Dinnertime is at the top of my list for favorite times of the day. Abby and I have become pros at making tasty things out of the same five vegetables, the few fruits that are in season, eggs, beans, rice, and pasta. There you have it—a list of our entire average diet.
In spite of the limited options available, Abby and I actually eat really healthy, delicious meals. So far this week, we have had eggplant ratatouille, homemade hummus and tortillas with fresh veggies, and a curry rice stir-fry. We eat like vegetarians, and even though I am not one, at times I catch myself wondering if that will be something I continue when I get home. But only just for a second until I think of a tender, juicy steak prepared by Granddad Uffman. And then I laugh at the absurdity of the passing thought because my mouth starts watering as soon as I picture the steak. However, I do think that I will take home some of my new dietary habits to the States. I do not plan on eating meat at almost every meal, as I was accustomed to doing before joining Peace Corps. Partially, this is due to the fact that I have learned to live on more vegetables and less meat out of necessity. Also, thanks to Abby's advocacy, I have learned it is better for the planet to eat less meat. The following arguments have also contributed to my decision to eat less meat. So much more land is wasted growing crops for the animals we raise to eat, than if we just ate the crops ourselves. The meat processing industry has a bad reputation for being cruel and unclean. The transport to ship meat is expensive and all the fuel wasted in transport is bad for the environment. Also our bodies do not need as much protein as many of us usually intake in the States.
Yesterday I was feeling really proud about all the wonderful meals we have made, and thinking about how well I am eating. That is, until my family called, and my sister Sarah and my dad decided to describe the dill sauce they served over salmon with all sorts of fancy side dishes, none of which are available in Mozambique. I will only find salmon over dill sauce in my wildest dreams for these two years! Oh, and on down days, Abby and I start playing this cruel game about all the foods we would like to eat but cannot. On the top of our list are: good cheese and wine, pizza, Taco Bell (Abby), ice cream, waffles with real maple syrup, a berry of any sort (blue, raz, straw, or black—we'd take any), Granddad Uffman's steak (Abby too), whole wheat bread, crème brule, cream cheese bagels, New England clam chowder, North Carolina barbeque, Mexican food, and deli turkey sandwiches. We literally did a dance of joy and tears of happiness welled in our eyes when Heinz 57 Ketchup and Parmesan arrived, thanks to my aunts. And where oh where are all the condiments? Far away are the A1 Steak Sauce, salsa, barbeque sauce, raspberry vinaigrette, and blueberry syrup. All I can say is spices have been our saving grace, our supply of which is rapidly diminishing! Basil, garlic powder, spice blends, black pepper, thyme, dill, and turmeric—we use them like our life depends on them, or at least to work magic with our 15 ingredients. Abby is giving me spice lessons, if she were not around then I would probably survive on fried bean curd sandwiches. (Seriously, some Peace Corps volunteers who live alone eat fried bean curd sandwiches as their main staple. I eat bejias sandwiches pretty often myself, I promise they are better than the name sounds)!
While cooking the other day, we started talking about how insane it will be to prepare food back in the States. Besides not having many of our favorite foods available, it is weird not being able to just drive through a fast-food restaurant or pick up something quick at a 24-hour grocery store when you do not feel like cooking. Also, we follow these routine precautions and extra steps daily:
1. Always boil or filter water.
2. Peel and/or wash and bleach fruits and vegetables.
3. When you prepare rice or beans we have to pick out rocks, and then rinse it thoroughly before boiling it.
It is going to be amazing to just turn on a tap and get a glass of water rather than fetch it from a barrel, filter it, and then drink it. It will be nice just throwing on the instant rice or beans, and eating them without crunching on a rock you did not see. Sometimes I complain about the lack of foods available here, but I am so grateful to see how lucky I am to have such a diverse and abundant food selection at my fingertips in the States. I think I will be able to appreciate our food availability and not abuse it anymore in a way I have never been able to when I return. I will be able to appreciate it more because I miss it. When I say not abuse it, I will not overeat meat or eat so many processed foods that are bad for me just because they are everywhere and good. Since we have to prepare everything from scratch, I have come to love eating fresh fruits and veggies and discovered it just as tasty as that processed-bad-for-you food. I will be frequenting my local farmers market and starting a vegetable garden when I get home.
P.S. Yes, I think I've done it, managed to write a blog entry that makes me sound like the quintessential tree-hugging Peace Corps type.
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