*Sweet* Potatoes, *Sweet* Memories

I've mentioned before that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I especially love the cooking and eating portions of the day. Like most, our family has a pretty set menu of must-haves on our Thanksgiving table, and none are more dear to me than mom's sweet potato souffle. I have many fond memories of smashing canned yams, measuring out brown sugar, and chopping pecans with mom. So when I spent my first Thanksgiving away from home, I mourned the absence of our favorite recipes. I didn't miss out on Thanksgiving when I was in Paris, in fact, I had three! The expat community likes the opportunity to gather and enjoy tastes of home with their countrymen. So in the course of a week I enjoyed one meal with the other American students at my French school, one with my English-speaking (but mostly non-American) church as an outreach to the French community, and one actually on Thanksgiving with a few friends. The latter was the only one I had occasion to cook for and so I elected...sweet potato soufflé, of course!

What ensued was a somewhat chaotic and comical adventure where I attempted to cook a good ol' southern recipe from scratch in a poorly stocked antiquated French kitchen...in France. I realize that last part was redundant, but I want to emphasize the fact that I was in France. Being in any other country, no matter how "modern," can make even the simplest of tasks an exhausting challenge. So I had no microwave, no electric mixer, no grater, and of course no canned yams, McCormick seasonings, or other familiar ingredients. It also didn't help that every other American in the city was preparing their own dinners, so things like cinnamon, which you normally wouldn't have a problem finding, were sold out in many stores. On the amusing side, it was easy to spot the Yanks that week, they were the confused ones in the stores searching desperately for ingredients to substitute for their own favorite recipes, and trying to explain things like "cornbread" in French. I traipsed all over the city collecting the various implements and ingredients, and then skipped my foreign policy class (in protest, don't the frenchies know it's an American holiday!?) to spend the day working on my concoction. 

I used israeli sweet potatoes, an orange imported from Florida (go figure), and the french equivalents of everything else. The most inconvenient part was making the requisite soft-peak meringue that gets folded into the sweet potato mixture..without a mixer. Hand-whisking egg whites = not fun. 

 (On a side note, this is the ingredient which lends the casserole its "souffle" name. Souffle comes from the french "soufflé" which means "blown," thus actual souffles involve a great deal of airy meringue which gives them their puffed up, "blown up"appearance. Our casserole doesn't puff up like a real soufflé but it has the whipped egg whites folded in to make it less dense.) 

Hand-whisking the egg whites.
Also note the massive mess in my tiny kitchen...and the awesome snowflakes mom made and sent me!

Between the hand-whisking and my little gas oven I wasn't at all confident in the results. But lo and behold...it came out looking pretty much just like momma's at home! And it tasted just as good too. It was a nice taste of home while far away.

TA-DAAAA!

That was 2007. Fast-forward four years to lovely 2011. And once again I find myself in a foreign country for the holidays. Since we had so many work friends together for Thanksgiving, and the sweet potatoes had already been signed up for before I got my name on the list, I didn't have any reason to make my favorite dish. Fortunately, for our team Christmas party this week, Ellen suggested sweet potatoes as a side with our ham, green beans, mashed potatoes, rolls, etc. So, once again I set to tracking down the necessary implements and ingredients. 

It was still a challenge, but easier this time around. Our kitchen here, since the house has been lived in by so many staff members, has a pretty well-stocked kitchen that even includes...an electric mixer! Yay! (It's the little thing, people. Always remember that!) And because my dear friend Cat brought goodies with her when she came to visit, I had just enough brown sugar for the recipe. Also thankfully, Peru is the land of potatoes, so it wasn't a challenge to track down some "camote" (sweet potato). However, these sweet potatoes were unlike any that I have ever encountered. I don't know if its starch just has a higher sugar content than other varieties, but these made absolutely everything sticky, and it was a nightmare to remove. It was like getting pine sap on your hands! Boiling them left the stock pot crazy sticky too. My simultaneous cooking/cleaning skills have improved in 4 years, apparently, because the kitchen wasn't too much of a disaster this time.

Kitchen in the middle of the process.

Hurray for electric mixers!

It may not be Thanksgiving, but I enjoyed having a reason to make my favorite holiday dish. I love the taste, sure. But I am probably even more attached to the memories that making it always brings. 

When I publish my long-awaited cookbook,
"How to Pretend That You Have Any Idea What You Are Doing In the Kitchen,"
this will be the author photo.
(First tip in the book: wearing an apron always makes you look more credible in the kitchen. Note above photo.)

In our family we usually distribute the toppings so that one end is only nuts, one end it only marshmallows, and the middle has both, so each family member has their own sector. ;-) Here I tried to make sure all of the possible topping combinations was available. A virtual Punnett square of sweet potato deliciousness. 

TA-DAAA! (Again.)

I don't know that anyone else enjoyed the sweet potato souffle as much as I did, but I thought it tasted pretty good. The only real struggle was that our gas heated oven lacks a thermometer, so although it was "set" to the right temperature, it did not reach the right temperature, so I cranked it up and cooked it twice as long. Even without putting in the full measure of sugar called for, it's still sweet enough to be dessert. I think this particular variety of potato is sweeter than some others, but I'm certainly not complaining that there are leftovers! I will be eating my sweet potato souffle and enjoying the flavor and memories of sweet times at home. 

Mmmmm!

Are we blessed?

Many of you know that Thanksgiving is my favorite of all holidays, and there are many reasons. It's one of the least commercial, it really puts the emphasis on family, the food is amazing, and it's about thanking God for the abundant blessings in our lives. Oh...and it gives me an excuse to dress up like a pilgrim every year. True story. But I think I love it most because in our family it was one of the only days of the year that we took a break from our busyness, sat down at the table, turned off the TV, and really focused on each other. Sitting there, eating, talking, and laughing with my parents was the highlight of every Thanksgiving. While I've always had countless material blessings for which to be thankful, I rarely thought about those when it came down to assessing that for which I was most grateful. No, usually I was most thankful for the two people sitting beside me, for their love, for our family, and for being together. 

I think most of us would agree that the things we hold dearest aren't really objects. We cherish family and friendship, freedom and faith, and innumerable other intangible things. And that is how it should be. We should never cease to give thanks for such blessings. However, we cannot lose sight that we, as Americans/Canadians/Europeans/etc. also live with extreme material wealth. In today's recession and weak economy it is common to hear people complaining about the hit their investments took, or even talking about their struggle to pay basic bills or find a job. It's true, relative to the prosperity most of us have enjoyed for so many years, things are tough. All of us have been affected by the difficult economic situation. But few of us, as "westerners" (especially those of us who are young) have a real grasp of what "tough" looks like.  Poverty in the rest of the world looks a lot different from most of the poverty in America. (I say "most" because homelessness and severe poverty does affect people in the U.S. too.)
For example, for 2011 in the U.S. the poverty line for a single person was an annual income of $10,890. For a family of four it was $22,350. A few figures about what living in "poverty" can qualify as in America: 

• 80% of poor households have air conditioning
• 99% have a refrigerator
• Nearly three-fourths have a car or truck, and 31% have two or more cars or trucks
• Nearly two-thirds have cable or satellite television
• Two-thirds have at least one DVD player and 70 percent have a VCR
• Half have a personal computer, and one in seven have two or more computers
• More than half of poor families with children have a video game system.
• 43% have Internet access
• One-third have a wide-screen plasma or LCD television

What does it look like in the rest of the world?

• Approximately 20% of people live on less than $1 a day.
• About half of the world, more than 3 billion people, live on less than $2.50 a day.
• At least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day.
• 2 billion people, a quarter of humanity, live without electricity.
• An estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked every year.
• 20% of children between 5 and 14 years of age are involved in child labor.
• One-sixth of the global population lacks access to safe drinking water. 
• Women in poor areas of Asia and Africa walk an average of 4 miles a day to collect water.

You'll excuse me if I have a hard time sympathizing with the Occupy Wallstreet folks. It's always easy to accuse the extremely wealthy, the CEOs, the politicians of being out of touch with "the rest" of us, and I'm not saying they aren't. But I am saying that chances are we are just as out of touch with "the rest" of the world, and I think that's an even more serious problem. I really appreciated this response video to the Occupy movement:

"Reality can be ugly, bloody, and horrible." Most of us have lives with luxuries unimaginable to the rest of world. We may not be in the top 1% of wage earners worldwide, but we certainly aren't in the bottom 80% either. I like this guy's plan of making people live in the woods for three days to give them a taste of what corporations do for them, but I'd take it farther. I'd like all the disillusioned young adults of the West to go spend a week or two in a developing nation. It doesn't even have to be a war-torn or famine-stricken one. Just pick any ol' place where people toil long hours to feed their families, and then take pride in sweeping their dirt floors. Watch precious children covered in filth playing with ingenious toys they've constructed out of garbage. Experience them trying to feed you their best, out of hospitality, even though they have so little. And then see that despite the abysmal circumstances they live in, many of them are still happy and joyful. Yes, go visit "the rest" and then come back to your home, your food, and your bills and complain. I dare you. And then I dare you to look at all you have and not give thanks to the Lord who has blessed you so abundantly, and who allows you to live in a nation with the luxury of "protesting" whatever it is you are upset about.

But I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised at the lack of perspective in so many. As we learned in Remember the Titans, "Attitude reflects leadership, Captain." And the leadership of our nation does not acknowledge God's hand in the blessings of our nation, nor the importance of thanking the Lord even one day a year. Below is the text from President Obama's  Thanksgiving Day address. Take a minute to read it and note the conspicuous absence of God in his remarks. 

Obama's Thanksgiving Speech 2011

"From my family to yours, I'd like to wish you a happy Thanksgiving. Like millions of Americans, Michelle, Malia, Sasha, and I will spend the day eating great food, watching a little football, and reflecting on how truly lucky we are.
 As Americans, each of us has our own list of things and people to be thankful for. But there are some blessings we all share. We're especially grateful for the men and women who defend our country overseas. To all the service members eating Thanksgiving dinner far from your families, the American people are thinking of you today. And when you come home, we intend to make sure we serve you as well as you are serving America. 
We're also grateful for the Americans who are taking time out of their holiday to serve at soup kitchens and shelters, making sure their neighbors have a hot meal and a place to stay. This sense of mutual responsibility, the idea that I'm my brother's keeper, that I'm my sister's keeper, has always been part of what makes our country special, and it's one of the reasons the Thanksgiving tradition has endured. 
The very first Thanksgiving was a celebration of community during a time of great hardship; we've followed that example ever since. Even when the fate of our Union was far from certain, during a Civil War, two World Wars, a Great Depression, Americans drew strength from each other. They had faith that tomorrow would be better than today. We're grateful that they did. As we gather around the table we pause to remember the pilgrims, pioneers, and patriots who helped make this country what it is. They faced impossible odds, and yet somehow, they persevered. 
Today it's our turn. I know that for many of you, this Thanksgiving is more difficult than most. Yet no matter how tough things are right now, we still give thanks for that most American of blessings: the chance to determine our own destiny. The problems we face didn't develop overnight, and we won't solve them overnight. But we will solve them. All it takes is for each of us to do our part. 
With all the partisanship and gridlock here in Washington, it's easy to wonder if such unity is really possible. But think about what's happening at this very moment: Americans from all walks of life are coming together as one people, grateful for the blessings of family, community, and country. If we keep that spirit alive, if we support each other, and look out for each other, and remember that we're all in this together, then I know that we too will overcome the challenges of our time. 
So today I am thankful to serve as your president and Commander and Chief. I'm thankful that my daughters get to grow up in this great country of ours, and I'm thankful for the chance to do my part, as together we make tomorrow better than today. Thanks, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving."  - Barack Obama

Yes, there are still nice sentiments there, like being grateful for the servicemen in the military and people who are serving others on Thanksgiving. But if we are thankful for community, for country and family, to whom are we thankful? To "luck" as Obama indicates? No, that is not what Thanksgiving is about. It is about giving thanks to the Lord for His provision. That's not some Christian rewriting of American history or trying to force a set of beliefs on an otherwise neutral holiday. In 1863, when Thanksgiving was first celebrated on the same day across the nation, Abraham Lincoln delivered the following proclamation:

Proclamation of Thanksgiving
by the President of the United States of America

The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful years and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the Source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.                                                                                                                                                                                  In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.                                                                                                                                                            

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the field of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than theretofore. Population has steadily increased notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.

In testimony wherof I have herunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

-Abraham Lincoln

President Lincoln seemed to have a firm understanding that what we have are "the gracious gifts of the Most High God," and understood that the Lord deserves our praise and thanks. (I also like that he specifically includes Americans "at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands" as part of the Thanksgiving observance!) So let us be ever aware of the extent of our blessing and remember the Source from which they come. May we live with an attitude of gratefulness, even if it is simply for the gift of life, as we are not promised tomorrow.

"Rejoice always, 

pray continuously, 

give thanks in ALL circumstances; 

for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

 -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

(I'm not sure how accurate or up to date it is, but it's kind of interesting to calculate how rich you are here.)

From Peru to You: Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! Feliz Dia de Accion de Gracias!
I hope that for you today has been a day full of food, fun, family, and friends. We had a lovely Thanksgiving here in Peru. I started the day watching snippets of the Macy's Parade on the earthcam shot of New York, and via skype with Carolyn and her family. 

Carolyn also sent me a hand turkey that arrived right on time. ;-)

It still doesn't really feel like Thanksgiving without spending hours in the kitchen making our favorite family dishes, but little tastes of home make a big difference. I had prepared my contribution to the potluck dinner yesterday (in case they didn't turn out- you never can be sure in Peru!) so I didn't have to stress today. 

Cream-cheese-filled pumpkin muffins with strudel topping and glaze.

We headed over to the office for the afternoon and enjoyed huge quantities of delicious food and fellowship with 50+ of our closest friends in Peru. 

As you can see, we had all the fixin's, including...(drumroll please)..... CANNED CRANBERRY SAUCE! 

I consider that a vital part of a successful Thanksgiving meal since it acts as the sorbet, a "palate cleanser" if you will, for the rest of the heavy flavors. We also had pumpkin and pecan pies and desserts galore! 

As you might guess, many products that are staples of an American Thanksgiving meal are not found in other countries. Down here we don't have canned pumpkin or canned sweet potatoes, Crisco, or chocolate chips. Your choice of canned vegetables is extremely limited and expensive, as is a turkey. Stuffing mix and cream-of-whateveryouwant soups, and pre-made pie crusts don't exist, to my knowledge. And, of course, no cranberry sauce. Granted, many of those things you can work around or make from scratch, but some things have no substitute. Still, we are blessed here in Lima with the variety of things that are available and the ease of preparation relative to the places many of our friends serve. We are also blessed that we have enough personnel who travel back to the states frequently that they were able to bring in some of those things we miss. (Cat brought me an awesome can of pumpkin for my birthday that was vital to the success of the pumpkin muffins! This week was also her birthday so she needs a birthday shout-out for her general awesomeness, and also staying alive for a quarter of a century. Believe me, it's an accomplishment.) 

After dinner, like many a family gathering, we watched football on the big screen, chatted, chased kids, and played games. Although nothing is ever as sweet as spending the time with your family, it was a blessing to sit back and look around the crowded office and see so many friends. Five months ago when we arrived in Peru we knew only a few people, and those not very well. Today I gave thanks for dozens of people who have become our very dear "field family," and praised God that I was blessed to have such a special group with whom to celebrate.

I also gave thanks for modern technology that allowed me to talk to my parents, friends, and extended family across the U.S. today! Today was not my first Thanksgiving separated from loved ones, and odds are, it won't be the last. But I also know I'm not alone in that; there's a much greater number of people far from home tonight than would like to be. Today I am extra thankful for the men and women who spent the day away from home as they defend our country in the military, or strive to take the Gospel to a dark world. I hope wherever you spent the holiday you were able to stop and reflect on the blessings in your life, and thank God from whom all blessings flow. Most of us tend to forget that "every good and perfect gift is from above" (James 1:17), and that we have been blessed beyond measure. Thank goodness God never forgets us!
"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations." Psalm 100:4-5

A Day to Remember

Being away from home on American holidays is one of the few things that really makes me remember that, metaphorically speaking, we’re not in Kansas anymore! When I spent Thanksgiving in France, I refused to go to class on principle, and spent the day watching the Macy’s Parade on a bad internet stream while making my mom’s sweet potato soufflé from scratch.

Cooking Thanksgiving is much harder without American products or a well stocked kitchen!

Memorial day isn’t a major holiday for family traditions, so it doesn’t make me particularly homesick, but it does give me pause to spend some time thinking about my country. I have some friends who have lived overseas and travelled a lot and found that it really made them dissatisfied with America and our culture (or lack thereof). For me it has always had the opposite effect. I’ve always been a patriotic person and loved my country, but there’s something about experiencing life elsewhere that just makes me love America even more. Sure, you can see the problems with our country and things about it you would change if given a chance. But you also get to see the really wonderful aspects of it and see how inordinately blessed we, as a nation, truly are.

My dad jokingly asked if they celebrate Memorial Day in Costa Rica. I laughed because Costa Rica does not even have a standing army. CR has been blessed to be probably the most stable and secure country in Latin America and has lived in peace for many years. They do not have the sorrow of remembering those who have given their lives in defense of their country. However, on the flip side, they also do not have the pride of honoring men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect their nation. Ticos love their country, the flag is everywhere,

but some of the young adults especially seem to regret that they lack a collective sense of national pride. For that reason, and so many more, I am thankful that while America is a safe country and has been free from the wars and violence prevalent in so many others around the world, that peace has also come with a great deal of striving. I love the quote by Thomas Paine because it is very accurate, “What we achieve to easily, we esteem too lightly.” What America represents is especially precious because of what it has cost.

Grandpa Webb

Grandpa Gordon

Although I have not personally known the pain of losing a loved one in war, I am very proud of my family’s service and honored to be the granddaughter of two WWII vets and the daughter of a Vietnam vet. (Dad, you lucked out. I don’t have access to any of your Navy photos here.) From my earliest years I remember loving to hear Grandpa Gordon tell stories of his time in the Pacific Theater serving under General McArthur, and he made sure to always remind me of the price of freedom. As I get older and watch close friends go off to war, I understand that even a little bit better. I pray we never forget the sacrifices made by so many, or take for granted the men and women who serve so faithfully. To the veterans, those who are serving today, and their families, THANK YOU.

Grandpa Gordon in D.C.

Grandpa Gordon in training

Grandpa and Grandma Gordon

Me and Grandpa

Thinking about my grandpa, who was probably my favorite person ever, I was reminded of another “butterfly moment” from last week. Tuesday I was having a rough morning, so I was exceptionally glad that not only did we have chapel during break, it was a special worship chapel service. I was already enjoying the time of praise when they began to play a vaguely familiar song. The lyrics were powerful and fitting and I sang along wondering why the words seemed stored in the recesses of my memory. And then I remembered the one and only time I had heard the song before.

It was Fall 2004 at a Wednesday night FCA service during my first semester of college at UF. Our awesome praise band (that included a banjo at the time) was playing to a packed auditorium when I felt my phone vibrate. I didn’t answer it. I knew right away the only reason mom would be calling during FCA: my beloved grandpa had passed away after a painful struggle with Alzheimer’s. I remember standing there in the crowd choking back tears and smiling as I listened to a cheerful rendition of “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks.”

On Jordan’s stormy banks I stand

And cast a wishful eye

To Canaan’s fair and happy land

Where my possessions lie.

All o’er those wide extended plains

Shines one eternal day

There God, the Son forever reigns

And scatters night away.

I am bound, I am bound, I am bound for the Promised Land.

I am bound, I am bound, I am bound for the Promised Land.

No chilling wind nor poisonous breath

Can reach that healthful shore

Where sickness, sorrow, pain and death

Are felt and feared no more.

When shall I see that happy place

And be forever blessed?

When shall I see my Father’s face

And in His bosom rest?

I am bound, I am bound, I am bound for the Promised Land.

I am bound, I am bound, I am bound for the Promised Land.

The memory of that night flooded back and with it a twinge of the pain from that season of loss. Those recollections mixed with the angst of the current day, and the tears rolled down my cheeks as I lifted my hands and sang along. You are probably saying right about now, “I thought you said this was a joyful ‘butterfly’ moment?” It was, trust me! I had never been able to remember what song we sang that night, although I always fondly remembered singing about one day reaching the Promised Land at the moment I learned that Grandpa had made it Home. It was a perfectly timed gift that 6.5 years later when I was having a bad day in Costa Rica that song would come back to me and bring with it sweet memories and refreshment for my heart. It was a powerful comfort to me the night I lost my grandpa, and it was just as much comfort on a day when I was feeling a little stranded in the desert.

I don’t know where God is going to guide me in this life, or how long I will remain standing on Jordan’s stormy banks. But praise Jesus! I DO know that some day I am bound for the Promised Land! On that day, the sadness and difficulties that plague this life will fade away when I finally see my Savior’s face. Praise Jesus! What a promise! 

I hope you take time today to remember those who have served and sacrificed for our nation and the freedoms we enjoy. But far more, I hope that you take time daily to remember the ultimate sacrifice that Christ made on the cross that allows us freedom from sin and the assurance of eternal life in the Promised Land.

"Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting on him." -Hebrews 9:27-28