Most of you know Andi,via the Zaar,which means you all know what a special and kind person she is.
In fact,we like her so much,my littles included,that we call her Auntie Andi or Ati Adi in Stephanie's words.
It's been a little over a year that we've known her and we talk about her the same as we talk about other members of the family,yes,she has really become our Auntie Andi. When little's littles (as she calls my daughters) are sick they won't eat chicken noodle soup like other sick kids,they'll only have Auntie Andi's tomato soup. I can't explain how a sick little tummy  wants tomato soup,but that's what makes them feel better. This is how Andi works her magic.
We always enjoy watching her farm pictures,Jenifer would love to be there and help and she's hoping she'll find a horse around too. She loves animals so much,I'm pretty sure she's going to live on a farm when she grows up.
This year,I've decided not to send Christmas cards to relatives,this way next time they get one (If)they'll really thank me. I entered two card swaps,one at the zaar and one at kittencals and it was so much better this way. My kids understood  what the holidays mean and enjoyed each one of the cards. The one from Auntie Andi was on the top of their list.We loved all the cards we received,but Andi put some extra thought when she chose her card. This is the card from her:
 I don't know about anybody else,but Santa will sure be able to get into our house. These past few days I couldn't get through any door until Jenifer didn't open the doors for me.With the key ,of course.She even slept with it a couple of times,she put the red band around her wrist. I had to put it away today,to be on the safe side ,I really want to see it every Christmas.

Many of you might know .through FB or the zaar,about my recipe entering a contest on a Romanian site.
I'm happy to announce that my sushi finished third,which is pretty good considering that the theme was Christmas  and the Romanians are just opening up to Asian recipes.
The winner was decided by the sum of the votes and by the "judges" (50/50),so it was a fair contest.Finally.
The prize is that I get to choose some gadgets for an amount of money. This is what I've picked:


A cow silicon form,which is not very big but it'd make decorating the kids food more interesting.

12 dinosaurs,also a silicon form,can't wait to make some dino shapped chocolate or even a dino cake decorated with these little guys.

I was debating on what to get next,I have to admit that I'm a silicon junkie,(but not the kind that you think of)
but I finally made up my mind and I'm going for this magic cutter. It just slices french fries,curly ones too,apples and julienne veggies.

Thank you again for your votes and support and let me know whenever you need a vote from me!


PS I'm also very happy to announce that I finally found the cookie cutters I was looking for!


PS2: Here are the "silicons":

I received this via email from a lady I don't know,but was kind enough to share it with me. I was going to translate it myself,but I realised Google is doing a pretty good job,but I had to do some adjustments here and there!

"The recipe for a good year:
Take 12 months to clean it well off  of bitterness,pride, hatred, envy, fear, irritability and stress.
Each month is divided into 28 to 31 days , so the supplies will last exactly one year!
Each day is prepared separately: a labor part, a quiet part, and a  humor part. It adds 3 tablespoons of optimism,, a teaspoon of tolerance, a pinch of common sense and a drop of hope ...!  Then poured plenty of love over the dough obtained ...Set the finished recipe on a dish and  decorate it with a leaf of courage and confidence. Serve daily with joy and  a cup of coffee every morning!
This recipe is not compensated, it is free and open to transmit from human to human, accompanied by the wish: A New Year , good and gracious, full of health,maximum happiness and absolute abundance.  "(author unknown)

Ok,it was quite small,but our town is quite small too-about 40,000 population. I live on the 8th floor so up here it was quite warm looking the weather.That was just until we arrived downstairs.Two little daughters with myself,little's little in the stroller and we went to the Christmas market.It was cold.Freezing cold,but luckily it's a five minute walk from my home.Initially,we planned to stop somewhere else too,but it was just too cold.
The best thing about the market was that there were no Chinese products,everything was made locally.
Handmade cushions with pretty details.
These things were made by the children and the money went for charity.We got the ornament with the dried orange.Isn't that a neat idea???

You already know by now that it's hard for me to get some ingredients and I manage with most of them,since I joined the zaar I make my own coconut milk,my own spice mixes,I've even made ketchup (it's available,of course,but I got so into making my own stuff).The only thing (so far) that I couldn't find a substitute is sesame oil,but I've still have some from my cousin who sent me a bottle from England.And dear Joy,sent me some cumin from Wales.And my DH brings me dried limes and other things too. Now cumin,maple syrup,turmeric and other things are available as well.
My sister,who visited last week,brought me from St. Thomas some Carribian spice mix and a fat free ginger sauce.

I can so see myself trying this on a whole roasted chicken!

And this looks like a perfect match for iceberg lettuce.
Now I don't mind anymore that not everything is available,makes hunting for stuff more fun and I always get excited when I see a new product in the store. Thai red curry sauce is the last item I saw,but not the real deal,just the one you just really add some chicken in it.But still,it's better than nothing! Oh,I forgot to say that I got nori,sushi seaweed sheets for sushi!!!

I've been complaining for so long that I cannot get good cookie cutters here. The plastic Chinese cutters don't work for me.
I've got a gingerbreadman cookie that I've had for about 10 years,from Vancouver. That and a star are the only Christmassy ones I have.
A moon and a star complete my collection,but none work for making cute sandwiches for my daughters.
I went shopping yesterday and I've found the cuttest cookie cutters.


DD already asking for cookies and I'm thinking of Kittencal's icing which was a big hit last year.
I've seen a photo of cookies made with these cutters and the koala had a little tummy.


Can't wait to try them out!
Hopefully this holidays season more Xmas cutters will be available. Two years ago we made gingerbreadman and star ornaments out of cookies and my daughter decorated them. She even put boobies...

I still can't call it food.com. I feel like betraying someone.Anyway,I took part in this shopping bag swap and I was partnered up with Lalaloula.These are the great bags she sent me:

The little one is handmade and I carry it with myself when I just need a coin purse,my phone and the keys.

This one is handmade as well and personal,too.


I love these little bags,that I can carry around in my purse and open them up just when needed.








This is the place she lives and studies.


And she covered all the fabrics:


Or sizes:(this one is very tiny)


This one is DH's favorite,handmade as well.


If you've wandered what that triangle does,here's the answer:



Doesn't it look like a fun swap? It sure was!

I entered a cooking contest on a Romanian site and I need votes. It's a vote a day for two weeks.I appreciate any clicks! It's the roasted garlic one.

Please vote for my recipe!

Little is not missing in action or anywhere else. I've been busy,too many people around the computer,or I'm getting computer time at the wrong moment,or I'm tired. There's always something.
Since I've started blogging the family was re-united,but this Saturday DH has to go again. But we've spent a lot of quality time and it was great seeing the four of us together. The best moments were when we were just hanging around,not doing really anything but just being together.
We've discovered that Stephanie (20 months old by now) is daddy's girl. It's just amazing seeing how she goes to him,out of nowhere,and just hugs him or kisses him. Sometimes she remembers me too,but he's always the first one. It's amazing for us after having a baby like Jenifer (three years and two weeks her senior). When she was a baby,there were times when I was thinking that maybe she had no idea I'm her mother. It has changed by now,but it was quite shocking at the time,especially that she was my first baby.
This family was great. We carved a pumpkin.
The girls wouldn't touch the inside,but they taught it looked cool,even though I think Stephanie found it a little scary.
Here are my two little witches.
Jenifer

and Stephanie,who just loves to eat,that's why her little mouth is never clean. By the time I get to wipe it,it's dirty again!


It was also DH's birthday,who just got used to the idea that he's not in his 30's anymore. The last I visited my parents' birthplace,in the country,we brought back home a huge duck. I boiled it in the pressure cooker and got the most amazing soup. I just used the broth without adding any water,I'd rather have a little bit but delicious one.

I roasted the meat in the oven,made some armenian rice,a little birthday cake with rose water and saffron,baclava and some chocolate cookies.

The cake is another story,my mom made the cake,but the first one was undercooked and it didn't work out. Being a great mom,she made me another one,so we were able to cut it up in the evening. It was something fast put together,but it tasted good.