Serbian Cuisine: A Recipe Special

I love to make foods from different places, and here is a sample of cabbage rolls, stew, and more.

Sarma (Serbian stuffed cabbage rolls):
1 small head of cabbage, pickled like sour kraut
2 pounds ground pork
1-1/2 cups uncooked real rice
1/2 cup Hungarian sweet paprika
3 TBS garlic powder
1-1/2 cup salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

To pickle the cabbage, place head of cabbage into a large kettle with a 1 to 3 mix of vinegar and water.  Bring to a boil, ensuring that the whole head is pickled.  I like to use the left over juices from our regular pickles that we've eaten up.

Cut out the core, and gently tear off of the individual leaves.  Use the first outer layers to cover the bottom of a baking pan.  Separate out the rest of the leaves, saving the small ones for aside for later.

Mix the other ingredients together well.  Place about 3 TBS worth of meat mix into the "pocket" of the cabbage leaf, and fold over and tuck.  Fold sides over the top, and continue to roll.

Place the rolls onto the layer of leaves that are lined into the bottom of the baking pan.  The small leaves that are too small should get cut up and put over the top of the rolls.  Cover with foil, and bake at 325F for an hour and a half to 2 hours.

For a vegetarian alternative, you may use crumbly tempeh or something similar in place of the pork.


Goulash/Paprikash (Serbian Goulash):
1-1/2 # chicken, cut up in bite size pieces
5-6 potatoes, peeled and cubed
3-4 carrots, peeled and cubed
1 large green bell pepper, cubed
Optional onion, large diced
Optional pureed tomato (for color)
1/4 - 1/3 cup paprika
3 TBS garlic powder
1 tsp of salt
pepper to taste (I like a dash of cayenne)

Stew the chicken and veggies in a kettle.  You want the outside to turn white, not brown.  When the onion is tender, add the spices, and allow them to become aromatic.  Add water to about 2" above.  Bring to a boil, and turn down to a simmer.  Cook until flavors are well blended.

For goulash, serve with bread and butter.  For paprikash, add a dollop of sour cream.


Ibanitza -
2 or 3 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened
16 - 24 oz sour cream
16 oz cottage cheese
1 stick of butter
8 - 12 eggs
Olive oil
1 box of fillo dough

Grease up 2 9x13 baking pans.  Place about 3 sheets of the fillo dough on the bottom.

Mix the cream cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese, and eggs.  (The more of the cheeses and sour cream, the more eggs you'll need).  Pour a bit of the mix over the bottom layer of dough.  Place another layer of about 3 sheets of dough over the cheese, and put butter into the corners, and some in the middle.  Add another layer of cheese mix.  The next layer of dough put olive oil.  Keep alternating to the top, with the very top being dough with olive oil.

Bake at 350F until the top is a golden flaky brown.

For only one pan, you'll only need one sleeve of the fillo dough, and 8 oz each of cream cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese, with 5 eggs.

Christmas: A Time of Giving, A Time of Need - Please Help!

This evening, partly to remember the homeless who have died, whether from the elements of being homeless or other causes, for the "Longest Night" vigil sponsored by the Hospitality Center at St. Luke's Episcopalian Church.  It was an interesting visit, because they are staying open all night and the public can come in to pray, share some coffee & doughnuts, and to visit with whom ever is there.  My son, Chad, came along with me.  He, too, seemed very inspired to be of good company to some of the people there.

Anyway, the Hospitality Center is located inside of St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 614 Main Street, Racine, WI 53403.  The hours that are open to the public are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8am-2pm, and the 1st Saturday of the month from 8am-Noon.  They also offer a community meal every Monday at 5:30pm, and the 4th Thursday of the month.  They can always use donations for these events, and even if you can't donate food, coffee and nondairy creamer is always needed.

Other shelter services that are offered from November through March, are nightly stays, 7 nights a week, for those who, for what ever reason, don't qualify to stay at the regular homeless shelter, which have very strict rules because children live there with a parent.  In these instances, sleeping bags, blankets, pajamas in sizes medium to 2XL are needed for men and women, personal care items such as soap, tooth brushes and tooth paste, wash cloths and hand cloths, slippers, etc.

So.  Here is what I found out.  They are open this Wednesday for Christmas Eve.  I am not sure about the hours yet, but it's good to know that they are going to open.  But, because they had an early Christmas meal last Thursday, they will not be having a Christmas meal coming up this Thursday, which is kind of sad, since they can get up to 200 people coming in during the day, and up to 25 who come in to stay over night.  So, if it is possible, if anyone wants to donate their left over Christmas brunch, early or evening dinner, that would be greatly appreciated.

There are also about 4 computers that are open for use, and it's not just for the homeless people who stay, but for the general public as well.  But, because they don't always have access, such as days which the Center is closed, where they have to go to the Library, or Workforce Development Center to get access.  Notebooks and thumb drives would be helpful so they can save their work, especially when they are looking for jobs, and notebooks to carry their passwords and usernames.  These are pretty inexpensive at places like Walmart and Big Lots.

Here is what I am asking...  If anyone can help donate winter coats, gloves/mittens, scarves, men and women's clothing ranging from adult medium to 2XL, floor mats, sleeping bags or blankets, thumb drives, coffee & nondairy creamer, food, or even the left overs of your Christmas meal, it would be greatly appreciated.  I am planning on baking pies, again, and to bring at least a couple to the Center some time on Christmas Day.

Other helpful items, for gifts, may be decks of cards, board games, books, etc.  These don't need to be new.  What ever you're getting rid of to make room for your new gifts.

If you are unable to get to the Hospitality Center at St. Luke's 614 Main Street, Racine, WI 53403 between the hours of 8am-2pm, or don't plan on being downtown, you are welcome to bring your donations by December 24th to Youth Voice Initiative home based office at 3818 Lindermann Ave. Racine, WI 53405, or please give me a call at (262)721-7774 to leave me a message to pick up the items.

I wish you all a very merry Christmas, and a happy new year, and this gave me new found appreciation to the fact that I have a place to call home, food in the fridge and cupboards, energy to power my appliances, a bed to sleep on, and the fact that I share this with my son, husband and two cats.  I also have other family and relatives as well as friends to spend important holidays with.  Please find it within yourself to make a donation of some sort, and if you deliver it, please let them know that Lika from Youth Voice Initiative sent you.  I will also ensure that your name, if you wish, will be on the card to deliver with the things I'm bringing to donate.

Blessings!

Westboro Baptist Church Abuses People, Including Children Emotionally and Psychologically

Okay, so anyone who doesn't know who the Westboro Baptist Church is, they are a supposed church founded by Fred Phelps and is based in Kansas City.  I really compare them to being a hate group, and should be unconstitutional for them to be a 501c3 nonprofit church, because if you ask me, it's like saying that the KKK is a peaceful and generous group.  Here is more info:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church

So, because they are all about God hating gays, they go around, even to schools and such to picket, protest, etc.  They've even gone to the funerals of American soldiers who died in battle, stating that the reason they died was because the military allows gays.  Their affiliates include those who preach God hates Islam, God hates America, and more.

Anyway, this crappy group of touch-me-nots should all be charged with child abuse for going out and wanting to target schools and such to say that in their opinion, gay people are the spawn of the devil and is corrupting everything.  They are coming to S.E. Wisconsin to bless us with their presence, and as far as I'm concerned, they can eat cow pies, die, and go to Hell.  Unfortunately, it's not my decision.

Here is what I know... and this is information that I got from other people, and I am hoping that I can garner more support for this event, to let them know, we, as citizens and residents of S.E. Wisconsin, we stand together as neighbors, friends, family, and a community.

St. Lucy's Catholic Church in Racine, WI  Sunday, December 7, 2014  4:30 PM - 5:00 PM  WBC must remindall those attending St. Lucy's catholic whorehouse that they pay the priests to lie to them and preach smooth things insteadof the true Gospel. As a result of this rebellion, the Lord sends rapingpriests to accost their children.

Priestsrape children, how evil is that! This so-called church should be empty. Thefirst child should have been too much for you, yet the catholics of this nationand world continue to pay the salary of pedophile priests and take theirchildren into these whorehouses. That makes you an accessory to the crime.

Mary D. Bradford High School in Kenosha, WI Monday, December 8, 2014  7:00 AM - 7:30 AM  WBC to picket Mary D. Bradford High School to give the kids a chance to see some truth for their own eyes.  It is a sad state of affairs in these high schools these days.  The parents, teachers, counsellors, and preachers are all to blame for the brute beasts that come out of these schools.  You raise children with a blatant disregard for the God who created them and loaned them to you for a short while on this earth.  You ignore His standards and His commandments, and now you have children who have no clue what their God requires of them.  That is how you get to a state where children bring guns/weapons to the schools and murder their teachers/classmates.  When you ignore the instruction from the Lord your God on how to raise a child, you reap the consequences.  What a shame, what a mess!  Obey today!

On Monday, December 8, 2014 at Horlick High School, located at 2119 Rapids Dr. Racine, WI 53404 from 2-2:40pm
Westboro Baptist Church is misrepresenting Biblical principle as they picket Horlick High School Monday. As a Christian, I am unwilling for these kids to think that this is what God thinks of them. As a Christian, I believe it is our duty to love ALL PEOPLE (as God calls us to do) and to represent that Biblical truth in response to WBC's messages of hate.

Join us for "Operation Screen Out the Hate." There will be no violence or response the protesters. We will create a barricade with our backs to the protesters and block our kids from viewing these lunatics. We will hold large sheets and signs telling our kids how awesome they are and play loud positive music to drown out the chants. It will be similar to what they do when a soldier is being protested at a funeral, etc.

Here is what another protester posted in another counter protest event for Racine: (person has protested against WBC before, so please read)
Here is a few things I know about Westboro and how they protest:
1) They usually bring only a few people, 5-7 members. They all pull up in a mini van (light blue or white, I can't remember).
2) The adults of Westboro are Lawyers and they know their rights. They will keep it peaceful but they will try to rile counter-protestors up because that is how they make their money! They've filed many many many lawsuits against people who have verbally and physically done things to them or their property and they always win! So piece of advice, KEEP IT CIVIL! We do not need to do anything to get them to sue the city or the person committing the act so they do not get any money out of us!!!
3) They will only protest for a short while, usually a half hour-45 minutes.
4) They will have children with so be careful what you say to them!
5) They bring a boom box and blast popular songs (one of their favorites is a song by Lady Gaga) but they change the words to their own sick words! We need to drown out their singing and their words that they will be yelling out to us!
6) Sheets are a great way to block them, but in the past, they have moved because of the sheet wall. They will continue to do so because they WANT to be seen and heard. The motorcycle idea is probably the best!
If you have any questions, let me know.

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What ever you do, don't engage them.  This will only give them more fuel and energy to act like the bottom of the barrel swill that they are.  If you go, be supportive of the students and staff.  Treat the people from Westboro cult as if they are nothing, because they really are less than nothing.

Please try to go to at least one of the events, in protest of the Westoboro group. Also, please share my blog, and share widely. Their type of abuse has to stop, and let it be known that we will NOT tolerate this.