Just Turkish

[JULIAFERNO 0]

Mmmmm yes, hamsi! I first tried them in a restaurant in Instanbul and loved them! We actually found them (frozen) in a Turkish market in Peterson, NJ (that town has the most awesome Turkish/Middle Eastern section with many markets, halal butchers, barber shops, restaurants, etc!!) and cooked them at home! You can eat them just like french fries - heads, bones and all. It took a while for my kids to work up the nerve to eat fish heads, but they loved them too.

That was the dinner when I started to pour some milk for everyone and got a panicked look and quick advice that you can't drink milk with fish (or it could end badly for you)!

Am I the only one here who doesn't like hamsi?

It's a big joke among me and my fiance's family because one of the first times I visited them they served hamsi and kept loading them on my plate, and ofcourse, wanting to make a good impression and be a polite guest, I ate them all. My father was also with me, who does not like fish at all, and he was creating "little fishy sandwiches" as he explained, in order to get them down. It was pretty funny. I didn't tell my fiance until several months later how I really felt about hamsi and he got a kick out of it, telling me he didn't like it either.

[Mina76 0]

Mmmmm yes, hamsi! I first tried them in a restaurant in Instanbul and loved them! We actually found them (frozen) in a Turkish market in Peterson, NJ (that town has the most awesome Turkish/Middle Eastern section with many markets, halal butchers, barber shops, restaurants, etc!!) and cooked them at home! You can eat them just like french fries - heads, bones and all. It took a while for my kids to work up the nerve to eat fish heads, but they loved them too.

That was the dinner when I started to pour some milk for everyone and got a panicked look and quick advice that you can't drink milk with fish (or it could end badly for you)!

Am I the only one here who doesn't like hamsi?

It's a big joke among me and my fiance's family because one of the first times I visited them they served hamsi and kept loading them on my plate, and ofcourse, wanting to make a good impression and be a polite guest, I ate them all. My father was also with me, who does not like fish at all, and he was creating "little fishy sandwiches" as he explained, in order to get them down. It was pretty funny. I didn't tell my fiance until several months later how I really felt about hamsi and he got a kick out of it, telling me he didn't like it either.

Don't feel too bad about it Julia, because I also didn't care much for them either!

The thought of also eating the heads was gross enough for me that I made faces just seeing my mother in law eat them right in front of my face with so much gusto! and all my husband did was laughed Don't think I want to tried them again cause once was enough for me!

So how is Everyone else doing these days? Greetings and Blessings to Everyone!

Mina

[wendya 0]

Mmmmm yes, hamsi! I first tried them in a restaurant in Instanbul and loved them! We actually found them (frozen) in a Turkish market in Peterson, NJ (that town has the most awesome Turkish/Middle Eastern section with many markets, halal butchers, barber shops, restaurants, etc!!) and cooked them at home! You can eat them just like french fries - heads, bones and all. It took a while for my kids to work up the nerve to eat fish heads, but they loved them too.

That was the dinner when I started to pour some milk for everyone and got a panicked look and quick advice that you can't drink milk with fish (or it could end badly for you)!

Am I the only one here who doesn't like hamsi?

It's a big joke among me and my fiance's family because one of the first times I visited them they served hamsi and kept loading them on my plate, and ofcourse, wanting to make a good impression and be a polite guest, I ate them all. My father was also with me, who does not like fish at all, and he was creating "little fishy sandwiches" as he explained, in order to get them down. It was pretty funny. I didn't tell my fiance until several months later how I really felt about hamsi and he got a kick out of it, telling me he didn't like it either.

Don't feel too bad about it Julia, because I also didn't care much for them either!

The thought of also eating the heads was gross enough for me that I made faces just seeing my mother in law eat them right in front of my face with so much gusto! and all my husband did was laughed Don't think I want to tried them again cause once was enough for me!

So how is Everyone else doing these days? Greetings and Blessings to Everyone!

Mina

Hi Mina. How are you? Everything is same for me. Still waiting.

Hi Tanya, so happy that you got the military service sorted!! Tebrikler.

Merhaba Julie. Nice to see you. Yes, the little fishes are a little gross. And I know what you mean. Yilmaz's sister was creating a nice little pile that she gave me, and I bravely ate them. I too really don't like fish either. Only Lobster, shrimp and scallops. That is about the extent of my fish eating. So, I too was shocked to see a whole fish, but trying to be a good and polite guest, I too bravely ate them. It wasn't as bad as I feared, but I wouldn't choose to eat them again.

iyi gunler everyone!!

[Mina76 0]

Hi Everybody

Wow it has been quiet here lately, so where has Everyone gone?

Wendy, so nice to see you again and I am so sorry that you are still waiting, hopefully your case will start moving along soon!

Julia, How are you also doing? Sorry I have been kind of busy with work again as of lately, but I hope to be able to speak with you soon!

Debra, hope you're not working too hard and can take a break soon, you certainly need a vacation B)

Well I hope that all is all is well with all the Turkish/American couples and that someone is soon to receive wonderful news on their process, please post them soon so that we can share in your joy

Blessing to All,

Mina

[Deb_Res 0]

Hi All!

Wow! I haven't been on here in quite a while! Took me almost an hour to read all the posts and catch up! So glad to hear good news and progress from most of you and for those of you still waiting for your loved ones keep the faith and all will happen before you know it!

Resul and I are doing great. He finally received his drivers license in Dec. and now loves to drive! He never drove in Turkey and was afraid to drive here. And he finally got a car and is in heaven! He switched jobs in Dec. also and is working for Whole Foods. He feels it's a good company to work for, but like most of us he wishes he were making more $$$... So now that he can drive and has a car he can start looking for a better job.

As for me... Nothing too exciting! Healthwise doing great since my gastric bypass in Sept. It's now 6 months and I'm down 100lbs. The weight loss has slowed down considerably as expected, 5-10lbs a month now. We also joined a gym in Jan. and Resul and I go 3-5 nights a week which has contributed in the weight loss slowing down due to building up muscle mass that I have lost over the 6 months. But losing lots of inches!

Speaking of Hamsi! I read some posts! I do not eat anything from the sea! Can't stand the smell! We too go to the Turkish market in Patterson and he bought those frozen Hamsi! Well! I wanted to die when I came home and walked into the house smelling of fried fish! He fried up the whole package, heads and tails piled high!!!!!! I actually had to leave and come back an hour later! He said if they were fresh it would not smell that bad! Of course he tried to get me to eat one , but I'm not as brave as the rest of you!

That's all that's going on with us for now! We hope to go to Turkey sometime this year, but no dates yet...

Hope the rest of you are all doing well and have a wonderful Spring!

~Debbie

[Ctrl+alt+delete 0]

Merhaba Mina,

Yes, we have completed year end

Rest.....what is that, lol...........we always seem to fill our time doing something ;-)

Take care,

Debra

Hi Everybody

Wow it has been quiet here lately, so where has Everyone gone?

Wendy, so nice to see you again and I am so sorry that you are still waiting, hopefully your case will start moving along soon!

Julia, How are you also doing? Sorry I have been kind of busy with work again as of lately, but I hope to be able to speak with you soon!

Debra, hope you're not working too hard and can take a break soon, you certainly need a vacation B)

Well I hope that all is all is well with all the Turkish/American couples and that someone is soon to receive wonderful news on their process, please post them soon so that we can share in your joy

Blessing to All,

Mina

[Ctrl+alt+delete 0]

wow........you have accomplished so much..!! Congraulations

just dieing to see new photos.

So glad to hear all is going well for you both....sounds like Resul is enjoying driving ;-)

Take care,

Debra

Hi All!

Wow! I haven't been on here in quite a while! Took me almost an hour to read all the posts and catch up! So glad to hear good news and progress from most of you and for those of you still waiting for your loved ones keep the faith and all will happen before you know it!

Resul and I are doing great. He finally received his drivers license in Dec. and now loves to drive! He never drove in Turkey and was afraid to drive here. And he finally got a car and is in heaven! He switched jobs in Dec. also and is working for Whole Foods. He feels it's a good company to work for, but like most of us he wishes he were making more $$$... So now that he can drive and has a car he can start looking for a better job.

As for me... Nothing too exciting! Healthwise doing great since my gastric bypass in Sept. It's now 6 months and I'm down 100lbs. The weight loss has slowed down considerably as expected, 5-10lbs a month now. We also joined a gym in Jan. and Resul and I go 3-5 nights a week which has contributed in the weight loss slowing down due to building up muscle mass that I have lost over the 6 months. But losing lots of inches!

Speaking of Hamsi! I read some posts! I do not eat anything from the sea! Can't stand the smell! We too go to the Turkish market in Patterson and he bought those frozen Hamsi! Well! I wanted to die when I came home and walked into the house smelling of fried fish! He fried up the whole package, heads and tails piled high!!!!!! I actually had to leave and come back an hour later! He said if they were fresh it would not smell that bad! Of course he tried to get me to eat one , but I'm not as brave as the rest of you!

That's all that's going on with us for now! We hope to go to Turkey sometime this year, but no dates yet...

Hope the rest of you are all doing well and have a wonderful Spring!

~Debbie

[Deb_Res 0]

Thanks Deb! I really don't have any new photos! I keep saying I need to take some, but forget and more time slips on by! Congrats on the 10 year green card to you and John!

wow........you have accomplished so much..!! Congraulations

just dieing to see new photos.

So glad to hear all is going well for you both....sounds like Resul is enjoying driving ;-)

Take care,

Debra

Hi All!

Wow! I haven't been on here in quite a while! Took me almost an hour to read all the posts and catch up! So glad to hear good news and progress from most of you and for those of you still waiting for your loved ones keep the faith and all will happen before you know it!

Resul and I are doing great. He finally received his drivers license in Dec. and now loves to drive! He never drove in Turkey and was afraid to drive here. And he finally got a car and is in heaven! He switched jobs in Dec. also and is working for Whole Foods. He feels it's a good company to work for, but like most of us he wishes he were making more $$$... So now that he can drive and has a car he can start looking for a better job.

As for me... Nothing too exciting! Healthwise doing great since my gastric bypass in Sept. It's now 6 months and I'm down 100lbs. The weight loss has slowed down considerably as expected, 5-10lbs a month now. We also joined a gym in Jan. and Resul and I go 3-5 nights a week which has contributed in the weight loss slowing down due to building up muscle mass that I have lost over the 6 months. But losing lots of inches!

Speaking of Hamsi! I read some posts! I do not eat anything from the sea! Can't stand the smell! We too go to the Turkish market in Patterson and he bought those frozen Hamsi! Well! I wanted to die when I came home and walked into the house smelling of fried fish! He fried up the whole package, heads and tails piled high!!!!!! I actually had to leave and come back an hour later! He said if they were fresh it would not smell that bad! Of course he tried to get me to eat one , but I'm not as brave as the rest of you!

That's all that's going on with us for now! We hope to go to Turkey sometime this year, but no dates yet...

Hope the rest of you are all doing well and have a wonderful Spring!

~Debbie

[Merk 0]

JUST AN UPDATE........

Ismail and I are still doing the NVC thing. He has emailed the choice of agent, it was accepted and I have sent in the AOS bil(70$) We are waiting to hear the next message on the phone from the NVC. We are using the shortcuts trying to speed things up as fast as poss!!

[awaterlily 0]

Hey All,

All is going well here. The baby keeps us busy these days now that she's on the verge of walking. I can't believe she'll be 1 in a few months! And my husband's 2 yr anniversary is this month (since entering US as a legal alien). Where does the time go?

He's still working at the same place, getting his essay together for grad school (taking our time on this). Since the essay is the last piece, he hopes to begin classes in the fall.

Nothing really new with me.

BTW anyone know where we can buy Taris Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the US? DH's parents brought us a 2000 ml tin when they came to visit last summer and it's just about gone. It's the best olive oil I ever had! I didn't see any on yiyelim.com or tulumba.com.

Looking forward to Spring! We've got so much snow here.

[awaterlily 0]

Oh BTW, for those of you honing your Turkish cooking skills, I found THE BEST Turkish cookbook and I highly recommend it.

It's called "The Complete Book of Turkish Cooking" by Ghillie Basan. 150 recipes with 200 photos. Recipes are very easy to follow, and offers step-by-step illustrations.

She also has a website and posted several recipes (w/o pics).

I know we all love Binnur's web site & recipes, but there are times I wish I had a book on hand that had pics to walk me through the process.

[Merk 0]

!!! I bought the Classic Turkish Cookery one... I have been trying to expirement ( I will try anything, but even I had to admit it was just awful and had to be thrown out) but not like I should. I guess I will need to go thru the book and at least be able to make maybe 5? of the recipes. And not just be able to make, but make sure they are able to be consumed!!! LOL Hopefully I will have them down be the time he gets here!!!

[JULIAFERNO 0]

Hi Everyone! I enjoy reading all of your updates, especially as I am somewhat new here and just started the K1 process in November. I have a feeling our NOA2 is around the corner as CSC is finishing up October filers and moving onto November now. Insallah!

I'm dreaming of the day I can join you all in saying, "I can't believe Onur has been here in the States for 2 years now." Right now it all still seems like a bit of a fantasy and I'm plagued with all of the "what ifs," but I try to keep my mind free of that and just focus on the next step of the process.

I'm going to Turkey in less than 2 weeks - March 22 - April 1st. Hooray! It will have been 4 months since I saw Onur. Just too long!

Take care!

Iyi gunler,

Julia

[Mina76 0]

Hi Julia,

How wonderful that you are going to Turkey to see your love, have a wonderful and safe trip! B)

Yes, even 4 months of waiting to see him seem like 4 very long years, we all understand very well how that is and how it was for most of us before too! At least you will still be able to visit him while your case is pending.

Just keep busy with the process and here with VJ and before you know it Onur will be here in the US with you

Mina

[tanyakaraman 0]

Hi Julia...hope you'll have a great time in Turkey! What city(ies) will you be visiting? We are returning for a visit next week also (March 20-27) and will be spending time with Ozzy's family in Istanbul as well as Antakya. I remember just this time last year we were going thru the K1 process and it all seemed like such an unlikely possibility. I guess I really didn't completely believe it would happen for us until Ozzy stepped off the plane this past September...so just keep the faith, you'll get there too

Wendy...how have you been? Any word out of Athens?

Thanks for sharing that cookbook Awaterlily! It sounds great. Even though Ozzy does most of the cooking at our house these days (I am working semi-full time and doing my nursing clinicals in the evenings and he is just home more than I am right now)...I guess it would be nice if I learned how to make some Turkish dishes other than coban salatesi

Congrats to everyone who has received recent approvals! We're keeping our fingers crossed for Ozzy's green card approval...we should be hearing from USCIS any day now...

Take Care All,

Tanya