Hungry anyone?

Sugar Cane

I've been meaning to post all week, but it's been hectic with Scott gone, keeping up with school for the kids, and finishing up a manuscript. He finally returned yesterday with good news regarding the couples considering joining us here. I'll blog more on that later once everything is worked out.

I've written before on the challenges of cooking here. For the most part, by making my rounds of all the tiny shops in the area, I've been able to adapt my cooking to fit what is available. I was stuck recently, at how my kids have also adapted to living here in regards to what the eat. There are no instant/traditional snack foods here (sometimes I can find chips, but that's about it) so with three growing kids who are always hungry, I've had to get creative.

While some of our favorite snacks, like fruit, popcorn, yogurt, and vegetable sticks, are more in line with traditional snacks, others are pretty unique to this area. We roast our own peanuts, pop our own popcorn, and snack on regional things like Tenzewa--I have no idea how to spell this, but this is what our neighbor calls it--where you break off the outside shell and eat the powdery insides. Sugar cane is one of Gabe's favorite snacks, but I picture rotting teeth and don't let him have it often.

Favorite fruits are green oranges, bananas, mango, pineapple, and passion fruit. The boys love scooping out the insides of the passion fruit and eating it, seeds and all. (This is my favorite as well!)



Tenzewa



Roasted Peanuts


If you're feeling adventurous, try this yummy receipe from my aunt.

SUGARED PEANUTS
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1 or 2 t. cinnamon (to taste)
Mix sugar and cinnamon in heavy skillet, and add water and heat until dissolved. Add 4 cups of raw peanuts and continue cooking peanuts over medium heat. Cook and stir until sugar has dried. Put into medium oven for 30 minutes or more.

You can leave out the cinnamon if you want that. I always use my iron skillet and I cook them until the sugar dries on the sides and down into the bottom for a ways. If you try to cook it till it is dry all the way, it will begin caramelizing the sugar and make it hard.

Enjoy!

Lisa