Our First Day at AWAG

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First, we needed to get acquainted with the various women with whom we will be working. Sara is the business leader who is committed to providing work for as many women as possible. Her daughter Farnooz is volunteering and is more on the artistic and marketing side. Malini handles the books. After that, we have met too many women for me to remember individually.

We are not sure how each "gift" box has been received. We do know that they were not distributed and probably won't be as we imagined. However, we did show good faith by bringing them.

After some small talk, it was time for lunch. We LOVE Gujarati khanna (food), so have been eating far too much. To cook Gujarati food, which is totally vegetarian, but not vegan, you start with oil, add sugar, and some more oil, and salt, and oh, by the way, a bit more oil! It is great!

Consider: Weight Watchers assigns 2 points to flour tortillas. A chappati is very similar to a tortilla, and we usually eat 3-4 per meal! However, now add this to the equation. When making a chappati in Gujarat, the cook splits it open, much like a pita, and adds 1/2 teaspoon of ghee (clarified butter)...not to bother calculating points.

So, first, we take our 14 inch stainless steel trays and in one bowl add several ladles of lentils of some kind. Then a tablespoon each of several different vegetables (sometimes five or more). Eat with 2-4 chappatis. Then, pause, and go back for some rice, adding the vegetables that you like best, and now finish the meal with this rice and veggies.

Oh, yes, dessert consists of a sweet (really sweet) concoction that is eaten along side the veggies.

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