Sunday Morning Dapper

Morning darlings. Wish you could see the fog rising--it's been very thick all day and hasn't burned off. Apparently it's so foggy here the airport has cancelled all flights! I only say this because A has a business trip in Munich tomorrow and is wondering how to get there. It has, however, made for some very nice drives through the country on my way to town. Sort of eerie looking, but all the more intriguing. I am excited about the pictures it will make tomorrow on our day out at the palace in Rogalin. Here's to spooky gardens and maybe something hot to drink!

I admit I have been very lax in my writing. Perhaps this is from my lack of enthusiasm lately for it. I seem to have needed a break from it--not for any reason in particular mind you--I simply have just had a week of struggling to find joy in things. Granted some days or weeks are harder than others, and especially during these times I am reminded that they are tests in order to build me up. Consequently, about the time I am halfway or almost through with a project I get tired of it and seemingly wish not to finish it. Unfortunately this project must be finished! (And no, it's not really unfortunate. I have been very lucky.) But I do wish time would hurry--and I say that with a smile on my face. :) I have a lot of good things happening and future things as well--2 months until the end of this adventure and it will be quick to show it's face.

A U G  2 0 1 2
Just two girls and a dog... somewhere.
Add a crown of flowers and you have a blissful day in the mountains. 

Today, the youngest was ill and not fit to leave the house, so I stayed with him instead of going to church. It was actually nice to just stay home in the quiet and read. I sometimes forget what the quiet sounds like haha... those darn kids. Just kidding. I just hope they don't give me their sicknesses, so I am storing up on Vit. C and lots and lots of tea. (As if I need an excuse to drink more tea--HA!)

One weekend afternoon we had the opportunity to find some pretty amazing looking mushrooms in our yard. I am told Poland is a gathering nation, where they pick and scrummage from the forest and fields berries and the like. You should have seen the last few weeks of August and into October. The country roads were lined with cars and people with baskets, going deep into the woods to hunt for mushrooms. It was quite amusing--but these mushrooms were divine and definitely the biggest I had ever seen. See?

It's the season of pumpkin! I don't know what it is about the heaps of cinnamon, apples, pumpkin, and cranberries that get me pumped for fall baking--but it does. I love the smells, I love the smiles they bring on peoples faces. We're still digging last year's pumpkin out of the freezer but I have had so much fun making soup, cakes, doughnuts (yes doughnuts), accompanied by apple cakes and pies. Maybe someday I will open up a bakery or cafe. In my dreams, right?

This upcoming weekend is going to be a nice little holiday in London with the two youngest and their mother. Plus BONUS, yours truly gets to see her husband and in-laws. Yay! :))
Let's hope the fog clears by Friday so we can leave the airport!

Here's to a contemplative Sunday. What are you up to this fall?

Polish mountains in pictures

Polish cheese

Krakow for a day

Ski lift over the mountains
Rapkoland

Mineral water
Blueberries in the 10,000 year old moor

Bach, Haydn, Mozart

Tatra Mountains
Fields & Flora
Forest fire!

Rocky and Muddy hikes

And then there were 3

Sometimes I have to will time to go faster. Other times it slips away from me. Yet, anyway you look at it, time cannot be hurried or slowed. It is simply set as it is supposed to be--in God's own pace.

This summer seemed to take ages to go by, and then when it finally did it seemed like it almost went by too fast. It was an eventful summer, a busy one, and at times a stressful one. All the same, it was perhaps one of the most memorable ones, and when I look back at all that I did it all looks quite colourful and impressive.

I did after all....

Get engaged (in Poland)... then married (in Cyprus)
Took a month off in the States to get my UK visa and visit family
Got my visa!
Packed up a suitcase of things to give to D
Flew back to Poland for a trip to Orawa and the surrounding mountain area
Traveled to the UK to visit my husband and his family for two weeks
Received my engagement ring
Took a trip to Derby to find a flat with D (Found one--hello Amber House)
Went to the Denby Factory (I think I may have been drooling..)
Picked out our dishes (Also Denby! Yay!)
Came back to Poland just in time for the kids to start school and thus continue my au pair duties.

Now we're in mid September and, consequently, I roughly have three months to go until I get to officially move to the UK! When I think about all that happened it blows my mind. Who ever would have thought this time last year all the things that have happened just in this past summer? Not to mention there are some exciting things coming up between now and then. It give me something to look forward to. Oh and fall is here... bring on the PUMPKIN recipes!

That about cuts the cake eh? Speaking of cake I just made a birthday cake for a special 9 year old--a Lego cake I might add. Only it was cream coloured instead of a more vibrant red or green or blue. Still just as tasty! Pictures to follow, and since I am slightly hopelessly behind on my uploads to Photobucket, a photo recap of Summer 2012 will be coming up in my next post.

Catching up on summer x 2

I did promise a recap.. and as June takes the cake here are more highlights. Hold your breath, it's gonna be a wild ride.

The start of June I found myself a fiancee rather than a girlfriend. My best friend of almost four years proposed to me in not at all a way we thought would ever happen--over Skype! To make a long story short, since he is British and I am American, I would have to get a visa to live and work over there. Unfortunately, the UK government is making changes to the law concerning this Spousal visa and as a result it would have made it even harder for us to be able to live together or even be married--hence the rushed proposal--since he had planned to propose to me this summer on our trip to Budapest and Germany (which, consequently, had to be canceled).

Not only was I engaged... but this also meant getting married before the end of the month to get all the necessary paperwork in before the law changed! We were trying to save money by not going through with a fiance visa, so within a week of being engaged, we set the wedding for the second week of June... in Cyprus and tied the knot there.

We knew it would be small and without any fuss--that was the easy part--but we had no idea the headache of getting a small document that proved that both of us were single and free to marry. Not to mention doing this all from Poland and taking care of 3 kids in the middle of this makes all wedding plans seem EASY. I thought getting this affidavit would be easy from Poland--just whip by the US Embassy in Warsaw on my way to Cyprus, but it turned out last minute that we found out I had to do it at the US Embassy in Cyprus instead, and on the morning of the wedding because that was the earliest time slot available. Cue change of time for the wedding. And hoping that the town hall would be okay with a time change. Both D and I were making calls to what seemed like embassy after embassy, asking about apostles and if I could do it in such and such country. It was a very busy and trying time. My call to Cyprus was quite comical... not at the time, but afterward it was very funny. I had somehow not been able to print out my confirmation page that you are required to bring to the embassy on the day of your appointment and thus called to find out what could be done and if I could still be seen. The lady on the phone insisted that my print out had a unique bar code on it and thus they wouldn't be able to see me because that bar code was lost with my confirmation page.
    "How can we find you in thousands of applicants? It's impossible."
Oh. No. Are you kidding me?
    "Ma'am can't you look me up in the system with my passport and name?"
    "No, we can not do that."
After a few minutes of me asking questions and then referring to a second question, she suddenly realized I was not there for a visa appointment, just a notary appointment, in which case, I would not need a bar code. The irony is instead of me laughing, she proceeded to laugh and apologize. At least she has a sense of humor. In the end, I laughed with her.
    "I am so sorry! of course you can still come for your appointment. You don't need your confirmation page."

Thank you!!

So after all that we were fine for the appointment, and soon found out via text as I was about to board the airplane that our wedding was changed to the day after the appointment. So all was good--I could get my affidavit.... and get married.

The trip to the embassy was really easy and straightforward--minus someone's camera being taken away and their photos being deleted because they took a photo of the embassy--and no it wasn't me. The people there were really friendly and helpful. I think it has something to do that I was the only American citizen there for an appointment. Everyone else was there for a visa! Afterward, one of the guards even asked me to stay--he was in such a cheery mood. Quite the adventure.

Cyprus was really beautiful and it was funny how we both got our wish to be married near the beach and in such summer sunshine. We were also lucky and blessed to have D's whole family there with us--somehow his parents and two brother's were able to get off work to celebrate with us. Neither of us thought that would happen, and even though it could never replace my parents not being able to come, it still made us so grateful to have them there to share our day.

Love

We arrived at the town hall early in the morning, and had several weddings ahead of us, so it took awhile for our paperwork to get to us. When it finally did we had to keep correcting typing errors. Poor girl who was typing everything up, she was standing in for the person who normally does these things who was on holiday. I think she was in over her head, but we finally got it all completed, and probably something around noon we were led into the conference room where they hold the ceremonies--the last wedding of the day. Having no rings as of yet (I have yet to get my engagement ring!), we became husband and wife saying these words:

I ... accept you ... as my lawful spouse, to love & share with you from this day moments of joy and sorrow, wealth & poverty, happiness & unhappiness throughout our life until death do separate us."

The vows were perfect--as was our wedding. I can only say the journey of getting to this day was long and an incredible story, but one so worth it that I never regret any of it. Unfortunately our small (but wonderful) holiday in Cyprus was short and sweet. I traveled back to Poland and then about a week later went to the US to get all my visa papers in order. I now safely have my visa (and before the deadline of UK law change! Yay!) and will be back in Poland in a few weeks to finish my year there. The beginning of next year I start my new life with my husband in England. Who would have thought?
So that was June.

Catching up on Summer

Boy, you can tell I have been busy from the lack of writing. It's been an incredible and fast pacing few months. Right now I am visiting back home in the States, home of super hot weather (loving it), and seeing fireworks and catching a Braves game. Strange being back, and I know it will be short lived.

Here's some highlights from end of May...

May brought excitement over strawberries in Poland. So for many days straight we were relishing strawberry smoothies and buying them by the kilogram. I love strawberries--and I never knew there were so many varieties! "Truskawka" as they are called in Polish are one of the many items that announce the start of summer. That and white asparagus--we had that quite a bit too.
The kids had exams the end of May and early June, so between some (extra) English lessons they were heading to town quite frequently to take these exams. I heard they all did well, so kudos to them. I must say I have to laugh at Marceli's attempt to label an Elephant's trunk, and as a result got marked half a point higher than Cecylia. He didn't know the English name for it and consequently put 'really long nose' as his answer. The teacher accepted it.

And June takes the cake....

But that story will have to come later ;)

On a more positive note--I am please to announce that I have put two of my short stories on Amazon Kindle edition for all the world to see. Both are available for just 99 pennies, so if you have an e-reader or a Kindle I would love your support and to get your feedback so that I can improve on all things writing.

Here is Adelaide:
Todd, Blacwin, captain of "The Immanuel" in the British Royal Navy, comes across an abandoned ship bearing his country's colours. Upon entering the ship he finds a stowaway--a fiery red haired young woman in the disguise of a young lad. in his determination to discover the demise of the ship's captain and crew, he pursues the young woman's desire in finding and freeing her father from bondage; thus, earning her trust and perchance her name.


And the second, On the Other Side:

Paige, like all teenage girls, struggles with acceptance--perhaps even acceptance of herself. Involved in a serious car accident that leaves her in a coma, her ghost of her future self, Grace, takes her on an adventure in an empty and lonely world that brings to light her life from another perspective as well as the relationship between her and her elderly and judgmental Grandmother. Torn between past and present, Paige is left with a choice to change things. Will she wake up?

So spread the word, tell your friends, have a blast reading and, above all, have a Happy 4th of July!

---

The best of the best, of the best, of the best best

It has dawned on me recently that I have rarely talked about my 'weekly routine' and schedule. While some may consider me a mere babysitter (which may be true in some cases), I would argue that my role here is purely one of many talents. I become the chauffeur, the cook/baker woman, the English teacher, disciplinarian, official enforcer of table manners, and sometimes when called upon the goofy companion. The title of this post tells you how many silly slogans and comic book phrases get thrown at me everyday--most in Polish. That is one Marceli likes to repeat over and over. I truly do understand what being a parent is all about--perhaps this 'training' has given me a wake-up call to the child I was to my parents when I was little. It ain't easy. All come with their trials, rewards, and lessons--maybe even perhaps in doing so I will be "the best Mom ever"... after my mother of course. Love you Mom! :)

When I first came I had nearly a week and a half to learn everything. That included the roads, who liked what foods, what time meals were, and how to decipher Polish food labels. It was something new, something challenging, and something I truly enjoyed. Now five months into the year and I still find myself learning even when the schedule seems to be at it's normal pace and repertoire. I think even the kids are starting to warm up to me a little after realizing I am not all that mean terrible. It's for their own good; I swear.

Here's how a normal day looks like for us:

Kids have swimming at 7am - Either I pick them up or their tutor, depending on the location, at 8:30am. 

Second Breakfast at 10am

Lessons from 10am-3pm with a break at 1pm for lunch. 

Supper at 7:30pm

Throughout the week there are alternating days for other activities including swimming at two other swimming pools (they do swim an awful lot), horseback riding, piano lessons, taekwondo, and English lessons (when we can). 

Yes. They are extremely busy kids. 

My little cuties - the eldest is only pretending he's tough.

 I have begun to relish my morning quiet time ritual. It is sometimes postponed to the afternoon though depending on what I am doing. Still, my Bible reading has become the essential daily activity for me. I am working on reading it from cover to cover--so far it's been a well rewarded journey.

Weekends are a bit more relaxed, as I get to do things on my own time. And on Sunday.... Breakfast with the family at 8am, and leave for church at 9:15am. They drop me off at one of the roundabouts in town, and I take the tram to my church, while they drive to their mass. Afterward, I usually meet them at the local shopping mall or they come pick me up. We have a nice lunch (or dinner as they refer to it) at home around 2 or 3pm, and then they have a 'sweet snack' around 5pm. Supper is at 7:30pm. 

Time with friends is sprinkled in there. And yes, they do eat alot of small meals during the day. It's unreal. They keep telling me I need to eat more, and if you know me at all than you know I barely eat anything--except maybe peanut butter.

The past few days I have been in charge of waking up at 5am, waking the kids up, feeding them, and driving them at 6am to the swimming pool since Aga is out of town. By golly we did it--aced, done and dusted. 

I definitely do feel like the best of the best, of the.... well you get the point. 

Happy Friday!

Heart & Hand

"But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself , so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God."

[And with the winter months their hearts were cold and unbecoming, but then spring came and melted their disparaging thoughts and minds. Then things were beautiful.]

 At the coming of May I am again reminded of so many things. Not only has my life been truly full and blossoming, but I am also able to share so much of my life with others. I was reminded by this verse of the 'course' or mission that I am on here, and of how very important it is that I follow through with it--whatever it is that I am called to do. I have been trying to do more in the way of finding God's purpose for me here, and to fulfill it to the best of my ability. In more ways than one I can see what it is He is doing for me here and it makes me happy to see His plan unfolding. We are so small compared to what He has prepared for us--I know that more and more.

I see this year as a huge milestone. Not only do I turn 25 (yikes!) but I also have been able to pursue more of my interests in English. Since being here God has really opened up opportunities to help others with English in the way of teaching or editorial work. This is something I have been praying about and I am excited at the possibilities that are unfolding. Perhaps my dream of freelancing is starting to unwind, still there is so much work that needs to be done. Regardless, I am grateful for the much needed experience. I have also learned how to manage a household. I list this as one of the blessings of this year because one day I will have to manage one of my own, and being a part of this family here in Poland has only opened my eyes to how it will be. I feel like a parent, teacher, housewife, and caretaker all in one--only I have limitations because I am in another person's home. However, being given these responsibilities has helped me to learn what I would do differently, how I would apply certain things to my own household. I used to get frustrated and discouraged when I was seen as the 'outsider' to the kids or how they test me with their actions and attitudes, but I realize all these things happen to strengthen and build us up. I know now how challenging, as well as rewarding, these things are in our lives. I feel older; I feel more prepared. I know God wouldn't have placed me here without wanting me to go through these things for my benefit and to use this as something to look back on for a learning tool. I have learned patience, even when I thought I was patient enough. From working here I have realized there is always room for more.

I have been placed in many churches in my life, and while I first questioned being a part of this one here in Poland I know that somehow I am to be an influential tool here too. I love being able to worship, strengthen my faith, and to build some friendships with some of the elders of the church. I haven't had much luck with fellowship with the youth of the church or spending much time with members, but I hope if anything that I can be of some influence or encouragement in some way while here. I see this as more of a place to help myself grow than to obtain lasting friendships, although that may happen too. Sometimes, God gives us ways and means to help ourselves be 'fed' in order to help us grow. I think He is feeding me now with being in this church.

Likewise, perhaps one of the most amazing thing that has happened this year is my incredible experience getting to know God better. I have the church to thank in helping me see and think more about what it means to be strong in God and how important it is to live your life in such a way that reflects Him. Throughout this year I have made more of an effort to pray, to have more intimate time with God, to read more of the Bible, to influence and encourage others in living a more Godly focused life. These things have become so very important to me. All of these things have no doubt helped me to become the woman I am, and I have come to love what I see. I am yearning to be taught more in the ways of compassion, mercy, love, and living for Christ. He has, after all, done more for me than I can ever think was possible. His everlasting love is what has made me want to be a child after His own heart. Now perhaps with His love and influence I can influence the work my hands are doing in this place.

Only 5 months into this new adventure and I relish at the thought of what the next 7 months can teach me. I am hopeful for what God has in store for me, and even more excited for what He has planned after.

On my walk along the River in Kórnik with D

After an already filled 2 weeks with about a gazillion kids... okay only 7... a new puppy... who keeps peeing on the floor... and a very nice visit from D complete with a visit to a castle and arboretum, my weekend is about to start tomorrow.

Starting tomorrow I am off on a small 'holiday' to see Gdańsk, a short stop in the Malmo & Copenhagen Airports, and then to Roskilde, Denmark.  (Looking forward to seeing you La!)

Although the main pain will be all the different types of transport I will be getting... train, bus, airplane... it will certainly be a nice weekend. ALSO! It's going to be warm in Poland! 25-30C that's in the high 70s Fahrenheit for you folks back home. :)

I am looking forward to getting to a new city in Poland. Gdańsk is a beautiful coastal city, and home of the birthplace of the first battle of European theatre of WWII.

My computer will no doubt be uploading a couple hundred pictures of all these places and I will have some writing to do about the Polish National Holiday on May 3rd, as well as all the usual happenings. I will most definitely have to catch up with the happenings of last week, which will consequently be the last 2 weeks after I get back haha... I think I have some work to do. 

More soon. It was a good past... few weeks :)

Polska Kultura

Where's Charlie.... wait what?

I love this picture simply because it's a perfect example of some of the strange things I see here in Poland. This Charlie person needs to find Waldo pronto. I thought I would dedicate this post to somewhat strange, comical, and unique things pertaining to Polish culture that I have noticed while being here. And they think 'the American' (me) is strange--hah! :)

1. Shopkeepers usually open around 10am (ish), and one of the first things they do is wash the threshold/sidewalk/windowsills of their shop with a broom and mop. Honestly in America this would never happen. However, I find this somewhat endearing. 
2. In addition to the first, the Poles also find it necessary to wash their streetsigns as well--complete with a special utility vehicle that is used for such purposes. It looks like a tractor with a giant mop on the front arm.
3. The family here finds it strange that I never peel any of the vegetables or fruits, such as apples, cucumbers, tomatoes, and potatoes. They must peel everything! All I can think of is all the wasted peel, and I am not sure if this is due to me liking the added fiber to my diet, me not minding eating the peel, or all of the above.
4. Wearing stockings is a big thing here--if you don't wear them they claim you will get sick. 
5. Similarly, you must wear house shoes at all times indoors--if you don't you will also get sick from that too. 
6. When someone gets sick they take a week off... and call the doctor. This goes for a little chest cold. 
7. Milk used in cereal, hot cocoa, or pudding must be warm--not cold. 
8. The family doesn't eat the ends of bananas, due to a bacteria that grows there.... I am not sure if this is true. 
9. A bathing suit for a male consists of a Speedo--I have yet to see swim shorts. 
10. When paying for something they round up and will often ask you for a specific amount of change to make what they give back to you more 'even'.
11. The most popular shoe for a female is some sort of high heel or boot. They dress up more here which is evidence of  the Eastern European way of dressing.
12. Today I had my first experience of milk... it came in a sealed up bag. Yes. Weird.
13. If the power goes out at the house there is a limited amount of appliances that work. This makes me grateful for gas appliances! Here everything is electric... the stove/oven, heating, kettle, and the INTERNET! When you can't even cook on the stove top with a match... it's bread and butter for lunch. 
14. It's the law in Poland to have your headlights on at all times. This makes it quite fun when driving, because in order to warn other drivers of this mishap, you flash your high beams at them. This may proceed with a wave in acknowledgement.
15. Wedding rings here are worn on the ring finger of the right hand. 
16. The family here has a very wide selection of medicines, vitamins, tablets, pills, and other herbal things. Apparently this is a big thing in Poland.
17. Poles consume a lot of meat and are one of the highest consumers of meat in Europe. Bring on the kielbasa, ham, etc. 
18.  Hospitality here is something special to experience. They really take pride in giving the guest a full plate in both food and in being the perfect host. When guests arrive there is usually a wide spread of foods and alcohol of course. Lots of talking.... lots of eating... and this may repeat for several hours. Don't expect them to leave anytime soon. 
19. Christmas easily lasts until February--in fact it is tradition. Many a carol are sung after New Years, and there are still lots of sweets leftover. 
20. Chopin is their pride and joy who hailed from Warsaw, the capital of Poland.

How is that for culture!

Drama[tist]

The past few weeks have been an amazing whirlwind--maybe even a hurricane--but that is no excuse for lack of a bit of writing. I feel compelled to ask how are you, maybe that is because I feel like I need some caffeine after a very long day of (always hungry), noisy, and upset kids. My life is certainly a play put on by a master dramatist. Seems fitting doesn't it? Anyway, how are you?

Where to begin? My last post seems like it was ages ago rather than a week. Time is flying by so quickly it's unreal. Here we are already in the second week of April--where did the first four months go? Since my last post we have eaten all the sourdough bread. It was a big hit, especially the loaf I baked in the crock pot in the oven. From now on I will use a big heavy pot like that for bread baking--it turned out perfect! I would have saved you some, sorry. I was please that the loaf impressed the auntie and 'Babcia' Zosia (Grandmother in Polish). They really loved the bread and told me 'I would have no problem keeping a house of my own'. Baking bread or cooking in general is considered a very big positive in being able to keep a household--thus the emphasis. It made me proud. This week I made a huge loaf of garlic bread--I wish I had taken a picture because the loaf was seriously so big and took up most of a cookie sheet. I used about 7 cloves of garlic too--so the kids loved it with their spaghetti.

 April also brought us Easter, the day in celebration of Christ's ultimate sacrifice to die for all his children and his being raised from the dead--our Miracle. I was excited to experience Easter here in Poland, namely in seeing what is different or the same.

 The family attended alot of mass during Easter week, and Babcia Zosia and auntie came to spend part of the week here. They are sisters. I find it endearing to be with them because they don't speak English and I don't speak fluent Polish to speak with them. There is alot of smiling, laughing, and hand gestures. But I like how well I get along with them, especially auntie. I think it's our common love of cooking. Even if communicating is difficult we still find ways to make each other smile. On the weekend I was helping Aga prepare some of the Easter food. Their tradition is to bring a basket of food to church to be blessed. This is then shared on Easter Sunday with the family.

 The basket consists of what they would call the basics of their meals: Butter, meat, bread, boiled eggs that are decorated by the kids, and the horseradish and salt and pepper also hold significance specific to Easter similarly to the Jewish tradition.

The Polish traditionally have a very large Easter breakfast after early morning mass always with a prayer included for those who are no longer with us. Among Polish kielbasa, boiled eggs, a variety of cold meats, molded butter made into sheep figurines, and radishes, auntie made a wonderful piece of beef infused with garlic and baked for a few hours. We were all so full though from breakfast that we weren't hungry for it by the time lunch came around!

We also made a salad of cubed potato, carrot, parsley root (it actually exists, just not at home--I had no idea what she was talking about), pickles, apples, boiled eggs, mayo, and green parsley. It was different but also really good. I also helped her make a huge cheesecake made with two kilos of cheese, powdered sugar, and raisins. Also good... Aga loves it and could eat it all day everyday. Unfortunately our weight rose a little this weekend--no surprise right? Between all the food (there were alot of little meals) I am back to the ab workouts and eating less this week! On Sunday I made Baked Duck and Apples for the first time--another authentic Polish dish. We had everyone together for lunch including the priest and they all commented how good it was. I have Aga to thank for emailing me the recipe. Cabbage and a special soup with boiled egg and kielbasa called 'Zurek' was also served. 

Zurek soup

I decorated eggs with the kids and had fun making them pretty colors with their paints. They claim mine with the yellow chick and flowers was the best.

Speaking of kids....we have friends of the family spending the mornings/afternoons with us from Switzerland. So not only am I having to cook lunch and snacks for (my) three kids, but four more have been added to that--all boys. It's a bit crazy around here! Fortunately I feel after this week that after feeding 7 kids I can take on the world.... well maybe not quite, but still.

Next week is also just as busy with the kids, and my beloved is coming to visit me again for a few days. PLUS! (As if things couldn't get any more dramatic) We are getting a new puppy as of next Friday. Oh wow is right.

Until next time!

Yeast

First Ever sourdough starter--Day 1

When I was younger I was afraid of yeast breads. I didn't want to mess with them all because of the fear that 'I would mess them up'. Instead I stuck to quick breads that are nearly impossible to mess up (unless you confuse the salt and sugar as I did my first month here). But really--they are fail proof! After all why is it that we hear the word yeast and it freaks us out? Quite the conundrum.  You might ask who has all that time for all that rising, kneading, yeast testing, etc, and quite frankly some people do have a point. It is time consuming and requires alot of time and patience.

As I got older and more confident in trying new things in the kitchen I tried my hand at yeast breads and what I found was that they weren't all that intimidating. Probably the most frustrating thing is if your yeast is dead, but I have found that if you bake regularly this is usually not a problem. I would say I have gotten to be quite the expert since being in Poland. I bake yeast breads more than I do quick breads because bread is such an important and abundant food staple here. I also was introduced to using a fresh 'yeast cake' rather than instant yeast. I have to say I am starting to like the cakes better--I find them easier to measure out and they seem to be easier to tell if they have gone bad.

This past week I decided to try one of the things on my recent 'to do' list--Sourdough starter. I was quite excited as I started a 5 day process of 'fermenting' my dough mixture. Every day I would give it a few stirs and watch as it bubbled like a hot swamp in summer. Aga said the kitchen smelled like a bakery and I when the 5 days were up and I made the loaf and tasted it--oh man-- it was good.

I would have liked more of a 'sour' taste but I realize this could have been a variety of factors.

• The recipe said 5 days, but I wonder if I could have fermented the starter an additional day or so
  
• Perhaps the 'brown bread' type of flour made a difference in taste

I am sad to say that it only made 2 cups of starter and I have used the remaining portion today for Best-Ever-Oatmeal-Bread. Can you feel the excitement? it looks pretty good at its rising stage and the kitchen already smells (again) like a bakery. I have a pretty amazing looking banana bread loaf in the oven too. ;)

Pie

One thing that the Polish don't have here are pies. Although the expression 'as American as apple pie' is prominent where I am from, I can also say I have had many a British pie in addition to the wide range of 'American' ones too. Those who haven't had 'pie', of any type, should naturally be exposed to this delicacy. So call today Operation Pie.

Apparently pie is a food that goes back way back when, and consisted of filling and baking either sweet or savory ingredients into a pastry casing, usually made from flour, fat, and water.

The Oxford English Dictionary traces the first use of the word "pie" as it relates to food to 1303, noting the word was well-known and popular by 1362.

Find more info on pie, here! 

While pie has transformed into just about every kind of flavor and changed in shape. It's not just apple pie, but fried pies too, and pizzas, as well as the famous British variety Steak and Kidney pie. As an American I come to appreciate the one pastry that takes some considerable time and patience to make... and that is usually gone in 5 min, but hey it's PIE! Today I felt like having some one-on-one time with the kitchen, so I decided to make my great-grandmother's Vanilla Creme Pie. Well, minus the meringue--we were running low on time. ;) I had always watched my mother make this but hadn't ever tried it on my own. Somehow I had to find a nice substitute for the graham cracker crumb base (Poles don't have those either), so I settled on some crushed ginger cookies and some butter. Worked nicely, but I know not as good as the real thing. Still it came out beautifully, despite me having what they call corn flour over here and not cornstarch. It thickened up so nicely and set rather well in the fridge. I didn't have time for a meringue, but it tasted just as good without.

So the verdict.... the question of course of 'what is it?' Marceli didn't like the crust. Go figure, that kid is the pickiest eater I have ever seen. But the other two both had seconds. So I guess I did something right. Hoorah for pie!

Carrying on the topic of pie, I decided to make pizzas from scratch using a really good pizza base that I had found. Yep, that was a big hit too, after all you can't go wrong with pizza. I literally raided the fridge and used up the leftover tomato sauce I had in the freezer from a few weeks ago. On the one we had leftover turkey pieces, sundried tomato, some greens, roasted red pepper, cheese, and spices, and the other was an assortment of fresh ham, cheese, and some garlic. Neither lasted very long. In fact Marceli claims 'it was the best pizza he had ever had'. Just don't tell him it had cheese on it (he hates cheese). And I am getting oh so good at hiding it in his food, hehe.

So today folks was one successful day in the kitchen. Tonight.... lemon curd!

Dzien Kobiet or Women's Day

Who knew March 8th was such a funny holiday here. Apparently today is Women's Day, although I am not sure it is just for Poland, because I see other people posting it as an 'international' holiday--still I thought I would share this holiday with you simply because the traditional gifts cracked me up. Tradition was (during the war) that men gave their special lady a pair of tights... in addition to flowers. Now I am not so sure the tights are still given but I did see alot of people buying flowers today. Who knew? Reading up on the holiday I found that the holiday is similar to Valentines and Mother's Day. It was first created in 1948 in an intention to replace a Roman Catholic feast day of the 12th century monk, Blessed Wincenty Kadlubek, but also to celebrate women as hard-working contributors of the economy. Noble intention, yes? While this feast was enforced by the government, it quickly became accepted and part of Polish culture even to this day. So, Happy Women's Day peeps. :)

So far I have learned how to make three authentic Polish dishes:

1. Boiled red cabbage (Beard Burner) 
2. Leniwe pierogi or 'lazy pierogies'
3. Boiled beetroot

Yay! More recipes to add to my collection--which is getting pretty extensive. So far this week I have managed to make a pretty awesome Cinnamon & Raisin loaf and some very strange red velvet cupcakes. I say strange because this recipe called for beetroot and a certain type of cocoa. Not to mention I did some substitution for the butter and cheese and used oil and sour cream instead. Don't get me wrong they were good.. but strange, so strange. And they were not red. Nowhere close--more like a strawberry brown. I like to call them 'Mystery Cupcakes', or 'What's that flavor'. You see the kids and I debated about the taste and this is what we came up with.

- Kasper claimed they tasted like tomato.
- I thought they tasted like lemon and chocolate.
- Cecylia said they were more like potato.
- Marceli stated they were just 'strange'.

Smart kid--I think he was on to something. What is so strange is that they tasted better and more 'normal' the second day. I am not sure how I feel about the 'experiment'.

On to other news--it is snowing again! Just a light drizzle and more wet than anything else. It was a nice surprise driving home tonight on these windy roads and in the pitch black. Is it any consolation that I now know these roads like the back of my hand and don't need my high beams anymore??

Oh and D saw the Queen, Prince Phillip, and Kate today on the train. I seriously thought he was joking, but apparently not. I told the kids today and all three of them said 'alive??' Yes, alive.

Happy Thursday!

And March came blowing in...

Crazy how time flies--March already and yet it feels like it just turned February not too long ago. It also puts into perspective what you really have been up to... and for me it has been an exceptional time in the past 30 days or so. I also regret that I have not written in such a long time. Apologies, apologies.

On that note, we welcomed March with much warmer temperatures. Poland is actually quite nice in the spring (not to say it wasn't nice before--I actually am glad I experienced winter too), and the sun has been glorious. I have had the windows open in the kitchen lately for the nice fresh air. One of my favorite things here is one of the drives that I take sometimes in the morning to pick up the kids from the swimming pool. The road happens to wind through several villages and there are many cool farmhouses, fields, and just nature in general along the way. This makes for an especially nice drive now that the days are longer and I get to experience the sun coming up over the horizon. It makes me want to get out my camera and just drive nowhere in particular. There are so many little country roads I have yet to explore. However, the thought of doing this in a family size mini-van ultimately puts that thought in question... I nearly got the thing stuck in the mud a few weeks ago after our rainy period. Darn country roads. More photographs are still on my to do list--and I will conquer those muddy roads!

Speaking of photographs, I have loved spending my time arranging my pictures of my time here in the form of a book. As some photography enthusiasts might tell you the perfect addition to a bookshelf, coffee table, or for your own personal enjoyment is a book of photographs. I could spend hours looking through such books, and since I find them so fascinating I have decided to create my own project inspired by my year abroad in Poland in the form of 12 little books, one for each month. January and February look fabulous--and each one is only a couple dollars! Love.

Doesn't it look like Courier & Ives?

 March also brought a goodbye of an American au pair (Natasha we will miss you, but hey a visit to Chicago is in the works!) that I have come to love spending time with while here, while also bringing in a new American au pair in her place (Caitlyn you will be awesome!). Life has its way of introducing new people to you and I like what it has given me so far. Even though I have only been here a little more than two months, I found myself helping Caitlyn in any way I could. I knew she would need encouragement and knowing that if she ever needed anything she had support. She was hard to read at first as our first meeting consisted of us walking around the mall as I chatted about where things were and what she might find helpful. I honestly felt like I did too much talking, but maybe that was due to her being a super quiet person. And I thought I was quiet--oh boy. In spite of that, we did have a nice conversation about the overall au pair experience, and Natasha and I both agree it had its benefits and also things that would change your life and also the way you see things. We both agreed we had/were learning how to live on our on (even if we were at the mercy of a family), to be so-called 'parents' to children, to live in a country that doesn't speak English as it's native tongue, and living the life God has called us on. Even though we laid out what would be difficult, we also praised God at the opportunity and told her it would be an amazing year of her life.

I have become comfortable. In three months I have learned so much, and it makes me excited what I might come to learn and experience during the rest of my time here. This church I had doubts about here has been one of the things I come to enjoy and look forward to every single Sunday. I love the people there, and I love how full my heart gets every time we sing and worship our King. I like feeling a happiness that can't be described. I like being closer to God. It's brought me to a new understanding in how I am growing spiritually, how I need to read my Bible more, how I need to pray. It's so wonderful to know and to see how that is working in me now. How it affects me as an worker in this house, a friend, a girlfriend, and a daughter.

In a nutshell, I have learned how to prepare myself for a life on my own, to take care of someone's children as if they were my own, and to attach myself to a life more in tune with God's Word. In all of this God has been the greatest stronghold I could ask for, and I have Him to thank for this journey.

Something Crazy

Frozen River Warta

No doubt Winter has finally started to grace us with his presence. It's freezing cold. The river is frozen over. And of course we have started to get more snow. Real snow. Yesterday it was more than ankle deep and that nice fluffy texture that is perfect for making snowballs. As J would say 'It's something crazy', and although winter hasn't been what Poles would call exactly 'normal', I have had a taste (if only slight) of what a Polish winter is like... but I know I am getting off easy. ;)

I have to say it has been a very exciting weekend, what with the snow and frozen river. I had my first attempt at ice skating, on a real frozen river. I had to borrow their friend' pair because A's were too small. However, there were no dreaded cracking of the ice and someone falling under like they show in the movies, and I didn't fall in my skates like I thought I would! It was alot of fun--although my rate of acceleration was not anywhere near gliding. I took alot of pictures--we really do live in a beautiful part of Poland, especially with the snow covering everything and naked trees and rushes everywhere. We even saw signs of the beavers that live here, the gnawed on remains of a tree stump prominent on both sides of the river. There is something magical about living where it's snowy white--if you of course take out the sometimes apparent image of a runny nose, some red watery eyes, and the fact that when you are covered head to toe in a scarf, hat, mittens, and a fluffy coat you can not in any way look the least bit attractive--or can you?
The kids are more excited for the second wave of snow since they get to play in it and help shovel out the driveway. Yesterday Kasper made a family of snowmen, and Marcel was busying making snow angels and pelting me with snowballs. My aim is terrible. I need to practice more....

I had an opportunity on Tuesday to spend time with some of the members of FoF, the Bible Study affiliated with the international church. Normally something comes up where I am not able to go--being a weeknight and living out in the sticks and all--but I wanted to come this week because it was Natasha's last Bible Study she would be able to attend, and we all planned to go to Poznan Train Station to help the homeless during this cold weather snap. I had never been a part of a group set out to share the Word of God, let alone help the homeless, so this was a new experience for me and one that I was excited in taking part in. There was only four of us, and together we hadn't much--a few thermoses of tea and cocoa, some bananas, and later another member brought some juice. None of us really spoke Polish either, at least not enough to really carry on a decent conversation. Once inside we stood together and prayed. We prayed that God would use us in incredible ways, that what little we had would be something useful to those we offered it to, and we prayed that God would give us words to speak. We split up in twos and set out to find people who looked to be in need. We wandered around the whole inside, stopping occasionally to ask each other if we thought that certain disheveled man in the corner was actually homeless. Should we approach him? I don't know he could just be waiting for the train... One of our group members was right--sometimes it really is hard to know if someone is truly homeless if you are looking, or to know how to approach them in a not so condescending way. But God moves in ways and means we haven't means to do ourselves.

We approached a man leaned up against the back wall. He had an old bag with him and a cane. He looked tired, worn, and unshaven. We asked if he wanted some tea and he immediately pulled out a plastic cup from his bag. He seemed quite content with just the hot water before we even offered a tea bag. Another man approached us. At first I thought he worked there and was reprimanding us for giving a man something hot to drink, but in fact he too was homeless and was only asking for some as well. We gave him a cup of tea to which he thanked us and pointed to a few ladies standing in another corner of the train station. I came to learn that all the homeless look after each other. If you give one a bottle of juice or a sandwich they find each other and share it. We walked over and offered them some tea also. The one kept talking to us in Polish as if we understood her. At certain points she would look at us expecting us to answer and would go through the motions again thinking we would eventually understand. I think she was asking something if we came in a group, but not much else I could decipher. We offered her a banana and she thanked us said many times over in Polish. All I could utter was 'God Bless You', and the Polish word for 'You're Welcome'. It seemed we had made a mark. We asked another man close by if he wanted some tea but, again, he only spoke to us rather fast in Polish, and we asked him several times. My friend turned to me asking what he said, because he just kept talking, so I asked if he could repeat it. The man, rather agitated this time, spoke a littler louder, 'Nie Dziekuje!' I turned to my friend and smiled that I understood something. 'He says no thank you.'
 
After walking around some more and buying another cup of tea (we were down to nothing, except 2 bananas), we met back up with the rest of our group who had an old man following them into one of the small bakeries in the station. He saw my friends cup of tea and you could see his eyes light up as he said something in Polish and reach for the cup. We gave it to him freely--hoping it would keep him warm if not to give him some kindness. I reached into my bag and pulled out a banana and held it up in the air. He smiled and reached for it too. We gave him a bag of food we had bought at the station, as well as the rest of what was left in our bags. We gave him everything--a liter bottle of hot cocoa, the cup of tea, the bag of sandwiches and pastries, and a large container of juice. Andrew told him to go to his friends and give them some too, and that all of them should go to the barracks, a shelter for the homeless run by one of the Christian organizations affiliated with the church. He was so thankful and proceeded to chat to all of us in Polish. I can distinctly picture him coming up to me and shaking my hand and kissing it. He got right up into my face, his face dirty and a ring of brown stained around his mouth. He smelled of rotten lettuce, or perhaps it was alcohol, and was just talking away. All I could do was smile, feeling a tad uncomfortable, but I knew he was harmless and the others were standing right with me. He kept saying something with the word 'Polski' in it, and I thought maybe he was asking me if I was Polish. Without thinking too much I just said 'American' and pointed to myself. He got rather excited and started talking really fast and was smiling. 'American' he kept repeating. Our conversation after that was really a bunch of head nods from me and him continuing to talk to me in Polish. Wish I could have understood all that he said, but I knew, just knew he was very humbled by our giving. He prepared to say goodbye to us with more handshakes and kisses on the hand to Jocelyn and I.

I came to accept how much I would turn to my friend with the same blank expression on my face--we were here to do God's work, and yet we couldn't even understand them. It was hard, but it was also getting us to know that even an act of kindness can speak louder and more powerfully than any words we could utter. I found myself smiling alot. Not because I thought it would help make the situation better, but because I truly was touched by what these people were going through, and that even if we didn't speak the same language it was apparent how grateful they were at what we had to offer them.

Yesterday we had a good friend of the family stay with us (a priest, or monk). Today when he said goodbye I said a few accomodating words and phrases complete in Polish. J was impressed--'Wow, Sarah! You will be a native soon!' I thought maybe I am doing something right in the way of learning this language. Although, I don't think I am learning it very quickly. Ah, but at least I know some, right?

Today is 'Fat Thursday', (Mardi Gras, Shrove/Fat Tuesday to all of you, etc), so I have made an apple cake--that is almost finished after about 10 minutes--and will be making baked doughnuts later. Although Cecylia claims that even though they may taste good, they are not 'Polish' doughnuts... honestly I don't know what makes them Polish haha. Oh and it's snowing some more! Happy Thursday (and Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!) friends.

Diary of a *baking* woman

I think maybe my new destiny is to become one of those food bloggers. You know the ones with all the super pretty pictures, a really great story, and a recipe to boot? So yes, forgive me as I have my moment to show you something really delectable that I made today. It may be one of my proudest cooking tests... then again it's probably not the only one. Two words. Pear Butter.

Normally my off time consists of me either reading a book, staring at various food blogs, cleaning (something), spending quality time in the kitchen, staring at more food blogs, writing, and/or taking pictures. Since starting this blog more regularly, I see it as my partial food journal. A place to show all you readers all my passions in one place--writing, food, and pictures. I think I'm on to something. But I digress, that is another matter altogether. Today was a really good day in the kitchen, which resulted in a kitchen smelling like cinnamon, brown sugar and pears. Oh my dears!


For some time I had been wanting to try my hand at making pear butter. I had had apple butter, sweet potato butter, and probably peach butter, but pear butter just sounded gorgeous. I love pears. I could eat them until I got so tired of them that I never wanted to eat them again--well just for a really long time anyway. I set out to find the perfect recipe only to find more variations than I knew what to do with. Some had honey, others sugar, some suggested citrus juice, and one even had a teaspoon of actual butter. That being said, I decided to make my own variation, and man did it taste amazing.

The ingredients were as followed:

• 3 semi large pears peeled, cubed, and cored
• 1/2 c. water
• some sprinklings of ground nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, and some Polish mixture of similar spices containing cardamon, vanilla flavoring etc. 
• brown sugar lightly sprinkled across the contents of the pot
• some lemon juice 
• and 1 tsp. of butter (just to see what would happen)

I simply put all this in a pot and let it boil away until the pears were soft. Then I took out my immersion blender and blended until it was silky smooth and let it boil again to thicken. It didn't thicken that much, but I remember some fruit butters are a bit on the 'wet' side, so I poured it into a canister to cool. It tasted pretty darn good. Now to see A&J taste it--they have never had or heard of pear butter before!

Homemade

Polish Christmas Carols... still singing into the New Year

One thing I have learned here is that Christmas is far from over after January 1st. The epiphany, or Trzech Kroli (Three Kings) holiday is still celebrated here with great reverence and tradition. Doors of houses are inscribed with the letters 'K+M+B' and the year in chalk which is tradition for providing the household with  protection against illness and misfortune. Each letter is said to stand either for the traditionally applied names of the Three Kings in Polish - Kacper, Melchior and Baltazar - or for a Latin inscription meaning “Christ bless this house.” It is traditionally kept above the doors year round until they are dusted off or replaced by the next year's markings.

This means the Christmas tree usually stays up until February 2nd and that carols are sung until then too. This was somewhat strange to me since at our house Christmas was usually wrapped up well after Christmas day. Here however, the mistletoe and tree, both looking very dry and dead, have been up for awhile--like they usually are here.

Fortunately we took ours down this weekend. I think the needles all over the floor were getting to A. However, I thought I would include a short video of the kid's piano recital where you can experience Polish Carols, even on this last day of January.
PS. Also check out the piano teacher's very awesome white upright piano! I had never seen a white piano until now and once in England at a very fancy hotel.

Reading corner

This is the best book! A fictional story set in 1850 California and based on the book of Hosea. Thanks Natasha!

Butter, flour, sugar, eggs.. polski version 2.0

A promised here are some photos of some of the ingredients I have been using--Poliski (Polish) version!

Peanut Butter! Ironically I like the European version better than at home. It's less sweet!

Part of our pantry. You can see in the right corner 'Barszcz' which is beet soup

Literal translation is 'Fluffy flour', but this is cake flour. I see no real difference though in the regular flour

Honey! They keep alot of bees in Poland

Poppy seeds--also very Polish. They have alot of Polish cakes that use these, especially around Christmas

Buckwheat--we use this alot of the time as our starch in the meal, like you would with rice

Potato flour

Oat bran

Cocoa!

More honey--the one on the right smells vile

Baking soda

Baking powder

Butter--we go through alot of this

Fresh yeast for cakes/breads. I have been getting used to using this

The Polish love their meats. These are 2 very typical options. The one on the left is more or less like a salami, and the one on the right is liver pate. Apparently I am the only American au pair they have had that even attempted to eat the liver one--and I liked it. :) Aga says my Mom raised me very 'German'... I guess this is an Eastern European thing to eat, haha.

And one last one for your no doubt drooling tastebuds, especially after that last photo--(just kidding). This is the banana/lemon/poppyseed cake I made for the kids. It was a great success and is sooo tasty.

Too Cold

Our comfort for the day/week

Well, the start f the week has not started off well. The kids have been ill with the flu and as of today we are all forbidden to go out for the rest of the week. That and this week is supposed to be the coldest it's been this winter. And yes, it is really really cold outside. To put that into perspective here is our weather forecast for the rest of the week.

Poznań, Greater Poland Voivodeship:

Tue 23° | 3°    Wed  14° | 1°      Thu  10° | 3°      Fri  12° | -6°

And that's in Fahrenheit people! So, yes the fire is a welcome sight. We have all been congregating to the living room amid all the blankets on the couch. I am making the kids chicken, rice, and carrots. I only think I have a slight case of what they have, so amid all the water, honey, garlic, and vitamin C tablets I have been taking, I am hoping the slight case of a plugged nose will quickly go away. Besides I have a guest tomorrow, so I need to get better! My sweet decided to come for the weekend and will be here until next Wednesday. Now isn't that some nice news, and there was no convincing him otherwise to postpone it a week, so..... I just hope he doesn't get ill too. :P

Otherwise the week has been good. I took a bus to town so I could spent the weekend with my friend. We had a lovely time spending the evening looking for a nice local Polish pottery place that she told me about. I am so excited! I really want to buy some authentic pottery. They are so pretty. We also had a lovely night watching movies and eating popcorn, having church in the morning and participating in a 48 hour worship service that was held at a local office building nearby. I thought this was so cool to have a bunch of local churches taking part in this and to have that time to worship with them was truly God-given--even if I wasn't feeling well. I was so happy to be there, but my whole body just ached. Being out in the cold didn't help either. After the worship we made our way to the train station where I booked my ticket back home. Can you imagine it only cost me $1.12! Transportation is so cheap here. Found Platform 2 and was standing out there in the cold only to find out at the last minute that the platform was really not the one I needed. To clarify I asked a lady nearby in (very) broken Polish if this was the one I needed to get on to which she said no. So I ran back upstairs, took a look at the board, ran back down and went to Platform 5. Ironically there was no indication on the board outside which town this train was going to--the sign was blank. sigh. There was a young couple standing outside the train so I briefly held up my piece of paper that had the train time and city written on it and pointed to the train. She nodded affirmative, and I hadn't missed it yet! So that was my train adventure. Got off on the right stop, but A got confused and was at the wrong stop to pick me up. There are two towns with similar names. So similar in fact that they are only different by a letter and an accent mark--Puszczykówko vs. Puszczykowo. You can imagine the confusion. So I had to wait a little bit before she came to get me, but all is well.

My next post ( I promise) is of some Polish food with pictures. :)

Friday

When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. And when life is bitter, say thank you and grow.  -Shauna Niequist