not much

all's quiet
at least here.
Last week we went over to Western Ukr to help out in the kitchen with food preparation while some of the guys were around doing some work. Lovely! I mean being with the people... all of them! The food part went not too badly as well.
We also used the shop vac to slurp up millions (I'm sure) of flies- that was oddly satisfying. They worm their way inside this time of year and then zoom around drunkenly and litter the place up with their corpses after awhile (when they're done zooming)... if this happens to be in the attic/upstairs part where no one actually lives, well their dear little departed left behind selves accumulate... and then crunch into the floor when you walk on the floor... This just sort of offends some part of me- some sissy weak part of me- so we bribed someone to haul the shop vac from one upstairs to the next and then mindlessly slurped them up- chic, ching, chic, ping, pong, chic... they make such cute little pinging noises on their way up wand of the vac... I'd go out and do some more just any old day... ;)
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Have I told you about 'Tushene Myaso'? It's literally 'Stewed Meat', but I'm here to tell you that it's nothing like what N Americans usually think of when they hear 'stew'. No pix, but I did pork that way one day:
-cut the meat into chunks (like stew-size pieces)
-brown it in a bit of oil (or butter...or both) with a bit of salt and pepper
-reduce heat to low and pour sour cream over it (this is best but milk also works wonderfully well); add a bay leaf or 2.
-Let simmer for 2 hours (or more), replenishing the sour cream/milk from time to time. You don't need lots of liquid, just enough to cook down and keep the meat from burning. I let it cook uncovered at first and then towards the end, put the cover on the skillet but cracked open.

This is an excellent way to do any meat that is likely to be tough... and the flavor- out of this world! Serve over rice, potatoes, macaroni- whatever. Works well with a white sauce gravy made at the end.
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In other news, Ukr is in the middle of an H1N1 scare- all schools and universities (in Western, Central, Northern Ukr at any rate) are closed for 2 weeks; supposedly there are travel restrictions into and out of the 3 areas in Western Ukr that have been hardest hit. No one seems to know just how serious it really is but people are scared... and it certainly seems that the flu season has gotten off to an early start. There isn't a lot of flu in Kyiv yet but someone told me that their city has been hard-hit and that the pharmacies are out of typical respiratory meds... Lots of masks out in public... I'm maskless... can't stand that wet stuffy feeling up by my mouth. Besides- do they help? I am washing my hands often and, as Jill says, Keep your hands away from your face!
Ok!

en route to Poland tonight... border time... again... hurrah... (for Poland that is... border crossings are for the birds, mostly)