Photo Expressions

Gai Ding Almond Chicken

Got this recipe from those Kraft Magazines that come to the door.  Yummy! The whole family loved it and it was pretty quick and easy to make also, ready in just under 30 minutes.  We have added it to our need a quick healthy dinner repitoire.  It is also great for lunch the next day.

1/4 cup Kraft Calorie-Wise Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing, divided

1 small onion, chopped

1 lb. (450 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

1 Tbsp. lite soy sauce

2 cups chopped fresh broccoli

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 carrot, thinly sliced

1/4 cup Back to Nature Sea Salt Roasted Almonds, chopped

2-2/3 cups hot cooked long-grain brown rice

 HEAT 2 Tbsp. dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions; cook 1 min. Stir in chicken; cook 2 min. or until chicken is done, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet; cover to keep warm.

ADD remaining dressing, soy sauce and vegetables to skillet; stir. Cook 4 to 5 min. or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring frequently.

RETURN chicken to skillet; cook 2 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Stir in nuts. Serve with rice.

Kids Favourite Banana Bread (Adults too!)

I made Banana bread again last night (my family loves this recipe so much that I have to double it to make 4, and it only lasts 2 days tops!). I have this recipe from a Clean Eating Cookbook (love these!!!) so it is even a healthy version.  Thought I'd share it with you.

Kids’ Favorite Banana Bread

From The Eat-Clean Diet for Family & Kids

 This recipe makes 2 loafs and they will be gone instantly!  Very very yummy. (It also has tons of nutrition in it, but you don’t have to tell your family that lol!)

 Ingredients

4 ripe bananas

1 1/4 c whole wheat flour (or unbleached all purpose)

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp baking powder

½ tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

pinch each cardamom and nutmeg

1 tsp best quality vanilla

2 large egg whites

¼ cup agave nectar (avail at Costco now!)

¼ cup safflower oil (I use whatever I have)

½ cup sweet carrot puree (I add 1 grated carrot)

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

 Preparation

1. preheat oven to 350. Prepare 2 loaf pans with a light coating of oil or parchment paper (I use parchment paper as then there is no clean up!)
2. In medium-sized bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Set aside
3. in another bowl mash bananas until soft.  Combine all wet ingredients with the bananas. Add to dry ingredients and stir until mixture is lumpy but barely blended.
4. pour batter into loaf pans (the loafs aren’t super high, but are very dense).
5. Bake for 50-55 min or until cracked and golden brown on top. Remove from oven and set on a wire rack to cool.

 

 

Raising Small Souls

 A friend of mine sent me this video and told me to grab my tissue box.  I suggest you do the same!  A great reminder how everyone one of us is created unique and have our own special talents.

     

 

Rootbeer Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Kerry served this at her birthday and it was delicious!! This would be a great meal for your next potluck or picnic.

 

Rootbeer Pulled Pork Sandwiches

 

4-5lb pork shoulder roast (I used 6 - approx. 1 1/2lb each pieces of pork tenderloin - about 10 lbs.)
3 cloves of minced garlic
Salt & pepper
1 large onion, chopped
12oz can Root Beer (I used 1/2 a 2-ltr bottle of A&W regular root beer, enough to cover the meat)
1 1/2 cups bbq sauce ( I used 3 bottles of Bull's Eye Original)

Place pork roast in a large Crock Pot.

Rub minced garlic over roast and season with salt and pepper.

Top with chopped onion.

Pour Root Beer over roast; Cover and cook on low for 10 hours. (can do this the day before, if pressed for time)

Remove meat from liquid.  Dispose of liquid and onions.

Use two forks to shred meat.  Return meat to crock pot.

Mix in enough bbq sauce so that meat is moistened, but not sloppy.  (I made it a day ahead and put it in the fridge, with the sauce on it)

Cover and continue to cook on low for 30 minutes - 1 hour, or until heated through.

Serve on sesame buns, with coleslaw on the side.  Freeze any leftovers to enjoy a quick meal at a later date.

NOTE:  I'm guessing, but I would say that the amount I used would serve 20+ people easily.

Your Vote Can Make a Difference

Just a Reminder that it's time to vote! If you missed the original post, please read below for an incredible opportunity to make a difference, simply by having an opinion and voting!!

 

One of our loyal customers Pat Sly, and her husband Gerry Sly, of Boyd Auto Body & Glass Coquitlam (Circuit Frame & Suspension) are involved in trying to end homelessness in the Tri cities area. They have entered the Aviva Community Fund Project and hope to win up to $500,000 to support their container village project. And they could really use your help! One thing that we have learned about you, our customers, is that you are a generous and caring crowd! I know you will take a moment to read this and respond as you feel led. Thank you :-)

Please view the video and read their submission to the Aviva Community Fund contest, then register and VOTE! If you like what they are doing, please forward this info to all of your email contacts and if you are on Facebook, add it to your facebook page. Multiplication of voting is the key to winning.

Here's the info that they sent me.....

1. Remember you need to register at Aviva: To register with the Aviva Community Fund, visit here, and click on the 'register' link at the top of the page. You will be asked to provide your name and a valid email address and to create a password so you can sign in. As of Monday, Oct. 18th we have 22 people registered. This is the beginning of our communication so I will watch for you to sign up. You can always click reply and let me know that you signed up.

2. Remember that voting for Phase 2 begins on October 25th. You can vote once a day for 10 days.

3. Please sign up at our Face Book Page. This is where you can get your updates.

4. Check out the “My Place” video (already 650+ views on You Tube in just 1 week!). Pass it on to all your friends. 

 

Thank you in advance for your support,

Gerry Sly

Boyd Auto body & Glass Coquitlam

Happy Father's Day

Big Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there who make their children's life complete!  Happy Father's day Dad!

If you haven't come in for the toonie project this week, make sure to take some photos of Dad today and then come in to create the layout.  Simple, easy, done!

Yummy Dip from the Crop

many of you at the crop were asking what that delicious dip was. It was from Lisa V and she used an Epicure spice (I love their spices!) It looks easy peasy and was soooo yummy! Thanks Lisa for sharing!

The recipe for that dip from the Photo Express Crop is as follows:

3 Tbsp. Victorian Epicure Seasoning for Nacho Cheese Dip
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
Blend ingredients and spoon into heat proof dish.  Heat until bubbling and serve with Tortilla chips.

His Home for Children Orphanage

And one last post. One of my brother Ron's best friends (since kindergarten), Travis and his wife Jennifer have adopted 2 boys from Haiti and have been in the process of waiting for them to come home for 3 years.  The boys are still in Haiti and thank goodness they are safe, though the orphanage they live in has been damaged. Travis has some other good organizations that you can donate to, so this is one last email I am sharing with you. (and please take a moment to sign the petition in the previous post to allow the children who are adopted to be joined with their parents.  Actually, here is the link again, to make it easy for you.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/visasforadoptedhaitianchildren/.
Michele

Hi,

 I want to thank you all for the outpouring of prayer, support, and concern for us and our boys in Haiti.  It has been very encouraging to us in our prayer and hope. Below I have some updates as well as some answers to your questions.

 

Praise Items - Latest Information specific to the orphanage and our boys, Steevenson & Sterlin:

• There has been contact with Junior, the directors right-hand-man – we don’t have more information than that.  
• There are cracked walls in both orphanage houses, and the girls' house's (which also houses the babies and Hal & Chris and their family) back security wall came down. But thankfully both houses are still standing and everyone is fine.

 

Prayer Requests:

• Continued safety and security for the orphanage and those in Haiti
• Health issues that are common with such natural disasters: sewage, dirty water, injury complications, food, communication and transportation difficulties, etc…
• Availability of aid to the orphanage and surrounding areas:  food, water, etc… 
• Other/Newly displaced/orphaned children
• Wisdom for Haitian governmental officials as they accept help from outside sources
• Patience, hope and peace for adoptive families waiting to be united some day – the adoption process, we can assume at this point is at a stand still.  It might be weeks or months till we know how this will impact the adoption process.

 

Ways you can help:

• Prayer
• Financial assistance to the following and other NGO’s that are already located within Haiti:
• HIS Home For Children Orphanage (http://www.hishomeforchildren.com/ )
• Red Cross (http://www.redcross.ca )
• World Vision (http://www.worldvision.ca )
• Samaritan’s Purse (http://www.samaritanspurse.ca )
• Power to Change (http://powertochange.com/organization/ )xx

 

Other sources of information:

• HIS Home For Children website with some information (http://www.hishomeforchildren.com/ )
• Facebook feed.  Search “HIS Home For Children” (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=88561638823&ref=ts )
• An article about a teacher at the Morning Star Christian Academy, a place we have stayed on our last two trips, as well as it talks a little about the His Home For Children Orphanage director (http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1989128,JCA-grad-Haiti-earthquake-JO011310.article )

 

God Bless you!

 

Travis & Jennifer Whims

 

PS:  Please feel free to forward to anyone you think might like to have the above information and join in prayer for the Haitian situation.

 

News from Haiti re the Orphanage Foyer de Sion and Holt Fontana

I received this email this morning from Natasha Hixon, founder of QuicKutz.  Many of you followed her story as she adopted 3 children from Haiti and the fundraising they did for these orphanages. I was so glad to hear that the children were okay, and thought I would pass along Natasha's email. They went through years trying to get their 3 children here, and there are many more families waiting to bring home the children they have adopted.

Michele

Dear Family and Friends,

As we continue to pray for our friends in Haiti I want to express my gratitude to all of you for your expressions of kindness and love to our family.  We have dear friends in Haiti that we are always concerned for - now more than ever.  

We have heard that ALL the children for both Foyer de Sion and Holt Fontana are alive.  Sadly, Foyer de Sion believes they have lost some of their caregivers because they are missing. Majorie has a broken leg and it is a miracle that all the children were protected. They are now staying at the church because the orphanage in Petionville was destroyed.  I believe the orphanage in Leogane was also destroyed and so the children are either at the church or the Fontamara orphanage.  Truly a miracle as the Fontamara house is in Carrafour - the heart of the earthquake.

If you can, please help by donating to Foyer de Sion. They have lost two of their orphanages and are located right in the center of all the chaos. Your donations to this organization will go directly to helping the children of Foyer de Sion. http://www.foyerdesion.org/

Holt International is also a way to get your donation dollars directly to the children in Haiti. Holt International has an amazing reputation and I personally have seen the good they are doing to help people in Haiti.
http://www.holtinternational.org/

Both Foyer and Holt do so much more than operate orphanages.  Holt has a family preservation program that is amazing and Foyer operates Sion Funds that help thousands of children attend school. I am simply amazed at the accomplishments of both of these organizations.

If nothing else, send $10 today to the American Red Cross by sending a text message to 90999 with the word "Haiti" in it.

I feel so selfishly blessed that Katiana, Marie and Roberto are home and did not have to experience this horrible event.  Katiana is concerned for her birth father and her siblings.  Unfortunately, until communication is re-established, we will have to wait for news about them along with Marie and Roberto's birth family.

Thank you again for your love and prayers.  Times like these sure have a way of bringing about perspective.

With love,
Natasha Hixon

p.s. please also take 30 seconds and sign this petition to allow the Haitian children in process of adoption, waiting on a passport and visa, to come home now. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/visasforadoptedhaitianchildren/

(Michele says PLEASE DO THIS TO HELP THE CHILDREN COME HOME!!!!!)

Haiti Earthquake

As you have probably seen and heard, on Tuesday, a catastrophic earthquake struck near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, but the death toll -- already in the thousands -- is climbing fast.This is the worst earthquake to hit the area in more than 200 years. Entire communities have been ripped apart and as many as 3 million people have been directly affected. This is devastating for what is already the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.

 

 

It's in times like these that we must show the kind of compassion and humanity that defines who we are. They are saying if every person could donate $10, it would make all the difference in the world.

To encourage you to donate, with a minimum $10 donation, PE will give you a fabulous cookbook with great recipes. This book was originally created to help fund an orphanage in Haiti.

We have chosen Red Cross to donate this money to as they are already there on the ground floor helping with basic necessities of life.  You can donate online directly to the Canadian Red Cross here, or bring your donation to the store and we will make sure they receive it. If you donate online, just let us know that you did (we trust you) and you can pick up your cookbook at the store. You can also call the Red Cross toll free at 1-800-418-1111, or drop it off at 9 Canadian banks that are participating.

And pray for all those in Haiti.

Henry

This picture is so cute, I had to share.  This is Henry, my newest "puppynephew". He is almost 10 weeks old and my sister Niki brought him in for his first visit to PE today. He is so soft, just like a stuffed animal.

Turkeys needed

I received this email from a friend, and thought I'd pass it along, in case some of you can help. And also remember to be thankful for the blessing of food on our tables at Christmas and all year round.

Unfortunately the call for turkeys for the Christmas Haven didn’t make it into the local papers and they need our help!  It’s a great way to give back for so little.  Purchase a turkey (it can be frozen) and drop it off at the Caring Place.  They hoped to have 30 turkeys by this Friday and they still need about 20.  If the turkey is fresh, you can take it in over the next few days…

If you aren’t able to help yourself, please feel free to pass it along to a few people. Word of mouth is amazing…  

Thanks everyone!

We Remember

 
  

An Amazing Feat

We are so very proud of our Cristina! She successfully ran the Haney to Harrison Ultra Marathon this past weekend and ran the entire 100 km! Here are some pictures of her experience...

At the beginning of her race...still smiling :-)

 

As the day wore on, her body became quite sore, so her mom would spray her down with a homeopathic pain med.

 

This is just before the end of the race....after 12 hours of running - incredible!

We are so very proud of what Cristina has accomplished and are so proud to share in this moment with her :-) We love you, Cristina!!!

 

Cristina also asked that I include this last photo and these words from her:

"I just wanted to express my gratitude to Marcel and my Photo Express family for sponsoring me and lifting me up so I could accomplish my dream (I know, kinda weird dream!) of racing in a 100 km Ultra Marathon. I had a really hard day out there and I couldn't have done it without them." ~ Cristina

International Justice Mission

I had the opportunity to be invited to a fundraising dinner last night for an organization called International  Justice Mission (IJM). IJM is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual  
exploitation, and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators, and aftercare professionals, work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to persecute perpetrators and to promote functioning public justice systems. Here is Doug and I and my mom and dad.

It is indescribable. You hear about the atrocities going on in our world and while you feel bad, you tend to quickly forget and get on with day to day life.  After last night (and I know what we saw was a "sanatized" version), I have not been able to get the people who need our help out of my mind. I don't know if I ever will. Even more than ever before, I feel the need to "show up", to make a difference, to be part of history, to have a voice that is heard. To make that little bit of difference, that when coupled with the generosity of so many others, means the difference between terror or freedom, life or death for so many in this world.

From IJM - "In a world where families are trapped in slavery, children are trafficked into prostitution, and widows and orphans are forced from their homes, the difference between life and death - between justice and oppression - often depends upon whether someone simply shows up on behalf of those who are suffering." IJM not only rescues children, women, and families, it also helps them restore their lives, and it helps to "correct" the justice systems in these countries and bring about a reduction in the number of offences occuring.  After just 2 years, in one area of Cambodia, there has been a 70% reduction in the number of children enslaved in the sex trade. These children have a voice that is fighting for them and helping them.

We heard the story of Shalinie, a 13yr old girl whose entire family were slaves in a Salt plant in India. She had to stand all day long, 7 days a week, in 5 inches of salt water, with a big rake, sifting the salt out.  Her feet were so cracked and blistered because she was not provided with protective foot wear. Many of you know what salt water does to a cut...imagine the pain of her feet every day! Her 18 month old sibling died there due to no medical intervention being brought to the facility. Her father was beaten when he was too sick to work. They were not allowed to leave, they were not allowed a day off, they were not fed properly or housed properly or taken care of in any way. This is not a life for a family. Imagine for a moment the pain and utter feeling of helplessness that Shalinie's parents felt - to see their children endure this torture.  Thanks to IJM, they were rescued and through the aftercare program, are now productive and happy.  Shaline is in Gr 8 and wants to become a Dr. so that she can help heal people as this will make her happy she says. Her parents employ quite a few families now in their very own salt facility - they give protective footwear, normal hours, a decent wage, and holidays. They are hoping to grow even more, to provide more income to families. They have hope and they have life.

We heard the story of Lisa, a very young orphan, who had been snatched off the street and sold into the clutches of a Russian businesman who held up to 20 girls at a time, to brutally rape them. The girls were tied up and forced to do things that no adult should have to do, let alone a young girl. They were abused, neglected, and totally helpless. With the help of IJM, this man (a loose term) was brought to justice. With the help of the aftercare program, Lisa was able to heal enough to testify at his trial. She insisted that the screen protecting young witnesses be removed so she could say what happened to her with this man in front of her.  With her strength and help, other girls were also able to testify.  Lisa is now in high school and wants to become a lawyer to help others like her. She has hope, she has her life.

These are just a couple of stories of the millions of women and children and families being abused, enslaved, tortured, and treated worse than animals. Young children should be playing and laughing, learning and loving. They need food and water, shelter and safety. They need freedom, they need life.

Gary Haugen, working as a lawyer at the U.S. Department of Justice and as the United Nations’ Investigator in Charge in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide, founded International Justice Mission as a response to a need to help those most vulnerable - to actually restrain the oppressors who are a source of great harm to the vulnerable. Today, IJM has grown to more than 300 professionals working in their own communities to fight injustice. Here is Gary pictured with my brother Ron and his wife Elaine who were the hosts of the table I was at. Next year, Doug and I will definitely be hosting a table at their event.

Last year in Vancouver a "Dessert" event was held with 99 people, that raised $30,000.  This year that grew into the Benefit dinner with over 300 people in attendance with the hopes of raising $100,000.  I haven't heard a total yet, but I'm sure they surpassed that last night. Next year they are hoping to triple the attendance and need a bigger room.

Please consider "showing up" and being a voice for a young child who needs to know that someone in this world can help him/her. Consider having one less lunch out at work this week, or a few less cups of coffee, or one less package of stickers. Every little bit helps, whether big or small, (like the $100 Gary received not long after he started IJM, from a little boy who gave his bike money he was saving up, so Mr. Haugen could go and free the slaves he had heard about.)

YOUR GIFT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Your gifts of financial support allow IJM to "show up" on behalf of women and girls trafficked into prostitution, boys and girls forced to work long hours in abusive bonded slavery and boys and girls who are beaten and abused by local authorities. A gift of any amount, whether it is $1 or $1,000 will allow IJM to serve as a voice for the voiceless in our world, providing these men, women and children with rescue, support and renewed hope for their lives and futures.

If you are Canadian and wish to donate or learn more about how you can help, visit the IJM Canadian site here

If you are American and wish to donate or learn more visit the IJM Site here.

They also have a 2009 Holiday Gift Campain. Give the Gift of Freedom in honor of someone special.

What a great gift for so many of us who have so much, for the teacher who can only use so many mugs, for anyone in your life who is special.

Sorry this is quite long, and not the usual type of post here, but it is very important. What legacy do we want to leave to the next generation - when someone asks you "what did you do?", be able to answer that you "showed up". You were not one of the ones who ignored the cries for help. You were part of the change!

And keep the children in your prayers.

Michele

P.S.  Please forward the info on to anyone in your life who you think might be willing to make a difference for these men, women and children, who have no voice.