To Win A Box of Brownies

Meredith, our illustrious Country Director, is featuring a contest on how to make Azerbaijani food. Here is Jessica and I's submission!

PS Turn up the volume!

Full Disclosure

Whew. This is a hard blog post to write.

Not because it's bad, but because once I write this down...it gets real.

But, as a full disclosure kind of gal (or more accurately, a run-of-the-mouth girl), I feel like I should keep you alls in the loop of Löki life. Not to mention, this blog is about keeping my family and friends up to date, but also helping any potential PCVs (and current) navigate the system....

THUS [pretty big build up, huh?], it is with thoughtful self-introspection and lots of counseling with family/friends that I inform you all I am in the process of seeking a 1 year extension to my Peace Corps contract.

Whew. That was hard, but not as hard as the next few months will be. Don't worry. I will keep you all in the loop. Expect tons of blog posts about what an extension means...literally and figuratively...in the life of Löki.

Kosher Kalories

A common Peace Corps myth is that you will lose weight during service.

I mean, for some this is true. I am sure in non-Azerbaijani countries it's a totally different bag of beans, but for here, well, the average size American girls struggle to maintain their weight in Az. But, this ain’t me.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’ve struggled with my weight before, but not the gaining part. It’s the keeping weight on I have problems with.

Before anyone gets the wrong idea, let me address the common misconceptions:

1. I am not anorexic. I can barely spell the word;
2. I am not bulimic. I like delicious food staying in my belly; and,
3. I barely think about my size, unless Josh comments on my butt size (thanks Donny).

My problem is that I get too busy to eat. In Az, all your food has got to be prepared. Ready made food is darn expensive and not really available. I, the pragmatic procrastinator, usually put food at the bottom of my “to do” list and it often gets overlooked or I run out of time.

I know this is a problem. I get that. Really, I do. I am also tired of Azerbaijanis commenting on how “skinny” I am. I really don’t think they mean it as a compliment.

Anyway, I think I found a solution to my problem. No ready made food in Az? Well, I am going to make some! A week ago, I started a batch of kosher pickles (check out the recipe I used here [link]). Inshallah, a delicious homemade pickle, a pack of tuna (thanks everyone for sending me tuna!), some mayo...and viola! a quick and easy meal.

I think this is going to work. Actually, it better work. I am pretty sure staying alive on cookies and Fanta is not going to contribute to the longevity of my lifespan.