I completely understood the importance of transferring Elders before we left home. As we watched the changes when Elders lived in our basement, we could see the wonderful things that happened because of transfers, but that doesn't make it any easier. For old people, this is tough. I think the Elders look forward to it. Enough moaning! We are almost ready to go. It's been a fun week of getting ready. It started with some service.
We found out that the oven of a sweet sister in the branch, who loves to bake (and is a great cook) was broken. For two years, whenever she wanted to bake something, she had to sit and hold the striker button in, or the flame in her gas oven would go out. She baked us an amazing apple cake. We found out that чтобы to give us that gift she had to sit for 40 minutes holding the button in . By the time we got home Ned had figured out what was wrong, so Monday he was able to get it fixed. It wasn't the thermo coupler like he thought. A valve was chipped creating a leak so the thermo coupler wouldn't work, but, it works again and we got another, just as amazing, apple cake! Later in the week we got to visit and fix a few more things. Its always fun to spend time with their family!
Later that night we had a delightful Family Home Evening with one of our favorite families in the branch. (There only a few families in the branch with children. They are all our favorites) We have so much fun when we get to visit. We were challenged by the Mission President to share as many invitations to watch the new Christmas movie on Mormon.org, with as many people as we could, so Ned shared that video (in Russian) with the family and asked them to share it as well.
There are a million things that I wanted to learn to cook before I went home. We thought we had plenty of time. But, miracles happen! Two sisters asked if we wanted to learn a few things before we left. Our Russian teacher would sometimes surprise us with treats at class. She taught us how to make 2 of our favorites, Apple pancakes, Оладьи, and Голубцы, cabbage rolls, and we made enough to last a week with some to share! She even gave us a вaреники refresher course. I'll add the recipes at the end if anyone is interested.
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| Two of the celebrity chefs for the week. |
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| Apple Pancakes! YUM! |
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| Cooling the verenikie so they won't stick together. These are- cherry! I know. You are jealous :) |
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| These are potato, and theres a few with cheese. |
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| We had a little cheese filling left so she showed us how to make poor man's verenikie. She added an egg and some flour, rolled and cut them and just threw them right in the boiling water with the rest of them. They were good! |
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| To make cabbage rolls she cored the head of cabbage put the whole thing in a pot of boiling water and as the leaves softened she would take them off and put them in cold water. I'm glad Ned caught the match in this one. I would throw the match stick away each time we used one. Every time she needed one she would ask me where the match stick was. I realized that she wanted to reuse the matchsticks by lighting them from another burner. When I opened the matches to use them this morning, i found a used match stick. Let me add frugal, thrifty, wise and a lot of fun to the list of characteristics of my heroic sisters. |
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| Take a slice off the big ribs they're easier to roll |
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| meanwhile, start the meat filling |
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| We stuffed a whole head of cabbage! Roll them. Tuck in the ends. Lay a layer of broken leaves across the bottom of the pan |
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| Scatter a few sliced onions and some butter in-between, then top with a tomato sauce. Add another layer of cabbage leaves and steam till tender. |
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| Had some meat leftover so we fried it up like Frikadelars. And guess what? Thats what they call them here too! |
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| Got to ride on a brand new Mercedes Marshrutka out to the village. it was straight first class! Leg room? Yes! |
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| the starter |
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| she added wheat malt |
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| ...a little of this and a little of that. Each batch is a work of art. |
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| She slices through it to see if it has been kneaded enough. She looks for the bubbles. |
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| Into the forms. One is regular whole grain bread. the other is three different kinds in the same form. |
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| She sets them to raise on the water heater. |
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| Alexandra had to do all the work. I think she was worn out by the time we were done. Behind her is the typical trom wall heater they built a fire in it at 4 PM the day before and it was still heating the kitchen and the living room on the other side of the wall. They have the same set up on the other side of the main entrance and it heats both bedrooms |
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| Just a fun pic of the goings on. Sis B is tasting the Brosch. |
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| Before we came she made a loaf of a pumpkin sourdough bread. She used string to form the sections of the pumpkin, added pumpkin seeds to the dough, and put saved stem from a pumpkin on the top. It was such good bread |
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| Final stages with foil on top to keep them from getting too brown. some things are the same world-wide |
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| Making poppy seed butter for a delicious traditional poppy seed dessert. |
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| One must wash and soak the poppy seeds before you smash them so she made this handy little bag that allows them to be washed without losing any. |
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| Make a cake that isn't sweet |
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| then soak pieces of cake in the yummy poppy seed sauce. |
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| We made pancakes using sour jam instead of yeast and many other varieties, soup, and 3 different kinds of bread. She says if you have fruit and jam, you are rich! |
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| This shows the different pancakes and her rose petal jam. Ned is in love with her rose petal jam! |
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| We gave her some flowers and a butterfly once so she prepared a butterfly for us made from wild strawberries on a dish made from frozen raspberries and sugar. |
We thought we were teaching our last English classes, so we prepared fun stuff and treats, but it looks like we get to teach one more time tomorrow. In little English learned left, right, forward and back, played some games, did the Hokey Pokey, and sang a song we found on the internet. Actually, all our lessons come from the internet. I wish we had a video of the Hokey Pokey. They were awesome! We are really going to miss these kids. They are so much fun to work with. In big English we talked about why we need a Savior and showed the new video in English then in Russian. The Elders always do great. The cards inviting people to our free English class describe them as gospel discussions with native speakers. I help with the beginning class. It never ceases to amaze me how they can teach the gospel as they teach grammar.
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| We usually have more students but it was snowing and cold that day. |
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| A picture from the end of class. Sorry. Not a good one but the only one I had. |
Later in the week, we were able to serve by delivering some much needed Christmas gifts from America to some families in the Branch. A family had saved all year so they could help someone in Ukraine have a happy holiday. They succeeded! I think they brought joy to the hearts of 3 families.
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| New stove! and so warm :) |
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| He has started construction of the barn adjacent to the greenhouse. |
Sunday was a sad but happy day. Its hard to say goodbye to friends who have become like family. Never will we meet a more loving, welcoming, giving, talented, amazing people. We have been so blessed to be able to call them brother and sister.
One of our Elders is being transferred as well. He is a great man. Actually, they both are. Much good has been accomplished while they have been serving here. I think the branch is ready to start doing missionary work because of their good examples and the spirit they have felt while being taught by these young men. Elder Kudaibergen is a great example of a consecrated missionary and he has taught his companion well.
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| Elder Mikkelsen with the President. The President is a spiritual giant! He understands his calling and is doing great job. |
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| Good-bye to our Elder form Kazakhstan. |
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| At the end of Sacrament Meeting we were given a bouquet of kalina berries (a symbol of Ukraine) and a beautiful loaf of Sister Bonderenko's bread. Decorated with flowers, leaves, and a Book of Mormon |
And at dinner that night Volia brought us some of her adjuki sauce and other to-die-for creations. Then she taught us how to make her famous Ward-party grechka!
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| The adduce is already almost gone. It never takes long. |
So- onward, ever onward! Next we meet our greetings will be from на юге (in the south). Most people go to the south in the summer to relax. We go in the middle of winter and hopefully we'll find the work that is there for us to do.
Have a wonderful week. Talk to you soon
Love
the Mik's
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| A quick pic out the window. |
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| One of the Elders we hang out with |
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| Had to say goodbye to one of our best friends |
Оладьи (pancakes,
From Alexandra (our Russian Teacher)
this is the way she gave it to us the first time
Flour (мука), кефир (sour milk), eggs (яйца), соль (salt), and sugar (сахар)
Add chopped apples (яблокн).
Mix and fry. Yum!
These our our guesses for the amounts now that we watched her
2 cups flour
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup Sugar
1 tbs salt
3 cups apples
1 egg
Beat (бить) together drop by spoonfuls onto a hot frying pan with a little oil- maybe 1/4 cup
These are the directions Ned wrote as we went along. They may not be exactly complete
Ukrainian Cabbage rolls By Sister Alexandra
голубцы
Meat Filling:
One cup of cooked rice
Two lbs hamburger
Chop an onion and placed into meat mixture
1 ½ tsp salt.
¼ tsp pepper
Mix well.
Grate 3 carrots and chop 1 onion. In a frying pan add oil. Cook carrots on low. After a few minutes add the onions allow to
cook minute then cover the pan, add water as needed. Cook till tender crisp. Let cool a little then add to the meat and mix
well.
Place trimmed cabbage into a big pot of
boiling water cut center out a little to release leaves. Turn cabbage in water
Peel 4 carrotts and grated.
Two Onions chopped
After cabbage boils for a minute or two
lift it out and take leaves off as they loosen.
Trim the heavy vain from the leaves. Continue to cut center out and peel
leaves off one at a time.
Place hot leaves into cold water to stop
cooking process then trim veins and make them soft enough to make them pliable.
Put the cabbage cuttings without ribs with
leftover trims to cover the bottom of the pan. Place a layer of rolls and then
dot with butter and more chopped onions.
Fry up a little more carrot and onion and
then add cup of water 1 tsp salt 1 tbs 14 cup tomato paste pour over rolls and
place on heat when it starts to steam turn it down and cook for 40 minutes.
I know you all expecting pictures of the family. Sorry. out of time. We'll add lots next week. They have had a busy week as well.
