Cooking at the Mission Home - Friday, July 16, 2010

The temperature has dropped into the 40's for seven days straight -- ever since last Sunday. It seemed like such an abrupt change, very noticeable all at once.

Even though I had to hurry along and not dilly dally getting ready today, we still had time for scriptures, prayer, and all on our morning to do list. The assistants picked me up around 8:30 to go to the mission home for Zone Leaders Council. They had to go help set up for the 21 people who would be in attendance. I had to go help Nancy in the kitchen prepare the food and set the tables.

When I arrived, she showed me her hand which was a little swollen and a portion turning black and blue. She said that the door she entered this morning slammed shut on her hand. Ouch!! I wonder how that happened. But her hand was hurting and yet she had a lot of chopping of vegetables to do, plus washing the dishes as she dirtied them. She doesn't let dishes and pans stack up in the sink when she cooks. I was nervous about getting the tables in the dining room set and ready before the meeting started because it would be a distraction if we were in there doing that. However, the table cloths needed ironing, so I volunteered to iron them quickly and she was ever so grateful.

While Nancy was chopping veggies for the Sirlanka, a Russian recipe from Sister Argyle's mother who served a mission in Russia, I set the tables, got all the plates and goblets from the china hutch, plus the water pitchers, and did every needful thing in that area of the house so we could close the kitchen doors and not be heard as we prepared the food.

I had to make a zucchini sheet cake and followed the recipe carefully so I would not goof it up. When I poured the batter onto the cookie sheet it looked so soupy and different. I couldn't figure it out, but trusted that I had done it right. After about 20 minutes in the oven which went waaaay above 350 degrees - we weren't watching -- it was boiling and bubbling and burning. It was a disaster and we decided the heat was what destroyed it. So I carefully carried it outside to cool so we could toss it out, then I began again. Half way through the repeat performance, it dawned on me that there was no flour listed on the typed recipe. Of course!!!! That is why it was just sugar burning in the pan. Good Grief! Even if it was left off by mistake, one would think a seasoned cook could have spotted that. Nancy had this recipe at home too, so she called her husband to look on her copy to see how much flour it needed. Exito!! It turned out perfect.

This Russian dish is delicious -- at least I think so. It contains hamburger, carrots, zucchini, onions, cabbage, and tomatoes all simmered and cooked together and served over rice. Very healthy!! Nancy thinks it is too many vegetables and gets tired chopping. Maybe Sister Gulbrandsen will change menus -- don't know! Tossed salad, rolls, fruit, and cake round out the meal.

We were ready and waiting for the group to adjorned for lunch and as the elders filed past the kitchen counter to receive their plate, it was fun to see them and they seemed pleased that I was there as well.

Clean up went fast, and in order to make the place look spic and span, I quietly put the plates and water pitchers back in the china hutch. No one even noticed or cared. They were focused on what was going on in the living room.

I had Nancy call a remise to take me back to the office, then I slipped out waving goodbye to a few elders who saw my exit. The President was busy on the chalk board.

I intended to take pictures of either the kitchen activity or the elders eating, but with the camera out of sight in my purse, I completely forgot until I was on my way back in the remise. I was so disgusted with myself. So I'm adding a couple photos of transfer day. Elder Peterson and Elder Hales had their turn having a picture taken with the Gulbrandsens.

Elder Curtis Turnbull from Orem, Utah left on Wednesday. He is a fun elder with a cute personality. We are happy a lot of our missionaries are from Utah because that means we may have more contact with them than those living far away.

Theses two elders live far away, both being from Argentina. Elder Cano and Elder Rauch were good missionaries and both learned English pretty good. At the testimony meeting they both shared their testimonies in English. Elder Rauch is the one who had the difficulty getting home with all the strikes going on. We haven't heard that he didn't make it, so hopefully all went well on the third try.

I went back to the office and tried to decide where to begin. Everything I could think of needed my attention first. I did a couple things, then about 5:00 - 5:30 we called it a day and went home. We walked to the Farmacia to get perscriptions filled and then over to Disco to pick up a few items. It was freezing outside so we were glad we didn't have any more errands to run.

During the evening we received a call from Sister Fuqua inviting us to movie night tomorrow evening with the other seniors. I could hardly believe she was calling us because yesterday she fell and fractured her pelvis and they are having to go home. She said she would just be on the couch and her husband would take care of everyone. Well, okay -- if you are sure . . .