While I was in Africa, cooking took on a whole different meaning. I was lucky enough to have a camp stove in the place that we rented after we were married. It had two burners which I didn't use as I only had one pot so could only cook one thing at a time anyways... One pot, one spoon and a spatula and I made due for 6 weeks. The only problem about my stove was that the small cupboard it was sitting on had quite the lean to it... One night I was preparing a stew -like meal for company that we were getting and I was cooking on in my one pot.... stirring my meat and trying to get everything ready for dinner. Well Murphy decided to show up for this meal too and as I was stirring the whole pot came tumbling down to the floor... Well, you say that is ok, just pick it up from the floor. NOT! the floor that we had in this kitchen was quite all there, parts of it was dirt. I was ready to throw the whole thing in the garbage but my husband came in as I was picking up the dropped stuff off the floor and he would not let me throw it away. Well, there was no way I was going to serve it to company, so into the fridge it went. Now the dilemma, what am I going to make for our company... no more meat as we bought fresh meat every day as the power isn't always on, but I did have bread and eggs and fruit. So, I decided to make french toast and used the fruit to put on top... fresh mangoes, papayas and pineapples that I mashed altogether and it was so yummy. I can still taste it.
I am sure you are wondering what happened to the meat I had prepared and wouldn't serve.. Well, I did cooked it and cooked it and cooked it... I think I boiled the meat for about 5 hours and it was the most delicious meat I have ever tasted.. I think the dirt and possibly the cock roaches gave it some flavor... (no there weren't any cock roaches, or at least there wasn't anything crunchy in the stew).
But, a lot of the people that I saw didn't have a portable camp stove and most cooked over an open fire or used a propane tank to a single burner to cook on. Their kitchens are only small and most of them are in a place where there are not windows and it is hot preparing on the one little countertop that they have, although alot will cook their meals outside. We have lots to be thankful.
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| my camp stove |
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| cooking outside |
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| preparing food in the kitchen |
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| cooking over an open fire |
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| carrying water |
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| a bakery |
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| a bakery |
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| stove in a bakery |
I wonder how many of us could cook in these conditions and not only for a short while like I did, but every day.
Til next time <3 <3 <3 Marlys
It may have started out as a problem, but your meal of French toast sounds fantastic. It must have been a fascinating experience living in Africa.
ReplyDeleteDinner turned out great and my kitchen was named Quick and Sweet.
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Cindy
What an amazing story you have. Moving from Canada to Africa would be so different, but it's amazing how one can get by on so little. (We sure do have it good in North America)!
ReplyDeleteWe do have it very good here... and we need to remember it. And we also probably don't need half of what we have!
DeleteWe tend to take our good fortune for granted. Thank you for the reminder Marlys.
ReplyDeleteWe do take things for granted... but when we don't know anything different it is hard to envision what to do without it. Everytime I have been to Africa, I wonder how I would live without the things at home... we have been slowly taking things there that we think we can't live without... blenders, some dishes... so when we can finally afford to live there for longer time... I should have everything that I have here in my kitchen... My in-laws appreciate the things that we have brought so far.
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