Morning Glory Muffins

2 1/2 Cups of all-purpose flour
1 1/4 Cups sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used applesauce in place of oil= 1 1/4 cup applesauce total)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrots
1 medium apple, peeled and grated (If you have a chopper they work great, which I used for the carrots and apple instead of grating them.)
1 can (8oz) crushed pineapple drained (yesterday I used a 20 oz can of tibits)
**then I could add 1 cup of oatmeal to the muffins
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup raisins (I prefer craisins)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. In another bowl, combine the eggs, applesauce, (oil) and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients just until moistened (batter will thicken). Stir in carrots, apple, pinneapple, coconut, raisins (craisins), nuts (and oatmeal optional). Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.

Bake at 350 for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 mintues before removing from pans. Yields: 2 dozen (with the bigger can of pineapple I made 33 muffins vs 24)

I love this receipe because you change it up to your taste or what you have around the house. I enjoyed making the last nine muffins with some granola put in the batter that had dried up strawberries and kiwis.. yum

Curried Chicken Salad Receipe

Here's the receipe..

Mix:
2-3 cups cooked chicken (I seasoned the chicken with yellow curry and onions as it cooked)
2 grannie smith apples chopped, cored
1 20oz can of pinneapple, drained
1 10oz can of mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup of craisins (receipe called for raisins)
1/2 cup peacan slices (I used almond slices)- can be baked ahead of time

Curried Mayo: (in separate bowl)
1/2 cup Mayo
1/4 cup Olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 t salt (to taste)
2-3 Tablespoons curry powder (I used 1 1/2 T yellow and 1 T redish/orange)- to taste

Mix Curried Mayo then fold into the remaining ingredients. Make sure the salad is moist and not soggy. Refrigerate for a couple hours. Serve over spinach leaves or place in soft shell for a wrap.

Enjoy!

Determination

So, I thought I would start educating myself on India.. just in case that's where I ended up in the months to come.. Some of you may know that I have applied for a 6 month internship with The Home Foundation, which provides a safety house/haven for victims of human trafficking both within the US and abroad. I would be going to India and volunteering at their branch in Bombay as a group counselor/English teacher. It would be a great opportunity and a dream come true.

If you would like to know more about the Home Foundation.. Pls check out..
http://www.thehomefoundation.net

Back to the book..if you wanted to read a great book on India.. I would definitely recommend this one..

Quote from the book...Snakes and Ladders.. by Gita Mehta

"Who are these women you are trying to help anyway?" Gita asked. "Tribal women and their kids. They are working as bonded labor in a silk-weaving center, practically chained to their loons." It's not very much, I said. She palmed the money, "Dollars go a long way in India."

It was eighteen months before I saw my friend again, at a rather grand dinner party in the Indian capital. I caught up with her at the buffet table.
"oh, I've been meaning to write to you," she said. "But I've been busy." Noticing my dismay, she relented. "The money bought about one hundred and sixty women and their families out of bondage." I was stunned.

What are the women doing now? I asked. "They were determined to compete with their previous owners, so we loaned them money to buy their own looms and weave their own silk." Did you manage to sell it? I asked. "Oh, it's not for sale, just display for future orders. They haven't got anything left to sell. Everything the women produce is of such high quality the exporters grab it. " "In fact, the men who used them as slave labor are no offering to buy their output at twice the price the exporters pay because the quality is so good."

"Are they making money?" I asked. "Send their kids to private schools. They think if you pay for education instead of going to a government school, your kids get a better education.

"Can I give them more money?" I asked. "Certainly not. They don’t' accept charity. Six months ago they paid back every penny of your money. Now they are giving us money to loan to other women. Nearly as much as you did."

Determination.. that is the word that came to my mind when I read this.. When you are determined nothing will stand in your way from achieving your goals.. So, what are you allowing to hold you back?

Little Sparklers Party Day and My Farewell

New Flat Pics- Home for my last 2 mths here

Burnside Touch Farm with Little Sparklers Daycare

Ducan Village Creche' Hat Give Away

Fun at Nahoon Beach with GR-R

Visiting Nthatile just outside of Mt. Fletcher in Kwa-Zulu Natal South Africa

Visiting Nthatile and her family was an awesome experience. it was a 5 hour bus ride to Kokstad, South Africa from East London. Then another hours drive to where the World Vision office was and where Mkhululi and me would be staying overnight. Then the following day on Saturday, May 9th, we drove another hour to the village. It was amazing how cold it was there and the leaves changing colors. They actually get snow there in the winter time, which is right around the corner. Not a lot of snow, but they get snow. It was strange seeing little villages among the huge mountains that surround that part of South Africa.

I know that Nthatile and her family were blessed by me coming. I'm glad that I could bless the little girl and family that my parents sponsored through World Vision. Nthatile is currently living with her aunt in Johannesburg and has been taken off of the World Vision sponsorship list.
But World Vision arranged it for her to be home so I could visit her.

Her mom arranged some of the girls and guys within the community to bless me with some traditional Xhosa dancing. It was beautiful and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Nomzamo and Aki

It's been great to be able to bless those around me and be God's hands and feet to those I come in contact with. Thank you for all your prayers and those who are considering on assisting Nomzamo in completing her grade 12. I had her and Aki over for a late lunch on Friday, we had a great time together. If you would still like to assist Nomzamo, pls contact via email at capetown_77@hotmail.com.

Visiting Sphelele- The boy Stephanie sponsors through World Vision

I had a wonderful time blessing Sphelele and his family. I hope to go back again before I leave East London in September.