missionaryMAC

No, really: this is a post about goat!  Saturday morning, I had the VERY Dominican experience of buying and seasoning it for a coworker who'd later grill it as the main dish for the May iteration of the DR team's monthly meeting > Bible study > English worship service > potluck.  Casa del Chivo is just around the corner from one of the grocery stores I frequent. The place was hopping! I ordered 5 lbs. of male goat meat, cut into pieces more or less the size of my palm.  You can see the camera back up at the end when a bone chip came flying at me! Step 1: lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Step 2: spice rub (chicken bouillon, garlic powder, onion powder, curry, ginger, and thyme). Then: into the fridge to marinate for ~48 hours.  The Stigdons kindly lent their built-in, outdoor grill and had even just made some timely improvements to better trap the heat of the coals.  Taste test: predictably a bit chewier than goat that's been guisado (braised in a fl...

My fellow missionary, friend, and neighbor Lilian was literally jumping up and down when she shared shortly after New Year's that her son Martín had proposed to fellow MK Hannah. We're still basking in the glow of wedding weekend! The families invited a) the entire congregation at my church, where Martín's dad serves as one of the pastors; and b) the entire DR missionary team.  I'm still not sure how - maybe because I housed a couple of out-of-town wedding guests? - but I scored an invite to a celebratory Friday evening banquet. Lilian: " Eres familia " (You're family).  Back: Katie Ziegler, Angie Sharp, mother-of-the-bride Christine, and I. Front: Roberto (& Johanna) Weber and Tirzah Krey.  Fellow missionary Danelle - and a cadre of minions who helped execute her vision - outdid herself on the decor. I found myself somewhat seriously wondering what it would take to get some of those party lights in my  backyard...! I had a mission on Saturday morning ...

Chances are you've gotten an email I drafted, read a blog post I wrote, or been on a video chat I've joined from the best place in my house: the hammock on my 2nd story balcony. Way back in September 2018 , it was one of the first things I acquired for my house. I'm pretty sure I didn't even have a sofa, a bed, or dining room chairs at the time, but...priorities.  When the strings recently gave out - yes, I was in it at the time, but it was so low to the ground I wasn't hurt - I knew I couldn't live somewhere with a WiFi network name like "HamacaHouse" and NOT replace it. Tuesday afternoon after an errand to church, I drove just a little further to a stretch of highway beyond the airport bordered on either side by roadside vendors hawking furniture, home decor, and souvenirs.  I stopped at a couple on my way out of the city to establish a baseline of available styles and pricing, then thought  I had it narrowed down to two - one design featuring plum p...

If I'm being completely honest, April showers bring MORE showers in May. But when a dear missionary friend whose doctor just prescribed a diet that precludes her from eating chicken, pork, and beef asks you to help her make a turkey , you celebrate Cinco de Mayo (and the observation of Labor Day in the DR) with all the fixin's.  I agreed hesitatingly, having roasted a whole turkey exactly once in my life . Turns out I needn't have fretted; we opted for Crock Pot Cranberry Turkey Breast (plus a second crock pot with another turkey breast + 3 wings - she wanted leftovers! - seasoned with just S&P).  I agreed hesitatingly...to turkey. I didn't know I'd also agreed to sweet potato casserole , mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy two ways, Stove Top stuffing, gluten-free stuffing, cranberry sauce, and dessert ! I wasn't mad. I love wiling away an afternoon in the kitchen, and I even had time for a few quick video chats and some cribbage during a lengthy hands-off...