Making Varenyky

I must admit that I do get homesick still, even after over six years in Germany. It doesn't happen that often, but when it does, it's usually right about now, right before Thanksgiving. Last weekend I decided to make varenyky for some friends of ours, taking the recipe out of my beloved "More with Less" Mennonite cookbook. I was very impressed with myself, because they actually turned out OK. That is, until I put them in the boiling water and some of them burst in a glorious haze of cottage cheese and water. They still tasted pretty good. Our friend Jan whipped up some sauce that I'm sure would give any person clogged arteries. All I know is that it involved the use of cream and creme fraiche, which is delicious and disgusting at the same time.

I've also been mastering my pumpkin-pie making abilities, since you can't really get a can of pumpkin pie mix and a good 9 inch pie crust here in Germany. So I've learned how to do the whole shebang from scratch, which isn't as hard as I thought it would be. Although, I've got to admit, I never had really given much thought to the fact that pumpkin pie and actual pumpkins are one and the same. Whatever. I've learned a lot here in D-land.

Oh, I've become so domestic ... Who can believe that?