Noche Buena

Our second big Christmas tradition is the traditional Cuban Christmas Eve meal of pork cooked in mojo (a lime and garlic sauce), yuca (casava in English), maduros (ripened plantains), black beans (Cuban style) and rice. This meal is the most awesome of all. My favorite of the year. Thank God we have leftovers this year. We had 29 people, which is kind of crazy in our house, but it works, and it always crowns the Christmas Eve service. This year the Guo's brought Chinese dumplings, so that was a very special extra treat. (Unfortunately, we ran out before I could get thirds!)

Country Chop

We've got two big traditions at Christmastime. One is an African meal called Country Chop. Lois lived in Liberia, Africa until she was eight and this is a recipe her family brought back with them. The color is due to the palm oil. For years we couldn't make this meal because we couldn't find palm oil anywhere. Now we can get it about a mile from home in a convenience store owned and operated by a Somali family. The mix in the bowl is chicken cooked in palm, with tomatoes, collard greens and onions. That goes on rice and topped with pineapple, coconut, peanuts, bananas and Tabasco sauce. I LOVE THIS MEAL! We had it after the services on Saturday with family and the Gaffords.

Lois' parents were missionaries and worked with ELWA, a Christian radio station in Liberia. Their front yard was the ocean. The photos include Lois' older sister Lynne, her dad, school mates (she's the third one from the left) and her younger brother Larry.