"Happy Kwanzaa Celebration"_ Dec 26-Jan.1

Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration held in the United States honoring universal African-American heritage and culture each year.It features activities such as lighting a candle holder with seven candles and culminates in a feast and gift-giving. It was created by Maulana Karenga and was first celebrated in 1966–67. The first U.S. postage stamp commemorating Kwanzaa, issued in 1997.

The name Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning first fruits of the harvest.In 2009,Maya Angelou narrated the award-winning documentary "The Black Candle",the first film about Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa celebrates what its founder called the seven principles of Kwanzaa, or Nguzo Saba (originally Nguzu Saba—the seven principles of African Heritage).Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the following principles, as follows:

• Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
• Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves stand up.
• Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems, and to solve them together.
• Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics):To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
• Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
• Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
• Imani (Faith): To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

Kwanzaa symbols include a decorative mat on which other symbols are placed, corn and other crops, a candle holder with seven candles, called a Kinara, a communal cup for pouring libations, gifts, a poster of the seven principles, and a black, red, and green flag. The symbols were designed to convey the seven principles.

Official website: http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/index.shtml 

This "Celebration" ties in nicely with my "African Safari Christmas Party 2011". A celebration of Heritage,Unity and Culture.

                                      "Heri za Kwanzaa"

"In The Spirit"

As a kid,I looked forward to the month of November.That month signified the beginning of the Holiday Season. Thanksgiving was and still is my "favorite" Holiday...runner-up is St.Patrick's Day(and I'm NOT even Irish). Thanksgiving gave me a warm fuzzy feeling inside as a kid because it meant you were to give thanks for all your Blessings and share with others like the imaginary Pilgrims & Native Americans we learned about in grade school. Thanksgiving also meant my "Big Mama" would make my "special pie",Mincemeat.No one else in my family liked that pie...so I could have it all by myself! I still love that pie.

Christmas on the other hand,was "special" because you got to open gifts on Christmas morning,screaming with excitement about getting that prized gift  you'd been good all year ! The gatherings of the family,my Dad's "Asparagus Loaf",yum,Big Mama's(grandmother) from scratch Fruit Cake which had been soaked in Rum or something rather tasty,lots of food,sugar highs & football. We sang Christmas carols and the Nativity scene was always visible on the lawns,courthouse,schools of my small East Texas town,Crockett...yes,as in Davy..he passed through there on the way to the Alamo legend has it where his monument stands in Crockett.

I thought the "center of the universe" was Crockett,Texas.Now,as a person that's traveled to many places both physical & mental,I know better! There's a great big world out there.So,"In the Spirit" of wishing my "Blog Peeps" a wonderful Holiday Season with you & yours.....here we go:

Geseende Kersfees(Afrikaans),Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo(Brazillian),Mitho Makosi Kesikansi(Cree),Kung His Hsin Nein bing Chu Shen Tan(Chinese Mandarin),Glaedelig Jul(Danish),Joyeux Noel(French),Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ur!(Gaelic),Kala Christouyenna!(Greek),Mele Kalikimaka(Hawaiian),Mo'adim Lesimkha.Chena tova(Hebrew),Nollaig Shona Dhuit or Nodlaig mhaith chugnat(Irish),Merry Keshmish(Navajo),God Jul or Gledelig Jul(Norwegian),En frehlicher Grischtdaag un en hallich Nei Yaahr!(Pennsylvania German),Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yilniz Kutlu Olsun(Turkish),Feliz Navidad(Spanish) and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! There I said it!

" The Griot's of Pinotage_Wine & StoryTelling"

4 December 2011,1 pm Central time,Jambo,..I had a Farm in Kenya..the African Safari Christmas Party began. In a Dinner scene_ "Out of Africa"movie_Meryl Streep aka (Isak Dinesen/Karen/Tanne)was told by her lover Denys Finch(Robert Redford)_after a couple of bottles of Wine _to tell a story. Redford got the ball rolling with...."Once upon a time....So,I decided at my party we'd continue the oral tradition of the West African Storyteller's called Griots. We'd had the "Appetizers"_ Akara & Meshwiya (Black eyed Pea Fritters & Hot Pepper Relish),the Puree of Legumes w/Plantain Chips,Olives,Lemon Roasted Okra,etc...and a couple of bottles of Nederburg's 2008 Pinotage & Diemersfontein 2010 Pinotage_both S.African Wines.Introducing "The Griot's of Pinotage"... (post-party pic)
                                                

Let me just say,by the time the Storytelling had ended_we were all in tears from laughter.What a creative group..I DARE NOT share the Story line for fear of having to go into a "Witness Protection Program"! Wine + Storytelling will "Get The Party Started"!I'm still laughing three days later....

.."A tale might begin with the image of a place,a house,a landscape,and then the dream of the inhabitants.Or it might begin with a "real", lived event.But that is only a grain of dust around which the pearl grows.Storytelling sinks the thing into the life of the Storyteller,in order to bring it out of the person..the traces of which cling to the storyteller the way handprints of the potter cling to the clay vessel" from ("The Life of a Storyteller,Isak Dinesen by Judith Thurman)

As always,I so enjoyed researching the Foods,Music and Culture of Africa! Everyone was given a Passport Book depicting the 10 countries we have visited as Mental Travelers.I added stamps from some of the countries and the themed party name & year. May,I suggest you gather your pals together & travel the world_right in your home.I posted the Menu in the last blog..it was all good! Here's a couple of photos from the party. Next Passport Party_ "SPAIN"!

                             Tagines,Passports,African Princess,Kenyan Giraffe Bowl...

                                  Pith Helmet,Movie Stills,Toasting Glasses,Mud Cloth..

                            Lantern,Isak Dinesen Books,Elspeth Huxley's "Flame Trees of Thika...

 Animals,Sri Lanka Tea Chest,Whip,Binoculars,Compass,Postcard,S.African Tote..
Note:White Bengal Tigers not indigenous to Africa,mutation of Bengal Tigers,I just like their blue   eyes!)                                                              

                                Batik Art Print,Zebra sculpture,etc..

                                             Close-up...

                                                 Christmas Tree....

                                          The other Christmas Tree......

                                          Pre-Party photo..

                                             Pre-party....

                                          British Pith Helmet_Safari Fashionista!

"The Mental Travelers visit Africa,Passport,Please"

Jambo,I spent much of my day on a cold,windy Saturday surrounded by information on African Cuisine.It was a learning experience beyond belief ! I thought I'd breeze through some food ideas,capture the essence of Africa and move on to the next project.WRONG!In my quest to always be authentic,the list kept growing.

First,I was surprised at the many sources available for African Cuisine.The diversity was overwhelming..who knew!Check out:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_cuisines#African_cuisine

All of the different influences especially Baasto &Digaag (pasta & chicken) take-out from a Somali restaurant were amazing. Many countries infiltrated the Motherland, leaving behind their traditions which blended with those of the Natives.The Coffee Ceremony in Ethiopia and other Eritrean countries is comparable to the British influence of TeaTime in East Africa. The women wear an  Ethiopian coffee dress for the ceremony :  

       
BBQ_No Place Else BUT Texas_Wrong! Of all the things that amazed me was the love of all ethnicity's in South Africa of BBQ. It is called Braai_and people have this event at the drop of a hat_lots of COLD BEER is always served! The food of South Africa is sometimes called "rainbow cuisine" because of the blend of so many cultures.

Of course,I had already fallen in love with food from Morocco.In May 2010,my themed Birthday party was "Mo'Rockin'Harem Nights" where we enjoyed the spicy Tagine,couscous,preserved lemons,dates,BELLYDANCING,etc.The vessel & food called "Tagine" is the border of my blog pages.I purchased two blue ones that I adore! I'm still trying to figure out how the people of Benin in West Africa make those rings of peanut butter called Klouikloui_take a look,if you figured it out let me know the secret!

So,with my day"spent" combing through recipes,menus,traditions,etc..my final Menu ..drum roll...

Now this Menu is ambitious,but when a couple of my friends found out that South Africans loved BBQ_they immediately volunteer-ED their service! We all bring something to the table at these themed parties.So_all is covered! This will be the 10th year of celebrating the Food,Culture & Music of Countries we can only dream of visiting. Luckily,some of us have visited these countries. My trip is in the planning for a ride on the "Orient Express" from London to Italy_spending some time in Tuscany!Several of my friends have been to Africa.

We'll gather around the table,fill our wine glass with the South African Wine "Pinotage"_ someone will say "Once upon a time"_then someone will take the queue,and the Tradition of African StoryTelling will began all around the table_one picks up where the other one leaves off ! The Mental Travelers in a far away land called "The Motherland"! Passport Please...

                                                  ~ Gese'ende Kersfees~

~Reflections on "THANKS" & "GIVING"~

I made the mistake of going to the grocery store on a Sunday_a Sunday before the Thanksgiving Celebration! I watched the carts filled to the brim, people with list longer than Santa's_full of Saturated & Trans Fats (yum), folks fussing/cussing about what they would or would NOT eat, overheard one Grandmotherly type say in a mean tone_"Not in My House", every soul NOT pushing a cart was_Texting or on the cellphone,twenty something girls with their "T"underwear showing "a full-moon harvest of sorts", pushing & shoving for the best looking TURKEY & a host of other malfunctions @ that junction_ too many to mention here! I went deep,deep,deep inside "MY ZEN ZONE" and vowed to myself.. REALLY! practice PATIENCE..right here,right now!

Afterwards,I pondered the "real" meaning of Thanksgiving.It was a time when Americans and Natives
celebrated the harvest cycles by giving thanks and rejoicing after much hard work with members of the community...what, no grocery stores/carts & mutual effort in the community? It is a tradition that both the USA & Canada celebrate in North America. The dates varied in both areas.In the United States the date was decided by individual states until the 1863 Presidential Proclamation. It was an effort to foster a sense of "American Unity" between the Northern and Southern states that President Lincoln proclaimed the date to be the final Thursday in November.So,148 years later we still struggle for "American Unity"..how sad is that.You would have thought we'd learned a thing or two by now.

With that wee bit of history in mind,I wondered about our present day "Harvest". All over the world there is confusion about so many issues in life.Everyone is busy,talking on cellphones,texting,and (yes)writing Blogs & chasing that never-ending dream of MORE,I need...! Surely,we can find something to give THANKS for...and GIVING a SMILE to another human being is an act of thanksgiving. So,in my quest to remain in " MY ZEN ZONE" throughout that Mass Confusion of crowded lanes,noise,carts moving at lightening speed,folks cussing/fussing...mind you this is an UPSCALE grocery store_I gave everyone a Smile..not a word came from my mouth because it would have been *!@#$~%^&^&*()+>>... LETHAL!

              "Happy Thanksgiving To Y'All,Be Kind"

.."I had a Farm in Africa at the foot of Ngong Hills".....

The past 8 yrs both my Birthday & Christmas parties have focused on exploring the Food,Music and Culture of countries around the World.This year is no different.We will go on _YET_another imaginary journey_an "African Safari" this Christmas! In my quest as always to make the trip authentic,I've drawn upon two of my favorite books and the movie adaptations to shed light on the second largest continent in landmass_Africa.

"Out of Africa"(1985) was nominated for 11 Academy* Awards,winning 7 in 1986.It was based upon Isak Dinesen(aka Baroness Karen Von Blixen-Finecke,birth name) recounting events of the 17 years living on her coffee farm in Kenya.She moved there in 1913 at the age of 28 to marry her second cousin_the Swedish Baron_Bror Von Blixen-Finecke.Well,at least  Karen didn't have to change her last name_as it was the same! Interestingly,Bror's twin brother Hans was her intended groom but their relationship didn't work out..really! The book and movie recount so many aspects of Colonial Life in "British East Africa"(aka Kenya).The British as you know owned the World at that point..it was all about the dollars & cents...come in take over the natives land_make a fortune.Not unlike,America's history...just sayin'!

The Kikuyu tribe was the most populous ethnic group from that Region.I have great "ISSUES" with their history as it seems since the MEN were the great Warriors of the land,strutting their stuff,all painted up,manly man stuff...WINNING!!! While the Women had to do all the hard labor,building roofs for houses,clearing the weeds,taking care of the households,balancing large items on their heads,having plenty of babies,etc...men were the Prima Uomo (aka) Donna! I've seen the movie several times,what's not to like about a Robert Redford/Meryl Streep match up_presently reading Isak's biography.

"The Flame Trees of Thika"(1980) chronicles the life of Elspeth Joscelin Huxley (husband Gevais Huxley,grandson of Thomas Huxley,advocate of Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution;and cousin to Aldous Huxley,Author of Brave New World)..that's a mouthful! Anyway,Elspeth arrived in Colonial Kenya,moving to the area called Thika in 1912 at the age of 5 yrs old. A "Flame Tree" turns entirely reddish orange in June each year depending upon previous rainfall. She left in 1925 returning periodically.Later,becoming the Associated Press Officer of the Empire Marketing Board (Trade Board).The movie won 3 BAFTA** Awards in 1982.I loved Haley Mills in the movie! I'm reading the book now & what a delightful story!

The area in question for you "Geography Buffs" is :

Kenya,home of Mt.Kenya (highest mountain in Kenya & second in Africa)_where tea and coffee are the best cash crops. I was introduced to Kenyan Tea when I started my tea business many years ago.The tea has a natural taste of chocolate_the taste is attributed to the volcanic ash deposited many thousands of years ago...very delicious cuppa tea! No wonder the Brits were coming to town! Great picture of tea growing...

So,I'll keep y'all posted on this great adventure as it unfolds on December 4th,"An African Safari Christmas Party"!!

*Academy Awards_America founded 1929
**BAFTA Awards(British Academy of Film & TV)_England founded 1947
Beginning line of book & movie of "Out of Africa"...I had a farm in Africa....

"The Tales of Shoo-Fly Pie & A Bucket Strainer"

While at a Medical Sales Conference in 2000,the hotel we stayed in had a weekend Antiques Show & Sale.Since we were in Berks County_"Pennsylvania Dutch Country"_I knew I'd find items of interest to add to my growing Collections! I purchased an iron doorstop in the image of a Boston Terrier(my doggie),a HEX Sign and a very rare_teapot spout strainer! My allotted $'s were just about gone after those purchases!

Note:Please forgive that it needs a good cleaning_BUT,I kinda of like it as it looks!

This Tea Spout was developed in the late 18th century.It is a pierced basket or bucket-shaped strainer with long pins to be inserted in the spout.As the tea is poured,it flows through the strainer into the cup.
Spout strainers were more fashionable in Europe than America,and silver manufacturers created many novelty forms such as helmets,buckets and shells that proved especially popular in France & Russia.

**In the United States,Gorham & Co. created some popular ones in the 1880's. The next time I clean it will look for marks to see if it's REALLY a TREASURE,Antiques Roadshow kinda treasure!


Now,my other great fine was a book called "Shoo-Fly Pie"by Edna Eby Heller which being a person that loves to cook_caught my attention.The book was written in 1953 and was intended to bring Pennyslvania Dutch cooking to your kitchen with various recipes from Soups to Desserts.The Shoo-Fly Pie is very famous in that part of the country.

Shoofly pie (or shoo-fly pie) is a fluffy molasses pie.The term "shoo-fly pie" first appeared in print in 1926.The pie may get its name because the molasses attracts flies that must be "shooed" away.Recently,I made this pie from the box mix shown above. A very interesting tasting PIE,INDEED!!!