Fête Noël

I spent Christmas in Popenguine, a little beach town just south of Dakar, it was wonderful, and here are a few of the highlights. 

MERRY HAPPY!

Chrishaunakwanstice, Fancy Baking Day, Christmas Adam, White Elephant Night...  I love the holidays. And Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwaanza, and Tamharit, New Years' Eve, those are nice, too. 

This year I'll be spending Christmas in  Popenguine with some Peace Corps friends (including Emma and her family visiting from Amerik) and I'm sure that Christmas on the beach will be fantastic, but I know that part of me will be thinking of another West Coast. 

Family time, gingerbread houses and a Cheeseboard cheese platters... winter in California is generally pretty lovely, and last year was no exception. And now I'm feeling all nostalgic.

Merry Happy, Everyone! 

Food Dreams

Honestly, I'm really lucky in the food department. My host family cooks really well, and they give me fresh mangoes in during mango season, roasted corn now that the harvest is coming in, and lately they've been adding beans to the leaf sauce we have for dinner. When I come in to town I can pick up oatmeal, raisins, and  snacks, and buy refrigerated yogurt and juice, and in the market there are bananas and cabbages and things like that. I also spend my fair share of time waxing nostalgic about things that are unavailable here, things like these:

1. Breakfast. Specifically whole wheat toast. And juice. And fruit. I'd say coffee but thanks to my American family I get to have Peet's coffee pretty regularly. 

Popsicles. Cold things in general, but really popsicles. 

Sprinkles. I love sprinkles, particularly rainbow sprinkles. So much that I'm willing to count them as a "food" that I miss. 

Cookie bowls. I've never actually had one but I bet it would be good with something frozen and rainbow sprinkles. (But no almond flavoring. I do not miss that. Ever.)

Vegetables. Ohhhhh vegetables. Peanut sauce is great but I wish it came with fresh vegetables.