Campbells

Campbells

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Clearance of Conscience


Have you ever made a homemade hard taco shell? Me neither. I make homemade tortillas, but the thought of getting the shell just right...little brown flecks in the corn, a nice crispy texture, just the right shape...it's just too overwhelming for me. Taco shells can occasionally be found in Turkey, but only for a price that would be equivalent of what I spend on my kids' birthday gifts! But oh, we want what we cannot have. The girls request tacos sometimes for a birthday dinner. I am left with alternatives like : spending an entire afternoon making them from scratch, sheepishly asking a friend with Base Access to buy me a box, importing them from America in our luggage (which results in more of a crushed taco salad type dinner), or just doing without. But Saturday night, a friend and I hit a new grocery store in town called Kipa. I had heard positive things about it, and indeed, it was a good store. But things went from good to great when I spotted taco shells. Taco shells at 1.75 YTL ($1.00US). Ignoring the stares, I climbed canned good shelving to get every last box on the shelf. Stacked mile-high in my cart, I think I talked about them for a good 30 minutes. Then I began to feel a twinge of guilt. I took them ALL. I thought of all the other foreigners in our city who might want some. So, I made a couple of conscience clearing phone calls, "Hey, need any taco shells?" "No? Great. See you Sunday." and "Oh, just one? Sure, I'll get you 'just one.' " I still had plenty. Then who should round the corner but a whole slew of my mommy-foreigner friends. "Sara Campbell!" I spoke pleasantries, then finally blurted out the whole story, "Just take them! They have taco shells for $1 and I bought every single one. There's not a box left on the shelf. I can't stand this, get them right out of my cart!" My friends died laughing.

We also found Campbell's soup for $3YTL ($2.00US). Normally it is nearly double that, so we bought a bunch. I once again climbed the shelves to get these, this time using a prop to propel all the cans down to us. I thought of those primates in the jungle, who have been seen 'using tools to gather food'...hmmm.
When I came home and told my kids about my find, they threw their arms around me and yelled, "You're the best!" as if I had anything to do with this divine provision. Then I pointed out to them the name of the soup...Campbells. "Campbells?!" (quizzical look) they replied, "That's us!" We live a sheltered life over here!

3 comments:

Melanie Keffer said...

Sara, you are hilariously funny. I mean that. I laughed once again. You remind me so much of myself.

I'll tell you, the same thoughts that you expressed in writing ran through my mind while reading, . . . "Taking every box/can???"

BUT, if it is any consolation to you, you can look at it this way. You are NOT in America, you are in Turkey and if someone had wanted Campbell Soup and taco shells, they should have gotten them long before now!!!! :)))

That didn't help, did it? :)

Point being, I think God understands. [big smile]

I'll leave you with this Bible verse instead of my outhouse philosphy:

It is Romans 14:22
"Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth."

While that applies to a lot of things, Paul just happened to be talking about food when he said that!! Who knows but what God didn't do for you?

Enjoy the tacos and soup Sara!! Besides, my family is not quite as large as yours and that looks the amount I buy on a normal basis!! :)

Melanie

Melanie Keffer said...

I also have made homemade tortillas and have tried taco shells and you are right, they just don't turn out quite the same. Homemade tortillas are delicious, don't you think? As long as you can roll the dough thin enough . . . .

My aunt is Mexican/Indian and the woman can cook where she is going. You've never tasted such good food. She is the only one I know who can make the homemade shells . . . You'd think I'd learn from her but mine are just not the same.

Yet another reason we have to buy out the store -- We just have the wrong ancestry! :)

M

val said...

Enjoy! I haven't had a hard shell taco in years. I bought them once here, but they were more chewy than crunchy :)

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