Global Solidarity Day 3 - We Get by With a Little Help From Our Friends

Our co-workers have been a little concerned/confused about our challenge. Usually we eat lunch everyday at the local restaurant with them and this week we haven't been. We have tried to explain what we are doing with mixed results. Some people thought we were fasting (which is further confused by the fact its Ramadan). Then the thought was that we were trying to save money.

But what is truly touching is even though people don't really understand why we are doing what we are doing, they are eager to help us out any way that they can.

One of our co-workers, Evah came back from the market with a 1/2 kg of peas because I had asked about them on Friday but said that I wouldn't be able to buy them this week. To me it was so symbolic of how communities here will help each other out in small but significant ways when someone is having a hard time. So last night we cooked them for diner and ate together! It was such a good end to an otherwise very dull food day.

Breakdown of the Day - 

Tshs 1600 under budget because of the gift of the peas

Breakfast- Tshs 550
Mandazi and banana again.... I don't have a picture. I could maintain it was because I thought it would bore you all to see a picture of fried bread and banana again but it was actually because I ate it before I remembered to take the picture. Guess I was hungrier than I thought...

Lunch- Tshs 500
Left overs from the night before beans and sweet potatoes. I have to say, sweet potatoes here are always a bit dry and sitting in a container overnight does nothing to improve them. I was terrible unimpressed by it all. This one has no photo because it was too depressing to contemplate.

Dinner- Tshs 550
The saving grace of the day! We cooked our peas with tomatoes, onions and coconut milk and had them with rice. They were delicious! Unfortunately, this meant we ate them all and are making due with just rice and chopped vegetables for lunch tomorrow.

Recipe for Peas and Coconut milk
1/2 Kg of fresh Peas
2 finely chopped onions
4 chopped tomatoes
oil
1/3 of a cup of coconut milk (and not the low fat kind).

1. Boil peas until cooked and strain them keeping back about 1 cup of the liquid. 
2. In a saucepan heat oil and then add onions, sauté them until they start to turn brown.
3. Add chopped tomatoes and sprinkle generously with salt. Cover and let cook for 5-10 minutes.
4. Mash the tomatoes up with so that you have a tomatoes puree.
5. Fold in peas and let cook for another 5-10 minutes.
6. Add coconut milk. Stir and let cook for 5 minutes or until the coconut milk is well combined.
7. Serve on a bed of rice.

I only wish there had been enough for lunch on Day 4. They were delicious and we plan to add them into our regular food rotation next week!

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