Fanesca

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Wednesday (8th) at Larcacunga was fanesca day. Fanesca is the national dish for easter. It has 12 different kinds of beans/corn/chochos/havas/peanuts/other types of that kind of stuff (for the 12 apostles) and then also cream, fish, fried plantains, fried dough balls, tomatoes, onions, cheese, egg, all kinds of good stuff. It's essentially a stew. Then theres also mashed cheesy potatoes on the side. It's all basically amazingly delicious! Anyway, the moms at Larcacunga made it Wednesday for all the kids. We contributed a bunch of stuff and then each family brought stuff as well. For the first hour and a half or so all the kids, a couple of the moms, and us peeled peas and beans and took corn off the cob. It of course involved mostly food fights, throwing the peels at eachother, in eachothers' ears, down shirts, all that good stuff. I have to say, I didn't try in any way to stop it, but was right there in the middle of it with all the kids. It was good fun! And all the work got done so that's the important part! Then when it was cooking we got all the kids beading, painting, drawing, and running around in the rain. We mostly did stuff inside because it was really cold and foggy and rainy, but even that can't keep us inside all day...
Around noon we ate the fanesca. Basically amazing! Especially because we had helped... We all were full after one bowl but the kids kept going back for seconds. Even the little 6 year olds who don't even come up to my waist were going back for more! I guess since they only get it once a year and it's so good they have to eat all they possibly can!
I had it again on Friday with my host family. We had also had it when Dom and Doreen (the GVI bosses from Guatemala) were here so it was my third time and I want it more! It's so filling though! I'm definitely going to have to get the recipe!

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