When I'm not at the hangar... Part one: Cooking

Hi Family & Friends, With the beginning of Lent I was inspired rather than "give something up" to "do something better" namely communicate. After being Stateside for 10 weeks and having the chance to sit down with many of you, it became clear that you'd like to know more about what I'm doing and more importantly, what God is doing through me and often in spite of me, amen? One of the questions I heard the most was, "What do you do in your spare time?" In Lesotho we don't have a movie theater (anymore) the closest one is 100 miles from us - imagine driving to San Diego from Orange County just to see a movie! There isn't a Starbucks, it isn't advisable to be outside after dark, no public parks or cool outdoor malls to go to, most stores close at 6:00 PM and at the latest 8:00 PM. So the question remains... what do I do? I COOK. I cook all but one night a week and usually 3-4 mornings too; making nearly everything from scratch. There are very few pre-packaged meals (I never buy them), no Bisquick or other mixes - you know those items that fill the store shelves in the USA that are supposed to save you time? Yeah, we don't really have those. Preparing food takes time, sometimes it takes a lot of time. Fortunately I like cooking so it is a task I enjoy. I have become a fan of Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals and also of using my crock-pot/slow cooker. The internet is an endless source of culinary creativity for me, you know, so long as both the electricity and internet are working. If you have a recipe you love, especially if it is quick - please share it! You can email it to me @ kimberlybaker@maf.org - thanks! Also worth mentioning: Most of the food we buy, if not all, is imported which can make it expensive. There are foods here that are very comparable to things we eat, and this is true of most food. However occasionally there is something that is not even close. For example, mayonnaise. Best Foods/Hellman's mayo is what I was raised on - I believe you either are a mayo family or a Miracle Whip family. Imagine my sadness and shock when I discovered ALL mayo in Lesotho tastes like Miracle Whip, all that is except for imported Hellman's which costs close to $6.00 for a normal sized jar - not the economy size. That's some expensive mayo, but there are some things (at least for me) that are worth the splurge. The other conundrum: Sometimes things simply aren't available. Can you imagine walking into your local grocery store and mot being able to find fresh chicken of any kind? Not a whole chicken, no breasts, skinless or otherwise? It boggles the mind! There might be frozen chicken but if you were hoping to take it home for dinner that night - think again. Remember I have to do my shopping after work usually around 5-6 PM. Many things, staples like chicken, butter, cream, fresh milk, fresh fruits and veggies are often sold out or unavailable. It can make shopping and menu planning a bit of a challenge. It's a good thing I like a challenge ;)