Chapatis

In Kenya I've tasted the most delicious chapatis. The ingredients in chaptis are few but I've never tried to make them. Today I tried today using this recipe from Allrecipes.com My chapatis didn't look anything like what I thought they should look like and it took awhile to get the hang of the correct heat for the pan without setting off my fire alarm from smoke, *laugh.

The dough is rolled into balls and ready to be rolled into chapati circles.

These chapatis were fine and look more like the one's I've had in vegetarian restaurants here. I need to continue to make these to 'perfect' them.  I also need to make sure the heat source is right so they bubble up like they are supposed to. Some of my chapati pieces bubbled up and others did not.

One recipe I reviewed didn't oil the pan first. I tried that approach and it didn't work. It only smoked. Perhaps I had the heat too high.  I found lightly greasing the pan worked much better. I also preferred my cast iron skillet to my metal pan for this recipe.  I also checked on line and found some native chapati makers from Uganda and Kenya. They used much more oil in the pan than I saw in the recipe and one used no oil at all. So I guess I will experiment as I know all stoves are different. Unfortunately my burners are either too hot or not hot enough so I probably need to use the oil until I get my burners fixed. Not sure how to do that. Perhaps I need a new fuse in the stove that controls the burner.

Next time I will also use more whole wheat flour next time as today I was low on this ingredient. I will also play around with increasing the recipe next time so I can make larger chapatis.

This one is puffing up properly.

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup hot water or as needed
  

  Directions

  1. In a large bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and salt. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the olive oil and enough water to make a soft dough that is elastic but not sticky. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is smooth. Divide into 10 parts, or less if you want bigger breads. Roll each piece into a ball. Let rest for a few minutes.
  2. Heat a skillet over medium heat until hot, and grease lightly. On a lightly floured surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll out the balls of dough until very thin like a tortilla. When the pan starts smoking, put a chapati on it. Cook until the underside has brown spots, about 30 seconds, then flip and cook on the other side. Continue with remaining dough. 

  

  Ready for dinner.

  So overall the taste was fine. It's just the appearance that needs work. Have you ever tried to make chapatis? If yes, what are your tips?
  

What I Found Along the Waterfront

Lots of activity on the water. If you click on the photo you will see all the sail boats in the upper right corner.

I like how the tree leaves frame this photo. Look at all the big tankers on the horizon.

This is the planetarium where you can learn all about the stars and planets. This April 28th is International Astronomy Day.

It has been years since I've gone to the Planetarium. There are all kinds of educational programs for children and adults alike to inform and education about the stars and the solar system. I also understand that they have had laser light shows set to popular music for many years. I think I would have enjoyed one of those shows but they are no longer available as the planetarium has moved on to high definition video for their shows.  What I remember most about my long ago visit was the 360 degree view of the night sky which are made possible through the planetarium's state-of-the-art Zeiss projector.

You can view this short video and you will be introduced to "Harry" one of three German made Zeiss projectors made for Canadian cities. Harry is the only surviving projector of the three.

Some residents enjoy boats like this for going out on the water. You will see a lot of them in use when the fireworks displays happen on the waterfront during Celebration of Lights.

The countries participating in this year's annual Celebration of Lights, a fireworks competition, are Vietnam, Brazil and Italy. Vietnam will show it's fireworks display on July 28th, Brazil on August 1st and Italy on August 4th. 

The displays always draw a huge crowd on the water and on the beaches and the shows are always exciting. It is difficult to go down to the beach because parking is at a premium so you really have to walk a far distance once you park or you must take transit.

I hope you will take a moment to leave your comments and to visit other scenes from around the world at Scenic Sunday.

Skies over this past Week

I dislike moaning about anything and that includes the weather. I am quite tired of all the rain we've been having though I hesitate to complain too much as I know it could be worse, much worse, given the terrible events in weather happening all around the world with seemingly increasing frequency.

We have had some nicer days of sunshine here and there but nothing sustained and weather temperatures are still on the coolish side. I wanted to show you the sky above my home in a series of photos taken this week.

I also wanted to show you one of the few plants in my garden. I just haven't planted anything new what with all the soggy weather.

Sky on Monday, April 23, 2012.

Sky on Tuesday, April 24, 2012.

Sky on Friday,April 27, 2012. You can't even see the mountains.

Solomon's Seal on Friday, April 27, 2012. Though it grew a lot since the photo taken below, I'm finding the growth is not as lush as it was last year. This might be attributed to the incessant rain and lack of sustained sunshine.

Photo taken on Monday, April 16, 2012.  The growth had sprung up overnight after one nice warm day of sunshine.

Thank you for your visit.

Please check in at Skywatch Friday and see the sky in many other places around the world.

A Boy Needs Help

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I hope you are well wherever you are in the world on this Monday.

My post today deals with a story you've read about before on my blog.

It is about a boy named Edwin and his battle with chronic myeloid leukemia. Through the help of two of  my blog readers and myself, we have been able to get Edwin to different hospitals for observation, testing and treatment.  He has been able to get to Tenwek and Nairobi, Kenya on several occasions, have multiple tests and be seen by the very best specialists that Kenya has to offer. For all this we are grateful.

God has been good and he has had mercy. He has given Edwin favour and the bills for tests and doctor examinations have been much lower than expected.  Edwin has also been treated so well by hospital staff.  All of this gladdens my heart so much  and I give all praise and glory to God the Father. It is like the story of the loaves and the fishes  for God multiplied the small amount we had and made a way to give Edwin the help he needed. Now we need more loaves and fishes.

Edwin needs to return to Nairobi in about 4 days for follow up treatment. He will need to make one more trip after that. I am not sure exactly when his second trip to Nairobi for follow up will be but probably at least 4-6 weeks fom now.  Edwin's family also needs monthly help with food. The amount is modest by our standards. Food needs are about $50. (Canadian) a month (4200 Kenyan shillings, 189 New Israel Shekels, $49 Aussie, 32 British Pounds, 38 Euros, $50 US).

I've hemmed and hawed about publishing this post.  The reason is because last time only a very few people commented on the post or said they would pray.  I fear that men and women do not like to hear about things they don't want to help with or can't help with.  Yet I feel I must make this post and somehow try to get Edwin the help he needs for he cannot do it for himself.

If this was your child, or your family member, what would you give for his care? Would you count the cost or would you simply step in because he needs your help?

Only you can answer those questions.


He who has an ear, let him hear and may God bless you so much. 

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A Day in the West End

I took in a film at the 2nd annual Vancouver South African Film Festival (VSAFF).  The VSAFF uses the film fest as a way of raising money for Fezeka Senior Secondary and Songeze Middle Schools in Guguletu, Cape Town. My readers know that I have the Missions of Hope which is dear to me and where most of my charitable giving goes. However, I do try to support other charitable endeavours wherever I can. I did that today by going to a film and making a small donation at the door.

This is where the film was shown in what we call the city's West End.  The film festival ends Sunday.

I got off the city bus and had to walk the last few blocks. I took these photos near the waterfront. I love the brilliant display of colour.

The film I saw was called "Stargazer" (aka Roepman) is an epic drama, based on the Jan van Tonder novel with the same title. It tells the story of a 1966 South African railway community, told through the eyes of an eleven year old boy, called Timus. Timus and his family are trapped within the structural violence caused by the government and the church of the day. It is a story with unforgettable characters and it combines the magical world of childhood beautifully with the cold realities of the world.

There were a lot of people at the beach and a lot of tourists in town. I overheard an American mother saying it was the last week of school break. Canadian school children had their school break long ago.

The film was purchased by an Black American and he kept the audience for a few minutes after the show to discuss some issues that will help him premiere the film in New York City.  The film was made in Africaans, with English subtitles.  It was interesting for me to see how much of the vocabulary I could make out in Africaans based on the subtitles. I enjoyed the film and if it was playing in a regular theatre sometime I would recommend  you see it.

I never tire of the scenes at the waterfront.

If you wish to see more beautiful scenes from around the world, please visit at Scenic Sunday.

Daily Life

Hi friends and fellow bloggers, How are you all doing?

I've been keeping busy with the daily things of life. Things planned and things unplanned.

You know like what happens when your washer/dryer suddenly stops working and you have to quickly find a replacement.  I'm afraid I can't go too long without a washer and these days there are fewer and fewer laundrymats.  since I've been living in my neighbourhood we've had at least 3 laundrymats close down and no new ones take their place.  What do you do where you live when your washer goes dead? Do you have a back up plan?

This is the replacement washer & dryer. Much quieter than my previous washer/dryer combo and more energy efficient too.

It is also that time again when I have to get the toenails groomed. I go out and have it done.  Though I know this is a luxury for many, I do it because I have diabetes and because I've been suffering for long now with ingrown toenails.  The pedicure helps to get the feet and toenails nice and clean. The polish also makes everything more presentable and who doesn't mind sitting in an automated massage chair while getting the feet washed and cleaned?  I can't do the pedicure myself these days.   I'm going to one new girl since i discovered that I had needle like shards of nails imbedded into my skin. Trust me, it hurt a lot to get it all out.  I'm going to have to keep the toenails very short to prevent the ingrown nails and make sure I don't miss my appointments.

It was also past time to get the hair done. I have been thinking for awhile now that I don't want to have my hair chemically processed any more.  I started highlighting my hair rather late in life and so  I've minimised the hair dye in that way but going every month to the  hair salon adds up to a lot of chemicals. I know I still have chemicals to contend with (like in the nail polish above) but I want to minimize it all as much as possible.

I did some research on henna and thought I'd give it a try. I had to wait an extra long time before getting the henna done since you can't put henna onto chemically processed hair unless you wait 8-12 weeks.  Initially I intended to do the henna myself but my hair dresser said she'd help. I thought for the first time that might be wiser. However it turned out she hasn't done it for ages and ages and was rather nervous about it all. I reminded her that it was her idea to help me and to more or less to stop complaining about the two step process and time that was required.

Here is the end result.

I like it.

Next time we will add some lemon juice for golden colour and some yogurt or eggs for conditioning. I'm experimenting with using henna and will also be experimenting with using different brands.

Lest you think my free time is spent on primping and preening, I am also keeping up with the reading in between other work and errands. I still have my goal of reading 24 books this year. For me that is challenging as I have to remember to read a little a few times a week.  I used to think I read a lot when I completed 6 or 7 novels a year and then I discovered that some people say they read a hundred books or more a year. Well based on the kind of books I tend to read (dense books, rather than read in 2 hour books), I will likely never reach 100 books a year. I will be content to read 24. 

I will have to update my completed reads soon but these are the books I'm reading right now. I finished the top one; an interesting and quicker read about a young woman growing up in Iran and how her family escaped to Canada. I am about two thirds of the way through "A Suitable Boy" and about  half way through Sarah Palin's book, "Going Rogue".

I have more respect for Sarah Palin after reading her book about her political life in Alaska. It is always good to try and learn as much as you can outside of what the media feeds you during political campaigns.

This was the vapour trail above my head today. Whenever I see these, I think of the song "I"m Leaving On a Jet Plane".   I wish I really was!

I leave you with a verse for today.It came to me as I was contemplating on the many tragedies and horrors I find on the internet news and through social networks. 

If we could only have brotherly love toward one another, these horrors would be fewer.

Let brotherly love continue. 

Hebrews 12:1

I wish each of you peace, and brotherly love.

To find more fabulous skies around the world please visit

Skywatch Friday.

Spring?

Hello my friends and fellow bloggers,

I'm still waiting for warmer weather. Though we have been getting a few days of sunshine here and there I cannot believe it is still very inclement and cool. Even the tree blossoms that lined the side street where I live died off already. They hadn't even fully bloomed though I think there are still many tree blossoms around town. Hopefully I will see some this weekend when I go to the Vancouver South African Film Festival (VSAFF).

I finally planted my pansies yesterday as they were beginning to die off in their little starter plant boxes.  They are now in containers. I know that pansies are a very hardy plant so I think those that were dying off will revive if properly cared for.

I love pansies and I love the different colours of them.  The pansies speak to me of childhood memories.  Memories of walking to school in the  morning, seeing dew on the grass in the fron tlawn and the pansies "smiling at me" before walking to school through a forest.  We were living in a small town near the western coast, far from my northern childhood home.  I had never seen pansies in my home town and at the age of 5, I guess the pansies spoke to me of the excitement and exoticism of being far from home and extended family. I liked living in this new place and so pansies are associated with good memories in a child's world.  Perhaps this is why I love pansies so much.

When I bought my starter plants, the store didn't have the white pansies with burgundy centres or the plain yellow ones.  I will look for those colours somewhere else.  In the meantime, I'm so glad I have these ones to look at. 

Can you see the mixed yellow and burgundy pansies in the background?

The humble pansy has always been one of my favourite flowers.

I see my Solomon's Seal is coming up nicely despite the coolish weather. In one day they suddenly shot up about 6 inches! This plant looks so wonderful every year when in full bloom. I will take more photos of it later in the season.

My vegetable garden will have to wait for awhile yet. I think early next week if I am up to it I will prepare the soil, raining or not and see what I will plant.

In case you haven't looked at it yet, I've added an epaper to the top of my blog. Please check it out. You can scroll up and down the page.  If you hold your cursor just under the profile icon you will see a sliding rule come and you can click on it to scroll up and down the page.  If you want to check out other  parts of the paper you can make selections from the right hand column options. Or, make it easier on yourself by clicking the title "Cherop's Mix". It will bring up the epaper onto your computer screen and you can read it in full size.  The paper will be updated every day.  My hope is to feature some interesting photos and African gospel music and African culture each day. Content will depend on what is being featured on twitter on a given day. Let me know how you like it.