We've noted several times how distance in time from our Nicaragua Trip can dull the sharp edges of our memory. We came back energized and through our compassion diet and this blog, we're trying to keep that energy up.
Another big influence on our perceptions is the environment around us. As many of you know, the US government has temporarily shut down due to political gridlock. Many people in the DC area have been affected by this, as workers for the federal government or through peripheral jobs around the area. News here has been very focused on this, as well as conversations. Because so many individuals in the US are career focused (sometimes to the exclusion of things that truly matter), the shutdown has a looming quality to it in many lives.
Stephanie is somewhat impacted by the shutdown, since she is a government contractor. The agency she supports is not considered "essential" and she has been told not to work on her contract. Fortunately, she is able to focus on a few other related items that are keeping her busy, and her parents will be in town this week to visit.
Having said that, I wanted to point that in some ways, we have our priorities straight. There are many folks out there (both inside and outside the USA) still worried about eating today or finding shelter for the night. I'm happy to be able to point out that while the government might be mothballed for now, many of our aid programs are still going. While this might anger some or bring up political arguments on home vs. abroad, I hope that we can all agree that at the very least, this is helping get some much needed resources to people that could really use them.
http://www.nytimes.com/news/fiscal-crisis/2013/10/02/in-face-of-shutdown-foreign-aid-continues/?_r=0
I'm glad to know that in the face of our troubles at home, we are still helping others in dire need.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Monday, September 30, 2013
One week later: some observations (and goals)
I feel like a juggler who is treading water. I don't feel like I'm drowning though. Yet.
I've barely had time to sleep, and blogging has definitely been pushed down the priority list, I'm sorry to say. So my apologies for taking a while to post since the diet wrapped up.
So even though times have been busy, I want to continue to blog regularly so that some of the observations and lessons I gleaned stay on my mind.
It's been only one week since we ended our rice and beans diet, and some of my indulgent meals since then included fried chicken, homemade spinach and bacon quiche, pasta, ice cream, pizza, potato chips, and fresh fruit (so aside from the fruit, lots of bad-for-you-but-awesome stuff). I tried to eat healthy food some days (and I packed my lunch a few times) but with the crazy week, my meals were often limited to what was available near my office or on the road - so that included options from the food court, nearby food trucks, and gas stations. I also ate out a couple times at nice restaurants due to family visits and work-related meetings.
I think after a week of some stress-eating and indulging on heavy food, I'm ready to dial back down to something more normalized, but not back down to only rice and beans (though I actually kind of miss having rice pudding for breakfast!). I've noticed that my initial post-diet cravings have died down, and that I've been more conscious about spending too much (even more than usual, as I'm a pretty frugal person anyway).
Another thing I realized is how much I rely on already prepared, partially prepared, or frozen meals. The week of the rice and beans diet was one of the first times where we actually cooked and prepared EVERY meal for the week. Matt and I both enjoy cooking, but it's sometimes hard to plan ahead, and we also sometimes just *think* cooking will take a lot of time, though it doesn't have to. So I think that is one of my goals moving forward, to cook more.
Now that the compassion diet week is concluded, we want to continue the blog in a similar vein. I am thinking we might also include some recipes from our team members (and possibly include guests posts?), lessons learned, general thoughts on poverty and theology, recommended recipes, and maybe even discuss current events or Nicaraguan culture. So don't forget to keep coming back, we will still be here posting.
I've barely had time to sleep, and blogging has definitely been pushed down the priority list, I'm sorry to say. So my apologies for taking a while to post since the diet wrapped up.
I kind of feel like this, except I don't know how to ride a unicycle. And I am not a blonde white lady.
So even though times have been busy, I want to continue to blog regularly so that some of the observations and lessons I gleaned stay on my mind.
It's been only one week since we ended our rice and beans diet, and some of my indulgent meals since then included fried chicken, homemade spinach and bacon quiche, pasta, ice cream, pizza, potato chips, and fresh fruit (so aside from the fruit, lots of bad-for-you-but-awesome stuff). I tried to eat healthy food some days (and I packed my lunch a few times) but with the crazy week, my meals were often limited to what was available near my office or on the road - so that included options from the food court, nearby food trucks, and gas stations. I also ate out a couple times at nice restaurants due to family visits and work-related meetings.
I think after a week of some stress-eating and indulging on heavy food, I'm ready to dial back down to something more normalized, but not back down to only rice and beans (though I actually kind of miss having rice pudding for breakfast!). I've noticed that my initial post-diet cravings have died down, and that I've been more conscious about spending too much (even more than usual, as I'm a pretty frugal person anyway).
Another thing I realized is how much I rely on already prepared, partially prepared, or frozen meals. The week of the rice and beans diet was one of the first times where we actually cooked and prepared EVERY meal for the week. Matt and I both enjoy cooking, but it's sometimes hard to plan ahead, and we also sometimes just *think* cooking will take a lot of time, though it doesn't have to. So I think that is one of my goals moving forward, to cook more.
Now that the compassion diet week is concluded, we want to continue the blog in a similar vein. I am thinking we might also include some recipes from our team members (and possibly include guests posts?), lessons learned, general thoughts on poverty and theology, recommended recipes, and maybe even discuss current events or Nicaraguan culture. So don't forget to keep coming back, we will still be here posting.
Random thoughts and pictures
So our diet is over (OK, so very over since i'ts been more than a week). Stephanie and I are in the process of trying to get something together on how much money we saved and how much has been donated. The numbers are still being calculated (an donations are still being accepted, so it's not too late!), so you'll have to wait just a little longer.
In the meantime, I wanted to post some thoughts on the diet looking back, and maybe include a few photos here that I just could not find a good spot for in the blog so far.
Thoughts:
In the meantime, I wanted to post some thoughts on the diet looking back, and maybe include a few photos here that I just could not find a good spot for in the blog so far.
Thoughts:
- I have SO MUCH more energy now that I've gotten back to my regular diet. It is very eye-opening to see what a difference protein makes! I'm also a rebel, so I'm going to say that improvement was mostly due to getting back on gluten. :-p
- Holy cow, the kids had SO MUCH energy even when they were on that diet. My heart breaks again to think about how they would be if they had all the food they wanted. Then again, there is absolutely no way that we could have kept up with them!
- The diet wasn't easy. We only did a week on the diet and there are kids that have literally been eating this for years.
Pictures:
Monday, September 23, 2013
Day 7: Final Countdown
It's the final countdoowwwwwn. And in the spirit of having songs and images stuck in your head, here we go again:
On Sunday, eating the meals didn't feel like drudgery because I knew it was the last day! I was actually a little disappointed I didn't get to try out a few more recipes that friends had sent, but I'm sure I'll try those later.
--
Simple Black Beans and Rice
2 cans seasoned black beans (see, some manufacturer did all the work for you!)
1/4 cup chopped onion
A couple dashes of dried cilantro, dried parsley, and salt
1 avocado (mash it into guacamole - add lemon or lime juice, and more onion if you have it)
Pour contents of canned beans into a pot. Fill one of the cans halfway with water and add water to the beans. Add onions and seasonings. Warm the beans and bring to a light boil, then lower the temperature to a simmer. Stir it up for a few minutes, and allow sauce to thicken to your desired consistency. Serve over cooked white rice (or eat by itself) and add a dollop of fresh avocado/guacamole. Makes about four large servings.
--
I will need to mull over what I've learned and observed during the week, but for now, I will share a few quick thoughts.
In terms of the challenge of the diet, I have to say it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The variety and rice pudding/porridge certainly helped (I know some team members had rice and beans for breakfast. They are rockstars!). Some days were harder than others, and some things were unexpected - I didn't realize I would feel so tired and lethargic, for example. I wasn't eating at my normal protein levels, but the lethargy was also likely related to the fact that I wasn't getting enough sleep! So I can't for sure say if the diet was the cause.
Regarding cost savings, we didn't track exactly what we spent, but we probably should have. We ate leftovers often, so I think on average, it was definitely less than $2 per meal per person, and less than $1 for some meals. I will try to do some actual calculations, but suffice it say, we saved a lot of cash compared what we normally would spend. It didn't actually look like this, but I thought the stock photo was too awesome not to share:
On Sunday, eating the meals didn't feel like drudgery because I knew it was the last day! I was actually a little disappointed I didn't get to try out a few more recipes that friends had sent, but I'm sure I'll try those later.
- For breakfast, we ate the leftover chocolate rice dessert.
- For lunch, we had black beans and "cheated" a bit by adding some chopped onions and fresh avocado we had on hand. I seasoned the beans and onions in the pot with dried cilantro, dried parsley, and a dash of salt, all from our cupboard.
- We then had the same thing for dinner.
--
Simple Black Beans and Rice
2 cans seasoned black beans (see, some manufacturer did all the work for you!)
1/4 cup chopped onion
A couple dashes of dried cilantro, dried parsley, and salt
1 avocado (mash it into guacamole - add lemon or lime juice, and more onion if you have it)
Pour contents of canned beans into a pot. Fill one of the cans halfway with water and add water to the beans. Add onions and seasonings. Warm the beans and bring to a light boil, then lower the temperature to a simmer. Stir it up for a few minutes, and allow sauce to thicken to your desired consistency. Serve over cooked white rice (or eat by itself) and add a dollop of fresh avocado/guacamole. Makes about four large servings.
--
I will need to mull over what I've learned and observed during the week, but for now, I will share a few quick thoughts.
In terms of the challenge of the diet, I have to say it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The variety and rice pudding/porridge certainly helped (I know some team members had rice and beans for breakfast. They are rockstars!). Some days were harder than others, and some things were unexpected - I didn't realize I would feel so tired and lethargic, for example. I wasn't eating at my normal protein levels, but the lethargy was also likely related to the fact that I wasn't getting enough sleep! So I can't for sure say if the diet was the cause.
Regarding cost savings, we didn't track exactly what we spent, but we probably should have. We ate leftovers often, so I think on average, it was definitely less than $2 per meal per person, and less than $1 for some meals. I will try to do some actual calculations, but suffice it say, we saved a lot of cash compared what we normally would spend. It didn't actually look like this, but I thought the stock photo was too awesome not to share:
We planned to donate our estimated savings to the ORPHANetwork's feeding center in Bluefields. We originally estimated cost savings of about $10/day per person for the week, so at least $140 total, for two people.
If you did this diet (or something similar), how much money do you think saved?
If you did this diet (or something similar), how much money do you think saved?
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Day 6: GET Potluck and Chocolate Rice Dessert
On Saturday, we had leftover coconut rice pudding for breakfast and leftovers for lunch (refried beans with lemon juice and butter beans).
For our Saturday night potluck and film night, dinner was a fabulous Indian-style three bean chili prepared by one of our team members and trip leader, Shireen. GREAT food and fellowship!
Our contribution to the potluck was a sticky rice dessert modified from a Filipino chocolate rice porridge recipe called champorado. The resulting dessert was similar to a type of Filipino rice cake called bibingka, but since I didn't bake it, and cooked it in a pot instead, I'm not sure it qualifies. I served it in a tray and sliced it into squares, so perhaps it would almost count as cake.
The dish is VERY simple and it can also be eaten for breakfast. There are very few ingredients, and the whole dish should take no more than 30-45 minutes.
Chocolate Sticky Rice Dessert / Champorado / Filipino Chocolate Rice Porridge
2 cups sticky rice (glutinous rice, or malagkit in the Philippines)
3-4 cups water
1 can coconut milk (or 1-2 cups milk from your fridge)
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 can condensed milk
In a large pot, bring 3.5 cups water and sticky rice to a boil. Add the evaporated milk and coconut milk and bring to a boil again. Add cocoa powder and bring temperature down to low-medium heat and stir continuously. Add additional water if the rice is starting to stick.
After about 15-20 minutes stirring frequently, check the consistency of the rice to see if is soft enough and the right consistency. Add most of the can of condensed milk; continue to stir and make sure the rice does not burn or stick to the pot.
When you achieve the desired consistency of the rice, remove from heat and spoon it into a serving tray. Allow the dish to cool for 15 minutes and drizzle the remaining condensed milk on top. When served warm, it will have a softer more pudding-like consistency. When served cold, the rice will have absorbed more of the liquid, and the dessert will be thicker, almost the consistency of brownies or other dense dessert. The recipe yields approximately two dozen smaller servings. The picture below shows one Pyrex dish, but we filled two. When reheating for breakfast, you may want to add more milk or water to achieve a porridge consistency, but I prefer to eat the leftovers cold or at room temperature.
A few notes - you can definitely do lots of substitutions or swaps:
For our Saturday night potluck and film night, dinner was a fabulous Indian-style three bean chili prepared by one of our team members and trip leader, Shireen. GREAT food and fellowship!
Our contribution to the potluck was a sticky rice dessert modified from a Filipino chocolate rice porridge recipe called champorado. The resulting dessert was similar to a type of Filipino rice cake called bibingka, but since I didn't bake it, and cooked it in a pot instead, I'm not sure it qualifies. I served it in a tray and sliced it into squares, so perhaps it would almost count as cake.
The dish is VERY simple and it can also be eaten for breakfast. There are very few ingredients, and the whole dish should take no more than 30-45 minutes.
Chocolate Sticky Rice Dessert / Champorado / Filipino Chocolate Rice Porridge
2 cups sticky rice (glutinous rice, or malagkit in the Philippines)
3-4 cups water
1 can coconut milk (or 1-2 cups milk from your fridge)
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 can condensed milk
In a large pot, bring 3.5 cups water and sticky rice to a boil. Add the evaporated milk and coconut milk and bring to a boil again. Add cocoa powder and bring temperature down to low-medium heat and stir continuously. Add additional water if the rice is starting to stick.
After about 15-20 minutes stirring frequently, check the consistency of the rice to see if is soft enough and the right consistency. Add most of the can of condensed milk; continue to stir and make sure the rice does not burn or stick to the pot.
When you achieve the desired consistency of the rice, remove from heat and spoon it into a serving tray. Allow the dish to cool for 15 minutes and drizzle the remaining condensed milk on top. When served warm, it will have a softer more pudding-like consistency. When served cold, the rice will have absorbed more of the liquid, and the dessert will be thicker, almost the consistency of brownies or other dense dessert. The recipe yields approximately two dozen smaller servings. The picture below shows one Pyrex dish, but we filled two. When reheating for breakfast, you may want to add more milk or water to achieve a porridge consistency, but I prefer to eat the leftovers cold or at room temperature.
OK, the picture doesn't look too appetizing but I promise it is yummy.
- If you don't have condensed milk, use about 1/2 to 1 cup sugar (or more if you really like it sweet).
- You can also use a different kind of rice. The glutinous rice does better with "sticking" to itself to make it more suitable for desserts. If you do use another type of rice, the resulting dessert will be more like porridge. But it should still taste very good and chocolate-y.
- If you don't have cocoa powder, use a bar of chocolate, and chop it up first so it melts and mixes faster.
- If you don't have coconut or evaporated milk, use the milk you have - whole milk, soy milk, etc.
- You can also add cinnamon, a dash of vanilla extract, and other flavors you prefer.
A Look Back: Journaling Days 6 & 7 in Bluefields
After looking through my journal entries for the two remaining journal entries, I have decided to compress them into a single post. We spent the last 2 days traveling and debriefing, so while it was 48 hours, it mostly consisted of sitting and talking or sleeping on a plane. Also, we had our film screening last night, and I was unable to get my post up last night. Thank you for going on this journey with us! While this does NOT signal the end of our blog, it certainly means I'm out of entries to share and that we'll just have to look elsewhere for fresh material.
Friday, August 9th: This entry is a little further after the fact, so some details may have faded.
This is the day we began our journey home. The day started early; we left around 7 am for the Bluefields airport. Everyone was tired after packing the night before (and or girl talk), so many people slept on the flight. It was a bigger plane (i.e., more than 12 seats on it), but the landing was still amazingly smooth! I've flown a good bit, and the pilots in Nicaragua made some of the smoothest landings I have seen.
After the flight but before lunch, we visited a seamstress shop in Managua that helped employ (2) former dump scavengers. It was a small operation built on a corner of the redeveloped dump. We ordered t-shirts, which they will send up via some later group coming back to the States. After a delicious lunch, we went to a market to get souvenirs. It was a pretty obvious tourist area, but it was fun to wander through, see some trinkets, and spend some time thinking about what various family members would like or could use.
After about an hour shopping, we piled into the bus and headed out again for an exotic location. We spent the afternoon in Laguna de Apoyo, a (huge) lake inside a dormant volcano! It was gorgeous, the water was very slightly salty but extremely clear. Because we're incredibly responsible people, we had contests to hold heavy volcanic rocks and see how far we could walk into the water before letting go. I think Logan won that one. We finished the afternoon by having a nice dinner (with fancy smoothies) up at a resort restaurant before heading to the hotel near the Managua airport.
We got to the hotel around 8 PM, when we said goodbye to Logan. Before heading home, he was going to visit some of the kids at the OrphaNetwork facility in Managua. We so extremely thankful for all that Logan did with and for us this week! Beyond acting as our liaison, he was our interpreter, our group facilitator, and our friend.
Following goodbyes, we had an extensive debrief time. We were all pretty exhausted, but were able to have some serious discussion around what we had seen and done throughout the week. Then, we all collapsed. I snapped a great picture of May asleep on a couch. Classic Facebook material. I think we were all loath to end our last night, but tiredness won in the end.
Saturday, August 10th: Today we went home. Where previous days were long but satisfying, Saturday was just a long day. We flew back to the States on an early 7:30 AM flight.
We woke at 4:45 AM and made our way to the hotel lobby by 5:15 AM. We had to get across a busy made our way across the road (think frogger) and into the airport. After about 30 minutes spent on ticketing, we went to the small gift niches for last minute purchases. They were 10 feet deep and about 3 feet wide, filled to the brim with everything from t-shirts to wood carvings. We also all bought matching wrist-pieces (I refuse to call them bracelets) to remind ourselves about this trip once we get back to our normal lives.
Our flight out of Managua was delayed (I think weather related), so we had more than 30 min before boarding. Many of us went and found some food or wandered around the airport. It had a total of about 5 gates; for comparison, Atlanta has 207 gates and Dulles has 123 gates.
NOTE FOR FUTURE GET TRIPPERS: DO NOT LET SHIREEN CHOOSE YOUR SEATS!!! For the 3rd straight time, we were in the last or next to last row, with Shireen at least 4 rows away from the rest of us (ostensibly for a "window seat"). We had rows with windows that opened on the engine casing and even on row with no window, whatsoever. Shireen claims it was an accident, or the doing of the travel agent. Riiiiight.
At the Atlanta airport, we split from Jon, who was going to see family in California. The delay in our first flight meant that we had little time between, only getting to our gate about 15 min prior to boarding. The flight was fine, and we arrived at Dulles about on time. We prayed one last time and went our separate ways at baggage claim, after boyfriends and family picked up the young ladies.
What an amazing trip! God was at work and changing lives both in Nicaragua and on our team. We hope to keep the passion in our lives through an upcoming beans and rice "fast" and possibly a new bible study.
Hindsight View: To echo my last paragraph, what an amazing trip! We laughed, we cried, we were humbled, and we were impressed. We are so proud of our brothers and sisters in Nicaragua and grateful that we had the opportunity to work alongside them. I know that it will be difficult to keep passion going and that memories fade with time, but I'm glad that we, the team, made a pact to do our Compassion Diet. We're striking while the iron is hot and giving others a peek into the trip that (hopefully) was life-changing for us.
I'm glad that you chose to take this journey with us, please let me take this opportunity to encourage you one more time to consider giving. You can give directly at www.tfcanglican.org/get.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Day 5: Porridge vs. Pudding, Oliver Twist, and Some Thoughts on Diet Challenges
On Friday, we had leftover coconut rice pudding-porridge for breakfast (I have been informed that it's technically PORRIDGE and not PUDDING). For the cooks out there: Does the meal type determine if it is rice pudding or rice porridge? For example, if boiled rice with some sugar is eaten for breakfast, is that automatically porridge? And if it's for dessert, is it then pudding? Or is it the consistency that defines it? This is obviously a VERY important topic.
Sidebar thought: when I hear the word porridge, I think of poor little Oliver Twist. A fictional orphan, but representative of many in his time period.
For lunch, we had leftover chick peas with the butter-chicken-sauce-without-the-chicken (makhani sauce we got from Safeway). It didn't look quite like this, but it smelled like it (yes, it smelled delicious):
For dinner, we mashed the leftover chick peas then added lemon juice and olive oil to make a variation on hummus, and mixed that with white rice.
I am not sure what to write about today, but I have been trying to think about what I've learned. I think I need to collect my thoughts on that topic some more.
So instead, I'll just share some thoughts on diet challenges in general, such as Live Below the Line (spending no more than about $1.50/day on food) and SNAP challenges (no more than $4.50-$4.80/day). And some people may take a similar challenge or diet adjustment for ethical, environmental, health-related, or other reasons. But those two diet challenges I mentioned are more focused on reducing food spending and experiencing what it's like to not have the freedom or means to just buy whatever you want.
Most recently, the Panera CEO decided to take on the SNAP challenge (and he has pursued additional initiatives to address hunger and poverty). Many other mayors and other politicians have given it a try. Regardless of what your thoughts are on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the U.S., I think it's good that people are trying such challenges - it can help them empathize with those who struggle to make ends meet and help people be more disciplined with their spending and eating habits. Some people may criticize that taking on such a challenge doesn't really address (or solve) poverty, hunger, or "food insecurity", but I would counter that at least it is raising awareness on this topic.
This rice and beans compassion diet has some similar goals and benefits, but a few notable things are different, at least for me on a personal level, and also on a contextual and practical basis.
If you have done something like this before, I welcome your thoughts and experiences. Did you find it worthwhile, challenging, or meaningful, and did you learn anything?
Sidebar thought: when I hear the word porridge, I think of poor little Oliver Twist. A fictional orphan, but representative of many in his time period.
This clip is from the 1948 film (I think), which I never saw. I've only seen the musical film Oliver! (filmed in 1968), which I remember as being outstanding.
For lunch, we had leftover chick peas with the butter-chicken-sauce-without-the-chicken (makhani sauce we got from Safeway). It didn't look quite like this, but it smelled like it (yes, it smelled delicious):
For dinner, we mashed the leftover chick peas then added lemon juice and olive oil to make a variation on hummus, and mixed that with white rice.
I am not sure what to write about today, but I have been trying to think about what I've learned. I think I need to collect my thoughts on that topic some more.
So instead, I'll just share some thoughts on diet challenges in general, such as Live Below the Line (spending no more than about $1.50/day on food) and SNAP challenges (no more than $4.50-$4.80/day). And some people may take a similar challenge or diet adjustment for ethical, environmental, health-related, or other reasons. But those two diet challenges I mentioned are more focused on reducing food spending and experiencing what it's like to not have the freedom or means to just buy whatever you want.
Most recently, the Panera CEO decided to take on the SNAP challenge (and he has pursued additional initiatives to address hunger and poverty). Many other mayors and other politicians have given it a try. Regardless of what your thoughts are on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the U.S., I think it's good that people are trying such challenges - it can help them empathize with those who struggle to make ends meet and help people be more disciplined with their spending and eating habits. Some people may criticize that taking on such a challenge doesn't really address (or solve) poverty, hunger, or "food insecurity", but I would counter that at least it is raising awareness on this topic.
This rice and beans compassion diet has some similar goals and benefits, but a few notable things are different, at least for me on a personal level, and also on a contextual and practical basis.
- On a practical level - we don't have as much flexibility for types of food, like you would with the SNAP or LBL challenges. But, beans and rice are fairly cheap, so I think it would fit within the SNAP challenge spending limits, but maybe not every day for Live Below the Line. As an example, one 1-lb bag of beans could cost $2 or less, depending on the grocery store or the type of bean. You can easily make 4 meals or more with that one bag. Rice is even cheaper than beans, but canned beans are more expensive than either dry beans or dry rice.
- With respect to context - we chose rice and beans because it is the staple diet for many countries, and specifically the base diet for the children we met at the feeding center in Bluefields, Nicaragua. For some of those kids, their lunch meal would be the only nutritious meal (or only meal) they might receive that day. Usually it was a meal of fortified beans and rice, and sometimes a meat item was included.
- On a personal level, we chose to do this diet because we wanted to raise money for an organization and program that we saw firsthand and are now eager to support. We felt that God called us to do this and we are now trying to be faithful in a small, personal way that might also allow us to be an advocate for those children and have opportunities to tell their stories to our friends, families, and colleagues.
If you have done something like this before, I welcome your thoughts and experiences. Did you find it worthwhile, challenging, or meaningful, and did you learn anything?
Friday, September 20, 2013
Day 4: Thursday - Coconut milk rice pudding
NOW, we're more than halfway there.
For breakfast (and snacks) on Thursday, we had rice pudding using a similar recipe to the one made Sunday night. This time, we did not boil a cinnamon stick, but Matt did use a can of coconut milk in place of the evaporated milk. The result was amazing. I have no pictures of the dessert because we have already eaten most of it... A coworker also suggested adding a bit of lime into the coconut rice pudding. I might try that for breakfast tomorrow!
For dinner, the hubby also prepared garbanzo beans with a sauce base usually made with Indian butter chicken. It was excellent - probably my favorite meal thus far!
If you are a new reader to this blog, please take a minute to learn why we're doing this compassion diet and read a little about the organization and people for whom we're raising funds. Please consider donating - even just a small amount will help, and $15 will feed a child for a month. To learn more and donate, please to our fundraising site.
For breakfast (and snacks) on Thursday, we had rice pudding using a similar recipe to the one made Sunday night. This time, we did not boil a cinnamon stick, but Matt did use a can of coconut milk in place of the evaporated milk. The result was amazing. I have no pictures of the dessert because we have already eaten most of it... A coworker also suggested adding a bit of lime into the coconut rice pudding. I might try that for breakfast tomorrow!
I'm a little reluctant to post this video of the Coconut song because the people in gorilla costumes might give me nightmares.
For dinner, the hubby also prepared garbanzo beans with a sauce base usually made with Indian butter chicken. It was excellent - probably my favorite meal thus far!
If you are a new reader to this blog, please take a minute to learn why we're doing this compassion diet and read a little about the organization and people for whom we're raising funds. Please consider donating - even just a small amount will help, and $15 will feed a child for a month. To learn more and donate, please to our fundraising site.
A Look Back: Journaling Day 5 in Bluefields
Looks like we have hit Day 5 in my journal. Like today, it was Friday, and we had the prospect of travel coming up. Our trip was drawing to a close, and you could feel it in our interactions with the kids. It was almost a feeling of desperation, trying to hold on to our last few precious moments. We're doing better today in our diet; we made a hummus-like sauce from the chickpeas yesterday and they went incredibly well with rice. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers this week!
I recall at the time that I was very proud of the group for our morale. Even though it was a shorter trip, I have seen trips that long get tired and cranky, causing internal strife. Our team did a great job of staying positive, laughing at ourselves with others, and generally not giving in to nerves or fatigue. I certainly give the credit to God, our team leaders, and the kids.
Fear not, this is not my last entry. I still have a couple of days of travel to cover (although I might condense them to just one, we will see). Thank you for sharing the week this far with us, please come read again tomorrow!
Thursday, August 8th: Day 5 was a tough one. Not because of fatigue or frayed tempers, but because it was our last day with the kids. Saying goodbye was hard to do, knowing that we might never see them again.
We started the day by going to the quarry. We gave out bags of rice, beans, and other food, 10 in all, to families working the quarry. For $10, we fed a family for a week. The youngest children were heartbreaking because their parents kept them out of school to have them work/make money.
After the quarry, we headed to Verbo church. They were preparing for a wedding, so they were weaving palm fronds and decorating. We all avoided the sanctuary and went straight to the kitchen. We basically just played a ton with the kids, fed them, and played more. A staff member led a prayer for us with the kids, and it was touching to see Logan talk to the kids afterwards on our group's behalf. Saying goodbye was hard, we all took many photos, gave hugs, and generally tried to part on good terms. We made sure not to say "I'll be back in a year" or other promises that, while well intentioned, could cause heartbreak. I'm struck again by how they were such sweet children that need love and care.
Afterwards, we went to a pool with some of the older kids that helped with the church clean up and were recently baptized. We played games of chicken and raced in the water, and we played card games out of the water. After wrapping up the pool time, our girls somehow convinced Gizzy to stay with us and skip class.
We had dinner at the house, and did a short walking tour of the town. Many gringos walking errwhere! Definitely stuck out like a sore thumb. We all bought some fresh bread at a stand and enjoyed seeing some of the other parts of the city. Also, Katelyn took a spill through a sewer cover. Nothing serious, just some scratches on her leg and wounded pride. The photo on the right is just after the "incident".
At porch time, discussion was short. Logan referenced the Bible passage when men lowered their friend (the paralytic) through the roof to Jesus and drew parallels to how we wanted to do some small sacrifice in order to help those that were going through large sacrifices. We then all discussed the prospect of going a week in September where we will only eat rice and beans as a fundraiser.Hindsight View: This was our last day, and I think we went out with a bang. We spent time with the kids, we got a chance to hang out with a few older kids that had recently been baptized, we visited the quarry for a little longer to hand out food, and we even took in a few more of the sights.
I recall at the time that I was very proud of the group for our morale. Even though it was a shorter trip, I have seen trips that long get tired and cranky, causing internal strife. Our team did a great job of staying positive, laughing at ourselves with others, and generally not giving in to nerves or fatigue. I certainly give the credit to God, our team leaders, and the kids.
Fear not, this is not my last entry. I still have a couple of days of travel to cover (although I might condense them to just one, we will see). Thank you for sharing the week this far with us, please come read again tomorrow!
Thursday, September 19, 2013
A Look Back: Journaling Day 4 in Bluefields
My journal for day 4 has arrived. As Stephanie said, we had some difficulty with the diet yesterday, but we're redoubling our efforts. We made more rice pudding, this time with coconut milk. I also made a curry & chickpeas concoction that we'll eat with rice tonight. Thanks for your continued reading, here is my journal entry from day 4.
Wednesday, August 7th: If yesterday was hump day, this day was even longer. We had things to do from about 8:30 until at least 5, followed by an extended trip around the edges of town. We saw human suffering, we saw human dignity, and we saw the majesty of nature.
The morning started at the church, where we helped prepare for the day. Stephanie and I worked on painting the welds while Sixto welded further down the line. It was hot, messy work, but by the end of the day, Sixto completed the roof!
We helped serve food, we played with kids, and we did a pinata with them! One church member makes pinata as a business. The kids absolutely loved it. I got to hold the pinata! We separated the kids by size/age into 3 groups and shepherded them into the Sunday School building one group at a time. Kids swinging at the pinatas were hilarious, but the best part was the dog-piles of kids writhing on floor for the last piece of candy. It was so touching that they shared their candy with any kid that didn't get candy.
In the mid-afternoon, we had a session specifically with the parents. It was basically a church service, with games before (adults running and popping balloons! ) and cupcakes after. The service was a chance for Pastor Ed to talk to the parents, some of whom don't feed or adequately care for their kids.
After the cleanup, we headed to a restaurant that jutted out into the bay. Fantastic view! We all got juice, told jokes, and soaked up the beauty. Some new friends came, too, so we got to get to know them better.
We dragged home around 7, ate, and relaxed until porch time. In porch time, we discussed how to propagate the change we're involved in here, rather than letting it simply sit in our minds as a memory. After that, BED!
Hindsight
View: Something that came out of the porch time is this compassion diet that you're reading about and possibly experiencing. When we asked ourselves how we can bring the change home with us and really make it something that lasts longer than our short trip, we had lots of ideas. Last year, students at UVA did a period of going completely barefoot. Other teams had done similar events. In our case, we realized that we wanted to do food to more specifically relate to the feeding program and to stretch ourselves physically.
I think the day in the entry above was the beginning of the end. It was probably our longest and most hectic day, but it was also when we started to feel like our time was drawing to a close. There was a bittersweet feeling to it because we enjoyed the time so much and we truly felt like we were having very real, tangible time with God. He continues to be with us, but it's truth that you often most vividly experience Him when you are forced to rely on him and/or are outside of your normal comfort zone.
It was because of this that we really started thinking about further fundraising. I want to thank all of you that are supporting us. If you read this and are interested in throwing your support behind us, please see this post or just visit this website to give directly.
I think the day in the entry above was the beginning of the end. It was probably our longest and most hectic day, but it was also when we started to feel like our time was drawing to a close. There was a bittersweet feeling to it because we enjoyed the time so much and we truly felt like we were having very real, tangible time with God. He continues to be with us, but it's truth that you often most vividly experience Him when you are forced to rely on him and/or are outside of your normal comfort zone.
It was because of this that we really started thinking about further fundraising. I want to thank all of you that are supporting us. If you read this and are interested in throwing your support behind us, please see this post or just visit this website to give directly.
Day 3: Whooaa, we're halfway there...
Yesterday was a tough day, both for the diet and just mentally. I forgot to bring rice, and we ran out of rice pudding after breakfast. I brought an extra container of beans and a few sugar cubes in case I got hungry or light-headed at work.
So... for lunch I had beans and beans.
Everything still tasted good, but yesterday the food cravings were stronger - I was craving crunchy potato chips, fresh fruit, fried chicken, cookies, and ice cream. Also, CORNBREAD. Beans and cornbread just go hand in hand, as the song goes.
And did you know beans and cornbread meals are a NASA tradition?
The day was also tough because it was just very long; I didn't get home until almost 9 pm. For dinner, Matt made a masala-sauce beans meal. It looked and smelled delicious but I didn't really feel like having anything spicy. So I took some refried beans (basically mashed kidney beans), sprinkled some lemon juice in it (from extra lemons I had bought for the bridal shower), and mixed it with rice.
It tasted light, tangy, almost fresh, rather than being heavy and strong. The lemony flavors reminded me of hummus. I might do this again this week when I'm feeling like the beans are too strong and spicy. Also, I might go buy some chick peas to make hummus.
So now we are about halfway there... If you have done a diet like this before, what helped you get through the week?
And since you probably already have the song in your head, here's a picture to further cement it:
So... for lunch I had beans and beans.
Everything still tasted good, but yesterday the food cravings were stronger - I was craving crunchy potato chips, fresh fruit, fried chicken, cookies, and ice cream. Also, CORNBREAD. Beans and cornbread just go hand in hand, as the song goes.
And did you know beans and cornbread meals are a NASA tradition?
"Every single successful space shuttle launch since the very beginning of the shuttle program has been followed by beans and cornbread. It’s a tradition."
For those of you who were expecting a Bon Jovi embedded video, sorry to disappoint. OK, I'm not too sorry because I love Louis Jordan's music.
All fun aside, I have to be honest and share a few struggles. The novelty and initial excitement of the 7-day challenge has worn off, so now, we just gotta try to stick to our guns, not be whiny and complain-y, and pray that God will help us get through the week with good attitudes.
The day was also tough because it was just very long; I didn't get home until almost 9 pm. For dinner, Matt made a masala-sauce beans meal. It looked and smelled delicious but I didn't really feel like having anything spicy. So I took some refried beans (basically mashed kidney beans), sprinkled some lemon juice in it (from extra lemons I had bought for the bridal shower), and mixed it with rice.
It tasted light, tangy, almost fresh, rather than being heavy and strong. The lemony flavors reminded me of hummus. I might do this again this week when I'm feeling like the beans are too strong and spicy. Also, I might go buy some chick peas to make hummus.
So now we are about halfway there... If you have done a diet like this before, what helped you get through the week?
And since you probably already have the song in your head, here's a picture to further cement it:
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
A Look Back: Journaling Day 3 in Bluefields
We're up to day 3! In predictable fashion, I'm finding that my week on the diet is dragging by MUCH slower than the week in Nicaragua. My coworkers are now joking that I'm visibly losing weight in front of them. On a positive note, they all know about my diet and why I'm doing it. I'm grateful for the opportunity to talk about it with colleagues. Hope you enjoy installment 3 of my trip journal.
Tuesday, August 6th. Day 3 was our "hump day", and our longest day yet. We went to the Verbo school, the church/feeding center, and got a quick tour of the future orphanage site, the quarry, and the dump. What a whirlwind!
The school is past the soccer field
At the school, we split into two groups and went to visit classrooms. My team (Shireen, Stephanie, Logan, May, Wilson, and me) went to 4 classes, where we spoke on nutrition and hygiene. We started out disjointed but got to the point where we had a general order and transitions between topics. We even sang a song printed off the UNICEF website that put washing instructions to the tune of "La Cucaracha" in Spanish. The 3rd graders were the most responsive, the 6th graders the least. I know, against all expectations, right?
Family under a tent breaking rocks
From there, we visited the quarry and dump; both were heartbreaking. The quarry had all ages, from small kids to adults, chipping rocks to make gravel. Whole families worked there, with parents keeping kids out of school so they could work and support the family. At the dump, people picked out garbage for recyclable materials, which they turned in for money at the dump. I cannot imagine spending 8 hours a day just chipping rocks or picking over trash. The dump is significantly improved. The government of Denmark came in and built new facilities a few years ago where scavengers can turn in their recyclables. It's a great improvement, although it doesn't change that families still scavenge to live day to day.
Finally, we went to the church and did Vacation Bible School sessions and some work. It stopped raining, so we were able to begin the roof installation and painting the hand washing station. Around 4:30, we started home, but stopped by the orphanage construction site, which was just the bones that will be turned into a full facility. We prayed over the site, where we hope many kids will find family and God!
Porch time was rich. Three team members shared their testimonies. All were good, but a couple of folks teared up, which really demonstrated our vulnerability with each other and definitely brought the group closer. I think the young ladies have really been impacted by this trip, I am praying that they will have a renewed passion following this trip (and the rest of us, too)!
Hindsight View: Something that I haven't brought up before, but that was a constant throughout our week was "Porch Time". At the end of each day, we would gather together (usually on a porch) and look back through the day. We started with the phrase "Remember when...", then transitioned to "I saw Jesus when...", then talk about some Bible passages or through some themes that Logan or Shireen brought to the group. For example: I remember when young men would blow kisses at one of our girls in the back of the truck and Jon would blow kisses back. I saw Jesus when I saw a child put their meal in a small plastic bag they brought and skip lunch, so they could give the food to one of their siblings at home.
It still hits me. Some kids get just one meal, and they care so much for their little brother or sister, that they eat a bare minimum and take the rest for others.
Porch time was when we could slow down and digest what we experienced during the day. While we were all in the same general place, we each saw events through different lenses and often had vignettes that only we experienced. For instance, May was "kidnapped" to an orchard, where the kids tried to get her to eat the fruit. With so many things coming at us fast and furious, it was important that we get to think back over it and understand what all we saw and did. Especially after seeing the deep need and difficult situations at the quarry and dump. That kind of poverty boggles the mind, especially for folks that have never seen anything like it before. I'm so glad we had team members there that could help us navigate that gut wrenching, visceral experience night after night.
Day 2.5 Recipe: Easy-Peasy Southern Style Butter Beans
So I decided to make some butter beans (for lunch today, Wednesday). Extremely easy - you just need an hour or so to boil the water and beans. You need only a few ingredients: Lima beans and a bouillon cube.
Of course, it's called BUTTER BEANS, so you will need... BUTTER.
Bring water and beans to a boil. After beans start to soften (they also darken slightly), add 1-2 tbsp of butter and a bouillon cube (we used beef). [Note: If you want to go completely vegetarian, use more salt and seasonings or a vegetable bouillon cube. If you want vegan, replace the butter with dairy-free margarine. If you don't care, add a few chopped bacon or ham pieces.]
Continue boiling on medium heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally. You may need to add more water depending on whether or not you cover the pot. Just make sure the beans don't start to burn.
After an hour, there should still be liquid but it will be a thicker broth. The beans should be soft but not mushy. Remove from heat and add one more tbsp butter and salt to taste. Stir it up and serve with rice. This dish is normally is served as a side, but if it is your main dish, it yields four large servings.
Buttery, yummy goodness! The beans are mild and almost sweet, pairing well with the butter. If you are tired of spicy (or garlicky) flavoring, this is a good option to achieve some variety.
This was so delicious we will definitely be preparing it again some day.
Of course, it's called BUTTER BEANS, so you will need... BUTTER.
Butters was not harmed in the making of these butter beans. I just like his picture more than a stick of butter.
The other times I've had the dish, it was cooked with bacon and ham and served as a side rather than main dish. We used baby lima beans instead of large lima beans, and added no meat pieces.
Butter Beans - Simple Recipe
- 1 lb (one 14-16 oz. bag) raw lima beans
- 2 quarts water
- 1 bouillon cube
- 2-3 tbsp butter, to taste
- dashes of salt, black pepper, or seasoned salt to taste. (At the time, I still smelled like garlic, so I did not add any garlic salt - but if you love it, go for it.)
Continue boiling on medium heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally. You may need to add more water depending on whether or not you cover the pot. Just make sure the beans don't start to burn.
After an hour, there should still be liquid but it will be a thicker broth. The beans should be soft but not mushy. Remove from heat and add one more tbsp butter and salt to taste. Stir it up and serve with rice. This dish is normally is served as a side, but if it is your main dish, it yields four large servings.
Buttery, yummy goodness! The beans are mild and almost sweet, pairing well with the butter. If you are tired of spicy (or garlicky) flavoring, this is a good option to achieve some variety.
This was so delicious we will definitely be preparing it again some day.
If you stare at it long enough, it starts to resemble the rice pudding.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
A Look Back: Journaling Day 2 in Bluefields
As stated in the title, this is my journal of Day 2 in Bluefields. Thank you for continuing to walk through this with me, I hope you enjoy the peek into our time there. If you have thoughts or input, I encourage you to leave a note by clicking at the icon at the bottom of this post.
Monday, August 5th. I'm writing this entry a day after the events of day 2, and will do my best to recall the details of all we did.
This was our first day with the kids. We were at the church from 9 to 3 working on the church and ministering to the kids. Jon had gotten a wireless speaker to donate to the kitchen so the ladies preparing the food can listen to music while cooking. We had the speaker going as we drove through town to the church, and received many funny looks. Like yesterday, I rode in the truck bed. It gave a great 360 degree view of the town and let us greet all the people you see as you drive past. Plus, that left more seats and room for the ladies in the cab.
After arriving, someone (i think Jon) inadvertently started a dance circle while we waited for the kids. Since his phone was the only device attached via bluetooth, we plumbed the depths of Jon's music library. He/ we chose all upbeat songs and as lead on the circle passed between people, we all soon broke out in sweat. The kids that arrived early to see it were extremely entertained.
Once the staff were ready for us, we split up into work areas, like food prep and painting crew. The roof could not be worked on due to the continued heavy rain. If I haven't mentioned it yet, it rained a lot. Shireen likened it to monsoon season in India. Tons of rain.
The kids took a little while to arrive, so we didn't get started with them until 10:30 or so. We had developed some Vacation Bible School and hygiene lessons ahead of time, but the delay made us shorten our morning plan. We did get to play some games before lunch and do a quick David and Goliath talk. We served food to the kids and drinks, then more playing. Liza and i took the plunge and played soccer in the monsoons with some kids. I had some white ankle socks that started out white and ended up brown from the mud. I have never been happier to ruin a pair of socks! The kids were rambunctious, energetic, and wonderful.
After lunch, we conducted our programs. We had 3 sessions: David and Goliath, Jesus and Zaccheus, and hygiene/ tooth-brushing. May, Shireen, and I were on the Jesus and Zaccheus one. I would play Jesus (my beard was better) and May would climb a stack of chairs to play Zaccheus. Shireen narrated (with some help from Logan). After playing out the scene, we would do a craft to make puppets out of paper bags. Each group of children did all three sessions, so the kids could do all the crafts and lessons.
We ended the day around 4, after helping clean up (or trying to help and being told I wasn't mopping right). It was such a neat time to work with the kids and introduce ourselves. That was the end of the day, for the most part. With the running, jumping, and playing, as well as travel weariness, we all headed back to nap and rest.
Hindsight View: This was our first real time with the kids. We had attended church the previous day, but the kids don't come for the feeding program on weekends. Staff members told us that the kids had been asking for a few days "when are the gringos coming??" We were so happy to see them, and were overwhelmed by how happy they were to see us. I was probably the most awkward of the group, as I didn't feel as comfortable just grabbing a kid and playing with him or her. Given the climate of mistrust in the US, and our litigious society, I think most adult males are very sensitive to the perception of others / don't want to come across as 'creepy'. I found that it took a day or so (with the kids cajoling me) before I started swinging them around, carrying them places, etc. I wish I had started doing it sooner!
At this point, I should point out that we all owe a great deal of thanks to one team member, Carrie. In her professional career, she is a teacher, and boy did it show as we prepared for this trip. She was such a great resource and tool of God on this trip. Without her, we would have had a much harder time figuring out what to say or what to do. The kids had a much better time because she was involved. Thank you for all you did, Carrie!!
Day 2: On the topic of cheating on snacks
Since I had such luxurious space and elbow room on my Metro commute, I typed up almost two whole blog posts. On my smartphone! Yay for technology! So I thought I'd briefly discuss "cheating" in the area of snacks.
My blood sugar sometimes gets low, and almost every day I have a snack for a little pick-me-up. You know, to get through the work day... and probably because I love to snack.
I used to eat unhealthy snacks a lot (like potato chips), but lately I've been trying to eat healthier snacks (like almonds). This week will be particularly challenging - what should I eat for snacks?
Yesterday, I chewed on a sugar cube. Or five... (hey, we had a ton of leftovers from the bridal shower!). They kind of looked like this:
It was my dessert too.
Today, I worked very late so I had TWO cough drops as a snack. Not terribly satisfying or fun to chew like a sugar cube, but it helped me get through my work day.
Any other suggestions? I could have rice pudding, but I can't really think of many other snacks. Maybe sweet red bean paste? That one seems a little more time intensive. I have little time for this thing called "effort".
On a slightly related note, it is unfortunate that many healthier food options (such as fresh veggies and fruits) are more expensive than unhealthy and fatty foods (like fast food). I'm not the first person to make note of this, but I wish I better understood why that is and how to reverse that.
On another related note, I think this little pang of hunger and light-headedness is pretty much another #firstworldproblem compared to what people experience when they go to bed hungry, for days at a time. So if you haven't given yet to our campaign to help some hungry kids, please consider doing so by donating through this link: http://tfcanglican.org/get.
Do you have any recommendations for a good and acceptable snack during a rice and beans diet?
My blood sugar sometimes gets low, and almost every day I have a snack for a little pick-me-up. You know, to get through the work day... and probably because I love to snack.
I used to eat unhealthy snacks a lot (like potato chips), but lately I've been trying to eat healthier snacks (like almonds). This week will be particularly challenging - what should I eat for snacks?
Yesterday, I chewed on a sugar cube. Or five... (hey, we had a ton of leftovers from the bridal shower!). They kind of looked like this:
It was my dessert too.
Today, I worked very late so I had TWO cough drops as a snack. Not terribly satisfying or fun to chew like a sugar cube, but it helped me get through my work day.
Any other suggestions? I could have rice pudding, but I can't really think of many other snacks. Maybe sweet red bean paste? That one seems a little more time intensive. I have little time for this thing called "effort".
On a slightly related note, it is unfortunate that many healthier food options (such as fresh veggies and fruits) are more expensive than unhealthy and fatty foods (like fast food). I'm not the first person to make note of this, but I wish I better understood why that is and how to reverse that.
On another related note, I think this little pang of hunger and light-headedness is pretty much another #firstworldproblem compared to what people experience when they go to bed hungry, for days at a time. So if you haven't given yet to our campaign to help some hungry kids, please consider doing so by donating through this link: http://tfcanglican.org/get.
Do you have any recommendations for a good and acceptable snack during a rice and beans diet?
Day 2 of the diet: Garlic-palooza
For dinner last night Matt boiled rice and added 1 can of black beans, 1 can of pinto beans, seasonings and salt. We used a pre-made seasoning packet that we bought a while ago from Charleston, SC. This particular mix had dried garlic, celery powder, onion powder, and cayenne powder... And probably more garlic salt and garlic powder. Did I mention there was garlic?
When I arrived home, the hubby had already been cooking (such a great guy!), and as soon as I opened the door, the aroma hit me like a giant wall. Of garlic.
We are safe from vampires for at least 1000 years.
It was still a yummy meal, and we had a good laugh about it, but I'm pretty sure I will smell like garlic for the next four days. This might explain how I got my own seat during my Metro commute, in BOTH directions... [In reality, I got my own seat because I left later than normal - 10 AM and 8 PM. Or at least I think that's why.]
We packed the garlicky goodness for lunch today too (and had cold rice pudding for breakfast - delicious). The lunch still tasted good, but I am ready to neutralize the still-lingering taste of garlic in my mouth, throat, nose, and brain.
When I arrived home, the hubby had already been cooking (such a great guy!), and as soon as I opened the door, the aroma hit me like a giant wall. Of garlic.
We are safe from vampires for at least 1000 years.
It was still a yummy meal, and we had a good laugh about it, but I'm pretty sure I will smell like garlic for the next four days. This might explain how I got my own seat during my Metro commute, in BOTH directions... [In reality, I got my own seat because I left later than normal - 10 AM and 8 PM. Or at least I think that's why.]
I had the whole train car to myself!
We packed the garlicky goodness for lunch today too (and had cold rice pudding for breakfast - delicious). The lunch still tasted good, but I am ready to neutralize the still-lingering taste of garlic in my mouth, throat, nose, and brain.
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