So, Lets Talk Food For A Bit

There are Snickers, M&Ms, and York Peppermint Patties here in Belize. (notice I start with the candy first) Anything chocolate is kept in refrigerators.  When you buy one you really should finish it before getting into your vehicle.  The kids at school all eat a lot of lollipops that have some hot pepper stuff on them.  Mrs. Vicki does not eat those, muy caliente!  Unfortunately, I see a lot of candy first thing in the mornings.

In Buena Vista all the teachers go across the street for lunch.  They get rice and beans most of the time.  Sometimes there is cut up chicken on top.  They do not use the same techniques that we do in America to cut them up.  I think they just use the stand- back- and- take- a- whack- at- it  method.  I bring peanut butter and mango jelly sandwiches.  I recently found some really good saltine type crackers that I take with cheddar cheese.  It’s quite yummy!

Speaking of cheese!  Western Dairy Cheddar Cheese is the best ever.  They put up a sign by the road whenever they make a fresh batch.  Western Dairy has a little restaurant in Spanish Lookout where they offer a great variety of ice cream, including Sour Sop, but I like their cheddar cheese better than their ice cream.  They also make really good burritos!

When you purchase a whole chicken from Dis Da Fi Wi Chicken Company they put the feet in the cavity with all the other giblets.  Now that was funny!  Chicken is what we are all about here in Belize.  On any Saturday when driving to the market in San Ignacio I will pass at least nine grills along the road selling chicken.  When I say grill I don’t mean Webber.  Think more creatively.  They make their own out of anything metal or any pieces of metal.  They all smell very good but we haven’t had the chance to stop and try any yet.  I’ll let you know when we do.

There is no brown sugar here, at least what we call brown sugar.  No lemons, only limes.  At least four varieties of bananas, my favorite is the apple-banana.  John says there are some coming up that are very creamy tasting.  Lots of Mennonites selling watermelon, but it’s almost out of season now.

The pictures below are Mangosteen and Dragon Fruit.  Mangosteens are pretty new on the scene here.  There are sweet little puffy white pillows inside which you just pull out and eat.  The Dragon Fruit are a lot like the taste of Kiwi except the color is an amazing deep purple with little black seeds.  All of these are like super-fruits.  Google them for more info.  We are going to try to grow Mangosteen which take seven to ten years before fruit shows up.

Dragon Fruit

Tastes a lot like Kiwi.

Mangosteen a very beneficial super-fruit.

Twist open carefully then pull out the little white pillows.
I liked these better than Dragon Fruit.

Fresh milk is very expensive and really not worth it.  I have been drinking something called LaLa Milk.  It’s almost the same as skim milk but it comes in little boxes.  The Ralston company sells their cereals here.  Although I am partial to Post Raisin Bran, Ralston Raisin Bran Cereal is pretty good.

Any kind of food item that is highly processed or packaged individually is extremely expensive.  Dennis got a six-pack of chocolate pudding cups for $7.00.  It took forever but I found Hidden Valley Ranch mix in the envelopes, $5.10.  Forget buying Doritos or Barbeque Chips, very expensive and you never know if they are stale or not.

On the other hand there is a huge variety of fruits here that are always in season.  And the cultural food is amazing, Belizean, Mexican, Taiwanese, Caribbean (Kreol), Chinese, and even German.  Couldn’t believe it!  We had a potluck lunch at Fountain of Life Church and the German food was awesome.

So that’s enough food info for now.  I’m sure there will be more to come.

Love you guys!

Been thinking of how much I will miss our church Thanksgiving Dinner this year.  Everyone needs to eat one extra bite of everything and think of Dennis and I when you do.