A recipe swap

Every night we eat with our host family from a variety of national fare. Every Sunday, per the request of Grandma, Kaleen prepares Ash Pilau; a rice dish with meat, carrots, onions and potatoes. This morning I told Kaleen that I wanted her to teach me how to prepare Ash Pilau from start to finish.

Dinner we share with the family, but breakfast and lunch we are free to eat as just our family. So that means we can also eat things are tummies are more familiar with. Yet, without refrigeration, our options are limited. Today, I made grilled cheese sandwiches on nan. There is quite the assortment of smoked Russian cheeses, so we are in a sampling stage. All four children, neice and Kaleen watched in amazement as I made something they had never seen, using their nan. I gave them a large sandwich to sample, and they had it eaten before I could get my camera.

The happy plate.

Several hours later I was beckoned to the kitchen, anticipating to start on my Ash pilau lessons. Rather, Kaleen wanted me to show her how I had made the bread. She said her children loved it and had been begging her to make more. I asked if she had cheese, "no, but it will be delicious without cheese." So I showed her how to butter and grill her bread and the children happily enjoyed it.

And as the day progressed I learned how to make pilau. And learning here really looks like doing. She would give me an instruction, and I would do it. So tonight's dinner was my first attempt at pilau. And it turned out okay!

Cleaning the rice of rocks, stray lentils, grass, etc.

Russian Sister-in-Law

It was a full day at home with our family (thus lots of fun stories). Sunday is “bazaar day” so really it seems more work than rest. Today I made a quick trip with Kaleen to the fabric bazaar. I’m still grieving how small the bazaar is compared to the 2 street lengths of fabric I had in our previous home. But as we walked through the bazaar it felt as though she was greeting every-other woman, oftentimes sharing a short discourse with them. Once we returned home, she asked if I had understood what everyone was asking her. I confess, sometimes my mind goes on language overload and I check out. Apparently this was one such time. She explained that everyone was asking if I was her new sister-in-law. There is one unmarried son remaining in the family. He’s been in Russia working for the past 5 years. I was all the talk of the bazaar; the new Russian sister-in-law. My light skin, hair and eyes lead to the Russian assumption. I had Elli with me; so poor Kaleen had a lot to explain.

Family Getaway

Our family has enjoyed a much needed 2 day get-a-way. While our friends were away, we went to stay at their apartment for 2 nights. The original plan was just to stay for 1 night. But we haven't been able to beat our tummy bugs and needed another night with a toilet close by.

Finding Ethan hugging the "throw up" basin during his nap sealed the deal that we would stay one more night.

Both Ethan and Elli have thrown up during the last couple of days. It amazes me that while one cries and throws up, the other can sleep through it. That is grace. But as a result, we had all of our bedding and several extra changes of clothing to wash. And unfortunately the water/power was out for the first day we were at the apartment.

So Ethan and I tried our "hand" at washing some essentials in a basin.

It was fun to have access to a more familiar kitchen. So we enjoyed pizza with Mozzarella cheese we brought with us from the capital. We watched several Andy Griffith's and by the end of the 2 days, felt rested and ready to return home.

Happy Mother's Day

Today I accompanied Grandma to visit the newest grandbaby at the hospital. A first born son was born to the newest kaleen (young bride) on the 9th. I didn't anticipate being gone all afternoon, but luckily Austin was home with the kids. When I returned, I was welcomed by a fun belated Mother's Day surprise. Austin had taken the kids to the bazaar and they picked out my first tea set. So I'm all ready to host friends for tea!

Ethan was a willing participant in my tea set photo shoot.

Elli, on the other hand, when I tried to take her chocolate away (given to her by Grandma) she threw a fit.

Thankful for Aunt Janie

Growing up one of my favorite people to be with was Aunt Janie. She just had a way of always making me (and anyone she was with) feel special. One distinct memory I have of her was as an insecure 5^th or 6^th grader. I had fair skin and really blond hair. But my eyebrows were really dark and thick. I hated my eyebrows and somehow had made comment of it to Aunt Janie on one of our visits in her home. I remember her sitting with me looking through a “popular” magazine. She said “Jenni, find me one model with light eyebrows.” I don’t think I found one, but the rest of the message was what was so meaningful. She encouraged me to believe that I was fearfully and wonderfully made, all the way down to my eyebrows.

So today, getting ready to go to a wedding party, I praised Father for Aunt Janie. Eyebrow pencil in hand, darkening my already brown eyebrows, I thought “Man did He know what He was doing or what? He knew where I would end up living. He knew I would be surrounded by a culture that paints their eyebrows on for the sheer “beauty” of it. And even those little things that I despised growing up, He prepared!

Where it all goes

I’ve been amazed at how little is wasted. Thought you’d get a kick out of where everything goes:
Trash:
• If it’s burnable and relatively clean, it goes in the tandoor oven to wait for the next nan making day. This includes all packaging, old boxes they get from the bazaar, etc.
• A container of any kind is reused. Currently an old Pringles can is my salt shaker.
• Peels or most food waste is given to the sheep. Exluding citrus & onion peels which are either dried or thrown out.
• Diapers: Elli’s the only one that wears them. I have yet to follow “Bobo” (Grandpa) to find where he takes the bag of unburnable trash.
Water:
• Clean water is used for washing dishes, clothes, hands.
• After the water has been used, water with soap residue is thrown in a bucket. Once the bucket is full, it is dumped into the “ju” that runs through the front of every neighbors yard, with an unknown destination
• Used but not too soapy water, is used to either thrown on the dust before sweeping the sidewalk, or given to the sheep.
Who knew so much could be used out of what I used to throw down my garbage disposal (minus the diapers of course!)

We're all sick

Not even 2 weeks into our home stay and we are all sick in some form or another. All of our tummies are showing signs of the runs, probably from the yummy soft serve ice cream we’ve been enjoying from the corner shop (but that is for another blog). And then I and the kids all have awful colds/coughs. I’ve been given a smattering of reasons why we are all sick, the most interesting one being that my children have a cold because I gave them a bath.

Out of genuine concern the women of the family have provided us with several home remedies.

Today, Kaleen made another batch of nan, this time with milk and oil in the batch instead of just water. With the still smoldering ashes and some dried grass, she made something for me to deeply inhale and clear my head. The results are yet to be seen.

For Austin’s queasy tummy it was a strong black sugar tea using this whole special sugar cube and dried pomegranate peels. He was instructed to drink the entire pot, though I think he only managed to down a mug of it. The family was happy to hear that it had worked and Austin was feeling better. Unfortunately I don’t have the language enough to explain “Imodium,” so we’ll let the tea take all the credit.