Update on Feeding Ourselves
Things have gotten easier
I mentioned in this post that I was going to try some new things to see if it helped alleviate some of the challenge of feeding ourselves in Albania and it has! Several things have helped lighten the load:
We started getting meat delivered from the butcher.
In fact, the first time we tried it, it only took 75 minutes from sending our order to it being delivered. We handled everything through WhatsApp. I didn’t expect our delivery to arrive nearly so fast and the time/energy/effort it saved us in going to the butcher and back on foot was huge.
We started getting a semi-regular delivery of assorted items from a local agricultural cooperative. We order a box of seasonal produce (similar to the way it works in the US), and add on other items like milk, cheeses, meat, and fresh pasta.
From the first delivery, I made homemade lasagna and it was a hit. It was the first time I had made lasagna since we left the US! I used the recipe my dad found some time back. It’s super simple but it turns out well. We always add some smoked paprika and it gives a nice extra punch to the dish. This time I used ground beef since we can’t get ground turkey and I used fresh spinach since that’s what came in the produce box.
We got a car and started making occasional trips to the big supermarket in the mall. No more coordinating bus trips and taxi rides to get there and back. Now we can more easily stock up on bulky household goods and shelf-stable items. It’s life changing! The key is to go during the week when the road and the store are quiet.
Additionally, the new market at the bottom of the hill gets closer to opening with each passing day. It’ll be nice to have something a little bit closer for those “oh shoot, I forgot we’re out of _______” moments.
And I discovered recently through a friend that one of the food delivery apps now allows you to place an order from one of the grocery store chains. It’s one of the more expensive ones, but it’s nice to know that’s an option in a pinch.
All in all, feeding ourselves has gotten easier, though there are still nights we’ll order delivery simply because I don’t want to cook or didn’t get something prepped during the day (e.g., meat marinading or something going in the slow cooker). But hooray for progress! I suppose the lesson is: Be patient and keep trying things until you find a solution that works. Also, make friends/connections and see what they know that could help you! That’s how we discovered that the butcher delivers, that Agr.al exists, and that one of the supermarkets is now offering delivery.