So several weeks ago our short-term team coordinator for CAMA brought a load of grocery type things to a prayer meeting for all of us to go through and pick things to take home. These were items that short-termers brought with them as gifts for us. Kool-aid, Jello, spice packs, boxed mac and cheese etc. etc. It's kinda like Christmas or your birthday or something. Now don't get me wrong, we do have grocery stores here in Phnom Penh where you can buy Western food items. They are usually a bit expensive (in comparison to what we spend if we eat Khmer) and sometimes you get stale crackers or cereal, but hey, I shouldn't complain...we are well taken care of.
Anyways...though there are lots of things for us to have here, there are still things that we can't get, so, when your family spends oodles of money to send you a box of goodies or short-termers come over and bring various spices and other fun things its SUCH a treat.
So, I was looking at this small pile of items and not really seeing anything too exciting when my eyes fell on this long yellow box with the word "Velveeta" on it. Holy Cow...someone REALLY packed a TWO pound block of Velveeta cheese to Cambodia with them!!!!!! So I restrained myself and made sure no one else wanted it before I snatched it up. My mind was totally racing on what wonderful creation I could make for my hubby and son with this little 'block of gold'.
What's odd about all of this is that I never bought velveeta cheese when we lived in the states! Not even to make cheese dip...its just not something I ever buy. But somehow you bring that little 2 pound block half way around the world and I go crazy.
It has now been a month since that little gift made it to our refrigerator and I couldn't figure out the perfect thing to make with it. I mean, if I made some new recipe with it and it wasn't so yummy then I'd have thrown some gold down the drain, right? I've looked at recipes, thought of making some new creation on my own....and today I finally just gave in...I made Chris a grilled cheese sandwich. Not so terribly exotic, but my little picky eater, Aiden, actually took a few bites and didn't spit it back out at us!
It was almost painful to cut into that loaf of processed cheese as I know that when the cutting starts the item will soon be gone. Maybe when you live overseas your mind goes a little crazy when it comes to these types things. Holding on to a block of velveeta is like holding something from home...its something familiar (reminds me of my dad's mac-n-cheese when I was a kid...we ALWAYS had velveeta in the house). My mom-in-law sent me this huge pack of craisins several months ago and I stored them away for almost two months before I opened them, and even now I have a few boxes of snack crackers for Aiden hidden away for 'a rainy day'.
I think God gives us those little blocks of gold every now and then to keep us sane...to keep us going when we have a horrible day of language study or when we really really miss being at home in the states during fall. So for now, our little block of gold only has a small slice taken out of it...though some day soon I will create some masterpiece with it for my boys and we'll enjoy the gift together.
4 comments:
Love reading about you and your family and thank the Lord that you are all safe and doing well. God really chose special people to do his work when he chose you.
Keep up the updates and the pictures.
Love Marcala
I totally understand! When I read this I smiled. I am saving chocolate chips but like you said when you finally you use it you hope it is worth it. I think living overseas can make you crazy at times!
My dad makes the same mac and cheese, when we go home too. My husband had never had it made with velveeta until then, and now he thinks it's the greatest thing ever!
Wishing you all the best!
Jeri and family
Okay - so what did you make with the cheese already!?!
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