Ketchup

Oh the months... But who cares, let's jump right in.

I've been cooking up a storm lately and, while relishing the comforting delights I've concocted, I've also noticed that I feel about as light and lithe as a fully loaded freight train. Who cares, though -- I've been keeping up with my mental promise to myself to cook new recipes each week, even though the ones I've cooked up are new to relatively no one but me. The past two weeks have wrought:

Oxtail stew -- wonderfully tasty, oilier than an Exxon-Valdez oopsy (even after I chilled it and skimmed out the lard)

Ham and beans -- wow, this one was good, albeit in that very cliched way of tasting best the second day. The secret is several very healthy doses of brown sugar (though real maple syrup probably would have been better) and no shying from the salt.

Corn beef and cabbage -- I'm proud of myself for this one because a) it was excellent and b) I didn't make too much, thus, adding to the warren of tupperware dishes that is my sister's refrigerator.

Stuffed green bell peppers -- Okay, so I've made this one before, but it was in Japan, with their thin-skinned "paprikas" and it just didn't work. Tonight's wasn't my best production, either, but the generous addition of more tomato sauce after cooking made it very edible.

On the Peace Corps front, it has been a long trial. SO and I paid thousands of irreplaceable dollars in England to get everything taken care of only to be told after 3 months of waiting for word, that no, everything was not taken care of. Some of the requsts were expected -- we tested positive for TB (which was a total surprise to us) and we both have some slight allergies that need further explanation, but some wasn't. Like the fact that the grand we each spent on dental x-rays did not result in complete x-rays, even though we went over the form with the dentist. Sigh.

Getting crap like this done without insurance is no picnic (not that insurance would cover this stuff because it's considered "optional"). And the fact that Peace Corps simply throws pennies at us in terms of reimbursement is pretty ridiculous -- I mean, less than $150 for complete exams, x-rays, blood work, lab tests, etc.? Not only am I volunteering my time for the 27 months that I'll serve, but also for the couple of months of salary that I'm handing over from my time in Japan. I do look forward to the job and I understand the Peace Corps can't pay for treatment of candidates who haven't even been given a job yet, but seriously, $150 is laughable.