Thursday, June 26, 2014

The Day Cheese Comes to Town

You guys are so good to go through the ups and downs of our lives and ministry with us. I am so grateful I can share the hardships and I love when something joyful happens that I can tell you about too. Due to our location, there are many comforts of home (both US and Kenyan) that we have to live without. However, once a month, a little piece of heaven on earth arrives in the one big grocery store in Moshi. You want to know what it is?

CHEESE!!!!!

I never considered myself a cheese junkie until I left the US and rarely got to eat it. It is not something East Africans eat so it's hard to find. Stores with imported goods may have European cheeses, but they are very expense and not to my liking. I like simple mild cheddar or jack cheese. There is one brand in Kenya, Raka, that is awesome. It's expensive so I only got it as a special treat while we were in Kenya. I was thrilled when I saw it in our store here. Unfortunately (or fortunately for our wallet and health!), it only comes once a month and there are maybe 15 packages of cheese. Once it's gone, it's gone until the next delivery, one month away. And word spreads quickly that it has arrived. If you don't catch it the day off or the day after it arrives, you lose out. That means that you could go months without it if you don't happen to be at the store when it gets there.

So, I go three to four months without having any cheese. But, man, when I do, it's awesome. Oh the fun I have with cheese! Mostly it brings out my Mexican (food) side. I love to make quesadillas, burritos, chicken tacos, nachos, etc. I will also put it on eggs and burgers and will have special snacks of cheese and crackers. Eli loves cheese day too. I love to see him embrace his California side with a lunch of quesadillas, guacamole and salsa. He also loves to eat pieces of cheese with a snack. George (who hates it) doesn't understand how excited we get over cheese!



I would love to buy all the cheese and freeze it, but it would be way too expensive! So, we cherish it while we have it. I don't even ration it, I just go for it and cook with it until it's gone.

I love the day cheese comes to town!

6 comments:

  1. What a fun blog post! I can imagine what an amazing treat cheese is when you only get it every few months. And it's good news that George doesn't like it...more for you and Eli!!!

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  2. Can you make an Ugali Cheese Log for Geo? :) I love that you don't ration out the cheese....you just cook with it and eat it!! I'm not eating dairy and the only things I miss are cheese and butter. I seem to remember someone sharing a can of cheez whiz with someone else I know :)
    Amy

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  3. I can mail you some.....you know like we did for Craig Cramblet? ;) LOL!

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  4. Life without quesadillas would be very dull.

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  5. I totally get this. When you return to the US you will be the cheese queen and have cheese whenever you want. That's a promise. Love ya, Karen

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  6. Update: Cheese Day came early! It arrived yesterday and I have already had cheese and crackers, a quesadilla and bean and cheese burritos!

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