Island Living: Cooking

I love cooking, and one of my favorite things is to try new recipes. This week I decided that I wanted to start learning how to make a few Dominican dishes. I grew up in a family of incredibly adventurous cooks and bakers. My mom's kitchen was a mix of Italian cooking and Southern baked goods (so, yeah, I fear a gluten allergy more than death itself). My grandma would always find the most random and delicious recipes to try out (don't even ask me what happened after she got cable T.V.). After I moved out on my own, I discovered curries, and my life was changed forever. All that to say, my extent of Guatemalan cooking is limited to huevos revueltos scrambled eggs (this is an international staple, but I need items),  frijoles volteados - refried beans, and plátanos fritos - fried ripe plantains. Which means that I can't do anything if I don't have enough oil to deep fry a turkey. And don't ask me about tortillas - I love eating them, but I don't even like waiting in line to buy them.

After moving here, people who came over for dinner would ask me if they would be eating a traditional Guatemala dish. (Does Pad Thai chicken count?) Lucky for me, I'm married to a gringo, so I can always say "no, we'll be eating some traditional American food today." (or Pad Thai chicken). But I didn't want to be in this country and miss out on the opportunity of learning how to make at least one Dominican dish. So, after Roy came with a bunch of guandules that have grown along our fence, I asked our friend Yudi to teach me how to make Moro de Guandules - Rice and Pigeon Peas. I love me some moro. It's the perfect side dish to pork or chicken. I recommend rotisserie chicken, personally. Here's how you make it:

Make sure you have all the ingredients (See list below). It's important that you ask your friend who's teaching you what these are. If you don't have all of them, in great Dominican, or Latin American style for that matter, walk over to the closest tienda, colmado, pulpería (convenience store). We're lucky to live next door to one, so I was able to gather all my goodies in no time.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings):
1 medium onion, cubed
3-4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 Tablespoon oil
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro (Although you can just add a whole bunch to remove later, if you prefer)
1 celery stalk, chopped (can also add whole if you wish to remove later)
1 cup of pigeon peas (can be fresh or canned)
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 bullion cube
2 cups of white rice (uncooked)
5 cups of water

Directions:

First, make sure you start this when the infant is sound asleep and the toddler is within sight, otherwise, allow yourself a couple hours to make this - or be flexible in your expectations (i.e. can have it for lunch or dinner).


In a medium saucepan, heat oil and sauté onion and garlic until golden. Then add cilantro and celery, and cook for about 3 minutes. You may want to add the cilantro and celery whole if you would like to remove them later. I added them chopped, and it worked out great. While doing that, you may want to keep an eye on the toddler who is now standing on his stool right next to you (watch out for that knife... and the matches).

Onions, garlic, cilantro and celery. notice the guandules on the far right.

Next, add the guandules and cover up. Let them cook for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, you may rearrange your entire counter top and clean up any spices that may have been spilled by the self-appointed sous chef. Make sure the spicy spices are definitely out of reach, and for crying out loud, put the matches in another room! After you see that the guandules are softening, add the tomato paste until well-blended. Then add the soy sauce, and mix well. Now you have something that looks "neither too red nor too black" (in Yudi's words). That's what you're going for.

"Ni muy roja ni muy oscura"

Then, add the water. Now, add the sopita - bullion cube. I was about to protest at this point, because up until then, the sopita had never been mentioned. However, I was met with such a gaze from Yudi when I said I didn't have any, that it was very clear to me the fault was one. hundred. percent. mine - no decent Dominican cook is found without sopita. So, after you make sure the infant is still asleep and the toddler can't get to anything fatal, walk (again) over to the colmado and get some sopita.

Now, cover up, and bring to a boil. When it boils, taste and make sure you don't need to add any more salt (I know you're thinking that soy sauce and bullion cube should meet your daily requirement of sodium, but I'm just making sure it's flavorful). So, now that you're sure this is the flavor you want your moro to have, add the rice. Cover up, and let cook on high heat until all the water has evaporated. This should give you plenty of time to fit in a quick nursing session for the infant. Make sure doors are closed, though, because you already lost the toddler in the back yard this morning and you know how he likes to wander.

After all the water seems to have evaporated, uncover and stir, if it still has some liquid, leave uncovered until it's all gone. Cover up again, and bring heat to low. Let cook "until the rice is cooked." (again, Yudi looked at me like this was a no brainer, but this is exactly my weak point with rice... I never know when it is cooked. So, just make sure you cook it). I have no idea how much time that entails, but it was enough for me to cook some chicken thighs.

Almost ready.

Approved! He's Dominican after all...

Now, enjoy! I would've taken a picture of the finished product, but when I thought about it, it had already been passed around at the table.
It was very easy to make and the husband, the brother, and the toddler all seemed to like it (I liked it, too!). Who knows, maybe next time I bring lunch to my Bible study girls, they might actually eat it.

How Young Life retains is best leaders

One of the challenges Young Life faces throughout the developing world is how to retain quality volunteer leaders when, in order to study at the university level, they must work to be able to pay for it. Mostly their families cannot afford to pay for their college, and their are few options for scholarships or financial aid. Those of you who have been a Young Life leader know that to really invest in a young person's life requires a significant time commitment.

2014 DGL Students in the Dominican Republic

So how do you help these bright young students get a good college education without having to cut their involvement in Young Life? With this question in mind, a program was started in the Dominican Republic in 2002 which provided four-year college scholarships and practical training in direct ministry with the hope that after graduation these students would either work full-time in ministry or support ministries from a platform of a secular job.

We saw huge benefits of the program here in the DR, and now it has grown into what is called Developing Global Leaders. Young Life offers hundreds of scholarships throughout the developing world. We have seen a huge impact of the program here in the Dominican Republic. The biggest impact is on direct ministry, where these student leaders play key roles as head leaders for clubs or even volunteer area directors in some cases. They advance the ministry beyond what economic limitations would otherwise allow. For me as a camp manager, the DGL program is an incredible resource for us, giving us a pool of young people who have a good education, practical experience, and love for this ministry. Our most recent hire is a former DGL student.

If you want to know more about this program, watch the following video or go to the DGL website. Each student is sponsored directly by one or more supporters in the US.  Please consider giving this opportunity to a capable student in the developing world.

Two in Diapers

By Rebeca

Typical morning view in our yard

It has been six weeks since Daniel arrived. At times it feels like we just brought him home. Other times, I can feel the toll of each one of those days in my aching body - the lack of sleep, the achy back, arms that are tired of having a baby on tow at all times, feet that have been standing for too long. And there are other times, the hardest times, when regardless of what trick I try, my baby is still crying, and  I look at Daniel and think of how many months ahead of us until we can catch our breath, and I feel I just can't do it.

Daniel turns 1 month with big brother by his side

And the truth is, I can't do it... not by myself. The good news is, I don't have to. The hard news is, I don't have to. Self-sufficiency and performance are my "cucos," my boogie-man. And getting up every morning to a task that is beyond my capacity is undoing me. In an attempt to feel good about myself, I decided (needlessly) to go to the grocery store with both kids alone last week. I honestly just wanted to see myself "pulling it off," and I had a plan. I had just gotten out of the car, when Katherine, and old Vida Joven girl, came running to me from across the street to say hello. We caught up, and I showed her the kiddos, to which she said, "¿estás loca? ¿qué estás haciendo sola con los dos en el super?" Are you crazy, what are you doing by yourself with both of them at the grocery store?. She helped me get them out of the car.

As David walked in, holding my hand, one of the guys that packages groceries, rushed to our aid, and put him in the cart. On our way out, another man who works at the store, took us all to the car, packed the groceries, and helped with both kids.  As I think about the whole outing, I am reminded of a conversation I had with my mom in her later weeks. She was at a point where she couldn't do anything by herself anymore, bedridden, in constant pain, and she said, "you know? I've realized, this is too heavy a burden to carry ourselves... and the Lord is giving us His body! His Church!" And He did! Day after day we witnessed so many people come to our help during a painful and trying time, people we hadn't been in contact with for years.

David being a goofball

I am way in over my head with these two boys, and it is too heavy of a burden to carry alone, but that is what Jesus calls us to - to share our burdens with one another. I know He will provide, just like he did that day, with the people around me to go through this season of life. I pray that I will have open eyes and an open heart to see, accept, and cherish the gifts He sends.