PUMPKIN!

Despite the fact that Thanksgiving is over and the Christmas season is upon us, I can't get enough pumpkin.  We've made pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pie, pumpkin seeds, and pumpkin soup.  Here in SL you can find fresh pumpkins all year round and people will make pumpkin curry which is delicious.  So this week we thought that we would make pumpkin soup with our cooking class.  We had fresh pumpkin (obviously), butternut squash, and potato.  We added some curry powder and chilies to give it a kick and south asian flair.  This cooking item seemed like it was going to be a winner.  

What the heck do I know?  

I received a text message from a friend the night before saying that everybody was coming to class the next day and they were wondering what we cooking.  

I should have replied with "You'll have to come and find out".  However, I did not.  I told her that we would be making pumpkin soup and a bread item (crescent rolls), which she then replied with "Oh, can you change the menu?  No one likes pumpkin."  

...

Perhaps if it had not been the night before cooking class, and perhaps if we hadn't just bought everything at the store and hadn't just prepared everything, then maybe we could have changed it.  But we had already done that.  I was reminded that the culture here doesn't really have the same idea of what's polite as that of my culture.  I was taught, you try everything even if you don't like it.  (Not to mention how many weirdo things I've eaten at this girls house...and she didn't want to try our pumpkin soup!)  I messaged her back saying that she had never had soup like this and that she should come.  

Cooking class happened like normal but only three ladies showed up.  We made crescent rolls and the soup and they oohed and aahed over our Christmas decorations.   One of them sheepishly admitted that she didn't really like pumpkin either, but she tried the soup.  I just wanted to hug her!  These three ladies have been to every class, they always take notes, and they listen to our stories that we share.  AND THEY COME BACK EACH WEEK.  Whether or not they are a fan of our cooking, I'm so thankful for these three women.  I also know that God is doing something incredible here and I don't doubt that He is continuing to speak to them in different ways.  

Making crescent rolls

They can slice and onion like a champ.

This was the part of the class that one of them brought over our Martha Stewart Thanksgiving magazine and started going through it.  She was wanting to know how to make a Turkey and I was praying that there wasn't anything about bacon in the magazine.  

After making one batch of regular crescent rolls, we decided to get a little crazy and put different fillings in them.  Cinnamon sugar, strawberry jam, apple jelly, pumpkin butter...

Cooking class sometimes wears you out.