Scratch Week?

Classes are back underway and we’re in the full swing of our routine once again.  This past week we had “scratch” week.  From Monday through Friday, all of our meals had to be made from scratch.  No store bought bread.  No frozen veggies.  No dairy (other than cheese).  So, the kids had home-made granola, powdered milk (which is much better here than in the States), crepes, bread, among other things.  Breakfast and lunch were probably a bit more challenging than supper since I usually make “scratch” type dishes anyway.  We were allowed to use peanut butter, jelly, and canned veggies so that was a big help.  Snack foods were off limits unless they were homemade.  We were limited to the use of the stove and oven, and coffeemaker only.  No microwave, toaster, or crock pots were allowed…and this seemed to be the biggest challenge, especially when I went to thaw my frozen burger for a meatloaf only to realize that the microwave was off limits.  We unplugged it at the beginning of the week because we’re creatures of habit.  The week ended with a pot-luck where we shared some favorite dishes.  The highlight for me was making my first pie crust.  I can’t believe I’m almost 39 years old and have never done that, but I’m glad I learned.  Now I can make John’s favorite cherry crumb pie!  Over all the kids had a great week trying some new dishes.  We joked with them that we were going to start living and cooking like this from now on…it didn’t fly very well.  We continue to thank God for where He has us and the many blessings and lessons He has for us in the future.  We continue to pray and seek Him regarding where we will serve and would ask that you pray for us as well.  Keep in touch.  We love hearing from all of you.