One of my goals on the Race has been to learn one recipe in each country so when I return to the States I can share more of my experience with you. While I can’t say that I’ve learned an authentic Romanian recipe this month, I have spent a fair amount of time in the kitchen. And I’m learning…
Our incredibly LARGE kitchen.
I’m learning how to make food from scratch. Canned soup? Never again! I can whip up some potato soup to feed 20 people in 30 minutes. Too thin? Add some flour. Too bland? Add some more chicken bouillon or any other random packet of seasoning that smells good. Boneless skinless chicken breasts? Convenient, yes, but not cost effective. Just boil a whole chicken and debone it. Done and done.
Stock pots. We use a lot of them.
Because my squad-mates are from all over the country, I’m learning different dishes from the United States. Gumbo? Jambalaya? Yes please! I even know what a rue is now… I don’t think we make rues in Wisconsin. Pasta fagioli? Delicious. Oh, and I learned it’s pronounced faa-zool (originally faw-jaw-law, Italian for kidney bean) and not fag-ee-oh-lee. It’s the little things…
I’m also learning how to plan, shop and cook for 20 people, everyday- breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is in every way a team effort. How do you accommodate food allergies, personal preferences and nutrition when cooking for so many people? Oh yeah, throw in the fact that you’re on a budget- $2 a day, per person. That’s $40 a day to feed 20 people. I’m pleased to say that we’ve made it work; to my knowledge no one has starved to death and we’ve actually enjoyed our food.
Lindsay, Steph and I preparing Thanksgiving dinner.
Since there are three teams living here this month, each team has sent a “food representative” to plan and prepare meals. Stephanie, Lindsay and I have come up with grocery lists, kitchen schedules and menus. Two weeks into living here, we’re running like a well-oiled machine. Everyone takes his or her turn in the kitchen preparing and cleaning; everyone has been well fed.
I’ve scrubbed and chopped more potatoes, sliced more bread and deboned more chicken in this month than I have in my entire life. It’s been a unique ministry, to my squadmates, but I’m grateful for the experience and have enjoyed serving in this way.
Just in case you’re curious, this is a typical weeks grocery list:
GROCERY LIST:
6 whole chickens
200 eggs
70 loaves of bread
60 pounds of potatoes
8 bags of rice
20 pounds of pasta
6 tubs of butter
8 packages of cheese
10 pounds flour
30 pounds of beans
These are just the staples. This doesn’t include the onions, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, garlic, sugar, mayo, mustard, oil, and other side items that we also purchase. Here is a typical menu for the week (breakfast is always cereal and milk, bread with butter/jam, eggs, oatmeal, coffee and tea):
| Lunch | Dinner | |
| Monday | Ham & Cheese Sandwich with Potato Salad | Chicken Alfredo with Green Beans |
| Tuesday | Chicken Salad Sandwiches | Chili |
| Wednesday | Baked Potatoes | Stir-Fry |
| Thursday | Ham & Cheese Sandwich with Potato Soup | Mac-n-Cheese with Asian Salad |
| Friday | Pasta with Red Sauce | Fajitas |
| Saturday | Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup | Chicken Pot Pie |
| Sunday | Pasta with Sauce | Breakfast for Dinner |
Not too shabby, eh? We’re eating pretty well this month! Occasionally, we realize we’ve forgot something or run out of an item- time for a grocery run! As a way to decrease costs (we have to take a taxi to the store because we’re out in the country) and stay in shape, I’ve perfected the art of running with a backpack to the store. It’s about 2 ½ miles one way and I take the rustic cornfield route. Fun, right? It’s even more fun when you make a video while you’re on a grocery run. So, click below for my video of my grocery run:
