What we do while we wait February 18, 2008

So, WHAT do you do while you wait... 1. set up the room and new beds- done 2. SHOP- ongoing 3. Eat Ethiopian food. We went to Portland and met Mom, Dad, Uncle John, Aunt Lynde, Hayden, Kyle ,Makenna, and Max and all went to the Queen of Sheba for Ethiopian food. It was a little hole in the wall (to say the least). Some of us (you know who you are) thought we might get sick and die, or worse... What we ate: a vegetarian sampling which included Atakilt Alich (yummy)- veggies and potatoes in Alicha spice Tsebhhi Haamli (not so much a favorite)-mustard greens steamed Kik Wet - slit pea stew with warm spices Kik Alicha- yellow split pea stew in Alicha spice Misr Wet (yum)- Lentil stew in warm spices Shiro Wet (a new family favorite)- chickpea flour ground with spices Shimbra Assa- chickpea cracker stew Tsebhi Kintti Shara - mushroom stew Atakilt Kilike Alicha- many vegetable dish Misr Bamia Wet- lentil and okra stew We also 2 meat dishes and dad ordered a very spicy extra meat dish: Zilzl Tibs Siga- Very spicy beef sauteed in special hot sauce (this one haunted me for HOURS, but it was good!) Alicha Tibs- beef sauteed in Alicha spice Alicha Kinti- Shara Derho Tibsi- muchroom and chicken sauteed in mild Alicha spice ( the kids ALL loved this one) Ethiopian food is served on a large basket platter in the center of the table. Everyone eats from the same plate. No silverware is used. Under all the food is a thin pancake type bread called Injera. This is used to scoop up the food. Injera is made from Teff grain and is very high in iron and protein. It is the staple of all Ethiopian diets. I don't think we will starve while in Ethiopia, but we will certainly need to take a large quantity of Tums with us. Dad, Tom and I will do fine, Noah seems to have liked it, and well, lets just say that Mom, Addie and Hayden will be stocking up on granola bars before we go!! 4. When all of the above have been done, then you clean out every closet and drawer in the house!! I am over half way done and it is a really good feeling to be even more organized than I was to begin. If the wait carries on much longer we may be in trouble as Addie has now begun to label things.