Easy Chicken Creole

Easy Chicken Creole

Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 cup diced green pepper (1 medium)
1 large clove garlic, crushed
3 Tbl. oil
2 Tbl. flour
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
1/4 t. hot pepper sauce
1/2 t. salt
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1/2 t. sugar
2 1/4 c. chicken broth
black pepper
hot cooked rice

Directions:
In a large skillet, saute onion, green pepper and garlic in oil until tender, stirring occasionally. Add flour; cook and stir just until flour starts to brown. Stir in tomato paste, broth, sugar, salt and pepper sauce. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken and season with pepper. Heat until hot. Serve over hot rice.

Recipe from Town and Country Creole Cooking: Traditional and Modern Recipes of Haiti by Betty and Wally Turnbull

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Mabel's Story

By Mabel Garcia, Argentinean mom

I am a single mom who always wanted to be an adoptive parent. International adoption made this possible for me.

On October 2008, they assigned me a sweet heart, Egenson who is currently 44 months old. As per the new regulations, I had to travel to Haiti in order to sign before Judge. On October 17th I met my child for the first time.


As soon as we met, we both realized that we were born to be together. Egenson said “bye bye” to his friends a few minutes after we met without even telling him that we were going to a hotel to share a few unforgettable days together. He knew that his moment had arrived. He saw that happening many times with other kids and that was “his” moment. That was my moment as well and the first time I was called mammy!

Without an invitation, the toddlers came as well. May be they smelt the candies…One, two, five for each one and tons of 3 and 4 years old kept moving on where we were. I did not have enough hands for giving them sweets but I brought hugs for each one. They loved both!

I visited the orphanage and it was great to see the kids of most of parents of the orphanage’s web site. I met them before meeting their parents! 15, 20 or even more babies under two were crying, eating, and crawling in the next two rooms. More nannies than anywhere else were busily feeding and papering kids. There were a few babies in another room, recovering of sicknesses and they looked at me with curiosity and big eyes, may be surprised to see a new face coming. My son was beside me all the time watching my movements just in case…

The older kids did not hesitate to come and they did not forget to say “thanks” after receiving the candies.

Pierre drove us to the hotel. An amazing week was ahead. My son and I had a brief conversation before jumping to the swimming pool. I spoke Spanish and he did it in his sweet Creole. We understood each other perfectly and we both agreed that we were together to enjoy the challenge and adventure of being mom and son for a week. “Egenson is a very active boy” Pierre said and in fact, he is. He was amazed with every single discover of his new world, from my tender kisses to the huge bed that we shared with his toys, cars, soccer ball and candies.

It is great to learn from our children. They always have something to teach us and Egenson showed me that he could adapt himself perfectly well to my rhythm. Now, far away from Haiti, I understand that during that week, he felt he had to do a lot to be accepted and he made the effort to understand Spanish, he tried different food, he woke up with me, he slept when I went to sleep, he became the most important person of my life and the reason to live day to day.

We might have the share of worries about adopting older kids. Would the children fit in with others, would they fit into the school system, how old would be considered too old, would they learn English or another language, would they be employable, and of course would they fit into my family and would they accept us, what if we don’t get along? During my visit, one day I brought 4 girls to the hotel to enjoy a day together. They are 4, 6, 11 and 14 and real nice, helpful and polite. They were very talkative and they did not hesitate to ask me whatever they had in mind. They speak fluent English, they love swimming and we spent an unforgettable day together.

We visited the orphanage couple of times during that week and my son was more than welcome! Kids screaming and running beside the car were waiting him may be to hear his stories of his days with a mom? Egenson jumped from the car and went to join the group of “vandals” while the nannies run behind them trying to keep them together.

My dear baby, my son, my teacher, my all…I miss you so much that I can’t wait to be with you forever! God bless every moment of your life. I was blessed with you…