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Some Lost Boys and A Man With A Golden Heart

Published by Oana

I have recently signed up for Bloggers Required, a network for brand blogging assignments. I never imagined that my first assignment would be not a job that remunerates in pound sterling but in sterling hearts, if I can say so…

The Lost Boys is a project initiated three years ago by Joost Vandebrug, a nosy London photographer and filmmaker, who started out as many others do when it comes to Romanian social projects. Curiosity, a sense of civil duty or perhaps a dare-devil attitude. But what was born out of an impulse at the time ended up catching his heart forever (Romania and Romanians have this “talent”) and three years on he is trying to raise awareness about a small group of boys he has come to love, help financially and allowed to shape his existence forever.

Joost is at the moment trying to raise funds and awareness about these five boys. With the help of the DUST magazine, “a biannual photography magazine about youth related existential themes” and through their Kickstarter project, Joost is hoping to publish a book containing precious pictures he has taken throughout the years of these boys.They have managed to raise £7,939 out of the £10,000 needed for the publishing of the book. So if you’re a bit nosy, if your motivation is pure curiosity, a sense of civil duty or even a dare-devil attitude, please click the link above and pledge anything your heart tells you to support this project.

If you’re a Facebook freak, like me, head on and like Joost Vanderburg’s page, I am sure he will appreciate your presence and support there as well!

But most importantly, don’t forget that all these efforts, the fundraising, the publishing of the book and its further promotion and the sales that would ensue have the ultimate goal to help a handful of forgotten-and-shunned-by-society boys live a better life. Here is your chance to change authentically and for the better the lives of these five boys!

In conclusion, I will let the video footage speak on their behalf…may your hearts be moved!

Potato Week and Stifado

Published by Oana

Okay, so on Potato Week I decided to center a post around heart-warming food, since potato equals comfort eating and warmth in my mind. It must go back to my childhood when my mum would have made baked potatoes for a light dinner, the house would have smelt divine and the kitchen would have become the focal point of the house…So once winter kicks in I get the craving to, most of all, recreate that atmosphere and feel once again, the warmth and comfort of a good baked potato. Of course, now I live in Northern Ireland, the country of THE potato, so I would most times choose a good Maris Piper potato for its fluffiness and taste (I cheated this time, though and used a ready half-baked one!) Actually, except for the times when I make mash (which my dad is firmly convinced is better when made with “pink” potatoes, and I believe him, as his mash is always delicious!), I prefer a Maris Piper for roasties, potato wedges and even potato salad!

Today I decided to pair my cheat potatoes with a delicious Greek casserole, called Stifado. Because I am married to a Greek man, that is. And because I wanted to celebrate both the glorious Irish potato(be it frozen this time) and the rich-in-flavour Greek cuisine in one post!

I found, once again, my inspiration for it in a book I borrowed from the local library, Stewed! Nourish Your Soul by Alan Rosenthal.

The recipe recommends marinating the beef overnight, which I did, in wine and vinegar, adding 3 cloves, one cinnamon stick, 2 garlic cloves, one teaspoon dried oregano and ground allspice.

In the morning, before I took Emma to playground, I transferred my marinated meat and its juices into the slow cooker and added (in a hurry!) one stick of celery, roughly chopped, one carrot and 16 shallots, peeled and left whole. For colour and acidity, I added half a tin of chopped tomatoes and then covered and left to simmer for a good 7 hours on slow.

Colourful dish, wish you were in my kitchen this morning to feel the spices!

Colourful dish, wish you were in my kitchen this morning to smell the spices!

Heart-warming and filling, my Irish and Greek dinner!

I hope I have inspired you with this recipe to do two things:

1. have a lovely, filling potato dish this week. It’s the season they excel in, after all!

2. try a new dish. I loved the flavours in my stifado, the cinnamon and the cloves made it taste all Christmassy and rich.

I am adding this post as an entry into the Co-operative Electrical competition.

Silent Sunday 06/10/2013

Published by Oana

Paleo living…

Published by Oana

So, my friends, a second recipe this week! The first one was dedicated to my little one, this one tonight is dedicated to hubby.

Cause he has been on a new diet since we came back to Greece. And cause it has actually simplified my life as I hardly ever cook carbohydrates for dinner during the week now. And has challenged me to come up with new ways to cook chicken and fish and beef…

So this week I picked Ainsley Harriott’s 100 Great Chicken Recipes(!!) from our local library and decided for the roasted blackened chicken Itza with cumin sweet potatoes. I replaced the English mustard powder with proper mustard and left out the caster sugar.

I made a paste out of black pepper, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp Moroccan spice mix (instead of the paprika in the initial recipe), 1 tsp of mustard and 1 tsp each of chopped chilli and chopped garlic.

I used the paste to coat my chicken and put it in the fridge to marinate for a couple of hours while Emma and I had a snooze at noon.

Tonight I am going to serve it with cumin sweet potato (roasted in the oven with coconut oil, a coating of cumin seeds, ginger powder, salt and pepper for 20 minutes) and green beans. The sweet potatoes are for me and Emma as hubby doesn’t eat any form of carbs due to his Paleo dieting. But there will be plenty of green beans drizzled in olive oil for him!

Well, bon appétit everyone, hope your dinner will be as tasty as ours tonight!

#REBUILD Campaign

Published by Oana

For me as a young child in Communist Romania life was uncomplicated and rather plain. Sweet in its simplicity and naivety, I suppose.

Here is a picture of my Primary One class, we looked so cute and innocent and…unsure of this whole school thing!

Photo courtesy of an old school friend, as I haven’t brought any childhood pics with me when I moved to Ireland.

I suppose back in the day our biggest concerns would have been making friends with our new “bench” mates, having the prettiest ribbons in our hair and impressing our teacher.

I don’t recollect that particular day when the photo was taken but among the things I remember from that first year in primary school was Livia’s long hair and lovely braids and how she could already spell and read(!!).

I remember making blotches in my writing book with ink and the stifling feel of my plastic uniform.

I remember playing outside at break time and occasionally practicing patriotic marches and songs under the stern direction of our school principal. I remember my first school bag (made of fake leather and put to good use as a sleigh when the first snow came!).

Good memories…

Not that we had a lot (no-one had a lot of anything back then in Romania) but we had parents who did their best to provide for us and tried to cushion the reality for us. Although I became aware of the political oppression quite early on (I was around 10) in the form of the secret police enforcing home arrests, it never affected us directly. The “revolution” came shortly after and with it a sense of initial dread, followed by relief for our parents, as soon as things settled down and a new regime was established.

A peaceful childhood that we took for granted. A peaceful childhood that in this day and age is being denied to 10 million of children due to war and the devastation that ensues.

Action Aid UK has launched last week a new #REBUILD campaign which intends to raise money for children in dire need due to military conflict. The charity has asked celebrities and simple people to join in and reminiscence about their childhood in an attempt to raise awareness about the issue.

This post is my humble contribution towards this praiseworthy cause. As a stay-at-home mum I can’t give financially at the moment but I can give a little of my time to write about this campaign and become a voice for these children, at an hour of greatest need in their young lives. May their suffering be shortened and their lives become a shade brighter!