Family Fridays #24 Josey

Happy Friday everyone! Josey is joining us this week to tell us all about her family!

 

 

Hi! I'm Josey, a sarcastically dry, fun loving and hard working kind of gal. The kind who is immediately puzzling and brings to mind one unanimous question "where is that girl from?" Now, if you have any color of skin that isn't white (or if you have a non-local accent) then you know what that question means, you know before the person can even finish the phrase. They aren't wondering about where you grew up, really, they just want to stick a label on you so they can put you in a category and continue in the social exchange. 'Where are your from' translates to 'what's your ethnicity" and "what do your parents look like?' So nice. Who cares? Well, everyone does, and well, it does matter (a little), so I will tell you.

 

I grew up in Washington state and grew up in a fairly white culture. My husband grew up in Minnesota and his culture was fairly similar (actually maybe a bit more diverse). However, my husband has white skin and I don't. I have a very confusing color of brown that makes sure no one can ever guess my ethnicity correctly. It immediately makes me seem foreign or well traveled, or both, or either. Regardless of the exterior, I grew up without any connections to my skin color (as far as cultural traditions go like Indian, Native American, African American, Samoan or any other bronzed skin beauties), so I never thought about this idea of 'interracial' or even 'race'. We are all people, aren't we?

 

 

At first, I was severely attracted to my husband's devilish smirk, his striking blue eyes, and his ability to play it cool in every situation. It certainly didn't mattered what color he was, and since I, as aforementioned, have no non-white cultural ties, there wasn't an issue of what kind of 'Christmas do you celebrate', or 'would you be willing to convert?' We met at school in the second coldest place in America; Grand Forks, ND. But our relationship has been anything but cold. He's the best friend I have ever had and I can guarantee that our love will last past infinity. He's a bit more reserved (think James Bond at a bar) and I am more, uhh, opposite (think if Rebel Wilson and Jennifer Lawrence had a baby, and it was dark skinned). Our love seriously rocks. And it has nothing to do with the color of our skin (although we do think one another is beautiful and handsome). 

 

What makes our family unique has really nothing to do with how people perceive our interracial status, but it has everything to do with how our lives are intermingled together. How we take the best bits of one another's character and personality, mimicking each other, compromising our differences and at the same time maintaining the essence of who we are as individuals. 

 

Though we did celebrate holidays differently before, now that we are we it is so important to the both of us that our lives are combined and melded. Which means change! Everybody loves change, right? Certainly any family blending together has got to be open to it, because regardless of your race, your heritage, or your color, families are meant to be celebrated. And so, that's me! In a nutshell, a shell that's easily cracked into. My biggest advice for two people attracted to one another, who happen to be on separate ends of the skin color wheel: love each other for who you are. And hopefully, eventually, our world will adapt and change along with the rest of us and soon color will be a thing of the past and we can finally shed that label of interracial and race, and begin to see people for who they are not what they appear to be.

 

Do you to hear more stories like Josey's? Check out our other Family Friday posts!

Family Fridays #12 Apple Crisp

Kylee is joining us today for our 12th family Fridays! She is the voice behind Byky, a brilliant lifestyle blog documenting her and her husband's life. Be sure to check out her blog!

I lived in the best neighborhood growing up. Our neighborhood had so many families that all had kids around my age. We would have all types of get-togethers through the year from Memorial Day cookouts to Super bowl parties. My family always held the neighborhood New Year’s Eve party. The party was always pot-luck style so everyone would bring a dish of their choosing. Though there were many amazingly delicious dishes at this party there was one that was definitely a crowd favorite – Apple Crisp. Apple crisp, always brought by Sandy Rowe, became a staple of the party and of the neighborhood.It has come to the point where all the kids in the neighborhood are almost in the 20s or older now and some are getting married. I, myself, just got married a few months ago. At my shower, which all the neighborhood families attended, I began opening my gift from the Rowe family. There were multiple parts to this gift but I quickly realized what I was opening. The Rowe family gave my fiancé and I all the tools to make the Apple crisp – the apple corer and peeler, the pampered chef stone, Macintosh apples, yellow cake mix, sugar, brown sugar, and of course the written recipe. I was thrilled – and so was my fiancé Brandon. Ever since he attended his first Kolesar New Year’s Eve party and had a bite of Mrs. Rowe’s famous apple crisp he was hooked. I thought this was such an amazing gift because Apple Crisp is so much more to me than a warm yummy dessert. For me, the preparation reminds of prepping for the annual New Year’s Eve party, the warm melt in your mouth taste reminds me of the neighborhood bonfires we would have in the fall, and the way it disappears so quickly once it’s served reminds of the competitive games we’d play in the cul-de-sac. Apple crisp reminds me of how lucky I am to be able to call all of my neighbors, my extended family.Apple crisp is one of my favorite family recipes. I’ll never forget the first time I tried it or the first time I made it on my own. I’d like to share this recipe with all of you today! Hopefully, you all will enjoy it as much as I do.Ingredients6 Mactinosh Apples – peeled + cored + sliced½ cup sugar1 heeping tsp cinnamon1 Jiffy cake mix (yellow or white)1 stick of butterDirections:Place sliced apples in a deep dish baker. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the apples. Pour dry cake mix over the cinnamon and sugar. Melt butter and pour over the top.Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Hear more from Kylee by following her on twitter. 

If you would like to take part in the Family Friday's Series, here is some more information. 

Family Fridays #9 Edamame and Carrot Burgers

This week Priya has come to share a special recipe with you for family Friday! She blogs over at Cookilicious. Be sure to follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. 

Who taught you how to make this dish? 

My mom used to make sandwiches back home and that formed the basis for me. She occasionally made aloo tikkis to go in the sandwich which would totally uplift the dish.What makes it special to you and your family? Me and my husband are healthy eaters for the week and cheaters on weekends. I think burgers can be extremely nutritious and healthy if made the right way.Do you have a special memory making this dish, learning to make it, or enjoying it?I think I was the happiest when I created this burger totally from scratch. It was an instant hit. Proud of my creation.Have you shared this dish with your spouse/loved one?What did he/she think? Oh yes, my husband is my tester. He tastes it all and gives me honest feedback. He loved this burger and was begging for more

Ingredients:2 cups cooked Edamame1 cup grated Carrots1 cup brown bread crumbs4 tbsp. oats powder4-5 garlic cloves, minced1 tbsp. ginger paste½ cup chopped spinach½ cup Dill leaves, chopped½ cup cilantro, chopped1 cup onion greens3-4 tbsp. Sriracha sauceSalt as requiredWhole wheat burger bunsFat free goat cheeseMustard sauce as requiredOil as requiredBlack sesame seeds for sprinkleLettuce, slices of onion and tomatoDirections:Coarsely pulse edamame and add it to a mixing bowl. Add carrots, ½ of the breadcrumbs, oats powder, garlic, ginger, dill leaves, cilantro, onion greens, sriracha sauce and salt. Mix it all well. Make medium size burger patties. Roll them over the remaining bread crumbs. Refrigerate it for 30 minutes at least.In a grill pan, pour some oil. Shallow fry the burger patties evenly on both the sides. Sprinkle sesame seeds as well.Warm the burger buns in microwave for 15 seconds. Spread some almond butter evenly on them. You can use regular butter as well. Place a lettuce on one side and the Pattie on the other. Place few slices of onions and tomatoes. Sprinkle some cheese, mustard sauce, sriracha sauce. Close the bun and enjoy your burger.Do you have a recipe you would like to share with us? If so, here is what you need to do!

Family Fridays #8 French Crepes

Today's Family Fridays is very special today. My beautiful friend Andy is sharing one of her family recipes with all of us!My name is Andy Rodríguez, I was born and raised in Guatemala. I really like to cook like my mom and my grandma. It runs in the family! I like to make dishes from all around the world. It's one of my favorites hobbies and I always enjoy cooking when I'm stressed. I also enjoy cooking for my friends, having them over, and having a great time together.I enjoy cooking with my mom, Marthalidia in my free time. We make a big lunch or a great dinner to share with the rest of my dad Gustavo, my sisters Sofia and Ana Paula, and the rest of my family. We are very close and we always do all kind of things together.This next family recipe is my famous French Crepes that my grandma Lidia thought me how to make.  I've loved French food ever since. This is one of my favorites recipes. I really like that you can put whatever ingredients you want inside! You can make them salty or sweet.Ingredients:For the mix1 ¼ cup of flour1 cup of milk1 cup of water1 egg6 tablespoon of butter (I used blue bonnet sticks)¼ teaspoon of saltFor the filling (salty)3 sweet peppers (red, orange, onion)1 big onion1 lb of mushroomsCheese (Mozzarella, Gouda, or your favorite)HamFor the filling (sweet)NutellaIce-creamYour favorite fruitsDirections:Melt the butter in a small pot.Then add all the ingredients in the blender, when the butter is melt add it to the mix and blend.-And then you have the mix ready for the pan, I always use a big pan because I like big crepes. Cook one side first before adding the filling ingredients, when the edges look cooked you can turn the crepe and add whatever you want, and then enjoy them!*For the salty crepes I always chop all the veggies and then used a little bit of vegetable oil to cooked them on a pan. I cook the mushrooms in a different pan because they have a lot of water, after that I add them to the others and add the ham in little pieces. 

Family Fridays #6

It's that time of the week again! Family Fridays! Today, Jocelyn from Speaking Of China is sharing one of her family recipes with us. 

I grew up in a very white, very middle-class suburb of Cleveland, Ohio – and the last thing I ever expected was to end up in China, married to a guy from Hangzhou. Yet now that I’m here, I can’t imagine things any other way, especially since I’ve learned so much from my husband’s mother about how to prepare amazing and authentic Chinese food. (Thank goodness I married a guy with an amazing cook for a mom!)One of the coolest things about my mother-in-law is that she’s totally accepting of my vegan lifestyle. I never expected that a woman who grew up in Hangzhou’s mountainous countryside – where people tend to be pretty traditional when it comes to food – would embrace my dietary needs. But she does. Maybe it’s because the two of us have really bonded over food. I love asking her about her secrets for, say, crispy tofu or spicy pickled daikon radish. But when I discovered that one of the local snack foods was shaobing, a fried flatbread stuffed with savory salted veggies and then pan-fried until crispy, I knew I had to learn how to make it myself!Most shaobing include bacon-like bits of fatty pork, making the food typically off-limits to vegans like me. But thanks to my mother-in-law, I’ve learned an amazing recipe for vegan shaobing. It’s even a little reminiscent of pizza back from home, so much so that I often jokingly call it “Chinese pizza”.Vegan-Style Chinese Shaobing (Stuffed Flatbread)Ingredients:FlourWaterSaltOnionsA salted, pickled, smoked or dried vegetable of your choice (My mother-in-law uses salted bamboo; pickled mustard tubers also work well.)Cold-pressed canola oil (or other oil of choice)Directions:Mince the onions and your salted vegetable of choice. Then mix them together with a spoonful or two of oil. (They should not be too oily – just enough to bind them together.) If the mixture is not salty enough for you, add salt to taste. (Note: There should be a half-half mixture of the onions and the salted veggie.)Pour flour into a bowl and add in just enough water to make dough that you can knead without having it stick to your hands. On a cutting board surface, knead the dough until it is elastic, shiny, smooth and without lumps.Roll the dough into a roll with a diameter of about four inches. Then, at about two-inch intervals, cut the dough with a knife into rounds.Cradle the rounds in the palm of your hand, and using your fingers create a bowl-like crater. (Note: don’t make this too thin – the edges should still be around a half-inch thick.) Stuff it with the vegetable mix, then pull the edges of the dough over the top to seal it inside.Place the stuffed rounds on a floured surface. Using your hand, press down first in the center of the dough, then out to the edges. Keep flipping it over and repeating this process, making sure to shape it into a circle, until it’s thin enough to roll out.Using a rolling pin, roll the dough from the center to the edges applying medium pressure. Flip it over and repeat. Keep flipping and rolling out the round until the edges are very thin. (Note: the vegetable filling may occasionally poke holes through the round; this is expected with this type of flatbread and doesn’t affect the final product.)Heat a spoonful of oil in a non-stick pan or wok over medium heat. Add the flatbread, cooking it until it no longer sticks to the pan and is crispy and slightly browned (about 1 and a half to two minutes.) Flip and repeat for other side.Once done, cut the flatbread into four pieces and serve immediately.Connect with Jocelyn on Facebook and Twitter!If you would like to share a recipe, please check out my submission page for more information. 

Family Fridays #5 Okra Omelette

It's that time of the week again. Everyone is finishing up their last few things before the weekend can begin! Today, we're celebrating the weekend with a delicious new recipe!!Glee is the editor and founder of HappySis.com, a quarterly women´s magazine written by Christian women. She wrote the Happy Sister Devotional: 61 Days of Happiness and Inspiration to help women find happiness in having a close relationship with God. Visit her site to download your free copy.

I don´t exactly know the name of this Filipino dish but I call it “Okra Omelet”. I learned it from a Home Economics class in second year high school when I went to an exclusive Christian boarding school for only a year.It´s a Seventh Day Adventist Academy in the Philippines, and yes, I´m an SDA. If you´re familiar with the SDA schools, they´re usually located away from cities, on top of mountains or hills, with lots of trees.I remember one quiet afternoon in 1996; we sophomore students were engrossed with our cooking group activity at the cafeteria, a small building located at the far back of the campus, almost isolated from the rest of the school buildings and facing a rich, virgin forest. It was on that afternoon when I was introduced to this quick but delicious dish which would later become one of my (future) husband´s favorite dishes.It´s really quick and easy to do, and yummy too! I bet kids would also love it.We don´t have an abundant supply of Okra here in Germany, so we have to purposely drive to a Turkey store and stock up on okra if it happens to be available. If we have enough Okra, we definitely make this dish, although lately I´m also learning to make the yummy “Okra Curry, Indian Style”.Ingredients:½ kilo Okra4 eggsHalf union1 big tomato (or 6 tiny tomatoes)Some cooking oilDirections:Chop the onion and tomato into small pieces. Beat the eggs (seasoned with salt, garlic + pepper powder) in a bowl.Boil the ladies fingers (okra) until half cooked. Then put the half-cooked ladies fingers (okra) on a flat plate. Season them with salt, and then flatten them using a fork.Mix the chopped onions, tomatoes, the beaten eggs, and the flattened okra in a big bowl.Heat a pan over medium heat. Fry the mixed eggs and okra on a flat pan until brown. Flip the okra to fry the other side.Serve with a small bowl of hot rice.Cooking isn´t my passion but since I got married, my cooking skills has improved a lot and I´m learning to love it. It´s one of the ways I express my love to my husband. I´ve learned and discovered many recipes and I´m open for more learning. There´s nothing like a tender “thank you” kiss from hubby after we said our grace, and before we enjoy a delicious meal.I mostly cook Filipino dishes, which, thankfully, my Filipino husband who grew up in Germany love. But when he´s not busy at work, he comes home after five, gives me a hug and a kiss, and tells me to relax for he´s taking over the kitchen. He´s a real great cook and he loves making his own recipes. He likes cooking German foods.But the Okra Omelet is a great dish to try. So if you´re ready to have something new, visit an Asian store, look for some Okra, and let me know how it goes. Enjoy.

Family Fridays #4 German Marble Cake

Linda Dunsmore is German/American but lives and works in South Korea. She has a lovely Korean fiancé and writes about their intercultural relationship. Linda has a wonderful blog and also writes about life in South Korea, China, language learning and traveling.You can find her at her blog: www.lindalivinginchina.comOn facebook On twitter  One of the many advantages of growing up in Germany was the traditional cuisine. My mother and grandmother are master chefs and bakers which results in regular coffee and cake time and elaborate dinners. Cakes and pies take up a great amount of German cuisine and it’s common to drink coffee and have pastry or cake with it in the afternoon. One of y favorite cakes is “German Marble Cake”.I grew up in a bicultural household – my mother is German and my father is American. Even though I consider myself “German American”, I see Germany as my home and it’s where my heart lies. Now that I live in South Korea, it’s hard to stay connected with where I am from. German restaurants are a rare sight here and without the proper tools it’s hard to create authentic German dishes. The expat life isn’t always easy, especially when you miss home a lot and cannot find homemade food. However, even just one recipe can turn the world around make you happy in an instant when you’re having a bad day in your host country.If you want to know more about Germany or life in South Korea, visit my blog.

German Marble Cake

(Original recipe makes 1 -10 inch tube cake)

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons dark rum

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 10 inch tube pan.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in the eggs, then the milk and almond extract.
• In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Turn half of the batter into another bowl and stir in the cocoa and rum.
• Layer the light and dark batters by large spoonfuls and then swirl slightly with a knife.
• Bake the cake in at 350 degree F (175 degree C) for about 70 minutes or until it tests done with a toothpick. Transfer to a rack to cool. Makes about 14 to 16 servings.

What I love about this recipe is that the cake looks really difficult to make due to the marble look but is actually easy to bake! Also, you can keep the cake for a long time and don’t have to eat it all up in a couple of days! It’s great for breakfast and/or a snack at school or work!Nobody can say no to a German Marble Cake!-Linda 

Family Fridays

In starting this blog, I had the intention of finding like minded people. I wanted to share what I've learned in my marriage and parenting biracial children. I've been surprised by what I found. I didn't just find a few people that wanted to hear my story. Instead I found a huge community of people in similar positions, a little family. I love talking to people in intercultural relationships! My definition of an intercultural relationship even changed. I thought it was two people from two completely different cultures coming together. I realized it doesn't necessarily mean two different countries. We've all been raised in different cultures and starting a relationship means blending the two. This blog is about family. It's about sharing experiences and a little something that can help you in your own life. I love being able to share my family with all of you. Now, it's your turn. I'm starting a new project called, Family Fridays. It's an opportunity for all of you to share your family with us. What better way than over a good meal!? Family Fridays will be a chance for you to showcase a family recipe and share a bit about your family. If you're interested in taking part in Family Fridays, email me at almostindianwife(at)gmail(dot)com. Let me know a little about you and what recipe you'd like to share. Then I will email you back details. Check out our first guest post here!  

Family Fridays #1 Chile Salsa

Hello Almost Indian Wife followers! I feel like Brittany should create a catchy name for you, a la celebrity fans like Beliebers or Little Monsters…she’ll have to think on that one.Brittany knew that I had married into a culturally rich family like her and asked if I could write something about my experiences in living that life. Being ¼ Mexican, I think I always craved the experience of rich culture that had been so watered down by the time it got to me.  Seriously, when Toula was complaining about being Greek in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, I was ready to jump through the screen, push her out of the way and start yelling “opa!” while snapping my fingers in the air.It comes as no surprise to me that I ended up marrying someone with the last name Muzzalupo-Rivas.  My husband is half Mexican, half Italian (yes, he is as gorgeous as you might imagine) and while these cultures may not be as foreign to most Americans as the Indian culture, there are still certainly some gaps to leap over as the Mexican/Italian version of being a “thella.”  The first time I made my husband burritos he politely over-looked my canned Rosarita beans, under-seasoned ground beef and Pace salsa but the moment I tried to heat my tortillas in the microwave, I thought he might leave me. You can just call me Blanquita! For the record, the proper way is to heat them in a pan until they are pliable and slightly crispy.When I first met Luis’s grandparents I was so nervous and really had no idea what to say.  They both have very thick Mexican accents and I struggled to correctly answer his grandfather’s questions without just nodding, smiling and giving vague “yeah, it’s really great” answers.  Grandma was suspiciously and nerve-rackingly quiet and after a slightly awkward moment of silence about 15 minutes into the visit she finally said, “So, you cook?” After bumbling around a bit I finally managed “yes, actually, I love to cook.” We’ve been pretty cool ever since.  I grew up eating PB&J’s, Mac ‘N’ Cheese, and vegetables out of the can.  Bleak, I know.  Being a part of this family has been a culinary revelation! I’m talking homemade tamales, guacamole, POZOLE, chile…the list goes on and on.  I really am so grateful to be part of my own “Big Fat Mexican Family” but let’s get real…I’m there for the food. Just kidding. Kind of.  I thought I would share with you all Grandma Rivas’s chile recipe as it especially close to my heart. And stomach. Enjoy!You may be wondering what that even is! I think I’ve come to take this knowledge for granted.  Chile is the “salsa” that many Mexicans use in authentic cuisine.  It is a smoky, spicy, a little salty but mostly just amazing concentration of charred hot peppers, tomatoes and garlic. It’s awesome on grilled meats, beans, or shoot, just try it on anything!

Chile Salsa

16-20 small chiles of your choice (guajillo, mora, arbol, red jalapeno pepper , chipotle)1 small whole tomato3 clove garlic1/4 cup waterSalt

Cooking Instructions

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat; add all ingredients to the pan. Cook each chile, until slightly blackened, garlic until lightly browned and tomato until tender.Puree the vegetables and chilies with 1/4 cup water in a food processor into a coarse salsa. Season with salt to taste.