It's the little things...

Our move to Russia has provided me with many opportunities to grow, and expand my knowledge of how vastly different parts of the world can be.  I have said this before, and Ryan jokes about this quite often, I am a small, Midwestern girl that moved from Indiana to Houston, and is now living in Russia.  Even after a year, there are still moments, when I am walking somewhere, shopping in the grocery store, or just sitting in our apartment, that it hits me, "I live in Russia!?!?!"

Life here has been very different, but it's the little things that truly make this experience memorable.  I am so thankful I decided to write this blog.  It not only gives me the opportunity to ramble on excessively (if I do not meet my spoken word quota each day, I at least know I have fulfilled my written word quota), but it provides me the opportunity to write about small, daily things that make our lives memorable.  Yes, the big trips are exciting, the traveling is remarkable, but when it comes to life, it's the little things that truly make up our lives.  I don't want to forget the little things about our life in Russia.

Did you think this entire post was going to be warm, and sentimental.  Yes, it did start that way, but then I include a picture of quinoa, tofu, and cottage cheese.  Really?  Remember, it's the small things. :)

I have caused some scenes in the grocery store.  My friend Kim was present when I first found quinoa.  She didn't know what it was, but decided that since I was buying it, she should also.  If you remember, while in the States I made turkey quinoa chili, and I said that when I found quinoa in Russia, it would be the first thing I made, I stuck to my promise.

Oh, cottage cheese.  You either love or hate it, there is no middle ground.  I love it, and I miss it dearly.  My Mother always has some in the refrigerator, and I eat a disgustingly large amount of cottage cheese during my States visits.  I have finally found, a decent cottage cheese in Russia.  My first Russian cottage cheese experience took place about a week after our move to Russia, it was such an awful experience, that it took me until this week (over a year later) to give it another try.  I found this new brand, and to my amazement, it will do.  It is drier than the cottage cheese I am used to, but mixed with fruit or veggies, it provides me what I need to answer my cottage cheese cravings.

Tofu.  Not much to say here, besides the fact I received strange looks from local shoppers as I began squealing when I found it.  The cashier looked at it funny while she was ringing it up (maybe it's because me bought 4 containers).  I decided to use some of our newly purchased tofu, and made tofu stir fry.  It turned out much better than I thought, the tofu held up nicely.  I would have taken a picture, but I upset the stove top.  I think it overheated, so I was stressed about a broken stove top.  No worries, once it (the stove top) was able to cool down, it decided to work again. :)  Anyway, I will finish this blog with a quote from my loving husband.  He always eats what I make, even when I feed him "rabbit food."

After finishing his (large) bowl of tofu stir fry:

"I think I just expended more calories eating and chewing that meal than I actually consumed."