Parrots like Perogies

What is a perogie you ask and why is the parrot eating it? Well, I was left alone in Florida for a weekend while Deyvis had class and I get bored when I’m alone. When I get bored, I like to bake or cook…and lately I’ve been making things that I’ve never attempted even in the US…like perogies, which are a Polish yumminess consisting of a pasta-like shell in a half circle shape and normally filled with mashed potatoes, onions and sour cream. Fruit filling can also be made, but the potato is more typical. They’re cooked first by boiling to give a nice suave texture, then sautéed with a little oil to add just a bit of crisp. I didn’t buy or make tortillas this particular day and had nothing else to feed the parrot so he got a perogie and was quite happy about it. I also was quite happy about my accomplishment of making some Polish food for the first time and turning out surprisingly well. It will be repeated.

I also introduced Deyvis to biscotti…though he joked about how hard it turned out even though I told him a couple times that’s how it was supposed to be. Teriyaki and chipotle citrus marinades have also been enjoyed by Deyvis thanks to my bro. Red pepper chile flakes have become a necessity with almost every meal…courtesy of dad. It’s nice to change things up every once in awhile. As much as I love beans, eggs and tortillas you start to get bored after a year. I also splurged and paid for some olive oil which Deyvis was shocked at how much I paid and started to scold me. I explained that this is something special that only I’m allowed to touch…and we don’t use it to cook eggs, beans, etc. And that his mom is to go nowhere near it…I about died after being in the mountain with her for a couple of days and seeing how much Crisco (yes, Crisco…not even oil) she puts into everything. I’ve mentioned a few times to Deyvis about the excessive oil/manteca usage (okay…actually I say it a lot) and he’s finally mentioned it to his mom when she started talking about her health. Let’s hope for positive changes. A couple friends are coming this weekend and I want to make an attempt at cinnamon rolls or cinnamon raisin bread...I really hate my toaster oven though...it burns almost everything bc its super hot and doesn´t have temperature control. Usually the first time making something is more of an experiment of how long to cook it for using either the bottom, top, or combination of both for just the right amount of time. Usually with slight blackening...

It’s been a long while since I’ve updated and I feel like a lot has happened but at the same time not so much. Things started rolling with work and I felt semi-occupied…then the coup and all the strikes my teachers in town participate in have put me back into the position of a lot of book reading and housework. With my 3rd level English class we had figured out last week that if we continue with 2 classes per week we can finish by the end of Aug. instead of the end of Oct. But then there was a huge march in Tegus…so my teachers cancelled class for last week and said that maybe they’ll be back this week. Luckily they came back today, but they don´t know if they´ll be working next week or not. So its been a lot of lazy days...which has given me time to start reading the Harry Potter series (in Spanish).

This week I’m starting a Girls Empowerment class that focuses on abstinence, self-esteem and decision making. I want to start with the 6th grade girls here in town and if it turns out to be a pretty good program I can apply for a grant to get funding to do it again with various groups. It’s designed for ages 10-15…and they’re almost finished with a version for the boys.

We’ve finally got a few things going on in the library…with limited participation unfortunately. But Zona X (the teen group) is finally meeting again, and this is where I’d prefer to help most in programs concerning the library. Right now it’s just the teens that live with the church that are coming, but we should be able to get a few more locals…if not, oh well. We also started again with the story hour, early stimulation and reading club.

That´s about it for now...with my computer mostly running and internet access back at the library (for now) I should be able to post a little more often....Until the next time!