THIS IS A STUB BLOG!

Visit at new locations:  http://nicole-weaver.com/,   http://marieandherfriendtheseaturtle.blogspot.com/,                                                       http://www.melangeofcultures.wordpress.com

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Hello all,

I moved all of my blogger files to a new location. I hope you do not mind following me at my new blog at : http://www.melangeofcultures.wordpress.com/.

I am able to post audio recordings on how to speak basic French and Spanish at my new location. Please join me! Comments are greatly appreciated.  Thank you.

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Here is a very yummy recipe for making one of Haiti's favorite meat dish.  Most Haitians eat this often.  I personally like it around the holidays.  My kids and husband like griot a lot.  Usually , I make it for my guests and they seem to always come back for  seconds.  The griot is always eaten  with fried plantains.  I took the above picture at my sister's house when we visited her in Florida in June.

RECIPE FOR GRIOT- 
1-2 pounds of pork( you can buy the diced tender  pork in the meat section)
fresh lemons or lime
fresh garlic
salt
adobe seasoning
fresh hot peppers

wash the meat with the lemon or lime
place meat in a bowl
mix meat with salt, diced garlic, peppers and some adobe seasoning let marinate overnight for best results
some Haitian fry the meat in oil,  I prefer to bake mine in the oven, the last 5 minutes you can place the meat
under the broiler so it can get that rich dark color.  The reason I like baking the griot is because the plantains have to be fried in oil, I try to balance the amount of fat I consume.  Before serving, cut up some raw onion rings and place on top of the griot just like in the picture above.

RECIPE FOR FRIED PLANTAINS-

Buy the amount of plantains you want
remove the peels
cut into  round pieces
heat some oil in a frying pan
fry the plantains until it  is 3/4 cooked
flattened  each piece with a roller pin(using the bottom of a cup is just as good)
put the flattened  piece back in the pan until it is cooked all the way through
for ripe sweet plantains follow the same steps, but   be sure to skip the flattening part( see picture above, the pieces are cut on a slight slant as oppose  to the round shape for plantains that are not ripe, ripe plantains are in the middle of serving plate)

ENJOY WITH A GREEN SALAD OR RICE AND BEANS(see previous post on how to make the rice)

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A group  from London decided to publish an anthology  titled "WORD FOR HAITI"  All of the proceeds from the book will be donated to the Lambi Fund of Haiti.  The editor , Yetunde Ruban made an appeal to poets, writers and artists to submit their work for inclusion  in this publication.  The  expected date of publication is July 17th, 2010.  The editor plans  to launch the book in London on  that day.

Feel free to join the group on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10150092777080046

I am happy to announce that one of my poems and a short story will be published in the anthology.  Please refer to http://www.lambifund.org/ for more information  about the organization that all the proceeds will go to.  I will keep everyone updated on the exact date the book will be released.   I am so looking forward to the publication of this book.   I am very pleased  that my students' works will be included in the book too.   Since I am Haitian American, after the earthquake several of my students wrote poems and short stories .  Their actions moved me deeply,  the editor allowed my students to submit their work along with mine.   There will be a press conference with the Denver media in July once the book is released.  My students will do a reading to help promote the book.  Stay tuned for more details later this summer.

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Come learn about Haiti's hero.  Help support Haiti relief.

Special invitation to Lambi Fund supporters in Denver!

A Live Studio Audience Broadcast in Denver-


Proceeds benefit the Lambi Fund of Haiti)


For more information, contact

donnie betts at 720-748-1388


Come be a part of a live studio audience broadcasting an amazing play about Toussaint L'Ouverture! Presented by KGNU 88.5 FM and 1390 AM, the play is the story of how the leader of the Haitian Revolution, Toussaint L'Ouverture, led enslaved Afro-Haitians to victory over French colonizers, abolished slavery, and secured independence for Haiti. The play is by Richard Durham.

When: April 10, 7 p.m.

Where: Crossroads Theatre 2590 N. Washington St .Denver, CO

How much: $25

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Would you like to put some sparkle in the eyes of your little one?  Here is a recipe that will definitely bring some delight to their faces.  This is one of my favorite meal, my mom made for me. Here is the recipe.

Cook white rice according to directions.  For the peas you can use frozen .  This is similar to American pea soup, but has no ham, carrots and Haitians eat it with rice.

2 packages of  frozen sweet peas.
put peas in a pot cook until tender
take half of the cooked peas
blend in a blender until smooth
mix the blended peas with the
remaining half of peas, and enough  water to make a hearty soup consistency  add some
seasoning like  seasoned garlic salt( I prefer to use a can of chicken broth as opposed to water, the broth makes it more flavorful)
or chicken cubes, simmer for around
ten minutes until all of the seasoning is
well blended, serve over white  rice
with chicken.  Refer to my previous post on
how to make Haitian chicken.   

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AN INVITATION:

Come join me at the following librariesMarch 18th, 21st, and 28th for a presentation on my native Haiti. I will be reading my book "Marie and Her Friend the Sea Turtle" at
the May, Smoky Hill and Southglenn libraries . I was invited by the Arapahoe Library District, I asked the library to donate the money they were going to pay me to the Lambi Fund of Haiti . The Lambi Fund is an organization founded by Haitians to help the poor in Haiti. Check them out by visiting their website at: www.lambifund.org. You can also go to http://ping.fm/BVmIn to purchase a copy of my book, portion ot the proceeds are donated to the Lambi Fund. Thank you for supporting economic justice in Haiti.

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Haitian children  love maiz moulu.  This is basically coarse ground corn.  In the United States it is called polenta.  To prepare it  boil three cups of water, add one cup polenta and stir well.  Most Haitians eat it with avocado slices  and top it with herring.  To prepare herring stir fry onions, garlic and oil, add the herring  let it  simmer until the onions are tender.  This dish is definitely a favorite for all Haitian children.  You can buy the herring at most grtocery store.  Make sure it is the salted variety.  Look for it in the fish section of your grocery store.

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My daughter who is spending the spring semester in Lausanne Switzerland along with other students  helped raised 2,000 dollars for  Haiti relief.  I am so very proud of her.  She cooked a Haitian meal for 80 people,  as part of the fundraiser.  Here is a you tube video of  the students talking about the fundraiser.  My daughter is the girl with the glasses. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b8rz_U_q-Q

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Finally, you bring home your newly adopted child.  You would like to be left alone , but you are being followed by the media and people are flocking to your door.  My advise is to be polite,  people just want to help.  Eventually things will get back to normal.   In the school district where I teach I am the only Haitian American teacher.  The news media interviewed me,  soon after that  I kept getting phone calls for more interviews.  One radio station interviewed me in Spanish. I welcomed the opportunities because the exposure is helping bring  the dire situation in Haiti for the world to see.  So far, the icing on the cake has been a group of Arab women  who contacted me after seeing me on TV.  They work for an organization called "Friends of the World."  They are going to do a major fundraiser for Haiti relief.  Please do not get discouraged and upset if you find yourself being  approached by strangers who wants to help, I promise things will eventually settle down.  Enjoy the attention while it lasts, because  before you know it , you will be left  to  yourself to face the challenges of being a new mom or dad. As always, please post any questions.
Happy Parenting!

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Below you will find the links to several sites for creole translation services.  If you have any questions  simply post  it and I will reply.



http:// havewww.haitisurf.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=8


http://www.haitisurf.com/dictionary.shtml

http://www.haitisurf.com/creolesentences.shtml

http://www.haitisurf.com/creoleproverbs.shtml

http://www.haitisurf.com/usualcreolesentences.shtml

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So very happy to announce that my school district participated in many fundraisers for Haiti relief. 

This week several dozen of our schools held bake sales and other types of fundraisers to raise money for Haiti relief efforts. With only a handful of schools reporting, I am proud to announce that over $12,000 has already been raised. As schools report how much they have raised we will continue to update the DPS website.
Channel 4 covered the Dora Moore bake sale on Tuesday where the fourth grade class hosted a fundraiser. Click here to see this story. Channel 7 covered the concert for Haiti at the Denver School of the Arts which raised over $7,000. Click here to see this story.
My deep and sincere thanks to all of you who hosted or participated in an event that raised money for vital relief efforts in Haiti. It was heartwarming to see so many of our students, teachers and staff throw themselves into the fundraising effort and the extraordinary participation from so many of our schools. I especially want to thank Nicole Weaver, a teacher at Martin Luther King Early College. Nicole is from Haiti, and her family still lives there. She has courageously shared her story to help raise awareness for the tremendous needs in Haiti.The fundraisers you have hosted have given our students, staff and the DPS community an opportunity to reach out and help in a very meaningful way.
Thank you for all of the time and effort you have put forward in organizing and participating in these efforts, above and beyond the important work you are doing in our schools every day.
Tom

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I make this soup all the time.  My children simply love this great soup.  I believe your newly adopted little one will be very thankful for this wonderful, flavorful soup.

1 bunch fresh spinach
1 lb of beef stew meat
1 onion
1 bunch fresh watercress
3 to 4 potatoes
3 to 4 carrots
3cloves garlic
1/2 -1 teaspoon sea salt
 32ozs can of beef broth

Cut up the stew meat into bite size pieces
add some oil to the pot
chop onion and garlic
saute the meat onion/garlic
add the sea salt
add  half the broth, let simmer slowly  until meat is tender
add chopped carrots, potatoes
remove stems from spinach and watercress, chop into small pieces
add the spinach and watercress, let simmer until carrots and potatoes are cooked
TO MAKE DUMPLINGS:
2 cups  all purpose white flour
add a pinch of salt
add enough water to make a sticky paste
form  a  small round clump, add each clump to soup
add   the remaining broth plus a cup of water, let simmer until dumplings are completely cooked

Some Haitians add green plantains, but I prefer the soup without them.
You can also substitute the beef for chicken

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I have cried my last tears for the family and all the other Haitians that have died in the earthquake. Now it is time to take action to help Haiti rebuild. In Colorado, where I currently live we have had a community meeting to help raise money for Haiti relief. In my school district,I am part of a group that will have a district wide bake sale next Tuesday from 7am-9am. All proceeds will go to the organization called Lambi Fund of Haiti.

After spending so many hours and days
After spending so many days



in tears and despair, I am amaze


with the outpouring of support of so many


people from all over the world ready


to give a helping hand to those in need