Healthy Kitchens a reality?

So I've completed my work on my healthy kitchen project. My women's comite have completed all their documents, and I have turned over all the paperwork to the NGO I am working with in my community. We now only need her boss's signature to be able to turn in the application to the grant company. Supposedly they'll be ready by Monday. I am SO EXCITED.

If you remember I have been working on this project since January. I have given 6 presentations, got trees donated, and done countless project design meetings. All we need now are some good thoughts and a leetle beet more patience.

The project we designed is a concrete floor, sink, drains, screened window, new wood (for the walls), shelves and a work/prep table for each woman. The biggest thing was to get the animals out of the kitchen. And I don't mean the dog or cat. I mean chickens and pigs pooping EVERYWHERE. The ladies will build a little pig pen with the old materials from the existing kitchens, to house their animals. We have 13 families that will be benefiting from this project. Cross your fingers for me, and here are a few pics of the existing kitchens!

Does this look good cause I´m in Paraguay?

Whoa. Look what I found on evite:

Leave it to sexy soul singer Luther Vandross to come up with the ultimate in over-indulgence. Elvis, your fried peanut butter and bacon sandwich has nothin’ on this.

For Fathers’ Day, here’s what most people usually make: hot dogs, beans, burgers served on normal buns (I shudder at the thought). Imagine how excited Dad will be when he experiences the crazy salt/sweet intensity of the bacon doughnut burger.

It’s certainly not good for you. In fact, if you have high cholesterol, for the love of God, stop reading now. But it’s unquestionably tasty and popping up all over the place, from a tiny doughnut shop in Massachusetts to the Food Network (Paula Deen created one for the “ladies” with an egg on top).

Here is the original recipe: glazed doughnut, hamburger patty, cheese and bacon. For a truly authentic experience, use a Krispy Kreme.

Bacon Doughnut Burgers
1¼ pounds ground beef
1 egg
1 teaspoon garlic powder or onion powder (or whatever seasoning you prefer)
salt and pepper
4 slices of cheddar cheese
8 bacon slices
4 glazed doughnuts, sliced in half horizontally
Mix beef with egg and garlic powder, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Form into 4 patties. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour. Meanwhile, fire up the grill.

Place burgers on grate and grill until meat is to desired level of doneness. Top each burger with a slice of cheese during the last minute so the cheese will melt. Remove from grill, and let burgers rest 2 to 3 minutes to reabsorb the juices.

Meanwhile, fry bacon in skillet, place on paper towels when done, and pat off grease. Leave about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in skillet. Place doughnut halves in skillet and fry over medium heat until slightly toasty. Alternatively, place doughnut halves on grill over low heat until toasty.
Place patties on doughnut halves, top each with two bacon slices and remaining doughnut halves.

Makes 4

This is Peace Corps Paraguay!

My friend Ricardo did this video for candidates of Paraguay! Most of the people in this video are current volunteers and I have drank beers with them! Good work! Hope you understand Paraguay a little more, and if this doesn't work, here's the link!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZA78xUzwTA

Notice the beekeeping, and detergent making! I work in the field as well, and yes, have driven an ox cart!

I'm a Peace Corps Volunteer, dammit! Not a Graphic Designer!

Okay, so I was coming into Asuncion today for a flu shot, and I saw an add for a food festival coming up. The funny thing about food festivals, is that because Paraguayans are not very food adventurous, its the same staples over and over, just prepared by a different person. I would compare it to a BBQ cookoff, but its usually the same ingredients, and most likely, the same spices. Maybe just different amounts. So - to sum up - the food festival not too diverse, but booths and booths of say 5 great comfort food favorites.

But the logo for the festival is what got me:

What is that fork trying to say to you? I think...it looks...smelly. Notice, there is no food indicated on the fork. It's just...a... smelly fork.

Like I said, I'm no logo designer, but this reminds me of something someone put in a pile of poo. Then pulled it out and said, "hey, this stinks. Smell it!" and shoves it in your face.

I also just had a conversation with one of my ladies in site. She asked me why the economy in the United States was so bad. I realized as I started explaining to her, that she has no idea what economics IS. She never had a class in 9th grade where she watched that Michael Moore video about Flint, MI. In my broken Guaraní, I decided to talk to her about supply and demand, and the point of equilibrium (thank you Mr. Volker). I even had to take it down a notch and explain to her that most people live in cities, don't grow ANY of their own food or livestock, NOR have ANY relatives that do so. I had to explain that if the local mini shop down the road that sells flour, pasta, oil, and sugar cane whiskey ran out of customers, and no one grew beans or corn, what would they eat? Okay, so I'm not doing a great job of relating, but she didn't even understand how different our lives were in the united states, let alone a people that live in a city and produce NOTHING.

I had to break it down to what she understood. The stock market. And Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice.

It was a tough day.