Culinary Notes, among Others

One of my Christmas presents last year was a fine oat press (made in Italy, not China! Marcato brand). I had read that fresh-pressed oats are more flavorful than the standard Quaker version, but had no yet tried it out. But with a 5-gallon container of oat groats (weighing about 40 pounds), it was time to try the press out.

What a great machine! I’d recommend it. The boys fight over whose turn it is to press. The oats do taste noticeably richer. With salt, butter, and maple syrup, it’s a good breakfast. And, as my midwife pointed out some years back, it will keep you regular.

Embarrassingly, I am also enamored with something not quite so healthy: ketchup. Now, I would not purposefully consume the high fructose corn syrup stuff, but the Annie’s Organic is quite tasty, and it goes well on noodles with salmon, or noodles with tuna, or pinto beans and corn, or pretty much anything I’m eating these days. Except oatmeal.

I have lost a little weight since being here, and suddenly this week it was like my body said, “You MUST eat more! No more weight loss!” Because I hadn’t been very hungry, but when I hit the same weight I’ve hit before, my body says, “This is as far as you may go.” What’s funny to me about that is that Phil has his own body’s ideal weight, but it is the same whether he works out or not. He’s weighed about the same the entire time we’ve been married, except for the brief Atkins Diet loss, and a gain shortly afterward.

His weight is distributed differently now, though.

***

A few photos of our current set-up.

First, our outdoor kitchen. This is, apparently, all the rage in the West, so just call us trend-setters.


Then, our living/dining room. We eat around the coffee table, and are using every bit of storage space we can.



And finally, the bedroom, with the triple bunk bed. Phil did such a good job laying everything out!



***

It surprised me that both Phil and I have admitted that we long to mention our educational level to the people who come by. I long to say, “You know, Butch, I have a college degree, and Phil has a post-graduate degree. We did not always live in such cramped quarters, but had a large, fine house in one of the world’s beautiful cities.”

I had never felt like my educational level was worthy of bragging rights, but living in such dirty, almost degrading conditions has done something to me. And to Phil.

***

One of the hardest things for me to deal with is the lack of multi-tasking. I always felt so busy in Boulder because I could make a meal and listen to a sermon or a lecture on agriculture. Or if I was eating breakfast or lunch, I could read one of my magazines and keep up with current events or learn about something new in agriculture.

Now, I do one thing at a time. If I wash dishes, that is all I do. At one point in the past, I half-wished for less distraction, so I could spend my time in prayer. Now that the opportunity is here, I find I am less capable of concentrated praying than I would wish—there are plenty of distractions.

***

Moving from 2700 square feet to 224 has meant that I no longer have “a place for everything and everything in its place.” I do not remember ever misplacing my keys, and so the morning I misplaced both wallet (which actually was in my computer bag as I remembered, but in a different pocket) and shopping list frustrated me until I was almost frantic.

Phil, besides helping me search, patiently puts up with my mini break downs. He takes life as it comes, and does not berate himself for supposed shortcomings. If the new life doesn’t match the old, that’s okay; they both have different challenges and rewards.