Dinner Adventures in Nigeria

When we first moved to Nigeria we did not have a cook so here is a sampling of what cooking was like then:

No electricity?  No running water?  And I have to cook dinner?  No problem…

I have been struggling with cooking anything but eggs since we arrived.  The oven and stove are gas, the knives are dull and the tools are NOT the Pampered Chef variety I am accustomed to (why didn’t I bring some?)  The cooking I have done has not looked very pleasant, but it has tasted good, so I guess that is a plus.  But today I rose to the challenge.

My sister-in-law Ann took me shopping this morning (Wednesday April 8).  We had such a nice time meandering the market (ok…more like dodging motorcycles, maneuvering through puddles, and avoiding running into people) but we had a nice chat at lunch and she showed me many places.  Thank you Ann!

This afternoon while Toby was away at Volleyball practice (he and his brother, Kyle, are coaching the J.V. team at the local MK school) I returned home to begin dinner.  The electricity was off, which is nothing new, but imagine my dismay when there was no running water!  This also meant we had no working toilet.  So, I called a neighbor, who called a neighbor, and he came over to figure out what the problem was.   While he was sorting it all out I was in the kitchen deciding what to do for dinner.  I had planned on meatloaf and mashed potatoes with a nice green salad.  But for this dish I needed water.

Fortunately we had enough filtered water for me to use some for the potatoes and I had soaked and rinsed the salad vegi’s earlier this afternoon, so those items were feasible.  But with the water issue I had lost precious time and meatloaf takes a while to cook.  So, I decided to make meatballs (which I have never done before).  I had bought some fresh basil in the market so I thought Italian meatballs sounded like a good idea.

The meal was delicious…Toby especially enjoyed the meatballs.  In fact, he is looking forward to meatball sandwiches tomorrow night!  So, without water or electricity I was able to cook a lovely meal of Italian meatballs, garlic mashed potatoes, garlic bread and salad…with pineapple for dessert.  It was such an accomplishment that I had to share with you all.  Wish you had been here to enjoy the meal!

P.S.:  Much of this cooking was done with a hungry, crying boy running around wanting to be held.  Just after I stopped for a “dance break” with Caden a neighbor walked in to check on the water…she had a good laugh at our dancing.  The water problem?  Our tank was clogged.  Two of the men on the compound were able to get it going again just in time for Toby to wash the dishes.  Praise God!

Strawberry Day

About a month after we moved to Nigeria I bought a large box of strawberries…I think it was about 4 kilos (almost 9 pounds)…here is what happened the day I decided to do something with them:

5:45        Wide awake.  I would rather be sleeping but I get up and get laundry going.  Caden is awake so I let him get up early.  Before breakfast I make a pie crust to use later.

7:00        We enjoy a light breakfast of muffins and homemade strawberry yogurt.

8:20        Toby heads to a meeting.  Caden and I go for a walk.  I decided to carry him Nigerian style, on my back.  So, I get him on there and tie 2 cloths around us both.  Then I went next door to have the hostel cook check and make sure I had done it right.  This was my first time to “back” him alone and I did it well.  We walked down the street to our neighborhood “container store”.  This is a small shop that is made from a shipping container.  They are very popular here.  I was looking for beans but came back with tuna and Indo-Mi (ramen noodles)…no beans.  I borrow beans from a neighbor instead.

9:00        We get home.  Caden is tired so he asks to go to bed.  He even seems to say “help me” when standing by his bed waiting for me to lift him into it.  He is sleeping in a borrowed pack-n-play for now.  We have bought him a toddler bed of sorts to use when we move into the hostel.  We still need to buy a mattress for it.

9:15        Start 2^nd rinse cycle for diapers.  Then I begin cleaning and sorting strawberries.  I was talked into buying a very large box of berries the day before. “You can freeze them or make jam,” the lady selling them told me.  So, I decided I would try to make jam.  As I clean, I separate the berries into 4 bowls:  one bowl for the firmest berries to freeze, one for the mushy ones to make jam, one for the in-between ones to use in a pie, and a bowl for the ones I think are not good, as well as for the stems.  I also put the beans on to cook.  My neighbor gave me some “pot ash” and promises a pinch added to the beans will speed up the cooking process.  No, I did not soak them overnight…no time, I need them for dinner…I’ll do quicker method where after boiling them awhile I dump the water out and add fresh water.

11:40     Caden wakes up.  I have just finished cleaning and sorting the berries so I make us some Indo-Mi for lunch.

12:30     Toby gets home just in time to join us for lunch.

1:00        I start the pie filling.  It calls for between 5-6 cups of strawberries plus crushed berries for juice.  Yum.  After getting the pie done I put it in the fridge to set and begin my jam.  I’ve never made jam before so this is an experiment.  I have a recipe that is called “quick strawberry jam” and it uses a box of strawberry jello.  Well, my mom just sent me a box of strawberry jello so I thought I would try this recipe.

2:30        The jam is still cooking…so much for quick.  It finally seems like it may be getting thicker.  I give up and decide we’ll have strawberry syrup instead, so I fill the jars…ok, I fill 1 ½ jars!  That’s it!  All that work for 1 ½ jars of strawberry syrup….needless to say I was disappointed.  I turn the beans off (they are finally done) and head outside to play with Caden.

3:00        Caden is having so much fun!  There are some rocks on one side of the basketball court in the center of our compound- he loves to climb on and off the rocks.  Toby texts me to say that he is finished with his meeting.  (I have to pick him up because we did not have a vehicle when he went so a neighbor dropped him off- we are still sharing a van with the hostel as we await the arrival of our car from Benin).

3:30        I am lost!  And it is raining!  I have not driven to Gidan Bege yet (the place where Toby’s meeting was).  Somehow I end up downtown on the BUSIEST STREET IN JOS!!!!  Kai! (that means Yikes!).  I am just praying to find my way.

3:45        I found Toby!!!!  He was waiting for me on a corner…he had seen me take the wrong turn earlier.  I climb out of driver seat to let him drive.  I tell him that I need to practice driving to Gidan Bege and a few places with him in the car- soon!

4:15        On the way home we stopped at a few places to pick up a few items:  lettuce, ice cream (to go with the pie), and a new toilet seat.  We arrive home and watch an episode of the Office before getting ready for dinner.

5:45        Toby and Caden take off to pick up Dustin, a guy who arrived from Austin, TX last week to work with City Ministries.  While they are gone, I finish up dinner:  soft taco’s with meat, beans, rice, salsa, corn and bean salad, and guac…and of course cheese (which is REALLY expensive here but o so worth it!).  I place a bowl of tortilla chips and salsa on the table.

6:15        They arrive for dinner.  Dustin walks in, sees the chips, smells the taco meat and gets a HUGE grin on his face.  I figured after being in Nigeria for a week he would be ready for a little taste of home.  The meal was a hit.  Plus, it was fun to have a guest.

7:45        Toby and Dustin head out and I put Caden to bed.  When Toby gets back we clean the dishes.  He says it feels like the weekend.  I said that it’s because at home we only had people over on the weekend- I like having people come for dinner during the week.

8:45        I fall asleep on the couch watching an episode of the Closer on DVD.

9:15        We head to bed.

PS:  What about the pie?  Did I forget the pie? Nope…but it wasn’t really a pie.  It didn’t set right.  We ate it anyhow and it tasted good.  I won’t do a strawberry pie on my own again.  I’ve made it twice in my life and both times it did not set.

Stopping to Smell the Roses

When you think of Africa, do you think of rose gardens?

I didn’t either.  Nigeria has 2 seasons: wet and dry.  We arrived in Nigeria at the end of the dry season.  The ground was brown, the trees were brown, everything was brown…and it was so hot that we almost got on a plane back to America!  Fortunately, we stuck it out and 2 months after the rain began.  Rain brings many things:  cooler weather, green grass and trees, fruit on trees, and at our house, ROSES!  We have a ton of rose bushes and they continually bloom throughout the rainy season…which, unfortunately, is coming to a close.

Our two year old, Caden, loves to play outside.  He is outside for hours (always with supervision).  He enjoys swinging, running, kicking balls, riding his bike, visiting our goats, chasing the dog and yes, smelling flowers.  Sometimes he will even bring me one!  Well, today he stood at one rose for 5 minutes putting it up to his face and sniffing it, then looking up with a grin, enticing me to come over and sniff with him.  I finally cut 2 of them off for him so he could wander around with them.

He would smell the flowers, look up and giggle.  He turned them into swords to fight his imaginary dragons.  Then, after minutes of admiring and enjoying the flowers, he reminded me that he is a toddler by pulling the petals off one at a time while he laughed hysterically!

So, while we enjoyed mangoes in April, and look forward to grapefruit and pomegranates in December, I have enjoyed the roses for 5 months, and Caden is learning to “stop and smell the roses”.