Run to Jumbo

Every time a Chilean asks me how I'm liking my experience here, I tell them that we are enjoying ourselves, the people, the culture, etc. The only thing that I can't quite get over missing is the food! It sounds so ridiculous, and there we have been to a few good restaurants, but there is a large part of me that misses American food almost everyday; more than I ever thought I would.

The good stuff is in the details...like chocolate chips, cream of chicken soup (or fill in the blank- really, what is a good Mormon housewife to cook if she doesn't have a can of cream of mushroom soup on hand!), maple syrup, salad dressing (not mayonnaise), cheddar cheese (macaroni and cheese goes right along that same path)...things you can't just make from scratch, and are harder to find than imaginable!

Shortly after returning to Chile, a friend gave C a chocolate chip cookie- big deal, right...no, it was a BIG DEAL!!! Where in Chile were they hiding chocolate chips from me! (and brown sugar for that matter too!) She told me that at the bigger, Wal-mart type stores, and in the wealthier areas, such coveted American products were to be found.

The very next week, the quest began. The long awaited day had arrived as we discovered...JUMBO, the happiest place on earth!
(Okay, so I'm being over ridiculous here, and I realize it too...it's just for effect.) Because we are seeking out the imported items, they are always name brand, on top of imported, and tend to be rather pricey...almost always double the normal price, which translates into one expensive, yet joyful trip. This means that we hold out as long as we think we can, and then race to Jumbo for our monthly American binge: refried beans, salsa, Kraft Mac & Cheese, Italian salad dressing, barbecue sauce, A&W and Dr. Pepper, chocolate chips, pretzels, cream of chicken soup, and some cheese slightly resembling cheddar.

So, moral of the story...this whole post makes us sound like junk food junkies, but know that we would eat fruit leather and granola bars if we could find them! When in Chile, do as the Americans in Chile do...run to Jumbo!