on the job: head, shoulders, knees, & toes
Today with my little monsters, we did some work. Our theme was red — what’s red, writing sentences about red things, etc. Then we went outside and played for a bit. To transition back to the classroom and to warm us up, we sang some “Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes” in the courtyard. Here are […]
in the community: lost and found
For some of our Thanksgiving preparations, I’ve been looking for cheesecloth. I’d looked in the supermarkets and kept my eyes open at stores with kitchen stuff. No luck. I know it exists because tons of people make their own cheese here. I was chatting with one of my English students about our preparations and this […]
in the kitchen, on the job: Thanksgiving
So we’re to that time of year again when David and I alone keep the town’s dairy economy going. During Advent (and Lent), the Romanian Orthodox in our community fast. And their fast makes Catholic fasting seem easy peasy. In essence everyone becomes vegan for a month in preparation for the big pig kill and […]
on the job: my little monsters
I mentioned awhile ago that I had found/developed a secondary project here in town. It’s not like I don’t have other irons in the fire,but while each Peace Corps volunteer has a primary assignment (organization or school), we’re really community volunteers. And secondary projects get you more IN the community. A few weeks ago, I […]
in the kitchen: peanut butter goodness
We miss peanut butter. The only candy we really crave is Reese Peanut Butter Cups. So when I saw this blog post over on the Smitten Kitchen for buckeyes, I knew I had to try it. Mine aren’t as beautiful as Deb’s, but for a teeny tiny Romanian kitchen where we “make it work,” we’re […]
recipe: our favorite pancakes
A few weeks back, I did a cooking group with my beneficiaries and we made American pancakes with carmelized apples. (pictures here.) The reaction of my beneficiaries and colleagues to the pancakes was surprising. You’d have thought I’d brought them fire. Favorite Pancakes (adapted slightly from allrecipes.com) 3/4 cup milk (lapte) 2 TBSP white vinegar (o?et) […]
in the kitchen: adventures with pumpkin
It’s November and that means I’m planning for T-Day ’10, Moldovan edition. We have a group of about 15 volunteers who will be celebrating Thanksgiving here in Targu Neamt. The Southern woman in me loves this because I enjoy sharing my family’s traditional dishes and trying new recipes out — add an audience/hungry mass of […]
video: a gem
[flickr video=5143847210] This little gem was taken on our train from Tg Neamt to Pascani. It was the last train and I guess the train conductor needed some pick-me-up music. David made the best of the situation.
on the job, on the road: Halloween 2010
I never was one to really celebrate Halloween at home. It’s not like I hid from trick-or-treaters with the lights off, but I never quite got into the costume thing, especially as an adult. But being an American abroad, Halloween is something cultural to share. Last year, at my primary assignment we carved a few […]
on my mind: perceptions of beauty
I follow a handful of blogs about being a curvy gal — mostly for fashion (not that I’m all that fashionable, although I aspire to be one day). But I’ve found in these blogs strong female voices about topics such as health at any size, positive body image and self-confidence. Really, I think any person, […]