December Filers

[Mariye & Ky 172]

Ok, I am sharing a recipe from Switzerland:

Älplermagronen is a very typical Swiss „Pasta-Dish“ with lots of cheese and potatoes and onions. Instead of eating Raclette or Fondue on a cold winter night, Älplermagronen are a great alternative. It is a heavy meal, not the best for loosing weight :-)

And as we say: e Guete (enjoy your meal)

Thank you Swiss!!! That really sounds rich and delicious. Do you serve this as a main course or is it a sidedish served along side of meat?

Mari

[swissmiss2 3]

I usually serve it with a salad.

The temperatures for the oven is 200 Celsius not F.

just baking muffins.. mmmh...more American I think

[Christine + Blake 18]

Swissmiss that sounds just like my kind of thing, yum!! I am trying to think of some "Canadian" recipes but we don't have much that is all our own other than poutine, which is hardly a recipe. I will definitely find something though, and I think I'll include a recipe or two that I make for Blake that he always really likes, because they remind me of our time together.

I am leaving Atlanta on monday to go back to Canada and I have to admit I'm a wreck. I really don't want to leave, especially knowing that I won't be coming back until probably October! On the plus side, this will be the last time I leave like this - next time I'm here it will be for good.

Also, I found the thread about tweeting, which I have been doing!

[Piefre 15]

I am leaving Atlanta on monday to go back to Canada and I have to admit I'm a wreck. I really don't want to leave, especially knowing that I won't be coming back until probably October! On the plus side, this will be the last time I leave like this - next time I'm here it will be for good.

Hang in there! I am pretty much in the same boat as you...even similar wait time from NOA1, haha. Anyway, leaving is never easy and it never gets any easier. But it really does help remind me that there is an end to this process and I am close to being with my fiance for good. Let's stay strong and get through this together!

[Christine + Blake 18]

Hang in there! I am pretty much in the same boat as you...even similar wait time from NOA1, haha. Anyway, leaving is never easy and it never gets any easier. But it really does help remind me that there is an end to this process and I am close to being with my fiance for good. Let's stay strong and get through this together!

thanks. I'm trying to be positive and keep the end in mind, but as a Vermont filer with a set wedding date in early November, the 'end' seems to keep getting farther and farther away, not closer! At this rate I am worried about having to take my chances visiting for the wedding, but not getting legally married, and then coming back to Canada to wait some more for my interview. I'm trying to put this all out of my head for my last few days here, but its been a struggle.

sorry for the downer posts everybody! :C

[lee&jeniebee 23]

About a month ago I read a post or two about "nesting" and now as time is getting closer the magical arrival date, the idea is becoming more important to me. I am wanting to hear some ideas about how to make my fiancee feel more at home when she is here. First let me tell you what I have planned so far: Just a week or two before her arrival I am renting a newer nicer apartment or duplex, the ones I am looking at are easy walking distance to my work. Rather than completely outfit the new apartment my thinking is I will move in the basic furnishings and when Jenie Bee arrives we can complete the decorating furnishings together. The idea is to make it more "our home" not her moving into my house. Just a thought? I have made one picture collage of Jenie Bee's family. I will have a jacket for her at the airport (going from The Philippines to Oregon even in the summer will be a real climate change) and a cell phone of course. Oh, I have scouted out one Asian market that has filipino food items, will be looking for more in the Portland area. We will start planning a 2012 vacation to visit her family immediately. So what kind of "nesting" prep for the BIG day are you doing? What are your ideas?? I am all ears!!! Lee

[kristen_maroc 126]

Swissmiss that sounds just like my kind of thing, yum!! I am trying to think of some "Canadian" recipes but we don't have much that is all our own other than poutine, which is hardly a recipe. I will definitely find something though, and I think I'll include a recipe or two that I make for Blake that he always really likes, because they remind me of our time together.

I am leaving Atlanta on monday to go back to Canada and I have to admit I'm a wreck. I really don't want to leave, especially knowing that I won't be coming back until probably October! On the plus side, this will be the last time I leave like this - next time I'm here it will be for good.

Also, I found the thread about tweeting, which I have been doing!

OMG- are you p_mornings??????

[Christine + Blake 18]

OMG- are you p_mornings??????

YEP! Fancy meeting you here! (or there? haha)

Lee, those are GREAT ideas - I may have to point Blake to this thread for some inspiration I'm the one moving, and right at that time will be our wedding, so we'll be getting lots of 'our' things rather than his and mine, which I think will help a lot.

[Mariye & Ky 172]

Dear December 2010 K1 Family,

This recipe is one of my very favourites. At my Turkish Mom's house they do not measure ingredients and everything is measured by eye. I had such a good time learning with all of his family. When I miss them, I'll call and say, "Yemek Yapmak Istiyorum, Momma!" Which means I want to cook, Mom. She'll speak with me in Turkish and my language skills are tested. Yet, somehow her recipes stick in my memory! I really love my new Turkish family. They have taught me so much about their culture and how deeply they love one another. Since being home in San Francisco, California, I find it comforting to have learned Mom's recipes. Because Turkish cuisine is so clean (meaning sans preservatives--- everything is fresh), it's very healthy.

We appreciate the time we are able to interact with you via our Visa Journey. We wish each of our Decemberite family a blessed and joyous process.

Kadir and I send this recipe to you with love,

Mari & Kadir

Petitioner: San Francisco, CA.

Beneficiary: Kadir from Adana, Turkey

Adana Kebaps (Authenticity right out of Kadir's City!)

Ingredients:

1 lb ground veal

1 lb ground lamb

2 med yellow or white onions minced

2 red bell peppers minced

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

5-6 crushed garlic cloves

2 tsp of each:

fresh ground coriander seeds

fresh ground cumin seeds

black pepper

sumac (a spice found in middle eastern stores)

1 tsp Kosher salt

4 tsp butter salted

Set these ingredients aside:

2 med red onions: peeled and sliced very thinly

3 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp sumac

1 C fresh Italian parsley: discard stems and chop roughly, then set aside.

3-4 Tomatoes: sliced

1 C plain Turkish or Greek Yogurt

4 Greek Gyro Pide *(they're thicker than a pita bread you get in a regular grocery store --- makes a HUGE difference and closest I've found to Turkish Pide. I buy pre-oiled Kontos brand which is hand stretched for fluffiness.) see note below

Olive oil and brush to lightly brush over Gyro for heating.

Directions:

Wash hands and keep wet so meat does not stick to your hands while kneading with spices.

1. In large mixing bowl, mix ground veal and lamb

2. Add minced bell pepper, onions and garlic

3. Add rest of spices and mix very well.

4. Cover with plastic wrap and put in fridge overnight *(if you are in hurry, I find that 4-hours chill time is OK)

5. Take very thinly sliced red onions and mix with lemon juice, sumac.

6. Cover and put in fridge overnight.

7. Take chilled meat from fridge and shape into 6 inch long x 2 inches wide kebaps.

8. Place on grill for 3-4 mins; (if you do not have a BBQ grill, I use my indoor George Foreman).

9. They're finished when they feel spongy to the touch; keep warm.

10. Take the pide bread and lightly brush with olive oil. Toss on grill for 30 secs on each side to only heat it. If you leave it long on grill you get hard bread. No good.

It should be hot, chewy and stretch when you pull it apart.

11. Set on serving platter

12. Put Adana Kebaps on top of Pides

13. Remove onion mixture from fridge, put on side of Adana Kebaps.

14. On the side arrange tomatoes and parsley (I decorate the platter with this to make it look pretty)

15. Put yogurt in serving dish and serve along side of Kabap platter. (I put a couple mint sprigs on top of this)

You can share this platter with the entire family now! Communal eating is such a wonderful experience. Adding food and the love of a family and friends is what Turkey is all about!

Yeme İyi! means "Good Eating!"

Sizi seviyorum! means "We love you!"

Kadir & Mari

*Note: Turkish (and Greek) style pide bread is not the pocket bread we know as Arabic bread or pita bread. It is a flatbread, though, that needs to be warmed before using, usually to wrap foods in. It can be replaced with pita bread, of course, or even Indian nan bread that you might find in an Indian market. Pide bread can be found in Greek and Middle Eastern markets.

[Christine + Blake 18]

ohh lamb, I definitely want to try that recipe Mari and Kadir!

[bubpce 6]

I saw the Riverdance when they came here to perform They were awesome ... it was a wonderful experience :-) They move like they walk on air, lol ... Fantastic!!!!

Anyway, how is everyone herE? sorry i havent been on the tread much but i got stuck with exam

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend.

[KiwiJen 7]

Hey Mari,

Sorry for the delay.....I have been enjoying the sunshine at last - it is still pretty cold here though

Anyway - secondary questioning at San Fran.......

Lined up at immigration, had the usual questions, why are you here and for how long - I said to visit my fiance and for 55 days. The agent (whom might i add looked about 21 years old) told me I couldn't not get married here, I told him I was well aware of the law and said we had applied for our K1. He didn't know what a K1 was!!!! Took my fingerprints and then said walk down there - someone else is going to question you.

Walked down to a pokie looking room with about 12 other people in it - walked straight up to the counter, produced my return flight details, a letter stating when I was due back at work and of course our NOA1...the agent who looked even younger than the first looked mighty confused and again said I cant get married, I told him I had no intentions of marrying this trip or at all until we had our visa in hand.

He told me to take a seat and he went to his boss, his boss was stationed in the room also (it was all kind of open planned) the first officer told him all my details and why I was there, he looked at my NOA1 looked up at me, smiled then turned to his worker and said "of course she can visit him you idiot" Then to me he said sorry about this and congratulations on being engaged and he hoped I had a great visit.

Quite easy really - but after a 13 hour plane ride I was getting pretty edgy.

Needless to say he stamped my passport for the 90 days so I decided that I am just going to stay here with my man and wait out the NOA2 which we are hoping will be before the 90 days are up - YAY!!!

lOVE YA XXX

[Piefre 15]

Ack, sorry to hear about that secondary questioning they gave you, KiwiJen. I've never had a customs officer tell me I couldn't go but then my trips to see my fiance tend to be very short. Still, it was a bit silly that the first two officers didn't know what a K1 was. I'm glad you can stay with your fiance to wait for that NOA1. Enjoy your time with your fiance. :-)

[Mariye & Ky 172]

Yeah KiwiJen!!!!! Happy you're here and hope the two of you have a GREAT TIME. I bet your NOA2 comes soon because that "guestimate" approximates Decemberites to start getting notice about Mid-April and I hope that meant ALL OF US TOO! Anyway, do you have all your documents here so if it does come then you can go ahead and complete the package?

So SF is bit 'slow on the get go', eh?! lol .... K1? LOL Glad to hear the Boss knew though.

It's stopped raining here in SF for a few hours so I'm on my way out. I must get fresh air and some errands done before I get cabin fever again.

Love ya!

Mari

[Shawn-n-Sonoko 9]

Well I have been out of commission the past few days but for good reasons! Now the bad part... I dropped my iPhone and the front is shattered, but it still works! About to go see about replacing it because it really is annoying!

The questioning coming through SF sounded like it was tons of fun! I got questioned myself a few weeks back at LAX after visiting Sonoko. Easy since I am a US citizen but after giving the reason why I visited, the immigrations officer actually did know what the K1 was and told me Congrats. Guess it all depends in who you walk up to! Glad to hear in the end it worked out alright!

Well, off to the Apple store.

-Shawn