Family * Travel * Food

Guyanese "Cook-up" Rice Recipe

Today I am sharing a recipe with you all that is a very common Guyanese main/side dish called "cook-up" rice. I think it is one of those meals that you almost always have the ingredients on hand to make and it is very versatile. In all the different West Indian countries this dish is called by different names like rice & peas, peas & rice or pilau. I have always known it to be called cook-up rice and it can be made with any type of rice or beans/legumes. Typically you would use pigeon peas, black eyed peas or red beans.
One of the main ingredients that makes this rice dish so special is the use of coconut milk, herbs and spices. Everyone makes their own version and today I will share mine. Please be aware that my recipes are seldom done in precise measurements so I did my best to estimate to make it easier for you.

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 tbs butter
-1 small onion chopped
-2 cloves garlic minced
-herbs~ You must use dried thyme but can also add anything else you like, both fresh or dried. I also used fresh thyme and cilantro
-hot pepper (optional) You can use scotch bonnet, habanero or wiri wiri pepper but leave it whole.
-1 chicken bullion cube
-1 tsp of Kitchen Bouquet browning sauce (optional)
-Salt, pepper, garlic powder, Creole seasoning and any Spanish style seasoning. I like Badia best
-1 1/2 cups of parboiled rice ( I sometimes use Jasmine)
-1 can of coconut milk
-1 can of your choice of beans rinse and drained (I love red)

Note: you can cook this dish with meat but I prefer it as a side dish.

How to make it:

I melt the butter and saute the onion for a couple minutes. I then add the garlic and hot pepper (leave it whole). Next, I add the can of coconut milk, can of beans, some dried thyme, the bullion cube and the remaining seasoning except the salt. I bring all of that to a boil to dissolve the bullion cube and then add the rice and browning sauce and some water. I then taste for salt and add if needed. At this point (if desired) you can press the whole hot pepper with your cooking spoon to release some heat and flavor. Turn it down to medium/low heat and make sure you have enough water in there for the rice to cook properly. It can take about 20-30 minutes cooking time. Once all the liquid is absorbed, I add some fresh chopped cilantro and toss it around. That's it!

I served it with some wonderful broiled salmon and it was a big hit with the family. You can also serve it with chicken, steak or pork chops. If you want to keep it meat free then you can add salad or roasted veggies on the side. The only thing this meal was missing was some fried plantains. I couldn't find any ripe ones in the store.

I hope you find this recipe simple enough to try it for yourself. If you do try it, please let me know how it turned out! Enjoy :)
Shelly, Mom Files
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Get to Know Olympic Hopeful David Oliver

Hey guys! I wanted to take a moment to introduce you to an athlete named David Oliver. Many of you might already know who he is or have at least heard of him. David Oliver is a USA Track & Field athlete (in hurdles) with many championships, awards and honors under his belt. Some of those athletic achievements include being a three-time USA Outdoor Champion, two-time NCAA All-American, 2008 Olympic Games bronze medalist and several other awards and honors. You can take a peek at his specific rankings and events here. It's quite impressive!
He will be leading a spectacular group of American hurdlers in the 2012 Olympic year. He is hoping to pull from the momentum he had in 2010 since he has been fighting through injuries in 2011. I am quite sure that through determination, hard work and a positive mindset, he will be amazing!

Besides being an incredible athlete, he also helps inner-city children through his organization called SUB 13. In October of 2011, David and his SUB 13 organization hosted their annual speed and agility camp in his hometown of Denver, Colorado. The kids went through a series of drills focused at helping them improve their performance. You can check out the full photo album of the event on the Facebook page. Imagine how cool that would be to get training from such a popular athlete? I know it had to be a big boost for those kids to learn from someone that took time out of his busy schedule to work with them. I have always respected athletes that give back to their community in such a big way.

You can check David Oliver out on Facebook and Twitter as well as his official site.

Psst.... stay tuned to find out how you can get a chance to meet David Oliver in person and help your child's school with Coca-Cola. I promise you that you won't want to miss out on that!
Shelly, Mom Files
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William is 4!

Our little guy just had a birthday and he is officially 4 years old! William has hit many milestones in the last year and we are so proud of him.
Some facts about William:

  • He has gotten over his shyness and loves to be around other people! This is great since we are trying to get him prepped for kindergarten next year.  
  • He is a very compassionate boy. If he senses you are in pain he will ask you if you are okay and offer to rub you or kiss it to make it all better. Sweet boy.
  • William shows great discipline. I have to credit having a strong father for that one. It is amazing how well he will listen and pay attention. 
  • I get told all the time what a mature little boy I have. Most people are amazed that he is his age and behaves the way he does. That makes me proud.
  • William wakes up full of joy. He greets you with "good morning" and a lot of times starts the day singing the "good morning song" that his daddy taught him. 
  • William shows how much he retains what you teach him. If you are caught doing something wrong he will be the first one to let you know "That's not a good choice". Trust me, I get told about my bad choices all the time!
  • He loves animals, trucks, robots, all things Disney, fishing, playing outdoors and hanging out with his daddy. Daddy is his favorite person. I have becomes alright with that. Sort of.
  • He is showing so much more independence and I have been working hard on letting him do things for himself. Operation un-spoil the child is progressing well so far. It turns out that he really likes doing things for himself! Again, I credit his father for that. He helps so much with the boy child. 
  • William has become very talkative and asks a lot of questions. I love it! I love helping him learn and understand things. He asks some really good questions too! 
  • William is into Scooby Doo, Phineas & Ferb and programs on Animal Planet/ NatGeo Wild. It is amazing how he really gets into some of these shows. He loves to go down to the man room and watch with his dad. The part I don't like... he puts his hand in the front of his pants like most men do. Gross. Of course his daddy is proud of that! 
Overall William is a vibrant and loving little boy. We are so excited to see all the new things he learns over the next year. We are so proud of him!

Shelly, Mom Files
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Homemade is best

My 15 year old daughter Briahnna recently had a project for her Spanish class in which she had to bring in a food item from a specific country. She was assigned the country of Argentina. She browsed recipes and did her best to pick something that did not require us to have to buy too many ingredients. She chose Alfajores... basically two sugar cookies sandwiched together with dulce de leche (caramel). We almost considered purchasing store bought cookies and caramel but felt like it would have been cheating to do so. All in all, it was a long process of baking in batches and making the caramel filling. It took about 3 1/2 hours altogether. In the end it was well worth it. My daughter felt so proud of what she made and enjoyed her time in the kitchen. As for myself, I was so proud of my budding cook/foodie! She got to see and taste the difference by making something from scratch using high-quality ingredients. Her classmates and teacher enjoyed the cookies and she got an 'A' on the project.

She mixed up a batch of sugar cookie dough and I taught her a simple technique to make each cookie very uniform  in shape and size. 
The dulce de leche took about 2.3 hours to make! It came out really good though. This is one of those things that takes a lot of patience!
Shelly, Mom Files
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Being like dad

Every time Dwayne is around William tends to want to hang around him and in some cases imitate his daddy. This can be a great thing and other times... it can be a very bad thing! Thankfully the good outweighs the bad and Will gets to learn a lot of things from his dad. Dwayne has taught him how to cast a line out in the water, catch a fish, take out the trash, throw a football and so many other neat things. I love when he sees his dad reading and wants to do the same. When I see the two of them together I realize how important a father's role is most especially for boys. After all, a boy can only learn how to be a man from a man.
Now some days Will takes his manliness too far. Yesterday I caught him pulling the cushions off the couch and destroying the family room so I asked him why he was doing that. He responds with "Go back in the kitchen and wash the dishes!" I tell you what, he is lucky he is so adorable or else.... Now you know Dwayne was proud and pulled the old "That's my boy!" Men!!!

Shelly, Mom Files
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Teaching geography

Every evening when Dwayne comes home from work he tries to make sure he does something with William. Whether it is reading a couple books, playing outside or just getting on the floor to play with blocks/toys it has become a part of the weekly routine. For the past week they have been putting together a wooden puzzle that is the map of the United States. We recently got this neat puzzle from eBeanstalk called the USA Sound Map Puzzle by Melissa & Doug. Although it is intended for ages 6+ it still seemed like a great way to teach Will about the United States of America. This puzzle is unique since it "talks to you". When you place the state in the correct space on the map it tells you the name of the state as well as the capital city. William's eyes lit up the first time he heard it.

Dwayne and William worked on it together and would complete it about 2 times each evening for the first few days. William has figured out where most of the pieces go on his own. It's amazing how intelligent a young mind can be. Dwayne even commented how much this puzzle has refreshed his memory of what a lot of the capital cities are as well as the exact location of some states you don't think about often. This is such a fun way to teach geography without it feeling like a lesson. I would absolutely recommend this to any parent with preschool aged children. We loved the durable wooden pieces since 3 year old kids can be a bit rough on their toys. This puzzle costs $24.99 but is worth every penny. We do have to store on a high shelf when it is not in use so a certain little boy will not lose any of the states :)

Does your child love to put together puzzles?
Shelly, Mom Files
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Snack is Fwack

Lately William has shown us what a big boy he is through his language. He never fails to amaze us with the words that come out of his mouth. He can speak in full sentences and manage to throw in some big words here and there. He does have one little problem though. He has trouble pronouncing his "L" and "S" sounds. For instance:
  • snack = fwack
  • snake = fwake
  • sleep = fweep
  • smell = fwell
  • slippers = fwippers
  • smart....I'll let you figure that one out!
It seems to be more of a trend with the sl, sn and sm words. He can say words like sky, sister, sun... I have been working with him to correct it and he gets it sometimes. It is really neat that he can say certain words flawlessly and others more in "baby talk". We are still very proud with how much he has learned and think back to the days that we thought he would never speak. I am hoping in the near future I will have the same memory about potty training!

Did your child have any issues with his/her speech? What did you do about it?
Shelly, Mom Files
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Homeschool or public school?

I am still trying to decide what to do with William. There is a HUGE part of me that wants to home school him. Then there is a tiny part of me that wants to send him to school. If I do send him to school then I would more than likely need to put him in preschool to get him used to a classroom setting. Oh what to do, what to do... This is one of those things I think about most of the day. I just don't know what to do!
Shelly, Mom Files
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Money Mama & The Three Little Pigs

If you have been reading Momfiles for some time now, you will know how important it is for our family to understand money. Our girls are doing an outstanding job in the money management department and are very smart shoppers. I received this wonderful book called Money Mama & The Three Little Pigs by Lori Mackey. It came with an audio CD that you can listen along to with the book. It's so cute because the narration is in children's voices. William is a little too young to follow along with the CD so I opted to read it to him instead. He was immediately drawn in from the great illustration. Although he does not have an understanding about the teachings of the book, he will get it over time. Money Mama & The Three Little Pigs explains all of the aspects of money management in a child-friendly way. I was thoroughly impressed with this book and I think it would make an excellent addition to any child's book collection. It would make an excellent gift for birthdays, holidays or as a "just because" gift.

In order for a child to learn about money, they must be taught early on. They will have a greater likelihood of making better decisions about finances when they are adults. You can purchase Money Mama & The Three Little Pigs here. Be sure to check out Prosperity4Kids, Inc. on Facebook and Twitter.

I received a copy of the book to review. All opinions are 100 % mine as always.


Shelly, Mom Files
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William + School = HAPPY!

William's favorite thing to do these days besides fishing is going to "school". He loves when it is time to practice his alphabet sounds and words on the computer. You would not believe the squeals and excitement that comes out of this kid over lesson time. I hope this love for learning is here to stay.
**Please pardon his tongue chewing!



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Math= FREE time!

We went to Chick-fil-a yesterday and William was not interested in the food. He snatched up all the sauces to line them up so he could count them! He would keep rearranging them and had about 20 minutes of uninterrupted fun. This meant 20 minutes of peace for ME! :) I wonder what it would have been like if he had 10 or more sauce packs?

Shelly, Mom Files
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Preschool at home

I take my stay-at-home mom gig quite seriously so I do my best to stay on top of teaching William all I can. I recently started having him sort beans by color and size and then counting them. You would not believe how much enjoyment he gets out of it. He yells out each color and then places it in the correct group. Then he pretends to be me and says "Now count the beans".

Of course I would never leave him unattended for long with the beans~ Not that he would put them in his mouth but he would probably try to throw them all over the place or even at the dog. I think I am going to make a chart of each type of bean by gluing them in groups to help avoid a lot of mess. Of course I am sure he will figure out how to peel them off :)


Shelly, Mom Files
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Run your family like a business

Our family schedules a family meeting once per month. The purpose of these meetings is to discuss everything that pertains to our household including short and long-term goals, finances, as well as needs for each person. These meetings are a forum for each family member to voice their concerns on anything and everything. Each person takes a turn to speak on a particular section of our list. These things include: A recap of the last month, personal goals and family goals for the next month/next quarter, also if you need something (supplies, haircuts etc..). I am the note keeper for the meetings and I type up the "minutes" just as any business or committee would do. At the beginning of the next meeting each person will receive a copy of these minutes almost as a road map for that meeting. These meetings have really kept us on track as a family and is essential to our growth. Now don't get me wrong, there are some months that we have to cancel or reschedule a meeting and we really get thrown off. We do our best to catch back up and take it from there. We really try to run our family like a business so that we can teach our children the importance of communication within their family. I know that the girls get so disgusted and bored with it but at least they know they are a part of a caring family unit.

Do you have any type of family meeting in your household?
Shelly, Mom Files
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Why I refuse to give my kids everything

I was talking to an old friend a couple days ago and the first thing she asks me was how our holiday was. Next question she asks is if the kids got a lot of stuff for Christmas. I told her no. She was puzzled and could not understand why. I told her that I refuse to stress myself out to buy a bunch of things for my kids just for them to have a lot to open on Christmas. I explained that there is indeed life after Christmas. She then goes on and on about all the fancy gifts her young child got as well as how much she and her family members got. Big freakin' deal. Can I afford to buy a bunch of things for my kids? YES. I just won't because these same kids will eventually be adults and will eventually get married and have their own kids. I will not do a disservice to my kids by giving them everything they want. I had plenty as a child and when I was on the streets at 17 (by choice) I did not know how to survive. I was clueless and broken. I had to learn to grow up very fast. I also had to learn that things would not be given to me, I had to make a living. I suffered greatly--walking to where I had to get to, learning to catch the bus, being approached by pimps and strip club promoters, not eating some days because I could not afford it, not having many clothes besides the 3 outfits I left home with. The spoiled girl who grew up like a princess in her designer duds got a rude awakening called "real life". Real life kicked my ass hard.

Even when I got married and we had the girls we still struggled. We had no help from anyone, it was just us. We did not have our own home, no car and Dwayne would work 2-3 jobs at a time so we could buy diapers and eat. We did whatever we had to for our family. We persevered and eventually were in a position to buy a home and really get established. It was a hard road but we have all that we need and then some. My kids don't have an iPod touch but never complain about their $30 mp3 player. They actually laugh at their friends who brag about their brand name stuff and what they paid. One of Brie's friends got some UGG boots for $150. Brie was bragging about her Aeropostale boots that were on sale for $25 and the fact that she was able to get 2 pairs. You see, my kids know the value of the dollar. They know how to spend smart as well as save. They both got a large amount of cash from Dwayne's parents for Christmas to buy whatever they wanted for themselves. The first thing they said to each grandparent was "Are you sure? This is so much money!" I took the girls shopping and they were very selective about what they were willing to spend on. They hit the clearance racks and got a ton of stuff at deep discounts. As a matter of fact they both still have a big bulk of that money left over. I can only hope that they will always be this smart and pass it on to their own children. I am very passionate about raising well-rounded children who know how to make decisions. I want to be able to let them go out into the world and know that they will do just fine. Real talk people.

Shelly, Mom Files
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Adopted Ed Review

I received the sweetest book called Adopted Ed by Darren Maddern (illustrated by Erin Fusco) to review. Although I am not adopted nor my children I do know many people who were or have children that were adopted. I really love how simple this book is for younger children to understand. The illustrations are very fun and lively and really help tell the story. It is a heartwarming and encouraging story about overcoming bullies and being proud of who you are.

I really think this is an excellent resource for parents, grandparents, family members and elementary school teachers to read since adoption is so common. The end of the book shows some famous people you might not have known were also adopted.

Darren Maddern is just one of the many millions of adopted people throughout the world today. You can learn more about him here. Please check out Adopted Ed on Facebook and Twitter.

I received a copy of the book from One2One Network for review purposes only.


Shelly, Mom Files
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William updates

William is one busy little fella. He is maturing more and more and has made some big strides in his speech... He can now speak in short sentences! We are noticing that he is working harder to pronounce his letter sounds more fluently and is adding to his vocabulary daily. We can sit in the car and I can ask him to repeat a series of words and he will try his best to do it. He is taking directions very well and I get him to participate in a lot of things around the house to help himself more. It's been so busy with the girls involved in volleyball and he has to get dragged around from school to school. So far he is doing pretty well and seems to enjoy watching the games way more than last year. He used to cry every time I would clap and cheer. Now he chimes in and gets into a frenzy of excitement. It sure makes for a more enjoyable experience. It is really funny how as a parent you wonder when certain milestones will be met and if certain things will ever happen for your child. I am glad I am a patient woman and know that everything happens in its own time. I am grateful for a healthy, smart and happy little boy. Oh and by the way, I am officially a mom to a 14 & 16 year old. Brie turned 14 on the 7th and Chardie turned 16 today. It still astonishes me some days that I am a mom to three. I am one lucky gal :)
Shelly, Mom Files
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Old things can bring new memories

We have had these pretend food items since the girls were about 2 & 4. They never would let me give these items away. I have been hanging on to them for several years now. I came across them and let William check it out. He instantly grabbed a spoon and the fake spaghetti and went to town with it! He says "Mmm, yummy". We had even more than what you see pictured here in the kitchen sink but they were very girly fru-fru things like a teapot,tea cups and all things pink! Y'all know who I am married to so they had to go!

I love the fact that William can sit for about 30-45 minutes playing and learning about all the basic eating utensils and food items. He even likes to "cook". I guess the girls hung onto these things for a purpose! Watching him play with this stuff also brings back such fond memories of when the girls were little.

Shelly, Mom Files
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Thrive Time for Teens Review (family style)

A couple weeks ago we received a board game called Thrive Time for Teens to review. This was perfect since we have 2 teen daughters. Thrive Time for Teens is a game geared toward teaching teens about financial responsibility in a fun way. This game involves real-life scenarios such as going to college, buying a car, giving to charity, paying monthly expenses and even starting a business.We sat down together at the dining table (snacks and all) to play the game for ourselves. Everyone had a financial tracking sheet to document everything along the way.

I will admit that it was a bit confusing at first so we suggest you read the instructions fully to understand the game better. The girls were amazed when they had to use their credit card to pay for things that they did not always have to cash for. I think they were not crazy about having so much debt! You really had to make some tough decisions about things that can impact your finances. My husband and I really enjoyed playing this game with our children. The game truly allowed our girls to learn financial concepts in a fun way instead of the typical parent lecture...believe me, the girls are happy to get out of any of daddy's lectures any way they can!!

Here's what the girls had to say:

Briahnna (age 13): "I really enjoyed this game and how it is so much like real life. I'll definitely play this game again!"

Chardonnay (age 15): "I like the game a lot. It's a great way to teach one to manage money. It's something they don't teach in school so this is a great way to learn and I love it."

Thrive Time for Teens can be purchased online for $29.99. It makes a great gift for birthdays and holidays. You can also donate a game to your favorite organization as a way of giving back to your community. We plan to play again over the long weekend. Our family would recommend this game for sure and we hope you will check it out.

Disclosure: We received a free game for review purposes and no other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% our own.

Shelly, Mom Files
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Wordless Wednesday

Three generations....

Can you tell William loves to read?

Shelly, Mom Files
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I wonder what will happen

William is very fond of his family. He LOVES his family. Mom, dad, sisters and dog. He asks for everyone at all times of day if he does not see them. He walks back in my bedroom at random times if he thinks he might have heard his dad and will call out "DAAAD!" He wakes up in the morning asking for Chardeeeee... Breeee.... When we are dropping the girls off someplace he sobs and cries out their names. Well school starts back on Thursday and I am so curious to see how he does without his sisters. He really became very attached over the summer. I know he will be fine overall but I am wondering if he will go through any behavioral changes. Well William will have a fun-filled "school year" of his very own. I have big lesson plans for him and will do the best to get him on the road to academic success and also potty training. The potty training will start in a couple months since he really is not showing that he is ready quite yet. Maybe once we get into a new routine with the girls being gone most of the day with school and volleyball, we will factor it in. I am ready to home school my boy and look forward to some great adventures along the way.
Shelly, Mom Files
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