Monday, March 28, 2016

Ukrainian Cooking 101

Week of March 21-27, 2016
Spring is almost here!
It's official! It was declared at least 3 times this week.  We love being grandparents but it still seems quite strange to hear it.  We sit in meetings with missionaries and in our minds we are just like them, maybe a big brother and sister or at least more like parents.  This week we were introduced as the grandparents of the zone.  Then the next day out on the street a lady told her dog to get out of the way for the бабушка (grandma).  I think maybe it's time to go shopping!

I tried to make us look older but it just wouldn't work!  Still
just young at heart
Our sweet grand baby turned 1 this week.  Already toddling around, she is such a cutie.  I just have to throw in a couple pictures from her birthday party week.  It was a highlight of our week when they sent the pictures and videos. (Sorry couldn't get the video to load)  We're still smiling.
Yea Dog Kisses!
having fun in Uncle Erik and Aunt Erika's bouncer?
Nap time!
Beek-A-Boo
Last Tuesday we had a couple hours between meetings and preparations so we went for a walk around our neighborhood with a travel guide in hand.  Thought we'd learn a little more about the history of this very historic spot.  We chose the wrong guide for the job but saw some great stuff.  Pulled out the camera to document and the battery was dead.  I felt so bad.  Not only would we not have memory reminders but I would have no pictures for the blog.  I would much rather put in pictures than paragraphs.  So, this morning we decided to go out and get at least a few of the shots we saw.  (We took 80 photos from just half our trek. ;) I won't post them all =))
Just outside our entryway
also in our cul-de-sac 
You have to press the right code to get into any
apartment building.
The 57 steps to Heaven and our apartment

I love how everything is in layers.  You can't tell very well
but the buildings go back forever.

As you walk down any street there are gates everywhere.
they lead into little squares that are so interesting.  It looks
like buildings have been added onto buildings over centuries.
new next to old, remodeled next to run down. Ornate in the
middle of simple.  It all adds to the beauty of the city.

This one will be so beautiful in the spring
Cool little nooks and cranny's everywhere
As you can see the wiring is up to code?
Notice the old lath that is how all of these
old buildings are formed

This is a popular tourist attraction. The building with
only one wall.  They ran out of  money during construction...
so it is really a triangular building, but from the front it looks
like just a wall.
Picture this with leaves
A better entryway
The Colonnade but this kind of cobblestone is
everywhere in the city.  It would never pass
inspection at home but this also adds to the
beauty!
It was laid by Italian craftsmen over a 100
years ago and is still very useable.
We read about this fountain- yes, fountain, in the
guidebook and looked everywhere for it.  The
Day and Night fountain.  "On the marble bowl
...is written 'familia, urbi et orbit' (Family- of
city and world)  This motto expresses
eloquently the Odessan mentality of...
unification, to create a bridge between peoples."
Interesting!

Had to put in this picture of a weeping willow sapling.
Right now it's happy.
The port, early in the morning, is a beautiful place.  The sea air
was  crisp and sounds from the shipyard rang through the
silence.  Love it!

We were up on top of the 200 steps.  As you look down off the
wall, there are fun little garden spots.  In the mornings there are
always people sitting reading or just enjoying the peace.

The new against....
the old.  So cool!

Ned had to get a picture of the dog.  He would throw the ball over
the wall.  The dog would run down, search for it, listen for the
whistle, and then ...
bring it back.
At the end of our street.  By noon there will be 6 or 7 of those
coffee trucks along with some souvenir kiosks ready to
serve all the tourists.
During one of the sieges the Duke was hit with a cannonball and it left a dent.  In remembrance of the battle they filled in the dent with a real cannonball.

Out our front door.
Catherine the Great and her entourage of
important people keeping us safe.
We had a lesson on how to create a Ukrainian type meal for a large group.  We had  Mini-MTC for the Branches in the area on Saturday.  Last time they had one it was short with only one meal so they ordered pizza for fifty.  This time it would last all day so would need 2 meals.  When I asked what the budget would be we were told there was no budget for this so spend as little as possible- try to keep it under 2000 гривен (about $80).  Ukrainians can feed a crowd for almost nothing and everyone goes away content.  I asked for suggestions.  For lunch I got: hot sandwiches with cucumber, apple pie and hot chocolate or Ukrainian sandwiches, an apple and cookies.  We had to go with #2 cause we had no way to keep or get the sandwiches hot.  UA sandwiches are open face bread, slices of sausage and cheese and they are always yummy and welcome, anytime, anywhere. ( We added a little cucumber to some).  For dinner they suggested: mashed potatoes and maybe a piece of meat (that one would have been about 1500-2000 гривен), plov (a yummy rice dish with meat, probably $2500-3000), or pasta with a meat sauce (2000-2500, close enough).  Because we didn't want to peel and mash enough potatoes for 50 hungry people we opted to go with pasta.  6 kilos of pasta is a lot of noodles. What kind of meat sauce, I asked? with tomato, onion and carrots- you kind find recipes on the internet.  So, oneshetwoshe.com (or so she says) saved me, again! Mariel's marinara sauce with chicken and a little stock added, saved the day. So, after a few trips to the Rinok and grocery stores we had: Pasta, Ukrainian green salad (Chinese cabbage, green onions, fresh dill, salt, and just before you serve it, a few splashes of sunflower oil.  Yum!) brownies, and leftover bread from lunch with garlic butter.  It was a hit! At least it filled a bunch of empty stomachs and hopefully the rest of the day filled some waning (and waxing) spirits.

Personal and companion study after the message from
President and Sister Packer.
Lunch is ready!

We showed them how to tie a tie and how to fold a shirt in 2 seconds.
talked about the guidelines for dress and grooming,
Then had a relay!
They had to dress- in Elder Mikkelsen's clothes!
Tie the tie

Fold a shirt, then run down, undress, fold the clothes and
pass them to the next team member.  Pretty Funny
The sister missionaries they were so sweet, they
organized the ties so the Elders could find theirs.
After this they role-played contacting they went out
on the street and contacted for real.
Beautiful song and then a testimony meeting

It was also a scary week as well.  Wednesday afternoon- on the day of our sweet Riley's birthday, we got a message that one of our dear friends in Vinnistya had been in a serious accident and was in surgery.  Our hearts were broken! After a few phone calls we found things were not good and recovery will be long but she is a fighter and will be OK.  Then that night we found out Jonathan had also been in a car accident.  Our hearts dropped one more time.  It took till the next morning to be sure that all was well.  Add these to those hurt in Brussels and Pakistan and it could make you a little worried about the state of the world.  But, Heavenly Father has a plan.  He's in control even though we might be out of control.  If we stay on the path and keep trying to do just a little better every day, we can make it through anything.  I read a great quote this week about what it means to be a disciple of Christ, which is what we really need to be.  As I read this and it made me think about what kind of a disciple I really am.
“‘The word disciple comes from the Latin [meaning] a learner. A disciple of Christ is one who is learning to be like Christ—learning to think, to feel, and to act as he does. To be a true disciple, to fulfill that learning task, is the most demanding regimen known to man. No other discipline compares … in either requirements or rewards. It involves the total transformation of a person from the state of the natural man to that of [a] saint, one who loves the Lord and serves with all of his heart, might, mind, and strength’ (Chauncey C. Riddle, ‘Becoming a Disciple,’ Ensign, Sept. 1974, 81)” (in Conference Report, Oct. 2000, 77; or Ensign, Nov. 2000, 61).
Imagine a world where all were trying to do this.
We have our missionary work cut out for us.
We ended the week as the YSA gathered to watch the Face to Face broadcast from a couple weeks ago. It was a wonderful evening of music and question and answer time with leaders of the church.  I especially loved the testimonies borne at the end.  I wish there was a transcript. I hope I don't get in trouble, but I was so touches by Sister Stevens testimony that I wrote it out.  In her sweet, humble way, she told us that she knew who she was, who we are.
Carol M. Stevens General RS President
"I know the we are sons and daughters of Heavenly parents who love us and who taught us everything we needed to know to be successful here and to be happy here and to have joy in this journey back home to them...In days when I have a little distress or a little anxiety or I'm wondering about something, I can rely on that plan.  I can have faith in that plan and I know that I'll be ok, every single day if I rely on that plan.  I'm grateful to know that I can go to Heavenly Father in prayer.  I know that He will listen to me and He will answer me according to my needs, if I trust Him, if I really exercise my faith in Him,  and go to Him in fervent prayer.  He is my Father.  He wants me to talk to Him.  He wants me to tell Him what I'm struggling with.  He wants me to ask Him for the things that I need.  I'm so grateful to be able to testify of the Savior.  My Savior.  Jesus Christ.  I know that it is in Him that I can have hope. It is through Him that I can return back home.  It is because of Him that all of the anxiety and all of the stresses and all of the things that trouble us, I can understand.  I'm so grateful for His atonement.  I know that I live far beneath my privileges when it comes to the opportunity to have the gift of the Holy Ghost in my life every day.  I'm striving more diligently to have him with me each day.  To have that spirit with me, to guide me.  We are so blessed.  We have great reason to rejoice because we know these things.  We know these things, we have testimonies of these things.  I know that Thomas S. Monson is the Lord's prophet on the earth today and that the first presidency and the quorum of the 12 apostles are prophets, seers, and revelators.  We need never question.  We need never doubt, that what they tell us they are receiving from the Savior Jesus Christ whose church this is.  I am so grateful for that.  I find great hope in that.  I find great comfort in that.  I know this is the church of Jesus Christ established in the earth in this day and I am so grateful to testify of these things to you at this time.  I love you.  I feel our father's love for you.  We can get through this together.  We can be strong and we can return back home to Him together.  That's the plan.  And we can accomplish it together. I'm grateful to testify of that and of His love for us...
I too know these things.  What a beautiful way for us to spend our Easter.
We wish you all the best.
Have a great week,
Love the Mikk's