Report on the basics - food in Haiti

After talking to my brother on the phone the other day, I realized I haven’t shared much of the everyday events with you. My brother asked me – “what have you been eating?” I also received a bunch of food from the church in Vermillion. Which I am blessed, but given the amount, maybe they think I don’t eat down here. Or they know me all too well and know I will share the food with my brothers and sisters in Haiti. So what do I eat in Haiti?
Breakfast – We have homemade bread almost every morning with homemade peanut butter (which is just delightful very much all natural – don’t know how I will go back to store bought peanut butter). Some days we have eggs – they are either boiled and cut in half with an onion, pepper, and vinegar mixture on them or they are scrambled with peppers and onions and a slice of spam in the middle like an omelet. About once every 2 weeks we have oatmeal – it is very good, rich and sweet with cinnamon.
Perhaps my favorite thing for breakfast in Haiti – Spaghetti! Yup that is correct, sometimes there is a little red sauce on the noodles, just enough where it doesn’t stick together, or we put ketchup and sometime mayo on it and a dash of Tabasco. Also, there are sometimes fried chucks of spam served with it.
Lunch – lunch is sort of hit and miss – sometimes there is lunch and sometimes there isn’t. We may have a little rice and beans with red sauce. Or a piece of bread with peanut butter and a piece of fresh fruit. Or some Potato/Bread soup – which is wonderful. And of course my favorite pumpkin soup! If nothing is served or I am away from the house I have a granola bar of some fun snack the folks from the United States have left here or sent for me. About every other Sunday Aimable makes cake in the solar oven too – which is Amazing! It basically beats any cake I have had except maybe a few wedding cakes.
Dinner – Rice and Beans! – Not every day but A lot!  there are several different ways that the rice and beans are prepared, sometimes together and sometimes separate, sometimes more of a white rice and different kinds of beans – right now Congo beans are in season (I am not sure but I think it is that, that gives me terrible gas – I know too much information ;) but you wanted to know.) Sometimes the beans are boiled down into more of a sauce. Other days there is a corn (mayis) dish that is served with the beans instead of rice. Served with the rice and beans is a red sauce with chicken, fish, beef, or goat. We often have cooked carrots and beets with it. Sometimes fried potatoes and plantains. The other day we had something very, very close to potato salad. It reminded me of 4th of July with my family. Once in awhile we have popcorn with dinner – all natural very good! And there is almost always some sort of fresh fruit juice served with dinner – that is fantastic although of coarse just a touch too sweet for me.