I was elated when I encountered what I thought to be whole wheat flour at the supermarket up the road. Based on my past experiences, such a discovery is pretty rare in foreign countries.
Alas, when I opened the bag yesterday to do some baking, much to my dismay, I learned that it was white flour after all! Apparently, flour labeled as "wheat" simply refers to the fact that it is derived from the wheat plant, thus distinguishing it from yucca flour or some other type.
Oh well. Even though I can't bake with wheat flour, I am grateful I can still buy whole wheat bread!
On another note, I have been looking forward to baking some corn muffins with a favorite recipe from home, so I picked up a box of cornmeal the last time I went grocery shopping.
At least, it was supposed to be cornmeal.
It was located on the baking aisle and came in a yellow box just like the kind at Walmart! There was an unfamiliar Spanish word on the box, but I assumed it referred to the "meal" part of cornmeal.
Try "starch."
Yes, it's true. I now have an entire box of cornstarch in my baking cupboard that I have no idea what to do with! Historically, I believe cornstarch has been used to relieve diaper rashes, but considering that we have no babies living here at present, I think I'll be going on the hunt for recipes instead. (If you have any favorite baked goods that call for cornstarch, please let me know! I have plenty of it.)
I have to admit, those corny-carrot muffins I so looked forward to making just didn't taste the same made with white flour (instead of wheat) and lacking cornmeal. They were a bit on the bland side, so in an attempt to redeem them, I slathered butter and honey atop their golden peaks. Much to my delight, my hungry brood of youngsters scarfed them down with relish. They even complimented my baking skills and exclaimed with glee that I was a real cook!
I had to smile. :)
My last cooking adventure about which to tell you didn't even really involve cooking. Today, we celebrated the birthday of one of the staff tías, and by default, I was elected to decorate her cake, despite my protests that I'm not very talented in this department. Nevertheless, with the help of some fluffy white icing and cheerful candies, my humble decorating attempts brought a smile to our dear Tía Anita's face, so I was satisfied.
The not-so-corny-carrot muffins can be seen pictured in the top right-hand corner. :)
Happy tears.
A Bolivian tradition.
Delicious!
2 comments:
Hello Katrina! This is Shelby Thomas. You may not remember me from the last Maiden's Quest that introduced Steven and Tara as an engaged couple, but my Marmy and I spoke to you for a little while outside after the event. Olivia Moore is a good friend of mine - she talks about you often.
Anyways, I've tried look up your blog and discovered that I lost the address! I've been searching for it for quite a while, but last month I decided to take a break from blogs, email, facebook and twitter until October.
Well, as I was researching modest boutiques for the online business Daddy has challenged me to establish, I "just happened" to come across your blog.
Can you imagine how excited I was?!
So, I spent all night reading last night, and watched "Divided" (which was GREAT by the way - I've since passed the link on to a gal who passed it on to her friends in the youth ministry). I was elated to see this new post this morning.
Heh - how's ^that^ for an introduction to this comment? *blush*
You know, I've never considered the blessing of being able to purchase healthy foods in America.. I suppose I assumed that most countries naturally carried whole food products! I would certainly miss some of our family's favorite health foods if I were in your shoes!
The "cornstarch incident" sure made me giggle! I would have been so disappointed to come home and open it up to see white powder! Poor thing... Is cornmeal unavailable there, or did you just pick up the wrong box?
I believe cornstarch is usually used to thicken liquids (at least, that's how *I* usually use it! :) It really helps thicken soups, stews, chili and gravy - I guess it's what changes a pot of veggies floating in water into a soup! If you use it to thicken a soup/stew make *sure* you mix it with cold water, because it clumps if mixed in warm water.
Forgive me if you already knew all that. *blush* Heh, I've never personally used it to bake... but I could just be naive in that area! xD
Oh, I really miss y'all. I pray for you, Kaitlyn, Tara, Kelly and your families often. I was so blessed by y'all's ministry here. The Lord used it to completely change my life.
God bless you, Katrina!
Love,
Shelby
Hello Shelby! Thank you so much for your message today in the form of this comment! It was great to hear from you again. Of course I remember you!
Thank you for your encouraging words, sympathy toward my crazy cooking endeavors here, and prayers for our former Maiden's Quest team! I can speak on behalf of all of us and tell you how MUCH we appreciate those prayers. :)
I am glad to hear about using cornstarch to thicken soups and gravies. Now that you mention it, I think I've seen my mom do that a time or two in the past, but I had forgotten this idea. It would seem cornmeal is unavailable here in Cochabamba, so I will have to settle for some corn bread/muffins when I return to the States in January!
I look forward to staying in touch with you! Many blessings in the Lord, dear sister...
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