Becoming a Domestic Goddess

Not my words, mind you. This is how my father described me after I recounted a few of my projects around the house. I never thought of myself as homemaker material, let alone a "domestic goddess," but I'll certainly take it as a compliment.

First off: Arts and crafts. I've been knitting for years now, so that's not news, but I've recently started making paper beads, and with some level of success, I think.

I'll go ahead and apologize in advance to every female member of my family. This is probably what you'll get for Christmas. Sorry.

Also: Pagne potholders! Because unlike badass Cameroonian women, I need more than a couple of leaves between me and a scalding hot pot.

Next up: Household improvisations. Unfortunately, it's quite rare to find shower caddies or built-in utensil holders in Cameroon, so I made due with what a could find, that is, a pasta strainer and a metal coffee cup.

Since installing this (a work of genius, I admit), I can't but think to myself just how spoiled Americans are. We look at a perfectly acceptable place to wash ourselves, and think, "Yes, this is nice, but I'd rather not have to bend down to reach the soap." In any case, the caddy didn't last long, since the house is constructed out of mud and straw bricks covered with plaster, so the wall where the nail held the strainer in place started crumbling almost immediately. Alas, I'm again forced to bend down to pick up my soap. They tell you about "conditions of hardship" when joining the Peace Corps, but I never thought of this.

This one has been much more successful. Since moving into my house, which was also used by a former volunteer, I've been trying to make small changes to make it feel more like my own, and this was a part of that effort. It's a work in progress--my bedroom, for example, is far from satisfactory--but I'll be sure to post a virtual tour of chez moi when I'm satisfied with it.

I’ve also tried my hand at cooking: This has probably been the most frightening of my domestic endeavors, since in the States, my culinary repertoire was limited to things like scrambled eggs, pasta, and grilled cheese sandwiches. But it’s turned out surprisingly well so far! I still make a lot of pasta (like I mentioned previously, the diet here is very starch-heavy), and a lot of eggs, in an attempt to eat enough protein, but I’ve made my own marinara sauce, panini, and even an (albeit homely) chocolate cake.

Grilled panini caprese with Laughing Cow, sliced tomato, and fresh basil, which grows in abundance outside my front door.

Banana bread pancakes!