Gobble, Gobble

Gobble, Gobble

Happy Turkey Day kids. Although I love to cook & love to eat, this year I’ve decided to employ my favorite trick:

Wear nice clothes & no one will ask you to prepare anything, then you can make your way to the dessert table & get full before dinner is even served.

Have a nice holiday.
Around the World: AFRICA Part VI

Around the World: AFRICA Part VI

It seems like Kenya’s favorite fruit is passion fruit {so lovingly called “the passion” by locals}. Here’s a note to yourself: if you’ve never had fresh passion fruit juice that is like 10 minutes removed from the tree, you haven’t lived. Sweet sugar face it’s delicious.
Because the passion is so widely available, the AMPATH program also uses this as another economic stimulating venture for families. Here’s how it works:
  • Family receives training, education, & microfinancing opportunities to learn about grown passion fruit trees.
  • AMPATH provides seedlings and teaches the family how to grow & harvest the fruit.
  • Family brings the fruit back to the AMPATH juice factory, where it is juiced producing very little waste as they find a use for every part of the fruit {including extracts for lotions & luxury car paint!}.
  • AMPATH bottles the juice and sells wholesale to the family, who now acts as a distributor of the juice.
Around the World: AFRICA Part V

Around the World: AFRICA Part V

I was so excited to eat as much traditional Kenyan cuisine as I could get my hands on in Africa. So, one night the Judge and I and one of the Kenyan attorneys went out for…Chinese. Yes, that’s right. In the middle of this fabulous country we opt for Chinese. And let me tell you – it was the best Chinese food I think I’ve had in a long time.
One thing you’ll encounter as the staple starch in virtually every east-African meal: Ugali. It is definitely an acquired taste. It is generally made from cornmeal and reminds me very much of grits. I love grits, so naturally, I wasn’t turned off by the taste of Ugali. And when I ate it mixed with my greens – it was actually very good.
My first encounter with Ugali: Our lunch/dinner {more on this later} at Kerio View restaurant {below}.
What’s the view? Great Rift Valley. Definitely the handiwork of God, this place.
Around the World: AFRICA Part IV

Around the World: AFRICA Part IV

I visited a Massai Market in Nairobi. Massai men and women come in from their villages and set up their handmade items for sale in a commercial area of the city. I was told to get ready to haggle, not to act too American {because you’ll pay highest prices}, and to be ready to walk away from an item if it’s not the right price. I was quite proud of myself for playing tough with the Kenyans. Walked away with several pieces of bone jewelry, traditional Massai necklaces, handwoven fabrics and some little African dolls. Nice.

{This is, in fact, a real tribe of Massai from the group’s safari in the Masai Mara}
Around the World: AFRICA Part III

Around the World: AFRICA Part III

Part of the family preservation programming operated by AMPATH & IU-Kenya Partnership is the Imani Workshop. The most amazing thing about this operation is the fact that it provides HIV/AIDS-affected families the opportunity to increase self-sufficiency and stimulate their economic growth by employing them to make high-quality handmade goods that are then sold through the Imani shop. Everything from jewelry, clothing, paper is handmade here. It really is an amazing operation to witness.