Friday, June 6, 2014

Food

It's been a while since I've been on the blog, and I've just realized looking at it that I didn't post anything in May!  That's simply too long a time, especially when it was my goal to post regularly.  A lot has changed in the month of May, with the kids going to school and myself working too.  I will write about that soon.

Truth be told, there's a lot I could write about.  There's usually so much in my head that I don't even know where to begin.  Sometimes I think of crazy and funny things going on, that my friends and family in Canada would get a kick out of reading.  Other times I think more seriously about spiritual things or how I miss people and life in Canada.  A lot to sort through in my mind.

For today, I thought I would keep it light... and write about food.  For friends that live here in East Africa and read this, maybe you will find this strange, because this is life for you.  Yet you might learn something as well from a Canadian perspective of someone who is adjusting to not only eating different, but shopping and preparing food different than I'm usually used to.

First of all, I cook almost everything from scratch.  No such thing as convenience foods (or if there are, they are simply outrageously expensive).  This isn't bad though... eating this way is much healthier.  But it is more time consuming, and sometimes when I'm just too tired to cook, I have to anyway.  For us, a quick dinner when we are tired is usually eggs and ugali.  There is no drive through or takeaway close by.  We would have to drive to Kampala for that, and it's not worth fighting traffic to do so.  There are cooked foods we can find and purchase ready to eat, such as barbecue pork or chicken on a stick and chapati.  It tastes good.


Don't get me wrong... there are options!  There are some great restaurants.  We have some favourites already... and many more to try out yet.  There is even a KFC in Kampala, and another to come in Entebbe.  There are some great coffee shops as well.


You can find a lot of things here you would find in Canada, but often at a price that I don't feel good about spending.  I can find tomato sauce to make pasta, but it's half the size and double the price.  The same is for cottage cheese... half the size, double the price.  So, a favourite dish of the kids, lasagna, has not been eaten now in four months.  (It's time to go check out an Italian restaurant, I say!)

I was excited at first that we get the Food Network Channel on TV here.  But I find that I don't watch it so much... it reminds me of food I cannot make!  Oh well... Again, getting adjusted to a new normal.


The kids used to complain at first about the way things taste different... the meat tastes different, the milk tastes different (Juma already wrote about that), but of late they haven't said much, which shows me they are getting used to it.  And I'm getting better at cooking various things.

As I said, I do make more from scratch, including flour tortillas (an item I have not found in supermarkets here... been told of a good Mexican restaurant though, which we also still need to check out).

These are the joys of adjustment.  And I will continue to keep working at it!


Until next time....







1 comment:

  1. Dolly, this is great…just what all us North Americans want to hear about your adjustments in a country so different. You are making huge strides and I for one are very proud of you. I know how hard this is…trying to find the ingredients we all take for granted and have to hunt through many stores just to find one. We miss you all. I went to Sumas today and mailed you an envelope of letters from Northview and sent you the DVD of Mission Fest. Keep them coming……

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