Home and Life Orphanage Foundation

The destruction caused by the Tsunami on 26th December 2004 still leaves many people and children in southern Thailand homeless, jobless and hopeless. A huge amount of short-term aid has come in from around the world to relieve the immediate physical, psychological and spiritual needs. The present situation is that many remote Tsunami victim families still haven’t received any kind support from any government or other organizations. No work, no jobs and no income has had an enormous effect on families. Their children have difficulty going to school; this problem leads to other social issues such as youth gang culture, criminal cases, love affairs and drug abuse in the Phang Nga area. After getting enough information, and without any delay, Mr. Bhudit (Root) and Mrs. Rasa decided to build their team and establish a home for the orphans called “Home & Life” in Thaimuang district, Phang Nga province.

“Home & Life” Foundation was officially founded on 15th November 2006. The main purpose of the Foundation was to establish a self-reliant home for the children of some of the survivor families and those who lost their families. There are now 26 children and 6 adult teachers and staff under the Foundation here. Everybody at Home&Life is trying hard to build a home for the children on the rented 1 Rai land. During the daytime the children go to school and after school everybody gathers together to learn entrepreneurial skills, life lessons and participate in normal family activities to help build a solid and stable foundation for the children.

Since it started, Home & Life has gradually raised the necessary funds to keep building and improving the orphanage. The foundation has been able to increase the number of children it can support and look after. The most significant stages of its growth over the last few years have been raising funds to finance construction and maintenance projects and the development of income generated projects such as the bakery and organic gardens. The foundation receives no government funding and relies entirely on private donations. At present there are 26 children and 6 adult teachers who live at Home & Life. There is also an ongoing volunteer programme where volunteers from all over the world come and stay for various lengths of time, helping in specific projects and the day to day running of the home.

It has always been Home & Life's idea and intention to provide a family home full of love and learning for the children at Home & Life. When the foundation began we wanted to offer security and an understanding for the children that were coming here and somewhere that the children could feel part of a family. The adult staffs are treated as older family members by the children. The children are given the responsibility to help with jobs around the foundation and are responsible for keeping their rooms clean and tidy, just as they would if they lived with their parents. They are also taught valuable life lessons such as helping other people, looking after and caring for each other and working hard.

Every child goes to school and Home & Life pays for their school uniforms, books and stationery. The children also have extra English lessons each week with the Teacher Volunteer Centre and are supported if they have other interests such as singing, swimming or boxing. When they grow up and finally leave Home & Life, everyone involved wants them to be able to live successful lives and be valuable members of their communities.

"We are Thai. We have to teach our children the charm and personality of the Thai heart," says Bhudit 'Root' Maneejak, the home's founder. "We help them in the simple practice of the Thai family where the parents are the children's first teachers."

Beyond their everyday traditions and culture, the children are also taught about other religions and cultures. Regional variations are explained when teaching traditional dance and meal preparation. "We have to be sensitive to the cultural variations among our children: some are Muslim, for example, and nearly 40% are Moken Chao Lay, or sea people," says Root. "They have a very different culture, which is based on a life of living mostly at sea. Some now live in land communities and even the jungle. "We have to teach them the Moken values, as well as helping them fit into Thai ways, to make their future lives as successful as possible."

Every child is unique and wonderful - and each needs nurturing in body, mind and spirit. Teaching their cultures and traditions is one way Home & Life does this.

A Message from Manager, Root:

"Home&Life Sawasdee krap” Month by month there is a struggle for food and operating costs. Together with our self-generated income from the Home&Life Coffee Bakery shop, Crafts, etc.

We are trying and hoping to succeed, however are still very far from covering the costs for all expenses; education, food, fuel, medicine, communication, school transportation, pocket money for students, etc. These are the most important targets for the 25 growing children at Home&Life. Eventually it will not be possible without your help.

Please support by donating directly to "Home&Life Phang Nga” foundation's saving account.

Details of Bank account: Siam Commercial Bank, Khok Kloy Branch, Thailand 

Name: Home&Life Phang Nga Foundation (มูลนิธิบ้านเพื่อชีวิต พังงา ) 

Saving Account: 788 -217-213-0 

SWIFTcode: SICOTHBK 

http://www.homelifethailand.com/donateco ntact-en.html

You can be assured that every single baht you donate will directly support the Home&Life children without any administration fees.

We hope to meet you soon!

Words cannot begin to express the place in my heart held by these children.  I love them as if they are members of my own family.  I'm so thankful for Facebook so that I keep up with their lives.  If you'd like to learn more about Home & Life, please click here, or feel free to ask me!

17 Thank-Yous to my Amazing Mom

I saw a version of this on Carlos Whittaker's blog, Ragamuffin Soul.  I think it's the perfect answer to my Mother's Day post.  (It's still Mother's Day in its country of origin, so leave me alone.)

1. I was so excited to go to Kindergarten, so excited to formally learn.  I ran into that classroom, and I don't think I even looked back to see if you'd left; if I did, it was to make sure you had.  You never let me see that bother you (I'm still not sure that it did).  Thank you for fostering a love of learning in me.

2. In first grade, I was tired of being the only kid who read with expression.  All the other kids stuttered their monotone ways through our readers; I thought that must have been the cool way to read, so I started doing it, too.  I brought the style home, and you immediately scheduled a meeting with my teacher to discuss my declining reading level.  She subscribed to an older version of teaching that encouraged all students to learn at the same level and would not budge to give me more challenging work.  You took me to the public library and assigned me weekly chapter books to go through.  Thank you for protecting my skills.

3. In second grade, I began to lose my first "best" friend.  We had moved across town, and I was still clinging to the friendship, even though it was pretty much gone already.  Thank you for patiently arranging play-dates and making the drives to and from her house.

4. In third grade, I got accepted into an alternative school and that friend did not.  I was devastated and didn't want to go without her.  You made me go anyway.  Thank you.

5. In fourth grade, you got up almost every school morning to drive me to said alternative school instead of making me take the hour-and-a-half bus ride.  We used that time to attempt to cram my spelling words into my head.  None of them stuck, but the methodology you used to teach them to me did.  Thanks for teaching me how to study.

6. In fifth grade, I began to experiment with everything, including how to do laundry.  I attempted to wash my costume for the school play on my own.  It was white, and I wanted it to look amazing, because I felt fat, dumpy, and ugly.  I wanted people to see me and think I was pretty.  So I added bluing to the wash, but I didn't realize it needed to be diluted.  You stayed up making me a new costume for the play.  Or maybe you bought it... but I think you made it.  I know you made the jacket, but either way, it was your time and money that you lovingly gave to prevent the ridicule and reprimand for my actions.  I'm grateful.

7. In sixth grade, I was asked to join with the high school orchestra for their Spring trip to New York City.  You said I could go, but only if you went, too.  I was horrified that you wanted to chaperon, but no amount of begging or attitude would change your mind.  After having been on those trips as a high-schooler on those trips, all I have to say is that you made the right choice.  Thanks for sticking to your guns.

8.  In seventh grade, I went out of my way to hurt you.  We'd moved again, and I didn't want to.  You knew I was planning to run away.  You called my likely refuges and warned them.  You told them not to send me back if I left; you knew I'd do it again and in a more dangerous way.  You told me later that you had been planning to sign over custody if I left.  For the sake of my safety, you were willing to give up your rights to me.  I'm astounded.

9.  In eighth grade, I had the opportunity to tour the country with a singing group.  You didn't feel comfortable with me being away for so long with a group you didn't know well, but still you drove me the day and a half out to training.  When my phone calls started sounding fishy, you showed up at every one of our shows.  You let me finish the tour, but you still looked out for me.  I felt safer because I knew you'd be there.

10.  In ninth grade, we were dealing with my on-going night-terrors.  They were so intense.  They still scare me to this day, and I know they scared you then.  Thank you for not making me feel like a freak for having them.

11. In tenth grade, you made better costumes for ALL the madrigals.  You stayed up later than I did a lot of the time.  That couldn't have been easy for you, but I really appreciate it.  It helped me stop being so much of a social outcast, which was (is) important to me.

12. In eleventh grade, you were working again.  I knew you wanted to be working, but I didn't realize all your reasons.  There's so much you did for me with the money you made from that job that I'm only realizing now.  You give and give and give.

13. In twelfth grade, you gave me my space.  I did a lot of things that I needed; those things probably hurt you, but you could also see why I needed to do them.  You stood up for me, and fought the big battles WITH me (not for me).  Words cannot express how truly grateful I am and always will be.

14.  In college, you helped me move in, you giggled with me about boys, you talked to me when I called, and let me go without talking when I didn't.  You sent me care packages (more than most kids got).  You made the 14-hour drive whenever I had an important concert.  You fought the urge to fly down every time I ended up in the ER and let me find my own two feet.  You cheered for me as I flew around the world, and you didn't panic when I told you I'd be leaving again in a matter of  weeks.  You fished me out of the waters when I got in too deep, but never coddled me.  AND helped me pay for toiletries.  You win.

15. You were nothing but nice to my boyfriends, even when you told them to get lost.  I really appreciate that.

16. I'm sure you cried when I told you I'd be moving to start my adult life out of the country, but you never let me see it.  I needed that more than you can know.  You came to visit me, I came to visit you, and we began to iron out our relationship as adults.  It's not an easy process, but I'm sure we'll get it.  Thank you for respecting me.

17. Recently, we've really begun to talk about faith - REAL faith.  Sure, we talked about "faith" as a kid, but not like this.  I appreciate that I can talk to you about things that are deep, and I'm floored by the extent of the faith you have.  When we lost Pop-pop, I felt like I lost my rock, my anchor - the thing that would helm me back in if I floated too far away.  I'm beginning to realize that I only lost one of a number of anchors, the exact number of which I can never be fully sure.  Thank you for standing firm and for opening up to me.

MOTh: Days 19 and 20

3 Gifts Autumn

I'm naturally inclined to be a fan of Autumn.  The only problem is that I've never really been able to get through one without allergies coming in and trying to suffocate me.  It's miserable.  I'm normally a mouth-breather for three months (at least) of the year, and, let me tell you, it doesn't matter how cute that sweater is... Pockets full of tissues and snot-trailed make-up are not attractive.  But!  This year has happened to be different, because...

1. I'm thankful that my allergies haven't kicked up this Fall.  That's right!  I can breathe!!!  I don't have to be continually EXHAUSTED (although I've been staying up too late these days, and that's definitely making up for it).  I forgot what it was to look cute in the Fall, and, I've got to say, I'm loving it. :)
2. I'm thankful for Fall holidays.  I love them all... or at least the concept of all of them, since there are a few in there that I don't really celebrate.  But, really, there are all of these wonderful days, most of which are centered around thankfulness and remembrance, and I love it.
3. I'm thankful for Fall food.  I crave it all year, but, while some people try to limit their Christmas music intake, I try to limit my harvest produce intake.  On the other hand, as soon as I get the hankering for Christmas music, I play it... even if it's April.  I try not to do that in public, though; I realize that there are those who wouldn't appreciate that.  So, laugh at me for this one, if you'd like, but know that I'm laughing at you as you're craving Christmas music, and I'm just going ahead and listening to it.

3 Gifts of Tradition

I love traditions.  Maybe that's because I can't put my finger on many that my family has kept going, but I think they're wonderful.

1. I'm thankful for my family's traditional Christmas party.  We stopped doing it after we moved to Maryland, but I loved that party.  That thing pretty much defines the "Christmas spirit" for me.  I'm excited to be rekindling it this year (while I'm trying to ignore the amount of work it's going to take).
2. I'm thankful for the tradition my dad and I are trying to start.  Since I've "grown up", Dad and I have tried to go to at least one Orioles game a year together.  I love baseball and he tolerates it, so it's nice to have something that we can bond over.  My abilities in management show even there, as I try to make management calls, and it's a nice stroke to my ego to hear my dad agree with me (or at least pretend to).  :P
3. I'm thankful for the traditional Schanck-family Thanksgiving.  You've heard enough about this to know what this is; so I'm just going to leave you with yet another photo... one you haven't seen me put up yet. But be prepared, because the next post is "3 Gifts Family" - one I've been excited about... and yes, I'll be deviating from the requested formatting for it.  You've been warned.  :)

Why I think Texas is right on... Regardless of how I feel about their actions.

In case you've been living under a rock (and yes, you MUST have been living under a rock, since even in KOREA I know what's happening), let me catch you up on what's been happening in the good old US of A this week. I'm going to quote the Washington Post, since I think they introduce it quite succinctly and well:

From states across the country, Americans have filed petitions on the White House Web site seeking to secede from the union and form new state governments.

While most of the petitions come from states that supported Mitt Romney in last week’s election, a few swing states and even the deep blue Northeast are represented.


Petitions have been filed for Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

“We petition the Obama Administration to peacefully grant the State of Alabama to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own new government,” reads the Alabama petition. The following text is the same in most of the 20 filed so far:

As the founding fathers of the United States of America made clear in the Declaration of Independence in 1776:

“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”
“…Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and institute new Government…”

Now, I don't normally like to talk politics, because I think that the American people are almost always too uneducated on any one political subject to talk about it at all, but I'm making an exception this one time, because, having been educated in the deep South (or a city that thought it was in the deep South), States' Rights is a topic I feel pretty competent on. And I think I can probably still leave you guessing on my political bents on this one. You know how women like to be mysterious.

Okay, so there are a lot of rumors going around on this topic: Secession is unconstitutional... secession is fine... blah blah blah. Here's the thing: It's neither. Way, way, WAY back in the day under the Articles of Confederation (Go ahead, click on them and do your research, no one will know if you do, so no one will mock you. Oh, and here's the Wikipedia Article, just in case you want to only pretend like you know what they say.), states were unable to secede from the nation. However, the United States Constitution nullified the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution doesn't speak on the topic at all. (I'm just going to trust you know what the Constitution is.) So, that leaves us in an interesting fix.

So why does the world seem to be focused on Texas out of all the states (count them... it's almost half of the nation) involved in this hissy fit (for lack of a less biased word)? Well, Texas has a long, grand history of secession, seeming to jump on that band-wagon whenever possible. It seceded from Mexico in 1836 asn was quite happy to do so again during the American Civil War in 1861. But in 1869, this issue came into dispute in the Supreme Court ruling of the case Texas vs. White. Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase had a LOT to say on the topic, including this:

The Union of the States never was a purely artificial and arbitrary relation. It began among the Colonies, and grew out of common origin, mutual sympathies, kindred principles, similar interests, and geographical relations. It was confirmed and strengthened by the necessities of war, and received definite form and character and sanction from the Articles of Confederation. By these, the Union was solemnly declared to 'be perpetual.' And when these Articles were found to be inadequate to the exigencies of the country, the Constitution was ordained 'to form a more perfect Union.' It is difficult to convey the idea of indissoluble unity more clearly than by these words. What can be indissoluble if a perpetual Union, made more perfect, is not?

And this:

When, therefore, Texas became one of the United States, she entered into an indissoluble relation. All the obligations of perpetual union, and all the guaranties of republican government in the Union, attached at once to the State. The act which consummated her admission into the Union was something more than a compact; it was the incorporation of a new member into the political body. And it was final. The union between Texas and the other States was as complete, as perpetual, and as indissoluble as the union between the original States. There was no place for reconsideration or revocation, except through revolution or through consent of the States.

Unfortunately for Chief Justice Chase, he seemed to be leaning a little too much on the Articles of Confederation, because in 1870, President Grant signed an act, readmitting Texas to the nation, which seems to be an action nullifying the opinion of Chief Justice Chase. Or does it?

Chief Justice Chase also specifically mentions a scenario in which secession is appropriate, which brings us to where we are today:

The United States Supreme Court ruled in Texas v. White, 74 U.S. 700 (1869) that unilateral secession was unconstitutional while commenting that revolution or consent of the states could lead to a successful secession.

So... what now? Well, no one really knows, honestly. I predict that this all is mostly likely going to be dropped almost unilaterally. The only state that I'm curious about is Texas which are the only state with the financial stability and enough motivation to follow through on this - they had a range of reported number of signatures on their petition, all of which are over the necessary 25,000 to receive direct attention from the White House (although there are a number of other states financially able to, if they wanted).

Here's how it breaks down in my head:

A lot of the highest tax bracket lives in Texas. Like it or not, Texas is the land of oil and ranching, and those are two things Americans cannot get enough of. People are filthy rich there - mind you, not all people, but there are enough. These people are getting slammed with tax increases left and right, and if there's one thing Texans don't like, it's big government telling them what to do. They (and I use the general "they" here, not the all-encompassing) of the opinion the government is being tyrannical, so they're implementing the right that our Founding Fathers gave us: To stand up to the federal government and tell them to shove it. (Or, as the Declaration of Independence so much more eloquently puts it: “When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”)

Now, does it hurt me to think of a divided United States (an oxymoron if I ever heard one)? Yes. Absolutely. Unwavering. Am I as proud as they come of Texas for standing up for what they believe? Heck yes. Don't just bow down when you feel your rights slipping away; they don't come back.

As for the other states... I'm just going to roll my eyes at them and suggest they take a bit of a time out as cure to this hissy fit of theirs.



For more information on secession and how it happens, click here.

Feel free to leave your incensed comments below, although I will filter out any offensive language and/or trolling.

Until next time!

MOTh: Day 8

A Gift Sweet, Salty, Sipped

I'm so incredibly distracted right now, so this post will probably be the shortest one yet... sorry.

1. I'm doubly thankful for both Bobbie and Addie, the sweetest children I've ever met.
2. I'm thankful for McDonald's hash browns, and my growing weekly tradition of sharing them with my friend Nick on Sunday mornings.
3. I'm thankful for my free cup of coffee this evening.  Seeing how incredibly exhausted I was at the end of this week, the owner of my current coffee haunt sent me an extra cup over this evening.  Praise be to G-d for His small blessings.

Where did you go, Fall?

Apparently, Fall has decided to skip Korea this year.  Already, I'm waking up to near-freezing temperatures, and needing to turn on the heater at school.  Somehow, my allergies still haven't acted up too badly, which leads me to believe that Fall got bored of Korea and moved on.

Somehow, I mentally seem to be in the same place.  I was walking with some friends last night, and everything just felt like Christmas.  We stopped and got some 호떡, a favorite cold-weather treat of mine, and the impression of that glittery season just hit me.  I went home and put on the Christmas music (for the second time this Fall), and started doing some cooking.  It made me really want to do Christmas up right this year, so I think I may go all-out.  We'll see what the actual season brings with it, but, frankly, I'd be quite content to skip straight to December, at this point.

I know, I know, that desire means that I would have to skip over Thanksgiving, that favorite of favorites, but the thought of spending another one apart from my family brings a lump to my throat and stinging tears to my heater-dried eyes.  Whereas most of you would lament spending Christmas alone, I don't think that I will (although, that's just a conjecture, as I've yet to spend it without family).  It's always been Thanksgiving that's been cherished, although I never realized how much until last year.  The thought of not seeing the full extent of my mother's family at that time is gut-wrenching.  I'd much rather skip it all together than face it without them.

That's enough of that.  I'll not think on those thoughts any longer in this post.  I'll continue to focus on my desire to revive the Royster-family infamous Christmas party.  I made a most excellent cheese ball last night, and I have my mom's excellent cookie recipes to fall back on (although, there's a key ingredient in her chocolate-chip cookies that would probably be hard to find...), so, while I don't think it would be anywhere near the scale of what she did, even if I invited everyone I'd ever met in Korea, I think it will end up being entirely appropriate for my current level of Christmas Party mastery.

So, that's my plan:  December 22, 2012 (I know it's not the second Saturday of December, as per tradition, but I have to teach on every Saturday before then)... The Christmas Party will live again!

Of course this would happen this year.

I'm exhasperated - it had to be this year, didn't it? -  but, nonetheless,

LET'S GO O'S!!!

I've been a devoted fan since high school, and, as such, I'm very seriously considering turning up Stateside if the O's go all the way.  

Anne and the O's through the Ages

And, one more time, for good measure:

LET'S GO O'S!!!

August 16

Today, my dad and I got to see the Orioles play the Red Sox! This is a tradition worth continuing, despite my distance from Camden Yards.

What I've done since then

The following is what I've done since my epic display of my gastrointestinal pyrotechnic abilities.

First, I'd like to say I've discovered a newfound respect for nice anorexic people.  I'm not saying that to encourage people to be anorexic.  Don't do it.  It's not a good life choice.  I'm saying it because I ate so very little this week, and found that it's exhausting and makes it nearly impossible to be nice to anyone. It's not a good place to be.  But, on Friday, I started eating again and felt a LOT better.  Well enough, in fact, to go see The Dark Knight Rises with my friend Megan.  Let me tell you, it was most excellent, and I think you should go see it.  I so strongly feel that way that I did my nails to show my support for the Batman.  


That being said, I also want to extend my deepest sympathy to the families of the people who died in the recent tragedy surrounding this movie in Aurora, CO.  It's horrific, and It brings tears to my eyes to think of anyone involved. Violence is never the answer, friends.  Only G-d can ordain the loss of life, and He ordains few to orchestrate that.

On Friday, I also received my Korean name (finally) from a friend who works in my favorite skin care store near the mall.  She decided that I should be 행복 (Haengbok) in Korean, which means "Happiness."  I like it!  She's so sweet. :)

Saturday was my productive day.  With the help of Josh Broward's wife, I dropped off my dress at the dry cleaners to be altered for Meret and Casey's wedding.  We then went back to la casa de Broward and played with a couple babies.  That was fun.  Following that, it was off to work for my final adult English class of the semester.  We Skyped with my friend Greg, who is always great in his efforts to help me teach however he can.  After class, one family offered to drive me home, which I gratefully accepted, although I managed to leave my phone in their car.  After managing to meet up with them again to get it, we agreed to meet the next day for me to take them to the nearby English-speaking church, led by none other than the previously mentioned Josh Broward.  I finished the day with some cleaning and comic-drawing, along with some TV-watching.

Today, I met up with my friend Nick for breakfast at McDonald's.  Now, before you judge me, this is maybe the fourth time I've been there this year.  Currently, they have various "Taste of [Continent]" specials, in honor of the Olympics.  We opted to try both Taste of Americas.  One was an Egg McMuffin with Canadian Bacon (mine went to Nick), tomato, and lettuce.  The lettuce was just what this hot day needed.  The other was your classic McDonald's giant pancake breakfast platter.  Once it was sausage-free, I enjoyed it immensely.  


Recently, I found something I really liked about this McDonald's.  When I ordered my food to go, they handed me this timer and asked me to flip it.  They guaranteed my food hot and in my hand before the timer ran out.  As you can see, they came quite good on that promise.  Maybe I'm just too American, but I must say, I like it when my fast food is incredibly fast.


I met up with the family from English class immediately following McDonald's and off to church we went.  The kids had a blast at children's church, which I think made the experience for everyone involved, although, for me, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting's Cora, Kris' girlfriend, who just moved here... YESTERDAY.  I found myself just smiling, smiling, smiling, because I was so happy to see them safely reunited here.  It's a weird feeling for me, as I'm not much of a romantic, but maybe it's because they weren't being too mushy?  I don't know.  I'm just glad CORA'S HERE!!!


After church was some much needed Mt. Fishtail, with the ever lovely Rashell, Taylor, and Becky.  Pretty much the whole church ended up deciding to lunch there, though.  Okay, I exaggerate, but still... I really like the idea of going out to eat after church.  It was sort of a tradition my family had as I was growing up, and it makes me feel more like Sunday when I get to do it.  Yes, the weekly luncheon at Yeshuat Yisrael is wonderful, and I wouldn't trade it, but that's definitely a Saturday feeling to me.  Sunday calls for some fellowship in a restaurant.  But that may just be my opinion.  If you've made it this far and can follow instructions, why don't you drop me a line and share what makes Sunday feel like Sunday for you?

Rashell and I stayed late, talking at the restaurant and then walked around a bit.  I broke my brown sandals (sad!), so I will need to do some shoe-shopping in the States when I come (happy!).  I took an afternoon nap, and - wait for it - did Rosetta Stone today!  Stuff makes a lot more sense on that thing, now, which is awesome.

And now, you are quite caught up.  I hope you had a great weekend, too!

Pesach 5772

Clearly, I'm catching up on my posts today. I have today off work, as it's election day, so I thought I'd take advantage of it. Many of you have been asking how my Seder turned out, and I thought I'd share the whole story.
I went to a Fat Tuesday dinner at the International Church on KNU's campus.  I went up to their head pastor, Josh Broward, meaning to thank him for the event, and, instead, said, "Hi, I'm Jewish.  Would you be interested in having a Passover Seder at your church?".  I knew from the get-go that this was a G-d thing.  I think that's probably why I didn't stress as much about it.  Yes, there was stress, but not nearly as much as I expected.  In fact, during the all-nighter the night before, there was no stress at all, just exhaustion.  In the end, roughly 2 dozen people showed up, so I had a bit too much food, as I was planning for 40 (thus my Passover recipes that have been using it up).  However, they all seemed very interested and blessed by the event.

Here are some pictures from the night that my friend Taylor took for me:

Pastor Josh, opening us in prayer.

Raising the first glass for its blessing

The table

We did a hand-washing where we washed each other's hands,
in memory of how Christ washed his disciples' feet.

Everyone got involved.

Emma played the role of the youngest child.  Her parents told me how excited she was and how she wanted to get dressed up to fit the part.  They explained how Jewish girls in Israel today wear pretty much the same clothes as they do in Korea.  I gave her my scarf to cover her hair, to help her out a bit.  I had been debating whether or not I would cover mine, but seeing her smile made my choice for me.

Observing the piercings and stripes of the Matzah; Yeshua HaMashiach is our  Afikomen!

Passover Oatmeal (Vegan-friendly)

I'm an oatmeal fan.  It makes me very happy.  So, today, I opted to eat some, but Passover style!

It's so easy to make a serving that I'm not even going to use an ingredients list.

Crumble one piece of Manischewitz Matzos.
1. Add whatever fruit and nuts you'd like.  I added strawberries to mine.
2. Pour in some almond milk (or normal milk, I just like almond milk).  You only need 1/4 c at most.  Al you want to do is get everything soggy.
3. Mash the soggy matzos a bit, to get it the consistency of oatmeal.
4. Microwave it for about two minutes.
5. Add some brown sugar to sweeten it... maybe a tablespoon or two.

Wham bam.  Delicious breakfast.  (Of course, you do need to eat it rather quickly, but you can do it!  I have faith in you!)  Leave your feedback below.

Passover Nachos

Due to my inability to stay awake last night, I did not get to post this recipe, BUT, if any of you still haven't eaten, I would highly recommend it.  In case you haven't noticed, my cooking tends to have a Mexican flair to it, and you can thank my lovely friend Alex and her Mamí for that.  Their food is so good that I tried making some of it one day, and I've been hooked ever since.  So, today, I'll bring Passover (Leftovers) Nachos.  It was incredibly easy and a good way to reclaim my tupperware from the fridge.  I ate this whole thing, because I'm generally calorie-deprived on school days, but, for people who eat correctly, I'd recommend serving this as a side, or a two-person meal with a side-salad.

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces of  Manischewitz Matzos, crushed to nacho-size
• 2 or 3 Passover Burger patties, crumbled
• 1/2-3/4 c Curry Rice (as found attached to the Passover Burgers recipe as a side dish option)
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1 green jalapeño, chopped
• Several stalks of parsley, chopped (I'm still recovering from that Seder, but if you're not, cilantro is amazing on food like this.)
• Extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, to taste (I like a lot.)
• Salsa (or, in my case, leftover corn salad)

Procedure

1. Lay out your matzos on a plate.  You may want to salt them a little.  It's up to you.  I didn't.
2. Add everything on top, except potentially the Salsa (that one's your call and really depends on whether you prefer warm salsa or not).
3. Microwave it for about 5 minutes, stopping to stir.  This gets pretty thick, so the stirring is important to get everything heated.
4. Enjoy!

Before the cheese layer is added.  Doesn't it look lovely, even like that?

From the first bite of this, I knew it was heaven.  The Matzos do get a little soggy, and really can't replace tortilla chips, but, hey - what can you do?  They do, however present an interesting base flavor that makes it all taste somewhat like a casserole.  I like it a lot, but don't expect a fully nacho feel. :)

As always, please leave your feedback!

Passover Pancakes with Homemade Strawberry Syurp (Vegan and Dairy-Free Options)

Today, while browsing the Lotte Mart (grocery store/Wal-Mart equivalent), I was struck with the desire for pancakes, and, ladies and gentlemen, I'm pleased to announce that I mastered it.  Now, for the pleasure of your (and let's be honest, your kids') taste buds, I present Passover Pancakes (loosely based on this recipe):

Ingredients:

• 1/2-3/4 c Matzo meal (I made my own by putting 3 pieces of Manischewitz Matzos through a food processer.)
• a dash of salt
• 3 medium eggs (Leave this out if you're vegan.)
• 100 grams of cream cheese (Leave this out if you're vegan or have a dairy allergy.)



My delicious almond milk

• 1/2ish c leftover Charoset put through a food processor (I know, I can't believe I had leftovers either!  If you didn't, applesauce with cinnamon added at home should be fine... pass on the cinnamon stuff in the store - too much sugar)
• 1/2ish c almond milk (Tonight was my first experience in making my own, and let me tell you... this stuff deserves a standing ovation.)
• 1.5 t vanilla (I use imitation.)
• cinnamon to taste (I'm incredibly heavy-handed with this.)
• Optional: Add fruit or nuts

Procedure

1. Turn on THIS playlist.  This is crucial.  Your food won't taste as good if you're not in a good mood. :)
2. Mix all the ingredients, dry ingredients first, of course.  Just go in the order I put them on the ingredients list, stirring constantly. It should look like this when you're done:

3. Cook on a lightly greased frying pan, flipping only once.  They'll look just like normal pancakes:

4.  Serve warm, with strawberry syrup on top, and eggs on the side (and maybe some turkey bacon/sausage, if you're not of the vegetarian inclination): Throw several heaping handfulls of fresh, rinsed, de-stemmed strawberries in a food processor, along with whatever Charoset (cinnamon apple sauce) is leftover from your cooking process (~1/4 c).  Heat it on a stove, adding brown sugar to taste.

No, it's not tomato sauce; it only looks like it.

Happy eating!  As always, let me know if you try it out.