A New Holiday Tradition

In our family, pumpkin pie is a must for the holiday season. Sometimes we have been able to get canned pumpkin from friends or family in the states, but this year we decided to try to make pumpkin pie from scratch. The first thing you need to do is find the right pumpkin. We bought a smaller pumpkin that was still green. We've read that you don't want to buy too big of a pumpkin because they're not as sweet. First, wash the pumpkin with water. Then you carve out the stem and about 2 inches around the stem and then cut the pumpkin in half. Clean out the seeds and all of the insides of the pumpkin, an ice-cream scoop works well for this. Place the two halves of the pumpkin face down on the baking tray (skin facing up). Bake for 2 hours at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Take the pumpkin halves out and with a fork test to see if the pumpkin is soft all the way through, if not you can put it in another 10 minutes or so. Take the pumpkin out of the oven and let the pumpkin cool for about 30 min. Scoop out the pumpkin from the skin and place it in a food processor and mix until pureed (We had to use a hand mixer which also worked fine, it just took longer). At this point you have your main ingredient and you can just follow your favorite pie recipe. Stacy also makes her own crust, but thats for another blog.

Society

One thing that I've hardly felt the presence of in the states is this idea of society. Social taboos do exist in the states, but not nearly to the degree that they exist and are felt here in Bosnia. Here in Bosnia your neighbors, community and society in general have a large role to play in the way you live. I would dare to say that this is not so in the states where the individual is left to live the way he or she choses. In fact, in my opinion, the role of the individual is a little out of hand in the states. I digress. Now you would think that this social pressure applies only to those born and raised in Bosnia. Not so. Stacy and I feel it where ever we go. The way we dress, the way we dress Noah, what we eat, and how we spend money are all examples of how we need to 'fit in'.
Now that it's winter you should, of course, dress warm. The very common dress is all black (see picture above). The reason for the all black dress has evaded me. I have definitely changed my own habits when it comes to dress. Before, in the fall or early winter it wouldn't be uncommon for me to wear shorts and then a sweatshirt for the extra warmth I needed. Now, I only wear shorts in the heat of summer. Before, I would go barefoot in the house; now slippers are a must. You'll even catch me wearing slippers in the summer. Tennis shoes are now only for sports. Sometimes I'll wear a pair of black canvas tennis shoes that don't look so much like sports shoes. Anyway, what inspired this blog was something that happened to me last week. When I went to buy milk at a local grocery store I was riding up the escalator, and coming down on the other side was a guy with a short sleeve shirt on. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped, "what is he thinking wearing short sleeves on a winter's day???" I thought to myself. This young man in his late 20s pulled out a cell phone and started speaking. He was an American!! It was then that I realized that I've become one of them. I've been assimilated into the borg. Not only have I changed my dressing habits I was no longer thinking for myself but according to the society that I live in, and applying those social rules to others. I guess in the end it's not so bad, perhaps it's the obedience to the social mind that will give me the platform to speak into people's lives.