Windows to Russia

It is 2 a.m. and Boza needed to go outside. He was having a few doggy issues and it is my job to deal with such issues. Therefore, I also had to take him out at 4 a.m. also and that cup of coffee is really spot on this morning…

It is snowing like crazy, -5 degrees and Moscow at 2 a.m. is the most wonderful world to behold. It is safe, quiet and beautiful…

Boza and I walk down the street and we have a bar that has lights of all colors around it. The trees are full of lights and the building is outlined with lights. This morning these lights stood out as the first real snow swirled around and got deeper by the second. Talk about looking like Christmas!

The wind is blowing and the snow is drifting and Boza and I left fast disappearing prints in the snow. It was so cool and wonderful…

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Sometime next week Boza and I will be back in the Tiny Russian Village. Last year we did not get back until the 1st of December. This year will be earlier and better to get more done at the Tiny Russian Village…

As last year… (http://windowstorussia.com/russian-village-for-winter.html)

Svetochka is getting that look on her face. She really does not want us to go, but she is also seeing how Boza and I are struggling in Moscow. Therefore, it is time to chin up and go back. We want our sweet-pea with us in the Tiny Russian Village though…

They are (Everyone young and old!) calling for a rough winter. Boza and I are looking forward to such a winter, though his eyesight issues will make winter more interesting…

When we get back to the village, I will finish a last stack of wood and start another one and keep adding to that one until the snow is too deep to do it anymore. Wood gathering is never ending in the Tiny Russian Village and is a simple fact, the difference between life and death…

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Well Svetochka gets up soon and I need to fix breakfast for her. I also have to see if Boza is doing okay and then maybe that second cup of coffee will appear and make the day even better…

WtR

Say what you want! Russia is self sufficient and becoming more so daily. Something as simple as salt is worth its weight in gold and silver…

ASTRAKHAN, November 1. /TASS/. The decree of the Russian government on banning salt (including table and denatured salt) from being imported to Russia from countries that have imposed sanctions against the country has come into force.

The decree affects 26 countries with salt imports of 424,300 tonnes as of August 2016, or 40.2% from the total volume of deliveries. At the same time, Russian producers promise to increase salt production….

More:
http://tass.com/economy/910001

I thank the Western Empire daily for the sanctions that they illegally imposed. It has given me an opportunity to watch a country develop as I watched America did when I was young…

It has been very interesting to watch and see the agriculture development first hand and I would say that in less than five years Russia will be supplying the world with food of all types, just as the USA has done in the past…

Except one issue, that the Western Empire did not count on!

Russia has a whole bunch more land and resources than the US has and as Russia goes back to her roots. She is growing everyday…

WtR

Hillary Clinton email and it explains in cold hard facts what we did to Libya and Syria. I am not happy about this…

Proof to much for you and you will still vote for her? Still think our government is wonderful? Time for a change and show the world we are number one and we care for the world and not just ourselves…

Everything is a lie and all the lies were used to destroy other countries…

You can find tons of proof and facts right here… https://wikileaks.org/

WtR

https://www.wikileaks.org/clinton-emails/Clinton_Email_November_Release/C05794498.pdf

https://wikileaks.org/clinton-emails/emailid/18328

Veal Orloff:

Veal Prince Orloff, veal Prince Orlov, veal Orloff, or veal Orlov is a 19th-century dish of Russian cuisine, which was created by the French chef Urbain Dubois in the employ of Prince Orloff, former Russian ambassador to France. Wikipedia

So while French made, Russian loved…

This is a easy recipe of the French classic; a roasted veal; it is a rich and a delicious dish. Serve with plain vegetables such as boiled rice or potatoes and or even noodles…

Ingredients:

1 1/2 kilo (3 lb) piece boneless veal
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt and black pepper
2 onions, peeled
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
175 g (6 oz) canned mushrooms

For the cheese sauce:
25 g (1 oz) butter
40 g (1 1/2 oz) flour
150 ml (1/4 pint) hot milk
75 g (3 oz) Cheddar cheese

1. Tie the veal with string to ensure that it keeps its shape during cooking…

2. Heat 2 spoons of oil in a skillet, extra hot temp to sear with. Add the veal and brown quickly on all sides over high heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and pull from the heat…

3. Put meat into a casserole oven dish, cut one onion into quarters and add to the casserole and add the carrots, and enough water to cover the bottom of the pot. Cover with a lid and transfer to a fairly hot oven (200°C/400°F)…

4. Cook for 25 minutes, then lower heat to a moderate (180°C/350°F) and continue braising for 1 1/2 hours or until the juices of the meat run clear when the meat is pierced with a skewer…

5. Take the meat from the casserole dish and keep hot…

6. Meanwhile, melt some butter in a small pan. Chop the remaining onion very finely and add to the pan. Fry for 5 minutes or until golden. Add the mushrooms (if canned drain well first) and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Season to taste, set aside and keep warm…

7. To prepare cheese sauce, melt the butter in a pan. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly…

8. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually add the milk, stirring vigorously. When all the milk is incorporated, return the pan to the heat and bring slowly to the boil, stirring constantly…

9. Lower the heat. Season to taste and add 3 oz of the grated cheese. Cook for a further 2 minutes or until the cheese melts into the sauce…

10. Cut the veal into four pieces, remove the string if used, as necessary. Divide the mushroom mixture equally between the plates and reshape the veal on each plate. Pour over the hot cheese sauce over everything on the plates and sprinkle with the remaining 25 g (1 oz) grated cheese…

11. Eat before it gets too cool… Yummy!

WtR

I have been studying the Orthodox faith and church….Lots of interesting things under the surface and facade. Most of it is good…

What is the Orthodox Church? Can anyone go to an Orthodox Church? Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick takes two minutes to answer some common questions and talk about the purpose of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Check it out and let us know what you think!

https://www.facebook.com/theoriavideos/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED&fref=nf

and or

http://www.theoria.tv/

Interesting tidbit; If you are an Orthodox Christian, you religion was founded in the year 33 by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It has not changed since that time. Our Church is now almost 2000 years old. And it is for this reason, that Orthodoxy, the Church of the Apostles and the Fathers is considered the true “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.”

Hmm… Read the above link of the tidbit. You will have an eye opener to say the least…

WtR

It is time to “pull up our socks” and make an effort to improve our behavior because it is not good enough anymore…

“STAND UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT EVEN IF YOU STAND ALONE.” ―Suzy Kassem

and this from her also…

A NATION’S GREATNESS DEPENDS ON ITS LEADER

To vastly improve your country and truly make it great again, start by choosing a better leader. Do not let the media or the establishment make you pick from the people they choose, but instead choose from those they do not pick. Pick a leader from among the people who is heart-driven, one who identifies with the common man on the street and understands what the country needs on every level. Do not pick a leader who is only money-driven and does not understand or identify with the common man, but only what corporations need on every level.

Pick a peacemaker. One who unites, not divides. A cultured leader who supports the arts and true freedom of speech, not censorship. Pick a leader who will not only bail out banks and airlines, but also families from losing their homes — or jobs due to their companies moving to other countries. Pick a leader who will fund schools, not limit spending on education and allow libraries to close. Pick a leader who chooses diplomacy over war. An honest broker in foreign relations. A leader with integrity, one who says what they mean, keeps their word and does not lie to their people. Pick a leader who is strong and confident, yet humble. Intelligent, but not sly. A leader who encourages diversity, not racism. One who understands the needs of the farmer, the teacher, the doctor, and the environmentalist — not only the banker, the oil tycoon, the weapons developer, or the insurance and pharmaceutical lobbyist.

Pick a leader who will keep jobs in your country by offering companies incentives to hire only within their borders, not one who allows corporations to outsource jobs for cheaper labor when there is a national employment crisis. Choose a leader who will invest in building bridges, not walls. Books, not weapons. Morality, not corruption. Intellectualism and wisdom, not ignorance. Stability, not fear and terror. Peace, not chaos. Love, not hate. Convergence, not segregation. Tolerance, not discrimination. Fairness, not hypocrisy. Substance, not superficiality. Character, not immaturity. Transparency, not secrecy. Justice, not lawlessness. Environmental improvement and preservation, not destruction. Truth, not lies.

Most importantly, a great leader must serve the best interests of the people first, not those of multinational corporations. Human life should never be sacrificed for monetary profit. There are no exceptions. In addition, a leader should always be open to criticism, not silencing dissent. Any leader who does not tolerate criticism from the public is afraid of their dirty hands to be revealed under heavy light. And such a leader is dangerous, because they only feel secure in the darkness. Only a leader who is free from corruption welcomes scrutiny; for scrutiny allows a good leader to be an even greater leader.

And lastly, pick a leader who will make their citizens proud. One who will stir the hearts of the people, so that the sons and daughters of a given nation strive to emulate their leader’s greatness. Only then will a nation be truly great, when a leader inspires and produces citizens worthy of becoming future leaders, honorable decision makers and peacemakers. And in these times, a great leader must be extremely brave. Their leadership must be steered only by their conscience, not a bribe.

Quote by Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem

I found myself standing alone a lot in this world, or at least until I found Russia. I find myself standing with others now and what I say in my blog means something too many…

Yes, America desires to lead the world and they have in the past, but we have lost our leaders and we have and or need to dig deep and find some new leaders….For we no longer lead, but tyrannize, all we meet…

Leaders that care for more than just their selves and their god called money!

WtR

Rasstegai: Rasstegai are little pies with a filling exposed from the top. Their name comes from the Russian word rasstyognutyi meaning “opened up”. The filling for the rasstegai can be made from rice, mushrooms, chicken, eggs, sausage and or many other food items…

You are limited to only what you desire. In this case lets make a mushroom and black olive filling…

Ingredients:

For dough:
800 – 900 grams (1.8 – 2 lb) – flour
1/2 liter (1 pint) milk
30 – 50 grams (1.5 – 2 oz) yeast
250 g (8.8 oz) butter
2 – 3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp oil
salt and pepper and garlic just a pinch. (Or More!)

For Mushroom and black olive Filling:
100 g (3.5 oz) boiled rice
100 g (7 oz) dried mushrooms, washed
100 g (7 oz) dried black and or green olives, washed
1 onion, tiny
2 – 3 tbsp butter
1 egg yolk, 1 oz butter – to brush top of the the rasstegai.

Directions:

First of all you need a yeast dough…

Make the dough: place all ingredients in the bowl, knead the dough by hands, than make it into a big ball, and leave it in a bowl to puff up, covered with a damp cloth for about 45 minutes in a non drafty warm place…

Then while waiting for the dough to rise…

For a stuffing: Lets use mushrooms and black olives…

Soak the mushrooms and the black olives, then cook. Minced and fry the mushrooms and black olives with butter in a sauce pan, add the chopped onion. Fry thoroughly. Combine with the cooked rice and mix thoroughly. Makes a yummy paste (do not keep tasting the filling!) I like to add salt, pepper, garlic powder and what ever as per my taste to the filling mix….Yes and that last tiny piece of cooked chicken breast goes perfect diced up and tossed in also….Stop eating all the filling! You need some for the little boats you are making!

Now lets roll some dough and make little boats for the stuffing…

When it is puffed up good and fluffy, divide it into small portions. Roll the dough balls out on a floured work surface, and place a spoonful of the stuffing in the center… (Did you eat all the filling?)

Pinch up the edges of the dough around the filling to make round or oval pies (this is where the artists get to shine in design,) leaving the center uncovered. Remember do not cover the whole pie completely. Put the rasstegai on a baking tray greased with butter and leave in a warm place for the dough to rise the second time. This time filling inside…

Different ways to make them…

As soon as they are ready, brush with egg yolk and bake in the oven 200 – 210 C. 20 to 25 minutes (or less) in a preheated oven, They do not take long, for all you are doing is baking the bread…

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These are really simple to make and can be made with just cheese inside too fancy as you desire, of a filling as you can imagine. Just make sure all filling is a cooked product first. Do not try to cook raw meats inside these boats of dough…

Save some of these delicious hot pies for the rest of the family. Or make two batches if need be! 😉

WtR

One thing I love about living in Russia!

Is the drift I feel back to the old days in America. One example is when you buy food items…

Literally everything is available, but usually the so called western standard food types are in small amounts and mostly always unsold…

If you go to a normal large chain grocery store, you will find carrots from Israel and such, but they are in bags, clean as a whistle and perfect. These carrots do not sell and are expensive. But! Next to them in a huge bin is carrots from Russia….These carrots sell like crazy…

These carrots are covered in dirt, bent, broken and ugly.

Ugly to a westerner, but beautiful to a Russian. The only way to get good veggies is if they still are covered in the original dirt that they cam out of the ground with. This is true and ten years ago, I was stunned at the mess that veggies are kept like in a store…

The huge supermarket has the equivalent to a roadside stand of fresh picked veggies. Not cleaned, not perfect and definitely grown nearby in most cases. Thus in Russia, even the grocery stores are very seasonal in what they carry…

Packaging image does not mean anything about what is inside…

The reason this came to mind right now is about something I just bought. I just bought a pastry for 10 rubles and on the sealed package was a picture of the Russian famous evaporate milk fillings; made from evaporated sweet condensed milk. This is a taste treat delight to Russians and can be found in plentiful supply everywhere…

I bought it, it was cheap and I wanted a treat. I walked home and decided to eat it. I opened it and expected that thick creamy and hardly enough to tantalize your senses, sweet milk. Instead I got a huge supply of apple filling…

I looked at the wrapper and looked at the inside of the pastry and smiled. For that is Russia in a nutshell. You never know what you are going to get at anytime, any day and anything. Russians accept what they get and are happy that they got it. I smiled because the pastry was tripled filled with apple pie filling and if I had the other as it said on the wrapper, it would have been a tiny amount…

Should have bought ten at that price…

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Another thing that amazes me is that Russians stand in lines.

They queue and they queue even when the same exact item is next to them. Good example is this…

You could have two places that sell cheese right next to each other and or maybe it is a place that sells bread. The exact same bread and or cheese and the price is exactly the same…

The Russians will all queue up at one place. They stand in line and wait their turn. Silently and not at all unhappily. Russians know that the line they are in is for the best cheese or bread, but is it?

Well in my experience after looking around. The same truck supplies both places and the same people own both places, thus the food is the same and I have watched the cheese being taken from the less busy store, out the back door and in the back door of the other store. Thus, the cheese and or bread is the same…

Don’t get me wrong; the cheese is priced good and is an excellent product. I just go to the empty line to buy it… 😉

Even in the Big Village I shop at when at the Tiny Russian Village. They have a truck that sells out of bread everyday before noon. Get there early and wait. The bread comes from the bakery right across the street and if you go to the bakery, you never wait…

Russians young and old wait in lines and it is not because they have to. It is because of something inside of them keeps them doing it. You can shop all over Russia and find this phenomenon going on. Be it for cellphones and or bread…

A market in Russia is a good example; You can go to one shop that usually has what you need. They are out at this moment. They holler at the shop across the pathway and get it from them. Everything is interconnected and interwoven. Usually one store is surrounded by many of the same stores and they all have the same products…

I guess it is a social kinda thing. You also know that they will not run out of cheese, for they will just get more from the store next to them. Win win for everyone, I guess?

Vova called!

Vova from the Tiny Russian Village and he wants to know when I am coming back to the village. Looks like he is missing me and I hate to tell Svetochka this, but Boza and I are missing the Tiny Russian Village very badly…

It is a Catch 22 for me and for Boza. We want to be with Svetochka, but both Boza and I are already suffering from the Big City life. Boza needs his freedom to run and I do to. I am limping again and Boza and I both need the fresh air and water of the Tiny Russian Village. It is just better for him and I. I have to weigh many things and if I could just get Svetochka in the village with us. Life would be perfect…

I think I have become Russia!

Maybe I will write a post about this fact? later…

I wrote the opening pages to a book.

A book that just went to print. It was not much (three pages,) but what I wrote, made me think…

US Military’s Progressiveness Leaves Civil Society Behind: and Other Observations of the American Empire

I realize that I love America, but the America that I love is gone!

Sometimes we have to let go those we love the most!

Letting go has been a part of my life since my dad died when I was young…

WtR

“Does anyone seriously think that Russia can somehow influence the choice of the American people?” Putin wondered during a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi on Thursday.

“Is America some sort of a banana republic?” he asked rhetorically. “America is a great state. Correct me, please, if I’m wrong.”

ba·nan·a re·pub·lic – Banana Republic!

noun – derogatory
A small nation, especially (but not limited to) in Central America, dependent on one crop or the influx of foreign capital…

Hey, “influx of foreign capital,” I see something important in that definition!

No Putin, you are not wrong and you phrased it perfectly…

WtR

One thing that stood out to me was the political undertones from the American Embassy in Ukraine that infiltrated into the Ukraine Governmental section. America is and has been buying the Ukraine government for some time now. Biden just bought and paid for Ukraine’s help to rearm Georgia. That is a No – No and should be stopped. American politics need to stay out of Ukraine or any other country for that matter…

Now look at Ukraine!

Bad America…

WtR