that!  It isn't really a fancy looking dish anyhow.  Imagine a pumpkin pie filling topped with a crumble topping. 

Sweet Potato Casserole

3 cups cooked, mashed yams
3/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 stick melted butter
2 eggs beaten
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
1-2 teaspoons cloves

Mix all ingredients together and spread evenly in a greased 9 by 13 baking dish. 
Spread the topping (below) over the yam mixture and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes.

Topping

Mix together:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped nuts

Chicken Pizzaiola

Obviously, I like to cook.  I also like to cook with other people as well as teach what I know to folks who want to learn.

This is beautiful Laura.  She's a great friend of mine as well as an amazing photographer.

Here are some wonderful family photos she took of us a few months ago.  Laura is one of those people who make you feel better by just being around them. 

She's also eager to learn to cook for her precious family.  A couple weeks ago, I went to her house for her first official cooking lesson.  We made this easy, adaptable recipe that would be great for any weeknight and would surely be popular with company.  The four children at our dinner table that night liked it as well, which is always a positive review.

Chicken Pizzaiola
Modified from The Best 30 Minute Recipe

3 cups spaghetti sauce, either store bought or homemade
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 boneless, skinless chicken breats
    or 8 chicken tenders
1 cup shredded mozzarella
20 slices pepperoni

Heat oven to 450 degrees F.  Spread the sauce into a 9x13 inch baking dish

If using chicken breasts, pound them to about 1/2 inch thick

Spread Parmesan into a shallow dish.  Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Press chicken into the Parmesan until coated.  Lay chicken in sauce. 

Bake chicken for 15 minutes. 

Increase oven to 475 degrees F.  Remove chicken from oven and mound 1/4 cup of mozzarella on top of each chicken breast (1/8 cup if using tenders).  Place pepperoni slices on top of mozzarella.  Continue to bake until cheese melts and a meat thermometer registers 160 degrees F, about 5-7 minutes. 

Serve as is or over pasta.  Your favorite pizza toppings can be used instead of the pepperoni.

Roasted Vegetables

Everyone knows they need 5 serving of fruits and vegetables a day.  At least it used to be 5.  Maybe it's more now.  It probably depends on who you talk to.  It's tough to keep up with everything in the dietary world that changes all the time.

Eat margarine, it's lower in calories.  No!  Eat butter now, it's not made of fake ingredients like margarine. I'm definitely an advocate of this...you'll never, never, never see me make anything with margarine.

Grill your food so the fat burns off.  No!  Charred meat can give you cancer. Nowadays, it seems like everything gives you cancer.  I do grill meat though. 

It does seem like most things that would be considered diet foods such as diet soda, margarine, and Sweet and Lo, are actually not that good for you because of the chemicals in them.  This makes it difficult to make good choices for some folks.  Everyone has a different opinion and different things that work for them.

But, you know what's always a good choice?  Vegetables.  God given vegetables.

Now, I'll not profess to liking all vegetables, but there are quite a few of them that I love.  Broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, cabbage, avocado, artichoke, mushrooms, beans, peas, corn...the list continues.  On the 'not my favorite' list are zucchini, squash, eggplant, and cucumbers.  Although I'm almost there on the cucumber category.  I do keep trying these veggies in the hopes I will someday like them.  I had a victory in New Orleans with cantaloupe and honeydew melons, however, which sadly fall on the 'not my favorite' list.  I had them every day for breakfast and hallelujah I loved them.  Maybe it's a regional thing. 

Speaking of New Orleans and vegetables, it was our last night on vacation and I realized that we hadn't eaten a single vegetable the entire trip except for the batter fried ones we had one night.  Fortunately, my dinner that last night came with a serving of vegetables.  Unfortunately, they were zucchini and yellow squash.  I ate them anyway. 

Here's one way to make your favorite vegetables.  Roast 'em!  Place a heavy roasting pan in the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Once the oven is heated, remove the pan and add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter and melt them together. Add the vegetables that will take longest too cook, such as carrots, cauliflower, and onion and stir them to coat in the oil/butter mixture.  Return the pan to the oven and cook for about ten minutes.

Add in the rest of your vegetables.  In this case I did red pepper and sugar snap peas.  Also add a few cloves of crushed garlic, about 1/2 teaspoon of paprika, as well as plenty of salt and pepper.  Stir them around and return them to the oven for another 7-10 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender, but not overdone. 

I know I tried to cook too many vegetables in too small of a pan.  If I hadn't there would be better roasting marks on these beauties.  The good news is they were delicious!  Always remember to try a bite before serving it and adjust seasonings if necessary. 

Trust me, just like going to the gym, you won't regret eating more vegetables.  They're always a good idea!!

Pickles-The Verdict

Sorry I haven't posted for a while.  I've been on a fabulous vacation to New Orleans with my handsome fella.

Some of you may recall one of my first posts about canning Misti's Pickles.  Well, today was the unvieling...or opening, whatever you want to call it. 

I had a bit of a bummer day.  Maybe it was the dog eating the living room carpet while I was gone, maybe it was the gray day that looked like dusk all day, or maybe it was just the blues...sometimes they happen.  Whatever the reason, I decided I needed a pick me up.  The pickles weren't due to be opened until Thanksgiving, but I called my mom and opened a jar with her on the phone to cheer me up.

At first, they were super tangy, then a little spicy.  I really like them!  The onions are extra tangy and spicy.  I like how each bite tastes different.  I think it depended on where they were in the jar.  The ones on the top were different than the ones on the bottom, were different from the ones that were pickling next to garlic. 

Here's my six year old's review.  'At first they're kind of fluffy and not so good, but then they're spicy and super tasty.  Can I please have a bowl of them?'  I guess they turned out well, although, I'm not sure how 'fluffy' tastes. 

Crispy Oatmeal Cookies

The older I get, the more I like strong flavors.  In recent years, I've learned to like spicy food, mustard and beer.  This is exciting because it opens whole new world of culinary fabulousness (yes, I know this isn't a real word) for me. 

My dad will eat anything.  Literally.  I cannot think of a single food he won't eat.  I'm both in awe of this and yet at times during my life have been a little concerned about this.  When I was a teenager, our family went out to eat at an Asian restaurant.  Each menu item had up to five dragons next to it.  The more dragons, the spicier the dish.  My dad ordered the spiciest thing on the menu, though the waiter tried his darnedest (to my surprise, spell check confirms that this is, in fact a word) to talk him out of it.  Half way through the meal, the chef came out to meet my dad because no white dude had ever been able to eat it.  Granted, by that point he was pretty red in the face. 

Some people like spicy food, mustard and beer.  Some people don't.
Some people like thick, chewy cookies, some people like thin, crispy ones.

Some people like salt on their sweet stuff.  My grandmother liked to salt her watermelon. 
Try these tasty cookies from Smitten Kitchen.  Here's the link.  They're more for people in the thin, crispy, adventurous camp.  You don't have to add the salt on top.  But it adds a lot to them.

This little ninja sure liked them!

I used regular chocolate chips this time because that's what I had. I've made them with white chocolate and they're scrumptious!