Peace Corps, Paraguay and a Purpose. : Empanada's and Winter!

Well its still rainy and only getting colder. We welcomed our first day of winter this past week, its hard to believe that North America is welcoming their summer ahora ( right now). But thats what happens when I’m living on another continent....it still blows my mind a little when I think about that! Winter here is pretty cold. It consist of lots of layers, lots of hot mate and grey sky’s. There is no type of heat in the houses and very little insulation, which makes for very cold nights. If i had to describe it I would say its like camping but in my house. I wear all my “camping gear” to stay warm but Im in my bed and in my house. I do enjoy all the mate drinking I’ve been doing and the quality time spent with the Paraguayans. They really know how to bundle up and keep warm. These next 3 months will be difficult because I HATE being cold, but I just keep remindeding myself it is all apart of the experience and everything will work out. It may cause for painfully cold showers and lots of damp clothes but they (the Paraguayans) all say it will pass quickly.

Today I cooked empanada’s with my friend and her mother. Usually Paraguayans eat empanada’s with some kind of meat and they are not the healthiest. When I make empanada’s I make them with soy or carne de soja in spanish. My friend Romy and her mom have been asking me to make empanadas with them and to teach them a healthier way of eating. The thing with Paraguayans is they want to eat healthier but they don’t know how and don’t understand how to improve their eating habits. This is where I get to give a little nutrition lesson but also spend time helping them and sharing a meal. Now Paraguayans are also picky eaters, they know what they like and they really don’t like trying new things. So although I would have liked to bake these empanada’s they wanted to fry them. As much as I hate eating the fried food here, on a cold day like today it was delicious and perfect.

I tried to document the whole process so you could see how its done. We cooked the soy first and I added some cumin seasoning from America! I had to add it when they weren’t looking because they thought it was too spicy and didn’t want it....but the soy needs some flavor! Then we boiled, peeled and chopped up the eggs. We bought the empanada disc already made and stuffed them with the soy and egg. Then they were ready for frying! And the were rico (delicious) Almost all meals are cooked over open fires here. It is quicker and most families don’t have any type of traditional stove or oven. I have learned so many new things that are possible to cook over fires. I will be set next time I actually do go camping and have to cook over a fire! Enjoy the photos! And if you need an actually recipe for empanada’s let me know, they are pretty simple!