Ryan and Melissa Alberts

Author: melissa

  • Homeless in Haiti

    At the guesthouse, we have many extra suitcases sitting around that people leave behind after emptying them.  A while back, Judithe, one of our workers, asked if she could have one to keep her belongings in.  Yes, one suitcase for everything she owned.  So we said, sure, no problem.  A couple weeks later she reluctantly came up…

  • Kicking and Screaming

    Haiti is a totally unpredictable place, and you never know what will happen in a day.  We constantly have guests who freak out when plans change, or their driver arrives late, or the toilets won’t flush immediately due to water pressure.  I get a bit too much pleasure telling them to calm down, this is…

  • Surprise!

    If you know Ryan or me very well, you’d know that we’re not the first people to want to hold someone else’s baby at a gathering, or to volunteer for nursery duty at church.  I’ve always said that I’m either having zero kids or four, leaning more towards zero.  In Haiti, literally everywhere you go, when…

  • Macaroni au Gratin

    This recipe is brought to you by our cook Marjory.  When she was one year old, her mother died, and so she was taken in by another Haitian woman.  This woman was an incredible cook, and taught Marjory most everything she knows, including this recipe.  It has become a guesthouse favorite! Ingredients: For chicken (From…

  • Thoughts on Haiti from Melissa’s Daddio

    A Parents’ Second Perspective of Haiti Written by John Mortier Several weeks ago Cathy and I (Melissa’s parents) had an opportunity to revisit Haiti. We previously spent a week in this incredible country last Christmas. During our first trip we experienced only the city of Port au Prince, witnessing the effects of two million people…

  • Fried Haitian Accra Recipe

    Haitian Accra Recipe Accra is Ryan’s favorite Haitian food!  It can be eaten as an appetizer or as a side to chicken, beef, fish, or anything you want.  It is best when eaten with pikliz on top, so I encourage you to check out that recipe and make both for the same meal. *Do not confuse…

  • 3 Things I Can’t Get Off My Mind – Toilets, Cell Phones, and Second Hand Laptops

    Recently I’ve had a few conversations with different workers at the guesthouse that I can’t seem to comprehend.  Even after being here for a bit of time, there are some things as Americans we just can’t relate to or understand – ever. One of our workers is trying to fix up her house.  It’s just a little…

  • Haitian Pikliz – Spicy Pickled Vegetables

    Pikliz (Spicy Pickled Vegetables) Pikliz are a staple food here in Haiti.  They are served as a side-dish at most meals.  Though they look a lot like coleslaw, don’t be deceived!  They taste a lot different and have a huge kick with every bite. Ingredients: Cabbage – 2 heads 4 – 8 Hot peppers (scotch…

  • Koket de Ri – Kou Kizin avek Katelyn

    Koket de Ri – Cooking Class with Katelyn You may remember our post titled, “Excuse me, but I don’t own any chairs for you to sit on.”  This was when we went to one of our workers’ houses for lunch.  Katelyn, Edphort’s wife, made this delicious “meal” for us.  We thought (with our silly American…

  • Haitian Spaghetti – Kou Kizin avek Marjory

    Haitian Spaghetti Haitian spaghetti is a standard dish here, and it is eaten morning, noon, or nighttime.  I felt like I became a little more Haitian the other day when I was hungry and ate it at about 10:00 in the morning 🙂  Often people have limited resources, so they make it with ketchup and hot…

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