End of School 2008

Before it becomes OLD, last year's news, I wanted to post some pictures of Awards Day at school. The elementary kids had their awards on December 5th in the morning and the Jr. High and High School kids had their awards handed out in the evening.

Both programs were beautiful and the church was PACKED!

Stevia - Ka'a He'e

Stevia
An interesting article about Stevia, a natural sweetener, actually grown (discovered by Moises Bertoni) in Paraguay. Check out these sites…it’s pretty interesting.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=a6CFXL5ukz1E&refer=home
http://www.vegparadise.com/news75.html
http://vitamins.ultimatefatburner.com/stevia-sweetener.html
It also VERY cheap, here!!! Do you want some?

More Christmas Traditions...(mine)

1. Gather together with family…a family reunion, listen to music, play games, tell stories.
2. Prepare “Sopa Paraguaya” (Recipe below) in abundance, just in case you get visitors. Sopa Paraguaya is a very Paraguayan cornbread with cheese and onions. It will be served at any special occasion like birthdays, holidays, weddings, and especially, Christmas and New Year’s.
3. Prepare extra food to share with neighbors. I send a plate over to their house; they send a plate of their Christmas meal back to our house. (People don’t really do a gift exchange, but they do share their food.)
4. Eat a late night meal on the 24th.
5. Go house-to-house on the 24th at midnight to greet all your neighbors with a kiss and wish them a “Merry Christmas”.
6. Have a “toast” at midnight wishing everyone in your family a “Merry Christmas”.
7. Watch fireworks all over town until about 1:30 am.
8. Go to bed! Christmas is a holiday…you can sleep in!
SOPA PARAGUAYA (Paraguayan Cornbread)
1 lb. onions
1 tsp salt
¾ c fat (lard, butter or oil)
2 cups of cheese – soft, white (farmer’s cheese)
2 cups curdled milk
5 cups corn flour (polenta)
4 eggs
1. Chop the onions finely, set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the fat until foamy. Add the eggs one by one, the cheese (grated very finely) and the onions. Beat well after each addition.
3. Add the milk then the corn flour.
4. Put in a deep-dish pan, buttered and floured, cook at 350ºC until golden.

A Quick Post...

...although not written by me. It's interesting.

Christmas in Paraguay is celebrated in a deeply religious way. The main focus of the season is the pesebre or nativity scene which is found in both the home and in churches. December is the summer season in South America, and there is a profusion of flowers growing everywhere at this time of year. Churches and homes are decorated in bright colors to match the flowers. On Christmas Eve, church bells beckon the people to church at midnight for La Misa Del Gallo or the Mass of the Rooster. The Christmas feasting begins when family and friends return home from Mass. On January 6, the feast of the Epiphany, it is the Three Kings who bring gifts for the children of Paraguay. On the night before Epiphany, children set out their shoes with letters to the kings.
http://www.ompersonal.com.ar/omchristmas2/christmas.htm

LATIN AMERICA: CHRISTMAS IN PARAGUAY

Mom...this is for your 4th grade class.

LATIN AMERICA: CHRISTMAS IN PARAGUAY Christmas in PARAGUAY is Christmas of the Coco Flower. You can see this lovely flower blooming everywhere and smell its scent carried far in the warm night. Since it is summer, other flowers also bloom and homes and churches are decorated in bright colors to match the flowers.
Once your pesebre (Nativity scene) is set up - often with figurines from all over the house - you will be ready to plan the Noche Buena ("Good Night" - Christmas Eve).
On Christmas Eve, church bells beckon you at midnight for La Misa Del Gallo or the Mass of the Rooster.
After Midnight Mass, you'll come home to a wonderful dinner - surrounded by family and friends. Everyone wishes each other "Feliz Navidad - Jesus nacio!" - Merry Christmas - Jesus is born!
On January 6th, the Feast of the Epiphany, don't forget to put your shoes out (with a letter tucked inside) for the Three Kings. If you’ve been good, they'll bring you gifts!
Posted By: cheriedas@aol.com Date Posted: 03-09-2005

http://www.handsaroundtheworld.com/

The Feel of Christmas

The feel of Christmas in Paraguay is hot! Snowmen would melt instantly! (Once, my sister sent us fake snow. That was fun to play around with. It didn’t melt, but it got real dirty.) People have more time…its summer.
They sit out on their sidewalks with tereré, freshly-squeezed juice and/or “gaseosa” (pop). If you walk by, they may invite you to stay and sit with them a while to talk about family, jobs, the government, or the heat.
In Paraguay (in my opinion) it seems that Christmas is all about quality time and sharing. If you are there long enough (at your neighbor’s) they may bring out Pan Dulce or Panettone…fruitcake-type bread. Check it out in this link if you’re interested in making it. http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-make-panettone Stores are stacked to the ceiling with this type of Pan de Navidad (Christmas Bread).
When you are not out shopping for gifts, food or preparing for the celebration, Christmas is a time to enjoy leisure time and family. We can sit outside on a “cool” night and eat a refreshing watermelon (for $1 to $2 each). We take a walk. We buy ice-cream. The rush of the school routine is over. Yes. It feels like Christmas.
How wonderful it is to feel Christ…not only at Christmas, but daily and in our lives! How great to believe in Christmas…in Christ, his promises, his victory, and his salvation.

The Taste of Christmas

The Taste of Christmas is nothing like a US dinner: Here are a couple of recipes that you could try for a “cool” Paraguayan meal served at 12:00 midnight (on the 24th)!

Milanesas – fried (Chicken Fried Steak)
2 lb. beef (round steak, loin)
Salt, pepper, garlic, nutmeg, oregano, lemon juice or vinegar
2 eggs
½ cup milk
Flour
Bread crumbs
Oil
Cut the meat in thin slices and pound each side. Season. Beat the eggs and add the milk. Dip the meat first in the flour, then the egg mixture, and then in the bread crumbs. Heat enough oil in a frying pan to cover the meat. Fry until brown, turn and brown the other side.

Chipa Guasu (Creamy corn custard)
1 ½ dozen ears of fresh corn cut off the cob but not cooked
3 eggs
¾ cups milk
1 medium onion, chopped
1 ½ cup shredded Farmer’s cheese (mozzarella will be fine)
¼ cup oil
Salt to taste
Cut the corn off the cob and add it together with the eggs and milk. Blend in a blender until creamy. Pour into a bowl and add the onion, cheese, oil and salt. Bake at 350 F until golden brown.

Ensalada de Arroz (Rice Salad)
2 cups of uncooked rice
4 cups of water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons of oil
Salt to taste
Cook until rice is done. Set aside to cool.
Add the following ingredients and mix well:
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 small red pepper
Parsley chopped fine
½ cup mayonnaise

Clericó (Wine and Fruit Punch)
This fruit salad is served traditionally at Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties.
1 bottle dry red wine or Cider Champagne
Sugar to taste (about 1/3 cup)
Melon
Grapes
Pineapple
Banana
Apples
Peaches
Chop the fruit very small. Mix all the ingredients. Refrigerate.

Budin de Pan (Bread Pudding)
3 small loaves of bread with no crusts
3 cups of milk
3 eggs
½ teaspoon of vanilla
1 cup of sugar
Grated lemon peel
Soak the bread in the milk. Cut bread into pieces. Add the eggs (beaten lightly), sugar, and vanilla. Caramelize ¾ cup of sugar. (Heat sugar in pan until caramel color, stir so it won’t burn) Pour caramel into a mold and then add the bread mixture. Set in a larger pan with water and bake at 350 F (approx. 1 hour) or until knife comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes and remove from mold. Serve cold.

Chipa (Cheese bread)
16 ounces Mandioca starch (tapioca or manioc flour) about 3 ½ cups
Salt and anise – to taste
1/2 cup Sunflower seed oil
3/4 cup low fat milk
3 eggs, large
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1-3/4 cups Mild cheddar, grated
Bring milk and oil to a boil in a small saucepan. Add to the mandioca flour. Mix and allow to cool a little. Incorporate the eggs, one at a time. Add the cheese and blend well. Divide into pieces the size of a walnut or small plum. Place a little oil on the hands and round dough into balls. Arrange on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 F until done, about 10 to 12 minutes. Serve warm.

Have fun! Merry Christmas!!