Day 35 - Cooking at Grad Camp - Saturday Oct. 22

So after sleeping fitfully, I got working on the breakfast that morning around 7:30am. I had a few people volunteer to peel potatoes the night before, so all I had to do was shred them and make the breakfast pizzas. I got enough shredded to start the first couple batches, so I started sauteing them on the stove top. I added in a few chopped onions and cooked the potatoes until they were soft. Then I spread them out on a tray and scrambled the eggs which went on top of the hash browns, last we put on some shredded cheese that I had shredded the night before. This all went into the oven to bake. By this time I had several people helping me out. So I was able to get 2 cookie sheet size pans and 3 skillets worth of the recipe prepared. Once it was ready, we served it out on the plates and waited for the kids to come in. It took longer than I thought, so some of the servings were cold by the time they ate, but I hope they liked it anyway. We made up some scrambled eggs as well, for those who were still hungry.

While the breakfast was in the oven baking, I was able to take a short break for devotions with the American team. It was so nice to be able to worship with others and be unified in purpose for loving these kids and showing them Jesus.

The team had many different activities planned for the day. I was in charge of lunch which was sandwiches and salad, so that was much easier. Although, we did have all the meat and cheese to slice on our own. So it was more than just setting it out. I also needed to cut up a huge head of cabbage. So after a short break of sitting in on the group morning worship, trying to sing in Russian and listen to a message I could not understand, I went back to the kitchen. There I had a few people come to help with the cutting, both Americans and some of the kids came in and out to help. Yarik ended up in with me finishing cutting the cabbage. It was sweet of him to come to help me. Quite a few times I saw him washing the dishes as well. I am so thankful that God has given us a son with such a servant's heart.

Lunch was set out and the kids soon arrived and devoured all that we set out. At each meal, there were many who came to me to say thank you. It was nice that they appreciated my cooking for them.

That night we were to make Kasha soup. I had no idea how to make it so I had to wait for one of the girls to lead that one.

Sergei making his bracelet

The afternoon activity was making bracelets, so since I was not sure what else to do, I sat with Sergei and learned to make a new style of bracelet. Both of the boys were quite good at catching on to the bracelet making and it will be fun to teach the kids at home. Sergei gave his first one to me and I gave mine to him. Although the one he gave me was better than the one I made for him. I also used some regular friendship bracelet threads to make a friendship bracelet for one of the girls who had given me a small ring. I had been trying to learn their names and interacted with her several times when she put one of those children's adjustable rings on my finger. It was a sweet gesture and I wanted to return the sentiment, but had nothing to offer at the time.

Kate and the girls making bracelets

Soon it was time to start the dinner. We peeled more potatoes and some carrots. Chopped onions and potatoes and shredded the carrots. Anika put buckwheat/kasha into two large pots of water to cook. I sauteed the carrots and onions until they were very well done. Anika added several seasoning packs to the buckwheat and put the potatoes in to cook with it as well. Once the carrots and onions were well cooked we added them to the pots.

Vitali, Galla and Ira making bracelets

As we were making dinner, the group was doing some games similar to the show, “A Minute to Win It.” Since the soup just had to be stirred every once in a while, Anika and I went back and forth to watch the games. The first one that we saw was the cookie game, where the participant had to move a cookie from their forehead to their mouth using only the muscles in their face. It was pretty hilarious. They had to do 3 cookies in one minute. The first kid I saw was able to succeed. The next one had much more trouble.

When I came back the next time the game was one where the participant had to blow a ping pong ball from one cup of water into the next one. Each set of two cups got farther apart as the moved down a row of three. Only one kid was able to get the ball into both the first and the second set of cups. It was fun to watch. Not sure what other games they did, but it was time for us to put the soup out to serve.

We put the soup into bowls and set it out on the tables with bread, which we put out at every meal. Soon the group came in and we ate the soup. It was really good. Hopefully I can recreate it at home. The kasha tasted a lot like barley in the soup.

For dessert that night the girls planned to bake cookies. They had made the dough ahead of time at home. We tried to get the oven just right, but it was an old gas oven with no actual settings on the dial. I was really tired, but wanted to keep helping. The girls did the first batch and the oven seemed to be burning the ones in the back and barely cooking the ones in the front, especially on top. I took over and did not have much luck with the next batch. Pretty much raw on top and charcoal on the bottom. I got one batch to turn out pretty well by rotating the pan. Anika came back and we tried to develop a new system. I had brought my laptop down to try to type up some blog entries while the cookies baked. Anika went ahead and took over and I went out to the table to type. Soon Sergei found me and wanted to play a game on the laptop with me. Even though I was exhausted and wanted to go sleep, I wanted even more to spend some time with Sergei. So I pushed through and we played the Garden Pond game. It ended up being a full contact sport with him. As we had to try to keep the other person from interfering with our boats. We were laughing like crazy and had a lot of fun. I was so happy to get this special time with him. We played a few more games and the girls were soon serving the cookies. Sergei brought some to me. Then I had to get to sleep. This time the other girls turned in early as well, so I was not the only one shivering trying to sleep. That afternoon, Annie and Melissa had gone back to get a few more supplies, and they brought the extra blankets that they had at the apartment. They gave one to me, but it was still not quite enough to keep me warm. I was so tired, that I still slept despite the cold.