The Cupcake Diaries - Ssula Biri

Let the baking adventures continue!

Rice cooker prepped and ready

As you may remember, some time back I decided to test out this whole ‘rice cooker cake’ theory. Essentially it was a success, with a few minor setbacks…namely my rice cooker overheating and shorting out. Fortunately, this time around, I was smarter about my baking via rice cooker. Also, this time I decided to attempt the rice cooker cupcake. Yes, this is a real thing.

Prepping for the GLORY

The instructions to make a rice cooker cupcake are as follows:

Mix cupcake mix according to box instructions. Place cupcake cups in molds. Add cupcake mix. Place cupcakes in steam tray and close the lid. Allow to steam according to box baking instructions (30 minutes typically).

Using caution, open the lid and check cupcakes for doneness. If ready, add frosting and enjoy!

Cups filled!

Rice cooker on - notice I did NOT tape it on this time. 

So, with this in mind, I armed myself with a box of Betty Crocker Super Moist Milk Chocolate cake mix (judge away, but I did not want to go through the motions of making cake mix from scratch if it wasn’t going to work) and a jar of Nutella for frosting. After my trusty sidekick, Alia (the vanilla buttercream frosting to my red velvet cupcake), mixed the cake batter and poured them into the individual silicon cupccake cups (fill each cup about half-way), we filled the cooking bowl about 2/3 with water. We used foil cupcake wrappers for half the batch, to test out how they’d do in the steam bath. We flipped the rice cooker on and started the waiting game. The water took some time to start boiling, but once started, the baking was on! After a few minutes, I carefully checked the status of the baking and to my amazement, it was actually working! That’s right folks, rice cooker cakes are completely and 100% feasible and delicious (and if you use the foil variety, wrappings are a viable addition).

Look at that steamy goodness.

 

NOM NOM NOM!

Cupcake GLORY!

Moist and delicious

Foiled perfection

Success!

The cupcakes are much moister than when I made the full cake in the rice cooker and more airy compared to when I used an oven. I almost prefer the airy, moist rice cooker cupcakes to the normal oven-baked variety. The combination of the deliciously moist cake and the deliciously creamy Nutella makes for a diabetic’s nightmare and a sweet lover’s dream-come-true. All in all, I’d say the rice cooker cupcake is a win.

With Nutella frosting!

On a final note, I highly recommend rice cookers to PCVs and younger, single, oven-deprived individuals. They are versatile and currently my best friend (you know, besides my human friends).

Now begins the road to ‘fat Aditi’.

Happy Easter!

Paradise Lost

For the past week, I was in Zanzibar, an island off the coast of Tanzania. Initially, I wasn’t really sure what to expect except fun in the sun. Little did I know, I would enter a world of not only sun and sand, but giant turtles, coral reef, various fish, dolphins, and hilarious Tanzanians (or Zanzibarians, since they are fighting to get independence from Tanzania apparently).

The first day in Zanzibar was mainly to visit Prison Island. So, the history of this island is as follows:

A prison was built on the island but it was never used as a prison. After completion, it was used as a cholera quarantine facility for tradesmen coming in from highly endemic areas (Egypt and India mostly). After that, it was used as a general health inspection island for immigration. After another bit of time, a hotel was built and the prison was renovated into a restaurant and hotel. During that time, the Seychelles, another set of islands off the coast of Africa, gave giant sea turtles (second only to those found in the Galapagos Islands) to Prison Island (where they are still present). Let me just say, when they call them ‘giant’, they are not kidding. I’m fairly certain that there are a handful that were at least 4 times the weight of me. I was quite afraid to go near them since I heard they tend to snap at people’s fingers. At one point I was attempting to go near one and it started to charge me (and when I say charge I mean it just started moving in my general direction). This caused me to panic and almost step on a smaller turtle that was crossing the pavement. The prison was interesting to see. The view from the prison was amazing, making me think I wouldn’t mind spending a life sentence in that prison.

Zanzi-Water

The beaches on Zanzibar are beautiful. I’m talking crystal blue water…like the adverts for Sandals resorts (but IT’S REAL). We went snorkeling the next day and saw so many different fish from Finding Nemo, it was like I was in the movie (minus the shark chase scene). We also saw so many different coral, it was amazing! Most of the coral you could see without even getting in the water, the water was so clear! We even got to see dolphins. It was funny, all the snorkelers decided they wanted to try and follow the dolphins so whenever they were spotted, they jumped out of their boats in heard. We also made it to an island off the main Zanzibar Island where we got to walk out onto a sandbar in the middle of the water. It was pretty cool. Unfortunately, all the time in the sun caused me to get burned over most of my body.

Zanzi-SPLASH!

The next few days were spent relaxing and just hanging out on the beach. We caught some epic sunrises and during low tide we’d walk out to the sandbar in the middle of the ocean. Unfortunately, we were always met with a minefield of sea urchins with spikey stingers so we didn’t make it to the sandbar successfully.

We also sneaked into a high class resort to use their pool which was in a shaded area. That was refreshing since the ocean was hot. Not warm…HOT. I’m telling you, it was like being on the sun, minus the whole melting literally aspect.

The last day we went on a Spice Tour which was cool. We got to see the different plants and guess what spices they were. I, of course, guessed the curry leaves (brown-power). We also went on a tour of an old slave chamber/slave market. It was pretty creepy because they kept the slaves in a cellar underground. I was almost too freaked out to go in. They have a monument now with stone carved humans chained up to represent the slaves. It was a little saddening, but overall the trip was awesome.

Some funny things that happened on the trip…every street vendor sang songs to us trying to sell CDs. The song always went ‘Jambo Bwana, Abare Jani, Mzuri Sana’. It was hilarious and by the end of the week I was singing it. Also, we had a cab driver called Mr. Jumba Jumba and whenever we’d go around the town he’d just randomly start laughing or he’s say ‘THANK YOU MR. JUMBA JUMBA’ and go on to explain some time. Also, there was a huge street food market (it was like the Zanzibarian version of a food truck bazaar) where you could get ridiculous amounts of food, from meet to veggies to fruit to PIZZA! It was awesome. 

Zanzi-YUM!

Overall it was a good vacation. It was good to get away from Uganda and see different things and just overall recharge myself. I even ventured out and tried calamari (it was actually good). I think I’m now reset for another 8 months in Uganda (though I hope to leave again on vacation before heading to the U.S. for good).

Zanzi-Sunrise

 

THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU

My latest adventure started when I heard about a set of dormant volcanoes near the border of Uganda, Rwanda, and DRC. Who wouldn’t want to be in three places at once?

Yeah, I should have really thought this thing through.

So, as a very belated birthday gift to myself, I decided to get a merry band of misfits together to tackle this whole idea of three-places-at-once thing. Little did I know, not preparing would come back to bite us all in the behind. 

I began my disjointed journey at 6 am when I headed into Kyotera and found a taxi heading to Masaka, where I was to meet Allison on the post bus (the only way to travel relatively efficiently in Uganda). Of course, the POST bus wasn’t going to the POST office (clearly my logic was not shared by the individuals who were driving the post bus) so after waiting for a while I had to take another vehicle out to Nyendo where I was able to successfully catch the post bus. After a very long time (and a zebra sighting) we got to Kabale where we picked up the final part of the trio, Alia. After another hour (where we passed through an airfield and got to see an actual UN Refugee camp) we made it to the hostel in Kisoro just in time for a rain storm and no power. Oh Uganda, may God uphold thee…

While at the hostel, we noticed the immense mountains surrounding the area and we wondered which we would be climbing (clearly, we hadn’t done as much research as we should have). When we were told which mountain we would be hiking, the fear struck us like a bolt of lightning (it also didn’t help that we were told we would have to climb ladders towards the three peaks of the mountain). We went to bed that night with dreams of ladders and great heights swimming through our heads, as well as a very strong hope that we would be successful in our endeavor.

We weren’t.

When we started the hike, we quickly realized how unprepared we were. The initial slope to the base of the mountain was at such a steep incline, it took us twice as long as usual to make it to the base. From there it only got worse. Not only did we get our shoes stuck in mud (knee deep in some places), but the incline and altitude combination hit us so hard, we had to stop every few minutes. It also didn’t help that a lot of the trails were on the steep slopes of the mountain, making me think about the possibility of falling to my death. I’m sure the guide did not appreciate this. When we got to what the guide considered the ‘real’ incline, it was death, true and simple. After about 15 ladders I had to call it quits. It got to a point where I was on all fours, crawling across this ladder and all I could see around me were steep sides (forcing me to picture myself plummeting to the gorge below) and white fog (or clouds). I realized I could go no further and slowly climbed off the ladder and sat on a rock for a while, allowing myself to calm down for the descent (during which we never stopped to take breaks causing me to have Machu Picchu-like issues). At least I wasn’t the only one that had this problem. 

Me climbing one of many ladders to the first peak of Mt. Sabinyo.

Epic fail.

A promise was made to follow a training regimen and make a second attempt. Hopefully that one is a little more successful.

After the failed hike, I went up to Gulu to visit Michelle’s (another volunteer) site, Clean Water Initiative. Some amazing people back home decided to donate money to her organization and I thought I’d check up on the progress of the projects to which the money was going. 

The travel to the site was long and the road very dusty and bumpy which really showed me how remote the area was and probably how far the community members had to walk to fetch water. When we got to the site of the bore hole, there were mostly community members working on the pumping mechanism as well as the cement around it. It was really amazing to see how invested the community was in the project. Out of all the people there, only two were not members of the community, and those were supervisors and contracted workers who were merely watching the work to make sure it was done correctly. 

 

After they finished putting together the pumping mechanism, they pumped some water and it was just plain awesome. I don’t know how else to put it, really. The community members let me pump some water and while I knew I probably looked like an idiot, but it was cool to see progress in action. Knowing that the community had a cleaner and safer water source really made me happy.

Making a fool of myself pumping clean water.

Everything Changes

I hope everyone’s New Year is starting off wonderfully…mine sure has! As most of you are probably aware, my birthday was on January 8^th. While I’ve been here I had been wanting to hike Mt. Sabinyo for my birthday, a dormant volcano which is on the border of DRC, Rwanda, and Uganda. When one reaches the peak, he or she is in all three countries at once. It was a goal of mine to do this on my birthday. Unfortunately, planning and time was not on my side. My birthday snuck up on me and I didn’t have time to put anything together, so instead I decided to go to Rwanda (who says that?). Overall it was a fun trip, though quite somber. Most of the tourist sites in Rwanda are centered on the genocides of the 90’s. One of the sites visited was a church at Nyamata, where some Tutsis (the targeted clan of the genocide) were taking refuge from the Hutus (the clan doing the targeting). The church had been attacked by the Hutus and grenades were thrown into the hiding crowds. Inside the church (which has since been used primarily as a memorial for those lost) are numerous piles of clothing from the victims as well as skeletal remains of the victims who were hiding in the church and the remains found in mass graves around the area. It was very surreal, being at a site that was actually attacked and had blood shed over it. It really made me wonder how humans can do this to one another. What makes them think killing other men, women and children, is okay?

Kigali also has a genocide memorial museum which is more informational in nature. It explained the series of events, from the colonial times, leading up to the genocide as well as the aftermath of it. There were personal testimonials from survivors recalling the events and members of their families that they had lost. Also at the Kigali memorial are mass graves. The sheer number of people lost during the genocide is unfathomable. The numbers given were up to the 200,000’s. It really saddened my heart to know that people where (and still are) capable of doing this to one another. There was also a section at the Kigali site describing genocides around the world. It seems that it just takes one notion, one person to spark hatred in a group. I wish there was a way to promote understand in a more effective way…I hope organizations that are working to heal are also working to prevent further bloodshed. 

While my birthday was somber, it was still fun. Kigali, much like Kampala, has a great deal of good food. Throughout the week I was able to partake in gelato, baked goods, pizza, and Indian food. The Rwandan beer (Primus) is also quite good. Overall, I’d say it was a very educational and rewarding birthday, even if I didn’t get to climb the volcanoes. I guess that will just have to happen another time.

Catch - 22

As you all know, about a month ago I had my mid-service conference, marking my one year as an official Peace Corps volunteer in Uganda. Part of this conference is a mid-service medical check-up. This used to entail a full physical exam, as well as eye and dental exams (giving us volunteers an entire week of fun in Kampala). Now, thanks to budget cuts, it is a brief visit to the Peace Corps Medical Office (PCMO) where we talk about things which may be of concern regarding our health and then a dental check-up. We fill out a brief questionnaire on our health habits of the past year and indicate any concerns you may have that you want to address.

So, for me, I decided to address the issue of my digestive system. You are all familiar with my past episodes of pee butt, which have thankfully diminished, however over time I have noticed that, while I do not suffer from acute episodes of pee butt, I do seem to suffer from perpetual episodes of loose stool…sometimes very loose stool. I decided it was time to get this figured out. Of course, being the naïve individual that I am, I thought it would entail a conversation regarding my eating habits and some suggestions on changes and finally, a promise to observe and communicate any changes.

Oh Aditi, how silly you are.

After the anticipated conversation about my eating habits, the nurse decided I should give a stool sample just to see if there is anything that needs to be treated. That’s right; I had to poop in a cup. Lucky for me she didn’t demand it right away and I had a good 24 hours until the dreaded deed had to be done. Unfortunately, saying you’ll poop in a cup and actually performing the task are two very different things. The first question that entered my mind was how exactly does one poop in a cup? After pondering this question I decided the best course of action would be to poop in a cavera (a plastic bag) and then transfer it into my sample cup. I am sure the maids at the annex (the hostel I was staying at) wondered what I was doing taking a plastic bag into the toilet, but then again so many PCVs come through the establishment for medical reasons they may be used to such weird habits. The next morning, when I felt my usual bowel movement coming on, I decided to try and do the deed. Unfortunately, my body decided against this and I couldn’t perform. It took twenty minutes of me walking around, eating some chips, and drinking some soda before I could successfully give a sample. Luckily I didn’t have to give a very large sample. Hopefully they find something worth finding and fix my digestive system, otherwise all this work will have been in vain.

Prior to my pooping in a cup fiasco, I had a dentist appointment. It was supposed to be a routine cleaning and check-up, but it ended up being a full on let’s make Aditi’s gums bleed session. Initially things seemed to be going as normal, the dentist seemed to think I grind my teeth at night and they indicated my receding gum line which is the cause of my sensitivity (at least one mystery is solved), but when the cleaning began it was an all-out assault on my mouth. The dentist was scraping at my gums and showing me the contents (all I could do was slightly nod my head because of course my mouth was wide open with her working at my teeth), then she brought out the floss and was, what I thought to be, over-aggressive with it. Then when she “polished” my teeth, it felt more like she was grinding them down with sand paper or something. My face was covered in white residue by the end of the appointment and my t-shirt was wet from excess water drooling out of my mouth. I guess on the up side, I didn’t have any cavities!

After all this madness in Kampala, you’d think it was smooth sailing back to site.

Heck no.

On the day I was returning to site, I got a private hire to the taxi park because I had more baggage than I anticipated (thank you Kampala). The driver took me to the wrong bus park, so I was trying to direct him to the real location I was trying to go to. He pulled over the car and said either I add him some 5,000 shillings or I get out and get another taxi and give him the 15,000 shillings I was supposed to pay this first guy. He said “I would rather get paid nothing than go the extra distance and not get more”. I asked him to repeat and confirm what he had just said and he did, saying it would out of the kindness of his heart that he took me this far. So I decided, fine, you won’t get paid. As I was climbing out, he grabbed my purse and would not give it back until I gave him his “deserved” 15,000 shillings. Of course, me being the hot-head I am, I started yelling at him and tried to pry my purse from his grasp. He called a boda driver to help and I tried explaining the situation. Finally, realizing my purse was going to break, I told the driver I’d give him the money, which I did. The rest of my travel encompassed me being short and angry with pretty much everyone as well as me acquiring a major headache. After I got home and showered I felt better…I took the situation and my anger, put it into a ball and just let it go…washed myself clean of the anger. Too bad it was with cold water!

With that, I will you all a Happy New Year!