Cultural Experience - Part 3

As you know, we are vegetarian. What did we serve our omnivorous exchange student, A?

(I'm using her initial for privacy and convenience.)

The first night, we went to Sweet Tomatoes for salad dinner. She had soup and a little salad. At that point, A was nervous and shy with us - it was our first meal together and she ate like a bird. After dinner, we went to Price Chopper and picked out some items for the coming week: fruit, eggs, fruit juice, bread, and cheese.

For breakfast Monday, husband prepared pancakes with fruit juice to drink and grapes. Lunch was at school.

Dinner was my mother's "famous" macaroni and cheese casserole. It's decadent with bechamel sauce and Land O Lakes American Cheese, topped with breadcrumbs and baked. Also had a tossed salad and I made some simple Strawberry Shortcake for dessert.

Simple Strawberry Shortcake is a shortcake biscuit with sliced sweetened fresh strawberries. I make bisquick shortcake. She was more comfortable with us by now and enjoyed a second helping of mac and cheese - she even asked for the recipe!!

Tuesday breakfast was an omelet, toast, with fruit and juice. Lunch on the field trip. Dinner was just student and me (since husband was at his Japanese language class), and I made a frittata of egg, potato and southwest style vegetables like green onion, pimiento, and corn. Asparagus was on the side. Yum. I made chocolate cake with chocolate frosting for dessert.

Wednesday breakfast was French Toast. Lunch was on the field trip for the day. Dinner was the Sayonara Dinner for the exchange group, including lasagna and baked pasta catered by the Olive Garden, with sides and desserts provided by the families. I brought mini corn muffins.

Thursday I had to work, so I didn't participate in breakfast. Husband made pancakes again - because student had said she liked pancakes. Lunch was at school. Dinner was with husband, and they went to Taco Bell, at A's request. They went to Japanese class together, since I was working.

Friday morning, everyone got up crazy early to see me off to work. We had bagels and fruit and cheese. Goodbyes.

I think the food situation worked out well. She really liked the mc and cheese, and she asked for the recipe. I copied it on a nice sheet of paper, and did some of the conversions of measurements to metric. She also liked the chocolate cake on Tuesday night - so much so, she asked me to bring it to the potluck on Wednesday, to share with her friends. I think she talked about it with her friends.

The cake was an ordinary boxed mix with frosting from the tub. It did turn out unusually good, though. I am in the habit of making half a cake mix at a time, so this was only an 8x8 pan size cake. You just estimate the amount of mix and use half of the add-ins (oil, water, egg). You bake it up in a 8 or 9 inch round, an 8x8 square, or a few cupcakes. When you're a small family, this works well.

Despite the fact that we eat off the mainstream, we can provide "normal" foods that are extremely healthy. Our student ate well with us, which counteracted the processed snacks she enjoyed all day with her friends.