Can you tell us a little more about how you found Sergiy and what made you invite him to spend the summer with you and your family?  

Sure!  When we learned about New Horizons for Children’s Summer Hosting Program, we printed off around 10 kids to think about and pray for.  Sergiy is the one who stuck out to both my husband and I.  We then decided the timing wasn’t right for our family.  However, just a few days before hosting commitment closed, he still wasn’t chosen.  At that point we just knew that we had to jump in with faith and host him!  We felt if we didn’t we would regret it for a long time.

I’ve heard a lot about the “New Horizons For Children” program. Can you tell us a little more about it?

Sure.  New Horizons for Children (www.newhorizonsforchildren.org)   is a Christian International Hosting Program for Orphaned Children. Two times a year (Christmas and Summer) they bring orphaned children from Latvia and the Ukraine to visit the U.S.

The goals of the program are:

• To share the love of Christ with the children
• To care for the children while the orphanages close for the summer
• To help them learn some English (they often learn in 5 weeks what they learn in 5 years in their homeland)
• To gift them with the love of a family – something many have never felt before
• To build their self-worth
• To advocate for the possibility of adoption

Any fun plans for the summer? I’m sure there’s a lot you look forward to.

Yes, we plan to swim lots, teach Sergiy how to ride a bike (that was one of his wishes), just relax, take a few day trips in the area, and also take a trip to the Wisconsin Dells.

Hosting a teenager from another country for the summer will certainly have its challenges. Do you have some tips on how to prepare and put a support system in place? 

Teenagers do not scare us tooooo much…(I know, I should be careful what I say!)  My husband has been working with teens for 10 years, so we have an idea of what to expect.  We have also been told that the orphaned kids from Ukraine are much smaller and “younger” than the U.S. kids.  So most likely he will have a similar mentality to our almost 12 year old.  I’m not sure anything can totally prepare us for this, but we are excited for the adventure!  As far as a support system, we have family and friends that are very supportive, and NHFC also has support in place.

I’m sure Sergiy will have a wonderful time this summer, but this is also an awesome opportunity for your kids. What do you want them to get out of this? 

I am hoping they will learn to give.  They have to give up a few things to make this happen.  When we first talked to them about it, they were all for it, but as they are beginning to have to live out the things they have to give up, it has been a bit harder.   I am hoping this will be a summer they will never forget!  I am guessing they will learn some Ukrainian, they will learn patience as they try to communicate, they will learn to share all they have – their things and their parents, and they will learn to love.

What else can we here at HBHW do to help you bring this boy to the US for the summer?  

Well, I am sure most of your readers have heard by now that we have a donation site available here:  https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/eJ3d9  We also have a great “Fire Sale” going on through May 22nd here:  www.hillbillyhousewife.com/sergiy .  It is hard to guess exactly how much we will need for the summer – we never know what type of medical things will come up etc.  If we end up raising extra, we will either put the extra money towards adoption (if we end up going down that road) or we will donate it to New Horizons for Children to help other families experience the joy of hosting.  We would also love for your readers to share about Sergiy with their friends.  We of course could use prayer support.  And, we invite everyone to follow our journey at www.themenumom.com  I have started an orphan hosting category to make the posts about this experience easy to find.

Ukrainian Borscht Soup

• 1 (16 ounce) package pork sausage
• 3 medium beets
• 3 carrots
• 3 potatoes
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1/2 medium head cabbage
• 1 (8 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• sour cream (topping)

Start by peeling and shredding your beets. Lay some old newspapers on the table and put on your apron before you start. Beet juice will stain anything and everything! Do the same with your carrots and then peel and dice the potatoes. Chop your onion and shred the cabbage while you’re at it.

I cook the entire soup in one large pot. Start by crumbling up the sausage and cook it until no longer pink. Add the chopped onion while the sausage is cooking and continue to saute until the onion is tender. Drain off all the fat. Fill the same pot about halfway with water. Bring it to a boil. This will go faster if you add a lid to the pot.

Once the water is boiling, add the beets, and cook until they are tender. Add the carrots and potatoes, and cook for 15 minutes. Add the cabbage, and then drain the juice from the canned tomatoes and add them as well.

Mince the garlic and add it to the soup along with your tomato paste. Turn off the heat, add a lid and let the soup stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Season it with salt, pepper and a bit of sugar, then ladle it into bowls and top with a bit of sour cream.

Ukrainian Babka Recipe

• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 1 cup milk
•  1 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 5 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 cup raisins

Start by getting the yeast started. Mix the sugar, water, yeast,  milk and the cup of all purpose flour together in a small bowl. I use a fork to whisk it all together. Set it aside in a sunny, warm spot for about 30 minutes or until it starts to bubble up.

Next, get out a large bowl and crack your eggs into it. Add the sugar and salt and beat with a hand mixer until they are fluffy and a light yellow color.  Add the melted butter (I melt mine in the microwave) and the lemon zest. Stir until well combined. Add the yeast mixture and stir again.

Gradually add the flour, stirring with a large spoon at first, then using your hands as the mixture becomes harder to move around. Once all the flour has been added knead the dough for 10 minutes. Don’t skip this and don’t cut the time short… give it your all for those 10 minutes. It’ll be well worth it in the end.

Work the raisins in (kneading again until they are distributed well throughout the dough), then form the dough into a ball and cover your bowl with a tea towel. Let it rise in a warm place until it’s twice as big. Time will depend on how warm it is and even humidity. This could take anywhere from one to three hours.
Punch down dough and knead for a couple of turns then let it rise again for about 30 more minutes.

Grease 4 smaller coffee cans with butter. Add enough dough to each to to fill them about 1/3 of the way. 1/4 of your dough should do the trick. Cover the cans and let them sit in a warm place until the dough has risen all the way up to the rim.

Preheat your oven to 400 F. Place the coffee cans on a cookie sheet and bake the babka for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 F and bake for another 35 to 46 minutes. If needed, cover the tops with aluminum foil (if they start to brown to quickly). Take everything out and let the finished bread cool in the coffee cans. Slice it and serve with butter and jam. Yum!

Long story short he recommends NO animal protein, NO dairy NO nuts or seeds and NO added fats of any kind. WHOLE grains, fruits, vegetables beans and legumes are all OK. I know what you are thinking but the diet is surprisingly easy to follow.

If this is something you think your readers (the sick ones or one who want to prevent sickness) might be interested in, I urge you to think about it.

I have no connection with the Dr. or his book except that I, like Bill Clinton, am a follower of his diet.

Thank you for your time.

Dave Khaliel

Make Life Easier Without Eating Out
by Jill Cooper
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/livingonadime.htm

Going out to eat frequently is one of the biggest mistakes people make with their money. Most people would experience a radical change in their finances if they would cut back on eating out even a couple of times a week, let alone all together. The main reason that people go out to eat is for the convenience but eating at home can be convenient too.

Make meals easier by using convenience items. Even if you use nothing but convenience items for your entire meal, it is still less expensive than going out to eat. You don’t need to make homemade bread, muffins, biscuits, or cookies. Buy them already made. You can even buy things like French bread that is already sliced and buttered and ready to heat. It’s perfectly OK to use bagged lettuce, baby carrots, or anything frozen.

Keep it simple. Our grandmothers didn’t spend as many hours slaving away in the kitchen as we think they did. Instead of homemade bread or yeast rolls, the everyday meal included store-bought white or wheat bread on a plate with butter and jam. Grandma would open a jar of applesauce, a can of green beans or a jar of assorted pickles. She would toss a simple salad and have all her side dishes for that meal prepared quickly. For years our family raved about my grandmother-in-law’s great homemade noodles. One day when I asked her for her recipe, she pulled me to one side, laughing, and said “No one else knows this, but I always use frozen noodles!”

Our grandmothers knew the secret. It didn’t have to be complicated, gourmet, or elaborate for our families to enjoy a meal. It just had to be good, there had to be lots of it and it had to be made with love. It takes only a couple of minutes to slice an orange, apple or banana and lay them on a platter. Throw in some unpeeled small red potatoes to boil, slice pre-cooked ham, heat up a box of fish fillets or lay out a variety of deli meats and cheeses for everyone to make their own hoagies. It can be as simple as that.

Make clean up easy. I line almost every pan I use with aluminum foil or parchment paper, whether I’m roasting a chicken or baking biscuits, cookies or tater tots. I line every casserole dish too. Use paper plates and bowls if it helps. Use disposable pans when you can. You can usually find lots of them on sale around the holidays. Many people feel a lot of guilt connected with using anything disposable. If you are one of them, I give you permission here and now to use these things. Besides, when you eat out, just as much stuff gets thrown away (probably a lot more). It’s just that other people throw it away for you. I would much rather see you at home using paper plates and disposable pans with your family than having to work many hours of overtime to pay for dinner out. Relax and enjoy your meal! Your family and your pocketbook will thank you.

Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper are frugal living experts and the authors of the Dining On A Dime Cookbook. Dining On A Dime will help you save money on groceries and get out of debt by cooking quick and simple homemade meals. For free tips & recipes visit hillbillyhousewife.com/livingonadime.htm, sign up for our free Living On A Dime Newsletter and learn to save more!

1 cup water
2 Tbsp  instant coffee granules
6 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Pour the water into a large saucepan over medium heat and bring the water to a brisk boil.
Reduce the heat to low and add the coffee granules stirring until dissolved.
Stir in the marshmallows and continue cooking 5 minutes or until the marshmallows have completely melted, stirring frequently.
Pour the mixture into a large bowl, cover and refrigerate 30 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken.
Place the whipping cream into a small bowl.
With an electric mixer on low speed beat the cream until soft peaks begin to form.
Fold the cream mixture into the marshmallow mixture.
Spoon the mixture into individual dessert cups just before serving.

Makes 8 servings

1 C of mayonnaise
1 (8 oz.) container of sour cream
3 lb. boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 C of celery, diced
1 C of seedless grapes, quartered
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Place the mayonnaise into a small bowl.
Fold the sour cream into the mayonnaise until well combined.
In a larger bowl place the chicken, celery and grapes.
Fold the mayonnaise mixture into the chicken mixture and blend until completely covered.
Sprinkle in the salt and pepper and stir to combine well.
Chill for at least 1 hour before serving, being sure to stir again after removing from the refrigerator.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.