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Now that's some spaghetti.

If you have been to a CSC birthday party or a McDonald's in the Philippines, you've probably had Filipino spaghetti.

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I was really surprised when Auntie Pureza and Auntie Elvira showed me the ingredients for Filipino spaghetti. They are so similar to American spaghetti - like tomato paste, tomato sauce, onion, garlic, and ground meat.

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But if you've had Filipino spaghetti you know that there are two main differences to the spaghetti that we eat in other parts of the world.

1 - it's sweeter, and

2 - it has red hot dogs in it.

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Okay, maybe the red hot dogs are just a CSC thing, but regardless, this creamy and semi-sweet spaghetti is definitely a kid favorite and a top birthday party meal request in all the houses at CSC.

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My favorite thing about this day was watching Auntie Pureza make this birthday party spaghetti for what was probably the millionth time in her life. Praise God for her dedication to fill the role as a temporary mother and birthday-spaghetti-maker for the children at CSC - and with a smile on her face.

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Filipino Spaghetti
Recipe from the Cherne house

1 lb. uncooked spaghetti noodles
1 lb. Italian tomato sauce (very smooth)
8 ounces tomato paste
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons oil
1 lb. ground pork
½ cup minced carrots and red peppers
2 cups diced or thinly sliced hot dogs
1 cup water
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon seasoning mix*
7 ounces evaporated milk
grated cheese for topping

1. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Set aside.
2. Place the garlic, onion, and oil in a large saucepan or skillet. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Add the ground pork and brown the meat until it’s completely cooked.
3. Add the minced vegetables and hot dog pieces and stir to combine. Add the water and allow the mixture to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste to the meat and continue to simmer the mixture for another 10-15 minutes. Add the evaporated milk and salt and stir until incorporated. 
4. Combine the noodles and the sauce in a large pot or mixing bowl. Top with grated cheese. At Cherne they grate a processed cheese similar to Velveeta and let it melt into the top layer of the spaghetti.

*The CSC aunties use a mix called Magic Sarap which basically adds a very salty flavor. If you don't have anything like this, just use salt and pepper to taste.

Note: I wondered what made this taste so much sweeter than the spaghetti that I'm used to, and I honestly couldn't find any ingredients in the recipe that would have necessarily added sweetness (i.e. no added sugar in the recipe). I think that the sauce that they use just tastes sweeter than other varieties and doesn't have so many spices.

Cooks Return to the Kitchen

Apr. 11, 2015By: Joel Reasoner

Over the past three months, the afternoon cooks in both Cherne and Duterte homes have been recovering from surgery.  Auntie Mayflor and Auntie Sonia each had an operation which required lots of rest and recovery.  In their absence, other child care workers jumped in to cover the afternoon cook duties.   Of course no meals were missed and tasty food was always on the tables.

Last week Auntie Sonia returned to work!  

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This week Auntie Mayflor also returned to work! It is good to have them back in their respective kitchens.

As Auntie Mayflor enter the shelter gate the children from the Cherne home were walking up to school.  When they saw Auntie Mayflor, the line they were walking in suddenly morphed into a mob.  The children ran shouting “Auntie Mayflor!” racing to hug her. 

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The aunties’ impact in the lives was on full display in the moment of Auntie Mayflor’s welcome back from the children.

Keep the all CSC employees in your prayers.  They do everything for the children and their good health is essential. 

Confessions of a Messy Eater

Apr. 10, 2015By: Jinkee Reasoner

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I like to eat.

I nibble on my feet.

I pray before I eat.

 

I don’t know how to feed myself yet,

So I depend on my auntie’s hand.

I open my mouth wide

And welcome my tasty food.

 

Blended, pureed, squashed,

Smashed and crushed.

The way I like it.

The way I want it.

 

I don’t usually look like this,

I know.

There’s something on my face.

 

I know food goes to my mouth,

Not on my cheeks or forehead or ears.

What’s the use of a bib

If I eat like this?

 

At the end of my meal time,

Burp says this tummy of mine.

Aah…

What a treat!

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Volcanoes, Mountains, and Valleys

For the past few weeks, the preschool class has been learning about landforms.  They now know how to identify mountains, valleys, hills, volcanoes, isthmuses, and islands. 

They even sang a song during their morning meeting about landforms!

They topped off the unit by making their own models using play dough.  Fun stuff! 

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He is risen, He is risen indeed!

Apr. 3, 2015By: Lindsay Hoeft

It is Holy Week.  This week is a meaningful time for Christians everywhere.  In the Philippines, most stores and restaurants are closed on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday and schools are not in session on those days either.  Therefore, our school, Cebu Children of Hope, held it's Easter celebration on Wednesday.  The event started with a reading of Scripture - recounting the events of Jesus' last days on Earth.  Then there were games, crafts and praise and worship.  

I was moved during the praise and worship, and as you can see below, I was not the only one!  How blessed are we to be children of the Most High God!  That He, being without blemish, laid His life down for ours when we needed it most, but were also the most undeserving.  

May you and your families be blessed this Easter and remember God's goodness and Jesus' sacrifice.

 

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Praise the Lord!  He is risen!  He is risen indeed!

Have Fun with Math and Science!

Science and Math Day is always fun for everyone at CCHS.  It is a whole day affair full of interesting activities.

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Recently, everyone had a lot of fun during the science and math culminating activity.  In the morning, there was a math quiz bowl with the students grouped into teams.  The students took turns answering math questions categorized by levels of difficulty:  easy, average, and difficult.  It was so cool to see the students think and analyze. 

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The afternoon events focused on topics the students had been learning about in their science classes.  Different presentations were given by each of the science classes.  The highlight was the demonstration from the Group 4 class about static electricity.   Examples of static electricity were shown using balloons.  The students were amazed with what they saw and discovered.  It was super fun for everyone!

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