The ovenless baker

It occurred to me that I could tell you all about our second afternoon at the orphanage, but maybe in a day or so--tonight, there is a far more pressing issue.

I know in an earlier post when I mentioned we had a broken oven, no one paused to consider the ramifications of this.  But consider them.

My daily baking and consumption of brownies and cookies has disappeared into boxes of chocolate wafers and Oreos.  I understand that some people greatly enjoy chocolate wafers and Oreos, but do you have any idea how many of each of those it takes to satiate the girl who actively consumes a significant portion of the raw ingredients in addition to the finished product of her baking?  A lot--and I have been unable to achieve the same warm and fuzzy feeling I get when I have lots of butter and sugar in my stomach.  Yes, I know I could make the raw dough and just eat it--it wouldn't be the first time.  In fact, freshman year at Dartmouth I made chocolate chip cookie dough every night for the entirety of fall term.  Ask Andy, he'll vouch for that.  He made the Topside runs to go get more eggs and sugar with me.  Plus, he helped me finish all the dough.  Some people gained the freshman fifteen in alcohol and vending machine food, I ate raw cookie dough every night.

Regardless, for those who know me well, it will not take much convincing to press upon you the urgency of the fact that I am without an oven.  However, I am taking it in stride and am working on alternatives such as said store-bought options, heated cream with hot chocolate mix, and expanding my repertoire.  So, rice krispie treats.  Ecaudor has sugary cereal and marshmallows, and I have a stovetop and pot.  But when I came home to make them, I realized the marshmallows were pineapple flavored and though not altogether revolting, certainly not going to be put into a rice krispie treat.  Next option, fruit with sugar?  Just kidding, that's obviously not an option. 

Desperate, I looked up no-bake cookies.  I have made a pretty good one in Connecticut in the microwave that could be replicated here, but it involved peanut butter and a) Andy doesn't like peanut butter and b) it is extremely expensive.  The internet, I love having internet, provided a few recipes.  But the one I tried tonight, the seemingly pure sugar confection with some oats in it, well, let's just say Andy nibbled a corner and put the rest of it down.  I ate quite a bit with a spoon, and, as you may be able to tell, am on a bit of a sugar high.  The leftovers, which I smushed together since they could hardly be called cookies, are in a tupperware container in the refrigerator for a sugar hit, but as something worthy of dessert... eh.  Partly to blame is that I don't think Ecuador has cocoa powder (and my hot cocoa mix alternative failed), and I know there are no chocolate chips in this country.  Chocolate bars are quite expensive so breaking them up doesn't seem to be a long term option.  We may be able to afford a batch or two of chocolate chip cookie dough over the next six months, but only maybe, a lot of our food budget is going to cheese.

Anyway, if you have any great ideas (chocolate pudding and rice pudding also occurred to me but you have to be in the right mood for those) feel free to share.  I'm still investigating if we can have someone receive mail for us.  In which case, a Costco bag of chocolate chips (and feel free to throw in some cocoa powder too) seems like an emerging necesity.

Alright, I'm about to crash from this sugar high, so I think I'll go make some cream with cocoa.