January 14
It’s been awhile since I last wrote, but that doesn’t mean life has been dull out in the campo. So far I have taught two more families how to make peanut butter, I harvested honey, baked more soy bread that I could ever dream of, baked soy cookies, and made many pitchers of soy juice.
The picture of the children holding gifts (below) is from the 3 Kings day celebration held at our church (January 7). The youth and women’s committees raised money to provide snacks for all the area children and they received toy donations from another organization. The celebration had an added benefit because the snack had soy in the ingredients and part of my job was to take pictures of the event so we can make a CD and send it to Tio Tom (the organization that gifted the soy machine to the community—vaca mechanic literally mechanical cow). I was overwhelmed with gratitude to be apart of such a hardworking, organized community. The ladies and I spent many hours kneading the dough for the 44 loaves of soy bread, mixing the ingredients for the soy sugar cookies, and blending the piña with the soy milk. Everyone chatted away as we sliced the bread and placed slices of ham and cheese between the buttered slices.
The celebration included two traditional Paraguayan dances and then we distributed the snacks and finally the much anticipated gifts—toy cars for the boys and Barbie-like dolls for the girls.
My garden is just beginning. Little plants are shooting up from the ground and are well protected by the mulch and shade structure I built. I am treating it like an experiment, because most think I’m crazy for trying to start a garden now. I want vegetables so bad that I’m willing to try. It didn’t cost very much for all the seeds so I’m not out very much if it’s less than successful. If it is then the Paraguayans will see that with a little extra work it’s possible to have vegetables growing even in the summer heat. The worst pest is going to be the insects which have already started to eat my little seedlings. I better pull out my garden book and work on some venenos caseros (homemade pesticides).
Today, I’m going to make yogurt. Several families have shown interest and it’s easy enough to make. Besides, I LOVE yogurt and you can’t buy around here unless you make the trek into town 22km away.
January 15, 2010
The yogurt was a success even if it was on the soupy side. Most of the yogurt here is drinkable so that might have something to do with it. I got another batch started with Professor Lilian and this time I added a lot more yogurt so hopefully it will be thinker. I’m in need of some thermometers (in Celcius) because all I have right now is the one my Mom gave me before I left. I’m really glad I brought it along. I have them test the temperature with their fingers, but I don’t have enough experience in yogurt making to know how precise it really needs to be.
Right now a quarter hectares worth of peanuts are drying on the patio. I can’t wait to make more peanut butter.
H1N1 shots are in and that means another long trip into the Peace Corps office. I don’t mind all that much because I just read and write. It also is an opportunity to use free internet and to check for packages.
Lunch is about ready---bean salad! My favorite!
As always I appreciate your letters and emails. I have successfully been receiving mail at the post office in site.
That address is:
Raquel Graham
Correo J.E. O’Leary Alto Parana
C.P. 7480 Alto Parana
Barrio Villa del Carmen
Paraguay, South America