Saturday, October 30, 2010

October 2010 Host:  Emily
They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky
  by Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng, and Benjamin Ajak
  with Judy A. Bernstein

Summary

This is a true story of three ‘Lost Boys’ from Sudan. The Deng brothers and their cousin Benjamin were all under the age of seven when they were forced to leave their homes during the Sudanese civil war. The three boys were forced to trek one thousand miles across Sudan to Kenya and Ethiopia without their parents or any supply of food and water. In addition to their hunger, they had to deal with the heat of the desert, hunting animals, snakes, insects, and thieves. They do eventually reach a refugee camp but the locals took the best from what the United Nations provided and left the refugees starving. The three boys eventually come to the United States through the efforts of the International Rescue Committee. This book educates the reader about the huge loss of life and horrible injustices done to children due to a war about race (Arabs against blacks), religion (Muslims against Christians), and riches (huge oil reserves in Sudan). The war started in 1983 and is still going on today, over two million have died in this war.
Discussion

-‘When two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled.’ This is an African proverb that the three boys use to express that they are the grass and the adults at war are the elephants.

-It is amazing that throughout the their horrific journey, the boys continually display a deep love for their family and a strong will to survive - even through such horrors as passing trees with skeletons underneath where some refugees would sit to rest and never wake up.

-Besides a love of family and a strong will to survive, the boys were also filled with hope, a strong desire for education, and faith in God. You cannot help but be touched by these boys.

-This is a book of hope, not despair. It is a book of triumph, the boys were able to survive long enough to get out of a terrible situation and go on to become published authors living in the United States.

-This is a very inspirational book and would be a good read for middle and high school students The story reminds us how truly fortunate we are to live in this country and also provides us with heroes we would all be proud to emulate.

Menu

Assorted Appetizers
Tortilla Pinwheels
Ingredients

8 (9 to 10 inch) tortillas
3 heaping tablespoons ranch dressing
3 heaping tablespoons soft cream cheese
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup green onions, chopped
10 ounces thin sliced turkey breast
10 ounces thin sliced ham
¼ cup black olives (optional)
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Mix ranch dressing, cream cheese and garlic together. Spread mixture evenly on tortillas. Sprinkle green onions, black olives, turkey, ham, and cheddar cheese evenly between all eight tortillas. Roll tortillas up jellyroll style. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours. Remove from refrigerator and slice at ¾ inch intervals. Arrange on tray and serve.
Pigs in a Blanket
Ingredients

2 packages reduced fat crescent rolls
1 package turkey lil smokies
Brown mustard
Poppy seeds and sesame seeds
Butter

Cut each crescent roll triangle into 3 smaller triangles.  Brush with brown mustard/spicy mustard.  Place one lil smoky on each triangle and roll up. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds. Bake in oven according to crescent roll directions or until brown. You can use mustard for dipping sauces if desired.
Macaroni Cakes
Ingredients

2 boxes of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese (milk and butter for 2 boxes)
1 ½ c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 ½ c. shredded mild cheddar cheese
Plain breadcrumbs (roughly 1 cup)

Make macaroni and cheese according to directions (minus 2 table spoons of the butter—set aside).
Mix in 1 ¼ c. of each type of cheese to macaroni. Use salt and pepper to taste if desired.
To make breadcrumb topping: crumble in 2 tbsp butter and rest of the shredded cheese with plain breadcrumbs
Place macaroni in cupcake tins and top with breadcrumb topping.
Bake in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes or until topping is browned. Makes enough for 18-24 cups.
Spinach Dip
Corn Muffins
More Weenies
Chips and Guacamole
Puppy Chow
Ingredients

1 stick butter
1 bag milk chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate, whichever is preferred)
1 cup peanut butter
1 box Crispix (or whatever kind of Chex type cereal you like)
1 box powdered sugar (about two cups)

Melt butter and chocolate chips in a saucepan or large pot over medium heat. Stir in the peanut butter. Turn off heat. Pour in the Crispix and turn until completely coated. Toss the coated Crispix in a Ziplock bag with the powdered sugar. Spread on wax paper to cool